Aleana and Aragorn

Chapter 29

***Aragorn POV***

Aleana rode with me, sitting in front, while Gimli rode with Legolas. There was a heavy silence among us, one of grief and it lingered as we ride up to the smoking pile. We dismount in front of the pile and Gimli immediately starts to dig through it with his axe. He finds something and pulls it out, it is a belt.

"It's one of their wee belts," he says sadly, holding it up.

Legolas bows his head, whispering something in Elvish. Aleana just cries out and Legolas takes her in his arms. An anger fills me as I feel as if I have failed. I was to lead the fellowship, to keep them safe, but instead Gandalf, Boromir and now Merry and Pippin were gone. How could anyone believe to me be a king, to lead a kingdom when I could not even lead a group of ten people?

I kick a Uruk helmet and fall on to my knees, screaming out in pain and anger.

"We failed them," Gimli says as Aleana kneels beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder, trying to offer some sort of comfort. But that is when I notice the marks on the ground and I move away from Aleana to observe them better.

"A Hobbit lay here. And the other."

I keep moving forward and the others follow me as I stand.

"They crawled. Their hands were bound."

I pick up a piece of rope laying on the ground.

"Their bonds were cut. They ran over here. They were followed."

I look up to see a forest in front of me.

"Tracks lead away from the battle...into Fangorn Forest," I say as we all stand there looking at the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the forest.

"Fangorn," Gimli asks in disbelief, "what madness drove them in there?"

"Possibly the very angry Uruks and Horse-men fighting behind them, Master Gimli" Aleana answers with a small smile in her voice and I can't help but smile as well.

***Aleana POV***

We enter into the forest, a new hope kindling in our hearts. Legolas and Gimli are a little ahead of Aragorn and I. Aragorn seems lost in his own thoughts as we quietly stalked forward so I grab his arm, pulling him further away from the others. He looks down at me shocked and I walk slowly after the others, holding his hand.

"What is wrong, Aragorn?"

"Nothing."

"You cannot lie to me. Back there, besides grief there was also anger in your eyes. Why?"

He is quiet for a moment and when he talks his voice is a whisper.

"What kind of king would I be if I cannot even keep the Fellowship safe? Gandalf and Boromir are gone. Nothing can be said of Merry and Pippin. Frodo and Sam are gone alone to Mordor. I have failed us."

"And that is exactly why you would be a great king," I say and he looks to me confused.

"You take blame for deaths that neither had your hand in and nor could you stop. You let Frodo and Sam go because you knew that was the best path for them. And now you are looking for Merry and Pippin with every ounce of your energy. And despite all that you continue to think of Legolas, Gimli and I. If those aren't makings of a great King. I do not know what is.

Aragorn, you must believe in yourself more. I have said it before and I will say it again. There is so much more to you than you dare see. The past does not define you. In a way you have already surpassed Isildur, for you let the ring go when it was in your grasp. Even Isildur was unable to do that.

You have much strength in you, and you have not failed anyone. The only day you fail anyone, is the day you do not fight, and even then you'd only fail yourself. Have faith Aragorn, for a king is made through many decisions, and you still have so many ahead of you."

He stops momentarily and I stop beside him, looking up to see him smiling down at me.

"You give me hope, Aleana, unlike anyone else," I smile at his words and he leans in, kissing my temple.

"Orc blood," we break free and see Gimli spitting something out with a disgusted look on his face. Aragorn moves forward and observes tracks on the ground.

"The air is so close in here," Gimli complains.

"This forest is old," Legolas says, "very old. Full of memory..."

"...and anger," I complete, my hand resting on one of the trees. A deep groaning is heard.

"The trees are speaking to each other," Legolas says.

"Gimli, lower your axe," Aragorn says and I turn to see Gimli holding his axe up, looking around spooked. He immediately puts it down.

"They have feelings Master Gimli. The Elves began it," I say, "but the evil beyond has hurt them far worse than we can imagine. Saruman is destroying them."

Legolas suddenly stops ahead and we stand beside him as he looks out as if sensing some danger. I feel a strange power coming towards us, almost like Saruman, but not quite. It was a familiar power, like father's.

"Aragorn, nad no ennas [something's out there]," Legolas says.

"Man cenich? [What do you see]" Aragorn asks.

"The White Wizard approaches," Legolas whispers.

"Do not let him speak," Aragorn whispers to us, "he will put a spell on us."

Aragorn grips his sword, Gimli grasps his axe and Legolas loads his bow with an arrow.

"Wait, there is-" I am cut off by Aragorn as they all ignore me.

"We must be quick."

Suddenly we are greeted by a brilliant white light. Gimli throws his axe which it deflected. Legolas fires an arrow which is again deflected and Aragorn's sword turns red hot, making him drop it. We squint against the bright light and a voice from within is heard.

"You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits," the voice sounds like Saruman, yet not exactly.

"Where are they," Aragorn asks angrily while I still am trying to figure out who this man was. He just seemed so familiar.

"They passed this way the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you," my eyes widen as I realize who it was. There was only one person I knew capable of speaking in such riddles.

"Father," I ask just as Aragorn shouts.

"Who are you? Show yourself!"

Father steps out of the white light, revealing himself and we all look to him at shock. He is dressed in white robes and has a white staff. My eyes fill with tears and without a second thought I run to him, throwing my arms around his torso and sobbing into his chest.

Never did I think that I would get to see my father again.

A/n: Gandalf is back! Woohoo! A little boring chapter, but the good ones are coming!

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