~*~* Author's Note: Ahh! I didn't mean to diss Canada in Chapter One, and if it appeared so, I'm sorry! I love Canada! Go Canada, yay! Anyway, thanks for all the reveiws, and I hope you enjoy! Please reveiw this too! :-D ~*~*
That night, the elves of Lothlorien lamented for Gandalf. Laurrianne listened to their song, not knowing the words but understanding the sorrow they held. She sat alone underneath a tree, thinking of all she had seen throughout the day. She felt eyes on her, and turned. Pippin stood there, watching her. When she turned, he looked down, and then walked to her.
"May I sit with you?" he asked shyly.
She shrugged, and then nodded. He sat beside her, and looked up at her with big eyes, ever twinkling with curiosity and interest.
"Tell me about where you come from," he said, and she nodded once more.
"Well, it's called Los Angeles - the city of Angels, they call it," she snorted. "Where I am from, men cut down the forests, ravage the lands, and kill each animal in their sight. They make war with their own brothers over their land, and torture each other for pleasure. Women sell their bodies and souls to raise enough money to do it all again the next day, and the air is riddled with poison." Laurrianne looked down, a grimace on her face.
"That sounds like Mordor," said Pippin, his eyes wide.
"I don't know what Mordor is, but I know that if it's anything like L.A, it must be a hell," she said, and shook her head. "The last thing I can remember, before I woke up in the forest, was praying - to God, Fate, whatever - to get out. To leave that painful existance."
"Well, maybe that's why you're here," offered Pippin, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. She met his eyes.
"Tell me about your world," she said softly, glancing away.
"Well, right now we're on a mission, to -" he stopped, thinking a moment. "- To save the world. There will be a war."
"With who?"
"Sauron and his armies of orcs and other worse things."
"Orcs?" she raised her eyebrows. "What are orcs?"
"Oh, you wouldn't like them.. they're monsters."
She nodded, then looked up, feeling other eyes on her. Legolas and Aragorn stood, watching her and Pippin talk. They seemed to be discussing something of importance.
"We can't just leave her," said Aragorn, shaking his head. "I know not where she came from, but she is not from here."
"And we can't take her with us!" exclaimed the elf, glistening eyes wide.
"We will ask Galandriel, for she is wise beyond us all."
Galandriel's words still hung in the air as Aragorn watched Laurianne. "You seek my counsel, yet you need it not. You know in your hearts that Laurrianne has a part to play in all of this. She was taken from her world, and brought to this, for a reason beyond even my comprehension. You came upon her for a reason, and you know you must take her with you. For she will be a powerful ally. I know this - the girl is not what she seems." Something was different about her, this was certain. And the hobbits surely had taken a liking to her, Pippin especially. He listened to her with intent ears, to her stories of her world, of technology and these things called "computers", whatever those may be.
That night they rested, Laurianne staying far from the rest of the group. She still did not feel a part of it, although the rest had accepted her (with exception, of course, of Gimli, who thought it folly to allow a "mere woman" to tag along.). Legolas lay with eyes open, pondering the stars. Boromir, still shaken by Galandriel's voice, also lay with eyes open, but he did not acheive the rest that the elf did. Aragorn took rest, but was awoken several times by Gimli's loud snoring. The hobbits lay bunched together, Sam's arm protectively over Frodo. And Laurianne lay underneath the tree, asleep. Every few moments, she would sigh contendedly, her chest raising and falling with the deep breaths she took.
Pippin watched her, his eyes aglow. He was astounded by this woman, this new addition to their world. Merry sat up beside him, glaring.
"Peregrin Took, you favor her, do you not?"
"What?" the younger hobbit scoffed. "I know not of what you speak."
"In the words of the girl.. whatever."
The next morning, they set off in boats. Laurianne rode with Legolas and Gimli, making three in each boat. The elf rowed, much to her dismay.
"Want me to take the paddle?" she asked every few minutes, and he merely shook his head.
"I can handle the boat, miss. You just relax."
She scoffed, "Yea, like that's going to happen. I'm in the middle of a river with an elf and a dwarf.. relax isn't an option."
They landed on the riverbank, and immediately the hobbits began to cook a meal. The larger men, elf, and dwarf towed the boats ashore, not allowing Laurianne to aid them. She sat down on a rock, arms crossed, looking angry. Pippin walked over to her, a plate of bacon, eggs, cheese, and bread in hand.
"You want something to eat?" he asked, sitting next to her. Laurrianne shook her head.
"You guys eat about as much as teenage guys from my world.. and that's a whole lot."
Pippin smiled, and ate. Laurrianne sat silently for a moment, watching Aragorn and the rest tow in the boats.
"You know, I'm not some defenseless, worthless girl, and if they insist on continuing to treat me like one, I'll have no choice but to go Buffy on their ass."
Pippin gulped. "Um.. what?"
While Boromir was trying to take the ring from Frodo, Laurrianne, Merry, and Pip were off looking for him. Laurrianne stopped.
"Do you hear something?" she asked, and the rest nodded. They heard it, all right. Swords, clinging in the distance. The sounds of Orcs being slain by Aragorn.
"Hide.. quickly." She took the Hobbits by the hands and led them to a good place to hide. Shortly, they saw Frodo run toward them, hearing the sounds of orcs following. The rest seemed a blur to Laurrianne, who remembered only that Frodo was going to Mordor alone, and that Merry and Pippin had gotten the orcs to follow them. She followed them as well, but too far back to help them. An orc saw her and advanced.
"Ewww!" she exclaimed as it glared at her, disgusting and festering. It swung at her with it's sword. She ducked it, moving aside. Then, she did something she didn't even know she was capable of. She swung at it with her fist, then lifted her leg to kick. Sure, she'd done Tai Bo, but never actually fought anything in her entire life. She caught it's arm, and it dropped it's sword.
She bent to pick it up, and then grinned, a glisten in her eye she didn't know was there.
"Now, you're in such big trouble."
Letting loose a ferocious shout, she swung the sword, catching the creature's neck. Blood spurted, covering her sword and splashing on her legs. She barely noticed.
She heard a horn in the distance. Without meaning to, she began to run, leaping over the dead orc's body. It was too late as she reached the clearing. She could see the orcs departing. She saw Aragorn kill the leader orc. Boromir lay, dying there.
She remained away as he shared his dying words with Aragorn. Legolas and Gimli approached. If they saw her, they ignored her. She never felt more useless, more disappointing. She had failed. If she had only followed Pippin and Merry more closely.. if she had only rushed to aid Boromir.. if she had only.. only.
She fell to her knees then. She didn't remember much more, only watching Boromir go over the falls. Then the words of Aragorn.
"Let's go hunt some orc."
Would I even be any help? She wondered, following them closely. She had to go, but she didn't know what aid she could provide. It was all her fault anyhow. If only..
That night, the elves of Lothlorien lamented for Gandalf. Laurrianne listened to their song, not knowing the words but understanding the sorrow they held. She sat alone underneath a tree, thinking of all she had seen throughout the day. She felt eyes on her, and turned. Pippin stood there, watching her. When she turned, he looked down, and then walked to her.
"May I sit with you?" he asked shyly.
She shrugged, and then nodded. He sat beside her, and looked up at her with big eyes, ever twinkling with curiosity and interest.
"Tell me about where you come from," he said, and she nodded once more.
"Well, it's called Los Angeles - the city of Angels, they call it," she snorted. "Where I am from, men cut down the forests, ravage the lands, and kill each animal in their sight. They make war with their own brothers over their land, and torture each other for pleasure. Women sell their bodies and souls to raise enough money to do it all again the next day, and the air is riddled with poison." Laurrianne looked down, a grimace on her face.
"That sounds like Mordor," said Pippin, his eyes wide.
"I don't know what Mordor is, but I know that if it's anything like L.A, it must be a hell," she said, and shook her head. "The last thing I can remember, before I woke up in the forest, was praying - to God, Fate, whatever - to get out. To leave that painful existance."
"Well, maybe that's why you're here," offered Pippin, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. She met his eyes.
"Tell me about your world," she said softly, glancing away.
"Well, right now we're on a mission, to -" he stopped, thinking a moment. "- To save the world. There will be a war."
"With who?"
"Sauron and his armies of orcs and other worse things."
"Orcs?" she raised her eyebrows. "What are orcs?"
"Oh, you wouldn't like them.. they're monsters."
She nodded, then looked up, feeling other eyes on her. Legolas and Aragorn stood, watching her and Pippin talk. They seemed to be discussing something of importance.
"We can't just leave her," said Aragorn, shaking his head. "I know not where she came from, but she is not from here."
"And we can't take her with us!" exclaimed the elf, glistening eyes wide.
"We will ask Galandriel, for she is wise beyond us all."
Galandriel's words still hung in the air as Aragorn watched Laurianne. "You seek my counsel, yet you need it not. You know in your hearts that Laurrianne has a part to play in all of this. She was taken from her world, and brought to this, for a reason beyond even my comprehension. You came upon her for a reason, and you know you must take her with you. For she will be a powerful ally. I know this - the girl is not what she seems." Something was different about her, this was certain. And the hobbits surely had taken a liking to her, Pippin especially. He listened to her with intent ears, to her stories of her world, of technology and these things called "computers", whatever those may be.
That night they rested, Laurianne staying far from the rest of the group. She still did not feel a part of it, although the rest had accepted her (with exception, of course, of Gimli, who thought it folly to allow a "mere woman" to tag along.). Legolas lay with eyes open, pondering the stars. Boromir, still shaken by Galandriel's voice, also lay with eyes open, but he did not acheive the rest that the elf did. Aragorn took rest, but was awoken several times by Gimli's loud snoring. The hobbits lay bunched together, Sam's arm protectively over Frodo. And Laurianne lay underneath the tree, asleep. Every few moments, she would sigh contendedly, her chest raising and falling with the deep breaths she took.
Pippin watched her, his eyes aglow. He was astounded by this woman, this new addition to their world. Merry sat up beside him, glaring.
"Peregrin Took, you favor her, do you not?"
"What?" the younger hobbit scoffed. "I know not of what you speak."
"In the words of the girl.. whatever."
The next morning, they set off in boats. Laurianne rode with Legolas and Gimli, making three in each boat. The elf rowed, much to her dismay.
"Want me to take the paddle?" she asked every few minutes, and he merely shook his head.
"I can handle the boat, miss. You just relax."
She scoffed, "Yea, like that's going to happen. I'm in the middle of a river with an elf and a dwarf.. relax isn't an option."
They landed on the riverbank, and immediately the hobbits began to cook a meal. The larger men, elf, and dwarf towed the boats ashore, not allowing Laurianne to aid them. She sat down on a rock, arms crossed, looking angry. Pippin walked over to her, a plate of bacon, eggs, cheese, and bread in hand.
"You want something to eat?" he asked, sitting next to her. Laurrianne shook her head.
"You guys eat about as much as teenage guys from my world.. and that's a whole lot."
Pippin smiled, and ate. Laurrianne sat silently for a moment, watching Aragorn and the rest tow in the boats.
"You know, I'm not some defenseless, worthless girl, and if they insist on continuing to treat me like one, I'll have no choice but to go Buffy on their ass."
Pippin gulped. "Um.. what?"
While Boromir was trying to take the ring from Frodo, Laurrianne, Merry, and Pip were off looking for him. Laurrianne stopped.
"Do you hear something?" she asked, and the rest nodded. They heard it, all right. Swords, clinging in the distance. The sounds of Orcs being slain by Aragorn.
"Hide.. quickly." She took the Hobbits by the hands and led them to a good place to hide. Shortly, they saw Frodo run toward them, hearing the sounds of orcs following. The rest seemed a blur to Laurrianne, who remembered only that Frodo was going to Mordor alone, and that Merry and Pippin had gotten the orcs to follow them. She followed them as well, but too far back to help them. An orc saw her and advanced.
"Ewww!" she exclaimed as it glared at her, disgusting and festering. It swung at her with it's sword. She ducked it, moving aside. Then, she did something she didn't even know she was capable of. She swung at it with her fist, then lifted her leg to kick. Sure, she'd done Tai Bo, but never actually fought anything in her entire life. She caught it's arm, and it dropped it's sword.
She bent to pick it up, and then grinned, a glisten in her eye she didn't know was there.
"Now, you're in such big trouble."
Letting loose a ferocious shout, she swung the sword, catching the creature's neck. Blood spurted, covering her sword and splashing on her legs. She barely noticed.
She heard a horn in the distance. Without meaning to, she began to run, leaping over the dead orc's body. It was too late as she reached the clearing. She could see the orcs departing. She saw Aragorn kill the leader orc. Boromir lay, dying there.
She remained away as he shared his dying words with Aragorn. Legolas and Gimli approached. If they saw her, they ignored her. She never felt more useless, more disappointing. She had failed. If she had only followed Pippin and Merry more closely.. if she had only rushed to aid Boromir.. if she had only.. only.
She fell to her knees then. She didn't remember much more, only watching Boromir go over the falls. Then the words of Aragorn.
"Let's go hunt some orc."
Would I even be any help? She wondered, following them closely. She had to go, but she didn't know what aid she could provide. It was all her fault anyhow. If only..
