An Unexpected Companion
Summery: What if there were a few minor changes to Lord
of the Rings?
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don't own it, please don't sue me if you
do.
"I have one final addition to your Company," Elrond
spoke loud and clear so all nine Company members may hear, "The Wizardress,
Myra." Only Gandalf seemed to react with any sort of surprise, the hobbits
just passed wondering glances at one another, and the others stared in
wonder at their new companion.
Myra the Wizardress was a fairly tall women, her
dark brown hair curled its way down her back in soft tendrils. In her hair
was a crown of shining gold and jewels, a white dress held close to her
body at her midsection and ballooned out around her legs into a curl of
fabric around her feet. She shown with light brighter than that of the
fairest elf, but it hid the features of her face well. All that could be
seem were rosy round lips and witty brown eyes.
The light behind her faded so the Company could
see her face. It was round and fair, more beautiful than any elf seen before.
Though, she did not seem to be an elf. No pointed ears adorned the sides
of her head as they did on Legolas, but she did seem just as graceful.
No weapons were around her, likewise no staff as other wizards held. The
light was finally dim enough to see all her, but still shone to give her
an aura.
Gandalf was the first to approach, though cautiously.
He glared at her with searching eyes as he circled round her, coming back
around to stand hunched over in front of her. Neither seemed afraid of
the other, though the rest seemed more pensive of their new companion.
They watched the wizard intently. A smile creased his old face and he let
out a jolly laugh. The woman also smiled, gracefully wrapping him in a
hug.
"It has been too long, Gandalf, dear friend,"
Myra's voice chimed like a soft bell. Gandalf let go of the hug a gave
a slight motion for Aragorn to come forward to meet the new traveler.
"It is indeed a pleasure, if you are truly the
wizardess that Gandalf has mention to me on more than several occasions,"
Aragorn spoke, not revealing the tremble in his heart. He bowed before
the woman and kissed the back of her hand.
"Arise, good King, for it is I who should bow
before the son of Arathorn," replied Myra. Aragorn arose and moved aside
for the four hobbits whom reluctantly stepped forward, mostly due to a
friendly push from Boromir. They did not move too close and were not sure
how to greet their new guest.
"Hullo," said Frodo in a wobbling voice, though
he had not realized he had so much as opened his mouth.
"How are you to defeat the evils of Mordor and
destroy the One if you can not so much as greet a new friend?" Myra scolded,
although not too harshly.
"You must forgive them," said Legolas stepping
forward, "For they have just met their other traveling companions. I fear
it has been all too much in a short span of time for them."
"How did you know of our quest?" Boromir asked
from behind the hobbits. Myra changed her gaze from Legolas to Boromir.
She smiled intently and glanced to Elrond. It was obvious that the elf
had told her all that he had previously told the Company. Gandalf still
smiled while Elrond set up preparations for their breakfast. It would be
after they ate that the group was to set off.
The morning sun shone about them in brilliance,
but nearly blind the ten travelers. All wished to have Gandalf's tall hat
to shield their eyes from the piercing beams. With final farewells said,
the Company set out from Rivendell toward the Misty Mountains which blocked
their path. The first to begin lagging was Pippin, followed shortly by
Merry. They walked a great distance behind their comrades.
"Ho, there, why are you trailing so?" asked Aragorn,
"For we have just but begun are journey, and you do not see the rest of
us lag."
"We are not used to such travel, Strider. My poor
hobbit feet are dying on me, I'm most afraid," replied Pippin. He sat down
on a near by rock as did Merry and began to rub his feet.
"I have hobbit feet, too, but you see me not behind
the others," said Frodo.
"Nor I," added Sam. The rest of the Company, however,
sat down near by the hobbits. They too were run down from their harsh travel.
"I believe you young hobbits had a most prosperous
idea," Myra said. Merry and Pippin smiled, gracious that someone shared
their opinion. Pippin looked over to Aragorn who stood with Boromir watching
the sun dip below the horizon.
"I guess we shall stay here for the night, but
must be off early in the morn," said Gandalf from a smaller flatter rock
next to Pippin's.
Aragorn set look outs around their camp: Gimli for the
northern corner, Boromir to the east, Legolas to the south, and himself
at the west. Though the only one standing was Legolas. He was fully erect
and had his bow ready for arrow should the need arise. For a moment Frodo
believed that Legolas had seen a far off object, for the keen eyes of the
elf widened and he reached behind for an arrow, but than removed his hand
from its waiting position.
"What is wrong, Legolas? Had you spotted something?"
asked Frodo quietly to Legolas as to not rouse any of the Company into
an unneeded frenzy. The elf shook his head, but kept looking into the distance.
Frodo stood on his rock so to be up to Legolas's shoulder and attempted
to see what the archer saw, though for all was, he knew, to be in vain.
"The Black Riders may sense the Ring from many
miles, but so can I see them," replied Legolas. Frodo gave a glance to
the elf, but soon looked back into the darkening night. His eyes could
not see whatever was being seen in Legolas's. He stared for a moment, hoping
to see any sort of foul movement in the distance, nothing showed itself
to him among the shadows. Giving in, he sat back on his rock to face the
rest of the Company only to realize that he could barely see their faces,
the moon had to yet show in the sky.
"What does Legolas see, Frodo?" Sam asked from
the next rock. Frodo turned to see his pale face in the encompassing darkness.
Before answer could form itself into words the moon rose over the horizon
and brought minimal light to the land. Frodo was happy for any light at
all.
"For I no not what he sees. I do not see it myself
and he will not tell me what is there," replied Frodo after a few moments
of silence. Sam looked in the direction of Legolas, trying himself to see
what may be there. He squinted his eyes, though hobbits eyes were keen
they were no match for elven eyes. Sam still glared into the dark overlaying
the land. He saw nothing, just as Frodo hadn't. Legolas turned to face
their group with trouble still in his sparkling blue eyes.
He sat upon the ground, not bothering to search
for a rock with such little light, and gladly took the cup of soup given
to him from Aragorn. It warmed his body as memerance from eating some the
day before in Rivendell flooded back to him. Legolas looked over to Myra
who sat close to Gandalf, but far from the rest of the group. She help
a gleaming eye on Frodo, though it seemed that she was looking off into
the distance behind him. Legolas wondered if she were contemplating the
Ring as he and everyone in the Company along with him did. He did not trust
the look in her dark eyes, as though she were searching for an unobtainable
object.
"Where does your kingdom lie?" asked Legolas suddenly
to Myra. She had not realized he had spoken to her until she glanced up
to see his eyes attempting to pierce her very soul. All the Wizardess did
was look right back.
"The same as I," replied Gandalf for her. Legolas
did not look away and neither did she. All round the circle could feel
the tension between the Elf and the Wizardess. Their eyes were locked,
refusing to be the first to look away.
"Stop at once, both of you," Aragon stormed, "You
are both acting childish." At this boom of such a sudden commanding voice
the two broke their gaze and turned attention to the son of Arathorn. The
face of Legolas fell in reparation for what he had done. None spoke for
moments, only whispering for a pass of bread of a ladle of soup.
"You act as though you do not trust her, Legolas,"
said Boromir. Legolas looked upon the man with contempt, Boromir had a
few times been caught with a similar gleam in his eye looking at Frodo.
The Company had only been together a night and surely none trusted others,
save perhaps amongst the hobbits and between Aragorn and Gandalf.
"Do you? Do any one of you?" asked Legolas first
to Boromir and then casting his gaze to all around him, including Myra.
"We have but only each other to trust. We may
not so now, but we must soon or be damned to die before ever reaching the
fires of Mordor," Myra replied. She gave to the Elf sitting kitty-corner
from her a stern look. However, in turn, she received her own stern look
from Gandalf.
"No more argument for tonight, I shall hear of
no more. Sleep is the next of our troubles. One shall stay awake as the
rest sleep," said Gandalf. Aragorn chimed in immediately that he would
stand guard in the night. Legolas reluctantly laid upon the stones of the
ground after the others. Before he drifted to a fitful sleep he saw the
moonlight shining off the face of Myra, nearly as bright as the moon itself.
His last thought was of how she had a point in saying that trust need be
given to all in the Company, but he wondered how to trust her just as sleep
overthrew him.
TBC
A/N: So, there's the beginning. R & R, please! Tell me just what you think so maybe the next chapter can be more presentable. :)