Disclaimer: I do not own the Lord of the Rings. It belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien.
A/N: I enjoyed writing this chapter, I think because it was a bit easy. Again, I've used bits from the movie and book, so let me know what you think!
"Travel is glamorous only in retrospect." – Paul Theroux
There was not much to report of the first part of our journey. The landscape was monotonous and barren, and the course we were set on was rougher than any I had been on thus far. It was slow and cold, for we were walking along a snow capped mountain range and the constant wind that blew our way was freezing.
I wished I was allowed to bring my hoddie along. It was the warmest piece of clothing I owned, and even the elvish garment that I was adorned with didn't keep me at a comfortable temperature.
Though, I was extremely grateful for the beanie and scarf thing that I was given by Gandalf just before we left. They kept my ears from going numb, and hid the slightly feminine shape of my neck and head.
"A finishing touch," he had said, approving my disguise.
When we set up camp at the end of each day, we all huddled around the fire, desperate to get some warmth into our bodies. All of us that is, except Legolas, who didn't seem affected by the weather at all, or fatigue, or any other ailment that us mere mortals suffered from. Damn Elf.
Oh, an interesting fact about elves; they glow.
No really, they do.
You don't really notice it when you're in Rivendell or any other elvan home because the whole place seems so light and happy as well. It was a subtle difference, but Legolas just seemed to stand out from the rest of the world around him. Nothing seemed to break his cheerful outlook on our doomed quest, and I often found myself wanting to punch him in his pretty little face for getting it so easy.
In the mornings I would wake up sore and tired from a restless sleep, and could barely get out a 'good morning' without snapping at someone. After yelling at Merry one morning for passing me a piece of bread instead of an apple, no one would come within a ten foot radius of me until I had the chance to wake up a bit. Even then, conversations with me were few and far between.
So after those first two weeks, when the sun finally came out from behind the clouds and the wind let up its attack, we found ourselves on the borders of Hollin.
The warmer weather made for a merrier company, and I for one was jubilant when it was decided that we would be staying here a little longer than usual. Perhaps I could then get a proper night's sleep for once.
"I think we will rest here, not only today but tonight as well." Gandalf announced when we had arrived. "There is a wholesome air about Hollin. Much evil must befall a country before it wholly forgets the Elves, if they once dwelt there."
"That is true," said Legolas. "But the elves of this land were of a race strange to us silvan folk, and trees and grass do not now remember them. Only I hear the stones lament them: deep they delved us, fair they wrought us, high they builded us; but they are gone. They are gone. They sought the Havens long ago."
I decided then that elves were weird. I knew that they had a close affiliation with nature, but talking rocks? Seriously? That was crazy talk. Maybe he was just crazy, and maybe that's why he acted so strange around me.
Yeah...that was it. So who agreed to bring the crazy elf along with us?
I pondered this as I set up my bed roll on a soft spot of dirt I'd found. I always made sure to reserve the best bit of ground that I could, to ensure the best night's sleep I could get. It hadn't really made a difference where I'd slept lately, but now with the potential for a good forty winks, I wasn't about to be stuck with a hard rocky surface as my mattress.
I laid on back for a moment, absorbing the sun's rays. I'd missed the sun. Back home it was something that was taken for granted, but now I couldn't get enough of the suns warmth. I felt my whole body slowly absorbing the heat that it offered, and felt a good deal better for it.
I think sunshine was somehow linked to my good mood button for suddenly I was met with the sudden need to sing. It's funny what a bit of vitamin D does for a person.
"Now, I'm walking on sunshine, oh oh, I'm walking on sunshine, oh oh, I'm walking on sunshine, oh oh, and don't it feel good! Hey! Alright now..."
"What is that awful noise all about?" Pippin's voice came from the other side of the campsite. I had been singing a lot louder than I had meant to.
"Oh, I was just singing a song about sunshine," I said, embarrassed.
"Really? It sounded more like an injured rabbit squealing in pain," Pippin replied. The company laughed at this, and I felt my cheeks heat up.
My pride would not allow this comment to go unpunished, so I pulled up a clump of grass out of the ground, sat up and aimed it directly at Pippin's face. The poor hobbit didn't see it coming, and was showered in dirt and mud as the grass clump exploded on impact. Served him right, cheeky bugger.
"And you now look more like a garden gnome on a bad day," I called out to him.
When the sound of laughter had died down, and Gandalf had finished lecturing us on the basic principles of maturity, I settled down for a nap.
When I woke a couple of hours later, it was to the clinking sound of metal swords hitting each other. I stood up quickly, taking my sword out as I went. What was going on? Why was there a battle going on? Was it the demon? Had I been sleeping while the fellowship was under attack by something they could not see?
When I stood up and looked around, I realised my foolishness. We were not under attack, rather Boromir was practicing swordsmanship with Merry and Pippin. Overreacting much?
Only Gandalf and the Elf were witness to my little panic display, the latter simply raising an eyebrow before looking back out at the view we had from our vantage point. Gandalf gave me a concerned look but I just shook my head and smiled sheepishly. It was nothing, I was just being stupid.
After getting something to eat from our pony Bill, as Sam had called him, I went down to where Boromir and the others were. I took a seat next to Aragorn and we watched as the hobbits learned how to use a sword.
"How was your nap?" Aragorn asked.
"Refreshing, thank you. I had not had a rest like that since Rivendell."
"Indeed, there is no place like it for the weary traveller," he said, his eyes getting a little unfocussed as he spoke. I had a fair idea of where his head was at. It must be hard going for months, perhaps even years without seeing the one you love. Ah, the consequences of being a ranger.
Aragorn was silent for a moment before taking a puff of his pipe and turning towards me and my knowing gaze. He shifted uncomfortably under my stare, so I returned to watching the hobbits.
"I should practice," I said, changing the topic. "Glorfindel said I should as we travelled, but I have not had the chance since we set out." Aragorn nodded in agreement.
"Then it would be your turn to go battle with Boromir of Gondor, for I think I need a little rest before continuing!" Merry announced, having heard my comment.
"Aye, indeed me too," Pippin decided.
"Okay big fella," I said, getting to my feet and drawing my sword, "show me what you've got."
"If that is your wish my lady," Boromir said with a gleam in his eye. Wait, was he joking with me? I though he did not approve of my being involved with fighting.
I was quickly shown that Boromir knew quite a lot about swordsmanship, as he won all of our spars quite comfortably. But they did tend to last longer than the times I had sparred with Glorfindel, for Boromir was not as fast as the elf, and I had an inkling he was going a little easy on me.
"Try using two hands when you swing your sword like that," he was saying, showing me what he meant with his own sword. "That way you put more strength into the blow."
"Okay," I said repeating the movement. "But Glorfindel said I should use one hand."
"I mean no offence, but you do not have the strength that a man or an elf has. Using that move without the right amount of force is useless. Know your limitations, and work around them." It was a solid piece of advice that he gave me, and I went off to practice that move on my own for a while.
So Boromir wasn't so bad, when he wasn't talking about Gondor that is. I hoped that we could practice together more often in the future, for he seemed to pick up on some things that Glorfindel missed.
Merry and Pippin were now back on their feet and fighting with Boromir again. Boromir had just accidently managed to hit Merry with his sword, and in his panic had dropped his guard to apologise. Merry managed to kick Boromir in the shins, and together he and Pippin somehow managed to tackle Boromir to the ground.
I was doubled up in giggles at this point, but Boromir's defeat wasn't even the best part. Aragorn had stood up and said "Gentlemen, that is enough," and went to grab the hobbits off poor Boromir. But he had also misjudged the hobbits knack for mischief, for when they realised what Aragorn was trying to do they turned on him in unison, grabbed his ankles and pulled his legs out from under him.
I roared with laughter. It was one of those good belly laughs that leaves you feeling good for long after.
However, our moment of hilarity was cut short when we heard Sam ask "What is that?"
We all looked out to the south where Sam was indicating to see what appeared to be a dark cloud, moving towards us.
"Nothing, it's just a wisp of cloud," Gimli said dismissively.
"But it's moving fast, and against the wind too," Boromir said sceptically, eyeing the cloud with worry.
"That is because it is not a cloud, but Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas said, alarmed. He had the best sight out of all of us, and he alone could see the true nature of the dark patch in the sky.
Oh shit. I really should have seen that coming. I had not been paying attention to what happens in the story. I had been so concerned about my own troubles and preparing myself for things to come, that I had forgotten what wasto come.
"Hide!" cried Aragorn, jumping into action immediately. I followed suit and grabbed my bedding and pack from where I had left them. I then ran around like a headless chook trying to find somewhere to hide. Each time I thought I found a spot, it was already occupied by someone.
As I ran past a bush, I felt myself being pulled down to the ground. In my panic, my unreasonable brain thought that the ground was swallowing me whole, and I opened my mouth to scream, only to have it covered by a hand. I looked around frantically, only to find Legolas' face look at me meaningfully to shut up. So I did.
We watched through the small branches of the shrub as the birds circled low overhead, squawking and calling out to each other. The racket they made was unbelievable, and I covered my ears to try and block it out. However they did not hang around for much longer and they left in the direction that they came from.
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. They were gone, thank god.
And I was hiding in a bush, with Legolas. And he was still holding a hand over my mouth.
Awkwardly, we sprang apart and detangled ourselves from the bush we were hiding in, and made our way over to the others.
"Aw, you made me get holes in my shirt," I said to him as I was examining my sleeves.
"It is but a small price to pay to be kept safe. You were out in the open; you could have alerted the enemy to our whereabouts," he said matter-of-factly.
"I-I was making my way to the bush next to yours," I quickly lied. "I would have made it too if you had not intervened."
Legolas looked at me doubtfully.
"The bush next to mine was many yards away. It would have been unlikely that you would have made it in time at the pace you humans travel."
I glared at him in indignation, but he didn't seem to realise he had just insulted me. He walked on ahead, offering no apology for his rudeness. Jerk.
"...I believe they were spying out the land for Saruman," Gandalf was saying when I joined the others.
"Gandalf, we must move. Hollin is no longer a wholesome place for us; it is being watched," Aragorn said seriously.
"And in that case so is the Redhorn Gate," Gandalf sighed and looked over to the massive snow capped mountain. "I fear that we have no choice but to take the pass of Caladras."
It was decided that we would start moving again when it was dark, which would be in another couple of hours or so. In the meantime, we kept ourselves hidden in case those nasty birds decided to come back for another visit. This time I avoided hiding in the same place as the Elf.
"I do not like hiding," Gimli complained to me. "Us dwarves are not meant for secrecy and stealth. Give me something solid that I can hit with my axe!"
"There will be time enough for that later Gimli," I said irritably through closed eyelids. "But for now could you just be quiet?"
Since we would no longer be resting here during the night I was trying to get in a few hours sleep before we left. Unfortunately I could no longer sleep on the soft spot on the ground I had picked out as it was out in the open with nowhere to hide. Instead, I was stuck next to a restless dwarf who would not shut up.
"Sorry lass," he apologised.
"Hmm," was all I offered him as a reply.
The good mood that I had acquired recently was now well and truely gone; I was not looking forward to Caladras.
A/N: I love reviews, please send me one!
