A New Friend

A week later the four traveled close to the Gap of Rohan the sun hung low in the evening sky and the daylight had almost faded.

"Where should we stop?" Sam asked Frodo as the four walked abreast.

"We will have to camp on the plain tonight," He answered, "like we have for the past six nights."

"We're stopping? We've already been slowly traveling a week!" Edmund looked shocked. "I think we should travel through the night and until the horses can't go a step further."

"My heart agrees." Peter approved. "We won't be able to gallop, but if we stay at a steady walk we should be about ten leagues from the border of Rohan by dawn. When the sun rises we can stop for a short rest."

"I don't think it is wise to travel at night." Sam disagreed. "We may have defeated Sauron, but you never know what might lurk in the shadows of night."

"Who's Sauron?" Edmund inquired, cocking his head to the side.

"I don't think we should travel in the dark." Frodo warned, shaking his head.

"We need to get to Minas Tirith as soon as we can." Peter urged. "We never know where Susan may be. Or if she will leave where ever she is. I think it would be best to get to Minas Tirith as soon as we can."

After a bit more of debating between the four, they decided they would travel through the night at a brisk walk.

Edmund then convinced Frodo to tell the story of the One Ring and of Sauron. The story took up the good part of the night and after, Peter and Edmund told them of Narnia and the story of the White Witch.

The sun had been up for almost an hour when they stopped for a quick break. They hopped off their stallions and ate and drank. They rested for a few hours and continued on at a faster pace than they had during the night.

Late in the evening they were exhausted and chose to stop under the shadow of Isenguard. They were only going to go to sleep for a few hours and posted Edmund for the first watch of the night. The others fell asleep as Edmund probed the deep gloom of the night. Soon, he sat down on the grass and his eyelids started to droop. He snapped to attention several times, but finally, succumbed to sleep.

--

I woke up and shook the fog of sleep from my head.

I had slept all night in my dress from the day before. I hurriedly got up and got dressed in a crimson gown that Brie had set out for me.

Then I walked down the stairs to a dining hall where I ate breakfast.

After I ate, I went to walk on a terrace that over looked the immense city. I headed down there; I bumped into none other than Merry and Pippin themselves.

"Good morning Queen Susan!" Pippin said cheerfully.

"Hello." I nodded.

"Legolas is looking for you." Merry told me.

"Oh really?" I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms.

"Yes." Pippin confirmed, taking my hand. "Come on!"

"Alright." I laughed.

A few minutes later I stood in front of the tall, slender, blond haired Elf.

"I heard you were looking for me." I said, glancing at the hobbits.

"Yes." He replied. "I was wondering if you would like to come to the archery range and shoot a round of arrows with me."

"Sure!" I smiled and then I remembered what happened. "Oh. My bow and arrows are missing."

"That's alright. We can go down to the armory and find something suitable." He said graciously, offering me his hand.

We glided into the armory and found a nice dark wooded bow and set of silver feathered arrows for me. It wasn't like my bow, but at least I was holding one again. Then we walked over to the range and found a couple of canvas targets.

Legolas and I both pulled arrows onto our strings and just before we released Merry and Pippin both shouted behind us.

"Go Queen Susan!"

Our arrows thudded onto the targets. Legolas' shot had missed the center by a whole half inch and mine had missed by a little more. Merry and Pippin's sudden shout had made us both jump.

I turned. "Merry and Pippin why don't you cheer from over there?" I pointed to a safe spot a few yards away.

"Alright. If that will help you shoot better." Merry said then he called back over his shoulder. "Good luck!"

After they were out of earshot, Legolas said. "I can't believe they just did that."

"I can." I replied.

We went back to shooting and after a few rounds Gimli found us and stayed by Merry and Pippin and bellowed things like: 'Go laddie!' or 'You can do it laddie!'

"Do they know we're not in a contest?" I said a bit sarcastically.

"My friend Gimli makes a contest out of everything." Legolas said.

We shot a few more arrows then Legolas questioned. "Would you like to use my bow?"

"Really?" My face lit up.

"Sure." He said handing me his bow that Galadriel had given to him.

I held the smooth wooden bow in my left hand and grasped the white feathered arrow that Legolas offered in my right.

I pulled back the thing and smooth bow string and released.

The arrow whistled from my grasp and a second later; hit the heart of the target. It was an amazing experience.

"Your bow was definitely made by a skilled bowman." I complimented him, handing his bow back.

"Thank you for your kind words Milady." He said.

We finished our session and went our separate ways. I placed the bow I had lent back in the armory and turned to Merry and Pippin.

"You need to repay Farmer Maggot." I reminded them.

"Oh alright." Merry groaned, smacking his forehead.

This time I took them down to the market and found Farmer Maggot's stand.

When we got there he was packing up and was about to leave for home.

Merry and Pippin slowly, unenthusiastically walked up to him.

"Farmer Maggot?" Pippin cleared his throat.

"Yes what is it?" He replied gruffly, turning. "Oh it's you two little thieves."

"We're sorry." Merry hung his head.

"You're what?" The Farmer recoiled, looked almost astounded.

"We've come to repay you for the vegetables we borrowed." Pippin added.

"You mean stole." He emphasized with a critical eye.

"Yes."

"Well?" he tapped his foot impatiently.

"Here." Merry handed him a large sum of money.

"Will you forgive us?" Pippin asked in an innocent voice.

Farmer Maggot thought for a moment and then a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Of course I will."

"Thank you." Pippin broadly grinned.

"Yes thanks!" Merry exclaimed, shaking Maggot's hand vigorously. "Do you have any mushrooms that we could buy from you?"

Farmer Maggot laughed. "I do, actually. I have three plump ones left."

"Could we have them?" Pippin asked eagerly.

"Of course! I'd love to give them to two friends and a beautiful lady!" He said, nodding to me. Then he reached into a coarse, faded sack and withdrew three dark brown mushrooms with light brown speckles. "Here you go." He handed us each one. "Free of charge."

"Thank you so much!" The Halflings shouted, gulping down their prize.

"Yes thank you." I smiled even though I wasn't too keen of mushrooms.

"Would you like to join us for lunch?" Pippin queried curiously.

"Are you sure?" Farmer Maggot accepted.

"Of course!" Merry grinned.

"Alright then, I will!" Farmer Maggot decided.

We all set off down the street towards the citadel and towards lunch.

"Aren't you going to eat your mushroom?" Merry said to me as we walked down the crowded lane.

"Yes." I replied. "I was going to save it for later…unless you and Pippin want it." I hinted.

"Oh no!" Merry said. "We would never even think of taking it from you. Take a bite." He urged.

Slowly, I broke off a small part and popped it into my mouth. I smiled and raised my eyebrows. This was the best mushroom I'd ever tasted! It was bursting with mild flavors and it was flaky, not like the slimy ones that grew in Narnia. I actually liked it!

"This is very good."

"Farmer Maggot grows the best mushrooms in all of Middle Earth." Pippin told me.

"Thanks for the compliment, Pippin." Farmer Maggot heartily responded.

"And just think Pip…we though Farmer Maggot was sulky and grumpy all this time!" Merry nudged his friend.

"And to think I thought you two were wild hooligans!" Farmer Maggot laughed.

We reached the citadel and ate a nice, simple lunch. The three Halflings laughed and talked like old friends.

After lunch I excused myself and strolled to the library. That was one stop I remembered from our long tour the day before.

It was a large room with dark, solid bookcases. There were several massive windows with velvety window seats. The windows had silvery curtains that fell to the marble floor.

I started looking for a good book to read. I found many different books from; The Complete History of Gondor Volume Three to The Elvish Songbook. I found a thick, leather bound book that was hunter green. It was titled: Legends, Myths, Rhymes, Stories, and Songs of the World.

I settled down on one of the navy, cushioned window seats and opened the cream colored page book.

The book started out with a song of Minas Tirith that was written in some foreign tongue that I couldn't understand and a story of a great king of old.

I was about fifty pages into the story book and was reading a song that told of dwarves when Arwen found me.

"Hello Arwen." I closed the book.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" She inquired.

"Yes." I answered. "Do you need something?"

"No." She shook her head. "I just wanted to invite you to have dinner tomorrow night with Aragorn and me."

"Thank you." I smiled. "I'd love to come."

"So I'll see you tomorrow night?"

"Defiantly."

"Well I have other duties I need to attend to." She said. "Farewell."

Then she gracefully swept out of the room and I was left in a peaceful silence.

Well meeting King Aragorn will be quite interesting. I wonder what he is like… Ah well I'm sure something is bound to happen.

I turned back to my entertaining book and read to my heart's content.