Here's the fifth chapter, I hope you liked the last one!
On with the show!
Chapter Five: Secrets of the wind
*******
The next morning the Fellowship trudged higher up Caradharas. The hobbits and Malaika stayed in the center of the group, Aragorn and Gandalf led, while Boromir, Legolas and Gimli stayed in the back.
Pippin moved over toward Malaika and asked,
"Malaika? Are you alright?"
She mumbled something inaudible, then said,
"Oh, yes, I'm fine Pippin," she said, "just a little tired."
His green eyes holding concern for the young girl, Pippin turned back to his conversation with Merry.
Pain flashed momentarily through the girl's eyes, and she moved up to Gandalf.
"Gandalf, I have a headache. May we rest for a bit?"
The old wizard nodded and glanced to the horizon.
"Yes, we may rest for the moment. It is about lunchtime."
Malaika smiled wearily and sat down on a nearby rock, cradling her throbbing head.
Aragorn sighed and turned to Gandalf.
"She cannot stay with us much longer. Our meal and drink are running low, and she is just another nuisance to the Fellowship." Gandalf shook his head.
"Nay, Aragorn. I believe she has some part to play, yet for good or ill, I do not know."
Malaika sighed and looked around. 'I wonder when we will rest for the night,' she thought.
She smiled to herself and shook her head slightly. 'Not for a while.'
The company rose and headed off again under a blank, dreary sky.
Merry and Pippin, along with Malaika, were whispering conversations with each other out of earshot of the others, minus Legolas.
"I'm hungry, Merry," Pippin whispered to his friend.
Malaika smiled.
"You just ate, Pippin. How could you be hungry?" Pippin shrugged and they laughed.
Suddenly Malaika stopped and stood ramrod straight, cocking her head to one side, as if listening.
"What are you listening for, Malaika?" Pippin asked, but the girl didn't reply.
The wind murmured and whistled about them, gently tossing Malaika's pallid golden hair about her shoulders. She closed her eyes, sighing.
"The wind whispers hidden secrets for only some to hear," she breathed.
"What does it say?" Merry inquired.
"It tells of ancient things, wild and free, helpless and caged." All of a sudden Malaika moaned and wrapped her arms around herself, clutching tightly at her shoulder blades. Her bruised knees sank down to the soft snow beneath her, cushioning the rest of her shivering body to lie atop the snow.
"Malaika, are you alright?" Pippin asked. He turned to Aragorn, who was a little ways ahead, and said, "Aragorn, Malaika's hurt!" Aragorn came over and knelt beside the quivering girl, saying to Pippin,
"What happened?"
"I don't know," he replied, "she just fell down. I think something's wrong with her shoulder blades." He reached out to touch them and the moment his fingers brushed her back, Malaika jerked away from his touch.
'I hope she's going to be alright,' Pippin thought with an inward sigh.
The girl stirred and murmured words with no meaning to the others; then her speech became intelligible.
"No, no, I cannot, cannot..."
"Cannot what?" Merry asked. Malaika didn't answer, instead choosing to continue with her inane babble.
"I cannot, cannot reveal..."
"Cannot reveal what?"
"Secret. . ."
Then she promptly passed out.
On with the show!
Chapter Five: Secrets of the wind
*******
The next morning the Fellowship trudged higher up Caradharas. The hobbits and Malaika stayed in the center of the group, Aragorn and Gandalf led, while Boromir, Legolas and Gimli stayed in the back.
Pippin moved over toward Malaika and asked,
"Malaika? Are you alright?"
She mumbled something inaudible, then said,
"Oh, yes, I'm fine Pippin," she said, "just a little tired."
His green eyes holding concern for the young girl, Pippin turned back to his conversation with Merry.
Pain flashed momentarily through the girl's eyes, and she moved up to Gandalf.
"Gandalf, I have a headache. May we rest for a bit?"
The old wizard nodded and glanced to the horizon.
"Yes, we may rest for the moment. It is about lunchtime."
Malaika smiled wearily and sat down on a nearby rock, cradling her throbbing head.
Aragorn sighed and turned to Gandalf.
"She cannot stay with us much longer. Our meal and drink are running low, and she is just another nuisance to the Fellowship." Gandalf shook his head.
"Nay, Aragorn. I believe she has some part to play, yet for good or ill, I do not know."
Malaika sighed and looked around. 'I wonder when we will rest for the night,' she thought.
She smiled to herself and shook her head slightly. 'Not for a while.'
The company rose and headed off again under a blank, dreary sky.
Merry and Pippin, along with Malaika, were whispering conversations with each other out of earshot of the others, minus Legolas.
"I'm hungry, Merry," Pippin whispered to his friend.
Malaika smiled.
"You just ate, Pippin. How could you be hungry?" Pippin shrugged and they laughed.
Suddenly Malaika stopped and stood ramrod straight, cocking her head to one side, as if listening.
"What are you listening for, Malaika?" Pippin asked, but the girl didn't reply.
The wind murmured and whistled about them, gently tossing Malaika's pallid golden hair about her shoulders. She closed her eyes, sighing.
"The wind whispers hidden secrets for only some to hear," she breathed.
"What does it say?" Merry inquired.
"It tells of ancient things, wild and free, helpless and caged." All of a sudden Malaika moaned and wrapped her arms around herself, clutching tightly at her shoulder blades. Her bruised knees sank down to the soft snow beneath her, cushioning the rest of her shivering body to lie atop the snow.
"Malaika, are you alright?" Pippin asked. He turned to Aragorn, who was a little ways ahead, and said, "Aragorn, Malaika's hurt!" Aragorn came over and knelt beside the quivering girl, saying to Pippin,
"What happened?"
"I don't know," he replied, "she just fell down. I think something's wrong with her shoulder blades." He reached out to touch them and the moment his fingers brushed her back, Malaika jerked away from his touch.
'I hope she's going to be alright,' Pippin thought with an inward sigh.
The girl stirred and murmured words with no meaning to the others; then her speech became intelligible.
"No, no, I cannot, cannot..."
"Cannot what?" Merry asked. Malaika didn't answer, instead choosing to continue with her inane babble.
"I cannot, cannot reveal..."
"Cannot reveal what?"
"Secret. . ."
Then she promptly passed out.