A.N---Thank You for your reviews! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside knowing that someone appreciates the crazy stuff the pours out of my mind during class. Please keep the reviews coming and share this story with your friends.

Oh, and updates come quick because the story is finished, I'm just putting the chapters up in sections... Thanks Again!

Oh, and if you like my writing and would care to read or review anything else, I've got some work over on under the pen name EKU Rugby Girl. Thanks y'all!

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Ari went through two full days of bed rest but finally won the battle against her nurses and managed to get out of bed. She had not seen Eomer since the night they'd set her hand. He'd been busy with the regiments and trying to get the city of Gondor cleaned up after the decimation of the Orc attack. When she found out that the Rohirrim was to be moving out against Mordor she was excited.

"Good, I can't wait to get out of this place." She said to the soldier who had told her the news.

"Are you well enough ma'am?"

"Of course I am." Ari didn't want to let on that she still had to take rests through out the day and that at night she sometimes slept fitfully because of the itchy burn in her arm.

"That is good to hear. Lord Eomer made it sound as if you were to be staying here to recuperate."

"What?" The man didn't need to explain again and Ari went in search of Eomer.

She found him in the stable rubbing down his mount.

"So, when do we leave?"

"We?" Eomer looked up over the back of the animal at Ari as she stroked another.

"I mean, I was surprised to learn it from someone else, I thought you'd tell me…but then, you have been rather busy lately."

"'We' aren't going anywhere. You're staying here."

"But the army is going to move on Mordor."

"You won't be coming along Ari."

"Am I the only one experiencing De ja Vu?" Ari said walking closer to Eomer. "Because, I mean, I feel like this has happened before."

"Yes, and remember how that experience turned out." He stared pointedly at her heavily bandaged left arm and she moved it behind her back slightly so he couldn't see it.

"So?"

"So…you need to stay here."

"But I want to go. I can't stay here…I'm going crazy…"

"No Ari…you went into battle last time and nearly got yourself killed. I won't allow you to do it again."

"I don't recall asking your permission."

"It doesn't matter; you still can not go." Eomer threw a blanket across the horses back and wouldn't look at Ari.

"Were you even going to tell me that you were going to leave?" Eomer didn't turn to her. "Well?"

"Yes—eventually."

"'Eventually?'" Ari felt light headed but continued anyway. "'Eventually?' I thought we were friends Eomer. Friends tell each other when they're going to go off and try to get themselves killed. They invite their friends to go along!"

"Would you?"

"Yes! In fact—I'm going to go jump from the tower, do you want to come along?" Ari replied.

"Ari, this is no joking matter." Eomer finally looked to where Ari stood. He could see the determination in her face and the pain in her eyes. "Arianna…"

"No—forget about it." Ari stormed out of the stable and stepped out into the sunlight. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.

"I will not forget about it." Eomer was now standing in front of her. "Damn it, Woman—look at you! You're not even strong enough to have a verbal fight with me. What makes you think you can fight against Mordor?"

"I don't know." She answered quietly.

"Ari, even if you were well, I would ask you to stay here. I want you to stay here so Eowyn has a familiar face to wake up to. The Kings' leaf that Aragorn has been administering to her should be taking effect with-in the next few days."

"But I want to…"

"You know you are not strong enough to go."

"I know." Ari whispered slowly, admitting defeat. Eomer pulled her close to him and hugged her. "I just don't want you to leave." Because I'm scared you won't come back.

Ari eventually went back to the room where Eowyn and the other man lay. She had discovered the man's name was Faramir and he was the son of the steward of Gondor; a man who had tried to murder his son and himself, but had only succeeded in the suicide.

The next day the combined army of Middle Earth left Gondor under Aragorn's flag. Eomer led the Rohirrim Cavalry and the two hobbits followed close behind the two men. Ari stood high atop the city and watched as the men left. She was worried about them. She knew most of the men would not return, but she hoped that Eomer and Aragorn would. Ari spent everyday up on the tower watching the horizon where the battle for the world she'd learned to love as if it were her own was taking place. She knew they'd win, but she was terrified that her presence would change something.

"They will return." Ari turned to see Eowyn clinging to the door frame. "He has good reason to."

"Eowyn! You're awake!"

"Yes…" Eowyn sat on the step and watched as Ari came running towards her and hugged her tightly. "What's come over you?"

"You're alive, that's what!" Ari released Eowyn and smiled brightly, "I was so afraid that you were going to die, you have no idea."

"No…"Eowyn laughed at Ari's expression. "But how are you?" Eowyn's gaze drifted across Ari's face and focused on the bandage about her arm.

"Merely a flesh wound. It hardly hurts at all anymore."

Eowyn was not one to be kept down. Though she was devastated over the loss of her uncle and still weak, she did her best to help her fellow country men. Eventually even Faramir, who had been injured far longer, was up and about. Ari wasn't sure of him though—he seemed a little creepy to her. He was always lurking around her and Eowyn. She felt like she was being stalked. Then it dawned on her that he was merely trying to get closer to Eowyn. Ari even saw them start walking together and once thought she saw them kiss while they were up on the battlement of the city wall.

One day the sky turned a terrible shade of black and cracked with a horrible green and white lightning. Ari was outside when the freak storm rolled in. She ran up to the high city walls and looked out over the fields to the high mountains of Mordor. The storm seemed to come from there.

"Please let them all be OK." Ari said aloud. "Please let them come back." The storm raged with lightening flickered across the bottoms of the clouds; thunder shook the walls of the city and the clouds swirled and churned above her. Then it was gone; just as suddenly as the storm had rolled in, it disappeared. Ari kept staring out to where she knew the armies would return from but saw no signs of catastrophe. She knew she wouldn't….they were all too far away, and though she vaguely remembered that Aragorn's army won, she couldn't remember all the details.