Love conquers Everything

Chapter 6

Aragorn looked over the yard. People were moving into the caves and he could see the soldiers picking out old men and young boys that were able to fight. Some of the boys hadn’t even reached the age of 16. In his heart he hated the thought of a child out in the battle, but he knew that they needed every hand that could hold a sword.

Another thing that concerned him was Arwen. He knew that she was planning on fighting in this battle, and he just couldn’t accept it. It would be highly unfair if he would deny her to fight; she was after all a member of the fellowship. And since Legolas, Gimli and he were going to fight then she should have the right too. It was just the way she appeared to be so innocent and be able to joke about everything that made him think that she was in need of protection. Like she didn’t know anything about death and evil. That smile on her face could make him smile; even at a funeral. And that made him love her so much. To him, joy was to see Arwen happy. And he didn’t exactly feel like that about Gimli and Legolas. Arwen was too precious. And even though she was a skilled warrior in his eyes she looked so frail and so innocent that he just wanted to hold her and protect her from everything that was dangerous and evil. He just couldn’t let her fight! He would spend all his time and energy keeping an eye on her and covering her back, not that he would mind. But it would wiser to focus on protecting the gate and keeping the enemy from getting in. He sighed; he had to convince her to stay in the caves. He turned around and headed to one of the armour rooms to look for her. He found her with Legolas and Gimli as they were eyeing the other men and their weapons.


“There you are Aragorn! I was just wondering where you had disappeared too,” Arwen said when he approached.


“I was just taking time to think,” he said simply and kissed her cheek.


Normally Arwen would have protested at him kissing her in public, but considering his near death experience she wouldn’t have said anything even if he had started to make out with her. She just nodded and said, “I see.”

Aragorn turned his attention to the other men in the room while he tried to figure out the best way to tell her. His eyes fell on old men as well as young boys.

He looked at Legolas and said, “farmers, stable boys. These are no soldiers!”


“Most of them have seen to many winters,” Gimli said.


“Or too few,” Legolas added. He looked around in silence. All of a sudden he said “look at them! They are frightened! I can see the fear in their eyes; and they should be. They are almost three hundred against ten thousand.”


Everyone was listing now. Arwen tried to protest but Aragorn cut her off.


“They have a better chance to defend themselves here then in Edoras,” he tried to explain.


“They are all going to die.”


“Then I shall die as one of them,” Aragorn shouted out! Then he froze and looked at Legolas a second before bursting out of the room. Legolas tried to follow him but was stopped by Gimli.


“Let him go.”


Arwen looked after Aragorn with sad eyes. She didn’t know why, but she felt hurt when he had said that he would die as one of the humans. She silently left the room to search for him. Arwen found him sitting on the stairs outside in the yard. She sat next to him but he didn’t look up.


“You know Legolas didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. You know that he trusts you. He just couldn’t help despairing.” She tried to comfort him.


“I’m not angry at Legolas Arwen”


“Then what are you angry at?”


“I’m angry at myself. At my ancestor’s weakness. At the fact that I was thinking the same. Legolas only said it loud.”


“Aragorn… “


“I’m sorry Arwen. I’m sorry that you will have to see this.”


“See what Aragorn? You don’t think I have seen a battle before? Or fought in one? I know what it is you want to ask of me. You want me to go to the caves with the other women and children. You think I would be safe there.”


“It would be far safer then out here,” he tried to protest.


“Aragorn please don’t. I’m safe when I’m with you. If you fall, then it doesn’t matter if I survive this war. I would die anyway Aragorn. I can’t live with out you”


“Arwen pleas…”


“Don’t cut me off Aragorn. If we don’t win tonight. If we all are going to die then I want to die with you. I want you to be the last thing I see before I leave this world.


“Arwen please don’t say that. You won’t die; I wouldn’t let you. You just have to understand that I simply don’t want you to fight because if something would happen to you, I would blame myself for ever for not being able to be there and protect you.”


“I don’t need your protection Aragorn, only your love.”

Aragorn sighed and placed his arms around her pulling her in for a tight embrace.


“I just don’t want to see you hurt,” he whispered. To that Arwen said nothing.


After a while she said, “Aragorn, did you mean what you said inside?”


“About what?”


“About what you said about dieing as one of them?”


Aragorn was silent for a while. “It hurt your feelings,” he asked?


Arwen could see that he was confused. “I think so. Yes.”


“Why?”


“Well, I assume that I never really thought of you as one of them. I was so use to the fact that you were always with us elves; and it felt like you belonged with us. I guess that when you said “one of them” it just hit me that these were your people.”


Aragon was silent.


“I don’t know. Maybe I just felt a little of an outsider or something,” she continued. At these words, Aragorn pulled her tighter to him and whispered.


“You should never feel like an outsider Arwen. My people are your people too now.” He looked down at her and kissed her nose.


Arwen wriggled a little and smiled up at him. “And you may fight if you wish; on one condition.”


“And since when do I have to have your permission on what I’m allowed to do?”


“You must stay next to me where I can see you.” He continued without answering her question.


“Thou you don’t have any power over me my Lord, I will do as you wish this time. But only because it pleases me.”


“Really? Well then, maybe I should just please you just a little more.” He scooped her up in his arms and walked inside. He didn’t listen to her protest. If this would be there last time together then he would make it pleasurable