Chapter Number: 23
Chapter Title: Reunion II
Original Chapter Title: They Find them
"Elle? Elanor wake up. We have to go." Lauri said as she gently shook her hobbit friend. The rain had stopped by the early morning, giving the elf a chance to look around and check their bearings.
"What? Oh, all right." the blonde hobbit said as she sat up.
"The fog isn't so bad this morning. Try not to fall into anymore rivers." Lauri said with a smile.
"I shall try my best." Elanor said, picking up her pack. "All of our things are still wet"
"At least the rain stopped. We will try to dry them later. Right now we must be on our way. If we don't hurry, we'll never catch up to them." Lauri said as they began to walk towards a more wooded area in the distance.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As the sun rose higher in the sky, and the week wore on, the two friends continued on through the mud and puddles from last night's rainfall.
"We need more water." Elle announced as she held up her empty canteen.
"And I think we should get some fire wood from here. I think some of the trees there are still dry, and it looks like it may rain again. We can't build a fire with wet branches." Lauri pointed out.
"I suppose you're right."
"I'll get the firewood, and you can go get some the water. That is, if I can trust you around large amounts of it." Lauri questioned, trying desperately to lighten the mood. Ever since Elle had found out about Sam, she had been quiet, and unhappy, and this was something the elf was not used to from her friend.
"I'm sure you can." Elle said, but still did not look any happier.
Lauri frowned, kneeling down in front of her friend. "We will find them. Don't worry." she said, "Do try and cheer up some." she added.
"I will try." Elle said with a slight smile.
"All right, you be careful, don't go out of my hearing distance." Lauri said, knowing very well that that would be very difficult for anyone to do.
As Elle headed off towards the swamp, Lauri headed into the trees, searching for dry branches. She found a few amongst the constant damp that seemed to dominate most of them. She was about to head back out towards the plain, when she heard a crunch and a snap, off in the distance.
She turned and headed towards the sound, being careful not to be seen. Being heard was not a problem, for when she walked, she, like every other elf, barely made a sound.
She stopped behind a rather large tree and peered around the trunk and could believe her eyes. She saw none other than Samwise Gamgee, searching for firewood as well. She quietly crept out from behind the tree, and snuck up right behind the unsuspecting hobbit. Then, in one swift movement lifted the hobbit a good 4 feet off the ground into a hug.
"Sam! Fancy meeting you here!" she laughed
"AH! Miss Lauri is that you?!" the hobbit cried startled.
"Of course it's me! How many elves do you know who are wondering about this far away from their homes?"
"Two actually, but that's not the point. Where is everyone else?"
Lauri's eyes stopped their happy sparkling and she became very serious.
"It's only Elanor and myself I'm afraid." she said.
"You don't mean they're.?"
"No. no they're not dead, well, Boromir is.and Merry and Pippin were.kidnapped,"
"And the others?" Sam asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer, for fear of more bad news.
"Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas..." she stopped briefly at the mention of the other elf's name, "went to find Merry and Pippin. They are not harmed. Where is Frodo?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Frodo sat at the waters edge, his canteen was already full. The swamp stunk but this water was clean enough to drink. To the right of him was a huge boulder, it stuck out of the land like a miniature peninsula. It divided him from the other side of the shore line, but he could still hear everything that went on over there. A bird cried as it dove into the water to catch a fish. Frodo heard it land on the shore and begin to devour it's meal. But then, without warning, it took off. It even left the fish behind. 'I wonder what predator chased it off?' he wondered.
Elanor trudged along the plain to the shore. A bird sat there , enjoying it's meal of fresh caught fish. 'Stupid bird.' she thought as she kicked it. The bird took off as Elanor put the fish aside. Dipping her canteen into the water, she waited till all of the bubbles came to the top before drawing it out again. The hobbit screwed the top back on in empty satisfaction and brought it up to her face. Suddenly she felt that she was getting wet. Her canteen had a hole on the bottom. It was a rather large hole, and a solution could have been found to fix it but this was the last straw.
Elanor was tired of the disappointments, the loss, and the pain. In anger she threw the canteen over a rock that stood between her and whatever was on the other side. Slowly, she melted into hysteria and weeping.
"Ow!" Frodo yelled as a rather full canteen came flying at his head. Rubbing his head he picked it up and turned it over in his hands. It had a roughly embroidered 'E' in the center and a hole in the bottom. Tracing his fingers over the handiwork a million thoughts went through his mind. But then, he heard something. It was crying, someone was crying. But from where? He looked at the rock and noted the fact that whatever it happened to be, was on the other side. He hoped it was who it sounded like. He hoped with all his soul it was her.
"Elanor?" Frodo called, his throat swelling. "Elanor, is that you?"
"GO AWAY!" She screamed between the sobs. "You aren't real! Stop messing with my mind! Leave me alone!" She coughed and spat before she leaned back onto the rock gasping in short breaths of air. "Besides, an illusion always sounds too good to be true."
Frodo hadn't expected this reaction. His heart was in his throat when he slowly peered over the rock. At first he saw nothing, but he could still hear her whimper. He bolted to the other side and stopped right in front of her. He held his breath and just stood there. Elle lazily looked up into his face and swallowed. Frodo bent down and put his hand on her cheek. His hand tingled as he wiped away some of her tears. She blinked several times before she pulled his hand away and drew in his face instead. She kissed him on his cheek. And at that, they were certain. Frodo kissed her on her quivering lips and down they fell, into eternal bliss.
A.N.: ELLE: It would be really cool if I could find a canteen with an 'E' embroidered on it. As my real name starts with an 'E'.....teehee
LAURI: I feel slightly more lucky now. I actually DID get to post two chapters today! That's wonderful! Ahh, things are starting to get interesting! Also, I think hugging a hobbit would be fun! Heehee! Please R/R.
Chapter Title: Reunion II
Original Chapter Title: They Find them
"Elle? Elanor wake up. We have to go." Lauri said as she gently shook her hobbit friend. The rain had stopped by the early morning, giving the elf a chance to look around and check their bearings.
"What? Oh, all right." the blonde hobbit said as she sat up.
"The fog isn't so bad this morning. Try not to fall into anymore rivers." Lauri said with a smile.
"I shall try my best." Elanor said, picking up her pack. "All of our things are still wet"
"At least the rain stopped. We will try to dry them later. Right now we must be on our way. If we don't hurry, we'll never catch up to them." Lauri said as they began to walk towards a more wooded area in the distance.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
As the sun rose higher in the sky, and the week wore on, the two friends continued on through the mud and puddles from last night's rainfall.
"We need more water." Elle announced as she held up her empty canteen.
"And I think we should get some fire wood from here. I think some of the trees there are still dry, and it looks like it may rain again. We can't build a fire with wet branches." Lauri pointed out.
"I suppose you're right."
"I'll get the firewood, and you can go get some the water. That is, if I can trust you around large amounts of it." Lauri questioned, trying desperately to lighten the mood. Ever since Elle had found out about Sam, she had been quiet, and unhappy, and this was something the elf was not used to from her friend.
"I'm sure you can." Elle said, but still did not look any happier.
Lauri frowned, kneeling down in front of her friend. "We will find them. Don't worry." she said, "Do try and cheer up some." she added.
"I will try." Elle said with a slight smile.
"All right, you be careful, don't go out of my hearing distance." Lauri said, knowing very well that that would be very difficult for anyone to do.
As Elle headed off towards the swamp, Lauri headed into the trees, searching for dry branches. She found a few amongst the constant damp that seemed to dominate most of them. She was about to head back out towards the plain, when she heard a crunch and a snap, off in the distance.
She turned and headed towards the sound, being careful not to be seen. Being heard was not a problem, for when she walked, she, like every other elf, barely made a sound.
She stopped behind a rather large tree and peered around the trunk and could believe her eyes. She saw none other than Samwise Gamgee, searching for firewood as well. She quietly crept out from behind the tree, and snuck up right behind the unsuspecting hobbit. Then, in one swift movement lifted the hobbit a good 4 feet off the ground into a hug.
"Sam! Fancy meeting you here!" she laughed
"AH! Miss Lauri is that you?!" the hobbit cried startled.
"Of course it's me! How many elves do you know who are wondering about this far away from their homes?"
"Two actually, but that's not the point. Where is everyone else?"
Lauri's eyes stopped their happy sparkling and she became very serious.
"It's only Elanor and myself I'm afraid." she said.
"You don't mean they're.?"
"No. no they're not dead, well, Boromir is.and Merry and Pippin were.kidnapped,"
"And the others?" Sam asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer, for fear of more bad news.
"Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas..." she stopped briefly at the mention of the other elf's name, "went to find Merry and Pippin. They are not harmed. Where is Frodo?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Frodo sat at the waters edge, his canteen was already full. The swamp stunk but this water was clean enough to drink. To the right of him was a huge boulder, it stuck out of the land like a miniature peninsula. It divided him from the other side of the shore line, but he could still hear everything that went on over there. A bird cried as it dove into the water to catch a fish. Frodo heard it land on the shore and begin to devour it's meal. But then, without warning, it took off. It even left the fish behind. 'I wonder what predator chased it off?' he wondered.
Elanor trudged along the plain to the shore. A bird sat there , enjoying it's meal of fresh caught fish. 'Stupid bird.' she thought as she kicked it. The bird took off as Elanor put the fish aside. Dipping her canteen into the water, she waited till all of the bubbles came to the top before drawing it out again. The hobbit screwed the top back on in empty satisfaction and brought it up to her face. Suddenly she felt that she was getting wet. Her canteen had a hole on the bottom. It was a rather large hole, and a solution could have been found to fix it but this was the last straw.
Elanor was tired of the disappointments, the loss, and the pain. In anger she threw the canteen over a rock that stood between her and whatever was on the other side. Slowly, she melted into hysteria and weeping.
"Ow!" Frodo yelled as a rather full canteen came flying at his head. Rubbing his head he picked it up and turned it over in his hands. It had a roughly embroidered 'E' in the center and a hole in the bottom. Tracing his fingers over the handiwork a million thoughts went through his mind. But then, he heard something. It was crying, someone was crying. But from where? He looked at the rock and noted the fact that whatever it happened to be, was on the other side. He hoped it was who it sounded like. He hoped with all his soul it was her.
"Elanor?" Frodo called, his throat swelling. "Elanor, is that you?"
"GO AWAY!" She screamed between the sobs. "You aren't real! Stop messing with my mind! Leave me alone!" She coughed and spat before she leaned back onto the rock gasping in short breaths of air. "Besides, an illusion always sounds too good to be true."
Frodo hadn't expected this reaction. His heart was in his throat when he slowly peered over the rock. At first he saw nothing, but he could still hear her whimper. He bolted to the other side and stopped right in front of her. He held his breath and just stood there. Elle lazily looked up into his face and swallowed. Frodo bent down and put his hand on her cheek. His hand tingled as he wiped away some of her tears. She blinked several times before she pulled his hand away and drew in his face instead. She kissed him on his cheek. And at that, they were certain. Frodo kissed her on her quivering lips and down they fell, into eternal bliss.
A.N.: ELLE: It would be really cool if I could find a canteen with an 'E' embroidered on it. As my real name starts with an 'E'.....teehee
LAURI: I feel slightly more lucky now. I actually DID get to post two chapters today! That's wonderful! Ahh, things are starting to get interesting! Also, I think hugging a hobbit would be fun! Heehee! Please R/R.