Title: Uncertain Futures

Author: Celebrian Helyanwe

Email: gilgaladiell@yahoo.co.uk

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Aragorn and Legolas go hunting after Aragorn's coronation.  Who would think that something so normal could go so wrong?

Genre: Angst, H/C, CLIFFIE FIC!!!!

Disclaimer:  Nope, not mine.  You'd think people would have learned that by now!  Much as I wish I owned our dear Dunadan, I'm not Tolkien, nor am I related to him.  And that goes for our elven prince, as well!

Author's Note: The hunt of the stag was inspired by an incident from Stephen R. Lawhead's book, Pendragon. Also, I don't know much about horses, so if something is inaccurate in that area, let me know and I'll correct it. Just don't flame me. Also, thanks to Barbara for the title!

Chapter One: The Hunt

Legolas reined in his horse and beckoned Aragorn to approach him silently. He gestured for Aragorn to look into the clearing before them. A large, white stag stood grazing. Aragorn nodded to Legolas. This was their quarry. Both elf and man drew their bows. Suddenly, the stag raised his head and gazed in their direction. Then it turned and ran. The two hunters gave chase, their horses' hooves thundering against the ground as they galloped. Legolas drew his bow and shot at the stag, but the animal turned and the arrow merely pierced his fore leg. The elf groaned. Such an injury was dangerous. Injured stags were known to be violent when cornered. The stag stumbled. Aragorn gave a whoop of victory. The chase was finally over! Legolas sighed. He knew Aragorn preferred this part of the hunt, but it was also the most dangerous part, to both the hunter and his steed. The stag turned, anger flaming in its dark eyes. Aragorn drew back his bow, aimed and shot. To the man's surprise, the stag leaped and the arrow merely landed in his glossy flank. The stag lowered his antlers as he landed, catching the neck of Legolas' horse. Legolas leaped aside as his horse collapsed, its throat cut open. Aragorn yelled and plunged his sword in the stag's side. The stag jerked away, throwing the king of Gondor into a thicket. His horse reared and fled. Legolas drew his twin knives and leaped onto the stag's back, slashing at the fighting animal's body as he did so. The stag reared and bucked, trying to throw off its unwanted rider. Legolas grabbed the stag's antlers. He had to kill the beast before he tended to his friend. One knife fell to the ground and was trampled under the noble beast's feet. Legolas held tightly to the remaining knife as he reached forward to cut the stag's throat. The beautiful creature jerked and fell as Legolas removed his knife. Legolas tried to leap free as the stag fell, but the creature fell to quickly and his leg was  pinned beneath its weight. The elf tried to ease his leg out from under the huge animal, but it was to heavy, so he carefully lifted the carcase up and moved his leg out from underneath. One look told him it was badly injured. Nevertheless, he crawled off to find his friend.

********

Aragorn woke to complete blackness and a throbbing pain in his head and arm. He felt around him, wondering where he was. There were grass, leaves and twigs beneath him. He felt beside him and his hand brushed against a tree trunk. Then he remembered. The white stag had thrown him into a thicket. From the singing of the birds, the former ranger knew it was still day. Frowning, he put his hand to his face, wondering if something was covering his eyes. All he felt was his skin and some dried blood from the scratches he had received as he flew into the thicket. "Legolas!" he asked, feeling around for his friend. There was no answer. "Legolas!" he called louder. He heard his friend call answering him. He tried to get up, but immediately regretted it. "Where are you, mellon nin?" he called. This time he heard the words as well as the voice: "I'm coming to where you are. Keep talking so I can find you!" The human complied. Soon he sensed the elf kneeling by his side.

Legolas was shocked at his friend's appearance. The ranger was laying on the ground, blood dried on the grass and caked in his hair from a wound on the back of his head. His face and arms had been scratched by tree branches when he was thrown into the thicket. One arm lay bent at an odd angle above his head and bloody, a bit of white showing through the blood. Legolas sighed as he realised they were alone, far from the camp with no herbs or bandages, nothing to tend to their wounds.

"Mellon nin?" Aragorn asked, hearing his friend's sigh. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"The pack of herbs is gone, Estel," the elf replied. "It must have been lost when the stag threw you here and we are too far from the camp for them to hear us."

Aragorn's face knotted in a confused frown. "Why can't you ride back to them?" he asked. "Or walk if the horse is too tired?"

Legolas frowned. Surely Aragorn could see he was unable to walk! Why was he suggesting such a thing?! "Estel," he said slowly. "I can't walk."

Aragorn's face registered shock and concern. "Why not?" he asked. "What happened after I was thrown?"

Legolas stared at Aragorn. "Your horse ran away," he said. "I killed the stag, but he fell on my leg. It's broken."

Aragorn gasped. "Broken?!" he exclaimed.

Legolas nodded. "Can't you see it's broken?!" he asked, his voice sharper than he intended. "You're a healer, you shouldn't need to be told so!

Aragorn shook his head and winced. "No, I can't see it's broken," he said softly. "I can't see your leg at all."

"Then turn your head, Aragorn!" Legolas said, his frustration growing. Here they were, in the middle of Ithilien, far from their camp, injured, and now on top of it, Aragorn was not acting normally.

"I can't, Legolas, it hurts too much!" the human exclaimed, aggravated. "And, anyway, it wouldn't do any good!"

Legolas froze. Something was badly wrong with his friend that Aragorn would say that. "Why wouldn't it do any good?" he asked quietly.

Aragorn groaned. He really did not want to admit the problem. The would mean he could no longer deny it. "I can't see at all, Legolas!" he whispered.

The elf gasped. "No, gwadur nin!" he countered. "No, it's not possible. You're trying to scare me. You're not really blind. You're joking. It's not funny! Stop it!"

Aragorn reached with his good arm and gave Legolas a painful slap on the side. "I'm not joking, Legolas!" he yelled, close to tears. "I can't see a single, wretched thing! And denying it won't make it go away, any more that it will get us help!"

Legolas laid his hand on his friend's shoulder and wept for his friend's loss. He knew the situation was hopeless. By the time anyone back at camp grew worried, it would be night. It would be the next morning before came looking for them. By that time, who knew what would have happened to them?

Aragorn sensed his friend's despair in the way Legolas was touching his shoulder. "Don't give up hope, gwadur nin," he whispered. "There is still a chance. We're not dead yet."

Chapter Two: More Trouble

Some time later, Legolas dried his eyes. Looking around, he saw some short yet strong branches within his reach. He pulled them next to Aragorn's arm. Next, he ripped two strips of cloth from his shirt. He placed one branch on either side of the injured limb and lashed them in place with the strips of cloth. Then he laid the arm to rest on his friend's chest. Having done all that he could, he began to sing, both to sooth the adan as well as to pass the time.

********

A dark figure gazed down at the injured pair. Good, they were in no state to fight back, what with one blind an the other lame. That would make his job easier. It would also keep his men alive. He had heard of the skill of these two when it came to defeating enemies at great odds. In fact, he had counted on losing a significant number of his men to their blades. He smiled with evil satisfaction. Then he turned his steed around and flew back to his band.

********

Eldarion looked up as he heard the sound of hoof beats. He ran to find Faramir. "Ada's back!" he called excitedly. "Uncle Faramir, Ada's back!" He grabbed the prince's hand and pulled him to the edge of the camp. The horse appeared, but to their surprise, there was no rider and there was foam around its mouth. "Ada!" Eldarion exclaimed, confused and frightened.

Faramir gazed in horror at his king's horse. The horse had obviously been frightened by something, he knew not what. Moreover, why was there only one horse? What had happened to the other? Then there was the greatest, most troubling question. What had happened to their riders? The prince of Ithilien was brought out of his reverie by a young hand tugging at his own. "Uncle Faramir," the child's voice asked. "Where is my Ada?!" Faramir bent down and stroked the boy's hair comfortingly. "Go and tell Eomer that I need to talk to him," he said. Eldarion nodded his head and ran off. Faramir cautiously approached the frightened horse. "Easy, easy, boy," he whispered. The horse backed away nervously. The prince whistled softly. The horse stopped, but still seemed uncertain if the figure standing in front of him was safe or not. Faramir whistled again. The horse came to him, albeit still acting skittish. That was when the prince noticed the blood and the torn piece of Aragorn's leggings. "Oh no!" he whispered, horrified.

Just then, Eomer came up to him with Eldarion following right behind. Faramir turned to his brother-in-law and whispered in his ear. The Rohirrim king nodded and turned to Eldarion. "Lad," he said tenderly. "Faramir and I must talk alone right now. Will you go keep my sister company while we talk?" Both men sighed with relief as the boy nodded and ran off.

********

Legolas looked at his friend's face. The man's eyes were closed and his face was relaxed. Legolas sighed with relief. At least Aragorn could not be in pain while he slept. The elf sighed as he lay down near him. His leg throbbed with pain, as if complaining that he had moved it too much. If only he had some way to splint it! Soon his weariness took hold of him and his eyes glazed over in sleep.

********

Sarcun landed his steed and dismounted. Approaching his band, he gave a tight smile. "They will be ours," he said in a voice that would chill the blood of any who opposed him. "They are injured, but even so, do not underestimate them. They have fought even when they should have been unable to before. I need not say that their capture will only benefit the living." He smiled coldly. These men followed his every word, but some, he suspected, might turn against him if his back was turned. Some, he knew, had been difficult to convince that he was their overlord. Those would proceed him in this capture. They would be given no chance to turn back. This would cement their allegiance. After all, there would be nowhere for them to go after this. Gondor and Rohan would be searching for them, and from Mordor and beyond was under his rule.

********

The search party followed the tracks of Aragorn's horse. They led them deep into the forest. Soon, the tracks met with the tracks from when the king and his friend left. Faramir looked up at the sky. It was getting dark. "We'll make camp here," he announced. "Tomorrow, we continued the search." Some of the men protested. Faramir raised his hand to quell the objections. "If we continue the search now, we will likely miss some important sign that would lead us to them or warn us of whatever danger they met up with," he countered. "We camp here and now." When his men were not looking, Faramir sighed. It did not please him to pause the search, but continuing would endanger both them and those they sought.

Eomer rode over to his brother-in-law. "Is there no way to keep searching through the night?" he asked, concern etched in his face. "I fear if we do not, we will find them too late."

Faramir shook his head. "I know of no way," he said sadly. "I, too, fear that we will be too late to help them. However, there is nothing more at all we can do tonight. Come, brother, help me unload the horses."

********

Legolas slept peacefully, albeit lightly. It was soothing to wander the paths of his childhood home, even if it was only in his dreams. He smiled. His father had often chided him light-heartedly about living in Ithilien when his heart was wavering between Mirkwood and the Blessed Realm.

Aragorn stirred restlessly as he slept beside him. Something was wrong. He could tell that even in his sleep, yet he could not wake himself. Perhaps it was just the pain in his arm and head disturbing him. That must be it. He would just ignore it. Maybe it would eventually go away if he did.

The crack of a twig braking woke Legolas from his light slumber. It was night. He looked in the direction the sound came from. On the other side of Aragorn, he saw the outline of a man. "Who are you?" he called softly, trying not to wake his friend. "What do you want?" The man did not answer. Legolas sat up and drew his knife, although he knew that if this man wanted to harm them, he was in no condition to defend them. Beside him, Aragorn stirred restlessly in his sleep. "What do you want?" the elf called again, a little louder this time. Aragorn moaned. The man still did not answer. Suddenly, Legolas felt a blade at his throat. "Drop your knife," a voice whispered in his ear.

Chapter Three: Captured

Eldarion tried to move, but somehow he could not. He gasped as he saw his father and Legolas. The king was sitting with the elf's head on his shoulder, tears streaming down his face. Eldarion was terrified. His ada never wept, never.

A man approached the pair. Legolas turned to see who it was. Aragorn did not respond. The man shoved Legolas roughly aside and pull Aragorn to his feet. The king resisted. Eldarion saw the man about to strike Estel and called out a warning. The king apparently did not here him, for he made no response. The blow landed on the back of Aragorn's head and he slumped against his captor.

Eldarion was shocked. No one had ever treated his father that way before. "Ada! No!" he screamed, wrestling with the invisible hands that held him in place. "Leave my Ada alone!" He wept with grief, terror and rage.

********

Faramir slept restlessly. He was deeply concerned about his king and the elf. Somehow, they kept invading his dreams. He tossed and turned on the ground, wrestling with his dreams. Finally, they subsided.

********

Eldarion woke in the middle of the night, crying. He looked around, disoriented and searching for his parents. When he saw they were not there, he remembered where he was and what had happened the day before. He got up and left his tent, looking for Eowyn.

********

Legolas froze. Slowly, he lowered his knife to the ground, but did not let go. The figure in front of him stepped up, drew his sword and rested its point above Aragorn's heart. "Let go of your knife," he ordered. Reluctantly, the elf released his grip on the knife. He jerked his head sharply back into his captor's abdomen, knocking the wind from the man's lungs. The man's blade moved away from his neck as the man sagged against him, gasping. The other man pressed his sword tighter against Aragorn's chest. "No more resistance," he threatened. "Or I'll kill him." Legolas stiffened. To threaten his friend was to threaten him.  "If you touch him, I'll kill you," he hissed angrily. The man laughed. "I really don't think you're in a position to make threats," he said, gesturing to the elf's broken leg. "Let alone to carry them out." Legolas simply glared at him.

********

Legolas fought his captors fiercely as they drug him into a small cell. He did not know where they had taken Aragorn, and was desperate to find him. Who were these men, anyway? How dare they lay hands on the prince of Mirkwood, let alone the king of Gondor? "Estel!" he called, hoping the sound of his voice would waken his friend. "Estel, where are you?!"

********

Faramir gazed in shock at the scene in the clearing before him. A large white stag lay dead on the ground with Aragorn's sword in its side. One of Legolas' knives lay trampled into the ground nearby it. The carcase of Legolas' horse lay near the edge of the clearing, its neck sliced open. By the dead stag, there were tracks of someone dragging himself somewhere. But what happened to the other rider? There was only one set of tracks.

********

Aragorn woke slowly and moaned. His head ached even worse than it had before he slept. He tried to put a hand to his head, but for some reason, he could not move his arms. He frowned. What was wrong with him? He knew that one arm had been broken, but why could he not move the other? The next thing he noticed was that his face was resting on something hard and rough. What in Arda...? He had been on the ground in the forest when he had fallen asleep. Where was he now? "Legolas?" he muttered. There was no response. "Legolas, where are you, mellon nin?" he asked. He tried again to move his arms so he could feel to see if the elf was still by him, but again, he could not. He did, however, discover that his hands were bound behind him. That explained a lot. "Legolas!" he called, alarmed, as he futilely struggled to free himself. Again, there was no response.

********

Faramir ran along on foot, following the trail. It was plain and easy to follow. Finally, it lead him into a thicket. There, he saw several sets of footprints and signs of dragging someone away. Faramir looked closer. There were marks on the ground from two people laying side by side. There was blood were one person's head would have been. Faramir blenched. This did not look good. He looked up at the tree by the marks. An upper branch was marked with blood and a few dark hairs. That meant it was the king who had fallen somehow from the tree and had a head wound.  Which meant that Legolas was probably the one whose track Faramir had been following.  Faramir blew his horn to let the rest of the search party know he had found the trail of the missing person. Then he started following the tracks of the attackers. They lead him a few yards from the glade, where they met with the tracks of some creature that he had never seen before. Then they stopped, but there was no one there.

********

Eldarion sat with Eowyn waiting for news of his father. It was hard to wait, especially after the dreams he had the night before. He sat on the ground, pretending to draw pictures on the ground. If only he was old enough to help find his father! He got up and started pacing, to Eowyn's chagrin. "Eldarion, child," she chided. "Please don't pace." The child stopped pacing to grab his toy sword and started slashing away at imaginary enemies. "Get away from my father!" he yelled as he pretended to fight. "Touch him again and I'll kill you!"

Eowyn was disturbed by the young prince's behavior. This was not the way the normally tender, gentle boy acted. "Eldarion!" she exclaimed. "What is wrong? Calm down, child!"

Eldarion turned to her, his face red with anger. "What do you mean what's wrong?!" he demanded. "Bad men are hurting my ada, no one'll let me go help him, no one knows where he is, and you ask me what wrong?! Just leave me alone!" With that, he turned and ran into his own little tent that Aragorn had brought for him, crying.

Eowyn watched the troubled boy leave and wondered what had happened to make him think his father was in danger. For all they knew, Aragorn and Legolas might simply have left their horses behind and Aragorn's spooked at something. Maybe the blood was the horse's own blood from getting scratched on a branch. Yet deep in her heart, Eowyn knew none of these ideas were true. Something had gone badly wrong with the hunting trip and she could only hope her husband and brother, with the search party, would find the two alive. Eowyn sighed.

Chapter Four: Failure and Revenge

Eldarion gasped as the men struck his father again and again. "NO!" he screamed. "Leave my ada alone! Stop it!" He ran up to the closest man and lashed out at him with his fists. The man did not respond. Why were they hurting his father? Who were they? He grabbed the man's arm as he moved to strike Aragorn again. He might as well have tried to stop the wind.

Eldarion turned around, trying to identify the leader. Maybe if he could speak to the leader, they would stop. Strangely, there did not seem to be a commander in the room. Then he noticed the cloaked figure in the corner. He walked up to it and saw a face staring angrily out of the hood. "NOOOOOOOO!" the child screamed as he recognized the cloaked man. It was Faramir.

********

Legolas screamed as he landed on his injured leg. Reflexively, he lashed out with the other leg, catching one of his captors by the ankle and throwing him off balance. The man who had thrown him, exclaimed angrily and kicked the elf viciously in the stomach. Legolas curled inward. Two of the men then held the elven prince down while a third yanked down on the broken leg, pulling the broken bones into place. Legolas screamed again, but soon noticed that the pain in his leg all but disappeared. The fourth man strapped two long pieces of wood to the leg. Why were they going to this bother when they obviously had not captured him to aid him?

********

Aragorn finally managed to push himself into a sitting position. By this time, he had figured out that the the hard, rough surface he felt were the stone walls and floor of a room. How had he gotten here? Where was here, anyway? Where, for that matter, was Legolas?

The metal door creaked as Sarcun opened it. The injured man did not respond. Sarcun drew his knife as he walked over to his prisoner. "Elessar," he said coldly. The captive turned his head in Sarcun's direction.  "Do you know who I am?" Sarcun asked. The king shook his head. "I am the Overlord of Harad," Sarcun said. "Do you know why you are here?" Again, Aragorn shook his head. "I don't even know where I am," he replied. "So how can I know why I'm here?" Sarcun gave a sinister smile. "You're here because you ruined my life," he said.

********

Faramir dismounted his horse, his shoulders sagging with defeat. Aragorn and Legolas were lost. He had no means to find them. He dreaded facing Eldarion and telling him that the boy's father had vanished. Eldarion's face appeared before his mind's eye, glaring at him accusingly. Denethor had been right to hate him and look down on him. Boromir would never have let this happen.

********

Eowyn jumped up as she heard the horses returning. Surely they would bring Elessar back with them. He must be with them! They would not return otherwise. Surely her fears were groundless. Yet she heard no voices. If the king and the prince were with them, surely they would be talking to each other, laughing at their having to rescue the two once again.

********

Aragorn stifled a scream as Sarcun's knife bite into his skin. He would sooner die than hand place his country in danger. Eldarion would be safe. The boy had his mother and uncles, as well as Faramir, Eowyn and Eomer.

Sarcun's lip curled in scorn. The wretch might withstand pain for now, but someday, he would have this man's will in his hand if it took ten years to happen. He knew how to be patient. After all, he had waited years for this opportunity.

Aragorn found his tormentor's hand and forced it away from him. "I will not give you my people!" he said slowly through clenched teeth.

********

Eldarion did not look at Faramir as the steward sat beside him. He already knew what he was going to say. "Go away," he said, not moving. "Leave me alone."

Faramir winced at the boy's words, stricken to the heart. "Eldarion--" he began, but the child started running away. "Eldarion, please, listen to me!"

Eldarion gave him an angry glance over his shoulder as he left. "Leave me alone!" he exclaimed. "You didn't bring Ada back and you wouldn't let me come with you. You didn't even look for him! You don't want him to come back! You're why he's gone in the first place!"

Faramir watched Eldarion leave and wept. What had made the boy think such things? Yes, he had failed to find the king, but he had looked. He had done everything in his power to find Aragorn and Legolas! Why did Eldarion think he would harm the child's father?!

********

"You will tell me how to defeat your people, or you will only live long enough to die with them," Sarcun snarled. How dare this weakling deny him the knowledge he sought! "What are the passwords for your citadel?" he demanded. "What would convince your people to submit to me?" Aragorn simply shook his head. Enraged, Sarcun struck his cheek, slamming the prisoner's other cheek against the wall. "Tell me," he said coldly. There was no answer. Sarcun grabbed the dunadan and forced him to his feet. "Tell me now," threatened. "Or you will wish you were dead!"

Chapter Five: Minas Tirith

Eldarion shifted restlessly in his saddle. He could not believe that they were simply leaving his father and Legolas to die in some horrible way. The little prince slowed his pony. Just then, he noticed Eomer beside him. "Keep going, lad," the man said, gazing into the child's eyes as if he knew what the boy was planning. Eldarion glared back resentfully. "You're not my father," he challenged. Eomer's face acquired a knowing look. "I know I'm not, Eldarion," he said. "But your father would not want you to linger behind. You are too young yet.  I understand why you want to stay, though." Eldarion allowed himself to be comforted by the man's words, not that he would show it yet. "But where is he?" he demanded for the thousandth time. Eomer shook his head. "I know not, atheling," he replied. "But I fear for him." Eldarion looked up, shocked to the core. He was not the only one worried about his father! "Then why are we leaving?" he asked. "Why don't we keep looking!" Why had everyone given up hope, just because that traitor had refused to keep looking?! Eomer smiled at the child riding beside him. "We leave," he explained. "Because, once we get to Minas Tirith, we may find more to tell us where to look. And, though we are leaving, some of the Rangers of Ithilien have stayed behind to keep searching." Eldarion brightened. That news gave him some hope. "So we leave to find Ada?" he asked. To his joy, Eomer nodded.

********

Legolas groaned and tried to turn away from the pain, but he was tied to tightly to move. He gritted his teeth to avoid screaming. These men wanted revenge, he knew. Well, he could not stop them from taking it, but he could take the satisfaction out of it. He stiffened as the whip landed on an already open wound.

The young man wielding the whip kept his face impassive. He hated his task. He hated any task that brought another pain. Why was it that he could not seem to escape those tasks? He hated himself for doing them, but what could he do about it? There was nowhere he could go, and if he stayed he would be tortured to death himself as an example. He swung the whip again, rather half-heartedly and winced inwardly at the elf's suppressed expression of pain.

Legolas sighed with relief as the cords were released from his wrists. He hoped that meant that they were giving him a break. Ha! A break? These men give him a break from this?Mentally, he laughed at himself for imagining such a thing. After all, these men lived for pain. He was fortunate that it had not been worse already. Just then, the hands holding his arms let go, and he sagged to the floor.

********

Eomer rode quietly beside his sister's husband. "Faramir," he said softly, not wanting to call anyone else's attention to what he was about to say. He waited until Faramir looked at him. "I'm concerned about Eldarion," he said. He sighed as Faramir glared at him as if to say "Who do you think you are?" "Look," he said. "I know you are too, but something's going on with him. He thought we were returning to Minas Tirith because we had stopped looking for his father and Legolas." He paused, unsure how to continue. Finally, he continued again. "He also thinks that you betrayed Aragorn. I think he acts like he may know something about the king that we don't know yet. But how could that be?"

Faramir sighed. "Well, he is the grandson of Lord Elrond, who has the foresight of the elves," he replied. "His mother is Arwen, who also has elven foresight. His father is Isildur's Heir, and therefore has the foresight of the Dunedain. Perhaps Eldarion has inherited their foresight and it has awakened early, prompted by this blow to his father. And I also fear for my king." He shuddered. "Father always thought I was a failure," he whispered. "I never thought he'd be right, but this time, I have failed. I failed my king, and because of that, he will probably die. If Eldarion knows what happened, no wonder he says I betrayed his father. I did. I should have kept going in the night, rather than wait 'til morning. I saw Elessar disappear in my dreams. I knew that night I shouldn't stay. Gandalf and Pippin should have let Father kill me." He hung his head, his face flushed with shame.

Eomer looked at Faramir and gasped as he heard what the prince was saying to himself. How could Faramir say such things about himself? Who in Gondor would feel that way, other than Eldarion, of course? And the child would not think that if he really understood what had happened. No one could. It was simply impossible. "No, Faramir!" he exclaimed quietly. "You have not failed! It's too early to say that! Don't say that you have failed unless you are burying the bodies. Only then will you have failed!" To say he was horrified did not touch the half of it.

Faramir smiled gratefully at Eomer. "Thank you, brother," he replied. "But you don't understand. When the line of the kings was lost, it was because the steward failed to prevent the king from going to Minas Morgul. Once there, he was captured by the Witchking and tortured to death. I have had to live with that failure my whole life. That was why my father did not want me to be his successor. He feared I would make a similar failure. And I have. It was my job to reach the king before his captors. I could have, but I didn't." He was to blame. He had known of Aragorn and Legolas' danger, and yet done nothing.  Nothing could negate that fact!

Chapter Six: The Palantir

Aragorn held his eyes shut tightly. He might be blind already, but he did not want anyone messing around with his face. He still had hopes of regaining his sight. He jerked his head away as he felt someone's hands touch his face. Aragorn heard a quiet, sad sigh. "Please, let me see your eyes," a young man's voice said softly in his ear. "Who are you?" Aragorn asked, trying to understand what was going on. "My name is Randir," he replied.

********

Faramir shuddered at the thought of what he was about to do. This had been his father's mistake. Was he any stronger? Yet Sauron was defeated, so surely there was no danger left. He lifted aside the cloth that covered the palantir. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand over the dark globe and looked into its depths. He smiled at what he saw. There was he was with Boromir and Finduilas as a young child. But, no, that was not what he was here for. That thought drove the scene away. Instead, an image of Aragorn appeared. He was dressed as a soldier, standing in front of a younger man who was dressed quite shabbily and chained. As Faramir watched, Aragorn released the young man's chains and led him away. But again, that was not what he was looking for. The scene disappeared again. This time, it was replaced by a scene that Faramir somehow knew was what was actually happening. Aragorn and Legolas sat side by side. Aragorn's eyes were bandaged shut. Some men were holding a young man in place by his arms. Faramir wondered what was happening. Just then, two other men grabbed Aragorn's arms and pulled him to his feet. Faramir's eyes blazed with anger as he realised what was about to happen. He winced as the men began striking the king over and over with their hands. Those holding him released their grip and Aragorn fell to the ground as someone punched him in the face. Of course that did not stop the abuse from his captors. They proceeded to kick him viciously. Faramir turned the gaze of the palantir elsewhere, unable to take what he saw any longer. That was when he saw the window out of the prison. Beyond it was a desert of black rock. That sight immediately told Faramir where Aragorn and Legolas were held. It also brought some more troubling implications with it. But was it possible? The people of Gondor watched that area closely. Could evil really have... No! It could not be!

********

Legolas sobbed as their captors continued kicking his dear friend. He had tried to stop them from taking him away and failed. What could he do now? After all, he was temporarily lame. It would be different if he could actually get on his feet, walk up there and pull Aragorn away from the wretches! Fool! He should have jumped off of the stag in time! They would not even be here if he had! He was such a failure! The thoughts kept ringing in his head and nothing could do would rid him of them.

********

Randir sat in the guard house with his knees pulled up to his chin. He had sought to aid his prisoner, not to bring more pain on him! Hopefully, the salve he had put on the man's eyes would help him some. He wondered whether he would be sent back to cause further pain to the man or if he would be completely reassigned somewhere else. He also wondered about his friend who was assigned to the elf.

********

Eldarion stirred restlessly. He did not want to sleep. Every time he slept now, he had nightmares. He was tired of it. Ever since his father had disappeared, he had had nightmares when he slept. The child sniffled a little as he sat up in bed. Stubbornly, he struggled to hold his eyes open, but eventually, his exhaustion grew too strong for him.

Eldarion squirmed as he saw Legolas kneel beside his father. He heard Aragorn groan as Legolas touched him. Just then, a man came and drug the elf away from Elessar. Legolas gasped and gritted his teeth as the man's hands gripped places where he was raw from the beatings.

Eldarion followed Legolas, his feet pounding on the stone floor beneath him as he ran to keep up. Why was the elf being taken away? He slowed down, panting, as he followed Legolas and the man into a small room. He breathlessly watched as Legolas was chained to a post in the center of the room. He gasped as he saw the young man grasp a whip and strike the elf with it. "NO!" Eldarion screamed. "Not him too!"

Chapter Seven: Randir and Lethrel

Legolas sagged against the post as the flogging ended. He had failed. He had promised himself he would not make a sound. By the time the man had finished with him, he had been sobbing. At least he had not screamed. He heard footsteps leaving along with the clang of the metal door closing and wondered what was going on. Normally, the chains were released after the flogging. Was his tormentor to return with some worse torture? He shuddered. He did not think he could handle anything more now.

********

Eldarion blinked his eyes, wondering why he could not see. But then, he realised that there was no sound either. Normally when he woke up, there were people talking and doing things.  He got out of his bed and walked to the window. There were still stars out. Well that explained a lot. Briefly, he considered going back to bed. Then he realised that this was his chance. No one was awake to stop him! He quickly put on his shoes and grabbed his cloak, bow and quiver.  Silently, he left his room and ran downstairs. He quietly entered the kitchen and grabbed several packs of cram. With that, he ran out of the palace and headed to the stable.

********

Randir heard the door open and looked up to see his best friend enter the room. "Lethrel!" he exclaimed happily, running forward to embrace his friend. Randir grew concerned as he noticed that his friend's smile did not reach his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

Lethrel shook his head. "I can't take this anymore," he replied, his voice choked. "I can't keep torturing the elf. I don't know what I'm going to do, but I can't go back and do this again. I wish I were dead. It's so horrible, hearing his soft sobbing when he can't hold back a response to the pain anymore." Legolas' pain-filled eyes flashed before him accusingly.

Randir nodded. "I know how you feel," he whispered."At least he's not blind. Every time I struck the man, he had no warning because he couldn't see, and you could see the agony and fear in his face. He would never tell Sarcun what he wanted, but you could see the pain and the blindness together were weakening him. It was horrible to watch." He shuddered at the memory.

Lethrel nodded with comprehension. "I wish there was something we could do," he whispered. "I wish there was some way I could make up to him for what I've done." Not that it would make any difference. The elf would hate him for what he did no matter what.  That was the way the world worked.

Randir looked up, a thoughtful look on his face. "We could at least try to do something," he said. "Even if it didn't work, at least they'd know we tried." In fact, he had an idea. It was crazy, but surely there was a chance it would work!

********

Faramir, Eowyn, Eomer and Arwen sat at the breakfst table waiting for Eldarion. They could not understand why he was not there. Eldarion was never late for a meal. Arwen finally left the table to look for him.

The first place Arwen checked was Eldarion's bedroom. His bed was empty and unmade. That was normal. His shoes were missing. That was the case about half of the time, and therefore not abnormal. His cloak, bow and quiver were all missing. That was not normal. He would use his bow and arrows every now and then, but for them to be missing, along with his usually-abandoned cloak, this early in the day was strange. No... He could not have... He had left to find his father. Arwen gasped and ran to the stables to see if his horse was still there. If it was, they could probably catch up to him easily. If not, only the Valar knew where he was.

********

Aragorn coughed and gagged, choking on the foul liquid that had been forced down his throat. He gasped for air, his throat burning from whatever the substance was. Then the questions began again. He would never tell them that he was Gondor's one weakness. His people would do anything he asked them. They would do whatever it took to save him. He would never give that knowledge away. It would die with him. For he was going to die. He knew that. At least this way, he would die and the crown would pass to his son. Suddenly, he felt the bottle forced between his teeth again. He tried to turn his head away, but it was held firmly in place. The foul-tasting fluid filled his mouth. Someone pinched his nose hard so that he could not breath until he swallowed. A haze began filling his mind. "What is Gondor's greatest weakness?" someone asked again. Aragorn shook his head. "I--" he gasped and broke off coughing. Finally the coughing fit subsided. "I am," he whispered against his will. Again, someone forced him to drink from the bottle. Again, they plied him with further questions. He moaned. His throat felt like it was on fire.

********

Randir looked cautiously around him as he approached the ranger's cell. No one was there. He had spent all night and all day pondering how he would get the blind man from the cell to the meeting place without getting caught. It was a dangerous thing to do, but he had no choice. He could not live with himself if he stood back and did nothing as this man was tortured to death. Neither could he go back and continue helping them again. He slipped the key in the lock and turned it.

Aragorn stirred as he heard the door to his cell swing open. What more could they want from him? They had found out what they wanted to know. He wiped his eyes with his good hand. He had failed his country. Footsteps sounded as a lone man approached him. Then he felt hands sliding under his shoulders and lifting him up. "Who're you?" he managed to get out in a slurred voice. Wonderful, he sounded like he was drunk. "It is I," a voice whispered in his ear. "Randir." Aragorn sighed. At least maybe this time there would be no more questions. His throat still felt like someone had set it on fire and his chest burned every time he took a breath. Suddenly, he felt Randir pull him to his feet, one arm around his chest to support him.

********

Lethrel waited anxiously for his friend. The cloaked elf lay on the ground in an exhausted sleep. He hoped his friend made it with the other prisoner. They could not afford to fail. Not now! If Randir was found, he would be tortured until he told Sarcun where Lethrel and Legolas were. It was not to be thought of. Lethrel started pacing. Just then, he heard a soft call and approaching footsteps. He sighed with relief. It was Randir.

Chapter Eight: Escaped

Eldarion carefully guided his horse over the uneven terrain. He had not expected this. If the land were smoother, he could go a lot faster. How soon could he get to his father and Legolas? They needed him! Well, at least he had passed Osgiliath before daylight this morning. He would have been caught otherwise. Well, Faramir certainly was not going to stop him! The young prince gazed at the sky. He would have to stop for the night soon. At least everyone would see he was not the baby they thought he was when he got back with Ada and Legolas!

********

Faramir collapsed in the steward's chair, exhausted from his search for Eldarion. "Ai!" he whispered. "The boy makes good use of his elven blood! I can find no trace of him beyond the city!" Truth be told, Faramir was proud of Eldarion's skill, even though the child was using it to place himself in danger. It took great skill to elude a ranger. Yet for that very reason, Faramir despaired of finding any trace of the boy. "He is too young!" he exclaimed. "What, love?" a woman's voice asked. Faramir jumped in surprise. "Ah, Eowyn!" he cried. "Don't startle m like that! Oh, never mind. It's just that I'm worried about Eldarion. He's too young to be going into this danger alone. Too young to be on his own at all, for that matter. And searching for him is keeping me from searching for the king! It's bad enough that I failed him once already! I fear that if I keep searching for the prince, I shall not find my king and my friend."

Eowyn laid her head on her husband's shoulder. "You will find them," she whispered. "Let others search for Eldarion. You search for the king and the prince. Perhaps in finding them, you shall find the boy as well." Nothing was harder for her to hear than Faramir calling himself a failure. Everyone knew otherwise. No one could be more committed, except maybe the king. No other man was so loyal. He was the most loving husband in Middle Earth, nay, in Arda itself! So how could he say such horrible things about himself?

Faramir embraced his wife fondly. She was the only one who could encourage him with just a few words. She was the one who saw the good in him, even when there was none. If it were not for her, he did not think he could keep going. He smiled. Maybe she was right. Maybe there was still hope.

********

Aragorn shivered as Randir carried him. He was beyond speach. Every breath felt like he was inhaling smoke and exhaling flames. The younger man had tried to give him some water, but he could not make his stomach accept it. Several times, he heard Legolas whisper encouragingly to him. He was glad the elf was with him.

Legolas looked over at Aragorn with concern. The human was not well at all. Ai, if only he had not been so eager to slay that stag! He should have known it would be dangerous, at best! After all, such a noble beast always was! Secretly, he feared the man would die before they reached Minas Tirith, or any closer Dunadan settlement.

********

Eomer rode forward with his brother-in-law. This seemed eerily like the time he had ridden out with Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Gandalf to the battle at Cormallen. But then, if this was somewhat like history repeating, it should give him hope. After all, that battle had ended well, so maybe, there was hope for this rescue as well.

********

Eldarion yelped as he ducked his head under an unexpected tree branch. Suddenly, he heard an answering call in the distance. He dug his knees into his horse's side, urging him to go faster. He recognized that voice! "Ada?! Legolas?!" he called joyfully.

Finally, Eldarion reached them. He sprang off his horse. "Ada!" he exclaimed, running forward. That was when he noticed how Aragorn was gasping for breath. "Ada?" he whispered. "What's happened?" Surely it could not be that he had found them just in time to see his father die!

"No!" Legolas whispered. "He can't breath!"

Chapter Nine: The Hands of the King

"What's wrong with Ada?!" Eldarion asked. "Why can't he breath?" Whatever was wrong with Estel was serious! If only he knew what was wrong, maybe he could do something about it! "Ada," he whispered softly in Aragorn's ear. "Please hold on for me!"

Legolas shook his head. "I do not know why he can't breathe," he said sadly. "I fear for him, too, neth min." He blinked tears from his eyes. Aragorn was dieing before his eyes. The elf could tell it.

Randir shook his head. He knew not what was wrong with the man he held. He had never seen anything like it before. If only he had been there when what ever it was had happened. Tears welled up in his eyes. He had not rescued this man from Sarcun for him to die before they reached his home, and certainly not for him to die in front of this child who looked like he must be the man's son. If only there was something he could do!

********

Faramir pushed his horse as fast as the animal could go. Ai! Was there anyway he could make it to the king in time? Somehow, he just sensed that Aragorn was in critical danger at that very moment. The king could not die yet. Surely he could not! "Faster, boy!" he whispered to his horse, not that the dumb beast could understand his words. However, it did understand his tone of voice and began to gallop even faster.

********

Lethrel exclaimed angrily. "I know what it is!" he cried. "It's the truth serum! Why didn't I realize it earlier?! If enough truth serum is administered and it is not counteracted soon enough, it leads to this! I fear I realized it too late!" He groaned. This man would die because of him, because of his neglect and lack of focus.

Eldarion looked up, hope suddenly in his eyes. "Truth serum?" he asked. "How do you fix it?" If he knew what to use, he could find. He just knew he could, and then, his ada would be well again.

Lethrel sighed. "Merethas," he replied. "But it does not grow around here. Sarcun brought some with him from Harad when we moved north. And I did not realize to bring any with me." He felt horrible for raising the child's hopes only to dash them.

Eldarion frowned. That was bad news, but there was something else tickling the back of his mind. All of a sudden, he smiled and gasped. "Athelas!" he cried. "Why didn't I think of it before?! Ada said athelas can fix anything!" He ran off into the forest, looking for the sweet-smelling herb.

********

Eomer watched as his brother-in-law raced on ahead of him and the army. He knew something was drasticly wrong from the other man's behavior. Faramir never rode his horse that fast otherwise. Then he heard an angry voice in the distance followed by a child's voice. They had found Eldarion! He was in trouble! He urged his horse to go faster, worried for his friend's child.

********

Eldarion quickly found the herb he sought. After all, his father had not taught him in vain. He hastily picked several leaves and ran back to where his father was. This would at least slow the poison, even if it did not remove it.

********

Faramir slowed his horse to a halt. There was Aragorn! He leaped of the horse and ran forward. He halted in horror as he realized what he was seeing. His king was dying, and there was nothing he could do about it now! If only he had found him in time!

Just then, Eldarion returned. Quickly, the child sat beside his father and held his hand. "I need some water!" he called. "Now!" The athelas would do no good for his father without the water. To his relief, Faramir handed him his water flask and Randir held a small bowl out.  The little prince poured some water in the bowl and crushed half of the athelas into it. He grabbed his dagger and stirred the mixture to form a paste. Then he ripped quickly Aragorn's shirt and vest off. Taking the paste, he spread it on his father's chest. Aragorn's gasping eased a little. Eldarion then poured more water in the bowl and crushed the rest of the athelas over it. Again, he stirred it with his dagger, adding more water until it was a drinkable consistency. That done, the young boy carefully poured the medicine down his father's throat. He then laid one hand on Aragorn's brow. With the other hand, he grasped the king's hand, whispering softly to him as he did so.

Chapter Ten: Healing

Gradually, Aragorn began breathing normally, although he did not wake. As they watched the king, Legolas explained everything that had happened. Eldarion turned tearfully to Faramir, apologizing perfusely. Soon, they were ready to return to Minas Tirith. Eldarion insisted that Randir and Lethrel come with him, and even convinced Lethrel to share his horse. The cavalry surrounded the king and princes as they returned home, just in case Sarcun had traced his prisoners.

********

Arwen gasped and ran to the stables as she saw the search party return. They were returning sooner than she had expected. Surely they had not returned without the missing ones! Quickly, she lead her mare out of its stall and leaped onto the horse's back. She guided the horse out of the stable and galloped down to the gate of the lowest level of the city. She arrived just as the gates were being opened. As soon as the doors were open wide enough, the queen urged her horse back to a gallop and rode out. "Faramir!" she called. "You have found them?!" Her heart lurched as he called back to her. "My lady!" he answered. "We have indeed! And Eldarion is also with us!" She rode through the midst of the soldiers until she reached Faramir. He held a sleeping Aragorn on the horse in front of him. Arwen flashed the prince a concerned look. "Nay," he said soothingly. "He but sleeps. Thanks to your son." He gestured to Eldarion. Arwen looked at her young son and flashed him a proud smile. "Mae carnen, ion nin," she whispered. There would be time later to deal with the fact that he had run away. She then turned to Legolas, eyeing him carefully to see if he was hiding any injuries. Immediately, she noticed his leg. The elf rolled his eyes at her. "Arwen!" he sighed. "It's set and it's healing. Do not plague me over what happened almost two weeks ago!" She laughed. Even ifhe was as stubborn as ever, it was good to have her friend back.

********

Aragorn woke slowly and unwillingly. He had been blissfully asleep and did not wish to discover where he was. The last thing he remembered was the sound of horses riding up to them, and then Eldarion's voice pleading with him to stay. Surely they had been found and returned to where ever that prison was. To make matters worse, his son was with them this time. He felt a small hand shaking him. "Ada!" a child's voice whispered. "It's time to wake up!" He sighed and turned his head away. "Ada! Wake up!" the voice said loudly and insistently. He would not wake up to tell his son how he had failed him. The small hand shook him again. He ignoreditthis time. Hecould hear little footsteps walking around the room. Suddenly, a bowl of water dumped onto his face. He opened his eyes and sat up sputtering. "Eldarion, what --" He stopped suddenly, as he realized that he could see. "Ion nin?" he whispered. "What happened?"

Eldarion merely smiled. "Uncle Faramir and Uncle Eomer found us," he replied, saying nothing about his part. He had done no more than any other son would do if he could, and he knew it. "Let's go find Nana!" he demanded, grabbing Elessar's hand and pulling him to his feet.

Aragorn smiled. "Yes, let's," he whispered. How could he not go to Arwen, when he had thought he would never see her again? He ruffled the boy's hair. Although the child had said nothing, he knew what his son had done for him. He had been dying when Eldarion called him. Yes, his son had proved what he had known all along. The boy would an excellent king after him.

********

Arwen sat in the garden, reading. Somehow, she could not seem to distract herself from her overwhelming impatience to speak with her husband, but she could not wake him yet. She looked up and turned around as she heard footsteps approaching her. When she saw who it was, she gasped and ran to him. "Estel!" she cried. "Oh, I missed you so!" Her arms found their way around his neck as she clung to him, weeping. "How did it happen?" she asked. "Where were you? I was so afraid for you!"

Aragorn clasped his wife inhis arms. "Shh, meleth nin," he whispered. "I'm back. And it won't happen like this again." He rubbed her back soothingly. "I promise. For one thing, you'll be with me!" He grinned mischievously.

Arwen looked up at him ashe spoke. Noticing the grin on his face, she slapped him lightly on his arm. He looked just like a naughty, little boy when he grinned like that.  "Of course I will be!" she exclaimed. "But there won't be another time! You're not leaving here for a long time, Estel. I can't face it again so soon!"

Eldarion smiled as he watched his parents embrace each other again. He had feared he would never see them together again, yet there they were.

********

Eldarion was notthe only one watching the reunion. The prince of Ithilien and his wife watched from a balcony. "See," Eowyn whispered as she rested her head on her husband's shoulder. "It happened like I thought it would. Eldarion was seeking his father, you found those two, and the other was with them."

Faramir wrapped his arm around her slender waist and smiled. "Aye," he replied in a whisper. "You were right. Although I still feel I should have kept going that first night, so none of this would have happened."

Eowyn shook her head slightly. "Nay, dearest," she whispered back. "You don't know that for a fact. You don't know when they were taken. And even if that were so, you were the one that brought them back. Eldarion could never have done it on his own with only one horse. I'm sure that Sarcun was following them. If you had not arrived to bring them back, they likely would have been found and taken back, that time with Eldarion as well. This could not have happened without you, my love!"

Faramir rested his head against hers. "How is it that you're always right?" he asked fondly. "And how is it that you always see the best in me, love?"

Eowyn turne her head so she could kiss his cheek. "Because I love you," she whispered in his ear as she did so. At that statement, Faramir turned and embraced her. Soon, her lips found his and they stood kissing in the sunset.

The End