Answering the Call

Gandalf

"I must admit some surprise that you would come to me with your concerns, Aragorn, son of Arathorn. On your last visit, you were asking us to take on a burden, one we still carry. I am aware, as well, that Elrond raised you as a son, and Mithrandir has taken you into his confidence many a time. Why do you not turn to them now?"

Aragorn tried not to shift in response as he sat in the sumptuous chair in King Thranduil's receiving room, where he was met by Thranduil and his son, Legolas, beside a welcoming fire. The King of Mirkwood had every right to question his sudden appearance. He had already imposed on them the watch of the dreadful creature Gollum, and he was not here to relieve them of that duty. That Aragorn found himself in this room seeking advice surprised him as much as it did Thranduil. He had set out for Rivendell, but when obstacle after obstacle had blocked his path, he had been forced to admit he was being led east rather than west and had eventually turned his feet toward Mirkwood.

Vague yet pressing feelings of concern had set his feet on their path south, but by the time he had arrived in Mirkwood, his unease had developed into a sense of doom so deep and so urgent he could deny it no longer. Despite this, he was suddenly reluctant to utter a word. One did not come to the King of Mirkwood to speak of long-lost Rings. In fact, one did not speak of this Ring at all, if one respected Its power.

But what truly stilled Aragorn's tongue was that in conveying his worries to Thranduil, he must relinquish his denial as to what evil approached them all. Yet he knew in his blood, the same blood that once ran through Isildur's veins, what doom loomed over them: the Ring was no longer safely hidden in the Shire.

The Ring had been claimed.

When Aragorn failed to provide an answer to his father's questions, Legolas spoke. "Aragorn, has my father told you what gift Mithrandir has brought to the Greenwood?"

"No, he has not." Aragorn waited out a cold twist in his stomach before continuing. "A gift, you say? Do I guess rightly that this gift is tied to the burgeoning peace I sensed upon my entrance into the forest? Never have I moved through Mirkwood with such ease in all my years. However, I have not spoken to the wizard since he asked me to find the creature Gollum. I have searched for Gandalf of late without success."

Legolas looked to his father, who began the tale after a pause. "Mithrandir has purged the Shadow that long hung over this land and restored the Greenwood. The orcs have been ousted; the spiders are gone. The Great Wood has been cleansed." Thranduil looked pleased but wary.

Aragorn struggled to hide his shock. Many thoughts crowded his mind; questions vied to be asked. He could only manage the simplest. "How? How could Gandalf do this?"

Thranduil glanced at Legolas. "We are... unsure."

A shiver ran up Aragorn's spine as realization settled upon him, as clear as the click of puzzle pieces snapping into place. His stomach fluttered while he prepared to ask a dreaded question. "You have spoken to Gandalf recently then?" They both nodded. "Did he seem... himself?"

Again, a shared glance revealed a decision made. "Legolas and I both have sensed a difference about Mithrandir, on more than occasion," he said slowly. "I have not been able to identify the source." He seemed to have more to say, but remained silent.

"Like my father, I am at a loss to describe it."

Aragorn closed his eyes for a moment. He could not accept it. No, he would not. Gandalf would never... He tried to maintain his denial, but it collapsed under the weight of his instincts. A deep grief washed over him.

Everything had changed.

A mentor and friend for all his life, in that moment, Aragorn relinquished all hope of counsel from the wizard. He could ask naught of him now. Indeed, he might have already become the enemy.