Chapter Seven
Four days went by in a rush, and as Amy looked out at the boats the Galadrim had given them she swallowed her nerves. She had known that it would come to this, ever since she resigned herself to her fate here. She watched as Legolas packed the boats and as Sam did a triple check of all his belongings.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned. Galadriel stood before her with a soft smile gracing her face.
Amy took an apprehensive step back preparing herself for an invasion of noise, but it never came. Galadriel just nodded slowly offering what comfort and wisdom she could with just her gaze. She was convinced she was doing the right thing by sending this girl with the Fellowship, not only for Middle Earth but perhaps for the girl as well. And because she could not help herself, once the Fellowship were positioned in their boats and on their way, she brushed Amy's mind with a whisper.
'I have no gift for you other than that of advice. It is time to let go of the past young one. Good luck.'
Amy jolted as the soft sound, which to her may as well have been a loud bang, filled her head. Her startled jump tipped the boat unnervingly and if Legolas had not grabbed her and righted them, they and Gimli would have ended up in the icy river.
He secured the oars and tipped her head to face him. "Are you okay?"
"What's going on? We'll lose the others, get rowing laddy!" Gimli grumbled from behind.
"I am fine, it was nothing, let's carry on." She tried to reassure him with a smile but could see he was not buying it. He could not afford to stay there any longer though so picked up the oars once more and resumed rowing.
"Don't be telling me you're already tired lad!" Gimli scoffed.
The wind was cold on her face as the steep cliffs either side channelized them into veritable gales. She wondered how Legolas, Aragorn and Boromir were managing to keep the boats on track. The boats to anyone would seem flimsy but she knew the skill of the elves and knew these boats would withstand trials of waves.
The safety net of Lothlorien was gone, and with it the surreal glow that made it so much easier to think one was in a fantasy. Her hands on her knees trembled. 'What am I doing?'
Panic and doubt set in quickly she could feel the grip of steely fear in her stomach. Hours went by and knots in her stomach grew. She could see that the hobbits had all fallen asleep in the other boats and she wished she could easily drift off and away out of this nightmare. As time went on she found herself dosing with her head dropping forward then springing up and she woke herself up. Legolas noticed that she was struggling and paused his rowing to gently guide her back as she drifted into the world of sleep so that she rested against his chest. That is how she stayed for many hours uncounted as the Fellowship made its way up the Anduin. She drifted in and out of sleep as the soothing repetitive movement of his body behind her rocked her back and forth.
Her eyes shot open though when she felt him tense behind her. Turning her head to look at him she saw him staring intently into the forest on the western bank. He stayed like that for a few moments before relaxing when he felt her eyes upon him. "It's nothing." He said tersely.
She turned away from him and leant back once more. He was lying, not because she could read him so easily, although she could see he was lying by his uneasy smile, but because she knew it was not nothing. She knew what was coming. She looked over to the right of them and watched Boromir drive the boat into a current as to ease the rowing. She could see the weariness on his face; it matched that of Aragorn's. She could not fathom how they had been able to row for so far and for so long.
She knew what was coming, she had tried to prepare herself for it, but how could you prepare yourself for death.
She was to keep them to the path. But did that path really require the loss of Boromir? She tried to push that thought out of her mind, she had been on the quest for no more than two days and she was already considering what she could get away with changing. But did Galadriel really expect her to allow people to die, people she could perhaps save?
She felt a hand squeeze her on the shoulder disturbing her thoughts. Legolas smiled and gestured for her to look up.
She did as he bid and felt a gasp catch in her throat. The Argonath stood before her, and no amount of description could have prepared her for their sheer enormity. It was staggering to see and her eyes widened in amazement. She felt a stirring of a memory, a feeling she had felt once before came over her. She recalled the time her mum had taken her to Southern Eygpt for her summer holidays when she was twelve and she had seen the temples of Luxor. The awe that filled her then overwhelmed her now.
Not long after they had passed through the Argonath the two men and elf directed the boats to shore.
"We rest here for the night. Tomorrow we must reach the shore of Nen Hithoel." Aragorn helped Sam out of the boat as he spoke. "Legolas, can I speak with you?"
Legolas nodded and turned to Amy signing quickly. "Will you be okay?"
"I will try my best not to cause any trouble." She tried to smile but it quickly turned into a yawn as Legolas walked away smiling.
She settled herself with the hobbits and took some comfort in Merry and Pippin's playful banter. She did not know what it was that were fighting about but it was warming to see that they could forget about the dangers that surrounded, the dangers they were walking into. Sam sat next to her and in a gesture that brought great comfort, he patted her hand gently then offered up a small piece of Lembas bread. She smiled at him, gratefully took the bread and resumed her watching of Pippin and Merry as they playfully swatted at one another. It did something to take her mind off Legolas and Aragorn. It was obvious the ranger wanted to talk about her, she did not know it she found it unnerving or insulting that he would not talk to her face to face.
"What is wrong Aragorn? You looked troubled, more so than usual." Legolas asked once the two of them had gone some distance from the group.
"With every mile I become more troubled." He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I just needed to ask you something Legolas, it is not anything to worry about."
"Go on."
"I was wondering if Amy had told you anything of the future, of our future."
Legolas cocked his head to the side in a curious gesture. "No nothing."
"Good, good. It is best that we know nothing. I have been thinking about it, and the less we know the better, even with the best intentions we would destroy that possibility of a future. I cannot help but doubt the wisdom of Galadriel now that we have left the woods of Lorien."
"Do you think Galadriel sent her for another purpose?"
"I do not know, although whatever the purpose I do not believe Amy has any clearer idea than we do."
"And what if she does talk of the future or wants to tell me, or anyone for that matter?"
"Then we let her." Boromir stepped forward to answer the question. "I assume this is not a private conversation since this affects all of us." Legolas and Aragorn remained silent letting the man continue. "Why should we not use this information? Why spend countless hours deliberating, second guessing our decisions when we could just ask her?! You say you cannot make up your mind which way to go Aragorn, so ask her! I have no doubt she will say that you should head for my city!"
"Aragorn is right, we would change something by the very fact that we knew about it." Legolas reasoned.
"So we walk on blind!"
"We walk on as we would if Amy had never turned up. We make our own decisions!" Aragorn said firmly.
"Then what is the point of her being here if we are to blindly follow your decisions while the elf is privy to secrets of the future to keep him safe and sound?!"
Legolas stepped forward aggressively but Aragorn place a warning arm between them. "We are here for Frodo, do not forget that Boromir. We continue on as we are." The finality in his voice stopped all following comments and Boromir turned away with a sneer of his face.
Amy could feel the mood radiating off the three males when they returned to camp. If the hobbits and Gimli felt it too they said nothing. Whatever had been said it obviously had not raised her in Boromir's estimations as his glare often fell upon her throughout the evening.
"So what I have done?" She asked Legolas fed up of being ignored. She felt as if she had been reduced to a pawn in their testosterone fuelled spat.
"Nothing. Why do you ask?"
"Because Boromir looks like he wants to kill me."
"Do not say such things, Boromir does not want to kill you."
"It is just a saying; anyway do not change the subject. Why are you so quiet?"
He sighed. "There has been a little disagreement about a future course of action, it has been sorted now."
She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"
He nodded. "You should get some sleep, we have a long stretch tomorrow if we are to keep to Aragorn's plan." He could not help but raise a hand and brush it gently down the side of her face. She leant into it relishing the warmth and comfort it brought, then caught herself and stood abruptly gathering her cloak around her and finding somewhere less rocky to curl up on.
Boromir noted the exchange with cold eyes. 'So the Elf thinks he has a key to future does he?'
...
Her breath caught in her mouth and a pain shot up her arm as the darkness of the night blocked her vision as much as having her eyes shut did. She struggled against what was now obvious someone grabbing her arm with one hand and clamping another over her mouth. Since flight was not an option she frantically swung her free arm at her assailant who was now dragging her roughly across the floor.
Her eyes slowly adjusted as the moonlight worked its way through the tree top and they darted around in fear. A jolt to her back and head shook her leaving her dazed but now there was no mistaking what was in front of her.