The Roamer 6

Caradhra's

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry sorry! I apologise infinite times! My computer broke, so it was being fixed for half a week, then the internet broke down for ages and I didn't have access to another computer! So sorry! Hope you like this chapter, though I apologise if it's a let down after all that wait.

We trudged all during the day and rested during the night. Ever since that first night, I had taken watch, allowing everyone else to get well rested. Aragorn had eventually mustered the courage to ask me if I wanted to sleep, but I declined. When he asked my why, I told him I didn't need to. "Surely you need to rest sometimes!' He exclaimed. "Even elves sleep -well in a way.." "I do not usually have such needs," I explained carefully. "The last time I ever slept was when i was hit on the head by a large hailstone." Wisely the dunedain went quiet and walked away.

We were about 10 miles from the gap to Rohan, when we had stopped for a brief rest. I took a brief sip form my waterskin. I don't eat, and drink rarely, but all this walking was tiring. I was used to a much faster mode of transport, but that was currently unusable with the fellowship here. Borimer was teaching Merry and Pippin how to fight. "Move your feet" I yelled to them from my place on a rock. Soon I nodded to myself when I noticed a great improvement. Suddenly I froze. I could here a flapping sound from the distance, coming from behind me. The occasional screech was heard. I had a feeling these birds were bad news. "Legolas, Gimli" I said, as they were the ones closest to me. "What's that in the distance?" pointing to the direction the flapping sounds were coming from. "'Tis nothing but a wisp of cloud lass." the dwarf grunted. Gandalf came up from behind us, wondering what the commotion was about. "Those look a bit like..." he trailed off. The flapping had gotten a lot closer. "Crebian from Dunland!" Legolas yelled in his clear voice.

I ran over to the fire and kicked dirt over it. Then I hurridly hid the packs in a nearby bush. The others all ran to hide. Swiftly I ran to a bramble bush (I could tell from the smell) and threw myself into it. Possibly a little to swiftly, as I beat another to it. No sooner had I landed in it, I felt a weight land on top of me pushing the air from my lungs. I could tell by the faint clutter of arrows that the person had been the elf prince, Legolas. "Sorry I..." his voice was muffled by my glove. The flapping was right above us. Thankfully he got the idea so I removed it. I could hear the rustle of the bush and the screeches of the birds as they flew right above us, clawing at the bramble. For several painstaking minutes they flew around, until I could hear that they were at least a mile off. I doubted they would look back. "Would you kindly get off me." I said disgruntled to the elf. "Oh, sorry" the elf exclaimed, hurridly getting off me. He had just realised what an awkward position we were in.

The rest of the fellowship removed themselves from their respective hiding places behind various rocks. in bushes and from up dense trees. "We make for the pass of Caradhra's now. We must make haste!" said Gandalf. We set off at a speed walk, trying to get to the nearby mountain as swiftly as possible.

As we gained altitude, the snow on the mountain thickened. The weather became much colder. until our breath turned to microscopic particles of ice right in front of our faces. We all walked hunched over and shivering, waiting for the skies to clear up. Finally that day came. The fellowship was in a good mood, particually the hobbits, as the weather reminded them of The Shire. Even I enjoyed the warmth of the sun, though I was also a bit annoyed. The clouds had given us cover from prying eyes.

Of course all went well until Frodo tripped, doing a classic face first in the snow. He spluttered and spat out a mouthful. I sensed him grow alarmed. I heard something land in the snow by Borimers boot. He picked it up, thankfully walking toward Frodo with it. Suddenly he stopped. "Borimer, what is it" I said."So small- yet so much power.." he said. "Give the ring to Frodo" Aragorn had stepped in. Borimer continued to stare at it. "Borimer, give the ring to Frodo." Aragorn repeated a sense of alarm edging into his voice. I could feel its presence close to me and I shrank back slightly. Borimer gave a shudder and snapped out of it. "I have no use for it' he said" dropping it quite deliberately into Frodo's palm. I gave a silent sigh of relief. That had been close.

Soon the clouds covered us, and the fellowship descended into a sour mood once again. Aragorn and Borimer stood abreast forging everyone else a path through the snow. The wind began to howl and snow fell heavily, but still we forged ahead, moods growing worse by the second. Finally I could stand it no longer. "I'm going to go ahead and check if conditions get any better" I said. I began to stride ahead, my long steps covering several meters withing a few seconds. "Wait" yelled Legolas "I'll go with you. I might be able to see far ahead." I raised my eyebrow, unable to think of a suitable ecuse for him not to come. "Come on" I said running atop the snow. He quickly followed me.

Soon our pace slowed to a fast walk, and I paused to let the elf catch his breath. " About what happened with the birds and the bush... I'm sorry should've looked where I was going" I quickly cut him off. "Forget about it." "Sorry?" "I said to forget about it. I happened, it's now in the past and there's nothing we can do about it now. Frankly I had almost forgotten about it. I'm grateful for the apology but there was no need." "Oh." he said. "Well in that case, can you sense anything? I can't see anything." "Nope." With unspoken consent we both sprinted to the fellowship.

"Any signs?" Gimli asked hopefully. "None" Legolas replied. We continued to trudge through the snow until nightfall, which had almost no contrast to the day. I sat just outside the entrance of a shallow cave we had used as our camp. I sensed the hobbits shivering in their sleep, on top of each other in a pile. They were probably dreaming of a hot breakfast in a warm bed.

In the smallest cranny of my heart, I felt pity. They had lives to look forward to when this was over were as I- I had nothing. With that I began to unfasten my cloak from around my neck, then stopped. If I took my cloak off they might see- no, in the blizzard you could not see a thing- but the elf might- no even if they did notice, they would just mistake them for my cloak. An with that I unfastened my cloak from my neck and from my (detachable) hood and lay it over the hobbits. Immediately I noticed the shivering stop, and I gave my usual wry lopsided smile. Not that anyone saw it.

I heard a man chanting, his voice swirling round the mountain. At first I ingnored it, thinking it was just a part of my past coming back to haunt me. "Gandalf, whats that noise!" Frodo tried to yell over the blizzard. The wind had picked up blowing cloaks and hair in all directions. You could barely see your hand infront of your face ( or thats what it seemed like anyway, according to the comments of the others). "I think it's Sauruman!" I said to Gandalf. "It's Sauruman!" He yelled to everyone else. It had been years since I had last heard his voice, so I couldn't have been sure. "He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn exclaimed. "Gandalf,we must turn back!" said Borimer loudly. "We must go through the mines" Gimli roared. Legolas's face went white. "Let the ringbearer decide" said Gandalf." We go through the mines" decided Frodo. I raised my eyebrow. I felt this was a bad decision, but said nothing. We turned around and began down the mountain, when a pile of snow fell onto us. I heard the rumbling of boulders, and that was it.

I felt a hand grab my arm and pull me up out of the snow. My legs felt wobbly, and I fell over. The strong arm pulled me up again, and this time I stayed on my feet. I listened for anyone else, but the others had already been freed. "Thanks" I murmured to whoever had pulled me up. "No problem" Legolas said. It just had to be him didn't it. Gandalf finished a quick headcount, and we went down the mountain toward the mines of Moria.