Her Foresight | Aragorn Fanfiction

Chapter Four: The Strength of Men

Adara had always had a weak grip on her anger especially when she felt like a great injustice was being done. She had gotten into enough fights with a boy named PJ from her world for being a bullying asshole that seemed to think that he could pick on others because he deemed them weak. He quickly learnt his lesson but he wasn't exactly known for his smarts so she would repeatedly need to teach him.

So when she had happened across Gandalf and Lord Elrond talking to each other about the Ring and Men, she could not help herself from interrupting the Elf Lord of Imladris. "Gandalf, the enemy is moving. Sauron's forces are massing in the east — his eye is fixed on Rivendell. And Saruman you tell me has betrayed us. Our list of allies grows thin." She heard him say from her place at the door as she listened in. "Frodo Baggins has tremendous strength to carry such a thing. I wonder...."

"It is a burden he should never have had to bear. We can ask no more of Frodo." Gandalf responded, banishing whatever thought that was on Elrond's mind. "Especially now that even Saruman seeks the Ring."

Elrond looked at the Wizard and said, "This evil cannot be concealed by the power of the Elves. We do not have the strength to fight both Mordor and Isengard!" Gandalf moved away from him, deep in thought. "The Ring cannot stay here."

Gandalf stood at the window, his eyes looking out at Rivendell. "This peril belongs to all Middle-Earth. They must decide now how to end it," Elrond said. "The time of the Elves is over — my people are leaving these shores. Who will you look to when we've gone? The Dwarves? They hide in their mountains seeking riches — they care nothing for the troubles of others."

Adara could only shake her head at his words. Is the Elf Lord really so arrogant to think that without the Elves here that they would not survive? That without their supreme wisdom, we would fall? She thought not.

Gandalf replied, "It is in Men that we must place our hope." Elrond scoffed at the Wizards words, making Adara that little bit more angry. She knew what was to come next but hoped that Elrond did not let his judgement of Isildur cloud his whole view on the race of Men.

"Men? Men are weak," he stated as if his words were indeed fact. "The race of Men is failing. The blood of Númenor is all but spent, its pride and dignity forgotten. It is because of Men the Ring survives."

Adara could take no more of his words. She found herself pushing open the door, the hard wool slamming against the wall as the two males turned to see her, hands clenched firmly at her sides, nostrils flared and a glare imprinted firmly on her usually beautiful, smiling face. "Who are you?" She yelled at him. Elrond looked at her in shock as she stomped towards him. "Who are you to judge a whole race?"

Elrond's eyes narrowed at the angry female before biting back, "You do not speak to me like that in my own house, Adar-" she cut him off. "I will speak to you however way I wish. Now tell me, who are you to judge a whole race?"

The Elf could only glare at her, arms folded across his chest. Adara took in a deep breath as she tried to calm her burning anger. She spoke, "There is still strength in the race of Men, my Lord. Do not let the mistakes of one cloud your judgement on all."

Adara moved til she too stood at the window, her eyes unseeing of the landscape as if she was seeing something else. "I will not put my faith in a race that is the very reason why we are still fighting against our foe even after all this time."

She looked at him before responding, "Not the whole race, just one. There is one who could unite them, one who could reclaim the throne of Gondor."

Elrond shook his head, just accepting that Adara just simply knew things. "He turned from that path long time ago. He has chosen exile," he said. "Even if he is my son, raised by me....I sometimes wonder if he will be able to resist the lure of the Ring..."