Author: Arinya
Rating:R
Disclaimer: All Lord of the Rings characters belong to J.R.R Tolkien, however, this story itself belongs to me and that also applies to the plot. The character "AldÃren" also belongs to me, he is mine, no stealing is permitted. This disclaimer applies for all chapters, of this fanfiction.
Summary: Sam is forced to retell all the things that happened after the Fellowship had succeeded in destroying the Ring. All the members of the Fellowship have their own problems. Darkness returns, and Love struggles to conquer all. But as the problems mount up to a peak, can they survive? And can Sam bear telling his audience the true story?
Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Ring at Work
Aragorn stepped out from the tent and closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the cold and musty wind. War was so close, so close and yet it didn't feel as if it were there. Half in his world and half out, and such a huge danger to everyone... Oddly enough, Aragorn was not troubled. He counted off the days and realized that Galadriel would be coming in a matter of days if not weeks. Was she truly that different? What he had heard from others was astounding no doubt, but he was not sure if he could believe it. Arwen's grandmother...his beautiful, sweet, loving Arwen...if Galadriel had truly turned that evil, then what if-
He stopped himself there, and opened his eyes with a snap. A passerby looked at him questioningly.
How could he doubt the person he loved the most like that? It was wrong, it was so wrong. And yet he had imagined, just had the tiniest sliver of tought of what Arwen could turn into. Dark thoughts were inching back into his mind, and he desperatly needed something to keep himself busy.
"Eomer!" he shouted all of a sudden, and the man's head snapped up.
"Aragorn?" he asked, puzzled.
"Do you need help lashing the ropes together?"
"No...I'm fine..." said Eomer, wary of Aragorn's tone, was this a test of some sort?
"I insist," said Aragorn, and walked over, working on the remaining bundle of thick rope.
"Is something the matter?" asked Eomer.
"No, nothing," said Aragorn just a little too quickly, and Eomer nodded slightly.
"Uh-hum..." the younger man said in his throat, Aragorn couldn't help but give a quick grin.
"We should get the trees now," said Eomer, and they both heaved up axes, leaving two other men in charge, and went into the nearby patch of forest.
To tell the truth, it wasn't much of a forest, but more of clumped up area of hard, rocky dirt, and several short trees. It was almost depressing to look at them, and Aragorn picked a sturdy-looking one, aiming carefully, then bringing his axe back to smash it into the trunk. Eomer then took his turn, and they alternated, spraying bits of wood as they worked through the trunk.
Aragorn was relieved. This was good. His stress, his fears were all going through the axe and into the tree. He gave it one more hit before stepping back and letting the the tree fall with a loud bang on the ground. The two men looked at each other from opposite sides of the tree with the axe pointing downwards in one hand. It was an odd picture to look at, and their reverie broken, they set their axes down and began to rope the ends of the trunk. With the axes over their shoulders, began to drag the trunk back to camp.
"Aragorn, I cannot help but think that there is something troublesome on your mind," said Eomer after some silence.
"As much as I would relish a conversation with you to ease my suffering, I do not wish to disclose my thoughts..." said Aragorn after a while.
"My apologies Lord-"
"No, my apologies Eomer...it is my fault that I wish to be distant from you"
"..then I shall let you remain that way," said Eomer.
The way he said it was respectful in every way. However, Aragorn got just the slightest feeling of contempt from Eomer. Perhaps the younger man did not like his liege...perhaps he was annoyed at him for keeping to himself. Well it wasn't his fault, it was Arwen's! And Elrond's! Damn the elves! Damn everything that had come into his life only to-
"Aragorn...?" asked Eomer.
Author's note: Sorry...eh...yeah