Okay, so I changed the name of this chapter too. And as I was changing the
name, again, I decided that never again would I tell you what the name of
an upcoming chapter would be, because sometime along the way, I would
change it. LoL.
Anyway, about half way through this chapter, I decided I really wanted to split it into two chapters. At first I wanted to wait and post both chapter 11 and 12 together, but I'm getting anxious and can't wait. So, chapter 12 is almost done and will hopefully be up in a few days. And, knowing the way this chapter ends, you will be glad that you won't have to wait a whole month for it. ;)
Thanks to all my reviewers, you are hella cool, as always!
___________________________________________________________________________
~*Chapter 11: Behind Blue Eyes*~
The days of travel began to melt together. One day flowed into the next without another thought. Kenzie began to feel that the company was falling into a comfort zone. It first started with the hobbits; their laughter not shut out by the bleak weather.
Then, after the second week, the sun dared a peak out of the clouds and the wind slowly died away, taking Kenzie's apprehension with it. Soon she joined in the hobbits' games and helped Boromir in teaching them how to fight. Even Gandalf joked with the young hobbits now and again.
But even with the sun lighting the earth again and the light hearted nature of the majority of the Fellowship, Kenzie noted the uneasy watchfulness of Legolas and Aragorn. As they continued, Aragorn seemed to relax slightly, but Legolas kept ever alert.
Kenzie moved around in the line, never staying in one spot for too long. She would move to the back, immersing herself in conversations with Boromir and Aragorn, and then jogged further up, joining in a game with Merry and Pippin or sharing stories with Sam and Frodo. Gimli, the young witch avoided completely. She suspected he had it out for her, but didn't antagonize him. His axe swinging toward her head was the last thing she wanted.
More often than anything though, Kenzie found herself at Gandalf's side. The two talked of magic mostly, but often they would just walk in silence. She never felt uneasy around the wizard. Whether they were talking or not, she felt at ease and comforted by his presence; something that she was thankful for...and something that she would miss later.
"Gandalf," she started one day, her curiosity taking the best of her.
"Yes?" he asked, his gaze not wavering from the front of the line.
"Do you know?"
To anyone else, the question would seem vague and everything but clear in meaning. But Gandalf's somber expression told her that he knew what she spoke of.
"I believe that I have a slight idea," he replied, smiling half-heartedly at her.
"But what," Kenzie started, determined to ease her mind about the subject once and for all.
"Kenzie, everything has a purpose. You above all people know what will come because of certain actions," Gandalf interrupted gently.
Kenzie pursed her lips and lowered her head, knowing that he was right.
The wizard sighed, "You said in Rivendell that you would insure that our future would not change," he paused.
He then laid a gentle hand on her arm, causing the young witch to look up at him.
"I would not have you break that oath to save me," Gandalf whispered with a soft smile.
"We've reached Hollin," Legolas stated when they had reached his side.
Kenzie looked out across the white rocks and holly trees engulfed in the light of the high sun. It was truly one of the most gorgeous sights she had ever seen.
"Very good," Gandalf stated, looking about the land, "We've made good time."
Kenzie followed the wizard's gaze around and suddenly caught sight of the mountain peaks. She crinkled her eyebrows in confusion, looking over at Gandalf and Legolas.
"Did we turn east?" she asked.
"No," Legolas replied thoughtfully, gazing out at the land with his elvish sight, "the range turns southwest."
"The Gap of Rohan draws near," the wizard stated softly, more to himself.
He turned back, watching the rest of the weary Fellowship come to a halt behind him, Kenzie, and Legolas.
"I think a little lunch would do us nicely," Gandalf said with a small smile, "and this place seems well enough."
"A break, how lovely!" Pippin replied, slightly out of breath.
Kenzie smiled. A break would do them some good.
~*~*~*~
"Two, one, five. Good, very good," Boromir's voice sounded as the clanking of steel echoed around them.
Kenzie handed Aragorn an apple and smiled at the two hobbits and man.
"Move you feet," Aragorn instructed, puffing on his pipe and taking the apple.
After the short spar, Pippin looked over at Merry and smiled, seemingly proud of himself.
"That's good, Pippin," Merry commented.
"Thanks," the youngest hobbit replied, smiling more brightly.
"Faster," Boromir commanded, starting a spar with Merry.
Kenzie turned from the fight and walked toward Gandalf, who was perched upon a rock smoking his pipe.
"If anyone was to ask for my opinion, which I note they're not," Gimli started loudly, turning to Gandalf.
"I wonder why," Kenzie mumbled to Legolas, stopping by his side.
The elf, who had been staring out into the distance, smiled and shook his head at the comment.
"I'd say we were taking the long way round," the dwarf continued, "Gandalf, we could pass through the mines of Moria."
Gandalf, as well as Kenzie and Legolas, turned and looked at the dwarf a little skeptically.
"My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome," Gimli added, as if to sweeten the pot more.
"No, Gimli. I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice," the wizard replied gently, yet with a certain force as well.
Kenzie pursed her lips and looked from Gandalf to the bulky dwarf. Suddenly, Legolas moved away from her and stood upon a large rock, looking intently to the south as if he had seen something.
The young witch went to move to his side and ask him what he had spotted, but her attention was suddenly drawn away as she heard a cry from Pippin.
"Ouch!" the young hobbit cried out, dropping his sword and clutching his hand.
"Sorry!" Boromir cried, walking toward the hobbit to inspect the wound.
The Lord of Gondor didn't expect retaliation from the hobbit, however. Pippin suddenly lashed out, kicking the man hard in the shin.
"Ow!" Boromir yelled, stepping back.
"Get him!" Merry shouted as he and Pippin pounced upon Boromir.
Boromir let out a laugh as the two hobbits attacked him. Aragorn let out a laugh too as Kenzie smiled brightly.
"For the Shire!" Pippin cried as they pushed the man to the ground, "Hold him, Merry!"
Aragorn chuckled as he stood and made his way toward them, ready to aid Boromir against the assault from the hobbits.
The Ranger took hold of Merry and Pippin's shoulders, "Gentlemen, that's enough."
The two hobbits turned back and, each wrapping an arm around Aragorn's legs, pulled fiercely Kenzie couldn't help but laugh as the Ranger fell to the ground hard, groaning from the pain of the impact.
"Well done, my little hobbits!" Kenzie called, trying to sustain her laughter.
The quarrel continued on, both of the men and hobbits laughing loudly as they scuffled on the ground. As their voices died down, Sam stood up from his spot and looked to the south, just as Legolas was doing.
"What is that?" he asked, gesturing to a black cloud that seemed to be moving toward them.
Kenzie turned and walked toward Legolas as she spotted the cloud as well.
"It's nothing," Gimli growled, "just a whiff of cloud."
"It's moving fast," Boromir pointed out as he stood, "against the wind."
Kenzie stared at the dark mass as it kept coming toward them, growing larger by the second. The young witch then looked to the elf, waiting for an explanation.
"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas cried.
"Hide!" Aragorn yelled, turning quickly.
The Fellowship hastily gathered their things and cleaned up any trace that they had been there. The shouts from Boromir and Aragorn echoed in Kenzie's ears as she raced across the rocks, grabbing her things from a boulder. She had forgotten about those damn birds! She ran towards a rock outcropping, hoping she would make it there before the bird-spies descended upon the camp.
She didn't make it far before a strong hand gripped her wrist and pulled her to the ground. Kenzie gave out a startled cry as Legolas wrapped his arm around her waist and hauled her under the bush.
She turned quickly and looked at him, a sudden look of slight fear across her face. The elf pressed a finger to his lips and then gazed up at the sky through the bush.
Kenzie followed his gaze and her eyes widened slightly. The birds were as black as night, sweeping across the land of Hollin like a death plague. The young witch instinctively backed into Legolas more. The cawing of the massive creatures unnerved her and she turned her gaze away, unable to watch them.
Mental note number 10: Big, black, evil, spy birds are very scary, even to an experienced witch. Tip: if said birds fly over head, find a hiding spot and an elf to protect you.
The black birds circled the hill and then finally turned, heading back to the South.
Once they were a safe distance away, Legolas crawled out from the bush. He looked to the sky briefly, watching the birds fly away, before turning back to Kenzie.
The young witch took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet.
"I will never look at birds the same way again," Kenzie stated, brushing the dirt from her clothes.
"Spies of Saruman," Gandalf murmured as he stood from his spot.
Kenzie and the rest of the Fellowship neared him, ready to take what action would be needed.
"The passage south is being watched," the wizard continued.
He then looked at the mountains, "We must take the Pass of Caradhras."
Kenzie groaned, "Great, snow. Lots of it."
~*~*~*~
At first, the climb was easy. The ground was still green and the air slightly warm. But Kenzie knew that things wouldn't stay so simple for long. And she was right.
Soon, the green became less visible under the light snow and the air became much cooler. Kenzie shivered and pulled out her cloak, quickly wrapping it about her shoulders.
As the company trudged further up the mountain, the depth of the snow became worse. Kenzie kept pushing herself to keep going, blocking out the fact that the snow kept inching upward and her body was becoming numb. Boromir walked behind her, offering her a hand when she would stumble in the deep snow. Kenzie grimaced as she looked ahead and saw Merry and Pippin fall. Another step later, she found herself sitting in the snow. As Boromir pulled her up, she cursed the snow and herself for not paying attention to where she was going. Like that would have helped anyway.
The Fellowship continued on at this pace, but stopped when a cry was heard from behind. All turned as Frodo lost his footing and began to tumble back down the mountain. Aragorn called out to the hobbit and stopped him, picking the small creature up and placing him on his feet once again. Frodo began to wipe the snow off of him, but then clutched at his chest franticly. That was when Kenzie noticed the Ring was missing. She immediately began toward the Ranger and hobbit, willing to help in the search.
But a search would not be needed.
Just in front of her, Boromir leaned down and picked up the chain holding the Ring. He suddenly began to gaze at the Ring with amazement and longing. Kenzie stopped just behind him and was about to say something to the Lord of Gondor, but found that no words would come to her.
The Ring glittered irresistibly in the afternoon sun. The longer the young witch stared, the louder the soft whispering in her mind became. Kenzie suddenly wanted that Ring more than she had ever wanted anything in her whole life.
"Boromir," Aragorn said, trying to pull the man out of his trance with the Ring.
"It is a strange fate that we must suffer so much fear and doubt," Boromir began, "over such small a thing."
Kenzie took a step closer to the Ring, the whispering begging her to reach out and touch it, just once.
"Such a little thing," Boromir breathed, reaching up with his free hand to touch it.
The young witch's eyes narrowed as she raised her hand to Boromir's shoulder. Such a beautiful thing should be hers.
"Boromir!" Aragorn called sharply, jarring both the Lord of Gondor and young witch form their thoughts.
Boromir looked at the Ranger in surprise while Kenzie glared, the voice still whispering in her mind. She wanted it; wanted it so badly that she could almost feel the cool gold band in her hands.
"Give the Ring to Frodo," Aragorn commanded, his hand finding the hilt of his sword. Boromir seemed to falter, but then walked down to the young hobbit, holding out the Ring to him.
"As you wish," he started as Frodo quickly snatched the chain from him, "I care not."
Boromir then laughed light-heartedly and ruffled Frodo's brown curls in good nature. He then turned away, tossed his shield over his back, and began up the mountain once again.
Kenzie continued to stare greedily at the Ring as it slipped over the young hobbit's head, the voice in her mind growing more sinister. She was knocked out of the gaze, however, when Boromir gripped her shoulder lightly as he passed. The young witch watched him walk on and then closed her eyes. The dark voice slowly slipped from her mind entirely and she opened her eyes, her breathing ragged.
Kenzie had just encountered her first temptation of the Ring.
~*~*~*~
Kenzie sniffled and peeked out form the hood of her cloak as she wrapped the fabric around her more. She had allowed herself to fall to the back of the line, ignoring the disappointed faces of Merry and Pippin and suspicious glances from the two men, wizard, and elf.
After that afternoon with the Ring, Kenzie kept telling herself that she wasn't evil. She was a Charmed One! She couldn't be evil.....
But then Brian's words floated into her mind and she realized that she could be evil.
When Boromir and Aragorn at her, she could tell they were suspicious and confused. When Legolas looked at her, she knew he could probably sense the evil in her. But the hurt and final realization came when Gandalf looked at her.
In his blue eyes Kenzie could see that he had already accepted that which she was denying.
She was turned; just like Boromir.
And that's when the tears came.
The silver drops flowed silently down her cheeks, the heavy hood casting a wanted shadow over her face.
It wasn't suppose to be this way. She was there to protect the Ring and Frodo from a DEMON! Not herself.
Maybe Katlin should have taken her place. Her eldest sister had always been the strongest. Kenzie felt far from strong. Even with her independent streak, she had always done what she was told to do. She shuddered as she thought back to the incident with the Ring. That voice had told her to take it; take the Ring and claim it for herself. And she almost allowed herself to be bent to its will.
Kenzie raised her head to glance at the Fellowship.
Aragorn grabbed Frodo's shoulders, stopping the panting hobbit.
"We should take some rest," he called up to Gandalf.
The wizard had also stopped and nodded in response, looking slightly out of breath as well. Kenzie pulled her pack off of her back and plopped into the snow. Her head didn't raise as Legolas neared her because she was once again trying to swallow her tears.
The elf knelt in front of her, reaching out and curling his fingers around her chin. He frowned slightly when he lifted her head and saw tears glistening in her eyes.
"I know why you are isolating yourself," he spoke softly.
Kenzie turned her head away quickly, not able to keep looking in his knowing eyes.
"I see it behind your blue eyes," he finished.
She continued to look away from him, clenching her eyes shut.
Legolas turned her head back to him again, "Do not push me away, Ai'er."
He cupped the side of her face with his hand, "You are not what you think you are."
"But I might become it," she replied, looking everywhere but at him," If I distance myself from it, I won't risk hurting Frodo or anyone else."
"But you are not distancing yourself form the Ring, Kenzie, you're distancing yourself from us," the elf replied.
Kenzie's eyes floated up to meet his gaze.
"That's what it wants; it wants you to be alone and vulnerable," he continued, "but we can help you."
Kenzie sniffled, "How?"
"By reminding you why you are here," Legolas answered.
For a moment, she just stared at him, his words sinking in.
"We must get moving!" Gandalf called, standing and shaking the snow from his grey robes.
Legolas gracefully rose to his feet as well and held his hand out to the young witch. Kenzie sniffled again and clasped his hand, allowing him to pull her up.
The elf gripped her hand, holding it by his side and smiling reassuringly at her, "Ready?"
She nodded, gripping his hand just as tightly, "Yes. "
And with that, they started behind the rest of the Fellowship.
~*~*~*~
The wind would not stop it's harsh assault on the company. It threw the snowflakes that were coming down into Kenzie's face, stinging her cheeks as it grew stronger and stronger. The young witch could no longer keep her head up and watch Gandalf; she had to look down to avoid her face being ripped off by the violent winds.
As the howling of the wind continued, Kenzie suddenly looked over as Legolas tugged on her hand.
"I'll be right back," he said, close to her ear, and then slipped out of her grasp.
She frowned as she saw him jump lightly on to the top of the snow and pass her, Aragorn, and Gandalf. Now she really wanted to be an elf. The elven prince stood still and stared out into the mountains, as if he were searching for something.
"There is a fell voice on the air!" he called, looking back at Gandalf.
"It's Saruman!" the wizard cried as rocks began to tumble down the side of the mountain, barely missing the Fellowship.
Kenzie pushed herself up against the wall, as many of the others did.
"He is trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn cried, "Gandalf, we must turn back!"
"No!" Gandalf protested, refusing to listen to the Ranger's pleads.
Kenzie gaped as the wizard climbed up next to Legolas and began to chant into the wind. The young witch continued forward, past Aragorn, and grabbing hold of Legolas' arm to steady herself on top of the snow as well.
Despite Gandalf's efforts, they didn't seem to be working. Suddenly, a bolt of lightening reached out form the sky and struck the mountain side, just above the company. Kenzie looked up, fear consuming her as she saw the large mass of snow fall toward them.
Instinct took over as she pushed Gandalf back toward the wall to avoid being drug down the mountain. She then turned back to Legolas to grasp his arm and at least have a way out of the snow when it covered them. But she wasn't quick enough.
"Kenzie!" Legolas yelled as he reached out for her.
"Lego...!" Kenzie started as she reached out as well, but was cut off as the snow crashed down upon her and the rest of the company.
When it had all stopped and the snow settled, nothing was heard except the roaring wind. The silence stayed for a few tense moments before some of the snow shifted and Legolas emerged, looking around for the others. One by one, the members of the Fellowship began to surface from the snow, shaking off the cold lumps.
"We must get off the mountain!" Boromir called, "Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the West Road to my city!"
"The Gap of Rohan takes us to close to Isengard!" Aragorn argued.
"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go through it!" Gimli cried, "Let us go through the mines of Moria."
Gandalf looked on at the Fellowship, his heart falling as he recalled what evil was hidden in the depths of the mountain.
He took a deep breath, "Let the Ring bearer decide."
Frodo looked away from his gaze, thoughts swarming in his head.
"We cannot stay here!" Boromir called anxiously, "This will be the death of the hobbits!"
"Frodo," Gandalf said, looking at the hobbit.
Frodo looked up and met his gaze, "We will go through the mines."
Gandalf nodded slightly, "So be it."
"Aye!" Pippin cried, shivering from the extreme cold, "Where is Kenzie?"
The entire Fellowship looked around, just noticing that the young witch was not in their presence. Legolas began to dig feverously in the last spot he saw her. Soon, the others joined in the frantic search.
If they did not find her soon, she would suffocate.
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*Looks around, changing to her Mojo JoJo voice*
You will review now, because it is the most logical thing to do! Thank you!
Anyway, about half way through this chapter, I decided I really wanted to split it into two chapters. At first I wanted to wait and post both chapter 11 and 12 together, but I'm getting anxious and can't wait. So, chapter 12 is almost done and will hopefully be up in a few days. And, knowing the way this chapter ends, you will be glad that you won't have to wait a whole month for it. ;)
Thanks to all my reviewers, you are hella cool, as always!
___________________________________________________________________________
~*Chapter 11: Behind Blue Eyes*~
The days of travel began to melt together. One day flowed into the next without another thought. Kenzie began to feel that the company was falling into a comfort zone. It first started with the hobbits; their laughter not shut out by the bleak weather.
Then, after the second week, the sun dared a peak out of the clouds and the wind slowly died away, taking Kenzie's apprehension with it. Soon she joined in the hobbits' games and helped Boromir in teaching them how to fight. Even Gandalf joked with the young hobbits now and again.
But even with the sun lighting the earth again and the light hearted nature of the majority of the Fellowship, Kenzie noted the uneasy watchfulness of Legolas and Aragorn. As they continued, Aragorn seemed to relax slightly, but Legolas kept ever alert.
Kenzie moved around in the line, never staying in one spot for too long. She would move to the back, immersing herself in conversations with Boromir and Aragorn, and then jogged further up, joining in a game with Merry and Pippin or sharing stories with Sam and Frodo. Gimli, the young witch avoided completely. She suspected he had it out for her, but didn't antagonize him. His axe swinging toward her head was the last thing she wanted.
More often than anything though, Kenzie found herself at Gandalf's side. The two talked of magic mostly, but often they would just walk in silence. She never felt uneasy around the wizard. Whether they were talking or not, she felt at ease and comforted by his presence; something that she was thankful for...and something that she would miss later.
"Gandalf," she started one day, her curiosity taking the best of her.
"Yes?" he asked, his gaze not wavering from the front of the line.
"Do you know?"
To anyone else, the question would seem vague and everything but clear in meaning. But Gandalf's somber expression told her that he knew what she spoke of.
"I believe that I have a slight idea," he replied, smiling half-heartedly at her.
"But what," Kenzie started, determined to ease her mind about the subject once and for all.
"Kenzie, everything has a purpose. You above all people know what will come because of certain actions," Gandalf interrupted gently.
Kenzie pursed her lips and lowered her head, knowing that he was right.
The wizard sighed, "You said in Rivendell that you would insure that our future would not change," he paused.
He then laid a gentle hand on her arm, causing the young witch to look up at him.
"I would not have you break that oath to save me," Gandalf whispered with a soft smile.
"We've reached Hollin," Legolas stated when they had reached his side.
Kenzie looked out across the white rocks and holly trees engulfed in the light of the high sun. It was truly one of the most gorgeous sights she had ever seen.
"Very good," Gandalf stated, looking about the land, "We've made good time."
Kenzie followed the wizard's gaze around and suddenly caught sight of the mountain peaks. She crinkled her eyebrows in confusion, looking over at Gandalf and Legolas.
"Did we turn east?" she asked.
"No," Legolas replied thoughtfully, gazing out at the land with his elvish sight, "the range turns southwest."
"The Gap of Rohan draws near," the wizard stated softly, more to himself.
He turned back, watching the rest of the weary Fellowship come to a halt behind him, Kenzie, and Legolas.
"I think a little lunch would do us nicely," Gandalf said with a small smile, "and this place seems well enough."
"A break, how lovely!" Pippin replied, slightly out of breath.
Kenzie smiled. A break would do them some good.
~*~*~*~
"Two, one, five. Good, very good," Boromir's voice sounded as the clanking of steel echoed around them.
Kenzie handed Aragorn an apple and smiled at the two hobbits and man.
"Move you feet," Aragorn instructed, puffing on his pipe and taking the apple.
After the short spar, Pippin looked over at Merry and smiled, seemingly proud of himself.
"That's good, Pippin," Merry commented.
"Thanks," the youngest hobbit replied, smiling more brightly.
"Faster," Boromir commanded, starting a spar with Merry.
Kenzie turned from the fight and walked toward Gandalf, who was perched upon a rock smoking his pipe.
"If anyone was to ask for my opinion, which I note they're not," Gimli started loudly, turning to Gandalf.
"I wonder why," Kenzie mumbled to Legolas, stopping by his side.
The elf, who had been staring out into the distance, smiled and shook his head at the comment.
"I'd say we were taking the long way round," the dwarf continued, "Gandalf, we could pass through the mines of Moria."
Gandalf, as well as Kenzie and Legolas, turned and looked at the dwarf a little skeptically.
"My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome," Gimli added, as if to sweeten the pot more.
"No, Gimli. I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice," the wizard replied gently, yet with a certain force as well.
Kenzie pursed her lips and looked from Gandalf to the bulky dwarf. Suddenly, Legolas moved away from her and stood upon a large rock, looking intently to the south as if he had seen something.
The young witch went to move to his side and ask him what he had spotted, but her attention was suddenly drawn away as she heard a cry from Pippin.
"Ouch!" the young hobbit cried out, dropping his sword and clutching his hand.
"Sorry!" Boromir cried, walking toward the hobbit to inspect the wound.
The Lord of Gondor didn't expect retaliation from the hobbit, however. Pippin suddenly lashed out, kicking the man hard in the shin.
"Ow!" Boromir yelled, stepping back.
"Get him!" Merry shouted as he and Pippin pounced upon Boromir.
Boromir let out a laugh as the two hobbits attacked him. Aragorn let out a laugh too as Kenzie smiled brightly.
"For the Shire!" Pippin cried as they pushed the man to the ground, "Hold him, Merry!"
Aragorn chuckled as he stood and made his way toward them, ready to aid Boromir against the assault from the hobbits.
The Ranger took hold of Merry and Pippin's shoulders, "Gentlemen, that's enough."
The two hobbits turned back and, each wrapping an arm around Aragorn's legs, pulled fiercely Kenzie couldn't help but laugh as the Ranger fell to the ground hard, groaning from the pain of the impact.
"Well done, my little hobbits!" Kenzie called, trying to sustain her laughter.
The quarrel continued on, both of the men and hobbits laughing loudly as they scuffled on the ground. As their voices died down, Sam stood up from his spot and looked to the south, just as Legolas was doing.
"What is that?" he asked, gesturing to a black cloud that seemed to be moving toward them.
Kenzie turned and walked toward Legolas as she spotted the cloud as well.
"It's nothing," Gimli growled, "just a whiff of cloud."
"It's moving fast," Boromir pointed out as he stood, "against the wind."
Kenzie stared at the dark mass as it kept coming toward them, growing larger by the second. The young witch then looked to the elf, waiting for an explanation.
"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas cried.
"Hide!" Aragorn yelled, turning quickly.
The Fellowship hastily gathered their things and cleaned up any trace that they had been there. The shouts from Boromir and Aragorn echoed in Kenzie's ears as she raced across the rocks, grabbing her things from a boulder. She had forgotten about those damn birds! She ran towards a rock outcropping, hoping she would make it there before the bird-spies descended upon the camp.
She didn't make it far before a strong hand gripped her wrist and pulled her to the ground. Kenzie gave out a startled cry as Legolas wrapped his arm around her waist and hauled her under the bush.
She turned quickly and looked at him, a sudden look of slight fear across her face. The elf pressed a finger to his lips and then gazed up at the sky through the bush.
Kenzie followed his gaze and her eyes widened slightly. The birds were as black as night, sweeping across the land of Hollin like a death plague. The young witch instinctively backed into Legolas more. The cawing of the massive creatures unnerved her and she turned her gaze away, unable to watch them.
Mental note number 10: Big, black, evil, spy birds are very scary, even to an experienced witch. Tip: if said birds fly over head, find a hiding spot and an elf to protect you.
The black birds circled the hill and then finally turned, heading back to the South.
Once they were a safe distance away, Legolas crawled out from the bush. He looked to the sky briefly, watching the birds fly away, before turning back to Kenzie.
The young witch took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet.
"I will never look at birds the same way again," Kenzie stated, brushing the dirt from her clothes.
"Spies of Saruman," Gandalf murmured as he stood from his spot.
Kenzie and the rest of the Fellowship neared him, ready to take what action would be needed.
"The passage south is being watched," the wizard continued.
He then looked at the mountains, "We must take the Pass of Caradhras."
Kenzie groaned, "Great, snow. Lots of it."
~*~*~*~
At first, the climb was easy. The ground was still green and the air slightly warm. But Kenzie knew that things wouldn't stay so simple for long. And she was right.
Soon, the green became less visible under the light snow and the air became much cooler. Kenzie shivered and pulled out her cloak, quickly wrapping it about her shoulders.
As the company trudged further up the mountain, the depth of the snow became worse. Kenzie kept pushing herself to keep going, blocking out the fact that the snow kept inching upward and her body was becoming numb. Boromir walked behind her, offering her a hand when she would stumble in the deep snow. Kenzie grimaced as she looked ahead and saw Merry and Pippin fall. Another step later, she found herself sitting in the snow. As Boromir pulled her up, she cursed the snow and herself for not paying attention to where she was going. Like that would have helped anyway.
The Fellowship continued on at this pace, but stopped when a cry was heard from behind. All turned as Frodo lost his footing and began to tumble back down the mountain. Aragorn called out to the hobbit and stopped him, picking the small creature up and placing him on his feet once again. Frodo began to wipe the snow off of him, but then clutched at his chest franticly. That was when Kenzie noticed the Ring was missing. She immediately began toward the Ranger and hobbit, willing to help in the search.
But a search would not be needed.
Just in front of her, Boromir leaned down and picked up the chain holding the Ring. He suddenly began to gaze at the Ring with amazement and longing. Kenzie stopped just behind him and was about to say something to the Lord of Gondor, but found that no words would come to her.
The Ring glittered irresistibly in the afternoon sun. The longer the young witch stared, the louder the soft whispering in her mind became. Kenzie suddenly wanted that Ring more than she had ever wanted anything in her whole life.
"Boromir," Aragorn said, trying to pull the man out of his trance with the Ring.
"It is a strange fate that we must suffer so much fear and doubt," Boromir began, "over such small a thing."
Kenzie took a step closer to the Ring, the whispering begging her to reach out and touch it, just once.
"Such a little thing," Boromir breathed, reaching up with his free hand to touch it.
The young witch's eyes narrowed as she raised her hand to Boromir's shoulder. Such a beautiful thing should be hers.
"Boromir!" Aragorn called sharply, jarring both the Lord of Gondor and young witch form their thoughts.
Boromir looked at the Ranger in surprise while Kenzie glared, the voice still whispering in her mind. She wanted it; wanted it so badly that she could almost feel the cool gold band in her hands.
"Give the Ring to Frodo," Aragorn commanded, his hand finding the hilt of his sword. Boromir seemed to falter, but then walked down to the young hobbit, holding out the Ring to him.
"As you wish," he started as Frodo quickly snatched the chain from him, "I care not."
Boromir then laughed light-heartedly and ruffled Frodo's brown curls in good nature. He then turned away, tossed his shield over his back, and began up the mountain once again.
Kenzie continued to stare greedily at the Ring as it slipped over the young hobbit's head, the voice in her mind growing more sinister. She was knocked out of the gaze, however, when Boromir gripped her shoulder lightly as he passed. The young witch watched him walk on and then closed her eyes. The dark voice slowly slipped from her mind entirely and she opened her eyes, her breathing ragged.
Kenzie had just encountered her first temptation of the Ring.
~*~*~*~
Kenzie sniffled and peeked out form the hood of her cloak as she wrapped the fabric around her more. She had allowed herself to fall to the back of the line, ignoring the disappointed faces of Merry and Pippin and suspicious glances from the two men, wizard, and elf.
After that afternoon with the Ring, Kenzie kept telling herself that she wasn't evil. She was a Charmed One! She couldn't be evil.....
But then Brian's words floated into her mind and she realized that she could be evil.
When Boromir and Aragorn at her, she could tell they were suspicious and confused. When Legolas looked at her, she knew he could probably sense the evil in her. But the hurt and final realization came when Gandalf looked at her.
In his blue eyes Kenzie could see that he had already accepted that which she was denying.
She was turned; just like Boromir.
And that's when the tears came.
The silver drops flowed silently down her cheeks, the heavy hood casting a wanted shadow over her face.
It wasn't suppose to be this way. She was there to protect the Ring and Frodo from a DEMON! Not herself.
Maybe Katlin should have taken her place. Her eldest sister had always been the strongest. Kenzie felt far from strong. Even with her independent streak, she had always done what she was told to do. She shuddered as she thought back to the incident with the Ring. That voice had told her to take it; take the Ring and claim it for herself. And she almost allowed herself to be bent to its will.
Kenzie raised her head to glance at the Fellowship.
Aragorn grabbed Frodo's shoulders, stopping the panting hobbit.
"We should take some rest," he called up to Gandalf.
The wizard had also stopped and nodded in response, looking slightly out of breath as well. Kenzie pulled her pack off of her back and plopped into the snow. Her head didn't raise as Legolas neared her because she was once again trying to swallow her tears.
The elf knelt in front of her, reaching out and curling his fingers around her chin. He frowned slightly when he lifted her head and saw tears glistening in her eyes.
"I know why you are isolating yourself," he spoke softly.
Kenzie turned her head away quickly, not able to keep looking in his knowing eyes.
"I see it behind your blue eyes," he finished.
She continued to look away from him, clenching her eyes shut.
Legolas turned her head back to him again, "Do not push me away, Ai'er."
He cupped the side of her face with his hand, "You are not what you think you are."
"But I might become it," she replied, looking everywhere but at him," If I distance myself from it, I won't risk hurting Frodo or anyone else."
"But you are not distancing yourself form the Ring, Kenzie, you're distancing yourself from us," the elf replied.
Kenzie's eyes floated up to meet his gaze.
"That's what it wants; it wants you to be alone and vulnerable," he continued, "but we can help you."
Kenzie sniffled, "How?"
"By reminding you why you are here," Legolas answered.
For a moment, she just stared at him, his words sinking in.
"We must get moving!" Gandalf called, standing and shaking the snow from his grey robes.
Legolas gracefully rose to his feet as well and held his hand out to the young witch. Kenzie sniffled again and clasped his hand, allowing him to pull her up.
The elf gripped her hand, holding it by his side and smiling reassuringly at her, "Ready?"
She nodded, gripping his hand just as tightly, "Yes. "
And with that, they started behind the rest of the Fellowship.
~*~*~*~
The wind would not stop it's harsh assault on the company. It threw the snowflakes that were coming down into Kenzie's face, stinging her cheeks as it grew stronger and stronger. The young witch could no longer keep her head up and watch Gandalf; she had to look down to avoid her face being ripped off by the violent winds.
As the howling of the wind continued, Kenzie suddenly looked over as Legolas tugged on her hand.
"I'll be right back," he said, close to her ear, and then slipped out of her grasp.
She frowned as she saw him jump lightly on to the top of the snow and pass her, Aragorn, and Gandalf. Now she really wanted to be an elf. The elven prince stood still and stared out into the mountains, as if he were searching for something.
"There is a fell voice on the air!" he called, looking back at Gandalf.
"It's Saruman!" the wizard cried as rocks began to tumble down the side of the mountain, barely missing the Fellowship.
Kenzie pushed herself up against the wall, as many of the others did.
"He is trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn cried, "Gandalf, we must turn back!"
"No!" Gandalf protested, refusing to listen to the Ranger's pleads.
Kenzie gaped as the wizard climbed up next to Legolas and began to chant into the wind. The young witch continued forward, past Aragorn, and grabbing hold of Legolas' arm to steady herself on top of the snow as well.
Despite Gandalf's efforts, they didn't seem to be working. Suddenly, a bolt of lightening reached out form the sky and struck the mountain side, just above the company. Kenzie looked up, fear consuming her as she saw the large mass of snow fall toward them.
Instinct took over as she pushed Gandalf back toward the wall to avoid being drug down the mountain. She then turned back to Legolas to grasp his arm and at least have a way out of the snow when it covered them. But she wasn't quick enough.
"Kenzie!" Legolas yelled as he reached out for her.
"Lego...!" Kenzie started as she reached out as well, but was cut off as the snow crashed down upon her and the rest of the company.
When it had all stopped and the snow settled, nothing was heard except the roaring wind. The silence stayed for a few tense moments before some of the snow shifted and Legolas emerged, looking around for the others. One by one, the members of the Fellowship began to surface from the snow, shaking off the cold lumps.
"We must get off the mountain!" Boromir called, "Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the West Road to my city!"
"The Gap of Rohan takes us to close to Isengard!" Aragorn argued.
"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go through it!" Gimli cried, "Let us go through the mines of Moria."
Gandalf looked on at the Fellowship, his heart falling as he recalled what evil was hidden in the depths of the mountain.
He took a deep breath, "Let the Ring bearer decide."
Frodo looked away from his gaze, thoughts swarming in his head.
"We cannot stay here!" Boromir called anxiously, "This will be the death of the hobbits!"
"Frodo," Gandalf said, looking at the hobbit.
Frodo looked up and met his gaze, "We will go through the mines."
Gandalf nodded slightly, "So be it."
"Aye!" Pippin cried, shivering from the extreme cold, "Where is Kenzie?"
The entire Fellowship looked around, just noticing that the young witch was not in their presence. Legolas began to dig feverously in the last spot he saw her. Soon, the others joined in the frantic search.
If they did not find her soon, she would suffocate.
___________________________________________________________________________
*Looks around, changing to her Mojo JoJo voice*
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