Chapter Nine: Gifts

The next week was little more than a blur in Boromir's eyes. Every day at noon, he would spar with Feanar. He still only lasted about a few blows. Sometimes Elgorn and Celgalad would watch, or spar one another. Where ever Boromir went, he would be pitied and good-lucked. Thus, he was always seeking solitude, or was looking for the others of the fellowship to be with. He had caught both dwarves once, finding them to his liking. Aeglos was absent the entire time. Boromir found himself spending more time with the elves, and the hobbit.

Pippin had been let off of duty untill after the fellowship left, so he had a lot of time on his hands. He was ever with the elves, joking and teasing. Boromir liked the time spent with the others. Yet Boromir could not help but notice that Feanar was removing himself more from the group as the end of the week came closer. From the looks of the others, he knew the others noticed as well.

Then, with the last night apon the fellowship, Boromir was pulled aside by his father after dinner. This troubled Boromir, but not as much as the worry in Faramir's eyes.

"Why, Boromir?" Faramir asked, his voice quivering. "Why did you willingly chose to go to Mordor? You will get killed!" Boromir placed a calm hand on his father's shaking one. Boromir's mind was racing. Why, indeed? Boromir searched his mind and heart for a reason.

"Because my heart told me that it was the best thing to do. I don't know exactly what made me follow my heart at that time, I just did." Boromir looked away from his father, closing his eyes. When he spoke again, his voice was full of many emotions that could not be seperated.

"The name I bear is one of honor and glory, yet of grusome deaths. That may not be my fate." Why, Boromir! Why! "I just ask you, as my father, to suport any disision that I make. You need not to agree with it, just suport me." Please father, you don't know how hard it was for me to come to this conclusion. Faramir sighed.

"Yes, I will suport you. I always have and won't stop now. Just answer this, truthfully. Do you think you will die?" Do I? When going to the land of Mordor, where only two have survied, will I?

"If my comrads are as reliable in battle as I am lead to believe, then mabie. One can never know." One can never know…A shout from down the hall drew Boromir's attention. It was Feanar calling to him.

"Do you know where any others of the fellowship are?" Feanar asked. What is that in his eyes? Worry, confusion?

"Unfortunately, no. I saw a few of them at dinner. I have a feeling that they went to their quarters. Why were you not at dinner?"

"Oh… well, had something on my mind that has been knawing at me for some time. Now more than ever." Feanar looked very uncomfortable. It is saddness in his eyes. Saddness?

"Ok. I'll help you look for the others. Just tell me what to say." Boromir put a conforting hand on Feanar's sholder.

"King Aragorn wants to see us before we turn in. He asks that we meet in the first wall guard house. I have no clue what this meeting is about. Let's go, unless you are not done talking to lord Faramir." Boromir looked over at his father, who nodded.

"Let's go."

An hour later, everyone was gathered together. Feanar, Celgalad, Elgorn and Boromir sat together at one side. Dwain sat with Oin in the middle, talking rapidly in Dwarvish. Aeglos sat near his father at the top of the table. Aragorn stood and looked at the fellowship of flame.

"Not once have all of us dined together, and now there is no time. Instead I will give all of you a presant that I hope will help you on your travles. Aeglos, my son. I give you only my blessing, for you have all that I could phisicaly give to you. Boromir, son of Faramir, come forth." Boromir blinked, yet did as his lord comanded. "I give you this horn. It was worn by the Boromir of the nine-walkers. I had it remade in remeberance of him, but I think it will come of use. It strikes fear in an enemy heart and courage in a allies." Boromir accepted this gift greatfully. He sat back down beside Dwain. The dwarf looked very interested with its make, so Boromir let him look at it.

"To you, Elgorn, I give you a jacket of leather. Light is is yet almost as tough as metal armor." Elgorn accepted the gift silently. Celgalad recevied the same.

"Feanar. You seem to need much, for already I have given you a sword, yet now I give you more. A leather jacket, I give you also, anlong with this." Aragorn lifted a grey cloak. It seemed to change colors at every movement. "This cloak was given to me by the Lady Galadriel of Lorien. I am reluctant to give it away, but I have this strange feeling that you will need it more than I." Feanar bowed low in thanks.

"Dwain. You are almost the same as your father. To you I give a pipe. At difficult times, a pipe always alows one to think a little clearer." Dwain thanked Aragorn most graciously.

"And Oin, last not in my mind, I give this." Aragorn handed a small sheild to Oin. It had a golden horse running on it. "It once belonged to Theoden of Rohan. Gimli bore it at the battle of Helm's Deep, and caried it all the way here. He forgot it though. I have conversed with him, and he willingly gives it to you as well."

"Also like Gimli, I would rather bear a horse then be borne by one." Oin said gruffly. The rest of the fellowship laughed.

"I apoint Aeglos and Feanar the guides, for both know where the safest path lies. We expect you back here in one month, or two at the most. Now, I believe that you should get some rest. When do you plan on leaving?"

"Dawn, if no one objects." Elgorn said. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"So be it. I have little doubt that you will be seen off by most of Minas Tirith. Good night." Aragorn left. The fellowship sat in silence for a moment, then started conversing on many things

Dwain woke abruptly, not knowing why. He sat up. The sky was still dark, dawn still far off. Dwain knew that he would not go back to sleep, so he quietly got up and sliped his boots on. Once outside, he paused. Where should I go? Dwain thought. He looked up. The beacon tower could be seen in the quarter moon light. There! Dwain started off for the tower.

Apon reaching the platform, he saw that he would not be alone. Feanar stood there, lightly outlined by the moonlight, seemingly frozen. Dwain strode forward, planing to sit beside the elf. As he aproched, Feanar moved his head slightly to see who it was.

"Ah… Dwain. Could you not sleep?" The elf asked quietly.

"Nay. You?" Dwain sat down, back on a pole, facing the elf. Much had he changed from when Dwain had first seen him. Dwain couldn't place what had changed though.

"Haven't for a week." Feanar answered. Sadder, quieter, or mabie more cautious.

"Why?"

"For some reason, unwanted memories keep showing themselves." All three, plus more distant.

"About what?"

"I cannot say, for they are too near." Feanar looked up at the stars. "This place, for some reason just haunts me with memories."

"About who?"

"In one thing you havent changed, my dwarf friend. You still ask a intorable number of questions." Feanar said, smiling. He turned towards the dwarf, and mimiced his pose. "I will answer some of them. The memories are about my mother."

"Why? What happened?" Dwain couldn't resist in saying. Feanar was different and Dwain wanted to know why.

"Many things." Dwain couldn't help but notice Feanar rubbing his exposed collar bone. On closer examination, Dwain could faintly see a scar.

"Ok, ok, don't tell me. Be a distant elf. Geez." Dwain said. Feanar's eyes flashed.

"I haven't changed much. You just caught me at a strange time."

"Ah! The elf reads my mind again!" Dwain teased. "I see that you havent changed much. You have become more quiet." Dwain shifted. "Do ya still like weapons like I do?"

"Indeed I do. I saw your ax. A beauty. Who made it?" Feanar eagerly said.

"Why, my friend Glin. You met him. He was the loud one."

"Was he know…" Feanar and Dwain talked like this untill the sky lightened to pink. Then the sky went blood red. Feanar saw this and faltered.

"What is it, Feanar?" Dwain asked as Feanar stood quickly. Feanar didn't speak for a little bit. When he did, his voice was quied and troubled.

"A red sun rises. Again blood has been spilt. But where…" Dwain blinked. Again? When was the first time? Feanar surised Dwain again in sudenly bounding away from the edge and shouting.

"Come, come, now is the time we should find the others and get our packs. See you at the gate, Dwain!" Then he was gone, leaving a bewildered dwarf to blink in confusion like an owl in the sunlight.

Boromir stood at the edge of the wall, awaiting the dawn and the rest of the fellowship. Many of the fellowship had not slept well, Boromir knew, himself included. The restlessness of beginning a journey was apon them. Aeglos, whom shared Boromir's room when in the city, paced all night. At midnight, Boromir had seen Feanar sneek up to the beacon tower. Dwain had followed Feanar, an hour later. Elgorn rose a hour before dawn, and stood like a stature beside Boromir. He was wraped in a cloak and could barely be seen by Boromir, who knew where the elf stood. Celgalad and Oin had not appeared, so Boromir was lead to believe that they had not awaken yet.

Elgorn shiffted. "Should we start looking for the others, or wait by the main gate?" The green eyed elf asked.

"Hmm. I believe that we should go to the dinning part of the guardhouse. If I know anything of dwarves, it is that they would go noware without knowing they had enough food." Boromir strode for the guardhouse, where men were coming in from their night shifts. Boromir's guess proved correct, as Oin and Dwain were packing dried hams and fruits into their packs. Feanar and Celgalad were standing to the side, visibly stiffling snickers. Boromir and Elgorn approched them.

"A bit of a load that will be, with all that food." Celgalad said quietly so only Elgorn, Feanar, and Boromir could hear it.

"Looks like their packing enough for all seven of us. Do they not trust us to carry our share?" Boromir scoffed, sarcasam easily heard. "We men are hardy. We would carry our share and more if we must."

"It's not that." Feanar said, carefully hiding the laughter on his lips. "They are young dwarves, they ear more then anyone else on Middle Earth, except mabie hobbits." Feanar looked up. "Say, where is that wooly-footed Pip. I would like to say good bye to that little rascle before we go."

"I belive that he has not awakened yet. I have heard that hobbits sleep well past sunrise." Elgorn said. The dwarves finished packing their food and strode over to the troop of elves and men. They caried seven plates between them. As Oin stoped, Feanar had to lunge to prevent plates from crashing to the floor.

"So kind of you, to bring us breakfast. I think that they are keepers." Celgalad teased. Dwain gave the elf a dark look as he set some of the plates down on a nearby table.

"Where is Aeglos? We got enough for him to eat with us, and yet he is not here." Dwain complained. Yet just as Dwain was finishing his sentence, Aeglos walked in. He sat down beside Boromir. "Where were you?"

"Conversing with Aragorn." Aeglos said simply. Feanar shook his head at Dwain as the dwarf opened his mouth to question Aeglos. Boromir looked up from his meal to see this conversation take place. "Who is the extra plate for, Dwain?"

"You." The dwarf huffed.

"Oh, thanks, but I ate already." Aeglos said. The dwarf sighed.

"All that extra work for nothing…" Aeglos looked at the dwarf in wory, but the dwarf laughed. Boromir went to return his eyes to his plate when he caught sight of a small figure at the door.

"Hey! Well what do you know, the hobbit is up! The food is not wasted." The hobbit came to the table and grabed the plate. Beside him was a sack.

"Whats in the bag Pip?" Feanar asked. In front of the elf, an empty plate sat. Boromir blinked at this. He himself was not half way done yet! Pushing that thought out of his mind with a smile, he concetrated on the bag. Grey it was, and slightly bulging. Boromir frowned. What could it be?

"Oh, just a little something I made." Pippin, between bites, reached down to grab the bag. He dumped it on the table. Seven necklaces slid out. Each necklace had a small carved sword strung on it with a piece of leather, with the pattern of fire on each blade. On the oppisit side, a engraving of each of their names showed in black. "Find the one with your name on it."

"Wow, thanks Pip!" Celgalad exclamed. "Did you make it yourself?"

"I, unfortunatly, am not that good a widdling. I bought thease specialy for you at one of the stores. Cost me a lot, but it was worth it. Boromir slowly picked his out and put it on.

"Thanks a lot, Pip."

AN: Well? Do you like? I think it is one of my longest chapters. I hardly ever write this much for anything, nonetheless a story. I usualy get something in my head, then write it down. After I write a chapter or two, the story leaves my head. Not this one. Please R&R for me. Correct it as needed.

I like to thank you steph for the encoragement you have given me. Also I thank Curious one, though I would like to know who you are… like a e-mail or just a name… or anything… please?