- - - Merry - - -

I heard someone scream Pippin's name (he was sleeping, he didn't hear it) and I looked up quickly. A company of men had just stopped in front of the gates of Isengard. But I had distinctly heard a feminine voice.

"MERRY!!!!" There it was again.

This time I recognized the voice but couldn't place it. I saw a cloaked figure hop down from one of the horses. It turned and pulled off the hood that was covering it's face. As soon as I saw the eyes, I knew it was Grace. She let out a shriek and ran toward me as fast as she could.

"Merry!" she cried as she scooped me off the ground in a hug. I laughed at her when she put me down and she ruffled my hair. I tried to smooth it with no avail.

Pippin stirred beside us and before he had time to wake up, Grace had lifted him off the ground in a hug too. He snapped awake and almost pushed himself away from Grace until he realized it was her.

I suddenly remembered my manners and sputtered off some stuff Treebeard had told us to say. "Welcome, my lords, to Isengard! We are the doorwardens. Meriadoc, son of Sardoc is my name; and my companion, who, alas! is overcome with weariness is Peregrin, son of Paladin, of the house of Took. Far in the North is our home. The Lord Saruman is within; but at the moment he is closeted with one Wormtongue, or doubtless he would be here to welcome such honourable guests." ¹

Gandalf asked us if it had been Saruman that had sent us to watch the gates. It had been Treebeard and I told him so. Suddenly, our conversation was cut short by a gruff voice. Gimli started ranting on about searching for days, fighting a war, and then finding us relaxing with pipes and wine.

"You speak for me, Gimli," laughed Legolas. "Though I would sooner learn how they came by the wine." ¹¹

We were questioned for what seemed like hours until Gandalf led away the company of men and Grace, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Pippin, and I got to sit down and actually talk. Grace fell asleep since it was still early morning. Aragorn picked her up and moved her far enough away we would not disturb her with talking. With Grace still in sight, I learned what we had missed.

- - - Grace - - -

It was so dark. I moved and heard a rustling of clothes. Neither of those things startled me until I remembered it wasn't night time. I sat up quickly and only succeeded in banging my head on something hard.

I blinked the stars away and lay still, trying to figure out where I was. I could feel something soft underneath me and there was a pillow under my head. From what I could tell, I was wearing a dress, which confused me since I had been wearing a long shirt-type thing over tight pants for the whole journey. I reached up and felt something over me. It surrounded me. Then I realized it. I was in a box. A huge box. And not just any box.

A coffin.

I started to pound on the roof of the coffin but stopped when pain shot through my wrists. I touched them and felt marks. Cuts. Not scars. But my cuts had healed long ago. How were they back and why was I buried six feet under the ground? Then I lost it. Not caring how much it hurt or why it hurt, I pounded on the lid as hard as I could. I started to scream and yell, scratching, clawing, and pounding at the satin and wood surrounding me.

Finally, I let out a scream that you could have heard three cities away and sat up. This time I didn't hit wood. I looked around. It was light out (well, semi-light; Mount Doom had been giving off so many clouds lately) and Legolas was sitting in front of me. I could see the other members of the Fellowship looking at me from a ways away and I stared back at them.

Legolas reached out and brushed my face. His fingers came away wet. Then, without even thinking about it, I leaned forward and kissed him.

- - - Legolas - - -

The moment I felt Grace's lips on mine, I knew it wasn't a kiss of affection. It wasn't even a kiss out of curiosity. She was merely seeking comfort and had found no better way to get it. Although I was sorely tempted, I would not take advantage of her like that. I gently pushed her away from me though my head was screaming for me to never let her go. She looked at me, her eyes more frightened than I had ever seen them, and her hands holding the front of my shirt.

"Utúvienye arwenamin.¹¹¹ Do not worry," I whispered to her.

A puzzled look crossed her face. Firstly I thought it was because she had not understood my words (which she didn't) but then she looked down at her arms, still gripping my shirt. Grace's eyes widened as she and I both saw her wrists were covered in blood. She took one of her hands and wiped at it. It was oozing from cuts on her wrists. Cuts that were in the exact place of her scars.

"What?" she asked in disbelief. "H - how?"

"Grace?"

Aragorn had come up behind us. The hobbits, unable to contain their curiosity, had followed. And Gimli had come also, not wanting to sit alone. When we had heard Grace's scream, a scream of absolute fear, I had been the first to her and I strongly suspected that Aragorn had told them not to follow.

"What happened?" Pippin asked, his eyes wide with horror.

"I don't… I don't know." Grace shook her head slightly. "I was dreaming. I was… dead. Buried. I had my cuts." She waved her arms as she spoke, and blood still flowed freely down her arms and onto the ground. "I screamed and tried to escape -" I noticed her knuckles were scraped and bruised "- but I couldn't. Then I woke up."

Gimli put a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him. "I don't want to die. I don't want to be alone," she said in a small voice.

"Amin khiluva vys a' gurtha ar' thar." ¹¹¹¹

Aragorn looked at me when I made that statement. He was the only one who understood it and I could tell he was surprised I had said it. It was almost a relief Grace could not understand my words, for she would most likely think them either a joke or think I was utterly crazy.

Pippin stepped forward and wrapped his small arms around her then and she looked happy to be comforted. After releasing Pippin, Aragorn took her hand gently and pulled her to her feet. Grace wavered slightly but caught her balance quickly. She followed him to where he had left all his healing supplies. He pulled out a roll of bandages and some athelas. As he tended to Grace's cuts, Gimli turned to me.

"What happened to the lass?"

"I don't know Gimli. I don't even think she does," I said.

A look of pain flashed across Grace's face as Aragorn wrapped her wrists tightly. He put a hand on her shoulder when he was finished and she looked at him then threw her arms around his neck. Gently brushing her hair off her face, he kissed her cheek and hugged her back.

Grace had affected us all. I noticed it in the way any of us watched her. She had become too important to the Fellowship. As important as any of us that had originally set out from Rivendell. She looked down at her bandaged arms, that were already blood soaked, and I knew then. I knew that I would heal her.

(A/N: Hehehe, hi. I know, I know, I didn't get 175 Reviews. But don't you think 173 is close enough? It is for me, because I WANNA POST THIS CHAPTER! Anywho, I didn't update yesterday cuz it was my birfday and I was celebrating and other stuff like that. I GOT THE TWO TOWERS ON DVD, I'm so happy! I just had to tell you all. I'm going to go watch it right now. That's right. Now. Okay. Well, Review while I'm watching the movie and we'll all be happy cuz I like Reviews and I'll update for you! And I must answer a question posed in a Review.

To christen: the orc in chapter five that Grace tackled was always there. She distracted it when it was focussing on Boromir and then started freaking out because no one was there to help. That's where Aragorn comes in. He came and fought the Uruk-hai and killed it, as seen in the movie, The Fellowship of the Ring. I hope no one else had trouble understanding that. Tell me if you did!)

¹ The Two Towers, page 543

¹¹ The Two Towers, page 544

¹¹¹ Elvish! Translation: I have come my lady

¹¹¹¹ MORE ELVISH! YAY! Translation: I will follow you to death and beyond