Sorry for the late update everyone! I had this chapter finished a long time ago, butwhen I reread it just before posting it, I found that the last part was, well, kinda lame. So I had to rewrite it, but didn't know how, nor had a lot of time. Chapter four will also come late, because I haven't written it, and I'm going on holiday until late August. I might write some then, maybe even be able to post, but don't count on it... Well, no more delays, here's chapter 3!

Days had passed. By this time, winter had fully come and the valley was covered in a thick layer of snow. Yet there was little happiness. No elflings playing out in the snow, no-one enjoying the sunshine as it reflected from every tree and mountain. Those who had gone out, had seen Lady Arwen, daughter of Elrond, enter the Last Homely House. Not wasting a moment, she hurried to the room where her family spent most of their time. She stood in front of the door and there was the first hesitation. Did she dare see the one she loved in this state? He was, according to the guards, still unconscious. Though he was mostly healed in body, his mind was still far away, where her brothers and father couldn't reach him. What if she couldn't reach him either? Would the image she was about to see be her last memory of him? Did she dare?

All these thoughts entered her mind in a matter of seconds. Quickly making up her mind that she did indeed dare, she slowly opened the door and entered. Her brothers and Legolas sat in comfortable arm-chairs and looked up when they heard her enter. But all Arwen saw, was the lifeless body lying in the bed. It almost looked as if he was asleep. Except for the paleness of his face, he looked healthy.

She approached the bed and sat down in the chair Legolas had emptied for her. Grabbing Aragorn's hand, she whispered, "Estel, my love, where are you? You are not where you should be. Please, come back to your family, for you are sorely missed."

She closed her eyes and focused on locating Aragorn's soul. She did not see her brothers, who glanced at each other, both hoping that their sister would bring him back. Nor did she hear Elrond enter the room, who surveyed the scene with a mixture of emotions: hope that she would find Estel, and despair at the love that would take away his daughter. She was aware, however, of all of them, including Legolas, giving her the power of mind and the strength to continue her search.

It was so peaceful here. Beautiful meadows, bordering magnificent forests, both with plenty of little brooks and springs. Animals of all shapes and sizes prancing across the land with not a care in the world. He had been exploring this place for a while now - he didn't know how long it was; time didn't seem to follow ordinary rules here - and he felt as free as the deer and squirrels.

No threats from evil and foul creatures - did those really exist anyway? - no pain, sorrow or fear, no darkness; it was truly a magnificent place. He didn't want to leave ever again.

He didn't know exactly who he was, but he felt as if he belonged in this place. This place was all he had ever known. Yet he missed something. He couldn't quite grasp what it was, but there was a small piece missing that he yearned for.

There! There it was! That feeling that he missed. He felt it for just a moment, and then it was gone. A curious part of his mind told him to search for that feeling again and to reach for it. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

After a few seconds - was it only seconds or longer? - he felt it again. A brush of someone's mind, connected to his.

"Estel…" he heard someone whisper. A face entered his mind's eye. A beautiful elf with long black hair and soft lips. He thought he knew her.

"Estel!" he heard again. This time it were two voices, and with it, two identical faces, also with dark hair.

"Aragorn." A deeper voice, along with the face of an older elf, the sight of which comforted him a lot.

"Strider?" A fifth voice, soft and musical. He waited for a face to appear, but it didn't. He tried to remember who these voices and faces belonged to and why they seemed to call three different people. The harder he tried to remember, the more his head started to hurt. But that was strange; pain didn't exist in this place. Did that mean he was leaving? He wasn't ready to leave, there was still so much to explore.

Fighting his way back to the meadows, he heard the first voice again. "Estel, I feel you are here. Please, return to us, my love."

Who is this Estel? Why doesn't he answer her? In fact, 'Aragorn' and 'Strider' hadn't replied either when called.

He felt a strange tug at his mind when he remembered her last words. 'My love'. Love. That was what he missed. There were people he loved out there. There was no love here, only peace.

Once he realised this, memories started to come back, and with it, the pain. He knew now that he was the one the voices called for. He was Estel. And Aragorn. And Strider. The pain was becoming unbearable. But he would endure it for the people he loved.

He knew he was back when he heard the voices again. This time they weren't vague, floating voices, but voices that belonged to bodies. They tried to coax him into waking. He tried to open his eyes to see his family, but was in too much pain to succeed.

"Easy, my son," said the deep voice. Elrond's voice, a clearer part of his brain supplied. "Drink this and rest. When you wake up again, you will feel much better."

Aragorn felt a cup being pressed against his lips and wondered if this was a good idea. But the overwhelming pain, and the feeling that he could trust this person, convinced him that it was perhaps for the best to do as he was told. So he drank the potion and in his condition it took but a few seconds to send him into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Legolas watched as Strider - Estel - descended back into unconsciousness. He looked different now. His cheeks showed a little more colour. The slight movement of his fingers and the shifting of eyes beneath eyelids were evidence that the man's body was once again inhabited and no longer an empty shell as it had been these past days.

The day after they had arrived in Rivendell, Legolas had taken it upon himself to return the two horses that had served them so faithfully, along with gifts of gratitude from the elves.

Fëasúl and Adrûth had gone back to Mirkwood before the snow blocked the pass through the mountains. The Rivendell elves had heeded the warning and Lord Elrond had sent scouts out to investigate the activity of orcs and other dark creatures. If there was indeed some evil lurking in the mountains or surrounding areas, orc activity would reflect that somewhat.

Legolas had remained behind, partly to help from this side of the Misty Mountains, partly because he worried about the human. The latter part he had only confessed to Fëasúl and had made him vow not to tell his father, King Thranduil. Both he and Adrûth would not understand, for they hated humans as much as Legolas had, before this happened.

"He will sleep until tomorrow morning," said Elrond. Legolas looked up to see that the others were still anxious, but also showed some relief in their eyes. "Rest now, for the coming weeks you will all need to be strong for Estel."

The twins and Arwen nodded, but made no move to leave the room. They would rest here, as the twins had done all these weeks. So would Legolas. Elrond did leave the room, reluctantly, for he, as Lord of Imladris, still had duties to fulfil. He knew the four young elves would warn him immediately should Estel's condition change.

The fog surrounding Aragorn's mind was slowly fading away. He listened to the familiar sounds of the waterfalls, the birds and the rustling of leaves as a soft breeze filled the valley. He also heard the soft breathing of three, no four, elves nearby. A hand – Arwen's hand – was holding onto his. He opened his eyes to see his beloved, but started when he remembered he was blind. He felt Arwen's hand lightly squeeze his, as she woke up to his sudden movement.

"Welcome back, my love," she said. A kiss on his forehead accompanied the words.

"Estel? Ah, brother, it is good to see you awake again. You really worried us this time." Aragorn felt the comforting touch of Elladan's hand on his shoulder.

The man heard the younger twin talking softly to someone near the doorway, most likely to send for their father. He wondered who the fourth elf was, since it couldn't be Elrond. Then he remembered the fifth voice he had heard in the 'meadows'. The faceless one. Legolas.

Soft footsteps told him that Elrond had arrived. "How do you feel, ion nîn," he asked. "Do you have any pain?"

"No," said Aragorn. Or at least he tried to say it. What came out was an unidentifiable croak.

A cup was placed against his lips. "It is just water," said Elladan, before Aragorn could voice his complaints.

Aragorn took in a small amount of water and let it moisten his mouth before swallowing what was left of it.

"How do you feel?" asked Elrond again.

"I feel fine," the man answered. He could almost see the exasperated looks on the elves' faces. They've all heard him say that before. Before they could say anything he continued, "my head still throbs, but not nearly as badly as yesterday and…" he hesitated. It only felt to him as if only two days had passed since he was brought to Rivendell, but his dry mouth and empty stomach told him otherwise. "How long has it been?"

"You have been unconscious for a week," said Elrond. "You had us worried greatly, for we feared you would never wake."

"I very nearly didn't," said Aragorn quietly, remembering the peaceful meadows.

"We're glad that you did. Now let me see your eyes."

The elf held Aragorn's head as he inspected the human's eyes. He used a small candle to observe whether the pupils still reacted to light. After that, he took a small piece of cotton and with the other hand, moved to keep Aragorn's eyelids open. As his fingers approached the eyes, Aragorn involuntarily blinked.

"That is strange," said Elrond, after finishing the examination.

"What is it, ada?" asked Aragorn.

"I see nothing wrong with your eyes that could cause the blindness; the reflexes also work as they should. However, the strange thing is that even though you could not see it, you reacted to the movement of my fingers as they approached your eyes. I have never seen that before in a blind person."

"I have." Aragorn recognised the voice as Legolas'. "When we were in Oramon. An orc attacked Estel when he was disabled, yet when the sword came down, Estel raised his own to block the blow."

"I remember," said Aragorn. "My head was pounding and I couldn't hear a thing, but something made me move my arm upwards. I still don't know how that happened."

Elrond reassuringly placed his hand on top of Aragorn's head. "I will find out what it is, I promise you. Now rest."

"Ada, I am not tired. I want to be outside and feel the beauty of nature now that I cannot see it." He remembered the beauty of the meadows and needed to reassure himself that even though he can't see it, the beauty is still here.

Elrond sighed. This happened every time one of his sons was injured. They just didn't want to stay in bed and rest. If he didn't let Aragorn go outside, he would find a way to escape anyway, blind or not. And the twins would gladly help him do it. And remembering the closeness of Legolas and the twins, the prince would not hesitate to help the twins in their own mission.

"Alright, but listen to your body and mind when they tell you to rest. I will be in my study."

Aragorn was guided to a bench in the gardens by both his brothers, one on each side, followed by Arwen and Legolas. The man sat down and audibly sighed as he took in the smells of the pine trees, the only trees still wearing green; and the sounds of the birds as they chattered to each other. The weak winter sun warmed his face, as the chilly breeze fought to cool it down again.

They all sat in silence as Aragorn relaxed. Arwen wrapped a warm blanket around his shoulders. A smile graced the ranger's lips as one of the birds landed on his leg and sang to him. For half an hour, no one moved, and no one spoke. They allowed nature's healing powers soothe the man's mind.

"Estel," Arwen said at last, "let us go inside, you are weary."

"Aye, I am," admitted Aragorn. "But I do not wish to leave this place. It feels safe out here."

"What is it, my love?"

"I…" Aragorn hesitated. "I don't know what to do anymore. How can I… How can I join the rangers and lead them if I cannot even lead myself? How can I protect those in need, even the ones I love?"

Neither Arwen nor the twins spoke, for they did not know the answers. It was Legolas' clear voice that repelled the silence.

"I once had a friend who was blinded by orc poison. He coped exceptionally well and soon joined us again on our adventures. He died several hundred years later, but he gave his life saving many others from wargs and orcs. He enjoyed every minute of his life and protected many others. He has also saved my life numerous times. Not all is lost. Give it time and see where it goes."

"Legolas is right, Estel," said Elladan. "We don't know whether it is permanent, but even if it is, we will help you through this. You are not alone; we'll be here to make sure you are able to do the things you are destined to do."

Aragorn stayed silent as he thought this over. He still felt helpless, but a tiny speck of hope had found its way to his heart. He sighed and nodded, accepting the help of his family.

Elrond stood in the doorway to Estel's room. His human son was still sleeping as his elven daughter held his hand. She noticed Elrond and gave him a small, hopeful smile. She turned back to Estel as he stirred to awakening.

"Arwen?"

"Aye, ada is here also."

"Ada?" Once again, hope was directed at the older elf.

Elrond walked up to the bed and sat down on the edge. He took Estel's other hand. "I don't know for certain, but I believe your blindness is caused by the blow to your head. It is speculated that the visual processing takes place in the back part of the brain, thus damage there could mean that signals don't get through."

"But what of his reactions to movement? How can that happen if he cannot see?" said Arwen, hoping that her father was somehow wrong.

"A human reference book written millennia ago tells about a man who had to have all of his brain removed except for his brainstem. He still lived; the brainstem seemed to take care of only the most primal parts of living. He did react to objects moving toward him. If the moving thing was big, the man would show fleeing reactions; if it was small thing, he would grab it. My guess is, the same type ofreaction overcame you, Estel. The signal from your eyes was transmitted to your brainstem, only your instincts were trained in such a way, that you didn't run, nor grab the sword, but moved to protect yourself."

"Will… will I ever be able to see again?" Aragorn anxiously squeezed his father's hand.

"I cannot tell for sure. I am certain some of the damage will heal, but I do not know to what extent, or how much of your sight will return." Elrond returned the squeeze, trying to relay whatever comfort he could give through touch. "Elladan and Elrohir are still combing through the library, with the aid of Legolas. If there's anything there that can help, we'll find it." With a stroke through Aragorn's hair, the elf stood up and went to the library to resume his search.

Arwen watched as Aragorn tried to come to terms with the news. She could see it hit him hard.

"Arwen, could you give me some time alone?" came the soft whisper.

"Yes, I can. But remember that we will help you through this. You are not alone." She understood that Aragorn didn't want anyone to see the emotions he was going through. He didn't want to show any weakness. She would grant his wish for now, but she would return to give him comfort when he needed it. She would tell him it was not a weakness, but now was not the time. A kiss on his head, and she also left the room.

Chapter three has also come to an end. You know, I never intended to have Arwen in this story. However, one day, a beautiful she-elf suddenly ran into Imladris and demanded that she had to be in it. She said that without her, Aragorn would never wake up. Naturally, I couldn't resist that, because what would this story be like if all Aragorn did was sleep the entire time. The story would be over now, had that been the case. Of course I received a dark glare from Elrond, who didn't want to deal with their love in this story. Well, that's his problem :-)

Thanks for all the reviews. Now I have the time to respond to the reviewers, since I don't have any exams this week :)

Viggomaniac: I'm glad you liked it. I think the reason behind the first chapter being a bit rushed was because I was all excited about starting my own story with all the ideas popping in my head that I wanted to write it all down immediately. After a while, things settled down a bit I guess.
I think if Aragorn knew about all those angst-stories, he'd take out his darkest ranger clothes and hide in the darkest corners, but with a laptop and internet, so he can read all of them anyway :) Of course he'll be snickering every time Legolas gets hurt, but not too loudly, someone might hear him...

sielge: Yep, they've arrived at home safely. Well, at least without any warg/orc attacks on the way. Should've put one in, it could've been fun :) Ah, never mind, there'll be enough attacks in this story.

QueenofFlarmphgal: The human mind is a strange thing. We love to see our favourite characters get hurt, but (very very fortunately) we don't like to see those things happen to the ones we love in the real world. Except for a few truly deranged beings maybe... I think we like it because we admire the way they handle the pain (or we make them handle the pain). It shows how tough and courageous they are. I mean, we wouldn't like it if like(grown-up) Aragorn gets hurt, runs to Elrond crying: "Daddy, daddy, the bad warg bit me, make him go away! Whaaaah!". No, we like it when he kills the warg, and many others, saves 20 humans and a certain elf in the process, all while he's close to death. And when he's carried home by said elf, he has to save them at least three more times, showing his true valour. That's what appeals to us. I think... Enough philosophy, I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!

Elessar-Lover: Thanks for adding the story to your alerts! Updates have been fairly quick these first few chapters, but I'm not sure whether the others will follow that fast. But with all the enthusiastic reviews, I'm determined to finish this story in a reasonable amount of time.

neofilly: I promise the elf will get hurt. Eventually... ;) I've cleared the darkness as to why Estel's blind, but I'll leave the man himself in darkness a bit longer. If I ever let him out... /evil grin/

wren: I'll make sure you get what you want. I don't want this story to be so unbalanced that after 20 fights Aragorn is near death and everyone else doesn't even have a scratch; it wouldn't make sense :)

Aranna Undomiel: I do know about most medical things I write about, but I must admit that I haven't strictly followed the rules in this story. "Cortical blindness", as Estel's condition is called, does exist, but I have no idea whether it can follow from a severe blow to the head. Also, the reflexes to movement exist, but I don't think they can get integrated in trained instincts, such as raising a sword to block an oncoming object. So I also use a good deal of imagination to make it more interesting, even if at the cost of medical accuracy.

Fluffy's fangirls: Yes, poor Aragorn. But considering what I have in store for him, he might just want to stay home and never get out again :)

grumpy: I think the hole in his head is the least of his worries. A few stitches,replace a few fragments of boneand voilà, hole's closed:) I could've given him a nice infection, but it's too late for that, I think. After a week he should be infection free... too bad.

Wolf Maid: The Aragorn-Legolas thing will get more interesting if I can put my newest idea into words /grins/. I'll give you a hint. It has something to do with an arrow. It'll probably come up in the next chapter, or else the one after that. As to Aragorn being alright in the end... I'll have to think about it :P

A. NuEvil: I have actually toyed with the idea of a guide dog, but I realised a dog probably wouldn't be much of a match for, say, a warg. I'd have to kill him off in the first attack on Aragorn, and that would break my heart... Sooo, how capable are you in battle:P I am thinking about a replacement, a horse maybe, but I'm not sure if I'll put it in.

Bill the Pony2: /munches on cookie/ Thanks for the compliment. Hopefully I'll keep improving. I did notice a really stupid paragraph right before I wanted to post this chapter, so I decided to rewrite it, placing a bit that I intended for chapter 4 in it. That's why it took so long to post this...

greeneyedelf001: I'm glad you love it :) I certainly loved writing it. Thanks for putting me on your favs and alert lists!

To everyone who put me on their story/author alerts/favs lists: THANK YOU VERY MUCH!