Thanks to all my amazing reviewers. Here is another chapter. Hope you like it. Gimli finally gets what he has coming.
Hermione woke the next morning to find three tunics and leggings folded on the end of her bed. She pulled one set on and packed the others in a bag that she had expanded the interior of. She had also had made it light, feeling like nothing was in it. She pulled the front half of her hair back and tied it out of her face with a thin piece of fabric.
When she was done she began packing everything she would or might need on the trip. That included a few dresses, weapons, a mat to sleep on, food, more weapons, extra clothes, cooking supplies, warm clothes, and even more weapons. She left two swords, a quiver of arrows, a bow, two long knives, and six short knives sitting on her bed.
She walked out to the river and filled a handful of water skins before returning to her room. She put all of the water skins in her pack, and then left for the armory. She walked passed most of the bulky armor and found what she was looking for. She took three pairs of gloves and went back to her room, packing two pairs.
Elrond and Arwen arrived in her quarters just before she started to get ready to leave. Elrond handed her a long bow and a quiver of arrows.
"How much do you think I'll need?" Hermione laughed, trying to lighten the mood.
"Be careful," Elrond said. "In your time here, you have become a second daughter to me. I don't want to see you hurt."
He turned away, leaving Arwen and Hermione alone. Arwen pulled Hermione into a tight hug as a tear slipped down her cheek.
"Take care of Aragorn for me," she whispered. "I have something for you as well. Give this to the one you love, when you find him."
She handed Hermione a pendant on a silver chain. The pendant was a similar color to her ring and arranger in loops. There were three birds intertwined in metal. Hermione looked from the necklace to Arwen with a smile. Hermione knew it was saying that she was an elf, now. She would never be human again. Arwen took Hermione's left hand and touched her ring, whispering, "My Lady."
Hermione pulled away, startled.
"I will tell no one," Arwen assured her. "I asked Gandalf about your ring when you first arrived. Good-bye and good luck."
After Arwen left, Hermione walked over to her bed. She put the bow and quiver from Elrond into her pack before putting on her weapons. She put on thin black boots, sliding one of the short knives into each one. The other four were in her belt. There was a sword on her left hip, and one with the hilt over her left shoulder. The long knives were under the sword on her back, hilts between her shoulder blades. The bow was in the quiver of arrows strapped to her back. She tied the small knapsack with everything else she's need to her belt.
Hermione took one last look around her room before pulling the door shut. She walked to where the Fellowship was meeting.
"I'm not carrying anything for the woman," Gimli grumbled, as she approached.
"I don't expect you to," Hermione replied with a smile.
"That's all your bringing?" the dwarf scoffed. "Surely a woman needs more than that to survive in the wild for weeks on end."
"I have everything I need," she said, patting the bag on her hip.
"What? Witch dust?"
"I'm sure she has everything she needs in that bag," Gandalf told Gimli. "She is a very powerful witch."
Legolas walked up to Aragorn and said, "I apologize for what I said last night. I was out of line."
Aragorn smiled at his friend as the ten walked over the cobblestone bridge out of Rivendell.
At dusk, the Fellowship made camp. The hobbits almost collapsed from exhaustion. Boromir and Aragorn took everything off the horse that carried all their belongings.
"So," Gimli snapped at Hermione. "What's for dinner, woman?"
Hermione spun toward Gimli, throwing her hand out. He went flying into a tree and fell to the ground. He and Hermione glared at each other, until he looked away.
"Fix your own bloody dinner, dwarf," she growled.
Aragorn stepped between the two and stared a fire, beginning to cook. As they ate, Hermione watched Legolas talk to Aragorn. Frodo, Sam, and Gandalf ate silently. Merry, Pippin, Boromir, and Gimli talked loudly. When the four were done eating, they began to swordfight. As the night wore on, most began to sleep. Legolas and Hermione sat awake, keeping watch. Legolas sat down beside Hermione.
"Why do you act like I don't matter to you?" Hermione asked abruptly. "I mean, last night, you kissed me, and today you act like I don't exist."
"I'm sorry," he replied in a whisper. "You just remind me of someone I used to know. It's hard to think about her, and you look a lot like her."
The lapsed into a comfortable silence until the sun began to rise. Within the hour, they were moving again.
Some time had passed since the Fellowship had left Rivendell. Gimli had long since left Hermione alone. Aragorn and Legolas relied on her company to keep them sane. They stopped to rest before entering the pass to continue their journey. Legolas and Hermione looked around, watching out for anything out of the ordinary. At the same time, Hermione and Legolas saw a dark shadow moving across the sky.
"What is that?" Sam asked.
"It's just a wisp of cloud," Gimli said absently.
"It's moving too fast to be a cloud," Hermione observed. "It's moving against the wind."
"Hide," Aragorn ordered.
Everyone scrambled to douse the fire and sink out of sight as a flock of bird circled overhead. Legolas pulled Hermione under a bush and froze. They both looked through the fern the covered one side of their hiding place at the black flock swarmed above them. They sat still while waiting to make sure the birds were gone.
Legolas looked at Hermione and realized he was lying on top of her. She was still watching the air for birds. One of her hands was pressed against his chest, while the other was on his wrist. His hands were on either side of her shoulders. He didn't want to move, but he caught Aragorn watching him and mentally groaned. He pushed himself off Hermione and looked around for any sign of an enemy.
Once the birds disappeared from sight, Gandalf changed their path to the mountain pass. They fought their way through ice and snow, while Hermione and Legolas walked easily on top of the frozen precipitation. Before they had gone far, Hermione reach into her knapsack and pulled out four cloaks, handing one to each of the hobbits.
"Where does she keep all of that?" Gimli grumbled, making Hermione smile.
She faltered when she heard a faint voice and ran to the front of the group. As the sound grew louder, Legolas joined her.
"There is a foul voice on the air," Legolas said.
"Saruman," Gandalf muttered.
"He's trying to bring down the mountain," Aragorn yelled, as the rock beneath them shook.
Gandalf started speaking toward Saruman and Hermione moved to the middle of the group. Snow and rock began to fall over them. Legolas pulled Gandalf away from the edge, and Hermione threw her hands up.
After the snow settled, the Fellowship looked around. Everyone way ducked to the ground, but Hermione, who had a thin web of blue light stretching from her palms. The avalanche was held over them by the web, forming a cocoon. Hermione pushed away, and what covered them fell down the cliff face. She fell to her knees, panting at the amount of energy she had exerted. After a short discussion, they made their way to the mines and found the door.
"What does it say?" Frodo asked.
"It says 'Speak friend and enter.'" Gandalf replied. "You must know the password."
He tried many passwords without success. Hermione sat, staring at the door, going over anything that could be the password. After a minute, she stood and looked at the inscription.
"The order is wrong," she stated. "If it was saying 'If you are a friend, speak and enter' the word for friend would be first or last. It would literally translate 'Friend speak and enter' or 'Speak and enter friend.' This does not. The password is friend. Mellon."
The door opened slowly and they prepared to enter the mines. Merry and Pippin began to throw rocks into the water as everyone gathered their belongings. Aragorn stopped them and warned, "Do not disturb the water."
A long tactical shot out of the water and seized Frodo. Hermione was the first to react and shot a spell at the creature. The spell was deflected by its solid hide. Legolas and Hermione then began to shoot arrows at it while the others fought to free Frodo. They barely made it into the mine before the doorway collapsed.
Hermione didn't pay attention to what was going on, she just followed where she was led. She looked around the dark tomb warily. She hadn't felt this way since the final battle at Hogwarts, which didn't alleviate her fears. Everyone froze as the sound of a drum could be heard echoing through the halls. Boromir looked out the door before Aragorn and Legolas helped him barricade the door shut.
"They have a cave troll," Boromir muttered.
Hermione drew her bow while she stood between Aragorn and Legolas who had done the same. The orcs began to flood into the room. Once shooting arrows became too challenging, she drew two swords, one in each hand and began to fight any orc that came near her. She turned to see Frodo being stabbed by the troll.
Hermione ran in front of the troll and shot a stunner into its eyes, causing it to fall backwards. Gimli took the chance to kill the creature as Hermione knelt next to Frodo.
"I'm alright," Frodo breathed, showing the mail under his shirt.
"We must go," Hermione snapped, sensing the battle being far from over.
They ran toward the bridge, but were quickly surrounded by orcs. Light appeared from where they had come, making the orcs scatter as it drew nearer.
"Take the lead," Gandalf ordered Aragorn.
Some had made it down the stairs as the stone began to fall away. When only Hermione, Frodo, and Aragorn remained on one side, Hermione jumped as more stone fell from under her feet. Aragorn pushed Frodo farther up the stairs. Hermione slipped of the edge of the rock, but Legolas caught her wrist, pulling her to safety. Once Frodo and Aragorn were across, the group ran over the bridge, Gandalf stopping at the middle.
"You shall not pass!" he yelled as the demon stepped closer.
The bridge vanished from beneath the creature as the rock disintegrated. Gandalf turned away only to be pulled after the demon by its whip. He held on as long as he could and muttered, "Fly you fools," before falling into the dark abyss.
"No!" Hermione and Frodo yelled starting toward the bridge.
Boromir pulled Frodo back as the hobbit fought to get free. Hermione fell limply into Legolas as he pulled her away. She twisted suddenly looking at the bridge. Legolas pulled her tightly to his chest, whispering, "He's gone, Hermione." He scooped her into his arms as her knees gave out.
So, what do you think? Please review. I want ten more before I update again.