This is Home 19
littlemsstrawberry. You're suggesting I leave out Boromir, my favorite character? Not a chance. ;) I love that man. And Collin's camera won't die because it's modern technology and isn't supposed to exist in that world, so it's kinda frozen. It's a weird thing, but the camera will be important, later on, which is why I made it so.
Gwilwillith. Thank you. :) If anything, I need someone slapping me, telling me that I'm the author, here.
GabrielsLament. Actually, I am going to write a story in Collin's POV. And there quite possibly may be an alternate ending for this story, because I went into it with this set ending, but I'm rather torn about it.
unbeausaumon. That's actually exactly what I'm thinking. You basically read my mind.
Sophie's future is already set in stone. And that stone is a far throw from Legolas. But still, I appreciate the opinions and thoughts! :) It means a lot, even if it does jumble my brain guts.
I don't own Lord of the Rings.
(Kristy)
"I don't trust him." Sam huffed for the millionth time as we walked through the wilderness.
"Sam! What has gotten into you?" The Shire Sam would never be so suspicious and judgemental! "If not for this man, we'd all be dead."
I know that Sam means well- he's an amazing person- and he only wants to make sure that we're all safe. I mean, what would you do if a mad wizard was on your heels, your best friend was carrying a corrupt psycho ring, his nonsensical friends were wreaking havoc upon your plans, and a smelly guy you met in a bar insisted upon taking you on a journey through the wilderness to see the elves? Not to mention, you have about nine crazy horse guys chasing you around. And you're only about 3 ft tall.
Yeah, don't you be bashing on Sam. It's my job to keep his ego intact. Frodo's the one we've got to worry about. The poor hobbit is far more trusting than he should be. He's the kind of person who'd be lured into the back of a van with the promise of 'free candy.' Even Merry would be smart enough to avoid it. Pippin wouldn't even have to decide, because he'd be the poor bloke who got run over by the van. Poor child's not stupid, he just doesn't think things through.
Around the hobbits, Aragorn goes by the name of Strider. I'm telling you, that man has some serious identity issues. Honestly, he's just a tad paranoid.
Just a tad.
"Well, I'm starving!" Pippin declared, even though we'd just eaten an hour earlier. The other hobbits mumbled their agreement and the group soon slowed to a halt, leaving Aragorn and I to keep walking on alone.
The ranger turned back and about face-palmed at the hobbits. "Kristy... Will you please control your friends?"
"Oh, come on, Strider, give 'em a break, we had a rough night. They're just a bit hungry, is all." I smiled at the ranger in an attempt to lighten the mood, but Aragorn was in a huge hurry to get to Rivendell. I can't say I blame him... Those Nazgul are freaky.
"I am sorry, but we must move on." Strider began to turn back to our path. "Everyone up!"
Pippin was not a fan of this. "What, no second breakfast?"
Aragorn looked like he wanted to cry. These hobbits just didn't understand the importance of getting the ring to safety.
"Sorry, Pippin." I shrugged and gave the small hobbit a sympathetic smile. "We've gotta stick to three meals a day, for the time being."
"Three meals?" Pippin's eyes were wide and panicked. "How are we supposed to survive?"
Merry, the more mature one, shook his head at his cousin. "We'll just have to push through, it, Pip."
Out of nowhere, a big red apple came flying through the sky, landing perfectly into Merry's hands. The fair-haired hobbit smiled joyfully and moved forward with a new-found happiness; the happiness that only food can create. Pippin frowned, and was rewarded with a quick apple to his head.
Where the heck are all of these apples coming from?
My gaze shifted towards the head of the group, and narrowed. Aragorn. With a proud little smug on his face.
"Hey!" I took Pippin's apple back (much to his disappointment), and chucked it at an unsuspecting ranger. It nailed him right in the back of his head.
He spun around, hand on his sword hilt, looking for the offending apple thrower. His eyes came to rest on Pippin, who still looked a little frustrated at the lack of a second breakfast, and an angry glare made its way through his eyes.
"Pippin, I suggest you don't throw apples at the man with the sword." He tapped his sword hilt, daring the hobbit to try and test his patience.
Pippin's jaw dropped. "But-!"
"Sorry Pippin." I shrugged. "You heard the man. No more apple throwing, okay?" Yeah, I felt bad for letting Pippin take the blame, but I made it up to him. Quietly, I reached into my bag and pulled out a pastry that I had brought from Frodo's house. With a friendly smile, I handed it to the hobbit, who was more than happy to forgive and forget.
Nothing makes a hobbit smile more than food on an empty stomach.
(Sophie)
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" I asked one night, as we made camp. We'd been riding all day, stopping to rest randomly throughout the day, and then we'd sleep for a little while at night, and continue on. If you were to ask me, I'd say that we'd covered a lot of ground. Unfortunately, our 'camp' only consisted of whatever leaves we could pile together for a bed, and the single blanket that we had to share.
"I'm pretty sure that we're going in that general direction." Collin shrugged slightly as he began to tend to his arm wound. It wasn't healing very well, due to the lack of proper treatment. As of right now, we were using small slivers of cloth from our own clothes to wash it and wrap it. Fortunately, there was no infection, but the gash probably should have been stitched up. "This is going to leave one nasty mark, isn't it?" Collin commented, as he unwrapped his bandage.
It was slowly beginning to heal, but it was still bleeding, slightly, which probably wasn't very good, considering the fact that we'd been on the road for about a week.
"Collin, it'd probably be best if we didn't go anywhere tomorrow. Your arm needs to sit still, so it'll stop reopening."
But Collin's a stubborn poop. "No, we need to keep moving."
I sighed, and leaned back against a tree. "Collin, there's no way that those orcs followed us all the way out here."
"I don't want to risk it." He winced as he cleaned his wound with a wet cloth. "I have to keep you safe."
I rolled my eyes and laughed. "Yeah, and what are you going to do when your arm gets infected and we have to chop it off."
Collin smiled. "I'll die."
... That boy worries me.
"Collin, why do you smile at the face of death?" Really, nothing seems to scare him.
"Dunno." He shrugged as he finished wrapping up his arm. "I'm not really afraid of dying. I'm going to be going home to be with God whenever that happens. The only thing that I dislike about dying is the thought of leaving people, here. But I've got a plan."
My lips broke into a smile as I raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh really? And what is this plan?"
My friend smiled excitedly and stood to get our blanket from Benny the horse. "It's actually pretty great, acutally..." He shook out the blanket and tossed it so that I was covered. "I'm going to haunt every last one of you guys until everyone I've ever loved is dead."
Wow. The thought of Collin as a spirit, roaming Middle-earth scares the living daylights out of me. There will be no limits to the mischief that he could create.
"It'll be so cool!" Collin exclaimed, a bright smile plastered on his face. "I'll walk through walls, fly around in the sky, and scare orcs to my heart's delight. It shall be heroic!"
"Yes, well..." I cuddled up into my leafy, lumpy bed and closed my eyes. "Just don't scare me, or I'll bring you back to life and ruin all of your fun."
"That's okay!" Collin got underneath the blanket and propped himself up against a tree. "It'll all be about the same. The only difference is that I won't be able to walk through walls... But I'm working on it!"
Dude. Best friend in the world, right here."
With a smile on my face, I finally allowed myself to get some shuteye. "Goodnight, you crazy."
"Goodnight, my lovely."
(Kristy)
"Presents!" I shouted as Aragorn began to hand mini sword dagger sharp things out to the hobbits...
Collin would be disappointed... I can't call a weapon by its proper name.
Anyways, if you thought that I was excited, you should see the hobbits. They were about to pee themselves! We might as well have given them a banquet; the reaction would be about the same.
Only they're not going to try and eat these swords. That would not end well...
"I have something for you, as well, Kristy." Aragorn smiled and reached into his bag.
Really? Like, for real? Dang! I was only away from him for a few days and he'd already gotten me a gift? Lovely man, he just gained a ton of respect from me.
From inside the bag, Aragorn pulled out a pretty little dagger. Yeahhhh I got that name right.
"This is for you." He handed the sharp object to me; thankfully, it had a leather cover, or I probably would have hurt myself right then and there. "Just in case."
I smiled gratefully. "Thanks! Let's just hope I won't have to use this thing."
He nodded with a smile. "You're welcome. I'm going to go have a look around," He gave the hobbits a warning look. "Stay out of sight."
"Hey, Strider?" The truth is, I didn't want to be left alone with the hobbits. I loved them, but I didn't feel safe with the Nazgul chasing us. "Im gosta." (I'm afraid)
He looked to the hobbits, who were lazily swinging about their swords, and nodded. "Come."
Gratefully, I stood and followed Aragorn like a dog follows its master.
"So, whatcha lookin for?" I asked as he stopped by an outcropping of big rocks.
"Nothing." He sighed and sat himself down on a flat stone. "I just needed some quiet time, is all. Those hobbits are good souls, but they are rather... Ignorant. It's difficult to be around such careless creatures in such desperate times."
"They're a little bit childish, yeah." I sat down beside my friend and relaxed my sore legs. Walking is rough. "When I lived in the Shire, it was kind of fun. Then again, I didn't know that there was a world outside the Shire, really. I'm glad that I got to go to Rivendell; I feel like I fit in more, there."
Even though the hobbits will always be number one in my heart, I have to admit that Rivendell has become quite important to me, as well.
"You do fit in quite well with the elves, I must admit." Aragorn smiled. He's just like me. A human who would prefer to be an elf. Well, I can only assume that he wants to be an elf, due to the whole Arwen romance. They're so in love, it's beautiful.
Aragorn and I got to talking, and pretty soon night had completely fallen, and it was high time we got back to the hobbits.
"I don't know." He pondered my story intently. "I really think that Caesar had it coming."
"You think so?" I thought about this. "I guess that makes sense. I mean, he did cheat on his wife and all. But still... His best friend stabbed him in the back! Like, for real!"
Aragorn sighed and shrugged. "Perhaps we don't know the whole story. Maybe Brutus loved Cleopatra?"
"No, that's ridiculous. Brutus had a wife."
"Ah. But didn't Caesar have a wife, as well?"
Huh. The man has a point.
Our happy discussions on historical events were cut short when a piercing shriek cut through the night air.
Nazgul.
"Kristy, I want you to hide in those bushes, and don't come out until I come for you, do you understand?" Aragorn looked panicked, and he was already drawing his sword.
In silent fear, I nodded, and jumped for the bushes as my only protecter ran to face the Nazgul. The night went quiet, but the shrieks would call out from time to time, until they grew into an all-out rage of shrieks. My hands were shaking and my heart was pounding. If Aragorn does not somehow win this, I'll be screwed. Heck, the world will be screwed.
Distant shouting came from the direction of the hobbits and Nazgul. They kept shouting 'Frodo, Frodo!' A Nazgul scream came unbearably close to my hiding spot. Through the leaves of the bushes, I saw the faintest glimpse of a hooded figure on fire sprint past me. Go Aragorn!
Seconds later, the ranger himself pulled me out of the bushes, a torch in hand. "Quickly, Frodo's hurt."
My heart sank. That hobbit had become like a brother to me during my time with him and Bilbo; Bilbo was like my grandfather thanks to our extra time together in Rivendell. Frodo was my family, now, and if anything bad happened to him, I don't know what I'd do.
"What happened?" I gasped when I came upon the scene. Frodo was surrounded by the others, clutching a bloody stab wound. A sword hilt lay off to the side, but there was no blade to be seen.
"He was stabbed by a Morgul blade." Aragorn carefully lifted the wounded hobbit into his arms. "We need to get him to Rivendell."
.
.
We're not going to make it. There's no way. Rivendell is still a good distance away, and if Frodo doesn't get help soon, he'll be lost.
Aragorn was getting desperate. He wanted nothing more than to get this hobbit, and the ring, to Rivendell. But at the moment, the chances of that happening are slim.
We stopped underneath some large stone trolls, and Aragorn immediately went into action. He and Sam ran off to go find some plant that will help slow the poison that now coursed through Frodo's veins. Meanwhile, I sat by the poor hobbit with Merry and Pippin, holding the hands of both Frodo and Merry. I've never had such a quiet moment with the hobbits; Merry and Pippin were so silent with fear and worry that they couldn't even think about their own stomachs, and Frodo was too overwhelmed with pain that he could not speak.
All was silent.
More than anything, I wished than I had James there. He wouldn't stop for anything. It'd be just like that ancient Greek messenger, Pheidippides, who ran one hundred and fifty miles in two days, and then ran twenty-five miles to Athens to announce their victories over the Persians. Of course, he died on the spot of exhaustion, but he got the job done. James would run a thousand miles straight if he thought there was a good cause for it, and saving Frodo is one of the best causes out there.
Collin would be a great help, too. No one can fall into darkness with him around.
Frodo's groaning cut through the silence, and I gave his hand a gentle squeeze.
"Hold on, Frodo."
The bushes rustled, and Aragorn came running out, but he wasn't alone.
"Glorfindel!" I smiled at my friend; such a sight for sore eyes.
He smiled back as he led his horse through the forest. "I'm glad to see that you are well." His gaze shifted to the fading hobbit beside me. "We must make haste..."
Quickly, Aragorn helped the elf lift Frodo, and they carefully placed him onto the horse. After a short conversation in elvish, Glorfindel and Aragorn waved goodbye, and the elf took off towards Rivendell.
There still may be hope.
(Sophie)
After days of constant travel and little sleep, the trees finally began to seem more familiar and less hostile. Finally, when we thought we couldn't get any more lost, the beautiful Rivendell moved into view.
"We made it..." I smiled at the stunning elvish landscape. I never thought that I'd be so happy to see the elves again.
"Of course we made it." Collin smiled triumphantly. "You know I'd never let you down."
We pushed our poor, weary horse the remaining distance to the city, and we were welcomed by some familiar faces.
"Collin, Sophie!" Elladan and Elrohir ran out of the gate, followed by a worried-looking Arwen.
"You two look terrible!" She gasped as she examined our dirty clothes, skin, and hair, as well as Collin's poorly healing wound. "What happened?"
Elladan helped me down from the hourse, as Collin painfully slid from the saddle.
"Ada will want to hear this..." Arwen took my hand and led us in the direction of Elrond's study.
.
Elrond opened the door, took one look at our condition, and immediately called for various herbs and medicines.
"What happened?" He asked gently as he tended to Collin's wounds.
"Orcs." I answered, simply. "Other than that, we don't really know anything."
"And Gandalf?"
Collin shrugged. "He went into Orthanc, and never came out. We heard a distant shouting, but we never knew where it came from. Gandalf told us that if something seemed unusual, that we should leave and come here. I figured that a bunch of orcs seemed like a good idea to get out of there."
Elrond nodded, and moved to hand me some odd liquid. "You were right to get out of there. I'm surprised that you made it out alive and still had enough strength to get to Rivendell. It's a good thing that you got here when you did, that arm of yours is in bad shape..." He raised his eyebrow at me as I eyed the mriky liquid that he'd handed me. "Well?"
I raised my eyes to the elf lord. "Well?"
He gestured to the cup. "Drink."
With a shudder, I drank the dish-water looking beverage.
Tastes like butterscotch.
Elrond moved to stare out the window. "Frodo's here, as well."
"Only Frodo?" Collin poked at the awkward mush that Elrond caked onto his arm. "What about Kristy and Sam?"
"They will be here in a day or so. Frodo was gravely wounded by a Nazgul."
Naz-what?
Collin shook his head. "I don't know what that is, and I don't care to know." He stood and stretched his good arm. "Thanks, Elrond! But if you two will excuse me, I'm gonna go sleep for the rest of my life."
.
.
Well. Collin didn't sleep for the rest of his life, but even after a week since our arrival at Rivendell, he was still snoozing away in his own mini hibernation. I've only seen him once, and that was only because he was sleepwalking.
Yeah. Collin sleep walks. Crazy, huh?
It's even crazier when he draws in his sleep. The things that his mind creates are beautiful, but completely out of the ordinary. He doodles these strange monsters and scenes in great detail, it's like he'd seen it all before.
Such a talented fellow, that one.
You wanna know what's even better? Kristy's here! And so are Frodo's hobbit friends, and Aragorn!They arrived the day after Collin and I, exhausted and worried sick about poor Frodo. The hobbit still hasn't woken up, but he's doing a lot better.
Pippin has a crush on me, you guys. It's absolutely adorable. He and Merry, two best friends, like Kristy and I, two best friends. It would be perfect if she and I were hobbits! Alas, we're human.
Merry and Pippin were absolutely HILARIOUS. Those two little guys were the perfect substitutes for Collin as he slept his life away. We gave Elrond a massive headache with our obnoxious singing, uncoordinated dancing, and ceaseless pointless conversations.
I thought that we were entertaining, but hey. We can't all be as fancy as elf-lords.
Our most recent activity was freeze-tag. We somehow managed to convince Elladan Kristy to play with us, too, and we were soon running amok throughout the whole of Rivendell.
Right now, Elladan was 'it,' and when he's 'it,' there's almost nowhere to hide. He's like a freaking freeze-tag machine. You can't run, because his super elf-hearing will pick up your footsteps. You can't hide, because he knows all of the best hiding places. So, the best thing to do is to try to outlast the other players.
Unfortunately, I felt like he was right on my tail, even though I kept looking back, and he'd be nowhere in sight. Every few seconds, I'd look over my shoulder, anticipating the moment that Elladan would finally find me.
Looking anywhere but forward while walking isn't the best of ideas.
As I turned the corner, I collided with a very sturdy figure (I was the only person who fell down).
"You're no elf!" A male's voice rang out.
I laughed as I stood and dusted myself off. "What gave me away? My stunning beauty or inhuman grace?" But as I looked up, I was at a loss for words.
Standing in front of me was very familiar, smiling man that I had thought was long gone.
My Romeo.