THE SPELLS GONE WRONG SERIES
No. 1
Hobbits, Ants, and the "Small" World That Binds Them
As usual, I don't own, don't profit, blah, blah, blah. Get on with the story!
A special thank-you to my reviewers, although they remain at a mere three. And most of all, my very first one, Paper Crane (this chapter is to you!). You've inspired me to keep going!
It takes me a while to post new chapters, though, because I do not have the Internet and my friend must post them for me. So, could you please be patient with me? I will do my best.
Now, enough of my rambling, here is the next chapter:
CHAPTER 2
"Is he gone?" Merry asked Aragorn.
The Ranger slowly lifted up the bark and peered out. There was nothing but the grass slowly moving in the breeze. Of course, a breeze would seem more like a hurricane to them. This wouldn't be pretty.
Cautiously, he slid out from under the cover and was instantly hit by a huge gust of wind that nearly pushed him over. He struggled to his feet and laboriously took a step to the bark, which he clutched to for safety. "Boromir! Legolas! Lift up the cover."
The bark opened just enough for Aragorn to slide under.
"Okay," he breathed. "That is not good. The wind is too strong. The hobbits will have too much trouble."
"We could always carry them," Boromir suggested. "We can't stay here forever. Breezes are constantly blowing."
Legolas nodded an agreement. "Boromir is right. We cannot hide forever. We will have to find another way."
"Four hobbits, and four of us," Aragorn said to himself. "It won't be easy. Gimli will not be able to carry one of them."
Gimli frowned and grunted. "Aragorn, do not doubt for one minute the strength of a dwarf."
Aragorn cast a glance at Gimli. "Now is not a time for pride, Gimli. We need to find a way to become our normal size."
Gimli growled a little, but didn't say anything else.
"Now, Boromir and I can each carry two hobbits. And until we can find another resting spot, we should be able to hold out," Aragorn said. "Legolas, you and Gimli go out now."
The elf and dwarf did as they were told and crawled out.
Legolas threw out his arms so that he wouldn't topple over.
Gimli, who was built a little more solidly, only took a couple of stunned steps sideways.
Aragorn and Boromir slowly emerged, each holding a pair of hobbits. And they began to trudge in the direction of the wind.
"Dunadan!" Legolas inched over to Aragorn. "I see a tree."
Aragorn looked at his elven friend. "It's a forest, Legolas. I see trees too."
"You have been waiting to say that, no?" Legolas asked.
Aragorn smiled. "I could not resist. But I assume that you speak of a near- by tree that we can make in a short amount of time."
Legolas nodded over to his right a little.
A large tree loomed before them. An imposing form of nature to be sure. If they were their normal size, it would only be a normal sized tree, but considering their stature at the present time, it was enormous. And since they had been traveling with the wind, it would provide a shelter against the pounding gusts.
When they reached the tree and moved behind it so that they received a relief from the wind, Pippin pulled out a mushroom and began to chomp it.
Panting, Boromir grabbed the bag and reached in for a mushroom of his own.
Pippin leaned over and hit the man on the shoulder, snatching the bag away. "Leave my mushrooms alone!"
Boromir let his jaw drop. "I just carried you through that torment and I am forbidden a morsel of food?"
Pippin bit his lip. "But what will I eat?" he asked.
"I only ask for one," Boromir held up one finger.
"It's no use," Merry said, leaning against the trunk. "Pippin will never give you one. He's just selfish, that's all."
"Good then," Boromir smiled, reaching for Merry's bag. "I'll be able to eat one of yours."
Merry lifted his head and took the bag back. "I did not say that."
Frodo and Sam laughed a little.
"But I'll starve," Boromir whined. "The pony is with Gandalf and you two have the only food we have left."
"Pippin," Aragorn addressed. "You will give a mushroom to Boromir. And another to Merry. And then two more to Frodo and Legolas. And Merry, you will give one mushroom to Pippin, one to Sam, one to Gimli, and one to myself. Do you two understand?"
Pippin and Merry pouted, but complied.
"We need a fire," Gimli said to no one in particular.
"But we have nothing to make a fire from," Frodo said, looking around. "There is no wood to scavenge. All of it is too big."
"We could always get a twig and chop it up with Gimli's ax," Merry suggested with a shrug.
Everyone turned to look at Merry, slightly surprised.
"That is a good idea, Merry," Aragorn said with a smile. "So we shall all go in search.. of a twig."
They all stood up and Boromir took a careful step out from behind the trunk. No breeze was blowing at the moment.
"Stay together," Legolas ordered as they moved out. "We do not wish to lose anyone."
"What are you talking about?" Pippin asked. "I never get lost."
Merry gagged a laugh.
"What?" Pippin asked. "I have a terrific sense of direction!"
Aragorn laughed. "Of course you do, Pippin."
"Where are we going?" Pippin inquired.
Boromir shook his head. "Such a strange hobbit."
"There is one!" Gimli pointed triumphantly.
The fellowship trotted over to twig.
"I think we can lift this," Boromir said, carefully examining the stick. "And it is close enough to the tree that it will not take long to move it."
Aragorn nodded as he Legolas, and Boromir all bent down and heaved to stick up onto their shoulders.
"You were right," Legolas commented. "This is not as heavy as I would have imagined."
"We want to help," Sam offered.
"You are not tall enough to help us carry, Sam," Aragorn answered. "You and the other hobbits should stay in front of us."
"But we can help!" Pippin said proudly as he clambered up onto
Merry's shoulders. "See! Now we're tall!"
Aragorn sighed. "Then get in line behind me." He looked at Sam and Frodo. "Are you going to stay up there, or make yourselves taller?"
"I think we'll walk," Frodo said over his shoulder.
"I'm with Mr. Frodo," Sam said and turned back to his master.
Aragorn twisted his head around. "I'm starting again." He began walking back to the tree. Suddenly, he heard a yelp from behind him. He twisted his neck again to see Pippin clutching to the stick, kicking his legs violently. Merry was standing on the ground, looking up at his dangling friend.
"Pippin!" Aragorn huffed. "Let go of the branch."
Pippin looked down, but continued kicking.
"Merry, what happened?" Boromir called up.
"I tripped," Merry replied, still looking up at Pippin. "Pip, it isn't that far down. Just let go. I'll catch you."
Pippin shook his head wildly. "No."
"You can't hang on there forever," Merry pointed out. "Just let go and I'll catch you!"
"Fine!" Pippin said. "I'm letting go!" He released his grip and fell right on top of Merry.
Merry struggled up. "Pippin!"
"Good job," Pippin smiled. "You broke my fall perfectly! Merry," he clapped his friend on the back. "You're a true friend."
Merry brushed himself off. "Thanks, Pip."
By the time they reached the tree, another breeze had picked up.
"Gimli," Aragorn sighed, collapsing against the tree. "Get chopping."
As usual, I don't own, don't profit, blah, blah, blah. Get on with the story!
A special thank-you to my reviewers, although they remain at a mere three. And most of all, my very first one, Paper Crane (this chapter is to you!). You've inspired me to keep going!
It takes me a while to post new chapters, though, because I do not have the Internet and my friend must post them for me. So, could you please be patient with me? I will do my best.
Now, enough of my rambling, here is the next chapter:
CHAPTER 2
"Is he gone?" Merry asked Aragorn.
The Ranger slowly lifted up the bark and peered out. There was nothing but the grass slowly moving in the breeze. Of course, a breeze would seem more like a hurricane to them. This wouldn't be pretty.
Cautiously, he slid out from under the cover and was instantly hit by a huge gust of wind that nearly pushed him over. He struggled to his feet and laboriously took a step to the bark, which he clutched to for safety. "Boromir! Legolas! Lift up the cover."
The bark opened just enough for Aragorn to slide under.
"Okay," he breathed. "That is not good. The wind is too strong. The hobbits will have too much trouble."
"We could always carry them," Boromir suggested. "We can't stay here forever. Breezes are constantly blowing."
Legolas nodded an agreement. "Boromir is right. We cannot hide forever. We will have to find another way."
"Four hobbits, and four of us," Aragorn said to himself. "It won't be easy. Gimli will not be able to carry one of them."
Gimli frowned and grunted. "Aragorn, do not doubt for one minute the strength of a dwarf."
Aragorn cast a glance at Gimli. "Now is not a time for pride, Gimli. We need to find a way to become our normal size."
Gimli growled a little, but didn't say anything else.
"Now, Boromir and I can each carry two hobbits. And until we can find another resting spot, we should be able to hold out," Aragorn said. "Legolas, you and Gimli go out now."
The elf and dwarf did as they were told and crawled out.
Legolas threw out his arms so that he wouldn't topple over.
Gimli, who was built a little more solidly, only took a couple of stunned steps sideways.
Aragorn and Boromir slowly emerged, each holding a pair of hobbits. And they began to trudge in the direction of the wind.
"Dunadan!" Legolas inched over to Aragorn. "I see a tree."
Aragorn looked at his elven friend. "It's a forest, Legolas. I see trees too."
"You have been waiting to say that, no?" Legolas asked.
Aragorn smiled. "I could not resist. But I assume that you speak of a near- by tree that we can make in a short amount of time."
Legolas nodded over to his right a little.
A large tree loomed before them. An imposing form of nature to be sure. If they were their normal size, it would only be a normal sized tree, but considering their stature at the present time, it was enormous. And since they had been traveling with the wind, it would provide a shelter against the pounding gusts.
When they reached the tree and moved behind it so that they received a relief from the wind, Pippin pulled out a mushroom and began to chomp it.
Panting, Boromir grabbed the bag and reached in for a mushroom of his own.
Pippin leaned over and hit the man on the shoulder, snatching the bag away. "Leave my mushrooms alone!"
Boromir let his jaw drop. "I just carried you through that torment and I am forbidden a morsel of food?"
Pippin bit his lip. "But what will I eat?" he asked.
"I only ask for one," Boromir held up one finger.
"It's no use," Merry said, leaning against the trunk. "Pippin will never give you one. He's just selfish, that's all."
"Good then," Boromir smiled, reaching for Merry's bag. "I'll be able to eat one of yours."
Merry lifted his head and took the bag back. "I did not say that."
Frodo and Sam laughed a little.
"But I'll starve," Boromir whined. "The pony is with Gandalf and you two have the only food we have left."
"Pippin," Aragorn addressed. "You will give a mushroom to Boromir. And another to Merry. And then two more to Frodo and Legolas. And Merry, you will give one mushroom to Pippin, one to Sam, one to Gimli, and one to myself. Do you two understand?"
Pippin and Merry pouted, but complied.
"We need a fire," Gimli said to no one in particular.
"But we have nothing to make a fire from," Frodo said, looking around. "There is no wood to scavenge. All of it is too big."
"We could always get a twig and chop it up with Gimli's ax," Merry suggested with a shrug.
Everyone turned to look at Merry, slightly surprised.
"That is a good idea, Merry," Aragorn said with a smile. "So we shall all go in search.. of a twig."
They all stood up and Boromir took a careful step out from behind the trunk. No breeze was blowing at the moment.
"Stay together," Legolas ordered as they moved out. "We do not wish to lose anyone."
"What are you talking about?" Pippin asked. "I never get lost."
Merry gagged a laugh.
"What?" Pippin asked. "I have a terrific sense of direction!"
Aragorn laughed. "Of course you do, Pippin."
"Where are we going?" Pippin inquired.
Boromir shook his head. "Such a strange hobbit."
"There is one!" Gimli pointed triumphantly.
The fellowship trotted over to twig.
"I think we can lift this," Boromir said, carefully examining the stick. "And it is close enough to the tree that it will not take long to move it."
Aragorn nodded as he Legolas, and Boromir all bent down and heaved to stick up onto their shoulders.
"You were right," Legolas commented. "This is not as heavy as I would have imagined."
"We want to help," Sam offered.
"You are not tall enough to help us carry, Sam," Aragorn answered. "You and the other hobbits should stay in front of us."
"But we can help!" Pippin said proudly as he clambered up onto
Merry's shoulders. "See! Now we're tall!"
Aragorn sighed. "Then get in line behind me." He looked at Sam and Frodo. "Are you going to stay up there, or make yourselves taller?"
"I think we'll walk," Frodo said over his shoulder.
"I'm with Mr. Frodo," Sam said and turned back to his master.
Aragorn twisted his head around. "I'm starting again." He began walking back to the tree. Suddenly, he heard a yelp from behind him. He twisted his neck again to see Pippin clutching to the stick, kicking his legs violently. Merry was standing on the ground, looking up at his dangling friend.
"Pippin!" Aragorn huffed. "Let go of the branch."
Pippin looked down, but continued kicking.
"Merry, what happened?" Boromir called up.
"I tripped," Merry replied, still looking up at Pippin. "Pip, it isn't that far down. Just let go. I'll catch you."
Pippin shook his head wildly. "No."
"You can't hang on there forever," Merry pointed out. "Just let go and I'll catch you!"
"Fine!" Pippin said. "I'm letting go!" He released his grip and fell right on top of Merry.
Merry struggled up. "Pippin!"
"Good job," Pippin smiled. "You broke my fall perfectly! Merry," he clapped his friend on the back. "You're a true friend."
Merry brushed himself off. "Thanks, Pip."
By the time they reached the tree, another breeze had picked up.
"Gimli," Aragorn sighed, collapsing against the tree. "Get chopping."