A/N: Oh Jesus Christ, please give me strength! In the next chapter I wanted to put one of those done-a-bazillion-times-Mary-Sue-swimming-in-the-lake scenes! Mary Sues have noticed my fiction and are trying to take over! HEEEEEEELP!
To My Reviewers:
yuhi-thedoerofevildeeds: Thanks for pointing that out to me! If you see any other problems feel free to point it out to me!
Fluffy Ate Fefe: AHHH! A Mary-Sue! NOOOOO! We must find this reviewer…wait…maybe she IS a Mary-Sue trying to drive us insane! DUN DUN DUN DA!
Jack: Whoa…it's like…a stalker… Just kidding, glad to have another reviewers. I think my story is attracting all the nut cases on FF. Of course that's probably because the biggest nut of them all wrote it…
Sugarontop1: I will! I Will!
Anyway that's all I have to say other than thank you guys for reviewing! Now to Middle-Earth! –Leaps into wormhole-
××Anna's POV××
One of those nasty monsters carried me on there back. I was cold, tired and hungry. We had been running for almost a week without a break. I missed my sister; I cried a whole bunch at night. But I made sure I was quiet so the big ole meanies that kidnapped me wouldn't get mad.
Merry and Pippin would hug me and tell me everything would be all right if they saw me cry, but I was starting to wonder if they were just saying that to cheer me up.
One night a couple of those big, nasty guys begged the leader to let them take a rest. He didn't seem happy about it but he let them. They got a fire going and they all collapsed on the ground near the edge of a forest.
"I'm starving! I ain't eating no more of this damned maggoty bread! We want meat!" An orc shouted, throwing a piece of the bread down.
"Yeah! Give us some meat!" Another yelled.
"What about them?" An orc pointed to Merry, Pippin and I. "They look tasty!" He licked his lips.
The leader growled, "They are not for eating! The boss wants them alive and unspoiled! And I'll gut anyone of you worms that even touch 'em!"
"But what about they're legs? They don't need those!" A rather frightening orc said.
Several of the orcs murmured in agreement.
"Don't you even touch 'em you little maggot!" The leader yelled, drawing his sword. "I'll kill anyone who tries to taste them!"
The orc glared at him, he pushed the leader, "Oh yeah? Well it's all of us and there's just one of you!"
The leader roared and drove his sword through the rebellious orc, it gasped and made gurgling noises before collapsing to the ground.
The leader stood triumphantly above it, "Ha! Looks like meat's back on the menu, boys!"
The band of orcs cheered and dove at the dead orc, tearing and biting at anyone who got in their way.
Merry and Pippin edged over to me, "Anna? C'mon! They're distracted and won't notice if we get away! Head to the forest!" Said Merry gleefully.
I nodded and began to edge quickly to the forest. But I felt a large boot on my back, I couldn't move. I turned my head to see an orc with his sword drawn.
He also had grabbed Merry and Pippin. He put a knife to my throat, "Go on, and scream! It'll be the last sound you ever make!"
I closed my eyes, preparing to die. Picturing my favorite memory of my sister and me.
Nicolette stood outside in the front yard of our house. She had an easel and canvas up and was busying herself by mixing paints.
I skipped out of the door, I saw Nicky. "What are you doing?" I asked.
"Painting." Nicolette said; she wiped her face, getting green paint all over her cheek.
"What are you painting?" I asked. Plopping myself onto the grass.
Nicolette looked over at me and smiled, "You."
I grinned and looked over her shoulder, it showed Nicolette and me sitting by the fireplace. I was curled up asleep in her lap while she read a book.
"Ooh! I like it!" I said admiringly.
Nicolette grinned, "Great. I'm going to hang it up somewhere, maybe even sell it."
I smiled, "People will get to see us?" I asked.
Nicolette nodded, "Yes, and they can see your cute, little face whenever they walk into a room.
I laughed and watched her finish the painting.
I waited for the monster to stab me, but after a few seconds he didn't. I heard galloping hooves and orcs screaming. I saw the orc that had been about to kill us had been shot with an arrow and lay on top of me. Men on horseback with swords were trampling and slicing the orcs everywhere.
Merry and Pippin jumped up, the ropes that had tied their hands were cut. "C'mon get up!" They yelled. Merry picked me up and half-dragged me to the forest edge.
Once we were in the shadowy forest Pippin produced a sharp rock and cut my ropes. I rubbed my wrists, "Thanks." I said.
"Anna we have to get further into the forest! Run!" He whispered.
I ran as fast as I could, never looking back.
××Nicolette's POV××
We traveled for several days, a few indicators here and there of the band of orcs. But the first really big clue we got was when we found an elvish brooch.
Aragorn kneeled on the ground, examining the trinket, "Elvish brooches, don't idly fall off. Someone did it intentionally, it means they're alive!" He laughed in relief.
I nodded, my face a cold, hard mask. But secretly I was relieved. I hadn't slept at all since Anna had been kidnapped. I was jolted out of my thoughts by the sound of galloping hooves.
I looked to the East, a band of men on some of the finest horses I had ever seen were in a dead run. We were obscured by a rock so the band of riders couldn't see us.
I signaled to Jade who was flying above us to find cover. Fast.
What's happening? Jade inquired as she dove behind the covering of several rocks.
Group of riders have appeared, be on gaurd. I warned.
I felt Jade tense and that familar feeling of her rage tainted my soul.
Legolas looked to Aragorn and Gimli, "What shall we do?" He inquired.
"They are Rohirrian, they will do us no harm- unless Sauron's poisonous words have infected Rohan," Aragorn explained, "We shall show ourselves to them and hope they decide we're not an adversary." With that he stepped out from behind the rock and shouted to the riders—who were now about fourth of a mile ahead of us, "Riders of the Mark! What news do you bring from Rohan?"
The horses skidded to a halt and made a sharp turn and ran towards us.
Gimli growled, "Now look what you got us into!"
"Chillax. Gimli!" I said, and then I realized that Gimli wouldn't know what the heck 'chillax' meant.
Gimli grunted and shook his head.
In a few seconds the riders were surrounding us, a grim but I had to admit incredibly good-looking riders asked Aragorn gruffly, "And what business does a ranger, an elf, a dwarf and a…woman have in King Theodan's land?" (A/N: I apologize if that is incorrect.)
Gimli gripped his axe, "And how is that any of you're business, lad?"
The man, who I guess was Èomer looked at Gimli irritably, "I would cut off you're head for such insolence were it but a few inches higher."
Legolas nocked an arrow to his bow, "You would die before you're stroke fell!"
Several of the riders trained their spears on Legolas and Gimli.
I shook my head in disgust, "No better than children…" I muttered.
Èomer caught what I said and looked at me with renewed disdain.
I smiled a bit to cheerily; I shocked myself by not caring what he thought.
"Peace, I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn, the elf is Legolas of Mirkwood, and the dwarf is Gimli son of Gloin, the woman's name is Ellesmera, she is a peasant we rescued from orcs several days ago…"
Damn, he was good.
"…We are looking for two halflings that we could not free before the Orcs drove us off. Have you seen them? To you they would appear no more than children." Aragorn asked.
Èomer eyed us warily before saying; "We met a band of Orcs yesterday. We killed everyone in the camp. We piled them over yonder hill and burned them, look for your friends if you wish. But do not get your hopes up; luck has forsaken this place," He whistled, "Hasufel! Arod!" Two jet black horses trotted to Éomer. He handed Aragorn the reins to both, "Here, may these horses serve you better than there previous masters." With that somewhat morbid remark he turned his horse around and motioned for them to leave.
Aragorn urged the two horses up the hill to investigate the dead orcs.
I paled, what if Anna didn't escape? She could have been trampled by the horses, eaten by one of the orcs, or the trees could have killed her! They hated humans, right? These thoughts swirled around my head in a terrible whirlwind. I felt a warm hand on my shoulder; I turned to see Legolas.
His eyes were filled with emotion, "Worrying will do nothing, my friend. Come, we should go now. If you don't want to look at the bodies you're welcome to stay right here while we look." He said softly.
I shook my head, "No, I'll be fine, Legolas. Thank you, though."
We climbed over the hill; the orc's stench was almost too much to bear.
Tears sprung into my eyes from the fumes, I blinked them away. The sight dead orcs made me feel faint. I closed my eyes, willing my sickness away.
When I opened my eyes Aragorn was crouched over a few yards away. He was examining what must have been at one time a beautiful, Elvish sword scabbard, but was now quite charred and burnt. His grip on the scabbard tightened till his knuckles turned white, "We were too late," He said through gritted teeth. With a frustrated shout he kicked a severed orc head with vehemence.
Gimli looked stricken, he murmured something in dwarfish- a prayer, most likely…that is if Dwarves did have prayers…
"Hiro hyn hîdh ab 'wanath," Legolas whispered as he bowed his head for a moment.
I had prepared for this to happen, I had forced myself to realize that they would think Merry, Pippin and Anna were dead. But a panic seemed to sink into me, "what ifs?" crept into my head like snakes. What if the trees killed Anna and the hobbits? Knowing Anna, even in fear she would be completely honest. She would tell the tree she was human, the trees hated men right? Then Anna would kiss her life good-bye. Stop it! I commanded myself. I wouldn't let myself cry.
I felt Jade's sorrow and pain at the loss of the hobbits and Anna, I'm so terribly sorry, Nicolette.
Her words were like a knife. I would not be pitied, I was not some child who collapsed if they lost a family member, I had lost my father in a hit and run and virtually lost my mother and did nothing to stop either events from happening; this time would be different. If Anna died so help me God I would spend the rest of eternity tracking down whoever the hell brought me here and make them pay.
××Ø××
I apologize for the delay! My school-year has gotten off to the wrong foot. Damn. I promise to resume my usual pattern of posting.