An- wow! It's hard to believe...chapter 40! I mean, I knew from the beginning that this story was going to be long, but I never figured it be 40 chapters and beyond! And for all of you people who have read the first story and all 39 chapters before this one, my God ya'll rock! I love you for sticking with us this long! Rock on! Hopefully, you won't get sick of this story...cuz there's still plenty more to go!

Chapter 40

Closing her eyes, Carla screamed and then felt the hard ground as it came up to meet her. She just barely managed to twist her body so her side would take the brunt of the blow. Carla screamed again when her shoulder and arm connected with the ground and clenched her eyes tighter as mind numbing pain went up through her arm and throughout her body as she skidded along the bloody ground.

Coming to a stop a good fifteen feet away from where she originally left her horse, she was certain her arm was broken. Groaning in pain Carla opened her eyes in time to see an Orc above her and parry the sword it swung at her with her own, thank god she hadn't dropped it! Suddenly a knife flew above her head and imbedded itself in the orcs throat, killing it instantly. Just as suddenly as the knife had appeared, Eomer was by her side, checking her over and helping her get up.

"Are you alright? Please say you are unhurt." He said breathlessly. He looked her over quickly, making sure she was really all right, "I thought I told you to stay at the camp, why must you do exactly the opposite of what I tell you? You could have been killed and....and I would've... " He shouted, his voice dying off as he spoke.

"If you had of just let me come in the first place then I wouldn't be doing the opposite of what you want." Carla stated matter-of-factly, hissing in pain when Eomer squeezed her arm slightly in exasperation.

Eomer instantly noticed and let go of her arm, choosing instead to grasp her chin and make her look at him instead of the chaos around them.

"If you had listened and stayed at the camp then you wouldn't have gotten hurt and I wouldn't be sick with worry over you." Eomer stated softly.

"You're worried about me?" Carla said happily, "Why?"

"Yes, Isn't the why obvious?" He asked her "and I obviously have every reason to be worried, I just thank the Valar that Eowyn has not joined you." Eomer said, moving them towards his horse.

Carla laughed nervously. " Yeah, um.... speaking of Eowyn, I should probably go find her, see ya later!!" Carla said, running off to where she saw Eowyn last. She cringed when she heard the very loud "WHAT!!" from Eomer but continued running.

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The black ships silently moved towards the port.

Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Niori all crouched down by the side of the ship, weapons drawn, prepared to go to war.

They could hear the sounds of the battle that was being fought on the shore. Niori couldn't help note that both Carla and Jane were somewhere in the middle of all that...

"Are you sure you don't want to stay on the ship?" Legolas asked her in a whisper, looking at her, and obvious worry in his crystal eyes.

The reason Legolas was so worried was obvious. Last time Niori had fought in a large-scale battle, she had nearly died.

"I'm fighting," she told him softly, "two of my best friends are down there, and God knows I'm not going to sit here safely while they're risking their lives,"

Legolas looked away from her, obviously not wanting her to fight...

"You're not going to lose me," she whispered to him, turning his head around to look at her.

Suddenly, a gruff voice called from the shore "Late as usual! Pirate scum! There's a lot here to be done! Come on sea-rats! Get off your ships!"

After the last word was spoken, Aragorn gave a nod, and the whole group jumped up and then off of the boat and on to the shore.

The faces of the Orcs that were gathered on the shore were priceless. They were too shocked that it wasn't pirates, but Aragorn and CO, to even move.

"There's plenty for the both of us!" Gimli smirked up at Legolas, "May the best Dwarf win!"

"Boys, boys, boys," Niori laughed, "be prepared to lose this bet! Now, let's kick some ass!"

With that, the four warriors charged forward, weapons raised. Behind them, the army of the dead emerged from the other ships, slaying Orcs with ease and in great number.

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"I might actually live through this!" Jane muttered happily, cutting the head off an Orc and turning on the spot.

At that moment, a slicing pain shot through Jane's left arm and through her body. Shocked, she looked down.

"Oh my God," the girl said aloud, gingerly pulling a black feathered arrow out of her arm, leaving a very deep gash where the arrow had been, "they're poisoned!"

Jane fell to her knees in pain, the poison rapidly spreading through her body. The gash wouldn't stop bleeding... she closed her eyes...

Just then, she heard a grunt above her. Slowly, she opened her eyes, fearing the worst.

Standing over her was the biggest Orc Jane had ever seen.

As quickly as she could, Jane raised her sword in defense causing her arm to scream in protest. Fighting back a scream, she was able to block the first blow aimed for her head.

"Stay conscious...stay conscious..." a voice in her head kept repeating. Jane knew if she passed out, she was dead.

She leaped to her feet. Again, the monster came down on the wounded girl's sword, but much harder. She was loosing the battle to stay conscious.

'He's winning..." Jane thought distantly, her strength rapidly ebbing away," I'm going to die...' he was inches away...she could feel his putrid breath on her face...this was the end...

"Say goodbye," the Uruk-Hai rumbled smugly, pushing Jane down in the dust and raising his sword to administer the final, deadly, blow.

Jane's vision was clouding over...she was fighting to stay conscious.... Jane saw the Uruk-Hai smirk as he lowered his weapon...then he stopped. In an instant, his face changed to an expression of shock.

"Goodbye," the girl heard a familiar voice say triumphantly as the Uruk-Hai fell over, dead.

That was the last thing Jane remembered before her eyes rolled back in her head and she blacked out.

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By the time she finally reached Eowyn and Merry, her arm was throbbing and she had a gash slowly oozing blood from the side of her head. What she saw made her blood run cold. Eowyn was standing in front of the witch king, her helmet off. Still running she heard the four words that would seal the witch kings fate.

"I am no man!"

Eowyn plunged her sword into where the Nazgul's head would be and they both watched in amazement as the witch king met his end.

Falling to her knees Carla turned her head and watched in wonder at the flood of green ghost looking things. They were destroying every one of Sauron's forces. A very pleasant thought entered Carla's mind before the pain from her broken arm and the weariness from battle over took her.

They had won; she wasn't going to die after all.

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Pippin pulled his sword out of the Uruk-Hai and watched him fall to the ground. He kicked it to make sure the Uruk-Hai was dead, and upon finding that it was, he ran over to Jane's limp form.

"Jane!" He cried, getting down on his knees and shaking her. "Come on, Jane!"

When he got no reply, he checked her over. Her face was awfully pale and there were dark circles forming around her eyes. Pippin looked down and realized his pants were stained with the girl's blood, which was flowing steadily from the open gash on her arm. Thinking quickly, he tore off a piece of his shirt and tied it tightly around her arm to stem the flow.

"Please don't die!" Pippin muttered hastily, grabbing her wrist and feeling for a pulse, "Niori and Carla will kill me!"

He let out a sigh of relief when he found a pulse. A faint pulse, but at least the hobbit knew she was still alive.

'I'll have to remember to thank Erin for teaching me that,' Pippin thought thankfully. "But now I have to get her out of harms way!" He ducked to avoid being hit in the head by a thrown weapon.

So, doing the first thing that came to mind, he gathered all the strength he could muster and hauled the girl over his shoulders, all while keeping a firm grip on the hilt of his sword.

'I've got to find Gandalf.'

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An arrow flew only inches in front of Niori's face. She forced herself not to flinch away, for she was in the middle of kicking some Orc's butt. She drove her elvish knife downwards, killing the Orc.

"Fifteen!" she cried out triumphantly.

"Fifteen, sixteen!" Legolas's voice called out from somewhere behind her. He was taking the bloody easy way out and using his bow.

"Seventeen!" Gimli cried out.

"Oh screw this!" Niori cried, replacing her knife and pulling out her bow and an arrow, "I so refuse to lose!"

Niori fired off about ten arrows before she yet called out her number again " Twenty-five!"

"Twenty-nine!"

"Damnit!" Niori cursed, shooting off another arrow into the neck of an Orc.

Suddenly, Aragorn's voice called out.

"Legolas! Watch out!"

Niori turned quickly to see what was happening. She saw Legolas and a huge elephant thing charging towards the Elf. Niori's eyes widened, this didn't look like it would end good...

Legolas looked at the approaching beast for a moment, and then bolted TOWARDS the creature.

"What the hell is he doing?!" Niori cried, her mouth dropping open in surprise.

When Legolas reached it, he jumped up and started to climb up the spike-covered foreleg. He swung himself to the animal's hind leg, and using his arrows by sticking them into the animal, started to climb up the creature. Once the Elf had reached the top, he fired off his arrows into the men riding up there.

Niori, who was standing on the ground beside Gimli regarded this with a wide-open mouth "You've got to be kidding me!"

Legolas, who had accomplished to bring down the platform that was on top, now shot a few arrows into the beast's head. It fell forward, and Legolas jumped and slid down its trunk, landing directly in front of Gimli and Niori.

"Nice..." Niori commented.

"That only counts as one!" Gimli cried.

"I don't think it'll matter," Niori spoke, "look around,"

The army of the dead was making quick waste out of the enemy's army. There was only but a few Orcs left standing.

"It's pretty much over,"

It was another battle won.

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The battle was over. The good guys had won. Niori had wanted to rush off as soon as the battle was over to find Carla and Jane, but as it were, she would have to wait.

So here she was standing with Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn, facing the army of the dead.

"Release us," the dead king spoke to Aragorn.

"Bad idea!" Gimli spoke up suddenly, "Very handy in a tight spot, these lads, despite the fact they're dead,"

"Shut up Gimli!" Niori snapped at the Dwarf, "They've fulfilled their oath and regained their honor. We have to let them go,"

Aragon nodded and then spoke, addressing the king of the dead.

"I hold your oath fulfilled. Go be at peace,"

With a peaceful smile upon his lips, the king of the dead closed his eyes and he and his army disappeared into the winds.

"Well done Aragorn," Gandalf's voice suddenly came from behind them.

All four turned around and found Gandalf and Pippin (who was blood covered) standing there.

Immediately, Niori noticed something wrong and a warning light went off in her mind.

"Where's Jane!?"

Both Gandalf and Pippin looked at Niori with pained expressions.

"Where is Jane!?" Niori cried, fear causing a lump to form in her stomach,
" Where the hell is she?!"

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An- Jane- he he I couldn't help putting a little POTC reference in there when I got struck by that arrow. POTC rox!

Niori- Tanyway...what fate awaits our lovely Jane...well, you're all going to have to tune in next time to find out! Please review!