THE FORGOTTEN
A Journey Over the Mountains
Disclaimer: I do not own anything.
Authors note: The chapter in which – Everyone tries to ignore the weather and Boromir tries to guess everyone's age. Two things to note: 1. I will be borrowing direct quotes from the book. All credit to Tolkien. 2. I'll be putting elvish-translated-to-English in italics because to my eternal shame, I have not mastered Sindarin.
The hike through the mountains was greatly underestimated in the books. It was winter and so everything was dead and dormant. Except for the occasional pine, there was nothing green, just endless miles of rocks. This wasn't wholly shocking to Lothril, as her ride over the mountains had given her at least some idea of what the terrain would be like, but as they had cut straight across and then down into the foothills and hadn't gone down the length of the mountains, she hadn't had really considered how monotonous she would find the landscape to be. After about a week of mountain hiking, Lothril firmly decided she preferred forests and the other side of the mountains that seem more forested over plain rocky mountainous landscapes dotted with scrubby little bushes and stubby little trees. She was sure it was charming come spring time, but this was for the birds. Maybe goats too. What on earth would choose to live here anyway? Lothril had never done a lot of hiking and climbing before this trip and thought it could be quite enjoyable if the surroundings were a little more colorful and less stony and she was willing to charitably give the Misty Mountains the benefit of the doubt that other times of the year they were less dreary, but right now they were miserable. The fur lined cloaks were very nice, but the bone chilling wind was enough to make Lothril wish in vain for her polar fleece jacket and perhaps her buckskin mittens for good measure. In spite of what Elrond and Legolas kept telling her about her become more elf-like every day, the wind was making her feel particularly human.
Initially during the journey half the Fellowship wanted to help Lothril cross every stick in the road and ford every puddle or else point out every obstacle so she didn't hurt herself on it. Legolas and Gandalf were simultaneously the best and worst about this, as both of them were well aware of the capabilities of elves they knew that most of these obstacles were not much of an obstacle to them. However, both of them were also keenly aware that whatever sort of strange hybrid of a creature she was at the moment, she was still lacking full elven capacities and was still only sixteen, though both it seemed would frequently forget that last point as she consistently kept feeling much older to them. So while they wouldn't ask if she needed help and offer to carry her over everything, they kept watch on her like a pair of mother hens.
Mother hens Legolas and Gandalf seemed to be so for different reasons, though this escaped Lothril's notice. Legolas seemed primarily concerned that she would over estimate her abilities and hurt herself. Gandalf however, seemed like he was anticipating something happening to her and wanted to be there to catch her when it did.
Boromir and Gimli were probably the worst as Boromir kept treating her like a younger sister whose duty it was to aid, and every somewhat sizeable obstacle had him offering to help her. Lothril supposed this was a sign that chivalry was alive and well in Gondor, but really! Sometimes it seemed like chivalry bordering on the absurd. After a week or two though he began to relax a little as she kept politely declining and the proving herself capable of getting around or over or past whatever it was. Gimli, despite her pointed ears, seemed to view her favorably, or at least more so than he did Legolas, and between their time together in Rivendell and on the road, he had had several lengthy conversations with her about the sort of metalwork her family did. She had confessed pretty early on she wasn't in the business herself so she could only speak in limited terms, but he seemed to glean a good deal more from their conversations than what she said. What really intrigued him was her descriptions of overhead cranes. Her family would do work with overhead crane rail, and so she had picked up a little bit on what it was used for. As she told him about it, she could very nearly see the gears in his head turning about how the dwarves might be able to use it. After that, he seemed far more inclined to offering her help to say, roll a boulder off the path or maybe fell a tree so she could cross the narrow stream without wading in. Her consistent excuse to decline his offerings was that if the hobbits and Bill the pony could manage, she could too, but thank you anyway. What she didn't realize is that her descriptions of overhead crane rail actually solved a sticky transportation problem they had been having in the mountain and he wanted to repay her for the idea.
The hobbits mercifully, did not think it needful or even practical for them to offer her aid. She was about two feet taller than them for one thing, and she seemed fairly capable for another. In general they seemed to view her as a kindred spirit and probably the most hobbit–like elf they had ever met. In Rivendell and on the road, they had several conversations revolving around food as she described in great detail different dishes her mother made and family recipes. Then she had made the mistake of taking an interest in the subject of pipe weed. She knew tobacco was a cash crop back home, but she knew next to nothing about it except that she loved how it smelled when her neighbor was outside doing lawn work and smoking his pipe. It took very little prompting to get a full and detailed description about the growing of pipe weed, the differences between the different leaves, and how blending them could create different flavors and so forth.
Initially Sam seemed a bit shy around her as if he couldn't reckon to what to make of her. She was an elf, that much was obvious just by looking at her, but she seemed far more down to earth like a hobbit, and not much at all like any of the Big People he had encountered in Bree. One night early on in their hike though, he noticed her face looked a little thinner than it had in Rivendell and he took to worrying about her. She didn't know why he started fussing over her, but he was so shy and motherly about it she found his manner so adorable and amusing and couldn't bring herself to say anything to him. Instead she would eat just a little more than she strictly wanted and then make sure Sam heard her say how very full she was. She figured it probably couldn't hurt, what with all the hiking and climbing they were doing.
Aragorn was perhaps the most balanced member of the Fellowship. As a human girl she seemed capable enough of handling the climb. She was young, healthy, and seemed adaptable, not complaining much about the bleak surroundings or the miserable conditions or the fact she was the only female on an otherwise all male expedition. In fact, that point didn't seem to bother her in the slightest. As an elf, she seemed not entirely elf like. He could see where physically she was more than human, especially with strength and stamina. But her balance was all wrong. If Legolas moved with the grace and surety of a cat, Lothril moved more like a well-bred dog. There was a grace and a surety, but not as graceful or as sure. This showed the most when climbing over things. Legolas would typically just jump on top of the object and then jump off, landing as softly yet firmly on the uneven stone as he would flat ground. Lothril might jump if it was low enough, but her landing was harder and less firm, more prone to a corrective moment that any elf wouldn't need. If the object was too tall for her, she would climb over. More easily than Boromir or a hobbit, but she was still putting forth effort while Legolas was effortless. As such, he would offer a hand if she requested it, which was rare, but otherwise, he merely watched her as he would any other member of the Fellowship.
Most of this was noticed by Lothril and caused her feelings towards their behavior to oscillate between annoyance, gratitude, and amusement. For as assuredly as she appreciated the help when she needed, the asking if she needed help at every obstacle was annoying. She wasn't helpless, after all. As they got better about gauging when she'd need help, she found her annoyance disappearing and she began reflecting on things which is where she found amusement in this situation. Here was a wizard, a prince, a future king, a warrior and son of a steward, a dwarf of Durin's house and four hobbits who would garner incredible renown and all of them were fussing over her to one degree or another and making sure she was cared for– someone who shouldn't even be there.
During the nights they walked in relative silence, such a hike not being conducive to conversation. Legolas and Lothril would speak mentally to each other on and off throughout the day, mostly as Lothril's thoughts wandered in and out of conversations. Sometimes he was teaching her more elvish, sometimes they were discussing different customs and traditions of elves, other times they were swapping stories about places they'd seen or he was answering whatever random questions popped into her head.
In the mornings, when it wasn't totally miserable, it was the Fellowship's custom that someone would ask for a story, frequently one from Lothril about her world. She would tell them about different historical events, fairy tales, other books she had read and so forth, and over the course of things, she wound up telling them her story of how she got there at all. As only Legolas, Aragorn, and Gandalf had known it, it came as something of a shock to most of them that she was originally from somewhere else altogether. This particular halt, since they had a little extra time between supper and sleep, Pippin decided it was high time to delve past how she arrived and into Lothril's personal life and so he asked if she had someone back home. Lothril shook her head and chuckled.
"No, heavens no! All the boys I know that are my age I know too well. I grew up with most of them and no. I would rather be an old maid. Besides, I am only sixteen," she said. "Why? Are you looking for a girl?"
"No!" Pippin blushed. Everyone started laughing at him. "I just wondered if she did, and if there was a good story behind it!" Pippin tried defending himself.
"Sure you did, Pip!" Merry said with a grin and a laugh. That night was a little merrier than the others had been. Pippin's ridiculous question had certainly done its part to lighten the mood.
"Lothril," Boromir said after the laughter died down, "You are but sixteen?"
"I am," she answered.
"I had no idea you were so young," he said surprised.
"I am far and away the youngest here. Back home I considered two years shy of coming of age. Even Pippin is at least ten years my senior, though he is not considered of age yet either," she answered.
"How old are you, Master Peregrin?" Boromir asked.
"Twenty-eight," Pippin answered.
"And how old are hobbits when they come of age?" Boromir asked.
"Thirty-three," he answered.
"And you, Merry are about the same age?" Boromir.
"I'm a bit older, actually. I am thirty-six," Merry answered.
Boromir began looking thoughtful. "I thought you were younger than that. What of you, Sam?"
"I'm two years Mr. Merry's senior," Sam said.
"Then you are nearly my age," Boromir answered. "Dare I guess your age, Frodo?"
Frodo got a peculiar smile on his face and said, "I am fifty."
Boromir paused a moment then said, "I see I have misjudged all your ages. I thought Lothril older and most all of you younger. Do I then dare guess the ages of my other companions?"
"Prepare to feel young," Lothril said.
"What mean you by that?" Boromir asked.
"Merry and Sam are your contemporaries, Frodo your senior, Pippin and I your junior. Everyone else is quite a bit older than you," Lothril said with a playful grin.
"Gandalf I know has been known to us for generations," Boromir said slowly, receiving a nod from the wizard. "I have heard dwarves are long livers, so I deem he is in his prime, but the number of his years are probably greater than I should judge if he were a man. This leaves Aragorn, who I deem is older than me, but not by too great a sum of years."
"You were right on my account," Gimli said with a smile. "I am one-hundred and forty years."
"And I am eighty-seven," Aragorn said.
"Eighty-seven? You are nearly my father's age!" Boromir cried.
The ranger said nothing but smiled a little as he shifted how he sat.
Boromir shook his head then said, "I know the elves live long and do not age so our good Legolas could be any age and I should not be able to guess it."
At that Legolas smiled. "Indeed, I well imagine it would be difficult to guess the age of an elf if you are not one. To be fair though, I should have been as poor at guessing your ages, except Lothril's and Aragorn's. Theirs I knew already. For if you all were elves, only Gandalf, Gimli, and possibly Aragorn would be considered full grown by count of years. You Boromir would not be half grown to nearing full, but some years off. Though," he paused and considered the hobbits a moment. "For your height, Pippin could pass as an elf child of your right number of years. Merry and Sam would perhaps be a little short for their age, but not by more than inch or two."
"How old are you then, Legolas?" Pippin asked.
He paused a moment. "I am curious how old you all think I am?"
Pippin's eyes grew wide and he shook his head, "Well, if Strider and Gimli are full grown at eighty-seven and one-hundred and forty, then I would suppose you're over a hundred.
Legolas nodded. "I am over a hundred."
"And he was full grown when Bilbo went to the Lonely Mountain," Gandalf said, giving Pippin a wink.
"So then you're at least a hundred and fifty," Frodo said.
"And if I am not mistaken," Gimli said, eyeing the elf, "I have heard you were present in the events following Smaug first attacking Erebor."
"I was," Legolas said.
"Nearly two hundred and fifty years ago now," Gimli said.
"Then that would make you at least that old," Pippin said, looking at the elf.
"No, older I should think, because I don't think his king would have allowed a young elfling to get anywhere near a dragon," Frodo said.
"True," Pippin said. "At then at least three-hundred and fifty?"
Legolas nodded, "I am at least that old, yes."
"Do you remember the coming of Thrain?" Gimli asked. The elf nodded. "Then you are over a thousand."
"I am over a thousand." He smiled then said, "I shall help you all a little. I am old enough to remember hearing of the founding of Rivendell."
Everyone, save perhaps Gandalf, looked stunned at that proclamation. The elf was amused, because it was obvious that was well beyond the reckoning of Pippin, Merry, Sam, and Boromir. Frodo and Gimli both looked like they were trying to work out how old that would be. He knew Lothril knew when Rivendell had been established, as she had mentioned Elrond had taught her that, but she didn't seem surprised at the revelation of his age. She almost looked sad. He didn't have a chance to ponder why she might look sad about it though, because Pippin asked, "How old is Rivendell?"
"It was founded near the middle of the Second Age," Gandalf informed him.
Pippin looked awestruck. He wasn't sure exactly how long ago that was in terms of years, but that was a prodigiously long time to his mind.
"Then you are older than Gondor," Boromir said. "And that means you are over three thousand years and beyond my reckoning altogether."
"That would make you over five thousand years old, wouldn't it?" Frodo asked.
"Yes, I am a little over five thousand years old," Legolas answered.
When the Fellowship reached the borders of Hollin, everyone started talking about the road beyond. Lothril was silent. She knew what the road held. She was loathing the inevitable and avoiding being in anyone's direct line of vision. So far, no one knew she had any foreknowledge except Legolas and Gandalf, and she didn't want her face to betray anything.
The next evening they traveled on and Aragorn seemed restless. He knew that birds should be singing in those parts, but instead everything was silent. Lothril knew why, of course, but said nothing and kept looking around to see if she could spot anything amiss. Legolas looked at her. She looked disquieted. She hadn't spent a good deal of time in the mountains, but the growing silence outdoors seemed strange. Where was the wind? She had no idea the outdoors could be this silent. He asked her mentally what was wrong and she told him the silence was making her nervous about the time Merry noticed Strider seemed ill at ease.
"What is the matter, Strider?" Merry asked Strider.
Aragorn relayed his unease at the silence and Gandalf warned everyone to be more careful. The silence grew as they traveled on and by the time they rested come daylight, it seemed every little movement echoed. Lothril knew full well what was coming and laid her bedroll down under the edges of a bush and pulled the covers up high so only the top of her head was visible and then rolled onto her stomach and lay down with her face looking in towards the bush. If a flock of snoopy crebain were going to be flying around, she figured it was all the better if she was out of sight. As well, she was very tired and uninterested in being awakened until dark.
After three night marches they came to a point where they had to decide: the Pass of Carahdras, or the Mines of Moria. While Gandalf and Aragorn were debating it, the Fellowship was seated on the ground having their usual late afternoon breakfast. Suddenly Gandalf turned to Lothril and said, "What do you say, Lothril?"
This took her off guard as Gandalf hadn't asked her opinion on the road thus far. Knowing what he did about her foreknowledge, he had not put her in a position to betray it. At best he only ever looked at her after a decision was made one way or other and used her response as confirmation of a given choice. But now, it seemed to Lothril, he really was worried about the decision. It seemed he had something of a foreboding of his coming doom.
She stood up and looked up at Caradhras and was silent for a while then said, "It must at least be attempted. At worst we turn back."
Lothril went over to her pack and began checking things, facing away from the company. Gandalf strode over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Forgive me, Lothril," the old wizard said quietly. "It was unfair of me to ask."
"You are forgiven," she said very quietly, standing and turning to face him. "If I were in your place I probably would have asked long before now," she said with a forced smile. He turned his back and walked away. One silvery tear welled up in her eye and she quickly blinked it away. No one but Legolas saw it.
Legolas stood and went next to her and put his hand on her far shoulder. "Something is amiss – or shall be?" he asked using ósanwe.
"No. Caradhras ought to at least be attempted."
"We shall not make it over the pass."
"No. Caradhras is called cruel for a reason. But it is not the pass that worries me. I will say no more." With that she returned to her pack and began rearranging things to make a bit more room. She had been tempted to tell him to not bother, but she realized it was better attempted than not, if for no other reason than to prove that they had to go through Moria and that it wasn't a mistake.
It was decided to take the Pass of Carahdras. At Boromir's advice, they set about gathering up wood and Lothril distributed what she gathered between the inside of her pack and some strapped to it with some rope.
At first it wasn't too bad going, but then after a pause they kept going and it quickly grew difficult for the hobbits, and then even the men were struggling, then all at once they stopped. Sounds like wild laughter and shrill cries were on the wind and Lothril half wondered if it was the mountain itself. Then she heard a sound she hadn't heard before and looked around and saw stones begin falling from the mountainside above them.
They agreed that they could no further that night and so they all huddled against the cliff wall as the wind swirled around and blasted them from all sides.
"Should anyone want an opinion of one who grew up in the snowy north?" Lothril said as the snow began drifting up around Bill the pony's legs.
"What is it?" Aragorn asked.
"We ought to figure out if this is at all packing snow and if it is, build some walls around us. There is a tribe of people where I'm from that build houses out of snow. If the snow will pack and we can manage it, we might be well served to try making some walls around us to at least keep the wind at bay."
"I vote we try," Merry said right away. "I'm frozen."
"Might as well," Boromir said. "Better than sitting and freezing."
Lothril grabbed a handful of snow and tried packing it into a snowball. "I think we might get somewhere with this," she said. Our hands might freeze in the process though, but it may be worth it." She crawled past Legolas and Boromir and began gathering up snow and building up a little wall about eight or ten inches thick.
"I see what you are doing, leave this side to me," Boromir said as he began gathering up snow. After a few minutes, everyone besides the hobbits began building up snow walls and soon they had them about them between two and three feet tall. They still wanted to be able to step over it.
Gandalf gave everyone a sip of miruvor, and they sat and waited for the dawn. The wall helped, but it still grew colder and the wind was still vicious, and after a while Gandalf finally agreed they could try lighting a fire. Even with Lothril's snow wall, enough snow and wind was still curling in to make lighting the fire difficult and in the end, it would only stay lit after Gandalf tried his hand at it.
Lothril had never been more grateful for fire in her life, and to her delight, the snowy barrier served to reflect the heat back at themselves, which made their little pit almost bearable. The fire melted the snow beneath it and soon the ground beneath their feet was slushy, but nobody seemed to mind that.
The last of the wood was thrown on and Aragorn said, "The night is getting old. The dawn is not far off."
"If any dawn can pierce these clouds," Gimli said.
Boromir looked into the darkness and said he thought the snow was less and the wind quieter.
"Indeed," said Lothril. "I think Caradhras will give us a chance to leave. You recall earlier that the snow stopped when we did, and only resumed when we kept on. I think he kept at it most of the night as a warning of what he shall do if we press on in the morning."
"I agree with Lothril," Gimli said. "The sooner we go back down, the better."
The dawn was at hand, the snow had stopped, but it was still quite cloudy.
"Retreat may be difficult," Aragorn said, surveying the world around them. Outside their little snow wall, the snow was heaped above the heads of the hobbits and even higher in other places thanks to the wind.
"If Gandalf would go before us with a bright flame, he might melt a path for you," said Legolas. The storm hadn't much troubled him and Lothril found herself more than a little jealous just then as she was feeling quite chill and more than a little miserable.
"If elves could fly over mountains, they might fetch the Sun to save us," answered Gandalf. "But I must have something to work on. I cannot burn snow."
Boromir volunteered to dig through the snow and find a way back and Aragorn declared he would join him. Lothril watched them wade into the white drifts. Legolas watched them for a while with a smile on his lips then turned to the others and said, "The strongest must seek a way, say you? But I say: let a ploughman plough, but choose an otter for swimming, and for running light over grass and leaf, or over snow – an Elf! Farwell!" he said, turning to Gandalf. "I go to find the Sun! Lothril, shall you join me?" He held out his hand to her.
Without a word she took his hand, which was wonderfully warm against her cold one, and she jumped up onto the top of the snow and to her delight, she didn't sink! She had been nearly certain she would. And with that the pair ran off, Legolas in front and Lothril behind. They overtook Boromir and Aragorn quickly and it was not very long before they found the end of the snow.
"This was indeed no natural storm," Legolas said as they reached a place where the snow tapered to almost nothing in a matter of feet.
Lothril shook her head. "Certainly doesn't seem like it. Should we return with our news?"
He took both her of cold hands between his and said, "You stay here and sit upon the dry earth and I shall go ahead a ways and scout things out to make sure Caradhras has not cut off our escape further on. Keep also an eye out for our friends. If they dig into that large drift back there, they may become buried."
She nodded and he released her hands from his and she sat down upon the dry earth and waited. The clouds were grey and the sun was hidden, but it was so much less miserable than the night before that she almost didn't care. Almost, but she would have loved nothing more just then than a bright, warm beam of sun upon her. She began to reflexively rub her hands together to warm them, but then suddenly realized they seemed warmer, but sometimes her hands were so cold she didn't notice, so she lightly pressed her fingers onto her neck which had been protected by the cloak and her clothes and braced to feel living icicles. To her surprise, her fingers felt warm. Almost as warm as his hands had felt. She began to puzzle why and how, but decided not to question it and just be grateful. For a while she sat and at length she heard the sounds of Boromir and Aragorn struggling down the path. Just then Legolas returned, but went past her to where the men were digging through the snow and she got up and followed him.
"I have good news," Legolas called down to his friends. "You need not tunnel as dwarves through the snow. But a few feet from you the snow fades to naught."
"That is good news!" Boromir returned, sounding tired but relieved.
"Indeed," Aragorn added.
Legolas told them where the snow drift was thinnest then told Lothril to stay behind and wait for the others while he returned with the news. It wasn't too long before she heard the first of the Fellowship returning down the path, and soon they were all off the mountain and debating whether or not to take the road through Moria.
"But the question is," Gandalf said, "who will follow me, if I lead you there?"
"I will," said Gimli eagerly, followed by Aragorn. Boromir declared he would not unless the whole Fellowship voted against him, and Legolas merely said he did not wish to go to Moria.
"I will follow Gandalf," Lothril said.
Then Frodo said he did not wish to go, but he would rather make a decision in the morning in the light than the gloom and howling wind.
Aragorn was the first to recognize the howling on the wind for what it was. Even as he announced that the Wargs had come west of the Mountains, Lothril about kicked herself for not remembering them. As they climbed to the top of a small hill for defense, Lothril started wracking her brain trying to remember exactly what happened. It was with a strange mix of excitement and horror she realized she was meeting her first skirmish. She remembered that it occurred somewhat later at night, which did nothing to loosen the knot her stomach had turned into. She did remember Gandalf made the first move, and so she readied herself as best she could and waited for him to be her cue.
Everyone but the hobbits recognized the pale look Lothril bore and not one of them held it against her. Wargs stalking you at night was enough to make anyone nervous, and Gandalf and Aragorn quietly discussed where they should place her as to keep her from harm. Legolas could not sleep while she was in such obvious distress and so sat down beside her.
"I am ashamed," she whispered in a tone so low only he could hear, "here I face my first conflict and I'm scared and nervous. I even know what to expect and I'm still jumping at every noise."
"First battles are never easy, and you have had far less training or trials than most here to brace yourself for it," Legolas whispered back. "However, you must not doubt yourself. You are a good archer and are fair with your knives. I do not think you shall have to fight one hand to fang, but I think if you do, you will surprise yourself. Have courage, Lothril. You are better than you think."
To hear his confidence in her skills helped to bolster her courage. She nodded and was going to thank him when Gandalf suddenly stood and strode towards the darkness surrounding them.
"Listen, Hound of Sauron! Gandalf is here. Fly, if you value your foul skin! I will shrivel you from tail to snout, if you come within this ring."
The moment Gandalf had stirred, Legolas had stood, bow at the ready. When he saw the wolf spring towards them he loosed his bow and the beast fell to the ground. Lothril had surprised herself, for when Gandalf moved, she had stood also and seen the foul thing in the shadows and pulled out her bow and had an arrow nocked before he said, 'Gandalf is here'. She smiled grimly as she put her arrow and bow back. It seemed Legolas may very well be right. She was still a bit nervous, but the fear was clearing from her heart.
Seeing the immediate danger was over, Legolas turned to Lothril and was somewhat surprised to see her sitting down by the fire seemingly calm. He sat down beside her.
"Are you well?" he asked her mentally.
"I am well. We have a while before anything else shall happen."
He studied her face in the firelight for a moment before she turned to Aragorn and asked, "About how long do you suppose it is till dawn?"
"Five hours or so."
"Whose turn is it to watch?"
"It is Legolas' turn," Aragorn answered.
"Indeed. I shall relieve Boromir," Legolas said, standing and heading towards the man.
"Legolas," Lothril quietly called, "Would you wake me in, say three hours?"
He turned to look at her, a slightly puzzled expression on his face, "I will, but why?"
"The wolves are not done with us yet," she answered. With that she laid down and closed her eyes.
A short while after Lothril fell asleep, Gandalf awoke from an uneasy doze and walked over to Legolas.
"Anything?" He asked quietly.
"Nothing," the elf answered.
Gandalf stood silently for a moment peering out into the darkness then asked, "How long has Lothril been asleep?"
"A little less than an hour. She only fell deeply asleep around ten minutes ago. Why?"
His question went unanswered though, as the wizard walked softly over towards the sleeping girl. He watched her for a few minutes. Her eyes were half open, sometimes opening wider, sometimes closing more, but never fully one way or the other. He walked back over to Legolas. "Did she fall asleep with her eyes open or closed?"
"Closed," Legolas answered. "You feel what I do, do you not Mithrandir?" he asked in elvish.
Gandalf nodded. "There is much wound around that maiden that I can only guess at. I worry about her. She is in such a strange state between man and elf. More capable than one, less so than the other. Fortunately, she does not seem one prone to try doing things she deems beyond her skill, which may save her neck."
"Perhaps, but it may risk it also, for she seems unwilling to test her limits, which I think change almost daily. She does not trust herself, I think. Lord Elrond and I were not slack in our training, but if what I think is true, there is no safe way for her to test herself on the road."
"No, there is not. Her lot is to be tried in battle, I fear. My only hope is that her instincts are good. You must not forget Legolas, we must not risk the Ring bearer."
The elf only nodded in reply.
A little less than two hours before dawn Legolas went over to rouse Lothril. He knelt down beside her and looked into her mostly open eyes. Carefully he reached out into her mind and saw her dreams were an odd mix of elven and what he recognized to be human, at least for her. He withdrew and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. Slowly her eyes closed and reopened fully awake.
"It is about two hours before sunrise," Legolas said.
Lothril looked up at the sky, looking for the moon through the breaking clouds. She found the waning crescent sinking in the sky and immediately stood up and strung her bow.
"They will be here before the moon sets," she whispered.
Suddenly, the night air burst into fierce and wild howling from all sides of the camp.
"Fling fuel on the fire!" cried Gandalf to the hobbits. "Draw your blades and stand back to back! Lothril," but he cut himself short for as the fire sprang up, Gandalf saw Lothril loosing arrows at an incredible rate, all of them finding their mark.
When the battle was decidedly over and the trees were yet smoldering, Legolas hastened to Lothril who was gazing out into the darkness and rubbing the fingers on her right hand. "I forgot to put on my gloves," she said, showing him the deep red lines on her fingers.
"Eventually, I do not think you will need them," he said, showing her his bare, unmarked hand. "At least, not for such a short skirmish as this. In battle though, were I amongst the archers, I would still wear them."
A/N: We don't actually know how old Legolas is. Some people speculate he's as young as 500, but personally, I think it more likely he is in the five-thousand and some odd years range. My reasoning – his grandfather Oropher lived in Doriath and had Thranduil in Doriath before it was destroyed in 507 of the First Age (so near the end of the first age). After that, Oropher and Thranduil lived in Lindon until right around 750 of the Second Age when he moved to Greenwood the Great and was made king of the Silvan elves and adopted their customs and ways. Because Legolas is spelled 'Legolas' and not 'Laegolas' we can and should figure he was born after Oropher and Thranduil moved to Greenwood the Great. Which puts the outside figure for his age at 5,709. Add to this, elves prefer to have their children during times of peace, and though Oropher was a bit of a cranky hermit and moved thrice, things were relatively peaceful for a long enough time to well facilitate Thranduil and his wife having a child and in nearly ideal circumstances.