Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings or Star Wars. :)

Chapter Six

The sky was still dark, and the first rays of dawn were only just starting to show, when some of the others began to stir. Legolas was first, followed by Gandalf and then Strider. The others still slept soundly.

"We should wake them," Strider suggested. "We'll need to eat breakfast quickly and then set out.

Gandalf nodded, giving Frodo a small shake. The Ringbearer rolled over and opened his eyes. "Morning already?"

"Not quite," Legolas answered, shaking Gimli. "But by the time we get this Dwarf up, it will be."

Obi-Wan smiled as the rest of the Fellowship was woken up. Still, Gimli lay there, snoring, oblivious to Legolas' shaking. Obi-Wan held out his hand and focused. Slowly, the sleeping Dwarf was lifted into the air.

"Wow!" Pippin shouted. Merry's expression echoed his astonishment. The others turned as Gimli's eyes blinked open.

"Wh-where-what-help!" Gimli shouted. He was only about two feet in the air, but waking up and finding nothing underneath oneself is quite an upsetting experience.

Obi-Wan immediately lowered the Dwarf, who leapt to his feet, reaching for his axe. Obi-Wan took a step backwards. "It's all right. I was just waking you up."

"Fine way to wake someone up, by lifting them off the ground using nothing at all!" Gimli's expression was murderous beneath the cover of his beard, and Obi-Wan realized he had probably made a mistake by upsetting the Dwarf so early in the morning.

Gandalf put a hand on Gimli's shoulder to stop him from going after the Jedi. "Now, come, my good Gimli, no harm has been done. And breakfast is ready."

Grumbling, Gimli put down his axe and sat down, his eyes still following Obi-Wan's every move. Legolas smiled, which upset the Dwarf even more, and Merry and Pippin weren't even bothering to hide their laughter.

The two younger Hobbits sat down next to Obi-Wan. "How did you do that?" Merry asked through laughs.

Obi-Wan decided to spare them a lecture on the Force. "It's something I learned back where I came from."

Pippin looked up from his breakfast. "Could you teach us?"

Obi-Wan swallowed his bite of food. He hadn't expected that. "Yeah," Merry echoed. "Can you teach us?" The whole Fellowship was now gathered around Obi-Wan. Even Gimli seemed vaguely interested, though he was determined not to show it.

"Well . . ." Obi-Wan started. One apprentice was hard enough, but nine? People typically started learning to use the Force at an extremely young age; even Anakin had been considered too old by most of the Jedi Council. Chances were he wouldn't get anywhere with them, and they would become frustrated and give it up, anyway. "It's not easy," he said at last. "But if you want me to, I can try."

"Wonderful," Gimli grumbled. "Then all the rest of this Fellowship will be waking me up rudely every morning." He let out a 'hrumph' and returned to his food.

"It's all right," Boromir assured Obi-Wan, sitting down beside Pippin. "He'll come around. It's just early."

Gandalf nodded. "Go on, Obi-Wan."

So all through breakfast, Obi-Wan was kept busy attempting to explain to them in various ways how to use the Force. He'd expected to find himself quickly frustrated with the group, but instead he was enjoying himself, letting himself feel their excitement about trying something so new. Even though they didn't appear to be making much, if any, progress, it was fun.

Of the Hobbits, Pippin seemed to show the most promise. He was younger, more open-minded, than the rest of the Fellowship. But Obi-Wan knew he didn't have the right concentration, and was the most frustrated by the focus involved.

Merry, Sam, and Frodo were more focused, but they were also more cautious, more guarded. They were curious, but that curiosity only went so far, so deep. For the most part, they were content to let Obi-Wan show them everything.

Legolas watched the Hobbits' attempts with amusement, but didn't really seem all that interested in learning to lift pebbles or blades of grass. Obi-Wan let it go. He strongly suspected the Elf already had a connection of some sorts with the Force. He was always ready, alert, attentive to what was going on.

Gimli avoided the idea, and Obi-Wan, completely, every so often muttering something about being grateful he had his helmet on in case a stone flew out of control.

But none did. In fact, only Obi-Wan's flew much of anywhere. Obi-Wan wasn't upset, or even surprised, when the pebbles and grass, for the most part, stayed firmly on the ground all through breakfast.

If Obi-Wan was surprised with anything, it was Boromir's interest. The Gondorian had almost no skill, he could tell immediately, but he was persistent. Only a couple times did his gaze stray from the blade of grass he was focusing on, yet the only thing that moved it was the wind.

Equally surprising to Obi-Wan was Strider, but in a much different way. Obi-Wan could feel the Force flowing strongly through him, but he didn't seem to be able to do anything with it. He had the potential, to be sure, but over the course of breakfast, his pebble moved less than Boromir's grass, as the wind wasn't strong enough to blow it anywhere.

Gandalf didn't say so much as a word, to Obi-Wan or any of the others. He simply watched, neither interested or bored, until it was time to set off.

By the time they started out, the sun was over the top of the hills. Obi-Wan could feel the Wizard's eyes on him, but could read nothing of his mood. Had breakfast taken too long? Was he angry? Obi-Wan didn't think so -- at least, he wasn't as angry as he had been at Boromir at the Council. But still . . .

When they started walking, half the Fellowship -- Pippin, Merry, Boromir, Strider, and Obi-Wan -- had several small pebbles in their pockets and at least one in their hand. Obi-Wan had several dozen, but they didn't spend much time in his hand. Instead, while they were walking, he found himself entertaining the Hobbits by manipulating them into different shapes.

The requests seemed endless. Could he do a tree? A horse? A bird? A mountain? Two swords fighting? A rabbit? A dog? A ship?

This last request brought a bit of confusion when Obi-Wan proceeded to make a perfectly good spaceship. Frodo, whose request it had been, only barely stifled a laugh. Merry and Pippin didn't bother to try.

Obi-Wan, of course, had no idea what was wrong with it. At last, Gandalf was forced to intervene, and, lighting up his pipe, blew an excellent ship. Obi-Wan stared for a moment, and then rearranged his pebbles to match the image. Gandalf nodded approvingly. "You are from a different world, Obi-Wan."

"I seem to be constantly reminded of that," Obi-Wan sighed, striding ahead until he was alongside the Wizard, leaving the ship to the others, still controlling it, but not really paying it much attention. "Ships that travel on water and are moved by the air," he mused. "Very interesting."

"Your pebble-tricks seem rather impressive to them."

Obi-Wan laughed. "So do your smoke-figures."

"But that is not the extent of your powers."

"Nor yours."

"Indeed. This Force you speak of, what else is it capable of?"

"Many things, depending upon the skill of the one who is working with it."

Gandalf nodded. "A safe answer."

"What would you have me tell you?"

The Wizard looked back. The others were a ways behind. "Very well; I shall be plain. The power of the One Ring is very great, Obi-Wan, as you know well by now. Could you somehow help Frodo resist its power, the temptation to use it? Is that possible?"

Obi-Wan looked startled for a moment. Of course, he should have expected it, he realized, that someone would think of a better use for his powers than amusing the Hobbits with pebbles. And who else to suggest it but Gandalf, who seemed to be known more for his fireworks and his smoke-rings than for his greater deeds.

"There is only so much I can do," Obi-Wan said at last. "The strength of the Dark Side of the Force in the Rings is very strong. I am not sure how much I can do to counter it. But, if you wish, I will do my best."

Gandalf nodded, and Obi-Wan realized for the first time just how much the Wizard cared for the Hobbits. His attitude towards them, his interaction with them, reminded the Jedi vaguely of Master Yoda watching a group of younglings. "Thank you, Obi-Wan," the Wizard smiled.

Suddenly, there was a yell of, "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Obi-Wan whirled around. While Gandalf had been talking, he had neglected his pebbles, which, after for some reason hanging suspended in the air, moved over the head of the grumbling Dwarf and dropped.

Obi-Wan shot a look at Legolas, who was grinning. The Elf was undoubtedly responsible for the pebbles' brief suspension; none of the others were capable of it. Obi-Wan had a distinct feeling the Elf was about to admit it, but he held up his hands, facing Gimli, but the gesture meant for the Elf. "My apologies, Gimli. I was finding it difficult to listen to Gandalf while concentrating on the pebbles, so I must have lost my control over them." Gracious though his words were, the Dwarf growled, and, picking several of the smaller pebbles out of his helmet, proceeded to throw them at Obi-Wan, who caught them easily, much to Gimli's annoyance. Obi-Wan then concentrated on the pebbles now scattered over the ground, and they all flew at once to his waiting hand.

Gimli's face was so read that for a moment Obi-Wan wished Legolas would confess, but there was no point in widening the gap between the Elf and the Dwarf, if such a thing were indeed possible. Already it was obvious that they were as different as night and day, and that didn't seem about to change. "I am terribly sorry," he told the Dwarf once more, after whirling around to catch a larger stone aimed at his back.

"Just keep your flying rocks and your tricks away from me," Gimli warned.

Obi-Wan nodded. "As you wish." He was used to having to try to be polite. He did it all the time around senators and other politicians. It never got easier.

By the time they stopped, Obi-Wan was ready to fall asleep right then and there. But Frodo had the first watch, and Obi-Wan had something he wanted to try.

Soon after dinner, the others were asleep. Obi-Wan made his way over to Frodo, who looked up as the Jedi sat down next to him. "You shouldn't have covered for Legolas," the Hobbit said. "Gimli was already mad at you."

Obi-Wan smiled. "So you could tell it was him?"

"Who else would it have been? You'd already made Gimli mad, but not on purpose, and those stones hovered for a little while over his head. It wasn't an accident. I wouldn't put it past Merry and Pippin except that they don't have the skill yet."

"He'll get over it," Obi-Wan shrugged.

"I'm not so sure. Dwarves and Elves never really got over their disagreements. Why would it be different with a Dwarf and a Jedi?"

"Dwarves and Elves were not forced to live side by side. Whether Gimli likes it or not, we are part of one Fellowship. Sooner or later, he will realize that." He paused, considering how best to word what he had to say. At last, he decided to just say it. "Frodo, Gandalf thinks I may be able to help you resist the Ring's power."

Frodo studied Obi-Wan closely. "And what do you think?"

"I think that anything that might be able to help you is worth a try. Certainly it won't hurt anything. I'm just going to help you try to relax, to block out the Ring, to ignore It. It might not work, but it will not harm you in any way."

Frodo nodded. "All right. What do you need me to do?"

"Find a comfortable position," Obi-Wan said. "And try to relax." Frodo hesitated a moment, then lay down, his head turned slightly to one side, his arms at his sides. "Good," the Jedi nodded. "Now close your eyes."

Frodo did. Obi-Wan started to continue, but then realized that the Hobbit was already asleep. Just like that.

Obi-Wan smiled, and decided not to wake him. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and gazed into the darkness. A soft breeze rustled the grass, mixed with the easy breathing of the rest of the Fellowship. There was only one word to describe what he was feeling.

Peace.

Night of the Land -- :) Well, I updated. I really am trying to update as soon as I can, but now school's started again and I've got homework and our English teacher already assigned an essay, so it may take a little while. :) I'll try.

Satra -- :) Everyone seems to hate having to wait for chapters; I can't imagine why. :P Just kidding. I really do try.

SNAITF -- Well, I don't think anyone thrown into a place this crazy and this kind of danger wouldn't have nightmares. :) I know I would; I admit it. Hmmm, what is happening with Anakin:)

The Dancing Cavalier -- :) Yeah, I'll eventually get around to Legolas, especially now that Obi-Wan has done him a favor by taking responsibility for some certain pebbles. :) I'll get to it.

Lunatic Pandora1 -- Hmmm, Aragorn turning to the Dark Side. Not likely to happen, but it would be funny. :)

Herendil -- :) Glad you like it. I'm not sure why Obi-Wan fits in so well; he just does. That's why I chose him and not Luke or Padme or somebody. They just wouldn't work. :)

ally127 --Well, eventually I will be forced to change the plot just to keep myself from the eternal fate of looking up where and when things are supposed to happen. Changes will probably start to happen once they finally reach Khazad-Dum, basically when they start fighting. :)

xWhit3StaRx -- Two times in a row; can you believe it:) It's hard to do a cliffie when nothing suspenseful is really happening.

CrazyCanadianLlama -- Well, as I've told other people, I am really trying to update, but school's started, so I have time to write, but not always to type everything out and actually get on the computer and post it. I'll probably have more time once the cross-country season is over, because I don't do any winter sports. :) So, near the end of October I should be updating more. :) Of course, by then, teachers will be giving more homework. You just can't win, can you:)