Author's Note: *bows to reviewers* Thank you, hehe.
Lily Baggins: I'm glad it's interested you. No Frodo in this chapter, though. And you may be surprised by the spin I put on "Frodo injury". *grins* He comes back in Chapter 3.
Lady Jaina: Yes, reviews do keep writers going. heh. Thanks for the compliment!
Disclaimer: I still own nothing. this is getting depressing. ;-)
Chapter Two: Aragorn
Aragorn raised his head. The rocks had stopped falling almost as quickly as they had stopped. Glancing around, Aragorn was surprised to find himself in what was simply a slightly smaller version of the cave they had been in earlier, with a few stones scattered across the floor. And yet. the rocks had been falling everywhere. He had seen them. He ought to have been crushed.
As he stood up slowly, brushing dust and pebbles off of himself, he saw why. Standing a few feet away was Gandalf, eyes shut, gripping his staff tightly. The staff was giving off a faint glow. Smiling wryly, Aragorn glanced up. As he had expected, there was a layer of rocks a mere twenty feet above his head, seemingly held up by nothing. It certainly was useful to have a wizard as a companion.
Around them, the rocks Gandalf had not been able to catch with his spell formed walls that stretched from the floor to the makeshift ceiling. Aragorn frowned, already foreseeing the problems these walls would cause for the Fellowship as its members tried to regroup. That is, if everyone survived the cave-in.
Aragorn's eyes swiftly surveyed the area, searching for signs of life. There was nothing, only stones and solid rock walls. Wait. He focused in on a small lump located near the wall. It resembled a small, cloaked figure, huddled in fear. Aragorn smiled in relief. One of the hobbits, then.
He crossed the space in three long strides. Upon reaching the figure, he knelt down and put out a hand, laying it on the hobbit's shoulder.
A head suddenly appeared from underneath the cloak, jerking in surprise. Aragorn found himself looking in to the frightened eyes of the littlest one, Pippin.
"Strider!" he cried, slowly uncurling and bringing himself to a sitting position. "What happened? Where are the others? All I remember is a loud crack, and rocks falling. Someone pushed me out of the way-I think it was Boromir." He frowned suddenly, looking around him. "Where is he? And the others? Are they alright?" He struggled to his feet.
Aragorn put out a hand to steady the little one. "You are the first one I found, aside from Gandalf," he said, motioning to the wizard. "I think the others may be on the other side of the wall."
Pippin, who had been eyeing Gandalf with curiosity, focused his attention back on Aragorn. "We will be able to find them again, won't we Aragorn?" he asked hopefully, his eyes full of fear.
Aragorn could not bring himself to tell the little one of the possibility that his friend might not have survived. Instead, he simply ruffled Pippin's hair as he stood and said, "I certainly hope so."
A grunting sound got their attention, and they turned to see the figure of a man straightening from behind a large boulder, knocking rocks off his cloak.
"Boromir!" cried Pippin, running over to the man. "You're here too! Was it you who pushed me out of the way?"
Boromir glanced at the boulder beside him. "That certainly landed close by," he said, giving a dry laugh. "I thought it had landed on me for a moment." He shook his head, then turned his attention to Pippin. "Yes, little one, it was I who pushed you. I fear you would have been crushed otherwise." He allowed himself to be led over to Aragorn.
Aragorn breathed an inward sigh of relief to see the man, glad he had survived despite the misgivings he had towards him. He clasped Boromir on the shoulder in welcome. "Good to see you alive, my friend," he said, smiling.
Boromir laughed and returned the gesture. "For now, at least. Travelling with this company seems to be hazardous to one's health." He smiled, to show he had meant it in jest. He looked around at their rock prison-for that was what it was, in effect-his smile turning into a frown with astonishing speed. "The others?"
Aragorn shook his head. "I have not found them. I believe them to be on the other side of the wall."
"I believe you are correct, Aragorn." They all turned to see Gandalf open his eyes and lower his staff, his face drawn. "Those ought to be secure by now," he said, nodding at the rocks above their heads as he adjusted his robes and cloak. Pippin looked up, his eyes growing wide as he noticed the ceiling for the first time. Boromir, too, looked surprised for a moment before recovering himself. Gandalf smiled before continuing. "I tried to stop the rocks as much as I could, and with a bit of luck the others will find themselves in a similar position to ours."
Boromir laughed dryly. "Yes; alive but trapped, and unable to find their way back to the group." He shook his head, obviously troubled. "An ill bit of luck, this is." "At least you are alive," Aragorn said shortly. He did not like the way the hobbit's eyes were widening in fear. Boromir's words had obviously frightened him, worried for his friends as he was. "As we must hope the others are."
Pippin looked up at him. "Is there any way for us to find them, Aragorn?" "I supposed we shall have to try to shift the rocks enough to make an opening big enough to crawl through." He looked at Gandalf for confirmation . The wizard nodded. "Moving the rocks should not disturb the spell. We are quite safe from being crushed. Now Pippin, I'll need your help." The hobbit looked at him in surprise.
"Me, Gandalf?"
"Yes," came the reply. "I want you to help me remember where the others were sitting so we know where to start digging." Pippin nodded and hurried over to talk with the wizard.
Aragorn motioned to Boromir. "Come, help me search for a spot where we might have an easier time getting through." The two men walked to the wall. Aragorn scanned it, a feeling of hopelessness growing in him. There seemed to be no variation in the wall, and unless he was very much mistaken it was at least a few feet thick. He continued his search, hoping he might see a change.
Beside him, Boromir looked up at the ceiling, troubled. "How could this have happened, Aragorn?" he said in a low voice. "Do you think it was Saruman?"
Aragorn shook his head. "I very much doubt that. Cave-ins are generally caused by a disturbance on the surface. Perhaps there was an avalanche on one of the mountains." * Although in these mines, he thought, one never knew. Aragorn did not trust this place in the least, and he thought it more than likely that the cave-in had been caused by some creature or power in the caves with an ill-will towards the Company.
He did not voice his thoughts, however, as his words seemed to have comforted Boromir, whose face now held less worry than it had. Looking back at the wall, Aragorn found his thoughts turning to the Ringbearer. Above all things, he thought, let him be alive. Let him be alive.
* I actually know next to nothing about cave-ins, so this may not be true. If by some strange chance one of you is an expert in this area, let me know. ;-)
Lily Baggins: I'm glad it's interested you. No Frodo in this chapter, though. And you may be surprised by the spin I put on "Frodo injury". *grins* He comes back in Chapter 3.
Lady Jaina: Yes, reviews do keep writers going. heh. Thanks for the compliment!
Disclaimer: I still own nothing. this is getting depressing. ;-)
Chapter Two: Aragorn
Aragorn raised his head. The rocks had stopped falling almost as quickly as they had stopped. Glancing around, Aragorn was surprised to find himself in what was simply a slightly smaller version of the cave they had been in earlier, with a few stones scattered across the floor. And yet. the rocks had been falling everywhere. He had seen them. He ought to have been crushed.
As he stood up slowly, brushing dust and pebbles off of himself, he saw why. Standing a few feet away was Gandalf, eyes shut, gripping his staff tightly. The staff was giving off a faint glow. Smiling wryly, Aragorn glanced up. As he had expected, there was a layer of rocks a mere twenty feet above his head, seemingly held up by nothing. It certainly was useful to have a wizard as a companion.
Around them, the rocks Gandalf had not been able to catch with his spell formed walls that stretched from the floor to the makeshift ceiling. Aragorn frowned, already foreseeing the problems these walls would cause for the Fellowship as its members tried to regroup. That is, if everyone survived the cave-in.
Aragorn's eyes swiftly surveyed the area, searching for signs of life. There was nothing, only stones and solid rock walls. Wait. He focused in on a small lump located near the wall. It resembled a small, cloaked figure, huddled in fear. Aragorn smiled in relief. One of the hobbits, then.
He crossed the space in three long strides. Upon reaching the figure, he knelt down and put out a hand, laying it on the hobbit's shoulder.
A head suddenly appeared from underneath the cloak, jerking in surprise. Aragorn found himself looking in to the frightened eyes of the littlest one, Pippin.
"Strider!" he cried, slowly uncurling and bringing himself to a sitting position. "What happened? Where are the others? All I remember is a loud crack, and rocks falling. Someone pushed me out of the way-I think it was Boromir." He frowned suddenly, looking around him. "Where is he? And the others? Are they alright?" He struggled to his feet.
Aragorn put out a hand to steady the little one. "You are the first one I found, aside from Gandalf," he said, motioning to the wizard. "I think the others may be on the other side of the wall."
Pippin, who had been eyeing Gandalf with curiosity, focused his attention back on Aragorn. "We will be able to find them again, won't we Aragorn?" he asked hopefully, his eyes full of fear.
Aragorn could not bring himself to tell the little one of the possibility that his friend might not have survived. Instead, he simply ruffled Pippin's hair as he stood and said, "I certainly hope so."
A grunting sound got their attention, and they turned to see the figure of a man straightening from behind a large boulder, knocking rocks off his cloak.
"Boromir!" cried Pippin, running over to the man. "You're here too! Was it you who pushed me out of the way?"
Boromir glanced at the boulder beside him. "That certainly landed close by," he said, giving a dry laugh. "I thought it had landed on me for a moment." He shook his head, then turned his attention to Pippin. "Yes, little one, it was I who pushed you. I fear you would have been crushed otherwise." He allowed himself to be led over to Aragorn.
Aragorn breathed an inward sigh of relief to see the man, glad he had survived despite the misgivings he had towards him. He clasped Boromir on the shoulder in welcome. "Good to see you alive, my friend," he said, smiling.
Boromir laughed and returned the gesture. "For now, at least. Travelling with this company seems to be hazardous to one's health." He smiled, to show he had meant it in jest. He looked around at their rock prison-for that was what it was, in effect-his smile turning into a frown with astonishing speed. "The others?"
Aragorn shook his head. "I have not found them. I believe them to be on the other side of the wall."
"I believe you are correct, Aragorn." They all turned to see Gandalf open his eyes and lower his staff, his face drawn. "Those ought to be secure by now," he said, nodding at the rocks above their heads as he adjusted his robes and cloak. Pippin looked up, his eyes growing wide as he noticed the ceiling for the first time. Boromir, too, looked surprised for a moment before recovering himself. Gandalf smiled before continuing. "I tried to stop the rocks as much as I could, and with a bit of luck the others will find themselves in a similar position to ours."
Boromir laughed dryly. "Yes; alive but trapped, and unable to find their way back to the group." He shook his head, obviously troubled. "An ill bit of luck, this is." "At least you are alive," Aragorn said shortly. He did not like the way the hobbit's eyes were widening in fear. Boromir's words had obviously frightened him, worried for his friends as he was. "As we must hope the others are."
Pippin looked up at him. "Is there any way for us to find them, Aragorn?" "I supposed we shall have to try to shift the rocks enough to make an opening big enough to crawl through." He looked at Gandalf for confirmation . The wizard nodded. "Moving the rocks should not disturb the spell. We are quite safe from being crushed. Now Pippin, I'll need your help." The hobbit looked at him in surprise.
"Me, Gandalf?"
"Yes," came the reply. "I want you to help me remember where the others were sitting so we know where to start digging." Pippin nodded and hurried over to talk with the wizard.
Aragorn motioned to Boromir. "Come, help me search for a spot where we might have an easier time getting through." The two men walked to the wall. Aragorn scanned it, a feeling of hopelessness growing in him. There seemed to be no variation in the wall, and unless he was very much mistaken it was at least a few feet thick. He continued his search, hoping he might see a change.
Beside him, Boromir looked up at the ceiling, troubled. "How could this have happened, Aragorn?" he said in a low voice. "Do you think it was Saruman?"
Aragorn shook his head. "I very much doubt that. Cave-ins are generally caused by a disturbance on the surface. Perhaps there was an avalanche on one of the mountains." * Although in these mines, he thought, one never knew. Aragorn did not trust this place in the least, and he thought it more than likely that the cave-in had been caused by some creature or power in the caves with an ill-will towards the Company.
He did not voice his thoughts, however, as his words seemed to have comforted Boromir, whose face now held less worry than it had. Looking back at the wall, Aragorn found his thoughts turning to the Ringbearer. Above all things, he thought, let him be alive. Let him be alive.
* I actually know next to nothing about cave-ins, so this may not be true. If by some strange chance one of you is an expert in this area, let me know. ;-)