Here it is, the start of something compleatly new ! I've been waiting so long to get to this part of my story, I hope everyone likes it as much as I do ! And it's my longest chapter yet, which I'm proud of. But I would like to ask: Should I make my chapters longer ? Or maybe shorter ? Or are they fine as they are ?
Like I have said before (I think), I am using the Roman Army as my inspiration for Amelia's army. Also, all the OCs (that are not from Middle-Earth) have Latin names that reflect their personalities. Here are the meanings:
Amelia = Industrious, Admiring
Silvia = From The Forest
Luthando = Love (He was Amelia's husband)
Francis = Free (He was Amelia's son)
Marcello = young warrior (He is the Lieutenant of the Numörien army)
Jovan = Majestic (He won't appear until chapter 11, and is the ex-lieutenant of the Numïrien army, but is now the Captain)
Enjoy ! :)
And a huuuuuuuuuuge thank you to BamX5-837, Jenna Linda, and SammPaglia for your wonderful reviews that I love so much !
I was in paradise, wrapped tightly in Aragorn's arms. That was, until Boromir's voice broke us apart. " Aww " He said. " It has finally happened. "
I could hear the smirk in his voice without even looking. I was going to kill him. Aragorn shot up, standing in front of where I was still sat. " What are you doing here, Boromir ? " He asked. He sounded slightly worried, but I could not care less. He interrupted us ! I'd been waiting for it for weeks, and he ruined it all. He was going to die.
" Looking for you. " He answered, still grinning. " Supper will be ready soon, and we have managed to find some meat so I thought I'd come and get you before Gimli and the Hobbits eat it all. What are YOU doing ? " He raised his eyebrows a few times, teasing us. That was it.
I got up, walked over to him, and punched him in the shoulder. " Shut up. " I said, grinning as a look of shock came over his face, as he rubbed his shoulder. I had not hit him hard, but but hard enough. It was only friendly after all.
We set off back to camp, and I retold the account of my meeting with Galadriel. Boromir seemed as interested in it as Aragorn had been, but he did not comment on any of it. Once we arrived, Boromir pulled me apart for a split second, long enough to tell me he that he would like to talk to me after we had eaten. But before I would ask him why, he winked to Gimli, and before I knew it, the whole Fellowship knew what had been going on when Boromir had found Aragorn and I.
" Good on ya laddy ! " Exclaimed the Dwarf as he patted Aragorn's knee. " Took ya long enough ! "
I rolled my eyes, sitting next to them. " I am still here you know. " I said to him.
" I know ! " He said, " Maybe you can teach him how to drink like we do ! " He grinned, raising his ale. I ignored him comment as my eyes widened.
" Where did you get that ? " I asked, jealous that he had ale and I did not.
" We've got a whole barrel full of it ! " Added Pippin, showing off his ale.
We feasted on meat and ale for a couple of hours. At first, Aragorn and I were teased, but the subject was soon dropped and we joked about other things. I restrained myself from getting drunk, knowing that I then had to sleep in the same room as the eight men.
After we had eaten and cleared up, I found Boromir sitting on the roots of a tree nearby. I sat down next to my dear friend, and asked him what it was he wanted to talk to me about.
" The ring has a powerful effect on me. " He said. " I am weak. "
" You are not weak ! " I retorted. " Yes the ring affects you, but you have not given in. That proves how strong you are. " I tried encouraging him. But he was not having it.
" I know that if I stay with Frodo, I will end up trying to take the ring. It speaks to me, and I often find myself saying things to Frodo that I do not mean. I am afraid, Mia. I'm loosing my mind. "
" You are not loosing your mind. You - " I started, but he cut me off.
" I want to go with you. " He said, to which I just looked at him, confused. " I want to leave the Fellowship so that I do not harm Frodo. I want to go with you and help you in your quest, and help you in this foretold prophecy. I went to Rivendell with the order to bring the ring back to Gondor. If I go back empty handed, I fear my father's reaction. You see, he is old, and he is getting increasingly delusional. He might send an army to retrieve it from Frodo if he learns of the Fellowship's quest. " He said sadly.
I did not quite know what to say to him. I understood, and I was proud he could take such a decision. I knew it was hard to admit that he knew he would succumb to the ring, and I was touched that he trusted me enough to show me such weakness. But come with me ?
" Boromir, I do not even know where I am going to go, or how long it will take. It could be dangerous. " I said, but he shook his head.
" I do not care. " He said adamantly. " And if it is dangerous, then I will be there to protect you. " Upon seeing the expression of disbelief on my face, he corrected himself. " Not that you need protecting. But I want to help you. As I said before, you are like my little sister. "
I decided that it would be nice to have someone with me, especially Boromir. And if it would save him grief and trouble, then I had no reason to refuse. I told him I would be delighted to have him as a travel companion, and he smiled softly, thanking me. " You better find Aragorn. " He said. " I fear he will lead the Fellowship on in a few days, so you need to make the most of the time you have left. " I rolled my eyes as he smiled, and did as he said.
Aragorn was sitting on his bed, polishing his sword. I sat down next to him, lightly kissing him on the cheek. " I take it that you have decided to leave ? " I asked.
He nodded sadly and turned to me, putting his sword down. " We have been here for over three weeks, " he said, " We cannot put this off any longer. We will pack up and leave in a couple of days " He paused. " When will you leave ? "
" I will see you off, and then leave the next day. " I said, making up my mind as I went on. " And... Boromir will stay with me. " I said, unsure of his reaction.
Thankfully, he smiled. " I am glad you will have someone with you. Not only to keep you company, but it will be safer. And I trust him with you. " He said, stroking my cheek with his hand. " Where will you go ? "
I paused, deep in thought. " I think we will travel north. Near the borders of my homeland. Silvia said she would lead what's left of my army there, to the border of the Mirkwood forest. " I said. " I miss her. And I am still their leader, it is in my duty to check up on them from time to time. It is my fault they are now unwelcome in Numör, so I owe them everything I have. "
He smiled, and kissed me. Like the fist time, my body melted under his touch, and I could not help but wrap my arms around his neck. We stopped when he heard someone clear their throat in the doorway, and looked up to find Legolas and Gimli standing there, grinning like children. " You dirty little rats ! " Teased Gimli. " Why don't you take your clothes off while you're at it ? " I laughed, and Aragorn scolded him. Shortly afterwards, all the beds were occupied, and I fell asleep, holding Aragorn's hand in the small gap between our beds.
The day Aragorn had chosen for the departure of the Fellowship had arrived. Aragorn asked me to wait until then to tell the others of my parting, as he thought it may distress them and make them want to stay behind. I did not necessarily agree, but he was the leader, and I took my orders, though probably not as gracefully as I should have. " But that's ridiculous. " I had said. " I will wait, but I think it is stupid. " Aragorn had rolled his eyes, saying that I was "hopeless". I knew I was a little too stubborn for my own good, but I could not help it.
I had packed my bags, ready to leave the next day. Boromir and I helped the Fellowship carry their bags down to the river, where three boats were waiting for them. They were in almost white wood, and they were docked in between the roots of an ancient tree. It looked so magical, and the water was beautiful. But it was time for Boromir and I to come clean, and Aragorn rounded everyone up for us.
" I have some bad news. " I started. I was nervous about telling them, but my mind was made up and nothing would change my mind. " I have decided to end my travels with you, at least for a while. " I paused, looking at their shocked faces, but I had to carry on. " Boromir has volunteered to come with me, and we will travel north for a while. " Their face fell, and Merry and Pippin's eyes started to go red. I felt bad for leaving them, and I would miss them.
" Will we ever see you again ? " Asked Pippin, as tears started to run down his face. I bent down, and wiped them away. " Of course you will, I promise. Take care of yourself Pip', I'll miss you. " I said as I hugged him, and Merry joined our hug. " I'll miss you as well Merry. Take care of each other. "
I then turned to Gimli, who looked a bit teary as well, and put my hand on his shoulder. " Take care of yourself, Dwarf. " I said. He nodded, " It's a shame we won't be able to compete in battle anymore my Lady. " I laughed lightly. " Oh we will, and I will beat you. "
I then turned to Legolas, who smiled faintly and muttered " Be safe. " I decided to hug, him to his surprise, and asked him to look after Aragorn for me.
Turning to Frodo and Sam, I hugged them both at the same time, telling them to be brave, that they will succeed, and that I believed in them, which they both seemed to appreciate. They all said their goodbyes to Boromir as well, and then went off after being called by Galadriel, leaving me with Aragorn. Boromir discretely disappeared, and Aragorn slowly took my hand.
" Be safe, my beautiful one. " He muttered. " It will be a long journey without you by my side. "
I smiled, and took his face in my hands. " Be strong. And please, don't get yourself killed. " I then kissed him lightly on the lips, and he pulled me into a stronger embrace.
" Don't get yourself killed either. " He added, wiping away the tears that were forming in my eyes. I didn't realize it until afterwards, but it was the first time in years I had expressed so much emotion.
Once the fellowship was seated in their boats, I pushed their boats into the water, one by one. I kissed Aragorn one last time before pushing his in, and Boromir and I watched them as they became small specks in the distance. I suddenly felt lonely, a feeling I had not felt for years. It was most bizarre.
Boromir and I spent the rest of the day finishing our packing, and I had another bath. On my way down, I asked the Elf if they could spare me some of their wonderful soap. It would undoubtedly be the thing I missed the most about the Elven city, and he agreed. He handed me a nice load of it, that would last me nearly a year, with a bemused smile. It was an odd request, but this Elven soap smelled of flowers, and it was like magic to me, I could not get enough of it. I fell asleep, wondering how Aragorn was getting on. In the morning, Lady Galadriel approached us, and gave us the same cloaks she had given the rest of the Fellowship.
" I have no gifts to offer you, for you are both such strong people. " She said, " But I can offer this advice to you ", she continued, turning to me. " Beware of the powers you hold, for though they are powerful and though they will be used for good, they are evil in nature. " She then looked at Boromir. " Look after her. "
We were about to get into the boat we were kindly given, when we were alerted of a newcomer's presence in the forest. Galadriel asked us to follow her, and when we got to an opening in the trees not far away, we were greeted by the most unexpected sight. A man dressed all in white, with long white hair and a white staff stood before us. A wizard, without a doubt.
" Gandalf ! " I exclaimed, instantly recognizing the old man. " Thank the heavens ! "
" How is this possible ? It is good to see you ! " Said Boromir, equally as glad to see the old man.
" Yes, I am alive. " He said, smiling back at us. " I see you have made your decision. " He added, speaking to me. " I hope everything will go as planned for the both of you. "
" Thank you. " I said, at the same time as Boromir. " How did you survive ? " I asked.
" It is a long story. " He said. " One that I will tell you another time. All you need to know is that I am safe, and that I will do all I can to find the Fellowship again. We all have our paths, and you need to follow yours. " He nodded back to where our boat was waiting for us. " We will meet again soon. " he said.
" But we can't leave now, you have only just got here ! " I protested.
" You must. " Answered the Wizard, looking at me with serious eyes.
I did not know why, but I believed him, and sighed. We had to go straight away. Boromir and I smiled, and bowed before the Elven queen and the old man, biding them farewell. We then went back to our boat, and set off on the Great River, going North unlike the Fellowship who went south. Boromir was behind me, rowing, and I was in front. We sat in silence for a while, until my friend spoke of Gandalf.
" I would have liked to stay a while longer to understand how he survived and why he's now dressed all in white. " he said. " I thought he was Gandalf the grey ? "
" I would have like that as well. " I said. " Nor do I know how he survived. But yes, he was Gandalf the grey, but he is now Gandalf the white. He has been... Promoted, I suppose. " I said. Being a witch myself, I had some knowledge of the Istari. There were once three great Istari in my home lands, but they sadly passed away half a millenia ago during a great battle. My father, who had known them well, often told me tales of them.
" The white ? Like Saruman ? " Asked Boromir.
" Yes, but Gandalf is not evil. " I said. I told him about my father's deceased friends, and we continued speaking for the rest of the day.
When the sun started to set, we set up camp on the Eastern side of the river. Though we had been given Elven Lembas bread, which would fill our stomach with just a mouthful, we decided to hunt a rabbit down, and we had stew. Boromir fell asleep staring up at the stars, and I wondered how our journey would unfold. I knew I would find Silvia in the forest of Mirkwood, but she would probably not have lead my army much past the Grey Mountains, right up north, at the limit of Middle-Earth's maps. I remember her saying she would make camp on the Forest River, hopefully with the consent of the Elves that lived there. If we kept our speed up, Boromir and I would arrive in just over ten days. I looked over into the distance at the edge of the Mirkwood forest. It was not far away, but it would be much faster and easier to travel by boat. But looking towards the forest made me feel that much closer to my childhood friend, making me smile in anticipation.
The next morning, we took turns washing in the river. I sat behind some bushes as Boromir washed, and then we exchanged places. When I had finished, I called over to Boromir to let him know he could come out again. But he did not answer. I called out second time, and again I had no answer. Finishing getting dressed, I unsheathed my sword, carefully walking over to where he should be but he was not there. I looked around, but could not see him anywhere. At first I thought he was just playing a trick on me, but then I sensed movement in the bushes further inland. I looked back over at our little camp, but figured I'd rather loose that than Boromir. I narrowed the hiding people down to one particular bush, and closed in on it. " Come out, I know you're there. " I said. But then my arms were seized from behind. I dropped my sword, and the two men holding my arms were holding them in such a position where I could not struggle for fear of breaking my arms. " Where is Boromir ? " I demanded. " What have you done to my friend ? "
Without a word, more of these men came out from another bush, dragging Boromir along. His hands were bound, and he was gaged, but he nodded to let me know he was okay. The leader of the group of men came forwards. He was about a head taller than I, with sandy blond hair barely reaching his chin all in different lengths. He was cleanly shaven, and wearing green and white ranger clothing. His eyes had a hard look of determination in them, but when they lay eyes on me, they became confused. " Who are you ? " He demanded. " What are you doing, trespassing on our lands ? "
" Your lands ? " I repeated. " Mirkwood belongs to the Elves ! And you are no Elf ! " I exclaimed.
" Answer my question woman, and I shall answer yours. " He said. He didn't seem menacing, and the way he looked at me confused me. It was as though he was looking at a ghost, but I could not say that I had seen him before, nor any of the eight men around us. Their clothing was familiar to what we wore back home, but they were wearing green. Blue and white were the colors of my home, like the ice.
" My name is Amelia. " I said. " And my friend is Boromir. Please, we mean you no harm. We were only traveling north on a personal quest, nothing more. " I said, trying to sound innocent.
" Amelia ? " Repeated the man. I was now even more confused, and he proceeded to pick up my sword and examined it. " Let them go. " He suddenly ordered. He handed me my sword back, and kneeled. " Forgive me my Lady, Silvia did not expect us to find you this far south. " The other men immediately released Boromir as well, and followed their leader and kneeled in front of me.
I stood in complete and utter shock. These men were... My men ? Boromir asked me what was going on, and I shook my head in disbelief. " You take orders from Silvia ? " I asked the man, trying to make sense of the situation. " You are my men ? The seventh company of the east ? "
The leader nodded. " My name is Marcello. Lady Silvia sent us here to investigate after seeing your camp fire last night. We were afraid you might be more orcs. "
I waved at them to get up, which they did. A few of them went back to our camp to pack our things for us, and Boromir asked some more questions to Marcello, as another man untied his hands. But my ears no longer worked for a few moments. The only thing that registered in my mind was that I had found my army, in just a day of traveling. More than that, I would soon see my dearest friend. I suddenly came back into the conversation, interrupting the two men.
" Is Silvia alright ? Why have you come so far south ? What about the Elves ? " I asked. I was worried. Silvia had told me they would not travel far south without me, yet here they were at the very south of Mirkwood, on the border with Rohan.
" Silvia is fine. We have set up camp near Dol Guldur. Come with us, all shall be explained. " He said, waving his hand for us to follow him. The other men arrived back, carrying our bags, and we set off in direction of the forest.
" You're treated well. " Whispered Boromir. " I take it we're safe. " He said, unsure of himself as he looked around at the men we were following.
" Safer than in anyone else's company. " I answered back. I could not be more sure of myself. These men were everything to me. Though I had never met these particular men before, I knew that Silvia would not have sent them out if she did not trust them with her life.