Hopefully, this chapter will be well recieved- it's my favourite! R&R! E xx
Chapter Six: Not Feeling the Cold.
"Carrot, Merry?"
"Thanks, Pip. Apple?"
"No thanks, Merry. Carrot, Mina?"
I accepted, and Pippin gently guided my hand to the carrot, which, thoughtful hobbit that he was, he had scraped clean for me. I nibbled the sweet and juicy carrot, and listened to Boromir talking to Gimli about weapons for a while. I realised that I really did want to learn to fight again. I'd have to practice at some point.
"Mina, would you like some water?"
Legolas was sitting to my left, and he placed my hands on the skin so that I could drink. The stream water was boiled- Aragorn and Gandalf insisted we drink nothing else near Moria.
"Thank you. Legolas..." My voice trailed off as I wanted to ask him a favour.
"Yes, Mina?"
Would you teach me to throw knives?"
I felt him hesitate before replying.
"We have no throwing knives here, Mina. Mine are too heavy to throw, especially for learning. I promise, that should we come across some suitable knives, I will teach you."
My downcast expression was obviously too clear, as he eagerly promised me.
"Do not fear, Mina. We will protect you until you learn."
Aragorn cut in. "Speaking of letting us protect you, cousin, there is a stream to cross. It will be far too difficult for the hobbits to cross, so they will ride Bill. May one of us assist you?"
Did I have a choice? By assist, I presumed he meant take my arms. So it was with great surprise that I found myself in Legolas' arms as we crossed the stream. It was fast running, although not deep, and I was told we'd be across in five minutes. I felt Legolas shiver, and put my arms around his neck to help steady and warm him as we crossed.
"I thought elves did not feel the cold?" I asked curiously.
"We don't." He replied staunchly, and I giggled.
"I know you're shivering. I can hear your teeth chattering." I whispered conspiratorially, so that Gimli didn't overhear- the last thing I wanted to do was to start an elf/dwarf word battle.
"Well, is there a saying that elves don't get wet?" He answered, whispering back to me.
"No..."
"Then there you are!" He laughed, clear and joyfully, a pleasant sound. I joined in, as I heard the others asking what we were laughing about.
"What kind of an answer is that, Legolas Greenleaf?" I scolded playfully as we reached the other bank.
"The only one I have, I am afraid. I do not feel the cold, but when I am as..."
"Soaking?" I supplied helpfully, as he set me down with a grunt.
"Yes, then I shiver. Is that a good enough answer?"
"It'll do. Thank you, Legolas. You may carry me whenever you wish." I joked, and he said ruefully, "Not over another stream, I think- my arms are fairly broken!" I pretended to gasp in horror, and be affronted.
"Legolas!" I teased, "and here I was, thinking elves were brought up to be polite!"
"Nay!" Aragorn joined in. "They are brought up to be terribly teasing!"
"Aragorn! You wrong us, I am sure! Have I ever teased you?"
"Nay...Only a few hundred times!"
"When?"
"Well...The time when you told me Arwen wanted me to pick her some Slanthwin flowers, and I did and she was allergic to them and came out in that rash! She would not speak to me for days. Do you not remember, my friend?"
"It occurs to me," I put in, "that elves have a convenient 'forgetting' problem..."
Legolas laughed, and called "I surrender, I surrender" and placed a hand on my shoulder to guide me to the others. Troy had swum the stream without a problem, and shook himself all over the elf, causing laughter, as Aragorn claimed Troy was paying Legolas back for the Slanthwin incident.
All the members of the fellowship were becoming excellent guides, but Legolas, and Pippin seemed to have the knack. Boromir and Aragorn were a little too careful- we moved along at a snail-pace, but with Pip or Legolas we moved at the normal pace, with them ready to catch me should I trip or stumble.
I walked between Legolas and Aragorn until gradually I began to notice a change in the atmosphere. It was growing darker (we had eaten a late lunch) and the company seemed less inclined to laugh or joke, more to listen to Gimli's morbid tales of long ago.
"...and he was lost in the deep dark of Moria. They say that even now he wanders the labyrinth of the earth, meeting foe after foe, and slaying every one. They say that one dark day, he shall meet an enemy even he cannot defeat, and be slain. That foe will rule the deep dark of Moria, until one comes who is more powerful than he, and then shall the foe of all foe's be destroyed, and Moria be no longer a place of such great evil."
I noted Gandalf was silent, and I could not hear him. "Cousin, where is Gandalf?" I asked Aragorn.
"He walks with Frodo at the front. He seems...sad." "Nay, mellon, he is sad." Legolas spoke quietly. We all thought we knew why. Poor Frodo; such a heavy burden to bear. Gandalf felt so guilty for allowing him to take it, although he knew it was the right choice.
"I vote we all take a turn to talk to Gandalf and cheer him up. What do you think?" I appealed to the man and elf on either side of me.
"I will go first, as soon as he and Frodo are finished." Legolas volunteered. I smiled at him, pleased.
When Legolas was speaking to Gandalf, Aragorn began a new line of conversation, throwing a stick for Troy as he talked.
"Mina, are you sure you remember little about how you came to be here? What I mean, is, have you remembered more? Can you tell me more?"
I sighed. I did remember. How could I forget?
"Yes, Aragorn. My memory was confused at first, but now... My parents had told me about my true heritage but a few decades before. I had been excited, and asked them about how we had come to live...where we lived...and they had told me their story.
To make it short (as I must, otherwise it would take days to tell), they travelled the entire length and breadth of Middle Earth; the first ever to do so. Then they settled in the city of Elu Thingol before the destruction of the first and best city of men. When they tired of life so dull, they called upon mighty Manwe, and confessed to him that they had seen all they wanted of Middle Earth for a time, and that they wished, if possible, for somewhere new to explore and map, as there was nowhere unmapped left, so they could continue to use the talent given to them by Eru. Eru granted their wish through Manwe, with two conditions- one, that they must return home once they had mapped all of the 'lower' Earth he would send them, and two, that they should speak to a man named Tolkein, who would have certain 'visions' and help him write them down.
They lived on 'lower' earth for many years, and did as mighty Eru had asked. Some decades later, my parents completed their task. Satisfied with life, content to live among the Valar once more, they wished to return home. Eru agreed, with one exception; that I should experience life, and make some real friends before we lived in safety. So we would journey from the Grey Havens to Lothlorien, our new home. But alas, on our journey..."
My voice faltered, and Aragorn placed a cousinly hand on my shoulders.
"...while we travelled, my parents aided me (blind before then), but one morning, Father...He said that he should not move that day; he was too tired. So we rested. He died that evening- at the age of 1579 years old. My mother continued our journey, weeping constantly, afraid that she too would die and leave me alone, blind, in a world I did not know, alone and unsafe, yet wanting to be with Father, wherever mortal souls go to after death. She died a month later. I wandered alone, until, one day I...I think I fell...I may have tripped...I can't remember properly. But I was found by Boromir, and well, my mother's fears did not come true."
Aragorn's voice was hoarse; I think he was grieved at the manner of my parent's death: I couldn't blame him. We had been so close...
"You have me now, cousin, and I shall never forsake you. I swear it. I know also, that the rest of the Fellowship would assist you if I died. You are not alone in this world. I... I know what you have suffered, though not the depths- my parents died when I was very young. We shall stay together."
How did these people all seem to have the capacity to touch my soul with their friendship? They cared so deeply- well, it made me want to cry each time. How could he have sensed my inner fear? I reached over to Aragorn, and hugged him.
"Thank you." He seemed shocked at first, then, tentatively, he hugged me back.
The doors opened. Bill was released, we put on our cloaks (I was glad of mine; it was not warm within the caves) and Boromir led me carefully into the cave, Troy at my heels. The floor was uneven. As soon as I mentioned this, Gandalf's staff brightened, and I heard collective gasps, which echoed off the cave walls, filling the air with sibilant 'sss' sounds, which made us all a little nervous. Then I heard a snap, and Legolas exclaim 'Goblins!'
I strained each ear, but could hear no goblins. What did he mean? I didn't have time to find out- Boromir almost dragged me away, and Troy barked, but we had only gone two steps when I heard a tiny splash, and had time to say 'Mind ou...' before I heard a huge splash, and I was shoved behind Gandalf. I heard Frodo calling out, and the men calling to each other, and a terrible screech from whatever (I shuddered) had come from the pool, and the harsh sounds of swords and arrows, along with grunts and shouts that meant fighting. Suddenly Merry and Pippin were thrust next to me by –I think it was Gimli- and we were hustled back into the cave again. I felt two small hands in mine, and someone handed me Troy's collar, and I smiled- Troy, Merry and Pippin were as scared as I was. I began to whisper 'is everyone alright' but Pip was giving me a running commentary before I had finished asking.
"Frodo's in the air, being waved around, but Boromir and Aragorn are going to save him...Legolas is aiming an arrow at it's eye...Gimli's chopping off tentacles...Sam is too...Hurrah! Frodo's safe! Good shot! Legolas got it in the eye, you know...They're running in here... Oh no! It's coming after us!"
The rest of Pip's commentary was drowned out in the thunder of falling rocks. I cried out, and there was silence.
"Pippin? Is everyone alright?"
A throat was cleared- not Pippins; deeper.
"Yes, I think so. But someone is sitting on me."
Gandalf's staff flared, and Merry and Pippin began to snort with laughter.
"What?" I asked curiously.
"They're all in a heap! Aragorn is lying on Legolas and Gimli, and Boromir, Frodo, Sam and Gandalf are all muddled up on top of them! Hee hee! They all look so puzzled!"
I grinned as Gandalf snarled a reproof at Merry, and began to giggle. Troy licked my arm and whined. I giggled more- Troy's tongue was tickly.
"Mina! Are you laughing at us?" It was Legolas, teasing again.
"No..."
"I think you are! Tut Tut. Can you get off me, Estel?"
"Are you saying I'm fat?"
"No..."
Trying to ignore the macabre surroundings, the group sorted themselves out, Troy bounding around like a mad dog, and Legolas came over to help me. Surprisingly, when we began to walk, it was he that stumbled most often. I think the caves threw his senses slightly. We stumbled on, nevertheless, following Gandalf and Gimli, Boromir and Aragorn with a pair of hobbits each, walking into the depths of the earth, where danger lurked.