Author's Note: It's really been a while since I added to this series! This chapter is about Frodo, going back to when the Fellowship were en route to the Misty Mountains. Some things may not coincide with the Boromir story. Enjoy anyways.
Disclaimer: The Fellowship belongs to JRR Tolkien.
Frodo rubbed his hands together and then stuck them under his armpits to keep them warm. Most of the time the weather was warm but some nights were cold enough to remind them all that it was only January. Especially nights like these when Gandalf didn't want them to light any fires, in case any foul creatures might show up.
It was Frodo's turn to stay awake and keep a guarding eye while the others slept. Not even the Ringbearer got to escape this duty, which meant two hours of watching and four hours of sleep. Then you got two nights of rest before it was your turn again. If you were unlucky, as Frodo was tonight, you got stuck with the middle shift which meant getting two hours of sleep, two hours awake and then two more hours of sleep. It was enough to make anyone cranky.
He said goodnight to Merry, who had been keeping the first watch, and glanced longingly over at Aragorn who would be taking the next, wishing he could wake him up soon. The watches were kept on a rolling schedule where they were divided into groups of three and within each group they took turns taking the early-mid-late shifts. Gandalf had insisted that the Hobbits be spread out, but as there were four of them two had to share a night and Frodo and Merry had been deemed least likely to fall asleep or in any other way mess up. Not that any of the Hobbits had shown any tendencies to sleep on the job, their keen eyes and pointed ears made them better guards than most people, or would have if they weren't in the company of Elves, rangers and wizards.
It was always lonesome to have the middle watch. Merry had been lucky, he had gotten the first one, during which the others all settled down, spoke in soft voices and told a story or two before going to sleep. The late shift, which Aragorn would take, had the benefit of the others waking up by the end of it. But when you had the mid shift everyone else stayed asleep and you were all alone with your thoughts. Frodo didn't like being alone with his thoughts, he had too many dark things to think about.
He knew Pippin was going to have the mid shift the next night, but somehow he always managed to get Legolas to trade with him and Frodo couldn't think of a single night that Pippin had taken the shift they all hated. He had even managed to get Gandalf to trade with him once, which Frodo had no doubts that Sam would be writing into songs further down the line, as t was that much of an accomplishment.
While he sat there in the night he looked out over the company. Faithful old Sam had fallen asleep like a log the minute Aragorn had declared that it was time to go to rest; he had had the last shift the night before and needed sleep. Now he was snoring along with Gimli and Gandalf on Frodo's left side, the three of them neatly lined up in a row, the tallest furthest away and the shortest nearest Frodo. On Frodo's right side Boromir and Aragorn were both rolled up on their sides facing one another with their packs safely tucked in between them. Pippin lay close to the pony Bill, usually where Sam would be but tonight Sam had been too tired to bother where he slept and Pippin had taken the opportunity to sleep near the warm pony in the cold night. Legolas was stretched out on his back and Merry had curled up into a ball using Legolas' stomach as a pillow as he quickly went to sleep.
When he looked at them Frodo felt the feeling of loneliness and fright in the darkness disappear and instead a feeling of warmth came over him. Ever since they set out from Rivendell he had been preoccupied with the Ring and with his task, grateful to have a company with him to help and protect him but never giving much thought to it. In all of Frodo's life the idea of friends being there when you needed them had been something he took for granted, it was a natural part of Hobbit life. Yet when he looked at the party now a gratefulness welled up in him which almost made him cry.
The eight people sleeping safely, trusting that he would keep them safe while they rested, had all come with him on a difficult road leading to despair, death and nightmares Frodo didn't dare to think of. That Pippin, Merry and Sam had come was only natural to him, he knew that they would follow him to whatever end for they were faithful and they were his friends who loved him. Gandalf was no surprise either since he knew better than anyone what was at stake and that Frodo would need protection. But the other four were a different matter.
Neither of them had known him when the council was held at Rivendell. Only Aragorn, and only for a short time. He would protect Frodo at the cost of his own life and Frodo knew that it was not just because of the ring he carried around his neck. Aragorn would protect him because they had become friends, and because he admired the Hobbit's courage and fortitude. Even though Frodo knew that Aragorn had his own benefits to gain from the success of the quest Frodo also knew that those were not the only reasons he had come. Aragorn was loyal and would be there to the end if he could be.
Boromir, who slept next to Aragorn, was one of the kindest men Frodo had ever met. He could lose his temper easily and he had the heart and mind of a warrior but he had a protective side which made Frodo feel safe around him. Boromir too would fight to the death if needed, and even though he sometimes voiced a different opinion than Gandalf or Aragorn he always spoke from the viewpoint of what he thought was best. If there was something weak or easily corrupted about him, Frodo could not see it at this point.
Gimli was a real treasure to have. His father Gloin had taken part in the finding of the One, but what mattered the most to Frodo was that he had travelled with Bilbo. It felt like a torch being handed over to a new generation when Frodo and Gimli together travelled on this quest. They had a lot of things to talk about, many stories to share and it felt like they had a connection through Gloin and Bilbo. Frodo would sometimes look at the Dwarf and imagine that he was out on Bilbo's quest, a much more peaceful quest which didn't have the fate of all Middle-Earth riding on it.
Legolas was the greatest surprise to Frodo. To have an Elf in the company, even though it was a given that all free people should be represented, gave the whole thing a special feel to it, like it was really something extra. Legolas' keen eyes and even keener ears were always alert; Frodo didn't know how they would have gotten this far without the Elf. The four Hobbits were all fascinated by him and flocked around him during the first days, asking him questions and begging for stories. Even though they had spent time in Rivendell among the Elves they had never been around one all day and night long, eating, sleeping and walking together. Once they had gotten to know each other better all four Hobbits seemed to find it something special to be able to be so casual with an Elf.
Frodo glanced over at Merry, using Legolas as a pillow, and smiled. He let his eyes wander over the company once more and didn't feel lonely at all. What he felt was pride and joy, pride over the great people who had come with him on this hopeless journey and pride over getting to watch over them for a few hours. They were all there to keep him safe, but at night he could keep them safe just as well. Looking after them made him feel warm and good inside. He was not the Ringbearer at this moment, not the one who stood out from the crowd, the one the others were there to watch over. He was an equal to them all, one of the Fellowship, nothing more, nothing less. And he watched them as they slept.