The Road to Rauros
Chapter One: On the Road Again
Disclaimer: I own nothing but Talis.
Author's notes: This is the sequel to my story, "The Inn." If you haven't read that, then you should read it before this, since this takes place right where the last one leaves off. I'm feeling sappy I'll add a love scene or two. I'll be sure to alert you when one's coming up so you can skip over it if you wish. =D And one last thing: I didn't say this at first, but my story takes place right after the Company leaves Lothlorien, and they just happen to find a town close to the Anduin where the inn was. Just clearing that up. Enjoy!
Legolas glanced back over his shoulder, wondering where his companion had gone. Talis, who was carrying thrice the amount of luggage as usual, was lagging behind about twenty yards. He stopped and jogged to her, and as he got nearer, she collapsed to her knees and unstrapped the heavy pack.
"I cannot go on," she murmured, panting. Her face was red from exhaustion, and her arms were pale due to the pressure of the pack on her shoulders. Presently, the rest of the group realized two of them were missing, so they returned to them.
"Aww, I think Talis needs a hug," Ruby said as she kneeled down to do so.
"Don't touch me," Talis growled.
Ruby pouted and stood up again. Her sanity was slowly returning—emphasis on "slowly." It had been three days since the incident at the inn, and she was still not quite herself.
Though Aragorn had little pity for Talis--and even less for Ruby- -he decided they should come to a halt for a while.
Talis laid her cloak on the ground and flopped onto her back, and instantly she fell into a deep slumber. Legolas ventured away from the group to find a place to fill their half-empty canteens. As he searched, he heard the faint sound of quiet footsteps less than a few yards away. With his keen eyes he saw three men clad in green sneaking about. He was amazed at how silent they moved, almost motionless in the shadows of the forest. One of them stepped out from the cover of the trees. Strangely, he reminded Legolas of Boromir's perkiness in the mornings.
"Ahoy there, matey!" the man said cheerily. Moments after, his two companions appeared on either side of him.
"Lord Faramir, please, do not stray far from us!" one said, distressed.
"Don't call me that silly name. I am Hernando, and breathing is fun!" Now, what's Faramir doing here, you ask? Beats the crap out of me. I was running out of ideas.
Baffled, Legolas said, "Who are you?"
"I am Mablung, my dear Elf. Before I may answer your inquiry, you must answer mine. Who are you, and what are your intentions here?"
"Who. Does. Number. Two. Work. For?!" Faramir grabbed Legolas by the shoulders and shook him.
Mablung restrained the crazed man and Legolas spoke. "I am Legolas of Mirkwood. My purpose is only to travel through this land with a few companions."
The other man nodded. "I am Damrod. We are Men of Gondor, on a mission to find a steward's son."
"Yeah, pops and the homies back in the 'hood are missin' him," said Faramir. "Have ya seen mah brotha'?"
Before answering, Legolas looked at Damrod. "Head wound?"
They both nodded solemnly. "I recognized his strange behavior, for one of my comrades has suffered a similar fate," explain Legolas.
"A large sapling fell on his head during the night," said Mablung.
"Yes. Tragic it was, indeed. I blame it on the squirrels!" Faramir sighed dramatically.
"You must be weary. Come, and I will take you to my company." The three men followed Legolas through the trees and into the small clearing where the others rested.
"It took you long enough," Sam snarled, his nerves frayed from Ruby's mindless babble, and his weariness getting the better of him. "Did you"—he stopped short as he saw the three Men.
"Brother!" Boromir gasped.
"'Ey there, buddy boy! My, you've gained some weight!"
"He has eaten far too many guinea pigs and pieces of cheesecake," Ruby said with a nod.
"Faramir, what has gotten"—he saw Legolas tapping his head with his fist, and immediately he got the point.
"Halflings!" cried Faramir, running to the hobbits. He gathered them up in a big group hug.
"Yay! Huggleses!" giggled Ruby.
"Aww! Don't you just wanna hug 'em?!" asked Faramir, turning to Mablung and Damrod.
They smacked their foreheads in frustration.
Faramir blinked and stared off into space for a moment, as though he was actually thinking. Suddenly, he cried out, "The fire department says there are too many people in this forest! In case of an emergency, not all of us would be able to escape safely!" He pointed at Mablung and Damrod. "You two will have to leave at once."
"What?" they both asked, confused.
"Didn't you hear me? I thought I told you not to shave your legs in the shower!"
Any further comments were ignored by the sane ones.
It was finally time for the group to move on. Faramir and his companions decided to tag along, having nothing better to do with their meaningless existence. Faramir and Ruby chattered to one another about how many times they had been jipped at Taco Bell and not gotten items they ordered.
"This one time I asked for a frozen bowl of pickle juice, and they just gave me a chili cheese burito. I mean, how stupid can you get?" Faramir babbled.
"Yeah, I know. I remember when I ordered a male prostitute, and they gave me one of their kids' meal toys."
Frodo walked in silence, grinding his teeth in annoyance at the two idiots walking behind him. Legolas let out a long, heavy sigh, and shouted to Aragorn. "How far is it to Rauros?"
"If we still had our boats from Lothlorien, we would have been there yesterday. But since Ruby just HAD to figure out which rock would make the biggest hole in Lorien wood, we will not get there for another two or three days," Aragorn replied, growling under his breath as he walked.
Talis, who walked alongside Legolas, whimpered.
By the late afternoon it was time for another rest.
"Flaaaame," Gimli said, shivering.
"No. We cannot risk it," said Boromir.
"We can't smoke anything?" asked Faramir as he plucked some blades of grass from the ground.
"The Enemy can see even the smallest sign of our location," Boromir replied.
Faramir stopped wrapping the grass in a leaf. "Aww.. Can I sing a song?"
Boromir, thinking it was one of the songs their father had taught them in their youth, agreed. He soon regretted it as Faramir took out an accordion and started playing.
"Ohh, this is a story 'bout a guy named Al. And he lived in the sewer with his hamster pal. But the sanitation workers really didn't approve. So he packed up his accordion and headed to move to a city in Ohio where he lived in a tree, and he worked in a nasal decongestant factory," Faramir continued his happy little song to the great aggravation of the others.
Hee. Heads up. We have ourselves a mush scene.
When Faramir finally shut up and everyone settled down to sleep, Talis and Legolas started their watch for the night. After almost an hour of silence, Legolas foolishly decided to try and start a conversation. "So.. umm…"
Talis blinked, since she had almost fallen asleep, and looked at him. "What?"
Legolas heard someone whispering practically in his ear. "Move closer to her, she's cold." So he scooched himself a bit closer to Talis.
She was too tired to notice and decided to start rambling about nothing really in particular. "Uh, I just wanted to thank you for protecting me from Aragorn, and aiding me with this burden. You do not particularly have to help me, since it's my punishment."
"You are welcome, my friend," Legolas said. He heard another whisper saying: "Kiss her, stupid!" He blinked, hesitating. Why was he listening to the voice? Was it in his head, or real? …What would he look like as a lobster?
"This may be your only chance! Kiss her!" the voice whispered harshly. "Erm," He leaned over, thinking he could give her a peck on the cheek. She turned to him since she thought he was going to say something, and so he scored one on the lips.
Ruby and Faramir burst out laughing. They had been hiding in the bushes the entire time, and it was Ruby who was advising Legolas. Immediately, Talis and Legolas stopped swapping spit.
"It's so adorable it's sickening!" laughed Ruby. Talis blushed scarlet and smote Ruby with the nearest object she could find, that being a rather large stick. Thus making Ruby even more screwed up than before.
The Elves finished their watch and the watches were carried on through the night. As he fell asleep, Legolas muttered to himself. "One day down, two more to go."
Chapter One: On the Road Again
Disclaimer: I own nothing but Talis.
Author's notes: This is the sequel to my story, "The Inn." If you haven't read that, then you should read it before this, since this takes place right where the last one leaves off. I'm feeling sappy I'll add a love scene or two. I'll be sure to alert you when one's coming up so you can skip over it if you wish. =D And one last thing: I didn't say this at first, but my story takes place right after the Company leaves Lothlorien, and they just happen to find a town close to the Anduin where the inn was. Just clearing that up. Enjoy!
Legolas glanced back over his shoulder, wondering where his companion had gone. Talis, who was carrying thrice the amount of luggage as usual, was lagging behind about twenty yards. He stopped and jogged to her, and as he got nearer, she collapsed to her knees and unstrapped the heavy pack.
"I cannot go on," she murmured, panting. Her face was red from exhaustion, and her arms were pale due to the pressure of the pack on her shoulders. Presently, the rest of the group realized two of them were missing, so they returned to them.
"Aww, I think Talis needs a hug," Ruby said as she kneeled down to do so.
"Don't touch me," Talis growled.
Ruby pouted and stood up again. Her sanity was slowly returning—emphasis on "slowly." It had been three days since the incident at the inn, and she was still not quite herself.
Though Aragorn had little pity for Talis--and even less for Ruby- -he decided they should come to a halt for a while.
Talis laid her cloak on the ground and flopped onto her back, and instantly she fell into a deep slumber. Legolas ventured away from the group to find a place to fill their half-empty canteens. As he searched, he heard the faint sound of quiet footsteps less than a few yards away. With his keen eyes he saw three men clad in green sneaking about. He was amazed at how silent they moved, almost motionless in the shadows of the forest. One of them stepped out from the cover of the trees. Strangely, he reminded Legolas of Boromir's perkiness in the mornings.
"Ahoy there, matey!" the man said cheerily. Moments after, his two companions appeared on either side of him.
"Lord Faramir, please, do not stray far from us!" one said, distressed.
"Don't call me that silly name. I am Hernando, and breathing is fun!" Now, what's Faramir doing here, you ask? Beats the crap out of me. I was running out of ideas.
Baffled, Legolas said, "Who are you?"
"I am Mablung, my dear Elf. Before I may answer your inquiry, you must answer mine. Who are you, and what are your intentions here?"
"Who. Does. Number. Two. Work. For?!" Faramir grabbed Legolas by the shoulders and shook him.
Mablung restrained the crazed man and Legolas spoke. "I am Legolas of Mirkwood. My purpose is only to travel through this land with a few companions."
The other man nodded. "I am Damrod. We are Men of Gondor, on a mission to find a steward's son."
"Yeah, pops and the homies back in the 'hood are missin' him," said Faramir. "Have ya seen mah brotha'?"
Before answering, Legolas looked at Damrod. "Head wound?"
They both nodded solemnly. "I recognized his strange behavior, for one of my comrades has suffered a similar fate," explain Legolas.
"A large sapling fell on his head during the night," said Mablung.
"Yes. Tragic it was, indeed. I blame it on the squirrels!" Faramir sighed dramatically.
"You must be weary. Come, and I will take you to my company." The three men followed Legolas through the trees and into the small clearing where the others rested.
"It took you long enough," Sam snarled, his nerves frayed from Ruby's mindless babble, and his weariness getting the better of him. "Did you"—he stopped short as he saw the three Men.
"Brother!" Boromir gasped.
"'Ey there, buddy boy! My, you've gained some weight!"
"He has eaten far too many guinea pigs and pieces of cheesecake," Ruby said with a nod.
"Faramir, what has gotten"—he saw Legolas tapping his head with his fist, and immediately he got the point.
"Halflings!" cried Faramir, running to the hobbits. He gathered them up in a big group hug.
"Yay! Huggleses!" giggled Ruby.
"Aww! Don't you just wanna hug 'em?!" asked Faramir, turning to Mablung and Damrod.
They smacked their foreheads in frustration.
Faramir blinked and stared off into space for a moment, as though he was actually thinking. Suddenly, he cried out, "The fire department says there are too many people in this forest! In case of an emergency, not all of us would be able to escape safely!" He pointed at Mablung and Damrod. "You two will have to leave at once."
"What?" they both asked, confused.
"Didn't you hear me? I thought I told you not to shave your legs in the shower!"
Any further comments were ignored by the sane ones.
It was finally time for the group to move on. Faramir and his companions decided to tag along, having nothing better to do with their meaningless existence. Faramir and Ruby chattered to one another about how many times they had been jipped at Taco Bell and not gotten items they ordered.
"This one time I asked for a frozen bowl of pickle juice, and they just gave me a chili cheese burito. I mean, how stupid can you get?" Faramir babbled.
"Yeah, I know. I remember when I ordered a male prostitute, and they gave me one of their kids' meal toys."
Frodo walked in silence, grinding his teeth in annoyance at the two idiots walking behind him. Legolas let out a long, heavy sigh, and shouted to Aragorn. "How far is it to Rauros?"
"If we still had our boats from Lothlorien, we would have been there yesterday. But since Ruby just HAD to figure out which rock would make the biggest hole in Lorien wood, we will not get there for another two or three days," Aragorn replied, growling under his breath as he walked.
Talis, who walked alongside Legolas, whimpered.
By the late afternoon it was time for another rest.
"Flaaaame," Gimli said, shivering.
"No. We cannot risk it," said Boromir.
"We can't smoke anything?" asked Faramir as he plucked some blades of grass from the ground.
"The Enemy can see even the smallest sign of our location," Boromir replied.
Faramir stopped wrapping the grass in a leaf. "Aww.. Can I sing a song?"
Boromir, thinking it was one of the songs their father had taught them in their youth, agreed. He soon regretted it as Faramir took out an accordion and started playing.
"Ohh, this is a story 'bout a guy named Al. And he lived in the sewer with his hamster pal. But the sanitation workers really didn't approve. So he packed up his accordion and headed to move to a city in Ohio where he lived in a tree, and he worked in a nasal decongestant factory," Faramir continued his happy little song to the great aggravation of the others.
Hee. Heads up. We have ourselves a mush scene.
When Faramir finally shut up and everyone settled down to sleep, Talis and Legolas started their watch for the night. After almost an hour of silence, Legolas foolishly decided to try and start a conversation. "So.. umm…"
Talis blinked, since she had almost fallen asleep, and looked at him. "What?"
Legolas heard someone whispering practically in his ear. "Move closer to her, she's cold." So he scooched himself a bit closer to Talis.
She was too tired to notice and decided to start rambling about nothing really in particular. "Uh, I just wanted to thank you for protecting me from Aragorn, and aiding me with this burden. You do not particularly have to help me, since it's my punishment."
"You are welcome, my friend," Legolas said. He heard another whisper saying: "Kiss her, stupid!" He blinked, hesitating. Why was he listening to the voice? Was it in his head, or real? …What would he look like as a lobster?
"This may be your only chance! Kiss her!" the voice whispered harshly. "Erm," He leaned over, thinking he could give her a peck on the cheek. She turned to him since she thought he was going to say something, and so he scored one on the lips.
Ruby and Faramir burst out laughing. They had been hiding in the bushes the entire time, and it was Ruby who was advising Legolas. Immediately, Talis and Legolas stopped swapping spit.
"It's so adorable it's sickening!" laughed Ruby. Talis blushed scarlet and smote Ruby with the nearest object she could find, that being a rather large stick. Thus making Ruby even more screwed up than before.
The Elves finished their watch and the watches were carried on through the night. As he fell asleep, Legolas muttered to himself. "One day down, two more to go."