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The Ranger and the Eagles by Cairistiona	202 Review(s)
Lexilooper	Reviewed Chapter: 12 on 1/19/2026
A missing scene for Chapter 8 closes out the tale. Aragorn may have had no memory of those two days spent in delirium, but that's no reason we can't have a peek at what transpired. HAHAHHAHAHA THANK YOU THE ONLY THING I WAS MISSING "Please Try Not to Bite Me Like Last Time." XD I am convinced this is the best chapter title, it sounds like it's time for what Elrond was worried would happen when Gandalf cleaned Aragorn's wound He could not warm himself. yesssss miserably freezing Aragorn my favorite (not my own favorite because then I can't sleep :)) like under the Black Breath Aragorn and Imbecamiel's hypothermia Aragorn :) Cold seemed to have seeped into his very marrow and no matter how many blankets were laid atop him and how many warm stones were placed along his body, he shuddered and shook and felt the avalanche’s cold fist hit him again and again. yesssssssss violently shuddering and everyone trying to pile warmth upon him but it's not workinggg Soft voices spoke to him, but he could not understand the words. Someone might have said his name, but the cold snatched all meaning away. Maybe... maybe he did not have a name... maybe all that made up his essence, his fëa, had been snatched away, flung into the chill void. Maybe this aching, freezing shell was all that was left of him, was all that he had ever been... sdjaksfsgfdjgsdfh maybe he did not have a nameeeee But he remembered... had vague memories... of a past... a future... yessss good He shuddered again. The memories darkened... the avalanche... Was that it, then? Was he alone, buried in snow? <:((( nooo remember the soft voices He must be... he was so cold... so cold.... He could feel Death’s frozen hand reaching for him... grasping... holding not a gift but only despair... sakdjsgh which Death could be a gift, bringing relief, but this time it brings only a frozen despair It touched his face. He cried out, weakly, tried to turn aside, but the hand was relentless, grabbing his jaw, pulling his mouth open. He tried to bite the fingers, but he was too slow, and then something hard pressed against his lips. He clamped them shut and jerked his head away but the hands brought it back and then they covered his nose and he couldn’t breathe and he gasped and foul liquid splashed into his mouth and against his throat and it burned him and he gagged and retched and through red agony he heard a dismayed cry from somewhere beyond this frozen hell. SKADJFHSDHG THIS IS SUCH A GOOD WHUMPY PARAGRAPHHH trying to escape the hand, literally crying out, the force-feeding (my favorite) and he tries to bite the fingers heheheheee skajdhdfsgjkh you know someone is trying to help but he's extremely disoriented and all he can feel is being suffocated, burning liquid forced down his throat, "and through red agony" sksajhfsgjkghjsdkhsgdgjkhssssss yessssss "Good gracious, what are you doing! You’ve all the gentleness of a Breeland butcher!" SKAJSDHSJKG XD YESSS GANDALF THANK YOU come teach...whoever this is, Beorn or Grimbeorn I'm guessing, how to take care of a sick person without coming off as a heartless torturer XD And then Death reached for him again, but no.... He scarcely trusted his senses, but arms held him, folded him into a tender embrace... surely Death would not be so gentle... and finally the confusion lifted. He opened his eyes but saw only vague shadows. More hands pulled away the soiled blankets.... it shamed him, for he knew the mess was his... and someone gently held a warm cloth against his forehead. SKADHFSKJG <3333 surely Death would not be so gentle no don't be shamed <:( awwww a warm cloth <3 A soothing voice murmured in his ear. He knew that voice. And he realized he knew the arms and the robes and the scent. He spoke the name in a frail whisper. "Gandalf..." skasdjfhgsjdghsdfjgshdj <333333 the comfort he finds in being held by Gandalfffff "Shh, shhhh," It was Gandalf, and Aragorn reached up and wrapped strengthless fingers around a sleeve. yessss strengthless but just enough movement to hang on to his sleeve <3 "Sorry... sorry..." He was babbling, he knew, but he could not form any other word. It had been Gandalf, and he had thought him Death... it was unforgiveable. "Sorry." <:( only fevered Aragorn would think that fevered mistake unforgiveable "There now, no need for apologies, my dear, dear boy. Shhh." yessss keep calling him that <3 "What’s... wrong... with me?" "Your wound has turned for the worst, I fear, and fever has a fierce hold on you. You must fight it, Aragorn." Gandalf had never sounded so stricken. So terrified. "Call on your strength, on your healing skills. You must, or all will be lost." <:((((( skasshfjkdghjkdsghdsjg stricken Gandalf terrified for his boy's lifeee "So cold. Tired." I'm not sure Aragorn has the capacity right now to even think of his healing skills but he is a natural fighter, and if any strength is there he will summon it "I know, but you must keep fighting." He pulled him closer to his breast and stroked his hair. "You must keep fighting." <333 <:((( Aragorn nodded. He hurt, oh how he hurt, but he sighed and whispered, "I will ...fight..." skadhfsjfsgjgsf the repeated "oh how he hurt", and sighing before agreeing to fight, because he's committing to more and prolonged pain <:((( His eyes drifted shut and he slid into the blackness of sleep. <33 sleep, child Gandalf shut his eyes tightly as Aragorn sagged against him. If he had thought that arriving at Beorn’s would set all things aright, he had been grievously mistaken. Aragorn held to life with a grip more feeble than the one he had on Gandalf’s sleeve, and now, going into dawn after a night of restless pain and mounting fever, death seemed to lurk under the very lintel, watching for its chance to swoop in and steal Aragorn from their arms. "Oh, Elbereth, lend him your strength. Lend him my strength, for he needs it more than I in this hour." SAJKHSKGJ <333 thank you, Gandalf, for your strength he would so readily trade it <:( skasjdfgk his grip on life even more feeble than his hand He laid Aragorn carefully back against the pillows. <333 awww "How is he?" Grimbeorn asked quietly as he shook out clean blankets warmed by the fire and spread them over Aragorn. yayyyy Grimbeorn I thought so yayy blankets warmed by fire "Weak. Very, very weak. I have seen him under the pall of the Black Breath and thought him near death then, but this..." His voice trailed away. skadhsgkjhsdjk COMPARING IT TO THE BLACK BREATH AND THIS BEING WORSE danggggg no wonder he's stricken Grimbeorn eased himself down beside Aragorn’s leg, a look of shame on his face. "I’m sorry about the medicine. I didn’t expect him to wake up and fight me. And I fear I am more used to medicating animals. That was ham-fisted of me." <:( aww thanks Grimbeorn like eeee sorry ham-fisted hehehe Aragorn waking up and fighting :) I love people fighting care entirely unintentionally or unconsciously or unable to restrain themselves Gandalf almost glared at him, but he realized that Grimbeorn was indeed trying his best, and he imagined, from the purple smudges beneath the man’s eyes, that Grimbeorn was nearly at the limit of his endurance. "No harm done. We will try the medicine again later. For now, we’ll let him rest, and see about some rest for ourselves. Or at least for you." thanks Gandalf <3 and thank you Grimbeorn for your help <333 "Worry not about me; I have plenty of strength left. But Aragorn... he seems not to shiver so much now. That and his speaking just now are surely good signs, don't you think?" hmm I hope shivering less slightly worries me that it is simply his strength draining, but perhaps it could be his fever is climbing less Gandalf said nothing. It was all too uncertain. He dipped his cloth into the warm water and again wiped down Aragorn’s cheeks and forehead. Aragorn murmured something, but Gandalf could not make it out. "His chills are fading, but his fever rises. I wish we could find a way to get the medicine to stay down." mmm noooo <:( still rises "Usually mixing it with honey works." But it had failed, both times they tried it. nooo (yesss) The only thing Aragorn seemed able to tolerate was small mouthfuls of water, and with such a high fever, he needed far more than mere dribs and drabs. But if that was all he could handle, then Gandalf would keep dribbling water in one drop at a time until the end of the Age, if that was what it required. But such tiny amounts... how could Aragorn hope to survive on such scant mouthfuls? But he shook himself. Surely a little was better than none, and none would be all Aragorn got if Gandalf kept losing himself in worried reverie. He reached for the cup and a clean cloth. He soaked the cloth and touched it to Aragorn’s cracked lips. "Come now, open just a little." SKADHFSGJK I LOVE again force-feeding or not-so-forceful feeding are both my favorite. Coaxing him to just open his mouth a little so he can drip in a trickle of water that Aragorn will probably not even be aware of is so good like even if he does wake up he has basically no part or choice in this. His body will swallow or reject it. The lips parted and he squeezed water in until he saw Aragorn swallow, then he dribbled some more. Aragorn again swallowed. Gandalf waited a few minutes and when Aragorn showed no sign of rejecting the offering, he repeated the process until the cup of water was finally gone. He sat back with a sigh, glancing at Grimbeorn, who instead of going off to find rest had stayed to watch. Grimbeorn nodded encouragingly but said nothing. There really wasn’t anything to say, after all. SAKJDFHSGKDJH FEEDING HIM WATER LITTLE BY LITTLE WITH A SOAKED CLOTH AS ARAGORN LATER FED HIS PUPPY IS SO CUTE Gnawing pain in his back woke him, but this time his wits seemed in better shape, and he felt hot instead of cold. He also felt as though Morgoth had been at him with Grond, but he didn’t think he was about to go the way of Fingolfin just yet. I sure hope not. Ouch ouch ouch. but yay for feeling hot instead of cold, maybe? Close, though. OOP He licked his lips. They were so dry they felt rough under his tongue. He sensed movement beside him and opened his eyes. The lids would barely respond, but he managed to peer through the slits. skajdfsg I love him being aware enough to like intentionally look through the slits of his lids but sick and weak enough to barely even command his eyelids to move What he saw made him change his mind about his wits. There was a sheep standing by his bed, holding a stack of blankets on its back. LOL Aragorn frowned and tried to blink but once his eyes shut, they refused to reopen. ah darn He felt a hand touch his shoulder, and then a finger upon his lips, rubbing a soothing balm across them. Then the press of a cup. He opened his mouth and tasted cool water. He swallowed, hoping for me, and after a moment, more indeed came. awwww yay okay that would feel so helpless, being given cool water and desperately hoping for more but not even able to ask, it's entirely up to the discretion of whoever is feeding him "Can you hear me, Aragorn?" a gentle voice asked. It was not Gandalf. Grimbeorn. It was Grimbeorn. Again, he tried to open his eyes to see, but they refused. "Aragorn?" aw hi Grimbeorn <3 He nodded. Twitched, more like it, but he hoped Grimbeorn would understand that he was hardly up for lengthy speeches. yesss LOL HARDLY an understatement indeed. he's not even up for a real nod of the head. "I am going to give you some medicine. It’s mixed with honey, but I fear it will still taste fairly rancid. Do you think you can manage to swallow it?" mmmm yes Aragorn licked his lips... the balm tasted sweet... and mustered the energy to give another twitch of a nod. yayyy thank you for the balm for his dry lips <3 "All right, then," Grimbeorn said, and then with a touch of humor, "Please try not to bite me like last time." LOL :) <3 XD So it had been Grimbeorn’s hands forcing his mouth open, earlier. hehehe not a fond memory "Are you ready, then? Here we go," he said, and without waiting for a response, slid his hand beneath Aragorn’s head and quite abruptly lifted it, and at that moment Aragorn knew he would not be swallowing anything. He gasped as the world spun madly about, and before he could brace himself, the water he had swallowed came back up and over the blankets. SKAJFG YES and at that moment Aragorn knew he would not be swallowing anything XD my favorite line yessss gasping at the tilt of the world, and no wonder with his head as it is. Also that'd be so painful to try and throw up while basically lying down, likeee "Oh dear." Grimbeorn lowered his head back to the pillow, and, while Aragorn coughed painfully and tried desperately to force the bed to stop spinning, he pulled away the blanket and flipped another... from the sheep’s back? Oh Elbereth, I have utterly and completely lost my mind... over him. "That was clumsy of me. I am terribly sorry, Aragorn. I’m not proving to be much of a dab hand at nursing." SKAJDSHGK YESSS coughing while already in such pain, would be absolute agony. The muscles would absolutely pull at his lower back and rock his already aggravated head lollll the sheep again Grimbeorn's cute contrite apology <3 Aragorn meant to say, "No need for apologies; I understand completely. Not everyone has a gentle touch... nothing to be ashamed of." All that actually came out was, "Nnnnuh..." lolll poor guy his mind is so impressively clear and yet he has almost no controlll, I mean getting some sound out is an improvement though, so good job Then Grimbeorn spoke to someone else. "He seems unable to tolerate lifting his head." "We must try to get the medicine in without doing that, then." That was Gandalf. Aragorn would always know that testy grumble, even when all his wits had spun to shreds. LOLL AWW <333 even when all his wits had spun to shreds "Can you steady him? Your touch is far gentler than mine." "Morgoth has a softer touch than you!" Gandalf snapped. "Grimbeorn, many things you may do well, and I do not question the sympathetic intents of your heart, but pray never take up leechcraft." LOL <3 fair. At least he's aware. It's making me miss Halbarad, like with his rough application of the horse balm :) although he quickly did learn a gentle touch afterward Aragorn felt warm hands on either side of his face. "Aragorn," Gandalf called softly, all traces of ire completely gone. awwwww <3 he's so soft now "Gan...off..." Had he no control at all over his tongue? "Gannn..." sskajsdg lol his cute frustrated attempts <3 "Shhhh, do not try to speak. Save your strength. Now, listen to me closely, my friend. I know it is very hard, and you’re so very tired, but we must get some of this medicine into you. But fear not, we will not lift your head again. But you must be extra careful not to choke when you swallow, no matter how badly it tastes. Can you do that, do you think?" mmm yess awwww I love the way he's speaking to him, so gently and yet also like he is a sane and aware person (which he is), and urgently ("listen to me closely") before Aragorn slips away again, and again, gently, "and you're so very tired" <:((( <3 "Y-yes," he whispered. And, feeling flush from his success at finally articulating a word, he felt sure he could do it, but just how horrific would the stuff taste? awww he's like I SAID A WORD I GOT THIS <3 After a few moments, he found out. It was truly rancid, as Grimbeorn had warned. Aragorn knew many medicines but he could not imagine what was in this vile concoction. Still, he carefully swallowed. His stomach clenched and rolled in stern protest, but he forced himself to hold it down, and after a few moments, he relaxed. skajdsghjksfd the torture but his incredible careful focus and control that is impressive but now that he relaxed...is he gonna throw it up again is he is he also does this medicine have a specific purpose, like lowering of fever or relief of pain or fighting infection, or is it more of a general treatment? "There you go, that’s the way," Gandalf said a shade too brightly. Had he the energy, Aragorn might have retorted that he was not, after all, a toddler finally trying turnips and so would he please refrain from speaking in such a ridiculous sing-song. But consciousness was slipping from him again, quite rapidly. LOLLL he's like. My dear Gandalf. YOU ARE BEING RIDICULOUS I'M NOT A...a...todd...zzzzz He wondered what ... had they put... in... that sounds like someone who has just drunk a sleeping draught XD although I don't think he needs such a thing to fall so immediately asleep Grimbeorn let out a huge sigh. "Thank goodness. Now maybe he’ll get some true rest and be able to fight off that fever." DID they put a sleeping draught in it? Gandalf nodded. "Sleeping can only help. But I wonder if we should put a hot compress against the wound." oh yeah I forgot he's on his back right now, right? I hope that's okay "Draw the poisons out?" mm good idea "Do you think it would do him harm?" hopefully not? It sounds like a good idea "I wouldn’t think so, no. I’ve treated infected wounds on horses with that very method." "Just you remember this is no horse we’re tending." LOLLLL we love Grimbeorn "Yes, sir," Grimbeorn sighed. "I truly am sorry." poor guy. he's really trying. he is just. not used to being gentle. A little surprising from someone who works with animals, but after all they are very tame animals. "Yes, yes, I know, and I should not snap at you so." Gandalf took a deep breath and stifled all evidence of his irritation with Grimbeorn. He actually found he was able to give the poor man a smile. "You mean well, and perhaps it is better to be nursed with clumsy compassion than with able hands but a cold heart. Now go prepare the compresses, if you please." awww very wise words indeed <3 And so they gathered what they needed, and for the remainder of the day, they applied warm, wet compresses against the wound, occasionally stopping to clean away the discharge. Aragorn woke at times, but his mind seemed to be wandering far afield, for he mumbled nonsensical things and spoke of riding to Bree and at one point seemed to hold an entire conversation with Halbarad about the proper technique for assisting ewes in difficult births. SKADJGS YES I miss Halbarad <33 I feel like going back and reading At Hope's Edge already. Should I do homework? Yes. Despite the dire situation, Grimbeorn was beside himself with mirth, listening. Then even Gandalf had to chuckle when, after Aragorn announced that he would now put his arm into the birth canal, the ewe that had been patiently bringing them hot cloths let out a terrified bleat and ran from the room. SKASJDSHF I DIEDDDD I love Grimbeorn's mirth as well "Is Aragorn a shepherd, then?" Grimbeorn asked, once he regained control of himself. "Only of the Dúnedain, to my knowledge. But I suppose he must put his hand to many tasks, as chieftain." Only after the words were out of his mouth did he realize what a terrible pun he had uttered, quite unintentionally, but Grimbeorn seemed not to notice. LOLLLL <333 I love how Aragorn's role shows how what you do in life is not limited to one specialty or path. I have always wanted to help deliver animals or human babies, but it looks like I will likely not be a nurse anymore, and so probably not a midwife. But who knows what life may bring, I may deliver an animal's baby yet "Well, I fear he’s chased Daisy off for good, and I can’t blame her. I’ll see about bringing some more cloths. Maybe I can convince one of the dogs to help." He left, and Gandalf examined the wound. It did seem to be less red, and he was unable to see much in the way of pus draining from it. XD yep the dogs <3 aw yayyyyyyyyy looking betterrrr He reached around and felt Aragorn’s forehead. It felt much cooler, and Aragorn’s mumbled ravings had stopped. It seemed that the ewe had delivered her lamb and all was well in the pastures of his fevered imagination. He allowed himself a smile as he brushed Aragorn’s hair back away from his brow and laid the back of his hand against Aragorn’s cheek. "You manage to look after your people and their livelihoods even in your delirium. My dear, dear boy." AWWWWW YESSS I LOVE HIM <333 still looking after people <3 all was well in the pastures of his fevered imagination <3333 He gave Aragorn’s shoulder a squeeze and then worked at gently affixing a loose bandage over the wound. It had been a long and hard battle, these past thirty-six hours, but as he listened to Aragorn’s easy, deep breathing, he felt they had turned death away from the threshold, and he dared hope that the morn would find Aragorn on the way to recovery at last. awww yayyyyyyyy <33333 somehow I think he is right thank you for this extra chapter!!!

Lexilooper	Reviewed Chapter: 11 on 1/19/2026
It had been a tiring day. Tiring, but rewarding as no day in his life ever had been. It was not every day, after all, that one is crowned a king. SKASJDDDHK WELL YES THAT WOULD EXPLAIN IT <33333 OH MY GOODNESS THE TRIUMPH AND RELIEF AND JOY CONTRASTED SO DIRECTLY FROM THE MOMENTS WHERE HE FELT HE COULD HARDLY DARE TO HOPE FOR THIS He looked at the crown sitting on its stand in the niche in the wall of his bedchamber. It was a bit crooked, so he straightened it until its graceful wings stood level with each other. His hands shook slightly, and he balled his fists and put them at his sides. He shut his eyes, took a deep breath and opened them again, almost afraid it had all been a dream.... skadh hands shaking slightly The crown was still there. And he was still standing in a vast bedchamber, where there were candles lit all around and a bed laid for him and a tray of food sitting on the table, left where he’d directed his maidservant to leave it. yesssss His maidservant. His very own. Not Elrond’s. Not Theoden’s. Not Denethor’s, nor Echthelion’s, all of whose household staffs had served him but at the behest of his hosts. Now, though, he had his own. And his own valet. And chamberlain and Steward and a vast army and... a crown. YESSSSS okay and the way he says this is SO DIFFERENT from similarish words I've heard from villain's perspectives. It's not at all "I have the power" and every bit "I am fulfilling my potential I am stepping into my birthright and it is finally time to lead" <3 He buried his face in his hands, then rubbed his face as though washing it and stood for a long silent moment with his hands covering his mouth, staring at the ancient yet still gleaming crown. awwww It was done. All the long years of struggle, of fighting and hardship and hiding and doubt, were over. Peace stretched before him and around him and within him, and within the hearts of good folk everywhere. YAYYYYYY The Shadow was finally defeated. yessss And soon... SOON No. He would not allow his thoughts to travel that road. Not yet. She was far away, and so many things would need to be done before he could look toward his own pleasure. Tending the wounded, seeing to returning refugees, housing those whose homes had been destroyed, rebuilding the city gates and repairing its walls, clearing away the battle detritus still clogging the Pelennor, readying it for next year’s crops... skadjfsg much work to be done indeed <3 But his mind would not let it... her... go. She was coming... and they would wed at long last. AWWWWWW SHE WAS COMING he cannot wait He smiled at the crown, seeing in its soaring wings his own soaring heart. "Thank you," he whispered, both to it and to Eru, and Elbereth, and the Valar and the Maiar and every Man, Elf, Hobbit and Dwarf who had given so much to defeat the Darkness. He would never forget that it was their sacrifices that allowed him to stand in this place, his future bright and secure and stretching out before him like the vast table of the past evening’s first royal banquet. SAKSDKFHGFSKJGHSJFDHGFKJGJ perfectly reflecting his own soaring heart <3333 HIS FUTURE FINALLY BRIGHT AND SECURE <3 He let out a laugh, then... a laugh that was halfway to a sob, a sound of disbelief mingled with a feeling he could not define. Sorrow, perhaps. Elbereth knew the weight of sorrow in his heart, but that did not define all of what he felt. sakjdhskghsdjhs yes the sorrow is still there, it must be <3 Humility? Certainly when he first felt the crown touch his head, it had been all he could do not to fall upon his face, prostrate before all who felt him worthy of such an honor, but he had taken a deep breath and reminded himself sternly of all that was expected of a king, none of which included huddling on the ground weeping. skjadsghkghjghdjskg <3333 his humility I love him so much Humbling it had been, yes, but now, in the quiet of his room, he had to admit, with the start of a smile, that it was not sorrow nor grief nor a wild tumult of humility that had him on the verge of losing all control. mmmmmm No, it was all of that and none of that. It was happiness and sorrow, pride and humility, peace and turmoil... but such a turmoil! Would that his spirit had always been so tempestuously stirred, for he recognized at last what it was that beset him: Joy. SKDDHSJKHAJDHAJFKGSHFG oh my goodness what the beautiful "what it was that beset him: Joy" describing it as besetting him, this wild mix of tumultuous emotions, and yet it is not bad. It is sweet above all. would that his spirit had always been so tempestuously stirred skadhskjghjgh these words Deeper than happiness, strong enough to overcome sorrow, joy such as he had never known and feared he would never experience again cascaded through every channel of his spirit. THROUGH EVERY CHANNEL OF HIS SPIRIT CHANNELS OF SPIRIT I LOVE Every emotion he had ever felt he now knew had been nothing more than tainted water, polluted by the Shadow, murky and stagnant. But now the darkness was defeated, and hour by hour, all day, he had felt the tumult building, just as surely as a great spring seeks a way through stone. But he had kept it contained, out of respect for the valiant dead and respect for the solemnity of the coronation and the gravitas of the moment when a throne left empty too long enjoyed a new occupant at last. He had dared to release a measured amount during the long coronation banquet, though as the wine flowed and his fatigue grew, keeping his emotions in check had become increasingly difficult. yessss But now, here in the privacy of his bedchamber, the full expression of his joy could no longer be gainsaid. He threw his head back with another laughing cry, then spun and raised both hands high in the air.... reaching for what he was not sure. Eru Himself, perhaps. He could not say. He only knew that suddenly he wanted to leap, to run, to fly.... I FEEL I HAVE DONE THIS THOUGH OBVIOUSLY NEVER IN SUCH PURE JOY AND SO I FEEL I WOULD DO IT AGAIN because now he knows. He WAS born to fly <3 And then he dropped his hands and his head and stopped, blushing, even though no one was there to see him. lolll yes that would be me But he did not stop smiling. skajdfsgh <3333 Feeling too constrained by the four walls of his room, he pushed through the double doors onto the balcony and looked to the skies. The sun had long set in the West, drawing down a day that had been filled with celebration and ceremony and smiles. So many smiles, each face lit as with a bright and shining beacon. On all levels of the city, revelers had been making merry throughout the night, and the thought warmed him that the people of Gondor had so thoroughly and unequivocally welcomed him as their new king. He heard the echo of Faramir’s cry... Behold the King! And he heard the echoes of the trumpets and smelled again the flowers that blanketed the streets, flowers that released their sweet perfume under his feet as he walked upward through the city. Through his city. awwwww <3333 WOW you capture the joy I felt reading those chapters so well. Only even increased, for we see firsthand Aragorn's joy <3333 His eyes stung and he blinked several times, swallowing hard against the knot lodged in his throat. Yes, it had been a day like none other, but he realized now how very tired he was. Fatigue had crept over him as the coronation feast went deep into the night, and as its grip tightened, his own grip over his emotions had started to slip. Gandalf had seen it, had seen him surreptitiously blinking away tears of joy as he looked out at the throng of happy guests at the table. And Elladan and Elrohir had seen it a moment later when those tears of joy turned to sorrow as thoughts of Halbarad suddenly flooded his mind, and he had buried his nose in his goblet of wine and nearly choked when the wine could not pass the lump in his throat. Together, in unspoken agreement, they had shooed him away from the evening’s banquet to seek the solitude and rest he sorely needed. awwww THE JOY AND THEN THE SORROW thank you for reminder of Halbarad <3 <:((((((( I love Elladan and Elrohir they are my favorite <3 especially being the best big brothers to Aragorn And now he placed his hands on the balcony rail, tentatively at first, as if he were not quite sure he were allowed, but then he cast aside such foolishness and gripped the stone balustrade as so many Stewards and Kings had before him. YESSS I love this like shy hesitancy and then remembering who he is. It felt cool against his palms, and smooth. He rubbed his hands up and down its length and then looked again at the bright moon sinking in the southwestern sky. He imagined, fancifully, that he might see beyond it to Elvenhome. "To Númenor that was, and Elvenhome that is." Then he repeated, in a whisper, "To Númenor that was." The moonlit clouds seemed then to change before his very eyes, and it was the Meneltarma he spied, and Elros walking up its steep flanks, leading a silent procession of the Faithful to give thanks to Eru. whoaaaaaa <333 seeing Elros leading them up the holy mountain to give thanks to Eru <33 Then with a gasp and a blink, the vision faded. He rubbed his face again, wondering at the portent of what he had just seen. Had it been a chimera cast by an overwrought imagination, or had it been a true vision? He listened to the awful thudding of his heart and sensed in his spirit a fear unlike anything he had ever felt. It was the fear of someone about to approach something... holy. SKASHDK whoa He took another shaking breath. Could it be... dare he try to renew that custom, here in Minas Tirith, even as Gondor’s kings of old climbed Mount Mindolluin’s steep flanks to offer their prayers? He looked at the bulk of the mountains to his right, at Mount Mindolluin that loomed over the Citadel and blocked part of his view of the western horizon. Where on that mountain was that ancient, long-forgotten hallow? Perhaps Faramir might know. Or Gandalf. Or perhaps he might go up there himself to seek it out. However he accomplished it, he knew somehow that in the finding of it, he would receive the sign that this vision was true, and that his heart’s desire was not some cock-a-hoop homage to his own greatness but an act that would be pleasing to Eru. skadjhskg this is so so cool I love love it Aragorn would be the perfect person to lead the reinstatement of this worship The moon again broke through the clouds and pulled his gaze back, and his imagination wandered again to Númenor and the Pillar of Heaven, where the witnessing Eagles circled... yessss He squinted. As unlikely as it seemed in this pre-dawn hour, a pair of Eagles were indeed flying through the distant sky. He could see the moonlight glinting on their wings, and see their shapes as they passed before the moon. He watched them disappear against the dark cloth of heaven between the stars and then he saw them reappear in the moonlight, growing ever closer in leisurely swinging arcs, as if they were looking down on the Pelennor, wondering at the dots of lights spangling its edges, lights that for this one day signified celebration instead of mourning, bonfires of joy instead of the mournful pyres that had burned nearly without cease since the siege and the final battle before the Black Gate. SKASJDHGSJKSG YAYYYYY I hoped this would tie back more directly than simply his assumption of the crown, although that would have been enough <:(( I forget sometimes how many still died in that battle and the ones before, as joyous as the return of the King was. "Long have you been faithful servants of Manwë," he whispered, "And as you were welcome in Númenor, so you are welcome here." But unless they came closer, he had no idea how he might tell the Eagles such a thing. He thought back those many years to the only Eagles he had ever spoken to directly: Menelris, and her mate, Durvain, he of the valiant and compassionate heart who had promised to return in the spring to take him on a flying ride across the Misty Mountains. But Aragorn perforce had to travel to his own people before Durvain returned, NOOO whyy and in all these years since, though he looked often toward the Eagle’s Eyrie, he had never seen the bird again. He finally had to assume that some disaster had befallen Durvain, and his heart still grieved at the loss. NOOOOO THAT'S SO SAD that he had to assume that, had no way of knowing what had happened or whether indeed anything had happened, his heart still grieved <33 <:( He lost sight finally of the Eagles as they continued eastward past the great prow of the city, so he walked back into his bedchamber, knowing he must find sleep before the night was entirely wasted. But he was so beset with restlessness that the bed held no welcome. He walked to the door and opened it, and the guard immediately snapped to attention. "As you were," Aragorn murmured. Then he stood for a moment, wondering which way to go. He glanced at the young man standing so stiffly by his door, worried for a disquieting moment that the man had heard his earlier wild laughter. lolll I would too Then he glanced at the thick stone walls and the sturdy wooden door and decided it was unlikely. "Can you tell me," he started, then had to scramble for the young man’s name, "Sigilthir, which is the quickest way out of this building and into the fresh air of the court of the Fountain?" He had followed the chamberlain through so many twisting corridors and up so many winding staircases that he could have been back in Rivendell for the length of time they had walked. awww him trying to so quickly learn everyone's names because he knows how meaningful it is to be known by name <3 also does that mean...dagger-face? XD which perhaps does not translate into English well but feels fitting for a man of Gondor The man’s eyes widened a bit, and he stammered out directions, offering to accompany the King. aww he's like AHH I really love the, like...he did not grow up in this palace. He's spent time in it (I assume), though likely not the King's actual quarters, but it's giant and he didn't grow up learning the halls and is, even if fully ready for the throne, a bit lost. And all the guards and people are like, in awe of him and completely accepting and filled with joy at the return of the King, and hold a great respect for him. And he's just gonna be wandering around all friendly asking for directions and they're like OH YEAH he doesn't automatically know everything by nature of being great and wise um of course uh anything you need it's that way! And he's either going to be slightly embarrassed at being so lost or just like, you guys. I don't bite. "No, thank you. I prefer to walk alone for a bit, to clear my mind before I retire." "Yes, my lord." He bowed his head, clicked his heels and jerked his shoulders even straighter. Aragorn stifled a sigh, wishing suddenly, desperately, for Halbarad and his easy way of ever standing guard over him, whether it was outside his tent or beside him as they lay each in their own bedrolls under the stars, or, as on that last day of his life, doing his best despite wretched seasickness to make sure Aragorn did not somehow fall over the railing of the ship to, as he had growled, give the sea monsters a royal banquet. Irreverent, irrepressible, irreplaceable. Gone now to his fathers beyond the halls of Mandos. Hot tears burned his nose and throat. Would the pain never ease? SKASDHAJHSHG <:(((((((( THANK YOU for giving us some of these last moments of Halbarad. Their relationship is truly everything to me, I love it so muchhh "despite his own wretched seasickness" lol as Aragorn remembered they are all rather susceptible Irreverent, irrepressible, irreplaceable SKASJDHSGKGHD THOSE 3 WORDS ARE PERFECT FOR HIM <:( XD of course he would be worried about Aragorn falling overboard, in the middle of everything. Aragorn's like "I hope we get there in time!! Row!" Halbarad's like STAY AWAY FROM THE RAILING YOUNG MAN He moved on, past Merethrond, the Hall of Feasts, on his left. The vast white building had been filled with light and laughter deep into the night, but now was quiet and dark as he walked past. The revelers had gone, and the replete silence left in their wake reached even into the Place of the Fountain. The courtyard was empty save for the four guards standing watch over the lifeless White Tree. Aragorn looked at its bare branches and felt an incredible sadness. He had hoped, a bit fancifully, that the old tree might have magically sprung back to life at the moment the crown was placed on his head. Childish thinking, that. <:((( sadnessssss at its loss "But wouldn’t it have been something?" he murmured. indeed <33 lol like the movie He walked down the steps and to the tree, nodding at the guard standing on its north side. so it's a little frustrating (or would be to me) that he can't walk around in complete solitude like he's used to, even in the middle of the night there are guards standing there, but it's also kind of fun to just have them as. Witnesses. Watching their king walkin around doin his thing in the middle of the night <3 I can only imagine they learn a bit more about him and love him the greater He walked under the spreading, lifeless limbs and laid his hand on the trunk. "Would that you have bloomed one last time," he sighed. He sat down on a bench in front of it, again facing West. awww I love his continual facing West The moon had now set, but the stars still blazed with unbridled vigor in the black vault above his head. He looked at them, spotting the familiar constellations and suddenly saw a movement there, a dark shadow flitting across them, momentarily blotting them out with its passage. With too many recent memories of fell beasts driving fear into his heart, he scrambled to his feet, and the guards around the tree jerked their gazes upward and drew their swords. yes I love his still ready for a quick reaction if needed But Aragorn raised a hand . "Stay your weapons. It is an Eagle," he said. He walked out from under the tree and halted when he saw it was not one Eagle but two, surely the same two he had seen from his balcony. Then his eyes widened. "How can this be?" SKASDHFSGJHSJG YAYYYYYYY again I do love that the guards will witness this The Eagles came down gently, and as the light from the flickering lamps set round about the courtyard revealed them fully, he ran to them, tossing propriety to the winds, so great was his joy and amazement. "Menelris! Durvain! My old friends! I thought you had perished!" AWWWWWWW yessss forget propriety throw it out the window Menelris bowed her head. "Great King, it is good to meet again." Durvain also bowed and Aragorn remembered belatedly to return their greeting, but then he lost no time in throwing his arms around Durvain’s neck. "My old friend," he cried, and cared not that hot tears dampened his cheeks as Durvain’s wings enfolded him. "I thought you lost." AWWWW he's like oh yes bow HUG Durvain wrapping his wings around him <:(((((( okay how devastating would that have been to only have borne the good-bye for hope of seeing them in the spring, and then not being able to, and then losing hope you'll ever see them againnn TEARSSS <33333 "It is good to see you again, Strider," Durvain chuckled. "I mean, your Majesty." "No, no. None of that among friends. Strider I was, and Strider I shall always be. It is the name of my house, after all. I am known now as Elessar Telcontar." yess you have made me like this more. Like when Aragorn first said his house would be called Strider I was like...but I'm not sure I like that! It was a name started rather condescendingly, but then you having him tell Elrond some wise thing of "one day I will be called by it in Quenya but not yet" and now the Eagles knowing him as such and him happily telling them to keep calling him it, it's much more friendly than your Majesty and they are indeed dear friends, "Elessar," Menelris said, with the air of one trying out an unusual meal that is not altogether appetizing. "It is a noble enough name, I suppose, if you must name yourself for a rock. But though Telcontar is higher than Strider, in any language it still seems harsh and landbound to me. I would rather you were King Thorongil." She clacked her beak and settled a few displaced feathers on her chest. lollll I love her <3 "Menelris, hush. He can use whatever name he chooses. He is the King now, after all." "You may call me King Thorongil if it pleases you, my lady," Aragorn smiled. Nothing could dim the pleasure of this moment. "You may call me whatever you wish, in fact." <3333 aww "Fear not, I shall call you by your rightful name, lest Durvain peck me to pieces for my breach of etiquette." lollllllll Durvain let out a whistling snort. "And that you may count on, even if you are my Chieftain." XD wait is she Chieftain now? Aragorn laughed at their antics, and finally shook his head. "It has been a day of wonders for me, but your arrival, when I thought you long consigned to the grave, may be the greatest wonder of all. Tell me where you have been these many years!" awwwwww <333333 "I never did give you that ride, did I?" Durvain said. "I apologize for that. We returned late to Beorn’s Hall that spring. Hunting had been particularly good in the south, so we stayed longer than usual. By the time we arrived, you and Gandalf had already gone. And then of course, having stayed overlate in the south, we had to rush to get to our nest, so that we might ready it for our egg, and then –" "We had two eggs that spring," Menelris interrupted proudly. "Two boys. We named one Thorongil, after you." SAKSDHGSDJKGHSDJGSHDFJKD AWWWWW THE SWEET IM SCREAMING "I am honored." <333 "He was, and still is, a stout one. And the other was swift, the first to break free of his egg and the first to spread his wings, so we named him Meneldor." "But I know of him!" Aragorn cried. "He was at the final battle and flew into the Black Land to help fetch the Halflings." SKADHGSDJH WHAT "Thorongil was there as well, fighting in the company at the Black Gate. He saw you, he said," Menelris said. "He it was who set himself high above you toward the last, defending you from the air." AWWWWWWWWW they have taught their young complete devotion to Aragorn, I'm crying <333 Aragorn swallowed hard. He had seen many Eagles, and rejoiced at their arrival. And he had noticed that one in particular seemed to be staying overhead as he ordered the final fighting against the remnants of Mordor’s armies, after Sauron fell and after Gandalf left to retrieve Frodo and Sam, but he had given no thought to the idea he or any of them might have been kin to Menelris and Durvain. That the one that stayed over him the entire time was their son... named in his honor.... He was left utterly without words. "Tell him thank you," he finally choked. AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW <:(((((((( THE SWEETEST "You may tell him yourself, for I will make sure he calls upon you," Durvain said, then a twinkle of humor gleamed in his eye, "that is, if you welcome Eagles in your new eyrie." skadhgdsfhgsjkhdskj <3333 "Welcome them! I should say so! You and all your kind are not only welcome but expected, nay commanded to visit as often as you can, if a humble king of Men can place so bold a commission on the great Eagles." AWWWWWW YES just as he was wishing he could tell them they are fully welcomed as they were in early Numenor <33 he is so committed to ruling as Elros and the great early Numenoreans. How I hope it does not fall to such darkness ever. "I think in your case, such a command is quite permissible," Menelris said. She let out a small whistling chuckle. I love their whistling laughs <3 and aww they're like sure you can command us to visit!! He's like um I'm not sure if anyone can presume to command eagles but if so... "In fact, I have much to discuss about that," Aragorn continued. "About Eru and giving thanks as in the days of Númenor, and re-establishing your witness..." He stopped and held up a hand. skadhfdsgk yes they can counsel him, as ones close to Manwe <3 "But wait. I am overwhelmed and my words are making little sense, so save all that for a later time when joy has not made such a muddle of my wits. Tell me instead of simple things, more about your children and your nests and whether Durvain has found more trinkets by the road. And how it is that Eagles are flying at night! I want to know what has occupied you these many years." skadhgsjk awww he's like okay I sound crazy let's back up and talk of simpler things <3 "Much the same as has occupied you, I would think," Menelris said. "Raising our young. Fighting orcs." "And finding trinkets!" Durvain chirped. "I found an entire set of silver spoons last fall." awww HE SHOULD GET TOGETHER WITH LOBELIA XD "Still my little magpie," Menelris said, affectionately rubbing her head on his shoulder. <333 "Of course, we also found far too many orcs," Durvain sighed. "We lost an eaglet to a band of them two years ago." <:(((( that would be devastating "Oh, how terrible. I am so sorry," Aragorn said. "But of all little ones who lived to adulthood, every one lives yet," Menelris said. "And what a privilege it was to fly alongside our children in the great lines that arrived at the Gates of Mordor just as the fell beasts retreated back to their barbarous lands. We were witnesses to the ending of the Shadow, and glad we were to watch the Tower fall." awwww sksahsgihs they all livedddd and they were there too <333 "That darkness was so heavy that the darkness of night now seems as day to me. Perhaps that will suffice as an answer to why we fly at night now and then, in these days of peace." Durvain shook himself, fluffing his feathers as if in discomfort, and as they slowly fell back in place, he continued in a brighter tone, "But enough talk of battle and darkness. We brought you a gift." awwww yayyy <333 "No, please... the assistance you have given me, to all of the free folk, is gift enough." "No, no... this is a personal gift, from both of us to you. It is a gift for your coronation, a token of our joy that you have at last achieved your dream, and also a remembrance of our time together those harrowing days so long ago." He stepped aside and it was then that Aragorn saw that there was a bundle sitting in the grass, a very large one. He must have missed seeing it in his excitement. awwwwww yesss give him a gift I love it <3 gifts are very important in Tolkien's works and such a sign of respect and friendship and gratitude and honor and things I love it <3 "Open it," Menelris urged. Aragorn grinned, feeling a bit like a child at Yule, SKASH as he should <333 that is so cute, I don't know the last time he felt like that and tugged on the ropes. They fell away, and he unfolded the fabric wrappings and he suddenly was a child at Yule. "Eagle down!" he cried. "You brought me eagle down! And so much!" SKASDHGSDFKJGHDFKGHSDFGJSH JAW DROPPED IN HAPPY and suddenly he WAS a child at Yule skadjfg Durvain let out a happy whistle as he bobbed his head. "You thought I was sleeping, but I overheard you tell Gandalf that you only ever wanted to sleep on eagle down. We could think of no more fitting gift for your coronation day, Strider-Elessar Telcontar, King of Gondor and Arnor." HANDS FLAPPING SO HAPPYYYYY THIS IS PERFECTTT yesssss he overheard <33333 yessssss and he knew Aragorn when made King would never actually go ask the Eagles for a bed of eagle down like Gandalf suggested but... also lol Strider-Elessar Telcontar he gets to be Strider and Telcontar lol and Arnor yessss "Thorongil," Menelris added quietly, with a gleam in her eye. LOLLLLL <333 I love her She has also made me like that name better, for though I am in love with the meaning of "Eagle of the Star", Thorongil, to use her words, has always felt more harsh on my tongue than other names of his "I will have a cover made for it straightaway and sleep on it tomorrow night and every night thereafter," Aragorn said. He pulled a handful out and rubbed it against his cheek. It seemed softer even than he remembered. Arwen will be so pleased.... "Thank you." awwwwwwwwwwww yessss he's like I will make sure it's made TODAY and his next thought is yay Arwen gets a soft bed <333333 oh I had a question about the eagle down from originally, did Aragorn sleep on the blanket on the down, with two blankets on top of that? or just straight on the down and it was large enough that it didn't scatter too much? "And I have one more gift for you, if you would be willing," Durvain said. "Although it is less a gift than a belated fulfilment of a promise." Aragorn turned and stared. "You mean - " SLADFJSGDKFGJSKLGJDSFGKLSDFJGKFLDGKJLDFJ I FORGOT IN THE FACE OF THE OTHER GIFT THANK YOU <333333 "If it would be permissible, I would gladly fly you over your new city." SKADHGSKJGHJSDDS Aragorn gasped. He had not considered such a thing... his heart leapt at the thought, but would it be proper... would it be too great a risk? "I accept!" he said immediately. "But it must be a very short ride, and high enough that no one sees me. And," he added with a sly smile, "I must be atop." lolllll no I want EVERYONE to know he's riding a great eagle through the sky over Minas Tirith :))) LOL but if he carries you you can do more loops and twirls... "What, you don’t prefer to dangle from my claws?" "Talons," Aragorn corrected. "And no, I do not prefer that." LOLLLLL HE SAID CLAWS Durvain chuckled and lowered himself to the ground. It was then that Aragorn saw he had a harness of sturdy rope tied around his neck and his body. "You came prepared." yesssss "I felt fairly certain you would accept the invitation." hehehe :)) Aragorn sternly admonished the guards around the White Tree that no one was to know their new King was about to fly over the city. As one, the four men bowed their heads, and he saw a flicker of a smile light the stern visage of the one nearest him. But then, heart pounding, he scrambled up and onto Durvain’s back. "What should I do?" SKAGH :)))) the guard actually smiles a bit I think they're going to enjoy this his stern admonishment and then scrambling like an eager child onto a chair to play horsey-ride "Hang on, mostly." "I don’t need to shift and such? Gandalf warned me I should not sit like a lumpy sack of potatoes." "I remember. And I’m sure you will do no such thing. I have seen you ride horses; riding with me will differ little from that. Oh, and do you see the loops on either side? Slide your legs through them. They will hold you in case you slip. We mustn’t lose Gondor’s king on the very first day she has him, after all." Aragorn slid his legs into the loops and tugged them tight. yessss maybe now they can do some loops lollll that would indeed be a very ironic(?) tragedy I love Durvain being like yeah I know but like. You're good at riding horses it's not actually that different when you're not a wounded sack of potatoes and don't have to think about it much "Ready?" Durvain asked. "Yes!" he's so excited :) Durvain spread his wings and pushed off with his legs and with one easy flap they were airborne. Aragorn’s breath utterly left him and his hands tightened reflexively on the rope. High above the Citadel they flew, in great circles, and though his stomach shivered a bit, he was far too excited to feel anything but delight as he looked down upon his city. In the soft shadows of pre-dawn, skasdjhfsgjkh wait I saw "pre-dawn" and was suddenly cackling at the thought of Elladan and Elrohir shooing a visibly exhausted Aragorn from the feast and off to bed only for him to spend all night pacing his chambers, laugh like a madman, look over his new city, then go and ride an eagle. much of the damage from the siege and battle was mercifully hidden, and he saw walls gleaming like so many luminous pearls, and he saw lamps shining golden in windows and the glint of bonfires on the Pelennor, and beyond the city he saw the mountains, their snowy peaks already gleaming shell pink in the day’s first light. And above it all, in the East, Gil-Estel sailed, the Silmaril’s light of the past giving hope to the present. Aragorn raised a hand to Eärendil, who seemed near enough to reach down and clasp the hand of his grandson so many generations removed. Aragorn’s throat tightened, and he took a great shuddering breath. "Thank you, Giver of Hope," he whispered. skadhgsjhfjdskhg that is a beautiful name that I forgot and love <333 skadhfsgkgjhsdjkgh seeming near enough to clasp hands <3 I hope Earendil is looking down on him with love and pride Was that the star Elrond followed in Aragorn's black breath? Or was it only A star. Love the beautiful description of the city and surroundings <3333 it does Tolkien justice, I think He looked again at the city below. His city. His people. He thought of Boromir, then, and their final words to one another: ‘Go to Minas Tirith and save my people!’ he had pleaded. And Aragorn had given his promise: ‘Minas Tirith shall not fall!’ And, though sometimes still he could barely trust it not to be a dream, the promise had been fulfilled; the city had not fallen. Then his thoughts went to Halbarad, and from his fallen kinsmen to the countless others who had given all so that this day might arrive. "I look down upon this city for you both, and for all those who did not live to see this day!" he cried. SKAHDJSDGHSJK <333 thank you. Those noble brothers. I can hardly believe it either, for all that it has seemed so far away with Aragorn barely daring to hope or imagine what it would be like to actually defeat Sauron and everything to work out. Even though I knew from the beginning it would, it still feels unreal. Then he fell silent, overwhelmed. He leaned down to rest his cheek against Durvain’s broad neck. "Thank you, my friend. This is a gift beyond price." skadjhgsh <333 I also love Durvain just a silent witness to Aragorn's shout "You are most welcome, Elessar Telcontar, Great King of Gondor. Behold your city, and rejoice." SKJAHGSJKH And so Aragorn looked and beheld its beauty, and he wept for sheer joy. SAKDJGHSJKHSJGHSDJFGSHDJGKDSJFSDKFDSFHDSFJKSHDFJGSJDFGJSDGSHDFJ what a beautiful ending <3333 Aragorn beheld his beautiful city and wept for sheer joy <33333 yesss I agree with the notes and I definitely want Aragorn to spend lots of time at that house, so cute <33

Lexilooper	Reviewed Chapter: 10 on 1/17/2026
It took only a week for Durvain to regain his feet. Or his wings, Aragorn supposed, as he watched him circle high above Beorn’s compound, working the wing and gaining strength seemingly hour by hour. He would soon fly off to the south, to warmer climes. aww yay awww no <:( Aragorn would miss him. awwwwww <:((( He carefully shifted the sleeping puppy in his lap and wished he could fly off to his own home and people. SKJADGH <3 Aragorn sitting with sleeping puppies in his lap <3 I love that he loves that but am not surprised poor guy again wishes for home His back was improving, thanks in no small part to the healing sleep he had finally attained, but it was still very stiff and sore, and there was a weakness there that only time and measured exercise would restore. mmm yes In the meantime, he moved as an old man, leaning hard on a walking stick and too quickly sinking into the nearest available chair with a deep groaning sigh of relief. yessss still the long painful healing process, good <3 love that his sighs of relief are so open He had finally gotten a look at the wound, twisting painfully... and briefly... around to see it in a mirror. Gandalf had done a masterful job at stitching it up. yesssss good job Gandalf There was only the thinnest line of sutures marching in a short row across the top of his hip bone, leaving a welt that promised to disappear into only the faintest of scars someday. Although the considerable damage to the muscle was still healing below the surface, there was little swelling and no longer any redness at all around the incision itself. He had much for which to be thankful. awww <3 indeed He eased himself a bit in the chair Beorn had set out for him in the courtyard and propped his left leg more securely on the small footstool. Keeping his leg slightly raised was the only thing that kept his back from pulling into sharp spasms when he was sitting. skajdf love love these things he has to do that remind everyone of his pain, like using a walking stick and a footstool, because he would not if he could handle it Even so, it tended to throb and cramp if he stayed in one position for long, so he fidgeted and wiggled constantly, it seemed, and felt fatigue all the more keenly because of it. yessssss fatigue all the more keen because of it, wonderful Since he eschewed taking anything for the pain, disliking in the extreme the groggy feeling that came with the relief, the only time he was truly comfortable was when he lay on his right side and thus relieved all strain from his back. Of course, spending all day long laying on his side was hardly entertaining, and so he forced himself to move around, and suffered because of it. mmmm yes and suffered because of it Still, things were getting better, day by day. He must be patient... yayyy good job And then he flinched at a spasm, one that seemed to shoot sparks all the way down his leg to his ankle, where they subsided from their fury into a sullen ache. HEHE flinch Why his ankle would ache because of a back wound he would never understand. LOLLLL fair He leaned to the side to try to ease it, twirling his foot round and round until the clamor died down. you can tell he is practiced in this His restlessness disturbed the sleeping puppy as well, who opened his tiny mouth in a silent cry. Aragorn stroked one finger along its tiny head. "Shhh, little one. All is well. I won’t wiggle again, at least for a little bit. Sleep, sweet one." awwwwwwwww Aragorn is very much a dog person, confirmed. Which fits with his connection to Beren and Luthien, really The puppy settled back into slumber. Although from his limp posture it looked like he would sleep until the start of the Fifth Age, he would need feeding again in an hour, and Aragorn would be happy to hold the cloth and steer the milk into the tiny mouth, drip by drip. The puppy was the runt of a litter, unable to latch on and nearly left for dead as it lay buried under his bigger, healthier littermates. Beorn had spied it, though, and handed its care off to Aragorn, since, as he put it to Gandalf with a wink, that sad excuse of a king-to-be had nothing better to do with himself and might as well earn his keep. And Aragorn had been happy to serve as nursemaid. It was soothing to sit and care for such a tiny creature, to be concerned with nothing more complicated than keeping it warm and fed. AWWWWWWW yes I wanna thank you Beorn <3333 his wink He tucked it into his shirt, where it snuggled against his skin. AWWWW tucking it into his shirt <33 I like doing this with baby chicks :) Though it was sunny here in the courtyard, where most of the wind was blocked by the walls of the buildings, such a mite of a puppy could still suffer a chill. Feeling its claws curling in with tiny, tickling digs, Aragorn smiled. He lifted his face to the sun, closed his eyes and let its warmth caress his cheeks and eyelids. A shadow cooled his face momentarily, then the sun returned. He squinted upward and watched Durvain’s easy circles. He remembered the few moments during his own harrowing journey through the air when exhilaration had replaced fear and suddenly had a desperate longing to be up there flying with him. awwww YAYY I want him to fly with him tooooo What a change a fortnight can make in one’s outlook! He had gone from being a man imprisoned by childhood fears of Eagles to one who eagerly looked forward to riding atop one. Glorfindel would be astounded. And what a thing that would be, to come flying into Rivendell on the back of an Eagle. He chuckled as he again closed eyes. YESSSSSSS I love also that Glorfindel still knows his fear awwww the pure happy laugh <3 I love those kind, just yourself and your thoughts and they are good "I see you’re entertaining yourself nicely," Gandalf said. hehe Aragorn did not bother to open his eyes. "I am just thinking of the looks on Elrond’s and Glorfindel’s faces, should I ever chance to arrive in Rivendell on the back of an Eagle." heheeee he's like please can we ride them to Rivendell please "I’m sure your father would barely bat an eye. He would merely be relieved you were in one piece, although the rarity of such an unscathed arrival might alone be enough to put him in a swoon. LOLLL Elrond swooning at the sight of his son returning healthy, poor guy How often have you come home without dragging along a bleeding limb or cradling a cracked skull?" "More than you’d think, actually." uh what's concerning is that Gandalf has reason to think that at all "Hmm. Well, when your current set of woes have subsided, whither then shall we go? Southward or to Rivendell?" "It will depend largely upon the weather, I think. Rivendell and parts west may not be an option until spring." He sighed. "I hope the winter is not overly harsh for my people. Having been gone with you all summer, I do not know the state of the harvest." mmmm that is true he does not and he must worry <:( they are his and his to care for and yet he has not seen them all year <:( "Elrond will see to it they are not wanting." <33 "I shall need to go to them, for a time, come spring." "And you shall. This chase of ours is an endurance race, not a sprint. Much as I want to find Gollum as soon as possible, it remains that he is one very small creature in a very vast country and will be very difficult to find, and impossible to find quickly. You cannot neglect your other duties. I, however, can continue on my own at whiles, though I must say I prefer the pleasure of your company, injured or otherwise." awwww saddddd to part again I forgot they began somewhat parted Aragorn nodded but said nothing. He put his hand over the small lump of puppy under his shirt and stroked it idly. "You seem troubled." mmm yay Aragorn glanced at him but still kept his peace. Nothing was troubling him beyond the usual worries: were his people warm, were they safe, what was Sauron planning, where was Gollum, how did they stand a chance at finding him.... And what, oh what, did the future hold for them all? Did they even have a future, or was it all a forlorn hope? Surely it cannot all be in vain.... sksajsjkghsjgsj Aragorn's worry <:((((( BECAUSE IT'S SO UNCERTAIN DARE HE EVEN HOPE, IMAGINE ALL GOING WELL, ALL WORKING OUT? It does not always He shut his eyes again, giving the sun every opportunity to melt away his worries. It was not particularly effective. lol yesss this is also VERY a mood a few moments of pure joy and happy laughter in the sun and then forlornness and then moments of allowing the sun to whisk away the despair...and yet it does not. It has returned, to stay again until the next such moments "Beorn certainly has enjoyed your company," Gandalf finally said. awwwww <33 "And I his. He is beyond anything I could have imagined from hearing the tales about him. I shall miss him, when we leave." "And I believe he will dearly miss you." <333 so cute YEP HE HAS ANOTHER FATHER <3 we should count them I do not think one can have too many A small smile, there and gone like mist. skasdhsj the depression "Aragorn, I must insist: what is it that troubles you?" yessss I love how I hear him say this, pressing and quizzical "I don’t know," he replied honestly. "I am... frustrated, perhaps. Or maybe I am tired. This interlude has been restful, but..." hmmmm Gandalf said nothing. And into his quietly demanding silence, Aragorn struggled on. "I cannot help but fear it is only the briefest break in a dark tide that is soon to overwhelm us." He sat for a long time, stroking the puppy, deep in thought. Then quietly, after a long silence, "Did you see the wave that drowned Númenor, Gandalf? No, of course you didn’t; it’s a foolish question. But it has been on my mind of late." mmmmmm yes well said. A frightening wave indeed Another quiet pause. Aragorn wished Gandalf would say something. Anything. But the wizard only regarded him with quiet compassion. He would have to flounder on and hope the words that came out made some sort of sense. sakdsjshkg I love how it's a thing that these people let him flounder until he finds his words, but the silence is pressing in a way that he knows he must speak his mind and not try and keep it to himself "I saw a wave once, a rogue thing that crashed into the coast of Belfalas. It was monstrous, that wave. Well over fifteen feet tall, it drove inland and washed away entire villages. But before it hit, the sea retreated. The waters nearly vanished from the inlet, and children ran along picking up treasures that the waters had left behind. It was only the warning from some canny old mariners that saved the children from being drowned when the waters came roaring back." He looked at Gandalf. "I fear this time is like that false peace before the killing wave crashes. That this interlude is only the hand of doom setting us up to be drowned, but no one knows to warn the children." skadjfsjgjskh that is a piercingly dark worry <3 Gandalf was a moment in answering. "You may well be right. The final dark wave may indeed be looming just beyond sight. But in this I believe you are wrong: you and I and Master Elrond and the wisest of the Wise are sounding the warning even now. We have some time to get the children out of harm’s way." awww thank youuuuu for giving me hope as well "How can you be sure?" "I have hope." <3333 Aragorn pulled in a breath, then slowly nodded. He shut his eyes again and leaned his head back. "I am named for hope, and have it in full, or so I believe. And yet...." A pause. "I do not know why I allow myself to lose sight of it so easily." skajdfsjhsjkg so fair "and have it in full, or so I believe. And yet..." "Of the highest lineage you may be, but you are as vulnerable as any of us to weariness and despair. Do not be so hard on yourself." yessss <33 "I will try," Aragorn promised. "Thank you, Gandalf." thank youuuu he will try to be gentle "Simply doing what a friend should." aww <333 "And great is my gratitude for that. And great also is my gratitude for Beorn. In my short time here, he has spoken wisdom to my heart that I might have lived an entire lifetime without learning on my own. Where is he this morning?" awwwww yes "Out with his sheep, I believe." "I wish–" "Yes?" "You’ll think me childish." :)) "I often do, so nothing you tell me now will change that." SKAJDSFG that's...comforting? I guess? Aragorn pulled a face. He glanced around to assure himself the courtyard was empty, then he leaned toward Gandalf and lowered his voice. "I would have liked to have seen Beorn change into a bear." yessssss aww his very carefully quietly embarrassed telling not wanting to be overheard Gandalf chuckled. "It is a sight to behold." "You’ve seen it?" he's a little jealous I think :) but not surprised "At the Battle of Five Armies, yes. I saw him arrive and saw him change into a bear, right before he went charging into the field." oooooh Aragorn shook his head in wonder. "What a marvel that must have been!" yessss "Skinchangers are... or were, I suppose I should say, for Beorn is the last among Men... one of Eru’s more inventive creations. It saddens me greatly to see them passing from Middle-earth." awwww I love that awww that is sad <:( "Will they still change shapes... after?" "Beyond the Dark Sea?" I always forget that Men's journey includes a sea as well Or is it the same sea that is to Mandos' halls before they continue on? Aragorn nodded. "I do not know. You’ll find out someday, I would think." hmmm yes "I am in no hurry." "It relieves me to hear you say that. awwwwww yes, for there was a point...where he was nearly suicidal, were it not for his inability to give up They fell silent, content to simply enjoy the quiet of each other’s presence. Aragorn was about to nod off when a sound, a testament to his continued injury <3 the scraping of a shoe upon the paving stones, stirred him. He opened one eye and saw it was Beorn. Aragorn started to straighten in his chair, then froze, his eyes wide. DID BEORN HEAR HIM Beorn stood tall and straight, but there was a glimmering play of light and shadow about him, not a glow so much as a sort of breaking of the lines of his body. Aragorn blinked hard several times, but the effect remained. The world around was crystal clear, but Beorn was... shifting... the lines of his body lengthening, the girth of his stomach and legs and arms growing. His hair, always wild, now grew and thickened until it covered his entire body. He fell forward onto arms that were no longer arms but sturdy bowed legs, and he braced himself on hands that had become great paws with massive claws. OOOOOOH And he was huge. Far larger than any bear Aragorn had ever seen, and far larger than the man Aragorn had come to know and count as friend. This Beorn... this bear... was wild and elemental and... terrifying. dangggggg far larger even than Beorn the man is HUGE Even though Aragorn knew Beorn would not attack, he still felt a frisson of fear ice his belly and spine. He could only imagine how great the terror of Beorn’s enemies must have been. skajdhdskhg fairrrrr Beorn let out a growl that seemed to shake the very walls of the buildings around them. Aragorn felt the puppy start and then tremble. He put his hand in his shirt and tucked it protectively around the small shivering body. "Shhh, ’tis only your Beorn," he whispered. AWWWWWWWWWW "'tis only your Beorn" <333333 Beorn stepped into the courtyard, right up to Aragorn, and thrust his muzzle into Aragorn’s face. He opened wide his mouth, and Aragorn was treated to a very intimate view of razor sharp teeth. The jaws snapped shut and Aragorn couldn’t stop himself from flinching violently backward. His chair tipped and he nearly upended himself. eep XD okay FAIR though treated to a very intimate view of razor sharp teeth...something tells me it was not really much of a treat XD As he floundered for his balance, Beorn stepped back and quicker than it takes to say, changed back into the form of a man. Had Aragorn blinked, he would have missed the transformation entirely. As it was, he only saw a vague shimmering blur that faded and left Beorn standing before him, laughing so hard tears ran down his cheeks. SKDHSGKJSGH XD what a trickster <3 he would LOVE Merry and Pippin "Ooh hoo," he hooted, then wiped his eyes and hooted some more. "That was worth every long year of my life, to see the look on your face as I snapped my jaws at you. Oh, to think I’ve terrified the man who will someday be the Great King of Gondor! I can enter Mandos’ Halls a happy man now!" SKASDKSHGJKSDH I CACKLEDDDDDD AT THAT LAST SENTENCE this is what makes his life fulfilled a great claim to fame XD Aragorn started to chuckle and soon he was laughing as hard as Beorn. It was several minutes before either of them regained control. "I thank you, Beorn. I was hoping to see you transform into a bear, although I must say I did not anticipate such a close view." SAKDHGJSHJKSGJSDF <333333 they are the cutest of friends, I LOVE that Aragorn can immediately and genuinely cackle along <333 "You didn’t soil yourself, I hope." Aragorn laughed and shook his head. "No, fear not. My dignity is intact in that regard." lollllll "Good. Because I wouldn’t have wanted that on my conscience." I like him, he's a good man :) He suddenly rubbed his bare arms. "A bit chilly out here when you have no clothes on, and no fur to cover you." Indeed, Beorn was as naked as the day he was born. His woolen tunic lay in shreds on the grass at the edge of the courtyard. Unconcerned, Beorn walked over and gathered them up, then nodded to Gandalf and Aragorn and disappeared into his hall, presumably to find clothes. LOLL <33 Aragorn sagged back in his chair with a breathless laugh. "Well. It appears my wish was granted." <333 awwwww skadjh XD "And then some," Gandalf chuckled. "You really should have seen the look on your face. I don’t think even the Eagles frightened you as much as Beorn just did." dangggg okay I was going to say Beorn wasn't the first to terrify Aragorn, but... "I may have a nightmare or two about those teeth." He pulled the puppy out from under his shirt. "And although I did not soil myself, poor little puppy here did." He plucked at the wet stain on his shirt. He handed the puppy to Gandalf and levered himself out of his chair. "I think I best do as Beorn and find a new shirt. Watch him for me, the puppy." lol yess <33 Gandalf raised the puppy in an acquiescing salute, then settled the small creature on his lap. AWWW I CAN JUST PICTURE GANDALF DOING THIS AND I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SEE GANDALF DOING THIS <3 It's all just so...domestic, I suppose. Aragorn started for the door, then paused. He looked around the courtyard, at the sunlit meadows, brown now with winter but restful for that nonetheless. He traced the land as it descended to the great hedge, then lifted his eyes to the mountains far to the west, where he had very nearly lost his life but in the process gained so much. AWWWWW he gained some great, dear allies and friends who he would never trade <333 He heard a cry far above him and shaded his eyes. Durvain circled and dived and climbed again, and Menelris flew beside him. Aragorn waved, and as one, the Eagles turned and descended until they landed lightly upon the lawn. Aragorn hobbled to the edge of the courtyard. "How fares the wing, Durvain?" awwww hehe yes thank you he still hobbles "It is whole now." He stretched it out in full and moved it about freely. "I am very glad." he heals quickly <3 but also to partly Aragorn's credit <3 Menelris bobbed her head and let out a pleased chirp. "We cannot thank you enough for all you did to help Durvain. But the weather is changing, and we will be leaving you now, I think. It is past time to be heading south." awww <:((( Aragorn was surprised at the crashing dismay he felt. That they would eventually leave he knew, but for their departure to have come so precipitously shook him. But he hid it carefully, or so he hoped. "Then I suppose," he started, then had to clear his throat, "I suppose this is farewell." SKASKJDHJSFDHGKSDGHSGJDF and I cannot help for I never have any way to reconcile the deep melancholy of a goodbye. I really do not like them much. "Only for a time," Durvain said. He walked forward and spread his wings. Aragorn felt an echo of the old fear, but it quickly vanished as he found himself enveloped in the Eagle’s vast wings. He reached around Durvain’s neck and buried his face in his feathers, wondering if it was for the last time. He blinked at the stinging in his eyes. ASKJDHSKJSHGJSKGHSJKGHJF THIS SWEETEST EMBRACE OF A MAN AND AN EAGLE burying his face in the feathers <:( "I will miss you, my friend," he said, his voice breaking despite his every attempt to control his emotions. skajdfhsjdgh <3333 "And I, you, but this is not good-bye. Only a farewell for a season. We will meet again, you will see. And I will take you aloft, when you are well. Next spring, I think, we will fly together on the gentle breezes." AWWWWW YAYY AND ONLY IN A FEW MONTHS TOO <3 this is making me think of Elrond telling Frodo they will see each other again soon, only it's even sooner <3 The wings withdrew and Aragorn stepped back. "I do want that," he said. He somehow found a smile. "Anticipation of it will warm my thoughts this winter." awwwwww yayyyyy Durvain glanced at Menelris, who bowed low toward Aragorn, and Durvain followed suit. "To the Great King," Menelris said solemnly. "Though you have yet to gain your throne, you have our allegiance and such protection as we can provide. You need only call, and we will answer." SKAJDSHJSDFGHSJDFKG <333 great and dear allies indeed. I love how Menelris bows first. To the Great King. Obviously she cannot be exactly speaking in capitals but I am sure that is just what she intended and I love love it her solemn and sincere respect <3 and no wonder, after she watched Aragorn hobble out of the hall to save her mate Moved, Aragorn bowed his head. His heart was full, but he could find no words. "Thank you," he finally said. "Thank you." He hoped it was enough. skajsdh awwww <3 The two Eagles straightened, and Menelris said, "Farewell, then, wherever you fare, until your eyries receive you at the journey’s end!" "May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks," Aragorn replied. awww he has learned their sayings <3 I forget, where do we hear this? It is familiar. Does Gandalf say it after the eagles rescue Frodo or something? Durvain chirped once, and then with a great flutter of wings and a buffeting of air, they were aloft and flying fast to the south. Aragorn watched them for as long as he could, until they vanished into the distant haze. The sun chose that moment to vanish behind lowering clouds gathering from the North, and the day seemed strangely empty and hollow. SKASJDHS PERFECTLY DESCRIBE THE FEELING AFTER A GOODBYE STRANGELY EMPTY AND HOLLOW He sighed and turned to Gandalf. "I wish life did not hold quite so many farewells." <:(( "You will see them again, come spring." <3 Aragorn nodded, but he could not shake the lonely feeling the Eagles’ departure had given him. yepppp "And in the meantime, you have a puppy to care for, and what will most likely be an entire winter of hearing Beorn’s tales by his fire." <33 yessss I bet he has such good ones A glimmer of warmth bloomed in his heart. "Will we stay, then?" AWWW he's so happy about it "I see no reason to try to beat westward against winter’s might, merely to exchange this warm fire for another that we might never reach." yesss great point Before Aragorn could reply, Beorn reappeared in the doorway, clad again in a brown woolen tunic. "Come inside, the two of you. I’ve bread and honey and good warm mead set for you! There’s a storm heading this way, if my eyes do not deceive me, so we will weather it by the fire and tell tales and eat until we burst or fall asleep, whichever comes first!" YESS that sounds heavenly <3 Gandalf leaned toward Aragorn, "But please, take a moment to change your shirt first." He winked. XD <333 Aragorn laughed, threw his arm around Gandalf’s shoulders, and together they walked into Beorn’s hall, just as the first flakes of snow swirled into the courtyard. AWWWWW laughing and throwing his arm around Gandalf's shouldersssss how I treasure their relationship and will appreciate it so much more in the Lord of the Rings now WAIT NO THAT MAKES GANDALF'S PRESUMED DEATH SO INFINITELY MORE DEVASTATING ahh the Hobbit, I see

Lexilooper	Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 1/17/2026
Gandalf hurried toward him, and fortunately seemed in no way inclined to roast him, lest it be for daring rise from his sickbed. "Aragorn! What do you call this foolishness! You are in no shape to be up and walking–" well that's comforting thank you <3 heheee as I predicted, for daring to rise from his sickbed "Do not worry about me," Aragorn grunted, but his eyes were taken with the sight before him. Aragorn realized he had never properly seen Menelris. ooooh fair He had been unconscious or very close to it each time she was nearby, save those moments after the fight with the black eagle. His attention then had been more taken with ensuring Durvain had not been severely injured, and to be honest, his memories of the entire time were hazy at best. So seeing her now, with his mind finally completely clear, was astonishing. Her sheer size momentarily stopped him in his tracks, but again it was Durvain that demanded his attention. He lay huddled on the ground, his head stretched disconsolately before him and his left wing twisted away from his body in an awkward sprawl. Menelris bobbed her head in extreme agitation, letting out keening whistles of alarm as she nudged him gently. He neither stirred nor opened his eyes. "What has happened?" Aragorn asked quietly. OH NO "He and Menelris just arrived. He could barely fly; she was very nearly carrying him as she supported him from below. It seems his wound, like yours, has suddenly turned for the worst." oh dearrrr "If you would help me to him–" "Of course, of course. Here, let me have that staff and you can lean on my shoulder instead." awww <33 of course I'll help you to your friend "I’m sorry to abuse your staff so – the dog... he brought it and there was no time to find another, and I did not want to insult–" aww his worry "No, no. It is quite all right. It is special in my hands, but in yours it becomes just another walking stick. You cannot diminish its power by using it as a crutch in such a dire circumstance as this." that is also comforting thank you <3 "The dog drooled on it." Gandalf only chuckled. "Nor is it unduly affected by dog slobber. I’m sure the dog meant well and could find nothing else suitable at hand, so put your mind at ease." lollll fair thank youuuu Relieved, Aragorn draped his arm across Gandalf’s shoulders and together they walked to Durvain. "By his wing first, I think, on the side nearest his head," Aragorn murmured. He then lowered himself carefully to his knees. "Durvain, it is Strider. Can you hear me?" OH YEAH HE'S A HEALER more than anyone else here, I expect it actually will be important for him to be here I love how automatically he takes charge even though he is the second-weakest here Durvain’s eyes opened and he lifted his head. "Hello, Strider," he said, his voice a bit weak but his eyes as bright with friendliness as ever. "I am so glad to see you again, and to see you looking a bit more yourself. Or at least as I imagine you to be. I’ve never actually seen you upright!" AWWW <3 opens his eyes to talk happily to him he's so cute I've never actually seen you upright! "I am glad to see you, Durvain." "Do you want to go flying again? I will gladly take you." skashfsg awwwwwww I am excited for them to do so but not right now also look how there is no terror in Aragorn whatsoever <33 "I would like that, thank you, but alas, you hardly look ready for flights of fancy. What is this that besets you, my dear friend?" awww <3 what is this that besets you MY DEAR FRIEND have you seen the Aragorn Has Friends There pinterest? about how Aragorn is not lonely because he's a loner but lonely because he's always missing so many people he dearly loves it's very sweet and accurate "My wing seems to be giving me some bother. It’s nothing, though. I will be well enough, in a few days." HONEY YOU WEREN'T EVEN OPENING YOUR EYES TO MENELRIS "Two days spent with Aragorn," Gandalf muttered, "and he’s become just as obstinate; it must be a catching disease." LOLL YEP I LOVE IT THEY'RE KINDRED SOULS Aragorn glared at him but he merely jutted his beard out defiantly. LOLLLLLLLLLL HE JUTTED HIS BEARD OUT INSTEAD OF HIS CHIN XD "I just need to rest for a while here, if Master Beorn doesn’t mind too much," Durvain continued. "Please tell him we promise not to eat his sheep while we are here." lolll <3 Menelris, who all this time had been nearly hopping from foot to foot at Durvain’s right side, let out a derisive squawk. "Do not pay him a bit of attention, Strider. The wound has worsened beyond any repair that mere rest can provide." YES yep she speaks truth I am sure Aragorn nodded, then put a hand on Durvain’s wing. "Can you lift it, my friend?" awwww Durvain strained, and the wing rose shakily, but not high enough to give Aragorn a proper look. "Gandalf, Beorn, if you could assist?" awwwwww I love again his natural leadership in healing The two hurried to grasp the wing. "Slowly! We do not want to injure him further," Aragorn admonished. <333 They nodded and as one raised the wing high enough for Aragorn to see the problem. The wound was indeed infected, all along its considerable length. He laid a hand flat against the reddened skin, where the feathers had torn away, then placed another hand alongside the opposite side of the wound. He took a deep breath and shut his eyes, then started to quietly sing a song of healing. awwwwwwww yayyyyyy GETTING TO SEE ARAGORN AS A HEALER <3 "What’s he doing?" Beorn asked. "Shhh," Gandalf hissed. "Do not disturb him. He is a healer." "A healer! You don’t say! Like the Elves, I suppose. But see here, if he’s a healer, why couldn’t he have healed himself?" lollllll uh "Do be quiet, Master Beorn! Aragorn needs to concentrate...." XD not even answering Aragorn smiled a bit at their fiercely whispered conversation. He ended the song and looked up at them. "The wound is greatly infected. It needs thorough cleaning. If you could bring me plenty of buckets of hot water, and clean cloths, and–" skadhskd just smiles "We will do no such thing!" Gandalf interrupted. "Or, that is to say, we will not bring those things to you. LOL FAIR as much as I love Aragorn's command and instincts to care for it himself that is the right response You are in no condition to take care of this wing; it is huge, and a mess besides and it will take several men to set it to rights. And doing so will take no more than ordinary skill at that, so though you’re to be commended for offering, you are simply not needed in this capacity. Beorn can fetch Grimbeorn, and he and I will see to organizing it all, while you sit at Durvain’s head and provide comfort and the gift of healing and hope for which you are so famous." <333333 aww "Famous in obscure places, perhaps," Aragorn murmured, but he bowed his head in surrender. hmm <:( soon he will be famous in great places He wasn’t up to much more than holding anyone’s hand, and well he knew it. He crawled awkwardly to Durvain’s head, moving to the side opposite the injured wing so as not to be in the way. He nodded to Menelris, then lowered himself to a seat. He would have pulled Durvain’s head into his lap, but he feared the weight of it would crush his legs to powder. "Durvain," he called softly, and the bird’s eyes opened. Aragorn stroked the side of Durvain’s face. "I am sorry you are so ill, but Gandalf and Grimbeorn and some other very nice men are going to help you." awwwww lol fair enough he doesn't want powder for legs "I liked that song you sang," Durvain said. "It was so peaceful. It made me sleepy." awww he liked ittttt "Tuck your head under, then," Aragorn smiled. "This next bit will be messy and likely painful, so if you can sleep through it, all the better." awwwwww using his speech <3 "Will you sing to me again?" SKAJSDHSKDJGHDFJSDHGSKD I AM GONNA CRY their roles being so sweetly reversed and Durvain is almost as an eaglet again <3 "Of course." And he started singing, a lullaby this time. He made up the verses as he went along, singing of a mother’s love and softly-lined nests and floating clouds and rivers full of nice fat fish. Anything he thought might bring comfort to an Eagle. SAKSFDSHGFJHSFGK MAKING UP HIS OWN SONGS <33 of course he does that lullabies are my favoriteeeee can you imagine one from Aragorn aww trying to think of all the things an eagle might like <3 He also ran his hand over and over the sleek feathers on the side of Durvain’s head and neck. His healer’s touch had worked in the past on animals such as horses and other domestic beasts, and he had even set a wild songbird’s broken wing to rights. There had been nothing mystical in splinting the fractured bone, but he knew his touch had kept the bird calm when otherwise it might have panicked to the point of death. awwww I wanna be raised with elves with the blood of a Dunedain just so I can have that touch <:( But despite his varied successes, he did not know how effective that touch might be on an Eagle. It was always a bit of a guess in some ways, trying to heal, although he generally felt immediately whether things were going well. He paused in his singing to lean his forehead down to the crest above Durvain’s eye and poured forth every healing thought he could. His breathing grew slower and deeper, and he felt Durvain’s slow to match his. awwwwww it's working their breathings match <3 also eep him leaning over he must be extremely focused not to feel the pain right now Thank Elbereth, this seemed to be a time where the healing was flowing as it should. <33333 There was movement beside him, and Aragorn lifted his head to look at Menelris. She was settling down beside her mate as close as she could without jostling Aragorn. She draped her wing over Durvain’s shoulder, and such was the size of her wing that it covered Aragorn as well, like a canopy. "Keep singing, Strider. It brings comfort to us both." AWWWWW both of them <33333 they're all dearest friends now And so Aragorn did. He sat and sang his own songs until he could no longer think of words, and then he moved to the lullabies his mother had sung to him as a child, and then every song of healing and every hymn to Elbereth he could think of and a few of his own making. skadhf <3333 ooh I want to hear a hymn of his to Elbereth He sang as Grimbeorn brought the buckets of steaming water. He sang as Grimbeorn and Gandalf and three men Aragorn did not know gently labored beneath the outstretched wing, pulling away broken feathers and cleaning and murmuring soothing encouragements and then finally rubbing in pot after pot of medicinal salve. He sang as they wrapped a vast swath of bandages around the wound, and he sang as they finally with great care laid the wing down on the ground. And then finally he stopped and leaned exhausted against Durvain’s neck. awwwwwww yessss "What a brave Eagle you are," he murmured. Indeed, through it all, Durvain had not so much as flinched, though his eyes had widened a few times and his beak clacked now and again. AWWWWWW what a brave eagle you are <33 murmuring exhaustedly but with overwhelming fondness Gandalf knelt beside him. "Your singing and your healing touch quite made the difference, I think. I doubt Durvain would have been so calm otherwise." awww true <3 hi Gandalf <3 "Compared to all he has done for me, it was an exceeding small thing to do. He was injured, after all, while taking care of me." OH YEAH their roles are exactly reversed for now Strider is injured taking care of Durvain <3 Gandalf squeezed his shoulder but said nothing, for which Aragorn was grateful. Now that the deed was done, he felt every ache and twinge in his lower back. Acutely. oooooh ouch He wondered vaguely how he would regain the hall, and decided that to sleep here, in the open, curled against Durvain’s warmth under the shelter of Menelris’ wing, would be more than any king could want. AWWWWWWWWWWWW WOULD BE MORE THAN ANY KING COULD WANT <333333 again how completely his fear has left him <3 He leaned his head against Durvain’s neck and closed his eyes, again sending healing thoughts toward Durvain. Sleep, my friend... sleep and fly through healing dreams... we will fly them together..... AWWWWW Just before sleep claimed him, he felt the soft weight of a blanket fall across his body. awwwww Stars speckled the cold blackness of the sky when Aragorn next opened his eyes. He took a deep, slow breath. awww they let him sleep there for what more could a King want <3 For a moment, he had no idea where he was, but as he felt the warm bulk of the Eagle beneath his cheek, and heard the muffled stentorian rush of Durvain’s steady breathing, he relaxed and pulled the blanket, which had fallen from his shoulders, back up under his chin. Menelris had withdrawn her wing and was sleeping beside them, head tucked in proper Eagle fashion. Aragorn was surprised that he had apparently slept away the entire day; Durvain he had expected to sleep, but it seemed he had finally been able to enter a healing sleep along with the Eagle. awwwwww yayyyy in healing another was finally able to help himself heal as well There was a very faint hint of light left in the evening sky but nighttime was well upon them. It was chilly, but he was comfortable, snugged up against Durvain as he was. He patted the bird’s neck and smoothed down a feather that the breeze had lifted. Durvain’s breathing hesitated, then quickened as he started to wake. <333 warm feathers "Strider?" he asked, his voice thick with sleep. awww "I am right here, my friend. As is your mate, right here beside you." "Menelris," he murmured, content. His breathing deepened again. AWWWWW he has his Strider and his mate <3 Aragorn heard a step and looked up to see Beorn outlined against the starlight. "How is he?" he whispered. Beorn whispering is cute <33 "I think he is doing well. He is quiet, anyway." He watched as Beorn ran his hands along Durvain’s neck and down the wing to the bandages. He nodded, satisfied. "I do not know how to tell, exactly, if an Eagle has fever, but he seems to be resting well enough, as you say. What of you? Surely after spending all day out here, you’re not going to spend the night out in the open as well?" mmm fair Aragorn pushed himself upright, relieved by the ease with which he could move. It seemed the day’s sleep had done well for him. "I think I might, actually. If he awakens in the night, I can calm him." awwww yay and dang he can actually move "Can’t his mate there do that?" Aragorn nodded, but he was reluctant to explain himself, overtaken again with that odd shyness before Beorn’s keen gaze. hmmmm It ended up he needn’t have worried. "But you feel responsible, am I right?" awww thanks yes that makes sense "You read a man’s heart too easily, Master Beorn." <33 he does read Aragorn well "Only when the man wears it upon his sleeve as you do. You will need to perfect the art of dissembling if you’re going to be any good as a king." awwwwwww yesss he wears his heart on his sleeve although yes that's important, I think being able to show his heart is greatly important for a king as well <3 "No doubt you are right, but I need no artifice before a good friend." "Ah, now, enough with flattery." awwwww <33 "They are no empty words I speak; I count you as a friend, one of my dearest though we have known each other but a day. I too can read hearts, you know." awwwwwwww yessss <33 "Then I best hide the mithril before you suss out my hidden stash," Beorn chuckled. lolll "But I do wonder how it was that you managed to sleep away the entire day, and the Eagle as well. I don’t think either of you so much as moved. We came out several times just to be sure you were both still breathing." Aragorn smiled. "It was no ordinary sleep. I put Durvain into what is called a healing sleep, and such was my own need that I found I was unable to keep from falling into one myself. That happens occasionally, though it is rare." yessss <333 yay "A healing sleep. What is that, some sort of trance?" "No, nothing like that. It’s a sort of... state of rest, I suppose you could call it. Deeper than regular sleep but nothing he could not awaken from at extreme need, say if an enemy approached. And it’s not something that I use often... in fact, Master Elrond is far better at such healing methods as I am, although I am learning, for healing is a gift of my line, going all the way back to its very beginnings." hmmmm that is cool "Beginnings? And that would be...?" "I am of the line of Melian, and Lúthien. Such healing power as Melian passed to Lúthien passed also to those of her line; it is a part of my birthright." that's so coolllll if I could have one like genetic birthright like that I think it would be that "Melian, you say. So you are part Maia! A wizard like Gandalf!" oooh that's a cool thought even if only a very, very, very small part Maia ohhh yeah and Elrond is much closer in descent to Luthien, that makes so much sense I forget sometimes they are of the same line mostly "I am no wizard. It is only the very smallest part of me, Melian’s blood. But that is what gives me my healing power. I am trained in the healing arts, of course, the setting of bones, cleaning of wounds, caring for fever, things like that. But the special touch... I can make no claim to that other than having been blessed by Ilúvatar. But whether my own power is as great as Lúthien’s, I do not know, as I have not yet been tested to that degree." ooooh okay the fact that he isn't certain that it is NOT as great shows that he really does have a great gift <3 "So answer this, then. You evidently can heal a creature as great as this Eagle, yet you could not keep yourself from falling into such fever and illness that you nearly died. How do you explain that? Lúthien probably would have been able to have accomplished it, I imagine." hmmm well he is not Luthien "Lúthien was Firstborn; I may have some Elvish ways, and in me both lines of the Children of Ilúvatar dwell, but nonetheless, I am a Man, and one in a line that has diminished since its greatest days, although..." Here he paused. "Beorn, hear me in this, before I go on. I do not say any of this about myself out of a sense of pride or arrogance, but simply out of fact: much of what was great about the Númenóreans still exists within me, or so I have been told by those whose wisdom I trust. I cannot claim that through any doing of my own; it simply is, by the hand of Ilúvatar." hmmmm he says this all well <33 and it is a little hard for him to say for he does not wish to sound as if he is boasting Beorn nodded. "It is no different than my saying I am a skinchanger. You are who you are, who you were created to be." yessss thank you, well said "Yes, that is it precisely. I am the last of the line of great Kings, the heir of Elendil and Isildur. I came by that simply through being born to my mother and father, not by any great feat of arms or show of bravery or words of great wisdom. And far from feeling it entitles me to any special treatment, who I am and what I can become hangs instead ever before me as a stern admonition to live my life in such a way that I never diminish what remains of the nobility and purity of that line. I must prove myself worthy to be called the Heir of Elendil by such acts of charity, strength, honesty, wisdom and bravery as I can muster, if that makes sense. I must rise to the heights of all who went before me, or fail utterly. And that is a humbling task." skasdhsjkhshgd I love him and his humility <3 not all would take on such a task, nor would they take it with such selfless dignity and charity and all those beautiful values (charity, strength, honesty, wisdom and bravery...I can think of no greater qualities than those, truly) "I believe I like you, Aragorn. You appear to have been raised right." AWWW Aragorn chuckled. "Thank you, Beorn. I will pass that along to Master Elrond and my mother." yesssss <333 OOH NO I just had a thought is his mother going to die in the next handful of years??? yes I think so "But you’ve strayed from the path as far as my question–maybe that too is emblematic of your bloodline, to wander in conversation much as you wander around the wilds of the North." lolll okay yeah I think I'm very much like Aragorn in this I will RAMBLE if anyone gives me chance Aragorn could not help it; he burst into laughter. XDDDDD oh my gosh I love that it's his turn to laugh <3 XD <3 "So back to it: why couldn’t you heal yourself?" "Healing such as that takes much power, and if I am already diminished through injury, or deprivation or illness or whatever the case may be, then I have no stamina to heal myself. I may be hardy, but I am not invincible," he said ruefully. mmm yes good explaining "Invincible or no, I can see where you’d be a handy person to have around. Care to move here and help me tend my animals?" lolll fair <3 "I would love nothing better, but alas, my journey takes me down a different road. But I can stay for a season." Again, the rueful smile. "In fact, I fear you may be stuck with me longer than you wish, for I am not exactly ready for the long journey back home." awwwwww I would love nothing better YAY that is fair, especially as this winter will only grow worse "I have the feeling that whenever you leave, it will be too soon. But when you do, know that you are always welcome to return, and know that my people will always come to your aid. This is my solemn promise, Aragorn, son of Arathorn." Beorn held out his hand and Aragorn shook it. awwwwww he wants him to stay always <3 "And I give you that same oath, Master Beorn. Ever will my people see the Beornings as allies." AWWWWWWW see here it is, proof that Aragorn makes friends everywhere <3 and really amazing powerful ones too I make friends everywhere but not very close friends. We do not usually stay in contact long. Beorn nodded in satisfaction, then slapped both his hands on his thighs. "Well then, now that that’s done, what say I bring you some food? Healing sleep or no, a man needs sustenance and you’ve only had a plateful of honey cakes and a sip of whatever that was that Gandalf gave you. Elvish wine or some such. At any rate, its effects, no matter how refreshing, are sure to be long past, so something bracing to drink... a mug of hot mead, I think, with cinnamon, and more bread and honey and perhaps some chutney with walnuts, and some cheese as well. That should hold you." aww yep he fully trusts his stomach now "Indeed it will, and be most welcome. Thank you." yayy "I’ll have it in a thrice. And some more blankets to keep you off the damp ground tonight." <3 that would be tragic if he caught another chill Aragorn thanked him again and then settled himself a bit more comfortably against Durvain and looked up to the stars. Bright Eärendil was hours yet from appearing; this autumn he seemed to prefer racing Anor into the sky at dawn. But Menelvagor was readying his sword in the southeast. Like those Elves of old, Aragorn could not help but start to sing softly as he traced the bright belt and admired Borgil’s red glow. awwww the elves have helped me appreciate so much more the stars I always loved them but now I always look up and almost cry to see only like 30 stars in the sky. I like living in suburbish areas, it's kinda my vibe, but going home for Christmas I will say my breath caught every time I glimpsed the sky at night, in the middle of nowhere, and remembered how many stars there are and how many more even the elves saw I do always see Menelvagor, though which has always been my favorite constellation :) He started to sing an ancient song of Túrin Turambar, but his voice trailed away. That seemed too tragic a tale for such a beautiful night, and his thoughts were still very much on Lúthien. On Beren’s Tinúviel and from her to another... awwwwww yesss indeed too tragic He looked to the great milky swath of stars bisecting the sky, and sang a song of his own Tinúviel, a song of the Evenstar. AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW <3333 <:(((

Lexilooper	Reviewed Chapter: 8 on 1/17/2026
The euphoria, unfortunately, lasted only a few minutes. The gentle rise and fall of each wing beat eventually passed from the illusion of a relaxing float on gentle seas to the upheaval of a ship in the roughest waters imaginable. mm yep there it is With each plunge, his stomach rose into his throat, and with each gentle climb, it dropped to his bowels. He could only grind his jaws together and endure, his eyes screwed shut. But he could not stop a short, keening moan coming with each breath. skashfjshsjghsjsj <:((( moaninggggg with each breathhhhh "Strider? Is something wrong?" He didn’t dare open his lips. "Mmm-mmm." oh dear I can't even tell if that's a denial or affirmation and I don't know if Durvain can either (probably attempted denial, knowing Aragorn) "Am I squeezing too tightly?" The talons loosened, and Aragorn frantically grasped Durvain’s leg. "No!" he cried, and with that, his battle with his stomach was lost. OH DEAR considerate of him to think of that though <3 "Oh dear," Durvain said. "I suppose I should be honored that you managed to hit my foot with that. But I must say, it’s a most unpleasant custom you Men hold to. SKADHGJSGJDSGHJGSFHDSGHDJDSJFF OH MY GOSHHHHHHHHHHHHH HOW I CACKLEDDDDDDDDDDDDD and I slightly lost my battle with silence and snorted a couple times I SUPPOSE I SHOULD BE HONORED THAT YOU MANAGED TO HIT MY FOOT WITH THAT hey, I kinda hope that happends to me now so I can think of this XDD It reminds me too much of the way vultures urinate on their own legs. Such disgusting birds, vultures, though I suppose they have their uses. Surely you don’t do that as well?" OH DEAR NOPE WE DO NOT XD "No," Aragorn said with a slight laugh. lol aww he can laugh sort of His stomach felt better, a temporary condition, he was sure, for he remembered the horrendous bout of seasickness that had beset him and all his fellow sailors as they fought on a storm-tossed sea in Steward Echthelion’s service in Gondor. Nausea had built and built and built until death looked a welcome escape; then relief finally came after a spate of retching over the side. Life then was tolerable until the cycle started all over again. This sickness from flying felt much the same. ohh dear yeah makes total sense so perhaps this is not so much concussion as airsickness. Likely both, really. Knowing this quiescent period could not last, he nonetheless dredged up a smile. "Gandalf was making a joke. Men don’t do that. This is not a sign of... of anything except illness from too much unsettling movement." lolll probably good to explain that to him <3 "Ah, I understand. But I am sorry you are ill. Is there anything I can do?" <333 he's so compassionate he doesn't even like get embarrassed at misunderstanding the joke or anything "Just get to Beorn’s with all due speed," Aragorn said miserably. His stomach was already quivering again. <:((( so miserable Durvain fell silent and they sped through the clouds. Aragorn saw the Anduin slip by far below, and then shortly after that Durvain tilted his wings and they started to descend, slowly at first and then in increasingly tighter circles. And if Aragorn’s stomach had been unhappy before, it became enraged at this new torment. He swallowed and swallowed but again, events overtook him. Fortunately for Durvain’s feet, there was nothing left for him to bring up. lolll fortunate indeed <3 but dry retching is its own misery "Dear me, you really are ill, my friend." <:( thank you Durvain for appreciating <3 "It’s like seasickness," Aragorn groaned. He coughed a few more times and wondered quite seriously if he could give up his life even if he were not yet king, and then quickly recanted, just in case Mandos heard and held him to his decision. He did not, after all, really want to die. Much. yeah he really is feeling awful <:( that "much" XD is so relatable "Seasickness? But we are nowhere near the sea. We are in the air, above Beorn’s Hall. No sea for many hundreds of leagues. So can you tell me how you can get sick from the sea when it is so far away?" Aragorn tried to sort out an answer, but such cogitations were utterly beyond him. "Ask Gandalf," he finally mumbled. LOLLLL love this <33 he's like I can't find words but Gandalf will know "I believe I will, as soon as we land. And it looks as though we have a clear passage into Beorn’s very courtyard, although I think out of courtesy I’ll land on the grass. I do not see any archers below, nor even any sheep. His horses do not look any too pleased to see me, though." lolll yay thank you Beorn <3 Aragorn pried his eyes open and saw very far below fields that looked to have been filled with crops – flowers, he guessed, for Beorn’s honey bees were renowned – that had now gone dormant with winter’s approach. Beyond them was a patch of woods, and within that patch, tucked within a hedgerow, were several long buildings. He saw thatched roofs and a great house with two wings or outbuildings that put the entire affair in the shape of a C. There was a courtyard within the embracing walls, and in that courtyard, two shining horses raced back and forth, obviously watching their approach. It was all fascinating and had Aragorn not felt so awful, he would have been eagerly looking forward to exploring it all, should Beorn allow. But instead, he watched with only the barest of dull interest as everything grew larger and closer...closer... the trees above their heads now... skasjhsjdkfg the usual eager urge to explore contrasted so starkly with a bare dull interesttttt he is unwell the walls of the buildings looming... and finally Durvain was flaring his wings and landing easily on one leg. He gently lowered Aragorn to the ground at the edge of the courtyard and released him. "There. An easier landing this time for you." <33 thanks Aragorn mumbled his thanks, but he was too relieved to be on steady, solid ground to do much more than lay quietly grasping handfuls of grass while he waited for the sweating and shaking to pass. When it failed to do so, he prayed for blessed oblivion to release him from his woes. Surely it would not take long, as weak as his grip on consciousness felt... skasdjfhjf too defeated, that he lays quietly <:( that is so whumpy for any character that tends to refuse to do any such thing and grasping the grass for a bit of something to hold <3 how many ways can I say he is sickly skasjh and then the sweating and shaking won't passss (to be fair he has a fever) AND THEN PRAYING FOR RELEASE OF CONSCIOUSNESS not able to pass out but longing for oblivion from the miserable existence is so good yesss weak grip...if anyone leaves him be he will indeed pass out Durvain brushed him with his wingtip feathers and cooed softly and soothingly. "Did you get too cold? You’re shaking terribly." awww <33 thanks Durvain He tried to answer, but his chattering teeth got in the way. perhaps caught a chill? :) Durvain stopped his stroking and settled himself, belly down, in the grass. He then rested his wing across Aragorn like a great feathery blanket. It felt extraordinary, to be tucked so under the warmth of an eagle’s wing. SKASHDDGJSHJKHJHDGDS <33333 his fatheringggggg tucking Aragorn under his winggggg it felt extraordinary <333 even in his agony He sighed quietly, feeling the worst of his shivering ease, though he was still racked with sudden shudders and felt alarmingly, desperately ill. ooooh He knew what the problem was; he was in shock. His wound, the exertions from the fight, the sickness from flying... it was all too much, and he feared his body was shutting down. YEP He knew he should try to put himself in a healing sleep, but his mind was too cluttered yessss he knows what must be done but can't do it now with pain and fever and concussion to let him think on anything other the dull litany of Gandalf, hurry... please hurry... please... SKASJDHSGJHSJGJDFJ BEGGING IN HIS MIND FOR GANDALF TO HURRY AND HELP HIM BEFORE HE IS LOST <3333 skahdfsgjshjf that signals urgency and danger and exhaustion like nothing else He drifted, lost to all but his misery, until suddenly the wing lifted and cold air struck him and harsh voices rang around them. skadhsdjgjsf lost to all BUT his misery "What’s this, an eagle on my path! Get you gone and don’t think about stealing any of my sheep! Shoo! Wait... here now, who’s that you’re hiding? Did you kill him?" nooooooooo NOT AT ALL A second voice interrupted. "Alas, there’s another coming! With someone atop him!" loll YAY GANDALF Aragorn tried to open his eyes, but they would not answer. He felt the light vibration and thump of Menelris’ feet hitting the ground, and then Gandalf’s voice, "Stay your weapons! These Eagles have no interest in your animals, nor did they harm this man! He is gravely injured, yes, and ill, but not at their hands. He needs your compassion and the Eagles your gratitude, Master Beorn!" sakhgjs thank you Gandalf <33 did you hear their conversation "Gandalf! I told you my door is always open, but to come with Eagles this time! I know they’re on the side of good, but they still eat my sheep." lol fair "These two are not here for hunting, Beorn." There was a pause, then a reluctant, "Very well, I will trust your word." thanks Beorn <3 Then in a lighter vein, "So, did you bring dwarves and a hobbit to overrun my hall again?" loll now is not really time for jokes but I appreciate it "No, there is only my friend here–" "So you say, but last time ‘a friend or two’ turned into fourteen! Who else have you got hid in the bushes or under your cloak, my good friend?" LOL he's like come on Gandalf you can tell me how many you really have I know you and Gandalf's like...but "No one, and you can trust that word as well," Gandalf replied testily. "Now if you’ve any sense of compassion at all, which I know you do, now that you’re older and wiser, you’ll stop with your infernal questions and see to my friend there while I get down..." lol he's like okay we're done fooling around Aragorn needs help More crunching footsteps, then a hand touched Aragorn’s forehead, then lightly upon his back. "He’s bleeding, all right; see his back? Even through all those clothes. Burning up with fever as well, poor man. Get his feet, Grimbeorn. He’s no dwarf, that’s for certain, and I’m too old to haul men the size of him by myself these days." OH YEAH HIS SON oooooh bleeding even through??? dang And then hands turned him over and lifted him and suddenly his head lolled against a barrel of a chest. He heard a great strong heartbeat and felt scratchy wool against his cheek and the man’s whiskers tickled his forehead. The tunic smelled of horse and dogs and the gamey, musky scent of bear. Aragorn finally got his eyes open and squinted upward, where he beheld a face, stern but kindly, with bushy black eyebrows beetling over intelligent and inquisitive eyes. Around it all floated a cloud of silver and black hair and a beard hoary with age. It was by far the largest head and the broadest shoulders he had ever seen. "Beorn?" he mumbled. yessss barely manages to look and mumble "Aye, ‘tis Beorn, and ‘tis my hall I’m dragging you into, where I suppose you’ll bleed all over my clean floors and bed linens," he said gruffly. "But better that than leave you to bleed on my grass. Upsets the horses, men bleeding where they can smell it." <33 lol I love him and his gruff way of saying "I'm bringing you inside so we can take care of you poor boy" Aragorn had nothing to say to that. An apology seemed pointless, even if he could form the words, and besides, as Beorn and Grimbeorn carried him in through a dark doorway, his attention was caught by such an odd sight that he immediately dismissed it as nothing but fever-driven hallucination. loll not even attempting an apology Dogs did not, after all, go around lighting lamps. LOLLLLLLLL i think he will find that one is not a hallucination Aragorn had no memory of the next two days, other than dim recollections of pain, sickness and confusion and, far more troublesome, visions of dogs walking about on their hind legs, sheep serving him drinks and more dogs tending the fire. He even imagined a little white pony who brought him blankets. He was certain he was losing his mind. oh dear poor guy, knowing about that probably would have done a lot for his peace of mind When he finally awakened on the third day, fully himself again – or so he hoped – it was to see a dog sitting beside his bed, with his chin resting on Aragorn’s arm and deep brown eyes looking at him soulfully. He looked at it uncertainly for a long moment, but it seemed real enough. "Good boy," he whispered, and patted the dog’s noble head. awwwwww the whisper <33 patting his head his noble head, to be exact, he must like dogs <333 (I think he likes all animals) The dog immediately sat straight up, his mouth opening in what could only be said to be a delighted grin. He yipped once, then ran off. On all fours, Aragorn was relieved to see. He watched him trot, tail high and wagging like a flag, through a vast hall, and then disappear through a door at its opposite end. aww off to tell the others I expect I love how happy the dog reacts <3 Aragorn looked at the blackened rafters, the great wooden beams, the vastness of the place and felt very small, tucked up as he was against one wall. And as small as he felt, he could just imagine how poor little Bilbo must have felt. And like Bilbo, he was lying on some sort of raised platform. I love how he obviously grew up asking for Bilbo's stories over and over <3 As far as he could tell, he was near the middle of the building, no doubt in the warmest part thanks to a fire burning merrily beside him. He could feel the warmth against his face. There was a table just beyond the fire, lined with sawn tree trunks for seats. No one seemed to be in the room with him. That surprised him a bit; he would have expected to see Gandalf hovering somewhere nearby, ready to start patting his shoulder. LOLLLLLLLL ready to start patting his shoulder like the madman he is He tentatively raised his head, and when the room stayed steady, he tried to push himself to a seated position. Surprisingly, he had the strength to sit up, but the movement pulled painfully against the stitches in his back, so he gently laid back. Sitting could wait, he supposed; there was little sense in pushing himself too soon and suffering a setback for his troubles. The pillows under his head and shoulders were soft, as was the crackling, straw-filled mattress beneath him. Comfortable enough, though nowhere near as soft as eagle down. WHOA HE'S ACTUALLY BEING REASONABLE <3 I suppose now that he doesn't have to prove he's well enough to ride on eagles Thinking about the down led his thoughts to Menelris and Durvain. Were they still nearby? Or had they flown back to their eyrie? There were no windows in the room through which to look for them. He felt a pang at the thought that he might never see them again. He wished he had been able to thank them. He wished he could have spent more time with them. He wished... <:((( awwww that would be so sadddd As improbable as it seemed, he wished he might go flying again, when he was fit and whole and able to enjoy the experience. He supposed the chances of that were slim. AWWWWWW <:( he wants to flyyyyyy I hope he gets to I hope he flies with Durvain I hope he sees them again A door squeaked across the room as it opened part way and then stopped. Beyond it, Aragorn heard a rumble of a voice speaking in a strange tongue that sounded almost like a dog barking. Aragorn would hardly have considered himself conversant in such odd speech, but he found he was able to make out some of the words, "Good... is awake. ....along... fetch Gandalf." lol trust Aragorn to understand a bit And then Beorn himself came through the door. He seemed to fill the entire hall, so strong was his presence. Aragorn tried to hitch himself higher on his pillows. aww of course he does he probably looks quite pitiful trying to do that though however I just realized he can sleep on his back again, which is nice Beorn waved hands that seemed as big as loaves of bread. "No, no... settle down. You’ve been sick, and I don’t need fussed over. And whatever you do, don’t offer me your services; if I need them, I’ll ask. Which I don’t think I will, because you’ve been beating at death’s door these last two days and if you had the strength to lift a spoon to feed yourself, I’d be surprised." He stopped beside Aragorn’s bed and smiled down at him from what seemed an impossibly great height. "Aye, you’ve got them, all right, just as Gandalf says." lolll I like him <33 thank you Beorn lolll yep let's watch him try to lift a spoon "Got them? Got what?" He looked at his hands and touched his cheeks, wondering if he’d broken out in spots. LOLL "A king’s eyes, bright and keen. Good to see them clear again, Aragorn." awwww <3333 he sees themmmm I love Aragorn's eyes "You know who–" lolll it is good to hear Aragorn's proper name again "Yes, yes, I know who you are. But put away your fear; who would I tell? The bears? My dogs? They care more of cabbages than kings. true <3 And my people can be trusted, to a man, woman and child. We’ve been fighting on your side, after all, for as long as I’ve been here, despite rumors that I’m a contrary old crosspatch who cares only about himself and trusts no one. Here, though, let me get a chair if we’re to have a proper visit. Ninety years is a lot to ask out of a pair of knees, and they tend to creak very loudly if I stand on them long." mmm fair I suppose he is indeed getting old He pulled a great black chair from the end of the table. It scraped against the floor and groaned a bit as he settled into it. He crossed his hands on his belly, stretched his legs out long before him and regarded Aragorn with eyes that were at once kind but also somewhat guarded, as though he were willing to put up with guests but never altogether trusted that they wouldn’t make off with the spoons. "How are you?" LOLLLLLL has Lobelia come to call?????? "Weary. But better, I think. I feel a bit stronger than I have of late." "Good to hear. Head still hurt?" "No," Aragorn said, with vast relief. yesssss I'm impressed, it was raging before, I'm not surprised he's so relieved "Belly hurt?" "No." yayy (also "belly" sounds like Beorn) "How’s your back?" "Stiff and very sore." fair "You’ll need to stay abed another day at least, I think. Let it get a good start on healing before you go bouncing around doing whatever it is you do. Hunting for that Gollum creature, Gandalf tells me." LOLLL before you go bouncing around, I mean, fair enough description "I think that task must be put aside for now. Even if I hadn’t gotten hurt, we were close to heading home for the winter." "And home is where?" There’s a question, Aragorn thought. These days, where did he truly call home? Chetwood, where he stayed while guarding the Shire? If home is where one is surrounded by caring and friendly neighbors, that hardly counted. Rivendell? Home of his heart, where he was loved by its people, yes, but he had not actually dwelt there in decades. The little hidden village beyond Fornost, where many of his Rangers’ wives and children lived? He had no such family of his own.... hmmm <:(((( Thinking on it all was too dreary. "Arnor," he finally said. True enough, he supposed... hmm the depression :( "Bit of a large estate, Arnor." lol true Aragorn smiled, but it faded quickly. <3 <:( "Here now, I didn’t mean to pry. Gandalf told me you walk a hard road and I can see your journey has written more than a bit of sadness on your soul. So, we’ll put aside talking about such things in favor of discussing food. You must be thirsty. Are you hungry? I can bring in some cream and honey cakes, or perhaps just a slice or two of toast. Mild foods that won’t be too hard on your stomach. I don’t want you getting sick again." "Again?" ooh "You don’t remember, do you?" oooh "I remember being sick when we were flying, and I remember lying on the ground, and you and Grimbeorn carrying me. But after that..." He shook his head, choosing not to tell about his wild hallucinations of fire-tending dogs and ponies acting as valets. lolllll uh not hallucinations "Just as well. I have seen men in miserable straits before but you surpassed them all for groaning and shivering and tossing back everything we tried to get down your throat. That wound really turned on you, and in a hurry, according to Gandalf. He said you had been improving, but all that flew out the window, along with the contents of your stomach, for a day or so." skajshgskj yessss Aragorn surpassing all the misery Beorn has seen <3 I'm not surprised really and I'm glad he too appreciates Aragorn's suffering "tried to get down your throat" yessss picturing them all trying to pour water down Aragorn's throat and him choking and then letting it all out again and fair enough that it turned, after the ordeal that was flying. If Aragorn really would have gotten weaker in the cave it's a good thing they didn't wait Aragorn felt his cheeks burn. He was sure he was as red as the candles on the table. "I’m sorry to have caused you so much trouble." Beorn waved a hand in dismissal. "It’s not like you could help yourself. You were so taken with fever that you were out of your head completely. Besides, you didn’t bother me; my son Grimbeorn and Gandalf were the ones that looked after you, so if you’re going to fuss about with apologizing, save it for them." Beorn reached over and felt Aragorn’s forehead. "There, that’s better. No fever that I can tell, though I’m more used to checking horses and sheep than men." He chuckled, and as he did his merry eyes nearly disappeared in a maze of fine wrinkles. thank you <3333 Aragorn smiled in return, and this time it did not fade into melancholy, although it did fade to uncertainty. While he found himself warming to this huge fellow sitting beside him, he also felt unaccountably shy. His head buzzed with a thousand questions to ask this legendary figure who had loomed so large in his childhood tales, but he found himself unable to put any to words. One does not, after all, at his age beg to see Beorn to change into a bear, no matter how dearly the child in him wanted to. skasdhsfg awwwww he certainly still has that child in him <33 I love this completely relatable reaction to meeting a larger-than-life childhood hero yay no melancholy this time "Do you always sit and stare at people like a frightened deer, or have I got something in my hair?" Beorn reached up and brushed at his mop of wavy hair. LOLL <3 thank you for calling Aragorn a frightened deer it makes me happy Aragorn hadn’t thought it possible for his face to burn any more than it had been but now he feared he might burst into flames, so hot was his embarrassment. "No, Master Beorn. I’m sorry... meeting you is such an honor, I fear my tongue is tied completely in knots." lolll <33 well, well said "Well untie it, because kings should never be tongue tied, and I don’t bite. <333 I understand Aragorn's awe but I love that Beorn's like hey you're a king you're plenty great yourself I should think! At least, not anymore. Fifty-some years ago, I might have sent you and your eagle and your wizard packing with arrows whizzing past your ears, but as Gandalf said, I’ve gained a little more wisdom in my old age. Those dwarves and that little hobbit, Bilbo, melted the thorns around my heart, if you don’t mind me mixing my metaphors." awwww <333 I love that "No, no... of course not." He winced inwardly, wishing he could say something that held at least a modicum of intelligence, but his power of speech seemed to have dwindled to mute idiocy before the intensity of Beorn’s presence. What must he have been like in the prime of his years, Aragorn wondered, then to his horror he realized Beorn was still speaking and he had no idea what he had just said. skahdgksj he's like OOPS "... was a hard one, I won’t deny it. Losing all of my kind to goblins, then living at Mirkwood’s edge and fighting those same goblins and sometimes evil Men... I killed them all off, as they came, but it hardened me. I feared the entire world had turned to evil and treated all who came to my door with suspicion, if I even let them come near my door at all. But Gandalf and his bizarre company of heroes battered down all those defenses, I’m not ashamed to say, so much so that I even went to war at their side! It was a revelation to discover that there were still good folk left in the world, beyond that handful of Elves hiding away in Mirkwood under Thranduil’s reign. So now I welcome visitors, after a fashion, as long as they’re on the side of good. Even visitors who are as much trouble as you." awwwww <333 I love how open and warm he is like I was hardened to the world! And then Bilbo and the dwarves showed me there was good! <333 "I do thank you, for everything." "You’re welcome. Now, enough thanking and apologizing and such. I’m getting bored with it, and despite my warm hospitality, I do not suffer boring guests gladly, and I suspect that despite your apparently shy nature – funny, Gandalf never said anything about you being so bashful – at any rate, I imagine you’re an interesting fellow, being a king in exile as you are. You are the last of your line even as I am, and I want to hear your thoughts on that, if you have any behind that wide-eyed look of wonder you keep giving me. So I have plenty of questions for you, but the first is, are you ready for some honey cakes and cream?" lollllll Aragorn is now shy, bashful, wide-eyed wonder, things many others never see him be XD Aragorn blinked a bit, thrown completely off guard by the sudden rather prosaic question. "Oh, yes... yes, please. Thank you." Would he ever manage to say anything beyond the simple response any well-mannered boy of five could blather? But he supposed that was better than rudeness. If he were to make himself out to be a brainless imbecile, best to be a polite brainless imbecile. LOLLLLLLLLL well fair As Beorn clapped his hands and signaled to someone beyond the shadowy doorway, Aragorn tried again to spot a window. Finding none, he asked, relieved to finally say something beyond a school boy’s please and thank you, "Can you tell me what time it is?" lolll yay oh yeah that's literally the only way to tell time besides asking so, fair "Morning, an hour past dawn. In the summer I’d be out with the hives, getting my honey. But the nights have turned cold and the days cool and my bees are sleeping now, waiting for spring. I expect I’ll be here one more spring, though I must tell you, Aragorn, that I feel my time draws nigh. I’ve a feeling somehow that this winter will be my last." saddddd <:( I like him It seemed such a disquieting thing to say, and yet Beorn spoke as though he were merely discussing the weather. Aragorn searched vainly for a response. lollll fair <3 "Does my saying that startle you, boy?" hmm Aragorn shook his head, then nodded... and then he studied Beorn’s eyes for a long moment. skadj I love his can't decide how to answer He saw in their depths a wisdom and peace that stirred something deep within him, and broke, at last, the crippling intimidation he had been suffering. yayyyyy He took a breath and said, "I am hardly a boy, but no, your words do not startle me, exactly. At least, not in the sense that they would have startled a man less familiar with trust. If I seem at a loss, it’s because I am perhaps a bit envious. You seem so accepting of the nearness of death, speaking of it almost as a man speaks of... of changing his socks. Faith I might have that more lies beyond this life than memory, but I do not know that I would be so calm in considering the actual ending of my life." yesss he no longer sounds like a brainless imbecile I wonder if Beorn is like whoa so he does speak "Even though you are Númenórean, and if what Gandalf tells me is correct and that your own words seem to attest, still hold faith in Erú and the Valar and life beyond this one?" hmm yes he does Aragorn thought for a long moment. "Yes, but..." he started, then paused again, carefully choosing his words. "Perhaps it is not that I fear death, for as you say, I hold to the same trust the Men of Westernesse kept." He smiled slightly. "Elrond named me Estel, as a child, and a more fitting name I cannot imagine, for estel – hope with trust – I have in plenty. So I do not fear death itself. But... I suppose I live too near danger to really think on it, death, much. To even consider the boon of a death late in life, at the end of my days..." He shook his head, unable to find the words. oooooh and I love that he completely accepts and feels his name fitting again but that is an interesting thought, how it would be hard for him to think too much of death or hope too much to die of old age against all odds,,, But Beorn sat quietly waiting, with expectant compassion, so Aragorn struggled on. <33 with expectant compassion, I don't think I've heard those words together before "I know I should not think long on those in my line who perished too early... my father, my grandfather. Even my namesake, the first Aragorn, who was taken by wolves. Thinking on them is folly, to be sure, but so too is looking too far to my own future, for I have no idea what it may hold, for good or ill. But I do look. I cannot help it. And when I do...." mmmm that's a good point, how many of them died He stopped and rubbed his suddenly sweating hand along his leg, chiding himself for his utter lack of eloquence. skajdf sweating hand <3 He tried again, "When I look too long in either direction, the past tries to ensnare me with fears of a similar fate, of an early death before I accomplish my life’s goals, and the future shrouds all hope in uncertainty. Taken together, they too easily drain me of all my courage," he finished in a rush, as if by saying it quickly it made the words any less shameful. aww but that makes perfect sense <:( But Beorn showed no censure. He merely nodded, slowly. thank youuuuu <3333 for not thinking he should be ashamed "Courage is not something that any man has in infinite supply, is it, and sitting in safety, looking ahead at possible dangers, there’s no way any man can know his courage will stand him in good stead. And that makes him doubt himself, although from what I hear you rarely have such troubles. lol well I suppose it depends on the sort of self doubt? Still, even the best of us can have a moment where we wonder, especially when the past’s example is far from encouraging. As for the future, and any hope for happiness and peace... that too can wither in the face of insurmountable odds. It seems to me a man must apportion hope – and courage – out to himself, day by day, for it to last the duration." hmmmm that sounds wise, certainly, but I don't know how one puts it into practice Aragorn took a deep breath. He had hoped... nay, he realized, it was stronger than that: he had depended upon Beorn’s understanding, and the relief he felt at Beorn’s wise compassion nearly brought him to tears. "Yes. That is it, exactly. I have learned that I cannot look too far behind or ahead. And yet..." He stopped. aww yay <3 almost tears "Yet? Don’t tell me there’s more obfuscation coming! Well, if you must, speak and get it out so I can untangle the meaning before the day has completely got away from us." LOL hey I think "and yet"s are my job in life. I really like making very tangly reasonings that have more and more layers to my thoughts Again, Aragorn’s cheeks flared. "I’m sorry. I... maybe it is the blow to the head. I cannot seem to express myself very well." <3 honey "You’re doing fine, lad. I’ve heard worse nonsense from my own son, who to my knowledge has never banged himself in the head in his life. Go on, now. Go on." LOLLLL thanks "All right," Aragorn said. He took one more moment to think, then plunged straight in. "I say that I should not look ahead, and yet I find I must, sometimes, for though I doubt not what lies beyond this life, I also have a hope for this life, one that I cling to when all seems too dark to survive. It is a priceless thing, and I long for it, but it cannot be mine unless I reach those goals that seem beyond reach." He winced. Hope and courage and fear and love... he was never comfortable speaking these things aloud, and it showed. Despite his best effort, he was rambling like one whose wits are lost, and making a proper hash of all of it. awww I love him, and I love the weaknesses you show in him, and how he is also perhaps yet learning to speak of those things Beorn’s eyebrows went up. "If I were to hazard a guess at the true meaning behind your rather enigmatic words, I’d say you speak of love." AHH I see <3 Aragorn nodded but said no more. <:( "Well. You are far from the only man who finds hope in the love of a good woman. Whoever she is, I am glad she has that boon to give to you. A man needs a helpmeet, and the promise of a happy future to hold him in good stead when the going gets rough." awwww <33 "She does that. In every way," Aragorn said softly. SADKJDFGHGJKH <3333 Beorn smiled. "My wife brought me more joy than I would have ever imagined. And she gave me a fine son in Grimbeorn. He will be a good leader for my people, when I am gone." <:( <333 :)) Aragorn shifted a bit, trying in vain to chase away the sudden ache in his heart. Would he ever have a family? A wife? A son to carry on after he was gone? <:(((((((( honeyyyy you willll Beorn gave him a kind look. "I have saddened you again, it seems. Perhaps the philosophies of an old skinchanger are not what you need right now." "No, no," Aragorn protested, holding a hand out to stay Beorn from rising. "Truly, I am not normally so cheerless. Perhaps it is the wound. Or simply fatigue. Gandalf will attest that I tend to become overly morose and too absorbed by doubt and self pity when weariness is upon me." aww <33 he's like WAIT DON'T GO <3 he's also very self-aware "You and I are alike in that way; Grimbeorn growls at me and threatens to take away my honey. As if he could!" lolllll aw Aragorn smiled. "I would think that a difficult task, if not impossible." "You think right! I may be old, but the day has yet to come that my upstart son can best me." He turned toward the doorway and shouted, "Do you hear that, Grimbeorn?" A muffled voice shouted something back, the words indistinct but the tone clear: Grimbeorn failed to agree with his father’s assessment. Aragorn thought he heard a snort, in fact. LOLLLLLLLLLL that is so cute they are officially a father and son now "Ach, don’t listen to him," Beorn winked. "He’s just cross because I told him to move all the rams into the north paddock, along the hedge and out of the way of the ewes. Three of the ewes have come into their season, and I don’t want any lambs out of that lot but try telling that to the rams. They’re rioting. So short of dousing them with buckets of cold well water to cool their ardour, the rams must be moved. And have you ever tried moving lovesick rams away from the objects of their affection?" LOLLLL "No, I can’t say that I have." "It’s no easy task. And thus Grimbeorn has become simply Grim, but you’ve cheered up considerably, so I consider my work for the day to be done." LOLLLLLLLLLL has become simply Grim awwww his work for the day was to cheer Aragorn <333 "And so early, at that," Aragorn laughed. "Maybe you can spare a moment, then, to tell me if the Eagles are still here?" aww "They’ve left, right after dropping you and the wizard at my doorstep. But here now, don’t look so crestfallen. The little one, Druvish, Dervish–" awww he can immediately tell "Durvain." "Durvain! He said he’d be back in a few days, when his wing was better. They wanted to be nearer the river and food, I think. At any rate, that was the day before yesterday, so he ought to be arriving any time now. I’ve warned the horses and told the sheep, so they won’t be upset." YAYY <3 "Do you speak the languages of all the animals?" "Oh yes. All the time. Especially the dogs, and of course the bears." His voice grew wistful. "It has been far too long since I’ve seen my friends." <333 If there were ever a chance to ask Beorn about his skin-changing skills, this was it, but there came a clatter at the far end of the hall, and Gandalf hurried in, his robes flapping about him and dogs bounding ahead of him. He carried in his hands a small bottle and a cup. "Aragorn!" he cried happily, setting both on the table and hurrying to his bedside. He took both of Aragorn’s hands in his. "Oh, it’s good to see you awake and yourself again. You had me very worried." SAKJF GANDALF <3 he like. Cannot contain himself. "Hello, Gandalf," Aragorn smiled. <333 and his rather gentler but still sincerely happy greeting "Hello, indeed. These past few days have seemed endless but here you are, bright-eyed and with color in your cheeks again. Are you hungry? Do you need anything? Here, I’ve brought some miruvor. I do think it’s safe for you to have a bit, now." He hurried back to the table and poured a bit into the cup and held it for Aragorn to drink. "Just a sip, as you know." lollll all the questions <3 Aragorn swallowed a mouthful of the fragrant, clear liquid and sighed as he felt it work. A brightness that had long been missing from his thoughts came upon him, and he felt a return of some of the strength in his limbs. awwww a brightness missing from his thoughts <3 Gandalf smiled. "There’s the ticket. Now you’re looking more yourself. Do you want some food?" awww he is being extremely fatherly and fussing over him very much "Beorn has arranged for something to be brought, thank you." <333 And even as he said it, a very amazing thing happened: a dog trotted in, and Beorn started chattering away at it, in that same odd language Aragorn heard before. Beorn sounded a bit cross, and Aragorn made out the words "only cakes and cream" and "taking so long" and then the dog nodded... nodded... and trotted over to a door, disappeared through it. lollll Aragorn you do remember he said he can talk to them? I suppose you still didn't expect this Aragorn stared at Beorn, who let out an impatient huff. "I apologize, Aragorn. I asked why it was taking them so long, as it’s simply cream and cakes and some water. He’s gone off to check." lollll uh I don't think that's why he was staring Before Aragorn could form a reply to that, the door re-opened and a different dog appeared, this time walking on his hind legs and balancing a tray with a pitcher and cup on it across his front legs. Aragorn felt his eyebrows rise and his eyes widen, and he was sure his jaw had dropped somewhere to his chest. "What... I mean, that’s a.... So it wasn’t the fever..." Gandalf started to chuckle, so he spluttered to a stop. LOLLL <3 and the embarrassment obvious in him spluttering to a stop poor guy "Good heavens, Aragorn, surely you’ve heard of the wonders of Beorn’s Hall?" "Well, yes... that is to say, I’ve heard the stories since I was a child, but... I thought... I assumed a lot of it was made up just to entertain me as a small child. I mean no offense, Master Beorn," he added quickly. lol okay FAIR and also makes sense why he was convinced they were hallucinations. He imagined these things as a child and heard these stories and now his brain is putting them there Beorn threw his head back and it seemed his laughter shook the very rafters. He lost himself in mirth for quite some minutes and then finally wiped tears from his eyes. "So I entertain small children, do I? Oh, that’s rich. I like that, I do." LOLLL I like how entertained he is by this He barked some more of the gibberish at the dog sitting beside him, and the dog in turn wagged his tail and seemed to laugh as he looked at Aragorn, who was feeling more and more foolish and out of his element with each passing moment. oh poor guy :'(( "Well, enough laughter at your expense, young man," Beorn said. "Time to get some food into you. Gandalf, if you will assist, we’ll help Aragorn sit up." He stood and lifted a lid that was cleverly built into one of the platforms. He retrieved more pillows from the space beneath and handed them to Gandalf. ooh I like that little pillow box his house is just so comfortable Then he slid a great arm beneath Aragorn’s shoulders. "No, don’t try to do this yourself; you’ll tear the stitches. Let me do the lifting." (uh so he may have already done but thank you. I do love him being lifted.) Aragorn relaxed and Beorn seemed to lift him without a bit of strain. Gandalf swiftly piled the pillows behind him and Beorn eased him back against them. There was a bit of dull discomfort where the pillows pressed against his wound, but it was tolerable. "How’s that? Comfortable?" he asked. SKASJKHF THAT IS IMPRESSIVE HE HAS HEALED MUCH to be fair "dull discomfort" by Aragorn's standards is rather different from anyone else's but "It’s wonderful. Thank you." for once the truth <3 Beorn reached under the tray held by the dog and pulled down four legs that had been folded beneath it. He then settled the tray across Aragorn’s lap. "Fit for a king," he said with a flourish, then sat back down in his chair. "Now eat." aww :)) Aragorn smiled, and immediately took a long draught of water flavored with honey. It tasted wonderful and his stomach seemed accepting... nay, demanding, so he took a bite of a thick slice of cake drizzled with honey. It tasted heavenly. "Good," he mumbled as he took a bigger bite, and then another. awww yesss HE GETS TO ENJOY FOOD poor guy is absolutely starving he hasn't eaten in days and hasn't eaten properly in...many more, I'm sure (yay I made a baby rhyme) "You’ll find no finer honey cakes anywhere in Middle-earth." Aragorn believed it. He finished off the first cake and started on a second one, this time chewing slowly, eyes shut to better concentrate on the marvelous flavors and texture. The cake tasted sweet, but not cloying, and brought to mind summer breezes and the soft scent of clover. He could almost hear the drowsy hum of bees and the distant song of birds and cries of Eagles. He opened his eyes with a start. "Was that–" yessss I love his getting a moment to just ENJOY DILISHISH FOOD "It sounded like Menelris," Gandalf exclaimed, "and she sounds distressed!" He and Beorn both hurried from the hall, leaving Aragorn sitting with the last of the honey cakes halfway to his mouth. WAIT OH NO DISTRESSED or were some archers just not warned He shoveled it in, then handed the tray to the dog who was still standing beside his bed. ooooh hehe I see where this is going :) That he would ever hand a tray over to a dog... he shook his head at the wonder of the world and threw back the blankets. LOLL I love his little moment of well this is life now <3 Gritting his teeth, he forced himself with difficulty to his feet. The dog gave out a worried yip and moved close enough for Aragorn to steady himself with a hand on its head. "Thank you," he gasped, then wondered how in the world he would manage to walk all that way when he could barely straighten. He needed a cane. "Please, I don’t know if you can understand me, but I need a cane. Or a walking stick. Something to lean on besides your head." awwwww the dog(s) is(are) my favorite <3 also not me suddenly trying to picture Aragorn...in white pajamas with blue pinstripes?? Because he's getting out of bed for the first time in awhile?? the thing is that also makes him look a lot more like the Man in the Yellow Hat than Aragorn so...I gotta picture his actual clothes again like his face is literally incompatible with the pajamas and has left my mind The dog wagged his tail, barked once, and then trotted away, leaving Aragorn to stand swaying beside the fire. He put a hand on his back, to brace it, and set his feet a bit wider as he slowly straightened completely. It was astounding, really, how one discovered upon receiving a back injury that every single muscle in one’s body was directly connected to the back. He could barely wiggle his toes without it sending a spasm across his lower back; the very idea of walking anywhere seemed a cruel joke. FAIR I am now wiggling my toes and feeling it slightly in my back hehe a cruel joke I love these ways you imply his agony But as he was starting to feel a bit lightheaded, he grabbed his back with both hands and shuffled closer to the table. Rheumy old men had nothing on him, he thought ruefully. LOLL <3 He reached the table, caught himself up against it, and was considering the risks against the benefits of lowering himself to one of the stools when the dog came trotting back in, proudly carrying Gandalf’s staff in his mouth. oh that happened fair enough it's a walking stick Appalled, Aragorn shook his head. "No, no... that belongs to Gandalf. It’s very special and I dare not use it." aww the way he's explaining it <3 But the dog merely stood beside him, wagging his tail, the long staff rather ludicrously sticking out by a yard on either side of his mouth. Aragorn watched in horrid fascination as a string of drool stretched from the dog’s jaw down the staff and onto the floor. He shut his eyes, wincing at such a desecration. But there came another muffled cry from outside. Aragorn sighed, opened his eyes and took the staff from the dog’s mouth. He wiped the drool against his sleeve and, leaning heavily upon its support, started slowly for the door, cringing at the indignities he was inflicting on Gandalf’s rod of office. Gandalf would surely roast him. LOLLLLLL oops yeah I like...never really thought of anyone else attempting to even hold Gandalf's staff except Saruman I suppose also...if he wouldn't already roast him for getting out of bed in the first place this feels rather like his insistence on participating in the second battle against the wraith XD <3

Lexilooper	Reviewed Chapter: 7 on 1/16/2026
Unfortunately, none of it had been a bad dream, though his fevered night had been filled with any number of other nightmares, all of which were completely unrelated to flying clutched in an Eagle’s talons like an unfortunate coney. He had dreamt of orcs stabbing him, of Wraiths surrounding him, of Morgul blades cutting him and dragons roasting him and at some point he had wakened everyone, including himself, with a blood-curdling scream. Skjsahdjsdhgjkhgdsjf yesssss a blood-curdling scream well he certainly doesn't scream enough at any other time, when he is in enough pain to set just about anyone else screaming those are EXTREMELY nightmarish nightmares (stabbed by morgul blades??) and he knows what one wraith near him is like...now many...but also fair considering what misery his body is in But as wretched as they were, they had, as nightmares should, crumbled into fragments nearly impossible to remember once he awakened. The details of waking reality, however, remained dismally clear cut: The storm had ceased, and he would have to fly. ohhhhh dear thank you for the other things crumbling as nightmares should <3 The very words felt wrong to him. Birds fly. Occasionally wizards, dwarves and hobbits flew. Bright Eärendil flew, and still did, every night across the sky in Vingilot. He recalled a bit of long forgotten lore, some wild tale about Númenóreans trying to build a ship to fly to Valinor. If that rumor were true, was it any wonder that isle sank, he thought sourly, though of course he knew the real reason behind the isle’s fate. ayyyy like the tower of Babel?? He wondered briefly if such insanity was brought on by their unfaithfulness, or if it had been some sort of offshoot of whatever it was that drove so many of them to sail the seas in the first place. Which came first, the sailing or the unfaithfulness, or was it all inseparably bound together? It would make for some fine fireside discussion with Elrond, he supposed. yesssss that would be a good discussion. I feel like anything with Elrond would be a good discussion. I wanna hear his wisdom and lore, although I know he has far too much to teach anyone in many lifetimes Whatever the faulty reasoning of those long-dead Númenóreans, he knew that this Númenórean certainly had not inherited any yen to fly, whether it be to Beorn’s Hall or to the forbidden realm of Valinor. lolllll this Numenorean had certainly not inherited any yen to fly XD lolll not me looking up the origin of the word yen... No, his Dúnedain blood called him not to the skies but firmly to the ground. And safely solid ground that didn’t abruptly gallop out from beneath one’s feet in avalanches, at that. LOL FAIR The clang of a dropped cook pot brought him out of his reverie with a skull-pounding jerk. He grabbed his head and glared at Gandalf, who was puttering around the cave, stowing spare clothing and gathering up oddments and kicking out the fire. He had bullied Aragorn into letting him help him dress, even though he felt more than capable of doing it himself. HA YEAH RIGHT But Gandalf had insisted and so Aragorn had endured his shoving his limbs into every last stitch of clothing he owned, including all three pairs of hose, and now he lay aching and exhausted, wondering how in the world he would be able to hold on while flying astride an eagle when merely getting dressed left him weak as water and dizzy to the point where his hold on his temper was tenuous at best. mmmm yes weak as water Aragorn getting short-tempered...hehe His scowl deepened. He simply must be allowed atop Durvain, because otherwise it meant dangling beneath the Eagle’s belly, fathoms above the earth where the least little bobble could cause Durvain to drop him. He had seen eagles lose their prey in just such a manner, often enough. He shivered. Such a thing simply could not be borne. Far better to risk tumbling off Durvain’s back due to his own failing than to trust to talons... mmm yeahhhh honey I think his strength is MUCH more trustworthy than yours at the moment. I know trusting to his would be much more mentally agonizing, but... .... grab him and eat him.... He growled under his breath. Would those infernal words never stop sliding through his mind! His current reluctance to fly had nothing whatsoever to do with silly childish fears and everything to do with the fact that those talons could too easily crush him or let him slip free. uh yeah sure At least that’s what he told himself. yup He flexed his hands, testing their strength. He simply must find the wherewithal to hold on, that was all there was to it. uhhh sureee if it exists Gandalf hurried over, holding a blanket. "All right, Strider," he said. While Aragorn was grateful that Gandalf had been careful not to reveal his true name to Durvain, he was not sure it made up for his failure to arrange travel that did not include hurtling through the air with reckless abandon. "Let us wrap you up good and snug." lollllllll thanks Gandalf <3 I appreciate you Aragorn tried to sit up but, frustratingly, he only managed to gain propping himself upon an elbow, and then even that failed him. As he fell back, trying to hide the fact that he was fairly riddled through with pain, his goal of riding atop inched that much more beyond reach. Still, nothing was ever gained without trying, so he put on a brave face and hoped his eyes weren’t actually twirling in their sockets the way they felt. "Wrap me up? I can barely move as it is, you’ve got me in so many layers of clothes." yessssss not nearly reaching his goal and then even what he gains falls from him, and he falls :))) Aragorn putting on a brave face <:( skdaj oh dear he is extremely dizzy, eyes feeling like they're twirling in their sockets "Your attempt to fool me is both pitiful to behold and entirely unsuccessful. I can plainly see that your inability to move is in no way related to how many layers you’re wearing." LOLLL <3 thanks Gandalf straightforward Aragorn pulled a face but said nothing. loll poor guy he just looks so grumpy and hurting and cute <3 "And even if it were so, you would wear them regardless. We cannot risk your catching a chill." yess Aragorn’s temper got the better of him. He was on the cusp of dying from a thousand-fathom fall, yet Gandalf was worried about his catching a sniffle! He pushed away Gandalf’s blanket-filled hands and said in a hissing whisper, "Then pray do not make me go flying through the air dangling like bait from that eagle’s hooks!" skajdfaskjsd his hissing whisper, in his desperation and dread losing his temper "If I may be so bold, they’re talons. Not hooks," Durvain interjected mildly from where he sat in the cave entrance, watching the skies as he patiently endured Gandalf’s piling goods upon his back as if he were no more than a pack pony. skajhkjghdsjgh <333 HOW I LOVE HIM interjected mildly "if I may be so bold" HE'S SO POLITE HE'S A GIANT EAGLE Aragorn blushed. "My apologies," he called, then glared at Gandalf and whispered almost silently, "Surely there is some other way!" saksdfjsk blushing that he was overheard and probably sounds insulting "I assure you, you will be quite safe." <33 indeed even if it does not feel so "Then pray let us tarry one more day. I am sure I will be stronger–" hmm "No, Aragorn. Waiting in this cave will only weaken you further. You need the warmth, good food and care of Beorn’s Hall. It will be difficult, and no doubt painful, flying in the state you’re in, but the sooner we get you there, the better off you will be." mmmmm yessss will only weaken him further skajsd be the eagle down soft as it may "Then... if it must be today, let me ride atop him." "Aragorn, that is not sensible. You cannot possibly be strong enough to hold on." yes THANK YOU "I think I can. At least let me try. I-I simply do not want him carrying me in his claws." ummmmm I mean perhaps you could try for as long as it takes you to get atop him and then pass out from the pain before you've achieved even that? Durvain looked over, his expression still mild. "My good friend, they’re not claws, nor hooks. Talons." SKJAHGSKJHHS HOW I LOVE HIM "my good friend" expression still mild he sounds rather fondly amused mixed with "let me correct your miswording, as your words rather make it sound more dangerous and wild" "Talons, yes, I’m sorry, forgive me," he said, cringing inwardly at his impatience, but keeping his eyes on Gandalf. "Please." In desperation, he actually dared to offer a piteous look. It had worked when he was seven... skajdfhskgjhhg Aragorn desperate enough to intentionally look piteous???? dang But Gandalf was unmoved; indeed, he favored Aragorn’s ploy with the withering stare it no doubt deserved. LOLLLL <33 "Of course you will let Durvain carry you in his talons. It’s quite the only way. You’re far too weak to ride atop his back; you’d fall off before he left the ground. I could tie you there, but there’s really no room for a rider, not with all your things packed there. Besides, you’re far larger and heavier than your pack and mine put together, and to ride him, you would have to be able to shift your weight with his and actually help him along now and then. You could not simply sit like a lumpy sack of potatoes and expect him to fly straight." of course you will hehe withering stare with the command. And very straightforward words. And honestly tying him their would also be a lot more painful than being carried in his talons "A lumpy sack–" Aragorn spluttered, but Gandalf went on without the least acknowledgment of Aragorn’s outrage. LOLL he knows how to hold his own against Aragorn, particularly a deathly injured Aragorn "And it goes without saying that he cannot be made to carry both of us on his back, which is what he would have to do if you were atop him, for I would have to hold you in place. He is small, as Eagles go. Strong nonetheless, but nothing as strong as all that." mmmm yes Aragorn scowled, but then he stared at Gandalf, beset with growing alarm as the question he had not asked yesterday again loomed large. "Wait... you said there is no room on his back. So you won’t be atop him, and I’ll be in his talons...." He paused and swallowed before carefully going on, "So that of course means that he will hold both of us in his talons?" "Both of us? Why ever would he need to?" skajdhkjsghsdjghdk he's like,,,, um,,,,,,, "But... if you’re not carried by his other foot, and not on his back... does that mean you aren’t coming with me?" Even as he said it, he cringed inwardly. By the Valar, Aragorn, he chided himself, from whence comes this craven terror? Are you not Chieftain? The future King of Gondor who has already fought in Rohan and led soldiers of Gondor into battle? Must you still need your hand held to cross a lane? Yet he could not deny that the thought of going alone to Beorn’s... and flying there, at that...filled him with, if not panic, then a pronounced dismay not easily subdued. He tried to sound reasonable. "Gandalf, I do not know Beorn, nor is he acquainted with me, and it is well known that he holds little love for Eagles. I really do think it would go far easier if you would accompany..." askjdsghsdjds he's so so worried <:(((( it is a little funny from an outside perspective that after all the battles he's fought and armies he's led and lone journeys he's taken THIS is what fills him with terror, but also, it kind of makes perfect sense, plus he is sick and injured and miserable, his desperate pleading to Gandalf not to leave him is so sad "Good heavens, will you stop all this whinging and complaining; it’s beneath you," Gandalf snapped, his patience gone. "Of course I am coming with you. I will be riding Menelris, who should be along any time, now that the storm is well past." oh yes I forgot about her <3 lol Gandalf is like well my patience is wearing thin as well, let's make it a party (although I wonder if he actually knew how Aragorn was feeling or his memories and remembered Aragorn never complains without an insurmountable reason if he would find some of his patience returned) Aragorn felt like a man who, having been thrown by his horse, could only watch helplessly as it thundered off into the distance, beyond any hope of recovery or mastery. Or, he thought wryly, like a man who kicks up an avalanche and can only ride it helplessly to the bottom. loll too well he knows that feeling However one cared to look at it, he had lost control both of the conversation and the situation. Still, he had to try to regain the upper hand, despite wishing he could simply roll over and go back to sleep and reawaken only when his head ceased pounding, Gollum was found, Sauron defeated and the world set to rights at last. He rubbed his face tiredly, trying to remember who Menelris was and utterly failing. "Who is Menelris?" skasjddshgkj and utterly failing "tiredly" "My mate," Durvain chirped happily. awww he's like MY FAVORITE TOPIC Gandalf frowned. "Do you not remember her, or my telling you of her?" ooh "I..." Aragorn started, then stopped. He chewed his lip, thinking. "Did she touch me, with her beak? I thought that was Durvain." mm yes <3 "That was Menelris. And after she left, I told you about her." Aragorn said faintly, "I have no memory of that." sakksjdjfgks "faintly", love he sounds so disheartened and like, weak I suppose? can't think of the right word but the way you have him saying this conveys the vibe perfectly. Sort of a deep tiredness and "I sort of give up fighting my brain here" Compassion lightened the frown on Gandalf’s face. "I suppose something of an apology is in order," he admitted. "You seemed aware enough at the time but I suppose the blow to your head has affected your thinking. Menelris is, as Durvain said, his mate, and she it was who first found us. She had seen you fall, actually, and she was quite concerned when she did not locate you once the snows had settled. She was very pleased to find out that you’d made it to my cave." aww thank you Gandalf <3 he's like sorry I don't really know what you remember and forgot to think about that or explain "I wish I could remember." <:( Gandalf knelt down beside him and lightly brushed back Aragorn's hair from his forehead. "Fret not. As a healer, you know how blows to the head play with one’s memories and cloud one’s thoughts. Getting upset only makes it worse." Gandalf then shook out the blanket and draped it across Aragorn. "We’ll tuck that more firmly around you before Durvain lifts you." He gave Aragorn’s shoulder another of his reassuring pats, then returned to his packing. <33 thank youuuuu brushing his hair back Gandalf was right, of course. Trying to remember details of the last two days was like trying to get a glimpse of the moon on a cloudy, windy night. ooh good analogy Memories emerged clearly one moment, only to vanish behind scudding shadows the next. Twice this very morning, in fact, he had found himself unable to recall Gandalf’s name; it simply would not come to his tongue. Such unpredictable fits of memory loss were disconcerting, to say the very least, but Gandalf was also correct in warning him that getting upset would only waste strength best marshalled for healing. ooh whoa forgetting Gandalf's name not entirely surprising but still significant okay if my research is correct Aragorn has a grade 2 perhaps at least initially grade 3 or bordering on grade 3 concussion?? cause like some of the symptoms aren't so severe (he hasn't vomited) but he had repeated fairly prolonged loss of consciousness, vision impairment I think, etc. No seizures though. But some speech difficulty. Of course this is all exacerbated by falling down a mountain and an infectious puncture wound And for flying. Flying.... Aragorn’s mouth felt suddenly clogged with sand. He coughed. "Gandalf, have you already packed the water?" oh dear remembered the flying "No, here it is." He plucked up the water skin and handed it to him. He drank thirstily, then replaced the bung, pounding it in with his fist. He tucked it by his side, suddenly reluctant to return it, for he knew that it would be at that moment that he would have to submit to... flying. He cleared his throat again. "I will just keep it here, until you’re ready to pack it." ohhhh boy wow he sounds like a young child with severe anxiety dreading school and trying to delay or play sick. Only he really is very sick and is trying to play well. "Very well. I should be done in a few moments, and then Durvain will be ready to lift you up and off we’ll go, away from this wretched cave at last." somehow I don't think Aragorn thinks it's so wretched Aragorn remained silent. He watched Gandalf come and go, stowing things on Durvain’s back. Soon there would be no room for Aragorn even if he could manage to hang on. He quietly handed Gandalf the waterskin when he came for it, and then made his decision. He waited until Gandalf’s back was turned, then he pushed himself to a seated position. His head immediately started throbbing, and his back... He grimly shut his mind to the unpleasantries commencing there. BUDDY WITH ALL FONDNESS YOU ARE BEING AN IDIOT of course it's entirely understandable. But you have a great stubbornness. However the terror must be great indeed to manage to force you past the pain stubbornness alone could not handle. I'm honestly impressed he managed it when, when there was less urgency, he couldn't really manage to hold even an elbow Gandalf might think him quietly acquiescing, but he was going to ride atop, and there would be no gainsaying him. He had been injured worse and nonetheless ridden miles on horses; this would be no different. He took a deep breath and in one movement gathered his legs beneath him and lunged to his feet before the pain could stop him. lol uhhhhhhhh sure I want to know what worse injuries those were besides the Black Breath but at least that was only the beginning of the fever, you weren't fainting every 20 seconds, and you had the concern for Halbarad to keep you upright "Strider!" Gandalf immediately cried, turning just in time to see Aragorn sway dizzily as he flailed blindly for the cave wall, which suddenly seemed impossibly far away.... "What do you think you’re... oh, by Manwë’s own Eagles, why must you be so stubborn!" LOLLLLLL YESSSS THE CORRECT RESPONSE flailed blindly for the cave wall I love Gandalf's words. Why must you be so stubborn, indeed This last Aragorn barely heard. Though his legs had seemed willing, his knees were not. They buckled and he crumpled back to the ground. He hovered shakily on hands and knees as the world spun and danced around, and then he lost a very brief battle with his stomach. He narrowly missed Gandalf’s boots with the water he had only just drunk and with what little else he had eaten in the last day. yessss oh there it is. I'm becoming convinced this is grade 3. And some of the symptoms haven't been as severe as they could be because he's been mostly lying still. I can't really imagine it being much worse than this without like, going into a coma or something. skasdjfhgjgsh crumpling to the ground my favorite, shaking on hands and knees also my favoriteeeee luckily he won't have anything to throw up while in midair, I was rather worried about that "Oh dear!" Durvain cried. "What is wrong with him?" <333 "Nothing," he mumbled. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear the spots dancing before his eyes. SURE yeah there's vision impairment yessss can't really see is great Then he heard Gandalf’s irritated reply. "Yes, of course nothing’s wrong! It is tradition, after all, for Men to stand up only to immediately collapse and then vomit onto their companion’s shoes." LOLLLL yeah he sounds irritated no way is he letting Aragorn try to ride <3 "What a strange custom," Durvain said, then added in all seriousness, "You missed his shoes, Master Strider. Perhaps you should try again." OH MY GOSH I AM CACKLING SO HARD I had to clap a hand over my mouth for a solid 30 seconds I can't even tell if Durvain's genuinely serious or really good at pretending I love his encouragement to Master Strider XDDD Aragorn laughed weakly, then groaned as he sagged to the floor. The spots before his eyes coalesced into bigger and bigger shadows. Consciousness dribbled away... yesss laugh <3 sag to the floor ... and when it returned he felt something soft brushing his cheek. He opened an eye and saw it was Durvain, brushing him with the tip of his wing, over and over. aww <333 "He’s back!" Durvain cried. "How are you, Master Strider? Better now?" I love how excited he is <3 Only if better meant a roiling stomach, buzzing ears, and a mouth that tasted like something had crawled in it and died, he thought. His back was afire and his head... someone apparently had given it to Celebrimbor to use as an anvil. He garbled some noises that were meant to be reassuring words, and Durvain clucked and continued to brush his cheek. Aragorn had never felt anything more soothing. He quit trying to regain his wits and drifted, half aware. ooooooh dear Celebrimbor's anvil indeed, I can't imagine really AWWWW HE HAD NEVER FELT ANYTHING MORE SOOTHING <3 I love how, as terrified as he is, eagle feathers at least are very comforting to him Voices floated somewhere above him, in snatches.... mmmm yes floaty consciousness "...not bleeding, but he’s too weak... really must get him ... Beorn’s.... cannot delay." oooooh "... leave with him now? ....what of you? .... Menelris is coming but what if..." "...can come back to check on me...." oh dear oh dear it's happening probably a good thing he attempted that stand. Now maybe he'll be too out of it to be so terrified on at least the beginning of the flight (also I want him to cry can you make him cry) Then gentle hands were on him, turning him over and wrapping him snugly in a blanket. There were murmuring encouragements and more soft touches of feathers, then warm but rough bands circled his body. <333 Durvain’s talons, he realized... and then he was lifted and pressed against soft warmth and there was motion, like a boat bobbing on gentle seas, and a sudden cold breeze against his face but he was warm and floating... floating... floating away and for a moment he thought he had lost his hold on consciousness again yes yes think that that's definitely it but then another thought wormed in and his eyes flew open and he saw... Clouds. And below them... below them?... far, far below them, the ground. He was flying. And he was terrified. He couldn’t think, couldn’t move, couldn’t cry out. He could only watch as the ground moved slowly away from him, dropping, dropping, dropping... skajsdhsjgsjgdsjgdjgdfgsjgh oh dearrrrrrr imagine how horrible that would be to be COMPLETELY out of control, wrapped tightly and body not cooperating anyways, can't call for help, can't even think to reason past the terror, trapped in his personal living nightmare also is he on his stomach? side again? back, and like twisting around to see the ground? side seems best but perhaps a little hard to carry and properly support his head is the blanket tucked around his ears as well? Cause cold also DURVAIN PULLING HIM SECURELY AGAINST HIS WARM SOFT BODY <333 He finally found his voice and though he meant it to be a shouted order for Durvain to put him down, immediately! it came out a strangled squeak of unintelligible panic. And that filled him with disgust; he had heard braver cries from baby rabbits. SKADHSJGHS my poor guy he would be absolutely humiliated for anyone to hear him squeak in panic <:( "Oh, good, you’re waking up!" Durvain cried happily. Aragorn seemed to feel Durvain’s voice vibrating through the feathered body pressing against him as much as he actually heard it. If he hadn’t been so distracted by utter terror he might have found the phenomenon extraordinary. "I would hate for you to have missed this view. Isn’t it splendid?" skasdjhsgk he's so cute <3 I love how happy he is Aragorn is like you have no idea No, it wasn’t splendid. It wasn’t splendid at all. It was nauseating, and terrifying, and unnatural. He shut his eyes and opened them again and ordered, with every shred of stern authority he could muster, that the wild beating of his heart and the frantic bellows of his lungs calm themselves. You are the Chieftain! Son of chieftains and kings, destined to be a king yourself! For shame! Whither then has all your bravery gone? Left on the ground far below, a snivelling voice in his head replied. skasdhfskfghsdjghdsfgjk trying desperately to sternly scold his irrational self but it's not workinggggg the terror is too ingrained for mere will to chase it away Very well, let my heart hammer and my bowels shrivel, he thought. It would not change the situation one bit and he would simply have to accept that he was... Elbereth help him... flying, and there was nothing he could do about it. He shut his mind to the ground falling away underneath him and craned his neck around to look instead at Durvain. It seemed Durvain was holding him face down, with his back securely against the warmth of the bird's belly. Apparently, as before, Durvain needed only his left foot to hold him, talons wrapped snugly round him while the other hung relaxed and empty. Aragorn struggled to move his arms, but they were trapped inside the blanket. He continued to struggle and finally pulled them free and flung both around the massive talon across his chest. okay yeah face down makes sense, particularly if he throws up again that'll be useful buddy keep your arms inside we're trying not to let you catch a chill for goodness sake "Easy there. Don’t wiggle so!" Durvain cried, and Aragorn froze. But he kept his grip on the talon. "You don’t need to squeeze so tightly. I won’t drop you." <33 thanks Durvain poor Aragorn like AM I GONNA MAKE HIM DROP ME Aragorn eased his grip a fraction and tried to ignore the queer sensations in his belly and the odd pressure on his ears that muffled his hearing. He opened his mouth wide and swallowed and with a crackling, popping noise, the pressure eased. But his stomach still felt uneasy. loll yes altitude change Durvain chuckled. "If it makes you feel more secure, of course you may hold on, but don’t dig in with your fingernails like that; it tickles. And fear not, I have yet to ever drop anyone." loll aww his chuckle. Interesting he can feel his talons (no idea actually if mosst bird can, I suppose perhaps their toes generally extend farther into the talons than I'm picturing with the eagles) but certainly useful for not dropping anything Aragorn finally found his voice, though it was pitched higher than he would have liked. "Have you..." He cleared his throat and continued in something better approaching his normal deep pitch. "Have you carried a lot of people?" lollll ,3 "No. Once I carried a dwarf, but that was many years ago. I didn’t drop him, although he wiggled and squirmed like a fish. You’re doing much better, or at least you are now that you’ve stopped all that wriggling around." hehehe yessss HE WAS PART OF THAT GROUP <3 That was something, he supposed. He wondered briefly which dwarf it had been, then he was distracted by a shadow on the ground far below them. Glad to have something to focus on besides the increasingly alarming sensations in his stomach, he asked, "Is that our shadow?" yesss good job you're doing better than he did. I wonder too. Ooh shadow Durvain looked down. "No, that is Menelris; she is some ways ahead of us, but the morning sun casts her shadow quite far behind her." "I thought we left before her." ooooh Menelris and good question is she returning for Gandalf? "We did. She arrived just as we were leaving, in fact, but she’s since caught us and passed us; she can fly faster than I, because Gandalf is atop her and not below. Mind you, I mean nothing by that, because of course you could not possibly have ridden atop, but it does slow me down considerably to have you in my talon. Throws my balance off a bit, you see." mmm makes sense "I’m sorry." HONEY HE SAID HE MENAS NOTHING BY IT "No, no. Don’t apologize. I do this all the time, with prey. lol uh And once with that dwarf, although I admit I’ve never had to cart along anyone’s belongings on my back like this. It makes for some interesting challenges. Nothing I can’t handle, mind you, but it has taken me a bit to find the air, if take my meaning. I’m fine now, though, fear not. Everything going smoothly. <3 good thing you didn't mention the trouble to Aragorn while it was happening, as safe as he would have still been Hey, I’ve a capital idea! Let me show you our shadow... you might find it amusing to see your own shadow flying across the ground so fast!" Before Aragorn could protest that he had no need to see such a sight, Durvain dipped a wing and Aragorn could only frantically tighten his grip as they turned and swooped in a quick circle. His stomach no longer felt queer; it was clawing its way into his throat. umm yeah that's not queer at all "See? There we are!" Durvain cried. He waggled his wings so that they... and their shadow... rocked back and forth. lollll uhhh that is very cool indeed and fun <3 and I think I would enjoy it because well it's a lot more natural to me but something tells me Aragorn does not appreciate this I wonder how fast they can fly/are flying Aragorn dared not try to answer, for fear of his stomach unloading what little was left in it. oh dear <3 "And look, there you are!" Durvain moved his talon and pulled Aragorn away from his body. Aragorn let out a very embarrassing scream. "NO!" oh dear poor guy "Oh, very sorry!" Durvain said and tucked Aragorn quickly back up underneath him. "The dwarf didn’t like it when I did that, either, now that I think on it." LOL his excitement is still very sweet Aragorn spared a sympathetic thought toward the dwarf, but the rest of his concentration was taken up with regaining what little dignity he had left. "That is... quite all right," he croaked. "It was fascinating." He winced at the outright lie, but it pleased Durvain, aww <3 Aragorn's very sweet cute that he's still tryna be polite in midair feeling like he's gonna die who gave a mighty flap of his wings that sent them soaring ever higher, and again, Aragorn had to swallow and work his jaw against the cotton-wool feeling in his ears. Then they seemed to drop suddenly, a quick downward jerk and then just as quick back up again. Aragorn couldn’t hold back a squawk of alarm as he tightened his grip. <3 fair eep well it did help him find a bit of his strength, anyways "Oooh, it’s a bit rough today," Durvain said, unconcerned. His wings moved slightly and once again they were sailing smoothly through the air. "Did you know that there are bumps in the air just as there are ruts in your roads?" hmm that's a fun comparison "No, I can’t say that I ever really thought about it." <3 I love how unbalanced the casualness of this conversation is, from totally natural on Durvain's side to completely forced on Aragorn's, but it's very cute <3 "It’s true. The sun heats up the air in some places and not in others and when I fly from a cool spot to a warm spot, the air can swirl in funny ways. And of course, there’s the winds coming off the mountains meeting the winds that blow along the river. Makes for all sorts of swirls and eddies. That’s what you just felt. Oh, there we go again!" oh dear how dizzy is he now. Honestly how does he still have any vision left with this swirling Aragorn clenched his teeth. The bumps, as Durvain called them, were doing terrible things to his stomach. Then his eye caught something, and he again momentarily forgot the state of his innards. "Whose shadow is that?" He risked releasing his grip to point, then realized it was a useless gesture as Durvain couldn’t see him, hidden under his belly as Aragorn was. "See that shadow? Coming from the south? Did Menelris turn around?" uhhhhh "No, I don’t think she – oh for the love of Manwë!" Durvain muttered as he immediately pulled Aragorn tighter to him and dove toward the ground. "Hang on!" oh dear oh dear yay Durvain's reaction is very controlled and yet alarming good thing for Aragorn's sharp eyes watching <33 Aragorn was so frightened he didn’t have the breath to answer, but he certainly needed no admonishment to hang on. He shut his eyes tightly against the sight of land rushing headlong to slam into them, but that made his stomach feel horrid, so he had to open them, just in time to see the ground race toward him and then flash by at a speed that had his head spinning. skasdhfs not even allowed the relief of closing his eyes Then the ground swooped away and the horizon danced and spun crazily and for a moment dark spots broke out in Aragorn’s vision, but they cleared away as Durvain levelled out. But then something hit Durvain with a great banging thud. Durvain grunted and floundered a bit in the air, and Aragorn feared he would forget he was holding him and down he would drop, but Durvain’s grip tightened and he pressed Aragorn even closer to his body. So close, in fact, that he had a spot of trouble breathing. ah there are the dark spot "Durvain," he gasped, "Too tight!" ah yes just a spot <3 Durvain said nothing but his grip eased a bit and Aragorn could breath again. Durvain’s great wings beat at the air – Aragorn could feel Durvain’s stomach muscles flexing and moving as his wings strained – and he gained more altitude. <33 thanks Durvain for multitasking If Aragorn doesn't trust him to be able to hold on now I don't know what would make him Aragorn craned his neck, trying to see what was attacking them, but the bulk of Durvain’s body and wings blocked his view of all but what was directly beneath him. eeee that's honestly so much scarier There was another spinning, looping dive and again Aragorn’s vision tunnelled and darkened but he coughed and ground his teeth and somehow through sheer will kept his wits. But there came another great thud, and Durvain let out a loud screeching cry that nearly shattered Aragorn’s eardrums. They again started to lose height, and Durvain’s steady wingbeats grew erratic, and Aragorn saw with alarm a great slash cut into his left wing. Several feathers were missing, and a line of bright red blood started to well out of a cut that was nearly as long as Aragorn was tall. oooooh no dang the eagles are so huge Durvain was hurt, but he was still flying. yayyyyyy <333 Menelris will coo over her mate much Aragorn looked at the blood and felt the battle fury rise within him. He longed for his sword, for a bow... but both were far beyond reach, atop Durvain. Where I should be, where I could help, where I could fight... skajgshgk even now he feels the battle song (but let's be honest, could he fight? I doubt it) But such thoughts were useless. Aragorn could only hang on, impotent and no doubt a hindrance, and Durvain’s next words keenly drove that bitter fact home. aww <:( "Strider, I must put you down. Brace yourself!" he cried and sped toward the ground at such high speed that Aragorn was sure they would both be killed, smashed against the unforgiving earth and shattered to pieces, but at the last possible moment, Durvain flared his wings and stopped just short of landing. The talons released Aragorn and he fell the final few feet. It hurt, and the hard ground pushed all the air from his lungs, but he was alive, if a bit stunned. Durvain is skilled <3 but OUCH for Aragorn to fall even a few feet "Crawl beneath the bushes!" Durvain cried, and then he was flying upward again, the injured wing apparently no hindrance. yayyyyy Aragorn then saw their adversary. It was another eagle, larger than Durvain and darker, nearly black with no golden aura about him like the Northern Eagles. For a moment, Aragorn watched, transfixed, as Durvain flew up to meet the bigger bird. Durvain twisted his body in mid-air to slash at the black eagle with his talons. The other bird screeched with pain. Durvain had struck a good blow. skjads GO DURVAIN, there are dark eagles?? Then the black eagle wheeled and his cold eye fixed on Aragorn, and Aragorn realized that he had been the cause for the attack. The black eagle saw him as Durvain’s prey, and wanted to take him for himself and indeed was now diving straight for him. ahhhh I see Fear clawing at his throat, Aragorn scrambled toward the bushes, his wounded back and aching head forgotten in his panic. He felt thorns catch on his clothes and skin, and the blanket ripped utterly away. There was a buffeting push of air and a great shadow covered him, but then it passed and a frustrated cry hammered the air. The eagle could not reach him, tucked safely away as he was within the prickly embrace of an obliging thornbush. saskdshgjsghsjkfg oh dear "an obliging thornbush" thank you loll oh dear this was just what he needed. More scratches on his skin, blanket gone, crawling around on the rough ground, if this doesn't make him catch a chill I don't think anything (except perhaps a dunk in a cold lake) will He wiggled until he found a clearer view of the sky. Durvain went streaking after the black eagle, who had lost interest now that the prize was out of reach. But Durvain apparently wanted to be sure, for he chased him and harassed him until both had disappeared from sight. AWWW HE'S DEDICATED AND SO STRONG AND FIERCELY PROTECTIVE <3 chasing off an eagle larger than he and then following it for Aragorn's sake Quiet reigned then, not unlike the hush that falls after the last cry of battle fades into the distance. Aragorn wondered where Menelris and Gandalf were. He cautiously eased out from under the bush, wincing as he lost more bits of skin. ouch <3 He froze as a shadow approached, then relaxed. It was Menelris, with Gandalf riding atop her. She landed with barely a thump, and Gandalf immediately slid down and ran over. "Aragorn! Are you all right?" awww yayyyyy "I think so," he said, rather weakly. He had, to his dismay, started to shake uncontrollably. skaksddsfh I appreciate, for his dignity, that he still has a somewhat steady voice to sound a little in control even as his body betrays him yessss shaking uncontrollably "I must find Durvain," Menelris said, and was in the air speeding south even as the words came from her beak. <333 as she should Gandalf fell to his knees beside Aragorn and immediately embraced him. "There now, old friend. It’s over, and we’ve all survived. We would have come to your aid sooner but we had no idea until we heard Durvain’s cry that anything was amiss. But it appears you’ve survived and likely so has Durvain. So there you go... breathe deeply and calm yourself. There, there." askd awww immediately embracing him <333333 although I'm not sure Aragorn can simply calm himself but Aragorn could not speak. He simply clutched Gandalf’s robe and held tightly to it until the spasms passed. Then he slumped, exhausted, in Gandalf’s arms, and in silence they watched the southern sky. SKADHFGJG okay was that a seizure or simply adrenaline or post-trauma overwhelm or something? Because shaking is perfectly valid but not being able to speak and calling it spasms is suspicious also I love him clutching Gandalf's robes for security as he rides it through <33 skasdhjkgsh in his arms <333 After many tense minutes, two small dark specks appeared. They grew larger with each passing moment and finally Menelris and Durvain circled overhead and then came to soft landings beside them. awww YAY "Are you all right, Durvain?" Aragorn called. "A little bit tattered as to the feathers on my left wing, but nothing serious, despite the blood. I can still fly. But what of you? I did not drop you too hard, did I?" awwwww their making sure each other are okay <3333 I think Aragorn will be able to be friends with him now "No, I’m perfectly well." Gandalf let out a derisive huffing noise, but Aragorn ignored him. "Who was that eagle?" lolllll the derisiveness is right Menelris let out her own derisive snort. "He was from the south. They sometimes venture this way, when food becomes scarce. They are cowards, cruel and lazy besides, preferring to steal our prey instead of hunting their own. This is not the first time one has thought, mistakenly, that Durvain would be easy pickings. My mate is small, but he is the most nimble of all the Eagles in the air. None surpass him for diving and spinning. And he is great of heart – he would have died before letting that Eagle snatch you from him." She again nudged him, this time with the top of her head against his good wing. He responded with a low whistle. awwwwww and she loves him for it <333 not angry that he would have sacrificed his life, she loves his greatness of heart yesssss none surpass him for diving and spinning HECK YEAH "Great indeed," Aragorn said as fervently as he had ever spoken any words in his life. "You saved my life nearly at the cost of your own, and I thank you, Durvain. If there’s ever a way I can repay you by some service or reward, rest assured, I will." AWWWWWWW <333 yeah they're friends as fervently as he had ever spoken any words in his life skasjdfhg Durvain ducked his head and plucked at some loose feathers on his chest, pleased but obviously embarrassed. Menelris rubbed his head affectionately with her beak, then looked at Aragorn. "Are you ready to continue on?" <3333 Aragorn glanced at Gandalf, then nodded. picturing Aragorn still just laying in Gandalf's arms <33 probably half-curled from the crawling Gandalf checked his bandages. "You’re bleeding a bit, but we’re so close to Beorn’s, I think it best to wait until we arrive there to do anything about it. It is not very much blood, after all. And you realize, I hope," he added in a whisper, "that had Durvain not been carrying you in his talons, that black eagle would have plucked you easily from his back and that would have been the end of you. That is why Menelris could not come to your aid; she could not swoop and dive with me on her back." mmmmmm yes very good point Aragorn nodded, speechless before Gandalf’s gentle rebuke. ooooh "There now, don’t take it so to heart. I myself prefer being atop, after all," he said with a wink. He then wrapped the blanket around him again, leaving his arms free this time. Then Durvain in turn wrapped his talons carefully around Aragorn just as before and spread his wings, and this time Aragorn kept his eyes wide open, and watched the ground fall away and then looked toward the sun and the clouds and saw the horizon’s great curve and the mountains looking like nothing more than a rumpled pile of kicked-up carpet. And even though his stomach shivered and his back burned and his head throbbed, his heart soared, for he was alive, and he was flying. He wrapped his arms around Durvain’s talon and let out a great whoop of sheer joy. AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW ASKDSFHSDJGHSDFGJKSDSGHSDJSDHSDJSDGH instead of vowing never to fly again for that experience he greatly appreciates a safe flight and trusts Durvain <3333 and Gandalf knowing to leave his arms free this time and he was FLYING << the differenceeeee here from the first time he said it awwww I wonder when the pain will come crashing back ooooh a cool rumor

Lexilooper	Reviewed Chapter: 6 on 1/15/2026
I am intrigued to learn the meaning of this chapter title eyes emoji (I have been reading mostly on my computer which means no emojis lol Aragorn hurt in so many ways and in so many places that it was a wonder, really, that he was still alive. His head, his back... and in less excruciating fashion his arms... both elbows... his legs... even his ankles ached. Was there no part of him that was not set on giving him misery, he wondered rather sourly. His right earlobe, perhaps. It offered no complaint. ARAGORN PERSPECTIVE <33 also XD poor guy. His right earlobe indeed. "In less excruciating fashion" as well as his wondering at his life suggests the true magnitude of the pain in his back and legs He grimaced and slowly opened his eyes, carefully controlling his breathing so as not to alarm Gandalf. The wizard was a marvelous caretaker, and Aragorn was overcome with gratitude for all he had done for him. But he was also starting to worry about him, for he had a way, at Aragorn’s least movement or murmur, of instantly appearing at his side to hover in ill-concealed alarm while patting his shoulder in a somewhat hysterical staccato. The venerable wizard seemed so consumed with worry, in fact, that Aragorn feared for his well-being. Keeping absolutely still as much as possible seemed the only way to alleviate the Maia’s panic, Aragorn had decided. LOLLLLL wait so Gandalf is somewhat right that Aragorn thinks him mad for his shoulder-patting XD I assumed he barely even noticed But, though he was loathe to admit it, Gandalf was not the real reason he was staying as still as a mouse. mmm He turned his head just enough to see the Eagle. He groped through his muddied mind for the name... Durvain. Yes, that was it. Durvain. lol better than me at remembering the name and he's only heard it once <3 (well I suppose I've never heard it OUT LOUD but) He was sitting with his feathers fluffed against the chill wind as he dozed in front of the cave entrance. Aragorn had long admired the Eagles – they were, after all, a very important part of the Valar’s watch over Middle-earth, from the ancient days of Thorondor all the way to the present. Witnesses of Manwë in the days of Númenor; messengers still in this age. Admirable, honorable, noble. Wonderful creatures, without doubt. So why, upon seeing one so close, did he feel such continuing unease? It defied every bit of logic and whatever reason he might possess. Of course, reason of late was severely compromised by a raging headache and a world that swirled nauseatingly at the slightest twitch, so perhaps that might be part of the problem. But there was something else, something deeper.... hmmmmmm interesting normally I would say that is his instincts, but...I really don't think so this time. He lay quietly, watching Durvain, trying in vain to quell the feeling that if he moved in the slightest bit, the Eagle would pounce on him and tear his limbs from his body. awww poor guy is so terrified and he knows it's irrational but ...grab him and eat him and spit out his bones.... He blinked, fighting off the shiver that the sudden stray phrase sent crawling down his spine. Where in the world had it come from? Some childhood memory, a song, perhaps, or some childish rhyme? He thought on it but no answer came to him. hmmm it sure sounds like it I'm trying to remember, is this line in like, the Hobbit anywhere? It sounds vaguely familiar Forgetting it, he looked again at the Eagle. Perhaps it was simply that he was just so very big. Durvain could step on him and squash him flat without even trying, and maybe without even realizing. true that would be fair But Aragorn had experienced firsthand Durvain’s gentle touch, when he moved him to this bed some hours ago. <33 aw he does remember and was very aware of that So he knew that death from accidental squashing was hardly a risk, nor was there any chance at all that Durvain would have him for breakfast. Or elevenses. Or tea or whatever mealtime it might be. LOL I LOVE HIM USING THE HOBBIT MEALS <3 He had no idea what time it was. He knew he had slept for some hours, after the ordeal of being moved, but how many was anyone’s guess. The storm howling beyond the cave entrance kept the light in the cave an uninformative shade of dim, brightened only by the fire crackling cheerfully in the center of the floor. It could be midnight or midday and it looked the same to Aragorn. lolllll an uninformative shade of dim Durvain let out a soft snore, real this time and not a demonstration of... how had he put it? Tucking under? The noise startled Aragorn and made his heart jump uncomfortably, which caused his skull to pound in wretched rhythm with each pulse beat. He shut his eyes, hoping to calm himself, but instead had a sudden and disturbing vision of a room, and a painting... a painting of an Eagle, as large as storm clouds and as dark as shadow, and he felt the cold grip of terror on his heart as he beheld it. oooooh is this a memory? also skjasdf his skull pounding in wretched rhythm, yeah that would hurt ... grab him and eat him... And suddenly he remembered all of it. more eyes emojis He had been five years old, he supposed. Mayhap only four, a little boy without any other playmates but already fond of adventuring on his own through the hallways of the Last Homely House. Okay I would love that too. I had plenty of playmates but always enjoyed exploring things alone especially if I got to pretend I was sneaking, and I expect Rivendell would be a great place for such sneaking and exploring That day, he had sneaked out from under the eye of the elleth who was supposed to be watching him while his mother rested. She had wanted him to sit quietly reading books, but it was late afternoon and the shadows were stealing away the light and Estel was fairly jumping out of his skin because another day was slipping away and he hadn’t done anything near what he wanted to. OKAY THAT IS SO ACCURATE TO A YOUNG CHILD WHO IS LIKE SO MANY THINGS TO DO SO MUCH TO PLAY My ten year old brother frequently complained, when I was home for Mettare, that he did not have time to read those books he had to finish reading a different series for the fifth time before the next book in the series came out in a month or so, and there were far too many other things to do with his time as well, schoolwork and writing music and riding the ebike and catching chickens and making cardboard tesla cars... There were still orcs to slay and elf maidens to rescue (although not the kind that made you sit and read books... the dragons could keep those as far as Estel was concerned, and the world would be a better place). So he had waited until her back was turned and then he had slipped out the door. LOLLLL tiny four year old Estel who I think later will love books, but not for now. He is four. also LOL not THAT kind of elf maiden He ran, as quickly and as quietly as any four-year-old boy ever could, which of course was quick enough but not quiet at all, THIS SOUNDS SO MUCH LIKE TOLKIEN <33 so cute until he found himself in a hallway he had never been in before. It was spooky and filled with shadows that reached across the floors and hid the high ceilings. It was like being in a cave, and so he pretended it was a cave, a cave filled with orcs and bats and dragons and maybe even an evil oliphaunt or two, never mind that oliphaunts didn’t live in caves... lol mood and then something went scritch-scritch, way down the hallway behind him, and his heart jumped into his throat because he was certain, absolutely certain, that it was an orc! askdh poor kid <:( sometimes imaginations are a lil TOO active And then he was running wildly, his heart pounding and his lungs burning, and he didn’t know the way and every door he tried was locked and he knew the orc would grab him and eat him and spit out his bones, until finally he found an unlocked door and ducked in and slammed it quick so the orcs couldn’t grab him and eat him and spit out his bones. Then he had turned and in the dying light of day he had seen it: an eagle flying across the sunset sky. It was so big it took up the entire horizon and Estel, in his terror, had dropped to the floor and curled up in a ball and screamed, certain that the Eagle was swooping down on him to grab him and eat him and spit out his bones because he had been naughty. skasdhfjksd the repeating of that line <3 <:((( afraid of being eaten because he had been naughty poor kiddd It wasn’t until after Glorfindel found him and cuddled him and lit lamps all over the room that Estel realized that it had been Glorfindel’s soft step in the corridor behind him, not an orc’s, and that he had stumbled into Glorfindel’s quarters and most important of all, that the Eagle was only a painting. A huge painting that took up the whole of an entire wall, but just one of many paintings, some not scary at all, that decorated the walls of Glorfindel’s apartments. AWWWWWWW GLORFINDEL CUDDLING ARAGORN Makes me love their relationship even more. Like Glorfindel has also watched Aragorn from a very young age and protected and loved and cuddled him and it's so sweet to see how great a respect he holds for him now, in At Hope's Edge, when Glorfindel himself has done so much and lived so much longer and holds such great power. I think a great mark of an adult is their ability when the people they knew as babies grow up to not only remember when they were small and perhaps give them reminders that it's still okay to be small, but to also see them as an adult who has (hopefully) grown in wisdom and stature and knowledge and respect and treat them as such as well. You know? Like I love when people say I'm still young or baby me just a little but seeing everyone younger than you as frozen in childhood is very limiting, I think anyways stumbling into Glorfindel's quarters and Glorfindel responding so kindly and comforting is so sweet <3 Glorfindel had carried him close to it and told him the story of Manwë’s Eagles flying over the Meneltarma, and of the Eagles helping the remnants of Gondolin, including Eärendil himself who had been not much older than little Estel was now, so could he see that Eagles were nothing to be frightened of? Estel could see, but what he really wanted to know then was what a remnant was. But Glorfindel wouldn’t tell him what remnant meant, and he wouldn’t tell him how the Eagles helped. He just said it was a story for when he was older, and Estel hated it when Nana or Ada or Erestor told him that. But Estel had at least learned then that Eagles were Good, not Scary.... wait who's Nana? awww telling him that story fair, I wouldn't like people telling me that either. I love "but what he REALLY wanted to know then what a remnant was" <3 Aragorn sighed quietly. How long ago that had been! But it was still one of his most vivid early childhood memories. Despite Glorfindel’s wise teaching, he had suffered occasional nightmares of Eagles swooping down at him for years after, nightmares that made a mockery of his love for their soaring grace and his knowledge of their noble deeds for Men and Elves through the Ages. <:( that's so frustrating honestly. He's like. I love them. Please stop having nightmares about them. And as careful as Glorfindel was in his teaching, he still couldn't prevent those nightmares Hadn’t he named himself after an Eagle, when he went on his travels far beyond these lands? But childhood terrors are not easily put aside, he supposed, and he had to admit, as much as he admired the Eagles and loved them for their staunch friendship, he was surprised to find he preferred to watch them from a safe distance. hmmm yes. His terror of last chapter makes much sense now, beyond just "whoa big thing that could kill me" And twenty feet away was not what he considered a safe distance. loll fair He couldn’t help shivering as he looked away from the Eagle sitting so close, but he beat back childhood fears as best as anyone can beat back childhood fears, and forced himself to quit shutting away the sight like a frightened four year old and for Valar’s sake, look. <:(( shivering "as best as anyone can beat back childhood fears" <:( Seeing the bird at such close quarters, Aragorn was struck by his sheer beauty, by the lay of the glossy feathers and the colors that seemed to flicker and shimmer across them with an almost iridescent golden glow. From a distance, Eagles looked... well, they looked like a vague sort of brown with perhaps a bit of gold if the sun hit them just so. Beautiful in their own way, but sheer size and flying grace aside, not very eye catching or flashy, certainly nothing like the brilliant blue and purple peacocks Aragorn had seen in his travels to the south and east. But up close, Aragorn saw that he had given the birds’ beauty short shrift, for indeed, there was every shade of brown imaginable, plus black and streaks of cream and even a bit of red, and laid over all that a sort of golden shimmer that defied definition. Stunningly beautiful, this bird. ooooooh loveeeeee I love him getting to look up close at this beautiful creature he has admired but not been able to really see for so long. Even if it causes much mental distress. And stunningly huge. Aragorn felt like a tiny mouse in comparison, and that thought left the door wide open to all those long-buried fears. His breathing quickened, quite without his permission, yess and even though he sternly told himself to stop being such a ninny, he nonetheless pulled the blanket closer to his chin, as if by doing so he could hide himself should the sleeping bird’s sharp eyes open and look his way. Ridiculous, really, because the northern Eagles had long been known for their willingness to lend succor when needed, which Durvain more than exemplified in his gentle handling of him; it had hurt, yes, but that was no fault of the bird’s. But when those giant talons came at him, it had been all he could do not to shrink back in fear that was both contemptible and wholly unjustified. awww his shame at this <:( But so very real nonetheless... yess exactly He gave up and shut his eyes, blocking out the sight as he snuggled deeper in the soft down of his bed. That was a revelation as well, and one far easier on which to quite literally dwell. Never had he felt so... so cosseted. Not even in his own bed in Rivendell had he experienced the sheer warmth and softness of this pile of eagle down. It felt how he imagined sleeping on a cloud on a warm summer day might feel, and it almost made him forget his injuries and how he had come by them. awwww cosseted <3 Almost. lol He couldn’t remember much of the avalanche itself. He remembered stepping out of a cave, frustrated yet again at finding absolutely no sign of Gollum and wondering if he should abandon the heights for the lower reaches. Surely Gollum would not have climbed upward... he was from all indications a creature of the dark places, seeking sanctuary ever deeper and lower, in places like the subterranean lake and island Aragorn had explored earlier in the summer. No, Gollum would not risk the open heights, so close to the sun where he could be found and chased or even eaten by Eagles. ...who would grab him and eat him and spit out his bones.... OPE "Stop it," Aragorn murmured to himself, and sternly marshaled his thoughts back to the calamity that had brought him to this wretched pass. lol out loud poor guy having to ward off traumatic memories with trying to remember different traumatic memories Aragorn had been a bit lost in such thoughts of Gollum, he admitted, and that had been his very literal downfall. He had placed a foot wrong, missing the rocky floor of the ledge on which he was walking and falling hard as his entire right leg sank into a snowdrift which crumbled beneath him and made him slide further still. He had floundered with heart-pounding fear, grabbing for the ledge, but the snow beneath him continued to fall away and before he could quite grasp what had happened, it seemed as though the entire mountainside had broken off in a great falling slab, taking him with it as it rocketed toward the valley far below. There had been roaring and shaking and clouds of blinding, choking snow and he had hit rocks and trees and been battered and pummeled and punctured... and by the time the earth finally grew still he was no longer sure what was up and what was down nor what had happened. He remembered staring at the sky and feeling a vague thankfulness that he had not been buried when the snow finally quit its terrifying rush down the mountain, but then for a long time he did not have any thoughts at all. ooooooooh ouch ouch ouch dizzy disorienting painful whoa ah so he was not so much caught in as the unwitting cause of an avalanche big enough for Gandalf to spy He had drifted. Unconsciousness ruled him for a time, then consciousness returned but was chased quickly away by oblivion the moment he raised his head. skajfh the head wound He was unsure how long he had lain in the snow, slowly freezing to death, before enough of his scattered wits returned to urge him to move. And so he had, painfully, feeling the bite of something in his back but too dazed and injured to know what it was. All he knew was that his head hurt dreadfully, and his back... something seemed to be stabbing him there. He finally decided an orc had shot him, for what else could feel so like an arrow’s stabbing burn? mmm yesss there's his assumption we saw But it had been no arrow. Gandalf had shown him the branch, and told him how he had pulled it from him and cleaned the wound and stitched it partly closed. It had been good work, he was sure, but now Aragorn felt the sickness in him. Infection. He shivered, despite the warm fire and warm bed, and he knew that no matter how careful Gandalf had been, he could not possibly have cleaned the wound completely, under the circumstances. A puncture wound such as that... no, even Elrond himself, with the best equipment at hand, would be hard pressed to clean it enough to evade infection’s evil hand. He frowned as a wave of nausea swept him, followed by his skin prickling as if a thousand spiders crawled along his limbs. mmm yes although Gandalf is still a little uncertain about the source of the fever but it is likely just that, then. Even with a severe concussion, Aragorn is a healer. "infection's evil hand" oooh is that nausea from the head wound? and chills... There was a noise beside him, and a hand touched his brow. "Strider?" <3 He did his best to keep his face composed, to hide his misery. "Gandalf. I have not thanked you... for what you’ve done." awww <:( trying to hide his misery I daresay he's not very successful, thankfully Gandalf favored him with a peeved look, though his eyes twinkled. "Thank me! Good gracious, there is no need for thanks. What would have had me do, leave you to lie out in the snow until spring?" lolllll awww peeved but twinkling great point Aragorn smiled, more a matter of his eyes than anything else, for he was desperately tired. Moving his lips to speak seemed hard enough. Smiling with all the muscles of his face? Impossible. AWW little smile he is exhausted indeed. "impossible". "Your fever does not seem any worse, but it stubbornly refuses to abate," Gandalf said. "Let me check the wound." He leaned across Aragorn, and Aragorn felt the wizard’s grey robes brush his face. Gandalf smelled of wood smoke and Old Toby and something indefinably wizardly that brought to mind ancient lands and infinite kindness. AWWWWWWWW I love that smell I think I need a candle scented with that XD That benign impression vanished in an instant, however, as Gandalf pulled back the blanket and tugged at the bandages. LOL <333 No matter that he was gentle; it still felt as though he’d stabbed Aragorn with a sword still glowing crimson from the forge. He grunted, a rather loud and shamefully ill-tempered explosion of pained outrage that made the Eagle stir in his sleep. skaskjd <33 yesssss Pain dang that is...wow pained outrage yesss well if it's any comfort, Gandalf prefers that to your bewildered contrition "Sorry, sorry... but I must change this bandage. The wound is draining, which I think is good, actually, but it has soaked through the bandage completely." mmm yes the sock bandage <3 Aragorn wished he might have a mirror to see how bad the wound was, but he settled for asking, between more grunts and hisses and one exceedingly piteous moan that he would give his last draw of Old Toby to have held back, "How red is it?" saskkaddshgkj and one exceedingly piteous moan yesssss but his overwhelming embarrassment at itt anyways even he can hear how piteous he sounds and I know he hates it but I like "A bit more than it was yesterday, I’m afraid. But still only around the very edges." "No streaks?" I had to look up streaks because I didn't last time, and also my grandma just told a story about when she was little and the bottom of her foot got infected and had red streaks coming from it...and now I wonder if it was the same kind of thing because eep. Like it was in the bottom of her foot at least, but she didn't go to the doctor for it. "No, nothing like that. Looks a bit inflamed, one might say. Oozing a bit, though I will say no more lest I put us all off our feed." loll <3 Aragorn shut his eyes. That was reassuring, at least. As bad as he felt, the infection did not seem to be spreading into his blood. That would be dire, for once in his blood, it would spread through his entire body and start shutting down vital things like kidneys and liver and eventually his heart. Had he not stumbled upon Gandalf, such might have been his fate and he might even now be sailing the Dark Seas. But found him he had, and he would get better, with time. Lots of time, from the feel of things. He grew weary just thinking about all those weeks of recuperation ahead. mmmmm yeah oh dear, yeah even as he gains strength recovery is exhausting with him as already exhausted as he is How had the eagle put it? Keep his head tucked under? Now that Gandalf was done with his infernal poking about, it sounded like excellent advice to follow... lolll his infernal poking about <3 he's like PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE ;_; "Strider." oh that sounds like it wants something He opened his eyes, reluctantly, and saw Gandalf had a cup in his hand. "I’m sorry, I know you desire nothing more than to sleep until you are fully healed, but you must drink." ope yep fair. Yessss the reluctance to even open his eyes and see what Gandalf wants Aragorn dutifully sipped until the cup was drained, then he endured another cup, this time of broth. "endured" for such simple and necessary things for life as drinking is very whumpy and I love :) Gandalf then brought forth a packet of leaves. He unfolded them to reveal a thin cake. "Athelas have we none, and I dare not give you miruvor, but I do have this," he said. He broke off a tiny corner. "Lembas, or Elven waybread, made by the women of Lórien. I’m sure you’ve at least heard of it, if not tasted its sustaining sweetness yourself on your journeys hither and yon. I’m going to give you a tiny bit, and if you can keep it down, I think it will lend you strength." He placed it in Aragorn’s mouth, and he chewed slowly. It tasted sweet and wholesome, and he washed it down with a bit more water. "Does it rest easily on your stomach?" ooh tiny bit of lembas It didn’t, unfortunately, but he doubted he would be ill. He was too exhausted to bother with vomiting. yayy good (although of course I kind of hope he does at some point) "Easily enough. Thank you," he whispered, then wished with all his might that Gandalf would leave him be. I loveeee how much the necessary care is exhausting him. He's just. Miserable and wants nothing more than to be left alone to rest in peace but Gandalf can't allow that sometimes But such was not to be the case. Gandalf pressed a hand against Aragorn’s forehead and soon Aragorn felt the cautious approach of Gandalf’s thoughts into his. He frowned, thinking for a moment, quite crossly, of closing his mind and denying him access, but he realized that would be rude. Gandalf was doing his best, after all, to care for Aragorn and doing the job of healer was not something to which the wizard was accustomed. Aragorn resigned himself to Gandalf’s gentle check, and then the wizard took both his thoughts and his hand away from Aragorn’s head. Awwww yes again person really struggling, for pain and exhaustion, to tolerate the necessary care even from someone they love very much, is so good the exhausted crossness at Gandalf reaching into his thoughts because he just wants to sleep yessss and it's this interesting balance of intruding into his soul, a very private thing, and Aragorn doesn't want it and yet could refuse but he will allow it because he knows that would be rude and Gandalf has good reason and is trustworthy, Aragorn forced his eyes all the way open and even managed a smile. "Have I any wits left at all, then?" he quipped. a smile. Impressive indeed. "Oh, a few, scattered here and there. Quite untidily, I might add." "Hmm. I’ll try to get them in order, as soon as my skull quits pounding." GRINNING AT THEIR BANTER <3 "Does it hurt very much?" "As long as I don’t suddenly lunge to my feet, it’s tolerable." A lie, that, as even blinking caused ripples of white-hot pain to shudder through his head, but no matter.... skaskdhjksghs thank you for being in his brain so we can get the real translation of his words. "a lie, that", danggg like even though he is technically tolerating it it's so severe he wouldn't even call it tolerable There was a stirring across the cave and Durvain let out a whistle. "Ooh, that’s cold on my tail feathers!" he cried, then he shifted a bit and fluffed himself up further, then tucked his head back under his wing. His breathing deepened. To Aragorn’s surprise, he found Durvain amusing this time, rather than fearsome. Maybe there was hope yet that he might overcome his silly fears. He chuckled. "I don’t believe he ever actually woke up." LOL AWW <33 yes there is hope yayyyyyy he is Amused "I don’t think he did. The Eagles are blessings from Ilúvatar himself, to be sure. Their assistance has been invaluable to me over the years, and now as much as ever." "I want from here forward to sleep only on eagle down," Aragorn mumbled, snuggling deeper into his bedding. indeed <3333 "Perhaps when you are King, you can arrange to do just that," Gandalf said quietly. Aragorn opened his eyes again, for rare it was that Gandalf ever sounded so wistful. "Are you all right?" SKASKDJH Gandalf is wishing so heartily that he could indeed give that to him <:( "Of course," Gandalf snapped, suddenly cross. "Why ever wouldn’t I be? After all, there’s only the small matter of my traveling companion having been gravely wounded and struck with fever, not to mention a blizzard trapping us in a cave far from proper care. But no matter! I should imagine I will break into song and dance a jig any moment now." skajsdh he is snapping a little too <3 "There’s no need for sarcasm." "There’s every need for sarcasm, and had you lived as long as I have, you would see that immediately instead of chiding me like I was your infant son speaking out of turn." sakdj <3 there is every need for sarcasm is a great sentence XD Aragorn chuckled. "If you were my son, I would send you to bed without any supper for using that tone of voice with me." lollll imagine "There you have it, then; it’s well and good I am not your son. At any rate, I would expect my father to have better sense than to go tumbling down mountains." LOL FAIR <3 "I must be getting better." "I beg your pardon?" "For you to grouse so. I must not be on death’s doorstep." lol yayy <3 I mean you're holding a conversation so that's something Gandalf snorted, then clamped his unlit pipe between his teeth. "No, you are not on death’s doorstep. The footpath leading to it perhaps." oh dear Aragorn fell quiet. He wasn’t really up to chivvying Gandalf out of his dark mood; bantering with him was always great fun, but today it simply worsened the throbbing in his head. He watched the fire instead, indulging himself in staring at the dancing flames, watching them flicker and waver and admiring their beauty as he never could when he was alone on patrol and had to preserve his night vision. Eventually even they seemed to stab him with spiky shards of pain, so he closed his eyes, determined to lose himself in sleep. "I’m sorry," Gandalf sighed. <33 thanks Aragorn opened his eyes again. He regarded Gandalf for a moment. "You have every right to be angry with me. I should have taken more care." <:( <3 "No, no. Do not turn my apology into one of your own, though you are by far the world’s expert at that," Gandalf grumbled. LOL HE REALLY IS <3 "But I will have my turn and you will hear me out: these mountains hold hazards that cannot always be avoided. Had it not been an avalanche, it might have been a wolf, or a bear, or an Orc. I am just very thankful you are still alive, and even more determined to see that you stay that way, for I fear your survival is hardly certain by any means. And that worries me, which makes me cross, which makes me snap at you. And for that, I apologize. One as old as I am should have better control over his temper." awwwwww thanks Gandalf <3 you can be cross but the apology is indeed comforting "I will be well enough, in a day or two, to walk." Gandalf snorted. "Think you so! Well enough to stroll down the mountain? No, that is not the plan, young Strider." LOL yeah Gandalf SAID that he did not MEAN it, and I thought you were well aware. Aragorn felt anything but young, but he let it pass. "What exactly is the plan, then?" he asked, not sure he wanted to know. hmmm lol yeah perhaps not and perhaps you don't feel young but you certainly are to him and I like him calling you such "Durvain will carry you to Beorn’s Hall." Aragorn swallowed. "Flying?" he's like eep "Of course flying. He would hardly walk, now, would he." Aragorn said nothing. mmm the silence is loud he doesn't know how he can respond normally "It is the only way. Don’t worry; I’ve done it before. You’ll be perfectly safe." But what of you, Aragorn wondered, aren’t you coming... oooohh yeah he won't like the plan to carry them one at a time hopefully Menelris returns in time but his head was pounding so hard that he couldn’t be bothered to ask. He clutched the blankets and resisted the urge to curl into a ball as he had on that long-ago day in Glorfindel’s room, and he looked at the Eagle sleeping across the cave, and then at his talons, and then he simply closed his eyes and hoped to wake up in the morning to discover it had all been nothing but a bad dream. SKASDKHSJG dear boy <:((((

Lexilooper	Reviewed Chapter: 5 on 1/15/2026
I feel like consternation is not a word I always get the definition quite right on, thank you for putting it here in a proper context so I can look up and learn it better lol "I know you must be sorely disappointed, but it is for the best to wait. And to that end, we have brought some things that will give you a bit of ease and comfort. But I am remiss... let me first introduce to you Durvain, my mate." yayyy thank you Menelris <33 you are wise and kind nooooo they have to wait :) "We are well met, Gandalf the Grey," Durvain said. Durvain's voice was surprisingly gentle, pitched higher than Menelris’, and his eyes glowed with a warmer, more gentle light than Menelris’ own. But for all that he seemed more friendly than fierce, he was still a formidable presence, towering above Gandalf. I like him :) feels accurate to how a female vs male eagle would be, too "Well met, indeed," Gandalf said. "And an apt name, for dark and beautiful indeed are your feathers." mm so it means dark feathers? As far as my research could tell it was something along the lines of like...dark right hand or something, so that makes sense Durvain ducked his head and plucked in almost embarrassed fashion at said dark feathers on his breast, and Menelris nodded her approval of the greetings. She then pulled at her bundle. "As I said, we bring you things to ease your stay. Behold, blankets, but more important: warm down, from beneath our own feathers. Durvain will take it into the cave and make pallets for you and your companion, to raise you off the cold cave floor." whoaaaa thank you <3333 blankets AND THEIR OWN DOWN they're quite thoughtful of feeble human needs Durvain stepped forward with his offerings, which included a small stag. "Wood for your fire, taken from several abandoned nests. Eagles are far larger than wizards, and what to us seem merely twigs might be too heavy for you to lift, so I took the liberty of cracking them into what I hope are more manageable pieces. And I also bring meat for your bellies. It should be enough to outlast the storm." yayyyyyyyy food and fire "And I am leaving you Durvain himself," Menelris added. "He is smaller than I, as you can see, and can fit through the entrance of the cave. The warmth of his body will add to your warmth, and he will block the wind rushing in." whoa her own mate <3 "But he will be too cold, surely," Gandalf protested. "Though it is rarely pleasant, we Eagles can survive blizzards out in the open," Durvain said. He suddenly fluffed his feathers until he was nearly twice his size, an alarming sight that, even knowing Eagles as allies who would never bring him harm, nonetheless caused Gandalf to take an involuntary step backwards. "See? We trap a layer of air in our feathers and stay quite warm. And truly, only a very small part of my back will be exposed to the wind, so I will actually be more comfortable in your cave than Menelris will be in our nest." yessss I love how he's just like look! Warm! And Gandalf's like EEP XD <3 The things one learns, even at my great age, Gandalf thought. He stepped forward again. "If you’re certain, then. I thank you." lolll indeed Menelris said, "Once the storm passes here, he can, if needs must, carry the two of you individually to The Carrock, should foul weather on the heights prevent my timely return. Durvain is small, but he has strength that belies his stature. And he has an exceeding gentle nature, as you can probably see from the light in his eyes. He is unique among Eagles in his compassion for all things. That is why I chose him as a mate," she added, rubbing his head affectionately with her beak. He cooed back at her, and such were the tender glances they exchanged that Gandalf almost wondered if he should step into the cave to give them a moment of privacy. After a final caress, she straightened. "His warm heart balances my fierce tendencies. But that is likely of little interest to you. I must go now, but as our journey together is not ended, I will simply bid you the very strength of Manwë, until we meet again." AWWW <3333 they love each other much she's like I'm sure you can see the gentle nature in his eyes And Gandalf's like I can indeed, actually compassion for all things <33 also explains why she was pleased with Gandalf starting off with a compliment. Her mate is greatly beloved to her <33 Gandalf bowed deeply. "Menelris, I thank you for your many kindnesses, and eagerly await your return. May the wind bear you to safety in the meantime." yayy <3 "I will come at the earliest opportunity." She spread her wings. "Until the weather breaks, then." Without another word, she lifted her wings and launched herself effortlessly into the air. yayyyyy thank you "Keep your feathers fluffed!" Durvain called to her, then he watched her until she disappeared. He breathed out a slightly mournful coo. "I will miss her, but this is good for her," he said softly. "Good for her? How so?" He let out a soft, plaintive cry that was quite possibly the saddest sound Gandalf had ever heard a creature utter. "We lost our fledgling, just last week." awwwww noooooooooo <:((((( just last weekkkkkkk ssksjahfdskf "Oh, I am so very sorry. You have my condolences." "Thank you. He was born late in the season, you see, and was smaller than most," he replied, and then he continued, and it seemed that the bird had so much on his heart that he simply had to speak it forth, even to a stranger. "His egg was so tiny! And he was such a wee eaglet, but fierce! Oh how stubborn and strong-willed he was; a real fighter, like his mother, so we named him Belechen, Mighty Child. We knew he had little chance at surviving, but how our hearts warmed to him and how we hoped he would prevail despite all evidence that spoke of a certain much sadder fate. And bound up in that hope, at least for me, was much guilt, for as you can see, I am small – some say too small – for an eagle, and there were those that thought Menelris had lost her wits, choosing me as her mate." <:( asjkdsfhgjhsfgjsghfdsjk Mighty Child "Surely not," Gandalf couldn’t help interjecting. His heart was already taken by this wonderful creature’s kind eyes and unassuming sincerity; he could not harbor the thought of anyone speaking ill of him. <:( <3333 awww Gandalf "No, I think sometimes they must be right. Likely it was foolish of her, for though we have had many healthy and strong eaglets, I knew eventually I might pass my own small stature on... and I did, in poor Belechen." He paused, looking toward the empty sky where she had disappeared from sight. Then he shook himself, and blinked several times, as if returning from a journey to some land of sorrows unseen. "I had difficulty learning to fly, you see, and had to work twice as hard as the other eagles to hone my hunting skills. So I knew the hard life our tiny eaglet faced, but I knew I could help him, and Menelris assured me over and over that he would grow into as fine a bird as... well, that he would be counted among the best." as you, yes <:( <333 no wonder Menelris took such instant compassion on weak and vulnerable Aragorn <:( <3 who is also a mighty fighter Again he paused, looking at the ground. Gandalf found he was holding his breath, spellbound by Durvain’s softly spoken tale. "Menelris encourages me always, holding me in higher esteem than I could ever hold myself," he said quietly, then again the shake of the head and the return of his gaze to the present. "Belechen was so bright and intelligent, determined to do everything an Eagle should, including of course learning to fly. We all believed he would prevail." awwww a Tolkien sort of love story indeed <3 <:((( noo Gandalf could hardly bear to hear the tale’s sad end. He remained silent, but he wanted to cry out for Durvain to stop, to not tell such a sorrowful thing to a Maia already too burdened with the heartaches of this world. askdhfjdkshg <:((( and honor to him for that. He carries the burden, instead of refusing to comprehend its existence or why he should care But Durvain continued, his voice steady but filled with such suffering that Gandalf felt the bird’s grief as if it were a physical blow. "We did not stop him from his first attempt. He flew from the nest, with an eager light in his eyes and our hearts on his wings, but the wind took an ill turn, and he was simply not strong enough to return against it. He plunged to his death." <:(((((( noooooooooo Gandalf had to swallow hard several times before he found his voice. "How terrible for all of you. I’m so sorry." <:((((( he's gonna cry "It happens too often. Even among healthy fledglings, only a bit more than half survive their first flight." sakdjsfh whoa <:( "I had no idea." <:( I never really thought about the Eagles raising babies. But they must. "It is to be expected, time to time, though it is no less painful when it does." He raised his feathers and let them settle, as if literally shaking off the spell of sorrow his tale had wrought. "We grieve, of course, but take comfort knowing we will have another little one next year, hopefully a full-sized eaglet, strong in every way. But for now, the death has left her with nothing to care for, and her maternal instincts are still running high. She needed something to mother, you see, even if it is a Man." His gaze brightened. "She has been buzzing with plans ever since she found you both this morning. In fact, when she decided you needed down for warmth, she all but sat atop me and tried to strip me of every last one of my underfeathers!" He let out a whistling snort that Gandalf could only interpret as laughter. "But I managed to convince her that, rather than expose me to death by freezing, perhaps it would be wiser to supplement it with the down from our nest." AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW THAT IS THE CUTEST THING EVER <333 buzzing with plans she wouldn't fully show it to Gandalf but. She's like. OKAY WHAT DOES HE NEED WHAT CAN WE GIVE THEM DURVAIN GET YOUR FEATHERS OVER HERE <33 and his laughhhh "This came from your nest?" "The majority of it, yes. But fear not, we still have plenty to keep Menelris warm, and this down is very clean. Though other Eagles let their nests get in a right tip, Menelris insists always on keeping ours tidy. No egg shells laying about, none of that." aww <33 they're the cutest couple A sudden skirl of snowflakes stung their faces as a gust of wind lifted his feathers. "Here it comes, then; storms do not wait on storytellers to finally cease their long-winded tales, do they. I thank you for your forbearance in listening; a sorrow shared somehow feels less a burden, doesn’t it. YESSSS words of wisdom <33 But enough chatter! I believe we best get everything, and ourselves, inside the cave before the real fury of the storm hits." He picked up the bundle and without further adieu squeezed into the cave. It was a tight fit, but he wiggled and squirmed and shook his tail feathers and made it inside with the loss of only two feathers that the wind picked up and blew out into the storm. <33 I love him Gandalf hurried after him, carrying as much wood as he was able, then watched as Durvain quickly went back and forth bringing in the remaining wood and the meat as well. The bird nearly filled the front of the cave, but there was just room enough at the back to move around comfortably. Aragorn, Gandalf was happy to see, was still sound asleep. He could only imagine how high the Ranger might have leapt, wounded or no, to find another giant Eagle bearing down on him at such close quarters. But he would have to waken, regardless, so they might move him to his new bed. Gandalf knelt beside him and gently touched his shoulder. "Strider." lollll oh dear imagine him trying to leap Aragorn took a shuddering breath and slowly opened his eyes. He squinted at Gandalf, then gazed beyond his shoulder, and his eyes flew open wide. "What – who –" awww the shuddering breath startled wide eyes and questions "Shh, easy, easy. This is Durvain. He’s here to help us." <333 Aragorn eyed the large eagle warily but said nothing, and so fearful did he seem that Gandalf felt it likely that Aragorn still did not have his wits completely about him. He looked more frightened than Bilbo had, if that were possible. AWWWW we so rarely see Aragorn scared that it's cute <3 <:(( even more than Bilbo if that were possibleeee and I know Durvain is large by nature of being an eagle, but it really is uncharacteristic of Aragorn to be so openly fearful "Fear not," Durvain said quietly. "I am not here to harm but to help. A storm comes, and I am going to stay with both of you until it passes." aww <33 quiet gentle reassurance Aragorn looked at Gandalf, a thousand questions in his eyes. Gandalf smiled reassuringly. "He looks fierce, but his heart is pure and his touch gentle." <333 indeed To Gandalf’s relief, Aragorn finally relaxed and the confusion cleared from his eyes. He nodded toward Durvain. "Of course. I’m sorry. I just – it was unexpected, seeing you –" awwwww yay he trusts them "I understand. It is not every day that one wakens from a sound sleep to see a creature as large and fierce as I looming over him. I would have been more concerned had you shown no fear at all, for that would have proven you were delirious indeed." He let out another of the chuckling coos. :)))) I love him Aragorn bowed his head, as much as he was able while lying down. "I am honored to meet you." awww he's still like okay better um bow "And I you." <333 "Strider," Gandalf said, "I know you will not like this, for it will be painful I’m sure, but we will need to move you. Durvain has brought bedding for us." YES sorry Aragorn it's also so weird to hear Gandalf calling Aragorn Strider, but good job to him for remembering "Bedding?" lol he's like what is happening "Eagle down," Durvain said, plucking a bit and dropping it beside Aragorn’s chest. "Soft and warm and far better than a stony floor." yessss Aragorn took the grey fluff and felt it, then rubbed it against his cheek. For the first time since stumbling into Gandalf’s care, he smiled. "Eagle down," he whispered wonderingly as his eyes drifted shut. "So soft..." But his hand fell weakly away, and his breathing deepened as he fell back into a light sleep. awwwww IT MADE HIM SMILE <333 thank you Durvain and Menelris "Dear boy, I hate that the wound has weakened you so," Gandalf murmured, covering Aragorn’s hand with his own. dear boy <33333 my favorite He watched Aragorn’s breathing for a moment, then turned his attention to Durvain as he busied himself with spreading the down by talonfuls into two neat piles, each just long enough to accommodate a man or a wizard. He then took the blanket in which it had been wrapped and tore it down the center, laying each half neatly atop each pile. He patted them smooth with the knuckles of his inwardly curled talons. awww "Finished," he announced. "That should do nicely. I always have enjoyed making a nest." AWWW he's like yay it's fun to make nests for you two <3 "How is it, if I might ask, that an eagle owns blankets?" Gandalf asked. that's what I was wondering! "You may certainly ask. As a point of fact, I found this one along the mountain pass, discarded. It seemed serviceable, and did not smell of orc, so I plucked it up and took it home. Menelris accuses me of being more magpie than eagle, because I’m always picking up scraps and trinkets and bringing them home. And maybe she’s right, because I do seem attracted to anything shiny or interesting. Or useful, like this old blanket. Now, shall we try to move your friend?" awww yes a magpie <3 i love him Gandalf squeezed Aragorn’s hand. "Strider." It took several calls before Aragorn started and blinked his eyes open. He looked around the cave, then looked blankly at the eagle down still resting by his hand. "What... oh. I fell asleep. Is it time to go?" he's so cute in his bleary trying to be oriented. Trying to act normal. Looking blankly at the eagle down. "No," Gandalf chuckled. "Not in this storm. But it is time to move you to your soft new bed." lol <3 "Oh. Of course." He started to push himself up. "I can –" But he winced and fell back. To Gandalf’s surprise, he did not reach for his back but for his head. "Dizzy..." rightttt I honestly keep forgetting about his head Gandalf brushed his hair away from the laceration. It was still swollen, and beneath Aragorn’s dark hair he could see the skin was terribly bruised. ooooh "My dear fellow," Gandalf murmured. He put his hand across Aragorn’s eyes, placing fingertips and thumb on either temple. He shut his eyes and immediately felt a disorienting whirl. He sang an ancient hymn of healing, and the dizziness abated. He felt Aragorn relax, and he released him. "Better, I think?" "Mmm." aww <333 thank you my dear fellow <3 a disorienting whirl, very dizzy indeed "I have not really healed it, that not being in my power, but I was able this time to block the dizziness for you. But I fear any movement will likely cause it to flare up." mmm yes and now he has to move or let himself be moved, which is probably better "I... I will be all right. It is not as if..." He paused and shut his eyes for a moment, evidently bracing himself against another wave of dizziness, or perhaps of pain. "It’s not as if I have not had to deal with this before." hmmm that is true but you should not have to Gandalf patted his shoulder. "I will help you sit up, this time, and maybe if we move slowly it will not go so ill." <333 But Durvain made a fluttering movement of denial, a rustling of feathers raised and lowered quickly and short, agitated bobs of his head. "Gandalf, with all due respect, I believe it best if you allow me." awww yes I love his agitation for Aragorn's wellbeing <3 Aragorn looked worriedly at the sharp talons, obviously not eager to put himself in their clutches, but Gandalf could immediately see it was the only sensible course of action. "I’m sorry, Strider, but I think Durvain is correct." awww he's just so nervoussss Aragorn lowered his voice to a mere whisper, "I mean no disrespect to him, Gandalf, for you know my regard for eagles, but..." awwww his whisper and he doesn't want to offend Durvain he's just...afraid Gandalf raised a hand and cut him off. "My dear boy, I understand completely. It is one thing to admire them from afar, but quite another to put yourself at one’s mercy, am I right?" Aragorn nodded. <3333 awww he's like. Thank you for understanding and putting it into words "And I’m sure Durvain understands and is not offended. But keeping you warm is paramount, and truly, after these few hard moments, you will be far more comfortable." yep <333 So Aragorn set his chin, bracing for the inevitable. awww bracing himself Durvain stepped forward. "Where exactly is his wound?" "On his lower back, toward the left side." wait which side is the head wound again? I'll try to go back and find it oh found it. also left, okay cool. "I will not touch it, Strider," Durvain said. "This is what I will do: I am strong enough to lift you with one foot, pivoting on the other to place you in the new bed, thus." He demonstrated by lifting one foot as though carrying Aragorn as he swivelled smoothly on the other. "See? There will be as little jostling as I can manage, but still, it will likely hurt, no matter how careful I am, so yes, you must brace yourself. I will curl my talons behind your neck, around your upper back and your legs and as much as possible your hips, to support you as I swing you over to your new bed. But fear not; I will not touch your wound, nor pierce you with my talons. I have moved our eggs, which are quite fragile, and our little hatchlings themselves many times and never cracked a shell nor drew blood even once. So know that I will be gentle, and set aside your fears." AWWWWWWWWWW CAREFULLY EXPLAINING AND DEMONSTRATING WHAT HE WILL DO AND HOW PRACTICED HE IS TO TRY AND EASE HIS WORRIES <3 Gandalf hid a smile; despite Durvain’s assurances, it was plain to see that Aragorn was not altogether confident that the eagle’s great talons wouldn’t pierce him through. But Aragorn lay still, if trembling a bit, until finally, at his nod, Durvain grasped him with great care and in a twinkling had him lifted, carried and settled on his side atop the new bedding. if trembling a bit SKAJSDD <3 "Thank you," Aragorn whispered, but his face was grey beneath a sheen of perspiration, and his hands shook as he tried clumsily to pull the blanket under his chin. askdjfdfhsfssfsgsfsgsfsgdjf the whispered thank you being the first thing the order everything is written how it escalates the pain: he says thank you oh wait he whispered now it sounds very genuine but the words forced out weakly his face is grey oh dear oh yes full sheen of perspiration that's intense his hands full-on shaking now and he's STILL TRYNA CASUALLY PULL THE BLANKET UP BUDDY "Did I hurt you?" Aragorn shook his head, but Durvain looked at Gandalf. "I think I hurt him," he said, his words quick and worried. awwwww of course Aragorn would deny because like, he was very careful. And he didn't injure him. But everything else says otherwise and sweet Durvain is worried <3 Gandalf hurried over and took Aragorn’s hand. "Strider?" "A moment," he gritted. He squeezed Gandalf’s hand hard enough to make the bones creak, then his grip slowly eased and his hitched breathing grew even. Indeed, it seemed he had again lost consciousness. awwww holding his hand and Aragorn, his weakness misleading, SQUEEZES Gandalf's hand, he needed that gritting out just enough speech to say he can't talk his hitched breathing yesssss ooh "lost consciousness" this time instead of explaining it as sleep. I mean they're pretty similar in this case but I think it's accurate to call it more a loss of consciousness this time because like. Sure he's falling asleep every 5 minutes but this was also partly pushed into by extreme pain Gandalf hurriedly checked the bandages. Thankfully, there was no evidence of new bleeding. "How is he?" Durvain demanded. "Did I hurt him?" awww he's so concerned <333 "It seems all is well. It was just pain from moving, I think, and the dizziness that seems to be plaguing him. The head wound is worrisome, but he wakes easily enough to lead me to believe his swoon is less from the concussion than due to his strength being utterly depleted because of his ordeal. He simply cannot stay awake because of extreme fatigue. And I wonder, perhaps, if that part of him that is a healer, even without his conscious effort, is trying to put him in a healing sleep, but cannot because I keep waking him. It’s impossible to say, really, because I have no experience at that sort of thing, but I think as long as his eyes seem clear and his fever grows no worse, he will mend." mmm yes all good points again love the use of "swoon" lol hmm so we better hope neither of those things happen Durvain let out a whistling breath. "I was so afraid I’d hurt him. Menelris would have plucked me!" aww I love her Gandalf smiled faintly, but despite his confident words, he was a bit shaky in the knees himself. He turned from Durvain and patted Aragorn’s shoulder and tried to hide how frightened he truly felt. Seeing Aragorn weak and wounded never failed to open a great hollow in his belly. Sentimental twaddle it may be, sentimental twaddle <33 skasjfg i wanna use that word but he must admit to himself that Aragorn’s death would utterly shatter him, for if any Maia ever held thoughts of fatherhood, then surely Aragorn had locked up that most tender office of son in Gandalf’s heart of hearts. SKASDKJHSJKFGHSDFJGHSDJKGDSJGDSFHGJDSGHSDFJGHDFGSDFD GANDALF <:(((((( <33333333333 It makes me so happy he has so many fathers he needs them And of course, there remained, beyond filial affection, the inescapable and often distressing fact that he was the last possible heir to the throne of Gondor... the last of Elros’ great line... very true Durvain eased a bit closer again, interrupting Gandalf’s worried reverie as he reached around Gandalf to pull a second blanket across Aragorn. Where it had come from, Gandalf could only guess; he had only noticed one blanket in the bundles the Eagles had brought with them, but he had been a bit distracted, admittedly. lolll <3 Durvain’s movements were gentle, and it was a wonder how the massive bird kept his talons safely balled up, using his knuckles only. Durvain truly had a gentle nature, just as Menelris had said. As he watched, Gandalf unexpectedly found himself overcome with emotion. Gratitude in extremis for Durvain’s assistance warred with stress and worry over Aragorn’s condition to the point where he felt quite unsure of his ability to maintain his composure. Toward that end, he cleared his throat, but the blasted lump would not go away. AWWWWW <333 both of them are so tender "It must hurt terribly, that wound," Durvain said, and made a small clucking noise. He used his beak to finish tugging the blanket up to Aragorn’s chin. When Aragorn’s eyes opened, he clucked again. "I suggest you tuck your head under as much as possible now." skadjfg <333 "Tuck my head–?" "Ah, my apologies. That is what we Eagles say when we mean ‘sleep’." He demonstrated by tucking his head under his wing and softly snoring. skadjgsgskjf CUTEST <3333 I love that totally makes sense too Aragorn smiled, a sketchy thing that was a mere shadow of the mirth that lit his face from time to time, but enough to reassure Gandalf that there was spark remaining in his friend. asjdfgkdh a sketchy thing what a wonderful way to say "a shadow of a smile" or "a faint smile", this is my favorite now. He patted his shoulder yet again, knowing that Aragorn must think him mad for carrying on so with such a useless gesture, but at the moment it was the best he could manage at offering comfort; he was still far too stricken for words. <:(((( SKSAJDGSH Gandalf stricken with pain for his, shall we say, son <3 "So," Durvain said, straightening back up. "Yes, sleep; it’s what you need most. Your friend Gandalf and I will cook the stag, although not my part, Gandalf. I prefer mine raw." <33333 he's like okay yes we shall command Aragorn to sleep <3 he's so fatherly in being able to tell what he needs and things (okay I suppose it's fairly obvious but) Gandalf finally found his voice. "Of course, of course. Any way you wish." Indeed, he was so grateful for everything the Eagle had done for them thus far that had Durvain insisted Gandalf eat his own portion raw as well, he would have fallen on it tooth and nail and demanded seconds. awwwww I love him <3 "It’s settled, then," Durvain nodded. He touched Aragorn’s face lightly with a feathered wing tip. "Sleep, young man." skasdjshgdkfsghd <33 Aragorn’s eyes drifted shut so readily and peacefully that Gandalf wondered if the Eagle had some magic in his touch. Then again, likely not; he still surmised that Aragorn was so weak that it must require no effort at all to fall asleep. After watching his steady, deep breathing for several moments, Gandalf blew out a long sigh and felt some of the tension leave his shoulders. yesssss I love Aragorn's immediate obedience and Gandalf managing to relax just a bit at this Perhaps hoping for the best need not be such a stretch of the imagination after all. awwwwww except I'm really worried about what those words mean but

Lexilooper	Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 1/14/2026
Gandalf stood in the cave opening, his staff glowing and all his thought bent on the Eagle flying overhead. He could only hope that it would see him and be intrigued enough to come investigate this odd new glow on its doorstep. It was all well and good to know that Eagles were around, but convincing one to come to one’s aid was often a tricky matter. righttttt they're very useful. When they want to be. They held themselves aloof from the affairs of Men and Elves and all those creatures that were tied to the earth, including wizards. But these majestic Northern birds, much like the Men of Westernesse themselves, had kept their ties to Manwë, and as Gandalf also had a strong connection with that great Vala, he could only hope that such affinity might hold him in good stead when it came to convincing an eagle to come calling. Okay whoa the fact that like. Gandalf personally knows the Valar, is friends with the greatest of them, is kinda crazy to think about. He frowned, adding Manwë to his thoughts, and the tip of his staff burned brighter. yessss After quite a number of minutes, Gandalf felt a change in the air. It was subtle, but he had felt it before, while perched in burning trees with goblins and wolves howling for his blood and the blood of his fourteen diminutive companions. He looked to the sky and smiled. The Eagle now circled directly above, looming larger and larger as it slowly descended toward him. Before very long, Gandalf could see the great shining eyes and the variegated shades of brown and cream on the mighty bird’s feathers, and the glint of gold around its neck. Gandalf chuckled quietly; it seemed the Eagles were still enjoying their share of the Dwarves’ gold. lolll <3 okay that change in the air he feels is so cool It was not the Lord of Eagles, but this one was very nearly as large. If Gandalf were not mistaken, it seemed he was about to be visited by a female eagle, for females were often larger than their male counterparts. ohhh true that makes sense As she passed overhead, the rush of wind from her vast wings buffeted Gandalf and blew his hat completely off his head. She landed as he bent to retrieve it. He picked it up, brushed the snow from its brim and held it in his hands as he turned and bowed to her. She lifted most of her feathers and let them settle again as she looked him up and down with golden eyes that shone with fierce intelligence but also benign good will. "Gandalf the Grey," she said, bowing her noble head. "It has been many years since you last met with my kind." yayyyy <33 "Too long an interval, my lady." She preened a bit, then nodded. "I am Menelris, one of the Chieftains of the Eagles." "A queen of the sky, indeed. Great are your wings, and lovely are your feathers." She accepted the compliment as her due, then looked beyond Gandalf’s shoulder to the cave within, where Aragorn was just visible, still sleeping by the fire, the blanket clutched in both hands and pulled to his chin. "The man found you, then?" the Eagles are so like, proud but also "intelligence and benign good will" and all those things, you describe them well. Their pride is not unfounded or excessive, just "yep my wings are indeed great" "Ah, so you know of him." "I saw him fall, but then billowing snow from the avalanche hid him from my eyes and I lost track of him. I am glad he found succor. Surprised, but glad. Few who suffer his fate live to tell the tale." yayyyy yes "It is uncertain yet that he will live, which is why I am so grateful you deigned to land." "Whether my landing benefits you or your friend remains to be seen, wizard," she said with some asperity. "What was he doing on our mountain?" loll she's like. well that's up to me whether to help you, isn't it. please do? "He and I are hunting." hmm well that's one way of putting it "A bit late in the year and high on the crags to be looking for game. Indeed, my mate and I will be starting our southward journey within days. It is warmer there, and in those lands the Anduin will not be so stingy with her fish during the winter months." "The game we seek is not for eating, but for questioning. We hunt a creature, a pale, gangling thing named Gollum, who skulks in caves and shadowed places and who may tell us important information regarding a bit of treasure he once possessed." yes thank you for...a bit more of an explanation treasure hm "Treasure again! Always treasure with you and whatever companions with which you array yourself. I like my necklace, but I will not put myself in jeopardy for a trinket. Nor to help you find a trinket of your own." lol uh she has no idea "We already know of the treasure’s location, but we now seek knowledge of its significance. I fear it may be a force of unspeakable evil." thank youuu that's a better description. well said. She tilted her head. "Evil, you say. Yes, there is much evil growing in the south, and its stench grows thicker each day. I fear it will spread North ere long. Indeed, we watched nearly two years ago as evil stalked the lands to the west, in the guise of a darkly-clad wretch the likes of whom we have not seen for generations.* Tell me: was it seeking this same creature?" yessss and oh yeah I think I earlier said "last winter", I forgot about the year that passed between "No, I do not believe so. I believe it may have been seeking my wounded companion, for reasons I cannot share at this time." "Does your companion have a name?" "He calls himself Strider." hmmm yes A knowing glint appeared in Menelris’ eye. "‘Calls himself’. Interesting choice of words. I take it he has some other given name that he would prefer remain unknown." yesss "calls himself" hehe Gandalf smiled. "You are as canny as you are beautiful. It could go ill for him, were his identity to become widely known." "It takes no great intelligence to read the meaning behind your words, wizard. But I thank you for the compliment nonetheless." She lowered her head and again looked toward the cave. "Far be it for an Eagle to involve herself too closely in the affairs of wizards and men, although I admit I am very intrigued by this Strider of yours. I have seen him before, wandering the lands. And when he was young, he dwelt in Imladris, am I correct?" yesssss lol Gandalf complimenting her and she's like well, thanks, but also. Not too hard mm she knows much "Nothing seems to miss your sharp eyes." indeeddd Gandalf knows how to interact with the Eagles "I know of him, and can make a fair guess as to his true identity, but his business and whatever name he now goes by may remain his own, so long as the evil one was not searching him out as an ally." oh HECK no "I can assure you, Strider is no ally of evil, in whatever guise it takes." "So you vouch for him?" "Most definitely." yesssss "That, then, is sufficient for me, for you have ever been a friend to the Eagles, and to all living things. You said this Strider – such a landbound name! It is harsh on my tongue. Better was another name by which he traveled. But you say he is injured? How may I assist?" awwww YAY thank you noble Menelris <3 Also what does her name mean? As far as I can tell it means "heavens/sky/firmament" but google does not know any Sindarin root that is "-ris" It took Gandalf a moment to recover, so great was his surprise that she seemed to know all about Aragorn and his many guises, especially Thorongil. yesss I like also that she's like ah, eagle of the star is a much better name :) instead of being like "hm a human dare take on himself the noble name of eagle?" But he supposed Eagles likely knew far more than they told, for they saw things far and wide from their great circling flights above the earth. But did she know of the import of his true name, he wondered, and then decided even if she did, the secret would be safe with her. He relaxed. "He is injured, yes. A wound to the back that threatens to suppurate, and a blow to the head that has left him dazed. I have cleaned the back wound and stitched it, but he will need rest and warmth and good food, all of which are in short supply in this small cave." suppurate ooh a new word I like but don't know if I'll ever have the opportunity to use XD "I can carry him to Rivendell." "I was thinking of Beorn’s Hall, actually." She shifted, her feathers ruffling slightly. "The Beornings will shoot me." A glimmering amusement lit her eyes. If anything, Gandalf would have to say she looked mischievous. "Allies they have become since the great battle, but they still think we enjoy too much of their mutton." LOLL her mischievous look "I see things have not changed in the years since I last spoke with the Eagles." lolll She let out a chirruping laugh, a high whistling note of mirth. "Ever will Beornings raise sheep, and ever will Eagles view their flocks as banquets set upon the hillside in our honor." LOL um even when it's clear you know they are not meant to be "I understand your hesitancy to brave the bowshots of the Beornings, but I fear it too far to Rivendell, and the height too great. The chill air may do him greater harm than staying here." hmmm as much as I like Rivendell that is a great point "I can take you as far as The Carrock, then." hmm "And how then will I get Strider, weakened as he is, across all those dales?" YEP She walked to the cave entrance and peered in, then clicked her yellow beak in sympathy. "Men always seem pale to me, but he does seem pale beyond what is healthy. If he were an Eagle, I would say he looks more than a bit feeble in the feathers. Definitely in no shape for hiking, is he. YESSS lol more than a bit feeble in the feathers indeed, I love it thank you for your sympathy <3 Perhaps if I brought you food, and wood for your fire, you could stay here until he is stronger, and then I can carry you both to The Carrock." generous, is she <3 thank you Gandalf stroked his beard, frowning as he stared into the middle distance, weighing the risks of staying. A blizzard could strike, trapping them here for who knew how long and preventing Menelris from bringing food or wood. And there was still the matter of orcs. As close as they were to the Eyrie, they were likely safe enough, but if a stray band were to come upon them here, defense of such a small cave was hardly tenable. And truly, he did not fancy calling upon Menelris to wait on them hand and foot for so long; it was too much to ask even of her evidently very generous nature. Perhaps Rivendell were the best option. But he needed to know the answer to one last question before he could decide. "How fares the weather in the High Pass?" indeed an evidently very generous nature, but yeah I'd get nervous asking that much favor from an eagle hmmm "Foul. ope looks like we're staying Winter has struck early, and there are storms nearly every day, though it falls as rain still in the lower reaches. The High Pass is already closed to those who travel afoot. Flying through there, though possible, is difficult. We have to soar over the tops of storms more often than not." ohhhh dear yeah "and the height too great" I don't know how Aragorn would handle that, three pairs of hose or no also air "A man, injured or no, cannot live in such heights above the clouds, even for a short while," yeahhh good point Gandalf said. It was decided, then. The Carrock it must be, and he would make do with whatever shelter he found there. "If you could return in the heat of the day, when the chill of flying will be lessened for my friend, I will gratefully accept your offer to take us to The Carrock, and hope from there to find help among the Beornings. I could, if need be, leave him for a time as I seek assistance." hmmm I hope Menelris bowed her head, and then she stretched her wings. Gandalf expected her to fly away, but she suddenly folded them back. She looked toward the cave, her eyes troubled, then stepped into the opening. She was far too large to enter, but she stretched her neck so she could take a closer look at Aragorn. Gandalf moved closer, stooping low to look through her legs, ready to intervene should Aragorn become alarmed. But Aragorn lay insensate, completely unaware that he was under the close scrutiny of a very large eagle. lollll he has no idea She gently brushed her beak against his cheek, a surprisingly motherly gesture from one so fierce. She cooed softly, but when Aragorn failed to stir, she backed out of the cave, stepping lightly back onto the snow. awwwww "Even one as ignorant of the ways of Men as I can see he is weak and in no small jeopardy of losing his life. He breathes too lightly." She clacked her beak several times, obviously agitated. "No. I do not like the idea of your leaving him once you get to The Carrock; it could mean his death. So I will make this promise: if there are no hunters about – if the way seems clear – I will take you to Beorn’s Hall itself, or as close to it as I safely can. Archers shooting at me could as easily hit you or your companion, after all. But looking at him.... yes, I feel we must risk the danger." <3333 THANK YOU MOST NOBLEST MENELRIS Her tender concern touched Gandalf deeply. "That is more than a fair promise, and I thank you." Awwwwwww yes indeed <333 "Of course, what you do from there is your own affair. I have heard that Beorn does not suffer unexpected guests with good grace." (she says with some amount of concern for their affairs <3) "I have had dealings with him before; I am certain I can convince him to let us stay." <3 if he can convince him to house 13 unexpected dwarves and a hobbit he can convince him to house himself and one deathly ill man in the middle (well, beginning) of a harsh winter XD "If he has a heart at all, he will take one look at your friend and pity will consume him," she said, again with a tender note in her voice. "Until this afternoon, then. We will fare each other well properly after I deliver you however far to the East as I may," she said, and then with a mighty flap of her great wings, she was airborne and riding the updrafts back to the heights of the mountains. AWWWWWW Aragorn winning hearts as effortlessly as ever <333 her pity and tenderness is so sweet. And being sure anyone who looks at him would feel the same. Also she does evidently know enough of men to tell when their breathing is too light, and that goes to her credit <3 Gandalf watched her until she disappeared, then ducked back into the cave. Aragorn was awake, and looking at him. "Am I mad with fever, or did an eagle just touch me?" he asked, his voice far too weak for Gandalf’s ease of mind. LOLLL <33 far too weak yay Gandalf pressed the back of his hand against Aragorn’s cheek; his skin felt almost painfully hot, and a sheen of perspiration matted his hair against his forehead. But the droop was gone from his right eye, and some of the bleariness. "You have fever, yes, but you are not mad. Menelris is her name. Queen of the Sky, one of their Chieftains. She has agreed to take us to the east, hopefully as far as Beorn’s Hall." mmm feverrrrr yayy droop gone Aragorn’s eyes grew troubled. "How..." He stopped, then said in a very quiet voice, "I have never ridden an eagle." awwwww troubled and then that quiet nervousness <33 we very rarely see Aragorn nervous or like, shy or whatever this is "You will be fine. It’s quite like riding a horse, in many ways." LOL sure Aragorn said nothing, but Gandalf could tell he was beset with great unease, and he wondered what worried Aragorn more: the idea of flying itself, or the idea of flying while weak and injured. awwww <33 being scared of flying. Which. Very fair. flying while weak (VERY) and injured...eep He thought about asking, but Aragorn tensed suddenly, gritting his teeth against a wave of pain. The spasm, when it passed, left him pale and trembling. "I’m sorry," he gasped. YESSS WHUMP TENSING PALE AND TREMBLING and gasping speech uh, sorry Aragorn :) "My dear fellow, do not apologize. Let me see what is going on back there," yes thank you please do not apologize <3 Gandalf said, and stepped around to kneel behind him. He gently peeled the bandages back and was surprised to find that last night’s redness had faded. There was a small amount of swelling but the wound looked far better than Gandalf would have expected. But there was little doubt Aragorn had a fever; even now he shivered as he fell back into uneasy sleep. yayyyy hmm already asleep <3 but uneasy yess oh I forgot to picture him on his side What could be causing this fever, Gandalf wondered. hmm I honestly have no idea The wound seemed better, so perhaps it was simply due to too-long exposure to the cold. Even the hardiest of Númenóreans in the days since that isle was drowned sometimes fell to divers fevers and plagues. Broken indeed were the gifts of Númenor, even in one whose blood was as pure as Aragorn’s; for as great as Elendil himself was, his span was not as long as the Lords of Andunië, and theirs not as long as the days given Elros before them. Waning, waning... to ever wane seemed always the fate of Men. Gandalf sighed. Not since those early days had the Dúnedain lived the intended span of their lives. Still, Gandalf had felt that strong pillar of strength in Aragorn, and he somehow knew this would not defeat him. "Long indeed will be your days, Aragorn. They shall not end in shivering and suffering in a cave on an unnamed and misbegotten mountain." <33 YESSSSSSS well said lolll "misbegotten", he's like, curse the day this mountain was formed He stepped over Aragorn and settled down again beside him to keep watch. Try as he might, he could not keep his thoughts marshaled toward hope, and that was a rare and unsettling thing. He looked down at Aragorn, at the suffering etched in his face, and seldom had he felt such impotent anger. saskdfkh the suffering etched in his face This was the king lying here, injured, ill, forgotten by all save a remnant few of his own people, and a scattering of Elves and apparently at least one Eagle. Gondor herself had no inkling, no prescience that her king cometh. No, for all her seers and men wise in lore, even to the Steward Denethor himself, none knew that their king lived and breathed, crownless as he moved from peril to peril, seeking a way, often alone, to defeat the Shadow, at whatever considerable cost to his own life. SKASHDJSGKJSDHG <3333 thank you thank you Gandalf for being one of the few who does truly know and appreciate Aragorn's nobility, suffering, sacrifice, humility, and pain. Such great and selfless deeds going unknown and unthanked is a very frustrating thing for me, so I'm glad it is for Gandalf too <3 It was enough to embitter even the most hopeful. Gandalf's turn to struggle with hope? So fair <:( embitter, yes. I like worry that it's pride that makes me want Aragorn to be more appreciated, but I don't know. Maybe it's more just. Wanting fairness and love for him. Cause usually pride is more self-centered. In any case it makes me feel better that Gandalf and probably anyone else who knows Aragorn's identity and story feels the same way <3 Aragorn muttered something. Gandalf bent close, but Aragorn did not repeat himself. "Crownless you may be, but a king you are, Aragorn, and a king you shall ever be, even if you never see your throne," Gandalf whispered. He brushed Aragorn’s hair from his face, and did not try to blink away the tears pricking his eyes. ADKSSHDFJKSHGSJD AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW and a king you ever shall be <3333 thank you Gandalfffffffff I greatly appreciate the words of honor not trying to blink away the tears <3 I think those are all very reasonable extrapolations and I like them!

Lexilooper	Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 1/13/2026
Watching Aragorn waken from his injuries was nearly as painful as being injured oneself, Gandalf decided. Aragorn had slept quietly through the night, exhaustion and blood loss no doubt acting as a better painkiller than any herbal remedy, but now with dawn’s first hazy light, the poor man grimaced and groaned and shifted his legs and moved his arms as though trying to roll himself over. When he flapped his arm toward his wounded back, Gandalf had to intervene. "Easy, Aragorn. No need for that." skaksdhfjk yesssssssss watching Aragorn slowly, slowly and painfully wake up,,, trying to roll over, trapped on stomach, trying to reach okay "flapping his arm toward" is kinda so cute Grey eyes opened to stare fuzzily at him. A chalky voice garbled one questioning syllable. "Whu’?" sksdkha poor injured guy "What happened, or where are you? I believe both questions are valid," Gandalf smiled down at the befuddled man. <33 Aragorn is not often befuddled Aragorn shut his eyes and frowned. He looked decidedly cross as he again tried to reach behind his back. skasjfh decidedly cross <3 Gandalf stopped him by grasping his wrist and then had to quickly reconsider his evaluation of Aragorn’s mood. The eyes glaring at him now were not merely cross; they were furious, and Aragorn enraged was a sight to make any man blanch and step back. HEHEHE LOVEEEE lolllll quickly reconsider Aragorn is ENRAGED now and I rather love that it is specifically because he is in pain and confused and someone is now stopping him from putting his arm where he wants, it's a rather entirely misplaced and doesn't-understand fury, which is wonderful angst and rather heartbreaking that he's in such a mind-melted pain and fever and blood loss and things lol yessss Aragorn's rage is indeed a thing to cower before Of course, Gandalf was hardly any man. "Aragorn," he said, and then, when he continued to struggle, more sternly, "Aragorn! Do not fight me! You are injured, and you must not reach back there or you’ll pull loose all the stitches I painstakingly applied in order to stop you bleeding your life out on this cave floor." YESSSSS he is hardly any man. Aragorn's furious eyes do no more to him than to make him go "whoa" and understand better what sort of emotions and state of mind he is dealing with here. His stern commands <33 do not fight me! coming from a friend is one of my favorite whump trope things The fury drained away as Aragorn seemed finally to come a bit more to himself. In fact, so piteous was his bewildered contrition that Gandalf almost wished for a return of the anger; he did not like seeing his normally composed and hardy friend laid so low. sksajdfhjasgkjasdsk <:(((((( bewildered contrition ;_; awwww poor buddy Gandalf released his wrist and patted his shoulder. "There now, I know it’s disconcerting and painful, but time will set you aright." <33 I love grandpa Gandalf so much Speech seemed beyond Aragorn, but the questions that filled his eyes did the asking for him. awwww in this miserable middle place when he's too injured and befuddled and exhausted to speak but clear enough of mind to be filled with questions "I do not know what happened, exactly. I think you may have been caught up in that avalanche." He framed it almost as a question and nodded at the acknowledging flicker of returning memory on Aragorn’s face. "Ah, so it was. Do not worry about the details... you may tell me the entire sad tale when you’re feeling stronger and what memory you have of it returns. Suffice to say that somehow you made it from wherever you were to this cave, where I had set up camp for the night. I patched that which needed patching and warmed that which needed thawing, and you will no doubt be fully yourself, save for a stiff back, in a day or two." I loveee his perception, watching Aragorn's face carefully and immediately catching the recognition "a day or two" okay that is extremely optimistic but probably the reassurance Aragorn needs at the moment ("you better not walk for two weeks so help me" would probably just encourage despair and restlessness) so thank you "My... back.... What...?" oh dear "One might say that I pulled a rather large splinter from it." lolll one might "Wasn’t," he paused to swallow, "wasn’t... arrow?" okay he does remember now sounds like he either still has very scrambled memories and only remembers more recent things, or the knock on his head was either before or very near to the stick and the general experience of being caught in an avalanche muddied his brain enough that he couldn't ever figure through what was stabbing him in the first place, and as he couldn't see it properly either, came to an arrow being the most likely conclusion "Ah, so you knew something was sticking you. I should say you would, at that. But no, it was not an arrow. From the looks of it, I’d guess you impaled yourself on a bush or a tree, or perhaps a stray broken branch was driven into you during the avalanche. However it happened, there was a segment of one sticking right into your lower back. Not too far in, thankfully. Had it not been for your heavy coat and cloak, it might have gone straight through and killed you outright. Still, it’s sure to be painful even so." mmmm good point thank you for those thick fur garments keeping him alive in more ways than one <3 Aragorn nodded. He pushed at the ground, weakly lifting his head a bit. awww he's honestly like a newly hatched chick poor guy trying to picture him drawing up an arm just enough to press against the ground a bit <3 barely able to life his head "Do you want to lay on your side? Too soon yet for laying on your back." <3 thanks Gandalf Another nod, and with great care Gandalf helped roll him onto his right side. Aragorn let out a few scratchy groans, but seemed to tolerate the move fairly well. After a quick check to ensure the bandages were still in place, Gandalf wadded up Aragorn’s nearly empty pack and slid it beneath his head. "Better?" <333 yayyy scratchy groans but he made it Aragorn didn’t reply, but reached up and felt the bump over his ear. "Head hurts." <3 okay yeah he is really not feeling well he didn't even take the opportunity to reassure Gandalf that he was and instead complained about a different pain, like. Very uncharacteristic "You’ve a nasty bump there, and a cut. I imagine you’ll feel the effects of that bang for some days." indeed <33 thanks for the reminder that it's rather worse than I was picturing Aragorn let his hand drop, then winced and lifted it again. He rubbed his elbow and then his forearm. "You have bumps and bruises all over. oooh yeah that would hurt much to drop any of his body even a few inches especially to a stone floor It must have been quite a tumble you took. Thankfully nothing seems broken, but I imagine you’ll be stiff and sore for a few days. Pity we have no athelas, for I’d bathe you with it to ease the stiffness and the aches." aww that would be sweet <3 bathing someone with athelas is just. Very tender and intimate and healing. He reached for his waterskin. "I do have some miruvor, but your father advised me not to drink it if I’d taken a bump to the head, and I imagine the same applies to you, so I think we best start with water. Drink now, there you go." yesss great excuse for not giving Aragorn the relief of miruvor :) He held Aragorn’s head a bit more upright as he dribbled a few slow drops into Aragorn’s mouth. love love love people having to hold his head up to help him drink you know this <3 When those went down easily, he allowed him to sip a bit more. "Not too much," he said as he pulled the waterskin back. "I do not want you to sicken yourself. That bump on your head might put your belly in a bit of a tip. I wouldn’t be surprised if that doesn’t give you more misery in the near run than the wound in your back." ooooh okay if he threw up right now...that would be...ouch Aragorn looked around the small cave, seeming to take in every detail despite there being a certain bleariness in his gaze that troubled Gandalf greatly. Aragorn’s right eyelid drooped a bit more than his left, though both eyes seemed to move in concert with one another. He had seen men hit so hard their eyes crossed. At least Aragorn didn’t seem to have that problem, but still, that drooping lid was troubling as there didn’t seem to be any other cause for it beyond the bump on the head; Aragorn’s face had been spared the battering the rest of his body took. "Where is this place?" ooooooh eyelid drooping yessss troubled Gandalf greatly <3 I love this combo of him sharp enough to carefully take in every detail and yet there's an unmistakable bleariness there "Oh," Gandalf started, realizing he had completely lost himself in his worries. "Yes, right. It’s a cave, and not a very big one, but dry and serviceable and blessedly free from any evidence of cracks that could open up without warning to let in orcs or swallow up wounded Rangers. Due west of The Carrock, not too far from the Eagle’s Eyrie. I believe, in fact, that it was on that mount that your avalanche nearly buried you." I'm so glad I've read the Hobbit now, it's very fun to have a fuller context and scope of even just like, the geography of Middle-earth. "It was. I was looking in some caves there." nine words in a row!! good job <3 "And did you find anything? Any sign whatsoever?" "None," Aragorn murmured. "Eagles. No Gollum." okay through a train of thought I am now wondering if the eagle Elrond followed in Aragorn's hellscape of the Black Breath was like. Normal sized eagle or giant eagle. Does Middle-Earth have normal sized eagles? also his murmur sounds so...tired and defeated. Like not giving up but. Exhausted. "Well, it’s early days yet. I did not expect we would find Gollum in our first weeks or even months, to be perfectly honest. I think it would be quite a miracle to find any signs of him in this area after all this time, let alone find the creature himself. But do not fear that our summer has been wasted. As you said, it would have been foolish not to check...." mmm indeed I love them working together <3 Gandalf stopped talking, for Aragorn had drifted back to sleep. Gandalf brushed a lock of Aragorn’s hair away from his cheek. "Forgive an old wizard for rambling on so. Sleep is all you need right now, and not endless prattle. Talk of the hunt can wait." He adjusted the blanket and again made sure moving Aragorn had not dislodged the bandages. All seemed as well as it could be, so Gandalf turned his mind to their situation. awww <333 fussing over him a little bit, making sure all is well, brushing away that lock of hair <3 There was no gainsaying it: their plight was precarious in the extreme. Aragorn was in no shape to travel, not for days yet, and this cave, though snug enough, was hardly secure shelter. A blizzard could howl down from the heights at any time, barring Gandalf from finding fuel and food, and even if the weather proved merciful, there were still orcs and other dangerous beasts about. mmmm yes yes yes they are not out of the danger also at this point Aragorn's in no shape to be upright so hopefully it's a couple days before the wound starts to really need to drain anything. I mean, it can while he's laying on his side, a little I expect, but gravity's not really working with them, especially if he's on his stomach What they needed was a horse. If he had a horse, one of those sturdy mounts of the Dúnedain, perhaps, who were bred for the North’s chill winters and were surefooted enough to traverse mountains, he could bundle Aragorn on his back and they’d be down the mountain and in Beorn’s warm hall in no time. But horses were in short supply here on the peaks, not being prone to wander up so high on their own. "Which shows they have far more common sense then wizards and Rangers," Gandalf said aloud. "No offense meant, if you can hear me, Aragorn." loll <33 I love him talking to Aragorn still in a sort of just-in-case-you're-listening He sighed as he looked idly at the sky beyond the cave entrance, watching dawn turn the horizon a rosy pink. A bird circled there, small with distance. He watched it drift, its wings nearly motionless as it rose and fell gently with the air currents, looking below for prey, no doubt. He studied its shape and realized that it was an Eagle. "It must be farther away than I thought, to look so small," he said. He glanced at Aragorn, who remained asleep, breathing easily enough, although there was a tiny wrinkle of a frown between his brows. Pain, no doubt, felt even in sleep. Gandalf reached over and gently stroked Aragorn’s cheek with the back of his hand. He still felt too warm, even given that he was on his side, facing the fire. "You need proper shelter and medicines, but how to get you to them." awwwww <33 stroking his cheek, not able to escape the pain even in sleep, He shook his head, frustrated, then pulled out his pipe. Rubbing it helped him think, helped him focus his thoughts. He ran a thumb over a bowl polished to a sheen from many such worried caresses. This is so Gandalf, to keep pulling out his pipe to rub anxiously, and I love that detail <3 "If only I’d been given a mortal frame as mighty as yours," he said, "then I’d simply sling you across my shoulders and off we’d go. But I was given a shape for blending in, for appearing harmless, for instilling confidence and love, not for leading Men and Elves in majestic power. You are built for war, for battle, for leading vast armies." He smiled wistfully. "And for standing before your people, tall and noble and beloved, kingly in every way. And yet here we sit, you with all your power nonetheless laid low, and me, hale enough in my own way, yet unable to do much beyond stitching and bandaging and hand-holding." awww slightly regretful at the moment of the limits of his shape, which makes perfect sense. He is a Maia. The eagle was closer now, circling, circling... yessss come come to us "You are built like that Eagle, Aragorn. Meant to soar, and soar you shall, if the Wise can find some way to confound Sauron. You know, I still think it might be that the weakest among us will lead the way in prevailing against him. No slight to you, of course, because you are as key to all of it as anyone. But you will need help, and I feel that help will come from a quarter unlooked for. How and who, I’ve no idea. But the idea will not leave me; it invades my dreams and pesters the edges of every grand plan I try to devise. Maybe it is because the power of the Elves and the purity of Men, save those of the Westernesse, has diminished. Maybe I think of the small because ere too long that is all we will have left to us; that is all we will have become, while the might of Sauron grows and grows, unchecked..." yesssss this is also very Hobbit-Gandalf, trying to form a grand plan, but it's not on the scale of the Hobbit anymore, it's much larger. And yet this is why he was sent here, and just as in the Hobbit, ever he appreciates the strength of the weak more than many less mighty than he His voice trailed away. He had no business speaking his dark thoughts aloud. Asleep the ranger might be, but his ears would hear, and the words would sink into his spirit, and Gandalf would fain chop off his right hand and break his staff than do or say anything that might dampen the hope that Aragorn carried always within him. AWWWWW contrast this with only being jokingly willing to trade (not break) his staff for a cushion :) Master of fire Gandalf might be, but many times he looked into the keen eyes of his friend and felt there burned within Aragorn a fire hotter than any that kindled in his own heart. awwwww <333 well he is named Estel. And it makes his loss of hope last Winter all the more devastating and...big "Forgive me, old friend. I’m letting the cares of a long life turn me into a gloomy old so-and-so. Of course we will defeat Sauron. I’ve a feeling in my heart that it is simply a matter of solving riddles about rings, and toward that end, finding gangling creatures in the gloom. And find Gollum we will, don’t you doubt that for a moment, my dear friend. But first, to find a horse... if you have any ideas on that subject, feel free to awaken and share them with me." lollll feel free Aragorn slept on, and Gandalf laid a fatherly hand on his shoulder. He kept it there, hoping it might give him comfort to feel the presence of another, but if he were honest with himself, and he always tried to be, he drew just as much comfort from the contact himself. awwwwww fatherly Gandalf <333 he drew just as much comfort from the contact himselffff and he always tried to be, good lol <3 But oh, how to get a horse... hmm which will probably not be in this snowy mountain ever The eagle was very close now; he could see the yellow of its beak. He watched it fondly, remembering back to a night of fire and orcs and wolves, when the Eagles, curious as always to what was afoot in their mountain home, had come.... mhmmmm "Fool of a wizard!" he snapped, suddenly sitting straight up. "Lost in thought, wishing for a penny beyond reach when a dragon hoard of mithril is at hand!" yessss very reminiscent of "escaped from goblins to be eaten by wolves", but more positive analogy lol He grabbed his staff and hurried to the cave entrance. LOLLLLLLLL XD it was so entertaining to watch him watching the Eagle but never OCCUR to him that. It's an Eagle. Has wings. Is Friend. but I'm grateful he finally realized

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