Author's Note: Hello again! Sorry this chapter took so long in coming out - we had been waiting for fanfiction.net to get their butts together, and the chapter just kept getting longer and longer. Our longest yet ( we locked it at around 16 pages!) Have fun reading this one, it's sure to keep you entertained. Thanks again for the reviews, and keep them coming! We love to hear from you! Oh, and there were some questions in a few reviews that we're going to answer in the next chapter, so look for it! Happy reading!

Where do we go when we just don't know,

How do we relight the flame when it's cold,

Why do we dream when our thoughts mean nothing,

And when will we learn to control?

' Serenity,' by Godsmack

Chapter 16

Dawn came mute and silent from the night's previous wind, and not a sound could be heard. Frozen lumps scattered around a pattern of rocks hardly moved, and a fine layer of snow covered all eleven of the lumps. Of the smaller beings, Frodo twisted around in his bedroll, cheeks red from the cold as he ran away from the vengeful Ringwraiths in his dreams, his hand unconsciously creeping to his chest where the cursed Ring lay. Pippin lay curled in his own bedroll, a dreamy smile on his face as he envisioned the huge meal he would be eating once they were safely off the mountain, and Merry contented himself with dreams of the Green Dragon and all the ale he could drink. Sam's face was marred with a frown as he fought invisible demons trying to get to Frodo and the Ring, while the Grey Wizard dreamt of things unknown to the beings of Middle Earth, places and people that were far stretched beyond the limits of most people's memories. A ghost of a smile crossed Gimli's face as his dreams yearned for a visit to Moria and the warm welcome he would feel upon reaching his kindred's home, where he could be among his own people, while Boromir dreamt of his home in Gondor. He visualized the glory of his home restored with the power the Ring could provide, a dark desire but one that would cure his country's ales and being peace once again.

Aragorn's rest was troubled by thoughts of the future. Visions of Gondor, Rivendell, and all the free countries of the land passed through his mind's eye, his imagination sending the countries to war against thousands of Orc soldiers, snarling and seething and ready to murder and maim at will. How would it turn out? Would they prevail? Was there truly hope, and would he find it in this Fellowship or elsewhere...?

The man's eyes shot open, and he looked around, his vision blurred from dreams. Aragorn blinked until the scene in front of him came into view; rocks, his companions, and a blanket of white. His breath came out faster than normal, sending puffs of cold visible air out into the open, and he willed his heart to calm down. Slowly, he turned his gaze downward as he became conscious of the person sleeping next to him, and his heart eased into a more comfortable pace. Nevada was nestled against him like one would hug a teddy bear. She looked much more peaceful in slumber than she did awake.

With a smile, he noted the dressing of snow that covered her dark hair, turning it a curious mix of white and black. Aragorn let go of her hands with one hand, keeping the other around her so she wouldn't fall, and reached up to lightly dust off the snow, sending showers of it down around her feet." Nevada," he called, placing that same hand on her shoulder." Get up." When she didn't respond, he scowled and shook her a bit." Nevada." His only answer was a moan, a scrunch of the nose, and her head bowing into his chest. Sighing, Aragorn gave up and shifted positions, standing up and thus removing Nevada's support.

With a groan she hit the ground, the cold shocking her enough to make her open bleary purple eyes." Whas...? Where...Where'd it go?" Sleepily, she patted the snowy ground, pouting because her warmth was gone and she was now freezing again.

" Are you awake, Nevada?" Aragorn crouched down to peer into Nevada's face, and was rewarded with a growl and snow flung in his face. Rearing back, he spit out the cold flakes and wiped off his face." My, you are so pleasant in the morning, Nevada."

" Whatever," came her drowsy response. Sighing heavily, she got into a sitting position and combed out the new snow recently shoved into her hair, trying to ignore the sore stinging in her hands. Her teeth clicked together due to the morning chill, and she resisted the urge to shove her fingers in her cloak and warm them up that way.

Aragorn frowned at her." Let me see how your hands fare."

She glared at him warily, before giving up and showing him. There was no use fighting the stubborn man, not this early in the morning. He examined each finger carefully, and every time he pressed down on a digit she winced with the throbbing pain it send up her arms. It hurt a lot worse now than it did before. Of course, before, her hands were numb.

" They still look bad," he commented, placing her hands gently in her lap," and I have no doubt they hurt."

Nevada only stared." Oh, no. They feel just fine. Really."

He ignored her sarcastic tone and looked back down at her fingers." Stay here, I'll get the bandages. And let's not try to wake anyone up yet, all right?"

She rolled her eyes and cast a glance in Liana's direction. Smiling at what she saw, she stopped Aragorn from leaving." Well, don't they look cute?"

Aragorn looked over and his eyes warmed. It was about time his friend found someone to be with. They looked to be in the process of waking up, but he wasn't sure of what was being said.

Nevada, however, understood it. Stifling a chuckle, she said in a low voice," Liana's still asleep. Listen, I don't even think she knows what she's saying." They listened as close as possible, keeping their laughter to themselves as their friends kept talking.

Slumber had slowly fallen away as Legolas joined the waking world, however much he loathed to. The cold was starting to affect him, as well, and that irked him to no end. He shouldn't have been surprised, though. Caradhras was determined to bring every last one of them down, and he was no exception. At least he didn't feel it nearly as bad as the others did. He moved his back to sit more comfortably against the broad rock he was using as a backrest, realizing vaguely that moving wouldn't make the cold go away. Briefly, he also wondered who was sitting so close to him, but memory came back and he smiled with it. Opening his eyes, he peered down at Liana's sleeping form, who was quite content to curl up around his form and sleep as peacefully as the weather would allow. He didn't want to wake her up so soon, not with everyone else asleep, and she deserved to rest.

Carefully, he removed one of her arms from around his waist, something she must have done while they were both asleep, and examined her hand. He frowned at the angry red color her hand took on, and its dry, chapped appearance. Her flesh was still very cold, and he had no doubt it would hurt something fierce when she woke up. ' We'll have to bandage both her and Nevada's hands so this doesn't happen again,' he thought to himself. He remembered her panic, and it occurred to him that the two faeries had little if no experience with frigid temperatures. No wonder their skin was so sensitive to the cold.

He paused when she shifted slightly, trying to get closer to her source of warmth. Since that source was him, Legolas couldn't help but turn a little pink." Liana," he said softly in her ear. He shook her gently." It is morning. Time to wake up."

She only sighed in response, her mind still elsewhere." Five more minutes," she murmured, so softly his ears almost didn't pick up on it.

Legolas smiled fondly." No, melamin. You need to wake up. We have a long road ahead of us."

She frowned in her sleep and protested his administrations by reaching up with a hand and trying to push him away. Her fingers came in contact with hair, and at the feel of his silky locks, she stopped." This isn't my hair," he heard her mumble in a confused tone.

" No, it isn't," Legolas chuckled.

Her eyes opened ever so slightly, but the golden depths were still glazed with sleep." Whose...?" Giving up the troublesome fight of trying to remember who she fell asleep against, she sighed as her fingers continued to stroke his blonde hair." So soft...Really blonde, too." The frown in her voice made him want to laugh. Her fingers touched over his tunic, and her brows furrowed. Abruptly, she poked him in the ribs."....Well, that's firm," she wondered sleepily. It would have been extremely cute, if Legolas hadn't realized that people were laughing at them. He spotted Aragorn and Nevada not so successfully covering up their own amusement, their eyes turned to the two as they watched the scene play out. Legolas glared at them out of the corner of his eye, his attention still mainly focused on Liana.

" Liana, you have to wake up," he said in a more sober tone, still eyeing the couple sitting across from them.

" No," she sighed, her hand falling away as she almost drifted off into a complete dream state again.

Deciding to take a different route in waking her, he said in her ear," Liana, if you do not wake up, the mountain is going to come down on our heads and it's going to be all your fault."

Liana's eyes opened at his remark. She stared at him for a good minute before giving him a look and saying dryly," What trash just came out of your mouth?"

Nevada snorted out laughter in an effort to keep it down, accompanied with Aragorn's at her friend's remark, and she had to hold her sides to keep from falling flat on the ground. Liana looked over in wonderment, puzzled as to why they were laughing, and looked up to see Legolas...blushing.

She raised an eyebrow." Did I miss something?"

It was his turn to look puzzled." You do not remember anything?"

She shook her head, then stopped." Ohh...I was asleep...What did I say?"

He opened his mouth, but stopped when Nevada supplied it for him." Well, that's firm!"

Liana's mouth dropped, and she scooted herself away from the elf." I didn't!"

Nevada edged closer, laughter still gleefully shining in her eyes." If you only knew how funny you are when you sleep!" She turned around and mockingly stroked Aragorn's head, whose lips quirked into a grin when she added," So soft...really blonde, too."

' Shoot me now,' Liana groaned to herself, absolutely mortified that she didn't remember saying any of that. She couldn't even look at the elf without blushing like mad. Shaking her head, though, she had to laugh at the position they were in. Her own comments sounded quite ridiculous when relayed from Nevada. Her silent laughter turned into a chuckle, and she met Nevada's eyes." Did I really say all that?" At her friend's nod, they both collapsed into quiet laughter, which erupted into a fit of the giggles as they saw the incredulous look Legolas was giving them both.

" What's so funny?"

The party turned to find a yawning Pippin sitting on his haunches nearby, giving them a sleepy quizzical look, and Merry was not far behind in waking.

" Nothing, Pip," Nevada laughed out.

" Well, it looks like your laughter has woken everyone up," Aragorn shook his head, but his smile and shake of the head lessened the rebuke. Pippin stood up slowly, shivering as the blanket dropped away from his shoulders. Merry gave him a sympathetic glance as the hobbit sat up, still comfortable wrapped in his. He noticed the redness in his cousin's cheeks and on his nose, and called out," Pip, your face is all red, what happened?"

Pippin gave Merry a questioning look and felt his face. It did indeed feel like his cheeks were burning, and...his eyes widened as he looked at his hands. They were red, too, and they hurt something fierce!" My hands are red, too! And so are yours, Merry!"

Merry looked down at his own hands, horrified to find them just as red and chapped. His fearful gaze met Aragorn's." Aragorn, what's happened?"

Quickly, the man made his way over, mindful of the other waking members, and kneeled down next to Merry and Pippin." It's frostbite, Merry. Calm down and let me see."

" Are we the only two that has it?" Pippin asked. His green eyes filled with unshed tears as his mind imagined the worse possible scenarios of what frostbite could do, and he was on the verge of crying by the time his imagination was through with him.

" No, Pippin," Aragorn shook his head. He reached over to find his own pack, and pulled bandages out of a side pocket. Pulling Merry's hands gently to his own, he began to wrap them as tightly as the hobbit's aching hands would allow." Nevada and Liana have frostbite, as well."

" Are they okay?" Pippin asked worriedly.

" They'll be all right," Aragorn said, reassuring the young hobbit with a smile. He gave a similar smile to Merry, who returned it shakily, his hands trembling with the pain. When Aragorn finished, he patted Merry on the back." Thank you, Master Brandybuck, for not making a sound and allowing me to help you." Merry flushed under Aragorn's praise.

The man had just turned around to help Pippin, when an ancient voice said," Need some help, ranger?"

" Yes, Gandalf," Aragorn sighed gratefully; finally noticing that most of the fellowship was awake now.

" Frodo and Sam have a bit of the frostbite on their noses and hands, as well," the wizard said gravely, ignoring his own cherry red nose." And you do not look so terribly healthy yourself. Go, see to the young faeries and then see to your own wounds. Gimli and I shall be able to handle the hobbits."

Aragorn nodded and got up, bringing enough bandages for Liana and Nevada. What he saw, however, stopped him cold. Boromir was crouched down next to Nevada, talking to her in a low voice.

" Do your hands hurt you, mi'lady?" Boromir asked in concern. He looked down, blanching at the angry red color of her once golden tan hands." Let me see, Nevada." She pulled away for a moment, but he grabbed them gently to have a better look. At her hiss of pain, he let go.

Nevada hid her aching hands in her cloak." Yes, they hurt, that's why I'm waiting for them to be bandaged."

" I can bandage them for you, if you will allow it," Boromir offered. Just as she was shaking her head in the negative, a voice cut through.

" I will take care of it, Boromir." The cold authority in Aragorn's voice made them both look up, the faerie with relief and the man with annoyance. The man made an opposing figure from where he stood, his fists lightly grazing his hips and the chilling look in his ice blue eyes enough to wither the will of most men.

Boromir gave the ranger a dark look." I can do it, Aragorn, just hand me the bandages."

Aragorn shook his head, narrowing his gaze to only Boromir." I've got it, Boromir. You may take your leave and help Gandalf with the hobbits."

When Boromir looked to protest again, Nevada keenly felt the rapidly growing tension between the two men grow into something more heinous, and she interrupted before it could erupt." Actually, Boromir, I would like for Aragorn to do it. I'm more familiar with his healing abilities and would feel more comfortable if he wrapped my hands."

Boromir spared Nevada one last glance, then stood up to face Aragorn. The unreadable stare between the two held much heat, but Boromir broke the spell as he stepped away to do as he was bid. For the second time in the past few days, Aragorn relaxed his grip on his sword and willed himself to calm down." Legolas." He tossed the elf bandages for Liana, who nodded in thanks and resumed to help her bind her hands.

When Aragorn sat down to administer to Nevada, they shared a look that clearly stated they both wished this dilemma to be over with. Without hesitation, Nevada pulled out her hands and Aragorn took them, trying to be as gentle as possible as he took out the wrapping and started at her wrists. However, he noticed the rings on her fingers and paused. On one hand she wore a silver ring with woven bands running through it, and a smaller ring with three tiny rubies separated by lines of more silver. On her other hand, she wore a peculiar ring shaped like a thin panther, its eyes glittering more red rubies, and a thicker ring where a pale amethyst jewel sat. Tiny fae markings littered this one, and for once, Aragorn wished he knew the Fae language enough to decipher them.

" As much as these rings are fascinating, Nevada," he paused, touching one lightly," is there any way you can take them off? I'd hate to bandage them, as well."

She shook her head stiffly." Not a chance in hell. My fingers hurt too bad to take them off, and they're probably too swollen, anyhow."

He nodded reluctantly; already knowing that would probably be the case. So he began bandaging her hands, wrapping the gauze around most of her thumb and starting on her main fingers.

" Does it have to be so tight?" Nevada gritted out, resisting the urge to pull her aching hands away from their tormentor.

" Yes, Nevada, or else they will not warm up and heal," Aragorn explained patiently, not taking his eyes off his work.

She narrowed her eyes at his head, standing for the pain only a few seconds longer. He accidentally jarred a particularly sore spot on her index finger, and she protested with an," Ow!" When he barely looked up, she bared her teeth at him and repeated louder," Ow!!" Aragorn looked up at her with an exasperated expression, but otherwise ignored her. When he jarred another sore spot on her hand, she lunged forward and grabbed the man by the hair. When their noses were practically touching, she yelled out," OW!"

All activity stopped as the Fellowship turned to stare at the odd couple a few feet away. Disturbed by the silence, Aragorn and Nevada looked over at everyone's faces." Nothing to see here-" Aragorn started.

" He started it," Nevada grumbled, but let the man continue binding her hands.

Legolas and Liana turned back to each other." They haven't been awake for more than fifteen minutes, and already they're fighting," Legolas shook his head, resuming his administrations to Liana's hands.

" You think this is bad," Liana replied, wincing when the bandage wrapped tight around her hand," wait until we get off this mountain."

During the course of the day, the winds picked up again, bringing colder air from the north to further plague the journey of the fellowship. While they started their walk cheerful, the happiness dwindled along with the sun. Flurries began again around the middle of the day, making the snow on the ground deeper and harder to walk through. Gandalf led the entourage through the packing snow, with the two humans not far behind, making a path for the smaller members walking a little behind them. Even so, the hobbits struggled, since the snow came up to their hips and severely limited their movement. Many times one of them stumbled and had to be helped up by a human or elf, their growing weariness making them more susceptible to clumsiness. The faeries were not far behind, although they were doing much better than most. Their feet did not sink the way most did in the ground, like the elf, and they only made light indents in the snow, but that did not lessen the pain in their hands. Each member of the fellowship grew more miserable as the sun started to sink in the west, taking with it the little warmth it provided.

By the time dusk had fallen, the wind blew even stronger, smacking currents of snowflakes in everyone's face. Thoughts turned even more dismal as storm clouds began to brew, raining down sleet on the companions as they tried to carry on for as long as possible.

Caradhras, however, would not let them carry on for long.

Frodo stumbled for the third time, going down hard in the snow in front of Sam. His breathing came out ragged, and when the hobbit tried to pull himself up again, he found that he didn't have the strength.

" Mr. Frodo!" Sam cried, hurrying up as fast as his body would allow to help his fallen friend." Are you all right?" He tried to pull Frodo up by the arm, but the younger hobbit shook his head.

" I can't, Sam," Frodo moaned." It hurts too much." His thoughts were starting to jumble together numbly, and his breath wheezed out with each painful intake of air. Everything hurt, and he was so cold...he just wanted to lay down and go to sleep...

" Frodo!" Aragorn came up just as the hobbit started to close his eyes, and he picked him up to set him back on his feet." You cannot sleep," the man said, having to nearly shout the remark because of the howling wind." It's too dangerous." Frodo hardly heard him, though. His eyes were half open, glazed over, and his cheeks were a violent red. Concerned, Aragorn turned to Gandalf and shouted," We should stop for the night, Gandalf! I don't think the hobbits can take much more of this!"

" You think we're not cold, either?" Nevada chattered out. She had placed her hands on her knees and was huffing out breaths, trying to stop her knees from shaking as she fought the urge to sit down. She knew Liana wasn't faring any better, either; she was clutching her sides and having just as much trouble getting in air." We can't...breathe over here!"

" It's the altitude," Boromir shouted over to Gandalf." The higher we go, the harder it will be to breathe!"

Nevada wanted to roll her eyes.' That's basically what I said,' she thought sarcastically. She waited with Liana for Gandalf to reach a decision as he eyed the ten before him, judging whether they were critical enough to need to stop for shelter. The two faeries huddled together for some warmth until he finally said," All right. We will search for shelter to stop at for the night. I have a feeling the storm will only get worse later on."

The fellowship searched until they found a cliff wall to bar them from the wind. One by one, each member sat down and curled up in their cloaks and blankets, most shivering violently because of the poor job the shelter proved to be doing to block the oncoming snow. When they were all gathered together, Gandalf told them," Most of us should stay awake and keep watch on the ones who do need to sleep. We do not need anyone slipping into unconsciousness."

" Who will sleep?" Boromir asked.

" The hobbits," Gandalf nodded.

" What?!" Nevada, Liana, and Gimli practically screeched." We can't sleep?!" Nevada's voice dwindled to a whine.

" It is risky enough to let the hobbits rest," Aragorn agreed with Gandalf." The rest of us should stay awake so the cold doesn't take us."

" It's already taken us, genius," Nevada gritted out.

" Nevada," Aragorn gave her the best warning tone he could muster under their conditions. The cold was affecting him just as bad, but he refused to show it to the others. Better them to think he didn't suffer rather than have them know he was in just as much pain as everyone else.

" What do you say to a fire, Gandalf?" Boromir asked suddenly, and at his question, nine more pairs of eyes turned to the wizard, hope flaring in their gazes." We can't expect the hobbits to rest very well in these freezing temperatures."

He was extremely reluctant at first, but Gandalf finally relented by saying," Since I highly doubt anyone would be able to watch us through this horrid storm, we can have a fire tonight."

Feeble cheers went up and faces brightened as the humans took out wood and scooped out a hole in the snow to set the pieces down in. Since they could not start the fire in the wet snow themselves, Gandalf took out his staff and cupped a hand around its top." Naur an edraith ammen!" he commanded, and a blue and green flame burst out and set the wood on fire.

Smiles lit the faces of the fellowship at the sight of the cheery fire, the flames licking up into the cold night air and disappearing with the roaring cold, but they were no longer aware of the cold. The warmth soothed their faces and limbs, and hands were outstretched to ease the aching pain of frostbite.

" We can't take the bandages off, can we?" Liana sighed, itching to rip them off and warm her hands even further.

" No," Legolas and Aragorn chimed in together, and Aragorn sent another warning look in Nevada's direction, who gave him an innocent look and stopped fooling with the edges of her bandages.

The hobbits stared at the fire with childlike wonder, their eyes riveted on the source of heat in front of them that they had lived so long without." It's so beautiful," Pippin commented, his voice holding admiration in its tone.

Merry nodded slowly, placing his hands as close to the fire as he dared without catching his bandages on fire." That it is, Pip."

Frodo welcomed the warmth just as much as his cousins and Sam, but sleep still lingered in his mind. He wanted so much to lie down and sleep, it was a physical ache. His bleary eyes turned from the warm flames to his companions, huddled around in the tight circle, their attention riveted on the only source of heat on the whole mountain. The yawn that came out of him nearly cracked his jaw.

" Frodo, why don't you lay down and rest, lad," Gandalf suggested, smiling fondly at the hobbit. At his nod, the wizard motioned towards Sam." Sam, get Frodo's bedroll, and help him get comfortable." The gardener nodded and folded it up so Frodo could use it as a pillow. The hobbit wearily laid down, smiling gratefully at Sam before turning to stare at the flames and try to relax in its heat.' Just think pleasant dreams,' Frodo chimed to himself, his blue eyes closing slowly.' No nightmares...Back at Bilbo's house, in the Shire, where it's warm and green and friendly. Not cold and icy and cruel...' The hobbit soon fell into a deep sleep.

" He's so cuuute," Nevada remarked, half sincere and half sarcastic. She glared at his back for getting to sleep while she sat awake and...awake. She watched as the rest of the hobbits decided to go for naps, and with a growl, turned away and focused on the fire.

The blaze lasted for only another hour, before the driving wind picked up force and started to blow it out, waking up the hobbits as the air got colder. The fellowship watched with dismay as the last piece of wood burned, the red glow fading into a few smoldering embers until the heat was gone.

The only sound was the raging wind as the companions sat in stunned silence.

" We're all gonna die...You know that, right?"

" Way to lighten the mood, Nevada."

" The fire is gone," Nevada stated matter-of-factly as the shivering cold started in again. She ignored the stares she received along with her previous comment, and the disbelief in their gazes. Depression swiftly set in as she felt the last of her happiness drift off with the last ember of fire, and she stood up slowly, shuffling slightly away from her companions to grieve over their situation alone." I'm going to die," she said bitterly.

Aragorn, who was close enough to hear her statement, stood up and walked over to her. Giving her a little shake, he ordered," You are *not* going to die, Nevada."

" Have you taken a look around?" Nevada challenged. She swept out a hand to indicate the mass of raging winds and flying snow around them." We're cowering behind a cliff in the middle of a blizzard in the middle of the night! We have no idea where we are, or how we're going to get down! There's practically no food, half of us can't use our hands, and if we don't end up dying of starvation, we're gonna die from the cold!" When she finished, breathe heaving, the fight went out of her and her shoulders slumped." I can't believe I'm going to die here," she said, softer and more to herself." I came on this stupid quest to avenge my country, and I can't even do that." A lost, hopeless look fleeted across her pale face." Why did Liana and I even bother?"

Aragorn hesitated for only a moment before gathering her to him in a comforting hug. Nevada didn't return the embrace, but instead leaned her head wearily against his shoulder and sighed heavily." No one is going to die," he said again, rubbing a hand over her back." I won't let anything happen to any one of us." When she didn't reply, he continued quietly," We're not far from our destination, Nevada. We can make it. You just have to hold on a little longer."

She was silent for another minute before closing her eyes and nodding. Relieved, Aragorn patted her back and let go, giving her a reassuring look before turning her around and guiding her back to the others. He sat her down between himself and Liana, who put an arm around Nevada and leaned her head on her shoulder. Nevada leaned her head on Liana's, and the two sat and drew comfort from the other's presence while they could.

" Liana, why did we come here?" Nevada whispered in their native language, soothing herself with the flow of the tongue she had been speaking since birth.

" Because it was the right thing to do," Liana answered back just as softly, continuing the method of speech.

Nevada stayed silent, mulling over Liana's remark, her cheek touching her friend's golden brown hair. Now she remembered why they always hugged when they were children; she'd never told Liana how comfortable she felt around her, and intended to keep it that way.' No use having Liana's ego expand when she finds out how important she is,' she thought fondly.

Gimli glared at the wilted faeries, the darker haired one in particular, and grumbled out," 'Tis impolite to mumble in words no one else can understand!"

" Our conversation does not concern you, son of Gloin," Liana opened one golden eye and stared at him in annoyance.

" Stay out of it, Gimli," Nevada snapped.

Gimli glared at Nevada and ignored the authoritative tone in Liana's voice." You didn't have to go and scare the daylights out of the hobbits with your talk of everyone dyin', faerie."

Nevada's eyes flared, and she gently pulled Liana's arm away." Shut it, Gimli."

" I will not!" Gimli nearly roared out, his temper catching at the faerie's tone." You've done nothing but complain since we started this trip, and I'm damn tired of hearin' it!"

" Don't start with me," she growled warningly.

" Gimli, quit it," Liana bit out, not liking where this was going.

" Go back to your damn kingdom! We don't want you here if all you're going to do is nag!" Gimli bellowed.

Without warning, Nevada flew out of her seat and used the last of her strength to jump on the dwarf, screaming in her own language as she tried to throw punches at that terrible face she wanted to rip out of existence. With a surprised yell, Gimli fell flat on his back and barely had time to try and reach for his axe before Nevada was straddling him, bashing his arm with her wrists but not getting anywhere with it.

Everyone was too stunned to do anything but watch in horror as the faerie tackled the dwarf. The hobbits mouths gaped open, Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, and Liana had looks of startled shock, and Gandalf was frowning deeply, anger and disappointment simmering in his eyes. Boromir and Aragorn got up swiftly on either side of the two to move in and pull them away from each other. Frustrated that she was too weak to do any damage, Nevada tried to make a fist, but couldn't because her hands hurt too badly. Out of reflex, Gimli struggled beneath her, swinging his fists angrily in the air. His right fist flew through the air, and he felt his knuckles make contact with flesh.

The hobbits cried out and Liana and Legolas stood up rapidly when Gimli's fist connected with Nevada's face, hitting her in the eye. Nevada reared back, nearly falling into Aragorn when he caught her and bodily pulled her off of Gimli, who was in turn pulled away by Boromir.

" Ah, SHIT!" Nevada yelled in agony, her hands immediately flying to her eye and holding it protectively. Instantaneous pain burst through her face, and beneath her closed eye she saw flashes of lights and stars." Fuck!" She sucked in a breath when it got worse, and fought the urge to cry as more waves of agony spread from her eye to her head and back again." God *dammit*, Gimli!"

The dwarf's mortified expression exceeded everyone else's, and he stared dumbly at his own fist. Did he really hit her?

" Oh, my *God*," Aragorn muttered. He pulled Nevada into a sitting position as everyone gathered round to see if she was all right.

Liana pushed her way to get closer to her friend." Let me see it," she sat down next to Nev, who was moaning and clutching the left side of her face." Let me see it, Nev." She gently pried Nevada's hands away from her face and took a good look at her left eye. The area was turning a pinkish red from Gimli's fist, and her eye was squinted shut." Can you open your eye?"

Nevada whimpered, not wanting to but did it anyway. Slowly, she opened her eyes, ignoring the bursts of pain and trying to focus on Liana's face. She blinked rapidly until everything was in focus." Vision's kind of blurry."

As softly as she could, Liana touched the flesh just under her eye and over it, noting Nevada's hiss of pain. Keeping her face neutral, Liana said," Yeah, everything'll be out of focus for a while. This will bruise up, too, but it shouldn't be that bad. I'm not quite sure how hard he hit you."

" Me neither," Nevada moaned, ready to cover her face again and wish away the pain.

" It probably won't be that noticeable, but I can't tell for sure," Liana shook her head. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Gimli, and anger swept through her. She hissed in a breath to keep herself from yelling at the dwarf for his stupidity, for she knew nothing good would come out of her losing her temper. It would only make things worse." Do you want something cold on it?"

" No, I'm...fine." Nevada tried to blink again, and found that the more she blinked, the less blinding lights she saw in her vision. To her relief, the pain started to subside in a blessed numbing feeling." The pain's...going away."

" Good," Gandalf agreed, nodding emphatically." Now that the excitement is over, I presume," he turned to eye Gimli for a second, who was standing not too far off with a guilty expression on his face," I am going to suggest that we all relax now and let the hobbits go back to sleep. We have another hour or so before dawn."

" Are you sure you're all right?" Aragorn asked worriedly.

Nevada nodded, lightly touching the left side of her face because she was afraid to put too much pressure on it. She gave a halfhearted glare in Gimli's general direction before closing her eyes. She was getting really tired, and really cold.

While Nevada recuperated, the rest of the Fellowship had settled back down, but not before casting withering glances at Gimli. The dwarf sat opposite of the others, shaking his head in disbelief as he wondered what could have possessed him to hit her. His gaze kept alternating from his hand to Nevada, and he sighed when he couldn't make sense of it anymore.

" I'm getting dizzy," Nevada muttered. She quit moving around to keep her head from spinning, and was now resting the unbruised part of her forehead in her hand.

Aragorn looked over sympathetically." If you want, you can lie down for the next hour. That might take some of the ill effects away."

Nevada sent a silent thank you to her Maker and prepared herself to curl up and go to sleep." That's the greatest idea I've heard all night," she said, grabbing her bedroll and laying down on it. She brought her knees up to her chin and let the numbed part of her face get kissed by the cold night air, for once, a relief instead of a hindrance. It took her over ten minutes, but she finally felt the tendrils of sleep latch on to her mind, and she drifted off.

Dawn drew closer, and the winds that had slightly died down during that part of the night were picking up again. There were no welcoming rays to be seen, only gray clouds that grew lighter until they were more able to see their surroundings. Liana frowned at the thick blanket of snow covering the entire area around them. There was nothing but snow and sky to be seen anywhere, and any sign of their own tracks had long since been covered by new snow. The emotion welling up in the back of her throat had an agoraphobic feel to it, and she didn't like it at all. Just looking at the barren emptiness in front of her made her sick with bleak thoughts, and she wondered, deep down, if Nevada was right. How could they last another night like this? It was starting to hurt to breathe in the sharp, frigid air, and she felt it seeping into her bones until she didn't think she'd ever stop shivering.

Especially if the wind didn't stop. Each gust felt like a slap in the face, and they weren't even moving. Like pins and needles, burning into her face and ears until she wanted to throw her cloak over her head. But no, that wouldn't work, because the rest of her would be cold. Sighing, Liana bowed her head against the wind, wincing at the feel of her hair slapping against her cheeks. It felt sort of clumped together, which was not a good feeling at *all.* And she was so tired...

A hand on her back brought Liana out of her reverie, and she looked up, ignoring the chill that licked down her spine at the sudden movement. Seeing who it was, she smiled shyly." Either my mind wanders more than I think it does, or you're really good at sneaking up on people."

Legolas smiled slowly down at her." A little of both, I imagine. How are your hands?" He sat down next to her, and she lifted her hands from her lap, fingering the bandages slightly.

" They still tingle, but I suppose that's a good thing," she replied." They're certainly not as bad as before."

He nodded and took one of her hands, catching her off guard. Carefully, he peeled back some of the bandages and glanced at the reddened, raw skin underneath. His eyes darkened, and he covered her hand with his own. He felt her hand tremble, and looked up." Are you cold?"

She raised an eyebrow at him, clamping her teeth together to keep them from chattering." Maybe you don't feel it, but it has to be below freezing out here." He smiled slightly and opened his arms, an invitation that was so tempting she would have gladly accepted if she weren't so indecisive. Did she want to encourage that kind of...closeness with him? It still didn't seem right to get involved with the Elf, but he'd been nothing but kind toward her and she genuinely liked being around him, and...Well, she supposed it wouldn't hurt to gain some warmth from him. It was bloody cold out, and she wasn't about to let her conscious interfere from her being warmer.

Liana agreed, and scooted closer, feeling his arms wrap comfortable around her. She caught a whiff of his scent again; sort of earthy and fresh, and she closed her eyes. It was still cold, but he was helping." Thanks."

" It is no trouble," she heard him smile.

They were quiet for a few minutes, basking in a comfortable silence as they observed everyone either sleeping or taking watch around them. The sky was slowly turning grayer as dawn's approach grew more rapidly, and Liana wanted to whimper. Dawn meant they'd have to start moving again. But then again...Moving meant being closer to getting off the mountain. And getting off the mountain was *good.* She indulged herself in thoughts of her own home, Ciel, and all its heated glory. It was so warm there... Abruptly, she broke the silence with," The minute this journey if over, I'm going to go back home, stay outside in the desert and *bake.*"

When he chuckled, she felt it go through his chest against her back, making her smile." That is one way to go about it."

" Oh, yes." Dreamily, she closed her eyes and envisioned the palm trees and the heat simmering in the distance." And I'm going to have the biggest feast *ever*, with every hot dish you can imagine."

" I would love to be party to that," he murmured, his own stomach growling at the prospect of a hot meal.

She laughed and turned in his arms, looking back up at his face." Was that your stomach? Or mine?"

" It was mine," he confessed, and she laughed again." Just because I do not get cold as easily, does not mean I do not get hungry," he said defensively.

" I didn't say anything," she retorted with another smile, and turned back around to settle against him. She sighed, feeling her shivering slow and the cold become more bearable. A contented feeling buzzed through her head, as she grew warmer. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world to be warm again.

" Comfortable?" Legolas asked, amused at the little sigh that came out of her.

Liana nodded, feeling the top of her head bump against his chin." Sorry," she mumbled. Okay, the tired feeling was coming back even stronger than before. A lot stronger.

" It's all right," he chuckled." Just rest until we have to move again."

" Mmhmmm," Liana drawled out, feeling her eyelids droop until the snow in front of her started to haze in and out of her vision. Sleep sounded *so* good right now. She felt like she could sleep for days. Her breathing became more even, the chills, faded, and she let her eyes close and sleep take her, comforted by the Elf who supported her weight with his own.

" Time to get up!"

Liana's eyes shot up and she sat up, her mind jogged out of sleep so quickly it sent a shock through her body. She gave Gandalf a bleary, bewildered look, and he started to rouse everyone from sleep. Valar, she'd been asleep for two minutes and it was time to *go*? Her lower lip trembled against her will, and she wanted to cry. She was to damn *tired*....

" Come, melamin, let us pack our things," Legolas said soothingly, rubbing her arm before helping her up. He didn't miss the exhausted look on her face, and it made him somewhat concerned. They didn't need anyone getting too weary on this trip, especially in the cold. Her bout with frostbite didn't help matters. At least Nevada was able to sleep for a few hours. He'd have to watch her condition as they continued.

" What does that *mean*?" she grumbled to herself, shooting him a look before walking away without an answer. She shook her head to clear her jumbled thoughts, trying vainly to think clearly. Luckily, the shock of the cold against her booted feet woke her up some, and she was able to make her way over to Nevada and her own bedroll.

The faerie's eyes were just opening, and she sat up in a daze, taking in her surroundings until her memory came back. She had been arguing with...the dwarf, and...oh yeah. Wincing, she gingerly touched her eye. It felt really puffy." Liana?" she croaked out. Cringing at the sound of her own death-warmed-over voice, she cleared her throat and tried again." Liana? How's my eye looking?"

She looked over at Nevada's face, movements practically lethargic...until she saw it. She sucked in a breath and fought the urge to bare her teeth at the side." Oh...oh, boy."

" Huh?" Agitated, Nevada touched her face again and frowned at her friend." What is that supposed to mean?"

Liana's nose scrunched up, and she reached over to lightly touch her friend's poor eye." It's just...Well, I didn't expect it to be like *that*." She tilted her head, winced, and looked apologetic." Um..."

" Well, what is it?" Nevada's head swung around to look at the rest of the Fellowship, and when they saw her, most of them stopped what they were doing.

" Wow," Pippin blurted, green eyes wide.

" By golly, what my gaffer would say," Sam exclaimed, half in wonderment and half in an upset tone.

Aragorn walked closer and inspected Nevada's eye, shaking his head." Oh, Nev."

" Gimli, what did you *do*?" Merry burst out, his gaze lighting on the dwarf.

" You hit her that hard?" Frodo asked, his voice and face dripping with disappointment.

" What is wrong with my face?!" Nevada nearly screeched out.

Everyone paused for a moment, until Pippin told her." Your eye is purple, Nev."

Confused, Nevada just looked at him." Of course it's purple. That's-wait. What kind of purple are we talking here?"

" As in raccoon purple," Merry said sadly, and he and Pippin gestured in a ring around their own eyes.

The horrified look on Nevada's face was priceless. Her mouth opened and shut, but no sound came out, and she touched her face again." Wha...It's...I have a black eye?! Does anyone have a - a mirror, or something?"

" The backside of my pots show reflections," Sam said, his tone nearly remorseful, and he pulled one out of his bag. She snatched it from him and held it up so she could see her face. When she saw it, she made a sound between a squeak and a whimper. A fairly large purplish-black ring surrounded her eye, the color more prominent underneath than above it. Every time she touched it, fresh pain from the bruise would surface. She put the pan down with a dull thunk on her pack." Misdiagnosed *that* one, didn't ya, Liana?"

" It was difficult to tell how hard he hit you, especially since it was nighttime," she argued." But you definitely need ice, or snow on that. Anything cold."

" Yes, get her some snow, we'll find someway to bind it on her eye," Aragorn charged to Sam, who nodded and helped gather new snow. They ripped a strip off of a blanket, and managed to fashion a sort of eye patch to cover her eye, with explicit instructions to keep it on for fifteen minutes. When the snow made contact with it, she hissed, but let it out as it numbed the area against the pain. That was much better.

She remembered Merry's comment from earlier, and snorted as they continued on with preparations to leave." Raccoon purple. I look like a flipping raccoon."

" At least the color matches your eyes," Pippin tried to add helpfully.

She narrowed her one visible eye at him, and he swallowed and moved away. Sighing, she rolled up her bedroll, glad that Legolas tied the bandage tight so it wouldn't fall. She could replace the snow easily enough, but with her hands the way they were, she couldn't redo the bandage.

" Lass?"

Looking over, she spotted Gimli. The dwarf held his axe to him; gaze unreadable beneath all the armor he wore. She opened her mouth to retort sharply, but he beat her to it, getting in quickly and with a thick accent," Now, I know you're not happy with me, and I wouldn't be either, but just hear me out." She closed her mouth and kept silent, waiting to see what he'd say next." I want to apologize for hitting you last night. It was uncalled for, and...well, I don't normally hit females at all, 'tis against my nature, but you caught me off guard. It was pure self-defense, see. I'm sorry for the bruise you got, and for the things I said that made you angry. I know I wouldn't have tolerated them if I was on your end."

Nevada regarded him for a long moment, her mind whirring at what he said and what she had been thinking. Finally, she grudgingly returned," Apology accepted. And I'm sorry, too, for jumping on you. I don't blame you for fighting back. I had no right." They exchanged a nod and a small smile, before leaving each other. For some reason, it felt a lot better to come to terms with the damn dwarf.

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

" The fool."

The remark was spat out with as much loathing as a person could muster, said with distaste and a hatred that went back for centuries. Saruman glared down at the work in progress before him, at the Orcs gearing up for war with the making of armory and weaponry. He had listened carefully when his faithful crows came back to report, and now saw an image clearly in his head, one of a struggling Fellowship as they made their way up a cruel, cold mountain. Many stumbled, too weary to go on, and it was only a matter of time before something happened.

Saruman could not afford to allow them that kind of time.

" You try to lead them through Caradhras, and for that you are fortune's fool," he said in a chilling whisper. His hand tightened around his staff." If and when it fails...where then will you go?" His smile was cruel, a flash of the demon festering in his mind and corrupted soul." If the mountain defeats you, will you risk a more dangerous road? Moria, perhaps?" His laughter hung on the hot air." You know what will happen there. You *know* what they released there." Taking himself from his thoughts, he turned to the nearest Orc." I will be in my tower. Call me when progress is made."

" Yes, my lord," it replied in a raspy, cold voice, and bowed.

Saruman walked slowly, but with a purpose, to his tower, and took the long stairs to the top. As he walked, his mind already rehearsed the chants he would perform to see his will happen. Gandalf could not get the best of him. He would not allow it. He would see the Fellowship and its purpose be brought down if it was the last thing he did.

When the white wizard reached the top, his black eyes focused on the mountain range far in the distance. His staff clicked lightly against the marble surface, white hair billowing in the wind as he remembered Gandalf sitting up here in this very spot mere months ago, reduced to a shivering old man with little hope of escape. He dreamed of the day he would see that again. Smiling again, he stopped in the middle and slowly raised his arms, staff and all.

Saruman chanted an ancient spell into the air, his deep, melodious voice echoing beyond the trees to carry on the wind, which picked up dramatically. Storm clouds gathered before his very eyes, and he reveled in the feeling of power that ran through him. The power to take down mountains. His chanting grew more feverish as lightning licked the air, and the telltale sign of rain in the distance shone starkly against the gray clouds. He focused his energy on one measly cliff in Caradhras, a cliff containing the people he hated the most.

He would bring them down, and Gandalf the Gray would do exactly what he expected him to. It was working out perfectly.

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

The wind howled around the eleven as they cautiously made their way through the snow, every mindful of the sheer drop mere feet to their right. They had been traveling all day, and had only recently come to this pass that they had to cross. While it had been windy before, this was an extreme wind that had only shown up minutes before, like a freak blizzard. The hobbits shivered violently as snow blasted into their faces, icing on their eyebrows and into their hair despite the cloaks wrapped around them. Aragorn and Boromir alternated carrying them for most of it, each with two hobbits, but now they put them down so the added weight wouldn't make them sink into the snow. The pain in the hobbits' feet was nearly unbearable, and many of their eyes teared up against the wind.

The cold was immense, all consuming, for many of them. Gandalf lead the way, with Legolas following close, and the other lagged slightly, lethargic to the frigid temperatures and the constant beating of the wind. Nevada sniffled to ward off her runny nose, and rubbed at her eyes to see better. Her hands were positively throbbing, and each breath stabbed in her lungs. This was absolutely crazy. Never in all her life had she ever felt this way, nor would she again, if they survived. Movement to her left caused her to look up, and she saw Liana stumbled. Reaching out, she grabbed her friend's elbow and steadied her for what seemed the twentieth time. She had been doing a lot of losing her balance." Come here!" Nevada shouted against the wind, and she pulled Liana to her side. They walked together, supporting each other for the rest of the way.

Liana's head bowed low, as if her shoulders couldn't support its weight. Her breathing was shallow, and she tried to concentrate on watching her feet. One foot in front of the other, just keep walking...keep walking...

A noise on the wind invaded her ears, and both looked up. It came and went with each gust, a faint sound that was both startling and confusing.

Legolas heard it, as well. It struck him as foul, and he wanted to close his ears to it, but it was so malevolent that he couldn't ignore it. He had no idea who it was, but it meant nothing but ill to them. Quickly, he stepped past Gandalf and stood on the ledge to hear it clearer." There is a fell voice on the air," he called back to Gandalf. His mind tried to decipher what was being said, but the wind howled too greatly for him to hear the actual words being said.

Gandalf stopped walking and focused on the voice, as well. When he heard it more clearly, the familiarity of the tone being used struck him." It's Saruman!" he bellowed, and anger slicked through his mind. Saruman could *not* do this to them. He would kill them all! Furious, he gripped his staff and stood tall, brandishing his arms in the air. He started to chant a counter spell in a loud, bellowing voice, shaking his staff at the air and at Saruman in defiance. Lightning hit, and rocks fell from above their heads. Everyone stumbled out of the way and pressed themselves against the cliff wall.

" He's trying to bring down the mountain!" Aragorn yelled." Gandalf! We must turn back!"

Gandalf paused in his chant and shook his head vehemently. He would not give in to the white wizard." No, Aragorn!" The two wizards fought for control over the mountain, and Gandalf felt Saruman's power pushing against his own, forever pushing and overpowering until he finally won.

Lightning cracked through the sky and hit the rocks above the cliff, sending a huge rift of snow and rock hurtling through the air. Eleven heads looked up in horror as the snow cascaded down on them, and there was nowhere they could go.

They were going to be buried alive.

Before anyone could draw breath, the snow hit, stealing the breath from their mouths as it covered everyone from head to toe. The snow settled, the wind died down, and all was quiet and still. Nothing but a breeze moved through to stir the top layer for many minutes.

A hand pushed its way through the snow until it broke to the surface, and a body soon followed. Legolas pushed his head out and he shook it, clearing his vision of snow. He was the first one out." Liana?" he called, struggling to get his full body out." Gandalf! Aragorn!"

Struggling underneath the snow became apparent, and he crawled over to help them, his body weakened from the impact of the avalanche. He pulled up a head, and when the thing growled and snorted, he realized it was Gimli. More heads popped up around him; Sam, Frodo, Aragorn, Boromir. Lastly came Gandalf, Nevada, and Merry, but Pippin and Liana still had not come up.

" Where's Pippin?" Merry chattered, panicking when he could not find his cousin.

" Where's Liana?" Nevada parroted. She started pushing away snow, knowing her friend had been right next to her a moment before. Her and Aragorn dug until they found a hand, and pulled her up.

Liana sputtered and cough, gratefully taking gulps of the sharp, cold air, her shoulders slumped in relief. She had never felt so claustrophobic before, and it was terrifying. She couldn't breathe down there...

" Are you all right?" Aragorn asked her, and Legolas helped her get the rest of her body out of the snow.

" I don't know," she admitted, her body shaking with the cold and her mind numb." I...panicked for a minute. F-forgot which w-way was up and down."' I can't do this,' she thought frantically.' I can't stop shaking.' Her breath came in short gasps and she felt her lungs constrict. She was so damn freezing, so tired...

" Here's Pippin!" Frodo cried, and he and Boromir lifted the shivering hobbit out of the snow. Boromir shook the snow off of him and picked him up." Will you be okay?" he asked him.

Pippin's glazed green eyes blinked." I-I think so. I'm- so c-cold..."

Shaking his head in frustration, Boromir shouted," Gandalf, we must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan!" He hated the way the hobbits and the faeries shook with cold, and he was afraid they couldn't make it much further. The Gap of Rohan wasn't all that far, and they could make it if they tried." We'll take it to my city!" Plus, the prospect of going home was especially pleasing. Much to his displeasure, however, Aragorn countered his suggestion with one of his own.

" The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard," Aragorn argued.

" If you're going to pass over a mountain, then let us go under it!" Gimli suggested." Let us go through the mines of Moria. 'Tis warmer and drier there!"

Gandalf's gaze fell on the dwarf. Moria...The thought of going to Moria curdled his blood, for he knew what lay there, as did Legolas and the faeries.

" We do not like Moria, Gandalf," Nevada said tightly. She had Liana in her lap, and was trying to keep her awake. The faerie took a turn for the worst, and she didn't understand what could be wrong with her friend. She had no knowledge of sickness that the cold brought.

Grudgingly, Gandalf gave the question to Frodo, feeling slightly guilty for putting the burden on the young hobbit." Let the Ring bearer decide."

Frodo stared at the wizard in bewilderment. Gandalf wanted *him* to decide? But why? Furrowing his brow, he pulled his cloak closer, and his teeth chattered. They could either stay on the cold of the mountain, or go into Moria. It was warm in Moria, and underground. There was no snow there, and he wouldn't be so cold...He looked at his companions, laying suffering around him. They were so miserable, their eyes so dismal. He hated seeing them like this. He had the chance to take away their pain...

Boromir helped his decision by saying," We cannot stay here! This will be the death of the hobbits!" Merry and Pippin's lips were blue, and they were hardly aware of the constant rubbing Boromir gave their shoulders to keep them warm.

" Frodo?" Gandalf asked.

Frodo bit his lip, and nodded, sure of his decision." We will go through the mines."

Gandalf's eyes fell, but he nodded in agreement." So be it."

They all got up slowly to move, relief etched on everyone's faces at the prospect of getting off the blasted mountain and into lower ground. Aragorn helped Nevada up, and she in turn tried to help up Liana.

Liana weakly grasped her friend's hand, and let her pull her up, but as soon as she was standing upright, she fell to her knees again.' No! Get up and move!' she thought frantically, but her body wasn't listening to her.

" Liana?" Aragorn and Legolas crouched down.

" I c-can't move," she hitched out a breath and fought the urge to cry. She hurt so badly, and she was so cold.

" Liana, you have to get up," Nevada said raggedly. Even now, she fought to stay on two legs, her body swaying under the demand.

The faerie's breath came out heavily, wheezing in and out, and her whole body trembled. She braced her bandaged hands on the snow, watching them sink in. If only she could sleep..." I...I don't kn-know what's wrong..."

Aragorn exchanged a glance with Legolas, and felt her forehead. Her skin was cold, suggesting that her body temperature had taken a drastic dip." Hypothermia," Aragorn said aloud.

" She's got what?" Nevada chattered out." What the hell is that?"

Liana listened to him explain what hypothermia was. His voice sounded far away, and there was a ringing in her ears. Her bones felt frozen and weak, and she couldn't control the trembling. Her helplessness over the state of her body scared her, and she moaned and clutched her sides to stop the shaking. Everything was just positively spinning. She was vaguely aware of someone calling her name, but when she turned to look, all she saw were dark shapes and white snow. One of the shapes was wearing a funny hat. Liana bit back a giggle. The hat looked rather familiar, and it sure looked funny. Her vision blurred again, and a wave of fatigue swept over her. Going to sleep sounded sooo nice. The cold grew worse around her, and she wanted nothing more than her own bed and a lot of blankets. Maybe a nice pillow, too. The ringing in her ears grew to deafening affects, and she wanted to cover them, but she was too freezing to move. So cold...

Liana's eyes rolled in the back of her head and she slumped forward.

Please review and tell us what you think!