Hobbit/The Lord of the Rings Imagines

Aragorn ~ Sword 3

I hadn't expected to fall for Aragorn.  It certainly hadn't been intentional.

We'd been in Rivendell for a while now, and despite my request, he'd asked the elves about allowing me to work in the forge.

And they'd happily agreed.

Now I was the happiest I had been in months.

The elves were patient and willing to teach me, although their magic was a little beyond my reach, and I was just ecstatic.

And that was how I came to realise how I felt.

He was watching one of the elves fawn over my work and he was laughing.  I just happened to look over at him with a wide grin and a thought passed through my mind.

He truly is most handsome when he smiles.

As soon as I thought it, I blushed, my cheeks burning as I look away.

Aragorn and I had always been just friends, so to have such thoughts were ridiculous.

And yet still, they kept coming.

I started noticing little things, small touches as he would talk to me, small gestures to comfort me when I was down.  He would make sure I didn't work too long in the forge without a break.

And each time, I felt my heart clench, pounding loudly in my chest as I told myself it was just signs of friendship.

But my heart wanted to believe otherwise.

It was on one night, my hands clenched tightly around a hot cup of tea as I gazed up at the stars, that Lord Elrond approached me.

"Lady Isola?"

I started and went to get to my feet but he holds his hands out with a gentle smile to stop me.

"It is alright, stay seated.  May I join you?"

"Um..."  I was enjoying being alone but one could hardly refuse the master of the house.  "Of course Lord Elrond."

He chuckles slightly and joins me.  "If you wish to be alone, you may simply say so."

"It's okay, a distraction from my thoughts will be nice."  I said even as my gaze wondered back to the stars.

He watched me.  "Do your thoughts  trouble you?"

"Trouble isn't the word I would use."

"I don't suppose I could hazard a guess that this would be about a certain ranger?"

I bit my lip and hung my head a little.  "Is it so obvious?"

"No, but when you have been alive as long as I have, you learn the signs."  He gives a warm, kind smile.  "You have nothing to fear Isola."

"Aragorn and I have been friends for such a long time-"

"And you are someone he always talks about."

I look at him, confused.  "What?"

Elrond nods, still smiling.  "He often returns here and usually one of the first things he mentions is how you've been, how you've truly grown and how proud of your work, and you, he is."

My face was on fire but I still shook my head.  "That could mean nothing."

"True, but it could mean a lot.  You will never know until you talk to him."

My eyes went wide.  "I cannot."

"Why?"

"It is not...no."  I scrambled to my feet.  "My apologies Lord Elrond, I am quite tired."

"Isola,"  He calls after me as I walk away.  "The days are darkening, you know this.  I would not wait too long."

The coming months I stayed in Rivendell, content with my blacksmithing work, while Aragorn went back to the wilds.

I was worried, it was true, but the elves kept me occupied, keeping me busy with work and improving my skills, both around the forge and my fighting skills, Elrond's sons being most insistent I became better with a bow.

When Aragorn returned, it was with ill tidings, rumours from Mordor becoming worse.  He spent a long time talking with Elrond, having only a brief moment to greet me before he disappeared to talk to him.

I retreated to the forge, wanting to be kept busy.  I'd been working on a new sword for a while now and there was just something that I couldn't get right about it, but I hadn't let any sword beat me yet.

It was a good way to pass time quickly and stop me from thinking too much over everything else.

"Isola?"

I look up, Aragorn standing before me.  I wipe the sweat dripping from my brow and carefully put down what I was doing.

"Everything alright?"  I tried to clean some of the dirt off my hands, although, as usual, it made little difference.

Aragorn sighs.  "No.  I am going to be away for some time, there are things that need to be done that cannot be delayed.  Are you going to be alright here?"

I frowned.  "I've been okay so far."

He sighs.  "I know, but...I am worried for you.  This has been a big change and well, I haven't exactly been here to help."

"I can take care of myself Aragorn."  I said, folding my arms.  "I said that early on."

"I know you can Isola, this isn't a matter of that, its a matter of...of..."  He hesitates and then sighs.  "Are you okay to stay here, at least until I get back?  The roads are becoming dangerous and I don't recommend you travel them alone.  I just want to make sure you are safe Isola, that's all."

I stare at him, he was clearly agitated but concerned.  "I have no where else to go Aragorn and as long as Elrond says its okay to stay, I will stay."

He sighs in relief and then hugs me tightly, surprising me, and I return the hug, my heart suddenly thumping loudly in my ears.

Aragorn lets me go and kisses my forehead.  "I have to go.  Be careful Isola!"

"You too."  I said quietly as he walks away, now even more unsure of how I was feeling.

It was then I remembered something.

"Aragorn, wait!"

He stops, looking back at me, surprised as I go through some things on the table till I found what I was looking for.

I jog over to him and hand him two new knives.  "They should be better than your old ones."

Aragorn smiles.  "You've been working hard then?"

I return his smile.  "Well, it's not hard when you love what you do."

"Thank you Isola."  He bows slightly, still smiling and then takes his leave.

I watch him go, an unsettled feeling falling over me, but with little else to do but return to what I had been doing, I faced the forge once again and settled back into a rhythm.

It's be a long time before I saw Aragorn again.