Realizations
Chapter Four - Realizations
Throughout the next day, Aragorn was having trouble staying awake. Legolas and Gimli were visiting, and he felt he had not been able to enjoy their presence as much as usual due to his fatigue. The three of them and Arwen were relaxing in one of the parlors in front of a roaring fire when Aragorn felt his eyes sliding closed once more. He found himself unable to fight it and let his head fall back on the cushion.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in the midst of what must surely be a nightmare. A thundering roar filled his ears and he felt as if he would be deafened if he remained there long. There was a strange flashing light that lit up his surroundings in pulses that seemed to match the pounding drums that surrounded him. In those brief moments of glaring light, he could see a solid wall of people around him, pressing in on every side, gyrating wildly. He was sure he was about to be killed, and began struggling, trying to find a way out through the crowd.
"Aragorn?" A hand touched his shoulder, and he abruptly opened his eyes to find his wife and friends staring at him in concern. "What happened?" Arwen asked. She had moved to wake Aragorn from his sleep as he began thrashing around, fighting something in his dreams.
Wiping a hand across his eyes, Aragorn glanced around with relief at finding himself back home. "I must have fallen asleep," Aragorn answered. "I did not find myself on the beach this time, but rather in a frenzied mass of people. It seemed that they were demons from another world, trying to claim my soul."
Arwen frowned. "Is Lauren in danger?" She took a seat next to him and reached over to hold his hand.
"If she is in that place, I would imagine she is," Aragorn said worriedly, clasping her hand in response.
Legolas and Gimli had been watching this conversation in confusion. "Who is Lauren?" Legolas asked.
" Aye, and how could you possibly tell she's in danger?" Gimli added, looking back and forth between them.
Aragorn and Arwen exchanged a glance that spoke volumes. Arwen encouraged Aragorn to tell them, and Aragorn gave his consent without ever saying a word.
Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Aragorn began to tell Legolas and Gimli what he had been experiencing the past three nights.
Legolas and Gimli listened to his tale in silence and Aragorn watched their reactions. Gimli's expression darkened and he was frowning by the time Aragorn had finished. Legolas, on the other hand, seemed quite intrigued by the story. Aragorn kept the tale brief, wanting to get back to Lauren in case she needed help, but knowing he needed to inform his closest friends what was happening.
"I don't like this," Gimli said. "How do you know she is what she says? She could be a witch, trying to ensnare you."
"A witch?" Aragorn was extremely amused at the thought of Lauren being a witch. She didn't exactly seem to be the type.
Legolas was just as amused, though for a different reason. "Gimli, do you remember that you once accused the Lady Galadriel of being a witch? You changed your mind quite quickly after meeting her. You could just as easily be wrong in this case."
"She does not mean me any harm," Aragorn said. "I have yet to convince her that I am real, so how could she have ill intentions toward what she still thinks is a figment of her imagination?"
"Oh… but she could be lying, laddie," Gimli said seriously. "What if she is trying to seem harmless while she plots your downfall?"
Aragorn shook his head. "I do not feel that is the case."
"You are already under her spell," Gimli countered. "These dreams are affecting you. I watched you today, and you were unable to concentrate on anything. If you had not had loyal advisors with you, you would have ended up signing a treaty with an enemy that could destroy your kingdom."
"I did not have a meeting with any enemies today, Master Dwarf. I was only dealing with minor details of the realm. I will admit my concentration was not what it could have been, but that is only because I am weary. My kingdom is in no danger from my lapse."
"Today, maybe," Gimli pressed. "But why are you so tired? Because you do not get enough rest at night. How long can this continue before you can't see to your kingdom?"
Arwen glanced worriedly at Aragorn. She was not worried that Lauren was a witch, but she was becoming concerned about the effect this contact was having on Aragorn. He was unable to get enough rest at night, and she knew he could not go without rest for long. "He does have a point, my love," she spoke softly. "I could prepare one of Ada's teas to help you rest. You need a dreamless sleep for at least one night so that you can regain your strength."
"I do not need any of Ada's teas," Aragorn protested. "I am well enough. But if it becomes necessary, I will turn over the affairs of the kingdom to Faramir for a day and make a tea myself that will prompt several hours of dreamless sleep. Tonight, however, I need to make contact with Lauren. She may be in danger. I cannot simply leave her there to face whatever nightmares may exist in her mind. This discussion would be better spent trying to help me find a way to convince her that I am real or a way to rescue her from those demons."
"I still do not think you should go back there. It is too dangerous." Gimli would not be swayed from his opinion.
"He has to go back," Legolas spoke up. "You underestimate the abilities of the peredhel line, Gimli. You seem to forget that Arwen is of both Lord Elrond's blood and the Lady Galadriel's. Her gifts of foresight are significant, as are Aragorn's. I do not find it difficult to believe that Aragorn can communicate with a blood relation, even over the many years that separate them."
"So why is he only now showing this skill?" Gimli asked skeptically. "And why is this the only family member he has seen in this way?"
"She is injured, possibly dying," Legolas pointed out. "Her mind is trapped in a world of dreams, and sought some form of comfort. Aragorn responded to her pain."
Gimli just stared at him, and Aragorn spoke up. "I am not leaving her there alone, Gimli. She is my granddaughter and she needs my help. I feel that our meeting in this world was not by chance, but rather part of Ilúvatar's design. I do not know how this will end, but I must go back." Gimli knew by the tone of Aragorn's voice that the matter was settled. It made no difference what Gimli thought, Aragorn intended to go back.
"Can you bring someone along to this dream world?" he asked instead. If Aragorn were going to face this witch, he wanted someone else along to watch his back.
Aragorn frowned. "I do not know. This is new to me. I have been able to summon things like a blanket or a bowl of soup, but that is entirely different than summoning a living being. If I did that, would I simply be summoning the image, or the actual person?"
"It would be worth trying," Legolas pointed out. "If you need help in this dream, try summoning myself and Gimli. I believe you would have more of a chance of actually contacting a sleeping elf, as elves can often control their dreams, and if called, may find their way to you."
"And if you were able to do that, you may have a better chance of convincing Lauren you actually exist." Arwen pointed out.
Aragorn thought about it for a moment. "I will attempt it, but I do not think that would fully convince Lauren. She would simply think that the elf was also created by her imagination. She is nearly impossible to budge once she has made up her mind. I may not have known her for long, but her stubbornness became apparent very quickly." He shook his head in annoyance. "This is taking too long. Anything could have happened to her by now. I need to get back to sleep." He paused for a moment, thinking that he had never thought of sleep as a way to help anyone before.
Arwen nodded. "Very well, we will retire to our chambers early tonight. I will keep watch and be prepared to wake you if you seem to be in distress."
Aragorn wanted to protest that if he were in distress, Lauren would likely be in more trouble, and he would have to stay there to help her. But one look at Arwen's face convinced him otherwise. She was worried about this, and her solution was the only one she would allow. Aragorn nodded in acquiescence. He looked over at Legolas and Gimli. "If you want me to attempt to summon the both of you, you should try going to sleep as well. We will all have to make an early night of it."
Legolas nodded, an expectant expression on his face. He was eagerly hoping this would work. Gimli, on the other hand, had a scowl on his face. It was clear that he did not like any of this.
They all retired to their rooms, and Aragorn lay down on the bed with Arwen sitting down beside him. Aragorn was exhausted enough that he fell asleep almost the moment his head touched the pillow.
Aragorn drew his sword and spun around as he awoke in the dream world. He looked around in confusion as the chaos he was expecting did not materialize around him. Straightening up, he slowly returned Andúril to its sheath as he found himself in a peaceful meadow. There was a wooded area off to his right. The trees there had fresh green leaves, and the air was heavy with the scent of fresh flowers and new growth. Wherever he was now, it was a calm spring day, and there was no trace of the nightmare realm he had anticipated. Looking around, he was surprised to see Lauren coming toward him out of the trees on horseback. She seemed perfectly fine. When she saw him, she directed her horse toward him. As she reached him, she dismounted and bowed her head, dropping into a somewhat awkward curtsey.
"Welcome back, your highness." Her voice was soft and rather unsure.
"Your highness?" Aragorn asked with a hint of a grin on his lips. "So you decided to believe me after all?"
She kept her gaze down as she answered. "Yes, I do. Please forgive me for doubting you."
Aragorn looked down at her. "Lauren, please look at me." She slowly raised her head and met his eyes. "You do not have to do this. I want you to treat me no differently than you did yesterday."
"Yesterday, I thought of you as an imaginary friend. Today, I know you are a king. I don't know how to act around you. I've never met royalty before." Lauren waved her hand and her face showed a trace of exasperation.
Aragorn fought a smile at her words and gestured for her to rise. She did so slowly, coming to stand before him with an uncertain expression on her face. "Lauren, I am your relation, not your king. I do not expect you to bow before me. I truly only want to be your friend. Please treat me as you would treat any of your other friends."
A mischievous look flitted through her eyes as she looked at him. "I don't think you really want me to treat you like I treat my other friends. I have a feeling that you wouldn't appreciate it."
Aragorn frowned slightly at that. "I will take your word on that. But I must ask that you treat me no differently than you have been."
She nodded then. "Other than the part where I didn't believe you were real, you mean?" That mischievous glint in her eyes was back as strong as it had ever been, and Aragorn knew that she was already past any discomfort in his presence.
"Yes, other than that," Aragorn said. "May I ask what prompted you to change your mind?"
"Several things," she said. "Do you mind if I hold off on the explanation for the moment?"
Aragorn shrugged. She had apparently taken him at his word to treat him exactly as she had been; doing everything in her power to frustrate him. It was clear that she didn’t want to talk about that topic right now, so he would ask something else. He had several questions in his mind to choose from. "It appears that you have determined how to alter your surroundings. Have you been anywhere else today?" He was trying to get her to explain the horrible scene he had witnessed earlier. If she had been hurt or tortured by her nightmares, he hoped she trusted him enough to tell him about it.
"A few places," she said evasively.
Aragorn frowned as she refused to say anything else. "You seem remarkably reticent today."
"Sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I don't mean to sound so mysterious, but there's something we need to discuss first."
"What is it?" Aragorn asked compassionately, thinking it must be about what he had seen earlier.
She ignored his question and gestured toward her horse. "Would you care to go for a horseback ride?"
Aragorn suppressed a sigh. It seemed nearly impossible to get an answer out of her today. "I would enjoy that," he said. Lauren seemed to have something specific in mind, so he would simply have to let her do things in her own way. He turned his attention to the horse standing quietly at her side. The horse was a tall, light brown mare. Reaching out, he gently stroked the mare's neck. She nickered softly and turned her head so he could rub between her ears. "She's lovely," Aragorn commented. "Where did you find her?"
Lauren reached up and stroked the horse's neck as she answered. "This is Sahara. She belonged to my grandparents when I was younger. Even though we moved around a lot, we would always visit my grandparents in the summer. I would spend a lot of time roaming the woods around their farm with Sahara. She wasn't a young horse then, and they sold her many years ago. I doubt she's still alive, but I have very fond memories of our time together, and decided to renew our acquaintance."
"Do you have a horse for me?" Aragorn asked.
"I'm sure you have a favorite horse," Lauren answered. "Just think it and it will appear. It seems that this world is created entirely by our minds. When I first arrived here, I needed a safe, quiet, peaceful refuge. I've always loved the beach, so that's where I found myself. When I got bored with playing in the water by myself, I discovered that I could completely change my surroundings. So just think of your horse and see what happens."
Aragorn went along with her and decided to see if he could conjure a living being. He pictured Roheryn, and within moments, his horse was standing in front of him. Aragorn held out his hand and Roheryn lowered his head to nuzzle the outstretched hand.
Lauren looked at the horse admiringly. "He's beautiful. What's his name?"
"Roheryn," Aragorn said. "He was a gift from Arwen years ago. Shall we go?"
Lauren put her foot in the stirrup and swung up into the saddle. "Aren't you going to put a saddle on him?"
"Roheryn is an elven horse," Aragorn explained. "While he will allow a saddle, we both prefer not to use one." Aragorn easily mounted Roheryn and turned to look at Lauren. "This is your territory. Would you care to lead the way?"
She nodded and turned Sahara back toward the trees. Aragorn nudged Roheryn, who moved up to keep pace with the other horse. "What is it that you wish to discuss?" Aragorn asked, unable to contain himself any longer.
She sighed. "Now that I know you're real, things are much more complicated."
"How so?" Aragorn asked. He could not help but think about Gimli's words of caution. He knew that Lauren was who she claimed to be, but what if another was trying to use her against him? What if she was being asked to do something to him? If he were truly imaginary, she may not have much trouble doing it, but if he were real, she would be having second thoughts. He needed to get her to tell him what was bothering her. It could very well end up affecting him.
"The topic of time travel has been a popular one in our world for many years," Lauren started slowly. She shifted into what she thought of as her 'scholar' mode. "While there is no proof that time travel is actually possible, there is really no definitive proof that it is impossible either. Since the writers of my time love asking 'what if' questions, there are a large number of stories that suggest possible outcomes of traveling to or even simply coming into contact with the past."
Aragorn nodded, not sure what she was attempting to say, but knowing that she felt it was important. He let her continue at her own pace, trying to determine if there was anything hidden beneath her words.
"Most of those are cautionary tales," she went on. "If someone from the future changes the past in any way, they could completely screw up their present!" Her voice rose slightly as she tried to make her point.
"You are afraid our contact will somehow alter your time?"
She nodded. "The theory can be summed up by what is called 'The Grandfather Paradox', appropriately enough. If someone were to travel back in time and kill their grandfather, then their father would never be born, and neither would they. But then, if they had never existed, they couldn't have killed their grandfather in the first place. That paradox could destroy the very fabric of time! Do you see how that could be a problem?" She tilted her head to the side and looked at Aragorn as she said the last in a rather sarcastic tone of voice.
Aragorn stared at her in confusion. Maybe Gimli had been right to warn him against this. "Do you have plans to kill me?"
"What?" she asked, momentarily thrown off balance. "Of course not. That was just an example. But I'm afraid that by talking to you, giving you an idea about what the future is like, I could end up changing my time in unimaginable ways. My world is far from perfect, but I can't take the risk of changing anything." She took a deep breath and briefly lowered her head before raising it again and staring into his eyes. "As much as I like having you here, I think it would be better if you left and didn't return."
Aragorn stared into her eyes for a long moment, trying to read her true thoughts and motives. There was fear in her eyes, but was it for the reasons she had stated? If she had been told to do something to hurt him in this realm, she might try to convince him to leave in order to save him. But if he were to do that, what would happen to her? "I have no control over that," he told her truthfully, watching carefully to gauge her reaction. "Whenever I sleep, I find myself here. I would make the same choice if it were in my hands, but it is not my doing that brings me here."
Her face fell and she took a deep breath. "Well, I suppose we can just be careful what we talk about, but I fear I've already said too much. What if I've already altered things so much that I don't exist any more, but because I wasn't actually in the real world, I don't know it? I could be trapped here forever!"
Shaking his head in confusion, Aragorn had to rethink things. From her comments, it appeared that she truly was only concerned about changing the future. "If you had ceased to exist, I doubt you would still remain here." Aragorn pointed out. "I do not see how anything you could possibly tell me will alter your future. There are too many years that separate us."
Her brow wrinkled as she thought the matter through. "OK. You may have a point. If you truly lived twenty thousand years ago, I may not be able to affect things too badly. First off, I don't know a thing about your time and your world, so I can't tell you to make a certain choice differently and change things from that point on. Second, if I show you technological things, you won't have the infrastructure in place to try to re-create any of them, like the radio. A radio wouldn't work without the studio, the transmitting tower, et cetera. And we could just make the best of things since you're apparently stuck here just like I am." She looked back into his eyes. "I need you to promise me that whatever we say and whatever I may show you, you will not make any decisions based on our contact. I need you to live your life and make your decisions exactly as if we had never met. I can't take the chance that our contact will contaminate the timeline. And I'll just have to trust that you are a man of your word and hope that there are no repercussions to our contact."
"I vow that I will live my life and make my decisions as I normally would," Aragorn said. "I am only able to be here because of my foresight, which is a gift from Ilúvatar. I would not wish to displease Him and try to change what He has planned. Whatever you say to me or choose to show me will not affect my decisions."
Lauren nodded solemnly. It was not the best solution, but it was a reasonable compromise, and would hopefully keep things from changing. She knew somehow that Aragorn would do everything in his power to keep any vow he made. She had felt from the moment they met that he was trustworthy. For whatever reason, she trusted this man with her life, and even her world.
"So your fears about changing your time are the reasons you refused to tell me about your day?" Aragorn asked suspiciously. She still had not explained his nightmare.
"Pretty much," she said easily. "I was amusing myself with modern day amusements, and didn't think I should tell you about them. But as long as I have your promise that you will not try to re-create anything I show you, I think we'll be fine. And besides, all the stories about time travel are just that, stories. No one really knows for sure if anything at all will happen."
"May I ask then what you did to amuse yourself today?" Aragorn asked. He was not going to give up on this until he had an answer.
"Besides getting myself rather beat up?" Lauren asked wryly.
"What do you mean?" Aragorn asked quickly. "Did someone hurt you?"
She shook her head quickly. "No, nothing like that. Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. It was all my fault, but at least I found out that injuries and bruises fade very quickly here." Seeing the dark look on Aragorn's face, she hastened to reply. "As much as I love swimming, there are several water sports I have never tried. I thought it would be worth trying it out. There's a sport called surfing in which a person has a long smooth board that they will paddle out into the waves and try to ride back to shore, while standing up. I tried it a few times, but had no clue what I was doing. After the board hit me in the head and I went under the waves, I decided to try something else. I have no idea if I can die in this world, but I have no desire to find out what drowning feels like." She reached up and rubbed the back of her head. "I had a pretty nasty bump for a few minutes there. But after I gave up on surfing, I decided to try roller-blading. That sport has people putting on special boots that have a row of small wheels on the bottom. They can then glide along much faster than a person could walk. Unfortunately, I don't seem to be too skilled with that sport either. I hit the ground so many times I lost count. It was awhile before I felt comfortable sitting down again. You've pointed out how stubborn I can be, so I kept at it for a couple of hours before deciding that I don’t have the balance needed for either that or surfing."
She noticed that Aragorn was looking very confused at her description of the sports. "Wait a moment. I may be able to help you envision this." She pulled lightly back on the reins, stopping Sahara on the path. Aragorn stopped Roheryn beside her and looked at her in confusion. She pointed out toward the woods in front of them. "Just watch the trees." As she concentrated, the trees melted away to become the beach again.
Aragorn stared in shock at the scene. This was not the same deserted beach he had shared with Lauren. This beach was covered with people lying on towels, wearing very little, as Lauren had been when they first met. It seemed she had been telling the truth when she said that there was nothing unusual about her attire. There were children playing in the surf and as Aragorn followed Lauren's pointed finger, he saw several young people standing on boards as she had described, riding the waves. That did look rather difficult, actually. Lauren then pointed over to a section of the beach he had not seen at first. A railing had separated the sand from this other section. The separate section had a smooth surface, as if made of a smooth stone, or some other similar material. On that surface, he could see another group of people gliding and doing stunts that he would not have believed possible. He assumed they were doing what she had called 'roller-blading'. "Is this what your world looks like?" he asked hoarsely. He would not have imagined seeing so many people in one place for no more than recreation.
"Some places look like this, yes," she answered. "The beach that you found me on is an idealized version of the world. Few places are actually that pristine and unspoiled. Our world is a very crowded one, and most of the beautiful beaches look more like this, crawling with all the different shapes and sizes of humanity." She waved her hand and the scene disappeared, to be replaced by the woods once more.
Aragorn stared at her, wondering just how much the world had changed since his time. "And you have been nowhere else today?"
"Well, after the failed attempts at surfing and skating, I decided to go dancing. There were bound to be people at a club to keep me company. It was at that point that I found I could imagine actual people. That was also when I started to believe that you were real."
"Why is that?" Aragorn asked.
"Because, though there were a lot of people there, I couldn't hold an intelligent conversation with any of them. They didn't have minds of their own. Oh, I could talk to them, and they would answer me, but they didn't say anything that I didn't expect them to say. They were made up in my mind, so they couldn't react any differently than I might have come to expect." She gave him a wry grin. "You, on the other hand; I never know what you're going to say or do. And since you obviously have an intelligence of your own, you must be real."
Aragorn couldn't fault her reasoning, but he wanted to clear up a suspicion that was forming in his mind. "What was this 'club' like?"
She shrugged. "You would have hated it. It's like most dance clubs. They have music playing at top volume, lights flashing to add energy to the dance floor, and lots of people crowded on the floor."
Aragorn stared at her in amazement. When he had thought she was in danger, she had simply gone dancing? All his worry was for nothing?
"What's wrong?" Lauren asked tentatively. She couldn't quite decipher the look on his face.
"That nightmare was something that you do for fun?" Aragorn asked, his voice rising.
"So you were there," Lauren said. "I thought I saw you for a moment, but then the people moved in between us, and when they moved again, you were gone. I decided at that point that I should probably go horseback riding rather than stay at the club. I didn't want you to show up and be faced with that scene. I'm so sorry. It was never my intention to subject you to the chaos of a club like that; not after your reaction to the radio."
Aragorn rubbed his forehead with his hand. "I thought you were in danger. I came back here expecting to have to free you from your nightmares."
"I did say that I was sorry," she said softly. "And it's not like I was trying to do that to you."
"I do not see how anyone could think of that place as anything other than horrible. All of that time I spent worrying about you and thinking you had been tortured by demonic beings, and you were having fun."
She rolled her eyes. "How many times do you want me to apologize?" She looked warily at him. "You might want to think about calming down a little. I can almost see your blood pressure rising."
All of a sudden, Aragorn and Roheryn disappeared. Lauren looked quickly around. They were nowhere to be seen. "Where did you go? Was it something I said?"
Throughout the next day, Aragorn was having trouble staying awake. Legolas and Gimli were visiting, and he felt he had not been able to enjoy their presence as much as usual due to his fatigue. The three of them and Arwen were relaxing in one of the parlors in front of a roaring fire when Aragorn felt his eyes sliding closed once more. He found himself unable to fight it and let his head fall back on the cushion.
When he opened his eyes, he found himself in the midst of what must surely be a nightmare. A thundering roar filled his ears and he felt as if he would be deafened if he remained there long. There was a strange flashing light that lit up his surroundings in pulses that seemed to match the pounding drums that surrounded him. In those brief moments of glaring light, he could see a solid wall of people around him, pressing in on every side, gyrating wildly. He was sure he was about to be killed, and began struggling, trying to find a way out through the crowd.
"Aragorn?" A hand touched his shoulder, and he abruptly opened his eyes to find his wife and friends staring at him in concern. "What happened?" Arwen asked. She had moved to wake Aragorn from his sleep as he began thrashing around, fighting something in his dreams.
Wiping a hand across his eyes, Aragorn glanced around with relief at finding himself back home. "I must have fallen asleep," Aragorn answered. "I did not find myself on the beach this time, but rather in a frenzied mass of people. It seemed that they were demons from another world, trying to claim my soul."
Arwen frowned. "Is Lauren in danger?" She took a seat next to him and reached over to hold his hand.
"If she is in that place, I would imagine she is," Aragorn said worriedly, clasping her hand in response.
Legolas and Gimli had been watching this conversation in confusion. "Who is Lauren?" Legolas asked.
" Aye, and how could you possibly tell she's in danger?" Gimli added, looking back and forth between them.
Aragorn and Arwen exchanged a glance that spoke volumes. Arwen encouraged Aragorn to tell them, and Aragorn gave his consent without ever saying a word.
Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, Aragorn began to tell Legolas and Gimli what he had been experiencing the past three nights.
Legolas and Gimli listened to his tale in silence and Aragorn watched their reactions. Gimli's expression darkened and he was frowning by the time Aragorn had finished. Legolas, on the other hand, seemed quite intrigued by the story. Aragorn kept the tale brief, wanting to get back to Lauren in case she needed help, but knowing he needed to inform his closest friends what was happening.
"I don't like this," Gimli said. "How do you know she is what she says? She could be a witch, trying to ensnare you."
"A witch?" Aragorn was extremely amused at the thought of Lauren being a witch. She didn't exactly seem to be the type.
Legolas was just as amused, though for a different reason. "Gimli, do you remember that you once accused the Lady Galadriel of being a witch? You changed your mind quite quickly after meeting her. You could just as easily be wrong in this case."
"She does not mean me any harm," Aragorn said. "I have yet to convince her that I am real, so how could she have ill intentions toward what she still thinks is a figment of her imagination?"
"Oh… but she could be lying, laddie," Gimli said seriously. "What if she is trying to seem harmless while she plots your downfall?"
Aragorn shook his head. "I do not feel that is the case."
"You are already under her spell," Gimli countered. "These dreams are affecting you. I watched you today, and you were unable to concentrate on anything. If you had not had loyal advisors with you, you would have ended up signing a treaty with an enemy that could destroy your kingdom."
"I did not have a meeting with any enemies today, Master Dwarf. I was only dealing with minor details of the realm. I will admit my concentration was not what it could have been, but that is only because I am weary. My kingdom is in no danger from my lapse."
"Today, maybe," Gimli pressed. "But why are you so tired? Because you do not get enough rest at night. How long can this continue before you can't see to your kingdom?"
Arwen glanced worriedly at Aragorn. She was not worried that Lauren was a witch, but she was becoming concerned about the effect this contact was having on Aragorn. He was unable to get enough rest at night, and she knew he could not go without rest for long. "He does have a point, my love," she spoke softly. "I could prepare one of Ada's teas to help you rest. You need a dreamless sleep for at least one night so that you can regain your strength."
"I do not need any of Ada's teas," Aragorn protested. "I am well enough. But if it becomes necessary, I will turn over the affairs of the kingdom to Faramir for a day and make a tea myself that will prompt several hours of dreamless sleep. Tonight, however, I need to make contact with Lauren. She may be in danger. I cannot simply leave her there to face whatever nightmares may exist in her mind. This discussion would be better spent trying to help me find a way to convince her that I am real or a way to rescue her from those demons."
"I still do not think you should go back there. It is too dangerous." Gimli would not be swayed from his opinion.
"He has to go back," Legolas spoke up. "You underestimate the abilities of the peredhel line, Gimli. You seem to forget that Arwen is of both Lord Elrond's blood and the Lady Galadriel's. Her gifts of foresight are significant, as are Aragorn's. I do not find it difficult to believe that Aragorn can communicate with a blood relation, even over the many years that separate them."
"So why is he only now showing this skill?" Gimli asked skeptically. "And why is this the only family member he has seen in this way?"
"She is injured, possibly dying," Legolas pointed out. "Her mind is trapped in a world of dreams, and sought some form of comfort. Aragorn responded to her pain."
Gimli just stared at him, and Aragorn spoke up. "I am not leaving her there alone, Gimli. She is my granddaughter and she needs my help. I feel that our meeting in this world was not by chance, but rather part of Ilúvatar's design. I do not know how this will end, but I must go back." Gimli knew by the tone of Aragorn's voice that the matter was settled. It made no difference what Gimli thought, Aragorn intended to go back.
"Can you bring someone along to this dream world?" he asked instead. If Aragorn were going to face this witch, he wanted someone else along to watch his back.
Aragorn frowned. "I do not know. This is new to me. I have been able to summon things like a blanket or a bowl of soup, but that is entirely different than summoning a living being. If I did that, would I simply be summoning the image, or the actual person?"
"It would be worth trying," Legolas pointed out. "If you need help in this dream, try summoning myself and Gimli. I believe you would have more of a chance of actually contacting a sleeping elf, as elves can often control their dreams, and if called, may find their way to you."
"And if you were able to do that, you may have a better chance of convincing Lauren you actually exist." Arwen pointed out.
Aragorn thought about it for a moment. "I will attempt it, but I do not think that would fully convince Lauren. She would simply think that the elf was also created by her imagination. She is nearly impossible to budge once she has made up her mind. I may not have known her for long, but her stubbornness became apparent very quickly." He shook his head in annoyance. "This is taking too long. Anything could have happened to her by now. I need to get back to sleep." He paused for a moment, thinking that he had never thought of sleep as a way to help anyone before.
Arwen nodded. "Very well, we will retire to our chambers early tonight. I will keep watch and be prepared to wake you if you seem to be in distress."
Aragorn wanted to protest that if he were in distress, Lauren would likely be in more trouble, and he would have to stay there to help her. But one look at Arwen's face convinced him otherwise. She was worried about this, and her solution was the only one she would allow. Aragorn nodded in acquiescence. He looked over at Legolas and Gimli. "If you want me to attempt to summon the both of you, you should try going to sleep as well. We will all have to make an early night of it."
Legolas nodded, an expectant expression on his face. He was eagerly hoping this would work. Gimli, on the other hand, had a scowl on his face. It was clear that he did not like any of this.
They all retired to their rooms, and Aragorn lay down on the bed with Arwen sitting down beside him. Aragorn was exhausted enough that he fell asleep almost the moment his head touched the pillow.
Aragorn drew his sword and spun around as he awoke in the dream world. He looked around in confusion as the chaos he was expecting did not materialize around him. Straightening up, he slowly returned Andúril to its sheath as he found himself in a peaceful meadow. There was a wooded area off to his right. The trees there had fresh green leaves, and the air was heavy with the scent of fresh flowers and new growth. Wherever he was now, it was a calm spring day, and there was no trace of the nightmare realm he had anticipated. Looking around, he was surprised to see Lauren coming toward him out of the trees on horseback. She seemed perfectly fine. When she saw him, she directed her horse toward him. As she reached him, she dismounted and bowed her head, dropping into a somewhat awkward curtsey.
"Welcome back, your highness." Her voice was soft and rather unsure.
"Your highness?" Aragorn asked with a hint of a grin on his lips. "So you decided to believe me after all?"
She kept her gaze down as she answered. "Yes, I do. Please forgive me for doubting you."
Aragorn looked down at her. "Lauren, please look at me." She slowly raised her head and met his eyes. "You do not have to do this. I want you to treat me no differently than you did yesterday."
"Yesterday, I thought of you as an imaginary friend. Today, I know you are a king. I don't know how to act around you. I've never met royalty before." Lauren waved her hand and her face showed a trace of exasperation.
Aragorn fought a smile at her words and gestured for her to rise. She did so slowly, coming to stand before him with an uncertain expression on her face. "Lauren, I am your relation, not your king. I do not expect you to bow before me. I truly only want to be your friend. Please treat me as you would treat any of your other friends."
A mischievous look flitted through her eyes as she looked at him. "I don't think you really want me to treat you like I treat my other friends. I have a feeling that you wouldn't appreciate it."
Aragorn frowned slightly at that. "I will take your word on that. But I must ask that you treat me no differently than you have been."
She nodded then. "Other than the part where I didn't believe you were real, you mean?" That mischievous glint in her eyes was back as strong as it had ever been, and Aragorn knew that she was already past any discomfort in his presence.
"Yes, other than that," Aragorn said. "May I ask what prompted you to change your mind?"
"Several things," she said. "Do you mind if I hold off on the explanation for the moment?"
Aragorn shrugged. She had apparently taken him at his word to treat him exactly as she had been; doing everything in her power to frustrate him. It was clear that she didn’t want to talk about that topic right now, so he would ask something else. He had several questions in his mind to choose from. "It appears that you have determined how to alter your surroundings. Have you been anywhere else today?" He was trying to get her to explain the horrible scene he had witnessed earlier. If she had been hurt or tortured by her nightmares, he hoped she trusted him enough to tell him about it.
"A few places," she said evasively.
Aragorn frowned as she refused to say anything else. "You seem remarkably reticent today."
"Sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I don't mean to sound so mysterious, but there's something we need to discuss first."
"What is it?" Aragorn asked compassionately, thinking it must be about what he had seen earlier.
She ignored his question and gestured toward her horse. "Would you care to go for a horseback ride?"
Aragorn suppressed a sigh. It seemed nearly impossible to get an answer out of her today. "I would enjoy that," he said. Lauren seemed to have something specific in mind, so he would simply have to let her do things in her own way. He turned his attention to the horse standing quietly at her side. The horse was a tall, light brown mare. Reaching out, he gently stroked the mare's neck. She nickered softly and turned her head so he could rub between her ears. "She's lovely," Aragorn commented. "Where did you find her?"
Lauren reached up and stroked the horse's neck as she answered. "This is Sahara. She belonged to my grandparents when I was younger. Even though we moved around a lot, we would always visit my grandparents in the summer. I would spend a lot of time roaming the woods around their farm with Sahara. She wasn't a young horse then, and they sold her many years ago. I doubt she's still alive, but I have very fond memories of our time together, and decided to renew our acquaintance."
"Do you have a horse for me?" Aragorn asked.
"I'm sure you have a favorite horse," Lauren answered. "Just think it and it will appear. It seems that this world is created entirely by our minds. When I first arrived here, I needed a safe, quiet, peaceful refuge. I've always loved the beach, so that's where I found myself. When I got bored with playing in the water by myself, I discovered that I could completely change my surroundings. So just think of your horse and see what happens."
Aragorn went along with her and decided to see if he could conjure a living being. He pictured Roheryn, and within moments, his horse was standing in front of him. Aragorn held out his hand and Roheryn lowered his head to nuzzle the outstretched hand.
Lauren looked at the horse admiringly. "He's beautiful. What's his name?"
"Roheryn," Aragorn said. "He was a gift from Arwen years ago. Shall we go?"
Lauren put her foot in the stirrup and swung up into the saddle. "Aren't you going to put a saddle on him?"
"Roheryn is an elven horse," Aragorn explained. "While he will allow a saddle, we both prefer not to use one." Aragorn easily mounted Roheryn and turned to look at Lauren. "This is your territory. Would you care to lead the way?"
She nodded and turned Sahara back toward the trees. Aragorn nudged Roheryn, who moved up to keep pace with the other horse. "What is it that you wish to discuss?" Aragorn asked, unable to contain himself any longer.
She sighed. "Now that I know you're real, things are much more complicated."
"How so?" Aragorn asked. He could not help but think about Gimli's words of caution. He knew that Lauren was who she claimed to be, but what if another was trying to use her against him? What if she was being asked to do something to him? If he were truly imaginary, she may not have much trouble doing it, but if he were real, she would be having second thoughts. He needed to get her to tell him what was bothering her. It could very well end up affecting him.
"The topic of time travel has been a popular one in our world for many years," Lauren started slowly. She shifted into what she thought of as her 'scholar' mode. "While there is no proof that time travel is actually possible, there is really no definitive proof that it is impossible either. Since the writers of my time love asking 'what if' questions, there are a large number of stories that suggest possible outcomes of traveling to or even simply coming into contact with the past."
Aragorn nodded, not sure what she was attempting to say, but knowing that she felt it was important. He let her continue at her own pace, trying to determine if there was anything hidden beneath her words.
"Most of those are cautionary tales," she went on. "If someone from the future changes the past in any way, they could completely screw up their present!" Her voice rose slightly as she tried to make her point.
"You are afraid our contact will somehow alter your time?"
She nodded. "The theory can be summed up by what is called 'The Grandfather Paradox', appropriately enough. If someone were to travel back in time and kill their grandfather, then their father would never be born, and neither would they. But then, if they had never existed, they couldn't have killed their grandfather in the first place. That paradox could destroy the very fabric of time! Do you see how that could be a problem?" She tilted her head to the side and looked at Aragorn as she said the last in a rather sarcastic tone of voice.
Aragorn stared at her in confusion. Maybe Gimli had been right to warn him against this. "Do you have plans to kill me?"
"What?" she asked, momentarily thrown off balance. "Of course not. That was just an example. But I'm afraid that by talking to you, giving you an idea about what the future is like, I could end up changing my time in unimaginable ways. My world is far from perfect, but I can't take the risk of changing anything." She took a deep breath and briefly lowered her head before raising it again and staring into his eyes. "As much as I like having you here, I think it would be better if you left and didn't return."
Aragorn stared into her eyes for a long moment, trying to read her true thoughts and motives. There was fear in her eyes, but was it for the reasons she had stated? If she had been told to do something to hurt him in this realm, she might try to convince him to leave in order to save him. But if he were to do that, what would happen to her? "I have no control over that," he told her truthfully, watching carefully to gauge her reaction. "Whenever I sleep, I find myself here. I would make the same choice if it were in my hands, but it is not my doing that brings me here."
Her face fell and she took a deep breath. "Well, I suppose we can just be careful what we talk about, but I fear I've already said too much. What if I've already altered things so much that I don't exist any more, but because I wasn't actually in the real world, I don't know it? I could be trapped here forever!"
Shaking his head in confusion, Aragorn had to rethink things. From her comments, it appeared that she truly was only concerned about changing the future. "If you had ceased to exist, I doubt you would still remain here." Aragorn pointed out. "I do not see how anything you could possibly tell me will alter your future. There are too many years that separate us."
Her brow wrinkled as she thought the matter through. "OK. You may have a point. If you truly lived twenty thousand years ago, I may not be able to affect things too badly. First off, I don't know a thing about your time and your world, so I can't tell you to make a certain choice differently and change things from that point on. Second, if I show you technological things, you won't have the infrastructure in place to try to re-create any of them, like the radio. A radio wouldn't work without the studio, the transmitting tower, et cetera. And we could just make the best of things since you're apparently stuck here just like I am." She looked back into his eyes. "I need you to promise me that whatever we say and whatever I may show you, you will not make any decisions based on our contact. I need you to live your life and make your decisions exactly as if we had never met. I can't take the chance that our contact will contaminate the timeline. And I'll just have to trust that you are a man of your word and hope that there are no repercussions to our contact."
"I vow that I will live my life and make my decisions as I normally would," Aragorn said. "I am only able to be here because of my foresight, which is a gift from Ilúvatar. I would not wish to displease Him and try to change what He has planned. Whatever you say to me or choose to show me will not affect my decisions."
Lauren nodded solemnly. It was not the best solution, but it was a reasonable compromise, and would hopefully keep things from changing. She knew somehow that Aragorn would do everything in his power to keep any vow he made. She had felt from the moment they met that he was trustworthy. For whatever reason, she trusted this man with her life, and even her world.
"So your fears about changing your time are the reasons you refused to tell me about your day?" Aragorn asked suspiciously. She still had not explained his nightmare.
"Pretty much," she said easily. "I was amusing myself with modern day amusements, and didn't think I should tell you about them. But as long as I have your promise that you will not try to re-create anything I show you, I think we'll be fine. And besides, all the stories about time travel are just that, stories. No one really knows for sure if anything at all will happen."
"May I ask then what you did to amuse yourself today?" Aragorn asked. He was not going to give up on this until he had an answer.
"Besides getting myself rather beat up?" Lauren asked wryly.
"What do you mean?" Aragorn asked quickly. "Did someone hurt you?"
She shook her head quickly. "No, nothing like that. Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. It was all my fault, but at least I found out that injuries and bruises fade very quickly here." Seeing the dark look on Aragorn's face, she hastened to reply. "As much as I love swimming, there are several water sports I have never tried. I thought it would be worth trying it out. There's a sport called surfing in which a person has a long smooth board that they will paddle out into the waves and try to ride back to shore, while standing up. I tried it a few times, but had no clue what I was doing. After the board hit me in the head and I went under the waves, I decided to try something else. I have no idea if I can die in this world, but I have no desire to find out what drowning feels like." She reached up and rubbed the back of her head. "I had a pretty nasty bump for a few minutes there. But after I gave up on surfing, I decided to try roller-blading. That sport has people putting on special boots that have a row of small wheels on the bottom. They can then glide along much faster than a person could walk. Unfortunately, I don't seem to be too skilled with that sport either. I hit the ground so many times I lost count. It was awhile before I felt comfortable sitting down again. You've pointed out how stubborn I can be, so I kept at it for a couple of hours before deciding that I don’t have the balance needed for either that or surfing."
She noticed that Aragorn was looking very confused at her description of the sports. "Wait a moment. I may be able to help you envision this." She pulled lightly back on the reins, stopping Sahara on the path. Aragorn stopped Roheryn beside her and looked at her in confusion. She pointed out toward the woods in front of them. "Just watch the trees." As she concentrated, the trees melted away to become the beach again.
Aragorn stared in shock at the scene. This was not the same deserted beach he had shared with Lauren. This beach was covered with people lying on towels, wearing very little, as Lauren had been when they first met. It seemed she had been telling the truth when she said that there was nothing unusual about her attire. There were children playing in the surf and as Aragorn followed Lauren's pointed finger, he saw several young people standing on boards as she had described, riding the waves. That did look rather difficult, actually. Lauren then pointed over to a section of the beach he had not seen at first. A railing had separated the sand from this other section. The separate section had a smooth surface, as if made of a smooth stone, or some other similar material. On that surface, he could see another group of people gliding and doing stunts that he would not have believed possible. He assumed they were doing what she had called 'roller-blading'. "Is this what your world looks like?" he asked hoarsely. He would not have imagined seeing so many people in one place for no more than recreation.
"Some places look like this, yes," she answered. "The beach that you found me on is an idealized version of the world. Few places are actually that pristine and unspoiled. Our world is a very crowded one, and most of the beautiful beaches look more like this, crawling with all the different shapes and sizes of humanity." She waved her hand and the scene disappeared, to be replaced by the woods once more.
Aragorn stared at her, wondering just how much the world had changed since his time. "And you have been nowhere else today?"
"Well, after the failed attempts at surfing and skating, I decided to go dancing. There were bound to be people at a club to keep me company. It was at that point that I found I could imagine actual people. That was also when I started to believe that you were real."
"Why is that?" Aragorn asked.
"Because, though there were a lot of people there, I couldn't hold an intelligent conversation with any of them. They didn't have minds of their own. Oh, I could talk to them, and they would answer me, but they didn't say anything that I didn't expect them to say. They were made up in my mind, so they couldn't react any differently than I might have come to expect." She gave him a wry grin. "You, on the other hand; I never know what you're going to say or do. And since you obviously have an intelligence of your own, you must be real."
Aragorn couldn't fault her reasoning, but he wanted to clear up a suspicion that was forming in his mind. "What was this 'club' like?"
She shrugged. "You would have hated it. It's like most dance clubs. They have music playing at top volume, lights flashing to add energy to the dance floor, and lots of people crowded on the floor."
Aragorn stared at her in amazement. When he had thought she was in danger, she had simply gone dancing? All his worry was for nothing?
"What's wrong?" Lauren asked tentatively. She couldn't quite decipher the look on his face.
"That nightmare was something that you do for fun?" Aragorn asked, his voice rising.
"So you were there," Lauren said. "I thought I saw you for a moment, but then the people moved in between us, and when they moved again, you were gone. I decided at that point that I should probably go horseback riding rather than stay at the club. I didn't want you to show up and be faced with that scene. I'm so sorry. It was never my intention to subject you to the chaos of a club like that; not after your reaction to the radio."
Aragorn rubbed his forehead with his hand. "I thought you were in danger. I came back here expecting to have to free you from your nightmares."
"I did say that I was sorry," she said softly. "And it's not like I was trying to do that to you."
"I do not see how anyone could think of that place as anything other than horrible. All of that time I spent worrying about you and thinking you had been tortured by demonic beings, and you were having fun."
She rolled her eyes. "How many times do you want me to apologize?" She looked warily at him. "You might want to think about calming down a little. I can almost see your blood pressure rising."
All of a sudden, Aragorn and Roheryn disappeared. Lauren looked quickly around. They were nowhere to be seen. "Where did you go? Was it something I said?"
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