Disclaimer: I own nothing that Tokien created. Unfortunately.
Ch 16 operations
Boromir walked around the room and looked at the small pile of clutter that was lying in the corner. There were many things that he had never seen before, mainly things that looked similar to things that he himself owned but not exactly the same. This place was getting more and more confusing. This woman wasn't what he would have expected a poor woman to be like. In Gondor this was hardly the kind of thing that happened often.
In a way Boromir was enjoying his time here but then the thought of never seeing his home again, never walking through those great gates and being greeted with many horns was a little scary to him. He knew that he should be out trying to find the rest of the Fellowship and Frodo that was his duty after all.
Something kept him there and he wasn't sure whether it was the woman or the friendly atmosphere he was experiencing. It was so peaceful there and he wished he could just stay there forever but he knew he would have to leave sometime. He had just been putting the thought off.
The woman was what he would miss most, there was something about her that he found so attractive and it wasn't just her unmistakeable beauty but her personality. He wished he could be that carefree but he knew that it would never happen.
The time would soon come when he would have to leave her and go into the strange world and find his friends. He wondered if any of them were looking for him. They probably hadn't even thought about him and weren't missing him at all. What possible good could he do in the Fellowship anyway? He didn't deny that the Ring tempted him. If only he could get his hands on it he could change everything.
He suddenly had a great desire to go and find the Ring. He would never have to leave this place if he had it. No one could command him, he would be all- powerful.
Boromir pushed these thoughts out of his mind but the craving for the Ring was still there. He felt so close to it but at the same time so far away. A dark cloud seemed to pass overhead and he felt that need to take it again.
The cloud was dispersed when Marie, the woman walked into the room. Boromir no longer felt the need for the Ring and just wanted to hold her. He walked over to her and picked her up and swung her around affectionately. He no longer cared about the Ring; all he wanted to do was to stay with her. He was so happy here.
Unfortunately he knew that he couldn't stay there much longer, eventually he would have to leave and find his company. It was only a matter of time.
**
Bob and Ned were camped in a small clearing. The two exhausted Hobbits lay under a tree pleased that they had found some shade even though the day was not at all hot.
Bob was helping Ned check her wound, it was deeper than they first thought but at least there was no infection that they could see. If there were Ned surely wouldn't last long out in the wild. Bob was getting slightly concerned as Ned had earlier been complaining of feeling feint and feeling very hot. Bob was a keen biology student and she knew the signs of infection.
This wound was a complete mystery to her as there appeared to be no dirt or anything of that nature in the wound.
"Do you think I should stitch it up?" Ned asked.
Bob laughed lightly not really appreciating her humour. When Ned gave her a confused look she knew that she wasn't joking.
"No way! Are you out of your mind? Do know how dangerous that is?"
Ned didn't answer, she just looked straight ahead with a look of denial on her face.
"Maybe it'll help. I mean it's got to be better than an open wound hasn't it?"
"No." Was the simple reply from Bob.
Ned shrugged her shoulder and turned away knowing this technique would work on Bob. It always did.
"What would you use? We don't have a needle or any thread. Or any antiseptic or anaesthetic.
Ned rummaged around in her bag for a second and pulled out some thin thread and a small sewing needle. She looked over at Bob and smiled.
"I always come prepared." She almost laughed.
Bob couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could Ned even think about sewing herself up? When Ned gestured towards her she knew that she would have to do it. This was so like Ned.
"No way." Bob shook her head. "No." She insisted.
Finally she gave in and took the needle and thread angrily from Ned, this frightened Ned for a second, the last thing she wanted was a wrathful Bob practically operating on her. It could be very painful.
Ned thought back to the last time she had sewn a wound up. It had hurt an awful lot and that was nowhere near as bad as this was. She hoped Bob would be gentle. She didn't want to be in too much pain, they did still have a long way to go. She wanted to be able to say that she could be stitched up without really feeling any pain. Her mates would be so impressed although Fred would probably think she was just stupid.
Bob wasn't quite as happy about this, she knew that she had never done anything like this before and so was a little nervous about it. As much as Ned annoyed her sometimes Bob didn't want to hurt her. That would be unfair. Bob thought back to all the times she had been bullied by Ned, the list was endless. She wondered if she could even stitch someone up, she certainly had no experience at doing stupid things like that.
She didn't really have a whole lot of choice; she knew that if the wound was left open it might get even more infected than it all ready was. Bob knew that if Ned couldn't walk anymore they would be stuck, there was no way they could carry her. It was just her and the two Hobbits and she had no idea when she might get a vision of Fred again. There was no way the Hobbits could carry both of them and look after themselves.
They had meant to be hiding from harm but they ended up just getting into even more trouble. None of this made sense, a few days ago they were happily in school learning about chemistry and now they were running from demons on horses and taking care of two fictional Hobbits. It would have been laughable if it weren't so serious.
Ned tapped Bob on the arm and passed her the needle and thread.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Bob asked secretly hoping to change Ned's mind although she was pretty sure that she wouldn't.
Ned shook her head. She didn't want to get hurt but at the same time didn't want to look weak in front of Bob. She would never live it down.
Bob took the thread and placed it just above the cut in Ned's are, she couldn't believe she was doing it, it was insane. The needle punctured Ned's skin and she almost screamed but bit her lip. Bob had no idea what to do next and looked at Ned for guidance.
"Just do what you want. I don't think it matters too much out here. What's the worst that could happen?"
Bob didn't even answer although she knew that this wouldn't directly solve anything. She wished Fred was with them, she was good at first aid and was training to be a nurse, she would have been much better at this kind of thing than Bob was.
**
Ned lay on the ground with a blanket around her. She was beginning to feel extremely cold, she didn't know why because it wasn't really that cold in the forest. It must be something to do with the infection. She just didn't know because she had never really experienced anything like that before.
Bob was sat underneath a tree, she was wiping the spots of blood off her hands, there had been more than she expected. It had been quite hard, piercing the skin was the worst part. She tried to push that thought out of her mind. It was imprinted into her memory though.
Bob wondered if it had done any good or whether it was just making things worse. Ned hadn't seemed to be any more comfortable now than before although that was hardly surprising as being stitched with no anaesthetic must be quite painful. Ned had retreated under a tree and wrapped herself in a blanket. Bob wondered if she was okay but didn't want to disturb her.
Ned's shoulder was getting worse and she could feel that something else was happening to her, she didn't feel right. She couldn't quite place it but she felt that there was something seriously wrong, apart from the wound to her shoulder.
For now she ignored it knowing that there were more important things to worry about.
The Hobbits were still sat under the tree but they seemed to be discussing something, Frodo was the one disagreeing with Sam and the conversation soon turned into an argument. Frodo finally left the argument and walked off to the fireside. He seemed fed up of the conversation. Sam had obviously said something that he didn't agree with.
Bob went over to Frodo hoping to help him.
"What's wrong? Why were you and Sam arguing? Is it something we're doing wrong?"
"No, of course not. You have been a great help." Frodo said quietly.
"Then what? Frodo, we can't afford to keep secrets, you know how serous this is."
Frodo nodded and Bob suddenly felt very self-conscious. She couldn't believe she was talking to Frodo Baggins. It was crazy.
"Sam thinks him and me should go off without you and find a way back to Middle Earth on our own. He thinks you're slowing us down. I think he's homesick."
Bob was silent for a moment and then said quietly,
"Do you think the same?"
"No." Frodo said quickly. "We would probably dead or Wraiths if it wasn't for you. You have been a great help. I can't even being to thank you. Its just we've caused you so much trouble and we don't know how to keep you safe."
Again there was a long silence.
"Well, we can't stop you leaving but we are happy to keep going and keep you safe. And as for the whole guilt thing this was our decision and we don't regret it. Besides we couldn't leave you in that school, you would soon have died of boredom."
What about your friend, Fred? Look how much she's been through. Who knows what is happening to her in Middle Earth."
"If Fred was here she would say the same thing as me. It was her dream to come on an adventure like this with you. She can take care of herself, I'm sure. In fact, she's probably giving the guards at Orthanc a hard time right now."
Bob wished she could believe what she was saying but she didn't. Fred hated adventure even if it was with Frodo and she certainly wouldn't know what to do in Middle Earth.
"Really?" Frodo asked.
Bob nodded and knew she was lying.
"One more thing." Frodo said, "How do you know so much about us and Middle Earth. I mean you have never been there but you seem to know so much. Why?"
Bob wasn't prepared for a question like that. She had been avoiding the issue for a while and now she was being asked she didn't know what to say.
"I know because.I can't tell you why but we have ways of knowing about Middle Earth. It's kind of hard to explain. We know more than you know." This last bit she added quietly and was surprised when Frodo didn't say anything.
Frodo knew that there were some things that Bob wasn't telling him and he understood why; everybody had secrets, even him. He walked off to see how Ned was feeling, she had been unusually quiet today and this was beginning to worry him. Ned didn't seem like the quiet person and it was almost the first time he'd heard her quiet.
When he walked over to her, she was fast asleep under the blanket. He thought it best not to disturb her, he thought she had already been through enough and she should sleep while she could. He looked down at her and marvelled at her strength, she had supported her friends all the time and still wasn't giving up.
Frodo bent down and touched her cheek; he withdrew his hand when he felt the head. He felt so sorry for her yet at the same time felt a strange affection for her. There was something about her that he found so attractive.
**
Bob strolled along thinking about everything that had happened. She pretended that she was just wandering but in actual fact she was looking for Sam who had stormed off during the argument between himself and Frodo. Sam was fed up of being out here and Bob couldn't blame him really. It was easy to forget what they had all ready been through, the danger wasn't just to Frodo but Sam had suffered also.
She spotted Sam staring at a bird in the tree; he seemed fascinated by the small creature. Bob wondered if they had that type of bird in Middle Earth. Although she knew a fair bit she didn't know every detail. She remembered that Sam was a great lover of nature and all things that grow, as were all Hobbits. All these new experiences must have been exciting for him.
Bob wandered over to him, apparently innocently. She smiled at him but he made no attempt to acknowledge her so she just stared at the tree for a while trying to figure out what interested Sam so much about this place.
"So, what happened between you and Frodo?" She asked trying to make it sound like she was just making casual conversation.
Sam said nothing. She tried again.
"I know there was something going on. If there's some problem maybe I can help and we can sort it out."
"There's no problem." Sam said shortly and walked away.
Bob wasn't going to give up so easily and continued to follow him.
"Well, there must be something wrong. I thought you and Frodo were good friends, something must have happened to make you rethink that."
"What would you know about best friends? You don't know anything about us."
"Maybe not," She said lying. "But I have friends you know. My best friend is being tortured in Isengard so don't say that I don't understand." She starting to lose her temper and these last words were shouted rather than said.
Sam was surprised at the speech and he stood and looked at her for a while she took some deep breathes to try and calm herself down.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout. I'm just worried about Fred."
"You miss her don't you?" Sam said sympathetically.
Bob nodded and put her hand on her forehead when the thought of Fred's suffering came back to her.
"If I've done something wrong I just want you to tell me."
"What?" Sam asked a little confused.
"You've been kind of cold lately I just wondered if it was something I'd done if it is maybe I can change it."
"It's nothing you've done. I just feel.lost. This is a completely new place for me and I'm worried about Frodo. All the Wraiths worry me."
Bob nodded understandingly.
"Well in case you haven't noticed this isn't exactly normal for me either. As for the Wraiths there's not a whole lot I can do. I've never met them before but I can guarantee that we will do everything we can to keep both you and Frodo safe. I know that's not much but it's the best I can do for now."
Sam appeared impressed by this speech and was quiet for a moment. He certainly seemed convinced.
"I'm sorry if I was 'cold' but you have to understand that my only concern is getting Frodo to safety."
"And you must understand that my only concern is keeping both of you safe and looking after my friends. Now you may think that it's a waste of time trying to rescue Fred but you don't know her like I do. I just know she's not dead."
"How, how do you know that?"
"Because Fred never gives up, especially if she knows Frodo and you are here."
Bob smiled at Sam and was pleased when the gesture was returned.
They turned and walked off together discussing the past and the future.
Ch 16 operations
Boromir walked around the room and looked at the small pile of clutter that was lying in the corner. There were many things that he had never seen before, mainly things that looked similar to things that he himself owned but not exactly the same. This place was getting more and more confusing. This woman wasn't what he would have expected a poor woman to be like. In Gondor this was hardly the kind of thing that happened often.
In a way Boromir was enjoying his time here but then the thought of never seeing his home again, never walking through those great gates and being greeted with many horns was a little scary to him. He knew that he should be out trying to find the rest of the Fellowship and Frodo that was his duty after all.
Something kept him there and he wasn't sure whether it was the woman or the friendly atmosphere he was experiencing. It was so peaceful there and he wished he could just stay there forever but he knew he would have to leave sometime. He had just been putting the thought off.
The woman was what he would miss most, there was something about her that he found so attractive and it wasn't just her unmistakeable beauty but her personality. He wished he could be that carefree but he knew that it would never happen.
The time would soon come when he would have to leave her and go into the strange world and find his friends. He wondered if any of them were looking for him. They probably hadn't even thought about him and weren't missing him at all. What possible good could he do in the Fellowship anyway? He didn't deny that the Ring tempted him. If only he could get his hands on it he could change everything.
He suddenly had a great desire to go and find the Ring. He would never have to leave this place if he had it. No one could command him, he would be all- powerful.
Boromir pushed these thoughts out of his mind but the craving for the Ring was still there. He felt so close to it but at the same time so far away. A dark cloud seemed to pass overhead and he felt that need to take it again.
The cloud was dispersed when Marie, the woman walked into the room. Boromir no longer felt the need for the Ring and just wanted to hold her. He walked over to her and picked her up and swung her around affectionately. He no longer cared about the Ring; all he wanted to do was to stay with her. He was so happy here.
Unfortunately he knew that he couldn't stay there much longer, eventually he would have to leave and find his company. It was only a matter of time.
**
Bob and Ned were camped in a small clearing. The two exhausted Hobbits lay under a tree pleased that they had found some shade even though the day was not at all hot.
Bob was helping Ned check her wound, it was deeper than they first thought but at least there was no infection that they could see. If there were Ned surely wouldn't last long out in the wild. Bob was getting slightly concerned as Ned had earlier been complaining of feeling feint and feeling very hot. Bob was a keen biology student and she knew the signs of infection.
This wound was a complete mystery to her as there appeared to be no dirt or anything of that nature in the wound.
"Do you think I should stitch it up?" Ned asked.
Bob laughed lightly not really appreciating her humour. When Ned gave her a confused look she knew that she wasn't joking.
"No way! Are you out of your mind? Do know how dangerous that is?"
Ned didn't answer, she just looked straight ahead with a look of denial on her face.
"Maybe it'll help. I mean it's got to be better than an open wound hasn't it?"
"No." Was the simple reply from Bob.
Ned shrugged her shoulder and turned away knowing this technique would work on Bob. It always did.
"What would you use? We don't have a needle or any thread. Or any antiseptic or anaesthetic.
Ned rummaged around in her bag for a second and pulled out some thin thread and a small sewing needle. She looked over at Bob and smiled.
"I always come prepared." She almost laughed.
Bob couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could Ned even think about sewing herself up? When Ned gestured towards her she knew that she would have to do it. This was so like Ned.
"No way." Bob shook her head. "No." She insisted.
Finally she gave in and took the needle and thread angrily from Ned, this frightened Ned for a second, the last thing she wanted was a wrathful Bob practically operating on her. It could be very painful.
Ned thought back to the last time she had sewn a wound up. It had hurt an awful lot and that was nowhere near as bad as this was. She hoped Bob would be gentle. She didn't want to be in too much pain, they did still have a long way to go. She wanted to be able to say that she could be stitched up without really feeling any pain. Her mates would be so impressed although Fred would probably think she was just stupid.
Bob wasn't quite as happy about this, she knew that she had never done anything like this before and so was a little nervous about it. As much as Ned annoyed her sometimes Bob didn't want to hurt her. That would be unfair. Bob thought back to all the times she had been bullied by Ned, the list was endless. She wondered if she could even stitch someone up, she certainly had no experience at doing stupid things like that.
She didn't really have a whole lot of choice; she knew that if the wound was left open it might get even more infected than it all ready was. Bob knew that if Ned couldn't walk anymore they would be stuck, there was no way they could carry her. It was just her and the two Hobbits and she had no idea when she might get a vision of Fred again. There was no way the Hobbits could carry both of them and look after themselves.
They had meant to be hiding from harm but they ended up just getting into even more trouble. None of this made sense, a few days ago they were happily in school learning about chemistry and now they were running from demons on horses and taking care of two fictional Hobbits. It would have been laughable if it weren't so serious.
Ned tapped Bob on the arm and passed her the needle and thread.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Bob asked secretly hoping to change Ned's mind although she was pretty sure that she wouldn't.
Ned shook her head. She didn't want to get hurt but at the same time didn't want to look weak in front of Bob. She would never live it down.
Bob took the thread and placed it just above the cut in Ned's are, she couldn't believe she was doing it, it was insane. The needle punctured Ned's skin and she almost screamed but bit her lip. Bob had no idea what to do next and looked at Ned for guidance.
"Just do what you want. I don't think it matters too much out here. What's the worst that could happen?"
Bob didn't even answer although she knew that this wouldn't directly solve anything. She wished Fred was with them, she was good at first aid and was training to be a nurse, she would have been much better at this kind of thing than Bob was.
**
Ned lay on the ground with a blanket around her. She was beginning to feel extremely cold, she didn't know why because it wasn't really that cold in the forest. It must be something to do with the infection. She just didn't know because she had never really experienced anything like that before.
Bob was sat underneath a tree, she was wiping the spots of blood off her hands, there had been more than she expected. It had been quite hard, piercing the skin was the worst part. She tried to push that thought out of her mind. It was imprinted into her memory though.
Bob wondered if it had done any good or whether it was just making things worse. Ned hadn't seemed to be any more comfortable now than before although that was hardly surprising as being stitched with no anaesthetic must be quite painful. Ned had retreated under a tree and wrapped herself in a blanket. Bob wondered if she was okay but didn't want to disturb her.
Ned's shoulder was getting worse and she could feel that something else was happening to her, she didn't feel right. She couldn't quite place it but she felt that there was something seriously wrong, apart from the wound to her shoulder.
For now she ignored it knowing that there were more important things to worry about.
The Hobbits were still sat under the tree but they seemed to be discussing something, Frodo was the one disagreeing with Sam and the conversation soon turned into an argument. Frodo finally left the argument and walked off to the fireside. He seemed fed up of the conversation. Sam had obviously said something that he didn't agree with.
Bob went over to Frodo hoping to help him.
"What's wrong? Why were you and Sam arguing? Is it something we're doing wrong?"
"No, of course not. You have been a great help." Frodo said quietly.
"Then what? Frodo, we can't afford to keep secrets, you know how serous this is."
Frodo nodded and Bob suddenly felt very self-conscious. She couldn't believe she was talking to Frodo Baggins. It was crazy.
"Sam thinks him and me should go off without you and find a way back to Middle Earth on our own. He thinks you're slowing us down. I think he's homesick."
Bob was silent for a moment and then said quietly,
"Do you think the same?"
"No." Frodo said quickly. "We would probably dead or Wraiths if it wasn't for you. You have been a great help. I can't even being to thank you. Its just we've caused you so much trouble and we don't know how to keep you safe."
Again there was a long silence.
"Well, we can't stop you leaving but we are happy to keep going and keep you safe. And as for the whole guilt thing this was our decision and we don't regret it. Besides we couldn't leave you in that school, you would soon have died of boredom."
What about your friend, Fred? Look how much she's been through. Who knows what is happening to her in Middle Earth."
"If Fred was here she would say the same thing as me. It was her dream to come on an adventure like this with you. She can take care of herself, I'm sure. In fact, she's probably giving the guards at Orthanc a hard time right now."
Bob wished she could believe what she was saying but she didn't. Fred hated adventure even if it was with Frodo and she certainly wouldn't know what to do in Middle Earth.
"Really?" Frodo asked.
Bob nodded and knew she was lying.
"One more thing." Frodo said, "How do you know so much about us and Middle Earth. I mean you have never been there but you seem to know so much. Why?"
Bob wasn't prepared for a question like that. She had been avoiding the issue for a while and now she was being asked she didn't know what to say.
"I know because.I can't tell you why but we have ways of knowing about Middle Earth. It's kind of hard to explain. We know more than you know." This last bit she added quietly and was surprised when Frodo didn't say anything.
Frodo knew that there were some things that Bob wasn't telling him and he understood why; everybody had secrets, even him. He walked off to see how Ned was feeling, she had been unusually quiet today and this was beginning to worry him. Ned didn't seem like the quiet person and it was almost the first time he'd heard her quiet.
When he walked over to her, she was fast asleep under the blanket. He thought it best not to disturb her, he thought she had already been through enough and she should sleep while she could. He looked down at her and marvelled at her strength, she had supported her friends all the time and still wasn't giving up.
Frodo bent down and touched her cheek; he withdrew his hand when he felt the head. He felt so sorry for her yet at the same time felt a strange affection for her. There was something about her that he found so attractive.
**
Bob strolled along thinking about everything that had happened. She pretended that she was just wandering but in actual fact she was looking for Sam who had stormed off during the argument between himself and Frodo. Sam was fed up of being out here and Bob couldn't blame him really. It was easy to forget what they had all ready been through, the danger wasn't just to Frodo but Sam had suffered also.
She spotted Sam staring at a bird in the tree; he seemed fascinated by the small creature. Bob wondered if they had that type of bird in Middle Earth. Although she knew a fair bit she didn't know every detail. She remembered that Sam was a great lover of nature and all things that grow, as were all Hobbits. All these new experiences must have been exciting for him.
Bob wandered over to him, apparently innocently. She smiled at him but he made no attempt to acknowledge her so she just stared at the tree for a while trying to figure out what interested Sam so much about this place.
"So, what happened between you and Frodo?" She asked trying to make it sound like she was just making casual conversation.
Sam said nothing. She tried again.
"I know there was something going on. If there's some problem maybe I can help and we can sort it out."
"There's no problem." Sam said shortly and walked away.
Bob wasn't going to give up so easily and continued to follow him.
"Well, there must be something wrong. I thought you and Frodo were good friends, something must have happened to make you rethink that."
"What would you know about best friends? You don't know anything about us."
"Maybe not," She said lying. "But I have friends you know. My best friend is being tortured in Isengard so don't say that I don't understand." She starting to lose her temper and these last words were shouted rather than said.
Sam was surprised at the speech and he stood and looked at her for a while she took some deep breathes to try and calm herself down.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout. I'm just worried about Fred."
"You miss her don't you?" Sam said sympathetically.
Bob nodded and put her hand on her forehead when the thought of Fred's suffering came back to her.
"If I've done something wrong I just want you to tell me."
"What?" Sam asked a little confused.
"You've been kind of cold lately I just wondered if it was something I'd done if it is maybe I can change it."
"It's nothing you've done. I just feel.lost. This is a completely new place for me and I'm worried about Frodo. All the Wraiths worry me."
Bob nodded understandingly.
"Well in case you haven't noticed this isn't exactly normal for me either. As for the Wraiths there's not a whole lot I can do. I've never met them before but I can guarantee that we will do everything we can to keep both you and Frodo safe. I know that's not much but it's the best I can do for now."
Sam appeared impressed by this speech and was quiet for a moment. He certainly seemed convinced.
"I'm sorry if I was 'cold' but you have to understand that my only concern is getting Frodo to safety."
"And you must understand that my only concern is keeping both of you safe and looking after my friends. Now you may think that it's a waste of time trying to rescue Fred but you don't know her like I do. I just know she's not dead."
"How, how do you know that?"
"Because Fred never gives up, especially if she knows Frodo and you are here."
Bob smiled at Sam and was pleased when the gesture was returned.
They turned and walked off together discussing the past and the future.