Chapter 3: Hatred

Darkness crept through the gray withered leaves. A gray dreary mist floated lightly over the lake and in the trees. Everything seemed dead.

Ralan walked through those trees as if nothing was wrong, but to most people, unused to dreariness, the entire forest seemed dead. He knew he could be alone here, not even the orcs would come here. He needed to get away to think on some troubling matters.

----flashback-----

His hunting party rode through the forest. Food had been scarce for most of the year, so they had started hunting in the deeper parts of the forest. They knew how dangerous it was to go this deep into the forest, but the need for food outweighed the risks.

Unbeknownst to them, a small group of wargs and orcs was following them herding them into the deep darkness of the woods. The orcs never thought about the fact that they were also getting closer to elven territory. Then without warning they attacked.

The people tried to fight them, but there were just too many. They were good fighters, but soon they were overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of enemies. When all hope seemed lost, a small party of Rivendell elves stumbled into the fight. When all the orcs were dead, few of the hunting party remained and those that were left were gravely wounded. For a few moments the elves whispered in a strange elegant language when they suddenly turned around and walked over to the small group of wounded humans.

"Welcome humans to Rivendell, though I wish it was under better circumstances that we greeted to you. We extend to you Rivendell's hospitality." the elf said as he helped the injured humans and started leading them to the House of Elrond.

Ralan still engrossed by the elves when they stopped talking his battered body collapsed out of the pain of his wounds and its sheer exhaustion.

When Ralan awoke he realized that he was in a soft, luxuriant bed. He was startled to see a most beautiful elvish maiden hovering over him with a worried expression.

"I am glad to see that you are finally awake master human, are you feeling better for you had quite a nasty gash in your side from an orc scimitar, for a while I was not sure you would live," the elvish maiden gave him a kindly smile, "but my father Lord Elrond worked hard against the orc's darkness that effected you so badly and you pulled through, it seems now that you will fully recover."

Ralan gingerly probed his side and found that it had been bandaged, he tried to talk but all that came out was a raspy whisper, the elvish maiden handed him a glass of water. He greedily drank the water than wiped his mouth.

"Where am I, all I remember is fighting the orcs than everything after that is hazy. Thank you....what is your name, for I would like to know the name of such a maiden as beautiful as yourself," he questioned.

"My name is Arwen Undomiel, but you really shouldn't be thanking me, you should thank my father he is a master healer and without him you would have surely died." Arwen kindly replied.

"My name is Ralan; I think I would like to get out of this bed, for..." Ralan stated.

"You have been in bed for five days now," Ralan tried to sit up, but Arwen gently pushed him back down, "but you are still as weak and unfit to go anywhere."

Ralan looked shocked at the news that he had been abed for five days, but his eyelids started to droop, and his injured body demanded rest and slowly he drifted into the oblivion of dreamless sleep.

It had been four months now since that fateful day when the orcs had attacked his hunting party, and Ralan was still basking in the beauty of Rivendell, but he could not bring himself to leave. He had fallen deeply in love with Arwen, and he had decided that on this night he would announce his love for her.

"Arwen, I didn't want to have a walk with you today to show you something, I had what you might call a hidden agenda, what I really wanted to tell you today was that..." the human paused.

Arwen smiled kindly at him "Please continue, Ralan."

"That I love you and I want to be with you for ever."

Arwen was taken aback by this, she had not thought that the man had loved her; she had consciously tried to emotionally distance herself from this man. "As much as I hate to hurt you my heart has already been given to another, Aragorn son of Arathorn, he is destined for great things," her eyes grew distant at her beloved's name, "I am sorry I do not know what else to say."

The effect of Arwen's words showed instantly on his face, he looked heart broken. His first true love rejected him; he looked up tears welling in his eyes.

"Ralan, I am truly sorry, I should have told you about him earlier so, but alas I fear it is my fault that your heart breaks. I am sorry to have you thought that I loved you as a lover."

Ralan took a shaky breath "It is ok Arwen I should have known that one as beautiful as yourself would have someone to share your life with. Truly it is not your fault but mine I should have known. I know that you should love an elf not a lowly imperfect mortal."

"Ralan the one I love is not an elf but a human, and I gave my heart to him many years ago, before you were born. I ask you forgive me for not telling you of my love, for I did not think that it would matter. I truly hope you forgive me." Arwen whispered gently.

"Arwen you are forgiven yet there is nothing to forgive it was who brought heartbreak upon myself. I only forgive because I know it would put your heart at ease. I shall Rivendell tomorrow for I think my town shall be greatly missing what is left of our hunting party, I will miss you deeply." Ralan's voice was full of sorrow.

Arwen reached out and touched his cheek "I will miss you deeply also, please come back someday, to visit me."

The next day Ralan lead the hunting party out of Rivendell, he never looked back and never came back to Rivendell again. Dark thoughts formed in his mind about his revenge on this Aragorn son of Arathorn.

-----End Flashback-----

Ralan sat in silence on the musty old log thinking about Arwen.

She did not even realize who I was, am I so easily forgotten. I must do something about this Aragorn, once he is out of the picture I will be able to convince Arwen that I am really her one true love

"Aragorn, I sense something evil lurking about, be alert," Legolas informed his friend. Aragorn only nodded.

They had left Minas Tirith three days ago now, it had been a pretty uneventful journey and Legolas knew that their luck would not last long for many creatures wanted the king of men dead. They were leading their horses through the plains, for there horse needed a rest and it was better to just lead them then to completely stop, wasting precious time. Just as Legolas thought of what could be lurking nearby a small group of orcs and what must have been men of Harad jumped out from the grasses around them. Aragorn and Legolas were taken completely off guard, but they quickly recovered.

Aragorn and Legolas quickly cut through the first wave of men and orcs, but it seemed that the second wave of men and orcs had archers. Aragorn had just finished off an orc that was on the large side when he realized than that all the archers had the arrows at Legolas, surprising that he had not been hit yet. Aragorn quickly realized he would not have enough time to warn Legolas. With an almost inhuman speed Aragorn bounded over to Legolas and knocked him to the ground, but he himself was too late to avoid all of the arrows, one struck him in the right shoulder. Aragorn's body jerked at the impact of the arrow, and he fell to the ground pushing the arrow all the way through his back, white hot agony lanced through his body but he did the best to ignore it. Legolas watched in horror as the arrow that was meant for him hit Aragorn, but Legolas got back up quickly and started fighting the orcs with renewed fervor. Aragorn gasped in pain and yet slowly got up to his feet shakily and started fighting. Adrenaline coursed through his veins and for the moment Aragorn was able to push away the pain.

Soon all the orcs and men were dead or dying and Legolas and Aragorn were the only beings left standing, but that did not last Aragorn soon collapsed in a heap. The adrenaline that had been keeping him going had left him and he was tired and pained. Legolas ran to his side, "Why Aragorn did you take that arrow for me it would not have injured me badly and I heal faster than you."

"You know Legolas that I could not let such a dear friend as you get hurt if I could help it," Aragorn gave a weak smile and continued, "I guess it would be best if we got this arrow out of me now."

Legolas only nodded and put his hand on the arrow, Aragorn winced at the pressure put on the arrow. "On the count of five pull the arrow out Legolas," Aragorn ground out through gritted teeth.

"One, Two, Five" Legolas pulled the arrow out quickly.

"No...fair...Legolas" Aragorn said between deep breaths.

"No it is fair, for I remember a time when you did that to me," Legolas grinned in spite of the situation. Aragorn gave him a weak grin in return.

"I think we shall have to stay here the night since you are not fit to ride anywhere, we might have to move away from these orc corpses, they do stink," inquired Legolas.

"I guess so," Aragorn agreed.

Legolas helped Aragorn hobble away from the battle field and laid him down near a tree that was sticking out of the plains like a sore thumb. Legolas gave a high pitched whistle and two horses came running towards him, their horses may have run away during battle but they were faithful, loyal horses and did not stray to far from their master's call.

"Aragorn we have to bandage that wound," Legolas said, Aragorn nodded he was too exhausted for much else. Legolas rummaged through his pack and brought out a few dried athelas leaves, a strange salve and bandages. He worked quickly putting the salve on the wound than placing a few athelas leaves on the wound and bandaging it up. After years of patrolling the Mirkwood boarder he had become quite an adept at healing arrow wounds and such. When he was finished Aragorn was sleeping peacefully. Legolas would just have to wait till tomorrow to discuss why the orcs were in the plains not to far from Minas Tirith.

Arwen had not known what she had done but she had somehow called the animals to her aid, they brought her food. It was odd how since she had been give the necklace the forest seemed more alive, yet the forest also seemed scared of her, for it felt the darkness growing in her. She still did not know where she was so she just wondered the forest waiting for someone to find her. Once she had found the edge of the forest yet when she tried to leave it as if she was leaving something behind, missing something, it looked as if Ralan had not been lying when he said she would not be able to leave without Aragorn. So she stayed and waited for her husband to come.

It was one night that she found herself wondering through the woods that she thought about the man that had captured her, she hadn't realized it at the time but the man seemed familiar. Than it hit her suddenly that he was the man that had come to Rivendell with that hunting party that had been injured so many years ago. What had happened to such an innocent man loving man to make him so bitter? Was it that she had denied his love and he was jealous or was it something else?

To Be Continued

A/N: If you're wondering why Arwen would give out Aragorn's name so easily before the War of the Ring that is because she trusted Ralan and did not think he would betray her trust. If you're wondering why she didn't recognize him right away that's because, she had had many people proclaim love to her before and he had only been in her life for a few months and because it just fitted the plot....it had to fit in somewhere