shadows on the stones // FELLOWSHIP

[ash]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,background-image:url(http://i52.tinypic.com/otj5sn.jpg); width: 390px; -moz-border-radius: 40px 0px 40px 0px; border-radius:40px 0px 40px 0px; opacity: 0.8; border-right: #a17700 15px solid; border-left: #a17700 15px solid;] » they have it out for me « » for the girls and the boys for the broken « Some things are better left unfound. Ash gave a sigh, frowning. Whatever this thing was, it was dark. As he was a creature of darkness, it made sense that he'd be the one to feel its effects the most. However, he was strong, both mentally and physically. He'd lived for so long as part of the light; he wouldn't give in to the darkness so easily. It couldn't control him the way it wanted to. He wouldn't let it. "The way you speak..." Ash trailed off, realizing something. "You know it." And if he knew it... "Then you must know what it is capable of... and what it's doing." He wouldn't outright tell them that it was trying to control his mind, but if it was as he thought, they'd figure it out. Ash raised an eyebrow. He was being accused of overestimating himself now? He didn't overestimate himself, he accurately estimated himself. In fact, he might even underestimate himself. He wasn't an arrogant fighter, like others he'd faced. "Confidence in one's own abilities may seem like overestimation, but I assure you, the two are very different," he replied. He wasn't angry - it was a common misconception for people to think he was too cocky and try to take him down a peg or two - but he wasn't going to just let Legolas think that he had. "I wouldn't say such things if I were you. One never knows what could happen in the darkness below." His voice carried no hint of a threat, instead it was a warning. This elf seemed young. Too young. This man even younger. The world had no use for the old and weary; it was the young that would inherit the world, and the young would live to see the future, without being darkened by the past. Be careful, young ones, he thought. There are evils in this world one cannot fight on their own. As the man spoke aside to the elf, Ash frowned. His hearing, of course, picked up on the conversation, but what did it mean? Come with them? Where were they going? And would he be able to find what was calling to him from the depths of the mines? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ » and now it's damn short again. muse fart. « tagged » - - - - - - leggy, boromir 372 - - - - - « words lyrics » - - - - - - dia frampton elevenie - - - - - - « credit

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[legolas]

At Boromirs cringe, Legolas did little more than frown and glance at him curiously. In all truth he had half a mind to smile at the man, who was being incredibly single-minded now, though not entierly by his own fault. Boromir may have thought it wase to keep Ash in the dark as long as possible, but Legolas saw now that that approach was little more than insult to the being's intelligence, senses, and pride- none of which seemed to be lacking. There was no doubt in his mind that Ash knew the ring was in the direction of his company, and no doubt he would be able to track it down were he given but a minute. To tell him there was no such thing would have been to tell Legolas that he had been wrong in sensing Ash up ahead simply because the others had not heard him. Going off the way he had after something he knew nothing about save a strange sense was not unlike what Ash was doing. And so, despite Boromirs best intentions, telling Ash that there was nothing there would not benifit any of them. 

What he'd hoped to accomplish in treating Ash with civility was the same he'd hope for in any other being with a mind of its own. Ash had the ability to understand, and so while they couldn't nessicarily persuade him away from their company, he thought they might have him see reason that he really didnt desire the ring. It might have backfired, in which case hed take full fault, but he had wished to go about things as peacefully as they might given the circumstances.

The backfire came in the way of Ash suggesting that he knew the ring, which, admittadly, Legolas had not thought to keep secret and let Ash assume he was ignorant to its pull. He would eventually find out anyway, but with whats done now done, he had little option but to provide Ash with some sort of an answer. He would not deny it, and get caught up in more lies, yet, maybe it was for the better Ash might focus his attention on pestering him than the power itself. "And what if I did?" Oh, he hardly needed to look he so expected Boromir to be giving him another on of those faces.

"I dont think the debate was over whether or not they are one or two things. It was which you happen to exhibit, and i still stand to say that it's the second." His eyes narrowed on Ash again when he spoke of the uncertainties in their current habitat. The words could be taken very clearly as a threat, and the fact that it was not the first time Ash had insinuated his superiority only helped the assumtion. It was Boromir who this time did prevent him from retaliating, this time with his statement. 

They could not hold up the fellowship, yet he was uncertain about taking Ash back. He could not trust this being's nature that close to the ring, yet he wished to keep Ash in his line of site or they would certainly be seeing him again when they may have not been expecting it. He did not know for certain whether Ash was drawn purely by the ring and was therefor as inocent of crime as the rest of them, or he did work under a higher power. He was created by one, but certainly nothing with that free of mind could remain under a singular rule such as that of Sauron. And if he was, Legolas didnt see why he hadnt just attacked them and been on his way. If would be in their best interests to keep him close none the less, but they would need to be careful. He nodded to Boromir, and then turned back to Ash.

"I'm sure you heard him, so I dont need to repeat it. You will follow us back. You will not argue; you will not resist; you will not hinder us. If you cooperate, you may be on your way when we've exited the mines. If you do anything that gives us reason to perceive you as an immediate threat, you will be dealt with like one with no questions asked." in the fellowship it had never been Legolas' position to act as spokesperson nor was he one to make idle threats, but he was not unused to it and did it without much a second thought. He made gesture to Boromir he was free to add on. Surely the man was equally well versed in this manner. What he was curious about now was how the others might take it upon their return.

Ooc: random long post is randomly long ?

[boromir]

Give Legolas another one of those faces Boromir did. What kind of a game was the elf playing with the other creature? He might as well just tell Ash at this point that it was the One Ring up ahead of him and that they were currently making their way to Mount Doom to destroy it. And, by the way, they really hadn't wanted to come into the Mines of Moria but Saruman's treachery had caused the pass of Caradhras to be impossible to cross. So, if Ash would just step aside and let them pass without trying anything foolish, then they would all be very grateful to him.

Boromir didn't care whether or not this creature could survive the dangers of the mines by himself, nor did he care if overestimating oneself could be just as dangerous as traveling into Moria. All he cared about was taking care of this current problem. He knew that killing Ash wasn't an option--had never been an option. Firstly, Legolas would never stand for that. Secondly, Boromir didn't think he could kill him. No, he didn't think Ash was some immortal creature but he could very well believe that Ash was a lot stronger than him.

Thankfully, Legolas readily agreed to Boromir's plan to keep Ash a prisoner or at least to keep an eye on the creature. Ash hadn't done anything wrong (yet) so 'prisoner' was too harsh of a term to put on him; 'captive' was more fitting. Boromir didn't relish the idea of ever letting Ash go so the only thing he added was, "And, if we do let you go, if we ever lay eyes on you again, you will be taken care of." He didn't need to add that 'taken care of' meant killed or that if it was simply nothing more than a coincidental encounter even that wouldn't be enough to stop Boromir's hand from slaying him.

How to get Ash back to the rest of the Fellowship safely? Boromir didn't doubt that Ash could easily overpower the two of them if he so chose to do so. Speaking to Legolas, he said, "I will walk in front of him. You walk behind. If he tries to escape, then don't hesitate to put an arrow through his heart." Elves were agile and quick. At least Legolas would have a chance to stop Ash from getting away. Boromir didn't relish having his back to Ash but logic told him that Legolas had to be their rearguard. Boromir began to walk off in the direction of the Fellowship, fighting the urge to look over his shoulder every second to make sure Ash was behaving himself.

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[ash]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,background-image:url(http://i52.tinypic.com/otj5sn.jpg); width: 390px; -moz-border-radius: 40px 0px 40px 0px; border-radius:40px 0px 40px 0px; opacity: 0.8; border-right: #a17700 15px solid; border-left: #a17700 15px solid;] » they have it out for me « » for the girls and the boys for the broken « Well this was certainly new. They were taking him prisoner. Of course, if he wanted to, Ash could easily dispatch the both of them without too much of a fight. Take the elf out first, the whispers suggested. The man won't be able to fight back, but the elf is too quick; he'll skewer you on an arrow before you can crush him. Ash shook the whispers from his head. He didn't want to attack them. The elf, at least, seemed sympathetic. It wasn't his choice to be as he was, after all, but most didn't understand that. They feared him for what he was and ignored who he was. But this elf didn't seem that way. Ash had caught the flicker of righteous anger cross his face, and had added everything up. He had no idea how old this elf was, but naturally he would have heard of the atrocities committed by Morgoth and Sauron, the torture and corruption of elves into Orcs, and Ash's half-truth had brought those tales to the forefront of his mind. It wasn't impossible, after all, that someone would feel anger at the one who'd made Ash, rather than Ash himself for being such. Still, they were taking him prisoner. What was the best way to deal with this? Just kill them! the whispers practically shouted into his head. I've given you the way; now do it! But he didn't want to. If he did, they'd hate him, and the sympathy of the elf would be lost. The man he didn't care about too much - anyone could see that he was weak, both in mind and in will - but the elf was an oddity. Someone felt sympathy for him. After years and years of hatred and scorn, sympathy was welcomed with open arms, and he couldn't hurt his chances of being accepted. You fool, the whispers scolded. The elf might be sympathetic, but that's far from actually liking you. Yes, it was... See? They don't think of you as a being, One. Ash's eyes widened almost imperceptibly. You're a creature to them, as you always have been. You can't fit in with them. You never could. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get the voices out of his head. They'd called him by his name. His name. "Ash" was merely a translation. He'd been given the name One by Morgoth himself (though he was still Melkor then), as he was the first successful experiment of what he'd hoped to be a long line of soldiers. However, that plan had fallen through, and when Melkor had been caught by the Valar and imprisoned for three Ages, Ash had escaped and decided to make his way in the world. And we all know how that worked, the voices cut into his thought process. Poor One, all you wanted was to be loved. Shut up, he replied, but he was only half focused, as the other half of his mind was trying to keep his face neutral so the elf and the man watching him couldn't see his internal struggle as they walked, man in front and the elf behind. They want to kill you, One. The man said as much. But the elf hasn't drawn his bow, Ash retorted. The elf is quick, One; he doesn't need to have it drawn to skewer you before you can turn around. Finally, Ash had had enough. He drew up his willpower and banished the voices from his head with a mental shout: "Stop saying my name!" Immediately, the voices ceased, and Ash was left in peace. For now, at least, he thought, as they were getting closer and closer to whatever dark object that was playing around in his head. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ » sorry for no real action or anything, but enjoy Ashie resisting the Ring :D « tagged » - - - - - - leggy, boromir 625 - - - - - « words lyrics » - - - - - - dia frampton elevenie - - - - - - « credit

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[legolas]

For as much as Boromir could not understand the logic which Legolas spoke by, Legolas found himself confused by the man's thinkings. He wished the drag Ash all the way to Mount Doom with them? Surely, if he was as wary of the being as Legolas expected he was, he saw the dangers in that, especially the closer they got. If Ash was working for someone, he would be much obliged to complete his task, and if he wasn't, there was no telling what sort of enemies he might attract to them for being what he is. It would put not only the part-elf, whod done nothing wrong yet, in great danger; it would also make their near impossible task more risky. Yet he knew the ultimate choice was not his or Boromirs, and it was not worth arguing for that reason.

The same went for Boromir's suggestion on how they might transport Ash to the fellowship. He did not believe Ash would attack either of them, again, hed had too many chances now- but he supposed the caution was well worth taking. Though he walked much more calmly than Boromir and kept his bow at his side, he wouldnt hesitate to, as Boromir said, put an arrow through the being's heart if he attempted to attack his companion or otherwise make a run for it. He believed not in needless killing, but he wouldnt stand for Ash or anyone threatening the fellowship.

However, it seemed Ash's attention was far away from them as they walked on. Though he tried to hide it, it was not impossible to tell that he was strugging. But a struggle meant that he was trying to resist it which meant that maybe all was not without hope for Ash. Without much event they travelled the distance so that he could again tell they were nearing the others and Ash had done or said nothing save what they asked of him. Had it all not been so obviously related to the ring hed have said this was nothing more than some inconveniant coincidence that brought them crossing paths.

Ooc: short, substanceless, post xP shall we summon a certain hobbit?

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[frodo baggins]

Frodo had long since felt that the company had halted far too many times in the mines. He wanted to just go through until they got to the other side, but he knew that was impossible. Not just because they had to navigate their way through them, but they also had hobbits with them, and while Frodo did not complain about missing a meal, the others did. And thus, the frequent stops. It left the hobbit with far too much time to think. To think of where they were, and how dangerous it was for them to linger....well they weren't exactly comforting thoughts. But somehow he was able to relax, for a time at least. He found himself thinking back to happier days in the Shire, and the time when all he had to worry about was making sure Bilbo's birthday party turned out to be spectacular. He wasn't entirely sure when he had noticed that not all members of the fellowship were there anymore, but when he did he wasn't sure he should speak up about it. Legolas and Boromir were quite capable of taking care of themselves. Yet Frodo couldn't help but worry that maybe they had gone too far from the rest of the fellowship and gotten into trouble.

But when he glanced at the others, he noticed that none of them seemed to be worried in the slightest. The other hobbits were making some food, and neither Gandalf, Aragorn, or Gimli had said anything. Frodo supposed that meant that they weren't concerned. After all, Frodo doubted they hadn't noticed the disappearance of Legolas and Boromir. It bothered Frodo. It was really bothering him that he hadn't caught sight of them. And yet, oddly enough, as he stood to go look for them, they returned, but they were no longer alone. Frodo's eyes widened in surprise, and horror. How could they bring another toward them? This...well he wasn't even sure what this person was shouldn't have been allowed to come so close. It was all Frodo could do to keep himself from running in the opposite direction. Not only would that be cowardly, more importantly it would be stupid, because he could easily hurt himself trying to run away in the dark mines. Frodo glances suspiciously at this person...who sort of looked like an elf...but didn't seem to be one. Frodo couldn't explain how that happened, but that seemed to be the case.

Frodo backed away from them, no longer in the mood to say something like welcome back, or to ask the two of them what they had been doing. It was now very apparent. They had found this strange creature, and brought him back to the fellowship. Without him even realizing it, a hand reached up to guard the ring by gripping it through the shirt, clutching it as if that would help if in fact his feeling were right and this stranger went for the ring. And in a situation like this, he felt the weight of the ring grow, as if it knew that this could be it's chance to find a way into the wrong hands. The chance for the ring find it's way back to it's master. With his left hand still clutching the ring and his shirt, he let his right hand grip the hilt of his sword, just in case he needed it. Frodo frowned as he glanced at the three of them. He couldn't believe that Legolas and Boromir had allowed this person to come with them. "Who...is that?" He asked the man and the elf, not even willing to ask the stranger himself, because he didn't trust that he would get a real answer. Instead he asked the two that he knew, all the while wondering what he might do if he needed to escape....just in case.

[boromir]

As the minutes slowly passed by Boromir started to visibly relax. It was clear that Ash didn't mean to attempt to do anything rash. His decision had been the right one to make. Maybe if the others saw that he had been correct in this choice then they would start to lend more credence to his plan to take the One Ring to Minas Tirith. When his father had first suggested it to him, Boromir had been against the idea as much as any member of the Fellowship was right now but then he had quickly come to see the merits of his father's plan. Perhaps the same thing would happen here.

But just as soon as Boromir was able to start to relax, all the muscles of his body tensed up again. The Ring was getting closer and closer to them very quickly. And sure enough Frodo soon appeared in front of him. That halfling sure had a penchant for wandering off on his own. Apparently Boromir's warning about just how dangerous that was had yet to sink into Frodo's head. The fact that Ash was now with them as well heightened the danger level even more. But Boromir trusted Legolas to keep an eye on the creature while he himself spoke with Frodo.

"He is our captive," Boromir answered, "Legolas found him wandering around, and we could not let him go free because he knows about...it." Boromir's eyes briefly glanced down to the chain around Frodo's neck before meeting the halfling's eyes again. He could have also let Frodo know that it was Legolas who kind of let Ash know that the Ring was up ahead but they were all supposed to be working together right now; there would be no point in letting Frodo know his displeasure with the elf when Legolas was already very well aware of how Boromir felt about what he had done.

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[legolas]

It only took Boromir opening his mouth once more for Legolas to come to the conclusion that it was men like him who caused his kin to have such great disdain for the entire race. And he no longer blamed them at all. He had not the slightest idea how Aragorn had managed not to cause the man of Gondor any bodily harm to this point. Unless there had been some form of silent communication he was not aware of involved, Frodo had asked who they had with them, not what he was or why he was there, and not who Boromir would like to blame for the whole thing, which underlied in the last part of the explanation almost as much as his misplaced fear did.

"His name is Ash," he added, tossing a slight glare in Boromir's direction. Very abruptly, he switched to speaking Sindarin and added for the benifit of everyone else, and himself (it was largely to keep himself from wanting to injure the man) "And the only reason he is here is because somewhere not particularly deep in Boromir's narrow mind, the man sits on a large throne that leads him to beleive he is the only one able of making capable descisions. And these descisions are based on nothing more than his own ignorance and the fact he's scared out of his mind."

He could have said more but he stopped himself, and not for the benifit the the insulted party who would have heard little more than his name being mentioned. Boromir's explanation, after all, would have done little other than make Frodo more fearful than he already was. And that wasn't what they needed right now. Apperently Boromir had yet to understand that Ash knew about the ring before Legolas even showed up, and would have found it whether they brought him back or not. Next time something that might have wanted to kill them was following them around, someone ought remind him of this and he might do nothing. Maybe they should see how Boromir would mange on his own with the perceived threat. Legolas did not doubt the man's abilty to get himself killed.

OOC: Elevenie said I could switch spots with her for one round to say that. ;] ... Lindsay I love you!

[ash]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,background-image:url(http://i52.tinypic.com/otj5sn.jpg); width: 390px; -moz-border-radius: 40px 0px 40px 0px; border-radius:40px 0px 40px 0px; opacity: 0.8; border-right: #a17700 15px solid; border-left: #a17700 15px solid;] » they have it out for me « » for the girls and the boys for the broken « As they came into the room - it wasn't even enough to be called a room, really; it was just a bulge in the tunnel wide enough to house an encampment of a few people - Ash's eyes scanned his surroundings from his place behind Boromir. Being taller than the man in front of him, it wasn't hard to see the part that, if he wasn't as tall as he was, would have been blocked by Boromir's absurdly large head, covered in those strawlike, brittle waves they called hair. Seriously, did he ever wash his hair? At least a dip in a river now and again would be better than what horrors were lurking in those thin curls. Would some kind of animal jump out and claw at Ash's face? It certainly wouldn't be impossible. His distraction ended when a voice popped up from one of the four hobbits sitting in the room. Naturally, his gaze turned to the little one, curious as to what the speaker looked like. The hobbit was barefoot, like all hobbits were, but he was dressed quite nicely otherwise. A chain at his neck, however, caught Ash's eye, and the voices burst past the wall he'd put up to keep them out, filling his mind. I am here! they screamed at him, making him twitch slightly at the sheer volume. He keeps me inside, away in his fear, but you are not! Take me! Use me! Set me free! Ash gritted his teeth, trying to keep his face calm as his eyes flickered down to where the object was, hanging around the hobbit's neck. He could feel its presence bearing down on him, but he refused to submit. No evil artifact would control him. If it was in the hands of an evil being, he would take it and destroy it. However, in the hands of a pure hobbit... The child's future would be undecided. Every choice he made would affect it. Choose wisely, boy, he thought, worried for the hobbit's safety. As Boromir answered - or rather gave his own version of an answer with the intent to instill fear into the hobbit - Ash frowned. Boromir was as stupid as his hair looked. Ash wasn't some captive they could just hold and lock up. He'd spent too much time in Melkor's cells back in Angband to put up with that sort of treatment. The thought of fighting his way out seemed more and more of a good idea than he'd previously thought, which wasn't exactly a good thing. However, it was when Legolas spoke that the entirety of the evil object's hold on him disappeared. Ash couldn't help himself - he collapsed against a wall, laughing until he couldn't breathe. The simple act of laughter, and the joy it brought in such a dark time, was enough to dispel the effects the evil artifact had on him for the time being. With as little as he knew of Boromir, Legolas' words were entertaining, yet seemed true. Still, if Ash couldn't control himself, he felt that there would be some trouble. A newcomer, a captive no less, laughing at one of their own might come as cause to fight. Hopefully, it wouldn't come to that. If it did... then the evil object might get what it wanted. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ » oh my god I'm so sorry for the horribly late post. « tagged » - - - - - - leggy, boromir, frodo 553 - - - - - « words lyrics » - - - - - - dia frampton elevenie - - - - - - « credit

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[frodo baggins]

Despite the fact that the hobbit felt a bit frightened, he was determined not to show it. Boromir and Legolas had to have a good reason to bring this strange creature with them toward the Fellowship, rather than mislead him. He had to trust that they had made the right decision. Or, if not, find his own way out of the Mines where he had no one to trust but himself. That would probably be safer. But Frodo didn't feel that this was the right time to split from the fellowship. While some part of him felt that deep down he would end up taking this journey himself, he knew this was not the moment for such an action. Frodo still needed them. He didn't know where he was going, and didn't know how far it was to Mordor. Frodo had looked at maps of Middle Earth before, but he had unfortunately never thought to memorize them. He had never felt that he would need to. Frodo believed that he would never get the chance to go on any adventure, so despite having poured over many of Bilbo's old maps, he hardly could remember what was on there except the Shire and Rivendell. That being said, he really wasn't sure which way he might go once they got out of the mines. Therefore, he could not bring himself to leave those who not only protected him, but knew which path to take. Even if staying meant he had to deal with the fact that they brought this strange creature with them.

It also forced the hobbit to deal with them, which right now was no longer appealing as both Legolas and Boromir seemed to think the other was a fool and that their opinions weren't the right ones. It had not been long since Frodo's personal conversation with Boromir, and he couldn't help but feel a bit wary of the man, even now. The fact that he wouldn't even tell Frodo exactly who this creature was, and rather only that he was a prisoner, irked him slightly. Just by the way they had arrived Frodo could understand that was the intention, though he doubted that this stranger would have much of a struggle if he decided he no longer wished to stay. Frodo didn't believe that the strengths of Boromir alone would keep this stranger still. Even if Boromir and Legolas combined efforts, Frodo believed there still would be quite a struggle. Which made Frodo that much more suspicious of the creature. But for the time being he chose to keep from passing judgement, as he did not know enough about him to be able to gather an opinion that he felt was about right. Once Boromir explained that the creature knew about the ring, the hobbit took about five steps back and stared at the man as if he were mad. He had to be to tell Frodo with such ease that the stranger knew about the ring of Sauron.

It horrified Frodo that he didn't even show too much concern about it. Sure, it was clear he wasn't too pleased or anything, but still. This was not a situation that Frodo was comfortable in. He would prefer to run away as fast as his legs would carry him. But running woud only make his problems increase, as far as he could tell. Frodo was not a happy hobbit. That Legolas and Boromir had brought this creature to them made him think it was terrible judgement, and yet...he wasn't sure what to make of the situation. At the moment, he was not doing any harm, so Frodo had nothing to base his fear...not much anyway. "Why..." he started to ask and then stopped. If he started questioning them about the decision too much he felt that he might become a bit angry, which wouldn't be good for the present atmosphere. Frodo could already tell that Boromir and Legolas weren't particuarly pleased with one another, and him losing his temper because of fear wouldn't be a good idea. "How does he know about it?" Frodo asked calmly, trying to keep himself from doing something stupid, such as call Boromir out on bringing this stranger to the group. For now he would remain calm. He took a deep breath or two and let it out slowly, giving himself a moment to settle his racing heart as well as his mind.

Frodo listened to Legolas speak and nodded. "Ash...I see." He would have said more except that Legolas suddenly switched to speaking in Sindarin, which Frodo understood quite well, but still had him stop thinking about his questions to focus on what the elf was saying. Frodo responded in Sindarin, saying, "I do not understand, Legolas." He wasn't sure how the reason for Ash being there and Boromir's singular belief of knowing the only correct decision, but he hoped the elf would explain. Something like what Legolas had said he had felt deep in his heart, but he would never have vocalized it. While Frodo did not agree with the things Boromir said, he also did not wish for the two of them to have this ugly dispute of sorts, especially since Boromir couldn't even defend himself if he was unable to understand the language Legolas was speaking in to insult the man. Again, he spoke in elven... "Please...tell me why you decided to bring Ash to the fellowship. That is more important than an issue with Boromir. He may have an outspoken opinion that many do not agree with, but he does understand that this Ash is dangerous. As you know as well." Frodo spoke softly, even though he knew Boromir would not understand anyway, it felt wrong for him to say anything about the man in this manner. But he hadn't mentioned that he personally disagreed with Boromir. Frodo had simply said that many didn't agree with him, to avoid expressing any negative feeling on his part.

Frodo stared at the stranger as he burst out laughing, his frown only growing as this Ash seemed to lose all self-control. He could not understand how any part of this situation was amusing at all. Disapproval was the least of the stranger's issues. Frodo glared and finally spoke directly to Ash, speaking in the common tongue once more. "You do not seem to understand the seriousness of the situation....your situation." Frodo wanted to say something more....a bit more disrespectful, before he caught himself and realized what he was doing. I do not want to start a fight with this stranger, Frodo told himself, trying to keep himself from an angry outburst. But why not? He doesn't seem to understand the power of the ring! I should show him! Frodo's thoughts were leading him down a dangerous road, and he knew the ring was once again trying to influence him to do something foolish, as it had done on Weathertop. "You risk a great deal more than you realize." Frodo finished, backing away a bit more in order to keep himself from losing out to the will of the ring. Frodo refused to let it hold it's sway over him. He needed to prove that he could handle the ring. This was precisely what Boromir feared. Frodo had to fight it.

[boromir]

He didn't need to understand Legolas' language to know the basic meaning of what the elf had to be saying. Boromir hearing his own name thrown in there, listening to the tone of Legolas' words, and witnessing Ash's reaction to them were enough. Boromir had enough dignity and honor himself that he didn't feel the need to respond in any way whatsoever to the elf's diatribe. Let Legolas dislike him for being willing to voice his opinion that the Ring would be much safer in Minas Tirith. When this mission failed, then they would all see just how wrong they had been not to listen to him.

Boromir didn't answer Frodo's question because Frodo had to know the answer to his own question. The Ring was a powerful object; it could call out to whoever it wanted to, corrupt whoever it wanted to in order to try and get back to its master. And Ash looked like just the sort of creature who would have no trouble overcoming any problems on the road back to Mordor if he ever got his hands on the Ring. The Ring smartly chose who it wanted to try and entrap.

He vainly listened as Frodo switched tongues. He knew for a fact that the halfling wasn't defending him against whatever it was that Legolas had said about him. But Boromir hadn't joined the Fellowship to make friends. He had joined to keep the weapon of the enemy safe, even if everyone else thought that keeping it safe meant taking it into the heart of Mordor.

They found themselves in an awful situation with Ash. It seemed that everyone here understood that. Boromir looked between all three of them before speaking. "We cannot kill him and we cannot let him go. Despite the risk to all of us, he has to come with us on the remainder of the journey." Ash wasn't the only one taking a risk here.

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