Athrana (Wandering Shadow)

Chapter 58- Ghosts and Memories

TA 3019 March 8th (Evening)

Aragorn watched his brothers as they made camp yet again. They had been riding all day and now they had to let the horses rest. It was strange to see Elladan and Elrohir like this. He had ridden out with them many times, but this time was different. He was only now realising how little his time with them counted against the span of their lives. Athriel however had known them almost their entire lives and it showed. She rode between them as if she belonged there, and Aragorn supposed she did. Suddenly he remembered all the times he had seen them move to close the gap they unconsciously left for her, as if at any moment she would appear and sit between them.

TA 2936

5yr old Estel ran through the halls laughing. His brothers were back. It seemed like they had been away forever and now they were back. He skidded to a halt in the courtyard just as they were dismounting. "Dan! Roh!" he yelled excitedly. ""Estel"" They smiled and leaning down Elladan picked him up. Together they moved towards a stone bench. The little boy laughed as they sat down. His silly brothers, they sat down in unison, but finding a gap between themselves they stood up again and moved closer together before sitting again and giving Estel their full attention.

TA 2952

20yrs old and called Aragorn now the boy who had been Estel opened the door and stepped into the hall of fire. The music and the singing cheered him immediately, as did the greeting he received. ""Estel!"" Elladan and Elrohir approached him handing him a glass of wine. They had refused to call him by his revealed name, claiming that to them he would always be Estel. And it was oddly comforting to know that whoever he was to the world outside, here in this room with his brothers and a bottle of wine he was still little Estel. And even though they had lost so much when he had first come to the valley, they had never treated him like anything other than their little brother. The three of them sat side by side as they often did. But this time when they moved to eliminate the gap they had left between them Aragorn noticed it more than he usually did, as if he could see a ghost of the one who should have sat there.

TA3018

Aragorn balanced the tray on one arm as he knocked on the door. ""Come In""He had to play this just right. He was here to convince his brothers to take part in his scheme. He aimed to spur Legolas to admit his feelings for Nariel, but he also wanted to affect Athriel wherever she was. The second point would be more difficult to achieve, as not only was he unsure if the elleth would actually show herself, but he had promised not to reveal her existence to his brothers. Smiling broadly he stepped over the threshold. "I hope you're hungry" he said sitting the tray down in front of the twins. Without thought Elladan and Elrohir moved so that they were right next to each other and he could sit across from them. The movement, as involuntary as it was, always made Aragorn think. But now, knowing that Athriel was alive, he wondered if some part of them knew she still lived. They had been so close and being both the sons on Elrond and the grandsons of Galadriel it was feasible that they had sensed something unknowingly that prevented them from moving past her death. Something that forced them to leave space for her only to remember and close the gap again the best that they could.

Now they didn't have to close the gap, because she was there. She fit so seamlessly with them; it was strange to think that for the entire time he had known them she had not been there. How must it have been for everyone else all these years, seeing them without her?

The twins themselves were feeling much better about what Athriel had revealed that morning. Yes it was a lot to take in, and yes what they heard had disturbed them greatly, but it didn't change their plans. They were still determined to do anything they could to help her, and their friendship had not been harmed. In fact if anything, they were more determined now than ever to see this war through to the end.

Athriel felt much better as well. Despite their destination she actually felt quite content, as if she was more herself than she had been for a very long time. Her big revelation hadn't changed anything, Elladan and Elrohir were not treating her any differently and the information had not distracted them from their duty. Her life was finally slotting back into place.

Legolas sighed as he felt Nariel probe into his mind yet again. Her presence had been becoming weaker and weaker as they rode further and further apart. Now all he could feel was a vague impression that she was thinking about him, that was it. This was the furthest apart they had been since he had left Rivendell with the fellowship and he didn't like it. It had been hard enough to walk away then, but so much had happened since then. Concentrating as hard as he could Legolas tried to convey how much he missed his intended before she withdrew from his mind.

Aragorn watched as his brothers sat side by side, with the unconscious Athriel sized gap between them, which was filled seconds later when she sat down. "It must be strange for you" He looked up as Legolas sat beside him passing him some food before continuing. "I almost forgot that you didn't know her before." Aragorn nodded. "It is a little strange, but only because she fits so well into the space they have always left for her." The elf smiled. "It's as if she never left" he acknowledged. Aragorn watched them again as they ate, the three of them. It was as if the memory that they had always left a space for had suddenly become real.