A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. Life keeps getting in the way. You know how that gets. Thanks to you guys who reviewed. Much love and hugs from Legolas himself go to you. Last chapter had a lot of grammatical errors due to the fact that I was too lazy to proofread so I fixed it up. No need to go back and read it unless it was so bad that you didn't quite understand it. Anywhos enjoy the next chapter.
An Argument and a Longing
It had been a long morning seemingly to the fellowship and finally they had stopped for lunch. The day was clear and the weather just right for walking. So far in their journey their plans had gone undisturbed by any evils. Things were pleasant in the small rag tag group, save for the dislike between Boromir and Amara. If it weren't for the ring, the life staking journey would appear to be a mere adventure among friends.
"Two, one, five. Good. Very good." Boromir exclaimed to the hobbits. He had figured that they should learn to defend themselves seeing as they were risking their lives. Boromir had to admit to himself that he had taken a liking to the small lighthearted hobbits. So with all this as a factor he decided to teach them a thing or two about a sword. Teaching two hobbits how to wield a sword seemed easy to him, but of course small things can surprise a person.
Aragorn grinned at the scene before him as he smoked his pipe. There would be few moments such as these. It was best that they all cherished small moments such as this on their journey. Much doom and gloom was to be found and a simple thing like a man teaching two hobbits how to wield a sword was gold.
It seemed that Boromir had grown fond of the hobbits. For the first time in a while he was smiling.
"Move your feet." Aragorn watched as Boromir dodged Pippin's sword and laughed.
Merry watched Pippin's movement impressed at him. "You look good, Pippin."
Pippin nodded to Merry, a prideful smile on his face and said his thanks while hearing Boromir give him criticism.
Aragorn took a glance at the dwarf, while still hearing bits and pieces of the small battle against the hobbits and Boromir. It seemed that the dwarf was trying to get everyone to see that his race was the fittest, the strongest, in a sense the best. He shook his head and took another drag from his pipe, focusing back on Merry and Pippin.
Gimili was perched on a rock both confused and aggravated. Their travels, he was sure, would be cut in half if they all would just listen to him. Dwarves were the best travelers known to Middle Earth. Furiously, Gimili thought he should be the one to take lead and make sense of the fellowship.
"If anyone was to ask for my opinion, which I note they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way round. Gandalf! We could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome. "
Gandalf had not been relaxing like everyone else had been. No, he had been training Amara with her abilities and with much more success. It had seemed that his emotions were the hardest to break through and he knew it was because he was a wizard. When Gimili had offered his advice he had broken both the wizard's concentration and Amara's.
Amara stopped focusing on Gandalf's emotions and breathed deeply. Ever since she had spoken with Aule, she had embraced her powers and in doing so had focused on making them stronger. She had almost achieved breaking the wizard's complicated walls to reveal his true inner feelings and she would have done it had not Gimili spoken.
"No Gimili. I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice." Gandalf heard the dwarf grunt loudly in anger. The old wizard turned to Amara. "I think that you've done enough for one day."
Amara slumped down onto a rock, she wasn't paying much attention. Once Gandalf had said 'enough', her mind was elsewhere. Elsewhere in the sense that she needed to get something out. She faced Sam and Frodo and watched them as they ate and talked. Remembering what Frodo had said to her a few days ago made her smile. The most important person in the fellowship had trusted her and that's really all that mattered.
Frodo was the only one who bared the ring.
Amara's eyes wandered to Legolas. He sat alone on a rock looking up at the sky.
'Now if I could only clear the air with Legolas,' she thought.
She missed being close to him like she used to. Ever since they kissed that night, she had felt herself become distant towards him. That was not something she wanted but it was awkward and she couldn't help feeling the way she did. Of course she loved Legolas and of course she was surprised when he admitted that he felt love for her, but could she face him to tell him that she would want nothing more than to return the feeling? She sighed and rested her hand on her cheek.
"For the Shire," shouted Merry. His declaration bought Aragorn into his and Pippin's small battle against Boromir. Much laughter followed soon after. The laughter of Boromir, Merry, Pippin and Aragorn reached her ears and almost acted like a push for Amara because she stumbled to her feet and began walking towards Legolas. It was one of those moments where you can't explain what you're doing but you feel that certain jolt in your heart that tells you to be bold. That is what happened with Amara.
"You know, I can't wait until I find a decent pair of pants to wear," said the empath while hiking up her pants and sitting on the ground next to the rock Legolas was sitting on.
Legolas looked down at her and smiled. He found himself noticing that he always smiled at her. She smiled back at him briefly before turning her head to look at the sky.
"I do not think you will find a fitting pair of breeches for a while."
The empath nodded, again not really focused.
"Amara is their something troubling you?"
For a minute or two she didn't answer and Legolas fully understood. There was a lot to think of for everyone. What lied ahead had to have crossed everyone's mind at least a couple dozen times. He simply looked at Amara and wondered of what she was thinking. The prince of Mirkwood could not help but ponder if she was thinking of himself.
"I came over here to tell you something important."
Why did her mouth feel so dry and why was there a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach? Looking over and seeing that his full attention was on her, she pushed herself to continue.
"I came over to tell you that I-"
A sudden chill came over her. No, not the kind of chill you get when nervous, nor the kind of chill you get when eating ice cream. This was a horrible chill. It made her insides bubble. Goosebumps spread over her arms and when he stomach took a lurching turn she knew exactly was this feeling was. It was the feeling she got when her power to sense emotions was touched by evil.
It was the feeling she got when she woke from her dream meeting with Aule.
Blinking a few times she abandoned any notion of what she was about to tell Legolas. "I came over to tell you to look into the sky and tell me what you see."
Legolas had a look of confusion on his face as he stared at Amara.
Feeling anger and malice wash over she tried to hold things in but was failing. "Just do it!" She shook her head. "There's something coming."
Legolas took one last look at Amara before standing and climbing a few rocks. He looked into the clear sky for any sign of something. There was something truly bothering Amara but he had to trust in her.
Something seemed to gain the attention of Sam also as he glanced up into the sky. "What is that?"
Frodo looked into the sky in the direction that Sam was looking. A lurch took him by the heart. He knew that what ever it was it could not be good.
"Nothing just a wisp of cloud, " Gimili said, trying to wave the idea of it being anything else away.
Amara walked to where Legolas stood and stopped a little ways behind him. "Can you see it?" The wave of sinister evil just did not quit and she wanted nothing more for it to pass. It was not a pleasant feeling, not a pleasant feeling at all.
Boromir stopped his horsing around with Merry and Pippin to look at what seemed to be a concerning matter. "It's moving fast. Against the wind."
"Crebain from Duneland!"
"HIDE!" Aragorn shouted. He turned in the direction of Frodo and told him to take cover.
Sam hurried and put out the fire. Both Frodo and Sam rapidly put away their things and took cover behind a large rock. Boromir had practically grabbed Merry and Pippin and dragged them behind a few rocks themselves and through the whole action they remained quiet due to fear. Aragorn had quickly plucked up his things along with his sister's things that she had left on a rock before diving into a place to hide also.
Before she had told him not to worry so much about her, but that was something that he could not help. She was his sister and if he ever wished to find out and get to know more about her she had to stay alive. Other people had her back was what she had told him and even though he did not really understand what that meant he felt that there were those in the fellowship who did not wish for her to perish. So as he spotted Legolas grab her arm and hide in the thicket that graced the spot in which they were in, he felt a lot better.
The loud sound of birds flapping their wings seemed to go on and on. Amara took her arm from Legolas to cover her ears. Anything to block out the evil that had infested the skies. A wave of nausea went through her and she coached herself not to throw up. When someone or something was graced with evil intentions feelings it was not a feeling of rainbows and little pink bunnies.
Legolas noted her anxiety and placed an a hand on her crouching form. He looked up at the sky and watched as hundreds of Crebain flew over them. When it finally ended he helped Amara from the cramped hiding place.
"Are you alright?"
Amara nodded her head as she rubbed her right temple. "I'm fine, just a little-"
"Perhaps if you had been on your guard you would have taken note of those birds and given us more time to find a proper hiding place!"
Amara turned around to face Boromir. She noted dully his anger and did not at all feel like him.
"Valar knows what the intention of those things were." Boromir strolled heatedly over to the empath, his intent was to expose her for what she really was, a liability.
"Okay, say I let Legolas know ahead of time and we knew that something was indeed coming. Where the hell else would you hide? Take a freakin' look around we are in the middle of nowhere!"
Amara stepped up to Boromir, feeling the sensation of evil leaving her in buckets and her own emotions of aggravation and anger. Boromir stood taller than Amara but that did not stop the two from getting into it with each other.
Legolas stood watching the two like the rest of the fellowship. He recalled a time when Amara would have let Boromir's negativity towards herself drag her down. She had indeed changed.
"If we get discovered by the enemy this will be your fault, in your hands!" Boromir said this while looking into her deep blue eyes. She was nothing but a pampered girl who just thought the fellowship and their journey an amusing find. Bottom line he thought this was no place for women like her.
Amara being unaware of his thoughts was aware of his feelings and was ready to rip his hair out.
"I am sick to death of you," she spat looking up at his grungy form.
Gimili seemed to be the only one smiling in the group. "It seems to me that these two are rather fond of each other," Gimili said to the hobbits next to him.
"I am sure the rest of us are sick of you and your supposed power to sense others emotions," Boromir said to Amara. His brown eyes filled as much as they could with anger. He was out to prove that Gondor was still as strong a city as it had been when it bore a king, that the ring could be used for good when in the proper hands. He was not here to put up with some girl.
Amara through up her hands, apparently defeated. "I'm done. I am so fuckin' done with you and your bullshit." She stormed past Boromir and in doing so roughly knocked against him. In his anger with her, Boromir grabbed her arm and spun her around.
"You will show me respect," he seethed.
Both Legolas, Aragorn, and for some reason Gimili moved towards what looked like an oncoming one sided fight but Amara's voice made them stop cold.
"You will let me go."
Her voice was clearer, stronger than it had ever been. It felt as if the evil that she had just encountered had some unknown effect on her.
"Not until you apologize."
Boromir squeezed her arm a bit harder and in doing so snapped her patience towards him. In one swift movement she kneed him right between the legs. Boromir let her go without a second thought and fell to the ground. Amara did not care that he was lying on the ground shouting, she turned and walked towards Aragorn who held her cloak she wanted. Merry, Pippin and Sam ran to Boromir to see if he was alright.
"Boromir, are you alright there?"
Boromir clenched his teeth and looked up at the hobbits. "I'll be fine."
"I have to say, you had it coming," Sam said, struggling to keep his laughter at bay.
Gandalf cleared his throat, keen on getting off the subject of what had just occurred. "Spies of Saurman," he said referring to the Crebain. "The passage south is being watched. We must take the path of Caradharas."
Everyone began to prepare to walk a now more dangerous path, save for Boromir who kept Pippin as company while he recovered. Aragorn stared at Amara not really knowing what to say. Amara snatched her cloak from him and fastened it around herself.
"What?" Amara grabbed her pack from him and strapped her guitar to herself.
"Why did you do that to Boromir?"
"Are you kidding me? Did you see him?"
"I do not understand why you two dislike each other. Amara you need to make peace with him. This feud between you and Boromir will get the fellowship nowhere." Aragorn said, while he made sure his sword was strapped securely around himself. He watched as Amara placed her own sword around her waist. Her mouth was set in a frown. She faced him when she was finished.
"This feud will end when that idiot grows a brain." She shook off the urge to stroll over to the fallen Boromir and kick him.
Aragorn shook his head. He abandoned his sister to go and talk to the elf. Everyone seemed about ready to move on so he to make things quick.
"Legolas!"
Legolas turned around to face Aragorn, his concern he knew was Aragorn's.
"I'm concerned about Amara."
"She dislikes Boromir to an unimaginable extent I believe. I have never actually seen her like this."
The two of them watched as Merry and Pippin attempted to help Boromir up with little success. "Can you do something for me?" Aragorn looked at Legolas with much seriousness. Legolas looked back at him with just as much seriousness.
Legolas said, "What is it?"
"When I am not around, when I am not able to watch over her, keep a watchful eye on her."
Legolas looked away from Aragorn. Boromir had gotten up it seemed and everyone was heading out. Legolas nodded, he was agreeing to nothing that he was not already doing. "I will."
Aragorn patted him heartily on the back and moved forward.
Amara on the other hand was not as relieved as her brother. She stomped forward so that she was behind the hobbits but in front of Legolas as they walked. Satisfaction coarsed thorough her as she watched Boromir walk with not as much ease as he had before. Their argument seemed to have made everyone not want to speak for it was silent as they made their way to Caradhras. Not just Boromir angered her.
Amara remembered well, that the next path that the fellowship was about to take brought a certain chill that she had never before experienced. She grew up in the sunny hot sometimes mild weather of California. The cold and snow that lay ahead she knew was not for her. Just thinking of it made her want to scream. She crossed her arms and huffed.
Merry looked back at Amara, a question bubbling to burst out and of course it did. "Do you fancy Boromir?"
She turned beat red but not from embarrassment. Pippin looked behind to see what her answer would be.
"I would not fancy Boromir if someone had a sword to my neck and was about to spill my blood all over Middle Earth."
That seemed to clear up things for everyone. Pippin laughed exclaiming how much Amara amused him. Legolas walked at a faster pace so as to catch up with Amara, he on the other hand was not as amused as Pippin. "You should not say such things."
"Why?"
"Your anger for Boromir is getting out of hand. You need to ease your mind and focus on the task ahead."
Legolas was right...as usual. She wasn't being very mature about the whole situation. Neither of them were. She sighed and nodded her head. "You're right. I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize," Legolas said with a small grin. "We all at some point let our emotions take control of us."
Amara watched as Merry and Pippin joked around while walking. The steps of Legolas and Amara were slower than the rest, so that they falling behind the group. Amara looked up at Legolas who was staring ahead. She bit her lower lip and felt her stomach clench up but this time no evil creature was at fault. She raised her hand just enough to slip it into Legolas' hand but the sound of him talking made her chicken out and she reached up to scratch her head instead.
"Tell me," Legolas sighed. "How it feels when an evil presence is something that you sense."
"It's only happened twice and to put it simply it makes me sick. My stomach starts to turn and I get nauseated, but I think worst of all are the chills. They burn after awhile and you just feel this pure raw hate."
Legolas could only nod at Amara's description.
"Part of the reason I think I snapped on Boromir was because I felt what I felt and it was inside of me still, wanting to come out."
Aragorn looked back at Amara and Legolas as he walked by Gandalf's side. His suspicions growing by the minute. He knew that she was safe with Legolas but there was something there that he recognized but at the same time did not. Gandalf noticed Aragorn looking back every few seconds and could do nothing but chuckle.
"I know that there is something between them," Aragorn declared this, both to himself and to Gandalf.
"Aragorn, my friend, do not be so dense. It is the same thing that is happening between yourself and the lady Arwen. Those two are in love with each other."
Aragorn shook his head refusing to believe that. Ever since he had meant and befriended Legolas he never took him as the type to fall in love. What Gandalf said was just unthinkable. He would believe Amara to admire Legolas in that way but that was it.
"Remember that even the toughest can find someone that catches and hold onto their attention," Gandalf spoke, a small twinkle in his eyes.
Aragorn looked back at the two as they were talking and took Gandalf's words into mind. He did not totally dismiss the idea that Amara and Legolas might in fact be in love.
For hours they walked until they reached the mountains they had to conquer. So far the snow was light and the air was cold but it was there, effecting them. They did not walk as quick as they had been before and everyone's cloaks were wrapped tightly around them.
Frodo felt the cold himself and was sure that his nose was a bright red. The hardest part of the journey so far, to him was climbing the mountain. The ground beneath him did not feel as steady as if he was on flat land. He looked at the other members of the fellowship and they all looked as miserable as he felt. Amara, he had learned had never experienced any kind of cold and was not a traveler but the type that hid in libraries.
He felt grateful that she would experience something new to help his task become a bit bearable.
Sam was leading Bill the pony along. He had not complained once and kept his spirits high by telling them all stories of the Shire. Merry and Pippin were the leading duo. They every so often would speak with Boromir, Pippin would annoy Gandalf and Aragorn would tell them tips on the best way to follow through on attacks. Out of everyone Merry and Pippin were the liveliest.
He sighed and thought about what he would do once his whole ordeal with carrying the ring was over.
Pippin, bored to death, scooped up snow and patted it roughly into a ball. He took a well aim at Amara and let his snowball fly. Amara who had been trying to persuade Legolas to let her hitch a ride on his back did not know what she had coming.
"I mean you can walk on snow. I've lived in beachy weather all my life it would be nice if you'd- Hey ow that hurt!" She felt something hit the back of her head and spun around to see Pippin laughing uncontrollably.
"Too bad we didn't have snow when her and Boromir," Aragorn said to Gandalf as he watched his sister tackle Pippin in the snow.
"Yes indeed. They both needed a cooling down, " Gandalf said. "Enough you two we need to get going."
At the sound of Gandalf's commanding voice, Amara stood and brushed the snow off her clothes. She let Pippin pick himself up from the snow. As she began to join everyone else up the hill she saw Frodo fall and tumble downwards.
"Frodo!" Aragorn yelled.
But Amara wasn't looking at Frodo. Her eyes darted instantly to Boromir. Frodo picked himself back up with ease, surprised that he was not hurt at all. Instantly, his hand flew around his neck, in desperate search for the one thing he was trying to get rid of.
"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Such a little thing."
What she felt was Boromir's longing for the small gold trinket.
"Give the ring back to Frodo," herself and Aragorn said together.
Aragorn had made his way down the mountain and by Frodo's side.
Boromir made no moves as he held the chain that held his inner desire. He thought of everything it could be used for and what a waste it would be just to destroy it.
Aragorn put a hand on his sword hoping that he would not have to use it. The entire fellowship was watching Boromir to see what he would do. Amara felt a hand on her shoulder and found that Legolas was beside her. Seemingly, he did not want another argument to break loose.
"Boromir! Give the ring to Frodo."
It seemed that he was hypnotized and that Aragorn's words did not reach him, but they did. He walked slowly towards Aragorn and Frodo and held out the chain to Frodo. "As you wish. I care not." He laughed and ruffled Frodo's hair. Aragorn took his hand off the hilt of his sword as Boromir walked passed him.
Legolas looked down at Amara. "What do you know?"
Amara kept her eyes on the back of Boromir. "Nothing no one else doesn't know. Boromir wants the ring."
