A/N: Hey ho! Still on holiday, but I got wifi again! Just some clarifications: 'Whelp' is just something Lola says to express sarcasm, it doesn't stand for anything or mean anything. Also, I apologize profusely to the person who no longer likes the characters: Lola would be acting differently with her period, and I think it was just a boring chapter which I tried to make more interesting, and as a result the characters were slightly altered.

To Brightpath2: I couldn't look at your deviantart when I saw the review, but I will as soon as I post this up. :D Eye colours: Lola has dark brown, Ginny has grey-blue, Tran has really dark brown and Julia has hazel. Heights: Not entire sure exactly, but Tran's the tallest (as an adult, by as a child he's one of the shortest) Ginny's next, followed by Lola, and then Julia. Ginny Tran stands at about a metre eighty, if that helps. Update: The link didn't work, sorry, I couldn't access it- perhaps you could just give me your deviantart name. :)

We've reached 50 reviews! Yay! Thanks ya'll so much! Internet bacon (and fudge) to all! :3

…..

[6th October, T.A. 3018]

Lola thought about what had happened last night as they walked along the road. For the first time on the journey from Bree there was one distinguishable path.

She considered telling Julia or Ginny. Julia hadn't gone to Lola's primary school, but had been her best friend since their first year of intermediate- they did everything together, they told secrets, they confided about crushes, they mouthed off Mrs Norman behind her back. She seemed to obvious person to speak to. But Julia probably wouldn't understand the consequence of telling Frodo about his future.

Ginny had become good friends with them in their second year, but Lola had known her since she was at primary. Ginny was more likely to understand, but would just tell her to ignore it.

It was her problem. She had to deal with it.

Still, she felt she needed someone to talk to.

Turning around, she saw Frodo walking a little way behind her. He abruptly glanced at his feet when their eyes met. He would not speak to her. She didn't blame him: what would you say? She made no effort to speak to him, either.

Lola had never been especially fond of Frodo- he had never been on her favourite characters list. But she felt sorry for him. She could never in her wildest dreams imagine such a burden, a weight of responsibility and power, and the knowledge that you could just take it if you chose. It would break her, she knew this; but Frodo just kept on going. Persisting.

Persisting was one of the five keys to school success she had learnt so many years ago at intermediate. She had chuffed at them then, made fun of them even, but now she could see what use they would be to someone like Frodo.

1. Persistence. Keeping on going. Not giving up.

2. Resilience. Bouncing back when things don't go your way. Keeping perspective.

3. Confidence. Trying new things. Taking risks.

4. Getting Along. Cooperation with others, no matter how little your enjoy their company. Teamwork.

5. Organisation. Keeping tidy. Being in the right place at the right time with the right equipment.

She passed Ginny, who was speaking to Merry: "In my world, people say that gingers have no soul, but I think they're just jealous because we have more soul than anyone else…"

Julia was walking alone, puffing as she trudged along. She gave Lola a wave and a smile. Lola returned them and continued on.

Soon she fell into stride behind Aragorn. She watched him effortlessly advance down the path, not at all tired. Lola instantly felt flabby and unfit as she puffed.

Aragorn slowed down a little to walk beside her. Then he leant over and, in a low voice, said, "You did what was right last night."

That startled her a little. Aragorn did not usually speak to her.

"I feel bad," She heard herself say, "I wish I could tell him. I want to help him, Aragorn."

Aragorn's voice softened unexpectedly, "You cannot, and you must not tell anything." He hesitated, swallowing, before asking, "You keep it from him because it is a terrible fate?"

Lola stared for a moment.

"Is it good or ill?" Aragorn queried quietly.

Lola thought for a while.

Mankind as a people has only ever wished to do two things: to know everything, and to manipulate. Manipulation: alchemists who wanted to turn lead into gold, the attractiveness of the idea of being able to bend the elements; fire, water, earth, air- the desire for progress and growth and new cities and control, all the way down to salespeople manipulating others to buy things.

Then knowing: the want to understand every last cell of the world, to understand creation and life and death and love, to understand the universe and the millions of galaxies and celestial places of faraway. Science: the informing shape, the coalescence of people that drives this, propels it forward faster and faster.

Then within knowing, comes the desire to know one's fate.

Mankind has always wanted to see their future. Astrology, reading the stars, reading the lines on one's palm or the tea leaves left in the cup, humans have always wanted to know their future.

Know it, and then manipulate it to suit themselves.

Lola looked at Aragorn. She could see the human in his eyes, the want to know.

Under the rule of men, would Middle Earth one day come to the same fate as our world?

She blinked rapidly, before replying, "It wouldn't be wise to let you know."

Aragorn nodded and began to walk ahead again, but the question still hung like a cloud above Lola.

…..

Soon they neared the paths end, and there stood the king, dilapidated and neglected, but still beautiful as he kept a keen eye watching over his lands, complete with a stone crown visible across his furrowed brow.

"Ginny… what's that there?" Julia asked.

"That must be Weathertop," Ginny stopped and looked. "Whoa."

Weathertop still held it's air of importance it once held in days gone by, when it was strong. It was far taller then any of the three girls had imagined.

"Amon Sul," Lola whispered, out of breath, "Hill of Wind. That's Weathertop alright."

…..

Sam and Pippin, along with Bill (who had not been named just yet) stayed at the bottom in a small hollow, while Aragorn, Frodo, Merry and the three women climbed up to the top.

"Wow… this is a steep climb…" Ginny panted, "How long have we been climbing, anyway? It wasn't this long in the book, surely?"

"Even shorter in the movie," Julia wheezed.

"I don't remember it being this long," Lola frowned, "We've been climbing for about fifteen minutes. We'll reach the top soon enough."

But it was another fifteen minutes or so before they reached the summit. The view from the top, however, was spectacular. They could see all around them for miles.

"Here we are- and no shelter, no water, no Gandalf!" Merry sighed.

"How far to Rivendell, d'ya think?" Julia asked Aragorn, once she got her breath back.

"A fortnight or so," Aragorn said nonchalantly.

Frodo's eyes bugged out. "A fortnight!?"

Ginny turned to the pile of burnt stones in the centre of the hill. Aragorn turned to them too, before stooping to pick up one that seemed whiter than the others.

"This has been handled recently," He murmured, before addressing Frodo, "What do you think of these marks?"

Lola peered over Aragorn's shoulder at the stone, and saw a rune and three lines. She had, at one point in her life when she had been obsessed with Tolkien, known how to read and write in elvish (both runes and the Tengwar) but she could not recall the meaning of the rune on the stone.

"They may have been made by Gandalf," Aragorn continued, "Meaning G3: that Gandalf was here on the third of October. Though we cannot be sure it even was Gandalf: Rangers also use runes, and they come here sometimes."

"Was it Gandalf?" Julia whispered. Lola nodded.

In silence they stood atop the windy hill, staring around the land. A few gossamer clouds drifted in the sky, and the light was now dimming a little.

Suddenly Frodo gave a little cry, pointing in the distance. "Look!"

They looked. Two black specks were walking along the road, far in the distance. Aragorn fell to the ground, pulling Frodo with him. Merry and the women did the same.

"We have lingered too long," Aragorn said through gritted teeth. "I do not know what it is, but I fear the worst."

"Something tells me it is a black rider," Merry said tentatively, and he was visibly shaking.

"Yes," Aragorn sighed, "The enemy is here."

The fact he sounded so certain did not help the nerves churning in Lola's stomach.

…..

It was now dark. The company of eight sat, huddled around the fire in the hollow.

Aragorn had just finished telling the tale of Beren and Luthien, and Julia was feeling more then a little sleepy. She felt as though she was about to drop off when she heard Sam running back.

She hadn't remembered seeing him leave, but her eyes opened wide again once more as he spoke.

"I don't know what it is," He shivered, "But I suddenly feel afraid."

Lola turned to look at Julia and then Ginny with fear alight in her eyes. Julia felt it kindle inside her as well, and she turned to the opening of the hollow.

"I saw two or three black shapes," Merry told them, worried and frightened, "Moving this way."

"Stay close to the fire, with your faces outward!" Aragorn demanded, spinning around to face them, "Get some long sticks ready in your hands. Girls, sit at the back,"

Ginny began to protest, but Aragorn held up his hand.

"I would not be able to live with your deaths on my mind," He stared at each of them in turn, "This is not your business. You are but travellers. You must sit at the back."

Julia didn't hesitate. The dread was growing still, as they sat in silence. She felt Ginny grab her hand- whether it was to comfort Julia, or herself was not obvious.

"What's that?" Pippin suddenly asked.

A shadow came over the lip of the hollow, and seemed to swell until the entire vicinity seemed cloaked in blackness.

Julia's heart beat faster and faster, beating against her ribcage like a million drums, like a million galloping horses trying to break free. Transformed were the horses like a terrible metamorphosis, into what but a tsunami of fear, which drowned her entire being until she could scarcely breathe.

It was terror. It was watching a burning baby, like falling into a pit of nothing. It was the thought of the devil, transformed into something so grotesquely terrifying it was painful to behold.

It was like watching what it felt like to die.

Julia's sheltered twenty-first century life had never prepared her for this.

The same fear seemed to have taken the rest of the hobbits, but Frodo was fiddling with something in his pocket. Julia watched him.

What is it that happens in this part?

She saw something small and gold pass from his shirt into his clenched fist. He closed his eyes tight, but then could not bear it any more, and slipped on the ring.

Oh yes. That's what happens.

Lola was quietly sobbing with fear beside her.

"I should have warned him." She whispered. "It's too late. He's going to get stabbed and it's my fault!"

"It's not your fault," Ginny attempted to comfort her.

Time seemed to slow down. Julia watched the spot where Frodo used to sit, and then the advancing figures in the gloom. Suddenly there was a cry, and it seemed faint and distant, however the words were, as Lola knew:

"O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!"

But even as he said this, from the shadow leapt a knife, glowing with a dull light. Julia gasped. Lola let out a strangled cry.

A shriek came from the ringwraith, but not a sound came from Frodo. They saw nothing more.

…..

[5th August 2023]

Philip put his hand over Julia's. Her family had left just five minutes ago, for lunch.

She was lying in a hospital room, hooked up to all kinds of cords. It looked a pretty frightening business, and it was scary seeing her lying there, motionless. He gulped and stared at her pasty white face.

Suddenly, she began to frown harder. Philip jumped from the bed in surprise. Julia hadn't moved since he had found her still two days ago.

He watched as she frowned more, and then her mouth opened wide, as if she were screaming, her face filled with horror, but her eyes still closed.

He grew frightened. It was as if she were trapped inside a nightmare; trapped but unable to get out…

…..

[6th October, T.A. 3018]

Aragorn leapt at the ringwraiths, wielding two flaming sticks. Julia watched as he waved them around, threatening the black riders and setting their cloaks alight until every last one had fled from the hollow. Then all was silent.

Julia let out a strangled sob, fully disturbed and completely terrified by what she had just witnessed. Ginny squeezed her hand gently.

The hobbits cautiously stood up and began to tentatively step around their campsite, as if afraid that the nazgul would suddenly return.

"Look!" Merry suddenly cried, "Frodo!"

Everyone ran to where he was standing. There, sure enough, was Frodo: lying face down on the grass with his right hand clenched into a fist.

"Is he dead?" Pippin asked. Sam gave him a look as if to say, 'don't go there'.

"Lay him down by the fire," Aragorn ordered: and he and Sam picked him up and brought him gently to a soft resting place.

No one spoke. After a long while, Aragorn stood.

"I will be back," He said abruptly, before disappearing from the hollow.

Julia felt suddenly cold and vulnerable without him. The silence still loomed.

…..

Aragorn still wasn't back when Frodo woke.

"What has happened? Where is the pale king?" He demanded, staring up at them.

The three hobbits were overjoyed he had woken, and didn't answer his question, but all began babbling at once, excited.

Julia smiled a little too, but Lola still looked stony, knowing what was to happen.

"Aragorn should be back soon," Ginny stared out into the blackness.

It was another ten minutes before he did. As he walked in the hollow, Sam suddenly stood over Frodo, sword drawn. He was obviously becoming dubious of him.

"I am not a black rider, Sam," Aragorn said gently, kneeling down beside Frodo, "Nor am I in league with them. I have discovered nothing of their movements; but there is no presence of them anywhere. I cannot think to where they might have gone, and why they do not attack again."

They listened as Frodo told his story. Julia began to feel a little sheepish for feeling so scared- for what Frodo had witnessed was so much more terrifying.

When he finished Aragorn looked grave, and turned to Merry and Pippin. "Heat up all the water you can, and bathe the wound. Keep the fire going."

Then he called Sam to him, and they sat in the corner, speaking in low voices.

Meanwhile, Julia and Lola helped bathe Frodo's wound, while Ginny tended to the fire carefully. They may have been just travellers but they all felt they had to pull their weight, that they had to help. It was not their business, but they were still tied up in it.

"That was so scary," Ginny was the first of the three women to speak, "My blood just ran cold. I knew what was going to happen, but it still shocked me."

"I nearly pissed myself," Lola said shakily, "I know so much about the nazgul but never in my wildest dreams could I ever imagine that. That… fear. That coldness. It felt like I had died, and I was witnessing it in slow motion. Like I was watching my life from above, like watching a movie that was happening to someone else."

Julia didn't speak; she was unable to put into coherent words how she had felt. She carefully poured the warm water onto Frodo's wound, trying not to remember.

"I hope we get to Rivendell soon," Ginny said warily.

"Another fortnight, Aragorn said," Lola grimaced, "And we'll have Frodo's wound to slow us down. With wraiths after us, probably.

"At least try to be optimistic," Julia suddenly snapped, "We all know what danger we're in without someone spelling it out for us,"

There was silence. Lola spoke, a little angry: "I'm just being realistic, for god's sake."

"I'm sorry," Julia sighed, not wanting any conflict, "I'm just so scared, that's all. It sounds so much more real when you say it out loud."

"I'm sure we'll make it to Rivendell safely," Merry attempted to calm everyone down, "Aragorn will be able to heal Frodo's wound."

The women exchanged knowing glances.

…..

A/N: Hope ya'll liked it! Now, I need your help concerning romance. Yes, there will be romance in the story, but it won't take over the plot. I've got some stuff in mind but I'd like to know your opinion before I begin anything. It won't be a hero/OC, because:

Legolas: I don't want to have an elf/mortal girl, so no.

Aragorn: Has Arwen, and is far too old anyway.

Boromir: Is twice the age of any of them.

Gimli: Is too short, and too old.

Gandalf: Too old.

Pippin: The right age, but too short.

Merry: Too old, and too short.

Sam: He has Rosie, and he's too old, and short.

Frodo: Too old, too short, and has too much on his mind for romance…

Yes, primarily my excuses are that they are too short and too old. :/

But, if you can convince me otherwise… anyway, if you have any ideas, shoot me a review!

Which reminds me… I think you should review.