After the first hours traveling by foot I couldn't stop myself from missing my car. This would take forever.
Luckily I could walk next to the hobbits and their endless chit-chat so the time passed a little bit faster.
"How can a carriage move without horses? That doesn't sound very likely?" Pippin said to me after I had tried to explain what a car was and why I was not used to traveling by foot. Even though the hobbits walked without shoes she was still the one who had the most trouble with this journey so far, but the urge to prove Boromir wrong about her being a liability kept her from complaining.
"It is a machine fueled by gas to make it move." I said again, trying not to lose my patience as talking about cars or any other transportations for that matter only got me in a bad mood.
"Your world sounds very different from ours," Frodo spoke up after accepting my explanation.
"Here we will stop to make camp," Gandalf interrupted before the hobbits could ask me anything else.
"Thank god," I said out loud, feeling like I would fall asleep the second I laid down on the ground.
Before I could do that though, Legolas appeared before me.
"Shall we practice archery before settling down?" He asked me looking down in disapproval at the bow I had carelessly dropped down on the ground.
"Right now? Can't it wait? It is our first day." I pleaded with him, being too tired to even think about training.
"No, with the enemy closer everyday, we will have to practise at every chance we get," Legolas said sternly as he crossed his arms over his chest, which reminded her about her deceased father and headmaster mr Forbes. What would he think about her going on a mission all by herself? Probably that she was being foolish to not practice, she could almost hear him say "Being unprepared on a mission is the biggest mistake you could make, you must always be prepared for anything".
"Yes, dad," I finally said to Legolas with a sigh. Feeling my opinion of Legolas decreasing, but also admitting to myself that I in fact needed the training. Legolas raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.
"Follow me," he said, gesturing for me to follow a bit away from the others who were busy making camp and starting a fire.
Taking the bow with me I followed him to a small clearing with a big oak tree opposite us. "Take position," he said, just like he had said many times before.
I put myself in the right position and raised the bow and pulled back the string with the arrow, feeling the feather tickling my cheek.
"Very well, now aim and release." Legolas said from behind me.
I took a shaky breath and released the arrow, seeing the arrow wobble through the air and land at the roots of the tree.
"Try again. Keep your arms straight and steady." Legolas said to me after seeing my first attempt.
"I'm trying to but the arrows keep slipping. How do you do this?" I complained to him like a grumpy child.
"I have had many centuries to master the bow. You have but a few weeks." he answered calmly, taking his own bow and releasing an arrow so fast that I could barely see it, hitting the tree in the middle. "Now try again".
"What a show off," I mumbled irritated to myself after noticing the small smirk on Legolas face.
After many failed attempts at hitting the tree I'd had enough.
"This is hopeless!" I cried out lowering the bow and walking toward the tree to retrieve the arrows. Feeling the exhaustion of the day take hold of me, I slide down to the trunk of the tree with my head in my hands.
Feeling a hand on my shoulder I look up at Legolas. "With practice and time you will get better," he once again said, looking down at me, making me really sick of his optimism.
"I don't have time, we don't know when Kai or any monster shows up, and I don't know what to do! How am I going to stop him or anyone for that matter if I can't even learn to shoot an arrow?" I said, giving voice to my fears.
Sitting down beside me, Legolas took hold of my small hands in his big ones. "You have other abilities to defend yourself and others with, but am I to understand that you know this Kai well? Then maybe you know more than anyone how to defeat him." He said, squeezing my hands.
"But what if I don't have to defeat him? Maybe I can get him to change his mind" I whispered looking down at our joined hands.
"Ah I see, this is a matter between the heart and the head." He said, pausing for a moment.
"Do you still love him?" Legolas finally asked while turning to look into my eyes, as if he was searching for something.
"Yes, or no. How can you love someone you don't really know?" I answered sadly, breaking away from Legolas' gaze.
"He has this side of him that I love that is funny, smart and caring.." I continued, feeling my heart ache for the person I thought Kai was, "and then he showed me this other darker side of him that I didn't even know existed."
Giving this some thought Legolas looked up at the evening sky. "I can't say that I have experienced love as you have, but being alive for many years I have seen the change in men who are given power. Men opposed to elves rank power over many things, love being one of them. This I do not know can be changed."
Taking in his words I frowned. Was that the truth? That Kais thirst for power would be greater than whatever feelings he held for her. Even though this was not the first time I had thought this, it didn't sting eny less.
"I did not intend for my words to cause you pain, I apologise" Legolas said while wiping away tears I didn't know I had shed.
Taken back to the moment I realized how close and intimate they were, with him so close. His lips only a breath away, I thought looking down at them and wetting my own. I felt my heart beat faster and my breath hitch as I could feel his hands lightly stroking my cheeks, making them heat up.
Not able to meet his eyes, I looked behind him to clear my head. "hrrm no it is fine, I am fine." I said with an uneven voice not sounding convincing at all.
Standing up I brushed off my leggings before daring to look at Legolas again who seemed unaffected by the whole exchange.
"Elves are very sensitive people," I remembered Shay telling me. But was that really true? After being around Legolas almost everyday since I was dumped in the river I had noticed that it was very hard to get to know him or even get a reaction sometimes. Not that he wasn't a nice person but he was often distant as if lost in thought.
"We should go back to the others,'' he said standing as well.
"Yeah let's do that. I was promised by Sam to get to taste sausages from the Shire" I said in a fake cheerful voice, trying to shake the awkward tension I was feeling.
Walking back to the others I was met with the smell of food. Delicious food, God how I need you now. I thought as my stomach made a loud gurgling sound.
"The lass is hungry, I hear", Gimli said through a cloud of smoke as he and Gandalf sat together on a big log smoking pipeweed.
"Better hurry up laddie, or I will have to eat that dirt tasting leaves that the elves insist on being food." Gimli said, clearly impatient to get some food after a long day of walking.
"Yes yes it is ready, master dwarf, '' Sam said in a hurry carrying two plates of food to Gimli and Gandalf.
"What about ladies first?" I joked, faking an offended stance.
"Oh I'm sorry I didn't.."Sam stuttered but was interrupted by Pippin, "I thought you told us that you weren't a lady."
"No, I was only joking, Sam, relax. so what about some food, it smells amazing" I said, making poor little Sam blush.
After all of us had eaten the food Sam had prepared for everyone it was time to sleep. I pulled out my sleeping roll and rolled it out as close to the fire as possible without burning myself as I could already feel chills from the cold.
Gandalf taking the first watch was still seated on the big log on the other side of the fire. "You will wake me if I catch on fire, right?" I jokingly said to Gandalf
"If you are destined to perish in fire, then who am I to interwen." Gandalf said to me with a serious face.
"hu?" I said not expecting that answer. "ha good one there, you almost had me." I said after seeing his beard move in amusement.
Laying back down on my sleeping mat with my blanket drawn up to my shin I looked up at the night sky. To think that this was the same sky as the one back home was hard to believe, living in the city I rarely saw the stars back home due to the city lights canceling out the light from the stars. But as I looked up at the sky I could make out the familiar constellations and this filled me with warmth, at least something will still stay the same.
As my eyes got heavy I turned on my side to get more comfortable catching a glimpse of Legolas blue eyes from across the camp. Thinking back to our conversation from before I gave him a tired smile. He was just being a good friend, I told myself, nothing weird about it. Okay maybe a little weird, I sigh to myself trying to turn off my mind and focus on the rumbling sound of Gimli's snoring instead.
"Jesus, how can one so small make such loud noises" I mumbled before I drifted off to sleep.
The next morning was a quiet morning. I suppose the novelty of the journey had lifted somewhat for the hobbits as they were not as excited as before, or it had everything to do with what Aragorn had said about the food. They could no longer have a big first breakfast as before in Rivendell because of the food supply that had to last to the next settlement we got to. Whenever that may be.
I guess I could ask Aragorn to teach me to hunt for food. but I suppose that hitting a moving target is a lot harder than a tree, however with Legolas wishful thinking maybe I could at the end of this at least to that. It would be nice to contribute to the fellowship in some way as it had become very clear to her that she had next to no camping skills at all to Boromir's prediction.
No she would try to find her place in the fellowship, now she mostly was in the way. but this would change as soon she got used to this whole middle age environment.
I would like to see Boromir try to orientate himself in the future. Just the thought made me silently laugh to myself.
"What is so amusing, woman?'' A grumpy Boromir asked as he had noticed me looking at him as he loaded the pony Bill with the last suppleas.
"Nothing, just thinking about something funny, that's all," I said cryptly just to annoy him.
Boromir's answer to this was only a shake of his head as he muttered what sounded like "women" under his breath.
Frowning at Boromir's back at this I did not notice that Legolas had approached me.
"Are you ready to leave, Selena?" Legolas asked from behind me, making me jump a foot up in the air.
"Jesus christ dude, try not to scare me to death. Leave the killing part to the enemy," I said as my heart was calming down.
"I apologise it was not my intent to frighten you. I would never harm you." Legolas declared seriously. I could tell that my comment had offended Legolas somehow.
"Yeah I know, I was just kidding. Just try to not sneak up on me like that again." I said, trying to smooth over the whole ordeal.
"Yes of course." Legolas said sincerely, looking down at me with a small smile on his face, making my stomach do backflips. How can someone be so attractive, it is not fair I thought to myself.
Before I could say anything else Gandalf interrupted us, "Let's make haste, we shall make good progress this day."
Upon hearing this Boromir and Gimli picked up the rear and Aragorn and Gandalf walked up front as Legolas was scouting ahead. I took my place in the middle with the hobbits as we once again started walking.
We walked for hours and as I thought that I couldn't possibly continue on my sore feet Gandalf took pity on me and declared that it was in fact time for lunch.
Sam, as the angel he is, immediately started to prepare lunch for everyone. Not wanting to be in the way I sat down beside Aragorn as he was watching Boromir train Pippin and Merry in sword fighting.
"Good work guys,'' I cheered, seeing how well they held themself up against Boromir. A large improvement from the first day of training when Pippin almost lost a finger because of the wrong way he held his sword.
"Move your feet,'' Aragorn added from beside me, with his pipe between his lips.
"Come Selena join us" Merry yelled as he blocked Boromir's strikes.
Not really feeling like it, but not wanting to disappoint the hobbits, I pulled myself up on my feet to retrieve my sword. Walking back to them I turned to Boromir who had asked the hobbits to take a small break.
"So where do you want me?" I asked while shifting the sword between my hands, smiling back at my audience of four hobbits and Aragorn.
Before I could think, Boromir charged toward me with his sword high in the air. I clumsily blocked the attack and felt the force echo through my arms making me drop the sword to the ground. Leaving me gaping like a fish on dry land, I looked up at Boromir.
"I was not ready," I said, feeling anger bubbling up. Why is he always like this? I thought as I looked at Boromir's satisfied face.
"Always be alert, don't get distracted, '' he replied, nodding to the hobbits who had been surprisingly quiet.
"Okay let's do this again" I said, now completely focused. Not waiting for Boromir to attack, I sprung forward svingning my sword towards his left side. He easily blocked the attack but I felt how my body started to wake up with adrenaline.
Through many failed attempts at trying to best Boromir in the last few weeks she knew that her best chance was to stay in defence until he gave her an opening. Knowing that Boromir had a bad right knee and therefore had a slight hindrance in movements she focused on his right side.
Seeing how I was not as easily bested as he originally thought Boromir charged forward with more force, but unlike Boromir who relayed on raw straight she relayed on speed and was able to jump out of his way.
Feeling sweat gathering on my forehead, the urge to wipe it off increases, making me distracted. I blocked Boromir's attacks but I could feel myself weakening and my arms started to shake. Boromir, already seeing his victory, had a large smirk on his lips and took one more big swing at me. Not able to block his sword, I could feel the tip slize thru my shirt at my left shoulder.
I yelped out loud more in surprise than in pain and looked at Boromir's face who stared at my shoulder in horror. "I am so sorry," he said as he put down his sword.
Before I could respond, Merry and Pippin jumped in."Protect the lady!" They declared and launched themself at Boromir taking him by surprise. Boromir tried halfheartedly to shake them off with a laugh but to no use, and soon Boromir found himself on the ground tasting dirt.
Laughing at my heros antics I saw Aragorn stand up to get the hobbits off of Boromir, clearly not approving of the playful fight. Aragorn's attempt however was fruitless against the two lively hobbits. "For the shire" they yelled and pulled Aragorn off his feet.
Laughing harder I turned around smiling at Frodo and Sam who had been seated a bit away from us. Before I could ask when the food was ready Sam looked up at the sky "What is that?" Sam asked us.
"What is what?" I asked, looking up trying to see what he meant.
"Nothing, it's just a wisp of cloud" Gimli dismissed not paying attention to anything other than polishing his axe on a big rock next to Gandalf.
"It's moving fast...and against the wind," Boromir, who had just gotten up from the ground, said from behind me.
Now everyone was watching the dark cloud coming toward us trying to make out what it could be. I turned to Legolas, trusting his superior elf eyes to tell us what it was.
"Creabain from Dunland!" Legolas cried out suddenly making me jump.
It was like an alarm had gone off, because the next second everyone was running around in panic trying to hide. I lifted up my sword from the ground and turned around in confusion seeing Sam putting out the fire and the others gathering our belongings.
"Hide" Boromir barked and took hold of my arm, pulling me behind a big rock.
"What are you..?" I started to say but was shut up by Boromir's hand covering my mouth.
"Quiet woman" Boromir whispered in my ear, making goosebumps appear on my arms. My attempt to protest was soon put to an halt as I could hear the sounds of a flock of birds approaching, their loud shriek making my heart beat faster.
Why were these birds so freaking scary, I thought to myself, holding my breath and counting the seconds until they were gone.
Not daring to move until it was clear I waited for Boromir to stand. Boromir held out a hand to me which I took thankfully.
"Thanks," I whispered, suddenly feeling embarrassed of my lack of action. Boromir nodded his head in acknowledgement.
"What was that?" I asked no one in particular, looking around and seeing the rest of the group coming forward.
"Spies of Saruman," Gandalf answers angrily, "The passage south is being watched. We must take the pass of Caradhas" He continued and turned to look at the snow covered mountains who stood tall in the distance.
"O no," I said out loud, looking up at the mounting full of snow. This is not going to be a pleasant journey, I thought, feeling my stomach drop, once again missing modern technology, just imagine taking a plane ride the entire way to Mordor.
I let out a huge sigh and took my pack from Aragorn, who had been smart enough to grab it.
Well, one foot in front the other I guess…