Chapter 3.
In the early hours of the morning Aragorn laid Luthien back in her crib and covered her over with the discarded sheepskin. "Good night my sweet one." He said softly, leaning over to kiss her.
Arwen pulled at his hand and led him out into the gardens.
There they sat together under the stars and spoke quietly to one another.
"You know that I don't really want to go." Aragorn said to her.
"I know that if you had the choice you'd be here with Luthien and I." Arwen answered.
"Are you angry with me?"
A smile played at the corners of her lips. "I don't get angry, my love."
"No." Aragorn agreed. "You know nothing of anger or malice or hate."
"I do not harbor those feelings. In a life as long as mine has already been there is no point." Arwen said quietly.
"Eventually, those feelings consume, then if they are left long enough, there is nothing left to be saved."
"How can I turn away from those feelings?" Aragorn asked quietly, hoping for an answer.
"You will know what is right. If you become confused, stop and breathe." Arwen lay on her back, her belly moving slightly as she inhaled and exhaled. "It is the beginning and the end of life. It is the center of all life. Ask yourself, 'Am I calm? Am I at peace?' When you are calm and your mind is clear, you will know the right path to take."
"How does that stop me from hating?" Aragorn asked, not quite understanding.
"The grace of the Valar is upon you, and my grace is also. Life is the beginning and the end of all things. In order to live fully we look for love, unbidden hatred stems from that. Quell your feelings, remember the life, and the breath. Start at the beginning."
Aragorn nodded, understanding what she was telling him. "Mordor is growing. It's power is reforming. The Tower of Barad-dur is rebuilt in the black lands, and the Dark One searches for his One Ring." He spoke, telling her of the troubles on his mind.
"Isildur's Bane is found." Arwen looked up at the stars for several moments before speaking again. As she did so Aragorn knew she was looking to them for signs of the future. "You have no need to fear the past. You are Isildur's heir, not Isildur himself. The ancient circles of time will not meet your destiny. Past and present have no reason to collide. Your time will come, and you will make the choices he did not. You will defeat it."
Aragorn sat quietly on the edge of the stone fountain, deep in thought.
"A si i-Dhúath ú-orthor, Aragorn. Ú or le a ú or nin." *The shadow does not hold sway yet. Not over you, not over me.* Arwen spoke softly, sitting up and reaching out to touch his cheek.
"Do you believe that?" He asked.
"You know I do. Long ago I bound myself to you, knowing full well that I would have to foresake the immortal life of my people. I have done that for you. For hope." She told him.
He laid his hand on her cheek, "I wish I could as hopeful as you, my Lady."
"You only have to look inside yourself, Aragorn. Hope stems from you. The day will come when you bring hope to all those in despair." She kissed him. "If I could I would keep you here with me for all of time. But for now the world needs you more. Serve it with all of your heart and soul, my Ranger."
"I will try Arwen. I will try not to give voice to my anger, and I will try not to lose hope." Aragorn said to her.
"How could you lose hope, Aragorn? There is hope all around you, if only you look for it. Look to the stars, listen to the earth and to the wind. There is always hope, as long as there is light, somewhere, no matter how dim or far away, there is always hope."
Early the next morning, with Luthien in her arms Arwen farewelled Aragorn once more. She stood watching until he and the other riders had faded from sight, then returned to her garden, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She awaited his return for months upon months, watching Luthien grow from a little baby into a beautiful toddler, walking unsteadily, clutching at her mother's dress. She became more and more beautiful and more and more like her exquisite mother.
Arwen passed the time, the long days on waiting, in her garden, with Luthien at her feet, always amazed at how quickly she learned new things, new words.
In the early hours of the morning Aragorn laid Luthien back in her crib and covered her over with the discarded sheepskin. "Good night my sweet one." He said softly, leaning over to kiss her.
Arwen pulled at his hand and led him out into the gardens.
There they sat together under the stars and spoke quietly to one another.
"You know that I don't really want to go." Aragorn said to her.
"I know that if you had the choice you'd be here with Luthien and I." Arwen answered.
"Are you angry with me?"
A smile played at the corners of her lips. "I don't get angry, my love."
"No." Aragorn agreed. "You know nothing of anger or malice or hate."
"I do not harbor those feelings. In a life as long as mine has already been there is no point." Arwen said quietly.
"Eventually, those feelings consume, then if they are left long enough, there is nothing left to be saved."
"How can I turn away from those feelings?" Aragorn asked quietly, hoping for an answer.
"You will know what is right. If you become confused, stop and breathe." Arwen lay on her back, her belly moving slightly as she inhaled and exhaled. "It is the beginning and the end of life. It is the center of all life. Ask yourself, 'Am I calm? Am I at peace?' When you are calm and your mind is clear, you will know the right path to take."
"How does that stop me from hating?" Aragorn asked, not quite understanding.
"The grace of the Valar is upon you, and my grace is also. Life is the beginning and the end of all things. In order to live fully we look for love, unbidden hatred stems from that. Quell your feelings, remember the life, and the breath. Start at the beginning."
Aragorn nodded, understanding what she was telling him. "Mordor is growing. It's power is reforming. The Tower of Barad-dur is rebuilt in the black lands, and the Dark One searches for his One Ring." He spoke, telling her of the troubles on his mind.
"Isildur's Bane is found." Arwen looked up at the stars for several moments before speaking again. As she did so Aragorn knew she was looking to them for signs of the future. "You have no need to fear the past. You are Isildur's heir, not Isildur himself. The ancient circles of time will not meet your destiny. Past and present have no reason to collide. Your time will come, and you will make the choices he did not. You will defeat it."
Aragorn sat quietly on the edge of the stone fountain, deep in thought.
"A si i-Dhúath ú-orthor, Aragorn. Ú or le a ú or nin." *The shadow does not hold sway yet. Not over you, not over me.* Arwen spoke softly, sitting up and reaching out to touch his cheek.
"Do you believe that?" He asked.
"You know I do. Long ago I bound myself to you, knowing full well that I would have to foresake the immortal life of my people. I have done that for you. For hope." She told him.
He laid his hand on her cheek, "I wish I could as hopeful as you, my Lady."
"You only have to look inside yourself, Aragorn. Hope stems from you. The day will come when you bring hope to all those in despair." She kissed him. "If I could I would keep you here with me for all of time. But for now the world needs you more. Serve it with all of your heart and soul, my Ranger."
"I will try Arwen. I will try not to give voice to my anger, and I will try not to lose hope." Aragorn said to her.
"How could you lose hope, Aragorn? There is hope all around you, if only you look for it. Look to the stars, listen to the earth and to the wind. There is always hope, as long as there is light, somewhere, no matter how dim or far away, there is always hope."
Early the next morning, with Luthien in her arms Arwen farewelled Aragorn once more. She stood watching until he and the other riders had faded from sight, then returned to her garden, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She awaited his return for months upon months, watching Luthien grow from a little baby into a beautiful toddler, walking unsteadily, clutching at her mother's dress. She became more and more beautiful and more and more like her exquisite mother.
Arwen passed the time, the long days on waiting, in her garden, with Luthien at her feet, always amazed at how quickly she learned new things, new words.