The White Armoured Shifter. [The Hobbit FF-ThorinxOcxAragorn Love Story]

14. Lothlórien.

Third person's point of view,

The Fellowship exits Moria. Boromir tries to restrain Gimli as the Dwarf vents out his rage and sorrow. Merry consoles Pippin, who lies crying. Legolas wears a look of shock and disbelief; the immortal elf's eyes show puzzlement. Sam sits on the ground, bows his head onto his hands, and begins to weep. Aragorn wipes his sword clean, sheathes it, and turns to the others. Ayrn has stripped and shifted into her Unicorn form to hide her sadness,

Aragorn seeing this picks up her things and packs them into her bags and then onto her rump, before letting her move around, turning to Legolas, Aragorn called to him, "Legolas, get them up." Boromir turns to him angrily, "Give them a moment, for pity's sake!" he shouted. "By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs! We must reach the woods of Lothlórien. Come, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them up." Aragorn countered.

"On your feet Sam." Aragorn said as he pulled Sam to his feet, turning to look for Frodo, Aragorn sees him walking already, "Frodo? Frodo!" Aragorn calls to him and Ayrn in her unicorn form is trotting after the tiny hobbit, upon nearing him he turns to her silently weeping, he reaches out to her and his hand rests on her velvety soft nose, turning his head towards Aragorn, a single tear running down his chin.

Ayrn rubs her nose against his cheek and he hugs what he can reach, when he lets go, she kneels down for him and he wiggles up onto her back, when she stands, he's well above the others and she feels better having him high up and safe on her back. 

***

Chortling, icy blue water gurgles across the dale. Aragorn runs up onto a rock. Framed against a deep blue sky, he looks past the mountains to the green-gold woods beyond. The Fellowship jogs across a grassy field, Ayrn still in her unicorn form with Frodo onboard trots along as everyone jogs, halting under the leaves of a forest of tall trees. Gimli turns to the remaining three Hobbits. He's wary of the stories he's heard about the elves from this forest.

"Stay close, young Hobbits! They say that a great sorceress lives in these woods, an Elf-witch, of terrible power. All who look upon her, fall under her spell..." Ayrn can feel Galadriel's power and its effect on Frodo, watching him with a slightly turned head she moves over to Aragorn, her emotions pass into him and he can sense her unease and its direction at Frodo, nodding he whispers that he'll keep his eye on Frodo and her.

"...and are never seen again." Gimli adds, "...Your coming to us..." Frodo pulls Ayrn to a halt as a pair of eyes flash through his head, "...is as the footsteps of doom. You bring great evil here, Ring-bearer!" Frodo hears in his head, "Mister Frodo?" Sam calls up to his friend, but Frodo doesn't answer, "Well, here is one Dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!" Gimli says as an arrow, notched, appears before his face. "Oh..." he gasps,

Other bows at the ready appear around the Fellowship. Ayrn makes a move to escape with Frodo but elves yank him down as ropes appear and wrap around her neck and yank her back down from her reared up position when she freaked out about losing Frodo, Aragorn is quick to free her and explain what's going on as Legolas has his own bow out and aimed at the other elves while he protects Aragorn's exposed back.

The other Fellowship members look around, alarmed. Boromir has both Merry and Pippin by his side while Gimli is next to Sam with Legolas as a tall, golden-haired Elf appears. "The dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark." Haldir insults and Ayrn lunges for him, he flinches and Aragorn stops her and calms her with soft hands on her shoulder and neck, "Easy," he says soothingly and she snorts hot air and tosses her head and he tries not to laugh,

The Fellowship stands on a platform in the rustling foliage. Haldir greets them. "Mae govannen, Legolas Thranduilion." (Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil.) "Govannas vîn gwennen le, Haldir o Lórien." (Our Fellowship stands in your debt, Haldir of Lórien.) Legolas greets back, Haldir glances at Aragorn. "A, Aragorn in Dúnedain istannen le ammen." (Oh, Aragorn of the Dúnedain, you are known to us.) he says with a hand on his heart, 

"Haldir." Aragorn greets back the same way, Ayrn coming back in human form is adjusting one of her gauntlets when Haldir see her out the corner of his eye, she's practically glowing in the moonlight and he stops to stare, his eyes are wide and his mouth hangs a bit, his words lost to him at the sight of Ayrn, realizing something, Haldir and his men dropped to a knee and bowed their heads, 

"Khalessi Ayrn," Haldir gasped out in the language that Aragorn recognized as Ayrn's mother tongue, she groaned a bit under her breath, "It's been too long since I've been called that," Haldir's head dipped down further, "But... Khalessi, we--" he said and she glared and snapped, "I am no longer the wife of a Khal, you disrespect me by addressing me as such," this made them flinch, muttering a soft apology in Ayrn's tongue, Gimli had finally had enough. 

"So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves! Speak words we can also understand!" He'd snapped, Ayrn was about to turn on him for even thinking that that language Haldir was speaking is Elvish, but Haldir and Aragorn beat her to it. "We have not had dealings with the Dwarves since the Dark Days." Haldir said, to which Gimli spat, "And you know what this Dwarf says to that? Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul!" (I spit upon your grave!)

Aragorn gripped Gimli by the shoulder, "That was not so courteous." then added a bit firmer, "He wasn't even speaking the Elven tongue, you owe Ayrn an apology for disrespecting her mother tongue," gasping in shock Gimli looked to Ayrn who wasn't even interested in the conversation anymore and was standing near Frodo, who leaned on her heavily, "I'll be sure to give her one later, she's with Frodo," Gimli said nodding to them and Aragon let him go.

Haldir glanced at Frodo. "You bring great evil with you." he said before looking at Aragorn, "You can go no further." He walks away, he struggles to look on from Ayrn as she's piercing him with a sharp glare. Sam and Pippin turn to look at Frodo. He looks slightly uncomfortable. "Everything will be fine," Ayrn said getting Frodo's attention, her hand softly stroked his hair and he smiled up at her. 

Aragorn continues to argue with Haldir, angrily. "Boe ammen veriad lîn. Andelu i ven!" (We need your protection. The road is fell!) Haldir whispers back inaudible. "Merin le telim." (I wish we may come with you.) Aragorn says Haldir answers quietly, again so that only Aragorn can hear his words. "Henio, aníron boe ammen i dulu lîn!" (Please, understand, we need your support!) Aragorn begs, 

Legolas turns to look at Frodo, who looks uncomfortably away, and his eyes fall on Sam. Sam looks away, a hurt expression in his eyes. Merry and Pippin do likewise. Gimli glances at Frodo. Aragorn continues to argue loudly with Haldir. Frodo instead of giving in to their looks, tugs on Ayrn's arm, looking down at him again she smiles when he motions for her to kneel to his height, 

"Could you teach me your language sometime?" he asked sweetly, smiling and giggling softly she patted his head, "I speak quite a few, which would you like to learn?" she asked him back, "I would like to be able to speak with Aragorn and Legolas in something other than the common tongue," she nodded, "So elvish, it is," she said and he chuckled softly, sitting across from her, she started with the simple stuff to get him started, her conversation drowned out by Aragorn,

"Andelu i ven." (The road is very dangerous.) Aragorn explained to Haldir even though the latter already knew that; "Gandalf's death was not in vain... nor would he have you give up hope." Boromir said cutting off Ayrn's explanation trying to cheer up Frodo but Ayrn had already done that by teaching him a new language, "You carry a heavy burden, Frodo... don't carry the weight of the dead." Boromir added, even as Frodo looked up at him with knowing eyes,

Which switch to a chilly stare intensified by the ice blue of his eyes, Haldir appears, looking less than happy. "You will follow me," he instructs, while Aragorn helps Ayrn to her feet before she reaches down for Frodo. A caravan of Elves leads the Fellowship along a ridge, through the golden woods. Boromir glances at Frodo behind him. The group comes to the end of the high ridge and looks out. A great glade of trees rises above them.

"Caras Galadhon... the heart of Elvendom on earth. Realm of the Lord Celeborn and of Galadriel, Lady of Light." Haldir says proudly,