CHAPTER THREE: The Fellowship of Eleven
Boromir walked up to them shortly thereafter, followed by Aragorn who was holding the boy in front of him. The men gaped at Legolas, for the usually pristine Elf was a mess. The large braid at the back of his head had come undone and the loose strands of long blonde hair had rearranged themselves in a most unbecoming way. One side braid was sticking out at an awkward angle and his ear was bright red. His clothes, which normally fit him like a second skin, were quite rumpled; one sleeve was almost completely pulled out of his arm bracer and his suede jerkin had twisted off to one side and was partly unhooked at the front. And most impressive of all, his perfect face now sported what appeared to be claw marks—four bloody, jagged lines running from just below one eye all the way to his chin.
Boromir's initial shock was quickly replaced by amusement. "Well, Legolas, it seems that our little she-cat has gotten the better of you," he grinned. "Who would ever think that an Elf could be bested by a scrawny child?"
"She is not a child," the Elf muttered under his breath and gave Boromir a cold look, as he straightened out his clothes and smoothed his hair. Boromir laughed.
Meanwhile, the boy had spotted Ellie and, breaking the other man's hold on his arms, he ran to where she was and kneeled beside her. They hugged one another tightly and Jamie buried his face in her neck.
"It'll be all right, Jamie," she tried to comfort him. Jamie solemnly looked up at her.
"What happened to your chin, Ellie? Why don't you fix it?"
"Ssssh…don't worry about that now." And the girl turned her attention to the dark-haired man who had come and crouched down before them.
"Well…you two have led us on a merry chase," he said not unkindly. "I am Aragorn, and I give you my word that we will not harm you." Then he added more sternly, "But we do need to talk." He stood up, holding his hand out to the girl. "Come." She got up without taking his hand.
Ellie could feel her apprehension grow as the party of five neared the campsite. No longer caught in the grips of that mindless panic, she clearly knew that the Elf Legolas and his companions were not wicked beings, even though they possessed the wicked ring. Her gifts of discernment had revealed that much to her. Nevertheless she was terrified of seeing Sauron's Eye again. And she was also afraid of meeting the Istari's penetrating gaze. Just because these people were not evil did not mean that they could be trusted. Too many of her kind had perished in the past at the hands of decent men--and no Elf or Istari, to her knowledge, had ever stepped in to stop them. So Ellie did the only thing she knew how to do to protect herself—she withdrew. Turning her sight inward, she gathered up all her special gifts and abilities and hid them deep within her as, one by one, impenetrable barriers went up around her mind and heart and soul.
Walking hand-in-hand beside her, Jamie immediately sensed Ellie's change, for her skin grew unnaturally cool. The boy looked worriedly up at her. Seeking to reassure him, she gave his hand a small squeeze and smiled down at him, but the smile did not reach her veiled eyes. Only a couple of steps behind them, Legolas also sensed the girl's cold withdrawal. And he frowned.
The hobbits were in the middle of cooking breakfast when they arrived, while the Istari was sitting with the dwarf off to one side, smoking a strange-looking pipe. Ellie watched him warily as she entered the clearing, and she let go of Jamie's hand to wrap her arm around his waist instead. Legolas stepped up close behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, whether to prevent her from bolting or to offer comfort she did not know. For a moment all eyes were riveted on the Elf. Ellie knew they were shocked by the ugly gashes marring his beautiful face, and she felt a twinge of guilt deep inside her.
"The little one is quite the fighter," offered Aragorn, as he motioned to Ellie. Now all eyes fixed on her and Ellie lowered her gaze to the ground. She heard someone approach and presently gray robes came to a stop in front of her feet. And now it begins, she sighed.
Elllie whispered a warning to Jamie beside her, "Say nothing," and lifted resolute eyes to the Istari's.
Even though he was quite old, Gandalf the Grey was a powerful and imposing figure. Second only to the Istari Saruman in ability, he was fairly confident of being able to successfully question the girl. So it came as quite a shock to him when he reached into the girl's mind and found—nothing. What is this? She is blocking me completely!
"Who are you? Where did you come from?" The girl did not reply, but continued to stare at him in silence. Channeling all of his powers of persuasion into his voice, he questioned her again and again and again. But the girl never opened her mouth to speak, never yielded; indeed, she appeared as if she had even ceased to breathe, as still as she was. One hour, two hours passed, and Gandalf was not only troubled, but also increasingly frustrated. It was crucial that he find out exactly what the girl had been able to discern about the ring and the Fellowship's mission. He needed to know who or what she was, and how extensive were her powers. And he needed to find out where she and the boy were headed. Without these answers he would not be able to determine what threat if any they posed to the Fellowship. And he would not be able to let them go.
The boy had long since tired of standing and was sitting silently at the girl's feet. Legolas was now off to one side watching, while the others were packing and quietly talking among themselves. Gandalf started to pace in front of the girl, occasionally stopping to look at her, as she followed him with her eyes. She roused only when he threw the boy a speculative glance, and then only long enough to repeat, "Say nothing." Then silence and stillness again. The boy was clearly under her influence, and the wizard did not think he could get all the answers he needed from him, anyway. He was just an ordinary boy.
Left with no other choice, Gandalf announced, "They go with us." And that is how Ellie and Jamie came to join the Fellowship of the Ring.
She had half-expected Jamie and her to be hog-tied, or at the very least to have their hands bound, but they weren't. Ellie gradually relaxed. And as the morning wore on, and she realized that their new companions were headed in the same direction that Jamie and she had been traveling in the first place, her hope was restored. Thank the Valar, this might work out for the best, she could not help but think. There was safety in numbers, and as long as Jamie did not give their secrets away, the two of them were probably better off with the Fellowship than on their own--at least for the time being. And they would not have to worry about finding food either.
Led by Gandalf, the eleven travelers journeyed southward through thickly forested hills, stopping periodically for short breaks so that the hobbits—whose appetite for food seemingly knew no bounds—could have a bite to eat. During one of these breaks, Ellie and Jamie were offered a proper luncheon, but she found chewing difficult with her injured jaw. She would have to do something about that later, when it was dark and the others could not see. So instead of eating, she contented herself with listening to the casual chatter of her companions and with watching Jamie wolf down as many sausages and slices of sizzling bacon as his stomach could hold.
"How many times a day DO you eat?" the curious boy asked the hobbit Pippin, in between bites.
"At least seven times a day, young Jamie. We have breakfast, and second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, and, of course, dinner and supper. And any number of snacks in between," he replied matter-of-factly.
The boy was duly impressed. But Aragorn, who was sitting next to Ellie, chuckled, "It's a wonder they're not the size of oliphaunts."
The girl smiled, but did not speak. Indeed, Ellie spoke little during that first day, and, except for an occasional inquiry from Legolas and Aragorn as to her well-being, her captors for the most part left her alone. But she could often feel Gandalf's pensive gaze on her.
Jamie, on the other hand, could not contain himself. While offering little information about themselves—much to Ellie's relief—he scarcely seemed to stop talking the entire day. He moved with boyish enthusiasm from elf to hobbit to dwarf to man to wizard to elf again, asking question after question: where were they from, how did they come together, could he touch the beautiful bow (Legolas obliged), and so forth. Ellie listened and observed, and learned much about her new companions.
She was amazed to discover that Aragorn was no mere ranger--as his clothing and reserved manner implied--but rather the heir to the throne of Gondor--a king! Albeit a reluctant one. And her kinsman if the truth be known, although Ellie refused to dwell on that possibility. As for the other man in the Fellowship--the handsome Boromir--he had the proud and noble bearing of a true prince, and was in fact one in all but name, for his father was the ruling Steward of Gondor. That both men hailed from the one place she feared above all others--save for Mordor--should have alarmed her, but curiously she felt no threat.
Ellie learned that Legolas himself was an Elven prince from the woodland realm of Mirkwood. This did not surprise her, given his cool, elegant beauty and refined manner, and the perfect ease with which he made his way through the dense forest. Since Ellie shared Jamie's fascination with all things Elven, she found her eyes straying to the Elf's tall, lithe form time and time again as he walked ahead of her. But whenever she stared at him, more often than not, he would turn his head and glance back at her, as if he could sense her interest in him. She found him most disconcerting. She also found him amusing (a fact she was sure he would not be pleased to know) every time he became irritated with the dwarf. And Legolas became irritated with Gimli quite frequently. Indeed, the two of them almost came to blows later that day, when the travelers reached a swift-moving stream.
The stream, although narrow, appeared to be several feet deep. Rather than risk soaking themselves needlessly in the chilly water, they decided to go over it instead of through it. It would be a challenging jump for the men and the Elf; but the long-limbed Legolas made it across without mishap, followed by Gandalf. Aragorn and Boromir stayed behind with their shorter companions to toss them over and into the waiting arms of the Elf and wizard. First Ellie, then Jamie went flying over the stream. The four hobbits followed in quick succession. But when it came time for Gimli to be tossed over, the proud dwarf balked.
"There is no need to toss me, Aragorn. I can make it on my own two legs!" he huffed. The men doubted, but could not persuade him otherwise. While the others held their collective breaths, the stubborn little dwarf took a running leap across the stream and…almost made it. He missed the opposite bank by less than a foot, but one foot or three, the end result was the same: the dwarf was thoroughly soaked. At the last instant before he hit the water, Legolas, acting on reflex, grabbed Gimli's flailing arms to try to pull him safely across. Instead, to their great dismay, the dwarf pulled the Elf into the water with him.
Their nine companions watched appalled, as the two momentarily went under, only to immediately come up sputtering and cursing--each in his own native tongue. Legolas, dripping wet and irate, left Gimli to battle the swift current on his own, and climbed up the steep bank.
"You have the intelligence and grace of a cave troll!" he spat at the dwarf, shocking everyone with his uncharacteristic outburst. His face, already scarred by Ellie's nails, was now also blotched red with anger, while his powerful hands were clenched into tight fists.
An equally outraged dwarf bellowed back, "And who asked YOU to grab me? Did I ask for your help? Nay!" And as Aragorn and Boromir jumped the stream and reached over to pull the struggling dwarf out of the swirling water, Gimli growled, "It'll be a sorry day indeed when I have to ask a misbegotten Elf like you for assistance."
Legolas made as if to shove Gimli back into the stream, and probably would have, if Gandalf had not held him back and shaken his head in admonishment. The atmosphere remained tense until--despite the pain in her jaw--Ellie unexpectedly burst out laughing. Legolas whipped his head around to stare open-mouthed at the girl, as did all of the others. With ten pairs of eyes now staring at her, a mortified Ellie slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laughter, but to no avail. And soon her laughter was joined by Jamie's, the three men's, and the hobbits'--whose gleeful peals made the girl laugh all the harder.
Gimli and Legolas looked at each other in consternation. "Well, Elf…the lass has the right of it, I think," the dwarf finally said with a shrug of his heavy shoulders.
Legolas looked at him coolly for a second, before smiling faintly. "Indeed…" he said in a soft voice, as his eyes turned back to the laughing girl. Somehow, he had the impression that she and the boy had not laughed in a very long time.
The possibility of a fight now averted, the Fellowship continued on its way with everyone in higher spirits.
The more Ellie observed the hobbits that day, the more they delighted her. They were very affectionate, gentle beings, and they were wholly committed to one another. Sam, in particular, quickly won her admiration with his steadfast devotion to Frodo. In the humble hobbit's manner, Ellie recognized the same come-what-may dedication she felt for Jamie. As for Merry and Pippin, they had an air of innocence and playfulness about them that the girl found most endearing. If only I could be like them again, she thought wistfully as she watched them sneak some apples from the pony's saddlebag, but she did not believe she ever could. She had suffered too much heartache and too many losses in the past few months. And now that her defenses were up and she could study Frodo without fearing the ring, she could tell that the sweet-natured hobbit had also known much suffering and was greatly troubled by the burden he carried. Ellie pitied him.
She still did not know the reason why Frodo carried the ring, or where specifically the Fellowship was headed. But she was able to learn that the group had set out from the Elven city of Rivendell on a mission of great importance and that the ring was at the center of it. Gandalf was the undisputed leader of the group, much respected and much loved, but Frodo and the ring were the reason the Fellowship existed in the first place. Ellie was still not ready to talk, but her worries had greatly eased to see such a diverse group of people come together for, what she now instinctively knew to be, a noble purpose.
The sun was low in the sky when they finally made camp and had all but disappeared by the time dinner was cooked and passed around. Ellie knew she could not eat with the pain in her jaw. Fortunately, the encroaching darkness provided excellent cover for her to heal herself. While the others were busy eating and drinking, Ellie set to work. She closed her eyes, cupped her aching jaw with her hands, and called upon the healing gift hidden deep within her. Just like a small spark ignites into a flame and then the flame grows into a brilliant fire, so did her power of healing ignite and grow inside of her until a familiar heat consumed her.
Sitting close to her on her left, Jamie startled, then smiled. Ellie is back. And the boy snuggled up to her warmth. Meanwhile, sitting a few feet away on the girl's other side, the Elf Legolas also noticed the change. One moment he was sitting in cool shadow; the next moment he felt as if he was being bathed in warm sunshine.
Puzzled, Legolas rose to his feet and walked quietly to where the girl and boy sat. Crouching down before them he stared wide-eyed at Ellie's glowing face. When he had first looked her way, he had thought that the glow was a reflection from the campfire, but now that he blocked the fire with his body, he realized that the light came from within the girl herself. He longed to touch her skin.
Ellie sensed Legolas' presence just as she finished healing her chin, and she slowly opened her eyes to find his face inches from her own. Her breath caught in her throat. Although it was dark, she could see him clearly and was once again struck by his heartbreaking beauty—which made the ugly gashes on his cheek seem all the more grotesque to her. Without thinking about the consequences, Ellie raised a healing hand to Legolas' face, and whispered, "A face as beautiful as yours should not be marred in this way."
The girl's touch stole his breath away. He could actually feel his skin heal beneath her gentle caress, as an exquisite heat spread from his face throughout his entire body. For an instant, Legolas almost believed that the very sun itself had fallen from a distant sky and licked him with its vermilion tongue.
"You're a touch-healer," he said to her. And his blue eyes filled with wonder.
