Wild | Aragorn | On Hiatus

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Everyone had been given fresh travelling clothes, and Bill had been loaded up with all their provisions. He was much stronger now than when they left Bree, and happier too.

The Fellowship was ready to go, they were just waiting for Aragorn.

Weapons were sharpened, and repaired. Nínimiel refused to part with her worn sword, so new ones were given to her. She was also given a set of small knives, ones that could both be thrown or used in very close combat. They were beautiful, with thin blades and delicate white handles.

Their path had been carefully planned, with a back up and a back up for the back up. They had gone over it again and again, and once more whilst they waited for Aragorn.

He suddenly appeared behind her, and Nínimiel tensed at the sudden presence that she hadn't heard coming. But she soon realised who it was, in the way the ranger behind her held himself and made very little noise.

"The ring bearer is setting out on a quest to Mt. Doom. On you who go with him, no oath or bond is laid to go further than you will. Farewell. Hold to your purpose, and may the blessings of elves, and men, and all the free folk go with you."

With Elrond's goodbye over, there was a moment of silence where the party took one last look at Rivendell before they went on the journey of a lifetime.

"The fellowship awaits the ring bearer."

Frodo turned, and was the first to leave Rivendell. Then, one by one, the fellowship filed out of Rivendell. Nínimiel lingered, sensing that Aragorn handy moved. She turned and saw him looking at an elleth. A beautiful elleth that she had seen with him a few times. Her face was sad, but her eyes were more than that. Sad, longing, perhaps even desperate, concerned too. Nínimiel saw another emotion that she could not name, and Aragorn clutched at a pendant as he returned the gaze, before he too turned to leave.

The walk was quiet for the first day, but then that night, when the fellowship sat around a fire, the conversation finally started.

"So where is Gondor?"

Pippin had never spent much time studying maps that weren't of the Shire, and so wanted to know where in the world the steward's son was from. Merry rolled his eyes, and Gandalf passed him the map. Nínimiel peered over at it as Merry showed his cousin, and her fingers traced the routes she'd walked in the air.

"I did not know...it was Gondor. But I've been there, wandered through."

Aragorn was not surprised, and neither was Gandalf, but every other member of the fellowship hadn't expected the quiet elleth to have travelled so far. Pippin asked about where else she had been, and though Nínimiel did not know the names of the places, she tried her best to describe them for the hobbits she'd grown so fond of. Ignoring the watchful eyes of those she didn't know, she began to try and tell them of her travels.

"A land of rolling hills, of small villages and horses. I like it there. I wish to go and see the people, as they treat the horses as equals. The one place where animals are treated as such. I've been through ancient forests, and a golden one too. Over mountains, down streams...and a big lake..."

She trailed off, her brows furrowed as she stared into space, trying to remember why she had been there. Someone poked her, and she came out of her daze, but refused to talk anymore. The hobbits didn't think much of it as they knew her to not be terribly chatty, but those that didn't know her today or at all were thoroughly confused. Many thought she was being rude, and Gimli muttered something about her self entitlement. Those that knew her as she was now brushed it off.