~ AN- hey hey all! Well, I would like to please beg your forgiveness for
waiting so long to update, and I won't go into details because they are
extremely stupid, but again, sorry it took us so long! ~
Chapter 18 Niori stopped abruptly and looked up into Legolas's deep blue eyes, remembering something, as the now-small group of riders neared the fortress of Helm's Deep. "What's wrong?" Legolas asked the distraught girl.
"Oh my God", Niori said quietly,"..what are we going to tell Jane?" ~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Apparently, while she's fighting, I'm supposed to sit here, on this fringing freezing floor and knit!" Carla said angrily to Jane, who was only half-listening.
The two were sitting in the Helm among the hundreds of other Rohirrim women, waiting for the safe return of the city's men. "Get over it," Jane said, grinning at her friend." You'll have your time to fight during Helm's Deep. Besides, do you think I really enjoy waiting here too?"
"Well"- Carla began, but was cut off by a loud blast from a horn outside the deep.
"They're back!" Jane cried, getting up and following Carla to the entrance to meet their friends. ~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Theoden came in first, followed by Legolas and Niori, then Gimli. Seeing the shape of Niori's arm, Jane and Carla rushed over to the girl. "Oh my God!" Jane screamed," your arm!"
Niori looked down wearily at her clothes, which were now covered in her blood. "I'm okay," she lied.
Ignoring her, Carla ripped off a piece of her shirt and made a tourniquet around Niori's arm. "Way to kill yourself, dumbass," Carla mumbled.
"Jane... Carla, "Legolas got off his horse and stood beside the two, "There's something you both should know.especially you, Jane."
"What?" Jane asked, seeing the sadness in the elf's fair face.
"It's Aragorn," Niori said, getting off her horse, " he.fell."
Jane's eyed widened with shock. "What.?" she said softly in disbelief, "..how.?"
"He fell off a cliff," Niori said again, fresh tears falling from her eyes as she tried not to look at her grief-stricken friend.
"Oh,.." Carla said, crying herself, "..No..."
Still speechless with shock, Jane backed up against a wall," Oh...God.No." The girl moaned, sliding down the stone wall onto the cold cement floor, crying softly to herself. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~* An hour later, Niori sat upon a set of stairs with Legolas at her side. Unsatisfied with the tourniquet that Carla had made for Niori's bleeding arm, Legolas was making one himself. " It may hurt a bit," Legolas told her softly, pulling the cloth tightly together.
Niori didn't even grimace as the slight pain traveled up her arm. She had been sitting numbly and silently for the past hour. " Niori," Legolas asked her softly, starting to worry about her silence, " are you alright?"
" I'm fine," Niori said, speaking for the first time, " but I just realized, no one has even bothered to ask how you are, and Aragorn was your best friend. So how are You?"
Legolas looked at the young girl sadly. " It is true, Aragorn was my best friend, and I do and will grieve him sorely, but right now, there is someone who is alive and that I care about just as much, who I can help. I can hide my grief, only because my mind is occupied in helping you," Niori smiled at him, suddenly feeling so tired.
She yawned and shook her head. " I'm so tired all of the sudden,"
" From the mixture of blood loss, tears and grief, it is a wonder that you have not already feel asleep. And I advise that you get your rest, remember there will still be a battle left to fight,"
" May I use you as a pillow then?" Niori asked, a mischievous grin spreading across her face,
" Considering you're the one who thinks I should sleep," Legolas smirked a bit, " Even if I say no, you'll do it anyway. So do I really have a choice?"
" Not really," Niori whispered, leaning her head against Legolas's shoulder and closing her eyes. Within minutes, Niori was asleep. With a sigh, Legolas wrapped his arms around Niori's shoulders, leaned his head against hers and closed his eyes. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ " I sit can't believe he's dead!" Jane sobbed into her palms.
" Jane," Carla tried to comfort the other girl, " calm down! Crying your eyes out won't help anything!"
" But you don't get it!" Jane sobbed again, " I was in love with him! Even if only you, Niori and Erin knew about it, I still was in love with him!"
" I know-" but Carla's voice trailed off as Gimli came storming by them.
" I'm going to kill him!" Gimli grumbled angrily.
" Gimli, what's wrong?" Carla asked.
" Nothing's wrong, Aragorn's alive!"
" WHAT!" both Jane and Carla cried, jumping to there feet and following Gimli. At the entrance to Helm's Deep, a crowd had gathered. Gimli, Jane and Carla pushed their way to the front of the crowd, and then they saw him. Aragorn, looking tired and beat up, standing beside his horse. " You're alive!"
Aragorn turned to face the others. " You're..alive...!" Jane cried, gripping on to Aragorn and hugging him tightly, " I can't believe...How dare you make us all think you were dead!" She cried, pushing away. " That was such an inconsiderate thing to do! Why you are such...Oh My God, you're actually alive!" She hugged him again.
He hugged them all quickly, and then turned to Gimli " Where is the king?" Gimli pointed towards the hall, and Aragorn walked away.
Legolas, who was still all cuddled up to the sleeping Niori, did a double take when he saw Aragorn walking towards the hall entrance. He almost got up, but did no wish to wake the sleeping Niori, so instead he called out to Aragorn. " You're late (But in Elvish)," Aragorn turned to look at Legolas, who was still sitting on the stairs.
" You look terrible," Legolas spoke, looking Aragorn up and down, causing Aragorn to laugh a bit.
Aragorn looked from Legolas, and then to Niori, who was still sleeping peacefully on his shoulder, and raised his eyebrows. Legolas smirked and then reached into his pocket, pulled something out and passed it to Aragorn. It was the Evenstar. Aragorn looked down at in wonder and looked back up to Legolas smiling. " Thank you my friend, but now I must go see the king. Come when you decide you're tired of having Niori draped across you,"
"In that case," Legolas smiled, " I'll be here quite awhile," ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* " A great host you say," Theoden spoke.
Aragorn, Carla, Gimli and Jane were in the hall as Aragorn was telling the king about the army he had seen coming towards Helm's Deep. " All of Isenguard is emptied-" Aragorn started, but was cut off as the door flew open.
" Why the hell didn't you wake me up?" Niori asked, as she and Legolas walked in, " I was all in depressed mode because I thought he was dead, but then he turned out he was alive, and you didn't even bother to wake me up to tell me he was alive!"
" Sorry," Legolas shrugged, " I was enjoying your company," " I was asleep!" " I know," Legolas smirked, " you were also very close and quiet, did I mention very close?"
" Haha," Niori shot him a dirty look, and then turned back to the others, " so, what did we miss?"
" Only that about a million orcs are coming to kill us all," Cara shrugged. " So no biggie then," Niori replied.
" Anyway," Aragorn continued, " they are less than a day away. They will be here by nightfall,"
Theoden sighed and then spoke " In these walls, we will outlast them. Crops can be replanted one purpose," Aragorn cried, " to destroand homes rebuilt, and in this place we will last,"
" This army comes here for y the world of men! You must send out riders!"
" Who will come?" Theoden snapped, " Elves? Dwarves? An army from another world? Our friendships do not extend as far as yours Aragorn,"
Aragorn was silent. " No, this fight is ours and only ours," Theoden replied, " and then called out to the guards guarding the gate. " Seal the gate!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~AN- Well, there's the chapter! Hope you all enjoyed! Anyway, just in case Erin, Jane, Carla and I (Niori) don't get out another chapter before Christmas...Merry Christmas! And a happy new year! But you never know, we might break tradition and have the next chapter up within the next month. Anyway, the next chapter (after Erin's) featuring the three of us (Niori, Jane and Carla) is Helm's Deep! *Finally * So, rock on!
Chapter 18 Niori stopped abruptly and looked up into Legolas's deep blue eyes, remembering something, as the now-small group of riders neared the fortress of Helm's Deep. "What's wrong?" Legolas asked the distraught girl.
"Oh my God", Niori said quietly,"..what are we going to tell Jane?" ~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ "Apparently, while she's fighting, I'm supposed to sit here, on this fringing freezing floor and knit!" Carla said angrily to Jane, who was only half-listening.
The two were sitting in the Helm among the hundreds of other Rohirrim women, waiting for the safe return of the city's men. "Get over it," Jane said, grinning at her friend." You'll have your time to fight during Helm's Deep. Besides, do you think I really enjoy waiting here too?"
"Well"- Carla began, but was cut off by a loud blast from a horn outside the deep.
"They're back!" Jane cried, getting up and following Carla to the entrance to meet their friends. ~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Theoden came in first, followed by Legolas and Niori, then Gimli. Seeing the shape of Niori's arm, Jane and Carla rushed over to the girl. "Oh my God!" Jane screamed," your arm!"
Niori looked down wearily at her clothes, which were now covered in her blood. "I'm okay," she lied.
Ignoring her, Carla ripped off a piece of her shirt and made a tourniquet around Niori's arm. "Way to kill yourself, dumbass," Carla mumbled.
"Jane... Carla, "Legolas got off his horse and stood beside the two, "There's something you both should know.especially you, Jane."
"What?" Jane asked, seeing the sadness in the elf's fair face.
"It's Aragorn," Niori said, getting off her horse, " he.fell."
Jane's eyed widened with shock. "What.?" she said softly in disbelief, "..how.?"
"He fell off a cliff," Niori said again, fresh tears falling from her eyes as she tried not to look at her grief-stricken friend.
"Oh,.." Carla said, crying herself, "..No..."
Still speechless with shock, Jane backed up against a wall," Oh...God.No." The girl moaned, sliding down the stone wall onto the cold cement floor, crying softly to herself. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~* An hour later, Niori sat upon a set of stairs with Legolas at her side. Unsatisfied with the tourniquet that Carla had made for Niori's bleeding arm, Legolas was making one himself. " It may hurt a bit," Legolas told her softly, pulling the cloth tightly together.
Niori didn't even grimace as the slight pain traveled up her arm. She had been sitting numbly and silently for the past hour. " Niori," Legolas asked her softly, starting to worry about her silence, " are you alright?"
" I'm fine," Niori said, speaking for the first time, " but I just realized, no one has even bothered to ask how you are, and Aragorn was your best friend. So how are You?"
Legolas looked at the young girl sadly. " It is true, Aragorn was my best friend, and I do and will grieve him sorely, but right now, there is someone who is alive and that I care about just as much, who I can help. I can hide my grief, only because my mind is occupied in helping you," Niori smiled at him, suddenly feeling so tired.
She yawned and shook her head. " I'm so tired all of the sudden,"
" From the mixture of blood loss, tears and grief, it is a wonder that you have not already feel asleep. And I advise that you get your rest, remember there will still be a battle left to fight,"
" May I use you as a pillow then?" Niori asked, a mischievous grin spreading across her face,
" Considering you're the one who thinks I should sleep," Legolas smirked a bit, " Even if I say no, you'll do it anyway. So do I really have a choice?"
" Not really," Niori whispered, leaning her head against Legolas's shoulder and closing her eyes. Within minutes, Niori was asleep. With a sigh, Legolas wrapped his arms around Niori's shoulders, leaned his head against hers and closed his eyes. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ " I sit can't believe he's dead!" Jane sobbed into her palms.
" Jane," Carla tried to comfort the other girl, " calm down! Crying your eyes out won't help anything!"
" But you don't get it!" Jane sobbed again, " I was in love with him! Even if only you, Niori and Erin knew about it, I still was in love with him!"
" I know-" but Carla's voice trailed off as Gimli came storming by them.
" I'm going to kill him!" Gimli grumbled angrily.
" Gimli, what's wrong?" Carla asked.
" Nothing's wrong, Aragorn's alive!"
" WHAT!" both Jane and Carla cried, jumping to there feet and following Gimli. At the entrance to Helm's Deep, a crowd had gathered. Gimli, Jane and Carla pushed their way to the front of the crowd, and then they saw him. Aragorn, looking tired and beat up, standing beside his horse. " You're alive!"
Aragorn turned to face the others. " You're..alive...!" Jane cried, gripping on to Aragorn and hugging him tightly, " I can't believe...How dare you make us all think you were dead!" She cried, pushing away. " That was such an inconsiderate thing to do! Why you are such...Oh My God, you're actually alive!" She hugged him again.
He hugged them all quickly, and then turned to Gimli " Where is the king?" Gimli pointed towards the hall, and Aragorn walked away.
Legolas, who was still all cuddled up to the sleeping Niori, did a double take when he saw Aragorn walking towards the hall entrance. He almost got up, but did no wish to wake the sleeping Niori, so instead he called out to Aragorn. " You're late (But in Elvish)," Aragorn turned to look at Legolas, who was still sitting on the stairs.
" You look terrible," Legolas spoke, looking Aragorn up and down, causing Aragorn to laugh a bit.
Aragorn looked from Legolas, and then to Niori, who was still sleeping peacefully on his shoulder, and raised his eyebrows. Legolas smirked and then reached into his pocket, pulled something out and passed it to Aragorn. It was the Evenstar. Aragorn looked down at in wonder and looked back up to Legolas smiling. " Thank you my friend, but now I must go see the king. Come when you decide you're tired of having Niori draped across you,"
"In that case," Legolas smiled, " I'll be here quite awhile," ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* " A great host you say," Theoden spoke.
Aragorn, Carla, Gimli and Jane were in the hall as Aragorn was telling the king about the army he had seen coming towards Helm's Deep. " All of Isenguard is emptied-" Aragorn started, but was cut off as the door flew open.
" Why the hell didn't you wake me up?" Niori asked, as she and Legolas walked in, " I was all in depressed mode because I thought he was dead, but then he turned out he was alive, and you didn't even bother to wake me up to tell me he was alive!"
" Sorry," Legolas shrugged, " I was enjoying your company," " I was asleep!" " I know," Legolas smirked, " you were also very close and quiet, did I mention very close?"
" Haha," Niori shot him a dirty look, and then turned back to the others, " so, what did we miss?"
" Only that about a million orcs are coming to kill us all," Cara shrugged. " So no biggie then," Niori replied.
" Anyway," Aragorn continued, " they are less than a day away. They will be here by nightfall,"
Theoden sighed and then spoke " In these walls, we will outlast them. Crops can be replanted one purpose," Aragorn cried, " to destroand homes rebuilt, and in this place we will last,"
" This army comes here for y the world of men! You must send out riders!"
" Who will come?" Theoden snapped, " Elves? Dwarves? An army from another world? Our friendships do not extend as far as yours Aragorn,"
Aragorn was silent. " No, this fight is ours and only ours," Theoden replied, " and then called out to the guards guarding the gate. " Seal the gate!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ~AN- Well, there's the chapter! Hope you all enjoyed! Anyway, just in case Erin, Jane, Carla and I (Niori) don't get out another chapter before Christmas...Merry Christmas! And a happy new year! But you never know, we might break tradition and have the next chapter up within the next month. Anyway, the next chapter (after Erin's) featuring the three of us (Niori, Jane and Carla) is Helm's Deep! *Finally * So, rock on!