Sorry that the new chapter took so long but I was in England for some weeks
and I couldn't write there!! Hope you enjoy it anyway.
Alia turned around. She tried to make out a shape or figure between the bushes and trees but there was nothing. Still she could feel a burning gaze in her back but this time, it was her father's.
"Alia dear, did you hear something? Is there something out in the forest," he asked and went a step into her direction.
"I had the feeling that someone is watching us but it was just my imagination," she answered and smiled, even she was still convinced that it wasn't all her imagination.
Than she kneeled down beside the river bank and touched the grass with her fingertips. She tried her best to find a clue of what had happened but nature couldn't tell her.
"There's no blood or skin in the grass where she has been murdered. There's no clue of what happened. It's impossible to tell who murdered the Rangers and Elea. We have to find out about his or her strategy and than built up a trap or something to catch the murderer. I have no other idea,"
Alia stood up from the ground and ran her fingers through her hair. "Maybe we should ride back to Ithilien," said Faramir and the others nodded.
They walked back, this time right through the forest, instead of using the pass. When they reached their horses, a cold wind touched Alia's skin and she froze for one moment. A strange coldness touched her heart and the inside of her body but just when she was about to panic, the feeling was gone and she could sense the warmth of the sun.
With on last look back to the wood she climbed on the back of Nelladell and pressed her feet into the stomach of the mare.
Back in Ithilien Éowyn already waited for them. Théodred gave Alia an angry look as she entered the big hall as if to say: I know that you were in my room last night! The young woman bit her lips and followed her brother to the long table where they had dinner.
During the meal, no one talked and Alia soon had the same feeling she once had when she was at a funeral years ago. It was the same happy and swinging mood.
"I think the murderer waits for people in the forest who won't be missed by anyone and who often walk through the wood. But they aren't just the murderer's victims, they are his training objects. He plans something else," said Alia and tried to break the silence but her father shook his head.
"Please Alia. We have enough time to talk about it after dinner but during this meal I don't want you to talk about the crimes that happened here in the last few weeks!"
The king's daughter lowered her head but not deep enough to oversee Théodred's evil smile. With one precise kick her shoe hit his leg and the young man jumped off his chair in shock, causing his mother to fall off her chair as well because his foot was twisted in her long skirt.
While Faramir and Aragorn helped them up, Alia and Eldarion broke out in laughter. Eldarion squeezed his sister's hand and giggled when she asked in acted wonder: "Théodred, what happened? You jumped as if a spider has bidden you. Did you hurt yourself?"
Faramir's son gave her a destroying look and left the room without any word. Éowyn sat down on her chair again, her hair a bit wild and a puzzled look on her face.
"Excuse him, I don't know what's the matter with my son. He acted a bit strange in the past few weeks. Maybe he suffers from the crimes that happened in Ithilien," said Éowyn. The woman emptied her glass of wine and stood up as well. She excused herself and left the room.
"Well, can we now talk about the murderer," asked Alia and at her father who shook his head.
"Alia, please follow me into my room," he than answered and lay his serviette aside. "Excuse us please, Faramir. I have to discuss something with my daughter, I'll come back as fast as we both had a conversation."
His daughter raised an eyebrow and followed her father upstairs into his room. There, she sat down on his bed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Why do you drag me upstairs like that, ada? Did I something wrong?"
Aragorn turned around and looked her angrily. "Alia- do you remember what I told you before we left Minas Tirith? I thought I had made it clear that you stop fighting with Théodred while we are here because we have other problems at the moment!!! I want you to ride back home in the moment. And don't start to argue with me, there's nothing to discuss! You do what I've told you, do you understand??"
The young woman looked at her father in disbelieve. "Ada, you can't do that! I am the one who has visions and I am the only one who can defeat a wizard in case I'm right and it is a wizard who did this and..." complained Alia but was interrupted by her father who pressed his hand upon her mouth.
"Don't give me advices about impossible missions, Alia! In case you haven't noticed yet- I am an adult and I know exactly what to do even without yourself. And please stop thinking that because of your powers you are the most important person alive who can defeat any enemy and no one else but her! Now go into your room and pack your stuff. Good night," said Aragorn and forced his daughter to stand up from the bed.
He pushed her outside and closed his door behind her. For some seconds the young woman stood the moving less and than she ran to her brothers room which she entered without knocking on the door.
Eldarion lay on his bed, a book in his hands when his sister rushed in. "Alia, what..." was all he could say before his sister started to talk like a waterfall: "Ada wants me to go home tomorrow because I played this trick on Théodred. And he said that I should stop thinking that I am the most important person alive. He was so mean! He can't send me back home, can he?"
Her fury gaze let her brother smile. "Calm down sis, it's half as bad as you think right now. Well, maybe he'll send you back home but soon he'll realize that he needs you to bring a bit more clearness in this case. Hey- naneth will be happy if she sees you and if you can help her for a few days with the kids, remember, she's pregnant. And forgive him that he was mean to you, it was a hard week for all of us, even for the glory king Aragorn. Alia, please, don't be that sad, come to me my love," answered Eldarion and pulled his sister next to him on the bed.
Alia dug her head in Eldarion's arms and sighed. Life wasn't easy these days!
Alia turned around. She tried to make out a shape or figure between the bushes and trees but there was nothing. Still she could feel a burning gaze in her back but this time, it was her father's.
"Alia dear, did you hear something? Is there something out in the forest," he asked and went a step into her direction.
"I had the feeling that someone is watching us but it was just my imagination," she answered and smiled, even she was still convinced that it wasn't all her imagination.
Than she kneeled down beside the river bank and touched the grass with her fingertips. She tried her best to find a clue of what had happened but nature couldn't tell her.
"There's no blood or skin in the grass where she has been murdered. There's no clue of what happened. It's impossible to tell who murdered the Rangers and Elea. We have to find out about his or her strategy and than built up a trap or something to catch the murderer. I have no other idea,"
Alia stood up from the ground and ran her fingers through her hair. "Maybe we should ride back to Ithilien," said Faramir and the others nodded.
They walked back, this time right through the forest, instead of using the pass. When they reached their horses, a cold wind touched Alia's skin and she froze for one moment. A strange coldness touched her heart and the inside of her body but just when she was about to panic, the feeling was gone and she could sense the warmth of the sun.
With on last look back to the wood she climbed on the back of Nelladell and pressed her feet into the stomach of the mare.
Back in Ithilien Éowyn already waited for them. Théodred gave Alia an angry look as she entered the big hall as if to say: I know that you were in my room last night! The young woman bit her lips and followed her brother to the long table where they had dinner.
During the meal, no one talked and Alia soon had the same feeling she once had when she was at a funeral years ago. It was the same happy and swinging mood.
"I think the murderer waits for people in the forest who won't be missed by anyone and who often walk through the wood. But they aren't just the murderer's victims, they are his training objects. He plans something else," said Alia and tried to break the silence but her father shook his head.
"Please Alia. We have enough time to talk about it after dinner but during this meal I don't want you to talk about the crimes that happened here in the last few weeks!"
The king's daughter lowered her head but not deep enough to oversee Théodred's evil smile. With one precise kick her shoe hit his leg and the young man jumped off his chair in shock, causing his mother to fall off her chair as well because his foot was twisted in her long skirt.
While Faramir and Aragorn helped them up, Alia and Eldarion broke out in laughter. Eldarion squeezed his sister's hand and giggled when she asked in acted wonder: "Théodred, what happened? You jumped as if a spider has bidden you. Did you hurt yourself?"
Faramir's son gave her a destroying look and left the room without any word. Éowyn sat down on her chair again, her hair a bit wild and a puzzled look on her face.
"Excuse him, I don't know what's the matter with my son. He acted a bit strange in the past few weeks. Maybe he suffers from the crimes that happened in Ithilien," said Éowyn. The woman emptied her glass of wine and stood up as well. She excused herself and left the room.
"Well, can we now talk about the murderer," asked Alia and at her father who shook his head.
"Alia, please follow me into my room," he than answered and lay his serviette aside. "Excuse us please, Faramir. I have to discuss something with my daughter, I'll come back as fast as we both had a conversation."
His daughter raised an eyebrow and followed her father upstairs into his room. There, she sat down on his bed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Why do you drag me upstairs like that, ada? Did I something wrong?"
Aragorn turned around and looked her angrily. "Alia- do you remember what I told you before we left Minas Tirith? I thought I had made it clear that you stop fighting with Théodred while we are here because we have other problems at the moment!!! I want you to ride back home in the moment. And don't start to argue with me, there's nothing to discuss! You do what I've told you, do you understand??"
The young woman looked at her father in disbelieve. "Ada, you can't do that! I am the one who has visions and I am the only one who can defeat a wizard in case I'm right and it is a wizard who did this and..." complained Alia but was interrupted by her father who pressed his hand upon her mouth.
"Don't give me advices about impossible missions, Alia! In case you haven't noticed yet- I am an adult and I know exactly what to do even without yourself. And please stop thinking that because of your powers you are the most important person alive who can defeat any enemy and no one else but her! Now go into your room and pack your stuff. Good night," said Aragorn and forced his daughter to stand up from the bed.
He pushed her outside and closed his door behind her. For some seconds the young woman stood the moving less and than she ran to her brothers room which she entered without knocking on the door.
Eldarion lay on his bed, a book in his hands when his sister rushed in. "Alia, what..." was all he could say before his sister started to talk like a waterfall: "Ada wants me to go home tomorrow because I played this trick on Théodred. And he said that I should stop thinking that I am the most important person alive. He was so mean! He can't send me back home, can he?"
Her fury gaze let her brother smile. "Calm down sis, it's half as bad as you think right now. Well, maybe he'll send you back home but soon he'll realize that he needs you to bring a bit more clearness in this case. Hey- naneth will be happy if she sees you and if you can help her for a few days with the kids, remember, she's pregnant. And forgive him that he was mean to you, it was a hard week for all of us, even for the glory king Aragorn. Alia, please, don't be that sad, come to me my love," answered Eldarion and pulled his sister next to him on the bed.
Alia dug her head in Eldarion's arms and sighed. Life wasn't easy these days!