Where do I belong? A Legolas Love Story

chapter 6 Death in the Company

A/N: I have updated the previous chapters. Nothing much has changed so if you don't want to go back and reread them you don't have too. You just find out a little more about Arathina and her life so far.

Chapter Six

We moved on. We followed more thin ledges where we had to walk single file. We climbed some steep steps, crossed a walkway to get to more steep steps. On our third flight of steep steps, Pippin slid onto Merry. "Pippin!" Merry whispered exasperated pushing Pippin back up. I couldn't really say I was surprised they slipped. The stairs were so steep that even Legolas was bent over almost crawling to get up them.

Boromir who was in front of lost his footing and lost a hold of his shield. I managed to catch it as it slid down his back. I quickly tied it to my pack and kept climbing. Boromir looked at me as I went by him. "As soon as we are off of these accursed stairs I will return your shield," I said quietly. I saw him nod out of the corner of my eye but he seemed uncertain. "Anything you would like to ask me Boromir, I did say you could ask me some questions after we were moving again." I kept my voice low so that I didn't give away our position.

"You said you taught yourself how to fight, how?" he too kept his voice low and quiet.

"I read a lot of books on fighting styles, took some classes on self-defense and some of those classes involved a blade. And like I said lots of hard work." After a moment's silence, I continued, "I learned as much as I could and practiced as much as I could. I knew I would need those skills. Though I didn't get a chance to use them until now." Everyone was silent after that, giving away that they had been listening.

We finally reached the top of the stairs and were faced with three archways. Gandalf paused looking at them, unsure as we joined him. "I have no memory of this place," he said moving ahead of us. He sat down on a rock above us and lit his pipe. I wasn't sure that was the best idea, but I said nothing. I sat down and pulled my pack off of my back and untied Boromir's shield.

After I had it untied I walked over to him, "Boromir, here," I said holding out his shield.

"Thank you," he said taking it from me. I went back and sat down next to Aragorn. I settled in next to him and leaned against him. "What else did you teach yourself?" Boromir asked just barely above a whisper.

"All the languages of middle earth and how to use a bow," I replied. I didn't give the full truth, I had taught myself how to walk, talk, write, read, draw, cook, sew, treat a wound, sharpen a blade, how to find north, how to find water in the woods, and hundreds of other things.

"There's a lot more isn't there?" Dad asked. I just nodded wishing for a topic change, thankfully Merry and Pippin did that for me.

"Merry, are we lost?"

"No," Merry replied.

"Hush Gandalf's thinking," Sam said in a whisper that was meant to be a yell.

"I think we are," Pippin said. All was silent for a moment before Pippin spoke again. "Merry?" Pippin asked.

"What?" Merry almost snapped.

"I'm hungry."

"We all are Pippin," I replied. A hobbit that was used to six full meals a day would be hungry. I was hungry just because of all the walking, but it didn't bother me. I had gone almost two weeks without food before, not just because the family I was with was poor, but because they saw taking food away as a punishment. They also wanted more food for themselves, making them fat and lazy. That was why I was so thin, my ribs stuck out of my body like some kind of sick raised art. I took out my water and took a drink and offered it to dad and he took it.