Disclaimer: Lord of the Rings belongs to J. R. R. Tolkien. I don't own
anything.
A/N: Another Lord of the Rings fan fic. Hope all of enjoy this one too.
Don't worry! It won't be as sad as the last one. This one has lots of
Aragorn. Please read and review. Comments always appreciated.
Chapter 1
Discovery in the Woods
Aragorn quietly began walking through the woods. The sun was just beginning to rise. The birds were just waking up and their songs could be heard throughout the forest. A gentle breeze blew across the trees as Aragorn stooped down to examine a deer track.
Suddenly he heard the bushes rumble a short distance away. Aragorn quickly notched an arrow to his bow and silently crept around the bush. He was ready to shoot if he needed to at whatever was behind the bush. Suddenly, Aragorn gasped.
There behind the bush was a young girl, not more than seven years old. The girl turned her face toward Aragorn. Fear leapt into her eyes and she quickly backed away. Aragorn quickly lowered his bow. For a moment, he studied the girl. She had light blonde hair that clung to the top of her head. Her face was streaked with mud and her eyes seemed lost and alone. Aragorn bent down on a knee and spoke softly to the child.
"I'm not going to hurt you." He said.
The girl did not seem to believe him. She looked about ready to cry.
"Where is your mother? Did you get lost?" Aragorn gently asked.
The girl did not answer. She stared at Aragorn with trembling hands.
Aragorn sighed slightly. "Are you hungry?" he asked as he placed his hand into his pack.
The girl drew away in fear. Aragorn pulled out a piece of bread from his pack and held it out to her. The girl stared at the food. Aragorn nodded to her reassuringly. The girl hesitated for a moment, but then she reached out and grabbed the food. Aragorn sat and watch her for a moment as she gobbled up the food. Aragorn smiled at her as she finished.
"Who are you?" She finally asked
"You can call me Strider. I'm a ranger." Aragorn replied.
The girl remained silent, but continued to stare at Aragorn.
"May I know your name?" He asked.
"I'm Reallan." The girl replied a bit hesitantly.
Aragorn smiled and nodded his head. "What are you doing out here all alone, Reallan?" Aragorn asked.
The girl remained silent. She pulled her knees in close to herself and continued to stare at Aragorn.
Aragorn could tell she was cold. "Are you lost?" Aragorn asked.
The girl nodded slightly.
"How long have you been out here?" Aragorn asked.
The girl did not reply.
Aragorn stood up and pretended to leave. "Well, if you don't want to talk, then I guess you don't need my help." He said as he turned around and headed back the way he came.
"Wait!" came a soft reply that even Aragorn could barely hear.
Aragorn paused for a moment.
"Please don't leave." Reallan said in a weak voice.
Aragorn turned around and looked down at the girl.
Reallan was about ready to cry again. "I've been lost for four days now." The girl finally said.
Aragorn cocked his head. "How did you get lost?"
The girl stared down at the ground. Aragorn bent down by her. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened." He said gently.
"My town was attacked." Reallan began. "My mommy told me to flee into the woods." Tears began to fill the child's eyes. "I began to run. My mum was close behind, but suddenly I heard her scream." Tears began to fall down Reallan's dirty face. "I turned around and I saw that she had been shot with an arrow. I wanted to run to her, but I was so scarred. I ran into the woods and I kept running." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I was so scarred." She whispered as she began to cry uncontrollably.
Aragorn reached out his hand and gently took her into his arms. "Do not be afraid, little one." Aragorn said comfortingly.
"But what if they try to find me?" Reallan sobbed. "I'm afraid."
"Ssh, calm down. No one's going to hurt you." Aragorn tried to comfort her.
"But they will. They have already tried once to kill me."
"Reallan calm down. It'll be okay. I'll protect you if anyone tries to hurt you." Aragorn said.
Reallan stopped crying. She wiped her face and looked up at Aragorn. "You mean it?" She asked.
Aragorn nodded. He didn't know what he would do with the child, but he knew he couldn't leave her here alone in the woods. He liked something about the child. Though he had some business to do in the woods, he decided it could wait. He would try to find the young girl's parents, if they were still alive, or at least find her a safe place to live.
"Do you know where your home is at?" Aragorn asked.
Reallan shook her head. "Not really." She replied. "It's a small town near the mountains."
Aragorn nodded slightly as he stood.
"Where are you going?" Reallan asked as she also stood.
"I must get my horse. I will take you to Rivendell." Aragorn replied.
"Rivendell? But why Rivendell?" The girl asked as she followed behind Aragorn. "Rivendell is where the elves live. Don't you have a home somewhere?"
Aragorn turned to face the girl. He slightly shrugged his shoulders. "Rivendell is like a home to me."
"But why don't you live among your people, like most men do?" The child inquired.
Aragorn smiled as he kept walking. "You'll be safe in Rivendell, Reallan. It's only a days journey from here."
Reallan silently followed Aragorn. In only a few moments, Aragorn found his horse, Gwindor. He gently placed Reallan on the horse and began to lead the way to Rivendell. For a short time they traveled in silence.
"Strider," Reallan said breaking the silence.
Aragorn turned his head back to look at her.
"You never answered my question. I asked you why you don't live among your people." Reallan said as she held on to Gwindor.
Aragorn shrugged his shoulders as he continued to lead his horse. "You are a very curious little girl, Reallan. But there are some questions that aren't meant to be answered."
Reallan sighed, but remained silent.
Chapter 1
Discovery in the Woods
Aragorn quietly began walking through the woods. The sun was just beginning to rise. The birds were just waking up and their songs could be heard throughout the forest. A gentle breeze blew across the trees as Aragorn stooped down to examine a deer track.
Suddenly he heard the bushes rumble a short distance away. Aragorn quickly notched an arrow to his bow and silently crept around the bush. He was ready to shoot if he needed to at whatever was behind the bush. Suddenly, Aragorn gasped.
There behind the bush was a young girl, not more than seven years old. The girl turned her face toward Aragorn. Fear leapt into her eyes and she quickly backed away. Aragorn quickly lowered his bow. For a moment, he studied the girl. She had light blonde hair that clung to the top of her head. Her face was streaked with mud and her eyes seemed lost and alone. Aragorn bent down on a knee and spoke softly to the child.
"I'm not going to hurt you." He said.
The girl did not seem to believe him. She looked about ready to cry.
"Where is your mother? Did you get lost?" Aragorn gently asked.
The girl did not answer. She stared at Aragorn with trembling hands.
Aragorn sighed slightly. "Are you hungry?" he asked as he placed his hand into his pack.
The girl drew away in fear. Aragorn pulled out a piece of bread from his pack and held it out to her. The girl stared at the food. Aragorn nodded to her reassuringly. The girl hesitated for a moment, but then she reached out and grabbed the food. Aragorn sat and watch her for a moment as she gobbled up the food. Aragorn smiled at her as she finished.
"Who are you?" She finally asked
"You can call me Strider. I'm a ranger." Aragorn replied.
The girl remained silent, but continued to stare at Aragorn.
"May I know your name?" He asked.
"I'm Reallan." The girl replied a bit hesitantly.
Aragorn smiled and nodded his head. "What are you doing out here all alone, Reallan?" Aragorn asked.
The girl remained silent. She pulled her knees in close to herself and continued to stare at Aragorn.
Aragorn could tell she was cold. "Are you lost?" Aragorn asked.
The girl nodded slightly.
"How long have you been out here?" Aragorn asked.
The girl did not reply.
Aragorn stood up and pretended to leave. "Well, if you don't want to talk, then I guess you don't need my help." He said as he turned around and headed back the way he came.
"Wait!" came a soft reply that even Aragorn could barely hear.
Aragorn paused for a moment.
"Please don't leave." Reallan said in a weak voice.
Aragorn turned around and looked down at the girl.
Reallan was about ready to cry again. "I've been lost for four days now." The girl finally said.
Aragorn cocked his head. "How did you get lost?"
The girl stared down at the ground. Aragorn bent down by her. "I can't help you if you don't tell me what happened." He said gently.
"My town was attacked." Reallan began. "My mommy told me to flee into the woods." Tears began to fill the child's eyes. "I began to run. My mum was close behind, but suddenly I heard her scream." Tears began to fall down Reallan's dirty face. "I turned around and I saw that she had been shot with an arrow. I wanted to run to her, but I was so scarred. I ran into the woods and I kept running." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "I was so scarred." She whispered as she began to cry uncontrollably.
Aragorn reached out his hand and gently took her into his arms. "Do not be afraid, little one." Aragorn said comfortingly.
"But what if they try to find me?" Reallan sobbed. "I'm afraid."
"Ssh, calm down. No one's going to hurt you." Aragorn tried to comfort her.
"But they will. They have already tried once to kill me."
"Reallan calm down. It'll be okay. I'll protect you if anyone tries to hurt you." Aragorn said.
Reallan stopped crying. She wiped her face and looked up at Aragorn. "You mean it?" She asked.
Aragorn nodded. He didn't know what he would do with the child, but he knew he couldn't leave her here alone in the woods. He liked something about the child. Though he had some business to do in the woods, he decided it could wait. He would try to find the young girl's parents, if they were still alive, or at least find her a safe place to live.
"Do you know where your home is at?" Aragorn asked.
Reallan shook her head. "Not really." She replied. "It's a small town near the mountains."
Aragorn nodded slightly as he stood.
"Where are you going?" Reallan asked as she also stood.
"I must get my horse. I will take you to Rivendell." Aragorn replied.
"Rivendell? But why Rivendell?" The girl asked as she followed behind Aragorn. "Rivendell is where the elves live. Don't you have a home somewhere?"
Aragorn turned to face the girl. He slightly shrugged his shoulders. "Rivendell is like a home to me."
"But why don't you live among your people, like most men do?" The child inquired.
Aragorn smiled as he kept walking. "You'll be safe in Rivendell, Reallan. It's only a days journey from here."
Reallan silently followed Aragorn. In only a few moments, Aragorn found his horse, Gwindor. He gently placed Reallan on the horse and began to lead the way to Rivendell. For a short time they traveled in silence.
"Strider," Reallan said breaking the silence.
Aragorn turned his head back to look at her.
"You never answered my question. I asked you why you don't live among your people." Reallan said as she held on to Gwindor.
Aragorn shrugged his shoulders as he continued to lead his horse. "You are a very curious little girl, Reallan. But there are some questions that aren't meant to be answered."
Reallan sighed, but remained silent.