Disclaimer: You recognize it, I don't own it.
A/N: Wahoo! Managed to finish another chapter before this weekend was done! I have sugar running through my blood at the moment! SUGAR! Happy Easter and I hope you all get lots of chocolate!!
Legolas had fired off about half a dozen arrows, all hitting their marks on the opposite bank, before the boat capsized. The rest watched on helplessly as the arrows surrounded and hit the capsized boat. A small cry came from under the boat and a small bit of the water had gained a reddish tint. Hurriedly, he shook off his quiver, dropped the bow, and dove in, swimming out to help those who were now being caught by the current.
"Legolas, stop-" Aragorn began, but he was already gone, avoiding the swarm of arrows. He took up his friend's bow and started shooting off arrows at the other bank. Gandalf performed a number of spells to shield them all and to try and bring the boat back to shore. Everyone else worked to bring the boats fully ashore and save the contents of them.
A great black orc came out from the trees and flew high above the scene, above the worried gaze of the fellowship, who were too intent now on their friends in the boat and the enemies on the opposite shore. He swept across the river to fly high above the other side. Taking his aim carefully, he dove on crow's wings down with a sword brandished in his hands to Gandalf, the key to their defense at the moment.
Liz caught the movement of black on the sky blue from the corner of her eye and heard the swish of unnaturally large wings in the sky. Her head snapped up to see a dark creature diving at them and her instincts took over. She loosed a throwing knife, catching him right between the eyes, and sent him plummeting into the river. The splash startled everyone, on both sides. The enemy hesitated a moment, then fell back in retreat at the loss of their leader. A glance of approval was shot at Liz, while she cursed herself for the loss of a knife.
The company in the water managed to make it out much better after that, coming out from under the boat's cover and swimming to shore and letting the boat drift over the falls. Legolas came first and with the most urgency. Janet lay draped in his arms, unconscious and blood pouring from a wound in her leg. Pippin came next and last was Leigh, looking very pale.
Aragorn and Gandalf were quick to help Legolas tend to the wound. An arrow had pierced her left leg as she was going under the boat and the surprise of it had caused her head to hit the sides of it hard, knocking her unconscious. Leigh and Pippin had dragged her under to safety and did what they could, Pippin removing the arrow while Leigh supported her.
Between the three of them they managed to clean and bandage the wound, diagnosing a few days for a complete recovery and to let her sleep for now. Aragorn looked to Nicole after her finished in astonishment, though he knew he should have figured by now. "You have been more helpful and more accurate in the past few days than any palantir I have ever encountered has been in their lifetimes. Should you decide to stay, I would welcome you in my court."
Nicole only nodded vaguely, unhearing of his words and trying to take in the fact that someone had actually gotten hurt on their expedition. It had truly seemed little more than a game, even when they had been caught in the whirlpool or having to face down orcs. It seemed that it was true, it only remained fun and games until someone got hurt.
Ruth, Louise and Leigh were talking amongst each other, only now finding out that they each possessed a ring of power, though none quite knew what it meant. They could all hear whisperings in their heads as the rings conferred with one another, arguing and bickering over one thing or another that had happened. Aloud, the girls consoled Leigh, telling her that it was not her fault that the ring was out of control and tried to ignore the whisperings.
Liz scouted through the forest, walking with the hobbits and trying to find a good place to set up camp for the night. She was worried about Janet, but she was sure that she would be all right in the end. Gandalf and Aragorn had said so, as did Nicole, but it still troubled her immensely.
"She will be fine, Miss Liz," Frodo assured her, a troubled look on his own face since they had left Lothlorien. "You will see. Strider is an excellent healer, as is Gandalf. I do not particularly know about Legolas though, but all elves know the ways of healing."
*That's not what I'm worried about,* she lied. *What has you so troubled?* Merry shot a look at her that told her plainly to change the subject. She made a mental note that Merry had picked up on some elvish. *Hey, did anyone else notice that Legolas has been acting oddly lately? He's in love.*
"Is he?" Sam asked curiously.
"I saw," Frodo said with a slight smile at his friend. "He looks at her the same way our Sam here looks at Rosie. I never thought that elf would have ever fallen in love."
"But who would have thought it would have been her," Merry commented. "After someone hung off of me like that for a while I wouldn't be able to stand them. Elves are a bit strange in their ways, I suppose, but it still seems odd to me."
*Master Meriadoc, you are most certainly not a romantic,* Liz said with a slight smile. *Then again, neither am I so there's no big problem there. What do you think of that place there? Rock over hang and a nice little clearing for all of us.*
The hobbits readily agreed and they all headed back to begin moving everything away from the exposed shore. They had begun to get over what had happened and let Janet sleep while Aragorn began working the rest of the girls on their fighting techniques once more. Leigh was beginning to make considerable progress, able to envision Sam as the personified version of the ring which had caused so much damage over the past two days.
They all slept fitfully that night, Liz not having blanked at all that night and waking up in some place other than her bed the next morning. Overjoyed at this, she still told no one, happy that she would not have to bring it up as a problem. Janet was awake now, tired from loss of blood to the river and her leg was now in a splint. They both were at the morning discussion with everyone else to decide their next move. If there were patrols along both banks, the surely the enemy, whoever it was, had risen enough of an army to be a possible threat, which would mean they should head to Gondor and Aragorn should help raise the army. However, they knew that they may all have to travel into Mordor this time in order to find the ring and stop it from being brought back.
In the end, they left it to the old ring bearer to decide. Frodo had been growing increasingly worried throughout the journey and it showed clearly on his face now. "I shall need time to think on this," he said finally. "Let me alone for a short while and I shall have an answer for you." A sorrow showed on his face, this decision was hardest for him and he needed the time desperately.
"You shall have it," Aragorn said regretfully. He knew what had happened the last time as well as the rest of them, but saw no other choice at the moment. A few of them watched intently as he went into the woods, others busied themselves with whatever they could. Nicole was using a stick to scribble rough numbers and words into the ground.
A minute after he had gone, Nicole got up and approached Liz, who had been studying the elven necklace from Galadriel. It was authentic as far as she could tell, a symbol of immortality, but why it would be given to her was a mystery. She looked to Nicole questioningly and waited for her to voice her concerns.
"You have to follow Frodo," she said finally. "There's a patrol in the forest looking for us. He'll run into them faster if he knows he's being followed, though, but someone needs to watch his back."
*Legolas? Aragorn?* she asked, knowing that names were about the only thing her friends understood when they came out of her mouth.
She shook her head sadly no. "Aragorn will result in everyone going out to look and Legolas is a bit preoccupied with Janet. If you stick to the trees, no one will see you and you will be fine. I'll make sure everyone else goes out in a little bit."
With a rueful grin, Liz nodded and went off, soundlessly escaping the camp and beginning to track the hobbit. It was simple, he left footprints in the fallen leaves and soft ground, and he did not get very far on his short legs. She kept a watch on him and his surroundings as he wandered without purpose or real direction through the wood.
At last he stopped, resting on a stone of Amon Hen. He had found his way to the ruins to reminisce and think. She caught a few of his murmuring from where she was, finding out what was troubling him so terribly. He was assigned to destroy the ring again, to go through the trials of it once more. He could already feel the pull on it as it's remnants were slowly being recovered from Mount Doom and being put back together, drop by drop, and was unsure if he could indeed do the task again.
The bushes moved a little ways off behind the ruins, not enough make any noise that would attract Frodo's attention but more than enough for Liz to be on alert. She looked more carefully at them, seeing ghastly orc hybrids trying to sneak up on the lone hobbit, though taking their time. She looked to her knife belt, trying to discern how many shots she could get off and deciding that if things got too bad she could use a sword.
She loosed a knife, letting it soar through the air above Frodo, the reflected light glinting into his eyes, and striking one of the creatures in the shoulder. It howled in pain, unearthly as it's companions took up arms and came at Frodo. One took to the air, pitch black wings stark against the white of the overcastted sky, while the rest seemed to scurry across the ground.
Frodo looked first for the source of the metal that flew above him, but was quickly distracted by the creatures. He had never seen orcs like this, part animal to enhance themselves. He brandished Sting quickly, it's length glowing a subdued blue as though unsure as to what to make of these beings. "Help!" he called before bracing for the attack.
Liz, from her spot in a tree, sent out a hail of knives and managed to take down six of the eight that were approaching. With her last one, she threw it up in the air and caught it again, hoping that it might have possibly worked as a signal, but severely doubting it. Leaping down from the tree, she rushed in to join Frodo, who was already trying to take down the other two.
Six more came as the first one fell, giving them more problems than they needed at the moment. An instant later, Aragorn rushed in with half of their party trailing behind, much to their relief. Only a few more orcs joined the battle after that, and the rest of the Fellowship as well. Leigh hung back with Janet, who had insisted on not being left behind, and watched as their side slowly won the battle.
There were only two orcs left, and they all had them cornered. The girls told them to surrender, knowing from movies and television shows that they could probably get information from them, while the rest glared menacingly. A large black creature fell atop the remaining pair, an arrow sprouting from it's back. The two were trapped beneath, tangled in the wings and unable to lift the weight of their leader.
A few heads looked behind them to see Janet now leaning against a tree for support with a bow in hand. "What?" she asked at the worried glances. "Did you expect me to just stand here the whole time?"
After a few more glances back at her to make sure she was still all right, all eyes turned to the two small, pathetic creatures trapped beneath the massive one. The creatures appeared to be part orc and part squirrel, muscles decreased along the length of their visible arms and twitchy noses. Their faces were covered sparsely with gray fur, but the rest of what they could see appeared to be orcish. "Who sent you here," Gandalf demanded finally in hopes of finding the name of the one reforging the ring.
"No business of yours wizard," one snapped. "Our master will reveal himself when the Middle-Earth is his."
"And Radaga-" the other continued, before being stabbed in the back by his companion for almost leaking out vital information. He grimaced at the task, the effort of putting stabbing him enough to kill physically painful because of the angle needed to twist his arm, but showed no remorse for the deed.
*That's gruesome,* Liz remarked offhandedly with a wide eyed expression. She blinked and looked to the other fellowship members. *So, any one know who Radaga is?*
No one paid her any heed. "What shall we do with this one, then?" Merry asked.
"The only good orc is a dead orc," Gimli replied knowingly, anxious to take another head of such a foul creature. "Though I am not entirely sure if this is one. It looks stranger than most."
Liz shrugged and headed back to where Leigh and Janet were waiting. A few of the other girls joined her and they headed back to the camp as a group. Slowly, everyone else trickled back and Frodo was still undecided. Gandalf, however, stepped in and made the decision. "I need travel to Isengard to refer to the records anew. It is far harder to track down a band of people in Mordor than in, say, Minas Tirth."
"To Minas Tirth it is, then," Aragorn said, a hint of joy in his voice at the prospect of seeing his wife anew. "When shall you be departing from us, Gandalf?"
"Now, I believe," he said. "The sooner I have figured this mystery out, the sooner we all can get back to the matter of preventing the one ring from coming back into this world. And yes, Liz, I shall look into your problem," he added at the pleading look on her face. "Farewell to you all, and we shall meet again in Minas Tirth."
With that he left, disappearing into the shadows and light shafts of the forest. They regarded his leaving with hopes, thinking that answers would soon follow and hoping for the best, though it seemed still like the Fellowship had begun to break a second time. They took the rest of their meal in silence before setting off anew.
Merry and Pippin seemed to be in much higher spirits than usual, constantly commenting to each other how nice the land was here when they weren't prisoners of the orcs. They narrated what they could remember of their experiences to anyone who would listen, and even when no one else was paying attention to them for the next few days, including the spot where Pippin dropped the broach. Legolas fell back at that point, as did Gimli, to put in what happened when they found it again. Soon, they too joined in the story and were eagerly telling their tale as Aragorn tried to push them on faster to their destination.
"What sends you home so quickly?" Legolas asked him curiously.
*Arwen doesn't like it when he's gone from home too long,* Liz taunted good-naturedly. *Either that or he doesn't trust her running the country.* At this she shot him an accusing look.
"Legolas tells me that she was quite possessive when she was a child," Gimli put in, needing something to keep his mind off of the fact that he had just seen a small band of orcs flitting across the land and was doing nothing about separating their heads from their bodies.
The reaction to this however, was laughter from most of the company. Legolas agreed with him heartily, and Aragorn only shot a look back at them that would have killed them should looks have that power.
Throughout the trip there were many orc sightings, though none attacked and they did nothing to provoke them. Gimli groaned loudly at this in protest, but followed the order to not get involved in it. And in the entire time Liz did not once blank, not ending up in some strange unknown place when she next awoke besides her bedroll. She touched the gem at her forehead and the white silver band which held it there and thanked Galadriel silently for the gift that had given her more than she had ever expected.