"Elle!"
"Elle, come back!"
Come back?
Elle whirled around, her eyes glowing golden. Both Gandalf and Elrond backed up in shock as Elle stared unseeing, a look of pure despair on her face.
"Gandalf, what is wrong with her?"
"I do not know."
Then the light vanished and Elle slumped to the floor, blinking in shock. Her whole body was shaking, her breaths coming out in gasps.
She stared for a moment, her vision unfocused even as hard as she tried to snap back to reality.
"Elle?" Gandalf asked cautiously.
She didn't answer and he stepped closer.
Suddenly Elle leaped to her feet and threw herself at the wizard. All she could feel was pure hate. Hate and fear, pumping through her veins like a drug.
She had to protect herself. She had to protect her mother.
She had to kill them, all of them.
"Elle! Calm yourself!" A sudden pain snapped through her leg as Elle drove forward and she gasped, falling hard to the floor with a thump. Stars danced before her eyes.
"Elle!"
What was she doing?
Elle snapped back to reality and pushed herself up, scrambling back. She stared in horror at her hands. What... what was she doing?
She looked up, right into the sharp eyes of the elven lord. Then over to the old man, who seemed to stare deep into her soul.
"I- I don't," Elle stumbled over her words. She couldn't explain it, she didn't know how.
"Gilraen."
The word slipped from her lips before she could stop it. She wasn't sure why she was telling them anything, Elle didn't even feel like she was in control over her body anymore.
"Her name was Gilraen."
The words seemed to hang in the air.
Then suddenly the door of the room burst open and Elle snapped over to see the Ranger standing in the doorway. His eyes were wide with shock.
Aragorn let Legolas stand closer to the door. The elf could hear better than he ever could, blue eyes narrowed he listened intently to the conversation coming from the inside.
"What are they talking about?" Aragorn pressed, leaning closer.
Legolas gently nudged his friend back, closing his eyes in concentration. "I cannot hear a thing around your human stench, I need my space."
Aragorn gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes, but reluctantly took a step back. "Better?"
For a moment, Legolas didn't answer.
Then he opened his eyes with a small smile. "They're questioning her about her past. And her parents." He leaned closer to the door.
Then the smile on his face vanished.
"What is it?" Aragorn leaned closer and this time, Legolas didn't try to push him away.
"Her name was Gilraen."
Aragorn froze. He wasn't sure he had heard right.
What was she talking about?
"Aragorn," Legolas started to speak but his friend jerked away.
Aragorn didn't even know what he was thinking; he shoved through the door.
Instantly all eyes snapped to him but Aragorn didn't care.
His stormy eyes locked on the girl, who quickly pushed herself up and took a step back. She was trembling, Aragorn noticed. Her hands became fists by her sides.
"What did you say?"
Elle didn't answer and Aragorn advanced another step. He searched her face, drinking in every single detail that he had somehow not noticed before.
The grey irises that reflected his own.
The glimmer in her eyes.
He knew her, he knew her face.
"Estel," Elrond's voice broke through Aragorn's thoughts. The elven lord's voice was low, yet held a sharp key of warning.
Aragorn ignored him.
"How do you know Gilraen?" He pressed, stopping only inches from Elle. She tensed.
"She--" Elle paused for a second.
"How do you know her!?" Aragorn couldn't hold back his emotions, overtaken by a sudden fury. A part of him knew he was taking it too far, but his thoughts were whirling faster than he could keep up.
He needed to know, "Tell me!"
Elle clenched her jaw, suddenly drawing herself up. Her words came through gritted teeth, strong but laden with grief. "She was my mother."
My mother.
She was my mother.
Aragorn's world came crashing down. His thoughts froze upon that one sentence.
"No," he stumbled back.
A sudden hand gripped his arm and Aragorn snapped to the blue eyes of Legolas, but he quickly yanked away. "Get off me!"
The room suddenly seemed too small. Aragorn couldn't breathe.
Turning, he stumbled from the room, slamming the door at his back.
And the room enveloped in a sudden silence.
Elle's eyes snapped to the elven lord. "What is going on?"
Elrond blinked slowly. He turned to Gandalf, but could not read the emotion behind the old wizard's eyes. He turned back toward Elle. "To Aragorn, Gilraen died many years ago. She and her child have long been a dark past for him."
Elle's thoughts whirled. "Aragorn? You're saying he knew my mother?"
"Yes, and no. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. He is Isildur's heir."
"And he is your brother."
Night fell quickly.
Elrond stood on the balcony, watching the waters so far below glitter in the moonlight. The city was quiet-- his thoughts were not.
"I knew I would find you out here."
Elrond didn't turn, but half smiled at the gravely voice behind him. Another figure joined the elven lord on the overlook, still adorned in his long grey robes and clutching his staff in one hand.
"This changes much, Gandalf," Elrond murmured.
The wizard clasped his lips, gazing down where a lone figure sat near the statue of his mother. Aragorn hadn't moved from his spot in hours, not even Legolas nor Arwen had been able to stir him from his thoughts.
"Yes, it does."
"I was sure they had both been killed," Elrond shook his head. "What could have happened, how she survived. I almost do not want to know."
"It is not only how she survived that worries me."
Elrond turned toward Gandalf, raising a brow. "The mark on the girl's shoulder. Could it be what we fear?"
Gandalf's blue eyes narrowed in thought. "I know nothing for sure, but I fear what the mark may mean."
Suddenly the wizard broke from the balcony, "I cannot stay."
Elrond already knew, but he asked anyway. "Where will you go?"
"I must meet with Saruman, I was on my way there until I received your word. We must be prepared if what I fear is coming."
Elrond bowed his head in agreement. "May the stars watch over you, Mithrandir."
The wizard's face softened for a moment and he sighed. "Send Aragorn to Bree, it will take his mind off things. Tell him of Frodo, make sure he keeps an eye for the hobbit. I will meet them when the time is right."
Elrond turned away as the wizard left. Looking back down at the figure below, he sighed.
"You turned from your path long ago ion-nin," Elrond murmured. "But now, what will you do? When there is another who could take your place?"
Elrond turned his eyes back to the stars. "Valar. Let things go right."
Greetings!!
Yay! Chapter Six is finally finished! I'll be honest... this one took me a while. One does not simply write a plot twist in a matter of hours.
Seriously though, I think I was up for like a day and a half straight trying to figure out this stupid... I mean lovely... chapter!
But if you enjoyed it, I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts!! I wasn't sure how to write the whole "Elle, I am your sister" part, but hopefully, it turned out alright!
Thank you all! Until next update!
Discussion starter: So now to part of the main plot! What do you think is coming? And about Aragorn and Elle... what are your thoughts??