A New Weapon
A group of nine walked through the dense trees. They were a mixture of different species. A dwarf named Gimli, though of short stature, he made up for his lack of height by his sheer strength, determination and his fierce skill with an axe. An elf named Legolas, the most beautiful and skilled archer and prince of Mirkwood. Two mortal men, one named Boromir, a very proud lord of Gondor and highly skilled swordsman and another named Aragorn, an elf-raised man with acute senses and highly developed archery and sword skills and heir to the throne of Gondor. A wizard named Gandalf, an old yet highly skilled wizard. And four unusual creatures known as hobbits. They are short in stature, even shorter then a dwarf and with much less muscle. Their names are Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Merry. Merry was a fairly slow and doleful hobbit that was always hungry and was always making jokes and playing around with Merry who was slightly more serious but would never turn down a good meal. Sam was the loyal and kind hobbit that very much enjoyed cooking. His loyalty was mainly to Frodo. Frodo was the most important hobbit of them all. He carried the one ring that belonged to Sauron. He alone seemed to be able to withstand is evil. All nine of them were to take the ring to the centre of Sauron's kingdom and throw it back into the fires from whence it was created.
Legolas stood at the top of a particularly high tree looking around. All he could see for ages were more trees. *If this hadn't been such an important mission, I would have liked to take our time through these trees. It is a welcome change to the open plains. Well, I think it is better, no doubt the dwarf does, not many large hills he has to climb. And the hobbits will enjoy it; the trees will shelter most of the smoke from a fire that can be used to cook food. They will very much enjoy that, especially Pippin* Legolas quietly jumped down the branches to join the rest of the group that were setting up their camp for the night.
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Aragorn looked around has he surveyed the scene. The four hobbits were busy deciding what they should cook for dinner. Gandalf was smoking his pipe, blowing interesting shapes as he exhaled the smoke, watched the hobbits with an amused twinkle in his eye. Gimli was busy trying to move his sleeping blanket onto a patch of ground that wasn't covered in roots, and was cursing loudly as he couldn't find a comfortable way to lie on the roots and was forced to move the blanket again. Boromir sat a little bit away from the rest of the group, he was sharpening his sword on a rock, as he always did at night whether they had fought during the day or not. As for himself, he was sitting on a root, smoking his own pipe, with always an ear and eye on everything. He watched as Legolas jumped down the branches of the tree with a grace that only an elf could achieve. He watched as Legolas looked around at the rest of the group, and he had to stifle a giggle when he looked at how the dwarf was trying make the ground flatter so he could sleep. Legolas then walk towards Aragorn.
"The trees say nothing of danger is close, and there is no end to this beautiful forest yet." reported the elf.
"Thank you Legolas, but I feel we should still keep watches just in case." Aragorn suggested.
"I'll take the first watch!" Legolas offered without a moments hesitation.
"I figured as much, surely you will need some sleep soon. You haven't had a full nights sleep since we left from Rivendell!" pointed out the ranger.
"Elves have not much need for sleep. Plus, I can barely sleep with Gimli's snoring and Sam's sleep talking. I would rather stay awake in the trees and listen to their calming whispers of the trees." said the elf dreamily.
"Suit yourself, but at the rate Gimli is going, he will never find a place to sleep, and if he does, it will be a fair way away from here. The trees are thick here to hide us a bit more, he probably will never find somewhere to sleep." said the ranger rather amused by his friend's situation.
"No need to point out the obvious, I was the one that found this place and suggested it as our camp for the night." said the elf moodily. "I'm taking the first watch, but I'm going to explore the area for a bit while there is still a bit of light." and with that, Legolas walked briskly out of view from the ranger. Aragorn sighed, the elf still not used to working in a group yet. * It may take some time, but he will adapt. * Aragorn sighed again as he emptied the ashes from his pipe and went over to see the progress the hobbits were making on dinner.
"I tell you, you have to steam cook the potatoes!" exclaimed Merry.
"No, I want diced potatoes!" cried Sam.
"Neither is right, it has to be boiled then mashed!" said Pippin.
"I see you are having an interesting discussion, maybe you would care to settle it tomorrow when we have more light. Until then, leave the potatoes and cook the rest of dinner while you still can." he said to help bring order to the situation before Frodo gave his 'I'm the ring bearer and I want . . ..' as he has done several times before.
Sam snatched the potatoes and stuffed them back into the food satchel before beginning to prepare the rest of the meal.
"Aragorn, where did Legolas go?" asked Frodo.
"He . . . went to have a look around the area while there was still a bit of daylight left." he reported.
"'to have a look around'? That elf, he's up to something, a tree is a tree it doesn't matter where it is." Gimli complained.
Boromir rose and walked over to the fire "Careful master dwarf, Legolas would sooner put an arrow through your heart before he hears a word spoken against any tree." said Boromir with a little too much dry humour to be accepted as a jest.
"And Legolas would sooner put an arrow through the heart of any one that speaks so lightly of the temperament of an elf prince." said the beautiful voice of Legolas as he returned from the forest.
"Blasted elf!" Boromir muttered under his breath.
"My previous statement also includes curses which were designed to be not heard by the pathetic hearing of most mortal men. Your underestimation of my talents and skills offends me, mortal. See to it that it doesn't happen again." Legolas said with finality in his tone that he wouldn't accept any argument. Legolas climbed the tree, a bit further up the tree than he usually does, above which the hobbits would sleep to be ready to take his watch.
"Legolas, come down from there, dinner is almost finished cooking." Aragorn pleaded with the stubborn elf.
"It would be wise for all the fellowship to learn and perhaps better understand the limits of an elf." Legolas said with an aura of superiority in his tone.
"Legolas, Boromir, Gimli, Aragorn, let us not fight over such trivial matters. Legolas, no one means to underestimate the fine skills and temperament of an elf, especially not a prince elf. Boromir, you need to realise that the sum of the skills of the whole group are much greater than put individually. Gimli, not all trees are the same, the trees here are much more crowded together but with less branches, the trees at Rivendell are wide with few branches, and the trees at Legolas' home in Mirkwood are dense and thickly populated with branches. Aragorn, having to be the voice of reason is not always easy, but never try to explain to either party that you can understand the situation they are coming from, it only makes matters worse. Now please, everyone, come gather here for dinner." came the calm, voice of reason from Gandalf who had been watching the whole thing transpire from beside Sam.
Usually, when Gandalf spoke so, all would listen and heed his advice. Seven of the companions came over to the fire immediately for dinner, but one remained where he was sitting in the trees.
"Legolas?" Gandalf asked curiously. It was unlike Legolas to simply ignore anything thing he said, usually it was the elf that was first to see his reasoning.
"I . . . . . I'm going . . .. To see if I can locate the stream I hear nearby. I shall return by full night to take my watch," said Legolas moodily as he stood up and walked across the branches out of sight.
Aragorn listened very carefully, as his hearing was almost that of an elf, he should have been able to pick up the sound of a stream nearby. Nothing, not even the trickle of dew from a leaf. *What has got into Legolas recently? He has always seen the reasoning behind Gandalf's words. *
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*Why must everyone attempt to think they understand me? I don't ask for anything beyond what they ask of me. I ask only for enough food to keep me satisfied, enough water to keep my throat from drying out. I never sleep in, I'm always saving there butts by using my elf senses to avoid dangers in the woods. This is just ridiculous. I'd like to see what they would do without me.*
As soon as those words were out, a bright light temporarily blinding the elf. Unsure of what to do, the elf had an arrow notched in his drawn bow within moments and was preparing for whatever the source of the light was. As the light faded, a white figure emerged.
"Good evening Prince Legolas." Said the figure, still in the light so he was unrecognisable.
"How are you?" Legolas demanded still holding his bow and arrow ready to shot.
"Don't you recognise me? I am Lord Sarumon, and I wish to talk with you. Please lower your weapon, I came unarmed and alone." He reassured Legolas.
"What do you want to talk about evil wizard?" Legolas said quite loudly, secretly hoping the Aragorn or someone would hear it.
"You claim that they don't appreciate you and yet here you are, talking with someone that can help you and all you want to do is run back to your 'friends'" Sarumon said slowly as he walked towards Legolas and the light fully disappeared.
"What could you possibly do to help me?" Legolas demanded but in a normal voice this time, he didn't need the help of the fellowship to face down Sarumon.
"I offer you the chance to see what the fellowship would be like without you. They will learn never to underestimate you fine skills. Never again to offensively overestimate the needs of a prince elf. Never again to demand that you needed worry about taking a watch so that you can 'recover your strength'. They will learn to appreciate all that you are to this group. They will appreciate all that the group is with your mere presence there." Sarumon said in a half seductive, half persuading voice that will tempt the elf into anything Sarumon wants. And Sarumon wanted to destroy the fellowship. One. By. One. Starting with the most skilled and most threatening presence, the elf.
Sarumon was half expecting the elf prince to demand why Sarumon wanted to help the elf and what his gain was. But he was pleasantly surprised when the hormones that Sarumon had called into the elf to break down some of his reasoning kicked in and the elf prince said "Do it. Tonight. Let them learn there lessons."
Sarumon was quiet pleased that his little experiment might actually be the cause of the downfall of the fellowship. With a simple wave of his hand, he took the elf prince to his tower in Isengard and set his plan again the fellowship into the next step.
A group of nine walked through the dense trees. They were a mixture of different species. A dwarf named Gimli, though of short stature, he made up for his lack of height by his sheer strength, determination and his fierce skill with an axe. An elf named Legolas, the most beautiful and skilled archer and prince of Mirkwood. Two mortal men, one named Boromir, a very proud lord of Gondor and highly skilled swordsman and another named Aragorn, an elf-raised man with acute senses and highly developed archery and sword skills and heir to the throne of Gondor. A wizard named Gandalf, an old yet highly skilled wizard. And four unusual creatures known as hobbits. They are short in stature, even shorter then a dwarf and with much less muscle. Their names are Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Merry. Merry was a fairly slow and doleful hobbit that was always hungry and was always making jokes and playing around with Merry who was slightly more serious but would never turn down a good meal. Sam was the loyal and kind hobbit that very much enjoyed cooking. His loyalty was mainly to Frodo. Frodo was the most important hobbit of them all. He carried the one ring that belonged to Sauron. He alone seemed to be able to withstand is evil. All nine of them were to take the ring to the centre of Sauron's kingdom and throw it back into the fires from whence it was created.
Legolas stood at the top of a particularly high tree looking around. All he could see for ages were more trees. *If this hadn't been such an important mission, I would have liked to take our time through these trees. It is a welcome change to the open plains. Well, I think it is better, no doubt the dwarf does, not many large hills he has to climb. And the hobbits will enjoy it; the trees will shelter most of the smoke from a fire that can be used to cook food. They will very much enjoy that, especially Pippin* Legolas quietly jumped down the branches to join the rest of the group that were setting up their camp for the night.
***********
Aragorn looked around has he surveyed the scene. The four hobbits were busy deciding what they should cook for dinner. Gandalf was smoking his pipe, blowing interesting shapes as he exhaled the smoke, watched the hobbits with an amused twinkle in his eye. Gimli was busy trying to move his sleeping blanket onto a patch of ground that wasn't covered in roots, and was cursing loudly as he couldn't find a comfortable way to lie on the roots and was forced to move the blanket again. Boromir sat a little bit away from the rest of the group, he was sharpening his sword on a rock, as he always did at night whether they had fought during the day or not. As for himself, he was sitting on a root, smoking his own pipe, with always an ear and eye on everything. He watched as Legolas jumped down the branches of the tree with a grace that only an elf could achieve. He watched as Legolas looked around at the rest of the group, and he had to stifle a giggle when he looked at how the dwarf was trying make the ground flatter so he could sleep. Legolas then walk towards Aragorn.
"The trees say nothing of danger is close, and there is no end to this beautiful forest yet." reported the elf.
"Thank you Legolas, but I feel we should still keep watches just in case." Aragorn suggested.
"I'll take the first watch!" Legolas offered without a moments hesitation.
"I figured as much, surely you will need some sleep soon. You haven't had a full nights sleep since we left from Rivendell!" pointed out the ranger.
"Elves have not much need for sleep. Plus, I can barely sleep with Gimli's snoring and Sam's sleep talking. I would rather stay awake in the trees and listen to their calming whispers of the trees." said the elf dreamily.
"Suit yourself, but at the rate Gimli is going, he will never find a place to sleep, and if he does, it will be a fair way away from here. The trees are thick here to hide us a bit more, he probably will never find somewhere to sleep." said the ranger rather amused by his friend's situation.
"No need to point out the obvious, I was the one that found this place and suggested it as our camp for the night." said the elf moodily. "I'm taking the first watch, but I'm going to explore the area for a bit while there is still a bit of light." and with that, Legolas walked briskly out of view from the ranger. Aragorn sighed, the elf still not used to working in a group yet. * It may take some time, but he will adapt. * Aragorn sighed again as he emptied the ashes from his pipe and went over to see the progress the hobbits were making on dinner.
"I tell you, you have to steam cook the potatoes!" exclaimed Merry.
"No, I want diced potatoes!" cried Sam.
"Neither is right, it has to be boiled then mashed!" said Pippin.
"I see you are having an interesting discussion, maybe you would care to settle it tomorrow when we have more light. Until then, leave the potatoes and cook the rest of dinner while you still can." he said to help bring order to the situation before Frodo gave his 'I'm the ring bearer and I want . . ..' as he has done several times before.
Sam snatched the potatoes and stuffed them back into the food satchel before beginning to prepare the rest of the meal.
"Aragorn, where did Legolas go?" asked Frodo.
"He . . . went to have a look around the area while there was still a bit of daylight left." he reported.
"'to have a look around'? That elf, he's up to something, a tree is a tree it doesn't matter where it is." Gimli complained.
Boromir rose and walked over to the fire "Careful master dwarf, Legolas would sooner put an arrow through your heart before he hears a word spoken against any tree." said Boromir with a little too much dry humour to be accepted as a jest.
"And Legolas would sooner put an arrow through the heart of any one that speaks so lightly of the temperament of an elf prince." said the beautiful voice of Legolas as he returned from the forest.
"Blasted elf!" Boromir muttered under his breath.
"My previous statement also includes curses which were designed to be not heard by the pathetic hearing of most mortal men. Your underestimation of my talents and skills offends me, mortal. See to it that it doesn't happen again." Legolas said with finality in his tone that he wouldn't accept any argument. Legolas climbed the tree, a bit further up the tree than he usually does, above which the hobbits would sleep to be ready to take his watch.
"Legolas, come down from there, dinner is almost finished cooking." Aragorn pleaded with the stubborn elf.
"It would be wise for all the fellowship to learn and perhaps better understand the limits of an elf." Legolas said with an aura of superiority in his tone.
"Legolas, Boromir, Gimli, Aragorn, let us not fight over such trivial matters. Legolas, no one means to underestimate the fine skills and temperament of an elf, especially not a prince elf. Boromir, you need to realise that the sum of the skills of the whole group are much greater than put individually. Gimli, not all trees are the same, the trees here are much more crowded together but with less branches, the trees at Rivendell are wide with few branches, and the trees at Legolas' home in Mirkwood are dense and thickly populated with branches. Aragorn, having to be the voice of reason is not always easy, but never try to explain to either party that you can understand the situation they are coming from, it only makes matters worse. Now please, everyone, come gather here for dinner." came the calm, voice of reason from Gandalf who had been watching the whole thing transpire from beside Sam.
Usually, when Gandalf spoke so, all would listen and heed his advice. Seven of the companions came over to the fire immediately for dinner, but one remained where he was sitting in the trees.
"Legolas?" Gandalf asked curiously. It was unlike Legolas to simply ignore anything thing he said, usually it was the elf that was first to see his reasoning.
"I . . . . . I'm going . . .. To see if I can locate the stream I hear nearby. I shall return by full night to take my watch," said Legolas moodily as he stood up and walked across the branches out of sight.
Aragorn listened very carefully, as his hearing was almost that of an elf, he should have been able to pick up the sound of a stream nearby. Nothing, not even the trickle of dew from a leaf. *What has got into Legolas recently? He has always seen the reasoning behind Gandalf's words. *
*************
*Why must everyone attempt to think they understand me? I don't ask for anything beyond what they ask of me. I ask only for enough food to keep me satisfied, enough water to keep my throat from drying out. I never sleep in, I'm always saving there butts by using my elf senses to avoid dangers in the woods. This is just ridiculous. I'd like to see what they would do without me.*
As soon as those words were out, a bright light temporarily blinding the elf. Unsure of what to do, the elf had an arrow notched in his drawn bow within moments and was preparing for whatever the source of the light was. As the light faded, a white figure emerged.
"Good evening Prince Legolas." Said the figure, still in the light so he was unrecognisable.
"How are you?" Legolas demanded still holding his bow and arrow ready to shot.
"Don't you recognise me? I am Lord Sarumon, and I wish to talk with you. Please lower your weapon, I came unarmed and alone." He reassured Legolas.
"What do you want to talk about evil wizard?" Legolas said quite loudly, secretly hoping the Aragorn or someone would hear it.
"You claim that they don't appreciate you and yet here you are, talking with someone that can help you and all you want to do is run back to your 'friends'" Sarumon said slowly as he walked towards Legolas and the light fully disappeared.
"What could you possibly do to help me?" Legolas demanded but in a normal voice this time, he didn't need the help of the fellowship to face down Sarumon.
"I offer you the chance to see what the fellowship would be like without you. They will learn never to underestimate you fine skills. Never again to offensively overestimate the needs of a prince elf. Never again to demand that you needed worry about taking a watch so that you can 'recover your strength'. They will learn to appreciate all that you are to this group. They will appreciate all that the group is with your mere presence there." Sarumon said in a half seductive, half persuading voice that will tempt the elf into anything Sarumon wants. And Sarumon wanted to destroy the fellowship. One. By. One. Starting with the most skilled and most threatening presence, the elf.
Sarumon was half expecting the elf prince to demand why Sarumon wanted to help the elf and what his gain was. But he was pleasantly surprised when the hormones that Sarumon had called into the elf to break down some of his reasoning kicked in and the elf prince said "Do it. Tonight. Let them learn there lessons."
Sarumon was quiet pleased that his little experiment might actually be the cause of the downfall of the fellowship. With a simple wave of his hand, he took the elf prince to his tower in Isengard and set his plan again the fellowship into the next step.