Three days ago going on a hunting trip with his brothers and best friend had seemed fun and an interesting idea. Now he was thinking to himself 'why oh why did I have to come. I should have stayed home with ada and let the twins and Legolas had their fun. In fact I think I could turn around now and they wouldn't even notice I was gone until they got home.'
No such luck though. For the past five hours the three elves that Aragorn was with were arguing about anything and everything. Just as Aragorn was going to turn around and go home the twins and Legolas all turned to him and demanded to know what he thought.
'What I think? I don't even know what they are talking about. I lost interest hours ago. Oh well.' He really had no idea what they were arguing about know so he simply said, "I agree with Legolas." Knowing that if he took his friends side his friend would help fend off the twins.
"Ha I told you both I was right," said Legolas with a grin of triumph on his face.
"Estel do you even know what we are talking about?" asked Elladan.
"No not really I lost interest a long time ago and was about to turn around and go home." Said the human.
"So you agreed with Legolas even though you have no clue what's going on?" asked Elrohir.
"Yeah that's pretty much what I did." Said Aragorn.
" You do realize that he could have said you look better in a dress than in a tunic and if he did you would have agreed with him?" asked Elladan.
Aragorn just shrugged his shoulders and said "oh well." He didn't care anymore about what they were arguing about it was just getting old.
That was the beginning of it. The twins started arguing why he had chose Legolas' side instead of theirs, then making fun of the other two in there group and their little brothers lack of attentiveness. Finally Aragorn couldn't take it anymore. He would rather listen to the annoying birds than this idiotic blabber any day.
And that is what he told the others as he started to go in the opposite way. "This is supposed to be a hunting trip and you are going to scare away anything that we might shoot with those loud mouths of yours, so I am going to go and hunt while you all finish. I'll meet you back at the camp at sundown."
'Finally peace and quiet.' He knew that he didn't have much time before the sun would go down so he was going to make the most of the sunlight he had left.
A few hours later he couldn't believe himself. He had gotten lost in the woods right outside of Rivendell. The sun was going down and he knew that if the others had even noticed him leaving that they would all start to worry as soon as the sun had set and run off to go tell Elrond that something horrible had befallen him.
Just then he noticed that it was quiet. Not just the absence of his elven friend and brothers voices, but no sound whatsoever. Not even the crickets chirping could be heard. Then he heard a harsh voice coming not to far from where he stood. It sounded like an…. No that couldn't be right. There were no orcs around Rivendell. Or were there? Did his father know about this? Probably not.
As he was thinking it didn't occur to him that the orcs were headed to where he was stupidly standing. When the orcs arrived they couldn't believe their luck. The human they were sent to get was just standing there. Or at least they thought he was the human they were supposed to get. Their orders were to bring the human that lived with the elves to their master. They didn't know if it was the right human but they attacked just to be sure and not to overly disappoint their master.
Aragorn didn't even have the time to scream before the orcs were on him. It was a valiant fight. There were over thirty orcs and they all fell by the hand of Aragorn. But the victory was not without its price. He had sustained heavy injuries and was now bleeding heavily from a wound in his abdomen.
As he was lying there he couldn't help but think 'is this really my end. Am I meant to die alone in the woods with no one but the foul orcs?' Consciousness slowly began to slip in the darkness. And just as he was about to give in to the darkness he heard one of the most beautiful sounds he had ever heard before. It sounded like a song. One that he had never heard before. Then he felt something warm go into his wound. Suddenly the pain that he was filling became less and he began to pull out of the darkness.
'Odd' he thought 'If this is dying its a lot easier and less painful than I thought it would be. Wait everything is getting clearer. The song it is beautiful I wonder who is singing it. Duh, I'm not dead yet I guess I can see who it is for myself.'
When he looked up what he saw was not at all what he expected. There was an odd looking bird right where his wound was…. or used to be. This is weird he thought. I thought I was dying and I'm not even injured. I could have sworn I was bleeding to death a few seconds ago. Oh well I guess I shouldn't complain.'
Just then he heard the voices of his brothers calling for him. "I'm over here." he yelled. He was about to get up but he noticed that the bird was sitting on his legs looking at him as if to say "follow me." Aragorn just cocked his head. He could have sworn he had just heard a voice that he had never heard before say 'follow me'. He looked at the bird and shook himself. 'Birds can't talk you idiot' he told himself but he could shake the feeling that the bird wanted him to follow it. He looked at the bird and said "ok I will follow you."
"Wait."
There was that voice again. He was about to ask the bird something else when Elladan was suddenly there and pulled him into a tight hug.
"Little brother you said you would be at camp at sundown it is way passed that." Just then he noticed the orc bodies that littered the ground next to his baby brother his protective instincts kicked in. "What happened? Why are all these orcs here? Estel are you ok? What happened?"
Aragorn blushed and said, "Well, you see I sorta got lost a while ago. Then the orcs just attacked me. As for the question as if I'm ok, I really don't know." Elladan gave him a look that said 'how could you not know?' So Aragorn said, "I could have sworn that just two minutes ago I was bleeding to death right on this spot then I heard this song and I was, I don't know. I guess I was healed." Elladan raised two eyebrows at that. It wasn't like his brother to be so blunt and easy to get information out of. Knowing that his brother would want to check and see if he was ok Aragorn continued. "When I opened my eyes to see who was making the song all I saw was this bird." He couldn't understand why he had just told his over protective brother what had happened.
Elladan jumped for he had not seen the bird before. He took a fast step towards the bird to scare it off, but it just sat there staring at Estel, and Estel right back at it. Elladan had a fear that he didn't understand seize him. He didn't like the look of the bird. He immediately went over to his brother picked him off the ground and started to drag him back to camp where he could make sure that his brother was really ok.
Aragorn struggled for a minute he had a fascination with the bird. But ended up letting his brother drag him along, the bird following right behind them. Then he realized he had left the dagger Elrond had given him next to where he was just lying. Then a shadow passed overhead and the dagger dropped on the grass right in front of him.
When he bent down to pick up the dagger Elrohir and Legolas showed up and both started lecturing him that he should not go off on his own like that. No one noticed that Aragorn was not listening and only Elladan noticed that the bird landed in front of Aragorn and look him in the eyes. The fear that Elladan had earlier returned. He couldn't explain it but he felt as if this ugly looking bird was going to take his little brother away.
Just then Elrohir and Legolas noticed the bird. Noticing his friend obvious interest in the bird he couldn't help but say, "My what and ugly bird. A new friend of yours Strider?"
He noticed that it seemed as if his friend did not hear him. But he didn't know that Aragorn had heard another voice.
"Follow." The voice was back. He had to fallow it. He couldn't explain it but he felt the bird was trying to help him and someone else at the same time. He had to fallow it. He wanted to know the story behind his new found animal friend.
When the bird took off (much to Elladan's relief) Aragorn stood up looked up and started to run after the bird (much to Elladan's horror). "Estel come back." He yelled and took after his brother. At that moment the fear that had seized Elladan when he first saw the bird took hold of the two other elves who were completely clueless about what was happening. All they knew is if they didn't catch up to the young human and fast they may never see him again.
It didn't take them long to catch up to the human, being elves and all. They were about to tackle the human to make him stop when all of a sudden he did stop, much to the relief of all the elves. But then they noticed the bird was there. Staring at the young man. Elladan stepped in font of his brother to stop the gaze of the bird from going to the human. But it seemed as if his little brother was in a trance.
Aragorn stepped around Elladan dropping the dagger that he was just holding without even realizing what he was doing. Elladan and Elrohir both took hold of one of Aragorn's arms each. Elladan firmly told the bird, "You can't have him. Come on Estel we are going home NOW!" But the human wasn't listening to his brother he pulled out of his brothers' grips and walked towards the bird.
All of a sudden the song that he had heard earlier surrounded him. He didn't hear his brothers' cries of dismay or his friends call for him not go near that bird.
There was a flash of light. And Aragorn was gone. The elves couldn't believe it. He was gone, and somehow they couldn't stop him from going. They all noticed that the Ugly bird that had just taken Estel away was now singing and was staring at Elladan.
"Where is he?" Demanded Elrohir. "Where have you taken him?"
Elladan heard the voice that Aragorn had heard only moments ago. "He went through the gate. Follow"
"What gate?" demanded Elladan.
"My gate." Said the voice, "follow he will need you."
Tbc
A/N: Sorry if Aragorn seems a little out of character. The reason why he isn't lying about his injuries like he does in all the other fan fictions will be explained latter.
A/n: hey thanks for all the nice reviews, glad you all like it.