NOTES: I'm back! (Philadelphia was hot and humid, but my brother, nieces,
dad, and 101-year-old grandmother are doing well. A good visit, but it's
great to be back.) I did a LOT of thinking and writing while on vacation,
so I hope to have chapters 8 and 9 polished and uploaded by the end of the
week.
I haven't read or reviewed anyone's stories since Friday, so I plan to spend a few days diving back into my favorite fics. What fun!
Thank you EVER so much for such lovely comments and thoughtful reviews. As usual, I'm humbled and amazed at how much folks are enjoying my stories. (I'm especially honored that easterlily41482 chose this story for her first- ever fanfic.net review --- wow! I've been following her story on the FrodoHealers website with great enjoyment.)
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 7 --- No Safety
Later that day Frodo and Boromir took watch together, sitting on a large, flat rock where they could keep one eye on the towering cliffs ringing their campsite and one eye on the eastern shore.
"It's good to see Aragorn get some sleep," Frodo said quietly. "I don't know how he does it."
"Aye, he reminds me of my brother in that. He can also go long days and nights without sleep or rest." Boromir motioned toward Pippin, walking around a short distance away looking at interesting rocks on the pebbly beach. "Even young Pippin has learned to need less sleep!"
"Boromir, it is good of you to keep an eye on Pippin and Merry, but you must tell us if you grow weary of it! We do not always need to keep to the same boats."
The Man smiled. "I have grown quite fond of them, Frodo. It is anything but wearying to be around them." His smile faded. "They love you very much. They are worried about you."
"I know," Frodo said. "I am worried about them as well. I have been thinking. If I choose....." he motioned to the eastern shore. "...perhaps you and Aragorn should take them with you to Minas Tirith when you leave us."
Boromir chuckled. "Frodo, I doubt very much Aragorn will leave you, whichever path you choose."
Frodo turned to face him, frowning. "At the Council he pledged to accompany you to Minas Tirith. I have just assumed..do you say he might not go?"
"I do not know his thoughts, but the leadership of this Company must weigh heavily upon him since Gandalf's fall. If you choose to leave the River and attempt Mordor from the north, I believe Aragorn will accompany you. But it would be more practical to come first to my city, Frodo. For news, for counsel, for supplies...." He paused. "I cannot imagine that this Elvish bread alone will keep anyone alive for long in the wasteland that lies to the east."
Frodo was about to answer when a sudden flight of birds from the cliffs directly above startled him. Spies of the Enemy? Something up there? Or nothing more than it seemed.. He sighed. "I no longer know what to think, what to trust. Everything you say sounds reasonable, Boromir, it's just..Boromir!"
He and Boromir both saw it at the same time --- a boulder had somehow become dislodged from high above, and was tumbling and bouncing down the cliff-face directly at them. Boromir yelled out to the others as he grabbed Frodo and ran the few yards to the bottom of the cliff, pressing them both against the rock face and shielding the hobbit with his body. Frodo heard a tremendous crash, and felt everything shake. Small rocks spattered the cliff wall around them. Then silence.
Boromir knelt down and turned an ashen-faced Frodo to face him. "Are you all right?"
Frodo nodded, stunned. "Are you?" He flung him arms around the Man. "Thank you," he gasped. "What about---" He looked over Boromir's shoulder and caught his breath, his eyes taking in the scene in an instant. The boulder had smashed down directly where he and Boromir had been sitting, sending large and small missiles of rock flying through the campsite. Luckily almost everyone had already been lying down, if not asleep. What remained of the boulder lay some distance away, and the flat rock-seat was cracked and splintered. Gimli had risen to his feet and was staring grimly upward.... Aragorn was running.... Sam and Merry were running... running to...
Boromir let go of Frodo and raced toward the small crumpled figure lying motionless near the boats. "No," Frodo whispered, stumbling forward. No.
Frodo dropped to his knees beside Sam, staring in disbelief at Pippin lying unconscious on the ground. Broken bits of rock were scattered everywhere. Merry was holding Pippin's hand and Aragorn was gently examining a swelling on his left temple. To Aragorn's relief his probing fingers elicited a faint groan from Pippin. "That's a good sign, Merry. Boromir, would you get my pack?" The Ranger lifted Pippin carefully and carried him over to the young hobbit's bedroll. Sam started to rise when he realized Frodo was beside him, pale and shaking.
"Mr. Frodo! Are you hurt?" Frodo turned tear-filled eyes to Sam and shook his head. "Oh Sam, not Pippin."
Sam put his arms around his friend. "I know. Merry, Pippin, and I have seen you bad hurt, sir, more than once. But you've not seen anything much happen to one of us. It's a shock, I know. But he'll be all right, Strider will heal him right up. You know Pippin, by dinnertime he'll be...."
Frodo buried his face in Sam's shoulder, scarcely hearing the soothing words. What if Pippin had been killed? First Gandalf..what if someone else..? Because of him. They were all in danger because of him.
** TBC **
I haven't read or reviewed anyone's stories since Friday, so I plan to spend a few days diving back into my favorite fics. What fun!
Thank you EVER so much for such lovely comments and thoughtful reviews. As usual, I'm humbled and amazed at how much folks are enjoying my stories. (I'm especially honored that easterlily41482 chose this story for her first- ever fanfic.net review --- wow! I've been following her story on the FrodoHealers website with great enjoyment.)
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 7 --- No Safety
Later that day Frodo and Boromir took watch together, sitting on a large, flat rock where they could keep one eye on the towering cliffs ringing their campsite and one eye on the eastern shore.
"It's good to see Aragorn get some sleep," Frodo said quietly. "I don't know how he does it."
"Aye, he reminds me of my brother in that. He can also go long days and nights without sleep or rest." Boromir motioned toward Pippin, walking around a short distance away looking at interesting rocks on the pebbly beach. "Even young Pippin has learned to need less sleep!"
"Boromir, it is good of you to keep an eye on Pippin and Merry, but you must tell us if you grow weary of it! We do not always need to keep to the same boats."
The Man smiled. "I have grown quite fond of them, Frodo. It is anything but wearying to be around them." His smile faded. "They love you very much. They are worried about you."
"I know," Frodo said. "I am worried about them as well. I have been thinking. If I choose....." he motioned to the eastern shore. "...perhaps you and Aragorn should take them with you to Minas Tirith when you leave us."
Boromir chuckled. "Frodo, I doubt very much Aragorn will leave you, whichever path you choose."
Frodo turned to face him, frowning. "At the Council he pledged to accompany you to Minas Tirith. I have just assumed..do you say he might not go?"
"I do not know his thoughts, but the leadership of this Company must weigh heavily upon him since Gandalf's fall. If you choose to leave the River and attempt Mordor from the north, I believe Aragorn will accompany you. But it would be more practical to come first to my city, Frodo. For news, for counsel, for supplies...." He paused. "I cannot imagine that this Elvish bread alone will keep anyone alive for long in the wasteland that lies to the east."
Frodo was about to answer when a sudden flight of birds from the cliffs directly above startled him. Spies of the Enemy? Something up there? Or nothing more than it seemed.. He sighed. "I no longer know what to think, what to trust. Everything you say sounds reasonable, Boromir, it's just..Boromir!"
He and Boromir both saw it at the same time --- a boulder had somehow become dislodged from high above, and was tumbling and bouncing down the cliff-face directly at them. Boromir yelled out to the others as he grabbed Frodo and ran the few yards to the bottom of the cliff, pressing them both against the rock face and shielding the hobbit with his body. Frodo heard a tremendous crash, and felt everything shake. Small rocks spattered the cliff wall around them. Then silence.
Boromir knelt down and turned an ashen-faced Frodo to face him. "Are you all right?"
Frodo nodded, stunned. "Are you?" He flung him arms around the Man. "Thank you," he gasped. "What about---" He looked over Boromir's shoulder and caught his breath, his eyes taking in the scene in an instant. The boulder had smashed down directly where he and Boromir had been sitting, sending large and small missiles of rock flying through the campsite. Luckily almost everyone had already been lying down, if not asleep. What remained of the boulder lay some distance away, and the flat rock-seat was cracked and splintered. Gimli had risen to his feet and was staring grimly upward.... Aragorn was running.... Sam and Merry were running... running to...
Boromir let go of Frodo and raced toward the small crumpled figure lying motionless near the boats. "No," Frodo whispered, stumbling forward. No.
Frodo dropped to his knees beside Sam, staring in disbelief at Pippin lying unconscious on the ground. Broken bits of rock were scattered everywhere. Merry was holding Pippin's hand and Aragorn was gently examining a swelling on his left temple. To Aragorn's relief his probing fingers elicited a faint groan from Pippin. "That's a good sign, Merry. Boromir, would you get my pack?" The Ranger lifted Pippin carefully and carried him over to the young hobbit's bedroll. Sam started to rise when he realized Frodo was beside him, pale and shaking.
"Mr. Frodo! Are you hurt?" Frodo turned tear-filled eyes to Sam and shook his head. "Oh Sam, not Pippin."
Sam put his arms around his friend. "I know. Merry, Pippin, and I have seen you bad hurt, sir, more than once. But you've not seen anything much happen to one of us. It's a shock, I know. But he'll be all right, Strider will heal him right up. You know Pippin, by dinnertime he'll be...."
Frodo buried his face in Sam's shoulder, scarcely hearing the soothing words. What if Pippin had been killed? First Gandalf..what if someone else..? Because of him. They were all in danger because of him.
** TBC **