DISCLAIMER: LOTR not mine.

FOOL OF A TOOK

Chapter Five: They're Gone!

"Quickly, now! You must get up!"

Aragorn awoke with a start. He was being violently shaken. His vision began to clear, and he saw that it was still dark. He saw who had roused him and sat up quickly. "Haldir? What – what's going on?"

Aragorn could see many Elves darting through the trees, their weapons in hand and ready. The others in his party were awakening as well, and Boromir began to sharpen his sword.

"Orcs! You have been followed from Moria," Haldir told him in an almost accusatory tone. He stood and added, "Galadriel has instructions for you; she is waiting at the River Anduin. Go, and go quickly!"

Aragorn rushed the members of the Fellowship to get their belongings together. He was thankful now that he had not let them unpack too many things; in a war, one never knew when one would be hurried off in the middle of the night.

Suddenly, there was a fearful cry from Frodo. "The Ring! Oh, someone has taken the Ring! I can't find it anywhere!"

Merry chimed in, "And where is Pippin? His packs are missing!"

Aragorn didn't have a good feeling about this. He caught Legolas' eye, and both nodded silently. "By all that is good and pure," he thought. "I hope not."

Frodo had nearly fainted at losing the Ring, and now he was very angry. His eyes immediately fell on Boromir, who was innocently sharpening his sword, and hadn't heard anything. He strode over to the Gondorian and held out his hand.

Boromir looked up, confused. "What is it you require of me, little one?"

Frodo scowled at him. "The Ring, Boromir. Give it back to me. You swore to protect me, and that means I must take the Ring."

Boromir looked even more confused. "I'm sorry, I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't have the Ring. Maybe you've mislaid it."

"You can't 'mislay' the Ring of Power!" Frodo was very red in the face and he was shaking. "What have you done with it, Boromir? I will have it from you!"

Legolas jumped quickly between them and stooped to eye-level with Frodo. "Frodo, Boromir does not have the Ring."

Frodo struggled to free himself from Legolas' grasp. "He lies! I have seen the way he looks at me; looks at my neck. He wanted it, he has always wanted it!"

Boromir was beginning to look angry. "Are you daft? I tell you I do not have it!"

Legolas stood and grasped Frodo's arm firmly. "Come, we must meet with the Golden Lady. She will know what to do."

Aragorn shepherded the company towards the river, a very bewildered Boromir bringing up the rear. Gimli was holding on to Merry, to keep him from running about through the woods screaming for his friend. As it was, he was certainly making an awful lot of noise. "Please! No! He could be in danger!" Merry was sobbing. "He never goes off alone, he wouldn't know what to do! Please! Gimli, let me go! I must go and find him!"

Gimli tightened his hold on the Hobbit's shirt and kept moving with the others. "I know he would never go off alone. The Most Fair One will explain it all."