CHAPTER 6
" So what do you think?" They were both sitting in a garden, off of Elrond's personal chambers. As ruler, he did get special royalties, this garden being one of them. They sat upon a stone bench underneath a canopy of trees. In the middle of the clearing, the was a fountain of stone, so highly polished it gently reflected all the colors of the sunlight which filtered through the leaves above.
" I think that we need to find that being the Tayla seems to keep dreaming of." They had only that morning completed their questioning of the young girl. They hadn't wanted to distress her more than necessary, so they spoke in three different sessions, during three days, until they got all the information possible out of her. It seemed that she had always started out seeing a place as if normal. A field, a river, and forest, they all looked normal. But then a shadow would overtake the land, and amidst that shadow a sickening fog would kill all in its path. She never died herself, for she was an observer, but as death was spread around the land, she always heard a voice, singing, in Elvish. Only the night before she had run to Elrond she had glimpsed the source of that song, and there was a being of pure light. The light spread from his heart, but once outside his chest, turned dark and evil. He was the source of the destruction and death.
What they both left unspoken was the name of whom they assumed was that being. Aragorn only held hope that they could get to him in time, and Elrond that if it was too late, that they could stop him.
Turning to his ancient friend, Aragorn simply stated, " You know what I must do, but I feel that you have a part in this also Elrond. Will you accompany me?"
Elrond thought for a moment. He hadn't left Rivendell for a great while, and hadn't battled for even longer. That wasn't to say he couldn't, for he had kept up his skills through practices and even giving lessons every now and then. But he had settled down, so to speak, thinking that his days of battle were over. Now he was facing a great threat, and his role was apparent.
"Aragorn, I shall."
Looking relieved, Aragorn turned back. "We must set out soon. I fear that none of Legolas' party will have much to tell us. And the tracks will be long run over, too old to get any real leads. Where do we start?" He pounded his fist against his knee. Frustrated, he got up and began pacing.
" I think I know where to begin." Stunned, Aragorn stopped and sat back down. "Where, how?"
His gaze focused on something far away from that garden. " There is a prophecy, a long forgotten one, which stated that basically a hero of light, one of eight, was to fall in the end, and his light to bring destruction to all that which he once fought for." Aragorn's eyes widened. "When the fellowship was established, I noticed the similarities in number, but dismissed it for at that time we all had much more pressing matters." At this he looked down. "Again I ignored that which I shouldn't have." He clasped his hands together, placing them on his lap, his gaze still downcast.
Aragorn placed his hand upon the ancient elf. " You couldn't have known, and as you already stated, we all had matters more pressing at that time. Don't dwell in the past. You taught me that. Elrond, you are a great friend, a great father, a great ruler. But now, as a friend and ruler, you have a duty to fulfill." Elrond's eyes met the ranger's, and in those eyes Aragorn saw years of suffering and pain. He continued. " Is there any other detail of that prophecy that can tell us for sure where to go?"
Now questioned, those eyes quickly hardened, and Aragorn knew that Elrond no longer dwelled on that which he should have done. He would go back to those dark thought many more times, but now was not one of them. " Yes, and I have a suspicion that you won't like where it is." Wryly, he raised an eyebrow and told him.
" Is it far?"
" Yes and no. If you know how to get there, then no. If you don't, then it's all but impossible to find. I know the general location, but I'll have to rely on your ranger skills to pin point."
Laughing slightly, Aragorn nodded. " Of course. And I will have to rely on your knowledge and your directions and your elven abilities, so I seem to have to be relying on you more than you on me." At this, Elrond had to laugh.
They sat there in silence, taking in the beauty. "Arwen shall stay here." Before the other could even get a word of resistance out, he continued, " I already have other's in my place and her in Gondor, you don't here."
Unable to refute his logic, Elrond simply nodded in consent. At least then Arwen would be safe, and he could be sure about it. He knew what Aragorn was doing, and he appreciated it. "We shall leave early tomorrow morning. I suggest you tell your men so they can prepare."
"No."
"Excuse me?" Even if a friend, he was a king, as wasn't used to being spoken to as such. "Why not?"
"This has to be you and me. I don't know why, but I just know."
He himself had been planning on bringing only the fewest number of guards possible, and then sending them back once they reached their destination. But he guessed that between the two of them, that journey would be no longer than a few days and nights. "Are you sure Aragorn? We could send them back once we arrived."
"No, trust me. Between us we can protect ourselves just as well as they could, and better without having to worry about others. You couldn't have let yourself go that far," he jibed. " But no, we have to go alone. And no later than tomorrow morn."
Again finding himself at a loss for disagreement, the elf replied, " I agree. We shall leave before sunrise. Now I must go ready everything for Arwen. I'll leave you to telling her this business. But do not mention our nature. I'm sure she has an idea, but we mustn't let word get our, or else there might be panic."
Wincing at the thought, he flicked his eyes towards his once caretaker. " Oh, I see how it is. You make everything nice for her, while I have to stave her off. Good political skills there. I see I still have much to learn in that area."
Laughing, but with heavy hearts, they both rose, and went their separate ways.
(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)
The sun had yet to rise, but the waning moon let of plenty of light. Both mounted on their steeds, the two kings set off. They had had to sneak out, so to speak, and Elrond felt like a child once again for a few moments. But once away from Rivendell's borders, both sobered and rode in silence.
Aragorn rode besides Elrond, and after about an hour, he decided to break the silence. "What? No travel songs to sing sire?" His mocking tone was light, and was returned in favor.
"Why don't you start young one, for I'm sure you have learned plenty on your many journeys."
"Ah yes, but elves are known for their beauty in voice and verse. I don't even remember ever hearing you sing Elrond. When did you sing last?"
Sighing, he thought for a moment. " Decades ago. I've been too busy."
"Oh come one, Legolas was busy, but he had time to sing, even when faced with great dangers, he brought happiness to us all with his songs of the land."
"Yes, but Legolas was like that." He stopped talking when he noticed what he had done. Aragorn noticed also. "He is like that, he still is."
Their silence resumed, now full of thoughts for their friend. Neither knew exactly what they were heading towards, or what state they would find their companion, but the worst-case scenario had passed many times through both their minds.
They rode constantly, only pausing once to let their horses have a drink, as well as themselves, then quickly continuing on. The day passed without incident, and they decided to ride through the darkness, for the land they both knew well, and Elrond's elven sight could warn of any danger long before they came upon it. Now Aragorn hung back, and watched as the elf rode on in front.
He took a good look, and found that Elrond still rode with authority. No matter how ancient the elf lord was, he was still beautiful. Now that the dark of night had fallen, his glow was perceivable, and it slightly illuminated the royal. He rode as a warrior rather than a noble, and that pleased Aragorn, for he didn't want to see his long time friend going soft. He knew that the age of elves was coming to an end, and that he was sure to hear one day that Elrond had gone to the sea, but looking at him now, that day seemed far off. With a passion in his heart and a mission on his mind, Elrond took control of the situation and once again became the great leader of men and elf he once was. He smiled slightly, lost in thought, until Elrond called to him to come forward.
"What is it?"
They had been riding the plains all day, and still had far to go from what his eyesight could tell, but then again he couldn't see nearly as well or far as the elf.
" Something is following us. To our left. Keep moving forward, but keep an eye open in that direction."
Nodding slightly, he reprimanded himself for not noticing before the elf. He now rode alongside, with the king to his left, wishing he had come up on the other side so as to get a better view and as more protection for the elf. With Legolas now in danger, possibly wounded, he felt slightly more protective of the elf lord than he normally would. But then again, he never really had found himself in this situation before, where it was just the two of them.
So as to keep seemingly unawares, they kept up some small talk, and around midnight, decided to take a true rest. He unsaddled his own horse, while Elrond got their supplies arranged, since he didn't ride with tack and didn't have any to take care of. After going over the horses to make sure their hard ride hadn't been to much for them, satisfied, he went back to camp to find Elrond ready with a small meal and their bed rolls set out. They didn't need a fire, for they were comfortable, and the moon gave plenty of light off the flat land. They weren't around any obstacles to block their vision, so after ordering the elf to wake him in a few hours, Aragorn lied down and fell into the fast sleep that only soldiers seem to be able to catch.
Elrond walked around the camp, making sure that the presence he had felt earlier wasn't closing. Once he felt it was safe enough, with the presence still keeping away and not closing, he returned to where Aragorn was asleep, with one hand on his chest, the other at his side, on his sword. Elrond has practically raised the man he now saw ready to protect him, and for once in a great while he felt his heart warm. Aragorn might not know it, but Elrond respected him as much if not more so than the man held for him. The man had survived a history of shame and hatred, to rise and become a great leader of men, elf, dwarf, and hobbit. Now as king of man, he ruled fairly and strongly. Elrond kept up on the affairs of all lands of Middle-Earth, for he felt responsible for a great deal more than just Rivendell. Now, with this new threat, he was pleased to actively be doing something, and to be acting with Aragorn at his side.
Looking down at the prone form, sleeping, yet aware to any danger, Elrond walked a few paces away and decided to let the ranger sleep until sunrise. He knew this would not please Aragorn, but the fact that they had ridden so far and hard so quickly that they would be coming up to their destination sometime late tomorrow. And if he was correct in his suspicions, then they both were going to be sorely tested. As an elf, he didn't need to sleep as often as man, so he waited until morning to wake him, and set himself about readying everything in case they needed a quick departure.