Disclaimer: See chapter 1
Warning: I had to do it. It's another cliffhanger. I'm on a role. Next chapter coming soon.
Chapter 3: Revelations and Decisions
Galen stoked the fire and placed another blanket over Atavus, as she lay shivering on the ground. "What is wrong with her?" Aragorn asked when Galen sat beside him.
"Her body is working to destroy the morgul poisoning. She'll be sick the rest of the night. By morning she should feel better." He answered taking the cup his wife offered him.
"What did we just see Galen." Legolas asked sitting on his other side.
"You just saw Atavus draw morgul poisoning out of a wound, and replace it with her own blood. Don't ask me how she does it. I do not know." He answered. "I just know that her blood has a healing power to it. Her own wounds heal twice a quick as other elves. We discovered it about 25 years ago. Then 5 years later she saved my life by doing the same thing you just saw her do to Arvis. By morning Arvis' wound will be almost healed."
"But how is that possible. Not even Lord Elrond of Rivendell can do such a thing." Legolas wondered.
"I don't know how it is possible, and I don't know how much of her past she might want you to know so I'll just leave it at that. If you have any more questions I suggest you ask her tomorrow when she comes around." Galen said walking over and sitting by Atavus. He whispered something to her that the others couldn't hear. "I know what this cost you my friend, and I thank you for it." She just nodded, and then her eyes slid closed as she lost consciousness.
The next day and for several of the following days Atavus stayed away from the others avoiding prying questions. They were drawing near to Edoras and Aragorn still had not had the chance to question her anymore.
"Galen this is as far as I go with you." Atavus said walking beside her friend.
He had begun to hope that she would stay with them. "I wish you would reconsider."
"I'm afraid I can't." She said looking off to the north.
Legolas and Aragorn had been walking beside Galen as she talked to him. "Where do you think you'll go Atavus?" Aragorn asked.
She said nothing for a moment deciding whether to trust them with that information. But what difference did it make? "Northwest probably. I hear there are some woods in that part that a soul could get lost in."
"You aren't talking about the Old Forest east of the Shire are you?" Aragorn asked skeptically.
"Yes I guess I am." She said with a straight face.
"I would think if you wanted to go into a forest you would head to Lórien or Rivendell. There are dark things that dwell in The Old Forest, and also in Fangorn just north of here. Very few enter either of those woods." Aragorn questioned.
"You missed part of my statement. I said I wanted to find a place that a soul could get lost in. With the elves of Lórien and Rivendell around I wouldn't be able to do that very easily, would I?" She pointed out.
He could see her point, but still did not understand her need to be away from everyone. "Well would you mind if Legolas and I traveled with you awhile? We head for Rivendell."
Legolas looked to his friend with a strange look on his face. That was a long journey to take with someone he still did not completely trust. The look was not lost on Atavus. She didn't particularly like the elf. He was not rude to her, but standoffish could be said. She was tempted to take his offer up just to vex the elf. "I figured you would want to stay in Rohan and rest for a while. I leave immediately." She answered.
"No we will want to head north as soon as possible too." Aragorn assured her. "What can it hurt? Three are safer than one." And then he would have a chance to question her more about her special skill with healing, he thought to himself.
She couldn't deny his words, and it would seem funny if she refused since they were heading in the same direction. "All right. I agree."
They left Galen and his people just outside of Edoras knowing they would be safe. "You have enough supplies?" Galen asked handing her pack to her.
"Yes Galen we will be fine." Atavus said smiling at her overly worried friend.
"I won't ask you again to stay." He said gripping her arm in a warrior's handshake.
"Thank you my friend." She said touching her forehead to his. "I will miss you."
The three travelers decided to head northwest through the Gap of Rohan, and then north along the west side of the Misty Mountains. They were less than one day out from Edoras when Atavus noticed something strange about the way Legolas was moving. Aragorn had been speaking to her trying to learn more about the strange woman. She was only half listening to him as she watched Legolas scout ahead. The elf held his left arm closer to his body than the right almost protectively.
"How did you and Galen meet?" Aragorn asked changing the subject from fighting styles.
Atavus was so intent on watching the elf that she didn't realize what she was saying. "I was given to him as reward for doing his job so well." That caught Aragorn of guard and he stopped walking.
Atavus realized he had stopped but didn't realize what she had just said. Legolas also paused and faced them. His acute elven hearing had heard every word she had said. She turned back to Aragorn. "What?" She said crossing her arms and wondering just what she had said replaying the memory in her head.
"You were a slave?" He asked.
"By Eru I need to learn to keep my mouth shut." She cursed.
"If you don't want to talk about it………." Aragorn started to say.
"No I opened my mouth. Yes I was a slave. I belonged to Galen for 10 years before he set me free." She said shrugging as if to mean that it mattered little.
"You said you were given to him. How long were you a slave?" Aragorn pressed seeing that she was opening some.
She shook her head looking down for a moment. "It would be easier to tell you how many years of my life I haven't been a slave." She finally answered.
Aragorn stepped forward and placed one hand on her arm wanting to offer some form of strength to her. "How long is that?"
She didn't look at him and her voice trembled. "These last 20 years only. I was born a slave."
Legolas had walked up behind her, but he remained silent for the moment.
"Where were you held?" Aragorn asked expecting her to say Harad. The slave trade ran rampant there.
"Mordor." Was her one word reply.
Legolas sucked in his breath making a hissing sound. "How could an elf survive in Mordor as a slave as long as you say? Why would you not try to escape to a better life?"
Atavus turned looking at him. "When someone is born a slave of Mordor, does it not make sense that that person would not know that there was a better life elsewhere to escape to? As far as surviving the other slaves watched out for me until I was old enough to take care of myself, then I did just that. I took care of myself until I was given to Galen. If not for Galen I would never have known that there was a better life out here. I owe him more than I can ever repay. Even though he thinks he owes me instead. Stubborn human."
They all three stood in silence for a moment. Neither Aragorn nor Legolas had expected her admission. They knew she had secrets, but nothing this dark and disturbing.
"Anyway as I told Galen the past remains in the past." She said walking ahead of them. They gave her some space thinking she might need to be alone.
"Maybe that is what you sensed when you first met her." Aragorn thought he spoke low enough for her not to hear.
"I don't know. Maybe. I guess I should not be so quick to judge. It's just that my inner sense feels something still even though we are far from Mordor." Legolas answered rubbing his forehead almost as if he had a headache.
"Is something wrong mellon-nin?" Aragorn asked turning to his friend noticing for the first time that he seemed alarmingly pale.
"No I'm fine." He answered too quickly.
"Don't believe him Strider. He won't admit it, but something is wrong with his left shoulder." Atavus said turning back to them. "That's what I was concentratingso hard onearlier when I opened my mouth too far."
"When were you injured?" Aragorn asked grabbing both of Legolas' arms not allowing him to continue walking.
"It is just a scratch Strider."
"That is not what I asked." Aragorn pressed him.
"During the orc attack." He answered stiffly.
"Legolas that was over a week ago. What is wrong with you? Come we will make camp and I will take care of this so called scratch." Aragorn said leading them ahead a little further finding a small stand of trees that would offer some shelter for the night.
"I'll start a fire. You take care of him." Atavus said shaking her head at the way Aragorn's attitude could change from fierce Ranger to that of a worried healer within moments.
Legolas had removed his tunic and shirt and waited for Aragorn to take a look at the scratch he had received from the orc while protecting the villager's children. It was probably infected. He hadn't had a chance to clean it since right after he received it. Water was scarce in these plains and he hadn't wanted to waste any of their meager supply to bother with it.
It was becoming dark quickly, but as Atavus stoked up the fire Aragorn was able to finally see the wound on his friends shoulder. He felt a sinking feeling clutch the pit of his stomach. "Atavus."
Legolas looked at his eyes then down towards his own shoulder. He could see the black tendrils of poison spreading under his skin covering his shoulder and part of his chest. Atavus kneeled next to him concern in her eyes. She reached out one hand slowly trying to touch his shoulder. He pulled away from her. "Don't!" She looked in his eyes and saw the distrust there.
"I'm sorry." She stood and walked across to the other side of the fire and sat away from them.
"Legolas this is not good." Aragorn said just staring at the wound. The wound itself was very small, but the amount of poison that was running under his skin was disastrous. "Legolas this is beyond me. If we were in Rivendell my father could possibly do something, but we are still so far from there. Even Galadriel in Lorien does not have healing powers enough to combat this much poison. Why did you not say something?"
"It was just a scratch Estel." Legolas said. "I didn't realize it was poisoned until just now when I saw it."
Atavus had heard the different name. She did not speak Elvish herself but she new it was an Elvish name. And she had also caught on when Strider said that his father was in Rivendell. So she wasn't the only one keeping secrets, but she did not want to interrupt the friends with her curiosity.
"Legolas you have to let Atavus help you." Aragorn pleaded.
"No. We will make haste to Rivendell. Maybe we will make it in time." Legolas said shaking his head.
"Legolas you know you don't have that much time. Yes you are Elven and that makes you more immune to this poison. That is the only reason you are still alive now. But you will not make it to Rivendell." Aragorn stated as his temper rose at his friends stubbornness.
"No Estel it is not right." Was his friend's reaction.
"By Ilúvatar, Legolas if you don't come to your senses and let her help you I will hold you down while she does it anyway." Aragorn shouted at his friend.
"That is the only way you are going to be able to do it then, because I will not submit. It is not right Estel." Legolas' words were quiet now.
"Legolas don't you see what you are doing. You are always angry with me because you think I am being reckless with my own life, but what are you doing? Do you not think it is reckless of you to refuse someone who could save your life? Don't do this mellon-nin. Please I don't want to lose you."
