Disclaimer: The only thing I own is my character, Lindi. The only thing Reala owns is her character, Reala (duh). Everything else is borrowed from the wonderful J.R.R. Tolkien. This story is not making a profit and purely for entertainment purposes. ^.~
Chapter 5: One Last Day
Aragorn began the tournament by attacking Legolas first. He jabbed his sword toward the Elf's middle, and Legolas blocked and attempted to backhand Aragorn's side with his sword. The Ranger blocked and then struck near Legolas' lower legs, but the nimble Elf gracefully hopped over the sword and landed behind Aragorn. He thrust his sword and almost jabbed Aragorn's side, but the human spun around quickly and blocked the blow.
The fighting continued, while the other Fellowship members looked on. The Hobbits were especially amazed, all the while wondering how anyone could be so fast yet not injure themselves. They watched as Legolas thrust his sword toward Aragorn's abdomen, human blocking, and vice versa. Sword clashed against sword. Blow after blow was exchanged. The two fighters were showing no signs of tiring; but as the fight progressed further, it became clear that Aragorn would be the victor.
Eventually, Legolas admitted defeat. Both fighters were sweating and breathing heavily. Neither had major wounds, but they each had small cuts where they had been nicked. The audience was silent in their viewing, with a few exceptions.
"Wow," Pippin stated simply, staring open-mouthed at Legolas and Aragorn.
"Amazing," breathed Merry. He watched as Aragorn shook his opponent's hand once more and offered a smile to the Hobbits.
"It's not amazing, it is discipline," the ranger said as he sheathed his sword and stepped out of the ring. The Fellowship members were silent, until Gimli broke the silence.
"I wish to challenge the woman," he husked, drawing an axe from his belt and moving into the circle. His eyes fell upon Lindi, and the girl regarded him quietly through squinted eyes and drew her sword. The sun shone brightly overhead and birds sang in the distance. Lindi entered the little ring and waited for the signal.
A tense silence hung in the air for a brief moment, then with a sudden burst of energy Gimli rushed forward, axe held high. The sound of colliding metal echoed around the circle as a streak of silver flashed and Lindi's sword was up, shielding her side from Gimli's harsh blow. The dwarf's eyes widened with interest and he decided to push the human even further to reveal her true skill.
He brought the axe down at an angle, first to the left, then to the right in swift chopping motions. With Lindi's advantage of height, she didn't need to move much. Her arm moved in an arc, protecting her from the axe on either side. She let her fingers go limp, letting the blade swing forward and continue moving so that it flipped into a vertical chop aimed for the top of Gimli's head. The Dwarf brought up the handle of his axe, letting the human's blade slide off harmlessly.
Lindi chopped away at him until she knocked the axe away, reducing him to a small knife. He attempted to go straight ahead for the attack, but Lindi sidestepped and quickly brought the blade of her sword to his throat before he could react. She stopped before she could make impact, and Gimli realized he was defeated. With a sweeping bow she left the ring. Gimli stood still for a moment, then indignantly moved to his seat, which was next to Merry. He was silent, but found that he had crossed Lindi's line of vision. She gave him a small but sincere smile, and he averted his eyes.
Next, Boromir stepped up and into the ring. "I wish to challenge Gondor's king," he said, his tone even and his eyes angry. Aragorn stood slowly, unsheathing his sword and walking to the fighting area, pale eyes hesitant. Boromir then followed the ranger's example and drew his sword as well. Legolas felt a prickle crawl up his neck. This would be a bloody fight, literally or not.
Then with a quick sweep Boromir brought his sword high above his head and thrashed it down savagely on Aragorn's sword. Aragorn forced the blade down and ripped it up and into the air, then lunged the point toward his opponent's chest. The blow was blocked and Boromir's sword met with Aragorn's so bluntly that sparks flew. Aragorn attacked the steward's heir with great speed, slashing and chopping at a rate that seemed too high for Boromir, but he continued to keep up. Aragorn's sword slipped past the younger man's guard and sliced through his jerkin and scratched his chain mail. The blow itself, however, forced Boromir to stagger and Aragorn took advantage of the momentarily stunned man.
He swept his sword in an upward arc but immediately met Boromir's blade and was driven back so hard he had to take a step back to clear his head. Boromir, with sudden strength and speed, drove his blade into the ranger's throat (which, thankfully, was avoided) but was met with a hard knee in the abdomen and Aragorn's sword point pressed into Boromir's vulnerable throat. The younger man had meant to knock the weapon away with his own, but found he had lost it. Aragorn immediately stepped back and sheathed his sword.
"The match is mine," he said simply, and Boromir muttered something inaudible. Aragorn waited for him to collect his sword before offering a handshake to symbolize peace between them, but Boromir refused peace and stalked back to his seat.
The tournament continued on with Merry and Pippin trying to outdo each other, but ended with Pippin's defeat mirroring Boromir's. Reala gripped her sword handle in anticipation and walked into the ring where Pippin was being forced to admit defeat. Merry had a fistful of his cousin's curly hair. Lindi tried to save the hobbit's dignity by ignoring him and asking, "are you fighting next, Reala?"
"I would like to challenge Boromir if he's up for another fight," the brunette said coldly.
"I would be honored to oppose such a worthy opponent," Boromir said. His tone was dripping with sarcasm and he had his eyes slit directed at the girl in front of him.
Reala glared at him as she readied herself for the fight, letting the hobbits take their seats beside Lindi. Boromir stood from his seat and proceeded to the fighting ring and unsheathed his sword, inspecting it. Neither fighter offered the other a handshake of peace, but immediately got into their fighting stances.
The fight commenced as Reala ran at Boromir at an almost terrifyingly high speed, but the man of Gondor was ready. Reala swung her sword at Boromir's middle. The man jumped back just in time and avoided the blow. He then counterattacked by jabbing his sword toward Reala's throat. Reala brought her sword up and blocked the attack.
Reala glared at Boromir and he simply glared back. Reala then quickly made her next move by running at him again and sharply swung her sword this way and that, trying to confuse her opponent. Boromir blocked each blow, trying to keep his mind clear yet attempting to counter Reala's attacks as well. The human girl would not allow him to attack her. She prolonged the fight as their audience watched with anticipation and fear.
Boromir wasn't sure how he could defeat the eccentric girl in front of him, then he realized that she was wearing herself out very quickly. He used this to his advantage and let the girl continue to attack him.
After another minute of frantic attempts to wound Boromir, Reala's arms started to go limp with weariness. Boromir took notice of this and made his move. He thrust his sword to Reala's middle, and Reala moved out of the way, but just barely. Boromir then swung his sword around his head and stopped just before making contact with Reala's neck.
The girl stopped, stunned. She was breathing heavily and hung her head in shame for she knew that she had been defeated. She finally dropped her sword, leaning on it for support. Boromir sheathed his sword and silently took his seat beside Gandalf. The smirk on his face angered Reala, but she held her chin up and left the ring.
"You're too fast," Aragorn told her as she sat next to him. "You need to rely on your strength as well as speed – Boromir is quite an opponent, but not unbeatable," he finished, and his words brought a smile to her face.
"You've proved that, Aragorn," she said with admiration and slid her previous opponent a spiteful glance. Boromir scowled back.
"It doesn't feel right," Frodo said, "fighting women…it just doesn't. Aren't we supposed to protect them?"
"We are supposed to protect you," Lindi answered, and Frodo immediately cringed at the comment. He did not like to be reminded of the quest they would embark on soon. Aragorn requested a fight with Frodo, to see where his strengths lay. Sam, of course, spoke against it. But just before the ranger drew his sword, Gandalf – who had been speaking with Elrond – stood and said he had something to say.
"Tomorrow the company sets off," he began, and slow nods and soft murmurs came from the group before him. He held up his hand for silence, and they obeyed. "There is, however, something you should know. The Nine have taken horses and are watching the paths from Rivendell."
"The Nine?" Reala repeated, but quieted and lowered her eyes when Gandalf looked at her. She folded her arms tightly and sat back in her seat.
"Yes, the Nine. They have, however, divided. Five of them have returned, or on their way, to Minus Morgul. We must be cautious." He picked up his staff and continued, "rest, eat, and enjoy today. For tomorrow, the real quest begins."
Sam sighed after Gandalf departed. "Well, so much for the tournament, Strider. Who would you say won?"
"Aragorn, Lindi, and me!" Merry chimed, and both Boromir and Gimli threw him a nasty glare. Lindi laughed.
"Oh, it was barely a victory."
"It was still a victory, lass," Gimli huffed from the corner of their seats. He sighed heavily. "I…I am sorry I doubted your abilities."
"Think nothing of it, Master Dwarf, you are not the first. Many warriors doubt I am able to pick up a weapon, much less use one," she replied, and flashed a smile at him. Gimli returned something that was almost a smile, but immediately threw his shoulders back and tilted his bearded chin up proudly. Legolas rolled his eyes at the dwarf but allowed a smile to escape his lips.
"Well, what do we do until we leave, Aragorn?" Frodo asked, and the man stood.
"Whatever you want. I have affairs to settle before I depart tomorrow." He nodded to the company and left the ring. Legolas nodded slowly back.
"No doubt he went to visit the Lady Arwen," Sam said with a smile. "This tournament made me hungry. Mr. Frodo, would you like to go get some food with me?"
Frodo grinned. "I'd love to, Sam."
--- --- ---
The ranger moved silently through the halls of Rivendell, and cast a glance around him now and then to see if he spotted whom he was searching for. There were only a few Elves who acknowledged his presence, but there was no sign of Arwen.
"You're losing your touch," a soft voice breathed behind him, and he quickly turned to face the Elven beauty. A smile curved on his lips and he took a step forward, reaching out to her. The Elf sidestepped with a laugh. "Not quite yet, Estel." Her smile faded and her blue eyes became solemn and she ducked back into the shadows and out of the hallway where she stood. By now, Aragorn knew when Arwen wanted to be followed. "My father has told me that your company is to leave in the morning."
He looked into the darkness, but was unable to find her. He tried to follow her voice. "Arwen, love, where are you?"
"Why did you not tell me?"
His head snapped to the sound, and he moved to the side, this time his hands met the smooth skin of her shoulders. She stepped closer to him, coming into the dim light. Aragorn kissed her forehead lightly.
"I was on my way to tell you. I just found out this hour," he told her, and she let out a heartbroken sigh and pulled away from him.
"I wish I would have known sooner, then I would not have spent the last three days playing hide and seek with you." Aragorn quickly and unexpectedly moved in for a kiss, but she gracefully dodged his touch again.
"Why will you not let me kiss you?" he asked, but only received laughter as a reply. He arched a brow and cocked his head. "Arwen?"
"You cannot kiss me until you return. So you must return safely, if you want a kiss," she told him, but he captured her hands with his and puller her close to him; so close that his lips grazed her forehead as he spoke.
"I cannot wait that long." He cast his eyes to meet hers, and she could not help but break into a coy smile.
"You will not have to," she whispered after a moment, and he gave in to a smile as she stood on the tips of her toes and met his lips with hers. He responded and the kiss lasted for what must have been (or seemed to be) at least a minute. Finally Arwen had to pull away to take a breath. Aragorn smiled breathlessly, his lips tingling as he caught her off guard in another kiss.
Arwen made a very un-Elvish 'umph' but did not complain and kissed back. Arwen slowly broke the kiss and leaned her head on his chest. His arms came around her.
"Estel…when you returned to Rivendell three months ago, we sat on the bridge and watched the stars fade into the dawn." Her voice now held emotion, and Aragorn felt it in his heart. "Do you remember that night?"
"I do."
She pulled away and grasped his hand. "Let us spend our last night together watching the stars." Aragorn nodded slowly and kissed her once more, softly, before gently leading her to the outer courts of Rivendell, over the bridge, and into the night.
--- --- ---
A/N: Aragorn and Arwen fluff! Lol. I like Arwen as long as she's not stealing Glorfindel's part! O.o But there's the end of that chapter, finally typed! I hope you guys aren't too mad, but Reala's computer was really having problems. Anyhoozle, we've started writing more now that school has started, so we'll hopefully be typing more, too! There will probably be additions made to this chapter, or possibly just a new chapter, so check back often to see if there's more available for you to read! Thanx so much for being patient! ^.~
*~*Lindi*~*
PS – "Estel" is Aragorn's name he was given by Elrond in Rivendell when he was living there with his mother before he became a ranger, just to let you know (the story is in the appendices of RotK). The literal translation of Estel is Hope.