"Stop it, stop it, stop it!" Aragorn screamed in agony, desperately flailing his way out of his blankets to seize the vicious predator that was savaging his bared left arm by tooth and claw. Grasping the predator by the scruff of its neck, he lifted it to eye level, staring at the hissing spitting monster. After a second, slitted blue eyes blinked at him from amidst soft gold and silver fur. The fanged mouth opened...

"Mew?" squeaked the kitten innocently.

Aragon gaped at it in bewilderment. What was a kitten doing out here in the middle of the wilderness? Where could it have come from? As far as he knew they were nowhere near a farm....

“Mew...” the kitten repeated more impatiently, attempting to bat at his chin with one paw. The claws caught in his beard and were tugged free, dragging a wisp of hair with it and making Aragorn yelp. The big blue eyes opened wide apologetically, locking with Aragorn’s.

Staring back at the kitten, Aragorn felt a creeping sensation of familiarity creeping over him. “No.....” he said slowly.

“What is wrong with you?!” Boromir demanded irritably, looming up out of the fog to glare down at him. “You were screaming like a girl.....If there were any Orcs around they'd have heard you miles off!”

Aragorn glared back at him, shoving himself into a sitting position with one arm. “I was not....” he began.

“And that is no way to hold a cat!” Boromir added, briskly scooping the kitten out of Aragorn’s grip and tucking it securely into the bend of his arm. With an imperious meow, the kitten immediately started to struggle free...

“That is not a cat....” Aragorn began, recognizing that imperious tone only too well.

“No, it’s a kitten....” Boromir snorted over the kitten’s strenuous protest. “Wonder what it’s doing out here....”

“It’s not a kitten either....”

“Hush now, little one,” Boromir crooned however, shocking Aragorn out of his wits until he realised the warrior was speaking to the kitten. “Did the nasty man frighten you then? There, there....” The kitten started to protest then suddenly went limp as Boromir’s caressing fingers found a magic spot. After a second it started to purr, vibrating its whole body furiously with its efforts. “What is it then?” Boromir demanded.

“What? Oh.....It’s Legolas....”

“What?” Boromir gaped at him. “Have you run mad?”

“No, look at those eyes....” Aragorn finally got to his feet and reached for the kitten, inserting a grubby finger under the little arrow shaped chin and lifting the kitten’s face. Huge blue eyes glazed with pleasure blinked back at them sleepily and Aragorn found his fingers petting the soft fur instinctively.

“But....Legolas?”

“You see him anywhere?”

“In this fog? No....” Boromir admitted dubiously, cautiously stopping his petting. The kitten squeaked a protest, batting at him with one paw.

“Legolas, that is no way to behave,” Aragorn scolded. Legolas’ ears flicked at him and the kitten gave the Ranger an outraged stare.

“I don’t see Pippin either,” Boromir said abruptly.

“We can’t have lost him too!” Aragorn protested, moving cautiously towards where the young Hobbit had been asleep by the fire.  When the thick fog came down earlier they had somehow become separated from the others and the four of them had decided to make camp, assuming that Gandalf would be better able to find them than the other way around.

“I doubt if he’s lost,” Boromir assured him, setting Legolas down carefully on Aragorn’s pack. The kitten promptly started washing its fur down smooth again. “He’s probably exploring....”

Aragorn glared at him, then glanced thoughtfully down at the kitten. “Pippin is missing and Legolas is now a kitten....” he said slowly. “Magic?”

Boromir eyed him uncertainly for a moment, then both men turned to peer uneasily into the fog.

Legolas promptly sat up alertly and stared at them in boggle eyed fascination, tiny tail twitching.

“Well, if anyone could find trouble in the middle of nowhere it’d be Pippin,” Boromir admitted, then lifted his voice and bellowed the Hobbit’s name into the fog.

“What about the Orcs?” Aragorn demanded sarcastically when his ears had stopped ringing. Legolas had come to sit on his foot and stared up at him, squeaking....

Boromir shrugged. “Doubt if they can find us in this lot. But we’d better find Pippin.”

“He’ll have left tracks!!!”  Aragorn ended with a pained screech as the kitten sank needle sharp claws into his thigh over the top of his boot. He hopped away in pain as Boromir hastily pried the kitten off. “What has he got in those paws? Scimitars?”

Hiding a grin, Boromir rubbed the kitten’s ears consolingly. “I think you were ignoring him....Never pays to ignore a kitten....”

“I noticed,” Aragorn snapped.

Legolas was wriggling, standing up on Boromir’s arm to dab at his chin. “Hey, maybe he knows where Pippin is,” the warrior suggested.

The kitten let out a strident meow, head butting Boromir’s chin and then shooting a glare at Aragorn as if to say ‘See? He isn't as dense as you....’

                                                            * * *

Tripping and stumbling through the fog laced forest, Aragorn was running out of swear words. Only the fact that Boromir was tripping as often as he was, was helping him to keep his temper. Every now and then they would take turn in calling Pippin’s name. So far there had been no answer.

“Would he have come this far?” Boromir wondered, steadying the kitten that had chosen to perch on his shoulder. The kitten was busy washing the warrior’s ear, startling the occasional snort of laughter out of him as his efforts tickled.

“If he was lost in the fog....”  Aragorn said, coming to a halt and straining to listen.

Legolas’ ears flicked and his head turned, pointing into the forest.

“That way?” Aragorn asked and when the kitten mewed agreement, edged his way cautiously through the brambles. “Pippin?” he called, hoping the Hobbit wouldn’t be scared enough to attack him.

“Aragorn?” came back a tentative answer.

Aragorn heaved a sigh of relief. “Pippin, what did you think you were doing wandering....”

“Mind the....” Pippin squawked.

The ground gave way under Aragorn’s feet, sending him crashing downwards to land with a thud in the mud beside the Hobbit.

“...hole....” Pippin finished sadly. “I fell in too....”

Aragorn levered himself slowly up out of the mud and glared at him, fighting the urge to throttle the halfling until he saw the apologetic look on his ingenuous face.

“What are you doing down there?” Boromir asked curiously from above them, peering dubiously over the edge of the hole at them. Legolas perched on his shoulder, gazing down in fascination. “Didn't you notice the hole? Area’s full of them...”

 “Not until I fell into it, no,” Aragorn growled under his breath as he picked himself up and brushed off the mud. The effort only made it worse and he gave up helplessly.

Boromir grinned, probably guessing what he was saying. “Hello, Pippin. You all right?”

“Yes, Boromir,” Pippin grinned back at him. “I didn’t see it either....”

 “I’ll get the rope from camp. Don’t go away....” Boromir called as he set Legolas on the ground.

“Very funny,” Aragorn muttered darkly before turning back to the Hobbit. “Are you hurt, Pippin?”

“No....” Pippin admitted. “I would have come straight back to the camp, only Legolas got away from me and I fell in chasing him....” He fell silent under Aragorn’s silent stare. “What?”

“Legolas is a kitten,” the Ranger grated.

“Yes,” Pippin agreed brightly. “I noticed that. I’d have thought he’d be a proper cat, rather than a kitten. You know all grown up.....”

Aragorn’s eyes narrowed. “Yesss.....” he agreed. There was a low growl from above him and he looked up, noting that Legolas had fluffed himself up and was growling furiously, his claws stropping the edge of the pit dangerously.  “And why shouldn’t I tell him you’re not much more than a kitten in Elf terms?” Aragorn asked in Elvish. The kitten hissed at him. “You clawed my leg....” The Ranger pointed out.

“Oh be careful, Legolas. You’ll fall in too....” Pippin called anxiously.

“And get all muddy,” Aragorn warned. The kitten gave him a disgusted look and sat back, starting to wash his paws again. “Now, Pippin, why is Legolas a kitten rather than an Elf?”

“Oh well....” Pippin looked shifty. “I found this crystal you see....”

“Crystal?” Aragorn said darkly.

“Back there somewhere....” the Hobbit waved over his shoulder.  “There was this little cave with bits and pieces in it, nothing very interesting. But I found this Crystal. Look, isn’t it pretty?” He dug it out of his pocket, holding it up. Even in the fog it seemed to shine with its own inner light, twinkling shadows twisting and twirling inside the crystal.

Legolas squeaked in alarm and ducked, hiding behind the edge of the pit so only his ear tips could be seen.

“I gave it to Legolas to look at and wham...he turned into a kitten. He ran off when I picked the crystal up....”

Very sensible of him....Aragorn mused, eyeing the crystal warily.

“Do you want to hold it?”

“What? No!” Aragorn leaped backwards, flattening himself back against the side of the pit. “You put it back in your pocket....”

Pippin pouted but did as he was told. “I don’t know why it didn’t turn me into anything,” he complained. “It’d be fun....”

Aragorn shook his head in disbelief, relieved to hear the sound of Boromir returning. The crystal was obviously dangerous and he had no intention of touching it. Obviously this was something for Gandalf’s area of expertise.

On the other hand, he didn’t have to tell Boromir about it. It’d be interesting to see what Boromir turned into....

                                                            * * *

“There, you see? Nothing to worry about,” Gandalf said cheerfully as he led his straggling party into the clearing where Aragorn had set up camp. It had been dark for an hour, the night made darker by the hovering fog. Frodo, Sam and Pippin all made promptly for the fire and Gimli subsided next to Boromir with a sigh of relief.

Aragorn and Boromir greeted them with mumbled hellos, both continuing to watch the crystal glittering on top of Aragon’s pack. “It still isn't doing anything....” Boromir observed.

“No....” Aragorn agreed gloomily. “Don’t touch it, Frodo....” He fended off Frodo’s reaching hand and handed him a bowl instead. “Help yourself to stew...”

“I noticed you didn't mind me picking it up....” Boromir said acidly.

“Nothing happened....” Aragorn pointed out blandly.

Boromir snorted. “Yeah, right....”

“Where’d the kitten come from?” Sam asked curiously, eyeing Legolas who was curled up on Boromir’s knee.

“It’s a long story,” Aragorn said grimly.

“It’s Legolas,” Pippin announced brightly. “It’s magic....”

Gandalf had settled himself comfortably by the fire by now and shot a look from Pippin to the kitten and back again. “And what have you been up to this time, Peregrine Took?” he boomed. 

“Me?” Pippin squeaked.

“I doubt if Legolas willingly did this to himself.”

“Oh, well....he followed me....And I found this crystal.....” Pippin scooped it up and dropped it into Gandalf’s hand.

“Don’t!” Aragorn screamed, nearly landing in the fire as he lunged to intercept. Gandalf however was far quicker than he looked and caught the crystal deftly, waving the Ranger back.

“It’s quite safe,” the Istari assured him kindly. “It only affects Elves.”

“Didn’t do Legolas much good....” Boromir muttered. “What is it?”

“An Elf toy from long ago,” Gandalf said, admiringly turning the crystal this way and that so it sparkled in the firelight. He smiled as Legolas crept closer, kitten eyes huge. “The Elves used to use them to change shape, until they grew out of such toys and forgot how to make them. A shame really, they were fun....Here, Legolas, bite gently now....” He offered the crystal to the kitten, smiling reassuringly. “It will turn you back....”

Rather gingerly the kitten accepted the crystal and bit down. There was a rush of sound and a flourish of air, multicoloured light swirling around them....

Then suddenly Legolas stood before them again....

“Drop....” Gandalf began.

With a sigh of relief, Legolas dropped the crystal back into his hand....

And was instantly a kitten again....

“Oops....” Gandalf said apologetically, scooping up the crystal and hastily brushing off the dirt as the kitten gave him a betrayed look. “Sorry about that. Have another go, but this time drop the crystal to the ground....”

Legolas gave him a dirty look but once more bit down on the crystal and with a fanfare of sound and blaze of light the Elf appeared.

This time Legolas deliberately spat the crystal out and Gandalf grabbed it, scooping it up before Pippin could snatch it. 

“That’s it?” Aragorn choked. “All he had to do was touch the crystal again? We’ve spent all this time worrying....” He paused as Legolas reached past him to grab a bowl and help himself to the stew.

“Natural reaction to magic,” Gandalf said mildly as the Ranger shot an alarmed look at him. Legolas rarely ate more than a bite or two of anything.

“Its good stew,” Legolas assured them as he sat down cross legged and tucked in, blue eyes flashing towards Pippin.

“Er, I'm sorry, Legolas,” Pippin said in a small voice. “I didn’t know....”

Legolas surprised him however with a smile. “No harm done. It was an interesting experience.....” he soothed, flicking a glance at Gandalf.

Gandalf gazed back at him warily, suspecting that the Elf might well want the crystal for himself. A harmless enough toy, but dangerous in its allure....he should probably make sure he conveniently lost it somewhere.

“Have some stew,” Sam offered, switching back to his role as main cook for the fellowship.

Gandalf took the bowl gratefully, relaxing as Merry started passing round the biscuits before drawing Pippin to one side, clearly interrogating him about the crystal.

Watching them all, Aragorn sighed, glad to have Legolas safely back as an Elf again. There was something disconcerting about the effect an Elf kitten could have on a man. It was a pity though that it hadn't changed Boromir into something. He could have done with a laugh....

                                                            oooOooo