Disclaimer: See last chapter. Hmm, do you sense a pattern here?
A/N: Sorry about the delay, I've been "banned" from the Internet for like the past week [damn], and I was trying to work on my other fics as well! Also, I was on holiday for a couple of days. Thank you to those lovely people [you know who you are…] who went to read my other fics, you guys rock! And yeah, it bugs me when people read my story and don't review … *cough*. And *cough* again.
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At Casey's words, Legolas decided that this was the perfect time to slip away and go back to the camp. He did so, and found that everyone else was fast asleep. Only Aragorn remained awake, and he did not question Legolas' whereabouts. The elf lay down to sleep, and several minutes later, he heard the footsteps of Frodo and Casey returning to the camp.
Casey however had felt slightly guilty about what had happened between her and Frodo – after all, she was going to get married to Legolas. She didn't mind this fact very much, as she considered that Legolas wasn't that bad looking, but she still preferred Frodo to him. She wondered if Galadriel had already chosen Casey's wedding dress for her, before falling asleep.
But sleep did not come immediately to Legolas. He lay awake for a long time, listening to Casey's soft, regular breathing as she slept near Frodo. And inside, Legolas knew that he could never win Casey's heart – but there was certainly no harm in trying.
The three boats paddled along the Anduin, keeping in the middle. For several days they saw and heard nothing, but Aragorn remained wary of the eastern shore. In their haste, they sometimes took to rowing all night in their boats, taking it in turns to paddle, although Gimli and Sam were not trusted with an oar.
It was some time in the afternoon, when the Fellowship began to reach a narrow chasm in the river. Aragorn tapped Frodo on the shoulder, who had been lost in thought, while sneaking rather flirtatious glances at Casey in the boat in front of him.
"Frodo," said Aragorn softly. Frodo turned to look at him, but Aragorn pointed upwards. Both Sam and Frodo followed his gaze and saw what he was looking at.
There were two great statues looming out of either side of the river, with their hands stretched out before them.
"Long have I wanted to look upon my kings," murmured Aragorn. He seemed to have a rather regal expression on his face, and no longer seemed, to Frodo, to be Strider the Ranger, but Aragorn, the heir to Gondor.
After they had passed the stone statues, they came to a great lake. Further ahead, they could hear the sound of the treacherous waterfall, pounding on the rocks below.
The Fellowship disembarked at the western shore, and began to set up camp once again. They arranged themselves around a makeshift fire that Gimli had made on the beach. Boromir took Merry with him to gather more wood for the fire.
Casey was sitting quietly next to Pippin, and rubbing her hands together for warmth. She watched silently as Gimli started quarrelling with Aragorn, and later Legolas and Aragorn were whispering to each other. She wondered what they were talking about.
"I'm kinda bored," she whispered to Pippin.
"So am I," he whispered back. "Maybe we should just go to sleep." He nudged the slumbering Sam and grinned at Casey.
Merry came back from his trip to the woods, and dropped an armload of firewood on the floor.
"Where's Frodo?" he asked. At the mention of his master's name, Sam woke up with a grunt, and Casey and Pippin looked up. Aragorn furrowed his brow – and then his eye fell on Boromir's shield.
"Frodo!" cried Merry and Pippin, as they ran into the woods.
"Wait! We shouldn't separate!" cried Aragorn, but the two hobbits had already gone.
"Sam, you come with me. The three of you stay together," Aragorn said. The remaining five nodded and ran into the woods.
Gimli ran ahead first, with Casey Legolas following. The dwarf shot out of sight, and left Casey panting behind. Legolas turned and jogged back to where Casey was standing, bent over, trying to get her breath back.
"Casey? Are you all right?" he asked. Casey looked up, and saw the worried look in the elf's eyes. She straightened, and for some unknown reason, she began to blush slightly.
"Yes, I'm fine, come on." She began to walk, but then stopped. She turned, and saw that Legolas had not moved from his spot. She walked back to him.
"Come on, let's go," she said to him. He remained silent, but a sudden passion flared in his eyes that started to make Casey feel uncomfortable.
Before she could speak again, Legolas stepped up to her. Casey felt his lips against hers, his arms around her waist. Before she could even react, the elf began to kiss her tenderly. She pushed him away gently.
"What are you doing?" she whispered to him, their faces so close they were practically touching.
Legolas opened his eyes. "I – I love you," he stammered. Casey entwined her fingers in his hair as he leaned forward and kissed her again. She felt a little faint and lost all sense of time and thought, as Legolas kissed her passionately. She was totally in his power. But alarm bells began to go off in her head as Legolas' hands began to wander downwards. With a flash, she pushed herself away from him and grabbed his dagger.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she gasped, still breathless from his kiss.
"Casey, I –" Legolas said. She pointed the dagger at his face as he took a step forwards.
"Stay away from me," she said. She ignored Legolas' pleading look, and she turned and ran. Legolas was about to run after her, when he heard Boromir's horn.
Legolas was torn. Should he run after Casey, or help his friend, Boromir? Without any hesitation, he turned and ran towards the sound of the horn.
Casey was running. She didn't know where, but she wanted to get away from Legolas.
"God, I must have been so stupid," she thought angrily to herself. "Why did I let Legolas kiss me, when I'm in love with Frodo?" A tree branch scratched her cheek but she ignored it and carried on running.
She stopped as she arrived at the beach. Only to see Frodo in a boat, about halfway across the river, and Sam wading in after him.
"I'm going to Mordor alone Sam," Frodo cried.
"That's right, and I'm coming with you," replied Sam.
"Frodo, what are you doing?" yelled Casey. The hobbit looked up and saw her. Then it hit her. Frodo wanted to go by himself and leave her behind. He must have planned this already, even at Lothlorien.
"I'm going alone Casey," said Frodo, although his voice shook as he spoke.
Sam turned to look and Casey, but as he did so, he slipped, and sunk.
"Sam!" cried Frodo, tearing his eyes away from Casey.
"Oh no, can he swim?" asked Casey. Frodo shook his head, and began to paddle back to the spot where Sam had fallen.
Casey knew that she had never been the best swimmer, but right now she didn't care. She put the dagger firmly in her belt and dived in.
The cold water hit her, and she forced her eyes to stay open, even though the water stung them. It was no use though – she couldn't see Sam anyway in the depths of the murky waters. She swam further forward, praying that piranhas and sharks didn't exist in Middle-Earth.
Finally, a beam of sunlight shot through, illuminating the water. Casey saw Sam, who was some feet below her, his eyes and mouth wide open and his arms reaching towards the surface. She swam further down and wrapped him in her arms. Then, kicking with her legs, she upwards. Her lungs felt as they were on fire, and her eyes stung so badly, but she kept going. When she reached the surface, she gasped the sweet air and made a mental promise to never go swimming in the unknown again.
To her left was Frodo's boat, and he reached out a hand. Casey passed the gasping Sam to him, and then climbed inside herself.
"I made a promise Mr. Frodo, a promise never to leave you. And I don't intend to," said Sam tearfully to Frodo. The other hobbit could find no words to say, while Casey watched.
"Oh Sam," said Frodo, and hugged his fellow hobbit.
Then, Frodo remembered Casey, and before she knew it, he had grabbed her, and was planting kisses on her face.
"Thank you," he murmured, as he tore himself away from her at last. Casey felt a blush spread upon her face, as Sam sat and observed the sky. Frodo merely grinned at her.
The three of them grabbed the oars and began to paddle across the river.
Legolas ran to the beach and began to push one of the boats out. He could see that Sam and Frodo were on the other side of the river, and Casey was with them.
"Come Aragorn, if we hurry we can…" The elf turned as he saw the ranger standing still.
"You mean not to follow them," he murmured sadly.
"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands," replied Aragorn. Legolas turned his head towards the two hobbits and the angel-elf, who had disembarked from their boat and were going into the woods.
"That means the Fellowship has failed," said Gimli a little sadly.
"No. Not while we stay true to ourselves," said Aragorn. Legolas came up to stand beside him.
"We will not let Boromir's death be in vain, nor shall we let Merry and Pippin suffer, not while we still live."
"Are we to rescue them?" asked Gimli hopefully. Aragorn nodded, and the dwarf let out a whoop. But Legolas' face remained sad.
"You will see Casey again Legolas," said Aragorn.
Legolas nodded, but deep inside he wondered whether he would.
A/N: Sorry about the delay, I've been "banned" from the Internet for like the past week [damn], and I was trying to work on my other fics as well! Also, I was on holiday for a couple of days. Thank you to those lovely people [you know who you are…] who went to read my other fics, you guys rock! And yeah, it bugs me when people read my story and don't review … *cough*. And *cough* again.
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At Casey's words, Legolas decided that this was the perfect time to slip away and go back to the camp. He did so, and found that everyone else was fast asleep. Only Aragorn remained awake, and he did not question Legolas' whereabouts. The elf lay down to sleep, and several minutes later, he heard the footsteps of Frodo and Casey returning to the camp.
Casey however had felt slightly guilty about what had happened between her and Frodo – after all, she was going to get married to Legolas. She didn't mind this fact very much, as she considered that Legolas wasn't that bad looking, but she still preferred Frodo to him. She wondered if Galadriel had already chosen Casey's wedding dress for her, before falling asleep.
But sleep did not come immediately to Legolas. He lay awake for a long time, listening to Casey's soft, regular breathing as she slept near Frodo. And inside, Legolas knew that he could never win Casey's heart – but there was certainly no harm in trying.
The three boats paddled along the Anduin, keeping in the middle. For several days they saw and heard nothing, but Aragorn remained wary of the eastern shore. In their haste, they sometimes took to rowing all night in their boats, taking it in turns to paddle, although Gimli and Sam were not trusted with an oar.
It was some time in the afternoon, when the Fellowship began to reach a narrow chasm in the river. Aragorn tapped Frodo on the shoulder, who had been lost in thought, while sneaking rather flirtatious glances at Casey in the boat in front of him.
"Frodo," said Aragorn softly. Frodo turned to look at him, but Aragorn pointed upwards. Both Sam and Frodo followed his gaze and saw what he was looking at.
There were two great statues looming out of either side of the river, with their hands stretched out before them.
"Long have I wanted to look upon my kings," murmured Aragorn. He seemed to have a rather regal expression on his face, and no longer seemed, to Frodo, to be Strider the Ranger, but Aragorn, the heir to Gondor.
After they had passed the stone statues, they came to a great lake. Further ahead, they could hear the sound of the treacherous waterfall, pounding on the rocks below.
The Fellowship disembarked at the western shore, and began to set up camp once again. They arranged themselves around a makeshift fire that Gimli had made on the beach. Boromir took Merry with him to gather more wood for the fire.
Casey was sitting quietly next to Pippin, and rubbing her hands together for warmth. She watched silently as Gimli started quarrelling with Aragorn, and later Legolas and Aragorn were whispering to each other. She wondered what they were talking about.
"I'm kinda bored," she whispered to Pippin.
"So am I," he whispered back. "Maybe we should just go to sleep." He nudged the slumbering Sam and grinned at Casey.
Merry came back from his trip to the woods, and dropped an armload of firewood on the floor.
"Where's Frodo?" he asked. At the mention of his master's name, Sam woke up with a grunt, and Casey and Pippin looked up. Aragorn furrowed his brow – and then his eye fell on Boromir's shield.
"Frodo!" cried Merry and Pippin, as they ran into the woods.
"Wait! We shouldn't separate!" cried Aragorn, but the two hobbits had already gone.
"Sam, you come with me. The three of you stay together," Aragorn said. The remaining five nodded and ran into the woods.
Gimli ran ahead first, with Casey Legolas following. The dwarf shot out of sight, and left Casey panting behind. Legolas turned and jogged back to where Casey was standing, bent over, trying to get her breath back.
"Casey? Are you all right?" he asked. Casey looked up, and saw the worried look in the elf's eyes. She straightened, and for some unknown reason, she began to blush slightly.
"Yes, I'm fine, come on." She began to walk, but then stopped. She turned, and saw that Legolas had not moved from his spot. She walked back to him.
"Come on, let's go," she said to him. He remained silent, but a sudden passion flared in his eyes that started to make Casey feel uncomfortable.
Before she could speak again, Legolas stepped up to her. Casey felt his lips against hers, his arms around her waist. Before she could even react, the elf began to kiss her tenderly. She pushed him away gently.
"What are you doing?" she whispered to him, their faces so close they were practically touching.
Legolas opened his eyes. "I – I love you," he stammered. Casey entwined her fingers in his hair as he leaned forward and kissed her again. She felt a little faint and lost all sense of time and thought, as Legolas kissed her passionately. She was totally in his power. But alarm bells began to go off in her head as Legolas' hands began to wander downwards. With a flash, she pushed herself away from him and grabbed his dagger.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she gasped, still breathless from his kiss.
"Casey, I –" Legolas said. She pointed the dagger at his face as he took a step forwards.
"Stay away from me," she said. She ignored Legolas' pleading look, and she turned and ran. Legolas was about to run after her, when he heard Boromir's horn.
Legolas was torn. Should he run after Casey, or help his friend, Boromir? Without any hesitation, he turned and ran towards the sound of the horn.
Casey was running. She didn't know where, but she wanted to get away from Legolas.
"God, I must have been so stupid," she thought angrily to herself. "Why did I let Legolas kiss me, when I'm in love with Frodo?" A tree branch scratched her cheek but she ignored it and carried on running.
She stopped as she arrived at the beach. Only to see Frodo in a boat, about halfway across the river, and Sam wading in after him.
"I'm going to Mordor alone Sam," Frodo cried.
"That's right, and I'm coming with you," replied Sam.
"Frodo, what are you doing?" yelled Casey. The hobbit looked up and saw her. Then it hit her. Frodo wanted to go by himself and leave her behind. He must have planned this already, even at Lothlorien.
"I'm going alone Casey," said Frodo, although his voice shook as he spoke.
Sam turned to look and Casey, but as he did so, he slipped, and sunk.
"Sam!" cried Frodo, tearing his eyes away from Casey.
"Oh no, can he swim?" asked Casey. Frodo shook his head, and began to paddle back to the spot where Sam had fallen.
Casey knew that she had never been the best swimmer, but right now she didn't care. She put the dagger firmly in her belt and dived in.
The cold water hit her, and she forced her eyes to stay open, even though the water stung them. It was no use though – she couldn't see Sam anyway in the depths of the murky waters. She swam further forward, praying that piranhas and sharks didn't exist in Middle-Earth.
Finally, a beam of sunlight shot through, illuminating the water. Casey saw Sam, who was some feet below her, his eyes and mouth wide open and his arms reaching towards the surface. She swam further down and wrapped him in her arms. Then, kicking with her legs, she upwards. Her lungs felt as they were on fire, and her eyes stung so badly, but she kept going. When she reached the surface, she gasped the sweet air and made a mental promise to never go swimming in the unknown again.
To her left was Frodo's boat, and he reached out a hand. Casey passed the gasping Sam to him, and then climbed inside herself.
"I made a promise Mr. Frodo, a promise never to leave you. And I don't intend to," said Sam tearfully to Frodo. The other hobbit could find no words to say, while Casey watched.
"Oh Sam," said Frodo, and hugged his fellow hobbit.
Then, Frodo remembered Casey, and before she knew it, he had grabbed her, and was planting kisses on her face.
"Thank you," he murmured, as he tore himself away from her at last. Casey felt a blush spread upon her face, as Sam sat and observed the sky. Frodo merely grinned at her.
The three of them grabbed the oars and began to paddle across the river.
Legolas ran to the beach and began to push one of the boats out. He could see that Sam and Frodo were on the other side of the river, and Casey was with them.
"Come Aragorn, if we hurry we can…" The elf turned as he saw the ranger standing still.
"You mean not to follow them," he murmured sadly.
"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands," replied Aragorn. Legolas turned his head towards the two hobbits and the angel-elf, who had disembarked from their boat and were going into the woods.
"That means the Fellowship has failed," said Gimli a little sadly.
"No. Not while we stay true to ourselves," said Aragorn. Legolas came up to stand beside him.
"We will not let Boromir's death be in vain, nor shall we let Merry and Pippin suffer, not while we still live."
"Are we to rescue them?" asked Gimli hopefully. Aragorn nodded, and the dwarf let out a whoop. But Legolas' face remained sad.
"You will see Casey again Legolas," said Aragorn.
Legolas nodded, but deep inside he wondered whether he would.