Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR.
The Seventh Circle
She laughed. They sat in that courtyard for hours, taking in each other's accounts of what had happened. They never did keep score in that game; both of them were much too happy to be alive and able to play than about money or possessions. Pretty soon, Pippin and Merry joined and it was just like back in Lothlorien in that first part of the journey.
By now the sun was beginning to lower itself gently in the sky. Still the quartet talked excitedly, not paying any attention to the time. None of them had eaten a single meal all day because they'd been so engrossed in their conversations and listening to each other's stories.
"Then Treebeard saw all of the remains of the forest that had been used to fuel Isengard, and he let out a terrible cry," Pippin was saying.
"Yeah, and so we marched with him to Isengard, with the rest of the Ents, and began a war of our own. We threw rocks at the Orcs, as Treebeard and the others broke the dam and threw boulders at the tower," Merry chimed in.
Pippin nodded eagerly. "That's where we found this!" he exclaimed, pulling a patch of leaves out of his coat pocket.
"Old Toby!" Sam cried. "How'd you get your hands on that?"
"We found it, among other things, in all the flotsam and jetsam after the war. I'm surprised you've still got the stuff I gave you before you left, Pip!" Merry said, laughing.
"So you got to smoke and drink yourselves silly while I was up on a rock wall with that slimy creature? Sounds fair to me," Sam said bitterly.
"Oh, totally. How'd you guys get so lucky? I was standing on a fortress, in a ravine, in the rain, with 10,000 Uruk Hai ready to trample me," Laura said. "Beat that," she challenged them.
They all looked at one another, then back at her. They couldn't. They'd all had their trials after the separation of the Fellowship, and she sympathized most with Sam as he told his tales of being captured by Faramir's men and dragged to Osgiliath while Frodo fought temptation. The entire time, she'd been torn between staying with Aragorn or going with Frodo. Hearing all of this made her angry that she hadn't chosen the latter.
The group was rather quiet after Sam spoke. She could tell that he himself was having trouble believing it, especially the part about Shelob and the spiders. "So you killed that thing by yourself?" Laura asked, amazed.
Sam nodded, rather proudly as a servant appeared before them. "The king wants you to know that the evening feast is being held," he announced.
"Oh that's right, I'm starving!" Laura exclaimed.
"Me, too," Pippin said, standing up and brushing himself off. The four eventually found their way to the feast hall, which was crowded with people. This was her idea of a party! It had music, and tons of food and laughter.
She sat with Faramir and Eowyn, who she now considered a couple. She also got a chance to see and speak with Gandalf, who was merrier than ever. She looked for Aragorn, but couldn't see him. She and the Hobbits ate and sang until the early hours of the morning, when most of the people had cleared out.
She tried to find her room, but it was useless. She had no idea where anything was except the Seventh Circle. Looking up at the stars, she looked for the archer constellation that she and the Hobbits had found so long ago. It was a different point in the year, but she thought she could see it. Leaning over the banister again, her eyes focused on some sort of procession of people far away. Though she had only caught a glimpse of them, they looked like Elves. Could it be Arwen and Elrond?
Suddenly, she got another vision. It was the same dream she'd had before, on the way to the Southern Gate. She was in the same battlefield, with the dark enemy all around her. This time, things seemed to move a bit faster. Something hit her, and she fell to the ground. Her arm had been cut in the process, and she watched it bleed for a moment, forgetting what was going on. Someone helped her to her feet. It was the blond-haired, blue-eyed man again. "You have to do it now," he said. "The others are being taken, one by one." Standing back, he let her view the temple they stood in front of. Looking up at it, she narrowed her eyes. She began walking forward, and pushed the big white doors open. Inside was a floating pedestal.
Waking up, she didn't move. She was trying to keep the feeling of the dream, but it was no use. In a couple of seconds she had forgotten the song and the temple and the man. Blinking a few times, she took a deep breath. Sleepily, she moved her head and realized it was on a pillow. She was back in her room! Pushing the covers off her, she sat up a little ways and saw none other than Legolas watching out a window at the far end of the room.
He wore a silver crown around his head, and was dressed in light blue satin. He looked very princelike, until she remembered that he was a prince. She watched the sunbeams dance in his golden hair, as he looked off into the distance. That was his signature look, the being deep in thought. Was he really older than the rest of them? He looked so young, with his skin so fair and his bright blue eyes having not a drop of age in them.
Knowing exactly what to do, she leapt out of bed. "Legolas!" she shouted, as he spun around. She ran to him as he enveloped her in a hug. He lifted her up, then put her back down on her feet, with both of them smiling.
"I found you last night by the Tree of Gondor in the Seventh Circle. I thought you had taken ill because of one of your visions."
She shook her head. "I guess I just fell asleep."
"I am glad to see you at all, but I am especially glad to see you are well," he admitted. He kissed her on the cheek. "Today Aragorn will be crowned King of Gondor," Legolas said triumphantly. "Gandalf has asked me to bring you as soon as you are awake."
"Well, let's go then. Where is he?"
"He is with Frodo."
She winced at the sound of his name. Little Frodo had been through the most out of all of them. She wondered how he was doing. She remembered how strong he'd been when dealing with the Morgul blade wound until they managed to get to Rivendell. Seeing him so thin and unhealthy looking had broken her heart. Even worse was watching that pitiful little creature bite his finger off. Frodo had done nothing to deserve what he'd gone through, and she wished she had been the Ringbearer.
The Seventh Circle
She laughed. They sat in that courtyard for hours, taking in each other's accounts of what had happened. They never did keep score in that game; both of them were much too happy to be alive and able to play than about money or possessions. Pretty soon, Pippin and Merry joined and it was just like back in Lothlorien in that first part of the journey.
By now the sun was beginning to lower itself gently in the sky. Still the quartet talked excitedly, not paying any attention to the time. None of them had eaten a single meal all day because they'd been so engrossed in their conversations and listening to each other's stories.
"Then Treebeard saw all of the remains of the forest that had been used to fuel Isengard, and he let out a terrible cry," Pippin was saying.
"Yeah, and so we marched with him to Isengard, with the rest of the Ents, and began a war of our own. We threw rocks at the Orcs, as Treebeard and the others broke the dam and threw boulders at the tower," Merry chimed in.
Pippin nodded eagerly. "That's where we found this!" he exclaimed, pulling a patch of leaves out of his coat pocket.
"Old Toby!" Sam cried. "How'd you get your hands on that?"
"We found it, among other things, in all the flotsam and jetsam after the war. I'm surprised you've still got the stuff I gave you before you left, Pip!" Merry said, laughing.
"So you got to smoke and drink yourselves silly while I was up on a rock wall with that slimy creature? Sounds fair to me," Sam said bitterly.
"Oh, totally. How'd you guys get so lucky? I was standing on a fortress, in a ravine, in the rain, with 10,000 Uruk Hai ready to trample me," Laura said. "Beat that," she challenged them.
They all looked at one another, then back at her. They couldn't. They'd all had their trials after the separation of the Fellowship, and she sympathized most with Sam as he told his tales of being captured by Faramir's men and dragged to Osgiliath while Frodo fought temptation. The entire time, she'd been torn between staying with Aragorn or going with Frodo. Hearing all of this made her angry that she hadn't chosen the latter.
The group was rather quiet after Sam spoke. She could tell that he himself was having trouble believing it, especially the part about Shelob and the spiders. "So you killed that thing by yourself?" Laura asked, amazed.
Sam nodded, rather proudly as a servant appeared before them. "The king wants you to know that the evening feast is being held," he announced.
"Oh that's right, I'm starving!" Laura exclaimed.
"Me, too," Pippin said, standing up and brushing himself off. The four eventually found their way to the feast hall, which was crowded with people. This was her idea of a party! It had music, and tons of food and laughter.
She sat with Faramir and Eowyn, who she now considered a couple. She also got a chance to see and speak with Gandalf, who was merrier than ever. She looked for Aragorn, but couldn't see him. She and the Hobbits ate and sang until the early hours of the morning, when most of the people had cleared out.
She tried to find her room, but it was useless. She had no idea where anything was except the Seventh Circle. Looking up at the stars, she looked for the archer constellation that she and the Hobbits had found so long ago. It was a different point in the year, but she thought she could see it. Leaning over the banister again, her eyes focused on some sort of procession of people far away. Though she had only caught a glimpse of them, they looked like Elves. Could it be Arwen and Elrond?
Suddenly, she got another vision. It was the same dream she'd had before, on the way to the Southern Gate. She was in the same battlefield, with the dark enemy all around her. This time, things seemed to move a bit faster. Something hit her, and she fell to the ground. Her arm had been cut in the process, and she watched it bleed for a moment, forgetting what was going on. Someone helped her to her feet. It was the blond-haired, blue-eyed man again. "You have to do it now," he said. "The others are being taken, one by one." Standing back, he let her view the temple they stood in front of. Looking up at it, she narrowed her eyes. She began walking forward, and pushed the big white doors open. Inside was a floating pedestal.
Waking up, she didn't move. She was trying to keep the feeling of the dream, but it was no use. In a couple of seconds she had forgotten the song and the temple and the man. Blinking a few times, she took a deep breath. Sleepily, she moved her head and realized it was on a pillow. She was back in her room! Pushing the covers off her, she sat up a little ways and saw none other than Legolas watching out a window at the far end of the room.
He wore a silver crown around his head, and was dressed in light blue satin. He looked very princelike, until she remembered that he was a prince. She watched the sunbeams dance in his golden hair, as he looked off into the distance. That was his signature look, the being deep in thought. Was he really older than the rest of them? He looked so young, with his skin so fair and his bright blue eyes having not a drop of age in them.
Knowing exactly what to do, she leapt out of bed. "Legolas!" she shouted, as he spun around. She ran to him as he enveloped her in a hug. He lifted her up, then put her back down on her feet, with both of them smiling.
"I found you last night by the Tree of Gondor in the Seventh Circle. I thought you had taken ill because of one of your visions."
She shook her head. "I guess I just fell asleep."
"I am glad to see you at all, but I am especially glad to see you are well," he admitted. He kissed her on the cheek. "Today Aragorn will be crowned King of Gondor," Legolas said triumphantly. "Gandalf has asked me to bring you as soon as you are awake."
"Well, let's go then. Where is he?"
"He is with Frodo."
She winced at the sound of his name. Little Frodo had been through the most out of all of them. She wondered how he was doing. She remembered how strong he'd been when dealing with the Morgul blade wound until they managed to get to Rivendell. Seeing him so thin and unhealthy looking had broken her heart. Even worse was watching that pitiful little creature bite his finger off. Frodo had done nothing to deserve what he'd gone through, and she wished she had been the Ringbearer.
