((A/N Well, here's the next chapter. Sorry it took so long to post, had a
touch of writers block for this, but the next chapter should be more speedy
in appearing. As before, only Cariana belongs to me. Please R and R!))
Cariana stayed in the background as Sam and Aragorn left, her presence going unnoticed. And for this she was glad. She was still finding her feet, still learning to cope with the reality of someone else's world. Merry and Pippin crowded round the injured Frodo, looking anxious as the spine chilling wails of the Nazgul echoed through the dark wood.
Then hoof beats were heard as a white horse cantered into the clearing.
"Undomiel." Cariana breathed as the elf slid easily down and moved to Frodo, beginning to speak in elvish. Mentally, Cariana began to translate what she was saying. Since Merry, Pippin and Sam had not her advantage of seeing the subtitles, and looked confused.
As Arwen took Frodo and began to ride for Rivendell, Sam spoke, his voice fraught.
"What are you doing? Those wraiths are still out there!"
"Do you think that he does not know that?" Cariana asked softly, stepped forward. "But he trusts in Arwen."
All eyes turned to her now as they became aware of her presence there.
"Who are you?" Aragorn asked curiously, though his expression showed that he was distracted by the thought of Arwen, even now being perused by the Nazgul even if Aragorn didn't know that.
"My name is Cariana." She identified herself. "A traveller, a wanderer." It was a more reasonable explanation than the truth.
"What happened to you?" Merry asked, referring to when they found her but his eyes were looking in the direction Frodo and Arwen had gone in.
Cariana paused, unsure how to answer the question, but Aragorn spared her.
"Questions can wait till we reach the sanctuary of Rivendell. Let us go."
Cariana let the others take the lead, following slowly as she considered what she would say, and what would be believed. And once she had reached Rivendell, what then? What would she do when the fellowship formed?
Cariana stayed in the background as Sam and Aragorn left, her presence going unnoticed. And for this she was glad. She was still finding her feet, still learning to cope with the reality of someone else's world. Merry and Pippin crowded round the injured Frodo, looking anxious as the spine chilling wails of the Nazgul echoed through the dark wood.
Then hoof beats were heard as a white horse cantered into the clearing.
"Undomiel." Cariana breathed as the elf slid easily down and moved to Frodo, beginning to speak in elvish. Mentally, Cariana began to translate what she was saying. Since Merry, Pippin and Sam had not her advantage of seeing the subtitles, and looked confused.
As Arwen took Frodo and began to ride for Rivendell, Sam spoke, his voice fraught.
"What are you doing? Those wraiths are still out there!"
"Do you think that he does not know that?" Cariana asked softly, stepped forward. "But he trusts in Arwen."
All eyes turned to her now as they became aware of her presence there.
"Who are you?" Aragorn asked curiously, though his expression showed that he was distracted by the thought of Arwen, even now being perused by the Nazgul even if Aragorn didn't know that.
"My name is Cariana." She identified herself. "A traveller, a wanderer." It was a more reasonable explanation than the truth.
"What happened to you?" Merry asked, referring to when they found her but his eyes were looking in the direction Frodo and Arwen had gone in.
Cariana paused, unsure how to answer the question, but Aragorn spared her.
"Questions can wait till we reach the sanctuary of Rivendell. Let us go."
Cariana let the others take the lead, following slowly as she considered what she would say, and what would be believed. And once she had reached Rivendell, what then? What would she do when the fellowship formed?