Hidden Secrets

Disclaimer: I only own Aranwen, Beran, Star, and the plot!

Chapter Twenty-six: Wargs

T.A. 3019

Theodred was buried soon after their arrival. Aranwen chose not to attend, as she was feeling ill. Her child was close to being born and every day was harder for her. She longed to tell Aragorn, to confide in someone, but if he knew, he would send her away. And after all that she had been through to get there, she was not going to be sent away so easily. She would just have to deal with it on her own, as she had done with everything else.

"Aranwen?" Aragorn asked, entering the room.

"Yes, ada?"

"Pack your bags. We are heading to Helm's Deep. I will meet you in the stables," he said and without waiting for her reply, turned and left the room.

Aranwen quickly shoved her few belongings back into her saddlebags, gathered her weapons, which had been returned to her, and headed towards the stables. She knew what was going on. They were going to flee to the fortress and once there, Saruman would attack them. If anyone else knew it, they did not show it. They would all die.

Star whinnied happily as Aranwen entered the stable and she patted the dapple-gray on the neck.

"Hey girl," she whispered to the horse. "I'm sorry but it looks like we will need to run again."

The horse snorted and Aranwen quickly saddled the mare. With every second that passed, Star grew more and more nervous, as did Aranwen. She stopped her frantic work when she heard her father's voice. He was standing with a big bay horse, trying to calm him down. She heard him softly whisper in Elvish and smiled.

When she saw the blonde woman, Eowyn come over and speak to him, she grew angry. She could tell that the woman of Rohan liked her father, but Eowyn was only five years older than she was and Aragorn was married. Married to her mother, Arwen and she would not let this woman steal her father away from her mother, no matter what.

"Manan nalye?" asked Legolas, coming up behind Aranwen. He too was looking at Eowyn and Aragorn. (How are you?)

"Im gruitheb na Eowyn," she told him. (I am angry at Eowyn.)

"Hebo estel, Aranwen. Aragorn is no fool," he said before disappearing to attend to Arod. And to see what trouble Gimli had gotten into recently. (Have hope, Aranwen.)

She knew that Legolas was right. Aragorn would never leave Arwen for Eowyn, even if her mother died or sailed away. Aragorn loved Arwen, as she had once loved Beran. Up to the massacre, she would have gladly taken an arrow for him or been stabbed to death by a blade. But now, she didn't know what she would do.

Aranwen shook her head clear of all thoughts of Beran. Now was not a time to dwell on the past. For now, she needed to worry about staying alive and dissuading Eowyn from crushing on her father. And of course, the safety of her unborn child.

Aranwen was already mounted on Star and ready to leave when Aragorn rode up on Hasufel, Legolas and Gimli following him on Arod. Aranwen was near the head of the group, not far from Theoden King. Eowyn was nearby and Aranwen tried her best to not think about her.

"Aranwen, are your wounds bothering you?" Aragorn asked, noticing the look on her face and worrying about her.

"They are fine, ada. I am fine. Just worried that's all. I have a bad feeling about this, that's all," she insisted.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, ada, I'm sure," she said, not bothering to look at Aragorn, afraid that he would press the issue if he saw her face.

Aragorn sighed and shook his head slightly. Legolas could barely contain a laugh. Aranwen was easily as stubborn as her father was—if not more.

Gimli was telling an amusing story about Dwarves when Aranwen felt something was very off. She rode ahead, leaving Aragorn behind, who was busy conversing with Theoden. Legolas had gone ahead before her, so she rode up behind him as he was finishing off a Warg. Her gray-blue eyes went wide and she froze for a split second.

"It's a scout. Go warn the others!" Legolas told her and she nodded and spun around.

"Wargs!" she cried, galloping back to the others. "They're attacking!"

"Riders get to the head of the column!" Theoden ordered and everyone mounted their horses and formed a line. Swords were drawn and spears were at hand, as they prepared to do battle.

"Aranwen, go with Eowyn and the women!" Aragorn ordered his daughter.

"No, ada, I will fight!" she argued and unsheathed her sword with her healing right hand and gripped it tightly. Her arm was still wounded and weak, but she would be able to hold her own.

Aragorn opened his mouth to argue with her, but the Wargs rushed into the small group before he could speak again. Aranwen hacked away at the attacking Wargs from the back of Star until her sword fell from her hand. She jumped off Star and searched the ground for her sword. She couldn't find it. She drew her dagger and grabbed a nearby spear. A Warg appeared behind her and she slit its throat with the dagger. She spun around and jabbed the spear in the belly of another Warg.

"Ada?" she called after she came across his sword that he too had lost. "Ada?"

She saw a blur heading towards the cliff and she sharpened her eyesight and saw her father. She ran after the Warg that he was fighting and cried out in horror when she saw the Warg disappear off the cliff—with her father. She raced to the edge and looked over. Her father was nowhere in sight.

Aranwen collapsed on the grass and began to cry. Her father was dead. Aragorn was dead.

"Aranwen! Man carel le?" called Legolas, spotting her beside the cliff. (What are you doing?)

"Ada," she whispered and looked over the cliff.

A cackle was heard from behind them and Legolas turned to see a Warg rider laughing, Aragorn's Elven dagger in his stomach.

"He's…" said the Warg rider and then he coughed. "…dead. He took a tumble off the cliff…"

Legolas was angered and he wanted to tell the Warg rider that he was a dirty liar and curse him, but he noticed something sparkling in his hand. Legolas pried the hand open and from the grasp of the dying Warg rider, he pulled out the Evenstar. The light of the Evenstar was dull, fading, and Legolas knew that if Aragorn had fallen from the cliff, he was most likely dead and Arwen would feel it and fade.

As for Aranwen, he knew not.

Author's Notes:

Hope everyone likes this chapter! Enjoy! And yes I did change some things in the movie storyline, but oh well! Next chapter should be up tomorrow, hopefully, and will be taking place in Aragorn's point of view. I had to include the Warg attack and Aragorn's fall, even though it wasn't in the books!

Reviewers!

ElvenRyder – I thought about making it longer, but it ended up being better as a short chapter. Glad to know you liked it: )

IwishChan – Who could blame her: )

Fae Black – Yup, I don't plan on a bad chapter again. There's still more to Beran than I told in the last chapter, but it does clear things up a little as to his motives and his mindset. It is a very complicated story, like you said. I have to keep looking at my several pages of notes and plot lines to make sure I get everything straight. Thanks: )