Chapter 7: Midnight Whispers and Deadly Marches
After the supper and dinner later that night, the others were informed about all the facts and understood. Thomas looked at Aubrey strangely for most of the night, but at the end only told her it was a joke. "Never knew someone who was another species," he explained with a mischievous smile on his face. Now all of them were huddled in the den around the fire talking of numerous topics.
"I don't see why you guys even listened to that hussy, Sandy anyway," Kat said sitting with the others.
"I don't know, sometimes she has really good gossip," Thomas stated laying sideways on one of the chairs, hanging his feet over the side of the arm.
"Exactly Kat's point," Kate said back, "A lot of it is gossip and gossip only."
During the entire talk Aubrey kept looking out the window at the bright moon and was often some where else entirely. She couldn't stay in the conversations and when asked on her input she didn't know what to say since she was never paying attention. Drogo noticed her change in attitude and decided that the group had better be heading home. It had been a long day and one full of surprises.
"Oh, one more question before I must leave," Thomas dodged around Drogo who was trying to push him out the door and went over to Aubrey, "I just have to ask . . . How did it feel to be human?"
Aubrey laughed at his question, "Just like a hobbit. Except that now, it seems my feet are heavier and I kind of miss being tall."
"Hmm," he rubbed his chin and left out the front door, pondering.
"Aubrey, if you ever need to talk in another one of our 'installments' you know where to look," Kate winked and left with her sister and Faramir. Drogo looked at Faramir with an amused grin and a wink as he left. Faramir blushed a little and followed the girls.
Aubrey wondered about this, but got up out of her seat by the window and headed for the kitchen where Frodo was doing the dishes. "Do you need any help, Frodo?"
"No thank you lass. I'm almost done here. And it seems that you need your rest. All that crying that you did do no good for your eyes."
She smiled and snickered a little under her breath, "Yeah, I guess they aren't, but thank you for the meal. It helped immensely."
"Thank you for getting the ingredients. It couldn't have been such a success without you. Goodnight lass," he smiled down at her and she turned to leave the kitchen.
"Goodnight, Frodo."
Drogo came into the kitchen after saying goodbye to the others. Aubrey looked at him with no real emotion on her face, stopped dead in the room and wished him a goodnight sleep. After Drogo returned the goodnight wish she made her way to her room. Drogo walked next to his father.
"You should talk to her, Drogo," Frodo said looking into the soapy water.
"I tried that earlier as you must remember and it didn't go so well," he said picking up some dishes and help to dry them and putting them back in their place.
"She wants to tell you something important, she just doesn't know how," Frodo took a breath, "The same problem that you seem to be having."
Drogo looked at his father confused, "You know? But how? I have told no one, not even Faramir."
"I once felt like that as well not too long ago. And I still do even if that other person is gone," he smiled faintly and hugged his son from the side, "Now, that finishes up the dishes and it is off to bed with you. All of you have had a long day. Goodnight, Drogo."
Drogo nodded and headed toward his room and hopped in his bed.
***
About one in the morning Drogo heard the familiar voice and sobbing from the room next to his. He put his hand up against the wall and closed his eyes, 'I'm here for you now and forever. I just don't know how to say that to you. I know it seems so easy to do, but when it comes to doing it, well that is a whole different story. Especially with someone like you.'
He looked up at his ceiling for a while, listening to her talk to her mother the only way she could. In the silent of night, with the stars shining brightly and no one else listening. He had done the same thing in nights past, trying to hear his mother's answer back to him, although nothing ever gave him a response to his outreaching heart.
He heard her talking about a young hobbit and her pursuit of his heart. He was sure that she thought of some one else, he was sure that some other hobbit had taken her heart and stolen a good few glances at her and her at him. Although Kate would tell him different.
She would tell him that those precious stolen glances were for him, that all those precious moments spent in her company was as special to Aubrey as it was to him. But how can that be true when he could hear her describing another hobbit that couldn't possibly be him.
'Well one thing that she told me was to get it out. And I might as well. It is her and father against me,' he got out of his bed and went out in the hall toward Aubrey's room. He opened the door slightly and looked in. She was not it her bed, the covers were thrown to the side and the pillow had fallen on the floor apparently from her moving to get out of bed.
He stepped into her room, looking for any sign of her, and found her by the window staring at the countless stars in the night sky. He smiled as he saw her clutching the amulet in her tight grasp. She would never let that thing out of her sight. He cautiously took steps toward her, so he wouldn't disturb her.
"Hey Drogo," she said not taking her eyes from the stars.
"How did you know?"
"I heard you get up from your bed," she turned to him and motioned him to come and sit down next to her, "Come on, I need some company."
He came over and took the seat next to her and stared out the window with her, "What exactly are we looking at?"
"Nothing in particular. It is just relaxing to look at the night sky at times. To try and count all the stars in the sky, but knowing at the same time that it is impossible to do so," she took a breath of fresh air from the open window, "It is just breathtaking."
"It must be relaxing, you've stopped crying."
"You heard me again, huh?" she looked down.
"Yeah, that is why I came to see you," he lied, but he had to admit it was a good excuse if ever decided to chicken out at the last second from telling her why he really came over to her room for.
"I just can't help it," she looked at him, "I'm sorry for waking you." She touched his hand and walked over to her bed. "I am so tired of crying, yet I cannot stop," she got under the covers and tried to bury her head in the pillow.
Drogo went over to her bedside and did something he never thought he had the guts for. He climbed into the bed with her, on top of the covers.
"Drogo?" Aubrey asked, frankly very surprised that he was in her bed. He put his arms around her, making one of his arms a pillow for her head and the other one encircling her waist. He set his head near her shoulder and held her close to him.
"You don't have to hide the tears or anything else from me," he whispered into her ear. She could feel his breath on her neck and chills went up and down her spine. She turned to face him and looked him in the eyes; those light blue eyes that seemed to go on for eternity. She couldn't find anything else to say to him, or was it that she was so taken back by his actions that she couldn't bring herself to say anything. But then only one thing came to her mind.
"I'm sorry for not telling you everything," she said before crying into his chest. He held her close and rubbed her back to sooth her.
"It's going to be alright, Aubrey. I promise," he heard her muffled sobs from his chest, "Shhhhh," he kissed the top of her head. He could feel his heart rip, 'If only you knew how much you mean to me Aubrey. Then it wouldn't be so hard to tell you. I don't care what you were; I don't care what you are. As long as you are here with me, I wouldn't want you to become anything else then what you are. I wish I could just tell you.'
They stayed together that night, in one another's embrace. Aubrey fell asleep first putting all her strength into her sobbing, she fell asleep fast. Drogo didn't stay up too much later after that, he too couldn't fake how much energy he lost from his earlier 'talk' with her. Before either one of them went to sleep at their separate times they both thought silently to themselves, 'I wish I could just tell you that I think I am in love with you.'
***
Aubrey and Drogo had finished another couple of lessons with Frodo in the late afternoon the next day, completing the study of the geography of Mordor. Drogo felt confident that he passed in flying colors, while Aubrey took the pessimistic thinking and thought that she had never done worse.
"Oh, come on, Aubrey. Just be glad that you got through alive."
Aubrey lit up, "Thank goodness, I thought that that section would take forever," she smiled as they both walked down the road.
They began to talk about other things, trying to stay away from the subjects of their mothers and the test that just occurred. Both Aubrey and Drogo found the comfort that they had lost from their mothers' absences in each other. Sure, it wasn't the same, but at least they knew that no one was holding back. Except that one certain topic that neither wanted the other to know, at least not yet.
They were both to caught up in the conversation with one another to even notice Sandy as she came up to the two and looked at them both, focusing primarily on Aubrey, "And how are you two today?"
"Just fine Sandy," Aubrey said a little annoyed, "And how are you and your run away mouth doing?"
Sandy glared at Aubrey, "I'm doing just fine." She turned her attention to Drogo, "Well, Drogo, I wouldn't think that you would associate yourself with a hobbitlass like this one. I mean once being a human. I would stay as far away from her as I could with her being so dishonest to her closest friends. And being so far away from home and all. How many dimensions or worlds did you say you are from home, Aubrey?"
"Sandy do me a favor," Drogo looked at her harshly before Aubrey could answer her, "Shut up."
She looked at him with her mouth wide open, "What did you just say to me Drogo Baggins?"
"See, she can't even keep that promise to me," he said to Aubrey as they made their way to the leafbed, "And Sandy, don't you ever let me catch you saying things about Aubrey. She is more of a lady then you'll ever become," looking behind them at Sandy.
Aubrey smiled at him, "Wow Drogo, score one for you. Even though I wouldn't have minded to beat her face in."
"Well, you don't need that right now," he said seriously. She smirked and kissed his cheek. He blushed and took her hand. They both started to run for the leafbed sure that the others were there waiting for them.
Once reaching the leaf bed, Aubrey and Drogo joined the group that was only lying around. Kate was in her tree swinging her foot back and forth, counting the seconds in a minute. Faramir was at the bottom of the tree picking the leafs, that Kate dropped on him, from his hair. Thomas was on a rock sketching some designs into the surface with a kind of white rock that acted like chalk. Kat was motionless in a pile of leaves, asleep. Aubrey sat at the edge of the pond with her feet making ripples on the surface. Drogo laid behind her watching the clouds pass over, using his hands as a pillow. Aubrey soon leaned back and used him as a pillow as she too started to watch the clouds.
"Come on guys," Thomas finally spoke up, "There has to be something to do. I mean, we could go and pick a fight with Sandy and watch Aubrey kick her butt again. Let's do something."
"I'm not the one that picks the fights, Thomas," said Aubrey, "If little Miss Princess wants a fight then she gets one. It's not up to me. Although the violence has gone down and all I have to do now is shake my fist at her and she usually goes off crying to daddy. So where is the fun in that?"
"You're right; there is no fun in that anymore. We could go down to that nice crop-" he looked at Faramir who had one of the worst glances in the world at that point, "Or . . . Um- I'm going to market; maybe they haven't sold all of Gandalf's tricks yet. And I saw a really good supply of pies this morning on my way here," he licked his lips as he jumped off of the rock.
"We'll go with you," said the twin Brandybucks.
"I need to stretch my legs," agreed Faramir. He looked at Drogo and Aubrey, "You two coming?"
"Nah, we'll stay here and watch the clouds," said Drogo, "It is very calming at times."
"See you guys laters," Aubrey waved her hand at them with out looking at them. They both stayed silent watching as the stars began to show themselves, and the clouds began to disappear behind the dark velvet sheet of night.
"Aubrey?"
"Yeah?" Aubrey turned over on her elbows and looked down at Drogo.
"Do you ever think about your mother constantly? I mean, do you have times where you can't help but think about her?"
"Of course. At night, I always think about her, but you already knew that. And I long to be at home enjoying her company. I always took her for granted, and now I can't get back to her."
"If you don't mind me asking-"
"You know you could ask me anything, Drogo. Always."
"Well, how close do you think she was to dying?"
"She has probably already died."
"What was wrong with her?"
"It's was disease. It can't be stopped or prevented . . . and I never got to say goodbye. The disease has probably already taken her, but at least I can remember her some how," she held tightly to her amulet, "I can always have the memories of her cooking breakfast in the morning and her perfume that she tried to chase me into wearing. Now I would chase her to wear it, just to make her happy. Even though I was never partial to perfume, I wouldn't mind it all that much. Especially if it was my mother's scent, I guess it would be another way of remembering her, you know? . . . . One day I will get back at the orcs for taking me from my mother."
"My father always tells me never to hold on to hate; at one point it will corrupt you. Then you will have no more hope in your heart, and then what would you do?"
"That is good advice. But I just wish I was back home, by her side, you know?"
"I know," Drogo touched her hand with his fingertips, "Is there anything that was worth coming here for, Aubrey?" She took her gaze from her amulet and into his eyes.
"There is at least one thing that was worth this trip," she brushed some of his hair off his forehead and bit her lower lip, unsure of what she was doing or what she was feeling. He only seemed to like her as a sister, as a best friend, the fight they had the night before was a great example of that. She started to lean toward him never listening to her thoughts clawing at the back of her mind telling her that she might be hurt again. Drogo just stared into her eyes, not moving, not dodging her advances. He even seemed to be leaning toward her. Just before she felt his lips on hers she felt a pain in her head and her amulet started to glow. She fell into Drogo's chest, clenching her teeth tightly.
"Aubrey, what's the matter?" he held her by the shoulders.
"My head," she opened her eyes, became calm, and touched her amulet; "Something's coming." They looked up at the sky and dark clouds began to gather above the leaf bed, covering the bright moon that was only halfway up the sky, and a hard wind began blowing at them. Something was coming and she much rather not be there when it did. But she knew that it was no use to run, it was too late to run. They would be caught in only a few moments of time.
"We got to hide," she took his hand and hid inside an old tree.
"Aubrey wh-"
"Shh . . ." Aubrey heard some heavy feet tromp through the brush. Drogo and Aubrey smelled the air, and she knew for the rest of her life that she would never forget that smell. The smell that could only make you want to throw up everything in your being.
Anger began to show as the dominant expression on Drogo's face, "Orcs," he said above a whisper. Aubrey stuck the amulet underneath the material of her dress and it stopped glowing.
She heard the orcs roaming around the trees nearby, and closed her eyes. She heard with in her mind, what they wanted. Her. They were searching for the girl that was carried off by the giant eagle months ago after they had . . . had changed her. They changed her?
She felt two arms wind around her and it brought a sense of warmth and safety. She opened her eyes and saw Drogo holding her protectively. She could see him doing the same for a younger sibling. That was it; he was protecting her as an older brother would have. Nothing more, but this was not the time to be thinking about her feelings toward him.
Drogo watched as the orcs searched around, and then moved on. He held Aubrey closer to him by each passing moment, hopeful that none of the orcs stayed behind looking in all the crevasses. He could not lose two people that he loved to the orcs. 'You are not taking her, I will not let you take her from me,' he closed his eyes, 'You will not.' After a few moments of not seeing the orcs, Drogo and Aubrey left the safety of the hiding place and began to run home. Back to BagEnd to tell Frodo about the new threat to the Shire and to them.