Chapter 3
Disclaimer: I do not own LOTR, nor pretend to. Well, just a smidge.
..00
Aragorn and Nix returned to the small camp and Nix unrolled the beds for all of them.
Aragorn was settling down for first watch. Nix walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"There is no need for night watches, we are still in the borders of the river. It's magic shall protect us. Get some sleep, you have suffered many restless nights."
Aragorn shook his head slightly.
"I do not fear the orcs. But Gollum is still out there. He is drawn to the ring. It is precious to him."
Nix started, she felt as if a hiss had accompanied his words. She looked out at the river wearily and nodded.
"Suit yourself Elessar."
Nix sat down beside him and watched as he puffed his pipe, sending a small trail of smoke into the air. Rather suddenly, Aragorn set down his pipe and turned to face Nix.
"Who was your father? I recognise that sword."
Nix started.
"What sword?"
"The one lying next to your bedroll." He replied.
Nix smiled and retrieved it before sitting down next to Aragorn again.
"It served my father well, and hopefully I will learn to use it as well as he did."
Aragorn nodded and ran his hands over the sheath of the sword. It had star shaped engravings down the scabbard and some elvish was written inside them. He passed it back to Nix, his request clear in his eyes.
Nix drew the sword, the small hiss of the metal sending shivers down her spine. It was similar in a way to Glamdring and Narsil, but it had a slightly curved guard, so it fitted nicely over her hand and was easy to grip.
The sun was setting and the woods had the warm glow that was only there right before nightfall. The dim light caught the metal of the sword and it shone in a fiery light.
Aragorn took in every detail of the blade and got up slowly. He drew his own sword and tapped it gently against Nix's.
"We starting already?"
"Yes, now, hold the sword like this-"
The lesson was almost silent, and Aragorn was a great teacher. Whenever Nix made a mistake, he just raised an eyebrow and she would catch on, fixing it.
At first, she was impatient and tried to speed up the slow pace of their duel, but Aragorn would simply block her blows and go back to their steady pace. Eventually, Nix just fell into the rhythm and went with it.
Aragorn finally struck hard at her and, surprised, Nix blocked it and swooshed her sword in a circle, making Aragorn's swing down, but he drove back with a twirl and soon, the sword was at her neck.
"If I were an Orc, you would be dead."
"If you were an orc, I would have smelt you from far away and ran as soon as I did."
Aragorn nodded slowly.
"True, True."
Nix smiled and she sheathed her sword. Looking over her hands, she gave a small grimace. The black leather of her sword and dirtied her hands and her sweat had made the palms of her hands yucky.
"Gross," She said, rubbing her palms together in an attempt to get it off.
Aragorn looked over her shoulder and laughed.
"It happened to me the first time too. Don't worry, it'll come off in a few days."
Nix looked horrified and Aragorn chuckled deeply, sheathing his own sword and checking over his palms.
Him and Nix walked back to the camp and found Sam trying to coax Frodo to eat.
"Have some food Mister Frodo."
"No Sam."
"You haven't eaten anything all day. You're not sleeping neither. Don't think I haven't noticed. Mr. Frodo-"
Frodo cut him off with a tired look on his face.
"I'm alright Sam."
"No you're not, I'm here to help you, I promised Gandalf that I would."
"You can't help me Sam. Not this time. Get some sleep."
Nix sat beside the hobbits and placed her significantly larger hands on Frodo's.
"I doubt that 'Sam' would be able to, knowing that you won't get a wink of sleep in the whole night."
Frodo sighed and nodded his head in defeat.
"I won't be able to sleep. This place doesn't feel safe."
Nix was slightly offended but shook it off.
"I know these woods as well as you know your own 'Mister Frodo'. And I assure you, nothing will harm you tonight."
Frodo nodded again and tucked himself into the sleeping bags that Lothlorien had provided. Then, quite out of the blue, he asked:
"Can you sing, Lady Nix?"
Taken aback, She nodded.
"Yes, but mostly elvish songs. Apart from one.."
Frodo looked up at her with his big blue eyes and Nx melted.
"Alright. But only this once."
=00.00=
Boromir argued with Aragorn.
"You were quick enough to trust the Elves. Have you so little faith in your own people? Yes, there is weakness. There is frailty. But there is courage also, and honor to be found in Men. But you will not see that."
Aragorn sighed and started to turn away. Boromir yanked him back and hissed in his face.
"You are afraid! All your life, you have hidden in the shadows. Scared of who you are, of what you are."
Aragorn looked murderous and was about to spit out a reply when a voice cut through the air.
"You had your maps drawn
You had other plans
To hang your hopes on
Every road they let you down felt so wrong
So you found another way…."
Boromir recognised it as the one he had heard in Lothlorien, and knew at once that it belonged to the woman who was traveling with them.
"You've got a big heart
The way you see the world
It got you this far
You might have some bruises
And a few of scars
But you know you're gonna be okay…"
Aragorn and him fell silent to listen, calmed momentarily to listen to the music.
"And even though you're scared
You're stronger than you know
If you're lost out where the lights are blinding
Caught in all, the stars are hiding
That's when something wild calls you home, home.."
Boromir thought back to the white tower and the city of Minas Tirith, of his brother, and his father. Something was calling him home. But it was him. He wanted to go home, even to just see it would be enough for him, just to make sure everything was ok.
"Sometimes the past can
Make the ground beneath you feel like a quicksand
You don't have to worry
You reach for my hand
Yeah I know you're gonna be okay
You're gonna be okay.."
Was he?
"And even if you're scared
You're stronger than you know
If you're lost out where the lights are blinding
Caught in all, the stars are hiding
That's when something wild calls you home, home
If you face the fear that keeps you frozen
Chase the sky into the ocean
That's when something wild calls you home, home
Calls you home,
Calls you home,
Calls you home,
Calls you home.."
Nix finished her song and found two pairs of eyes staring at her. The hobbits were all asleep, Gimli was dozing by the fire and even Legolas was listening quietly as he sat.
Aragorn broke the silence with a bashful cough.
Boromir woke from his trance and spoke softly.
"That was, uhh, beautiful."
Nix smiled shakily and crossed the distance between them. She stuck out her hand to shake his.
"Boromir, Captain of Gondor I presume?"
Boromir nodded and shook her hand. She was trembling slightly.
"Are you okay My Lady?"
"Yes,"
'No, I'm talking to someone who I know is going to die and I can't do anything about it.'
"I'm fine. I didn't get to eat much."
Boromir frowned.
"Sam saved the leftovers for Frodo, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind.."
"No, My Lord, I am alright." she said quickly.
'Sam is an excellent cook, and if I eat any more I am afraid I might burst!'
"Please, It's Boromir."
Nix nodded and retreated to her bedroll, it was slightly apart from the others and Nix unbuttoned her outer tunic as she slipped into the bed. She mulled her thoughts over in her head before turning over onto her side and slipping into sleep.
Orc feet getting closer and closer.
A dark tower with in the middle of a sea of forges and felled trees.
Boromir with several arrows puncturing his chest.
A red flaming eye-
Two pale hands reaching out for her, "My preciousssss-sss."
Nix woke to a pair of hands shaking her shoulders. She was sweaty and bolted up straight in the bed. When she saw Boromir's eyes staring into her own, she almost screamed.
"M'Lady, It's your watch."
Nix tried to steady her breathing and nodded 'calmly'. She stood up and threw on her cloak as she went to sit by the fire. It was almost burning out and she went to gather a few sticks from the bank.
She had just made a small stack when she heard a hissing noise from where the company was camping. She hurried back with the wood and dropped it all in the fire, making the light blaze. And for a small moment, she thought she saw a pair of blue eyes watching from the trees.
Nix frowned and picked up a flaming branch from the fire. She held it out in front of her and scanned the trees. Nothing. Unconvinced, Nix sat down on a log and stared into the fire.
She gazed at the flickering flames and smiled.
Her friend, Silvyr and her had made that song up together. None of the other elves had liked it, but none of the other elves had socialised with Nix until she had punched an especially rude elf in the face.
Then she had a whole load of fake friends. People who just wanted to be her friend so she would protect them.
'Sadie! This elf was hitting on me and ~sniff~ and we kissed, and then ~snuffle~ HE KISSED SOMEONE ELSE!'
'...'
'And it hurt my feelings!'
'And I should care why?'
'B-b-because you're my friend!'
'Sighs. No, I'm not. And I hate being called Sadie. If you were my friend, you would know that.'
Nix smiled faintly. Ahh, Good times.
=00.00=
Nix shook Aragorn awake.
"Hey, It's your watch."
He rolled over and Nix saw that he was already awake.
"There are Orcs on the eastern bank."
"I know. I was going to tell you in the morning."
Aragorn sighed and stood, shrugging his coat onto his shoulders.
"Sometimes, things are best not to leave till morning."
Nix cringed.
"For all I know, you were still asleep."
Aragorn said nothing and gestured to her bedroll.
"Sleep, we will need to cross the river tomorrow."
Nix nodded and stifled a yawn. Aragorn smiled in spite of himself and pulled Nix's hood over her head. Nix grumbled and slicked her hood back up, stumbling over a log before making it to her bed.
Aragorn stared into the fire, making sure that she was asleep before looking out to the eastern bank. He saw a helmet with a white handprint slapped onto the front of it bobbing in the shallow water.
He walked to the edge of the water and picked it up. He examined it closely and his lip curled in distaste.
"Saruman."
He turned his head up to the stars and spoke as if the wizard could hear him.
"So, this is what you've been doing. Breeding Orc filth in your dark tower. I didn't know you would stoop so low."
He walked back to the camp and threw the helmet into the campfire. It crackled and snapped, and soon, flames were licking at the leather of the helmet. Aragorn watched until the fire had died down to embers, and the helmet had reduced itself to ashes. The moon was overhead and its light snuck into the clearing that the company had camped in.
But sometimes, light just makes the darkness that much darker.
=00.00=
Soooo, waddya think? And thanks to Lady Jensen for following me! I really appreciate it…
And yes, I know that the LOTR fandom is 20 years old. And I know that my old writing style was really bad, but remember, I wrote this as a year 10. This is part of a series where I dive into the depths of my old computer and find my old fanfictions. And also, I come from the LARPing side of LOTR and sometimes games get a little weird.