"It was all that was on hand," Elizabeth said rather abruptly in response to Frodo's inquiry. She was not paying attention - her eyes were fixed, rather, on the silver disc just now rising above the dark horizon, and hastily she tore her eyes away to glance down at him. "You try wearing a corset, see how you like it."

Merry's satisfaction upon discovering unexpected pipe-weed needed mushrooms to make it fully blown, but not the mention of mountain passes. He deflated slightly and muttered around the stem of his pipe to Pippin - "Nasty places, those. Full of snow."

The night wore on with very little event. By morning everybody (who needed) had managed at least a few hours of shuteye despite the unwelcoming ground, which Elizabeth in particular found quite difficult to get comfortable on. She was in a distinctly bad mood by the time pale fingers of sunlight reached over the landscape.

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Barbossa was one of the first to rise-- chiefly because he'd never exactly gone to sleep. He'd shut his eyes once or twice, of course, but a majority of the night had been spent ensuring that both he and Sparrow remained fully out of the moon's light at all times. He wouldn't have worried about it so much had everyone been asleep, but that blasted elf seemed to need even less sleep than he did. A few casual words had been exchanged here and there, but for the most part the two spent the night in silence, almost daring the other to go to sleep first. Fortunately, Barbossa could not die of exhaustion and had long since learned to cope with minimal rest, so one night without sleep was no huge loss.

It was a relief, however, when the sun finally rose, dispelling the last rays of moonlight. Barbossa stood up to stretch his legs, seemed to contemplate something for a moment, then delivered a sharp kick to Jack's ribs. "Rise an' shine, Sparrow," he muttered, settling himself back down on the ground.

"I would advise that any who wish to eat do so quickly before the Hobbits reach the food," Aragorn informed their newest companions, taking another draw out of his pipe. "Food in their presence has a tendency to disappear."

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Boromir couldn't resist smiling at Aragorn's all-too-true comment on the hobbits, as he rubbed his sore temples.

"And should you have any pipeweed, mind you guard it well," he added, lightheartedly. Rest had done him good; better than others it had seemed. And as ridiculous as they could be at times, Boromir liked the hobbits. They gave a lighthearted side to this perilous mission, which the rest of them would have soon forgotten. And although Gandalf never really did seem to appreciate Pippin's antics, Boromir was glad Elrond had consented to his coming.

Gandalf stirred wearily from the pack he had been leaning upon all night. He had slept little, and thought much, but discerned not nearly as much as he would have liked. There would be time enough for uncovering more on the trek today.

"We should go soon, the morning will not keep forever," he said, casting a glance on the still sleeping Sam.

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"The piano is able to communicate the subtlest universal truths by means of wood, metal and vibrating air."

Legolas seemed uneffected by barely little sleep, but that was an elf for you. He kept an eye on Barbossa and Sparrow. Something wasn't right about them, and it was very clear to him that they, or at least Barbossa mostly, were trying to stay out of the moonlight. When the others started waking from their seeming restless sleep, Legolas put on his quiver, which he had taken off during the night...

((can someone remind me when in the LotR storyline we're at?))

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(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

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Barbossa merely raised his eyebrows innocently. "Please accept my sincerest apologies for my lack of foresight," he replied in a rather remorseful tone only barely laced with sarcasm. One might have almost believed he was actually sorry-- if one was both deaf and blind and had never encountered Hector Barbossa. "In the future, I will make a point of lettin' ye lie where ye are an' not informin' you when we're about to leave. It will simplify my life substantially."

"Everyone up," Aragorn repeated, putting out his pipe and storing it in one of the sacks. "I know many methods of waking someone up, and none of them are pleasant. We must eat quickly and then depart; I hope to reach the slopes of Caradhras by nightfall."

Boromir looked warily at the mountain, and uttered its name under his breath. "Caradhras." He went slowly, and took the three younger hobbits by their shoulders, shaking them gently. "Come, rise," he said as cheerily as he could, "...sleeping on the cold ground will not aid you any in strength." Sam rose sleepily and rubbed his eyes, taking in deep yawns of the cold air.

Boromir glanced at Frodo, after the question, and merely replied "Soon." He took a bit of food from the pack and tossed it to him, taking some for himself as well. There was a bit of trouble though, and it bothered his mind as he mulled over it.

"Gandalf, what of them," he asked, incling his head to the pirates, "...they are not dressed for the harsh weather we will experience."

"No," Gandalf replied simply, "No, they are not."

"But they cannot face the bitter winds of Caradhras in such clothing?"

Instead of giving Boromir a response, Gandalf turned to the pirates. "Do not put your blankets in the pack, you will need them later on. I suggest you carry them, wrapped about you. You will be glad for the burden soon enough."

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"The piano is able to communicate the subtlest universal truths by means of wood, metal and vibrating air."

Elizabeth, in the act of doing that very thing, raised her eyebrows and did as he suggested instead. A curious way of keeping warm, she thought, when one could wear a coat - but in a land where places were called unpronounceable things like 'Caradhras' and people spoke of Elven Queens as though they were not figments of the imagination, she supposed this was hardly unusual.

Merry, rather behind on current events, peered bleary-eyed over the edge of his blanket. "Someone say pipeweed?" he slurred, and yawned jaw-splittingly.

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"Anyone can take my cloak if needed. The cold doesn't bother me as much," Legolas said, then gracefully jumped up onto a large rock to look up toward the mountain pass...

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(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

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Legolas unclipped his cloak, and annoyedly tossed it to Jack, the same man who had mistaken him for a woman. Then he noticed Will was still asleep, and walked over and shook him. That's when he got a clear view of the pirates face, and gasped slightly. Legolas looked alot like Will... accept the dark brown hair and go-T...

(( ))

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(}--{)Imagination Inspires Ideas -Zandain(}--{)
Married Cloud Strife 9/17/08

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