A/N: Gah! I did it *again!* I'm sorry guys. I have absolutely no idea how to have Valora tell them that she's not of their world. And I'm going to be moving soon, so I can't say when I'll next be able to post.
Oh, totally unrelated to the story, but... I recently bought the latest issue of GQ. Viggo Mortensen is on the cover and you should all go out and get it, but that's not what this is about. The poor guy had his car broken into recently. They left his computer and his money, but they took his rusack. In that rusack, he had all of his writing that he's done over the past three years. About a dozen short stories and about seventy-five poems. And those were his only copies. Needless to say, he is very upset. Now, I know whoever stole them, probably tossed them when they realized that the bag was full of papers, but there is a small chance that whoever it is will try to sell them on the net or something. If anyone happens upon someone doing just that, please report it. As writers, I'm sure you can imagine how he must feel.
Okay, back to business.
fhc: I found the name on babynames.com when I was looking into possible pen names. I have a couple of them. Hopefully, I can get some of my original stories published under them.
SarcasmSage: (blush) Thank you.
freakishworm: I have no idea if the Elves actually sleep with their eyes open. Like I said, I never actually got through the book. However, I have read lots of fanfics written by people who have read them. A lot of them mention the Elves sleeping with their eyes open. I'm just taking their word for it.
Empress Guinevere Sparrow: (blush again) Oh, thank you.
Ethan: Sorry, buddy. You're going to have to wait for any fight scenes. I hope you keep reading. And thank you.
Tracy: Thanks for letting me know I was taking too long. Again. Sigh. I really need to stop doing that.
Yami no Ryu, Skyla3 and Elainor: Thank you all very much.
Well, on with the story. Once again, sorry it took so long. And sorry it's kinda short.
_____________________________________________________________________________
By now, the sun was almost gone. Merry and Sam had built a fire and were cooking some meat for their dinner. Pippin was watching anxiously. He still wasn't used to not eating six or seven times a day and was hungry. Aragorn sat down and began to sharpen his sword. Gandalf was smoking his pipe. Legolas went back to scanning for danger. Gimli and Boromir were discussing weapons. Valora was sitting on the ground humming quietly to herself. Frodo was simply watching everyone else.
Before long, it had grown very dark. The moon was obscured by clouds tonight, so their light was limited to the fire in the middle of their camp. The fact that they couldn't see past the circle of firelight gave them a feeling of isolation. And also fear. Who knew what was lurking in the dark, just out of sight?
The Hobbits and Valora particularly felt uneasy. Though they felt a bit safer with the others, especially Aragorn and Gandalf, there, the feeling of fear was difficult to shake.
Nothing really happened until they were readying for sleep. The Pippin and Sam both froze and looked out into the darkness.
"What is it?" asked Valora.
A twig snapped in the darkness.
Valora went still. Had she really heard that or was she just imagining things? Straining her ears, she listened. A rustling sound could be faintly heard. "Aragorn..?" she asked quietly.
"Shh." He signaled to Legolas, who nodded almost imperceptibly and moved silently out of the light on the other side of the circle.
They waited in tense silence. They kept their weapons at the ready, just in case.
Something darted into the light, causing them all to start. Squealing, the animal ran straight through the camp and away from them as fast as it could.
"A pig?" asked Valora incredulously.
"I saw nothing else," said Legolas, moving back into the light from the direction the pig had come from. He looked a little amused.
Smiling slightly, Aragorn sheathed his sword.
Valora began to laugh. "Oh, geez. I about had a heart attack over a wild pig?" She shook her head.
"You're not the only one," assured Frodo, looking relieved.
"Get some sleep," said Aragorn.
Valora, however, couldn't seem to stop laughing. She knew she was strangling more humor out of the situation than necessary, but she couldn't help it. She needed a good laugh and here was an opportunity to get one. It took her a couple of minutes to calm down.
Pippin and Sam, on the other hand, had a harder time calming down. Only they didn't need to calm down from laughing. Yes, it was humorous, but what if it hadn't been a pig? What else might be out there? Watching. Waiting. As a result, they were wide awake and didn't really want to sleep.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"Can't you sleep?" asked Aragron.
"Can I ever?" asked Valora.
That was true. Valora often had trouble sleeping. An insomniac, she called herself. So, when she actually got some sleep, she usually didn't want to wake up. Those were the times when she got really cranky. Aragorn didn't relish the idea of dealing with her in the mornings. He usually left that job to Frodo or Sam if he could, since she seemed to have a soft spot for them. Plus, Frodo was used to dealing with her when she was in one of her morning moods. As of yet, the others hadn't seen her like she had been that time Aragorn had woken her up after traveling through the swamp. But he and the Hobbits knew that she was about due for a reaction to her lack of sleep.
Valora sat up, her knees drawn up to her chest. She wished she could sleep at night, like a normal person.
Every member of the Fellowship felt a little uneasy. The fire was usually put out after their evening meal was prepared so it wouldn't draw unwanted attention. But they usually had the moon and stars to give them some light. That wasn't the case tonight. They were reluctant to plunge themselves into total darkness just yet.
Pippin shifted restlessly under his blanket. He was the second youngest of the group and from a wealthy family, unused to such situations, despite what he had already been through. He felt as though he'd been reduced to a child who was afraid of the dark again.
"Can't you sleep either?" asked Aragorn, looking over at Pippin.
He shook his head.
"Why not?"
"I'm too nervous to sleep."
In fact, no one was asleep yet. Though it had been nearly an hour since they had all started trying to sleep. Except Boromir and Legolas, who would both be standing watch tonight.
"So am I," added Sam.
"What would calm you down enough to sleep?" asked Gandalf.
"Well," said Pippin, hesitating. "My mum used to sing to me."
Valora looked up as she felt eyes on her. She found everyone looking at her. When it dawned on her exactly why they were looking at her, her eyes went a little wide. She shook her head vigorously. "Oh, no. No *way,* you guys."
"Why not?" asked Aragorn.
"Guys, you do *not* want to hear me sing. I have a horrible voice."
Legolas raised an eyebrow. Though she didn't seem aware of it, he had heard her sing. She wasn't terrible at all. In fact, he thought she was quite good, even if the songs she sang *were* strange to him.
"Nonsense," said Gandalf. "How bad can you be?"
"I sound like a dying animal," she said flatly. "I refuse to subject you guys to that."
"If it's as bad as you say it is, it might scare away anything nearby," commented Boromir.
Valora sent him a death glare.
"Alright. If you do not wish to sing, that's fine," said Frodo. "We won't make you do anything you don't wish to. Even if it *would* help everyone else relax."
Valora gave him a withering look. "Now, that was just low, Frodo Baggins."
Frodo smiled innocently at her. She was weakening and he knew it. Unbeknownst to her, he had heard her sing a few times. Back in Hobbiton, he had overheard her singing to herself while she cooked or helped with the chores at Bag End.
"It would be nice to hear a song, Miss Valora," said Sam timidly.
She shook her head firmly. Valora shifted to a lotus position. Her resolve was wavering. Though she knew she shouldn't, she glanced over at the Hobbits. Pippin and Sam looked disappointed. She looked away quickly, but her resistance was breaking down. Damn her soft heart. Especially when it came to the Hobbits. She sighed in defeat. There was no way she was going to win this, so she might as well get it over with. "If I sing, just one song," she added quickly, "will you wipe those looks off of your faces?"
They nodded.
Sighing again, she got up and went to sit with the Hobbits. "And remember, you brought this on yourselves."
They nodded again.
She thought for a moment. She didn't know a lot of lullabyes and didn't think they would want one of those anyway. So, what was a song that would soothe her right now? A song popped into her head. Taking a deep breath, she let the words roll off of her tongue and out of her mouth.
~ Dancing bears ~ Painted wings ~ Things I almost remember ~ And a song someone sings ~ Once upon a December ~
~ Someone holds me safe and warm ~ Horses prance through a silver storm ~ Figures dancing gracefully ~ Across my memory ~ Far away ~ Long ago ~ Glowing dim as an ember ~ Things my heart used to know ~ Once upon a December ~
As she sang, the other members of the Fellowship had found themselves listening intently. She was wrong. She didn't have a horrible voice. She had a beautiful voice. Very beautiful. It had sounded shakey at first, but grew steadier and stronger as she relaxed a little.
~ Someone holds me safe and warm ~ Horses prance through a silver storm ~ Figures dancing gracefully ~ Across my memory ~ Far away ~ Long ago ~ Glowing dim as an ember ~ Things my heart used to know ~ Things it yearns to remember ~
~ And a song ~ Someone sings ~ Once upon a December ~
"Whoever told you you could not sing well must have been either deaf or a fool.You have a beautiful voice," said Aragorn after a brief silence.
Valora blushed visibly, even in the dark. Shaking her head, she glued her eyes to her feet. "No, I don't," she said softly.
"Yes, you do."
"No, I don't."
"Do too."
"Do not."
"Do too."
"I don't."
"You do."
"Don't."
"Do."
"Don't."
"Do."
"Don't."
"Yes, you do," said Legolas. As Valora gave him a very surprised look, he continued. "I do not think I have ever heard a human voice so beautiful."
Her face flamed brighter than the fire itself. She knew that she really ought to thank them, but she was too embarrassed. "Look, I sang. Now, go to sleep." She got up and went back to her bedroll. There, she crawled completely under her blanket, head and all, and fell silent. Damned if she'd admit it, but their praise had pleased her immensely. That was normal enough. But she realized that she would have been upset had they not enjoyed her voice.
She usually didn't care much what people thought of her. Unless the people in question were important to her. Frodo and Sam were one thing, but the others...
Damn it! she thought. Despite her efforts not to, she had gotten attached to them. Not just Frodo and Sam. All of them.
Except maybe Boromir.
She hadn't even thought it possible to feel more guilty for withholding the truth from them. Apparently, it was.
______________________________________________________________
Well, there it is. Hope you enjoyed.
Oh, totally unrelated to the story, but... I recently bought the latest issue of GQ. Viggo Mortensen is on the cover and you should all go out and get it, but that's not what this is about. The poor guy had his car broken into recently. They left his computer and his money, but they took his rusack. In that rusack, he had all of his writing that he's done over the past three years. About a dozen short stories and about seventy-five poems. And those were his only copies. Needless to say, he is very upset. Now, I know whoever stole them, probably tossed them when they realized that the bag was full of papers, but there is a small chance that whoever it is will try to sell them on the net or something. If anyone happens upon someone doing just that, please report it. As writers, I'm sure you can imagine how he must feel.
Okay, back to business.
fhc: I found the name on babynames.com when I was looking into possible pen names. I have a couple of them. Hopefully, I can get some of my original stories published under them.
SarcasmSage: (blush) Thank you.
freakishworm: I have no idea if the Elves actually sleep with their eyes open. Like I said, I never actually got through the book. However, I have read lots of fanfics written by people who have read them. A lot of them mention the Elves sleeping with their eyes open. I'm just taking their word for it.
Empress Guinevere Sparrow: (blush again) Oh, thank you.
Ethan: Sorry, buddy. You're going to have to wait for any fight scenes. I hope you keep reading. And thank you.
Tracy: Thanks for letting me know I was taking too long. Again. Sigh. I really need to stop doing that.
Yami no Ryu, Skyla3 and Elainor: Thank you all very much.
Well, on with the story. Once again, sorry it took so long. And sorry it's kinda short.
_____________________________________________________________________________
By now, the sun was almost gone. Merry and Sam had built a fire and were cooking some meat for their dinner. Pippin was watching anxiously. He still wasn't used to not eating six or seven times a day and was hungry. Aragorn sat down and began to sharpen his sword. Gandalf was smoking his pipe. Legolas went back to scanning for danger. Gimli and Boromir were discussing weapons. Valora was sitting on the ground humming quietly to herself. Frodo was simply watching everyone else.
Before long, it had grown very dark. The moon was obscured by clouds tonight, so their light was limited to the fire in the middle of their camp. The fact that they couldn't see past the circle of firelight gave them a feeling of isolation. And also fear. Who knew what was lurking in the dark, just out of sight?
The Hobbits and Valora particularly felt uneasy. Though they felt a bit safer with the others, especially Aragorn and Gandalf, there, the feeling of fear was difficult to shake.
Nothing really happened until they were readying for sleep. The Pippin and Sam both froze and looked out into the darkness.
"What is it?" asked Valora.
A twig snapped in the darkness.
Valora went still. Had she really heard that or was she just imagining things? Straining her ears, she listened. A rustling sound could be faintly heard. "Aragorn..?" she asked quietly.
"Shh." He signaled to Legolas, who nodded almost imperceptibly and moved silently out of the light on the other side of the circle.
They waited in tense silence. They kept their weapons at the ready, just in case.
Something darted into the light, causing them all to start. Squealing, the animal ran straight through the camp and away from them as fast as it could.
"A pig?" asked Valora incredulously.
"I saw nothing else," said Legolas, moving back into the light from the direction the pig had come from. He looked a little amused.
Smiling slightly, Aragorn sheathed his sword.
Valora began to laugh. "Oh, geez. I about had a heart attack over a wild pig?" She shook her head.
"You're not the only one," assured Frodo, looking relieved.
"Get some sleep," said Aragorn.
Valora, however, couldn't seem to stop laughing. She knew she was strangling more humor out of the situation than necessary, but she couldn't help it. She needed a good laugh and here was an opportunity to get one. It took her a couple of minutes to calm down.
Pippin and Sam, on the other hand, had a harder time calming down. Only they didn't need to calm down from laughing. Yes, it was humorous, but what if it hadn't been a pig? What else might be out there? Watching. Waiting. As a result, they were wide awake and didn't really want to sleep.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"Can't you sleep?" asked Aragron.
"Can I ever?" asked Valora.
That was true. Valora often had trouble sleeping. An insomniac, she called herself. So, when she actually got some sleep, she usually didn't want to wake up. Those were the times when she got really cranky. Aragorn didn't relish the idea of dealing with her in the mornings. He usually left that job to Frodo or Sam if he could, since she seemed to have a soft spot for them. Plus, Frodo was used to dealing with her when she was in one of her morning moods. As of yet, the others hadn't seen her like she had been that time Aragorn had woken her up after traveling through the swamp. But he and the Hobbits knew that she was about due for a reaction to her lack of sleep.
Valora sat up, her knees drawn up to her chest. She wished she could sleep at night, like a normal person.
Every member of the Fellowship felt a little uneasy. The fire was usually put out after their evening meal was prepared so it wouldn't draw unwanted attention. But they usually had the moon and stars to give them some light. That wasn't the case tonight. They were reluctant to plunge themselves into total darkness just yet.
Pippin shifted restlessly under his blanket. He was the second youngest of the group and from a wealthy family, unused to such situations, despite what he had already been through. He felt as though he'd been reduced to a child who was afraid of the dark again.
"Can't you sleep either?" asked Aragorn, looking over at Pippin.
He shook his head.
"Why not?"
"I'm too nervous to sleep."
In fact, no one was asleep yet. Though it had been nearly an hour since they had all started trying to sleep. Except Boromir and Legolas, who would both be standing watch tonight.
"So am I," added Sam.
"What would calm you down enough to sleep?" asked Gandalf.
"Well," said Pippin, hesitating. "My mum used to sing to me."
Valora looked up as she felt eyes on her. She found everyone looking at her. When it dawned on her exactly why they were looking at her, her eyes went a little wide. She shook her head vigorously. "Oh, no. No *way,* you guys."
"Why not?" asked Aragorn.
"Guys, you do *not* want to hear me sing. I have a horrible voice."
Legolas raised an eyebrow. Though she didn't seem aware of it, he had heard her sing. She wasn't terrible at all. In fact, he thought she was quite good, even if the songs she sang *were* strange to him.
"Nonsense," said Gandalf. "How bad can you be?"
"I sound like a dying animal," she said flatly. "I refuse to subject you guys to that."
"If it's as bad as you say it is, it might scare away anything nearby," commented Boromir.
Valora sent him a death glare.
"Alright. If you do not wish to sing, that's fine," said Frodo. "We won't make you do anything you don't wish to. Even if it *would* help everyone else relax."
Valora gave him a withering look. "Now, that was just low, Frodo Baggins."
Frodo smiled innocently at her. She was weakening and he knew it. Unbeknownst to her, he had heard her sing a few times. Back in Hobbiton, he had overheard her singing to herself while she cooked or helped with the chores at Bag End.
"It would be nice to hear a song, Miss Valora," said Sam timidly.
She shook her head firmly. Valora shifted to a lotus position. Her resolve was wavering. Though she knew she shouldn't, she glanced over at the Hobbits. Pippin and Sam looked disappointed. She looked away quickly, but her resistance was breaking down. Damn her soft heart. Especially when it came to the Hobbits. She sighed in defeat. There was no way she was going to win this, so she might as well get it over with. "If I sing, just one song," she added quickly, "will you wipe those looks off of your faces?"
They nodded.
Sighing again, she got up and went to sit with the Hobbits. "And remember, you brought this on yourselves."
They nodded again.
She thought for a moment. She didn't know a lot of lullabyes and didn't think they would want one of those anyway. So, what was a song that would soothe her right now? A song popped into her head. Taking a deep breath, she let the words roll off of her tongue and out of her mouth.
~ Dancing bears ~ Painted wings ~ Things I almost remember ~ And a song someone sings ~ Once upon a December ~
~ Someone holds me safe and warm ~ Horses prance through a silver storm ~ Figures dancing gracefully ~ Across my memory ~ Far away ~ Long ago ~ Glowing dim as an ember ~ Things my heart used to know ~ Once upon a December ~
As she sang, the other members of the Fellowship had found themselves listening intently. She was wrong. She didn't have a horrible voice. She had a beautiful voice. Very beautiful. It had sounded shakey at first, but grew steadier and stronger as she relaxed a little.
~ Someone holds me safe and warm ~ Horses prance through a silver storm ~ Figures dancing gracefully ~ Across my memory ~ Far away ~ Long ago ~ Glowing dim as an ember ~ Things my heart used to know ~ Things it yearns to remember ~
~ And a song ~ Someone sings ~ Once upon a December ~
"Whoever told you you could not sing well must have been either deaf or a fool.You have a beautiful voice," said Aragorn after a brief silence.
Valora blushed visibly, even in the dark. Shaking her head, she glued her eyes to her feet. "No, I don't," she said softly.
"Yes, you do."
"No, I don't."
"Do too."
"Do not."
"Do too."
"I don't."
"You do."
"Don't."
"Do."
"Don't."
"Do."
"Don't."
"Yes, you do," said Legolas. As Valora gave him a very surprised look, he continued. "I do not think I have ever heard a human voice so beautiful."
Her face flamed brighter than the fire itself. She knew that she really ought to thank them, but she was too embarrassed. "Look, I sang. Now, go to sleep." She got up and went back to her bedroll. There, she crawled completely under her blanket, head and all, and fell silent. Damned if she'd admit it, but their praise had pleased her immensely. That was normal enough. But she realized that she would have been upset had they not enjoyed her voice.
She usually didn't care much what people thought of her. Unless the people in question were important to her. Frodo and Sam were one thing, but the others...
Damn it! she thought. Despite her efforts not to, she had gotten attached to them. Not just Frodo and Sam. All of them.
Except maybe Boromir.
She hadn't even thought it possible to feel more guilty for withholding the truth from them. Apparently, it was.
______________________________________________________________
Well, there it is. Hope you enjoyed.