Chapter 2

Aragorn jolted awake the moment the car stopped, he groaned and rubbed his stiff neck.

'We're here,' said Elrond gently, touching his arm.

Aragorn looked around 'here', but it was too dark to see much clearly. He could just make out the shape of a fairly large house and the dark shadows of trees behind it. He slipped out of the car, stretching his legs in relief and shrugged his shoulders a few times. He took a hesitant step, his legs still felt as if they were made of wood, and opened the sliding door to the back. The hobbits were just waking up, blinking tiredly. Gimli was struggling to unfasten his seatbelt.

Aragorn walked a little ways towards the road, his eyes scanning the darkness for any movements or strange shapes. There was nothing, so he followed Elrond up onto the front porch, the white boards creaked eerily beneath his feet, each sound rang loud in his ears. He did not know why, but he felt as if he were preparing for a burglary.

Elrond pulled a key out from his jean pocket, and slid it into the lock.

Aragorn shivered and rubbed his bare arms; the air was much cooler there than it had been in Boston; the land about them lay quiet, still, and dark.

Frodo stepped up onto the porch next to him, yawning. 'Is this really our house, Master Elrond?' he asked.

'Yes,' answered Elrond, pushing the door open; it groaned loudly as it swung inward. Elrond stepped in and turned the light on. 'This will be our house now.'

Aragorn peered inside; it was a clean room, with white walls and a dull wooden floor, devoid of any furniture or decoration.

'What do you think?' Elrond asked him, putting an arm about his shoulders.

'It's livable,' said Aragorn with a shrug, trying to avoid Elrond's eyes, he still felt uneasy about the forged money.

'You can unpack in the morning,' said Elrond releasing him, 'for now, you should get some rest.'

Boromir walked in behind them, his hands on Pippin and Merry's shoulders. 'Where are we?' he asked.

'Hamilton,' said Elrond.

'Where is that?' asked Merry, looking about him with great interest.

'Down East Maine,' said Elrond.

'Can we explore the house?' asked Merry.

'If you are not too tired,' Elrond replied with a gentle smile.

Sam looked dubiously at the staircase. 'It has an upstairs,' he announced.

'Yes,' said Elrond.

'Let's go upstairs,' suggested Merry quickly.

Frodo looked at him skeptically. 'Just when did you pick up this great love of heights?'

'Mmm, I forget.' Merry headed to the staircase, trying to look casual.

'I'm too tired,' Pippin said, hiding his fear behind a yawn.

Legolas, who had by then finished a general inspection of the downstairs nodded in agreement. 'I'll go with you, Merry.'

Merry looked a little nervous. 'Oh, I don't know Pip doesn't want to go, maybe I should stay here and keep him company.'

Frodo looked up. 'Oh, don't worry, Merry, I'll do that.'

Merry sighed and followed Legolas up the stairs.

Aragorn turned back to Elrond. 'How long have you been…here, America I mean?'

'Only a few days,' answered Elrond.

'And you managed to buy a house that fast?' Aragorn asked in astonishment.

'Yes, I managed.' Elrond twisted some of his hair thoughtfully around a finger. 'Why do you look at me like that, Estel?'

Aragorn didn't answer him, he didn't want to accuse him again, so he just sighed and turned away.

Elrond placed a hand on his shoulder. 'Estel?'

The ranger turned back around and pulled his foster father into a tight embrace. 'I don't want to talk about it,' he whispered in his ear.

'I understand,' Elrond whispered back; he held Aragorn tightly.

Aragorn pressed his face against Elrond's shoulder and closed his eyes; it felt good not to be relied on for a while. Just a little while.

Aragorn opened his eyes and saw that Gimli had turned his face away in embarrassment for having seen such a personal moment, as was the way of dwarves; he now stood in the corner, his head bowed, his cheeks red. The three hobbits, however, were staring at them in fascination, but when he looked at them, they also blushed, and looked away. Aragorn broke the embrace, and held Elrond out at arm's length. They smiled at each other, then Aragorn turned away.

'I can't sleep anyways, so I might as well unload the car.' He decided and walked back out into the cold night.

Boromir followed him. 'I'll help.'

Aragorn opened the trunk and pulled out Sam's pack. 'This is heavy,' he told Boromir.

'Sam's?' asked Boromir.

Aragorn nodded. 'He seems to have the need to carry a full kitchen about with him,' he chuckled.

Boromir smiled and pulled out another pack.

'Whose is that?' asked Aragorn.

'Legolas's, I think, but it could be Gimli's,' said Boromir.

Aragorn shook his head. 'Gimli's is that one, and you know perfectly well that they can't be just mixed up like that.'

Boromir shrugged. 'This one's light.'

'That's because Elvish things are always light,' said Aragorn, 'it's a peculiarity of theirs.'

Aragorn and Boromir brought some of the luggage to the living room, and then returned to the van.

Aragorn picked up Gimli's axe. 'And here we have all the weapons,' he said.

Boromir picked up his sword and twisted it around. 'It feels strange to walk about ungirt,' he said.

Aragorn nodded. 'But the people here do not even use swords; they use guns.'

'I have seen those,' said Boromir. 'How do they work?'

'I don't know,' said Aragorn.

'But most people do not carry them,' added Boromir.

'No, they don't,' said Aragorn. 'Perhaps there is no need?'

Boromir shook his head. 'You have heard the crimes reported in the news.'

'Yes, I do not know then. But come, my friend, let us finish our work, I am getting tired.'

'As am I,' Boromir concurred.

They finished unloading the van of their few possessions, and piled them neatly on the living room floor.

Aragorn glanced at his watch. 12:54. 'I think I am going to sleep now,' he decided, pulling out his blanket from his pack, and beginning to prepare a bed on the wooden floor.

'Dunadan, don't do that,' said Legolas quickly, 'one of the rooms upstairs is carpeted.'

Aragorn looked up.

'Here, I'll show you.'

Aragorn and Boromir followed the elf up the wide, white staircase that creaked and moaned with every step.

The first two bedrooms had dark wooden floors, but the third had a plush, green carpet. There, the hobbits and Gimli were sprawled out sleeping.

'Elrond says that we will buy beds soon,' said Legolas, leaning against the wall and watching them settle down.

Aragorn yawned. 'That would be nice,' he said, finding a spot in the corner.

'What is it with you and corners?'

Aragorn chose to ignore him, and the elf shrugged and walked away.

Aragorn awoke the next morning before dawn; he found Boromir asleep next to him. Being careful not to wake up Boromir, he got up and went to the window. The sun was still too low for him to make out anything but the dark silhouettes of tall trees on the eastern horizon.

He slipped down the stairs and crept into the kitchen. Elrond and Legolas were there already, talking to each other, Legolas sitting on the counter, Elrond mixing batter in a large bowl.

'What is that?' asked Aragorn, leaning against the counter near Legolas, who playfully bonked him on the shoulder.

'I am preparing batter for crepes,' Elrond told him, setting the bowl down.

'So we have food, then?'

'Yes,' said Legolas with a laugh, 'Elrond may make us sleep on the bare floor, but he will not starve us.'

Elrond raised his eyebrows. 'Legolas, I do not believe that you slept anywhere at all.'

'Ah, but how could I? There was too much to explore.' Legolas kicked his legs and smiled at Aragorn. 'Good-morning.'

'Good-morning,' Aragorn replied, marveling on the innate ability elves had of being able to switch moods so freely.

'There is a great deal of woods surrounding this house,' Legolas continued, 'filled with wonderful plants and hosts of fair trees, it is so beautiful.'

That would explain cheerful thought Aragorn, pulling open a cupboard door.

'Breakfast should be ready in half an hour,' said Elrond.

'That's good, but I'm starving,' he said, pulling out a jar of roasted peanuts, he tried a few; they were actually rather good.

Elrond nodded. 'Very well then.'

'Would you like to take a walk about outside and meet the trees?' asked Legolas mischievously.

'I would be honored,' said Aragorn with an amused smile.

Legolas jumped off the counter and skipped to the door.

Aragorn followed him shaking his head, and they stepped out together into the cool morning.

'It's wonderful here,' Legolas told him, 'so much nicer than Boston. I'm almost glad that Saruman tried to find us.'

Aragorn frowned. 'I'm not. Saruman is still a danger.'

Legolas nodded and became grave. 'I wonder what happened to Mithrandir.'

'It is best not to think about it,' said Aragorn quickly, not wanting to ruin his good mood, 'Come, we were going to meet the trees?'

Legolas smiled again took him to the back yard. 'The trees,' he said, pointing to a wood of young trees, mainly poplar.

Aragorn nodded and admired them quietly as Legolas went off with a round of introductions. There were other things besides Gandalf that were best not to think about—like Arwen. But it was hard not to, when every glance at Elrond brought her face back to him—vivid and sad. He kicked at the grass. Why did Elrond and his daughter have to look so much alike?

'And there's a house in that direction,' said Legolas pointing to his right, 'and another house in that direction,' pointing to his left, 'but they're both rather far away. Elrond says that the sea is only two miles away, but I do not know in what direction it lies. I believe it is that way,' he said, twirling about and pointing to the south.

Aragorn nodded and sighed.

The elf stopped his chatter and studied his friend. 'What is it, Dunadan?'

'It is nothing, Greenleaf.'

Legolas frowned unconvinced but continued. 'Elrond also says that we might have a garden. That would make Sam very happy, would it not?'

'Yes, Sam would be very happy,' Aragorn murmured.

Legolas placed a hand on his arm. 'Aragorn, please tell me.' His voice was pleading.

Aragorn looked away into the still, dark woods. 'Legolas, do you believe in love?'

'Yes, Aragorn, of course I do. Did you think otherwise?' Legolas searched his face.

'No.' He fell silent again.

'Dunadan…'

'Sometimes I get so mad I want to strangle someone!' Aragorn burst out, kicking the grass again.

Legolas looked at him in surprise. 'Whom?'

'Saruman, Sauron—only he doesn't have a neck. I don't know. I don't care.' He glared at the sunrise.

'Aragorn, you're scaring me.'

'Of course I'm scaring you; I'm scaring myself. I don't even know what I'm saying.' He looked down at the grass, it had last been cut about two weeks ago he noted, and had been walked upon quite frequently the night before, probably by Legolas.

'Is there anything I can do?' asked Legolas.

Aragorn shrugged. 'Legolas, please, forget it. It's just that my nerves are wrecked from last night. It's nothing.'

Legolas nodded. 'I understand.'

Why does he have to be so sympathetic? Aragorn glared at him. 'Have you ever been in love?'

Legolas thought about this for a moment, studying him, his face unreadable, his eyes wary, before shaking his head. 'I am not certain,' he said slowly.

'Then you haven't,' Aragorn said briskly, 'If you had, you'd know. Then maybe, just maybe, you would understand.'

'You miss Arwen.'

'Good guess.'

'Aragorn, I…'

But Aragorn was in no mood for comfort, he roughly brushed the elf's hand off his shoulder and walked away.

'Dunadan, where are you going?' asked Legolas, following after him.

'To see if breakfast is ready,' Aragorn snapped.