Authors Note: Here is the next chapter. I know that the description
tells of how Legolas and Aragorn become friends and thus far I think I've
been working on that really well. Please forgive me because Legolas is not
in this chapter at all. I felt that Aragorn and Arwen needed some closure
before I move on. In the next chapter, Legolas and Aragorn will be leaving
Rivendell, so there will be more interaction between them then. Hope you
enjoy this chapter. Every time I write more, I like each new chapter
better than the last. Tell me what you think!!!
Aragorn entered the garden with reverence that would befit him when he at last stood as king in Gondor. He knew well enough that the gardens of Rivendell were a place of silence. The gardens, peaceful and old, were a place of solace and deep thought. The elves often spent time there when troubled, sad, or in search of enlightenment. Aragorn himself had spent much time in the gardens, especially before he had chosen exile and refused to return to Gondor and take the throne as of yet. It was not a decision made lightly and Aragorn had found the gardens a safe place, far from the prying of the curious elves that wished to know of his plight and decision. However, Aragorn was not there in the garden to do any soul-searching, nor mourn for anything. He was there to find his lady. No one in Elrond's house had been able to tell him where Arwen was and that could mean one thing only, that she was seeking solace in her favorite place in Rivendell, her gardens.
Aragorn easily took in his surroundings with a soft sigh. The gardens seemed to glow in the light of the rising sun. It was still very early and mist rose from the stream that was in the center of the garden. Aragorn knew the garden almost as well as he knew himself, and he had often dreamt of the stream when he had been far from its place of origin. Rivendell was the only place he could call home and much of what was familiar called to him while he was in the wilds all alone. Aragorn could feel his hair dampening from the mist and droplets hung from leaves and branches, for the sun had not risen high enough, nor burned hot enough yet to evaporate the moisture. Aragorn idly mused that if Elrond had the time, he would surely spend hours there in the garden, just to watch how the droplets would splash to the ground. If only any of them had time for such things. The garden was a place of mystery and magic wrapped into the folklore of the elves. Many wonderful things had happened there in the garden. Aragorn had first met Arwen there.
With silent footfalls, Aragorn approached Arwen from behind. He had found her just where he had expected her to be. She sat with her back turned to him on the small, ornately carved foot bridge the stretched across the stream. Her feet dangled off the edge as if she were merely a child again. She seemed oblivious to his presence, but Aragorn knew well that little escaped the notice of the elf that he had pledged himself to. He paused at the foot of the bridge, desperately regretting the errand that brought him to her…the same errand that had brought her to this place already, early in the morning when things seemed cold and dark. Aragorn was aware that she was displeased, but he could not gauge if she was angry or sad, but he could not wait for her to come to him. He had decided the previous evening that he and Legolas should set out the following day, not past the early light if it could be helped. Lord Elrond had been quiet, clearly displeased, but he did not question his foster-son, nor try to reason with or beg the man he had raised as an elf. Aragorn could not have missed the fact that his father clearly thought that he was not healed enough to return to his dangerous duty as a Ranger.
"Speak your peace Estel…you are leaving me this morning, have you no mercy?" Aragorn was stirred out of his reverie by her soft voice. It was pained greatly, bearing evidence that she had long been grieving that he leave her. Aragorn walked onto the bridge, his long strides bringing him to her side quickly. He crouched beside her, but she would not turn to look at him. He reached out and laid two fingers under her chin, turning her head towards him. He was shocked by what he saw when his eyes met hers. The dark, deep depths were pools of unshed tears, which now feel freely on his hand. She opened her mouth to speak again, but no words came.
"Tinuviel, do not weep…please, I have never seen you cry, nor did I ever wish the first time to be at my cause. Oh Arwen, forgive me beloved…" Aragorn was at a loss as he spoke, his voice growing hoarse with an effort to control all of the emotion flooding through his mind. Indeed, he instantly considered staying on longer, after all, parting was such sweet sorrow. The thought was diminished when he realized that the time of parting with her would come again, no matter how long he put it off. The longer he stayed, the worse it would be for her to let him go.
"Aragorn, how I wish you could stay. I would beg you if it would do any good. However, I know…" she struggled valiantly to stop her tears as she whispered into his hand. "I know that I cannot keep you from what you must do. Your Rangers…they need you…"
"Shh…do not speak. Can you forgive me Arwen? It is true, I must return to my dunedain. They will be missing and needing my assistance. There is much that is dark in this world, and my fate brings me within a hair's breadth of all that is cruel and unmatched in the darkest nightmares, but such is what I must face. Fear not for me, sweet beloved. Why you wait for me, I will never understand…I deserve so much less, never to have reached out and touched something so important as you…"
"Do not speak so Estel. I would not be able to live without you. You see my pain at being separated from you…if I were to lose you forever, I would not survive. In my mind I know that you must go. I am selfish to wish to keep you here, for many reasons. If I never let you go, you will never fulfill what you must and I will never be able to stand at your side as your Queen. I long for that more than anything else in this world. More than an unending life without you…" As she spoke, he reached out and wiped the tears from her eyes, and pushed her hair back behind a pointed ear. He marveled at her flawless face and ivory complexion. Her musical voice drew him into her words and he wanted to weep as never before.
"I would stay longer if you asked it of me, Arwen. I would do anything to make you happy."
"I know you would," she clasped his hand and he bent down, kissing her hand. "You must go Estel, this I know full well. I will grieve everyday that passes without you here with me, yet I will find joy knowing that you walk the path that will lead to us being together…for all of our time here in this place. Worry not for me. When you are lonely and cold, hold onto my memory…"
"I hold onto your memory every moment of every day my lady. If you have given me your leave to go…I will, but only if you are certain," he looked into her eyes once more, now dry and resolute. He saw there Elrond's daughter, firm and wise, composed, certain, and calm.
"I give you my leave Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Ranger of the North. However, you know full well of my conditions. You will return to me when it is convenient of your travels. You will not repeat the manner of your coming this time. I expect that when you travel, scheme, and plan with my darling brothers you will send word to me of how you are. Most of all…Estel, you must be careful. You must take care of yourself and do not take risks as you did as of late. Those things…you must never do that again."
"I can promise you most of those things Lady, but you must forgive me for not giving you my word for all of them, as I would never want to be called a liar," as he said this, he got to his feet, and gently pulled her to her feet with him. The stood facing each other for sometime, spellbound in the moment. Then, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the forehead. When she had finished, he knelt before her and kissed her hand, as any King would do his Queen. "Walk with me my Queen and wish Legolas and I a safe trip…"
"I would not dream of doing anything else."
So the two lovers walked from the gardens, hearts both happy and sad at the same moment. Both longed for the moments spent locked in the gaze of the other to last for all eternity, but Aragorn's fate awaited him and fate waits for no one man, whether he be a poor dirty Ranger or a dark and handsome King of men.
Aragorn entered the garden with reverence that would befit him when he at last stood as king in Gondor. He knew well enough that the gardens of Rivendell were a place of silence. The gardens, peaceful and old, were a place of solace and deep thought. The elves often spent time there when troubled, sad, or in search of enlightenment. Aragorn himself had spent much time in the gardens, especially before he had chosen exile and refused to return to Gondor and take the throne as of yet. It was not a decision made lightly and Aragorn had found the gardens a safe place, far from the prying of the curious elves that wished to know of his plight and decision. However, Aragorn was not there in the garden to do any soul-searching, nor mourn for anything. He was there to find his lady. No one in Elrond's house had been able to tell him where Arwen was and that could mean one thing only, that she was seeking solace in her favorite place in Rivendell, her gardens.
Aragorn easily took in his surroundings with a soft sigh. The gardens seemed to glow in the light of the rising sun. It was still very early and mist rose from the stream that was in the center of the garden. Aragorn knew the garden almost as well as he knew himself, and he had often dreamt of the stream when he had been far from its place of origin. Rivendell was the only place he could call home and much of what was familiar called to him while he was in the wilds all alone. Aragorn could feel his hair dampening from the mist and droplets hung from leaves and branches, for the sun had not risen high enough, nor burned hot enough yet to evaporate the moisture. Aragorn idly mused that if Elrond had the time, he would surely spend hours there in the garden, just to watch how the droplets would splash to the ground. If only any of them had time for such things. The garden was a place of mystery and magic wrapped into the folklore of the elves. Many wonderful things had happened there in the garden. Aragorn had first met Arwen there.
With silent footfalls, Aragorn approached Arwen from behind. He had found her just where he had expected her to be. She sat with her back turned to him on the small, ornately carved foot bridge the stretched across the stream. Her feet dangled off the edge as if she were merely a child again. She seemed oblivious to his presence, but Aragorn knew well that little escaped the notice of the elf that he had pledged himself to. He paused at the foot of the bridge, desperately regretting the errand that brought him to her…the same errand that had brought her to this place already, early in the morning when things seemed cold and dark. Aragorn was aware that she was displeased, but he could not gauge if she was angry or sad, but he could not wait for her to come to him. He had decided the previous evening that he and Legolas should set out the following day, not past the early light if it could be helped. Lord Elrond had been quiet, clearly displeased, but he did not question his foster-son, nor try to reason with or beg the man he had raised as an elf. Aragorn could not have missed the fact that his father clearly thought that he was not healed enough to return to his dangerous duty as a Ranger.
"Speak your peace Estel…you are leaving me this morning, have you no mercy?" Aragorn was stirred out of his reverie by her soft voice. It was pained greatly, bearing evidence that she had long been grieving that he leave her. Aragorn walked onto the bridge, his long strides bringing him to her side quickly. He crouched beside her, but she would not turn to look at him. He reached out and laid two fingers under her chin, turning her head towards him. He was shocked by what he saw when his eyes met hers. The dark, deep depths were pools of unshed tears, which now feel freely on his hand. She opened her mouth to speak again, but no words came.
"Tinuviel, do not weep…please, I have never seen you cry, nor did I ever wish the first time to be at my cause. Oh Arwen, forgive me beloved…" Aragorn was at a loss as he spoke, his voice growing hoarse with an effort to control all of the emotion flooding through his mind. Indeed, he instantly considered staying on longer, after all, parting was such sweet sorrow. The thought was diminished when he realized that the time of parting with her would come again, no matter how long he put it off. The longer he stayed, the worse it would be for her to let him go.
"Aragorn, how I wish you could stay. I would beg you if it would do any good. However, I know…" she struggled valiantly to stop her tears as she whispered into his hand. "I know that I cannot keep you from what you must do. Your Rangers…they need you…"
"Shh…do not speak. Can you forgive me Arwen? It is true, I must return to my dunedain. They will be missing and needing my assistance. There is much that is dark in this world, and my fate brings me within a hair's breadth of all that is cruel and unmatched in the darkest nightmares, but such is what I must face. Fear not for me, sweet beloved. Why you wait for me, I will never understand…I deserve so much less, never to have reached out and touched something so important as you…"
"Do not speak so Estel. I would not be able to live without you. You see my pain at being separated from you…if I were to lose you forever, I would not survive. In my mind I know that you must go. I am selfish to wish to keep you here, for many reasons. If I never let you go, you will never fulfill what you must and I will never be able to stand at your side as your Queen. I long for that more than anything else in this world. More than an unending life without you…" As she spoke, he reached out and wiped the tears from her eyes, and pushed her hair back behind a pointed ear. He marveled at her flawless face and ivory complexion. Her musical voice drew him into her words and he wanted to weep as never before.
"I would stay longer if you asked it of me, Arwen. I would do anything to make you happy."
"I know you would," she clasped his hand and he bent down, kissing her hand. "You must go Estel, this I know full well. I will grieve everyday that passes without you here with me, yet I will find joy knowing that you walk the path that will lead to us being together…for all of our time here in this place. Worry not for me. When you are lonely and cold, hold onto my memory…"
"I hold onto your memory every moment of every day my lady. If you have given me your leave to go…I will, but only if you are certain," he looked into her eyes once more, now dry and resolute. He saw there Elrond's daughter, firm and wise, composed, certain, and calm.
"I give you my leave Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Ranger of the North. However, you know full well of my conditions. You will return to me when it is convenient of your travels. You will not repeat the manner of your coming this time. I expect that when you travel, scheme, and plan with my darling brothers you will send word to me of how you are. Most of all…Estel, you must be careful. You must take care of yourself and do not take risks as you did as of late. Those things…you must never do that again."
"I can promise you most of those things Lady, but you must forgive me for not giving you my word for all of them, as I would never want to be called a liar," as he said this, he got to his feet, and gently pulled her to her feet with him. The stood facing each other for sometime, spellbound in the moment. Then, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the forehead. When she had finished, he knelt before her and kissed her hand, as any King would do his Queen. "Walk with me my Queen and wish Legolas and I a safe trip…"
"I would not dream of doing anything else."
So the two lovers walked from the gardens, hearts both happy and sad at the same moment. Both longed for the moments spent locked in the gaze of the other to last for all eternity, but Aragorn's fate awaited him and fate waits for no one man, whether he be a poor dirty Ranger or a dark and handsome King of men.