The Fellowship's Silvertongue

Ch. 4: Starting the Lifestyle.

Three days it took to build that trap. Three days! But it was finished. A wooden cage, bound with rope that Rosa found in some cabinets in the bedroom. A trip wire triggered the whole thing. You never expect it. Unless you're extremely smart.

Rosa crouched down behind some bushes with a butcher knife from the kitchen. It would be awhile before an animal was trapped, but it would be worth the wait. The cage was big enough the trap a full grown buck. After a couple minutes of waiting and dreaming of what sort of meat she would catch, the sound of something dropping was heard along with a grunt. At first Rosa thought it was a bear, but sorry did she feel when she found the man under the cage.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! That was meant for an animal of some sort!" Rosa exclaimed as she walked over to the man.

"At least no one's hurt." The man said. His face was covered by a black cloak, the only description that Rosa could see of him were little glimpses of dark brown hair. "Now, how do I get out of this?" He asked, trying to lift the cage.

"Well what you're are doing won't help very much. The way the system works is the more you strangle, the harder it is to get out." Rosa hinted.

"I didn't ask how not to get out. So if you would be so kind as to let me out, I will be on my way." The man looked at her. The only features of his face that was not in the shadow of his hood was his mouth, chin and beard. 'He almost looked like- no, he should be in Gondor.' Rosa thought. She bent down and unlatched the opening, letting the man out.

"Thank you, M' Lady." The man nodded his head, then went on his way.

"Excuse me." Rosa spoke up.

"Yes?" The mysterious man turned back towards her.

"You're heading towards Bree, is that correct?" Rosa asked.

"Yes, why?" The man nodded.

"I live there, is it all right if I join you on the way back? It's almost dark, and I don't know the forest like the back of my hand."

The man looked back down the road. "I suppose it wouldn't be a bother."

"Oh, thank you." Rosa smiled and walked over to the man's side.
The walk was silent, and soon it started to rain.

"Gosh darn it." Rosa mumbled. The man looked at her. It wasn't a normal phrase in Middle Earth. They soon arrived at the gate, the mysterious knocked on the wall, the latch opened and the old man looked out.

"Who goes- Oh, Rosa. And- hello." The old man looked down. "Come on in." The gate opened and the two entered.

"Would you like to come to my house to dry off, have something to eat?" Rosa asked.
"I was planning on staying at the Inn." The man replied. "And I hate to intrude and eat a stranger's food."
"No it's completely alright, besides, they charge you at the Inn." Rosa said.
The man thought for a minute, he only had enough money in his pocket for a room. "I suppose, thank you."
He followed Rosa along, until they arrived at her house. She opened the door and they walked into the kitchen and sat down at the dining table. The man took a knife from his cloak and set it on the table.
Rosa grabbed two towels, and started drying out her wet hair.

"By the way, if you don't mind. Why did the man at the gate look like he was afraid of you?" She questioned.

"Well, I'm a ranger, and I like to keep to myself and stay hidden. The people here take that as an advantage of me being a bad person." The man answered. "It seems that you are the first person to actually strike up conversation with me. In the wild people know me as Strider."
Rosa froze and stopped drying her hair.

'I thought I read myself into the time in Middle Earth after the ring..' She thought.

"But, you might as well call me Aragorn, you've allowed me to sit in your house." He continued, taking off his hood, revealing his face.

"Son of Arathorn?" Rosa squeaked.

"Yes.. How did you know that?" Aragorn asked.

"Old tapestries. My father collected them.." Rosa lied. "Um.. What day is it?"

"Its September 21st. Why?" Aragorn replied.

"Just wondering, I'm bad at keeping track of the days, I don't keep a calendar here." Rosa said. It was a day before Bilbo's birthday. Then he passes the ring on to Frodo. It'll only be 17 years before the journey begins.. I will be.. Nineteen add seventeen... 38?! Wait.. I'm in Middle Earth, there's a difference..

"Well, thank you for the hospitality, but I should be going." Aragorn stood up.

"It was nice meeting you." Rosa nodded.
When Aragorn left, Rosa sat down on the arm chair and asked herself, "If it's around the time that the journey starts, do I want to go along? I'm not very advanced in combat. Though I am skilled with a bow... A modern day bow that is." Rosa sat for hours deciding whether she would go or not. Finally she went to bed, without a decision.

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The morning after Aragorn had met Rosa(he had his hood up, for no one was there to see him), he went back to her house realizing that he had left his knife on her dining table. But when he arrived he had found her outside her house fashioning a bow. She had an appropriate type of wood and string, but not carving knife. Instead she was using a butcher knife.

"You'll cut yourself with that kind of knife." Aragorn spoke up.

"It's the only one I have. And speaking of knives," Rosa stood up, went inside and brought out Aragorn's knife. "here's yours."

"Thank you." He took the knife from her hands and put it back in it's sheath. "Also, this knife will do for carving." Aragorn took out his own carving knife and handed it to her.

"Thanks." Rosa took the knife. "You know, I'm not the best at carving. Could you please help me?"

Aragorn nodded, sat down next to her, took the bow from her and continued the carving. "Do you have any arrows." He questioned, blowing off the extra shavings of wood, then tying the rope in place.

"No." Rosa shook her head.

"Here, try this out." Aragorn handed her the bow. Rosa stood up and held the bow out in front of her, pulling the rope towards her.

"Seems alright." Rosa put it back down.

"I may have some extra arrows that I could lend you." Aragorn offered.

"Thank you, Aragorn." Rosa smiled.

"You're welcome, M' Lady." Aragorn nodded his head. "How about this afternoon I help you go hunting?"

"Yes, that'd be great." Rosa nodded.

"I'll be back then." Aragorn put up his hood and left.

'Did he just ask me out? No.. No.. He belongs with Arwen in the end. I shouldn't change the fate. Let's call this.. A lesson, yes, a lesson on hunting. Not a date, I'm in Middle Earth now.' Rosa thought.

For the rest of the day, Rosa practiced shooting with sharpened sticks. She shot at the wooden wall that surrounded the village. By the time it was noon, she had gotten... Alright.. At it.
Then she looked down at her dress. 'Oh dear..' Rosa ran inside and grabbed some clothes that she packed from home. Brown pants, a brown t-shirt and a green jacket. After she changed, a knock came to her door. As you would guess, it was Aragorn. He looked at her strangely, as it was not normal for woman to wear pants or 'men's clothing'.

"What, did you expect me to wear a gown?" Rosa asked.

"No, but.. Never mind." He waved it off and handed her a sheath of arrows.

"Thank you." Rosa slung it over her shoulder.

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By the end of the day, Rosa had shot down, three squirrels, two rabbits and one doe. Two of the squirrels, one rabbit and half of the deer would go to the market. The rest she would keep.
It become a routine for Aragorn and Rosa to go hunting every afternoon, and this would start her lifestyle.