Someone else's P.O.V
I tried to keep my breathing steady and silent but the sleeping body next to me was loud and uneasy. I slightly lent away from him and grasped the handle on the pocket knife in my boot.
As I heard them move closer and closer to me I heard his breathing fasten and the light from his lit touch was sinking through the blanket. He was getting closer to me and I would give up a hell of a fight to protect Leonan, he was all I had left.
I heard his footstep that indicated that he was only about a foot away from me. I saw his hand slowly and cautiously lower towards the blanket and he gently pulled it back.
This was it.
When the blanket had been pulled over my head I sprung myself out at him. We stumbled to the floor and rolled around, my hood covered my face and hair and his own hood had covered his eyes. I landed on top of him and held my knife up to his neck. I felt the muscles in his neck tighten and his heart began to beat faster. Mine did the same but mine was not from fear. It was from the adrenalin.
“Why are you following us you filthy scum!” I shouted at him, my voice was a little shaky but I did not make it obvious. I lifted the scruffs of his neck up and slammed him back down to the ground. He was quite muscularly and judging by the beard growing on his face, he was older than me, well actually. Probably not. I heard cluttering of metal and I heard someone pull out a bow and felt it facing me. But there was others that did not do anything. I heard a voice, he was speaking in elfish and was telling the man on the floor to grab for his sword.
I hissed back at him to shut up in elfish just so he knew that I could understand him and he stopped muttering under his breath. But another person moved closer. There was no sound of a sword. No sound of an axe. Not even a bow. But I refused to let my guard down. It was not until I heard his voice that my heart froze.
“Vina, is that you?” The soft, gentle voice spoke. I loosened my grip on the knife, only slightly and lifted my head up, just able to see an old friend under the bottom of my hood. He had not aged since the last time I saw him. He looked a little stressed out but he was a wizard after all.
“Gandalf?” I pulled the knife away from the man on the floor but still kept it in my hand. I pulled my hood away to reveal my face. My hair fell down my back and fell just above my bum in a ponytail plait. There were gasps of shock in the cave that echoed all around. I looked into Gandalf's eyes and saw happiness but some sadness. We had been friends for many years and it had been long time since we had seen each other.
The man underneath me tried to struggle but I was practically sat on him with my leg outstretched on the floor so he couldn't get his sword and couldn't move.
As the moment Gandalf went to speak to me, Leonan shifted in the blanket and called out my name. I jumped up off of the man and leapt over to see if Leonan was okay. As I reached him he coughed and sat up. I rubbed and tapped his back to clear his airway.
“V, who are these people?” He squeaked through coughs. I glanced over my shoulder to see that an elf was helping the man up off the floor, there was a dwarf and another man and then there was what I guessed where Hobbits. I looked at Gandalf and he smiled gently.
“Gandalf's an old friend of mine Leonan. You go back to sleep for now. We've got a long journey ahead of us tomorrow,” I whispered gently. My voice had calmed down and was of a motherly soothing sound. He lay back down on his bed and I tucked him back in, and after about a minute he fell back into a soothing slumber. I kissed him on the head before turning towards the rest of them.
The Hobbits had already lit a fire and had set out their beds, one next to the other. I stood up further away from Leonan and looked at them all. The elf's expression had soothed and the dwarf had put his axe away. I looked over to the entrance of the cave where Gandalf was standing. He took a drag from his pipe and then nodded to me to follow him outside of the cave. I did as he wanted and started to make my way out of the cave but as the man I had pinned to the floor pulled his hood away I stopped dead in my tracks.
It was Aragorn. I had not seen him for years and yet it seemed like I had seen him yesterday. He looked at me, question in his eye. He did not recognise me? I was fixed to the stop and could not move, I starred at his eyes, but only saw my reflection.
“Vina,” Gandalf called out just in the entrance. I looked ahead at him and saw the confusion that was mirrored on Aragorn's face. I slowly lifted my right foot up and the other one followed after until I was face to face with Gandalf in the shadow of the entrance.
“Gandalf what are you doing travelling around here? Who are all that lot?” I asked a little bitter than I intended it to be. But he smiled at me none the less.
“I am on a quest to destroy what others couldn't. They are helping in doing so. There are four Hobbits. Sam, Merry, Pippin and Frodo Baggins.” He started but the name Baggins I had known someone before with that name.
“He's not by any chance related to our Bilbo Baggins is he?” I asked a little excited. And he nodded his head.
“You might of recognised Gimli son of Gloin, the dwarf.” He stated and I rolled the name over my tongue and it clicked that I had also once known Gloin. Gimli sure did look like his father, the red hair I reckon.
“Then there's Legolas Greenleaf from Mirkwood, Borimir of Gondor. And lastly there's..”
“Aragorn,” I finished and he looked shocked at my knowledge.
“How is it you know of Aragorn?” he asked coughing a little hiding what he had said. He had said it a little too loud and I got the feeling that they might of heard what he said inside the cave as it went suddenly quiet. I blushed a little and felt a funny sensation in my arm. I stroked it and then pulled away as Gandalf looked weirdly at me.
“It's a long story Gandalf,” I said and as I said it Gimli came into the light. I couldn't help but smile at him. He did actually really look like his father. But he wasn't smile, actually the opposite.
“I didn't mean to interrupt you both but your brother is calling for you, Lady,” he huffed. I looked at Gandalf and he nodded. I nodded silently to Gimli to say thank you and made my way into the cave.
Leonan was sat up with the blanket wrapped around him and was talking to the twin Hobbits. He was smiling. That of which I hadn't seen on his face for a long time. They all turned to face me and I smiled at Leonan. The twin looking hobbits both blushed and I walked over to them and sat the other side of Leonan and kissed him on the cheek.
“I'm thirsty V, have we got any water left?” he asked quietly. I lent away from him and went to the corner of the cave by the bed where I had hid our pack. I searched through it. Pulling out the spear clothes and the water flask. But it was very light and as I feared, it was empty. I looked down in guilt. Why hadn't I filled the flask up when we were by that river spring? I turned back to Leonan and hid the flask behind my back. The look of sadness shown on his face.
“I'll have to get some when we pass another river Leonan,” I grumbled, his smile soon faded and the cave had became very quiet. I went to get back up when some one stepped behind me and tapped me on the shoulder.
“Here. Have some of this water. It was fresh from the spring we just passed about half a mile away,” the elf, I now knew was named Legolas, said offering out his flask. I looked up into his eyes and I saw the twinkle in them. He was very good looking and although most elfs were pure and perfect, there was something even more pure and perfect about him.
I took the flask with an appreciative smile and unscrewed the lid and handed it to Leonan. I looked at him and eyed backwards for him to say thank you to the elf. He did so and the elf shook his head and went and stood at the edge of the cave. He pretended not to look but I saw his eye shoot back to my really quickly and then away.
Leonan took a large swig of the water before realising that the Hobbits were watching him and he began to blush. He handed the water flask out to me and I shook my head and told him to have a little more.
He yawned as he passed the flask back to me and I laid him back down on his made-up bed and pulled the blanket over him. His hair covered his eyes and I moved them to look into his bright blue eyes. I saw a shade of happiness in his eyes but saw the tiredness overlap it. I left him alone to fall asleep by himself and sat next to the smaller twin Hobbits.
“Your brother is a bundle of energy,” one of them chirped. “I'm Pippin by the way. And he's Merry.” He said cheerfully. He seemed to be unfazed by my outburst of a welcome earlier. I smiled and sat next to him near the fire. The Hobbits all sat around the fire next to me. Gimli soon joined and Aragorn sat across the fire from me but kept his head down. And eventually Gandalf and Legolas came and sat down near the edge of the cave.
“So what’s your name then Lady?” Gimli asked genuinely and I looked a bit shocked. I hadn’t introduced myself. I cleared my throat.
“I'm known by the name of Vina. I'm sorry I haven’t introduced my self in a more respectable manor” I said, my head lowering to the floor.
“And where do you descend from?” He asked and I looked up at him. This couldn't be answered easily. But I didn't feel like going into full detail to people I don't even really know. With the exception on a few.
“I am from nowhere in particular. I have always travelled with my father and never have settled,” I stated briefly. Gimli nodded but there seemed to be question in the air as the Hobbits seemed to be bursting with questions.
“But where is your father now Vina?” Sam asked before chomping on a piece of toast. Crumbs fell down his front and he wiped them away in embarrassment. I smiled at him trying to hide what I felt and he blushed.
“I do not know where my father is Sam,” I said quietly. Gandalf seemed to choke a little on his pipe and turned to me. Shock spread widely across his face.
“What do you mean Lavina? Where is Aodeth?” He exclaimed. I looked into the fire. Seeing the memories of the events play in the flames. It saddened me.
“About a year ago we were staying at this one town. Me, my father and Leonan had been there for about half a year and were thinking of settling down but we were attacked by orcs. Father stopped behind to fight for them and sent us to the next town about half a day away. However, after two days I got worried and went back to the town. But he was not there. Not among the dead and no where in sight. We waited in the town for a few weeks but we moved on. He told me before that if anything was to happen to him I was to take Leonan somewhere safe. And that's where I'm heading.” I explained and Gandalf starred at me but he wasn't actually looking at me, his was thinking. I saw Legolas cough as if to clear something from his throat.
“Did you say your name was Lavina?” Aragorn said from across the fire. Everyone looked up at him and I carefully moved my eyes over the fire and at him. His eye brows were joined and question was spread across his face. I looked up at Gandalf and wished he hadn't of used the longer nick name. I sighed and looked back at Aragorn who was watching me carefully.
“My full name is Aolavina,” I stated and Aragorn rolled the name over his tongue. Before Aragorn could say anything the Hobbits yawned loudly and lay down to go to bed. I looked over to Leonan and the bed where he lay and then towards the entrance of the cave. I should really stay up and guard the cave, but I really was exhausted.
“Go get some sleep Vina. We'll guard the cave. I swear you'll be safe with us. We'll talk in the morning,” Gandalf instructed. I looked at him in appreciation and got up from where I was sat.
“Thank you. Goodnight all,” I said finally. I walked over to the far end of the cave and to where Leonan was sleeping. I lay next to him and put my arm around him. He shook a little at my touch and I wrapped the blanket tighter around him. I wasn't that cold.
I closed my eyes as I hoped sleep would come quickly. After a few minutes the darkness started to take me in its wake and I strangely felt something cover me. Something warm and something that smelt sweet. But I did not bother to open my eyes, I was soon asleep.