Bring Me With Her

One Bad Thing After Another

Leaving Lothlorien was a blur to Talia. She remembered brief farewells from Lady Galadriel, and the next thing she knew, the fellowship was split up into three boats sailing off for who knows how long. As they were floating on the water, Talia's mind began to wander as she stared at the glass vile that was given to her. The young woman didn't even know what it was she had been given at the time, she could only look into what looked like liquid light. The Elf lord and lady had supplied the entire fellowship with green cloaks, food, and gifts. They had even been generously given the three boats to avoid being easily tracked by the enemy.

Talia remembered looking down at herself in the cloak, thinking that she probably looked a bit ridiculous with her letterman jacket underneath, but her thoughts disappeared as she received her gift from Lady Galadriel. "Farewell, Talisa Russo." she had said. "I give you the light of Earendil, our most beloved star." Talia couldn't get her voice out of her head as they sailed away, holding on to the hope that her last words were true. "May it be a light for you in dark places, when all other lights go out."

She couldn't look back. She couldn't allow herself to think that her time in Lothlorien was the last time and place that she would feel...safe. Talia knew that they were heading into more danger, and the little chat that she had with Galadriel the other night had not been forgotten. The young woman knew what would happen to the fellowship eventually. She just didn't know when, and she didn't even want to think about it. How was she supposed to do this, especially after...?

Talia's thoughts were interrupted when she heard the sound of mumbling. She looked up to see Dwalin looking down, and his lips moving. The young woman couldn't help but smirk when she caught him saying something about how he took his last look at that which is fairest. Talia blinked at that. Did he mean...?

"So what was it?" she found herself asking, causing Dwalin to turn his head and face her with furrowed eyebrows. "What was her gift to you, Dwalin? I know she gave you one." Talia smirked. The warrior narrowed his eyes even further at her question.

"Why don't you take to your own business, lassie?" he challenged, bringing a giggle from Talia.

"Awe, Dwalin, are you secretly a romantic and you're just not telling us?" The young woman bit her lip as many of the Dwarves began to snicker. She had a feeling that she'd be getting the silent treatment from Dwalin for the next month or two.

The fellowship stopped on a small piece of land for the night. The sun went down quickly as they built a fire and prepared food. Talia was sitting quietly by the fire when she managed to pick up what was probably supposed to be a private conversation. She would've left it alone...if only she hadn't heard his name. That wretched name that had been haunting her ever since she returned to Middle Earth.

"Gollum." she heard Aragorn say lowly to Boromir as he looked over the river. "He has tracked us since Moria. I had hoped we would lose him on the river. But he's too clever a waterman."

Boromir continued to stare at the river. "And if he alerts the enemy to our whereabouts, it will make the crossing even more dangerous." he said.

Talia bit her lip. How dangerous could it get? The young woman had a feeling that there would come a time when they would have no choice but to finally confront Gollum. But when that would be, she had no idea. She only had a feeling that it would come sooner than she would ever want it to.

"Talia." The Terran was pulled out of her thoughts when she saw Thorin coming towards her. She gave a slight smile when he took a seat next to her. "Have you eaten yet?" he asked, causing her to furrow her brows.

"Well...no. But don't worry about it, I'm not hungry." she told him. The young woman then raised her brows when Thorin hardened his gaze at her.

"Do you even realize...you haven't eaten anything all day. And you're hardly sleeping. You think I haven't noticed?" he quietly challenged.