Chapter 5 - Guardian

Alana walked through Rivendell thinking. Aragorn's return to his childhood home had made her realise, how little direction her own life had. "I'll show them." She thought. "I'll show them all that they were wrong about me. I can make real decisions and stick by them, no matter what the outcome."
Alana wandered further and further away from the house, and deeper into the wood. Suddenly she heard voices. Unfamiliar voices. She quickly, she climbed the nearest tree and hid among the leaves, waiting for the owners of the voices, to appear. They suddenly stopped, and all that Alana could hear was the rustle of leaves on the forest floor as they neared her hiding place.
"She'll never come with us willingly." Said a deep voice. "She is very faithful to her people."
"Yes, I believe you are right." Said the second voice, it was high pitched and evil. "None of them know how truly valuable she is. The Guardian of all Middle Earth, and they don't even realise that the one they have been searching for is right under their noses."
"Who are they talking about?" Alana wondered. She became suddenly aware that the creatures were right underneath her. She looked down. Men. Strange men from the south, people of Harad. "What are they doing this far north?" She wondered.
"The blonde elf," the first voice asked, "is he a danger to our mission?"
The second man seemed to think for a moment. "No. He obviously loves her, but she doesn't realise. She is too obsessed with that human 'King', Aragorn. He is the real danger."
Alana suddenly realised who the men were talking about. It was her! Guardian of all Middle Earth. How could no one have realised this before? It was obvious to her now that she knew, she could see now, the similarities between herself and the stories of the Guardian in Rivendell.
The two men began to walk the way they had come. Alana climbed slowly out of the tree. She found it hard to comprehend the things that she had just witnessed. Why had the men been here? Were they here for her? Would they try to attack Rivendell? She turned back towards Rivendell and began to run home. Aragorn would need to hear this immediately.

"Aragorn, Aragorn!" Alana yelled, as she ran into the Great Hall. "Aragorn!"
"I'm in here." He called from a side room, which had belonged to the Lord Elrond. "Alana what is it?" He asked concerned when he saw her.
"Intruders!" She said, trying to catch her breath. "In the woods. They were men of Harad and they were here for me." Aragorn looked at her in amazement.
"You? Why?" He asked confused.
"Just answer me one question first." She requested, he nodded, confused. "Have you been searching for The Guardian of Middle Earth?" He looked at her, astonished.
"How did you know?" He asked quietly. "Who told you?"
"I told you just now!" She cried. "The men were here for her!"
"But I thought you said they were here for...you!" He said, suddenly realising what this meant. "You are the one for whom we've been searching! How did we not realise this before? All of the signs are there, your skill with the sword, your determination and courage, the amount of love and compassion that you show towards those you love, your protectiveness of them, your stubbornness, but most of all." He paused, hardly able to believe what he was saying. "The early signs of magic that you have displayed, your ability to recall events of the past, and your ability to use the mind voice."
"When have I recalled visions from the past?" She asked confused.
"When I arrived back at Rivendell 4 days ago, you were alone next to Elrond's waterfall. You were remembering our last meeting before you left, all those years ago. I saw the memory, I saw ghostly figures re- enacting that memory. Only you did not seem to realise what you were doing, or that they were even there."
She looked into his eyes. He was telling the truth, she could see it. She looked away. "This is all too much to comprehend." She whispered. "I can't be the one to look after this land. They have the wrong woman."
"No." He said softly, stroking her face. "They are right. I just don't know how we did not see this before." Alana looked deeply into his eyes. "He is going to kiss me!" She thought excitedly. Then the guilt set in.
"No Aragorn." She said. "Don't do this, to me, to yourself. You were right before. We can never be together again like we were. "You love Arwen, and as much as it pains me, I cannot let you throw it all away. Not for me. I would break your heart, and you would break hers." Alana gently pulled his hand from her face. "Now leave me be." She said. And walked from the room.
"Namarie" He whispered to the empty room. "Namarie my Love"