A/N: Possibly my longest chapter ever, and the second to last one in this story. I've tried to keep this original for you, and I hope that this chapter helps with that. I promise there will be a sequel, as soon as I start writing it.

Chapter Thirteen: The Battle.

Like Violence

You have me

Forever

and After

Like Violence

You kill me

forever

and After.

blink-182, "Violence"

Melanie could not believe her eyes.

"Aragorn!" yelled Melanie, and she ran to him and hugged him. "Aiya!" he said, and she backed away.

"Wha-" she said, and then looked at his arm. "Omygod, you're hurt!"

"I'll be fine. You can help me fix it later. Ahh, Legolas!" he said and walked over to him. Melanie shook her head and followed him.

They spoke in elvish for a minute. Melanie's eyes darted from Aragorn's to Legolas's lips and back again. Think of it: she was an elf, who didn't know a word of elvish. OXYMORON. She felt like banging her head on some stone at the irony of it.

Then they switched to English. "You look terrible." said Legolas. Aragorn chuckled. Legolas handed Aragorn a necklace. Aragorn looked down at his hand, and back at Legolas with a gaze of undying gratitude.

Aragron muttered something in elvish. 'Possibly, a thank you?' Melanie said. They both chuckled. Melanie looked up to the sky, and praised everything. When she looked back down, she saw both Legolas and Aragorn were walking towards the door to the King's chambers. She ran to catch up, passing Eowyn as she went.

It was strange, because Eowyn and Melanie were thinking the same thought at the same time, 'He's ALIVE.' And this sentence is even stranger, because it had nothing to do with the plot.

So, now that all the strangeness has passed, lets us resume to the story.

A great host you say?" the king asked in disbelief.

"All of Isengaurd has been emptied."

"How many?"

"Ten-thousand strong at least." Melanie's eyes widened. The king turned and asked in disbelief.

"Ten thousand?"

Aragorn stated grimly, "It is an army bred for a single purpose. To destroy the world of men. They'll be here by nightfall."

The king strood away angrily. "Then let them come."

Aragorn sat on a bed; while Melanie, to his instruction, cleaned his shoulder wound. Aragorn looked at the cut, amazed by what she had done.

"You are a natural Little One. Perhaps I will teach you in the ways of healing." Melanie thought for a moment.

"I would like that."

"The king is going to have every male able to bear arms in this battle," said Aragorn, when she was finished.

"You will go to the caves, Melanie," said Legolas, and Gimli and Aragorn nodded in agreement. She looked from face to face.

"What am I supposed to do to help while I'm stuck down in the caves? I thought I was supposed to help you, how can I?" she asked. Melanie herself knew she would not be able to wield a weapon. She had never held a bow. She had never touched a sword. The only thing she knew how to handle was her very own shotgun, which, as far as Melanie knew, was in its case in her room on Earth. But even with these factors stacked against her, Melanie wanted to convince herself she could be useful. She had to have a purpose.

Aragorn looked reflective for a moment, then he said, with great care, "You do not know how to fight in a battle. Not many of the village boys do either. You do not know how to use a sword. This is what separates the two of you. You cannot fight in this battle, for it is not yours to fight in, or to win. There will be other battles, other times to prove yourself. You may even find your purpose in the caves with the women and children. You will go to the caves."

Melanie looked down at her feet and nodded her head slowly. She felt her self worth was nill. Then, a counselor came into the room and said to Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli.

"Come, evening draws near, and we must prepare for the battle." The man looked around the room and just noticed Melanie. He cleared his throat, "I will send someone for her, come." The man walked out of the room. Aragorn handed her his medical bag. She looked up at him, he smiled.

"Perhaps this will be of some use to you." He clapped his hand to her shoulder, and walked out of the room. Gimli approached her next, and looked up at her awkwardly. She smiled, and leaned close to his ear.

"Take care of him, will you?" she whispered, and Gimli gave a gruff laugh. "I will lass." And he left the room. Melanie turned to Legolas. Legolas did not smile, or offer any gesture of comfort. He stood looking at Melanie, apparently at a loss for words. Then he pulled her close, in an embrace that felt so long, yet lasted only a moment. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, he was gone.

She recovered, and brushed her hair out with her fingers. Amazing, that at a time like this, she was focusing on how she looked. But, she did. She fixed her hair and changed into another set of Legolas's clothes. She wiped her nose on her sleeve. Her sleeve. Legolas's shirt. Melanie felt as if she was to cry. Then, to Melanie's great surprise, Ennoi and Eilon came into the room.

"The elf sent us. We are to take you into the caves. Come, come quickly."

Melanie followed in their wake. She wished she knew how to do anything in battle, she wished she wasn't just a simple country girl. She wished a lot of things, but she knew she had to follow the orders Legolas left for her. Melanie would not be able to help in a battle, and she knew it.

"Quickly Melanie!" said Ennoi. Her eyes were like saucers, and then Melanie heard it. All three girls froze. Melanie looked at all the men. They were standing stock still. A loud, melodious horn was heard. Melanie thought at first it was the sound of the enemy, but then she listened more carefully. She closed her eyes and focused. The horn blew again.

"Elves!" said Melanie, and Ennoi and Eilon were pulled out of their reverie.

"Elves have come to fight for us. Quickly, let's get to the caves, the battle is to begin!" shouted Eilon, and she pulled Ennoi and Melanie along. They rushed to the door of the caves, and pounded fiercely upon it.

Eowyn opened it, beckoned them in quickly, then shut it. With Melanie and Eilon's help, she bolted it again. Melanie turned to look at Eowyn, to thank her.

Eowyn looked filthy. She looked frightened. She was both.

"Please, I need help, a woman, a woman is to have a baby, and no one is helping. Everyone is just frozen, listening, listening!" And then it was heard. The terrible roars and screams and yells and pounding. The Urak Hai had arrived. Eowyn let out a strangled cry, and led the way further down into the caves. It was damp, and dark, and very poorly ventilated. All the villagers were frozen. Carved from stone, carved from wood. Unblinking. Even the children. Everyone. Except one young woman.

She was moaning. She was at the back of most of the villagers. Eowyn pointed to her. Eowyn and Eilon looked at one another. They whispered to each other as the woman lay, her face twisted in agony.

"What are they saying?" Melanie asked Ennoi.

Ennoi looked at the woman before answering. "The child will not be born. The mother is too weak and we are ill supplied. Both are going to die."

Melanie looked at Aragorn's medical bag, slung around her shoulder. The pounding grew louder and louder. She made a split second decision about what to do.

"Eowyn? Can we take her deep into the cave? Maybe we'll find some water. Can we take a pot and a torch?"

Eowyn nodded. "If you do indeed tend to help her, take all you need."

Ennoi took a torch from one of the brackets on the wall. She was handed a cauldron and any rags and wood that could be found. Melanie and Ennoi carried the woman, which was no easy feat. Eowyn led the way.

"You are right." said Eowyn walking as fast as the company would allow. "On the way to the mountain pass, there is a pool. A fresh pool." She lowered her voice. They walked on. The further they walked, the less sound of the battle was heard, until finally, it was gone.

The only sound now was that of the woman's anguished cries, and the footsteps on the cold stone. Their footsteps reverberated through the darkness.

"Here, here it is!" shouted Ennoi, and she promptly sat on the floor and began a small fire. Eowyn scooped up water in the cauldron and tried to get it to boil on the almost-hot enough fire.

Melanie and Eilon tried to get the woman as comfortable as possible on the rock ground. Melanie made a nest of sorts with the rags, and lowered the woman slowly onto it. Melanie smoothed back her hair from her face. For the first time, she looked in the woman's fearful eyes.

They were deep brown. She was quite pretty, with smooth white skin, flushed from labor. Looking into those eyes, Melanie realized the woman was not much more than a girl, not much older than Melanie herself.

Ennoi handed Melanie a wet cloth. Melanie dabbed at the woman's face. "What's your name honey?" asked Melanie.

"F-F-F Freya!" she yelled, gripping Melanie's hand. Eowyn looked at Melanie helplessly.

"Okay Freya, let's have that baby! Breathe girl, breathe!"

"I can't do this!" she whispered, trying to breathe properly.

"You yell," said Melanie, "you yell, you tell me your baby is gonna be strong, you tell me."

"My Baby is going to be strong!" she cried, and as she did so, Melanie switched places with Eilon. Melanie placed her hand on Freya's belly.

"Push, push now!" yelled Melanie, in a commanding tone. Melanie's eyes widened as she saw the feet. "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter, my teacher said it doesn't matter." Melanie wrapped her hands in rags and yelled for Freya to push.

"I'm gonna die I'm gonna die!" Freya screamed.

"No you aren't no you aren't no you aren't!" Ennoi yelled back at her. Melanie's spirit was catching, and now all of them had hope that the child and mother would make it.

Freya screamed and pushed, Melanie screamed and pulled, and the baby came out. It was not crying. 'No no no!' Melanie screamed in her head. But then:

It began to move, to thrash about desperately. Melanie, not knowing how she knew what to do, sucked, with her own mouth, the fluids out of the baby's mouth. She turned and spit them out. The baby screamed. It was the happiest sound Melanie ever heard. Melanie pulled twine out of Aragorn's medical bag, and cut the umbilical cord.

With the sterilized water, Melanie cleaned the baby. Her mother was winded, and mewing softly. Once the baby was cleaned and wrapped in blankets, Melanie handed the babe to her mother.

Everyone was crying but the baby. Melanie shakily asked the glowing mother, "What-what'll you name her." Freya looked Melanie up and down.

"What is your name?" she asked, cradling the child.

"Melanie," she said, not understanding the mother's reasoning.

"Then her name shall be Melanie. Melanie." Ferya said, and she loved the way it rolled off the tongue. "Such an unusual name. I have never heard of it before. But," she said, looking and the older Melanie in the room. "It fits her." she looked at the baby, who opened her eyes. They were a brilliant blue.

Melanie couldn't believe it.

A/N: And neither could I, that I wrote that. Please Please Please review.