A/N: Sorry for the posting delay. I said Sunday afternoon but it has turned into late Sunday afternoon. Forgive me. Your next chapter will be up tomorrow night.

Warning: character death

Chapter five: Unfortunate Events

The battle had gone badly, the orcs were too numerous for the small band of rangers but the men had no choice but to fight for they were surrounded. Aragorn knelt next to his father so he could look into the dimming eyes of the man who raised him, "You cannot die" the younger man sobbed.

Arathorn was fading fast but to comfort his only child he would fight off any foe - even death. "I must go my son – my time is over, you are now chieftain of the rangers."

Aragorn quickly shook his head, "No, I do not know how."

Arathorn mustered all his strength and gently reached up to touch his child's face one last time, "You must" he whispered, "for I can no longer stay here. Take care of our people, take care of your mother and take care of yourself." The man paused, "Tell your mother I love her. Know that I love you and believe in you." The man tried to smile but could not summon the energy. "Seek out the sons of Elrond," the man gasped and then breathed his last.

"Father? Father?" Aragorn yelled and when he saw no movement from the older man he fell forward and sobbed for his loss.

The other rangers heard the young man's calls and knew that Arathorn son of Arador was no more. After several minutes had past Keldil turned and knelt next to the new chieftain, "Come Aragorn, we must leave this place. The orcs from this band are all either dead or run off but there are many others near, we must go." The man stopped and swallowed hard in order to maintain his composure, "We must take him home."

Aragorn did not say a word but slowly stood to his feet, bent, and picked up his father's lifeless body. Normally the other ranger would be too heavy for him to lift but Aragorn was determined none would take this duty from him. Slowly he carried his father's body to his horse and gently laid him across the saddle. The young man did not look up at his fellow rangers but instead picked up the reins and began the long journey home.

Aragorn had been oblivious to everything on this journey; the birds, his men, the changes in the day but when the party crested the hill which stood to the north of the village he immediately came to a stop. Keldil had been closely following father and son and now the ranger approached the lost looking chieftain, "We should go in.". He pointed to a group gathered near the gate, "The people are waiting."

Aragorn finally looked up into Keldil's eyes, "How can I take him home like this? How can I tell my mother he is dead?"

Keldil was taken back, the grief in the man's eyes was so deep he could almost feel it pouring out of the younger man. Taking a deep breath he tried to reach the new chieftain, "You do it because you must. Trust me it is better for you to bring him to her than for her to hear the news from the village gossips. Please, my lord, lets take your father home."

The younger man nodded and began the long walk to his home, as he passed the crowd he could hear gasps and exclamations and yet the man kept going. The trip through the village had been agony but now that he had reached his home he wanted nothing more than to turn back and do it again. Better face the whisperings of the people than raise his head to meet his mother's eyes. Finally Aragorn swallowed thickly and spoke softly, "I am sorry mother." The man did not get another word out as Gilerian surrounded him in her arms and held him tight.

Finally the woman released her only child and moved to where her husband's body was lying. She gently lifted the dead man's head and kissed him on the lips, "You left. You always said you would not leave me but you left." As the distraught woman talked to her dead husband she got louder and louder until she was yelling. "You left me here!" She wailed and laid her head on the horse as she sobbed.

Aragorn just stood there watching her cry until Keldil nudged him, "You get her inside I will get a healer to give her something to calm her down." The new chieftain nodded dumbly and led his still wailing mother inside.

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Just after burying his father and being sworn in as chieftain Aragorn snuck out of his house and made his way to the stables. He was just about to ride out when a figure appeared in the doorway. At first Aragorn could not discover who it was, but slowly the figure moved forward and the new Chieftain was able to make out the features of his cousin. "Cousin, what are you doing here?"

Halbarad tilted his head, "Funny, I was just about to ask you the same thing." The man paused a moment and looked Aragorn up and down, "Or rather where you are going."

Aragorn's face hardened and he replied through clinched teeth, "I am going to find the rest of the band of orcs that killed my father."

Halbarad's eyes widened in surprise, "Surely you do not mean to go alone." When the chieftain did not reply the man continued hastily, "You can not Aragorn! You are our leader now – the only one we have. You must stay here and govern the rangers. Do as your father asked and summon the sons of Elrond. They will help you through this challenge."

Aragorn's eyes fairly glowed with anger, "The sons of Elrond! What help have they been to me? They were not here when father was severely wounded a few years ago and they were not here to keep him from being killed! When I was a child they promised to always be there for me – they have broken that promise twice and I will not give them a third opportunity."

Halbarad walked up so that he was looking directly into the face of his cousin, "They cannot always be here, cousin, they have concerns of their own. I have heard that their father is fading from grief – surely you can not condemn them for wanting to be with their father?"

Aragorn narrowed his eyes, "I can and I do." The ranger then quickly threw a punch at Halbarad, catching him on the jaw and knocking the man out cold. Seeing his kinsman lying motionless on the ground Aragorn's eyes softened, "I have to do this alone– please do not think badly of me."

TBC

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