M.E. Chapter 48: Bored

"Thrust, Merry, thrust!" Boromir shouted as he and Merry sparred lightly.

"I am thrusting!" Merry defended.

"You will have to thrust better than that if you expect to win." Boromir admonished.

Boromir knocked Merry’s dagger from his hand. "That was better, Merry." he praised, "Look, I even broke a sweat this time. You two are really coming along. Before long you will be great warriors to rival even the Dark Kings."

Merry and Pippin grinned up at him as Merry collapsed on the grass beside his friend.

"Let’s go it again." Pippin decided heaving himself off the grass and readying his blade.

Boromir rolled his eyes, "Can I not get a moments rest?" He asked in jest.

"Oh, sorry." Pippin apologized, and waited for Boromir to have his rest.

Boromir grinned, "Moment over." He said and he immediately set forth on Pippin who had readied his dagger just in time.

"Good, good Pippin!" Boromir praised as they sparred, "A little higher next time…"

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"Aragorn, are you excited to be king?" Stacey asked all of a sudden.

"Not really." Aragorn answered, keeping his eyes on the path ahead of them.

"Why not?" Katy asked.

"I would rather not discus this with you. You would not understand." He answered.

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Stacey asked indignantly, but received no answer.

"I think you’ll make a great king." Katy told him.

"Yep. And a cute one at that." Stacey agreed.

"I’ll bet you’ll look great with that crown on your head." Katy said.

"You’re sure you want to marry Arwen?" Stacey asked.

Aragorn had had enough of this, "Yes I am sure I want to marry Arwen! I love her! And what business is it of yours how I look in a crown! Just drop it, okay?" He asked.

They were silent and he continued on.

"I never noticed before… But he’s kind of hot when he’s angry, isn’t he?" Stacey asked Katy.

"Oh yes." Katy agreed.

"He should get together with Eowyn instead. They’re the same race." Stacey commented.

Aragorn swung around to face the maidens once again. His face was darkened with fury, "STOP TALKING NOW!!!" He ordered.

"Or what?" Stacey had the nerve to ask.

"Or I will get REALLY angry with you!" He said.

The two quieted down seeing as how they had thought this *was* really angry and had no desire to see a ranger in a worse mood than the one this one was in right now.

***************

I had been listening intently to Haldir’s lessons for over an hour. I had learned much elvish (even the correct pronunciations to several words I did not even realize had elven translations… And wished I still was so naïve). Then I had begun to get bored.

My vision started to wander. Then my mind. It wasn’t long before my hands had made their way into my pockets and were digging around for anything of interest.

Haldir was ignorant of all this until I began bouncing a ball in between my feet.

"What is that?" He asked straying from the lesson since I obviously was no longer listening.

"It’s a ball." I replied, my attention barely wavering.

"What is it?" He asked again.

"White." I replied.

"A ball? Where did you get it?" He asked, "And what is it used for?"

"Yes, a ball. A white ball. From my pocket. Lots of stuff." I answered bouncing it off one of the limbs of the tree now.

"Can I feel it?" He asked.

I nodded and handed it to him when it came back to me.

"It feels strange, what is it made of?" He asked handing the ball to his brothers who were just as curious by now.

"I don’t know. Rubber, I guess." I replied.

Rumil and Orophin were bouncing the ball back and forth.

"See, that’s how you use it!" I told Haldir.

"But what is its purpose?" He asked still confused.

"Entertainment." I told him and seeing that he still looked confused I continued, "There are a bunch of games you can play with it… And I suppose it also builds hand-eye coordination…"

"… So why did you have it in your pocket?" He asked even more confused.

"Um… I needed it as something to throw with my trebuchet." I told him.

"Oh." Haldir said then stopped asking more questions and watched us throw the ball around. After a while he joined us.

***************

"Aragorn, I’m bored!" Stacey whined.

"Aragorn, I’m bored too!" Katy whined.

Aragorn stalked ahead of them, these maidens were grinding on his nerves, he once again thanked Galadriel silently that they were not coming with.

Despite the ranger’s valiant effort at ignoring the duo however their incessant whining, complaining and giggling finally got to him and he gave in, "Ai, Elbereth." He mumbled then in a louder voice, "Enough!" He shouted, "WHAT do you WANT???" He cried.

His two adversaries were silent for a moment. Finally Katy spoke, "Can we go see Rachel now?" she asked innocently.

****************

"Haldir, I’m bored." I complained, "When do you get off?"

"Not for several hours yet." He told me quietly. The three elves had grown silent again and were now faithfully watching the forest.

"Can we go see Katy now?" I asked.

"We’re not leaving for several more hours, I just said that!" Haldir exclaimed annoyed.

"How about Stacey?" I asked desperately.

"No. Now be still." He ordered.

I grumbled and then quietly let the rope ladder down. I sent a last glance at the trio to ensure I was escaping unnoticed and started down the ladder.

Before I had vanished from the talon, however a voice stopped me, "And where do you think you are going?" Haldir asked.

I stepped down another rung, "Back to the city." I told him, "It’s boring out here. There aren’t even any orcs or anything."

Haldir rolled his eyes, "That is a good thing." He informed me. I stepped down yet another rung and my head could barely be seen from the talon. Haldir walked over and knelt by the opening, "I do not think you will make it." He told me.

"And why not?" I asked defensively, glaring up at him.

Haldir was unmoved, "You probably do not even know your way back." He admonished.

"I do too." I argued.

"Which way is it then?" The elf asked, doubt clear on his face.

I pointed, "That way." I declared.

Haldir blinked at me in astonishment. One of his brothers asked him something in elvish which I could barely make out to mean something along the lines of, "She is right, brother."

I smiled smugly. "I’ll be off then." I decided and started climbing down again.

"Just wait another hour, Rumil is off then and he can accompany you back in case you get lost." Haldir suggested.

I thought a moment then grudgingly climbed back up the ladder, "Fine. But I’m waiting because I like your brother, not because I think I’ll get lost." I told him.

Haldir’s mouth twitched as he tried to hide a smiled, "Of course."


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