Hidden Secrets
Disclaimer: I own own the characters that you don't recongize and the plot.
Chapter Fourteen: The Fellowship Leaves
T.A. 3018
Weeks passed before Aragorn confronted Aranwen about Beran. He felt that she deserved to know who had saved her life. So he tracked her down one day, when she was working in the stable. Aranwen had been spending increasing amounts of time in the stable, withdrawn from other humans, ever since Elrond nearly killed her. He quietly entered the stable, watching her as she groomed her horse, Star. She was whispering softly in Elvish and Common Tongue to her beloved horse.
"Aranwen, I need to talk to you," he said softly, hoping that he would not startle her too badly.
Aranwen jumped, then she turned to face her father. Happiness and joy shown in her gray-blue eyes once she realize that it was him. "Ada!" she cried happily as she rushed over to hug her father.
Aragorn still wasn't completely used to having a daughter, but he had to admit, he always enjoyed the hugs that she gave him, even when he wasn't expecting one.
"What do you need to talk about?" she asked.
"The night that Elrond almost killed you," he said with a sigh as the joy faded from her face.
"What about it?"
"Elrond told me that he would have never regained control if someone had not distracted Saruman."
"And?"
"The person who distracted Saruman--and saved your life--was none other than Beran," he said, rushing the words and wincing as he saw his daughter's expression.
"Damn him!" she screamed as she turned and punched a wooden wall before sliding down the same wall to the ground, crying. The brush that Aranwen had been holding fell to the floor, forgotten in that terrible moment. Her gray-blue filled with anger and sadness, hate and love.
Aragorn settled down on the floor in front of his daughter. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.
"It's not your fault. It is his. He makes it impossible for me to hate him. I don't know what to do."
"Is it possible that he does not want you dead?" Aragorn asked.
"Yes. He just wants me to return with him to the Ranger camp. But I refused and he said he would kill me."
"Why does he want you to return?"
"Because he loves me."
"Do you love him?"
"I don't know anymore!" she cried before running out of the stable.
Something just didn't add up about the relationship between Beran and Aranwen and Aranwen was not telling what it was. But Aragorn had other things to worry about. He was due to leave soon on the Ring Quest.
December 25th was a sad day for Aranwen, Arwen, and Aragorn. It was the day that the Fellowship would depart on the Ring Quest. On that day, Aranwen would be left behind in Rivendell under the watchful eyes of the Elves. She did not know if she would ever see her father again once he left. She longed to be packing her saddle bags and setting out with the Fellowship as well, but Aragorn had decided against it. It was her fate to remain in Rivendell with her mother, waiting and hoping instead of helping and fighting with her father.
Aranwen watched from her balcony as Arwen confronted Aragorn, who was attempted to sneak away to the gates without saying good-bye to her or Aranwen. Her Elven hearing caught every word exchanged between the Elf and Ranger.
"Trying to sneak away, I see. Now why would that be?" Arwen asked, almost teasingly.
"Arwen, I was trying to make leaving easier on you and Aranwen," he said.
"So you thought sneaking away at the crack of dawn would do it? You can do nothing to easy your parting aside from taking your daughter with you! She is already distraught! I fear what may become of her whilst you are away!"
"Aranwen is safer here in Rivendell than she would ever be with me in the Wild."
"My love, you are wrong. She is safer when she is with you. I would feel safer knowing that you--and Legolas--were with her. Beran almost succeeded before, and who will stop him if he returns?"
"You have forgotten that she almost died when I was in the same room!"
"Do not judge yourself upon previous errors, Aragorn. Stop trying to run away from everything. You always run."
"And it keeps me alive."
"Yes it does. But what about your daughter?"
"I know that I should take her, but if she is caught, Saruon's minions will kill her. If anything happened to her, I don't know what I would do."
"I beg you! Take her with you!" Arwen cried.
"I cannot, meleth nin," he whispered to her.
"Cannot or will not?" she said, tears in her eyes as she spun around and walked away.
From her balcony, Aranwen watched this bitter parting and quietly hissed at Aragorn, "Nai Valaraukar te-matar!"
Author's Notes:
Enjoy! Chapter 15 will be up soon! This chapter wasn't read by my beta (who has once again, disappeared) so sorry for any mistakes!
Elvish translations:
Meleth nin. - My love.
Nai Valaraukar te-matar! - May Balrogs eat you!
Reviewers!
IwishChan - I decided to post-pone the Aranwen-Beran back story for a few chapters. There are plenty of clues and hints about it though.
Fae Black - She was wary, but she had a vision that he was no longer possessed while she was 'out'. Thanks for pointing it out! I noticed it just after I had posted that I forgot about it.