"Well, you are now in Middle Earth. Currently, we are traveling back to
the shire. It is the home of hobbits. And pardon me, but I was wondering
how old you are. I don't mean to be rude, but you seem young to be out
alone."
"I told you, I am not from here," Nubi's attitude was kicking in.
"That I understand, but it might be useful information," Aragorn replied
politely.
"And anyway, I may look young, but I am 16. I'm just a little shorter
than usual," she said in a matter-a-fact, tone.
"Not compared to the hobbits," he chuckled. Nubi couldn't help but to
give in this time, and she too joined in the laughter.
"I suppose you will be joining us for this adventure, the-" Aragorn was
cut off as the others joined them; approaching from the way Nubi and
Aragorn had come.
"Come with us, Nubi," said Merry happily. "We'll introduce you to the
others. I'm sure they'll take a liking to you." This comment made Nubi
blush, a sprinkling of scarlet covering her pale skin. Merry grabbed her
wrist and led her back to camp.
Once there, she was introduced to Legolas the Elf, Gandalf the White,
Gimli the Dwarf and Boromir. They welcomed her with smiles and warm
greetings. But when she went to shake the hand of Boromir, he gave her a
grin that made her feel uncomfortable, and sent a chill down her spine.
"Nice to meet you, Nubi. Very nice indeed," was his welcome. Instead
of making a rude comment, she decided she had better tone down her
attitude, if she was to make friends with these people. Who knows what
would happen if she angered them.
"A pleasure, I'm sure."
~*~
That night, the campfire lasted longer than usual, the glowing embers
evading the darkness. Long shadows were cast on the faces of the
Fellowship and their guest. Small murmurs drifted across the shrinking
flame. Finally, the silence was broken by the voice of Aragorn.
"Who wants the night watch till sunrise?" He said wearily.
"I will take it," Legolas offered. "Elves need no sleep. It would be
pointless for you to waste your energy."
"Then Legolas it is. Thank you." Said Aragorn, nodding toward the
pointy-eared man. He continued, "And I propose that the rest of you go to
sleep. It will be a long day tomorrow." The men stood up and began moving
to their bedrolls. The dead grass crunched as they situated themselves
between their blankets. With a soft goodnight, they slowly drifted off.
"Excuse me, Sir Aragorn, but where am I sleeping?" Nubi questioned
without a hint of disgrace. She was too tired to act offended. The
remaining figure near the fire replied,
"You will be staying in my bedroll. I will use Legolas's." He stood
and moved toward the perimeter of the circle of sleeping men.
"Oh," Nubi said quickly. Aragorn stopped, and turned slowly to face the
girl. The last of the fires light danced across his face. 'Goodness, he
is beautiful,' thought Nubi, and then brought herself back to reality.
"Yes?"
"Ah, yes. Thank you."
" You are.. Quite welcome. Goodnight." With that, Nubi moved to the
only empty bedroll.
The next day was uneventful, but filled with sore feet and a bunch of
complaining from Nubi.
"You are going to have to get used to, I'm afraid, Nubi. Our trips are
often like this." She grumbled at this remark, and pouted the rest of the
way.
Finally, two days later, the group found themselves looking at the
rolling green hills of the Shire. This took the amazed girl's breath away.
Nubi had never seen a place so full of life, and yet so calm. The green
seemed endless, rising and falling against the soft blue sky filled with
swollen clouds.
"Oh, It's absolutely wonderful!" she said happily. Yet she didn't
notice all the other men had smiled at this comment. She had not seen that
they had all taken an immediate liking to her. Besides her stubbornness,
she was kind and seemed fairly content to be traveling with them, moreover
being cold and sore. Of course, her looks added to the package.
"Can we please go? Oh, I'd love to see what its like!" They began
descending the slope upon which they stood.
As soon as they reached the village, Nubi found it hard to stop
peering at all the different people and unusual shops. She herself had
only been to the Market once or twice, as the other maids had that
responsibility. This was a new experience, and she loved it. There were
new smells for her nose, and noise for her ears. People of small stature
were hustling around, eager to make another purchase. Nubi desperately
wanted more to look around, but Pippin grabbed her sleeve, signaling their
leave.
After making it through the commotion, they arrived to Frodo's house.
It had been abandoned for some time, but Nubi did not know why. The
Fellowship had never told her why they were traveling in the first place.
But just then a remark broke her thoughts.
"Ah, it is good to be home. Would any of you like anything? Water,
tea, cheese and crackers?" Frodo asked. A sudden splurge of requests was
spit into the air.
"All right, I'll be back in a minute with everything. With that he
vanished behind a corner and was heard descending the steps into the
cellar. The room was then filled with relieved sighs, and people began
falling into empty chairs. The problem was, there were not enough of them,
and Merry and Pippin began to fight over who got the cushy one. In the
end, it was Legolas who ended the brawl. The two hobbits dropped
themselves onto the floor with a great sigh, giving Legolas the seat.
Pieces of conversations drifted across the room. Every one was tired,
including Nubi. She was leaning against the brick that bordered the
fireplace. She needed to close her eyes, just a minute. that's all.
*~*~*
The girl woke with a start. She was surrounded by darkness.
Confused, she stood up, as her eyes adjusted to the lack of light. Nubi
looked around, and found she was in a small room, and had been on a
slightly small bed. She opened the nearest door and saw that the room
branched off a hallway from the main room. The curious girl padded down
the corridor, her bare feet slightly tapping the oak floors. It was only
until the cold of the ground soaked into her skin that she realized someone
had removed her shoes. She shrugged it off and continued down the hallway.
Nubi found the front door and opened it as quietly as she could. The
sight before her pleased her. Moonlight danced upon thousands of tiny
petals of Frodo's overgrown garden. It cascaded through the trees and lit
up the night sky. Millions of tiny stars gazed down on her. Nubi stood
there for a while, taking in the beauty. But the opening of the front door
interrupted her thoughts again. She spun around quickly, her strawberry
blond hair whipping her face. The sight before her left her mortified. In
front of her stood Boromir.
"Oh, hello Nubi. Hadn't expected you to be out here this late," he said
slyly.
"I was j-just looking at the moon. It's very beautiful, isn't it?" she
replied, faltering.
"I must agree, but that isn't the only thing that is stunning," said
Boromir.
"What would that be?" Nubi asked. Right now she would be giving him the
worst of her temper, but he was a man, and much stronger than her. He
could over power her any time he wanted. But as she was thinking this, he
began to approach her.
"Wh-what are you doing?" she asked nervously.
"You look very beautiful in the moonlight. How about one little kiss?
Just a quick peck?" he chided.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Nubi resisted. She decided not to
give in to him, a man weak to himself. He grabbed one of her hands and
kissed it.
His gaze moved up her body, landing on her face. The young woman noticed
his eyes were deep, so deep. They almost pulled her in, but she looked
away, bringing her hand with her. Or at least tried to.
He held onto it tightly, drawing her closer and closer. Nubi struggled
furiously, telling him to get off and leave her alone. He refused,
pressing his mouth onto hers. His lips opened her jaws, invading her wall
of privacy. His breath was warm on her, but uncomfortable. Nubi used the
last of her strength to break free, and she ran toward the round front
door. Her dress slowed her down and Boromir grabbed the hem of her skirts.
"Let me go! Help! Aragorn, please!" she screamed as she fell to the ground. And just as Boromir was about to grab her again, he suddenly stopped. He glanced around, blinked a few times, and a look of bewilderment crossed his face. Just at that moment the door opened and out ran Aragorn with his sword unsheathed, and Legolas with his bow. "Lady Nubi!" he said breathlessly. "What is going on here?!" "He, Boromir. he," Nubi began, but broke down sobbing before she could finish her sentence. This wasn't like her; usually she was strong against feelings. Yet she couldn't help but let the tears stream down her face, into shaking hands. "What did you do to her, Boromir?" Aragorn asked furiously. When the man didn't answer, he roared, "WHAT DID YOU DO?" The only reply was a simple, "I don't know." Meanwhile, Legolas had bent down and was talking softly to Nubi. Her tears were drying, and the Elf asked her what was wrong. "H-he forced himself o-on me," she said falteringly. Little had she noticed Aragorn now had Boromir at sword point. He was questioning him uselessly as Boromir kept replying he didn't know what was going on. The sun was rising and animals began to wake; bird's chirped, and early risers were heading to the market. Some of their heads even turned at the sight in front of Frodo's burrow. Legolas helped Nubi up and brought her into the house, leading her down the hallway to her room. "I don't see how you would be able to fall asleep again, so there are clean breeches, a blouse and undergarments in the drawers by the window. I assure you, you are safe," Legolas said. With that, he left and closed the door behind him. As Nubi headed over to get her clothes, she heard voices through the closed shutters to the window. She slowly opened them, curiosity nagging at the back of her head. Through the crack, she saw Boromir still at sword point. Aragorn was saying something, she couldn't hear, but wait. he was getting louder. "If you ever touch her again, you will be begging for mercy. Do you understand?" Aragorn threatened. Boromir was nodding his head vigorously.
"Then it's settled. But remember what I said." After that, Aragorn walked back to the house, sheathing his sword on the way. Nubi closed the window, and sat herself down heavily on the bed. Her heart was pounding, and it drummed in her ears. Aragorn seemed so tense. And Nubi had never seen him so angry. Why was he acting like that? But she figured she would have enough time to answer those questions later. Now she needed to get changed. She pulled on her clothes swiftly, sliding on her breeches and peasant top. After working her hair until it was plaited neatly, she left her room. The sweet smell of bacon drifted down the corridor, and tickled her nose. She breathed it in and sighed heavily. Upon entering the kitchen, she saw Aragon chewing scrambled eggs.
"Hullo," she said gently. Sam looked up from the oven, from which he was making tea, and greeted her jovially. Frodo, Merry, Pippin, Gimli and Gandalf all did the same. Nubi noticed that Legolas and Aragorn had not even lifted their gaze. "Ah, excuse me, Sir Aragorn? May I please speak to you. alone?" Aragorn looked at her, stood, and moved to the Map Room. "Yes?" He asked in a monotone voice. "Oh, well, I, uh, just wanted to, uh thank you. I appreciate your help." "It was only necessary." But Nubi knew this was a lie. She had seen the way he had threatened Boromir. He had believed her word, rather than a man he had been traveling with for ages. "And I was wondering, why Boromir didn't know." "What do you mean?" "He didn't remember what he did to me. It was only a moment before, how could he forget?" "We have had. experiences like this before." He sighed after this remark. " Boromir has turned on the ones he swore to protect before. We do not know what makes him do this, but as much as we have tried, we cannot change it. His heart is not pure, he has given in to temptation and the Dark Lord takes advantage of this. Weak men." Aragorn trailed off. "But will you please join us for breakfast. Sam is a wonderful cook, as you know. He has a way with food." Aragorn began moving back to the kitchen, but Nubi asked him one more question, "Do the others know? About what happened?" "No. They have no need to know." With that, he left. Yet Nubi remained standing there. There was something Aragorn was hiding. It was deep beneath his skin, and it was burning his soul. She wished she could do something, but before she could think more about the subject, voices from the other room told her to come and eat.
END OF CHAPTER 2! I HOPE YOU LIKED IT! If there is anything it needs, please SAY SO!! I promise the action is coming VERY soon. And what is it that s hurting Aragorn so? Find out in CHAPTER 3!!! By the Way, please REVIEW!! I LIKE TO KNOW WHAT I AM DOING WRONG SO I CAN CHANGE IT!!! Thank You!!
"Let me go! Help! Aragorn, please!" she screamed as she fell to the ground. And just as Boromir was about to grab her again, he suddenly stopped. He glanced around, blinked a few times, and a look of bewilderment crossed his face. Just at that moment the door opened and out ran Aragorn with his sword unsheathed, and Legolas with his bow. "Lady Nubi!" he said breathlessly. "What is going on here?!" "He, Boromir. he," Nubi began, but broke down sobbing before she could finish her sentence. This wasn't like her; usually she was strong against feelings. Yet she couldn't help but let the tears stream down her face, into shaking hands. "What did you do to her, Boromir?" Aragorn asked furiously. When the man didn't answer, he roared, "WHAT DID YOU DO?" The only reply was a simple, "I don't know." Meanwhile, Legolas had bent down and was talking softly to Nubi. Her tears were drying, and the Elf asked her what was wrong. "H-he forced himself o-on me," she said falteringly. Little had she noticed Aragorn now had Boromir at sword point. He was questioning him uselessly as Boromir kept replying he didn't know what was going on. The sun was rising and animals began to wake; bird's chirped, and early risers were heading to the market. Some of their heads even turned at the sight in front of Frodo's burrow. Legolas helped Nubi up and brought her into the house, leading her down the hallway to her room. "I don't see how you would be able to fall asleep again, so there are clean breeches, a blouse and undergarments in the drawers by the window. I assure you, you are safe," Legolas said. With that, he left and closed the door behind him. As Nubi headed over to get her clothes, she heard voices through the closed shutters to the window. She slowly opened them, curiosity nagging at the back of her head. Through the crack, she saw Boromir still at sword point. Aragorn was saying something, she couldn't hear, but wait. he was getting louder. "If you ever touch her again, you will be begging for mercy. Do you understand?" Aragorn threatened. Boromir was nodding his head vigorously.
"Then it's settled. But remember what I said." After that, Aragorn walked back to the house, sheathing his sword on the way. Nubi closed the window, and sat herself down heavily on the bed. Her heart was pounding, and it drummed in her ears. Aragorn seemed so tense. And Nubi had never seen him so angry. Why was he acting like that? But she figured she would have enough time to answer those questions later. Now she needed to get changed. She pulled on her clothes swiftly, sliding on her breeches and peasant top. After working her hair until it was plaited neatly, she left her room. The sweet smell of bacon drifted down the corridor, and tickled her nose. She breathed it in and sighed heavily. Upon entering the kitchen, she saw Aragon chewing scrambled eggs.
"Hullo," she said gently. Sam looked up from the oven, from which he was making tea, and greeted her jovially. Frodo, Merry, Pippin, Gimli and Gandalf all did the same. Nubi noticed that Legolas and Aragorn had not even lifted their gaze. "Ah, excuse me, Sir Aragorn? May I please speak to you. alone?" Aragorn looked at her, stood, and moved to the Map Room. "Yes?" He asked in a monotone voice. "Oh, well, I, uh, just wanted to, uh thank you. I appreciate your help." "It was only necessary." But Nubi knew this was a lie. She had seen the way he had threatened Boromir. He had believed her word, rather than a man he had been traveling with for ages. "And I was wondering, why Boromir didn't know." "What do you mean?" "He didn't remember what he did to me. It was only a moment before, how could he forget?" "We have had. experiences like this before." He sighed after this remark. " Boromir has turned on the ones he swore to protect before. We do not know what makes him do this, but as much as we have tried, we cannot change it. His heart is not pure, he has given in to temptation and the Dark Lord takes advantage of this. Weak men." Aragorn trailed off. "But will you please join us for breakfast. Sam is a wonderful cook, as you know. He has a way with food." Aragorn began moving back to the kitchen, but Nubi asked him one more question, "Do the others know? About what happened?" "No. They have no need to know." With that, he left. Yet Nubi remained standing there. There was something Aragorn was hiding. It was deep beneath his skin, and it was burning his soul. She wished she could do something, but before she could think more about the subject, voices from the other room told her to come and eat.
END OF CHAPTER 2! I HOPE YOU LIKED IT! If there is anything it needs, please SAY SO!! I promise the action is coming VERY soon. And what is it that s hurting Aragorn so? Find out in CHAPTER 3!!! By the Way, please REVIEW!! I LIKE TO KNOW WHAT I AM DOING WRONG SO I CAN CHANGE IT!!! Thank You!!