The Journey Begins
Summery: The Company begins their journey to Mordor.
Rating: PG
The darkness loomed about them in repressing night.
The sun had dipped below the horizon hours before, now the Company was
tired beyond words and could not continue on. It had been two nights since
they had set out from Rivendell and still there was tension between Legolas
and Myra. Gandalf had forced them to walk the full length of the rest of
the Company, Legolas near the end beside Frodo, and Myra at the front next
to Aragorn. The two had not resolved the unexplained conflict between the
them, it had begun more from Legolas than from Myra so she had refused
to apologized.
"Why do you not trust her, Legolas?" asked Sam.
He was leading their pony Bill not too far ahead of Frodo. The Elf held
his bright eyes to the Wizardess far in front of them.
"It is a feeling that I cannot seem to shake.
Hopefully, I am wrong." With that said, Legolas was quiet. The hobbit asked
him several more questions, but they would be given no answer. Legolas
contemplated a few moments and began to speed up his walk. He went past
the hobbits, the dwarf, the wizard, and the Men of Gondor, up to the one
leading the group.
Aragorn began to quicken his pace, but was stopped
by Gandalf. So, reluctantly, he slowed again to walk beside Boromir. The
eight watched in wonder as Legolas neared Myra, they all drew nearer to
hear what would be said and held their breaths in anticipation. Legolas
sensed this and trailed slightly behind the Wizardess for a few moments.
He opened his mouth several times to speak, but only to realize that he
did not know what to say.
"What troubles you, Elf?" asked Myra. She had
not turned around nor had stopped walking.
"I apologize for the way I have treated you. It
is not you personally that I distrust, it is the fact there is a horrid
feeling that you have not told everything that you need to," said Legolas.
With the end of his final sentence she turned about and stopped walking.
So sudden a movement it was that Legolas almost walked right into her,
and had even taken those walking behind him by surprise.
"You believe that I wish to take the Ring from
Frodo?" asked Myra bluntly. The hobbits tiptoed closer to Legolas, who
gave them a strict glance that at once made them move back to the others.
Legolas turned back to Myra whom stood none too pleased with her arms folded
on her chest. For a moment he was at a loss for words.
"Yes," he answered honestly. This newly discovered
honesty did not seem to change her mood, but made it worse than before.
"If I wished to take the Ring I would have done
so by now," she paused for a moment, "Do you honestly believe that you
or the others could stop me?" Legolas looked sharply at that. He moved
closer to her, giving her an even more suspicious look. The apology he
had just given had long been forgotten by both.
"I have sworn to protect the Ring and Frodo, I
shall do so," said Legolas.
"That is not what I asked," countered Myra. Just
as Legolas was about to answer, Aragorn stepped between the two. He knew
than that throughout the journey he would have to break them up oftenly.
Boromir too went to lend a helping hand, he placed himself squarely in
front of Legolas.
"Both of you stop this nonsense. We have a long
journey ahead of us and this is not the way I wish it to begin," Boromir
said. He looked over his shoulder at which time Legolas slipped away from
him and went back to his argument with Myra.
"If you try anything just keep in some part of
your mind that I will be right there to stop you," said Legolas. Aragorn
pulled him away before more could be said and handed him off to Boromir
and Gandalf. The wizard scolded the Elf as the rest set up a makeshift
camp for the night.
Reluctant as he was to do so, Aragorn allowed Legolas
to be the first night watchman, but had given him a strict warning against
starting another fight with Myra in the night. True to his word, Legolas
sat on the grass not far from the group. On the opposite side keeping watch
was Boromir. When his eyes began to droop he had wondered over to Legolas
to tell him.
"Sleep overpowers me for now, Legolas. I must
set a new watch and get some rest," said Boromir. Legolas nodded and stared
into the distance. Boromir walked back to the group who lay in a semicircle
around their packs. He did not want to wake any of them to take his shift,
but rather wanted them all to rest peacefully while they still had the
chance.
"What's the matter, Boromir?" asked a voice quietly.
He turned to see Sam propping himself on his elbow next to Frodo, from
the look of him he had not been awake long.
"Congratulations, my friend, you just volunteered
for watch," smiled Boromir. Sam let out a sigh, but dutifully got up and
took Boromir's lookout position. Boromir himself settle down in a spot
next to Merry and Pippin whose heads were sleeping on one another's shoulders.
Merry's body pointed south toward Legolas and Pippin's pointed north in
the direction of Sam.
Boromir closed his eyes tightly, but quickly they
flew back open upon hearing a shout for help from Legolas. He raised his
head slowly to see the others had woken too in a drowsy stupor. Legolas
shouted once again for all to come for assistance. Sam came running hurriedly
across their still unmoving forms.
"Wake! Wake! Legolas needs our help!" shouted
Sam in desperation. The first up and following him was Aragorn followed
closely by the two conjurers, Gandalf and Myra. Boromir jumped up grabbing
his shield and ran along with the hobbits and Gimli to aid Legolas. They
found him fighting a dozen or more orcs with nothing but his small white
knife and his arrows. They were all in too close of a range for him too
shoot. With the arrival of his companions, the orcs were easily killed.
"Is everyone all right?" asked Aragorn. All seemed
to be fine, but Aragorn double checked that Frodo still had the Ring on
its silver chain around his neck. As he checked, Boromir went out a ways
and saw six more orcs far off from the rest with arrows sticking out of
them. He glanced back at Legolas who was dusting off and checking himself
for injury.
"Where did they come from?" asked Boromir to Legolas.
The Elf looked up as did Myra from far beside him.
"The southwest. I shot a few, but the rest had
come as a surprise," answered Legolas. Myra stepped over next to Boromir
and looked out to the fallen orcs. She plucked out an arrow from the chest
of one and studied it carefully.
"How did you miss the rest?" said Myra. Legolas
gave her an unbelieving look, as did Pippin and Merry. None there could
believe that she was suggesting that Legolas had betrayed them and gave
information about their whereabouts to the Enemy.
"You honestly believe that I knew we would be
attacked?" said Legolas. "Why on Middle-Earth would I fight them off if
I had known?" Before another argument could ensue from this newest conflict,
Aragorn stepped forward and stood between them.
"Nobody here is saying that, Legolas. Now, everyone
calm yourselves, go back to camp, and try to get more rest," said Aragorn.
The hobbits cast wary looks about and went back to their camp for sleep.
"End this," said Aragorn before leaving. Soon everyone was gone, leaving
Legolas and Myra alone. They stared at each other from across the distance
of only a few yards.
"I did not know," said Legolas once the rest of
his companions were out of earshot. Myra did not reply to this, which infuriated
Legolas even more than he had been before. As she moved closer to him he
began to clench his hands at his sides in frustration.
"How does it feel to be accused?" she asked. Legolas
bit down hard on his tongue to keep from saying anything he might later
regret. However, as she walked past him, he shot out his hand and grabbed
her on her upper arm tightly.
"It would be unwise to cross me," said Legolas.
Now he was unable to control his anger. It boiled in his blood unlike ever
before. With sudden power, Myra pulled her arm from the grasp of Legolas
and shoved him harshly. He landed on the ground with a rather loud thud.
He stared up with disbelief at the Wizardess. A light bright and powerful
shown about her with glory. It nearly blinded him with its radiance. It
gave him remembrance of the light she had all about her at their first
meeting in Rivendell. Now it was more blinding and powerful, filled with
rage.
The light diminished in time and Myra fell to
the ground in a slump unto her knees. Her body sagged there for a moment;
her arms dangled, her hands were limp on the ground, her head was lolled
forward as though she were staring at the grass which sat burnt from the
light in a circle about her. Legolas had not an idea of what to do, all
thought had ceased to form itself in his brain. He contemplated calling
for his companions for some kind of assistance, but what was he supposed
to tell them had happened. For one horrid moment he believed her to be
dead. If it had not been for the awkward way in which she was kneeling
instead laying, he would have believed it for longer.
Slowly Myra began to twitch unnaturally, first
in her fingers and than all over. Just as Legolas reached out to calm her
spasms they stopped entirely. He reached hesitantly forward and lifted
her head with his hands. He expected to see her eyes rolled back and only
the whites showing, but was instead meant with her dark brown orbs. With
horror he realized that for a split second she did not recognize him. It
had not taken long for her to remember who he was. She at first had seen
him through mist and haze, but upon its clearing she found that she knew
the blue eyes and the blond hair. He wore something she did not expect
glued to his face: worry.
"Legolas?" she questioned. He nodded and held
her head in his hands with ease, it seemed practically weightless in his
grasp. He heard a call from their campsite; Aragorn, asking if all was
right. Legolas could already hear many feet trampling in their direction.
The noise stopped behind him, but he did not look to see his companions.
"What happened?" asked Merry from a ways behind
Legolas, who guessed the hobbit was probably the farthest away. Myra reached
out and braced herself on Legolas's shoulder as she pushed herself up.
He stood as she did and steadied her when she began to wobble.
"I just became a tad too angry," Myra answered
finally.
"A tad?" said Aragorn unbelievably. "What did
you do to get her so angry, Legolas?"
"Nothing," said Legolas. He finally looked back
to the group who looked on with worry in their eyes. They gazed steadily
back at him with more than a little skepticism. Legolas rolled his head
sideways unto his left shoulder and closed his eyes slightly in exasperation.
It hurt him unexpectedly to have them doubt him in such a way.
"Legolas speaks the truth. He meant no harm I
assure you," said a sweet ringing voice behind him. He turned to see Myra
standing now fully erect with Sam and Frodo keeping closely at her side
in the case that she fell. It surprised him to have her defend him after
what he had said to her, she certainly had no reason to. With a smile aimed
to Legolas she wearily walked back to the camp for an hour or so of rest,
all four hobbits in toe. The other companions watched as she went to tiredly
lay down, her head propped comfortably atop Sam's hobbit cloak.
"I do not want to guess what you truly said to
her, Legolas, but if it happens again I shall be quite upset with you,"
warned Gandalf. He stood bent on his long staff, an old man that was seemingly
innocent. Legolas knew better, though. He knew Gandalf would warn once,
but never again. The last thing Legolas would ever want was a wizard angry
with him. With no reply necessary, Legolas headed back to the camp himself,
in a short time to be followed by the other three.
Settling into the camp he looked over to Myra
sleeping soundly surrounded by the four hobbits; Frodo at her right side,
Sam to her left sleeping on a cloak borrowed from Pippin, Merry with his
head on her left shoulder where Legolas could not see his face unless he
stood to see it pointed up toward the sky, and Pippin soundly asleep with
his head resting on top of her long legs, stretched out to her right. Frodo
still lay awake staring up at the moon and the stars, though sleep began
to overtake his senses. Beside him lay his presently discarded cloak, which
Legolas wished to have to sleep upon. Merry was the only hobbit who actually
still wore his, Pippin did not need his since he lay on Myra's legs and
had given his freely to Sam who had been the first to so generously give
his away.
Legolas saw a shape pass by his other side and
looked over to see Boromir laying down on an especially grassy part of
the ground not far off from the rest of the group. Gimli stood guard in
the south as did Aragorn in the north. Both were on particularly careful
guard now that they had actually been attacked. Aragorn had whispered to
Gimli before heading to his post that he did not believe there would be
another attack since day would break within a few hours. He had even attempted
to convince the dwarf to sleep, but with no luck, Gimli saying that he
would not be able to rest again after such an attack.
Morning fell upon the mountains to the east of
the Company. Aragorn sat on top of a large rock and twirling his sword
in the dirt. When the first rays of sun came haunting his peripheral vision,
he looked back to his companions. Gimli laid on the ground sleeping as
he had been doing for the last twenty minutes. The rest of the Company
also slept, but only Legolas actually had his eyes open. It was odd to
most in their little group who found it odd how the Elf slept, but Aragorn
had been around Elves his entire life and was far used to it. Taking one
last glance to the rising sun, he sheathed his sword and walked to the
sleeping forms of his traveling companions.
With a start Aragorn realized that he had begun
to truly care for them, especially the hobbits. He cast a gaze about the
sleeping Company and smiled to himself. Despite Legolas and Myra's persistent
fighting, Aragorn truly was glad to be with such a group. Even though they
were heading into certain doom he would not want to be doing anything else.
He knew done to his bones that with this one quest he would make his ancestors
proud. Most importantly, he would make his father proud, a task he has
tried to achieve his entire life. With the destruction of the One Ring
they would all receive glory, but only if they live.
A sudden stirring caught his eye. He shifted his
gaze to the movement he saw Pippin moving about in his sleep as in a nightmare.
Disturbed by this movement, Myra woke none too happy. She reached down
to shake Pippin's shoulder to rouse him from his despair. She place a hand
soft on his shoulder, careful not to move her own on which Merry slept,
and shook him lightly. In response, he snorted and threw out a leg that
caught Frodo on the shin.
"Fool of a Took," mumbled Frodo upon his realization
that Pippin had kicked him. Though Pippin himself did not hear this, but
still slept on with no knowledge of his fowl. Frodo closed his eyes once
again and drifted back into a dreamless slumber. Aragorn smiled largely
at the words of Gandalf coming out of the mouth of the hobbit. For the
first time, Aragorn realized that Myra was looking at him.
"Why do you smile so?" said Myra, her head still
laying on Sam's cloak. He merely shook his head and stared back down to
the ground, still smiling lightly. It seemed that Myra attempted to shrug,
but only did so lightly as not to disturb he sleeping hobbits.
"They seem to have grown on you," said Aragorn
of the four hobbits. Myra looked around her at the four sleeping figures.
A smile of her own graced her lips than. She lifted a hand and absently
smoothed Sam's hair, though the curls did not exactly stay in one place.
"I believe I have come to love them as well,"
said Myra truthfully. Sam let out a light sigh as she continued to run
her fingers through his matted hair. The smile she held got wider. She
released his hair and began to stroke the face of Merry with gentleness.
Her attention turned to Frodo at her other side. First her concentration
was on his lonely face. She saw that he lay on his side and he held his
ring that drooped toward the ground.
Her eyes caught the easy rise and fall of a green
clad chest from a short ways beside Frodo. She saw Legolas, eyes wide open
and hand resting on his bow, ready for any danger in a flash as he always
was. Aragorn looked to the Elf as well and could not help but wonder if
the arguments between the two were actually finished. It seemed to him
that Legolas had had a sudden change of heart. The oddest part was that
Myra had defended Legolas to the Company. It had even seemed to surprise
Legolas himself.
"Shall we wake them?" asked Myra. Aragorn thought
at this for a moment. It was well past sunrise and they needed all the
time for travel they could get.
"You must wake the hobbits and I shall wake the
others," said Aragorn. For a moment it seemed that Myra pouted. She did
as asked of her and began to shake the hobbits to wake them. Keeping up
his part of the bargain, Aragorn strolled over to Boromir who laid closer
to Gimli than anyone else, though only by a few meters.
In a few moments the camp would be buzzing with
the talk of many. Sam told all of his odd dream in which he was being seemingly
petted about the hair by an unseen force. Myra smiled guiltily, but none
save Aragorn saw it. Merry too had had a likewise odd dream in which a
mystical hooded being stroked his face in a loving and kind manner. Both
Pippin and Merry held these dreams to be a sort of prophecy of good fortune
in their journey. Boromir had added in that it was widely believed in Gondor
that such a dream may mean that Merry may fall in love soon.
"That would be a wonderful dream come true!" exclaimed
Merry happily. "Almost literally."
"Who do you think it will be?" asked Pippin. Merry
thought for a moment, but honestly had no answer.
"A lucky lass," said Sam. Frodo smiled as did
Merry from beside him. They laughed happily as converse continued. With
a small breakfast eaten, they placed their packs unto Bill the pony and
started off once again. Gandalf lead their convoy, attempting to find a
safe way to cross over the mountain. Many times did Gimli speak from beside
him that they should cross through Moria. As soon as Gandalf began to trance
out Gimli, the dwarf went to Myra.
"Gandalf!" called Myra from behind Boromir. The
wizard stopped and turned to the sound of her voice. The harsh wind had
carried it in echo up the Misty Mountains. "Perhaps we should listen to
the dwarf. He should know moria very well indeed."
Gandalf thought deeply for a moment. He seemed
to consider this carefully. Gimli for a moment was upset that the old wizard
had chosen to listen to Myra and not to him. This feeling soon passed as
he knew that it would be well worth it if Gandalf chose to move through
Moria.
"Moria it shall be," said Gandalf. It had not
been until that moment that he noticed what a hold Myra had upon him. Most
would never be able to change his mind once it was set. However, Myra had
always know what was best before, and she was older than him. He had to
admit that she was even far wiser than he, though she not always acted
as such. So with these thoughts he lead on again, now to the Mines of Moria.
To Be Continued...
A/N: That was longer than the first chapter so I'm happy.
:) See. I've already begun the sequel to this story. It is called
'All the King's Men'. I have a small problem, though. There's a baby born
in the first chapter of the story and I have no clue what to name her!
If you've got a good name, I'd love to hear it. To help you a bit, she's
the daughter of Legolas, so have it be somewhat Elvish if you can. Thanks!!!