Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ The Fellowship of the Gundam ❯ Weathertop ( Chapter 4 )

Chapter 4: Weathertop

In the morning, after a massive breakfast that had the innkeeper staring and his wife rubbing her hands with delight as she added up the bill, they purchased an even more massive quantity of supplies for the long walk to Rivendell.

“We'll need to get a pony to carry all this,” Sam noted.

“We could just shove it in Roku's storage space,” Duo said.

“We could,” Quatre agreed, “but we've already got all the rest of our stuff in there. Let's just get the pony.”

They found a man willing to part with his pony, but his manner had them all suspicious. His eyes gleamed as he extolled the virtues of a somewhat scrawny looking pony that stood half-asleep in his muddy pasture while his master assured them the pony was intelligent, well-fed and obedient.

“He's lying,” Duo whispered to Quatre. “The pony bit him yesterday.”

Trowa overheard. “Really?” His eyes lit up and he leaned on the pasture fence. “Hey, there,” he said to the pony in standard horse. “Did you really bite him yesterday?”

The pony lifted his head and blinked at him. “Why, yes I did,” the pony replied in a local horse dialect. “He's kind of an idiot, so he needs a nip every now and then just on principle.”

Trowa chuckled. “Makes sense to me.” He turned to the others. “We should buy this one. I think he'll work out.”

“Very well,” Aragorn said gravely. He handed over the coins the man had asked for in exchange for the pony.

“His name's Bill,” the man said as he eagerly pocketed the coins. “Good luck.” He opened the pasture gate and reached a little hesitantly for Bill's halter. Bill rolled his eyes and calmly plodded out through the gate.

Trowa grasped the halter lead. “Is your name really Bill?”

“No.” Bill tossed his head up and down. “But my mother called me Swift as a Winter Stream, which I've always found a little embarrassing since I'm not fast at all. Bill is fine.”

They took Bill back to the inn so they could load him down with their supplies and then they set out for Rivendell. On the way out of Bree, they passed through the remains of the smashed town gate.

“Those Nazgul were in a bit of a hurry,” Heero remarked. “You'd think they weren't used to people fighting back.”

“The Nazgul are terrifying,” Aragorn said. “People usual cower in abject fear when they pass.”

“Well, that's pointless,” Heero replied. “If it's going to kill you anyway, you should always try to do some damage first.”

Once outside Bree, Aragorn immediately left the road. “It will be harder for them to track us if we move across country. We Rangers know these lands like the back of our hands. I will not lead you astray.” He marched ahead of the group, his back straight and his eyes alert.

“He's a little pompous,” Zechs noted, “but his skills seem adequate enough.”

“What we've seen of them,” Treize replied.

“True,” Zechs said. “We haven't seen him fight yet. But his sword looks well-used and he carries himself like a fighter. I am willing to accept for now that he probably knows what he's doing.”

Once they were clear of plowed fields and groomed pastures, Roku turned back into a tiger.

“Can I be a kitty, too, Momma?” Jett asked Duo.

“No, you'll just get filthy,” Duo said. He picked her up and put her on his shoulders. “You can ride up here for now. I'll make Papa Heero carry you when I get tired.”

Jett gripped the top of his head. “Ok, but it's more fun getting muddy. When's lunch?”

“You just ate.”

“I was just asking.”

“I think it was a good question,” Pippin whispered to Merry. “It'll be time for second breakfast in an hour.”

“We cannot make frequent stops,” Aragorn said. “We have a lot of ground to cover and not much time.”

“But we can hardly walk all day on an empty stomach!” Pippin protested.

“You ate enough breakfast for three,” Aragorn retorted without turning around. “I think you'll last.”

“He doesn't know much about hobbits, does he?” Pippin grumbled.

“He'll learn,” Merry said. He patted Pippin's shoulder. “Just don't think about it. Before you know it, we'll be stopping for lunch.”

While all this talking was going on, Bill the pony was eyeing Roku with just a little bit of his whites showing. He whickered nervously and bumped Trowa, who was holding his lead rope, with his nose. “Excuse me, but you have a large predator in your midst.”

“That's just Roku,” Trowa said. “He's harmless. He's only a shape-changing sorcerer with the power to create or destroy the world.”

“Ah.” Bill chuckled. “That's all right, then. For a minute there, I thought he might be dangerous or something.”

They had been walking for about an hour when they passed the ruins of a village.

“What happened here, Aragorn?” Treize asked.

“This was the village of Fontina. It was destroyed several hundred years ago during a battle.”

After another hour of walking, they spotted the crumbled remains of a castle on a low rise.

“That castle looks pretty old,” Duo remarked.

“Yes, that was the castle of Gruyere,” Aragorn said. “It was destroyed several hundred years ago during a battle.”

Barely fifteen minutes later they crossed a rutted track winding between shattered stone walls that led to a cluster of broken-down stone huts.

“Let me guess,” Wu-Fei said. “That village was destroyed several hundred years ago during a battle.”

“That's correct,” Aragorn replied. “The village was called Edam.”

“Wait a minute…” Duo muttered. “There's something familiar about all those names.”

“It's just a coincidence,” Quatre said.

“Well, it's making me hungry. We should stop for lunch.”

So they did. The hobbits were very happy to prepare the meal, mainly because it ensured that a sufficient quantity of food was available and they got first crack at it.

Aragorn was unhappy that they stopped at all, though. “We should keep moving. It will not take the Nazgul long to get on our trail again.”

“Roku will let us know when that happens,” Quatre assured him. “His nose will pick them up while they're still an hour or two behind us.”

“But they are not really living creatures,” Aragorn protested. “How much scent will they have?”

Roku wiggled his whiskers. “Oh, they're pretty stinky, Mr. Aragorn,” he said. “And anyway, I'll smell their horses. Their sweat is kind of peculiar. I don't think they're completely normal horses. Bill smells much better.”

Bill tossed his head up and down.

“Bill says thank you,” Trowa relayed.

“You're welcome,” Roku said to Bill.

After lunch, which took far longer than Aragorn would have liked, they packed back up and set out again. At sunset, they made camp on the edge of a vast swamp, whose reeking fumes had Roku's eyes gleaming.

“If no one minds,” Roku said eagerly, “I'll just go have a look around, make sure there's nothing dangerous in the swamp, that sort of thing.” He was already sidling into the rank water.

Quatre just sighed. “Don't wander too far. Remember, you're our early warning system.”

“Yes, Mama.” And with that Roku bounded away, disappearing quickly into the reeds.

“I hope he's careful,” Aragorn said with grave concern. “There are bottomless sinkholes and other dangers in the swamp.”

“He'll be fine,” Quatre replied. “I suspect he could just teleport out if he gets in trouble.”

“Teleport?” Aragorn frowned at the unfamiliar word.

“Move by magic,” Quatre clarified. “Anyway, let's set up camp and start some dinner.”

But he really didn't need to say it, because the hobbits were way ahead of him. Merry and Pippin were busily unpacking the food, and Sam was already trying to start a fire with a few scraps of damp wood and some grass for kindling.

“I don't know if I can light this, Mr. Frodo,” Sam grumbled in annoyance. “This wood is pretty wet.”

“We'll get more firewood,” Heero volunteered. He snagged Wu-Fei by the arm and pointed his chin at Hadeya. “You two can help.”

“Yes, Father,” Hadeya said obediently.

Wu-Fei just shrugged. The three of them floated off into the underbrush, making no noise at all.

Quatre leaned over Sam's little pile of wood and pointed a finger. “Arefactum!” A hiss of steam coiled out of the wood.

Sam's eyes went round. “Well, will you look at that?!” he exclaimed. “The wood's dry as a bone now! That's quite a neat trick, Mr. Quatre, sir.”

“Thank you, Sam.”

Over dinner, Aragorn discussed the path they would be following in the morning. “We will go through the swamp,” he explained, “because that will shorten how much ground we must cover. It will also make it harder for the Nazgul to follow us. The swamp can be treacherous, but I know a safe path. We will not be able to make it all the way across in one day, but if we push hard, we can make it out the day after. By the next evening, we should reach an old citadel where I like to camp. Rivendell is just a few more days beyond that.”

“What are the odds that we will get there before the Nazgul find us?” Treize asked.

“Not great,” Aragorn replied. “The ring draws them. And they are not dumb creatures. They were once great men and clever. They will know where we are headed and may try to cut us off.”

“Very well,” Treize nodded and looked at Zechs. “We'll need an open country battle plan.”

“Right,” Zechs said. He looked speculatively at the hobbits. “We should teach them how to use their swords.”

“Agreed,” said Treize. He, too, looked speculatively at the hobbits.

Pippin shifted uncomfortably. “I'm not sure I can handle a sword, Merry,” he murmured to his friend.

“I think I would like to learn,” Merry murmured back.

“I wonder where Roku's got to,” Trowa said. “He usually turns up when there's food.”

“He's coming back,” Jett reported around a mouthful of bread and sausage. She pointed. “He's that way.”

Frodo blinked. “How does she know that?”

“Jett always knows where people she's close to are,” Duo replied.

A moment later, Roku sauntered out of the swamp, licking his whiskers and looking rather pleased with himself.

Quatre glared at him suspiciously. “You've been eating something.”

Roku flopped down on his side. His belly looked distended. “It was just lying there dead,” he said. “Well, mostly dead anyway, so I ate it.”

Quatre put a hand over his face.

Duo perked up. “What was it?”

“A small boar,” Roku said, his eyes drifting closed. “It had gotten stuck in the mud.”

“And you didn't share?!” Duo cried.

“It wasn't that big.”

“You're a cruel tiger, Roku. I love pork!”

“You love anything that's dead enough to eat,” Wu-Fei pointed out with a grimace.

“Well, yeah,” Duo acknowledged, “but wild boar is particularly good.”

“Ok, I'll share the next one,” Roku promised, and he promptly fell asleep.

“So much for our early warning system,” Heero grumbled. “I'll take first watch.”

“I'll join you,” Zechs said.

The two picked up their swords and drifted into the darkness.

In the morning, after a hearty breakfast intended to keep hobbits and children from whining too soon about more food, they plunged into the swamp. The path Aragorn took might have been safe, but it was most certainly not dry. They slogged through sticky mud that tried to pull off shoes and patches of water that were sometimes up past their knees.

“Don't worry about leeches,” Aragorn assured them the first time he led them into a scum-covered pool. “This water is too cold for them.”

“Oh, that's good to know,” Pippin shivered. “I'd hate for the leeches to have trouble getting past my goose bumps.”

Merry slapped his neck and stared at the smashed bug on his palm with a wrinkled nose. “So if it's too cold for leeches, why isn't it too cold for mosquitoes?”

“Those aren't mosquitoes,” Wu-Fei said. “They're biting flies.”

“What's the difference?” Sam grumbled. “They both suck blood.” He slapped a fly off his cheek.

“Well,” Wu-Fei said, slipping into teacher mode, “mosquitoes insert a proboscis under the skin to draw the blood, while biting flies tend to have sharp pincers that cut the skin open and then they lap the blood off the surface. Both methods can transmit infection.”

“I think his question was rhetorical,” Trowa remarked.

“Oh.”

Frodo squinted at Quatre, who was walking a few paces in front of him. “How come the flies aren't biting you, Quatre?”

“I'm using a repellant spell,” Quatre replied. “My skin is too fair for bug bites. The blotches make me unattractive.”

Everyone stared at him.

Quatre blinked. “Perhaps I could extend the spell to encompass all of us.”

“Ya think?” Duo muttered

Quatre murmured something under his breath and suddenly the flies began avoiding them.

“Oh, that's a relief!” Pippin exclaimed and he promptly tripped face first into the water.

Treize caught him by the shoulder and yanked him upright. “Watch your step, Pippin. Just because there are no leeches doesn't mean there aren't other things in the water you'd prefer not to get in your mouth.”

Pippin sputtered and spat slime off his lips. “I think I've already discovered that.”

They found a somewhat dry spot big enough to hold them all when it was time for lunch, but they didn't stay long. No one felt like sitting down, so they ate bread and cheese while clustered around Bill and then resumed walking. It became overcast in the afternoon, which made it rather gloomy, but it was still just starting to get dark when Aragorn called a halt. They had arrived at a small island that rose up out of the swamp far enough to provide a reasonably dry campground.

“We will spend the night here,” Aragorn announced. “There isn't much wood, but we might be able to start a small fire.”

“I have firewood,” Roku said. He shifted back into human form so he could more easily pull the firewood out of his storage space.

“When did you get that?” Zechs asked.

“Yesterday, when I went exploring,” Roku replied. “I figured we'd need it later. Oh, and I got this while I was exploring today.” He grunted as he pulled a large dead boar from in back of his left leg.

“So that's why you wandered off for so long,” Quatre said.

“Yeah. I smelled it, so I thought I would catch it for dinner. They're kind of mean, though. When it saw me, it decided to attack rather than run away. I had to trick it into a mud puddle so it would get stuck and I could kill it without getting gashed. See? It's got great big tusks.”

Heero examined the beast with interest. “That would be fun to fight. Let me know if you smell another one, Roku.”

“Ok.”

“One normally hunts wild boar with spears if it's for sport,” Treize said. “I used to do that on my estate on Earth.”

“That's such an aristocratic pastime,” Zechs teased.

Treize drew himself up. “I am an aristocrat,” he said archly.

“And a very handsome one, too,” Zechs purred.

Treize patted Zechs' cheek. “So are you.”

“No flirting before dinner!” Alexa complained. “We've been walking all day and I'm starving!”

“Yes, dear.”

Treize, Aragorn and Sam got together to dress the boar carcass, while everyone else worked on preparing the rest of their dinner.

“Fresh meat was a good idea,” Trowa said. “It will stretch the rest of our supplies. We're going through them pretty fast.”

“These hobbits eat as much as Roku,” Wu-Fei said. “That's pretty impressive for their stature.”

“Well, good food should be appreciated,” Merry said.

“As often as possible!” Pippin added.

“Yeah!” Alexa and Jett cheered in agreement.

Wu-Fei just sighed and shook his head.

Once everyone had eaten and the cleaning up was done, Aragorn spoke. “There is nothing particularly that can harm us in this swamp except perhaps another boar,” he said, “so everyone should sleep. Once we leave the swamp tomorrow, we will need to be especially vigilant.” But as everyone else wrapped up in their blankets and settled down, Aragorn remained seated on a rotted log at the edge of camp, staring into the darkness.

Roku, once more in tiger form, sat next to him. “Aren't you going to sleep, too, Mr. Aragorn?”

“I need less sleep then most men,” Aragorn said gravely.

“Oh. You looked like you were thinking about something.”

“Ah.” Aragorn stared off into the distance. “Sometimes, on evenings like this, I contemplate the bittersweet fate that awaits my heart. It is likely I shall never know the fulfillment of true love.”

“In that case, you should just be naughty. Papa Duo says it's relaxing.”

Aragorn stared. “I beg your pardon?”

“You could do it alone, but I'd recommend having a partner. It's more fun that way.”

Aragorn's mouth worked silently for a moment. “Are you suggesting I engage in casual intimacy?”

“Yeah. You could do it with Papa Duo. He's always up for it and he'd let you go on top. But if you want to try it the other way, I'd suggest Hadeya. He's been trying to hold back lately, so he'd last a real long time.”

“You're suggesting I engage in casual intimacy with a man?!” Aragorn rasped faintly.

“Of course! It's more natural that way.” Roku settled onto his belly and stretched out his front paws, spreading the toes so his claws poked out. “If you do it with girls, there's a chance you'll make babies. Of course, we've made babies without involving girls, so it's not strictly necessary to do it with a girl to make a baby, but the odds are a lot higher that you will if you're naughty with a girl rather than a boy, so I'd say stick with boys just to be safe until you're really sure you want to make babies, although we could help you make a baby anyway if the person you want to raise a child with is another boy, so be sure to let us know if that ends up being the case.”

Aragorn swallowed. His eyes looked a little wild. “Yes, of course, I'll keep that in mind,” he said faintly.

“Well, I'm going to sleep, too. Goodnight, Mr. Aragorn.”

Aragorn made a nearly inaudible response that was probably “goodnight, Roku.”

In the morning, after a quick breakfast, the group moved out, with Aragorn once more in the lead.

Trowa studied Aragorn as they walked. “Didn't Aragorn get any sleep? He's acting a little odd.”

“He just needs to get laid,” Roku said.

“Well, he should say something,” Duo said. “It's never a good idea to hold that in. He'll end up wanting to kill stuff all the time, like someone we know.” He pointedly did not look at Heero.

Heero glared at him anyway. “Killing stuff that needs killing and getting laid are two independent activities.”

Wu-Fei nodded in agreement.

“Are you married, Mr. Duo?” Sam asked curiously.

“Just to him.” Duo hooked a thumb at Heero. “This one's my love slave.” He draped an arm around Wu-Fei's shoulders.

“Get off!” Wu-Fei shoved him away.

Sam blushed furiously.

“I'm sure he's kidding, Sam,” Frodo said.

The other pilots all shook their heads.

“But of course, I can never say no to a pretty bottom,” Duo continued. “It's a curse.”

“He's a curse, all right,” Heero muttered.

“But you still love me,” Duo said sweetly.

Heero rolled his eyes.

The eastern edge of the swamp ended gradually, with the marshy ground slowly becoming firmer and the pools of stagnant water less frequent. After a quick stop for lunch, Aragorn set a brisk pace across country that rolled up and down gently, with streams winding through the low places under weak, watery sunlight. Toward late afternoon, in the distance ahead of them, the jagged tops of a broken citadel perched on top of a sharp rise came into view.

“What's that, Aragorn?” Zechs asked.

“Our destination,” Aragorn replied. “It's known as Weathertop. We will stop there for the night. It is more defensible than camping in the open. But we'll need to hurry if we are to reach it before nightfall.”

It was getting dark by the time they toiled their way up the steep slope to a camping spot under the lip of the citadel.

“This is good,” Treize said. “We have good lines of sight.”

“Where does that staircase lead?” Zechs asked Aragorn. An old, well-worn flight of steps led into a crack at the rear of their perch.

“Into the citadel,” Aragorn replied. “If we are attacked, we can retreat that way.” He looked around. “I want to do some scouting. I shouldn't be too long.” He started back down the slope.

Quatre glanced at Roku and the young tiger sauntered off after Aragorn without a word.

“Can we make food?” Jett asked plaintively.

“We shouldn't make a fire here,” Treize said. “We're too exposed.”

“Not even a small one?” Sam said. “We'd just need a minute or two to make some sausages. And maybe a little bacon. And perhaps some tomatoes.”

“I can hide the fire, Treize,” Quatre said.

Treize exchanged a look with Zechs and Zechs shrugged. “All right, but make it fast. The light will carry a lot farther than you think.”

“I'll go down and check on Bill,” Trowa said. “I'll let you know if I see the fire.”

They were still eating later when a high-pitched shriek echoed through the air somewhere off to the east. It was followed almost immediately by a shriek from the south and another one from the west.

“Dammit!” Treize said. “We shouldn't have started that fire!”

“But the light didn't show!” Trowa said.

“It must have been the smell from the cooking,” Zechs said. “There's no telling how sensitive the Nazgul's noses are. Roku would have smelled it, so perhaps they could, too.”

“Well, it's too late now,” Treize said. “Everyone up into the citadel!” They dashed up the staircase and entered the remains of a stone room that was open to the sky. Gaps in the walls, some with the remains of stone arches above them, showed where windows had once been. Treize pointed with his sword into one relatively intact corner. “I want all non-fighters over there. Hadeya, Duo, Trowa and Quatre: you're the guards. Zechs, Heero, Wu-Fei and I are taking point. I'm going to assume that Aragorn and Roku are on their way back.” He held his sword at the ready and they waited.

The four hobbits, their eyes round with fear, stood just in front of Jett and Alexa, their swords clutched in shaking hands. They did not have to wait long. Within minutes, the Nazgul stepped silently out of the darkness, ghosting in through the openings in the walls. Treize immediately led the charge of the four on point and the fight was on. But the Nazgul seemed more intent on breaking through to get at the hobbits.

“Ugh!” Duo cried out. He dropped to one knee, clutching his head with one hand.

At the same time, Frodo gasped out a strangled “No!” and clutched at his vest pocket.

“Don't do that, Frodo!” Alexa called out, but it was too late.

Frodo put the ring on and disappeared. One of the Nazgul immediately darted past Duo and stabbed the empty air just to one side of Jett. Jett let out a shriek that sent stones tumbling down the shattered walls of the citadel and the Nazgul jumped back in surprise. Then Roku came bounding in and landed on a Nazgul's back with a fierce cry. Aragorn was right on his heels, a flaming brand in one hand and his sword in the other. The Nazgul under Roku slithered out from under his paws and fled, followed quickly by the others.

“Where's Frodo?” Sam cried.

“He's here,” Roku said and as he spoke, Frodo reappeared, his face pale and blood oozing from a wound in his left shoulder.

Aragorn quickly dropped to one knee at his side. “He's been stabbed with a Morgul blade,” he explained grimly. “Only Elvish medicine can heal this. We must get him to Rivendell!”

“But you said Rivendell was days from here!” Sam exclaimed.

“We'll hurry!” Aragorn said. He picked Frodo up. “Let's go.”