Chapter 4
To Minas Tirith
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Even in the darkest night, I know I'll be all right. The world is bound to change, but You always stay the same.
~Zoegirl
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Alede looked over at Legolas and Arwen, all three travelers were silent as they rode upon their steeds.
It had turned from the end of summer in to the brisk winds of fall so suddenly the companions were surprised, that the month had flown by.
The ranger was hard to track in spite of Legolas and Alede's skills.
Alede spurred her horse Runya to a canter, Arwen soon also spurring her own horse forward.
Arwen slowed her steed and moved closer to Alede's.
"Can I ask you something?" Arwen asked, hesitantly.
"Yes." Alede answered.
"Are you and Legolas...." Arwen's voice trailed off. Alede let out a sigh, she had known one day this would come up.
"I have seen you and Legolas, and I can tell there was, is something still there." Arwen said, looking over at Alede, the maiden's long dark hair blew in the silent wind, and her light blue eyes stared off, like she was not there but in a dream, a memory from years passed.
"We were...we were..." Alede said searching for the right words, before she told of what had happened between her and Legolas.
Alede looked up into Legolas's silver-blue eyes.
Legolas brushed aside Alede's dark tresses, and took her chin and pulled her face into his, slanting his mouth over her's.
Her hands lay flat against his chest. She pulled away and stared up into the elf's silver-blue eyes.
"I love you." She whispered before they pulled back into another kiss.
His arms wrapped about her waist, and her arms curled up and about his neck.
They pulled away.
"I love you." Legolas said, a smile playing on his face as he watched her.
"I love you too." Alede said smiling before placing a tender kiss on his lips.
Alede shook her head, finishing the tale, and chasing away the memory.
"But in the end, I walked away from it, I knew I wouldn't be able to live up to the expectations that people would have for me. I am not what some would call a *princess*, and I would have probably brought disgrace to Legolas in the end." Alede said, a tear appeared in the corner of her eye but she blinked it away, those were not all the reasons she had decided not to marry the prince, and to walk away from it.
But she couldn't face those problems at the moment. She had to keep thinking about the task at hand.
The white moon rose in the sky as they rode, and the silver stars blinked against their black back ground, a strong wind started to blow, but the three travelers did not seem to notice.
They rode all night, and into the following morning before they had to rest.
But the rest was vary short and before they knew it, they were back on their steeds, Legolas and Alede trying to find any traces of what road Aragorn might have taken, they finally found traces of him, leading to Minas Tirith.
After a few more days, the white walls of Minas Tirith rose before them, but only 20 or so miles from them.
"What are we going to do?" Alede asked no one in particular.
"Do about what?" Arwen asked.
"About our appearances." Legolas said, taking out a ranger's coat he had taken along and slipped it on, then pulling his golden hair back.
"Now what could I do..." Arwen said thinking aloud.
"I think if you keep your hair over your ears it might not be a problem, but just incase you had better ware a cloak." Alede said.
"I think I can pass for a normal mortal...." Alede thought aloud.
"You will," Legolas said. "You look enough like a human. Lets just hope no one sees the elf side of you." Legolas said, a grin appearing on his face.
"Why do you have to pester me so?" Alede asked, her head half cocked, trying to conceal the traces of a smile, but in the end lost the battle.
"I am your friend, it is my duty." Legolas said, the grin on his face widening.
~~~*~~~
The large gates of Minas Tirith rose before them, they opened for the travelers, and the threesome made their way into the great city. They had sent the horses home a few hours before.
They attracted some curious stars from some people that passed them, but other then that no one seemed to notice the two elves and half elf in their midst.
One particular group of people attracted all three's attention and they moved closer to the group.
"Yes, he's been here for a few weeks now." Then another one said, "Yes he's staying with Deollyn and his family, a ranger fellow I believe." And then yet another said, "I think they found him over by the fountain in the middle of town."
Alede, Arwen, and Legolas exchanged looks before heading for the fountain, whence reaching it, they sat down on a stone bench that was placed near to it.
"Arwen." A familiar strong voice came to Arwen's pointed ears, Arwen looked up, and her eyes narrowed.
