Aragorn watched Eldarion practice his archery in amusement.
Eldarion just couldn't seem to get the hang of shooting a bow.
Faramir was trying to teach him the right way to do it but he was having no luck.

Eldarion finally managed to fit the arrow into the bowstring, but when he fired it he overshot and the arrow hit a stone wall.
Eldarion sighed in frustration.
"Admit it. I'm terrible."
"You just need practice."
Faramir assured him.
"I've been practicing and I still haven't gotten right."
"Even the greatest archers had problems when they first began."
The look on Eldarion's face clearly showed that he didn't believe him.

It had been almost three months since Gandalf and Frodo left.
Eldarion missed the hobbit terribly. They had become close friends during the short time that they knew each other.
But he was recovering.
Faramir spent a lot of time with him, teaching him how use a sword properly, and without much luck, a bow.

Aragorn watched his son, there was so much of his mother in him...
His mind wandered to the past, back to Arwen, his first love.
Guilt swept over him as he remembered their last meeting together, before ha had set out on that ill fated quest that had cost Arwen her life.

He had grieved for months. The regret, shame, and grief had consumed him.
Aragorn had felt as if he would never love again.
But then Eowyn had come.
She had comforted him as well as the others who had lost loved ones.
She had remained strong and steadfast in the hope that Sauron would fall.

Aragorn didn't know for certain when or how he had fallen in love with her, but it had  happened.
After Eldarion was born he had thought that everything would be alright, that they would live through the darkness together.

But Eowyn had been captured, and killed in Mordor.
Aragorn had almost been crushed, he had lost the two people he had loved more than his own life.
What would Arwen think?
He had asked himself the question a hundred times.
Would she have been angry that I married Eowyn? That I loved her and still do even after her death?
Aragorn had loved Arwen too, he still wondered what would have happened if the ring hadn't been take by Boromir.
She would have lived, we would have married, and I would have never felt anything for Eowyn.
We would have probably never met.
Aragorn had asked Gandalf what he thought.
The wizard had told him,
Arwen loved  you Aragorn. She would not have wanted you to spend the rest of your life without love in it.

Aragorn had found some comfort in his words.
He sighed, sometimes he wished Gandalf was still there.
There were still many questions he needed to have answered, but there was no one to answer them.
"My lord!"
Aragorn snapped out of his thoughts as a messenger ran up to him.
"What is it?"
"Two elves have arrived from the Woodland Realm. They have requested an audience with you at once."
Faramir and Eldarion looked over to see what was going on.
"Who are they?"
Aragorn asked.
"Prince Legolas and Haldir. They say their news is urgent."
Legolas! What was he doing here?
It had only been three months since their last meeting.
Legolas wouldn't be here unless he had a reason.

"I will see them."
Aragorn followed the messenger, Faramir and Eldarion followed close behind.
The White City had suffered the most damage from Sauron's reign. It was still nowhere near to its former glory, but it was good enough for the people to call home.
But much more work still needs to be done.
They found Legolas and Haldir waiting near the front gate, which wasn't as strong as it used to be but kept the city protected.

"Legolas, what brings you to Minas Tirith mellon nin?"
The two friends embraced.
Aragorn studied Legolas' face.
He's worried about something.
"May I speak with you alone?"
He asked.
"Of course."
Aragorn greeted Haldir and had Faramir show him to a place where he could rest.
Aragorn led Legolas to the throne room, which was going through minor repairs at the moment.

Aragorn sent the workers away and the guards.
Once they were alone Legolas explained why he had come.
"I've come to warn you about something."
"What is it?"
"I fear that there is something coming, something that will kill you and everyone else in this city."
Aragorn was taken back by his friend's grave news.
"What do you mean?"
Legolas told him everything he had told Haldir, about Alatar, what he was capable of, and Amarth.
"Amarth told you this?"
Aragorn asked in surprise.
Legolas nodded.
"And you believe him?"
"Not entirely, but I thought I would take caution and warn you, just in case this "Alatar" is real and is coming to kill you."

Aragorn took in his words.
Legolas was usually never wrong about these things.
But his information had come from Amarth.
From what Aragorn had heard and witnessed, Amarth was not to be trusted.
Now that he thought about it, wasn't Amarth supposed to be dead?
"I thought you killed Amarth."
"I lost him during the battle. But I had wounded him. I thought he would be slain or die of his wounds."

Something in the elf's voice almost made Aragorn not trust him.
Was he lying?
Aragorn shook the thought away.
Of course he wasn't. Legolas was not a lier.
He lied to you about his past.
No. He hadn't lied to him.
He just kept it a secret.
He thought back to that night, before Boromir had taken the ring to Mordor.
When Legolas had stabbed him, when he had been told that Legolas had killed dozens, if not hundreds of innocent people.
Men, women, children, his own
kin...

"Aragorn?"
Legolas' voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Aragorn looked at his friend warily. His bow and quiver were strung onto his back, he could see his knives and dagger, he knew that at any moment Legolas could any one of those weapons and kill him.
"Is something troubling you?"
Legolas asked skeptically.
"If this Alatar is real, and if he plans on coming here we must be prepared."
Aragorn hoped that the possibility of a being that was set out to kill him and his people would explain his nervousness.

Legolas nodded in understanding.
"What do you need me to do?"
"I will send for Faramir and Haldir, we will need their help with this."
"Alright."
Aragorn was about to send for a servant when he turned to Legolas and asked, "Is your father aware of your presence here?"
Legolas hesitated for a moment before replying, "No, he is not."

I thought so....

()()()()

Aragorn briefed Faramir on the situation. The four had agreed that alerting the people would not be wise.
The last thing they needed was a panic.
Especially since there was no actual proof of there being any real danger.
Faramir wondered why Legolas had listened to Amarth at all.
Considering what the he had done to him.

That scar should be enough ti remind him.
He thought.
Aragorn ordered the guards to keep an extra watch on their borders.
Haldir and Legolas had decided to stay for a few days, just in case amything happened.

When night fell Aragorn was in the throne room, listening to reports regarding the rebuilding of the city.
Faramir was with him, and Legolas.
Haldir was nowhere to be seen.
Once the report was over Aragorn debated on whether he should retire for the night or check with the captain of the guards to see if there was anything going on.

He decided to go with the latter.
He dismissed Faramir and Legolas and went to carry out his task.
Once he found him he was told that all was quiet. Nothing was happening.
Aragorn began to think that this whole "Alatar" business was just a trick of Amarth's.
But it didn't seem like the dark elf to simply trick Legolas into making an unnecessary trip to Gondor.

Of course Legolas' father is still unaware of his son's presnce here.
Although knowing Thranduil, the Elvenking had probably figured it out already.
That left Aragorn to wonder why he hadn't sent anyone to... the word that came to his mind at the moment was detain.

Legolas won't go back without a fight.
Would he harm any elf that Thranduil sent to bring him back to Mirkwood?
He's done it before. What can stop him from doing it again?
Where were these thoughts coming from?
Aragorn wasn't afraid of Legolas.
He wasn't.

He entered the throne room and found Faramir and Legolas having a conversation.
"I thought I told you both to get some rest."
They turned to Aragorn.
"We were not tired."
Legolas said simply.
"Is there any news?"
Faramir asked.
"All is quiet."

Faramir face showed signs of worry, Aragorn couldn't tell what Legolas was thinking.
Aragorn was about to speak when the windows in the throne room suddenly blew open.
The torches that lit the room were blown out, engulfing them in darkness.

The large doors swung open, moonlight shown into the room.
Aragorn placed his hand on Anduril, Faramir was ready to draw his sword and Legolas had his bow out.
Standing in the doorway was a figure cloaked in a dark hood.

They guessed immedietly who it was.

Alatar had come.