Disclaimer: I don't own the Lord of the Rings.

AN: Okay so I know the last chapter was kind of a cliff hanger and I know from my own experience that cliff hangers are horrible so I hope this chapter will make up for it. You rock and I don't know what I would do with out you! You guys should all know the drill by now but I'll tell you anyways. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!!! Thanks I really appreciate it. Even if you are reading this when the whole thing is complete I still want reviews. I don't care if they are anonymous they are still amazing.

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I have started a new story but I promised I would only do one at a time so you will be getting at least two chapters a day for a while!

Chapter 9

When I woke up I was lying on a small cot next to a fire. The room I was in seemed very unfamiliar. But the face staring down at me was one I would recognize anywhere. It was Éowyn.

"What happened?" I asked eagerly.

"Well, when the wall exploded a flying rock knocked you unconscious but I was able to get to you in time. Then I hurried up to the hall where I brought you in. They assumed we were both men so they asked your name and I told them you were Essen. It was the closest thing to your name I could think of on the spot. So I brought you in and layed you down and they put some ointment on your head and told me it could be a few hours before you would wake up. That was about the time that the orcs broke into the hold and we all retreated back to the hall. We defended it for a while but then when it looked like all hope was lost Aragorn and the king decided to ride out. When they had just reached the bottom Gandalf came. My brother Eomer was with him and all of his men. They rode down and met the orcs and then when most of them were dead they began to flee but where they had come from before was a wall of trees. They ran into the trees and then a loud moaning and lots of yelling could be heard. Within an hour the forest was gone leaving no sign that they had ever been there. It was one of the strangest things I have ever seen."

"What about all of our friends? Are they all okay?" I quickly questioned.

"Everyone is a little worse for the wear but no one died or was seriously injured." She replied calmly.

I knew as soon as I saw our friends that they didn't know we had fought because when we went into the room Gimli asked, "So how was it in the caves were you very scared?"

I decided the best thing to do was be honest so I said, "I wasn't in the caves I was fighting not thirty feet from you at the beginning of the battle."

I could see the astonishment in everyone's eyes except Aragorn's and instantly regretted my decision for honesty when Legolas looked at me and said, "What!"

"I wasn't just going to let you all fight while I sat in a cave wondering who was going to die." I said feeling my anger starting to rise.

Legolas then spoke again but he was speaking to Aragorn now, "Did you know of this?"

"Yes, I tried to persuade her to stay in the caves with Éowyn but I knew deep inside of me that she wouldn't listen to me."

After his statement Éowyn stood up and said, "I too fought in the battle!"

Right as she said this Théoden walked in and looked at her with a spark of anger in his eyes and said, "WHAT?"

I thought that Éowyn was going to lose her courage but I should have known she would surprise me when she said, "Yes, I fought in the battle and I am not ashamed of it and neither should Essa be. What we did was courageous and I'm proud of Essa and myself. "Do not think so little of me I am very proud of what I did and I would do it again in an instant but the next time I might watch out for flying bits of rock more." The minute the words left my mouth I regretted it. I should have left the fact that I was knocked unconscious out.

I was instantly met with four very confused faces and Éowyn's face that looked at me and I could tell she was very surprised. She probably thought that we would leave that part of the story out.

Legolas was once again the first to speak and his voice was less kind this time, "WHAT?"

"Well I was kind of hit over the head with a bit of flying debris when the wall exploded." I said leaving out the fact that I had been knocked unconscious.

Aragorn's next words left me speechless, "Next time you will have to be more careful."

"I don't think there will be a next time." Gimli said quickly.

"There will be many more battles before we can expect the war to end." Théoden replied to Gimli's comment.

"I have no doubt that there will be more battles but you will be in no more." He said looking directly at me.

"I think that no matter what you say you will not be able to keep her from fighting." Aragorn said promptly.

"Could you please stop talking as if I was not here!" I demanded and drew their attention back to me.

"I know this is one argument you will all lose for I can see a spark of determination in Essa's eyes and she will not change her mind easily." Gandalf said calmly and I realized for the first time that he had been sitting in the corner of the room the entire time we had been talking. I quickly ran over to him and hugged him. "I have missed you so much, Gandalf!" I whispered into his beard while still embracing him.

"I know, child. I have missed you too." And I could hear the sincerity in his voice as he whispered this so that only I could hear him.