Hey guys sorry it's taken so long but moving house and trying to sort out the internet access has been a nightmare. Anyway I hope this will tide you over for now and I have a week off soon so will hopefully be able to update a few of the stories! Let me know how you likeit and any suggestions you have.
It took me far longer to get to sleep and but the time I have listened to his breathing even out and finally drifted off myself I feel as though it is mere minutes before I am being awoken to say goodbye again.
"Little one, we must leave," Aragorn's face is once again hovering over mine,
"Already?" I ask and he smiles a little at me although I can see the pain behind it and I immediately decide I have to hold it together so that he does not worry for me.
"I do not wish to leave my love," he whispers and it I sigh reaching up a hand to his cheek despite the twinge of pain it causes to rush through my arm and back.
"I do not want to see you leave but I know that you must and I take heart in the fact that for the first time we part in a time of peace and I for once do not have to fear for your safety," I smile as he helps me to sit up.
"I am not sure I can say the same," he responds clearly still not happy about us parting again.
"Of course you can, Legolas and Haldir shall be with me and I will be well and with you soon," I say as he gathers me into his arms and holds me as tightly as he dares with my still wounded back.
"Come let us go and meet with the others or they will make my life miserable all the way to Gondor for monopolising your time," he smirks as he helps me pull on a silk coat of some sort to cover my nightdress and supports me as we walk out to see off the others.
"Peyson I shall miss you terribly," Frodo says stepping towards me as soon as he spots me and I can feel tears welling in my eyes as I quickly blink them away and smile down at him.
"I shall be with you soon my friend I can promise you that," I say kneeling down with some difficulty and embracing him before I am suddenly being held by several other sets of little arms.
"Come my friends we must be off," Aragorn says at last and so they drag themselves back to their packs and begin to get themselves ready.
"I love you," I whisper as he helps me to stand again and his fingers find my face brushing an errant strand of hair behind my ear.
"I sometimes wonder you are not an elf your beauty is so great," he replies his fingers lingering over the top of my ears and I laugh even as I feel the blush creep up over my cheeks.
"Be safe and look after them," I say and he smiles nodding leaning forward impulsively and kissing me quickly on the corner of my mouth which only serves to make my blush stronger.
"Always my love and make sure you rest and recover, I want you with me as soon as possible," he says before turning away and then they are gone and I am standing watching them leave Legolas and Haldir standing beside me and trying desperately not to cry.
"Come my friend you should be resting," Legolas says and I turn to look at him,
"I'm fine," I say knowing before I have finished speaking that he doesn't believe me,
"You are weak,"
"I am getting stronger," I argue.
"Still as stubborn as the day I met you I see," Haldir chuckles and I throw a weak glare in his direction.
"I just… I hate being weak," I sigh grunting in frustration as I take a step and stumble my legs collapsing beneath me and forcing Legolas to use his lightening like reflexes to catch me and pull to him gently.
"I understand Peyson but you must rest, being away from Aragorn will only make you weaker you must follow our instructions,"
"I… okay," I mutter suddenly too exhausted to argue or ask questions so instead I just nod and lean into him as he supports me and takes me back to my bed where I sink down and turning away from him slightly I close my eyes offering nothing but a tiny noise of thanks as he pulls a blanket over me and sits down beside me.
It is hard to explain how I feel over the next few days, I am recovering and every day it is easier to move and breathe and do things without pain but everything else was… I don't know it is like my senses have been dulled. Without Aragorn here I feel like everything is harder just existing seems more difficult and it is driving me slowly insane.
"How are you this morning my friend?" Legolas asks as he walks towards where I am sitting in the gardens one afternoon about two weeks after they left.
"I am well, I started training again yesterday and Haldir says that I should have full range of mobility and no pain within the week," I reply not really looking at him and just continuing to stare out across the landscape.
"That is good, I have had word from Gondor we are to leave in two days time if we wish to make it in time for the coronation," he says as he sits beside me and a tiny spark of hope ignites in me as I turn to face him at this news.
"That is good," I manage after a moment and he smiles almost sadly at me.
"It is normal you know, although I have rarely seen a reaction so strong in those who are not of the eldar, perhaps it is your lineage," he muses and I furrow my brow at him.
"I do not understand,"
"The feeling of being lost, the hopelessness when he is not near," he clarifies and I don't know why I am startled that he knows.
"You have always been able to read me so easily, since the very beginning, better even than Aragorn," I sigh turing away from him again after offering him a tiny smile.
"You are one of my truest and closest friends Peyson and you are not so good at hiding your feelings," he smiles and I glance at him again.
"Not a very good ranger then," I muse before looking at him again, "Aragorn never seems to see how I am feeling though," I add and he laughs a little at this.
"I think perhaps Aragorn rarely sees anything other than his love for you and blind panic for your safety, his own feelings and how to act," he laughs and I can't help giggling a tiny bit too before I yawn. "You have not been sleeping well," he observes more solemnly and I just nod.
"I know the danger is over and I know that they are safe, that we all are but the dreams still plague me," I say eventually.
"The same images, the same dreams?" he asks and I shake my head glancing at him again before focusing on a tree in the distance as I try to formulate my words.
"No. They are strange and I do not understand them. I don't feel the fear or panic of before but there is something in the background I just can't work it out, it is nothing more than a mass of images and colours too blurry and passing by too quickly for me to work out what they are," I sigh.
"It is because you are anxious to see Aragorn," he reasons although I can tell that he is about as convinced as I am that this is the true reasons for my dreams or visions. I don't say anything though because I know that he is trying to appease my worries and I do not wish him to worry besides I would be on my way to see Aragorn and the rest of my friends, my family, I internally correct myself and I knew that I would be better once I was with them all again.
"I should get some rest so I am ready to travel," I say quietly,
"It will be a peaceful trip Peyson the war is over," he says now and I look back at him from where I now stood a few feet in front of him.
"We have vanquished a great evil but everywhere his servants are slinking back to their holes, I think you know as well as I that no journey is free of all danger," I say and he smiles at me slightly before standing and walking towards me.
"Sometimes I do you the injustice of underestimating your intelligence," he says quietly and I feel myself blush as I turn away.
"It is an obvious thing to say," I offer in excuse as we begin to walk back towards my room.
"I am over two thousand years old Peyson and have prided myself for many a century on never being surprised by anything and then you appeared and since the day I met you I have been regularly surprised by your resilience, grace, skill and loyalty despite your young age and the things you have suffered,"
"You flatter me too much my friend," I laugh to cover my embarrassment and he just shakes his head at me smiling as we continue walking in silence until we reach my door.
"Get some rest so we may hasten on our journey to Gondor without hesitation," he says quietly and I nod turning back once I am though my door to thank him for being such a true friend but he is already gone and so sighing I shut the door quietly and head back to my bed.
Two days have gone by, possibly the longest two days of my life and I am finally standing at the gates of Rivendell once more Legolas and Haldir beside me as we say goodbye to the elves here and get ready to leave.
"Be careful Peyson your journey will not be as easy as those of the fellowship who went before you," Elrond says quietly drawing me aside and I stare up at him in shocked apprehension.
"What do you mean?" I ask,
"There are dangers in your path Peyson, you have begun to feel them yourself," he continues as I continue to stare at him in open mouthed silence.
"I don't understand," I manage eventually and he smiles almost sadly at me.
"Keep your allies close to you at all times Peyson and be watchful I would not have my son grieve needlessly for you,"
"So there are enemies in our path?" I ask fighting a blush, I swear these creatures take far too much joy in seeing me flustered and blushing it is most annoying.
"There are but is the enemies that look like they are friends you should be watching for," he says before moving off to speak to Haldir and leaving me in shocked and bemused silence as I try to decode what he says.
"Lord Elrond has told you his concerns?" Legolas asks a moment later and I look up closing my mouth and swallowing thickly.
"Yes,"
"I will let no harm come to you my friend," he replies resting a hand on my shoulder for a moment.
"It is not fair that just when I thought we were safe trouble is on its way again," I sulk and he chuckles a little although there is little humour in it.
"Come let us be on our way," Haldir says from my side and with a glance back we mount our horses and set off.
The journey is long but the ground is covered quickly on horseback in no time at all and within a week we are nearly there.
"We will be there by dusk tomorrow," Haldir says as we dismount and set about making camp.
"I do not like the feel in the air here," I say quietly and they both look at me nodding and I am for the millionth time grateful for the unwavering loyalty and trust, they never question me the way others may have.
"I believe that there are enemies close by," Legolas replies in a whisper.
"I shall scout out the area stay here," Haldir says picking up his bow and moving into the trees to our right.
"We should ride through the night and get away…" but before I can finish my sentence a movement and growl to my left catches my attention and before I can blink we are surrounded by orc on Wargs.
Panic instantly fills me and I am struck by the idea that even after everything I have been through, all of the battles both before I met the fellowship and through out our journey together, the fear and the panic that consumes me every time battle is near is ever present.
"Be calm Peyson and remember your training," a voice whispers besides me and it comes as no surprise that Legolas has once again read me like a book.
"I… my back," it is all I can manage to get out through my constricted throat the rifler being that I was terrifyingly out of practise and although I knew I was recovered the memories of fighting and the wound ripping open are still fresh in my mind.
"I have no time to reassure you in the way I should like but you must fight and you can fight Peyson our lives both depend on it," he replies and the edge in his voice makes me steel myself against my own fear and draw my sword.
I have less than a second to hold the weight of my weapon in my hand before the fight begins and my ears are suddenly full of snarls, growls and cries of pain and victory. I cannot see either of my elf companions as I am drawn further into the darkness by a particularly aggressive warg whose teeth are shining in the moonlight slightly, glinting in a way that reminds me how deadly it is and I gulp. It lunges at me suddenly and I only just manage to get away its teeth grazing my forearm and drawing a hiss of pain from me. I roll across the floor and have a moment to feel relief at the lack of pain in my back at this action and my then my mind is full of Aragorn, I see his face, see his panic and his grief and standing up I let out my own battle cry as I plunge my sword into the beasts side before turning and fending off another attack from an orc that had been creeping behind me. In all the fight lasts but half an hour and by the time it is finished and the attacks stop coming I am exhausted. My breath coming in short gasps as I lean over on my sword, jumping as a figure walks up beside me.
"We should move there may be more of them near by," Legolas says quietly and I immediately irritated at the fact that he looks as if he has just wandered upon the scene not a hair out of place and not even out of breath.
"Where is Haldir?" I ask instead standing up and wiping the blood from my sword onto my cloak I sheath it and begin walking with him.
"He is with the horses he has been wounded but he is okay the blade was not poisoned and the wound will be easily stitched," he says and I speed up my walking slightly to get to him.
"Can you not stay out of trouble without me to save you?" I tease as we approach him and he scowls slightly at me sitting down rather heavily for an elf and moving the tattered edges of his sleeve slightly so that Legolas can begin to stitch the wound whilst I find some water and offer it to him after taking a drink myself.
"You are wounded yourself my little friend," Haldir says as he accepts the canteen of water, "we must stitch that before we leave, thankfully for once you have not tried to outdo everyone with some heinous wound," he adds with a smirk and it is my turn to scowl at him as I sit and wait for Legolas to finish patching Haldir up and move on to me.
"How do you always avoid any injury?" I ask when he sits in front of me and begins to clean the wound on my arm.
"I am many hundreds of years older than you," he smiles and I frown at him slightly.
"But so is Haldir and he is also a great warrior and he is injured," I reason and Legolas chuckles as Haldir growls softly from behind me where he is making sure the horses are packed up and ready to move.
"I was alone and ambushed I was merely caught off guard whilst trying to lead a pack of orcs away from you," he mutters and Legolas laughs again.
"I have been wounded many times my friend I have simply been lucky through this last few years and battles," Legolas says as he finishes bandaging my arm and pulls me to my feet.
"I never wish to see you injured my friend but sometimes I do wish that you would at least appear to slightly out of breath," I smile and Haldir laughs this time.
"That is his trick my friend he hides in the trees and emerges at the end of battle to claim victory," he laughs and I laugh too as Legolas pretends to look hurt his smile shining through his eyes even in the dim moonlight as he mounts his horse.
"Come let us away and my mid morning tomorrow we should be within sight of the city," He says waiting for us both to mount our own horses before he gallops off with us both behind him.