AN:
Thank you DreamingIn2Enternity, Lucanii, and Immortalis Cruor Elf for reviewing! Also thank you Esmeraude11, Copykat2, Zhuhe, and Immortalis Cruor Elf for putting this tale on their Story alerts. Another Thank You to Esmeraude11, Copykat2, Zhuhe, escalypse, and Immortalis Cruor Elf for favoriting either or both of my stories. And thank you Immortalis Cruor Elf for listing me in your Author alerts.
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Now on with the show!
Eldarion wanted to pause to wipe away the blood that was trickling into his eyes, but he couldn't. A Guan Dao was supposed to be in constant motion, and it usually took some time for him to achieve the mometium he was at now. Gritting his teeth, the boy screwed his grey eyes shut, relying on his other senses to tell him where the orcs were. A sudden burst of pain erupting from his arm revealed that to be an unwise decision. Eldarion quickly wiped away the blood in his eyes, and slaughtered the beast that cut his arm.
"When the hell did they get so bold!" cried Susano'o. The shinobi had been using his bandages like a cross between rope and ninja wire, which had proved very effective. However, the bandaged boy was tiring fast.
Eldarion leapt onto the head of an Uruk to look into the distance. What he saw made him curse.
"They have reinforcements!" he screamed, stabbing his perch and killing its surrounding fellows with a swing of his polearm. "And a batting ram!"
"A what now?" asked Susano'o, looking bewildered. Eldarion could hear cries of "Brace the gate!" from behind the walls. Before the elf-like boy could explain to his comrade what a batting ram was, he was point blank introduced to it. With a yelp of pain and a body flicker, Susano'o left the causeway, leaving Eldarion to deal with the Uruk-hai.
"Brilliant," he muttered before cutting the heads off half of the carriers of the batting ram.
"It's all for the best, though. Susano'o was becoming chakra exhausted anyway," The tall genin forced himself to forget his own pain, and continued to defend the gate.
"I'll be grateful for your help!" exclaimed Rin, when Aragorn approached her, offering his assistance. "Your techniques would be more effective on the elves. Kuro managed to find quite a bit of Kingsfoil. It's on the table by the baskets. Just wash your hands, and Bisgu will direct you to some patients,"
With a small bow, and a faint smile, the ranger strode off to the herbs. Rin turned her attention back to Kakashi, bandaging his wounded arm.
"I take it that things at the gate aren't going well," she said quietly. Kakashi nodded.
"The horde recived reinforcements. We are holding for now,"
"For now?" asked Kuro, who was treating Susano'o. The bandaged boy was low on chakra and had a nasty bruise spanning his torso, discoloring his dark skin.
"Hoshi and Gimli are defending the gate, but I am not sure how long Hoshi can stand. He didn't receive any treatment for the injuries he received when the wargs attacked. He also doesn't have high chakra levels, and he's been burning the ladders for quite some time,"
"Obito recently took over that," whispered Susano'o, peering out through nearly-closed eyes.
"But Minato-sensei rejoined the fray. If all goes well, the enemy will be nonexistant by mid- morning," finished Kakashi. Rin nodded, patting his uninjured arm. The Hatake sniffed the air, a relaxed look crossing his face.
"Looks like Strider-san likes the smell of Kingsfoil," said Kuro with a grin. Aragorn was by Haldir, who had received a nasty side wound. Both Rin and Kuro had attempted to heal the wound, but (in Kuro's case) only made it worse. Shaking her head, Rin turned to her fellow medic.
"Aragorn uses the herb as a medium of sorts to channel chakra into a wound, healing it. He seems to be the one of the few who can do that,"
The Uchiha's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? I read that Kingsfoil only has a pleasant smell,"
"You forgot that people from a certain line can use the herb as a sort of miracle cure," mumbled Susano'o. "The book called it the line of Lùthien, I think,"
Kakashi's brow furrowed, his hand beneith his chin. "So it's like a bizarre sort of Kekkai Genkai?" he asked, looking at Rin.
The brunette shrugged. "You can ask him, you know,"
Sighing, the masked chūnin stretched. "I doubt that he would know. Do you think I can return to battle?" he asked, standing up.
Rin nodded, giving her teammate a sad smile. "Just be careful," she warned. Kakashi waved offer her concern and darted out of the hospital, nearly hitting Anko.
"Watch where you're going!" she snapped, carrying two Rohirric soldiers. Kuro immediately sprang back to work, bringing one of the two to Kakashi's former cot. Rin found empty cot next to Haldir's and with the help of Mægan, she cleared the wound.
"Does anyone in here know if we are getting reinforcements?" she yelled, startling several of the patients.
With an aggrivated sigh, Aragorn answered Anko.
"By dawn, we should have a calvery of roughly a thousand men," he said shortly. The kunoichi visibly relaxed.
"We should be able to hold out from here until then," she said cheerfully, poising to leave.
"From here? asked Kuro, confused. Anko was recieving several befuddled looks from patients and healers alike.
"The gate is only going to hold for three more hours," she explained. "And if we want to prevent a massive loss of life, we are going to retreat here before making our move. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to return to battle,"
The hospital was frozen. It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.
"WHAT! I JUST CLEANED THE HALLWAY!" shrieked Kuro. Rin sighed, shook her head, and returned her attention back to the bleeding soldier.
Eldarion was not sure when Gimli joined him in the defense of the gate. But he was grateful to have the bold dwarf by his side.
"Thirty, Gimli!"
Legolas and Gimli were still counting the orcs they killed, much to the tall boy's amusement.
"Thirty one!" returned the dwarf, triumphant. Eldarion pulled out a kunai and violently stabbed an Uruk-hai that was about cleave Gimli's skull in two. The boy was then suddenly struck in the stomach by a sort of pole, knocking the wind out of him. Blood spurted from his mouth, nearly choaking the genin. Kunai in hand, Eldarion stabbed his attacker in the heart, stumbling back. The elf-like shinobi managed to swing his Guan Dao with one hand, causing the orcs to back up. Breathing heavily, the blood-soaked boy released a wave of killer intent.
"Back. Off," he snarled. Gimli stood beside him, axe raised.
The army on the causeway stopped moving. A nasty chuckle rippled through the ranks, developing into full-blown laughter. One of the Uruk-hai stepped forward, towering over the rest.
"Looks like the little half-breed has developed a spine," he growled, laughing.
Eldarion recognized him from the dungons of Saruman, where his shadow clone was captured. The genin's grip on his weapons tightened as he shook with barely concealed rage.
"Gimli," he whispered in a commanding tone. "Get back inside,"
The dwarf raised an eyebrow, but quickly took his leave, slipping inside when the gatekeepers opened it to a mere crack. The wooden door closed with a BANG, and the tall genin could hear it being bolted.
"Is that an improvement?" he asked politely, pocketing his kunai and hefting his Guan Dao onto his shoulder. Out of the corner of his grey eye, he could see Minato-sensei moving closer to him.
The Uruk-hai snorted. "It would be a lot more fun to break you, then," he said with a foul grin.
With a nod, Eldarion promptly spat a senbon into the creature's two yellow eyes.
Gimli could only watch as Hoshi took on twenty something Uruks at once without any assistance. The tall boy seemed to be sweating blood, he had received so many injuries.
"Has that child lost his mind?" asked Legolas, looking down at the causeway. Obito joined them, having burned down the last of the orc's ladders.
"May Madara preserve us," cursed the black-haired boy. The shinobi's eyes then turned to a different spot. Curious, Gimli followed his gaze. Minato had all but annihilated the left flank of the army by the Deeping Wall, and seemed to have noticed Hoshi's predicament. In a (yellow) flash, the man teleported from his spot to the causeway and grabbed the boy before jumping up to the battlements. Seconds later, an explosion occurred at the base of the causeway, blowing it up. The exhausted, wounded boy was furious. Gimli aided Minato in keeping Hoshi from leaping over the edge to rejoin the fray.
"Let me GO!" he screamed, his pale face contorted with bloodlust and pain. His teacher turned the child to face him and slapped the boy across the face.
"Do you want to kill yourself?" Minato asked softly. "Go to the hospital. You are badly hurt,"
Obito put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Come, brother. You've already proven yourself, no need to send yourself over the edge,"
Hoshi reluctantly allowed his foster brother to steer him to the hospital, limping the whole way. Thèoden walked up to them and looked over the ramparts.
"That might become a problem," murmured the King, commenting on the nonexistant causway.
Gimli shrugged. "I don't think so, my lord. The Uruk-hai have run out of ladders, so they have no way to get in,"
Minato shook his head. "They might not have ladders, but they do have bodies," he mumured, yawning. "I think that might be the long waited for sunrise in the distance. I hope you do not mind me taking a brief nap to replenish my energies,"
Thèoden waved the shinobi off. "You may do what ever you wish. I will be forever in your debt,"
Walking off, Minato shot a grin back at the King. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Thèoden-sama,"
Aragorn wanted nothing more to take a nap, but he had a self-inflicted duty to fufil. Rin and Kuro insisted that he only had to heal the elves, but when neither healer was availible the ranger took over their duties. He hated to see anyone in pain, and did whatever he could to ease the soldiers' suffering.
"Strider, what did we say about healing patients that aren't elves?" said Kuro, startling Aragorn. The dark-eyed healer stood behind him, looking displeased. "While we appreciate your skill and admire your kindness, Rin and I told you to stick to elves for a reason,"
The ranger's grey eyes narrowed. "These men are in pain, and you are taking too long to get to them,"
The Uchiha exhaled through his nose and put the index and middle fingers of both hands together in the form of a cross. With a puff of smoke, another Kuro appeared.
"Now I can be in two places at once. Take a nap, Strider, you are dead on your feet,"
Shooing the tall man away from an injured Rohirrim, Kuro #1 took over. Aragorn, feeling weary and irritated, reluctantly agreed to go take a much need rest. Walking out of the hospital into the hallway, the ranger found a quiet alcove and quickly feel asleep. He dreamed that Legolas had married the White Tree of Gondor, and Frodo was presiding over the ceremony. Gimli was wearing one of Eowyn's dresses, and the White Lady herself was dressed in Minato's clothes. He was standing next to Hoshi, who was dressed exactly like him.
"Should I be the one to tell Legolas that the White Tree is dead, father?" he asked, with a deeply concerned look on his face.
"Dead? The White Tree blooms, my son," the words quickly fell from Aragorn's lips, shocking him. The White Tree in front of him was clearly dead, and Hoshi was most definately not his son.
The boy chuckled. "That is what mother said, Ada. But you both must be thinking of a different tree. Should I tell Legolas that his beloved is dead?"
Aragorn's dream self shook his head. "It would be cruel to tell him that, Eldarion. Let him be happy, if not for a little while," Once again, Aragorn shocked himself. He was talking to Hoshi, not whatever name he uttered. While trying to figure out what he said, the ranger was tackled by Gandalf, who was shaking him.
"Wake up, Strider! Wake up Aragorn!"
The man slowly opened his grey eyes to see Kuro and Obito standing above him, each with a hand on his shoulder.
"We need your help," the two Uchihas said in unison.
Legolas sighed, shooting a couple orcs in the eye, killing them. But his new kills simply added to the corpse ladder the Uruks were making to reach to gate.
"I would stop shooting if I were you," grumbled Gimli. The dwarf was tired, but not short-tempered, at least not yet. But the horizon was staring to bleed red, a welcome sight after the long night.
"You just do not want me to beat you in the final tally," Legolas said playfully. Gimli gave him a grim chuckle.
"As if an elvish princeling could beat a dwarf," he retorted half-heartedly. The elf smiled, putting down his bow. Hearing the sound of approaching feet, the blonde archer turned his head to see Anko and Kakashi.
"Is it dawn yet?" grumbled Anko. The girl's outlandish pink cloak of sorts had not faired well in the battle. It was covered in black and red blood and there was a tear near the hem.
Her silver-haired companion shrugged. "It's before dawn," he muttered. Both looked over the edge of the battlements.
"Why didn't we blow up the causeway a long time ago?" asked Anko, watching the orcs attempt to build their own bridge.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "Maybe because we want to get out of the place?" he suggested.
"Oh yeah. Didn't think about that," she said, her face tinged pink with embarressment. Anko promptly turned to the amused elf.
"See? This hasn't been so bad, Legolas-san," she said with a smug tone. Kakashi rolled his eyes and Gimli hid a grin. The elf gave the girl a comical frown, causing her to laugh.
"Today is going to be a promising day," Anko said confidantly, looking at the sunrise. "I can feel it,"
Aragorn's eye's widened imperceptibly and he swallowed quietly. Hoshi was stripped to his small clothes and laid out on a cot, unconscience. His pale, lanky body was covered in cuts bruises and all sorts of abrasions. Looking at the boy's chest, he could see that one of his ribs was broken.
"I managed to stabilize his chakra and I stitched some of his deeper wounds close, but I am unable to do anything beyond that," said Rin with a slight quaver in her voice. "You can help him, right?"
Aragorn nodded. "I have seen worse and healed worse," he said, when Kuro shoved a strange-smelling cloth in his hands.
"Clean your hands. Don't want you to infect anything," he muttered, giving the ranger an untrusting look.
Giving in to pettier emotions, Aragorn glared right back at the boy. The Dunedain wiped his hands with the cloth, understanding the relation between cleanliness and infection. Gathering his athelas, Aragorn focused all his energy on healing Hoshi, who seemed to be coming to. He threw the herbs into a bowl of boiled water, releasing their soothing scent. The boy gave a pained moan, his eyelids fluttering.
"Ssshh," he murmured, dipping a clean cloth into the water. Aragorn then began to clean the cut on Hoshi's forehead. The cut hissed slightly as it closed, and the child groaned in pain.
"Ssshhh," he murmured again, cleaning all the cuts on the boy's face, slowly ridding it of layers of sweat and grime. The cuts slowly closed, and Aragorn moved from his face to his shoulders.
Hoshi bore the pain quite well, rarely revealing how much he was reciving. The ranger cleaned the wounds on his arms, the boy hissing when he cleaned a perticularly deep cut. Moving on from the healing arms, Aragorn carefully began to treat Hoshi's badly damaged chest. When Aragorn attempted to heal the broken rib and its bruised fellows, the shinobi began to hyperventilate, gasping and whimpering in an attempt to relieve the pain.
"Ssshh," he murmured, stroking the poor child's elf-like face. "Everything will be alright,"
Hoshi slowly regained control over his breathing, tears streaking down his face. Aragorn attempted to continue healing his chest but Hoshi began to hyperventilate again, hiccuping between sobbing gasps. The Dunedain began to stroak the boy's dark, tangled hair, singing a song to calm the child.
"The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
Let others follow it who can!
Let them a journey new begin,
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet,"
Hoshi's breath evened out, and the boy began snoring softly, broken only by the occasional whimper. Aragorn looked sadly at the sleeping boy, quickly healing his ribs.
"He is too young to be fighting," he thought as he continued to clean Hoshi's wounds as dawn's first light seeped through the windows.
AN:
I have no idea how Aragorn heals people using Kingsfoil, so using my knowledge from reading other fanfiction, that above is the result. If any of you do know, than please let me know. Also, anyone of Númenórean descent has the potential to have a range of mental powers, but I cannot find a good discription of what they are and how they work. So if any of you know, please let me know.
The song is from the books, I got it off a site called The Grey Havens.