Hey, back with chapter 5. Thanks again to everyone who's been reviewing, I'm so pleased you guys like this. PS: Try not to hate Thranduil too much, okay? Cheers. I still don't own anything other than the original characters.
***
When Thranduil and Legolas left the clearing, Aragorn was surrounded almost immediately by a group of Elves who stood close enough to force him to move but maintained enough distance so that they were not obliged to touch him. He asked them in their own tongue what was happening but was ignored. The Elves began to move, leading Aragorn away from the clearing in another direction, opposite to the one that Thranduil and Legolas had taken. Aragorn resisted, looking back over his shoulder, turning within the circle of elven warriors.
One of the tallest there, a fair, stern-faced elf who would have been at home among the archers of the Galadhrim of Lothlorien reached out a hand and pushed Aragorn gently but firmly in the direction they wished him to take. Aragorn struggled against the Elf's hand for a moment and then gave in, allowing himself to be taken away.
Aragon was taken to a building of stone. It seemed oddly incongruous in the midst of the nature that surrounded them but on consideration, Aragorn realised his mild surprise at seeing it was unfounded. There would be very little that would make an Elf of the woodland realm harm the trees with which they shared their land and constructing a dwelling would be nowhere near a good enough reason. Aragorn was led through the stone hall and up a flight of steps hewn from rock that glimmered in the light of flaming torches that adorned the walls. A door before them was guarded by a tall elf with dark hair and pale blue eyes. The elf who had laid his hand upon Aragorn's back leaned forward and spoke quietly to the guard. The door was opened and Aragorn was ushered inside.
The door closed behind him and Aragorn found himself alone in the room. He looked around briefly, taking in the torches on the wall, their ruddy light dancing across the stone table and chairs wrought of reeds. Upon the walls hung rich tapestries, depicting scenes of the forest outside. At the far end of the room, away from where Aragorn had been left was another door of stone, overlaid with metal that shone red and gold in the torchlight. Aragorn crossed the room to the door and laid his hand upon it, pushing gently. It swung open without a sound, revealing a bedchamber with two windows set into the stone walls. Aragorn hurried over to the windows and looked out. Beneath him, he could see Elves passing to and fro. There would be no escape from these windows.
He hurried back to the first room and over to the door which he had entered through. Holding his breath, he listened carefully. Outside the door, he could hear Elves speaking quietly in the woodland tongue. Their speech was too quiet for Aragorn to distinguish individual words but close enough to let him know that he could not leave through that door without being discovered.
Frustrated and annoyed, Aragorn turned away from the door and paced back and forth through the room. Forcing himself to be calm, he took several deep breaths and went through the two rooms again, running his hands over the walls, looking for any weak spots. Finding nothing, he turned back to the door again, his hand straying to the dagger at his calf. Loosing it from its sheath stealthily, he approached the door, weighing his footsteps quietly.
As soon as Aragorn stretched his hand out towards the door, it swung open as though of its own volition. Thranduil filled the doorframe, glaring at Aragorn. The ranger was shocked. He had not even heard the king approach.
"Sheath your knife, human," Thranduil ordered. "If I wished to do you physical harm, I could have done it long before."
"Your behaviour towards me does not instil me with confidence in your character, my liege," Aragorn said as the Elf King closed the door behind himself, "but this is your kingdom and I will succumb to your will in this matter."
"Most gracious," Thranduil nodded. "Sit," he said, nodding to one of the chairs and lowering himself into one.
Aragorn sat warily, not resting his full weight on the chair, ready to spring for freedom at any moment.
"You know why you are here," Thranduil stated baldly.
"I do not," Aragorn countered. "I entered your land accidentally and I have apologised and willingly departed. Yet I now find myself back here again. The first time I entered Mirkwood it was against your will, this time it is against mine."
"Ah, but it is my will this time, son of Arathorn," Thranduil said, his eyes cold and angry in his grave face. "It is my will that you pay for what you have done. Do not think me cruel. We Elves are not cruel to our prisoners and we give fair trials."
"And what crime, exactly, am I thought to have committed?" Aragorn asked, keeping his voice level despite the anger and resentment bubbling inside him.
"It is charged that you did take from Mirkwood, against his will, Prince Legolas of this Kingdom. My son. You will answer these charges at a trial in the near future. But now, Aragorn, I think I would like to hear the answers myself. Why did you do this?"
"I can not answer you," Aragorn said. "I can not give a reason for a crime I did not commit."
"My son is dear to me, Aragorn," Thranduil said honestly.
"As all sons are to their fathers," Aragorn nodded.
"Do you know of this? Have you an heir?"
"I do not," Aragorn admitted. "But my foster father's love for Elladan and Elrohir has surpassed anything that I have known."
"Indeed," Thranduil said, nodding slowly, "and his love for you is no less than that he feels for his children. He sees you as worthy of his love and respect, Aragorn. How does it feel to know that you have betrayed the trust of one who so loves you?"
"I have betrayed nobody's trust," Aragorn insisted. "I have not committed the acts of which you accuse me. I left Mirkwood alone and alone I intended to stay. Your son found me, not the other way around."
"What think you of my son, Aragorn?" Thranduil demanded suddenly.
Aragorn stared at the King for a long moment before he spoke, his mind working quickly to find an answer that was both safe and honest.
"I think that he is a fine warrior with a compassionate heart who understands little of the world outside his own land and nothing of the hearts of men."
"It was this lack of understanding you sought to use, was it not?" Thranduil asked. "That is what you thought you could twist to your own ends and corrupt. Indeed, he is compassionate and indeed, he sees the best in every living creature. Even when there is no goodness present in them."
Aragorn sat silently, absorbing the King's words. The two sat quietly for a time, Thranduil staring at Aragorn expectantly, waiting for a reply.
"Ask your son," Aragorn said at last. "Ask him if he was with me against his will. Ask him if I knew that he had followed me. I am confident that his words will clear me of any wrongdoing in this matter and all will be resolved."
"I have asked him already," Thranduil said.
"What does he say?"
"He denies that you took him away," Thranduil admitted.
"Why then, am I still being held? Why is the word of your own son, whom you clearly love, not enough to free me?" Aragorn demanded.
"His words are not enough, human, because I do not believe them. I have talked with you a short while and already I sense some of the power in your voice. You speak well, son of Arathorn. With what words did you lay the spell upon my son that caused him to follow that which he feared to look upon?"
"He feared to - my liege, I fear that you have underestimated your son. He does not fear the unknown." The quiet emphasis which Aragorn laid upon 'he' was enough to anger the king.
"Make no mistake, Aragorn. I do not fear you. I do not fear humans and their deeds. I only know them to be weak and through their weakness, foolish." Thranduil's voice lowered. "The foolishness of man has been the downfall of many, has it not?"
There was no doubt in Aragorn's mind as to what Thranduil referred to. The son of Kings felt his jaw tighten as he met the Elven King's gaze evenly.
"Isildur's weakness has cost much," he agreed, "and many have paid the price for what he did. Some, like myself, continue to pay it; have ever paid it; will ever pay it."
"Pay?" Thranduil spat. "How do you think you pay, son of man? My kingdom lost its finest warriors and all for naught. Nay, you do not pay. You do not begin to pay."
"I pay, my Lord," Aragorn said tightly. "I pay every day of my life in which I walk alone through the wilderness. I pay for the sins of a man I have never met. I was happy in Rivendell, happy to run with my brothers although they beat me every time, happy to feel love grow between myself and the fairest elf-maid I have ever seen. I turned away from that. I turned away from bliss and peace once I knew of my heritage. I turned away from all that made me smile, all that lightened my heart because I feared that my own blood's impurities would taint those I loved." Aragorn took a steadying breath. "So do not tell me, my liege, that I have not paid. I believe that it is you who does not know the meaning of the word."
"You speak as though your life has been a noble penance," Thranduil said. "It has been nothing more than a just punishment."
Thranduil swept from the room, leaving the door open behind him. Before Aragorn was halfway there, his arms were seized by two Elves. Bitterly, he fought against them but his strength was not a match for theirs and they removed his sword from his waist and, at a nod from Thranduil, the dagger from its sheath at his calf. Against the removal of his sword, Aragorn fought harder than ever, crying out in a masterful voice that startled all who heard it.
"Anduril!" he cried. "Anduril! Anduril!" It was all to no avail. The Elves, although surprised at the power in his voice, recovered quickly and bore away his weapons. "My sword cut the ring from Sauron's hand many years ago," Aragorn said, his voice low and deadly. "It is the sword that was broken and reforged and I will see it returned."
"If my son is found to be free of any devilry, then you shall indeed see your sword returned with my humblest apologies," Thranduil said in a cool tone that made it utterly clear he could not envisage such a thing happening. "For now, though, you are a prisoner of my kingdom and your weapons will be in the care of someone more trustworthy than yourself."
With that, Thranduil turned and left, his robes billowing behind him. Aragorn caught one last glimpse of the Elven King and was filled with anger before he was lead away.
***
tbc
***
When Thranduil and Legolas left the clearing, Aragorn was surrounded almost immediately by a group of Elves who stood close enough to force him to move but maintained enough distance so that they were not obliged to touch him. He asked them in their own tongue what was happening but was ignored. The Elves began to move, leading Aragorn away from the clearing in another direction, opposite to the one that Thranduil and Legolas had taken. Aragorn resisted, looking back over his shoulder, turning within the circle of elven warriors.
One of the tallest there, a fair, stern-faced elf who would have been at home among the archers of the Galadhrim of Lothlorien reached out a hand and pushed Aragorn gently but firmly in the direction they wished him to take. Aragorn struggled against the Elf's hand for a moment and then gave in, allowing himself to be taken away.
Aragon was taken to a building of stone. It seemed oddly incongruous in the midst of the nature that surrounded them but on consideration, Aragorn realised his mild surprise at seeing it was unfounded. There would be very little that would make an Elf of the woodland realm harm the trees with which they shared their land and constructing a dwelling would be nowhere near a good enough reason. Aragorn was led through the stone hall and up a flight of steps hewn from rock that glimmered in the light of flaming torches that adorned the walls. A door before them was guarded by a tall elf with dark hair and pale blue eyes. The elf who had laid his hand upon Aragorn's back leaned forward and spoke quietly to the guard. The door was opened and Aragorn was ushered inside.
The door closed behind him and Aragorn found himself alone in the room. He looked around briefly, taking in the torches on the wall, their ruddy light dancing across the stone table and chairs wrought of reeds. Upon the walls hung rich tapestries, depicting scenes of the forest outside. At the far end of the room, away from where Aragorn had been left was another door of stone, overlaid with metal that shone red and gold in the torchlight. Aragorn crossed the room to the door and laid his hand upon it, pushing gently. It swung open without a sound, revealing a bedchamber with two windows set into the stone walls. Aragorn hurried over to the windows and looked out. Beneath him, he could see Elves passing to and fro. There would be no escape from these windows.
He hurried back to the first room and over to the door which he had entered through. Holding his breath, he listened carefully. Outside the door, he could hear Elves speaking quietly in the woodland tongue. Their speech was too quiet for Aragorn to distinguish individual words but close enough to let him know that he could not leave through that door without being discovered.
Frustrated and annoyed, Aragorn turned away from the door and paced back and forth through the room. Forcing himself to be calm, he took several deep breaths and went through the two rooms again, running his hands over the walls, looking for any weak spots. Finding nothing, he turned back to the door again, his hand straying to the dagger at his calf. Loosing it from its sheath stealthily, he approached the door, weighing his footsteps quietly.
As soon as Aragorn stretched his hand out towards the door, it swung open as though of its own volition. Thranduil filled the doorframe, glaring at Aragorn. The ranger was shocked. He had not even heard the king approach.
"Sheath your knife, human," Thranduil ordered. "If I wished to do you physical harm, I could have done it long before."
"Your behaviour towards me does not instil me with confidence in your character, my liege," Aragorn said as the Elf King closed the door behind himself, "but this is your kingdom and I will succumb to your will in this matter."
"Most gracious," Thranduil nodded. "Sit," he said, nodding to one of the chairs and lowering himself into one.
Aragorn sat warily, not resting his full weight on the chair, ready to spring for freedom at any moment.
"You know why you are here," Thranduil stated baldly.
"I do not," Aragorn countered. "I entered your land accidentally and I have apologised and willingly departed. Yet I now find myself back here again. The first time I entered Mirkwood it was against your will, this time it is against mine."
"Ah, but it is my will this time, son of Arathorn," Thranduil said, his eyes cold and angry in his grave face. "It is my will that you pay for what you have done. Do not think me cruel. We Elves are not cruel to our prisoners and we give fair trials."
"And what crime, exactly, am I thought to have committed?" Aragorn asked, keeping his voice level despite the anger and resentment bubbling inside him.
"It is charged that you did take from Mirkwood, against his will, Prince Legolas of this Kingdom. My son. You will answer these charges at a trial in the near future. But now, Aragorn, I think I would like to hear the answers myself. Why did you do this?"
"I can not answer you," Aragorn said. "I can not give a reason for a crime I did not commit."
"My son is dear to me, Aragorn," Thranduil said honestly.
"As all sons are to their fathers," Aragorn nodded.
"Do you know of this? Have you an heir?"
"I do not," Aragorn admitted. "But my foster father's love for Elladan and Elrohir has surpassed anything that I have known."
"Indeed," Thranduil said, nodding slowly, "and his love for you is no less than that he feels for his children. He sees you as worthy of his love and respect, Aragorn. How does it feel to know that you have betrayed the trust of one who so loves you?"
"I have betrayed nobody's trust," Aragorn insisted. "I have not committed the acts of which you accuse me. I left Mirkwood alone and alone I intended to stay. Your son found me, not the other way around."
"What think you of my son, Aragorn?" Thranduil demanded suddenly.
Aragorn stared at the King for a long moment before he spoke, his mind working quickly to find an answer that was both safe and honest.
"I think that he is a fine warrior with a compassionate heart who understands little of the world outside his own land and nothing of the hearts of men."
"It was this lack of understanding you sought to use, was it not?" Thranduil asked. "That is what you thought you could twist to your own ends and corrupt. Indeed, he is compassionate and indeed, he sees the best in every living creature. Even when there is no goodness present in them."
Aragorn sat silently, absorbing the King's words. The two sat quietly for a time, Thranduil staring at Aragorn expectantly, waiting for a reply.
"Ask your son," Aragorn said at last. "Ask him if he was with me against his will. Ask him if I knew that he had followed me. I am confident that his words will clear me of any wrongdoing in this matter and all will be resolved."
"I have asked him already," Thranduil said.
"What does he say?"
"He denies that you took him away," Thranduil admitted.
"Why then, am I still being held? Why is the word of your own son, whom you clearly love, not enough to free me?" Aragorn demanded.
"His words are not enough, human, because I do not believe them. I have talked with you a short while and already I sense some of the power in your voice. You speak well, son of Arathorn. With what words did you lay the spell upon my son that caused him to follow that which he feared to look upon?"
"He feared to - my liege, I fear that you have underestimated your son. He does not fear the unknown." The quiet emphasis which Aragorn laid upon 'he' was enough to anger the king.
"Make no mistake, Aragorn. I do not fear you. I do not fear humans and their deeds. I only know them to be weak and through their weakness, foolish." Thranduil's voice lowered. "The foolishness of man has been the downfall of many, has it not?"
There was no doubt in Aragorn's mind as to what Thranduil referred to. The son of Kings felt his jaw tighten as he met the Elven King's gaze evenly.
"Isildur's weakness has cost much," he agreed, "and many have paid the price for what he did. Some, like myself, continue to pay it; have ever paid it; will ever pay it."
"Pay?" Thranduil spat. "How do you think you pay, son of man? My kingdom lost its finest warriors and all for naught. Nay, you do not pay. You do not begin to pay."
"I pay, my Lord," Aragorn said tightly. "I pay every day of my life in which I walk alone through the wilderness. I pay for the sins of a man I have never met. I was happy in Rivendell, happy to run with my brothers although they beat me every time, happy to feel love grow between myself and the fairest elf-maid I have ever seen. I turned away from that. I turned away from bliss and peace once I knew of my heritage. I turned away from all that made me smile, all that lightened my heart because I feared that my own blood's impurities would taint those I loved." Aragorn took a steadying breath. "So do not tell me, my liege, that I have not paid. I believe that it is you who does not know the meaning of the word."
"You speak as though your life has been a noble penance," Thranduil said. "It has been nothing more than a just punishment."
Thranduil swept from the room, leaving the door open behind him. Before Aragorn was halfway there, his arms were seized by two Elves. Bitterly, he fought against them but his strength was not a match for theirs and they removed his sword from his waist and, at a nod from Thranduil, the dagger from its sheath at his calf. Against the removal of his sword, Aragorn fought harder than ever, crying out in a masterful voice that startled all who heard it.
"Anduril!" he cried. "Anduril! Anduril!" It was all to no avail. The Elves, although surprised at the power in his voice, recovered quickly and bore away his weapons. "My sword cut the ring from Sauron's hand many years ago," Aragorn said, his voice low and deadly. "It is the sword that was broken and reforged and I will see it returned."
"If my son is found to be free of any devilry, then you shall indeed see your sword returned with my humblest apologies," Thranduil said in a cool tone that made it utterly clear he could not envisage such a thing happening. "For now, though, you are a prisoner of my kingdom and your weapons will be in the care of someone more trustworthy than yourself."
With that, Thranduil turned and left, his robes billowing behind him. Aragorn caught one last glimpse of the Elven King and was filled with anger before he was lead away.
***
tbc