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Memories and a Restless Aragorn

They walked for a long time and found themselves at the edge of the forest again. After listing some pro's and con's, con's mostly contributed by Legolas, they decided to go in and look around a bit. It was a thick forest with large ancient trees. Uplifted roots stuck out everywhere and they each tripped over them more then once which was a great excuse for laughter. The sun, which had finally peeked out of the layer of cloud concealing it, shone through the dense branches overhead in bright, vibrant beams scattered all over the forest floor.

After a while they stumbled upon a clearing with a large rock to sit or lay on, a log to sit on and relatively deep and fast moving little brook. Rayan sat on the log, Legolas laid on the rock getting a tan, as they all said, and Aradel sat by the brook, took off her shoes and dipped her feet into the clear, cool water.

"This place is beautiful. How come we never came in here before?" she asked absent-mindedly flicking the water up with her toes and watching the glittering droplets go up and fall down into the water again.

"I guess we never thought to go this far into the forest. After all we aren't aloud to be in here in the first place." He replied.

"You'd think that would be more incentive for me to want to go further in.," she thought aloud to herself, now swirling the water rather than flicking it.

Rayan just shrugged and started to pick at the bark of the log. He had always been nit-picky like that, fiddling with something or other no matter where he was.

They sat there for the remainder of the afternoon going over long forgotten memories, mostly for Legolas who had heard nothing of this strange elf before. Many of there past incidents reminded him of Aradel and his various adventures. One in particular stuck out for him.

Begin Flashback

"Come on!"

"No way"

"Come on!"

"No way"

Aradel and Legolas argued with the cool summer's breeze whipping the sun kissed forest around them. They were standing at the edge of a high cliff with a winding river at the bottom, running slowly and leisurely through the wide chasm. It was wider then it was deep, being only thirty or so feet deep, there were no rocks at the bottom and the water was relatively deep. So Aradel couldn't see why Legolas didn't want to jump in.

"Its not that fast, in fact it's quite slow. Actually it would be better if it were faster." She argued leaning carefully over the edge to look down and the slowly running water made a glinting silver by the shinning sun.

"Are you kidding, or are you just crazy? It far to big a fall and we could easily be hurt or more likely killed." He retorted with widening eyes as he to leant over the ledge and looked as though he might vomit.

She sighed deeply and turned away fake sadly. "All right, if you really, really don't want to jump then I guess we could go back to –" And as she began to walk away, quick as lightning, turned around, grabbed a stunned Legolas by the arm, and jump off the edge into the water.

They both screamed as loud as their lungs would permit, however different the reasons. Their clothes and hair whipped around them as they fell with alarming speed. They would have been very surprised indeed if the guards of Mirkwood didn't hear and come to investigate.

After falling for what seemed like an eternity they hit the cool, clean water with a loud splash and were plunged into it with tremendous force. Gasping for air Legolas, scared out of his wits, broke the surface first and struggled through the confusion to stay above the water because his limbs were in shock and shaking from the fall. He looked around frantically for Aradel's head but didn't find it.

Suddenly he was pulled under water again and forced further into its depths. He ran out of air very fast because he had had no chance to take a breath. Again he broke the surface of the water but this time came face to face with the grinning, soaking woman.

"I could kill you, you almost killed me!" he screamed bringing his fist down in the water in attempt to splash her.

She closed her eyes as the drops hit her face and pushed more water his way with her forceful hand. He stared at her in disbelief. "And you still don't have anything to say for yourself?! You are crazy!"

"You enjoyed it and you know it!" she called back still grinning widely and swimming in circles around him. She splashed him again, this time from the back.

He coughed up some river water he had swallowed earlier and finally looked at her and smiled. She dived down into the water and came back up with her hair completely covering her face. "Look I'm the water monster coming to eat you!" she exclaimed in a scary voice swimming up to him with her arms outstretched like a zombie.

"Would you stop it?" he said in annoyance as she started splashing him again.

"Loosen up, Legolas, you're not in the palace with your father anymore." She informed him avoiding the hand he had attempted to swat her away with.

He shot her a mischievous, evil grin and replied, "I'll show you loosened up." He splashed her and ducked under the water.

He swam up under her and dragged her down with him. She laughed, causing her to loose precious breath, and kicked at his hands that were trying to grab he legs. He got hold of her ankle but she kicked it away and kicked upwards to the surface. She took a deep breath and went back down just as he came back up. This time she grabbed his ankle and dragged him down grabbing his Elven dagger as she did so.

"Got your knife." She taunted dangling it in front of his face when he came up for air. She laughed at his look of surprise and expertly dodged him as he leaped towards her for it. He started for it again and she dodged again.

"Still got it! Too slow!" she laughed slowing down and waving it in front of him.

"It's a dagger!" he laughed faking to the right then going for it from the left and he snatched it from her clutches. "Aha! Too cocky!"

She gave him the evil eye and as he put it back in its holster at his ankle she launched at him and grabbed him around the middle. He got a face full of her sopping wet dark hair as she brought him down into the depths of the refreshing water. He wriggled his way out of her arms and accidentally kicked her in the ribs.

He got to the surface and put his hands over his mouth. "I'm so sorry."

She looked unharmed but still gave him yet another evil eye. "For what it was nothing."

He put his hands back in the water and replied, "For this!" he yelled as he tackled her. She laughed and continued to wrestle with him for the next hour or two. When they finally pulled themselves out of the water heavy with water logged clothes.

The walk back to the palace was uncomfortable and slow but they found it amusing just the same. The trees seemed greener and the sky seemed a more brilliant orange-red color after a really fun day killing one another in a river at the bottom of a huge chasm. There was much argument over who had won the numerous wrestling matches they had. In the end they both agreed that it was a tie though both secretly knew they had won.

They arrived at the palace just as the sun had set and a warm friendly darkness had begun to fall upon Mirkwood. They hopped cheerfully up the front steps and, still laughing, they entered the main hall dripping water along the floor.

"Aradel, Legolas? Where have you been? I was worried sick about you two, you were supposed to be home over two hours ago!" King Thranduil demanded storming up to them.

Their smiles faded very quickly as they turned around to face him. They stood silent for a moment trying to think of a way of explaining truthfully but not making them sounds bad. They couldn't find a way so they just told the truth.

"We lost track of time and forgot about our curfew. We're sorry, Ada." Aradel replied inclining her head downwards slightly in respect and out of seeming guilt. After living with Legolas and his father for a year or two Thranduil had become very close with Aradel and considered her a daughter, making her call him Ada just as Legolas did which was considered an honor indeed.

"And this loose of coordination caused the weather to change and suddenly rain very heavily soaking you both to the bone?" he asked skeptically indicating their dripping clothing and hair.

"Well you see we were playing at the top of they ravine and we sort of, kind of, accidentally fell in." Legolas answered uncertainly. Though this wasn't the complete truth it would save them a lot of grief later.

The King rubbed his eyes with his fingers and sighed deeply. "Very well then. Go to your rooms and change before you catch a cold. Then you are grounded for tomorrow so that means no going to practice archery, no going into the palace gardens, and no going outside of the palace walls. Is that understood? Good, now go. Hurry!" He demanded clapping his hands to alert them.

"Yes, Ada. Thank you, Ada." The said simultaneously as they left and started to walk down the halls and up the stairs to the left of the main hall.

"I swear those kids will be the death of me." A frustrated Thranduil muttered as he started towards his study to work with some paper work.

In their room Legolas turned to Aradel. "What are we going to do tomorrow? There's certainly nothing interesting to do in this old place."

She threw him an exasperated look and replied. "Your father is going to be in his study all day right. We're going to sneak out of course." She winked at him crazily and laughed at his shocked face. "I'm only kidding."

End Flashback

After sitting for long by the waterside they slowly made their way back to the main city through the winding forest paths. Aradel and Rayan talked the whole way but Legolas remained silent trailing behind them.

When they arrived at the House of Duriel, they later learned the elaborate palace was called, Faith greeted them over-cheerily at the front doors.

She bounded up to them as though springs had been strapped to the soles of her shoes and began to talk rapidly, "I love this place! I went around to try and meet someone and I did. He's really great he showed me around and told me some of the culture and stuff of this place and it's absolutely fascinating! And he's really cute too, I might add. He thought I was really cool too, he told me so. He asked if I was staying for long and I said no and he sounded really disappointed so I said I was staying for a month. Do you really think I should stay, Aradel, should I?"

"Well if you want to I won't stop you." She said a little dazed, as she pushed her way past her and into the building.

"I want you to tell me strait out what you think I should do, though. Yes or no." Faith whined following her through the halls, turning a corner and almost bumping into a table with an expensive looking vase on it.

Aradel turned to face her friend, "We all want strait answers but they're simply not there. You have to learn someday that there is always a gray area and several more within that. Make your own choice, act with your heart." With that she turned on her heal and continued down the halls and up the staircase casually as though she had known this place all her life.

Faith frowned and followed, "So are you going to tell me or not?" she called up the staircase.

"No, think for yourself for once and stop bothering me!" she called back down. She looked at the two Elven men who were left at the bottom of the stairs as well. Irritated she stormed past them and stomped out of the building.

Together, Legolas and Rayan walked away from the staircase and headed for the kitchen. "Are you hungry?" the Durien Elf? asked.

"I wouldn't say no towards a bit of food." He replied. When they reached the kitchen Rayan who knew his way around prepared some leftover chicken and rice with white wine for them quickly and efficiently so that by the time Legolas had found out where to sit in the strange kitchen it was ready to eat.

They sat in silence for a long while until Rayan finally looked him strait in the eye and asked, "Were you to ever dating? I mean honestly now."

Legolas looked appalled and surprised. He swallowed a mouth full of rice and replied, "No, why on Earth would you think that?"

He sighed and looked at the blank ceiling. He licked his lips avoiding the question for as long as he could. When he thought that enough time had been wasted and he had though up a lie he looked back down at the blonde young Elf. "You two seem really close and she seems to know a lot about you and Mirkwood. I am very interested in Mirkwood you know. I'd love to go there one day."

"Oh, you would love it. The trees are green and lush, the food is exquisite, the architecture is wonderful, and everything is overall just above average. I miss it so much." He replied wearily but with excitement in his eyes.

"And what of its army? Does Mirkwood have a good defensive and offensive battle plan, sufficient weapons, good strong Elves?" he inquired eagerly leaning over the table as to not miss a single word of Legolas' information.

So Legolas talked on about Mirkwood and it's armies, though he wasn't foolish enough to reveal any specific strategies or weaknesses, he wasn't quite that stupid. They talked for hours over the plain white table in the middle of the kitchen. As they talked about Mirkwood their attention merged, again, to Aradel who had lived there for so long. Rayan became apprehensive when it came to talking about her, as though he needed to get something off his chest.

"Legolas do you think I could join the fellowship? I could be of great use with magic and such. I can also hunt and get food, make shelter. I wouldn't be a burden or a bother. It's just I'm worried about Aradel and if I'm there she can't get hurt." He asked quickly but clearly, a solemn expression dawning on his pale face.

Legolas considered it a moment and then replied, "I'm sorry, that is not my decision. I shall however run the idea by the people in which that power was appointed." He nodded, smiled curtly and left the room leaving the other Elf refreshed and a lot more knowledgeable then before.

"Hey Aragorn!" Legolas called after him as he rounded the corner. He broke into a run to catch up with his friend.

"Well, hello, Legolas, how are you? I was just on my way to get Aradel, the Hobbits and some of the locals want her to come and play a game of hide-and-go-seek. Would you like to play?" he replied cheerfully with a friendly grin.

"No thanks but I have something to ask you. Would-" He was cut short by Aragorn knocking loudly on Aradel's room.

She took an unusually long time to come to the door and when she did she looked as though she had run a very short marathon. "Hello, guys. What would you like."

"I would like to know whether you would like to come downstairs and play a game of hide-and-go-seek with the Merry, Pippin, Gimli, Legolas, a couple of the town locals and myself." He said still grinning widely and again interrupting the Elf that stood beside him.

"I'd love to! I love hide and go seek. Let's go!" She pushed her way through them and ran down the hall, "Not it!" she called behind her shoulder.

They ran after her and reached the front hall, which was now occupied with about eleven people who wanted to play. Aragorn went into the crowd and Legolas followed. He was about to ask him about Rayan but was interrupted for the third time by him raising his voice about the chatting and clatter of footsteps on the marble floor.

"Rules, no cheating, no peaking if your it, no ratting once your caught. The parameters are limited to the palace grounds only, which are large enough so don't complain. The first person who's caught is it the next round and the person it first round is determined by several rounds of rock, paper, scissors. Now split yourselves into groups of three." They all did as he spoke and separated themselves into groups with people they were familiar with. Except, of course, for Aradel who made friends two strangers from the outskirts of town. They played the game and Aradel, Aragorn, and one of the servants of the palace on a day off won and had a final competition. Aragorn lost and was it. Legolas was still trying to talk to him but couldn't get close enough to him.

They migrated outside and were given thirty seconds to hide and run away. The front doors were named home base, as this was hide and go seek tag, and three seconds head start were given upon finding. Aragorn lent against a nearby tree, covered his eyes and started counting.

When thirty came he proclaimed he was coming ready or not and jumped up quite enthusiastic indeed. He was surprised however to find Legolas standing right behind him. "Your not much of a hider." He commented bluntly continuing on his way.

"I don't want to play so I'm not it next time. I need to talk to you." He said exasperated.

Aragorn merely nodded and began to slooth around corners and look behind everything possible to hide in or around or beneath or beside or inside. "Would you consider letting Rayan join our journey? He would be a good worker and would help provide food and that kind of thing." He said in a hushed voice sloothing beside his ranger friend.

"Sure he can come, but if he starts slacking off or being extremely irritating or serving evil people we're sending him right back home. Found you two!" he exclaimed loudly as he found Merry and Pippin mostly from their constant hushed giggling.

They dogged around him and ran towards the front of the palace. Aragorn didn't bother following and just let them go. Two little Hobbits would not put a dent in his reputation, though the ego didn't need any help.

"Why does this Rayan fellow want to come anyway?" He asked looking behind a bush and tagging a saddened elf, only a child. Though he still laughed as Aragorn said he would let him go anyway and wouldn't tell anyone.

"He says he's worried about Aradel and doesn't want her to get hurt." Legolas replied happily as two teenage elves and Gimli rushed past him. One got away but the ranger who was very quick on his feet reluctantly tagged the other two.

He turned to go on but was intercepted by a half-offended half-touched looking Aradel who had sprung out from a well-concealed space in a bush. "He's in the fellowship because he's worried about me?" she cried with her eyes alarmingly wide. "I have to go do something, excuse me, gentlemen." And she left walking quickly, eyes flashing, in the doors and down the halls to the kitchen.

She looked around and spotted him daydreaming, his head inclined lazily towards the ceiling. He spotted her entering and looked pleasantly surprised. "Legolas has just been telling me about Mirkwood. It sounds so lovely, and it's military is great!" he told her enthusiastically as she approached the table.

"You joined the fellowship because you think you need to protect me!?" she asked incriminatingly taking a step forward startling him a bit.

He got up and stood in front of her looking her strait in the eye. "I just don't want to see you get hurt that's all. But if you really don't want me to come then that's all right. It's completely up to you." He said putting a protective hand on her shoulder. She hated it when he did the whole innocent thing and made her feel guilty.

Thinking over it hard, she took a few minutes just standing there. She came to a decision and said, "OK, you can come. But if you die I'll never speak to you again. And vice versa."

He laughed and thanked her with a hug then left to pack up a few things he would probably need on the long trip. Still a little worried Aradel walked up to her room and went to sit on the bed. She picked up a book from one of the drawers she had found last night when she hadn't been able to sleep and opened the window. She sat on the windowsill and began to read.

Hours later she was joined by Legolas, who had come in after being invited once again to play hide and go seek. He had been it once but he was an excellent hider. Exhausted and filthy from awkward hiding spots he collapsed on the bed with a sigh.

Upon sitting up he realized that the woman was sitting there. "What are you reading?"

"A book." She replied bluntly absorbed with the text. She had one leg hanging over the outside edge of the palace and it appeared to Legolas that she had only one.

He rolled his eyes then got up to change his clothes and clean up. Bored he began to look through the drawers of his own bedside table. He found a book, a sewing needle, a few sheets of paper, a pen, and a shiny round coin. He picked up the strange coin and eyed it curiously twirling it between his fingers. The coin dropped, though, when his fingers fumbled, and rolled under the bed. Sighing he bent over to retrieve it, reaching his arm under but found only a protrusion from the smooth wooden floor.

"Loose floorboard." He muttered as he removed it and searched the hole it left to see if his coin had dropped. Instead he found a dried, old piece of parchment. He pulled it out and straitened up to read it in the yellow sunlight.

Aradel looked over and saw him reading something out of sight, which was strange, because as long as she had known him he was never one to read much. "What have you got there?"

He ignored her. "Hello? Princy boy?" she taunted. He looked up and threw her a malicious glare. He stood up, walked over to her and handed her the note. "I was reading this if you must know, I found it under a loose floor board. Not that it's important or anything."

An astonished look dawned on her face while she read it. Her brow furrowed and her mouth dropped open. It read:

Nanneth,

Ada nin I adan. Amin dellotha ta, amin dellotha re. Amin mella lle.

Nammarie

The name of the signature was smudged from time and dust. "Under the floor boards? This must be almost nine hundred years old. It could be worth a fortune if it was written by someone important like the Queen when she was younger."

"I don't think it matters. Just put it away, no one cares and don't get worked up about it. You always get obsessed with little things like that. Dropping her book on the table under her she nodded and continued to stare at the paper. Legolas found his coin and started to examine it and Aradel sat on her bed with the note in hand reading it over and over as if, if she read it enough times it would reveal some hidden secret of wealth or something.

Just as the sun had finished setting behind the endless stretch of trees there was a knock on the door and Legolas went to answer it. Gimli was there to inform them that dinner was ready and they should change into nicer clothes and be there in the next five minutes.

Aradel tucked the note into her front pocket and went through dinner pleasantly and without much excitement. Merry did through a chuck of meant at Pippin but that's about it. Aragorn told them all that they would be leaving late afternoon the next day and would be heading for Gondor. If they were lucky and the weather was on their side they would be there within the next three or four days.

After dinner they all stayed up doing whatever it is they do. Tonight all of them were in the courtyard sitting among the flowers looking up at the night sky talking about home and how much they missed it. Aradel was unusually quiet. Then they all retired to their rooms and slept with pleasant dreams of good food and company.

They awoke the next morning well-rested, clean, and ready and willing to go ahead with the next leg of their journey to Gondor. By noon they had packed and congregated at the entrance to the palace and were being seen off by Lord Ornendin and Lady Duriel.

"Nammarie, and may you reach your destination without troubles of any great magnitude. We, of the Forbidden Realm, wish you good luck for if you fail, Middle-Earth is doomed." Lady said raising a hand in farewell as they turned their backs and walked towards the edge of the city. Along side Duriel was Faith teary eyed and over dramatic as usual. And along side Aradel with the fellowship was Rayan dull and expressionless as usual. He had no real friends there so it was not hard to sever what few connections he had had.

When they were out of the Forbidden Realm the forest was darker and less welcoming but their high spirits hid it very well. They trudged on fearless and laughing until nightfall where they stopped and lit a fire. Everyone fell asleep and got up quite early. Then again they began to walk their spirits falling slowly but steadily as the heat from the sun was filtered through the thinning canopy of lush green branches.

Then the complaining started. Actually only three complained predominately, first with Pippin followed by Merry. Rayan began to complain but only in a hushed voice to Aradel who became very irritated in a very short time but was good at hiding it for the good of everyone. Merry and Pippin tended to concentrate their whining at Aragorn first. He tolerated for a few minutes but then yelled at them and they started at Legolas who was had better tolerance for such things. Gimli stayed quiet except for his loud panting, constant grunts and groans, and occasional painful sigh.

By the nightfall of the second day since leaving the Elvish city they were all exhausted and tiring of the constant complaints, even those who were giving them. They found a clearing with a minuscule stream running just outside of the barrier of thick trunks. The fire lit easily in the hot weather but they had a hard time keeping it blazing later because of the moist humidity and condensation forming on everything that stood still around them.

"This fire is being so stubborn! Why won't it just stay lit?!" Aragorn exclaimed tiredly. He slumped back on one of the three logs they had found on the forest floor, which was strewn with them, and set around the fire.

"I told you it's because of the dew. And I don't think it's got a mind of it's own so it's no good yelling at it." Legolas said sitting strait and proper upon a log all his own. Aragorn had stood up and begun pacing with annoyance.

Rayan was sitting on the ground with his back against the log with Aradel in his arms. "Why are you so irritable tonight? Your not usually this annoying." He commented lazily. Aragorn simply shook his head though everyone knew why. He had been into the candy Aradel had snuck out of the Forbidden Realm, which had a huge amount of sugar in them. He was shaking a little.

"We need more firewood. I'll go get some more firewood." He said restlessly reaching for Gimli's wood chopping ax.

The woman of the group was to quick for him though and grabbed it out of his reach. "I don't think so, Shaky McShake." She told him nodding towards his trembling hands. "I'll get the firewood and you guys try and get him to settle down for the love of humanity."

And with that she was off into the dark woods, they soon heard chopping noises from just beyond site. She was gone ten minutes in which Legolas had a conversation with Rayan that seemed to upset him a bit but no one noticed and no one cared. As long Aragorn didn't have any sharp objects they were all fine.

A/N: Well, it looks like Aragorn won't be battling for a while. By restless i meant hyper but i didn't want it to sound to wierd so ya. If you haven't noticed i post two chapters at a time. Is that good or would it be better to post one because i'm running out of previously written stuff. So it's either one chapter at a time every two days or two chapters at a time every four days. Which do you think is better because i don't know and you're the ones reading it so it's your descision.:D Nehoo, bye-bye!:D