And Drink To Me Yet
Chapter 4 - The Children of Elessar
Pippin gaped at the figure descending the stairs before him. It couldn't be... could it?
The old king smiled. "Come, Peregrin, don't you recall your old friend?"
"Ar- Aragorn?" Pippin stammered. Behind him, Legolas grabbed Gimli's shoulder, half to prevent the Dwarf from sliding off of the horse and half to prevent himself from doing the same. Merry, on the other hand, threw himself upon his knee, whispering. With a calm smile, Aragorn acknowledged his old friends.
"Yes, Peregrin, Legolas, Gimli, 'tis I. But do call me Elessar. I have grown accustomed to it." The four all nodded dumbly. Only Merry could have expected the change that had overcome their friend. His grizzled beard and hair were now refined and grey with age. Wrinkles creased his tired face, and the luster in his eyes had faded. He was King Elessar of Gondor, merely a fading shadow of Aragorn the Ranger. Strider was gone forever.
The King smiled. "Come. You are weary. You must rest." He beckoned to the porter, who led the small group into the palace. Waen slipped on hand into her father's. Legolas squeezed it, glancing over his shoulder to see Aragorn gazing after them. Pippin glanced about: Merry had disappeared.
They traveled through the twisting corridors of the palace, meeting guards at every corner. Once they ran into a young girl with large, frightened eyes. She squealed and ran off. Pippin frowned. Everything seemed so... off. Things had changed greatly since his last visit with Sam. But that was before Merry was Meriadoc. A time long past.
At last they reached a large door. The porter swung it open, and they beheld a vast throne room Pippin was sure had not been there before. Before them on a large throne sat Arwen Undomiel, Queen of Gondor. At her side sat the small girl from the hallway, large eyes sweeping over the companions uneasily. To Arwen's other side stood a tall young man with a proud and haughty air. In the shadows behind the throne sat another, but even the eyes of Legolas and Waen could not pierce the blackness to see his face. The Queen smiled at the four as they entered, calling out in a sweet voice, "Come, you are welcome here."
Pippin timidly stepped forward as Arwen held out her hand. Each of the companions kissed it but Waen, who, Pippin noticed, merely touched the hand to her forehead. A tiny grin snuck across his face. He was glad she was with them.
Arwen then placed a hand on the shoulder of the girl beside her. "Good friends, meet my children. This is Alataestel Lissier, my youngest and only daughter." The small girl smiled weakly. Her huge blue eyes met with Pippin's for a moment before flashing to the floor. She pulled her long blonde hair forward, trying to hide her pale thin face. The Queen next turned to the young man beside her. "This is my eldest son, Aglareb Minuial. He will be the King of Gondor someday." Her eyes shone as she looked up at her tall and handsome son. Aglareb smiled at his mother, then swung his eyes carelessly over the friends before him. His gaze settled on Waen. She shuddered, clasping her father's hand a little tighter. Pippin saw Legolas shift his weight ever so slightly so that he stood more between Waen and the High Prince. He did the same, and was flashed a grateful smile by Waen when Aglareb's eyes moved on.
Arwen glanced over her shoulder at the shadows. The figure seated in them stood, arms crossed, questioning. With a sigh of disgust, Arwen motioned him into the light. "This is my other son, Draug Naurcarag." The boy stepped forward, revealing himself. His face was dark and stormy, deep eyes flashing as he bent his head toward the companions. Of the three children, he alone looked like an Elf. The Queen continued, motioning to the friends,
"This is the remainder of the Fellowship of the Ring your father so often speaks of. That is Peregrin Took the halfing, Gimli Gloin's son the dwarf, Legolas Greenleaf the elf, and..." here she paused, "what was your name again, dear?"
"I am Agarwaenloth Darkwind, m'lady." Waen replied, politely inclining her head toward the throne. Arwen smiled, appearing to remember.
"Yes, Agarwaenloth Darkwind, daughter of Legolas Greenleaf." As his mother said this, Aglareb once again looked toward Waen. She turned her eyes away, frightened by his look. Pippin caught himself beginning to glower at the crown prince. He calmed his features, glancing at Waen. Though her eyes were to the floor, she appeared as always. But after spending so many days with her, Pippin could tell that the look had shaken her. Little Alataestel bowed her head and muttered something of a greeting. Aglareb, eyes still on Waen, bid them all good day from behind a forced smile. Draug glanced at his mother, then bowed slightly, saying softly,
"Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo." Arwen looked up sharply. Her eyes flamed up as she drew in a sharp breath, hissing to her middle child. To Pippin, it sounded like she said,
"What did I tell you about speaking that tongue in my presence?" Draug bit his lip and slid back into the shadows. He seemed accustomed to being there while his siblings shone in his mother's eyes. Arwen took a deep breath, then continued with a sweet smile, "But what of Samwise Gamgee?"
Pippin took a step forward. "He was unable to come, m'lady. He had to stay with his wife, who has fallen ill."
The Queen nodded before saying , "I am so glad you all could come. King Elessar was so insistent that you come. But now you must be weary. Get you away to rest, I shall see you again tonight." The four bowed and left the room, again following the porter through the halls. They were all placed in the same room and left to their own devices. The moment the door closed, all four of them turned to each other and said, "We need to talk."
(( hmm, not much of a cliffhanger ending... or IS it?? What's wrong with all of Aragorn's kids? [Other than the fact that they aren't the children Tolkein gave Aragorn and Arwen... -.-] Why is Arwen so darn touchy about elvish? And WILL PIPPIN NEED HIS SWORD???? Dumdumdum! Actually, the answer to that most annoying question is in the next chap. *Gasps* but before I go on, I would like to say thank you to everyone who reviewed. I love you all! So keep the good stuff coming! I'll start working again immediately tomorrow. Please R&R!))
Chapter 4 - The Children of Elessar
Pippin gaped at the figure descending the stairs before him. It couldn't be... could it?
The old king smiled. "Come, Peregrin, don't you recall your old friend?"
"Ar- Aragorn?" Pippin stammered. Behind him, Legolas grabbed Gimli's shoulder, half to prevent the Dwarf from sliding off of the horse and half to prevent himself from doing the same. Merry, on the other hand, threw himself upon his knee, whispering. With a calm smile, Aragorn acknowledged his old friends.
"Yes, Peregrin, Legolas, Gimli, 'tis I. But do call me Elessar. I have grown accustomed to it." The four all nodded dumbly. Only Merry could have expected the change that had overcome their friend. His grizzled beard and hair were now refined and grey with age. Wrinkles creased his tired face, and the luster in his eyes had faded. He was King Elessar of Gondor, merely a fading shadow of Aragorn the Ranger. Strider was gone forever.
The King smiled. "Come. You are weary. You must rest." He beckoned to the porter, who led the small group into the palace. Waen slipped on hand into her father's. Legolas squeezed it, glancing over his shoulder to see Aragorn gazing after them. Pippin glanced about: Merry had disappeared.
They traveled through the twisting corridors of the palace, meeting guards at every corner. Once they ran into a young girl with large, frightened eyes. She squealed and ran off. Pippin frowned. Everything seemed so... off. Things had changed greatly since his last visit with Sam. But that was before Merry was Meriadoc. A time long past.
At last they reached a large door. The porter swung it open, and they beheld a vast throne room Pippin was sure had not been there before. Before them on a large throne sat Arwen Undomiel, Queen of Gondor. At her side sat the small girl from the hallway, large eyes sweeping over the companions uneasily. To Arwen's other side stood a tall young man with a proud and haughty air. In the shadows behind the throne sat another, but even the eyes of Legolas and Waen could not pierce the blackness to see his face. The Queen smiled at the four as they entered, calling out in a sweet voice, "Come, you are welcome here."
Pippin timidly stepped forward as Arwen held out her hand. Each of the companions kissed it but Waen, who, Pippin noticed, merely touched the hand to her forehead. A tiny grin snuck across his face. He was glad she was with them.
Arwen then placed a hand on the shoulder of the girl beside her. "Good friends, meet my children. This is Alataestel Lissier, my youngest and only daughter." The small girl smiled weakly. Her huge blue eyes met with Pippin's for a moment before flashing to the floor. She pulled her long blonde hair forward, trying to hide her pale thin face. The Queen next turned to the young man beside her. "This is my eldest son, Aglareb Minuial. He will be the King of Gondor someday." Her eyes shone as she looked up at her tall and handsome son. Aglareb smiled at his mother, then swung his eyes carelessly over the friends before him. His gaze settled on Waen. She shuddered, clasping her father's hand a little tighter. Pippin saw Legolas shift his weight ever so slightly so that he stood more between Waen and the High Prince. He did the same, and was flashed a grateful smile by Waen when Aglareb's eyes moved on.
Arwen glanced over her shoulder at the shadows. The figure seated in them stood, arms crossed, questioning. With a sigh of disgust, Arwen motioned him into the light. "This is my other son, Draug Naurcarag." The boy stepped forward, revealing himself. His face was dark and stormy, deep eyes flashing as he bent his head toward the companions. Of the three children, he alone looked like an Elf. The Queen continued, motioning to the friends,
"This is the remainder of the Fellowship of the Ring your father so often speaks of. That is Peregrin Took the halfing, Gimli Gloin's son the dwarf, Legolas Greenleaf the elf, and..." here she paused, "what was your name again, dear?"
"I am Agarwaenloth Darkwind, m'lady." Waen replied, politely inclining her head toward the throne. Arwen smiled, appearing to remember.
"Yes, Agarwaenloth Darkwind, daughter of Legolas Greenleaf." As his mother said this, Aglareb once again looked toward Waen. She turned her eyes away, frightened by his look. Pippin caught himself beginning to glower at the crown prince. He calmed his features, glancing at Waen. Though her eyes were to the floor, she appeared as always. But after spending so many days with her, Pippin could tell that the look had shaken her. Little Alataestel bowed her head and muttered something of a greeting. Aglareb, eyes still on Waen, bid them all good day from behind a forced smile. Draug glanced at his mother, then bowed slightly, saying softly,
"Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo." Arwen looked up sharply. Her eyes flamed up as she drew in a sharp breath, hissing to her middle child. To Pippin, it sounded like she said,
"What did I tell you about speaking that tongue in my presence?" Draug bit his lip and slid back into the shadows. He seemed accustomed to being there while his siblings shone in his mother's eyes. Arwen took a deep breath, then continued with a sweet smile, "But what of Samwise Gamgee?"
Pippin took a step forward. "He was unable to come, m'lady. He had to stay with his wife, who has fallen ill."
The Queen nodded before saying , "I am so glad you all could come. King Elessar was so insistent that you come. But now you must be weary. Get you away to rest, I shall see you again tonight." The four bowed and left the room, again following the porter through the halls. They were all placed in the same room and left to their own devices. The moment the door closed, all four of them turned to each other and said, "We need to talk."
(( hmm, not much of a cliffhanger ending... or IS it?? What's wrong with all of Aragorn's kids? [Other than the fact that they aren't the children Tolkein gave Aragorn and Arwen... -.-] Why is Arwen so darn touchy about elvish? And WILL PIPPIN NEED HIS SWORD???? Dumdumdum! Actually, the answer to that most annoying question is in the next chap. *Gasps* but before I go on, I would like to say thank you to everyone who reviewed. I love you all! So keep the good stuff coming! I'll start working again immediately tomorrow. Please R&R!))