Disclaimer: Don't own anything.
Thanks for the reviews =) Please, please continue reviewing, they are my rewards for finishing a chapter. Being a 'material girl', I tend to get more inspiration when I get good reader response=)
I try to write everything at once for my serious fictions since it helps keep the tone and flow of the story consistent. This particular one is proving more difficult because of the switching timelines that makes it almost like two separate stories. I have fixed the ending but there are still lots of gaps in between....That said, please be more patient with updates.
A/N: I have decided to call the night when Glorgalad and Aragorn first met Night One. Every day in Year 8, Fourth Age of Middle Earth, will be assigned a number with reverence to that night. I hope it makes the 'present' timeline easier to follow.
A/N: From now on, Flashbacks separated from main story body with ==================
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Chapter 3: Alliances and Gatherings
DAY TWO, REALM OF THE TIRN UIPIRA
It was past noon when Glorgalad awakened from his dreamless rest. Creating a Dream World between realms took great magic and energy; the Prince was so exhausted that he had immediately fallen into a rejuvenating slumber when the first rays of the morning sun dissipated his spell.
Rejuvenating slumber of the Tirn Uipira was unlike normal rest. During rejuvenation, Watchers were dead to the world, with no heartbeat or breathing. Their essence rose, leaving behind an empty husk, to hover the skies. Their spirits absorbed energy from the world below, until they gathered enough power to re-unite with their outer form. This was a very dangerous process as the sleeping Watcher was unconscious of the outside world and completely vulnerable to attack. In addition, there was only a limited window of time for the spirit to rejoin the living. If one's essence did not gain enough strength to return after one day, remerging would be impossible and the Watcher would fade. As a result, the Tirn Uipira seldom pushed their magic to a level that would exhaust their light.
Only two Watchers consistently did such a perilous thing. The first was Morn-ndúath. Since the beginning of time, it was customary for the Dark One to practice his magic to the point of collapse so he could use rejuvenation as a tool to become more powerful. It allowed him to absorb knowledge and power from others in the realm and transform their energy into his own strength. He was not born with powers that equaled his brother Alagos. He had gained it through his nightly forage, stealthily harnessing other's magic and making it his own.
The other was Glorgalad. Ever since his return, the young Prince had pushed his magic to the limits in order to maintain his vigil over Aragorn and conceal it from his possessive father. It was no small feat to keep secrets from the King. When the Prince returned, Alagos had cast a surveillance spell upon him. The Ancient Watcher wanted to ensure his golden son could not communicate with Middle Earth behind his back. However, at night when the King slept, the spell was weakened ever so slightly, enough for Glorgalad to escape his father's watchful eyes by erecting a magic barrier of his own. However, the task was so exhausting that the young Prince required rejuvenating slumber nightly.
No one knew of the risks the Prince took in order to see Aragorn. Only Celegîl knew of the Watcher's nightly activities, but even he did not know how they drained the young one of his magic. If the eldest Prince were to find out, he would surely do anything to stop this 'madness'. He might even help Alagos take the young one's memories of Aragorn away by force. That was something Glorgalad could never allow; he would rather fade than let that happen. As a result, the golden Prince took every precaution to keep his secret, at the expense of further diminishing his light.
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The young Prince rose gracefully from his bed and changed. He would prefer that his father remained ignorant of his efforts to impress his beloved. Satisfied with the plain green shirt and deep green leggings he now wore, Glorgalad headed to the throne room to report on the status of his mission.
He arrived to find his family and Mallos waiting for him. He apologized for his tardiness without going into details of his rejuvenating slumber and delivered the good news. "Aragorn will help us. As we speak, he is writing to his allies from the War of the Rings to request their assistance. I will speak with him again tonight to discuss the situation."
"No, you will not."
Glorgalad looked in disbelief at the speaker. He had expected his Father to be against him, not his eldest brother.
"Why?" asked the Golden Prince.
"Because you are pushing yourself too hard, little one. I doubt there is much Aragorn could do in one day and I would not see you exhausting yourself to the point of needing rejuvenation," reasoned Celegîl.
The young Watcher knew he could not argue with his brother. It would take at least five days for their allies to gather in Gondor. Until then, he had no real reason to see Aragorn, except to ease the pain of his bleeding heart. Besides, he did not want anyone to suspect that he had already exceeded the limits of his magic and needed to use his inner light to establish the Dream World. He knew for a fact that if his Father found out, Alagos would forbid him to continue, even if there were no other ways of stopping Morn-ndúath.
"Very well, I will watch over the ones whom the King of Men had sent for. The night before they arrive for council, I will speak with Aragorn again," spoke the young Watcher flatly. He knew he must maintain a neutral façade in front of his Father. If his voice or actions were to betray his love for the Man, his father would be displeased; there was not telling what Alagos would do in his wrath.
The King of the Tirn Uipira studied his favorite son closely. The little one was very strong, powerful enough to build a mental shield against him. As he could not read the young Watcher's mind, he would have to settle for the emotionless tone his golden child had when speaking of the Man. Somewhat satisfied that Glorgalad no longer seemed besotted with the Mortal, Alagos agreed to his son's suggestion before bidding him to get some food and rest.
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NIGHT TWO, ITHILIEN
The giant gates of Minas Ithil opened to allow a single rider to race through. He rode a great brown war-horse, a wedding gift from the King of the Mark. The lone figure was richly dressed in a burgundy shirt, blue tunic and dark blue leggings, the traditional colors of the city of Gondor. He carried little with him, for no time was to be lost in preparation for this journey; such was the urgency of his King's message.
The truth was that the Steward of Gondor had sensed the brewing trouble in his sleep for the past few nights. It was similar to the dream he had before the One Ring was found; a riddle in the dark hinting at the appearance of a new foe, an unknown darkness threatening to destroy their efforts of rebuilding the devastated Middle Earth. When his falconers brought before him the bird bearing Elessar's summon, he did not need to read the message to know his King required his assistance in ridding their world of this new threat.
After the fall of the Dark Lord, he had worked very hard to transform Minas Morgûl back into the shining White Tower of the Moon. With the help of Wood-Elves from Eryn Lasgalen, the forest of Ithilien was returned to its former glory, a land that his liege would be proud to call part of Gondor. He would not allow evil to hold sway over it again. With single-minded determination, Faramir urged his horse towards the Minas Tirith.
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NIGHT TWO, LOTHLORIEN
The Lady of the Woods stared mutely in horror at her Mirror. Lady Galadriel was the oldest and wisest of the Elves on Middle Earth, the kind but unflappable Queen of Lothlòrien. Yet, what she saw was horrible enough to cause the Elven Queen to lose her composure. Through her mirror, she had witnessed Morgoth's revival and the destruction of Middle Earth.
But how could this be? Even Sauron did not have the power to do this.
With the fall of the Dark Lord, the powers of the Elven Rings had begun to fade. Since then, Galadriel had seldom used the power of Nenya to create the Mirror. But for the past few days, a small sense foreboding had appeared in the Lady's mind. With each passing hour, her unease grew, along with a sense of urgency; until tonight, it had driven her to use her magic to try and discover the source of her worries.
When she calmed, the Lady tried again to gain more information on this impending doom. But powerful black magic resisted her every attempt, a power that undoubtedly originated from their enemy. Through their brief struggles, Galadriel knew this new foe was many times stronger than the Dark Lord. She only wished that their combined strength would be able to stop him.
Reaching out with her magic, she sent for the Wind Lord, Gwaihur, asking him to take them to the King of Men. She then set out to speak with Celeborn and Haldir, the chief Guardian of Lòrien. They would set out for Gondor as soon as the great eagle arrived.
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NIGHT TWO, GONDOR CASTLE
As planned, Aragorn retired to his chambers early. The Man could barely believed what he had done. After supping with his family and some noblemen, he had feigned a headache and told them he needed rest. The King had never showed weakness before his family or court before. He was their protector; he had always made it a point to appear strong under all circumstances. But he needed to talk to Legolas again. The Man could not waste time entertaining his ignorant guests. The situation at hand was too important; he must have more information about the Watcher.
And which Watcher would that be, Aragorn? The evil one trying to destroy Middle Earth or the golden one you so fancy? You are thinking of the Prince now, even as your family worries for your health; even as the Dark One begins his plotting, taunted a small voice of reason in his head.
The Man recognized the truth in his self-admonishment and reminded himself that he had a family now. Whatever that was between Legolas and him was in the past. Their new relationship would be strictly formal; they would be brothers-in-arms, fighting a common adversary. Nothing more. He was so busy trying to convince himself that he did not even notice his strange behavior as he prepared for bed.
Clean running water was not as prevalent a commodity among Men as it was with the Elves. Though Humans too recognize the importance of personal hygiene, they did not bathe as often as the Elves to conserve water. Aragorn was no exception. The Man usually bathed only after an intense day of physical exertion. The past day was definitely not one of them as the King spent it entirely on writing letters to his allies and holding court. Yet, the Man took a long hot bath; scrubbing himself until he was satisfied that his hot velvet skin was spotless. He then washed his hair with scented shampoo, before brushing it repeatedly until it was smooth and shiny.
It was a good thing that Aragorn was not scrutinizing his own behavior, since he would have been even more perplexed by his subsequent actions. With a towel wrapped around his waist, the Man stood in front of small mirror and applied shaving cream onto his face. Razor in hand, he proceeded to do something he had neglected for the past month, trimming his overgrown facial hair that was threatening to grow into a beard. When he finished, he looked into the mirror to find a ruggedly handsome Man staring back at him with steely grey eyes and short masculine stumbles. Pleased with his reflection, Aragorn went on to change into a deep grey velvet shirt and black leather breeches. Looking at the Man now, one would think he was about to attend a banquet rather than going to sleep.
Aragorn stretched comfortably in bed, his weariness aiding him in achieving his goal of falling asleep quickly. However, before dreams could claim him, he was disturbed by a soft knock on the door.
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Grudgingly, the Man moved towards the door. At first, he considered ignoring it, but given it was well known that he was a Ranger before he became King, his alertness in sleep was common knowledge. He had enough problems as was and did not wish to slight anyone by accident. When he opened the door, he found a concerned Arwen standing only inches from him.
"How is your head, Estel? Why are you dressed so nicely, I thought you were going to bed," said Arwen sounding both worried and a little hurt. The Man knew she believed he lied to her and that he was about to go on a lover's tryst with another. Not that Aragorn could blame her, for his wife was in some sense correct.
Trying his best not to allow any guilt to creep into his voice, the Man answered, "My head feels fine now and I am going to bed."
Arwen raised an elegant brow at her husband and said nothing. They had been sleeping in separate rooms ever since Eldarion was born. Originally, the arrangement was made to allow the Lady to be close to their newborn babe. But even after their child was old enough to be without constant supervision, Aragorn had insisted that his wife remained where she was. The Man's reasons were valid; he did work many late hours and sleep little so Arwen found better rest with a room of her own.
Since the birth of his heir, the Man seldom visited his half-Elven Queen's bed. If Aragorn were not so busy with his duties, the Lady would have suspected her husband had another lover. But as things were, the King barely had time to sleep, least say take someone else to bed. Arwen had on several occasions allowed her curiosity to take hold and spied on the Man. To her relief, Aragorn was usually reading in the library or snoring softly alone in his chambers.
Arwen felt so alone at night that she had resorted to attempts in seducing her husband. But, being a Lady of noble upbringing, she was not well versed in the areas of seduction or pleasures of the flesh. More often than not, the Man would prefer his work to being with her. When he did not evade her advances, the Lady knew it was because he felt obligated to please her, a duty to her as her husband.
Though Aragorn had said many times that he loved her, there was never any passion between them. His feelings were more like the chaste love between siblings; turned physical only when the Man was honoring his vow to be her husband. It had always been a sore point for the Lady, who loved Estel with all her heart. She even gave up her immortality for a single lifetime with the Man. The Evening Star wanted Aragorn to return her love completely, in the same fashion. After bidding the King goodnight with a gentle kiss, Arwen stared at the closed door. She knew she would soon have her wish.
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NIGHT TWO, ROHAN
The night was warm in Edoras. Unable to sleep in the heat, King Èomer wandered the gardens of the palace. The moon was full, so the paths were well lit by its pale silvery light. Suddenly, he heard a cry in the skies above. Shifting his gaze to find the source of the sound, he found a small eagle flying towards him. When it spotted him, it swooped down at a great speed and Èomer found himself wishing for his weapons. Luckily, attack was not the bird's intention. It took its perch on a small bench directly in front of Èomer and watched the Man curiously. The King studied the magnificent predatory and found a small scroll attached to its leg.
Realization hit him as he approached the bird to retrieve the note. Lord Aragorn, what emergency had brought you to send the winged messengers of Gondor here?
The Man blanched as he read the message. Rushing into his castle, the Man quickly changed and packed for his journey. He wrote a short letter to Gimli and sent a messenger to ride full speed to the Caves at Helm's Deep where the Dwarf currently resided. In less than twenty minutes, the King of the Mark was ready to ride. He would take Firefoot, the fastest horse in Rohan after Shadowfax was set free to roam the forest of Imladris. With the help of his mount, Èomer estimated it would only be a day before he arrived at the gates of Gondor.
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DAY THREE, GONDOR CASTLE
Aragorn was not having a good morning. All his efforts to sleep early and make more time for Legolas were for naught. For the first time in a year, the Man's slumber was completely dreamless; not even his nightly fantasy of the Golden Elf visited him. Though it was the best night of sleep he had for a long while, Aragorn was sorely disappointed when he woke to find the sun upon him. He tried to use his iron resolve to will his sadness away, telling himself that he only wanted more information. It was partially true, since Faramir would likely arrive today.
However, his heart had other ideas and refused to be consoled. It nagged at him, What if he doesn't love me anymore? I did betray his love by marrying another.
His mind started to tell the rebellious organ to stop being stupid, There is nothing between us now. I do not remember what happened between Legolas and me, nor do I want to know. I am the King of Gondor, with an adoring family by my side. I do not care if he loves me or not. Besides, he could just be occupied somewhere else.
At that suggestion, raw panic gripped his confused heart, What if something happened to him? What am I to do without him?
His mind was about to come up with a retort when Aragorn cried out aloud "STOP IT" and pounded his head against the wall.
"I don't think now is a good time for self-inflicted damages, my King, even if your head has displeased you," commented an amused Steward of Gondor.
Aragorn was appalled at his complete loss of composure in front of an audience. He was glad that it was only Faramir, one of his best friends whom he trusted with his life and even some of his worries. He knew that he was unstable with his newfound and inexplicable emotions for Legolas. The Man figured he should tell his friend the whole story, since he feared he would be unfit to lead this important Quest in his current state.
"I think I am losing my mind. It started with dreams of an unknown lover some years ago. Two nights ago, in my dreams, he returned to me and asked me for help. Ever since I laid eyes on him, I have been assaulted with feelings from out of nowhere. I am so utterly confused. My heart tells me I love him but my mind tells me I cannot possibly love what I do not even remember. With these internal struggles tormenting me, I fear I will endanger our mission to save Middle Earth," confided the King.
Faramir thought for a moment before he answered, "Aragorn, if you love him, in order to not disappoint him, you must try your best to succeed. And even if you don't have feelings for him, it is your duty as King of Gondor to protect your people. Either way dictates that you focus on the present situation and handle it as the wonderful leader you are. There is no contradiction at all."
The words of the Steward of Gondor were soothing to both warring fractions of Aragorn's being. He would fight this evil and defeat it; his heart would do so for Legolas, his mind for his people. It was the only solution. The Man whispered a grateful 'Thank You' and requested breakfast to be prepared. He would discuss what little information he had with Faramir as they ate.
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DAY THREE, ERYN LASGALEN
King Thranduil sat alone in his study, reading the letter from Elessar with intense concentration. He had asked his staff to hurry in making the necessary preparations for his trip to Gondor. The call for council was urgent; they must find this new foe quickly and stop him. But Thranduil's eagerness in meeting with the King of Men stemmed from a much more personal reason, the single innocent question Aragorn had added at the end of his letter; 'Is there an golden-haired Elf by the name of Legolas in Mirkwood?"
It was the twentieth time he read Aragorn's message; the Elf hoped that studying it again would help more memories of his eldest child surface. To his chagrin, no more enlightenment came. He knew now as a fact that he had another son, a headstrong and gifted golden son. Yet, he could not remember anymore of his true heir other than the single scene that flashed in his mind after he first read that question.
Legolas..... The moment the Elven King saw that name, his mind returned to a day long ago, approximately fifty years after the Last Alliance defeated Sauron.
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FLASHBACK:
YEAR 185, THIRD AGE, MIRKWOOD
Thranduil was returning to his rooms after a long hunting trip when he heard a loud splash followed by a screech coming from his son's chambers. He barely had time to move out of the way when the child dashed out of the room and rushed past him down the corridor. Though the young Elf disappeared from his sight quickly, the King noticed that the little one was filthy, covered with mud and leaves. The smell of sweat, rain and dirt permeated the air; continuing its assault on the ancient Elf's sensitive nose long after his son had left.
"Legolas!!!! Come back here at once. I will have your hide when I catch you!! " shouted a very wet and angry Marion, Royal Nurse of Mirkwood. As she exited the room, she found her King in the corridor. She immediately bowed and lowered her eyes. "My apologies for the outburst, your Majesty."
"It is quite alright, Marion. I know my son is quite a handful. I really appreciate your helping us with him. What trouble had he gotten into this time?" asked the amused King.
"The Prince went out to play in the rain. He came back filthy and soaked, but refused to clean himself. When I tried to force him, he pushed me into the bath," complained the Elf-woman.
Thranduil smiled. His child grew stronger every day. Though Legolas was only fifty, equivalent to a five year-old Human child, he had the strength to push a full-grown Elf into the bath. Not to mention the fleetness to get away with it. He knew that with proper training and discipline, his golden son would be the finest warrior in Middle Earth. At this young age, the little one had already proved to be too much to handle for the Royal Nurse. The King decided then that he would take a more active part in Legolas' upbringing to ensure the young Elf realized his full potential.
"You may retire. I will take care of this," commanded the King as he started down the direction Legolas had ran.
The nurse looked in surprise at Thranduil. Elven fathers seldom deal with the daily up-keepings of their children, unless their mates were indisposed. Even then, the responsibility would most likely fall onto a nurse. Marion was given the duty of Royal Nurse when the Queen became pregnant with her second child. A father, a King no less, hunting down his son to give him a bath was simply unheard of. She closed her eyes and muttered a prayer to Elbereth, wishing Thranduil luck in his endeavors, before walking back to her room.
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RIVENDELL, DAY THREE
Gandalf and Elrond returned to the Elven City to find the twins and Glorfindel eagerly awaiting them. An eagle bearing the message from Elessar had arrived the night before when the two were away on an investigation of the increasing Orc activities in their Eastern borders.
"This is ill news, indeed. We must ride to Gondor at once," said the wizard.
"Yes, this new threat explains the multiplying of those foul creatures in Imladris. I only hope we have enough time to discover the identity of our enemy and counter him. Sauron was only a follower of Morgoth and he almost succeeded in dominating Middle Earth. We will be doomed if the ancient Dark Lord arises," commented Elrond.
"We will come with you, my Lord," spoke Glorfindel, on behalf of the twins as well.
"No, I need you to stay and take care of Rivendell in my absence," said the Elf-Lord.
"Then I will stay, but I have a feeling that the trouble lies close to Gondor. Please allow your sons to accompany you," replied the fair-haired Lord.
"Please, Ada [father]. You know we are excellent trackers and warriors. I think we will be of more use in Gondor than here," reasoned Elladan, the elder twin.
"Yes, besides Estel would need our support in battle. I can feel it. It is similar to the feeling that drove me to gather the troops in the North and marched to Minas Tirith during the War. We arrived in the nick of time to help the surrounded soldiers break free of the Orc ranks. If I had not trusted the warning in my heart, the entire host of Gondor would have been slaughtered in the fields. Please let us go with you, Ada [Father]," pleaded Elrohir.
"Very well then, I suppose Elessar will need all the help he can get," said Elrond, smiling at the enthusiasm of his twin sons. Deep inside his heart, however, he wished that the two warrior's talents would not be needed.
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SHIRE, DAY THREE
"Look, it's a bird," said Pippin as he shook his companion's arm while pointing at the sky.
"Of course it's a bird, Pip. It's flying, isn't it?" retorted Merry, annoyed that his friend had disturbed his work for such a small matter. Making firework was very delicate work; the Hobbit had no intention of getting his face covered with soot or his hair singed.
"It's too big to be an ordinary bird. And I think it is looking for us," whispered Sam in slight apprehension.
Frodo exited the cottage in time to see the eagle land on Merry's outdoors workbench. "It's a messenger from Gondor," said the ex-Ringbearer as he removed the scroll from the bird's leg.
"Frodo, what does it say? Is Aragorn inviting us to a party?" inquired Pippin.
"All you can think of is food, Pip. Maybe Arwen is pregnant again," said Merry.
"Wow, again? Aragorn must be very hard at work trying to get more children. Didn't they just have a daughter just five years ago?" commented Sam.
"No, silly. For humans, five years is a long time," explained Merry.
"But, Arwen is an Elf!" argued the sandy-haired Hobbit.
"Quiet," shouted Frodo. "We must leave for Gondor now."
His friends all looked at the ex-Ringbearer in shock. But when they saw how pale Frodo had gone after reading the note, they nodded and headed back to their respective homes to gather their traveling gear.
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Sorry, this chapter kinds of jumps a lot to set the second timeline into motion. The second timeline is in chronological order, including the dreams. The first timeline will be inserted in flashbacks at appropriate moments, but more and more, it will begin to parallel the second plot. Just wanted to give people a heads-up and reassure readers that things should get less confusing as time progresses.
Vakha_tarien: If you know people who might be interested in reading, please ask them to read. I am new at this so any sort of feedback would be good.
Sky Magic: What you said is true. I don't really write for the reviews, but they are nice rewards that let me know people are actually reading the things that I put lots of effort into writing. For my beta-ed fictions, I proofread at least twice before sending to my beta and after making corrections, I proofread the upload on ff.net to make sure the formatting is okay. I just want feedback so that I know what my readers are thinking.
Cheysuli: Hope you like the little flashback in this chapter. Let me just say that it will become essential that Thranduil remembers close to the end. I cannot say more without giving away my ending (
Thanks for the reviews =) Please, please continue reviewing, they are my rewards for finishing a chapter. Being a 'material girl', I tend to get more inspiration when I get good reader response=)
I try to write everything at once for my serious fictions since it helps keep the tone and flow of the story consistent. This particular one is proving more difficult because of the switching timelines that makes it almost like two separate stories. I have fixed the ending but there are still lots of gaps in between....That said, please be more patient with updates.
A/N: I have decided to call the night when Glorgalad and Aragorn first met Night One. Every day in Year 8, Fourth Age of Middle Earth, will be assigned a number with reverence to that night. I hope it makes the 'present' timeline easier to follow.
A/N: From now on, Flashbacks separated from main story body with ==================
**************************************************************************** **
Chapter 3: Alliances and Gatherings
DAY TWO, REALM OF THE TIRN UIPIRA
It was past noon when Glorgalad awakened from his dreamless rest. Creating a Dream World between realms took great magic and energy; the Prince was so exhausted that he had immediately fallen into a rejuvenating slumber when the first rays of the morning sun dissipated his spell.
Rejuvenating slumber of the Tirn Uipira was unlike normal rest. During rejuvenation, Watchers were dead to the world, with no heartbeat or breathing. Their essence rose, leaving behind an empty husk, to hover the skies. Their spirits absorbed energy from the world below, until they gathered enough power to re-unite with their outer form. This was a very dangerous process as the sleeping Watcher was unconscious of the outside world and completely vulnerable to attack. In addition, there was only a limited window of time for the spirit to rejoin the living. If one's essence did not gain enough strength to return after one day, remerging would be impossible and the Watcher would fade. As a result, the Tirn Uipira seldom pushed their magic to a level that would exhaust their light.
Only two Watchers consistently did such a perilous thing. The first was Morn-ndúath. Since the beginning of time, it was customary for the Dark One to practice his magic to the point of collapse so he could use rejuvenation as a tool to become more powerful. It allowed him to absorb knowledge and power from others in the realm and transform their energy into his own strength. He was not born with powers that equaled his brother Alagos. He had gained it through his nightly forage, stealthily harnessing other's magic and making it his own.
The other was Glorgalad. Ever since his return, the young Prince had pushed his magic to the limits in order to maintain his vigil over Aragorn and conceal it from his possessive father. It was no small feat to keep secrets from the King. When the Prince returned, Alagos had cast a surveillance spell upon him. The Ancient Watcher wanted to ensure his golden son could not communicate with Middle Earth behind his back. However, at night when the King slept, the spell was weakened ever so slightly, enough for Glorgalad to escape his father's watchful eyes by erecting a magic barrier of his own. However, the task was so exhausting that the young Prince required rejuvenating slumber nightly.
No one knew of the risks the Prince took in order to see Aragorn. Only Celegîl knew of the Watcher's nightly activities, but even he did not know how they drained the young one of his magic. If the eldest Prince were to find out, he would surely do anything to stop this 'madness'. He might even help Alagos take the young one's memories of Aragorn away by force. That was something Glorgalad could never allow; he would rather fade than let that happen. As a result, the golden Prince took every precaution to keep his secret, at the expense of further diminishing his light.
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The young Prince rose gracefully from his bed and changed. He would prefer that his father remained ignorant of his efforts to impress his beloved. Satisfied with the plain green shirt and deep green leggings he now wore, Glorgalad headed to the throne room to report on the status of his mission.
He arrived to find his family and Mallos waiting for him. He apologized for his tardiness without going into details of his rejuvenating slumber and delivered the good news. "Aragorn will help us. As we speak, he is writing to his allies from the War of the Rings to request their assistance. I will speak with him again tonight to discuss the situation."
"No, you will not."
Glorgalad looked in disbelief at the speaker. He had expected his Father to be against him, not his eldest brother.
"Why?" asked the Golden Prince.
"Because you are pushing yourself too hard, little one. I doubt there is much Aragorn could do in one day and I would not see you exhausting yourself to the point of needing rejuvenation," reasoned Celegîl.
The young Watcher knew he could not argue with his brother. It would take at least five days for their allies to gather in Gondor. Until then, he had no real reason to see Aragorn, except to ease the pain of his bleeding heart. Besides, he did not want anyone to suspect that he had already exceeded the limits of his magic and needed to use his inner light to establish the Dream World. He knew for a fact that if his Father found out, Alagos would forbid him to continue, even if there were no other ways of stopping Morn-ndúath.
"Very well, I will watch over the ones whom the King of Men had sent for. The night before they arrive for council, I will speak with Aragorn again," spoke the young Watcher flatly. He knew he must maintain a neutral façade in front of his Father. If his voice or actions were to betray his love for the Man, his father would be displeased; there was not telling what Alagos would do in his wrath.
The King of the Tirn Uipira studied his favorite son closely. The little one was very strong, powerful enough to build a mental shield against him. As he could not read the young Watcher's mind, he would have to settle for the emotionless tone his golden child had when speaking of the Man. Somewhat satisfied that Glorgalad no longer seemed besotted with the Mortal, Alagos agreed to his son's suggestion before bidding him to get some food and rest.
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NIGHT TWO, ITHILIEN
The giant gates of Minas Ithil opened to allow a single rider to race through. He rode a great brown war-horse, a wedding gift from the King of the Mark. The lone figure was richly dressed in a burgundy shirt, blue tunic and dark blue leggings, the traditional colors of the city of Gondor. He carried little with him, for no time was to be lost in preparation for this journey; such was the urgency of his King's message.
The truth was that the Steward of Gondor had sensed the brewing trouble in his sleep for the past few nights. It was similar to the dream he had before the One Ring was found; a riddle in the dark hinting at the appearance of a new foe, an unknown darkness threatening to destroy their efforts of rebuilding the devastated Middle Earth. When his falconers brought before him the bird bearing Elessar's summon, he did not need to read the message to know his King required his assistance in ridding their world of this new threat.
After the fall of the Dark Lord, he had worked very hard to transform Minas Morgûl back into the shining White Tower of the Moon. With the help of Wood-Elves from Eryn Lasgalen, the forest of Ithilien was returned to its former glory, a land that his liege would be proud to call part of Gondor. He would not allow evil to hold sway over it again. With single-minded determination, Faramir urged his horse towards the Minas Tirith.
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NIGHT TWO, LOTHLORIEN
The Lady of the Woods stared mutely in horror at her Mirror. Lady Galadriel was the oldest and wisest of the Elves on Middle Earth, the kind but unflappable Queen of Lothlòrien. Yet, what she saw was horrible enough to cause the Elven Queen to lose her composure. Through her mirror, she had witnessed Morgoth's revival and the destruction of Middle Earth.
But how could this be? Even Sauron did not have the power to do this.
With the fall of the Dark Lord, the powers of the Elven Rings had begun to fade. Since then, Galadriel had seldom used the power of Nenya to create the Mirror. But for the past few days, a small sense foreboding had appeared in the Lady's mind. With each passing hour, her unease grew, along with a sense of urgency; until tonight, it had driven her to use her magic to try and discover the source of her worries.
When she calmed, the Lady tried again to gain more information on this impending doom. But powerful black magic resisted her every attempt, a power that undoubtedly originated from their enemy. Through their brief struggles, Galadriel knew this new foe was many times stronger than the Dark Lord. She only wished that their combined strength would be able to stop him.
Reaching out with her magic, she sent for the Wind Lord, Gwaihur, asking him to take them to the King of Men. She then set out to speak with Celeborn and Haldir, the chief Guardian of Lòrien. They would set out for Gondor as soon as the great eagle arrived.
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NIGHT TWO, GONDOR CASTLE
As planned, Aragorn retired to his chambers early. The Man could barely believed what he had done. After supping with his family and some noblemen, he had feigned a headache and told them he needed rest. The King had never showed weakness before his family or court before. He was their protector; he had always made it a point to appear strong under all circumstances. But he needed to talk to Legolas again. The Man could not waste time entertaining his ignorant guests. The situation at hand was too important; he must have more information about the Watcher.
And which Watcher would that be, Aragorn? The evil one trying to destroy Middle Earth or the golden one you so fancy? You are thinking of the Prince now, even as your family worries for your health; even as the Dark One begins his plotting, taunted a small voice of reason in his head.
The Man recognized the truth in his self-admonishment and reminded himself that he had a family now. Whatever that was between Legolas and him was in the past. Their new relationship would be strictly formal; they would be brothers-in-arms, fighting a common adversary. Nothing more. He was so busy trying to convince himself that he did not even notice his strange behavior as he prepared for bed.
Clean running water was not as prevalent a commodity among Men as it was with the Elves. Though Humans too recognize the importance of personal hygiene, they did not bathe as often as the Elves to conserve water. Aragorn was no exception. The Man usually bathed only after an intense day of physical exertion. The past day was definitely not one of them as the King spent it entirely on writing letters to his allies and holding court. Yet, the Man took a long hot bath; scrubbing himself until he was satisfied that his hot velvet skin was spotless. He then washed his hair with scented shampoo, before brushing it repeatedly until it was smooth and shiny.
It was a good thing that Aragorn was not scrutinizing his own behavior, since he would have been even more perplexed by his subsequent actions. With a towel wrapped around his waist, the Man stood in front of small mirror and applied shaving cream onto his face. Razor in hand, he proceeded to do something he had neglected for the past month, trimming his overgrown facial hair that was threatening to grow into a beard. When he finished, he looked into the mirror to find a ruggedly handsome Man staring back at him with steely grey eyes and short masculine stumbles. Pleased with his reflection, Aragorn went on to change into a deep grey velvet shirt and black leather breeches. Looking at the Man now, one would think he was about to attend a banquet rather than going to sleep.
Aragorn stretched comfortably in bed, his weariness aiding him in achieving his goal of falling asleep quickly. However, before dreams could claim him, he was disturbed by a soft knock on the door.
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Grudgingly, the Man moved towards the door. At first, he considered ignoring it, but given it was well known that he was a Ranger before he became King, his alertness in sleep was common knowledge. He had enough problems as was and did not wish to slight anyone by accident. When he opened the door, he found a concerned Arwen standing only inches from him.
"How is your head, Estel? Why are you dressed so nicely, I thought you were going to bed," said Arwen sounding both worried and a little hurt. The Man knew she believed he lied to her and that he was about to go on a lover's tryst with another. Not that Aragorn could blame her, for his wife was in some sense correct.
Trying his best not to allow any guilt to creep into his voice, the Man answered, "My head feels fine now and I am going to bed."
Arwen raised an elegant brow at her husband and said nothing. They had been sleeping in separate rooms ever since Eldarion was born. Originally, the arrangement was made to allow the Lady to be close to their newborn babe. But even after their child was old enough to be without constant supervision, Aragorn had insisted that his wife remained where she was. The Man's reasons were valid; he did work many late hours and sleep little so Arwen found better rest with a room of her own.
Since the birth of his heir, the Man seldom visited his half-Elven Queen's bed. If Aragorn were not so busy with his duties, the Lady would have suspected her husband had another lover. But as things were, the King barely had time to sleep, least say take someone else to bed. Arwen had on several occasions allowed her curiosity to take hold and spied on the Man. To her relief, Aragorn was usually reading in the library or snoring softly alone in his chambers.
Arwen felt so alone at night that she had resorted to attempts in seducing her husband. But, being a Lady of noble upbringing, she was not well versed in the areas of seduction or pleasures of the flesh. More often than not, the Man would prefer his work to being with her. When he did not evade her advances, the Lady knew it was because he felt obligated to please her, a duty to her as her husband.
Though Aragorn had said many times that he loved her, there was never any passion between them. His feelings were more like the chaste love between siblings; turned physical only when the Man was honoring his vow to be her husband. It had always been a sore point for the Lady, who loved Estel with all her heart. She even gave up her immortality for a single lifetime with the Man. The Evening Star wanted Aragorn to return her love completely, in the same fashion. After bidding the King goodnight with a gentle kiss, Arwen stared at the closed door. She knew she would soon have her wish.
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NIGHT TWO, ROHAN
The night was warm in Edoras. Unable to sleep in the heat, King Èomer wandered the gardens of the palace. The moon was full, so the paths were well lit by its pale silvery light. Suddenly, he heard a cry in the skies above. Shifting his gaze to find the source of the sound, he found a small eagle flying towards him. When it spotted him, it swooped down at a great speed and Èomer found himself wishing for his weapons. Luckily, attack was not the bird's intention. It took its perch on a small bench directly in front of Èomer and watched the Man curiously. The King studied the magnificent predatory and found a small scroll attached to its leg.
Realization hit him as he approached the bird to retrieve the note. Lord Aragorn, what emergency had brought you to send the winged messengers of Gondor here?
The Man blanched as he read the message. Rushing into his castle, the Man quickly changed and packed for his journey. He wrote a short letter to Gimli and sent a messenger to ride full speed to the Caves at Helm's Deep where the Dwarf currently resided. In less than twenty minutes, the King of the Mark was ready to ride. He would take Firefoot, the fastest horse in Rohan after Shadowfax was set free to roam the forest of Imladris. With the help of his mount, Èomer estimated it would only be a day before he arrived at the gates of Gondor.
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DAY THREE, GONDOR CASTLE
Aragorn was not having a good morning. All his efforts to sleep early and make more time for Legolas were for naught. For the first time in a year, the Man's slumber was completely dreamless; not even his nightly fantasy of the Golden Elf visited him. Though it was the best night of sleep he had for a long while, Aragorn was sorely disappointed when he woke to find the sun upon him. He tried to use his iron resolve to will his sadness away, telling himself that he only wanted more information. It was partially true, since Faramir would likely arrive today.
However, his heart had other ideas and refused to be consoled. It nagged at him, What if he doesn't love me anymore? I did betray his love by marrying another.
His mind started to tell the rebellious organ to stop being stupid, There is nothing between us now. I do not remember what happened between Legolas and me, nor do I want to know. I am the King of Gondor, with an adoring family by my side. I do not care if he loves me or not. Besides, he could just be occupied somewhere else.
At that suggestion, raw panic gripped his confused heart, What if something happened to him? What am I to do without him?
His mind was about to come up with a retort when Aragorn cried out aloud "STOP IT" and pounded his head against the wall.
"I don't think now is a good time for self-inflicted damages, my King, even if your head has displeased you," commented an amused Steward of Gondor.
Aragorn was appalled at his complete loss of composure in front of an audience. He was glad that it was only Faramir, one of his best friends whom he trusted with his life and even some of his worries. He knew that he was unstable with his newfound and inexplicable emotions for Legolas. The Man figured he should tell his friend the whole story, since he feared he would be unfit to lead this important Quest in his current state.
"I think I am losing my mind. It started with dreams of an unknown lover some years ago. Two nights ago, in my dreams, he returned to me and asked me for help. Ever since I laid eyes on him, I have been assaulted with feelings from out of nowhere. I am so utterly confused. My heart tells me I love him but my mind tells me I cannot possibly love what I do not even remember. With these internal struggles tormenting me, I fear I will endanger our mission to save Middle Earth," confided the King.
Faramir thought for a moment before he answered, "Aragorn, if you love him, in order to not disappoint him, you must try your best to succeed. And even if you don't have feelings for him, it is your duty as King of Gondor to protect your people. Either way dictates that you focus on the present situation and handle it as the wonderful leader you are. There is no contradiction at all."
The words of the Steward of Gondor were soothing to both warring fractions of Aragorn's being. He would fight this evil and defeat it; his heart would do so for Legolas, his mind for his people. It was the only solution. The Man whispered a grateful 'Thank You' and requested breakfast to be prepared. He would discuss what little information he had with Faramir as they ate.
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DAY THREE, ERYN LASGALEN
King Thranduil sat alone in his study, reading the letter from Elessar with intense concentration. He had asked his staff to hurry in making the necessary preparations for his trip to Gondor. The call for council was urgent; they must find this new foe quickly and stop him. But Thranduil's eagerness in meeting with the King of Men stemmed from a much more personal reason, the single innocent question Aragorn had added at the end of his letter; 'Is there an golden-haired Elf by the name of Legolas in Mirkwood?"
It was the twentieth time he read Aragorn's message; the Elf hoped that studying it again would help more memories of his eldest child surface. To his chagrin, no more enlightenment came. He knew now as a fact that he had another son, a headstrong and gifted golden son. Yet, he could not remember anymore of his true heir other than the single scene that flashed in his mind after he first read that question.
Legolas..... The moment the Elven King saw that name, his mind returned to a day long ago, approximately fifty years after the Last Alliance defeated Sauron.
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FLASHBACK:
YEAR 185, THIRD AGE, MIRKWOOD
Thranduil was returning to his rooms after a long hunting trip when he heard a loud splash followed by a screech coming from his son's chambers. He barely had time to move out of the way when the child dashed out of the room and rushed past him down the corridor. Though the young Elf disappeared from his sight quickly, the King noticed that the little one was filthy, covered with mud and leaves. The smell of sweat, rain and dirt permeated the air; continuing its assault on the ancient Elf's sensitive nose long after his son had left.
"Legolas!!!! Come back here at once. I will have your hide when I catch you!! " shouted a very wet and angry Marion, Royal Nurse of Mirkwood. As she exited the room, she found her King in the corridor. She immediately bowed and lowered her eyes. "My apologies for the outburst, your Majesty."
"It is quite alright, Marion. I know my son is quite a handful. I really appreciate your helping us with him. What trouble had he gotten into this time?" asked the amused King.
"The Prince went out to play in the rain. He came back filthy and soaked, but refused to clean himself. When I tried to force him, he pushed me into the bath," complained the Elf-woman.
Thranduil smiled. His child grew stronger every day. Though Legolas was only fifty, equivalent to a five year-old Human child, he had the strength to push a full-grown Elf into the bath. Not to mention the fleetness to get away with it. He knew that with proper training and discipline, his golden son would be the finest warrior in Middle Earth. At this young age, the little one had already proved to be too much to handle for the Royal Nurse. The King decided then that he would take a more active part in Legolas' upbringing to ensure the young Elf realized his full potential.
"You may retire. I will take care of this," commanded the King as he started down the direction Legolas had ran.
The nurse looked in surprise at Thranduil. Elven fathers seldom deal with the daily up-keepings of their children, unless their mates were indisposed. Even then, the responsibility would most likely fall onto a nurse. Marion was given the duty of Royal Nurse when the Queen became pregnant with her second child. A father, a King no less, hunting down his son to give him a bath was simply unheard of. She closed her eyes and muttered a prayer to Elbereth, wishing Thranduil luck in his endeavors, before walking back to her room.
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RIVENDELL, DAY THREE
Gandalf and Elrond returned to the Elven City to find the twins and Glorfindel eagerly awaiting them. An eagle bearing the message from Elessar had arrived the night before when the two were away on an investigation of the increasing Orc activities in their Eastern borders.
"This is ill news, indeed. We must ride to Gondor at once," said the wizard.
"Yes, this new threat explains the multiplying of those foul creatures in Imladris. I only hope we have enough time to discover the identity of our enemy and counter him. Sauron was only a follower of Morgoth and he almost succeeded in dominating Middle Earth. We will be doomed if the ancient Dark Lord arises," commented Elrond.
"We will come with you, my Lord," spoke Glorfindel, on behalf of the twins as well.
"No, I need you to stay and take care of Rivendell in my absence," said the Elf-Lord.
"Then I will stay, but I have a feeling that the trouble lies close to Gondor. Please allow your sons to accompany you," replied the fair-haired Lord.
"Please, Ada [father]. You know we are excellent trackers and warriors. I think we will be of more use in Gondor than here," reasoned Elladan, the elder twin.
"Yes, besides Estel would need our support in battle. I can feel it. It is similar to the feeling that drove me to gather the troops in the North and marched to Minas Tirith during the War. We arrived in the nick of time to help the surrounded soldiers break free of the Orc ranks. If I had not trusted the warning in my heart, the entire host of Gondor would have been slaughtered in the fields. Please let us go with you, Ada [Father]," pleaded Elrohir.
"Very well then, I suppose Elessar will need all the help he can get," said Elrond, smiling at the enthusiasm of his twin sons. Deep inside his heart, however, he wished that the two warrior's talents would not be needed.
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SHIRE, DAY THREE
"Look, it's a bird," said Pippin as he shook his companion's arm while pointing at the sky.
"Of course it's a bird, Pip. It's flying, isn't it?" retorted Merry, annoyed that his friend had disturbed his work for such a small matter. Making firework was very delicate work; the Hobbit had no intention of getting his face covered with soot or his hair singed.
"It's too big to be an ordinary bird. And I think it is looking for us," whispered Sam in slight apprehension.
Frodo exited the cottage in time to see the eagle land on Merry's outdoors workbench. "It's a messenger from Gondor," said the ex-Ringbearer as he removed the scroll from the bird's leg.
"Frodo, what does it say? Is Aragorn inviting us to a party?" inquired Pippin.
"All you can think of is food, Pip. Maybe Arwen is pregnant again," said Merry.
"Wow, again? Aragorn must be very hard at work trying to get more children. Didn't they just have a daughter just five years ago?" commented Sam.
"No, silly. For humans, five years is a long time," explained Merry.
"But, Arwen is an Elf!" argued the sandy-haired Hobbit.
"Quiet," shouted Frodo. "We must leave for Gondor now."
His friends all looked at the ex-Ringbearer in shock. But when they saw how pale Frodo had gone after reading the note, they nodded and headed back to their respective homes to gather their traveling gear.
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Sorry, this chapter kinds of jumps a lot to set the second timeline into motion. The second timeline is in chronological order, including the dreams. The first timeline will be inserted in flashbacks at appropriate moments, but more and more, it will begin to parallel the second plot. Just wanted to give people a heads-up and reassure readers that things should get less confusing as time progresses.
Vakha_tarien: If you know people who might be interested in reading, please ask them to read. I am new at this so any sort of feedback would be good.
Sky Magic: What you said is true. I don't really write for the reviews, but they are nice rewards that let me know people are actually reading the things that I put lots of effort into writing. For my beta-ed fictions, I proofread at least twice before sending to my beta and after making corrections, I proofread the upload on ff.net to make sure the formatting is okay. I just want feedback so that I know what my readers are thinking.
Cheysuli: Hope you like the little flashback in this chapter. Let me just say that it will become essential that Thranduil remembers close to the end. I cannot say more without giving away my ending (