A/N: The parts of the chapter done like this: " ''" means that it is a
direct quotation from the book.
Chapter Thirteen: "It's a Good Thing You're Pretty..."
"Love someone that will make you smile, even when nothing funny is said."
Legolas stood, watching as Aragorn talked to a person settled in the space between to rocks. He knew who laid nestled in the rocky crag, had felt her enter his mind yesterday. He wondered why she was following them, and then was happy at the thought of seeing her. He wondered if her archery skills had passed into something that could be considered satisfactory. Some were made for strategy, some for fighting, some made to sit back and make comments on how elven soldiers looked like, ants? Ants, that was the word Rhiannon had used. She was quite the., well there were not proper terms to describe. He watched as Aragorn held a hand out to help Rhiannon stand.
"Hello, friend." Rhiannon smiled up into the face of Aragorn, the man destined to be king. He gave her an affectionate smile, as one would give to a child.
"What brings you along this path? Why are you not safe in the Golden Wood, learning the ways of the elves?"
She smiled back at him, "I traveled with a friend, who has now gone to some other place. I was told to seek out the three hunters, I am guessing that refers to you and the other two you travel with. Where is the Man of Gondor, should he not also be on this path?"
A shadow passed over the face of the man, "Boromir of Gondor has passed into the land that the fallen heroes tread. He died defending the younger of the hobbits. They were taken by a race of Orc and Goblin men, called the Uruk-hai. Frodo and Samwise have gone onto their own path to destroy the ring. We look for the younger hobbits now, believing they have gone into Fangorn Forest. I dread going in there."
"Why?" Rhiannon inquired, happy to know the name of the wood they stood outside and yet still confused about why the Ranger dreaded to go into the forest.
"I tend to forget that you are not that familiar with the history of Middle Earth. Well, at least this part of Middle Earth. Fangorn may be one of the oldest places you will ever have the grace of being in. The power here can be felt, tasted. Many fear to travel into these woods, fear of the unknown and the ancient. Now, let me help you up. We are searching for the younger hobbits and each wasted moment of daylight is a wasted moment to find them." Aragorn reached his hand out, helping her up. Rhiannon glanced down from where she stood, watching as Legolas and Gimli prepared for the trek into the forest. Rhiannon turned to him, "Are you sure Merry and Pippin are alive and in the forest?"
"No, last night when camp was made, it was too dark to find any signs they may have been near. Now with the dawn, I shall search for signs."
"Oh, you shall? So, on a hunch you lead your two companions, and now me, into a forest you fear to tread into on the basis that you 'shall' find evidence of the hobbits. Well, when we get lost and go into the forest in vain, it will all be your fault."
"Rhiannon, you are not good for my self-confidence. I am a Ranger of the North, I know what I am doing."
"Of course you do, it's just your doubt that lies in the forefront of your mind that worries me."
"Well, you are not helping my self-doubt, in fact you are increasing it."
"Well, I."
Rhiannon's retort was cut off by the yell of a dwarf, apparently having heard the basis of the current argument through an elf that was putting his perfectly-pointed ears in places they should not be.
"When you two decided whether or not Aragorn is full of self-doubt or overly self-confident; I would like to remind you in the meantime that we are tracking two small hobbits last seen in the hands of the almost foulest of beings. So, please, put things into perspective!"
Rhiannon and Aragorn both held their laughs back as the Dwarf scolded both a noble Man and a being of elven heritage.
******
Rhiannon was trying everything to keep herself from calling the three males in front of her idiots. There had been found remnants of Lembas bread, elvish waybread, complete with Lorien Mallorn leaf; pieces of cut cord, and a knife, obviously of that foul race of beings, the Uruk-hai. Obviously the hobbits had cut the rope, had a snack, and got away. But, no, the elf had to bring in his extra-perceptive opinion:
" 'Well, here is the strangest riddle that we have yet found!' exclaimed Legolas. 'A bound prisoner escapes both from the Orcs and the surrounding horsemen. He then stops, while still in the open, and cuts his bonds with an orc-knife. But how and why? For if his legs were tied, how did he walk? And if his arms were tied, how did he use the knife? And if neither were tied, why did he cut the cords at all? Being pleased with his skill, he then sat down and quickly ate some waybread! That at least is enough to show that he was a hobbit, without the mallorn-leaf. After that, I suppose, he turned his arms into wings and flew away singing into the trees. It should be easy to find him: we only need wings ourselves!'"
Rhiannon shook her head. This was who the gods choose for her to spend eternity bound to? Whoever did she anger in the past? She raised an eyebrow at the elf, "Legolas, it's a good thing you are pretty."
"Whatever do you mean?" He asked, with true confusion in his voice. Rhiannon was almost speechless.
She turned to Aragorn, "Please tell me, I beg of you, you have a better theory on what happened to the hobbits."
Aragorn smiled, trying to hide his laughter. He did have his own theory and it was very similar to the one she had just figured out in her own head. Note to self, the logic of the elf, is far from common sense. Do not ask him to judge a scene of mystery, he will take the route of fancy.
Gimli was not to keen to go into the forest; no one was really. Rhiannon did have a feeling that a very special friend did await them. She forgot that the three did not know Gandalf had returned in some form, she had this feeling that they were not to know yet, and so kept it a secret. Gimli spoke of his feeling that the forest was malevolent. Legolas remarked that it was not evil, it was just old and had witnessed many things. There was some anger in the air. Legolas studied the forest in amazement, stating that being in the ancient forest was the first time on the trip he felt young among the others; children he had chose to call him. Rhiannon had remarked that while they may seem like children to him; at least all their eyebrows matched their hair color. A laugh was shared among all, a lighter mood needed to continue on. Legolas looked around wistfully, obviously in love with the forest. Eh, wood-elves, only kind that would be comfortable in a place full of this much intensity. They walked into the forest, getting deeper into the dense foliage. As they walked, Legolas came to stand beside her.
"When I felt your presence with me yesterday, I was very intrigued. Why would you be trying to contact me if you were still nestled in the safety of Lorien, like I hoped you would be. Why bring yourself willingly into war, a place you have no wish to be involved with. You are not a fighter Rhiannon, you should not be here."
She turned to study him, while still managing to walk, she studied his face. His expression impassive, his eyes full of worry and some anger. Frustration at her really. She was starting to see the change that was occurring in him. While being an elf of Mirkwood, witnessing the orcs and large spiders hurting and possibly killing elves he had know; the loss of the human Boromir seemed to have effected him greatly. It must have been like seeing a child die to Legolas. It must have been rare to see one so young go. He had seen death, this was true, but those were beings that had lived for at the very least, a hundred years. He did not want to see her feel the confusion, the pain, he was now dealing with. He did not want her to get harmed from the battle, this was all obvious. She was truly starting to realize how little they knew about each other.
"Legolas, I must get to my brother, or at least have a summons sent for him to meet me somewhere. It is imperative that we are together. Once I get him, I will return to this area, I do not plan to be outside the realm of Lorien for long. A summons may have already been sent to him and he may be coming this way to join me. You should not worry about me, I will be fine. Keep your focus on the task ahead, keep your eyes wide open and your ears attentive to all that speaks. If I need you, trust me, you will know. When this is over, as I have told you before, we shall have a very long talk. Although, I fear we will not have much time together."
Legolas gave a small laugh, "Why would you say that, I am not going anywhere, and I do not plan on dying anytime soon."
"I said nothing about dying."
Legolas gave a nod, not wanting to ponder the words Rhiannon had spoken. Why was it that whenever the future was revealed, in all it's mysterious rhymes, it was always of a grave nature. There never seemed to be happy predictions. Or maybe darkness was only revealed so that the light could be more cherished and enjoyed. The group had decided to climb up a rocky stone- stair. Legolas had the need to breathe more fresh air that could only be reached above the brush of the forest. Rhiannon and Gimli both mumbled about the stairs, not enjoying the climb. They all stood on the hill, looking at the ground below, surveying all they had traveled. Aragorn noticed the markings of the hobbits. There was a very fair chance that the youngest of their hobbit companions were alive. Legolas gazed out into the forest, suddenly excited at the sight of an old man moving among the undergrowth.
" 'Look!'
'Look at what?' said Gimli.
'There in the trees.'
'Where? I have not elf-eyes.'
'Hush! Speak more softly! Look!' said Legolas pointing. 'Down in the wood, back in the way that we have just come. It is he. Cannot you see him, passing from tree to tree?'
'I see, I see now!' hissed Gimli. 'Look, Aragorn! Did I not warn you? There is the old man. All in dirty grey rags: that is why I could not see him at first.'"
Aragorn seemed to agree with the other two that this was the evil wizard Saruman. Rhiannon tried desperately not to roll her eyes but she was not successful. "Please, do not let them be that stupid. Please, let one of them have the sense to see who that really is." No such luck. The figure came upon them as the "hunters" prepared to attack the old "man." Rhiannon stood back, prepared to watch the astonishment that would grace her three companions' faces. Legolas seemed to sense that it was not Saruman as there was hesitation in his timing to release his arrow. Rhiannon blinked at the sudden bright light as she heard Aragorn mutter,
"It cannot be."
Chapter Thirteen: "It's a Good Thing You're Pretty..."
"Love someone that will make you smile, even when nothing funny is said."
Legolas stood, watching as Aragorn talked to a person settled in the space between to rocks. He knew who laid nestled in the rocky crag, had felt her enter his mind yesterday. He wondered why she was following them, and then was happy at the thought of seeing her. He wondered if her archery skills had passed into something that could be considered satisfactory. Some were made for strategy, some for fighting, some made to sit back and make comments on how elven soldiers looked like, ants? Ants, that was the word Rhiannon had used. She was quite the., well there were not proper terms to describe. He watched as Aragorn held a hand out to help Rhiannon stand.
"Hello, friend." Rhiannon smiled up into the face of Aragorn, the man destined to be king. He gave her an affectionate smile, as one would give to a child.
"What brings you along this path? Why are you not safe in the Golden Wood, learning the ways of the elves?"
She smiled back at him, "I traveled with a friend, who has now gone to some other place. I was told to seek out the three hunters, I am guessing that refers to you and the other two you travel with. Where is the Man of Gondor, should he not also be on this path?"
A shadow passed over the face of the man, "Boromir of Gondor has passed into the land that the fallen heroes tread. He died defending the younger of the hobbits. They were taken by a race of Orc and Goblin men, called the Uruk-hai. Frodo and Samwise have gone onto their own path to destroy the ring. We look for the younger hobbits now, believing they have gone into Fangorn Forest. I dread going in there."
"Why?" Rhiannon inquired, happy to know the name of the wood they stood outside and yet still confused about why the Ranger dreaded to go into the forest.
"I tend to forget that you are not that familiar with the history of Middle Earth. Well, at least this part of Middle Earth. Fangorn may be one of the oldest places you will ever have the grace of being in. The power here can be felt, tasted. Many fear to travel into these woods, fear of the unknown and the ancient. Now, let me help you up. We are searching for the younger hobbits and each wasted moment of daylight is a wasted moment to find them." Aragorn reached his hand out, helping her up. Rhiannon glanced down from where she stood, watching as Legolas and Gimli prepared for the trek into the forest. Rhiannon turned to him, "Are you sure Merry and Pippin are alive and in the forest?"
"No, last night when camp was made, it was too dark to find any signs they may have been near. Now with the dawn, I shall search for signs."
"Oh, you shall? So, on a hunch you lead your two companions, and now me, into a forest you fear to tread into on the basis that you 'shall' find evidence of the hobbits. Well, when we get lost and go into the forest in vain, it will all be your fault."
"Rhiannon, you are not good for my self-confidence. I am a Ranger of the North, I know what I am doing."
"Of course you do, it's just your doubt that lies in the forefront of your mind that worries me."
"Well, you are not helping my self-doubt, in fact you are increasing it."
"Well, I."
Rhiannon's retort was cut off by the yell of a dwarf, apparently having heard the basis of the current argument through an elf that was putting his perfectly-pointed ears in places they should not be.
"When you two decided whether or not Aragorn is full of self-doubt or overly self-confident; I would like to remind you in the meantime that we are tracking two small hobbits last seen in the hands of the almost foulest of beings. So, please, put things into perspective!"
Rhiannon and Aragorn both held their laughs back as the Dwarf scolded both a noble Man and a being of elven heritage.
******
Rhiannon was trying everything to keep herself from calling the three males in front of her idiots. There had been found remnants of Lembas bread, elvish waybread, complete with Lorien Mallorn leaf; pieces of cut cord, and a knife, obviously of that foul race of beings, the Uruk-hai. Obviously the hobbits had cut the rope, had a snack, and got away. But, no, the elf had to bring in his extra-perceptive opinion:
" 'Well, here is the strangest riddle that we have yet found!' exclaimed Legolas. 'A bound prisoner escapes both from the Orcs and the surrounding horsemen. He then stops, while still in the open, and cuts his bonds with an orc-knife. But how and why? For if his legs were tied, how did he walk? And if his arms were tied, how did he use the knife? And if neither were tied, why did he cut the cords at all? Being pleased with his skill, he then sat down and quickly ate some waybread! That at least is enough to show that he was a hobbit, without the mallorn-leaf. After that, I suppose, he turned his arms into wings and flew away singing into the trees. It should be easy to find him: we only need wings ourselves!'"
Rhiannon shook her head. This was who the gods choose for her to spend eternity bound to? Whoever did she anger in the past? She raised an eyebrow at the elf, "Legolas, it's a good thing you are pretty."
"Whatever do you mean?" He asked, with true confusion in his voice. Rhiannon was almost speechless.
She turned to Aragorn, "Please tell me, I beg of you, you have a better theory on what happened to the hobbits."
Aragorn smiled, trying to hide his laughter. He did have his own theory and it was very similar to the one she had just figured out in her own head. Note to self, the logic of the elf, is far from common sense. Do not ask him to judge a scene of mystery, he will take the route of fancy.
Gimli was not to keen to go into the forest; no one was really. Rhiannon did have a feeling that a very special friend did await them. She forgot that the three did not know Gandalf had returned in some form, she had this feeling that they were not to know yet, and so kept it a secret. Gimli spoke of his feeling that the forest was malevolent. Legolas remarked that it was not evil, it was just old and had witnessed many things. There was some anger in the air. Legolas studied the forest in amazement, stating that being in the ancient forest was the first time on the trip he felt young among the others; children he had chose to call him. Rhiannon had remarked that while they may seem like children to him; at least all their eyebrows matched their hair color. A laugh was shared among all, a lighter mood needed to continue on. Legolas looked around wistfully, obviously in love with the forest. Eh, wood-elves, only kind that would be comfortable in a place full of this much intensity. They walked into the forest, getting deeper into the dense foliage. As they walked, Legolas came to stand beside her.
"When I felt your presence with me yesterday, I was very intrigued. Why would you be trying to contact me if you were still nestled in the safety of Lorien, like I hoped you would be. Why bring yourself willingly into war, a place you have no wish to be involved with. You are not a fighter Rhiannon, you should not be here."
She turned to study him, while still managing to walk, she studied his face. His expression impassive, his eyes full of worry and some anger. Frustration at her really. She was starting to see the change that was occurring in him. While being an elf of Mirkwood, witnessing the orcs and large spiders hurting and possibly killing elves he had know; the loss of the human Boromir seemed to have effected him greatly. It must have been like seeing a child die to Legolas. It must have been rare to see one so young go. He had seen death, this was true, but those were beings that had lived for at the very least, a hundred years. He did not want to see her feel the confusion, the pain, he was now dealing with. He did not want her to get harmed from the battle, this was all obvious. She was truly starting to realize how little they knew about each other.
"Legolas, I must get to my brother, or at least have a summons sent for him to meet me somewhere. It is imperative that we are together. Once I get him, I will return to this area, I do not plan to be outside the realm of Lorien for long. A summons may have already been sent to him and he may be coming this way to join me. You should not worry about me, I will be fine. Keep your focus on the task ahead, keep your eyes wide open and your ears attentive to all that speaks. If I need you, trust me, you will know. When this is over, as I have told you before, we shall have a very long talk. Although, I fear we will not have much time together."
Legolas gave a small laugh, "Why would you say that, I am not going anywhere, and I do not plan on dying anytime soon."
"I said nothing about dying."
Legolas gave a nod, not wanting to ponder the words Rhiannon had spoken. Why was it that whenever the future was revealed, in all it's mysterious rhymes, it was always of a grave nature. There never seemed to be happy predictions. Or maybe darkness was only revealed so that the light could be more cherished and enjoyed. The group had decided to climb up a rocky stone- stair. Legolas had the need to breathe more fresh air that could only be reached above the brush of the forest. Rhiannon and Gimli both mumbled about the stairs, not enjoying the climb. They all stood on the hill, looking at the ground below, surveying all they had traveled. Aragorn noticed the markings of the hobbits. There was a very fair chance that the youngest of their hobbit companions were alive. Legolas gazed out into the forest, suddenly excited at the sight of an old man moving among the undergrowth.
" 'Look!'
'Look at what?' said Gimli.
'There in the trees.'
'Where? I have not elf-eyes.'
'Hush! Speak more softly! Look!' said Legolas pointing. 'Down in the wood, back in the way that we have just come. It is he. Cannot you see him, passing from tree to tree?'
'I see, I see now!' hissed Gimli. 'Look, Aragorn! Did I not warn you? There is the old man. All in dirty grey rags: that is why I could not see him at first.'"
Aragorn seemed to agree with the other two that this was the evil wizard Saruman. Rhiannon tried desperately not to roll her eyes but she was not successful. "Please, do not let them be that stupid. Please, let one of them have the sense to see who that really is." No such luck. The figure came upon them as the "hunters" prepared to attack the old "man." Rhiannon stood back, prepared to watch the astonishment that would grace her three companions' faces. Legolas seemed to sense that it was not Saruman as there was hesitation in his timing to release his arrow. Rhiannon blinked at the sudden bright light as she heard Aragorn mutter,
"It cannot be."