I remembered what happened last time we had wandered around, so I decided to make a map as we went so we wouldn’t get lost. That worked for all of ten minutes. Soon the map was even beyond my reckoning, There were squiggly lines hastily drawn, scribbles from when Pippin had gotten hold of my pen, ‘corrections’ Katy and Stacey had drawn on and all that could be made out now was the point we started from, and where we were now. There was nothing eligible in between.
"Well so much for that idea, we’re lost." I told the others, squinting at the sheet.
"And this isn’t the way we came last time either." Katy said in dismay.
"Are you sure?" I asked, "That tree looks kind of familiar."
"Rachel, they all look the same!" Katy exclaimed.
I laughed, "Yeah, I know. That might be why it looks so familiar."
"So should we try to find our way back or continue forward?" Stacey asked.
"Let’s try to find our way back." Pippin suggested.
"Yeah, I’m hungry." Merry agreed.
We turned around to go back, but to everyone’s dismay we could not figure out which way we had come from. We seemed to remember going down, but that could’ve been any point along the way, besides there were two ladders going up from this talon and one going down… And that was just what we could see from where we were standing. The platform curled around the tree, and several elf homes were constricting our view.
"So which way, Pippin?" I asked.
"How would I know?" He asked back.
"Well you’re the one who suggested we go back, so I assume you remember something." I pointed out.
"But I never make decisions, Merry, Fatty or Frodo always decide for me!" Pippin insisted.
"Fine, Merry, you decide then." I declared.
"What? I don’t remember which way we came from!" Merry exclaimed.
"Ha! You said ‘don’t’! We’re starting to rub off on you!" Katy laughed.
"Huh? No you’re not. I did not!" Merry exclaimed.
"And you said ‘you’re’ too!" I told him.
"I did not! When?" Merry asked.
"Just now you said ‘no you’re not’." I told him.
"No, just now I said ‘I did not! When?’ That proves you do not know what you are talking about." He said, satisfied he had made his point.
"Actually Merry, you did say that." Pippin agreed with us.
Merry glared at Pippin, "Traitor." He mumbled.
"Okay…." Stacey said, not sure if any of us were still somewhat sane, "So which way then, Merry?"
Merry was eager to put the subject aside, so he quickly decided, "Up there!" He declared, pointing to one of the nearby ladders.
We all went the way he suggested even though none of us believed he had chosen right.
It was an hour later before Merry finally admitted he might have chosen wrong. Since we already knew we were lost, we decided to take turns deciding where to go.
Eventually we ended up on the talon holding the building everyone most dreaded to see… Except for me that is.
"Hey, guys! Look! It’s the armory!" I exclaimed, immediately rushing in only to be held back by Stacey who had quickly grabbed my jacket.
"Oh no! We’re not going through *that* again!" She exclaimed.
They all started pulling me away in a group effort (even the hobbits helped out) when an elf stuck his head out the door.
"Oh, Rachel, this is the…" Haldir trailed off as he took in the situation before him. He smiled, stifling laughter inside enough to ask, "What are you all doing?"
"We’re trying to get Rachel away from the armory!" Katy puffed, I guess it wasn’t easy pulling me when I was putting all my force into going the other way, "And you could help, you know."
"But I thought she wanted to see the armory." Haldir said.
"I do!" I exclaimed, "They just don’t appreciate fine art in the way of swords and bows!" I struggled some more. Then I realized I wasn’t going to out pull four people, even if two of them just over half my height. Giving up the struggle I skillfully slipped out of their grasps and ran over behind Haldir.
"Will you show me the armory?" I asked in what I thought was an innocent voice.
"No don’t!" Merry and Pippin exclaimed simultaneously, proving even two hobbits can form telepathic bonds.
"We’ll never get her out!" Stacey exclaimed.
"Last time we only just barely got her out and that’s only because Gandalf let her hold his sword! How will we stop her without his sword?" Katy asked speaking so fast Haldir could barely understand a word she said, I was amazed that anyone could say all that in one breath.
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