GUESS WHO??

Chapter 11

Eldarion opened his weary eyes and blinked several times as he heard his father moving around their tent. He sat up and focused in on Aragorn.

"Ada, what's wrong?" He looked worried as he saw his father's panicked eyes.

"I do not know, but something is not right." He spoke hurriedly. "I'm riding back, your mother needs me." Elladan knew better then to question his father's intuition. It had come in handy more than once during his life. He stood up and began to dress, throwing things in to his pack. "Then I'm coming with you."

Maranwe cried openly as she cradled Galadwen close to her, who was too grieved to stand. Elladan had been inside now for ten minutes and there was no sign of either of them. She could hear the weeping of the others girls, especially little Silmai. "Come on Elladan" she thought "don't do this to me, not now. Of all times not now."

Looking down at Galadwen in her arms she felt a new rush of tears swell in her eyes.

The smoke choked him as he moved through the room, he had his Elvish cloak up over his head, a departing gift from Galadriel as she sailed away to Valinor. The fire was extremely hot and it licked at his legs with a tongue of spikes. The door loamed ahead, would he be strong enough to break it down? He prayed top the Valar that he was. He hoped that the heat had weakened the wood. He moved in front of it and kicked it several times, using all the strength he could muster. He coughed as the smoke filled his lungs and kicked the door once more.

The door swung open, but the sudden rush of new air fed the fire, intensifying it further. There was a loud bang as the window exploded and Elladan ducked quickly inside Arwen's bedroom. She was unconscious on the bed, wherever she was alive of not Elladan did not know, but he knew he had to get her out of here. There was no time to check for a pulse, just to move. He took of his black cloak and placed it over her face, searching in her draws for something to cover the rest of her. He found a long robe a wrapped it round her, picking her up and holding her close to his body. He closed his eyes, took several deep breaths and made a run for it, the fire leaping on to him as he went.

Everyone stopped crying and gasped as the window above them exploded.

"Oh no, Naneth!" Celebriel cried, clutching hold of her little sister tightly. It had now been fifteen minutes, there was no way they would have survived this. Maranwe thought of Aragorn and how he would go on after loosing his wife and one true love. After all, they had been through, it was not fair.

The staff of the castle had already begun to fetch buckets of water, and soon they were venturing inside, to quench the blaze as best they could. The tears were now dry as she heard hooves behind her, making their way towards her. She turned round to see the men returning from their hunting trip. "But you're too late." Maranwe screamed inside her head why could you not have come home earlier.

Aragorn dismounted his horse and instantly began to run towards the castle. "Arwen!"
Everybody present held on to him, trying to stop him. Maranwe grabbed his arm tightly and spoke harshly to him. "Estel don't!"

When Legolas took Galadwen in his arms with a sigh of relief, she collapsed against him crying out for her mother.

When a figure appeared in the doorway, clouded by smoke, Aragorn and Maranwe ran forward to meet them. Elladan handed Arwen's body to Aragorn who placed her gently down on the grass. He pulled the cloak off her and his tears fell on to her face, cleaning a path from all of the soot.

"Arwen. Arwen." Aragorn said. "Come back to me love."

After a few moments of agonizing waiting Arwen began to choke and gasp for air, and Aragorn only cried harder, holding her to him. "Thank you Valar." He breathed. "Thank you."

Arwen coughed heavily put managed to wrap her arms around his neck. Instantly everyone had surrounded her and Aragorn barked for them to get back, to give her some room. Someone handed him a glass of water and she gulped it down quickly. When her eyes opened and her breathing eased, a little everyone took a deep sigh of relief.

Maranwe's eyes shot to Elladan as he slumped to the floor with a thud. She ran over to him and dropped to her knees, crying out his name. "No Elladan, please do not do this." She looked at his still face and watched helplessly as he gasped for air. She wept unashamedly as she bent over him, bringing her mouth just above his. "Please you can not do this to me Elladan—do not--because--I love you."

She lowered her head and her lips brushed gently over his, tasting the smoke and the heat. And sharing her first 'real' kiss with him. She gasped when she felt his arms close around her, bringing her body closer to his and forcing her mouth down harder. Elladan refused to let her go and she soon gave in to the magic of his mouth. She moaned aloud as his hands slid over her back, forcing her against his lean body. 'So this is what Arwen had been telling me about for all these years?' she thought.

He finally let her go when his lungs were about to explode from lack of air. He sat up, aided by her and smiled boyishly at the woman he loved. She could not help but smile back at him as he grinned and said, "You love me." Her smile then left as she looked at him with all seriousness. "You had better not break my heart Elladan, or I will break you." "I do not doubt it." He said holding up his hands. "I would not do such a thing, I value my life too much."

He then winced slightly at the pain in his shoulder. "Did you hurt it knocking down the door?" Maranwe asked placing her hand there gently. "No, carrying Arwen. She weighs a ton you know." Maranwe gently slapped him on the thigh and he caught her in his arms again, crushing her against his chest. His mouth melted against hers, as both felt a sudden rush of fire race through their blood. It was then that Maranwe knew she had most definetly made the right decision. From a few feet away Arwen looked over Aragorn's shoulder and saw the events between her brother and closest friend. Though, it shocked her at first to see Maranwe confessing her love for someone, nevertheless her own brother whom Maranwe had grown up around; it seemed right. It made perfect sense for the two of them to be together. A smile spread across Arwen's features as she tapped whispered something in her husbands' ear as he turned to see Maranwe on top of Elladan, their mouths intertwined together. His jaw dropped. Looking quickly from Arwen back to Elladan and Maranwe then back to Arwen who began coughing heavily again.

When Aragorn gave her a concerned look Arwen whispered in a hoarse voice, "I shall be fine. I am just tired."