La, la, la, la, la!
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Lord of the Rings.
Chapter 34 Recap:
"Let's see, that puts me about halfway between Edoras and Isengard." She smiled slightly to herself. "In other words, I could be on a straight path to Helms Deeps."
She scurried down the tree and was relieved to find that Veryotar was stilled there.
"What do you say, boy? Want to take me on a little trip?"
To her pleasure, the stallion neighed enthusiastically and bobbed its head.
"Good, though it's been a while since I've ridden bare-back."
She swung her leg over and positioned herself on Veryotar, placing a steady hand on his neck.
"Thanks," she said, looking up at the sky. "Maybe it's time something good happens."
(A/N-I am skipping the scenes at Edoras. Hopefully most, if not all of you, have read the book or seen the movie, so you know what happens there. All I could have added to it was some new dialogue, but the plot would be the same. So for the sake of time, we will be starting at the journey to Helms Deep. Thank you.)
Chapter 35:
Aragorn leaned heavily against the long, tired from the slow and long days ride.
He wished to sleep, but Éowyn's words were still running through his head.
"Where is the woman who gave you that jewel?"
He fingered the Evenstar, something he did often. As he closed his eyes, he could have sworn he heard Arwen's voice whisper 'sleep.'
oOoOo-The Dream-oOoOo
Arwen was dressed in a light purple gown with no sleeves. The fabric draped over her shoulders.
He himself was no longer in rangers' clothes, but a fine gray tunic.
"This is a dream…" he argued softly.
"Then it is a good dream," she smiled seductively, then leaned forward and gave him a soft kiss.
They broke apart and she stroked his beard.
"Sleep," she said again, and went up to stand by the pillar.
Seconds later her stood up and followed her.
She glanced up.
"Your face holds much worry. What troubles you?" she asked.
"A…member of the fellowship is missing," he said, deciding not to say whom.
"Is it Legolas?" Arwen asked, thinking he was worried about his best friend.
"No, no he is well," he replied quickly. He sighed and actually looked away from Arwen. " It is Abigail."
"Oh…I'm sorry to hear that, she was nice," Arwen said slowly.
But secretly she was thinking, "He is here with me, yet his thoughts are on another woman?"
Aragorn sighed. "But she is strong. I have hope that she is alive," he said. "But I am with you now. We should not be concerned." He stepped closer to her and hugged her waist gently.
"Still, your mind is elsewhere," she whispered, and hint of bitterness in her throat.
"What?" Aragorn asked.
He released his grip and walked around to face her.
"Nothing, I just thought you would be happy to see me."
"I am," he objected, but still confused on where she was going with this.
"But you would be happier knowing she was safe, no?" Arwen said, looking him hard in the eyes.
She was trying to see if he was lying, but all she saw in his eyes was surprise.
"I did not take you for the jealous type, Arwen," he said quietly.
"I am not jealous of some mortal girl," the elf maiden said, exasperated.
She turned around and huffed over to another corner, her arms crossed.
Aragorn stood still, shocked at the small outburst.
"Don't you know I love you?" he asked her.
Her hands dropped to her sides, and she went back over to face him.
"I do know, and I'm sorry," she was honestly ashamed. "But it seems like it's been so long-"
"We've been apart longer," he intervened.
"Things are different, this mission threatens both of us." She paused. "You've already changed."
"Arwen, are you trying to tell me something?" he asked, now really concerned.
She shook her head. "Never mind." A calm smile came back on her face.
"Dawn approaches, you must leave."
"But we've only just begun-"
"We will talk again, I promise," she cut him off. She kissed him on the forehead and then on his lips as a goodbye.
oOoOo-End Dream-oOoOo
Aragorn sat up suddenly and found himself back at the Rohan camp.
As Arwen had said, the morning sun was rising over the mountains.
He ran hand though his tangled hair.
'Did we just have a fight…over Abigail?" he asked himself.
"Good, you're up," Legolas said, walking over. "King Théoden says we should reach Helms Deep today, before sunset."
"Oh, good" said Aragorn absentmindedly.
"Anything wrong?" asked the intuitive elf.
"No…just a dream," he said, still sounding confused.
Aragorn stood up, and went to go find Arod.
OoOoOoOoOoOoO
All the way in Rivendell, Arwen woke suddenly in her bed as well.
She was depressed at Aragorn's sudden lack of commitment, but she was not as sad as she would have expected.
Perhaps she had mentally been preparing herself for this day, after all her father's warnings.
"But do I really want to let him go?" she whispered to herself. She rested her head back on her pillow. The sun may be rising, but she did not want to face the day yet. She closed her eyes again, and surprised herself by falling into a peaceful sleep, ignoring the recent meeting.
(A/N-A big apology to Arwen lovers. Believe me, I think Arwen is a magnificent character. But because of the plot of my story, she will be acting out of character. I hope you understand and will keep reading.)
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Abigail had been traveling for three days on Veryohtar, and they had yet to run into anyone or anything.
But the other day, she had crossed into a village, or rather the remains of one.
All the houses had been burned down and only pieces of them were left standing. Awful corpses were spewed on the ground, children and adults alike. The enemy was obviously the wildmen, for their dead bodies could be found on the ground as well.
She had said an elvish prayer for all of them, hoping that they could find peace in some sort of afterlife.
The grotesque images were still bothering her though. Of course, he compassionate side wanted to stop and bury the poor souls, but logic told her to keep moving so she would reach Helms Deep in time. Her internal clock estimated she had less than a week to get to the refuge before the battle (but it was possible she had already missed it).
She got her answer, though, as she rode over a hill on the plains of Rohan.
"Valar save us," she whispered in shock.
Less then a mile to her right, she recognized the black flags of the urku-hai army, marching right towards her.
They were close enough that she could hear their slurred chants. They were ready for war at any given moment.
She knew that the army was coming and that they were powerful, but it was so daunting and almost terrifying to see them in person. No book had prepared her for the great task that was marching closer.
"I must be closer to Helms Deep than I thought," she said to herself. "The Rohirrim must be warned."
The black horse whinnied below her. He shifted his footing impatiently.
"Shh, Man le trasta Veryohtar?" she said, whispering in elvish.
(What troubles you, Veryohtar?)
Apparently, the horse was as nervous about the foul army as she was.
"You're right, we can't linger," she said, patting his neck. "Noro lim!"
The horse lunged into a fast canter.
She rode hard for hours before the stone barrier of Helms Deep came into view. The sun was high; it was probably not much past noon.
"Good, they will at least a small warning before they come."
Veryohtar was breathing heavily, though he didn't show any signs of weakness.
When they reached the gray path leading up to the main gate, she dismounted.
"Mae carnen, Veryo, mellon nîn."
(Well done, Veryo, my friend)
"Halt! Who approaches?" a watchman called out.
"I seek refuge, my friends are already inside. I assure you, I bring no harm to your people."
"Tis only a woman, open the doors."
Abigail considering a comeback for being called 'only a woman', but she held her tongue.
"Thank you," she said instead.
She led Veryohtar inside to the crowded streets. Every corner was packed with women, children and soldiers, but she was surprise that most looked content to be there.
'Too bad I know what lies ahead for them,' she thought sadly.
" 'Scuse me, my lady," a small voice came. She turned to see a teenage boy.
"Does your horse need some tending to?" he asked. "I can take him to the stables if you like."
She smiled. "That would be great. Could you make sure he gets some water, too? He's had a hard journey?"
The boy nodded. "Yes mam. I can even get him some hay as well."
"Thank you. Now, can you also tell me where the kings room is?"
"Sure. Take three flights of stairs, go to the left and it will be the middle wooden door, which is also the biggest." He paused. "But why do you want to go there? Do you know the king?"
"Not really, but there are still some people I need to talk with," she explained.
The boy shrugged, and left with Veryohtar.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Legolas wandered slowly around Helms Deep, observing the chores and tasks of the people. He was trying to keep himself occupied before they had to prepare for battle, whenever that was.
His keen sense of hearing detected shouting, not to far away. It sounded like an argument, and he decided to go investigate.
"I am telling you, I need to speak to the king!" a woman yelled.
"My liege had no time for the petty complaints of a girl. Find someone else to bother," the soldier said, clearly annoyed.
"I don't have a complaint, I have vital information that needs to be heard by thing king himself, and I refuse to-"
But Legolas stopped listening. As soon as he turned the corner, her realized whom the voice belonged to.
"Abigail?" he asked, for once doubting his gifted eyesight.
The woman immediately stopped shouting, and looked at him.
She seemed confused for a second, but then her face instantly lit up.
"Legolas!" she cried happily, and rushed to her friend.
Legolas welcomed the warm hug.
"Abigail, we had no idea where you were. What happened?" Hundreds of questions were swarming his head.
"Oh, this and that," she replied sarcastically.
Of course, he knew it was more then that by her ripped clothes and there were still lots of dirt and even a little dried blood on her.
"What about you? Is everyone all right? Any run ins with…wargs maybe?" she seemed to be hinting at something.
"No, no wargs," he said. "Why do you ask?"
She looked relieved.
'Apparently the book version by Tolkien is happening,' she thought.
"Never mind. What else?"
"Well, we found Merry and Pippin, in a way."
"What do you mean?"
Legolas took a deep breath, hoping she was ready for this.
"Abigail…Gandalf found them. He's alive."
"What? How?" she asked surprised (though she actually already knew this).
"Long story," was all he said.
They talked for another few minutes, and he was grateful to find that she was aware the Frodo and Sam were gone…as well as Boromir. Though a strange mixture of sadness and guilt came on her face when he mentioned his name. He also gave a short explanation about Éomer, Gandalf and Treebeard.
"Anyway, you said you had information for the king," Legolas said, changing the subject.
Her eyes widened. "I almost forgot! Can you get me in?"
"Of course. But should we wait for Gimli or Aragorn."
Her voice was caught in her throat at Aragorn's name. She hadn't forgotten that the last conversation she had with him was not pleasant. But overall, she felt strangely nervous at the thought of seeing him.
(A/N-See chapter 31 if you don't know what I am talking about)
"No, this can't wait. I should speak to Théoden now," she finally said.
Legolas wondered about the odd silence, but said nothing.
"As you wish, this way," he instructed her.
The guard saw Legolas and let them in without question.
Legolas heard Abigail mutter 'male chauvinism' under her breath.
He smiled. It was good to have her back.
OoOoOoOoOoOo
Théoden looked up from his table at the sound of newcomers.
Legolas, come in," he said. The kings gaze quickly averted to Abigail. "And who is this?" he asked.
"May I present, Lady Abigail of Lorien, sir. She is a companion of ours, another member of the Fellowship," he explained.
"Ah, yes. I do recall the mention of a female warrior."
"I was only mentioned? I'm hurt Legolas," she said with mock angry.
The king chuckled. "They only had words of praise, my lady I assure you. Though it took me awhile to believe a women would willingly volunteer for such a journey."
"It has been established that I am…unusual time and time again your majesty. But I am happy with my choice," she defended, but not harshly.
"Indeed, it's a rare honor," he smiled kindly. "But from what I've heard about you, and from what I can see now, it was not a poor decision."
"Thank you, sire. That means a lot coming from you," she returned the smile. "But we have more important things to talk about," her face became serious.
"What is it?" asked Théoden.
"An army of orc and uruk-hai march towards us as we speak," she said, getting to the point.
Every face in the room became somber and grave.
"Is this Sauron's doing?" asked someone.
"No, the flags marked the white hand of Saruman."
"Have you seen this army yourself?" asked Théoden.
"Yes, when I was riding this morning."
"How large of a host?" he continued.
"10,000 strong at least. All of Isengard has been emptied" she spoke bluntly.
The kings' eyes held disbelief.
"How could they know where to strike and to bring so many?" questioned Legolas.
Abigail looked hard into Théoden's eyes, and they came to an understanding.
"Wormtongue," he said coldly, and punched a fist into the table. "I should have killed him when I had the chance."
"With all respect, my lord, you may have made an impression on him yet. You did the noble thing, letting him go," Legolas said calmly.
"He's right, sire. Saruman's has a long and greedy arm. He would have attacked anyway," Gamling agreed.
"Yes, but I was hoping we would have more time. I did not want to rush my people into a battle," Théoden said, rubbing his temples.
"I'm sorry, but time is not on our side. They will be here by nightfall," Abigail informed them, regretfully.
The kings eyebrows furrowed in determination.
"Let them come," he said proudly. "I want every strong man and boy able to bear arms to be ready for battle by nightfall," he commanded to Gamling as he walked out of the room.
"Yes my lord," Gamling bowed, and left with the other soldiers leaving Legolas and Abigail alone in the stone hall.
"You do not look as confident," commented Legolas. "This place has protected these people for years, it has not failed them yet."
She just sighed. "The odds are against us by a great number, my friend. This army is not merely coming for the people of Rohan; it's coming to destroy the race of men. That is it's only purpose."
"And our purpose is to protect them," replied the wise elf.
She nodded thoughtfully. "And we shall. But first I'm going to need some new weapons and-"
"Legolas, what's going on? Théoden just left in a mad hurry," she was interrupted by a new voice.
She knew the voice well, and she bit her lip anxiously. She turned around slowly to face the wide-eyed expression of Aragorn.
"Um…hi," she said, her gaze more concerned with the floor than him.
He said nothing, except run closer and give her a tight hug. This surprised all of them a little, but she liked it nonetheless.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, not quite sure what she was sorry for, but it seemed needed. They both stepped back.
"Me too" he smiled. Though she would never really know how grateful he was to have her alive.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Okay. The Battle of Helms Deep is right around the corner. Because of my long weekend, I might be able to post as soon as Sunday or Monday.
Thanks to Reviewers:
ArwenEvenstar83: Don't worry, I'll explain the horse somehow, even if it still will be a bit of a stretch. I wasn't about to let her walk to Helms Deep, though, so a horse was needed. I hope that'll make some sense, thanks!
Nightskylover: I love horses too, but I hardly get to ride anymore. I'm seriously jealous of the horse that I made up (which is kind of strange, but true). Thanks!
LadyEruaphadriel-orderofthe...: Yeah, that last chapter was only about 4 pages because I wanted to post something, but I had other things to do. Anyway, this one was longer and I hope you enjoyed it.
writin4fun15: Yes, writers block does suck especially when you're a write who is suppose to post weekly! But I'm pretty much over it now so don't worry. Thanks!
White Blossom of Gondor: Okay, she's reunited now so don't…eat me or anything. Lol, thanks for the nice comments.
KillerRubberDuckiesR-J: Homework ruins everything, doesn't it? Anyway, thank you for reviewing!
Samantha-Girl Scout: Nah, I won't kill Abigail anytime soon. Severely hurt maybe, but not kill. Geez, that probably doesn't bring your mob much comfort. Oh well, thanks!
Narnian Sprite: A lot of people have liked the horse. I definitely was channeling black beauty when I thought of it. I guess you'll have to define a 'cool little friendship' between her and Veryo. Still, thank you!
A nice number of comments for the last chapter, which I really do appreciate. I hope all of you readers follow their example, but if not I just hope you continue to read.
Izzy: Yes, she really hopes you continue to read despite her bad grammar, typo's, twists, evil cliffies, oc's, confusing plot changes…
MN9: Thank you Izzy, they get it.
Izzy: Just being honest.
MN9: (whacks Izzy with newspaper)
Izzy: Hey, I thought you just thanked me!
MN9: I did, and now I'm hurting you.
Izzy: (Gulp). How about you put down the comics and we talk.
MN9: (grins evilly) Or maybe I'll grab…the business section!
Izzy: Ahhhh!
Until later!
-MysticNight9