"Arabella?" I turned toward the Hobbit who had called my name.

"Aye, Pippin?"

The young Hobbit practically skipped to catch up with me. His friends shook their heads at him. Frodo gave me a gentle smile that spoke a hidden message, one I understood well.

Aragorn had been telling us to keep quiet all day. There could be spies of Sauron anywhere, and well…Hobbits weren't known for their quiet speech, even if they were known for their quiet tread.

And I didn't mind keeping a young Hobbit entertained. They were all so like children. Young and innocent. They made me feel old. But they weren't very young. They had all reached their majority, or so I'd heard. All except Pippin anyways and even he was older than me in years if not so in mind.

The young Took had been chattering away for hours nonstop about random things and he'd been told to hush for hours now as well.

I slowed down enough so that he could catch up. He looked up at me, slightly out of breath, his cheeks red. His eyes gazed up at me with such a fondness that I smiled back down at him.

I laid an arm across his shoulder as asked. "Aye, Pip. What is it you wished?"

He looked away and blinked as though he'd forgotten, then he looked back up and opened his mouth before closing it again. "I forgot."

I laughed lightly. Aragorn glanced back at us and I caught his silent look to keep our voices down. I squeezed Pip's shoulder. "We best keep our voices down, Pip. Aragorn looks vexed."

Pippin snorted, but quietly. "Strider always looks that way. I verra rarely see him smile."

I chuckled softly. "I have seen him smile sometimes. When he is telling stories he sometimes smiles."

Pippin grinned then he looked up to me and asked, "You're sure you're not an Elf?" He asked.

I looked skyward. "Nay, I am not an Elf."

"Oh." Then, "But you don't act like Strider, so how can you be related to him?"

I near rolled my eyes again. "Pip, it's only distantly. And tell me, are you exactly like your cousins?" I realized it was a mistake to ask that question.

"Well not exactly, but when we were all younger they're the ones who taught me all I know. There was this one time… " The little one went on with his tale and I listened politely. It was funny how Pippin had come to me to be entertained and then ended up entertaining me instead.

I had to interrupt him a few times when he'd get too loud to tell him to quiet down, but he hardly paused for breath throughout his telling.

"And me da shot at the dogs and they left, one of them wounded. Then he took me Merry and Frodo out to the barn and, well…" He trailed off and shuddered.

I grinned down at him. "I take it you and your cousins were something of trouble makers."

"Oh, you have no idea." Frodo said coming up behind us.

I turned to grin at him, even as Pippin suddenly burst into another tale of his youth.

"Aragorn!" I heard a voice cry from up ahead. I snapped my head up as Gandalf stopped suddenly.

Aragorn caught up to the wizard in a few of his long legged strides and I halted as well. The Hobbits and remaining members of the Fellowship had also stopped at the cry.

I furrowed my brow, wondering if perhaps we should join them, or if I could get close enough to listen in without them noticing when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up, startled into the grey eyes of the brawny Gondorian man, Boromir.

"He only called for Aragorn, you know." He told me, a sparkle of something I couldn't quite place glimmering in his eyes.

I opened my mouth. How had this man known what I was thinking? He was of Númenórean lineage, aye. But I hadn't thought about the insight running so deep in his blood.

He smiled kindly at me. Although at first I had been slightly flustered at his protests from earlier about me not staying with the Fellowiship, I had grown to respect the man. He was, as Aragorn had once said, quite valiant in word and deed. I could tell that much and other than his earlier protest he had not done anything for me to scorn him.
"You remind me much of my younger brother." He said. "I always knew when he would get a gleam of mischief in his eyes."

I blushed faintly, unsure if I should be chagrined or flattered. I was spared from answering when Aragorn suddenly called back to us.

"Come. And make haste. Some evil stirs near here. We need to be clear of these open plains and back under the shelter of the trees by nightfall."

We started off again, our pace much faster than before. We moved so quickly that after only a short while I heard the little ones panting. Pippin gave up his story telling. He would have been too far out of breath to tell it.

As night was drawing near we finally came over the rise of a large knoll and in the valley below us were a few scraggly trees. It could hardly pass for a forest but it was shelter enough to sleep under tonight. It had grown colder and dark clouds rolled over the sky, blocking out the sunset.

I shivered and pulled my cloak tighter about my shoulders. I glanced back, noticing Pippin was far behind the others at the rear of the company walking beside the rear-guard Legolas. I slowed my pace and then fell in line beside them.

I wrapped an arm around Pippin's quivering shoulders. His short quick breath left white puffs of steam in the frigid air.

"Come, Pippin. It's not much farther now." I encouraged him weakly.

When we had finally set up camp, and Sam had laid out the provisions for supper that night I found myself standing near the edge of the tree line glancing northwards.

"Homesick?" Boromir asked, coming to stand beside me.

I shook my head. "Nay. I have dreamed of something like this my entire life. I have always wanted to be a warrior. A hero."

Boromir cast a sideways look at me. "A maiden warrior." He shook his head. "Never heard likes."

I stared at him. "You have never heard of Haleth the Golden-Haired Hunter. The fiercest maiden warrior amongst Men? Or Lúthien, who traveled to Tol-in-Gaurhoth and rescued her beloved from the evil clutches of Sauron? Or Aredhel, brave of heart? Or even Morwen, wife of H úrin?"

Boromir's confused glance was humorous. He shook his head fondly at me. "How like my brother you are. Speaking of things that I never paid much mind to."

I grinned quietly. "Mayhap someday I may meet this younger brother of yours. We seem to have quite a lot in common."

Boromir chuckled. "Indeed." Then he glanced to where I had been fingering the hilt of my sword. "So, oh maiden warrior of Mirkwood. How is your skill with a blade?"

I look at him, startled. Then I blushed. "Not very good, I fear, my lord. I know only what I have seen. I have never even lifted a real sword until the lady Arwen gave this to me before I left. "

Boromir nodded. He tossed a glanced back at the Halflings, and then looked back to me. "You know, Pippin was telling me that he and his kinsmen didn't know how to use a sword either. Perhaps I could teach all five of you."

I stared at him, my eyes twinkling. "Oh, please, my lord!"

He chuckled. "I will verify that Aragorn is alright with it first."

"Good! You're light on your feet, and quick. That gives you an advantage. But you have to think faster unless you merely want to play defense. Think about your opponent's next move and counter them with one of you on before they can strike."

I watched at Boromir's sword feinted to the right an d then came to rest along the left side of my ribcage. I groaned and wiped the sweat from my brow. "I'll never get it." I grumbled in frustration.

Boromir smiled kindly at me. "Nay, you will. In time. It takes practice. And already you are very skilled."

"A bit of humility and patience never did anyone any harm." Aragorn commented from where he was leaning against an old tree, watching.

I sighed and prepared to take the fighting stance again. Boromir looked at me in surprise. "Do you never tire?' He asked incredulously.

I shrugged. "King Thranduil had me carry heavy barrels of wine to and from the cellar every day. I am not so easily wearied. Why," I grinned. "Are you, my lord?"

Boromir looked flustered. He scowled. "Nay, but you are a young girl. I thought that perhaps you would be getting weary by now."

"It doesn't matter whether she is or isn't. It is time we ate supper and took our rest this night. Gimli has the first watch, I'll take the second, Arabella and Legolas will take the third."

Once we had eaten supper, we rolled out our bedrolls. The Hobbits wrapped themselves in their cloaks and went to sleep almost immediately. I smiled at them. They were completely worn-out from our journeying.

I wrapped my cloak tightly around me and lay back on the ground, my pack being used as a pillow. I watched the stars overhead and I looked to the West to see my favorite star, known to most as the Evening Star. But I preferred it by the name Gil-Estel. The Star of High Hope.

I closed my eyes with a contented sigh. I knew this journey was dangerous, deadly even, for all of us. But right now as I listened to the crackling of the fire, the soft snoring of the Hobbits, and the quiet whispers between the other members of the Fellowship, I smiled.