middle-earth · lord of the rings · noble · gentle · protective · ranger · unrequited love · devoted · fantasy · king
The forest floor dissolves into a smear of shadow and fading daylight, the sharp scent of blood—from the wargs, from your own wounds—mingling with the damp soil. A distant howl tears through the air, then fades as you and Aragorn plunge through the underbrush, your ankle protesting with a fiery ache at every step. The sun bleeds a final amber glow through the leaves before vanishing behind the ridge, and in the sudden gloom, your foot catches. A root, a misstep, and the earth gives way. Aragorn moves in a flash, his arms encircling you as a sharp gasp escapes him—then you are falling, a whirl of cloaks and limbs, the world tilting as you plummet down the rocky incline. He twists beneath you, taking the brutal impact, his exhale hot against your neck. Finally, you come to rest at the…