*Beams with joy* I was so happy with all the comments people left me...I just love encouragement! I have a new beta now *beta waves at you*, so hopefully there won't be NEARLY so many typos. *grins at new beta for encouragement* In case anyone was wondering, seeing as I forgot when I posted the first chapter, the date is January 1, 3019 TA. Ooooh yeah, if any questions are posed in your comments, they will be answered at the end of the chapter, K? Alrighty! On with the show!!
************
Problems Along the Way
Chapter 2
Lost and Found
************
Struggling to free himself from a thorn bush that had decided to start taking prisoners, Pippin gave up and admitted defeat. He was totally and utterly lost. And now because of the aforementioned bush, his hands were cut up and were bleeding badly. Why had he stormed off like that?! *Why was Merry so mad at me? I didn't do anything to try to annoy him, I was just asking him a question*. But it was too late now. He had been walking for a good three quarters of an hour and had completely lost his sense of direction. *I knew I shouldn't have taken any turns. If I had walked in a straight line, I could have walked straight back, but I didn't even do that!* The little Hobbit thought remorsefully. *First Merry's mad at me, and now I've gotten myself completely lost. I can't do anything right!*
"No use in getting myself lost any further," he said aloud to himself. He plopped down on the ground right where he was, totally hidden from view by the large bush. "I'll just sit and wait for someone to come find me." *But what if they don't find me? What if they haven't even noticed I'm gone and they leave without me?* The thought of being left alone in the wild to survive by himself terrified the little Hobbit.
"Nonsense," he told himself. Merry would certainly notice that he was gone and insist that they look for him. *But what if Merry's still mad at me and decides that he doesn't want a cousin who can't do anything right? But what about Frodo? Surely he would miss me?* But Frodo probably had more important things on his mind. *Strider would certainly come and rescue me,* he thought with hope. *Or Legolas. He's one of the kindest people I've ever met. He would never leave me out here on my own.* Songbirds were in the trees overhead, but Pippin didn't even notice them.
Despite the renewed hope of the Elf prince coming to save him, Pippin could not help but feel totally alone as he drifted off to sleep.
********
"We have to go out and look for him!" Merry was starting to panic now. He had no idea how long Pippin had been gone and a horrible feeling of dread was slowly filling him.
"Fool of a Took," Gandalf said, "to go and run off on his own like this..."
"We have no idea where he went, what if he's hurt, or worse?" Frodo asked, looking back and forth from Gandalf to Aragorn. The panic in Merry's voice was really starting to worry Frodo.
"I'm sure that he's alright," Legolas offered hopefully, "he's probably just upset." The steady gaze of his deep blue eyes was soft, yet unyielding, and Frodo felt a little better from looking into them.
"Perhaps we should split up and look for him," Boromir said. He had started taking a liking for the little Hobbit, and the concern from the other Hobbits on his behalf made something click inside of Boromir. He realized that he was worried for Pippin too.
"A wise suggestion," Gandalf said, "Aragorn, you, Legolas and Boromir will go in search in search of him, while the rest of us wait here in case he comes back."
"Right," Aragorn said, "Legolas only just returned from the way we came, and he neither saw nor heard any sign of the Hobbit, so it is no use for use to search that way. We shall split up and go in three different directions. Whistle if you find him."
With a quick smile and a nod, Legolas took off in the direction opposite the way they had entered the clearing. Boromir, not knowing how to feel about taking orders from Aragorn, settled for a nod and an affirming grunt. He went to the left, while Aragorn headed off to the right.
********
It wasn't tiring work, but it was tedious. Literally like looking for a needle in a haystack. Pippin could be anywhere. The man from Gondor was not at all happy about having to look for this little creature through all the trees and underbrush, but just the same, his mind had surrendered to one thing: he was worried about the little hobbit and would look until the next morning if he had to, despite the fact that he had been up all night.
He only hoped that either he, or one of the others, would find Pippin before then.
He came then to an area like a clearing, except that it had a few tree's here and there, and the ground was covered entirely by thick short bushes that came up to his waist. With a mental groan, Boromir began to try and make his way through the dense brush. After about ten minutes of struggling with the bushes and only making it in a few feet, his frustration began to get the better of him. *That hobbit could be anywhere in this, standing even, and I wouldn't be able to find him*. Boromir made up his mind, and despite the risks of it attracting any unwanted attention, he began to call the hobbit's name. "Pippin!"
Pippin woke from his untimely slumber with a start. He could have sworn that he heard his name being called. *But I suppose I was only dreaming* he thought, and was about to fall into his mental Pit of Despair once more when he heard it.
"Pippin!"
He definitely heard it that time. He jumped to his feet, somewhat hindered by the bushes tugging at his clothes, but he was too short to see anything around him.
"Pippin!"
The voice was close to were he was, but whose voice was it?
"You blasted hobbit, are you in here?!"
"Boromir!" Pippin yelled.
The little hobbits voice came from only about ten feet away from Gondor's Captain. "Pippin, why didn't you answer me when I called to you?" Relief washed over the man, but he did his best to sound angry at the little hobbit.
"I was asleep!" Pippin yelled, both surprised and overwhelmingly happy at being found by Boromir.
Once that man had gotten a satisfactory idea of where the hobbit was located, he began the battle through the thick bushes to get to him. After what seemed like hours, Boromir parted two bushes with his powerful arms and there was the little Pippin staring balefully up at him. Boromir frowned when he saw how cut up Pippin's hands were, but he couldn't force back the smile that came with the relief of finding the little hobbit.
Pippin wanted to know what in Middle Earth this man was grinning at as two powerful arms freed him from the bushes that entangled his clothes and lifted him into the air.
Boromir held the little hobbit to his chest, much like the way he would carry a small child, and started on the tiring way back to camp. He had made it out of the net of bushes when Aragorn's words on their parting flashed through his head. He licked his lips and let out a long shrill whistle. Satisfied, and a bit regretful, that it was loud enough for anyone from there to Mordor to hear, he continued on his way.
The last thing Pippin remembered before dreams overcame him was Boromir saying something about running off and worrying the rest of the Fellowship. Laying his head on the large man's powerful shoulder, the tired little Pippin once more fell asleep.
********
*The dratted little Hobbit! Running off on his own.* Gimli was overtly annoyed with the little Hobbits by now, what with their non-stop jabbering, and kept mumbling under his breath about not coming along on this quest to be a baby-sitter. Of course, he was somewhat worried for the Hobbit, but he'd never admit that to anyone, at least not out loud. It was then that he heard a long shrill whistle, not too far off, coming from the direction that Boromir had left in. *Good*, he thought, *now I can get back to planning revenge on that accursed Elf!*
A small smile could be seen starting at the corners of Gandalf's mouth, and he breathed a little sigh of relief. The banter coming from the hobbits direction started up with renewed vigor.
"He had better be alright! When I get my hands on him..."
"Now Merry, how's that for logic? If he's okay, you'll hurt him, and if he's hurt you'll welcome him with open arms?"
"Exactly!"
"Don't go tryin' to figure out that Brandybuck logic, Mr. Frodo. Like as not Mr. Pippin would be thinking the same thing..."
This was starting to give the Dwarf a headache. He reached into his pack to search for his water skin and, he would be ashamed to say, gave a startled cry as the crowned Prince of Mirkwood dropped down out of the trees right in front of him.
"Watch what you're doing, you foolish Elf!!"
Legolas sent the Dwarf a look that could have froze Mt. Doom to the core, but instead of retaliation, turned his back on Gimli to scan the woods. *I have bigger tree's to climb* he thought, and concentrated on the surrounding woods.
He heard Aragorn approaching before he saw him, and soon the Ranger came striding into the clearing. It actually surprised Legolas that Pippin did not seem to be with Aragorn. He sent a questioning look to the Ranger just as Boromir came tramping into the clearing with a sleeping little Hobbit in his arms.
"Pippin!" Merry and Frodo shouted at once.
The little Hobbit was gently roused as the Boromir slowly lowered him to the ground. The Man of Gondor stood up quickly and backed away as three Hobbits came crashing towards him and Pippin.
Aragorn gave a chuckle and then said in a low voice, "I take it that the Hobbit is alright then?" The Rangers head was cocked slightly in Boromir's direction, but he wasn't looking at the man. Boromir followed Aragorn's gaze and his eyes fell on Legolas. The Elf had his slender arms crossed over his chest with his bow slung over his shoulder, and at first glance seemed to be observing the Hobbit group-hug that was taking place in front of him. But then Boromir noticed that the Woodland Prince was in fact looking past the Hobbits and was eyeing the Dwarf that had lain back down in his blanket. Boromir couldn't read Elf's expression, and was suddenly consumed with the desire to learn what the Elf was thinking, to see what was going on behind those solemn blue eyes. He felt entranced by them...
"Boromir?" The Rangers voice snapped Boromir back to reality. He was surprised to see Aragorn staring at him, his eyes full of concern. "Is something wrong with Pippin?"
"No, well, yes--" he stammered, a little agitated at being caught off his guard, "but nothing serious," he finished quickly. "Just some cuts on his hands, not deep."
At that moment, Merry pushed himself off Pippin, and held him by his shoulders at arms length. "What did you think you were doing running off like that?!"
The little Hobbit did his best to look as pathetic as possible.
"Don't ever do something as foolish as that again! What if you had gotten hurt?!"
"I did get hurt," Pippin said softly, looking directly into Merry's eyes.
"WHAT?! Where?!" Merry yelled.
"What happened? Where are you hurt?" Frodo piped in.
Pippin held out his scratched, bloody hands for his cousins to see. They started fussing over their younger cousin anew, acting as though his scratched up hands had actually been cut off.
Aragorn looked at the scene in front of him, and then at Sam, who was shaking his head and frowning. The Ranger gave a soft laugh that only he *and probably Legolas* could hear. *He knows how to play his cousins like a well tuned harp. Must have done this before*
"Come," he said, "we must get those hands cleaned up. There should be a small waterfall that is fed by a tributary of the Loudwater* somewhere in the area. We shall make for it, and then perhaps finally get some rest for the day."
Frodo sighed; Boromir grunted in acknowledgment; Gandalf nodded; Pippin continued to be fussed over by Merry; Sam mumbled something about breakfast getting cold; Legolas removed his bow and in its place on his shoulder slung his pack; but Gimli-- he showed his obvious anger at having to move after getting comfortable by making all of his actions violent. He viciously rolled up his blanket and crammed it into his pack. Instead of setting his axe that doubled for a walking stick on the ground, he thrust it into the bark of a nearby tree.
Legolas spun around to face the Dwarf's direction before Gimli's hand even left the haft of his axe. There was fire in his eyes to beat the Dark Lord himself. *He has no right to treat the trees so disrespectfully simply because he's tired*. As Gimli violently shook out his cloak, Legolas queried, "Has the ~legendary~ endurance and stamina of the Naugrim worn out so quickly in you, Dwarf?" His voice was icy cold, and dripping with malice and sarcasm; yet his face betrayed no emotions.
Gimli, quickly taking in what had incurred such a wrathful inquiry from the Elf, shot back, "It's a tree, Elf; a thing, bearing no thoughts or emotions." He was clearly trying to infuriate the Prince. "The only thing it should have is an expectation to be cleaved."
"Clearly Dwarf," he paused narrowing his eyes, "you are wrong as usual, for you see, you surprised this tree." He let show a small sinister smile, "It is not everyday that a stump attacks its superiors."
Now it was Gimli who was infuriated. "Why you--" he began, taking a step foreword. He pulled on the haft of his axe to loose it from the tree, only to find it stuck tight.
Legolas laughed a light, airy laugh that seemed to come so naturally to his people. "You see? She agrees with me!" he laughed again as Gimli pulled in vain.
"Stop it, both of you!" It was Gandalf. "Really, we must get moving."
"Of course Mithrandir," Legolas said with a slight bow, "you are wise and I heed your wisdom."
He looked so incredibly innocent. *Looks can be deceiving* Gandalf thought with a sigh.
As soon as Legolas righted himself to his full height, Gimli's axe came free and he landed hard on the ground. Legolas turned and walked towards the trees, leaving Gimli fuming on the ground.
********
They traveled for half of an hour when they started to hear the sounds of Aragorn's waterfall (all except for Legolas who had in fact heard it early that morning before they stopped), and with this urging their weary bodies on, they quickened their pace. Soon they found that they were standing on the top of a stony ridge, looking down into a basin of sorts. To their right, some twenty paces away, was the waterfall, and so powerful was its force that the waters didn't touch the almost vertical face of the ridge, and instead, shot out over it about five feet before it plummeted fifty feet to the deep, icy pool below. To their left, the waters calmed and continued on their natural course in the river.
Sam was uneasy, and wouldn't go within ten feet of the edge of the ridge. It was a fifty foot drop to the pool. The waters below them were churning so violently with the force of the falls that it looked to Sam as though he were peering over the edge of some great tea kettle that had been on the heat far too long. "Don't worry Bill," Sam said reassuringly, "you and I won't go nowhere near that waterfall." Even from his current position, Sam felt the cool mist of the mighty water collect on his face.
"We must make our way down the ridge to the river where the water is calm. Had we continued our original course, we would have crossed this river further on, in a few days or so," Aragorn said informatively. Pippin felt a twinge of guilt.
Legolas was standing at the edge of the ridge, peering into the icy water below. The air here tasted fresh and clean, and he breathed deep. *It is so peacefull here* he thought in contentment.
"Let us get a move on then, we've no time to sit and admire the ~scenery~," Gimli said with a glare in Legolas direction.
*Why must he ruin everything?* Legolas thought, highly insulted that the Dwarf had interrupted his peace. "Come a bit nearer, Master Dwarf, and I shall give you a closer look at the water."
"Nay Elf, you stand here tarrying long enough for all nine of us."
"And you simply stand there shorter than half of us."
"Watch it, Elf, you tread dangerous ground!" Gimli yelled over the sound of the falls, his anger welling up.
"At least I do not tread so near to it," Legolas shot back. He wasn't yelling, but his voice seemed to carry over the water.
Gimli was positively seething. He couldn't contain his anger. Without warning, Gimli lunged at Legolas. The Elf Prince hadn't expected the Dwarf to act with such audacity.
He dodged and turned to the side, but not soon enough; the Dwarf's fist caught wind in the stomach and knocked the wind out of him. He lost his balance, and before he knew it, he was falling, and Gimli with him.
The rest of the Fellowship watched in horror as Legolas and Gimli plummeted fifty feet and disappeared beneath the churning surface of the icy water. Suddenly, the world went silent. It was as if the waterfall made no sound at all. Seconds ticked by, and Aragorn thought he would go mad if he did not hear something. Then something broke the deafening silence. Something that made that hair on the back of his neck stand up and his stomach flip-flop in an explosion of butterflies. It was close, and in the absolute silence, it was the only thing that Aragorn heard. A howl.
Suddenly, the world came rushing back to Aragorn and only a few seconds had gone by; the pounding of the water, the wind in the trees. He realized that he was on his stomach with arms reaching down to the pool far below. *I must have dove to catch Legolas* he reasoned. He turned his head to his remaining companions who looked at him with hope that their two companions had surfaced. *They didn't hear it* he thought.
He looked Gandalf in the eye and uttered one word that left his companions flabbergasted and terrified.
"Wargs."
********
*The river Bruinen
Legolas: I fell?! I'm an Elf!! I'm not supposed to fall!!
Teah: Be quiet!! You were pushed, AND you took a Dwarf with you!
Legolas: Still...
Teah: Yay, chapter 2 is up!! Go me!! Hope I didn't dissapoint anyone with Pippin NOT being in mortal peril:)
Oh yeah,
Avon: Good point about Dwarves (it is in the Silmarillion mainly). That's the reason that I chose Gimli to be the tired one. If he's tired, then it shows how hard the road must have been. thanx a bunch!
************
Problems Along the Way
Chapter 2
Lost and Found
************
Struggling to free himself from a thorn bush that had decided to start taking prisoners, Pippin gave up and admitted defeat. He was totally and utterly lost. And now because of the aforementioned bush, his hands were cut up and were bleeding badly. Why had he stormed off like that?! *Why was Merry so mad at me? I didn't do anything to try to annoy him, I was just asking him a question*. But it was too late now. He had been walking for a good three quarters of an hour and had completely lost his sense of direction. *I knew I shouldn't have taken any turns. If I had walked in a straight line, I could have walked straight back, but I didn't even do that!* The little Hobbit thought remorsefully. *First Merry's mad at me, and now I've gotten myself completely lost. I can't do anything right!*
"No use in getting myself lost any further," he said aloud to himself. He plopped down on the ground right where he was, totally hidden from view by the large bush. "I'll just sit and wait for someone to come find me." *But what if they don't find me? What if they haven't even noticed I'm gone and they leave without me?* The thought of being left alone in the wild to survive by himself terrified the little Hobbit.
"Nonsense," he told himself. Merry would certainly notice that he was gone and insist that they look for him. *But what if Merry's still mad at me and decides that he doesn't want a cousin who can't do anything right? But what about Frodo? Surely he would miss me?* But Frodo probably had more important things on his mind. *Strider would certainly come and rescue me,* he thought with hope. *Or Legolas. He's one of the kindest people I've ever met. He would never leave me out here on my own.* Songbirds were in the trees overhead, but Pippin didn't even notice them.
Despite the renewed hope of the Elf prince coming to save him, Pippin could not help but feel totally alone as he drifted off to sleep.
********
"We have to go out and look for him!" Merry was starting to panic now. He had no idea how long Pippin had been gone and a horrible feeling of dread was slowly filling him.
"Fool of a Took," Gandalf said, "to go and run off on his own like this..."
"We have no idea where he went, what if he's hurt, or worse?" Frodo asked, looking back and forth from Gandalf to Aragorn. The panic in Merry's voice was really starting to worry Frodo.
"I'm sure that he's alright," Legolas offered hopefully, "he's probably just upset." The steady gaze of his deep blue eyes was soft, yet unyielding, and Frodo felt a little better from looking into them.
"Perhaps we should split up and look for him," Boromir said. He had started taking a liking for the little Hobbit, and the concern from the other Hobbits on his behalf made something click inside of Boromir. He realized that he was worried for Pippin too.
"A wise suggestion," Gandalf said, "Aragorn, you, Legolas and Boromir will go in search in search of him, while the rest of us wait here in case he comes back."
"Right," Aragorn said, "Legolas only just returned from the way we came, and he neither saw nor heard any sign of the Hobbit, so it is no use for use to search that way. We shall split up and go in three different directions. Whistle if you find him."
With a quick smile and a nod, Legolas took off in the direction opposite the way they had entered the clearing. Boromir, not knowing how to feel about taking orders from Aragorn, settled for a nod and an affirming grunt. He went to the left, while Aragorn headed off to the right.
********
It wasn't tiring work, but it was tedious. Literally like looking for a needle in a haystack. Pippin could be anywhere. The man from Gondor was not at all happy about having to look for this little creature through all the trees and underbrush, but just the same, his mind had surrendered to one thing: he was worried about the little hobbit and would look until the next morning if he had to, despite the fact that he had been up all night.
He only hoped that either he, or one of the others, would find Pippin before then.
He came then to an area like a clearing, except that it had a few tree's here and there, and the ground was covered entirely by thick short bushes that came up to his waist. With a mental groan, Boromir began to try and make his way through the dense brush. After about ten minutes of struggling with the bushes and only making it in a few feet, his frustration began to get the better of him. *That hobbit could be anywhere in this, standing even, and I wouldn't be able to find him*. Boromir made up his mind, and despite the risks of it attracting any unwanted attention, he began to call the hobbit's name. "Pippin!"
Pippin woke from his untimely slumber with a start. He could have sworn that he heard his name being called. *But I suppose I was only dreaming* he thought, and was about to fall into his mental Pit of Despair once more when he heard it.
"Pippin!"
He definitely heard it that time. He jumped to his feet, somewhat hindered by the bushes tugging at his clothes, but he was too short to see anything around him.
"Pippin!"
The voice was close to were he was, but whose voice was it?
"You blasted hobbit, are you in here?!"
"Boromir!" Pippin yelled.
The little hobbits voice came from only about ten feet away from Gondor's Captain. "Pippin, why didn't you answer me when I called to you?" Relief washed over the man, but he did his best to sound angry at the little hobbit.
"I was asleep!" Pippin yelled, both surprised and overwhelmingly happy at being found by Boromir.
Once that man had gotten a satisfactory idea of where the hobbit was located, he began the battle through the thick bushes to get to him. After what seemed like hours, Boromir parted two bushes with his powerful arms and there was the little Pippin staring balefully up at him. Boromir frowned when he saw how cut up Pippin's hands were, but he couldn't force back the smile that came with the relief of finding the little hobbit.
Pippin wanted to know what in Middle Earth this man was grinning at as two powerful arms freed him from the bushes that entangled his clothes and lifted him into the air.
Boromir held the little hobbit to his chest, much like the way he would carry a small child, and started on the tiring way back to camp. He had made it out of the net of bushes when Aragorn's words on their parting flashed through his head. He licked his lips and let out a long shrill whistle. Satisfied, and a bit regretful, that it was loud enough for anyone from there to Mordor to hear, he continued on his way.
The last thing Pippin remembered before dreams overcame him was Boromir saying something about running off and worrying the rest of the Fellowship. Laying his head on the large man's powerful shoulder, the tired little Pippin once more fell asleep.
********
*The dratted little Hobbit! Running off on his own.* Gimli was overtly annoyed with the little Hobbits by now, what with their non-stop jabbering, and kept mumbling under his breath about not coming along on this quest to be a baby-sitter. Of course, he was somewhat worried for the Hobbit, but he'd never admit that to anyone, at least not out loud. It was then that he heard a long shrill whistle, not too far off, coming from the direction that Boromir had left in. *Good*, he thought, *now I can get back to planning revenge on that accursed Elf!*
A small smile could be seen starting at the corners of Gandalf's mouth, and he breathed a little sigh of relief. The banter coming from the hobbits direction started up with renewed vigor.
"He had better be alright! When I get my hands on him..."
"Now Merry, how's that for logic? If he's okay, you'll hurt him, and if he's hurt you'll welcome him with open arms?"
"Exactly!"
"Don't go tryin' to figure out that Brandybuck logic, Mr. Frodo. Like as not Mr. Pippin would be thinking the same thing..."
This was starting to give the Dwarf a headache. He reached into his pack to search for his water skin and, he would be ashamed to say, gave a startled cry as the crowned Prince of Mirkwood dropped down out of the trees right in front of him.
"Watch what you're doing, you foolish Elf!!"
Legolas sent the Dwarf a look that could have froze Mt. Doom to the core, but instead of retaliation, turned his back on Gimli to scan the woods. *I have bigger tree's to climb* he thought, and concentrated on the surrounding woods.
He heard Aragorn approaching before he saw him, and soon the Ranger came striding into the clearing. It actually surprised Legolas that Pippin did not seem to be with Aragorn. He sent a questioning look to the Ranger just as Boromir came tramping into the clearing with a sleeping little Hobbit in his arms.
"Pippin!" Merry and Frodo shouted at once.
The little Hobbit was gently roused as the Boromir slowly lowered him to the ground. The Man of Gondor stood up quickly and backed away as three Hobbits came crashing towards him and Pippin.
Aragorn gave a chuckle and then said in a low voice, "I take it that the Hobbit is alright then?" The Rangers head was cocked slightly in Boromir's direction, but he wasn't looking at the man. Boromir followed Aragorn's gaze and his eyes fell on Legolas. The Elf had his slender arms crossed over his chest with his bow slung over his shoulder, and at first glance seemed to be observing the Hobbit group-hug that was taking place in front of him. But then Boromir noticed that the Woodland Prince was in fact looking past the Hobbits and was eyeing the Dwarf that had lain back down in his blanket. Boromir couldn't read Elf's expression, and was suddenly consumed with the desire to learn what the Elf was thinking, to see what was going on behind those solemn blue eyes. He felt entranced by them...
"Boromir?" The Rangers voice snapped Boromir back to reality. He was surprised to see Aragorn staring at him, his eyes full of concern. "Is something wrong with Pippin?"
"No, well, yes--" he stammered, a little agitated at being caught off his guard, "but nothing serious," he finished quickly. "Just some cuts on his hands, not deep."
At that moment, Merry pushed himself off Pippin, and held him by his shoulders at arms length. "What did you think you were doing running off like that?!"
The little Hobbit did his best to look as pathetic as possible.
"Don't ever do something as foolish as that again! What if you had gotten hurt?!"
"I did get hurt," Pippin said softly, looking directly into Merry's eyes.
"WHAT?! Where?!" Merry yelled.
"What happened? Where are you hurt?" Frodo piped in.
Pippin held out his scratched, bloody hands for his cousins to see. They started fussing over their younger cousin anew, acting as though his scratched up hands had actually been cut off.
Aragorn looked at the scene in front of him, and then at Sam, who was shaking his head and frowning. The Ranger gave a soft laugh that only he *and probably Legolas* could hear. *He knows how to play his cousins like a well tuned harp. Must have done this before*
"Come," he said, "we must get those hands cleaned up. There should be a small waterfall that is fed by a tributary of the Loudwater* somewhere in the area. We shall make for it, and then perhaps finally get some rest for the day."
Frodo sighed; Boromir grunted in acknowledgment; Gandalf nodded; Pippin continued to be fussed over by Merry; Sam mumbled something about breakfast getting cold; Legolas removed his bow and in its place on his shoulder slung his pack; but Gimli-- he showed his obvious anger at having to move after getting comfortable by making all of his actions violent. He viciously rolled up his blanket and crammed it into his pack. Instead of setting his axe that doubled for a walking stick on the ground, he thrust it into the bark of a nearby tree.
Legolas spun around to face the Dwarf's direction before Gimli's hand even left the haft of his axe. There was fire in his eyes to beat the Dark Lord himself. *He has no right to treat the trees so disrespectfully simply because he's tired*. As Gimli violently shook out his cloak, Legolas queried, "Has the ~legendary~ endurance and stamina of the Naugrim worn out so quickly in you, Dwarf?" His voice was icy cold, and dripping with malice and sarcasm; yet his face betrayed no emotions.
Gimli, quickly taking in what had incurred such a wrathful inquiry from the Elf, shot back, "It's a tree, Elf; a thing, bearing no thoughts or emotions." He was clearly trying to infuriate the Prince. "The only thing it should have is an expectation to be cleaved."
"Clearly Dwarf," he paused narrowing his eyes, "you are wrong as usual, for you see, you surprised this tree." He let show a small sinister smile, "It is not everyday that a stump attacks its superiors."
Now it was Gimli who was infuriated. "Why you--" he began, taking a step foreword. He pulled on the haft of his axe to loose it from the tree, only to find it stuck tight.
Legolas laughed a light, airy laugh that seemed to come so naturally to his people. "You see? She agrees with me!" he laughed again as Gimli pulled in vain.
"Stop it, both of you!" It was Gandalf. "Really, we must get moving."
"Of course Mithrandir," Legolas said with a slight bow, "you are wise and I heed your wisdom."
He looked so incredibly innocent. *Looks can be deceiving* Gandalf thought with a sigh.
As soon as Legolas righted himself to his full height, Gimli's axe came free and he landed hard on the ground. Legolas turned and walked towards the trees, leaving Gimli fuming on the ground.
********
They traveled for half of an hour when they started to hear the sounds of Aragorn's waterfall (all except for Legolas who had in fact heard it early that morning before they stopped), and with this urging their weary bodies on, they quickened their pace. Soon they found that they were standing on the top of a stony ridge, looking down into a basin of sorts. To their right, some twenty paces away, was the waterfall, and so powerful was its force that the waters didn't touch the almost vertical face of the ridge, and instead, shot out over it about five feet before it plummeted fifty feet to the deep, icy pool below. To their left, the waters calmed and continued on their natural course in the river.
Sam was uneasy, and wouldn't go within ten feet of the edge of the ridge. It was a fifty foot drop to the pool. The waters below them were churning so violently with the force of the falls that it looked to Sam as though he were peering over the edge of some great tea kettle that had been on the heat far too long. "Don't worry Bill," Sam said reassuringly, "you and I won't go nowhere near that waterfall." Even from his current position, Sam felt the cool mist of the mighty water collect on his face.
"We must make our way down the ridge to the river where the water is calm. Had we continued our original course, we would have crossed this river further on, in a few days or so," Aragorn said informatively. Pippin felt a twinge of guilt.
Legolas was standing at the edge of the ridge, peering into the icy water below. The air here tasted fresh and clean, and he breathed deep. *It is so peacefull here* he thought in contentment.
"Let us get a move on then, we've no time to sit and admire the ~scenery~," Gimli said with a glare in Legolas direction.
*Why must he ruin everything?* Legolas thought, highly insulted that the Dwarf had interrupted his peace. "Come a bit nearer, Master Dwarf, and I shall give you a closer look at the water."
"Nay Elf, you stand here tarrying long enough for all nine of us."
"And you simply stand there shorter than half of us."
"Watch it, Elf, you tread dangerous ground!" Gimli yelled over the sound of the falls, his anger welling up.
"At least I do not tread so near to it," Legolas shot back. He wasn't yelling, but his voice seemed to carry over the water.
Gimli was positively seething. He couldn't contain his anger. Without warning, Gimli lunged at Legolas. The Elf Prince hadn't expected the Dwarf to act with such audacity.
He dodged and turned to the side, but not soon enough; the Dwarf's fist caught wind in the stomach and knocked the wind out of him. He lost his balance, and before he knew it, he was falling, and Gimli with him.
The rest of the Fellowship watched in horror as Legolas and Gimli plummeted fifty feet and disappeared beneath the churning surface of the icy water. Suddenly, the world went silent. It was as if the waterfall made no sound at all. Seconds ticked by, and Aragorn thought he would go mad if he did not hear something. Then something broke the deafening silence. Something that made that hair on the back of his neck stand up and his stomach flip-flop in an explosion of butterflies. It was close, and in the absolute silence, it was the only thing that Aragorn heard. A howl.
Suddenly, the world came rushing back to Aragorn and only a few seconds had gone by; the pounding of the water, the wind in the trees. He realized that he was on his stomach with arms reaching down to the pool far below. *I must have dove to catch Legolas* he reasoned. He turned his head to his remaining companions who looked at him with hope that their two companions had surfaced. *They didn't hear it* he thought.
He looked Gandalf in the eye and uttered one word that left his companions flabbergasted and terrified.
"Wargs."
********
*The river Bruinen
Legolas: I fell?! I'm an Elf!! I'm not supposed to fall!!
Teah: Be quiet!! You were pushed, AND you took a Dwarf with you!
Legolas: Still...
Teah: Yay, chapter 2 is up!! Go me!! Hope I didn't dissapoint anyone with Pippin NOT being in mortal peril:)
Oh yeah,
Avon: Good point about Dwarves (it is in the Silmarillion mainly). That's the reason that I chose Gimli to be the tired one. If he's tired, then it shows how hard the road must have been. thanx a bunch!
