I've just been informed that I don't own anything here except my four main characters. Drat. I'm gonna go sulk, you enjoy the story.

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In the Houses of Healing, Aragorn and Legolas paced the halls anxiously, as they had for the past two hours.

"You have done your part Aragorn," Legolas said for the umpteenth time. "The king's foil will help them more than anything."

"Yes. But one battle and I have lost the Steward, the Steward's son, my brother, your sister, the White Lady of Rohan, and Merry."

"You have not lost them all to shadow, not yet. Gandalf will do everything in his power to help them." The Elf placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "You should relax."

The events of the past days had taken its visible toll on the future king of Gondor. "I know I should. I just can't seem to find it in my power to do so."

"Then find it in mine, Lord Aragorn." Ioreth, the formidable head healer rounded the corner into their conversation. "A dead king does us no good these days m'lord."

Aragorn suppressed a sigh. "I can seem to do no good wherever I go, no matter the condition I am in."

"That's nary the truth my lord!" Ioreth looked surprised. "Lord Faramir will be up and about in no time. Master Merriadoc is awake and being looked after by Master Peregrine, and Lord Durian has just suffered from blood loss and should be fine by the morrow. Lady Eowyn and Lady Elentàri though m'lord, they are far worse off." She hung her head. "Gandalf says Lady Eowyn will be better soon, but I fear he is still with Lady Elentàri."

Legolas turned a paler shade of white. "Will she live?"

"I cannot say. I fear-" she stopped. "But it is not my place. Gandalf is far more schooled than I in these matters."

"Tell us." The Elf demanded urgently. "What's the matter?"

"I fear that she is too far gone into the Shadowlands, m'lord. She lost a lot of blood, and the blade was embedded for some time. I fear...she may be a Wraith 'ere the night is through." With that, she bowed herself out of their company and fled.

"But she is Immortal. Certainly the power of the Shadowlands has no hold over your kind, or I have never heard so."

Legolas leaned against the cool stone of Minas Tirith. "More often than not, it doesn't. But Ari's is a special case."

"How so?" Aragorn sat himself on a stone bench near a low cut window.

"Ari is not quite Immortal." Her brother sighed. "And I fear that may be the cause of Gandalf's angst."

"Not quite---how come I have never heard of this?"

"It is a very dangerous secret in my family. If the court knew of it, they would throw her to the wolves. And father and I need her too much to keep up the defenses to let them do that. And she is our kin, no matter what the circumstances." He sighed. "It is a long tale, to be sure."

"As I am looking at it, we have nothing but time." Aragorn gestured down the hall. "No one seems to be waking yet."

"When I was young, my mother had a visitor that would come for a few weeks of every year, then disappear until the same time the next year. He was a man, a Ranger actually, with flaming red hair that used to remind me of the autumn leaves. One day he came, left that night, and was never heard from again. A year later, my mother gave birth to Elentàri. None of the nobles knew about the strife between my mother and the King, and applauded the birth of a princess to the hall. Only I and my brother truly knew that Ari was not our true sibling. My father couldn't stand to see my mother thrown out of the court, but could not bear her treason any longer. He forbade her to ever step outside the caverns again as her punishment. I remember seeing her standing at the entrances, just looking at the lush green world outside. She was a wood Elf, and being captive killed her. She wilted away, and no one was ever the wiser of Ari's heritage."

"Does she know?"

"Father told her when she turned 20. She ran away after that, but returned years later and never spoke of it again. I still don't recall ever hearing her say anything about it to this day."

Aragorn looked out the window behind him. "That is unfortunate. Gandalf will do everything he can Legolas, I know if anyone can save her, it will be he."

The Elf turned his face to the rising sun. "I know. But the Shadow still hangs heavy over the land. My soul does not rest easy knowing that."

"Then we shall have to fix it," Aragorn smiled, rising and stretching. "But for now, I suggest rest for the both of us."

Allowing himself to be led down the stone corridor to his room, Legolas stole one last look out of the stone window before leaving the Houses of Healing.