CHAPTER THREE
Durandir entered the camp just before dawn, not surprised to see the two elves already up and talking quietly. They stopped when they noticed him, Elenloth giving a short nod of greeting, Legolas just glared at him. He smiled in return, feeling energized. He always did feel good after a feeding. And he did not kill, or even really weaken any of the deer he coaxed into stillness.
Unfortunately he hadn't really slept at all that night, and was now slightly tired. He did not look forward to a long day's travel. Aragorn was the next to wake, noting Durandir with a slight frown. And so it was with everyone, except Gandalf. Even after traveling a few weeks with the Fellowship, they still distrusted him.
Suddenly he realized where they were, in a rocky terrain near the Caradhras Mountains. He cursed, sizing up the area. No, it would be later that the birds would come. There was a clattering, and a curse. Everyone looked to see Sam trying to get his bulky pack on. He grinned sheepishly as the conversations began again.
Durandir stood up, pulling his rifle's sling over his shoulder. He walked up to Sam, who watched him apprehensively. "Here, Sam. Let me carry that today. I know it wearies you."
Sam looked at him for a couple of seconds. Everything had gotten more silent. "You ain't going to steel nothing, are you?"
Durandir just laughed. "Do you really think I could find something of use in your pack, something my kind would use?"
Sam just looked down in embarrassment. Durandir knelt down in front of him, speaking so only he and the Hobbit could hear. "To prove my worth, I can get you more of that Shire salt you have in that small box. I just need to see it."
Sam's eyes widened. "Would you, sir?" he asked hopefully. He quickly pulled the wooden box out of his pack. "'Cause I only have so much, and with more, I could use it more often." He handed the box over. Durandir placed it on the ground, and concentrated on it. Soon there were two identical boxes.
Sam picked up the new box with trembling hands. He opened it, and took a pinch from inside. He tasted it, and the gardener's eyes widened with amazement. "It is, it is! Thank you, mister Durandir! How can I repay you?"
"Let me carry your pack." The hobbit nodded, and let Durandir take his bag. Sam ran off to Frodo, telling him what a nice person the half vampire really was. Durandir just watched him, shaking his head softly. He then noticed everyone was staring at him. "What?"
Later that day, they stopped for rest. Before doing anything else, Durandir quickly hid whatever was not needed for food or camp preparation. After tying up Bill in an area even the Crows would have trouble spotting, he returned to camp. Elenloth smiled, and patted the next to her on the rock perch. Everyone had warmed up considerably after what he did for Sam.
Sam offered him a plate of food, but Durandir declined. Merry and Pippin were being taught swordplay by Boromir. They paused briefly. "You look good, Merry!" said Pippin.
"Faster," Boromir urged. Clang, clang, clang.
There was a grumble from Gimli. "If anyone were to ask for this dwarf's opinion, which I note they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way round. Gandalf, let us use the Mines of Moria." By now Durandir had fully extinguished the fire.
"No Gimli. I would not use that road unless given no other choice," Gandalf stated.
"OW!" came from the fight.
"Sorry!" Boromir cried, before being attacked by the feisty Hobbits.
"For the Shire!" one yelled.
Aragorn stood up, laughing. Durandir walked to Elenloth, motioning to the dark patch of birds. "That's enough, gentlemen," Aragorn said before being tripped by Merry and Pippin.
"Gandalf, the spies of Saruman approach," Durandir said warily, pointing towards the dark patch that had grown slightly larger.
"It's nothing, just a wisp of cloud," stated Gimli confidently.
"No, it's moving against the wind! I've hid everything, now hide! Quick!" Durandir snapped. There was a short pause, then everyone dove to cover, having more time then they would have to hide better. Five minutes later, the birds passed. But this time, they went above the stone pile, and they continued on their path, not turning around.
Ten minutes after they had passed overhead, the Fellowship slowly crept from their hiding places. Gandalf sighed, and looked towards the flock of birds growing smaller. "The passage south is being watched. We will go over Caradhras," he said.
They started to pack up, again Durandir pulled on Sam's pack. As he helped everyone locate hidden things, Elenloth came over to him. "I was thinking about that one night, in Rivendell. Eleven wars and they all sound different. Did you go look for them?"
"No," he said. "Like I stated before, I lived under the English crown in my early days, and fought for King Henry the Fifth." The Fellowship started trekking for the mountain in the distance. "Of course, I also fought in the War of the Roses, on the Parliament's side. That was the last battle I fought for the British. Then I fought in the Revolution, and the War of 1812, both against the British. From then on out, I fought in all the wars the U.S. fought in. I didn't turn any down, true, but that might have been the vampire side of me."
"Parliament, U.S.? And you spoke of the North Atlantic Empire?"
"Parliament was a branch of government for the British. Britain was a small island nation, by the way. U.S. stood for United States, what used to be a colony of Britain, until-" And so Durandir told her of his life. The history of the U.S. How NATO joined to become the North Atlantic Empire. What wars and battles were the bloodiest, how he once helped stop a battle from starting.
Pretty soon the entire Fellowship was listening. They gasped when they heard of the complete loss of magic, except for a few spell casters, like him. The discovery of Humanoid Vampires, and the great burning of Vampires. It was all misunderstood. Vampires had not wanted to drink human blood all the time. The number of fatalities from over feeding was less than six hundred, which was pretty good, considering how long Vamps had been around. And any Vampire that fed solely on humans was considered evil, and was hunted down.
"Can you turn me into a vampire?" asked Pippin. They had set up camp at the base of the mountain, and were all settled in.
"No, I can't. Vampirism is not a disease or curse. A Vampire is a species different from man, just as elves, dwarves and hobbits are."
Boromir snorted. "Still doesn't stop you from being a bastard blood sucker." Everything grew way quiet as everyone looked to see Durandir's eyes start to glow a sudden gold. He stood up, walked over to Boromir, and grabbed him by the front of his tunic. "Hey!" Boromir protested.
Durandir lifted his arm, suspending Boromir six inches off the ground. "He's strong," Pippin remarked, not knowing that now was not the time.
With his teeth bared, fully showing his fangs, Durandir hissed in seething anger. Boromir quit struggling and watched in fear. "Blood sucker I may be," he growled, his voice deep and hollow, "but never, ever insult my mother like that! I may not have been born by her choice, but the fucking Vampire rapist that did that to her died by my hand! Don't insult her again, understood!" Boromir nodded, and was dropped unceremoniously to the ground.
Durandir stalked back to his spot, and lay down, refusing to speak at all the rest of the night.
There will be some action in the next chapter, I promise!