A/N:Dear Reader: This is my second Fanfic, and, like the first, was written with the aid of Nikkila from up the road. Cheers doll.
Of course, I don't own Lord of the Rings…but I do own this story line. I made it up all by myself with the aid of Nikkila of course…
So here goes…enjoy everyone! And please review! (imitates cute little puppy dog eyes)
A SIMPLE RUN…
It was the afternoon, on a brilliant sunny day, and I was out for a run. I always run in the afternoons, it being such a beautiful time of day. I always also run in the same place, Okura bush walk. This bush walk is just five minutes down the road from where I live and skirts the Weiti River, where I swim from time to time, and ends in a beautiful beach which is quite idyllic for surfing. Anyway, on this afternoon I was jogging along my usual path, taking in the familiar scenery, when I noticed a disturbance a little way down the track. Harsh voices were rising into the air and it was quite unnerving to hear, but I kept running, wanting to see what the fuss was about. Had I known then what I was about to run into, I probably would have turned tail and ran. Needless to say, I didn't know what I had run in on. I ran over a narrow bridge and continued my way down, I was aiming to go through the gate and end up on the beach, then return. The voices were growing louder and I could even hear a clash of steel on steel. What on earth was going on here? I slowed myself down to a slow jog and rounded the last corner before the gate. I stopped in my tracks. There seemed to be a battle going on, with twenty or so…Orcs. There was no mistaking them. I had read all about them in Tolkeins famous adventures of the Ring and even seen them in the movies. So what were they doing here? It was not until several moments of shock had passed that I realized that the Orcs were fighting against none other than the Company of the Ring. The Nine Walkers. The Fellowship itself. Wait a minute, these characters are not real, they're…characters, in the famous book and the even more famous movie. Yet here they were, Viggo Mortensen and all. It seemed I had lingered too long, because at that moment, an Orc stopped its fighting to look at me. He gave a harsh yell and everyone stopped fighting at once, well, at least the Orcs stopped. Aragorn took a swipe at one and it fell down dead.
"Look!" Pippin proclaimed. Everybody was now looking at me, I didn't know what to do. Should I run? Should I scream? Should I faint?
"Um, hi." I said feebly.
"Get her! She is one of their company!" A particularly ugly Orc shouted to the rest of his gruesome friends.
"Lady! Take this!" Aragorn cried to me, flinging a long sword at me. The Orc Company attacked, and so did the Fellowship. Meanwhile, I stood as still as though I had been blinded. The Orcs kept coming. How am I supposed to fight with a sword!
Alas, it seemed I had no time to learn even the basics, so I had to improvise. Even as I look back to that day today, I often feel a strong surge of pride. I was definitely a natural shall we say. However, as the last straggling amounts of Orcs were left, their chief started right at me. I panicked and stumbled back, he jumped on me and I could feel his putrid breath as he brought us both to the ground. It was lucky I had my sword in my hand, for as the Orc pushed me over, my sword became vertical and it pierced right through his chest. He gave a last squelching cough and collapsed on top of me. Now, a large, dead Orc on top of you is no laughing matter and I heaved his gruesome body away.
"My Lady! Are you alright?" Aragorn (Or was it Strider, or Viggo?) asked me as he knelt down beside me.
"Yeah, I think." I replied shakily. He offered me his hand and helped me to stand. When a few moments of giddiness had left me and I could see clearly once again, I noticed that the company stood round me, gawking at me as If I was some kind of weird breed of worm. Then I reminded myself, I was wearing tracksuit pants with a pink singlet top and running shoes.
"What strange garments she wears." Legolas whispered to Aragorn.
"Lady, may I ask your name and your kindred?" Aragorn asked me.
"Well, my name is Carmen. But I am afraid I don't understand what you mean by kindred." I replied.
"Your kindred. To which race do you belong?" Aragorn pressed.
"Ummm… Well I suppose that I am in your language belonging to the race of men." I suggested.
"Indeed? Well, we have never seen the likes of your raiment before my Lady." Gimli said to me.
"Raiment?" I queried.
"The garments you wear my Lady." Boromir spoke, taking a step closer.
"Oh! You mean my clothes? Well, I'm just wearing tracksuit pants and a singlet top, nothing fancy." I told them.
"But where did you acquire such beautiful cloth? Surely the likes of this is not made on any place in Middle- Earth I know yet." Legolas said.
"Middle-Earth? Darling, I got this gear from Rebel Sports." I told him
"Rebel Sports? I have never heard of such a place." Aragorn said, puzzled. I was silent for a bit.
"Never mind." I said quickly. "You guys probably haven't heard of the place."
"Indeed." Gimli said.
"Why do you like saying 'indeed' so much Gimli?" I asked him.
"How do you know my name?" He asked me back.
"Darling, I know everyone's names here. See there's Pippin, Merry, Sam, Frodo, Boromir, Aragorn, Legolas and you. But, where is Gandalf?" I rattled off.
"Alas, we lost Gandalf in the mines of Moria my Lady." Frodo informed me.
"Oh, bugger." I said sympathetically.
"Pardon?"
"Never mind." I said quickly again. There was another awkward silence.
"My Lady! You are hurt!" Legolas cried out. I looked at my arm and saw there was a five-inch gash running down it.
"Oh, its nothing." I insisted.
"I must protest my Lady, that wound needs to be cleaned and dressed." Aragorn told me.
"Thanks for the first-aid advice Aragorn, but I think I'll be fine." I told him.
"Please, let me help you." Legolas asked, starting towards me. I started to blush but really didn't mind being that close to Legolas himself. He cleaned the cut and was applying a bandage, sitting quite close to me. I blushed even harder.
"You fought very bravely my Lady. You must be learned indeed to have wielded a sword as you did." Legolas said to me. I looked at him. His eyes were extremely blue at this close proximity.
"Actually, that was my first time with a sword." I stammered.
"Surely not!" He exclaimed. I began to turn the colour of a fire engine. Legolas was finished applying the bandage.
"Thankyou Legolas, you're very kind (and handsome)." I said to him.
"Please, do not mention it." He smiled at me and my heart fluttered. I had a crush on Legolas!
"We must make camp here tonight, we cannot go any further here today." Aragorn told the Company.
"Hey, I've got an idea, why don't I stay with you guys tonight?" I suggested.
"I think that would be necessary." Said Legolas, who smiled at me again. I flashed him my cutest smile.
"I'll just text my mum to tell her I'm camping here for the night." I told the group.
"Sorry, what are you going to do?" Aragorn asked me.
"Oh, I forgot. You guys don't know what texting is do you." I said and got out my mobile phone. They all gasped when they saw it and it was passed round the group, where they admired it and started tapping it in weird places.
"Here, I'll show you what it does." I told them. Holding the phone out in front of them I showed them how to send a text message. They all oohed and aahed, and Pippin even gave a cry when the phone went off telling me I had got a reply from my mum.
"Fancy eh?" I said smugly.
"It is the most amazing thing we have seen." Merry told me.
"Wow, I didn't know it was that cool." I said to them.
"Are you cold my Lady?" Legolas asked me anxiously, unfastening his cloak
"Actually, I meant…yeah, its getting chilly." I said. Legolas put his cloak around my shoulders and I couldn't help but give a cheeky grin.
It was a rather exciting experience, setting up camp with the Company. First, we moved away from the battle scene, Gimli complaining loudly that it was stinking of Orc foul. Then we found a nice little shaded clearing where we rolled out blankets and started a fire. Dark clouds began to roll in as the sun went down and we huddled close to the fire to keep warm, eating a rather small supper.
"I'm sorry we do not have more food to share with you my Lady, but we must keep close watch on our provisions so that we do not run out." Legolas told me sadly.
"Don't worry about it, this is fine." I told him happily, and an idea struck me. "Hey, why don't I nip up to my house tomorrow and grab you guys some food to take with you on your journey!" I said.
"That would be greatly appreciated." Sam said, looking hungry.
"What kind of food do you have Lady?" asked Pippin.
"Well, I have all kinds of stuff, like muesli bars, very delicious. Chocolate! You guys will love chocolate. And I could give you some bread and jam and stuff." I said, counting the food off on my fingers. They all cheered and were in a far greater mood after that. I could tell their spirits were high and they seemed really happy. It seemed, however, that I spoke too soon. A great raindrop had just fell out of the sky and fell hissing into our fire.
"Bloody Auckland weather." I mumbled. Soon the rain was falling hard and a chill wind began to blow.
"Some of us should get some sleep, if they can, while two can watch as guard." Aragorn (the leader, of course) suggested.
"I shall go on guard first." Legolas spoke.
"And I'll join you! If nobody has got any objections, of course." I said eagerly.
"Do not stay awake too long, wake me when you begin to tire." Aragorn told me.
"OK, sure." So Legolas and I built up the fire again and sat huddled around it, trying to keep warm. I started to shiver, as I had only pants and a singlet on, even though the elf cloak was wonderfully warm. Legolas noticed me shivering.
"My Lady, you are shivering! Why did you not tell me that you were cold?" He asked, jumping up and going over to his bag, pulling out a blanket.
"Oh, I just didn't want to bother you is all." I said through chattering teeth.
"Here…" He placed the blanket round me and shifted closer so that he could keep me warm. Needless to say, I started to blush again.
"My Lady, of all the people we have met on our travels, you have been the most wondrous and gracious of them all. Not least to mention the fairest to look upon." Legolas said to me, making me giggle.
"Legolas you are too kind." I gushed.
"Really, I speak no lies." He insisted.
"Well, thankyou very much Legolas. I must say that it has been wonderful to meet you, and the company of course." I said quietly. Suddenly, there was a rustle in the bushes. Quick as lightning, Legolas had an arrow fitted to his bow, aiming into the darkness.
"What was that?" I whispered.
"I do not know, it slipped away before I could catch sight of it." Legolas replied. He stood there for a few more minutes before returning to his place by the fire.
"It was probably just a rabbit or something." I whispered.
"Let us hope that that is indeed what it was." Legolas said with a sigh.
"Why are you guys so highly strung all the time? You should try to relax once and a while." I said to him
"I'm sorry, but what do you mean 'highly strung'?" Legolas asked me.
"Here. Let me give you a massage, they're very soothing you know." I moved round behind him and put my hands on his shoulders. Massaging people is one of my specialties. Legolas was very tense; he had all these knots in his neck and shoulders. He seemed to like it, and when I was done he thanked me profusely
"My Lady—." Legolas began.
"Call me Carmen."
"Carmen…our Company would be greatly thankful if you came with us on our journey." Legolas finished.
I was silent for a long while. Of course I would love to go on this quest. To see all the lands of Middle-Earth, to see all the different peoples…but I couldn't go. I didn't belong in their world. I belonged to the future; I couldn't just pack up and leave. I heaved the biggest, disappointed sigh I have ever sighed before and turned to look Legolas in the face.
"I'm sorry Legolas, but I cannot go with you. I don't belong in your world. I would put your quest in jeopardy and I could only cause harm, even if I tried to do good." I turned away. Legolas didn't speak.
"I know what the quest you are on is about. Frodo must go to Mount Doom and cast his ring into the fire." I explained to him.
Legolas was amazed. "How do you know this? Is our secret no longer so?" he asked me.
"No, I think I am the only one you will encounter that knows of your quest. Legolas, it is hard to explain, but I'm from the future and I know how this quest will end." I told him.
Legolas looked at me hard. "You know how our quest will end? But only the Wise are able to tell, and they are not even sure!" He exclaimed.
"Please, don't ask me how I know, just take my advice that I cant come with you. I know too much and I could possibly change the future without meaning to. I'm really sorry Legolas, but I cant." I finished lamely, staring at the ground, at the flickering firelight dancing around it.
"You must sleep Carmen. Tomorrow we have an early start and you need your rest for when you return to your home." His voice was tone-less and I could tell he was disappointed.
"Come, rest your head on my lap, and sleep." He told me.
"What about you?" I yawned.
"I do not sleep in any way that you would understand, just thinking of my home and all the fair lands is all the rest I need." He sighed again and I lay down with my head in his lap, he started to sing and I fell asleep with his beautiful voice in my ears.
When I awoke the next morning, only Legolas, Aragorn and Boromir were up and about.
"Good morning." I yawned, stretching my arms.
"Good morning my Lady." Aragorn said to me. "I am sorry if we woke you."
"Nah, I need to get home anyway." I said to him.
"Must you really go home?" Legolas asked me sadly.
"I'm sorry Legolas, but I must." I said with a hint of resentment. How would it be like to be free? To go wherever I wished?
Soon the company was packed and nearly ready to go, then I remembered my promise to give them food.
"Would you guys just hang around for about another hour? I just need to go home and get some food for you guys." I said.
"Of course we will wait." Aragorn said.
"I'll be back soon." I called over my shoulder as I ran off. I took a shortcut through some empty streets and soon arrived at the bottom of Coastal Heights, the subdivision I lived in. But I didn't make straight for my house. I made a detour round to my friend Nicky's house. I arrived panting on her doorstep.
"What's wrong with you?" She asked me.
"You'll…never…guess…"I panted.
"What?"
"Legolas…Orlando Bloom!"
"What are you going on about Carmen?" She asked me, sounding worried, as if I was insane. As if!
"You've got to come with me Nicky! Its like the Lord of The Rings is happening on the Okura bush walk!" I said.
"Carmen, how can the Lord of the Rings be happening on the Okura bush walk? You're talking nonsense!" Nicky said reasonably to me.
"I'm not crazy Nicky! You have to come with me!" I started tugging at her hand.
"Carmen! What the hell! OK… I'm coming." She sighed. She had crazy friends.
There we go! First chapter outta the way. And believe me, there is WAY more to come…
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