Lying there in a daze, on my back staring up at the sunny morning sky, I almost believed I was back in the good old Shire again. For a moment, as I watched the clouds pass lazily over my head, I thought I was back at the beginning of this crazy roadtrip. Setting out with my cousins on our old road bikes, with light hearts and light bags, thinking only of a nice jaunt to Rivendell Farm. We really hadn't a clue about O.R.C gangs, or Black Riders or aspiring evil tyrants. It was quite nice for a minute actually, but Gimli's shout brought me back to earth.
"Boom! Headshot! Haha! Sorry, man, didn't see you there."
Shoving myself into a sitting position I stared around me, all the guys were there, crowded round me and obviously keeping back laughter. There were no attackers, there was no danger. Whether it was the football-to-the-head or just that I was still half-asleep, I felt seriously befuddled.
"You...you guys were shouting? I thought there was trouble...I came to..um?"
"To save us, eh Merry?" Boromir laughed and pulled me to my feet. "Well, actually you might be more of a help to us than you think! We're 5 - nil down already!"
So it turns out all the noise they'd been making was just part of an impromtu football match they'd decided to have before setting off. Seriously, those guys! We're off on a mission to save the world or whatever and Aragorn still finds time for a bit of a kick-about.
Being an ex-pro, Aragorn's team had been completely thrashing Boromir's and not liking to be outdone (even in a bit of four-aside football) things were starting to get pretty heated. I ended up with Pip, Boromir and Legolas playing against the rest. And you know what? It was actually great! Getting to run about, just for the sake of it and not running for our lives. Well it was great until old Boromir went and blew it. Like literally, totally blew his top! Started shouting and shouting at Frodo that he'd been offside when he scored a goal against us.
It went all awkward and quiet and Frodo (who's never been one for competitive stuff to be honest) walked off into the woods, looking seriously upset. We all sort of avoided each other's eyes as Boromir stomped off in the other direction. It was weird, totally out of character too cos Boromir was always such a nice guy - bit stroppy if he didn't get his way but really nice all the same.
After a while, neither of them came back and the rest of us started feel pretty uneasy. It wasn't good any of us going off alone, least of all Frodo. Sam had just decided to go after him when we heard it.
Thundering feet in heavy boots. Yelling, whooping and cat-calling. The noises surrounded us and we huddled together, realising just how stupid we'd been to go anywhere without weapons and with our guard down. We still couldn't see anything , the trees were obscuring our view. But we knew. There was no doubt. We were surrounded by O.R.C.s.
That's basically like being as good as dead.