The Second Heir

2.

Chapter 2: Observations

Several days passed and long gone were the forests, as now we were in open hills. I was now walking in the middle of the group closely observing the company around me. Come to think of it, they were a truly odd gathering of beings from all over middle earth. I became more curious as to what they were doing traveling together far from any of their home realms.

"Where exactly are we going?" I asked Legolas as we crested a rocky hill.

"We are on an important quest whose details will remain in confidence." He stated simply and shortly.

I do not blame him. I would not tell all my secrets to someone I found unconscious in the middle of a forest either, especially with the growing evil all around us. I left the subject drip and simply continued looking around me.

At the front of the group, leading our path, stood the tall old man; they called him Gandalf. He was obviously well-traveled and wise beyond his years. He had an authoritative vibe to him, so much that it would intimidating had he not been kind to me on our first greeting. He fit the tales my father told me of the great Grey Pilgrim, Mithrandir. I was questioning if he was the wizard of old.

Legolas was exactly how I pictured a Mirkwood elf: elegant, strong, and beautiful. His hair was a silvery blond and his skin paler than most elves I've seen, most likely from his days under the trees. His eyes were a dark blue I was automatically awestruck by, like the water of an undisturbed lake on a summer day. He wore a dark wooden bow and quiver, and what looked like twin knives, another commonality of Mirkwood. I had read much about Greenwood and its king, Thranduil, in the books my father brought back from his visits to Lothlorien.

Just ahead of me was Gimili, the dwarf with red hair and a rather marvelous beard. Elves and dwarves have long had quarrels over numerous things and seem to never make amends for long. Sadly, Gimili seems to be holding prejudices not just for my race but my gender. However, I will be kind and give him the benefit of the doubt until he proves otherwise.

Behind me were the four hobbits. Strange creatures, they are indeed. In the short time I've been with them, they seem to want nothing but food, ale, and breaks. I've read very little about the Halflings of the Shire but they are living up to what I do know. There is Merry and Pippin, the most talkative of the bunch. Merry has light blond hair and brown eyes but seems to keep his friend in line. Pippin is the most curious of the hobbits. He always is asking questions of Gandalf or Aragorn. His darker hair and eyes give a mischievous aurora to the youngest hobbit. Sam is the heaviest of the four, but his dark blond hair and kind smiles give him a caring vibe. Frodo is the one everyone seems fretful over. He has dark brown curly hair and light blue eyes. There seems to be nothing special about him compared to the others, besides being more reserved.

Next was Aragorn, who had a rough but protective persona. He was determined to not risk whatever this quest is. He reminded me of my younger brother, Jonoe, in quite a few ways, especially his dark hair, light eyes, and rare smiles. I would be lying if I said I didn't feel his eyes on me more often, than not.

Bringing up the rear of our group was Boromir, the other man. He spoke very little to me and seemed to always have a glare or scowl about him. From the start, I could sense the negative attitude coming from him. I kept my distance from the man wary of his reactions to my presence.

Finally, around midday, we stopped atop a hill where many boulders and rocks lay scattered. Boromir took time away to show Pippin and Merry how to fight. Simple steps to defend themselves with the short blades they carried. Aragorn would chime in from time to time as he smoked. Gandalf and Gimili were discussing which route to take from here. The dwarf was very opinionated about the Mines of Moria but Gandalf was not listening to any of it. Where were we going if we had to cross the Misty Mountains? Lothlorien? Isengard? Gondor?