A/N: Back again, just when you thought I had deserted you! Thanx for your
patience, this story WILL get finished, and probably within the
foreseeable future as things are going to start hotting up!
She couldn't concentrate for the rest of the day, hardly hearing Thomas's persistent concerns, barely noticing that she was worrying him with all the turmoil that was wreaking havoc on her thoughts. One question was all that she was trying to answer: should she go back tonight? She still had a deep mistrust for the fairer race - a few encounters couldn't overrule years of prejudice. But she knew the look on Legolas' face, she knew that he was going to tell her something before Haldir turned up, but she didn't know what. She didn't even know if she wanted to hear what he was going to say to her.
Night drew on. Still she did not know what to do. She put her children to bed, then settled down to sleep herself. But sleep would not come to her this night; she knew it too well. Reassuring Thomas that she was fine, with the excuse of just needing fresh air, she headed out to the glade that she had last seen Legolas in. Taking deep breaths, she awaited his arrival. She didn't have to wait long.
"Aria."
"Legolas, I need you to tell me what is going on. I don't have much time, soon Thomas will be worried. Its not like me just to disappear in the middle of the night."
He nodded. Slowly the nerve was building up in him to tell her all he knew, to tell her that she needed to leave her home. What concerned him was how she would react. Would she breakdown? Start to cry? He had never been able to deal with maidens who cried. "Aria" he repeated, "you..you have to leave. Before daybreak."
"I am well aware that I have to leave before daybreak. Thomas will be worried."
"You don't understand" he said softly, dropping his eyes so he didn't have to look at her. He felt like the next words he spoke were hardly his at all, that he was not even speaking. Somehow he felt detached from the situation, but all too close to it. "The elves have been watching your village. They know everything that goes on there. They know that you have weekly meetings. They know that the entire village attends these meetings, and that your leader runs them. They know that you are vulnerable to be attacked at these meetings." He looked into Aria's astonished face.
"How.how do you know all this, it's impossible."
He ignored her questions. "At the end of the next meeting, nobody in your village will be left alive."
He looked up at her; the shock and betrayal clear on her pale face.
"How did they find out?" she whispered, in a voice barely audible. But as realisation dawned on her, she found that she didn't have to hear the answer to her question. She sank to the floor. "It was me, wasn't it? I led you directly to my village. I knew that war was inevitable, and yet I trusted Elves. Elves, for god's sake! Haven't I been told that they betray all who put faith in them? Haven't I been told not to trust them? I was right about you the first time I met you. You would hurt me, but just in a more indirect way. Yes, this treachery seems likely of the nobler race." The diatribe was more directed at her than Legolas, guilt falling heavily on her shoulders.
"Aria, no, it wasn't like I wanted to, it was my duty."
Her clarity and reason shocked him when she asked the next question.
"When do they attack?"
"At your next meeting, they know when and where they are being held like I said before."
"They know because of you, and my foolish trusting nature. Still, that meeting is a day away" she looked into the sky noticing that morning had dawned, bright and clear as if the world around her had nothing to do with the horrors that she had just been informed of. It was too surreal. "But I can get people out, can't I? Is that why you in turn betrayed your own kin to save a few lowly humans?"
"It has been instructed that everyone should be slaughtered. The humans wanted this war. We are just striking hard and fast. But I could not stand it if I saw your mangled body after the raid. I want you to get your family out of there."
"Why?"
Legolas turned away. He couldn't answer her, and he knew it. When he turned back she had fled, leaving him to wonder at the unexpected reaction he had provoked from her: no anger, no tears, just calm thoughts and blame on her part.
~*~
She ran. Harder and faster than she ever had before, managing to get back to Tom and her family before they stirred from slumber. But she didn't stop at her home to breakdown and wonder at the brutality of the world like she wanted to. Instead she roused her lover, telling him she was going to find her sister, and to wake the children. Then she ran off again.
"Anna. Anna! Wake up!"
"Who, what.Aria? My God, what's happened? Are you alright?" Anna had a knack for knowing when her sister was upset, but at the moment anyone would have been able to tell that the younger royal was worried.
"We've go to leave. Now."
"Why?"
"The elves are coming. They attack tomorrow. By then we must have reached the next village. We will be safer there, as they have more arms."
"How do you know?"
"Don't ask me, I am ashamed enough already. We must organise as many people as possible to leave during the day. The elves are all around us, they will notice if suddenly the village empties. Though empty it must except of those who want to defend our home. The enemy is skilful beyond either your or my reckoning."
"You've seen them, haven't you? Talked to them even?"
Aria nodded slowly.
"Then preparations must be started. I will go round the village, as is my wont sometimes. Don't worry, I will be as subtle as I can. I will inform the men, and arranged times for women to leave. Leave they will." Gentle she slid a finger under her sister's chin, forcing her to look her in the eye. "We will succeed. We will get to the next town, and when we get there, we will avenge any hurt that those vermin have done to you and the people of this town. We will not let them forget that they started this war, and that the race of men is still one to be fought with. They have underestimated our skills."
Anna then pulled some clothes on, picked up the wicker basket that she normally used for shopping in the market and sauntered out of her home, casually calling back after her as if the previous conversation had never taken place: "Look after my children for a while, would you Aria? I need to run some errands." Stepping outside she dared a glance into the trees, wondering just how many pairs of eyes would be watching her movements this morning, and how much danger they were all truly in.
A/N: I know you hear this all the time, but please, please, please review! It really does help to motivate me. Next chapter: How does Tom react to Aria's news? Will the Elves notice the strange behaviour of the people? Will Haldir guess what Legolas has been up to? The more you review, the more you'll find out the quicker!!
She couldn't concentrate for the rest of the day, hardly hearing Thomas's persistent concerns, barely noticing that she was worrying him with all the turmoil that was wreaking havoc on her thoughts. One question was all that she was trying to answer: should she go back tonight? She still had a deep mistrust for the fairer race - a few encounters couldn't overrule years of prejudice. But she knew the look on Legolas' face, she knew that he was going to tell her something before Haldir turned up, but she didn't know what. She didn't even know if she wanted to hear what he was going to say to her.
Night drew on. Still she did not know what to do. She put her children to bed, then settled down to sleep herself. But sleep would not come to her this night; she knew it too well. Reassuring Thomas that she was fine, with the excuse of just needing fresh air, she headed out to the glade that she had last seen Legolas in. Taking deep breaths, she awaited his arrival. She didn't have to wait long.
"Aria."
"Legolas, I need you to tell me what is going on. I don't have much time, soon Thomas will be worried. Its not like me just to disappear in the middle of the night."
He nodded. Slowly the nerve was building up in him to tell her all he knew, to tell her that she needed to leave her home. What concerned him was how she would react. Would she breakdown? Start to cry? He had never been able to deal with maidens who cried. "Aria" he repeated, "you..you have to leave. Before daybreak."
"I am well aware that I have to leave before daybreak. Thomas will be worried."
"You don't understand" he said softly, dropping his eyes so he didn't have to look at her. He felt like the next words he spoke were hardly his at all, that he was not even speaking. Somehow he felt detached from the situation, but all too close to it. "The elves have been watching your village. They know everything that goes on there. They know that you have weekly meetings. They know that the entire village attends these meetings, and that your leader runs them. They know that you are vulnerable to be attacked at these meetings." He looked into Aria's astonished face.
"How.how do you know all this, it's impossible."
He ignored her questions. "At the end of the next meeting, nobody in your village will be left alive."
He looked up at her; the shock and betrayal clear on her pale face.
"How did they find out?" she whispered, in a voice barely audible. But as realisation dawned on her, she found that she didn't have to hear the answer to her question. She sank to the floor. "It was me, wasn't it? I led you directly to my village. I knew that war was inevitable, and yet I trusted Elves. Elves, for god's sake! Haven't I been told that they betray all who put faith in them? Haven't I been told not to trust them? I was right about you the first time I met you. You would hurt me, but just in a more indirect way. Yes, this treachery seems likely of the nobler race." The diatribe was more directed at her than Legolas, guilt falling heavily on her shoulders.
"Aria, no, it wasn't like I wanted to, it was my duty."
Her clarity and reason shocked him when she asked the next question.
"When do they attack?"
"At your next meeting, they know when and where they are being held like I said before."
"They know because of you, and my foolish trusting nature. Still, that meeting is a day away" she looked into the sky noticing that morning had dawned, bright and clear as if the world around her had nothing to do with the horrors that she had just been informed of. It was too surreal. "But I can get people out, can't I? Is that why you in turn betrayed your own kin to save a few lowly humans?"
"It has been instructed that everyone should be slaughtered. The humans wanted this war. We are just striking hard and fast. But I could not stand it if I saw your mangled body after the raid. I want you to get your family out of there."
"Why?"
Legolas turned away. He couldn't answer her, and he knew it. When he turned back she had fled, leaving him to wonder at the unexpected reaction he had provoked from her: no anger, no tears, just calm thoughts and blame on her part.
~*~
She ran. Harder and faster than she ever had before, managing to get back to Tom and her family before they stirred from slumber. But she didn't stop at her home to breakdown and wonder at the brutality of the world like she wanted to. Instead she roused her lover, telling him she was going to find her sister, and to wake the children. Then she ran off again.
"Anna. Anna! Wake up!"
"Who, what.Aria? My God, what's happened? Are you alright?" Anna had a knack for knowing when her sister was upset, but at the moment anyone would have been able to tell that the younger royal was worried.
"We've go to leave. Now."
"Why?"
"The elves are coming. They attack tomorrow. By then we must have reached the next village. We will be safer there, as they have more arms."
"How do you know?"
"Don't ask me, I am ashamed enough already. We must organise as many people as possible to leave during the day. The elves are all around us, they will notice if suddenly the village empties. Though empty it must except of those who want to defend our home. The enemy is skilful beyond either your or my reckoning."
"You've seen them, haven't you? Talked to them even?"
Aria nodded slowly.
"Then preparations must be started. I will go round the village, as is my wont sometimes. Don't worry, I will be as subtle as I can. I will inform the men, and arranged times for women to leave. Leave they will." Gentle she slid a finger under her sister's chin, forcing her to look her in the eye. "We will succeed. We will get to the next town, and when we get there, we will avenge any hurt that those vermin have done to you and the people of this town. We will not let them forget that they started this war, and that the race of men is still one to be fought with. They have underestimated our skills."
Anna then pulled some clothes on, picked up the wicker basket that she normally used for shopping in the market and sauntered out of her home, casually calling back after her as if the previous conversation had never taken place: "Look after my children for a while, would you Aria? I need to run some errands." Stepping outside she dared a glance into the trees, wondering just how many pairs of eyes would be watching her movements this morning, and how much danger they were all truly in.
A/N: I know you hear this all the time, but please, please, please review! It really does help to motivate me. Next chapter: How does Tom react to Aria's news? Will the Elves notice the strange behaviour of the people? Will Haldir guess what Legolas has been up to? The more you review, the more you'll find out the quicker!!
