A Second Chance

A Second Chance Part 7

"Time to go Finley," a warm voice washes over me and I open my eyes to see a blurry face before me.

"Fin," I say in a rough voice, still thick with sleep, "call me Fin," I clarify after a second my vision clearing slightly to see a smiling Legolas crouching over me.

"Come on Fin, we must move," he grins and I smile back before getting up with a little groan and a shiver. Another thing they don't let you know in those stories is how bloody cold and uncomfortable it is sleeping in your clothes on the ground day after day, week after week and yes, okay, so it may very well seem like common sense but when you are concentrating on finding love and comfort and family those little details fall by the wayside. That is until you are living through it of course.

"How long will it take do you think?" one of the hobbits asks and I stifle a giggle at their childlike ways.

"Finle... Fin, are you well?" Legolas asks from beside me and I glance up at him smiling a little and nodding.

"I am fine thank you," I say despite the fact that I was already feeling a tension building within me.

"Are you sure? You look very pale," he continues and I smile slightly wider at him to try and show him just how fine I was.

"Yes, just a little cold," I lie and although I still think he does not believe me and I have a nasty suspicion he is talking to Aragorn about me too as we head off with me trailing behind.

Every step we take towards the mines increases my anxiety and by the time we reach the lake and the great expanse of rock my entire body is practically humming with it, my breath shaky as I attempt to control it and get a handle on my feelings.

"What is wrong nessa er (young one)?" Aragorn asks as he approaches where I have seated myself as far from the water as possible.

"I do not like this place," I whisper to him trying my best to tell him with my eyes what I know I cannot tell him with words as I stare up at him.

"Something is to happen here?" he asks although it sounds more like a statement and I nearly sob out loud feeling tears prickle at the back of my eyes.

"Yes," I choke out eventually.

"But you cannot say anything?" I shake my head at him feeling myself visibly begin to shake as he crouches before me his hands taking mine making me realise several things all at once. Firstly his hands are freaking huge compared to mine, in fact that is one thing the stories got right, the men here are massive all of them well over 6 feet tall. Secondly, the warmth that spreads through me at this action causes a strange sensation to pass through me as does the look Legolas is shooting us and thirdly, this is the first time that I truly begin to believe that my wildest fantasies may actually be coming true and these people were beginning to care at least a tiny bit for me.

"Think nessa er, is there anything you can say that will not alter the future too drastically?" he is speaking urgently and I am suddenly aware that Legolas is standing close beside us looking down and listening intently and I glance up at him tears swimming in my eyes until his hand reaches out and grasps my shoulder. The strangest sensation rushes through me as both these men try to offer me comfort and I feel stronger than I had since I arrived here and safer too even though I knew that I was in greater danger than I had ever been and I would probably be dead within the next week, if I lasted that long, I swallow hard before looking up again.

"Beware of the water and watch Frodo," I say eventually and they both nod knowing I think, finally, that I wanted to tell them far more than I could.

"You are safe with us Fin, we will let no harm come to you," Legolas says quietly as Aragorn steps away to speak to Pippin and Merry as they throw rocks into the water and I can see that whilst he is speaking to me his eyes are still on Aragorn the strangest expression on his face.

"You must focus on Frodo not me, I will be okay and if I am not, it will be of no consequence," I mutter and he turns to me now.

"I would not be so sure of that," he replies before moving off himself to speak with Boromir and Gimli.

I sit for a while trying my best to calm my breathing and at the same time as go over every detail that I could remember of what was to come, there were two major problems with this though, I wasn't a great fan of heights and I was terrified of the dark. Okay so the fact that I knew exactly what was waiting for us in there terrified me even more.

"Fin... come," Legolas' voice is gentle as he wakes me from my daydreaming and gestures towards the now open entrance to the mines.

"Soon, master elf..." Gimli begins and I gulp and hesitate in my steps as the pounding of my heart stops me from hearing the rest.

"This is no mine it is a tomb," Boromir cries suddenly and the wave of fear and sickness that washes over me accompanied by the smell, that's one thing that was never mentioned in the stories either, is so toxic and consuming that it takes everything within me not to gag but I am powerless to stop my knees from buckling.

"Finley," Aragorn and Legolas both cry darting towards me but I push them away immediately.

"Frodo," I gasp out a second before we hear Sam's cry and then there is just a blur of movement and noise around me until I feel arms wrap around my middle and half lift me as they drag me into the cave and a sudden fear grips me.

"No, we can't go inside," I scream out the arms temporarily loosening as I flail around in my panic but it is too late the walls are caving in and the darkness is so complete that my panic only increases, "please," I plead a flash of embarrassment rushing through me as I realise that tears are coursing down my cheeks, "please, we have to find a way out, we cannot go on if we do..."

"Finley, stop!" Gandalf's voice is firm and Legolas appears in front of me a second later.

"But Gandalf..." I start again before he shakes his head, moving closer until only Aragorn, Legolas and I are within earshot of him.

"They must be told nothing," he whispers an almost frantic tone to his voice which seems to shock even Legolas.

"But..." I try again the tears still running down my face making my voice stutter and falter.

"They will understand," he says and I shake my head more sobs wracking my body for I knew they wouldn't, not really and I knew that Gandalf knew he was to die here.

"Come tarien (princess), I do not like the darkness either but we shall be strong together," Legolas says gently and even through my haze of fear and panic I do not miss the look that passes between he and Aragorn.

"Let us move, it is a four day walk to the other side and there are deeper and darker things than goblins in these mines, let us hope that our presence goes unnoticed," Gandalf says now and I feel another shudder of apprehension and fear roll through me before I feel a hand at my back and another press itself into mine. I let out a little gasp as I see Aragorn standing beside me, his huge hand encasing mine gently and squeezing it reassuringly as Legolas stands on my other side his fingers splayed out across my lower back spreading warmth through me.

"Thank you," I stutter to them as we begin to move.