~ An- Niori: Hey hey all! So, what's going on? Erin had her brat-I mean kid...but anyway, here's our new chapter (the next one will be ours too, because Erin's like a whole chapter a head of us...so, you'll have to sit through two of our chapters before FINALLY find out the sex of Erin's kid) * Evil laughter*...

Chapter 29

"Why did you look? Why do you always look?!"

Merry's almost angered voice asked Pippin as the two Hobbits walked quickly followed behind Gandalf towards the stables.

"I don't know...I can't help it!" Pippin cried, shame dripping off his voice.

"You never can!" Merry replied, "and worse off, this time you put Jane in danger! I just can't believe Niori hasn't kicked your ass for it yet!"

"I'm sorry alright! I was an idiot, but I couldn't help it! I won't do it again!"

Merry stopped walking and turned around sharply to stare seriously at Pippin, totally realizing Pippin had no clue what was going on.

"Don't you get it Pippin? Didn't you hear what Jane said? Sauron thinks you have to ring! The enemy's going to be looking for you Pip, and Jane too, because he thinks she knows something. They have to get you two out of here!"

"But y-you're coming with me right?" Pippin asked, both with confused voice and eyes.

Merry didn't reply, but gave a small shake of the head and continued to walk.

"Merry! Answer me!"

"Come on," Merry replied simply, stepping into the stable behind Gandalf.

Niori, Carla and Jane were already inside, all three of them were crying. They were at the back of the stable, all gathered around a night black horse.

"It is time Jane," Gandalf told the young girl softly, while leading Shadowfex out.

Jane looked up at Gandalf, tears still in her crystal eyes. She turned back around and hugged Carla and Niori tightly.

"Be careful Jane," Carla whispered, feeling her voice about to break.

"Yeah, don't go playing hero like I did and get yourself sliced and diced," Niori spoke, trying to laugh but with no prevail.

"I'll be careful..." Jane's voice trailed off.

"You have to Jane," Carla replied, "because being separated from Erin is hard enough, and now you're going..."

"You two better be off," Gandalf told Carla and Niori softly, "we have a long journey ahead,"

Niori nodded a little and she and Carla stepped towards the exit, casting one last sad look at Jane. Just as they passed Pippin, who was sitting on Shadowfex, both girls sent him venomous glares.

"Damn you Pippin!" Carla hissed at him.

"If you let anything happen to her," Niori threatened the Hobbit, "I'll kill you with my bare hands!" With that, the two girls left, and Merry turned to go with them.

"See you Pip," he said, his voice shaky.

"But-but we'll see each other soon won't we?" Pippin asked, bewildered.

"I have no clue," Merry whispered softly, "goodbye Pippin, Jane,"

With that, Merry left.

"Merry!" Pippin called after him, his eyes now wide in disbelief.

"Gandalf," Jane spoke from a top her horse, coming up beside them, " there's no chance in hell that my horse will be able to keep up with Shadowfex,"

"I am aware," Gandalf replied, "but you have the swiftest horse in all of Rohan, and all I ask is that you ride as swiftly as possible," Jane nodded, "now, run Shadowfex! Show us the meaning of haste!"

With that, the riders took off towards Minas Tirith.

. . . . . .

The two girls sat upon the stairs leading up to the Golden hall watching the sun set over the plains of Rohan. The whole sky was lit up in the beautiful shades of pink, orange and gold, and the world around them was painted in shadows.

Neither Niori nor Carla had spoken much since Jane had left. They had just calmly walked out of the stable and sat on the steps.

"What do you think the chances of all four of us actually surviving this are?" Carla asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Low," Niori replied simply, "considering the ones who's going through Mordor is pregnant, one is riding off at this moment to a bad ass war, and we're going to that war pretty soon too,"

"The chances really do suck," Carla sighed.

"But we'll get through it," Niori continued, "I mean hell, look what we've lived through before!"

"Like that time when me and you were like nine, and got lost in the woods for like five hours?" Carla joked, rolling her eyes.

"Or that time Erin's boyfriend went physo on her, and then you broke his nose when he called her a slut," Niori added with a smile.

"And when you failed your report card,"

"Or when Jane tried to fire your bow and sent the arrow through her kitchen window!"

By now, both girls were gasping for breath. They both fell over and were now lying on the stairs, laughing hysterically.

"God we've had some good times!" Carla spoke in between her laughter.

"We have," Niori agreed, "and if we ever get home, we'll have some good times to remember from Middle-Earth,"

"Like anyone would believe us!"

"True, but we could lie and say we met the movie cast," Niori smirked, "remember, I have pictures!"

They both laughed again.

"So, I see you two are taking Jane's leaving well," a voice suddenly came from behind (and above, they were still lying down) them.

The two girls cast their eyes upwards to see Legolas standing there, a small smile on his lips.

"Just remembering the good times," Carla replied simply.

Legolas raised an eyebrow before he sat down a stair above them.

"May we help you Elf-boy?"

"Not really, but I'm as board as you two seemed to be five minutes ago," Legolas replied with a shrug, "so I decided to come see how you two were taking Jane's departure,"

"We miss her already," Niori replied, sadness entering her voice again.

"It's too bad she had to go with Gandalf," Legolas replied, an obnoxious smirk settling over his face, "I was really hoping for an encore of that dance last night..."

Niori sat up and turned to face the Elf, "you liked it did you?"

"Niori, every male in the room liked it!" Carla told her with a laugh.

"It was...surprising at the time,," Legolas replied, "and I'm pretty sure Aragorn almost had a stroke, but..."

Niori laughed loudly before replying "God! It wasn't that bad was it?!"

"It was the opposite of bad," Legolas replied, "it was very...very good,"

"And that was the reason you looked so surprised?" Carla rolled her eyes.

"What can I say?"

"Ok! New subject!" Niori cried.

"I have one," Carla answered, "remember how you two were all weir since Isenguard until yesterday, what the hell happened there?"

Both Legolas and Niori went silent and looked away from Carla.

"Oh my God! You slept together!" Carla cried, her eyes widening in surprise.

"No we didn't!" Niori replied sharply, "It was..."

"Complicated," Legolas finished.

"Oh my God!" Carla cried, ignoring the m completely," What! ARGH! What happens in you get pregnant like Erin?! I'm sorry, but you with a kid is not a good mix! I mean God; you despise your little sister! I cannot believe you two slept together!" And so on, and so forth.

"Yeah, I'm leaving," Niori said, Carla was still going.

"I'm with you..." Legolas replied, and the two left.

Carla, who was unaware that they had left, kept on talking.

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

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

"Jane!" Gandalf cried from Shadowfax, snapping the girl out of a (wonderful) daydream. "We've just passed into the realm of Gondor!"

"Oh thank God!" Jane muttered, speeding her horse up to catch up to Gandalf , "I feel like I'm going to die if I don't get some sleep soon!"

All Jane had seen for the past 3 days, were trees, trees, and some more trees. She hadn't slept at all, and had eaten very little. When she did eat, it was always stale bread and water.

~ "This is starting to remind me of running through the plains of Rohan," Jane thought, a wave of sadness washing over her. She thought of Niori, Carla, and the friends she had to leave behind in Edoras. ~ "All because of that stupid Palantir!" she thought bitterly, grasping the reins tighter. "I was only trying to help"-

In an instant, Jane's thoughts were forgotten, and the girl was momentarily blinded by a blast of bright midday sunlight. They had ("Finally," Jane sighed) ridden out of the forest, and grassy plains continued as far as her eyes could see.

"Minus Tirith, city of Kings." Gandalf said, as the three gazed upon the magnificent White city.

"Is this place ever big!" Jane said in an almost awed voice, pulling her horse into a trot and following Gandalf through the entrance gates of the city. The first thing she noticed, was that the guards didn't seem as alert and ready as they should be, considering Mordor's armies were marching into battle- and heading straight for the white city! The guards hardly looked up when the two horses entered.

"Gandalf," Jane spoke quietly, looking around, "why aren't the soldiers getting prepared for battle? I mean, the air is so tense in Rohan, while here...do they even know?"

The wizard looked at her gravely. "That is why we are here," he whispered firmly, "to tell Denethor the situation, as it is."

Jane nodded, and Gandalf motioned for her to speed up. Sighing wistfully for a warm bed, Jane pushed her horse onward, and up the many floors of the city, not exactly sure where they were going.

Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity of riding in circles, Jane, Gandalf and Pippin rode up onto the courtyard of the beautiful hall, and Jane guessed that's where they were supposed to be.

Jane dismounted her horse and turned around, marveling at the sights surrounding her. The wondrous mountains, the amazing scenery. She squinted against the bright afternoon sunlight, a warm breeze running through her hair.

"Gandalf! Jane! The Tree! It's the tree!" Pippin exclaimed in wonder, beckoning Jane over to a sickly-looking tree, only slightly bigger than herself.

"Yes, the white tree of Gondor. The tree of the King," Gandalf spoke quickly, briskly walking to a pair of huge oak doors that lead into the hall.

"Is that why it's dying?" Jane asked thoughtfully, thinking of Aragorn and the King-less throne of Gondor.

"Yes," Gandalf said impatiently, facing the two. "But Lord Denethor is not a King. He is only a Steward...a caretaker of the throne." He added, upon receiving two blank looks in return.

"Now, listen carefully." Gandalf went on, "Lord Denethor is Boromir's father-"

"Oooh...shit," Jane thought aloud, interrupting the wizard.

Gandalf shot her a 'shut-up-I'm-trying-to-talk' look, and continued, "...and to give him news of his beloved son's death would be most unwise."

Jane nodded impatiently and moved towards the door to open it. Gandalf stopped her with his arm.

"...And don't mention Frodo...And say nothing of Aragorn either." Again Gandalf motioned to open the door, but paused and glanced at Pippin and Jane.

"Okay! We get it! We won't say a word!" She snapped, throwing her arms in the air. "Can we go in now?!"

Gandalf gave the two a brief unsure look, as if he wasn't sure he should bring them in too, shook his head, and slowly pushed open the huge oak doors with Jane and Pippin at his heels.

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

~ AN- there u go! Oh, next chapter will be us (Niori, Carla and Jane) again because we need to catch up with Erin...so you'll all have to wait another while until you can find out the sex of Erin's baby! There's only a week left of my musical (which is taking up my entire life) so I hope to be able to update soon....Bai bai ~