Title: The Long Road Home
Author/Email: MaraJade (LadyJadeSky@comcast.net)
Rating: G or PG (I'm so bad at this!)
Summary: Strider leads the hobbits to Rivendell
Archive: Mellon Chronicles, if they want, anyone else just ask!
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue!
Warnings: Not beta'd. I'm playing in both movieverse and bookverse with this one. I'm not entirely sure of the elvish spelling, so if you notice something wrong, please let me know. I can say it, but I can't spell it.
Aragorn was exhausted. He was ready to sleep for a week, but that wouldn't be possible. Not until he saw his charges safely to Rivendell. And the hobbits still didn't trust him. They followed him because they did not know the way, but they did not really trust him.
They would reach Amon Sul tonight, if he could keep the hobbits from stopping too often. He wondered if it would be possible for him to sleep for a few hours before dawn. That seemed the best time for him to rest. His body was insisting that he get some sleep and that he get it soon. He would have loved to have been able to wait until he was more certain about his companions' ability to stay awake for a watch period, but he wasn't sure that would be possible with his body's demand for rest. He could make up for his lack of proper sleep when he got to Rivendell. He couldn't wait to see his family and friends. It had been far too long since his last visit home.
There it was, finally. Weathertop. "This was the great watchtower of Amon Sul," he told his companions. "We will rest here tonight." He gave each of them a short sword and went to scout the area. He walked for a long while before stopping to rest and drink from his water bag. A sound floated on the air that had him racing back to their camp. It could have just been the little ones practicing with their new weapons, but that didn't feel right.
He reached the top of the ruins to see five Wraiths attacking three hobbits. The most important hobbit was nowhere in sight. As foolish as it was, he hoped the young hobbit was wearing the ring. After dispatching the last of the Wraiths, he heard Sam call for him.
"He's been stabbed with a Morgul blade. This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs elvish medicine. Grab your things, quickly. We must make all haste to Rivendell." Aragorn picked up Frodo and they made their way back to their campsite, where the hobbits quickly got their packs. Aragorn made sure there was little evidence of their presence, and they quickly set out again.
Aragorn wasn't exactly sure how long they had been running, but Frodo was getting steadily worse and the other hobbits could not go much further. There! That small clearing would be perfect for a rest, and he needed to gather some herbs. Which hobbit was the gardener again? Ah. "Sam, do you know the athelas plant?"
"Athelas?"
"Kingsfoil," Aragorn tried again.
"Kingsfoil, aye it's a weed."
He sent Sam with a torch to try to find the plant and then set out himself after making sure the other hobbits would stay put. It took but a few minutes to find some athelas, but as he grabbed his dagger to cut the plant, he felt a sword at his throat.
"What's this? A Ranger, caught off his guard?"
The elvish face that greeted him when he turned was a welcome relief that caused him to sigh. "One in my care has been stabbed by a Nazgul. I need your help."
"I'm not the healer Lord Elrond is, but I will do what I can. Hurry with the athelas." With that, the elf mounted a large white stallion and galloped off.
Aragorn returned to find Glorfindel hunched over Frodo while Sam, Merry, and Pippin clung to each other, whispering fervently.
"We must get him to your father, quickly," Glorfindel advised when Frodo cried out as the athelas was applied to his wound. Aragorn gently picked up the hobbit and carried him over to Asfaloth. He set Frodo on the horse's bare withers.
When Aragorn offered to take the injured hobbit, Glorfindel replied, "Hon mabathon. Rochon ellint im. [I'll take him. I'm the faster rider.]"
"Andelu i ven. [The road is dangerous.]"
"Frodo fir. Ae athredon i hir, tur gwaith nin beriatha hon. [Frodo is dying. If I can get him across the river, the power of my people will protect him.]"
"Be iest lin. [As you wish.]" Aragorn relented, steadying Frodo as Glorfindel nimbly leapt onto the horse's back.
"Noro lim, Asfaloth. Noro lim!" Glorfindel called to his horse.
Aragorn watched as Asfaloth and his riders disappeared from view ignoring the complaints of the remaining hobbits. "We will rest here tonight. I will take the first watch. We will set out again in the morning," he informed them. The hobbits quickly settled down, and Aragorn resigned himself to another sleepless night, deciding the hobbits needed more rest than he.
They reached the outskirts of Rivendell several days later. The hobbits were exhausted, though Aragorn had done all he could to ease their journey now that the ring was in Rivendell, almost to the point of making himself completely useless. He doubted he would have been able to put up much of a fight if they had come across the Nazgul again. He hadn't anticipated much resistance, though, since they were not in the company of the ring.
So tired was he, that he almost did not hear the elf land behind him. "Careless, Estel! I could have been an enemy," the elf scolded.
"Nefnilion, if you weren't a friend I'd hurt you for that!" Aragorn jested.
"Come, Lord Elrond and his sons await. Though I think there is someone else who is also awaiting your arrival, my friend."
"Are you going to escort us, or just talk our ears off?" Aragorn smirked, and received a playful shove for his impudence. He stumbled and grunted, trying to regain his balance.
Nefnilion was immediately concerned. "Are you injured, Estel?"
"No, Nef. Just tired. We've been traveling for days with little rest."
"I'll say!" Sam interjected.
"Where are your manners, Estel? You were raised better than this! Introduce me to your comrades."
"Forgive me, all of you. Masters Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck, and Peregrin Took, meet Nefnilion, scout for Lord Elrond."
Pleasantries and small talk were exchanged on the way to the Last Homely House. Aragorn was faring little better than the halflings, and Nefnilion kept a sharp eye on all of them. When they arrived, Elrond bid them all welcome and sent the hobbits to sleep, while Elladan and Elrohir interrogated Aragorn, firing off questions so fast the human could not answer them.
"Elladan! Elrohir! Let your brother answer one question before you ask him another," Elrond commanded.
"Are you well?" Elladan asked.
"Fine," Aragorn answered, his voice hoarse with exhaustion.
"How many Wraiths did you encounter?" the other twin asked.
"Five, though they fled quickly when I challenged them. I was scouting the outlying area and they must have snuck behind me."
Elrond let the questions continue for a few more minutes, before demanding the twins quit pestering their brother.
"We are just getting him back for all the times he did this to us!" Elladan claimed. Elrohir quickly agreed.
"Ignore your brothers and go rest, my son. We will talk later," Elrond said.
Thank you, father. I will seek you out later."
"Rest well, brother," Elladan said, and Elrohir quickly echoed the sentiment. Aragorn smiled as he made his way to his room. It was good to be home.
End.
Author/Email: MaraJade (LadyJadeSky@comcast.net)
Rating: G or PG (I'm so bad at this!)
Summary: Strider leads the hobbits to Rivendell
Archive: Mellon Chronicles, if they want, anyone else just ask!
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue!
Warnings: Not beta'd. I'm playing in both movieverse and bookverse with this one. I'm not entirely sure of the elvish spelling, so if you notice something wrong, please let me know. I can say it, but I can't spell it.
Aragorn was exhausted. He was ready to sleep for a week, but that wouldn't be possible. Not until he saw his charges safely to Rivendell. And the hobbits still didn't trust him. They followed him because they did not know the way, but they did not really trust him.
They would reach Amon Sul tonight, if he could keep the hobbits from stopping too often. He wondered if it would be possible for him to sleep for a few hours before dawn. That seemed the best time for him to rest. His body was insisting that he get some sleep and that he get it soon. He would have loved to have been able to wait until he was more certain about his companions' ability to stay awake for a watch period, but he wasn't sure that would be possible with his body's demand for rest. He could make up for his lack of proper sleep when he got to Rivendell. He couldn't wait to see his family and friends. It had been far too long since his last visit home.
There it was, finally. Weathertop. "This was the great watchtower of Amon Sul," he told his companions. "We will rest here tonight." He gave each of them a short sword and went to scout the area. He walked for a long while before stopping to rest and drink from his water bag. A sound floated on the air that had him racing back to their camp. It could have just been the little ones practicing with their new weapons, but that didn't feel right.
He reached the top of the ruins to see five Wraiths attacking three hobbits. The most important hobbit was nowhere in sight. As foolish as it was, he hoped the young hobbit was wearing the ring. After dispatching the last of the Wraiths, he heard Sam call for him.
"He's been stabbed with a Morgul blade. This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs elvish medicine. Grab your things, quickly. We must make all haste to Rivendell." Aragorn picked up Frodo and they made their way back to their campsite, where the hobbits quickly got their packs. Aragorn made sure there was little evidence of their presence, and they quickly set out again.
Aragorn wasn't exactly sure how long they had been running, but Frodo was getting steadily worse and the other hobbits could not go much further. There! That small clearing would be perfect for a rest, and he needed to gather some herbs. Which hobbit was the gardener again? Ah. "Sam, do you know the athelas plant?"
"Athelas?"
"Kingsfoil," Aragorn tried again.
"Kingsfoil, aye it's a weed."
He sent Sam with a torch to try to find the plant and then set out himself after making sure the other hobbits would stay put. It took but a few minutes to find some athelas, but as he grabbed his dagger to cut the plant, he felt a sword at his throat.
"What's this? A Ranger, caught off his guard?"
The elvish face that greeted him when he turned was a welcome relief that caused him to sigh. "One in my care has been stabbed by a Nazgul. I need your help."
"I'm not the healer Lord Elrond is, but I will do what I can. Hurry with the athelas." With that, the elf mounted a large white stallion and galloped off.
Aragorn returned to find Glorfindel hunched over Frodo while Sam, Merry, and Pippin clung to each other, whispering fervently.
"We must get him to your father, quickly," Glorfindel advised when Frodo cried out as the athelas was applied to his wound. Aragorn gently picked up the hobbit and carried him over to Asfaloth. He set Frodo on the horse's bare withers.
When Aragorn offered to take the injured hobbit, Glorfindel replied, "Hon mabathon. Rochon ellint im. [I'll take him. I'm the faster rider.]"
"Andelu i ven. [The road is dangerous.]"
"Frodo fir. Ae athredon i hir, tur gwaith nin beriatha hon. [Frodo is dying. If I can get him across the river, the power of my people will protect him.]"
"Be iest lin. [As you wish.]" Aragorn relented, steadying Frodo as Glorfindel nimbly leapt onto the horse's back.
"Noro lim, Asfaloth. Noro lim!" Glorfindel called to his horse.
Aragorn watched as Asfaloth and his riders disappeared from view ignoring the complaints of the remaining hobbits. "We will rest here tonight. I will take the first watch. We will set out again in the morning," he informed them. The hobbits quickly settled down, and Aragorn resigned himself to another sleepless night, deciding the hobbits needed more rest than he.
They reached the outskirts of Rivendell several days later. The hobbits were exhausted, though Aragorn had done all he could to ease their journey now that the ring was in Rivendell, almost to the point of making himself completely useless. He doubted he would have been able to put up much of a fight if they had come across the Nazgul again. He hadn't anticipated much resistance, though, since they were not in the company of the ring.
So tired was he, that he almost did not hear the elf land behind him. "Careless, Estel! I could have been an enemy," the elf scolded.
"Nefnilion, if you weren't a friend I'd hurt you for that!" Aragorn jested.
"Come, Lord Elrond and his sons await. Though I think there is someone else who is also awaiting your arrival, my friend."
"Are you going to escort us, or just talk our ears off?" Aragorn smirked, and received a playful shove for his impudence. He stumbled and grunted, trying to regain his balance.
Nefnilion was immediately concerned. "Are you injured, Estel?"
"No, Nef. Just tired. We've been traveling for days with little rest."
"I'll say!" Sam interjected.
"Where are your manners, Estel? You were raised better than this! Introduce me to your comrades."
"Forgive me, all of you. Masters Samwise Gamgee, Meriadoc Brandybuck, and Peregrin Took, meet Nefnilion, scout for Lord Elrond."
Pleasantries and small talk were exchanged on the way to the Last Homely House. Aragorn was faring little better than the halflings, and Nefnilion kept a sharp eye on all of them. When they arrived, Elrond bid them all welcome and sent the hobbits to sleep, while Elladan and Elrohir interrogated Aragorn, firing off questions so fast the human could not answer them.
"Elladan! Elrohir! Let your brother answer one question before you ask him another," Elrond commanded.
"Are you well?" Elladan asked.
"Fine," Aragorn answered, his voice hoarse with exhaustion.
"How many Wraiths did you encounter?" the other twin asked.
"Five, though they fled quickly when I challenged them. I was scouting the outlying area and they must have snuck behind me."
Elrond let the questions continue for a few more minutes, before demanding the twins quit pestering their brother.
"We are just getting him back for all the times he did this to us!" Elladan claimed. Elrohir quickly agreed.
"Ignore your brothers and go rest, my son. We will talk later," Elrond said.
Thank you, father. I will seek you out later."
"Rest well, brother," Elladan said, and Elrohir quickly echoed the sentiment. Aragorn smiled as he made his way to his room. It was good to be home.
End.