NOTE: Many thanks for the encouraging reviews!
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 5 --- Shadows and Light
Pippin awoke with an odd feeling. He looked around and discovered a bright morning. It seemed a lot later than when someone usually woke him up, and no one was making any preparations to leave. Sam, Merry, and Frodo were still asleep, and the others were sitting around a small fire, talking quietly. Aragorn noticed him and came over.
"It's all right, Pippin," he whispered. "You can sleep late if you want to."
"Why?"
"We're going to travel at night for awhile, make ourselves a little less visible. It may be safer thus. The more rest everyone gets today the better." He smiled. "When everyone's hungry enough, they'll wake up!"
"Sounds kind of dangerous, Strider," Pippin said with a yawn. "We'll be really *really* hungry by then." Aragorn smiled and walked away. Pippin was asleep again within minutes.
*********************
After a late (and larger than usual) breakfast, the hobbits took the opportunity to bathe as best they could at the river's edge despite the icy water. Frodo especially needed to scrub all the soot and grime off him from the day before as he had fallen asleep so fast the previous night. Legolas and Aragorn went to see what damage the fire had caused, and to try to find evidence of anyone else who might have been up there. When they returned, Aragorn spotted Frodo sitting under a tree.
"Do you want to be alone, Frodo?"
Frodo smiled at him. "I doubt you'll ever let me be alone again, after yesterday. Here, sit down." The Ranger sat beside him, noting the waterskin lying in the grass.
"I'm glad you're drinking a lot of water. Your voice sounds better, how does your throat feel?"
"Better. Yesterday seems like a dream, somehow. It was so strange..." He looked up, frowning. "Why do you think the lightning hit the grass and not us?"
"I was thinking about that too. That was one of the reasons I didn't think it was an ordinary storm. Under normal circumstances lightning hits the tallest thing around, which would have been me, I suppose. With our swords and your mithril we certainly were a target. I don't suppose we'll ever really know."
"Did you find anything?"
"No. No footprints or anything else. There was no sign that anyone had been out there for quite some time ---- physically, anyway. Of course the rain could have washed away any signs."
"I doubt anyone was there ---- physically, anyway," said Frodo with a sigh. "It's quite wearying, always being a target. And that means all of you are targets as well.." His voice trailed off.
"It's not you who put anyone in danger. It's the Ring and those who would use it to enslave and destroy. You're not responsible for us, Frodo. We're here of our own free will."
"I know. Yet it gets more and more difficult, knowing all of you are in peril just being near me. I fear something may happen. Are you ever afraid, Aragorn? You don't seem to be."
Aragorn looked out over the water. "Of course I am. Mostly when things happen when I'm not sure that what I can give you is enough. Like yesterday. It's hard to fight shadows." He looked down at the hobbit. "It eases me to think that you don't always have to rely on a sword or a bow for defense, but that there are other powers, other strengths. I meant what I said about you and Sam, you know. Something surely binds you two, I've never seen anything like it. Gandalf knew that, such foresight he had. I wish you really had seen him yesterday, Frodo. It would be so wonderful to see him again, to talk with him."
"It certainly would. But Aragorn," Frodo rose, now eye to eye with the seated Ranger. "I'd have been dead long ago if not for you, and the Ring in the hands of the Enemy. Perhaps you're better at fighting shadows than you think."
"Perhaps." Aragorn looked up at the sun, nearly overhead. "Do you think you can sleep a bit? We have to set watches during the day now, and proceed at night as quietly as we can." He smiled. "It will hard for Merry to travel at night, I think. In the dark he won't be able to tell every second where we are!"
"He is amazing, isn't he? Such a head for plans and strategies and maps. I never knew that before we left the Shire. His family is very proud of him, he's to be Master of Buckland someday you know." Frodo thought about it. "Odd how we all seem be heir to something. Merry, Pippin, Legolas, Boromir, you..me..I wonder if Gimli.."
"Not Sam, I suppose," said Aragorn quietly.
"No, not Sam," Frodo sighed. "But he'll never want for anything, so long as I draw breath. He deserves so much, he's so much more than he believes himself to be. What he's done for me..." He turned to the Ranger with an intense look. "When we've finished this, Aragorn, and you're king, you must see to it that Samwise Gamgee's name is known and honored throughout the lands. I very much want to see that happen. Promise me."
When we've finished this and you're king. Aragorn caught his breath at such a statement. Such a long road yet, such a long, dark road. Made brighter by this small person in front of him. So much brighter. He put his right hand to his breast. "I will, Frodo. You have my word." He tried to lighten the mood. "And you must tell me what Pippin is heir to. Not all of Tookland, is it? I'll try to be more respectful around him!" They laughed together, but Frodo was not quite finished.
"Aragorn," he said softly, "Thank you for taking such good care of me. Sam tends me as he would one of his beloved gardens, needing water and food and rest and care. And you.." Frodo swallowed hard. "Thank you," he whispered. He turned and walked over to his bedroll, leaving Aragorn sitting on the grass, sitting motionless for quite a long time.
** TBC ** (I will be on vacation until July 29. I'll try to upload another chapter while I'm on the east coast; if I can't, look for the next chapter on July 29!)
DISCLAIMER: Of course. The characters don't belong to me, I just get to think about them day and night.
_________________________________
WHISPERS OF THE DRAGON
Chapter 5 --- Shadows and Light
Pippin awoke with an odd feeling. He looked around and discovered a bright morning. It seemed a lot later than when someone usually woke him up, and no one was making any preparations to leave. Sam, Merry, and Frodo were still asleep, and the others were sitting around a small fire, talking quietly. Aragorn noticed him and came over.
"It's all right, Pippin," he whispered. "You can sleep late if you want to."
"Why?"
"We're going to travel at night for awhile, make ourselves a little less visible. It may be safer thus. The more rest everyone gets today the better." He smiled. "When everyone's hungry enough, they'll wake up!"
"Sounds kind of dangerous, Strider," Pippin said with a yawn. "We'll be really *really* hungry by then." Aragorn smiled and walked away. Pippin was asleep again within minutes.
*********************
After a late (and larger than usual) breakfast, the hobbits took the opportunity to bathe as best they could at the river's edge despite the icy water. Frodo especially needed to scrub all the soot and grime off him from the day before as he had fallen asleep so fast the previous night. Legolas and Aragorn went to see what damage the fire had caused, and to try to find evidence of anyone else who might have been up there. When they returned, Aragorn spotted Frodo sitting under a tree.
"Do you want to be alone, Frodo?"
Frodo smiled at him. "I doubt you'll ever let me be alone again, after yesterday. Here, sit down." The Ranger sat beside him, noting the waterskin lying in the grass.
"I'm glad you're drinking a lot of water. Your voice sounds better, how does your throat feel?"
"Better. Yesterday seems like a dream, somehow. It was so strange..." He looked up, frowning. "Why do you think the lightning hit the grass and not us?"
"I was thinking about that too. That was one of the reasons I didn't think it was an ordinary storm. Under normal circumstances lightning hits the tallest thing around, which would have been me, I suppose. With our swords and your mithril we certainly were a target. I don't suppose we'll ever really know."
"Did you find anything?"
"No. No footprints or anything else. There was no sign that anyone had been out there for quite some time ---- physically, anyway. Of course the rain could have washed away any signs."
"I doubt anyone was there ---- physically, anyway," said Frodo with a sigh. "It's quite wearying, always being a target. And that means all of you are targets as well.." His voice trailed off.
"It's not you who put anyone in danger. It's the Ring and those who would use it to enslave and destroy. You're not responsible for us, Frodo. We're here of our own free will."
"I know. Yet it gets more and more difficult, knowing all of you are in peril just being near me. I fear something may happen. Are you ever afraid, Aragorn? You don't seem to be."
Aragorn looked out over the water. "Of course I am. Mostly when things happen when I'm not sure that what I can give you is enough. Like yesterday. It's hard to fight shadows." He looked down at the hobbit. "It eases me to think that you don't always have to rely on a sword or a bow for defense, but that there are other powers, other strengths. I meant what I said about you and Sam, you know. Something surely binds you two, I've never seen anything like it. Gandalf knew that, such foresight he had. I wish you really had seen him yesterday, Frodo. It would be so wonderful to see him again, to talk with him."
"It certainly would. But Aragorn," Frodo rose, now eye to eye with the seated Ranger. "I'd have been dead long ago if not for you, and the Ring in the hands of the Enemy. Perhaps you're better at fighting shadows than you think."
"Perhaps." Aragorn looked up at the sun, nearly overhead. "Do you think you can sleep a bit? We have to set watches during the day now, and proceed at night as quietly as we can." He smiled. "It will hard for Merry to travel at night, I think. In the dark he won't be able to tell every second where we are!"
"He is amazing, isn't he? Such a head for plans and strategies and maps. I never knew that before we left the Shire. His family is very proud of him, he's to be Master of Buckland someday you know." Frodo thought about it. "Odd how we all seem be heir to something. Merry, Pippin, Legolas, Boromir, you..me..I wonder if Gimli.."
"Not Sam, I suppose," said Aragorn quietly.
"No, not Sam," Frodo sighed. "But he'll never want for anything, so long as I draw breath. He deserves so much, he's so much more than he believes himself to be. What he's done for me..." He turned to the Ranger with an intense look. "When we've finished this, Aragorn, and you're king, you must see to it that Samwise Gamgee's name is known and honored throughout the lands. I very much want to see that happen. Promise me."
When we've finished this and you're king. Aragorn caught his breath at such a statement. Such a long road yet, such a long, dark road. Made brighter by this small person in front of him. So much brighter. He put his right hand to his breast. "I will, Frodo. You have my word." He tried to lighten the mood. "And you must tell me what Pippin is heir to. Not all of Tookland, is it? I'll try to be more respectful around him!" They laughed together, but Frodo was not quite finished.
"Aragorn," he said softly, "Thank you for taking such good care of me. Sam tends me as he would one of his beloved gardens, needing water and food and rest and care. And you.." Frodo swallowed hard. "Thank you," he whispered. He turned and walked over to his bedroll, leaving Aragorn sitting on the grass, sitting motionless for quite a long time.
** TBC ** (I will be on vacation until July 29. I'll try to upload another chapter while I'm on the east coast; if I can't, look for the next chapter on July 29!)