Chapter 4: Guilt and a Forgotten Title

All right, I've been out of town for a few days and I wrote this in the car. Which was really hard considering once we got to California the highways got really really bumpy. So, that's what I did, went and saw my brother in California (He's in Santa Clara Vanguard)

Anywho anything that is in between these // are thoughts. And they'll most likely only be Annadîn's.

Oh yeah sorry if the dream things are kinda confusing right now but I have to wait to explain them and yeah well I promise once I figure out how to make it all connect it will make perfect sense. But I was too tired to put one in this chapter, and hopefully in the next few dreams they'll all make sense.

Now on with thank you for reviewing notes!!!!!

Maverickgirl –Glad you liked it. Yeah my little brother does the Gimli thing and I just thought it would be entertaining.

Cassie-bear01- I'm not telling…yet!

 Kiki-The-Random-Maiden ­-??? :::author shrugs and goes on her merry little way:::

Andreah -please don't hurt me!

Jazmin- Deal! I liked that look too.

Sarah G- Glad you like it and um yeah….I can't tell you!

Jo March-First off oh Little Woman great story!! Okay sorry I had to do that. I'm glad that you're impressed with it. Because truly I was really thinking it might be pointless, but everyone seems really interested in it.

Astronema- thanks for review and well…what's the point… I'll explain the no speaking thing later.

Umi Wave-Thanks to you too. And yeah the gesture thing is kinda hard. Especially when I'm trying to think of something for her to do other than nod for yes. But I'm glad you think I'm doing well.

Sunrunner of Summer- Oh come on you know you love em! And I'm glad you liked Life of Exile. What can I say about that I wrote myself into a hole. A large one! I'm glad ya love it!

Thanks to everyone like always!!! Love you for reviewing it always makes my day when I get on and see the reviews.

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"Annadîn." Legolas looked at Aragorn, who shrugged. He had been trying to get the young woman's attention for a while now. But nothing seemed to reach her. "Annadîn?" But it did not help. She sat with her arms wrapped around her knees staring into the fire.

Annadîn stared at the fire. She remembered what it could do. How a fire could easily dissolve the skin. It was deadly thing that provided so much, but she could not handle the sight. Already she had risked too much by minding it so much. With out being aware of the people trying to get her attention she moved out of the firelight and began to lie down.

"Annadîn?"

She looked up quickly to find Legolas sitting down right next to her.

"Are you all right?"

But Annadîn glanced at the Elf, trying not to reveal anything.

"Fine you won't talk, even though I have been trying to get your attention for quite a while now."

She quickly looked away from Legolas and right to the fire. She covered a shudder and turned to stare at her feet.

Legolas looked at the small human with soft eyes. Whatever Annadîn had been doing, she was not going to reveal it. This girl was silent for a reason the question was why. He produced a piece of traveler's bread from his hands and gave it to her.

She took the piece of bread and ate it slowly. The Elf did not move from her side until he saw her eat the whole thing, which, to Annadîn, was a bit unnerving. With his absence, she curled slightly on her side and pulled her cloak around her.

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"She was scared again last night." Legolas muttered.

"I know I heard her whimper." Aragorn sighed.

The group had been riding for many days and was very close to Minas Tirith. But they noticed since Aragorn had reminded Annadîn that she didn't know where she was, the girl had become closed to them even more so then when they had first met her. And during the nights something haunted her sleep for it very rare that they did not wake to see her scrunched in a tight ball or hear her whimper.

"Has she said anything?"

The Elf and Man looked cynically on Gimli.

"It was just a question."

"And you know the answer quiet well." Aragorn said quietly.

 Later in the night Legolas sat next to Aragorn. "She is pulling away." Legolas whispered to Aragorn in Elvish.

"You think I have not noticed!" Aragorn whispered fiercely. "I am sorry my friend." He had the seen the shocked look his outburst had caused to skitter across Legolas's face.

"You cannot blame yourself Aragorn."

The mortal shook his head. "It was fine until I opened my mouth. Now it has only become worse."

"Maybe Arwen will be able to help when we arrive." Legolas whispered hopefully.

"Maybe." Aragorn replied.

Annadîn lay, her head on her arm, and she regulated her breathing-over the years she had perfected faking sleep and now she used it. She could hear Aragorn and Legolas conversing in low tones but the language was strange and she could barely hear over Gimli's snores. Exhaling she gave a small sigh knowing the snores would cover it. This had seemed a dream, a mere figment of her mind until Aragorn had told her her fears. And as his voice had echoed in her ears her, hearts had become fearful and she knew it was no dream.

/You can't get hurt in dreams, not like that. You've never felt like that in dreams, only in life, in waking./

Time drew on, the darkness fell greater, and she heard the snores of another man. She knew it to be Aragorn who now slept also. Turning her head slightly the stars came into her view and she stared in wonder at their magnitude. She knew better than to close her eyes and sleep. It brought reality full force around her. As night continued to wear on, she wondered if somehow her reality was just a dream. But then quickly she diminished the idea. She had always been able to speak in her dreams. This could not be a dream.

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"Anna." Gimli muttered. "Anna wake up." He said louder. "Anna come on get up, we have to go." Gimli poked the girl in the back with the handle of his axe.

Annadîn jerked away and quickly caught the stick that had so rudely awoken her and pushed it upwards.

"HEY! Do not do that again!" Gimli boomed. He had narrowly escaped the axe blade.

Putting her cloak back into the pack on Aragorn's horse, Annadîn stared coldly at Gimli, but only for a second. 

"She has a point Gimli you should not have woken her so. You should know better." Aragorn commented.

Gimli huffed and slumped away to where Legolas pulled him atop the horse.

"We're almost there." Aragorn told Annadîn.

She nodded her head and allowed Aragorn to pull her up and set her on the back of the horse.

About two hours into riding Aragorn felt Annadîn grow limp and her lightweight fall against him. Her hands, which were usually clasped close to his upper stomach, were now loosely clasped. He shook his head and kept his horse moving. He could not stop now; she would be fine he told himself she hadn't fallen off yesterday.

"She did not sleep again last night." Legolas called to him from his horse.

"Are you sure? She seemed asleep when we were talking."

"Either the sleep was light or she is very good at pretending. She did the same the night before. After we heard her whimper, she awoke. I watched her but her breathing regulated but I am not sure if she ever fell back into sleep."

"Surly that would have been obvious Master Elf." Gimli called to him.

"At least I tell the truth! And admit when I do not know for sure."

"But it does come in handy. And I have a knack for getting out of those sticky situations even if a little exaggeration is used. It's better to escape from mucking the stables!"

"Well at least I do not snore so loud an avalanche becomes possibility in mountainous areas."

Gimli huffed, which only made Aragorn laugh harder.

"At least I speak!"

Aragorn stopped laughing immediately and Legolas's eyes opened wide. All looked at the girl leaning against Aragorn in sleep. All released a breath to see that she still slept on.

"That was uncalled for." Aragorn said in a voice strong with disbelief and anger. After these words were said, a thick air settled on the three and they spoke no more.

Annadîn woke up to find the agitations in the air. She pulled away from Aragorn and sat up straight, her hands once again clasping at her wrists. Looking between the three friends, she opened her mouth but quickly shut it.

Aragorn felt Annadîn straighten up behind him and knew she had woken. He was glad that she had remained asleep during his laughter, he would never have wished for her to hear Gimli's comment. Catching a small movement from Legolas, he turned to question him, but the Elf simply shook his head.

Legolas wasn't sure he had seen it. But he knew that his eyes were not deceived. He had seen her open her mouth but quickly shut it. Had she tried to speak? Or was he making a small yawn more than it was? He shook his head again. He did not know.

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Annadîn could not distinguish the rest of the days to Minas Tirith from each other. She would stay up during the night afraid to sleep and in turn sleep while riding. You can't have nightmares when its light she thought. All that she remembered was Aragorn making her sit before him. He said he did not have to worry about her falling off the horse when she fell asleep.

Looking around Annadîn knew she practically staring but could not help it. The city was large and much different from what she knew to be a city. Never before had she seen a city that rose in levels as Minas Tirith did. The horses climbed to the very top where they went to the grandest building there. She watched as the guard only bowed slightly to the group. He looked oddly on only her but just for a moment before he was out of her vision. As they clamored off their horses people rushed about whispering excitedly behind their hands. Annadîn watched them wondering what they talked about.

"Your highness." A young man murmured bowing deeply to Aragorn. Aragorn nodded his head and walked on.

Annadîn looked curiously at the young man. As she did so, the young man looked curiously back at her. For a second they stood there wondering about the other before both went on their way.

Annadîn rushed after the small group and they entered the building. She looked around as they walked in, wondering what significance the beautiful place had. As they walked, she thought about the young man and then it hit her, exactly what he had said. Your highness. Aragorn was not just some man she though. He was a king.

The sudden news brought her to a halt and she closed her eyes briefly. She heard Gimli stop in front of her so she knew she would not be lost. Opening her eyes, she stared at them. But they were not looking at her. A woman had appeared and now was talking with the three. As she looked at their backs, she wondered what else they had not told her.

"You're back!" The woman exclaimed happily.  Annadîn watched as she hugged Aragorn and then Legolas. "You're not leaving me next time." She scolded them.

Annadîn watched as she looked up from Aragorn's arms and stared right at her. For a moment, Annadîn stared right back. But then looked away. This was not her place she thought, it was not for her to question who these people were. With her head bowed at the ground, she could still feel the woman's eyes on her.

Legolas looked on Annadîn for a moment, and saw the anger and wonder in her eyes. "Uh oh." He whispered.

Aragorn looked at his friend. He had heard the whisper. "What?" he questioned quietly in Elvish.

"We forgot to tell her." Legolas whispered back.

Aragorn looked questioningly at the Elf and then realization hit him. He was the King of Men, and Annadîn did not know. She would not know. He smacked himself mentally. If she did not recognize places like Rohan and the Misty Mountains how was she going to know who were kings and who were wanderers. He let out a string of Dwarfish curses, causing all to look at him.

"Annadîn I'm sorry." He confessed trying to catch her eye, but she would not look up from the floor. "I forgot…."

But Annadîn looked at him for the briefest second and her look said one thing, yeah right.

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"I forgot! How could I forget something like that!"? Aragorn fiercely questioned himself.

"Aragorn you could not have known."

"But I did Arwen. I knew. I knew she did not know where she was. I reminded her she didn't know where she was. I yelled it at her."

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Legolas, Gimli, and Annadîn walked down a corridor. About halfway down, Gimli said good night and let himself into one. Legolas bid his friend good night and kept walking beckoning Annadîn to do the same. As she walked, Annadîn noticed the beauty of the building. She would have been in awe if it had not been for her anger that bubbled underneath.

/Why should they tell you anything? They don't know a thing about you! So why do they have to tell you things if you don't say anything? But I never tell anyone anything! Being a King is kind of important, you'd think….They don't have to tell you anything!/

Annadîn walked on with her head down, her anger boiling knowing that in her head she was right. She did not have a right to know especially when they knew nothing. But this made her all the angrier because she wished she had the right. A throat cleared above her and she looked up.

"You'll stay here."

Annadîn looked at the door and nodded. She placed her hand on the doorknob and began to turn it.

"Annadîn don't be mad with Aragorn. He did not mean to not tell you. But he has been in a stressful state for a while."

Annadîn nodded looking at the door.

"I'll be in there if you need anything." Legolas pointed to the door across from hers.

She looked at the direction his hand pointed. And for a third time nodded, but did not look at the Elf.

"Good night."

Annadîn then opened her door and stepped inside. She let out a small breath but again straightened seeing a young woman about her age standing in the room.

"Hello. I'll be your maid. I would call you Lady but I have a feeling you would not like that."

Annadîn gave a smile. She liked this girl, but why wasn't she acting like the rest?

"I am also disliked by the staff here, so we have something in common."

Annadîn shook her head. It was amazing that this girl knew what she was thinking.

The girl smiled. "Since I don't know your name I'm sorry but I will not give you mine."

Annadîn looked at her with raised eyebrows an amused look on her face.

"It's only fair." The girl said.

Annadîn smiled while shaking her head.

"There's water prepared for you in the bathroom." She pointed towards it. "And I will be back tomorrow to wake you."

Annadîn gave her one nod, and a smile as she left the room.  She gave a small sigh.

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Wow, I don't think I have anything to say its miracle. Okay wait I lied. I put up a new story (Again you say. Why don't you just finish this one! But actually I've been writing that one since January and I finally finished it while in the car. So really all that is, is typing it up. So don't worry I will work on both!)

Oh yeah I have one more thing to say REVIEW!!

(Kinda amusing I was online and then I noticed that this story had twice as many reviews as my other. Kinda weird. I know, I know never tell us again!)