A/N: Alright then…trying to get another update out there. The gaps in between my chapters are still irritating me. I should be updating at least once a week, but other activities and things going on that no one gives a flip for here are happening. Haha, or course people just want to read the updates so I will do just that. I will add that I pulled my back earlier…ouchie. Continuous thrusting of a spear. Fun. Ok enough of that. Proceed!
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings nor any of the exact quoted speeches during the story; it is grounds of J.R.R Tolkien. No profit is being made of this and it is strictly for pleasure reading.
Previous: "Guys…" Thorn whined. "Argh…." Stupid stuck up, egotistical, big-headed, annoying Elf!! "Fine! If you are too immature to have a decent conversation…then goodnight!" And with that Thorn pushed herself up to leave the campfire to these raving lunatics. "Idiots…." she huffed.
However, as Thorn let down her hair next to her sleeping bag and the raven locks came down smoothly, she let a small smile play on her lips...she was supposed to be here no matter what. She just had to make it evolve.
Several days had already passed since the campfire night and the peculiar party was making its way steadily onward. Only a few days ago, while the party was resting comfortably in a near open field save a few projecting boulders had the impassively large flock of black crows come to visit. They had come in a huge swarm almost, blanketing the sky with light wings that spoke darkness even to the daylight itself. Sam and Aragorn had been taking watch that afternoon while the rest of the party rested. Thorn had not awoken to the strange sight although she now regretted it; but heard more from Sam with a gentle prod.
Now the company was moving at a steady pace along a more strewn path than before. A thin wisp of dark cloud seemed to hover in the unwavering sky wherever the party went along with their day's trek. Thorn could now see all too clearly the tall snow-drifted peaks of the Misty Mountains. No doubt the Fellowship had traveled up the treacherous trail in the book…but Thorn had resolved to make right the mistakes that could take precious time and blood from the Fellowship. However, was the trail of the Misty Mountain crucial in a time factor for this plot? Did it matter?
I said I would fix mistakes just like Boromir's…but is this something I should be meddling with? The Fellowship had gained nothing of their journey up to the foreboding mountains; but was there something Thorn couldn't see that they had supplied? The woman unconsciously pulled her cloak around her tighter; the air was getting cooler even at the base of the mountain. It was as Gandalf had said; winter followed them close behind.
The sun was high in the sky when the party halted with an air of decisiveness and Gandalf called their attention with the Ranger at his side. As if he were addressing Thorn's very troubles, the Wizard spoke on venturing up the High Pass in order to cross over the near impenetrable mountainside that separated the east and west side of Middle Earth. He voiced his concerns about the Red Gates being watched; realizing this may be so ever since the flock of black birds had come through the party's path.
No one seemed to disagree with either Wizard or Ranger's decision, but Thorn was biting her lip in indecisiveness. What did the Misty Mountains offer the Fellowship that it had to be crossed? It had killed time of course…but was that time that had to be killed. Did they need that passing gap in between in order not to meet up with some unseen force later on even not known to Tolkien himself? What was it that the Misty Mountains served in?
The Sindrian Elf was standing beside the woman so she turned simultaneously to him and asked, "do you think it wise?"
"To travel the High Pass?" he asked eyeing her with a detached interest.
"Mm."
He breathed slowly before replying, "I do not know. You are asking me to predict a future unseen to all of us here."
So he thinks.
"I cannot make that sort of judgment."
"But you can consider what we may have to bear if we attempt the High Pass," Thorn pointed out. Maybe if she Elf also agreed that this was no way to pass the Misty Mountains…that would further verify her intention of trying to turn the party around.
The Elf thought for a moment, but then said "I do not know. Whatever we may find in High Pass or the Red Gates should we change courses is what we shall have to deal with."
"But what happens if we can't get over the High Pass?" Thorn asked. "Shouldn't we think this over more carefully?"
"Look up at the Ranger there," Legolas pointed at which the woman promptly looked up. "Does he not have a forlorn expression?"
"Yea, I guess."
"Some things I may not entirely trust Aragorn with," explained Legolas, "such as cooking and sewing. But in navigating a safe path or in battle…I trust my friend with my life. He has stayed up many sleepless nights to think this through."
"How can you tell?"
"Aragorn takes the first watch many times. You do not think a man of his experience would simply sit idly and stare into the distance now do you? No…he has stayed up many nights to consider this, and I trust his judgment."
At this Thorn panicked. Legolas was trusting Aragorn almost completely with his life. Would their trust be severed if this didn't work? Which of course it wouldn't…but would something happen to the two that even Tolkien hadn't written on? "But what if he's wrong? What if we have to turn back because of Aragorn?"
Legolas smiled lightly despite the air of depression hanging about. "If we have to turn back then so be it. I have no way of knowing what is to come and neither do you."
"But didn't you just say you trusted him with your life to make the right decision?"
"Aragorn is only Human, and I only Elf. Neither can see the future and we will both make mistakes. If this is the wrong path then we do what we can with the situation. Mistakes can be fatal, but they are not always the case. Mistakes can offer many things Milady…sorrow, anguish, death, injuries are all aspects…but they can also give us knowledge and answers."
Thorn stared at the blond figure in wonder. She knew that Elves surpassed humans in just about everything…but never had she imagined Legolas could grasp something such as this in this small bit of time. Of course…that was what the Misty Mountains offered. Answers. They had turned around to the mines of Moria after braving Misty Mountains. The harsh climate and impassable certainty of the mountainside had left no wavering doubt that the mines were indeed their route to take. Even if they could save time by not traveling up to the High Pass, any doubt at all could be all that the Party was lacking to falter long enough for an Orc to cut them through. Oh Tolkien…how wise you are.
"Then we have no objections?" Gandalf asked, eyeing Thorn and Legolas in the back of the group.
No one said anything and the silence had an air of decisiveness about. They would take the High Pass to brave the Misty Mountains. Better over than under right? Right.
Each member of the group had wrapped a faggot to carry up in case a fire was needed; an excellent idea of Boromir. At first the ideas in Thorn's mind had kept her optimistic. The climbing wasn't so bad. The cloak would keep everyone warm and they would just scurry up and then back down again when things didn't go well, right? What a funny thought.
Gradually over time, the terrain had not only grown steeper and rockier to a point that other paths were necessary to locate in order for the hobbits to pass through, but it had also gotten colder. A lot colder.
A freezing wind had whipped up and where snow had not been before, it lay now. The winter was no longer behind them, it was upon them. Flecks of ice were carried by the wind and lodged themselves into Thorn's warm cloak; impossible to remove lest she open her cloak to shake it out, only allowing in more snow. The light soled boots she wore were no where near enough protection and the cold chain-mail skirt seemed to seep in every bit of the winter storm and throw its miserable burden upon Thorn.
The woman had long since drawn her hood up for protection, but what little it offered seemed minimal. Snow whipped about her face and her cheeks were completely numbed out. She had thrown her hands into her cloak and stuffed them in her armpits to keep them from going numb as well. Snow was miserable. Snow was stupid. Snow was pointless. At least right now it seemed like it.
The four little hobbits seemed to be in the same fix she was. They were shorter and seemed to be collecting the snow rather than blowing it off. At this rate, they would turn into little walking mounds of ice.
Thorn kept her head down most of the trek, trying to keep the cold off of her face. She glanced up briefly and saw Aragorn yelling something. The wind was so fierce it seemed to steal the Ranger's very words away. She made a motion with her stricken hands for him to speak up, but nothing reached the woman's ears. Aragorn pointed forward again, and motioned a few more times, his mouth still moving. She looked sideways at him, a bit curious but too cold to care what he could be talking about. At least that was what she thought.
The snow had been building and building; and this part of the mountain higher up seemed to be blotted out with gigantic moving white puffs of snow. This forced visibility to a minimum. She probably would have been better off stuck in a gigantic library at three in the morning with no lights and blindfolded in one eye. Still, no use for hopeless dreams right? Right. Stupid storm. Burning in hell had never seemed so appealing.
Just then there was a sudden change in wind direction as they changed from two crossing brutal gusts to on powerful blowing force; putting the party upwind. And that was when the Ranger's voice reached her for the first time as the wind whipped the sound to her ears.
"Go….fercound…..I uncnt get futo youg…..dipth!"
That was perceptible. So completely, totally understandable. But there was no need for translation for the young woman. Sometimes actions really did speak louder than words. Apparently as Thorn soon started making out in that terribly split second of falling, "fercound" was meant to be "around and "dipth" was maybe "ditch."
The snow had blown up much debris around the area and there were ditches and crevices around the mountainside. Part of the bank had apparently fallen in and Thorn had slipped on a patch of nearly invisible snow and ice; propelling her forward in a slide-like fashion. The slope wasn't too terribly steep, but it was iced over as one may imagine in extreme cold. As the young woman picked her sodden self up from the ground, she looked up only to be met with a blanket of ice and snow blowing this was and that above her head. Oh sure, storms were bad. Snow-storms were even worse. A blizzard meant you were about dead deer-meat. But now Thorn understood she wasn't in a storm at all. Neither was she in a snow-storm or blizzard. At least not in any of those things by themselves. She was in a white-out. Stuck in a ditch fifty feet from the others. And not immortal.
A/N: There is the next chapter then! It took me so very long to update. I was being lazy I suppose and my life has sort of been dominating. I really don't know exactly what to do next, but I will try my best to make it a non-gushy-morphed-up-sappy-piece-of-love-crap. Right? Right. Now please believe in me, press the shiny review button so I know you are all with me here. Please? Thank you.
Friend's Thoughts:
Tess: So how did the all-nighter go?
Deborah: It was pretty fun I guess. I am just really tired.
Tess: Did you pull it off with all the guys?
Deborah: Huh? Oh yea. Uh-huh.
Tess: Did you sleep with them?
Deborah: What!? You're sick.
Tess: Did you?
Deborah: Fell asleep on top of the covers at five in the morning until Nory threw a glove at me and screamed there was a spider on my face.
Tess: 0.o Oh my Deborah!
Deborah: Don't be stupid. It was for like five minutes.
Tess: -gasp- so you like to do it fast.
Deborah: ….what's wrong with you!
Tess: I understand you wanted to move onto the others quickly.
Deborah: You're sick. And stupid….and….I'm not talking to you anymore.