Ah, the taste of puke. How lovely.

I feel a cool, dry hand pressing against my forehead. I lean against it gratefully, closing my eyes, which I can't really see out of anyway.

Someone draws me close, allows me to rest my head on their shoulder. I press my face into said shoulder, breathing in what smells like leather and blood and pine and earth.

Ah, this would be Legolas. Boromir and Aragorn would just smell like dirt and blood, and Gimli would smell like metal. Also, Gimli doesn't speak Elvish.

"Are you well enough to stand?" Legolas asks softly, right next to my ear. One of his hands is running through my hair, trying to soothe me. I shake my head fiercely against his shoulder, curling my hands into fists. I can feel the blood oozing between my fingers.

I jerk away from him, scramble a few feet, and am rather spectacularly sick into the bushes.

Yuck. Never eating lembas again.

~

Ah, how nice it is to be seeing the ground from a vertical angle once more. Not as fun to look at when you are laying on it.

Legolas is standing close behind me, one hand steady on my shoulder. I reach up and pat it, trying to reassure him that no, I am not going to faint or throw up again. I sway a little, and press both hands over my face, but manage to remain vertical. Yay, brownie points!

"Where's Leilanni?" I ask, through my hands.

Legolas shrugs, rising to his feet with grace and ease that makes me want to punch him. If it wouldn't make me fall over. "We have not seen her. Perhaps Mitanna's death caused her to flee?"

I shrug, cautiously removing my hands from my face. Legolas is staring at me with narrowed eyes. "What?" I ask, smoothing back my hair.

The Elf nods his head toward the river. "Look at yourself. You do not look the same."

I give him an odd look, walk over to the river, and look down.

Then I sit down hard in the water, still staring at myself.

~

Holy god, this is me. This is really me!

The hair hasn't changed, it's still long and black, but that's okay, I always wanted black hair. The eyes are mine again, darker blue-green than they were before. My face really hadn't changed all that much, but it's back to normal.

It's me, tongue ring and earrings and everything. Yes!

Legolas comes over and crouches by my side. "You are still...you?"

I nod, grinning hugely. "Yes, this is me. This is so me!"

I hear footsteps behind us. Legolas rises to greet them; I stay crouched by the edge of the water, staring at myself. No, I am not narcissistic, it's just...damn. It's ME.

I see Boromir crouch by my side. I look up and grin at him. He falls on his ass.

Now I frown at him. "Come ON, people. It's not THAT drastic."

Boromir slowly shakes his head. "You are still you." It wasn't a question.

I nod, grinning at him again. "Yeah, I'm still me. THIS is me. I guess..." I shrug, turning back to the water. "I guess when Mitanna kicked the bucket the magic that changed the way I look...it must've faded." They look at me incredulously. I look back at them and pass a hand in front of my changed features. "Anybody else got an explanation?"

Legolas and Aragorn exchange glances. "I know of no such magic," Aragorn says.

Legolas shrugs. "I do not know why they would do so."

I shrug. "Maybe they didn't want an ugly hand-maiden?"

Aragorn frowns at me, all suspicious-Ranger-guy. "I do not understand why you are so overjoyed at this change."

I throw up my hands. "DUDE. This is really, really me. The way I look. Do have any idea how long I've wanted to see this ugly mug?"

"Why would she lie?" Boromir demanded. "She hated them, and wanted free of them."

Legolas nodded slightly. "I do not believe she is lying."

I push my hair off my face. "Thank you. I really appreciate that, since I'm not lying. Don't we have bigger things to worry about than me? Or smaller, actually. Aren't we short a couple Hobbits?"

Boromir looks down guiltily. "'Tis my fault. The Orcs took Merry & Pippin."

"It's not your fault. We would've gotten our asses kicked." I squeeze his arm. "What about Sam and Frodo?"

Legolas gestures across the river. "They have crossed over to the eastern bank. They travel to Mordor alone." He sends Aragorn a slightly angry look. "We should follow after them."

I nod slowly. "What about Merry and Pippin?" I ask.

At the same time, Boromir says, "I shall not go after Frodo."

Gimli, now. "Aye, what of Merry and Pippin?"

Aragorn nods. "We cannot leave them with the orcs. We shall not abandon them to torment and death." He claps a hand to Legolas's shoulder. "Come. We hunt some orcs."

They set off into the forest, all of them moving easily, even Boromir, despite the fact that he's wounded. I swear and try to catch up.

TBC...