Chapter Ten

The bottom line is, that we never fall

For the person we're supposed too.

-Jodi Picouti

It was late when Daisy finally worked up the strength to stumble back to the clearing, and it was early when the sound of movement woke her. The fellowship was packing up, getting ready to leave.

Daisy, still half-asleep, walked over to Aragorn, who was leaning against a tree. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept a wink. "Aragorn?" She said softly. "You don't look so good."

"I'm fine," he muttered, not looking at her.

"Yea, but you don't look fine." Daisy continued, a little confused about why he was acting so distant. "Rough night?" She could certainly sympathize.

"I guess." Aragorn replied, looking annoyed. What's wrong with him? Daisy knew she should let him be, that he probably hadn't gotten any sleep, but she kept talking.

"Aragorn, is everything okay?"

"No!" He shouted suddenly, startling the nearby Legolas. "It's not okay." He continued in a lower voice. "Gandalf is dead, and-" He broke off, looking haunted. Daisy gave him a exasperated look.

"You blame yourself? Aragorn, that is the stupidest thing-"

"You wouldn't understand." His clipped, polite words felt like a blow to Daisy. He might as well have slapped her in the face for all that it hurt. She stepped back, tears pricking in the back of her eyes, threatening to spill over. I won't understand?

"Right," Daisy whispered. "I wouldn't understand, wouldn't get what my best friend is going through, because I'm too stupid?" He opened his mouth to say something, but she wasn't finished. "Am I not on your intelligence level, o future king of Gondor? Or maybe it's because you won't talk to me!" The rest of their company was now obviously listening.

"Daisy, I didn't mean it like that!" He replied, voice raised.

"Get your head out of your ass Aragorn." She spat, fuming. The feeling of being about to cry was gone, replaced with anger. Daisy stormed over to the campfire, where Gimli sat eating breakfast. He gave her a impressed look.

"Er, did you hear that?" She asked sheepishly. Gimli raised his eyebrows.

"Lass, I think they heard you in Moria." He quipped, grinning. Daisy grumbled something and took the apple he offered her. That was the first real fight her and Aragorn had ever had. That bothered Daisy more than she cared to admit.

She kept replaying the argument in her head, thinking of far better insults. O mighty king of Gondor? Not your best Daisy.

The river was shrouded in morning mist, with stray beams of light falling on the cold, clear waters. The fellowship stood upon its shore, as elves fastened green cloaks around them with silver-veined leaf brooches. Daisy caught the eyes of the elf standing next to her; he was visibly glaring. She gulped, moving away. Who spat in his wine?

"Never before have we clad strangers in the garb of our own people." Celeborn stated. "May these cloaks help shield you from unfriendly eyes."

The elves began preparing for their departure, moving parcels into sets of narrow boats. Daisy was sitting near Merry and Pippin when Legolas walked up, holding a brown wafer.

"Lempas!" He exclaimed, grinning. "Elvish Way-bread. One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man."

After he left, Merry turned to Pippin, looking incredulous.

"How many did you eat?"

"Four." Pippin burped. Daisy opened her mouth about to tell them about the time her, Gwen and Aragorn had eaten seven apiece, but stopped. The man she was thinking of stood not ten feet away, speaking with Celeborn. Daisy resisted the urge to stick out her tongue.

The fellowship began climbing into the boats awkwardly, steadying themselves. Legolas helped Gimli onboard one, and Daisy joined them. The boats took off from the shore, as the elves waved farewell. She smiled, remembering the gift Galadriel had given her.

"Daisy Harneth, of Rivendell. To you I give Avènla, elvish blade. May it serve you well."

Galadriel was holding a beautiful ivory sword, small and thin. Spidery handwriting lined its handle, and the blade shown with the gleam of a weapon that had not yet seen battle. Daisy gingerly took the sword, giddy with excitement. It was surprisingly light.

"You will need to use it many times before your journey is over." Galadriel continued. "Oh, and Daisy? Remember what I said." The elf moved on to Gimli before Daisy could ask her what she meant.

That particular dwarf was sitting behind her at the moment, a dreamy smile on his face.

"Gimli?" Daisy asked, waving her hand in front of his face. "Anyone home?"

"I have taken my worst wound at this parting, having looked my last upon that which is fairest. Haugh, henceforth I will call nothing fair unless it be her gift to me." He exclaimed. A simple no would have sufficed.

"What was it?"Asked Legolas, turning to look at them.

"I asked her for one hair from her golden head." Gimli answered. "She gave me three."

Daisy grinned, thinking of all the things she could say. "That's not weird at all Gimi." The dwarf glowered at her, but his eyes gleamed humorously.

"It was a great gift, if I do say so myself." Gimli retaliated. Legolas just shook his head, silently laughing.

"Yea, but you could have gotten like a new axe or something." The two bickered goodnaturedly back and forth for the rest of the ride, with Legolas throwing in the occasional comment.

it was late when they finally stopped for the night, on a small island. Daisy plopped down next to Sam and Pippin, pointedly taking the farthest spot away from Aragorn. He hadn't even glanced in her direction since their fight, which was rather insulting. She would rather him yell and scream than to simply not acknowledge her.

Tension was running high that night, from nerves and lack of enough sleep. Sam was quietly arguing with Frodo to her left, and on the other side of the camp, Aragorn and Boromir had raised their voices. Daisy couldn't hear what the hobbits were saying, as close as they were. She caught traces of what Boromir was saying however.

"You are afraid! All your life, you have hidden in the shadows!" Daisy looked up, suddenly very angry. What right does Boromir have to say that? He hardly knows him!

She was about to walk over and give him a piece of her mind, but Aragorn already walking away. That's probably for the best.

Pippin and Merry meandered over to her, grinning from ear to ear. "Dearest Dai-dai," Merry exclaimed. "What's got you so low?"

"What did you just call me?" Daisy asked, raising her eyebrows. Dai-dai?

"I know just how to cheer you up!" Pippin added, leaning close to her, as if about to share very important news. "See Legolas, playing with his arrows?"

Daisy stifled a giggle. "Uh, yes?"

"Well he's right next to the pack filled with Lempas, and Merry and I are quite hungry. But apparently two each is quite enough for a day, and now he's guarding it!" Pippin continued, with a long-suffering look on his face.

"I haven't even had one yet!" Daisy yelled, attracting a few surprised glances. "Shh!" They both said simultaneously, covering her mouth. She gagged, pushing off their hands.

"We just need you to distract him while we grab the bag, and then suppers on!" Merry whispered. "Please?"

"Please?"

Daisy sighed, looking at the two hobbits. "Fine. I'll get you your food, although I'm not certain you need it, fatties!" She empathized her last remark with a poke to Merry's belly.

"Hey!"

What did I get myself into? Daisy wondered, as she walked over to Legolas in what was hopefully a casual way. He looked up, tilting his head in a silent question.

"Uh, hey there." she greeted, looking back at the hobbits. They were sneaking up towards the bag. Pippin motioned her with his hand frantically, in a keep-going kind of way.

"Hello." He replied a bit suspiciously.

"So..." Daisy said cheerfully. "What are you doing?" Legolas gave a half shrug, looking a little curious at to why she was still there. Real conversationalist, this one.

"Want to hear a joke? Why do shire-folk eat so much?"

"I-"

"It's just a force of hobbit!" She exclaimed, laughing. "Get it? Like habit, but hobbit?" Oh my god, Daisy, did you really just say that?"

Legolas looked traumatized. Merry whistled slightly, and Daisy saw they were pulling the pack slowly into the cover of the woods.

"Well I'm going to bed, you'll have to carry on by your elves!" Daisy joked, internally cringing. Kill me now. She could practically see the wheels turning in his head, as he tried to figure out the pun. Daisy hurried away, trying not to scream. A force of hobbit? By your elves?

Merry and Pippin burst out laughing the second she caught up with them. "Shut up!" Daisy growled, plopping onto the ground. "And hand me a Lempa!"

The next day of paddling was uneventful, except for Legolas nearly tipping over the boat after the second hour. "I get it!" He burst out, looking triumphant. "Daisy I get it!"

Gimli started to ask what he was so excited about, but him and Daisy were laughing so hard they couldn't answer. At least Daisy was, but Legolas did actually chuckle a bit. It was weird actually seeing him show some emotion, if only about her awful jokes.

"Never thought I'd see the day when you two would get along," Gimli said slyly. The two stopped laughing immediately.

The fellowship's boats passed through a canyon, and Daisy looked up in awe. Two huge statues proudly stood at each side of the river, carved right out of the rock. Their left arms were held aloft, palms facing outwardly as if in a gesture of warning.

"Wow." Daisy breathed, leaning out of the boat. She automatically turned to see Aragorns reaction in the next boat over. He was smiling, smiling, and saying something to Frodo.

The fellowship sailed past the statues, towards a great roaring waterfall. On either side of the falls, the land rose up. In the center, a sheer pinnacle of rock raised from the cascade.

The boats disembarked on a gravel beach, weak and wobbly from so long in the canoes. Daisy got jelly-legs worse of them all, having never been in a boat before once the quest.

"We cross the lake at nightfall." Aragorn told the group loudly. "Hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the north."

"Oh, yes?" Gimli asked sassily. "It's just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil? An impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks! And after that, it gets even better!" Isn't he just a bundle of sunshine?

"Festering, stinking marshlands, far as the eye can see!" Daisy winced just thinking of it. Go destroy the one ring, they said. It'll be fun, they said.

"That is our road. I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf." Aragorn replied cheekily.

"Recover my…?" Gimli yelped. "Ghrrr…" Daisy laughed, patting him on the shoulder.

Truth be told, she wasn't sure about the resting spot they were currently at. The forest looked ominous and dark, and was strangely quiet. Daisy shuddered, her gaze wandering to a old statue sitting among the pines. Legolas seemed to feel the same, and began speaking with Aragorn in low tones.

"No dwarf need recover strength!"He told Pippin, who looked about to wet himself. "Pay no heed to that, young Hobbit."

Merry came out of the forest, holding a pile of firewood. He looked around, frowning. "Where's Frodo?" The hobbit was nowhere in sight.

Everyone began looking around worriedly, Sam rousing from his doze with a start. Aragorn locked eyes with Daisy and nodded towards Boromir's spot. Except all that was there was his shield and a pack of stuff.

Daisy stared back at him, her heart sinking.