A/N: So I was sad Game of Thrones season five ended, then I decided to drown my sorrows by writing this chapter. It's shorter than usual because it is a bit of a filler. Rome was built in many days and the Fellowship did reach the pass of Caradhras in the span of a few short walking montages, as the (extended edition) film showed, so here is my montage.
Disclaimer: I don't own a thing.
Enjoy~
The landscape of Middle Earth was beautiful, the rolling hills and rocky outcrops provided some breath taking sights but so did a walk in the peak district. A walk Amaryllis had done before and once you've seen one hill you've seen them all. Entertainment was few and far between, in fact the only entertainment provided was through her stories, they'd already discovered Wonderland through Alice, traversed the somewhat horrific tales the Brothers Grimm provided and walked under Sherwood Forest with Robin Hood. Princes rescued Princesses, Sinbad sailed the seven seas and Aladdin found the Genie in the lamp. It was safe to say that she was running out of stories to tell, the hobbits fascination lay in the stories of King Arthur, his legendary prowess of a warrior intriguing them as they began to wish for a mighty sword like Excalibur, but even those stories came to an end. She'd begun explaining everyday things in her world, broomsticks, potions, Quidditch, cars, skyscrapers, key rings, anything and everything. The stories were more than just a few words to pass the time, they were a way to connect to her home and to keep their minds off the task set out before them.
"Your world intrigues me greatly," Gandalf said as she sat beside him, a fire blazing quietly in front of them, "it has advanced far greater than this world, to think horses become a pass time, no more than a sport, overtaken by strange metal contraptions for transportation. It sounds whimsical and so very dream-like."
"In some ways it is advanced," she agreed, "medicine is a major improvement, things that would kill a person here wouldn't be an issue back home. But," she paused a frown lighting her face, "there is so much prejudice, even amongst those with magic. No, especially amongst those with magic. They loathe change, are quick to judge things as evil, and segregate themselves in a social hierarchy. It is… well, if there had been a little less prejudice in the world than perhaps I would have grown up being loved by my parents, to have them tell me they are proud of me and they love me is a dream I longed for as a child."
"I am sure they love you and are proud of you all the same," Gandalf responded easily, "but life is too short for perhaps, should haves or could haves, it does not do to dwell on them."
"You remind me strongly of my old headmaster, Professor Dumbledore," she smiled wistfully, "he was the smartest man I knew. He spoke in riddles and had a twinkle in his eyes. I thought of him as a grandfather, you're much the same in that respect. I feel as though I can discuss everything and anything with you and you would not judge."
"There is no greater honour than being thought of as a grandfather to you child," he grinned and winked at her, "might be I should imagine you to be my granddaughter."
"I think I'd like that," she told him, they both shared a look of mutual caring.
They said nothing for a while and her gaze, as she found it often did, drifted to their resident elf. He stood talking to Aragorn, though his gaze surveyed their surroundings constantly, his blonde hair swayed lightly as a breeze picked up. She was intrigued by him, as she had been Glorfindel and Arwen, he was something new and she wanted to know everything about his race. She blamed Hermione for that, her bookishness had rubbed off an inevitable occurrence in hindsight with how many times the bushy haired witch had dragged her to the library, but Amaryllis was also curious about Legolas personally. Ever since he had sat with her, telling her a little about his childhood, he had comforted her and promised to help guard her against her fears though he barely knew her. It was a surprise, she had first thought him arrogant and, like most of the elves she had seen, standoffish but she was wrong. He kept his promise and every day, no matter what he was doing, he would teach her how to use her bow, even if the lessons where no more than an hour, he was patient but stern. He was clearly a master at his craft and she held a great respect for him as her teacher. Blue eyes suddenly found hers and she found herself blushing at being caught staring and at the handsome smile he gave her. She looked away after giving a shy smile in response, only to see Gandalf silently laughing.
"You watch him often," he said keeping his tone light, though there was a knowing twinkle in his eye at the shocked look she gave him, "you're not as subtle as you think. Do not worry though, he watches you just the same, if not more." He laughed out loud this time and stood with a pat to her shoulder, before moving to join Frodo and lightly inquire how the hobbit was faring.
It was later in the night when most of the fellowship were sleeping when she was joined by the very elf she had been trying not to look at. Gandalf's observation made her realised how much she did indeed stare at Legolas, though she had a feeling Gandalf had the wrong idea as to why she did so. Still, she found herself not wanting to give the impression that she liked him, she learnt the first time around that developing feelings for another travelling companion whilst on a dangerous mission was a bad idea. Though Hermione and Ron clearly made it through the trying time, it was still an eye-opener in a lesson of when not to develop feelings for people. Aside from that, her mission was to protect Frodo and complications like relationships simply didn't appeal to her.
"You should sleep," he told her, as he often did when the others began to drift off to sleep, "we walked longer than usual today, you must be tired."
"I'm fine," she wasn't sleepy, though her muscles ached and could have done with the rest, "what about you? Aren't you tired?"
"Elves require less sleep than other races, we can remain awake for a few days without any sleep," he told her, an amused smile appearing on his face as he watched her shocked expression.
"You haven't slept at all since we left Rivendell?" she asked incredulously.
"I have rested, but I haven't slept properly," he told her, "I doubt I will have a proper sleep anytime soon. But it will not affect me like it would mortal men."
"A perk of being a pretty pointy eared elf then?" she said teasingly.
"Oh, has someone been listening to Gimli's insults again? He's rubbing off on you," he admonished, though his eyes were alight with amusement.
"Insults? Why would Gimli ever insult you? Here I was thinking you were the best of friends," she feigned a surprised look that had Legolas laughing the tinkling laugh all elves seemed to possess.
"Oh yes we are the best of friends as you put it," he told her sarcastically.
They sat in silence for a little while, though there wasn't a moment of awkwardness between them, Amaryllis looked at the others around them. Aragorn sat a little ways away, on watch for the moment, Gandalf sat deep in thought smoking his pipe and Boromir was lightly playing with the bracelet she had given him, though his mind was clearly elsewhere. The Ring still plagued him, even with the help of her magic, and there was little they could do about that. It would be down to Boromir's strength of will in the end.
"Do you miss your home?" Legolas asked her suddenly, earning a curious look in response, "your stories are all told very fondly, and when you speak of your world there is a longing in your eyes."
"Yes," she responded immediately, "it makes me sad to think of the things I will never see, I had a godson and I won't ever see him grow up, my best friends were expecting their first child, I wanted to help people and do things. It does hurt to be away from all I knew but I didn't leave them behind by choice after all, so I guess that makes it easier to accept. I died back home, crushed by fallen rubble, so it wasn't like coming here meant choosing between them or here. It was either come here or move on to wherever it is the soul goes to when people die."
Legolas didn't say any more and after a moment of contemplative silence he once more told her to sleep before taking over the watch from Aragorn, the ranger joined Amaryllis after a moment spent talking to the elf. Aragorn, as per usual, didn't say much to her but she found warmth in his presence beside her. It was as though he was a comforting light and she soon found herself nodding off.
"Could you give me one of those trinkets you gave Boromir?" Frodo asked her as they walked next to each other the following day, "I wouldn't ask, but I fear for the future and each day the Ring grows heavier around my neck. It haunts me even in my dreams."
"The bracelet Boromir has wouldn't work with you Frodo," she told him with regret, "you hold the Ring on your person. Its pull is much stronger on you than it is on Boromir, though honestly it affects him the strongest. My magical runes are barely suppressing the influence the Ring has over him, it would be rendered useless should I give you something like the bracelet."
"Oh… I had thought… never mind," he trailed off, though his hand was clenched tight around the Ring and his troubled eyes were firmly fixed on the ground. Amaryllis sighed, her own hand coming up to trace the chain of her locket, it was invisible to all but her unless she wished them to see it and more often than not she forgot about its presence, though she would notice immediately if it were taken from her. She had found it buried in her parent's vault with a letter from her mother. Lily was continuing to protect her daughter from beyond the grave for the locket contained Lily's magic, trapped inside the rune symbol of love. A mother's love was so pure and holy that, if the witch was powerful enough, could be contained inside anything silver etched with the rune. Love was after all the most powerful form of magic there was.
"There is a way I could help though," she told him, her gut clenching at what she was about to do, but right now Frodo was in more need than she was. She pulled the chain over her head, the locket becoming visible as it left her person, she sent a wish to her mother and hoped the necklace would keep him safe, that her mother would protect Frodo like she protected her daughter. She felt the locket warm in her hand, as though it agreed to watch over Frodo. They paused in their walk, only Aragorn noticed them and he too stopped to watch. She held the necklace between, the locket span around slightly in the wind, Frodo eyes widened at the sight of it.
"It's beautiful," he whispered in awe, though the design was simple, he could feel the light it emitted.
"It belonged to my mother and after her death she left it to me," she smiled sadly at the sight of it, "it is enchanted with powerful protective magic, it holds the magic of a mother's love for her daughter. The normal runes of protection, like the ones on Boromir's bracelet, wouldn't be enough to help you fight the Ring's possession, but this is different."
"Why are you telling me this?" Frodo asked confused but Amaryllis only smiled and slipped the chain over his head, watching the locket fall into place on his chest, "why are you giving it to me? It is precious to you isn't it?"
"It's very precious to me, it's the only thing I have that belonged to my mother, and I'm not giving it to you Frodo I'm only lending it to you. I will take it back at the end of this quest. I cannot protect you from the influence of the Ring, so please, allow my mother to help you fight it." She wrapped her hand around the locket, saying a goodbye to it, before dropping back so it rested against his chest. "Her name was Lily, so whenever you feel lost or trapped within the darkness you only need to hold the locket and call my mother's name. She will help you, I know it in my heart that she will."
"Thank you," Frodo whispered, the eternal gratefulness shining in his eyes.
"Tis a noble thing you did," Aragorn told her a little later, Frodo had gone to join Sam and Aragorn had stepped up beside her in his absence. "Not many would willingly part with such a treasured item."
"It grieves me to not feel it around my neck, but his need is greater than mine and my mother will help him," she smiled wryly at the Ranger, "if ever there was a woman you didn't want to make angry, it was my mother."
"She must have been a beautiful and fearsome woman indeed, I would've been honoured to meet such a woman."
"She would've loved you I'm sure," an image of her mother coddling Aragorn came into her mind and she began laughing, Aragorn soon joining her when she told him why.
A/N: I could just imagine Lily being all motherly to Aragorn, can't you? The locket of Lily Potter will play a part in later chapter so I thought it would be best to introduce it here.
Did anyone else watch Game of Thrones? My friend is behind on the episodes so I literally have no one to talk about it with and my mother just doesn't understand at all!
Please review ^-^
