Chapter 31
I'm learning Skyrim's opening theme on piano. Yeah. Be mind blown.
Speaking of, if I DID write a Skyrim fic, would any of you read it? I mean, I've got several unpublished stories here, at the moment, so it'd be silly of me to start a new one. Still, I'm tempted...
Please review, and let me know what you think. :) I'm also open to new ideas.
For those of you who have read Plain Jane, I'm rewriting it. I'm hoping to get a laptop here, soon, so I'll keep you updated. :) And if you haven't read Plain Jane, please do! Let me know whatcha think!
What's your favorite LOTR book/movie? :) By the way, did anyone see The Hobbit trailer, yet? Well, I did, and I about peed myself.
I don't own Lord of the Rings. Tolkien wrote the books, and Peter Jackson's responsible for the movies.
(Kristy)
And so, I was alone.
Well, not technically; there are quite a few elves here. Still, I might as well be alone. These people can be helplessly dull when things aren't going well in Middle-earth.
Oh! I shouldn't say that... They're my friends, and I adore them, no matter how boring they may be. And I'm not suggesting that life should be full of nonstop excitement, nor am I any less grateful for my current situation. Still, I'd be lying if I said that I was content, here.
It's not even the fact that I'm bored, really. It's just that life's not quite the same without my goofy friends here to make me smile. When I was in the Shire, I had Frodo, Sam, Bilbo, and the terrible duo to brighten my day. Now, I don't even have them.
No. Now, the majority of my loved ones are out on a suicidal mission to a giant volcano surrounded by scary monsters. It would make for a nice book, but it's hell to live through.
Rivendell's quiet, now. Without Collin's merriment, and Sophie's randomized life, Rivendell's fallen back into its usual elf lifestyle.
I'm beginning to dislike said lifestyle.
Sigh...
The trees rustled in the wind around me as I silently read a large book, written in elvish. I'd gotten into the unhappy habit of picking out books related to the One Ring... Although some might find such a topic interesting, it only seemed to feed my never-ending worry for my friends and family.
This darned book is giving me a headache.
I took a nice, long look at my bookmark- Sophie's letter to Theodred. My friends had been gone for two days. Two. That's nothing! Yet I am already so tempted to leave?
Ugh. Screw it.
"Elrond?" I knocked on the door to his study, hoping to catch him in a good mood.
The elf lord was sitting at his desk, writing letters of official business, and such. He didn't even turn around to greet me.
"You wish to go to Edoras, do you not?"
Woah. What?
"How did you-?"
"Foresight." Elrond turned his head and gave me a small smile. "That, and Sophie may have tipped me off on your intentions."
Sophie. I should have known. "But... How'd she know?"
The elf lord stood and walked towards me. "Sometimes, a friend knows you better than you know yourself. Although she is an... interesting character, she has a kind heart. Your future is not here, little one... At least not for now."
Chyeah. Tell me something I don't know. "Well... Where is my future?" Sophie's got Boromir (if she so chooses), James has his wifey, Collin has the world at his feet, and Legolas... Well, Legolas has forever.
Elrond sighed and laid a comforting hand on my shoulder. "I cannot tell you that, my dear. Not even I know your fate, but perhaps that is because you have not decided, for yourself." My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and he gave me a small smile. "Do not ponder things so much, Kristy. Leave matters of the heart for the heart, not the mind."
I looked to the ground, my mind racing. What if my heart doesn't know, either?
"The arrangements have been made for quite some time now, Kristy..." Elrond moved away from me now, and he went back to sit at his desk. "Now it is your decision to make."
My decision... Ha! Since when have I been able to decide for myself? There's always someone there, giving me their two cents, so I've nver had to fully rely on myself. Maybe it's time that I change...
No, I know that it's time.
"I'm ready, then, Elrond." The words came out, before I even had time to think. "I want to go to Rohan."
The elf lord nodded quietly, as he went back to work. "It shall be done."
(Sophie)
Wow.
I mean... Wow.
Middle-earth has always been beautiful in my eyes, don't get me wrong. From the wide pastures of Rohan, the rolling hills of the Shire, and the magestic tint of Gondor, this world is truely magnificent. Even Mordor's fiery glow is breathtaking, especially at night, when the sea of stars comes out. Truthfully, I always thought that Rivendell was the highlight of Middle-earth's beauty. Elves have a certain glow about them that seems to touch everything around them, making Rivendell one of the most beautiful places ever. I mean, what could beat out a secluded city surrounded by waterfalls in beauty?
Well, now I know.
I'm able to keep the persistent aching in my legs to a minimum by admiring the primitive beauty around me. This place is so untouched; it looks like God just got done with it. I'd much rather walk this journey than go searching for Christmas lights, any day.
Yeah, I actually forgot Christmas, you guys... It was two days ago, and I missed it. Not only that, but Collin forgot about it, too! You know something's wrong when Collin forgets about Christmas. The poor man was still in a huff...
"I don't get it..." Pippin shrugged, unconcerned with the angst that tied us modern kids in a knot. "What is this Christmas you keep talking about?"
Collin sighed, for Christmas is his favorite day. Ever. "It's a day we all get together to celebrate the coming of Jesus Christ with friends and family. Well, for the religious, at least. Either way, it's a family holiday for everyone."
Pippin shrugged, as though that meant nothing. "So? Don't you see your family every day?"
My goodness, this Hobbit will not get the point! We've been trying to teach him the true meaning of Christmas for at least ten minutes.
"We also eat lots of food..." James smiled, knowing exactly how to get into a Hobbit's heart.
The eyes of our four Hobbits lit up.
"Lots of food?" Sam asked, hopeful.
A sparkle glimmered in James's eyes, and he nodded with a smile. "Aye. Mounds and mounds of food."
Pippin and Merry gave each other wide smiles, and immediately began to plan next year's Christmas parties.
Well, you can't say we've done Middle-earth no good, now. Look, we've invented Christmas! And that's the best invention anyone could ask for.
"We also give each other presents." Collin smiled, happy to see a new enthusiasm in the hearts of our Hobbits. "It's the best holiday ever."
Boromir smiled and clapped his hands together. "Well, it seems as though I have saved Christmas!"
Everyone turned around to eye the big, burly man walking at the back of the group.
"Santa?" Collin, ever the humerous one, squealed like an excited three year old.
Now, everyone turned to look at Collin.
"Who is Santa?" Boromir asked.
"A really fat Gandalf." James walked a fine line with that one.
"What was that?" Gandalf turned his head to give James a violent glare that would frighten a bear.
James coughed nervously, and quickly covered his mistake. "You were saying, Boromir?"
After a few snickers from the Hobbits, Boromir shook off the interruption and continued.
"I gave Sophie a present, Christmas night! You may not have had your feasts and merriment, but a gift was still given. Not only that, but we are all friends here, yes? That is merriment enough."
I've never heard such a thing from Boromir... It sounds... Not like Boromir.
"He is Santa!" Collin bolted to the back of the line, and gave the big burly man a nice hug. Boromir, after a small moment of shock, kindly removed Collin's arms from around his body.
James, on the other hand, was less than thrilled with Santa, at the moment.
"Psh..." He laughed. "Speak for yourself. Not ALL of us are friends, here."
Ohh my gosh! Two days on the road, and I already want to drop kick James into another dimension... Thanks for bursting the holiday bubble, pinhead.
Boromir, having noticed my sudden distaste for men named James, gave me a comforting pat on the back.
"Do not let him bother you. Instead, think of all of the future Christmas celebrations we will have at Minas Tirith."
Lovely! But since when has Boromir been Father Christmas?
It's cool, though. Someone needs to be Santa Clause, and I don't think that Gandalf would be too into that. Besides, Middle-earth doesn't know about Fat Old Santa, yet. This is the perfect opportunity to introduce Sexy Santa.
"What's that smile all about?" Collin asked from my side, where he was chomping on an apple.
I was smiling?
Before I could even answer, Collin chuckled and placed his hand over my mouth.
"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. Boromir would make a great Sexy Santa."
*Jaw drops.*
My eyes immediately went on a search for Boromir. Thankfully, he was busy talking to Merry and Pippin about future Christmas feasts. If he had heard that, I would have been forced to annihilate Collin.
But seriously, what's up with Boromir's Christmas cheer? I dunno, I just don't see that coming from him...
"Collin, just shut up and take pictures of the pretty landscape..."
My friend's eyes turned to the world around us, and they immediately brightened.
"Wow, this is beautiful! You see, Soph! This is why we're friends!" With a cheeky smile and a pat on my back, he was off.
Interesting day...
(Kristy)
Sigh...
"I can't believe I'm doing this..."
Arwen gave me a sad smile as she continued to tie my hair into something more suited for traveling. "Do not worry, Kristy. Although I am sad to see you go, I am sure that you will see Collin and Sophie soon enough, down in Rohan. You will be just fine. "
I looked at my friend though the mirror. I was growing more and more frustrated with myself for not thinking of Arwen before I decided to go to Rohan. She's going through a lot more pain than I am, right now. She and Aragorn... welll... They're not doing too well. He, out of the blue, told her to leave for the Undying Lands before leaving for Mordor. She was a wreck, then, but now her dad's making it worse by pushing the topic even more.
You want to know what's even worse? I'm not sure if she'll be here, if I ever come back.
"I will stay, if you want me to..." I sighed, finally breaking under her sad gaze.
Arwen shook her head, and immediately tried to perk up. "No, Kristy. You need to do this. Do not worry about me; I will be just fine."
Liar.
But there's no arguing with Arwen. She may seem quiet and kind, but she's as stubborn as Sophie.
I stood and looked at myself in the mirror. Now, I know what Sophie meant by feeling confined... Pants are weird... Or maybe it's just the stress of my trip that's making me feel confined... Who knows?
There was a knock at the door, and Elladan peeked his head in. "Are you ready?"
"Just a minute, brother." Arwen shooed him out of the room. "She will be out in a moment." She then turned to me and gave me a small smile. "Well, Kristy. This is it."
"Yeah... This is it..."
It was silent for a moment. I don't think that either of us wanted to separate from each other, for neither of us has much left.
"Kristy, I wanted you to know that I may not be here much longer..."
"Arwen, no." With a sigh, I ran to her and gave her a big hug. "You will regret it for all eternity."
"Oh, Kristy..." Arwen sighed, her eyes glistening with tears. "Do not worry about me. We all must endure..."
"But you shouldn't have to endure for this! You love him!" I know that I shouldn't be so overly blunt with people like this, but I just can't help it. I'm from the twenty-first century, dangit! Love back then is thrown around like a rag doll, I'm not gonna let Arwen throw it away so easily.
Arwen shook her head. "Father says there will be nothing but death... "
"And there will be nothing but death if you leave..." Not technically, but metaphorically, yes.
Thankfully, Elrohir popped his head in at that moment, ending our sad conversation.
"We really must go, Kristy."
Sigh... I looked to Arwen and gave her one last hug. "If you're not here when I come back, I'll hunt you down to the Undying Lands and haul you back home."
She laughed and pulled away. "Thank you, Kristy. I hope that you find what you are looking for, out there."
I smiled, with tears in my eyes. "Goodbye, Arwen."
Elrohir led me outside, where our small traveling party was waiting. The twins and Glorfindel volunteered to escort me to Edoras, and, I must say, I couldn't be in better hands. Glorfindel gave me a sad smile and bowed to me as I approached. He's an awesome guy, but he's not one for hugs.
"It is time, Kristy."
Ugh...
I turned around to steal one last glance of Rivendell. It had never looked more beautiful, but I couldn't be more ready to leave it.
"I'm ready."
Elrond nodded, and helped me to mount my horse. "Remember, Kristy, that Rivendell will always be open to you."
I know... "Thank you, Elrond. For everything."
He smiled, and without another word, we were off.
I hope that I made the right decision.
(James)
"Break time!" Gandalf called merrily from the front.
The Fellowship casually dropped their bags, and slowly began to settle around the ruins and rocks by which we stopped.
Sophie, on the other hand, was a little less casual about it all.
With a frown on her face and bags under her eyes, she dropped right where she stood and curled up into a little ball. Although she remained silent, there's no doubt that she was cursing herself for coming on this journey. Bless her heart, though. She's trying so hard to be strong.
"You alright there, budd?" I kneeled down beside her, canteen in hand.
The reply I got was a series of mumbles.
"Want some water?" I handed her the canteen, which she took gratefully. She did not drink, though. Instead, she clutched it to her gut like a baby, and remained perfectly still.
Okay, then...
Even after nearly two weeks of travel, Sophie seemed to get worse and worse. I think she's not getting much sleep, actually. I can't say I blame her; sleeping on a bumpy ground can be hard.
You see, this trip isn't as fun as I thought it would be. I never really expected it to be some super crazy awesome trip, because my life's at stake. No, I just thought it'd be decent, since I'd be out with all of my friends and such.
But no. One of my friends is dead to me.
Yeah, you know who I'm talking about. The elf.
You know, it's one thing that he hid his relationsip with my sister from me. That ticks me off, but it's also the fact that he volunteered me for a dangerous mission, keeping me from my family and possibly killing me.
Yeah, some friend.
I want to shoot him with his own bow. I want to cut his hair off with his own daggers. I want to go home, dang it!
I want to see my wife, my daughter... I want to be there for the birth of my new child. If I die on this trip, I'm gonna take Legolas down with me.
"Turn that frown upside down, man!" Collin brought me out of my angry plotting. "Come on, we're gonna watch Boromir train Merry and Pippin." He pulled me over to sit by Aragorn, who was munching on an apple beside Frodo. Behind him was a sleeping Sophie, who had finally found some inner peace.
"She's not doing too well, is she?" Frodo asked, eyeing our small, sleeping friend.
"Don't mind Sophie, she's just lazy." Collin smiled, trying to keep the Hobbit from worrying. In all reality, he was quite concerned for Sophie. She's not gonna die or anything, but she sure doesn't seem happy. I think he felt guilty, in a way, for helping her get out of Rivendell. I guess he thought this trip would be easier than it really is.
In an attempt to lighten the mood, I drew the attention to the training Hobbits before us.
"Get going, boys! You call that a block?" Not the nicest way of teaching someone to fight, but that's how I was taught, and it works pretty well!
Boromir managed to whack Pippin's hand with his blade, and although no blood was drawn, the little guy was ticked.
"FOR THE SHIRE!" Both Merry and Pippin tackled the giant man, bringing a smile to Frodo's face for the first time all day.
I wonder what an army of Hobbits could do?
Not only did they take down Boromir, but they took Aragorn down, as well! Just when today started to get good, the unexpected happened.
Amidst all of the laughter (laughter that miraculously didn't wake Sophie up), a small bit of black cloud caused the Fellowship to panic.
"I don't get it!" I shrugged it off, not worried about a cloud. "So what if it's moving against the wind? I'm from a completely different world, and that doesn't freak you guys out!"
But no, it always has to be something.
"Crebain from Dunland!" The elf shouted out, and everyone jumped into action.
The fire was put out, bags were hidden, and Merry and Pippin dragged Sophie behind a rock for cover.
Hm. I'd better hide, too.
I found a nice little rock, and quickly jumped behind it.
And then IT happened.
A body smashed into mine, and I turned around to see a blonde elf behind me.
"Get out." I gave him the mightiest death glare I could muster, but he remained still.
"There's no time, James." He moved so that our bodies were not touching, but he remained next to me.
"Seriously, go!" I may sound like a child, but Maerwen's not here. I can act like a child with no shame.
Legolas clapped a hand over my mouth, and I punched him in the gut.
The sound of crows rang above our heads, so I had no choice but to sit by the elf until they passed. Once the air went silent, I jumped up and was the first one out of hiding.
"Where is Dunland?" Collin asked, while helping a dazed Sophie up. "Crow Kingdom?"
"Those were Saruman's spies." Gandalf sighed. "We must find another way..." He turned and looked at a giant mountain in the distance. Then, one by one, everyone turned to gaze at snow covered monster.
Then it hit me.
"No... We're not...? No, no..." There's no way we're climbing up that thing!
"I am afraid so, James..." Gandalf nodded, eyes filled with worry. "Carahdras..."
Poop.
Poop, poop, poop.
Author's note.
Not a very eventful chapter, but I needed to open stuff up for the next, super awesome chapter. :) Review, and tell me your thoughts/ ideas!