What if I Stumble
By Sigil
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What if I stumble? What if I fall?
What if I lose my step and I make fools of us all?
Will the love continue when my walk becomes a crawl?
What if I stumble and what if I fall?
-- DC Talk "What If I Stumble?"
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"Aragorn, for pity's sake let them rest! You'll kill them at this pace!"
Aragorn turned at Boromir's cry. The hobbits were lagging behind, yet stubbornly continuing along. Sam ran behind his master, holding up Frodo's pack so he wouldn't be burdened. Frodo was too tired to notice.
The Ranger called a halt. Immediately, the others fell to the ground and sat there, too worn out to move.
"Boromir, start a fire. Try not to make it smoke too much. Eat, and we'll go in half an hour." Aragorn glanced out into the fading day. "I'm going to scout around."
Once everyone was settled in, Legolas followed Aragorn. It wasn't hard; his friend had made no attempt to hide his trail. He had plainly been too preoccupied to even walk where his footprints would not be as noticeable.
Soon, Legolas came upon the Ranger right where he thought he'd be. Aragorn was up in a tree, eyes closed.
"I knew you'd follow me, Legolas." Aragorn didn't bother opening his eyes. "Don't bother saying it. I know it was my fault."
"Did I say it wasn't?" Legolas murmured.
"You're here to talk me out of my guilt. It won't work."
"You've been beating yourself up since we left Moria. You couldn't have stopped Gandalf, and you need to get us to Lorien. It's not your fault you're not used to traveling with hobbits when you're in a hurry."
"I should have known!" Aragorn cried, finally opening his eyes.
"Fine, you should have known. Are you happy?" Legolas cried. "Do you need me to tell you it's your fault? Should I dangle you by your toes from that tree so you can be in more pain?"
A smile quirked the corners of Aragorn's mouth. "Actually, it might help if you did that to yourself. All in the interest of cheering me up, of course."
Legolas smiled. "Of course. Now, come down. They're probably starting to worry about us."
Aragorn jumped down. "Worry about you, maybe. They know I can take care of myself."
"I'm sure." Legolas muttered sarcastically. "Let's go."
Just before reaching camp, Aragorn turned to Legolas. "Thank you." He said quietly.
"For what?"
"For catching me. I know I can count on you to pull me out of self-pity screaming the whole way."
"If you fall, I will catch you. I'll be right here." Legolas grinned. "Time after time."
"Time after time?" Aragorn cried. "I do not get into trouble that often."
"Oh, really?" Legolas laughed. "What about the time your horse dragged you for three miles before I came along and stopped it? Or the time you got your foot stuck in the bottom of the pool and I was the only who believed you weren't trying to play a trick on us? Or the time you - "
"Enough!" Aragorn laughed. "I get the idea. Yes, you've saved me a few times. But only a few!"
"Only a few? Aragorn, trouble is attracted to you like maggots to dead meat!" Legolas cried.
"Thank you for the wonderful image. Let's go have something to eat now, why don't we?"
Still laughing, the two friends walked back to their camp - and a much brighter future..
The end.
By Sigil
----------------------
What if I stumble? What if I fall?
What if I lose my step and I make fools of us all?
Will the love continue when my walk becomes a crawl?
What if I stumble and what if I fall?
-- DC Talk "What If I Stumble?"
---------------------
"Aragorn, for pity's sake let them rest! You'll kill them at this pace!"
Aragorn turned at Boromir's cry. The hobbits were lagging behind, yet stubbornly continuing along. Sam ran behind his master, holding up Frodo's pack so he wouldn't be burdened. Frodo was too tired to notice.
The Ranger called a halt. Immediately, the others fell to the ground and sat there, too worn out to move.
"Boromir, start a fire. Try not to make it smoke too much. Eat, and we'll go in half an hour." Aragorn glanced out into the fading day. "I'm going to scout around."
Once everyone was settled in, Legolas followed Aragorn. It wasn't hard; his friend had made no attempt to hide his trail. He had plainly been too preoccupied to even walk where his footprints would not be as noticeable.
Soon, Legolas came upon the Ranger right where he thought he'd be. Aragorn was up in a tree, eyes closed.
"I knew you'd follow me, Legolas." Aragorn didn't bother opening his eyes. "Don't bother saying it. I know it was my fault."
"Did I say it wasn't?" Legolas murmured.
"You're here to talk me out of my guilt. It won't work."
"You've been beating yourself up since we left Moria. You couldn't have stopped Gandalf, and you need to get us to Lorien. It's not your fault you're not used to traveling with hobbits when you're in a hurry."
"I should have known!" Aragorn cried, finally opening his eyes.
"Fine, you should have known. Are you happy?" Legolas cried. "Do you need me to tell you it's your fault? Should I dangle you by your toes from that tree so you can be in more pain?"
A smile quirked the corners of Aragorn's mouth. "Actually, it might help if you did that to yourself. All in the interest of cheering me up, of course."
Legolas smiled. "Of course. Now, come down. They're probably starting to worry about us."
Aragorn jumped down. "Worry about you, maybe. They know I can take care of myself."
"I'm sure." Legolas muttered sarcastically. "Let's go."
Just before reaching camp, Aragorn turned to Legolas. "Thank you." He said quietly.
"For what?"
"For catching me. I know I can count on you to pull me out of self-pity screaming the whole way."
"If you fall, I will catch you. I'll be right here." Legolas grinned. "Time after time."
"Time after time?" Aragorn cried. "I do not get into trouble that often."
"Oh, really?" Legolas laughed. "What about the time your horse dragged you for three miles before I came along and stopped it? Or the time you got your foot stuck in the bottom of the pool and I was the only who believed you weren't trying to play a trick on us? Or the time you - "
"Enough!" Aragorn laughed. "I get the idea. Yes, you've saved me a few times. But only a few!"
"Only a few? Aragorn, trouble is attracted to you like maggots to dead meat!" Legolas cried.
"Thank you for the wonderful image. Let's go have something to eat now, why don't we?"
Still laughing, the two friends walked back to their camp - and a much brighter future..
The end.
