Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or any of the languages/phrases spoken in the books or movie. I do own Nicole, Susan, Jake, their parents (Howard and Lara Lawson, Tom and Elizabeth Daniels, Fred and Angelina Nox), Matt Thompson, the maid: Maria, and Bill. I do not own Jewel's "Foolish Games."

Chapter 10

The Fellowship traveled east for more days than the outsiders could count. Having rarely traveled by foot for more than two miles, Nicole was feeling weary, as was Susan and Jake. Though Elrond's medicine was working wonders, Nicole was struggling to keep up with Gandalf and Aragorn at the front. Though she did not really trust them, she trusted Legolas less, and wanted to stay as far away from him as possible. He was getting too close to her secret, to their secret.

On the first day, they traveled all through the night in silence, never stopping. With only the occasional sound of an animal in the distance and the quiet whispers of Merry and Pippin, Nicole and Susan were finding it hard to stay awake. By midnight they began to sway slightly, so Jake put both arms around their waists to steady them.

Finally, Aragorn and Gandalf stopped and began to speak in hushed whispers. The hobbits and outsiders flopped down on the ground, trying to sooth their muscles.

"Are we breaking camp now?" asked Susan, taking off a boot and massaging her foot.

"No," replied Aragorn soberly. "We will not break camp till midday."

"But we've been traveling since early morning!" cried Sam, looking at Bill with sad eyes. Aragorn said nothing, but continued to whisper with Gandalf about places Nicole couldn't understand. They talked of a place called Holland, Car wrath the lass, some gate called red horn, and a Gap of Rohan.

Aragorn turned to face the Fellowship. "Up!" he commanded, "We're moving on."

"We must hold to this course, west from the Misty Mountains for 40 days. If our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. From there our road turns east to Mordor."

"Forty days?" cried Nicole in disbelief.

"We can at least take a break if we have that long to travel!" added Merry, while Pippin nodded behind him.

"No, on your feet!" snapped Aragorn in a voice that left no room for arguments. The rest of the Fellowship rose and followed their fearless leader.

"Travel nazi," whispered Nicole to Susan, as she giggled, "Why does Arwen like him so much? She's too good for him." What they didn't see was Aragorn turning his head slightly at hearing her comment, and sighing.

Finally, at noon the next day, the Fellowship was allowed to rest. They had a cold meal of bread and cheese, but they were grateful nonetheless. Boromir took the first watch, as the rest lay on their blankets and tried to sleep. Nicole, Susan, and Jake moved slightly away from the group, and snuggled close together. But Nicole found no rest.

Nicole began to dream again, tossing and turning against Jake and Susan. Like before, the dark shadow in the shape of her father came to attack her, but there was no bright light to save her.

"No… Please, no… Daddy, don't…. DADD-" Nicole was awoken by a strong hand roughly shaking her shoulder. Her eyes shout open and found Gandalf's staring right at her.

"Shhh…" he whispered, "You'll wake the others." As Gandalf walked back to his seat, Nicole looked up. All the others were sound asleep, and it was Gandalf's turn to watch over. The sky had turned a dark gray, as if it were going to rain.

"Do not worry," he whispered, not wanting to wake the others. "It will not rain."

Nicole quirked an eyebrow at him. How did he know what she was thinking? Being as silent as she could be, Nicole got up and walked over to Gandalf. Taking a seat next to him, she kept her eyes on him while he kept his eyes on the horizon.

"How did you…"

"How did I know what you were thinking?"

"… Yeah."

"Your actions are not as subtle as you think they are, Nicole."

Nicole was relieved he didn't call her "Lady Nicole." Letting out a sigh she didn't know she was holding, Nicole turned to look at the horizon with Gandalf.

"Are you having problems sleeping?" Gandalf inquired.

"It's nothing," she replied, hugging herself for warmth.

"If it were nothing, then we would not be having this conversation, for you would still be sleeping." Gandalf pulled out a pipe, lit it, and began to smoke. Nicole's face remained placid, but inside she was sneering. Her and her companions' fathers used to smoke while they drank brandy and talked about how successful they were.

"Don't worry about me. That's my job," she replied, starring once more onto the horizon. Gandalf turned to look at her.

"Well…" he muttered and began to murmur other ramblings while taking another puff. Nicole sighed. She knew she was being rude, and that Gandalf was just concerned.

"So where exactly are we going? All these names are confusing me," she remarked, trying to make conversation.

"We are heading south to a gap between the mountains. It's called the Gap of Rohan. Rohan is a country."

Nicole nodded her head in understanding. "How do you and Aragorn keep up with all these names and languages? Seems tiring to me."

"When you've lived as long as we have, it comes naturally."

"Aragorn doesn't look old. How old is he? Like 42?"

Gandalf raised his eyebrows and murmur more intangible ramblings.

"Fifty?"

"… Try 87."

Nicole's eyebrows hit her hairline, and her mouth fell open. "Holy crap, he's old!"

"Therefore you must respect him."

Nicole scoffed. "He doesn't deserve my respect."

"Oh really?" he questioned in that tone that made him seem curious, but really wasn't.

"Yeah!" assured Nicole. "He abandoned Arwen and his country. No man like that deserves any respect."

"You do not know what you speak of! Why must you always jump to conclusions before you know the whole story?" reasoned Gandalf.

Nicole was shocked at his assessment. She guessed that there were times that she jumped to far ahead, but with Susan and Jake that was okay only because she knew them so well. Nicole never really had any experience with getting to know new people. She just assumed they were all the same.

"Aragorn has lived a long life as many different people," said Gandalf, breaking the silence. "And has faced many hardships. He only wants what's best for Arwen and his people."

"… Sorry…" she muttered looking down at her hands.

Gandalf reached over and took one of her hands into his own. Nicole could feel his coarse, frail skin on her soft, smooth skin. But his held warmth she had only felt once before, and that was in Rivendell.

Nicole looked up into his soft, old eyes. She saw the wisdom and vigor in them, and felt a sense of peace in her that would last for a while.

"Do not be sorry, Nicole. You and your friends still have much to learn. Now, why don't you go get some sleep?"

Nicole nodded and squeezed his hand in comfort. She rose and joined Jake and Susan on her blanket.

Before she laid her head down, she looked once more at the old wizard. Still smoking his pipe and looking onto the horizon, Nicole finally felt trust. The kind of trust you find with a grandparent.

Nicole had never met her grandparents. Her mother's parents still lived in Greece, and had only contacted Nicole once when their youngest daughter, Lara, died. Nicole understood that long distance calls were difficult, especially when you didn't have a phone. They apparently lived in an isolated villa that was quite peaceful, but fairly remote. They wanted to give their only two daughters a life of opportunities, so they spent all the money they had saved on sending them to a college in America.

Her father's parents died before she was born. They had immigrated to America from France and Spain, met, married, and had one son. Her grandfather, a French entrepreneur, had reportedly started a successful chain of French cafes throughout the east coast. Her grandmother, a Spanish artist, displayed her pottery in local art exhibits. Nicole wished she had met them all, but unfortunately she had to find out about them from the photo albums and heirlooms stored in the attic of her house.

Questions about her grandparents always resulted in another beating from her father. Her mouth once again got her in trouble. She wondered why they never visited her grandparents in Greece, for they had the money. Nicole wondered about a lot of things. Why her parents' only friends were the parents of her friends. Why they had a deep loathing for their own parents. And why they never liked to leave home. Like parent, like child.

What Nicole lacked in not knowing her grandparents, she found in Gandalf that day. She found the kind of trust that he wouldn't rat on her if he caught her sneaking cookies in before dinner, or the sense of knowing that his house would always be open if she wanted to run away from home. Nicole wished she had that earlier in life.

Nicole wanted to hear stories of his travels and how "in the good old days, we didn't have bows and arrows," but sleep soon took her weary eyes. As she slept, Gandalf looked on her with kindness and protection.

"Yes, there is much to learn… and much to do."

Aragorn was the one to wake everyone at mid afternoon. Feeling rested, the march that night wasn't as hard on Nicole as the previous one. She looked to the sky and saw that unlike at noon, the sky was clear and the stars shown. Taking a deep breath, she tried to find familiar constellations, but was unsuccessful.

"Even the sky is different," commented Nicole.

"Why wouldn't it be?" asked Susan, who was also looking at the sky. When they were little, and Susan stayed at Nicole's house, they would spend their time at night searching the sky for the constellations and planets.

"The moon is the same, the months are the same, and even the English language is the same. Why wouldn't the stars be the same?"

"Maybe our fates have changed," whispered Susan to the wind. As if Nicole followed Susan's words with her eyes, she turned her head to see Aragorn starring back at her. Nicole would have sneered or made some kind of nasty face if it wasn't for the look in his eyes. By the light of the moon, Nicole could clearly decipher the pain and sorrow in his eyes.

Keeping their gazes locked, Nicole was blasted by a gust of wind from behind. She bowed her head and hugged her arms to keep the cold from stealing her warmth. When she looked up again, Aragorn was now facing front. She wished to make amends with him after what Gandalf told her, for her heart ached in sorrow for saying such things to him.

At noon, the Fellowship once more settled down for a meal and rest. Legolas and Aragorn kept a tough watch on the surrounding areas, Boromir, Gimli, and Gandalf conversed about different paths they should take, while the hobbits tried to sleep. The outsiders once again huddled close and conversed quietly to themselves.

"Still thinking we should have come on this quest, Susan?" asked Nicole.

Susan was currently sprawled out on the grass in exhaustion. "I'm beginning to doubt myself now," she said, not lifting her head to face Nicole.

"Ugh! I can't sleep!" cried Pippin, sitting up to face the world. "It's too quiet!"

"Well not now, with that loud voice of yours, Peregrin Took!" chastised Gandalf.

"No, he's right," said Aragorn, still keeping a close watch. "I myself have traveled this land before, but today I do not hear the creatures that call this place home."

The Fellowship grew quiet once more as the dark silence crept into their ears. The sky was once dark again with gray clouds, and the air heavy with the promise of bad weather.

Susan, at seeing everyone's fearful look, flipped up her hood and began to wave her arms hauntingly in front of Nicole.

"Boogly Boo!" she said in a deep voice, causing Nicole to laugh at her antics.

"Nicole, could you maybe sing for us?" inquired Pippin.

"Sing what?" snapped Nicole, who turned away from Susan to face him. What could she possible sing to brighten the mood? At her tone, Pippin cowered.

"Besides… I don't have my guitar. I left it in Rivendell with Susan's."

All four hobbits exchanged guilty looks.

"You didn't!" yelled Susan in disbelief, jumping up from her seat. With her black hood still on, and her flaming eyes, the hobbits were easily intimidated.

"Well," started Sam as he stood, "We just thought it would be a right shame for musicians to leave their instruments behind." He went over to Bill the pony, and Susan and Nicole followed him. When Susan approached the pony, Bill snorted and began to back up.

"Whoa, Bill, whoa!" said Sam, removing the two guitars from under all the packages and sacks.

"What's his name?" asked Susan.

"Bill."

Susan grinned evilly and turned to face the frightened pony. "Oh the irony does not end!" she commented with an evil grin, taking her guitar.

"Well you play now?" asked Frodo. Nicole looked into his bright blue eyes, and found it hard to resist. She then looked to Gandalf for consent, and he nodded his head.

"Alright," she agreed, "Something quiet." As she and Susan began to tune, Legolas walked over to Aragorn who was looking out at the clouds.

"As if this day were not depressing enough," he scoffed, looking straight ahead. Aragorn merely raised his eyebrows in acknowledge of their comment. Legolas was shocked. The ranger, who the outsiders had also shown disdain to, was indifferent?

"Aragorn…"

"I do not think they come with us with hatred in their hearts, mellon nin… Rather with defenses around them."

Legolas understood. After all, the ranger had had more experience with the human race. Maybe it was true that their scowls and sneers were not out of hate but out of fear. What if it was like that with all races, such as the dwarves? Were they maybe afraid of the elves?

'Elves are stronger and not as greedy,' thought Legolas as he unconsciously held his head a little higher.

Susan and Nicole tuned their guitars, and Jake twirled his sticks in his fingers. He loved being a drummer, but it sucked at the moment that his drum wasn't as travel-friendly as the guitars.

"What song should we play?" asked Nicole to Susan.

"What about that lullaby Aunt Lara use to sing us?"

Jake tensed his back, but quickly relaxed, and Nicole wore a scowl on her face. Susan bowed her head as she realized that the pain was still too close to play that song.

Nicole ran all their songs through her head, but one kept appearing. The song certainly would be appropriate because of the weather and the mood. She closed her eyes, and took in the smell of coming rain. Her fingers stroked her pick as it lightly began to strum the individual, wire strings. Susan, hearing the melody, began to play as well.

"You took your coat off… and stood in the rain…

You're always crazy like that.

And I watched from my window… always felt I was outside…

Looking in on you."

The hobbits hushed, and the men turned to face the girls, who filled the void with an alluring melody. It was soft and quiet, like a stream in the winter, almost frozen because of the cold. As they played, Legolas felt the most serene and beautiful feeling wash over him, but he dared not to delve any deeper in fear of destroying it. Boromir watched Susan as she leaned against a rock and looked to the gray sky, playing a song she had memorized so long ago. His fire had been tamed by a mere sound.

"You were always the mysterious one with…

Dark eyes and careless hair, you were…

Fashionably sensitive but too cool to care.

Then you stood in my doorway… with nothing to say…

Besides some comment on the weather."

At that moment, their playing became more tense, and vigorous, but still as quiet. Nicole and Susan no longer played the simple, individual notes, but the broader, harsher cords that quickened their heart beats.

"Well in case you failed to notice,

In case you failed to see,

This is my heart, bleeding before you…

This sends me down on my knees…"

Then both Susan and Nicole sang in the melody, joining their voices in a sweet rapture that had then men, all except for Jake, eager to hear more. Jake calmly sat off to the side, looking at his family with approving eyes.

"And these foolish games are tearing me apart…

And your thoughtless words are breaking my heart…"

Nicole looked up to find Legolas starring at her with that emotionless stare of his. His eyes were a dull blue; void of light, happiness, or sorrow. Just indifferent. Legolas looked back at her and saw the anger carven on her pale face. It was like she was a ghost that haunted his soul.

"You're breaking my heart," she whispered to the icy wind. She and Susan continued to play, until the hobbits were fast asleep. Soon the rest of the Fellowship, minus Legolas, took to their blankets. Legolas stayed in the middle of camp, slowly turning to scan the area. What he didn't know was that he was being watched.

Not by orcs, or goblins, but by a pair of dark brown, almost black eyes. Nicole decided to stay up incase the dreams visited her again. But she kept her breathing steady, and blinking to a minimum, so not to cause Legolas's attention to her.

Was he hiding something like her? Was that why he looked so uncaring? Was he hurt by somebody, like her before they met? What did they have in common? Nicole shook herself of her thoughts. They had nothing in common. She was night, and he was day.

And that was all there was to it.