Disclaimer: See chapter 1
Review Responses:
Slayer3: Oh wow I love ice cream. So does Atavus. I'm touched; you remembered to get me the sugar free one.
Karone Evertree: Hmmm. Is she becoming an orc again? That's a good question. What should I say? Yes and No. You just have to read on. It's complicated.
Yes Legolas does have a soft side, and to his horror the dwarf got to see it. (Hey don't hug Legolas too hard. I need him for later.)
I did a little research and ata means again in Quenya. Atar means father. I should have already known that, but since I prefer Sindarin to Quenya I didn't. Anyhow Atavus just shortened her name when she left Rivendell to draw less attention.
Larien: Oh wow you like beating Aragorn. You could come in handy. I'll keep that in mind.
DarkAngelOfDreams: Aw shucks. Thank you.
Author's Note: To my evil short twin, who thinks way too much like me (you know who you are.), where are you? I gotta know what you think of the next two chapters. I think you're gonna hate 'em, but then again you're also gonna love 'em. You already know I'm twisted so don't look so shocked.
Changes
When they again entered the King's Hall Gandalf had an inquisitive look on his face to see the protective stance of the two warriors he had known so long, and was even more surprised to see what looked like a female elf walking between them.
"Éowyn, can you please accompany our guests to Ata's room, so she may be properly cared for." The King asked of his niece. "And arrange for food and water to be brought to her."
"Yes uncle." She said motioning them to a hallway that led to the sleeping quarters.
Gandalf followed them curious as to the identity of the woman.
After entering her quarters, Atavus sat on the bed not making a sound looking down at the floor. They could see she was still partially in shock.
Éowyn moved to the adjoining room and prepared a bath for her.
The four members of the Fellowship stood quietly waiting for her to say something. "You don't have to stay Estel. My wounds are a couple of days old. They are already healed. I just need a bath." She said quietly still not looking up.
Gimli and Gandalf exchanged a strange look, at both her using Aragorn's elvish name and the fact that her wounds would already be healed. The words struck a cord of recognition in Gandalf though. Lord Elrond had once mentioned something about a girl who had speeded healing abilities, but the memory escaped him.
"It's not the wounds on your body that concern me Atavus. It's the look in your eyes that does." Aragorn answered.
She looked up and looked around the room at the various people. She knew Éowyn, but was not exactly great friends with her, and she did not know the dwarf or the old man. She felt uncomfortable speaking in front of them. "Estel can this discussion wait until after I bathe, and maybe when it is more private?" She asked.
Aragorn noticed for the first time that he and Legolas were not the only ones there with her. "I'm sorry. Atavus these are our friends. Gimli son of Gloin, and Gandalf the White, also known as Mithrandir." Her eyes widened in awe as she remembered the name that she had heard so often while in Rivendell.
"My apologies, Mithrandir. If I had known I would have shown proper respect." She began to stand, but he waved her back down.
"Well child it seems you know who I am, but I do not know who you are, even though some of my companions do." Gandalf said smiling at her.
Éowyn left then wanting to give them more privacy, and to get the food her uncle had ordered brought up to the woman.
"Gandalf, I'm afraid you do know of her. Ada sent you word concerning her after she first arrived at Rivendell. But you never had the opportunity to meet her though." Aragorn explained somewhat.
Gandalf's eyes narrowed in a look of concentration, knowing he should know of what they spoke, but dying and being reborn again had pushed many non pertinent memories to the back of his mind, and it was hard to recall them now.
"Mithrandir, would the name Throwback, help to jog your memory some?" She asked again looking to the floor in shame.
It was as if a light shone in his mind. He did remember receiving word from Elrond, and then talking at length about the woman after she had left Rivendell. "Lord Elrond was very disappointed at the way you decided to leave his home child."
She looked at him surprised that, that was all he would say at being informed that he was in the room with a half-elf/ half-orc being. "It was not my intention to disappoint him." She answered.
"Well I know you have a lot to discuss with your friends. Gimli, come with me." Gandalf said turning and leaving the room. Gimli followed still very confused. She could hear Gandalf promising to explain to the dwarf, if he would only be quiet for a moment.
She then stood and went to the adjoining room She knew her friends had many questions to ask her, but she felt beyond filthy, and refused to say anything more until she was done bathing. She could hear murmured words coming from her friends, but shut them out, as she sunk into the warm water.
When she returned she was wearing one of her own thick nightgowns, and looked decidedly clean. She saw that food had been brought and was laid out on the table next to her bed. She sat on the bed crossing her legs in front of her. She looked at the food beside her, but did not feel hungry enough to eat it.
"You must eat." Legolas said leaning forward in the chair he had occupied beside the bed. He had felt how thin she had become when he held her in the dungeons below.
She took one piece of bread from the tray and started to nibble. She wasn't sure how long she had been in the dungeons, but she did know that she was not given food often, and her stomach did not relish the idea of being put to use again.
"You are going by your proper name now Estel?" She asked.
"Yes, the time of the final conflict with Sauron is almost upon us. The time for secrecy is over. I am now Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and heir to the throne of Gondor.
"So you have finally accepted your destiny. That is good." She said thoughtfully taking another bite of the bread.
"And what of your destiny, Atavus?" Legolas asked with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
She turned to him, and saw many emotions present on his face. She saw concern for her well-being, but she also saw anger. She didn't know how to answer him.
"Come now, in the letter you left me, you said you had a destiny to follow. Is this your destiny? To be used and abused by humans. If that's the case then you well as stayed a slave in Mordor." The bitterness of his words cut like a knife. He stood from the chair and stalked over to the window.
"Legolas. No." Aragorn said trying to calm his friend.
"No Estel. Let him speak. I have this coming. I should have never left the way I did. He has held his bitterness in too long." She said with a defeated look on her face.
"Didn't you suffer enough abuse at the hands of the orcs, without having to come here and have it repeated by humans?" He asked turning to face her crossing his arms before him.
"A long time has gone by since I last saw you Legolas. You have just seen the bad parts of Rohan. I have been here for thirty-nine years. I have seen both the bad and the good. Up until five years ago when the King's mind began to be taken, this land and these people were very different. They became my people, and I have served them and their King well." She said in defense of the people she had grown to love.
"You came here shortly after I left for Gondor then?" Aragorn asked.
"Actually I was in Gondor when you first got there. I knew you were going by a different name, but I had seen you one day. I had meant to stay and try to contact you, but one of the men from Rohan that had traveled with you to Gondor told me of the news that Galen was ill. Though he had been a slave trader once, and had been my owner, I still considered him to be a friend. I rode back here with the men of Rohan that you knew and stayed here until Galen died. Afterwards I was asked by King Théoden to become his chief healer." She tried to explain part of the long years that had passed.
"You could have come back to Gondor." Estel said wishing she had done just that.
"I wanted to, but Galen's wife had already passed and they left two half grown children, who knew nothing about the world, and Galen had asked me to take care of them for him. Up until a few months ago I was training his grandchildren to be healers as I had his children before them. They are a good family. They needed me." She answered.
She could see that her words had not pleased Legolas. "You were happy in Rivendell. Can you tell me that you were happier here?" He asked.
"No I can not. The happiest I have ever been was in Rivendell, with those I considered to be my family. With you and Estel. But we all must grow up, and accept our responsibilities. Estel has done so. Since you are here with him I'm assuming you have done so also, accepting the fact that your place is by his side helping him to achieve what is meant to be. What have I done? Do you know what I have done?" She asked anger consuming her words. Making them louder.
"What have you done?" He asked still in that bitter tone.
"I have saved the lives of eight hundred and forty three men, women, and children in both Gondor, and Rohan, and treated thousands more for non life threatening illness. I am a healer Legolas. You can not be a healer, where people are healthy and uninjured." She threw the words at him.
Her words shook him. She had accomplished a lot since he had seen her. "You have done much for others, but what about you? You have changed. I can see it in your eyes. Your heart is cold. You are not the same Atavus we used to know." He whispered.
Aragorn realized that that was exactly what he had seen in her eyes while they were still in the dungeon. She had changed. But he believed Legolas' words were too harsh. "Legolas she has seen and been through a lot. It takes time to overcome certain things." He tried to reason.
She looked down to her hands clasped in her lap. She heard Aragorn's words, and knew he was wrong. She had been becoming colder for a long time now. Before she even came to Rohan. And she knew why also. But she could not speak of that with them, yet.
She watched silently as Legolas left the room. She knew at one time she would have followed him, never wanting to leave an argument unresolved between them, but not now. She did not have the heart anymore to try to fix what was wrong.
"I'll talk to him." Aragorn assured her.
"If you wish." She said in a dry voice. She could see him flinch at the coldness of her words.
After he had left she wondered at her own behavior. When she had first saw them again in the dungeons she had been elated at having her friends back with her. But now the coldness that she hid behind was creeping into her soul again. She wondered at her own sanity. "Why must I push those I love away?" She whispered to herself.
"What my lady?" It was Éowyn. Atavus had not realized that the other woman had entered the room again.
"Nothing. Just wondering aloud. So Éowyn, what have I missed in my absence? How fairs Edoras? How are your brother and cousin?" She asked the questions that popped into her head.
"Things are not well Atavus." She answered. Atavus noticed for the first time, the gown of black that the other woman was wearing instead of her normal white.
"What has happened?" She dreaded the other woman's words.
"My brother has been banished by Grima, and Théodred is gone." Éowyn answered.
"Gone?" Atavus said shaking her head staring at the black dress.
"His funeral was earlier today." She answered lowering her face.