The boredom was back.
For endless days now we had been walking, on and on through repetitive landscapes. Our last excitement had been in the mountains, when we were attacked by wargs.
We were headed north-west, assured by Strider that our route would not go any closer to Rivendell than we absolutely had to, which was a bit too close for my taste.
Legolas was doing his mysterious Elf routine again, gazing off into the distance for long periods of time, and hardly speaking. At first both Strider and I had been glad that the arguments, caused by the Elf, of course, had ceased. I was now so bored I thought about picking one myself. However, Strider had informed me that not only were we nearing our destination, but that one of Bree's inns served the best ale he'd ever tasted.
Still, I couldn't help but hope that something happened soon.
* * * * *
At camp that night, Strider was, of some unknown reason, twitchy. I told him he was acting like the Elf, which got me into an argument with Legolas. Stupid Elf. And Strider took his side, of course.
"Gimli, maybe Legolas was a bit twitchy, but it is understandable."
"How is it understandable?!"
"Well, he is an Elf, and Elves don't like caves."
"Why were you acting twitchy anyway?" Trust an Elf to completely change the subject. He only did it because I was about to win.
"I need to tell you both something. "
"What?" Now Legolas sounded suspicious. Didn't blame him.
"My real name isn't Strider." I wondered whether or not to justify that with a response.
"Well, we knew that," Legolas drawled, "It's not exactly a name, is it?"
"You knew?" Strider, or not-Strider, sounded inexplicably surprised.
"You might as well have called yourself Trotter or something." Knowing from Legolas' tone of voice that he wasn't going to drop this anytime soon, I settled down for a good show.
"Trotter? That just sounds stupid." Point one to Strider, for that touch of condescension in his tone.
"Oh, and Strider's a perfectly good name, is it?"
"Maybe not, but it isn't my real name!"
"What is, then?"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you. Who I really am."
Now I felt I had to interrupt. "I thought you said you only gave your real name to those you trusted."
"Yes."
"You trust the Elf?" Legolas shot me a withering look.
"Ignore Gimli, Strider. What is your real name?"
Strider gave an exasperated sigh. "Aragorn."
Where had I heard that before? "You know you've got the same name as the prince of Gondor?"
"That's because he is the prince of Gondor!"
I turned to Legolas. "How do you know?" Strider, no, Aragorn and I both chorused.
"I worked it out, quite a while ago. I just never said anything."
"How did you work it out?" Aragorn sounded quite disappointed. I guessed Legolas had ruined his big surprise.
"My grandfather told me that Gondor would always be an enemy of Greenwood, because the crown prince always went and studied in Rivendell with Lord Elrond, and therefore Rivendell and Gondor were close allies. When you said you had studied in Rivendell I remembered that." He shrugged. "I suppose I didn't know for certain, but, now I do."
Aragorn looked crushed. "I thought it was a secret."
"Just be more careful about what you tell people next time. Some people are quite intelligent."
"Elf, if you are insulting my intelligence in anyway, please just tell me instead of hopping around the subject as you are so prone to doing."
Beside me, I heard a muffled groan, and turned to see Aragorn burrowing into his sleep-mat, rolling his tunic into a ball and using it to cover his ear. On my other side, Legolas giggled, mischief dancing in his eyes.
"When he sleeps, shall we cut his hair?"
* * * * *
A/N: Did you know that you can buy books with all Tolkien's notes and rough drafts in? It's amazing how much he changed. Anyway, Strider only became Strider quite late on. Before that, he was Trotter. I couldn't stop laughing when I first read that.
The book I have, The Treason of Isengard, has this brilliant scene in which was cut out. Book readers, I'm sure, will remember Legolas and Gandalf's 'I go to find the sun' scene. In the original version, it was much longer, with Legolas teasing Gandalf and calling him a dragon, and Gandalf saying he would burn Legolas to melt the snow etc. Just thought I'd tell you.
Responses to reviews.
Nina - Hopefully they will. I'm not telling whether they do or not!
Jen - Sorry if you were confused. Aragorn did the actual cutting, which is probably why it wasn't very much.
Andmetwen - Thranduil will be ok in the end. I love him too much to hurt him! ;-)
P.Rico - Wow, that is a really good point (about Celebrian). I never thought of that.I guess she doesn't exist. So, call Elrond unmarried.
tenshiamanda - everyone's getting their hair cut, aren't they? I just had mine cut a few days ago!
Lady Thwen - Legolas' hair is far too pretty to cut off! But I just had to suggest it.
Pilot3001 - Elrond and twins coming soon! A few more chapters.
Mysterious Reviewer - No! Legolas' hair is far too pretty! But it would be funny, wouldn't it.
WeasleyTwinsLover1112 - Aragorn is still kind of Elrond's foster son. Elrond taught him, so he's probably like an honoury father.
Whitecoyote - Rivendell coming soon!
Ele - Legolas with a surfer haircut? You're right - that is such a funny image, lol.
Kukabura - Yay! Chapter titles! Lots of! Thank you very, very very much. Thank you also for your comments on my writing style. I wasn't sure about Legolas' 'fish impersonation' - I just wanted to try and convey that he was quite shocked, and indignant, about Gimli's comments. I see him as having grown up quite sheltered, but yeah, I think you're right on that.
Kit Cloudkicker - I didn't remember that! I have a terrible memory. So no, in this fic, Gimli doesn't know what Elves use their hair for.
MoroTheWolfGod - Here! More! I hurried the best I could. (
Dragon-of-the-North - Yep! The box was all part of a big plot to keep you reading, lol. Or not - it's going to be a big emotional climax. Hopefully. The trust thing - you have a point. I tried to put in that bit about them fighting together when attacked, but I'm also trying to move the plot along. And no; Elves and dwarves probably aren't that different! OMG - I'm just trying to imagine what Thranduil would do if Legolas turned up with a dwarf and his head shaved! Lol.
Arifel - Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying Legolas' and Gimli's arguments! They're actually quite easy to write - I just remember what I and my brother were like!
Lembas - I completely agree with you - Strider needs a bath! Hopefully, he'll get one at Bree. And no, I could never let Gimli cut Legolas' hair - it's too pretty!
For endless days now we had been walking, on and on through repetitive landscapes. Our last excitement had been in the mountains, when we were attacked by wargs.
We were headed north-west, assured by Strider that our route would not go any closer to Rivendell than we absolutely had to, which was a bit too close for my taste.
Legolas was doing his mysterious Elf routine again, gazing off into the distance for long periods of time, and hardly speaking. At first both Strider and I had been glad that the arguments, caused by the Elf, of course, had ceased. I was now so bored I thought about picking one myself. However, Strider had informed me that not only were we nearing our destination, but that one of Bree's inns served the best ale he'd ever tasted.
Still, I couldn't help but hope that something happened soon.
* * * * *
At camp that night, Strider was, of some unknown reason, twitchy. I told him he was acting like the Elf, which got me into an argument with Legolas. Stupid Elf. And Strider took his side, of course.
"Gimli, maybe Legolas was a bit twitchy, but it is understandable."
"How is it understandable?!"
"Well, he is an Elf, and Elves don't like caves."
"Why were you acting twitchy anyway?" Trust an Elf to completely change the subject. He only did it because I was about to win.
"I need to tell you both something. "
"What?" Now Legolas sounded suspicious. Didn't blame him.
"My real name isn't Strider." I wondered whether or not to justify that with a response.
"Well, we knew that," Legolas drawled, "It's not exactly a name, is it?"
"You knew?" Strider, or not-Strider, sounded inexplicably surprised.
"You might as well have called yourself Trotter or something." Knowing from Legolas' tone of voice that he wasn't going to drop this anytime soon, I settled down for a good show.
"Trotter? That just sounds stupid." Point one to Strider, for that touch of condescension in his tone.
"Oh, and Strider's a perfectly good name, is it?"
"Maybe not, but it isn't my real name!"
"What is, then?"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you. Who I really am."
Now I felt I had to interrupt. "I thought you said you only gave your real name to those you trusted."
"Yes."
"You trust the Elf?" Legolas shot me a withering look.
"Ignore Gimli, Strider. What is your real name?"
Strider gave an exasperated sigh. "Aragorn."
Where had I heard that before? "You know you've got the same name as the prince of Gondor?"
"That's because he is the prince of Gondor!"
I turned to Legolas. "How do you know?" Strider, no, Aragorn and I both chorused.
"I worked it out, quite a while ago. I just never said anything."
"How did you work it out?" Aragorn sounded quite disappointed. I guessed Legolas had ruined his big surprise.
"My grandfather told me that Gondor would always be an enemy of Greenwood, because the crown prince always went and studied in Rivendell with Lord Elrond, and therefore Rivendell and Gondor were close allies. When you said you had studied in Rivendell I remembered that." He shrugged. "I suppose I didn't know for certain, but, now I do."
Aragorn looked crushed. "I thought it was a secret."
"Just be more careful about what you tell people next time. Some people are quite intelligent."
"Elf, if you are insulting my intelligence in anyway, please just tell me instead of hopping around the subject as you are so prone to doing."
Beside me, I heard a muffled groan, and turned to see Aragorn burrowing into his sleep-mat, rolling his tunic into a ball and using it to cover his ear. On my other side, Legolas giggled, mischief dancing in his eyes.
"When he sleeps, shall we cut his hair?"
* * * * *
A/N: Did you know that you can buy books with all Tolkien's notes and rough drafts in? It's amazing how much he changed. Anyway, Strider only became Strider quite late on. Before that, he was Trotter. I couldn't stop laughing when I first read that.
The book I have, The Treason of Isengard, has this brilliant scene in which was cut out. Book readers, I'm sure, will remember Legolas and Gandalf's 'I go to find the sun' scene. In the original version, it was much longer, with Legolas teasing Gandalf and calling him a dragon, and Gandalf saying he would burn Legolas to melt the snow etc. Just thought I'd tell you.
Responses to reviews.
Nina - Hopefully they will. I'm not telling whether they do or not!
Jen - Sorry if you were confused. Aragorn did the actual cutting, which is probably why it wasn't very much.
Andmetwen - Thranduil will be ok in the end. I love him too much to hurt him! ;-)
P.Rico - Wow, that is a really good point (about Celebrian). I never thought of that.I guess she doesn't exist. So, call Elrond unmarried.
tenshiamanda - everyone's getting their hair cut, aren't they? I just had mine cut a few days ago!
Lady Thwen - Legolas' hair is far too pretty to cut off! But I just had to suggest it.
Pilot3001 - Elrond and twins coming soon! A few more chapters.
Mysterious Reviewer - No! Legolas' hair is far too pretty! But it would be funny, wouldn't it.
WeasleyTwinsLover1112 - Aragorn is still kind of Elrond's foster son. Elrond taught him, so he's probably like an honoury father.
Whitecoyote - Rivendell coming soon!
Ele - Legolas with a surfer haircut? You're right - that is such a funny image, lol.
Kukabura - Yay! Chapter titles! Lots of! Thank you very, very very much. Thank you also for your comments on my writing style. I wasn't sure about Legolas' 'fish impersonation' - I just wanted to try and convey that he was quite shocked, and indignant, about Gimli's comments. I see him as having grown up quite sheltered, but yeah, I think you're right on that.
Kit Cloudkicker - I didn't remember that! I have a terrible memory. So no, in this fic, Gimli doesn't know what Elves use their hair for.
MoroTheWolfGod - Here! More! I hurried the best I could. (
Dragon-of-the-North - Yep! The box was all part of a big plot to keep you reading, lol. Or not - it's going to be a big emotional climax. Hopefully. The trust thing - you have a point. I tried to put in that bit about them fighting together when attacked, but I'm also trying to move the plot along. And no; Elves and dwarves probably aren't that different! OMG - I'm just trying to imagine what Thranduil would do if Legolas turned up with a dwarf and his head shaved! Lol.
Arifel - Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying Legolas' and Gimli's arguments! They're actually quite easy to write - I just remember what I and my brother were like!
Lembas - I completely agree with you - Strider needs a bath! Hopefully, he'll get one at Bree. And no, I could never let Gimli cut Legolas' hair - it's too pretty!
