Brothers In Arms Chapter 30: A Terror in the Dark, a lord of the rings fanfic

Authors' Note: No, the hobbits are not mage-killers...*yet*. You'll notice that at no point did anyone *die*. Eirual and Ivory Moon would also like to point out that this is *not* the place to harass Sun Queen about Mirkwood Elf. If you wish to do so in a review you leave here, at least have the courtesy to read our fic as well. The other two Nightrunners also promise to tie Sun Queen to the chair again to make her write another chapter, if at all possible.

A Terror in the Dark

Soundtrack: Under Attack (ABBA)

Don't know how to take it, don't know where to go
My resistance running low
And every day the hold is getting tighter and it troubles me so
(You know that I'm nobody's fool)
I'm nobody's fool and yet it's clear to me
I don't have a strategy
It's just like taking candy from a baby and I think I must be

Under attack, I'm being taken
About to crack, defences breaking
Won't somebody see and save a heart
Come and rescue me now 'cause I'm falling apart
Under attack, I'm taking cover
He saw my track, my chasing lover
Thinking nothing's gonna stop him now
Should I want to, I'm not sure, I won't know how

This is getting crazy, I should tell him so
Really let my anger show
'Cause waiting at the answer to his questions is a definite blow
(I'm kind of certain that's the truth)
Guess I'm kind of flattered but I'm scared as well
Something like a magic spell
I hardly dare to think of what could happen, where I'd be if I fell

Gabe turned slowly towards the alley; the sound came again, a whimpering little cry that shook the silence.

Sam inched forward. "It sounds like a kid."

Peter fidgeted anxiously from foot to foot. "Aw, Christ, we can't stay here. Those mages might have friends. It's too dangerous!"

Felix nodded. "Peter's right. We *have* to leave."

Their conversation was interrupted rather suddenly by a teary-eyed little girl who crawled out of the shadows. Her skinny legs were bare and dirty, and she wore a shabby red coat over a black velvet dress. She stood, her skirt falling to cover her knees, tangled black hair hanging over her shoulders. If she was more than eight years old, Gabe would have been surprised.

Three street kids and a Princeton professor had absolutely no idea what to do with a little girl. They glanced at each other in bewilderment as she rubbed her red, runny nose. The girl stared at them, her blue eyes huge and frightened. "Can you help me? I-I think I'm lost."

At this, she burst into tears again. Felix moved towards her and awkwardly patted her on the shoulder. She spun towards him and buried her face in his sweatshirt, bawling.

Sam and Peter exchanged looks, both trying to keep from laughing. Felix looked so far out of his element with a sobbing kid clinging to his front that they could barely keep straight faces.

Gabe moved up and knelt beside her, putting on his best 'concerned adult' face. He gently pried her off Felix, who looked immensely relieved. "Hey, honey. What are you doing out so late? You know it's dangerous to be out in the streets alone."

The little girl sniffled. "I was hiding from the mages. They're scary."

"What's your name, sweetheart? You look way too young to be out here alone."

"I'm Trish. I was hiding from the mages. Are they gone?"

The words weren't out of her mouth when the incandescents overhead began to flicker. The hobbits started nervously, and scanned the streets. They froze suddenly, a far-off sound rooting them to the spot.

An eerie, wailing howl. Though it was some distance away, it was nevertheless growing closer. It came again, and this time the rank stench of rot and decay floated by on the air. The smell of death.

Peter squeezed his eyes shut. "Christ." he whispered, his hands clutching into fists. "Christ. A chimaera."

Gabe tried to stay calm. He put his hands on the kid's shoulders and gently steered her face towards him. "Where's your mom and dad, honey?"

"I don't *know*!" the girl cried. "I'm *lost*!" Tears were threatening to spill again, her little body shaking.

The incandescents overhead were flashing in a frantic symphony of crackling power and whining electricity. The rank stench was becoming stronger, and the wailing howl wasn't more than two streets away. A scream erupted, a cry of pure terror and despair. It was abruptly cut off.

Felix clamped a hand over Gabe's shoulder. "We have to go!" he yelled, his eyes darting towards the end of the street. The pavement was beginning to tremble under the dark creature's stride, shadows flashing in weird and grotesque patterns from the exploding incandescents. The pure magic overload was systematically blowing every circuit on the street.

Sam was pulling Peter towards the alley. "Take the kid if you want, but we *have* to go!" Peter's face had gone grey, but he snagged Felix's wrist as they passed. Left with no choice, Gabe grabbed the little girl's arm and they followed.

The four men and the girl fled down the alley as the chimaera turned onto the street, light flashing off its thick black scales. Felix caught a quick glimpse of mad red eyes, then he caught hold of the chain link fence that blocked the alley's exit. He scrabbled up ten feet, mortal terror giving him a good dose of strength. Beside him, Sam and Peter hauled themselves over the top, and tumbled to their feet on the other side. They turned, ready to bolt, as Gabe clambered hand over fist up the chain link, swinging his legs over the top, and landing in a crouch on the wet pavement. Behind him, the little girl squirmed through a small gap under the fence. Felix grabbed her wrists and yanked her free. She shrieked as he hooked her skinny body over his shoulder, and charged out of the alley, Gabe, Sam, and Peter close on his heels.

He didn't know how long they ran. The entire world narrowed to his pounding heart, the little girl's gasps and her bony knees digging into his stomach. Behind him, three pairs of boots beat the pavement. Swerving into another alley, up another street, through a tenement house, tripping over a group of swearing squatters, out a broken window, and into another alley.

Felix dropped the little girl and leaned against the wall, gasping for air. Fortunately, this alley was uninhabited; ground fog drifted around their ankles, winding around bulging plastic garbage bags and a rusty dumpster. The stench was terrific.

Peter slumped to the ground, panting in exhaustion and pain. Sam hooked his arms around Felix with a low moan of terror, his eyes wide. Felix clutched his friend until the worst of the shaking stopped, and Sam could breathe normally again.

Gabe was kneeling near the dumpster, his head dropped, inhaling deeply until he felt his heart begin to slow. The adrenaline began to drain from his system, leaving him weak and exhausted.

Peter crawled over to the little girl, who grabbed his arm and held tight. He gathered her into a hug and didn't let her go until she stopped whimpering. Her legs were dirty and bleeding from her frantic trip under the alley fence, and her face was blotchy from crying.

"Shhh, shhh." he whispered, petting her snarled black hair gently until her sobs slowed to hiccups. "It's okay, we're safe now. It didn't catch us."

The little girl lifted her face to meet his. "Don't leave me." she whispered, her blue eyes miserable. "I don't want to be awwwwwwone."

Peter met Felix's gaze. He shrugged helplessly. "What can we do? We can't leave her alone here, she won't last 'til sunrise."

Felix sighed, and Sam nodded.

Gabe stood, moving across the alley to pull the ex-hobbits to their feet. "We'll take her with us. Maybe we can leave her with the cops."

"No!" the little girl yelled. "I want to stay with you!" Her lip quivered again. "Don't leave me..."

Sam squeezed her shoulder. "Okay, honey, we won't leave you. But you're gonna have to stay close. We have to get home."

"Okay."

The professor, the rockers, and the little girl darted into the empty street, anxious to get home before anyone else decided to take an interest in them.