A/N : Sorry it took so long. I don't like this story as of right now. I might go back and work on editing it again. If anything major changes I will be sure to let my readers know. Also I'm not 100% sure of the sword maneuvers, so I am not responsible if anyone is injured or killed while exercising them when fighting off a pack of ravaging Orcs. Enjoy dear readers!

Another week passed by much the same, minus a visit from the Shadow. I had got so I would tell the Hobbits stories I had heard in Thranduil's great feast halls every night. Frodo had heard many of them from his uncle but the others mostly did not know them. The rest of the company might gather round to listen, but would not comment upon certain things like the young Took.

"Oooh! Arabella! What did Glorfindel do then? Please don't leave off!"

Merry nudged his cousin. "She's not done yet, Pip. Quit interrupting her."

"Oh."
Frodo would always smile at his cousins and then give me an apologetic look. I would always grin in return, and then continue from where I'd left off.

It was the last day that week that we had camped on an overlook. There were good watch points and the rocks to the South covered us from enemy view.

I made myself busy gathering a bit of firewood, which was hard to come by in this sparsely wooded area. Then I began helping Sam lay out the provisions for the meal he was preparing. Once this was done though and I tried to help him prepare the food itself he waved me away with a firm, "I can do, Arabella! Go on and have some fun with your sword practicn'! It does you more good to be doin' somethin' you like. Go!" He was waving his spoon around at me with one hand and the other was planted squarely on his hip. I hid my smile, and quickly and happily did as I was told.

Boromir, Merry, and Pippin had been practicing for a while now, and the latter two decided to take a break and give me a chance at besting the Captain of the White Tower

Boromir grinned at me and swung his sword easily. "How about I show you something new first?"
I shrugged, but I could barely contain my grin. I loved learning something new to practice. He took a fighting stance and directed me to come at him with a strike. I did so, and he came back at me with a counter stroke feinting right and then locking my blade with his own.

"This requires much strength normally, but if you have enough momentum behind the strike it should go easily." Even as he spoke he twisted the blade around my own flinging the sword out of my grasp. I gasped as I realized I had been so quickly disarmed.

"Show me how to do it again, please?" I asked eagerly, going to pick up my blade.

Boromir nodded. "Of course. But why don't I show you with someone else." He looked to Aragorn who shrugged and stood from his spot on the boulder.

Aragorn drew his sword and took a fighting stance. "Whenever you're ready." Boromir struck at him and soon enough their blades were locked; only this time Aragorn was the one who managed to disarm Boromir. I watched, fascinated.
Aragorn turned to me and spoke while Boromir retrieved his sword. "Although this maneuver can be hard to execute, as it also gives your opponent the chance to disarm you as well."

I nodded, still utterly captivated. "Would you like to try again, young one?" Boromir asked.

I quickly moved to a fighting stance as an answer. Boromir's grin widened and he came at me with a strike. I met it and caught his blade with mine locking it and throwing forward a bit of weight, combined with my momentum. It caused his blade to twist and fly from his hands.

Boromir nodded in approval and surprise. "Very good."

I realized that the Halflings were clapping. "Oh! Please teach us how to do it, Boromir!" They cried.

Boromir chuckled. "If you two have had enough of a break, then come. I will teach it to you, but then you must all three show me the combination I taught you yesterday."

We gave him a chorus of 'yes, sirs!' and then got to work again.

I showed Boromir the steps he had been teaching me. He counted them off as I went. When I was finished he complimented me and Merry stepped forward to try his hand at it. Then it was Pippin's turn.

"Good, very good." He said, beginning the sequence again.

"Move your feet" Aragorn called around his pipe.

"You look good Pippin!" Merry encouraged his cousin.

Pippin glanced over his shoulder at his cousin. "Thanks!"

Merry practiced the sequence again with Boromir before coming back to me and then Pippin again.

Boromir's sword slipped unexpectedly, cutting Pippin's hand. Pippin cried out and Boromir moved forward to inspect it. "Sorry!" He cried.

The young Took however kicked Boromir's leg suddenly. "Get him!" Merry cried. The three of us threw ourselves onto Boromir, grappling with him, all of us laughing.

Pippin let loose a battle cry. "For the Shire! Hold him, hold him down!"

"Gentlemen, Arabella, that's enough!" Aragorn called, unable to hide the amusement in his voice. As he approached us though I continued pinning down Boromir while the Halflings each grabbed one of Aragorn's legs and pulled him to the ground with us.

I wasn't quite sure who really won our half-hearted wrestling match. I was too busy laughing at the Halflings and seeing the proud warriors rolling around on the ground like children.

But our fun was brought to a swift halt when I heard Sam say suddenly. "What is that?"

I sat back on my heels and looked up at the dark spot in the sky, the smile fading slightly from my face.

"Nothing, it's just a wisp of cloud" Gimli reassured him.

Boromir sat up as well, the smile fading from his face as well. "It's moving fast…against the wind."

Legolas watched it carefully for a moment before suddenly crying, "Crebain! From Dunland!"

"Hide!" Aragorn added. My eyes widened as I grabbed my sword in one hand, and scooped up whatever I could in the other before running for the cover of the rocks. Someone put out the fire. I heard Aragorn yelling for Frodo to take cover and I quickly ushered the Ringbearer beside me. Aragorn grabbed his sword and a bedroll before diving for cover on my other side.

Barely a second later the birds were directly above us. They made a loud racket as they passed, and I estimated there must have been at least a thousand. Then as soon as they'd come, they were gone.

We waited a few moments to be sure that no more were coming or they weren't going to make a sudden turn and return. When it didn't seem a though they were we emerged, slowly and cautiously.

"Spies of Saruman. The passage south is being watched." Gandalf confirmed my fears. He looked to the east. "We must take the Pass of Caradhras"


We turned for the pass of Caradhras the next night having kept hidden and resting for the rest of the day, and began our way up the mountain. It was slow going, picking our way over the rocks and snow. Within the first hour of our journey it began snowing lightly, and by the next hour it was a downpour. Thankfully it didn't last long, though it was long enough to freeze us all.

The snow stopped suddenly around midday and the skies cleared back to blue. I shook the snow from my cloak and pushed my hood back letting the sun shine on my frozen stiff face. I trudged forward, staying just behind Legolas. We spoke quietly to one another, merely to keep our teeth from chattering. It was some time later that I heard a small cry.

The company stopped and turned only to find a Hobbit shaped figure rolling down the mountain. Luckily Aragorn had taken the rear-guard and he managed to stop Frodo, and help him up. When it seemed Frodo was alright I started to turn back and continue on. Then the glint of gold caught my eye. It was barely five feet away, and attached to a silver chain. The Ring, I realized.

Boromir stooped to pick it up. I didn't think anything of it at first, but the moment I heard Aragorn call Boromir's name, a sense of dread washed over me.

"Boromir!" I cried, grabbing his arm.

He didn't flinch. Instead he stared at the ring in childish amazement. "It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. He paused and then whispered, "Such a little thing."

"Boromir!" Aragorn called again, and this time Boromir did flinch. He looked up as though surprised to find we were all still standing there.

"Give Frodo the ring." Aragorn commanded, a hint of urgency entering his tone.

Boromir chuckled slightly and made his way to Frodo. "As you wish! I care not." Frodo snatched the ring from him. Boromir chuckled again before ruffling Frodo's hair and taking off back up the mountain. Aragorn or Frodo may not have seen it, but I did. There was an utter bewilderment in Boromir's eyes as though he could not comprehend something.

We were not very far up on the mountain when it began to snow again. This time there was no gentle falling. It poured down in droves and I was constantly brushing off my cloak to keep it from becoming weighed down. The snow was knee deep in a matter of minutes and Boromir and Aragorn ended up having to carry the Hobbits from then on. Legolas treaded lightly over the snow and I, not for once, envied the Elves.

"I wonder if this is some contrivance of the enemy." Boromir muttered behind me. "They say in my land that he can govern the storms in the Mountains of Shadow that stand upon the borders of Mordor. He has strange powers and many allies."

"There is a fell voice on the air." Legolas said suddenly, looking up.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf confirmed, having to shout to be heard over the suddenly wild winds.

There was the sound of a loud crack overhead as a chunk of the mountain broke off and fell, barely missing us.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn shouted. "Gandalf! We must turn back!"

"No!" Gandalf stepped forward, spreading his arms. "Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith!"

A sudden bolt of lightning struck the mountainside, causing an avalanche of snow to pour down on top of us. I couldn't see anything for several seconds as I blindly clawed my way upward. A small dot of light appeared above me and I stretched my hand out to pull myself up. Someone gripped my outstretched hand and pulled up through the snow. I gulped breaths of the frigid air, huffing out a thank you to Legolas. The others appeared out of the snow soon enough.

"We must get off the mountain!" I heard Boromir cry from behind me. "Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!"

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn called to him.

"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it!" Gimli suggested. "Let us go through the Mines of Moria"

Gandalf paused for a moment and looked down as though deep in thought. The Mines. Underground wasn't so much of a problem for me. Thranduil's halls were underground. And though I wasn't particularly fond of dwarves perhaps I could tolerate them. I liked Gimli well enough now that I had got to know him.

Finally Gandalf said, "Let the Ringbearer decide."

Every eye turned to Frodo. The Hobbit looked startled for a moment. He opened his mouth and then shut it again as though trying to decide.

"We cannot stay here!" Boromir urged. "This will be the death of the Hobbits!"

"Frodo?" Gandalf asked again.

"We…will go through the Mines." Frodo decided finally.

Gandalf's voice was so low that I barely caught it, but years of living with acute hearing Elves had taught me to listen carefully. "So be it." It was the tone of one resigned to death.

I did not like it.