Fallen Bride
Chapter 2: Wounded!
They had almost reached the scout camp Aragorn had suggested they use as a decoy, but there had been no sign of any Orc activity. "Don't you find it a bit strange, Lord Faramir, that the Orcs haven't shown themselves yet?" the king asked.
"I'm not sure, your Highness; we must remember that the Orcs nay be evil, but they're not dense."
"Yes, I know. Whatever they're planning, it's not good." As if on cue, an ambush of Orcs leapt out of the trees and surrounded the group of Men. The battle was in the Orcs' favour for the longest time; King Aragorn had miscalculated the Orc population. They were outnumbered at odds of at least three to one.
Luckily, there were warriors like Aragorn and Faramir around. With the help of the mighty Andruil, the Orcs were soon defeated, but at a dear price. Scattered among the Orc bodies were the weapons and corpses of Men.
All of a sudden, a soldier came running towards Faramir and Aragorn. "King Aragorn!" he cried, "Lord Faramir! Come quick! Something terrible has happened!" The soldier stopped in front of the two men and pulled off his helm.
"Eowyn!" cried Faramir, "What has happened?"
"It's the Lady Arwen," Eowyn replied, almost in hysterics, "You must follow me!" She ran through the empty battlefield until she stopped next to the body of the second unknown soldier who had joined the brigade.
"Arwen!" Aragorn shouted as he dropped to his knees beside his fallen bride.
"Aragorn," Arwen said in a hoarse whisper, "I- I'm sorry. I followed..."
"No," Aragorn said, lifting Arwen into his arms, "You don't nee dto be sorry, just hang on, you're going to be all right. Don't go away, I love you, Arwen!"
"And I you, Melethnya." (Translation: my love) That was the last thing she said before she fell limp in his arms.
•
Arwen was immediately rushed to the infirmary in Minas Tirith. According to the head healer, she was alive, but barely. "She's grasping at strings," he told Aragorn. "She's fighting, but I don't think that will be enough."
Aragorn never left Arwen's side. He had his meals brought to him, and an extra bed put in the room. During the day, he knelt by her bed and held her hand. He talked to her; encouraged her; he tried to help her beat whatever she was fighting inside. At night, he prayed to the Valar that his wife would survive to see the next day.
On the fourth day, Aragorn heard a knock on his door. He turned and saw Eowyn and Faramir standing in the hallway.
"Come in," he said.
The White Lady could hold it in no longer. She burst into tears. "Oh, Aragorn, it's all my fault!" she sobbed, "I persuaded her to come along. I should be there instead of her!"
"Don't think thoughts like that, Eowyn," Aragorn said, hugging her reassuringly, "I blame no one."
"She was a good woman, and a good queen," said Faramir, "I'm sure she'll be a strong warrior, and she'll make it through."
"Thank you, Faramir, and you Eowyn," Aragorn said, now returning his gaze to his wife. The Steward of Gondor and his wife silently left the room.
Shortly after this, the head healer entered the room to make his daily check up. As always, Aragorn asked him the same question: "Will she be alright?" and, as always, the healer replied, "She's still alive, but not much has changed since yesterday." And so it went on like this everyday.
A week after Arwen was shot down, Aragorn still hadn't left her side. His servants would walk past and hear the King Ellesar pleading with his unconciious wife: "Arwen, wake up, please wake up! I'm begging you! Come back to me Arwen!" Many were afraid the king was loosing his mind. When Aragorn heard these rumors, he shook his head. They didn't know. They didn't know the kind of pain he was going through. These people are the ones loosing hteir minds. Their queen was dying, and they are wondering if their king was insane?
A knock at the door interupted Aragorn's thoughts. "What do you want?" he grunted.
"My Liege," said the trembling servant in the hallway, "A guest from a far off land has just entered our halls."
"Well, who is it?" Aragorn snapped.
"An old man, clothed in white, with a long beard."
"Aragorn's gaze left Arwen for a moment as he looked at the servant, who flinched under his stare. "Send him in," he ordered.
"As you wish, My Lord" the servant said, relieved. He bowed low and hurried out of the room.
Soon after, the old man fitting the servant's description entered the room. "I'm sorry our reunioin isn't under happier circumstances, Lord Aragorn."
"You know you don't need to call me that, Gandalf." Aragorn replied, not looking up.
"Yes, I know, but you have earned it. Arwen, on the other hand, definately did not deserve this. Where was she hit?"
"In the shoulder. The poison in the arrow still coarses through her veins, even though her wound is long healed. Is there nothing you can do?"
Gandalf pulled Arwen's arm out of the sleeve of the nightgown that had been put on her and examined the barely - visible scar left by the evil Orc arrow. "I'm sorry Aragorn, but the damage has already been done. If it would please you, I will stay until she wakes up, or-"
The wizard was interupted by the head healer as he came in to check on Arwen. There was still no change in her.
"You were saying?" Aragorn asked once the healer had left.
"What? I don't recall saying anything. You know, I am getting quite old, and probably quite senile as well."
"Your little games may work on Hobbits, but not on me. Finish the sentence!"
"Gandalf heaved a heavy sigh. "I was going to say that I will stay until she wakes up, or- or passes on."
Aragorn nodded. "I would like to be alone now, if you please."
"Of course," said Gandalf, then silently backed out of the room.
Chapter 2: Wounded!
They had almost reached the scout camp Aragorn had suggested they use as a decoy, but there had been no sign of any Orc activity. "Don't you find it a bit strange, Lord Faramir, that the Orcs haven't shown themselves yet?" the king asked.
"I'm not sure, your Highness; we must remember that the Orcs nay be evil, but they're not dense."
"Yes, I know. Whatever they're planning, it's not good." As if on cue, an ambush of Orcs leapt out of the trees and surrounded the group of Men. The battle was in the Orcs' favour for the longest time; King Aragorn had miscalculated the Orc population. They were outnumbered at odds of at least three to one.
Luckily, there were warriors like Aragorn and Faramir around. With the help of the mighty Andruil, the Orcs were soon defeated, but at a dear price. Scattered among the Orc bodies were the weapons and corpses of Men.
All of a sudden, a soldier came running towards Faramir and Aragorn. "King Aragorn!" he cried, "Lord Faramir! Come quick! Something terrible has happened!" The soldier stopped in front of the two men and pulled off his helm.
"Eowyn!" cried Faramir, "What has happened?"
"It's the Lady Arwen," Eowyn replied, almost in hysterics, "You must follow me!" She ran through the empty battlefield until she stopped next to the body of the second unknown soldier who had joined the brigade.
"Arwen!" Aragorn shouted as he dropped to his knees beside his fallen bride.
"Aragorn," Arwen said in a hoarse whisper, "I- I'm sorry. I followed..."
"No," Aragorn said, lifting Arwen into his arms, "You don't nee dto be sorry, just hang on, you're going to be all right. Don't go away, I love you, Arwen!"
"And I you, Melethnya." (Translation: my love) That was the last thing she said before she fell limp in his arms.
•
Arwen was immediately rushed to the infirmary in Minas Tirith. According to the head healer, she was alive, but barely. "She's grasping at strings," he told Aragorn. "She's fighting, but I don't think that will be enough."
Aragorn never left Arwen's side. He had his meals brought to him, and an extra bed put in the room. During the day, he knelt by her bed and held her hand. He talked to her; encouraged her; he tried to help her beat whatever she was fighting inside. At night, he prayed to the Valar that his wife would survive to see the next day.
On the fourth day, Aragorn heard a knock on his door. He turned and saw Eowyn and Faramir standing in the hallway.
"Come in," he said.
The White Lady could hold it in no longer. She burst into tears. "Oh, Aragorn, it's all my fault!" she sobbed, "I persuaded her to come along. I should be there instead of her!"
"Don't think thoughts like that, Eowyn," Aragorn said, hugging her reassuringly, "I blame no one."
"She was a good woman, and a good queen," said Faramir, "I'm sure she'll be a strong warrior, and she'll make it through."
"Thank you, Faramir, and you Eowyn," Aragorn said, now returning his gaze to his wife. The Steward of Gondor and his wife silently left the room.
Shortly after this, the head healer entered the room to make his daily check up. As always, Aragorn asked him the same question: "Will she be alright?" and, as always, the healer replied, "She's still alive, but not much has changed since yesterday." And so it went on like this everyday.
A week after Arwen was shot down, Aragorn still hadn't left her side. His servants would walk past and hear the King Ellesar pleading with his unconciious wife: "Arwen, wake up, please wake up! I'm begging you! Come back to me Arwen!" Many were afraid the king was loosing his mind. When Aragorn heard these rumors, he shook his head. They didn't know. They didn't know the kind of pain he was going through. These people are the ones loosing hteir minds. Their queen was dying, and they are wondering if their king was insane?
A knock at the door interupted Aragorn's thoughts. "What do you want?" he grunted.
"My Liege," said the trembling servant in the hallway, "A guest from a far off land has just entered our halls."
"Well, who is it?" Aragorn snapped.
"An old man, clothed in white, with a long beard."
"Aragorn's gaze left Arwen for a moment as he looked at the servant, who flinched under his stare. "Send him in," he ordered.
"As you wish, My Lord" the servant said, relieved. He bowed low and hurried out of the room.
Soon after, the old man fitting the servant's description entered the room. "I'm sorry our reunioin isn't under happier circumstances, Lord Aragorn."
"You know you don't need to call me that, Gandalf." Aragorn replied, not looking up.
"Yes, I know, but you have earned it. Arwen, on the other hand, definately did not deserve this. Where was she hit?"
"In the shoulder. The poison in the arrow still coarses through her veins, even though her wound is long healed. Is there nothing you can do?"
Gandalf pulled Arwen's arm out of the sleeve of the nightgown that had been put on her and examined the barely - visible scar left by the evil Orc arrow. "I'm sorry Aragorn, but the damage has already been done. If it would please you, I will stay until she wakes up, or-"
The wizard was interupted by the head healer as he came in to check on Arwen. There was still no change in her.
"You were saying?" Aragorn asked once the healer had left.
"What? I don't recall saying anything. You know, I am getting quite old, and probably quite senile as well."
"Your little games may work on Hobbits, but not on me. Finish the sentence!"
"Gandalf heaved a heavy sigh. "I was going to say that I will stay until she wakes up, or- or passes on."
Aragorn nodded. "I would like to be alone now, if you please."
"Of course," said Gandalf, then silently backed out of the room.