An: Sorry these two chapter have taken so long to upload Zoe and i have only just finished them, we have been a little busy with school work since it is so close to exams.

Chapter 5

The company had walked for several days now, Aragorn stopping every now and then to check the signs of the trail, finding traces of the hobbits. Celandine's spirit was greatly lifted by these traces and stuck close to Aragorn, listening to his readings intently. At first, Aragorn found the constant tailing of the little she-hobbit irritating but as his understanding of her strident manner grew, he didn't mind her company so much. He even began to seek her out, letting her know of his most recent finds. The two elves were not getting on so well. Beriadanwen refused to even speak with Legolas, still sore about his condescending words. When they were forced to speak, it wasn't an improvement. Legolas insisted on waiting on her which drove her round the bend. This soon flared up from disagreement to a violent argument where Bee ended up storming out, Legolas rushing after her. One day, the thin rope keeping them together, snapped. Bee hadn't had a good night after sleeping rough just to defy Legolas's insistence that she sleep on the bed he'd made. Gimli had been preparing breakfast and he and Beriadanwen were still not on good terms so this only made her madder. She looked for Celandine to be her ally but she was deep in conversation with Aragorn and refused to be drawn out. Bee was seething. She felt like a fire was building inside her and would at any moment break free. She mumbled curses as she served herself out some food. Legolas leapt up to serve her, taking the ladle from her hand even as she moved toward the pot.

"Here, my lady, allow me" Legolas flashed a smile and ladled food into her bowl. She snatched it back.

"I've told you a hundred times! I don't need your help!"

Ignoring her protests he moved to sit behind her. He took a wooden comb from his pocket and, without asking, delved deep into her hair. The comb caught on a thick knot in Bee's hair and she howled in pain. She turned to him and wrenched the comb from his hand, throwing it into the fire.

"What are you doing? Thanga yassen templa! (Elvish curse) What is wrong with you?! Amin delotha lle (I hate you), Kela (Go away!), leave me alone!"

"But my lady, your hair, you must try to keep your hair tidy"

Suddenly, Bee remembered her mother, holding her down and raking a comb through her hair as Bee howled in pain and anger. This memory smashed through her, the vicious tide was unleashed.

"You want me to keep my hair neat?! Aye? You care so much about the way it looks? Well here!" she seized up the dwarf's hunting knife, gathered a clump of her hair in her hand and hacked at it. The clump fell away, leaving frayed ragged edges. She continued to hack away, to Legolas's horror, until most of her hair was simply gone and what had been a flowing line was now a ghastly uneven mess that fell at her neck.

The camp had gone silent, all eyes rested on the she-elf.

"There now you can brush my hair as much as you like" Bee growled storming away from the camp. She was too angry to care about her hair, too angry to think straight.

Back at the camp the others still stood in shock, watching the area where the she-elf had vanished. Legolas moved to go after her but was stopped as Aragorn placed his hand on his shoulder.

"I'd leave her for a while, Legolas. I think she'd rather be left alone"

"But… anything could happen!"

Celandine snorted. "She's bin in da wuds for tree yirs of 'er life an' never gotten 'urt once! I think she cin 'andle five minutes alone!"

"Celandine has a point, Legolas. I think you under estimate her survival abilities"

"But… she's just a girl!"

"YOU SEXIST PRACK!" Celandine bellowed, leaping to her feet. "jist cos she's a gurl, yoo tink she can't survive on 'er own! I tink dats why she hate ya"

The camp was once again awkwardly silent. Growling Celandine stomped passed the elf making sure to bump accidentally on purpose as she went by, muttering about how she understood why Bee had left if they were all like him.

"Well that was awkward" Gimli stated gruffly rubbing his hand over his beard in thought "I thought she hated me, but she REALLY hates you" he said sounding slightly pleased with the fact he was liked more than his elf friend.

"Come, let's get everything packed up. I want to leave as soon as they return" Aragorn ordered, snapping out of his shock. Never, in all his years with the elves, had he witnessed one become so angry they would hack off their own hair. Although he'd also never seen two women travel alone in a forest before.

Gimli was the first to move, going over to the remaining breakfast and tipping it out, grimacing as some splashed over his shoes.

"Damn" he cursed quietly before continuing to go on about his business. Legolas took a little while longer to come to his senses, and when he did he was silent, eyes downcast.

Celandine was able to find her friend easily; all she had to do was follow the sound of steel striking wood.

"Wha' da tree eva do ta ya?" Celandine questioned lightly as she caught up to her.

"It got in my way" Bee sullenly replied, as she continued to smack the tree with her sword, shards of wood flying across the forest. She took a breath before continued her assault, her frustration manifesting itself as frenzied energy, fuelling her tirade. By the time she had finished there were several incisions across the trunk, like a skin marred with lashes from a whip. Finally, her anger dribbling away into exhaustion, Bee's tantrum came to a stop.

"I lik' ya new 'air cut" Celandine offered lamely. The two were silent for a moment before Bee began to giggle slightly followed closely by Celandine, who was looking very pleased that she'd got her to laugh.

"I cannot believe I cut my hair. If my father could see me now…" she said, relishing the rebellion.

"I tink it looks nice, I lik' it short."

Bee rolled her eyes. She knew that she looked a state. She flicked her head and put her hand up to her ragged locks in a gesture of self-consciousness. Celandine saw this and nudged her, smiling. Bee couldn't help but smile back.

"ya know, it rilly dun't matter what yoo look lik'. Not ta me eny way"

Bee smiled slightly at her.

"Thanks Tithen pen, but I'm not sure anyone would agree with you" She glances back at the now broken tree, feeling slightly guilty about what she had done. She had been taught that tree had feelings just as everyone else did. She should not have taken her anger out on one so innocent.

"Amin hiraetha (I'm sorry)" she told it lightly touching the mangled trunk. She slumped into a sitting position, leaning her face into her hands. Suddenly there was a change in the weather; a few drops of rain began to fall, followed quickly by a huge downpour soaking the pair.

"Sumfin tell me dat we will 'ave to walk in dis" Celandine said pulling her hood up Bee nodded. "Come on lets head back, the sooner we get moving the sooner I can leave the stupid elf" Bee said heading off in the direction of their old camp.

The pair soon reached the camp, looking like a pair of wet rats. The three men had taken cover underneath a large unearthed root.

"There they are" Gimli shouted gruffly over the heavy rain. Legolas frantically beckoned them forward, but stopped himself from running out and grabbing them. Celandine hurried under the root but Bee made a show of wandering around, refusing to come under the shelter. She did it to irk Legolas. It worked. She could Legolas's face twitching and clenching his fists. She grinned, sitting down on the log and lifting her face to the rain. Legolas was about to explode but he was beaten to it by Celandine. The she-hobbit stormed out of the root and seized Bee by arm.

"For gunnae sakes Bee! Noo is nut da time to mak' a point!" She dragged Bee into the shelter. Bee smirked, clearly pleased with her ability to annoy the elf prince.

"I have no idea what you are talking about Celandine, I was merely enjoying the rain" she told her friend innocently, her eye lashes fluttering.

Celandine rolled her eyes wanting to hit Bee across the back of the head. But she didn't bother as she knew she could never reach. Bee and Celandine sat down next to the new companions, the pair smiling widely at the rain. Bee shifted her gaze to Legolas who was staring at her intently, his anxiety was obvious but he was determined not to act upon it. Seeing her friend's smug expression Celandine elbowed Bee in the side.

After what seemed like hours of uncomfortable silence, the sun finally peeked through the thick rain clouds, by this time Gimli was snoring loudly as he leant against the root. Bee and Celandine were playing a card game, while Aragorn and Legolas were having a silent conversation with their eyes.

"Alright let's get moving" Aragorn commanded, breaking the silence. No one moved. Becoming slightly frustrated by everyone's reluctance to leave Aragorn growled loudly before yelling "Everyone up now!"

Gimli jumped in surprise reaching reflexively for his axe. Glaring at Aragorn, Bee got slowly to her feet. Celandine shot up and hurried forward. She told Bee that she really didn't care about the fate of the two hobbits they were pursuing. But her action belied the truth her words refused to admit. Legolas looked at Aragorn, eyes wide in surprise.

"Aragorn?"

"What?"

"Are you alright?"

Aragorn looked at the elf for the first time since yelling. He saw the surprise and concern in his eyes. Aragorn took a breath. "Yes, mellonin, I'm fine. My patience has just waned from lack of sleep"

Legolas smiled sympathetically. The tender moment was shattered by a massive, spluttering sneeze. Both Aragorn and Legolas looked around in confusion before their eyes came to rest on Bee. She was hunched over, hand cupped under her nose. When she looked up, both Aragorn and Legolas recoiled in disgust. Trailing from her nose to her palm was line of milky green mucus.

"Excuse me" Bee said nasally. Legolas held out a handkerchief at arms length. Scowling at him, she snatched it from his hands, wiping at her nose and hands. That done she brought it to her nose and gave it a messy blow. Legolas's nose wrinkled in distaste. She smiled at him wickedly.

"You want it back?"

Quickly Legolas extended a hand and stepped two paces back. "No, no, no. you keep it"

"You're sure? I wouldn't want you to miss out" Bee thrust the open handkerchief closer.

Legolas colored a faint tinge of green. "I'm sure"

Bee grinned before she screwed the handkerchief up and shoving it into her pocket.

Shaking his head, Aragorn hurried on. "Come on! We've got to use every hour of daylight"

Celandine came to walk next to Bee. 'Yur deesgusting, ya no dat?"

Bee's grin grew. "Yeah. Yeah I do"

"Come on lets go find those hobbits of yours" Celandine sighed trying not to seem as if she cared as the pair set off after the others.

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