Aragorn was summoned to his foster father's recieving chamber not long after the end of the
Council session that had ended with both the Man Boromir and the Elf Legolas being taken away to
the infirmary.

"Aragorn," Elrond greeted as the Ranger entered the room. "Come in. Close the door behind you."

Aragorn closed the door, went and sat near his foster father in the chair he indicated. "You
wanted to speak with me?" he asked.

"Yes," the other answered. He sat as well. "Aragorn, there is something I need to discuss with
you, something that I'm not sure you're aware of." He sighed. "Do you remember how Arwen went
out from Rivendell to meet you and your companions?"

"Yes," Aragorn answered. "I was surprised that you had sent her. I would have thought that you
would have sent an Elf-lord like Glorfindel, someone who has successfully faced down Nazgul before.
I thought it *was* Glorfindel at first, for she rode Glorfindel's Asfaloth."

"I *did* sent Glorfindel, not Arwen," Elrond said. "But when she heard that he was to be sent
after *you*, she bashed him over the head with a shovel, tied him up in the stable, stole his
Asfaloth and was gone before anyone was the wiser for it."

Aragorn stared at the Elf-lord in disbelief. "Arwen did *what*? Why? Is Glorfindel all right?"

"He is in the infirmary with a concussion," came the reply. "I summoned her here as soon as she
returned. She told me that she thought that Glorfindel was trying to steal your affections, take
her place in your heart."

"What!" Aragorn exclaimed. "Glorfindel?"

"He isn't," Elrond said firmly, calming some of Aragorn's agitation. "I tried telling Arwen that,
but she remains adamant. Then I told her I would talk to you about this... situation. She
bashed *me* over the head with a vase and left me lying on the floor for Elladan and Elrohir to
find barely a quarter-hour before the Council session."

The look on Aragorn's face was one of both shock and confusion. "What? Why? Why would she
attack both you and Glorfindel? I don't understand."

Elrond sighed. His head was throbbing once again. "She thought Glorfindel wanted you for
himself. She thought that I meant to somehow come between the two of you. She has become
obsessed with you, and fiercely posessive."

Aragorn considered that carefully, frowned as a thought struck him. He looked up at the half-Elf.
"The Council session today," he said, "the stone that struck down Boromir and Legolas-"

"Was hurled by Arwen," came the confirmation. "She probably struck out at Boromir for challenging
you. She has, as I've said, become very protective of you. Likewise, she probably lashed out at
Legolas because he leapt to your defense. She would probably see that as an attempt to win your
affections. She is also very posessive, as I've said."

Aragorn groaned with budding frustration. "So what you're saying is that anyone I talk to, male
or female, is considered by Arwen to be fair game for head-bashing? Can't you control her?"

"Control her? We can't even *find* her!" Elrond said. "I sent Elladan and Elrohir out after her
as soon as Legolas and Boromir fell. They have not yet returned. Hopefully, they are not lying
unconscious somewhere from yet another Arwen-bashing incident." He sighed. "That is all. I
wanted to tell you of this so that you could perhaps get her to cease if you see her, as you are
more than anyone else the likeliest to meet her."

Aragorn nodded, stood. "I'll try, if I see her," he promised.
 
 

"Aragorn! Beloved!"

The happy cry came barely a split second after Aragorn shut the door of his room behind him as he
entered. It was followed mere seconds later by Arwen hurling herself enthusiastically at the
Dunadan, wrapping her arms around him and clinging like a leech.

"Oh, beloved!" she said, looking deep into his eyes from scant inches away. "I heard that my
father sent for you. You must ignore anything he has told you of me, for he wishes to drive us
apart, the same as that Ranger-grabbing Glorfindel. I *knew* the vase wasn't hard enough to stop
him long enough!"

"Arwen," Aragorn sais carefully. "No one wishes to drive us apart."

"Oh, my Love!" same Arwen's response. She hugged him tighter, ignoring his subtle attempts to
dislodge her. "They have been subtle and your eyes are blind to their tricks. But fear not, for
I shall not allow them to succeed!"

"Arwen," he said again. "You are mistaken. You must stop assaulting those who are around me."
Subtlety having failed, he forcefully pried her off of him, walked away deeper into the room.
"No one is trying to come between us."

She flung herself at his feet, wrapped herself around one leg. "But they do! So *many* in the
past few days-"

"Arwen," Aragorn said. He tried to move, but she hung on, a dead weight on one leg.

"-Glorfindel, that dog! Then-"

"Arwen," he said again, trying to pry her loose once more.

"-my own father! Imagine! And-"

"Arwen," he said, a bit louder now.

"-those two miscreants, Boromir and Legolas-"

"Arwen! Let go!" he yelled at last in frustration.

Shocked, she let go, staring up at him with wide eyes of sharpest blue. "Beloved?"

"Elrond was right. You *are* obsessed!" he said. He turned, walked towards the door. /There
should be *someone* out there who will take her into custody for Elrond,/ he thought to himself.

He was perhaps five feet from the door when something hard smashed into his head in an explosion
of dirt and the floor and unconsciousness rose quickly up to meet him.
 
 

Arwen stared down at her beloved one's unconscious body sprawled on the floor, broken stoneware
around him, dirt scattered everywhere, the plant that had occupied the flowerpot tangled in his
hair.

She bit her full lower lip.

"Oops," she said softly.

Part 2

Arwen moved lightly to Aragorn's side. She knelt down beside him, still gnawing at her lip in
distress, and brushed both the plant and the dirt from his head. Gingerly, she touched the
growing lump on his head, jerking her hand back with a dismayed sound as he moaned in pain even
in his unconsciousness.

"Oh, Beloved," she said softly, mournfully. "Now look what they have done to you." She
conveniently ignored the fact that it had been *she* that had struck him down; as far as she was
concerned, they had been discussing the others, so it *had* to be *their* fault, not her own.

Gently, she rolled him over onto his back, then dragged her beloved Dunadan's unconscious form
across the floor to his bed, then lifted him up onto it. She was about to see to the small cut
on his head that was bleeding onto the pillow, but then froze at a knock at the door.

"Aragorn?" she heard her father call. "Aragorn, someone heard a scuffle within. Are you all
right?"

Arwen looked down at her unconscious Ranger, at the debris on the floor. She was certain that
her father would somehow find a way to blame Aragorn's injury on *her*.

"Aragorn?" Elrond called again, knocking once more. The doorknob started to turn. "Aragorn, I
am coming in."

Arwen was gone out of the window before ever Elrond entered the room.
 
 

Aragorn awoke slowly, head throbbing in pain. He groaned, lifted a hand to his head even as he
opened his eyes. The world spun crazily for a moment before settling into place, though
remaining a bit blurry. He blinked up at the fuzzy figure leaning over him, trying to focus his
vision on whoever it was.

"Arwen?" he asked doubtfully.

A short, inelegant snort was heard before the other regained his composure. "Not quite," came
Elrond's amused voice. "Welcome to the ranks of the Arwen-bashed."

Aragorn frowned, eyes finally focusing on the other. "Arwen was here," he said. "She was
waiting for me."

Elrond nodded. "I guessed that when I saw you unconscious and the broken flowerpot on the floor."

"She hit me," the Ranger said in disbelief. He touched the throbbing lump on the back of his
head. His fingers came away blood-reddened. He stared.

Seeing the blood, Elrond frowned, then checked the wound. He cleaned it carefully, decided that
it, like his own, would not require a bandage. "There," he said as he finished. "Done, though
the poor pillow is fouled with blood. The headache *should* be at least mostly gone by the next
Council session tomorrow. Until then, you should rest."

Aragorn nodded. He tossed the bloodstained pillow out of bed onto the floor, settled into another
even as he pulled a light sheet over himself. He was already drifting into sleep as he heard
Elrond leave and softly close the door behind him.

TBC...