(A/N) Look at this beautiful commission I got of Cefrey from my wonderful friend 'jentaculargums' on tumblr. go show her some love!!!
Part Three
3,057 words (always excludes authors notes)
The next day consisted of mostly walking and only resting at nightfall. The hobbits, especially Pippin, were very distraught at this fact, having been raised on many more meals throughout the day other than breakfast and dinner. Cefrey could not blame the young lads as she also found herself craving another meal after many hours of hiking up and down hills, across streams, and through dense woods.
They were trekking up one of those hills when Cefrey decided to finally ask what was on everyone's minds. No one had asked before as they were all preoccupied with getting as far away from the Nazgul as possible.
She moved a little faster to catch up to Strider -- he truly lived up to the name, his legs were long and his resolve unwavering when it came to covering as much ground as they could. "So, where exactly are you taking us?"
"Into the wild." Was his only answer.
She could have guessed that his response would be something as vague as that, and yet she still felt her eyes roll at his comment. Without changing her pace, Cefrey stayed walking next to the ranger, intent on figuring out what his plan was.
"You could at least specify a bit more than that, Strider." The way she spoke his name was one of suspicion and speculation that his true name was more than the title the townsfolk gifted him.
The ranger lifted a brow at her statement, her words and attitude amusing him. "Well, if you truly must know, we are going to Rivendell, land of the elves."
As Cefrey smiled the hobbits behind her began whispering quite loudly. Sam was very excited to go see the elves while the others were still a little wary of the true meaning their guide held. The mage was fairly happy to learn they were going to Rivendell. It was, in fact, one of her favorite places to visit, and she would at every chance she got. Which, unfortunately, wasn't very many. Cefrey was indeed quite busy most of the time. At least, busy in her terms.
The sun began to set more and the ranger knew it was time to settle down for the night. He told the hobbits to make camp and rest under the large trees surrounding them while he kept watch. Cefrey helped her companions settle down and watched them fondly as they fell asleep after eating. She had grown to care for the four halflings quite a bit after the short time she spent with them. They reminded the sorceress of herself in some ways. So carefree and quaint, and yet they were able to carry such a burden without so much of a single complaint.
Strider had noticed the woman's sudden perk up when he mentioned the elven city and wondered if she was more than she appeared. He knew that she was unlike the race of men, but what exactly made her that way?
"Miss Cefrey, have you been to Rivendell before?"
Her smile widened even more at the question. However, that action made her confused. She hated being asked questions, so why was she so keen on answering his? She shook off that thought and chose to indulge the man beside her.
"Yes, I have been to Rivendell, on many occasions, actually. It's quite the wondrous place to be. So many books to read!" She twirled on her feet, a few stray locks of dark golden hair swaying in the wind before she sat down next to the ranger on a small boulder, her green eyes sparkling both with joy and the moon's light.
She sighed longingly, thinking about the many hours, sometimes even days, she would spend in the libraries of Lord Elrond. Her expression saddened. She had not visited the elves there in many years. Her days had been occupied by many things. Though, now that she thought about it, what had she been doing during those years? Collecting herbs and flowers, experimenting with her powers, writing and reading any and every book she found. She hadn't led a very eventful life. At least, before this little adventure she was a part of.
The ranger watched her as she pondered, lost in her own thoughts. He realized he knew nothing about her. And yet he felt as if he had known her for years. He knew there was no spell on him, he had no disease. So why did his heart ache whenever he looked into her eyes. Why did he feel so strange when she sat close to him, their body heat mixing, making his eyes linger on her form when she wasn't looking at him. He had never felt this way about anyone except... No, not even with her. This was different. He had known the mage for not even two days, though his heart and mind thought otherwise.
"Strider?"
Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and her question snapped the blonde out of hers.
She waited for no response from the ranger, having realized he rarely spoke unless completely necessary. "I realize now that you are speaking the truth when you say you are a friend of Gandalf's..." Cefrey stared up at the bright moon, a thoughtful look in her eyes. "It was odd. When we first met in the inn, I wanted to believe you were untrustworthy. That you were not truly there to help us, help Frodo... but I couldn't. It was almost as if..." She trailed off, realizing that she was rambling and laughed a bit at her words. "Oh, don't mind me, ranger," She patted his shoulder before standing up, gazing into the darkness of the trees. "I will be back by sunrise. Don't leave without me!" She called over her shoulder, walking into the blackened woods.
The ranger narrowed his eyes at the fading silhouette of the sorceress, unsure of whether or not he should stop her or at least go with her. He shook his head, his gaze turning to the four hobbits sleeping restlessly behind him. He couldn't leave them unprotected. Cefrey was more than capable of handling herself. Strider chuckled at that thought. Of course she was. She was mistaken as a wizard by many folk so she had to have been at least powerful enough to protect herself.
He sighed and stared up at the moon, wondering what she was thinking when she looked up at that bright light...
... Cefrey didn't actually have to go anywhere, she really just wanted to get away from the ranger for a bit. He made her... feel things. Things she didn't know how to describe, much less deal with when she was sitting right next to him, their shoulders brushing every so often. Her face heated up at the memory of being so close to him. And that was why she had to get away.
The forest at this time of night was almost like a completely different place than in the daytime. It was beautiful still, of course, but its beauty was that of mystery and darkness, while in the sunlight, it was calming and warm. The mage wandered through the woods, the streaks of moonlight illuminating her path. She knew not where she was going, just that she was. The journey is not about the destination, after all.
As she meandered through the forest, her thoughts also took a short stroll. Although they always landed back on the ranger. She didn't know what to think of him. Was he someone she could grow close to? She hadn't many friends, other than Gandalf, and maybe the four hobbits in her care. Though she still didn't feel such a connection to them as she did with Strider. And she had known the halflings longer, and she had dealt with the Nazgul with them. It all didn't make much sense to her.
Cefrey happened upon a small pond with a waterfall pouring into it. The air around the water was more humid than the rest of the woods as water sprayed into the air. The dull roar of the fall added to the ambiance of the wind and forest creatures around the blonde. She smiled softly at the scene before her. The calming nature of the pond and the sounds around her making her relax immensely.
Her thoughts drifted around in her mind as she sat on the grass next to the pond. Closing her eyes, the mage listened to the music of the wild; the bugs, the birds, the gurgling of water, it all added to the harmony surrounding her. Cefrey laid her head down on the soft grass, the sounds soon lulling her to sleep.
.
As the sun peeked over the hills and shone through the many trees, its light rested on a certain mage, resting peacefully near a small pond. Her eyes fluttered open, the sleep slowly removing itself from her body. Sitting up, Cefrey yawned loudly and brushed off the dirt and grass that clung to her clothes and skin. She noticed the rising sun and her eyes widened, her previous exhaustion leaving completely. She had to get back to the hobbits and... and Strider.
Stretching as she stood, the blonde recalled her trek through the woods and took the path back to the camp. She picked a few flowers and herbs along the way that she thought would be useful and stuck some into her belt, the flowers in her hair. Once she made it back to the camp, her companions were already packed and ready to go; the hobbits waited around the small horse while Strider was waiting at the edge of the woods, the way she had left during the night.
His eyes widened subtly, and if she hadn't been looking, she wouldn't have noticed it. The ranger took in her appearance, the disheveled dark blonde hair, tied into a low bun, with wild flowers peeking out the back and front, along with the just-woken-up blush on her freckled cheeks.
Cefrey smiled at the ranger, a kind, quaint smile, one that reminded him of a cool spring day, laden with pink flowers out the window. He turned his head, staring out into the distance towards their path.
"We must continue on."
The mage agreed with his statement, nodding her head, and ushered the hobbits to walk ahead of her, albeit disappointed that the ranger passed over her appearance without so much of a comment or even one of his tiny smiles. Why was she so hellbent on getting him to like her?
Hiking a couple feet behind the halflings, Cefrey tried to collect her thoughts. She never realized until now that being with other people -- even if she rarely spoke to them -- made the time go by way more slowly than when she was alone. She thought it would be faster, but somehow walking next to these four hobbits, talking to Strider, thinking about Strider. It all made her days pass by in a much slower state. It was almost as if when she was by herself, she wouldn't think about the time passing, she would just do random things. Granted, those things did make her happy... they just seemed monotonous compared to the things she had done with Frodo and Sam, Merry and Pippin... with Strider.
Taking in a deep breath of fresh air, they continued on, past the forest after another night there and into windswept moors. Patches of moss green vegetation littered the snow-covered ground. Sam led the pony who was packed with their supplies while the three other hobbits walked behind him, Strider taking the front a few feet ahead.
Cefrey was too preoccupied with her thoughts that she didn't really pay attention to what the others were doing. That is, until she was hit in the head with an apple. She cursed under her breath as the pain bloomed on her forehead, stopping to place her hand over it. She hadn't noticed that she had walked in front of the hobbits and received a good bonk to the head as Strider was trying to make a point to Pippin.
Said ranger turned after he heard the mage curse and a frown made its way to his face. "I, uh. Sorry, Cefrey, didn't know you were there."
"Yeah, neither did I, apparently," She retorted with amusement in her voice. She noticed the dour expression on Strider and shook her head, rubbing the spot where the apple hit. "Don't worry, I've endured worse."
The man still felt guilty for hitting the poor sorceress, but knew that they had to keep going if they were going to get to Rivendell at a reasonable time. Strider was aiming for the hobbit, he was trying to hit him in the head. So why did he feel so bad for hitting her? He chalked it up to be some chivalry that was buried under the layers of the dark exterior he put up.
She smiled at the ranger again, trying to dissuade his obvious guilt. She didn't want him to feel bad. She wanted him to be happy... with her. No. Not with her. He probably prefers to be alone. There was no way he would want to be with her, happy or not.
She sighed and continued walking.
They camped in the moor for the next two nights and went on once the sun rose each day. Cefrey slept well those nights, under the stars, even as the snow dampened her clothes and made her shiver. She would have been colder than she actually was, but during the darkness someone draped a black cloak over her form, keeping the iciness at bay. Though when she woke, the cloak was gone, taken off before she rose from sleep and clasped back over the shoulders of the ranger. She never even noticed it was there.
They trekked through the rest of the moor for the beginning half of the day, soon walking into a wet marshland, bugs flying everywhere, and water soaking their clothes. The hobbits swatted the insects away, complaining the entire time they marched through the swamp. A few of them fell into the water, more than once, and each time, Cefrey would help them up, offering what she could in sympathy, as the midges and water annoyed her too.
It seemed that the sun set faster on that day, forcing the group to make a small camp sooner than they would like. At least, than what Strider and the mage would have liked, the halflings were more than happy to take a break, their legs sore from trying to keep up with their much taller companions.
The ranger went out to hunt, their food source had dwindled as the days passed. And, Cefrey amused that he also just wanted to be away for a moment, catch his breath, be alone. She understood that. More than she would care to admit, in all honesty. She may have preferred to stay isolated most of her years, but that didn't mean she hadn't enjoyed the time spent with people. In fact, the time she had spent with the four hobbits and Strider was some of the happier moments she could remember.
Starting a small fire by gathering a few logs and simply sparking it with her fingers, the mage waited silently on her bedroll, listening to the conversation the hobbits exchanged. Sometimes she would feel pity for the four of them. They were thrust into a situation entirely out of their control and utterly different than what they were all used to. Frodo definitely had the adventure spirit in him, just as his uncle. But the others? Merry and Pippin were there for the ride, while Sam... Poor, kind Sam, was always watching over Frodo, making sure he kept his promise to Gandalf. He might have dreamed of seeing the elves, but once they got to Rivendell, Cefrey was sure he would want to go straight back home, to his garden and his hobbit hole. And she couldn't blame him, not one bit.
Strider came back after an hour or so, bringing with him a small deer that was hauled over his shoulder. They ate the venison, grateful for a full belly after many days with meager portions. Cefrey couldn't deny that his kill was extremely filling, making her all the more glad the strange ranger accompanied them on their journey. There was no way she could have killed that animal. Both out of sadness and simply a lack of skill.
Soon after, with filled bellies and tired bodies, the hobbits fell asleep, the smoke of the fire keeping most of the bugs at bay. Cefrey, on the other hand, could not sleep. Her mind was racing, her thoughts jumping from one to another. Until she heard a faint singing.
Not wanting to disturb the soft tune, the blonde slowly rose from her blanket, her eyes adjusting to the darkness rather quickly. A smile tugged at her lips as she saw who was singing. Strider, always keeping watch, sat on a log, pipe in hand while he sang quite a forlorn melody.
"Tin viel elvanui,
Elleth alfirin ethelhael
O hon ring finnil fuinui..."
Before she could stop herself, another part of the song slipped from her mouth, "A renc gelebrin thiliol."
The ranger turned his head slightly, not expecting another to know what he sang of. "You know of the Song of Beren and Lúthien?" Not needing an answer, Strider shook his head amusedly. "Of course. Someone as well-versed as you would know of many elvish hymns."
Cefrey stood up from her resting spot, bringing the blanket with her, and sat down beside the guide, laying the piece of cloth over her legs. "Yes, and while you seem to know so much of my knowledge, I did not expect you to know these elvish tunes. And not only that, you sing them well, in perfect Sindarin."
"We Dunedain are not uncivilised, my friend."
She sighed, "I did not mean to offend, merely..." Stopping, she noticed his tone of voice. "You were teasing me?"
Without needing to answer, the ranger laughed lightly, the mage playfully hit his arm. They stayed up the rest of the night, keeping watch both on the hobbits, and on the bright stars.
(A/N) oh wow, I updated this story as well?? Crazy lmao. My buffer of three chapters is dwindling to one and a half now, but that's okay. I really just wanted to update this because I feel like it. Anyway, thank you for reading, and comments, hearts, etc are more than welcome!
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