A Darkness In Bree

Aragorn flashed a quick glance over where the boot-maker was hammering down a sole on a new boot. He didn’t appear to even notice Vanya enter the shop and didn’t stop his work until Aragorn stood up after he had gotten his boot back on. He had heard what Vanya had said but was not in a place he could react to it nor ask any questions. And indeed he did have questions.

“Thank you...you do fine work,” Aragorn said and waived a bye to the man that nodded back to him then began his work once more. Outside of the shop Aragorn stepped away with Vanya next to him. ‘Why couldn’t they have just a couple of nights where they could just be together? He still had fond thoughts of the night prior but doubted after what she had just said, tonight would be more of the same!

Aragorn did not respond immediately. He only continued to walk with her and eventually turned back onto the main thoroughfare where the bustle of people, carts and horses suddenly bloomed in their ears. He looked at the people, those who passed by them and also those that moved either away or toward them across the shallow street. After a few minutes he nodded to himself as if he had made a decision about what she had said.

‘I can’t just leave these people to fend for themselves, I have to do...something!’ He thought to himself. They weren’t ‘his’ people, not exactly but they were people. Men, women and children who were trying to make a life for themselves. If he walked away from them he knew in his heart that he’d be betraying something deep inside of himself. Inside of his heart and his being.

“Then we need to expose it and either drive him out or die trying,” He said in a low tone just loud enough for Vanya to hear. He knew she’d be opposed to this. She was an Elf and elves always looked at the whole picture from concept to completion. Elves had the time to think like that where humans did not. He awaited her arguments of dissention with a smile.

Vanya could see Aragorn contemplating what she had told him. Thankfully, the boot maker took no notice of her and they were able to step out of the shop without any suspicion that anything was potentially wrong. She walked next to Aragorn, allowing him to lead the way. He was very quiet and she could see his brow furrowed in thought and potentially a little disappointment. She knew that she would not always be with Aragorn and she needed him to make this decision on his own. She had been slowly stepping back from making most of the decisions for them, wanting him to gain more and more confidence in his abilities to make a choice...even if it turned out to be the wrong one. That is the only way he would truly learn to be a great leader.

She walked next to him out onto the bustling main street. She watched his grey eyes as he scanned the people selling their wares and making their way to and from places. A great king cared not just for his people, but for all people and she knew he would one day be a great king. She could see his expression change from thoughtful to determined and she knew he had made his choice, although she still listened to him. She was quiet a moment to throw him off track before responding.

"I agree with you," she finally told him. When she saw his puzzled expression she went on. "I'm half elf, but you forget that I am half human as well," she said as if reading his mind. "It would be irresponsible of us to leave this thing here."

Even after everything they had been through, Vanya continued to surprise Aragorn. Her response brought a broad smile to his face and he leaned into her and kissed her suddenly, not caring if people saw them or not.

Later that afternoon they were alone in their room and discussing what and how to root out the evil that they both knew plagued Bree. To root it out and not die! To be more precise. Aragorn paced back and forth as they passed ideas back and forth. However nothing really jumped out at them. For one thing, they had no idea where it was. Was it outside of town or hiding out somewhere? Did it know the Guard Captain before it killed him? Did it have other officials working for it? The more they talked about what to do the more questions popped into their heads. Questions that needed answering before they could really do anything about it. There only real link were the street urchins and neither of them wanted to put them in any more danger then they already were. They had few allies here and he could see that there might be only one thing to do. Though he didn’t like it. Not one bit.

“We could use the children to help us...in some way,” he said as he paused in his pacing as he faced away from her.

Vanya was sitting on the bed as Aragorn paced back and forth in their room. They had gotten something to eat and had headed back to the inn to try and figure out a way to drive this evil creature out of Bree. They simply couldn’t leave knowing it was still there. Vanya was watching Aragorn mature into a man before her eyes and she felt her breast swell with pride and love. His sense of right and wrong was strong, as well his devotion to helping all creatures that were in need. He would not be able to save them all, but his heart was in the right place.
When he suggested using the children to draw out the Wraith she blinked and looked at his back.

“Are you thinking that we use them as bait?”

Aragorn turned and faced her and he managed to maintain a level, neutral expression as he thought about what she had just said. He had not considered that in a direct sense but he could see how she came to that conclusion though her face and her tone did not believe that was what he was suggesting.

“No...not directly. But I think they might be able to point us to which guards are the corrupt ones. I doubt they all are corrupt and if we can learn who is who we might be able to learn more by watching their movements,” He said plainly. He folded his arms across his broad chest as he watched for her reaction.

“Do you have a better plan? I know we’ve been given a mission but I think even Elrond would agree with this diversion. One that could lead to uprooting one of the nine before it can do any more damage,” Aragorn said.

“We’re going to need more money I think, if we’re staying,” He added as if that wasn’t at all set in stone.

Vanya nodded a little at his plan, though as he crossed his arms over his chest her eyes moved from his face down to his chest and arms. Impure thoughts began to enter her mind. It was strange that knowing that one was going to be entering into a dangerous situation could cause such thoughts. She didn't know how much time she had left with Aragorn, and she wanted to enjoy every moment she had with him.

"I think your plan will work," she said as she slowly walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him. "We will just need to be careful...very careful."

She kissed him for a long moment before pulling back slightly. "I have fur hides that I can sell. That will give us a little money."

Aragorn kissed her back and felt the warmth of her body up against him but he was still also thinking about what they could do. They were very very luck the last time they faced the Nazgul and who says it was just one? It could be two...and more perhaps he thought. But he was doubtful of that. Wasn’t one bad enough? He hoisted Vanya up and felt her legs wrap around his hips as he kissed her and pressed her up against the bedpost.

“We need to draw it out somehow. Get it to come to us,” he said in between his kisses. “Perhaps if we announce to the constabulary who we are as Rangers and that we’ve come to investigate the guard captains death?” He asked as he attacked her neck with his mouth. “Tell them we have a witness who is helping us identify those involved?” He added as he shifted sideways to lay her back onto the bed. “And then wait to see who tries something,” Aragorn said as he leaned back enough and pulled his shirt and jerkin up over his head to bare his chest. That action forced his middle into hers though they were both still clothed.

Vanya's mind and body were now battling against one another for dominance. With her legs wrapped around Aragorn's hips and her arms around his neck it was difficult for her mind to fully concentrate on what he was saying. Her body wanted his...badly and when his lips began to attack her neck she moaned loudly in response. However, she somehow managed to hear what he was saying and his idea seemed like a good one to her. They would need to draw it out and get it to come to them so announcing their presence to the constabulary seemed the logical choice.

"I think your plan should work," she replied to him in breathless elvish, the language she always slipped into when they were about to make love.

She soon found herself on her back on the bed. She groaned as she felt his middle forced into her own by the action of him leaning up to remove his shirt and jerkin. By now her body was on fire and her eyes were filled with a passionate hunger.

"I want you now," she said in a near growl at him.