Soon after exploring, night came upon them. A beautiful sunset could be
seen through the thin forest, which raised Airesiwe's hopes for a safe
departure from the forest. Airesiwe wished deeply to go back to the rock
that she felt so at home on, but they were quite far from it, and she did
not want to risk spotting the nasty creature she saw the day before.
Instead, she wandered to and from the shore of the lake to their small
camp. Frodo and Sam had already fallen asleep, and the sunset had already
faded as well. Only the light of the moon was Airesiwe's guide.
Airesiwe continued this: going to the lake, then returning to the hobbits, until finally she stopped at the shore of the lake and started to sing another song. She needed to be calmed, for the warning in her mind and heart had been growing, causing her to lose sleep.
In the earth was night and fire
The land was old and vast,
In the beginning, life was rich and in bloom,
But that has gone to past.
Airesiwe forgot the words to most of the song, but didn't wish to finish. She was speaking of the Shire, and she knew it. She just couldn't help but think that something terrible would happen to it, when the time was right. Without warning, footsteps could be heard behind her. Airesiwe remembered the dream and whipped around just in time to see that it was Frodo.
"Frodo?" Airesiwe gasped. "I'm quite sorry, I didn't mean to ...well...what I'm saying is..."
"It's ok Airesiwe," Frodo said while sitting down on a slightly large rock near Airesiwe, "I didn't mean to startle you. You singing, again I was drawn to it." Frodo smiled one of his rosy-cheeked smile as he spoke. Airesiwe was glad it was dark, because she blushed tremendously. She turned away from Frodo and looked into the lake. She saw herself staring at her reflection, and Frodo sitting besides her.
"Who are you, really?" Frodo questioned while looking at their reflection. "You don't seem like a regular elf. There's just something about you, something different that divides you from all the rest. Do you understand me?" Frodo looked back at Airesiwe. His blue eyes shone when the moonlight reflected off of them. Airesiwe tore herself away again, she felt embarrassed staring at them. She looked down again at her reflection. She could have sworn she saw it before.
"I'm not even sure myself," Airesiwe replied shortly after. "I still have my past to figure out before I can figure out my future. Nothing seems clear to me..." she trailed off. There was a long silence, very long. One of those silences that are almost scary. Every twitch and ruffle through the forest startled them both. But none of them spoke.
Finally, after some time, Airesiwe brought up the nerve to speak.
"Frodo," Airesiwe started. She cleared her throat, and bickered to herself on whether to ask the question or not. "How did you get the ring?" There was another long silence, but not as long as the first.
"My uncle Bilbo, he gave it to me." Frodo said. Airesiwe sighed a breathe of relief. She thought that Frodo was forced to carry it, forced to carry this heavy burden that hung around his neck.
"Why? How did you get it Airesiwe?" Frodo was just as curious as her.
"I...," Airesiwe started then she remembered something. "Hey! How did you know I carried the ring ast one time? I have only told one person!" Airesiwe startled even herself with the tone of voice she was using, but Frodo did not seem offended.
"I can see it in your eyes, Airesiwe," Frodo said again, "you suffer from it still, even though you no longer carry it. I noticed it when we were still with the Fellowship. When you would faint, you would mumble his name in your sleep. When someone mentioned the ring, you twitch, and when we first meet, in Rivendell," Frodo's voice became lower, "I knew Airesiwe... you saw him. That's why you ran." Frodo looked deep in Airesiwe's eyes, and her into his. "I wish I could run too, but I can't." He tore away from her eyes and looked deep into the forest. Suddenly remembering, Frodo turned back to look at her. "Could you please tell me, how you did get it."
Airesiwe looked at Frodo, and sighed. For this would be a very long story indeed. She would have to make it short, though she didn't tell him that. She closed her eyes and thought back to no more than 2,000 years ago, when she was only ten...
Airesiwe continued this: going to the lake, then returning to the hobbits, until finally she stopped at the shore of the lake and started to sing another song. She needed to be calmed, for the warning in her mind and heart had been growing, causing her to lose sleep.
In the earth was night and fire
The land was old and vast,
In the beginning, life was rich and in bloom,
But that has gone to past.
Airesiwe forgot the words to most of the song, but didn't wish to finish. She was speaking of the Shire, and she knew it. She just couldn't help but think that something terrible would happen to it, when the time was right. Without warning, footsteps could be heard behind her. Airesiwe remembered the dream and whipped around just in time to see that it was Frodo.
"Frodo?" Airesiwe gasped. "I'm quite sorry, I didn't mean to ...well...what I'm saying is..."
"It's ok Airesiwe," Frodo said while sitting down on a slightly large rock near Airesiwe, "I didn't mean to startle you. You singing, again I was drawn to it." Frodo smiled one of his rosy-cheeked smile as he spoke. Airesiwe was glad it was dark, because she blushed tremendously. She turned away from Frodo and looked into the lake. She saw herself staring at her reflection, and Frodo sitting besides her.
"Who are you, really?" Frodo questioned while looking at their reflection. "You don't seem like a regular elf. There's just something about you, something different that divides you from all the rest. Do you understand me?" Frodo looked back at Airesiwe. His blue eyes shone when the moonlight reflected off of them. Airesiwe tore herself away again, she felt embarrassed staring at them. She looked down again at her reflection. She could have sworn she saw it before.
"I'm not even sure myself," Airesiwe replied shortly after. "I still have my past to figure out before I can figure out my future. Nothing seems clear to me..." she trailed off. There was a long silence, very long. One of those silences that are almost scary. Every twitch and ruffle through the forest startled them both. But none of them spoke.
Finally, after some time, Airesiwe brought up the nerve to speak.
"Frodo," Airesiwe started. She cleared her throat, and bickered to herself on whether to ask the question or not. "How did you get the ring?" There was another long silence, but not as long as the first.
"My uncle Bilbo, he gave it to me." Frodo said. Airesiwe sighed a breathe of relief. She thought that Frodo was forced to carry it, forced to carry this heavy burden that hung around his neck.
"Why? How did you get it Airesiwe?" Frodo was just as curious as her.
"I...," Airesiwe started then she remembered something. "Hey! How did you know I carried the ring ast one time? I have only told one person!" Airesiwe startled even herself with the tone of voice she was using, but Frodo did not seem offended.
"I can see it in your eyes, Airesiwe," Frodo said again, "you suffer from it still, even though you no longer carry it. I noticed it when we were still with the Fellowship. When you would faint, you would mumble his name in your sleep. When someone mentioned the ring, you twitch, and when we first meet, in Rivendell," Frodo's voice became lower, "I knew Airesiwe... you saw him. That's why you ran." Frodo looked deep in Airesiwe's eyes, and her into his. "I wish I could run too, but I can't." He tore away from her eyes and looked deep into the forest. Suddenly remembering, Frodo turned back to look at her. "Could you please tell me, how you did get it."
Airesiwe looked at Frodo, and sighed. For this would be a very long story indeed. She would have to make it short, though she didn't tell him that. She closed her eyes and thought back to no more than 2,000 years ago, when she was only ten...