Fan Fiction ❯ Lord of the Rings: Stargaze ❯ Crebain from Dunland ( Chapter 7 )

Crebain from Dunland

"The Road goes ever on and on

Out from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

Let others follow it who can!

Let them a journey new begin,

But I at last with weary feet

Will turn towards the lighted inn,

My evening-rest and sleep to meet."

The road that Gandalf had chosen to lead them by would take them West of the Misty Mountains for forty days. They would then try to make their way across the Gap of Rohan.

"Two - one - five," Boromir chanted. "Good! Very good."

Boromir was busy teaching Merry and Pippin to swordfight, and so far the Hobbits were progressing marvelously. Aragorn sat on a boulder nearby, throwing in advice as he saw fit. Sam had been in the process of cooking a light meal, and he crouched with Frodo on another rock. Sam watched the fighters with a shake of his head, but Frodo smiled with delight.

"You look good, Pippin," Merry commented on Pippin's improvement.

"Thanks," Pippin replied with a grin, watching as Boromir turned his attention to Merry.

The other half of the Fellowship was scattered among the boulders a few feet higher up the slope. Legolas stood on a large rock with his arms folded contently, staring out at the landscape and enjoying the view. Gandalf sat comfortably nearby, smoking his pipe. Arora sat above and behind her teacher on a tall boulder, her eyes curiously fixed on the Hobbits below.

"If anyone was to ask for my opinion, which I note they're not," Gimli suddenly spoke up. He was leaning against the rocks. "I'd say we were taking the long way round! Gandalf!" The Dwarf turned his attention to the wizard, "We could pass through the Mines of Moria! My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome."

Arora scowled at the Dwarf, but she didn't have to worry. Gandalf shook his head and said gently but firmly, "No Gimli. I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice."

Arora looked smug. She glanced at Legolas, still gazing away from them, and then her attention drifted to the opposite direction. She looked back at the Hobbits, but then whipped her head back to the distant sky. She sat up straight. "Legolas…"

Legolas turned at the sound of her call, and followed her tense gaze. Suddenly, he saw what she thought she did, and leaped nimbly over the rocks to the opposite edge, searching the distance, trying to determine what it was he was seeing. Arora slid off her rock and went to his side, adding her sight to his.

Suddenly, there was a short slice of metal on metal, and Pippin gave a shout.

"Sorry!" Boromir apologized quickly, afraid he had injured the Hobbit's hand.

To his shock and surprise, Pippin kicked him in the shin. As if on cue, Merry shouted, "Get him!" and both Hobbits tackled the big Man to the ground. Aragorn chuckled with mirth.

"For the Shire!" Pippin crowed, as Boromir laughed and caught them in a headlock. "Hold him down, Merry!"

"Gentlemen, that's enough," Aragorn said sternly, getting up to pry the Halflings off of Boromir. But to his surprise, Merry and Pippin turned from their wrestling match just long enough to grab Aragorn's legs and pull them out from under him. He fell on his back with a thud.

"You've got my arm! You've got my arm!"

Above them, Sam and Frodo had been laughing along with the rowdy bunch below, until Sam noticed a dark shape in the distant sky.

"What is that?" he asked curiously, feeling just a little nervous.

"Nothing, it's just a wisp of cloud," Gimli scoffed, but he kept his eyes on the indistinct form.

The tussle had stopped when those involved heard the words of the others. Now Boromir got to his feet and stared out into the distance. "It's moving fast…" he breathed heavily, and his voice dropped, "…against the wind."

At that moment, Legolas realized what it was. "Crebain from Dunland!" he cried.

"HIDE!" Aragorn ordered quickly.

"Hurry!"

"Take cover!"

The next fast moments were passed in a panic. Each member of the Fellowship grabbed their respective items and threw them under rocks and brush. Sam doused the fire he was cooking with, and everyone scurried to get out of sight…

Everything was silent for a moment.

Then there was the rush of wings and a flurry of crowlike screeches as the dark cloud of Crebain passed overhead. The black birds screeched and dived, searching for the Company that was watching them breathlessly from hiding. The birds circled the mountain as one a single time, then flew off in the direction they had come.

The Fellowship gradually began to reappear.

"Spies of Saruman…" Gandalf muttered. "The passage south is being watched." He looked up, and the Fellowship followed his gaze to the snowy crag that loomed ominously ahead. "We must take the Pass of Caradhras!"