A/N: I got bored today. My friends have all abandoned me! *sob* Oh, well.
Better for any who are enjoying this story. Here it is for ya.
Note: This takes place twenty years after the last chapter.
Aragorn walked down the hall of the Dunedain's headquarters. He was lost in thought. How could they have. . .? He'd thought. . . Someone calling his name softly broke into his thoughts. He turned around and faced the person following him.
It was a girl. She was tall, almost as tall as Legolas. She had black hair and silver eyes. She was an Elf, and had pale skin. It was no surprise to him to find an Elf here. The Dunedain now were made up of outcasts, the ones no one wanted. What did surprise him was the fact that she wasn't wearing a dress as a girl was supposed to and she carried weapons. This must be the girl Ranger, he reasoned.
"Yes?" he asked. "Can I help you?"
"Uh. . .I'm supposed to give you this, milord."
"What is it?" he asked, taking it from her.
"How am I supposed to know? It was meant for the Dunedan's eyes alone. Halbarad was very firm on THAT point." She shuddered.
"So you know Halbarad, do you?"
"I'm his apprentice."
"Ah." He looked at the sheet. Casualty reports. He didn't want to know, but he had to. He'd just gotten word of the attack that morning. No one knew how many had been killed, only who had done it. The few survivors had all been in agreement. Aragorn just couldn't believe what they had said.
Wonderful. More than half of his fighting force taken out. One hundred fifty women and children in addition to the two hundred or so Dunedain. This was wonderful. Fighting on now five fronts, he needed all the men he could get. This wasn't helping.
He sighed. "Thank you, girl."
She looked mad. "My name's not 'girl.' Why does everyone call me that? I'm not a whore, like most people seem to think, and I'm not one of those meek little sissies people call women. My name's Lessa."
He smiled. He liked her. Not many stood up to him like this. Most were afraid of him. Most were afraid of the leader, in any society. "My apologies, Lessa. I didn't know. There are so few women Rangers, and most 'sissies' are called 'girl.'"
"Well, I guess I can forgive you. You're the first one to apologize. Everyone else laughs and tousles my hair." She scowled to show her displeasure at this treatment.
He laughed. "Now, why does everyone think you're a whore?"
"'Cuz I dress like this!" she said, pointing to her attire. "But how else am I supposed to dress? I can't fight in a skirt!"
He laughed. Yes, he liked this girl very much. "How old are you?" he inquired, then winced. Women didn't like to be asked.
"Eighteen," was the prompt reply. "I'm not like any other girl, so don't judge me by their standards."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"You do that, hun."
"Milord!" Halbarad called. "Is she bothering you? She had a tendency to do that." He scowled at her.
"No, actually, I was rather enjoying her company. She's an engaging girl. Better than the meek little 'sissies' all the others are." The girl in question grinned at him. "And how many times must I tell you, Halbarad, you're not to call me 'milord' or anything to do with 'lord.' We've known each other for far too long for that!"
"Sorry Aragorn. I forgot." He scowled at the girl again.
"Seems to me, Lessa, you'd best make yourself scarce before he really blows his top." Said Ranger chick grinned and disappeared. "Now what is it Halbarad?"
"We're sure, Aragorn. It's been confirmed."
"It can't be!"
"It is."
"Have we heard anything from them?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"'Death to you all for stealing one of our own.'"
Aragorn sighed. His people were dying. All because of a choice he had made. Damn the Elves. Damn them all for killing innocent, unsuspecting people. Of course, his people had fought back. They had had no warning. All had been killed, or injured badly. How could he have known, though? How could he have known that going to the Dunedain and leaving Rivendell would cause Elrond to gather all the Elven realms together and start a guerilla war against them? All that was left now was to fight back. Damn them.
Note: This takes place twenty years after the last chapter.
Aragorn walked down the hall of the Dunedain's headquarters. He was lost in thought. How could they have. . .? He'd thought. . . Someone calling his name softly broke into his thoughts. He turned around and faced the person following him.
It was a girl. She was tall, almost as tall as Legolas. She had black hair and silver eyes. She was an Elf, and had pale skin. It was no surprise to him to find an Elf here. The Dunedain now were made up of outcasts, the ones no one wanted. What did surprise him was the fact that she wasn't wearing a dress as a girl was supposed to and she carried weapons. This must be the girl Ranger, he reasoned.
"Yes?" he asked. "Can I help you?"
"Uh. . .I'm supposed to give you this, milord."
"What is it?" he asked, taking it from her.
"How am I supposed to know? It was meant for the Dunedan's eyes alone. Halbarad was very firm on THAT point." She shuddered.
"So you know Halbarad, do you?"
"I'm his apprentice."
"Ah." He looked at the sheet. Casualty reports. He didn't want to know, but he had to. He'd just gotten word of the attack that morning. No one knew how many had been killed, only who had done it. The few survivors had all been in agreement. Aragorn just couldn't believe what they had said.
Wonderful. More than half of his fighting force taken out. One hundred fifty women and children in addition to the two hundred or so Dunedain. This was wonderful. Fighting on now five fronts, he needed all the men he could get. This wasn't helping.
He sighed. "Thank you, girl."
She looked mad. "My name's not 'girl.' Why does everyone call me that? I'm not a whore, like most people seem to think, and I'm not one of those meek little sissies people call women. My name's Lessa."
He smiled. He liked her. Not many stood up to him like this. Most were afraid of him. Most were afraid of the leader, in any society. "My apologies, Lessa. I didn't know. There are so few women Rangers, and most 'sissies' are called 'girl.'"
"Well, I guess I can forgive you. You're the first one to apologize. Everyone else laughs and tousles my hair." She scowled to show her displeasure at this treatment.
He laughed. "Now, why does everyone think you're a whore?"
"'Cuz I dress like this!" she said, pointing to her attire. "But how else am I supposed to dress? I can't fight in a skirt!"
He laughed. Yes, he liked this girl very much. "How old are you?" he inquired, then winced. Women didn't like to be asked.
"Eighteen," was the prompt reply. "I'm not like any other girl, so don't judge me by their standards."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"You do that, hun."
"Milord!" Halbarad called. "Is she bothering you? She had a tendency to do that." He scowled at her.
"No, actually, I was rather enjoying her company. She's an engaging girl. Better than the meek little 'sissies' all the others are." The girl in question grinned at him. "And how many times must I tell you, Halbarad, you're not to call me 'milord' or anything to do with 'lord.' We've known each other for far too long for that!"
"Sorry Aragorn. I forgot." He scowled at the girl again.
"Seems to me, Lessa, you'd best make yourself scarce before he really blows his top." Said Ranger chick grinned and disappeared. "Now what is it Halbarad?"
"We're sure, Aragorn. It's been confirmed."
"It can't be!"
"It is."
"Have we heard anything from them?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"'Death to you all for stealing one of our own.'"
Aragorn sighed. His people were dying. All because of a choice he had made. Damn the Elves. Damn them all for killing innocent, unsuspecting people. Of course, his people had fought back. They had had no warning. All had been killed, or injured badly. How could he have known, though? How could he have known that going to the Dunedain and leaving Rivendell would cause Elrond to gather all the Elven realms together and start a guerilla war against them? All that was left now was to fight back. Damn them.