Eldarion nodded and concentrated on stitching the wound again. Tightly wrapping the elf's abdomen, they both looked up as Alcarohtarë quickly entered the room and looked to the two.
"How do you fare, Renatus?" she asked as her fingers brushed over the sterile bandages.
"I shall be fine, my lady. How are the children?" he asked and accepted a new tunic from Eldarion.
"They are all safe and unharmed. Three citizens were killed during the attack and eleven others were injured. We were lucky," she said as she helped her brother clean up the bandages.
"The Corsairs have a mole in the Citadel. Someone close enough to be able to assassinate King Eldarion easily. It will be a chain reaction and the city will fall. There are no heirs for the throne and there are no heirs in the wilds like Strider," Aragorn said and slowly moved to the seat by the hearth.
"The white soldiers are on high alert. I have one posted at every door to the Citadel and there is a guard near me at all times. It is virtually impossible," Eldarion replied and closed the windows to the rain.
"Nothing is ever impossible. The Corsairs can be smart if nothing else. If they believe in something strong enough, then they will follow through. Never underestimate an animal trapped for they will go against unimaginable forces to be free and stay alive," Aragorn said as he stared into the fire.
Eldarion gently touched Alcarohtarë's shoulder and motioned for them to leave the room. The elf was wounded and needed rest. They closed the door silently behind them as Aragorn slipped into a deep healing sleep. He was safe for the moment.
(I)(I)(I)
Legolas stood quietly in the doorway watching the elf sleep with his eyes closed. He was still distrustful of this elf but something inside was telling him that he should trust Renatus. Legolas didn't know what it was but Eldarion and Alcarohtarë trusted him. Gimli didn't want to admit it but he did also. Legolas wouldn't let himself fall so easily under Renatus' spell. He silently walked into the elf's room and walked to the bureau where he knew that the elf's weapons were. The doors swung open silently as Legolas reached for the weapons while he kept a close eye towards Renatus. Turning his gaze to the weapons, he looked for any clue to tell him more about the elf sleeping in front of the fire. The arrows offered him nothing except that they were perfectly made with designs carved elegantly into the shaft. Putting the quiver full of arrows back into the bureau, he pulled out the twin blades and quickly inspected the weapon. Just as he put the weapons back, a hand grabbed the tip of his ear and pulled him away from the bureau.
"Lord Greenleaf," a voice hissed and started to pull him from the room.
Muting the cry of pain, Legolas looked to the angry Alcarohtarë as she pulled him from the room. Legolas had learned to never make Aragorn mad at him and that temper seemed to have been passed to his daughter in all its fury. She led him from the room and closed the door before leading him a good distance away from the room.
"And just what do you think you were just doing?" she asked after releasing his ear.
"Trying to discover more about this strange elf."
"By sneaking into his room like a common burglar and inspecting his weapons? Renatus does not need to be investigated nor questioned on any matter," she said passionately as Legolas rubbed his tender ear.
"Are we to turn over entire rule of the kingdom to him?"
"If he asked, I would."
Legolas looked at Alcarohtarë in shock at her statement. She turned her gaze away and ran a hand over her hair as she sighed.
"If my father trusted him so, then why can you not?"
"I know nothing of him, my lady. In all the years that Aragorn and I rode together, he never once mentioned this elf to me. And now Renatus appears when this kingdom is on the brink of war with the Corsairs? I think this is far from being a coincidence," Legolas replied as Alcarohtarë dropped her hands to her side.
"If you think that Renatus is a spy for the Corsairs, then you are grossly mistaken, Lord Legolas. You do not know his full story."
"Then tell it to me and I can begin to understand and help."
"I am sorry but I can not do that," she whispered as she bowed her head.
"And I am sorry for I can not trust him."
Alcarohtarë nodded and turned her gaze towards the window where the rain fell heavily outside. Her heart was torn between what to do. Should she tell Legolas or let her father decide what he would do? Sighing, she turned back to Legolas and looked up at him.
"My brother would like to see you and Lord Gimli in his study; something about the plans for the Corsairs."
Legolas bowed to the princess and silently departed to head towards the king's study. The guards nodded to him as he opened the door and slipped into the quiet study. Gimli stood by the door and nodded to the elf before turning his attention back to the figure that stood in a small room to the side. Legolas knew what sat in that singular room. It held the last of the seeing-stones, a Palantír that had passed from Aragorn to Eldarion. Eldarion rarely used the stone; the Corsairs worried him enough for him to use it. Waiting quietly for the king to finish, he emerged a few minutes later with a hand to his forehead.
"Is there a problem, my king?" Legolas asked as Eldarion slowly sat in his chair.
"Nay, just that the stone is being more difficult than normal; it continuously showed me images from my father's reign. I cannot make it show me the Corsairs or anything else I wish to see. It has never done that before," Eldarion said and covered his eyes with his hand as he sighed.
Legolas nodded and walked to Eldarion's desk as Gimli called for one of the servants to bring water. He looked down to the king's desk and slowly pushed aside some of the papers. He recognized the handwriting on the sheets of parchment, it was painfully familiar. His eyes narrowed as he pulled the thick leather journal to him and scanned the flowing words.
'…the snow is thick on this eve. We lost two men to wolves a few hours ago. Barlin had a wife and three children; Theomir just passed his twenty-second day of birth. Both were good Rangers and even better friends…'
'…I had the nightmare again last night. The eye was bearing down on me and speaking to me. I tried to run, but the eye was everywhere. Its strength is my weakness. I hear him in my mind now, repeating: Isildur's heir will fall. I will fail.'
Legolas looked up to Eldarion with narrowed eyes.
"Where did you get these parchments?" he asked sternly and picked up a few sketches to show the king.
Eldarion spread his fingers to look between his fingers and at what Legolas was asking about. The corner of his eye twitched just slightly when he saw the papers in Legolas' hands. He forgot to put those away before Legolas and Gimli had arrived.
"I found them in my desk," Eldarion mumbled and reached for the papers.
"King, these papers are from Aragorn's private journal. A journal that Aragorn told me he lost a few months before he passed. Where did you find these papers?"
"Renatus gave them to me. They were hidden in my bed chambers," Eldarion replied and carefully collected the papers.
"King Eldarion, I think Renatus is the mole if there actually is one. How did Renatus find this journal? Aragorn let no one read this journal and I mean no one. Not Arwen, the twins, or I; and Renatus just happen to know where it was hidden. This elf has an alternative motive or else he is being guided by the Valar themselves for he knows things that he should not know," Legolas snapped and slammed the papers down onto the table.
"Is there not the smallest possibility that my father never confided in you about Renatus? My father kept many secrets from his loved ones; secrets he did not want to keep but had to. Does it matter how or why Renatus knew about the journal? I am learning what type of man my father really was," Eldarion said sharply as he stood and walked away from the desk.
"And what type is that?"
"A man who would die for his people! Whose self-doubt and feelings of failure haunted him every day of every night. A man who always stood on the front lines no matter how many wounds he called his own. A man who almost put himself into a coma because he healed so many and neglected his own wounds. A man who…who I can only hope to be but will never succeed."
Eldarion almost choked on his own words as he turned away from Legolas. He looked up at a painting of his mother and father that was completed before he was born. The figure in the painting stood proudly beside the queen and in charge of his kingdom.
"My father never went into detail of his actions during the years of the Fellowship. He always spoke of the brave and strong Boromir, the courageous hobbits Frodo and Sam, the fearless shield maiden of Rohan, and the prowess of an elf and dwarf battling side by side. After reading his journals I discovered that he was ashamed of his actions; how he could have done more to protect Merry and Pippin, or saved more people when he was already exhausted. He thought he was never good enough for his position, his title, and the respect he was given."
"Aragorn earned tha' respect of those that met 'im. 'E was a good man," Gimli said quietly as a soft knock sounded on the doors.
"Come!" Eldarion called and turned towards the door.
A messenger came in and bowed to Eldarion before handing him a rolled piece of paper. The young king unrolled the sheet of paper and scanned the contents before turning to Legolas.
"Lord Cracus of the Corsairs will meet with me one mile from the Rammas Echor in a clear opening. The location is far enough from the river and has no places to hide soldiers for a surprise attack. I think it is safe," Eldarion explained and walked to his desk where he tossed the letter.
"From what I have heard, Cracus is not to be trusted, my king. He may try something," Legolas said as warning.
"I know. We will need to be wary of his intentions. Be ready to ride tomorrow by noon."
Legolas and Gimli bowed before leaving the king alone in his study. Eldarion pulled his father's journal over to him as he stood by the desk and slowly flipped through the well worn pages. He stopped at one page that had left an impression on him and reread it.
'…the crown feels heavier with the news I just received. Arwen is with child, my child. Will I be a good father to my son or daughter? Will they be ashamed to hear what I once was? A Ranger from the North who became king against his wishes. What will I pass on to my child? What do I wish them to remember me by? I would wish them to know how much I will love them. I would wish them to have better memories of their mother and father than I did of mine. I would wish them to know that I would move mountains and rivers for the. They are my life.'
Eldarion closed the journal and slowly walked the window overlooking the darkened city. Tomorrow he would begin to solve the Corsair problem.
(I)(I)(I)
Aragorn stood quietly in his room as he pulled on his quiver slowly. His wound pulled a bit but it was pain free, due to the deep healing sleep. Eldarion told him what he wanted to do that day and Aragorn had agreed to ride out with him along with Legolas and Gimli. He grabbed his bow on the way out and slung it over his shoulder as he jogged down the hallway. The sky was overcast that morning as he jogged to the royal stables. Everyone was there already mounting as Aragorn took a mare from the stall and swung atop her. Several of Eldarion's advisors stood by him advising him on different situations that may occur. Aragorn just rolled his eyes as he guided his horse out of the barn.
"Advisors can be such a hindrance at times."
Aragorn turned and looked to Legolas as the elf rode up beside him on Arod with Gimli behind him.
"Most of them should be drug out into the street and shot with arrows directly in their hearts," Aragorn muttered and glanced over his shoulder to Eldarion.
Legolas chuckled and nodded to Eldarion as the king finally escaped the advisors. The four of them started off down the street as four White Guards flanked them. Citizens watched from the sides of the street or from homes and buildings. Aragorn slung his bow off his shoulder and held it against his thigh as he rode on Eldarion's right. His senses were heightened for any danger as he glanced over to Legolas who held his bow in the same fashion. Gimli held his axe ready as they reached the first tier. Eldarion told them to stay there as the four left the city and rode out across the field. They cantered through the Rammas Echor and into the open as Eldarion led the way to the designated meeting area. Aragorn didn't know what it was but he felt uncomfortable and the feeling grew the longer they rode. Something wasn't right but he couldn't put his finger on it.
They came to the clearing and slowed to a walk as they approached the five riders waiting in the center of the clearing. Aragorn's eyes scanned the surrounding area before locking gazes with Legolas. Legolas nodded slightly to signal that he felt something wrong also.
"My king, something does not feel right," Legolas commented quietly.
"Aye, laddie. Me arm hairs be standing on edge," Gimli said as he shifted his grip of his axe.
"I know. Stand steady."
The two groups met with a few yards still between them. The Corsair group was dressed in soldier garb as was Cracus. He was young, maybe a few years older than Eldarion, but no more than five years. Aragorn looked over the Lord Cracus and knew he had met some member of his family. The boy's features were familiar to him somehow.
"I know of the king, elf, and dwarf but this new elf is new to me. Who are you, elf?" Cracus asked as he looked over Renatus.
"I am Renatus of Lorien, a friend of King Eldarion," Aragorn responded as he glared at Cracus.
"What is it you want, Cracus? Why did you attack Minas Tirith?" Eldarion asked calmly as his horse stomped his foot.
"I want the Telcontar family off the throne."
All four of them were silent until Gimli leaned over a bit to look at Cracus from behind Legolas' back.
"Are ye mad, boy? Aragorn's line belongs on tha' throne. A dead man knows tha'."
"He took the throne away from my father and then killed him when he threatened to tell everyone the truth. I am trying to correct the wrongs your father did to my family and my people," Cracus snapped as Aragorn's gaze fell to the dirt.
He ran through his memories to investigate Cracus' accusations. He had killed many men over his years so it took him a while. A memory came up from many years ago, about five years before the War of the Ring started. He was camped in Gondor, near the river and alone when another traveler came up to his camp. He said his name was Ergonath from Osgiliath. After sharing dinner with him, the man had recognized the ring of Barahir on his finger. Skimming over the details, Ergonath tried to kill Aragorn and take the ring to declare himself Isildur's heir. Sadly though, he had not been as skilled as Aragorn with a sword and had died. Hearing a sound in a nearby bush, Aragorn had found a young boy perhaps ten. Guessing the young boy to be Ergonath's son, he had tried to take the young boy to a nearby town but the boy had run off in fear.
'This must be the boy,' Aragorn thought as he looked up.
His gaze fell on a clump of tall plain grass and his eyes narrowed slightly. The tips of that clump of grass were all brown but the grass next to it wasn't. There were more patches of grass with browned tips as his eyes slowly looked all around them.
"My king, I think we should be going," he said, interrupting Eldarion.
"A moment, Renatus."
Aragorn turned to Legolas and slipped into the gray tongue.
"It is an ambush, Legolas. There are at least thirty men surrounding us. We must leave now," he said urgently.
"King Eldarion-"
"In a moment, Lord Legolas."
"No, now!" Aragorn snapped.
(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)
MERRY CHRISTMAS A DAY LATE! Sorry, I tried really hard to get this to you on Christmas but I just could not make it. And look! I got this one out within a week and a half from my last post. I so proud of myself and if you could see me I am patting myself on my head. Well, I hope everyone had a great Christmas and have an even better New Year. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Linuvial Greenleaf- That really was depressing but it does sound like a good ending; bittersweet kind of. Do you realize how random you are during your reviews? Or at least most of them? But that is okay, that is why I love you. My pesky little mosquito beta reader. Heehee, you and I have one of the most warped senses of humors. Need I say Roheryn. Heehee.
Sielge- Thank you so much for the compliment. Since I am on vacation I have more time for writing since I am just chilling out so much. No work, or school or anything else. And I love it. So hope you liked this chapter.
Wolf Jade- You should tell him to review. I love reading from new reviewers; and it is always a good reason to pull out the drinks. Heehee, I am so bad. I have time now that I am at home for the holidays and I love it. I am chilling out so no fear of getting sick or having a mental breakdown. I tell you though; I was really close to having one before holiday came. I will put your suggestion down in my notebook with the other suggestions. I might just have to put them all in a hat and pick.
Hiei-Rulez- I think it is called reincarnated. He was killed at Gondolin when that city fell and then he was reborn; at least I think that is how it went. And it did happen with Gandalf so it is possible. I always believe that you learn new things until the day you die.
Dha-Gal- I am mad that they did not cast Elladan and Elrohir. Those would have been two yummy elves if they had. I am thinking about writing another Sauros story but I will wait until I cut down on stories that I have out. Then I will have Elladan and Elrohir back in the stories. I will certainly put your suggestion in my notebook with the others.
Neoinean- I LIVE! PRAISE THE WRITING GODS! Heehee, Alcarohtarë is really cool. She is one of my favorite OC right behind Sauros. Well, I had intended that they have the gunpowder used to blow up Helm's Deep wall and they used it to blast the boulders to the city. So, kind of a cannon. So, yes, they have a type of cannon. Renatus could easily say that he was one of the elven warriors that were at Helm's Deep that came with Haldir's troop. I will add your suggestions to my notebooks with the others.
Elitenschwein- YES! I updated! Bravo me! My stress level has lowered considerable since I got home for the holidays. It is okay if you do not have an idea; I wanted to see what all my readers wanted and play with the ideas they gave me. I might just merge a few of them together. A few people have told me that they were skeptical when they read the synopsis but said that I surprised them and they were really interested in the story so I will take it as a huge compliment. Thank you so much for the compliments.
Viviana- I UPDATED! CHEERS FOR ME! Thank you so much for the compliment. I will definitely keep the reuniting scene in mind.
XxgemxX- It is okay if you can not think of anything for how Legolas and then should find out. I am still tossing around different ideas that pop up whenever I am around town. Usually scribble it down on a piece of paper or record it on my mobile. Hope you have a good holiday!
Horsiegurl- Is English your second language or are you just bad at it. I speak two languages 1) English and 2) bad English. Heehee. I actually speak about six languages to some extent. But anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter.
Siennawoods- Thank you so much for the compliment, mellonin. I am thinking about taking your suggestions and merging it with a few others. So I am going to have this really elaborate scene where they find out. Heehee, I am having far too much fun with this idea. You are very much welcomed and hope to hear from you again.
Elven Kitten- I always love making people's day. Makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Grumpy- Yes, Aragorn has been found out by Alcarohtarë. I thought that throwing scene was quite humorous when I typed it. Enjoy!
Elvendancer- I will definitely put your suggestion into my notebook of the other suggestions. I swear I will have such an elaborate scene when everyone finds out. I have so many ideas cramming my poor head.
tHe InSaNe OnE- WOW! I have not heard from you in a really long time. What have you been up to? Exams had me drained also and I almost had a mental breakdown. One of your suggestions sounded really good so I am winding it into some of the ideas that I have. Look forward to hearing from you again.
Cosmic Castaway- That idea has come from a lot of people. I know that I took a long time with the other chapters but this came out really quickly after the last chapter. Hope you enjoy the chapter.
Beling- I like to draw it out until I let someone else find out about Aragorn. Are you kidding? I had to wait eight chapters also till someone found out. LOL. This one came out pretty quickly after the last chapter so I did good on that part. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Legalady- Of course I remember you! One of my favorite reviewers! I missed you! I always liked being different; one of my favorite quotes: You laugh because I am different. I laugh because you are all the same. Heehee. The scene will be intense, it has to be. Your suggestion might come in handy a few chapters later in the story. I am tinker with everything I get. Hope to hear from you soon.
