Okay, so bad weather and the flu is very bad for traveling and work, but good for writing! :D It gave me another chance to write the next chapter! Please review soon!
Thanks Amberhathaway. I felt I had to keep a lot of the movie lines in to show how Enzi's been hanging around in the background for the majority of the story so far. Hopefully you'll get to see more of her in the next few chapters.
The Fellowship had rested with Galadriel's people for the past week. And in that time, Enzi had begun to truly digest Galadriel's words. If everything was lost in her home, she had to make her father's sacrifice worth it. She had to make sure that she did everything to yield success. She owed it to him. Ghadelyna was truly dead now. The princess of the Engoli people would have to be pushed aside. Enzi would do what she couldn't.
It was their final day in the safety of the woods, and the Elves were preparing to present them with gifts and provisions. She took off her cloak for a moment, fingering the intricate stitching on the deep red fabric. Without a word, she began folding it into her traveling pouch as she and the rest of the Fellowship awaited the gifts. This was a very significant move for her. It was the first time she had completely revealed herself to her comrades. The cloak of her people had been a security blanket of sorts that she was finally and inevitably letting go. For so long, she had been in the background, allowing events to continue on around her and doing only what was essential. She was done with this, now. She had to take a stand.
Feeling a sense of peace and determination that she hadn't felt since Rivendell, she continued examining her countenance for anything else that needed to be cast off. She would keep her glove – it served as both a weapon (like the spear) and an easy way to hide her heritage. She began to feel her hair, thinking of the servants that prepared Dingane and her for tribute. They had placed golden charms in her braids as means of protection. It was time to let this go as well, and she began feverishly unclipping them and placing them in her bag as well.
"What are these, Enzi?"
She looked down at Sam and realized that it was the first time he'd seen her hair. Engoli women braided their hair intricately (something she found was uncommon with the women from the North and West) and the braids with small golden symbols that were clipped to various braids. He probably imagined that, since he'd never seen her hair, he believed that she had a cropped hair cut or at least hair similar to his people. She undid a clip and showed it to him. "My people believe that our ancestors guide protect us in life. These are symbols of my ancestors. As we travel, it is our belief that these symbols help our ancestors identify us and allow them to find us and keep us safe."
Sam fingered the clip for a moment in wonder, as if he were holding a star in his hand. "Then why take them off?" he said after a while.
Enzi smiled for a moment, trying to think of the best way to convey her thoughts. She kneeled down to Sam's level and began to explain herself. "Because my ancestors cannot protect me from what is to come. And in order to save my people, I have to let them go." Sam looked at her for a moment, still trying to digest her words. He was still confused, so she continued. "You did the same when you left your home and decided to help Frodo. Your people don't know of the threat and my people have been deceived by the threat."
Sam nodded understanding and tried to give her the charm back, but Enzi stopped him, wrapping her hand around his. "No. Keep it. When you return to the Shire, you'll need to tell your people of your travels. Nothing helps explain a story better than evidence."
"Thanks," Sam said smiling. "I wish I had something to give you."
Enzi straightened up and patted Sam's head as if she were talking to a child. "Stay alive. That's enough for me."
"The Elves are coming," Boromir whispered and Enzi gave Sam a final smile before standing to attention. Ten elves stood in front of them and began placing beautiful green cloaks around each of their shoulders, using golden leaves broaches to hold them in place. They began speaking in their language, apparently speaking blessings over them. When they were done, they stepped back and Galadriel stepped forward. She spoke a few words to the Fellowship as a whole, and then began presenting each member of the Fellowship with a gift.
Enzi quietly watched the Elf queen give each member of the Fellowship a gift that seemed to be either ancient or very precious to her people. First Legolas, then the hobbits and the dwarf, then Boromir. The queen passed Aragorn entirely. She stopped in front of Enzi and she returned the queen's level gaze with one of her own, trying to signal her intentions to see this mission to the end, not to protect her family, but because it was the right thing to do.
The queen stared into her eyes for a long time, then smiled, nodding as she did so. She motioned to an elf behind her. "Your steps will be long and hard, Haradress," she said after a while. "I cannot protect you from the pain that is to come."
"I don't ask for protection," Enzi said, resolute.
"So you didn't, young one, but you will need guidance." She brought up a large pair of boots from the other elf's hands. The boots were Elvish in design, with the strange symbols of their language scrawled in gold around the top edge of the knee-length brown boots. "These boots have seen a lot of wars. They have witnessed a lot of change. May they guide your feet on the path ahead of you."
Enzi nodded thanks and took the shoes in her hands, feeling the soft material. She wondered what the queen meant. There was no way the shoes could protect her feet on this journey. They felt as if they were made of feathers; they simply were not strong enough. Perhaps the queen had given them to her for ceremonial purposes.
As Enzi was pondering the shoes, the queen moved back to Aragorn, the two walking off in the distance a bit. Apparently, she'd saved the best for last. She began to speak to him in Elvish, speaking as beautifully and smoothly as the birds sang. Aragorn responded, making their discussion more like music than a conversation. She was almost prepared to close her eyes and listen to it as such, when she heard her name called. Not Enzi, or even Haradress. The queen had spoken her name, Ghadelyna, to Aragorn. She looked up at them, making eye contact with Aragorn. He nodded for a moment, then turned his attention back to the queen. How many people new of her secret identity, Enzi wondered. Perhaps Elrond had told this woman, but that didn't give her the right to pick and choose who she would share it with. And what would the queen have to tell Aragorn about her? She continued staring, trying to will her mind to understand the Elvish tongue to no avail. When their conversation was over, Aragorn gestured with his hands, apparently showing respect to the queen and asked them to help pack up the boats.
The Fellowship found four beautiful white boats near the river's edge. Elves brought supplies to them as they stood there near the river's edge and Enzi found herself stuffing her traveling pouch. She then began gratefully taking provisions from the Elves and stuffing them into the boat. It was decided that one of the hobbits, Pippin, would ride with her. The troublesome one, Mchawi had called him affectionately. Mchawi . . . thinking of him made her throat constrict, but she ignored it, continuing to pack the boat as the hobbit talked and ate.
After a while they group was ready and began to row away, Aragorn, Frodo and Sam, then Boromir and Merry, followed by Legolas and Gimli, and Enzi and Merry pulled up the rear. They traveled for most of the day, the hobbits yelling out at each other and Gimli complaining about wanting to keep his feet on dry land. Aragorn and Boromir debated on which shore seemed a good place to set up camp for the night and finally agreed on a shore shaded with trees. After a couple of hours, the group had set up camp, eaten, and were resting a bit, trying to soak all the experiences of the day. All except Enzi. She tired of just sitting. She found a tree near their campsite, pulling on her glove and picking up her spear as she did so. Galadriel said that she couldn't protect her. That was fine. Enzi would protect herself. Then she remembered the boots, and put her weapons down to change into them. Surprizingly, the shoes seemed to mold to her feet, giving her a sensation of comfort while protecting her from the harsh rocks of the terrain. She felt more energized and agile with the boots on. Invigorated, she picked up her weapons and began to spar against the tree. She slashed it with her spear, knocked into it with her glove and pretended to dodge attacks. She imagined the tree was the guards she'd seen carry her father away, or the council that had sold her father out. She imagined orcs and trolls fighting her and she imagined different ways to kill each of them, thrusting her spear and the armored part of the glove into the tree for each "kill".
"A lady of war is not common among the Men of the West, my lady."
She turned around to find Boromir watching her, along with Aragorn and the other members of the Fellowship. She didn't know she was being watched, but was not embarrassed either. True, they'd all had to fight in Moria, but only Aragorn and Legolas had truly seen her skill and it seemed important that the rest know of her skill as well.
She smirked. "My people believe war is for all who would defend their homes. Even a child must be able to defend himself."
"Do all of your people fight as you do?" Gimli asked, smoking his pipe and looking at her as if she'd sprouted antlers. He motioned to her weapons.
" Each tribe of Harad specializes in certain weapons. The Engoli foot-soldiers tend to focus more on hand –to –hand combat as well as combat using spears, daggers and armor." Enzi motioned to her glove. "This was given to me by my mother and I've trained with it for years. Those who fight on the backs of Mumaks use spears and bows."
"Mumaks?" Merry asked.
"Large creatures," Aragorn explained. "What you would call an Oliphant."
The hobbit's eyes grew wide at the thought of a people who would train such a beast. He had not idea how powerful and fierce the tribes of Harad were.
"And you've been trained to fight on foot?" Frodo piped it. He'd been so quiet she'd forgotten he was there until she saw his blue eyes washing over her.
"Both. Someone of my status would need to be in place for whatever the king needed."
"Well then, you must offer us a demonstration, Enzi," Gimli laughed, still unconvinced. Legolas stood behind him, smiling a bit at her while motioning to the dwarf.
Nodding understanding, Enzi smiled and bowed respectfully to the dwarf. "Only if you will join me. I've heard of the famed ferocity of the dwarves."
"Ha!" the dwarf chortled. "Well I promise to take it easy on you!" He stood, brandishing his axe, prepared to attack her.
Enzi smiled and positioned herself to fight as well. "I thank you that, Master dwarf."
They circled each other for a moment, Enzi allowing herself to appear weak to him. She could see the plan formulating in the dwarf's mind – sweep her feet, knock her down, take her weapon. This was his plan. All she would have to do is allow him to believe that his plan would work, and then go in for the "kill".
In a few moments, the dwarf made his move, waving the back of his axe in order to sweep her, just as she predicted. Enzi moved her legs and swung her body the opposite way, allowing the axe to hit her gloved hand so hard that it was knocked out of the dwarf's hand. She then used the staff portion of the spear to hit him square in his helmet, throwing him off balance forcing him to the ground. When his eyes re-focused, all he could see was her smile and the edge of her spear.
"I thank you for taking it easy on me, Master dwarf," Enzi said after a while.
"You caught me off-guard!" the dwarf argued. "What is the fairness of disarming an opponent before the battle?" He was grasping at straws and he knew it, but he continued because he couldn't face losing to her. But Enzi didn't mind. Even among her people, she'd found that some men took offense to losing to a woman. They could deal with women fighting but still considered them the weaker opponent. Losing to a woman proved that the man was, indeed, the weaker vessel.
"Care to try your luck again, milady?"
Enzi did not have to turn around to know that it was Boromir that had challenged her. She smiled a bit and stood, grasping the spear again. She didn't speak, but slowly turned to face him, surprised to see him smiling. The Woods of Lorien had changed their relationship; he no longer seemed to view her as an enemy but as an ally, and seemed to view this as nothing more than friendly sparring.
She allowed Boromir to circle her, taking his stance and posture in mind to predict his intent. He was leaning heavily on his sworded arm. He would attack her from the back – not to injure her but to test her reflexes. She did not move – he must believe she knew nothing. Seconds later, as she predicted, she felt his feet take a stance and heard the blade swing to her. She guessed that he expected her to swing her gloved arm at him to shield herself. She had a different idea. She used the spearhead and Boromir's own momentum to pin the sword into the ground. While he stood trying to dislodge the sword, she smashed him in the chin with the safest edge of the glove, knocking him back a bit.
"Empressive," Boromir said with a smirk, "but you have not truly fought a Gondorian warrior before."
Enzi only smiled, concentrating on predicting his next move. They circled each other, Enzi taking a submissive position while shifting her gaze between his feet, his arms, and his eyes. But Boromir seemed to notice this and with one sweep he grabbed her about the waist attempted to tackle her. She had anticipated this and used the tree behind her as leverage, pushing against it as if to flip him over. But, apparently a part of his strategy, Boromir used her own momentum to flip her over him. Clever, but not clever enough. As Enzi fell, she grabbed Boromir's legs, pulling him down to the ground. The two hit the ground with a thud and watched each other for a while, trying to decide what to do next.
"Do all of your people fight with such . . . ferocity?" Boromir asked after a while.
"Those who are of age to become tribute must be trained to be relentless, and I had a good teacher." After nodding a truce with Boromir, she turned her attention to the rest of the Fellowship. "You should expect only the best human soldiers to be counted in the armies of Mordor, and each tribe, mine included, has its honor built on the ferocity of it's warriors's service to the Eye."
No one spoke.
"Ha!" Gimli bellowed after a while. "Nothing that this dwarf can't handle!"
Dinner was somber, but not as somber as it had been. Each member was slowly focusing more and more on the mission and less and less on personal comfort. Even Merry and Pippin didn't complain when Aragorn insisted they not get a third helping of dinner.
Boromir brought Enzi a plate of Sam's stew, and she nodded appreciatively. He sat down beside her and the two ate in silence for a while. She began to think that she hadn't felt such peaceful silence since sitting with Dingane for the last time, but then pushed out the memory. No use thinking about family she would never see again. It was pointless.
As if on cue, Boromir asked the one question that she wasn't prepared to hear from him. "Was it your father who trained you?" Enzi said nothing and he seemed to instantly know he'd hit a nerve. "I'm sorry."
That was when she turned to face him. "We've done this dance already. Apologizing like this wastes too much energy. Action speaks better." He nodded and the two continued to eat, once again, sinking into a comfortable silence.
A few moments later, it was Enzi who spoke. "You know I would have won, don't you?"
"Oh, really?" Boromir grinned, taking the bait.
"Yes. You're too slow, Gondorian. Too confident in your own might. You have to think three steps ahead of an enemy."
"Nonsense. Chivalry demands that I allowed you to win." She punched him in the arm, another instant reminder of the playful banter she and her brother had, but once again, she pushed the image out of her mind.
Boromir laughed and mock-threatened her. "Careful, Haradress. Even my chivalry has limits."
"Then I must be very lucky that it lasted this long," Enzi continued, still enjoying the banter.
He gave her a sideways glance. "My father would like you."
That was random. "Really?" Enzi asked.
Boromir nodded. "You are so different. So much like him. So unlike Gondorian women, so unlike any woman I've met."
"Is that a compliment or an insult?" she asked, still wanting to continue their mockery.
Boromir looked at her for a while, his smile fading into a small smirk. "That, my lady, is nothing short of a compliment."
Comments are always welcome!