Camille sighed as she dragged the boat up onto the shore. It was night, and it was darker than usual. She smirked. Or maybe I've just gotten too used to the bright moon and starlight in Lothlorien. She sighed more heavily then, and clutched her pendant as she looked back to the way they had come, her thoughts straying to her time in that enchanted place. I don't think I'll ever know a place as beautiful as that…
A gentle hand fell on her shoulder, and she turned to look upon Legolas' finely chiseled features. He was gazing down at her with worry, and when he spoke, there was a concerned lilt in his voice. "What were you thinking about?"
"Nothing. Just missing Lorien, that's all." She frowned then. "The outside world is so dark, not like Lorien. At least there I could see where I was going even without a lamp, since the light of the stars and the moon was enough. But here…it's like a dark cloud was suddenly cast over the sky that blocks out all kinds of light from the moon and stars."
Legolas' grip on her shoulders tightened slightly, and she felt him draw her closer, comforting her. "As we go further south, the influence of the Evil One in Mordor grows. He knows that we Elves love the pure light of the moon and stars, so he blocks them from us by shrouding them with the veil of his malice. But the Golden Wood cannot be touched, so long as the power of Galadriel lies upon that place."
Camille smiled then. "Well that's good to hear. I'd kick myself if I knew that Sauron could get to that place, and if he did, he'd have a VERY mad Summoner on his tail."
Legolas chuckled softly into her ear, and spun her around to face him. "That is what I so adore about you, my love. Your fiery personality always keeps me on my toes. I never know what you are going to say next." He leaned down to her, and lightly brushed his lips over hers. "Now come, the others are probably looking for us by now."
Camille giggled as Legolas led her towards the campsite. "Do you think the others know yet? About 'us', I mean?"
The Elf-Prince shrugged. "I do not know. I have told only Aragorn about it, though I suspect that Gimli may know already."
When the appeared at the campsite, Gimli looked up from where he had been sharpening his axe, and a mischievous grin appeared through his beard. "There you are! You two had us wondering as to your whereabouts. I thought that you had taken her on a nighttime tryst in some clearing, Elf!"
Camille immediately blushed a bright red that could be seen even in the darkest night. What?! She turned to Legolas, begging him with her eyes to deny that, but she felt her stomach twist into knots when she noticed the grin on his face.
Legolas smiled as he put an arm around her waist, and pulled her close. "Indeed, I WAS thinking of such things, Master Gimli. However, I believed that it was not proper to go without telling any of you where we were headed, that is why we have returned." He turned to her then, and winked boyishly. "Now they know, my love. Come, we have our own business to attend to."
That did it. Although she knew he was only teasing, Camille didn't really appreciate it. She narrowed her eyes at him, and jerked her arm away. "More talk about THAT thing, Legolas, and I'll have you singing like a chipmunk for the rest of your life."
Eli suddenly snorted over her food, and made a pitiful attempt to stifle her laughter. Soon her laughter was ringing throughout the camp, and the rest of the Fellowship was staring oddly at her, since they really didn't understand what was so funny about Camille's remark. While she laughed her head off, Camille couldn't help but let her mouth twitch into a grin.
When Eli had finally stopped laughing, Boromir turned to her, and asked, "What did you find so funny about what Camille said?"
Eli snorted again, and looked at the Gondorian, eyes twinkling with mirth. "Better that you didn't know, Boromir. Though you're a grown man, there's still a tiny twinge of innocence in you, and I wouldn't want to make all of it go down the drain."
Aragorn raised an eyebrow. "What are you trying to say? That in your world, men are worse than here?"
"No. What she's trying to say is that we girls are not as innocent in our thoughts as you'd like to think," Camille said with a snicker. "Like I sometimes say to Eli, 'Get your mind out of the gutter, girl!'."
While the rest of the Fellowship puzzled over what they meant by their words, Camille sensed a strange presence behind her. She jerked, and whirled around, looking into the gloom. She thought she saw a pair of eyes glowing in the shadows, but they quickly disappeared, accompanied by the sound of feet padding away through leaves and underbrush.
"What is it?"
Camille glanced up at Legolas, and noticed that his face was serious, all thoughts of the game now forgotten. He seemed to have heard the sounds as well, and his keen Elven eyes were narrowed, attempting to pierce the darkness. "I don't know," she muttered in response to his question. "It didn't feel like an Orc, but all the same, it didn't feel nice."
Legolas turned back to the camp, where the others were starting to lay down to sleep. Only Frodo and Aragorn remained awake. "Maybe we should tell Aragorn about it."
Camille nodded in agreement, and the two of them walked over to where the Man and the Hobbit sat. As Camille started to take her seat, she said, "There's something following us, and I don't like it at all."
Frodo's blue eyes widened then. "So you have felt it as well?"
"Aye, we have," Legolas replied. "I have felt it following us since we left Moria, but I wished to think that it was just something my restless mind wrought out of nothing, as the darkness in that place troubled me greatly. But now I believe my suspicions to be true."
"Gollum," Aragorn muttered darkly. "For that is the name of the thing which follows us now. You are right, Legolas, when you say that he has followed us through Moria. I believe that Eli sensed his presence as well while we rested in one of Khazad-dum's great halls; that was why she was so restive for the duration of our journey through the Mines. I attempted to catch him once or twice at night, but he is wilier than a fox and more slippery than a fish. I had hoped that our journey down the river would foil him, but alas! He has proven himself to be an excellent waterman. He lies atop a log, and uses his feet and hands as paddles."
Camille smirked. "Nice work. But now that you tell me he can follow us even through the water, we're going to have to watch our backs more carefully now. If whatever Gandalf told me and Eli about the guy is true, then I have the feeling he might come round one night and strangle one of us." Frodo, specifically, she thought sadly as she looked at the now very troubled Hobbit.
A light of determination sprang into Aragorn's eyes. "We must be take more caution now. I shall take up the watch tonight."
"I shall go with you," Legolas said as he took up his bow. "I would like to put an arrow through that creature's foul heart, to repay him for all the trouble he has caused and for all that he might cause in the future."
Camille sighed, and called to them as they left to take up their positions, "Take care, you two!"
Aragorn smiled with brotherly affection before turning away, and Legolas mouthed the words, "I love you, and sleep well" before turning away and looking out towards the forest, keeping his watchful gaze towards the shadows.
* * *
Eli sighed as she continued to paddle, the dreariness of the night hanging low over her. This is so boring! It was currently the eighth night of their journey, and it had been seven days since that little incident they had with Gollum, and everything had been smooth sailing – literally and figuratively speaking – from there. Though there were now double watches every night, there was still no sighting of hide or hair of Gollum.
Suddenly, from Boromir's boat Pippin called, "Ah, what we need is a song! Eli, would you mind singing something for us? It's been much too long since we last heard you and Camille sing."
Eli glanced at Camille, who was paddling behind her, as if asking for confirmation. When her best friend grinned, she nodded, and said, "Sure Pip! Let me think of something…" At last, a song popped in her head. "Okay, I think I got one. Damn, but I wish I had my guitar with me. Anyway, here goes…" And she started to sing…
Turn it inside out so I can see
The part of you that's drifting over me
And when I wake you're never there
But when I sleep you're everywhere, you're everywhere
Just tell me how I got this far
Just tell me why you're here and who you are
Cause every time I look, you're never there
And every time I sleep you're always there
Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes it's you I see
You're everything I know that makes me believe
I'm not alone, I'm not alone
Camille then took up the next part of the song…
I recognize the way you make me feel
It's hard to think that you might not be real
I sense it now, the water's getting deep
I try to wash the pain away from me, away from me
Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I close my eyes it's you I see
You're everything I know that makes me believe
I'm not alone, I'm not alone
Eli took up the next stanza…
And when I touch your hand
It's then I understand
The beauty that's within
It's now that we begin
Then it was Camille's turn...
You always light my way
I hope there never comes a day
No matter where I go
I always feel you so
They sang together at the chorus…
Cause you're everywhere to me,
And when I close my eyes it's you I see
You're everything I know that makes me believe
I'm not alone
Cause you're everywhere to me
And when I catch my breath, it's you I breathe
You're everything I know that makes me believe
I'm not alone
And Eli ended the song, her voice suddenly throaty and sensuous…
You're in everyone I see
So tell me
Do you see me?
Camille giggled from her seat behind her, the paddle still dipping in and out of the river's dark waters. "I've never heard you croon a tune the way you have tonight, kid! What's on your mind, huh? Thinking about someone special?"
Eli shrugged evasively, though her fingers strayed to the Pendant of Imladris as it hung beneath her clothes. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. Just felt like trying it out." She smiled then. "Maybe it's because I have an audience tonight."
Camille rolled her eyes, but kept quiet. The Hobbits seemed to have been content with the little show, and they were now looking to the stretch of river ahead of them.
Suddenly Sam gave a cry. Startled out of their individual reveries, the Fellowship started to pay attention to their surroundings. Eli peered ahead, and felt the adrenaline start pumping through her veins. Dark shapes loomed out of the river, and there was the sound of swirling water. A strong current made all the boats swing towards the eastern shore, and Eli realized that there was a clear path there. As they were swept aside the Fellowship could see, now very close, the pale foam of the River lashing against sharp rocks that were thrust out far into the stream like a ridge of teeth. The boats were all huddled together.
"Aragorn!" shouted Boromir as their boat bumped into the leader. "This is madness! We cannot dare the Rapids by night! But no boat can live in Sarn Gebir, be it night or day!"
Aragorn turned around then. "We might still have a chance!" He glanced at Eli and Camille. "You have experience in maneuvering boats through rapids, do you not?!"
Eli's eyes widened. What does he think we are?! We can shoot rapids, but doing it in the dark is ridiculous! "We do!" she hollered in response, "and maybe we could teach you guys how to get through, but I don't want to go down white water and black rocks at night! We shoot rapids, but not in the dark! That's suicide!"
"Back then, back!" cried Aragorn. "Turn! Turn if you can!"
Knowing his orders before he had even spoken them, Camille and Eli drove their paddles deep into the water, paddling with all their might. But still, even for them it was hard going, and the eastern shore loomed ever closer.
Eli cursed as she struggled to make the boat turned around. Damn it, if this keeps going we're going to ground ourselves on the shoals! She heard Boromir yelling from the other boat, and she knew he was thinking the same thing.
At that moment she heard the sharp twang of many bowstrings, and several arrows whizzed past them. Fortunately they missed Eli and Camille, but the others weren't as lucky. One struck Frodo between the shoulders and he lurched forward with a cry, letting go of his paddle: but the arrow fell back, foiled by his hidden coat of mail. Another passed through Aragorn's hood; and a third stood fast in the gunwale of the boat, close by Merry's hand.
After making sure that her hood was pulled over her head, Eli risked a look back, and noticed that the eastern shore was lined thickly with Orcs. Damn! From the other boats, she could hear the cries of the others when they saw who was attacking them.
"This is Gollum's work, or I'm a Warg," Camille muttered as she kept on paddling. Eli nodded, and continued to do her work.
But it was useless. The current was just too strong for them. Eli grimaced. If these were motorboats it would be easy, but we're only using paddles! She hissed as an arrow glanced off her left hand, blood oozing from the nick in her skin. That's the last straw! If the river seems intent on taking us to them, I'm going to force it to take us AWAY from them! Dipping her uninjured hand into the river, she closed her eyes, and concentrated. As she did so, her right hand slowly stirred circles in the dark water, moving it towards the western shore.
The boat gave a sharp lurch forward, jerking Eli out of her intense state of concentration. When she looked up, she realized that a new current was now pushing them swiftly away from the eastern bank towards the western one. She sighed, and closed her eyes. Thank you, mighty River Anduin.
When their little flotilla of boats ground themselves onto the west shore, she watched Legolas leap out of his boat, his bow in one hand and an arrow in another. He nocked the arrow, and pointed it at the eastern side, looking for a target to shoot. But then, a large shadow came over the face of the moon, and hid it. It was moving far too quickly to be a cloud, and when it passed over them, Eli felt a chill go through her. What the hell is that?!
Suddenly, the great bow of Lorien sang. Shrill went the arrow from the Elven-string. There was a harsh croaking scream as the thing fell out of the air to land on the eastern shore. There were cries and yells for a moment, but soon, silence reigned. Neither cry nor shaft now came from the east shore.
Though they were now fairly certain that they were safe for the time being, they did not go onto the shore to make camp and light a fire. They stayed in the boats, which were moored side-by-side.
"Praised be the bow of Galadriel, and the hand and eye of Legolas!" said Gimli as he munched a wafer of lembas. "That was a mighty shot in the dark, my friend!"
"And praised be the powers of Elisabeth over the waters of the Anduin!" added Boromir as he glanced at where Eli was sitting. "How did you do such a thing? I do not remember you having such a power before."
"I didn't," Eli admitted. "Actually, Camille and I have talked about it before, and we've reached an agreement that the further along the road we go, the more our powers evolve, or develop, so to speak. As more and more days go by, the stronger our powers get. And at the rate they're evolving, we might be twice as strong as we were when we left Moria."
"That is good news then," said Aragorn from his boat. "If all goes well your powers might be strong enough to take on the Dark Lord in Mordor." He sighed then, and shook his head. "But we still have our river journey to think about. We shall set out at first light tomorrow."
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Okay, that's done! Whoopee, I'm nearly done with FOTR!!! Most likely after the next chapter, I'll be moving on to TT. At last, I've figured out (more or less) the places that lie along the way! Sarn Gebir is the name of the rapids they just encountered; Emyn Muil is the part of the Anduin right after Sarn Gebir that leads to Gondor. The Argonath is the northern passage to Gondor, and that's where the huge statues of the kings are. Just a little past that are Amon Hen and Amon Lhaw. Also, the song I used above is entitled "Everywhere" by Michelle Branch from her album "The Spirit Room". Anyway, let's move on with the story: the Fellowship makes it past the Argonath and land on Amon Hen. What troubles await them there? Read on my friends, read on!