CHAPTER 2

Aragorn quietly stood in the corner of the wall with his hands behind him, observing the festivities with his keen eyes while trying to make himself comfortable in the group of Elves that had gathered inside Imladris. He had been standing there long since the arrival of many Elves from different places in Middle-Earth who had come to celebrate the presence of all firstborns still residing in Arda. He had not seen any glimpse of familiar faces from the crowd, but this did not bother him, for it meant less trouble.

Less trouble was how he put it - for he knew that if ever his brothers or his father, or even his friend, saw how nasty some of the fair elves had looked at him, and how some of them had thrown him disgusted looks, they would come to his defense and say something. He was not there to ruin the gathering, though he knew his presence was doing the job fairly well without him performing any further action.

No. He would honor his father's home, for it was far more important than his pride.

Receiving another severe glance from an elder Elf and some mutterings from those who passed by, Aragorn sighed and close his eyes. He would give anything to be inside his room, in his soft bed and near his warm fireplace. The call of solitude was deep, but this didn't leave him unaware of his surroundings. Someone was looking at him; he could feel it. The look was so intense that when he closed his eyes, he felt its growing presence. The intensity of the gaze made Aragorn worried after a while. He did not know if it was hatred or mere irritation that brought this intense gaze upon him, but whatever the reason was, if this person who was looking at him presented treachery towards his family, he would not hesitate to move and slit this person's throat.

"You seem restless."

Aragorn opened his eyes at the fair voice he recognized and saw a pair of clear blue eyes looking back at him.

"Legolas." He smiled widely. Nothing was more comforting than seeing the familiar face of his friend - not even his soft bed.

Legolas stood in front of him, wearing a golden tunic that suited his braided hair. The outfit brought upon him such an air of royalty and authority that some of the fair elves themselves were looking at him in awe as he stood magnificently among the crowd.

"You are drawing far too much attention to yourself, Princeling," said Aragorn with a playful smile upon his lips, "for one may find it difficult not to notice how utterly admirable you are."

"Yet - however 'admirable' I may seem, the attention you draw from the crowd is not half bad. I should think they would respond more to you than they would do to me," the Elf Prince answered, but he did not smile. "I know they mean no harm, Aragorn, but down casting a family member of the host is unacceptable."

"It is something for me to bear, mellon nîn," explained Aragorn patiently as newly-found severe looks were thrown at him - for who was he to dare to speak to an Elf Prince?

Legolas looked at him unwaveringly, and this brought chills down his spine, for it was like the Elf was thoroughly examining him with those blue eyes of his.

"How are you feeling?" asked the Elf suddenly.

Aragorn chuckled quietly. His friend would never change.

"It has been a while since I felt at ease like this," he said truthfully. "Your presence is a gift, Legolas."

Legolas smiled this time, and Aragorn felt blessed that he was ever fortunate to see it, for few men in Middle-Earth were graced with the heavenly kindness and features of the Elves.

"Then I take it that you are inviting me to share this hollow corner with you?"

"If that is not too bothersome," replied the Ranger, raising his eyebrows. "It would delight every being here to see you stuck with a Ranger - "

" -a filthy one - " corrected the Elf, nodding.

" - and would really improve their mood - "

" - somewhat appealing to me - "

" - to see you being wasted in a corner whilst all the she-elves are craving for your attention - "

" - which is probably the more reason I should stay," finished the Elf gravely.

Aragorn smirked as Legolas went to stand beside him. The Elf leaned his back on the wall, crossed his arms across his chest, and closed his eyes in peace. Aragorn watched his peaceful features for a long while, giving no heed to the Elves around them who were watching them with raised eyebrows. Aragorn's shoulder eased, and at last he found the most comfortable position which he had been trying to secure a while ago. He found it, finally, beside his friend, and he was able to close his eyes. They had stood together in tranquility for quite a while, when both felt the forbidding presence of that intense gaze.

Legolas was the first to look up, the sudden crease of his eyebrows broke the serene atmosphere around them. Aragorn, who had been aware of the same intense gaze, opened his eyes slowly.

"Someone watches us…" remarked the Elf Prince quietly.

He looked around intensely, his eyes searching the crowd. Aragorn stood quietly and waited patiently for his Elven companion's next words.

When Legolas looked back to him, it was with confusion and concern. "I feel it... Something around lurks about, and it means harm."

Aragorn understood at once what Legolas was saying, for he had felt the same forbidding feeling before. He looked around, searching for the malicious eyes, but none were presented to him. He looked back at Legolas calmly, for he believed that the feeling that threatened the atmosphere, as long as it does not show itself, would remain a feeling.

"Something is amiss, but what of will remain a mystery," he said, trying to sound placid. "Give it no more heed. The enemy may not be so foolish to show itself among these number of Elves. But it does concern me that it is inside Imladris."

Legolas took another look at the crowd.

"I do not like it," he said after awhile, leaning back at the wall. "Eyes that burns with passion, be it anger or greed, as long as it is around, I will never be at ease."

"You speak of truth and riddle, my friend," said Aragorn, trying to lighten the mood. "But whatever it is, it will soon unfold itself, and we will do our best to thwart it."

Legolas nodded uncertainly, when an occurring thought struck his mind, and he touched his friends' elbow lightly. Aragorn gave his friend a questioning look, and the Elf whispered quietly, "You have known of this presence?"

Aragorn was ready to deny it but saw Legolas' intense gaze upon his eyes, searching the grey ones with his blue; deep inside, Aragorn knew the Elf knew the answer before he could even utter it. Legolas knew him too well.

"Not for long," he admitted truthfully.

He saw Legolas' eyes spark for a while, but it soon faded.

"We must not wait till the disaster strikes, Aragorn, if it be your life in danger - "

"There is no need to worry," said Aragorn at once. "This is merely a troubling feeling that may sometimes turn out to be nothing."

"Neglecting forewarnings of the senses is not a bright idea," insisted Legolas. "Aragorn - you know well enough to trust your senses."

"We shall speak of this no more," said Aragorn as he saw his brothers emerging from the crowd towards them. "We should trouble our minds with far more important things."

"You need not remind me," said Legolas, looking at the approaching twins also, and giving his friend a severe look, "I only wish that you would take this seriously…"

Aragorn gave him a sideways glance before facing Elladan and Elrohir, who had at last reached their position.

"Estel, we have been trying to locate you for a while now," started Elrohir with a small frown upon his face. "Ada does not think it wise for you to linger and bear the 'unnatural' performance of these Elves around."

"Nothing indistinct has happened to me," said Aragorn, shrugging his shoulders as he followed the twins and Legolas, who had led the way, "unless you count the time where I stood in that corner and the sudden brightness approached me into my wake."

"I stunned you too much?" inquired the Elf Prince with a smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

"Nay, more like…" Aragorn's voice faded as voices caught his attention and he immediately spun around to see a couple of Elves talking among themselves.

"…a disgrace it was and has been until today! Have you ever heard of such thing as adopting an adan? I will never hear the end of this!"

"It must have been the effect of the Queen's departure! Clearly Lord Elrond had lost his sanity…"

"And what of those vicious twins? One look at them - O Eru! Spare me! Can we blame the Elf Lord for losing his touch?"

Aragorn blindly made his way toward the group of elves, forgetting the vow he had made to honor his father's house - forgetting about everything, and forgetting the eyes that hunted him. All he could understand now was the fact that his family was being undignified - humiliated!

One does not forgive others' carelessness so easily, and this was one of those times for Aragorn.

Legolas looked behind him, curious as to what distracted his friend from answering, only to see the man striding away from him with a stance the Elf knew too well. Aragorn was ready to attack his prey.

"Aragorn!" he called, swiftly following the man in bewilderment.

~TBC~