Sword and Arrow

Chapter 11

"It's cold," Pippin complained, rubbing his hands together. He moved as close to the fire as he could and wrapped his cloak righter around him.

"Hey," Beruthiel scolded, holding out her arm. "Not that close to the fire."

The hobbit sighed. "Yes, mother."

"And don't call me mother."

"Face it," Aragorn said with a grin, though himself also shivering. "You're the mother of the Fellowship."

"What does that make Gandalf?" Boromir spoke up, also huddled around the bright fire. "The grandfather?"

"You can't talk," Legolas said. "You're literally the hobbits' father."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"I most certainly am not!"

"Face the facts, redhead." Aragorn made a face at him. "Don't even try to deny it."

"Stop flirting and kiss already," Beruthiel complained. "You two are killing me with that tension."

"Flirting?" Boromir said with confusion. He looked at Aragorn, who shrugged, then back at Beruthiel. "We're not flirting!"

Beruthiel glanced at Legolas. "Suuuure," they said in unison.

"Wildcat?" Merry complained. "I'm bored."

Beruthiel sighed. "Why are you complaining to me?"

"Because you're the only one who won't snap at me," he said with a shrug.

"I don't know!" Beruthiel said, throwing her hands up in the air. "Just... figure something out. I'm too busy being cold."

Aragorn laughed and put his arm around her, pulling her close. She rested her head on his shoulder. "I've asked you many times," he said, leaning down so his forehead nearly touched hers. "Do you want my cloak?"

"No!" she exclaimed. "I don't want you to be cold. And — and it's not even that cold," she stuttered.

Aragorn raised an eyebrow. Impressive eyebrows, Boromir noted, then looked away before he blushed. "Ruth, we're in the middle of a blizzard," he said matter-of-factly. "With nothing but a cliff for shelter, I think it is very cold."

"Exactly! And I don't want you to be cold!"

Aragorn sighed and rested his cheek on her head. "If you're bored, we can play some sort of a game..." he suggested.

"Let's play truth or dare!" Pippin said with a mischievous grin and a glance at Merry, who nodded enthusiastically.

Boromir frowned. "What is that?"

"It's a game," Merry explained, bubbling with excitement. "Where you ask a person for a truth or a dare. If he says truth, then you ask him a question and he has to answer honestly. If he says dare, you get to give him a dare and he has to do it."

Boromir swallowed. "Let's do it."

"Excellent. Who starts?"

"Me," Gandalf said from the corner. "Pippin, truth or dare?"

"Dare," the youngest hobbit answered with a dazzling grin.

The wizard sighed. "Then I dare you to stay completely silent for ten minutes."

Beruthiel laughed at Pippin's look of indignation. "Sorry Pip," she called. "That's why you don't let the wizard have the first chance. Who's next?"

"Pip would be," Merry said. "But since he can't talk at the moment, I'll do it." He looked around the circle, then paused at Legolas. "Legolas, truth or dare?