Threys moved through the grand elven city having just left her kinsmen behind. They had been trying to talk her out of going on the quest, but she had, as Gloin had stated, the combined stubbornness of her mother and father.
In truth she had wanted to go on a quest like that of her father and mothers for as long as she could remember. She had studied hard in the art of decorum and battle as well, wanting to bring honor to her parents, but it wasn't enough for her, she needed more.
She came upon a gentle stream making its way through a lovely garden and settled down on one of the smooth stones next to it. She slipped off her shoes before standing up raising her dress up so she could wade in the water. She kicked up some of the water with a laugh as she twirled enjoying the feeling of the cool water. Looking up she peered up at the full moon that had begun to make its way across a star filled sky and started to sing one of her favorite songs.
A single thread in a tapestry
Though its color brightly shine
Can never see its purpose
In the pattern of the grand design
And the stone that sits on the very top
Of the mountain's mighty face
Does it think it's more important
Than the stones that form the base?
She way enjoying herself so much that she failed to notice Legolas enter the garden, freezing at the entrance when he saw her. He wanted to glare, to turn away, to do something, but her voice and the way she moved seemed to affect him.
No life can escape being blown about
By the winds of change and chance
And though you never know all the steps
You must learn to join the dance
You must learn to join the dance
She performed one more twirl at the end of the song nearly falling over, but caught herself with a giggle. She started to step out of the water when she froze, her head tilting up at she breathed in through her nose. Growling lowly in her throat her eyes snapped to where the elven prince stood.
"Do you make it a habit of spying?" Threys stepped out of the stream. "Most unbecoming of one of the elder."
"I was not spying, least of all on you." Legolas spat out stepping out into the moonlight, Threys's eyes unintentionally being drawn to his hair which seemed to almost glow in the moonlight.
"Then you were lingering in that alcove just out of sight for your own enjoyment?" Threys slipped her shoes back on.
"I was merely passing by." Legolas bit out.
"Then what detained you so?" Threys placed her hands on her hips with a raised eyebrow. Legolas opened and closed his mouth a few times unable to find the right answer, his anger mounting.
"Nothing." Legolas snapped.
"No wonder Aunt Tauriel chose Uncle Kili." Threys turned on her heel leaving a seething Legolas behind. Aragorn came by seeing the elf prince glaring at Threys's departing form, his brow raised having not seen much that could affect his friend so.
"Legolas, are you alright?" Aragorn gained his attention.
"I cannot fathom while Lord Elrond is letting that…that…woman come on this quest, she will cause nothing but trouble." Legolas tried to regain some semblance of calm.
"Don't let Gillian hear you talk like that, she may take it the wrong way." Aragorn commented with a wry smile.
"That is not the same thing." Legolas shook his head.
"Her presence really troubles you this much?" Aragorn asked in interest.
"Her presence does nothing to me." Legolas bit out.
"Then there is no harm in her presence on this quest." Aragorn surmised easily. Legolas shook his head in agitation before walking away.
-0-
In a glade beneath an old stone arch, the Fellowship gathered to bid farewell to Rivendell. Elrond spoke to them, gazing sternly at the faces before him. Frodo stood, listening, slightly apart from the others; leaves flutter to the earth. Gillian stood next to her brother as Elrond gave a speech of farewell, but Gillian was more focused on her brother.
"You know she's not going to leave your side. She loves you." Gillian said as she looked straight ahead.
"I know, but she belongs with her people." Aragorn said solemnly.
"She belongs where she wants to belong and right now that's with you." Gillian said just as Elrond started to finish.
"The Ring-bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom. On you who travel with him neither oath nor bond is laid, to go further than you will. Farewell. Hold to your purpose. May the blessings of Elves and Men and all free folk go with you." Elrond spread his arms, and Legolas Gillian and Aragorn bowed their heads, hands upon hearts.
"The Fellowship awaits the Ring-bearer." Gandalf said as Frodo stepped forward and then suddenly, a loud horn-blast echoed through the small Rivendell, the sound bouncing off the mountains. Everyone slowly turned to the Gondorian Captain.
"Tis tradition, every journey starts with the Horn of Gondor sounding the way." He said with a grin. His grin soon faded when Elrond told him that he had now alerted every big nasty in the area to our whereabouts. Gillian laughed as she shouldered her pack and the fellowship took its leave out of the gates of Rivendell. Frodo walked forward, uncertainly, before him, the path wound away to either side.
"Mordor, Gandalf, is it left or right?" Frodo whispered to Gandalf.
"Left." Gandalf answered.
The Fellowship departed beneath an old arch of lichen-encrusted stone and yet Aragorn remained where he stood, and turned to Arwen. Across the path between them they gaze into one another's eyes. Arwen's face is sorrowful; Aragorn smiles faintly, and nodded a farewell before walking out. Arwen broke off her gaze, looking down; solemn, alone. Gillian looked from the company then quickly ran over to Arwen taking her hands and pressing a roll of paper into it.
"All will be well my sister that I promise you." Gillian winked before she ran to catch up to the others. Arwen unrolled the paper and found herself looking at a sketching of Aragorn and herself gazing lovingly at each other drawn by Gillian's talented hand and surrounding the drawing in elvish were words of great love entwined with lovely flowers. She smiled with tears in her eyes as she held it close to her heart.
-0-
"We must hold to this course west of the misty Mountains for forty days. If our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. From there, our road turns east, to Mordor." Gandalf said.
Sam sat at the campfire cooking lunch as the sound of clashing swords filled the air! Gillian and Boromir were giving Pippin and Merry sword lessons.
"Get away from the blade, Pippin...on your toes...good, very good...I want you to react, not think." Boromir said.
"Should not be too hard..." Sam smarted off making Threys laugh from where she set next to Aragorn, both of them watching the sparring lesson in interest.
"What do you mean don't think? A warrior must always be thinking of strategies when fighting, looking for weaknesses in the enemy that will give them the advantage." Gillian said as she sparred with Merry.
"A warrior must rely on instinct in battle. Too much thinking will only slow them down." Boromir argued. "Move your feet."
"Quite good, Pippin." Merry commented.
"Thanks." Pippin replied
"If anyone were to ask for my opinion, which I note they have not, I would say we are taking the long way round. Gandalf, we can pass through the Mines of Moria." Gimli said to them all.
"Gimli is right, our cousin, Balin, would give us a royal welcome and it had been too long since we have seen Ori." Threys added, but Gandalf clearly though that it was a bad idea.
"No, Gimli, Threys, I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice." Gandalf said grimly as Threys looked to him questioningly.
"What about strategy, planning you can't just run head long into battle without knowing what you are doing." Gillian continued to argue.
"That is why men are made for battle and women are not." Boromir said with a smirk as he thrusts his sword, accidently catching Pippin on the hand. Pippin threw down his sword, kicks and lunges at Boromir, tackling him to the ground and was joined by Merry.
"For the Shire." They shouted as everyone started to laugh.
"Now don't you wish you had thought ahead?" Gillian said as she sat down on a nearby rock laughing.
"Gentlemen, that is enough." Aragorn walked over to try and help Boromir only to have Merry pull his feet out from under him making Gillian laugh even harder.
"Do you need help brother dearest?" Gillian laughed as he shot her a look from the ground.
Threys walked over to Legolas whose eyes were fixed on a distant Dark Patch which darts about the sky, like flying smoke in the wind.
"What is it?" Threys asked, spotting something in the distance.
"Nothing...it's just a wisp of a cloud." Gimli replied with a dismissive wave of his hand.
"It's moving fast...against the wind." Boromir said in worry as he stood up with the hobbits.
"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas shouted
"Hide!" Aragorn shouted urgently.
"Merry...Pippin...Sam...take cover!" Borimir shouted as Gilthraen gathered Sam, Merry, and Pippin under a bunch of bushes.
Gandalf and Aragorn took care of Frodo along with Gimli. Threys gasped as she was flung into the hole and soon joined by Legolas. Legolas wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She could feel her heart pick up speed at their close proximity, but did her best to ignore it.
The large crows flew low overhead at great speed, wheeling and circling above. As their dark shadow passed over the fellowship, a single harsh croak was heard and the crows suddenly wheeled away, back towards the south. Gandalf staggered to his feet the others following from their hiding places. Thryes pushed harshly away from Legolas with a dark look, trying to hide the annoying buzz in her heart.
"Never do that again." Threys snapped.
"And let us be caught because of your folly." Legolas snapped back, avoiding eye contact.
"I would have been fine, I don't need your help elf!" Threys turned away from him on her heel and stomped over to Gimli who was glaring at Legolas while mumbling threatening intentions should he come near Threys again.
"What were those?" Gillian asked looking to Gandalf.
"Spies of Saruman, the passage South is being watched." Gandalf said in disgust. Gandalf looked at Aragorn, turned to the others while gesturing towards a high mountain pass. "We must take the pass of Caradhras!"
-0-
The trek up the mountain was easy thus far with only the snow and rocky terrain to worry about. They had been traveling for some time and pushed through the snow as it continued to deepen with Gandalf using his staff to carve a way.
"I do not think this is the best way for us to go." Gillian said to Aragorn. "I have this horrible sense of dread."
"It is the lesser of the ways we have to go according to Gandalf." Aragorn said with a shrug.
They had spread out in a line with Gandalf in the lead when Frodo slipped on some shale. He tumbled down the hill a ways and was stopped by Aragon and Gillian. As he scrambled to his feet with the help of the rangers, then started to pat himself down realizing that the ring was gone.
Everyone froze as they saw Boromir lean down picking up the ring by the chain holding it up, the sunlight glinting off of it. He above all others seemed greatly affected by the ring and all were worried of what it might do to him. He stood, the ring dangling before his eyes, seeming to grow in stature, as if absorbing its power. Aragorn warily watched Boromir who is motionless as he stares at the ring, as if transfixed.
"Boromir?" Aragon said, a slight warning tenting his voice.
"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing...such a little thing." His voice was almost whimsical. Everyone is tensed, not knowing what was about to happen or what they should do.
"Boromir...give the ring to Frodo." Gillian said as she walked over to him keeping her hands out to show she was unarmed so he wasn't provoked. When she was close enough Gillian slowly placed her hand on his shoulder causing him to look at her as Aragorn's hand moved to his sword hilt, even tenser than before.
Boromir turned his attention back to the ring, the strange hum vibrates as a weird beatific smile lights up his face. The hum grew to a deafening roar in his ears, almost overpowering him. Gillian gave his shoulder a shake causing Boromir to suddenly snap out of his trance and quickly hand the ring back to Frodo.
"As you wish, I care not." Boromir said lightly as he smiled at Frodo, ruffling his hair. Aragon slowly unhanded his sword while still watching Boromir who walked away, the journey resuming.
"Sister." Aragorn gained her attention as he came up beside her. "You need to be more careful."
"I am always careful." Gillian said with a grim smile, holding up her hand and pulling a knife from her under her wrist brace then slid it back. The journey became more daunting as the winds picked up, and the snow fell hard, a blizzard brewing around them.
To the amazement of the hobbits Threys had transformed into her large wolf form walking along the snow, her paw barely sinking into the white powder. Legolas was also walking lightly on top of the snow leaving behind no tracks what so ever then came to a sudden stop as did Threys. Both of them heard it, Saruman's voice sweeping by in the wind.
"There is a fell voice in the air." Legolas yelled back to them as Threys took back on her bipedal form.
"It is chanting something." Threys said looking to Gandalf
"It's Saruman." Gandalf called out as thunder rumbled, and with a rending echo, a horde of rock slabs and boulders fell from the mountain's arms. The Fellowship shoved themselves flat against the sheer cliff wall to avoid the onslaught of stone.
"He's trying to bring down the mountain." Threys called out.
"Gandalf! We must turn back!" Aragon yelled.
"No!" With determination against all odds, Gandalf stepped out onto the ledge, rising on the snow, chanting out a counter command to Caradhras. The old wizard's voice bellowed into the air, attempting to calm the rage of the mountain. "Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho I ruith. Sleep Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath."
Saruman's voice strengthened, rolling past the fellowship like thunder shaking their very bones. Lightning cracked and exploded on the mountainside above them. Frodo looked up in horror as a huge snow avalanche thundered down toward them.
"Brace yourselves!" Gillian yelled.
The Fellowship threw themselves against the cliff face as snow crashed onto the narrow ledge around them. Legolas pulled Gandalf to safety with Threys's help, the young girl once again surprised when she found herself wrapped in the elf's arms.
Aragorn shielded Frodo and Sam as snow piled around them as Gillian grabbed Merry and Pippin deflecting the snow as best she could, leaving Gimli to Boromir who held his shield up in defense of the onslaught. Within moments, the pass was completely blocked and the fellowship was enveloped in the powdery frigid snow.
"Cold, so cold." Threys said in a high pitched voice as she popped out of the snow suddenly and once again had to shove herself away from the elf who had come up with her, but this time said nothing.
They were followed by Boromir and Aragon who began to frantically dig for the hobbits. Gillian dug herself out of the snow allowing them to reach the hobbits, which were pulled out shivering and fearful as Threys helped Gandalf and Gimli out of the snow.
"Are you all okay?" Gillian asked as she checked over the hobbits while the others argued what they would do next. The hobbits nodded that they were ok, although their violent shivering told her that they would not be that way for long.
"Let the ringbearer decide." Gandalf said as he turned to Frodo, gaining their attention. The weight of the decision weighed heavily upon him as if he had spoken allowed of it, he looked at Sam, Merry and Pippin shivering in Gillian's arms then he looked to Threys and Gimli. "Frodo?"
"We will go through the mines." Frodo met Gandalf's eye and the old wizard slowly nodded.
"So be it." Gandalf said solemnly and with that they turned starting back down the mountain although they had to stop before they reached the bottom.
They found a small out cropping and snuggled the hobbits under it as much as they could. Gandalf even lit a very small fire then went off complaining about it was like beacon to the enemy giving away their position. Gillian, in order to take them away from the thoughts of cold, started to tell them the story East of the Sun and West of the Moon then Threys sang a soft song until they fell asleep taking the first watch in her wolf form, easily enduring the cold this way.