When Legolas first woke, he didn't see Eltha. Then he noticed the fire, recently lit, and heard the footsteps. Eltha appeared, a couple of dead birds in her hand. She grinned at Legolas, then sat down to the messy task of skinning them. Legolas always plucked birds if he killed them, but after watching Eltha's, relatively, easy job of removing feathers he decided he might try skinning in the future. Her sharp knife sliced into the neck, and then slipped down, cutting easily through the bird's skin. A lot less messy than plucking.
Legolas grabbed a pot from his pack and filled it with water. Soon the two birds were stewing over the small blaze.
"Having company certainly makes breakfast easier," Legolas said.
"You didn't have to shoot the things," Eltha responded, "Are birds in Rivendell naturally smarter than the rest of Middle Earth?"
"I doubt it," Legolas answered, "and we're not quite in Rivendell. We have to cross the Bruinin first."
"I'm not actually planning on going to Rivendell," Eltha said, "I'm supposed to be waiting for Aragorn."
"You could wait in Rivendell. You're nearby, so you might as well visit."
"I'd better not. I don't actually know anyone there. It's the one place Aragorn hasn't taken me to in my training."
"Except Mirkwood."
"Oh, he did, but only to the outskirts. Nasty spiders."
"As good a way of describing them as any," Legolas laughed. They talked lightly while the birds stewed, Legolas finding many of Eltha's tales interesting. When he next saw Aragorn, he had a lot of teasing material to try out.
He would set off again as soon as he'd eaten. It had been a long journey from Mirkwood to Rivendell, and he wasn't going to delay too much just outside the boarder.
"What will you do," Legolas asked, "if you're not going to visit Rivendell?"
"I'll probably find some other victim to track," Eltha grinned at him, causing Legolas to smile at her choice of words.
***
Aragorn had managed to regain his composure and wash away all traces of the tears by the time the knock came on the door. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He could guess who would be waiting out there, and he needed to be as steady as possible. This was the meeting he had been both looking forward to and dreading. He took another deep breath before opening the door.
"Estel? Oh Estel, it is you!" Aragorn found himself entwined in an embrace tight enough to suffocate him. Aragorn reached behind him to unclasp Arwen's arms and stepped clear of the hug. He turned away, closing the door behind her. He was grateful even for this brief moment in which he didn't have to look her in the eyes. What she had suffered was unforgivable.
"I knew you would come back to me," Arwen said, "even over ten years I never gave up hope. I will never give up my Hope."
Aragorn had to look at her, and it took all those years practice to maintain his calm façade and stop himself breaking down in her arms.
"I came back for a visit, Arwen," he said quietly, "I did not come back to you." If he spoke any louder, she might have detected the tremor of emotion behind his words and Aragorn couldn't allow that to happen. Only her ignorance of the truth would keep her alive.
"But you have come back, Estel," Arwen's voice was confused, "You promised you would never leave me and you haven't." Her smile was so innocent, so naïve. She really believed that their love would be enough. She reached out to grasp Aragorn's hands, holding them as they used to, a lifetime ago. But Aragorn pulled away from her touch.
"I did leave you," Aragorn said, with more force than he intended, "and I am not the same person I was ten years ago. Ten years ago I was a boy, lost in dreams and childhood foolishness. Now I have grown enough to see the truth."
"What truth?"
Aragorn turned away, looking through the window at what had once been his home. He couldn't bear to face her as he said this, in case she read the lie in his eyes.
"The truth," he said slowly, "that we cannot be together."
"But you promised to love me forever," Arwen said, with enough pain in her voice that it almost broke through Aragorn's defences. He took another breath, knowing that this had to come out right or everything would be lost. Arwen seemed to take that pause as invitation to keep talking.
"I was carrying our child, Estel. A child conceived in love."
Aragorn turned then, praying that she would believe him. "And where is that child?" he asked, "The child was never born because he was not meant to be. It was not love that conceived that child, but lust and foolish dreams."
"What are you saying?" Arwen asked, her hands covering her stomach and the memory of that child. Aragorn stared into her pleading eyes, and knew that she had to believe this. It was enough that her child had been murdered, without her joining the child in death.
"I do not love you, Arwen," Aragorn said, "I was wrong to think I did." Arwen stared at him for an eternity, as though willing him to take back his words. Her eyes slowly filled with moisture as no denial seemed forthcoming.
Suddenly, she turned and fled from the room weeping. The door slammed shut behind her, and Aragorn's defences crumbled. He sobbed uncontrollably. He knew he had done what he must, done the only thing he could do to keep Arwen alive, but that would not be enough to forgive himself.
Or to forgive the one who had caused all this.
***
Legolas arrived at the main house of Rivendell, and knew that something was going on. How he knew that, he couldn't have explained even to himself. It might have been the way the people were walking more swiftly than usual, muttering as though they had fascinating gossip to share.
The twins quickly emerged from the house to greet Legolas, but their eyes were strangely red. If Legolas hadn't known them better, he might have though they'd been crying. They hugged Legolas gladly, as they always did, but there was tension in their stance.
"What's wrong?" Legolas asked, before the twins could utter a single word of greeting. "What has happened?"
"If we knew that, things would be a lot better," Elladan said cryptically. Legolas was about to ask him to explain, when another figure emerged from the house. This one was somewhat unexpected, but just as welcome a sight.
"Aragorn!" Legolas left the twins to embrace the young man in greeting. "I am pleased to see you, melonin."
"You also," Aragorn replied.
"You know Estel?" Elrohir asked Legolas.
"Estel?" Legolas asked, looking between the twins and Aragorn. "This is Aragorn." Legolas had heard rumours about Elrond's adopted son, Estel, but he'd never thought to link that human child with the man who had rescued him from slavery.
"I stopped being Estel ten years ago," Aragorn said, confusing Legolas still further. His tone, so friendly when greeting Legolas, had become cold and unfriendly, as though the twins were enemies. Clearly the change did not pass the twins unnoticed either.
"What happened, Es.. . Aragorn? Why do you hate us?"
"I don't hate you," Aragorn answered, but his cold tone and expressionless face belied his words.
"Then why won't you tell us?"
"Because no one can know. No one can ever know." He walked away, striding back into the house.
"He returned last night," Elladan told Legolas, "ten years exactly since he vanished, and he won't tell anyone his reasoning, either for going or returning."
Legolas thought for a moment before speaking. "He told me once that he was betrayed," he said, "and that the betrayal cost him his family. But he refused to explain the circumstances or the identity of the betrayer."
"You think he was taken from Rivendell by force?"
"By force," Legolas agreed, "and by someone he thought he could trust." But that didn't explain why he failed to return. Or why he had told Legolas he had never been to Rivendell. Too many questions were unanswered, and Legolas was more determined than ever before to discover the truth about Aragorn's past.
***
Author's note: The thing about birds is true. It's MUCH easier to skin a bird than pluck the feathers out, and much kinder on the hands as well.
Please keep your reviews coming, I love them. Blame any delays on updating on the evilness that goes by the name Revision. My holiday is being eroded from within by maths.
Legolas grabbed a pot from his pack and filled it with water. Soon the two birds were stewing over the small blaze.
"Having company certainly makes breakfast easier," Legolas said.
"You didn't have to shoot the things," Eltha responded, "Are birds in Rivendell naturally smarter than the rest of Middle Earth?"
"I doubt it," Legolas answered, "and we're not quite in Rivendell. We have to cross the Bruinin first."
"I'm not actually planning on going to Rivendell," Eltha said, "I'm supposed to be waiting for Aragorn."
"You could wait in Rivendell. You're nearby, so you might as well visit."
"I'd better not. I don't actually know anyone there. It's the one place Aragorn hasn't taken me to in my training."
"Except Mirkwood."
"Oh, he did, but only to the outskirts. Nasty spiders."
"As good a way of describing them as any," Legolas laughed. They talked lightly while the birds stewed, Legolas finding many of Eltha's tales interesting. When he next saw Aragorn, he had a lot of teasing material to try out.
He would set off again as soon as he'd eaten. It had been a long journey from Mirkwood to Rivendell, and he wasn't going to delay too much just outside the boarder.
"What will you do," Legolas asked, "if you're not going to visit Rivendell?"
"I'll probably find some other victim to track," Eltha grinned at him, causing Legolas to smile at her choice of words.
***
Aragorn had managed to regain his composure and wash away all traces of the tears by the time the knock came on the door. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He could guess who would be waiting out there, and he needed to be as steady as possible. This was the meeting he had been both looking forward to and dreading. He took another deep breath before opening the door.
"Estel? Oh Estel, it is you!" Aragorn found himself entwined in an embrace tight enough to suffocate him. Aragorn reached behind him to unclasp Arwen's arms and stepped clear of the hug. He turned away, closing the door behind her. He was grateful even for this brief moment in which he didn't have to look her in the eyes. What she had suffered was unforgivable.
"I knew you would come back to me," Arwen said, "even over ten years I never gave up hope. I will never give up my Hope."
Aragorn had to look at her, and it took all those years practice to maintain his calm façade and stop himself breaking down in her arms.
"I came back for a visit, Arwen," he said quietly, "I did not come back to you." If he spoke any louder, she might have detected the tremor of emotion behind his words and Aragorn couldn't allow that to happen. Only her ignorance of the truth would keep her alive.
"But you have come back, Estel," Arwen's voice was confused, "You promised you would never leave me and you haven't." Her smile was so innocent, so naïve. She really believed that their love would be enough. She reached out to grasp Aragorn's hands, holding them as they used to, a lifetime ago. But Aragorn pulled away from her touch.
"I did leave you," Aragorn said, with more force than he intended, "and I am not the same person I was ten years ago. Ten years ago I was a boy, lost in dreams and childhood foolishness. Now I have grown enough to see the truth."
"What truth?"
Aragorn turned away, looking through the window at what had once been his home. He couldn't bear to face her as he said this, in case she read the lie in his eyes.
"The truth," he said slowly, "that we cannot be together."
"But you promised to love me forever," Arwen said, with enough pain in her voice that it almost broke through Aragorn's defences. He took another breath, knowing that this had to come out right or everything would be lost. Arwen seemed to take that pause as invitation to keep talking.
"I was carrying our child, Estel. A child conceived in love."
Aragorn turned then, praying that she would believe him. "And where is that child?" he asked, "The child was never born because he was not meant to be. It was not love that conceived that child, but lust and foolish dreams."
"What are you saying?" Arwen asked, her hands covering her stomach and the memory of that child. Aragorn stared into her pleading eyes, and knew that she had to believe this. It was enough that her child had been murdered, without her joining the child in death.
"I do not love you, Arwen," Aragorn said, "I was wrong to think I did." Arwen stared at him for an eternity, as though willing him to take back his words. Her eyes slowly filled with moisture as no denial seemed forthcoming.
Suddenly, she turned and fled from the room weeping. The door slammed shut behind her, and Aragorn's defences crumbled. He sobbed uncontrollably. He knew he had done what he must, done the only thing he could do to keep Arwen alive, but that would not be enough to forgive himself.
Or to forgive the one who had caused all this.
***
Legolas arrived at the main house of Rivendell, and knew that something was going on. How he knew that, he couldn't have explained even to himself. It might have been the way the people were walking more swiftly than usual, muttering as though they had fascinating gossip to share.
The twins quickly emerged from the house to greet Legolas, but their eyes were strangely red. If Legolas hadn't known them better, he might have though they'd been crying. They hugged Legolas gladly, as they always did, but there was tension in their stance.
"What's wrong?" Legolas asked, before the twins could utter a single word of greeting. "What has happened?"
"If we knew that, things would be a lot better," Elladan said cryptically. Legolas was about to ask him to explain, when another figure emerged from the house. This one was somewhat unexpected, but just as welcome a sight.
"Aragorn!" Legolas left the twins to embrace the young man in greeting. "I am pleased to see you, melonin."
"You also," Aragorn replied.
"You know Estel?" Elrohir asked Legolas.
"Estel?" Legolas asked, looking between the twins and Aragorn. "This is Aragorn." Legolas had heard rumours about Elrond's adopted son, Estel, but he'd never thought to link that human child with the man who had rescued him from slavery.
"I stopped being Estel ten years ago," Aragorn said, confusing Legolas still further. His tone, so friendly when greeting Legolas, had become cold and unfriendly, as though the twins were enemies. Clearly the change did not pass the twins unnoticed either.
"What happened, Es.. . Aragorn? Why do you hate us?"
"I don't hate you," Aragorn answered, but his cold tone and expressionless face belied his words.
"Then why won't you tell us?"
"Because no one can know. No one can ever know." He walked away, striding back into the house.
"He returned last night," Elladan told Legolas, "ten years exactly since he vanished, and he won't tell anyone his reasoning, either for going or returning."
Legolas thought for a moment before speaking. "He told me once that he was betrayed," he said, "and that the betrayal cost him his family. But he refused to explain the circumstances or the identity of the betrayer."
"You think he was taken from Rivendell by force?"
"By force," Legolas agreed, "and by someone he thought he could trust." But that didn't explain why he failed to return. Or why he had told Legolas he had never been to Rivendell. Too many questions were unanswered, and Legolas was more determined than ever before to discover the truth about Aragorn's past.
***
Author's note: The thing about birds is true. It's MUCH easier to skin a bird than pluck the feathers out, and much kinder on the hands as well.
Please keep your reviews coming, I love them. Blame any delays on updating on the evilness that goes by the name Revision. My holiday is being eroded from within by maths.