Author's Note: Hello everyone! I'm so sorry about the delay of this chapter - my computer overheated about two weeks ago. Imagine my panic - I had no idea why I couldn't turn the thing on, and I get it over to CompUSA to hear them say I won't get it back for another week and a half. To top that off, they throw in the nice little detail that I'll probably lose everything I had on my computer. But it's okay as far as this story goes, b/c Jen (other mastermind of ATF) has copies of all the chapters and numerous other excerpts from farther in the story. So everything should be okay, and updates will start coming again (I promise!) So read on, and don't forget to review! Thanks!
We were strangers, starting out on a journey
Never dreaming what we'd have to go through
Now here we are, and I'm suddenly standing
At the beginning with you
Chapter 11
Four days had passed since the eleven parted with safer grounds. The exchange from warm beds and good food present at the elflord's home to the cold ground was a bitter one, but the members knew it was a necessary evil. Even so, as the Fellowship drew further away from Rivendell and into the wild, the terrain became rougher with each passing day.
As the terrain became rougher, so did the efforts of conversation. Vague curiosity over the different races presented in each of the members occupied the first few days, but soon the reality of their quest set in. Moods became darker, and conversation flowed with more difficulty.
" We have been walking since breakfast, Aragorn," Gimli called from the back of the line. He paused to catch his breath, before continuing with," I think it's time we gave it a rest."
" Pansy," Nevada muttered.
" I heard that, lass!"
" Call me that again, Dwarf, I dare you," she growled, briefly whirling around to glare at him. She continued walking backwards to add," I've got about 1900 years on you, you've got a lot of nerve calling me 'lass.'"
Gimli grumbled and gave her an evil eye, but kept silent. Nevada smirked in his general direction and turned back around to find Merry staring at her curiosly." What?" she asked irritably.
Merry's eyes widened with panic, and he shook his head frantically." Nothing, sorry." He turned back around, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he met her gaze again. He opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated. He tried again, but stopped himself a moment later.
Nevada's nerves were already frayed from traveling nonstop for four days with complete strangers, bad food, and terrible terrain, and Merry was not helping the situation." If you have something to say, then spit it out."
" Nev, be nice," Liana sighed, taking pity on the stuttering hobbit. She knew very well that her friend could be intimidating to a small creature like Merry - hell, she was intimidating to just about everyone when she was irritable. Liana couldn't blame her, though. She herself was in a pretty bad mood, and the males surrounding them didn't help matters. They just made it worse. Everyone was engrossed in their own thoughts, which made for very little conversation, and the constant traveling was beginning to get tedious.
" I don't feel like being nice."
Liana had to chuckle at the pouty tone of voice Nevada used." You sound like you're two."
" Shut it."
Aragorn mentally sighed to himself.' There they go again. Pretty soon they'll start arguing, their voices will rise, and then one of them will laugh and they'll act like nothing happened.' They were so different from any other females he'd known, and it took him by surprise at how quickly they could put arguments behind them like they did every day.
He had to admit, they intrigued him, how two complete opposite girls, from personality to physical looks, could seem as close as sisters. It was another wonder he had about the faerie race, and Aragorn knew he wasn't the only one curious. Practically everyone in the Fellowship stole inquisitive glances at the two, besides Gandalf, of course.
The relationship between Gandalf, Nevada, and Liana caught his attention, as well. Gandalf regarded them fondly, like one would a niece or daughter, and they looked to him like a father figure. The thought that the two had been raised by him crossed Aragorn's mind, but he wasn't absolutely sure about that. He'd have to ask Gandalf sometime. Which brought up another point about the faeries; it wasn't easy approaching them qith questions, especially Nevada. Liana was kind enough, and made an effort to converse, but whenever she made full eye contact with Aragorn, he felt slightly uneasy, as if she could read his thoughts. And Nevada was nearly unapproachable. Unless she was in a good mood. Which wasn't often.
Gimli's voice broke Aragorn from his train of thought, and he resisted the urge to slap his palm to his forehead. Maybe it would be better if they broke for lunch about now. His eyes met with Gandalf's, who nodded, and Aragorn stopped walking to turn and face the others." We'll stop for lunch in the clearing over there, near the border of the trees."
" Finally," Nevada and Gimli spoke at the same time. They gave each other weird looks and shook their heads, walking briskly to the spot Aragorn pointed out.
" They have more in common then they think."
Aragorn nearly jumped when Liana appeared out of nowhere, strolling along next to him with a pleasant look on her face. He paused to consider what she just said, and after giving it some thought, he nodded." Yes, they do."
" Stubborn, arrogant, very large tempers. And those were compliments."
Aragorn chuckled, watching the said two argue over who was sitting in a certain spot first." They'll learn to tolerate each other. Eventually."
" Either that or they'll kill each other," Liana surmised.
" Who will?" Both adults looked down to see Pippin looking up at them curiosly.
" The faerie and the dwarf," Aragorn answered." Let's go get some food before your friends over there decide to eat it all."
Pippin looked confused for a moment." Nevada and Gimli?"
" I think he meant the other hobbits," Liana clarified. She smiled when Pippin blushed at his mistake.' Hobbits are so cute,' she thought to herself.' Why can't more people be as warm and friendly as them?' An idea sprouted in her mind, and out loud, she said," Pippin, why don't you sit with me for lunch? I'd like to hear more about the Shire. I haven't been there in a long time."
Pippin's expression turned to one of awe, and he nodded." Sure, Princess Liana."
" Just Liana."
" Okay Pri-Liana."
" You've been to the Shire?" Merry piped up from his spot on the grass. When she nodded, he asked," When?"
" Oh, it was long before you were born," she laughed, taking a seat between Merry and Nevada. Pippin sat down across from her." Nevada and I were there about four hundred years ago. From what I remember, it was very beautiful, and very peaceful."
" It's still like that," Merry said happily.
" Very green, too. Lots of mushrooms," Pippin nodded with a grin.
" No kidding," Nevada agreed." You people live off of mushrooms, don't you?"
Sam looked indignant at the remark from his post near the pot of food." I'll have you know, we eat plenty of other things."
" We couldn't have guessed," Gimli smirked, causing chuckles from the humans and wizard.
" Potatoes, onions, tomatoes, carrots," Sam ticked off on his fingers." Peas, beans, plenty of meat...All kinds of things."
" Is that what you're making?" Nevada leaned over to see the contents of the enormous black pot.
" What?"
" Vegetable stew, or whatever."
" Something like that. Legolas shot a pheasant earlier, and I'm adding that to it. Pheasant is delicious in potato stew."
Nevada crinkled her nose, her expression matching the turning of Liana's stomach. Neither of them were used to the hobbits' food habits, and since Sam was the cook, they had been getting hefty hobbit meals since the trip started. They weren't bad by any means, but the faeries weren't accustomed to lots of gravy and potatoes.
" At least the pheasant's a change," Liana murmured to Nevada, who nodded. To Sam, she said louder," When did Legolas get the pheasant?" She couldn't remember him ever leaving the Fellowship line, but then again, he could have done it while her and Nevada were arguing, or Nevada was arguing with the dwarf.
Sam looked up at the question." Oh, he shot it earlier when Gimli and Nevada were fighting." Figured. " He was very quick about it, too - had it in about five minutes flat. He's a fine shot, that Elf is."
Nevada and Liana's attention turned to the lone Elf standing off to the side, watching their surroundings intently." Does he ever do anything else?" Nevada whispered to her friend, and Liana shrugged, lost in thought as she studied the blonde, quiet Legolas. Was he purposefully distancing himself from everyone, or was he naturally that quiet? The only people he really spoke to were Aragorn and Gimli, and he only spoke to the dwarf to defend himself and his heritage. Now that Liana was looking at him, leaning against a tree with his arms folded across his chest, she knew he had to be lonely at some point. After all, he was among all these strangers, the only one of his kind there, and at least she had Nevada.
" Liana!"
" What?" Liana snapped out of her reverie, and blinked at Nevada." I'm sorry, what?"
" Pay attention," Nevada rolled her eyes, but let it slide." The hobbits are asking about our clothes. Or should I say, Merry is."
Liana raised an eyebrow at the furiously blushing hobbit." What about them?"
" Why we're wearing...pretty much the whole outfit. They don't get the skirt thing, either. I figured you could explain it better because of where you're from."
" Um...okay," Liana agreed hesitantly, frowning slightly. She turned to face the hobbits, briefly glancing down at her own clothing. She was wearing a light blue sleeveless top underneath her midnight blue cloak, a light blue pleated skirt that ended just above mid-thigh, forearm guards, and black boots that reached just a few inches short of her knees. Her shirt ended in a striped 'v', and other decorative stripes were located down the sides of the skirt and the neckline of the shell (the shirt). To her, it was normal battle attire, but she could see where it would be a bit of a shock to other people. Not many foreigners ventured into faerie territory, so not many humans, elves, and hobbits knew how they dressed.
" We come from a place farther east than here, and the weather is drastically different there," Liana started.
" Understatement of the century," Nevada added.
Liana shot her a look." Who's doing the explaining here?"
" Sorry."
" Sure. Anyway, the weather's a lot hotter where we come from, and it would literally be dangerous to our health if we wore a lot of clothing, such as heavy cloaks, tunics, long-sleeved shirts and dresses."
" Is the heat that bad?" Frodo suddenly asked. He had been quiet for most of the conversation, but now he was watching the two faeries wide blue eyes.
" Oh, yes," Nevada nodded.
" Most people think the conditions are unliveable because of the heat, but we've adapted to it over the past few millennia," Liana explained. " Since it's so hot, we have to wear...less clothing than all of you here in the west. It's not only necessary, but it's more comfortable. So skirts, like the ones we have on, are more practical at home and for travel then dresses or long pants are." She gestured towards her own wardrobe, than Nevada's. Nevada was wearing a deep violet sleeveless top that also ended in a striped "v", a deep violet skirt, a black cloak, forearm guards, and black boots, with similar stripes going down the sides of the skirt, and around the neckline of the shell. Each inch and a half stripe was made up of three colors; down the center of Liana's stripe was light blue, and on each side was dark blue, then gold, and down the center of Nevada's was purple, then silver, then black.
" That explains a lot," Merry nodded.
" So it never snows there?" Sam asked. He brought out plates for everyone to eat, and encouraged everyone to pick up their plates and get food.
Nevada snorted." I don't think Liana knew what snow was until she was about five hundred."
Liana grinned and got up to get her food." I live in a desert, what do you expect?"
" Your home's in a desert?" Pippin asked, bewildered." Where do you get your food??"
The princess laughed before sitting down again." Well, we have cattle and the like, and we import a lot of grains, as well. Some of it can be grown, especially wheat."
" Where do you live?" Frodo asked Nevada.
" In a jungle," Nevada replied. She chewed thoughtfully on Sam's food, swallowed, and added," This is pretty good, Sam."
The gardener blushed." Thank you."
" Is a jungle like a forest?" Merry asked.
Both girls shook their heads." It's very wet," Liana said.
" It rains a lot," Nevada elaborated." But it's nothing like the forests you know. It's very humid and sticky, with lots of thick trees, plants, flowers, and animals. A lot of bugs, too."
" Is it humid at your home, too?" Pippin looked up at Liana.
She shook her head, amused." No, it's quite the opposite; very dry, and there's hardly any trees. It never rains where I'm from."
" Do you two live far away from each other?" Frodo asked.
" Not overly," Nevada shook her head." We're about a day's ride from each other."
" Then why are the climates so different, if you're so close?" Sam asked, interest peaked. He'd never heard of two completely different climates existing so close together - especially a desert and a jungle. Two things that he'd never seen before, either, and they sounded like wonderful places to visit.
Liana shrugged." We're not really sure. That's just the way it is. There's also countries full of forests like these, grasslands, islands and beaches, all manner of different climates. Then again, our magic could come into play there," she winked at the hobbits, who smiled.
" They sound beautiful," Aragorn mused from his seat. The faeries blinked in surprise, not even knowing the humans had been listening or even interested in their conversation with the hobbits. Apparently the dwarf and the elf were interested, too, because they kept watchful eyes on the girls and the conversation.
" Yes, it would be wonderful to visit them sometime," Sam added wistfully.
Nevada bit the inside of her lip before countering Sam's remark." My home doesn't have visiting hours anymore. It...was destroyed in the last Mordor battle."
An awkward silence followed her statement. Pippin cleared his throat, Merry looked down, and Sam looked embarrassed for saying anything on the matter.
" That's terrible," Frodo said quietly, seriously.
Nevada ignored the dull ache of rememberance in her heart, and pushed it aside." Yeah, it is." She paused, her gaze sweeping over the humans, who averted their eyes.
" I'm sorry for your loss," Boromir said, braving Nevada's gaze for a few moments.
She shook her head, slightly annoyed." Don't apologize, it's not like it was your fault. What is it with you humans and apologizing?" Liana nearly snorted, earning a half-hearted hit from Nevada. The faerie paused, feeling a little guilty for snapping at the man when he had offered condolences. These guys were nice when they wanted to be, couldn't deny that." But thanks, anyway."
There was a momentary lull in conversation as everyone enjoyed the pheasant stew Sam made. Nevada chewed thoughtfully as she looked at each member of the Fellowship, stopping at Liana. She was in one of her moods again, where she quieted down from her usual cheerfulness and was drawn deep in thought - Nevada always wondered what her friend was thinking about during those times.
" Enjoying your pheasant?" Nevada asked her. Liana blinked and looked up, smiling a little.
" It's good pheasant." They shared a smile before going back to their meal." Not something we'd eat everyday, but..."
Nevada agreed wholeheartedly." It's a change, right? But just think, Liana -" she brandished her spoon to gesture towards their bowls of stew." We're expanding our normal diets to include foreign delicacies."
Liana had to laugh. Nevada had the quirkiest sense of humor when she wanted to be funny." Foreign delicacies. I'll remember that one."
" You do that." An idea came to Nevada right then, and she looked up from her food, searching for a certain someone. When she found him, she let out," Hey, blondie!"
Legolas' eyes narrowed in irritation at the nickname she had so kindly bestowed on him earlier in the trip. When Liana practically choked on her food and started laughing at her friend's comment, he felt slightly embarrassed at the insult.
Nevada gave the elf a thumbs up." Nice pheasant!"
Gandalf shook his head slowly at the faerie's teasing. This was proving to be quite a different experience than he thought it would be. He could only imagine what the rest of the journey would hold in store for them.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Day 12
" This is getting really boring."
Liana grinned as she kept the pace next to the speaker." You're only saying that because there's nothing around here for you to fight."
Nevada made a face towards her friend. Liana was right, as usual.' Damn her for knowing me too well.' So what if it had been eight days of absolutely no action and she'd had nothing to do *for* the past eight days but watch the humans trudge loudly through the terrain, stare at groves of trees and rocks, and listen to the dwarf complain about being saddled with " a mangy elf and two maddening faeries"? And of course Liana saw right through her grumpiness - she was good at that, and it got so *irritating* that she could take it all in stride and not feel the need to fight like Nevada herself did.
" Damn you, Liana."
The dirty blonde blinked, almost walking into a rock bed with her surprise. Quickly altering her course onto the path, she shook her head slightly, raising an eyebrow at her friend." That was totally random."
" I know."
Agitation flashed in Liana's eyes, and Nevada felt a swell of pleasure in knowing that her best friend wasn't completely immune to the urge to do something other than keep the pace with hobbits and try to make conversation with the sulky humans." Don't," she said.
Nevada cocked her head innocently." Don't what?"
" Start anything," she responded simply.
" Why would I ever want to do that with my best friend?"
Suspicion replaced agitation in Liana's golden eyes, and it made Nevada want to laugh." Do I look that stupid?"
" Well, when you put it that way..." Nevada gave in and laughed when Liana reached over to pull out the ribbon holding Nevada's braid in place. She lightly danced out of the way before Liana could, who immediately gave chase - and off they went.
" There they go again," Gimli grumbled, watching the only females of the group laugh as they played tag among the tall grass of the field. After a moment's play, Merry and Pippin joined in, and soon the four of them were chasing each other, much to the amusement of Frodo and Sam." Like small children out for an afternoon romp. Their cheerfulness is nauseating."
Gandalf resisted a chuckle at the dwarf's comments. He watched the four with a merry light in his blue eyes, his heart lifting at the very sight of the four having fun. It was a rare thing to see in these times, and he was not about to spoil it for them." Let them have their fun, Gimli," he chastened in his rumbling, low tone.
" We did not take part in this journey for fun, Gandalf," Gimli argued." There will be battles to fight, wars-"
" This I know, as do they," the wizard consoled." Out of all the people here, I believe Liana and Nevada know the best of what is to come. They have dealt with it nearly their whole lives."
" Then why do they act as such?" Gimli gestured towards a laughing Nevada teasing an indignant Liana into another chase.
Gandalf smiled sadly." It is in their nature, son of Gl¢in. The Fae are a generally happy people who enjoy, even as they get older, indulging in lighthearted games that remind them of better times. Their moods can change from serious to mirthful in a matter of seconds, if they wish. It is just the way they are."
Boromir heard every word from his position just ahead of the two, walking along with Bill the pony. He allowed this new information to digest in his mind as he watched the two faeries cease their carousing and begin to talk animatedly. He had been wondering the very same thing about the faeries, as well as the hobbits. They, too, seemed to take the journey from a cheerful point of view, and he didn't understand it until Gandalf explained it. The man of Gondor knew of the faeries from his father's tales of their lands, but he had never met one. He had always thought of them as being similar to the elves, but these two certainly changed his views. Since the start of the journey, both girls had proved to be most peculiar and mysterious.
The darker haired one, Nevada, was a lot quieter in the beginning. Boromir detected bitterness and anger in the way she walked and acted, and a profound sadness she tried to hide with sharp words and long silences. She did little to associate with anyone except the other faerie for the first few days, but after awhile she began to gradually open up to the hobbits and eventually the rest of the Fellowship. Now she proved to be a talkative, mischief-making instigator who seemed to thrive on...well, making the dwarf mad.
Boromir had to chuckle at the thought. Never before had he seen a female rile a dwarf as much as that one did when she put her mind to it. The teasing reminded him of Nevada's blithe counterpart, Liana.
The lighter-haired faerie appeared to be a freer creature than the same one he had seen at the council. She walked with a spring in her step, smiled easier, and delighted in speaking with the hobbits and Aragorn and himself, much to their surprise. The princess seemed to grab this time of peaceful traveling as an opportunity to let down her guard and genuinely try to get to know her companions.
He found their actions to be a refreshing change from the norm, even though he was still a little leery of them. Everything about the two was foreign, and it would take him a while to get used to it. And not just him, Boromir realized as he glanced at other members of the fellowship. He had caught the same wondering look in Aragorn's eyes, even the Dwarf's...and the Elf's. Boromir stifled a sigh. The fair creature had not spoken more than five words to anyone other than Aragorn since they left Rivendell, and to tell the truth, the man of Gondor was more uneasy around him than around the faeries. While Legolas was never impolite, infact, quite the opposite, he tended to keep to himself as he scanned their surroundings for danger and kept watch. The Elf also had an uncanny way of appearing beside a body from out of nowhere, and his scrutinizing gaze was more than a little unnerving. His ice blue eyes looked right through him, and the man couldn't hold his fathomless stare for very long.
The man sighed in confusion. Perhaps one day he would grow used to his companions and their foreign ways. But until then, he contented himself to observe and stay on the alert.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thunder rumbled from a distant storm around the area of Isengard, leagues away from the party traveling through Middle Earth's terrain. The vague acrid smell of lightning flavored the air, as well as molten lava from the underground chasms of Orthanc.
The white wizard made his way slowly to his tower from a brief visit to the underground, overseeing the creation of his army. He clutched his staff tightly in his left hand as he ascended up the steps, robes dragging behind him on the stone. He made an oddly regal figure, old and wise, until one looked closer into his eyes. The black orbs spoke of a distorted intelligence, and a madness born of greed and power.
Saruman stepped into his chamber and shut the door behind him, his gaze already fixed on the sphere laying dormant on a pillar in the center of the room. He made his way towards it, and upon reaching it, held out a wicked hand. He began chanting in a deep voice, the tainted words washing over the palantir until a fire kindled within it. Slowly the fire died with his words, and a picture became clear in its depths.
" So the journey continues on," Saruman embellished, his eyes fixed on the image of eleven companions traveling through rock and forest." Everyone hopeful and truly believing this will work out for the best." His lips curled into a hateful sneer." Such disillusioned, pathetic creatures. Do they really think the Ring will make it as far as Mordor? Or be destroyed, for that matter?"
Saruman's voice dropped to a chilling whisper." The Fellowship will fail. I will see to that."
We were strangers, starting out on a journey
Never dreaming what we'd have to go through
Now here we are, and I'm suddenly standing
At the beginning with you
Chapter 11
Four days had passed since the eleven parted with safer grounds. The exchange from warm beds and good food present at the elflord's home to the cold ground was a bitter one, but the members knew it was a necessary evil. Even so, as the Fellowship drew further away from Rivendell and into the wild, the terrain became rougher with each passing day.
As the terrain became rougher, so did the efforts of conversation. Vague curiosity over the different races presented in each of the members occupied the first few days, but soon the reality of their quest set in. Moods became darker, and conversation flowed with more difficulty.
" We have been walking since breakfast, Aragorn," Gimli called from the back of the line. He paused to catch his breath, before continuing with," I think it's time we gave it a rest."
" Pansy," Nevada muttered.
" I heard that, lass!"
" Call me that again, Dwarf, I dare you," she growled, briefly whirling around to glare at him. She continued walking backwards to add," I've got about 1900 years on you, you've got a lot of nerve calling me 'lass.'"
Gimli grumbled and gave her an evil eye, but kept silent. Nevada smirked in his general direction and turned back around to find Merry staring at her curiosly." What?" she asked irritably.
Merry's eyes widened with panic, and he shook his head frantically." Nothing, sorry." He turned back around, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he met her gaze again. He opened his mouth to say something, but hesitated. He tried again, but stopped himself a moment later.
Nevada's nerves were already frayed from traveling nonstop for four days with complete strangers, bad food, and terrible terrain, and Merry was not helping the situation." If you have something to say, then spit it out."
" Nev, be nice," Liana sighed, taking pity on the stuttering hobbit. She knew very well that her friend could be intimidating to a small creature like Merry - hell, she was intimidating to just about everyone when she was irritable. Liana couldn't blame her, though. She herself was in a pretty bad mood, and the males surrounding them didn't help matters. They just made it worse. Everyone was engrossed in their own thoughts, which made for very little conversation, and the constant traveling was beginning to get tedious.
" I don't feel like being nice."
Liana had to chuckle at the pouty tone of voice Nevada used." You sound like you're two."
" Shut it."
Aragorn mentally sighed to himself.' There they go again. Pretty soon they'll start arguing, their voices will rise, and then one of them will laugh and they'll act like nothing happened.' They were so different from any other females he'd known, and it took him by surprise at how quickly they could put arguments behind them like they did every day.
He had to admit, they intrigued him, how two complete opposite girls, from personality to physical looks, could seem as close as sisters. It was another wonder he had about the faerie race, and Aragorn knew he wasn't the only one curious. Practically everyone in the Fellowship stole inquisitive glances at the two, besides Gandalf, of course.
The relationship between Gandalf, Nevada, and Liana caught his attention, as well. Gandalf regarded them fondly, like one would a niece or daughter, and they looked to him like a father figure. The thought that the two had been raised by him crossed Aragorn's mind, but he wasn't absolutely sure about that. He'd have to ask Gandalf sometime. Which brought up another point about the faeries; it wasn't easy approaching them qith questions, especially Nevada. Liana was kind enough, and made an effort to converse, but whenever she made full eye contact with Aragorn, he felt slightly uneasy, as if she could read his thoughts. And Nevada was nearly unapproachable. Unless she was in a good mood. Which wasn't often.
Gimli's voice broke Aragorn from his train of thought, and he resisted the urge to slap his palm to his forehead. Maybe it would be better if they broke for lunch about now. His eyes met with Gandalf's, who nodded, and Aragorn stopped walking to turn and face the others." We'll stop for lunch in the clearing over there, near the border of the trees."
" Finally," Nevada and Gimli spoke at the same time. They gave each other weird looks and shook their heads, walking briskly to the spot Aragorn pointed out.
" They have more in common then they think."
Aragorn nearly jumped when Liana appeared out of nowhere, strolling along next to him with a pleasant look on her face. He paused to consider what she just said, and after giving it some thought, he nodded." Yes, they do."
" Stubborn, arrogant, very large tempers. And those were compliments."
Aragorn chuckled, watching the said two argue over who was sitting in a certain spot first." They'll learn to tolerate each other. Eventually."
" Either that or they'll kill each other," Liana surmised.
" Who will?" Both adults looked down to see Pippin looking up at them curiosly.
" The faerie and the dwarf," Aragorn answered." Let's go get some food before your friends over there decide to eat it all."
Pippin looked confused for a moment." Nevada and Gimli?"
" I think he meant the other hobbits," Liana clarified. She smiled when Pippin blushed at his mistake.' Hobbits are so cute,' she thought to herself.' Why can't more people be as warm and friendly as them?' An idea sprouted in her mind, and out loud, she said," Pippin, why don't you sit with me for lunch? I'd like to hear more about the Shire. I haven't been there in a long time."
Pippin's expression turned to one of awe, and he nodded." Sure, Princess Liana."
" Just Liana."
" Okay Pri-Liana."
" You've been to the Shire?" Merry piped up from his spot on the grass. When she nodded, he asked," When?"
" Oh, it was long before you were born," she laughed, taking a seat between Merry and Nevada. Pippin sat down across from her." Nevada and I were there about four hundred years ago. From what I remember, it was very beautiful, and very peaceful."
" It's still like that," Merry said happily.
" Very green, too. Lots of mushrooms," Pippin nodded with a grin.
" No kidding," Nevada agreed." You people live off of mushrooms, don't you?"
Sam looked indignant at the remark from his post near the pot of food." I'll have you know, we eat plenty of other things."
" We couldn't have guessed," Gimli smirked, causing chuckles from the humans and wizard.
" Potatoes, onions, tomatoes, carrots," Sam ticked off on his fingers." Peas, beans, plenty of meat...All kinds of things."
" Is that what you're making?" Nevada leaned over to see the contents of the enormous black pot.
" What?"
" Vegetable stew, or whatever."
" Something like that. Legolas shot a pheasant earlier, and I'm adding that to it. Pheasant is delicious in potato stew."
Nevada crinkled her nose, her expression matching the turning of Liana's stomach. Neither of them were used to the hobbits' food habits, and since Sam was the cook, they had been getting hefty hobbit meals since the trip started. They weren't bad by any means, but the faeries weren't accustomed to lots of gravy and potatoes.
" At least the pheasant's a change," Liana murmured to Nevada, who nodded. To Sam, she said louder," When did Legolas get the pheasant?" She couldn't remember him ever leaving the Fellowship line, but then again, he could have done it while her and Nevada were arguing, or Nevada was arguing with the dwarf.
Sam looked up at the question." Oh, he shot it earlier when Gimli and Nevada were fighting." Figured. " He was very quick about it, too - had it in about five minutes flat. He's a fine shot, that Elf is."
Nevada and Liana's attention turned to the lone Elf standing off to the side, watching their surroundings intently." Does he ever do anything else?" Nevada whispered to her friend, and Liana shrugged, lost in thought as she studied the blonde, quiet Legolas. Was he purposefully distancing himself from everyone, or was he naturally that quiet? The only people he really spoke to were Aragorn and Gimli, and he only spoke to the dwarf to defend himself and his heritage. Now that Liana was looking at him, leaning against a tree with his arms folded across his chest, she knew he had to be lonely at some point. After all, he was among all these strangers, the only one of his kind there, and at least she had Nevada.
" Liana!"
" What?" Liana snapped out of her reverie, and blinked at Nevada." I'm sorry, what?"
" Pay attention," Nevada rolled her eyes, but let it slide." The hobbits are asking about our clothes. Or should I say, Merry is."
Liana raised an eyebrow at the furiously blushing hobbit." What about them?"
" Why we're wearing...pretty much the whole outfit. They don't get the skirt thing, either. I figured you could explain it better because of where you're from."
" Um...okay," Liana agreed hesitantly, frowning slightly. She turned to face the hobbits, briefly glancing down at her own clothing. She was wearing a light blue sleeveless top underneath her midnight blue cloak, a light blue pleated skirt that ended just above mid-thigh, forearm guards, and black boots that reached just a few inches short of her knees. Her shirt ended in a striped 'v', and other decorative stripes were located down the sides of the skirt and the neckline of the shell (the shirt). To her, it was normal battle attire, but she could see where it would be a bit of a shock to other people. Not many foreigners ventured into faerie territory, so not many humans, elves, and hobbits knew how they dressed.
" We come from a place farther east than here, and the weather is drastically different there," Liana started.
" Understatement of the century," Nevada added.
Liana shot her a look." Who's doing the explaining here?"
" Sorry."
" Sure. Anyway, the weather's a lot hotter where we come from, and it would literally be dangerous to our health if we wore a lot of clothing, such as heavy cloaks, tunics, long-sleeved shirts and dresses."
" Is the heat that bad?" Frodo suddenly asked. He had been quiet for most of the conversation, but now he was watching the two faeries wide blue eyes.
" Oh, yes," Nevada nodded.
" Most people think the conditions are unliveable because of the heat, but we've adapted to it over the past few millennia," Liana explained. " Since it's so hot, we have to wear...less clothing than all of you here in the west. It's not only necessary, but it's more comfortable. So skirts, like the ones we have on, are more practical at home and for travel then dresses or long pants are." She gestured towards her own wardrobe, than Nevada's. Nevada was wearing a deep violet sleeveless top that also ended in a striped "v", a deep violet skirt, a black cloak, forearm guards, and black boots, with similar stripes going down the sides of the skirt, and around the neckline of the shell. Each inch and a half stripe was made up of three colors; down the center of Liana's stripe was light blue, and on each side was dark blue, then gold, and down the center of Nevada's was purple, then silver, then black.
" That explains a lot," Merry nodded.
" So it never snows there?" Sam asked. He brought out plates for everyone to eat, and encouraged everyone to pick up their plates and get food.
Nevada snorted." I don't think Liana knew what snow was until she was about five hundred."
Liana grinned and got up to get her food." I live in a desert, what do you expect?"
" Your home's in a desert?" Pippin asked, bewildered." Where do you get your food??"
The princess laughed before sitting down again." Well, we have cattle and the like, and we import a lot of grains, as well. Some of it can be grown, especially wheat."
" Where do you live?" Frodo asked Nevada.
" In a jungle," Nevada replied. She chewed thoughtfully on Sam's food, swallowed, and added," This is pretty good, Sam."
The gardener blushed." Thank you."
" Is a jungle like a forest?" Merry asked.
Both girls shook their heads." It's very wet," Liana said.
" It rains a lot," Nevada elaborated." But it's nothing like the forests you know. It's very humid and sticky, with lots of thick trees, plants, flowers, and animals. A lot of bugs, too."
" Is it humid at your home, too?" Pippin looked up at Liana.
She shook her head, amused." No, it's quite the opposite; very dry, and there's hardly any trees. It never rains where I'm from."
" Do you two live far away from each other?" Frodo asked.
" Not overly," Nevada shook her head." We're about a day's ride from each other."
" Then why are the climates so different, if you're so close?" Sam asked, interest peaked. He'd never heard of two completely different climates existing so close together - especially a desert and a jungle. Two things that he'd never seen before, either, and they sounded like wonderful places to visit.
Liana shrugged." We're not really sure. That's just the way it is. There's also countries full of forests like these, grasslands, islands and beaches, all manner of different climates. Then again, our magic could come into play there," she winked at the hobbits, who smiled.
" They sound beautiful," Aragorn mused from his seat. The faeries blinked in surprise, not even knowing the humans had been listening or even interested in their conversation with the hobbits. Apparently the dwarf and the elf were interested, too, because they kept watchful eyes on the girls and the conversation.
" Yes, it would be wonderful to visit them sometime," Sam added wistfully.
Nevada bit the inside of her lip before countering Sam's remark." My home doesn't have visiting hours anymore. It...was destroyed in the last Mordor battle."
An awkward silence followed her statement. Pippin cleared his throat, Merry looked down, and Sam looked embarrassed for saying anything on the matter.
" That's terrible," Frodo said quietly, seriously.
Nevada ignored the dull ache of rememberance in her heart, and pushed it aside." Yeah, it is." She paused, her gaze sweeping over the humans, who averted their eyes.
" I'm sorry for your loss," Boromir said, braving Nevada's gaze for a few moments.
She shook her head, slightly annoyed." Don't apologize, it's not like it was your fault. What is it with you humans and apologizing?" Liana nearly snorted, earning a half-hearted hit from Nevada. The faerie paused, feeling a little guilty for snapping at the man when he had offered condolences. These guys were nice when they wanted to be, couldn't deny that." But thanks, anyway."
There was a momentary lull in conversation as everyone enjoyed the pheasant stew Sam made. Nevada chewed thoughtfully as she looked at each member of the Fellowship, stopping at Liana. She was in one of her moods again, where she quieted down from her usual cheerfulness and was drawn deep in thought - Nevada always wondered what her friend was thinking about during those times.
" Enjoying your pheasant?" Nevada asked her. Liana blinked and looked up, smiling a little.
" It's good pheasant." They shared a smile before going back to their meal." Not something we'd eat everyday, but..."
Nevada agreed wholeheartedly." It's a change, right? But just think, Liana -" she brandished her spoon to gesture towards their bowls of stew." We're expanding our normal diets to include foreign delicacies."
Liana had to laugh. Nevada had the quirkiest sense of humor when she wanted to be funny." Foreign delicacies. I'll remember that one."
" You do that." An idea came to Nevada right then, and she looked up from her food, searching for a certain someone. When she found him, she let out," Hey, blondie!"
Legolas' eyes narrowed in irritation at the nickname she had so kindly bestowed on him earlier in the trip. When Liana practically choked on her food and started laughing at her friend's comment, he felt slightly embarrassed at the insult.
Nevada gave the elf a thumbs up." Nice pheasant!"
Gandalf shook his head slowly at the faerie's teasing. This was proving to be quite a different experience than he thought it would be. He could only imagine what the rest of the journey would hold in store for them.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Day 12
" This is getting really boring."
Liana grinned as she kept the pace next to the speaker." You're only saying that because there's nothing around here for you to fight."
Nevada made a face towards her friend. Liana was right, as usual.' Damn her for knowing me too well.' So what if it had been eight days of absolutely no action and she'd had nothing to do *for* the past eight days but watch the humans trudge loudly through the terrain, stare at groves of trees and rocks, and listen to the dwarf complain about being saddled with " a mangy elf and two maddening faeries"? And of course Liana saw right through her grumpiness - she was good at that, and it got so *irritating* that she could take it all in stride and not feel the need to fight like Nevada herself did.
" Damn you, Liana."
The dirty blonde blinked, almost walking into a rock bed with her surprise. Quickly altering her course onto the path, she shook her head slightly, raising an eyebrow at her friend." That was totally random."
" I know."
Agitation flashed in Liana's eyes, and Nevada felt a swell of pleasure in knowing that her best friend wasn't completely immune to the urge to do something other than keep the pace with hobbits and try to make conversation with the sulky humans." Don't," she said.
Nevada cocked her head innocently." Don't what?"
" Start anything," she responded simply.
" Why would I ever want to do that with my best friend?"
Suspicion replaced agitation in Liana's golden eyes, and it made Nevada want to laugh." Do I look that stupid?"
" Well, when you put it that way..." Nevada gave in and laughed when Liana reached over to pull out the ribbon holding Nevada's braid in place. She lightly danced out of the way before Liana could, who immediately gave chase - and off they went.
" There they go again," Gimli grumbled, watching the only females of the group laugh as they played tag among the tall grass of the field. After a moment's play, Merry and Pippin joined in, and soon the four of them were chasing each other, much to the amusement of Frodo and Sam." Like small children out for an afternoon romp. Their cheerfulness is nauseating."
Gandalf resisted a chuckle at the dwarf's comments. He watched the four with a merry light in his blue eyes, his heart lifting at the very sight of the four having fun. It was a rare thing to see in these times, and he was not about to spoil it for them." Let them have their fun, Gimli," he chastened in his rumbling, low tone.
" We did not take part in this journey for fun, Gandalf," Gimli argued." There will be battles to fight, wars-"
" This I know, as do they," the wizard consoled." Out of all the people here, I believe Liana and Nevada know the best of what is to come. They have dealt with it nearly their whole lives."
" Then why do they act as such?" Gimli gestured towards a laughing Nevada teasing an indignant Liana into another chase.
Gandalf smiled sadly." It is in their nature, son of Gl¢in. The Fae are a generally happy people who enjoy, even as they get older, indulging in lighthearted games that remind them of better times. Their moods can change from serious to mirthful in a matter of seconds, if they wish. It is just the way they are."
Boromir heard every word from his position just ahead of the two, walking along with Bill the pony. He allowed this new information to digest in his mind as he watched the two faeries cease their carousing and begin to talk animatedly. He had been wondering the very same thing about the faeries, as well as the hobbits. They, too, seemed to take the journey from a cheerful point of view, and he didn't understand it until Gandalf explained it. The man of Gondor knew of the faeries from his father's tales of their lands, but he had never met one. He had always thought of them as being similar to the elves, but these two certainly changed his views. Since the start of the journey, both girls had proved to be most peculiar and mysterious.
The darker haired one, Nevada, was a lot quieter in the beginning. Boromir detected bitterness and anger in the way she walked and acted, and a profound sadness she tried to hide with sharp words and long silences. She did little to associate with anyone except the other faerie for the first few days, but after awhile she began to gradually open up to the hobbits and eventually the rest of the Fellowship. Now she proved to be a talkative, mischief-making instigator who seemed to thrive on...well, making the dwarf mad.
Boromir had to chuckle at the thought. Never before had he seen a female rile a dwarf as much as that one did when she put her mind to it. The teasing reminded him of Nevada's blithe counterpart, Liana.
The lighter-haired faerie appeared to be a freer creature than the same one he had seen at the council. She walked with a spring in her step, smiled easier, and delighted in speaking with the hobbits and Aragorn and himself, much to their surprise. The princess seemed to grab this time of peaceful traveling as an opportunity to let down her guard and genuinely try to get to know her companions.
He found their actions to be a refreshing change from the norm, even though he was still a little leery of them. Everything about the two was foreign, and it would take him a while to get used to it. And not just him, Boromir realized as he glanced at other members of the fellowship. He had caught the same wondering look in Aragorn's eyes, even the Dwarf's...and the Elf's. Boromir stifled a sigh. The fair creature had not spoken more than five words to anyone other than Aragorn since they left Rivendell, and to tell the truth, the man of Gondor was more uneasy around him than around the faeries. While Legolas was never impolite, infact, quite the opposite, he tended to keep to himself as he scanned their surroundings for danger and kept watch. The Elf also had an uncanny way of appearing beside a body from out of nowhere, and his scrutinizing gaze was more than a little unnerving. His ice blue eyes looked right through him, and the man couldn't hold his fathomless stare for very long.
The man sighed in confusion. Perhaps one day he would grow used to his companions and their foreign ways. But until then, he contented himself to observe and stay on the alert.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Thunder rumbled from a distant storm around the area of Isengard, leagues away from the party traveling through Middle Earth's terrain. The vague acrid smell of lightning flavored the air, as well as molten lava from the underground chasms of Orthanc.
The white wizard made his way slowly to his tower from a brief visit to the underground, overseeing the creation of his army. He clutched his staff tightly in his left hand as he ascended up the steps, robes dragging behind him on the stone. He made an oddly regal figure, old and wise, until one looked closer into his eyes. The black orbs spoke of a distorted intelligence, and a madness born of greed and power.
Saruman stepped into his chamber and shut the door behind him, his gaze already fixed on the sphere laying dormant on a pillar in the center of the room. He made his way towards it, and upon reaching it, held out a wicked hand. He began chanting in a deep voice, the tainted words washing over the palantir until a fire kindled within it. Slowly the fire died with his words, and a picture became clear in its depths.
" So the journey continues on," Saruman embellished, his eyes fixed on the image of eleven companions traveling through rock and forest." Everyone hopeful and truly believing this will work out for the best." His lips curled into a hateful sneer." Such disillusioned, pathetic creatures. Do they really think the Ring will make it as far as Mordor? Or be destroyed, for that matter?"
Saruman's voice dropped to a chilling whisper." The Fellowship will fail. I will see to that."
