Okay…my first attempt at the Lord of the Rings genre of fanfics. Just so you all know, I've never read any of the books…cept the Hobbit…. This means I am using the movie for most of my information, as well as friends of mine who are obsessed with the books. Just so any of my stupid mistakes are taken care of, remember, this is AU. Which means I can do what I want with this universe. And I will. Hehe.

Don't be worried by the first chapter, most of the fic WILL focus just on Legolas and Aragorn as well. But I needed a good intro. Oh, and I know that Aragorn's horse in the book is Roheryn or something….but I like the name of the horse in the movie, Brego better. Easier to type too…so that is his name here. see…not ignorant…just stubborn.

Oh, and anyone who wants hardcore Aragorn Legolas jumping each other…ya ain't getting it here. This fic will involve a lot of unrequited love and angst before there is any actual contact between our fav elf and his man. Okey…enjoy the fic!!

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"Slow down Aria!"

A boy, no more than five years old, was running breathlessly after his older sister. She was only two years more than him, but she felt it gave her the right to boss him around.

"I will not slow down Rion. We aren't supposed to even be out here so we have to hurry."

Rion started looking around the shadowy woods before running close behind his sister. It had taken a little effort, but they had snuck out of the city. The woods grew close to the walls of Minas Tirith now that Mordor had fallen, and some parts of the forest were pressed right against the sides of the city wall. This was most often where the foot of the mountain met the plain, and the river curved along at the intersection of the rocks and trees.

"B-But mommy will love the wildflowers, right?"

At her brother's frightened tone Aria reached back and took his hand firmly in hers, though still hurrying forward. This was a forest, there was bound to be wildflowers somewhere in here. Suddenly Rion stopped moving and stood firmly where he was, jerking his sister's arm back.

"Ow! Why did you stop?"

"I heard something," he whispered, his eyes darting around the trees that were orange in the sunset.

"Probably just a deer or something. Come on, we have to get those flowers and sneak back into the city before nightfall."

But her brother would not be budged. His eyes flickered around in the slowly darkening woods. Aria felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. There were no sounds now.

A hissing from the woods to their right caused Aria to grab her brother and dart behind a large tree, huddling down between its enormous roots. Rion started to whimper but Aria quickly clamped her hand over his mouth, motioning to him that he must be silent.

"Ya sure ya saw something?" A gravelly voice shouted out from between the trees, not twenty paces from where the children were hiding.

"I know I did. And…I smell fresh meat…" Another voice hissed back.

Rion was shaking in Aria's arms, but she wouldn't let him go. She knew that they couldn't make it back to the walls of the city fast enough to outrun whoever it was looking for them. Suddenly, two dark figures appeared in the woods in front of them. They looked like orcs and were carrying rusted swords and were heavily armed.

The smaller one sniffed the air, before letting out a satisfied hiss.

"They're here alright. Something…human."

The larger one just grunted and began walking around, not caring about stealth now that his prey was close at hand.

Aria didn't know what to do. All she could think about was her mother, and how much she had wanted to give her wildflowers for her birthday. Now she had sentenced herself and her brother to death by not heeding her mother's warnings to never leave the city walls.

Turning slowly, the fierce golden eyes of the smaller orc found the two children. Aria knew what was happening, and grabbed Rion and ran. She knew they couldn't outrun them, but perhaps they could get close enough to the city walls that the orcs would give up. As she ran and pulled her brother behind her, she screamed as loud as she could.

The two orcs were swift despite their heavy armor, and soon they were nearly upon the two children. Rion was bellowing now too, when suddenly the footsteps behind him stopped. His sister kept running, but he turned around to see the two orcs laying on the ground.

"Stop Aria…they're dead!"

Not trusting her brother, the girl looked behind her before skidding to a stop. He was right. The two orcs were on the ground, still and lifeless, with one arrow entering one's head and continuing into the next. Almost too soon she heard hoof beats and grabbed her brother and placed him behind her. They were too tired to run anymore, and if any new threats were coming she wanted them to see her first and possibly spare her brother.

A beautiful brown stallion with a dark mane came charging up in front of her, but stopped a safe distance away. On top of him was a man with shoulder length dark hair, and wearing a long dark cape. But the silver armor he wore bore the crest of Gondor and Aria knew they were safe. Then she noticed the small silver band that rested on the forehead of the man on the horse.

"L-Lord Aragorn?" She questioned, before falling to her knees alongside Rion, who wisely did the same.

"Are you too alright?" he asked as he dismounted, looking warily towards the two dead orcs.

"Yes sir but please, we didn't mean any harm by leaving the city. We only wanted flowers for out mother."

Aria snapped at her brother and told him to be quiet, and stop blubbering to the king. But to her surprise she heard a soft chuckle from the man before someone scooped her up by her armpits. In an instant she was sitting on a well crafted leather saddle atop the brown horse. Rion soon followed and found him sitting in front of his sister.

"You're very lucky children. Those orcs could have been very dangerous. But don't worry, I won't tell your mother where you've been."

Aria sighed audibly.

"As long as you promise me you won't leave Minas Tirith unless you are with your parents?"

Rion turned and nodded to the king. Aragorn just smiled up at them before heaving himself up on Brego. Before turning the horse, Aragorn looked to the orc corpses once more, and saw that the arrow was gone.

I'm sure that the arrow was there when I arrived, pinning the two heads together.

Now the two orcs were laying with blood pooling around them from the holes in their heads. But no arrow.

No one could have shot those orcs except an amazing archer. At least as good as an elf.

Taking a quick look around the woods, Aragorn listened but could hear nothing. He spurred Brego on and headed for the side entrance to Minas Tirith, to return the two exhausted youths to their no-doubt worried mother.

Sitting on a branch in the large tree the children were hiding under not ten minutes before, a blond elf wiped the black blood off of his arrow, before sliding it back into his quiver.

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Okay, I swear, the next chapter really will begin this fic. Leave me a review if you think I should continue.