The next day arrived quicker than I thought and the smell of bacon and eggs wafted around the cave. I opened my eyes and looked around to see the Hobbits, Gimli, Boromir, Aragorn and Gandalf sat close to the now relit fire with a pan in Sam's hand. I blinked a few times until my head stopped spinning and lifted my body up, shrugging off my cloak.
I looked over to where I had left Leonan lying that night but he was not there. My head span around searching the cave for him, Aragorn and Gandalf both looked at me sudden panic.
“Where is Leonan?” I stammered getting up off of the ledge. The Hobbits looked up at me, caution slightly building in their eyes, but I was not concerned whether I was scaring them or not. Leonan was not here.
Just as I went to walk up to Aragorn and Gandalf to question them, Leonan came running inside the cave with a huge smile on his face. I took a deep breath out and my heart beat slowed down to a steady, natural beat. He ran over to me and put his arms around my legs and I bent down to hold his whole body.
“Where were you Leonan? You scared me,” I said in his ear and he pulled away, guilt on his face. I smiled at him to reassure him that I was not mad with him and held his hand.
“I'm sorry V, I needed to go. I was trying to hold it in for as long as I could but I was too desperate. So the elf Legolas took me,” he replied and I smiled and gave him another quick hug. I looked up at Legolas and mimed the words 'thank you' to him and he lowered his head respectively.
“Next time, if you're really desperate, just wake me up okay Leonan?” I whispered and he nodded and jumped next to where the Hobbits where sat. I smiled and sat down next to him and smiled at Merry and Pippin who where talking to Leonan.
“V have we got anything to eat?” He quietly asked. I heard his stomach grumble and I got up from my seat and over to my bag-pack and unbuttoned it. I rummaged through it and pulled out the cloth that held our food in but there wasn't anything there. I froze for a moment. I knew we where running low but I didn't know we had used it all.
I turned to him, the same feeling as yesterday, with guilt on my face. I walked back over to him and put my hand on his leg. I looked into his eye and he kind of already knew what I was going to say and therefore looked down to the floor. I copied the gesture and just as I went to speak, Merry jumped up and grabbed two plates off of Sam and passed the one to Leonan and the other one to me. I placed my plate next to me and watched Leonan and the others eat.
“Aren't you going to eat that me Lady?” Pippin asked and I chuckled a little bit and shook my head.
“Not right now Master Pippin. Here, you might as well not waste it,” I said handing the plate back to him. He looked at me as if I were handing him something shocking and he cautiously took it from me. I got a funny look from Gimli but just laughed at his facial expression.
I stood up again and sat next to Gandalf who greeted me with a pleasant hand on my shoulder.
“How come you have not eaten Vina?” He sweetly asked and I shrugged my shoulders.
“I was not hungry Gandalf,” I replied to him and he removed his hand and took out his pipe from his cloak, taking a huge puff from it. I sat there looking at him for about a minute before anyone spoke. Leonan was still eating and the Hobbits and Gimli where talking amongst themselves.
“So where is it you are going Vina?” Gandalf asked. I looked around at the other men and elf standing around, debating with myself whether I could trust them or not. I looked at Gandalf and he nodded, obviously he understood my worry.
“I am headed West, towards Lórien. Leonan will be safe there.” I stated and nodded with the words to take them all in. He went to speak but decided not to and instead took another puff of his pipe.
“We are headed in that direction. You could travel with us for a while,” Legolas suggested and I looked up at him, a little surprised.
“I would just be a burden to you all and together, me and Leonan would just be another mouth to feed.” I replied shaking my head a little. But Gandalf put his pipe down and his hand on my shoulder.
“Vina, you are of an old friend of mine. Your presence could never be burdened to me. We do not mind sharing our food. It seems the Hobbits have already taken a liking to your brother and yourself anyway,” He stated. I looked over to my brother and saw that Merry and Pippin were telling him a joke and he burst out with laughter. I smiled deeply and blushed a little.
“We will travel with you, but only if everyone else is okay with that,” I answered and looked around, Boromir nodded, Aragorn seemed to think about it for a while and then nodded. Legolas nodded and then Gandalf spoke.
“Master Gimli.” he bellowed and then he turned drinking what I guessed was Ale. “Would you mind if Vina and Leonan travelled with us? Only until she gets to her fixed destination,” He asked. Gimli looked at me very seriously. My heart began to beat a little faster, but then Gimli smiled and nodded merrily.
“Of course the Lass can. What's wrong with a little bit more company. Hey Hobbits, the Lass and Leon are going to be travelling with us,” He cheered and they jumped up and clapped in happiness. Frodo seemed less hyperactive but he did look a little tired.
“We shall be moving soon so do you want to go and get packed?” Aragorn insisted and I nodded my head. I walked over to my bag pack and started repacking all of my things. I kept my water flask out and a small jumper out. I called Leonan over and he come with a skip in his step.
“Are we really travelling with the Hobbits and the others?” He asked excitedly and I nodded.
“Yes Leonan. They can keep us safe until we get where we want to go. Now put your jumper on,” I chuckled and he lifted his arms up while I squeezed the jumper over his head and then over his body. His hair was scruffy and I quickly ran my fingers through it to neaten it up. I pulled on my bag pack and tightened my cloak.
Soon we were all standing in the cave ready to leave. I took one last look in the cave, making sure nothing was left behind and took a deep breathe in. I turned around and nodded at Gandalf who had been watching me and we headed out of the cave.
For a few hours, Leonan stayed by me but slowly he swayed away and ended up travelling along side the Hobbits and Boromir. It did not bother me that he lingered away from me, I just wanted to keep my eye on him. Since he was born I had never left his side. He was always with me, even when father was around with us.
As the day longed on I could see that Leonan was getting more and more tired and he slowly began to drag behind the Hobbits and ending next to my side again. I handed him my water flask and he took several sips. When he handed me the flask back I put it in my pocket. He slowly began to walk again but I could tell that he didn't have much energy in him. I lifted him up and held him to my side whilst carrying him.
We walked for another couple of hours, the sun had passed it's highest point in the sky and was beginning to lower its self again. We had stopped once throughout the day but only quickly.
We finally stopped for our second break of the day. Thankfully this one was going to be for a little longer. I sat down on the white rock and Leonan took a place next to me. He caught his breathe quickly and then stood up again to go see the Hobbits Sam and Frodo. I sat quietly for a while, taking in the area. I slowly stood up from where I saw and then ran my fingers over all the rocks feeling the events that had happened here before. I could feel a pack of orcs, headed south.
“What do you see?” A voice asked form behind me. I twirled around to see Legolas standing behind me, his hands on the rocks I had just traced but his mind and eyes were some where else. I had forgotten that elves could 'see' what happened in the past to an extent.
“I see an Orc pack. They were coming from the North and were heading South,” I answered. He looked away from the rock and into my eyes. I couldn't help but look deeper into his eyes and see true beauty. I looked away in shyness and then pulled my hand away from the rock.
I walked away from him and sat down by Gandalf and Gimli who where both once again smoking from their pipe. I watched as Leonan got something to eat and gobbled it down almost immediately. I chuckled to myself and then looked down at my boots, moving my knife to the other side of boot.
“Why is it you want to go to LothLórien Lass?” He asked me. I lifted my head up and chuckled a little.
“Leonan will be safe there. He will be with his mother.” I answered. Aragorn and Legolas both came and sat next to us, I was guessing to hear my story.
“His mother?” Legolas repeated. And I looked over to Leonan again and closely at his ears. I took a sigh and then looked at the men, elf, dwarf and wizard who were all concentrating on me.
“Leonan's mother is of the name Eleona. She is half elf half human. Look closely at Leonan's ears, you can just see that his ears point a little at the end. He only has part elf in him. He will only live a little longer than humans will, but the longer I get with him the better.” I answered.
“I'm guessing you do not share the same birth mother?” Boromir rhetorically asked and I shook my head. “Then where is your mother Vina?” He asked and I looked down again at my feet. I have not really mentioned my mother to people before, it only brought back bad memories and caused my heart to ach.
“She died in a fire when I was little. My father and I moved away after a year had past and after a few decades my father met Eleona. And once again we moved on.” I said. My head started to pound and the funny sensation returned to my arm again. I rubbed it gently and then felt a bit awkward. I could feel liquid building in my eyes and I was not about to let them fall.
I got up from where I sat and ran my fingers through my hair. I turned and walked away from them and headed in a random direction away from them. Thankfully no one followed me and I slowly made my way to the tree openings and learnt against a tree trunk.
I took some deep breaths in and then pulled a neclace from under my shirt and untide it. I held it in front of me and starred at it for quite a while. It brought back so many memories of my mother and my childhood.
I spent about 10 minutes remembering my childhood. I remembered my father and my mother together and then my father after she died. The memory stung but I knew I couldn't run from the past. I decided that I had had enough being on my own and decided to go back to the group and Leonan.
I slowly made my way back but when I got there no one was there, the fire had been put out and there was a very strange cloud of blackness heading towards me. I looked at it and woundered what it could be, it was no cloud or nothing I had seen before. I started to walk towards it but something pulled on my arm and dragged me under a bush.
I went to shout but my mouth was covered and when I blinked, I saw Legolas's eyes, they were scared and on high alert. I blinked a few times to reasure my mind that I was safe and then looked up into the sky's to see big black birds circling all around us. I had not seen birds like these before, they were too big and too black than the birds that flew around here. As I thought about the birds it came to my attention that I had left Leonan with them. I shuffled up and lifted my head up through a gap in the bush and looked around for him. I could feel Legolas rise next to me and he nodded over to the white rock where we both stopped earlier to see Gandalf hugging tightly a panicked little body.
I took a deep breath out and let my body settle down onto the floor under the bush. The birds above were not singing, they were scwarking like crazy and the noise gave me a massive headach. I put my hand on my forehead and tried soothing it. Thankfully within a minute the birds were headed back to the south and away from us. We all waited and soon Gandalf emerged from under the stone followed by Leonan. I sprang from our hiding space and ran to Leonan, pulling him closely to my body and quickly giving him a look over to check he was fine. I looked around to see everyone, Aragorn and Boromir had not be far away, the Hobbits we nearist to Gandalf, and Gimli was practically stood next to me with twigs matted in his hair.
“Gandalf what were they?” I demanded strongly. Gandalf only looked into the distance, following the black cloud of birds.
“Spies of Saruman,” he answered. Saruman? Why would Saruman need spies? I mean, I know he has changed but why would he be sending spies to find a wizard, elf, men,drwarfs and Hobbits. What were they hiding from me?
“And why would Saruman be sending spies to look for you lot? What are you hiding from me Gandalf? What is the true meaning for your travelling?” I stammered, my body begining to shake as I spoke. What had I gotten myself into? I looked around and most people were either looking at Gandalf or at Frodo. When I looked at Frodo there was something about him that made me uncomfortable and hungry for something. I turned away and looked back at Gandalf who was now watching me carefully. I could see in his eyes that he was unsure whether or not to trust me.
“We are set out to destroy the one ring of evil, Vina. Frodo Baggins is the ring bearer and we are the fellwoship.” He stated. I was gobsmacked. I looked at Frodo again and looked down to his chest and saw the ring swinging and bouncing off of his chest. I could feel its power, luring me in with its evilness. I took a few steps forward towards him, the ring pulling me closer. But then a voice in my head told me to stop, and so I did. The voice was a gentle womens voice, soft and demanding. She was telling me to pull away, to move away and slowly, I stepped back away from Frodo. Soon my mind was its own again and I took a very deep breath out.
“Gandalf what have you gotten us into?” I breathed. I highered my head to look at him, guilt and sorrrow covering his face. What had I gotten myself into?