Here's my New Year's Resolution: to finish this God-forsaken story for all you lovely readers out there! And to stop procrastinating on my assigned chapters!

Sheesh, I'm bad. Well, here's chapter 21.

Disclaimer: We don't own anything LOTR or Zelda related.

*Hillary*

"PENNY!!! PENNY HELP!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as one enormous Uruk-hai scooped me up and began to carry me off in the opposite direction of the rest of the group. Then I saw another monster come up behind her and whack her in the back of the head with the butt of his sword, and he was quickly stabbed in the side by Legolas before he could jab his weapon through Penny's ribs. I screamed again for her, and things began to move in slow motion. I saw Boromir fall to his knees with three arrows in his torso, and I screamed again for him. Legolas fell to Penny's side while Aragorn and Gimli fought off another horde of Uruk-hai. I looked over, and Merry and Pippin were being carried off along with me. They were screaming as well, but at this time our friends were mere specks off in the distance.

Merry, Pippin, and I made eye contact wearily. Pippin closed his eyes and his head drooped, no doubt accepting the fact that he was now a prisoner and had no way of escaping at that time. Merry's brows furrowed, and he reached up and touched his forehead. I hadn't noticed before but he had a pretty serious gash, and it was still bleeding. I cringed, and then looked off into the distance. The sky was turning orange and pink; the sun was setting, and it would almost have been a beautiful setting if not for the seriousness of the situation. We had no idea at that point what troubles were in store for us in the near future.

~*~*~

Night had fallen when we were thrown to the ground at the Uruk-hai camp. Merry, Pippin, and I scrambled to each other as fast as we could, and were slowed greatly because our hands were bound with ropes.

"Oh, Merry, Hillary, I'm so glad we're all alright," Pippin said exhaustingly, as he fell back a bit, propped up on his right elbow.

"Pip," Merry replied, "I'm not feeling too well right now," and he brought his hands up to the wound on his forehead. Pippin and I cringed, and Merry brought his hand down. Flakes of dried blood were on his fingertips and in his palm.

"Oh Merry," Pippin cooed sadly. I looked around quickly, and noticed that all the Orcs that had joined the Uruk-hai since Amon-Hen were chopping down all the trees. A giant bonfire was being built, and I could hear the Orcs beginning to complain about hunger. The Uruk-hai were pissed that they had to stop at all, and were berating the less-powerful Orcs for their weaknesses.

"We have to try to escape," I whispered to them, and they nodded in agreement, eyes wide, scanning the area for attacking monsters.

As the Orcs chopped down more and more trees, the more the three of us began to notice the noises coming from the forest. There was a continuing groaning noise, and a crackling of branches other than what the Orcs were doing.

"What's making that noise, Merry?" Pippin asked fearfully.

"It's the trees," Merry replied, looking up at the forest close to us. I turned my head, and sure enough, the trees were swaying ominously in the dark. I winced at the sight of it; I had read the books, and I knew what had driven Merry and Pippin into there in the first place. Sure enough, a blue-faced orc shuffled up to us, and peered down, licking its slimy lips in hunger.

"We could eat their legs," it hissed to the others. Apparently they had been talking about eating us for a while. "They don't need those," it continued.

"NO!" one ruling Uruk-hai shouted. "Sauron's orders say not to harm the half-lings," it barked.

"Just one little taste…" the blue Orc said and growled, reaching down to grab Merry.

"That one's already bleeding!" another one cried. "I smell the blood! THE HALF-LING'S ARE MINE!"

"NO!" The Uruk-hai shouted, and knocked the other two down, killing the second one. And just when the three of us felt we couldn't be scared anymore, the horn of Rohan sounded, and the Riders of Rohan raced into the camp, slaughtering the beasts left and right. In the midst of the confusion, Merry, Pippin, and I scrambled to a fallen Uruk-hai, and used its sword to slice through our ropes. Once free, we stumbled to our feet and raced as fast as we could into Fangorn Forest.

"Run, fellas, run!" I shouted as I heard the blue Orc racing after us in persuit.

"I'm gunna eat you all raw!" I heard it mumble as it tripped over a log, almost grabbing my heel. I ran harder and faster, and we turned a corner in the forest.  Merry and Pippin hurried me up a tree, helping me as they climbed themselves.

We reached a high branch, and then stopped for a rest. The Orc was gone; we could neither hear him nor see him. Then out of nowhere it jumped at us, and we would have been dead if the tree hadn't intervened. The tree knocked the Orc down and stepped on it, and scooped Merry, Pippin and I up into its arms. Wait a minute…a tree with arms and legs?! We had stumbled upon Treebeard!

"Hooooooo!!" it grumbled, stretching its body fully.

"It's talking Merry, the tree is talking!" Pippin cried.

"I am no tree," it said slowly, "I am an Ent."

"A treehearder!" Merry cried.

"A shepherd of the forest," I said softly. I knew what they were. I had read the book.

"Don't talk to it!" Pippin hissed. It was at this time that I realized how close I was to Pippin. Treebeard had scooped us up together, and I was able to squirm around and face Pip. I was flush up against his body; I guess what you could call a pretty tight squeeze. Not the most romantic situation, but I couldn't complain, really.

"Heya, Pip," I whispered, smiling up at him. I gazed into his smiling green eyes briefly, and he kissed my nose before speaking up again.

"Whose side are you on?" he asked the Ent.

"Side? I am on nobody's side because nobody's on my side, little Orc. Nobody cares for the woods anymore."

"But we're hobbits!" Merry cried. Treebeard then started raving about how he had never heard of hobbits before, and how we were mischievous orcs. He then proceeded to squeeze the life out of us. I thought I couldn't get any closer to Pippin, but I was apparently wrong. He squeezed us so hard we couldn't breathe, and we heard things cracking all over the place. Not a pleasant experience. We tried to explain, but he wouldn't have it. And then he threw us down in front of the White Wizard! THE HORROR!

*Link*

I followed the two hobbits, Merry and Sam, to the river. Frodo complained, and said that he was going to Mordor alone. Are you kidding? They couldn't last five minutes without me!

"Come on, Mr. Link," Sam said to me, "we're going to protect Frodo." So I did. And so we are.

The majority of the time I was escorting the two hobbits, they were mumbling to themselves about how much they loved each other and how good of friends they were. It was borderline…well…let's not go there. But I did sleep uneasily those nights. Usually I just kept a watchful eye out, but while traveling with the wee ones I did more than ever. I came to realize how much I missed Hillary and Penny. Sure, they had they're respective lovers, but…I still had feeling for them, both friendship and attraction. Trying to sleep at night, I'd picture Penny's face, and fall in love with her beauty all over again. That fair skin…those light brown eyes…and her long, gorgeous figure. It was even longer now cause she was an elf! Major droolage. And Hillary…well, it was over with her. But I still felt close to her, even though she was tiny now. I wonder what they're doing now…I hope they're not in danger. I think I'll just keep hope alive, and pray for their safekeeping in my heart. I know, sometime, I'll see them again.

But now I have to see the back of Sam and Frodo's head. Why does Legolas always have all the fun?!

Sorry it's short…but I have nothing else. Argentium will do better, though, I promise!