Author: Celesta Hellewise Harman
Rating: Don't know right now. We'll see how it goes.
Warnings: Sap, snuggling, some innocent nudity, nothing explicit right now.
I'm trying not to make her a Mary-sue. but somehow I think I'm going to
fail horribly. ~shrugs~ we'll see.
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or anything like that except
for Ascadholiel. She's mine and you must ask permission if you wish to use
her. I am making no profit from this what so ever.
~~~ A Rose by Any Other Name ~~~ Chapter One
Legolas looked on from the back of the fellowship from his position as rear- guard. The snow was now blasting around the nine companions. Not that he noticed the cold much; he was after all an elf.
The hobbits looked miserable, the men finally resorting to carrying them since the snow would be well over their heads otherwise. Gandalf was in the front, break a path for them and leading them, the rest of them following in line with Gimli at the back leading Bill the pony and lastly, Legolas, walking effortlessly on top of the snow just next to their path.
'Horrible conditions all in all, but much better than the alternative.' He thought and shuddered at the thought of possibly having to enter the mines of Moria. He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't realize that something had appeared from around the next bend and was making it's way slowly towards them through the snow.
Legolas stopped and watched it, seeing it first and trying to make it out through the blinding snow. After a few moments, Gandalf saw it too and stopped the whole line to watch and see what it was and if it was a threat.
As the thing trudged closer through the snow, the elf's eyes widened, followed shortly by the rest of the fellowship's as they saw what exactly 'it' was.
It was a young human, a girl in fact. But up here? On Caradhras? And in. well, not much at all.
The girl kept walking, going the opposite way from the rest of them, breaking her own path in the chest-deep snow. Her mostly bare arms were wrapped tightly around her and her blonde head was down. She was passing not even an arm's length right by them, not looking up or seeming to notice them at all.
The fellowship just stood looking on in astonishment. As she passed by Boromir, Pippin, who was in his arms, looked about to say something. She flicked her eyes sideways to him briefly and muttered, "Hey how you doin'?" in a very flat tone, but didn't pause her step, and kept going as she had before. They all could do little more than stare at her as she went.
She did something slightly different though when she passed by Legolas, who was closer to her path since he was on top of the snow. She stopped for the first time and stared at his feet since she didn't have to raise her head, only shift her eyes. "Lucky." She muttered again in the same flat tone, and unfolded her right arm, which was closest to him. Still keeping her head down, she scooped up a handful of cold snow and slapped it down onto one of Legolas' booted feet.
Everyone, including Legolas, stared in shock as she muttered, "Now I feel better. It just wasn't fair." Then she folded her arm again and started walking, or rather, trudging again.
Finally Legolas snapped out of his stupor and turned, shaking the snow off his boot as he did so. "Wait!" She stopped, but didn't turn or move in any way. He walked on the snow until he was just behind her. "What are you doing out here dressed like that?"
She shrugged but still didn't turn. "I think it's called walking. At least I think I'm still walking. I lost all feeling in my lower extremities some time ago." With that she started walking again. The fellowship once again watched her go for a moment. She stopped again and turned, and for the first time looked up at them through tendrils of frozen blonde bangs. "Hey. you guys wouldn't happen to have any spare boots with you would you? Or pants? I could really use some pants."
They all shook their heads and she sighed and turned again. Legolas looked back at the fellowship, his eyes asking what he should do. Gandalf nodded and Legolas seemed to understand. He turned and hopped down into the path that she had made. He stepped up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. He gasped and pulled his hand back as if it was burned. "You are like ice!"
The girl's shoulders shook gently as she chuckled dryly, but didn't turn again. "Yes, well one does tend to feel as such when they have spent hours in a thin layer of clothing trudging through a snowfield in subfreezing temperatures. Would you be so kind as to do me a favor though? Touch me again? Just once? Your hand. it was so warm."
Legolas frowned at this and made his decision. He unclasped his thin but warm cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders before scooping her up in his arms.
The girl squirmed for just a moment, then settled down in his arms and snuggled as close as she could to him. "I was about to object. but your sudden warmth seems to have muddled my brain. I fault you for any stupid comments I might happen to make while in such close, yet comfy proximity to you."
Legolas smirked almost unnoticeably and broke a path through the snow to the rest of the fellowship, since he could no longer walk on the snow with her weight. "You do not speak like you are from here milady."
She shook her head where it rested in the crook of his neck. "I don't think I'm from this world at all. "We don't have any mountain ranges that look like this. well, from what you can see through the snow. Not to mention all of your clothes, and how you look in general, everything about you really."
Gandalf looked back at them, having heard this. "Not from this world? Well, we will try to figure it out when we get off this mountain. For now though, I think for your own good you must travel with us. You will not last long out here as you were going."
The girl nodded again and her eyes slid closed. "You'll get no objection from me on that account."
Aragorn watched her for a moment, and then said, "Keep your eyes open. Stay awake. You're far too cold to sleep safely right now. It will be dangerous until you warm up a little."
The girl opened her eyes and nodded again, then kicked her feet for a moment and stilled when the cloak flipped around them, covering them. "I'll stay awake as long as I can, though I'm really tired."
Legolas nodded to Aragorn. "I'll keep her awake." The he went back to the back of the group and they all started walking again, with him walking in their wake this time.
The girl in his arms shifted and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, placing her palms against the back of his neck, one slightly down the back of his shirt and the other simply laying under his pale, silky, if a bit damp, hair. Her voice was soft so only he could here. "You don't mind my hands here do you? Your skin is really warm."
He shook his head, the hair falling over his shoulders brushing her face gently. "I don't mind milady. I do not feel the cold so much."
She muttered again, "Lucky."
They walked in silence for a few minuets until Legolas realized that she had begun to drift off to sleep. He jostled her a little. His voice was gentle but clear and reaching. "Ai. Wake up. You must stay awake. Talk to me. Tell me of your world."
The girl sighed but opened her eyes. "I would rather not talk much about my world. It was not dear to my heart, nor has it given me anything save for a hell of a lot of pain. I suppose I could tell you about myself though. I'm twenty years old, I don't know where I was born, or my real parents." She paused. "Ah hell. this is useless. I don't remember enough that I'd be willing to tell you. At least not right now."
Legolas nodded in understanding. His voice was still soft since he was close to her ear and didn't need the rest of the fellowship to hear. "Well what about your name?"
She shook her head. "When I woke up here and knew I was in another world, I willingly forsook that world and everything in it. I could not be who I truly felt I was there. Perhaps, if I live through this, here I can. It is hopefully a new start for me. That woman there wasn't who I really was. When I left that world, I left everything, including my name."
Legolas nodded again. "I think I understand. May I give you a new name then? We can't very well just call you nothing."
The girl shrugged and started shivering slightly as heat and feeling started to slowly seep back into her limbs. "You can if you want. Anything is better than the name I had."
Legolas nodded and thought for a moment. "Ascadholiel. It means, Rose of Ice."
The girl chuckled around her chattering teeth. "Why that name?"
Legolas held her tighter against his chest, trying to keep her warmer. "Well, because I found you in a field of ice, and you smell deeply of roses."
The girl chuckled again. "I'm surprised that you could smell anything with it being as cold as this. It's the kind of soap I use. I love roses. They're my favorite flow and a passion of mine. Ascadholiel. Thank you. I like the name. I think, for once, it fits me."
Legolas smiled. "Well Ascadholiel, I am Legolas of Mirkwood. My name means Greenleaf. The old wizard up front is Gandalf, or as my people call him, Mithrandir. The man behind him is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. The little hobbits he carries are Samwise Gamgee, or just Sam, and Frodo Baggins. The man behind them is Boromir, son of Denethor, of Gondor. In his arms is Meriadoc Brandybuck, or just Merry, and Peregrin Took, or Pippin. The four hobbits hail from the Shire in the west. The dwarf is Gimli, son of Glóin, and the pony he is leading is called Bill." He felt her nod in the crook of his neck.
Her fingers absently played with the hair at the nape of his neck as she asked, "So where are we right now?"
"The pass of Caradhras. The world you are in now is called Middle-Earth and it is in grave peril, which my companions and I are on a quest to stop." He told her about Sauron and the one ring and the forming of the fellowship, trying to keep her awake, which wasn't that hard.
Legolas seemed to have sparked her interest and she asked all kinds of questions. She asked about the kinds of life here. Of animals and nature, and least of all, races of people. All the questions were well thought out, so he was happy to answer them as best as he could.
Ascadholiel looked sad for a moment, and he felt her frown even if he couldn't see it from where her face was tucked against his neck, and he could hear it in her voice. "Now I see why you would go willingly on a quest like this. I would too if I had so many things in my world worth saving."
Legolas' fair brow furrowed for a moment. "What do you mean?"
"The main race there is the race of men. There are no dwarves or hobbits or elves, not even wargs or orcs or great intelligent eagles. The world is swiftly dying and there are wars carried on by different ethnicities of men from generation to generation. Most don't even remember what they're fighting for. They use up the resources of the earth without ever thinking of what they are doing to nature. They rip down immense forests for cities that pollute the air or more homes that aren't really needed in that area, and then blame and kill the animals that come onto their property looking for food and the like. It's not the animal's fault; it was their home first. They pollute the lakes and rivers, even the ocean, and they just don't care! There are very few great or old forests left, and even those are being cut down. There's no magic. Everything of the like, the races here besides men, and anything consisting of magic is all just the stuff you read about in children's stories, in fairytales. There's no adventure or heart in the world anymore. There's nothing to look forward to." She sighed and ended her near rant.
Legolas nodded. "You sound like one who's looked."
Ascadholiel sighed. "I have. Desperately and for many years."
He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Then why did you not seem surprised or excited when you saw us and knew us to be different?"
She smiled gently still shaking. "Oh I will later. Trust me. Right now I'm in shock, or at least slipping into it. That's part of the reason I'm shaking."
The elf stopped dead and stared at her. "What! Aragorn! We need to stop and rest! She's in shock!" Then to himself he said, "Why did I not see or realize it sooner?"
As if to prove what she said, Ascadholiel began to shake harder. "Because you weren't looking for it and I'm good at hiding it. I've had a fair bit of medical training though, and I've been in it many times before, so I know the signs to look for."
Aragorn had finally made his way back to them and checked her over briefly. He frowned as he looked at her. "Why didn't I think about this possibility before?"
Ascadholiel was shaking violently by now. "W-why does ev-everyone ask th- that?"
Aragorn ignored the question and shouted up to Gandalf for a halt. "She is not doing well and I fear for her life at this point. We need to stop and get her warmed up right away. The rest will be good for the hobbits as well. We need to find shelter."
Gandalf trudged back through the snow to join them and had begun speaking with Aragorn when the girl murmured something. The two didn't seemed to hear her, so Legolas had to interrupt, drawing attention back to the shivering bundle in his arms.
Ascadholiel's voice was much weaker now as her mind slowly started to drift into a haze. "Sh-shelter. That way." She pointed with a pale white hand to the way she had come and the way that they were still going. "An o-overh- hang."
Boromir had set down his two burdens as Aragorn had and had come back to listen as well. "Why did you not take shelter there before?"
Her blue-tinted lips smiled ironically. "T-to wait for p-people I kn-knew w- would not c-come? S-suicide! B-better ch-chance w-walking." Her smiled got a little bigger as her eyes slid closed against her will. "Was r-right, w- wasn't I?" It was more a statement of fact than a question.
Aragorn put a hand to her cheek and spoke in a stern voice. "Don't go to sleep. Stay awake!"
"T-trying. S-so cold."
Gandalf nodded and turned. "Then let us be off. The sooner we are there the sooner she will be warm again and out of death's immediate path."
So they all formed their line again, following the path until they reached the aforementioned rock overhang. The fire was a little hard to get started and took Gandalf's magic to finally get it going, but finally the fellowship was crowded around it, giving more room to Legolas who sat and was still holding the shivering Ascadholiel in his lap.
They all talked quietly for a few minuets, watching the girl worriedly as well as curiously. Frodo who sat next to the two reached out and gently stroked her cheek. "It doesn't seem like she getting and batter or warming up any."
Legolas still had a frown on his fair face. " Indeed she is not, but I can think of nothing else to do."
Ascadholiel stammered only half coherently through badly chattering teeth. "B-body heat. Sh-shared body h-heat. Skin t-to s-skin. How, how w-we do it, in m-my wo-world. I d-don't m-mind."
Aragorn nodded as the others who had been listening looked to him to see what he thought, since he had more knowledge about such things. "I have heard of such things done in these instances. It indeed seems the only way."
Boromir protested. "But it is indecent! For her to lie naked with a man!"
Gandalf cut him off. "It is that or her death Boromir."
Boromir huffed a little. "Fine, though it shall not be me in this scandal!"
Merry looked thoughtful. "Well who should it be?"
Aragorn looked at each of them. "I put my vote in Legolas."
Gimli glowered at this. "Why should it be the elf?"
The ranger just barely kept from rolling his eyes at the dwarf. "Because, Master Dwarf, though I have no doubt that you are fiery in heart and spirit, I much doubt your shout body is the same at this moment. Legolas has the highest body heat at right now and knows her the best of us at the moment. They seem comfortable with each other. Legolas, will you take this roll?"
Legolas, feeling the cold body in his arms shivering so violently, nodded his head without hesitation. "I will."
Aragorn smiled at his friend. "Very well. We will all turn out backs to give you privacy, while you unclothe yourself and the girl."
"Ascadholiel."
Aragorn frowned at the interruption. "What?"
Legolas continued. "Her name is Ascadholiel."
Aragorn had to smile since he knew the meaning of the name and could tell that his friend had bestowed the name upon her. "Very well, while you unclothe yourself and Ascadholiel. Hold her as much against you as you can and wrap your cloak and a few of the spare blankets tightly around you both."
Legolas nodded and waited for the rest of the fellowship to turn their backs. He disrobed himself first so she wouldn't be exposed as long. He pushed a wet, freezing lock of blonde hair away from her pale face. "Are you sure you do not mind this?"
She managed to open her eyes a little and smiled at him, her teeth audibly chattering. "I don't m-mind. Y-you h-have a gr-great body! I on t-the other h-hand, am n-not so in sh-shape, or pl-pleasant to l-look at."
Legolas shook his head but said nothing as he gently and swiftly stripped her of the soaking oversized tee-shirt and boxers she wore.
He gathered her shiver form to him and wrapped his cloak and two of the spare blankets tightly around their two nude forms. He pressed her tightly against himself, tucking his arms around her. Her cold cheek rested against his much warmer collarbone and he tucked his chin over her head.
Legolas told the rest that they were decent and they all turned back around, most sitting around this fire to warm themselves. Gimli and Boromir stood watch with their backs still to the flames, turning every once in a while to warm their hands. The hobbits talked quietly amongst themselves every once in a while sneaking glances at the elf and his bundle. Gandalf sat to Legolas' left with Aragorn beside him, the two speaking together about the world this strange girl might have come from and what they would do with her once she was out of immediate danger.
Legolas himself was focused completely on the shivering girl in his arms. She seemed to have lost consciousness, or at least coherency, and was murmuring slightly through her chattering teeth. He already felt quite protective of this girl. From what he could tell, she was a kindred spirit, a lover of the forest and nature, like him. She had had a hard time in her world from what she had told him and he was saddened by the tales and evidence of her suffering because of the state of life in her world and of other things. He felt that given enough time, this girl would be a good friend to him. They were already well on their way in his mind and he vowed that he would protect her while she traveled with them.
He rubbed Ascadholiel's arms and side under the blankets, trying desperately to warm her up. He brought the blanket up around her head, almost covering her face and still the shivering became a little worse. His worry grew greater and greater until he noticed her shivering lessen and stop. Her teeth stopped chatter and she laid limply against him in the circle of his arms.
Legolas stopped worrying now. and began panicking. "Aragorn, I worry for her mellon nin."
Aragorn stopped speaking to Gandalf at the true worry in his elven friend's voice and moved over to kneel beside the two. He uncovered Ascadholiel's head and felt along her neck. He smiled and covered her again. He laid a gentle hand on Legolas' shoulder. "It's alright, she's warmer now and simply sleeps. You have done well my friend. Let her sleep as long as she can. She is exhausted. I can only imagine what she went through to get here, and then before we found her."
Legolas nodded and drew her tighter still against his bare body, now feeling the slightly tremors that went through her still every once in a while, as Aragorn sat back down on the other side of Gandalf.
Frodo. Who sat on the other side of Legolas from Gandalf scooted closer to the two and peered through the blankets at what little bit of the peacefully sleep face he could see. "Is she going to be okay now?"
Legolas shook his head. "I don't know, but I hope. I think so. I'd like to know more about her strange world. I'd like to show her more of this one as well. I think she would like it."
**********
A.N.: Well, what do you think? I need some reviews before I continue. Tell me if I should trash it or keep it. Like I said, I'm going to try not to make it too horribly Mary Sue. but I really might not succeed. HELL. I LIKE MARY SUE!!! At least in some cases when she isn't totally superhuman. I mean come on. out of most of us normal women, who have NEVER held a sharp weapon, (kitchen knives not included) and have NEVER had training. how many of us could really bullshit it enough to save our necks if we were attacked, let alone attacked by a never-ending hoard of orcs or something of the sort. YEAH RIGHT!!! We'd get our asses SKEWRED!!! So yeah. tell me what you think. PLEASE. be gentle. it's my first lotr fic. Love me ne?! Oh, and for those of you waiting desperately for my next chapter of "An American Miko", please be patient with me. I've been sick and getting sicker. it's a terminal thing. and I'm suffering my worst bout of writer's block for that fic, EVER! I will get it out though eventually. I DO promise you that. This fic idea just popped into my head and crowded it out, not going away until I started it. So, keep watching for that one ne?! Luv Ya Lots!!! JA!
~Celesta Hellewise Harman
~~~ A Rose by Any Other Name ~~~ Chapter One
Legolas looked on from the back of the fellowship from his position as rear- guard. The snow was now blasting around the nine companions. Not that he noticed the cold much; he was after all an elf.
The hobbits looked miserable, the men finally resorting to carrying them since the snow would be well over their heads otherwise. Gandalf was in the front, break a path for them and leading them, the rest of them following in line with Gimli at the back leading Bill the pony and lastly, Legolas, walking effortlessly on top of the snow just next to their path.
'Horrible conditions all in all, but much better than the alternative.' He thought and shuddered at the thought of possibly having to enter the mines of Moria. He was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't realize that something had appeared from around the next bend and was making it's way slowly towards them through the snow.
Legolas stopped and watched it, seeing it first and trying to make it out through the blinding snow. After a few moments, Gandalf saw it too and stopped the whole line to watch and see what it was and if it was a threat.
As the thing trudged closer through the snow, the elf's eyes widened, followed shortly by the rest of the fellowship's as they saw what exactly 'it' was.
It was a young human, a girl in fact. But up here? On Caradhras? And in. well, not much at all.
The girl kept walking, going the opposite way from the rest of them, breaking her own path in the chest-deep snow. Her mostly bare arms were wrapped tightly around her and her blonde head was down. She was passing not even an arm's length right by them, not looking up or seeming to notice them at all.
The fellowship just stood looking on in astonishment. As she passed by Boromir, Pippin, who was in his arms, looked about to say something. She flicked her eyes sideways to him briefly and muttered, "Hey how you doin'?" in a very flat tone, but didn't pause her step, and kept going as she had before. They all could do little more than stare at her as she went.
She did something slightly different though when she passed by Legolas, who was closer to her path since he was on top of the snow. She stopped for the first time and stared at his feet since she didn't have to raise her head, only shift her eyes. "Lucky." She muttered again in the same flat tone, and unfolded her right arm, which was closest to him. Still keeping her head down, she scooped up a handful of cold snow and slapped it down onto one of Legolas' booted feet.
Everyone, including Legolas, stared in shock as she muttered, "Now I feel better. It just wasn't fair." Then she folded her arm again and started walking, or rather, trudging again.
Finally Legolas snapped out of his stupor and turned, shaking the snow off his boot as he did so. "Wait!" She stopped, but didn't turn or move in any way. He walked on the snow until he was just behind her. "What are you doing out here dressed like that?"
She shrugged but still didn't turn. "I think it's called walking. At least I think I'm still walking. I lost all feeling in my lower extremities some time ago." With that she started walking again. The fellowship once again watched her go for a moment. She stopped again and turned, and for the first time looked up at them through tendrils of frozen blonde bangs. "Hey. you guys wouldn't happen to have any spare boots with you would you? Or pants? I could really use some pants."
They all shook their heads and she sighed and turned again. Legolas looked back at the fellowship, his eyes asking what he should do. Gandalf nodded and Legolas seemed to understand. He turned and hopped down into the path that she had made. He stepped up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. He gasped and pulled his hand back as if it was burned. "You are like ice!"
The girl's shoulders shook gently as she chuckled dryly, but didn't turn again. "Yes, well one does tend to feel as such when they have spent hours in a thin layer of clothing trudging through a snowfield in subfreezing temperatures. Would you be so kind as to do me a favor though? Touch me again? Just once? Your hand. it was so warm."
Legolas frowned at this and made his decision. He unclasped his thin but warm cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders before scooping her up in his arms.
The girl squirmed for just a moment, then settled down in his arms and snuggled as close as she could to him. "I was about to object. but your sudden warmth seems to have muddled my brain. I fault you for any stupid comments I might happen to make while in such close, yet comfy proximity to you."
Legolas smirked almost unnoticeably and broke a path through the snow to the rest of the fellowship, since he could no longer walk on the snow with her weight. "You do not speak like you are from here milady."
She shook her head where it rested in the crook of his neck. "I don't think I'm from this world at all. "We don't have any mountain ranges that look like this. well, from what you can see through the snow. Not to mention all of your clothes, and how you look in general, everything about you really."
Gandalf looked back at them, having heard this. "Not from this world? Well, we will try to figure it out when we get off this mountain. For now though, I think for your own good you must travel with us. You will not last long out here as you were going."
The girl nodded again and her eyes slid closed. "You'll get no objection from me on that account."
Aragorn watched her for a moment, and then said, "Keep your eyes open. Stay awake. You're far too cold to sleep safely right now. It will be dangerous until you warm up a little."
The girl opened her eyes and nodded again, then kicked her feet for a moment and stilled when the cloak flipped around them, covering them. "I'll stay awake as long as I can, though I'm really tired."
Legolas nodded to Aragorn. "I'll keep her awake." The he went back to the back of the group and they all started walking again, with him walking in their wake this time.
The girl in his arms shifted and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, placing her palms against the back of his neck, one slightly down the back of his shirt and the other simply laying under his pale, silky, if a bit damp, hair. Her voice was soft so only he could here. "You don't mind my hands here do you? Your skin is really warm."
He shook his head, the hair falling over his shoulders brushing her face gently. "I don't mind milady. I do not feel the cold so much."
She muttered again, "Lucky."
They walked in silence for a few minuets until Legolas realized that she had begun to drift off to sleep. He jostled her a little. His voice was gentle but clear and reaching. "Ai. Wake up. You must stay awake. Talk to me. Tell me of your world."
The girl sighed but opened her eyes. "I would rather not talk much about my world. It was not dear to my heart, nor has it given me anything save for a hell of a lot of pain. I suppose I could tell you about myself though. I'm twenty years old, I don't know where I was born, or my real parents." She paused. "Ah hell. this is useless. I don't remember enough that I'd be willing to tell you. At least not right now."
Legolas nodded in understanding. His voice was still soft since he was close to her ear and didn't need the rest of the fellowship to hear. "Well what about your name?"
She shook her head. "When I woke up here and knew I was in another world, I willingly forsook that world and everything in it. I could not be who I truly felt I was there. Perhaps, if I live through this, here I can. It is hopefully a new start for me. That woman there wasn't who I really was. When I left that world, I left everything, including my name."
Legolas nodded again. "I think I understand. May I give you a new name then? We can't very well just call you nothing."
The girl shrugged and started shivering slightly as heat and feeling started to slowly seep back into her limbs. "You can if you want. Anything is better than the name I had."
Legolas nodded and thought for a moment. "Ascadholiel. It means, Rose of Ice."
The girl chuckled around her chattering teeth. "Why that name?"
Legolas held her tighter against his chest, trying to keep her warmer. "Well, because I found you in a field of ice, and you smell deeply of roses."
The girl chuckled again. "I'm surprised that you could smell anything with it being as cold as this. It's the kind of soap I use. I love roses. They're my favorite flow and a passion of mine. Ascadholiel. Thank you. I like the name. I think, for once, it fits me."
Legolas smiled. "Well Ascadholiel, I am Legolas of Mirkwood. My name means Greenleaf. The old wizard up front is Gandalf, or as my people call him, Mithrandir. The man behind him is Aragorn, son of Arathorn. The little hobbits he carries are Samwise Gamgee, or just Sam, and Frodo Baggins. The man behind them is Boromir, son of Denethor, of Gondor. In his arms is Meriadoc Brandybuck, or just Merry, and Peregrin Took, or Pippin. The four hobbits hail from the Shire in the west. The dwarf is Gimli, son of Glóin, and the pony he is leading is called Bill." He felt her nod in the crook of his neck.
Her fingers absently played with the hair at the nape of his neck as she asked, "So where are we right now?"
"The pass of Caradhras. The world you are in now is called Middle-Earth and it is in grave peril, which my companions and I are on a quest to stop." He told her about Sauron and the one ring and the forming of the fellowship, trying to keep her awake, which wasn't that hard.
Legolas seemed to have sparked her interest and she asked all kinds of questions. She asked about the kinds of life here. Of animals and nature, and least of all, races of people. All the questions were well thought out, so he was happy to answer them as best as he could.
Ascadholiel looked sad for a moment, and he felt her frown even if he couldn't see it from where her face was tucked against his neck, and he could hear it in her voice. "Now I see why you would go willingly on a quest like this. I would too if I had so many things in my world worth saving."
Legolas' fair brow furrowed for a moment. "What do you mean?"
"The main race there is the race of men. There are no dwarves or hobbits or elves, not even wargs or orcs or great intelligent eagles. The world is swiftly dying and there are wars carried on by different ethnicities of men from generation to generation. Most don't even remember what they're fighting for. They use up the resources of the earth without ever thinking of what they are doing to nature. They rip down immense forests for cities that pollute the air or more homes that aren't really needed in that area, and then blame and kill the animals that come onto their property looking for food and the like. It's not the animal's fault; it was their home first. They pollute the lakes and rivers, even the ocean, and they just don't care! There are very few great or old forests left, and even those are being cut down. There's no magic. Everything of the like, the races here besides men, and anything consisting of magic is all just the stuff you read about in children's stories, in fairytales. There's no adventure or heart in the world anymore. There's nothing to look forward to." She sighed and ended her near rant.
Legolas nodded. "You sound like one who's looked."
Ascadholiel sighed. "I have. Desperately and for many years."
He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Then why did you not seem surprised or excited when you saw us and knew us to be different?"
She smiled gently still shaking. "Oh I will later. Trust me. Right now I'm in shock, or at least slipping into it. That's part of the reason I'm shaking."
The elf stopped dead and stared at her. "What! Aragorn! We need to stop and rest! She's in shock!" Then to himself he said, "Why did I not see or realize it sooner?"
As if to prove what she said, Ascadholiel began to shake harder. "Because you weren't looking for it and I'm good at hiding it. I've had a fair bit of medical training though, and I've been in it many times before, so I know the signs to look for."
Aragorn had finally made his way back to them and checked her over briefly. He frowned as he looked at her. "Why didn't I think about this possibility before?"
Ascadholiel was shaking violently by now. "W-why does ev-everyone ask th- that?"
Aragorn ignored the question and shouted up to Gandalf for a halt. "She is not doing well and I fear for her life at this point. We need to stop and get her warmed up right away. The rest will be good for the hobbits as well. We need to find shelter."
Gandalf trudged back through the snow to join them and had begun speaking with Aragorn when the girl murmured something. The two didn't seemed to hear her, so Legolas had to interrupt, drawing attention back to the shivering bundle in his arms.
Ascadholiel's voice was much weaker now as her mind slowly started to drift into a haze. "Sh-shelter. That way." She pointed with a pale white hand to the way she had come and the way that they were still going. "An o-overh- hang."
Boromir had set down his two burdens as Aragorn had and had come back to listen as well. "Why did you not take shelter there before?"
Her blue-tinted lips smiled ironically. "T-to wait for p-people I kn-knew w- would not c-come? S-suicide! B-better ch-chance w-walking." Her smiled got a little bigger as her eyes slid closed against her will. "Was r-right, w- wasn't I?" It was more a statement of fact than a question.
Aragorn put a hand to her cheek and spoke in a stern voice. "Don't go to sleep. Stay awake!"
"T-trying. S-so cold."
Gandalf nodded and turned. "Then let us be off. The sooner we are there the sooner she will be warm again and out of death's immediate path."
So they all formed their line again, following the path until they reached the aforementioned rock overhang. The fire was a little hard to get started and took Gandalf's magic to finally get it going, but finally the fellowship was crowded around it, giving more room to Legolas who sat and was still holding the shivering Ascadholiel in his lap.
They all talked quietly for a few minuets, watching the girl worriedly as well as curiously. Frodo who sat next to the two reached out and gently stroked her cheek. "It doesn't seem like she getting and batter or warming up any."
Legolas still had a frown on his fair face. " Indeed she is not, but I can think of nothing else to do."
Ascadholiel stammered only half coherently through badly chattering teeth. "B-body heat. Sh-shared body h-heat. Skin t-to s-skin. How, how w-we do it, in m-my wo-world. I d-don't m-mind."
Aragorn nodded as the others who had been listening looked to him to see what he thought, since he had more knowledge about such things. "I have heard of such things done in these instances. It indeed seems the only way."
Boromir protested. "But it is indecent! For her to lie naked with a man!"
Gandalf cut him off. "It is that or her death Boromir."
Boromir huffed a little. "Fine, though it shall not be me in this scandal!"
Merry looked thoughtful. "Well who should it be?"
Aragorn looked at each of them. "I put my vote in Legolas."
Gimli glowered at this. "Why should it be the elf?"
The ranger just barely kept from rolling his eyes at the dwarf. "Because, Master Dwarf, though I have no doubt that you are fiery in heart and spirit, I much doubt your shout body is the same at this moment. Legolas has the highest body heat at right now and knows her the best of us at the moment. They seem comfortable with each other. Legolas, will you take this roll?"
Legolas, feeling the cold body in his arms shivering so violently, nodded his head without hesitation. "I will."
Aragorn smiled at his friend. "Very well. We will all turn out backs to give you privacy, while you unclothe yourself and the girl."
"Ascadholiel."
Aragorn frowned at the interruption. "What?"
Legolas continued. "Her name is Ascadholiel."
Aragorn had to smile since he knew the meaning of the name and could tell that his friend had bestowed the name upon her. "Very well, while you unclothe yourself and Ascadholiel. Hold her as much against you as you can and wrap your cloak and a few of the spare blankets tightly around you both."
Legolas nodded and waited for the rest of the fellowship to turn their backs. He disrobed himself first so she wouldn't be exposed as long. He pushed a wet, freezing lock of blonde hair away from her pale face. "Are you sure you do not mind this?"
She managed to open her eyes a little and smiled at him, her teeth audibly chattering. "I don't m-mind. Y-you h-have a gr-great body! I on t-the other h-hand, am n-not so in sh-shape, or pl-pleasant to l-look at."
Legolas shook his head but said nothing as he gently and swiftly stripped her of the soaking oversized tee-shirt and boxers she wore.
He gathered her shiver form to him and wrapped his cloak and two of the spare blankets tightly around their two nude forms. He pressed her tightly against himself, tucking his arms around her. Her cold cheek rested against his much warmer collarbone and he tucked his chin over her head.
Legolas told the rest that they were decent and they all turned back around, most sitting around this fire to warm themselves. Gimli and Boromir stood watch with their backs still to the flames, turning every once in a while to warm their hands. The hobbits talked quietly amongst themselves every once in a while sneaking glances at the elf and his bundle. Gandalf sat to Legolas' left with Aragorn beside him, the two speaking together about the world this strange girl might have come from and what they would do with her once she was out of immediate danger.
Legolas himself was focused completely on the shivering girl in his arms. She seemed to have lost consciousness, or at least coherency, and was murmuring slightly through her chattering teeth. He already felt quite protective of this girl. From what he could tell, she was a kindred spirit, a lover of the forest and nature, like him. She had had a hard time in her world from what she had told him and he was saddened by the tales and evidence of her suffering because of the state of life in her world and of other things. He felt that given enough time, this girl would be a good friend to him. They were already well on their way in his mind and he vowed that he would protect her while she traveled with them.
He rubbed Ascadholiel's arms and side under the blankets, trying desperately to warm her up. He brought the blanket up around her head, almost covering her face and still the shivering became a little worse. His worry grew greater and greater until he noticed her shivering lessen and stop. Her teeth stopped chatter and she laid limply against him in the circle of his arms.
Legolas stopped worrying now. and began panicking. "Aragorn, I worry for her mellon nin."
Aragorn stopped speaking to Gandalf at the true worry in his elven friend's voice and moved over to kneel beside the two. He uncovered Ascadholiel's head and felt along her neck. He smiled and covered her again. He laid a gentle hand on Legolas' shoulder. "It's alright, she's warmer now and simply sleeps. You have done well my friend. Let her sleep as long as she can. She is exhausted. I can only imagine what she went through to get here, and then before we found her."
Legolas nodded and drew her tighter still against his bare body, now feeling the slightly tremors that went through her still every once in a while, as Aragorn sat back down on the other side of Gandalf.
Frodo. Who sat on the other side of Legolas from Gandalf scooted closer to the two and peered through the blankets at what little bit of the peacefully sleep face he could see. "Is she going to be okay now?"
Legolas shook his head. "I don't know, but I hope. I think so. I'd like to know more about her strange world. I'd like to show her more of this one as well. I think she would like it."
**********
A.N.: Well, what do you think? I need some reviews before I continue. Tell me if I should trash it or keep it. Like I said, I'm going to try not to make it too horribly Mary Sue. but I really might not succeed. HELL. I LIKE MARY SUE!!! At least in some cases when she isn't totally superhuman. I mean come on. out of most of us normal women, who have NEVER held a sharp weapon, (kitchen knives not included) and have NEVER had training. how many of us could really bullshit it enough to save our necks if we were attacked, let alone attacked by a never-ending hoard of orcs or something of the sort. YEAH RIGHT!!! We'd get our asses SKEWRED!!! So yeah. tell me what you think. PLEASE. be gentle. it's my first lotr fic. Love me ne?! Oh, and for those of you waiting desperately for my next chapter of "An American Miko", please be patient with me. I've been sick and getting sicker. it's a terminal thing. and I'm suffering my worst bout of writer's block for that fic, EVER! I will get it out though eventually. I DO promise you that. This fic idea just popped into my head and crowded it out, not going away until I started it. So, keep watching for that one ne?! Luv Ya Lots!!! JA!
~Celesta Hellewise Harman
