Chapter 6: Out of Sight but not Out of Mind

Long the five friends talked. All through the meal and on the way back to the gate. During all, Arway listened and learned what she could. The only time she stopped listening was when she left the group and went in search of some standing clear water. She knew that the time for war had come. And during that time, filth would cover herself and all of Middle-earth. Even though this was true, she wished to wash away what grime and blood from Helm's Deep she could before there was not a chance.

Legolas lay and sung to himself as Gimli, Aragorn, Merry, and Pippin smoked. The look that had befallen Arway's face remained in his mind. He wished to know what would make an Elf look so. It seemed he was not the only one to wonder about her.

"Where has Arway gone?" Gimli questioned.

"I do not know, but athelas needs to be put on her wound." Aragorn stated.

"I shall find her," Legolas said taking a leaf from Aragorn.

Then he left the group following some unseen path that lay beneath his feet. Sooner then he had expected he found Arway before him. She was sitting on the ground with her eyes closed. As he came closer, he noticed the wetness of her hair. She had bathed herself in the stream. Then, before he could take another step she was on her feet facing him. An arrow in her bow, poised right at his heart.

As she noticed it was Legolas, she lowered the bow and took the arrow from it. She again took her seat on the ground and put the arrow into her quiver.

"Aragorn has bade me to bring athelas to you once more."

Arway nodded as he came and sat beside her.

"I am sorry to disturb your peace Arway, but it must be done."

"Do you know they could read minds?" She asked looking at him. As she said this, she removed her right arm from the shirt, and held the shirt to her chest with her left.

Legolas removed the old bandage from the shoulder. He then began to prepare the athelas leaves. "No I did not."

"They did not know in the beginning either."

Legolas was not sure why she was telling him this but he listened. Something was troubling her, he could tell. Not only in her eyes but also in her very action he could see it. He could also tell in his mind, he could feel it. As she spoke, he put the healing leaf on her wound.

"They only found out when they came upon a person from another race. And when they laid their hands about their head they could look into their mind. Then, when placed in a certain area on the head they could even see things in a beings past, through that being's eyes. Even if the action was lost to their memory, they could find it. Even among these Elves, it was rare and cherished. Only few were blessed with it. It was said those who could see another's mind beheld more in their future then any of this world could see." There she said no more.

"What have you done to trouble yourself so?" Legolas questioned.

"It is nothing that I have done but it is what was and what no one could foresee."

Legolas shook his head, something was definitely not right. She had seen something that was very troubling to her. Perhaps something she was never meant to see. Then in those days, many of the beings were not suppose to see what they did. What the thing was, he could not guess.

Then he heard it. And grabbed an arrow from the quiver. As he did, this Arway had taken her knife and it was now pointing up and behind her. Her eyes were still ahead of her, but slowly she turned them to what was behind her. And at the end of her knife, she found the throat of Aragorn.

"Pardon me Estel but you can never be sure of anything in these times."

"How did you know I was not going to shoot you with an arrow?"

"Though many do not hear does not mean that all do not. Besides all I heard was the sound of a sword in its sheath. And there was no sound of bow and quiver. The enemies arrows sound differently in the quiver."

"You are of some other place Arway, some day I wish to know where."

"One day I wish to tell you."

"Well until then, it is getting late and Gandalf will be returning for us soon, we must be ready."

Arway nodded, she also believed they should be ready for when Gandalf returned and not be sitting in the wild. She took her lowered knife and put it back into the sheath.

"Wait." Legolas commanded. "I am not finished yet." He dropped the arrow he had grabbed and washed his fingers in the stream. Then, he produced fresh bandages. He placed one on the shoulder and wrapped it so it would not move. "My part is finished." Then Legolas checked the bandage one last time, for he suddenly had the need to touch Arway again.

Arway nodded her thanks and placed her arm back into the sleeve. Then she picked up her quiver and bow, slinging them on her back. As she left the sorrow did not stay in the wild, it fallowed her. "Why me? What do I have to do? To see?" She muttered in the tongue of the Rohirrim.

"Has she told you anything?" Aragorn questioned.

Legolas shook his head. "No, nothing that I can repeat here or even to you at the present. But of the state, she has mentioned nothing. Not even when questioned. I asked her what she has done to trouble herself so, and the only answer I received was 'It is nothing I have done, but it is what was and what no one could foresee.' I do not know Aragorn, but something has been revealed to her that she did not wish to know or see. How, is a different matter."

"For now I will have to except that, but I do wish to know."

"And you shall be told in due time along with the others."