Chapter 7
Weapons and Fears
"That was wonderful Rose." Gandalf stated as the hobbit lass gathered up several dishes. "And you too, Arwen."
Rose blushed. "Thank you Gandalf."
Arwen nodded from where she sat beside her husband. Sam looked around the garden couriosly.
"Where are the children Rosie?"
Rose sat beside her husband. "Elanor has the youngest, and we sent the older ones to play in the party field. They wanted to show Eldarion around."
Gandalf snorted. "Your neighbors will be complaining shortly. I am sure they will find trouble within minutes."
Arwen shifted in her seat poking her husband in the ribs. "Elbereth, Aragorn, you're still wearing your sword."
"Yes," Aragorn said looking confused.
"What did I tell you about men Arwen?" Legolas laughed. "They have no sense of decorium."
Aragorn glared at Legolas and for the first time noticed his friend wasn't armed. He looked at Gimli and found no weapons on the dwarf either. "Where are your knives and your axe?"
"I locked them up." Frodo interjected.
"This is the Shire," Merry chuckled. "You don't need weapons here."
"Come on Strider," Frodo said standing up, "I'll show you were to put Andril while you're here."
Aragorn grumbled unintelligibaly under his breath as he rose to his feet and followed Frodo into the house. The hobbit lead him to the door pulling out a key.
"Because of the children we keep the weapons locked up." Frodo explained. Setting his hand on the knob, he was surprised when the door swung open easily. "That's odd, this room is always kept locked."
Frodo eyes swiftly searched the room. "Aragorn, Legolas' bow is missing." Frodo raced over to the small chest throwing it open. "So is Sting, and the knives."
Sharing an alarmed look, they raced out the door and back into the garden. The rest of the fellowship stood sensing something was wrong.
"What's wrong?" Rose demanded.
"The weapons are missing." Frodo gasped. "Which way did they head when they left?"
"I don't know." Rose replied a hint of panic in her voice.
"Surely they wouldn't have taken the weapons." Arwen replied worridly. "Eldarion has been told not to touch them without an adult around."
Sam, Merry, Pippin, and Gimli began hurrying out of the garden.
"We'll split up," Aragorn directed. "We'll find them faster."
~*~*~*~
Twelve-year-old Eldarion held Legolas' large bow clumsily. "I am an archer like Legolas!"
Young Frodo, Sam and Rosie's eldest boy at twenty, held Sting aloft. "I am Frodo the Ringbearer."
"I am Strider the Ranger." Sixteen year old Merry announced waving one of Legolas' twin knives.
"And I am Boromir, son of Gondor." His younger brother, Pippin proclaimed holding the other knife.
Eldarion turned to his friends happily. The height difference between the children was relatively minimal unlike their parents. "Let's hunt some orcs."
The hobbit children nodded as the followed Eldarion into the small groves around the large field.
~*~*~*~
Aragorn studied the ground looking for any traces of the children. Legolas ahead of him cocked his head listening. "Aragorn, listen."
Aragorn focused and could just make out the sound of childish laughter. "They're up ahead."
Legolas nodded and together they headed swiftly towards the sounds.
~*~*~*~
"Be quiet."
At Eldarion's command the children froze raising their weapons.
"There's something coming that way." Eldarion gestured to the bushes in front of them.
"It's an orc." Merry announced brandishing the elven knife.
"Prepare for an attack." The human boy announced.
The children all raised their weapons. Eldarion with much trouble fitted one of the arrows to the bow and with much difficulty drew it back shakily.
"ELDARION!"
At the shout Eldarion jumped releasing the arrow in the bow as his father and Legolas raced into the clearing.
A muffled shout came from the bushes as Gimli stumbled out, an arrow protruding from the front of his shirt.
Weapons and Fears
"That was wonderful Rose." Gandalf stated as the hobbit lass gathered up several dishes. "And you too, Arwen."
Rose blushed. "Thank you Gandalf."
Arwen nodded from where she sat beside her husband. Sam looked around the garden couriosly.
"Where are the children Rosie?"
Rose sat beside her husband. "Elanor has the youngest, and we sent the older ones to play in the party field. They wanted to show Eldarion around."
Gandalf snorted. "Your neighbors will be complaining shortly. I am sure they will find trouble within minutes."
Arwen shifted in her seat poking her husband in the ribs. "Elbereth, Aragorn, you're still wearing your sword."
"Yes," Aragorn said looking confused.
"What did I tell you about men Arwen?" Legolas laughed. "They have no sense of decorium."
Aragorn glared at Legolas and for the first time noticed his friend wasn't armed. He looked at Gimli and found no weapons on the dwarf either. "Where are your knives and your axe?"
"I locked them up." Frodo interjected.
"This is the Shire," Merry chuckled. "You don't need weapons here."
"Come on Strider," Frodo said standing up, "I'll show you were to put Andril while you're here."
Aragorn grumbled unintelligibaly under his breath as he rose to his feet and followed Frodo into the house. The hobbit lead him to the door pulling out a key.
"Because of the children we keep the weapons locked up." Frodo explained. Setting his hand on the knob, he was surprised when the door swung open easily. "That's odd, this room is always kept locked."
Frodo eyes swiftly searched the room. "Aragorn, Legolas' bow is missing." Frodo raced over to the small chest throwing it open. "So is Sting, and the knives."
Sharing an alarmed look, they raced out the door and back into the garden. The rest of the fellowship stood sensing something was wrong.
"What's wrong?" Rose demanded.
"The weapons are missing." Frodo gasped. "Which way did they head when they left?"
"I don't know." Rose replied a hint of panic in her voice.
"Surely they wouldn't have taken the weapons." Arwen replied worridly. "Eldarion has been told not to touch them without an adult around."
Sam, Merry, Pippin, and Gimli began hurrying out of the garden.
"We'll split up," Aragorn directed. "We'll find them faster."
~*~*~*~
Twelve-year-old Eldarion held Legolas' large bow clumsily. "I am an archer like Legolas!"
Young Frodo, Sam and Rosie's eldest boy at twenty, held Sting aloft. "I am Frodo the Ringbearer."
"I am Strider the Ranger." Sixteen year old Merry announced waving one of Legolas' twin knives.
"And I am Boromir, son of Gondor." His younger brother, Pippin proclaimed holding the other knife.
Eldarion turned to his friends happily. The height difference between the children was relatively minimal unlike their parents. "Let's hunt some orcs."
The hobbit children nodded as the followed Eldarion into the small groves around the large field.
~*~*~*~
Aragorn studied the ground looking for any traces of the children. Legolas ahead of him cocked his head listening. "Aragorn, listen."
Aragorn focused and could just make out the sound of childish laughter. "They're up ahead."
Legolas nodded and together they headed swiftly towards the sounds.
~*~*~*~
"Be quiet."
At Eldarion's command the children froze raising their weapons.
"There's something coming that way." Eldarion gestured to the bushes in front of them.
"It's an orc." Merry announced brandishing the elven knife.
"Prepare for an attack." The human boy announced.
The children all raised their weapons. Eldarion with much trouble fitted one of the arrows to the bow and with much difficulty drew it back shakily.
"ELDARION!"
At the shout Eldarion jumped releasing the arrow in the bow as his father and Legolas raced into the clearing.
A muffled shout came from the bushes as Gimli stumbled out, an arrow protruding from the front of his shirt.