Part 2:
"We must have walked for hours," Rogue complained as the sun was slowly
setting in the horizon. Her legs felt like stone and never had she been so
tired. She looked ahead and saw Gandalf in the lead with the fellowship
walking in a line behind him over the mountain with Logan and her as the
rear.

"We have walked for 10 hours," Ororo let them know from her position further
up in the line of the fellowship where she flew a few cm's above the hard
mountain stone besides Legolas who had no trouble jumping from stone to stone
and looked to Rogue irritatingly fresh.

"Thanks. Ah really needed to hear that," Rogue said sarcastically and Logan
gave her hand a gentle squeeze. He had held her hand from they had started out
from Rivendell and had not let go of her.

"We haven't even had second breakfast," Pippin complained from where he walked
besides Merry and Boromir who had taken an instant liking to the two
misbehaving Hobbits.

"You had breakfast. And for the tenth time; we won't stop for lunch," Strider
said from further up in the line where he walked with Frodo and Sam just
behind Gandalf.

"I swear this is worse than one of your training sections, Scooter," Logan
bummed and Scott laughed.

"I thought you said nothing was as bad as one of my sections."

"Well, I've just found it," Logan retorted.

"It'll be dark soon. We'll have to rest for the night," Legolas said.

"Ororo, fly up and see if you can find a safe spot for us to camp for
tonight," Scott asked and Ororo did as bid.


"I can see some stones a few miles further up. It's not much but it'll grant
us some safety," Ororo told them as she landed besides Legolas and blushed
under his openly admiringly stare.

"We'll make camp there," Gandalf said and as soon as they had reached their
goal, Merry and Pippin began to prepare for dinner.
After dinner Boromir thought it was about time that his two little friends learned
how to defend themselves and began to show them some moves though the lection quickly ended in play and laughter.

Gandalf stood watching the horizon and smiled at the playfulness of the two Hobbits, Gimli looked disappointed as Gandalf had denied going through the mountains via Gimli's cousin's tunnels as he had suggested. Frodo and Sam sat talking and seemed very content in each other's company. Strider sat a little away from Frodo though he had positioned himself so if anyone wanted to reach Frodo they had to go through him. Legolas was as fresh and athletic as ever and jumped from stone to stone while keeping a watchful eye out for any danger. Ororo flew besides him.

"Tell me more about your people," Ororo asked of the Elf prince.

"What would you like to know?" Legolas asked kindly.

"Your history, your culture...your customs," she asked.

"We are an old people; in all of Middle Earth no beings have as gathered and
ordered society as we. The Elves have many secrets and many gifts; we can heal
wounds, we craft the best blades for weapons, we know all known history from
time long gone by and we are immortal," Legolas turned from his observation of the sky and towards her.

He smiled to her and reached for her hand. His smile widened as she gracefully laid her hand in his offered one.


"You can never die?" Ororo asked puzzled. "To never die is not the nature of
things. Dying is part of living."

"My eyes tell me you're a human yet you speak with the wise and gentle soul of
a great Elf," Legolas said softly and she smiled.

"So you can die?"

"Yes. We can't die from old age or disease. We stop ageing when we reach
adulthood. But we can die from grief or if we're slain in battle," he explained and Ororo shivered.
"Killing and battle is not in your nature is it?" he asked, a hint of surprise
in his voice. Most humans he had encountered enjoyed power and battle. Only
Aragorn was different yet he would kill anyone who threatened him or his.
Aragorn he could understand. He had been raised by Elves and learned their way
of life and Legolas had known him since he had been a baby when he had visited
Lord Elrond's court. But this woman...so regal in posture; almost like a
Goddess with a pure soul and warm heart. She was a mystery to him and a sign
to him that there was hope still for the human race though he knew that Lord
Elrond thought otherwise. To Lord Elrond Aragorn was his son and an Elf, for
his disappointment in humans was still so fresh in his mind.
 

"No. I wish peace for all beings, small and big, put on this world," Ororo
admitted.

"Spoken like an Elf," Legolas whispered and Ororo smiled.

"Then your people is truly an admirable one since you seek neither riches or
glory nor possess human weaknesses like greed or jealousy," Ororo said and
meant every word.

"When you're in touch with nature it is not hard to love all living things,"
Legolas said and with a wave of his hand indicated the land around him.

"I too can hear the land talk. I can hear if there is rain coming or if a
storm is under way," Ororo told him.

He smiled and drew her close to him.

*Are you really here or just a dream?* Legolas whispered softly as he put his
arms around her. So often had he wished to find a perfect love but he knew it
was a rare thing to find even if one lived forever. Yet, here was a woman so
matched to him she was like the other piece of his soul. Could he really love
a woman who he knew nothing about save her name?

"You really care for him, don't you?" Scott asked as he let Rogue and Logan be
alone for a while and went to sit besides Strider. The fact that Strider's
hand had found the handle of his sword as he had neared him hadn't gone
unnoticed by Scott.

"Frodo? He is our last hope," Strider explained shortly.

"You don't like us being here, do you?" Scott asked forwardly. Strider turned
to look at him.

"Honestly? No. We know nothing about you or how or why you came here."

"Had we wanted to harm you we would have done so by now," Scott said, not the
least offended by Strider's distrust. Had he been in Strider's shoes he would have had the same suspicions.

He had himself wondered how and why they had landed on Middle Earth. Any number of people could have brought them here; from wizards to mutants. Though the question which troubled Scott the most was another: Had they been send to save the fellowship…or break it?

"Maybe you do mean good but you could still be a danger to Frodo. We all could
be," Strider said pained.

"Why?" Scott asked mystified.

"The power of the Ring. As I told you it corrupts men; feeds on their greed.
One man had the Ring in his hand, had the one chance to destroy it and its evil once

and for all...but he couldn't. He let greed and human weaknesses control his actions, and evil
survived. He..." Strider took a deep breath at the thought of his recurring
nightmare. "...He was my ancestor."

"So?" Scott asked puzzled. "Wasn't this long ago?"

"3000 years ago, but don't you see? His weakness floats in my veins. The same
blood, the same weakness."

Scott had never heard such pain and doubt in a man's voice before and didn't
know what to do. He was still unsure if he even believed the Ring had any
power at all. He had asked Gandalf on the way if he couldn't just use his eye beams on
the Ring and destroy it that way, but Gandalf had looked concerned at Frodo
and told him that the Ring could only be unmade in Mount Doom, the place where
it had been forged.

"A wise man once told me that we forge our own destiny," Scott said softly.

"Was this man your father?"

"No. I have no family. It was my mentor," Scott explained shortly. He didn't
like to discuss his family with anyone but it seemed like family and
inheritance was very important here.

"Hmm," Strider just said and for a while they just sat in silence. Scott
noticed the silver angel like necklace Strider had around his neck.

It seemed strangely out of place with all his black clothes to wear such a light and white jewelry.

"I don't mean to prey, but your necklace..." Scott began.

"It was given to me by Arwen, my beloved as a token of her love for me and our
union," With his left hand he gently caressed the jewelry. If he closed his
eyes and concentrated hard enough he could almost feel her warm arms around
him again. "She gave this to me...as she gave up her immortality to be with
me," there was love, sadness at her loss and a great longing for his beloved in his
voice and Scott smiled warmly.

"You will see her again," he promised though he knew it was promise he had no
right to give. Strider smiled.

"Birds coming," Legolas said to Ororo as he faced the horizon again. His eagle
sharp eye searched the sky. Further, further...

"Seek cover! It's Sauron," Legolas called out and everyone sat up at once.
Strider ran to Sam and Frodo and carried them with him behind a big stone where
he laid himself protectively above them. Boromir carried Merry and Pippin to
safety and like Aragorn used his body as a shield. Logan pulled Rogue down
with him and used his body as her shield. Legolas jumped with Ororo behind a
stone and held her close. Gandalf and Gimli sought cover and Scott threw
himself down behind some bushes. Everyone held their breaths until the birds
had passed.

"All clear," Legolas said and emerged with Ororo from behind the stone and the
others came forth as well.

"Shouldn't we have been told there was evil animals here besides the half dead
riders you mentioned earlier?" Scott complained to Strider.

"There are animals working for Sauron. Now you know," Strider said shortly and
began gathering his things. "Sauron now knows where we are. We have to move
further up. Break up camp," he ordered.

"I'll fly ahead and find us a safe place for the night," Ororo said and flew a
few cm's above the ground, her hand still in Legolas's.

"Be careful," Legolas asked and she smiled and nodded. As she flew further
away their hands parted.


"Don't do anything rash. Call for us if you find anything suspicious," Scott
called after her.

"Yes, in this place a frog could be deadly," Rogue warned.

"Just look for anything dark and ugly. That'll be the bad guys," Logan called
after her as the fellowship was on the move up the mountain again.

"Remind me to take out all the mountains from the Danger Room simulations when
we get back. After this I think we've all had more than enough mountains to
last us a lifetime," Scott said, sounding out of breath as they moved on.

TBC