Okay, so here's another one! Things are going quickly, and I'm glad, because I have a really fun super-secret twist coming up in this chapter that I think you'll all enjoy. Well…I hope so, anyway. Oh, and Merry and Pippin are back in this chapter! I'm so glad, I've missed them! :)

Chapter 10:

I woke up on a cot in a very small room with stone walls.

Ugh. Why did every battle always end this way?

The last thing I remembered before passing out was trying to heal a young boy who was very badly wounded.

So badly wounded that I was kinda mad they hadn't brought him to me before anybody else.

This was ridiculous. How many men had died while I'd been sleeping?

Probably way more than I'd been able to save.

I was still in the clothes I'd worn from Edoras, and they were dried with crusted blood.

I looked around, and saw a dress folded nearby. Nothing elaborate, but it was preferable to what I had on now.

There was also a basin of water and some soap.

Luxuries here, I thought with gratitude to whoever'd left them for me.

I washed, then dressed, and went out to find somebody I knew.

The first person I found was Eowyn, because she was waiting outside my door.

I embraced her, but she didn't really return the sentiment.

"Aedinil." she regarded me coldly.

"Oh, Eowyn, you're not mad at me for what happened in the caves, are you?"

"Yes, I am."

"Eowyn---"

"Aedinil, how could you have left me there to lead all of those people by myself? And when you knew how badly I wanted to fight as well?"

"I didn't want you to die, too." I said. "And I'm sorry for leaving you. It won't happen again. It was the heat of the moment. Please forgive me."

She glared at me, then sighed.

"I thought you were dying these past two days." she said to me.

"When?"

"After the battle. After you passed out. Nobody would give me any real answers, either."

"None of the guys explained to you that I'm pretty much comatose after a heavy healing job? I'm sorry for that, too. I'm sure they were just busy."

"Yes, busy. Always to busy for me." she sighed, then pasted on a smile.

"During the next battle, you and I will draw swords together." she told me with a powerful grin.

I nodded, but didn't promise. Who knew what was gonna happen anymore?

"How is Myrna?" I asked.

"As well as can be expected. The baby is doing splendidly, though." she replied.

"I couldn't have done it without you. Where is everyone, Eowyn? I want to see them."

She led me back into the throne chamber, where they all seemed to be discussing something important.

"You're awake!" Legolas beamed.

"You're crazy." Boromir smiled, and rumpled my hair. "Coming out at fighting when you know you're doomed…"

"Well, we're all alive, aren't we?" I said with a smile.

"It is good you are awake, Aedinil. There is something I need to discuss with you." Aragorn said, and I knew I was probably in for the lecture of my life.

"Look, Aragorn, I'm sorry I didn't listen---"

"It's not about that." Gandalf said sternly. "These were found on one of the dead Uruks."

He unrolled a scroll, but it was written in writing that I couldn't read.

"What does it say?"

"It's orders from Isengard to capture you and have you brought there." Aragorn said. "Orders from your mother."

"Well, who is she to say?" I said. "I'm eighteen, almost nineteen. An adult, and I can make my own decisions."

"Perhaps where you were raised." Gandalf clarified. "But according to the laws of these lands, an unwed female is in the charge of her parents until she has a husband to care for her. You legally belong to Zaida."

"But I---" I began to argue, but knew it would be futile. "Galadriel placed me in Aragorn's charge."

"But you were not Galadriel's to give." Gandalf clarified. "Which leaves us to an option you must consent to."

"What?"

"Aragorn can adopt you, thus ending any of your ties to Zaida. With your permission, of course."

My permission! As if they even had to ask.

"Of course. That's great. Anything to keep away from her."

"Alright, then." Théoden said, unsheathing a large knife. He handed it to me.

"Um, what am I supposed to do with this?"

"It's a Rohan adoptive ceremony. It makes it official."

"What?""You each cut a slit across your left palm and press your hands together." Gandalf explained.

"Not that I mind," I said, even though I sorta did, "I don't want Aragorn to have to---"

"It's alright." He said. "I do not fear pain."

"Well, alright then." I said, thinking how crazy I was.

Trying not to wince, I dragged the blade across my palm, Making a cut just below the skin.

Surprisingly, it didn't hurt that badly, at least initially. I think it was the shock of it.

Aragorn drew the blade across his palm, and pressed it into mine.

"I am proud to call you daughter." he said.

"And I'm proud to call you father." I replied.

Now, at least we could keep Zaida away as far as legality was concerned.

"Good." Gandalf said. "That's taken care of. Now we have other business at hand."

"What?" I said, "I've been dead to the world for the past two days."

"We ride to Isengard." Gandalf said. "And Lady, if you'd rather not go---"

"Of course I'm coming." I replied with a smile. "If ya'll are going, I'm going too."

~Break~

Riding up to Isengard, it was a huge relief to see the two people we'd sprinted cross-country to find.

"Welcome, my lords. To Isengard." Merry said, and was slurring every word.

I suppressed laughter.

They were obviously sort of drunk, which I usually frowned upon, but I was so relieved to see them that I didn't really care.

I embraced them.

"Aedinil!" Pippin exclaimed. "I didn't notice you before. Has your hair always been that color?"

I laughed until I cried.

~Break~

Unfortunately, my meeting with my mother wasn't nearly as joyous.

She was on top of Orthanc, barricaded in with Saruman and Wormtongue.

She didn't speak during the entire conversation, but merely glared daggers at me. There was no way she could know that I'd chosen Aragorn over her, could she?

After Saruman was killed (which was somehow satisfying and pitiful all at once), she spoke.

"The task now falls to us, daughter." she called down.

"No. No, I don't think so."

I held up my bandaged hand, hoping she'd get the message.

She laughed, which was a much more disturbing reaction than if she'd been outraged.

"Fine then. Cast your lot with these fools. See if I care when Sauron has his way with all of you."

"Zaida, you weren't always this way." Aragorn called up to her. "Come down, and help us, and you can have your life back."

"My life was taken from me. My home, then my husband, and now my daughter. You will regret this, Estel." she hissed, and retreated back into the tower.

"There is nothing she can do from inside, is there?" Gimli asked tentatively, and I'm pretty sure we all shared the sentiment.

Pippin suddenly jumped off the horse he was on, and reached for something in the water.

There was a flash of light, and the next thing I saw was darkness.

I opened my eyes and saw familiar surroundings.

I was back on earth, in my bedroom, and I wasn't alone.

Gimli, Boromir, Legolas, Aragorn, Merry, and Pippin were there as well.

Boromir was the first one to find his voice.

"What in the name Eru…?"

"I think…" I pulled back the curtain and looked out at the yard, then pinched myself to be sure it was real. "I think we're on Earth."

Everybody started talking at once, but Aragorn quieted them.

"How do we get back?"

"I have no idea." I replied.

"We have to get back home."

"I know. I know…um," I took a deep breath. Could elves have panic attacks? Cuz that's how I felt.

Inspiration hit me.

"There is one place I know of where we could get back. If my theory works, of course."

"Where?" Aragorn asked.

"In Kentucky. In the Smoldering Caves, a couple o' hours past Louisville. That's where I fell through to Moria."

"Moria!" Gimli cursed. "It's full of Orcs."

"And very far from Isengard, where everyone else is."

"Well, that's the best idea I can come up with."

"Well, there's no time to waste." Boromir said. "Where is Kentucky? Is it near here?"

"It's at least a two day drive, if we go through the night."

"That's not favorable, but it's better than nothing. But what's a drive?"

"It doesn't matter. We don't have a car."

"Car?" Pippin asked.

I groaned, then quieted. I was in my house, back home. Dad and Matthew were in here, right? And they thought I was dead (so I was assuming). I didn't really want to explain to them where I'd been and how I was back and why there were six strange men in my bedroom with me. And why I was an elf.

"Shhh. Dad and Matthew are probably in here. Keep your voices low."

Before I had a chance to speak, the door was flung open and a shotgun was thrust into the room, followed by my scrawny and obnoxious ex-neighbor Levi.

"Levi?"

"Bliss?" His jaw dropped. "I thought you were---everybody thought you were----"

"Where are Dad and Matthew? And why are you here? And put the shotgun down, for Heaven's sake before you put somebody's eye out."

Levi gawked at me, then at all the others.

"WTF?!" he exclaimed, and Merry pulled at the hem of my dress.

"What's WTF mean?"

Well, more tomorrow! Review, please!