*So here is the next chapter!(: Now before I forget to write this I must sadly give away a little part in the chapter, there is a part where Aria is having a flash black- the flash back itself will be in italics BUT whenever they speak elvish in the flash back it will NOT be in italics! Now please remember this only counts for THE FLASH BACK so anywhere else in the chapter the elvish WILL be in italics, I hope that does not confuse you(: anywhoo it will be like this for any flash back there is in the story, but I will kindly remind you anytime there is one! But on any matter I am VERY pleased to say that in the four days Aria Einar today, on November 8th 2011, the story has reached 100 readers! This is first time I have accomplished this especially this fast so I am very glad :D I would also like to thank Lady Minuialwen, ccgnme, and bam-143 for reviewing, but anybody else that is reading this please review too!(: anyways here is the usual things: disclaimer in chapter one, this is a Aragorn/OC story, all elvish is in italics unless noted otherwise, and enjoy reading! –hands all my lovely readers a cookie and gives Lady Minuialwen, ccgnme, and bam-143 two cookies for reviews :3-*
"What was that?" Merry asked and they all look to me.
"Now is not the time boys, we must get out of here it might come back." I said and quickly jumped from my spot. "Come Elwing, we must leave!" I call out but not too loudly in case the ringwraith was still near.
It was now night and we were hurrying through the forest, to the displeasure of Elwing. We had kept this pace ever since the ringwraith had crossed our path. None of the hobbits wished to stop until they felt they had reached safety which was fine with me. I watched the hobbits carefully from behind them, ready to catch one since they were easily slipping and sliding on the mud of the forest.
"Anything?" Sam asked Frodo quickly, out of breath.
"Nothing," Frodo replied, out of breath as well.
"What is going on?" Pippin asked and I sighed.
"All in due time Merry and Pippin, for right now though let's all be silent until we are in safe hands." I say and Merry ignores me as he steps next to Frodo.
"The black rider was looking for something, or someone, Frodo?" Merry asks mercilessly and I quickly step up to the two of them.
"Hush you!" I scold Merry as I grip his shoulder, glaring at him slightly.
"Get down!" Sam cried out and I quickly push Merry to the ground as the other three hobbits fall to the ground. I made Elwing stay to the trees so that she remained hidden.
"I have to leave the shire, Sam, Aria, and I must get to Bree." Frodo whispers to Merry who looks at him.
"Right, Buckleberry Ferry, follow me!" Merry says, jumping up after we made sure the coast was clear.
"Elwing, get to Bree, to Bree!" I called out towards the trees where I knew Elwing was, I heard a neigh and I knew Elwing had heard me. For being useless sometimes, she was a very smart horse. As we begin to follow Merry a ringwraith comes out from nowhere and they all begin to run faster.
"Go! All of you! I will make it there on time!" I call to them, they all hesitated slightly, looking at me. "Go!" They all took off as I quickly grabbed my bow and arrow. I begin shooting arrows at the ringwraith behind me as I run, glancing at the hobbits in front of me every once in a while. It was then three more ringwraiths come out from the trees and I begin to hope that Elwing is alright. I quickly put my bow away and began to run faster, knowing I could not hold off four ringwraiths on my own. I start to catch to the hobbits as they began to ready the boat. "Do not wait for me! Go! Start pushing the boat!" I yell out as they all sat in the boat, waiting, I knew I could jump the distance and I also knew that we wouldn't have enough time to escape if they waited.
Frodo hesitantly pushed the boat away from the dock and it began to slowly drift away. I pushed harder to get to the dock and I leapt as far as I could once I reached the end of it. I let out a giant breath of relief once I landed safe and sound in the boat. I looked at the ringwraith at the end of the dock on his horse, letting out a screech of anger.
"How far to the nearest crossing?" Frodo asks Merry and we all look to him.
"The brandwine bridge, twenty miles." Merry says in a low tone of voice as we all begin to relax.
It was now very late at night and quite dark as reached the gate of Bree. I looked at the hobbits who were all tired and out of breath, not used to this kind of activity. I quickly knock on the gate, well more like bang, but none the less the gate keeper peeks through.
"What do you want?" He asks a bit harshly and I sigh loudly.
"We need to reach the Prancing Pony!" I say to him and he stares at me for a moment before shining his lamp on the hobbits.
"Hobbits! Four hobbits, and what's more, out of the Shire by your talk. What business bring you to Bree?" He asks, examining the hobbits closely.
"Gate keeper!" I growl out, not having the patience for his nonsense. "If you will please? We have urgent business in the Prancing Pony." I try once more and he sighs loudly before allowing us through, I handed Elwing to a stable boy. She had reached Bree before us and was eating the grass outside by the gate, as usual.
We finally found the Prancing Pony and we immediately stepped inside. I begin to scan the room, not yet taking my hood off, I always knew it was better to keep my identity a secret. I slowly follow the hobbits and ignore the conversation Frodo is having with the Inn Keeper, Butterbur.
"And you my lady?" I heard and I quickly turn. I smile lightly, my mouth about the only thing you can see under my hood.
"A room next to these four please." I say and he nods with a polite smile. Once we had taken care of everything I follow the hobbits over to a table, still studying the room for enemies. It was then I noticed a figure in the back corner of the room. He had a hood over his head as well and you could not see his face. I watched as the mysterious man brought his pipe to his mouth, the faint glow lighting up his mouth. I squinted slightly before I shook my head. This could not be the man I thought it was, I had not heard from him in years.
As the night carried on I sat with the hobbits as they drank and we waited for Gandalf to arrive. I worried for Gandalf because he was never late, something terrible must have happened. Frodo and Sam sat anxiously at the table, worried that Gandalf may never arrive. Pippin and Merry were over by the Inn Keeper, talking some of the locals nonchalantly, not fully understanding what was going on. I sat, silently staring at the man in the corner, knowing he could not tell I was staring at him. I knew he was watching at least one of us and I did not dare take my eyes off of him, not knowing who he was.
Next thing I knew there was a noise and then the crowd became rowdy with noise. I quickly looked over to the commotion and saw Frodo hurrying towards Pippin, pushing past people. Then Frodo tripped and I gasped as I saw the ring fly into the air. Frodo quickly headed towards it and stuck his finger out, the ring landing on it in a very awkward way. I quickly stood up and began to head towards the direction I saw him last. It was then I felt a spike of pain in my heart, I gasped and leaned against a table. I began to hear the malicious whispering and I squeezed my eyes shut. But just as quickly as it came, it left, and I heard Frodo cry out as he was being dragged up the stairs by the mysterious man.
I quickly headed to the stairs and I saw Sam, Merry, and Pippin standing there. They were trying to figure out how to get Frodo back.
"Stay here!" I commanded before running upstairs, following the way the man went, I could hear the man and Frodo arguing. I head towards that door and kick the door in harshly. In under a second I already walked in and pulled out my sword, shoving it against the man's neck.
"Who do you think you are?" I growled out menacingly and the man quietly chuckled. "Answer me man!"
"You may not think you know me but I certainly know you Aria." He whispers and I falter slightly, enough time for him to reach up and pull down my hood. "Aye, I knew it was you from that hair of yours." It was indeed an odd color light silvery blue, to this day still no one was sure how it turned out this color. I began to think and I couldn't help but think that I recognized the man's voice. It was then I gasped slightly and my sword fell between us. I slowly reached up and pulled down the man's hood.
"Aragorn!" I cried out happily and hugged him tightly. He laughed and returned it before we quickly drew apart. It was then the other three hobbits came through, yelling nonsense.
"Boys! This man is nothing to fear, he is a old and dear friend of mine." I say with a smile and then I glared at the three. "I thought I told you three to stay put!"
"There are many things you can do, but taking care of hobbits is apparently not one of them Aria." Aragorn says with a smirk and I turn my glare towards him.
"Hush you!" I growled out. I glance over to Frodo to see he has a smirk on his face and I open my mouth to say something but I felt a hand on my arm.
"We can argue later, but right now there are more important matters at hand." I nod once and turn to him. "I know what hunts you, you can longer wait for the Wizard, Aria. They're coming."
"But Aragorn, I'm sure-" I began but Aragorn shook his head.
"You cannot wait Aria," he said in a final tone before grabbing my hand and leading all of us away.
It was now the dark of night and we all were in Aragorn's room. He brought us to the Inn across the street and got one room for us. The four little hobbits slept peacefully in the large bed and I couldn't help but smile.
"You're very fond of them aren't you?" I heard Aragorn ask quietly and I turned to him.
"I consider them family," I then look down at the thought of my family and how they're probably worried over me.
"And what of your family?" Aragorn asked and I sighed.
"I've been traveling with Gandalf for months, brother is probably worried sick." I then looked to Aragorn. "But that isn't what is important right now, I will not leave these hobbits until they are either in safe hands or in home, snuggled into their warm beds."
"I do not doubt it Aria, you've always had a loving heart." He said with a smile and looked out the window once more. I looked out as well and frowned when I saw a group of ringwraiths enter the room where the hobbits would have been staying. I couldn't help but think that if Aragorn hadn't have been there, the little hobbits would be sleeping in those beds at this very moment.
"I cannot believe I did not think of how they would have caught scent of the ring when it landed on Frodo's finger." I said, criticizing myself for my stupidity.
"It's not your fault Aria," Aragorn replied and I sighed again as I continued to watch the wraiths in the window. "Has the presence of the ring been troubling you?" I had known Aragorn almost as long I had known my own family and he knew everything about me.
"Of course not," I lied and watched the window, not daring to look into Aragorn's eyes, knowing he would catch my lie. I will admit I did have a slight liking for Aragorn and I did ever since I was small, we were both around the same age. We discovered after so many years, that when I did not begin to age, I must have been blessed with long life; though we still do not know where I came from. Aragorn was now eighty seven and I was eighty two. Thinking of this brought back the memory of when I first met Aragorn, I was only nine at the time.
I pouted as I continued to fidget in front of my brother while on his horse. My butt had been numb for quite some time now and I did not want to be on his horse any longer. I made a slight whining noise and I heard my brother sigh.
"Sister, stop your moving," He spoke to me in Elvish and I huffed, not wanting to be still.
"But brother, I'm tired of sitting on your horse!" I growled out and I felt his chest rumble with his chuckle. I remembered when I first began to learn about the way of the elves, my brother first began to teach me when I finally asked him why he didn't look old. He had looked the same way from since I could remember, but then I learn that the elves were blessed with immortality and that's why he always looked young.
"We will be in Rivendell soon, so stop your fretting." He said and I sighed but nodded, I always listened to brother, I was proud to be his sister.
It was only a few minutes later that we enter the gate of Rivendell as my brother promised. I smiled with glee as I jumped off my brother's horse and jumped around a little, excited to be in Rivendell the first time. I saw my father walk towards us and I ran to him, hugging him tightly, as I heard him chuckle. Standing next to him was a man just as tall, if not taller, than my father. He looked very serious but quite comforting at the same time. Standing next to him was an elf and a boy, I know the boy wasn't an elf because he looked like myself, no pointed ears.
"My dear daughter, I did not know you would miss me so." My father said with a smile on his face and I lightly blushed, realizing how I had acted in the presence of strangers.
"She practically begged to come father, I could not say no." My brother said with a wide smile on his face as our father gave him a slight look.
"Oh I promise to be good father! Please let me stay!" I cried out, hugging my father tightly around his waist, not wanting to leave.
"I'm terribly sorry for the sudden inconvenience Elrond." My father said and the man standing next to him had a smile on his face.
"It is no trouble at all, I'm sure Aragorn and Arwen would enjoy a new friend. But we'll discuss her sleeping arrangements later, right now we need to…" I no longer listened to the man as I stepped away from my brother towards the elf and the boy. I smiled at the two and the elf smiled back kindly.
"Hello," she said politely and I smiled widely back, a bit shy.
"Do you speak common tongue?" The boy asked, noticing I didn't have pointed ears as well.
"Yes I do," I replied shyly and the boy smiled. He stepped closer and brought out his hand.
"I am Aragorn." He said with the small smile still on his face. I lightly grasped his hand and smiled back.
"I am Aria."
"Aria!" I snapped back into reality and I shook my head a little. I winced as I began to hear the screeches of the wraiths.
"What's happening?" I asked, sitting stiffer in my chair and looking around, but I saw no immediate danger present.
"The wraiths have found out the hobbits were not sleeping in their beds." Aragorn supplied and I winced again as I heard another screech. "I was making sure you were well, you did not respond was the wraiths started screaming."
"I am fine, I began to daydream." I said and Aragorn nodded once, not entirely sure if he believed me. Suddenly there was a gasp behind us and I turned around. Frodo had woken up from an ill dream, by the looks of it, and was breathing heavily. He slowly stood and walked over to stand behind us.
"What are they?" Frodo asked in a breathy voice and I sighed.
"They are called Ringwraiths Frodo." I said slowly and Frodo nodded.
"They were once men," Aragorn began and Frodo looked to him. "Great kings of men. Then Sauron the deceiver gave to them the Nine Rings of Power. Blinded by their greed they took them without question, one by one falling into darkness and now they are slaves to his will." I saw Frodo wince as we watched the wraiths continue to throw things in the room around out of anger.
"They are neither living nor dead." I continued for Aragorn as I glance at Frodo. "At all times they feel the presence of the ring, drawn to the power of the one, they will never stop hunting you." I said and Frodo nodded slowly.