Chapter Five- The Acorn War
A/N: Well, I'm not sure. I think I've finally figured out the ending for the fic, but I'm not positive. I had almost forgotten about the Leah's mother plot twister I did a couple chapters ago, but I think I've figured everything out. Muahahahahahaha!
Okay, Rae-Rae, here it is. To you from me. Heh heh heh.
***Four days after Leggy and Nikki's conversation ***
"Well," Gandalf said, "It now seems like we have no choice but to send some people to Lothlorien for supplies. And reinforcements."
I nodded in agreement.
"I'll go," I said. "I could use a bit of sunlight."
"And me," Frodo said.
"Then Nikki and Sam should come too," I said.
"And Legolas," Nikki said without thinking. She promptly blushed after realizing she'd said this, but Legolas grinned.
Samwise spoke up. "And I'm going with 'em," he said with a grin in Frodo's and my direction.
"Okay," Aragorn said, "That's probably enough,"
Gandalf nodded. "You shall set out right away."
The six of us gathered what few supplies we would need for the short journey to Lothlorien, and then said our goodbyes.
I looked across the great expanse, once spanned by the bridge of Khazad- Dum, and I wondered if Gandalf had the same thing in mind as he had with the staircase earlier. I looked up at him questioningly and he nodded. He beckoned once more to Narquendiel and Aragorn, and they joined him, holding hands in the same way they had the day before. Once more it seemed that the bridge shimmered into place, glowing with less stability, it seemed, than the staircase had. "Go," Gandalf said, "We cannot hold it for long. You must leave now." We nodded and hurried across the bridge. When we were across the bridge and back a couple of meters, they separated and nodded encouragingly to us.
We turned then towards the East Gates of Moria, and walked out into the bright sunlight. Shielding our eyes, we made haste right away, jogging in the direction of Lorien.
Once we had gotten pretty far, about halfway to the edge of the woods, all of us were tired, but still in high spirits now that we were able to be out of Moria, even if it was for a short time. We decided to take a short break, eat something, and catch our breaths.
Nikki sat resting, her back propped against a large rock. Legolas sat next to her, leaning on her shoulder with an arm around her. I grinned and plopped myself on the ground next to Sam and Samwise, who had apparently taken quite a liking to each other. Frodo sat next to me. We sat, eating fruit and stale bread and talking, for about ten or fifteen minutes. Then Frodo stood up, yawning a bit.
"Let's get going."
"Okay," I said, failing to stifle a yawn. "Jesus, Frodo. thanks. Now we're all going to be yawning our heads off." He grinned and held his hand out to Samwise, who took it, standing up. Sam, Legolas, and Nikki stood up and we set out once more for the forest.
~*~
Once we'd reached the line of trees that marked off the borders of Lothlorien, we were immediately confronted by a group of elves, this time luckily without weapons drawn and stuck in our faces. Haldir was at their head. I smiled as I saw him.
"Good to see you again," he said, dropping his royal demeanor for a brief second.
"You too," Frodo said.
"Now, come. We know why you have come, and there is no time to lose. Danger will be upon you and your companions sooner than you think. We will replenish your supplies, and Rumil, Orophin and I will accompany you back. Follow me."
We obliged, following the elves into the forest. Finally we were met by Galadriel.
"Welcome to our home once more," Galadriel spoke into our minds. "We know great haste is needed, so we will be brief. Come, follow me."
She led us away and to a clearing where several tree stumps sat as makeshift seats. They looked much worn but still stable, as though they had been very well cared for. In the middle of the circle formed by the seats was a table with a large ornate crystal bowl on it. The elf queen motioned for all of us, Haldir included, to sit down.
"Although knowing the future is not always necessary and sometimes dangerous, I do believe now is one of the times when knowing the future may benefit you. Each of you may look into the mirror and the answer to the question you most desire to be answered will be shown to you." She stepped away to the side and motioned for Sam to go up.
Frowning, he stepped up to the bowl and looked in. I saw no change in the expression on his face, but once he stepped away from the bowl, I could see a faint smile playing across his face.
Samwise went next. He looked into the mirror a bit apprehensively. His face became sad and angry but then softened. He grinned and sat down.
Next the Lady beckoned to Legolas. He bit his lip, losing his elf prince demeanor for a second before reaching the bowl, hesitantly peering into the depths. What he saw seemed to comfort him. He stepped away and took his seat again.
Nikki was the next person to go up. She looked into the water, not appearing hesitant or frightened, but expressionless. I knew her well enough to detect a slight bit of determination on her face. She looked deep into the mirror, and there seemed to be a battle going on within her. Finally she stepped away from the mirror and once more took her seat.
Then Galadriel beckoned to Frodo. I gave him an encouraging smile and he went up to the mirror and looked in. Whether he was saddened or relieved by what he saw, he gave no sign. Then, at last, it was my turn.
Time seemed to slow. I stood and stepped towards the mirror, apprehensive. What was the question I most desired to be answered? Well, of course, would everyone live through this, but was that what I really wanted to know? What other obstacles must we face? What other dangers? Would we all live through it?
I stepped up to the pedestal, placing a hand on either side, and looked in, apprehensive. What would I see? My field of view went blank, and suddenly I saw an immense battlefield. Looking westward, I saw the sun setting behind the grand Moria gates, far off. I glanced around me and realized I had to be more aware. I saw most of the field clear, but a couple dozen orcs, some uruk-hai, and several elves were still fighting. I did not see any of my companions, but I saw what looked like Frodo's tattered cloak on the ground several yards away.
As night fell, I crept stealthily towards the line of grand mallorns marking the boundary of Lothlorien. There I found Frodo, crouching in the bushes.
"Thank Valar you're here," he said. "I'm so sorry we got separated, I tried to find you, but it was a dangerous place. Gandalf pulled me out of the melee, making me realize you had more sense than to be out in the open, and I'd be no good to you dead. Then the others went to Lorien, but I couldn't simply leave you here."
"Oh, Frodo," I said, rushing to him and burying myself in his arms.
"It'll be okay, Leah. I love you."
"And I love you, Frodo, more than anything. More than life itself. Always remember that."
"I will." He looked into my eyes. "Come on, follow me." I nodded and began to run. He had about a 20-foot head start on me. Suddenly i saw a great orc, hunched in the underbrush, put an arrow to his bowstring. I ran desperately, sprinting as fast as I could into the woods. I watched in slow motion as the arrow lurched forward at Frodo, aimed straight for his head. It would kill him.
"NOOOOO!!!" I called, sprinting forward with all my strength. I raced the arrow towards Frodo, and it was gaining on him faster than I was. Ten meters..
I closed my eyes, hoping and praying with every fiber of my being that it would miss Frodo.
Five meters.
I opened my eyes again, seeing Frodo wheel around, having heard my exclamation seconds ago.
Three meters.
I sprang forward, thanking god for strong leg muscles and hoping I'd make it in time.
One meter.
I felt my body collide with Frodo's, knocking him out of the way and myself into the path of the arrow.
I heard Frodo's cry as the arrow quickly closed the gap.
I felt the arrow hit my chest, colliding with my lower left shoulder. My limp body fell to the ground, and the last thing I saw before my vision went black was Frodo, tears rolling down his cheeks, picking me up and sprinting towards lorien. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the orc, grinning, retreating in the direction of the battlefield.
My vision went black and for a moment I sensed nothingness, so intense it almost knocked me over. Then I saw the scene again in Lothlorien, my companions and Galadriel, and a pain, acute and more horrible than the Nazgul wound I'd once gotten. It was so intense I fell to my knees in front of the pedestal, my eyes closing as I did so.
When the pain had subsided, I looked up, meeting eyes with Galadriel. She slowly nodded. I got up, wiped the bit of moisture from my eyes, and took my seat once more next to Frodo.
"What you saw," she told everyone, "May change. Even the wisest cannot see all ends, as all ends are not necessarily decided yet. Free will and fate are two different things, yet they work together. Some of the answers are Fate," she looked around the circle and locked eyes with Nikki, Legolas, and Sam, "And others are dependant on free will. Be careful and remember that there are two things that make things fall into place," she paused for drama, "Love and fear. Farewell and good luck."
We got up slowly and walked to where three elves had gathered; Haldir, Rumil, and Orophin.
"We must make haste." Rumil said. The elves handed each of us a pack, sort of like a backpack but stronger looking, and made out of the same material as Lorien cloaks were made of.
Fifteen minutes of walking through the woods later, Frodo pulled me to the back of the group.
"What did you see?" he asked quietly, a tremor in his voice.
"Nothing," I said.
"Bullshit. What did you see? Please, Leah. god, what I saw."
"What?"
"I asked you first."
"No," I said. "I won't tell you. Just know it was horrible."
"I know it must have been. What I sensed from you afterwards was pretty horrible."
"Yeah. But let's just relax. it ain't over 'til it's over."
"You're right. I've got an idea," he grinned.
"Uh Oh."
He stopped walking for a second, picking up several of what looked like gold-silverish acorns from the ground.
"Oh.I see where you're going," I whispered, and grabbed a few myself, grinning.
Frodo put them all in his right hand and took one into his left, winding up much like a baseball pitcher. He let it fly in the direction of the others, now quite a few paces ahead of us.
"Ow!" Legolas exclaimed as something hit him in the back of the head. He rubbed the spot it had collided with gingerly, and another one hit his hand. He turned around, seeing a grinning Frodo.
"Now, Now, Frodo, this is no time for-" Haldir began.
"WAR!" Legolas exclaimed, picking up an acorn himself and hitting Frodo squarely between the eyes. I threw one at Nikki, who had turned around to see what had happened to Legolas. It bounced off her forehead, bouncing onto Sam's head.
This, of course, resulted in Sam, Nikki, and Legolas turning into one 'team' with Frodo and I being the other 'team'. Samwise joined us, throwing with surprising accuracy.
"We don't have time-" Orophin began, but stopped when an acorn hit him square on the nose.
"YOU BRUISED MY NOSE!!" he yelled. "OKAY, THAT'S IT!" and he stooped down and grabbed a handful of the newfound ammunition himself. Frodo and I ducked, avoiding the three acorns that came our direction from the three Elvish brothers. Legolas aimed one at Samwise, and Frodo, not even looking, stuck out his hand to block it. Just as it hit his palm, he closed his hand, and threw the acorn back at Legolas. It hit his ear as he turned to high-five Nikki.
After about twenty minutes, we finally wound down, exhausted from laughing and dodging acorns.
"Yes! We are the champions of the acorn war!" Haldir, who had been quite into it, exclaimed.
"Nay, Haldir. We won." Legolas gloated.
"No, we did!" Rumil shot back.
"Nay."
"Are too."
"Are not."
"Are too."
"Are not."
"Are-"
"You're both wrong. We're the winners," I said.
"Are not!" the six people making up Legolas and Rumil's teams said at the same time.
"Call it a tie?" Frodo said weakly.
"Alright." Legolas said.
"Yes, dad's right." Nikki said.
"Is not!" Rumil said.
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
.And thus ended the acorn war.
A/N: Well, I'm not sure. I think I've finally figured out the ending for the fic, but I'm not positive. I had almost forgotten about the Leah's mother plot twister I did a couple chapters ago, but I think I've figured everything out. Muahahahahahaha!
Okay, Rae-Rae, here it is. To you from me. Heh heh heh.
***Four days after Leggy and Nikki's conversation ***
"Well," Gandalf said, "It now seems like we have no choice but to send some people to Lothlorien for supplies. And reinforcements."
I nodded in agreement.
"I'll go," I said. "I could use a bit of sunlight."
"And me," Frodo said.
"Then Nikki and Sam should come too," I said.
"And Legolas," Nikki said without thinking. She promptly blushed after realizing she'd said this, but Legolas grinned.
Samwise spoke up. "And I'm going with 'em," he said with a grin in Frodo's and my direction.
"Okay," Aragorn said, "That's probably enough,"
Gandalf nodded. "You shall set out right away."
The six of us gathered what few supplies we would need for the short journey to Lothlorien, and then said our goodbyes.
I looked across the great expanse, once spanned by the bridge of Khazad- Dum, and I wondered if Gandalf had the same thing in mind as he had with the staircase earlier. I looked up at him questioningly and he nodded. He beckoned once more to Narquendiel and Aragorn, and they joined him, holding hands in the same way they had the day before. Once more it seemed that the bridge shimmered into place, glowing with less stability, it seemed, than the staircase had. "Go," Gandalf said, "We cannot hold it for long. You must leave now." We nodded and hurried across the bridge. When we were across the bridge and back a couple of meters, they separated and nodded encouragingly to us.
We turned then towards the East Gates of Moria, and walked out into the bright sunlight. Shielding our eyes, we made haste right away, jogging in the direction of Lorien.
Once we had gotten pretty far, about halfway to the edge of the woods, all of us were tired, but still in high spirits now that we were able to be out of Moria, even if it was for a short time. We decided to take a short break, eat something, and catch our breaths.
Nikki sat resting, her back propped against a large rock. Legolas sat next to her, leaning on her shoulder with an arm around her. I grinned and plopped myself on the ground next to Sam and Samwise, who had apparently taken quite a liking to each other. Frodo sat next to me. We sat, eating fruit and stale bread and talking, for about ten or fifteen minutes. Then Frodo stood up, yawning a bit.
"Let's get going."
"Okay," I said, failing to stifle a yawn. "Jesus, Frodo. thanks. Now we're all going to be yawning our heads off." He grinned and held his hand out to Samwise, who took it, standing up. Sam, Legolas, and Nikki stood up and we set out once more for the forest.
~*~
Once we'd reached the line of trees that marked off the borders of Lothlorien, we were immediately confronted by a group of elves, this time luckily without weapons drawn and stuck in our faces. Haldir was at their head. I smiled as I saw him.
"Good to see you again," he said, dropping his royal demeanor for a brief second.
"You too," Frodo said.
"Now, come. We know why you have come, and there is no time to lose. Danger will be upon you and your companions sooner than you think. We will replenish your supplies, and Rumil, Orophin and I will accompany you back. Follow me."
We obliged, following the elves into the forest. Finally we were met by Galadriel.
"Welcome to our home once more," Galadriel spoke into our minds. "We know great haste is needed, so we will be brief. Come, follow me."
She led us away and to a clearing where several tree stumps sat as makeshift seats. They looked much worn but still stable, as though they had been very well cared for. In the middle of the circle formed by the seats was a table with a large ornate crystal bowl on it. The elf queen motioned for all of us, Haldir included, to sit down.
"Although knowing the future is not always necessary and sometimes dangerous, I do believe now is one of the times when knowing the future may benefit you. Each of you may look into the mirror and the answer to the question you most desire to be answered will be shown to you." She stepped away to the side and motioned for Sam to go up.
Frowning, he stepped up to the bowl and looked in. I saw no change in the expression on his face, but once he stepped away from the bowl, I could see a faint smile playing across his face.
Samwise went next. He looked into the mirror a bit apprehensively. His face became sad and angry but then softened. He grinned and sat down.
Next the Lady beckoned to Legolas. He bit his lip, losing his elf prince demeanor for a second before reaching the bowl, hesitantly peering into the depths. What he saw seemed to comfort him. He stepped away and took his seat again.
Nikki was the next person to go up. She looked into the water, not appearing hesitant or frightened, but expressionless. I knew her well enough to detect a slight bit of determination on her face. She looked deep into the mirror, and there seemed to be a battle going on within her. Finally she stepped away from the mirror and once more took her seat.
Then Galadriel beckoned to Frodo. I gave him an encouraging smile and he went up to the mirror and looked in. Whether he was saddened or relieved by what he saw, he gave no sign. Then, at last, it was my turn.
Time seemed to slow. I stood and stepped towards the mirror, apprehensive. What was the question I most desired to be answered? Well, of course, would everyone live through this, but was that what I really wanted to know? What other obstacles must we face? What other dangers? Would we all live through it?
I stepped up to the pedestal, placing a hand on either side, and looked in, apprehensive. What would I see? My field of view went blank, and suddenly I saw an immense battlefield. Looking westward, I saw the sun setting behind the grand Moria gates, far off. I glanced around me and realized I had to be more aware. I saw most of the field clear, but a couple dozen orcs, some uruk-hai, and several elves were still fighting. I did not see any of my companions, but I saw what looked like Frodo's tattered cloak on the ground several yards away.
As night fell, I crept stealthily towards the line of grand mallorns marking the boundary of Lothlorien. There I found Frodo, crouching in the bushes.
"Thank Valar you're here," he said. "I'm so sorry we got separated, I tried to find you, but it was a dangerous place. Gandalf pulled me out of the melee, making me realize you had more sense than to be out in the open, and I'd be no good to you dead. Then the others went to Lorien, but I couldn't simply leave you here."
"Oh, Frodo," I said, rushing to him and burying myself in his arms.
"It'll be okay, Leah. I love you."
"And I love you, Frodo, more than anything. More than life itself. Always remember that."
"I will." He looked into my eyes. "Come on, follow me." I nodded and began to run. He had about a 20-foot head start on me. Suddenly i saw a great orc, hunched in the underbrush, put an arrow to his bowstring. I ran desperately, sprinting as fast as I could into the woods. I watched in slow motion as the arrow lurched forward at Frodo, aimed straight for his head. It would kill him.
"NOOOOO!!!" I called, sprinting forward with all my strength. I raced the arrow towards Frodo, and it was gaining on him faster than I was. Ten meters..
I closed my eyes, hoping and praying with every fiber of my being that it would miss Frodo.
Five meters.
I opened my eyes again, seeing Frodo wheel around, having heard my exclamation seconds ago.
Three meters.
I sprang forward, thanking god for strong leg muscles and hoping I'd make it in time.
One meter.
I felt my body collide with Frodo's, knocking him out of the way and myself into the path of the arrow.
I heard Frodo's cry as the arrow quickly closed the gap.
I felt the arrow hit my chest, colliding with my lower left shoulder. My limp body fell to the ground, and the last thing I saw before my vision went black was Frodo, tears rolling down his cheeks, picking me up and sprinting towards lorien. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the orc, grinning, retreating in the direction of the battlefield.
My vision went black and for a moment I sensed nothingness, so intense it almost knocked me over. Then I saw the scene again in Lothlorien, my companions and Galadriel, and a pain, acute and more horrible than the Nazgul wound I'd once gotten. It was so intense I fell to my knees in front of the pedestal, my eyes closing as I did so.
When the pain had subsided, I looked up, meeting eyes with Galadriel. She slowly nodded. I got up, wiped the bit of moisture from my eyes, and took my seat once more next to Frodo.
"What you saw," she told everyone, "May change. Even the wisest cannot see all ends, as all ends are not necessarily decided yet. Free will and fate are two different things, yet they work together. Some of the answers are Fate," she looked around the circle and locked eyes with Nikki, Legolas, and Sam, "And others are dependant on free will. Be careful and remember that there are two things that make things fall into place," she paused for drama, "Love and fear. Farewell and good luck."
We got up slowly and walked to where three elves had gathered; Haldir, Rumil, and Orophin.
"We must make haste." Rumil said. The elves handed each of us a pack, sort of like a backpack but stronger looking, and made out of the same material as Lorien cloaks were made of.
Fifteen minutes of walking through the woods later, Frodo pulled me to the back of the group.
"What did you see?" he asked quietly, a tremor in his voice.
"Nothing," I said.
"Bullshit. What did you see? Please, Leah. god, what I saw."
"What?"
"I asked you first."
"No," I said. "I won't tell you. Just know it was horrible."
"I know it must have been. What I sensed from you afterwards was pretty horrible."
"Yeah. But let's just relax. it ain't over 'til it's over."
"You're right. I've got an idea," he grinned.
"Uh Oh."
He stopped walking for a second, picking up several of what looked like gold-silverish acorns from the ground.
"Oh.I see where you're going," I whispered, and grabbed a few myself, grinning.
Frodo put them all in his right hand and took one into his left, winding up much like a baseball pitcher. He let it fly in the direction of the others, now quite a few paces ahead of us.
"Ow!" Legolas exclaimed as something hit him in the back of the head. He rubbed the spot it had collided with gingerly, and another one hit his hand. He turned around, seeing a grinning Frodo.
"Now, Now, Frodo, this is no time for-" Haldir began.
"WAR!" Legolas exclaimed, picking up an acorn himself and hitting Frodo squarely between the eyes. I threw one at Nikki, who had turned around to see what had happened to Legolas. It bounced off her forehead, bouncing onto Sam's head.
This, of course, resulted in Sam, Nikki, and Legolas turning into one 'team' with Frodo and I being the other 'team'. Samwise joined us, throwing with surprising accuracy.
"We don't have time-" Orophin began, but stopped when an acorn hit him square on the nose.
"YOU BRUISED MY NOSE!!" he yelled. "OKAY, THAT'S IT!" and he stooped down and grabbed a handful of the newfound ammunition himself. Frodo and I ducked, avoiding the three acorns that came our direction from the three Elvish brothers. Legolas aimed one at Samwise, and Frodo, not even looking, stuck out his hand to block it. Just as it hit his palm, he closed his hand, and threw the acorn back at Legolas. It hit his ear as he turned to high-five Nikki.
After about twenty minutes, we finally wound down, exhausted from laughing and dodging acorns.
"Yes! We are the champions of the acorn war!" Haldir, who had been quite into it, exclaimed.
"Nay, Haldir. We won." Legolas gloated.
"No, we did!" Rumil shot back.
"Nay."
"Are too."
"Are not."
"Are too."
"Are not."
"Are-"
"You're both wrong. We're the winners," I said.
"Are not!" the six people making up Legolas and Rumil's teams said at the same time.
"Call it a tie?" Frodo said weakly.
"Alright." Legolas said.
"Yes, dad's right." Nikki said.
"Is not!" Rumil said.
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
.And thus ended the acorn war.