A fortnight had passed since the fellowship had left Rivendell, and so far everything was going smoothly. Although they still weren't eating enough to satisfy the hobbits, the large meals around the campfire every night seemed to make up for it. And, thanks to Pippin, everyone was slowly but surely getting to know one another, though some more slowly than others.
However, the time on the road was starting to take its toll. All but Aragorn seemed to notice the grime that was collecting on their clothes and bodies. They spent their days hiking along dusty or muddy trails and slept every night on the ground, often engulfed by the smoke from the campfire; a close look at the company wordlessly told this tale. Sam believed his shirt could stand by itself by now -- he longed for a warm sponge bath and some clean clothes.
And the dirt wasn't the only inconvenience -- the company was starting to smell. Sam had noticed how Legolas seemed to stand further and further from the group when he stood his nightly watch, and Sam didn't blame him. The stench rising off the group was almost visible, and Sam prayed that the orcs had a bad sense of smell.
Today's weather was not helping the matter. Up until today they'd enjoyed typical autumnal weather -- the sun shone, but the air was brisk and the winds cold. But today they were experiencing an Elven summer of sorts -- the sun beat down on them with summer-like intensity and the winds were still, allowing the heat to settle on them and stay.
Sam's shirt was soaked through under his pack, and he could feel the sweat trickling down his face. He wiped the sweat with his sleeve and glanced over at the sun, which was slowly falling in the west -- by this time most days the evening chill had already begun creeping in, but today the heat lingered. Sam longed to sit down in the shade and remove his heavy pack, although he didn't look forward to the odorous removal of Boromir's boots. Or Gimli's helmet.
Sam noticed Legolas returning from a quick scouting trip, no doubt having found a place for them to sleep for the night. And although Legolas wasn't smiling, Sam noticed a mysterious sparkle in his eyes.
Strider must've noticed it as well. "What did you find?"
The elf's eyes glistened as he merely said, "A spring."
This answer confused Sam. It was autumn, with winter fast approaching, yet today's weather felt like summer -- so how could Legolas have found spring?
But Boromir seemed to understand. "Is it deep?"
Legolas nodded, the glint in his eyes intensifying. "And cool."
"But is it safe?" Aragorn asked, clearly not wanting the others to get too enthused before he approved.
But Legolas nodded again. "It's well-hidden, and there's an adjacent area that'll do for a camp."
"It sounds perfect," Gimli said.
Legolas's smile finally broke free and radiantly spread across his face. "It is."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Pippin asked, eagerly looking to Gandalf to give his approval.
The wizard looked at Aragorn and gave a wink, and he conceded. "How far?"
"Not yet a mile," Legolas said, turning and leading forth the company.
As they began to move, Sam leaned over and whispered, "Mister Frodo, where are we going?"
But Merry overheard him. He patted Sam on the shoulder, his eyes now shining like Legolas's. "To our salvation."
***
An elf's estimation of a mile and a hobbit's can differ greatly, and Sam felt they'd walked at least three before they reached their destination. And although the sun's rays were by now almost horizontal, the heat had abated only a little. Only the fact that they'd entered a small woods and were now shaded made it bearable. But Sam's stomach was growling, and he was almost ready to ask Merry for one of the apples he always carried just to tide him over.
But suddenly a cry came up from Legolas. "We're here."
The fellowship surged forward, eager to see this paradise that Legolas had foretold of. And a paradise it was! The woods suddenly parted, revealing a clear blue pool. Directly across the water was a large flat rock, jutting out over the deep water five feet above its calm blue surface. Next to this platform were numerous other smaller boulders the formed a natural half-moon facing the water. The woods began again immediately beyond the camp, so no one approaching from either direction would see it before they were upon it.
The sound of the spring bubbling up from the rocks at the shallow, pebbly end of the pool gave a tranquil air to the place that would've, on any other day, filled the company with serenity and awe. But to come across this paradise after such a hot day made it seem that much more beautiful.
"It's paradise on Middle Earth," said Merry, expressing the sentiment of them all.
Even Strider seemed pleased. "Excellent work," he mumbled to his elven friend, squeezing him on the shoulder.
"What're we waiting for?" Pippin asked, rushing into the shallow end till the water reached the bottom of his breeches. "Aahhhhhh." The look of sheer contentment on his face made everyone want to join him, and the humans suddenly realized the one advantage of not wearing shoes.
"Make room for me," Merry said, starting in after his cousin.
But Merry was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder. "We must make camp first," said Strider, pointing across to the half-moon area, "and set up a guard." Legolas looked stricken, but Aragorn quickly added, "I'll take the first watch."
Legolas nodded thankfully to his friend and then nimbly led the company around the pool to the camp. Everyone dropped their packs near the half-moon of boulders, relieved to be free of their burdens.
Sam sat down heavily upon one of the boulders and attempted to peal his wet shirt from off his back. A sudden smell made Sam look up just in time to see Boromir throwing his boots to the ground -- Sam prayed that the spring would abate the stench somewhat as he couldn't imagine what Boromir's feet might smell like by the time they reached Mordor.
Sam then noticed that Merry and Pippin were stripping off their sweat-drenched clothes and throwing them on the ground. Sam wondered if they intended to actually go into the pool -- hobbits as a rule couldn't swim, and Sam especially hated the water -- but then he remembered that Merry was a Bucklander and had grown up near the Brandywine.
"I'll take first watch," Strider repeated, leaving his gear on and heading out into the woods. "Be careful not to splash too loudly."
But Strider's words came too late, for Pippin had already jumped up on the flat rock platform, wearing only his undergarments, and was flying through the air tucked up like a ball. He landed in the deep pool, sending water splashing over all the company.
Sam sputtered and dried the water from his face. But he needn't have bothered, for a moment later Merry imitated his cousin and Sam was drenched again. Sam would've been mad, but the cool water felt amazingly refreshing on his hot body. He noticed Gandalf laughing as he wiped the droplets from his hat and realized how hot the wizard must be in all his robes.
"Make way for me," Boromir said, running up off the platform and landing in between the two hobbits.
"Such fuss over a little water," Gimli grumbled, removing his helmet and releasing a dank odor.
"The water's great," Boromir called out to the remaining company. "You should join...." But his final word was garbled as Merry dunked him playfully under the water. Boromir came up sputtering and hollered, "I'll get you for that," as he lunged for the laughing hobbit.
An almost silent splash was heard, and Sam looked over to see a pile of Legolas's clothes on the ground. ALL of his clothes. Sam blushed, shocked that the elf would lack such propriety. However, the other swimmers didn't even seem to notice as Legolas gracefully dove beneath them again and again.
Sam noticed Frodo staring blankly at the water, so Sam walked over and sat beside him. Although he himself hated the water, he knew Frodo must feel even more strongly about it since his parents had been lost upon the river.
"Are you okay, Mister Frodo?" Sam asked, concerned.
Frodo nodded wordlessly. After a moment in silence, he became resolved and stood up. "C'mon, Sam."
Sam looked stricken. "You don't mean we're going IN, Mister Frodo?"
Frodo smiled. "Just to wet our feet. It'll feel good to cool down."
"If you say so, Mister Frodo," said Sam, though he clearly wasn't convinced.
As they walked forward to the shallow, pebbly end of the pool, where the spring was emerging from the rocks, Sam noticed that Gandalf, too, was cooling his feet. The wizard was holding his robes up, trying to keep them dry and out of the water, but they were so voluminous that he wasn't succeeding very well. "The water is cool," Gandalf said as yet another section of robe fell in the water, "but seems doggedly determined to get everything wet."
Frodo smiled and tenderly stepped into the shallow water. He then turned and encouraged, "C'mon, Sam. It feels good."
Sam swallowed hard. He didn't even like getting into a bath, preferring to sponge himself off when needed rather than submerge in a tub. But Frodo was in the water and he seemed okay -- maybe Sam could do this. He was just about to step in when they were all suddenly drenched -- Pippin had decided to cannonball in from the platform again.
"C'mon, Sam," Frodo said again, laughing. "You're already wet."
Sam nodded and stepped in. His foot slipped on a mossy pebble and he almost went under, but Gandalf grabbed him, sacrificing his own robes just to save the hobbit. Frodo steadied Sam as the wizard laughed, saying, "That's enough water for me," and wading out of the pool, his heavy wet clothes dragging along behind him.
"Are you good now, Sam?" Frodo asked, still holding onto him.
Sam nodded, and Frodo let him go. Sam stood completely still, afraid that any move might send him under.
"Doesn't it feel good?" Frodo asked.
Sam stopped and thought about it for a moment. The cool water pooling around his hairy legs made even his sweaty shirt not seem so bad anymore. Sam actually felt relaxed, the first time he'd really felt that way since leaving Rivendell. The water seemed to wash away all his cares, and he closed his eyes to revel in the sensation.
But suddenly he felt a light sprinkle of water fall upon him, as if an early evening shower had come upon them. Sam opened his eyes and saw that Legolas was out of the pool, shaking out his wet hair. Sam hadn't even noticed the elf emerging from the pool, and already he was dressed.
"Where are you going?" Boromir called as he held Pippin's head playfully under the water.
"To relieve Aragorn," Legolas explained, sitting on a boulder to put his boots back on.
"Let Gimli go," Boromir said, fighting off a splash attack by Merry. "He's not enjoying the water and you are."
But Legolas dismissed the suggestion with a shake of his head and bounded off into the woods to look for Aragorn.
"I see no reason to become a fish," Gimli grumbled, "just because there's water about."
"Who're you calling a fish?" Pippin said, offended.
"I think he deserves a good splashing," Merry whispered, swimming over to his cousin.
Boromir smiled. "I agree."
Before Gimli could react, Boromir and the two hobbits swam to the edge of the pool and splashed. Unfortunately, Aragorn chose that exact moment to reemerge from the woods, so he ended up bearing the brunt of the assault.
Gimli chuckled as he watched Aragorn shake off the water. "Bless you, laddie."
But Aragorn wasted no time. In a matter of moments, Aragorn had stripped down to his undergarments and was jumping into the water, ready to extract his revenge on the splashers.
Sam turned to Frodo and saw that he was smiling as he watched the ruckus. Sam was relieved -- Frodo had seemed kind of distant ever since they'd left Rivendell, so Sam was glad to see him enjoying himself. And even Gandalf seemed cheerful and relaxed, despite the fact that he was still wringing out his wet robes.
"I don't know about you lads," Gimli said to the group in general as he broke into his pack, "but I feel that dinner is long overdue."
Dinner! Sam had almost forgotten how hungry he'd been. Now his stomach started growling anew, and he wondered if he could even wait for the food to cook.
"Shall we, Mister Frodo?" Sam asked, gesturing towards the dry ground but still afraid to move his feet.
Frodo nodded. "Let's, Sam," he said, walking a few steps towards the shore and then waiting whilst Sam gingerly turned around and slowly followed, his arms outreached for balance. Once back on dry land again, Sam realized that the daylight had almost faded now and it was difficult to see. Gimli was starting a fire with wood that Gandalf had collected, and Sam and Frodo began to prepare the food.
Suddenly a high-pitched scream emerged from the pool, causing the drylanders to jump.
"What happened?" Frodo asked, worriedly running over to the edge of the platform and squinting down into the darkness, trying to make out the shapes of his swimming companions.
"Something swam past me," Pippin explained breathlessly, already nervously heading towards shore.
"What was it?" Merry asked his cousin. "A snake?"
"A branch?" Boromir teased.
"A fish," Aragorn announced, surfacing with a wriggling fish in his hands. "Looks like we get a change of menu tonight." But before he could throw it out of the water, the fish wriggled free of Aragorn's hands and dove back under the surface.
"Don't worry," Boromir said, laughing. "There's plenty more where that came from."
***
Unfortunately, Boromir's prophecy didn't hold true. A half hour later, when there were still no fish caught, the hobbits began cooking the food that they'd brought with them. When it was ready, Boromir emerged from the pool, disheartened, and joined in the feast. Aragorn, however, stayed in the pool until the food was almost gone, determined to catch one. Finally realizing it wasn't going to happen, he came over to the campfire, helped himself to a plate of food, and sat down.
"Gandalf's right," Aragorn said in between mouthfuls.
"Huh? What?" Gandalf asked, taking the pipe from his mouth and looking blankly at the Ranger.
Aragorn nodded towards Gandalf's robes, which were hung upon some tree branches to dry. "We should all wash our clothes tonight. We may not get an opportunity again for awhile. And the air is still so warm that we can sleep without them while they dry."
Sam was amazed -- he had been convinced that Strider didn't know the MEANING of the word "wash". After all, Sam could've sworn that Strider hadn't washed his hair once since they'd first met at the Prancing Pony.
A giggle erupted from Merry and Pippin across the campfire, and Sam wondered if they were thinking the same thing.
"Well," Gimli grumbled, "I'm not washing my clothes. I don't smell like the rest of you."
"No, you smell worse," Legolas called out from the darkness.
Sam stifled a laugh, although the other hobbits didn't bother and giggled aloud. Gimli grumbled a protest in Dwarvish, and Sam imagined it was mostly profanity and mean things about Legolas. Yet Gimli then stood and began to take off his clothes, probably knowing that the elf was right. Sam and Frodo did likewise as the swimmers collected their clothes from where they'd stripped them off earlier.
Once Sam was down to his underthings, he turned and asked, "Would you like me to wash yours, Mister Frodo?"
"Great!" Merry said, dropping his clothes in Sam's outstretched hands.
"Thanks, Sam," Pippin said, piling his on top and hurrying off with his cousin.
Frodo smiled at Sam, or at least what he could see of Sam. "You don't have to, Sam."
"It's no problem, Mister Frodo," Sam said, awkwardly adjusting the clothes in his arms so that he could reach a hand out from underneath. "One more set of clothes won't hurt none."
Frodo nodded and placed his shirt and breeches in Sam's outstretched hand.
"So many clothes for so little people," Boromir teased, watching Sam teeter blindly towards the water. Boromir grabbed a handful of the garments up out of Sam's arms, merely saying, "We'll get these done in no time."
***
Sam woke himself up with the sound of his own teeth chattering. The heat of the day had lingered into the evening and then disappeared, leaving the air colder than they'd known it on this trip. Sam was sleeping with the other hobbits in a pile, but tonight they were smashed against one another, their sleeping minds trying in vain to keep them warm. But even the body heat from the other hobbits wasn't keeping Sam warm enough.
Sam knew it had been foolish to go to sleep without their clothes, but he had assumed Strider was right about the weather. He now thought about getting up and trying to find his clothes, but it was a dark night, and, even if the moon had been full, Sam doubted whether he'd be able to get his clothes down from the high branches once he'd found them. So instead he snuggled next to his sleeping companions and tried to concentrate on making his teeth stop chattering.
***
Sam awoke only a few moments later, but he was disoriented by the sleep and had no clear idea how much time had elapsed. In fact, the only clear idea he had was that he was now, by some miracle, warmer, though he couldn't fathom why.
It took him a moment to realize why as well as what had awakened him. Through the darkness, Sam could see Legolas spreading yet another of the hobbit cloaks over the sleeping foursome. Sam then noticed that three cloaks already lay atop them, placed there with silent care by Legolas.
As Legolas bent down to tuck the final cloak around the bare feet of the hobbits, he noticed Sam's open eyes. Sam was still too drowsy to say anything, but Legolas smiled kindly at him and then disappeared wordlessly back into the woods.
"I must thank him..." was Sam's last thought before he drifted off again.
***
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