AN: This chapter has been edited….11/21/03
Mysterious Fate
By Cormak
Disclaimer: The original characters from Lord of the Rings belong to their respective owners. New characters belong to me, especially Kaitlyn. This story was written for fan enjoyment and not profit.
Reviews are always welcome. I especially like constructive criticism. Flames are not welcome and will be ignored. Any additional author's notes may be found at the end of each chapter I post.
Special thanks to my beta Scattered Logic for listening to ideas and helping me to figure out where this story was going. Also thanks to The Hooded Crow for her suggestions with this chapter.
Chapter 7: A promise made…
Aragorn took Kaitlyn to a small clearing within the woods of Lorien after they had finished running the next morning. He carried a weapon of some sort concealed beneath a piece of fabric. He laid it down on a stump and carefully removed the fabric.
"This will be your sword." Aragorn said unsheathing and holding up the silver metal blade. "It was forged by the elves. It is light and easy to handle."
Kaitlyn's eyes widened and she backed away. "I don't think this is a good idea." Her heart was pounding in her chest at the sight of the metal blade.
"Perhaps we should start with something smaller?" He placed the sword down on the stump and unsheathed his dagger, the metal glinting in the light of the afternoon sun.
Kaitlyn gasped and staggered backwards. Her eyes were wide with terror. Her back slammed into nearby tree and she fell gracelessly onto her bottom.
"Kaitlyn? Are you well?"
She was breathing in short gasps, her face very pale. Aragorn sheathed the metal blade and immediately crouched down in front of her.
"What is wrong?" He placed his hand on her shoulder and felt her trembling.
Kaitlyn started to calm down, but the fear was still in her eyes. "I'm afraid of knives."
He frowned. "But why?"
"I don't want to talk about it, please. " She shook her head, looking very distressed and Aragorn did not pursue the matter. "If I have to do this, I'd rather have the sword."
Aragorn was confused why she would choose the larger weapon but he did not argue as helped her to her feet. He handed her the Elven sword and watched as she hesitantly turned it over in her hands.
The sword was beautiful and she couldn't deny that. It was not as long as Aragorn's sword, in fact it was nearly half of its size. It reminded Kaitlyn of Frodo's sword with the exception that this blade was not smooth all the way to the tip. It had an additional jagged edge, which protruded from one side.
"This sword is a gift from Haldir." Aragorn told her.
"He's the blond elf that came the other day to speak to you?"
Aragorn nodded. "He knew that I wished to train you and also that you have no weapons of your own. He gave me this sword to give to you and in a few days time you will have your own bow as well. "
"That was generous of him."
"Aye. Are you ready to begin?"
She sighed, but nodded.
Aragorn gave her a lesson on how to hold the sword and began to show her basic moves. Three times he gave her a slow attack and 3 times her sword clattered to the ground.
"I did not see this fear at Moria when the orcs were upon us." He told her as she reached to pick up her sword for what felt like the one-hundredth time.
"I had to shove the fear for a while or die. Believe me, doing that and killing wasn't an easy thing to do. Especially for someone who has never killed before."
Aragorn frowned when he saw that she was shaking again. "I think we have done enough for today. Take the sword with you and practice holding it." He sheathed his sword. "Go eat something or rest. We will continue this tomorrow."
She nodded numbly, sheathed the sword and left the Ranger to watch her go.
The next three days were similar. The pair went running in the morning before breakfast to develop Kaitlyn's stamina and then worked on sword fighting after breakfast. Kaitlyn continued to drop the sword each time Aragorn attacked her.
"Pretend that I am an orc," He told her.
"You don't look like an orc."
"Use your imagination," he said, his tone clipped. "If I were an orc and I came at you would you drop your sword?"
"If I could drop it, high tail it and survive, you bet your bottom dollar that I would."
Aragorn sighed. "This is unacceptable, Kaitlyn. You cannot run and hide. You must face the enemy and kill him."
"Maybe I'm not cut out for this…" she frowned at her horrible pun.
"Pick up the sword and perform the block that I have showed you."
Kaitlyn sighed.
"I could have Boromir teach you, if you would prefer." Aragorn threatened.
"No!" Kaitlyn immediately cried out.
"Then give this a bit more effort." He charged at her when she didn't expect him to and he was pleased when her instincts took over and she performed the block without dropping the sword.
"Very good! Now again!"
The sound of swords clashing filled the quiet forest.
This went on for another half an hour. With Aragorn advancing and her blocking. They practiced with her advancing and Aragorn blocking and he was pleased that she had strength in her attacks. She needed a lot more time and practice but he was certain she would succeed.
"You are becoming more confident with the sword. Are you certain you would not wish to try the dagger? It certainly has its advantages."
She shook her head right away. "No, thank you. I prefer the sword."
"How can you be so certain when you have never tried a dagger before?" The Ranger pushed.
"I just know. I don't like knives for a very good reason." She saw Aragorn open his mouth to comment and she held up a hand. "Please, just let it lie."
He nodded. "We have done enough for today," he told her. "You may go."
She nodded, very thankful to be done for the day. She took her sword and left Aragorn.
"How goes her training?"
Aragorn turned to see Legolas standing only a few feet from him. The elf held arrows in one hand and his bow in the other and Aragorn realized that he had just finished practicing.
Aragorn sheathed the sword that he was still holding. "Very slow, but she is steadily improving. She needs to be pushed, but is growing more confident with each lesson. I have attempted to teach her how to wield a dagger but she has a terrible fear of daggers."
"She fears them?"
"Aye. I thought that perhaps a dagger might be easier for her than a sword. A few days ago, I removed mine for her to use and her reaction was quite unexpected. She panicked and it was almost as if she thought I was going to kill her."
"Peculiar. Did she say why she reacted in that way?"
"Nay. She did not wish to speak about the matter."
"Intriguing."
"Indeed. She is doing better with the sword. I think if I push her more, she will improve further."
"When do you wish for me to train her with a bow?"
"Soon but not yet. I will inform you."
Legolas nodded. "Have you eaten, mellon nîn?"
"Nay."
"Then let us eat."
Aragorn nodded and followed Legolas back to camp.
When Aragorn and Legolas returned to camp Kaitlyn and Boromir were arguing in front of everyone.
"Woman have no place here. You may carry a sword around with you, but you don't know how to wield it."
"That's why I'm in training, you moron," Kaitlyn spat back at him.
"You are weak, you will never survive-"
"Enough of this, both of you!" Aragorn called as he and Legolas walked into the camp.
"He started it," Kaitlyn said childishly.
"I have little interest in who started it," Aragorn said angrily. "You are both continuing it. Eat your food and keep quiet."
Kaitlyn's brows rose and then lowered. She had nothing to say in reply, feeling more hurt by Aragorn's tone than she felt angry. She got to her feet, leaving her meal unfinished and walked out of the camp.
Gimli stood and started after her.
"Let her go, Gimli. Give her time to think. And you-" Aragorn turned to look at Boromir who was looking a bit too smug. "You will leave her alone. Training her is difficult enough without you getting involved."
"She is going to be the death of us all. Can none of you see that?" Boromir snarled.
"Give her time, lad, and she will be such a fine warrior that none will believe she had never held a sword before." Gimli said proudly. "Aragorn is a fine teacher."
"Regardless of who trains her, she is a woman and has no place here." Boromir spat.
"Master Gimli is correct. Kaitlyn will be a fine warrior by the time we leave Lothlorien. She shows improvement already. Although she still has her fears and uncertainties, I have no doubt that she will overcome them. And when she does she will be a worthy opponent." Aragorn said.
"And how do you know this? Does the mighty Aragorn have the gift of foresight? Am I the only one who sees that she is nothing but a scared child?"
"Frightened, aye, but not a child. Gandalf believed in her and so must we."
Boromir had no reply to that and the conversation ended.
The morning run between Aragorn and Kaitlyn was spent in silence. She was still too hurt to speak too him and had spent the night before alone in her tent away from everyone else. Merry and Pippin had joined her for a short while as well as Gimli, but she was tired and had sent them away.
When Aragorn and Kaitlyn made it to the clearing, Kaitlyn decided to break the tense silence.
"Aragorn, I'm sorry about yesterday. Boromir just gets me so angry."
"I know this. He has become increasingly agitated while in Lorien. I know not what plagues him, but he seems to enjoy taking things out on you. While I am pleased that you do let him bother you, you should both stay away from each other."
"Believe me, I'll try."
"Good," the dark haired man told her and he unsheathed his sword. "Now show me an attack."
She nodded and withdrew her sword.
Kaitlyn's movements were still slow and many times she lost her grip on the sword, but she was quick to improve as the lesson progressed. She was determined not to let Aragorn beat her completely and by the end of the lesson her determination to do well had taken over. The Ranger was impressed.
"Very good." Aragorn told her an hour later. He sheathed his sword. "You have done well today."
"Thanks, though I don't know how can you say that. I kept dropping my sword…I-"
"You are not ready to fight on the battlefield, but your confidence, your skills and handle on the sword is growing. We will continue to practice until you have mastered the sword."
"That could be years," she laughed.
"We do not have years. We have a month." He told her in a serious tone.
Her eyes widened. "A month? You have to be joking. I can't master the use of a sword in a month."
"I jest you not. You must learn the skills or you could be killed. We can not always be there to protect you. You and I will continue to have one hour of sword fighting every morning and after lunch you will be taught how to master the bow and arrow with Legolas."
"Can't I just learn the sword?"
"Arrows enable you to kill from a distance. Orcs are strong and you do not have the strength to fight them hand to hand for a long time. You will learn to master the bow."
"Can't you teach me? You are skilled with the bow and arrow."
"Legolas is much more skilled than I. He will teach you."
"But I don't want-"
"You must get over your fear of him! He is not going to hurt you!" Aragorn yelled.
Kaitlyn drew back at his tone and Aragorn sighed.
"Why are you frightened of him?" he asked quietly.
Kaitlyn looked away. "I…I don't know. It's not just him. It's all of them."
"The elves will not hurt you. They are our allies."
She lowered her head.
Aragorn's voice became soft. "What is it about Legolas that troubles you?"
She hesitated. "He makes me feel uncomfortable." The way he looks at me sometimes. As if he can see all of my hidden secrets…
"What about him makes you feel that way?"
"The way he can handle a bow and arrows is a bit unnerving. He never misses his target. He's perfection in a solid form and I've never met anyone who is perfect. Everything he does is flawless just like him."
"He is an Elf. They succeed at all they do. It is their nature. You are not the first to feel uncomfortable or frightened by them. "
"I don't know how to deal with a group of people who are perfect because humans are far from perfect. Why aren't you uncomfortable around them? I see that Boromir is."
"I was raised by elves. I understand them and their ways very well. Boromir was born and raised in Gondor and he has not had many dealings with elves."
Kaitlyn's eyes widened. "You were raised by elves? Well, now I understand why you know their language. Did you lose your parents and the elves found you?"
"Nay. When my father died, my mother brought me to Lord Elrond of Rivendell to keep me safe. She died some time after that."
"I'm so sorry. I had no idea."
"It was long ago." The Ranger looked down for a moment lost in thought before he gazed up at her.
"You have no reason to fear the elves, especially Legolas. I am sorry that you are uncomfortable around him and his people, but you must learn to overcome that. He is a traveling companion on this quest and he can teach you skills that can save your life or the life of another. Will you not try to bury that fear and learn from him?"
Kaitlyn sighed. "I'll try."
Aragorn patted her shoulder. "Good, you will begin training with him today."
Kaitlyn's eyes widened and she as about to make a comment but Aragorn was already walking away from her with a smug look on his face.
Kaitlyn felt so nervous that she was sick to her stomach. Aragorn had arranged her to meet Legolas at the same clearing that she and the Ranger practiced sword fighting at. She was angry with the man for tricking her like he had, but she had agreed to this and now she had to go through with it.
"Ah, you have made it."
Kaitlyn gasped and turned to see that Legolas was standing a few feet behind her. She had not heard him approach at all.
"Haldir has not brought your bow, so we will practice with mine." Legolas moved to hand Kaitlyn his bow and frowned when she drew back from him.
"I…I don't know if I can do this," she told him.
"You must learn these skills." He offered her the bow again and this time she took it, but immediately recoiled her hand, bringing the bow to her chest.
She glanced down at the weapon and brushed her fingers over the gold carved elvish designs. "It's beautiful..." She told him. She had gazed at it from afar and realized it was beautiful, but now in her hands it was remarkable. "Where did you get it?"
He smiled shyly. "I made it when I was only an elfling."
Her eyes widened. "You MADE it?"
"Aye. There is a yew tree in the forest that I always loved to climb. The tree yielded a branch for me and I carved it and made this bow. While it is not the first I ever used, it is certainly my favorite."
She nodded in obvious awe but Legolas was sad to see that fear still shone in her green eyes.
"Here, I will demonstrate the correct way to hold it," he told her. He hoped that the upcoming lesson would ease any fears or doubts she had about him or his kind.
She handed him his bow and watched as he drew an arrow from his quiver, and went very slowly and deliberately through the motions of loading an arrow. He released his arrow and it sailed effortlessly across the clearing and hit a makeshift target he had prepared directly in the center.
"Damn." Kaitlyn found him amazing to watch. His accuracy was incredible.
"Now you will try." He handed her the bow.
"I…I don't know if I can." She backed away from him.
"I assure you that you can try. It will take much practice but I am a good teacher and you will succeed with time."
Kaitlyn arched her brows at that. Maybe he wasn't as perfect as she thought him to be. He was certainly conceited like a typical male.
Kaitlyn sighed and took the bow into her hands.
"Good, now stand tall, feet not very far apart."
Kaitlyn attempted to stand as he had. She nearly fell over when he put his hand on her back and forced her to stand up taller and used his boot to gently move one of her feet forward.
"I am only moving you into the correct position. You need to stand taller and keep your feet closer together." He frowned at her. He could see that she was visibly shaking. "Are you well, mellon nîn?"
"What…what does that mean? Mel melon neen." she attempted, trying to keep her mind off the fact that she was feeling incredibly uncomfortable around him.
"'Mel-lon nîn.'" He pronounced slowly for her. "It means, 'my friend.'"
She looked at him curiously. He seemed concerned and harmless. He just was interested in helping her and being her friend, so why did she still fear him?
"I am going to show you how to load the bow." He drew an arrow from his quiver and helped her position it on the bow. "The front of the arrow must rest on the top of your hand and you must pull back on the end with the other hand. Like this." He covered her hand with his to demonstrate and the unexpected contact caused her to miss-shoot the arrow, which sailed only a few feet in front of them. It skidded on the grass and then fell over gracelessly.
"I…I'm sorry." She hated herself. Her cheeks were burning and she knew that she was blushing. Blushing like some stupid schoolgirl because she was so embarrassed.
"Forgive me, I should have asked your permission first. I did not mean to startle you."
"It…it's okay."
He drew another arrow and positioned it in his own hand. "You must put the arrow between your first two fingers and pull it back on the string with the first three." He gestured for her to hand him his bow and she did.
He demonstrated, showing her that he was holding the arrow between his first two fingers but was holding the arrow and the string with the first three.
" It will give you more control. There is a ridge at the end of the arrow that helps keep it on the string. Do not pull the string back with your arm, use your shoulder first or you could injure yourself. Try." He handed her the bow.
She tried and was rather clumsy. The arrow fell out of her hands and onto the ground on more than one occasion as she attempted to load it. Sometimes she didn't pull back hard enough on the string, other times she pulled back too far. Whatever the case, she realized that she was terrible at this.
Legolas watched her struggle a bit before he asked, "Would you allow me to help you?"
She looked at him and realized that he was asking her permission instead of just reaching out and positioning her. She swallowed and nodded slowly.
Very gently, Legolas positioned the arrow in her hand, his fingers maneuvering her own fingers into the correct formation.
"It feels more comfortable with only two fingers. My third finger gets in the way." She told him honestly.
"Three fingers will give you more control as well as additional strength when drawing back the string. You will grow accustomed to the feel and soon it will not be uncomfortable."
She nodded and positioned her three fingers at the end of the arrow, drawing it back on the string with her shoulder first, as he had instructed.
"Good, now relax and close your eyes."
Kaitlyn blanched. "Close my eyes? But if I close them, how am I going to see where I'm aiming?"
"At present, hitting the target does not concern me. You must learn to properly hold the bow and release the arrow. You are tense and therefore your posture has become wrong."
"You're too close to me. I need space to breathe," she argued in her defense.
Legolas didn't oblige her and it annoyed her. If anything he moved closer. She could feel his breath on her neck, the warmth of his body against her back. He was strong and solid and his proximity was unnerving.
"If the enemy was around you, you could not tell him that he was too close." He said directly into her ear. "He would kill you without a second thought. You must learn to eliminate distractions. Relax and feel at one with the bow."
"'Feel at one with the bow?'" She repeated. "Okay, Obi One. The force be with you, too." She shot sarcastically.
Legolas sighed. He did not know what she was talking about, but he could tell from the tone of her voice that she was not being serious. He ignored her joking.
He helped her draw the arrow back on the string. "Close your eyes." He instructed.
"But how am I going to-" she started.
He gently laid a hand on her shoulder. "-And trust me," he whispered. His eyes bored into hers.
She gave a huffy sigh and glanced down. Could she trust him? She was still uneasy around him, but she didn't hate him. He had never done anything to harm her. Aragorn told her that he was a companion and that she could learn from him.
She glanced at his arm that was parallel to hers as he held the bow with her. His body was around hers almost like a shield as he helped her hold her position. She realized if she waited, he was not going to move from where he stood because he was trying to teach her a lesson.
She sighed deeply, took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
Legolas waited patiently until she finally seemed to relax against him. Her breathing slowed and the tension in her body lessened.
"Release the arrow."
She did and she heard it strike something. She opened her eyes to see that the arrow was buried in the center of the target.
"That was a good shot."
She smiled happily. It was a good shot. But she had not done it alone. "Yes, for you. I didn't do anything. Your hands were on the bow."
"You held the position."
She frowned "But you set it up for me." Then her lips curled into a grin. "Can I try again? On my own?"
He nodded, pleased that she was suddenly interested. She set up the bow herself and closed her eyes, firing. The arrow made no sound, except for the whirl of it as it sped through the air. She opened her eyes and looked up at the target. Only the two arrows from earlier could be seen.
"Where did it go?"
"On the ground in front of you. You were too quick and you tried too hard to aim. You must relax and take your time."
"But how I am going to kill one Orc after the other if I can't fire quickly? You draw arrows with amazing speed."
"I have had years to practice. You must master this at a slow pace before we can move faster. Straighten your back and put your feet a little closer together. They are too far apart."
She did as he instructed.
"Try another arrow."
She did and this one also did not hit the target. It skidded on the grass and fell on the ground a mere 5 feet in front of her. She gave a frustrated sigh. "What am I doing wrong?"
"You are not holding the arrow to the string with three fingers and you are trying too hard. Relax and become one with the bow." He told her calmly.
She tried 2 more times with the same result. The arrow didn't go anywhere near the target.
"I suck at this." She huffed. "I'm a failure." She was rapidly losing her patience.
"Nay. Let us try something different. I want you to practice drawing the arrow back on the string but not releasing it."
She sighed.
"Let me see you pull the arrow back."
She did not like this one bit. In fact she wished that she were clashing swords with Aragorn instead. Legolas was a pro at archery and she was a complete novice. Didn't he realize how difficult this was to someone who had never held a bow before today?
She glanced at him and realized that he was waiting for her. She sighed deeply, got into position and pulled the arrow back on the string.
"Look at your fingers on the arrow. Do you notice anything?"
"You mean other than the fact that they are shaking?" she spat.
"Aye."
"I don't see anything else."
"You do not see that you are holding the arrow to the string with two fingers instead of three?"
"So what! I told you that it's more comfortable for me to hold it with two."
"Two is incorrect and that is why you are having no control over your arrows. Three fingers," he told her evenly.
She grunted at him and held the arrow to the string with three fingers.
"Very good. Now I want you to shoot the arrow. Keep your eyes open this time, hold the arrow with three fingers and do not aim," he instructed.
She nodded and released. The arrow dodged through the air and landed with a soft thud on the grass.
"See, I'm terrible!" She cried. "I'm never going to get the hang of this."
"You cannot expect to move mountains overnight. You are tense and you aimed," he accused.
She spun around to face him. "No, I didn't."
He gazed at her for a moment. "You did." He told her calmly.
She huffed. "And how would you know?" she challenged. Her bright green eyes flashed as she looked at him.
His gaze on her did not waver. 'Gerich faer vara'. You have a fiery spirit. He thought to himself. A fiery spirit that would no doubt aid her in the months to come, if she could control her anger.
He realized that she was not going to make things easy on him. He watched her put a hand on her hip, clearly waiting in annoyance for his response.
"By the path your arrow took in the air and by the way you took your lower lip between your teeth before releasing it," he told her.
Her eyes widened at his observation of her. He was a perceptive bastard. She gave him that much.
He saw that he had gained the upper hand of the conversation with his observation but his intention was not to have a battle of wits with her. "Try again. Relax and do not aim."
She gazed at him angrily for a moment and realized that she was getting nowhere in this state. Her anger was causing her to act childishly which in turn was causing her not to focus on learning archery. She was too old to be acting like this.
She forced herself to calm down and took several moments to do so. Legolas waited patiently and watched as she relaxed and got into position. Her back was straight, her feet were the correct distance apart and she held the arrow to the string with three fingers. She released the arrow and this time it struck the outer edge of the target.
"Whoa, I hit the target." She looked at Legolas and knew she was beaming.
"Good. We will stop for today and resume tomorrow," he told her, gathering up his arrows.
She frowned. "But I don't want to stop. I finally hit the target on my own."
"There is always tomorrow to practice what I have taught you. You've had sword fighting with Aragorn and lessons with me today. Do not over exert yourself so soon. You will be sore enough in the morning."
And sore she was the next morning. Her entire body ached. She wanted so badly to skip her lessons with Aragorn but she knew she shouldn't.
Aragorn didn't take pity on the fact that she was sore. She would have to learn to fight when she wasn't feeling well or had not had enough rest. He drove her hard but it paid off. She showed more improvement.
She didn't drop the sword as much was quicker on her feet and there was strength in both her attacks and blocks. Aragorn saw the makings of a warrior awakening within her.
Lessons with Legolas in the afternoon were tense once again and proved to be the same for the next three days.
Kaitlyn was tiring of this. If she didn't find a way to overcome her uneasiness she was going to go insane. It effected her lessons and it effected her everyday thoughts.
She would lie in her tent for hours at night and wonder why she feared the elf so much. She didn't have any fears about Gimli or the hobbits, only the elves.
She had been a nervous wreck around Legolas today as she had been the last few days and he'd been nothing but kind. He'd been patient and she'd been uptight.
She gave a heavy sigh.
Aragorn had told her there was nothing to fear and after dealing with Legolas the past few days, it was obvious that he was correct. It was foolish for her to fear someone who wasn't going to harm her. She promised herself that she would make an effort to get over her fears and put this all behind her.
She realized that her very survival could depend on it.
To be continued…
Blue Angel Samui: Thank you! I enjoy writing chapters that depart from the movie a bit. It allows me a chance to develop the characters a bit more. Show sides of them that were not seen in the movie.
XP-DarkAngel: I updated : )
Broken Fae: Gimli is a lot of fun to write. He has such a great personality and is always great for a little comic relief. Kaitlyn has a fear of all elves because of their perfection. That unnerves her a bit, but she is a little more afraid of Legolas because he is always around. She sees him more than the other elves who for the most part have left the Fellowship alone. Sorry about the cliffie!
Aniron_1: Thank you so much! I'm so pleased and surprised that some of my Labyrinth readers are reading this story. I hope to get back to those soon, if only Jareth and Sarah would talk to me. ;) I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko: Thank you! I hope that you enjoyed this chapter as well.
Fraggin'Aardvark: You're far too nice to me. Thank you so much for leaving a review for me. You're a wonderful friend. I hope the rest of the story keeps your interest. : )
Also thanks to those who have taken the time to review this story via e-mail. I enjoy hearing from you all.