Wolf of Darkness ||A Lord of the Ring FanFic||

Chapter 1; Home at Last

(Has been edited to the best of my abilities)! :)

My Imagination

Dedication to Bailey_Stone for helping me with 'are' and 'am'.

Chapter 1; Home at Last
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"Aaron? Aaron? Wake up! We have to go. Come on wake up."

"Another hour. Please, brother?"

"No, now." He paused considering his next words. "We're heading home!" He taunted. Aaron's eyes popped open. She jumped out of bed, knocking Aragorn to the ground, as he laughed with a deep rumble. Aaron grabbed her sword and bow at the end of the bed, then looked at him.

"Well, you coming, Strider?" Aragorn stood up with a sigh and opened the door for her. She smirked and then rushed down the stairs and out of the house to the barn.

When she entered the smell of manure and dry hay hit her smack in the face. She blanched but continued to ran to the stall at the back and pulled out her brother's stallion, Lore. He was pure black and wild; only Aragorn and Aaron were able to ride or work with him.

Aaron was throwing on the saddle and trying to keep Lore from biting her at the same time, when Aragorn came in

"Ready?" He asked, finishing up the girth for her.

"I think so." She tightened the bridle, then pulled Lore out of the barn. Aragorn climbed up into the saddle, and with a nod; took Aaron's sword and bow, then promptly rode away. Aaron gave one last look at the house and village. It had been nice to rest for such a time. Two days was like a decade to her.

"Aaron, let's go!" Aragorn called from ahead. Aaron sighed and turned; starting after her brother at a run. As she ran her body changed; her clothing and skin became thick black fur, her arms reached down to the ground and her nose elongated to a snout. Her electric blue eyes went golden brown and her tail whipped out behind her. She let out a howl of joy and charged after her brother. Her black fur waving and her legs becoming as strong as an ox.

Aaron was a skin-changer. Many thought Beorn, her probably-something-relative, was the last of their kind, but then she was born. Aragorn wasn't really her brother. He had just taken her in. When her family had found out what she was they left her at the doorstep of Rivendell and ran in fear; at least that's what the Elves believed. Aragorn found and took care of her. They hadn't know she was a skin-changer until she turned three, when she turned into a hawk on her birthday. Aragorn taught her all he knew and the Elves taught her more. She was just as good at archery as they were and nearly just as agile.

Aragorn had many names among the different races. He was a ranger and traveled all over Middle-earth. Not one person knew him by two names. Aaron knew him as all, mostly Aragorn, but always called him; Strider.

Now, back to the run.

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Aaron trotted beside Lore. His strides were long but Aaron could match them easily. Aragorn looked down at the black wolf trotting along beside Lore. She was beautiful and powerful. He was glad that all those years ago he had decided to keep her. Ha... He made her sound like a pet. He thought back to when he had had a discussion or argument with Lord Elrond.

"She is a Skin-changer." Aragorn had argued.

"Yes, that is why she cannot stay here." Elrond had argued back.

"I don't understand why can't she stay here."

"Because she is dangerous." Aragorn looked behind him at the child walking around the stable talking to the horses.

"Yeah, she looks real dangerous."

"She might not be now, but think when she is too old for you to pick up and scold."

"We just have to teach her how to control it. She has quite a few years until she even gets her animal."

"That's what we know. Beorn died many years ago. His animal was the bear, but he could still change into different animals. He was a savage at night. She doesn't show that she just changes at night. Yesterday, she was a bird eating the seeds off the ground. The day before that a wolf pup. It's not just at night but during the day."

"She could be only half Skin-changer. Maybe it's different for her."

"Maybe. Okay, we will see."

"Thank you."

"Oh...and..."

Aragorn snapped back to reality and turned into a forest running along the side of a brook. Here they stopped and took a break. They had ridden for many hours now but Lore didn't want to stop. His wild nature got the best of him when they were riding home. With Aaron, being able to talk to animals and all, she was able to tell Lore where they were going. Whenever Aragorn fell asleep in the saddle Aaron would be able to lead Lore on. Aragorn found hunting quite easy when he didn't have go get his horse.

"You ready?" He asked, tossing the apple core he'd finished aside for the birds. Aaron ate everything, seeds, core, and all. Aragorn found she was just as horsey human, as she was a horse.

"I normally am." She answered through her mouth-full.

"Then let's get going."

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They rode or ran through the night and most of the next day, before they stopped again. Aaron called a random bird from the skies and they sent a message to Lord Elrond saying they were coming home. Then they started up again.

A day and a half later they were at the forest guarding Rivendell. They traveled in with no trouble of the Elves. Of course everyone knew who they were, who didn't?. Aaron always gasped when she saw her home even as a wolf. It was the most beautiful sight she had ever seen. They stood on the edge of a cliff over looking the buildings coming out of the forest down below. Waterfalls came out of different holes in the rock cliff faces that surrounded Rivendell. Aaron transformed back human and climbed atop Lore as they traveled down the path. She couldn't help but have a smile on her face. She was home at last.

But will we stay? She though gloomily. Will I be able to enjoy home before we must leave again?

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Last updated: May 28, 2015