Title & Chapter Number The Wayward Wish 6/14
Author(s): - Author's Index
Website: Tortured Scribes
Fandom: Tolkien
RatingNC-17
Disclaimer Thank you J.R.R. for the wonderful playground of Middle Earth. Thank you Peter for the wonderful playground created by your casting department. I don't own any copyrighted material in this fic, I'm just borrowing it and I promise to return it when I'm done. Did I mention I have no money?
Warnings None
Betas Alex and Hedda
Cast Characters for Lord of the Rings, Original Female Character
Timeline Lord of the Rings AU
Spoilers Fellowship of the Ring
Summary The realities of being a modern woman zapped back in time to Middle Earth - minus the fluff.
Notes Elvish is Sindarin; If it looks like Tolkien and it sounds like Tolkien, it probably is. He wrote it first, he wrote it best, I'm just repeating it for storytelling purposes and make no claim that I came up with it. Everyone else has done the Modern Female in M.E., so now it's my turn. Hopefully, I've done it with a bit of style and believability.
Chapter Six: River To Doom
After receiving gifts from The Galadrim, The Fellowship began their journey down the Anduin. Frodo and Sam shared a boat with Aragorn, Merry and Pippin rode with Boromir, leaving Gimli and Legolas in the third boat. Jessy slept most of the day, her light snores muffled by the packs covering her. If Legolas' sensitive ears picked up the barely audible sound, he made no mention of it.
The company traveled most of the day down the great river; woods, dark and ghostlike, lined either side of the banks. The air was cold and dreary. Finally, as the sun dipped behind giant trees, they stopped for the night. The three boats lined neatly up on the shore.
As Aragorn, Legolas, Boromir and Gimli began to arrange their watch schedules, they were surprised when Pippin interrupted them.
"We would like to take a watch, if you please."
"You should rest while you can, leave the watches to us." Aragorn dismissed the Hobbit's request.
"Was it not you who decreed that we were bound by a common goal and should all share a common fate?" It was Merry who used Aragorn's own words in retort.
Smiling slightly at the cleverness of the Hobbit, Aragorn relented. Let them take their hand at watches for now, he thought to himself, soon enough we will be back on foot and they will tire of their new game.
All agreed that the four Hobbits would take the second watch. They settled down to rest before their turn with the exception of Pippin, who did not quite trust Boromir to wake them after first watch.
~*~*~*~
Merry walked nervously down to the boat, after waiting what seemed an eternity for Boromir to settle down to sleep. He climbed with surprising dexterity into Legolas and Gimli's boat and carefully shifted some of the packs. Finding the edge of the gray cloth, he lifted it to reveal Jessy.
"It's about time," she whispered.
"Sorry, but we had to make sure Boromir was asleep." Merry helped Jessy burrow out of the packs without disturbing them too much.
Jessy stretched her cramped muscles and then hurried down the shoreline towards a clump of trees. After a few minutes she returned, her relief evident.
Merry handed her an apple with an apologetic smile. "Aragorn refused us a fire, so I am afraid this must do."
"It's fine, Merry. Thank you." Jessy accepted the offered piece of fruit before settling down on the sandy bank.
Merry dropped down next to her and they sat in silence for a while, Jessy munching contently on her supper.
Jessy tossed the core into the river and sighed. "I don't know if this ruse will work for long. I thought I was going to explode waiting for you."
"It will only be for a few more days. By then, we will be to far to turn back. Aragorn will have no choice, but to let you continue on with us."
"I guess, but can't you try and take first watch next time?"
Merry shook his head, "It would be to dangerous. We could not be sure that the others were asleep."
Before Jessy could respond, they heard the rustling of branches behind them. Pippin stepped into view, and the startled pair exhaled quietly, both had been holding their breaths.
"Frodo say to tell you that it will be time to wake Gimli soon."
Jessy rose slowly to her feet and walked back to the boat. Merry and Pippin followed to help arrange the packs. They worked quickly, and satisfied that Jessy was well hidden, they turned to walk back to camp.
They started to walk up the bank when Pippin stopped, a frown on his face.
"What is it?" Merry asked.
"Look." Pippin pointed towards the sand where Jessy's small boot prints could be seen mixed with Merry's footprints.
The Hobbits quickly went to work brushing away the offending marks with some branches cut from a tree. When they were satisfied that no trace of Jessy remained, they hid the branches in some low brush and returned to camp.
~*~*~*~
On the third night of their journey, Jessy's luck ran out. Legolas had an uneasy feeling since they had left Lórien; something was not quite right, yet he could not put his finger on it. He was leaning back against a tree, as was his wont, eyes slightly open, deep in thought when the Hobbits rose for their watch.
Sam eyed Legolas uneasily, knowing that Elves slept with their eyes open did not calm his nerves. He marveled that Jessy's presence had remained a secret especially from Legolas and Gimli.
"Do not worry, Sam," Frodo placed a calming hand on his shoulder. "Legolas is no doubt lost among his memories of the Golden Wood."
Nodding, Sam retrieved the bread and cheese he had set aside for Jessy and headed down towards the boat.
At the mention of his name, Legolas turned his attention to the Hobbits. He wondered at their whispered words for his keen ears had caught Frodo's comment. Why should they concern themselves with my state of consciousness, he thought. He watched as Sam passed out of sight towards the boats beached on the bank. His ears strained to pick up any conversation, but none came to him. Biding his time, he pondered the Hobbits' furtive behavior since they had begun their river journey. Several times, he had caught one or another of them turning a worried glance towards the boat he shared with Gimli. At first, he thought it might be their fear of the water causing their attention to wander nervously. But now, he was not so sure. Finally, Sam returned, looking much relieved as if some dreaded task had been completed. Merry walked over as if to rouse Aragorn, but Legolas stopped him.
"Hold," Legolas said quietly. Merry seemed to jump from his very skin when Legolas' voice reached him. They are definitely up to something, he thought to himself. "Let Aragorn sleep. I find that I am restless, I will take his watch."
Merry nodded and walked back towards the others. They exchanged nervous glances, before lying back on their blankets.
Legolas rose gracefully from the ground and walked to the edge of the camp. He stood motionless, eyes scanning the darkness. He waited patiently until the Hobbits' nervous breathing relaxed as they one by one fell to sleep.
Now it is time to discover exactly what it is you four are hiding, he mused. He walked stealthily from camp towards the bank.
He stopped at the crest of the bank and scanned the boats. The crickets sang their night song, keeping time with the river's hum. Hearing nothing amiss, he surveyed the small sandy shore the three boats sat crowded on. His brow furrowed as saw Sam's footprints leading back towards the camp. Most of the ones leading to the boats seemed to have been brushed away. Legolas moved closer to the shoreline, his light steps leaving no mark in the soft sand. Stooping, he examined the sand with a tracker's eye. He could see where the shore had been swept clean by a branch. It was subtle but his keen eyesight could pick out the light leaf marks in the sand. What game is this? He thought to himself rising to his feet.
With the exception of the boat he shared with Gimli, the others were empty. Legolas stepped lightly into the boat with the packs. He noticed that they had been moved around slightly, but that still did not answer the mystery of Sam's nocturnal wandering. He began to move the packs, checking each carefully. He had moved one of the lower packs when he noticed the gray cloth spread across the bottom of the boat. He could just make out a slight bulge under the cloth. Smiling, he wondered what they could have possibly felt the need to hid under the packs. His smile froze on his face as he flipped the cloth back revealing a lightly dozing Jessy.
Jessy's brows furrowed as the cool night air blew softly across her face. Without opening her eyes, she said, "What is it Sam? Did you forget something?"
"Only to tell Gimli and me that we had a stowaway on board."
Jessy's eyes snapped open at the light tenor of Legolas' voice. Started brown eyes met striking blue ones as she tried to think of something to say. "I can explain..." she managed to stammer after a few seconds. But any explanations died on her lips as she wrenched from the bottom of the boat by two strong hands.
Legolas stood holding her before him, fury marring his handsome feature. "Are you a fool? What do you think to accomplish by hiding in the boat? Have you forgotten so quickly the reasons for your separation from The Fellowship?"
Jessy tried to think, but the obvious anger on Legolas' face robbed her of all thought.
Without a word, Legolas dragged her from the boat to the shore. He looked over his shoulder back towards the encampment, before turning his attention back to Jessy.
"Don't be angry, Legolas. I only wanted to see The Shire. Besides Celeborn has taught me to use the bow, I will not be a burden like last time. I can fight and take care of myself." She pointed to a tree some thirty feet away. "I could hit that tree there easily," she said her voice tinged with pride.
Legolas did not know whither to laugh or cry at her statement. "Hitting a still target at thirty paces is a far cry from hitting a moving Orc intent on separating your pretty head from your shoulders. How your plan escaped the notice of The Lady is beyond me." Legolas paused as the realization that little escaped Galadriel's notice. "Sweet Elbereth, I see now that she had a hand in this, but why?"
"That answer I would love to know myself." Aragorn's voice sounded from the shadows behind Legolas.
Legolas was so intent on the problem of Jessy's presence that he did not hear Aragorn as he approached. The rich timbre of the man's voice caught him off-guard though he showed no outward expression. Jessy jumped.
Legolas turned and faced the Ranger has he moved to join them on the narrow strip of sand. "Well girl, what mischief has landed you here on this shore?" He looked expectantly at Jessy.
"I…" her voice faltered as she discarded one explanation after another. Then she remembered the letter that Galadriel had given her at their farewell. "I have a letter that Galadriel told me to give you." She hurriedly retrieved the letter from her tunic and thrust it at Aragorn.
Aragorn took the offered piece of parchment and examined it in the moonlight. Deftly breaking the wax seal, he opened it and read the letter silently.
[Elessar,
Do not be angry at Jessy or the Hobbits for they cannot fight the tide of their destinies. I did not broach the subject of her leaving with the company, for you would not have heeded my council. Even now, your mind turns over the possibility of returning to Lórien. But I beg you, heed my council now, turn not from your path and accept that the girl is bound now to your company. Guard her well, for I feel she has some part yet to play. Though how or when, I know not. All has passed as I have foreseen and now the path before you all lies in shadow. Take heart that our prayers to Ilúvatar go with you.
Galadriel]
Aragorn folded the note before turning distant eyes to the far bank. His face showed none of the inner turmoil Galadriel's letter had placed in his mind. Her words were true that he had already decided to return Jessy to Lórien, but now he heeded her council. Who was he to dispute her foreknowledge of things to come?
Legolas shifted from one leg to the other with unusual impatience. "Tell me Aragorn, what news did The Lady send?"
Aragorn forced his attention back to Legolas. "She answers questions with more riddles. She councils us to continue on our journey with Jessy as a member of our party."
"But what of Boromir? Her presence will bode ill, I think. Have you not heard him muttering to himself as if some evil gnaws at him? I do not think it has anything to do with Jessy, something else turns his mind towards the path of madness."
Aragorn nodded, for he had noticed the odd behavior that on occasion overtook the other man. So far, Boromir had not faltered in his duty, though he did turn glances towards Frodo that made Aragorn uneasy. Perhaps the girl would provide a useful distraction from Frodo and The One Ring.
"Legolas, I ask that you keep the girl close to you. It will infuriate Boromir because he feels that she is his, but we cannot allow him to be alone with her. Galadriel bade me to guard the girl, and I mean to make good her request."
"Have no worries about that, I will not abide his mishandling of her." Legolas pushed aside the spark of desire he had for Jessy. He was still bound by the quest and could find no benefit in exploring his feelings, whatever they may be, for her.
Jessy looked incredulously from one male to the other. Fury slowly replaced fear as they continued to speak as if she were not standing next to them. "Excuse me, but I think I can make my own decisions. For one thing, I don't need a babysitter. I can take care of myself just fine, thank you."
Aragorn rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration. He dropped his hand and looked Jessy in the eye. "You will do as I tell you, or Galadriel be damned, I will take you back." The tone in his voice was firm and allowed for no argument. He turned on his heel and strode back towards camp, leaving them in his wake.
Jessy turned to Legolas prepared to press her point about not needing a keeper, but was silenced by a wave of his hand.
"Peace. This is no child's game we play at. There is real danger and not just from Boromir. You will do as Aragorn wishes and stay close by my side." He reached out and grasped her arm in a firm but gentle grip, pulling her after him.
Jessy wisely held her complaints at their presumption that she was a weak, little girl unable to care for herself. Sulkily, she allowed Legolas to pull her along.
When they reached the camp, Aragorn was sitting, seemingly deep in thought. Legolas guided Jessy towards the sleeping Hobbits and dropped light to the ground next to her. Seeing that nothing would be gained by further argument, Jessy curled up and slept.
After sitting for a long while, Aragorn turned his attention to Legolas. "Do you think we do the right thing?"
"I know not, only that Galadriel's council should not be taking lightly." The Elf could offer his friend no other comfort than the obvious. He, himself, was wrestling with the myriad of emotions this turn of events had unleashed. He struggled to push them aside and bury them deep, where they would not be a distraction.
The two comrades lapsed into silence, each lost in their own thoughts.
Jessy awoke early the next morning. After three days of inactivity, it felt good to be able to stretch her legs. Without a second thought, she jogged down to the boats to retrieve her weapons.
"You were told to stay close to me."
Jessy finished arranging her quiver before turning to acknowledge Legolas' presence. "And I told you and Aragorn last night, I don't need a babysitter. I can take care of myself."
"Must you be so stubborn?" Legolas asked in frustration. "I acknowledge that you are a woman grown, but you have little realization of the dangers we will face. Can you not stay close as a favor to me?"
Jessy regarded Legolas silently for a moment. The more time she spent near him, the more she wanted him. It was a fool's dream, one she could not afford to get caught up in. But, if she wanted to have any peace, she would have to concede to Aragorn's dictate that Legolas would be responsible for her safety. "Fine, if you and Aragorn think it is that important, then I will stay close."
A look of relief crossed Legolas' face at her agreement. "Then let us return to camp. The others will awaken soon, and then, we will continue our journey downriver."
~*~*~*~
Much to the relief of most of the Fellowship, Boromir seemed to pay little attention to the fact that Jessy had joined their party. His mind seemed to be troubled by something else, but no one pried.
Jessy rode next to Gimli, taking turns helping to row. Soon Gimli was regaling her with tales from his homeland, much to Jessy's delight. The days passed one into another, danger from Orcs and other dark things were their constant companions.
The landscape around them became more barren as great rocks rose up from the banks. Finally the river narrowed and before them, rose two great pillars of stone.
"Behold the Argonath, the Pillars of the Kings!" Aragorn cried.
Jessy realized that the pillars had been carved to resemble two great human kings. They passed beneath the guardians and entered a great, long, oval lake pent in by great hills. They stopped along a narrow stretch of shore. Now it was up to Frodo to decide which way they should go. Jessy wondered if it was wise to allow him to wander off on his own, but Aragorn seemed to think there was no danger. No one noticed later when Boromir slipped from camp to seek out the Ringbearer for purposes of his own.
It wasn't until sometime later when Boromir returned to the camp that others became aware of the danger Frodo had been placed in. Boromir haltingly told them of Frodo's disappearance unwilling to tell them all that had passed between them. Sam took off in search of Frodo followed quickly by Merry, Pip, and Jessy, heedless of Aragorn's shouts for them to return. As if madness had taken hold of the Fellowship, Gimli and Legolas started in a third direction in search of the missing Hobbit.
Aragorn called for Boromir to find and guard Merry, Pip and Jessy while he ran after Sam. "I do not know what part you have played in this mischief, but help now!" Aragorn soon caught up with Sam struggling up a steep hill calling, "Frodo!" Aragorn told Sam to follow him, and he sprinted ahead up the hill.
Sam soon lost sight of Aragorn. A thought struck him, turning he raced back to the boats.
Aragorn continued to search along the hilltops for any sign of Frodo, when the shrill sound of a horn rent the air. He knew that it was the horn of Boromir and that he was in need. He raced down the hill, the sounds of cries and the harsh voice of Orcs filling the air. He finally found Boromir leaning against a tree, several shafts protruding from his chest.
Aragorn knelt beside him as Boromir softly spoke. "I tried to take the Ring from Frodo. I am sorry. I have paid." He looked about the glade at the dead Orcs. "They have taken Merry and Pippin. They are alive though bound. As for the girl, I do not know what has become of her."
"Easy, Boromir. Was Frodo with them? Which way did they go?"
"Go to Minas Tirith and save my people. Tell Jessy I am sorry for what passed between us in the woods. I was not of my right mind. Tell Legolas to care for her, and that I am so sorry I ever raised a hand to either of them."
"Which way did they go?"
Boromir did not answer him.
It was then that Legolas and Gimli entered the glade. "We have slain many Orcs in the woods, but alas, we have arrived to late." Legolas cried at the sight of Boromir.
"Boromir is dead, and the Orcs have taken Merry and Pippin captive. Of Frodo, Sam and Jessy, I have no knowledge." Aragorn stood and motioned for Legolas to move closer. "He wanted me to tell you that he was sorry for what happened in Lórien. He bid me tell you to take care of Jessy."
Legolas nodded sadly. "We must find her and the others first. What are we to do?"
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