Daughter of Mirkwood [Lord of the Rings | Haldir]

Chapter 12

Mirkwood

Even having made up their minds to accept the offer of Aeslin's father and journey to Mirkwood, it was still many years before Aeslin had summoned enough courage to actually make the journey.

In that time, Arwen returned from Rivendell, a new light shining in her eyes. Aeslin, though curious, didn't pry initially, though she began to wonder. Eventually though, her curiosity began to tell, and she confronted Arwen about her time in Rivendell.

"My father has been fostering one of the Dúnedain, in Imladris," Arwen finally said. This was little news to Aeslin; she had learned near the end of the visit prior to her marriage that the young boy Estel was one of the Dúnedain. She was curious about the child, wondering what kind of man he was becoming.

"Estel? You met him?" Arwen shot Aeslin an odd look.

"Not exactly. I've never truly talked with him."

"Then what happened?" Aeslin asked, even more curious than before. A dreamy look overcame Arwen's features, something that Aeslin had never seen before. It seemed decidedly out of character. "Obviously something, else you wouldn't be looking like that." She playfully prodded her friend, snapping Arwen out of whatever memory she was reliving.

"I'm not entirely sure," all humour was gone from Arwen's voice, replaced instead with a wonder that Aeslin recognized immediately, "One minute, I am walking through the gardens, the next I meet his eyes... Aragorn..." Aeslin frowned.

"Aragorn?" Arwen looked at her quizzically for a moment.

"Yes, Estel is not his true name. It was given to him by my father to protect him as he grew. His true name is Aragorn."

"Why should your father hide his identity from him..." she trailed off as the pieces of information came together and an idea formed in her mind, "unless..." Arwen nodded, guessing what Aeslin was thinking.

"Do you think he's really Isildur's heir?" Aeslin's question was hushed with astonishment. Arwen shrugged.

"I do not know. My father would not speak to me about him. He was oddly secretive about Aragorn." She grew thoughtful again, the furtive smile returning. Aeslin still couldn't get past the memory of the little boy this Aragorn had once been. If she was right, Arwen was falling in love with the man he had become, but the Healer only remembered him as a small child.

"Arwen, he is so young, and he is mortal." Once again, Arwen's distant expression disappeared. She looked at Aeslin in astonishment of her own, then after a moment, unease.

"I had not thought of that, truth be told," the older elf finally admitted, subdued a little, but still thoughtful. After a moment though, she looked only sad. Aeslin, sympathetic, silently reached over, taking her friend's hand. Arwen sighed, her features clearing. "I do wish to see him again."

"Perhaps you will."

***

No matter how much the prospect weighed on her heart, eventually Aeslin had to concede that, as she had agreed she and Haldir would go to Mirkwood, they probably should. By the time she and Haldir set out from Lorien, several more years had passed.

So far as journeys went, theirs was entirely uneventful, something that Aeslin was thankful for. The only downside was that they then reached Mirkwood far faster than she had anticipated. As Aeslin and Haldir stood before the edge of the forest, a feeling akin to terror began to well up inside Aeslin. Haldir, of course, noticed this instantly.

"Here I stand, finally at the threshold of the very forest to which I have longed to return. Yet, now I am afraid of the sight I see before me. I am no longer sure I trust my memory." Her voice trembled ever so slightly, but she was surprisingly calm. Haldir reached out a hand to take hers.