Chapter 6
I woke up during the middle of the night to see Gimli sitting up, wide awake. He was watching the flames, kicking sticks into it when the fire seemed as though it were dying. He didn't notice me until I had untangled myself from Legolas's arms and sat up.
"Gimli?" I asked hoarsely, coughing. I cleared my throat and tried again.
"Are you thirsty lass?" He asked in a loud voice, apparently not seeing that everyone else was asleep. No one stirred.
"Just a bit." I smiled and took a sip of water from a canteen. It wet my throat and enabled me to speak. "Gimli, I wanted to apologize for what I did yesterday."
"It's alright, no harm done." He still didn't look from the flames.
"I want us to be friends, or at least civil with each other. Would you be able to forgive me?"
"I said that there was no harm done lass." He looked up for a moment and I knew why he was acting that way – he was embarrassed because he had been hit by a woman. I suddenly wished I had never apologized.
For the next few minutes I just watched Gimli stare at the fire until he finally just laid down on his bedroll. He turned away from me and I could only guess that he had wanted to sit up alone for some reason. With a sigh I rose and walked away from the safety of the camp.
It was fairly cold away from the fire and I had left my cloak back at the camp. I wandered a short ways away so that I could go to the bathroom in peace without worrying about someone waking up and stumbling upon me. I went behind a large stone and looked around to make sure I was alone.
Gandalf had seemed nervous about going into Caradhras. I wasn't sure why, for Gandalf was a powerful wizard and a wise man. There was something there that he was afraid of, I just knew it. I contemplated asking him about it in the morning.
I had just adjusted my tunic when I heard footsteps on the other side of the stone. I stopped moving and listened, waiting for whoever it was to make a move. Finally a figure moved around the stone, and I recognized Boromir.
"What are you doing out here?" I snapped, backing away a bit. He simply smiled and stepped closer.
"I could ask you the same thing."
"I was going to the bathroom you idiot. Why were you sneaking up on me?"
"I told you," he grabbed a hold of my wrist, "that if you came I would make trouble for you."
I grabbed the hand that held my wrist at the wrist and flipped him over. He landed on the ground with a thud and I could hear the wind being knocked out of him. I began to make my escape when he grabbed my ankle and I fell to the ground, my chin slamming into the dirt hard. He then flipped me over onto my back and grabbed me around the throat. I fought his hands, trying to kick with my legs but he had them pinned. I felt my eyes growing hot as tears from being strangled worked their way into them.
Suddenly there was an axe pushed against Boromir's neck and he slowly let go. I began coughing, trying to get the air back into my lungs.
"Get up." Gimli's voice spat.
I looked behind me as Boromir got to his feet slowly, his hands raised. He seemed so innocent now…it was odd. Something was wrong with Boromir and I was going to find out what it was.
"If you lay hands on the lass, or anyone in the fellowship, I'll have your head." Gimli promised, lowering his axe so that Boromir could go back to the camp. I watched as he sulked off to where his bedroll was. Gimli was at my side in a second.
"Are you alright?" He asked, a hand on my back.
"I'm fine Gimli, really." I got to my feet, rubbing my neck. I knew without even looking that there would be bruises from where Boromir had strangled me.
"Why did he attack you?"
"I don't know…but promise me something." I looked down at Gimli. "Don't tell anyone about it, especially Legolas."
"Why would I speak to that-"
"Gimli!" I said sharply, narrowing my eyes.
"I won't say a word lass, but you had best watch yourself." He eyed the camp, looking at Boromir's sleeping form. We walked silently back to camp where he sat down and I laid beside Legolas, who had turned away from me in his sleep.
"Gimli?"
He looked up from the ground.
"What?"
"Thank you." I smiled before lying down and closing my eyes. I wasn't sure but I thought I heard a, "You're welcome," before falling asleep.
The snow in Caradhras made it hard to walk. I felt horribly for the Hobbits as they struggled to keep their footing. Frodo was walking beside me and I could hear him shivering and shaking. I went to pull my cloak off but remembered the bruises on my neck. If anyone saw them, they'd want to know where I got them.
"Frodo here." I pulled off my cloak anyways, tugging at my tunic to make it rise up a bit over the bruises. I helped him into it.
"But what about you?" He looked up at me now that I had on no cloak.
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I feel great. I told you I'd look out for you anyways." I assured him with a smile. Thankfully he bought it and we continued walking.
Not long after we started walking again did Frodo all of a sudden fall backwards with a cry and begin rolling down the mountain.
"Frodo!" Aragorn and I called out at almost the same time. Aragorn was quick to catch Frodo before he could continue rolling, and helped him up. I watched as Frodo dusted himself off and then searched his neck for the Ring. I then saw Boromir bend down and pick something up off of the ground.
I couldn't hear what they were saying, but I knew that Boromir had the Ring. From what it looked like, he was reluctant to return it. I went forward but was grabbed by Legolas.
"Aragorn can take care of himself." He told me, holding onto my arm.
I turned back around and watched as Boromir slowly reached out and handed Frodo the Ring. Boromir then ruffled Frodo's hair and turned back around to continue walking. That was when I figured it out – Boromir was being tainted by the Ring. That was why he had been so venomous towards me and why he had attacked me. He knew that I was protecting and looking out for Frodo and so he thought he had to get rid of me.
My heart suddenly pitied Boromir as he walked past Legolas and I. He caught my sudden stare and stopped in his tracks, eyeing my neck. If I hadn't known better, he looked sorry for what he had done.
"Tula." Legolas let go of my arm and walked away.
(Come.)
I slowly followed Legolas, staying a ways behind. Gimli was walking behind him and so I rushed up to ask if my bruises were showing. I bent over so that he could adjust the top of my tunic and then hurried to join Legolas after thanking Gimli.
"Where is your cloak?" Legolas asked suddenly, touching my arm.
"I wanted to feel the fresh air, and Frodo was cold."
"Take mine." He began shrugging out of it but I grabbed his arm, shaking my head. He looked at me disapprovingly but didn't argue with me.
"The snow is beautiful." I commented, looking ahead at the white mountains. The snow indeed was beautiful, however it made the journey more difficult.
"Yes it is." He agreed, following my gaze across the mountains. He slowly slipped his hand into mine and I reveled in the warmth. I was beginning to feel the cold…just a little bit.
When we reached the narrow trails along the mountain side the blizzard started. I picked Frodo up in my arms and carried him on my hip like a child. He leaned against my shoulder, trying to pull the cloak over both of us but I stopped him.
Aragorn was carrying Sam while Boromir balanced both Merry and Pippin on his shoulders. Legolas was at the head of the group, studying the sky. It seemed as though he were listening to something that we couldn't hear.
"There is a fell voice in the air!" He shouted over the rushing wind and snow. He turned to look back at all of us.
"It's Saruman!" Gandalf turned to look back at us as well.
Aragorn's face fell and he looked up solemnly at us. He held Sam closer to him as he spoke.
"He's trying bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!"
"No!" Gandalf's voice was horrified at the thought of turning back. I had been right – he was afraid of something.
"Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith!" He chanted, trying to fight Saruman's words. He seemed to be concentrating hard and I knew that he was losing against him.
(Sleep Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!)
The snow just came harder and soon we heard a rumbling. We all looked up to see mountains of snow and large icicles falling towards us. Legolas ran from his spot at the head of the group and pinned Frodo and I against the side of the mountain. His chest was at my back, keeping both Frodo and I safe. I saw that the other were doing the same.
"We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to the city!" Boromir suggested as the snow stopped falling in piles upon us. It seemed like the only idea until Aragorn spoke.
"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!"
"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria." Gimli seemed excited to take that route, but I turned and saw exactly what I knew would be in Gandalf's eyes, fear.
"Let the Ring bearer decided." He said mournfully.
Legolas moved back so that I could turn. Frodo looked from Gandalf to Gimli, trying his hardest to make a decision. It all rested on his small shoulders.
"What should I do Adette?" He asked quietly, looking up at me.
"Only you can decide Frodo. Whatever you decide, we will follow you."
He looked away from me to make his decision. He then looked up at Gandalf, sure of himself.
"We will go through the mines."
Gandalf nodded his head, although I could see that this didn't please him. He had been hoping that Frodo would choose to continue up the mountain or to follow Boromir's suggestion.
"So be it."
Once we had gotten close to the mines, Frodo insisted that I put him down.
"Adette, you look pale." He commented, raising a hand to my face. He laid it against my cheek but pulled back quickly. "You're burning up!"
"I-I'm fine Frodo." I lied, smiling weakly at him. The truth was, I did feel ill. My skin was burning but I felt so cold at the same time. But Frodo needed my cloak more than I did and so I knew to keep my illness a secret. I set him down on his feet. "Probably just your body heat."
"If you say so Adette." He looked up at me one last time before going back towards Gandalf. I watched as he went back to help the old man, suddenly feeling sicker now that I had admitted it to myself. I breathed in sharply, a hand rising to wipe my forehead.
"Adette?" My brother's voice came from my side. I turned to see him looking worriedly at me and before I could stop him, he did as Frodo had although he didn't pull away. Instead he moved his hand to my other cheek as well. "You're ill."
"I'm fine Aragorn, really. Please don't go all big brother on me." I pleaded, taking his hand from my face.
"You should rest. Why don't you ride Bill-"
"No, no. If I ride Bill he'll get tired and Legolas will worry. I'm fine Aragorn." I smiled and continued walking alongside him. "What shall we do in the mines?"
"I don't know. What do dwarves do for fun?" He smiled too. I was glad that he wasn't going to make my not feeling well a big deal.
"Ask Gimli."
"I'll have you know lass," speak of the devil, "that we dwarves have many ways of entertaining ourselves." He walked between Aragorn and me to lead everyone.
"Do you Gimli? Ale and meat all around I presume?"
"More than you'll ever eat or drink."
Aragorn and I laughed as we neared the mines. The mountains there were a gray color and there was a thick fog about it. The whole setup made me shiver, that and my being sick. Aragorn seemed to notice and touched my shoulder.
"Will you be alright?"
"Yes I'll be fine," I turned to see Legolas catching up, "now be quiet before he hears you."
An arm went around my shoulder and I turned to see Legolas smiling down at me, walking in between Aragorn and I. Aragorn fell back to give us our privacy.
We had been sitting for hours outside the door while Gandalf tried desperately to open it with his magical words. He was growing frustrated and so we all began suggesting words and phrases of our own.
"Please open the goddamn door." I muttered as I sat alone. I was beginning to get the shakes and I didn't want anyone to see me. I rubbed my arms fiercely in an attempt to warm them and kept my jaw clenched to stop my teeth from chattering. The mugginess in the mines wasn't helping.
"I don't think that one will work – you suggested it only minutes ago."
I turned to see Legolas standing behind me. When I didn't acknowledge him he proceeded to sit down next to me anyways and take my hand. I tried to jerk away but he grabbed it anyways.
"Adette, you're shaking." He said in a concerned tone. He ripped off his cloak and forced my arms inside of it. "You're ill."
"Legolas-"
"Adette, amin dele ten' lle."
(Adette, I am worried about you.)
"Don't be. I'm just a little chilled." I smiled at him. "And now you will be without your cloak."
"You're already ill, you need it more than I do."
Suddenly Gandalf's voice rang out and the door slowly swung open. Legolas and I jumped to our feet, thankful that it was finally open and we could move again.
"Shall I carry you?" He asked.
"No! Why would you do such a thing?" I walked past him and followed everyone into the darkness. We looked around the room as Gandalf lit his staff so that we could see. I was horrified when I saw skeletons lying on the floor. Arrows were sticking out of skulls. Gimli cried out.
"No! No!" He ran towards a skeleton and cried out once more.
Legolas rushed inside and dislodged an arrow from a skull. He examined it only for a moment before recognizing it and throwing it to the ground.
"Goblins!" He warned.
Everyone reached for their weapons. I unsheathed my sword, my arms suddenly feeling heavy and fatigued. I nearly dropped my sword, but instead just held the tip to the ground to steady myself. This went unnoticed by Legolas.
"Please rest dúlin."
I was about to answer when Sam called for Aragorn. We all turned to see Frodo being dragged into the water by a tentacle. Legolas shot an arrow at the large target, but to no avail. The giant octopus continued to hold Frodo in midair. Aragorn, Boromir, and I rushed at the octopus, slicing at its tentacles. I found the effort exhausting, but kept attacking. Aragorn soon sliced off the tentacle holding Frodo and he fell into Boromir's open arms.
Seeing him safe, we all turned and began running back into the open doorway. I was breathing heavily, sweating profusely. Legolas stayed behind to shoot more arrows at the octopus as it tried to follow.
Once I was inside I staggered closer to Boromir as he continued to hold Frodo. I tried to reach out by fell to my knees, my vision shaky. I felt arms around me and heard Aragorn's voice faint in my ear. The last thing I remembered before falling into darkness were Legolas's distraught cries for my name.