For Disclaimer please view chapter 1.
Author's Note: Small Chappy ahead, thanks for all your reviews! And in answer to Princess Myra's Review, the age difference between Aurel and Legolas does not matter really, its just Elrohir's way of joking around in his own way, but I think you kind of got that. :o) Sorry for the wait, but school and no computer of my own make it difficult to keep updating more quickly. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Kersi
Chapter 28: The Heart's Choices
As she approached Aragorn's tent, she found it peculiar that her brothers were standing outside with Legolas, speaking, with serious faces on all of them; she needed to speak to Aragon so she did not let it bother her as she passed them by without saying a word. But just as she was about to enter, Elladan grabbed a hold of her arm.
She turned and looked at him in question, but before she could protest at his hold of her she spoke.
"He is not alone in there, it would be best to leave him in peace at moments be." He kept his grip tight, knowing that his sister was stubborn.
"There is no need to keep a hold of me Elladan, if he occupied then I shall wait until he is not, for I need to speak to him of urgent matters."
"And we need to speak to you." said Elrohir in a peculiar tone.
"Oh?" She looked over to Legolas, who still kept his facial expressions serious, but no more of her attention was afforded to her brothers as she heard the voice of Eowyn ring forth from Aragorn's tent. Her posture straightened, and her ears were alert. "Eowyn is in there with Estel?"
"Eowyn?" asked Elrohir.
"That is the niece to Theoden-King." said Legolas.
"Yes of course, we knew that, but it has been long since we have seen her, we did not recognize that it was her." said Elrohir.
"What business does she want with Estel?" asked Aurel interrupting them.
"And how should we know, that is not of our concern, since when is it yours?" asked Elladan suspiciously.
Aurel kept silent.
"I gather you have not had pleasant dealings with her?" asked Elladan.
"You can say that."
"And since when has Aurel had pleasant dealings with anyone?" said Elrohir.
"What does that mean?" asked Aurel.
"What humans have you encountered that you have ever been pleasant to besides Aragorn? And I fear the only reason you took a natural liking to him was because he managed to turn Ada's study into his own personal play chamber." said Elladan.
"That is quite unfair; I have not had as many dealings with humans as you have. With this human it is quite different, she was arrogant and insulting."
"Words used to describe the very being standing in front of me; perhaps you do not like her because she reminds you of yourself." said Elrohir.
Aurel's eyes darkened. "I do not recall seeing many human friends by your side."
"What do you call the host I rode in with Aurel? If you are going to throw insults, then make sure they are valid."
"Have you always bickered this much?" asked Legolas.
All three siblings looked over to Legolas and responded at the same time, "Always."
"Enough of this, she should not be left alone with Estel." said Aurel looking into Aragorn's tent.
"Why not?"
The voices in Aragorn's tent rose, and crying could be heard, it was Eowyn, and her voice was shaky. "All your words are but to say, you're a woman, and your place is in the house. I can fight, I am capable of fighting in this war…others follow you out of love, I would do so for the same reason, let me accompany you…please."
Aurel took a step back, alarmed by the conviction in her voice.
"You should not eavesdrop, and we need to speak to you Aurel." said Elladan pulling her away from the tent, Elrohir and Legolas followed…
"I am not an Elfling anymore. Let go of my arm Elladan." She was trying to pull away.
He kept a hold of it as he pulled her even faster, and then when they had reached a secluded spot he let go. "You were injured?" he asked.
It took Aurel by surprise and she only looked at him innocently.
He repeated his question. "You were injured?"
"When?" she asked casually.
"Do not play stupid with us." said Elrohir.
She looked at Legolas, "What have you told them?"
"I have told them nothing, they only asked that I was present when they spoke to you." He replied.
"Answer the question." said Elrohir.
"What does it matter if I was injured, I am well now."
"It matters greatly to us." Said Elladan… "And your voice, you realize we had not heard your voice for a great time and suddenly it has reappeared, and you give us not a reason."
"Why does there need to be a reason?"
"Because we were told it was never to return." responded Elladan., "Perhaps you do not understand the pain that it caused us when we were told this news long ago. We only want to be reassured that we were not fooled into believing that your voice was lost forever, and that all along it had been a choice you had been making."
"Aurel…we heard of the rescue of the young human children, we heard of your foolishness."
"Of course you would hear of that, now I know whom it is who you have been speaking to…Estel, only he would describe it as foolish." She looked away.
"Foolish because you did not wait, because you went out rashly, and if you had been thinking clearly, you would have felt it was a trap." said Elladan.
"And we have learned of the great harm this has caused Legolas…" Elrohir turned to face Legolas, "You walk differently, it must have been grave, and you have lost memory?"
Legolas tried not to make it seem so serious, "I am healed, and my memory returns slowly."
"Never have I heard of such an injury amongst an elf in this age, our sister led you into great peril, we apologize for her." said Elladan.
"She did not force me to come with, it was a choice I made on my own, there is no need to apologize, in the end, the children were saved, trap or not."
"We understand that you would not want to put yourself against Aurel, it is only natural that you defend her actions, but we are her brothers and know better, this is not the first time she has put your life at risk Legolas."
"Elrohir!" said Aurel, "How dare you!"
Legolas seemed a little confused.
"But it is true Aurel." Elrohir replied.
"What are you trying to do?" asked Aurel.
"Tell me…" He walked closer to her, "That all this time we suffered for your loss you had not kept this secret from us; your voice was never lost was it?"
Aurel looked away, not able to answer her brother who stood so close to her.
"Aurel, why did you lie to us?" asked Elladan.
"I did not lie." She replied simply.
"I think I should leave." said Legolas.
"No." said Elrohir, "We wish for you to stay, this concerns you as well."
"It concerns all who cared for her then and now." said Elladan.
"How could you Aurel? We all suffered with the loss of Naneth, and the affects the attack had on you."
"Affect? Is that what you call my suffering? My memory of what has happened?" She shook her head, "The loss of my voice was not a lie! It was lost because of what happened that day, yes, I chose not to speak, but that does not make it a lie, Ada knew of this."
Elrohir's face contorted. "He would have told us."
"When? In your lust for blood while you took revenge on any creature that resembled an Orc? In the years that you were gone without a word? When would have Ada told you? You were too busy with your own self-loathing for not being able to reach Naneth on time, to take any concern over me."
Elrohir turned a bright red colour in his anger; while Elladan remained calm, "Arwen would have known."
"Arwen? She is too delicate a creature to realize what choice I had made." Aurel seemed almost mocking.
For years the siblings had not spoken about what had happened, not to a full extent. All the pain and anguish they had held inside for so long seemed to pour forth and Legolas stood in the middle wishing he could leave, for much of what they spoke of confused him.
"I have never heard you speak in such a way!" said Elrohir his voice hard and loud.
"I have never had to defend myself from my own family!" replied Aurel.
"And the fading, what you put Legolas and his family through!" asked Elrohir pointing at Legolas.
For a moment Aurel almost panicked, "I did not know you knew about that."
"We do. You are lucky that Legolas has forgiven all your faults, all the suffering your selfishness has caused. Or is it that he does not remember all that has happened between you."
Legolas decided it would be his moment to step in now before it went any further, "It does not matter that I do not remember. Who I see in front of me now is someone I respect and who has given endlessly and selflessly on this quest, no matter her past faults, are you all so innocent, are you all free of mistakes?"
"Of course not…" said Elladan.
"Then, I do not see the need for this to continue, there is a great war ahead of us, Estel will need our help, can we give it to him in this state?" Legolas shook his head, "If there are things that you need to discuss, now is not the time, do you not see how distressing this is?"
"You are right Legolas." said Elladan. "But there is one thing that will be resolved now." He looked over at Aurel, "When you said that we had not the time to be concerned for you, that is not true, we thought of you every moment of our days in the wilderness while he hunted for Orcs."
"Is that supposed to warm my heart brother?"
"We love you Aurel." said Elladan.
"Even now, when you make my blood boil." said Elrohir. "Do not take that for granted, you are always in our hearts."
"Am I interrupting something?" asked Aragorn, having walked towards them when he had heard the Elvish shouting.
"Just a scolding." said Aurel.
"I am glad you are here, you must help me, they are driving me mad!" said Legolas.
"It often happens to persons when they are around Elrond's children." said Aragorn.
"That explains you quite a bit then." said Aurel to Aragorn.
The matter was dropped between them and Elrohir and Elladan went to speak privately to Aragorn about other matters. It gave time for Legolas and Aurel to spend a few moments together in private.
"Thank you." said Aurel.
"They were being too harsh on you."
"They always have been, I just did not expect the scolding to begin so soon after having just seen one another."
"Is it true about your voice, that it was your choice not to speak?"
She looked up at him, "Yes. I did not see the point of using it, all I felt when I woke from the attack was pain, who would want to hear that? Everything I ever did to try and keep the suffering I felt away from others never worked, it only brought them closer to what I was feeling. It only brought pain. Some do not forget that."
Legolas dared to step a bit closer, "What is 500 years or so in the life span of an Elf? That is not what they will always feel and remember…"
Aurel gave a weak smile, "You are proof of that."
Before anymore could be said, Legolas's attention was whisked away to something behind Aurel, and she turned around. It was Eowyn. Legolas excused himself, smiling tenderly at Aurel before he left.
Aurel hardened the expression on her face. "Eowyn, what is it you want?"
Eowyn had been crying, the tears had not yet dried on her face. "Aragorn, my Uncle, my brother, they will not let me fight in the war."
"I would not let you fight either." Aurel stated clearly and without feeling.
"But why?"
"You are young, inexperienced…what does it matter? Why are you here?"
"I am sorry for the way I have treated you."
Aurel crossed her arms and gave her a hard stare. "Are you?"
"Yes. I am. I realize now how foolish I have been. And the damage I have caused." She began to cry.
"Please stop that crying."
"I cannot. The more I try, the more I do, it all avails to nothing…"
Something in what the human said struck a chord in Aurel, and she let the hard expressions on her face go.
"What do you seek? What is it you want?"
Eowyn shrugged her shoulders, "I want the chance to defend my people, instead of waiting for others to do it for me."
"Then follow your heart, it is only then that you will be free." said Aurel, looking at her for a moment, and then walking past her.
Eowyn tears stopped their flowing, and as she looked out among all the men there ready to defend the race of men, she smiled, and whispered a small "Thank you.", knowing in her heart what it was she was to do.
