Ok, This is Chapter 2 of my new story and for anyone who missed it in the last chapter, this was originally part of another story that was rubbish and I totally hated so I decided to restart it and write it differently.
Disclaimer: I wish I owned it but I don't and I never will. Curses.
Chapter 2- A Fellowship reunited
The fellowship gathered together inside Frodo's little room in Elrond's house. It had been a stressful few days so far. Ever since Saruman had returned everyone had been waiting fearfully for him to make his move. Pippin had not felt any fear like this since the War of the Ring. Each person was desperately nervous about the new task which lay before them. Attempting to sneak into Isenguard so that Gandalf could defeat Saruman did not merit what most of them could call fun. But something had to be done. Saruman had sent messengers over all the lands of Middle Earth with a one time offer to join him or to perish in the onslaught that he was about to unleash. None of them had any idea how he had survived but they all wanted the excuse to defeat him again. Of course what made it marginally more frightening was the fact that Saruman was clearly looking for them. Many spies had already been spotted in and around all their homes. This in the main had caused most of them to leave and attempt to find the others. Eventually they had all ended up at Rivendell, as each of them had passed through it at one point and found one or two of the others there until all of them were gathered. All of them had immediately agreed to help Gandalf find a way in and they were just waiting now for him to give them the word that it was time for them to leave. Their packs lay stacked up against the wall waiting to be taken up on their backs and hauled over all kinds of country. Aside from the original fellowship Faramir and Eowyn also joined them (as they had refused to allow Aragorn to leave Gondor alone.) It would be dangerous. But they were used to danger by now.
Except for Gandalf they all sat facing each other across the large table. Silence reigned. None of them wishing to break the heavy quiet that lay over them. Eventually after staring around trying to catch someone's eye Pippin grew bored and began to talk "I'm not sure I packed quite enough food." He said "I mean you never know just how much you might need. We might get delayed, or we might have to take an extra long route, or we could get attacked, or…" Legolas smiled kindly across the table at Pippin "I'm sure you have plenty of food to last you the entire trip." he said. Several of the hobbits grinned at this. There was never enough food to keep Pippin happy anywhere they went. In fact it was positively dangerous to travel anywhere with him when he was feeling underfed. His moaning would send anyone into insanity. "How long will the trip take?" asked Frodo, directing his question at anyone who cared to answer him "It's hard to say." replied Aragorn "It could really take any amount of time. I suspect that the trip to Orthanc should take a few weeks, but how long we might have to wait outside I cannot say." He looked very tired, as he and Faramir had laboured long over the last few days to gain as much information as they could on Saruman's movements while Legolas, Eowyn and Gimli had worked tirelessly to clear the area of Saruman's spies. Merry groaned "I suppose that means we get to starve then!" he said dramatically. Sam looked at him in horror, and then at his other friends waiting for them to deny what seemed to them a terrible claim. The others laughed and shrugged. Faramir reached across and handed Pippin some cheese "This could save your life sometime on the journey!" The others laughed. The mood was considerably lightened by know. They began to chat amongst themselves again. Gimli could clearly be heard trying to explain the dynamics of Dwarf women to Eowyn who was busily sniggering at his attempts, while the Hobbits happily worked their way through some food and most of the others began to converse about some of the practicalities of the Quest. All too soon Gandalf burst back into the room "It's time." He said to the room at large "The time has come for us to say farewell to the hospitality of Elrond and begin our long journey." Everyone's faces were grim but they stood and picked up their gear and the small group set off another trip to try and save the world.
A couple of hours later they all stood miserably in the rain seriously regretting their decision to take this trip. They had walked until they were exhausted and Merry and Sam in particular were wishing that they had kept themselves in shape over the past few years. The struggled on together at the back making excuses for their laziness "well you see..." said Sam "It's just so tough with my wife and the little-un, you know how difficult it can be to get time to yourself"
"I know exactly what you mean Sam; I just have so many relatives that I do a good amount of exercise anyway walking between their houses." Replied Merry earnestly. They went on like this for a very long time. At the front Legolas, Gandalf, Aragorn and Gimli were discussing Saruman "How exactly did you find out Gandalf?" asked Aragorn
"Any of the Istari can sense the rising of a great power at any time, It was without reason that one day as I was riding I felt a terrible force coming into being, even the birds and the beasts felt it. However I was unaware of what had created the tremor. I had to begin to search further. I went to Radagast the Brown to ask of his help. He has skills with the birds. He to had felt the tremor so he sent his friends to see if they could discover the source. I waited many days until many of his friends returned and they told us of Saruman's return and of the fact that he was preparing to search desperately for a small group called The Fellowship. Of course then I knew." The others made various nods or noises of understanding and the group plodded along.
They had been on the move for many days and they were travelling at night when a loud howl sounded out of the darkness "Wargs." Said Gandalf "I had feared it would be so."
"Do you think Saruman sent them?" asked Frodo.
"I can only assume so, and there must be Orcs with them as Wargs never travel alone." The poor Hobbits shivered with fear and the company began to move as fast as they possibly could. They ran quickly towards the start of a small slope, so as they could at least have a place that was defensible. "Move!" cried Aragorn as the Wargs drew closer. The cries sounded louder. As they ran Sam, who was at the back of the line felt hot breath on his heels. He yelled and kicked backwards. A yowl told him he had hit his target. They continued on. If they could just reach the start of the slope they would have a place to defend. Near the bottom of the incline Merry tripped and fell. He cried out as he landed awkwardly on his leg. Merry tried to stand, but his leg couldn't take his weight and he fell back down again. Aragorn, Legolas and Faramir turned around and ran to fight off the Wargs that were now converging on him. They charged towards the Wargs, each using their own weapons. Legolas felled many of them with his swiftest arrows while Aragorn and Faramir slashed left and right with their swords. Many Wargs fell to the ground, their death cries echoing through the darkness. Gimli ran into the fray and helped Merry to his feet, ignoring his cry of pain as his injured leg was jarred. Fear gave them the final burst of energy they needed to make the slope. The group gathered around Merry and prepared to fight. An Orc horn sounded through the night. They were surrounded. They each drew their weapons and stood waiting. But the Wargs began to withdraw. As the last of them left it sounded a final howl and disappeared. Something heavy was thrown at them from an unseen Orc. It clattered to the ground inches from Frodo's toe and lay there. Hesitantly Pippin picked it up. It was an Orc helmet. A helmet bearing the White Hand. They simply stared at it for a long while before Gandalf moved "Come." He said "They are watching us." The little group headed of together, desperately hoping for somewhere to call safety for the night.
I just want to give a special shout out to Janeyboy who has reviewed every one of my chapters and helps me to carry on with the story day to day.
Go on Review. You know you want to!
