This story was written for and dedicated to Cairistiona on her birthday. I am just now posting it here though.

Pursued by the Predator

The chilling sound of howling reached the Ranger’s ears. Aragorn flicked his gray eyes to his right. Yes, the sound seemed to come from north of their location. But this time it sounded closer. Aragorn shuddered to hear another high pitched keen join the first. Hopefully their number had not increased from the night before. His tunic and breeches still bore rusty looking stains from the blood of the beast’s fallen brothers.

“We should not tarry here. This area will be filled with wolves. We will be surrounded.” Aragorn turned his head to face Halbarad. He was about to answer when another long howl came from the opposite direction.

“I think they may already have us surrounded,” Elladan called out. Aragorn could see the concern in the Peredhil’s eyes.

For days the small company of Rangers fled from the creatures. Aragorn had seen the white beasts himself. Its hairy coat gleamed in the full moon and it looked upon him with fierce dark eyes. It released a low growl of warning before lunging out Aragorn with inhuman force. Fortunately for Aragorn his blade was drawn and ready and the wolf met its fate upon the blade of a Ranger who was determined to live. It was the first of many of the wolves to threaten the small group.

“We will need to make camp for this night. We might have a chance if we have fire and torches,” Aragorn suggested grimly.

“So we are to trap ourselves then?” Halbarad seemed most displeased with the plan his friend was suggesting.

“Estel is right. “Elrohir interrupted, his gaze looked out past the trees. “We don’t know how many of them there now, especially under the cover of night. Our best chance is to fend off the pack with fire. It is too easy for them to overcome us in the dark.”

Aragorn turned his head to see Elladan already at work with his flint over a pile of kindling. Before long orange flames licked at the twigs and dried leaves. Aragorn sought out their torches among the supplies before they were quickly distributed.

“And what of Orcs, what if they accompany the wolves when it comes to our troubles this night?”

Aragorn turned his head to the side so that he faced Halbarad as he answered his friend’s question. He knew it was a fear they all shared. Orcs as well as wolves were the last thing they needed. Even though this particular mission was meant to protect the borders of The Shire from the threat of wolves, there was always the possibility of unexpected company. The world swarmed all sorts of foul manner of beast and being in these days.

“Then you had best keep your eyes keen and your sword ready, mellon nín,” Aragorn replied with a wry smile, earning him a scowl from the fellow Ranger.

Aragorn blinked. He could feel his entire body shake from severe fatigue. His sight blurred until he blinked it away. There were still some coffee grounds left over from the night before. But the idea of more of the bitter beverage made Aragorn’s stomach flip flop in an uncomfortable manner. It probably wouldn’t help at this point anyways. By now the others gathered near the campfire lighting their torches. It was clear they would not sleep again this night. Aragorn mentally counted backwards the days since he last slept. Three days was a long time to go without sleep.  At this point the shaking seemed more frequent, his sight blurred often, and the fatigue was overwhelming.

The tension was thick. It seemed to mingle among the vapors each of them breathed in the chill air.  The crackle and pops of the fire was as loud as explosives in the silence. Aragorn wasn’t surprised by the quiet presence of his comrades. What was there to talk about? It seemed just about any subject on their mind would only serve to remind them of the woes and misfortunes they faced in the past days. Would they speak of their fallen comrades? Yes, the wolves had already claimed two. But what would they say? The grief felt as near as the almost overwhelming anxiety that loomed over them all.

Another low howl echoed through the trees and Aragorn fought desperately to block the sound from his ears. It reminded him of the cries of the widows and daughters who were yet to be informed of their fallen husbands and fathers. He didn’t want to think of their pain anymore. It already felt like chains dragging behind him, weighing down his heart.

Aragorn flicked his gaze to his left as the sound of snoring reached his ears. Both Elladan and Elrohir slumped forward, fast asleep. He snorted and shook his head. It figured they would be the first to fall asleep. Aragorn would be sure to use that fact to rile them up later when things got dull.  Aragorn shifted his gaze to Halbarad. His friend held a cold expression upon his features. It was the one Halbarad commonly used when he didn’t wish to speak or be spoken to. Aragorn sighed in resignation. There was nothing left to do but keep watch.

Aragorn stared out into the woods as if he expected to see some sort of movement. Instead nothing seemed to pass by the trees. A shadow swooped down from the trees towards the camp sight. The action caused Aragorn to jump and his hand flew to the hilt of his blade.  A pair of yellow eyes stared up at the man before the creature bent to grab an insect and flew off. If only Aragorn could share the owl’s disregard for the current situation. His eyes traced the bird’s path of departure until the owl could no longer be seen.

The hours dragged on and Aragorn began to count the pops that emitted from the fire to occupy his time. His eyes would begin to drift close and Aragorn would have to forcefully remind himself to stay awake. It would do no good to be overtaken now. Aragorn snapped a twig in half before tossing it into the fire to help release the pent up emotions.

The sound of musical laughter stopped Aragorn mid motion before he snapped another twig in half. He looked up to see a flash of white pass between the trees. Aragorn blinked when it passed before his sight once more. The woods were not a place to run about at leisure these days. The white shape drew closer until Aragorn could see it was a fine gown. A woman and child ran among the trees, their laughter filled the air.  The woman’s dark hair spilled over her back, decorated with colorful flowers she had gathered from the forest. The child spun in a circle, her blonde curls bounced upon her back. The girl called out to her mother to see the flowers she found.

Aragorn gasped once the woman turned around and her identity was revealed.

“Arwen….”

The word sounded as beautiful as the sight of her face in front of him. She smiled broadly and bent to examine the flowers the girl held. With careful hands the maiden wove each blossom into the child’s blonde hair. The girl clapped her hands in glee and spun around to show off Arwen’s handiwork. Aragorn watched with melancholy as the Elf maiden and child spun and danced together, their laughter rang out clear among the trees. Surely he slept and this was a dream. But how could it be that his dreams took on a life of their own?

At last the child turned to face Aragorn. She locked her gaze upon him and Aragorn could see that she had gray eyes similar to his own. A wide grin upturned the corners of the child’s mouth. Arwen moved to stand behind the girl. Suddenly Aragorn could see the similarities between the maiden and child. Unshed tears glistened in his eyes. Arwen’s daughter was every bit as beautiful as her mother. But why was he seeing this? Was it his unspoken hopes or fears that displayed before him? Surely such a lovely child was not theirs? No, she appeared too Elvish to be Aragorn’s child. For a moment he thought he felt his heart tear into multiple pieces to even consider the idea that Arwen’s future would separate from his.

Arwen knelt and took the child’s hand before she pointed in Aragorn’s direction. The girl turned to face her mother before her eyes returned back to Aragorn.

“Ada,” the girl cried out happily as she skipped towards Aragorn. He stood without realization to embrace the girl. But just before their bodies came in contact, the girl disappeared in thin air. Aragorn looked about in confusion. He turned his eyes back to where Arwen stood and she too was gone.

Aragorn blinked and sank heavily back onto the ground. He wasn’t sure what just happened. It seemed so real; the sound of their voices, the filmy fabric of their gowns, all of it appeared as tangible as he was. He closed his eyes in an attempt to bring the memory closer. The images of Arwen and her daughter seemed to lift some of the weight of the chains around Aragorn’s heart. He remembered the song mother and daughter sang and positioned it forever into his memory. In his own imagination, Aragorn sang along with them. He swore that he could feel the girl’s hand grasping his while the three of them walked through the woods together. Even if it might never be, at least he had this moment forever etched in his thoughts. It was his and not s soul in this world, or even the threat of wolves, could take it away.

A firm shake ripped Aragorn away from the reverie. He squinted in an attempt to block out the painfully bright light.

“Come along, Estel,” Elrohir murmured before turning to put out the campfire. “We had best be on the move. There is a village nearby where we can surely find rest and lodgings.”

Aragorn grumbled before muttering a curse. The light still seemed too jarring to his senses. He tried to figure out how much time had passed. He growled softly when Elladan nudged him slightly with the side of his boot.

“Get up, Estel. The sooner you move, the faster we shall reach The Singing Lark.”

That was all the inspiration Aragorn needed to leap into action. Only arriving home was better than the Singing Lark. The humble inn was well known for having one of the best cooks this side of the Misty Mountains. Her meat pies were some of the best Aragorn ever tasted. He could eat an entire pie on his own if his stomach allowed him to do such. Yes, meat pies were incentive enough to move along.

“The pack has passed us by for now. It would appear the Valar have spared us for one more night,” Halbarad spoke grimly as he shouldered up one of the packs.

“Oh come now, Halbarad, don’t be so grim” Aragorn said with a low chuckle. “Soon we’ll have hot food and warm beds, mellon nín.”

“And you’ll have enough meat pie for all four of us, Estel.”

Aragorn glared at Elladan, causing both f the twins to laugh. At least they could joke, even if it was at Aragorn’s expense. He was too tired and hungry to care. Thankfully the village was only a half a day’s journey.  The song Arwen and her daughter shared with him still rang through Aragorn’s head. It served to lighten his steps all the way to shelter and safety.

Author’s Note: Regarding Aragorn’s sleep deprivation. It is believed through real life experiments and case studies that 4 days is the limit for most people to go without sleep. After 3 days a person will begin to experience severe fatigue, periods of “zoning out”, and even hallucinations.  It is known that sleep deprivation going on for longer than 5 days can be fatal. Sources for sleep deprivation were taken from Psychology and Lifeby Richard J. Gerrig and Philip G. Zimbardo, sixteenth edition.