The Wrong One
By Nefhiriel
A/N: Well, somehow I miscounted my chapters, and only just realized that I have 23 chapters instead of 24. Sorry about the mix-up : b This is the last chapter, but there is an epilogue left.
I also apologize for the lateness of this post. I DO have an excuse! My father had surgery this week(it ended up being more complicated than we first though it would be), and the same day he had surgery we started redoing some of the floors in our house, and then yesterday we were gone all day. Do I need to whine further, or do you get the point? LOL. Anyways, I'm sorry it took longer than I thought it would.
See first chapter for disclaimers. Reviewer responses at the end.
Chapter 23: In a Heart-beat
Aragorn sighed and burrowed further under the covers. After much debate and argument, he had finally convinced Elrond and the twins that they could safely leave him for several hours.
He was sore from his wound, tired and still blind, but he could honestly say that he was content. It had been three days since his return to Rivendell, and in that time he'd come to grips with his new condition. He realized that, somehow, during all the excitement of the last weeks he'd risen unconsciously to a new level of peace in the matter. Yes, somehow Ilúlvatar had worked out even those horrible days for the ultimate good.
If only his family and Legolas could see that.
Strange as it was, they seemed to regret his condition even more then he did. Even Elrond acted as if he refused to believe that he could be blind for life. For their sakes, if not for his own, he would continue to let their hope go unmarred by his own resignation. And he was resigned to it, peacefully resigned.
There was the nagging longing the back of his mind, the desire to draw his sword once more and fight… He would miss his sight, but already he was learning to hone his hearing in such a way as to be useful, at least. Every time his spirits lagged back into melancholy or morose ways of thinking he would remind himself of that: he was learning to be useful. He could still jump in front of arrows, couldn't he? He smiled faintly in the dark. And he could still love and be loved by his family and his friends. The important things still remained unchanged.
He let his eyes drift shut, with these last happy thoughts soothing him into a satisfying sleep.
After what must have been hours, he woke up. Slowly opening his eyes, he prepared himself for the usual morbid, ubiquitous blackness that he knew awaited him.
Only blackness didn't await him.
Grey light.
He blinked twice in disbelief, but every time he opened his eyes it was to the same grey light. His vision sharpened into an even lighter grey, then transformed into a dull brightness.
For the first time in over half a month, Aragorn was able to look around the room.
He lay there for some minutes, trying to comprehend what had just happened. Each moment his thoughts, as well as his vision, became clearer. Then the full force of it hit him, and he suddenly pulled back the covers and sat up.
It was a bad move.
Groaning and clutching his side, he was forced to lay back down until the wound decided to cooperate once more. Then he sat up again, slowly easing himself upward. And it worked this time―until he reached a full upright position. His newly-restored vision wavered, as did his decision to attempt rising. But, as usual, he ignored the suggestions that common sense advised and continued in his daring defiance of gravity. He noted, with gratitude, that he had his sleeping trousers and a long, loose shirt on. At the moment, even thinking about attempting to get dressed made him feel weary.
Victorious, and ludicrously weak, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and made it to his feet.
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Moranuen watched Dagron. He had a nagging suspicious that the human was up to something. For over an hour, now, the human had sat still, back turned to him, saying absolutely nothing. His silence, in particular, was disconcerting.
"Moranuen?"
He spun around to face Glamdil.
"Moranuen," Glamdil said again, "Lord Elrond requests that the prisoner be brought to him. I'm here to help you escort him―are you ready?"
"Am I ready?!" Moranuen said, not disguising the foul mood he was in.
Glamdil looked from Dagron to Moranuen.
"Just how did you get stuck with him for a second time?"
"It's a long story… In short: Wrong place. Wrong time. Slow reflexes."
"And incredible back luck, mellon-nín." Glamdil said, half pity, half amusement shining in his golden-brown eyes.
"Something like that, yes."
"But come." Glamdil looked pointedly at Dagron and put a hand on Moranuen's shoulder , "Let us not keep Lord Elrond waiting."
Eagerly getting to his feet and unceremoniously motioning Dagron to rise, Moranuen walked closely at Dagron's side and kept a watchful eye on him. Glamdil came up along Dagron's other side, and they left the room. Shuffling moodily between them, Dagron seemed just as dark and sullen as ever. But if one of the elves had bothered to look closely into his eyes, they would have seen a sinister gleam.
Dagron was indeed up to something.
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Still keeping his arm protectively over his wounded side, Aragorn refused to give up. Moving across the room at a painstakingly slow pace, he finally reached the doorway. Here he paused to lean heavily on the doorway and catch his breath. Eru! When had gotten so weak?
Perhaps it happened sometime between when you were being refused sleep for two weeks, and the time you got shot?
The ironic voice in his head couldn't refuse the chance to have an input in the conversation. Ignoring the voice and the urge to roll his eyes, he poked his head out into the hall, still not relinquishing his leaning position against the door. He groaned. Why was it that suddenly the hallway looked longer than ever before?
It's not like someone is forcing you to leave your room.
This time he really did roll his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out into the hall. Or rather crawled out. Supporting himself against the wall, he pulled himself up and began to move forward, grateful that, for whatever reason, the halls were completely empty.
He had already gone several steps forward, when the voice decided it was time, once more, to dispute his reasons for such idiotic procedures.
And just where are you going?
Searching for a reason suitable to explain his irrational reasons for wandering the halls, he heard the sound of voices coming from, he guessed, Elrond's study. He could hear the clear voice of either Elladan or Elrohir raised in anger, and then the mellow voice of Elrond, interrupting sternly.
Aragorn directed his steps toward the study, now able to pick up his pace as curiosity, and concern, pressed him on.
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"Please, tell us exactly why you joined yourself with Acharndil? We cannot pass judgment unless we have all the facts." Elrond calmly continued to question Dagron, despite the many malicious interruptions the prisoner had already made.
"Judgment? What, you mean you elves actually care about what we did to the ranger? I thought you elves didn't care about what 'append to humans. And why anyone would care about such a weak, pitiful—" Dagron was cut off abruptly.
"You've already told us your worthless option of my brother!" Elladan was only restrained from throttling the human by Elrohir's hand upon his shoulder. "Estel is neither weak, pitiful, or any of the things you say. You would never have survived half the cruelties that you inflicted upon him!" his lowered voice held deadly hatred, "You would do well not to talk about your betters in such a way."
"Ion-nín…" Elrond warned his son.
"No Ada, I can't—I won't—stand by while this animal talks about Estel like that!" Elladan exclaimed passionately, "If he has a death wish, then by the Valar I'll give him what he deserves. I swore that he'd pay."
"Elladan." this time Elrond said his name in a tone that was not to be ignored, "Elladan, contain yourself. We must learn all we can before we turn Dagron the other men over to the men of Strayton." than he turned to Dagron, "As you can see, it will go much better with you if you cooperate with me. I can only be merciful if you are repentant of your crimes."
"Repent?!" Dagron practically spat in the elf lord's face, "Repent of my 'crimes'? I will do no such thing. And I will not be subjected to your 'judgment' or your 'mercy', elf."
Then two things happened, and in such rapid succession, that none of the elves had time to realize what had occurred, much less immediately react.
Dagron ripped his arm from the hold of Moranuen and ran for the door. At precisely the same moment as he was trying to exit, Aragorn appeared in the doorway. Dagron swung his fist at the ranger, expecting to have his 'blind' and weakened opponent at a disadvantage. With reflexes born of many years among the elves, Aragorn saw the fist coming, ducked, and at the same time slammed his own fist into the pit of Dagron's stomach. Dagron reeled backwards and crumpled the ground, moaning in pain as both Glamdil and Moranuen grabbed his arms.
In the doorway, Aragorn looked up to see four open-mouthed elves, gaping at him. His silver eyes met each of theirs.
"You can see!" Elrohir cried, eyes still wide with amazement.
"Oh, so you noticed, then?" Aragorn's mouth curved into a grin.
"But how? When?" too excited to give his brother a chance to speak, Elladan didn't pause, "Oh, Estel! I was so afraid that you would never see again!"
Legolas' blue eyes shone with happiness as Aragorn stepped forward into the room.
"Glamdil, Moranuen," Elrond spoke rapidly to the two elves, "would you take care of Dagron?"
Nodding their understanding, the two elves left the room, towing the still-groaning human between them.
Aragorn, standing in the middle of the room, was now beginning to feel the after-effects of his long journey down the hall, and his 'run-in' with Dagron. He was also realizing for the first time, just how little warmth his thin undershirt gave against the cold autumn air. As the magic of adrenaline quit working, he found himself trembling slightly.
The twins, Legolas and Elrond quit smiling. Legolas and Elladan were immediately at his side, offering him support which he tried, of course, to refuse. He might have succeeded, if only his legs hadn't chosen that moment to collapse out from under him. After catching him, Legolas and Elladan, with Elrohir joining them, began to alternately scold and voice their concern.
"Estel, what in the name of Eru do you think you're doing?!" Elladan gently pulled Aragorn's right arm over his shoulder.
"You're shaking, muindor!" Elrohir draped a cloak over his brother's shoulders.
"Reckless human!" Legolas said from Aragorn's left as he tenderly supported his friend from the other side. "Are you trying to kill yourself?! You're not half healed and yet you insist on getting out of bed already!"
"Enough, you three." Elrond came to the young human's defense, motioning the three of them down the hall to Aragorn's room, "You can make sure he pays for his crime after he's recovered from whatever damage his latest recklessness may have caused."
Forcing the ranger to let them support most of his weight, Legolas and Elladan almost carried him down the hall, with Elrohir hovering close behind them. They lowered him to the bed and stood close by as Elrond reexamined his wound.
"Well, ion-nín, you have inexplicably escaped without breaking any more stitches."
Elrond pulled the covers over the still lightly shaking human and then reached forward to rest his hand on the side of his face. Aragorn could see tears of joy glistened in his profound and ancient eyes.
"Estel?" Elladan's indignant voice came slicing abruptly into the touching scene. "You haven't been listening to a word any of have been saying, have you?!"
"Hmm?" as eyes began to fall shut, Aragorn muttered a non-committal grunt of acknowledgment.
"Promise us, reckless human, that you will never do something like that again?" Legolas demanded.
"Yes, Estel, you could at lest promise you'll say in bed for a week or so!" Elrohir added his own comments from the foot of the bed.
Aragorn's only reply was a smile.
The End….Well not quite - hang on for a final epilogue : )
Reviewer responses:
elvingirl3737: Keep the gerbil's cage out of the sun…(hears sizzling sound and whips around to see gerbil cooking out on the porch) Oops, you meant for me to KEEP the little guy… (grins sheepishly) Hmm, well, my Dad's a doctor, let's see what he can do for him (I've been meaning to get revenge on him for various…incidents…eg),LOL. Thank you, I'm so glad you liked the part where he woke up…I spent a lot of time writing it : b Hannon le, mellon-nín!
Erulasse: LOL, as you can see, Estel would NEVER let that creep escape : ) Hehehe, glad you liked the part with Legolas : ) Hmm, that is interesting (that Britain's first policewoman was recruited in 1914). I can't decide whether I'd thought it would have been earlier than that, or more recently : ) Anyways, I've just got to take this opportunity to say it again – I'm really enjoying reading your story! Thank you SO much for the review : D
sielge: Well, Estel can actually SEE now! (g) Thanks for reviewing!
Tinorial Peredhil: Grr…Yes, this website was being VERY frustrating : b I uploaded the last chapter in-between one of the times it was down – and then I couldn't get any reviews for awhile because it was down again! (sob) LOL, while I was writing that scene with Estel waking up, I realized that in a semi-conscious state it might be kind of hard to figure out whether or not your eyes were open if you were blind : ) Hehehe…What kind of writing privileges do I think I have? Why, a fanfiction writer's privileges, mellon-nín, LOL, which means I can do whatever I want to characters. (eg) Oh yeah, I think Elladan and Elrohir would feel much better if Estel would just stay indoors and play it safe… (snort) Like THAT'S ever going to happen. You're a GENIOUS, mellon-nín! You just gave me the most wonderful idea for my upcoming story when you mention how amusing the twins might be if they were really tired… (Elladan and Elrohir glare at Tinorial) "Why oh why did you have to give HER that idea?" LOL. Aww…Poor Guard, being drug along on a "field-trip" to Mordor… (g)You're right, though, he does seem to be incredibly clueless… not to mention paranoid. I mean, REALLY, this is Mordor, what could there POSSIBLY be to be afraid of????? Well GTG…Hannon le, mellon-nín!
HarryEstel: Hehehe, I suppose we are all evil on some level… (eg) Nope, bad-guys just never know when to quit, LOL. (sticks tongue out at website) Grr…I sure hope it stays up for a while now… : b Thank you so much!
Hyperactive Forever: LOL, I think your Kamikaze Death Birds of Doom are keeping Acharndil from coming back to reap his revenge…or maybe it's the Rabid Hair-Eating Beavers (g) Yup, you just keep standing out there in front of Rivendell with your…creatures, and keep Acharndil at bay ; ) Hehehe, it sounds like you're a Elladan-angst fan (or is that just the sadistic part of you?). Well, I can't promise you any now, but maybe in one of my upcoming stories (I'm actually working on one that stars the twins and Elrond, so maybe then). Anyways…Thanks for the review!
Mornflower: (huggles) I missed you, madness mayhem and all!!! LOL, well, it would seem you were gone far too long - the characters are pretty scary when they get bored… Once again you have managed to get this ridiculous picture of Aragorn, Legolas and the twins doing each others hair stuck in my head. How on earth do you expect an author to write angst with THAT kind of image of the characters? LOL. I think I'll right a few humor vignettes next… Hannon le, mellon-nín!
crazyAZNkid: Well, I hope this chapter answered your question about dénouement, and where my story was going—I was trying to build the climax up to the point where Estel got his sight back. As to why my story isn't on the MC site… Well, to be quite honest, I wasn't sure if it was good enough. This is my first "real" attempt at a LotR story. These last few months of posting have been full of first-time experiences (I've never written a battle scene, any serious angst—I haven't even done a multiple chapter story before this!) So, in short, I really just haven't worked up the courage to submit it… Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter : ) Oh, and I'm sorry I didn't get it up sooner… um, just put that dagger away now, there's a good reviewer. Keep in mind that dead and/or severely wounded authors don't tend to write a whole lot…
Naesse: This website has been being very frustrating, hasn't it? Grr…well, I'm glad everything's up and working…for now at least! (g) Glad you liked the chapter! Thank you SO much for reviewing!
jacquelinestel: ROTFL! From the moment you handed Legolas a pair of felt boots… Hehehe, I just knew what you were going to have him dress up as (snort) That reminds me of the time Imbecamiel and I when dressed up as elves ("real" elves) to see TTT on opening night. There was another person dressed up as a "North Pole elf"(he was there to advertise for another upcoming movie). Of course, Imbecamiel and I HAD to give him a hard time, telling him "We are of the free peoples of Middle Earth, not Santa's slaves." Hehe, we had a very… interesting conversation about whether or not "north pole elves" were indeed slaves : ) LOL, thank you so much for reviewing, mellon-nin!
EverKitsune: LOL, yes, I definitely agree, Rivendell (and Middle Earth in general) just wouldn't be the same without Mora. I certainly consider him a permanent part of LOTR. Hehehe, actually, I do know exactly how much a review can mean – it's not like I'm some amazing author who's above craving feedback ; ) If you're having a lot of trouble with getting your story edited, you might want to search around for a beta to help. (sighs and pats EK on shoulder) I know exactly what you mean about having trouble getting the chapters ready in time…I'm not even writing my chapters as I post (I write the entire story first), and I'm still having a hard time doing a final edit and writing responses in time to post! Well, I'm looking forward to reading your next chapter : D But I must warn you, my e-mail isn't cooperating with me right now, and it doesn't always send me alerts : b So if I don't seem to be reviewing, feel free to drop me an e-mail (you can find my adress in my bio), telling me that you've posted your next chapter. Thank you, mellon-nín, for the review!
Lizzie Blakeney: (g) I'm so glad you're liking it! Thank you!
Troubles8806: Oh yes, of course I've missed your reviews! Really I have! But I just can't go around sending reviewers e-mails begging them to review, some people might think I was being…pushy, LOL. But I'm really glad to hear from you again : D Grr…I know how annoying computers can be. I'm blessed to have a brand-new Dell with DSL – so I don't have too many problems ; ) LOL, I am SO glad you liked the part with Glamdil talking to Elrond! I had a lot of fun writing that part, and I was really hoping people would enjoy reading it. (snort) I think everyone was a bit surprised when Legolas tripped! Hehehe, those were great guesses – they both (sort of) happened in this chapter : ) My Thanksgiving was very relaxing. Usually we have all our relatives over to our house, but they've been having some family problems, so it was just our family this time. But, like I said, it was very relaxing! Thanks for asking : ) How was your Thanksgiving, and what are your plans for Christmas? Yikes – look at me ramble : b Sorry for the length, but I have one more question… You suggest in your bio that you might write something soon? I know I'm being rather nosy…but I was just wondering: do you have anything planned? Thanks for the review!
elitenschwein: Hehehe, glad you liked it : ) Yeah, those stupid villains never know when to give up, do they? But, as you already read, Aragorn would never let that creep escape, LOL. I'm glad you think I do the humor well! Thank you so much, mellon-nín!
Celebdil-Galad and Tinlaure: Hi! (blushes) I'm so glad to have both of your opinions on my story – and relieved to hear that you like it : D Of course I wouldn't let Dagron hurt anyone, LOL, or rather Estel wouldn't. Hehehe, that's the wonderful thing about having other authors review your stories – they're so understanding! (we all know that intolerable craving for feedback ; ) Anyways, when I got your review I was really tired and stressed out…It was so nice to come home from a long day and find your encouraging review waiting. (huggles) Thank you SO much for reviewing!
annika: Once more you just made my week with your encouraging review! I'm SO glad you're liking it : D Thank you for reviewing!
A special thanks to gildedsunshine and Celebdil-Galad and Tinlaure for adding me to their author alerts!
OK, well, one more post left! The epilogue might not be up until Wednesday or later. It will be called… "Epilogue" - got any guesses as to what it might be about? LOL.
- Nefhiriel
Vice President and Co-founder of the SNWCG & member of the F.F.F.F.F