The Ring of Power

Chapter 8

To the Fellowship it has been a peaceful month of travelling. There have been no injuries except for the occasional blisters and sore muscles. Much to the liking of the hobbits, Boromir, and Gimli the Fellowship stopped to rest upon a mountain. Rocks and boulders jutted out from the ground giving them a good place to stay. Frodo and Sam sat on a rock watching Boromir teach Pippin and Merry how to fight. Legolas stood upon a rock looking at the mountains and the sky, while speaking to Aragorn and Gandalf. Elysium and Gimli were seeing who could throw an ax further and playing catch with one of her knifes.

"One, two, five. Good! Very good." Boromir exclaimed blocking one of Pippin's slashes to his legs. "One, two." Aragorn called smoking from his pipe, "Move your feet."

"You look very good, Pippin!" Merry called from the left watching Pippin take another slash at Boromir. "Thanks!"

Elysium glanced at Boromir and the hobbits just long enough to get hit with the knife. It slashed her face, making a small thin, but deep cut on her cheekbone. She cursed in Sindarin.

Hearing the filthy word come out of her mouth Aragorn, being the only one besides Legolas that could understand the language, widened his eyes and choked on his drink laughing, distracting Bormir from his teaching. Merry slashed at Boromir's legs causing the man of Gondor to fall on his bottom.

Elysium shot a glare at a laughing Aragorn and Gimli and went to dress her wound. "Aye, Gandalf, do mind if I practice on a dummy?" Confused, but not caring in the least, Gandalf nodded. "Oi! Woman Gandalf said I could practice on you!" Rage flashed through Elysium's eyes. She grabbed her sword, earning a shake of the head from Legolas, and walked up to the man of Gondor.
Unexpectantly, she slashed with an amazing amount of force at Boromir catching him off guard. He barely had time to block it before she attacked again. Elysium attacked with speed, grace, and strength that Boromir could not compete with. She back flipped kicking him in the face. Boromir flew backward and got back up after a moment.

They flew into action. Boromir slashed at her arm while Elysium blocked it and kneed him in the chest. She twisted her sword in just the right way to disarm him. He drew a knife from her belt. Elysium threw her sword to the ground and advanced on Boromir. He slashed at her, missing cleanly, while Elysium spun around and behind him. She elbowed him in the back of the head, flipped him, and then straddled Boromir's waist so he could not escape.

Both were breathing heavily from their fight. "Do not underestimate me, Lanner." She bent closer and whispered in his ear, just loud enough for everyone around him or her to hear. Legolas would have laughed at the name she called him if not for their position. He wished he could be in Boromir's position. He is in love with the half-elf, how could she not see it. Legolas growled when he saw the man's eyes move from her face to her chest, were her shirt was hanging down giving him a full view of what was inside.

"Not again." He held up his hands in surrender. Elysium got up, grabbed her sword, and went to finish cleaning her cut. To break the uncomfortable silence, Gimli spoke up.

"I'd say we were taking the long way 'round. Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give a royal welcome." Gandalf looked at the dwarf. "No, Gimli, I would not take that road through Moria unless I had no other choice." Gandalf knew what slept in the mines. Legolas saw something from the corner of his eye. It was something dark, and it was moving fast.

"What is that?" Samwise asked after giving Frodo his food. Gimli shrugged, "Just a wisp of cloud."

"Its moving fast." Boomir said still wrestling with the hobbits. "Against the wind." Hearing this Elysium got out of her tent. She widened her eyes. She had seen those before. "Crebain from Dunland!" she yelled.

"Hide! Hurry! Take cover!" The hobbits went quickly to the cover of a boulder leaving the rest to gather the supplies and weapons to follow them. They sat behind the cover of rock, not knowing how much longer they will have to stay there. They heard the crowing pass over them and saw the birds fly away.

Gandalf got up from under his rock. "Spies," he said. "of Saruman. The passage south is being watched." He turned to the rest of the Fellowship. "We must take the Pass of Caradhras." He pointed to the snow coated mountaintops behind them. Elysium sighed and began picking up her supplies. She strapped her bow onto her back, sheathed her sword and daggers, and set off for the mountains.

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Aragorn fell into step with Elysium who was making sure that Frodo was protected. She had given up her blankets and cloaks for the Ring-bearer. She was now in nothing put one of Bormir's cloaks and her usual leather elven woman armor. They were on top of a particularly high mountain and the temperature had severely dropped. Everyone was shivering from fatigue and the cold.

"Not all of them will last through the journey. One of them will die of sickness or just desire to leave. Leave the quest, the mission. And then we will be short another body." Aragorn stated in Sindarin not wanting anyone to able to understand him. Elysium smiled at him. "Do not give up hope, Aragorn, for all of us need it."

Frodo had gotten a little farther up from the two. He could already feel the pull of the Ring. it was weighing him down, draining his energy. He wanted to stop and rest, he needed it, but he knew that they could not rest on a cold mountain like this. They would surely freeze to death. Frodo stepped on a lump of ice and slipped, falling back and being barely stopped by Aragorn. Frodo instinctively grabbed at his chest, seeking the safety of the Ring. Feeling nothing but the cold snow ion his neck, he began to panic. Frodo searched in the snow, throwing clumps away. He looked up and saw Boromir pick up the chain. Elysium helped Frodo up and watched Boromir gaze at it longingly. Somehow she wished he would loo at- wait, where did that come from, she thought.

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt...over so small a thing." He didn't take his eyes off the Ring. "Boromir, give the Ring back to Frodo." Aragorn said suspiciously. Boromir strode over to the hobbit, not taking his eyes off it, still.

He handed it back to Frodo with a glint of sadness in his eyes, but he brushed it off by smiling a winning grin and ruffling Frodo's hair. But he did not fool anyone. Elysium and Aragorn took their hands off of their weapons, which were ready to strike at Boromir. Boromir, the man of Gondor, had a weak mind and will. He will be the one to look out for.