Chapter Twenty-Five

~ Aragorn ~
"Where is she? The woman who gave you that jewel?"

Èowyn's young voice jolted me out my reverie as we walked. I hadn't noticed her coming up to me. And last night I was scolding Eldarion about not paying attention.

But Èowyn's words, however innocent, were bringing up a flood of memories. Elrond speaking to me before we left Imladris, urging me to left Arwen go. My refusal of his request. Me trying to leave Imladris unnoticed, but being forced to confront Arwen anyway, and tell her to go, and that I would not return. Arwen's shocked look, and her firm voice telling me to keep the Evenstar.

"My lord?" Èowyn looked uncertain now.

I tried to smile. "She is sailing to the Undying Lands, with all that is left of her kin," I answered finally. I hoped that she did not understand the connotations to Valinor, but if she did . . .

But Èowyn seemed satisfied with my words, for she now turned her attention to someone else. "My lord, who is the other Ranger, the other one who came with you?" she asked, nodding off in the distance.

I looked ahead. Eldarion, Estel, and Legolas were all standing on the hill we were now walking up to. I could see that Eldarion was holding his sister's hand tightly as she laughed about something. I felt a small smile grace my lips at the sight of the three, all just relaxing and being themselves.

"He is Eldarion," I answered. Eldarion and Estel had not asked me to keep their identity a secret, but I supposed that the fewer who knew the better, so I did not elaborate any further.

I looked her at her sharply then as a different thought appeared to me. "What is your interest in him, my lady?"

Èowyn was saved from answering by the screams.

~ Estel ~
Eldarion suddenly dropped my hand. Startled, I stopped laughing and turned to my brother. He was tense now, and his pale blue eyes were narrowed as he leaned forward. He seemed to be looking for something.

"Eldarion? What is it?" I asked. "Eldarion, answer me!"

I saw nothing wrong. The two guards Théoden had sent ahead seemed fine. . . No, they didn't. The horses were acting strangely, I saw, and the guards were trying to figure out what was wrong. Even from here I could hear their questions.

Just then, some nasty, furry, snarling beast appeared on the rocks and leaped down. My brother shouted something indistinct, stringing and releasing an arrow before the creature could eat either Gamling or Háma. Legolas jumped off the rocks with one of his knives flashing in the sun to finish off the miserable creature and rider.

I followed seconds later, my own bow at hand. Eldarion and I both fired as a second creature appeared over Legolas's head. The weight of our arrows killed both the beast and rider just as Legolas looked up.

Eldarion turned and shouted, "A scout!" to Aragorn, who had appeared over the crest of the kill. Aragorn's eyes widened, and he quickly dashed back down to alert the others.

Eldarion suddenly grabbed my shoulder, turning me about sharply as Legolas rejoined us, his blade dripping with blood. "Estel, listen to me: I want you to rejoin the caravan. Go with them to Helm's Deep. Do not fight with us."

"What?" I exclaimed, staring at my brother. Of all the things Eldarion could have said to me, he had to say this? "You cannot be serious, Eldarion! I'm not going to hide again while you and the others risk your lives!"

"Oh, yes, you are," Eldarion snarled, his grip on my shoulders becoming painfully strong. "Even if I have to walk you back to the caravan myself!"

"Eldarion," I began anew, trying to inject calmness into my voice and failing, "you can't be – "

"He is." Legolas's calm voice did not help my rising anger. "Estel, please. Just – Just be safe so we can fight knowing you are safe."

My resistance melted under his firm tone and calm expression. He was right, unfortunately; staying would definitely endanger me and might even hurt them. I hugged my brother tightly, whispering, "Don't you dare get hurt!"

I felt Eldarion smile as his arms squeezed me back. "I won't, sister," he murmured back.

And after a moment's hesitation, I hugged Legolas too. I felt the Elf stiffen with surprise as my arms encircled him, but after a brief second he relaxed and his arms slunk around me in return. For the shortest – and strangest – moment, for the third time in my life I felt safe in someone else's arms – but it was the first time I had felt safe in a stranger's arms.

~ Èowyn ~
I shouted to the villagers to stay together and move away as the men mounted up and rode away. I watched with sad eyes as Lord Aragorn turned his horse around. My eyes were briefly distracted by the sight of the young woman hugging first Eldarion and then Legolas tightly, saying something fiercely to them. So . . . sad partings all around, it seems.

But my sadness turned to confusion when Lord Aragorn reined in briefly to clasp the hand of the young female as she walked away from Eldarion and Legolas. I saw him smile gently, reassuringly at her anxious expression before he let go and galloped ahead.

I considered what I knew of the young woman. She had arrived with Lord Aragorn, and with Eldarion, the Elf Legolas, and the Dwarf Gimli. She had seemed close to all of them, save Gimli, as I saw her often smiling and laughing around Eldarion and Legolas.

She was pretty, too, I noticed. Long dark hair fell down her shoulders in a dark cascade so alike to my own blonde hair, yet it seemed to glow with a radiance mine did not. She had glittering grey-blue eyes that reflected an inside light, as if she was forever innocent. In any case, her happiness was infectious. I noticed that more and more of the men were casting her curious glances.

It was then that I noticed that she had joined the caravan, and was walking looking downward, a sad, anxious expression on her face. Maybe I can get her to tell me more about Lord Aragorn.

"Lady Estel?" I asked, going up to her.

She visibly started at my voice; apparently beforehand she'd been lost in her own thoughts. "What?" she asked. I noticed, with a bit of jealously, that even her voice seemed to contain some unearthly, ethereal quality that set her apart.

"Oh, Lady Èowyn," she said, relaxing. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Why does everyone aassume that something is wrong whenever I ask something? Brushing off the silent thought, I asked, "Is something wrong with you, Lady Estel? You seem . . . uncomfortable."

"You are too," Lady Estel replied swiftly, dodging the question and throwing it easily back in my face. "For your uncle is now in combat, is he not?"

"Yes, well," I said hastily, wondering how she had managed to sense my unease so easily, "you have no such reason to feel such discomfort."

A frown reached Lady Estel's face. "I have plenty of reasons," she murmured, so low that I knew I wasn't meant to hear it.

And with good reason. I had no idea what she meant.

Then Lady Estel straightened. "Your lord and uncle is now in battle back there," she said. "That is one person for whom you care and worry for. I have three to worry about."

"Three?" I echoed. Who is she talking about?

"Yes, three. My brother, Eldarion, and my lord, Aragorn Arathornion, are among them," she answered easily.

"Your . . . lord?"

Eldarion being her brother did not surprise me; they interacted too easily, in my opinion, to be anything else.

But Lord Aragorn being her lord? Did she mean . . . "father"?

If Lord Aragorn was her father and by extension Eldarion's, it would explain his protective and probing question about my interest in Eldarion.

But it would also mean that I was too late for Aragorn; he had already chosen someone and even had children.

"You mean, your father?" I asked.