Chapter 2 -
Frodo was roused from his slumber upon the third gray day of traveling the Anduin by an unusual rocking of the elven-boat. Sitting up, he saw a most abrupt change in the land from the flat gray lands and reeds that had covered the banks of the river since leaving Lothlorien. Upon the left bank there grew a most impressive forest - tall, thick, and dark as night. Mirkwood could have hardly been more foreboding.
"Where are we?" Frodo asked of Aragorn, who was steering towards the forest.
"We've come to the White Falls, a set of rapids on the Anduin." Aragorn replied. "Even in Elfish boats, we dare not try to continue on the river. The crafts will not founder, but small passengers can be thrown from their seats on rough water."
"What is that wood?" Frodo asked, pointing at the dark forest. "And why are we making for it?"
"That is the Shadow-wood, and we must journey through it until we reach calmer waters." Aragorn said, and Frodo shuddered. Tales of the Shadow-Wood of the South were fierce and terrible. He would have much rather braved the White Falls than the dark wood.
"Why aren't we making for the opposite bank? The Shadow-wood can't be much safer than the river." Frodo said, staring transfixed at the dark trees.
"Few know that the Wastes of Shadow, the plains opposite the Shadow-wood, are more dangerous than the forest. All the evil creatures that roam the forest came from the Wastes. We would be safer by far in the Wood."
Frodo was not sure he agreed, but the other two boats had already reached the shore under the forest and soon he felt the grate of sand underneath the boat in which he rode. As he climbed out of the boat, a dark shape crawling out of the water across the bank caught his eye.
"Sam!" he hissed, grabbing his servant's arm. Sam looked across the river and watched as the dark shape disappeared among the reeds.
"Gollum, I suppose. But what's he doing on that side of the river?" Sam wondered. "Still, if he's over there he won't be getting to us so easy."
The dark shape slipped away and Sam turned back to the rest of the Fellowship. Frodo slowly tore his eyes away from the opposite bank and followed the Fellowship into the trees, as Legolas suggested that they would be safer in the trees.
Upon entering the forest, Frodo suddenly felt as though something was staring at him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw nothing, but the top of a tall tree rustled faintly. Frodo hurried foreword to keep up with the Fellowship.
Sam turned around when he noticed his master was missing. As Frodo rushed back towards the group, Sam caught a glimpse of green eyes staring out of the darkness. He blinked suddenly and they were gone. Sam frantically seized his master's arm and pointed in the direction of the eyes.
"Mr. Frodo! Something's out there, I saw eyes in the bushes!"
"I know. Something is following us, Sam." Frodo replied, and Sam was surprised by his calm tone.
"Gollum?" Sam asked. Frodo hesitated before answering.
"No. Not Gollum. I don't think Gollum made it across the river to the forest." Frodo stared into the dark foliage as he spoke.
"Keep your eyes open, Sam." Frodo turned and followed the rest of the Fellowship, following the light elven-crafts held up by Boromir, Aragorn, and Legolas.
As night fell the Fellowship reluctantly made camp underneath the dark boughs of an ancient oak tree that grew directly out of the path. Boromir objected to sleeping out in the open, but Aragorn insisted that they must not travel through the Shadow-Wood after nightfall, nor should they stray from the path for any reason.
"The wood hides many evils, many of which are beyond our power. We are safer here than anywhere else in the wood."
Aragorn sat down against the massive tree and would say nothing more on the subject. The Fellowship set down the elven-boats and quietly ate their sharings of the lembas from the Lady. A heavy silence that seemed to be a part of the forest itself settled down upon them. It was Legolas who finally broke it.
"Legend says there is a Lady whose duty it is to protect a great treasure hidden in this forest from evil hands." he said quietly, his gaze locked on the slender crescent moon suspended above the trees.
"Another elf-queen?" Frodo asked, thinking of the feeling of eyes upon the back of his neck and the shadow that had been watching them.
"Some say so. Others say she is human. Others say she is neither, a mixture of many people." Legolas said quietly, his eyes wandering.
"Perhaps she is a Halfling!" Boromir laughed.
"Whatever she is, it is not wise to mock her in her own domain." Aragorn said quietly.
The silence was broken as Legolas reached for his bow and arrows. At the same time, Frodo heard the faint sounds of creatures crashing through the undergrowth while yelling in the horrible language of Mordor.
"Yrch!" Legolas shouted as the terrible howls came closer. Frodo drew String, which was glowing bright blue, from it's sheath and raised it in defense.
"Again!" Sam sighed "I suppose it's a bit much to ask for, but if only they would leave us alone enough for us to get a decent rest. . .!"
"Just don't get killed, Sam." Frodo replied as the orcs burst onto the path.
Frodo was roused from his slumber upon the third gray day of traveling the Anduin by an unusual rocking of the elven-boat. Sitting up, he saw a most abrupt change in the land from the flat gray lands and reeds that had covered the banks of the river since leaving Lothlorien. Upon the left bank there grew a most impressive forest - tall, thick, and dark as night. Mirkwood could have hardly been more foreboding.
"Where are we?" Frodo asked of Aragorn, who was steering towards the forest.
"We've come to the White Falls, a set of rapids on the Anduin." Aragorn replied. "Even in Elfish boats, we dare not try to continue on the river. The crafts will not founder, but small passengers can be thrown from their seats on rough water."
"What is that wood?" Frodo asked, pointing at the dark forest. "And why are we making for it?"
"That is the Shadow-wood, and we must journey through it until we reach calmer waters." Aragorn said, and Frodo shuddered. Tales of the Shadow-Wood of the South were fierce and terrible. He would have much rather braved the White Falls than the dark wood.
"Why aren't we making for the opposite bank? The Shadow-wood can't be much safer than the river." Frodo said, staring transfixed at the dark trees.
"Few know that the Wastes of Shadow, the plains opposite the Shadow-wood, are more dangerous than the forest. All the evil creatures that roam the forest came from the Wastes. We would be safer by far in the Wood."
Frodo was not sure he agreed, but the other two boats had already reached the shore under the forest and soon he felt the grate of sand underneath the boat in which he rode. As he climbed out of the boat, a dark shape crawling out of the water across the bank caught his eye.
"Sam!" he hissed, grabbing his servant's arm. Sam looked across the river and watched as the dark shape disappeared among the reeds.
"Gollum, I suppose. But what's he doing on that side of the river?" Sam wondered. "Still, if he's over there he won't be getting to us so easy."
The dark shape slipped away and Sam turned back to the rest of the Fellowship. Frodo slowly tore his eyes away from the opposite bank and followed the Fellowship into the trees, as Legolas suggested that they would be safer in the trees.
Upon entering the forest, Frodo suddenly felt as though something was staring at him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw nothing, but the top of a tall tree rustled faintly. Frodo hurried foreword to keep up with the Fellowship.
Sam turned around when he noticed his master was missing. As Frodo rushed back towards the group, Sam caught a glimpse of green eyes staring out of the darkness. He blinked suddenly and they were gone. Sam frantically seized his master's arm and pointed in the direction of the eyes.
"Mr. Frodo! Something's out there, I saw eyes in the bushes!"
"I know. Something is following us, Sam." Frodo replied, and Sam was surprised by his calm tone.
"Gollum?" Sam asked. Frodo hesitated before answering.
"No. Not Gollum. I don't think Gollum made it across the river to the forest." Frodo stared into the dark foliage as he spoke.
"Keep your eyes open, Sam." Frodo turned and followed the rest of the Fellowship, following the light elven-crafts held up by Boromir, Aragorn, and Legolas.
As night fell the Fellowship reluctantly made camp underneath the dark boughs of an ancient oak tree that grew directly out of the path. Boromir objected to sleeping out in the open, but Aragorn insisted that they must not travel through the Shadow-Wood after nightfall, nor should they stray from the path for any reason.
"The wood hides many evils, many of which are beyond our power. We are safer here than anywhere else in the wood."
Aragorn sat down against the massive tree and would say nothing more on the subject. The Fellowship set down the elven-boats and quietly ate their sharings of the lembas from the Lady. A heavy silence that seemed to be a part of the forest itself settled down upon them. It was Legolas who finally broke it.
"Legend says there is a Lady whose duty it is to protect a great treasure hidden in this forest from evil hands." he said quietly, his gaze locked on the slender crescent moon suspended above the trees.
"Another elf-queen?" Frodo asked, thinking of the feeling of eyes upon the back of his neck and the shadow that had been watching them.
"Some say so. Others say she is human. Others say she is neither, a mixture of many people." Legolas said quietly, his eyes wandering.
"Perhaps she is a Halfling!" Boromir laughed.
"Whatever she is, it is not wise to mock her in her own domain." Aragorn said quietly.
The silence was broken as Legolas reached for his bow and arrows. At the same time, Frodo heard the faint sounds of creatures crashing through the undergrowth while yelling in the horrible language of Mordor.
"Yrch!" Legolas shouted as the terrible howls came closer. Frodo drew String, which was glowing bright blue, from it's sheath and raised it in defense.
"Again!" Sam sighed "I suppose it's a bit much to ask for, but if only they would leave us alone enough for us to get a decent rest. . .!"
"Just don't get killed, Sam." Frodo replied as the orcs burst onto the path.