Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 3 of Easterling Princess. Thank you to all of those who have reviewed this story. It does mean a lot to me. I am sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter up. I haven't decided on what is going to happen to Boromir when I get to that point of the story. I don't want to reveal what I have been thinking either for this story. It will be revealed as the story goes on. Without further ado Chapter 3.

Chapter 3

"We will rest here for now," Gandalf told them as he turned to look back at the group.

Asta placed her things down on the ground. She sat down next to Aragorn. She looked down at the two hobbits, Merry and Pippin going up to Boromir.

"Could you teach us how to sword fight?" Merry asked curiously looking up at the dirty blond-haired man.

Boromir laughed and nodded his head. "Get your swords." He told both of them.

Asta shook her head lightly. She wasn't used to the spirit of the young hobbits and how Boromir was so nice to them compared to how he was with her.

"Your first time being around hobbits?" Aragorn asked, looking over at her out of the corner of his eyes. He lit his pipe up taking a small drag from it.

Asta looked out of the corner of her eyes from underneath her veiled face. "Yes, I have never seen them in my life." She shook her head. "They seem like people who should not be marching into something like this." She brought her black-clad legs up to her chest. "They seem like kind folk. That is what I see from the four of them… and they are carrying a heavy burden. And no one should have such a heavy burden…"

Aragorn seemed to understand where she was coming from. "And what about you?"

She turned her head to look at him. Her violet eyes showed some questioning towards Aragorn. "What about me?"

"Why join this quest?" Aragorn questioned her. He took a drag from his pipe. "Is it because you want redemption?" His brows furrowed as he looked at her as he tried to get a read off of the young woman that was with them.

Asta's eyes widened. Did Aragorn think that she was doing this because she wanted redemption? She didn't want to do it for redemption. She was doing this because she wanted to. She was left for dead and now felt that Sauron needed to fall. And that was what she was going to see. She wouldn't allow them to do this on their own. "It is not for redemption." She told him. "It is more like wanting the world to become a better place. Not such a dark place. Gandalf has shown me things that I have never seen before." She shook her head. She bit her lip, but no one could see it.

"The world you want to see is people at peace." He said with a nod of his head.

Asta nodded her head. "Yes. About as much peace as we can get." She looked ahead as Boromir began his training of the two young hobbits that were with him.

"Two, one, five," Boromir said as Merry clashed his sword against his. "Very good."

Pippin's turn was up next. He followed Boromir's instructions as Merry did.

"Move your feet." Aragorn said to Pippin.

"You look good, Pippin," Merry said to his friend with a smile.

"Faster," Boromir said to Pippin.

Asta couldn't help, but allow a small smile to come to her lips. She was thankful that no one could see it. She was being more respected by Boromir now thanks to the little talk that Gandalf had with him, but she knew that he still didn't trust her 100%. That at the moment didn't matter to her. She was just glad that he was trying to get along with her. "Watch where you put your hands." She encouraged the little brown-haired hobbit.

"Come on. Good." Boromir said proudly to the young hobbit. He had to admit that Pippin was coming along quite well in his sword-fighting skills. Soon enough it would be Asta's turn to train the hobbits. But he wasn't sure if that would be wise due to what she was. Yes, he had to listen to what Gandalf had said, but that didn't mean that he had to trust her. Boromir accidentally nicked Pippin's hand.

Pippin cried out in pain dropping his sword.

"Oh sorry," Boromir said to Pippin. He hadn't meant to knick Pippin's hand with his sword. He had let his mind get away from him when he was thinking about Asta who was sitting next to Aragorn.

Pippin kicked Boromir in the shin causing Boromir to cry out in pain.

"Get him," Merry said.

Asta shook her head as Merry and Pippin beat Boromir in a mock battle. Something that they normally wouldn't win against someone so tall.

"For the Shire!" Pippin said as he continued his attack on Boromir. "Hold him. Hold him down. Merry."

Aragorn got up to his feet and walked over to them. "Gentlemen, that is enough." He said putting a hand on Merry's shoulder and the other on Pippin's.

Merry and Pippin grabbed onto his legs and pulled him down with them.

Asta stood up onto her feet and dusted her black breeches off. She walked over to them.

"You've got my arm. You've got my arm." Pippin said to Aragorn.

Asta shook her head and crossed her arms. She had a small smile on her lips. "How the mighty have fallen." She laughed lightly.

"What is it?" Sam's voice broke Asta out of her thoughts.

Asta looked over to see what Sam and Legolas were looking at.

"Nothing. It's just a whiff of cloud." Gimli said, taking a drag from his pipe.

Boromir got up off of the ground. "It's moving fast... against the wind." He said as he placed his hands on both of the hobbit's shoulders.

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas shouted.

Asta's eyes widened. Spies from the south meaning that the path to Rohan was being watched.

"Hide!" Aragorn yelled.

"Hurry!" Boromir yelled, as he quickly moved.

Asta grabbed her things quickly as everyone else was getting their things and went to hide.

"Frodo. Hurry, hide." Aragorn told the hobbit.

Asta hid quickly not knowing who hid where. She dived into her hiding spot which put her close to none other than Boromir. Her scarf had fallen from her face revealing her white face and the jagged scar. Her heart was racing and she wouldn't admit that she was scared. Not in this kind of thing. Not when there were four hobbits with them and they were scared out of their mind of being on such a dangerous quest.

Boromir looked over and saw how close she was. He saw something written across her eyes. She was afraid and she was trying to be strong. Keeping herself together. For whatever reason it was he had to admit that this was a good side of her. That she was trying to be brave for the young hobbits that were with them. He shook his head. No, he couldn't think that. She was still the enemy after all. And he wasn't about to think like that of an enemy.

Asta moved when the blackbirds moved away from them. She took a soft breath as she looked up at the sky.

"Spies of Saruman. The passage to the south is being watched. We must take the pass of Caradhras." Gandalf told them, as he looked towards the Misty Mountains.

Asta looked at him. Taking the pass of Caradhras was dangerous even with all of the snow that was on it now. She moved her hand down to her scarf and put it back over her mouth and nose keeping her face almost hidden from them.

"We must move now," Gandalf told them.

Asta shook her head. "Shouldn't we rest before we bring ourselves to the Misty Mountains rough paths?" She questioned the wizard. She didn't like the idea that Gandalf was telling her. Her heart pounded in her chest as her nerves began to rise. She couldn't allow it to be seen though.

"Asta I know that you don't want to go on the path, but we must," Gandalf told her. "We must go now or Saruman will know that we are here."

Asa nodded her head knowing that there was no use in arguing with Gandalf. He was trying to protect them from whatever was to lie ahead of them. That was even including Saurman getting his hands on the ring and returning it to Sauron.

They began their walk towards the rough paths of the Misty Mountains.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This is the end of chapter 3. I am sorry that it is a little short, but I think that it is best this way to keep it shorter because the paths of the misty mountains should be in the next chapter, and the choice to go through Moria. Please review and let me know what you think. I hope that I didn't screw it up too badly in writing this chapter. And Boromir is starting to be nice to Asta which is a good thing. I promise that there will be a little bit of drama between the two of them. I promise to update you soon. Until next time.