Chapter Eighteen

He could hear a voice speaking. "We will stop here tonight," it said. "Sorry no fire." It added. Then other voices groaned and started to complain. But the first quieted them. "Hush. No, it is too dangerous." It said. He began to feel excited. His family and friends would be so proud if he could catch these intruders. All he had to do was wait and be a little later that he had anticipated.

He waited and listened as he heard them eat their supper. Then they discussed their plans. He couldn't catch what they were saying but he was almost positive he caught the words. 'Faramir and Eowyn.' So they were planning on attacking his friends' home. But if everything went as he planed, then they would not live that long.

Finally they were asleep. Or so he thought.

He lightly and silently leaped down from the tree that he had been sitting in. as he did, he silently thanked the Valar for his mother's elvish lightness that he had inheirited, and his father's lessons.

As he crept nearer he readied his hunting bow. He hesitated, for he thought that he had seen movement. But it was gone. Soon he was in shooting range of the intruders' campground. He raised his bow and aimed for the nearest blanket-covered lump. He was about to release the arrow when he felt someone grab hold of his arm. Then a very familiar voice whispered in his ear. "Now what if that had been me?" The voice asked he spun around to find himself face to face with Aragorn. "Father?

Katya could have sworn that someone was near by that was not Aragorn and Elladan. She woke and sat bolt right up. She looked around and noticed that Aragorn was nowhere in the camp sight. "Estel?" She whispered. "Over here. It's okay. Just someone was trying to shoot us in our sleep." Fear gripped Katya as she made her way over to where she had heard Aragorn's voice.

What she made her nearly swoon. It was the man from her dream. The one that she had called Aragorn. Then she realized why. They looked very similar. "Who...Who" "This is Eldarion. He is my son." There was a thick silence for a few minutes as Katya stared at Aragorn in shock, Eldarion stared at Katya, and Aragorn went back and forth from returning Katya's gaze and watching his son interestedly. Then Katya came up with a question. "If Elves are so great then why did you wake up instead of Elladan?" At the name of Elladan Eldarion broke his gaze and looked over at the camp. Aragorn smiled. "I woke because I was never asleep. Elladan didn't because for an Elf he is somewhat dimwitted." (A/N I love Elladan and Elrohir but they just seem to be not as sharp with their senses as someone like Elrond) Eldarion and Katya smiled at this. Aragorn suddenly looked very thoughtful. Then he nodded and smiled in a way that implied I-know-something-you-don't and completely bewildered both Katya and Eldarion.

Finally Aragorn sighed and asked. "Eldarion. Are you staying with Faramir and Eowyn?" Eldarion nodded. "And am I correct in assuming that they gave you permission to go out roaming in the middle of the night?" He asked knowing very well what the answer would be. Eldarion shook his head sheepishly. Aragorn sighed again. "Okay. You go and try to wake Elladan up." He said looking at Katya. "I'll get our packs together. Eldarion you stay here and don't move" He looked like he was about to add something but changed his mind. "Try to hurry. Faramir and Eowyn are probably panicking." He winced at the thought of Eowyn in panic. He had never experienced it but Arwen had told him of how Eowyn acted when she was preparing for her wedding to Faramir and this had to be worse. Then he remembered what he had experienced from Faramir and decided that the wince went for both of them.

Then suddenly he heard a call from what he estimated to be two miles off. "Eldarion!" the voice cried. "Come. We best not keep them waiting." He said to Katya, Eldarion who was only half listening, and Elladan who was only half awake.

After a couple of hours of walking they came across tracks. The rest of the search was easy. They could see lights moving ahead within fifteen minutes after finding the tracks. Four minutes later they could vaguely make out how the people looked. Then finally they were within hearing distance. Aragorn seemed hesitant to call out. But when Eldarion asked him he just shrugged and called out to them. "Lady Eowyn and Lord Faramir please wait for us. I think we have something that you are looking for." Eowyn and Faramir stopped and waited. As they neared Aragorn's fears were confirmed. There were not two people standing and waiting. There were six.

Finally the two parties came together. "Who are you and do you have Eldarion. And if so, then what do you want from him. Eowyn stated it more than asked it. Katya could see a small grin forming on Aragorn's lips. It was too dark for them to see each other clearly. "Eowyn. Do you not know me? It is I, Aragorn." "Aragorn? Truly? Is Arwen with you? Do you have Eldarion? Who else is with you? Are you all right? Why are you here?" Aragorn chuckled at the sound of his friend who was quite clearly Faramir. "Yes Aragorn. And yes truly. No she is not. Yes Eldarion is here and we're lucky to be here. With me is Elladan. Also, a girl who is not from Middle-Earth and I will explain later. We were crossing though Ithilien in order to get to Mordor where we think Arwen is. Now that is enough to go on with. We came to you to return Eldarion to your charge." The woman who Katya believed to be Eowyn appeared to nod. She seemed to whisper to the man that Aragorn had addressed as Faramir for a couple of minutes before nodding again and clearing her throat. "I believe that you truly are Aragorn. And so Faramir and I would be very honored indeed if the three of you would stay for the night." Katya gapped. Was there ever a question that they weren't who they said they were? I guess that I must not pay enough attention. If I were in that position I wouldn't even think about that. She thought ruefully. But she just sighed the thought away and followed the rest wherever they were going.