Chapter Eleven
"Katya I'm glad you made it to breakfast. I hear Ar...Estel kept you late." Elladan said with a quick glance in Aragorn's direction that implied you-are-very-naughty. Katya laughed. " Yes we did talk for a long time but if any thing I kept Estel up." Elladan looked up from his work on shoveling food on to Katya's plate. "Actually the reason I am as glad as I am to see you is because I wanted to talk to you myself. I think it is rather important." Katya looked puzzled at this, but she let it go. "Alright. Where would you like to meet me?" Elladan hesitated. Then caught Estel's eye. He nodded and turned back to Katya. "Estel will show you where to go." He then looked up at one of the great clocks and sighed. "Alas. I must go now but I will meet you before the fifth hour of the sun has passed." Elladan said. "Farwell.
"Katya there are many things that have been hidden from your view. But we now hope to come clean with everything. EVERYTHING" Elladan said with a warning glance at Estel. Elladan had no way of knowing that the word 'everything' was being exaggerated to this man's daughter at the very same moment (A/N see chapter seven when Magha was begging her nurse to let her go to Eowyn's house). Estel bowed his head guiltily and stood up. "Um...Katya...My name...is not...Estel." Katya stared at him in disbelief. "You must understand that I have seen a lot of traps making it dangerous for me to tell my true name before knowing how much I can trust you." "My true name is Aragorn." He added seeing her inpatient look. "Aragorn. Did you tell me the truth about everything else?" Aragorn hesitated thinking. "Yes I did. I have not told you everything about myself but everything I have told you is true. " Elladan took a deep breath. It was now time to start telling his knowledge. " Katya your ring is strange to me. I know of a ring that is gold but not silver. So I must ask you to do something that could be risking a lot, but nonetheless I must ask you to do it. Remember you do not have to grant it. Katya will you put your ring on?" Katya took a deep breath. What did Est...Aragorn say about this when he saw me with it on? He was pretty angry. She recalled. She risked a glance at Aragorn. He showed no sign but he was watching her intently. "Okay," Katya said at last. She immediately regretted her decision. It seemed that though Elladan breathed a sigh of relief Aragorn seemed dismal at the thought. Elladan watched as Katya pulled the silver ring out of her pocket and after a moment of hesitation, slipped it on her finger. In an instant she was gone and Aragorn was out of his seat ready to fight the Ring from her. But just as quickly as it went on the Ring was off her finger and Katya was again visible. And Elladan let his breath free. "This ring has the same qualities of what I feared this was a remaking of. Which is bad news." Elladan said with his head down trying to keep thinking. It was no easy; his mind was in turmoil. "Katya. This ring if it is what I think it is. Then you carry a ring that is very, very evil and dangerous. It will do you no good to keep it. Only bad." Elladan said. Aragorn saw the look on Katya's face and could tell she was fighting her tears. "Katya." He started. "I know that you don't want to give this up but Elladan is right. This ring is the hand to destruction and you could easily become its wielder." Aragorn said. Then thought for a moment. "But lo! Perhaps I have found another answer! I have found these books in your library Elladan. I have not managed to translate them but Elrond could I'm sure which means either you, Elrohir, or Arwen can translate them. And I have not heard Arwen speak of it. Please say you are able?" Aragorn said. Katya was curious as to who Arwen was. Elladan took the books that Aragorn had in his hand. And looked at them carefully. "What language is this? Perhaps some sort of Numenorean? Of course! Maybe Black Speech! Let me see. No" Elladan muttered to himself like this and scanned the books for nearly a half hour. "I have never seen these books in all my life. Alas, I cannot translate them either. Probably my brother was the one." Elladan sighed full heartedly. Katya had been wondering about these people that Elladan and Aragorn kept mentioning. They seemed to be talking about Elladan's brother, father, and sister yet she had seen no one that Elladan treated with love besides Aragorn. Then it suddenly hit her. Most likely they had been killed. "Elladan. I'm...I'm sorry." Elladan looked at her puzzled "What so you mean Katya?" It was Katya's turn to look puzzled. "About your family. I mean what happened you know" Aragorn laughed suddenly. When all he got in return was blank stares from both Katya and Elladan he decided to explain himself and his realization. "Katya thinks that your family is dead Elladan." Then Elladan understood. He too laughed. "No Katya. My father and brother went to a place called the Grey Havens. Two years before that my sister got married and left to live where her husband was residing. And many years before that my mother also left to the Grey Havens. The Grey Havens is a place that the Elves go when they tire of the Middle-Earth." Elladan said sounding very tired himself.
"Anyway. If luck is with us we will find some one or something that will tell us how to get rid of this Ring. If that is what you want. We can't force you to do something that is against your will." "Yes I would much prefer a Ring like this to be unmade and never to see it again. " Good. This ring has a power in it to attract you and bind you. I'm am surprised to see that you are still speaking free of it's will." Aragorn said. He then looked thoughtful. "It may help us find information about this because Elladan and I have something we should be doing right now but there were other things that we had to get into." Katya knew that he was talking about her. "What is this mission?" She asked. She really did not want to be separated from these people who had become her friends. Aragorn sighed. "Elladan's sister has been captured. We are going to try and save her." Aragorn said. Then he smiled at the sad and begging face Katya was wearing. "We do need another companion. We never really got one. I suppose one of Elro...Elladan's household could go with us" He trailed off. "Well. I suppose I could go with you if you can't find anyone else." Katya said shyly. Aragorn's smile broadened. Then he looked at Elladan with hope filling his eyes. Elladan nodded his head. Katya smiled but inside she shook her head. Her first adventure began here.