Disclaimer: I do not own anything but Aldrea and the plot. Pai belongs to Agarwen and the rest of the characters and Middle-Earth belong to their respective owners.

A/N: This chapter is going to be confusing because of all the different languages that are going to be spoken. Each one will be written a different way so you may want to keep referring to the language key below. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please review!

Language Key:

'Dragon language'

"Multiple languages spoken at the same time" (Aldrea only)

"Japanese language"

"Westron or Common Tongue"

"English, American language" (Rarely used)

"Rohirrim language"

/Thought speak. /

Elvish is written as elvish and is not used often

Thoughts

(Author's notes/information)

Chapter X: The Journeys

Pai was traveling along the river she had forgotten the name to that came out of the forest whose name seemed to have slipped her mind as well. Pai's group had been traveling in the dark for a while when Pai stopped. "Nall, Ruby," she said suddenly. "It's time to go dragon."

Nall nodded and changed from his small cat-like form into a large white dragon that was covered with feathers and patches of scales. His wings were also feathered. Then Ruby did the same thing, but her form took on the color of bright red blood.

Pai then turned to Shippou. "Okay, it's time for you to transform now." As she said this she transformed herself into a large red-blue dragon. Shippou closed his eyes and concentrated really hard. With a poof and a small cloud of smoke Shippou had turned into a cute little green scaly dragon with black leather wings and a fluffy tail. Pai sighed and shook her head. 'I suppose it'll have to do.' She then set up an illusion around Kirara so she couldn't be seen or sensed. 'Let's go.'

They each spread their feathered wings except for Shippou and Kirara, who jumped on Pai's back. They flew up into the air and over the plane, following the swiftly flowing river. They journeyed for a day and a night with only one rest and during dusk of the next day they spotted something gold gleaming across the plane. Pai soon figured out that what they saw was a building of some sort.

'Hey, Pai,' said Ruby, 'why don't we see if the people who live in that building will let us stay with them tonight?'

'What, tired from a flight that lasts from dawn until the dusk of the next day?' Pai replied jokingly. 'You told me you were getting enough exercise.'

Ruby pouted, and then the three dragons began circling towards the ground in the orange sunset, preparing to land. As soon as their feet touched the ground Shippou asked Nall if he could transform back to his original form yet.

'I'm not sure,' replied Nall. 'Pai, do you think we're out of Aldrea's range?'

'Ruby, how many miles have we traveled?'

'About 1000 furlongs, 125 miles, and 220000 yards.'

'So, do you think we're out of Aldrea's range yet?' Nall asked again. He was beginning to become restless and kept shifting his wings.

'Stop that,' complained Pai. 'Her range, I'm guessing, is about 100 miles. So, I think... YEAH!' She then gave Nall one of those I can't believe you're so stupid look and switched forms.

Shippou fell to the ground and turned back to normal with a pop. "Mommy," he groaned. "I'm starving. Do we have any dumplings?"

"Why of course we do, sweety." Pai gave Shippou a fond look, and then screamed at Nall to give her the food pack he had carried for her. He transformed to his human form and handed Pai her pack with a quickly hidden glare.

Ruby changed into a small dragon as Pai rummaged through the bag until she found the dumplings. She gave a couple of them to Shippou who gobbled them down, asking for more. Pai put the dumplings away and shook her head. "No more for now. In a different situation I would've let you have as much as you could eat, but we need the food to last as long as possible because we don't know anything about this place."

Shippou plopped down on the ground next to Kirara and folded his arms across his chest, a sour look on his face. While he did that Pai and the two dragons began to form some sort of idea about what they were going to do next, and Kirara tried to cheer Shippou up.

"Just so you know," said Pai, "because I'm part dragon I can't understand different languages, but I can speak a language fluently once I hear enough of it."

Nall and Ruby thought hard about what they were going to do to solve Pai's dilemma. Pai absentmindedly detached Shippou from her pack as she thought too, and then Nall snapped his fingers. "I've got it!" Ruby and Pai looked intently at him. "I could tell you what they're saying and then you could answer them in the common language of this place."

"But, what is the common language? We don't want to look suspicious," chirped Ruby.

At that statement Nall wrinkled his brow and replied in an unconvincing tone that he knew exactly what their language was.

During the heavy silence that followed Nall's statement Shippou tugged on his mother's kimono pants and whispered something in her ear. Pai's eyes lit up and she told Nall and Ruby about Shippou's idea. "Shippou said that most guards greet strangers in their own land's language, so all we have to say is 'no speak' or 'common language' and they'll talk in it!"

With that problem solved Pai and Shippou climbed up on Kirara's now large back and flew off along the river Snowborne, which flowed from the direction of the sparkling gold building. Ruby and Nall followed while in their small forms. Before they had flown for long, they saw that the building was surrounded by a large village, which was in turn closed in by a tall wall. The entire thing sat on the slopes of a big hill with the golden domed building at the top of the hill. Kirara landed just far enough to be out of sight from anyone who might be on the wall. Pai and Shippou dismounted and Kirara became small again. Shippou hopped up onto Pai's shoulder and sighed contentedly. Nall transformed back to his human boy form so as to rouse as little suspicion as possible and Kirara jumped up onto his shoulder. Ruby could change into a human yet, so she just settled herself on Pai's head after asking if it was all right to do so.

Soon the small group reached the huge gates to the village which were watched by two guards that they could see. There was probably more than that hidden some where else. The guards gripped the spears they held with both of their hands and directed them towards the company as they came near. "Halt! Identify yourselves."

Pai cleared her throat and attempted to speak in their language. "Common…speech."

The guards nodded, but didn't loosen the hold on their spears. "State your name and business in the Mark."

Ruby repeated the statement to Pai from her perch on Pai's head. Pai had decided along the flight here that she would have Ruby speak to her because she was still a little mad at Nall for being so dense earlier. "We are poor travelers wishing to ask for permission to travel through the King's lands."

Shippou tugged at a lock of Pai's head and Pai tilted her head to listen to him. "Mommy, ask them if we can eat too."

Pai craned her neck to stare at Shippou. "You could understand what I said?"

Shippou nodded.

Nall chuckled. "Well, I guess you've inherited something your mother hasn't from the dragon blood that runs through both of your veins. By the way Pai, I thought you weren't going to ask for permission of any kind?"

Pai snarled at Nall's cheeky comment, and then answered his question through clenched teeth. "I had to tell them something so they'd let us in!"

While the group was conversing amongst themselves, one of the guards had sent a messenger to the King and he had returned. After hasty words the guard turned back to the arguing bunch, cutting their argument short. "You have been granted an audience with the King. Follow this man here to the Golden Hall." The guard then indicated the man he had spoken with. The messenger was dressed in a green tunic with a silver horse galloping across it. After hearing the translation, Pai nodded and followed the man through the city gates with a jittery Nall close behind her. As the gates closed behind them the foreigners stood agape with awe, being able to see the Golden Hall completely for the first time. It wasn't, as they had at first thought, made entirely out of gold. Only the dome shaped roof was made with gold that shone like the sun itself. The main part of the hall was made of the finest carved wood with gold leafing here and there.

The messenger, who was now their guide, chuckled at the group's amazement, and signaled to them to keep moving through the city. The traveler's eyes never left the dome of the Golden Hall for a moment, even if they stumbled. Pai did give up after the second time she stumbled because Shippou had almost fallen off her shoulder that time. She then settled for whipping her head from left to right, trying to see all the different houses and stables at once. Shippou had decided to walk next to Pai after enduring a minuet of her frantic gazing.

As the group and guide were at the door step of the hall Nall was straining his neck to see the entire hall, but he soon ceased as their guide left them and they entered the hall alone.

If the outside was magnificent, then the inside was even more so. The walls were covered with elaborate tapestries of different battles and columns stood in two rows down the middle of the hall leading to the throne. Between the walls and columns were tables and benches which could be moved anywhere for any occasion. In the middle of the hall was a huge fire pit that would be lit on cold nights or to cook great feasts.

Pai was a little nervous as she cautiously made her way into the hall. Shippou was right next to her, clutching her leg, while Nall trembling with Kirara on his shoulder brought up the rear. One in front of the beautiful throne at the end of the hall, Pai knelt before the figure who sat in it. Nall and Shippou hastened to repeat her actions. Then Pai spoke. "Oh great and mighty king, (She's laying it on kind of thick, huh?) we are but humble travelers who wish to partake in your hospitality and ask for permission to journey through your kingdom."

Now, the King was a fairly young and majestic leader; he was as tall and stern as stone, yet a great kindness shone from his brown eyes. The only things that showed him as a king were the quality of his outfit, and the plain gold circlet that rested on his head of blond hair. "Where are you traveling to?" he asked kindly as he waved his hand to let Pai and Nall stand. I watched curiously as Ruby was translating what he had said to Pai.

"We were traveling along the river that runs east across the planes, I think," replied Pai after a moment's consideration.

The King nodded his head and examined each of the strange company with a searching gaze. "What are your names?"

Ruby was the one who introduced everyone. "My name is Ruby. This is my friend Pai, and that is her son Shippou. The boy is my older brother Nall, and the cat is the pet of a friend of ours and is named Kirara."

"I am King Eomer, and you may all stay as guests in my hall for as long as you wish."

Ruby (now off of Pai's shoulder and hovering), Nall, and Shippou, bowed in the traditional Japanese manner. They were followed quickly by Pai and the small Kirara. Eomer smiled and told them to follow the captain of the King's Guard, who would show them to their rooms.

Inuyasha stopped abruptly, sniffing the air vigorously. "Shit," he spat out forcefully. "She took to the air! Now how am I supposed to track her?" Inuyasha craned his neck up, down, left, and right, trying to determine which way Pai would've gone. He then spotted the Entwash as it flowed on from its bend. "If I know her then she'd follow the river till she finds food or money." Inuyasha took off through the tall grass to follow the river, while Gohan snuck unnoticed and undetected behind him.

This is just so wonderful, thought Aldrea as her formless spirit floated through the night air. I have forgotten how good it feels to be free of my earthly obstacles, but I cannot linger long. Aldrea was beginning to catch up with Inuyasha and Gohan just as the sun raised her head over the horizon.

Inuyasha had just stopped to smell the air when Aldrea was finally able to reach Gohan. She took this time to speak with Gohan while he gathered his strength for the next mad dash into the unknown. /Gohan/ Aldrea said to him. Gohan replied in turn, asking what she needed him to do. Their conversation and Aldrea's explanations lasted through the time Inuyasha had started off again, until he had stopped for a second time in order to view a strange walled city which could be seen only by the light of its lit torches. That conversation had taken a whole day and half a night.

/I must return to my body now/ said Aldrea as a way of ending the conversation between her and Gohan. /You must try to keep Inuyasha out of trouble for as long as you are able to. /

Gohan put a hand behind his head and chuckled grimly. "It's a bit too late for that." What Gohan had been referring to was the fact that Inuyasha had just been surrounded by a large group of soldiers on horseback. Inuyasha was so exhausted from running continuously for half a night, a whole day, then another half a night; he couldn't fight off the soldiers.

Aldrea shook her non-existent head and gave a mental sigh. /Well, I am afraid you must make an effort to set him free lest he harm someone before the night has ended. /

Gohan quickly hastened after Inuyasha, hiding in the shadows and behind any rocks he came across. He was able to make it in time to slip through the gates unnoticed right before they closed.

Aldrea watched Gohan until he entered the walls of the city, whose name was Edoras, and then turned back towards the way she had come, gliding along as fast as her spirit was able to.

A/N: I hope you liked it and I hope it didn't confuse you too much. I can't believe how fast I've gotten this out! It's a new record for me! Please review. Ja ne!