Chapter Five, In which our heros annoy the fellowship, and Kat gets Pissed off.

Note: Central is our school, it is a good five stories tall, and has no airconditioning. It can get up to 110 degrees on a 90 degree day, which is quite common in NE during the first two months of school.

~^~

Much of the next fortnight was spent being nearly a perfect temprature for both of them who were the only ones like that. They slept in hollow places, wrapped in cloaks and covered in leaves, if they could help it. Kat and Sirrah often slept away from the Fellow ship, though Sirrah was sometimes found snuggled in with one of the hobbits. For this, she received merciless teasing from Kat, which usually consited of I'm surprise your still alive! The fellowship puzzled over this when they had watches together. It was on one of these nights, when Sirrah and Kat were on the watch, that they started to discuss the fate of the Fellowship.

"I could have sworn that werewolves come at some point, but I cant, for the life of me, remember when! I don't even remember quite when the crows come!"

Sirrah sighed.

"I'm sure that we'll figure it out."

~^~

When finally they reached the Cahadras, Gandalf and Aragorn sat a watch for the day, debating on which path to take. Aragorn insisted that they try for the Cahadras, but Gandalf did not relish the idea. Kat didn't blame him, she knew that they barely survived the passage, but let them work it out for themselves, because they knew that they would survive it, no matter how difficult. They had found, to their surprise, that extreme cold and heat did not affect either of them, when on that night, bitter cold overtook them. The next day, Frodo and Gandalf were on watch, and there was suddenly a darkening of the pre-dawn stars and moon. Kat and Sirrah were asleep, but both woke suddenly, and sat up as Frodo asked Gandalf if he had seen it. Gandalf replied that it had most likely been a wisp of cloud. They heard Aragorn mutter that it had been fast, and against the wind. Kat, breathing heavily, wimpered.

"Whatever it was, it was from Sauron. And he is pissed off."

Gandalf looked at her, she was sweating, though it was cold. She got up, silently ordering her heart to calm itself. In her dream, she had been high above their camp, and had suddenly been dropped. She had no fear of heights, but the dropping feeling scared her. The feeling that she was falling suddenly, abruptly, had often awakened her. Now the feeling would not go away, and she climbed to the top of the ledge and let the wind comb her hair, calming her. She watched the mountains until her eyes drooped. She closed her eyes, and was awakened by shreiks of birds and screams of many voices. Again she stood up. Gandalf and Frodo were still on watch, and the rest were asleep. Wiping her eyes, she found tears and smiled bitterly. She knew what was going on, something had been attacked here, or near here.

"Gandalf. Does Sauron keep birds? I keep hearing shreiks on the wind."

Gandalf looked at her sharply.

"He keeps many in his legions, birds, beasts and men."

"Wonderful, no wonder I can't sleep. They're looking for us you know."

"I do."

Seeing the terrified look on Frodo's face, she smiled.

"It's ok, they're far off their mark."

She wiped her eyes again, and looked at Sirrah, envious of her friends deep sleep.

"How do you know?" Frodo asked.

Kat smiled.

"Don't ask, lets just say that there is little sleep for me today."

And so it was. Every time that her eyes closed long enough for her to sleep, she heard fell voices and spirits on the wind. She felt as if she were in a shifting and changing atmosphere, and woke every few minutes, until finally, she slept for a few hours before dawn, under Gandalf's watchful eye. Legolas seemed to have troubles as well, though he did not dream, he would suddenly wake as Kat did, though it was less often. Sirrah had troubling dreams, but did not wake from them.

~^~

Over the next three days, Kat recovered the sleep that she had lost by sleeping through breakfast and eating while walking. On the morning of the thrid day since Kat's night of unrest, they caught sight of Cahadras. Kat was excited, but still managed to sleep the entire day, again skipping breakfast until they started out.

~^~

As both Sirrah and Kat and known, it was the moutain passes that they took first. They climbed for many hours, and soon it was difficult. Kat had some trouble, but she was used to rocky ways, and scrambled quickly over rock falls nearly as fast as Legolas, finding practical ways for all of them. Sirrah was very proud, and started a friendly competition with her to see who could find their way over quickest. They had traded their tennis shoes for the light shoes of the elves in Rivendell, because they were more practical and comfortable, not to mention they weren't as heavy. Suddenly, they found themselves on a very smooth stretch of snow far above the land. Sirrah stopped to breath, and looked around, wondering at how incredibly high it was. Suddenly, there was a commotion in front of her, and Kat ran up to her.

"Sirrah! It's that line! Boromir's line!"

Sirrah gasped.

"Really! Finally!"

They ran up just as Aragorn helped Frodo to his feet. He felt for the ring, which had come off of its chain and into the snow. Suddenly, Boromir bent down and picked it up, regarding it solemly.

"It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over such a small thing…such a little thing."

Sirrah and Kat smiled.

"Boromir!" Aragorn called. "Give the ring back to Frodo."

Kat and Sirrah collapsed into hysterics. The fellowship looked at them strangely. They just continued to laugh.

"Yeah Boromir, give the ring back to Frooooooodo!"

They snickered, and Aragorn smiled slightly. Sirrah had made her way next to Boromir and grabbed the ring carefully from him, escorting it back to Frodo. She was about to hand it back when suddenly, she grabbed it and examined it closely for a moment. Frodo gave her an odd look, much the same as he had given Boromir. Suddenly, Sirrah grinned.

"Ya know," she said, giving it back. "They totally ripped me off."

She noticed the odd looks that she was getting from every one save kat, who was smirking.

"What? I don't want it, I've got my own!" and she pulled out her neckalace, which had a dragon and, sure enough, a copy of the one ring. Kat began to laugh hard, so hard that she had to kneel in order to regain composure. They all stared at it. Sirrah shrugged.

"Don't worry! It's just a copy! Though the letters are fading a bit."

She smiled and put it on, then began to dance around like a maniac.

"See! I'm not invisible!"

"Oh! The looks on your faces!" Kat continued to laugh. "Absolutly priceless!"

Boromir looked miffed, and slung his shield on his shoulder. Kat sniggered again.

"Dinner plates."

She and Sirrah were left behind for the rest of that nights march, a few paces behind the fellowship.

~^~

The next nights march was steep and slippery. It was not until they stopped at the top when they realized that it was snowing. Kat grinned and giggled as she and Sirrah stuck out their tongues, trying to catch the snowflakes. They had trouble until they walked on, when the light snowstorm became a blizzard. Kat hurried along behind the hobbits, keeping them from straying from the path, which Sirrah and Kat could see; though it was difficult. They halted, and Sirrah heard the storm die down. However, when they started out again, it simply came back.

"Wonderful," muttered Kat. "We stop, the storm stops, we keep going, the storm keeps going. Will the snow go up when we start back?"

Sirrah laughed.

"We can only hope, though I sort of doubt it."

Suddenly, the company stopped. Kat and Sirrah sighed and sat down, Kat making a fine snow throne for herself. The wind howled, the snow swirled, and suddenly, Sirrah had an annoying Idea.

"Say kat, how longs it been since you made a snowman?"

"Snowman?" echoed Boromir faintly.

Kat smirked.

"Ages. Shall we try for one?"

Sirrah grinned.

"Sure! Where do we start?"

Kat looked around.

"Well, for one, we rouse the hobbits, who look about ready to freeze. And then we roll some snow up in balls and stack them."

"Yeah yeah yeah, I know how to make a snow man! But where to we get the eyes, nose and arms?"

Kat looked back at the company. Gandalf was just starting a fire.

"Just wait till the fire dies down, we'll use the ashes."

Sirrah shrugged. And with that, they began possibly the most annoying thing they could have done. While the hobbits watched in amazement, Legolas in amusement, and Boromir in rage, they built a small snowman. Kat pried a glove from her hand and drew some wet ashes from their fire and painted eyes, nose and a mouth on it. Then they stepped back to admire their handywork. Crossing their arms, they debated on a name.

"What shall we name it?"

"Larry?"

"Nah, Larry wouldn't be caught dead up here."

"Really? I'd think that's the only way he would be up here."

"True. What about Sarhdarac?"

"Huh?"

"Sarhdarac. Caradhras backwards."

"Ah. Yes, that sounds quite nice."

Kat took her sword and touched it on the shoulders of the snowman, accidentally cutting off its head in the process.

"Oops." Kat said as Sirrah began to laugh.

"Youe are NEVER knighting me…not EVER! Hear me?"

"Shut up Sirrah." She put the head back on and carefully put her hand on it. "I dub thee Sarhdarac of the Caradhras, may you stand here longer than us."

"Buried or not."

"Exactly."

And they turned back and walked into the shelter with the wind howling behind them. Kat buried herself in a small cup of snow and dozed, much to Sirrah's amusment, who followed suit. Thus it was that they heard the wind slowly die down as the fire did. Kat rose when they decided to go down the mountain and woke Sirrah up as well. They looked out in dismay to find that the snow was above the hobbits heads.

"Blast it! Sarhdarac is gone!"

"He's probly buried."

"Well, he'll be here longer than us for sure."

"That's true."

Aragorn and Boromir were now trying to force a path through the snow, much to the apparent amusment of Legolas. Suddenly he stood up.

"The strongest must seek a way, say you? But I say: let a ploughman plough, but choose an otter for swimming, and for running light over grass and leaf, or snow-an elf."

With that he jumped onto the snow, called a farewell to Gandalf and ran off.

"Slimy git." Muttered Kat as she stood up.

"Precious pretty boy not so precious anymore now is he?"

Kat grinned.

"Yeah, mine may be a prat, but at least he isn't an idiot."

"Hey!"

"I'm only tellin the truth!"

The Fellowship that was with them looked at them sidelong, wondering what they were talking about. Kat carefully placed her hands on the snowbank beside her and levered herself up, keeping her weight balanced enough to walk carefully. She made her way off in the distance, passing the toiling men slowly. In a few minutes she was beyond the corner. Sirrah shook her head, she could probably do it, she simply didn't care to. That decided; she sat down to wait.

~^~

Kat followed Legolas' barely visible foot prints. When she rounded the corner, she found a large snowbank, which she climbed with extra care, and suddenly, a drop-off, which Legolas was sitting on, shaking his head. Taking a snow-ball, she aimed, and let loose, hitting him smack in the middle of his shoulders. He yelled, jumped of the embankment, then jumped back on, even though it was at least ten feet high. Kat was standing there, hand on her hip.

"Be more careful. Your lucky I don't work for the enemy."

Legolas seemed to be to surprised to speak. Kat shrugged and walked past him.

"You ought to tell them that this thing isn't to big, it's at least twice as tall as Aragorn."

He stood up, brushing snow off of his shoulders. He still looked surprised. As Kat jumped down the bank, he turned and went to give his friends hope.

~^~

When finally the company was reunited, and Gandalf came leading bill with Gimli, They started down the path. A rumbling came from behind suddenly, and a spray of snow nearly blinded them.

"Enough, enough," they heard Gimli say, "we are departing as quickly as we may!"

and with that the fellowship stumbled down. Kat looked around in fear when she heard a bird call split the air.0

"The birds again!" cried Aragorn.

Kat grumbled. "I hate those things. I'd rather deal with a Nazgul."

Sirrah elbowed her.

"Shush, they certainly wouldn't."

Kat sighed.

"No, I suppose not."

And they continued to walk. When finally they deemed it safe to stop, Kat and Sirrah both lay on the ground. Frodo commented on the wind. Suddenly Aragorn leapt up.

"How the wind howls! It is the howling of wolf voices!"

Kat sat up. So did Sirrah. They only heard the howling of the wolves, and missed the rest of the conversation. Aragorn led them to a rocky ledge where they waited. Dark shapes crowded just outside the ring of firelight. Suddenly Kat remebered something.

"Ah! I almost forgot!"

Aragorn looked at her sharply, as if to say that this was not the time to forget things lightly. Kat stood up.

"Everyone move in."

They did so, Sirrah rolling her eyes at her friend's forgetfullness. She had entirley forgotten about the warding spell.

~^~

After she had cast the spell, they settled down, and waited. The wolves prowled the night, watching them and their fire with eyes that glowed. Frodo watched them with growing fear until her though that he might go insane. Sam was the same way. Aragorn and Boromir sat as the ready, seeming to think that at any minute, they would attack and they would need to defend themselves. Kat sat near the edge of the fire, breathing steadily, eyes closed. Sirrah was dozing, in perfect trust of her friend. Gandalf was sitting near the fire, staff laying across his lap. He was smoking a bit of hobbit weed and looked thoughtful. Suddenly, wargs ran at them from all sides. Aragorn and Boromir jumped up, as did the hobbits. But they kept running, and running, as if the ground were moving against them. Gandalf examined them closly from a distance, finally decided that they were unimportant, and turned back to the fire. Kat flinched, but the ward held strong through the night, until the wargs gave up and dawn came. When Aragorn deemed it safe to travel, he went and tapped Kat on the shoulder. The girl jumped a foot in the air, much surprised. She shook her head when she realized that day had come and she was so deep in meditation that she hadn't noticed. Boromir was now giving her stranger looks than ever. She ignored him and lifted the wards, then sighed.

"Boy am I glad that's over."

Gandalf smiled. "As am I, that was quite impressive."

Kat smiled. "Yes, but I wont be doing it again for awhile."

"Then we must certainly reach the mines by nightfall. Can you walk?"

Kat rolled her eyes.

"I'm tired, not an invalid!"

Aragorn did not reply, but simply Slung his sword on his back and began to walk. They followed in their usual order, except Kat and Sirrah were in the back.

"We're about to reach the mines!" said Sirrah in a hushed voice. "Should we tell them the password?"

Kat shrugged, replying the the same hushed voice, they often forgot about their mind connection. "Just make sure no one disturbs the water, that's what did it last time. Either way, they must go through, it would be folly to go by the Gap of Rohan."

Sirrah snickered.

"Yeah, it isn't even open!"

Kat shook her head.

"Not even a Bannana republic."

They both snickered. Neither of them notcied Legolas' ears prick back forward, nor his confused face. He had heard them, but understood little of it. Thinking nothing of it, he continued to walk.

~^~

A few hours later, they found that they were slightly lost. Sirrah and Kat pressed on ahead, to look for a stream. Kat was good at finding water, it was like a magnet to her. Gimli also pressed on, though it a different direction, and soon they heard him call out. When they found where he was, Kat rolled her eyes.

"No wonder I couldn't find it, no water to look or listen for. Sheesh."

Gandalf nodded.

"What has happened to the water, I cannot guess, it used to be swift and noisy, the gate-stream. But come, we must go in haste!"

They slowly wound their way along a path and finally came to a great wall, which Gandalf said was near the Moria wall. Stone steps led up to the true gate wall. Quickly, they hastened to those walls, picking their way across a small creek that Kat would not touch. She instead leaped upon stones and onto the far shore. Every time she looked at it, she shuddered. It reminded her of an oil spill, the land here had once been fresh and beautiful, but a scourge had blackened it to a shadow. They continued on, Sam doggedly leading Bill along. Suddenly, there was a disturbance in the water. Kat saw it from the corner of her eye. It was not a fish, no fish could live in such water, she was sure of that, but it had not been from shore either. Shaking her head, she continued on.

They soon came upon two living trees of holly, which Gandalf stopped at and said.

"Well, here we are at last. Here the elven way from Hollin ended…"

he continued, but Sirrah did not hear. She only heard Kat giving a great sigh when Gimli and Legolas got into a small spat.

"Just like home. I forgot how much I missed entirley pointless bickering."

Sirrah snorted. Kat had always been rather cynical, especially about politics.

"No kidding."

"What does the inscription say? I thought I knew elvish, but I cannot decipher it!" Frodo asked.

Gandalf explained the runes and their meaning to the fellowship.

"You simply speak the password and enter!"

Boromir perked up slightly.

"Do you know the password?"

"No!"

Kat sighed as Boromir raged about the point of coming here in the first place. He really did get on her nerves.

'Sirrah, I do believe your pretty boy is the single most annoying man I have ever met.'

'Even compared to some of the people at school?'

'Still worse.'

'Principle?'

'Nope.'

'The president?'

Kat did not reply for a moment.

'Close… but no, at least I can vote against him.'

'Not yet…'

'Blast it.'

They heard howls on the wind. Bill started and Sam calmed him slowly.

"How I hate this foul pool!"

and with that Boromir took a stone and began to throw it in. Sirrah saw just in time, and tried to stop him, but couldn't. Just as it was about to hit, she shouted the first words that came to her mind.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

The stone hovered just above the suface. Kat breathed a sigh of relief, as did Sirrah.

"Accio Stone."

Slowly the stone made its way to her, but didn't quite make it. It thumped quietly on the shore. Kat turned back to Boromir.

"Do not disturb the water," she said cooly. "it is not wholesome."

Boromir looked quite amazed that she would bother to call a stone to her in order to keep it from hitting the pool, and sat down moodily, not replying. Sirrah stood by Gandalf, muttering. No one but Kat knew what she was saying, and that was only because she knew her friend well.

"It's mellon, the elvish word for friend…" suddenly she stood up.

"We should leave. Now."

She looked around nervously. Boromir was positivly livid.

"Then pray tell, how do you propose we go? Into the werewolves? Or through the walls?"

Kat smiled, seeing the look on her friend's face. Sirrah shrugged.

"Through the walls sounds nice…mellon."

As the fellowship watched in amazement, the doors opened, and Kat began to snigger. Sirrah looked around some more.

"Quickly, we must not linger here!"

Bill was set loose and they moved slowly in. Suddenly, Frodo fell with a cry. Sirrah turned back with a curse and ran to fetch him from the watcher. Kat too, cursed and ran to Frodo's rescue. Sam also was there, wrestling with the arm. Kat stood ankle deep in the water, chanting in a commanding voice.

"Go back from whence you came, beast of old,

Back into you lake dark and cold

Leave the power you seek behind

With this one, that which you seek, you shall not find!"

Suddenly, the arms retracted and Frodo was released. Sam and Sirrah helped him to the doors as Kat splashed quickly from the water.

"Quickly! The spell does not last!"

They hastened into the mines, as slowly the arms crawled out again. Finding no person to nab, it settled for the doors, collapsing them with a crash. Kat gasped and suddenly streatched out her arms. Feeling no stone around her, she calmed down considerably, and heard Sirrah do the same. Her eyes adjusted and she found Legolas directly in front of her. He was faceing her, but did not realize it. He can't see, she realized, I had forgotten how scared he is of this place. She carefully placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Legolas, calm down. We are here, exciting as it was to get here."

He gulped silently, finally calming down. Kat suddenly realized that it was his light and Aragorn's that she was seeing by. She shrugged and took her hand from his shoulder as Gandalf called light to his staff, faint though it was. They started out, eager to get away from the gate. First they climbed steps, nearly two-hundred, and then stopped a moment at the top. Gandalf offered all a flask from Rivendell, though Kat and Sirrah both refused, not wanting to take away from their first charge, which was the Fellowship. They looked down on the stairs, and Kat snickered.

"Kind-of like central if ya think about it."

Sirrah snorted.

"Yeah, of the deepish almost darkest hellish depth variety."

Kat snickered again.

"A wonderful description."

They lapsed into silence and Kat realised that Legolas was still freaking out. When they started out again, Kat went just behind the elf, with Sirrah behind her. Kat began to feel the heat first, and then was the first to feel it's lifting. Gandalf then stopped and looked around. All were relived to find that they would rest, and Pippin and Merry began to push into a small guard room. Gandalf stopped them, and opened the door, carefully walking in. Near the middle of the room was a well.

Kar sighed and walked in, carefully avoiding the hole. She began to set her pillow on the floor when she noticed Pippin stooping over the hole.

"Don't even think about it Perigrin Took, or I shall sever you arms from your body and throw them to the next orc I see."

Pippin started and quickly backed away, wondering how it was Kat knew what he was about to do.

'What did you do that for? I think you scared him silly.'

'He already was silly, and I just remebered that it isn't armor he sends down, it's a small stone.'

'Oh, yes, I suppose that makes sense.'

Kat sighed and lay down. Gandalf watched the entire night, while they all lay in fitfull dreams. Suddenly, Kat awoke, cold and very awake. She sat up, then stood up and sat beside Gandalf. Rubbing her arms, she watched as he blew smoke rings.

"I was just going to wake them."

"Yes, we have far to go, and it is dark. I should like to be moving."

Gandalf nodded and began to wake them all. They walked for many miles, up and up until Sirrah thought that her ankles could take no more. Without warning, the sounds changed, and the walls vanished.

"Huh. We're in a hall now, and a big one at that."

Kat shrugged at the change, it was nice to have open air again, though it had no movement to it, which drove her nuts.

"You are correct Lady Sirrah, we are in one of the habitable parts, though high above Drimdrell gate. I seem to have choosen the correct way. I will now risk a little real light."

And he held his staff aloft, shifting its glow so that it fell over the enitre chamber.

"Wow. That is quite an impressive show. It must have taken awhile!"

Sam nodded.

"There must have been a mighty crowd of dwarve here at one time, and everyone of them busier that badgers for fivehundred to make all this, and most in hard rock too! What did they do it all for? They didn't live in these darksome holes surely?"

"These are not holes," said gimli "this is the great realm and city of the Dwarrowdelf, and of old it was not carksome, but full of light and splendor, as it still remebered in our songs.'

And with that he stood up and began to chant in a deep voice. Kat was lulled by it, and remebered few of the words. Sirrah had already fallen asleep in a corner. Just as she was about to slip into dreams, Gimli stopped. He may not be an elf, she thought, but even the elves can't match a good bass. She then fell asleep, not feeling Legolas lay down near her or Frodo lay near her later in the night, when his watch was over. They did not know it, but Sirrah and Kat had a calming effect on the most of the fellowship. Aragorn also slept near them, as near as he could get with all of the hobbits, Gandalf propped himself against the wall. Boromir only slept away from them, he had never felt calm from them, but perhaps that was because one of them loathed him and the other simply did not speak to him.

~^~

Morning came, and the first time that they all saw natural light for well nigh on two days. Kat stood up, stretched as she always did, and then heard Gandalf.

"We are tired, but we shall rest better when we are outside, I think that none of us shall wish to spend another night in Moria."

"Oh no. Not so soon surely!" she whispered.

Sirrah nodded, realizing that they had neared the end of the journy, and thus the end of Gandalf the Grey.

"Good things seldom last." She replied, equally quiet.

Legolas turned, thinking that they were speaking of the mines, but the looks on their faces were of a deeper saddness, and choices that neither wanted to make. He had seen the look on Frodo and Aragorn's faces before, but had not expected it from them. He then turned before either noticed that he had overheard them. They did not notice, for they had begun a heated conversation through their mind.

'Cant we save him! All we have to do is keep him from falling, It wouldn't hurt either of us!'

'Sirrah, you know we cant! He won't die! He gets reincarnated Gandalf the White for some reason, I think because sauraman turned sour!'

'But we can't let him fall! The fellowship needs him!'

'Sirrah, Aragorn knows the way to Lothlorien, and then we boat until we reach the falls, and then the Fellowship breaks!'

'Because Merry and Pippin are taken! Gandalf could prevent that.'

'If he did, Sarauman would never be defeated, the ents, remember?'

'Then he could prevent Boromir's killing!'

'We can prevent that, Gandalf is needed elswhere!'

'But…'

'Sirrah, think about it, this is Gandalf the Grey's last journey, they said so in Rivendell, but it is Gandalf the White's first!'

'Damn it I hate it when your right.'

'Trust me, this time, so do I.'

They found that they had been drawn to a stop at a small room. It was dimly lit, but they blinked as they walked in. Sirrah and Kat stood uneasily at the entrance as the Fellowship read the tomb inscription. Then, equally nervous, they wordlessly handed the book to Gandalf, knowing that they would not beable to budge anyone out until they knew Balin's fate. Suddenly in Kat's mind, she could hear cries again. Gandalf was reading, and she knew what the words were, she followed them in a whisper

"We cannot get out, we cannot get out, they have taken the bridge and the second hall, Frar and Loni fell there." Gandalf stopped reading and looked up at her, she did not notice and continued in a rasping whisper. "The watcher in the water took Oin, We cannot get out, the end comes. There are drums, drums in the deep." She paused. "They are coming."

Sirrah shook her friend's shoulder,

"Kat! Wake up!"

Kat's eye suddenly focused, and she shook herself.

"We must leave, now, or close live the fate that they did."

Sirrah nodded, scared at the look on her friend's face. It was of pure horror and fright. Gandalf was about to speak when suddenly there was a great rolling, doom.

"Drums in the deep." Whispered Kat.

"They are coming!" cried Legolas.

Kat did not hear them slam the doors after Gandalf tried to scare them away. Then suddenly, she saw Sirrah's face in front of hers.

'Kat. Wake up, now. And stay awake for god's sake, we need you on this one!'

This time, Kat woke up for good. She drew her sword, inexpirienced though she was and held it in front of her. Sirrah drew her own sword and smiled. Boromir slamed the door shut.

"They have a cave troll."

Sirrah chuckled slightly.

"We shall make them fear the chamber of Marzarbul!" said Aragorn grimly, wondering what she was laughing about..

Boromir shut the door again and wedged it as the company made ready to fight.

~^~

The fight was short but fierce. Thirteen orcs were slain not including six that had been caught in a variation of the spell that Kat had used on the Nazgul. They then turned and began to run to the door. No sooner had they started though, that a great orc chieftain, just barely shorter than Boromir walked through the door. Sirrah hit her head with the flat of her sword.

"It isn't a cave troll!"

This caught the chieftain off guard. He grunted, then heaved his spear up, just in time for Legolas to shoot him with one of his last arrows. It gurgled and hurled it at Frodo. However, Boromir was already near him and shoved the hobbit down, earning himself a slash across the cheek.

"Now is our last chance! Run for it!" Yelled Gandalf, they all took his word for it. They crashed through the door, and Gandalf stopped.

"Go on! Do not stop running!"

Kat looked back, regained her mind and promptly stopped. Gandalf began to protest, until he saw the look on her face. She was going to whoop some ass before she let anyone through that door. He stood aside, looking quickly at Sirrah, who had followed her friend. Goodness, he thought, they'll follow one another anywhere! Kat put her hand to the handle, and began to yell.

"Door! Open for no bird, man or beast

Be it from north, south, west, or east!

Crumble you foundation before you creak

Be it monster strong or mouse small and meek!"

There was a great red flash and for a moment, Kat and Sirrah could see the other side clearly. There was a great red and black shadow with a face of flame. Sirrah breifly wondered if it was Sauron somehow before Gandalf grabbed their arms and dragged them down the stairs. The girls finally found their feet and raced after them, finally reaching the fellowship, they ran on, slowing to a walk when the noise died. They went for at least a mile, down stair and passages, never turning. Suddenly, they stopped, Gandalf being weary from fighting the orcs. He had used much of his power. Kat and Sirrah sighed and sunk to the ground. Gimli looked at them, worried. They were not weary, but simply depressed that they had seen Gandalf's bane.

"What happened at the door? Did you see the beater of the drums?" asked Gimli.

"No," sighed Kat, "It was not the beater of the drums, they are simply the heralds of the orcs."

Sirrah smirked, suddenly seeing an amusing angle to this.

"Gandalf, you wouldn't happen to have an ex around these parts would you? One that you stuck with a restaurant bill?" she asked panting slightly.

Kat chuckled, though nothing could truly break their melancholy. Suddenly, Kat rose and looked at Boromir.

"Boromir, let me see that cut, that spear was quite sharp."

Boromir stepped away.

"I am fine."

"Nonsense, you have been bleeding for last hour. We do not need you to loose your head due to blood loss."

Sirrah sniggered and Kat rolled her eyes.

"I am no longer bleeding. I need no assistance."

But even as he said it, they saw him flinch. Kat glared for a moment, and then turned to Sam.

"How about you Sam, that was quite a orc you killed."

Sam blushed and nodded. Kat smiled, she really did admire him, he was simply the sweetest person she had ever met. Going over to him, she put her hands on his scalp where the wound was and looked in carefully. Sam did not flinch at all as she examined it. Finally, she grinned.

"You are lucky, it wasn't poisoned, and it's clean, it's also very shallow."

And with that she simply took her finger and drew it across the cut. It closed seamlessly after her finger, glowing slightly as it did, then fading. She smiled and patted him on the head.

"Very good Samwise, I am still amazed at your pluck."

Sam blushed again, though Kat had already turned away. Sirrah sat back, smiling slightly, the doting mother act suited her friend well. Now Kat turned to Boromir again.

"Boromir, please stop being so bravado. Being brave is one thing, but being stupid is another."

"Bravery and stupidity are often the same thing, it just depends on whether you succeed or fail." Said Sirrah, Kat grinned. "Intelligance is much the same." Kat shook her head.

He narrowed his eyes at the insult, but finally consented. Kat shook her head and put a hand to his cheek. If Sirrah hadn't known how much she hated the man, she might have thought it was a romantic gesture. However, she knew that Kat still loathed him, and brushed the thought of killing her away.

"Well, it isn't poisoned…"

'though the way he acts, it might as well be.'

Sirrah rolled her eyes as Kat gave her consensus.

"It'll be fine, just give me a sec."

She pursed her lips and placed the hand carefully on top of the cut.

"Heal the wound that has been opened

Let its pain come to an end

Burn infection that has taken hold

Then protect it from heat and cold."

Boromir's cheek suddenly grew hot, and then cooled down again. She took her hand away, and Boromir's went in it's place, they watched his face go from wonder to indifference in less than a minute.

she and Sirrah rose again, and the fellowship started out again by a silent consent. Gimli's voice broke the silence.

"I think that there is light ahead, though it is not sunlight. It is red."

"It is fire, the levals far below us are on fire." Said Kat. She shrugged when Sirrah silently asked her how she knew.

'common sense, men have it, it's just seldomly used.'

Sirrah sniggered. They walked for a while longer until they came to a great arch from whence the heat and light came. Gandalf stepped through, telling them to wait. He stepped back in, face grave.

"There is some new devilry here," he said, "most likely devised for our welcome. But come let us go! We are near the end, and if the sun is shining, the last race is ours!"

They raced across the hall, and suddenly a fissure rose infront of them, even as a shadow began to tail them from their starting point. Doom Doom rolled the drums. Legolas suddenly turned and drew his bow, but to Kat's surprise dropped both with a cry. Suddenly, both she and Sirrah realized what had filled him with fear. The Balrog was here.

"Ai! Ai!" he cried, "A Balrog! A Balrog has come!"

Kat and Sirrah sighed as Gimli dropped his axe and covered his eyes.

"A Balrog, Now I understand." He leaned on his staff. "and I am already weary"

Kat grimaced. Sirrah sighed again.

"Over the bridge!" Cried Gandalf, "Fly! This is a foe beyond any of you! I must hold the Narrow way!"

Kat and Sirrah looked at each other, and then over their shoulder at the approaching Blarog. Kat suddenly dashed to Gandalf. She stood on her tiptoes and lightly kissed the old man on the forehead.

"We shall meet again, Gandalf. This I assure you of."

And then she was gone, Sirrah just gave him a quick hug, then raced after her friend. They went to stand with the hobbits, both on the verge of tears. Kat had to hold Sirrah by the shoulder so that she would not run to Gandalf's side. Aragorn and Boromir were already at the bridge entrance. Kat's grip steadily tightened as the battle went in the order that they had nearly memorized. When Gandalf smote the bridge, Kat had to hold Sirrah by both arms. They watched as the whip wrapped around the wizard's knees, and brought him to the edge. Just before he fell, Kat threw a small ball of raw magic at him, green and blazing. The old man slid into the abyss. The last thing that they heard was his rasping voice.

"Fly you fools!" it cried. Then the fires went out and darkness fell over the company. Aragorn and Boromir raced past them, Aragorn calling for them to follow. They did so, stumbling, half in shock, all except for Sirrah and Kat, where grief seemed to sharpen their senses. They ran until they came to a great door, where orcs waited. Aragorn struck one down with such fury that the rest fled. They then ran until they were well out of bow-shot then stopped as one. There grief caught up with them and laid it's hand heavy upon their hearts. All wept, cast upon the ground or standing silently. Kat and Sirrah only were dry eyed, their tears spent before Gandalf had even fallen. Kat wandered off to sit by the Silver lode, taking calm from its splashing. Sirrah was standing halfway between the Fellowship and Kat when suddenly Boromir called to her.

"Lady Sirrah! Why did you not save him! You told us that you could tell the future, prevent death! Was this a false promise?"

Sirrah paled.

"I-"

Boromir was now advancing upon her, rage flickering in his eyes.

"You said that there would be no death should you be allowed to come? Look at what has happened now! I knew from the start that we should have turned you out as soon as we saw you!"

As the fellowship watched, he continued to rage at her, until Frodo saw tears on her cheeks. Suddenly, in the middle of his accusations, Kat appeared from the bushes. Sam, though he was already ten feet away, backed up at the look on her face. Boromir did not notice. It was well for Kat though, she strode up to him, coming behind Sirrah, who was now crying.

Smack!

The crack caused by Kat's hand raised echo's from the valley. Boromir stood in shocked silence, stunned at Kat's face. He had never seen her eyes green, but they were smoldering an icy emerald now.

"Do not kid yourself Boromir, son of Theoden! Our actions here are far beyond you conception! Should you need a scapegoat for your anger, use yourself, instead of condemming people for things which you do not understand!"

Then she faded, as if her anger had thrown her into relief with the landscape around her. She turned to her friend and hugged her around the shoulders, letting her cry into her shoulders. Boromir, still shocked, wandered back to the fellowship and sat down, feeling his cheek. Taking his glove away, he noticed that he was bleeding slightly. The small scar that Kat's healing had left had opened, though the wound was not nearly as deep. As he sat down, Frodo backed away from him, as did Merry and Pippin.

~^~

Legolas heard Kat's words over and over in his mind, feeling that there was some meaning that he could not find. Suddenly, he realized it, and gasped imperceptibly. Their conversation that morning, not so soon surely, good things seldom last. It was then that he wholly believed in them. They had known that morning, and most likely before. He shook his head, remebering his thoughts at the looks on their faces, ones who must make choices that neither wanted to make. Turning away, he looked over dimrill valley.

~^~

They started out again only after Aragorn had urged them up. They then began to march again with heavy hearts. As they did, Kat felt a light touch on her arm, she knew who it was with out looking, and wheeled around to find herself correct. Boromir stood behind her, sorrow on his face. Kat's eyes glittered.

"Remove your hand, heir of Gondor," she spat, "or I shall remove it for you."

Boromir stared into her eyes a moment, then looked away. He had meant to apoligize, but it was obvious that the girl had lived through a thousand meaningless apoligies, and would not have another.

"Kat."

Kat looked a moment at Sirrah, who had laid a hand on her other arm and finally relaxed. With a last glare at Boromir, she trudged away, making sure that he was not walking beside Frodo or Sirrah. Sirrah sighed, and Legolas looked at her. She smiled smally.

"Hell hath no fury…" she said impishly, and walked on, head down.