Disclaimer: chooses to be ignored on account of same-old, same-old.

I love all these reviews! I actually have no idea how far I intend to go with this, but if I can do all three of the books, that would be cool. I don't know HOW I'll do that, but I'll find a way. I'm special *rolls eyes*.

So as usual tell me what you think and how bratty- I mean, lovely, Elli and Caitlin seem. They're just so cute, aren't they? Sure they are. They'd rip each other's throats out if I gave 'em the chance.

We continue! North we ride today!

ELLI'S POV

Pain. In my shoulder. Ever since we started up the Pass of Caradhras, I'd been in pain. I tried closing my eyes, taking in the blackness behind my eyelids, but it didn't work. Boromir was carrying me and Merry, and I was being jostled around too much to think straight. Caitlin was carrying Pippin, and Aragorn had the other two. I thought of Caitlin a few feet behind, her feet blistered and aching and most likely wet now. Imagining her pain took away from my own. Sort of.

I'd lost track of time, most likely because I was in and out of conscience, and didn't know what was going on anymore. I gave up trying to figure it out, guessing that we hadn't heard foul words of elvish on a high snowy precipice. The thought of Saruman made me want to laugh for some reason, but I kept it in, unable to chuckle in the strong solid arms of Boromir.

I passed into another aching sleep and awoke to find a shadow had come across the land. I was kinda confused, wondering how the heck we'd gotten out of snow and into the South when I suddenly felt chilled, and realized we were still in snow. Shadow in Caradhras? Was this part of the book? I delved into my memory, and got nothing. Fear came over me then, wondering what sort of trouble I could really cause.

I felt light heated amidst the cold, and my shoulder was in excruciating pain. 'Try to ignore it,' I thought to myself.

"Gandalf, we should turn back!" screamed Aragorn over the howl of the chill wind. Everything was feeling far away now, the pain in my shoulder increasing. I curled my head back into the folds of my cloak and slept once more on Boromir's shoulder.

CAITLIN'S POV

I couldn't feel my feet. I kept picking one or the other out of the snow, looking to see if they were still there. Pippin found this amusing.

"What are you doing m'lady?" he'd ask.

"Trying to find out if I've lost my feet yet," I'd reply. Then we'd be quiet for a while, both of us trying to keep warm. He'd snuggle into his cloak, lean in closer to me, and I'd hold him closer, trying to steal body heat from him, too. Sharing is caring.

I noticed Elli wasn't moving much. I started worrying about her, hoping she was ok. She wasn't speaking out and whining, which was a first. I kept looking at her little hobbit-sized body snuggled into Boromir's shoulder.

"What do you say to a fire?" I heard Boromir ask suddenly. He said something after that, but even my elven ears didn't hear it over the roaring of the heavy wind. Then Gandalf said something about enemies, but that we could try.

And try we did. I put Pippin on the ground, and he wandered over to the other hobbits. Boromir had lifted Elli off his shoulder, and noticing that she slept, he handed her to Aragorn who laid her in an extra cloak and set her on the ground. I went over to her, looking at her pale face.

Pale face? In this weather? She should have rosy cheeks like everyone else. I felt her forehead and found her to be cold like the snow. I reached down and touched her shoulder, getting ready to shake her out of sleep, when she let out a soft scream of pain.

"Elli?" I said. "Elli wake up. Did I hurt you? Elli?"

Her eyelids fluttered, and then her eyes seemed to open a little bit. She looked at me, then around to the snow.

"Where are we? What happened?" she asked.

"We stopped. We're still on Caradhras I guess. Snow's still everywhere. Are you ok? I touched your shoulder and you screamed in pain I think."

"My shoulder?" she asked dazed. Then she seemed to get her wits straight. "My shoulder. It hurts. Where I was stabbed. The pain's back, Caitlin. It hurts a lot. And I keep falling asleep."

"Don't worry, things will be ok. Don't you start panicking on me now! I still need you. I'll never get home if you die on me. Hey Gandalf," I called. The giant gray wizard turned to look at me. "Have ya got anything for Elli's shoulder. It's giving her pain."

He kind of gave me a look, kinda like "oh, when did you become a doctor" thing. But then he stood up and walked over to us. Knelling beside where Elli lay in the snow, he pulled back her cloak and pulled the shirt down over her shoulder, exposing a horrible looking bruise. He out his fingers out, touching it softly, and Elli let out a hiss of pain.

"Obviously the wound isn't healed well enough. I thought the skill of Elrond would do the job. But I suppose in your world there are different remedies for different ailments."

"I've never gotten stabbed by a poisoned blade before though," Elli piped up.

"Then there could be a problem. The stab wound is still visible," he said, indicating at a dark purple spot that looked almost black. "The bruise doesn't seem to have grown, it's just not healed as well as it should. I only have a few herbs with me, although I shall ask Aragorn if he has anything to help ease the pain. There is nothing more I can do. But do be careful, lady Elli. We mustn't lose you now."

Elli could only nod, and I watched as the old wizard went off to talk to Aragorn.

"Elli, if I lose you now -"

"You're not going to lose me. I'm still here, aren't I? It's just a wound, I betcha once were outta the snow I'll be all-better. I'll be Elli O'Neill again in no time. We just gotta get off the snowy mountain first."

"If I do lose you though Elli -"

"Stop that. You're not going to lose me. Don't talk that way."

"Fine. But I hope you get better soon."

"I will," she said. She looked up at me, and a smile came across her face. "I would never leave you all alone in Middle Earth with a story you don't know and a elf you despise."

"Elli!" The silly little hobbit was making fun of me. She started laughing but then cringed in pain. I took her hand and held it, laid her down and made her go to sleep.

Aragorn came a little while later, athelas in his hand. "Caitlin, I think it would be best for you to help the hobbits. They are cold and worried about Elli, and they could use your comfort."

"Ok," I replied, standing up. I wrapped the cloak around me tighter, going over to warm up some little hobbits.

ELLI'S POV

I kept falling in and out of sleep. Aragorn had given me some sort of herb, but it wasn't athelas. Gandalf also gave me a drink, saying it would help keep me warm and awake. He called it miruvor, a gift from Elrond at our parting. I drank a little of it, feeling some strength within me, but not much. Gandalf passed the miruvor around, letting everyone have a little sip.

My sleeps were dreamless, but I was extremely restless. I kept tossing and turning and snow kept finding it's way into my cloak. I wanted off this mountain. And I didn't know anything now because of my drifts into sleep. I had no idea if we were still trekking up or if we had decided to turn back and try Moria. Caitlin wouldn't of known either, because she hadn't read the books. So I was tough outta luck.

Next time I woke up I realized Legolas was gone. Now where the hell did that damn elf go? We were walking again, and Aragorn had me in his arms. I was facing skyward, and saw everyone else in front of us. The other hobbits weren't being carried, and it was then that I realized that only a few flakes of snow were falling. We'd turned back and I'd missed everything! Damn my luck.

This time I stayed awake as we traveled down the mountain. Aragorn realized I was up when I wouldn't stop squirming.

"You are to be carried, Elli. Request of Gandalf. You are too small that if I left you run free in the snow you'd be buried in only a few minutes. Now sit still, your friends are still here. You're too weak to be walking anyway, little hobbit."

I didn't say anything, and I stopped moving around. Aragorn put me on his hip like a little toddler, and carried me down the rest of the mountain like that. His other arm was free to move, and his sword was available to that hand too. I made my hands cling to his clothing, so I wouldn't get jostled around so much. Having a grip made travel easier apparently.

Caitlin seemed to be having fun, even offering to give each of the hobbits piggyback rides. She was like a hobbit babysitter or something. I was amazed how well she fit in. Soon Boromir joined her, letting Pippin ride cling to his back. And on they went like that, lightening the mood in the little people.

In late morning we made it back to what had been our starting point up into Caradhras. I felt kinda gloomy standing here again, tired too. Now I knew what Caitlin meant when she said she got bored. Well, we were just going to have to try and cheer things up, now weren't we?

"The birds again!" said Aragorn, pointing down to the lower foothills. I followed his finger and sure enough little black specks could be seen.

"That cannot be helped now," spoke Gandalf. Then he said something about not wanting to stay on the borders of Caradhras and off we went. I was too busy watching the birds to pay much heed to the rest of his words. So we trekked on, weary and somewhat defeated. But my shoulder wasn't as achy, and the chill had begun to wear off.