Hey there! I'm back again and here is your new chapter. Sorry it is taking so long for me to update but with the semester drawing to a close, school is getting more demanding. Sorry for it taking so long. And here is the new chapter. Hope you like it.
Chapter 9
"Would you stop talking about Boromir already!"
For the second night in a row, Tie lay curled up in a ball on her side, unable to sleep. She wasn't, however, the only one. Cora lay not far from her friend in Boromir's arms staring into space but not asleep. Tie was very fortunate that Legolas decided to stay near her that night.
He sat leaning against a tree, eyes unfocused, lost in a deep meditative state. Elendae sat not far away watching for when Legolas meditated. Seeing that he was, Elendae crawled forward, moving toward where Tie lay. He was almost to his goal and seriously believed that he might make it, when Legolas reached one arm out and shoved him roughly back, shifting his gaze into focus and onto the younger elf.
"Don't even think about it." He glared at his companion. Looking extremely crestfallen, Elendae stood up and moved back to where he had been before and didn't move again for the rest of the night.
The Fellowship was up again at dawn and continued on their journey to Mordor. Had Tie or Cora had enough energy to spare they would have seen the mountains to their left, and realized that they were headed south, but both were so exhausted that it was all they could do to keep up with the others. They trudged along with the rest of their companions, forcing themselves to put one foot in front of the other.
When the companions stopped for lunch, the girls merely lay down and slept as the others consumed a hot meal and enjoyed each other's company. Boromir sat by Cora as she slept, speaking with Merry and Pippin, running one hand lightly down her back as she dozed. Tie lay on a boulder over Aragorn's shoulder, one hand falling comically on his head half way through his conversation with Legolas and Gandalf concerning their route. The men roused them after lunch and they set out again, dragging themselves along as best they could.
Boromir finally grew tired of watching Cora trip over every bump in the trail he scooped her up in his arms and carried her for the remainder of the day as she slept. Elendae offered to carry Tie many times, but was repeatedly refused and shoved back angrily by Legolas.
By mid afternoon, Tie's strength failed her and she collapsed to her knees, too exhausted to continue.
"I'll carry you, my beautiful angel!" Elendae leapt forward eagerly only to be intercepted again by Legolas and watch as Aragorn took the girl into his arms and carry her. He looked to Legolas, hurt.
"Let her be, for pity's sake," Legolas hissed softly. "She's exhausted. The last thing she needs is to be frightened by you again."
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Merry and Pippin stood, playfully fencing with their swords on the rocky out-cropping where the Fellowship had stopped for their midday meal a few days later. The hobbits' movements were labored and jerky, lacking the fluidity that proper training would have given them. They had both come very close to dismembering one another, each having their share of cuts and scratches.
Boromir sat with Aragorn watching the hobbits, chuckling every so often as one or the other would drop their weapon. He shifted his gaze back and forth between Aragorn and the dueling hobbits, with the occasional glance to where Cora sat cross-legged speaking with Tiernan, her back to him. He could tell from the posture of her body that she was pleasantly enjoying her conversation. Then Tie's voice, filled with irritation, floated rather loudly to where he sat.
"Would you stop talking about Boromir, already!" Everyone stopped, looking over to where the girls sat. Cora, rather red in the face, glanced over her shoulder at Boromir. His eyes had gone wide at hearing his name coming from her conversation, and went slightly red himself as the others looked at him with mild snickers and amused expressions.
Cora climbed to her feet, moving away from Tie crossing her arms. Tie followed behind her and, picking Cora up around her waist and putting her over her shoulder, walked over to wear Boromir sat and dropped Cora into his lap.
"Here," she said, laughing a little. "You occupy her. She doesn't talk about anything else anyway." Tie placed her hands on her hips and looked down at the two of them, looking playfully angry. All the men laughed brightly, and Boromir draped one arm around the girl in his lap, smiling himself.
"It would be my pleasure," he said softly so only Cora could hear him. She lifted her face to look at him, having previously been pointedly staring at the ground. She found her face mere inches from his as she gazed into Boromir's eyes. "It would be my greatest pleasure," he whispered, tilting his face a little closer intent on doing just that. Pippin snickered sharply and hearing this, Boromir changed his mind at the last second and kissed her lightly on the cheek instead.
Tie rolled her eyes at the two of them and went to sit down away from the sickening couple. She kept her back meaningfully to them hoping that the others would follow her example and leave them alone. Slowly the others did go back to what they had been doing before she had unceremoniously dumped her friend in Boromir's lap.
Cora sat in Boromir's lap for a little while longer before moving to his side, still keeping her eyes cast down. Boromir moved his arm from around her shoulders to her waist and continued his conversation with Aragorn, trying to ignore the growing grin on the other man's face as he puffed lightly on his pipe.
Merry and Pippin shrugged and went back to their swordplay, still grinning broadly. Pippin, curiously as always was more intent on seeing if Boromir would do anything now that no one was watching him, lunged at Merry and cut deep into the soft skin of his friends wrist.
"Ow!" Merry screamed. "Pippin! Watch what you're doing! You're going to skewer me if you keep that up!" Merry nursed his wrist with his other hand and a spare handkerchief until it stopped bleeding. Boromir finally grew tired of watching the small halflings nearly kill each other and stood up, taking his arm away from Cora's waist.
"You two are going to kill some one other than yourselves, you're aim is so bad. Let me show you how to use those." He drew his own sword, being twice the size of the hobbits'. Merry and Pippin smiled and turned their attention to their new teacher.
"Boromir," Aragorn called over. "Your flower isn't all that wonderful with a blade, perhaps you should help her as well." Cora blushed again as Boromir nodded and waved her over. She stood and drew her sword walking over to stand with the hobbits.
"Do you think Tiernan would like to join us?" Boromir asked, his sword held loosely by his side.
"Tie?" Cora looked back over her shoulder to see Tie had moved and was speaking with Gandalf, her feet dangling off the edge of the boulder she was seated on. "No. I think she can handle herself, with or without a sword." She turned her attention back to Boromir as he began to show his three students the proper way to use a blade. He showed them the various steps using numbers to differentiate between the movements. Aragorn went back to smoking his pipe, watching and laughing at the numerous antics of the hobbits.
Legolas stood not far from Tie, watching Elendae closely. His arm was getting rather tired from repeatedly throwing him away from Tie so that he wouldn't bother her. He didn't understand why the young elf insisted on making a fool of himself over some human woman, but seeing as she didn't want his affections, Legolas did what he could to keep Elendae away from Tiernan. Again Elendae made his way closer to the girl.
"I must speak with Gandalf," he said moving casually past his companion. "I wish to know more about the route we are taking to Mordor." Legolas grabbed Elendae by his shirt collar and pulled him back again.
"No," he said simply, shoving Elendae back once more. Elendae lost his balance and grabbed Legolas' arm as he fell over backward, pulling him down as well. Taking advantage of the situation, Elendae moved to get closer to Tie again. Legolas grabbed his leg and yanked him back onto his stomach. Legolas climbed to his feet and pushed Elendae back to the ground, and moved to pin him with his foot. Elendae rolled away, and scrambled on his hands and knees toward Tie and Gandalf.
Tie was deliberately ignoring what was occurring between Legolas and Elendae and was discussing they route with Gandalf. She leaned forward on her hands as she looked down on him from her lofty position.
"So, after traveling south for 40 days, we will take the Gap of Rohan and then head east, right?" Gandalf nodded, taking a long pull on his pipe.
"If any one were to ask my opinion," Gimli said, having been sitting nearby during the conversation, "which I note they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way round." He moved to Gandalf's side, looking up at the taller man as he continued. "We should go through the Mines of Moria. My cousin, Balin, would give us a royal welcome." Gandalf took the pipe from his mouth and shook his head.
"No, Gimli. I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice." He put the pipe back to his lips and ended the conversation.
"Oh no you don't!" Legolas' voice filled the empty air at the end of their discussion as he tackled Elendae mid-stride and they rolled passed Tie and Gandalf.
"But, my angel!" Elendae grabbed for Tie's leg, which she lifted out of the way, as Legolas' momentum carried him out of reach. Legolas vaulted to his feet and finally pinned Elendae beneath him.
"Leave her alone!" He hissed down at his now trapped companion. "All you're doing is scaring her! She doesn't even like you!" Content that Elendae couldn't move, Legolas let his gaze wonder across the horizon.
"2,1,5." Boromir chanted off the number of each movement as he fenced with the hobbits and Cora, all of who were showing much improvement now that they were being taught the proper way. "Good. Very good," he said looking proudly on his fast learning pupil. Pippin, who he had been sparing with him, smiled in a pleased manor.
"Move your feet," Aragorn chimed in passed the pipe in his teeth.
"You look good, Pippin," Merry said, impressed with his friends improvement, no longer feeling the pain in his wrist.
"Thanks," he replied brightly. Cora shook her head and smiled at the easy amusement of hobbits.
"Faster." Boromir and Pippin began sparing again and all other sound ceased except Boromir's counting and the clash of their blades. But all accidents were not to be avoided. Moments later Boromir's sword slipped, nicking Pippin's finger and eliciting a small cry of pain.
"Sorry," he said, coming closer to make certain he hadn't seriously hurt the man. Pippin took advantage of Boromir's guard being down and kicked the tall man sharply in the shin. He and Merry tackled Boromir, brining the big man down with a laughing cry of surprise.
"Get him!" Merry punched playfully at the fallen man's middle as he cried, "For the Shire!"
"Hold him," Pippin yelled, shaking both with laughter and the force of Boromir's struggles.
"I'll help you, Boromir," Cora said, rushing forward to help the felled warrior. Tie, who had wandered over after Elendae's brief episode, grabbed Cora by the shoulder, pulling her away from the embattled hobbits.
"No you don't," she said to Cora. Then she turned to the halflings. "Quick! Destroy the evil warrior, while I hold his villainous bride at bay!" Cora glared at her as she fought to get free of her grasp.
Aragorn put his pipe down and walked over to where Boromir lay struggling under the hobbits. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off as Merry and Pippin grabbed and pulled his legs from beneath him with a cry.
"Traitor!"
Cora managed to pull free of Tie and ran to aid Boromir, while Tie turned her focus to Pippin, who was attacking Aragorn.
"What is that?" Sam's question brought the remainder of the fight to a close. Tie helped Aragorn to his feet and Boromir wrapped his arms around Cora's waist.
"Nothing. It's just a wisp of cloud," Gimli said, following Sam's gaze to the horizon. Boromir looked up from tickling Cora.
"Its moving fast," he said, crinkling his brow and standing up straight, loosening his grip on the girl. "Against the wind." Legolas had been watching the dark shadow on the horizon, trying to discern what it was. Then it came within range of his elvish sight and his eyes went wide.
"Crebain, from Dunland," he yelled, turning back to the others. He moved to go back and help hide their presence. Elendae, indigent at having to bear all of Legolas' weight, twisted under him and caused the other man to lose his footing and tumble forward.
"Hide!" Aragorn moved around the hobbits to hide their supplies as the Crebain drew closer. Boromir nudged urgently toward Cover.
"Hide quickly," he whispered. "I'll join you shortly." Then he turned from her to aid the others.
In moments all were safely hidden under rocks and brush, out of sight of the flying menace. Boromir, true to his word, hid in the brush with Cora, as well as Merry and Pippin. Aragorn lay low under a rocky ledge with the other two hobbits, and Legolas, Gandalf, and Gimli hid in another bit of brush nearby.
The Crebain swept overhead, calling raucously to one another as they flew by. The Fellowship crouched lower into their places of hiding praying they would escape detection. The birds circled the rocky clearing several times before continuing on, completely unaware that their quarry was so close.
The silence was echoing after the loud flapping of wings and voluble cries. Slowly the companions crawled out of hiding and gazed after the emissaries of their nemesis.
"Spies of Sauruman!" Gandalf spat the words angrily, looking in the direction the Crebain had come. "The passage south is being watched. We must take the Pass of Caradhras."
The Fellowship turned and began gathering their belongings when a ringing slap rent through the air. They all dropped what they were doing and reached instinctively for their weapons.
"Elendae, you ass!" Tie's angry voice followed on the heels of the resounding slap. She stormed into view from beneath another bit of brush to where her gear had been hastily thrown, slung the pack on her shoulder, and moved on ahead. After Tiernan had passed from sight, Elendae poked his head out, a brilliant red mark the exact shape of Tie's hand blossoming on his right cheek.