Stella was trying to keep from getting bored the next morning by looking over the contents of her bag again, she hadn't really thought about bringing much with her before she had set out to her meadow. A book, her lighter, her iPod, and a small pocketknife pretty much summed up the contents.
She looked over at Pippin she had grown fond of the hobbit, he reminded her of the young boy she used to watch over the summer back in high school with his one track mind and shocking loyalty. He was struggling with his bag that was loaded with things, food mostly, and couldn't get the right strap over his elbow. Stella walked over to him and sat down motioning him to do the same. He quickly abandoned the bag giving it a final kick before he joined her with a smile.
"Pippin, I couldn't help but notice that your bag seems a tad bit too large for you," she said with a grin.
He looked down as if embarrassed.
"So I would say that it is only fair if we share the load, what do you say?" she asked, trying to cover a chuckle.
A smile broke out on his face.
"Oh, yes please!" he grinned at her, as he quickly emptied the contents of his knapsack and divided the massive pile of food he had sorted into two groups.
Once they had successfully divided the food and eaten a small breakfast they started off again with Aragorn taking the lead. Stella couldn't help but smile as she watched Aragorn; he was a natural born leader. She heard Sam grumble to Frodo about not trusting Strider, and making rather rude comments about his smell. To which Stella could only chuckle.
"If you think he stinks now, you should have smelt him before I made him take a bath!" she laughed at the look of surprise on Sam's face.
Clearly he believed the conversation to have been private.
They continued to walk the majority of the day. Stella had come to realize that this was most of Aragorn's pattern, wake up, eat, walk, and sleep. There wasn't much else he did except give Stella long looks that sometimes looked as if he were upset and other times it was a look of great longing. Stella passed by these looks assuming that they were mere figments of her ever-hopeful imagination.
As they reached a massive stone structure that reminded Stella of a piece of abstract art she had seen at one point of another that was meant to symbolize man's destruction. Aragorn called it Amon Sul, and started to climb to the top the little hobbits close on his heel. Stella followed, although she was cautious of any place she could not pronounce the name of. Once they got to the top of the large structure Aragorn deposited four short blades at the hobbit's feet before he motioned for Stella to follow him.
As they left the hobbits to set up bedrolls, Aragorn turned to look at Stella, she realized he was much closer than he normally stood but ignored it as she saw the seriousness in his face.
"It is necessary that I go for a small amount of time, while I am gone should any danger come to pass I need to know that you will not run." He stated, as if he had just met her.
She scowled; offended that he would think that of her.
"Do not worry your precious head," she sneered, "It may be common place for women to run and hide here, I however was raised differently!" she could not hide the pride that emanated from her as she spoke the last words, angered that he would believe that of her.
He tensed as she glared at him and remembered the words she had spoken that had convinced him to let her come on this trip 'as if I have not faced horrors you could not even imagine'. He knew that she would not run, he was not even sure why he had said it, he wanted to tell her to be safe and protect herself although he had not the words to say it. He nodded unsure of a proper response, though as she turned away he placed his hand on her elbow.
"Do not light a fire, do not entertain with that musical devise, I fear the Nazgul come closer with each passing moment" he whispered with urgency.
She nodded and turned again to re-join the hobbits still glaring as she took her seat. Slowly she allowed herself to be pulled into sleep, the stress of the day's walk and Aragorn's insensitive comments finally catching up to her.
When she awoke it was to Frodo yelling.
"Put it out, you fools!" he exclaimed.
Stella looked over at the hobbits that were sitting only a few feet away around a fire that Frodo kicked out. It was too late; she heard the piercing screeches and saw them, the ringwraiths cloaked in black. They struck fear in Stella's heart, knowing that they would stop at nothing to obtain what they craved most; she knew they were in trouble. She pulled her small knife out of her bag and opened it, why Aragorn had left her with no other method to protect herself she did not understand 'probably just didn't want to loose the weapon once I ran off' she thought sourly, still angered by his comments.
The Nazgul descended upon them and though the hobbits and Stella prepared for an attack it never came. Instead they merely pushed them aside as they made their way to Frodo. He looked petrified as they approached him, and appeared to be locked in a trance fumbling with the ring that rested heavy in his pocket.
Suddenly he disappeared, slipping the ring onto his finger. Stella was shocked she had never seen anything like that before, she stood there for a second before it dawned on her that this was probably not a good thing and she started yelling Frodo's name. Suddenly Aragorn appeared from seemingly nowhere attacking the Nazgul that remained close to where Frodo once lay.
Stella watched with fascination as the wraiths slowly retreated and Frodo reappeared. Although something was wrong with him, he had a stab wound close to his heart and looked pail and clammy. Stella rushed to his side, worried that her new friend would soon be dead.
"Frodo! Frodo!" She called, afraid to touch him in case it made him worse.
She looked up at Aragorn; he held the blade that struck Frodo with a look of disgust on his face. Stella watched in shock as the blade turned to ash floating away with the wind. Quickly Aragorn turned to Frodo, pushing Stella out of the way, and picked him up. The group made their quick escape from the rock and headed into the forest, it was there that Aragorn placed Frodo on the ground and looked at Sam.
"Athelas," Aragorn looked at him with purpose, causing Stella's fear to skyrocket. At the look of confusion on Sam's face as he attempted to say the name strider rephrased, "Kingsfoil" he said again with ever decreasing patients.
"Aye, but that's a weed!" Sam explained, confused by the seemingly pointless questions while his friend laid there turning into one of those damned creatures.
"It may help to slow the poison" Aragorn responded quietly.
At the mention of saving Frodo, Sam hurried off with his eyes glued to the ground. Aragon walked in the other direction looking for the same plant. Once he had located a small patch of the weed under a tree he quickly knelt and attempted to collect it but was stopped, as suddenly there was a sword at his jugular.
"What's this, a ranger caught off his guard?" said a cool voice.
"This is no time for games, Arwen" Aragorn muttered, annoyed that she would divert him from such an important task.
Arwen immediately retracted her sword though she was confused by his cold manner and tense shoulders.
"You must help," he implored her "Frodo has been stabbed by a Morgul blade."
Arwen immediately sprang into action as she rushed over to Frodo, allowing Aragorn to place the weed into Frodo's wound.
"He needs my father" she murmured to Aragorn.
He merely nodded, reluctant to look her in the eye. "I will take him and send horses back for you."
At this Arwen's cool voice became heated and she switched languages, Stella became lost in the beautiful flurry of sounds but watched as Arwen collected Frodo and placed him upon her horse.
"I do not fear them" she told Aragon still heated although in a language Stella could understand.
Aragorn nodded again whispered to her words the rest could not hear. Arwen looked at him with steely reserve and set off at a fast pace away from the group.
As Aragorn re-joined Stella and the hobbits he explained that Arwen would take Frodo to Rivendell and protect him and that they would meet him in a few days. Stella looked at Aragorn he seemed shaken, and was looking at her with an unreadable stare.
Sam was worried sick over Frodo and pushed Merry and Pippin to move faster, as Aragorn set of at a brisk pace followed quickly by Stella. Once night had thoroughly ensconced them Aragon slowed his pace allowing the hobbits a chance to catch up with him and Stella. The hobbits then went about setting up camp while Aragon motioned for Stella to follow.
Stella couldn't help but thinking about the pervious night when Aragorn had insulted her and left her defenceless, anger boiled inside of her as she made to follow after him. She managed to hold her tongue until they wee far enough away not to be heard.
"Would you care to tell me exactly what is wrong with you?" Stella almost shouted. "After you accuse me of being so spineless as to abandon my friends, you leave me powerless to defend either myself of them while you are off frolicking in the fields!" she was yelling, making wild hand gestures almost hitting him in the face. "And who was that woman?" she added this time she actually smacked his chest with a touch too much force to be friendly.
He grabbed her wrists, "Stop!" he commanded.
Despite the overwhelming urge to kick him, Stella paused her movements and settled for glaring at him.
"I left you without a weapon because I assumed that you would not know how to use it, swords can be equally deadly to the one that wields it, if they do not know what they are doing." He paused to gauge her reaction.
He was right she would have no idea what to do with something a crude as a sword, she could barely hold a shotgun without trembling with fear. She still maintained her glare.
"As for frolicking, I can promise you that was not my intention. I would also like to apologise for having such little faith in you." He stopped there hoping that she would just forget about the last part of her question.
Stella nodded, "and the woman?" she asked again, noticing the bitterness in her own voice.
Aragon looked at her as if gauging her reaction "She is a friend," he finally answered looking away.
She sneered hearing the lie in his voice. "You may be a natural leader, but people will only follow if you can manage to answer them honestly."
She turned away busying herself with fussing over the exhausted hobbits that now slept where they fell.