Chapter One
Gondlad. The Great Rock Fields. It was not the place to be if you wanted to travel quickly.
The Fellowship of the Ring had trudged among the stones and boulders for three long days now, trying to reach the Gap of Rohan. It was a weary time. They were tired, dirty, and food and water was running low. They hadn't seen a stream with clean enough water to drink in some time, and they were forced to ration food, in portions smaller than usual. That did not hold very well for the hobbits.
"I'm hungry," Pippin whined loudly. "Can't we rest awhile and have a bit to eat?"
The wizard Gandalf turned from where he was leading the Fellowship across the field, anger sharply pinching his features.
"Peregrin Took, that is the fourth time you've asked that same question today, and it's barely noon!" He snarled, causing the hobbit to cringe.
"I'm sorry." The hobbit squeaked. "I've just haven't had anything since yesterday."
"You had breakfast," Merry said.
"A lousy piece of stale bread is hardly a breakfast!" Pippin argued.
Gandalf's voice boomed over them both. "Be silent you two! Just be thankful you had any breakfast at all!" Seeing the hobbits jump at his words, the wizard softened his voice. "When we reach the Gap of Rohan there with plenty of towns. Your hunger will not last long."
The old man turned and began walking again through the field, with the others trailing behind him. Aragorn strode alongside him.
"The hobbits are half right," he said quietly. "We cannot go on much longer this way. We have only enough food to last another day, if we ration it."
"Yes, Aragorn." Gandalf said. "I know. But what can we do about it?"
Gandalf looked over his shoulder and saw Legolas, Gimli, Boromir and the hobbits behind him. None looked happy, and the hobbits were struggling to keep up. Frodo tripped and was caught by Sam, and they exchanged glances of thanks and friendship.
"Alright, everyone, sit and rest." Gandalf yelled once they had gotten a little further. "But don't make yourselves comfortable. We cannot afford to stay here long."
Relieved, the hobbits plopped onto the ground. Gimli sat on a rock and examined his axes; Boromir did not sit but stood and looked out upon the rocky plains, his eyes glinting in the sunlight. Gandalf joined the hobbits, and Aragorn sat down and thought about the past days. His thoughts were interrupted when Legolas sat beside him.
"How long have we been traveling?" Aragorn asked the elf.
"Twenty-nine days, if you count today," Legolas replied.
Aragorn shook his head slowly and chuckled. Legolas looked strangely at him.
"Why do you laugh?" He asked.
Aragorn sighed as the laughter left him. "Twenty-nine days and I am already feeling as if I have traveled a hundred years."
"The traveling has not tired me," Legolas said matter-of-factly. "Although I find the same scenery day after day wearisome. We haven't seen a living tree in days."
"You are not lightening my spirit, Legolas." Aragorn said with a smile.
"I know." the elf replied, grinning back.
Aragorn looked away, toward the mountains, and Legolas did the same. His elf eyes could see much better than any man's, and lately he had been trying to make good use of them by searching for a hidden path that they could take over the mountains to shorten their journey. So far such a blessing was not to be found.
Legolas's eyes surveyed the mountain peaks, the valleys, and the gaps. Then he saw what no mortal man could see. A small pass halfway up the mountain.
"I see a path." He said to Aragorn. "It is there, about halfway up and in- between the two peaks in front of us."
Aragorn squinted. "I see no such thing."
"It is very small." Legolas said. "Gandalf!"
The wizard turned abruptly, surprised. It wasn't often that Legolas called his name, and if it was indeed called, the matter was important. He quickly made his way over.
"Legolas has spotted a pathway." Aragorn explained.
The old man's unruly eyebrows raised. "Oh? Where?"
Legolas explained the location of the pass and Gandalf nodded, thinking.
"If that is indeed a pass, then that would shorten our journey considerably. It is no more than half a day from here, from your description, Legolas." he said, rubbing his beard.
"Less, if we move quickly." the elf agreed.
"Indeed." The wizard said. "But we cannot take it without the leave of the others. All of you!" He called to the others. "Your counsel is needed."
The others trudged over and Gandalf explained the situation. They were then asked to vote on taking the hidden pass or following their original route.
"Well, I'm for the pass Legolas sees." Merry said. "Elves have better eyesight than men, hobbits or dwarves, don't they?"
Legolas smiled lightly at the young hobbit and nodded.
"I say let's go." Sam said with dry humor. "Anything should be better than these rock plains."
"Me too!" Cried Pippin.
Frodo nodded in agreement.
Boromir looked upon the mountains. "I see no such path," he said, looking back towards the others. "But elf eyes I have not. I will follow the elf's lead."
Now all that was left was Gimli. He and Legolas hadn't exactly become used to each other's presence yet.
"Well, it seems that even if I should disagree, I would be outvoted anyway." He mumbled hoarsely. "Let us go."
"Very well." Gandalf declared. "Lead the way, Legolas."
The elf prince nodded and made his way towards the path only he could see. The others followed.
***** Please review! Thank you! : )
Gondlad. The Great Rock Fields. It was not the place to be if you wanted to travel quickly.
The Fellowship of the Ring had trudged among the stones and boulders for three long days now, trying to reach the Gap of Rohan. It was a weary time. They were tired, dirty, and food and water was running low. They hadn't seen a stream with clean enough water to drink in some time, and they were forced to ration food, in portions smaller than usual. That did not hold very well for the hobbits.
"I'm hungry," Pippin whined loudly. "Can't we rest awhile and have a bit to eat?"
The wizard Gandalf turned from where he was leading the Fellowship across the field, anger sharply pinching his features.
"Peregrin Took, that is the fourth time you've asked that same question today, and it's barely noon!" He snarled, causing the hobbit to cringe.
"I'm sorry." The hobbit squeaked. "I've just haven't had anything since yesterday."
"You had breakfast," Merry said.
"A lousy piece of stale bread is hardly a breakfast!" Pippin argued.
Gandalf's voice boomed over them both. "Be silent you two! Just be thankful you had any breakfast at all!" Seeing the hobbits jump at his words, the wizard softened his voice. "When we reach the Gap of Rohan there with plenty of towns. Your hunger will not last long."
The old man turned and began walking again through the field, with the others trailing behind him. Aragorn strode alongside him.
"The hobbits are half right," he said quietly. "We cannot go on much longer this way. We have only enough food to last another day, if we ration it."
"Yes, Aragorn." Gandalf said. "I know. But what can we do about it?"
Gandalf looked over his shoulder and saw Legolas, Gimli, Boromir and the hobbits behind him. None looked happy, and the hobbits were struggling to keep up. Frodo tripped and was caught by Sam, and they exchanged glances of thanks and friendship.
"Alright, everyone, sit and rest." Gandalf yelled once they had gotten a little further. "But don't make yourselves comfortable. We cannot afford to stay here long."
Relieved, the hobbits plopped onto the ground. Gimli sat on a rock and examined his axes; Boromir did not sit but stood and looked out upon the rocky plains, his eyes glinting in the sunlight. Gandalf joined the hobbits, and Aragorn sat down and thought about the past days. His thoughts were interrupted when Legolas sat beside him.
"How long have we been traveling?" Aragorn asked the elf.
"Twenty-nine days, if you count today," Legolas replied.
Aragorn shook his head slowly and chuckled. Legolas looked strangely at him.
"Why do you laugh?" He asked.
Aragorn sighed as the laughter left him. "Twenty-nine days and I am already feeling as if I have traveled a hundred years."
"The traveling has not tired me," Legolas said matter-of-factly. "Although I find the same scenery day after day wearisome. We haven't seen a living tree in days."
"You are not lightening my spirit, Legolas." Aragorn said with a smile.
"I know." the elf replied, grinning back.
Aragorn looked away, toward the mountains, and Legolas did the same. His elf eyes could see much better than any man's, and lately he had been trying to make good use of them by searching for a hidden path that they could take over the mountains to shorten their journey. So far such a blessing was not to be found.
Legolas's eyes surveyed the mountain peaks, the valleys, and the gaps. Then he saw what no mortal man could see. A small pass halfway up the mountain.
"I see a path." He said to Aragorn. "It is there, about halfway up and in- between the two peaks in front of us."
Aragorn squinted. "I see no such thing."
"It is very small." Legolas said. "Gandalf!"
The wizard turned abruptly, surprised. It wasn't often that Legolas called his name, and if it was indeed called, the matter was important. He quickly made his way over.
"Legolas has spotted a pathway." Aragorn explained.
The old man's unruly eyebrows raised. "Oh? Where?"
Legolas explained the location of the pass and Gandalf nodded, thinking.
"If that is indeed a pass, then that would shorten our journey considerably. It is no more than half a day from here, from your description, Legolas." he said, rubbing his beard.
"Less, if we move quickly." the elf agreed.
"Indeed." The wizard said. "But we cannot take it without the leave of the others. All of you!" He called to the others. "Your counsel is needed."
The others trudged over and Gandalf explained the situation. They were then asked to vote on taking the hidden pass or following their original route.
"Well, I'm for the pass Legolas sees." Merry said. "Elves have better eyesight than men, hobbits or dwarves, don't they?"
Legolas smiled lightly at the young hobbit and nodded.
"I say let's go." Sam said with dry humor. "Anything should be better than these rock plains."
"Me too!" Cried Pippin.
Frodo nodded in agreement.
Boromir looked upon the mountains. "I see no such path," he said, looking back towards the others. "But elf eyes I have not. I will follow the elf's lead."
Now all that was left was Gimli. He and Legolas hadn't exactly become used to each other's presence yet.
"Well, it seems that even if I should disagree, I would be outvoted anyway." He mumbled hoarsely. "Let us go."
"Very well." Gandalf declared. "Lead the way, Legolas."
The elf prince nodded and made his way towards the path only he could see. The others followed.
***** Please review! Thank you! : )