Return to our Destiny.

18. The Ring Goes South

The Fellowship departs from Rivendell as the sun's rays pierce the valley. They travel through the woods, over open plains and hillsides. They pause on a hill in the wild. Overhead Thilia flies, she is their scout and front attack should it be needed. When she sees that there is nothing ahead she lands and walks with the group, keeping close to Frodo as he takes to walking beside her. 

"We must hold this course west of the Misty Mountains for forty days. If our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. From there our road turns east to Mordor." Gandalf said as they all looked to that direction. It was about 11 in the morning, Sam cook is sausage and other food over a fire while smoking his pipe, climbing up onto a rock beside Frodo sits Gimli. 

The Fellowship is resting on an outstretched arm of the mountains. Boromir spars with Merry and Pippin, tutoring them on sword fighting. He battles with Pippin. Thilia watches as they engage in sword play, Boromir counts each move of the sword while teaching the hobbit opposite him, "Two, one, five. Good. Very good." Aragorn sits nearby, also watching, smoking a  his pipe. He speaks encouragement. "Move your feet."

"You look good, Pippin." Merry says excitedly. "Thanks." Pippin says with a quick look to his friend, "eyes forward," Thilia warns and he blushes in embarrassment as he does as she says, "Faster!" Boromir says when he sees that the hobbit is doing better. As the Hobbits spar with Boromir, Gimli approaches Gandalf. Thilia sees him move and rolls her eyes before her head falls into her hand, 

"If anyone was to ask for my opinion, which I note they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way round. Gandalf, we could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin, Balin, would give us a royal welcome." Gandalf takes a pipe he was smoking from his mouth. Faint surprise registers in his eyes. Before he could even answer Thilia frowns and speaks up, "Gimli we would have a better chance of going to Gondor than the mines," she says and everyone looks to her, 

"you brat! don't think that just because you're Rynnyl's daughter that you know more than me!" Gimli growled, "You're a smart dwarf Gimli, but you should also remember that no one has heard from your cousin in a while and when that happens it doesn't mean anything good. We don't know what's in those mines, its safer any other way but the Road to Moria," she said and no one could argue that she was wrong. 

"Thilia is right Gimli, I would not take the road through Moria unless I had absolutely no other choice." Legolas and Thilia notice something amiss and looks intently towards the South. His eyes leading him while her nose alerted her. Meanwhile, Boromir continues to fight Pippin. "Come on. Good." Boromir cheers before accidentally nicking Pippin's hand. "Aaaah!" Pippin gasped as Boromir tried to apologize, 

"Sorry!" but Pippin is angry and kicks Boromir on the shin. "Ahh!" Boromir gasps as he bends to clutch his leg but Merry takes a swing at him and hits him in the thigh with the flat of his blade, "Get Him!" Merry shouts. Boromir goes down in a mock battle. Boromir and Aragorn laugh with the Hobbits. Thilia is giggling and trying not to get too boisterous, as she can be really loud when she laughs.  

"For the Shire! Hold him! Hold him down! Merry!" Pippin cries, Aragorn walks over to them. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Thilia warns the Ranger but he go over to them anyway, "Gentlemen, that's enough." He lays a hand on either Hobbit's shoulder. Pippin and Merry grab his legs, pulling him down on his back. the apple he'd been previously eating falls and hits him in the head. 

Pippin still in a mock battle shouts, "You've got my arm... you've got my arm!" Legolas continues to look to the South, where a strange cloud has appeared, he turns to Thilia and with a quick call in Draconic, she looks to him and joins him on his rock. Sam takes notice of Legolas and Thilia's observation. "What is that?" Gimli barely tosses a look before answering. "Nothing, it's just a whiff of cloud."

Boromir is getting up from the ground now, with a hand on either Hobbit's shoulder, "It's moving fast... against the wind." Legolas is the first to announce what is coming. "Crebain from Dunland!" "Hide!" Aragorn shouts as he is instantly helping Frodo and Sam hide and put out the fire they'd lit while Thilia is quickly hiding Merry and Pippin before grabbing the loose gear and tucking it with them, 

Boromir was helping as well before she pulled him and the last of the camping things out of view, she had him under her with her wings tucking them further from view, she could feel his breath on her neck as she leaned over him, his warm hands were set on her hips and waist as he held her closer, "Thilia your tail," he warned and she quickly pulled it in around them. Looking to him from looking to the quickly approaching birds,

She saw how close they really are. It nearly startled her but she didn't move. As everyone hid behind rock outcroppings and under bushes. They waited and in a burst of darkness against the light of day, a flock of black birds rushes overhead, cawing loudly. The birds circle the hill, then turn and fly back Southward. When it's safe to finally come out, Thilia is nearly as red as her hair, which makes Boromir's heart pound. 

"Spies of Saruman! The passage South is being watched." Gandalf says using a rock outcrop to support himself as he straightens up. Thilia smirks and leans closer to Boromir, "big surprise, who else could they belong to," he fights not to laugh and hides a bit in shoulder as she's still leaning towards him, "We must take the Pass of Caradhras." Gandalf says as he turns, looking up at a great, snowy mountain. "Great." Thilia sighs.