Hidden Secrets
Disclaimer: I only own the characters you don't recongize and the plot.
Chapter Thirteen: Imperfect Murder
T.A. 3018
"I do not believe Beran will be upset by your death. He would have killed you—eventually. He should be grateful because he will not get blamed for your death," Saruman-Elrond hissed at Aranwen as she struggled in vain to breathe.
"Won't… get… away…" Aranwen gasped.
"Of course I will! There are no witnesses. No one other than your father and Beran know about my possession of Elrond. Elrond will be blamed and I will get away with it."
"Never…"
"Your father will not be able to stop me. If he tries anything, I will see to it that he too dies. And then Gondor will be all mine!"
Aranwen stopped struggling and her breathing slowed. She was dying and there was no one there to save her.
In Isengard, Beran flung open the doors to Saruman's inner chamber. Inside sat Saruman, his eyes fixed on the palantir and an evil grin plastered on his face. Beran strode over to the palantir and gazed at whatever Saruman was currently doing. To his immense horror, Saruman, by way of possessing Elrond, was killing his beloved Aranwen.
"What do you think you are doing?" Beran growled. "I said not to harm her!"
"She was about to expose everything. She was going to tell him the secret! She would have given away your plans!"
"Then let her give them away! She wasn't supposed to hurt! I demand that you stop it now!"
"I'm doing you a favor. I'm doing what you cannot bring yourself to do. I'm riding us of her."
"You're killing her! Stop it! Valar damn it all to Mordor and back again! You cannot kill her! I love her!"
"She must die!"
"No!" Beran cried, knocking the palantir off the table and sending it rolling away.
Saruman turned his complete focus to Beran, slacking off on his control of Elrond. He raised his staff at Beran. Beran unsheathed his sword and deflected the powerful blast coming from the corrupt wizard. Saruman tried again and Beran blocked it. If he could keep Saruman distracted long enough, then Elrond might be able to regain control and save Aranwen. He would die if it meant she could live. He had only ever had her best interests at heart.
T.A. 3017
Beran was in Minas Tirith, the White City, and the capital of Gondor. Walker had sent him there to bring back to the camp news of the happenings in Middle-earth. Walker also wanted him to see how other Rangers were fairing and find out Sauron's latest moves. He was proud to be the one entrusted with such an important task.
As he was passing a group of Gondorians when he overheard them speaking. He stopped and listened.
"—a strange ring. It had two serpents with emerald eyes. One was devouring and the other was crowned with golden flowers. It is known as the Ring of Barahir. It is said that bearer of this ring is Isildur's heir," said one man.
"So we must find and kill the one who bears this ring?" questioned another man.
"The bearer of this ring, if he exists, would threaten Denethor's rule. We can not afford to have some stranger changing our way of life!"
"I thought we killed this bearer—long ago?"
"No, the heir escaped the village and later killed our hired assassin. There was been no trace of them for years," said the leader of the small group.
"If we found him, would we kill him on the spot?"
"That or he would be handed to Sauron. Not to worry though, I'm got my best people on the lookout. Some Rangers too. That group headed by Waker, Walker, or something is prepared to handle him."
"Has he found him yet?" asked another man.
"He's worried that some new Ranger might be the heir. A seventeen-year-old kid named Wanderer. He has no proof yet, but as soon as he does, that kid is as good as dead."
T.A. 3018
Elrond managed to regain control of himself just as Aranwen's breathing stopped. He quickly stopped strangling her and tried to get her to breathe. She wasn't breathing. Then suddenly she made a great choking sound and started to breathe.
Aranwen's frightened gray-blue eyes searched the room as her breathing slowly returned to normal. Who had saved her from certain death? She quickly realized that only Elrond and Aragorn were in the room. Elrond was back to normal, but Aragorn was still knocked out. How had Elrond managed to regain control of himself? Gandalf was nowhere in sight and the chances of Elrond having freed himself were very slim. What then had occurred?
"Aranwen, thank the Valar you are alive!" cried Elrond joyfully, a wide smile upon his face. "I would have had a hard time living with myself if you had died."
"What about ada?" she asked, looking towards Aragorn's still body lying against the wall. "Is he alive?"
Elrond knelt beside the fallen Ranger, his foster son, and checked for signs of life. Aragorn's pulse was regular, indicating that he was at the very least--alive. But how was he to explain to his only daughter that he could have possibly seriously injured her beloved husband? And how could he tell Aranwen, who he had nearly killed, that he could have possibly killed her father? Aragorn could have internal injuries that were killing him or might be in a coma from which he would never wake. But all of Elrond's worried thoughts fled his mind as Aragorn began to stir.
Aragorn weakly opened his eyes and sat up with the help of Elrond. He tried to crawl towards his daughter, who was still trying to get her breathing regular, but the Elf Lord held him back. The Ranger glared at him for a few seconds before giving up.
"Is she okay?" he asked, glancing worriedly towards his half-Elven daughter before facing Elrond.
"She will survive, but if she knew how she managed to keep her life, it might very well kill her," Elrond said quietly.
"What?" questioned Aragorn, confused by Elrond's cryptic answer.
"While I was possessed—by Saruman—I was forced to strangle her. She was almost dead when I managed to regain control."
"You are telling me that you almost killed my daughter?"
"I would have if it were not for the help of someone. Someone who did not want Aranwen to die distracted Saruman. His distraction saved her life."
"Who was it?" Aragorn asked, afraid that he already knew the answer.
"It was Beran, Aragorn. Beran saved Aranwen's life."
"Why would he—"
"I believe," Elrond began, cutting off Aragorn, "that we will have to ask Aranwen about it."
The Elf Lord and Aragorn's gazes turned to rest on the recovering young Ranger.
Author's Notes:
Aranwen's secret will be explained in the next chapter. Some of you may have already guessed it by now. Next chapter will be up sometime next week.
Reviewers!
IwishChan – Strange twist isn't it? Beran, saving Aranwen?
Fae Black – Now that you mention it, he probably would. I'm so glad that you like it!