In the Shadows I Stay

Chapter Nine - Late night Heat to Hearts

The last note of the song trailed off and I wiped away the stray tears that had managed to fall when I heard the light tread of an elf, a Mirkwood elf to be exact.

"Do you know what I find unfair?" I asked gazing at the stars not waiting for an answer "The fact you hate me for what my mother did, not what I did" I shook my head I needed to tell him this and I was on a roll.

"It's like you hating Frodo because Bilbo help Thorin and his company out of your dungeons. It's like you blaming Aragorn for Isildur's mistake. You hating Gimli for... Actually no that's a bad example, it's like me hating you because your father banished me and my mother and indirectly killed her" I glared at the glittering constellations and lay down. Legolas sat beside me.

"So you don't?" He asked "You don't despise me?" I shook my head.

"Well I do, but not as much as I despise your father. And I certainly don't hate you for what he did, just for the reason you gave me" I turned my head to look at him, for a moment he looked a bit crestfallen "You should sleep" I told him gently "I have a feeling we won't have much time for it soon" He nodded then stood up.

"Are you not going to come back?" He asked, I shook my head in return and mumbled under my breath "I need to think" He padded off slowly and I began to hum again, slowly slipping into the void of deep sleep.

When I awoke I was covered with a cloak that I recognized as Legolas's and back in the place I first fell asleep. I placed it aside and with a glance at the Fellowship I trotted out of the tent and began to run, phasing into my wolf form once I was out of sight.

"ELBERETH!" I heard Aragorn yell, I had been running for a while and was hardly tired.

"ELBERETH, IT'S TIME TO LEAVE!" Gimli bellowed I ran towards them skidding to a stop by the edge of a river, narrowly dodging a shower of arrows that were sent my way I morphed back into my elf form and held up my hands, eyes wild.

"Easy, it's just me... just me" I said Aragorn handed me a green cloak adorned with a leaf of Lorethian, I threw it over my shoulders and buckled it up.

"Shall we take our leave?" I asked sweetly jumping into the nearest boat.

I sat with Legolas and Gimli while Pippin and Merry were in the boat beside me, with Aragon paddling, I heard a howl echo over the water, grinning I threw back my head and howled in return, upon the reply of the pack I heard a howl of one particular wolf, one I had told to go home, I snarled scaring the dwarf that sat behind me.

"El, you don't mind me calling you El do you?" Pippin asked I shook my head before turning my gaze upon the young Hobbit "What are the wolves you travel with?" He asked again I gazed up to the cliff and saw a shadow flit between the bushes.

"The wolves of Hasidurir were once the protectors of the land, the guardians of middle-earth killing the Orcs and other foul beasts that roamed the land keeping the balance between good and evil until then it started with the forging of the rings. One by one the free lands of Middle-Earth fell to the power of the ring, but there were some who resisted. A last alliance of Men, Elves and the Wolves marched upon the armies of Mordor and on the slopes of Mount Doom they fought for the freedom of Middle-Earth."

"Once the enemy was defeated the Wolves of Hasidurir were no longer needed and they went back to the mountain of Hasidurir, waiting for a time when they may yet be needed again, a hunting party had been sent out to ensure the safety of Isildur.

"But when they were attacked by Orcs the soldiers mistaking the wolves for Wargs killed them. None of the company survived the attack, the fear for the Wargs of Hasidurir became known, hunts were put in place and the pack realised they were no longer safe in the valley of their ancestors, they fled and became the Wandering Wargs, for a hundred generations they wandered, avoiding civilization and slowly being picked off by the occasional band of soldiers, then I came, a thousand years ago, I had just closed my mother's eyes for the last time and I had no will left to live, I lay under a rocky outcrop for three days before anything happened"

"Then Celia found me and took me in, and I was labelled their protector..." I finished smiling at the two curious Hobbits beside me, Isha howled, warning me of an enemy, everyone could hear the warning edge behind her howl and looked around uneasily.

We pulled onto the river bank as the sun began to farewell the sky and made camp near a large oak tree with splayed branches. The pack emerged from the trees and curled up around the campsite, Nokra and Lanfe were snuggled up against the two mischievous Hobbits, namely Pippin and Merry. Sam leant against Rafele.

Sash had found both Boromir and Aragorn close together and had promptly splayed over their chests. Faron and Jehia were curled around each other, Faron's snout laid protectively over Jehia's head. Kopas, Sash's litter mate opposite Legolas, back straight, they were locked in a battle of wits, Kopas trying to express his dominance over the Ellon before him. Isha sat above me on a rock watching over her new pack mates.

In the morning we tumbled back into the boats and pushed off down the river.

Soon we passed giant statues, and in turn our destination, I jumped out and ran up to greet my pack before phasing and scouting around the area. Isha had smelt a strange smell of vinegar and mud.

Upon reaching the shore again I was met with the sight of the company tracking Frodo and Boromir into the forest, I ran back to where I had seen him, my pack on my heels.

"You are not yourself" I heard Frodo say when I was in hearing range.

"What chance do you think you have? They will find you they will take the ring and you will beg for death before the end!" Boromir said before a stagnant pause filled the air, even now there were no birds or insects, unsettled I ran faster towards Frodo "Fool" I heard Boromir yell. There was a whole lot of mumbling and thrashing as I got closer. I reached the clearing where Boromir sat mumbling into thin air as leaves rustled past him "I have seen your mind..." I ran over phasing as I went, I grabbed Boromir by his collar and threw him against a tree.

"Frodo?" He whimpered as his head hit the tree.

"Soora ho" (Follow him) I told Faron "go!"