In case your wondering I still exist! I just have not written in too long. So here is the next chapter.
I do not own LotR (Boromir would be alive if I did).
The sight of the watchtower came as a great relief to Amber. She had realized some time ago that adventures were not as easy as the stories she had read had suggested. The characters in the stories never seemed to have sore feet and aching shoulders from carrying a heavy pack over long distances. Amber's mouth twitched, the heroes of those stories had been knights, soldiers, nobles who were portrayed without fault, never did anything wrong, and always got the girl. They never dealt with rival gangs, the idea of permanent poverty, they didn't have asthma or trust issues.
Amber pushed the ideas out of her head, distraction was a luxury they couldn't afford to have with the nazgul undoubtedly nearby. She heard Strider tell them that it was the watch tower of Amon Sûl, that it was where they would sleep that night. As she looked at the tall structure, Amber prepared herself mentally for the cold night they would endure as lighting a fire in such a high place would be extremely foolish.
Amber looked at the hobbits and frowned slightly, weren't they worried about sleeping somewhere that was so exposed? As she watched the ranger, she grew suspicious again. Why did he pick such a visible location? Did he have something planned? Amber forced her face to relax, even if he was a friend it wouldn't be good if Strider saw her lack of trust.
When they reached the watchtower, Amber surreptitiously watched Strider as he looked out, It seemed to her like he was trying to find something. Then he turned about and placed a bundle on the ground. he opened it, and Amber saw five small swords in it. She relaxed slightly as he said to the hobbits, "These are for you. Keep them close." He looked at Amber and handed her the largest as he said, "I know you already have two knives, but it would do you well to have a weapon with a longer reach." Amber took the weapon and the ranger added, "I'm going to have a look around. Stay here."
Amber watched Strider walk away before she examined her sword. It was simple, but clearly sharp. She leaned against the wall and felt her legs fold as she sat down to rest. She firmly kept her eyes open as she watched the hobbits fiddle with their swords for a bit. She felt tired from all the physical exertion it took to get up especially since she had to help the hobbits a bit.
Despite that, she kept her eyes open. It was dangerous to fall asleep in such a noticeable place whether it was in middle earth or in Tulsa. Amber had learned that lesson years ago, and not in a pleasant way. Amber blinked her eyes to keep the memory from returning, and focused on the hobbits again as they boredly looked around.
She blinked again, more slowly this time. The wall behind her seemed a little less hard now, and she felt pleasantly warm. Amber felt her eyes slid shut slightly as she thought she would let them rest for a just moment, then she'd open them again.
A few minutes later she opened her eyes again as she heard people muttering. Amber listened for a second until she finally recognized the slight crackling noises. She stood abruptly, there, in the watchtower, was a small fire.
She eyes widened as she saw Sam, Pippin, and Merry around the fire and she suddenly shouted, "What the heck have you done!?" She saw Frodo start in his sleep before he saw the fire and scurried to put it out. Amber continued, "Did you even think about what would happen if you lit a fire in such noticeable location? We might as well put a sign that reads 'Frodo is here' in all capitol letters!"
She watched the hobbits flinch at her tone and realized they had never seen her like this before. Amber wasn't acting like the girl in Bag End who like to sleep in the grassy meadows with flowers in her hair on warm summer days. Or the girl who would tell jokes, sip cups of tea, or read silently when it rained. She had become the greaser girl again. The girl who was always tense, wary of an attack that might or might not even happen. She became the girl who always kept her eyes wide open.
Amber had just opened her mouth to continue her tirade when she heard the screech and cringed. The nazgul had seen the fire. They rushed to the edge and saw the wraiths appear out of the fog below. Amber drew her sword and scolded herself mentally for falling asleep as she cried, "Get back!"
She and the hobbits rushed from the edge to the top where they stood in a circle. Amber heard soft whimpers as she pulled out one of her knives. Finally, Amber heard a sword being drawn, and turned with the others to see a five nazgul approach. The nazgul walked forward, and lowered their swords. Sam tried to attack them as he cried fearfully, "Back you devils!" The wrath stopped the attack, and threw him to the side. Pippin and Merry stepped in front of Frodo, who Amber pulled behind herself as she held out her weapons.
Pippin and Merry were also pushed aside, but Amber stepped forward and attacked as she avoided being pushed. She frowned and snarled, "It won't be so easy to shove me about. I've been in fights before." The wrath looked over her shoulder and Amber stepped back as she saw another wraith in front of Frodo.
Amber sucked in a deep breath as a similar image flashed in front of her eyes. She watched helplessly as Frodo put on the ring and disappeared. the wrath reached for something before it drew back its hand them stabbed the empty air. There was the sound of a blade entering flesh and a scream that could only be Frodo's.
Amber cursed her uselessness, again, someone got hurt because of her ignorance. She heard a loud shout and saw Strider attack a wraith with a burning branch in one hand and a sword in the other. Amber turned back to the wraith before her and attacked it violently. As she and Strider attacked, she heard Sam cry, "Frodo!" before Frodo responded, "Oh Sam!" Amber clenched her teeth at the sound of pain in Frodo's voice. Amber's gut clenched, how could she have fallen asleep? This wouldn't have happened if she had stayed awake!
As the last wraith fled, Sam called, "Strider!" The ranger knelt over Frodo as Sam said, "Help him Strider.!" The ranger picked up the broken sword and said, "He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade." The sword hissed and disintegrated before Strider said, "This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs elvish medicine." He picked up Frodo and carried him away as the others followed. Amber paused behind them and for the first time in years, she let a single tear slip out of her eye and slide down her face.
I wonder what happened that made Amber feel so guilty? Well, actually, I don't have to wonder, I know what it was! And I'm not telling! Well, not until later that is.