A/N: The usual. I own nothing. In fact, I own less than nothing. Except Miranda. She's my pal. I'm still holding hope for a couple more reviews...
The small rental car chugged up the roadway, barely topping 60 kilometers per hour. For Maggie the dog, however, it was the perfect speed. Her yellow ears flapped in time with her grinning lips as she craned her head even further out the window. Miranda, on the other hand, was not as thrilled. She had decided against flying, opting for the more scenic, if time-consuming drive. She had figured on making it to Edinburgh in under 6 hrs. Perhaps not.
The wedding itself had been lovely. Thoroughly Scottish in nature, it had been held outside under the (for once) blue sky, with the sun setting in the background. Even the weather dared not clash with Rachel's carefully laid plans. Miranda's pale green dress was stylish and simple, the high neck leaving her shoulders and arms bare. The only crisis occurred when the 4 yr old flower girl began projectile vomiting near her mother's car. Ever-prepared, Miranda swiftly lifted the wicker basket of yellow rose petals out of harm's way. The guests were then treated to the sight of a large, yellow lab trotting up the aisle strewing petals with joyful shakes of her head. Bystanders later swore she moved in time to the music.
In any case, Miranda's role had been fulfilled and she was now free to scope the eligible men, searching for the perfect person with whom she could feel awkward the following morning.
***Too tall. Too short. Too Tory. Too- hmmmm, maybe just right.....*** Although normally a tad shy around men, she'd had enough champagne to give a needed boost of confidence. Heading over to the man in question, she carefully positioned herself within his direct line of sight. He moved away, slightly. Sighing, Miranda walked up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. He turned, a smile on his lips that faded as he saw her.
"Yes?" he asked, acting irritated.
"Ermm, I wondered if you might like to, ermm....well, dance?" she finished, smiling an inviting smile. The man pointedly looked her up and down and smirked.
"I don't think so, love. If I'd wanted a dog in my bed, I'd take that one," he said, nodding at Maggie. Miranda was stunned as he turned and left.
**You bloody bastard!** Angrily, she brushed at tears that threatened to run down her face. But her mortification was not to be denied. Feeling the tears trickling down, Miranda grabbed he shoulder bag and made her way swiftly out of the festivities tent and towards the hill, the lab trailing at her heels.
"How dare he?!? How the bloody fuck dare he?!?" she whispered aloud to herself. Sinking to her knees by a large boulder, she buried her face in her arms and let loose. Old insecurities died hard. Her entire life had been plagued by feelings of inadequacy. Not as attractive as the rest of the family, nor as successful, Miranda had always made a joke and laughed first, that she might not be laughed at. She knew she wasn't ugly. But whatever it was that made men stop and nudge each other was lacking. Through out school, university and beyond, she'd had plenty of dates. But she had made them happen. And 9 times out of ten, they had been cast-offs of Rachel.
The idea that this stupid, git of a man could make her feel this way, blinded her to the fact that she was not leaning against a boulder, but a large, cut stone rectangle, set in a half-circle. Had she noticed, she would have laughed, entertained by the superstitious fairy-tales always connected with these circles. Had she noticed, the laughter would have slowly stopped as the felt the world beginning to sway and spin. Screaming. Someone was screaming Lifting her tear-stained face, Miranda buried one hand into Maggie's neck-fur, partly to quiet the dog's whimpering, partly to steady herself. The screaming intensified, as did the spinning. In addition, a feeling of moving forward began to hit her, as if she were in a plane readying itself for takeoff. Faster, faster, louder, louder and then a CLAP.
Miranda opened her eyes and blinked several times. In front of her was a large valley. Enormous trees topped with massive leaves stretched for miles in every direction. Except she was looking down into the valley which meant....
"Oh hell," she said, almost conversationally, as she plunged off the narrow precipice where she'd stood. The screaming returned as the wind rushed by and the tree-tops rocketed towards her. She slammed into them, branches slashing and scraping. She heard a loud SNAP.
And then silence.
*********
As the day dawned, two figures could be seen perched atop large rocks, away from the main camp. As the others slumbered, the dwarf Gimli sat with Legolas, both marveling at their newly developing friendship.
"Had anyone told me five years ago, that I would break my morning fast with an Elf, I would have laughed at the fool. And yet here I find myself do just that. And gladly too, I might add," Gimli chortled, sliding the chunk of bread across to his friend.
"I, too, might have questioned the wisdom of one making such a bold statement. And yet, I cannot but be glad to be here with you. I had thought I was sure of myself and my world, yet I find both to be ever-changing. That an Elf and a Dwarf be friends!" Legolas shook his head ruefully, but smiled at Gimli in return. They continued to eat their morning meal, enjoying the rare respite from Hobbit-chatter. Legolas turned to offer Gimli water, when he was surprised to see the Dwarf staring hard at the nearby foothills.
"Do my eyes deceive? Legolas, put those hawk-eyes of yours to use and tell me if this Dwarf is aging too quickly. Is there a figure standing on the edge of that cliff?" he asked, pointing. Leaping to his feet, Legolas strained his eyes in the same direction and was amazed to see someone fall, even as he watched.
"He fell! Or jumped, I- I could not tell!" Legolas exclaimed in horror. "Come, we must go and see if he might yet live! You wake the others and bring them. I will go, swiftly, and see if there is ought I might do!" With that, he sprang into a run and disappeared into the trees. Gimli sighed and lumbered back towards the camp, where smoke was already rising as the Hobbits fixed their morning coffee.
"Ye should add more beans, else it willna wake us!" Pippin protested.
"You may like your morning brew to shock the life into you, but I prefer mine to be drinkable!" Merry answered, nudging Pip out of the way with his hip. Across the fire, Frodo and Sam enjoyed a companionable silence as the watched the cousins bicker. Behind them, Aragorn was already at work, rolling sleep-sacks, saddling his horse.
"A-a man, or a-a something fell from a cliff!" Gimli wheezed as he came up to the camp. "It was so sudden, as though he simply appeared and then fell! Legolas went to see if anything was to be done. We are to break camp and follow, " he sat heavily on a rock, breathing harshly through his mouth. Aragorn was already pulling his horse around and mounting it.
"In which direction did he go?" Aragorn asked sharply. Although the immediate danger from dealing with the Ring had ended, he had spent too many years leading to begin following. Understanding this, Gimli merely pointed, and accepted a cup as Aragorn tore off into the woods.
"I do hope whoever it is is ok," Sam added. "Unless it was a stray Orc," he amended thoughtfully. Frodo blanched at the word Orc, but pulled himself together and began rolling his sleep-sack.
"I suppose we'd best follow," he sais, glumly. He had hoped his days of adventuring were over. But perhaps not yet.
Soooooo? Please??? A review? Nothing terribly complicated. Just some thoughts!!