Author's Note:

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sorry for being slow everyone! 

First Roseblade22 I know elves don't sleep with their eyes closed, I may be a  sci-fi girl, but I'm not completely illiterate about fantasy, that's why it says "as if to sleep"  he just wants Gimli to leave.

Also, in answer to a not so nice comment, I have NO, I repeat NO medical training, and never want any.  As such performing any of the medical practices described here would not be a good plan.  If you ever find yourself with the problem of a barbed arrow in your side (I really, really don't want to know how you would get yourself in that position!)  find a trained professional!  I mean really, if you want to go "hmm, I read this in a fan fic, I think I'll try it…" that is seriously your own problem, and you probably need more than just medical help.  I'm sorry if I sound defensive, but people should know better.

Enough of that then, enjoy the fic!

            Gimli stumbled, nearly dropping the logs he carried.  He glanced worriedly at the darkened mountain slopes above him before dropping off his load and entering the cabin.  Nodin reached for the dwarf, murmuring in the language only he could understand.  Gimli smiled at him, but continued past him into the small room behind the infant. 

            Inara was helping Legolas sit.  The elf was still pale, his face drawn with pain.  Inara was doing most of the work helping him.  It had been some time since Gimli had seen his friend so weak.  He looked away, afraid of shaming Legolas.  The elf's face was grim, but he managed to smile.

            "It seems we have gotten our selves into trouble again my friend."  He took a careful breath, thanking Inara quietly. 

            "We have lad.  It is not only the storm; there are orcs here in the mountains."

            "I told you that!"  Inara interrupted.

            "That you did, but I didn't know how close hey were.  I can see the tracks everywhere.  They are being cautious."

            "I've given them reason."  The cold hate in her voice made both Gimli and Legolas look at the small woman more closely. 

            "They won't be cautions long," Gimli reminded her, "What worries me is that they're showing unusual intelligence for orcs." 

            "They couldn't have followed us from the caves."  Legolas said, his voice though was unsure.

            "No, it's not those, it's a new set, I believe there are at least fifty of them."  His voice was quiet as he finished. 

            Legolas looked down, "We have to leave immediately."  He tried to get up, his hand pressed against his side, but not even he could suppress his cry of pain.  Inara's hands reached out, and finding the elf forced him back down.

            "That is true.  However master elf, you are in no condition to roam about the countryside.  Legolas didn't have the breath to respond.  He clenched his hands, fighting the pain.

            "She is right, as usual."  Gimli smiled wanly.  "We will have to hold our ground here.  We should have time.  They can't attack in the storm that's coming again."

            "This one will make the night you two arrived look like a rain shower."  Inara turned her face towards the wall.  "I can feel it on the wind." 

            Gimli raised his eyes to look outside.  The sky had darkened and a few flakes of snow drifted down.  It was the mountains after all there was no reason why it couldn't snow as well.  He glanced down at the elf, remembering the last time they had made their way through mountain snows.  That storm had led one of their friends to apparent death and nearly taken the rest of them with as well.  This time he would not fail.  This time he would repay the debt he owed for bringing them to the depths. 

            Inara reached out, her hand questing until she found the dwarf's broad shoulder.  Gimli looked into her sightless eyes, for a moment convinced even blind she saw more than he could ever imagine.  The dwarf shook his head getting to his feet. 

            "Humph, well you rest master elf the rest of us have preparations to complete."  He touched Inara's hand.  She laughed, the worry vanishing from her face as she allowed him to pull her to her feet.

            Legolas watched them go, clenching his fists, now more from frustration than from pain.  He should not allow this, he could not allow this.  Yet there was nothing he could do.  Nothing Gimli would allow him to do anyway.  He rubbed his hands over his face, he could understand why most elves avoided the dwarves aside from the irritation they caused they were a reminder that even elves were tied to this existence the same way as all other life. 

            He stared at the ceiling, trying to lose himself in the elvish form of sleep.  However he was distracted from his unsuccessful attempts by a small form landing on the side of the bed.  He frowned, wondering what it was. 

            Nodin, finding himself in his new favorite place gurgled happily, reaching for the elf's long blonde hair.  Legolas barely managed to advert disaster, catching the baby just in time with his good arm. 

            Gimli chuckled from where he had retreated to the doorway, "Don't worry Legolas.  You have a dwarf to defend you."

            "That's what I'm afraid of," the elf muttered under his breath, maneuvering the baby into a safer direction.

            Gimli just grinned, "Nodin will be in charge of making sure you concentrate on getting well.  Don't try anything foolish Legolas."  His tone grew serious.

            "I will not do anything I don't believe to be necessary."  The elf's tone was equally serious.  Gimli merely shook his head and left Legolas alone with Nodin.  The baby already appeared to be making great progress with keeping Legolas distracted. 

            "You said you've dealt with orcs before?"  Gimli asked as he pooled both his and the elf's weapons on the table. 

            "I have," her hands traced the weapons on the table.  It was easy to see she was familiar with them. 

            "But can you with…" his voice trailed off awkwardly.

            "Yes, I can fight without being able to see, you'd be surprised what even those considered crippled can do."  She stopped fingering one of Legolas' blades, instead gripping and whipping it up just short of Gimli's neck. 

            "Now lass, careful."  Gimli's hand gripped the small fist clutching the blade.  Inara gasped at the strength of his hold.  They stood thus for a moment before Inara relaxed and Gimli did the same.  She lowered the blade to the table.

            "It's been a long time." 

            "Aye lass, and there is no reason to regret that."  Gimli touched her shoulder gently, carefully not looking at the shine in her eyes.  Gimli sighed, each has a past, and each has a ghost, he reminded himself. 

            He picked up Legolas' two blades and handed them back to her, hilt first.  "You will need these."  Inara's grin wasn't quite like anything he had seen before as she pushed his hands down shaking her head.

            "No, this is what I need."  She turned going to the far end of the room and reached into the rough wooden rafters that were just above their heads, above the fireplace.  She pulled out an ancient short sword.

            The dwarf just shook his head, "Is there more of this hidden somewhere I should see?"  She shook her head, buckling the scabbard to her waist. 

            "This is the last of my surprises master dwarf; hopefully it will be enough to get us through tonight." 

            Outside the air had turned white.  The wind howled around the small cabin, tearing at it with its claws.  The wind's howls drowned out the sounds of the party of orcs approaching through the rocks, drawn to the flicker of light shining from the windows.  Their leader growled, pointing his sword breaker at the small building, pushing them forward, 

            Inara's head came up, hearing a sound that was not the wind.  Gimli tightened his grip on his ax, peering out into the darkness.  He could see the shadows moving just outside his range of sight. 

            "They're here."

            He grabbed the blades from the table, hurrying to the room where they had left Legolas.  The elf's eyes told Gimli he knew.

            "Let me fight." 

            Gimli snorted though not rudely, "I am sorry my friend, but this fight is not for you."  Legolas shook his head, forcing himself up, the sudden motion upsetting Nodin who began to cry.

            "Give me my bow; I do not have to stand to shoot."  Gimli hesitated in the doorway.  Outside he could already hear the sounds of the orcs. 

            "You have no choice!"  Legolas yelled, "You need me, my friend, let me do this." 

            Gimli finally nodded, shoving the elf's blades into his belt and picking up the crying baby with one hand, cradling him against his side.  With the other he pulled Legolas to his feet, supporting most of the tall elf's weight.  Legolas cried out in pain, but glared at Gimli as if daring him to comment. 

            As they burst out into the main room, Legolas lowered himself awkwardly into a chair.  Inara whipped around as she caught the sound of the elf's unsteady footsteps.   Gimli wrapped Nodin in a blanket, setting him beside Legolas. 

            "He should be in bed."  Her voice made it an inarguable fact.

            "Aye, he should, but tell him that."  The dwarf tossed Legolas his bow and his quiver, the elf caught them awkwardly, his arm still weak, but pulled it into position anyway.

            "This fight needs us all."  He said as he prepared.  Further argument was made impossible as the orcs began to pound on the door.  Inara held her sword before her, her head tilted to one side as she listened.  Gimli shifted his grip on his ax. 

            "There are fifteen, maybe twenty.  They won't be expecting resistance."  She called to Gimli.  "We can't let them reach Nodin.  We must fight them outside." 

            Gimli nodded and started forward, gripping the door handle.  For a moment it froze and there was no movement except for the howl of the wind outside.  Then he ripped the door opening launching himself at the shocked orcs outside, Inara followed him, with a battle cry that shocked Legolas. 

            At first she stumbled, nearly falling onto an orc before catching herself, using her other senses to follow the sounds of the creatures surrounding her and guiding her sword home. 

            The orc went down squealing but another took it's place.  Inara swung her blade, catching it in the neck as it lunged for her, but was forced to duck as an arrow whistled by her head, catching a second orc who had been about to bring his dirty blade down on her head. 

            Gimli was doing well by himself.  His ax had taken more than a few orcs.  The others cowered at the fury of the small figure as his ax bit into them.  Legolas' arrows cut through the blinding snow and the sharp wind, taking the orcs that ventured to close to the gapping door.  Nodin's small cries were drowned in the roars of the battle. 

            A blow from a club caught Gimli in the back of the head, knocking him down into the churned and blood soaked snow.  An arrow finished the orc as it reached for Gimli, giving him just enough time to scramble to his feet before another threw itself at him. 

            The ranks of the orcs were thinning, but not faster than the defenders were tiring.  Legolas aimed the arrow he held in his bow carefully.  His arm burned, all the way down to the wound in his side.  A few of his shots had accidentally gone wild, as pain spiked through his arm.  Only a few arrows remained in the quiver beside him.  He prayed he would not strike the two fighting the remaining orcs.         

            Gimli turned, to see a bright light racing toward them.  The orc roared in it's own language, throwing it's torch through the window, shattering it.  Flames burst up, licking at the walls as they caught the kindling stacked there. 

            The few remaining orc grinned and started towards the two defenders, but the one that had thrown the torch road again, raising it's sword.  The others snarled before turning away and racing after their leader.  A last arrow caught one of them in the back.  There was no time to think.  A reprieve had been granted for whatever reason. 

            "What are they doing?"  Inara yelled over the wind, "They were not losing." 

            "There's no time!  The fire!"  Gimli yelled back.  He ducked into the cabin.  Legolas was on his feet, his bow on his back and Nodin in his arms.  Gimli grabbed his friend, dragging him out of the smoke.  Inara darted in after him, grabbing what supplies she could and their cloaks, managing to dive out just as a timber crashed down. 

            Gimli cursed, watching.  It had to be snow.  For once he would have appreciated rain.  Nodin coughed and then began to wail.  His mother pulled her cloak about her as the heat of battle was leached away by the cold wind and then pulled him into her arms. 

            Gimli pulled Legolas up from where he had collapsed on the ground, the elf's face was gray.  With his other arm he put Inara's hand on his belt, leading her along as the three of them made their way to the barn.  Behind them the fire crackled as it consumed the cabin.  They all knew there was no hope of extinguishing it.  The orcs would return, they always did, all the three could hope for was to be gone before that happened. 

            Gimli hoisted the elf onto the horse.  Inara scrambled up behind the elf, holding him steady.  Gimli handed the supplies she had grabbed from the cabin to her as she wrapped a second cloak around the elf. 

            Legolas' eyes were vacant; Gimli knew the elf had pushed himself as far as he could; only the mist at his mouth and nose assured the dwarf that his friend still lived.  Inara had managed to hush Nodin by this point, the infants only sounds were tiny noises of unhappiness.  As Gimli lead the horse out of the barn into the whirling white that surrounded the last of the burning home, Inara turned her head in his direction.        

            "Why?" her tone was anguished.  "Why destroy my home but not us?" 

            Gimli frowned before replying with dwarven practicality, "That I cannot answer.  We were given this chance; we must get to Rohan before they decide to correct their mistake." 

            Any further conversation was preempted by the howling storm.  In his mind though Gimli felt the beginnings of fear.  It was one thing to be a hero on a battlefield or a quest, quite another he found to be alone with helpless innocents and no idea just what the reason for the fight was.  As he turned, leading the horse with its burden into the wind the same question filled his thoughts, "Why?" 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I'm guessing the biggest thing I'm going to get is "Hey!  She's blind!  She can't fight!"  My answer?  Nothing is impossible, and there's a lot we don't know about Inara yet.  You'll have to wait for the next chapter for an explanation though.