Untold Love – Chapter 11
Aranel was sitting on the high ledge of the courtyard looking out across the lands. One of her legs was hanging over the edge her long skirts swaying in the breeze around it. A sudden chill went up her spine. Aranel drew her leg up next to her body pulling it underneath her pale pink dress. Wrapping her arms around her legs she looked up. Her intricately done up hair was loose in the wind. Absently she traced a finger in a circle on her knee. She shivered with the cold.
"Here." Came a soft voice.
Aranel looked up into the sorrowful face of her brother. He had an arm outstretched holding a heavy cloak. She silently took it and wrapped it about her shoulders returning her gaze to the mountains. Legolas sat down next her draping both of his legs over the edge, swinging them gently. Then he placed his arms around Aranel's slender shoulders in a gentle embrace.
There they sat. No words were exchanged, only a silent understanding of change and the inevitable future. All was well again in the heart of the woman. But her brother was still in turmoil over what he knew he could not change. Sighing he leaned his head against hers. And there they sat.
Months past by and Aranel found herself being drawn away from Middle Earth. Constantly she would find herself dreaming about distant shores, the Sea was calling her home. Aranel walked around in a mournful daze. Her laughter was no longer heard, nor was her smile seen. Aragorn worried, and Legolas remained silent for he knew the turmoil she felt.
One mid-summer day Legolas left as he often did. Only this time it was not for idle wandering but for his sister. For Aranel had fallen into a fitful slumber from which she could not wake. Not even Aragorn's healing powers could help. He sat at her wake from dawn until night, taking no rest for himself.
Aragorn's sleepless vigil continued for three days until he was sick from exhaustion. He unwillingly fell into sleep. And there he slept head resting on his upturned palm. He was only awakened by the tiny movement of Aranel's waxen hand. He grasped it by the gesture was not returned. He put his head down on the edge of the bed and cried.
Then in a faint whisper he heard, "Estel...Estel...do not cry." Aranel ran her delicate fingers through his hair in a comforting gesture. "Do not despair."
Aragorn took her hand in his and kissed her fingers though he was still crying, but no longer in fear and sadness, but in joy. Aranel smiled faintly looking into her lover's eyes, and then her hand went limp in his. "No!" he whispered fiercely. Bringing her body close to him he cradled her limp body. "Do not be dead. Please! Not now."
By chance Legolas returned with Elrond and upon seeing the scene his face was void of all emotion. Elrond moved further into the room and said, "Aragorn, place Aranel back onto the bed and leave. She is not dead...merely sleeping."
"I will not leave. I will not leave her."
Elrond looked at his foster-son and sighed. "If you must stay, stay in the shadows, where I will not be bothered."
Aragorn sat down in a chair his face wrought with worry, and Legolas stood silently at his sister's side with no apparent emotions on his face. Aragorn fell again into sleep, this time he was not awakened. He slept for a day straight and when he woke up the room was filled with light and Aranel was lying serenely upon her bed. She was looking longingly out of her window towards the West. Aragorn walked silently to her side and watched her. "...Aranel Nimwen, long under tree in joy thou hast lived. Beware of the Sea! If thou hearest the cry of gulls on the shore, Thy heart shall rest in the Forest no more." Aranel recited softly to herself.
Aragorn walked towards the door and to the Great Hall to contemplate about what he just heard. He did not have long to think for soon Elrond walked into the Hall in search of Aragorn. "The Sea calls to her Aragorn."
"No. That is not the reason." Aragorn replied denial apparent in his voice.
"Her heart is also breaking." Continued the wise Elf. "Let her go. It is the only way to save her. I will send her with Legolas, for the Sea calls for him also."
"Why would her heart be broken?"
"She and Legolas have come to the realization that someday you and all they love will die, and that they can not follow. That is what killed my beloved Arwen."
"I will not let her go."
"Then she shall suffer." said Legolas as he came forth from the shadows. The hurt was apparent on his face.
Aragorn looked long and hard into his friend's face and realized that no matter how hard he tried she would always be afflicted with this misery. He got up from his throne and said, "Do not follow."
He walked to the Houses of Healing to where Aranel lay. Seeing him she smiled, "You come back to see me my love."
Aragorn noted how her usually melodious voice was hollow. He walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed. "Yes I came back."
A wide smile spread across her face, but it did not reach her eyes. "They say that I am going to get better. That I will regain my strength."
Aragorn felt a large lump rise in his throat, choking back the tears he took her hands in his and said, "We are building a boat. One that will take you to the Havens."
Aranel cocked her head to the left in confusion, "But I do not wish to go. Not now at least."
Aragorn's head drooped, "You have been ignoring the voices of the Sea. They want you home. Your brother shall also go."
"I am not going away from you. Do not make me leave." Aranel's voice pleaded. "Do you not love me?"
He stood up abruptly and backed away from the bed, "I do not know."
Aranel's face fell, "You are afraid and there is nothing to be afraid of. I will not leave you. I can not, for I love you too much."
"That is what is killing you. Your love for me."
"My love will only kill me as long as I am an immortal being."
"And that you shall remain. I would rather see you leave, than see you die of sickness and old age."
"Take it from me. Love me so that I will not fear mortality."
"You can not give away what you are blessed with. I will not let you, I loved another before and she gave her grace to me. Because of that she is now dead."
By this time Aragorn had yet again returned to her side tears were running down his face. Aranel looked up at him, "It is already to late. You now hold my heart and along with it my immortality."
"No, I will not receive it. You must take it back."
Aragorn stood up and walked to the open window. A soft breeze softly touched his weathered face, his graying hair swaying gently along. Aranel quietly moved out of the bed her bare feet not making a sound against the cool marble tile. Her soft touch of her arms wrapping around his waist startled him. "You have held it for a long while Estel. I gave it to you such a long time ago, to me it seems to have been an eternity ago. You did not deny my love then, and I know that you will not deny it now."
"When did I receive your love and immortality. I have no memory of it."
"I gave it to you when I first came, all those months ago. You accepted my love and with it I gave you my grace so that I would not feel the sorrow of knowing when you leave I would be unable to follow."
Aranel was sitting on the high ledge of the courtyard looking out across the lands. One of her legs was hanging over the edge her long skirts swaying in the breeze around it. A sudden chill went up her spine. Aranel drew her leg up next to her body pulling it underneath her pale pink dress. Wrapping her arms around her legs she looked up. Her intricately done up hair was loose in the wind. Absently she traced a finger in a circle on her knee. She shivered with the cold.
"Here." Came a soft voice.
Aranel looked up into the sorrowful face of her brother. He had an arm outstretched holding a heavy cloak. She silently took it and wrapped it about her shoulders returning her gaze to the mountains. Legolas sat down next her draping both of his legs over the edge, swinging them gently. Then he placed his arms around Aranel's slender shoulders in a gentle embrace.
There they sat. No words were exchanged, only a silent understanding of change and the inevitable future. All was well again in the heart of the woman. But her brother was still in turmoil over what he knew he could not change. Sighing he leaned his head against hers. And there they sat.
Months past by and Aranel found herself being drawn away from Middle Earth. Constantly she would find herself dreaming about distant shores, the Sea was calling her home. Aranel walked around in a mournful daze. Her laughter was no longer heard, nor was her smile seen. Aragorn worried, and Legolas remained silent for he knew the turmoil she felt.
One mid-summer day Legolas left as he often did. Only this time it was not for idle wandering but for his sister. For Aranel had fallen into a fitful slumber from which she could not wake. Not even Aragorn's healing powers could help. He sat at her wake from dawn until night, taking no rest for himself.
Aragorn's sleepless vigil continued for three days until he was sick from exhaustion. He unwillingly fell into sleep. And there he slept head resting on his upturned palm. He was only awakened by the tiny movement of Aranel's waxen hand. He grasped it by the gesture was not returned. He put his head down on the edge of the bed and cried.
Then in a faint whisper he heard, "Estel...Estel...do not cry." Aranel ran her delicate fingers through his hair in a comforting gesture. "Do not despair."
Aragorn took her hand in his and kissed her fingers though he was still crying, but no longer in fear and sadness, but in joy. Aranel smiled faintly looking into her lover's eyes, and then her hand went limp in his. "No!" he whispered fiercely. Bringing her body close to him he cradled her limp body. "Do not be dead. Please! Not now."
By chance Legolas returned with Elrond and upon seeing the scene his face was void of all emotion. Elrond moved further into the room and said, "Aragorn, place Aranel back onto the bed and leave. She is not dead...merely sleeping."
"I will not leave. I will not leave her."
Elrond looked at his foster-son and sighed. "If you must stay, stay in the shadows, where I will not be bothered."
Aragorn sat down in a chair his face wrought with worry, and Legolas stood silently at his sister's side with no apparent emotions on his face. Aragorn fell again into sleep, this time he was not awakened. He slept for a day straight and when he woke up the room was filled with light and Aranel was lying serenely upon her bed. She was looking longingly out of her window towards the West. Aragorn walked silently to her side and watched her. "...Aranel Nimwen, long under tree in joy thou hast lived. Beware of the Sea! If thou hearest the cry of gulls on the shore, Thy heart shall rest in the Forest no more." Aranel recited softly to herself.
Aragorn walked towards the door and to the Great Hall to contemplate about what he just heard. He did not have long to think for soon Elrond walked into the Hall in search of Aragorn. "The Sea calls to her Aragorn."
"No. That is not the reason." Aragorn replied denial apparent in his voice.
"Her heart is also breaking." Continued the wise Elf. "Let her go. It is the only way to save her. I will send her with Legolas, for the Sea calls for him also."
"Why would her heart be broken?"
"She and Legolas have come to the realization that someday you and all they love will die, and that they can not follow. That is what killed my beloved Arwen."
"I will not let her go."
"Then she shall suffer." said Legolas as he came forth from the shadows. The hurt was apparent on his face.
Aragorn looked long and hard into his friend's face and realized that no matter how hard he tried she would always be afflicted with this misery. He got up from his throne and said, "Do not follow."
He walked to the Houses of Healing to where Aranel lay. Seeing him she smiled, "You come back to see me my love."
Aragorn noted how her usually melodious voice was hollow. He walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed. "Yes I came back."
A wide smile spread across her face, but it did not reach her eyes. "They say that I am going to get better. That I will regain my strength."
Aragorn felt a large lump rise in his throat, choking back the tears he took her hands in his and said, "We are building a boat. One that will take you to the Havens."
Aranel cocked her head to the left in confusion, "But I do not wish to go. Not now at least."
Aragorn's head drooped, "You have been ignoring the voices of the Sea. They want you home. Your brother shall also go."
"I am not going away from you. Do not make me leave." Aranel's voice pleaded. "Do you not love me?"
He stood up abruptly and backed away from the bed, "I do not know."
Aranel's face fell, "You are afraid and there is nothing to be afraid of. I will not leave you. I can not, for I love you too much."
"That is what is killing you. Your love for me."
"My love will only kill me as long as I am an immortal being."
"And that you shall remain. I would rather see you leave, than see you die of sickness and old age."
"Take it from me. Love me so that I will not fear mortality."
"You can not give away what you are blessed with. I will not let you, I loved another before and she gave her grace to me. Because of that she is now dead."
By this time Aragorn had yet again returned to her side tears were running down his face. Aranel looked up at him, "It is already to late. You now hold my heart and along with it my immortality."
"No, I will not receive it. You must take it back."
Aragorn stood up and walked to the open window. A soft breeze softly touched his weathered face, his graying hair swaying gently along. Aranel quietly moved out of the bed her bare feet not making a sound against the cool marble tile. Her soft touch of her arms wrapping around his waist startled him. "You have held it for a long while Estel. I gave it to you such a long time ago, to me it seems to have been an eternity ago. You did not deny my love then, and I know that you will not deny it now."
"When did I receive your love and immortality. I have no memory of it."
"I gave it to you when I first came, all those months ago. You accepted my love and with it I gave you my grace so that I would not feel the sorrow of knowing when you leave I would be unable to follow."