Bold Italics Elvish
Chapter 10
Two days later, Natasha and Gandalf were up before dawn, readying their horses. The light of the rising sun filtered through the leaves, catching in the light mist that rose every night. Natasha stood by her horse, trying her best not to look too many times to see if Gandalf was ready.
'Damn, I hate leaving. Always takes too long to get ready. Not to mention leaving friends.' she thought heatedly. 'Never thought people could grow on you so fast."
Off to side with the King and Queen, Legolas and Strider were shifting from foot to foot. The past few weeks had flown by so fast, so much had happened, yet, it felt like not enough. Thranduil peeked out of the corner of his eye at the two elflings and had to quickly avert his gaze to keep from laughing outright. His wife nudged him gently in the ribs to bring his attention back to Gandalf, who, satisfied with the time of day, had pronounced it time to leave.
"Mithrandir, old friend, do not stay away so long this time." Thranduil said, grasping the Istari's hand firmly.
"A wizard's work is rarely scheduled, my dear king, but I shall endeavor to be here in the spring. Such a nice time of year. I expect to see that garden of yours in bloom, Lalaith." Gandalf smiled and kissed the Queen lightly on the cheek.
"It will bloom when it chooses to and not before as you well know, old man. You need to be here for when it happens." she teased, hugging him firmly. "Be safe and keep that apprentice of yours out of trouble as well. I'd like to see her again." she said, turning to Natasha and pulling her into a hug. "Come back soon, dear." she whispered in her ear. "Legolas and Strider don't get into nearly as much trouble when you're around."
Said elves blushed deep red at her words, fidgeting with their tunics. Smiling, Natasha smiled and nodded, turning as the King joined them, holding a beautifully forged sword out to her. Vines of ivy criss-crossed the hilt and scabbard, forming the cross-piece while engraved vines and flowers ran down the blade. The balance was perfect, as Natasha knew it would be, when she drew the sword. The hilt fit right into her palm, nestling there like an old friend.
"A gift from us, so you may remember your stay here and return safely." he said, smiling gently as she fumbled to belt it on. "Made by my own smiths." he added proudly.
"It's beautiful." she bowed slightly in gratitude, hand over her heart. "Thank you."
King and Queen stepped aside as Legolas and Strider stepped forward to say their goodbyes. One held an intricately carved bow of yew while the other held a matching quiver with eagle feather fletched arrows. They helped her strap these on without a word. Each tried to speak but closed their mouths again without having said a word, suddenly shy and uncertain of what to say.
"Natasha," Gandalf called from atop his horse. "We really must be going now, child."
Impulsively, Natasha flung her arms around Strider, hugging him fiercely and did the same to Legolas. Something inside struggled to be let loose though it wasn't her powers. It felt like her heart but Gandalf interrupted before she could be sure.
"You'll see them again, Natasha. Perhaps sooner than you think." he said mysteriously.
"You'd better go." Strider whispered, hand on her arm as she pulled away from Legolas. "Be careful and remember what we taught you."
"I will." Natasha promised and swung onto her horse.
Natasha's heart sank as the last of the Palace disappeared from view.
Watching the two rapidly departing figures, Strider and Legolas were left with their own thoughts and feelings. Something had sparked within him when he'd felt Natasha in his arms, and then an urgent sense of loss when she'd left them. And seeing Legolas holding her, well, that just intensified the first sensation. Confused, he frowned slightly, though quickly changed that to a half-hearted smile when Legolas shot a questioning glance his way.
Legolas had felt the same spark as he'd watched Strider return Natasha's embrace and when his turn had come, his heart had sung for joy. He tried to shake off the feelings of loss clutching at his heart. When both travelers were out of sight, everyone headed inside to go about their respective tasks for the day. In their room, Legolas and Strider held each other close.
"I don't understand this." Strider finally muttered.
"Don't understand what, melethron?"
"Natasha…she's not even gone for an hour and I miss her. When she's around, I feel…I…"
"Like you're falling in love all over again?" Legolas finished, head still on Strider's shoulder.
"Yes…No! I love you. Only you." Strider cried holding the blonde to his chest.
"Rest easy, melethron." Legolas quickly soothed in the Common Tongue. "I know how you feel. I feel it too."
"But we just met her." Strider sighed, exasperated. "How can we…we've got each other…and she…Argh!"
"Let's not think about it right now." Legolas suggested, pulling Strider close. "Besides, it's more than likely she doesn't think about us like that."
Strider submitted to a gentle kiss before pulling back thoughtfully.
"You know, that didn't really help."
"I know." Legolas sighed sadly, snuggling into Strider's collarbone.
"But I think I know a way to get our minds off such depressing thoughts." Strider said slyly, flipping Legolas over on their bed and leaning over him with a smile.
Legolas' eyes shone brightly in answer to his mate's and the rest of the night passed swiftly by.
Natasha and Gandalf rode all day before finally stopping on the other side of the Anduin just as the setting sun disappeared behind the Misty Mountains. Dinner was travel food, though unlike any Natasha had ever tasted before. There was dried fruit and meat, along with some of the lembas Legolas had given her a taste of during their trip to the Palace.
Sore and exhausted, Natasha crawled into her bedroll, but no matter how she tried, she just couldn't get to sleep. Gandalf kept watch, silently smoking his pipe as crickets filled the silence with their song. Natasha closed her eyes, letting her mind drift
Unbidden images of her friends floated in and around her mind's eye. Sweat glistening on toned alabaster and golden skin in the fire light, a flash of ecstasy across both faces with a flex of the hip. Cries of completion; a touch to her breast tingling down to her center. Hands on hip and waist; in hair. Scents mingling, intoxicating. Long golden strands mingling with red and brown, tangling together. Skin on skin; lips meeting…
'Damn it!' Natasha thought in frustration, staring out into the darkness. 'Get out! Get out! Get out!'
She stared into the smoldering embers of the fire, waiting for her heart to stop pounding so hard and other parts of her anatomy to lose their hypersensitivity to her every move. This wasn't the first time she'd thought about Strider and Legolas like this. But it had never been so vivid before, either. She could almost feel the two elves beside her when the images had taken hold. Had almost felt their hands on her, on each other.
Shaking the remnants of the images out of her head, she tried to get to sleep, counting sheep and, when that failed, singing in her head a lullaby her mother used to sing to her and Nigel when they were little. Finally though, she did fall asleep.
Only to jolt awake as ice cold water splashed across her exhausted form, soaking her to the skin.
"Time to wake up!" Gandalf called cheerily, still holding the upended bucket in his hands.
Natasha wiped water out of her eyes and glared up at her tutor who smiled cheekily down at her. Snorting in disgust, she flopped back onto her soaked bedroll, not caring if it was wet as long as she got some more sleep.
"Damned morning people." she grumbled.
Gandalf laughed merrily, turning to pack the bucket away. He whistled as he moved around camp, making as much noise as possible to keep Natasha from getting back to sleep.
"Gandalf!" she whined. "The sun's not even up yet!"
"I know." Gandalf replied in satisfaction.
"Payback's a bitch." she muttered, rolling out of her blankets and looking down at them in disgust.
"You things will need the time to dry, anyway." Gandalf replied happily, barely covering his smile with his cup of tea.
Studying her blankets, Natasha reached within herself and directed the magic toward them. Steam rose from bedroll and clothes with a sizzle, rising into the cool morning air. Gandalf's breath hissed between his teeth as within minutes, everything was dry. Nodding in satisfaction, she packed everything and sat down to eat her breakfast. More lembas and some dried fruit.
"That wasn't necessary." Gandalf admonished, finishing his tea.
"Perhaps." Natasha replied simply. "I needed to know I could control the fire part of this power of mine."
Gandalf smiled gently, nodding his head in understanding. They ate in silence and packed up the rest of their gear and cleaned up the camp, making it seem to the untrained eye that it had never existed. Natasha didn't really see the point in all this but went along with it, trusting Gandalf to know what he was doing.
"So where are we going exactly?" she asked as they mounted up. "I know 'west' but what's in the west? And why are we going?"
"Oh an old friend is having a party. A birthday party, one hundred and eleven years old. I promised to attend and a wizard never goes back on their word." Gandalf shrugged. "It will also give you a chance to meet some of the other races of this world. The Shire is the home of hobbits, but I'm told there will also be dwarves there. No elves or men, unfortunately, though I think your mind is on two in particular if I'm not mistaken."
Natasha's head whipped around and she stared at Gandalf who was chuckling heartily. She blushed to the very roots of her hair, giving her tutor more fuel for his amusement. Gandalf told her all about the peoples she might be seeing on this trip.
Dwarves were rumored to be going to the party as well, some of Bilbo's friends from a journey he had taken some sixty years ago. Goblins and orcs, she didn't much care for but it was the hobbits that caught her fancy the most. They seemed just like your general country folk, like the people back in her home town.
All through the journey her lessons continued. She learned how to hide herself from unfriendly eyes and how to speak various animal languages, eagle, horse and squirrel for the most part.
"Part of our duty as the magic users of this world is knowing when and where there is trouble." Gandalf after they had spoken with the Lord of Eagles. "And to do that, we must be able to glean news from any who might have it, including the animals. They see things from a different point of view than we do and their input can be just as enlightening as any human's, elf's or dwarf's."
Imladris was a bit of disappointment in Natasha's books. At least what she could see of it. They arrived well after pitch dark, the moon was in its infancy, providing no light to see by. Bree was just as disappointing. It was a drab, weary looking sort of place. Not a place Natasha would want to live. They stopped only to collect Gandalf's horse and cart to carry his fireworks and were off just as quickly.
"You'd better sleep while you can, Natasha." Gandalf said, after they'd retrieved his horse and cart of fireworks from Bree. "We'll be in Hobbiton tomorrow and then there'll be work to do."
"Yes," she replied slyly. "Having fun is such hard work. What about you? You've been in the saddle just as long. And you're older." she couldn't resist adding, earning her a swift swat to the head, which missed her completely.
Gandalf chuckled and concentrated on his driving, promising to wake her if he needed to sleep. Natasha settled herself as best she could amongst the fireworks, and swiftly fell asleep.
"You're late." an imperious voice accused, waking Natasha up from sound sleep as the cart came to a swaying halt.
"A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins." Gandalf answered grouchily. "Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to."
'Uh-oh.' Natasha thought, looking between what looked to be a ten year old child with the bluest eyes she'd ever seen and her mentor, trying to gauge what was going to happen.
Both men (if it was possible to call the child-like hobbit that) stood staring each other down until both finally broke down in laughter.
"It's wonderful to see you Gandalf!" Frodo cried as he jumped into the wagon, causing it to lurch and causing Natasha to lose her balance, falling against he railing. "And who's this?"
"Frodo, my apprentice, Natasha MacGowan. Natasha, Frodo Baggins." Gandalf introduced as he brought the cart back onto the track.
"Hello." she said uncertainly.
"Hello." the hobbit replied. "And welcome to the Shire. Where are you from?"
"Umm…" Natasha hesitated, appealing to Gandalf for help.
"She's from beyond the Misty Mountains, Frodo. So far even one of your Uncle's old maps doesn't name it."
The young hobbit nodded his head thoughtfully, stealing glances back at Natasha as he demanded information of the outside world from Gandalf. But Gandalf quickly changed the subject to the hobbit's uncle.
"Ah, a long expected party." he said excitedly, watching as several hobbits struggled to put up tents and banners. "So how is the old rascal? I hear it's going to be a party of special magnificence."
"Well you know Bilbo. He's got the whole place in an uproar."
"Well that should please him."
"Half the Shire's been invited." Frodo added.
"Good gracious." Gandalf sent Natasha a mock grimace that sent her laughing silently in the back of the cart.
"He's up to something." the hobbit continued thoughtfully.
"Oh really."
"All right then keep your secrets."
Gandalf chuckled, sending a wink back at Natasha who just shook her head at Frodo's questioning glance, denying any knowledge of what was going on.
"I'm just a lowly apprentice. Nobody ever tells me anything." she griped playfully, sticking her tongue out at Gandalf when he snorted.
"Before you came along, we Bagginses were very well thought of."
"Indeed."
"Never had any adventures or did anything unexpected."
"And what a boring life that must have been." Natasha muttered.
"If you're referring to that incident with the dragon, I was barely involved. All I did was, give your uncle a little nudge out of the door."
"Yeah right." Natasha couldn't keep quiet any longer. "And the sky is neon pink."
"Whatever you did, you've been officially labeled a 'disturber of the peace.'" Frodo continued, chuckling alongside Natasha as Gandalf glared at her as best he could while trying to drive.
"Oh really."
Hobbit children were soon shouting to Gandalf, asking for fireworks though the old wizard seemed to be ignoring them. Finally, after a slight nudge, Natasha lit a couple, enjoying the children's laughter and cheers as much as Gandalf. Frodo hopped off the wagon with a wave and disappeared around the bend in a path.
Gandalf was still chuckling as they wound their way around the many hills, hobbits looking up as they passed, some whispering in awe "G for Grand," some said, others just glared at them.
