The two headed back for the camp ground. Frodo seemed greatly distressed.
His brow was furrowed, and a thin sheen of sweat was beginning to form.
"What is it frodo?" Evelyn or more aptly; Caleb, asked.
"The wraiths…" He was quivering. Caleb applied a slight pressure to a large muscle knot in Frodo's shoulder, Frodo imeadiatly loosened. He sighed and looked to him with a look of great relief. "Thanks!" he beamed.
"Any time. Such a kind little one." He smiled. Frodo blushed. Though he didn't know why.
"Kind, but 'e smells like crap!" Pippin shouted. "You smell just as foul Caleb." He added, poking them both in the ribs. "There's a lake 'round the corner. What do you say we all go rid ourselves of this.." He sniffed the air mockingly a few times. "Stench."
The others laughed in good fun as Gandalf lit his pipe. Caleb went as white as Gandalf's beard.
"Aye, but someone must get supper ready." Caleb stumbled defensivly.
"The boy's right," Legolas jumped to Evelyn's aid. "Caleb will bathe later, and fix supper now."
"Very well then." Pippin dismissed. "Let's go!" The four hobbits and the dwarf, Gimli, set off for the lake. Legolas was about to leave as well when Gandlaf shot him a glance, and very calmly pulled the pipe from his mouth.
"Legolas," He started, in a calm, deep voice. "I seek some confrence with you whilst we bathe." Caleb narrowed his eyes slightly, then pretened not to have noticed this request.
Legolas swallowed hard and followed the wise old wizard around the bend. Gandalf walked casually, carrying his staff with him, his gray hair waving in the slight breeze.
"Something very strange about that boy…" Gandalf mused aloud. "I wish I could only see his thoughts," He appeared slightly distraught. "Yet, there is almost a wall around his mind, and I cannot." Legolas felt uneasy in this circumstance. "Who knows what he may want with the ring."
"He doesn't want the ring." Legolas blurted out. Gandalf stopped and turned his head to face him. His thick gray eyebrows heavily brought down in contemplation.
"We can assume nothing…unless you know something I don't." Legolas wanted to bite his tounge clear out of his mouth as Gandalf shrugged and placed the pipe back in his mouth. "Tell me now Legolas, spare us all the heartache of a ruined mission." Gandalf continued, somewhat irritated.
"She won't ruin the mission!" Legolas protested. However, he caught his mistake too late.
"She?" Gandalf repeated quizzically.
"A mere error in speech.." Legolas cast his gaze down and removed his gauntlets by the lake's edge.
"She may be able to block me, but you can't Legolas." Gandalf continued. "Who is she?"
"A maid, of some house or another." Legolas answered coldly, not liking the inferior position his arm was twisting him into.
"You haven't answered my question to the best of your ability my boy. Tell me what you know."
"Her name is Evelyn..of house Veritas." He mumbled under his breath as he raised his tunic over his head. Gandalf seemed to have trouble breathing.
"Did she say anything of her parents?" Gandalf asked with great urgency.
"They're dead." Legolas answered flatly, sliding into the water.
"Meriel.." Gandalf whispered under his breath, only the rippling water and Legolas' ears hearing the prayer-like word. Upon this Gandalf looked broken as he gripped his staff very tightly.
"Don't expose her Gandalf, this mission is all she has." Legolas asked firmly, before submerging himself in the water.
"I owe her more than that my dear child." Gandalf whispered painstakingly as he turned back to camp.
"What is it frodo?" Evelyn or more aptly; Caleb, asked.
"The wraiths…" He was quivering. Caleb applied a slight pressure to a large muscle knot in Frodo's shoulder, Frodo imeadiatly loosened. He sighed and looked to him with a look of great relief. "Thanks!" he beamed.
"Any time. Such a kind little one." He smiled. Frodo blushed. Though he didn't know why.
"Kind, but 'e smells like crap!" Pippin shouted. "You smell just as foul Caleb." He added, poking them both in the ribs. "There's a lake 'round the corner. What do you say we all go rid ourselves of this.." He sniffed the air mockingly a few times. "Stench."
The others laughed in good fun as Gandalf lit his pipe. Caleb went as white as Gandalf's beard.
"Aye, but someone must get supper ready." Caleb stumbled defensivly.
"The boy's right," Legolas jumped to Evelyn's aid. "Caleb will bathe later, and fix supper now."
"Very well then." Pippin dismissed. "Let's go!" The four hobbits and the dwarf, Gimli, set off for the lake. Legolas was about to leave as well when Gandlaf shot him a glance, and very calmly pulled the pipe from his mouth.
"Legolas," He started, in a calm, deep voice. "I seek some confrence with you whilst we bathe." Caleb narrowed his eyes slightly, then pretened not to have noticed this request.
Legolas swallowed hard and followed the wise old wizard around the bend. Gandalf walked casually, carrying his staff with him, his gray hair waving in the slight breeze.
"Something very strange about that boy…" Gandalf mused aloud. "I wish I could only see his thoughts," He appeared slightly distraught. "Yet, there is almost a wall around his mind, and I cannot." Legolas felt uneasy in this circumstance. "Who knows what he may want with the ring."
"He doesn't want the ring." Legolas blurted out. Gandalf stopped and turned his head to face him. His thick gray eyebrows heavily brought down in contemplation.
"We can assume nothing…unless you know something I don't." Legolas wanted to bite his tounge clear out of his mouth as Gandalf shrugged and placed the pipe back in his mouth. "Tell me now Legolas, spare us all the heartache of a ruined mission." Gandalf continued, somewhat irritated.
"She won't ruin the mission!" Legolas protested. However, he caught his mistake too late.
"She?" Gandalf repeated quizzically.
"A mere error in speech.." Legolas cast his gaze down and removed his gauntlets by the lake's edge.
"She may be able to block me, but you can't Legolas." Gandalf continued. "Who is she?"
"A maid, of some house or another." Legolas answered coldly, not liking the inferior position his arm was twisting him into.
"You haven't answered my question to the best of your ability my boy. Tell me what you know."
"Her name is Evelyn..of house Veritas." He mumbled under his breath as he raised his tunic over his head. Gandalf seemed to have trouble breathing.
"Did she say anything of her parents?" Gandalf asked with great urgency.
"They're dead." Legolas answered flatly, sliding into the water.
"Meriel.." Gandalf whispered under his breath, only the rippling water and Legolas' ears hearing the prayer-like word. Upon this Gandalf looked broken as he gripped his staff very tightly.
"Don't expose her Gandalf, this mission is all she has." Legolas asked firmly, before submerging himself in the water.
"I owe her more than that my dear child." Gandalf whispered painstakingly as he turned back to camp.
