** Chapter 14 **
A week had passed rather quickly to Azura, and traveling had been rather easy, to a point. The scenery had changed slowly, and the weather grew colder, and the wind began to blow against them, chilling them to the bone. They had come to Hollin, a mountainous land, with many steep hills, and the trees were frosted with a light layer of snow, and the ground had no snow upon it, but, the ground was damp and marshy.
Azura silently thanked the special made boots she wore. They had been made for her, by a friend in Kalm, a small, remote village that was nestled at the end of the long mountain range of Hithaeglir. The boots were thick, and made of a Orxen's hide. Orxen were large, herbivores, and cattle in Kalm. Their hide was thick, and ideal for many things, among them, boots. Azura's boots had soft padding on the inside, and on the outside, could protect her lower legs from a blow from a sword, and emerge unscathed. The hide would eventually wear down, but it did last a good deal of time before that though. The snow on the ground left everyone grumpy with wet shoes, and soggy, cold socks, but she was rather comfortable, and thankful for her boots.
She stared at the sky over the mountain peaks in the distance, and it was slowly growing gold, as the sun began to rise. It was a rather cool and silent morning, and nothing but the sounds of her companions broke the silence, not even birds chirping to each to each other.
She turned her gaze, to see Frodo throw back the hood of his cloak, and smile at the rising dawn.
She smiled, and heard Merry and Pippin snicker to each other behind her back. She turned, and saw them stand up straight quickly, trying to hide the grins they wore on their faces. She put her hands on her hips, and frowned at them, and half laughed while she asked, "What is so funny?"
Merry snickered, and turned to tend to a bag hanging off of Bill's saddle, trying to make himself look busy.
Pippin grinned, and clasped his hands behind his back and turned to the side, but continuing to look at her, and replied, "Nothing." His grin played heavily on his face.
Azura raised an eyebrow, and shook her head, "You hobbits are confusing sometimes. You, Merry, and Sam always snicker behind my back when I am around Frodo, and then try and come off as innocent!" She grinned, and then turned to the side, and spotted a snickering Merry and Sam, then shook her head, and laughed as she asked, "What?! What is so funny? Is there something growing from my head??"
Pippin doubled over in laughter and Merry grinned, holding in laughter. He turned, and muffled his laughter with his arm, and his shoulders shook with laughter. Sam was grinning, and his cheeks were pink, either from cold or from laughing about her, she wasn't sure.
She sighed through her nose, and opened her pouch and peeked in at Faile, whom slept soundly in the pouch. She was getting too big for the pouch, and soon, would have to start sitting upon Azura's shoulder. She closed the pouch, then started for Bill. Poor Bill had only been used as a pack horse, and always seemed eager to walk, and she could feel that he wanted to run.
She lifted her knee, and put her foot in the stirrup, and hoisted herself up and onto the saddle. She looked about, and no one seemed to be paying her any heed. She gathered the reins, and pulled them back, making Bill turn around, and then kicked her heels against the lower hangings of the saddles, and Bill jumped into a gallop.
She heard Boromir and Aragorn shout in surprise, and Gandalf boomed after her, "Come back silly child!"
She didn't listen, and instead, she ran Bill about the field, leaning forward, a light in her eyes grew, as Bill ran faster, and her hair whipped about in the air.
Frodo had spun on his heel when he heard Aragorn and Boromir shout, expecting to see some Ringwraith, but instead, saw Azura mounted on Bill's back, and the steed was racing about in wide circles on the wet, grassy plains. She was smiling, and looked as if she would take off flying in the wind, from the way she leaned forward into Bill's gallop. Frodo smiled, because at that moment, she seemed very much a child, and seemed a young woman at the same time. With her shining gold hair flowing about her in even strands, and her shining blue-violet eyes, she looked like an angel fallen from upon high.
"That childish girl, I hope she proves capable when need be!" Gandalf said, then laughed heartily. "Besides from her, only Pippin can I imagine doing such a childish thing!"
Azura arched her back and tossed her hands high into the air, and out, as if she were flying. She titled her chin back, and closed her eyes, smiling at the tickling feeling running through her stomach, as Bill galloped beneath her.
"She looks as if she is going to take flight, does she not?" Sam asked Pippin, then chuckled lightly to himself.
"Surely, you don't think she'll fall?" Pippin asked, then smiled. He stuck his hands into his pockets, and shook his head.
"Azura! Come along! We have much land to travel before the night comes upon us, and we won't get far with you gallivanting about on that poor old steed!" Legolas called, shifting from one long leg, to leaning on the other, and finding it impossible to not smile at her.
Azura gathered the reins, and had Bill trot back to the group, grinning broadly. "I couldn't help it, poor Bill wanted to run so badly, and I have been walking all morning, and felt like riding."
Frodo held up a hand and helped Azura off the horse, though she really did not need assistance. She smiled at him as she stepped off, and said, "Thank you."
He continued to hold her hand as she stood in place, smiling at her, reluctant to release her hand.
She smiled, and her cheeks went scarlet, and she glanced down shyly.
Sam, Pippin, and Merry watched with fixed smiles.
As the company continued on slowly in single file. Gandalf took lead, and carried his wooden staff in front of him. Behind him walked Boromir, then Pippin and Merry, then Legolas, and behind him was the dwarf Gimli, and behind him walked Sam, then Frodo and Azura came, hand in hand, and taking up the rear was Strider.
---
Azura clutched her coat around her, trying to keep the snow from touching her skin. Her coat was soaked, and cold, and wasn't much help with keeping out the snow. Her blonde hair was matted to her head, and wet. Occasionally, snowflakes would invade her vision, and sting her eyes. She closed her eyes tightly, and shook her head, and shouted, "This snowstorm is growing worse by the moment!" She was the second to last in the line, besides from Pippin.
"I can barely see ahead of me!" Pippin cried, from somewhere behind her.
Azura stopped, and peered back behind her. All she could see was the swirling of white. "Where are you, Pippin?" She called through the roar of the storm.
There was a brief silence, then Pippin called, "Behind you! I..I can't see anything!"
Then Azura spotted him, trudging through the snow. She reached out her hand, using her other hand to clasp her coat tight around herself, and grasped Pippin's hand.
He fumbled blindly for her hand, and grasped it tightly, "Don't let go! I don't want to get lost!"
"Azura!…..Pippin! Come along before you are left behind!" Gandalf cried from somewhere ahead of them, sounding as if he were miles away.
Upon hearing that, Pippin clutched tighter to Azura's side, and was trembling terribly. He was a few inches shorter than her, but was half bent over as he plodded alongside Azura, and panted, "I shall…be glad…when we…make camp. I am so tired!"
"Yes, I agree. I will make for us a great dinner…and hot meal, so we will feel much…better.." Azura said, through lightly chattering teeth.
It was growing dark, and they had come upon a rock face that provided a bit of shelter. The horses and Bill stood near each other, for warmth, and most of the company had settled somewhere, anywhere that was dry enough for them.
"I can't get the fire going!" Sam cried, in annoyance, as he struck the tinder with a flint again, and trying to light the moist and soggy wood he had gathered.
Gandalf gently pushed Sam away from the pile of wood, then raised his staff and free hand and muttered something. Flames leapt up and licked the twilight sky, and the wood snapped and crackled as the fire drew down, and emitted warmth.
Sam smiled, and brought forth his cooking pots, and a bagful of assorted foods and jars.
"I think tonight is a good night for this…" Azura said, drawing out a bag and holding it up for Sam to see, "I think they will go well with whatever you do prepare."
Sam took the bag and looked in it, and his face lit up with a smile. "Mushrooms!" Upon hearing that, Pippin, Merry, and Frodo looked over with curious grins.
"I gathered them while in Rivendell." Azura said, smiling. She then turned and sta next to Pippin, worried he would grow ill from the cold.
He was hunched over, grasping a blanket tightly around himself, and shaking lightly from the cold.
Azura placed her palm over his forehead, and it was cold. She scooted around to face him, and he was now looking up at her, wondering what she was up to.
"It's okay, Pippin. Don't worry, I like you all now. You're my friend, and I am going to take care of you." Azura said, then placed the flats of her palms on Pippin's cheeks. She closed her eyes, and chanted softly under her breath.
A warm rush flowed through his limbs and body, warming him from inside. The aches in his limbs began to diminish, and his weariness was greatly cured. He smiled, then threw his arms around Azura, hugging her, then he laughed soundly, "Azura, you are a godsend! You are so nice to us."
Azura laughed lightly, and hugged him back, then stood, and went over to Merry, who had been watching with interest. She did the same spell to him, then to every other companion.
When she came upon Boromir, she hesitated, but placed her hands upon his arm. Boromir watched with interest as she healed him, then as she began to leave, he grasped her wrist, and pulled her hand up so he could look at it better, along with her other arm.
He stared at the identical tattoos upon her hands. Two black rings, flawlessly stained upon her pink flesh, more than a tattoo, but both were birthmarks. "I have great pity for you, Azura a'Leoni. But you have so much potential, do you know the legends about the Last…"
"Enough Boromir!" Legolas said, then came over and ushered Azura away, picking her up like she were a child, "We shall talk now, in seclusion. There is much you need to know."
Azura watched Boromir as Legolas carried her away. Boromir's features were thoughtful, but she could see a touch of scorn in them. She shivered lightly, then turned in Legolas's arms then said, "Please let me down, sir."
Legolas let her down gently, then continued to walk until they came upon a round boulder with a flat top. Legolas hopped up onto it, and took a seat, and crossed his legs indian-style, and waited for her to climb up.
Azura stood in place, watching him thoughtfully for a moment, then scrambled up the side of the boulder, rather clumsily compared to the way he had, and then sat near where he did. She felt rather small in his presence, but was used to being in the presence of Men, so it didn't bother her too much.
Legolas smiled grandly at her, but she could see a well of sorrow behind it. Tears fell from his eyes, but the smile remained locked on his features.
"How can you smile with so many tears? What is the matter?" Azura asked, idly tracing her finger over her ear.
Legolas took Azura's hand and kissed it, then said, "My Small Lady, you have no conception of the weight that has been lifted from my heart!"
"Why do you say such things? Lady Arwen spoke the same to me, as if I were a walking miracle, but I am not, I am only myself, daughter of my mother." Azura said, a thoughtful look crossing her features. Then she grasped a chain that hung from her neck, and pulled it from under her shirt, dragging with it, the seed of Lorien.
Legolas's eyes sparkled at the sight of the Lorien seed, "Yes, I see Lady Arwen gave to you the last treasure of the West. We have kept that seed for a long time…."
Azura held the seed between her index finger and thumb, "But why did she give it to me?"
"Because you are a Leonian Elf, the last alive. You are quite young yet, but I would have guessed your mother would have told you….I do not understand why she would not. She always seemed to want to out run fate and the past, and tried to take you with her. She was very eccentric the last time I saw her…." Legolas said.
"My mother said that we weren't true Leonians, we were fake." Azura said, somewhat sadly. "Sometimes I wish I were, at least I would know what I was…"
Legolas shook his head, "No, Azura. You are a true blooded Leonian. Let me tell you of some of your heritage's past."
Azura stared thoughtfully into the Lorien seed as Legolas began to speak, watching the tiny sparkles swirl slowly among inside the dark blue prison of the seed.
"Thousands and thousands of years ago, Elves came from the West, searching for new lands. We came upon Middle Earth. Now, with us we had brought the treasure of the West, the Lorien seed. Now, the seed could not grow without infusion of great magic, a powerful amount of magic. So, all of the Leonian elves gathered and then infused the seed with their power. And Lorien grew and came to be. The great power that was used awakened an ancient dragon that slumbered deep inside the Earth. She came out and flew in the skies, her body was covered in ice blue scales that made her body seem like it was made out of thousands and thousands of stars. She came to Lorien, and spoke to the elves with her mind, and told us that she had not felt such a release of energy in eons. She then told us when she was a hatchling, the first Lorien elves began to appear. She had stayed with them for a long time before going under the ground and slumbering. She told us that a great sorrow would come to the elves, as she had foreseen, but one elf, a hybrid child, daughter-heir of the West would come and save Lorien. Lorien is great in size and beautiful, but the magic is beginning to fade. Lorien is dying." Legolas said, his features twisting with sorrow.
Azura felt a sorrow well up inside her that she did not understand. She had never been to Lorien, save once when she was an infant, but she felt a connection to the place. Tears welled in her eyes and threatened to spill down her cheeks. "Lorien is dying?"
"Yes, Azura. For many years now, we Elves have been mourning your mother's death, For you see, we thought she was the last of the Order. She told us she had found you, and took you in as her own. I do not see why she wanted to keep you from your destiny…" Legolas said, shaking his head lightly.
"She lied about me?" Azura asked, frowning lightly, then her expression softened to sorrow, "She probably feared Sauron would send for me if he heard of my birth. My mother….she sacrificed herself for me…"
Legolas felt sorrow and pity for the small girl, and closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and continued to talk, "You are the daughter-heir to the old throne of the Elves. The last Leonian to rule was Aelendria a'Leoni, your great grandmother, whom passed away 7,000 years ago. Your mother was only 5,028 when she was killed….she died so young…"
"5,028?!" Azura asked. "My mother was that old?"
Legolas laughed, "Old? My dear child, she was in her prime! She was barely considered a young woman in elven years!"
"I am only 27 years old…" Azura mumbled, suddenly feeling quite young.
"You've matured quicker than an elf, because of the hobbit blood in you. But you will live much longer than a hobbit, that is for sure." Legolas said.
Azura suddenly frowned, realizing a horrible fact. She would, if going to Mordor didn't kill her, she would outlive Frodo, Pippin, Merry, and Sam. She tried to take her mind off the sudden horrible fact, and asked, "If you had only one when you came to Middle Earth, where did this seed come from?"
Legolas smiled, and replied, "The seed reproduces itself, in the form of a seed. Only, we thought the seed useless after your mother died, but Arwen kept it, in hopes one day someone would come along with the strength to save Lorien. And you have come."
"I am but one though! You said yourself that many Leonians came together to create Lorien and I am only one! What could I possibly do? I cannot even complete spells that Gandalf asks me to do…." Azura cried, her blue violet eyes darkening to a sorrowful indigo hue.
"That also weighs on my mind. I have wondered if you do not know what to do, then maybe you may never know, but, then again, I believe you will find your way." Legolas said, his eyes full of pity, and sorrow.
Tears brimmed Azura's eyes as she looked down, and she began to shake lightly, "I don't want to be an elf. I want to be a hobbit, and I want to always be with Frodo. Also, Pippin, Merry, and Sam. I love them all so much that sometimes I damn myself for meeting them. I have never been so reliant on people, like I am on them, and now I am so weak inside when I think of losing or leaving them!"
With that, Azura stood and shook her fists at the sky, and shouted, "Damn you! Damn you all! I wish I weren't born! I am not strong enough to live and lose what I have! You took my family, and you took my chances at life! Now you want…want.." Azura began to hyperventilate and shake, but continued, "…to…take them form me…" Tears spilled freely down her cheeks, and she let herself drop to sit on her bottom.
Without looking up, or back at Legolas, she mumbled, "I thank you for talking with me but…I…would like to be alone…"
Legolas stared at the girl, sitting, hunched over her knees, and shaking and sobbing lightly to herself. He felt a well of pity and sorrow inside of him, and closed his eyes as he stood. "As you wish, my Small Lady."
With that, Legolas took leave and left Azura to weep by herself, hugging her knees to her chest, her tears leaving frozen trails down her pink flushed cheeks.
---
Frodo lay silent in the camp, unable to rest. He was weary, but anxious. He hadn't seen Azura since she had left with Legolas, and he had returned alone, saying that she wished to be alone. She hadn't come back to eat, nor to sleep alongside her companions.
He clutched his blankets around him, trying to keep the cold from seeping into him, but was doing a poor job, for he felt cold to the bone. He heard Sam's light snores, and had Faile sleeping upon his stomach, and Gimli's snored heavily, along with the steady breathing of his companions, but somehow he still felt uneasy without Azura close by.
Alone, he felt cold, lonely, and dismayed, but when Azura was near him, her smile lit up his day. Her presence warmed the cold inside him, and he felt, if anything he would ever want to do, he would want to hold her, and let her forget her worries, and him to forget his own, as foolish as the thought would be.
Soft crunching of snow and ice caught his attention, and he sat up on his side, and looked about.
Azura stood a few feet away, her hair windblown, her eyes red with tears and her cheeks stained with frozen tear-trails. She looked haggard, lonely, and pitiful. She was clutching her cloak around herself and shivering miserably. She said nothing, but her eyes pleaded for his company and acceptance.
No words, no questions, he raised his arm for her to come to him. Azura stepped forward, knelt, and lay next to him. He draped his blanket over her and himself, and she nuzzled herself up against him, burying her face into his chest. Her arm went over his side and she hugged him tightly. Frodo, in turn, draped his arm over her shoulder, and hugged her close, suddenly feeling warm and at ease. He sighed, and rested his cheek against the top of her head, her soft hair felt smooth against his cheek.
Frodo hesitated, but found the sudden strength to say softly, "I love you Azura…."
Azura began to shake and sob in his arms, and Frodo frowned, confused.
Azura looked up at him, her cheek brushing his as she did so, then kissed his cheek, and whispered, "I love you too…." In his ear, and rested her head upon his shoulder, suddenly growing more relaxed, and letting herself drift to sleep.
Frodo did the same, letting himself drift into a quiet, dreamless slumber.
A week had passed rather quickly to Azura, and traveling had been rather easy, to a point. The scenery had changed slowly, and the weather grew colder, and the wind began to blow against them, chilling them to the bone. They had come to Hollin, a mountainous land, with many steep hills, and the trees were frosted with a light layer of snow, and the ground had no snow upon it, but, the ground was damp and marshy.
Azura silently thanked the special made boots she wore. They had been made for her, by a friend in Kalm, a small, remote village that was nestled at the end of the long mountain range of Hithaeglir. The boots were thick, and made of a Orxen's hide. Orxen were large, herbivores, and cattle in Kalm. Their hide was thick, and ideal for many things, among them, boots. Azura's boots had soft padding on the inside, and on the outside, could protect her lower legs from a blow from a sword, and emerge unscathed. The hide would eventually wear down, but it did last a good deal of time before that though. The snow on the ground left everyone grumpy with wet shoes, and soggy, cold socks, but she was rather comfortable, and thankful for her boots.
She stared at the sky over the mountain peaks in the distance, and it was slowly growing gold, as the sun began to rise. It was a rather cool and silent morning, and nothing but the sounds of her companions broke the silence, not even birds chirping to each to each other.
She turned her gaze, to see Frodo throw back the hood of his cloak, and smile at the rising dawn.
She smiled, and heard Merry and Pippin snicker to each other behind her back. She turned, and saw them stand up straight quickly, trying to hide the grins they wore on their faces. She put her hands on her hips, and frowned at them, and half laughed while she asked, "What is so funny?"
Merry snickered, and turned to tend to a bag hanging off of Bill's saddle, trying to make himself look busy.
Pippin grinned, and clasped his hands behind his back and turned to the side, but continuing to look at her, and replied, "Nothing." His grin played heavily on his face.
Azura raised an eyebrow, and shook her head, "You hobbits are confusing sometimes. You, Merry, and Sam always snicker behind my back when I am around Frodo, and then try and come off as innocent!" She grinned, and then turned to the side, and spotted a snickering Merry and Sam, then shook her head, and laughed as she asked, "What?! What is so funny? Is there something growing from my head??"
Pippin doubled over in laughter and Merry grinned, holding in laughter. He turned, and muffled his laughter with his arm, and his shoulders shook with laughter. Sam was grinning, and his cheeks were pink, either from cold or from laughing about her, she wasn't sure.
She sighed through her nose, and opened her pouch and peeked in at Faile, whom slept soundly in the pouch. She was getting too big for the pouch, and soon, would have to start sitting upon Azura's shoulder. She closed the pouch, then started for Bill. Poor Bill had only been used as a pack horse, and always seemed eager to walk, and she could feel that he wanted to run.
She lifted her knee, and put her foot in the stirrup, and hoisted herself up and onto the saddle. She looked about, and no one seemed to be paying her any heed. She gathered the reins, and pulled them back, making Bill turn around, and then kicked her heels against the lower hangings of the saddles, and Bill jumped into a gallop.
She heard Boromir and Aragorn shout in surprise, and Gandalf boomed after her, "Come back silly child!"
She didn't listen, and instead, she ran Bill about the field, leaning forward, a light in her eyes grew, as Bill ran faster, and her hair whipped about in the air.
Frodo had spun on his heel when he heard Aragorn and Boromir shout, expecting to see some Ringwraith, but instead, saw Azura mounted on Bill's back, and the steed was racing about in wide circles on the wet, grassy plains. She was smiling, and looked as if she would take off flying in the wind, from the way she leaned forward into Bill's gallop. Frodo smiled, because at that moment, she seemed very much a child, and seemed a young woman at the same time. With her shining gold hair flowing about her in even strands, and her shining blue-violet eyes, she looked like an angel fallen from upon high.
"That childish girl, I hope she proves capable when need be!" Gandalf said, then laughed heartily. "Besides from her, only Pippin can I imagine doing such a childish thing!"
Azura arched her back and tossed her hands high into the air, and out, as if she were flying. She titled her chin back, and closed her eyes, smiling at the tickling feeling running through her stomach, as Bill galloped beneath her.
"She looks as if she is going to take flight, does she not?" Sam asked Pippin, then chuckled lightly to himself.
"Surely, you don't think she'll fall?" Pippin asked, then smiled. He stuck his hands into his pockets, and shook his head.
"Azura! Come along! We have much land to travel before the night comes upon us, and we won't get far with you gallivanting about on that poor old steed!" Legolas called, shifting from one long leg, to leaning on the other, and finding it impossible to not smile at her.
Azura gathered the reins, and had Bill trot back to the group, grinning broadly. "I couldn't help it, poor Bill wanted to run so badly, and I have been walking all morning, and felt like riding."
Frodo held up a hand and helped Azura off the horse, though she really did not need assistance. She smiled at him as she stepped off, and said, "Thank you."
He continued to hold her hand as she stood in place, smiling at her, reluctant to release her hand.
She smiled, and her cheeks went scarlet, and she glanced down shyly.
Sam, Pippin, and Merry watched with fixed smiles.
As the company continued on slowly in single file. Gandalf took lead, and carried his wooden staff in front of him. Behind him walked Boromir, then Pippin and Merry, then Legolas, and behind him was the dwarf Gimli, and behind him walked Sam, then Frodo and Azura came, hand in hand, and taking up the rear was Strider.
---
Azura clutched her coat around her, trying to keep the snow from touching her skin. Her coat was soaked, and cold, and wasn't much help with keeping out the snow. Her blonde hair was matted to her head, and wet. Occasionally, snowflakes would invade her vision, and sting her eyes. She closed her eyes tightly, and shook her head, and shouted, "This snowstorm is growing worse by the moment!" She was the second to last in the line, besides from Pippin.
"I can barely see ahead of me!" Pippin cried, from somewhere behind her.
Azura stopped, and peered back behind her. All she could see was the swirling of white. "Where are you, Pippin?" She called through the roar of the storm.
There was a brief silence, then Pippin called, "Behind you! I..I can't see anything!"
Then Azura spotted him, trudging through the snow. She reached out her hand, using her other hand to clasp her coat tight around herself, and grasped Pippin's hand.
He fumbled blindly for her hand, and grasped it tightly, "Don't let go! I don't want to get lost!"
"Azura!…..Pippin! Come along before you are left behind!" Gandalf cried from somewhere ahead of them, sounding as if he were miles away.
Upon hearing that, Pippin clutched tighter to Azura's side, and was trembling terribly. He was a few inches shorter than her, but was half bent over as he plodded alongside Azura, and panted, "I shall…be glad…when we…make camp. I am so tired!"
"Yes, I agree. I will make for us a great dinner…and hot meal, so we will feel much…better.." Azura said, through lightly chattering teeth.
It was growing dark, and they had come upon a rock face that provided a bit of shelter. The horses and Bill stood near each other, for warmth, and most of the company had settled somewhere, anywhere that was dry enough for them.
"I can't get the fire going!" Sam cried, in annoyance, as he struck the tinder with a flint again, and trying to light the moist and soggy wood he had gathered.
Gandalf gently pushed Sam away from the pile of wood, then raised his staff and free hand and muttered something. Flames leapt up and licked the twilight sky, and the wood snapped and crackled as the fire drew down, and emitted warmth.
Sam smiled, and brought forth his cooking pots, and a bagful of assorted foods and jars.
"I think tonight is a good night for this…" Azura said, drawing out a bag and holding it up for Sam to see, "I think they will go well with whatever you do prepare."
Sam took the bag and looked in it, and his face lit up with a smile. "Mushrooms!" Upon hearing that, Pippin, Merry, and Frodo looked over with curious grins.
"I gathered them while in Rivendell." Azura said, smiling. She then turned and sta next to Pippin, worried he would grow ill from the cold.
He was hunched over, grasping a blanket tightly around himself, and shaking lightly from the cold.
Azura placed her palm over his forehead, and it was cold. She scooted around to face him, and he was now looking up at her, wondering what she was up to.
"It's okay, Pippin. Don't worry, I like you all now. You're my friend, and I am going to take care of you." Azura said, then placed the flats of her palms on Pippin's cheeks. She closed her eyes, and chanted softly under her breath.
A warm rush flowed through his limbs and body, warming him from inside. The aches in his limbs began to diminish, and his weariness was greatly cured. He smiled, then threw his arms around Azura, hugging her, then he laughed soundly, "Azura, you are a godsend! You are so nice to us."
Azura laughed lightly, and hugged him back, then stood, and went over to Merry, who had been watching with interest. She did the same spell to him, then to every other companion.
When she came upon Boromir, she hesitated, but placed her hands upon his arm. Boromir watched with interest as she healed him, then as she began to leave, he grasped her wrist, and pulled her hand up so he could look at it better, along with her other arm.
He stared at the identical tattoos upon her hands. Two black rings, flawlessly stained upon her pink flesh, more than a tattoo, but both were birthmarks. "I have great pity for you, Azura a'Leoni. But you have so much potential, do you know the legends about the Last…"
"Enough Boromir!" Legolas said, then came over and ushered Azura away, picking her up like she were a child, "We shall talk now, in seclusion. There is much you need to know."
Azura watched Boromir as Legolas carried her away. Boromir's features were thoughtful, but she could see a touch of scorn in them. She shivered lightly, then turned in Legolas's arms then said, "Please let me down, sir."
Legolas let her down gently, then continued to walk until they came upon a round boulder with a flat top. Legolas hopped up onto it, and took a seat, and crossed his legs indian-style, and waited for her to climb up.
Azura stood in place, watching him thoughtfully for a moment, then scrambled up the side of the boulder, rather clumsily compared to the way he had, and then sat near where he did. She felt rather small in his presence, but was used to being in the presence of Men, so it didn't bother her too much.
Legolas smiled grandly at her, but she could see a well of sorrow behind it. Tears fell from his eyes, but the smile remained locked on his features.
"How can you smile with so many tears? What is the matter?" Azura asked, idly tracing her finger over her ear.
Legolas took Azura's hand and kissed it, then said, "My Small Lady, you have no conception of the weight that has been lifted from my heart!"
"Why do you say such things? Lady Arwen spoke the same to me, as if I were a walking miracle, but I am not, I am only myself, daughter of my mother." Azura said, a thoughtful look crossing her features. Then she grasped a chain that hung from her neck, and pulled it from under her shirt, dragging with it, the seed of Lorien.
Legolas's eyes sparkled at the sight of the Lorien seed, "Yes, I see Lady Arwen gave to you the last treasure of the West. We have kept that seed for a long time…."
Azura held the seed between her index finger and thumb, "But why did she give it to me?"
"Because you are a Leonian Elf, the last alive. You are quite young yet, but I would have guessed your mother would have told you….I do not understand why she would not. She always seemed to want to out run fate and the past, and tried to take you with her. She was very eccentric the last time I saw her…." Legolas said.
"My mother said that we weren't true Leonians, we were fake." Azura said, somewhat sadly. "Sometimes I wish I were, at least I would know what I was…"
Legolas shook his head, "No, Azura. You are a true blooded Leonian. Let me tell you of some of your heritage's past."
Azura stared thoughtfully into the Lorien seed as Legolas began to speak, watching the tiny sparkles swirl slowly among inside the dark blue prison of the seed.
"Thousands and thousands of years ago, Elves came from the West, searching for new lands. We came upon Middle Earth. Now, with us we had brought the treasure of the West, the Lorien seed. Now, the seed could not grow without infusion of great magic, a powerful amount of magic. So, all of the Leonian elves gathered and then infused the seed with their power. And Lorien grew and came to be. The great power that was used awakened an ancient dragon that slumbered deep inside the Earth. She came out and flew in the skies, her body was covered in ice blue scales that made her body seem like it was made out of thousands and thousands of stars. She came to Lorien, and spoke to the elves with her mind, and told us that she had not felt such a release of energy in eons. She then told us when she was a hatchling, the first Lorien elves began to appear. She had stayed with them for a long time before going under the ground and slumbering. She told us that a great sorrow would come to the elves, as she had foreseen, but one elf, a hybrid child, daughter-heir of the West would come and save Lorien. Lorien is great in size and beautiful, but the magic is beginning to fade. Lorien is dying." Legolas said, his features twisting with sorrow.
Azura felt a sorrow well up inside her that she did not understand. She had never been to Lorien, save once when she was an infant, but she felt a connection to the place. Tears welled in her eyes and threatened to spill down her cheeks. "Lorien is dying?"
"Yes, Azura. For many years now, we Elves have been mourning your mother's death, For you see, we thought she was the last of the Order. She told us she had found you, and took you in as her own. I do not see why she wanted to keep you from your destiny…" Legolas said, shaking his head lightly.
"She lied about me?" Azura asked, frowning lightly, then her expression softened to sorrow, "She probably feared Sauron would send for me if he heard of my birth. My mother….she sacrificed herself for me…"
Legolas felt sorrow and pity for the small girl, and closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and continued to talk, "You are the daughter-heir to the old throne of the Elves. The last Leonian to rule was Aelendria a'Leoni, your great grandmother, whom passed away 7,000 years ago. Your mother was only 5,028 when she was killed….she died so young…"
"5,028?!" Azura asked. "My mother was that old?"
Legolas laughed, "Old? My dear child, she was in her prime! She was barely considered a young woman in elven years!"
"I am only 27 years old…" Azura mumbled, suddenly feeling quite young.
"You've matured quicker than an elf, because of the hobbit blood in you. But you will live much longer than a hobbit, that is for sure." Legolas said.
Azura suddenly frowned, realizing a horrible fact. She would, if going to Mordor didn't kill her, she would outlive Frodo, Pippin, Merry, and Sam. She tried to take her mind off the sudden horrible fact, and asked, "If you had only one when you came to Middle Earth, where did this seed come from?"
Legolas smiled, and replied, "The seed reproduces itself, in the form of a seed. Only, we thought the seed useless after your mother died, but Arwen kept it, in hopes one day someone would come along with the strength to save Lorien. And you have come."
"I am but one though! You said yourself that many Leonians came together to create Lorien and I am only one! What could I possibly do? I cannot even complete spells that Gandalf asks me to do…." Azura cried, her blue violet eyes darkening to a sorrowful indigo hue.
"That also weighs on my mind. I have wondered if you do not know what to do, then maybe you may never know, but, then again, I believe you will find your way." Legolas said, his eyes full of pity, and sorrow.
Tears brimmed Azura's eyes as she looked down, and she began to shake lightly, "I don't want to be an elf. I want to be a hobbit, and I want to always be with Frodo. Also, Pippin, Merry, and Sam. I love them all so much that sometimes I damn myself for meeting them. I have never been so reliant on people, like I am on them, and now I am so weak inside when I think of losing or leaving them!"
With that, Azura stood and shook her fists at the sky, and shouted, "Damn you! Damn you all! I wish I weren't born! I am not strong enough to live and lose what I have! You took my family, and you took my chances at life! Now you want…want.." Azura began to hyperventilate and shake, but continued, "…to…take them form me…" Tears spilled freely down her cheeks, and she let herself drop to sit on her bottom.
Without looking up, or back at Legolas, she mumbled, "I thank you for talking with me but…I…would like to be alone…"
Legolas stared at the girl, sitting, hunched over her knees, and shaking and sobbing lightly to herself. He felt a well of pity and sorrow inside of him, and closed his eyes as he stood. "As you wish, my Small Lady."
With that, Legolas took leave and left Azura to weep by herself, hugging her knees to her chest, her tears leaving frozen trails down her pink flushed cheeks.
---
Frodo lay silent in the camp, unable to rest. He was weary, but anxious. He hadn't seen Azura since she had left with Legolas, and he had returned alone, saying that she wished to be alone. She hadn't come back to eat, nor to sleep alongside her companions.
He clutched his blankets around him, trying to keep the cold from seeping into him, but was doing a poor job, for he felt cold to the bone. He heard Sam's light snores, and had Faile sleeping upon his stomach, and Gimli's snored heavily, along with the steady breathing of his companions, but somehow he still felt uneasy without Azura close by.
Alone, he felt cold, lonely, and dismayed, but when Azura was near him, her smile lit up his day. Her presence warmed the cold inside him, and he felt, if anything he would ever want to do, he would want to hold her, and let her forget her worries, and him to forget his own, as foolish as the thought would be.
Soft crunching of snow and ice caught his attention, and he sat up on his side, and looked about.
Azura stood a few feet away, her hair windblown, her eyes red with tears and her cheeks stained with frozen tear-trails. She looked haggard, lonely, and pitiful. She was clutching her cloak around herself and shivering miserably. She said nothing, but her eyes pleaded for his company and acceptance.
No words, no questions, he raised his arm for her to come to him. Azura stepped forward, knelt, and lay next to him. He draped his blanket over her and himself, and she nuzzled herself up against him, burying her face into his chest. Her arm went over his side and she hugged him tightly. Frodo, in turn, draped his arm over her shoulder, and hugged her close, suddenly feeling warm and at ease. He sighed, and rested his cheek against the top of her head, her soft hair felt smooth against his cheek.
Frodo hesitated, but found the sudden strength to say softly, "I love you Azura…."
Azura began to shake and sob in his arms, and Frodo frowned, confused.
Azura looked up at him, her cheek brushing his as she did so, then kissed his cheek, and whispered, "I love you too…." In his ear, and rested her head upon his shoulder, suddenly growing more relaxed, and letting herself drift to sleep.
Frodo did the same, letting himself drift into a quiet, dreamless slumber.
