A week later, the Fellowship, including Dawn, were leaving
Lothlorien. They were all decked out in new cloaks that Galadriel's ladies
in waiting had made for them personally, and Dawn was very grateful when
one of them had also bought her a pair of pants, a shirt, and some boots,
all in the elvish design. She was more than a little sick of the dresses
that seemed to swallow her entire figure. She was always tripping over
them.
In addition, they all received personal gifts from Galadriel and Celeborn. Dawn enjoyed the feel of her brand new sword, Me'ahyanda, the lightblade, in its sheath hanging at her hip as she jumped lightly into a boat behind Gimli.
Gimli protested as the boat rocked, clutching furiously at the sides. "Oi!" he cried.
Dawn grinned sheepishly as she sat. "Sorry, Gimli. My bad."
When the nine had all boarded, three to each boat, they set off down the Anduin. Dawn noticed the sombre expressions of her two boatmates, Gimli and Legolas.
"Why are you guys so mopey?" she asked them.
Gimli's gruff voice came back to her from the bow of the boat. "I have taken my worst wound on this parting, for I have looked my last on that which is fairest. Ugh, henceforth I will call nothing fair unless it be her gift to me."
Curious, Legolas asked "What was her gift?"
"I asked her for one hair from her golden head. She gave me three."
Dawn bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. Legolas nudged her with his foot, willing her to hold her tongue. She nodded, but he could see her fighting to control her amusement. Finally, she managed to regain her composure, but her cheeks were pink and her eyes brightened.
Legolas shook his head at her antics and kept paddling.
Three hours later, Dawn was bored out of her mind. Gimli was still brooding over Galadriel and Legolas was concentrating not only on the water, but constantly scanning the shores for signs of danger. She rolled her eyes, wondering if Gimli was somehow channelling Angel. He was doing a perfect brooding impression of the vampire with a soul. She trailed her hand lazily through the cold water of the river for a moment, enjoying the sensation.
When she pulled it out a minute later, she accidentally sent little droplets of water flying through the air. She turned to see if Legolas had noticed her mischief and couldn't help but laugh.
The Elf's nose was wrinkled, his eyes squinting against the water Dawn had somehow managed to splatter all over his face. He was incredibly uncomfortable, and could not wipe his face clean as he was trying to paddle still.
Dawn shifted her weight slightly, turning to face him. "Here," she said, still giggling as she used the corner of her cloak to pat his face dry. "Sorry," she said with an impish grin that was impossible for Legolas not to return.
An hour before dusk, Aragorn spied the perfect campground. He motioned for Boromir and Legolas to follow him to the bank of the river. Within minutes, all the Fellowship, relieved to be free from the confines of their boats at last, had unpacked and pulled the boats from the water. Using the last of the day's light, Gimli and Legolas went for firewood so that Sam could cook dinner.
A rough camp having already been made, Dawn found she had nothing to do but wait for dinner. The Hobbits were sitting around where the fire would be, Boromir and Aragorn were just standing around, looking serious. Dawn pulled Me'ahyanda from her sheath, trying to get more acquainted with the sword before she found herself needing to use it. She hated to admit it, but most of her work had been done with a stake or an axe, save for the odd broadsword. She was confident she could handle the weapon, though, the hilt seemed to mould to her hand perfectly.
Giving herself a wide berth from her companions, she took a few practise swings. "Neat," she commented to herself when she saw how easily and gracefully the blade sliced through the air. She didn't notice the attention the Hobbits and Men had turned on her for a minute.
When she finally looked up, she let out a small "Eep!"
Boromir was studying her, a dubious look on his face. "You can swing a blade well, Lady Dawn. But can you truly wield a sword?" From his look, Dawn could tell he didn't have any faith or respect for her fighting skills.
She bristled a little. She didn't really like Boromir, there was something a little off about him, something that would've made Buffy's spidey senses tingle. But Merry and Pippin seemed to like him, so Dawn often let it slide.
Dawn lifted her sword and took a fighting stance. "Care for a round?" she challenged. The Hobbits perked up at this. Merry and Pippin had told Frodo and Sam what Dawn had told them of her life in Sunnydale, and they too were interested in seeing Dawn in action.
Boromir was incredulous. "I would not wish to harm you, Lady," he told her.
She glared at him. "I would not wish you to be in doubt of my skill, Lord," she shot back.
Aragorn stepped in, settling the matter. "It is wise for Dawn to practise with her new blade while she may," he reasoned. "Boromir, would you please oblige us with a sparring partner for the lady?" The Ranger didn't want to admit it, but his curiosity was as great as the others'.
Boromir stepped up, facing Dawn. He raised his sword and aimed a soft blow at the girl. It was clear he was too doubtful of Dawn's abilities to give her any real competition.
She took matters into her own hands. Dawn not only blocked Boromir's shot, but she used her sword and threw his away, leaving him wide open. In a flash, Dawn's sword was pointed straight at the man's throat. The Hobbits cheered.
"Are we gonna play or not?" she asked evenly.
Boromir understood. He nodded slowly and Dawn pulled her sword back, ready to go again. This time their duel was much more satisfying. Swords flew back and forth, the clash of metal ringing clearly over the campsite. At first Boromir still held back a small amount of force, but when he realised that in actual fact, Dawn was only a little weaker than he was, he let fly with his full strength. The fight went on for some time, the sun sank lower in the sky and Legolas and Gimli had returned with armloads of firewood, dropped in a forgotten pile as they were caught up in the action.
At first, they had been worried to hear the clash of swords, but when they'd burst into the camp, unnoticed by the others, they understood the situation immediately. Boromir and Dawn were battling furiously, the Hobbits were entranced by the scene, and Aragorn was staring intently at Dawn, assessing her as she fought. Legolas could see him mentally noting flaws in her technique, but he could also see how impressed Aragorn was. Dawn was stronger than he'd believed possible for a girl, almost as strong as Boromir, and she was fearless.
The conflict was reaching its climax. Boromir, with a rush of power, knocked Me'ahyanda from Dawn's hand, sending her reeling. He stepped up behind her, about to lock her into something of a bear hug, his sword loosely at her throat. But Dawn was resourceful. She struck down, driving her elbow into Boromir's side. He gasped in shock and pain and began to double over. Dawn used to opportunity to grab his arm and twisted.
With a yell, Boromir found he had been flipped over Dawn's shoulder by his own body weight. He lay on his back in the dirt, staring up at the girl who was now pointing his own sword at his chest with incredulousity written all over his face.
Dawn just cocked a self-satisfied eyebrow at him before backing off. She dropped Boromir's sword beside him and went to retrieve her own. After a stunned moment of silence, the rest of the Fellowship broke out in wild applause.
"We have greatly underestimated you, Dawn," Aragorn told her.
"I know, King-guy," she replied.
Boromir pulled himself up with what dignity he could muster. "I would've won in the end," he muttered.
'Uh, hello!? I just kicked your ass!' Dawn thought angrily. Legolas watched Dawn's eyes flash furiously in the dying light. He could see the thought raging through her mind with anger as she resheathed Me'ahyanda. He was surprised when she merely turned to Boromir and said modestly "Probably, I'm more comfortable with a stake or an axe."
Gimli's joy at finding someone who was almost as fond of axes as he was put on hold, overridden by the demands of the company for Dawn to explain what kind of weapon a stake is, and how does one wield such a thing.
Finally, one by one, the Fellowship dropped off to sleep, leaving Legolas on watch. Dawn, however, found that saying she was going to sleep was a lot easier than actually going to sleep. After a full day cooped up in the boat, much as she had to admit she enjoyed the proximity to Legolas- hey, he was gorgeous- Dawn was restless. If she was back in Sunnydale, right now she probably would've tagged along to patrol with Buffy, or snuck out to do her own. She'd discovered she was more effective on her own. Buffy barely let her stake a vamp, so the Slayer didn't really know how proficient a fighter Dawn had become over the past few months. Dawn felt a pang of resent mixed with love and appreciation as she though of her sister.
She sighed and sat up. Legolas, standing next to a tree peering into the night, turned at the sound. "Dawn, you should be asleep."
Getting to her feet, Dawn mumbled, "I think my ass is asleep." She had barely meant to say it out loud, but when she looked over at Legolas and noticed the puzzled frown he was giving her, she remembered he had such excellent hearing. She froze a moment, not really wanting to have to explain that remark. She decided to distract him with a question before he could ask her what she meant.
"So, what's the what with the big bad tonight, Legsy?" She came over to him and looked out through the trees.
His frown deepened. He spoke softly, so as to not wake the others. "My Lady, I am afraid I do not understand you. Pray, speak plainer."
Dawn gave him a look. "I am sorry, my Lord," she replied. She had taken to counteracting their use of the title 'my Lady' with an equally formal tone, hoping it would annoy them into remembering to call her by her first name. At times it made Legolas glad that he hadn't yet mentioned he was a Prince. He had the distinct feeling that she'd have a field day with that particular title, judging from her use of the information she'd learned about Aragorn's true identity.
"I merely meant to ask if you felt any dark presences nearby, any immediate threats to our safety."
"Oh, I see," the Elf replied. Dawn could tell he didn't really get it. "No, I sense no immediate danger..."
"Uh-oh. You have but-face," Dawn interjected.
Legolas just looked at her expectantly, patiently waiting for her to explain.
"You look like you're about to say 'but'."
He nodded, deciding to confide in his young human... friend. His eyes turned back to scan the dark woods. "There is a force of great darkness converging upon us, even as we speak. I feel it in my bones."
Dawn was all too used to the sensation. "You could say your spidey senses were tingling," she mused, earning her another look. "See, in my world, there's this comic, a story told in pictures, about this guy, Peter Parker. One day he was bitten by a radioactive spider and began to exhibit some characteristics that spiders have, like spinning webs and sensing danger, which when he felt danger, he said his spidey senses were tingling. So he called himself Spiderman and ran around in red and blue tights fighting evil."
"And you knew this Peter Parker?" Legolas asked, amazed.
Dawn laughed, but Legolas put a finger to her lips to silence her before she woke anyone up. He was almost reluctant to do so, he found the sound of her laugh to be very sweet, and refreshing. Dawn's chuckles subsided and he forced himself to remove his hand from her face.
"No, Legolas, I didn't know Spiderman. Nobody knows Spiderman, he's fictitious, made up. Not real. Anyway, my point is, part of being the Slayer meant that Buffy had the ability to sense impending danger, and she used to say her spidey senses were tingling, too. So, since you seem to have the same gift- is that an Elf thing?- I just figured you had tingly spidey senses as well," she finished lightly, with a shrug.
Legolas smiled. "Yes, my intuition, my 'spidey senses', are part of being an Elf."
Dawn grinned back, wondering what other slang she could teach him. Legolas, meanwhile, was captivated by the girl as she smiled. Under the luminous moonlight, she was beautiful. Her eyes glowed green, the moon highlighted long strands of soft hair, and her skin was an almost Elvish white. Legolas felt his eyes unconsciously drawn to her lips, soft and pink. He remembered their warmth under his silencing finger.
Before he knew what he was doing, Legolas bent his head down towards Dawn. Automatically, she tilted her head back and leaned into him. They closed their eyes as their lips met, Legolas bringing his fingers to Dawn's face, exploring the smooth skin of her cheek. Her hands went to his waist, pulling him a little closer to her. Their kiss deepened and Legolas lost all awareness of anything that wasn't Dawn's soft lips moving beneath his and the two slender arms that wound their way up around his neck. Time seemed to stand still and their heads were filled with the sounds of their own hearts beating in unison.
Suddenly, they froze, locked in their embrace. A deathly cold shadow was passing over them. Legolas pulled his face a centimetre from Dawn's.
"Nazgul!" he whispered sharply. Lightning fast, he dived to the ground, tackling Dawn in the process. He landed on top of her in a somewhat compromising position, her arms still around his neck, holding onto him. He could feel Dawn's body shaking beneath him, but the winged Nazgul was out of his range even with the bow of the Galadhrim at his disposal. He pressed to her tightly to comfort her, unconsciously putting a hand to the soft skin of her waist.
The others were stirring around them. "Don't move," Legolas called softly.
It didn't take long for the shadow to pass, but to Frodo in particular it felt like an age. The Fellowship were all fully awake. Aragorn, Gimli and Boromir immediately began discussing the presence of the Ringwraiths, but the Hobbits were far more interested in the Elf Prince and the Lady, still sprawled together on the grass. Frodo and Sam politely tried not to stare. Sam was blushing furiously, Dawn's shirt had ridden up, exposing her midriff and Legolas' hand was on her bare skin.
Dawn and Legolas, however, were oblivious to the attention they were receiving. He peered down into her face, concerned. "Are you all right?" he asked softly.
She nodded. "Five by five."
They smiled at each other and Legolas, taking her words to mean she was all right, leaned down to kiss her again when finally Merry and Pippin could contain themselves no longer. The younger Hobbits snorted as Legolas' lips brushed over Dawn's and she caught them with her own.
"Well, now we know what you two have been up to!" Pippin cried as he and Merry began to howl with laughter.
Legolas pulled away from Dawn and blinked. The moment had been utterly broken.
Frodo and Sam tried to bite back smiles, but failed. Even Aragorn, Boromir and Gimli were amused. As he leapt to his feet, Legolas began to colour slightly, reminding a chuckling Aragorn of how he'd been blushing in Lothlorien when he'd come out of Dawn's room on their first morning.
Less than embarrassed- hey, with her first kiss she'd been busted parking in the woods with a vamp- Dawn allowed Legolas to pull her up. She grinned devilishly and threw a wink at Merry and Pippin as she straightened her shirt, which sent them into fresh peals of laughter.
Aragorn hushed them, worried that the enemy was still close. "Quiet down now. And try to get some rest. I will take over the watch," he looked pointedly at Dawn and Legolas.
Dawn shrugged. "Night, all," she settled down in her old spot and closed her eyes. The rest of the company shook their heads at the girl and did the same, with the exception of Aragorn on watch, and Legolas who did not need the rest. Between the two of them, the Ranger and the Elf guarded the camp until the coming of the dawn.
* * * * *
The next day, Dawn found herself trapped when, as soon as they had set off in their boats at first light, Gimli launched into a lengthy discussion of all the different types of axes and in which way they were most efficient.
Legolas smiled softly as he paddled. He knew such a boring discussion must be torture for the lady, but Dawn paid the Dwarf every attention, asking questions where appropriate and laughing at his jokes, most of which she did not understand, even when Aragorn and Legolas spent hours later trying to explain them. Legolas did not begrudge a moment he had spent patiently going through Gimli's meanings with her. Half the time, he was forced to agree with her when she said, "But that's not even funny," her delicate forehead creasing with her puzzlement.
Dawn even tried to explain to the Dwarf some of the axes she'd used on the Hellmouth, not knowing any names of course, but comparing them to some in the collection Gimli carried with him, indicating the rough size and shape of the blade. When she would describe the axe, he would identify it properly for her and demand to know how she had used it, and what it had been used to slay. When she had finally finished giving her accounts of demons killed with axes, Dawn was prodded to move on to other weaponry she'd come across.
She jumped right into telling Gimli about the crossbow, hoping to draw Legolas into the conversation. "See, a crossbow fires darts, just like Legolas' bow fires arrows," she turned to indicate the Elf behind her, pleased to see his eyes brighten and his ears perk up at the prospect of hearing something interesting. Dawn smiled at him and he grinned back, understanding her intentions.
Dawn continued. "But a crossbow is much smaller than a longbow, and therefore has less range. It's not really used for range, though, we had other, more technological weapons for that sort of thing," she giggled to herself, remembering the Scooby Gang's stories of Buffy using a rocket launcher to literally blow the Judge away.
"Bah! If it's so small, what was this crossbow of yours useful for?" Gimli asked, interrupting her reverie.
"Well, accuracy mainly," Dawn told him. "See, because the crossbow is held flat, when the dart is loaded, which is pretty much a short arrow minus those funky little feathers on the end, it is very easy to aim, makes it wicked accurate, especially for dusting vamps."
She shrugged and finished. "I dunno. Wasn't so great with the crossbow myself, usually that was Buffy's thing."
Legolas frowned at the back of Dawn's head. She was facing forwards to speak to Gimli, but he could hear that same note of resentment in her voice that had crept in when she had spoken of her sister back in Lothlorien.
Suddenly, they heard Aragorn's voice floating softly over the water. "Look, Frodo, the Argonath," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. The entire Fellowship looked up, seeing on either side of the river two massive statues, great Kings carved from rock. Dawn gasped. They were magnificent.
"King-guy-much," she breathed, noticing the likeness of the statues to their fearless leader.
Legolas smiled at her recognition. "Yes, they are very much like him, for they are his kin," he told her.
* * * * *
"We cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the North," Aragorn declared a short while later when they had beached their boats on the western shore. Their journey down the river had come to an end at last. Nobody was particularly sorry to leave the boats behind.
Gimli looked up at the Ranger. He was crouched by a small fire, feeding twigs to the flames. "Oh yes? Just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil, an impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks. And after that, it gets even better!"
Pippin, sitting next to the Dwarf, looked at him, taken aback.
Gimli continued. "A festering, stinking marshland, far as the eye can see."
"That is our road. I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, master Dwarf," Aragorn spoke down to Gimli.
Dawn's eyebrow's shot up. 'King-guy, you bitch!' she thought to herself. Gimli was sputtering with rage. "A dwarf to recover strength!" he growled.
Meanwhile, Legolas, who had been staring out into the forest, as if he was seeing something approach, turned to Aragorn. "We should leave now," he told the Ranger, his lyrical voice full of worry.
"Orcs patrol the eastern shore, we must wait for cover of dark," Aragorn justified.
Legolas sighed. "It is not the eastern shore that worries me. A shadow and a threat have been growing in my mind. Something draws near, my spidey senses can feel it."
Aragorn stared at his friend, completely baffled as to what 'spidey senses' were. Dawn caught Legolas' eye and they exchanged proud grins over his vocabulary before the Elf turned back to the Ranger. Aragorn held his friend's gaze for a long moment. He knew Legolas' concerns were not to be taken lightly, but there was nothing they could do but watch and wait.
Merry wandered into the camp with more firewood, stopping at the fire to drop it.
Gimli was muttering to Pippin, "Pay no heed to that, young Hobbit."
"Where's Frodo?" Merry asked, dusting his hands off and looking around the campsite.
At Merry's words, Sam, who had been dozing in a corner, sprang up guiltily, looking about. Aragorn's gaze quickly scanned the campsite, noticing that Boromir's shield was resting against a tree, its owner nowhere to be found.
* * * * *
In addition, they all received personal gifts from Galadriel and Celeborn. Dawn enjoyed the feel of her brand new sword, Me'ahyanda, the lightblade, in its sheath hanging at her hip as she jumped lightly into a boat behind Gimli.
Gimli protested as the boat rocked, clutching furiously at the sides. "Oi!" he cried.
Dawn grinned sheepishly as she sat. "Sorry, Gimli. My bad."
When the nine had all boarded, three to each boat, they set off down the Anduin. Dawn noticed the sombre expressions of her two boatmates, Gimli and Legolas.
"Why are you guys so mopey?" she asked them.
Gimli's gruff voice came back to her from the bow of the boat. "I have taken my worst wound on this parting, for I have looked my last on that which is fairest. Ugh, henceforth I will call nothing fair unless it be her gift to me."
Curious, Legolas asked "What was her gift?"
"I asked her for one hair from her golden head. She gave me three."
Dawn bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. Legolas nudged her with his foot, willing her to hold her tongue. She nodded, but he could see her fighting to control her amusement. Finally, she managed to regain her composure, but her cheeks were pink and her eyes brightened.
Legolas shook his head at her antics and kept paddling.
Three hours later, Dawn was bored out of her mind. Gimli was still brooding over Galadriel and Legolas was concentrating not only on the water, but constantly scanning the shores for signs of danger. She rolled her eyes, wondering if Gimli was somehow channelling Angel. He was doing a perfect brooding impression of the vampire with a soul. She trailed her hand lazily through the cold water of the river for a moment, enjoying the sensation.
When she pulled it out a minute later, she accidentally sent little droplets of water flying through the air. She turned to see if Legolas had noticed her mischief and couldn't help but laugh.
The Elf's nose was wrinkled, his eyes squinting against the water Dawn had somehow managed to splatter all over his face. He was incredibly uncomfortable, and could not wipe his face clean as he was trying to paddle still.
Dawn shifted her weight slightly, turning to face him. "Here," she said, still giggling as she used the corner of her cloak to pat his face dry. "Sorry," she said with an impish grin that was impossible for Legolas not to return.
An hour before dusk, Aragorn spied the perfect campground. He motioned for Boromir and Legolas to follow him to the bank of the river. Within minutes, all the Fellowship, relieved to be free from the confines of their boats at last, had unpacked and pulled the boats from the water. Using the last of the day's light, Gimli and Legolas went for firewood so that Sam could cook dinner.
A rough camp having already been made, Dawn found she had nothing to do but wait for dinner. The Hobbits were sitting around where the fire would be, Boromir and Aragorn were just standing around, looking serious. Dawn pulled Me'ahyanda from her sheath, trying to get more acquainted with the sword before she found herself needing to use it. She hated to admit it, but most of her work had been done with a stake or an axe, save for the odd broadsword. She was confident she could handle the weapon, though, the hilt seemed to mould to her hand perfectly.
Giving herself a wide berth from her companions, she took a few practise swings. "Neat," she commented to herself when she saw how easily and gracefully the blade sliced through the air. She didn't notice the attention the Hobbits and Men had turned on her for a minute.
When she finally looked up, she let out a small "Eep!"
Boromir was studying her, a dubious look on his face. "You can swing a blade well, Lady Dawn. But can you truly wield a sword?" From his look, Dawn could tell he didn't have any faith or respect for her fighting skills.
She bristled a little. She didn't really like Boromir, there was something a little off about him, something that would've made Buffy's spidey senses tingle. But Merry and Pippin seemed to like him, so Dawn often let it slide.
Dawn lifted her sword and took a fighting stance. "Care for a round?" she challenged. The Hobbits perked up at this. Merry and Pippin had told Frodo and Sam what Dawn had told them of her life in Sunnydale, and they too were interested in seeing Dawn in action.
Boromir was incredulous. "I would not wish to harm you, Lady," he told her.
She glared at him. "I would not wish you to be in doubt of my skill, Lord," she shot back.
Aragorn stepped in, settling the matter. "It is wise for Dawn to practise with her new blade while she may," he reasoned. "Boromir, would you please oblige us with a sparring partner for the lady?" The Ranger didn't want to admit it, but his curiosity was as great as the others'.
Boromir stepped up, facing Dawn. He raised his sword and aimed a soft blow at the girl. It was clear he was too doubtful of Dawn's abilities to give her any real competition.
She took matters into her own hands. Dawn not only blocked Boromir's shot, but she used her sword and threw his away, leaving him wide open. In a flash, Dawn's sword was pointed straight at the man's throat. The Hobbits cheered.
"Are we gonna play or not?" she asked evenly.
Boromir understood. He nodded slowly and Dawn pulled her sword back, ready to go again. This time their duel was much more satisfying. Swords flew back and forth, the clash of metal ringing clearly over the campsite. At first Boromir still held back a small amount of force, but when he realised that in actual fact, Dawn was only a little weaker than he was, he let fly with his full strength. The fight went on for some time, the sun sank lower in the sky and Legolas and Gimli had returned with armloads of firewood, dropped in a forgotten pile as they were caught up in the action.
At first, they had been worried to hear the clash of swords, but when they'd burst into the camp, unnoticed by the others, they understood the situation immediately. Boromir and Dawn were battling furiously, the Hobbits were entranced by the scene, and Aragorn was staring intently at Dawn, assessing her as she fought. Legolas could see him mentally noting flaws in her technique, but he could also see how impressed Aragorn was. Dawn was stronger than he'd believed possible for a girl, almost as strong as Boromir, and she was fearless.
The conflict was reaching its climax. Boromir, with a rush of power, knocked Me'ahyanda from Dawn's hand, sending her reeling. He stepped up behind her, about to lock her into something of a bear hug, his sword loosely at her throat. But Dawn was resourceful. She struck down, driving her elbow into Boromir's side. He gasped in shock and pain and began to double over. Dawn used to opportunity to grab his arm and twisted.
With a yell, Boromir found he had been flipped over Dawn's shoulder by his own body weight. He lay on his back in the dirt, staring up at the girl who was now pointing his own sword at his chest with incredulousity written all over his face.
Dawn just cocked a self-satisfied eyebrow at him before backing off. She dropped Boromir's sword beside him and went to retrieve her own. After a stunned moment of silence, the rest of the Fellowship broke out in wild applause.
"We have greatly underestimated you, Dawn," Aragorn told her.
"I know, King-guy," she replied.
Boromir pulled himself up with what dignity he could muster. "I would've won in the end," he muttered.
'Uh, hello!? I just kicked your ass!' Dawn thought angrily. Legolas watched Dawn's eyes flash furiously in the dying light. He could see the thought raging through her mind with anger as she resheathed Me'ahyanda. He was surprised when she merely turned to Boromir and said modestly "Probably, I'm more comfortable with a stake or an axe."
Gimli's joy at finding someone who was almost as fond of axes as he was put on hold, overridden by the demands of the company for Dawn to explain what kind of weapon a stake is, and how does one wield such a thing.
Finally, one by one, the Fellowship dropped off to sleep, leaving Legolas on watch. Dawn, however, found that saying she was going to sleep was a lot easier than actually going to sleep. After a full day cooped up in the boat, much as she had to admit she enjoyed the proximity to Legolas- hey, he was gorgeous- Dawn was restless. If she was back in Sunnydale, right now she probably would've tagged along to patrol with Buffy, or snuck out to do her own. She'd discovered she was more effective on her own. Buffy barely let her stake a vamp, so the Slayer didn't really know how proficient a fighter Dawn had become over the past few months. Dawn felt a pang of resent mixed with love and appreciation as she though of her sister.
She sighed and sat up. Legolas, standing next to a tree peering into the night, turned at the sound. "Dawn, you should be asleep."
Getting to her feet, Dawn mumbled, "I think my ass is asleep." She had barely meant to say it out loud, but when she looked over at Legolas and noticed the puzzled frown he was giving her, she remembered he had such excellent hearing. She froze a moment, not really wanting to have to explain that remark. She decided to distract him with a question before he could ask her what she meant.
"So, what's the what with the big bad tonight, Legsy?" She came over to him and looked out through the trees.
His frown deepened. He spoke softly, so as to not wake the others. "My Lady, I am afraid I do not understand you. Pray, speak plainer."
Dawn gave him a look. "I am sorry, my Lord," she replied. She had taken to counteracting their use of the title 'my Lady' with an equally formal tone, hoping it would annoy them into remembering to call her by her first name. At times it made Legolas glad that he hadn't yet mentioned he was a Prince. He had the distinct feeling that she'd have a field day with that particular title, judging from her use of the information she'd learned about Aragorn's true identity.
"I merely meant to ask if you felt any dark presences nearby, any immediate threats to our safety."
"Oh, I see," the Elf replied. Dawn could tell he didn't really get it. "No, I sense no immediate danger..."
"Uh-oh. You have but-face," Dawn interjected.
Legolas just looked at her expectantly, patiently waiting for her to explain.
"You look like you're about to say 'but'."
He nodded, deciding to confide in his young human... friend. His eyes turned back to scan the dark woods. "There is a force of great darkness converging upon us, even as we speak. I feel it in my bones."
Dawn was all too used to the sensation. "You could say your spidey senses were tingling," she mused, earning her another look. "See, in my world, there's this comic, a story told in pictures, about this guy, Peter Parker. One day he was bitten by a radioactive spider and began to exhibit some characteristics that spiders have, like spinning webs and sensing danger, which when he felt danger, he said his spidey senses were tingling. So he called himself Spiderman and ran around in red and blue tights fighting evil."
"And you knew this Peter Parker?" Legolas asked, amazed.
Dawn laughed, but Legolas put a finger to her lips to silence her before she woke anyone up. He was almost reluctant to do so, he found the sound of her laugh to be very sweet, and refreshing. Dawn's chuckles subsided and he forced himself to remove his hand from her face.
"No, Legolas, I didn't know Spiderman. Nobody knows Spiderman, he's fictitious, made up. Not real. Anyway, my point is, part of being the Slayer meant that Buffy had the ability to sense impending danger, and she used to say her spidey senses were tingling, too. So, since you seem to have the same gift- is that an Elf thing?- I just figured you had tingly spidey senses as well," she finished lightly, with a shrug.
Legolas smiled. "Yes, my intuition, my 'spidey senses', are part of being an Elf."
Dawn grinned back, wondering what other slang she could teach him. Legolas, meanwhile, was captivated by the girl as she smiled. Under the luminous moonlight, she was beautiful. Her eyes glowed green, the moon highlighted long strands of soft hair, and her skin was an almost Elvish white. Legolas felt his eyes unconsciously drawn to her lips, soft and pink. He remembered their warmth under his silencing finger.
Before he knew what he was doing, Legolas bent his head down towards Dawn. Automatically, she tilted her head back and leaned into him. They closed their eyes as their lips met, Legolas bringing his fingers to Dawn's face, exploring the smooth skin of her cheek. Her hands went to his waist, pulling him a little closer to her. Their kiss deepened and Legolas lost all awareness of anything that wasn't Dawn's soft lips moving beneath his and the two slender arms that wound their way up around his neck. Time seemed to stand still and their heads were filled with the sounds of their own hearts beating in unison.
Suddenly, they froze, locked in their embrace. A deathly cold shadow was passing over them. Legolas pulled his face a centimetre from Dawn's.
"Nazgul!" he whispered sharply. Lightning fast, he dived to the ground, tackling Dawn in the process. He landed on top of her in a somewhat compromising position, her arms still around his neck, holding onto him. He could feel Dawn's body shaking beneath him, but the winged Nazgul was out of his range even with the bow of the Galadhrim at his disposal. He pressed to her tightly to comfort her, unconsciously putting a hand to the soft skin of her waist.
The others were stirring around them. "Don't move," Legolas called softly.
It didn't take long for the shadow to pass, but to Frodo in particular it felt like an age. The Fellowship were all fully awake. Aragorn, Gimli and Boromir immediately began discussing the presence of the Ringwraiths, but the Hobbits were far more interested in the Elf Prince and the Lady, still sprawled together on the grass. Frodo and Sam politely tried not to stare. Sam was blushing furiously, Dawn's shirt had ridden up, exposing her midriff and Legolas' hand was on her bare skin.
Dawn and Legolas, however, were oblivious to the attention they were receiving. He peered down into her face, concerned. "Are you all right?" he asked softly.
She nodded. "Five by five."
They smiled at each other and Legolas, taking her words to mean she was all right, leaned down to kiss her again when finally Merry and Pippin could contain themselves no longer. The younger Hobbits snorted as Legolas' lips brushed over Dawn's and she caught them with her own.
"Well, now we know what you two have been up to!" Pippin cried as he and Merry began to howl with laughter.
Legolas pulled away from Dawn and blinked. The moment had been utterly broken.
Frodo and Sam tried to bite back smiles, but failed. Even Aragorn, Boromir and Gimli were amused. As he leapt to his feet, Legolas began to colour slightly, reminding a chuckling Aragorn of how he'd been blushing in Lothlorien when he'd come out of Dawn's room on their first morning.
Less than embarrassed- hey, with her first kiss she'd been busted parking in the woods with a vamp- Dawn allowed Legolas to pull her up. She grinned devilishly and threw a wink at Merry and Pippin as she straightened her shirt, which sent them into fresh peals of laughter.
Aragorn hushed them, worried that the enemy was still close. "Quiet down now. And try to get some rest. I will take over the watch," he looked pointedly at Dawn and Legolas.
Dawn shrugged. "Night, all," she settled down in her old spot and closed her eyes. The rest of the company shook their heads at the girl and did the same, with the exception of Aragorn on watch, and Legolas who did not need the rest. Between the two of them, the Ranger and the Elf guarded the camp until the coming of the dawn.
* * * * *
The next day, Dawn found herself trapped when, as soon as they had set off in their boats at first light, Gimli launched into a lengthy discussion of all the different types of axes and in which way they were most efficient.
Legolas smiled softly as he paddled. He knew such a boring discussion must be torture for the lady, but Dawn paid the Dwarf every attention, asking questions where appropriate and laughing at his jokes, most of which she did not understand, even when Aragorn and Legolas spent hours later trying to explain them. Legolas did not begrudge a moment he had spent patiently going through Gimli's meanings with her. Half the time, he was forced to agree with her when she said, "But that's not even funny," her delicate forehead creasing with her puzzlement.
Dawn even tried to explain to the Dwarf some of the axes she'd used on the Hellmouth, not knowing any names of course, but comparing them to some in the collection Gimli carried with him, indicating the rough size and shape of the blade. When she would describe the axe, he would identify it properly for her and demand to know how she had used it, and what it had been used to slay. When she had finally finished giving her accounts of demons killed with axes, Dawn was prodded to move on to other weaponry she'd come across.
She jumped right into telling Gimli about the crossbow, hoping to draw Legolas into the conversation. "See, a crossbow fires darts, just like Legolas' bow fires arrows," she turned to indicate the Elf behind her, pleased to see his eyes brighten and his ears perk up at the prospect of hearing something interesting. Dawn smiled at him and he grinned back, understanding her intentions.
Dawn continued. "But a crossbow is much smaller than a longbow, and therefore has less range. It's not really used for range, though, we had other, more technological weapons for that sort of thing," she giggled to herself, remembering the Scooby Gang's stories of Buffy using a rocket launcher to literally blow the Judge away.
"Bah! If it's so small, what was this crossbow of yours useful for?" Gimli asked, interrupting her reverie.
"Well, accuracy mainly," Dawn told him. "See, because the crossbow is held flat, when the dart is loaded, which is pretty much a short arrow minus those funky little feathers on the end, it is very easy to aim, makes it wicked accurate, especially for dusting vamps."
She shrugged and finished. "I dunno. Wasn't so great with the crossbow myself, usually that was Buffy's thing."
Legolas frowned at the back of Dawn's head. She was facing forwards to speak to Gimli, but he could hear that same note of resentment in her voice that had crept in when she had spoken of her sister back in Lothlorien.
Suddenly, they heard Aragorn's voice floating softly over the water. "Look, Frodo, the Argonath," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. The entire Fellowship looked up, seeing on either side of the river two massive statues, great Kings carved from rock. Dawn gasped. They were magnificent.
"King-guy-much," she breathed, noticing the likeness of the statues to their fearless leader.
Legolas smiled at her recognition. "Yes, they are very much like him, for they are his kin," he told her.
* * * * *
"We cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the North," Aragorn declared a short while later when they had beached their boats on the western shore. Their journey down the river had come to an end at last. Nobody was particularly sorry to leave the boats behind.
Gimli looked up at the Ranger. He was crouched by a small fire, feeding twigs to the flames. "Oh yes? Just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil, an impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks. And after that, it gets even better!"
Pippin, sitting next to the Dwarf, looked at him, taken aback.
Gimli continued. "A festering, stinking marshland, far as the eye can see."
"That is our road. I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, master Dwarf," Aragorn spoke down to Gimli.
Dawn's eyebrow's shot up. 'King-guy, you bitch!' she thought to herself. Gimli was sputtering with rage. "A dwarf to recover strength!" he growled.
Meanwhile, Legolas, who had been staring out into the forest, as if he was seeing something approach, turned to Aragorn. "We should leave now," he told the Ranger, his lyrical voice full of worry.
"Orcs patrol the eastern shore, we must wait for cover of dark," Aragorn justified.
Legolas sighed. "It is not the eastern shore that worries me. A shadow and a threat have been growing in my mind. Something draws near, my spidey senses can feel it."
Aragorn stared at his friend, completely baffled as to what 'spidey senses' were. Dawn caught Legolas' eye and they exchanged proud grins over his vocabulary before the Elf turned back to the Ranger. Aragorn held his friend's gaze for a long moment. He knew Legolas' concerns were not to be taken lightly, but there was nothing they could do but watch and wait.
Merry wandered into the camp with more firewood, stopping at the fire to drop it.
Gimli was muttering to Pippin, "Pay no heed to that, young Hobbit."
"Where's Frodo?" Merry asked, dusting his hands off and looking around the campsite.
At Merry's words, Sam, who had been dozing in a corner, sprang up guiltily, looking about. Aragorn's gaze quickly scanned the campsite, noticing that Boromir's shield was resting against a tree, its owner nowhere to be found.
* * * * *