A little while later the wind had picked up and was whipping everyone's hair and clothes back. Struggling onwards the going was tougher than ever.
No one spoke now and all was silent apart from the howling of the wind. Most of them were desperately hoping that they would find another cave, or some type of shelter before darkness fell.
Most knew that they would have to; it would not be good to be out on the mountain in the night air. It would be even colder than it was now, even though that didn't seem entirely possible.
One of the company, however, was used to the cold. They had always had a draughty room and when winter and snow settled in it was very cold. They could have had a better room, a warmer room, but they preferred the one that they had. It may have been cold in that room but it offered safety and comfort, something that they had desperately needed.
Plus there was also a fireplace in the room and sat cuddled up by the warm of the fire with a blanket around them with the breeze coming in through the windows was actually quite comforting. Some of the happiest memories where in that cold room and the ones that joined on to it.
Struggling along, everyone knew that there would be no food that night; no one would have the energy to eat it. Everyone hoped for a fire, to offer warmth, light and comfort. They would be huddled together tonight, for comfort as much as warmth, for the going was now very tough.
The fellowship was lucky enough to find a cave. They came to it about two hours before dusk was due to fall and the decision was made to stop here for the night. Everyone just seemed to collapse in a heap, even Legolas, the graceful elf, too tired to do anything else.
Once more, however, Boromir sat a little way away from the rest of the fellowship, back in the cold room he had shared with Faramir throughout his childhood. As a matter of fact they still used that room, just because their Father didn't know where it was. They felt safer that way.
Boromir sat with his back to the rest of the fellowship, leaning against the wall of the cave with one shoulder. He was sat near the mouth of the cave, but far enough back so that there wasn't much of a draught.
Slowly dusk began to set and Boromir watched as a dark blue settled down before stopping at the ground. A few stars twinkled in the distance once it got dark enough and the sight of the comforted Boromir, showing him that there was still some hope out there. He and Faramir had never given up on that.
Boromir could hear the other members of the fellowship talking further back in the cave. They seemed to know when to leave him alone. Presently though, he felt a slight tug on his hair. "You're doing it again!" he was told by a sulky voice.
Boromir couldn't help but to chuckle slightly and shifted position so that he was sat with his back against the cave wall and so that he could see Pippin. "And what did I say about pulling my hair?" he asked mock sternly but with a smile on his face and a slight twinkle in his eyes so the youngest hobbit would know that he was joking.
"And what did I say I'd do if you retreated into your thoughts again?" Pippin countered.
"Pull my hair," Boromir laughed quietly, knowing that the hobbit meant absolutely no harm.
Pippin grinned at him and settled down in the man's lap, as was becoming usual. "And what do you want me to do, if I am not to think?" Boromir asked the hobbit.
"I don't know, talk to me, tell me a story," Pippin requested.
"Tell you a story?" Boromir echoed doubtfully. "About what?"
"Anything," Pippin murmured, laying his head against Boromir's shoulder. Boromir shifted again so that he could look at the night sky, with the stars twinkling and the dark midnight blue colour until it met the clear white of the snow.
It had been snowing earlier and the fellowships tracks where completely covered up. A fresh breeze drafted through to where Boromir and Pippin sat, but neither one was cold, as it was clean and refreshing and they had each other's body heat and the heat of the fire behind them.
"It's beautiful," Pip whispered in Boromir's ear.
"I know," Boromir, told him in a quiet tone, that wasn't quite a whisper. Merry, sensing a story coming on came and joined the pair. He then also saw the beauty of the night, the clear sky that was a beautiful shade of blue meeting the white of the snow, which was illuminated by the light of the moon. Merry gasped in awe. Boromir chuckled lightly and shifted so that both hobbits were sat more comfortably on his lap.
"I have seen many such nights as this," Boromir told the two young ones sat on his lap. "Often in Gondor, the snow would come down and stay on the ground for weeks during winter. Winters in Gondor are very harsh, but Faramir and me knew how to make the most of it."
Merry and Pippin smiled at each other, maybe all of Boromir's childhood hadn't been that bad. Boromir smiled down at them, correctly guessing what they were both thinking about.
"During the winter months, children in Gondor attend lessons and the holidays we have are in the summer. But as the soon as the snow comes you can guarantee that once lessons are over for the day, everyone will be outside, wrapped up warm playing and mucking about, much like we did today. . .
Eleven-year-old Boromir and his younger brother Faramir, who was nine, were walking to there tutor's house since there Father preferred to have them out of the way if he could.
It was a cold wintry morning and the sky was grey and over cast, with a promise of rain. Wrapping in their thick coats they walked along hand-in- hand and reached their tutors house when the wind really began to pick up, causing them both to stumble backwards slightly.
Their tutor was a kind man and he made them both warm up before they began lessons for the day. He gave them both a mug of warm chocolate and ordered them to sit down in his living room, before they went through to what they called the schoolroom.
Sharing an armchair, even though they knew they could have one each, they sipped their drinks quietly. The pretence for sharing the chair was to warm up quicker, but they both knew that that wasn't true. They both liked their tutor, but Faramir tended to be shy around most people and this was mainly because of the way their Father treated them both.
Soon lessons began and Boromir and Faramir studied hard. Boromir knew that he was going to be groomed for leadership by his Father and was expected to know the things he was being taught. Faramir knew that his Father would not accept anything than the best from his sons and knew that getting anything wrong when there Father quizzed them on the weeks lessons would lead to pain. They both liked their lessons, however, they offered an escape and helped to keep their minds occupied, so they had something other to do than think.
About half way through the lessons at there tutors house, which they had for four hours and then had a late lunch, Boromir turned his attention to the window for just a second. He glanced up whilst turning the page in his workbook and saw little white flakes drifting towards the ground.
So the sky hadn't promised rain that morning, it had promised snow! Managing to nudge Faramir when he was certain that their tutor wasn't looking, Boromir nodded towards the window and saw his brothers face light up, he was obviously remembering last year when the snow had lasted for two months. They had had so much fun during those two months, without their Father knowing of course.
It seemed to take forever until lessons were over for the day and Boromir and Faramir began the walk home, enjoying the feeling of the snow crunching beneath their feet. They were only half way home when it started snowing again and they picked up their pace for a while before deciding to slow down and enjoy the snow while it lasted.
Most people where still working at this time of day and classes didn't finish for another hour for most people, but Denethor did not want his sons walking the streets during a rush hour.
Walking along, their shoulder-length hair, Boromir's straight, Faramir's wavy, was blown back from their faces and snowflakes got stuck in it. They walked at normal pace so that they wouldn't be late. They entered thorough the back door and instantly ran up to their room to change out of their wet clothes.
Their room was draughty and cold but at the same time comfortable and welcoming. They did have a warmer, posher set of rooms down stairs, which their Father had given them but they preferred the rooms that they had at the top of the house. No one knew that they were there and the two boys had put a lot of work into their rooms. No one even knew that they used those rooms, because no one ever ventured into the rooms downstairs which everyone thought they used.
They knew that they wouldn't see their Father until the evening meal so they made their way down to the kitchen for a late lunch. They then went back up to their rooms to prepare a report for their Father about their lessons which they would have to tell him about them over last meal. All they really wanted to do though was to go outside and play in the gardens in the snow.
All too soon last meal was upon them and Boromir and Faramir suffered through their Father's questions and escaped from the table and the room as quickly as they could. They ran back up to the attic room and changed out of the formal attire their Father had them were for meals and into some old, warm clothes, making sure that they had several layers on. Boromir lit a fire in the fireplace so that they had some warmth.
They then snuck back downstairs and out into the gardens at the back of their home and went to the spot where they knew they wouldn't be found, with trees encircling it and a small pond which was now frozen over and a path and a bench. They loved it out here, they tried to visit it almost every night, after last meal, or every other night at least.
Soon a tall snowman was standing proud in the centre of their little garden and Boromir and Faramir retreated to the bench and sat close together, for warmth. They were constantly scared that their Father would find out about the secluded part of the garden that they used, but he hadn't as of yet and they had been using it for about three years.
They sat on the bench until it was quite dark and then they snuck back up to their room and changed into their nightclothes and curled up on the rug in front of the fire together, wrapped up in the blankets off their beds.
That night they climbed into bed at peace, their Father hadn't been displeased with them, so neither one of them was in pain. They curled up and stared out the window at the sky and the stars, thinking for one that everything would be alright.
"The day after that was brilliant as well, we didn't have any lessons because everywhere was snowed in and we stay in our room whilst the sky was dark and stormy outside and watched the snow fall. We spent a lot of time by the fire, curled up with hot drinks and we made up and told stories and worked on our room. But nothing that good lasts and the snow melted, but we got more a month or so later because it was the cold season. Our Father however started to watch us closely so we didn't get out side much, but that month at the beginning of winter was brilliant," Boromir told the two hobbits who were grinning up at him.
"That sounded nice. You and Faramir must be really close," Pip told Boromir.
"Aye," Boromir told him, "We are closer than you and Merry."
"Closer?! I don't think so!" Merry announced.
"Well, I do!" Boromir told him. "Besides, you and Pip are almost as close as we have but we grew up going through things you and Pip probably haven't and came out ok on the other side because we stuck together." It was the first time that Boromir had dared to call Pippin 'Pip' and he was glad that the little one hadn't seemed to mind.
"Oh. . .," Merry and Pippin shared a look, both thinking of the sword fighting lesson story which he had told them the other night.
It was getting quite late now and Boromir stood and picked up both the hobbits, moving back in to the cave further to join the rest of the fellowship. Boromir had his thick cloak on and Pippin and Merry had settled inside it, wrapping their legs around Boromir's waist and their arms around his neck.
Frodo smiled across at them as Boromir settled down near the fire with both Merry and Pippin clinging to him. Legolas sat down beside the man and the two began talking quietly, with Merry and Pip listening in.
Aragorn came and sat on the other side of Legolas and Frodo couldn't resist it, the need for comfort and warmth became too much, he stood and joined the group in time to hear Legolas begin an elvish story which Merry and Pippin had begged for. Aragorn and Boromir smiled at each other and also settled down to listen.
A little while later Gimli and Sam came over with mugs of tea for everyone and they quickly joined the group who were now all talking and telling stories. Gandalf alone did not join in, he was sat at the other side of the fire, smoking his pipe and apparently lost in thought.
Boromir was once again happy to admit he was having fun and he was glad of the fact that he had made some news friends.
His last thought though, as he lay down to sleep with Merry and Pippin once more curled up on him, was that he was putting them all in danger. . .