Hello everyone! This is my new story, I'm afraid this first chapter isn't very action packed as I am setting the scene. I do not own the characters that Tolkein created but the ones that will come into the story later are made up by me. Also this fanfic will contain some violence , so if you are a younger reader please be aware, although it won't be horrifically graphic! Reviews are most welcomed, I hope you enjoy the story.
Stay together or die alone:
No one had expected the events of Moria. The darkness, the grief, the great fire of the Balrog and the untimely death of the Fellowship's dear wizard, Gandalf. The truth was, it affected every single member of the party, even if they wished against it. Gandalf was their leader, their source of safety and wisdom, and in a shocking turn of events, he fell into the darkness. Frodo was affected the most, this came as no surprise; Gandalf was a foundation for the Hobbit, a place to turn to when things were unclear. If Boromir had not constrained him so effectively, Frodo was certain he would have gone after the Wizard himself.
When darkness came into light, and the air became clear, the remaining members of the Fellowship sighed in relief. Four days they were trapped in that mine, that tomb. Gimli seemed less affected by the darkness, which was no surprise being as he is a dwarf, but his discovery of Balin's death, and his fellow kin painted great pain and grief on his face. He hunched over onto the floor, a single tear streamed down his cheek. The peaceful landscape surrounding them was filled with the Dwarves' grief ridden bellows. However, he was not the only one who showed despair; Merry and Pippin held one another in comfort. Boromir consoled the grieving dwarf, offering a hand to his shoulder. Boromir himself was not as close to Gandalf as the others, but he feared what would come of the Fellowship now that their leader had passed on. He turned to Sam and saw the sadness in his eyes as he gently clutched his pack. Surprisingly to Boromir's eyes he was not with Frodo, in fact Frodo was nowhere to be seen. His thoughts were stalled when he heard Aragorn's voice.
'Legolas, get them up.'
Boromir's eyes turned to the elf. Boromir knew that Legolas struggled in the dark mines, though he would never admit it. He noted the sadness and confusion on Legolas' expression. Death must be confusing for immortals, Boromir pondered. Despite the sorrow and pain, the Fellowship had to move on, and after much encouragement from Aragorn, and after finding Frodo by the water's edge, the Fellowship carried on their journey.
Their arduous task continued, and soon nightfall fell upon the land. By this time, they had reached the forest edge, however Lothlorien was still miles away. It would take at least another two days to be under the safety of the realm, something that the Fellowship, particularly the Hobbits, were looking forward to. Aragorn stopped their silent march when he came to a small clearing amongst the trees and decided that it would be a suitable and safe enough place to sleep. The Hobbits dropped their packs heavily onto the ground and they sat down together against a large oak. Sam made sure Frodo was warm enough, as the temperature in the forest dropped still hadn't spoken since Gandalf's death, but he smiled gently at Sam to thank him. A little way from the Hobbits were the rest of the party, Aragorn paced in thought, Legolas stood scanning the perimeter with his elven sight. Boromir and Gimli seemed to have taken a leaf out of the Hobbit's book and sat down heavily onto the ground. Aragorn ceased his pacing and looked at his companions, it wasn't hard for Aragorn to see their exhaustion.
'We all need rest. Tomorrow we must reach Lothlorien, it will be a long walk, but we cannot linger any longer than dawn.'
Legolas nodded in agreement, 'The sooner we reach Galadriel's borders the better. I can sense great danger.'
All eyes faced the elf at his sudden confession. It was not wise to ignore the wisdom of the elves and Legolas was no exception. Aragorn frowned in confusion.
'What do you mean Legolas?'
With his eyes still scanning the depths of the forest, he answered, 'Since reaching these woods, I have felt a presence, almost as if we are not alone, that we are being followed. I understand that my kin are not far away, but it is not them that I can feel. Even the trees are telling me of this danger.'
Aragorn sighed deeply, closing his eyes, and pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers. 'We will not be able to fight with depleted strength, we must rest. We cannot have a fire tonight, and we must only speak in whispers. We set off at dawn. We will need two people to take watch tonight.'
'I will take watch.'
Aragorn turned to the elf who stood attentively, however the man shook his head in disagreement.
'Legolas, you have not slept in four days. You cannot deny this, for I am not the only person to notice this.
Legolas scowled at the man.
'It is true Master elf, I know elves do not need as much sleep as the rest of us, but even your kin will tire after 4 days without rest.' The dwarves' words hit Legolas strongly, as they held no resentment. Legolas finally nodded and stubbornly agreed that he should take some rest. After much debate it was decided that Pippin, who was surprisingly alert would take the first watch with Boromir taking over afterwards.
However, the elf's words began to play upon everyone's minds.
