DISCLAIMER: Of course. The characters don't belong to me, I just get to
think about them day and night.
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WHISPERS OF THE DRAGON Chapter 3 --- Smoke and Mirrors
The second day passed uneventfully, as did the third. By the time the fourth afternoon arrived Pippin was so restless he thought he would burst, but he made a great effort not to. He was sitting next to Boromir, and Merry was lying down between the front and middle seats thinking about nothing in particular.
Pippin kicked him lightly on the leg. "How can you be comfortable down there, Merry? It's all damp."
"If this is the wettest I get by the time we get to the end of this river, I'll be lucky." Merry frowned a little. "Strange sky today. Don't you think so, Boromir?"
"It is a peculiar color, I'll grant you that. A storm coming up most likely."
Pippin sighed, thoroughly bored. As he had no idea where they were, it felt like every day was the same and they weren't getting anywhere. "Where are we? Have we come very far yet?"
Boromir started to talk when he realized that Merry was already answering Pippin's question.
"To the east are the Brown Lands," he said lazily. "Not much to speak of there. To the west are some hills and Downs and then that Fangorn Forest we're supposed to stay away from."
Boromir was staring at him, amazed at the hobbit's knowledge of lands he had never seen.
Merry continued, "Really, Pip what *did* you do all that time in Rivendell? There were maps all over the place."
"I didn't think they'd let me come with you, you know," said Pippin quietly. "Even if they let *you* go, I figured they'd bundle me up right quick and ship me home. Just didn't seem to be any need to study maps and things."
Merry sat up, taken by Pippin's serious tone. "Are you still glad Elrond let you come?"
"Yes," said Pippin firmly. He looked up at the darkening sky and desolate lands about them. "Well, most of the time."
At the next likely spot Aragorn called a halt. A breeze coming from the east made it easy to bring the boats to the western side of the river. "We should cover the boats and make camp. I don't like the look of that sky." Everyone complied, piling some food and bedding near a scraggly tree under some extra waterproof covers the elves had provided. Frodo had just dropped his pack on the pile when he looked up the grassy slope and froze. His mouth moved soundlessly in one word, "Gandalf?" He took off at a dead run up the slope and past the trees before anyone knew what was happening.
"Frodo!" Aragorn shouted, but the hobbit didn't stop. "Boromir, keep everyone here. Don't let them scatter. Sam, stay here!"
Frodo had run through the scattered trees and out onto a grassy meadow before Aragorn caught up to him, grabbing him and forcing him down to the ground They lay, gasping for breath. "Frodo, where are you going? Why didn't you stop?" Aragorn shook him a little as the hobbit seemed not to hear him.
"Aragorn?" Frodo looked around with a puzzled look on his face. "Where is he?"
"Who?"
"Gandalf! I saw him, Aragorn, he was waving to me. He was.." Frodo pointed at the empty meadow, starting to get scared. "He was right..."
"I don't know what you saw, but we have to get back. Gandalf isn't here, Frodo. He can't be." The Ranger rose, lifting Frodo to his feet. "Come on, we'll----"
At that moment there was a blinding light and thunderous crash, then another. Frodo gasped and pressed his hands over his ears. Twin lightning strikes had ignited the dry winter grass between them and the trees they had run through. Before they could react, the eastern breeze had whipped into a strong wind, helping the fire spread and blowing thick smoke directly at them. The two companions retreated helplessly before the spreading blaze. The meadow was burning in a long line in front of them, making it impossible to go around the fire.
Aragorn looked around, then behind them. He kneeled down in front of the terrified hobbit. "Frodo, listen to me. I think something lured you out here. There's no safety on this side of the fire, we have to get back to camp." Frodo nodded, close to tears. Of course it couldn't have been Gandalf. What was he thinking? The smoke was already reaching them. It had all happened so fast neither could quite believe it.
"Get on my back and hang on. I'm going to run through this as fast as I can. Frodo.." Aragorn paused. "If I fall or can't run for any reason, get up and go. Understand? Run back to the river."
"Leave you? But.." Frodo was staring at him, his eyes wide.
"Promise me, Frodo. Something strange is going on. If anything happens to me, keep going. Promise."
Frodo swallowed hard. "Aragorn," he whispered, "Nothing will happen to you."
The Ranger sighed and gave Frodo a quick hug. He pulled Frodo's hood up and around his face to protect him, then pulled his own hood up. "Hop on." Frodo got on his back, his arms around Aragorn's neck. Aragorn stood up. "When I say so, take a deep breath and hold it as long as you can. Ready?"
"Yes."
"Take a deep breath, now!" Aragorn plunged into the thick smoke.
** TBC **
WHISPERS OF THE DRAGON Chapter 3 --- Smoke and Mirrors
The second day passed uneventfully, as did the third. By the time the fourth afternoon arrived Pippin was so restless he thought he would burst, but he made a great effort not to. He was sitting next to Boromir, and Merry was lying down between the front and middle seats thinking about nothing in particular.
Pippin kicked him lightly on the leg. "How can you be comfortable down there, Merry? It's all damp."
"If this is the wettest I get by the time we get to the end of this river, I'll be lucky." Merry frowned a little. "Strange sky today. Don't you think so, Boromir?"
"It is a peculiar color, I'll grant you that. A storm coming up most likely."
Pippin sighed, thoroughly bored. As he had no idea where they were, it felt like every day was the same and they weren't getting anywhere. "Where are we? Have we come very far yet?"
Boromir started to talk when he realized that Merry was already answering Pippin's question.
"To the east are the Brown Lands," he said lazily. "Not much to speak of there. To the west are some hills and Downs and then that Fangorn Forest we're supposed to stay away from."
Boromir was staring at him, amazed at the hobbit's knowledge of lands he had never seen.
Merry continued, "Really, Pip what *did* you do all that time in Rivendell? There were maps all over the place."
"I didn't think they'd let me come with you, you know," said Pippin quietly. "Even if they let *you* go, I figured they'd bundle me up right quick and ship me home. Just didn't seem to be any need to study maps and things."
Merry sat up, taken by Pippin's serious tone. "Are you still glad Elrond let you come?"
"Yes," said Pippin firmly. He looked up at the darkening sky and desolate lands about them. "Well, most of the time."
At the next likely spot Aragorn called a halt. A breeze coming from the east made it easy to bring the boats to the western side of the river. "We should cover the boats and make camp. I don't like the look of that sky." Everyone complied, piling some food and bedding near a scraggly tree under some extra waterproof covers the elves had provided. Frodo had just dropped his pack on the pile when he looked up the grassy slope and froze. His mouth moved soundlessly in one word, "Gandalf?" He took off at a dead run up the slope and past the trees before anyone knew what was happening.
"Frodo!" Aragorn shouted, but the hobbit didn't stop. "Boromir, keep everyone here. Don't let them scatter. Sam, stay here!"
Frodo had run through the scattered trees and out onto a grassy meadow before Aragorn caught up to him, grabbing him and forcing him down to the ground They lay, gasping for breath. "Frodo, where are you going? Why didn't you stop?" Aragorn shook him a little as the hobbit seemed not to hear him.
"Aragorn?" Frodo looked around with a puzzled look on his face. "Where is he?"
"Who?"
"Gandalf! I saw him, Aragorn, he was waving to me. He was.." Frodo pointed at the empty meadow, starting to get scared. "He was right..."
"I don't know what you saw, but we have to get back. Gandalf isn't here, Frodo. He can't be." The Ranger rose, lifting Frodo to his feet. "Come on, we'll----"
At that moment there was a blinding light and thunderous crash, then another. Frodo gasped and pressed his hands over his ears. Twin lightning strikes had ignited the dry winter grass between them and the trees they had run through. Before they could react, the eastern breeze had whipped into a strong wind, helping the fire spread and blowing thick smoke directly at them. The two companions retreated helplessly before the spreading blaze. The meadow was burning in a long line in front of them, making it impossible to go around the fire.
Aragorn looked around, then behind them. He kneeled down in front of the terrified hobbit. "Frodo, listen to me. I think something lured you out here. There's no safety on this side of the fire, we have to get back to camp." Frodo nodded, close to tears. Of course it couldn't have been Gandalf. What was he thinking? The smoke was already reaching them. It had all happened so fast neither could quite believe it.
"Get on my back and hang on. I'm going to run through this as fast as I can. Frodo.." Aragorn paused. "If I fall or can't run for any reason, get up and go. Understand? Run back to the river."
"Leave you? But.." Frodo was staring at him, his eyes wide.
"Promise me, Frodo. Something strange is going on. If anything happens to me, keep going. Promise."
Frodo swallowed hard. "Aragorn," he whispered, "Nothing will happen to you."
The Ranger sighed and gave Frodo a quick hug. He pulled Frodo's hood up and around his face to protect him, then pulled his own hood up. "Hop on." Frodo got on his back, his arms around Aragorn's neck. Aragorn stood up. "When I say so, take a deep breath and hold it as long as you can. Ready?"
"Yes."
"Take a deep breath, now!" Aragorn plunged into the thick smoke.
** TBC **