The companions walked until dusk over the barren valley.
Just before dusk, Aragorn fell into step with Savina, who had been walking in silence, "we are going to stop, may I see your map before it gets dark?"
Savina nodded and reached into the inside of her vest, a surprised expression appeared on her face, she looked at Aragorn silently.
Suddenly Aragorn understood…Tasselhoff.
They couldn't really be angry, he was a Kender after all; it was his nature to pick up things that had been "dropped."
Aragorn sighed and gazed in the direction of The Dark Tower, which was still far in the distance but closer than ever.
Savina glanced at Legolas, who was walking toward them. "I dropped the map," she explained.
Legolas seemed to understand; he bowed his head, realizing the map was in limbo or beyond.
Gimli remained silent, standing as stout and strong as ever.
Aragorn put his pack down on the dry ground and started unrolling his blanket, "we'll sleep here tonight."
Legolas didn't move, he stared around the flat plain, obviously nervous about sleeping out in the open, "should we take watches?"
Aragorn didn't answer for a moment, then he shook his head, "they've left us alone for four days, there's no reason for them to attack now."
Gimli sat down with a thump and lay out his blanket; he, too, was nervous about sleeping out in the open, but, as the Dwarves always say, "better to sleep now and fight later than stand watch and not sleep at all." In a few minutes he was asleep.
Savina set out her blanket a few feet from Legolas' and lay down on it, staring up at the sky with her black eyes. They were nearing The Dark Tower now, she could feel it deep inside of her, something was awakening inside of her. She heard the others fall asleep, heard their breathing become slow and calm. But she couldn't sleep.
Then she felt it…pain in her head.
It started slowly, then grew greater and greater until tears were coming out of her eyes. She sat up slowly, she could hear something, a voice…growing louder and louder all the time.
Savina...you're almost here...I can feel you!
Help me! I can't breathe!
I need your help, Savina. All I need is you and then we'll be together again.
We'll be happy, I promise.
Then the pain was gone, but the tears coursing down her face wouldn't stop.
It hadn't been just any voice…it had been her father's.
A terrible feeling had taken root in her heart; maybe her father was being tortured in The Dark Tower. She had to help him…she had to…
Suddenly she felt exhausted…she slumped back and fell asleep, her father's voice ringing in here ears.