"So your saying," Airesiwe said while eating a piece of lambas bread, "that
you live underground, but yet have doors and windows? How is that
possible?"
Sam laughed. "For the hundredth time Airesiwe, we hobbits live in the sides of hills, not entirely underground."
Airesiwe tried hard to picture that habitat of hobbits, but it was quite difficult. She was used to palaces and trees, not underground folk. Yet, all of this information interested her, and she pleaded to hear more and more every day. This seemed to calm the hobbits, and for the first time, she saw Frodo laugh. His laugh was charming and cheery, and his rosy cheeks made it all the better.
"Are you sure you know where we're heading?" Frodo said after his long laugh, "I don't believe you've ever been to Mordor before." Airesiwe looked ahead on the trail. A dark mountainside towered above Middle Earth. The constant thunder wasn't very welcoming, and fire would always escape the mountain of fire, the one place they were trying to get to.
"No," Airesiwe said while straying into thought. "I haven't." She quickly tore her gaze away from the mountains and focused on the ground. Every once and awhile, she would see a flash of orange light, like the time she talked to Frodo for the first time in Rivendell. It reminded her of an eye, a big orange eye stalking her every move. She feared it, and every step closer to Mordor was getting heavier.
She shook the thought off and looked at the hobbits who were walking besides her. "But I have been to Gondor before, and there we must travel. We can gather supplies and hopefully reform a fellowship to help us continue." Airesiwe had doubt in what she said, but didn't bother to change it. She didn't want to 'reform a fellowship'. She was content with fewer people on the quest.
"I know of a lake," she said, hoping to raise the hobbits' hopes. "It shouldn't be far from here. If we continue at a steady pace, we should be there by dark."
********************************************************************
Soon enough, darkness approached, and Airesiwe, Frodo and Sam were at the lake. It had a mysterious look to it; black water, dark trees, and a full moon that gave off some light.
"We should rest here tonight," Frodo said, "it doesn't seem like danger would linger here."
Airesiwe wished she could agree. For their surroundings were the perfect place for evil to arise. Nonetheless, Airesiwe set down her small pack and decided to look around, just to be sure.
"Stay here," Airesiwe whispered to Frodo and Sam, "I shouldn't be gone long. If I do not return, head on to Gondor. I will meet you there."
"I do not think you will vanish in these woods," Frodo said, "you are strong, and evil fears you."
"I wouldn't say that," Airesiwe said. She looked over at Frodo and saw him smiling. She blushed and continued. "I heard a voice in my head, a voice that told me to go back and not linger here. We cannot go back, or forward, for the day has been long. Rest here, but do not trust me to come back." With that, Airesiwe turned around and left.
Airesiwe trudged on through the thick forest. She could not think here, for the air was much too close. She looked around and thought she saw something move. It was a quick shadow, and reminded her of someone. She walked towards it, and it ran to hide behind a bush. Airesiwe walked slower, until she was right besides the bush. She took out her bow and arrow and aimed it at the bush. The bush quivered, but nothing emerged from it. Only a soft hiss could be heard. Airesiwe started to shake, and wished deeply to know what the creature was. Not knowing what else to do, she lifted her leg and kicked the bush. After she did it, a loud shriek could be heard. It was not a piercing shriek though, but rather a shriek that turned into a howl. Airesiwe backed away from the bush and what looked like a small, deformed hobbit came out.
"Don't hurts us precious!" the thing said with wailing voice. "Don't hurts the poor Smeagol...." Airesiwe was shocked to know that it could speak, and became quite interested in it. She lowered her bow and kneeled down to his height.
"Aw....poor thing." She started to say. "What are you doing in a gloomy place like this?" The creature looked up at Airesiwe with large blue eyes. Suddenly, they turned a dark gray and anger arose in his voice.
"Why does it ask us precious? Why must it know our business eh?" With that, the creature growled at pounced on Airesiwe. "YOU HAVE IT! YOU HAVE THE PRECIOUSSSSS." The creature wrestled with Airesiwe as Airesiwe tried to reach for her arrow. Instead, her hand was grabbed by the creature as it bit into her finger. Airesiwe screamed with pain as she felt the blood come out. She grabbed a nearby rock and bashed the hideous monster with it. It fell to the ground, giving Airesiwe a chance to run. But instead, she took the same rock and threw it at him. The creature screamed and wailed so loud she could feel her eardrums pop, but she ignored it and threw, yet another rock at the creature. This time, the creature did not scream. Instead, he fell to the ground and laid there as still as a rock himself. Airesiwe grabbed one more rock, hoping to end the creature's miserable life, but instead, dropped it. She couldn't put together the strength to kill this creature for some odd reason. Not knowing what else to do, Airesiwe turned around and ran. She ran as fast as she could possibly go. As she ran, she tried to picture the creature in her head. He reminded her of something, someone. Someone she knew. She brushed the thought away and finally made it back to Frodo and Sam.
Airesiwe came to the clearing by the lake breathing heavily.
"Oh, goodness Airesiwe you look worn out," Frodo said with a dull expression on his face. Airesiwe looked at Frodo, and remembered the ring and what it was doing to him.
"I'm sorry, you were right, there is no evil in this forest." Airesiwe turned towards Sam who was glancing at her as well. She walked over to the lake and kneeled down besides it. Dunking her finger in it, a cool sensation rushed over her, and she no longer felt worn and out of breathe. Her finger was bleeding tremendously. Luckily, it was on the numb arm, so it didn't hurt as much as she thought. "We sleep here tonight, for it is safe." She looked over at Frodo and worried. There was much evil in the forest, she could feel it, but dared not tell Frodo and Sam. They needed the rest, and so did she. She walked over to a level part in the dirt and laid her pack down so she could use it as a pillow. But she could not sleep.
********************************************************************
Hours past, and Airesiwe still could not shut her eyes, for fear that evil would take her. Setting down her bow and arrows, she got up and walked through the woods again. She walked and walked until she came to a cliff. A large boulder sat on the edge, overlooking the plains and marshes ahead of her. She sat down on it, and started to sing.
In the days of golden sun,
In the nights that still are to come,
Though the eagle sleeps, then soars,
The light she sees will vanish evermore.
This calmed her, and before long, she felt her eyelids become heavy and fell asleep on the rock, dreaming of what would happen the next day.
Sam laughed. "For the hundredth time Airesiwe, we hobbits live in the sides of hills, not entirely underground."
Airesiwe tried hard to picture that habitat of hobbits, but it was quite difficult. She was used to palaces and trees, not underground folk. Yet, all of this information interested her, and she pleaded to hear more and more every day. This seemed to calm the hobbits, and for the first time, she saw Frodo laugh. His laugh was charming and cheery, and his rosy cheeks made it all the better.
"Are you sure you know where we're heading?" Frodo said after his long laugh, "I don't believe you've ever been to Mordor before." Airesiwe looked ahead on the trail. A dark mountainside towered above Middle Earth. The constant thunder wasn't very welcoming, and fire would always escape the mountain of fire, the one place they were trying to get to.
"No," Airesiwe said while straying into thought. "I haven't." She quickly tore her gaze away from the mountains and focused on the ground. Every once and awhile, she would see a flash of orange light, like the time she talked to Frodo for the first time in Rivendell. It reminded her of an eye, a big orange eye stalking her every move. She feared it, and every step closer to Mordor was getting heavier.
She shook the thought off and looked at the hobbits who were walking besides her. "But I have been to Gondor before, and there we must travel. We can gather supplies and hopefully reform a fellowship to help us continue." Airesiwe had doubt in what she said, but didn't bother to change it. She didn't want to 'reform a fellowship'. She was content with fewer people on the quest.
"I know of a lake," she said, hoping to raise the hobbits' hopes. "It shouldn't be far from here. If we continue at a steady pace, we should be there by dark."
********************************************************************
Soon enough, darkness approached, and Airesiwe, Frodo and Sam were at the lake. It had a mysterious look to it; black water, dark trees, and a full moon that gave off some light.
"We should rest here tonight," Frodo said, "it doesn't seem like danger would linger here."
Airesiwe wished she could agree. For their surroundings were the perfect place for evil to arise. Nonetheless, Airesiwe set down her small pack and decided to look around, just to be sure.
"Stay here," Airesiwe whispered to Frodo and Sam, "I shouldn't be gone long. If I do not return, head on to Gondor. I will meet you there."
"I do not think you will vanish in these woods," Frodo said, "you are strong, and evil fears you."
"I wouldn't say that," Airesiwe said. She looked over at Frodo and saw him smiling. She blushed and continued. "I heard a voice in my head, a voice that told me to go back and not linger here. We cannot go back, or forward, for the day has been long. Rest here, but do not trust me to come back." With that, Airesiwe turned around and left.
Airesiwe trudged on through the thick forest. She could not think here, for the air was much too close. She looked around and thought she saw something move. It was a quick shadow, and reminded her of someone. She walked towards it, and it ran to hide behind a bush. Airesiwe walked slower, until she was right besides the bush. She took out her bow and arrow and aimed it at the bush. The bush quivered, but nothing emerged from it. Only a soft hiss could be heard. Airesiwe started to shake, and wished deeply to know what the creature was. Not knowing what else to do, she lifted her leg and kicked the bush. After she did it, a loud shriek could be heard. It was not a piercing shriek though, but rather a shriek that turned into a howl. Airesiwe backed away from the bush and what looked like a small, deformed hobbit came out.
"Don't hurts us precious!" the thing said with wailing voice. "Don't hurts the poor Smeagol...." Airesiwe was shocked to know that it could speak, and became quite interested in it. She lowered her bow and kneeled down to his height.
"Aw....poor thing." She started to say. "What are you doing in a gloomy place like this?" The creature looked up at Airesiwe with large blue eyes. Suddenly, they turned a dark gray and anger arose in his voice.
"Why does it ask us precious? Why must it know our business eh?" With that, the creature growled at pounced on Airesiwe. "YOU HAVE IT! YOU HAVE THE PRECIOUSSSSS." The creature wrestled with Airesiwe as Airesiwe tried to reach for her arrow. Instead, her hand was grabbed by the creature as it bit into her finger. Airesiwe screamed with pain as she felt the blood come out. She grabbed a nearby rock and bashed the hideous monster with it. It fell to the ground, giving Airesiwe a chance to run. But instead, she took the same rock and threw it at him. The creature screamed and wailed so loud she could feel her eardrums pop, but she ignored it and threw, yet another rock at the creature. This time, the creature did not scream. Instead, he fell to the ground and laid there as still as a rock himself. Airesiwe grabbed one more rock, hoping to end the creature's miserable life, but instead, dropped it. She couldn't put together the strength to kill this creature for some odd reason. Not knowing what else to do, Airesiwe turned around and ran. She ran as fast as she could possibly go. As she ran, she tried to picture the creature in her head. He reminded her of something, someone. Someone she knew. She brushed the thought away and finally made it back to Frodo and Sam.
Airesiwe came to the clearing by the lake breathing heavily.
"Oh, goodness Airesiwe you look worn out," Frodo said with a dull expression on his face. Airesiwe looked at Frodo, and remembered the ring and what it was doing to him.
"I'm sorry, you were right, there is no evil in this forest." Airesiwe turned towards Sam who was glancing at her as well. She walked over to the lake and kneeled down besides it. Dunking her finger in it, a cool sensation rushed over her, and she no longer felt worn and out of breathe. Her finger was bleeding tremendously. Luckily, it was on the numb arm, so it didn't hurt as much as she thought. "We sleep here tonight, for it is safe." She looked over at Frodo and worried. There was much evil in the forest, she could feel it, but dared not tell Frodo and Sam. They needed the rest, and so did she. She walked over to a level part in the dirt and laid her pack down so she could use it as a pillow. But she could not sleep.
********************************************************************
Hours past, and Airesiwe still could not shut her eyes, for fear that evil would take her. Setting down her bow and arrows, she got up and walked through the woods again. She walked and walked until she came to a cliff. A large boulder sat on the edge, overlooking the plains and marshes ahead of her. She sat down on it, and started to sing.
In the days of golden sun,
In the nights that still are to come,
Though the eagle sleeps, then soars,
The light she sees will vanish evermore.
This calmed her, and before long, she felt her eyelids become heavy and fell asleep on the rock, dreaming of what would happen the next day.