Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings. If you see any characters or any
of that stuff that you don't recognize, it's mine. The rest belongs to
Tolkien.
Chapter Eleven
The next two or three days were spent in silence and walking. Nobody really cared to talk. Who knows what might be lurking in the shadows.
One day-if you considered it a day seeing how it always seemed dim and dark- the Fellowship came upon three entrances. Gandalf stood and everybody stopped behind him. Gandalf looked from one entrance to another.
"I have no memory of this place," Gandalf said.
Ali sighed. It was just as well. Everybody faltered at some point. Gandalf went up the short steps to sit on a huge boulder while everybody made themselves comfortable below while they waited for Gandalf to remember.
Ali decided she couldn't put Pippin off a minute longer. She had to find out why he was being so hostile towards her. She hoped she hadn't done anything wrong. Ali walked to where Pippin was.
"Pippin, we need to talk. Now, in private," Ali said.
Pippin sighed and got up and followed Ali a little ways off where they couldn't be heard by everybody else.
"Pip, I want to know something and please tell me truthfully. Why are you treating me like I'm the enemy? What did I do wrong?" Ali asked.
Pippin looked down at his feet for a few minutes before looking up at Ali again.
"I wouldn't have thought you would like anybody better than me," Pippin said.
Ali cocked her head. "What are you talking about?"
"Several days ago, after your archery practice, I wanted to talk to you, so I followed after you. Then I saw Legolas come to talk to you so I hid behind some bushes, planning to talk to you after you. I seriously didn't pay attention to the conversation. Then I looked out to see if he was done talking to you and I saw him kissing you on the cheek.
I instantly felt sorry for myself, Ali. I told myself that I was foolish for liking you. I was seriously angry with myself and I began to avoid you because I figured Legolas had your heart in your hand and that you thought you were too good for me and you didn't want to be in my company again. I know I'm foolish and wanted to keep you to myself, but I couldn't stop myself. I'm sorry," Pippin finished.
Ali suddenly laughed. Pippin flinched, thinking that Ali was laughing at him.
"Pippin, how could you have thought that? There's nothing between Legolas and me. That kiss was a sisterly kiss, not any thing about us liking each other. You needn't have worried," Ali thought while another small voice within her said, are you sure about that being a sisterly kiss?
Pippin's face immediately lit up again. "Do you mean it?"
Ali nodded. "I do. But-" Ali knelt down in front of Pippin. "I'm not sure I'm ready to have a relationship yet. I like you lots-but just as a friend. I want you to understand that so there won't be any misunderstandings later down the road."
Pippin smiled and nodded. "I understand completely, Ali."
"Good." Ali stood and turned back towards the Fellowship.
"Ali," Gandalf called. "Come here, please."
Ali walked up the short flight of stairs and went over to sit next to Gandalf. She wondered what he wanted of her.
"What is it, Gandalf?" Ali asked.
"What was that about between you and Pippin?" Gandalf said.
Ali shook her head. "Nothing for you to worry about, Gandalf. Just a tiny problem that needed fixed. But I figure that's not the reason you wanted me to come up here?"
"No, it wasn't. I know you told me that I would fall when we were in the Mines of Moria," Gandalf replied.
"Yes, sir. I thought you would have forgotten about that by they way you acted about it," Ali said.
Gandalf shook his head. "I haven't forgotten, Ali. I am an old man, but I do not forget stuff as easily. And I wanted to talk to you about that. You've been aiming to try and save me for the past few days, am I correct?" Ali nodded and Gandalf continued, "I've been thinking about it long and hard. And I must ask you, Ali, not to try and save me. I have a feeling that that won't be the last of me. My task isn't finished. I must complete my mission that I was brought here for."
"What mission?" Ali inquired.
"Nothing for you to worry about. You already have your own task to complete. You probably know what that might be, or you might yet see it in the near future. But, Miss Ali, you will complete that mission and I will to mine. Don't help me this time, Ali," Gandalf said.
"You've never needed my help, yet you've helped me so much and everybody else here. I've got to help you in some way," Ali exclaimed.
"You already helped me, Ali," Gandalf said.
"I have? How? When?" Ali asked.
"Why, you've helped me as well as everybody else here every minute of every day. And how? Just by being yourself, Alexandria Wimund. You're humorous at times and you're willing to make conversations with everybody. You're always good spirited and that's saying something. It's helping to keep the Fellowship together, and I like that. You might not be able to do everything for everything, Ali. Some things they must do for themselves," Gandalf said, looking down at Ali with a smile.
Ali smiled sadly up at him. "It'll be hard letting you go, Gandalf. You've been an advisor to me, like my grandfather in a way. I'm glad I have gotten to know you."
"As to you, too, Ali," Gandalf said. The two of them fell to silence. "Oh, it's that way," Gandalf suddenly said, nodding to the middle entrance.
"He's remembered!" Ali heard Merry exclaim and soon everybody was around Gandalf.
"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose," Gandalf said, resting his hand briefly on Merry's shoulder before lifting it and walking down the stair with everybody following after him.
Ali smiled at Gandalf's comment. If in doubt, indeed. And Gandalf WAS right, she couldn't do everything for everybody. But she still felt like she had to save him, no matter what Gandalf said. Ali shrugged to herself. She told herself not to worry about it. Ali would take it as it came.
A/n: Well, that's chapter eleven. It's funny how I state well, there's such and such a chapter. But I feel like it's a habit to say that now. But anyways, I can't believe how many people are reading and reviewing. This is wonderful. I'm glad you alls like the story. Keep reading, it never hurt anything, I don't think. But I'll shut up now.
Mornfinnel- Thanks for the review! Glad that I made the story have a plot twist and make you want to know more. Keep reading, I'm sure it'll get more interesting. Thanks once again for the review.
Ashes Kittyhawk- Thanks for the review! That sounds like fun. I love skiing, but I haven't been since I was in seventh grade. But enough of that, I'm glad you like the story and keep reading, I'm sure it'll get more interesting from here. Thanks again for the review!
Kassiopeia- Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like the story and my way of writing and I hope you read more of it. Thanks again!
Kage Miko- Thanks for the review! Don't you just like her determination, though? That's what I like about Ali. But anyhow, thanks again!
Melissa Ocean- Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like this story. I hope this chapter answered your point. I'm not going to tell you what I'm going to do in the story. That's for me to know and for you to keep reading to see what's going to happen again. Innywho, thanks again for the review!
Chapter Eleven
The next two or three days were spent in silence and walking. Nobody really cared to talk. Who knows what might be lurking in the shadows.
One day-if you considered it a day seeing how it always seemed dim and dark- the Fellowship came upon three entrances. Gandalf stood and everybody stopped behind him. Gandalf looked from one entrance to another.
"I have no memory of this place," Gandalf said.
Ali sighed. It was just as well. Everybody faltered at some point. Gandalf went up the short steps to sit on a huge boulder while everybody made themselves comfortable below while they waited for Gandalf to remember.
Ali decided she couldn't put Pippin off a minute longer. She had to find out why he was being so hostile towards her. She hoped she hadn't done anything wrong. Ali walked to where Pippin was.
"Pippin, we need to talk. Now, in private," Ali said.
Pippin sighed and got up and followed Ali a little ways off where they couldn't be heard by everybody else.
"Pip, I want to know something and please tell me truthfully. Why are you treating me like I'm the enemy? What did I do wrong?" Ali asked.
Pippin looked down at his feet for a few minutes before looking up at Ali again.
"I wouldn't have thought you would like anybody better than me," Pippin said.
Ali cocked her head. "What are you talking about?"
"Several days ago, after your archery practice, I wanted to talk to you, so I followed after you. Then I saw Legolas come to talk to you so I hid behind some bushes, planning to talk to you after you. I seriously didn't pay attention to the conversation. Then I looked out to see if he was done talking to you and I saw him kissing you on the cheek.
I instantly felt sorry for myself, Ali. I told myself that I was foolish for liking you. I was seriously angry with myself and I began to avoid you because I figured Legolas had your heart in your hand and that you thought you were too good for me and you didn't want to be in my company again. I know I'm foolish and wanted to keep you to myself, but I couldn't stop myself. I'm sorry," Pippin finished.
Ali suddenly laughed. Pippin flinched, thinking that Ali was laughing at him.
"Pippin, how could you have thought that? There's nothing between Legolas and me. That kiss was a sisterly kiss, not any thing about us liking each other. You needn't have worried," Ali thought while another small voice within her said, are you sure about that being a sisterly kiss?
Pippin's face immediately lit up again. "Do you mean it?"
Ali nodded. "I do. But-" Ali knelt down in front of Pippin. "I'm not sure I'm ready to have a relationship yet. I like you lots-but just as a friend. I want you to understand that so there won't be any misunderstandings later down the road."
Pippin smiled and nodded. "I understand completely, Ali."
"Good." Ali stood and turned back towards the Fellowship.
"Ali," Gandalf called. "Come here, please."
Ali walked up the short flight of stairs and went over to sit next to Gandalf. She wondered what he wanted of her.
"What is it, Gandalf?" Ali asked.
"What was that about between you and Pippin?" Gandalf said.
Ali shook her head. "Nothing for you to worry about, Gandalf. Just a tiny problem that needed fixed. But I figure that's not the reason you wanted me to come up here?"
"No, it wasn't. I know you told me that I would fall when we were in the Mines of Moria," Gandalf replied.
"Yes, sir. I thought you would have forgotten about that by they way you acted about it," Ali said.
Gandalf shook his head. "I haven't forgotten, Ali. I am an old man, but I do not forget stuff as easily. And I wanted to talk to you about that. You've been aiming to try and save me for the past few days, am I correct?" Ali nodded and Gandalf continued, "I've been thinking about it long and hard. And I must ask you, Ali, not to try and save me. I have a feeling that that won't be the last of me. My task isn't finished. I must complete my mission that I was brought here for."
"What mission?" Ali inquired.
"Nothing for you to worry about. You already have your own task to complete. You probably know what that might be, or you might yet see it in the near future. But, Miss Ali, you will complete that mission and I will to mine. Don't help me this time, Ali," Gandalf said.
"You've never needed my help, yet you've helped me so much and everybody else here. I've got to help you in some way," Ali exclaimed.
"You already helped me, Ali," Gandalf said.
"I have? How? When?" Ali asked.
"Why, you've helped me as well as everybody else here every minute of every day. And how? Just by being yourself, Alexandria Wimund. You're humorous at times and you're willing to make conversations with everybody. You're always good spirited and that's saying something. It's helping to keep the Fellowship together, and I like that. You might not be able to do everything for everything, Ali. Some things they must do for themselves," Gandalf said, looking down at Ali with a smile.
Ali smiled sadly up at him. "It'll be hard letting you go, Gandalf. You've been an advisor to me, like my grandfather in a way. I'm glad I have gotten to know you."
"As to you, too, Ali," Gandalf said. The two of them fell to silence. "Oh, it's that way," Gandalf suddenly said, nodding to the middle entrance.
"He's remembered!" Ali heard Merry exclaim and soon everybody was around Gandalf.
"No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose," Gandalf said, resting his hand briefly on Merry's shoulder before lifting it and walking down the stair with everybody following after him.
Ali smiled at Gandalf's comment. If in doubt, indeed. And Gandalf WAS right, she couldn't do everything for everybody. But she still felt like she had to save him, no matter what Gandalf said. Ali shrugged to herself. She told herself not to worry about it. Ali would take it as it came.
A/n: Well, that's chapter eleven. It's funny how I state well, there's such and such a chapter. But I feel like it's a habit to say that now. But anyways, I can't believe how many people are reading and reviewing. This is wonderful. I'm glad you alls like the story. Keep reading, it never hurt anything, I don't think. But I'll shut up now.
Mornfinnel- Thanks for the review! Glad that I made the story have a plot twist and make you want to know more. Keep reading, I'm sure it'll get more interesting. Thanks once again for the review.
Ashes Kittyhawk- Thanks for the review! That sounds like fun. I love skiing, but I haven't been since I was in seventh grade. But enough of that, I'm glad you like the story and keep reading, I'm sure it'll get more interesting from here. Thanks again for the review!
Kassiopeia- Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like the story and my way of writing and I hope you read more of it. Thanks again!
Kage Miko- Thanks for the review! Don't you just like her determination, though? That's what I like about Ali. But anyhow, thanks again!
Melissa Ocean- Thanks for the review! I'm glad you like this story. I hope this chapter answered your point. I'm not going to tell you what I'm going to do in the story. That's for me to know and for you to keep reading to see what's going to happen again. Innywho, thanks again for the review!
