Imma back! Hopefully, this chapter will be decent sized but we'll see!
"How?" I murmured, staring down at the Journal lying on the floor. 'This cannot be…I had it burned. Tyrelin and I watched it burn!' I thought to myself, but there were no burn or scorch marks on the book.
"Iell-nin?" A hand descended on my shoulder and I looked up to see Ada gazing down at me, concerned. "What is it?" I shook my head, crouching down and lifting the Journal up.
"Forgive me, Ada. I did not mean to react in such a way…"
"Iell," I flinched at the tone. He knew there was more. "I know you went to Tyrelin earlier this evening with that very same Journal and when you left, you did not have it."
"What?" I looked over at Ada, wondering how in Middle-Eart he knew that. Ada sighed.
"I happened to be out earlier with Faramir and we both saw you with a man in the Lower Levels." Ada's eyes narrowed on me. "Who was that man and why was he with you?" I knew I was being watched but I had thought it was Aradorn.
"That was Wrenn. He rescued me from a group of Drunks and escorted me to Tyrelin's shop." I smoothly lied. Well, it was not all a lie. Ada seemed to accept this then gazed back down at the Journal.
"This Journal, where did you get it?"
"It was given to me." I answered. "I was going to have it burned but…Ada, I do not know what is happening." Ada turned to look at me.
"There is something troubling you." he stated.
"Something I need to figure out on my own, Ada. Please, understand that." I looked up at him, hoping he would understand. I could tell he was reluctant to allow me to but relented, slowly nodding.
"Very well. But if anything happens, Aranyth, I will take matters into my own hand."
"Yes, Ada." At least he gave me a chance. Now, I would have to be more careful than before.
-Nescit Cedere-
The next day, before Anor rose into the sky, Estel, Ada, Uncle Legolas, and I prepared to go hunting. I was excited, seeing as I would finally be able to use the bow Uncle Legolas had carved for me. Estel, as Tyrelin wished, had run down to the Lower Levels and retrieved the blade the blacksmith had forged for him. It fit him well and Estel was ecstatic to use it. Before we left, Nana came to bid us farewell.
"How long will you be gone?" She asked Ada.
"No more than two weeks." Ada replied and Nana nodded.
"Very well. You had better keep your word, Aragorn." she flashed him a knowing look with her eyes and Ada rolled his.
"Legolas will keep me on track, Meleth."
"That is what I am worried about." She replied. "Aranyth, Estel, please do be careful. If anything happens, you inform Ada and Legolas immediately, understood?"
"Yes, Nana." Estel and I chimed. Eowyn appeared and came to help Nana up the stairs to the Citadel.
"Three more weeks and there will be two more little Elessars." Legolas said.
"Indeed."
"What will their names be, Ada?" I asked.
"I do not know. We do not know the genders." Ada's eyes twinkled as he looked to Estel and I. "Aranyth, should it be a boy, you may name him and Estel, you will name the other should it be a girl."
"What?" Estel and I said in unison. "We will name them?" We pointed to ourselves in question and Ada nodded.
"Nana and I cannot decide on any names. It would be very helpful should you name them." He explained. Estel and I glanced at one another, a smile slowly growing on our lips.
"This should not be difficult." Soon, we were mounted on our steeds and leaving Minas Tirith.
"Where are we going?" Estel called to Ada.
"Amon Sul. We should reach it in time if we ride without many breaks." Legolas answered.
"Weathertop?" Estel translated beneath his breath. "Why there?" I shrugged.
"I suppose we shall see."
-Nescit Cedere-
It was nearing night fall by the time we reached Weathertop. We had been riding for nearly a five days and would spend four of those days hunting before riding home.
"We will rest tonight," Ada announced. "Tomorrow, at dawn, we start the hunt." I lit the campfire as everyone went about setting up camp on the top of the tower. "The four of us will each receive a section of the land to hunt in and every day, we will rotate those sections. Starting tomorrow, Estel will head south, Legolas east, I west, and Aranyth North. If there is any trouble," Legolas tossed each of us a small horn. "Sound the horn and we will come. The sections are no larger than two to three leagues."
"Now rest, you two. We have but a few hours before dawn comes. I will take watch." Legolas said and no one objected, settling down and allowing sleep to take us.
-Nescit Cedere-
"Did you do it?" I jumped when the voice came from behind and turned to see Lord Elrond approaching me.
"There was a problem." I began. "I tried to burn the Journal but when I returned home, the Journal was on my desk." Elrond sighed heavily.
"I feared this would happen."
"Lord Elrond, what exactly is the Journal? Why was it created in the first place?" I finally asked the questions that had been pestering me ever since I first received the Journal.
"I cannot answer those questions as of yet." Elrond said, turning and heading down a grand corridor. "The Journal was created when Elros and I were first taken my Maedhros and Maglor during the Third Kinslaying. The Journal was meant to be just that, a journal. But a mistake was made and a spell was cast to protect the Journal which bore information that Morgoth could have used against the Elves in Valinor. The Spell was cast incorrectly and fell into the hands of Morgoth, who cursed it. What the curse was, I know not but I believe you may have triggered it when it was given to you by your brother. Morgoth may have made it impossible to destroy it."
"Who created the Journal?" I asked. Elrond did not answer immediately.
"Elros and I both took part in its creation when Maedhros and Maglor decided to take my brother and I with them. Maglor taught us many things and when he discovered the Journal, he knew it was a dangerous book to keep and convinced us to give it to him. We did, hoping that he would be able to destroy it. It only brought him pain and suffering but Maglor refused to return it to us. Maedhros discovered the Journal after one fateful day and attempted to destroy it himself. That was when Morgoth found it. Maedhros was defeated, having been ambushed unexpectedly and had it not been for Maglor, he would have died. Morgoth took the Journal but because of the spell Elros and I cast over it, the information within was sealed away. After Morgoth's fall, and the death of Maedhros and Maglor, Elros and I believed the Journal was destroyed. But it appears the Journal has a mind of its own."
I leaned back against my seat, having reached Elrond's office once again and listened intently to Elrond's tale. "But what could Morgoth have wanted with a Journal? When he received it, it would have appeared empty." Elrond nodded.
"Indeed. Why he kept it, I do not know." Elrond seated himself behind his desk. "Perhaps he saw something we overlooked."
"Then…What do I do? If this Journal cannot be destroyed..."
"If possible, Aranyth, try to bring the Journal here. Perhaps you can leave it in Valinor and I will hide it where none will ever find it."
"I will try, Lord Elrond."
-Nescit Cedere-
The next morning, the four of us met at the bottom of the Tower.
"We will return here at sundown." Ada said before we rode our separate ways. As soon as I traveled far enough, I dismounted Aradyn and left him to graze as I continued on foot, bow in hand. Silently, I treaded through the plants growing beneath the trees, keeping my eyes sharp and ears strained to catch even the slightest movement. It was eerily silent, but then again, it was early in the morning. Not even dawn.
Hours later, it was still a rather uneventful hunt. I had not seen any deer or any other animals I could shoot and bring back to camp. I sighed, wondering how the others were doing. By now, Uncle Legolas and Ada would have found something. Possibly even Estel. A sound reached my ears and I crouched down behind a bush, placing an arrow on my bow and preparing it. Peering through the bush, I could see a deer grazing in the field not too far ahead of me. I raised my bow and aimed but before I could release my arrow, another sailed through the air and pierced the deer's heart. I blinked in surprise, keeping my bow up and ready. I watched as a group of six large Uruks appeared.
"I 'aven't 'ad meat in a long time!" One complained.
"Well there you 'ave it, Uun. That should be enough meat to last us a few days." Another growled as they went to bring the deer to their camp. I lowered myself closer to the ground, watching as one lifted the deer over its shoulder and turned to leave. Quickly scrambling to my feet, I silently followed. If I could find where they were camping, Ada, Uncle Legolas, Estel and I could return there and kill them. There could not have been many of them. As we neared the camp, I raised a hand to cover my nose. It wreaked! I gagged the closer I came to the camp and climbed into a large tree, pushing aside a few branches to see the camp.
What I saw was not what I was expecting.
"Trolls?!" I breathed in disbelief, watching as a band of twelve Uruks and a few Orcs lazed about the Camp. There were two trolls, which would explain the smell. I went to move away when two of the Uruks came to stand right beneath the tree.
"We ain't seen nobody in these lands in days!"
"There's a farm with humans living there. Tonight, we attack." the other said as the first started to sniff the air. "What? What do you smell?"
"Man flesh." I froze as they both peered upwards. "In the tree!" I jumped up and rushed into another nearby tree. The Uruks in the camp, having heard their leader, stood and took off after me. Knowing I did not stand a chance against them, I sprinted through the trees as best I could.
"Over there!" One shouted and I ducked when they released a few arrows. One scraped my shoulder but I kept going, hoping to reach Aradyn and warn the others. Suddenly, an arrow appeared before me and pierced my thigh. With a cry of pain and dismay, I tumbled out of the tree and to the ground, groaning as I tried to move to escape. I grasped the arrow and hastily removed it, biting my lip from crying out once again. Tucking it into my quiver, I forced myself to stand and run. Pain shot through my leg, forcing me to walk, dragging my leg along.
"This way!" Another Uruk yelled, and I looked back to see them getting closer. Knowing I would not be able to escape, I unhooked the horn on my belt and raised it to my lips. The sound was smooth and vibrated through the air. I only hoped the others would arrive in time. An arrow lodged into the log in front of me and I knew it was too late. Turning, I found the Uruks emerging from the shadows. I swung my blade and managed to kill one as it charged. Two others followed and I did my best to fend them off. One managed to knock me back and I fell against a tree, the strap of my pouch snapped and fell to the ground, the Journal tumbling into view. An idea formed in my mind and before the Uruks could surround me, I touched the empty page of the Journal and vanished in a flash of light.
-Nescit Cedere-
Aragorn smiled victoriously as he shot down a rather large deer and slung his bow over his shoulder, striding over to where the fallen deer was and retrieving his arrow. So far, he had been rather successful. Three rabbits and now a deer. He wondered how Legolas had faired. He secretly hoped he had won this hunt this time. It was tradition for Elladan, Elrohir, Legolas, and he to have a contest to see who could shoot the most during a hunt. He would always lose at first, but ever since he learned how to track, Aragorn started to win more frequently, surprising his Elven brothers. Glorfindel had been very proud of him, seeing as he had thought Aragorn never payed much attention to his lessons, only to learn that he had. As Aragorn lifted the deer and called to Brego, he flung the corpse onto his back and patted Brego's neck.
"Hannon le, mellon." He thanked the horse. As the day flew by, Aragorn shot down another deer and decided to return to camp to drop them off. As he walked, Aragorn was struck with a feeling of apprehension. He paused for a moment, wondering why he felt that way. Tilting his head, he realized how quiet his surroundings had become. There were few birds chirping. Slowly continuing on his way, Aragorn grabbed hold of Brego's reins, hand resting on the hilt of his blade. A faint sound reached his ears and Aragorn stopped, tilting his head to the side, wondering what it was he had heard. Brego neighed, stepping back uneasily. The silence grew thicker until it was shattered by the of a horn blaring. Snapping his head to the side, Aragorn bolted in its direction, recognizing the high note the Horn was blowing. "Aranyth…" He raised his horn and blew, the sound deep and melodious. It was closely followed by two more horns, signaling that Legolas and Estel were on their way. The closer he came to where Aranyth was, he could hear the jeering and hollering of Uruks and unsheathed Narsil. He ran without a sound and burst from large bushes with a cry, Narsil singing in the air as the blade decapitated two Uruks and injured two others. Aragorn skillfully weaved about the Uruks, tripping a few as he spun and hit each target as intended. That was when Aragorn realized he was alone.
Aranyth was nowhere to be seen.
He landed in a crouch after having defeated a rather large Uruk and looked up to find the leader trailing down towards him, confidence radiating from its being as it sneered down at him.
"Searchin' for the child?" It asked in a harsh voice, its beady eyes staring down Aragorn. "You ain't going to find 'er." It shot an arrow, which Aragorn deflected with his blade. "'Cause she's dead!" The Uruk laughed triumphantly.
"You lie." Aragorn stated, standing before the Uruk, prepared to fight. The Uruk only laughed, tossing something to the ground before Aragorn's feet. Looking down, Aragorn found that it was the Journal Aranyth had had before they left Minas Tirith. He felt a flash of fear but stowed it away, knowing his Daughter would not fall so easily. Uruks appeared from beneath the trees and surrounded them, raising their weapons. Legolas and Estel decided this was the moment to make their appearance, dropping from the trees above and killing a few Uruks of their own as Aragorn faced the leader, spinning Narsil in his hand before raising it. The Uruk charged, bringing its mace down to crush Aragorn, who rolled out of the way, leaped to his feet and swiped at the Uruks knees. The Uruk growled, irritated, and thrust its mace into the ground where Aragorn had been standing seconds prior. Angered, the Uruks restlessly began swinging its mace in the hopes of striking the man. Aragorn calculated its every move, his sword blocking and parrying many of them before he jumped in and attacked. The King mercilessly beat down upon the Uruk, looking for any open spaces.
He found one.
The Uruk abruptly lunged and wrapped its large hand around his throat, lifting Aragorn from the ground then flinging him down onto his back. Taking a moment to recover, Aragorn rolled just in time to avoid being crushed. The Uruk charged once again and just as it leaned over to hit him, Aragorn thrust his sword up, watching as the Uruk impaled itself upon his blade. The Uruk gave him the cruelest face it could muster before it died, Aragorn throwing it to the side and sheathing his blade, kneeling down and lifting the Journal from the ground. Legolas and Estel soon finished off the rest of the Uruks and Orcs and turned to see Aragorn. Estel's eyes widened as he shouted,
"Ada! Trolls!" Aragorn was up immediately, sprinting in their direction.
"Run!" He ordered and the three went to leave when Aragorn remembered Aranyth. Skidding to a stop, he turned and charged back.
"Aragorn!" Legolas yelled, turning to go after his friend.
"Aranyth!" Aragorn shouted, hoping to hear a reply. "Aranyth!" There was still nothing.
"Ada! Aranyth has probably left! We must go!" Estel called to the Man. Still hesitant to leave, Aragorn's eyes raked the area but found no sign of his daughter. Seeing the Trolls, he trailed back then followed the others away from the encampment.
-Nescit Cedere-
Galadriel opened her eyes, the icy blue orbs falling upon her son-in-law standing nearby, clutching the balcony railing. "You have felt it as well." She stated as she stood to stand beside him. Elrond nodded, turning to face the Elven Queen.
"It has begun."
-Nescit Cedere-
Aragorn dropped his head into his hands, exhaling deeply. He had lost Aranyth once again. There was no sign of her during the two days they had searched. Estel was worried but did his best to stay focused on the search. Legolas was deeply troubled when he discovered he could not sense her nearby.
"She must be somewhere." Estel clenched his fists together, pacing back in forth before the campfire.
"She cannot have wandered far." Legolas agreed, trying to think of where Aranyth could be and why she had not returned.
"it appears we will be late returning home." Aragorn declared, standing and strapping his sword to his belt.
"Where are you going?" Estel inquired.
"I am going to check the encampment."
"The trolls-" Legolas began before Aragorn cut him off.
"I will not be anywhere near them. I would like for the two of you to search the hunting grounds we had laid out and see what you can find. We will meet here at dawn."
"Yes, Ada."
Legolas approached Aragorn, clasping his shoulder. "Be safe, Aragorn. The trolls are still out there." Aragorn gripped his friend's arm, giving him a weak, but reassuring, smile.
"And you as well, mellon." They separated and went their ways.
Near midnight, Aragorn had searched and studied every track he could find. He retraced Aranyth's steps, hoping he would find something from them. Seeing as she was half-Elf, it was difficult to see them, but he was especially skilled in tracking.
"She dropped down here," He murmured to himself, gazing up at the tree then crouching to the ground. "She moved forward to attack," He followed the tracks with his hand, shuffling forwards while doing so. "She fought…Slew a few Uruks…Backtracked," He stepped back a few steps. "Then falls after deflecting the leader's blow," He imagined the fight Aranyth had fought and could tell she had slipped and fallen against the tree. "She must have realized there were too many and that we would not reach her in time…She did something…But what?" He wondered aloud, huffing as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "She could not have just disappeared in thin air!" But that was what the tracks revealed. Aranyth was by the tree and that was where her tracks ended. There were no other footsteps anywhere else around the camp. Aragorn rolled his head upwards, eyes gazing into the stars. He dropped his arm, his hand hitting the pouch strapped to his belt. Remembering the Journal, Aragorn pulled it out and held it before him. "Aranyth was especially protective of this Journal…She said nothing of it to any of the others…" Curious as to why Aranyth had the Journal, he opened it, scanning through the first few pages, brow furrowing at how familiar the story was to him. He flipped through a few more before reaching a blank page. Glimpsing at the other page, he was surprised by what he read.
"'She fought valiantly, knowing she would not be able to hold her own before aid would come. She gazed up at the leader of the Uruks. Knowing she had no choice, Aranyth fumbled through her pack and withdrew the Journal, opening it and searching for a blank page. Finding one, Aranyth touched it and vanished before the Leader could strike her down.'"
For a moment, Aragorn said nothing, staring at the page. It had told him exactly what had transpired before he had arrived.
"She touched a blank page?" Aragorn repeated, albeit skeptical. He sighed and shook his head, resting a hand on the page beside the one he had just read. Unexpectedly, Aragorn found himself being pulled forward and the next thing he knew, the Man was tumbling through the air and down towards the ground below. The Journal slipped from his hand and flew away as Aragorn plummeted to his impending doom.
-Nescit Cedere-
I groaned as I slowly came to, blinking a few times to clear my vision. Where was I? Where was the Journal?
My eyes flew open. "The Journal!" I frantically searched myself and the ground around me but there was no sign of the Journal anywhere. "Oh no…This is not good." I stood, stumbling a bit as my vision spun and examined my surroundings. I was in a very dark room with no windows, the tiles floor blackened and long curtains trailing from the ceiling to the floor. This room struck me as familiar. As to why, I knew not.
"It appears our guest has regained conscious." I whipped around at the sound of the voice and staggered back, eyes widening a fraction when they met the familiar gaze of a dark Elf.
"Morgoth?!" Another Elf came into view. "And Sauron…Oh, this cannot be happening."
"I am afraid it is, young one." Morgoth smirked. "You left rather suddenly the last visit you made to my Tower. Now, you are trapped here." I shook my head and fumbled through my pack, hoping to feel the familiar hard-covered Journal but found nothing.
"How is this happening? Why am I here?" I found myself asking, wondering why I did not feel threatened or the least bit afraid. Morgoth did not reply immediately.
"I am afraid we cannot answer those questions, seeings as we do not know ourselves." His eyes narrowed as he circled around me. "You strike me as familiar…Yet we have not met before. Tell me, what is your name?"
"What tells you that I would give you my name?" I asked, crossing my arms.
"Hmm…You are a courageous young woman. Not many can withstand being in my presence."
"I wonder why…" I sarcastically muttered.
-Nescit Cedere-
Voices...
There were voices.
Many voices...
And the sound of marching overwhelmed him.
"The river!" He heard someone cry. "There is someone in the river!"
"Halt!" A commanding voice called out and the marching came to a stop. He began drifting lower when he felt something grab hold of him and pull him from beneath the water onto dry land. Coughing, his savior rolled him onto his side, patting his back as he spat out all the water he had swallowed. Falling onto his back, he remained still, eyes closed as pain shot through his body.
"We must bring him to the encampment!" Whoever had rescued him called out.
"Understood." He was lifted and placed on a what he thought to be a stretcher. "We have nearly arrived. Will he survive until then?"
"I believe so, if he receives medical treatment once we arrive." The first voice replied.
After nearly an hour, he could feel them traveling downhill. He was still weak and unable to move and tried to focus on what was happening around him.
"Lord Gilgalad!" second voice from before greeted and the man nearly started.
Gilgalad? As in the High King of old?
"Oropher!"
Oropher? The Elvenking? This did not make any sense.
"We have need of Lord Elrond's assistance. My son discovered a wounded man in the river. How long he has drifted there, I know not."
"Elrond!" The man, no Elf, named Gilgalad's voice echoed throughout the encampment.
Elrond had travelled to Valinor. He was no longer in Middle-Earth…What was happening?
"Lord Gilgalad," the familiar, soothing voice the man had grown to love from his childhood sounded and the man tensed.
"There is a man in need of your skills, Elrond. See to it that he is treated at once."
"Yes, my Lord." Elrond bowed and turned to face the newcomers.
-Nescit Cedere-
Elrond gazed down at the man lying motionless on the stretcher. He appeared young, no older than thirty, with shoulder length, brown hair and the beginnings of a beard. He wore dark clothing and dark boots, a sword by his side. His eyes fell upon the wound in the man's side and shoulder and he led the four Wood-Elves carrying the stretcher to a nearby medical tent. There, they set the man down and lifted him onto the sickbed and left, leaving Elrond to treat the man. Preparing what he would need, Elrond took the time to study the man even more. He appeared rather familiar to him, though why he did was a mystery to the Elven Lord. He reminded him of someone he knew. Or rather, had known. He gently touched the man's forehead, murmuring an Elvish enchantment to ease the pain he was sure to be in.
He undid the man's tunic and lowered it in order to better see the wound. It was a deep wound that he knew had been inflicted by a blade. Though, it was not any Orc blade. No, this was done by another blade. It was too clean to be an Orc yet too jagged to be Man or Elf blade. There were also signs of poison which Elrond knew would have to be dealt with immediately. Reaching for the athelas nearby, Elrond chewed it and placed it onto the wound. The man started from the stinging sensation the athelas created but otherwise remained still, as though he were used to such a treatment. As Elrond worked, he noticed the faint glow enveloping the man. He appeared rather Kingly, but Elrond knew all the Kings of all distant lands and he was not one of them. After treating the shoulder wound, he moved to the wound in the side. This wound he knew was done by a weapon with a sharp point. A mace, most likely. He winced in sympathy, knowing he would have to stitch it closed.
Frowning deeply in concentration, Elrond cleaned the wound and placed some Athelas against it to prevent infection before grabbing hold of a needle and some thread, using them to carefully stitch the wound shut. The man did not move. Either he was unconscious, or was accustomed to the pain of having wounds stitched closed as well, Elrond knew not. As soon as he had finished, the man shifted, eyes fluttering open. For a moment, his grey-blue orbs stared up into the unfamiliar tent before falling upon Elrond, confusion evident in his eyes. Elrond was taken aback but schooled his expression.
This man resembled his twin brother Elros and Elros's descendant Isildur greatly. Was he, by chance, a Dunedain as Elessar and Isildur? But that wasn't possible…Isildur's children were younger than this man and Elessar had no other son but Isildur.
"You are awake. How do you feel?" Elrond kindly inquired. The man stared at Elrond, recognition flickering in his eyes and…pain? Elrond narrowed his brown eyes in return. This man knew who he was yet he did not know this man. Of course, he supposed the Man was of Gondor origin and knew of Elrond from having learned of Gilgalad and the War taking place now. The man nodded in reply, telling Elrond he was well.
"Hannon le, Hir-nin." the man whispered so softly even Elrond had to strain his hearing to catch it. Elrond accepted this answer and turned to leave when he realized what the man had just spoken. He had not spoken in Common Tongue…No, he had spoken Elvish. Startled by the revelation, Elrond looked to the man once again.
"You know the Elven tongue."
"I do." The man nodded weakly.
"Who are you? What is your name?" Elrond inquired, curious to learn more of this man.
"Estel, was the name given to me, but I am known as Strider among my men."
"Estel? An Elvish name…" Elrond remarked.
"It was the name given to me by my adoptive family."
"They were Elves?"
"Yes." The man's eyes drifted closed and Elrond decided to allow him to rest. He would return to ask questions later.
"Rest now." He told the man, placing a hand on his forehead once again and sending the man into a peaceful slumber where he could heal properly. "We will speak later." He promised. Once the man was asleep, Elrond pulled away. This man…He was mysterious yet Elrond felt he could trust him. "Estel." He was set on learning more information from this Man. Who was he truly? He knew Estel was the name given to the man by his adoptive family, as the man had mentioned, and that he was known as Strider 'among his men', he had said, but what was his true name?
-Nescit Cedere-
Well, there you have it! Another chapter all done! Aranyth and Aragorn are both now trapped in the past. But not the same past! Aranyth will now have to deal with both Morgoth and Sauron and Aragorn is trapped during the Second Age. What will they do and will Aragorn ever find Aranyth and will Aranyth find the Journal and return themselves to the Future where they belong?