Colours

I seem to have Started a Competition

I was walking at the back of the fellowship beside Sam. He was telling me about his mother's recipe for roast and potato stew, for probably the third time that morning. Seeing Legolas turn to look back at us I cast him a pleading look with my eyes.

He starts to walk over to us and interrupts Sam's anecdote about Merry and Pippin lighting a firework off at Bilbo's party. He lightly places his hand on Sam's shoulder and asks, "If you would excuse me Master Sam, if I may borrow Karonya for a minute or two we were having a riveting conversation this afternoon that we did not get a chance to finish."

"Right," I nod my head catching onto what he's doing, "the one about, uh... frogs? Right... I do hope you don't mind Samwise, you will have to tell me that story another time."

Sam looked dejected for a minute before smiling when I mentioned him teaching me the recipe later, "Of course, miss or uh... Lady Karonya. T'is no trouble at all." He blushed a bit saying my name."

Legolas guides me into the middle of the fellowship where he was walking earlier, "Frogs, really Kare? You couldn't have some up with anything better?"

I breathe a sigh of relief at being free from Sam's constant chatter, "I..I couldn't think of anything else to say. What was I supp.. Wait? Did you just call me Kare?"

Legolas blushed lightly, "It's a nickname, does it upset you. I..I wouldn't want to upset you. I don't need to call you that again. Just..Just forget about it!"

I smile softly towards the elf, ducking my head down, "No one's called me a nickname since my parents. I kind of like it, it's different. Thanks by the way for saving me from Samwise, I guess you were kind of my prince in shining armour? I know he really is quite nice, and I feel bad for getting annoyed but I can only listen to talk of potatoes for so long."

Legolas smiles at hearing that I liked the nickname. He looks behind us to where Sam is walking and occasionally sending glances towards us walking. "You know Kare, I think he might have a small bit of a crush on you. Even now he can't seem to keep his eyes of you," the prince-ling suggests.

I blush and turn to look at Sam, "I'm sure he doesn't. Hey did Aragorn ever tell you about the time he got poison leaves?" 

Whether he noticed the subject change or not Legolas doesn't mention it and replies, "No, tell me. It is hard to think of that ranger as being as careless as that."

"Well," I begin to tell my favourite story of Aragorn, "it was not long after we met. We were south of Rohan and he must not have heard of poison leaf before as it only grows in the south. He was on watch while we were camping and I was asleep so I could not warn him. He left to go to the washroom and must have practically rolled in the stuff. It was about an hour later that he shook me awake itching everywhere. And I kid you not is everywhere, even..." 

A hand places itself over my mouth. "I thought I told you to stop telling people that story," Aragorn whines.

Legolas is holding his stomach and laughing so hard it makes me smile. Even Gandalf is chuckling a little bit from where he is leading us.

"I never promised that," I giggle out once Aragorn releases me. 

With a little bit of a lighter mood than usual the fellowship continues on their way.

~~

We had stopped in a small space in the Eregion Hills, Sam was cooking a meal as Merry and Pippin were practising sword play. I lay down to try to take a nap for a break from the blazing sun that had begun to irritate my eyes even through my hood. It had been a rough afternoon of tripping over rocks and sticks that I could not see on the ground.

I'm not sure how long it was later when I woke to battle cry from Merry and Pippin. Alarmed I reach for my sword to defend the fellowship. Looking in the direction of the sound, I see that the hobbits had simply just tackled Boromir and pulled Aragorn down with them.

Legolas' eyes are focused on something far in the distance. Sam seems to notice this as he speaks up, "What is that?"

Glancing briefly at it Gimli is quick to brush it off, "Nothing. It's just a whiff of cloud."

The rest of the fellowship now turns to see what they were talking about. My eyes start to see a dark patch in the sky as Boromir worriedly states, "It's moving fast. Against the wind."

"It's Crebain, from Dunland!" Legolas cries.

"Hide!" 

Rushing I push Sam and the cooking equipment under a near by rocky outcropping. As I look for a spot to hide myself I am pulled under a bush. As the birds fly over head I see Legolas leaning closer to me before smirking. Whispering into my ear he says, "I think this would be a second point to the prince in shining armour?"

Hearing that the birds had left back towards the south, I pull myself out from under the bush, "Just you wait tree prince! I'll save you one of these days."

"I have no doubt you will," Legolas mutters under his breath, so low I almost didn't hear him.

Meanwhile as everyone is coming out of their hiding places Gandalf looks towards Aragorn before announcing to the group, "Spies of Saruman. The passage south is being watched. We must take the Path of Caradhras!"

Almost in unison the group turns to look at the high, snow covered mountains. An almost collective groan is heard.