Pierced

Cold Whispers

Frodo wakes up one night while Cassia is keeping watch and he comes and sits next to her. He looks cold and sad so Cassia takes her cloak and wraps it around him allowing him to lean against her as she tells him stories of the stars until he falls back asleep.

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1- The Fellowship of the Ring

2- Cassia, Frodo

3- from the mind of the author

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Elves lived forever and with that came the ability to go many days without needing to rest. this did not mean Cassia could not sleep each night but if she were to find herself needing to stay up for extended periods of time, she could stay up for three days and nights without feeling the effects of exhaustion or weakness. Legolas was like this as well of course, that is why the two of them were the ones who traded off nights to keep watch. Sometimes Aragorn would join the night watch if he felt unsafe but this night was not one of those nights. Legolas would also join her in her nights to keep watch sometimes and she would join him on his nights to watch but he had been awake for nearly two whole days and she insisted that he rest for the night.

tonight the sky was clear and the fellowship were deeply sleeping after a long day of walking. a few hours ago she helped the camp get comfortable and tucked some of the hobbits in for bed. when Legolas had seen her tuck Merry and Pippin in for bed he insisted that he be given the same treatment. 

she went over to Legolas once everyone was settled down and knelt down next to him. he was sitting up only half covered by a thin blanket with an adorable smile on his face as if she had just fallen for a trick he played on her. she merely kissed his forehead and pushed him down so that his head was resting on his pillow. she pulled the blanket all the way over him even over his head and he began laughing as she walked away to her lookout post on a large boulder.

she smiled on her post as she remembered the events of a few hours ago. she was not facing the group but she glanced back at them still smiling. Legolas was fast asleep and had covered his head so that the moon would not reflect on his hair and create a distraction for others when it was already hard to rest out here.

she turned back around and looked back up at the stars and the moon but only a few minutes later, she heard rustling behind her. if it was Legolas she would have to get up from her post and physically force him to go back to bed or she would have to deal with him holding on to her for the rest of the night insisting that she was a better pillow than his own.

small paddling footsteps could be heard climbing the boulder she was perched upon and she then knew it couldn't have been Legolas. 

Cassia reached back with an outstretched hand without looking and she could feel two small hands wrap around her hand using it as leverage to climb the rest of the boulder. Frodo came into view only a few moments later and the little Hobbit sat next to the elf comfortably. he looked cold and sad.

she could not feel the cold herself but she knew it had to be chilly for the little ones so she took her arm and cloak and wrapped them around the little hobbit. he seemed to melt comfortably in the embrace and scooted closer to her.

"what troubles you tonight, Frodo?" Cassia asked as she looked down at the hobbit that she had her arm wrapped around.

Frodo looked up at her for a moment before looking down again. "i cannot sleep. it plagues my dreams and haunts my thoughts." he said quietly.

"sit with me now, i have much warmth to give to your chilled heart." she said and he looked up at her again for a moment before taking a shaky inhale.

"you are the first to offer me sympathy instead of encouragement." he said.

Cassia brought her hand to the side of the hobbits face and moved it to face her as she made eye contact with him. "if ever you need someone to hug you instead of tell you that you are doing well, you can come to me and i will embrace you." she said and then she pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"may i have a hug now?" he asked and instead of replying she wrapped both her arms around the little one and squeezed him gently. his arms wrapped around her and she rested the side of her head on top of his as he held on to her tightly. hopefully this embrace would give him the strength he needed for the time being. 

Cassia hugged Frodo for a few more minutes until he decided that the hug had gone on long enough and he no longer wished to be wrapped in her arms. he let go and she allowed him to lay against her as they both looked up at the stars.

"shall i tell you a tale of the stars?" Cassia asked Frodo.

"yes, please." he replied.

Cassia began telling Frodo a story of the stars as he leaned against her and quickly fell asleep. she heard rustling behind her as she continued to tell her story and she paused to turn around and see that Aragorn had awoken with a look of concern on his face. 

Aragorn tilted his head in question and Cassia moved her cloak to show the hobbit that she was keeping warm beside her. Aragorn nodded and then laid back down allowing Cassia to continue her watch as she comforted Frodo in his restful state.