LOTR - The Fellow Ship (fan fiction - Aragorn love story)

Chapter two

Ariel's POV

Ariel wakes up to the sound of rushed whispering. She open's her eyes and blinks trying to adjust to the light coming through the window. Stretching carefully and flinching as pain shoots through her body, she looks to her side to see all 4 hobbits shoving food in there mouths.

Frodo is the first to notice she's awake. He picks up a plate of food and brings it over to her. "Hey sorry we didn't wake you up to eat. I thought it was best you get some sleep. Do you want me to get strider to find someone to treat your wounds?" Frodo ask's as he looks at her worried. Ariel shakes her head "no, we don't tell him anything. We still don't know if he is friend or foe. We must be cautious. I'll be fine once we find Gandalf. We also need to get you and that ring somewhere safe, that takes priority right now" she watch's as he looks down still worried. She pat's his head and tries to give him a reassuring smile.

Strider storms through the door quickly picking up his pack, he turns to the 5 of you "no time to sit around, grab what you can carry to eat. We must leave now" he starts to usher the others up as Frodo helps Ariel to her feet. She tries her best not to show her pain on her face, she stumbles slightly then leans lightly we her arm over Frodo's shoulder as in a comforting looking manor. She can feel strider watching them closely as the follow the others out the door.

...

The follow strider for a couple of hours when Sam, merry and pippin stop attempting to start making more food. Ariel watch's from beside Frodo when they hear strider call out to the group "we do not stop here, we must keep going till nightfall". Frodo stays beside Ariel as she stumbles slightly. She can here merry and pippin muttering about food as Sam quickly catch's up to her and Frodo. "How do we know we can trust this strider? How do we even know where he is leading us?" He ask's Frodo. Frodo says we have no other choice and he doesn't feel like a bad guy. Ariel nodes her head agreeing with Frodo but before she can say anything as well, they are interrupted by strider calling out to the "to Rivendell master Gamgee, to the house of Elrond".

This catch's Ariel's attention. She smiles at the two "the elves". She follows after strider with more determination now. Rivendell was where she was on her way too when you was kidnaped. She knows once they get there her wounds can be healed and she can warn lord Elrond of Saruman's betrayal.

...

Night has fall just as they reach an area where a broken down structure lay atop a tall hill. "We shall stay here the night" strider says as he walks towards the hill.

They reach a spot to set up for the night. Strider walks up to them and throughs 4 small blades down in front of them, the 4hobbits pick them up as strider says "keep these close, I'm going to have a look around so stay here and stay together". Ariel's looks at the small weapons confused, then she looks to strider "what about me?" She asks confused. "You need to rest. I will not put a blade in your hands when you can barely keep yourself on your feet. You may not trust me to treat your injuries but I will not be the cause of making it worse" he says quickly turning around and walking off. Ariel isn't to shock he notice she's injured. She knows she as no knowledge of how to fight but she still wish's she could do more to keep Frodo and the ring safe

It isn't long before her and Frodo nod off a little ways from the boys as they were being to loud for they liking. Frodo wakes up first looking to his side. He can tell Ariel is getting worse by the day. She is shaking terribly and her forehead is drenched in sweat. He goes to whip her forehead with his sleeve when he hears a commotion coming from the other hobbits.

When he see's they've started a fire he jumps up running over to them and in the process wakes Ariel up. She sits up looking over at the fumbling boys confused when they all here the horrifying screech of wraiths. Frodo and Sam run over to her grabbing her hands and pulling her to her feet quickly. She hisses in pain as the force rips open a wound on her side. She doesn't have time to think as they pull her along running up a set of stairs.

They reach the top and stand in the middle. The hobbits draw there little swords shakily. Ariel holds onto Frodo ready to try and protect him how ever she can.

The wraiths appear.

Ariel hears the others trying to fight off some of the wraiths. Her eyes are kept on the two approaching her and Frodo. One of the wraiths reaches out towards them. Ariel quickly push's Frodo behind her. Frodo tries to pull her back as the wraith grabs her by the throat and throughs her into a broken pillar. She's gasping for air. The pain shots though her hole body and makes it impossible for her to get to her feet when she hears a wraith step in front of her.

She looks up horrified as it reaches down to her. It grabs her by the throat and starts to choke her. She hears a voice, barely a whisper "give in....give in...the master calls for you...". Her skin feels like it's burning where the wraith touch's, she's fighting to stay awake as she feels her vision begin to dim. She can hear everyone yelling and fighting.

She hears the wraiths begin to screech. Louder fighting can be heard. The wraith strangling her gets a torch stuck to its face. It let's go and runs of screeching off the side of the cliff. Ariel can still hear a commotion but can't seem to get her body to move to see what's happening.

Merry and pippin come into view but there voices are muffled as they pull her up and start dragging her stumbling after strider who is carrying Frodo. "Fro..do" she mumbles.

...

They stop in a small clearing. Merry and pippin leave Ariel leaning against a tree to rush over and help with Frodo. She can hear there panic as she slides down to sit. She must have blacked out as the next thing she know, hands are on the side of her face. She looks up to see strider starring right into her eyes. He says something but she can't make sense of it. "..iel....can...me....ok?......down" she watch's as he turns to the merry pippin and Sam. He turns back to her, starring straight into her eyes. 'What's happening to me? Where's Frodo? Why can't I hear them? Why can't I move?' She thought to herself. Then everything grows dim. Her eyelids get heavy. She can't stay awake any longer and blacks out again...