"Tell me Aragorn, why choose to argue with me?" Gandalf asked, sitting in the small bed room. The fire danced across the walls, warming the room. The curtains stopped blowing and casting shadows, making the room feel homey. Murals lined the back as a constant reminder of peril and victory in dreams. He pushed his small stool back and leaned against the wall feeling old and feeble. Patiently he waited for Aragorn's response.
"I feel as if I have a certain duty to my friends. Legolas charged through all peril with us. He helped rebuild this land when it was not his. Loyalty, Gandalf, loyalty." Aragorn sat at the edge of the bed. He ran his fingers through his soft dark brown hair. "Gandalf when you heard of his peril did you not wish to save him?" Gandalf chuckled a little at the comment.
"So many times have I been faced with such choices and no one has ever once questioned my actions. Aragorn I would have desired nothing more than to venture into the wilderness with you and save him, but in the larger picture Aragorn, more is at stake. Your choice today will have saved many more lives, at the expense of one. That out ways the decision." He took a large puff from his pipe and looked at the curtains. "Oh to be put behind a veil and never see the defeat of a future."
"Gandalf, you have seen the future? Why do you cause yourself such challenge?" Aragorn shifted on the bed a little surprised by his laughing.
"The future is bleak, Aragorn. Some will not live, while others are spared life only to remember the things that have passed. How grim are these days when innocent children will see their parents die once more in a land untouched but the ways of man." Gandalf frowned blowing out a circular ring of smoke.
"What about Merry and Pippin? Did you see them in this bleak future? Is Sam there? To think that I should have to spare a friend to keep a friend, such a tragedy we have come to!" Aragorn put his hand up to his temples and began to rub them. "What exactly have we one by defeating the one ring? Evil still roams these lands like an unforgotten lore."
"Merry, Pippin and Sam have a role of their own in this, and when you see them it shall become apparent. And all wars, all hard times, trials and such suffer their losses. You can not stop it from happening. People will die Aragorn, regardless of whether you want them to or not." Gandalf sat back and closed his eyes, thought lines forming on his forehead. "No one ever promised that the evils of this world would be gone if the one ring was destroyed."
"Then what was the purpose, and what is our purpose now?" Aragorn walked over to his friend and knelt down beside him. "I fear that as king I have grown soft, and with the lack of a good battle in the past few years, I have become weak. I wish not to fight, to die on the battle field, the sword of an Orc dangling from my waist. Soon Arwen will be with child, and I wish to be here to see it. I wish to know what it is like to be a father and to love a child."
"My friend, no one ever said that you will die in battle." Gandalf laughed patting him on the back. "And those are good dreams my friend, good dreams. If Frodo had not destroyed the ring, then Middle Earth would be a much different place and those dreams would have been crushed. Because of what you did, those dreams get to live on. But you are not the only dreamer in this world Aragorn."
"I know, but I can't help but wonder about the future and think that it will be grim." He got up and began for the door.
"Aragorn, you will not die in this battle nor the several more battles to come. You are strong and you are the people's leader. You brought peace into this world, and led your people to victory. They will stand and fight with you. The Uru- khai are not as strong and well gathered as they seem. The world is more dangerous in a mob then in order. Tomorrow we will make for Rohan and we shall ask Faramir for his help. We will reach the Hobbits and their safety will be in your hand. Legolas as a loss was not in vain. Gimli reached us because of Legolas keen eyesight. He fell behind, there is nothing you can do about it Aragorn. Sleep easy my friend, tomorrow will be the start of a long journey." Gandalf opened his eyes and sat up. "Tomorrow we shall band together for Hobbiton."