A/N: Hullo everyone! My apologies for this late chapter. I got sick with
strep throat on Wednesday, and I haven't been in the mood for writing.
Thanks for the wonderful reviews! I'm also very happy, because after losing
my order *twice* Amazon.com called to say that my books are finally on the
way, and will be arriving Monday! I had ordered the Silmarillion and some
other Tolkien works, so hopefully I'll be inspired by them to write
something after WU ends.
There was a slight misunderstanding in the last chapter. Boromir and Steph did NOT go through Fangorn. If you look at a map of Middle Earth, you would see that if that Fangorn is quite far from Isengard, and if our beloved pair were to go through it, they would go completely out of their way. Here is an excerpt from The Two Towers, spoken by Legolas:
"For they do not belong here and know little of Elves and Men. Far away are the valleys where they sprang. From the deep dales of Fangorn, Gimli, that is whence they come, I guess."
My interpretation was that the Ents in this forest are originally from Fangorn, but moved. Just thought I'd clear that up.
Thanks for being so patient! What with bad grades and being sick, I know my updates have been really sluggish! I'm trying to keep on top! ^__^
Ciao!
Enednilwen*
-~-~-~-~-~-
Disclaimer: Steph is mine, Boromir is Tolkien's.
-~-~-~-~-~-
**Chapter 10**
Soon the thundering footsteps of the Ent slowed, and finally came to a halt. It had evidently been ordered to stop, as after a loud bellowing, it started back in the direction it had come. Steph sighed in relief.
"Wow, that was close."
Boromir nodded, his concentration on the dust and glint of metal that was the Fellowship.
"They're pretty far ahead." Steph announced, shading her eyes with her hand.
When Boromir made no effort at conversation, she became slightly annoyed. "Is that just the Fellowship, or are the Rohirry people with them?" she asked, purposely saying it wrong.
He grunted at her mistake, but said nothing. Maybe if he kept ignoring her, she would be quiet. He was trying to think.
His aloofness was grinding on her nerves, especially the way he made it so obvious. "Well? Are they? Quit being such an assclown!"
"It is Rohirrim." He said, a slight edge to his voice. "And yes, the *Rohirrim* are with them."
Steph smiled triumphantly. "There, that wasn't so hard, was it?"
Scowling, he said nothing.
"How long will it take to reach them?"
Boromir squinted at them. "They are quite far ahead. To any of them save Legolas, we would be but a flash of silver and a cloud of dust, much as they are to us."
Steph sighed irritably. "Wow Boromir," she said sarcastically, "that was so helpful."
"I do not know. We will follow them until they decide to stop."
She looked at the sky in thought. "What will happen to me when we catch up with them?"
"I suppose you will come with me." Boromir knew he should probably change 'I suppose you will' to 'I know you will', but said nothing.
Steph wrinkled her nose in distaste, and it did not go unnoticed by Boromir. "What? Is there something wrong with me?" he teased.
Caught, she stammered for an explanation. "Well...no...yes...I dunno! Quit grilling me!"
"What were you hoping? That the dwarf would be overcome by your beauty and charms, and beg you to ride with him instead?"
Steph went bright red in fury, hitting his arm angrily. "Oh course not, you ass! Shut up!"
Boromir laughed. "I shall ignore your unjustified rudeness with the silence it deserves and will return to our former subject. But, I will only do so if you promise to remain civilized."
She snorted. "Civilized, whatever. I'm not talking to you anymore. Assclown."
-~-~-~-~-~-
They had been riding for a long time, and Steph was bored. She and Boromir had switched places, with her behind him. It had been alright the other way when they were not in a hurry, but because of their haste to catch up, it was slowing them down.
Boromir hadn't said anything since they switched seats, so she jumped when he spoke to her.
"Good Lord! You scared me half to death!"
"Half to death?" he questioned, turning his head to look at her, "How is that possible?"
"Never mind!" she answered, waving him off, "What'd you want?"
He turned back to concentrating on the people ahead of him. "I was going to ask you to stop fidgeting. Give me a moment of peace!"
"I can't help it!" Steph wailed, "I'm bored!"
Boromir snorted. "Bored? Why?"
"There's nothing to do! Plus, that damn song is stuck in my head! And it's so freaking annoying!!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Stuck in your head? What are you talking about, woman?"
Steph groaned, pounding her head against Boromir's back. "That evil '1-800- Safe auto song!! AUGH!" She continued pounding her head against his back, chanting, "Stop playing! STOP STOP STOP!!"
Boromir squirmed away from her. "Will you stop that!!" turning around, he pushed her away.
The sky was getting darker, and Boromir stopped the horse so he could see where the Fellowship was. In the fading light, he could see that they had decided to rest for the night.
He cried out in joy, and started to go forward when Steph grabbed him by the neck and pulled back.
"Wait!"
Twisting out of her choking grip, he turned around furiously. "What were you thinking?? Are you mad, trying to throttle me??"
"I wasn't trying to kill you, I was trying to get your attention!"
Boromir snorted. "A fine way to gain my attention."
Steph glared at him. "You wouldn't have listened if I tapped you on the shoulder, which I had been doing for like, 5 minutes!"
Sensing a fight, Boromir frowned. "Fine. What did you want to tell me?"
"Don't you think they'd find it a bit odd to have me and you suddenly return from nowhere? I mean, I'm not sure which they would find more startling; the guy they pushed off a waterfall, or the bitch from the 21st century that bossed them around all the time."
Boromir nodded grudgingly. He hated it when she was right. "This is very true."
"No talking til I'm done." Steph snapped. Boromir glared at her, but quieted.
"Then there's the fact that they've got Mr. I-Can-See-Stuff-That's-Real-Far- Away. Wouldn't he have already se-"
Boromir stared at her, puzzled. "Who?"
"Legolas, you idiot! The Elf! Can see and hear really good? Any of that ringing a bell??"
"Of course!" he snapped back, his hurt pride making him more irritable than ever. "Please hurry up! Soon it will be too dark to see them!"
Steph rolled her eyes. "You are such a wussie ass baby, Boromir." Pleased with the glare she received for this comment, she continued. "All I'm saying is that we need to be careful. I'd like to go home without arrow sticking out of me." She smirked at him. "Besides, we all know what *your* friends do when people get shot full of arrows! They push them down waterfalls! Wow, what nice friends you have Bor-"
"Be silent, woman." He snapped, giving the horse a light kick to get it going, "I have no time for your insolence."
"I have no time for your insolence." Steph mocked, rolling her eyes, "Geez, you'd think you're Queen of England of something."
"Steward of Gondor." Said Boromir indignantly. He had no idea what England was or who the queen of it was, but by the mocking tone of Steph's voice it was probably not good.
"*Future* Steward of Gondor, you assclown."
Boromir scowled. "I believe I told you to be quiet."
-~-~-~-~-~-
It was a shorter ride than Boromir had expected, and soon he was close enough to the camp that he could hear the men talking and laughing.
Steph's was grumbling behind him. "Gung-ho attitude today aren't we? Just remember that if you don't speak softly you'll end up getting hit with a big stick."
Boromir snorted. "Must you act like an old wife all the time?"
"The day I ever become your wife is the day that hell opens an ice cream parlor!" she hissed angrily.
"I do not recall saying that you were *my* old wife, Steph. I said that you acted like one."
Steph scowled. "Oh shut up."
Boromir dismounted and began to lead the horse toward the camp.
"How exactly do you plan on doing this?" Steph hissed quietly, eyeing the camp nervously, "Go up and scream, 'Hey dudes! It's me, Boromir!' "
"I will go to them, state my name, and we will pass through."
Steph massaged her forehead. "So naïve. Look, they've got weapons. I don't want to be on the horse if they've got weapons. If I have to run, I don't want to have to fall off a horse first."
Boromir frowned at her. "You will stay on the horse. Now be quiet." Taking a deep breath, he pushed a rather large bush aside and walked stealthily toward the eating men. Suddenly someone cried out, and raced toward them.
Steph groaned. "Oh wonderful job, Boromir. Now they've spotted us!"
Within minutes a scout was almost in front of them, sword drawn. A few other men were behind him.
The man's first intention was obviously to slay them, but upon seeing that they were not orcs, but a human of obvious noble birth and a sulking female, he paused. Though puzzled, he still did not lower his weapon, or show any sign of peace.
"Halt stranger!" the man shouted, shaking his sandy blond hair out of his eyes. The gathering darkness was making it hard for him to say exactly where they were from. Boromir's dark hair had almost automatically labeled him a Gondorian, and the manner in which he carried himself showed he was of noble birth. The female was a blonde, though he was curious to know why an Eorling was with a Gondorian. She was obviously not of noble birth, but she was also not of common birth. She carried herself differently, and he couldn't place what it was.
He called to her in his native language, though she only looked at him strangely. Giving up, he turned back to Boromir. "What is your name and business?"
Before Boromir could answer, a group gathered behind the man. Amid the sea of blond Rohirrim, three stood out, the three people he had longed to see for the longest time.
Aragorn was the first to recognize him. "What trickery is this?"
-~-~-~-~-~-
A/N: Hey everyone!
Sorry, I won't be able to update until Monday or Tuesday. Sorry for the cliffie, I couldn't help myself! Thanks for reading!
Enednilwen*
There was a slight misunderstanding in the last chapter. Boromir and Steph did NOT go through Fangorn. If you look at a map of Middle Earth, you would see that if that Fangorn is quite far from Isengard, and if our beloved pair were to go through it, they would go completely out of their way. Here is an excerpt from The Two Towers, spoken by Legolas:
"For they do not belong here and know little of Elves and Men. Far away are the valleys where they sprang. From the deep dales of Fangorn, Gimli, that is whence they come, I guess."
My interpretation was that the Ents in this forest are originally from Fangorn, but moved. Just thought I'd clear that up.
Thanks for being so patient! What with bad grades and being sick, I know my updates have been really sluggish! I'm trying to keep on top! ^__^
Ciao!
Enednilwen*
-~-~-~-~-~-
Disclaimer: Steph is mine, Boromir is Tolkien's.
-~-~-~-~-~-
**Chapter 10**
Soon the thundering footsteps of the Ent slowed, and finally came to a halt. It had evidently been ordered to stop, as after a loud bellowing, it started back in the direction it had come. Steph sighed in relief.
"Wow, that was close."
Boromir nodded, his concentration on the dust and glint of metal that was the Fellowship.
"They're pretty far ahead." Steph announced, shading her eyes with her hand.
When Boromir made no effort at conversation, she became slightly annoyed. "Is that just the Fellowship, or are the Rohirry people with them?" she asked, purposely saying it wrong.
He grunted at her mistake, but said nothing. Maybe if he kept ignoring her, she would be quiet. He was trying to think.
His aloofness was grinding on her nerves, especially the way he made it so obvious. "Well? Are they? Quit being such an assclown!"
"It is Rohirrim." He said, a slight edge to his voice. "And yes, the *Rohirrim* are with them."
Steph smiled triumphantly. "There, that wasn't so hard, was it?"
Scowling, he said nothing.
"How long will it take to reach them?"
Boromir squinted at them. "They are quite far ahead. To any of them save Legolas, we would be but a flash of silver and a cloud of dust, much as they are to us."
Steph sighed irritably. "Wow Boromir," she said sarcastically, "that was so helpful."
"I do not know. We will follow them until they decide to stop."
She looked at the sky in thought. "What will happen to me when we catch up with them?"
"I suppose you will come with me." Boromir knew he should probably change 'I suppose you will' to 'I know you will', but said nothing.
Steph wrinkled her nose in distaste, and it did not go unnoticed by Boromir. "What? Is there something wrong with me?" he teased.
Caught, she stammered for an explanation. "Well...no...yes...I dunno! Quit grilling me!"
"What were you hoping? That the dwarf would be overcome by your beauty and charms, and beg you to ride with him instead?"
Steph went bright red in fury, hitting his arm angrily. "Oh course not, you ass! Shut up!"
Boromir laughed. "I shall ignore your unjustified rudeness with the silence it deserves and will return to our former subject. But, I will only do so if you promise to remain civilized."
She snorted. "Civilized, whatever. I'm not talking to you anymore. Assclown."
-~-~-~-~-~-
They had been riding for a long time, and Steph was bored. She and Boromir had switched places, with her behind him. It had been alright the other way when they were not in a hurry, but because of their haste to catch up, it was slowing them down.
Boromir hadn't said anything since they switched seats, so she jumped when he spoke to her.
"Good Lord! You scared me half to death!"
"Half to death?" he questioned, turning his head to look at her, "How is that possible?"
"Never mind!" she answered, waving him off, "What'd you want?"
He turned back to concentrating on the people ahead of him. "I was going to ask you to stop fidgeting. Give me a moment of peace!"
"I can't help it!" Steph wailed, "I'm bored!"
Boromir snorted. "Bored? Why?"
"There's nothing to do! Plus, that damn song is stuck in my head! And it's so freaking annoying!!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Stuck in your head? What are you talking about, woman?"
Steph groaned, pounding her head against Boromir's back. "That evil '1-800- Safe auto song!! AUGH!" She continued pounding her head against his back, chanting, "Stop playing! STOP STOP STOP!!"
Boromir squirmed away from her. "Will you stop that!!" turning around, he pushed her away.
The sky was getting darker, and Boromir stopped the horse so he could see where the Fellowship was. In the fading light, he could see that they had decided to rest for the night.
He cried out in joy, and started to go forward when Steph grabbed him by the neck and pulled back.
"Wait!"
Twisting out of her choking grip, he turned around furiously. "What were you thinking?? Are you mad, trying to throttle me??"
"I wasn't trying to kill you, I was trying to get your attention!"
Boromir snorted. "A fine way to gain my attention."
Steph glared at him. "You wouldn't have listened if I tapped you on the shoulder, which I had been doing for like, 5 minutes!"
Sensing a fight, Boromir frowned. "Fine. What did you want to tell me?"
"Don't you think they'd find it a bit odd to have me and you suddenly return from nowhere? I mean, I'm not sure which they would find more startling; the guy they pushed off a waterfall, or the bitch from the 21st century that bossed them around all the time."
Boromir nodded grudgingly. He hated it when she was right. "This is very true."
"No talking til I'm done." Steph snapped. Boromir glared at her, but quieted.
"Then there's the fact that they've got Mr. I-Can-See-Stuff-That's-Real-Far- Away. Wouldn't he have already se-"
Boromir stared at her, puzzled. "Who?"
"Legolas, you idiot! The Elf! Can see and hear really good? Any of that ringing a bell??"
"Of course!" he snapped back, his hurt pride making him more irritable than ever. "Please hurry up! Soon it will be too dark to see them!"
Steph rolled her eyes. "You are such a wussie ass baby, Boromir." Pleased with the glare she received for this comment, she continued. "All I'm saying is that we need to be careful. I'd like to go home without arrow sticking out of me." She smirked at him. "Besides, we all know what *your* friends do when people get shot full of arrows! They push them down waterfalls! Wow, what nice friends you have Bor-"
"Be silent, woman." He snapped, giving the horse a light kick to get it going, "I have no time for your insolence."
"I have no time for your insolence." Steph mocked, rolling her eyes, "Geez, you'd think you're Queen of England of something."
"Steward of Gondor." Said Boromir indignantly. He had no idea what England was or who the queen of it was, but by the mocking tone of Steph's voice it was probably not good.
"*Future* Steward of Gondor, you assclown."
Boromir scowled. "I believe I told you to be quiet."
-~-~-~-~-~-
It was a shorter ride than Boromir had expected, and soon he was close enough to the camp that he could hear the men talking and laughing.
Steph's was grumbling behind him. "Gung-ho attitude today aren't we? Just remember that if you don't speak softly you'll end up getting hit with a big stick."
Boromir snorted. "Must you act like an old wife all the time?"
"The day I ever become your wife is the day that hell opens an ice cream parlor!" she hissed angrily.
"I do not recall saying that you were *my* old wife, Steph. I said that you acted like one."
Steph scowled. "Oh shut up."
Boromir dismounted and began to lead the horse toward the camp.
"How exactly do you plan on doing this?" Steph hissed quietly, eyeing the camp nervously, "Go up and scream, 'Hey dudes! It's me, Boromir!' "
"I will go to them, state my name, and we will pass through."
Steph massaged her forehead. "So naïve. Look, they've got weapons. I don't want to be on the horse if they've got weapons. If I have to run, I don't want to have to fall off a horse first."
Boromir frowned at her. "You will stay on the horse. Now be quiet." Taking a deep breath, he pushed a rather large bush aside and walked stealthily toward the eating men. Suddenly someone cried out, and raced toward them.
Steph groaned. "Oh wonderful job, Boromir. Now they've spotted us!"
Within minutes a scout was almost in front of them, sword drawn. A few other men were behind him.
The man's first intention was obviously to slay them, but upon seeing that they were not orcs, but a human of obvious noble birth and a sulking female, he paused. Though puzzled, he still did not lower his weapon, or show any sign of peace.
"Halt stranger!" the man shouted, shaking his sandy blond hair out of his eyes. The gathering darkness was making it hard for him to say exactly where they were from. Boromir's dark hair had almost automatically labeled him a Gondorian, and the manner in which he carried himself showed he was of noble birth. The female was a blonde, though he was curious to know why an Eorling was with a Gondorian. She was obviously not of noble birth, but she was also not of common birth. She carried herself differently, and he couldn't place what it was.
He called to her in his native language, though she only looked at him strangely. Giving up, he turned back to Boromir. "What is your name and business?"
Before Boromir could answer, a group gathered behind the man. Amid the sea of blond Rohirrim, three stood out, the three people he had longed to see for the longest time.
Aragorn was the first to recognize him. "What trickery is this?"
-~-~-~-~-~-
A/N: Hey everyone!
Sorry, I won't be able to update until Monday or Tuesday. Sorry for the cliffie, I couldn't help myself! Thanks for reading!
Enednilwen*