Aragorn: 8 years old

When Aragorn woke up, he hadn't felt that ill before. He felt weak, exhausted, and slowing dying. His throat hurt and it felt as if somebody had dumped sand down it making it dry and sting.

He opened his eyes slightly seeing a very panic looking Elf above him. It was Haldir. He had a jug of water in his hands and he was already putting it to Aragorn's lips. As Haldir put the jug to his mouth, he drank the water feeling he might shrivel up if he didn't.

Once all the water was gone from the jug, Aragorn's throat felt a lot better, but he still felt sick inside and out. He looked to Haldir with half open eyes and waited for somebody to say something. Haldir looked down to Aragorn and then to another Elf who was in the doorway. He signaled the Elf in the doorway with a motion of his fingers and the Elf left. Then Haldir looked back to Aragorn.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I feel weird, but yah I should be fine," Aragorn replied, his voice crackly.

"You must tell me everything that happened. Everything," Haldir said sternly.

"You mean last night?" Aragorn asked for clarification.

"Last night?" Haldir asked, "Do you know how long you have been sleeping?"

Aragorn was taken off guard by that statement.

"What?"

"You have been sleeping for three days," Haldir said.

"What?!" Aragorn asked surprised and concerned, "Three days?!"

"That's why you need to tell me exactly what happened,"

The black water!

That was all Aragorn's mind could think of.

"I left Rivendell with another Elf named, Hokel," Aragorn started.

He paused thinking back to what happened to his Elf friend.

"We rode on Moonbeam, his horse, through the night. Then we rode here through the day and once night hit, the Orc's did too,"

"Orcs," Haldir confirmed.

Aragorn nodded and continued,

"One of the Orcs shot Hokel with their bow and we both fell on the ground. Once the Orcs had caught up to us, Hokel was... was... um..."

Aragorn bite his lip from stopping himself from bursting out in tears. He looked down from Haldir and studied his hands. He couldn't finish the sentence, though he could think it in his head.

He was gone... because those malicious, man torturing, Elf killing, hideous Orcs killed him!

"He was gone," Haldir said quietly.

"Can you read minds?" Aragorn looked up to Haldir in surprise.

Haldir smiled briefly and said,

"No, I cannot. I am not the type of Elf that has the power to do that,"

"Oh," then Aragorn continued, "After that, the Orc leader made me drink this water,"

"What form did it take and what did it taste like?" Haldir was at the edge of his seat now waiting for an answer.

"The water was in a small bottle and it was black. Pure black,"

"And the taste?"

"I don't remember the taste, but after they forced it down my throat, my mouth and lips went numb and they burned too,"

That was all the information that Haldir needed. Aragorn could tell by the look on his face.

"Doblum," Haldir said.

"What does it do?"

"Exactly what happened to you. It makes the person who ever drank it go to sleep instantly,"

"Instantly?"

"Instantly," Haldir said.

"It didn't happen right away, although I felt tired," Aragorn said.

"You are the special one though. I'm not surprised," Haldir said sitting back in his chair again, "How did you get away?"

"I pretended to lose consciousness actually. I fell to the ground and they let me go for a moment. When one Orc was coming from my front, I kicked them hard and ran," Aragorn explained.

"Then what?" Haldir asked as if he were a kid listening to a fascinating story.

"I ran mostly. I kicked, punched, rolled, and ducked. I couldn't let the Orcs catch me. If they did, I would be dead," Aragorn closed his eyes and rested his head back on the pillow behind him.

"I see,"

Just then the door opened and the Elf that Haldir had signaled to leave earlier was coming back. The Elf had a tray of food in his hands. Aragorn opened his eyes to the smell of food and almost screamed at the sight of it. He was so hungry. The last thing he had eaten was the pastry from Hokel four days ago.

"I thought you would be hungry," Haldir said, "The only sound you have been making since you fell asleep was your stomach growling,"

Aragorn smiled and took the food tray in his own hands as the Elf set it in front of him. There were a variety of nuts, berries, fruit, and bread spread across the tray.

"Thank you so much," Aragorn said with a grin of happiness and thankfulness.

Haldir handed Aragorn another jug of water and he drank the whole thing in less than a minute. As Aragorn took his first bites, Haldir spoke to him.

"Once you have recovered your strength, you can meet with the Lady Galadriel,"

Through a bite of a fresh sugar filled strawberry, Aragorn asked,

"Does Elrond know that I am okay? Is there any way of telling him?"

"Yes, indeed. Galadriel has already took Lord Elrond about the attack and about you and Hokel,"

Aragorn had so many questions and was so confused at the moment.

"How did you know about the attack and how did Galadriel tell Elrond?"

"You have many things to learn, young Estel. You will learn them all in good time," Haldir said with a reassuring smile.

Aragorn kind of wanted answers now, but the food in front of him was more satisfying.

"I will stay with you until you are ready to meet with the Lady of Light," Haldir said.

"Thank you for all that you are doing, Haldir," Aragorn said guessing the "Lady of Light" was another one of Galadriel's names.

"My pleasure,"

A/N: Enjoying reading all your comments and questions! Keep it up and I hope you are enjoying this story so far! :D