A/N: Hey ya'll…really sorry it took so long for this update!! I hope that you like it!!! =)

Aragorn led the way into a peaceful clearing of trees in the forest surrounding Rivendell. Kimberly followed a few paces behind him, still a bit unsure about how this was going to go. In the one day that she had known Aragorn, she thought a lot of him. But he still managed to keep her on her toes. He had this look like he always knew what was going on, and that nothing ever slipped by him.

Before Kim had gone to bed that night, Elrond had entered her room and given her a sword to use while she practiced her training. The end wasn't blunted; it was a true sword that had had its share of the war of the ring. It was a long sword that was light in weight, and sharp enough to split a hair. There was a small star engraved onto the face of the sword, with a red ruby, blue sapphire, and a green emerald. Very beautiful in it's simplicity. Kim wondered if she was going to see much action with it.

While thinking about her sword, she stumbled on an uprooted branch, and almost fell face forward…had Aragorn not grabbed her arm to steady her. "You would do well to pay attention to where you are walking." Aragorn told her once she had regained her balance.

"Yes, milord." Kim replied, not looking up at him.

Aragorn stared down at the young woman, not much younger then himself. What hardships would she have to endure on this journey? Would he really be able to protect her in all ways? More then once Aragorn had doubted his abilities, and now his old doubts of running his kingdom began to resurface in his head. Taking a deep breath he pushed the thoughts aside, and put a hand out in front of Kim to make her stop walking. "This will do. Are you ready to begin?" He asked softly.

Kim reluctantly turned to face the man who was King of Gondor, and nodded hesitantly. She had asked a few elves around Rivendell about him. He had done some wondrous things in his lifetime. The biggest thing being coming back out of the blue to regain his kingdom, and unite his people. She made a mental note to ask Arwen what he was really like. Kim now had him on a high pedestal; she'd heard many great stories about him. It was a hard to believe that the legend himself was standing directly in front of her. Kim was very reluctant to look into his gentle eyes; she thought he was quite handsome, very handsome actually. Still she had so little faith in herself, that she couldn't even trust the legendary King of Gondor to be able to teach her in time, for whatever it was they were training for. Startled she glanced up at the tall man a few feet away, realizing that she was stalling. Half smiling in apology she reached for the sword at her belt, and realized that it wasn't there. Her face turned a light shade of red for forgetting her sword and taking more time away from practice. "I...don't have my sword. I must have left it at the table. I'll be right back." She sighed in relief, and started to walk past him back toward the camp. Aragorn grabbed her forearm as she tried to pass him.

Aragorn couldn't help but smile at her. "Ah, but how hopeful you look. Are you that scared of learning?" He released her and pulled out her sword from under his cloak which he had grabbed while they were eating. "Here you are." Kim took it by the hilt, and stepped back. "Thank you?" Aragorn laughed. "Come now, its not so hard. We'll start off slow, alright?" Kim nodded nervously, testing the grip on the hilt. "Alright, now I'm going to come at you slowly. I want you to block each sweep of my sword. Don't worry; I will give you plenty of time." Kim nodded again slowly, her throat constricted, eyes widening. She was easily intimidated at the thought of learning how to fight with a sword from, the until recently, lost King of Gondor. She watched as Aragorn lifted his sword, and brought it down near her left arm. Kim quickly backed away, enough so his sword was a few inches away from her. Aragorn stopped and looked at her. "First rule of fighting, don't back up. Alright?"

"Yes, sorry." Kimberly squeaked.

"Don't apologize." Aragorn replied. "Now, let's try this again." And with a smile he added, "...without backing up." Slowly he brought his sword in an uppercut toward her left side, she instantly backed away again. "No...Don't back up!" His voice came out harsher than he had intended. "Listen, if you continue to back up, you're going to allow your enemy to gain the upper ground, and you will constantly be on the defense. Whenever you fight an opponent, you want to be in control at all times and most importantly gain ground." He swung the sword through the air above her head once, as if to get the feel for it. "Alright, I'm not going to hurt you. You do not have to worry about getting hurt on my account, okay?" Kim nodded. Aragorn brought the sword down in what would have cleaved her shoulder, if she had stayed to let it; but she backed out of the way. Aragorn sighed audibly, and tightened the grip on his sword...feeling the need to relieve the stress somehow. Kim looked up nervously at his darkening gaze. Aragorn wasn't a teacher. Elrond had once taught him how to use a sword...the elder elf had the patience for it. Aragorn had patience, but not for teaching. "Alright, let's try a little exercise." Aragorn decided to try another tactic. "I'll swing at you once; you block, and swing at me, alright?" Kim nodded, gripping her sword so hard her knuckles were turning white. When he swung at her, he anticipated her backing up. "Good..." He replied. "Now you." She swung at him from where she stood, but her sword came nowhere near him, though he hadn't moved.

"You're too far away!" Kim concluded.

"Exactly!" Aragorn said emphatically, feeling he was gaining some ground. "When you back up, you lose your ground, and when you want to attack, you're too far away. This is why you don't want to back up. If there's only one thing that I teach you today...it's going to be to not back up." He smiled at her enlightened expression. "Now...let's try it again."

*_*

They had practiced past dawn, through the morning and into lunchtime. Aragorn had decided that that was enough. He put an affectionate hand on Kimberly's shoulder telling her how well she had done. Once they had gotten back to the house of Elrond, they found Gimli and Anne had long since returned. Aragorn later found the reasoning that if the dwarf had stayed with the brat much longer she wouldn't have come back at all. Aragorn had chuckled, and realized how lucky he was to be teaching Kim. She was very non-aggressive, but she was a quick learner. She had followed him back to the house, and to the room where Elrond had the cook keeping lunch warm. He glanced around now, noticing that she was gone. He shrugged and smiled warmly at Arwen, before sitting down and eating his fill.

*_*

"You know…I had this thought while I was ducking from Aragorn's sword." Kim said thoughtfully to Alicia as the two of them made their way with their lunch to Alicia's favorite spot by the river. Alicia had waited for Kim to get back before eating her own lunch. 

"You had a thought?" Alicia asked, ducking a hit from her friend. "What was it?"

Kim smirked and winked at her friend. "Before this journey is over, you are and Legolas are going to be a couple."

Alicia's eyes went wide. "That oaf?! He wanted me to serve him his drinks last eve! I wouldn't want to be within five feet of him." She paused, and peered over at her friend as they setup for lunch. "Why…did he ask about me?"

It took everything Kim had to not outright laugh right then and there. She just smiled as she spread the blanket out. "Maybe."

"What kind of answer is that?!" Alicia shouted.

"If you don't want to be within five feet of him, then it's a perfectly acceptable answer." Kimberly retorted. They began to eat lunch with Alicia throwing glares in Kim's direction of couple of minutes. Kim stretched her sore muscles over her head and out in front of her when she was done eating. "My arms hurt so much."

"I know someone who has an herb that can make the pain go away." Alicia said deviously. "And I'll give it to you…for a price."

"What price?" Kim asked, eyeing her warily.

Alicia grinned mischievously. "You help me get back at the elf for thinking I was the waitress…and I'll give you the herbs."

After a moment Kim nodded. "On one condition." Alicia nodded her head, waiting for her human friend to continue. "We have to include Aragorn in on the prank."

"Deal."

A/N: Anybody want to see anything in particular in the story? A quote an action, a certain prank? E-mail me, or review =)