Chapter Sixteen – Unearthly Intervention

"Boo!" said a voice behind them, causing both girls to scream and turn around.

There, stood the translucent, yet ever-groovy, form of Gabriel.

"How you guys holding up?" he asked, smiling.

The girls stood, open mouthed, staring at him. Jenna found her voice first.

"Gabe? What are you doing here? Are you responsible for that?" she demanded, pointing at the lifeless Darayne and Aragorn.

"What, lifeless one and motionless two?" he said. Estriel chuckled.

"Es!"

"Sorry, but it is kinda funny…"

"Why did you freeze them?" asked Jenna petulantly. "Are they going to still be all, y'know, grrrrrr, when you wake them up?"

"Yes- but I had to stop them…and you."

Gabriel leaned casually against a tree.

"Why?" Asked Es, confused.

"Well, if they fight, you die."

Es looked majorly freaked out.

"WHAT?"

There was an 'explain-now-or-face-your-doom' look on Es's face, echoed by the look on Jenna's.

"Well, if you don't interfere now, then Aragorn and Darayne will duel and one of them, by accident, will mortally wound Estriel. You must stop them from fighting- if Aragorn draws his sword, you are doomed."

Both girls looked wide eyed at him.

"So I stopped them so you would know…" Explained Gabe slowly, trying to get them to see the point and move on from the whole 'Es dying' thing.

"Oh…Right…" Jenna worked it out.

"Thanks, Gabe!" said Estriel, smiling at his beauty.

"So…are you planning to unfreeze them any time soon?" asked Jenna, looking nervously at Darayne.

"Sure," replied the angel. "But you have to be prepared. I suggest you quickly and efficiently perfect your course of action, and then I'll unfreeze them and you can stop Aragorn from killing you!"

"Ok…" said Jenna, thoughtfully. "How about I jump in front of him, distract him, and meanwhile Estriel can be cunningly stealing his sword…What do you say?" she asked the two of them.

"Ok…" said Gabriel. "It's not exactly what I had in mind…but, if it works…far out!"

"Ok," said Es, getting ready. "But, Jen, make this a good distraction, okay?"

The girls got in position, Estriel right behind Aragorn, ready to act, Jenna standing anxiously next to both men, wandering what to do.

"Okay…on three I'll unfreeze him…ready?"

Jenna nodded quickly, paling slightly. Estriel gave him a thumbs up, hoping that she'd come up with something good … oh, and that she wouldn't die.

"One, two…three!" said Gabriel, vanishing as the figures came back to life.

Aragorn's hand was poised directly above his sword, making it impossible for Estriel to get at it unless it moved. Jenna noticed this, and, in desperation, came up with a plan.

"Aragorn, wait!" she yelled, flinging herself at him. "I have to tell you something…!"

He looked puzzled, but, still his hand remained.

"I…I…I love you!"

This was enough to cause not just Aragorn to move, but Estriel and Darayne to step away in shock.

"What?" yelled Aragorn.

"What?" said Darayne, quietly.

"Hee hee…" chuckled Estriel.

Jenna launched herself at the poor, poor, Ranger, who had to move his hand in order to fend her off.

Success.

Estriel grabbed his sword, and, still laughing quietly, ran away with it.

Aragorn put his hand to his scabbard, and, realising (yet not quite understanding) that his sword was gone, resorted to the nearest weapon at hand – the hairbrush. He began waving it defensively at the girl, clinging to one of his legs, and muttering something which sounded like, "Arwen hasn't got a patch on me!"

At this point, Estriel reappeared, minus sword, and gave Jenna the thumbs up.

Jenna stopped whimpering, got up, brushed herself off, and then announced, rather casually,

"I've changed my mind. You clearly don't love me. I feel you're an elf-type man. Call me."

Aragorn looked even more astounded than he had before, and stopped brandishing the hairbrush. Estriel walked over, took it out of his hand, and began brushing her hair with it.

Jenna, meanwhile, smiled sweetly at Darayne, who was looking tortured confused and as though he needed to sit down with a nice cup of tea. Or the ranger equivalent.

"Darayne, can I see your sword for a second?" she asked, he obliged unwittingly, and looked puzzled when Jenna ran off, screaming,

"I've got his sword, I've got his sword!"

Now that both men were successfully disarmed, Estriel stepped forward, grinning.

"So, how does it feel to be disarmed by two maidens?" she asked, smiling.

"And an angel," coughed Jenna, from behind a bush…somewhere.

"My sword!" cried Aragorn, looking worried.

"Let's all calm down," said Jenna, returning.

"We need to talk this over," said Estriel. "Let's all sit down."

The men, rubbing their heads, did not object. After all, the women, for once, had the advantage.

"So," began Estriel. "Why exactly do you want to rip each other's throats out?"

Nothing.

"So," tried Jenna. "Darayne, care to share?"

Apparently not.

"Okay, listen up!" said Estriel. "You're gonna talk, and you're gonna talk now! If you don't want to help yourselves, fine, but give us something to work with people! Otherwise…Otherwise…"

"We won't give your swords back, and they'll get all…rusty," said Jenna, savouring the last word.

Aragorn sighed.

"Darayne is my cousin," he revealed.

Jenna looked distressed.

"Younger cousin," clarified Estriel. "Doesn't that make Darayne a future prince?"

Aragorn looked wary.

"How do you know this?"

"We're magical beings," nodded Jenna, blithely.

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