Hello everyone! Next chapter will be up next Sunday!

Review Responses:

John, Happy New Year to you, too! The ring sort of makes an appearance in this chapter. I finally reveal the location of Frodo and Sam, although the Scoobies won't know just yet.

harmoni, I'm so glad the major writer's block is over. It's still giving me some slight fits, but I'm at least able to get words on the paper now.

Chapter Thirty

The Distance Between

Tara blinked and then smiled in surprise as she recognized the clearing she was suddenly in. She only had a few seconds to brace herself when she heard Dawn's familiar voice call out, "Tara!" before she found herself in a gripping hug. She hugged the young woman back just as tightly.

"Where's Willow?" Dawn asked as she pulled back. "I couldn't find her, just you."

"She's probably still researching to find that... artifact you were looking for."

"Still haven't found it then?" Dawn asked sadly.

"Not yet."

"Not like it would matter at the moment," Dawn said with a sigh. "We're a little spread apart at the moment."

Tara's eyes widened with worry. "What happened? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. We just... Well things are kinda happening quickly here... and we decided to go in different directions to keep track of everything... So, we're not all together," Dawn vaguely explained in case an unwanted guest was listening in.

"Oh dear," Tara said.

Dawn smiled. "You've been hanging around Giles way too much."
"Occupational hazard," Tara replied with a grin of her own. Turning serious, she asked, "So it's gonna be a while, huh?"

"Probably. Wish it could be different."

"Same here."

"I should get back. As much as I'd like to stay, it's dangerous to be here too long."

"Take care," Tara said, tears in her eyes.

"You, too. Hopefully we'll be home soon." Dawn said.

Tara suddenly found herself alone in the room she shared with Willow. With a sigh, she got out of bed and went in search of Willow and the others to tell them the news.

In Minas Tirith, the small group reached their rooms in silence. When the serving man left, Pippin looked up at Gandalf mournfully. "You're angry at me, aren't you, Gandalf? I did the best I could."

Some of the tension left Gandalf's body as he wearily smiled at the hobbit. "You did indeed. But hear this now, he is not as other men of this time. Whatever be his descent from father to son, by some chance the blood of Westernesse runs nearly true in him; as it does in his other son Faramir. He has long sight. He can perceive, if he bends his will thither, much of what is pressing in the minds of men, even those who dwell far off. It is difficult to deceive him, and dangerous to try.

"Remember that! For you are now sworn to his service. I do not know what put it into your head to do that, but it was well done. I did not hinder it, for generous deed should not be checked by cold counsel. It touched his heart. And at least you are free now to move about as you will in Minas Tirith - when you are not on duty."

"I still think it was a stupid idea," Buffy said. Harry couldn't help but nod in agreement.

"As long as he keeps his wits about him, he should be fine," Gandalf said, walking out onto the balcony overlooking the city.

Buffy and Harry followed him while Pippin stayed in the room, happily eating from the plates of food that had been left for them.

"Can I just say now that I don't trust Denethor," Buffy said, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked out over the field that spread out around Minas Tirith.

"And well you shouldn't," Gandalf said, pulling out his pipe to light.

"No, I'm serious," Buffy said. "Something about him didn't feel right."

"He kind of made my scar itch," Harry chimed in. "Not as bad as when Voldemort is up to something, but it was bothersome."

Buffy turned her solemn hazel eyes up to Gandalf. "See, evil does that to Harry. I don't think Denethor is on our side anymore and that equals major badness."

"We will do what we can," Gandalf assured her, but it almost sounded as if he was reassuring himself.

"What's that over there?" Harry asked, pointing to the dark clouds that were hanging over the far horizon. They looked to be lit from below by a large fire.

"That is Mordor," Gandalf answered, removing his pipe from his mouth. "This city has ever dwelt in sight of its shadow."

"Ya don't think you could've warned me about this?" Buffy asked. She sighed and looked over at Harry. "I'm sorry. I thought this would be safer, but I think I brought you closer to danger."

He gave her a rueful smile. "When am I not in danger?"

"Everyday except Tuesday, that's reserved for Dawn," she joked. She turned her eyes back towards Mordor. Her eyesight wasn't as good as the Elves, but she could tell something wasn't right. Dark clouds were spreading out from the evil land. "I think there's a storm coming."

Gandalf's eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed. "This is not the weather of the world. This is a device of Sauron's making," he said softly. "A broil of fume he sends ahead of his host. The orcs of Mordor have no love of daylight, so he covers the face of the sun to ease their passage along the road to war."

"You mean he's blocking out the sun?" Harry asked with worry. He shuddered to think how powerful Sauron would have to be to do that - and that was without the Ring to boost his power.

"Yes, Master Harry. When the shadow of Mordor reaches the city, it will begin. There will be no sun to hinder the movement of the orcs." He paused to take a long draw from his pipe. "I'm afraid our only hope for help is for it to come to us - either the Rohirrim, or some other unlooked for place."

"Damn," Buffy muttered. "Are orcs the only thing we should expect to fight?" She asked, trying to gauge the strength of their enemy.

"Nay, legions of Haradrim, men of the south, will be among the host, along with mercenaries from the coast, and creatures of darkness that Man hasn't seen in a long count of years. All will answer Mordor's call."

"But we have the White Wizard, that's got to count for something," Pippin said, coming up behind them.

Gandalf's face became haunted as he looked out with unseeing eyes. "Sauron has yet to release his deadliest servant. The one who will lead Mordor's armies in war. The one they say no living man can kill. The Witch-King of Angmar. You've met him before, Pippin. He stabbed Frodo on Weathertop. He is the lord of the Nazgûl, the greatest of the Nine. We come to it at last." His voice fell to a low whisper. "The great battle of our time. The board is set. The pieces are moving."

Sam took one last look around their campsite to make sure they weren't leaving anything behind and that they had erased as many signs of their presence that he could. After one month of staying in that strange world, they were finally heading out to see if they could find someone to help them get back home.

He wasn't entirely convinced that this was the smartest thing to do. They had no clue what type of horrors this world contained. But since he had no other suggestions he let it be. With his pots and pans clanging around as they hung from his pack, he walked over to Frodo. "It's not as good a job as what Strider would have done, but it's clean. So which way do we go, Mr. Frodo?"

The ringbearer looked out into the surrounding forest and pointed. "That way."

"Any particular reason why?" Sam asked.

"It's as good of a direction as any," Frodo answered. Sam nodded and the two hobbits began walking.

Nearly an hour later, they heard rustling in the bushes around them. They froze and prepared themselves for whatever was approaching. Their jaws dropped when a being with flabby skin and floppy ears backed out of the trees and nearly ran into them. But what really made them gasp was when it turned around and showed them its red eyes.

The two hobbits instantly drew their swords and braced themselves for attack.

"Oh! Hi!" It said, its smile showing pointed teeth. "No need to be waving swords around. Really, nice guy here."

"How do we know you're not just saying that so you can attack us when we lower our guards?" Sam asked, a slight tremor in his voice.

"Uhhh.... I guess you don't really know that. But I'm a good guy. I don't even cheat a poker."

"Poker?" Frodo asked.

"It's a card game. Some people play for money, I personally like cats. It can get kind of nasty if you play with the wrong sort."

The thing was still standing there with his hands in the air, trying to look as defensive as possible. "My name is Clem. And you... would not be from around here, would you?"

"How would you know that?" Frodo asked.

"I usually hear about everyone who comes and goes around here," Clem said with a shrug. "I take it you just got into town, don't know your way around?"

"Sort of," Sam said, still not really trusting someone with red eyes.

"Well, if you need a place to stay, I've got plenty of space at my crypt. You could stay for as long you'd like." He paused before adding, "This isn't always the safest neighborhood."

Frodo nodded slowly. "Yes, that would be nice. Thank you."

"Could you lower your swords first? They're making me kind of nervous."

The hobbits sheathed their swords and the three started walking.

Spike's loud voice roused Ginny out of a deep sleep. "Come on Ginny! Draco! Up and at 'em. We got a war to go to."

Draco sat up and stretched with a yawn. "It's still dark out. What time is it?"

"The sun's been up for a few hours. There's some sort of cloud blocking the sun. It's still there though, I can feel it."

"What?" Ginny asked in surprise. "That should be impossible."

"You would think. Doesn't matter, we gotta get going'," Spike said, before leaving the tent the two teens shared.

Ginny sleepily nodded as she stood. She and Draco began helping each other into the small amount of armor they had gathered the night before. They had still found nothing to fit Ginny's thinner frame, but with a flick of her wand she had quickly resized them.

She hoped that when they reached Minas Tirith that she could bathe and get clean clothes. She hadn't been clean since before they left Helm's Deep and her clothes hadn't been cleaned yet. All the traveling and sleeping in the same clothes made her wish for just an extra set of clothes.

"This stuff weighs a ton," she grumbled as Draco tightened the straps of her breastplate.

"I'd rather have it weigh a ton than not be there when you need it," Draco commented while she moved to help him with his own.

The two stepped out of the tent a short while later to see that most of the other tents had been collapsed and packed away. Theirs was one of the last standing.

Merry came towards them smiling brightly. "I've got my own armor too," he said proudly.

"Not too bad," Ginny said approvingly. "Spike help you with the adjusting of it?"
"Yes, I didn't know magic could do that," Merry said.

Théoden made his way over to them on top his horse. He called out to the men around him. "We must ride light and swift. It's a long road to ahead, and man and beast must reach the end with the strength to fight." He stopped next to the trio. "Little hobbits do not belong in war, Master Meriadoc."

"All my friends are going to battle. I would be ashamed to be left behind," Merry argued.

The king shook his head. "It's a five day gallop to Minas Tirith, and the pony I gave you won't be able to keep up. None of my rider's can bear you as a burden."

"I want to fight."

"I will say no more," Théoden said sternly, riding off to finish directing his men.

"It's not fair," Merry said dejectedly, kicking the grass around his feet in frustration.

Draco looked at his little friend. "He's right though, about the pony. He'll never make it."

"And you're the one who pledged their services to him, now you're stuck obeying his orders." Ginny reminded him. "If you hadn't done that, he couldn't have ordered you to stay behind. You could've gone with us."

A slim soldier approached them and Ginny thought that something about his gait seemed familiar.

"I will carry you Merry," the soldier said in a light tenor.

Merry looked up at him in surprised. His eyes widened even further when he recognized the eyes shining out from under the helm. "I would be honored, my lady," he said with a slight bow.

She brought a finger up to her lips and said, "Shhh."

Ginny and Draco grinned at each other and moved closer so that their conversation could not be easily overheard. "Thought you were told to stay behind and take care of your people," Ginny said in a low voice, not really surprised to see the shieldmaiden.

"I belong with m uncle whether he realizes it or not," Éowyn said. "I'd rather go forth in battle and die trying to make a difference, rather than be left behind waiting for the end to come if Gondor falls."

The redhead nodded. "I get it. I'd like to ride next to you. I love Draco like a brother, but I miss having another girl around to talk to. Even if she's disguised as a man."

"I'd love it," Éowyn said with a smile.

"I'll ride with you, too," Draco said. "That way it won't look strange for Gin to be riding in the middle of a bunch of soldiers alone." He moved off to saddle he and Ginny's horses.

Draco was glad to see that Ginny had another female friend. She was still having trouble pulling out of the funk she had been in since Helm's Deep. It could be that Ginny sensed that Éowyn could be the one to fully get her out of her quagmire of emotions. But then again, there was always that strange female need to be surrounded by other females.