Here's chapter 2!
Disclaimer: I only own my OC's. I do NOT own any of the awesome things Tolkien created.
Chapter 2: Fortunate Meetings and Stupid Bramble
"Orcs," Kayden groaned. "Oh, that's just wonderful." Quickly she turned to the others. "We have to get out of here NOW!"
"W-where are we going?" asked Robin. She didn't really know what orcs were, but by the way her friend was talking about them, they did not sound good.
"Um, I don't really know. Just run in that direction and don't stop unless you meet good company or more bad company." Kayden pointed off into some vague direction away from the horn. Robin immediately sprinted off, as fast as her little hobbit legs could carry her.
"What if we're separated?" Peyton asked. She was aware of the danger and wanted to flee, but she also didn't want to lose her friends in such a new place.
"It doesn't matter. I'm sure we'll meet up again. Just make sure you're safe. Now GO!" Peyton nodded her head, and then quickly took off after Robin. She easily caught up to the little hobbit, and together they ran through the wood, until they reached a bridge over a gurgling river.
"Hey, where's Kayden?" Robin panted. The little hobbit was out of breath.
"I don't know," Peyton replied. "But she said that if we got separated, we should just keep going." Robin opened her mouth in protest, but Peyton stopped her. "I'm sure she'll be fine. After all, she does have that sword."
The two friends smiled at the thought and with a deep breath, crossed the bridge and kept running. They dashed through trees and over plains, not stopping until they thought their hearts would burst.
Meanwhile…
"This is it," said Samwise Gamgee the hobbit.
Frodo Baggins turned around to look at his friend. "This is what?"
"If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been," Sam replied. He sounded resigned, as if it was a terrible fate to be that far away from his home.
"Come on Sam," Frodo said encouragingly. He smiled and patted his friend on the back as Sam took a cautious step forward. "Remember what Bilbo used to say. It's a dangerous business."
WHAM!
Suddenly, two girls came bolting out of the green plants and straight into the two hobbits, causing all four of them to fall to the ground.
"What did I say, Sam? It's a dangerous business," Frodo half-laughed, half-groaned underneath the girl who had fallen on him.
"Oh, I'm so sorry!" said the girl who had landed on Sam. The two girls quickly got up off the hobbits, which allowed Fordo and Sam to look at the two strangers more closely. One was a hobbit with shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes. The other was one of the Big-Folk, a human, judging by the shape of her ears. She had long dark hair and bright green eyes. Both were dressed in men's clothing and looked as if they had run quite a long way.
"Are you guys alright?" the big one asked.
"Yeah, we're fine. I'm Samwise Gamgee and this is Frodo Baggins." Frodo rolled his eyes at his friend's naiveté. Normally, making friends would be nice, but on this dangerous mission, it wasn't all that great.
"Hi! I'm Robin Hill and this is my friend Peyton Spears," the hobbit girl responded.
"Nice to meet you," said Frodo. Oh well, he thought. If they already know our names, we might at well be friends. "What brings you out to the Shire?"
"The Shire?" asked Peyton, looking towards Robin for an answer.
"It's where most of the hobbits live," Robin replied. Man, her friend was going to have a lot of trouble later on. But then again, so would she.
"Oh. Well, Mr. Baggins, we are looking for a friend of our. We got separated somehow," informed Peyton. At the last sentence, a lump rose in her throat. She almost knew we would get separated…she just didn't think it would happen so soon. I hope Kayden's okay, she wondered.
"Well you're welcome to come with us, if you would like," Frodo said quite cheerfully. "And, please, just call me Frodo."
The girls smiled and nodded at this, and started walking together with the hobbits. Robin often got curious and asked Sam various questions about the Shire. Sam would happily answer them and soon the two were merrily chatting away while Peyton just listened in. Finally, Peyton found the courage to ask Frodo something that had been bugging her for a while.
"Frodo?"
"Yes, Peyton?"
"Why are you out traveling? From what Sam has said about hobbits, they enjoy the comforts of their homes and aren't too adventurous."
Frodo sighed. He figured that eventually he would have to tell them."I will tell you and your friend the whole story when we set up camp."
As night fell, Sam and Frodo got a merry campfire going, and soon the delicious smell of sausages filled the cool air. Frodo quietly took Sam aside as the girls enjoyed Sam's cooking. "Well, Sam, do you think it's safe to tell them?"
"Well, Mr. Frodo, I don't think they are bad folks. One of them is a hobbit, and the other has green eyes. I've never met anyone that was bad that had green eyes," Sam replied. Frodo smiled at his friend's simple, yet sound reasoning.
The two turned back towards the campfire. "So, Peyton, you asked why I was out traveling." Peyton nodded, halfway through her third sausage. Frodo drew a deep breath, and then continued. "I am the bearer of the One Ring of Power. I was tasked to take it to Rivendell, the Last Homely House."
The two girls, to Frodo's surprise, were not in awe or shock when he had finished. In fact, they looked utterly confused. "Sorry, Frodo, but I have never heard of this One Ring. Would you tell us about it?"
Frodo then launched into the tale of the Ring, forged in the fires of Mount Doom by the evil lord Sauron. He told of its separation from its true master and how it passed from bearer to bearer until it came into his possession. He told of its powers, and the evil it contained.
At the end, Peyton and Robin were shocked. How could such a mere ring be so powerful? "Oh Frodo, that's terrible!" Robin said. She felt bad for him. "That's such a big responsibility." Frodo nodded solemnly, and soon the camp fell into sleepy silence.
Peyton closed her eyes. She was stunned. Such power… but with such a price. She couldn't believe that the young hobbit next to her had to carry that burden, that absolute evil.
It is not evil, just powerful, said a voice. It was deep and soft, dripping with malice and deception.
Yes, it is evil, Peyton replied. She did not like the sound of that voice.
But it could give you whatever you want, it whispered.
Truth be told, Peyton didn't really want anything. She had everything she wanted: a happy family, a good home, and friends who cared about her. If anything, she wanted to see Kayden again.
It could give you that, said the voice. It could show you your precious friend, perhaps save her from the danger she has got herself into. Then, in the darkness of sleep, a vision appeared.
Kayden watched as Peyton took off, her long hair streaming out behind her. With one last glance in the direction of the horn, she began running. Suddenly, Kayden was yanked back. Her cloak had gotten caught in some bramble. She pulled and tugged at her cloak, but to no avail. Muttering something about "stupid bramble" under her breath, Kayden drew her sword and began hacking away at the bush. Finally, after a few minutes, she was finally free. But then, hideous creatures came swarming out of the trees, pale and slimy, coated with grime and blood. And there, in the middle of it all stood Kayden, all alone against 20 of those foul creatures.
No, Peyton thought. Kayden….
You see, the voice said. Use it, and save your friend from her fate.
No, Peyton repeated, this time strong and firm. Kayden can take care of herself. She is fine. Now GO AWAY!
The voice cackled. Very well, it said. I shall bother you no longer. You could never wield its power anyway. Then it departed.
Kayden will be fine, Peyton reassured herself. She repeated this to herself over and over again, until she fell into a deep sleep.
~o*o*o*o~
Stupid bramble, Kayden thought as she hacked at the bush holding her cloak. Her friends would be long gone by now, and it would take a long while to catch up. This was just her luck.
Finally, after countless tugs and pulls, her cloak broke free. Kayden was just about to take off when, with a great cry, the orcs swarmed the clearing. There were about 20 of them, each carrying a crude sword and a spiked shield. And without even an ounce of thought, Kayden flew into battle. Her body seemed to be on autopilot, using her instincts as her main weapon.
She swiftly dodged their upcoming attacks. Her sword, though small, was strong enough to parry a well-placed blow. Her metal vambrance, though thin and light, worked as a sort of shield, blocking powerful strikes from her attackers.
Suddenly, pain shot through her left leg. An orc had swung his sword into her thigh, and the force of it caused her to fall down. Kayden closed her eyes and lifted her arm above her face, awaiting the death blow.
It never came.
A man stood before her, his sword meeting the orc's. His greenish-gray cloak swirled about him as he swiftly defeated the orc before her and any that were still standing. Not a single orc was left alive.
Kayden's head was throbbing. White-hot pain burned through her leg as she felt her blood soak her garments. She hardly noticed it when the man crouched down next to her, his dark locks shining with sweat from the fight. His silver eyes were kind as he examined her wound.
"Your wound is deep, I'm afraid. Come with me," the man said. His voice was rough, but there was a note of gentleness in his tone.
Kayden looked up at him. He was dressed in similar fashion to her, but carried a longer sword. "W-who are you?" she managed to say.
"I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn, but people around here know me as Strider," he replied, gently helping her stand up.
"I'm Kayden," she said quietly. "Thank you for saving me."
Aragorn smiled and nodded, helping Kayden wobble over to an area clear of orc bodies. He gently set the elleth down at the base of a tree and began making a fire. Kayden watched for a while, but the pain became too much and she slowly succumbed to sleep.
OH NO! Our characters are separated!
But on the bright side, they've met Aragorn, Frodo, and Sam!
Hope you enjoyed it!