An- I know I said we'd be quicker, but Jane decided to get involved in a music festival...without telling me...so it's been a little while! Damn talented wench! LOL! But here it is...

Chapter 12

The village that loomed into her sight, no matter how shabby and rundown it looked, had to be the most beautiful thing Carla had ever laid eyes on.

"That's the most beautiful sight ever," Carla sighed happily, unable to contain her joy at the thought of standing inside a building out of the rain.

They had been riding for what seemed like forever (in reality, seven or eight hours), with the only stop being the fifteen minutes in which they were attacked and then the time taken to wrap Niori's shoulder. Carla's butt was sore, it was still raining (though not as much) and she was still falling off the back of the horse.

"Logic tells me that I should disagree with you," Jane said with a laugh, looking ahead at the basically abandoned village, "but after being on this horse for eight hours, even I'll agree!"

"At least you were spared the walking," Elijah told them both, causing Jane to fall entirely silent.

"Speaking of walking," she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, after a moment, "I think I can manage from here."

Without another word of explanation, Jane swung herself off of the horse and let herself fade back into the mass gaggle of walking people.

Carla looked on in confusion, wondering what had prompted Jane's sudden change of attitude. When she then noticed the utterly crestfallen look splashed across Elijah's face, she opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong, but before she could the horse halted and Eomer's voice broke out.

"I seek the chief of this village."

Carla turned her attention back towards the village, and realized with a bit of a start that they had (finally) arrived.

There were about thirty or so small, wooden buildings clustered tightly together in a sort of semi-circle. The forest surrounded it on one side, and the great golden plains of Rohan on the other. There were a couple beautiful horses grazing in the distance, and a large stable clearly visible near the open field. A large handful of peasant looking people had gathered in front of where the party had halted.

"He left my king," a sprite like elderly woman who stood at the front of the group spoke up, "as have many. After your warning those weeks ago, all those who could, left. Only us, who are unable to make the long journey to Mirkwood, remained."

Carla scanned the small crowd and realized that all that remained in the village were either the very old, the very young or those who could never make the long journey safely (like the heavily pregnant woman near the back of the crowd).

Way to go everybody, she thought sarcastically with a bit (lot) of disdain, high tail it out of here to save your own asses and leave the weak to be slaughtered!

"We seek to seek refuge here and to set up our camp," Eomer spoke, addressing the old woman who had asserted herself as the leader, "in your village."

"Do as you will my king," the woman replied, "but we have not enough lodgings to hold all your party."

"Many will have to set up their tents again in the plains," Eomer agreed, "but we can settle that in a moment. First I bid that our party have time to rest and food it you have any; it had been a long and tiring journey from Isengard."

The old woman gestured for them to follow. Everyone on a horse dismounted. Carla leapt from her horse, thanking Elijah quickly before she hurried to the front, coming to rest beside Niori.

"How's your shoulder?"

Niori looked over at her with a one-shouldered shrug and rolled her eyes a little.

"It hurts like a bitch, but I'm fine. I've been through a lot worse…now if only the guys would take my word for it. They seem to think I'm going to fall apart from the pain or something!"

Carla stifled a giggle; Niori enjoyed being pampered, but when it came from people thinking she was a helpless female, that's where she drew the line.

"Have you seen Erin or Jane?" Niori asked, glancing around the large crowd for a glimpse of their two other friends.

"I haven't seen Erin since we left Isengard," Carla replied, "and Jane disappeared like two minutes ago. It was really weird…Elijah just said something and she got all quiet, leapt off the horse and ran off."

"Really…?" Niori asked, eyebrow raised and a thoughtful look in her eyes.

"You two," a voice broke through them suddenly, and they turned to see Eomer standing there, "Come here,"

With only a glance at each other, the two of them silently followed Eomer through the crowd, which was resting gratefully. Finally, they stopped where Jane, Erin, Jullianne and Lillianna (who glared at Niori, who smirked at her; though Lillianna had gotten a ride after all, she was non too pleased that Niori had gotten what should have been her seat behind Legolas) and the pregnant girl whom Carla had seen in the crowd of villagers stood.

"This young lady," Eomer spoke, gesturing to the pregnant woman, "has offered to house all you woman in her home."

"My home is not very large," the girl spoke, her voice younger sounding than her age appeared to be (25ish), "and it shall be crowded, but there is room enough for you all."

"Thanks for the offer," Niori told the girl with a smile, "but I'll be staying with someone else throughout the duration of our stay (Lillianna glared daggers at her)."

"Your answer doesn't surprise me in the least Niori," Eomer told her with a little half smile, "Is there anyone else who will be doing the same?"

His gaze rested on Erin for a moment, who had a look of thoughtful consideration across her face. After a moment, she shook her head.

"That's okay," she replied, "I don't have to stay with Frodo; I'll still see him and all that, so it's alright."

"Then follow me please," the woman spoke, gesturing towards the direction of the buildings.

The six of them (Niori decided to tag along) followed her until she stopped in front of a small house on the very outskirts of the village and the edge of the forest.

"What's your name?" Carla asked, watching as the woman waddled along in front of her.

"Mila," the woman replied with a smile.

"Where's your husband?" Jullianne asked, glancing at Mila's huge stomach with a confused face.

"He has left with the others," she replied, and continued at their shocked and almost horrified faces, "After I have the baby, I am to make the journey to Mirkwood and join him and my two other sons."

"How far along are you?" Carla asked, unable to believe that her husband could leave her like this when she was so pregnant.

"Seven months."

Carla's eyes widened in shock for a moment before she turned her gaze to Niori, scared about how Niori would react; seven months was the same time as Niori when she had lost her baby. Niori stared at her for a moment, her eyes blank. After a second, a small , almost sad smile touched her lips.

"You're very lucky," she told the other woman softly, sadly.

"Indeed," Lillianna interceded coldly, "may you be lucky enough and strong enough to bring a healthy child to term…unlike some…"

Carla's mouth fell open in utter shock, unable to believe that Lillianna had just said that. That…that bitch! When Niori didn't come right back with some witty comeback, Carla snapped out of her shock and looked at her cousin.

Niori looked as though she had been physically stricken. Her mouth was open in speechless surprise and tears were shining in her eyes. Without a word, she turned around and she fled.

"You're such a bitch!" Carla growled, wiping the smug and victorious look off Lillianna's beautiful face.

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"I hate her…"

Niori whispered the words to herself, running her hands up her soaked arms and fighting back the tears. She kept walking through the unfamiliar village, wishing with everything inside her that Lillianna had never come into her life.

How dare Lillianna use her dead son as a way to hurt her…How dare she make it seem as though losing the baby was her fault…

"I hate her!" Niori whispered again, for now unable to stop the scalding tears from running down her cheeks.

Since Lillianna hadn't said a word up to now, Niori had almost thought that she had a sense of decency in her. She had thought that maybe the Elf had a shred of respect.

But now she knew Lillianna would do whatever it took to hurt her. She would bring up the greatest pain, in order to try and tear away at her.

Just when she was beginning to deal with the pain, that stupid bitch had to make it all hurt again.

She ducked into the nearest building, sliding down the wall and closing her eyes tightly to keep back tears.

"I hate her…I hate her…"

"Niori?"

The voice broke Niori out of her thought, and she turned towards the entrance of the building to see who had come to invade her private pain.

Legolas stood in the doorway, looking down at her hunched form in a bit of confusion.

"I saw you wandering toward the stables and…" he noticed now that the wetness on her cheeks was not from the rain but from tears, "…What's wrong?"

Instead of answering, she turned her head away and fought back more tears. Concerned, Legolas moved inside and got onto his knees beside her.

"Niori…" he whispered softly, cupping her chin and bring her face back towards him.

"The woman who offered her home," Niori spoke softly, "is seven months pregnant," Legolas took a sharp intake of breath, "and at the moment I found out Lillianna decided it would be a perfect time to remind me that it was at seven months when my baby died."

Legolas cursed inside his mind at how cruel Lillianna could be. He had known that she was capable of sinking low enough to pry on a mother's pain, but he had hoped that she wouldn't. He had hoped, that even for his sake, that she would never bring up the lost baby to Niori.

"And here I am crying like a baby…" Niori continued, more to herself than him.

"You're allowed to cry when it hurts," he told her softly, feeling his own pain ripple through him, "I cried after I found out. He was your son Niori, if you didn't cry over his death you would seem heartless to me. He was your baby Niori…our first son; if you didn't care about him, then I could never love you as much as I do."

"You say first…" she whispered almost fearfully, "what if I just can't have children? Afterwards…the doctor told me that I would probably never have children…that my body isn't able to take the strain…"

"Then it just won't happen," he told her softly, resting his forward against her own, "Believe me, I want us to have babies, but if it is not to be so, then all I really need is you."

She wanted to whisper 'thank you', but found that her throat was too tight from emotion to speak. Instead, she just stayed there, her eyes closed.

They stayed like that until the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted them. They broke apart and looked up to the door. There stood a twelve-year-oldish looking village boy.

"I don't mean to interrupt none," the boy spoke, looking away from them and blushing a little, "but I have to bring the horses in off the plains and get 'em into their stalls."

"Sorry," Legolas replied, getting to his feet and reaching a hand down to Niori. She took it after a moment, and he pulled her to her feet.

As the boy walked past them, Niori couldn't help but noticed he needed a crutch to walk and he had a heavy limp. Just another poor soul who had been left behind to possibly die because they could in no way make the journey.

As the boy moved to the opposite side of the building, something bright neon-pink caught Niori's eye.

"What the hell…" she whispered, confused. She moved towards it, leaving Legolas to question, and when she got there, she stopped dead din her tracks and gasped.

"Where did you find these!" she cried at the young boy.

"On the boarders of the forest a few weeks ago," he replied, "They're just strange bags filled with even stranger clothes and such…"

Niori stared at the pile in front of her, thanking the gods. Before her sat a pile of every article of luggage the four of them had had in the car the day they had returned. The bright pink she had seen was Erin's totally tacky (though Erin loved it) purse. And there, sitting on top of the pile was her own, simply black purse.

"What…" Legolas asked, coming to stand behind her and looking at the pile of luggage questioningly.

"It's our stuff!" Niori cried, grabbing her purse, opening it and going through it quickly, "the bags we had in the car on our way to university when we appeared back here!" she stopped rummaging and pulled something out, "thank god…it's still here."

With an almost half smile, Niori handed Legolas the item. He stared down at it, not understanding.

"It's a picture taken from my last ultrasound," she explained softly, "it's our son," Legolas looked up at her in surprise, "it's a picture of him inside in me in sixth month; before everything went wrong. If you look real close, you can even see his pointed ears…"

Legolas felt tears sting his eyes as her ran his fingertips down the photo.

"Niori…" he started, but she cut him off.

"Come on," she took the ultrasound picture from him and replaced it to the safety of her purse, "I know three girls who will be happy to know they can have a fresh change of clothes!"

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"I hope she's doing okay…"

Jane's voice trailed off as she glanced out the small window at the other side of the small room that faced the direction Niori had disappeared into a half an hour ago.

"If she's not," Carla replied with a growl, "I'm personally going to wring Lillianna's pretty little neck!"

Jane peered through the open doorway into the room where Carla had spoken from. Mila's little house was separated into four small rooms; a kitchen, two bedrooms for her children and one for her and her husband. They were all currently staying two to a room; Mila and Lillianna in her room, Jane and Jullianne in one of child rooms and Carla and Erin in the other. Thankfully, they all had their own bed.

"I can't understand why Lillianna could say such a thing," Jullianne spoke, causing Jane to turn her attention to her, "Can't she see that Niori's pain becomes Legolas's pain…that it brings them ever closer?"

"As logical as that is," Jane replied with a roll of her eyes, "Lillianna can't see it through her haze of jealously."

"If I ever act in such a way because of a man," Jullianne spoke in almost disgust, "then I believe I shall run myself through with my sword!"

"We've all said something like that Jullianne," Jane replied with a laugh.

With a quick movement and a thump, Niori suddenly appeared in between the doorframes, no longer looking sad, but excited.

"You'll never believe what I found!" she cried, "Our stuff! All the bags we had in the car with us are here! They're in the stable…come one!"

The three of them were silent for a moment, until Carla's voice broke out, sending them to their feet and scrambling for the front door.

"There is a God!"

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Stifling a yawn, Erin watched with immense pleasure as the clouds parted just enough to let in a moment's worth of brightness from the sun that was bound to be setting above them.

Though in all reality the sun might not be seen again for many days yet, it was nice to see that it was still there. After a storm like the one they had had today, one could never be quite sure.

Unlike the other three, who had all rushed and changed into their newly discovered clothes, Erin had opted to stay in her already drenched clothes. There was really no point in changing anyway; everything was muddy and wet from the rain that had only ended an hour ago. If she put anything else on, it's be just as soaked and dirty in like two minutes.

She heard approaching footsteps and turned around to face them. A smile lit up on her lips as she saw Frodo coming towards her. She felt a giggle rise up in her throat as she caught sight of what the water and dampness had done to his hair (can you say mini fro).

She realized in that moment how much she really loved what their relationship was. It was so simple, and she loved that. It had none of the drama that was between Niori and Legolas, and none of the heartbreak between Carla and Eomer; everything was just simple and content between them. Their love was something that needed nothing more than them just being together.

"You know," she spoke, smiling again as he came to stand beside her, "I really do love you."

Frodo grinned up at her, the usual twinkle coming into his clear eyes.

"If it's taken you this long to figure that out," he replied jokingly, "I might just be offended."

Erin laughed out loud "No, I've known it for awhile now, but I figure it's something you're supposed to say more than once."

"It is," Frodo replied, looking up at her thoughtfully for a moment before turning his gaze back to the shifting sky.

He was silent for a moment, and Erin's brows furrowed in confusion; had she said something to upset him?

"What's wrong?" she asked him, a bit of concern present in her voice.

"We may all very well die tomorrow," Frodo replied, stating it in a matter-of-fact tone, and causing Erin's eyes to widen in surprise; this was not the answer she had been expecting, "So far we've only seen the beginning of what is to come. The battle has only begun, and I feat that the worst is yet to come."

"Cheerful…" Erin replied, not knowing what else to say. This was not how she had expected this conversation to go…

"It's what may come to pass," he continued, "and that's why we have to make the most out of all the moments we do have…"

His voice trailed off and Erin stayed silent this time. She may have had no idea what had brought on the doom and gloom conversation, but she figured that if Frodo had brought it up, it had to be going somewhere important.

"I've been wanting to do this for a long time, but there's never been a time I thought appropriate. Yet now with our fates so uncertain, I know that I have to do this now or chance losing you…losing us forever," he turned to face her again, holding his open palm up to her. She saw there was a small silver ring with some sort of engraving on it in his hand. She looked down at it, not understanding, "Erin…will you marry me?"

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An- YAY! Happyness! Please review and all that...and hopefully Jane stops doing stuff so she can write her parts on time and all said stuff! Bai Bai