Chapter 16

As soon as the sun began to peak over the distant horizon, lighting up the clear sky with brilliant colors of pink, orange and blue, the three girls were shaken awake.

" Wake up," Aragorn told them all, entering the three girls' bedroom, " the three of you! We leave, for the sun has risen,"

Three unwilling groans came from the three separate beds.

" We're leaving now!" Aragorn said, with more force, " Get up!"

Slowly, the three girls sat up, and after glaring at Aragorn, they all climbed out of their beds.

" How come," Carla yawned, stretching her arms and bending down to retrieve her bag, " I feel like it's another morning of school?"

" Tell me about it," Niori moaned, pulling her tunic on to her shoulders, " I'm so tired!"

" Well," Jane smirked, " maybe you shouldn't have stayed out so late,"

" Late?" Niori asked, turning around to stare at her, eyebrows raised.

" Remember?" Jane's smirk grew wider, " the whole it's- none- of- your- damn- business- if- I -was- with- Legolas- or- not?"

" Ohhh." Carla laughed a bit, " I obviously missed something!"

By now, Niori's mouth had dropped open, and she looked quite pissed.

"You God damn-" Aragorn cut off her angry cry.

" Girls!" he said, shaking his head, " this is not the time! We're leaving! Leave now, fight later!"

Without another word (to each other) the three girls grabbed their stuff and left.

l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l.l

Jane was still sitting atop her and Aragorn's horse along with her,

Carla walked a little ways away from her horse, because Gimli was ridding atop their horse while conversing with Eowyn, and Niori led her and

Legolas's horse, Legolas walked ahead of the whole party.

They had been traveling now for half the day, and already most of the travelers were getting weary.

" I'm soooooo board!" Carla muttered to herself as she walked alone, " Everyone here is way too quiet!"

Quickly, she moved forward to talk with Niori, who was leading her horse just ahead of Carla, looking almost as board as Carla herself felt.

" So," she asked as she stepped up beside Niori and the other girl turned to look at her, " did lover boy finally realize what a witch you were and now wants nothing to do with you?" her voice was joking.

" Very funny!" The other girl snapped angrily.

" Well, most of the time we have to pry you two apart with a crowbar!

" Are you sure you're not talking about Erin and Frodo?" Niori asked sarcastically, " because nothing has happened between Legolas and I, and we're just friends!"

Carla couldn't help but burst out laughing. That had to have been the funniest thing she'd heard all day!

" Come off it Niori!" she laughed, " You've been in love with the guy since you saw the first movie!"

Niori opened her mouth to shoot off an angry reply, but just as the words were about to roll off her tongue, there was a scream of pain from in front of them.

Both girls looked up sharply, and not long after the scream, they heard Legolas's call out.

" A scout!"

" Shit!" Carla cursed loudly and looked behind her. From the two words that Legolas had shouted, terror erupted within the group of the village people.

" Riders to the head of the column!" Theoden cried sharply, and Niori started to mount her horse, but was soon stopped by Aragorn.

" NO! You three stay with the villagers! It's too dangerous now and if another attack awaits the people before they reach Helm's deep, you three will be there to defend them!"

The three were going to protest, but Gimli was put in Jane's place on the back of the horse that she and Aragorn shared, and rode off.
" But I can fight!" Eowyn's dismayed cry came from behind them.

" You two take Carla's horse and ride with Eowyn. I'm going to stay here and fight!" Niori declared, mounting her horse, " Now go!"

Without giving the other a chance to respond, Niori rode off with the other riders.

" Damn her!" Carla muttered to herself, but pulled Jane's arm and hurriedly to catch up with Eowyn.

Niori rode swiftly and when she reached where Legolas stood, shooting off arrows at their foe, the Elf swung himself up behind her.

" Why are you not with the others!" he asked her, pulling an arrow from his quiver and stringing it to his bow.

" What? And miss all the fun?" she smirked back at him.

Suddenly, behind their horse, Gimli fell off the back of Aragorn's horse, and ways about to be attacked by a rider less Warg.

Without hesitation, Legolas turned around and fired his arrow into the creature that was about to attack Gimli, killing it.

" Argh!" Gimli yelled angrily at the Elf, " that one counts as mine!"

" This is where I get off!" Legolas told Niori, preparing to jump off their horse, " be careful!" with that, Legolas leaped of the horse.

Niori reached into her quiver and was just about to pull and arrow, when a Warg leaped and hit her horse in the side, sending the girl flying through the air.

She landed on her back a few feet away, and felt her vision go dark for a fraction of a second. She sat there completely for a moment, but was brought back to the battle as a Warg, slashed out, its claws connecting with the soft flesh of her forearm.

Niori muffled a scream of pain, and using her uninjured arm, pulled out her elvish blade. Suddenly, the Warg pitched forward, and blindly, Niori stabbed out her knife. She brought the blade up into the thing's chin, killing it.

The battle continued for almost another ten minutes and then finally, the remaining Wargs and riders retreated. Niori stood by herself a moment, feeling quite dizzy, but then regained her senses, and went to where

Legolas, Gimli and Theoden stood, looking down over the side of a cliff.

There was no sign of Aragorn.

" What's wrong?" Niori asked as she reached the three, " Where's Aragorn?"

" He." Gimli started, but found himself unable to finish.

" Fell." Theoden finished, " Get the wounded on horses. The wolves of Isenguard will return. Leave the dead"

" Oh my God," Niori covered her mouth, feeling tears came into her eyes, " Aragorn's dead?"

Legolas, who was glaring at Theoden, turned back towards her, noticing now that the girl was bleeding heavily from her arm.

" You're bleeding!" he said.

" I'm fine," Niori replied, her voice barely above a whisper and feeling tears slip down her cheeks. It was unbelievable. Aragorn was dead!

Silently, tears still running her cheeks, Legolas put his arm around Niori for comfort, and lead her back to their horse, grieving inside himself. Silently, they followed the rest of the party towards Helm's deep