We walked for weeks with as few breaks each day as possible. We passed mountain's, ruins of once great cities and over grassy hills until we came to a spot full of rocks and boulders and decided to rest here for a little while. The hobbits set about making a fire and cooking some sausages. Along the way I had learned that the blonde curly haired hobbit was named Merry and the brown haired one was his cousin Pippin. They were quite the trouble makers if their stories were anything to go by. The rounder hobbit with the floppy hair was named Sam, he was Frodo's gardener and had stumbled into this quest quite by accident. The hobbits were the first to speak to me and I did my best to respond in kind and quickly found that I liked the halflings. They were very much like children and I could not help but find myself beginning to feel protective of them. Gimli, Legolas, Boromir and Aragorn were giving me a wide berth, of which I was grateful. I had the feeling that Gandalf told Aragorn to avoid me because he would look at me with confusion and no small amount of wariness, as though I was a snake, poised to strike at a moments notice. For now we were all sitting on various rocks watching as Boromir was teaching Merry and Pippin how to fight with their swords. I was seated near Gandalf and had pulled out my own pipe to smoke while Gandalf was speaking to Frodo.

"We must hold this course west of the Misty Mountain's for forty days. If our luck holds the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. And there our road turns east to Mordor." I could hear shouts of encouragement and instructions from Aragorn and Boromir as they taught the halflings. Legolas was atop a rock a little ways away keeping watch.

"If anyone were to ask my opinion, which I note they are not, I would 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." Gimli said with a huff. I stiffened at the mention of the Mines. That was not a place we should venture if at all possible. There was true darkness in those Mines that should be left undisturbed if at all possible.

"No Gimli, I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice." Gandalf said. Legolas moved to a different rock and focused his eyes on a gray cloud in the distance. I followed his eyes and found myself moving from my seat to stand next to the Elf who gave me a curious glance. From behind us I heard Pippin cry out and Boromir begin to apologize only for a wrestling match to break out between Merry, Pippin, Boromir and Aragorn. The cloud has dissolved into what looks like dark specks.

"I like not the look of that." I said quietly. It was the first time I had willingly spoken to anyone other than the hobbits and Gandalf. Legolas was about to say something when Sam spoke up having noticed the cloud as well.

"What is that?"

"Nothing, it is just a wisp of cloud." Gimli answered and gave a dismissive wave of his hand.

"It is moving fast...against the wind." Boromir pointed out and in that moment the specks took on a definable shape and me and Legolas shouted at the same time.

"Crebain! From Dudland!"

"Hide!" Aragorn bellowed as he rushed to grab his sword. There was a flurry of movement to erase all signs of us having been here.

"Hurry!" Boromir shouted.

"Frodo! Take cover!" Aragorn yelled as he grabbed him and pulled him into a hiding place. I checked to make sure all the hobbits are hidden when I felt strong arms wrap around my waist and drag me down into another hiding place. The crows screeched into our camp and the arms around me pulled me tighter against a chest. It took me a few moments to realize that it was Legolas who grabbed me. All we could do was wait for the crows to leave. Once they are out of even my hearing we begin to crawl out of our hiding places. I immediately went to the hobbits to check that they are unharmed before nodding my head in thanks at Legolas for grabbing me. He returned the nod as Gandalf also appeared from his hiding place.

"Spies of Saruman. The passage south is being watched. We must take the Pass of Caradhras." Gandalf informed us as he looked to the snow covered mountains. I smiled at the thought of being back in my element of snow and ice. We quickly made our way to the base of the mountain where Gandalf decided it would be good to rest for the night before beginning the trek up the mountain. The entire time I could feel Legolas's eyes on me as though he was trying to solve some puzzle. I know the fact that I could see as well as he could was interesting to him. I had the feeling that he thought I was an Elf, no doubt that thought would be strengthened once we began to climb the mountain. When it came to snow I was much like an Elf in the way that I could walk across the snow and not sink into it like a human would. I also did not feel the cold. We took our rest in a little clearing at the base of the mountain. Like usual I had settled myself away from everyone, yet close enough to help should something happen. Only this night something different happened, someone else settled next to me. It was the Mirkwood Prince, and somehow that did not surprise me.

"Are you an Elf?" he asked in Sindarin. I shook my head no at him.

"Then how were you able to see the Crebain at the same time as Legolas?" A new voice asked. I could not help the instant tightening of my muscles at the sound of his voice. I lifted my head just enough to see that he was out of lunging distance but not out of throwing range. Seemed that while he was curious about me he was still taking Gandalf's words to heart.

"It is no concern of yours Ranger." I could not help but spit the words at him and he flinched back as though I had struck him. I could see the hurt in his eyes but it didn't sway me from my anger in the slightest. It did have the desired effect of making Aragorn leave and I relaxed.

"Why do you dislike Aragorn so?" Legolas asked once again in Sindarin.

"That is a long story, and perhaps I will tell it to you one day, but not tonight. You should rest. The mountain will not welcome our presence for long." I told him before I was called over by Gandalf. I sat next to him and he spent a good minute staring at me.

"You should better control your temper." He said in the language of the Maiar, the language of my mother.

"It is by the simple will of the Valar that I have not killed him in his sleep." I said tiredly.

"Given the opportunity would you?" Gandalf asked.

"Perhaps, were he not so important to this quest, I imagine that this could be a very different conversation."

"Indeed. You should let your anger go. If you allow your anger to consume you the it will be child's play for Sauron to break you, and that is something that cannot be allowed."

"How can I be anything but angry?" I demanded. "It is because of him that my mother has gone! She loved him and yet he tossed her aside for the pretty face of an Elf maid! Always you are pushing this destiny on me, but I do not want it! I have no desire to be Queen of Gondor or to sit upon any throne!" I yelled. By now our argument had attracted the attention of the rest of the Fellowship who were looking on with interest, having never heard me speak so much. Thankfully I still had my vocal cords frozen over so I still sounded like a man.

"Whether you desire it or not does not matter. You are already a Queen by your mothers blood! Perhaps if you stopped acting like a child throwing a tantrum you would see that I am trying to help you!" Gandalf bellowed. I let out a sad sigh as I looked at him.

"Why is my future so important? I am not human nor Maia, so then where do I belong in this world of Men?" I asked softly. Gandalf looked stunned and this time he did not have an answer so I stood and glided away from him to lay on my bedroll. It was Boromir's turn to be on watch tonight, not that we needed it. Since we were so close to the mountain it was becoming quite chilly and I knew that the animals and creatures that lived around the mountain would give us a wide berth since I was here. It was one more thing I had to thank my mother for. Most creatures made it their mission to avoid me at all costs, especially if they were dark creatures. Animals on the other hand were something else entirely, most of the carnivore type of animals avoided me, they recognized that they were no match for me and that they would have been foolish to try and challenge me. I drifted off into a sleep full of twisting dreams and thrones that I didn't want. They were also full of blood and smoke and a flaming eye.