Hunting For Her Heart: Part 1

Arathorn/Ren

"Roaner?"

"What?"

"Have you, by any chance, seen Ren lately?" The dark haired man walked up to his companion who was currently sharpening his sword, whetstone in one hand, blade in the other. He also had a rag draped over his knee and a bottle of oil between his feet.

"I think she went out to patrol awhile ago." At hearing his words, the Ranger frowned softly. "Went by herself."

"She went alone?"

The other man stopped sharpening and gazed up at his friend, an unimpressed look on his face. "Yes, she is a grown elf after all. I imagine that she can certainly take care of herself." He ended that note on a smirk, having noticed that his friend had certainly become very worrisome and flighty on the subject of said elleth as of late.

"Well... When do you think she'll be back?"

"And why would I know when she'll be back?"

"'Cause you just said you saw her leave...?" It was at this point that Roaner felt his patience wearing thin.

"That doesn't explain why she should tell me!" He quirked one of his brows, a rather annoyed glimmer now in his eyes. "Like I said, she's a mature adult, I'm sure that nothing is wrong. She's probably just... mucking about... doing like she pleases like she does all other times." However, when he noticed that the worry still clouded the man's face, he sighed. "...But, if you're so worried, why don't you just go find her, yeah?"

He thought for a moment, his hand scratching at his stubbled chin. "Yeah, I think I just might do that." He began to walk backwards towards his home. "It is a lovely day after all, I'd hate to waste it. Good day for a ride."

Roaner just snickered to himself. Good day to go galavanting around the forest with a lovely elf maiden.

It wasn't long before the man was trotting passed his companion, mounted upon his tall steed. They simply nodded at each other in passing and the other Ranger just watched him go before shaking his head, a wide smile on his lips. Lovestruck fool.

As he had just told his companion, it was a beautiful day out.

The summer sun had stretched high into the sky, bathing Middle Earth in a cozy but not sweltering heat, given the climate change of the northern lands. The trees were heavy with foliage and fruit and the vast, open grass fields would roll in the warm breeze. Birds of all sorts could be heard singing in the treetops and the forest was alive with other harmless, miscellaneous woodland creatures.

However, the only sound around the Ranger was the quiet thuds of his horse's hooves upon the ground as they plodded along beneath the tall surrounding trees.

He just rode along for a while in content silence, the golden light filling the wood and making it feel very much like home as it was for him and his people.

It had been awhile since he'd been out and about without having any duties to tend to. His father had been filling his days with more work than usual so this day of freedom was very much cherished. He didn't come by much of it anymore.

He only stopped his horse when movement caught in his eye and he looked up ahead of them to find that the forest opened up to one of the rolling grasslands. And just a short ways away, there was a small apple tree that stood among its cousins on the edge of the tree line.

Beneath the branches of the shorter tree stood a rather recognizable steed, the gelding having his head lowered as he crunched on the sweet fruit that had since fallen to the ground because of their ripeness. His reins were left to dangle over his neck as he contentedly ate away at the treats under hoof, the rider having the horse trained enough to not wander off while unsupervised.

However, as the man continued to look around, he found that the familiar clearing seemed to be empty, save for the horse. His rider was nowhere to be seen.

That is, until something suddenly fell down from high above him and knocked him on the head before it tumbled to the ground below. Wincing slightly, the man raised a hand to rub at the spot where he'd been struck, all the while suspiciously eying the offending apple core that rolled to a stop on the grassy, forest floor.

His horse immediately nosed it out and the thing disappeared into his mouth.

Knowing that the apple tree was the only one of its kind in the area, the man frowned softly before raising his eyes up to the heavens. The bright sunlight burned his eyes as he gazed upward and he used his hand to try and block some of it out. And sure enough, up in one of the largest oak trees in the forest, a pair of legs was dangling on either side of one of the thick branches.

A small smile curled at the corners of his mouth before he slowly shook his head, "That's not a very good hiding place!" He called upward before waiting patiently for her response.

For a long while, there was no movement above but then suddenly, the legs shifted slightly and a head peered over the side of the branch. A pair of blue eyes stared back down at him and when she saw who it was, she snickered slightly before lying back down, "Who said that I was necessarily hiding?"

He smiled slightly. "True..."

"And what brings you out to the forest on this lovely summer day?" She kicked her legs slightly, causing them to swing as they dangled for a moment.

"I came looking for you. Roaner said you went out on patrol a few hours ago but I couldn't find you in the village."

"I'm flattered, my lord." She teased slightly, raising her arms so that they rested behind her head. "That you would so prioritize me as an important person to keep track of."

"Actually, I just didn't want you to miss dinner."

The forest was quiet for a moment as she thought about his words, "What are we having?"

"I went into the meat cellar earlier this afternoon and found some salted pork lying around?"

"Oh... That does sound tempting..." She muttered, rubbing a hand over her face and turning on her side so that she could once again peer down at the Ranger. "But, I'm rather comfortable up here and don't really want to get down."

The she-elf simply offered him a small quirk of her lips before turning back over so that she was once again on her back. Closing her eyes, she let the smile linger on her features as she bathed in the warm sunlight.

However, she couldn't it when he retorted back and the smile grew into a grin.

"You know, I really wish I could blow off all my ruddy duties all day and play in the forest while others are doing back breaking work..." He called up to her, shifting in his saddle as his horse swished its tale.

"Valar above, Arathorn, is that whining I hear?!"

"Yes." The man grumbled slightly, the smile slowly falling from his face as annoyance washed over him as he glared up at her boots. Not annoyance for her, per say, but for his father who had been working him nearly to the bone lately. "I will fully admit to whining."

It was quiet for a moment. "Long day?"

"Like you wouldn't imagine..." He grumbled, watching as the legs once again kicked out to swing in the air. "I feel like I've hardly had time to breathe as of late." He bowed his head slightly as the overwhelming idea of everything washed over him. However, there was one certain way that he could improve his mood. "Galaren, could you come down here? Make my existence a little easier?"

"I could." She muttered back and he saw a flick of blonde hair over the side of the branch. "Or you could come up here...?"

"Ren."

"I'm not coming down. I'm afraid your only choice is to come up and get me if you really want me." Again, the dark haired man just glowered up at her, starting to feel his frustration getting the better of him. Though, it was a temping offer but he knew that once he got up there, things would turn sour very quickly.

"Yes, but we both know that that is a horrible idea."

"Perhaps horrible for you but very amusing for me." The elf suddenly turned and peered over the edge at him again, her eyes sparkling joyfully down at him. Oh, just imagining that entire scenario made her want to laugh.

He felt his brow twitch. "You are insufferable."

"As you've told me fifty two other times." She quipped right back, her head resting itself in her palm on her propped up elbow.

"You make my life very difficult, did you know that?" The blonde just smiled down at him, running a hand through her hair that was partially tied back in a tail. It was easy to see that she was completely at ease as she was, surrounded by the forest life and towering trees that were very much like her old home.

"I was very much aware and I enjoy every moment of it."

"Fine. I'm going to head back so that I can actually have supper..." He told her, finding that the only way to get Ren to comply with anything was to simply be hard headed and equally as frustrating right back at her. "So, if you ever decide to come down from the tree and stop acting like the child of an elf that you are, I might save some pork for you."

"Now you're the one acting childish, O' Brattiest Prince of the Dúnedain." He just turned to send a mild glare back at her over his shoulder.

"You are being very tenacious today." He couldn't help the quirk of his lips as he mocked her, momentarily turning his horse back to face her.

"I'm tenacious everyday, mellon." She suddenly rolled off of the branch she had been so casually lounging upon, only to wrap her hands around the wood so that she hung there by her hands. "I would imagine you would be used to it by now."

"Where do you think I get my hard head from?" She dropped down onto a lower branch, the thing momentarily shaking beneath her weight. "It's from dealing with you all day."

"Oh, come now." She swung down until she was closer to the ground and stood upon another thick branch, stopping to lean against the base of the tree with her arms folded over her chest. "I think you rather enjoy it."

"You think I enjoy arguing with your ornery self?" The she-elf dropped down to the ground, landing easily on her feet. Once back on the forest floor, she simply nodded her head.

"Absolutely."

"It'll be because of you that I start to get gray hairs before I'm sixty."

"And again, what an honor." She mocked him as she began to walk back towards her own horse, the man walking beside her on his own steed. "To have caused you so many grievances in your life to cause you to age faster." Spinning to face him, she placed a hand over her heart, all the while grinning. "Such a fair tribute to our lives full of bickering."

The two of them finally reached her horse and the creature looked up at their arrival, all the while chewing the grass in it's mouth. Ren reached down and took hold of the reins before stepping up into the stirrup.

"It is, isn't it." He watched as she got settled in her own seat before they turned and began to lead their horses back down the path towards the village. "Tales shall be told of how Arathorn, son of Arador, died from an infuriating woman and how the line of Isildur perished because of her hardheadedness and disheartening attitude."

In response, a bright smile lit her face at his remarks, forcing the male himself to grin. He always loved it when she smiled like that and more and more everyday, he found that he was one of the few who could elicit them from her.

"Come on." She told him after sobering, taking hold of the reins more tightly in her hands as she shook her head in disbelief. "We're going to be late for that glorious supper you spoke of earlier."

Urging their horses into a trot, the two road in silence for a bit.

Just as they were nearing the borders of their home, Arathorn slowed his horse to a walk, not in any real rush to get back. When Ren noticed his change of pace, she also pulled back on her reins and glanced back at the man behind her, "Something the matter?"

"I just remembered that my father gave me the day off tomorrow. Said that I've deserved it after working nearly nonstop in his absence while he was visiting one of the neighboring villages."

"I was wondering when he'd return." She mused quietly as they broke through the tree line and began to pass between the various houses that made up the smaller settlement.

"And anyway, on our ride back, I was just thinking..." He mused, glancing over at her momentarily to find her watching him as they plodded along. "That what if we both took a day tomorrow to just... go on a hunting trip?" The Ranger raised a brow in question, pursing his lips slightly as he let the subject linger in the air. When he looked over at her again, her own brow was furrowed deeply in thought. "Spend the day out in the forest? You know, give ourselves a chance to relax after we've both been working so much as of late?"

"Will they be short patrolmen?" She asked him as they led their horses into the stables.

"With the returning Rangers that accompanied my father, I should imagine that there will be plenty of them running about, looking for work." The she-elf just wrinkled her nose for a moment, uncertain as to what she should do.

It wasn't like she actually ever slacked off on a job that was given to her. She had actually finished her patrols a few hours earlier and had instead taken some leisure time for herself, having figured that Arathorn would come find her when he was finished with his own tasks. But, lately, she had been just as busy as he had.

"Will Arador be mad?"

The man just smiled as they slid from their saddles and led their horses to their respective stalls. "As his second in command and son, I can almost guarantee that he will not and that you can do whatever you want with your day of freedom." He stopped working as he spoke to her and walked up to clap his hand on her shoulder. "You've earned it, Galaren."

She just looked at him for a moment, her blue eyes flickering over his roughish features before she slowly nodded her head. "Okay." She then looked up at him, her lips curling up ever so slightly. "Let's go on that hunting trip you mentioned."

Feeling excitement overcome him, the man simply smiled and gave her shoulder a squeeze before he raised his hand to roughly ruffle her hair. Letting out a noise of protest because of the fact that she was now blind, Ren swatted at him but the man ducked out of her reach and spun away, laughing the entire time as she silently cursed him.

The next morning, the dark haired man made his way out of his father's house, head held high as he inhaled deeply, pulling in the sweet, warm air that already promised another wonderful day. He simply smiled at the sun for a moment, slinging his bag of supplies over his shoulder before he began to make his way towards the village stables which only lay across the clearing from his home.

The various horses raised their heads from their stalls, all the while chewing away on a mouthful of their breakfast. He just occasionally patted a few of them on the rump as he moved by.

Dropping his things by his own steed's stall, he continued further into the barn until he reached the latter that led to the hayloft at the back of the building where he knew the she-elf resided.

Nearly scrambling up the wooden ladder, excitement rolled off of him in waves for the rather promising day that awaited them. Nearly falling off the tottery thing twice, he opened his mouth and was about to call out to the female but when he laid eyes on the sight before him, he could only get a single, soft squeak.

There was a small window at the top of the stables that could be opened to allow for more ventilation in the building and it was swung open, do doubt due to how warm the weather had been recently. However, it wasn't the window he was gaping at.

Stretched out on the large bed of hay lay a thick blanket, one that was rather huge in size. It covered a wide portion on the floor and on that bed, burrowed in a large, tangled pile of blankets was Galaren; the morning sun streaming in through the small opening and showering her in light. She had another blanket pulled over the top of her to cover her legs even though one was still sticking out from underneath the covers, revealing her petite, bare foot. She lay on her stomach, her hair a golden mess around her as the wavy strands contrasted greatly against her dark bedding.

Everything appeared to almost be glowing because of the yellow hay and bright sunlight, an etherial feeling lingering in the air as he watched dust particles float carelessly about.

Ren looked so relaxed as she just lay there, her sun-tanned shoulders nearly glowing as well in the light, given that during the summer, she usually wore shorter sleeved shirts due to the extreme heat that sometimes plundered the land. And for a moment, Arathorn just watched as she slept, her eyes closed and her breathing even. A soft smile lifted his lips to see her like this, so tranquil and beautiful.

What he would give to wake up next to this sight every single day for the rest of his life.

There was suddenly an audible 'MOW!' heard and the dark haired man glanced to the side and found that a white and orange barn cat had been sleeping at Ren's side, curled up partially in the blankets. Evidently the little creature didn't appreciate his disturbance.

Wrinkling his nose, the man just meowed right back towards the feline who in return folded its ears back, clearly displeased with the situation.

Evidently, he did this a little too loudly and the elf was suddenly rolling over, her leg still sticking out from under the blankets, her bare toes curling for a moment as she slowly began to wake up from his noisy intrusion. He felt the smile grow slightly as he watched as she swatted at her nose, a piece of hay having found it's way into her bedding and tangling into her hair, only to dangle down in her face.

She continued to fuss with the hay until her eyes slowly drew open, a slight furrow in her brow as she untangled the piece before tossing it away, back into the rest of the pile.

For a moment, sapphire eyes stared up at the ceiling of the barn before she sat up, the blankets pooling in her lap. That's when she realized she was being watched and absolutely froze in place. Arathorn didn't move at all either but he slowly felt a blush crawl up from his neck to the very tips of his ears.

"I was just coming to get you." He stammered, his own eyes wide for a breath longer before he was quickly descending the ladder back to the lower levels, his face still red.

From her place high above him, Ren just watched as the flustered man moved to his horse and began to put on all the tack. Every once in awhile, he would glance up at her to find her still watching him, only causing him to flush once again.

The elleth couldn't help the slow smile that spread onto her face as she slowly woke up, finally realizing the ridiculousness of the situation that had just taken place.

Brushing her wild hair back from her face, she pushed the covers off her, causing the barn cat to go sliding off the blankets and onto the hay pile.

Rising to her feet, Ren straightened up to her full height and yawned loudly. Raising her arms above her head, she stretched out her muscles, her toes and fingers curling deliciously and snapping after being out of use for the whole night. A small, squeak came from her throat as she also bent backwards slightly, her back popping internally before she approached her pile of things across the hayloft.

"Arathorn?" She called out to the man who dropped what he was doing and spun around to face her.

"Yes, Galaren?" His eyes fell upon her lanky form that was bent over her bag of clothes, one hand holding her hair out of her face as she picked up a shirt and a pair of pants.

"Don't look." She muttered as she rose back up to her full height, her eyes trained upon her clothes as she picked a bit of hay off the fabric before raising it to her nose to sniff it. "I'm changing." Tossing them down to their original place, she crossed her arms over her stomach and was just about to pull her shirt over head when she looked up at met his wide eyes. "I said don't look!"

The man was immediately spinning, his cheeks ablaze. He was sure that his whole body was red with a blush and he internally cringed. No wonder Ren called him a child at times. He was a grown man, for Valar's sake! He shouldn't be tripping over himself and turning into an absolute idiot whenever he was around her.

The sudden rustling of clothing was heard and he turned his head back ever so slightly but only got so far when she barked at him again. He immediately went rigid and his hands clenched into fists to try and calm his rapidly beating heart.

However, it seemed as though someone was watching over him because her shadow had cast itself over him where he was standing, given that the sunlight was streaming down from the hayloft.

And he watched with wide, blue eyes as she easily pulled her tunic over her head, momentarily revealing the silhouette of her almost nude torso. For he knew that she wore a binder underneath, he had caught her changing once before, by accident of course. They had been working on an escort trip when trading with one of the other villages that was more than a day's ride away. She had been out in the wood, having just rinsed her hair in a nearby stream and was changing her shirt, when he came searching for her.

She hadn't seen him back then but of course, the Ranger had immediately left, blushing the whole way, not wanting to get caught spying on her through the bushes like some sort of pervert. And he never told her or anyone about it. For that was a small secret he kept for himself.

The she-elf behind him was then hoping around as she struggled to get her legs through the holes in her pants, causing the man's lips to twitch upward slightly, his amusement with her evident on his face.

"Okay. It's safe now." She called from the loft and the dark haired Ranger slowly turned back around to raise an eyebrow at her, only to find that she was facing the window as she tied her hair back in a high tail with a cord of leather.

She then wordlessly began to tie her gauntlets around her wrists, hiding the metallic bangles he knew that lingered there. When she was finished with that, she picked her weapons where they had been stowed with the rest of her things, the set consisting of her knives, bow, and the longsword that had presented to her when she had offered her services to his father.

Slinging them over her shoulder, she then descended the ladder and wordlessly brushed by him so that she could approach her own horse to prepare him.

Arathorn simply watched her the entire time she did all these things but then decided that he needed to take care of himself. So, he resumed his work on his horse so that they could leave as soon as Ren was finished.

Every once in a while, he would still glance over his steed's back to gaze at her back.

She wore a sleeveless, maroon tunic, one that was a little more form fitting than the others, and was one of his favorites when she would wear it. The color just looked good with her current tanned skin and it showed off her strong shoulders as well as her arms. Then again, anything she wore looked absolutely stunning on her.

Once she was finished saddling up her horse, she, as well as Arathorn, led their two animals outside and tied them to the fence but only for a moment. She had to retrieve her own supplies from the loft, having packed her bag and satchel the night before in preparation for their day of hunting.

And then, they were off.

Riding their horses right out of the village, they passed a number of their companions who in turn, nodded their heads in acknowledgment, used to seeing the two together more often than not.

They simply traveled together in silence for the longest while, appreciating the beauty of the forest around them. Neither of them really felt the need to speak, for that was how their relationship sat, always comfortable together whether they were speaking or silent.

And both of them knew that not much hunting would get done. No, there was some quiet understanding between the two of them that today was simply a day to relax, to allow the stress of keeping the village safe to melt away for a few hours.

It was around noon when they decided to stop for lunch.

Both of them tied their horses down after looping an extended rope through a 'v' in one of the trees. Taking up their bows and quivers from their supplies, the two of them slunk into the trees, their feet surprisingly quiet upon the forest floor.

The two hunters worked in tandem, easily catching a few rabbits and and even a turkey. They kept an eye out for deer but couldn't find anything at the moment, wondering that perhaps the herd had moved elsewhere.

But, they had all day and were excellent trackers so finding the the animals' trail would not be hard.

"Almost missed that last one." Arathorn motioned down at one of the three hares that she carried in her hands. "Almost got away from you."

"Because I was going after this one…" She held up one of the other animals. "And so to speak for yourself, you almost lost that bloody bird and that was the only creature you were hunting." Smirking, she bumped shoulders with him. "It seems like you're slipping."

"Hush." He smiled though, in return, playfully nudging her back. "You're about a million years older than me and have an advantage."

"And yet I'm still prettier than you are…" Her words caused the man to stop and look over at her. He found that she was shooting this rather smug look in his direction. Immediately, he began to blush and he turned to look away from her.

Not pretty. Radiant as the sun. "I beg to differ." He coughed in attempt to hide the nervous smile on his face. Glancing back over at him, he watched as her smile fell slightly, almost as if she were disappointed that he hadn't gave her at least a smart remark back, let alone a compliment.

Suddenly cursing himself for his own idiocy, he realized that he missed an opportunity to actually speak his opinion out loud, to tell her what he truly thought of her and how he felt.

"And excuse me…" She spoke suddenly, catching his eye once again. Swinging outward, she smacked him in the arm with one of her dead rabbits, a smile once again on her face. "Learn to respect your elders."

"You're only an elder when you start acting like one." He replied right back, glad that the mood was once again light between them. "And we both know that will never happen…"

"Because we both know that that isn't fun." She pointed a finger at him, the dead animal swinging in her hand as she did so. "Please, if I started acting my age and began spouting wisdom, you would have nothing to do with me."

"Nothing to do with you?" He asked her incredulously as they arrived back at their camp. She dropped her rabbits onto the ground beside her things. "Please, I could never ignore you…"

She raised an eyebrow at him, that strange look lingering in her eyes once again. "No?"

Because I absolutely adore everything about you, Galaren. "Your mouth is too big." He said, opting to go for humor instead of, once again, admitting his true thoughts. "I would still hear you from nearly a mile away, always disrupting my thoughts so, of course not."

Her face suddenly fell void of all emotion, evidently finished with their playful bantering for awhile.

And again, Arathorn was mentally yelling at himself. For he had never been one to be able to speak to women. Though, since he was younger, he really only had eyes for one woman and one woman only. And she was standing right beside him.

So, when their conversations would drift away from playful banter and onto more serious exchanges like things that concerned their underlying feelings for one another, he had trouble speaking to her and clammed up, becoming the awkward boy that he now was.

"That's okay." She replied back, pulling out one of her knives as she began to skin the rabbits for their meal, having taken a seat upon the ground. "At least I know that I'm quiet in the forest while you're stomping around, scaring away all the game."

"I was just as quiet as you were." He replied back, walking around the clearing to pick up what sticks he could find to start a fire.

"Yes, I'm sure you were." Her brow wrinkled as she began to work on her own catch, knowing he would need to take care of his own soon. "Seeing as how you've only brought back a single turkey whereas I have three hares."

"Because I wasn't biting off more than I could chew." He dropped the small bundle onto a patch of dirt beside her where he planned to make a fire. "I wasn't going to overkill the birds because we aren't going to be able to eat that much."

"Food keeps though... remember? It can be salted and stored underground where it's cold." At hearing her words, the man felt his temper begin to flare. It seemed that all she wanted to do was argue. He couldn't entirely blame her though. He's the one who had been a bit rude.

"That's true but I am just as good of a hunter as you!" He was bristling now, some part of himself raring up inside to defend his honor. "That and many other things! Anything you can do, I can do the same, if not better!"

Ren stopped her work for a moment and looked up at him, her eyebrow cocked, "Really?" He nodded his head and a smirk began to pull at her lips. "Is that a challenge?"

At seeing the hopeful, almost amused look in her blue eyes, he felt him tipping over the edge of his temper. Pursing his lips, he straightened out his back. "Yes."

She just blinked. "Okay."

"You cannot be better than me in everything!" He insisted, brushing his shaggy hair from his face as his eyes were wide and wild.

"Oh, I'm sure you have to be better than me in at least one thing. So, I accept your challenge and after lunch, we'll truly decide who is the best." Resuming her skinning, she looked back down at her hands to concentrate. "Although, Arathron, are you sure you don't wish to withdraw from the challenge?"

"Of course not." He nearly growled, his eyes narrowing on her.

"Fine." She sighed and shook her head slightly as if in disappointment. "I was just trying to keep you from biting off more than you could chew."

And suddenly, Arathorn wondered if he'd just made a grave mistake.

Hey guys!

Feels like it's been forever ago since I received this request but I've finally gotten around to starting it.

So, there is definitely going to be at least another part to this AU but it may be awhile before I get to it. Have about a million other things to write and do. It will eventually get done but I'd thought I'd at least start it.

I literally need to update all of my original AUs on here, especially Gladiator and the Bard/Ren/Legolas story. It's been ages since I've even looked at those and I feel horrible about it.

However, someone requested this one and I absolutely couldn't help but write it! I love the interaction between the two of them. They already bicker like an old married couple (lol) and we'll see more of that in the coming chapter where things start to warm up.

If you enjoyed this fic and want to see more of it, review down below! Or, if you have an AU request of your own, simply contact me here on fanficiton or you can shoot me a message on my tumblr!

So, YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO, READ AND REVIEW!

Love,

Blue