Annamariah: I know , I know have wonderful taste in suits. I really should have my own fashion show. What do you think? By the way, I love the mirror! We will have more Eomer later and more horses and more Barbie/Eomer interaction later. Of what kind their relationship is ….well you'll have to keep reading to find out!
Crazyroninchic: We tend to like the two girls as well don't we Winkle? Winkle? Oh never mind he's sleeping on the job. There goes his paycheck!
Ty-Kwan-Do: What! Insanely colored suits! Do you have a death wish or something? I love my suits and black is just plain old boring so there! ……By the way thanks for reviewing.
Lady of the dual swords: Your name rocks dude! See what a lovely chapter you get if you review! Yes we wrote this one all for you.
Winkle: Snodgrass don't lie!
Snodgrass: If it keeps her reviewing who cares?
Slayer3: Let the good times roll! We love your reviews dude keep it up! And do you seriously mean there are stories where girls are sent back in hairdryer accidents? Weird.
Zarz: I hope this chapter answers all your questions. And you will see what it happens ig you keep reading! And reviewing of course.
Lily Took: ( Snodgrass is handed and note and reads) Dear Lily if you see Pippin tell him that we miss him a lot. Love Emily and Barbara.
Siriusly Sirius Lily Black Yes we love Boromir, and yes we love Eomer, and yes you will have more of both!
Ellinde: I think that Emily was being rather pushy but I'm glad you liked it! And do you honestly think that we could kill Boromir after a chapter like this? I didn't think so.
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Chapter Fourteen
Growing Pains and Happy Meetings
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Haldir's POV
We are a day's ride from Edoras and out of the corner of my eye I watch the girl. She is a woman to her people, but a child to me. She is comfortable now after a hard night of pain. I knew that Fangorn's water wasn't safe for her to drink, but I never thought of the reaction it would have on her.
At the third hour of the night she began to stir as if in pain and soon she was whimpering softly. I was afraid it was a nightmare and carefully read her thoughts and instead an explosion of pain filled her mind.
She woke up than and said "Oh god I have the worlds worst case of the growing pains ever!."
"Do you need anything?"
"No I just need to walk around a while." and she did. She wanted to be alone and I watched from a distance as she paced the glade. Stretching her limbs and arms as she went, and hours went by as she walked.
"Lady Emily come you need to rest." I said being human I knew she won't be well if she didn't sleep.
"I can't Haldir everything hurts too much. Just leave me alone for while okay?" she said .
Deciding that is was better to suffer her displeasure then leave her alone I stayed and tried to bring her mind to something other then her pain.
"And you fully understand the post appointed to you?" I asked for I didn't believe she truly did.
"Well, I think so; I'm supposed to smooth out any wrinkles that could ruin the operation of the well oiled machine that is Edoras. Right?" she asked and rubbed her arms.
I noticed something she had not; as we were walking I had observed that she now stood just below my shoulder where she had only reached the middle of my chest before. She was growing incredibly rapidly and didn't see it. But now was not the time to bring it up.
"You're close. The Lady believes you possess the gift of speech when you put your mind to it; and also that you will use it soon. I must say that I have not seen any evidence of such a talent, but I am merely a soldier."
My plan worked, she was sufficiently insulted to fight back and forget the extraordinary pain she was enduring.
"Listen here you…you" She stopped and took a deep breath. "What I meant to say was that I haven't been given the chance to use it. I believe that I can help in interpersonal problems given the opportunity. I know Théoden fairly well I think and I already know the kind of trouble he will be facing in the near future so I have a better handle on things then anyone- except Barbie." she added ruefully.
"Yes, well I hardly think she would be suited to that particular area of work." I say smiling slightly at the thought of the little girl calming a disgruntled King.
"I just noticed something really odd!" Emily suddenly said.
"What is that?" I inquire although I have a pretty good idea. She comes up and stands in front of me measuring the height difference with her eyes.
"Haldir, either you've shrunk, or I grew! Oh my gosh! Is that what these dang growing pains are?"
"Yes I believe so, does it still hurt?"
"No, but how….? Oh my gosh, it was the water I drank! It's the same thing that Merry and Pippin drank too! But it didn't hurt them, why me?"
"I'm not entirely sure what your referring to, but my guess would be the simple fact is that they are hobbits and you are…"
"..human!" she finished. She thumped a fist into her hand and said "Who would have thought that it could cause the world's worst case of growing pains this side of Middle Earth! Not that I care now because they're over, but how tall am I?"
"I would think you added about six inches to your frame my Lady." I said.
"5'8! I've always wanted to be a little taller." She then asked." What makes you smile like that?"
"The look on your face when I told you. Honestly I don't think I've seen someone so surprised in at least the last hundred years."
She smiled too and replied. "I wish you wouldn't refer to the huge age gap between us Warden. It makes it difficult to converse if I have the stigma of your age hanging over every comment I make."
"Do I make you uncomfortable?" This idea had not crossed my mind. Normally if a human disliked an elf they showed it in open rudeness or fear.
"No, not exactly, however it would be easier if I thought you were only twenty years older instead of two thousand."
I wondered vaguely what she would say of I told her to triple that number and she would have my age. Given her trepidation at the idea of my age I decided it was best not to press the point. In any case the day was breaking and we needed to leave. She picked up her sword and slips it into her belt, where it had dragged along the ground it now hung at the proper length by her side. I wonder if she knows to whom it once belonged.
Now as we neared the capital of Edoras pondered the coming parting between the strange young woman and me. She was odd yes, but I liked her and wished her well in her venture. She is so young for such a task; I can only pray she will know what to do.
Scanning the horizon I see another party coming toward us. A few riders riding hard, and if my eyes don't deceive me, I can see the magnificent steed Shadowfax in the lead.
"Lady Emily I believe we have just found something you lost." I said and nodded toward the dust cloud of the coming riders.
Her eyes grow wide and she whispers. "Boromir…"
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Barbie's POV
Up to right before we entered Fangorn, I was my normal, weirdo self. I mean, I wasn't the same girl that had so blithely set out on this quest, but I wasn't a morbid, moping person. Neither was I one of those saps that go sapping about fields and fields of beautiful golden flowers, or gardens overflowing with fragrant roses.
That is what Keats is supposed to do. I was just me, however that saying has been clichéd. That forest changed me somehow, subtly.
The woods of Fangorn were-different. Not the spare piney kind that we found on the foot of Cadharas, or the awe inspiring giants of Lothlorien, these trees were tall, but gnarled and drooping, as if they had fought to grow, drawing up infinite strength through deep roots reaching far into the dark earth.
They grew close together, in thick huddled bunches, as if to keep out unwanted intruders, and we had to dismount, leading our horses behind us as we walked.
Aragorn led us, tracking the hobbits movements, since though I knew they had gone into the forest I had no idea where exactly they had gone. Honestly, did you expect M.E. would be just like PJ's sets? No one could ever have even hoped to produce the same feeling of-I'm so confused now. Not amazement or admiration, but a quiet something that ached in your throat like beauty.
But as always, there was something to spoil that feeling. This time that something was Gimli tasting a darkish black spot that was dripping off a leaf. He sputtered, and spit it out.
"Orc blood." he growled, making a wry face. I sighed, and rolled my eyes.
"Look Mister Dwarf," I said " Didn't your mom tell you NOT to put foreign objects in your mouth to figure out what they are? I could have told what that gunk was from the stench!"
"Apparently dwarves are quite incapable of smelling beyond their own beards." Legolas said, with a sneaky-devious twinkle in his eyes.
"Now you've both joined against me, insulting me dear mother's memory and my race. You've broken my heart Barbara. I never would have thought you would do such a thing." Gimli said, with a grieved look, and I felt kind of bad until I realized he was putting me on completely. Then he rounded on Legolas.
"Though something like that coming from you is no surprise. Elves are renowned for their arrogance, illogical judgments and bad tempers!"
"Bad tempers!" Legolas protested " If I recall correctly, it was the words of a dwarf that incited a most undignified debate at the Council of Elrond. It was also the words of a dwarf that almost debarred us from Lothlorien!"
"Ha!" Gimli shot back " That Marchwarden was merely unable to reply properly to true words from a son of Gloin."
"Or perhaps the words he might have chosen weren't appropriate for one of such tender years to hear, son of Gloin." Legolas replied, putting exaggerated emphasis on the words "tender years."
"Why you--I'll have you know it's two score and seven years I've graced Manwe's green earth, and still as spry as the day I was born!" Gimli said, accent thickening noticeably.
"Oh, if is this is about age then, I'll have you know that--" Aragorn silenced them both with a glare that would have done Elrond proud.
"If you two continue, Saruman will have no need of spies. He probably could hear you both all the way to Isengard!" Legolas and Gimli had the good grace to blush slightly, though while one just looked cuter, the other one appeared to have acquired bad sunburn.
We continued on in silence, and strangely, the trees seemed to close in around us, as if to trap us now that we were there.
"This forest is old. Very old. Full of memory... and anger," Legolas whispered, his eyes doing that almost scary glowy thing.
The trees were muttering louder now, groaning in slow, deep tones that sent tiny shivers up and my spine. Gimli was, to put it frankly, quite freaked by Fangorn, and held his axe in "ready-to-battle-Mwahaha" mode.
"The trees are speaking to each other," Legolas said, and he looked around searchingly, as if he heard something, very close by.
"Gimli!" Aragorn whispered (Why did he whisper? I have no idea. But he did, so there!)
"What?" Gimli said, looking around, as if he were afraid he'd miss something.
"Put your axe down of course. These trees can't be expected to be very fond of them,"
Boromir interjected, with a slight look of exasperation, as if Gimli should have known this. Aragorn looked a bit miffed at being interrupted, but he wisely let it pass.
I thought thus was rather funny, our all-Edain Boromir considering the feelings of trees. I would have teased him about it ( Sooooo, Boromir, are you the newest tree-hugger on the block?) but I didn't get the chance. Legolas said something in Elvish (Why do they do that when things get the most interesting?) and Aragorn definitely asked him something, there was a definite question in his voice.
This is an example of how us non-elvish speakers get along with such annoying companions, you just try to interpret their tone of voice. That is somewhat of a hit-and-miss system, because you might think they were saying something mysterious about the sunset, and they could actually be saying that they thought that your hair looked like a squirrel that got caught in the washer and never dried out.
Back to the matter at hand.
"The White Wizard approaches," Legolas said, and I barely resisted the urge to start laughing, because he looked so serious about it. It got worse though.
"Do not let him speak," Aragorn said " He will put a spell on us."
My thoughts. Do not laugh. Do not laugh. Do not laugh. Doom, destruction and despair. Fire, famine and flood. Do not laugh. Do not laugh. Do not laugh.
I laughed.
I held a hand over my mouth, and clutched my sides with the other, and positively guffawed!
"That's rich Ranger man," I wheezed " Put a-ha ha-spell on us-I mean-hmpf!" Boromir had covered my mouth, and gave me a look Sauron himself would have trembled to look upon.
"Shut up!" he hissed in my ear, and then whirled around with the others. The sequence of events that followed happened very quickly, so that is how I will write it.
Arrowisshot,flungtoside,axeflungintotree,swordsheatupandturnprettyredcolorandarepromptlydroppedbystartledAragornandBoromir.Girl laughs.
A sort of white misty light appeared, and I stopped laughing, and shielded my eyes against the glare.
"You are tracking the footsteps of two young hobbits," It said, in an echoy voice that sounded like a certain wizards voice if he spoke through a fan.
"Where are they?" Aragorn asked. The glow brightened if that was possible, and there was a faint sound as if someone had just laughed very far away.
"They passed this way the day before yesterday. They met someone they did not expect. Does that comfort you?"
"Who are you? Show yourself!" Boromir demanded, and looked down at his smoking sword.
The mist began to clear away, and Gandalf stepped forward, dressed all in shining white.
The guys stood there for a moment, their mouths falling open like suffocating fish, shut, open, shut, open.
"Gandalf!" I yelled/screamed, and without further ado, flung myself at him in an enormous hug. What did I get for my pains? A sharp poke in my ribs where Glamdring hung at his side. I hugged him anyway. I think he was…surprised, and gently shooed me away after a few moments.
The rest that followed you all already know, the guys exclamations of shock and disbelief, ( Some of which were about my "boldness" in embracing a reincarnated wizard. My philosophy is "We all need a hug. Why not a reincarnated wizard?) Oh yes, and he told the whole story about " falling through fire and water", and coming out all right in the end and being given new clothing as his own were somewhat wet and singed. Well, he might not have said that exactly. Oh, and he told us his new name, definite improvement on the old one.
Then he led us out of Fangorn, And after all the work we spent getting there, too. I updated him on everything that had happened, being literally "grabbed" by Eomer and all that, and how Emily had to stay behind because she had gotten sick. Gandalf looked mysterious, and smiled a little when I told him about that. I think he knew more about it then he was letting on. Some people just have a bad obsession with secrets.
When we reached the outer fringes of Fangorn, Gandalf stopped, and then whistled; a long, piercing whistle. I was smug in the satisfaction that I, at least, knew what was going on. Pretty soon, a big white horse should be galloping over some hill in majestic grace and show-offy-ness.
Then…there seemed to be a sound of low thunder, and I looked upward. A perfectly clear blue sky smiled back at me, as if mocking me that it got to see everything from way up there.
"What the--" I began, then stopped. An entire herd of horses, led by the shining Shadowfax, thundered towards us. Not far behind the white horse was another enormous jet black horse, carrying-if my eyes don't deceive me!
"It's-the Marchwarden and an entire escort of elven warriors!" Aragorn gasped, literally gasped in surprise.
I admit, I screamed, and grabbed onto Boromir as they got closer, and closer. And just as I was certain that they were going to trample us into oblivion, they all stopped on a dime, dust rising from their steeds' hooves.
"I hope we didn't scare you," Haldir said, as he swung down from his saddle, with a look of smug satisfaction that was just infuriating. I, having let go of Boromir, was looking at the elven warriors, resplendent in their shining armor, and armed with those wicked looking bows.
I was noticing something kind of funny about them though, they all looked like women? Could that be? While I was pondering this possibility, the horses parted, to reveal an oddly familiar girl on a horse, but she was too tall and thin to be-
"EMILY!" Boromir and I simultaneously shouted her name, but the Gondorian was quicker than me, and was at her side in a moment.
"BOROMIR!" she shrieked, and then proceed to fling herself into his arms. Actually her foot got stuck in the stirrup and she sort of fell onto him, but he caught her anyway. They looked at each other for a moment, then proceeded to--um, do what people in love do after a long absence.
And I have to say, for a girl that I knew had never, ahem, done "this sort of thing" before, she seemed to do a thorough job on Boromir alright. I heard Gimli give a snort of disgust, he was keeping his face averted from them the entire time.
"Do they have to do that in public?" I heard him groan. I kicked his ankle, and smiled upon them both. Legolas sighed sentimentally.
"I love happy endings,' he said, and we both sighed again.
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Emily's POV
What was your first kiss like? Do you remember every second imprinted on your memory?
I ask because I had never been kissed, at least up to this point I had not. I was never sure what to expect, I mean do you lean forward or does he? Do you breathe? And where in the world does your nose go?
These are all things I wondered about because I had never been kissed. If I had I would have realized that you don't think about that sort of thing when you are actually being kissed. All that goes through your mind is "God I love this man."
"What did you say?" Barbie asked.
"Nothing, I was just thinking." I said snuggling deep into my cloak as Barbie poked at the fire with a stick.
"I'm sure you said something."
"I know I didn't say anything out loud Barb."
"Yes, you did!" She insisted turning her clear brown eyes on me. It was a little weird to see her without her glasses, and there was something grown up about her glance that wasn't there before.
"You absolutely said something about loving someone! I heard it!"
I sighed as realization suddenly hit me. This was going to be so annoying, if she could read my thoughts now too. At least I knew Haldir knew how and where to draw the line in mind reading. (I can't tell you how weird it is to talk about mind reading as if its an everyday thing.)
"Barb, look there's something I need to tell you and I hope it doesn't freak you out or anything." She got an odd scared look in her eyes and sat up a little bit more.
"Look you have more to thank Legolas for then you know. What I mean is that you kind of borrowed his abilities to do a lot of things he can and so I think you just…..um…..read my mind."
Her mouth dropped open and she said "That is totally cool! I can read minds! I love Middle Earth, I love Middle Earth! Yahoo!"
And she did a mini happy dance in her seat. She once again got a few strange looks from the guys. Legolas, Aragorn and Boromir were talking about where we should go next, and Gimli was cooking something over a fire. The elves had assumed the reasonability of guarding everyone, and ringed the camp silently on their horses. Haldir was with them now, and I have to tell you that I was glad not to be the only human around now.
I love elves and always will, but they are, well, elves. And so no matter how close you are there is always a kind of barrier between you and them. Maybe that's why elves and men don't fall in love easily, Aragorn did because he never knew anything different until he was much older.
Haldir was a wonderful friend and heaps of fun to tease, but if I had to chose I would pick humanity any day of the week. ( I know! I know! You can't imagine it. But listen you have never really met an elf where I have so just stuff it okay? Boy that came out so diplomatically!)
Barbie and were settling down for the night near the fire and Gimli was singing a drinking song as we once again gazed up at the endless star field above us.
"The sky is the stage on which stars play." sighed Barbie.
"That was really corny Barb." I said laughing as the thought of Barbie as a poet.
"It was beautiful!" interjected Gimli from his side of the fire.
My dear little sister smirked and said "Thank you Master Gimli you are invaluable."
I got up and went outside the firelight. Barbie belonged here, borrowed abilities or not. She was one of them, and I was an outsider trying to fit in. I wasn't any sort of ambassador and in the end all I did was cause trouble.
"You should be sleeping Emily." a quiet voice said.
"Boromir, did you ever feel like you totally out of place?" I asked ignoring his comment.
He came up beside me and said "To be honest? No, I was always at home in Gondor. There were times when I wanted to travel outside her borders, but in the end she always called me home."
I looked at him and enjoyed the pleasure of his being alive. His eyes dark in the evening light and red gold hair blowing into his eyes again.
He tucked it behind his ears and asked. "Do you regret coming? Would you have made the same decision if you were given the choice again?"
"In a heart beat."
He put his arm around my shoulders pulling me close to him. I wrapped my arms around him and felt …so safe.
"Are you homesick?" he asked speaking into my hair.
"I want to be here Boromir, but I don't belong here. I feel like I only cause trouble for everyone else, I feel like I'm forcing myself into a mold that I can never fit in. I was never meant to be a warrior or fair maiden of great worth. I am just a girl away from home."
He tightened his hold on me and I felt the cold buckle of his vest pressing into my cheek. I could hear the thump, thump, thump of his heart. I waited excepting him to say something, but he didn't. He just held me tight against him and I closed my eyes listening to the sound of our breathing. There are times in life when everything stops, and you cherish the simple beauty of the moment.
"Emily?"
"Mumm?"
"I think you're marvelous."
And he kissed me.
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