Aragorn woke, startled by the loud pounding noises coming from his bedroom door. Reaching his fingers, he felt a pang of panic when they did not come into contact with his wife's soft skin.

"Aragorn! You must come quickly! Aragorn the Queen needs you!" Faramir's harsh voice bellowed. Aragorn ripped the door open, his heart pounding wildly.

His wife moaned and cried in the arms of his Steward, her nightgown stained with blood, and arrow sticking from her thigh. Aragorn gave a wild cry as he pulled her from the crying Faramir's grasp.

"Go get the healers, and bring Eowyn as well!" the King shouted, carrying Arwen over and setting her gently on the large bed. Arwen dug her fingers into Aragorn's arm at the searing pain the movement caused,

"Hold on my love, please hold on" Aragorn whispered kissing her forehead, Arwen cried out as he grasped the end of the arrow.

"Arwen, I must pull the arrow out, I need you to bite down on this." He said and handed her a leather belt, he heard a gasp from behind him and Eowyn came running over.

"Eowyn, take Arwen's hands" he said thickly, tears slipped down Arwen's face as she clutched Eowyn's fingers tightly.

"On the count of three" Aragorn said, closing his eyes tightly.

"One"

"Two", Arwen closed her eyes.

"Three" Aragorn pulled with all his might, while Arwen screamed and bit down. The arrow came out easily, blood spurted from the wound. With a gasp Aragorn tossed it aside and pulled the belt from his wife's mouth.

"Naneth! echad ha daro! Naneth!"* she wailed in Sindarin.

He heard more gasps amidst Arwens cries for her mother, as the healers as well as Legolas arrived.

"Get me something to stop the blood!" he bellowed. Legolas rushed for the bathroom and returned with a soft towel.

"We must stop the flow of blood" Ioreth whispered, taking the cloth from the Elven Prince and approaching the crying Queen. Aragorn ripped Arwen's nightgown so they could better see the wound, the Queen gasped for breath, whimpering like a small elfling.

"Stay with me love" Aragorn whispered to his wife, Arwen moaned and turned her face away. Elessar's face clenched as his Queens hands went limp in Eowyn's.

"Legolas" he hissed in fury. The archer appeared at his side,

"Estel? Is she?" he asked frightened.

"No, she has merely fainted. Legolas, find those responsible and bring them to me." He growled his voice shaking violently. Legolas bowed and quickly left the room, he pitied the person he would be delivering to the King.

When Legolas returned he found Aragorn sitting in the window seat with his back turned on the door. Arwen lay either asleep or unconcious, the moonlight casting shadows about her pale troubled face.

"Legolas. What did you find?" the Kings voice grumbled. With his back turned, he knew Legolas could not see the tears running down his face.

"I did not find those responsible, I did however discover a note addressed to you attached to a tree." Though he could not see Legolas could feel his friends grief. He placed a hand on Arwens cheek, his own anger swelling in his heart.

"She is strong Aragorn, she will survive this" Legolas mused, Aragorn stiffened in his seat.

"I know Greenleaf, I know. Leave the message on the night table there if you please. I would like to be alone for awhile."

Legolas bowed his head and left silently, only when the door closed softly behind the archer did Aragorn turn from the window. Weeping silently to himself, the great King approached the still form of his beloved. He stroked her hair softly for what seemed an eternity, wishing nothing more then for her to wake and laugh at him for petting her like a cat. He caught sight of the paper lying on the nightstand, his anger rekindled he snatched it up and stalked to the fireplace.


Elessar,

A warning I bring, King of the west. Stay out of my buisness and you may yet keep your pretty wife.

But I warn you Elessar, this is between Legolas Greenleaf and my party alone.

Interfere and the next shot won't miss

The message was not signed, but it didn't matter much anyway. It would have burned with the rest of the letter, when Aragorn threw it in the fire.





Translations:
"Naneth! echad ha daro! Naneth!"
"Mother! make it stop! mother!"