Thank you to all who have reviewed!
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Chapter 5
The morning was misty and cold, foreboding of coming hardships. It chilled her skin as she slowly walked through the grass. The light shimmered through the suspended drops seductively, creating the illusion of strewn jewels across the sky, yet Lorelai felt their true meaning, their true intent. She slowly reached out her hand and pushed open the door.
Soft snorts were heard in the room as the horses still slept peacefully. Few were awake, and looked out of their boxes with mild curiosity, but paid little attention to the tiny girl. She carefully walked down to the far stall.
Sunrise peeked her head out of the box and whinnied softly as she saw Lorelai's approach. Lorelai held out her hand in a warning to stay quiet, as not to awake the other horses. Silently, she led Sunrise out of the stall and out into the pasture. The sun was gleaming, dew wetting her feet as she walked along the side of her friend. She casually strolled along in the field, horse at her side, as she said her silent goodbye without saying a word. Although she knew the road was hard, and it was to be long, Sunrise could not come. There was too much peril in store for her and the fellowship, and she could not bear to have to worry about her friend as well as complete her task.
"I am sorry, girl," she whispered softly, letting her tears fall. "But to see you hurt would wound me greater than you know." Kissing her friend, her companion, her partner on the forehead, she left the meadow.
~*~
Hoisting his pack further up onto his back, Frodo turned and gave the buildings of Rivendell a longing glance. His heart ached to stay there, to explore the many forests surrounding it and the dales and meadows to stroll through. But with another furtive glance, he saw it changed, the beautiful guilded structures charred and the sky grim with smoke, the ageless trees clear-cut and being burned for fueling the fires down below in the deep chasms of earth, where pitiless grunts and clangs of metal rang out into the shadow. How the world would change if he were to not turn and walk from its safety.
"Come on Frodo," Merry said as he walked by him towards the exit. "It's time."
Turning back to walk down the broad path, he tried to hide his fear and sadness, pushing it deep within him. The many people situated at the sides of the path, looking upon the walkers with hope, stared at him with pity. He was to carry the task that none wanted to bear. Arching his eyes down to the path ahead of him, and blocking his eyes from their compassionately cool ones.
Finally, as if it seemed an eternity, he reached the small space in front of the heavy wooden doors, the main exit out of Rivendell that he and the rest of the Fellowship would be leaving through. The others were already there; Sam, Merry, and Pippin looking solemner then he'd seen them before; the newcomers, Legolas, Gimli, and Boromir, looking upon him with a sort of unfettered wonder; and Aragorn and Gandalf, both looking so wise and so strong, despite their greatly differed appearances. Elrond stood with them, and the group fell silent at Frodo's entrance.
Elrond stepped forward once he joined the other walkers and gazed over them. His eyes deceived him in his hope, and it was clear to Frodo that there was little faith in the success of this mission.
"Today, you carry the hope of all of Middle-Earth," Elrond began gravely. "This is an arduous task, but it must be attempt, for we have little time. This is our only solution. I bid all of you farewell, and the grace of Valor." He bowed his head gently, and the walkers mimicked the movement back to him.
Sam reached out and petted the nose of Bill as they turned away from the security of Rivendell and set out on the hardest thing ever attempted. Not a word was spoken as they walked under the gaping archway, under the melancholy glare of their world. The road twisted away from the arch, and the crowd let out a collective sigh, almost in relief, but also in fear, for this was their fate to be protected by nine people. They began to drift away from the path, leaving to go to their own prayers of safety.
Lorelai picked up her pack from the base of the tree where she had seen the entire situation. Flinging it onto her back, she fiddled with the straps uncertainly as she began to walk towards the great doors. Elrond stood in front of her and she looked up at him, her anger and yet her understanding flashing in her eyes.
"You do not need to do this," he coaxed. "You may stay here for as long as you wish, and wait for them to return."
"I do not know if they are to return, as you have your doubts in them as well," she said coolly. "Even if nothing is to happen and they waltz into Mordor and destroy the ring right under their very noses, I want to be there, for I may be able to create the distraction in order for them to slip through the cracks. So, although I do greatly appreciate your offer, I cannot accept, on the simple grounds that I could not live with myself." She bit her lip as she finished and chewed on it out of nervousness. He paused, and then sighed.
"You are a very stubborn one. I should like very much to see you when this is all over," he smiled sadly.
"I will try to grant you that after all you have done for me," she said and dipped her head slightly. "Thank you Lord Elrond."
"And thank you too, Lorelai Underhill." With one last pause, he turned away.
The path was now empty but for her, and with an uncertain gaze backwards, she set off, following in the footsteps of one not much larger than herself only a few moments afterwards.
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Chapter 5
The morning was misty and cold, foreboding of coming hardships. It chilled her skin as she slowly walked through the grass. The light shimmered through the suspended drops seductively, creating the illusion of strewn jewels across the sky, yet Lorelai felt their true meaning, their true intent. She slowly reached out her hand and pushed open the door.
Soft snorts were heard in the room as the horses still slept peacefully. Few were awake, and looked out of their boxes with mild curiosity, but paid little attention to the tiny girl. She carefully walked down to the far stall.
Sunrise peeked her head out of the box and whinnied softly as she saw Lorelai's approach. Lorelai held out her hand in a warning to stay quiet, as not to awake the other horses. Silently, she led Sunrise out of the stall and out into the pasture. The sun was gleaming, dew wetting her feet as she walked along the side of her friend. She casually strolled along in the field, horse at her side, as she said her silent goodbye without saying a word. Although she knew the road was hard, and it was to be long, Sunrise could not come. There was too much peril in store for her and the fellowship, and she could not bear to have to worry about her friend as well as complete her task.
"I am sorry, girl," she whispered softly, letting her tears fall. "But to see you hurt would wound me greater than you know." Kissing her friend, her companion, her partner on the forehead, she left the meadow.
~*~
Hoisting his pack further up onto his back, Frodo turned and gave the buildings of Rivendell a longing glance. His heart ached to stay there, to explore the many forests surrounding it and the dales and meadows to stroll through. But with another furtive glance, he saw it changed, the beautiful guilded structures charred and the sky grim with smoke, the ageless trees clear-cut and being burned for fueling the fires down below in the deep chasms of earth, where pitiless grunts and clangs of metal rang out into the shadow. How the world would change if he were to not turn and walk from its safety.
"Come on Frodo," Merry said as he walked by him towards the exit. "It's time."
Turning back to walk down the broad path, he tried to hide his fear and sadness, pushing it deep within him. The many people situated at the sides of the path, looking upon the walkers with hope, stared at him with pity. He was to carry the task that none wanted to bear. Arching his eyes down to the path ahead of him, and blocking his eyes from their compassionately cool ones.
Finally, as if it seemed an eternity, he reached the small space in front of the heavy wooden doors, the main exit out of Rivendell that he and the rest of the Fellowship would be leaving through. The others were already there; Sam, Merry, and Pippin looking solemner then he'd seen them before; the newcomers, Legolas, Gimli, and Boromir, looking upon him with a sort of unfettered wonder; and Aragorn and Gandalf, both looking so wise and so strong, despite their greatly differed appearances. Elrond stood with them, and the group fell silent at Frodo's entrance.
Elrond stepped forward once he joined the other walkers and gazed over them. His eyes deceived him in his hope, and it was clear to Frodo that there was little faith in the success of this mission.
"Today, you carry the hope of all of Middle-Earth," Elrond began gravely. "This is an arduous task, but it must be attempt, for we have little time. This is our only solution. I bid all of you farewell, and the grace of Valor." He bowed his head gently, and the walkers mimicked the movement back to him.
Sam reached out and petted the nose of Bill as they turned away from the security of Rivendell and set out on the hardest thing ever attempted. Not a word was spoken as they walked under the gaping archway, under the melancholy glare of their world. The road twisted away from the arch, and the crowd let out a collective sigh, almost in relief, but also in fear, for this was their fate to be protected by nine people. They began to drift away from the path, leaving to go to their own prayers of safety.
Lorelai picked up her pack from the base of the tree where she had seen the entire situation. Flinging it onto her back, she fiddled with the straps uncertainly as she began to walk towards the great doors. Elrond stood in front of her and she looked up at him, her anger and yet her understanding flashing in her eyes.
"You do not need to do this," he coaxed. "You may stay here for as long as you wish, and wait for them to return."
"I do not know if they are to return, as you have your doubts in them as well," she said coolly. "Even if nothing is to happen and they waltz into Mordor and destroy the ring right under their very noses, I want to be there, for I may be able to create the distraction in order for them to slip through the cracks. So, although I do greatly appreciate your offer, I cannot accept, on the simple grounds that I could not live with myself." She bit her lip as she finished and chewed on it out of nervousness. He paused, and then sighed.
"You are a very stubborn one. I should like very much to see you when this is all over," he smiled sadly.
"I will try to grant you that after all you have done for me," she said and dipped her head slightly. "Thank you Lord Elrond."
"And thank you too, Lorelai Underhill." With one last pause, he turned away.
The path was now empty but for her, and with an uncertain gaze backwards, she set off, following in the footsteps of one not much larger than herself only a few moments afterwards.
