• 1-The Returned
• 2-Chapter Two:
• 3-Chapter Three:
• 4-Chapter Four:
• 5-Chapter Five:
• 6-Chapter Six:
• 7-Chapter Seven:
• 8-Chapter Eight:
• 9-Chapter Nine:
• 10-Chapter Ten:
• 11-Chapter Eleven:
• 12-Chapter Twelve:
• 13-Chapter Thirteen:
• 14-Chapter Fourteen:
• 15-Chapter Fifteen:
• 16-Chapter 16:
• 17-Chapter 17:
• 18-Chapter 18:
• 19-Chapter 19:
• 20-Chapter 20:
• 21-Chapter 21:
• 22-Chapter 22:

Author Note: For those of you who might be interested, and who happen to have the extended DVD version of " The Fellowship of the Ring", I am using the map shown in the jacket as a visual aid for the trajectory our newly-born creature is taking in his travels.

CHAPTER 5:

Once again, he stood staring upwards in dumbstruck awe.

He had climbed up the steep bank beside the roaring falls, until he reached the point where the river went over the lip of the precipice. Then the ground beneath his feet had leveled off, allowing him to resume the fast pace of his run. Thus, he made quick time across the relatively flat landscape, before he eventually began to notice that the terrain was guiding him into a gentle descend.

At last, his thirst forced him to leave the cover of the trees and he made his way to the banks of the river. Gratefully, he dropped down to slurp at the waters that never failed to make the inside of his body hum with sated coolness, sitting back on his haunches with a satisfied grunt when he was done.

It was then that he saw them.

They were two. Two immense figures, hewn out of the sheer cliff-faces that rose like towering walls along both sides of the river. They stood in sentinel watch, their robes draping down in folds of stone, each with one arm outstretched, as if to give stern warning to all who would dare sail the waters between them. He looked at the intricate helmets set atop their proud and noble brows. He looked at the long swords, which hung in carved relief from the finely-chiseled belts at their waists. And though he had no name for these things that he beheld, something about them stirred his spirit, for the very air around their imposing presence seemed to carry the almost inaudible echo of ancient war-horns.

Long moments he spent, gazing at those two monuments of a by-gone age, before the pull in his belly beckoned him to move on. Then, he retreated once more into the shielding arms of the forest, there to continue his parallel run alongside the river...

Much later, as the dappled light falling through the trees began to gently fade, he caught a scent that made his steps falter and then, stop.

His nostrils flared with a soft, repeated bellowing as he sniffed eagerly at the air. He turned and delved deeper into the forest, until he came to a standstill in front of a bramble of thorny bushes. His head cocked to the side, as he studied the multitude of small, darkly-colored fruits that hung from the tangled mass, before he reached out to pluck at one of them. The ripe little thing was squashed by the unintentional pressure of his fingers, leaving a tantalizingly fragrant mess on the tips. He brought his hand up to his nose and took a whiff of the purplish substance then, tentatively, touched his tongue to it.

The taste triggered a sudden and vivid image inside his mind.

He saw a tall, willowy figure standing before another brambled bush, delicate fingers gracefully plucking the fruits from the twisted vines. Long, silvery hair seemed to shimmer with its own brilliant light against a flowing gown of a color that matched the blue sky above, bringing it down to his eye-level as the figure turned towards him. He felt his breath leave him in a quiet sigh when he beheld the atonishingly beautiful face, a face that had the same pointed ears of the little one he had seen in his mind's eye all those days ago.

It was then that he noticed that this radiant female was looking down at him. That in this vision, he was the small one. He watched her drop the handful of fruit into a container he now realized he held in his hands and then saw her rosy lips curve upwards, as her hand reached out towards him. He felt it caress his cheek, the touch setting off an amazing sensation that made him feel warm...and safe.
Her voice sounded, like a musical chime, while she laughingly reprimanded him.

// " Now this will not do, pen-neth. You are eating them faster than I can put them in the basket!." //

A slender thumb rubbed lovingly at one corner of his mouth.

// " Just look at you... Your lips are purple!. Now, I know blackberries are your favorite, but you must promise to refrain from eating any more of them, else we will be returning to the kitchens empty-handed. Do you promise, E...?." //

Then, just as it had happened when he had seen the little one, the vision just vanished.

Once more, he found himself standing alone in this different forest, before this different bramble. His hand reached out again, fingers trembling as he gently plucked another fruit, before plopplng the tender little morsel into his mouth. His lips broke into a wide grin when the full flavor of it burst upon his tastebuds and his eyes verily twinkled, as he then proceeded to earnestly stuff himself with the sweet bounty...

It was the final transition into night that forced him to leave behind the gifts of the bramble bush. Darkness was something he associated with the movement of the ' others' and so he, in turn, resumed his own trek, his senses now even more keenly alert to the sounds and smells of the forest.

Hours later, his eyes began to look for a place to hole up and rest until the coming of morning. It took a while, but at last he found what he was seeking. It was a grouping of large boulders and leaning atop them, at an angle, the remnants of a once-great tree, slowly giving in death that which nourished the growing cycle of its brethren. It was the space between the wooden carcass and the moss-covered rocks that offered him the desired shelter and so he quickly crawled inside, relishing the rich, green smell of it.

As he settled within this makeshift cocoon, yet another image touched his mind. It was of the same silver-haired lady. This time, the beautiful face leaned down over him as he lay tucked into a pillowy softness. He felt her warm lips brush upon his brow, before that sweet voice exhaled a gentle breath against it, as she spoke.

// " Good night, pen-neth. May Elbereth watch over your dreams..." //

And with those words trailing off to a whisper inside his ears, he folded his powerful frame, dark lashes closing over feral yellow eyes, as his lips gently curved into a dreamy smile...

TBC...

~~~~~~~~~~

Crecy: Thank you!. I am liking the way this is coming out of my pen too. It is fun to write from this newborn creature's perspective.. As to who he might be... Not telling, just yet!. **grin**

Ertia: I hope you don't figure it out too soon!! **wink, wink**. And hurry up with the next update to your story, wench!. I'm salivating over here... :)