It's nearly a week later when we reach the mines and straight away I know that something is wrong a feeling that I can't explain and I'm sure I'm not the only one that things it but I do feel uneasy that I am completely unarmed. The water in the huge lake in front of the mines entrance is dark and I feel my heart racing as I watch it, fear filling me.
"Don't," I whisper urgently to Merry as he is about to skip a stone across the surface making him pause and Legolas and the others to glance over.
"You feel it too," Legolas states and I nod a little in response stepping further away from the edge.
"Something dark, the watcher is awake," Aragorn says quietly and I shudder a little backing myself against the stone of the mountain and hoping that Gandalf would hurry up and work out how to open the doors, of course I have no idea what Aragorn is talking about but that doesn't stop the fear, if anything I think it makes my apprehension far worse.
"It's a riddle," I can hear Merry saying now and then I hear a grating noise and I am pushed towards the entrance while Gimli is talking loudly about the hospitality we are sure to receive.
When the mines open and we walk in the stench nearly overwhelms me and as my eyes try to become accustomed to the light I gasp out loud seeing the bodies all over the place and unconsciously step closer to Legolas who is saying something about goblins I am reeling from my first sight of real mass death and am struggling to hold my composure together. Someone is saying something about taking the path to Rohan and someone is grabbing my arm dragging me with them. A great roar is what drags me out of my mind and I almost wish I hadn't as a great squid type monster rises out of the water grabbing Frodo and pulling him towards it. Aragorn, Legolas and Boromir rush to his aid but before I can do anything I feel something wrap around my legs and I hit the floor hard feeling my ribs bruise and the air rush out of my body my face scrapped across the cold stone even as the creature drags me towards it. I scream out in terror and beat at the tentacle absolute fear taking over as I watch the men rescue Frodo and then push him back to the entrance of the mine with the others before turning back to me, Aragorn and Legolas shooting arrows at it, finally hitting there mark I feel the tentacle around me loosen and then I am falling. I hit the water hard, the air once again forced out of my body and then there are arms around me and I am being carried into the mines again being shielded as the entrance of the mine caves in and we are trapped in the blackness of this tomb. For a moment stand in the darkness the only sound our heavy breathing and thundering hearts before I become aware of arms still wrapped around my shaking body. my mind reeling as I try to comprehend what has just happened, what I have just seen.
"Are you okay?" Aragorn asks the hobbits as Gandalf lights his staff and they nod before he turns to me and I somehow manage to nod too pulling myself away from Legolas slightly as we begin moving again,
"It looks like we must face the mines after all, a four day walk to the other side let us hope our journey will go unnoticed there are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep dark," Gandalf mutters. I am panting for breath within minutes my ribs and the bruising on them is making it hard to concentrate as I stumble for the third or forth time.
"Lady Arriana are you okay?" Pippin asks when I stumble again.
"Yeah, I'm fine, just worn out," I mutter, knowing that I had promised to tell them when I was hurting I just want to hold out until we make camp painfully aware of our need to keep moving and my promise not to slow them down. It feels like weeks pass before Gandalf finally announces that we will stop and rest and I whimper softly in relief and pain as I try to sit.
"Arriana," Sam questions,
"Please… get Aragorn," I whisper and he scurries over to the others and returns minutes later with Aragorn in tow.
"What is it little one?" he asks and I offer him a small smile at his use of this nick name.
"My ribs. I hurt them when I fell. I don't want to be a pain but you said I should… it hurts," I manage and he gently pulls me to a standing position and pulls my jumper off me, it is pretty much ruined anyway, he then pulls up my t-shirt and vest top to examine my side and sucks in a slight breath before prodding at them which makes me hiss slightly in pain.
"They are bruised badly but not broken, come I have some herbs that will help with the pain and healing and then you must rest with us where you can stay warm you are wet through and I will not have you catching a chill again," he says in a whisper and I nod letting him pull me gently towards the rest of the group and then allowing him to help lower me to the ground and I don't even have the energy to complain or flinch when he moves so that I am leaning against his solid chest, sitting between his legs as they stretch out either side of me, so I can breathe more easily as Legolas applies the herbs and then wraps my ribs up in some bandage. I sit for a while watching Legolas as he watches the others and the surroundings and then catching Boromir's eye look away quickly as he sneers at me, looking down I am struck by how much bigger these men are than me, I am not short standing at five foot eight but all three of them, four if you include Gandalf tower over me I think about it for a while before I drift into an exhausted sleep maybe that is the reason they call me little one, maybe the reason I don't flinch anymore is because I trust them now.
When I wake I stay silent for a moment with my eyes closed as I listen to the others talking around me.
"It is not right that you lay with her like that, you and the elf," Boromir is saying, I really don't know what the man has against me, it's like he really hates me, I mean the bloke only ever talks to or about me if it is something insulting.
"She is an innocent under our protection my friend what would you have us do?" Aragorn replies and I can hear the rumble of his voice through his chest.
"She will affect us all eventually, her evil is only slightly lesser than the ring," Boromir growls and Aragorn laughs at that.
"I think you underestimate your companions,"
"I think you underestimate her beauty," Boromir counters and Aragorn stiffens slightly,
"Are you telling me that your intentions are less than noble?" he almost growls.
"Nay friend, I think our elf friend may already be taken with her though as are the hobbits and well, the journey is a long one, you cannot tell me that you have not found yourself gazing upon her," Boromir leers and I have to fight not to shudder,
"I see her as a brother sees his sister, she is under my protection," Aragorn says sternly and I feel warmth flush me at that.
"Calm yourself my friend I would never intentionally harm her, I am merely warning you of how the others may also feel," Boromir says before I hear him moving away and a moment later Aragorn shifts again.
"You can open your eyes now little one he has gone,"
"You knew I was awake?" I ask flushing with embarrassment and he raises an eyebrow at me as I turn to look up at him,
"It is not polite to eaves drop little one," he says though he has a glimmer of amusement in his eyes, and I give a slightly abashed smile.
"In my defence my hearing has strangely got really good since I arrived here as you well know and Legolas was listening too, that is if his facial expression right now is anything to go by," I say smiling as he looks over and grins when Legolas scowls and turns away. There is a warm feeling in my stomach as I turn back to look at Aragorn it is like we have become real friends somewhere along the line, he has gone from not trusting me at all to being someone I would trust to protect me with his life and looking up at him now I realise that it is true, I see him as a brother, family I never had.
"In seriousness though little one I want you to remain close to me or Legolas in future okay," he says sternly and I shudder a little again as I am brought back to reality,
"You think he would really…" I trail off hearing the fear in my own voice and suddenly sensing Legolas standing much closer and staring at us both again as I glance up knowing that my eyes are wide with worry and see slight concern hidden in the depths of his own ocean blue ones.
"I do not think he is always in control of what he does anymore," he says sadly and I frown in confusion but accept the answer none the less and nod my head as we get ready to start moving again.
"Lady Arriana," the voice interrupts my thoughts and I start a little as I look at Legolas, we've been walking for several hours already and the darkness is making me uncomfortable.
"Sorry," I say not sure what I am apologising for and he shoots me a confused look,
"You are shaking are you well?" he asks and I offer him a weak smile,
"I'm fine, just… I just… this is all a bit much you know, to get used to, it's all so… so different," I say after a minute deciding it's for the best that I don't mention Boromir and he stares at me for a while before nodding in understanding.
"If you are afraid about what Aragorn was speaking of earlier…" he begins,
"It's not that, I don't think he will hurt me and I can protect myself I just don't want to come between you and I really was just thinking about everything. Yesterday is the first time I have seen death like that," I admit shuddering slightly at the memory.
"It must be hard," he says after a while, "You're light on your feet for a mortal," he adds and I give him a smile at this which he returns slightly.
"Aragorn said earlier that Boromir wasn't always in control of what he did anymore," I whisper and Legolas sighs turning to me again while we continue to walk,
"He is an honourable and good man, but he is human and he is weakened by his want to restore greatness to his city," he explains and I think for a minute whilst we walk before it clicks in my head,
"The ring," I say and he glances at me again, "the ring has a hold over him, and when he is saying those things, when he may do those things it's because of the ring," I say and he nods sadly. "Why did you call me that earlier?" I ask deciding to change the subject.
"Call you what?" he glances at me and raises an eyebrow slightly in confusion,
"Lady Arriana," I clarify,
"Because that is your name is it not?" he smirks and I sigh slightly at the annoying elf, he seems determined to never make things easy for me.
"Yes but it sounds strange,"
"How so?"
"Well you normally… you… normally you call me little one," I stutter feeling my face heat up with embarrassment.
"I did not realise that you had grown so accustomed to the name," he says after a pause and I glance at him to see that he looks genuinely interested.
"I kind of, well, I quite like it," I say in a whisper staring at the floor,
"And tell me little one why is that?" he asks and I can barely stop the slight shudder that runs down my spine as he lowers his voice to a husky whisper to ask this, oh God please do not tell me I am getting a crush on the stupid elf.
"It makes me feel like I belong," I answer eventually, "I've never belonged anywhere before it's a nice feeling that's all," I finish and before he can say anything else I speed up a bit to walk with Gimli.
Our journey continues like this for days we stop to rest but mostly just fumble through the darkness, the herbs that Aragorn gave me and the rest has proved a miracle on my ribs however and I feel as good as new.