Disclaimer: AU Story. My second large fic because it gave me so much
pleasure writing the last. I do not own any of the characters or places in
this story- both belong to the genius, Tolkien. I know; I torture the
characters but I will do my very best to save them. Hope you enjoy!
Lil*bee: Thank you, O faithful one. Hope it's going well on the outside in the realms of the real world.
Belthronding: I'm glad people appear to fit their roles. I update quickly because I have way too much time on my hands. Hehe.
JaimeyKay: The story is going to be a little gentler and more angsty rather than battle driven- but I'm so happy that it's working out.
TrueFan: Great! Trials of Lórien is turning out to be lots of "fun" to write. If you can describe it like that. I get to see TTT on Monday again- so- darn it, you see it twice before me. How many times did you go to see FOTR at the cinema? Beat 6!
I've started using dividers! Hooray!
~ Chapter Five ~
Aragorn did not leave. He was angry. The elves had left the hobbits all by themselves! It was unheard of. He remembered what Legolas had said when he came down- that Haldir and Frodo had argued. Was that the reason they had gone? Left the hobbits to fend for themselves? Frodo was curled up against him- still sleeping. He could do nothing at present. He would need to find something to heal Frodo, eventually but for the while he was breathing easily.
Morning light came silvery grey in the sky. The stars were still visible when the hobbits and Aragorn awoke. Frodo seemed, at first, to be none the worse for last night. Merry came across to his friend and touched his gingerly on the side. Frodo stirred and his eyelids drew back.
"G'morning," he said drowsily, smiling. Merry sighed with relief.
"You are feeling better then?"
"Better? Better than what?" Frodo asked, "Oh! Last night, you mean. To be honest, Merry, I can hardly remember a thing about it."
"What do you remember?" the hobbit pressed.
"Well, I had been crying. I woke Sam and we spoke then- about.. Gandalf. He told me to get some sleep and I suppose I did but it's so vague after that. I remember fire- everywhere. Lighting the darkness. But, it went away, as if it had never been there." Frodo's eyes lowered to the floor as if reliving the whole night for himself again. "And then Gollum was there, trying to get the Ring but I knew I couldn't. He was strangling me. I really hurt! I could not breathe and then- I wake up to find all this. Just normal again. Come to think of it, Merry, how did you know? Did I call out in my sleep?"
"It was not all nightmares, Frodo," said Merry softly, "Gollum was here. You started saying things too, when Aragorn arrived. In fact, you sounded a lot like Gollum."
Frodo looked up- terrified.
"No. I can't have."
"It's alright, Frodo. I'm sure you didn't-"
"Merry! If I ever start talking like that again- hit me. Or shout at me. But you cannot allow it to happen ever again. Will you promise me?"
"Frodo, I'm not sure if it matters all that much."
"I don't want to turn into Gollum, Merry," Frodo whispered, sitting up stiffly, "I- I- ow, my neck."
At Frodo's moved, Aragorn too awoke. He sat up to see the hobbit in distress but Frodo shook his head.
"No, I am alright. Just a bit sore. Look, let's see if we can find the others."
The ranger hesitated then nodded.
--
After retrieving their baggage from the trees, they met up with Boromir, Gimli and Legolas again and Haldir. It was all Aragorn could do to stop himself launching at the elf and slamming him into a tree.
"You left the hobbits alone," he said testily. Haldir nodded.
"There were orcs at the border. We were summoned to protect our land. I am sorry."
"Could you have not at least left a guard or tell them where you were going?" Aragorn asked, his voice rising. He felt Frodo's hand on his arm, trying to calm him. Haldir did not reply. He was very unused at being spoken to so often in this manner. He caught the Fellowship looking at him expectantly and he shook himself.
"My brother, Rúmil and I will guide you down the south road now. Follow closely as only the elves use this route. If you stray too far, you will not find your way back."
The company shared somewhat amused glances when Haldir turned. But they obeyed him and did not walk far. Rúmil and Haldir led them deep into the Golden Wood, walking the course of the Silverlode stream. It seemed not to have any colour but silver in the early light. It did not appear to even flow- just a glinting streak amid the trees.
"My companions wait on the other side. We will have to use ropes to get to them."
He let out a low whistle and an elf stepped- seemingly from nowhere- onto the bank. He was carrying some slender grey rope, much like the type used for the ladder before. There were three coils and one by one, each end was thrown across and attached to various places on opposite trees. After only a short while, a way across the stream had formed and the Fellowship were permitted to cross. Legolas went first, running lightly across without any difficulty. Then Haldir, going across as if he was on a road. The others were very envious and stumbled across- even Aragorn not willing to look down into the icy waters.
"You have entered the Naith of Lórien. Few strangers have ever been allowed to walk upon it and now, as agreed, Gimli the dwarf will be blindfolded," Haldir said. It was clear he was not pleased at allowing the dwarf to even pass through here- almost fearing he might break the years of mystery and magic within the Naith. Gimli was fuming.
"When was this decided? I was not consulted! I ought to- I ought to- Tell him, Aragorn!"
Legolas rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Gimli, my friend, I think you should be grateful for being allowed to pass through Lothlórien at all. It was nearly decided that you were to remain behind."
"Well then why didn't they just leave me?" Gimli grumbled. Rúmil was approaching, bearing a broad strip of green-grey cloth.
"Why do you think Frodo was shouting so?" Legolas said softly.
And the dwarf relented- letting his eyes be covered over. And through his blindness, he heard a small voice say,
"I don't think it's fair for Gimli to be singled out. Let us all be blindfolded."
Aragorn and Legolas smiled at each other and nodded to Haldir.
"I think Pippin is right. Come, blindfold us all and then you may lead us through the Naith of Lórien."
~
So- was that alright? I'm very uncertain about this chapter. Please tell me of any mistakes or faults I've made. Accuracy is a big issue on my mind right now.
Lil*bee: Thank you, O faithful one. Hope it's going well on the outside in the realms of the real world.
Belthronding: I'm glad people appear to fit their roles. I update quickly because I have way too much time on my hands. Hehe.
JaimeyKay: The story is going to be a little gentler and more angsty rather than battle driven- but I'm so happy that it's working out.
TrueFan: Great! Trials of Lórien is turning out to be lots of "fun" to write. If you can describe it like that. I get to see TTT on Monday again- so- darn it, you see it twice before me. How many times did you go to see FOTR at the cinema? Beat 6!
I've started using dividers! Hooray!
~ Chapter Five ~
Aragorn did not leave. He was angry. The elves had left the hobbits all by themselves! It was unheard of. He remembered what Legolas had said when he came down- that Haldir and Frodo had argued. Was that the reason they had gone? Left the hobbits to fend for themselves? Frodo was curled up against him- still sleeping. He could do nothing at present. He would need to find something to heal Frodo, eventually but for the while he was breathing easily.
Morning light came silvery grey in the sky. The stars were still visible when the hobbits and Aragorn awoke. Frodo seemed, at first, to be none the worse for last night. Merry came across to his friend and touched his gingerly on the side. Frodo stirred and his eyelids drew back.
"G'morning," he said drowsily, smiling. Merry sighed with relief.
"You are feeling better then?"
"Better? Better than what?" Frodo asked, "Oh! Last night, you mean. To be honest, Merry, I can hardly remember a thing about it."
"What do you remember?" the hobbit pressed.
"Well, I had been crying. I woke Sam and we spoke then- about.. Gandalf. He told me to get some sleep and I suppose I did but it's so vague after that. I remember fire- everywhere. Lighting the darkness. But, it went away, as if it had never been there." Frodo's eyes lowered to the floor as if reliving the whole night for himself again. "And then Gollum was there, trying to get the Ring but I knew I couldn't. He was strangling me. I really hurt! I could not breathe and then- I wake up to find all this. Just normal again. Come to think of it, Merry, how did you know? Did I call out in my sleep?"
"It was not all nightmares, Frodo," said Merry softly, "Gollum was here. You started saying things too, when Aragorn arrived. In fact, you sounded a lot like Gollum."
Frodo looked up- terrified.
"No. I can't have."
"It's alright, Frodo. I'm sure you didn't-"
"Merry! If I ever start talking like that again- hit me. Or shout at me. But you cannot allow it to happen ever again. Will you promise me?"
"Frodo, I'm not sure if it matters all that much."
"I don't want to turn into Gollum, Merry," Frodo whispered, sitting up stiffly, "I- I- ow, my neck."
At Frodo's moved, Aragorn too awoke. He sat up to see the hobbit in distress but Frodo shook his head.
"No, I am alright. Just a bit sore. Look, let's see if we can find the others."
The ranger hesitated then nodded.
--
After retrieving their baggage from the trees, they met up with Boromir, Gimli and Legolas again and Haldir. It was all Aragorn could do to stop himself launching at the elf and slamming him into a tree.
"You left the hobbits alone," he said testily. Haldir nodded.
"There were orcs at the border. We were summoned to protect our land. I am sorry."
"Could you have not at least left a guard or tell them where you were going?" Aragorn asked, his voice rising. He felt Frodo's hand on his arm, trying to calm him. Haldir did not reply. He was very unused at being spoken to so often in this manner. He caught the Fellowship looking at him expectantly and he shook himself.
"My brother, Rúmil and I will guide you down the south road now. Follow closely as only the elves use this route. If you stray too far, you will not find your way back."
The company shared somewhat amused glances when Haldir turned. But they obeyed him and did not walk far. Rúmil and Haldir led them deep into the Golden Wood, walking the course of the Silverlode stream. It seemed not to have any colour but silver in the early light. It did not appear to even flow- just a glinting streak amid the trees.
"My companions wait on the other side. We will have to use ropes to get to them."
He let out a low whistle and an elf stepped- seemingly from nowhere- onto the bank. He was carrying some slender grey rope, much like the type used for the ladder before. There were three coils and one by one, each end was thrown across and attached to various places on opposite trees. After only a short while, a way across the stream had formed and the Fellowship were permitted to cross. Legolas went first, running lightly across without any difficulty. Then Haldir, going across as if he was on a road. The others were very envious and stumbled across- even Aragorn not willing to look down into the icy waters.
"You have entered the Naith of Lórien. Few strangers have ever been allowed to walk upon it and now, as agreed, Gimli the dwarf will be blindfolded," Haldir said. It was clear he was not pleased at allowing the dwarf to even pass through here- almost fearing he might break the years of mystery and magic within the Naith. Gimli was fuming.
"When was this decided? I was not consulted! I ought to- I ought to- Tell him, Aragorn!"
Legolas rested a hand on his shoulder.
"Gimli, my friend, I think you should be grateful for being allowed to pass through Lothlórien at all. It was nearly decided that you were to remain behind."
"Well then why didn't they just leave me?" Gimli grumbled. Rúmil was approaching, bearing a broad strip of green-grey cloth.
"Why do you think Frodo was shouting so?" Legolas said softly.
And the dwarf relented- letting his eyes be covered over. And through his blindness, he heard a small voice say,
"I don't think it's fair for Gimli to be singled out. Let us all be blindfolded."
Aragorn and Legolas smiled at each other and nodded to Haldir.
"I think Pippin is right. Come, blindfold us all and then you may lead us through the Naith of Lórien."
~
So- was that alright? I'm very uncertain about this chapter. Please tell me of any mistakes or faults I've made. Accuracy is a big issue on my mind right now.