THE SPELLS GONE WRONG SERIES
No. 1
Hobbits, Ants, and the "Small" World That Binds Them
CHAPTER 5
Aragorn spent the next few feet limping along the ground. He froze suddenly. "Ants!"
"What?" Boromir asked.
"Ants!" Aragorn exclaimed. "There is a swarm of ants coming towards us!"
"What do we do?' Frodo inquired worriedly. "We're in a clearing and there isn't any place to hide."
"We're just going to have to hope they overlook us," Aragorn said. "Just, get out of their way and stand still. Look non-threatening."
Everyone did as they were told. Slowly, a mass of ants passed them. A couple of the black insects stopped and tickled the faces of the fellowship with their antennae.
"Aragorn,' Pippin said out of the corner of his mouth. "Can we ride these things?"
Aragorn looked at Pippin out of the corner of his eye. "Don't even think it, Pippin."
"Why not?' Pippin asked. Suddenly, he jumped and landed on top of the ant's back.
The ant merely stood still and wagged its head a little.
"Come on now, hop on!" Pippin waved.
Aragorn, Frodo, and Sam all swung up onto one. Pippin, Merry, and Boromir were another. And then Legolas and Gimli were on the last one.
"For once, Pippin, you were right," Boromir sighed. "This is a much more convenient way of travel."
Pippin smiled proudly. "Thank you."
The ants stopped in front of a stream. Then one by one, they began to crawl into it.
"Jump off!" Legolas cried.
Everyone leapt down off the ants.
"Pippin, I take it back," Boromir brushed himself off.
"I didn't know that ants could swim," Frodo said to no one in particular. "Or, that they would chose to."
"We probably should have stayed on the ants," Aragorn sighed. "Now we'll never get across that river."
"Merry! Over here!" Pippin was dragging a leaf around.
"Pip, you are an intelligent one!" Merry ran over and helped Pippin move the leaf. "This will be perfect!"
Aragorn and Boromir stared at the leaf.
"And why is this perfect?" Aragorn asked.
"It's a boat!" Merry smiled. "But, we've never done anything like this and we'll need somebody to test it."
The group turned their heads slowly and looked at Boromir.
"No!" Boromir protested. "My father is the High-Steward of Gondor. I do not have to do this."
"Yes, but Aragorn is the heir of Isildur and future king of Gondor," Pippin pointed out.
"That's right, Boromir," Aragorn smiled. "So, as heir of Isildur and future king of Gondor, I order you to get in the leaf!"
Boromir's mouth dropped. He quickly snapped it shut and climbed into the cupped leaf.
Everyone pushed and managed to shove it into the still water. It floated uneasily.
"It floats!" Legolas laughed. "It seems that Merry and Pippin have conceived a great idea!"
"Now how do I move?" Boromir called. "I'm stuck out here!"
Aragorn made a face. "Give us a moment."
The leaf began to float down stream a little. The water started to flow faster and faster. There was a little section that cascaded over some small rocks. It resembled a small waterfall. But considering Boromir's size, it would seem like a regular one. The leaf was heading towards this section.
The ones on shore saw Boromir peek out over the top of the leaf.
"Aragorn!" he cried out. The leaf fell down the cascade.
Everyone rushed down to where the leaf had hit the water. Boromir was clutching the thin sides. All of a sudden, a fish leapt out of the water and caused the leaf to capsize. They could see Boromir bobbing in the water. The fish came up again and swallowed Boromir.
The fish jumped out of the water, and was caught by a bear that had appeared out of nowhere.
The fellowhship's mouths dropped in horror.
The bear dropped the fish and it flopped around on the ground.
Legolas suddenly made an outcry. "Boromir!"
Aragorn squinted and saw Boromir pop his head out of the fish's mouth. He struggled out, sopping wet and sticky. He stumbled out of the way, lest the bear see him. He dove in the water and swam quickly over to the other side, where everyone else stood. He scrambled up the bank and collapsed in front of everyone, panting.
The rest leaned over him.
His hand shot up and he grasped Pippin's shirt, pulling himself up a little. "Pippin!" he growled. "Listen to me: you are a hobbit sent by Sauron to torture me!" And with that, he collapsed again.
Pippin glanced around. "Do you really think so?"
CHAPTER 5
Aragorn spent the next few feet limping along the ground. He froze suddenly. "Ants!"
"What?" Boromir asked.
"Ants!" Aragorn exclaimed. "There is a swarm of ants coming towards us!"
"What do we do?' Frodo inquired worriedly. "We're in a clearing and there isn't any place to hide."
"We're just going to have to hope they overlook us," Aragorn said. "Just, get out of their way and stand still. Look non-threatening."
Everyone did as they were told. Slowly, a mass of ants passed them. A couple of the black insects stopped and tickled the faces of the fellowship with their antennae.
"Aragorn,' Pippin said out of the corner of his mouth. "Can we ride these things?"
Aragorn looked at Pippin out of the corner of his eye. "Don't even think it, Pippin."
"Why not?' Pippin asked. Suddenly, he jumped and landed on top of the ant's back.
The ant merely stood still and wagged its head a little.
"Come on now, hop on!" Pippin waved.
Aragorn, Frodo, and Sam all swung up onto one. Pippin, Merry, and Boromir were another. And then Legolas and Gimli were on the last one.
"For once, Pippin, you were right," Boromir sighed. "This is a much more convenient way of travel."
Pippin smiled proudly. "Thank you."
The ants stopped in front of a stream. Then one by one, they began to crawl into it.
"Jump off!" Legolas cried.
Everyone leapt down off the ants.
"Pippin, I take it back," Boromir brushed himself off.
"I didn't know that ants could swim," Frodo said to no one in particular. "Or, that they would chose to."
"We probably should have stayed on the ants," Aragorn sighed. "Now we'll never get across that river."
"Merry! Over here!" Pippin was dragging a leaf around.
"Pip, you are an intelligent one!" Merry ran over and helped Pippin move the leaf. "This will be perfect!"
Aragorn and Boromir stared at the leaf.
"And why is this perfect?" Aragorn asked.
"It's a boat!" Merry smiled. "But, we've never done anything like this and we'll need somebody to test it."
The group turned their heads slowly and looked at Boromir.
"No!" Boromir protested. "My father is the High-Steward of Gondor. I do not have to do this."
"Yes, but Aragorn is the heir of Isildur and future king of Gondor," Pippin pointed out.
"That's right, Boromir," Aragorn smiled. "So, as heir of Isildur and future king of Gondor, I order you to get in the leaf!"
Boromir's mouth dropped. He quickly snapped it shut and climbed into the cupped leaf.
Everyone pushed and managed to shove it into the still water. It floated uneasily.
"It floats!" Legolas laughed. "It seems that Merry and Pippin have conceived a great idea!"
"Now how do I move?" Boromir called. "I'm stuck out here!"
Aragorn made a face. "Give us a moment."
The leaf began to float down stream a little. The water started to flow faster and faster. There was a little section that cascaded over some small rocks. It resembled a small waterfall. But considering Boromir's size, it would seem like a regular one. The leaf was heading towards this section.
The ones on shore saw Boromir peek out over the top of the leaf.
"Aragorn!" he cried out. The leaf fell down the cascade.
Everyone rushed down to where the leaf had hit the water. Boromir was clutching the thin sides. All of a sudden, a fish leapt out of the water and caused the leaf to capsize. They could see Boromir bobbing in the water. The fish came up again and swallowed Boromir.
The fish jumped out of the water, and was caught by a bear that had appeared out of nowhere.
The fellowhship's mouths dropped in horror.
The bear dropped the fish and it flopped around on the ground.
Legolas suddenly made an outcry. "Boromir!"
Aragorn squinted and saw Boromir pop his head out of the fish's mouth. He struggled out, sopping wet and sticky. He stumbled out of the way, lest the bear see him. He dove in the water and swam quickly over to the other side, where everyone else stood. He scrambled up the bank and collapsed in front of everyone, panting.
The rest leaned over him.
His hand shot up and he grasped Pippin's shirt, pulling himself up a little. "Pippin!" he growled. "Listen to me: you are a hobbit sent by Sauron to torture me!" And with that, he collapsed again.
Pippin glanced around. "Do you really think so?"