I'm very very very sorry I couldn't post sooner. I just got approved by my Girl Scout council to start my Gold Award project, I'm making a costume for a covention coming up in a couple of weeks, I have been working a ton of Girl Scout cookie booths and I have a huge Biology project that's due...
Basically, I've been very busy and I've had no spare time until now to post. Enough with my life though, on with the fic!
Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR or LOZ
Chapter Seven: Lothlórien
Everything seemed to be in slow motion. The Fellowship dodged arrows as they escaped from the dreaded mines.
Once outside, the Fellowship stopped to rest and deal with their grief. Sam sat down beside Merry and Pippin, who were comforting each other, distraught. Boromir was cradling Gimli and Legolas was walking about in a daze. Aragorn had set Frodo down a ways away and started treating the hobbit's arrow wound. Zelda's knees buckled and she was caught by Link.
"Are you okay, Princess?" Link asked.
Zelda smiled. Link only called her 'princess' in private, or when he was concerned about her. "I am fine. All that happened in the mine has caught up to me, I guess."
"Draw strength from my Triforce, I am here for you." Zelda sighed as energy flooded into her.
Aragorn stood from where he was treating Frodo. He wiped off his sword. "Legolas, get them up," he called to the Elf. Legolas just looked at him. Still in a daze, he slowly made his way over to the hobbits.
"Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" Boromir exclaimed.
"By night fall these hills will be swarming with Orcs," Aragorn started.
Zelda stood. "But if we collapse the exit, they will not follow us," she offered.
"They would break through and we would be surrounded. We must make for the woods of Lothlórien," Aragorn said, walking off.
Zelda started to follow him, angry and annoyed at how cruel he was being, but was stopped by Link from burning the man to a crisp where he stood.
"Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, Link, help them up!" Aragorn commanded.
Zelda walked over to a very sad-looking Frodo. He burst into tears and Zelda hugged him close. "Gandalf was my friend, my mentor!" he wailed.
"You must stay strong. For Gandalf, and for your friends," she said, her voice trembling.
A soft song floated toward them. They turned to see Link blowing on some hoof-shaped grass. The song stopped and out of nowhere Epona came galloping up to him. She whinnied and Link stroked her soft muzzle, bringing her to where Zelda was comforting Frodo.
"I thought since Frodo can't walk, he could ride on Epona," the Hylian said.
Zelda nodded her thanks and, with Link's help, boosted the hobbit up into the saddle. The Fellowship assembled once more, and they set off for Lothlórien. They traveled at an exhausting pace, trying to put as much distance between them and the mountains by nightfall. Once they crossed a river, Zelda lost it. She could sense that the rest of the Fellowship was weary and still distraught over Gandalf's death.
"Stop right now, Aragorn!" she yelled, causing the man to halt and turn around. The Fellowship caught up to Aragorn and Zelda spoke. "The hobbits are dead on their feet, and Legolas lags behind."
"What is your point?" Aragorn asked, coldly.
"We must rest; we cannot go on like this! Not so soon after Gandalf's death!" she replied, angrily.
"We can and will, Lothlórien is not far," Aragorn said, pointing to a forest. "Do not think that Gandalf's death has not affected me as well." He stalked off.
Zelda stood, fuming. Legolas walked up to her. "It is the way Aragorn deals with his grief," the Elf said, sadly. The Fellowship continued on.
By the next day they had reached Lothlórien's border and entered a sunlit forest. "Stay close, hobbits," Gimli warned, "they say a great sorceress lives in these woods, an Elf witch of terrible power."
"I think he's talking about you, Zelda," Link joked. Zelda elbowed him in the arm, hard.
"Oh be quiet!" she said, sweetly. Epona tossed her head and whinnied, sounding like she was laughing.
"Looks like Epona's against you in that regard, my friend!" Legolas said to Link, laughing.
"Oh be quiet!" Link said, echoing Zelda's response.
"You seem awfully cheerful today," Zelda observed.
"It is said among men that Elves are always more cheerful when around nature," Boromir explained.
"Your words ring true, Boromir. I am delighted to be under trees and sky once more!" Legolas exclaimed.
"Typical response for a pointy-eared Elvish princeling," Gimli said.
"Hey, Aragorn. What about you?" Link asked. "I heard you were raised by Elves."
"I spent most of my life in Rivendell," the man replied. "Legolas and I were foster brothers."
"That's why you two are so close!" Pippin exclaimed.
"Personally, these woods remind me of Faron Woods, beautiful and mysterious," Link said. "Right, Zelda?" he asked the queen.
Zelda didn't respond right away. She thought she had heard a whisper, and was concentrating on where it came from. "Um, yes," she said, shaking herself out of the trance she was in.
Frodo looked around as if searching for something.
"Master Frodo?" Sam asked, worried.
"Sorry," Frodo replied, smiling down at Sam.
"Sister from across the sea," a voice echoed in Zelda's mind, "you have journeyed far."
"I thought I sensed a presence, and I was right," Zelda sent back, calmly raising an eyebrow.
"You bring a great evil with you, and it pains me to do what I must do now." The voice disappeared.
"I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of fox!" Gimli was saying. He came face to face with an arrowhead and stopped. The Fellowship found themselves surrounded by Elves, each one pointing an arrow at them. Link, Zelda and Legolas had drawn their bows, and Aragorn raised his hands in surrender.
An Elf stepped forward. "The Dwarf breathes so loud that we could have shot him in the dark," he taunted, smirking.
Zelda lowered her bow, signaling Link to lower his. The lead Elf raised his eyebrows. "Strange to find an elleth traveling among a group of men," he said, looking Zelda over.
"Well someone needs to make sure these boys do not get into trouble," Zelda fired back.
"She's not an Ell- whatever," Link interjected. "She's the Warrior Queen of Hyrule!"
Zelda gave Link a glare that told him to shut up.
"A warrior queen? How unusual," the Elf said, clearly not believing Link. He signaled the rest of the Elves to lower their bows and looked at Aragorn. "You keep with some strange friends, Estel."
"Ones that I trust with my life," the man replied. "Will you let us through, Haldir?"
"Unfortunately, no. However, you are welcome to stay with us until you are ready to depart," the Elf, now called Haldir, replied.
Legolas was about to say something, but was cut off by Frodo. "We will do what he says," the hobbit commanded.
"Say what?" Link said. At the same time Aragorn said, "Alright."
"Follow me," the Elf said, walking off.
"Please hold your tongue, Link," Aragorn whispered. "I will take care of this." The group followed Haldir to a tree and climbed up a rope ladder to a platform. They settled down as night fell.
"Kinda reminds me of Ordon Village," Link said, softly, gazing out at the trees.
"What?" Pippin asked.
"The trees, this platform, all remind me of home," the Hylian said.
"What is your home?" Merry asked.
"A tree house surrounded by forest. At least until I moved into Hyrule Casle with Zelda. We were raised together by the head councilman," Link replied.
"I'd like to live here!" Pippin said, cheerfully. "If it weren't for those Elvish archers around us, it would be nice!"
Legolas walked up. "Haldir wishes to speak to us, all of us," he said.
"Sure, whatever!" Link said, back to his natural cheery self. They joined the rest of the Fellowship.
Haldir first had a brief conversation with Legolas and then with Aragorn in a strange language. He turned toward Zelda and said something to her in the language.
"Just because I have pointed ears, doesn't mean I'm an Elf," she replied in the Common Tongue. "Did you already forget what my companion said?"
The Elf started a little. "If you are a Queen, may I please have your title?" he replied, switching to the Common Tongue.
"My title is The Warrior Queen Zelda of Hyrule, my companion's is Link Descendant of the Hero of Time," Zelda replied. "We come from across the sea."
"You are quite powerful then?" Haldir asked.
"She is very much like your Lady Galadriel," Aragorn replied.
"Indeed? Then I am honored to meet you, Highness." The Elf kissed Zelda's hand. Link stiffened. "However," he said, glaring at Gimli, "you are not so welcome."
"You know what this Dwarf says to that?" Gimli replied, angrily. He said something in another language, causing Aragorn to grip his shoulder.
"That was not so courteous," he hissed.
Haldir moved on until he was standing in front of Frodo. "You bring a great evil with you, you can go no further." He walked off.
"I will see what I can do," Aragorn said, following the Elf. They started speaking in Elvish.
Zelda could sense the hobbits were growing restless. She beckoned to them and they flocked, sitting down around her. "How about I tell you another story to pass the time?" she asked.
"Oh yes, please!" Sam said, happily.
"I will tell you the Legend of the Triforce, how does that sound?" The hobbits nodded and the rest of the Fellowship gathered around, finding places to sit.
"Just verbal this time, I am still weary from the mines," she explained. The Fellowship nodded and settled down. "You are all welcome to join us," she said, gesturing to the other Elves.
But they didn't acknowledge that they'd heard her.
Zelda sighed in defeat and started her story. "Before there was anything, there were the Three Goddesses…" As she continued, the other Elves gathered around, intrigued by her story. She finished the legend just as Haldir walked back, Aragorn behind him.
The Elves that had gathered around leapt up sheepishly, taking their posts once more. Haldir narrowed his eyes at them, and then turned toward the Fellowship. "You will follow me," he said, walking off.
Elves just love a good story, don't they? I will try to post sooner, but I make no promises. Stay tuned for when Link and Zelda meet Galadriel!
Asta la pasta! ^.^
~Xelfi4ever
