An Unlikely Pair *LOTR FanFic*

Chapter 11: Storytime

The Fellowship crossed a bridge, they made sure to step quickly but quietly as Gandalf had warned them. He told them, "Quietly, now. It's a four day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence will go unnoticed." For three days did they go unnoticed, except for one particular creature who had been following them ever since they entered the mines, Gollum.

They all stopped when the path split into three passages, each leading down into dark tunnels. Gandalf frowned, "I have no memory of this place." Celeste groaned in annoyance from where she sat on Dur's shoulders. Gandalf looked at all three passages not saying anything. Everyone slowly sat down to wait. Durmragha but the young girl down and she could feel the tension in his arms.

"Dur? Is everything alright?"

"Dark. Evil. Don't like." The orc seemed to shiver and Celeste looked at him really worried down.

"Is it the ring? Or is it because we've been down here for so long with no sun?" Celeste really hoped it was later, because they would soon be outside again.

"Don't know." Dur answered honestly. They haven't been able to sleep away from the group because of how dangerous this place was, so Dur had been around the Ring for three days straight and the smell of evil and sickness was thick in the air.

"Just hold on a little longer okay? We're almost out." Celeste kissed Durmragha's hand and smiled up at him. He smiled back down at her. He didn't have enough knowledge of English to tell the elemental that he didn't need to be outside to see the sun, because she was always the light in the darkness of his heart. All he could was simply pat her on the head and smile.

"Are we lost?" Pippin asked Merry, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

"No. I don't think we are. Shhhh, Gandalf's thinking." Merry answered staring intently at the old wizard who sat on a rock staring at the three hallways.

"Merry!" Pippin whined.

"What?" Merry sounded slightly annoyed, but there was most care in his voice.

"I'm hungry." Pippin complained and Merry rolled his eyes.

Celeste laughed a little, "We all are Pippin."

"Less, can you do some fire magic again? At least to entertain me. Pleeeaassee." Pippin asked. Aragorn, Boromir, and Legolas all had torches thanks to Celeste. Once she had recovered a small a bit of strength on that first day she was able to get one torch lit, then the other two held their torches to the first one to light theirs.

"No, Celeste should save her strength. We could run into the enemy at any moment." Legolas argued, just as Frodo seemed to stand up startled and quickly moved over to Gandalf whispering to him. The only thing Celeste could make out of was that they were talking about something called, 'Gollum.'

"Oh come on! It's soooo boring just sitting here. If I can't eat then I want to be entertained." Pippin replied.

"There are other ways to be entertained." Legolas said slightly annoyed that the Hobbit didn't seem to care about the young girl's well being and just wanted to be entertained.

"Like what?" Merry asked, coming to the defense of his best friend and he also wanted to see Celeste do a little magic as well.

"I could tell you a story," Celeste offered, "a story my mother always told me. It's about how my Kingdom was created."

"Oh yes! I wanna learn more about you Less!" Pippin agreed and excitedly sat in front of her along with Merry.

"I don't think I've heard this one." Legolas said and joined the hobbits on the floor. Aragorn, Boromir, Gimli, and Sam made their way over as well causing Celeste to laugh at the sight off all those grown men sitting on the ground in front of her. Frodo and Gandalf were having their own conversation so they were not going to join. And as always, Dur is right next to his small companion.