This is the disclaimer. I do not own anything from Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, they are the property of JRR Tolkien and J K Rowling, this writing is purely for pleasure and I get no money out of this whatsoever, now that is out of the way on with the story!

Chapter 9

"Have you lost your mind?" Aragorn demanded, pacing agitatedly across the floor in front of the old wizard. "You intend to bring Elion with the Fellowship, taking him into the heart of the war when he is a young child!"

"It must be done Aragorn," Gandalf told the ranger, "I share your disquiet about taking Elion with us but it must be done if he is to remained concealed from both Sauron and Saruman,"

"You intend to conceal him by taking him into the heart of Mordor? I may know little of magic old friend but even magic could not keep him safe there." There was a dark sarcasm in Aragorn's voice as he ruthlessly made his point.

Gandalf sighed, "I talk of concealing his presence rather than his body. Elion has a magical presence for want of a better term and for those of us who can sense such things he burns as brightly as a beacon, and every piece of magic he does is like a fire in the wildness. Such a presence would not go unnoticed by Sauron or Saruman and then they would come for him and there is no telling the destruction and death that could be wrought if they caught him. By keeping him with me, my own magic can hide his. His presence would be lost in mine, for mine is stronger than his at the moment and it will keep him hidden and safe, for anyone searching will only see mine."

The wizard paused, resignation settling in his eyes, "And it is even more imperative that he comes with us for the Nazgul saw what he could do and I have no doubt that the Enemy already knows of his existence. They will be looking for him, Sauron will seek any chance of turning an Istar to his side and if he is found torment awaits him in the dungeons of Barad-dûr."

Aragorn's fists clenched and a flash of pain and fury crossed his face as he thought of the torture that Elion would be placed under if captured and he bit out the next words,

"Neither Elion or Frodo will ever see those sights if I have breath left in my body."

"By bringing the child with us I can ensure he remains hidden for as long as possible and I can teach, give him the skills to protect himself and hide without bringing the Enemy straight to him. Even if I am lost he will still be protected as his presence will be assumed to be mine."

"I do not like it." Aragorn said, "He has seen too much already and I fear he has already encountered the ring. It burdens my heart to think of any child in the war, but most of all Elion. He has had so little childhood and his eyes are too old. But choosing between his life and safety and his innocence I will always go for his life and safety. But I must be sure, is there no other way to keep him safe?"

He pinned the wizard with his eyes, demanding an honest answer and for a moment Gandalf saw a hint of the power Aragorn would wield as king, the power he did not yet feel he had earned but still possessed.

"There is no other way," Gandalf said solemnly, "Saruman is a traitor and I would not trust Radagast with a child. He is a good man but his attention is on animals and I fear he would lose the child rather than protect him, and if the Enemy were to trace Elion there, he would not last long against the might of Mordor. And who knows, the Valar sent him here for a reason. He may have role none could foresee before the end."

Aragorn let out a breath, "If there is truly no other option I will not fight you on this, however I believe Lord Elrond also wishes to speak with you on this matter."

The Istar grimaced before clambering to his feet and heading towards the Elf Lord's study. Aragorn waited until the wizard had left before crossing over to the balcony and leaning on the railing as he looked over the city, though his eyes strayed to a small garden where he could see the four hobbits and Elion embroiled in some form of game of their own invention. The sounds of laughter reached his ears and he couldn't help the sad smile that rose on his face.

They were all so carefree, out of the five of them only Frodo and Elion had any idea of the dangers this journey would bring. Frodo for the fact he had already carried the burden of the Ring for months and Elion for his captivity and his experience of war. But nonetheless none of them were fighters, regardless of Elion's magic and he knew they would need protection and support when the reality of war crashed down on them or their burdens grew too heavy to carry alone. And just perhaps, their own purity and simple presence in the Fellowship could be what they needed to remind them why they fought.

Despite the decision taken by the council it was still a month before the Fellowship departed, Elion amongst them. Lord Elrond had wanted to send out scouts to ensure that their path, at least until they reached the domains of men was not barricaded and it was only when those scouts had returned and reported the way was clear that the party made preparations to depart.

Elion knew that there had been many arguments between Gandalf, the elves and Aragorn about whether he should accompany the Fellowship but eventually Gandalf had won because it was genuinely the safer option. Elion was glad he was going with the Fellowship, he didn't have to leave Aragorn and he wanted to be able to help Frodo as much as he could, for he knew the hobbit would need support before the end much like he himself had done. For although Middle Earth was different to his original world, the burden Frodo was carrying was one he was far too familiar with and he would not have wished such a burden on his worst enemy and as Frodo was his friend he would do anything he could to help him.

The month in Rivendell had also allowed him to get to know the others in the Fellowship, and while he was still closest to Aragorn and he trusted the ranger more than any other, he had got to know the hobbits, Gandalf, Legolas and Gimli well and he had gradually warmed up to them. He didn't trust any of them completely but he was reassured that they were good people and they didn't want to hurt him and he knew that with time he would trust them like he trusted Aragorn.

However his wariness around Boromir had not decreased but rather it had increased in potency. The man had not disguised the contempt he felt for the child and that had immediately raised Elion's hackles. He knew he was a child but it didn't mean he was helpless and stupid, he had seen war and fought in one on the front line, he knew what the ring could do and he wasn't naive. But it was also Boromir's attitude toward the ring that unsettled him. Several times Elion had seen a contemplative look in his eyes and he knew that if the man got hold of the ring it would corrupt him easily. The suggestion was already there and that worried him.

But in Rivendell it had been hard to hold onto his misgivings, at least during the day. There had been so much to do. The hobbits had continued to teach him Common and by now Elion could understand and follow most speech and he was gradually beginning to speak it, although he was still far from fluent and there had been magic lessons from Gandalf as he slowly tried to learn how to wield his staff. It had been slow going, the magic was far different from what he was used to but he was beginning to grasp it, although he made sure that he continued to practice his own magic so as not to forget.

But though his days had been filled with lessons, fun and laughter the nights were a different story. He had been able to bottle his grief and worries in the day but they back-lashed into nightmares, of the war he had just fought, of the war he was going into and throughout them all the spectres of the ring and the horcruxes haunted his nightmares. Nearly every night he had woken screaming and crying but every night Aragorn had been there, holding him close until his cries stopped before gently tucking him back into bed and waiting until he fell asleep.

Aragorn had shown Elion more care and kindness than he had ever received from an adult before and Elion found himself becoming very attached to the ranger. He had been the first person he had met in this new world and in the weeks Elion had spent here he had become closer to the ranger. Aragorn was the only person he trusted virtually completely and he was the person Elion went to for comfort and reassurance and the person who cared for him and looked after him, not that the elves didn't try to, but Aragorn was the person Elion trusted and often was the only person who he would allow near him, particularly after a nightmare.

He glanced over his shoulder and a smile lit up his face as he saw the ranger walking a few meters behind him. They had set out from Rivendell this morning and it was now approaching late afternoon. They were travelling mainly on foot although Elion was perched on the pack pony, although he did walk with them for short peiods because although he wouldn't slow them unduly as the hobbits legs were only slightly longer than his own, it had been pointed out he did not have the stamina to walk all day so for periods he rode.

Rivendell was already out of sight but Elion wasn't surprised. He knew it was easily possible to walk fifteen miles a day and he watched as Aragorn strode to the front and talked briefly to Gandalf, and from the gestures they made Elion assumed they were talking about where to set up camp. He was grateful at the thought the first day would soon be coming to an end because although he had ridden for part of the day he was still tired and achy and sore and he could see that the hobbits too were flagging.

It was no more than an hour or so late that Gandalf called the halt. They had reached a small thicket on the side of a hill and Elion could make out the flash of water from a stream that wound round the base. The trees would provided shelter and firewood and the stream fresh water, and Elion knew they had been lucky to find such a place to camp and he could not assume their luck would hold when they got further from Rivendell.

Elion bit his lip to stop a whimper escaping when his feet touched the ground. Aragorn had helped him off the pony for he was still too small to get on and off the pony safely and his aching muscles protested as he forced them to move. He wanted to just curl up and sleep but he knew he couldn't yet and anyway sore muscles weren't that bad, he had certainly had worse although that didn't mean he liked it.

He was about to go and help Frodo collect firewood when suddenly a thought came to him and he turned heading for Gandalf. Boromir had been quietly ribbing him about children not being a use and he suddenly knew just how to prove he would be useful, even if he was just a child. He reached Gandalf and seeing that the wizard was staring at something only he could see Elion tugged lightly on his robes to get his attention.

"Elion?" The wizard asked, curiousity and annoyance mixed in his tone.

"I know how to set protective spells around a camp," Elion said quietly, his eyes fixed on his shoes, "Can I put them up?"

Instantly the wizard sat upright, his eyes alert. "What things would these spells of yours do?" He demanded, "And how much magic would they use?"

"They would prevent anyone from seeing or hearing anything from the camp if they were outside it and if anything strayed past a certain point they would try to repel them or at least warn us." He was very familiar with wards, in the war if your wards weren't good and you couldn't put them up every night you were dead. "And they won't take much magic. I can get it back overnight." He didn't usually talk that much, he was still very shy around people but he knew when it came to his magic it was easiest just to tell Gandalf what it would do immediately, otherwise he would be questioned for hours and forced to say more.

Gandalf considered it for a moment, his eyes focussing on something that Elion couldn't see before he nodded, "Do it, but ensure you are letting as little extra magic escape as possible."

Frowning in concentration Elion started to walk around the boundary of the camp, casting the familiar spells every five meters, "Muffilato, Tego conspicio, Concutio." He knew more protective spells but the vast majority had been focussed on repelling spell-fire rather than physical attacks and were therefore of little use in a world, where as Gandalf explained, magic users were extremely rare.

However by the time he had finished warding the entire camp he was very grateful that he hadn't needed to cast the other spells as he could feel the drain on his magic which only made his tiredness worse. It had been the first time he had attempted to cast such protections without the help of a wand because he was wary of using his staff as he couldn't control the magic that escaped when he cast with it. He could only occasionally make it do the correct spells but Gandalf told him that a lot of extra magic was released when he cast with it and that it would act like a beacon and the last thing he wanted to do was draw attention to the Fellowship.

He wanted to sit down and curl up but his instincts not to be a burden and a nuisance were stronger than his fatigue and he knew that Boromir at least was determined to think that he was a burden, and he wanted to prove the man wrong. Therefore Elion forced himself to head for the thicket and scour the ground for firewood, heaping his arms with as much as he could carry before staggering back to the camp and depositing each armful.

It was on his third trip into the thicket when Elion suddenly became aware of the presence of somebody beside him. He turned slowly, his hands automatically coming up in front of him, ready to cast if need be only to come face to face with Boromir. Elion didn't relax his guard, rather his wariness sprung up, burning strongly. He could count on one hand the number of times Boromir had actually talked to him and all those times had been dismissive. If Boromir was coming to talk or help him Elion was extremely suspicious of why, a suspicion that only increased when the man laughed.

"Such wariness," Boromir scoffed lightly, "It is out of place on your face little one. What could a child see that would cause it?"

Elion felt a rage grow inside him, Boromir knew nothing of his past but was mocking him. "They can see their parents murdered in front of them," He said quietly, his voice level but Boromir could clearly hear the anger and distress, "Be forced to fight for everything they care about and see their home destroyed, friends betrayed and killed. They can be hurt and tortured by those they were supposed to trust and be forced to kill." His voice cracked and he struggled to keep his mask in place, trying to keep all his grief, anger and pain bottled up where they couldn't be seen.

Impossibly wide emerald eyes stared up at the Gondorian who was looking at the child in pure unadulterated shock but Elion was not yet done. "Children can know war and death and pain just as much as any adult." His eyes were shadowed as his mind flew back through all the people he had known and had lost and all those who had died at his hand.

For a long moment there was silence then Boromir reached down and grabbed Elion's arm. The man did not hold him tightly or attempt to hurt him but Elion couldn't stop the flinch as he automatically jerked backwards and started to struggle. "Calm down child. I'm not going to hurt you." There was irritation in his voice but a commanding tone and reluctantly Elion stopped, although it partially because he knew it wouldn't have any effect as he was only a small child and Boromir was a fully grown warrior and far stronger than he was.

"You were describing yourself weren't you?" He demanded quietly. When Elion refused to answer the Gondorian nodded knowledgeably, "I thought so, you spoke with too much knowledge on the council and your eyes are too old. Tell me, what happened to your brother, with the ring?"

"He died." Elion's voice was flat but tears were beginning to prick in his eyes and he raised his free hand to wipe them aside. He was not going to show weakness in front of Boromir, not when he didn't trust him. However Boromir saw the movement and something akin to pity flared in his eyes, but Elion still needed to make him understand. He didn't like the man but he would not wish Ron's fate on anyone, even Voldemort or Sauron.

"It killed him."

Boromir gasped and released his arm and Elion took the opportunity to hurry back to the camp and dump his load of wood on the pile, swiping at the traitorous tears as he went. He saw Boromir come out of the thicket a little behind him, and noticing that the rest of the Fellowship were engaged in relaxed or domestic tasks and that there was plenty of wood Elion quickly headed over to Aragorn.

The ranger was carefully cleaning his weapons with a rag, a process Elion knew he did every time they stopped for the night and Elion slipped down beside him, curling up against Aragorn's side. The conversation had dredged up memories he didn't want to see, that he wanted to forget and something deep in him had made him seek out Aragorn, seeking the comfort the older man could offer just by his presence.

The ranger smiled down at the child and Elion smiled shyly back. His smile widened when Aragorn shifted slightly, adjusting his grip on his sword so he could reach around and wrap his arm around Elion's shoulders, bringing the child close as he continued to clean and check his weaponry. Slowly Elion felt himself relax in the safe haven that Aragorn's half embrace provided, the ranger's presence soothing the seething emotions in his mind.

Elion stayed curled up against Aragorn until the meal was ready and although Aragorn had finished cleaning his weapons before then he hadn't made any move to push Elion away. Rather he had sat, smoking his pipe and watching as Merry and Pippin trained with Boromir with amusement even as he kept the child close to his side, his eyes occasionally flicking down in concern but he didn't press Elion for details and for that Elion was grateful.

The meal passed quickly, Sam appeared to have been designated the official cook by the hobbits at least and the rest of the Fellowship had no issues with the designation. Sam made a very good stew. Mostly the meal passed in laughter, and Elion was unable to contain his giggles as he watched Merry and Pippin, or listened to Gimili's grumblings about "Pointy eared elvish princlings," however he studiously avoided Boromir's eyes although he saw that the man was looking at him throughout the meal. He had no desire to have another confrontation with the man, the first had dredged up enough painful memories.

It was Aragorn who noticed his yawning first, "Bed," the ranger commanded. Elion didn't protest, he could feel how tired he was and he didn't want to make Aragorn mad. Obediently he fetched his bedroll and unrolled it on the piece of ground that was his for the night and snuggled up in it. Aragorn smiled down at him and pulled the bedroll up a bit higher, tucking Elion in securely.

Elion couldn't help the smile that rose on his face at the simple gesture of affection and Aragorn smiled at him in return before heading back to the fire and settling down, a stream of smoke drifting from his pipe. Elion burrowed deeper into his blankets, suddenly aware of just how exhausted he was when he had a sudden thought. Although he had warded the camp he knew he still had nightmares and even if they couldn't be heard by their enemies and alert them to their location his screams would still wake everyone up.

He bit his lip but then a solution came to him, silencing spells worked very well on a single person and they took hardly any magic, he was sure he'd be able to cast one without letting any magic escape, even with the amount he had already used. "Silencio," he murmured under his breath and in the next moment the spell took hold and he curled up in his bedroll even as his eyes grew heavy and a few moments later he was first asleep.

It was midway through the second watch when Legolas noticed there was something wrong. Gandalf had taken them aside and explained precisely what protections Elion had placed on the camp but they were still mounting the watches for several reasons. Firstly, while they trusted the child they were still unsure of precisely what the protections would do and whether they would work against all creatures, although Legolas could testify that they certainly worked against animals, including a single wolf that had come exploring but had turned away at some invisible line.

Secondly they had agreed it was a sensible precaution to always have someone awake and alert, not only would they raise the alarm of any attack before the protections would, if something within the camp went wrong they would be there to deal with it. And lastly, they would all feel more secure with someone actually on watch. Even Gandalf had admitted that he knew little of the type of magic that Elion seemed to wield naturally, with the incantations meaning nothing to the aged Istar and they would not trust the safety of the ringbearer to magic alone.

However, while there was no sign of a threat outside the camp Legolas's eyes were drawn to a disturbance within the camp. His hand went instantly to his bow and he rose silently to his feet. He could see one of the bedrolls thrashing frantically but there was no sound save for the night sounds and the sound of fabric moving. His instincts prickled as he moved nearly noiselessly closer, what caused someone to thrash frantically but they emitted no sound?

His hands rested on his knife hilt as he drew close enough to see the disturbance clearly, for even elves could not see clearly in the darkness his feeling that there was something wrong intensified. Elion was thrashing, his limbs writhing and his mouth was open in a scream even as tears flooded down his cheeks yet not a single sound came from the child. It wasn't natural, and Legolas was well aware of the reasons that Elion was accompanying them, as much as he deplored the idea that a child would be exposed to war and danger.

And it seemed danger had already found him. Quickly the elf ran across the camp and woke Gandalf, rousing the other warriors as he headed back to the child's side. The child was being attacked, that much seemed to be clear but the attacker was either invisible or mental or magical and such attacks were only in the power of either Sauron, Saruman or the Nazgul and swords and arrows could not harm a non-corporal foe.

Gandalf rose fast, his hand flying to his stave as he strode across the clearing to the thrashing child. After a minute he drew back, fear in his expression, "There is magic on him," he reported tersely, "But it resists all attempt to counter it." He raised his staff again, his brow furrowed as incantations poured from his lips but nothing had an effect until the child bolted upright, soundless gasps coming through his teeth, emerald eyes wide with tears still flooding down his face.

By now the entire Fellowship was awake and crowding round the child and Legolas watched as the child's eyes widened and he shrunk back even though tremors still wracked through the thin frame. Legolas exchanged a glance with Aragorn and without a word the rest of the fellowship stepped back slightly, giving the child more space as it was obvious he was frightened, while Aragorn moved forward, crouching in front of the child.

"Elion?" He asked quietly, "Elion can you understand me?"

The child nodded and leaned into Aragorn's outstretched hand, some of the tenseness leaving his body as the contact although his tears did not abate. Aragorn paused slightly, his eyes scanning the child to ensure that whatever had been attacking him had gone before he drew the child into his arms. Elion went willingly, burying his face in Aragorn's tunic and no more than a minute later they could clearly hear the sound of soft sobs.

Legolas let out a breath at the confirmation that whatever had been attacking the child had passed and he saw the rest of the Fellowship trade relieved glances before Boromir started to urge the hobbits to return to their rest. However Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf and Boromir remained, watching both Aragorn and Elion as the child's sobs slowly gave way to whimpers and then finally silence.

It was only then that Aragorn straightened and stood, although Elion remained in his arms, clinging to his tunic with his face buried in the material. "What happened little one?" Aragorn asked quietly, the others content to leave the questioning to him as it was painfully obvious that Elion had been terrified and they knew Aragorn was the one the child trusted the most.

"It was just a nightmare." The child replied, confusion obvious in his voice.

"There was a magical presence," Aragorn informed him quietly, "Gandalf couldn't dispel it."

To their astonishment a blush crept up onto Elion's face and he fidgeted guiltily in Aragorn's, "I cast a spell before I went to sleep," he confessed softly, "I didn't want to wake everyone up with my screaming so I cast a spell to stop the sound escaping. That was why there was magic."

"I am presuming this was one of your own spells?" Gandalf said, a reprimand in his voice.

Elion just nodded, his head bowed. The wizard straightened up, "There was no harm done this time, you did not create a magical presence however you are not to cast any spells without permission aside from in a fight again understood?"

"Yes sir," Elion said, guilt written plainly across his features, "And I'm sorry for waking you. I was trying not to wake anyone." The Istar regarded the child for a moment before he too nodded and looked at Aragorn.

The ranger turned and gently laid Elion down on his bedroll, "Go back to sleep little one," he instructed.

Elion curled up in his bedroll before looking at Gandalf, "Can I cast the silencing spell again?" he asked and after a moments contemplation Gandalf gave his permission. The whole Fellowship was aware of how loud Elion could be during a nightmare and such a sound would certainly wake the camp, even if they weren't sure if it would travel through the spells Elion had cast.

With a twitch of his wrist all sound from the child suddenly cut off and slowly his eyes closed as Aragorn coaxed him back to slumber. After a few moments he straightened, a troubled look on his face and came to stand by Legolas who was regarding the child with a mixture of sorrow and pain. "What does he dream of that causes such nightmares?" He asked his friend quietly. He had known Aragorn for years, since the ranger was a child in Rivendell, and he had hardly seen the troubled look that now graced his friend's features.

"I do not know," Aragorn admitted, "Save that the child has been treated cruelly and he has known war and death before now. I can only speculate as to the horrors that keep him screaming every night." He paused before he laid a hand on Legolas's shoulder, "Wake me if you see him start thrashing again."

Legolas saw the protectiveness in his friend's eyes and he nodded. "I will Aragorn. It hurts to see him suffering so and knowing there is little I can do to ease his pain. He is so young."

"I know," Aragorn said softly, and they watched the child a little more before the ranger headed back to his bedroll and Legolas resumed his watch, and if his eyes strayed frequently to the child curled up in his bedroll it was because the expression of pain and terror he had seen on the child's face lingered in his memory.

AN: *Peeks out from behind a pillar* Hi all, yes I know this is a week late but I'll just say that I've a very dodgy internet connection at the moment and I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Thanks for all the support and please review!