Rhiannon Sunburst: LOTR Fanfic

Changing Course

Rhiannon's POV

We traveled through the woods, over open plains and hillsides. We pause on a hill in the wild as Gandalf gets his bearings. "We must hold this course west of the Misty Mountains for forty days. If our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. From there our road turns east to Mordor" Gandalf tells us.

"For now lets rest, so you can eat" I tell them.

"Pippin, Merry lets start your training" Boromir tells them. They agree happily. Sam cooks sausage and other food over a fire, climbing up onto a rock besides Frodo. Boromir begins to spar with Merry and Pippin, tutoring them on sword fighting.

I sit on a low branch in the sun, Legolas keeps watch. Aragorn, Gandalf and Gimli are sitting on rocks smoking their pipes. "Move your feet" Aragorn encourages Merry and Pippin.

"You look good, Pippin" Merry states.

"Thanks" Pippin says smiling.

"Faster" Boromir says. As the Hobbits spar with Boromir, Gimli approaches Gandalf.

"If anyone was to ask for my opinion, which I note they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way round. Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin, Balin, would give us a royal welcome" he tells Gandalf.

Gandalf takes a pipe he was smoking from his mouth. Faint surprise registers in his eyes. "No Gimli, I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice" he tells Gimli. Legolas seems to have spotted something and I fly over.

"What do you see?" I ask him.

"Don't know, could be nothing" her tells me. I look back at the others to see Boromir still sparing with Pippin. He accidentally nicks Pippin's hand.

"Sorry" he says quickly. Pippin kicks Boromir on the shin.

"Get him!" Merry shouts. Boromir goes down in a mock battle. Boromir and Aragorn laugh with the Hobbits. I smile.

"For the Shire! Hold him! Hold him down! Merry!" Pippin shouts. Aragorn puts his pipe down and walks over to them.

"Gentlemen, that's enough" he tells them. He lays a hand on either Hobbit's shoulder. Pippin and Merry grab his legs, pulling him down on his back. I laugh lightly. I look back at Legolas.

Legolas continues to look to the South, where a strange cloud has appeared. Sam takes notice of Legolas's observation. "What is that?" Sam asks.

"Nothing, it's just a whiff of cloud" Gimli states. Boromir gets up from the ground, a hand on either Hobbit's shoulder.

"It's moving fast" Boromir states.

"And against the wind" I add as I feel the wind on my wings.

"Crebain from Dunland!" Legolas shouts.

"Hide!" Legolas shouts.

"Hurry!" Boromir adds. I fly into my tree and cover myself in fairy dust. Turning invisible to all.

The rest of the Fellowship scrambles to gather their things, and Sam puts out the fire. They hide behind rock outcroppings and under bushes. We wait. In a burst of darkness against the light of day, a flock of black birds rushes overhead, cawing loudly.

The birds circle the hill, then turn and fly back Southward. The others slowly come out of hiding. "Spies of Saruman! The passage South is being watched" Gandalf states. I land becoming visible and grab my bag. "We must take the Pass of Caradhras" he states. He turns, looking up at a great, snowy mountain.

"Is it the quickest way?" I ask him not really wanting to go there.

"Yes" he tells me.

"Great" I grumble. We climb the snowy slopes of Caradhras. As we climb through the glistening, fresh snow beneath the great blue sky. Frodo looses his footing and falls, rolling down the slope towards Aragorn. Who catches him.

Aragorn helps Frodo to his feet. Frodo regains his footing and puts a hand instinctively to his neck for the Ring. He blocks back up the slope in worry. The Ring lies in the snow, glistening.

Boromir sees the Ring and picks it up by its chain. I feel the ring start to whisper to him. "It is a strange fate we should suffer so much fear and doubt... over so small a thing. Such a little thing" he says. I dust him with fairy dust to clear his mind.

Boromir looks up, pulled from his trance. "Boromir, give the ring to Frodo" Aragorn instructs. Boromir walks slowly down the slope to the Ranger and the Hobbit. Aragorn's hand is on the hilt of his sword.

"As you wish" Boromir says holding it out to Frodo. Who does not wait, and grabs the Ring sharply. "I care not" he states. Boromir jokingly tousles Frodo's hair, turning to resume climbing. Frodo looks on suspiciously; Aragorn releases his grip from his sword. I continue to climb making sure I keep my wings surrounded in heat to prevent the snow from hitting them.

As we labor on-wards through the high snow banks, Legolas runs out ahead. His step is light and he moves with ease across the top of the snow, staring into the blinding storm. I to walk on top of the snow. I suddenly hear a fowl voice on the air. "Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; nai yarvaxea rasselya" it says. (Translation: Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your horn be bloodstained).

"There is a fowl voice on the air" Legolas tells the others.

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf shouts. With a rending echo, a horde of rock slabs and boulders falls from the mountain's arms. We shove ourselves flat against the sheer cliff wall to avoid the onslaught of stone.

"He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf, we must turn back!" Aragorn shouts.

"No!" Gandalf shouts. He steps out onto the ledge, rising on the snow. "Losto Caradhras, sedho, hodo, nuitho i 'ruith" he says. (Translation: Sleep, Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath). His voice is drowned out by a more terrible cry in the maelstrom.

"Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse; Nai yarvaxea rasselya; taltuva notto-carinnar" Saruman says. (Translation: Wake up cruel Redhorn! May your bloodstained horn fall upon enemy heads).

"Look out!" I shout and cover myself in a sphere of heat. Lightning strikes the tip of Caradhras, sending a second avalanche of white ice onto us. Legolas snatches Gandalf from the edge, pulling him against the cliff just before the ice-fall hits. The avalanche cascades over us, and snow buries us completely.

I flutter above the snow and make the sphere disappear. The others soon emerge from the snow. "We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan and take the west road to my city!" Boromir shouts.

"The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!" Aragorn shouts.

"I agree" I tell them.

"If we cannot pass over the mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the mines of Moria" Gimli suggests. In Gandalf's eyes I see a shadow of doubt, of fear that lies unsaid.

"Let the Ring bearer decide" Gandalf tells us. Boromir is holding Merry and Pippin close to him. While Aragorn does the same with Frodo and Sam. All are cold and extremely pale.

"We cannot stay here! This will be the death of the Hobbits!" Boromir shouts through the storm.

"Frodo?" I ask gently.

"We will go through the mines" he announces.

"So be it" Gandalf states.