Hope in the Darkness

Hope in the darkness Part 3

They travel for days, trudging across the barren landscape the weight of the quest at hand weighing on all of them as they walk quietly barely stopping for food or rest. It is on the twelfth night that when they stop Gandalf announces that they are making good headway and if the way remains clear and the surroundings free of danger they could afford a little more rest than nights previously.

"How are you faring my lady?" a voice asks Meduineth quietly as she sits heavily on the ground leaning back against a boulder and attempting to ease her aching muscles.

"I am very well thank you," she replies quietly as she looks up to see Legolas crouching beside her, she shifts her gaze to those around her and flinches a little as Boromir glances her way.

"You do not trust him," he states, switching to speaking in Sindarin, and she looks up at the elf beside her, mulling over her words for a while.

"It is not that," she says after a long pause, "I just... I have not been around men for a very long time, since I was a very small child and I... I do not know how to..." I trail off not knowing what to say and the elf smiles down at her.

"But Aragorn..." he starts and she interrupts immediately,

"Aragorn is different," she says and he smiles and nods his head,

"You have a strong bond," he states and she can feel herself flush hotly at his words but nods her head none the less. "Boromir is an honourable man but I fear he struggles with the power of the ring," he whispers and her head snaps up to him as he says this, she had not been wrong in sensing this then.

"Should I be afraid of him?" she asks and he pauses before shaking his head,

"No but you should stay close to Aragorn or myself where possible," he responds and she nods at him, "get some sleep I shall wake you for your watch later," he finishes squeezing her shoulder lightly as she nods her head before he moves fluidly back to his feet and away from her.

"You should be resting mellon," Legolas murmurs some time later as he approaches Aragorn who sits against a boulder at the edge of the camp, his pipe in his mouth as he watches.

"I cannot rest yet," he replies simply and the elf nods taking a seat beside his friend and his keen eyes watch the darkness for any lurking danger.

"Boromir..." Legolas says quietly after a while, checking that all other members of the fellowship are sleeping soundly.

"He watches her too often Legolas, it... worries me," Aragorn admits and he sighs a little as he puts his pipe to his lips once more.

"He is an honourable man, would it really be so awful..."

"She is not for him, she is too good for him," Aragorn snaps immediately, forgetting to speak in Sindarin in his sudden anger and missing the smirk painted across his friends face as he says this.

"Then for you?" he asks as he pushes the subject a little,

"No, that is not what I meant," Aragorn defends, feeling his skin prickle at the thought of Meduineth belonging to him, the thought of her never being away from him.

Of course he knew that he loved her, he had known it for a while now and yet he denied these feelings. She was too good for him, too pure and he was terrified that he would ruin her, that he would loose her or she him and so had deemed it for the best to remain as no more than friends.

"You love her," Legolas replies simply and Aragorn chuckles mirthlessly, he never was able to hide things from his friend and it seems Legolas had once again seen through him.

"It matters not, now is not the time," he replies and he could swear that he almost hears Legolas sigh in frustration at this reply.

"Surely now is the perfect time to tell her how you feel,"

"And if I die? If we fail?" he replies voicing the justifications he had made to himself.

"You think her pain would be any less now?" Legolas scoffs, "you and I both know the bond you share is one as strong as any elves I have seen, she loves you too, although she perhaps does not realise it quite yet,"

"It doesn't matter, when the journey is over, if we survive, then I will tell her," Aragorn says ending the conversation and so Legolas decides to change it slightly.

"Why is she so wary of men?" he asks instead and Aragorn flinches a little as he thinks back to the moment he found her. he had told Legolas of her of course but never told him the full details surrounding her.

"When we found her, the whole village had been destroyed by the orc's she was the only survivor, she had been badly beaten and at first we thought it to be the orc's but she told us it was her father who had inflicted the wounds. She has spoken little of it but from what I have gleaned she was often beaten terribly by her father, it has made her... it has left her fearful of men," he says and Legolas places a comforting hand on his friends shoulder.

"Then it is indeed fortuitous that you found her," he murmurs and they fall into silence once again as they watch the night.

The next morning Gandalf allows the fellowship to rest for longer than normal and so when they set off they are all in slightly better spirits. They had yet to encounter any danger and were bonding well, the hobbits seemed to be enamoured with Meduineth and her with them and Aragorn often found himself smiling as he watched her face break into a grin, he became more and more addicted to the sound of her laugh and the feel of her walking beside him and found himself wishing that they did not have to be on this journey and that instead he could be courting her in Imaldris surrounded by family and friends.

He found himself dreaming of marrying her and living happily with her in a quiet village away from responsibility and worry. It could not last though and soon he found that he also dreamt of Boromir stealing her from him, of her smiling at Boromir the way she should be smiling only at him, of her shivering at Boromir's touch and leaning in to him for comfort the way she did with him and it made him angry. It made his blood boil with fury and frustration. It made him pull away from her and she was pained by this he knew that, his heart aching at the obvious hurt on her face every time he made sure to keep away from her and he knew that Legolas also worried but he could do nothing about it.

"It is the ring," Gandalf says to him quietly when they sit on a rocky outcrop some days later, having stopped for lunch and rest.

"What is?" he asked turning to the old wizard who had become a great friend to him over the years as well as mentor to Meduineth who looked upon him as a grandfather.

"Those images you dream of, she loves only you but the ring feeds off your doubt, do not trust it, do not let it pull you from her," he says quietly and Aragorn stares at him for a while before grunting and moving away slightly to think his words over.

"What is that?" he hears Pippin ask and looks up to see what has caught the fellowship's attention but before he can fully focus on it Legolas' voice cries out and he is frozen for a second before springing into action.

"Hide," Gandalf cries and the camp becomes frantic as they rush to hide their belongings and themselves.

"Meduineth," Boromir calls and Aragorn wheels around to see her standing in the open having helped the hobbits hide and consequently having nowhere to hide herself.

"Medui," he cries leaping forward and pulling her to him as he almost throws her under a bush before diving on top of her and holding her tightly.

"Aragorn," she whimpers, her voice tiny as she cringes away from the noise her fingers gripping his tunic tightly, his own arms pulling her even closer to him, his fingers finding their way into her hair as he moves his lips to her ear.

"I have you little one, always, I will always protect you," he whispers to her in both Westron and Sindarin until her trembling slowly stops and she begins to breathe more easily, pressing herself as close to him as she can, relishing the warmth and safety it brought her. Aragorn meanwhile felt his heart leap as she pushed herself closer to him, moulding herself to him completely and so perfectly that as the immediate danger left he felt his body flood with want and desire so strong he had to fight not to groan and pull her completely under him. It was so sudden it scared him a little and he was glad when the call came to say they were safe to come out from their hiding places and he could scramble away from her trying his best to hide his sudden desire.