Another Life

Chapter 7 - Goblins from Dubin

There were traces of deja vu over the next few days, sometimes, but usually there was just exhaustion. I ached. I stank. Blisters didn't care what Boromir had done- they were killing me. Pebbles turned into bolders under the boots. My legs ached. My back ached. Everything in me hurt.

Then, of course, I'd have to tell the story about Peter Pan when we'd sit down. Lunch, dinner, for the next few days, if I wasn't walking, I was talking. I dreamed of Peter Pan sometimes!

Still, there was moments of wonder too, like the ruins. They gave me a major sense of deja vu, those ruins, which we stopped to look at for a few minutes. According to Aragorn, they were the remains of an ancient kingdom of men, long gone now.

On top of that, Legolas kept giving me funny looks, especially when I mentioned stars or space. He tried to talk to me a few times about that but I generally avoided it, slipping away, falling asleep as fast as possible.

On the third day, I managed to finish the story, and I sat there exhausted.

“So, she never saw him again?”

“No.” I muttered, standing slowly, aching from head to foot. I didn't know which was better. Standing or sitting. Okay, I wasn't the only one having a hard time. Even Aragorn looked exhausted and dirty.

He was standing with Boromir now, speaking quietly, Legolas some distance away gazing out into the darkness. Energiser bunny, that one. He stood on a bolder now, in the dark, the fading moon just barely picking up his light hair under a hood he'd slipped over it. Over the past few days the forest had vanished completely. We were now in larger grassy areas, bolders dotting the landscape, trees in small patches here and there. It was dry, quiet, and the weather had been sunny more or less. I'd noticed that the mountains drew closer, bit by bit, our path an endless uphill battle. Trees huddled around rivers, I guessed, from the way they were in windy patterns around us.

Right now, Aragorn had insisted that we keep things quiet, so the tiny 'safe' fire sheltered behind a very large pair of rocks. It barely caused any heat for the relief of aching muscles, to my dismay, but Sam had the bright idea of lining the fire with smaller flattish rocks.

“That way, we can use them in our beds.” He'd explained brightly. It was a good idea.

“It's a warm night. Do you want a wash?” Boromir spoke up, his eyes in mine.

Did I! I'd sell my gemstone collection. Hell, I'd dreamed about dropping it, half convinced that it made my pocket heavier than it really was. Why had I packed it? Who knew. Maybe it wasn't the gemstones. I just knew that in the bottom of my bag was a small bag and it contained jingly things.

“Yeah, but there's no showers or baths out here.” I muttered, eyes going over the darkening landscape.

“There is a river.” Aragorn replied as he bent down to pick up a fairly heavy looking branch as thick as his wrist. With a sudden motion, he'd slammed the branch across his leg, snapping it in two with impressive strength. He repeated this, several times, and dropped them beside the fire. “Samwise, one branch, but not too soon. The fire must stay low.”

“Yes, Strider.” Sam replied.

“Can we have a swim?” Pippin spoke up.

“When Wenduin does, if she decides to.”

Let's see, bath, or to stink. I wanted the swim. I could have drooled at the idea of clean washing water, seriously, even if it was a bit chilly. But... “No one's spying? Erm, I mean, keeping guard? I'd be alone?” I wanted to be alone.

“Legolas is able to listen for danger. Just call, and we'll come.” Aragorn must have mistaken my questions for anxiety about swimming. It was the right answer though.