Hi hi! Chapter, chapter, chapter! Yahoo! Here you go, enjoy, and all that good shtuff! (Yesh, shtuff!)

~Hoshiko

Blade of the Nazgul

            They traveled for three days through an area that seemed to be an old swamp. Though the ground had dried a great deal there were still small patches of water, that were surrounded with little blood-eating flies.

'I hope they stay at the water…' Param said, eyeing them cautiously. 'I don't want to think how miserable the night will be.' He was correct to think that the night was going to be miserable, for it was. They were constantly being bitten, and left large, red marks where ever they did so.

'I think I shall shrivel up if they bite me any more!' Terry complained, smacking his neck. They spent a restless night, no one really sleeping. Dweller had caught a few rabbits, and was cooking them when they woke up, the smell seeming to fend off the ghastly flies. They ate and started off again. They walked for another two days until they came upon a hill.

On this hill was an old stone building: an old ruin when the Numenorean's still reigned over Arnor. It had once been called Weathertop, but it had sense been rebuilt. The old stone statues had been torn down, and new ones had been put up. But through time, men had again lost control of Arnor, and it again stood old and torn. Now it was crumbling, no one claiming it.

'Stormspell…' Dweller said as they came upon it. 'Long ago, thousands of years ago, it was a great meeting place of the kings of Arnor and lands to the west. Now it just stands in ruin again.' She said bitterly, and led them up the hill to a great hole in the hill, which would serve as a shelter. 'We will camp here tonight. Feel free to make a fire, I will be out and about, doing some other things. Call if you need me.' She said, and left them, letting them make a fire.

'It's feverishly cold out here…' Brom muttered to himself as he took out some meat he had taken from Nolner. 'I shan't be surprised if all of us wake up with the flue tomorrow.'

'I believe we'll make it, Brom.' Terry said, putting some of his (by his, I mean Barley's) mushrooms in a frying pan. They cooked their food, and gave a plate to Ondril, who seemed to be on the edge of his seat.

'You really should calm down, Ondril. Nothing will bother us.' Brom said, taking Ondril's plate from him.

'The Nazgul are still out there, what if they come like last time?' Ondril asked, but immediately realized what he had said.

'Last time, sir?' Brom asked, and Ondril immediately thought of a solution.

'Yes, remember in the Red Book? Frodo and the other's camped in this very same spot. They were found, what if it happens again?'

'Well, I don't rightly know if they camped here, but I truly doubt we will be attacked.' Brom answered reassuringly. 'And if they do, Dweller's in ear's range.' Ondril settled down at the reminder of this, and lay down on his blankets. He fell asleep quickly, for their adventure had tired him out quickly.

When he awoke the next morning he was delighted to see that no one had attacked them, and that the sun was shining rather clearly in the sky. He stretched and had done little but yawn when Dweller came up behind him, pulling him to his feet.

'What's this?' he asked, and she went over to Terry.

'We must leave, now.' Was all she said, and when everyone had awoken, they packed their things and put out the fire.

'Why must we go so early?' Terry complained, still half asleep.

'We are being followed, and I do not know how far behind us they are.' Dweller said urgently, and made their way down the old hill. They walked at a quicker pace; Dweller looking behind them every chance she got.

'Where are we going?' Param asked, and Dweller glanced behind them.

'We are going to Rivendell. We will not stop very often if I can help it.' Dweller said, and Param glanced at Terry.

They walked at a quick pace through the countryside. The day seemed to grow darker the more they walked, and Dweller looked more and more worried. She didn't stop them at nightfall, and only when Terry and Param's constant whining became more of a burden then their walking did they stop and make camp. The rested for the rest of the night (which seemed too short) and started out again the next day. They did this for four days, only stopping three times. By the end of the fourth day even Dweller was shuffling her feet, and they stopped near a bridge.

'The Last Bridge…' she said, and put her things down, going over to the water, taking a very needed drink. The others followed her, and when they were quiet satisfied, they plopped themselves down on the ground, making a fire.

'They have lost their trail, it seems. We can rest the full night, but no fire.' She said and Param let out a sigh of relief, but Brom scowled at the thought of no fire.

'Good, I feel as if my feet were going to loose all their hair if we kept going!' Param said, and Terry laughed.

'I don't think that's possible, Parm, you've got the furriest of us all.' Param, didn't hear him, however, he had immediately fallen asleep on his nap sack. Terry laughed, however, and did the same. As they snored loudly Dweller took out four swords.

'You will need these,' she said, and Ondril took his from her, followed by Brom. She set the other two on the ground, and glanced at the other two sleeping. 'Give them theirs when they… awaken.' She said, and Ondril nodded, he himself falling asleep along with Brom. When Ondril woke up during the night he could hear the sounds of a fire going.

'Are you mad?' he said, jumping up. 'She said not to start a fire!' they then remembered, and Param quickly stumbled for some water. He came back and put it out quickly. They waited for a moment in the dark, only light coming from the moon. It seemed Param and Terry had already been given their swords, and they were inspecting them in the light of the moon, having nothing better to do. After a moment, though, they heard a shriek through the dark. Through the trees they could see the figures of three Nazgul, galloping towards them.

'They saw the fire!' Ondril cried, and looked to the back of them. 'Run!' They all then turned, and ran towards the bridge. On the other side of the bridge they could see two more coming. When they reached the end of the trees they got off their black beasts and slowly came up to the group of four hobbits. The hobbits looked around frantically, and ran under the bridge, trying to hide. It didn't work, though, and the five advanced upon them under the bridge.

Param suddenly got an idea, and nudged Terry.

'Terry, in a moment we run to the top of the bridge right next to the Black Riders, and make them follow us.' Terry glanced at a moment at Param, but he didn't have a better plan, so he nodded.

'Right.' Terry said, and Param bolted towards the Black Riders.

'Hey, over here, you!' they cried, and ran so they were just about to brush the cloak of one. The most the Black Riders did was turn their hoods at them, and then turned them back. Param and Terry noticed this when they had run back up the bank, and Terry looked frantically from Param to the Black Riders, who had just about disappeared under the bridge.

'What do we do now, Param?' he asked, and Param shook his head.

'Brom!' he yelled, and Brom answered.

'Go get Dweller!' Brom screamed.

'But…'

'Now!' he said, and Param and Terry sprinted over the bridge, crying for Dweller at the top of their lungs.

Brom and Ondril, on the other hand, had been slowly backing up towards the wall. They had their swords drawn, as did the Nazgul. Ondril's other hand was on his chest pocket the whole time, being drawn there. When they could not back up any longer, Brom grit his teeth, and suddenly jumped at the five.

'Get back, or I'll spear you!' he cried, and one of the Nazgul took a swing at Brom, slicing his arm. Brom cried out in pain, and grasped his arm, blood coming through his shirt. His vision became blurry.

'Brom!' Ondril yelled, the hood of one of the Nazgul turning towards him. He looked up in horror as they advanced upon only him now, and took their swords back, stabbing him in the right shoulder. He cried out as the blade pierced his skin, and the world seemed to go blurry.

Through the blur, Brom and Ondril both saw the figure of some tall, dark person. It started to fight the Nazgul, and after a moment the figure of Dweller appeared as well. They succeeded in fighting the Nazgul off, and they went shrieking into the night.

While the two were fighting off the Nazgul, Param and Terry came running over to them. The other two then came, too, and each picked a hobbit up.

'Relnik, thank you for coming, how many horses do you have?'

'One. I didn't think you'd be needing one, too.' The other body, obviously Relnik said. Dweller sighed, and looked down at the hobbit in her arms.

'You must take them both, then.' She said, and Relnik smirked.

'No problem. I was there first, where were you?'

'Looking for you, the other two's call brought me back, though. You were supposed to be here two days ago.'

'I'm sorry.'

'Very well, just hurry!' Dweller said, and Relnik got onto his horse, setting Ondril onto it before him. Dweller put Brom on in front of Ondril, and looked back at the other two hobbits. 'Your father will know what to do with them.'

'I know, he's my father.' Relnik said, and Dweller rolled her eyes.

'Go! Naro lim, naro lim!' she cried, and the horse started galloping before Relnik could say any more. As he went she smiled to herself. 'Serves you right, elf.'

'He'll get them there quickly, won't he?' Param asked, worried, and Dweller nodded, not turning to them.

'If he doesn't his father will have his head.' Dweller said, and turned back. 'We must rest, now, they will be fine. We will keep going in the morning.' She said, and they laid down, going to sleep rather quickly for being so worried.

Relnik rode his horse over the bridge and through the forest. After a while he could see the figures of the Black Riders coming to him quickly, and he rushed his horse forward. They gained on him, and soon had them surrounded.

Brom groaned in pain as they came near along with Ondril, and Relnik looked down at them, worried. They were becoming paler, and their eyes were becoming more distant.

'Come on, hold out…' he whispered to them, and ushered his horse to go faster. Ahead he could see the trolls-statues in Trollshaw, and tried to loose them through the forest surrounding the statues.

It didn't work for two of them, all though the other three left for a good amount of time. They still pursued the three through the rest of that forest, the night turning into the day. He had to keep going through the day, the horse never seeming to tire. He reached the ford by the middle of the day, and Relnik crossed it, the Nazgul stopping.

'This did not stop our kin before!' the head Black Rider called, and Relnik turned his horse around. 'What makes you believe it will stop us now?'

'I don't believe it will stop you from trying!' Relnik called back, unsheathing his sword. 'But I would be delighted if you were to prove me wrong!' The Black Rider then laughed, and started to cross the ford.

Relnik looked at the water, and then at the other two on the horse. Not hesitating, he recited the spell that had saved Glorfindel years before, and the water came down upon the Nazgul like a stampede of water-horses, sweeping them away.

'Fools; you would think they would have learned.' He smiled to himself, and turned the horse back, going to Rivendell.