Boromir: Yay another chapter with wonderful me in it!
Merry: I don't see what's so wonderful...
Boromir: What's up with you grumpy pants?
Merry: -- Wouldn't you like to know?
Boromir: Not really.
Merry: (sigh) DB doesn't own it... now on with the fic.
Boromir: (snicker) Horn of Gondor...
Chapter Three: Uneasy
================
Jericho sat at the long table next to a strange elf with a light blue robe fringed with silver. He sat a good deal taller than her and his presence made her feel uneasy.
She quietly folded her hands in the lap of her lavender gown and stared at them. She felt so inferior to everyone else at the table. Elrond sat at the head, along with Gandalf, Aragorn, Arwen, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, and a score of other important looking elves. The only one missing was Glorfindel, but she felt relieved at the absence of his presence, to her and the rest of the group.
"Miss, are you all right?" asked a voice from in front of her. She looked up to see Legolas, seated diagonally to her left, staring at her in a caring sort of way.
"Um..." she didn't quite know what to say to him, "Yes, thank you for asking." He nodded and smiled at her. Jericho was beginning to feel awkward. She looked around and saw that Merry was seated at a near by table with Pippin, and Sam, and a few other insignificant people. How she longed to be with them, those who knew her and what she was feeling.
The table erupted in laughter and she looked around startled to see what was so funny. She couldn't tell but just smiled a small smile and pretending to understand.
Boromir caught her eye. He smiled and gave her a look that she read like a book.
"I don't get it either," it said. She chuckled a bit and nodded. He raised his glass to her, and she did so too. The both drank deeply. When she looked back she saw him staring at her, care filling his eyes. She looked away awkwardly.
"I hear he's a great military man," Legolas remarked getting her attention.
"Really?" she asked.
"Yes. It is thanks to him that Gondor has not been taken by the foes of Mordor," Legolas explained. She took it in.
"Amazing," she mused, "My respect for him grows with each passing moment."
"It is written on your face," he told her.
"Is it?"
"Yes, you have the lover's gaze," the elf smiled at her.
"I didn't know it was that obvious," she chuckled.
"Well, I have a habit of being able to tell these things."
"It must come in handy," he remarked.
"Sometimes," he mused, "It's not very impressive though."
"Well, neither are my talents," she smiled. He gave her a puzzled look and then turned to the elf on the other side of him.
()
"Moments like these I really feel insignificant," Sam mumbled taking a sip of his wine.
"I know, you would think they would allow us to sit with them, I mean they let Jericho and she..." Pippin trailed off.
"She's a human now, she's good enough for them," Merry finished bitterly.
"I don't think it's a manner of being good enough, it's just having done enough," Sam answered.
"True," Pippin agreed, "Frodo carried the ring, Aragorn showed us here, Jericho can see dead things, Boromir..."
"What exactly has Boromir done?" Sam asked.
"I don't really know?" Pippin answered shoveling food into his mouth. Merry knew exactly what he had done. He had stolen Jericho's heart. What she could possibly see in him he didn't see. In fact he wasn't too particularly fond of him at all.
"He's a very nice man," Pippin said bringing Merry back to their conversation.
"Yes, and he seems to be very fond of Jericho," Sam continued, "I wonder, does she return his feelings though."
"I believe so, but she did just recently change," Pippin said.
Merry mentally rolled his eyes. Of course she returned his feelings, were they blind? Did they not see the way she gazed at him? Could they not tell by the way she murmured his name at night? Had they no sense of passion? The electricity flew between them constantly.
"Merry, which do you prefer?" Sam asked. Merry hadn't heard the earlier question.
"Excuse me?" he asked.
"Which do you prefer? Carrots or Mushrooms?"
He was glad for the change in subject.
"Carrots," he answered smiling.
()
"To the Fellowship!" Elrond said raising his glass. The group chorused and they all drank deeply from their goblets. Jericho took a tentative sip; she had had more than enough wine. Her nerves and awkwardness had led her to drink till she felt as if she would float away. Legolas noticed her drooping eyes.
"Miss?" he asked placing a hand on hers.
"Eh?" she answered turning his way raising her eyebrows slowly.
"Are you well?"
"Yes, quite well, in fact I feel the need to take a walk. If you will excuse me," she pardoned her self getting up and stumbling out of the room and down an unfamiliar hallway.
She stumbled and hit a wall. After glowering at it and massaged her bruise she continued to stumble on into the unknown. A hand grasped hers suddenly.
Jericho whirled around in terror expecting Glorfindel to stare down at her menacingly. She looked into the kind eyes of Boromir instead.
"Are you feeling well?" he asked taking her hand in his.
"No," she moaned collapsing into his arms. Her head was swimming, things were becoming distorted and her head began to pound.
"I'll take you up to your room," he offered placing her arm over his shoulder and putting his arm around her waist. They walked like this for a few moments before Boromir stopped.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"Uh... I don't know," he said sheepishly. She moaned and walked up to a tapestry on the adjacent wall.
"Help," she croaked at it, "I need somebody, not just anybody."
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Asking for help," she answered, "this elf here isn't responding, the stuck up bitch!"
"Jericho, it's a tapestry," he said softly. She stared at it for moment.
"So it is," she mumbled and promptly fell to the floor. Boromir rushed to her side.
"Jericho?" he asked, "What happened to you?"
"I just drank a few drinks of wine, only about 20 glasses. It's not that serious," she whimpered and tried to stand up but started to swoon.
"Oh my... Things goin' swirly. Not cool, need to sit," she sat on the floor and waited for the dizziness to pass.
"Are you well enough to move?" he asked kindly.
"Ugh, no," she said clenching her teeth shut; she felt the urge to vomit. He sat next to her and stroked her hair.
"If you wish you can lay your head in my lap," he offered. She nodded and did so and just concentrated on breathing and not the painful tumbling of her stomach.
"Let it be," he cooed stroking her hair, "Let it be..."
"Why am I so sick?" she asked him her voice sounding small and frail.
"There will be an answer," he answered, "Let it be."
"Whisper words of wisdom," she sighed looking up at him.
"When the broken hearted people living in the world agree, there will be an answer, let it be, for though they may be parted there is still a chance that they will see," he whisper soothingly.
"What will they see?" she asked.
"Let it be," he answered, "Just let it be." She sat up and laid her head on his chest and felt her stomach begin to quiet.
()
Merry saw Jericho stumble out, but he didn't bother to get up. What would be the use anyway? He finished his dinner and went with his friends to sit by the fire and chat. Jericho didn't return and neither did Boromir, he tried to not care.
"Today has passed so quickly," Frodo mused warming his feet by the hearth.
"It feels like it's been a lifetime," Merry contradicted.
"How so?" he asked.
"Within the last night I've lost the lass I love, I've seen her love another man, change from a hobbit to a human, been recruited into a fellowship, and I feel like dying. It seems that this day will never end."
"It was only yesterday, wasn't it?" asked Sam sadly.
"Yes," Merry said, "Yesterday... all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as if their here to stay. Now suddenly I'm not half the lad I used to be, and there's this shadow hanging over me. Yesterday came so suddenly, why she had to go I don't know and she wouldn't say. I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday. Yesterday love was such an easy game to play and now I need a place to hide away. I don't know what to do with myself!"
"Well, yesterday is in the past," Frodo replied, "I thought you were a hobbit of the future?"
"There's nothing in my future!" he shrieked, "All I have is the past, and my memories!"
"What about Sandy?" he asked.
"What about her? She's dead Frodo if you haven't noticed?"
"But in spirit she's still with you," he explained softly.
"It's not the same," he said sadly.
"Do you mean to tell me that you loved Jericho more than Sandy?" asked Sam.
"OF COURSE!" he bellowed, "Could you not tell? I realized that Sandy and Jericho were two separate lasses, it seems that you didn't understand that!" Sam flinched at his outburst. The moment was filled with anger, but it was all diminished when Pippin fell over in what looked like a drunken stupor.
"What all did he drink?" asked Frodo as Merry scooped his cousin up.
"He drank almost everything insight. You would have thought that he was never going to drink another glass of wine again," Merry answered, "I'll take him up to our room. I was going to turn in anyway." Merry bid his friends good night and helped the drunken hobbit up to their room.
As they stumbled up the hall he heard a peculiar sound coming from a hall to his right.
"Jericho, please wake up! I can't very well carry you," the voice said, "Goodness, what did you drink?" Merry laid Pippin next to a wall and went to see what was happening.
He turned the corner and saw Boromir trying to drag a limp Jericho down the hall. The man looked up to see Merry and his face broke out in a huge smile.
"Thank Goodness you found me!" he beamed. Merry gave him a bland look.
"I really need some help," he continued, "She just passed out on me. One minute we were talking the next she was out."
"I'm dealing with the same problem, my cousin Pip did about the same thing just a moment ago," Merry explained bewildered.
"Curious," Boromir whispered, but then pushed the thought away, "Do you think you could help me get her up to her room?" Merry nodded his head and together they both half carried half dragged the woman that they both loved. When they had laid her in her bed Boromir went back and brought Pippin up.
Merry stared at her sleeping form. He had the urge to kiss her forehead, but Boromir beat him to it. His ears burnt in envy and he turned and pretended to be engrossed with something in his pack by the window.
"Thank you for your help, Meriadoc," Boromir said causing him to turn. Merry stared at him in wonder.
"If you are even half as great a hobbit as Jericho tells me you are, then I am indeed standing in your shadow. I have a lot to live up too, I just hope I can live p to your standards," he sighed.
"What do you mean?" asked the hobbit coming forward.
"She's told me all about your romance with her, and I don't know if I'll be able to live up to your legend," the man had sorrow written in the lines of his face. Merry scratched the back of his neck and sighed.
"She loves you," he sputtered.
"What?" asked Boromir his face lighting up, "Is it true?"
"She loves you," he felt a smile come to his lips despite his pain, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, She loves you. And... With a love like that you know you should be glad." The man beamed at him as if he had won the greatest prize of all. Well, actually, Merry thought, he had.
=================
TA DA! Hope you enjoyed, I'm writing this with a severe head cold and man is I beat. But I must push on. Besides three more days of school, then I'm outa here! Well, not really, I'm still here, just outa school! AND INTO HIGH SCHOOL BABY!
Okay one last thing before I go. There are three hidden songs in this fic. If you can name me the song title and artist of all three I will dedicate a chapter to you. Thank you! And have a wonderful day!-DB:D
Merry: I don't see what's so wonderful...
Boromir: What's up with you grumpy pants?
Merry: -- Wouldn't you like to know?
Boromir: Not really.
Merry: (sigh) DB doesn't own it... now on with the fic.
Boromir: (snicker) Horn of Gondor...
Chapter Three: Uneasy
================
Jericho sat at the long table next to a strange elf with a light blue robe fringed with silver. He sat a good deal taller than her and his presence made her feel uneasy.
She quietly folded her hands in the lap of her lavender gown and stared at them. She felt so inferior to everyone else at the table. Elrond sat at the head, along with Gandalf, Aragorn, Arwen, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, and a score of other important looking elves. The only one missing was Glorfindel, but she felt relieved at the absence of his presence, to her and the rest of the group.
"Miss, are you all right?" asked a voice from in front of her. She looked up to see Legolas, seated diagonally to her left, staring at her in a caring sort of way.
"Um..." she didn't quite know what to say to him, "Yes, thank you for asking." He nodded and smiled at her. Jericho was beginning to feel awkward. She looked around and saw that Merry was seated at a near by table with Pippin, and Sam, and a few other insignificant people. How she longed to be with them, those who knew her and what she was feeling.
The table erupted in laughter and she looked around startled to see what was so funny. She couldn't tell but just smiled a small smile and pretending to understand.
Boromir caught her eye. He smiled and gave her a look that she read like a book.
"I don't get it either," it said. She chuckled a bit and nodded. He raised his glass to her, and she did so too. The both drank deeply. When she looked back she saw him staring at her, care filling his eyes. She looked away awkwardly.
"I hear he's a great military man," Legolas remarked getting her attention.
"Really?" she asked.
"Yes. It is thanks to him that Gondor has not been taken by the foes of Mordor," Legolas explained. She took it in.
"Amazing," she mused, "My respect for him grows with each passing moment."
"It is written on your face," he told her.
"Is it?"
"Yes, you have the lover's gaze," the elf smiled at her.
"I didn't know it was that obvious," she chuckled.
"Well, I have a habit of being able to tell these things."
"It must come in handy," he remarked.
"Sometimes," he mused, "It's not very impressive though."
"Well, neither are my talents," she smiled. He gave her a puzzled look and then turned to the elf on the other side of him.
()
"Moments like these I really feel insignificant," Sam mumbled taking a sip of his wine.
"I know, you would think they would allow us to sit with them, I mean they let Jericho and she..." Pippin trailed off.
"She's a human now, she's good enough for them," Merry finished bitterly.
"I don't think it's a manner of being good enough, it's just having done enough," Sam answered.
"True," Pippin agreed, "Frodo carried the ring, Aragorn showed us here, Jericho can see dead things, Boromir..."
"What exactly has Boromir done?" Sam asked.
"I don't really know?" Pippin answered shoveling food into his mouth. Merry knew exactly what he had done. He had stolen Jericho's heart. What she could possibly see in him he didn't see. In fact he wasn't too particularly fond of him at all.
"He's a very nice man," Pippin said bringing Merry back to their conversation.
"Yes, and he seems to be very fond of Jericho," Sam continued, "I wonder, does she return his feelings though."
"I believe so, but she did just recently change," Pippin said.
Merry mentally rolled his eyes. Of course she returned his feelings, were they blind? Did they not see the way she gazed at him? Could they not tell by the way she murmured his name at night? Had they no sense of passion? The electricity flew between them constantly.
"Merry, which do you prefer?" Sam asked. Merry hadn't heard the earlier question.
"Excuse me?" he asked.
"Which do you prefer? Carrots or Mushrooms?"
He was glad for the change in subject.
"Carrots," he answered smiling.
()
"To the Fellowship!" Elrond said raising his glass. The group chorused and they all drank deeply from their goblets. Jericho took a tentative sip; she had had more than enough wine. Her nerves and awkwardness had led her to drink till she felt as if she would float away. Legolas noticed her drooping eyes.
"Miss?" he asked placing a hand on hers.
"Eh?" she answered turning his way raising her eyebrows slowly.
"Are you well?"
"Yes, quite well, in fact I feel the need to take a walk. If you will excuse me," she pardoned her self getting up and stumbling out of the room and down an unfamiliar hallway.
She stumbled and hit a wall. After glowering at it and massaged her bruise she continued to stumble on into the unknown. A hand grasped hers suddenly.
Jericho whirled around in terror expecting Glorfindel to stare down at her menacingly. She looked into the kind eyes of Boromir instead.
"Are you feeling well?" he asked taking her hand in his.
"No," she moaned collapsing into his arms. Her head was swimming, things were becoming distorted and her head began to pound.
"I'll take you up to your room," he offered placing her arm over his shoulder and putting his arm around her waist. They walked like this for a few moments before Boromir stopped.
"Where are we?" she asked.
"Uh... I don't know," he said sheepishly. She moaned and walked up to a tapestry on the adjacent wall.
"Help," she croaked at it, "I need somebody, not just anybody."
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Asking for help," she answered, "this elf here isn't responding, the stuck up bitch!"
"Jericho, it's a tapestry," he said softly. She stared at it for moment.
"So it is," she mumbled and promptly fell to the floor. Boromir rushed to her side.
"Jericho?" he asked, "What happened to you?"
"I just drank a few drinks of wine, only about 20 glasses. It's not that serious," she whimpered and tried to stand up but started to swoon.
"Oh my... Things goin' swirly. Not cool, need to sit," she sat on the floor and waited for the dizziness to pass.
"Are you well enough to move?" he asked kindly.
"Ugh, no," she said clenching her teeth shut; she felt the urge to vomit. He sat next to her and stroked her hair.
"If you wish you can lay your head in my lap," he offered. She nodded and did so and just concentrated on breathing and not the painful tumbling of her stomach.
"Let it be," he cooed stroking her hair, "Let it be..."
"Why am I so sick?" she asked him her voice sounding small and frail.
"There will be an answer," he answered, "Let it be."
"Whisper words of wisdom," she sighed looking up at him.
"When the broken hearted people living in the world agree, there will be an answer, let it be, for though they may be parted there is still a chance that they will see," he whisper soothingly.
"What will they see?" she asked.
"Let it be," he answered, "Just let it be." She sat up and laid her head on his chest and felt her stomach begin to quiet.
()
Merry saw Jericho stumble out, but he didn't bother to get up. What would be the use anyway? He finished his dinner and went with his friends to sit by the fire and chat. Jericho didn't return and neither did Boromir, he tried to not care.
"Today has passed so quickly," Frodo mused warming his feet by the hearth.
"It feels like it's been a lifetime," Merry contradicted.
"How so?" he asked.
"Within the last night I've lost the lass I love, I've seen her love another man, change from a hobbit to a human, been recruited into a fellowship, and I feel like dying. It seems that this day will never end."
"It was only yesterday, wasn't it?" asked Sam sadly.
"Yes," Merry said, "Yesterday... all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as if their here to stay. Now suddenly I'm not half the lad I used to be, and there's this shadow hanging over me. Yesterday came so suddenly, why she had to go I don't know and she wouldn't say. I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday. Yesterday love was such an easy game to play and now I need a place to hide away. I don't know what to do with myself!"
"Well, yesterday is in the past," Frodo replied, "I thought you were a hobbit of the future?"
"There's nothing in my future!" he shrieked, "All I have is the past, and my memories!"
"What about Sandy?" he asked.
"What about her? She's dead Frodo if you haven't noticed?"
"But in spirit she's still with you," he explained softly.
"It's not the same," he said sadly.
"Do you mean to tell me that you loved Jericho more than Sandy?" asked Sam.
"OF COURSE!" he bellowed, "Could you not tell? I realized that Sandy and Jericho were two separate lasses, it seems that you didn't understand that!" Sam flinched at his outburst. The moment was filled with anger, but it was all diminished when Pippin fell over in what looked like a drunken stupor.
"What all did he drink?" asked Frodo as Merry scooped his cousin up.
"He drank almost everything insight. You would have thought that he was never going to drink another glass of wine again," Merry answered, "I'll take him up to our room. I was going to turn in anyway." Merry bid his friends good night and helped the drunken hobbit up to their room.
As they stumbled up the hall he heard a peculiar sound coming from a hall to his right.
"Jericho, please wake up! I can't very well carry you," the voice said, "Goodness, what did you drink?" Merry laid Pippin next to a wall and went to see what was happening.
He turned the corner and saw Boromir trying to drag a limp Jericho down the hall. The man looked up to see Merry and his face broke out in a huge smile.
"Thank Goodness you found me!" he beamed. Merry gave him a bland look.
"I really need some help," he continued, "She just passed out on me. One minute we were talking the next she was out."
"I'm dealing with the same problem, my cousin Pip did about the same thing just a moment ago," Merry explained bewildered.
"Curious," Boromir whispered, but then pushed the thought away, "Do you think you could help me get her up to her room?" Merry nodded his head and together they both half carried half dragged the woman that they both loved. When they had laid her in her bed Boromir went back and brought Pippin up.
Merry stared at her sleeping form. He had the urge to kiss her forehead, but Boromir beat him to it. His ears burnt in envy and he turned and pretended to be engrossed with something in his pack by the window.
"Thank you for your help, Meriadoc," Boromir said causing him to turn. Merry stared at him in wonder.
"If you are even half as great a hobbit as Jericho tells me you are, then I am indeed standing in your shadow. I have a lot to live up too, I just hope I can live p to your standards," he sighed.
"What do you mean?" asked the hobbit coming forward.
"She's told me all about your romance with her, and I don't know if I'll be able to live up to your legend," the man had sorrow written in the lines of his face. Merry scratched the back of his neck and sighed.
"She loves you," he sputtered.
"What?" asked Boromir his face lighting up, "Is it true?"
"She loves you," he felt a smile come to his lips despite his pain, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, She loves you. And... With a love like that you know you should be glad." The man beamed at him as if he had won the greatest prize of all. Well, actually, Merry thought, he had.
=================
TA DA! Hope you enjoyed, I'm writing this with a severe head cold and man is I beat. But I must push on. Besides three more days of school, then I'm outa here! Well, not really, I'm still here, just outa school! AND INTO HIGH SCHOOL BABY!
Okay one last thing before I go. There are three hidden songs in this fic. If you can name me the song title and artist of all three I will dedicate a chapter to you. Thank you! And have a wonderful day!-DB:D