Since y'all liked my other story, I figured I'd give my brain child a try. Also, if you liked this story, I may put up my own story. Well, you probably want to read the story, so I'll shut up now.

Rhonale sighed. Can't Nori keep herself out of trouble just once? The Ranger thought to herself as she watched her best friend get herself into another bad situation. Rhone's best friend and partner, Nori Rockfist was seated at a table nearby with two men, discussing a variety of things in very loud, and sometimes angry, voices. The tavern was a trashy place, located in West Rohan. Rhone hadn't liked it, but Nori had walked right in, and secured a table and room for them.

"Eh, you don't know what your talking about," Nori said, pointing at one of the men.

Gods, is she drunk? I didn't think that an elf could get drunk. But then, Rhone thought to herself, she is more like an dwarf than anything else. Should I haul her out now? She shook her head slightly. No, then she'll just get mad at me.

Why does that damned elf have to be so irritable? She thought fiercely to herself. All the other elves I've met are dignified. If you told Nori to be dignified, she'd laugh in your face and then punch you. She smiled slightly to herself. Not that that isn't funny, but I'd rather not have to deal with that right now.

Suddenly the table Rhone was watching erupted in chaos.

Too late, she thought before diving into the fray.

* * * * *

"Ouch, that hurt!"

"Well if you would just hold still..." muttered Rhone as she doctored Nori, who sported a black eye and a few other minor cuts and bruises. Their room was fairly small, with a table and chairs near the doors in the middle of the room, and a pair of beds at the end of the room with a window in between.

"It's hard to hold still when it keeps hurting...ow!" Nori recoiled, an accusatory look on her face.

"Now stop. It's your own fault you're hurt in the first place. And anyway, you would be hurting a lot more if I hadn't come and helped you out."

"I was doing just fine."

"You were about to be impaled on a pike. I'm the only reason your still breathing."

"Gave him a good bleeder for it though, didn't I?"

Rhone sighed. "My very best friend, are you sure your an elf and not some blood thirsty orc?" she asked

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

Rhone sighed again, and resumed cleaning Nori's wounds. This time there was no complaint. Once she was done, she sat on her bed and leaned back against the wall, looking at Nori.

"Seriously, Nori." she said. "Your knack for finding trouble causes problems, not the least being run out of town, which has happened twice. I liked Bree!"

"So what, you want me to be a proper elf or something, is that it?" Nori spat, standing up. "Oh, I know, you want me to be like my pretty-boy cousin Legolas, right? Mister Prince of Mirkwood, everyone loves me. Not this elf." she moved to the window, leaning on the sill.

"That's not what I mean and you know it." Rhone said, moving to stand next to her friend. "Your my best friend, and I love adventuring with you. It's just that you make it hard sometimes. Can't you make your hide a little thicker? Not everything anyone says should be taken personally."

"I suppose I do take things a little too far." Nori admitted.

"A little?"

"Okay, a lot. I'm just tired of people criticizing me for my personality." she sighed. "Leggy-lass isn't any older than me, but he acts so condescending to me, even though I'm his better with a sword, let alone an ax. He thinks I should be a 'proper elf.' Like him."

"Eh, he's just a pretty face..."

"A pretty face you like." Nori sneered.

"He is a handsome man -sorry, elf- that I am not related to. Of course I think he's attractive! But I would have as much of a chance of winning his heart as a hobbit in Mordor!" Rhone exclaimed. "I don't want you to be like him. He's lived a sheltered life as Prince of Mirkwood. He was in the back of army during the final battle of the Last Alliance, while you were a scout. Which is more dangerous? You tell me." she put a hand on Nori's arm. "Forget the pretty boy. He can have his pretty elven girls."

"Yeah!" Nori said, clasping her friend's hand, smiling.

"Can we get out of this place?" asked Rhone. "I don't think your 'giving him a good bleeder' was such a good idea."

"Right." Nori reviewed the situation carefully. "We'll have to leave the innkeeper a reasonable sum to make up for our fast escape. Then we'll need to get out of here and get Firenze and Tempest out of the stables."

"There is a backway out to the stables."said Rhone. Nori looked at her in surprise. "Do you think I just sit and do nothing when you cause trouble?" Rhone asked.

"I suppose not." her friend replied. "Let's go."

Nori quickly packed up what little belongings they had, while Rhone wrote out a note to the innkeeper, putting it with some gold and silver pieces in an envelope. Once they were both done, Nori opened the door a crack and looked out, then shut the door quickly.

"Those men I fought are coming down the hallway. I think they're looking for compensation." she looked at Rhone, a malicious gleam in her eyes. "Shall we oblige them."

"I got a better idea. We can't take the stairs though." she walked toward the window, then turned back and looked at Nori. "Well what are you waiting for? Let them in!"

Nori opened the door, calling, "Well why don't you just come right in sirs? We'll be leavin' in a moment."

At the same time Rhone opened the window, and thought for a moment.

"You won't be leaving as soon as you think!" yelled one of the men as they entered the room a few moments later. They stood in stupefied silence at what they beheld. Aside from the furniture, the room was empty, the window standing open to a three-story drop.

* * * * * "That was great!" said Nori as they rode away from the inn. "You left them scratching their heads like orcs."

"It was nothing really, as long as you can jump to the stables..."

"...Which they can't!"

They gradually slowed down to a walk, not wanting to tire out their geldings.

"So, where shall we go now?" asked Nori.

"I've been wanting to go back to the Shire for ages now." said Rhone. "It's so peaceful there."

"I was thinking' the same thing myself." admitted Nori. "The only problem is which way do we go?'

"Well... we could take the gap of Rohan." said Rhone thoughtfully.

"I'm not sure I trust it." said Nori.

"Why?" asked Rhone, looking askance at Nori.

"It just doesn't feel right," she said, her eyes slightly unfocused.

"Well, right or not, that's the shortest way to the Shire at this point." said Rhone. "And anyway, if there's trouble, we can handle it...

Well, what d'you think? It gets more interesting after this. Two words for you: plot twist. Review!