Hope - A Lord Of The Rings Chronicle

What a Dwarf Needs

We float on the river, for the rest of the day. Leaving Legolas and Gimli plenty of time time to laugh and jest with each other, causing me to nickname them: "The Old Married Couple."

When my stomach started growling, Legolas faced me with a grin. I shrugged a little forlornly, mumbling a sorry.

Another groan, this time louder.

"What?" Gimli says "I didn't have breakfast. And if there is one thing a dwarf needs..."

'Here we go again'

Legolas shares a look with me, sighing.

Throughout the ENTIRE journey, we have heard constantly: "and if there is one thing a dwarf needs."

In fact, Gimli used to say it so often, that once Gandalf snapped at him and said.

"Gimli, if you tell me one more time what a dwarf needs, someone that has walked with your father and his father, there shall henceforth be no more dwarves."

I didn't really believe Gandalf could dot that, but Gimli kept quiet in silent protest all the same.
"Is a good breakfast." Gimli finishes
I groaned.
"Don't be looking at me like that!" Gimli says "That's how we dwarves build up our strength see." He looks to me with an excited grin "Nothing like a bit of salted pork and malt beer to start your day."

When he looks back across the water, I roll my eyes and Legolas laughs at me. It's hard to stop a smirk forming on my face
"But what have we got to eat?" I ask aloud. Gimli's head turns back to me.
"Well, let's see." Legolas answers "Gimli."

Gimli's head drops down between his legs and he pulls out a green bag underneath the bench we're sitting on. Inside, he finds a small pack of Lembas bread.
"Ugh." He says disgusted, before throwing it back in.
"Wait!" I say to him "I want to try it."
"Really?"
"Yes." I nod

Shrugging, Gimli pulls out the bread covered
I open the packet, break off a small piece, before holding it my lips.
"I don't expect it'll do you much good lass," Gimli begins "Growing girls like you have got to keep up their strength."

Still, I take small bite. And chew. And chew. The two watch me, waiting for my reaction.

As I go on chewing, a smile forms on my face.
"This is the best thing I ever tasted!" I say, covering my mouth. "And..." I  chew and swallow. My stomach begins to growl but when its stopped I can tell the Lembas has hit my stomach. I hold it, peering down "I'm suddenly stuffed. Here try some." I hold it out to Gimli
"No thanks, I'm fine." He waves me off and I hand it to Legolas who already has an arm outstretched. He takes a bite, and then relaxes, as his stomach is no longer craving anything.
"You have to try this Gimli." He tells him holding it out "Its good."
"No thanks," The dwarf replies stubbornly "I don't know how I'd hold with all that elven stuff. What I need is a good big bone of pork. Yes." He sighs, rummaging through the bag and producing some meat wrapped up in paper "Trouble is, we don't have anywhere to cook it."

He puts it back despondently and Legolas hands him back the Lembas. Gimli eventually settles on an apple, but I can tell he does so with great misgivings and jealousy when he sees how relaxed the Lembas has made us.

We continue to flow down the river, passing onto a larger branch on the Anduin River beneath towering cliff, my legs are stretched out in front of me, a little numb from sitting in the boat for hours. We float down the river lazily, before out of nowhere,  Legolas stops rowing and looks outward toward the cliffs and the forests above
"What is it?" I ask him. He looks at me concernedly, with a small reassuring smile, before staring back at the forest fiercely. I look across the water to see Aragorn and Boromir doing so too, worried looks upon their faces.