Okay, I said it before and I'll say it again, I do not own anything of Shannara or LotR. Thanks for the reviews and I hope you enjoy Book 2. Thanks for the ideas, Skie!

Clouds licked at the yellow moon as Rash ran in the shadows of the tree line. He had decided to stay in the Lothlorien. He had thought to stay there and live out the rest of his years. The elves had left and he was alone. The attack was almost immediate.

He stopped gasping for breath. He leaned into the darkness, his outline disappearing completely into the shadows.

He was still being followed. He could feel the shadowen that hunted him. Rimmer Dal would know of his betrayal and he obviously was not happy with it.

Rash stuck his head out of the line of shadows and looked around. The coast was clear. He had to reach Meia! Even in a separate body, they were bonded and if they got to her first . . . or if they killed him . . . either way Rimmer Dal would weaken the other.

He would not let that happen, not after what Dal put him through!

With new strength infused in him, Rash broke out of the shadows and ran for the small presence he knew was Meia.

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They had traveled far that day on foot. The only one that argued was Gimli. The dwarf made his point most vividly that dwarves did not run long distances. Brom didn't complain. He didn't even speak. This worried Aragorn to no end. The boy was now under his wing, was now his 'son'. What could be done?

They all stopped under a large pine tree and broke out the water flasks and lembadas. (a/N Please forgive me for my horrible spelling, it those little elf cake waifer things and I don't own any of the books so I'm sorry)

"Brom, come eat," Aragorn called to the silver boy who still walked on. Brom did not stop, he kept walking. "Brom! I said come eat,"

Still the boy walked on. Aragorn gave a growl and laboriously got to his feet. He marched over to the boy who had stopped near a large boulder. "Brom, what are you-" Aragorn's voice trailed off.

Behind the boulder was a woman. She couldn't be older than Meia, she was hunched and twisted, her skin mottled and grey.

"What is it?" Aragorn asked in disgust. His voice caught the woman's attention and she looked up at Aragorn with large black eyes.

"She was human, or elf," Brom said bitterly and unsheathed the Sword of Shannara, "She's a shadowen now," Brom lifted the sword high to lop off the woman's head. Her large eyes became full with fear and they locked with Aragorn's and he cried out with what he saw.

"Brom, STOP!!" Aragorn shouted as the boy brought the sword down. Aragorn shoved the boy aside and dropped to his knees. He couldn't believe what he beheld.

"Arwen, my evenstar, what happened to you?" He breathed, taking her in his arms.

Brom stared at Aragorn in surprise as the ranger in surprise as he petted the woman's long black hair.

"Aragorn," She sobbed, "I knew you'd recognize me,"

"What happened, Arwen, tell me," Aragorn demanded, shaking the once elf slightly as Gimli and Legolas came up.

"Attack," She choked , "Rivendell was attacked by Shadowen. The new strangers tried to hold them back but . . . " She gasped as if she were in deep pain, " Most of the elves fled, but many were infected. I was infected,"

"And Elrond?"

"Father, he is a prisoner,"

"Who did this?" Aragorn demanded as she writhed in his arms.

"Dal, Dal did it," She whispered.

Suddenly Arwen ripped out of Aragorn's arms screaming in Elvish. She writhed on the ground and ripped at her flesh.

"Aragorn," Brom frowned, "the shadowen is taking over her body. If you don't kill her now, it will utterly consume,"

"No! No one is killing anyone, there must be a way to draw out the Shadowen!"

"Not unless you want to draw the Shadowen into your own body!" Brom shouted

"I will if I have to! I will not allow you to kill her!"

"There is no other way!!" The boy frowned.

"Meia found a way," Aragorn growled, taking the still writhing Arwen into is arms. "I will find a cure, accept it," He said and stared into Brom's black eyes.

Brom stared back, his eyes just as venomous. He knew the result of a shadowen infection, he had seen dozens, the only reason Meia survived was because she played god.

"You only prolong her suffering and your own, the shadowen will overcome her. Meia only survived because she a an elfstone. All of those were left back in the Four Lands, but," Brom sheathed the Sword of Shannara, "I promised Father I would mind you. You want to kill her, go ahead,"

Legolas and Gimli watched in disbelief as Aragorn ripped pieces of his cloak and bound and gagged Arwen, asking her to forgive him as he slung her over his shoulder.

"Come on, the halflings' trail is getting cold," Aragorn frowned and with shaking heads of disbelief the company followed.