I apologize greatly, there were some parts of the movie that I threw in here, but it won't become obvious until the next chapter.  Updates will slow greatly after this chapter, I have one large document for this story, and I work on it a lot, but second semester is starting, and I really have to do well, cause I'm a junior and that's the year colleges look at blah…blah…you know the deal…

But anyhow, this is where a few things are explained, and a few are started, I'm reading return of the king, so I have many many Ideas that I want to get to…

Oh yes!  And Sirrah, aka Maegmariel, sarah and Dummy when I am annoyed with her is now the beta reader, but its getting posted elsewhere…its here…

http://athenaia.150m.com/zurizip/

Its only one chapter, but we're probly going to put it in its own little universe…anyway, on with the story!

~^~

Kat, after the flash, had watched Eowyn with a fair amount of curiosity.  For the life of her, she couldn't place the woman.  She had never cried out, or contradicted the king, even though the king had given her every reason too.  Slowly, she helped the king from his place, and they began to make their way from the throne room.

~^~

The girls kept their distance for awhile, trying to figure out what was going on.  They knew what was going on, but they didn't know what to do about it.

"Blast it.  It was all much easier when we were figuring out how to keep ourselves from being killed!"

Sirrah rolled her eyes.

"What?  You'd rather be walking around in Moria again?"

Kat snorted.

"Funny Sirrah."

'I find nothing amusing about it.'

The girls jumped.  Then they both relaxed.

"Jimminy Boromir, I keep forgetting your still here."

"Right Kat, just to make him feel better."

Kat sighed.

"Sorry.  I just have a sinking feeling that I'm not going to get a whit of sleep for awhile."

Boromir nodded grimly.

'Indeed not, for they go to war against the white hand as soon as they may.  I have just come from their counsel."

Sirrah nodded.

"Yeah yeah, I know, we go to war, find out Ents have all ready started the job, find the other two hobbits, get the palentier."

"Gee, we finally get cable." Kat said dryly.

Sirrah snickered.  Boromir looked at her oddly.

'What are you talking about?  You have said something like that before, as I recall.'

Kat glanced at Sirrah.

"`Spose we should tell him of or daring capture?"

"What?  That didn't even make sense!"

Kat frowned.

"Daring escape?"

"You call be dropped by a bunch of orcs in the middle of nowhere daring?"

'Stop!  Do not speak of that anymore!  I believe you told the counsel.  Just tell me what you meant by your comment to wormtongue about remembering the people you try to kill!'

Kat snickered.

"Oh that!" she grinned. "I love it when my speeches come out well…"

Sirrah rolled her eyes.

"Which is exactly why you're the speaker of this outfit, and I'm the brains."

Kat gave Sirrah a death glare to shame all others.

"If we ever get out of this miserable place, your dead."

"Gee, where have I heard that before?"

Kat again gave Sirrah a withering look.  Sirrah just shook her head.

"Anyway, when we were taking up Sarauman's guest bedroom, we sort of almost got killed by wormtongue."

Kat hmphed.

"Sort of?  How do you sort of almost get killed?"

Sirrah glared.

"By using to many adjectives, that's how."

Boromir was now wide eyed.

"But, how did you escape?"

"Huh?" asked Kat, who had forgotten Boromir again, "Oh, that, well, Sauron's orcs came to pick us up, and…well…I guess you could say we talked them out of taking us back."

'Talked…them out…?'  Boromir echoed faintly.

Sirrah nodded.

"Yeah, and got dumped into the middle of nowhere."

"Hey!  We made it to Westemnet fine!"

'What?'

Kat sighed, exasperated.

"Didn't you hear this all ready?"

'Indulge me.'

Sirrah began to snicker, an evil look on her face.  Kat considered hurling something sharp and hard at her, but decided against it when she found that there was nothing readily available.  Instead, she continued.

"Anyway.  We found some little town, in which we were looked at quite oddly, and then confuzzled Analagon so thoroughly."

'I had wondered why exactly he was so in awe of you.'

Both girls were struck silent.  Finally, Sirrah managed to find her voice.

"What the hell?" she spluttered.

Kat shook her head.

"I don't think I want to know, ignorance is bliss, after all."

"Not always."

Kat sighed. 

"I suppose."

Boromir looked from one girl to the other, then shrugged.

'Never mind.  Tell me of the rest of your way to Rivendell.  I have not heard it all.'

So the girls began a detailed description of their adventure.  They were just getting to their act in helms deep when Eowyn came up.  She looked at them a moment, puzzled that they were talking to thin air, then shrugged, she knew quite well that they were witches.  Who else could appear out of empty air in the throne room?  Shaking her head minuscule, she curtsied.

"Milady Kat, Lady Sirrah?  My lord and his guests request that you come to sup with them."

Kat sighed.

"We'll tell you later." She said to the open air, then turned to address Eowyn, leaving Sirrah to explain to Boromir who this was.

"First of all, is this formal at all?  Cause we aren't exactly dressed for anything…formal…" Eowyn shook her head.

"No milady, they simply request your presence."

Kat sighed, slightly exasperated.

"Could you please stop calling me that title?  I'm probably younger than you for pete's sake!  If anything…oh never mind, I wont lay it out for you, just call us Kat and Sirrah."

Sirrah, who had just come up beside Kat, nodded.

"Please, its fun for awhile, but it gets sickening after three weeks.  And yes, we'll come, lead on."

Kat shook her head.

"You have defiantly been hanging around me too much."

Sirrah sighed.

"Yes, I know."

"Is that an editorial comment?"

"No Kat."

Eowyn glanced over her shoulder to find Kat giving Sirrah a death glare.  She turned around, resolving not to ask.

~^~

They were led to a hall, in which they were dropped off at the front door.  Hama showed them in, unfortunately accompanied by Wormtongue.  Grima was protected by two other men, which, the girls were tickled to see, were hanging on to him quite hard.

"So, wormtongue," Sirrah said mockingly, "Where are you going with these men?  And how much do they charge?"

Kat bit her lip to keep herself from laughing.

"Ah Sirrah, I am afraid that there is no fee high enough for anyone to take that…thing on."
Sirrah eyed the two men with an evil glint in her eye.

"I don't know, these two look desperate enough…"

Kat glanced at the men apologetically, then looked at sirrah.

"Stop being evil Sirrah." She glanced at the men again, still looking confused as ever, then turned to find Sirrah with an evil look on her face, and the ring in her hand.  She looked at Sirrah with an upraised eyebrow.

"Sirrah…No sauron moments in the Hall of the lord of Mark."

Sirrah started and dropped the ring, quickly dropping it under her shirt and snapping her fingers.  Kat gave her an odd look, then followed wormtongue into the hall.

~^~

Wormtongue and theoden spoke at length as the girls hung back, not wanting to interfere.  Kat knew the king died, but also knew it wasn't because of wormtongue.  However, she wasn't sure enough that she didn't have a shield spell ready.  As they watched, they felt the tension build and build.  The tension broke when Theoden presented Grima with a choice.

"Do you hear this wormtongue?" he said, "This is your choice:  To ride with me to war, and let us see in battle whether you are true; or to go now, wither where you will.  But then, should we ever meet again, I shall not be merciful."

                Wormtongue stood up slowly.  The girls took one look at him and gulped.  Suddenly, he drew himself up.  Kat threw her arms up, throwing a shield between Grima and Theoden.  Nothing more than a wad of spittle hit it, and even that was at the floor, so that no one noticed.  Grima took one last hiss and swept out, theoden's orders following him.  All was still.  Then Eomer noticed them, and all hell broke loose again.

~^~

"I see that you still have your dragons with you."  Remarked Eomer dryly.

"Huh?" chorused the girls.

Eomer chuckled.

"I apoligize.  You Have earned quite a name for yourselves amoung my company.  Not as much as Aragorn, but they have dubbed you dragons.  After the neckalaces that they all saw about your necks."

Kat looked at Sirrah, who shrugged.

"Kick ass." They both said at the same time.  This brought a bounty of strange looks, and a customary shaking of heads from Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli.  Gandalf chuckled in amusement.

The others shook their heads and walked to the next room, where there was food, and a few other people.  The girls listened while theoden and Gandalf talked about the treachery of Sauraman, snickering whenever they referred to him as 'Sauraman the White'.  This brought the usual amount of strange looks, but none questioned it until Eomer turned to them and asked them what they found so amusing about Sauraman.

"Well," said Sirrah, "Lets just say, the last we saw him, he wasn't in white."

"Indeed," said Gandalf, "His robes when I saw him last were not white, but of every color, shimmering."

Kat snickered.

"He probably got the idea from us, I even remember that part…"

"Confused!" said Sirrah, begging an explanation out of Kat as Gandalf turned back to Theoden.

"But he has been sauraman the white since I heard of him first!"  Said Eomer, "Why has he changed his colors?"

A shadow came over Gandalf's face.

"He said that white was something to be dyed," the girls giggled at this, but he paid them no mind, "Something to start with, and that he had achieved so much, that he was no longer something to be started with."

"Funny, he took our explanation, and it was tottally different…"

Gandalf looked at them as if asking why Sauraman had ever heard one of *their* explanations, but voiced no questions.  He went back to theoden, and Eomer chose to listen to them instead of the girls, who only managed to confuse him further whenever he asked a question.

~^~

It had only been a few minutes more when Theoden called for the five of Gandalf's companions to choose armor from his armory, as a gift.  Kat bit her lip in apprehension, but Sirrah grinned widely.  Kat chose wisely not to comment on her crazed look.

Kat chose a helmet, but paused to consider what armor she wanted.  In reality, she wanted none, but she knew that it was quite stupid to not take any.  So she browsed and found the lightest sheet of rings that she possibly could, then put it on beneath her shirt, but thought better of it, and grabbed a small shirt that was made to go under armor from the pile and put that on as well.  When she was done, she looked like she had before, just a lot warmer.

"Well," she commented, "I don't think I'll be needing a coat."

"No kidding." said Sirrah as she came up.  She was decked out in chain mail, a helmet and gloves.  Kat looked her up and down and whistled.

"Good grief Sirrah, you could make a car with all that metal!"

Sirrah smirked.

"Gee thanks, didn't you get any?  You could have a dinner plate like Boromir…"

"No Sirrah, that's you, you'd actually need it, though not for battle…"

Kat swiftly ducked a half hearted slap at the head and laughed.

"I've known you too long, I know what to duck for.  And yes, I did get some mail, I just put it under my shirt."

Sirrah nodded.

"Oh good.  Now, I wonder if Eowyn has something to put my hair up, I wont be able to get it into my helmet otherwise."

Kat bit her lip.

"Erm, I think our hair is long enough for a piece of string."

Sirrah nodded, her hair was nearing her waist, while Kat's was still middle back length.  Both had resorted to strips of cloth, since the hair ties they had had in when they came had broken a long time ago.  Kat nodded and went to ask eowyn for something they could put their hair up with.  Eowyn nodded, and found some.  They were long, white strips of cloth, with the insignia of Edoras stitched in them in brown.  Kat whistled.

"These must be hers, their actually stitched."

Sirrah nodded, looking closely at the horse that was Edoras' symbol.  She then expertly took all of her hair and tied it up tightly, putting her helm on over it before it fell down.

Kat nodded.

"Rightyo.  My turn.  Lets see If I can get this mop up."

"Hey, if I can do it, yours will be no problem."

Kat raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and said,

"I spose."

Then she did the same thing, but paused before she put her helm on.

"Gah.  I don't wanna put this thing on…"

"Why not?  It'll keep you from getting your brains bashed in!  If you have any…" said Sirrah.

"But they're very close to the band hats!  It's gonna be hot!" kat said, ignoring the insult.

Sirrah sighed.

"No Kat, for one, its early spring in the far south, it'll be cool bordering cold.  For another, you don't have to bite the chinstrap, it actually goes under your chin."

Kat looked at the helm, looked at Sirrah and grinned.

"Wow.  A chinstrap that doesn't go under you lip.  I'll be damned."

"Yeah, so will I."

"You allready were."

"Multiple times."

"Mostly by me."

"Too true.  But I'm finally out of hell!"

"Yeah, but I'll always be here to haunt you."

"Gee what a comfort."

~^~

Soon Eowyn came, bearing the cup of farewell.  She bade them drink, and all did.  She paused at Aragorn, and both kat and Sirrah smirked.

'Poor girl.'

'Yeah, having a thing for a king that's practically betrothed must suck.'

'Ah well.  She gets…I think its Faramir in the end.'

'Oh good.'

When Eowyn came to them, she paused.

"Hail Ladies of the Witch realm!"

Sirrah nodded in reply.  Kat smiled and returned.

"Hail Eowyn, sister in battle!"

She said it softly enough that only Sirrah and Eowyn herself could hear.  Eowyn, frankly, wasn't sure if she had heard the girl correctly, but bowed her head graciously in return.  Kat smirked, getting a sudden Idea.

'Sirrah, do you think you could manage a speech spell?'

'I dunno…It sounds like it might be difficult…'

'Well, figure it out over what little time you have…'

'What are you planning to do with this speech spell?'

'Talk to Eowyn…'

'Oh great.'

'Shush, you're the long range person, try to figure it out, cause otherwise we have to play catch up.'

Sirrah sighed.

'Very well.'

~^~

When they had all drunk from the cup of farewell, theoden went down the hall to the doors that led to the out side.  When he reached them, he stopped and turned around.

"Behold!  I go forth!" he said "and it seems to be my last ride.  I have no child.  Theodred my son is slain.  I name Eomer my sister son to be my heir."

Yay Eomer!

Cheered Kat, though only Sirrah could hear.  Sirrah rolled her eyes.

"If neither of us return, then choose a new heir as you will.  But to someone I must now entrust my people that I leave behind, to rule in my place.  Which of you will stay?"

Yeah, right.  Said sirrah, They're all far too noble.

No, there is another.

Kat…

Yeah, yeah, I know, no more star wars references.

"Is there none whom you would name?  In whom do my people trust?" Theoden asked.

"In the house of Erol." Said Hama.

Here it comes…  said kat.

Comes what?

You'll see. Said Kat, smirking.

"But Eomer I cannot spare, nor would he stay, and he is the last of that house."

Hama shifted uncomfortably.

"I said not Eomer, and he is not the last.  There is Eowyn, daughter of eomund.  She is fearless and high hearted.  All love her.  Let her be as lord to Eorlingas, while we are gone."

Kick ass. Said Sirrah.

That she is, after all, she does whoop our so-called King's ass.

Too true.

Eowyn knelt before the king and received a sword and armor.

"Farewell sister-daughter!"said Theoden.  "dark is the hour, yet maybe we shall return to the golden hall.  But in dunharrow the people may long defend themselves, and if the battle go ill, thither will come all who escape."

Eowyn's lashes flew up.

"Speak not so!" she said in a voice that was both controlled and fearful at the same time.  "A year shall I endure for every day that passes until your return!"

Kat and Sirrah did not miss where her eyes fell though, and neither did Aragorn, who nodded.

"The king shall come again," he said gravely. "Fear not! Not west but east does our doom await us!"

~^~

They all started down the stairs, Gandalf and theoden in front, Legolas and Gimli behind them, and Aragorn walking amidst a small throng of noble men and soldiers.  Kat and Sirrah started to follow, but stopped when they realized that this was the perfect time to talk to Eowyn.

"Good lord n butter Sirrah!  I dunno what to say!"

"Gee, that's a first."

"Oh shut up.  But I mean, what advice can we give a lady whose just been told to run an entire kingdom!?"

"Kat, chill out, I'm sure we'll figure it out."

Kat heaved a frustrated sigh and pursed her lips.

"Well, at least this way we don't have to worry about making up a speaking spell."

"Actually…" Sirrah said. "I was thinking about that.  I think I can do something like the tracking spell that I did for Aragorn, do you have anything that might help?"

Kat bit her lip and winced when it opened and began to bleed.

"Blast it," she muttered and wiped the blood with her sleeve. "How about…Oh!  Sirrah!  Do you still have your necklace?"

"Which one?"

"The dragon one, from our world."

"Um…" Sirrah dug out the necklace that had the one ring on it.  She pushed it aside, wincing, and sure enough, there was a dragon on the necklace.  "Yeah, here it is."

"I think that that'll help…except." She sighed, looking at the ring.  "We can't give her that, it'd freak everyone out…Well, I'll just give her mine."

"Good grief, you still have it?"

Kat nodded.

"Who knows how.  But yes, it's still on here."

She reached back and undid the clasp on her necklace, drawing it out.  It was a dragon on a length of green material, with two bells spaced around it.  She sighed.

"Here, see if you can fix a spell to that."

"For what?"

"I dunno.  A speaking spell if you can manage it, one so that if she speaks a particular…something, she'll be able to reach us."

"What good'll that do?"

Kat rolled her eyes.

"Good point.  Well, just fix protection spells to it."

Sirrah grinned.

"Just kidding, I'll do a speaking spell too, just in case.  Though, you'd better do the water and earth spells, I'm not a water person."

"Yes, and I'm just so down to earth."

"Ok, I'll do the earth spells, you do the air."

"Okie dokie."

They got to work, and within five minutes were done, having put in every spell that they could possibly think of.  Kat looked up and saw that the party that they were supposed to be with was at the bottom of the stairs.

"Crap, we'd better hurry."

"Yeah," said Sirrah, "Wouldn't want to be late for our untimely demise now would we?"

Kat snorted.

"So true."

As they trotted up the stairs to a confused Eowyn, they wondered vaguely why they were joking about it.

~^~

"Why do you come back, Ladies of Angmar?" Asked Eowyn as the two came up to her. "Do you not wish to go?"

Sirrah snorted.

"Not particularly, but that's not why we're here.  You see, your destiny is slightly intertwined with ours."

"Not exactly," corrected Kat, "but to some extent.  Anyway, we know what your heart bids you to do, and let me just say, your heart is correct."

Sirrah took up the floor before Eowyn could interrupt.

"Know when to listen, and when to act, but in the end, when all hope is abandoned, trust your heart."

"We bring you this token," said Kat, Handing her the necklace "Keep it close.  If you have great needs of speaking to us, hold it in your hand, and simply ask."

Eowyn looked dumbfounded.  Kat quickly stuck it in her hand and closed it around the dragon.  The girls smiled.

"Fare thee well."  Said Kat.

"Yeah, and don't worry, I think we'll see you again…"

Kat slapped a hand to her head as they began to run down the stairs.

"How woefully unpoetic." She said despairingly.

Sirrah smirked.

"You didn't think I'd really let you have that did you?"

"No I suppose not…" said Kat, and continued to run.

~^~

They rode out from Edoras into the sinking sun.  Behind them, Eowyn stood looking out over the sea of spears, alone before the house.  Kat and Sirrah, in the back of the ranks, but slowly moving up to be next to someone that they actually knew, turned to see her one last time before night closed.

                They rode for five hours, then finally made camp in the night.  Kat and Sirrah were tired, and slept like rocks until the horns blew to awaken them.  Well, Kat woke up, Sirrah did something more to the effect of roll over and hit the dirt near her head, much to Kat's amusement.  She went over to her friend and shook her until Sirrah was coherant.

"What'd you do that for?"

Kat smirked.

"You were trying to hit an imaginary alarm clock."

Sirrah stared.  Kat began to laugh.

"Old habits die hard don't they?"

Sirrah glared at Kat, trying to think of a scathing comeback.  Unfortunately, it was to early in the morning, and all she managed was a simple death glare.  Kat just kept laughing and went to sit next to Gandalf and Legolas.  Within the hour, they had all risen and were riding again.

~^~

"Good grief!" Said Kat. "Isn't it supposed to be winter around here?"

Sirrah groaned.

"No kidding.  And it isn't exactly heat either."

Kat nodded.

"Its heat all right, but theres something else there.  I don't like it."

They both took a deep breath.

"Yeah," said Kat, shuddering.   "I most defiantly do not like it."

Sirrah said nothing, but Kat knew that she agreed whole heartedly.

~^~

Late that day, A lone rider came riding towards the company.  Theoden held up his hand, signaling a stop.  Kat and Sirrah, who had been speaking with Legolas, pulled their horses up with concern.

                Slowly the rider came, and finally stopped in front of the company and looked up at the men who were in front.  He did not notice Theoden, Legolas, Gimli, or even Eomer.  As he gasped, trying to find breath, Kat slid down from Tiro.

"Is Eomer here?" he at last managed to blurt out. "You come at last, but too late, and with too little strength.  Things have gone evilly since Theodred fell."

He continued explaining as Kat reached him and offered her hand.  The man took it and rested his weight on her.  Sirrah smirked.

New friend there Kat?

Oh shut up and get over here to help me.

Sirrah grinned and dismounted, moving to help Kat.

The man heaved a great sigh as Sirrah helped Kat hold him up.

"Where is Eomer?  Tell him there is no hope ahead.  He should return to Edoras before the wolves of isengaurd come there."

After he said this, he slumped onto Kat, who grimaced.  Taking his hand, she gave him a bit of strength, biting her lip again to the bleeding point.  Theoden, who had been sitting in the shadows now came out.

"Come stand before me Cerol!  I am here, the last host of the eorlingas has ridden forth.  It will not return without battle!"

Whether because of Kat's healing or because of the kings presence, the man suddenly did not need help.  He nodded to Sirrah and stood on his own, then knelt.  Sirrah drew away and went to Kat, who was attempting to stop her lip from bleeding.  As they spoke with each other, the man addressed his king.

"Command me lord!  And pardon me!  I thought---"

"You thought I remained in Meduseld bent like an old tree under winter snow.  So it was when you rode to war.  But a west wind has shaken the boughs."  The girls returned to their horses, both rolling their eyes at the other.  Legolas looked confused. 

"Give this man a fresh horse!' Ordered the king, "Let us ride to the help of Erkenbrand!"

Suddenly Gandalf rode up in a flash of silver and white.  He looked worried.

"Ride theoden!" he said "Ride to helms deep!  Go not to the fords of isen, and do not tarry in the plain!  I must leave you for a while.  Shadowfax must bear me now on a swift errand."  Turning to the rest, he cried: "Keep well the lord of the Mark, till I return.  Await me at helms Gate!  Farewell!"

He spoke a word, and off they went, like a shot.

~^~

As they went southward, Legolas mulled over the odd conversation he had heard.  When the girls had been going back to their horses, they had said something very strange.  Sirrah had gone to Kat and told her not to use her strength up, goodness knew that they were going to need it in helms deep.  Kat had nodded like she knew what Sirrah was talking about.  But then they had been headed to the fords of Isen.  Sirrah was the fortune teller, that he knew well enough, but Kat seemed to know things as well.  Was it just Sirrah's magic seeping to hers?  He had heard them talk about that enough, in the dark nights after Lothlorien.  As he watched Kat and Sirrah ride along, he shook his head and decided to drop it.  There were obviously some things in his world that none could understand.

~^~

While riding to helms deep, boromir caught up with Kat and sirrah.  Rather, he didn't catch up, but randomly appeared.  Kat jumped and squeaked, when he appeared in the dusk, a silvery glow around him.  Sirrah just shrugged.

Little jumpy aren't we Kat?

Oh shut up.  You probably knew that was going to happen.

No actually.

Fine, I'm just high strung then.

Excuse me.  Said Boromir, semi huffily.

Yes? Asked the girls in the same dangerously nice tone of voice.

Boromir seemed to word his sentence as he paused. 

Why are you doing this?  You should not be with these men!  He caught the dangerous glint in their eyes and rephrased his sentence I know that you are skilled in survival, and you can help, but why do ride to battle, when you were charged to help Eowyn?

Kat raised an eyebrow.

Due mostly to the fact that we need to stay with Aragorn and the others, we know Eowyn will be fine.

Why do you need to stay with Aragorn?

He's more likely to end up in Mordor.  Said Sirrah, saying the last word softly.  Kat looked at Sirrah oddly, she looked normal enough.  Kat shrugged, figuring Sirrah was just erring on the side of caution, walking softly on anything related to Sauron.

Boromir paused.

Why do you wish to go to Mordor?  Don't you fear the path that leads you there?

Kat snorted.

Are you joking?  I am scared witless.  Are you aware of how much trouble it would cause if we both didn't go back to our world?

Sirrah shuddered.

Yeah, imagine trying to explain to a bunch of parents exactly why their daughter didn't turn up when you did.

Kat started to bite her lip, but stopped when she remembered what had happened last time.  Boromir looked confused.

I do not understand.

Kat sighed.

We dissappeared together.  If we attempted to explain to our world Why one was back and the other wasn't, well, they'd probably tell us that we had been raped and given drugs to wipe our memory and the other had died for some reason or another.

Boromir shook his head.

Why would you not tell them where you were?

Sirrah fixed Boromir with a withering glare.

Boromir, if someone told you, before you met us, that they had dissappeared to a world where pictures moved on a screen, the buildings were twice as tall as the gap of Rohan, and there was no such thing as Elves, dwarves, Hobbits, or local evil overlords with obsessions for shiny rings… at this she and Kat traded smiles, glad to lighten the mood a titch.  Would you have believed them readily?

Boromir looked at the girls, then slowly shook his head.

Good, you see our dilemma.  Now please excuse us, I think we're almost there.  Said Kat, and as she did a rain of arrows whistled over their heads.

~^~