Disclaimer: I own nothing, nada, zilch, nil.sadly *sigh* I just want to say a quick thankyou to everyone who has read this story and big apology that it took this long to post the next chapter but, depending on everyone elses thoughts, the next ones will be up in a few days. Just a quick note to my most faithful follower, IcePrincess, thankyou for being my sounding board and a note to say that you really need to post those chapters up, they are too good to keep to ourselves ( Well, chapter 2 is here, any response or helpful comments you have would be gratefully received. Thankyou Mel.

He Passed My Way, chap2

Shivering she kicked to door open, the Hobbit collapsed in to her arms, gasping she hauled him in to her bedroom and helped him on to the bed.

"I'll be back in a minute" She whispered hurrying out of the room to close the door and fetch some towels and the water. Running back in to the room she looked at the fireplace, cursing quietly she realised that she hadn't lit it before she left. Setting the hearth ablaze the warmth began to fill the room, chasing away the icy chill. Setting the water over the fire to continue boiling she turned back to the now unconscious hobbit.

"Who are you, and why are you out here all alone?" Shuddering, she decided that there could be only one real reason. Hoping it could wait she settled him on the bed further but the fear in the pit of her stomach grew until she had no choice.

"I'm sorry, but I have to be sure" she whispered softly as she began to undress him. As she peeled away the layers of dirty, wet clothes she could feel the thinness of his arms, not unnaturally thin but thinner than most hobbits, even in these times. Finally taking the shirt off of his skin she rested him down and gathering the clothes in her arms she dropped them in the corner, *You're just delaying this, how can you continue to help him if you are afraid to know what is in front of you* her inner voice whispered maliciously. Taking a deep breath she fought back the tears as she gripped him by the shoulders and rolled him gently on to his front, stepping to one side she let the firelight play across the flesh covering his back.

Too many of her friends had been buried ever since the outbreak of the plague two years ago for her not to know a carrier. The tears in her eyes slipped over her cheeks as she took in the telltale signs of the disease. The flesh was a mottled purple covering large patches where veins had broken, contrasting starkly with his alabaster skin, small black lumps forming where his ribs spread across his back. Sobbing she turned away and buried her face in her hands. *You knew he was a carrier, you knew it but you helped him anyway, congratulations, you've just signed your own death warrant, even if Renn did come back he'd never see you again, because you'll be dead, no way to avoid it* Sobbing harder she felt her knees crumple dropping her to the floor, her head resting against the wood of the bedstead but the voice in her head continued to taunt her.

Minutes went by and the tears stopped flowing. In her head she had thought of everything to get away from the fate that waited if she stayed here, running to the nearest smial would not help her she knew, they would never open their doors to her, she has not spoken to her neighbours for nearly a year, they would know she had the plague and turn her away as would every hobbit within the Shire.

Shaking she looked back to the unconscious form on the bed, choking back the tears she reached over and picked up one of the cloths dropping it in the boiling water she turned back to him, though minutes had passed he had not moved at all, sitting on the edge of the bed she eased him on to his back and began to gently wash away the filth that caked him. *He'll die but you should make him comfortable while you can, no one will do it for you when your time comes* the voice continued coldly, with a shock she pulled back from him. *What if he has a family, they'll never know what happened to him, maybe he left to protect them* feeling the tears prick her eyes she continued to clean the mud, slowly working up to his face. As the dirt slid off she saw a young face, high cheekbones and large eyes, translucent lids covering the orbs within, long dark lashes settled gently on to the fair skin. *He looks so peaceful* she thought sadly, but felt the worry begin to grow again in her stomach something was not right about him something didn't belong. *I can't decide what, but I'll figure it out, I just wish I had a name for you* she put her mind to deciding on a temporary name for him, he had gotten this far but he wouldn't wake now until death claimed him and she felt that he deserved a name. *Everybody deserves a name* looking down on to the clean face her thoughts began to rove, something about his face reminded her of someone, a picture from long ago. *The longer I'm with you the more you puzzle me Calion* startled she thought again on the name she had given to the hobbit. *Calion, light.there is one part of the puzzle found and another unbound* she thought mystically as she wiped the damp cloth against his skin, a luminescence seemed to shine through his skin. *There Calion, now I have a name for you, I won't feel like I'm taking care of a stranger so much* slowly taking care not to jostle him she washed him from head to toe, he did not stir once.

"Well, you seem quiet enough and clean and warm now so if you don't mind I need some rest too, goodnight." Pulling the thick blankets over him she turned and left the room, the fire still glowing warmly in the hearth. Pulling one eye open Calion watched the hobbit woman go.

"Thank you" he whispered.

**************

Standing outside the door she took in the small room that would hold them both until they died, the dark furniture spare and old, chairs that had seen better days, the windows rattling as the storm blew outside, the chill seeping in around the edges. Feeling a little light headed she slipped out to the back room, the door resisting her as she tried to get back in. As she headed for the front door she noticed the fire going out. *I'm going outside, I suppose that I may as well collect some more firewood, as soon as it gets wet it'll be of no use to us* picking up the small tin she had collected she moved over to the front door and grasped the handle, the metal cold to the touch. Heaving the door open the wind blew in with a fury, whipping her hair about her face. Moving against the wind she made it out of the door and dropping the tin she gripped the handle with both hands and hauled it closed.

Shuddering with the effort she reached down to her side and found the tin rolling about by her feet, pulling the small brush from the waistband of her dress she levered the tin open. Dipping it in she daubed a sign on the door, the red paint standing out from the dark wood.

The sign of the plague, now no one would come no matter how she begged, the shirriff would come by in the morning and see the sign and board up the door until she and Calion were long dead.

Sighing she crept up the steps and in to the forest. The clouds above were heavy and black clouding over the moon making it all but impossible to see. Stumbling around on the earth she gathered all of the branches and twigs she could carry and hurried back to her home. The fire in the main room had gone out and the cold had seeped in to the very walls. Dropping the wood by the fire she hurried out again, not bothering to close the door this time, and went to the small garden patch hidden behind tall bushes, slipping inside she quickly began to gather any vegetables she could find.

Stopping for a second she felt her hands go numb, and her cheeks sting with the roaring of the wind, the trees around her nothing but a maze of branches and twigs, the leaves swirling around her feet grazing the tender skin. Feeling the fear rise up again, she pulled the last vegetables form the ground and ran back the way she had come.

After a few seconds she knew that she was in the wrong place, the trees were black and unfamiliar, suddenly the clouds parted above and moonlight streaked down. Turning to run back she felt something claw at her hair. The terror rising she dropped the vegetables and tore her hair away from the greedy fingers pulling at it and ran, past trees and over ditches. Her breath squealed through her mouth as she ran, her legs failing and dropped her to the ground. Sobbing she lay and waited for her attacker to plunge the steel blade through her back and end the nightmare.

Seconds went by and the only sound was her sobbing and the wind screaming, chilling her to the marrow. Opening one eye she looked around, only black night greeted her eyes. Shaking she sat up and looked behind her, the leaves were disturbed along the path she had run, the thick mud gluing them to the ground in strange shapes.

Feeling something dig into her scalp she reached up and pulled something from her hair, a twig.

There had been no attacker, no bloodthirsty creature stalking the night, only a tree.

Feeling laughter build up from deep within she dug her fingers in to the soft earth and gripped it tightly, pulling handfuls of mud up. Burying her face in her hands she felt the earth cling to her face leaving long streaks where her fingers slipped over and fell back by her sides.

The pressure grew too great so throwing her head back she laughed out loud, the sound chilling to hear as the hysterical laughter turned in to screams of grief and fear.

Above, the clouds raced across the sky masking the moon, leaving her alone.