Author's Note: This chapters is a bit longer than the last one, my imagination was functioning much better. I'm sorry that I'm butchering the characters so much. Please send me any suggestions/comments/constructive criticism that you might have. Also, if I spell anything wrong, TELL ME. I am horrible at it, and if you don't let me know, then I can't fix it. Please review; you have no idea how much initiative it gives me. Come on, you know you want to...
Rosin Dubh: Thank you so much for reviewing my story! I was starting to think that no one was reading it. I will change the spelling as soon as I figure out how; I'm pretty new at this. Don't worry, you aren't being a PITA, I just have horrible spelling!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all; I am only using the characters. I forgot to put one of these in the last chapter; I don't own any of that either.
"I fear that to Arwen the Doom of Men may seen hard at the ending" -- Elrond (III, 342)
CHAPTER TWO
Aragorn had worried about me; I knew this. Once we had stood upon Cerin Amroth and forsaken both the shadow and the twilight a burden had settled upon his heart, though he loved me no less. I did my best to ease it for at that time I still believed that I had made the right choice. If only I still held to that conviction...
Every few years Aragorn rides through out his kingdom; Dol Amroth, Rohan, Harad, and other such places. When Eldarion was about one year old we decided that the journey would be too much for him to make and I was loath to leave my son behind. It was decided then, that Eldarion and I would stay behind while Aragorn and other men of his house traveled. Éowyn of Rohan, wife of the Steward, with whom I was rapidly becoming friends, offered that I might stay with her and her son Elboron in Ithilien, for Faramir was to ride with Aragorn. I readily agreed to this alternative.
"Lady Arwen?" Éowyn's lovely face appeared at my door.
"Please, do not 'Lady' me. My name is Arwen as you very well know." A hint of laughter crept into my voice.
"Arwen." Éowyn smiled. "May I help you make ready your things?"
"Gladly would I welcome your assistance, but I am nearly finished. All that is left are some of Eldarion's clothes", I said, putting the said articles into a large trunk that lay open by my door. I then closed it and walked over to the cradle where Eldarion was waking from his short afternoon nap. I picked the child up and quickly changed him into warmer clothing.
"Are you ready love?" Aragorn appeared in the doorframe to our bedroom. "Is this what you are taking? I'll load it into the cart for you." He gestured to the trunk on the floor. "Aye that is what I am taking. Éowyn and I are going to ride, so we have elected that you may drive the cart and take Eldarion." My son looked up at the sound of his name.
"I will meet you there, then." My husband amiably hefted my truck onto its wheels and disappeared out the door. I took Éowyn's hand and we ran to the stables. I needed no tack, for elves always ride bareback and Éowyn needed only a bridle as she had grown up on a horse. In a few minutes we had mounted an let our horses trot under the brilliant blue sky. As they warmed up we let them move into a rocking canter that soon became a gallop. I glanced at Éowyn, and as always was impressed with how well she rode. Crouched forward and holding the reins only lightly she interfered not a bit with her horse's movement; she had become a part of it. Her golden hair had abandoned its braid and streamed freely behind her. She caught my eye and grinned, which I could not help but to reciprocate.
"We should let then trot again, I do not want them over tired," she called over the wind, speaking about the horses. "We will be there in about half an hour." We coaxed our horses into a trot and continued. Half an hour later they slowed to a walk and turned onto a narrow but well worn path. In but a few minutes we stood outside Éowyn and Faramir's small cottage. It was set to the side of a large clearing, with the stables at the opposite end. A fence line started in the clearing and disappeared into the forest, where several horses stood grazing in the shade.
We dismounted and cared for our animals, putting them out to pasture. We then went inside to wait for Aragorn. Faramir was there, sitting in their kitchen eating an apple out of a bowl. Éowyn and I each took one and sat down to talk. An hour later Aragorn walked in holding Eldarion and dragging my truck, which he set down inside the doorway.
"Good afternoon, Elessar", I said. "What ever took you so long?"
"I had precious luggage with me and I did not want to harm it." Aragorn looked a bit sheepish. "I did not dare move the horse out of a walk."
I laughed at him gently, a laugh full of love I could not find words for. "You are a wonderful father, my husband. Eldarion is fortunate indeed to have you caring for him."
"Not nearly as fortunate as he is to have you as a mother. Or I to have you for a wife."
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Éowyn give Faramir a look that plainly said: Shall we leave them to be soft or shall we make jest? Sure enough, a few seconds later Faramir started.
"Shall we leave you too lovebirds to your pecking or can we not trust you together?"
Aragorn gave an exaggerated sigh. "Can we trust you two to go off by yourselves to leave us alone?"
The answer was obvious, and with that the four of us went back outside to sit in the grass and spend as much time together as we could before the next morning when they would leave.
...Why do these memories surface as though mocking me; showing me times when I was surrounded by those whom I love when now I have only my horse for company? Why do they return to haunt my mind?, my heart screamed in agony. It seemed that as soon as I stopped riding for the day it let my memories catch me. Lying down, I gave up my tears and wept.
Rosin Dubh: Thank you so much for reviewing my story! I was starting to think that no one was reading it. I will change the spelling as soon as I figure out how; I'm pretty new at this. Don't worry, you aren't being a PITA, I just have horrible spelling!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all; I am only using the characters. I forgot to put one of these in the last chapter; I don't own any of that either.
"I fear that to Arwen the Doom of Men may seen hard at the ending" -- Elrond (III, 342)
CHAPTER TWO
Aragorn had worried about me; I knew this. Once we had stood upon Cerin Amroth and forsaken both the shadow and the twilight a burden had settled upon his heart, though he loved me no less. I did my best to ease it for at that time I still believed that I had made the right choice. If only I still held to that conviction...
Every few years Aragorn rides through out his kingdom; Dol Amroth, Rohan, Harad, and other such places. When Eldarion was about one year old we decided that the journey would be too much for him to make and I was loath to leave my son behind. It was decided then, that Eldarion and I would stay behind while Aragorn and other men of his house traveled. Éowyn of Rohan, wife of the Steward, with whom I was rapidly becoming friends, offered that I might stay with her and her son Elboron in Ithilien, for Faramir was to ride with Aragorn. I readily agreed to this alternative.
"Lady Arwen?" Éowyn's lovely face appeared at my door.
"Please, do not 'Lady' me. My name is Arwen as you very well know." A hint of laughter crept into my voice.
"Arwen." Éowyn smiled. "May I help you make ready your things?"
"Gladly would I welcome your assistance, but I am nearly finished. All that is left are some of Eldarion's clothes", I said, putting the said articles into a large trunk that lay open by my door. I then closed it and walked over to the cradle where Eldarion was waking from his short afternoon nap. I picked the child up and quickly changed him into warmer clothing.
"Are you ready love?" Aragorn appeared in the doorframe to our bedroom. "Is this what you are taking? I'll load it into the cart for you." He gestured to the trunk on the floor. "Aye that is what I am taking. Éowyn and I are going to ride, so we have elected that you may drive the cart and take Eldarion." My son looked up at the sound of his name.
"I will meet you there, then." My husband amiably hefted my truck onto its wheels and disappeared out the door. I took Éowyn's hand and we ran to the stables. I needed no tack, for elves always ride bareback and Éowyn needed only a bridle as she had grown up on a horse. In a few minutes we had mounted an let our horses trot under the brilliant blue sky. As they warmed up we let them move into a rocking canter that soon became a gallop. I glanced at Éowyn, and as always was impressed with how well she rode. Crouched forward and holding the reins only lightly she interfered not a bit with her horse's movement; she had become a part of it. Her golden hair had abandoned its braid and streamed freely behind her. She caught my eye and grinned, which I could not help but to reciprocate.
"We should let then trot again, I do not want them over tired," she called over the wind, speaking about the horses. "We will be there in about half an hour." We coaxed our horses into a trot and continued. Half an hour later they slowed to a walk and turned onto a narrow but well worn path. In but a few minutes we stood outside Éowyn and Faramir's small cottage. It was set to the side of a large clearing, with the stables at the opposite end. A fence line started in the clearing and disappeared into the forest, where several horses stood grazing in the shade.
We dismounted and cared for our animals, putting them out to pasture. We then went inside to wait for Aragorn. Faramir was there, sitting in their kitchen eating an apple out of a bowl. Éowyn and I each took one and sat down to talk. An hour later Aragorn walked in holding Eldarion and dragging my truck, which he set down inside the doorway.
"Good afternoon, Elessar", I said. "What ever took you so long?"
"I had precious luggage with me and I did not want to harm it." Aragorn looked a bit sheepish. "I did not dare move the horse out of a walk."
I laughed at him gently, a laugh full of love I could not find words for. "You are a wonderful father, my husband. Eldarion is fortunate indeed to have you caring for him."
"Not nearly as fortunate as he is to have you as a mother. Or I to have you for a wife."
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Éowyn give Faramir a look that plainly said: Shall we leave them to be soft or shall we make jest? Sure enough, a few seconds later Faramir started.
"Shall we leave you too lovebirds to your pecking or can we not trust you together?"
Aragorn gave an exaggerated sigh. "Can we trust you two to go off by yourselves to leave us alone?"
The answer was obvious, and with that the four of us went back outside to sit in the grass and spend as much time together as we could before the next morning when they would leave.
...Why do these memories surface as though mocking me; showing me times when I was surrounded by those whom I love when now I have only my horse for company? Why do they return to haunt my mind?, my heart screamed in agony. It seemed that as soon as I stopped riding for the day it let my memories catch me. Lying down, I gave up my tears and wept.