friend.

I could hear heavy breathing nearby, but it was mostly silent. I wasn't naked any more either, I could feel a heavy cloak over and underneath me.
I was still a human then. I didn't like the fact that I'd been sleeping with these two men around, watching me. And covering me with their fur cloaks. I felt very vulnerable and almost blind for the first time in my very long existence.

It was horrible because stars never miss anything, day or night. Sometimes we pay more attention to other more important things going on, but sleeping was different. It was like I'd blocked out, missing a chunk of my day.
And even now that I was awake, I still felt...not awake. Not fully aware at least, my head felt...blurred.

I peeled my eyes open slowly, to see if my vision felt as blury as my had seemed to. Everything was quite clear. I'd definitely been moved, we were somewhere on the very edge of a forest and there were no longer dead orc-men nearby.

I smelt something different to what I'd smelt so far that day, it was quite fresh. There was a noise that came with the smell from nearby also. I turned my head in the direction of the freshness.
Water.
It was lovely, it was the first thing so far that looked better up close than from the sky. Despite being a little murky and dirty looking the water was shining and reflect lights of the sun and the forest and a few men stood at the side of the rivers edge, next to boats.

I sat up swiftly lifting my head in the direction of the men. I counted four, but only two of them were men, the two I had encountered in the forest earlier that day, Aragorn and Boromir. There was an elf and a Dwarf beside them. I recognized them vaguely from when I'd watched from above. Elves and Dwarfs were always far more entertaining than men, perhaps because they live longer. They fight often though, when placed together. I didn't like fighting very much.

Even in the clearing with the dead orcs I'd felt frightened, I hadn't know what it was at the time, or perhaps I'd thought it was fear for the dying man. People died all the time, yes it was sad but not something that can easily be interfered with if it's their time. If it was that man, Boromirs fate to die then he would have died, despite my intervention. I was sure of that.

All four sets of eyes turned towards me and stood hesitantly for a few moments, before on of the men, the fair haired of the two started walking towards me slowly, Boromir. He stopped a few feet from where I sat crouching down on the pebbles . It was his cloak that had been lain around me I realized. He spoke immediately, quite kindly. I had forgotten we were friends now. He was a very large man and I might have been afraid had I been his enemy.

"You are awake at last my lady? Are you well?"
I opened my mouth to reply moving it as he had done, but still no sound came out. I tried once more. I huffed frustrated at my lack of voice. He noticed this furrowing his brow.
"Do you understand me?"
I opened my mouth again, just as I'd seen the man doing as he spoke. Moving my lips, but still no noise came out. I swallowed hard and tried one last time. I looked down and felt my face drop in disappointment. I'd been doing so well. I didn't know why I'd been sent here, I just wanted to go home.

The man lifted his hand and wiped under my eyes with his thumb, when he pulled his hand away again, I felt wetness running down my face.
"Aragorn, will you come - I think...I think she understands. I think she is mute."
I looked up to watch the dwarf and other man -Aragorn- walk towards us, obviously curious. The elf kept his distance but his eyes never left where I sat.
The man Aragorn crouched down, shoulder to shoulder with Boromir. This wasn't the first time I'd seen either of them. Though I hadn't known Boromir by name, I had been aware of his journeys to Imladris from Gondor. I liked his brother better. His brother looked up at the sky often. I knew his face better.

Aragorn I knew by name and by sight. He had lived a long life already, as one of the Dunedain chieftens, his life had been more interesting than most, namely his love for the daughter of Elrond of Rivendell. Though, their romance wasn't nearly as enticing as Beren and Luthiens' had been.

Aragorn leaned in speaking slowly and clearly to me, as though I were a child.
"Nod if you understand me."
I nodded slowly back to him, not wanting anything to go wrong and to have him misunderstand me. He leaned back again, tilting his head, lips pursed curiously.
"Nod if you understand me." He repeated.
"Aragorn...what are you-" Boromir started, drifting off eyes on me.
I nodded again confused.

Aragorn stood swiftly smiling widely down at me. These men seemed very strange so far.
"She understands Common and Elvish. Very talented for one so young."
I looked up at Boromir eyebrows raised, though I wasn't quite sure what I expected.

He reached out his hand towards me, and for a moment, I thought he meant to lean in and press his lips to mine again. Instead he just brushed my hair back tracing the outside of my ear, looking troubled.
"You are no elf?" He frowned at me.
I shook backwards and forth, agreeing with him.
His face softened slightly before he withdrew his hand and stood, side by side with Aragorn.
"I thought perhaps she followed us- from Lorien. But I think now, she might be from Rohan."
They both turned back to look at me again. This was very annoying. I wish I'd never woken up now, I wish we could just get on with our journey.

It suddenly hit me that the number in the party had been halved since the previous night. There had been eight yesterday. Four of them had been so tiny they probably only counted as two men between them, but there had definitely been eight. And now there was four.

I opened my fingers counting off the hobbits, men, elf and dwarf that had been floating along the river in boats the day before. Making sure my new human mind wasn't playing tricks on me. Perhaps the men had not noticed the absence of four of their party, or perhaps they were hiding. They were awfully small after all.

I pushed myself up from the ground quickly meaning to ask the party of four where the other members of their fellowship had disappeared to. As soon as I stood they all four turned away from me, horrified. Boromirs' eyes had widened and his head had lingered gazing at me for a fraction of a second longer than the others. His blush seemed to be the deepest.

"You'll be wanting to cover yourself up lassie, it gets' awfully cold in these parts, not to mention" *cough* "inappropriate." The dwarf was the one speaking this time. I huffed, angry at myself for forgetting I needed to cover myself again.

I never really understood why they felt the need to wear clothes at all. I was perfectly at ease as I was, before I bent over and covered myself with the cloak again. I coughed letting the gentlemen know I was decent. They all avoided eye contact for a few moments, except for the elf, who carried on looking at me, bemusedly.

I held up eight fingers for them, and then put down four and gestured around the clearing, wonderingly.

"I think...she has noticed the halflings absence." The elf chirped, elves normally understand things quicker than men do. And men normally understand things quicker than dwarves do.

They all looked troubled by this statement, It wasn't an unreasonable thing to ask I thought.
Aragorn broke the silence.
"Frodo has chosen his path... but we need not leave Merry and Pippin to suffer the torment that surely awaits them. We should leave immediately. I think, Legolas you have spare clothes from Lorien do you not?"
The elf, Legolas skipped forward lithely bending to grasp a bag and hand it to Aragorn in one swing. I wish I'd been made an elf after I'd fallen. I was just a fragile, ignorant human.

The man pulled a bundle of material from the bag, handing it out to me, so I could see what the items were.
I pursed my lips tightly. Women never wear clothes like these. Women wear dresses, often simple, dull colored dresses, but sometimes women wear beautiful, bright dresses. With patterns and long trains and breathtaking materials. These were mens' clothes, And I wasn't a man.
Stars weren't men either, none were. I'd never thought of myself as a woman either.
We just were.

Now that I was a girl, it felt right somehow, like I'd been a mother to the land I watched over- loving it from afar. I was not wearing these clothes. I was happy naked. If they weren't happy well, they'd just have to deal with it.

I shook my head firmly.
"I think...she does not want to wear the elfs' clothes Aragorn."
"Thank you for that Boromir. If she will not wear them for me, you will make her wear them. We can not take her into Rohan, wearing naught but the cloak on her back."
Aragorn shoved the pile of mens' clothes into Boromirs hands before turning his back on us, and making for the elf with a sigh, the dwarf followed, clearly out of his depth. Boromir looked at me a little awkwardly and pleadingly before holding the clothes out to me again offering.
I shook my head again crossly at being ignored. He raised his eyebrows.

"Why won't you wear clothes?"
I shook my head again, not knowing how to communicate without knowing how to use words.

He rolled back on his heels glancing back at Aragorn, Legolas and the Dwarf, seeking help. He turned back to me, face set.
"You must wear clothes." He said harshly.

I stepped back, unnerved at being addressed like this by my new friend. I was a girl. Why were they dressing me in men clothes? My lip quivered and eyes widened, upset.

the man dropped his stern face immediately in alarm at my reaction.
"Ah, I am sorry...but, you must wear these clothes. It will not be for long. You can keep my cloak also, if you'd like that...Please" He finished desperately.

I hesitated for a second looking into the mans' green eyes. He looked quite helpless stood in front of me, unsure. I took pity on him and gave in.

I huffed finally before taking the clothes from his hands letting the cloak drop from around my shoulders again, stubbornly. If I felt no shame in being un clothed, they should feel no shame in my presense.

They certainly did, Boromir made no hesitation this time he closed his eyes, to pick up the fur cloak and hide me from view of the men in front of me while I pulled the top over my head. Luckily it was very long on me and hid the parts the men wanted hidden most. I had trouble with the trousers and ended up with both legs in one trouser hole, and fell over.

Boromir let the cloak fall slightly to inspect the noise I'd just made. I sat on the floor sulkily until he finally gave in and wrapped the cloak over my legs covering me, pulling the trousers down off my legs and putting them on properly. He slid a pair of soft shoes over my feet afterwards, lacing them up before he turned with his back to me again, to let me stand and pull the trousers up as high as they should come.

I coughed again to draw his attention to me, he looked embarrassed still. He nodded at me and started off towards the other men. He waved his hand back at me for some reason, I waved back at him. I hope they aren't leaving me.

He made to grab a pack that his other three companions had just sorted as I'd dressed and they all made towards the edge of the woods slowly before turning back and looking at me expectantly. Finally Aragorn spoke turning back to the woods walking slowly again.

"Boromir- go and fetch her."

I waited patiently for Boromir to do as Aragorn asked and come and fetch me.
He seemed to be a against coming to collect me from where I stood, but eventually he walked forwards offering me a hand.

I took it willingly with both of mine and let myself be led away, not really sure what was going on any more. Were we following the ring, or no? Where were the hobbits? Why did Boromirs' hand feel so sweaty and clammy within my own?

I didn't even try resisting following the men, I had no better plan and Boromir was my friend now, I didn't know how long it would take to make another new friend if I was left on my own again. I looked up to Boromir smiling at my friend. He looked back down at me feeling my eyes on his face, upon seeing my smile he merely frowned puzzled and upped his pace.

I easily caught up with his speed. I was good at running, I'd found that out this morning. I still didn't let go of his hand running awkwardly, slightly sideways, just behind Aragorn through the trees' vaguely towards the gap of Rohan.

wow! seven reviews already! that is t-o-t-a-l-l-y insane! darn, why are there such amazing men in LOTR to choose from? Her mortality will depend on who she winds up with Ima thinking. Thanks like, a lot to ToryIsConfusedDotCom, Song in the Woods, nemo and GloryBee, I actually recognize some of your names from another story! wahay. You're all super kind :))) And thanks' if you favorite or followed! It makes me crazy happy, :)I only planned the first chapter in my head, unlike the other story i'm writing, so I'll just have to sort of go with it! If any of you have suggestions, don't hold them in- i like ideas! Hope you enjoy!

i only own LOTR in my dreams :(