Chapter Seven: Betraying Trust
*******
Morning and noon came as well as went for the small group of people on the mountain. Aragorn led the way, followed by Gandalf and the others. Malaika fell behind, trudging weakly through the snow.
"G- G- Gandalf," she stuttered through cold lips, "could we r-rest for a bit? I'm e-exhausted."
Gandalf sighed.
"Yes, we may rest for a little while."
"T-thank you," the girl murmured as she sat down on a nearby boulder.
Aragorn moved toward Gandalf and whispered,
"What shall we do about the girl? She is constantly slowing down our trek, and we need to return her home soon."
Malaika heard this and snapped her head up, looking at Aragorn with fear in her eyes.
"No, no. Please don't take me home; I don't want to go back. No, I will never want to go back. Never, not even for all the riches in the world would I want to go."
Aragorn looked at the thin, pale, shivering girl and asked,
"Why?"
"B- because... I just d- don't."
"Why?" Aragorn persisted.
"Because!" Malaika snapped. "Some things happened there a long time ago, and I do not wish to remember them."
Aragorn sighed.
"But we need to return you home. We cannot let you come with us on our quest."
This time it was Malaika's turn to ask,
"Why? Is this quest so important that you cannot have just one more person?"
"Yes it is, Malaika. Just tell me where you live, that is the only answer I ask of you."
"Fine," Malaika sighed, "I'll tell you: I live in RhovŠnion."
Aragorn was confused for a moment.
"But that is only an area," he said. "How could you live there?"
"I told you once, Aragorn. I live in RhovŠnion."
Aragorn sighed in frustration and turned away. Gandalf walked up to the young girl and bent down to her level; saying in a soft voice, as if talking to a small child,
"Where do you live, Malaika? We know you live in RhovŠnion, but where in that area?"
Malaika closed her eyes, as if holding back tears, whispering,
"One hint I will give: Near Erebor."
"Erebor? That is an uninhabited mountain. Why do you live there?"
"I said near Erebor, Gandalf, not on it," Malaika snapped in frustration. "Why must you ask so many questions about my past? It is of something I wish not to tell!" The wizard nodded in understanding, despite her harsh words.
"Alright then. I will not press you to say anything about your hidden past, but you will have to tell me soon." Gandalf rose and walked toward the others, leaving the girl to her thoughts.
Malaika sighed shakily, blinking back tears.
'You don't know how right you are, Gandalf,' she thought, 'you don't know how right you are.'
An hour and a half later the group stopped again after an hour's walk through the snow. Malaika and the hobbits sat down gratefully.
"I'm tired," Pippin whispered.
Merry nodded and Malaika sighed, slumping her shoulders.
"What's wrong, Malaika?" Pippin asked, sensing her misery.
"N- nothing, Pippin. I just realized that the reason that everyone is asking me about my past is because of my actions and behavior."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because I've been acting odd lately, and people question my sanity."
"Okay," Pippin said, "do you want to go talk about it?"
Malaika shrugged in an 'I don't really care' gesture. The two rose and walked over to an old, rotten log steeply sloping to drop off into a sharp cliff edge. "You seem wounded, Malaika."
The girl shrugged listlessly.
"So what if I am, Pippin. No one cares."
"I do." He paused, realized something, and continued. "Malaika, your shoulder blades seem larger since yesterday." Malaika nodded, and whispered,
"They are." She sighed, and spoke again. "I need some fresh air. Stay here, I'll be back in a bit." She stood up, stretched, took a step toward the cliff edge, and slipped.
"Pippin, help me!" Malaika screamed as she slid down off the overhang. Her hands barely grasped the sharp edge, catching herself.
"Hold on, Malaika!" Pippin yelled, running to the girl's aid.
"I can't! Pippin, I'm going to fall, I can't hold on much longer."
The young hobbit clutched her wrists, averting her fall for just a little bit longer. The girl's feet scrabbled desperately at the rock face for any small hold. "Pippin! Hold on tighter!"
"I- I can't! You're too heavy!" The girl yelped as Pippin's grip loosened and she slipped.
Pippin gasped. With a scream, Malaika fell.
********
Mwahahahahahaa!! You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out what happens!!! I'll have to get at least 10 reviews before I continue. But I'll give you a hint: You'll be surprised when the next chapter comes out!!!!
Bye!
Karita-chan
*******
Morning and noon came as well as went for the small group of people on the mountain. Aragorn led the way, followed by Gandalf and the others. Malaika fell behind, trudging weakly through the snow.
"G- G- Gandalf," she stuttered through cold lips, "could we r-rest for a bit? I'm e-exhausted."
Gandalf sighed.
"Yes, we may rest for a little while."
"T-thank you," the girl murmured as she sat down on a nearby boulder.
Aragorn moved toward Gandalf and whispered,
"What shall we do about the girl? She is constantly slowing down our trek, and we need to return her home soon."
Malaika heard this and snapped her head up, looking at Aragorn with fear in her eyes.
"No, no. Please don't take me home; I don't want to go back. No, I will never want to go back. Never, not even for all the riches in the world would I want to go."
Aragorn looked at the thin, pale, shivering girl and asked,
"Why?"
"B- because... I just d- don't."
"Why?" Aragorn persisted.
"Because!" Malaika snapped. "Some things happened there a long time ago, and I do not wish to remember them."
Aragorn sighed.
"But we need to return you home. We cannot let you come with us on our quest."
This time it was Malaika's turn to ask,
"Why? Is this quest so important that you cannot have just one more person?"
"Yes it is, Malaika. Just tell me where you live, that is the only answer I ask of you."
"Fine," Malaika sighed, "I'll tell you: I live in RhovŠnion."
Aragorn was confused for a moment.
"But that is only an area," he said. "How could you live there?"
"I told you once, Aragorn. I live in RhovŠnion."
Aragorn sighed in frustration and turned away. Gandalf walked up to the young girl and bent down to her level; saying in a soft voice, as if talking to a small child,
"Where do you live, Malaika? We know you live in RhovŠnion, but where in that area?"
Malaika closed her eyes, as if holding back tears, whispering,
"One hint I will give: Near Erebor."
"Erebor? That is an uninhabited mountain. Why do you live there?"
"I said near Erebor, Gandalf, not on it," Malaika snapped in frustration. "Why must you ask so many questions about my past? It is of something I wish not to tell!" The wizard nodded in understanding, despite her harsh words.
"Alright then. I will not press you to say anything about your hidden past, but you will have to tell me soon." Gandalf rose and walked toward the others, leaving the girl to her thoughts.
Malaika sighed shakily, blinking back tears.
'You don't know how right you are, Gandalf,' she thought, 'you don't know how right you are.'
An hour and a half later the group stopped again after an hour's walk through the snow. Malaika and the hobbits sat down gratefully.
"I'm tired," Pippin whispered.
Merry nodded and Malaika sighed, slumping her shoulders.
"What's wrong, Malaika?" Pippin asked, sensing her misery.
"N- nothing, Pippin. I just realized that the reason that everyone is asking me about my past is because of my actions and behavior."
"Why do you think that?"
"Because I've been acting odd lately, and people question my sanity."
"Okay," Pippin said, "do you want to go talk about it?"
Malaika shrugged in an 'I don't really care' gesture. The two rose and walked over to an old, rotten log steeply sloping to drop off into a sharp cliff edge. "You seem wounded, Malaika."
The girl shrugged listlessly.
"So what if I am, Pippin. No one cares."
"I do." He paused, realized something, and continued. "Malaika, your shoulder blades seem larger since yesterday." Malaika nodded, and whispered,
"They are." She sighed, and spoke again. "I need some fresh air. Stay here, I'll be back in a bit." She stood up, stretched, took a step toward the cliff edge, and slipped.
"Pippin, help me!" Malaika screamed as she slid down off the overhang. Her hands barely grasped the sharp edge, catching herself.
"Hold on, Malaika!" Pippin yelled, running to the girl's aid.
"I can't! Pippin, I'm going to fall, I can't hold on much longer."
The young hobbit clutched her wrists, averting her fall for just a little bit longer. The girl's feet scrabbled desperately at the rock face for any small hold. "Pippin! Hold on tighter!"
"I- I can't! You're too heavy!" The girl yelped as Pippin's grip loosened and she slipped.
Pippin gasped. With a scream, Malaika fell.
********
Mwahahahahahaa!! You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out what happens!!! I'll have to get at least 10 reviews before I continue. But I'll give you a hint: You'll be surprised when the next chapter comes out!!!!
Bye!
Karita-chan