A Tamora Pierce and Lord of the Rings Crossover -Dancing With Lightning

A/N: Whoa! I just realised I hadn't put up very many notes like these, so I'll say all I'm supposed to since the start of the story. Firstly, this chapter was a bit rushed, but I guess it's all right. Thankyou to all who reviewed, it makes me feel so special! (! I hope you're enjoying this story, and please, I know this sounds lame, but send me some e-mails! Like my sister once said, reviews are short and don't really bring out what you want to say. Plus, I like getting e-mails! Sometimes also, you might put in a really nice review, but not your e-mail there so I can't write back! I promise to write back if you do send e-mails! Sorry, I'm talking about nothing. I do that sometimes. BTW, this chapter is a bit gloomy for my taste, but that happens when you're listening to a computer game soundtrack and at the moment the music is playing a part when the main character is in Hell. A bit freaky, so I decided to make this chapter a bit more exciting, exciting, but sad and annoying. Enjoy Chapter four (I certainly do, it's my favourite so far, and I've written chapter five!), and thankyou again to everyone who reviewed! --Dancing With Lightning

Chapter 4 There was a loud crash outside that woke Keladry from her sleep. She looked out the window, and saw Orcs advancing over the hills, carrying torches and weapons. "Not again," she muttered. She rolled out of bed and grabbed her glaive, pulled on her boots and ripped the bottom of her nightdress off so it went down halfway between her waist and knees. "It's just easier to run," she explained to a staring Tobe. "Stay here," she ordered. Tobe started to answer back, but she left the room, closing and locking the door behind her. "If any Orc tries to get in," she called through the closed door, "get out through the window!" He knew he didn't have to answer, because she'd already run off. He sprinted over to the window and watched his beloved lady run down to the gate, screaming orders to the soldiers and refugees. He sat down on the bed, his head in his hands. He then whispered a prayer to the Gods for his lady's safety. "I wish." he whispered. "I wish she was my mama."

While Tobe was in his rooms whispering those six words over and over again, Kel was sprinting up the steps two at a time to see over the top wall. Her hair had come out of its plait, and now it flew in the wind, like a dark, shiny flag. She tucked it behind her ears and swore. There were only around fifty, but they were tall and -even though they were only orcs- they had three trolls with them. One was even too much for her refugees and soldiers. They were huge. She looked at Éomer. "Pass me a crossbow and an arrow," she ordered. He silently passed her the weapon, already loaded. She brought the weapon up, aimed, and loosed. One troll went down: the arrow had lodges itself in its brain. "Another one?" she called. She passed the crossbow back and got handed another loaded one. She fired again, but this time an Orc was ready for her. He threw his shield at the arrow, shattering the bolt. The shield was lost though: it flew over the fence and a refugee had picked it up, giving it to Neal, who threw to his father, who hid it in the infirmary. Kel was too busy watching what happened to the shield that an arrow lodged itself in her upper arm. With an annoyed sigh, she tore it from her skin while Neal scolded her from below. "You're not supposed to just rip an arrow from your arm!!!"

"I know what I'm doing Neal!" "No you-" he was forced to stop: the Orcs had just broken through the gate. "DON'T LET THEM GET ANY FURTHER THAN THEY ALREADY ARE!!" Kel screamed, leaning over the railing. "Stop them in any way you can!!!" With a nod at Éomer, she ran down the stairs and took the back door out of the camp, running around the walls. She swore to herself when she got around. The Orcs had gotten past the gate, but the trolls hadn't. Twelve people were fighting each troll, but they weren't succeeding. She carefully walked up behind one, and in a fluid movement, she jammed the point of the glaive through its head. The tip stuck out right in between his eyes. She twisted the glaive and wrenched it out, cutting off the top of the troll's head and the top of its brain. "Eeeeww." She screamed suddenly as the last troll came up behind her and lifted her off the ground, snapping her right leg between two fingers, like she was a piece of straw. She screamed again.

Tobe had suddenly run to the window when he heard Kel scream. Through the thick of the battle, he could dimly see a troll lumbering off with Kel under one arm, screaming and kicking him with one leg. The other just hung limply. "MY LADY!!!" he bashed his little fists against the window, screaming with all his might, but he couldn't break the glass. "MY LADY!!!!!!!!"

* * *

A little while later, Kel opened her eyes. She was lying on a stone bench in a stone room. She sat up and looked around. There were three tiny windows in the ceiling, for ventilation, and there was no door. She looked at her leg, which was hanging limply at an odd angle, no use at all. With a sigh, she pulled off her tunic and bundled it up, using it as a pillow.

* * *

"Merry, there's a letter here for you from Tobies Boon," a servant bowed to the tall hobbit and passed him the letter. He smiled at the serving girl. "Thankyou," he said, fishing a gold noble out of his pocket and pressing it into her hand. "There you go." She stared at the noble and tried to pass it back to the hobbit, but he just rested two hands on her shoulders and pushed her out the door, closing it behind him. "What will Tobe have to say to me?" he stretched out upon his bed and opened the letter.

Merry, (it read)
You must come to New Hope immediately. My lady has been kidnapped by a troll. I don't know what a troll is, but it doesn't sound good. Please come, you need to help me find her. --Tobe

Merry put the letter down with shaking hands as someone knocked on his door. He opened it to find Alanna and Aragorn standing there, looking sombre. Without a word, Merry showed them in. "You heard?" he asked in a shaking voice. Alanna nodded. "We have some news for you, Merry. When we found out about Kel, we talked, and thought you'd go after her. Am I correct?" Merry nodded. "The trolls that took Kel have taken her to the mountains, along the coast of Tortall. Some people spotted them yesterday, and apparently they move at abnormal speeds. If you wish to save her, now is the time. If you need backup, my men and I would be glad to help." Merry shook his head. "I am afraid, Lioness, your Majesty, that this is something I must do on my own. Where, in the hills, Lioness?" Alanna reached into her pack and pulled out a map, spreading it across Merry's knees. "Okay. if you ride from Port Caynn along the Coastal Way, about here-" she took out a quill and dipped it in Merry's inkpot on his desk, drawing a cross on the road, directly across from the Black City, "-you'll find a large cave. If you walk into that, you'll come out after a while on top of the hill. Turn straight around-I'm not joking, because there's a troll guard guarding Kel's prison-and kill the troll, with as little noise as possible.

"It's going to be hard getting in, because they had a door there before Kel was put in. They actually put her in, then took out the door and put stones in instead. I suspect they're feeding her through the windows. So you'll need to take something to break through the stones. Then get her out as fast as you can: trolls constantly go up there to relieve on another of their guard duties, trolls get tired easily. So be quick. Tobe said her leg was broken. I know you're strong, but you might have to take your horse in the caves with you. I'll ask Daine to have a word with Peachblossom, see if he'll take you. He'll be able to take both of your weight. Is there anything I've forgotten?" Merry nodded. "What if she's asleep and I can't wake her?" Alanna shrugged. "Do what you can." "Anything else I should know about?" "Yes, you need to take enough food for the both of you."

Merry stared at her. "Where do you find out all of this?" Alanna smiled. "My father's one of the most famous spies in Tortall. He has men-and women stationed everywhere in the country. Keladry will be safe." Merry nodded and stood up, pulling open his drawers and dragging his saddlebags out. Alanna and Aragorn stood. "I'll be back for you in half an hour," Alanna told Merry. He didn't answer, he just packed his bags.

* * *

Daine was sitting in the stables with Stefan and Kaddar when Alanna walked in. "Daine, can I have a word please?" With a quick apology to Stefan and Kaddar Daine jumped down from the hayloft, without even using the ladder. She gave Alanna a hug. "You heard?" she asked, looking deeply into the older woman's violet eyes. "Yes. I need you to talk to Peachblossom, see if he can take Merry to where Kel is." "But Peachblossom is in Scanra-" "No. Tobe rode down here this morning on Peachblossom to give us the messages. He didn't trust a courier. Just ask Peachblossom if he'll co- operate, to save his mistress." Daine nodded and left the stable, off to the other one to talk to Peachblossom.

* * *

Tobe, meanwhile, was sitting in the room they had sat him in for the time being, rocking back and forth on the chair. There was a knock on the door, and Tobe answered feebly, "Come in." The door opened, and Merry walked in, a cloak on and packs slung over one shoulder. He put his hand on Tobe's shoulder and smiled. "Everything will be all right. Don't go back to Scanra: I'll be back with her as soon as I can." Tobe smiled, a very small smile, but a smile nonetheless. "Okay." With a nod, Merry left the room, closing the door carefully behind him. When he walked into the stables, Daine was talking to Peachblossom. "I'm not telling you not to be nice, just don't cause any trouble," she told the gelding. Peachblossom stamped a foot and blew out air, as if to say, Yeah right. Daine giggled. "Yes, I know he's odd. Yes, yes. But if you want to save Kel-and I know you do, don't give me that look-you need to behave." Merry smiled as Peachblossom rolled his eyes and Daine cuffed him softly over the head. "Behave," she told the gelding sternly. "Or there'll be no Kel anymore, she'll be dead." The horse suddenly stood taller, as if to say, Dead??

Daine nodded grimly. "Yes, dead. So go." Peachblossom trotted up to Merry and bowed his head. "He asked me to tell you he'll behave," Daine told Merry. She added with a smile, "But if Kel dies, he'll chase you for the rest of both of your lives, biting your behind." Merry laughed and ran a hand over the horse's nose, blowing into his nostrils-the horse way of saying hello. He laughed when Peachblossom blew back in his face. "Hello to you too," he told the gelding. Daine helped him attach his packs to the horse, and he mounted it, kissing Daine's hand. "Thankyou. I'll get her back as soon as I can." Daine smiled. "I know you will."

* * *

The ride to Part Caynn was uneventful, but Merry didn't stop there for a rest like Alanna told him to. While Peachblossom rested for an hour, he sharpened his weapons and checked everything over again, just to make sure.

"You idiot. You should have told her you love her before she left to go to Scanra again. She might die, and you'll die knowing you had a chance and didn't take it." He suddenly shook his head. "Calm down. You'll never rescue her if you're in this frame of mind." He looked at the sky. "Time to go. If I leave now, I'll get to the cave by dark, and be able to find a place to hide my things." He laughed suddenly, as he made his way over to the stable. Leading Peachblossom out of his stall, he said to the gelding, "It's not fair, is it?" Peachblossom just looked at him as if to say, Just get on me and ride to Keladry. Merry mounted the horse and galloped down the road, leaving Port Caynn far behind him in minutes.

* * *

Keladry sat in the corner of the 'cage' and. well just sat. She wasn't thinking of anything, she was just staring into space. She had been there for three days, and she been given a piece of bread. A piece of bread. That was it. Oh, and a skin of water, that she'd only half drunk. She wanted to drink it all, but had to ration it carefully: she didn't know when they give her something else to eat or drink. Her throat was parched, and she was hungry. Even though it had only been three days, she'd lost about six pounds. She looked tall and slim now, a perfect resemblance of a weeping willow. Even though she wasn't weeping. She was sitting perfectly still, tall and thin, with her dark brown hair hanging around her face. She looked up as a top window opened, and a piece of raw meat was thrown at her feet, hitting the ground with a wet slap as blood flew everywhere. She looked up at the troll that was looking at her through the window. She suddenly found a little spark in her that reminded her greatly of the Lioness when she was talking to Wyldon. "See, unlike you, Sir Troll, two-leggers don't eat raw meat. It makes us sick, so either you let me cook it, or you cook it." The window closed. Kel sighed. "Or neither."

* * *

Every ten minutes Merry would slow down and look at his map. The gelding however seemed to know where they were heading. He kept sniffing the air and galloping forwards, catching Merry completely off-guard. Once, Merry fell off the big horse. Instead of swearing or yelling at the horse, he laughed. "How very graceful!" he laughed, mounting the horse. "Come on, Peachblossom, let's find Kel."

So much for being depressed earlier.

* * *

It was nearly midnight, but they made it to the cave. Merry dismounted Peachblossom and pulled four rags out of his saddlebags to cover the gelding's hooves so they didn't make as much noise as they usually would. Plus, they wouldn't echo through the cave, alerting anyone to his presence. They walked into the cave and Merry saw a little alcove off to the right. He led Peachblossom into the shadows and sat down, resting against the stone wall. The gelding curled up next to him. "Just a little rest," Merry whispered. "Apparently they change guards every hour, so they'll be changing right now. We'll go in a couple of minutes. What I want you to do is this." He whispered the plan to the gelding, who snorted.

A couple of minutes later, Merry pulled the rags off of Peachblossom's hooves and the horse tore down the cave, whinnying like a frightened horse. Merry smiled and ran silently after him. When he got to the end of the cave, he peeked out, and saw the troll looking stupidly at Peachblossom, who was rearing. He pulled out Daine's beloved crossbow and shot the troll through the head, as Kel had done. The troll collapsed, landing on the ground, surprisingly quietly.

It only took five minutes and a couple of tree branches to make the troll stand up again. Merry pulled a rag from his bag and folded it into a silly- looking hat, to cover the wound in the back of the troll's head. Peachblossom would stand guard and scare off anything that came close while Merry hacked into the stone wall. It looked a bit frightening: this big stone square on top of a hill. Merry shuddered to think how bad it would be inside. He took his sword and inserted it between two bricks: it wasn't out together very well. He cat across, then down, then went back to the top and cut down again, making a hole big enough for him to slide through. He didn't want to have to make it too big, just to make sure. The trolls were stupid, anyway. They wouldn't notice a small hole like this. He got on his stomach and crawled through, standing up.

In the middle of the room, Keladry was lying on a pedestal, still in a ripped nightdress and boots, with her hair hanging down in front of her face. The full moon filtered through one of the windows, casting a soft glow on her dirty face. Even though she looked dirty, to Merry she looked like a Goddess. He walked over to her, resting a hand on her cheek. She smiled in her dream, making Merry's stomach do flip-flops. He bent over her. "Keladry. wake up. Please wake up. We haven't got much time until another troll comes. Keladry." Her eyes fluttered open, and her vision blurred a little. Then she saw Merry and she started crying, flinging her arms around his neck. "Merry," she sobbed. "I was hoping someone would come." He pulled away, still looking at her. "I'm glad you're all right," he said, smoothing hand over her dirty cheek. Then he kissed her. Keladry, who was still crying, gasped and pulled away, staring at Merry. Her lips felt as though they were on fire. "Merry." He kissed her again.

A/N: Awwwwwwww! I told you it was my favourite!! How cute! If you don't like it, too bad. By the way, did you notice how Dom was 'looking at her figure' in the first chapter! *raises eyebrows* ooooooohh!! Maybe Merry and Dom won't hit it off too well, and what did you think of Tobe??? My crazy friend told me it would be better if he had a thing for Kel *raises eyebrows at friend who is sitting in the back row, cheering*, but I think wanting her to be his mama is cuter. R&R, pleeeeeeze! Or e-mail me at: fuindae_dancing_with_lightning@yahoo.com.au One hell of a long e-mail address don't you think? BTW, people always asked me what Fuindae means so I'll tell you. It's in Elvish and it means. *runs off to check Elvish book* well, 'fuin' means gloom, darkness, and 'dae' means. *checks book again* shadow. So it could mean, Shadow of Darkness, or Gloomy Shadow, but I think I like the former. I think I should probably stop writing now, so you can go on to the next chapter.