Chance Encounter

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This chapter is dedicated to Rebellwithoutacause and Spellcaster Hikaru. You guys are great!

Chapter 5: Attack in the Dark

Balian did not realize that he had fallen asleep until he was woken by a jolt of pain. Frodo had kicked him in the ribs while dreaming. Cursing himself for being off guard, he tried to stretch to relieve the cramps in his muscles. Night had fallen and it was pitch-black. He couldn't make out anything in the gloom.

He winced as he accidentally bumped his wound. It would need tending before it festered and killed him. 'I'll look at it in the morning,' he decided. 'Then we'll go find the others. They must be waiting for us.'

The Fellowship sat miserably next to each other. Even Bill the pony seemed distressed. Their thoughts dwelt on their missing companions. "Could they have survived the fall?" asked Pippin. "It's a long way down."

"They will have survived," insisted Legolas. "Balian is strong and Frodo is not as helpless as he seems."

"They'll be cold an' hungry an' scared," murmured Sam. "They weren't carryin' no food."

"We'll find them in the morning," Aragorn assured the distraught little gardener although he was not feeling so optimistic inside.

"We should never have entrusted the blacksmith with the Ringbearer," said Boromir sourly. "He doesn't know the lie of the land and he won't be able to protect Frodo if they are attacked."

"Don't be so sure of that, son of Denethor," said Gandalf. "There's more to the blacksmith than that which he shows. He's a better man than you think."

"He's a blacksmith," said Boromir with disgust although Legolas sensed that this was not the source of the man's discomfort. "He's not a warrior. He won't know how to defend Frodo."

"Are you implying that you do?" said Legolas. "He carries a sword and I am certain he knows how to use it."

"Quiet, you two," commanded Gandalf. "Frodo and Balian are missing, possibly injured. They do not need us to bicker amongst ourselves."

Both the man and the elf sullenly swallowed the words they were about to throw at each other. Legolas knew that Gandalf was right, as usual. They needed to cooperate to find both Frodo and Balian. Moreover, Boromir's words had sown a seed of doubt in his mind and he began to question Balian's prowess. The man was a blacksmith, a craftsman. Did he really know how to protect the Ringbearer and their quest?

Aragorn noticed that Legolas seemed unsettled and he put a hand on the elf's shoulder. "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

Legolas shook his head. "I was just wondering about the truth of Boromir's words," he said softly. "Does Balian truly possess the skill to protect Frodo?"

Gimli overheard this statement. "Whaddya mean he doesn't have the skill, elf?" he demanded gruffly, although no one could miss the underlying concern in his voice. "Balian works with metal! He makes weapons; of course he can wield them! He's a blacksmith, for Aulë's sake, not some bloody stargazer!"

The last statement was meant to infuriate the elf and thus lighten the Fellowship's mood but it only drew a small smile from Legolas.

"I hope that you're right, dwarf," said Legolas "except you might want to know that this stargazer can also wield weapons, with lethal results."

"Whatever," snorted Gimli "you'll just chop off one of your ridiculous braids, that's what'll happen."

He was back in Bag End. A fire was blazing in the hearth and he had a soft blanket wrapped around him. He was curled up comfortably in Bilbo's favourite armchair. It felt warm. He pushed himself deeper into the chair. Suddenly, the chair moved…

Frodo opened his eyes and they slowly adjusted to the dim light. He was not in Bag End and he was not curled up in an armchair. He looked up at Balian's face. The man was sleeping. Even in his dreams, the blacksmith looked serious. His lips moved slightly as he mumbled "Rise a knight."

'What is he talking about?' wondered Frodo. 'What knight?'

"Balian," he said softly. The man jerked awake.

"Is it morning already?" he asked, shaking away the sleep from his mind. He looked outside. The snow had abated.

"We should leave now," said Balian. "They'll be looking for us and I want to find them as soon as possible. I don't want to spend time alone in a strange place where danger is all around us."

Frodo agreed and crawled out of the little cave. Moment's later, Balian emerged. He winced as he straightened himself and his hand flew to his side. "What's the matter?" asked Frodo in concern. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," said Balian hurriedly but the hobbit didn't believe him.

"Let me have a look at that!" commanded Frodo.

On seeing that the hobbit would not give up until he complied, Balian reluctantly sat down and let Frodo help him to undo his shirt.

Frodo gasped when he saw Balian's torso. A long jagged wound ran from his ribs to his hip. The edges of the gash were still seeping blood slowly. It was fortunate that the wound was not deep. "If we don't clean that out, it'll fester," said Frodo.

"How do you suggest we clean it?" asked Balian.

Frodo didn't answer; instead, he took some snow in his hands and pressed it against the wound. Balian jerked as the cold white substance touched his flesh but he forced himself to remain still so that Frodo could finish his task.

"Don't worry about it too much," he assured the hobbit. "It looks worse than it feels." It wasn't exactly a lie; Balian did not know what a wound like that was supposed to feel like, so he could safely assume that it looked worse.

Frodo paid no heed to him but continued to clean the wound. At last he stood back to inspect his handiwork. "There!" he said with satisfaction. "I wish we had some salves and bandages but since we have neither, this will have to do for now."

"I'm very grateful," said Balian, getting up stiffly. "Shall we go now?"

The awkward pair made their way to where they had fallen. Much to Balian's dismay, they could not find the Fellowship. They had already left…

Aragorn woke as soon as the sun's first rays crept over the horizon. Legolas was already awake and he was looking down the cliff with a troubled expression on his face. "It's too high," he said "and too slippery. We will surely fall to our deaths if we try to climb down here."

"But…" said a horrified Aragorn "What about Frodo and…and…Balian?"

"We can only hope that they survived," said Legolas. What he did not know was that there was a deep snowdrift at the bottom to break the unlucky pair's fall.

"If they…did not," continued the elf "we will still need to go down there to retrieve the Ring."

"Are you saying that we should expect the worst?" asked the ranger.

"Just don't expect the best; you might be disappointed."

"So what do we do now?" asked Frodo in despair. "They've left!"

"I do not believe that they would go on without you," said Balian. "You have…well, you it and that thing is the basis of this entire quest."

"How do you know about…about…what I carry?" demanded Frodo.

"Legolas told me," said Balian. "I asked him."

"How did you even find out about its existence?" demanded Frodo suspiciously. 'And why would Legolas tell him?'

"I saw it, when you dropped it on the slope and Boromir picked it up."

"Oh."

"Come. We should hurry. I prefer not to spend another night out here alone. There might be wolves or bears around."

Balian and Frodo picked their way across the snow. Balian's hand was always on the hilt of his sword. He could see nothing that slightly resembled a threat but it was best to be careful. Little did he know that they were being stalked.

Night fell, and they could still see no sign of the Fellowship. Balian and Frodo huddled together against the cold, leaning against each other's backs-or rather, Frodo leant against Balian's back. Their eyes darted to and fro constantly, watching for any sign of danger. Their stomachs were empty and they tried to stave off their hunger by eating snow. They were exhausted and Frodo soon found himself nodding off. Behind him, Balian was also doing the same.

Suddenly, Balian heard scuffling noises not far from where they were sitting. He opened his eyes too late; their assailants were upon them. Balian quickly pulled his sword from its sheath; His side was stiff and sore. Much to his chagrin, he could not take a high guard. Behind him, Frodo unsheathed Sting. Balian tried to put himself between Frodo and their attackers. They fought valiantly, cutting down many foes but it was to no avail. The enemy were too many and the two were soon overcome. Their swords were wrenched from their hands and they were bound tightly. Balian struggled fiercely when they tried to bind him. He struck out in every direction and his foot caught one of their captors in the head. Someone hit the back of the blacksmith's head with the hilt of a sword. Ironically, it was the sword of Ibelin, given to Balian by his father Godfrey. A sharp pain lanced through Balian's head, and then he knew no more.

A/N: Here! Action at last! Happy festive season to all my readers.