The Road Less Traveled
By The Last Evenstar
A/N: Augh! I wrote this chapter and saved it to disk like I always do, but when I tried to open it on my computer everything was messed up! So I had to reformat and was able to save some of it, but I had to rewrite certain sections from memory and as a result this chapter turned out a little screwed up. Don't worry, though, I'll be back on track with the next one (and saving backup copies!).
Chapter Two: Two Paths Cross
After hours of riding, Arwen realized she had no idea of where she was going. Aragorn could have taken one of many paths – where was he headed?
She took a deep whiff of the forest air, hoping to clear her senses. She was beginning to see the futility of her plan. Aragorn had left two weeks ago and could have gone anywhere. How could she have expected to find him?
"Lle amada [you are a fool]," she muttered to herself. Hot tears began to form in her eyes.
"What can I do?" she whispered. "I can't go back."
She gazed to the East. If I head for the mountain pass, she realized, I could make it to Lothlórien in a matter of weeks. She smiled, relieved. Atarara [grandmother] will know what to do.
~~~~~~~
"And you LET HER?" Elrond's rage was palpable.
Glorfindel trembled as he spoke. "I'm sorry, Lord Elrond. She was too quick for me."
"Too quick for you? TOO QUICK FOR YOU? For the Valar's sake, Glorfindel, YOU WERE THE ONE WHO TAUGHT HER TO RIDE!"
The elf bowed, so as to hide a smile. "It seems my generosity has backfired."
Elrond glared at his advisor. "You don't seem very upset about this."
Glorfindel shrugged. "I always thought it was a mistake, my lord, to be so hasty in sending Estel away."
"HASTY?" Elrond roared. "Obviously he's such a bad influence that she chooses to disobey for the first time in two millennia! And I was HASTY to separate them?"
"Well, look how it turned out."
The elf lord groaned. "I just don't know what to do! All of a sudden, she's out of my control!"
"A wild one with an angel's face," Glorfindel observed wryly. "Who could have seen it coming?"
Elladan nodded. "Arwen was always the good one."
His brother elbowed him. "Speak for yourself!"
Elrond turned then on his twin sons. "You two don't seem very displeased with this either!" They only laughed, which caused him to moan in despair. "What is my house coming to? Elleths riding off in the middle of the night and their brothers thinking it's FUNNY!"
Elladan shrugged. "We'll go after her, if you want."
His father only glared. "And return home saying you thought it would be a great joke to send them off together, I'll wager." He thought for a moment. "Send two scouts. Fast ones. Make sure they bring her back."
Glorfindel nodded and left the room.
Elrohir grimaced. "Don't you think we should just wait for her to come back, Ada?"
His father was seething. "What makes you think she will?"
"Good point," Elladan noted. "Seeing as you've treated her like a laito."
His father glared at him and stormed out of the room.
Elrohir watched him nervously. "I think you made things worse."
His brother scowled. "It was pretty bad already." He sighed. "I wish there was something we could do." He paused, noticing a gleam in Elrohir's eye. "Oh, no. Oh, no you don't! I absolutely will not take part in some farfetched romantic scheme –" He sighed. "Fine. I will. What's the plan?"
~~~~~~~
Arwen rode fast and hard. She knew there would be someone after her, but whether or not they could take her back to Elrond was dependant upon whether or not they could catch her.
And they were not going to catch her.
She paused, and slowed Elentari to a trot, leaning over to examine the ground.
She gasped. The trail was marked with fresh hoofprints – they couldn't be more than a week old!
Estel! she thought excitedly. He must have come this way! Who else would be riding from Rivendell to Lothlórien?
She beamed and urged Elentari on, rejoicing in this newfound luck. But is it luck? she wondered.
A shiver went up her spine. Or is it destiny?
~~~~~~~
As Aragorn rode back toward Rivendell, he could feel his heart growing lighter with each passing mile. He rode nonstop, day and night, all the while planning how to sneak in undetected. After all, you didn't grow up in a place without learning a secret or two.
Why am I doing this? he asked himself as he rode along. In the two days since turning around he had covered ground that normally took him a week. That's why, he thought blissfully. I'm in love.
Elenaran snorted.
He frowned. "You're a very sarcastic horse, mellonamin."
In a moment he realized that the horse was simply tired. Frowning at his addled mind, he slowed and stopped in a wooden grove. "Just a few moment's rest, Elenaran. Then we're on the road again."
The horse looked at him reproachfully. He grinned. "I know I'm crazy about her."
"She loves you too," said Elenaran.
Aragorn jumped. It took a moment to register that the voice was not coming from the horse. He whirled around. "Arwen?"
She laughed and flung herself into his arms. "Surprise!"
He kissed her, hard. "I must be hallucinating," he muttered, holding her tightly. "I knew I was going insane."
She grinned and touched his rough cheek. "It's really me. Oh, Estel, I missed you so much!"
And then she was kissing him again, leaving him wondering how on earth this could have happened. "Arwen . . . ?"
She bit her lip. "I ran away."
"From home?" he asked dumbly, still wondering if his loneliness hadn't brought on this vision. Then again, no vision could kiss him like Arwen did . . .
She suddenly looked downtrodden. "I – I didn't want to wait –"
He gaped. "What on earth are we going to do now?"
She smiled again, her eyes lighting up. "I have a few ideas," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.
He grinned, despite the anguish. "I mean about your father. He probably WILL want me dead now."
Her eyes twinkled. "The way I see it, we have two options. Go back and apologize and beg for forgiveness, or –" she whispered, "run."
He tried to remind himself that he was responsible. Then he remembered that he really wasn't all that responsible. "Running sounds good." He paused. "But we'd have to face him sooner or later, and he'll be much angrier if –"
She cut him off with a swift kiss. "Estel, my father was never angry with me in his life until two weeks ago. I deserve to make the most of it."
He tried to be firm. "Arwen, you and I are not running away together."
"I know," she admitted. "But I thought about going on to Lorien and seeking Galadriel's advice. She'll know better than we do how to deal with Ada."
He wrapped his arms around her waist. "You're really enjoying this disobedience thing, aren't you?"
She grinned. "It is rather exhilarating."
He suddenly pulled her close, making her gasp. "I'll show you exhilarating."
