Author's Note: PLEASE READ! IMPORTANT! Hello! I am going to answer a question brought to attention by a reviewer named "me" about the faerie wings. There won't be any wing action b/c Nevada and Liana do not have wings. Before you kill me, here's the reason. Now, everyone gather round, it's storytime. Around 2260 of the Second Age (a long, long time ago) was when Sauron created the One Ring and the Nazgul made an appearance. Wars started to break out between Sauron's forces, the elves, and the faeries. Back then, all faeries had wings, but when they fought with them they managed to get themselves really hurt - in other words, they became a nuisance. The wings themselves are very lightweight and can be ripped off very easy, so you can imagine how painful that must be. Many faeries died from either being maimed or having their wings literally removed by some of the dark forces, and the people's armed forces suffered. Queen Emilia realized that the fighting would only get worse, and she hated to see her people suffer, so she used her own magic ( or sorcery, if you will) to prohibit future fae children from possessing wings. She created a cut-off for any child born after a certain year to be wingless so they would be able to fight without hindrance. As for the faeries who were already in existance, she could not take their wings away since they already had them, so unfortunately they still had to fight with them, but their children would be born without them in anticipation of longer and harder wars in the future. So, any faerie under the age of about four thousand years (40-something in human years....yeah. This happened a long time ago) does not possess wings. Sounds kinda depressing, doesn't it? Well, we decided to make it this way b/c we figured that wings would get in the way, no matter how beautiful they are, and rest assured that one day in the future, when all the wars are over, fae children will be born with wings once again. So if you see any faeries in the future of this story with wings ( or in the beginning...Aaclyde, Emilia) they're a lot older than four thousand years, and faeries who are a lot younger, such as Alexia (around 28), Peony (around 13), Diana (around 17), Liana (about 22) and Nevada (21) do not have wings. If you want to know where I got the whole Second and Third age information, I got it from this website: http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/default.htm. Sorry we didn't address this earlier, and I hope this clears up any confusion or questions you might have. And if you still have some questions, email me and ask away. Oh, and by the way - yes, Arwen is omitted. She doesn't play a role in the story, so basically, she's nonexistant for the duration of this long...long journey. No, it's nothing against Arwen, she just doesn't fit into the story. Sorry if any of this upsets anyone, but it *is* our story and we can make it any way we want - that's the beauty of fan fiction. Thanks for being so patient and reading through all of this, so I won't keep you any longer from the chapter. Happy reading, and please review! You'll absolutely make our day if you do! And hey, spread the word, tell your friends!

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' This is my life

It's not what it was before

All these feelings I've shared...

And this smile that I've never shown before.'

~'So Far Away,' by Staind

Chapter 17

Everyone stared numbly as Liana pitched forward into the snow." Liana?" Nevada asked dumbly, and Aragorn and Legolas swooped down to pick her up.

" Is she okay?!" Sam and Frodo cried, trying to creep closer through the snow to see the condition of their friend.

" Why did she fall?" Gimli demanded. He tried to move forward, as well, but his feet were so far down in the snow, he ended up making himself sink deeper.

Nevada snapped out of her stupor when Liana's head loll back as she was being moved to a more comfortable position. Her friend looked like she was dead, and that sent a streak of panic through her. Sinking to her knees, she scooted closer and took Liana's hand, not trusting herself to speak. Beneath the bandages, she knew her friend's hand was deathly cold, and it frightened her. She remembered Aragorn's explanation of hypothermia, which included drastically lowered body temperature, shaking, and shallow breathing.

Aragorn deftly pressed two fingers against Liana's throat as he and Legolas helped her up, and let out a sigh of relief as he felt a weak pulse. Her face was incredibly pale, and her breathing labored; he worried if she would wake up anytime soon." She is unconscious. We have to warm her up," he continued, looking up at Legolas's tightly drawn face and his own pale features." Somehow, she has to be warmed up, or else she will not awaken."

" Let me see her," Gandalf came up and knelt down next to the faerie. Legolas drew her head into his lap and cradled her close, afraid to let her go. If it came down to it, he would keep her warm, no matter how much it cost him. Gandalf laid a weathered, wrinkled hand against Liana's cold cheek, listened to her pulse, and checked her eyes. Shaking his head, he peered up into everyone's worried gazes." She will not wake up anytime soon, but Aragorn is right. She needs to be warmed up."

" How?" Boromir asked." We won't be of any help to her, and all the blankets are wet."

" We must find some way," Gandalf frowned. The faerie's lip were turning an odd blue color, and it worried him. He knew from the beginning that Liana or Nevada had never truly experienced cold because of their drastically different lifestyles, but he didn't believe their bodies would react like this. The temperatures proved to be more damaging than he ever could have guessed." She cannot stay chilled like this."

" We must get off this mountain, as well," Gimli added.

" Are we going to wait until she awakens, or start off now?" Boromir wondered.

" Who has strength left enough to carry the lass?" Gimli asked.

" She doesn't weigh all that much," Nevada chattered out, giving the dwarf a glare before turning back to her friend.

" He means that we've been weakened enough by the weather," Aragorn replied. He dug out a slightly damp blanket and wrapped Liana in it, but other than that, he didn't know what else to do." Gandalf?" They all looked expectedly over to the wizard, who stayed silent, mulling over the possibilities and limitations they had.

Their answer came unexpectedly." I will carry her."

Aragorn nodded, and turned to Nevada." Nevada, will you be all right to walk?"

" Are you feeling dizzy, too?" Pippin asked in a shivering voice.

Nevada shook her head. She was weak, and her body was screaming at her to just sit and not walk, but she refused to let this cold get the better of her. It was bad enough that Liana made herself sick over the cold, she didn't need to go down, too. Besides, Nevada knew she'd gotten more sleep than her friend, and was confident she would be well enough to get off this damn mountain." I'll be fine, just need to...walk at a slower pace."

Aragorn gave her a skeptical look, but helped her to her feet nonetheless. The minute he let her go, her knees buckled again, but she locked them in place before she could fall. Using his arm as a support, she pushed herself back up and drew up as far as she could to look the human in the eye." I can walk." With a huff, Nevada limped past him to catch up to Gandalf.

When she reached the wizard, he looked down at her with a frown." You're not going to pass out on us, as well, are you?"

" Hope not," Nevada replied. She hugged herself against the cold and focused on walking. As long as she had something to focus on, she'd forget how tired she was. The further she walked, the closer she was to less snow, and that was a very good thought indeed. Less snow meant more warmth.

Gandalf caught her arm before her foot slipped in the snow, casting her a disapproving glance." Are you sure?" he pressed, eyes inquisitive." I can give you something to regain some of your strength, child."

Nevada blanched at being called 'child.'" I'll be fine, Gandalf. Worry about someone else."

" Everyone else seems to be walking just fine," Gandalf retorted.

" Hobbits aren't even walking!" she slurred slightly with the cold as she pointed to Merry and Pippin.

" That is besides the point," Gandalf replied, and reached into his pack to draw out a vial. He unscrewed the top and handed it to the faerie.

Rearing back, she sniffed the bottle, taking in a whiff of nutmeg and something else she couldn't place." Tryin' to drug me?"

" No, foolish girl," Gandalf countered, the rebuke softened with the twinkle in his eyes." As I said before, I would give you something to regain your strength. This is that something."

Squinting at the bottle, she grabbed it in her clumsy, numb fingers, still unsure of its contents." Take one swallow, and only one," Gandalf warned. Glancing at the wizard for any sign of trickery, she carefully took a drink. The warm liquid filled her mouth, sweet to the point of sickening, but she swallowed quickly and flung the vial back to Gandalf. Her face contorted at the extreme sweetness, and she said," That was terrible."

Gandalf chuckled as he replaced the bottle." I never said it would taste good."

Nevada rolled her eyes and walked as steadily as she could, feeling no different than before she took the draught. Gradually, she felt warmth seep in her bones, and she wasn't as tired, but...Reaching out, Nev gripped Gandalf's arm again as her footing slipped on the avalanche of snow beneath them." Thought this stuff was supposed to help me."

Gandalf patted her arm." It is. However, it does nothing to help one's balance."

" Shut it, Gandalf."

' If she keeps walking like that, she will fall off this cliff,' Aragorn thought with a shake of his head. He watched Gandalf right her again and steer her away from the cliffside so she wouldn't put herself in danger. Aragorn vowed he'd keep an eye on her before turning to Frodo and Sam, whom he would be carrying down the rest of the way. They were far too weak themselves to make it down on foot, and cast Aragorn grateful looks as he lifted them up.

" How long is it to the Gates of Moria?" Frodo asked once he was eye level with Strider.

" A few days of walking, Master Baggins," Aragorn answered." Three at the most."

" That's still a mighty long time," Sam chattered out.

" I know, Sam." Aragorn gave Sam a reassuring pat on the back and a smile." Hang in there, we'll make it out fine."

" Let's get off this damn mountain already!" Gimli growled to the human.

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Everything was foggy. Vague, misty shapes receded and came into her mind's eye, and there was a faint ringing in her ears. She couldn't see past the obscure shapes, and every time she tried to focus on them, she only succeeded in making herself dizzy and making the visions even more confusing. Why couldn't she see anything clearly? Again she tried, straining her mind as she fought to scatter the hazy thoughts swirling around until it made her nauseous. She was so confused...had she been sleeping? What had happened? She couldn't remember *anything*. Nothing was clear enough for her to decipher, except...

She was warm.

The faerie started in her half-unconscious sleep at the revelation. It came back to her that she had been cold for such a very long time, so cold that she would have done anything for it to go away, and now it was gone. Liana was warm, and she couldn't understand why. Why had she even been cold? Furrowing her brow, eyes still screwed shut, she thought and thought, and suddenly remembered.

The mountain...The Fellowship, Frodo, *Gandalf*, chanting up to the sky at some unknown force. That voice in the air, so cold and raspy, so *evil*...and it all came down. All that snow, and she remembered feeling like she was drowning, suffocating because it was all around her, in her nose, burning in her lungs. So frantic to get out, clawing to reach the surface, but not knowing which way was up, and which way was down. Had she been unknowingly going down before someone grabbed her hand? And who had grabbed her hand? It was...Dark hair flashed in her mind, and she knew it had been Aragorn, and Nevada. Their worried faces, and then she couldn't breathe, like someone had taken all the air and there wasn't enough for her to breathe in. And she fell, but where was she now?

The wind in her face gradually woke Liana up, until she could feel it slapping her cheeks and moving her hair. She wasn't on the ground, was she? Keeping her eyes closed, Liana wondered at the odd feeling of floating she had...she didn't feel like she was on the ground at all, especially since her feet felt like they were dangling. If she was on the ground, she wouldn't have that feeling, so...

Was she being *carried*?

The realization startled her so much that her eyes popped open, something she immediately regretted. With an inaudible hiss, she shut them and bared her teeth against the brightness. Last time she checked, it hadnt been this bright out. For the moment Liana lay there, feeling the white light beat against her closed eyelids as sharp pain lanced through her forehead. When it receded, she kept her eyes closed and gradually opened them to get them adjusted to the outside world again. She had to find out what had happened and how long she'd been out.

Liana kept most of her body slack like it had been while she slept, except for ever-so-turning her head to find out whose arm she was resting against. Now she was aware of the solid body against her left side, and the strong arms supporting her bottom and her neck. Her source of warmth felt like an oven, and deep down Liana wanted nothing more than to curl against the warmth, whoever it was, like a kitten and forget about everything else that had happened. However, common sense gave the faerie a swift kick, and supressing a groan, she turned her head again and slowly opened her eyes.

" Liana's woken up!"

The faerie couldn't help but smile at Pippin's chirpy voice. Another soon followed, this one sounding a bit like Frodo." Welcome back, Liana."

" Yes, you had us quite worried." That one sounded like Sam, or maybe it was Merry...

Vaguely, Liana deciphered the fuzzy shapes walking around her to be the rest of the Fellowship. She couldn't see the hobbits, but she could hear them discussing her excitedly and calling her name." Thanks," she said in response to the 'welcome back.' Now, on with the other question plaguing her head." How long...?"

" About a day," a weathered voice came from her left. Liana lifted her head slightly to get a good look at Gandalf's face, and dismayed to find out how hard it was to do something as simple as that. She felt incredibly weak for someone who'd slept so long.

" Oh," she finally responded tiredly." Who's...who's carrying me?"

" I am," came the soft answer.

" Oh," she repeated. Deep down, she knew it was him all along, and while it made her a little uncomfortable to be this close to him, right now she didn't care. All she thought or cared about was that he was warm and she knew he wouldn't let her fall or anything, before she let her eyes drift close again." That's nice..."

" Gandalf?" Legolas asked, slightly worried as Liana's head slumped in the crook of his arm again.

Gandalf crossed over to the elf from his position next to the dwarf to raise a hand to Liana's forehead. Satisfied, he pulled away and waved Legolas's worry off with a hand." She is just asleep now. Your body heat and the warmer conditions here have brought her body temperature up quite a bit. After a little more rest, she should be all right."

Nevada sighed to herself in relief while the hobbits cheered. She knew Liana was going to be okay, but she felt better to have Gandalf confirm it. That elf had been carrying her since yesterday, and she didn't wake up once. Every once in a while, Nev would check her friend's pulse to make sure she didn't up and die on them during the night - she wasn't used to having Liana out for that long.

The elf had a lot more stamina than she gave him credit for, as well. He didn't stumble or falter once since he volunteered to carry her, and even now he wasn't showing signs of slowing down. He didn't even look tired.' Disgusting,' Nevada thought, sneering at the elf's back. Here the rest of them were, tired, defrosting from the extreme cold of the mountain, and ready to drop, and that elf was just fine carrying himself and over another hundred pounds of weight down a mountain. Simply disgusting.

" Miss Nevada?" Pippin looked up at her, squinting against the sunlight." You look angry."

Nevada shook her head." Not angry, Pip; irritated."

" At what?"

" The elf."

" Oh." That wasn't any news to Pippin - Nevada was always irritated with the elf in some way or another. In fact, she was like that with most of them. Shrugging it off, Pippin rubbed his stomach as it growled again. It was about dinnertime, and they hadn't stopped yet. True, it was nicer out - the snow was down to a layer of a few inches, and the cold became more tolerable and crisp. The hobbits were able to start walking on it earlier that morning, and since then, they had kept a steady pace down the descent of the mountain.

" When will we reach Moria?" Pippin heard Sam ask.

" We have to find the Gates first," Gimli answered. He walked in time with Gandalf, slowly swinging his axe with the pace he set and enjoying the reprieve from the cold. That and he was immensely looking forward to seeing his cousin again. The feast would be absolutely grand, and it made his mouth water to think about it.

" Are the Gates hard to find?" Merry asked.

Boromir, Aragorn, and Nevada looked at Gandalf for an answer, who tilted his head side to side before answering." It depends on where you look."

Nevada made a sound and rolled her eyes." Can't anything out of your mouth come out as a straight answer?"

Gandalf smiled." Where is the fun in that, my dear?" Nevada made a face behind his back and sighed, hoping it wouldn't be too long before they found it. She was too tired to retort back to the wizard, almost past the point of caring. She was too busy being concerned about Liana the other night to get too much sleep, and now she was paying for it. This was why she didn't have many friends - she hated worrying about them.

" Hey! I don't see snow up there!" Pippin called out excitedly. Everyone turned their attention to the distance, and sure enough, scraggly, yellowed grass could be seen instead of snow. The hobbits whooped and raced ahead, heedless of Aragorn and Gandalf's encouragement to stay with them.

" Let the hobbits have their fun," Boromir smiled, his own hope rekindled at seeing the yellow, albeit dead grass in the distance. There wouldn't be Orcs for a long time yet, and the space was open enough to spot any other intruders, so he saw no problem with letting them run ahead.

" Yeah, let them run rampant and act like they're two," Nevada countered sarcastically, but the good natured look on her face contrasted with her tone. None of them truly minded the hobbits antics; they were all just happy to be rid of the snow and extreme weather.

The fellowship reached the grass soon enough, relishing in the feel of their feet hitting solid ground instead of the soft white snow. They had been traveling for another hour or so when Liana woke up, looking around with wide, unclear eyes until she gathered her bearings again.

" Where's the snow?" she asked, confusion coloring her voice.

" We left it about an hour ago," Nevada grinned." Isn't it great?"

Liana made a move to get down, only to feel the arms holding her tighten. Frowning, she looked up until she met Legolas's gaze." You have only just woken up," he explained quietly, but sternly." Your body is still weak. I will carry you until we stop for the night, which should be soon."

Shaking her head, Liana protested," I'm sure I can manage. You've been carrying me for a day and a half, and while I thank you for it, I'm sure you must be tired."

Smiling slightly, Legolas responded," Liana, I could carry you for days uphill and not tire. You do not weigh that much, either, which is something that worries me," he added with a small frown of his own.

Liana gave him an irritated look. He sounded like a parent speaking to a child." My weight is fine," she replied, keeping her voice calm and collected. She mulled over what he said, and tensed her own still weak muscles. Deep down, she knew he was right in that she wouldn't be able to walk all that far without getting tired again. She really hated this hypothermia thing - hated everything about not being able to take care of herself.

Reading her thoughts, Legolas bent his head to talk quietly in her ear." You were sick, Liana, and still are. No one blames you for this."

Nodding, Liana felt him kiss her forehead before lifting his head again, and she shifted to rest hers against his chest. She might as well enjoy being carried by this particular elf whie it lasted.

They set up camp an hour after dusk, and while bedrolls were taken out and firewood gathered, Sam took out his cooking utensils. It was wonderful to be back on normal ground, and since they had hit grassier plains this far down the mountain, Sam was able to cook up warm food for everyone. His stomach growled loudly at the thought, and the gardener happily began preparing the meal.

" What are we having today, Sam?" Frodo asked with a smile.

Sam mirrored it and set out a pan." Boromir went to hunt for game, so I'm assuming he'll bring back a rabbit or two. I still have some carrots and a potatoe or two that weren't damaged by the snow, as well. We haven't had stew in a while."

" Then stew it is!" Merry clapped Sam on the back and winked at Frodo." This is quite the celebration, 'ay? No more snow, rabbit stew, and warm beds. Too bad we didn't have any of Gandalf's fireworks to set off the evening."

" Yes, a pity," Gandalf leveled a mock glare at the hobbit, distinctly remembering his last firework show and Merry's participation in it. They laughed at Merry's sheepish expression.

" I sense an inside joke," Boromir commented. He caught the last half of the conversation as he walked up, carrying two plump rabbits that he had picked off quite successfully. Everyone cheered at the sight, and Sam took them to prepare the stew.

" Yes, care to share?" Liana asked. She had sat herself down on a bedroll, wrapped in a blanket and looking tired, but happy to be awake. Nevada sat next to her, and the two looked expectedly at Merry and Gandalf.

" I'm sure Pippin had something to do with it, too," Nevada added, catching the guilty look on the hobbit's face before." This should be interesting."

" I'll start it, then," Frodo slanted a glance at Merry and Pippin, before grinning cheekily at the others. Everyone caught a glimpse of the hobbit's old self in his eyes, which was a glad sight to see." It happened at Bilbo's birthday party."

Aragorn chuckled." Everything happens on his birthday parties." He sat back to enjoy the tale that Merry and Pippin took up from Frodo, taking out his pipe for a nice evening smoke in the cool air. He wasn't too happy about going to Moria, but he was happy enough to be out of that weather.

The other nine listened in amusement to the tale, laughing at the image of a charred Merry and Pippin after they had set the wizard's biggest firework display off in a nearby tent. They spoke of other mischief the two terrors had been up to in the Shire all through dinner, a meal that no one remembered ever tasting as good as it did that night. The tales ended when the fire grew low, and eyelids started to droop. Everyone soon took to their sleeping mats and curled up in their blankets on the warmer ground.

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Liana shifted in her sleep, biting her lip against the dreamworld swirling in her head, full of dark images that made her want to curl up in a ball and wish them away. Eyes watched her every move, narrowed silver eyes full of malice and something else that sent a slick shudder up her spine. She wanted to turn away from them, but they held her rooted to the spot, like the morbid fascination of a frozen rabbit facing its own death. She struggled to wake up, anything to get away from those eyes, before it happened quicker than she anticipated.

Her eyes shot open, and she swiftly sat up, looking around wildly. The camp was silent, the fire crackling down low, and nothing was wrong. Willing herself to calm her breathing, she caught the concerned gaze of Boromir.

" Are you all right?" he asked very quietly, so as not to wake the others.

Shaking her head, Liana pulled back the blanket and shifted shakily, not trusting her legs to support her. The dream felt so real, she could still imagine those eyes burning holes in her back. Looking around in the pending darkness, she strained her vision to see anything, but saw nothing. This should have made her feel better, but it only made her feel worse. A sick fear nagged in the back of her head, and she couldn't shake off the feeling that the dream had been more than just a nightmare.

While she thought, Boromir had made his way to her and knelt down. Her wrapped hands were unsteady, and a thin shean of sweat glistened on her face." Princess Liana, what is it? A bad dream?"

" More than just a bad dream," she whispered, almost to herself. Looking up, her panic stricken eyes met his." I have a bad feeling. I do not think we're alone."

Boromir shook his head, frowning." I have not heard or seen anything since my watch began. Why don't you try going back to sleep? It was only a nightmare-"

" No," she said softly, desperately. She could see that he didn't believe her, and that frustrated her to no end. She knew it, *knew* that they wouldn't be safe for long, even though there wasn't anything out there now." Boromir, please-"

" What is the problem?" The two turned and met Legolas, who crouched down to see the commotion. His gaze went accusingly from Boromir to Liana, who looked as if she had seen a ghost. Resting a hand on her shoulder in concern, he looked to her for answers.

" They need to wake up, Legolas," Liana pleaded." Something is out there, with eyes that-"

" She had a bad dream," Boromir cut in softly, effectively making her sound like a raving lunatic." She awoke quite panicked, however, I do not know what she was dreaming about."

" What did you dream, Liana?" Legolas asked her. He wasn't as skeptical as the human, but he had to hear what she had to say before making any assumptions. He didn't sense a threat yet, but there was no telling when that could change."

Liana's mouth worked, then she got out," Eyes. I saw a lot of eyes, and they're *watching* us." Gripping Legolas's arm, her own eyes pleaded with him silently to believe her." We have to wake everyone up, it doesn't feel safe anymore. Something's going to happen." ' Please, please believe me. You of all people should believe me...'

Legolas gazed at her silently, taking in her huge golden eyes and damp skin. She smelled of fear and panic, and he knew there had to be good reason for it." I believe you," he said softly, and she sagged with relief.

Boromir kept his comments to himself and stood up, saying," I will wake them."

Before he could get more than two feet, the hairs on the back of Legolas's neck stood on end, and he looked out into the darkness, more alert than before. There *was* something out there. His hearing detected a faint growl, and the elf stood up quickly, helping Liana to her feet and turning to Boromir." Awaken the hobbits and retrieve your sword," he said sharply." We will be under attack momentarily."

Boromir's eyes shifted from him to Liana, who wore a grim 'I-told-you-so' look on her face, before turning away to get his weapon and wake up the hobbits. Legolas shook Aragorn and Gandalf awake, and Liana took Nevada and Gimli.

" We're under attack?" they heard Pippin's voice cry as the hobbits awoke.

" Nonsense, I see nothing out there," Gimli snorted.

" It's out there, I know it," Liana confirmed.

" Liana had a nightmare well before I sensed anything," Legolas told Gandalf and Aragorn." I woke up and she was speaking with Boromir about it." They ceased conversing when low growls emitted from the darkness yards away.

" Wargs," Aragorn said grimly while he unsheathed his sword. Eyes blinked and gleamed against the dying fire, some shining silver and some shining red as the sinewy bodies drew themselves closer.

Nevada caught Boromir giving Liana a look, who only raised an eyebrow at him. Nevada rolled her own eyes." Let me guess," she said dryly," you didn't believe her, did you?"

" It sounded far-fetched at the time," Boromir argued defensively.

" Lesson number one," Nevada continued, taking out her own sword and giving it a few practice swings. The weight felt good in her hand, and she loved the fact that she was going to use it in battle, finally." Liana never bullshits. If she says something's out there, it's out there. We could have avoided being unprepared if you had gottan that right the first time."

" That is in the past," Gandalf cut in, his eyes trained on the glowing ones in the dark." Liana and I will stay back with the hobbits and only fight if need be." Insulted, Liana opened her mouth to speak, but Gandalf waved her off." You are in no condition to do serious fighting, Liana. You know this as well as I."

Liana angrily closed her mouth and stepped back with the hobbits, trying to keep her resentment down to a minimum as the battle began.

One of the wargs came closer to the campsite, moving low to the ground. Its brown fur gleamed, as did its sharp teeth when it growled at the fellowship. Another followed it, and soon another. A few more stayed behind, but they all watched for the right moment to attack.

That moment came when the first warg roared and bunched its muscles for a leap. It aimed for Gandalf, but Legolas caught the beast in the air with an arrow in its throat. It fell to the ground with a heavy thud, and the fighting started.

At least seven other wargs attacked at once, each choosing its own victim to chase and take down. Frodo watched from behind Liana and Gandalf, who had their swords out to defend the little ones. He had never seen a warg before, and the sight was both fascinating and disgusting. The powerful beasts were as big as horses, with gnashing, wicked teeth that snapped at the air in hopes to get a nip of flesh. They moved sleekly, their muscles legs enabling them to run faster than Frodo thought the beasts would be capable of, but the one thing Frodo noticed the most about the creatures was the evil stench rising of off their fur and into the air. These creatures were evil, and that thought alone made Frodo shudder.

Legolas's arrows flew through the air as he launched them one after another, pincushioning a nearby warg until it fell to the ground with arrows sticking every which way. He was aware of Aragorn fighting off another warg next to him, and turned to help. The man's sword whistled through the air as it came down on the beast's flank, only succeeding in angering it. It let out a roar and came at Aragorn. It meant to bite into Aragorn's chest, but Legolas drew an arrow and hit it between the shoulder blades. The warg jerked and bit into metal before landing wrong on a paw. Aragorn drew his sword back, and Legolas narrowly avoided getting splattered with blood as the human's sword sliced quickly at the warg's throat, sending the beast to the ground.

After a few swings at a warg with her sword, Nevada realized that she just wasn't strong enough yet to effectively wield her blade, so she dropped it and pulled out her bow and arrow. Nevada gritted her teeth as she pulled back the bow, sighting her arrow to the warg's throat. At the last possible moment, the warg twisted out of the way, and her arrow sliced thinly along its side. Mouth open, she watched the warg turn to her, teeth bared and growling, as it advanced upon her. She had missed??! Bewildered and angry with herself, Nevada whipped out another arrow and notched it, ignoring the fatigue in her muscles as she pulled back and took another shot. This time the warg moved quicker, and the arrow flew harmlessly over its head.

" Son of a *bitch*!" Nevada exclaimed, her voice shrill. How in the hell had she missed *twice*?! She would have dwelled on it longer, but the warg decided enough was enough and pounced her. With a yell, Nevada backed up and notched another arrow, praying this one wouldn't miss. She set her sights on the beast's eye, and was prepared to fire when a passing warg jarred her from behind, sending her flying forward.

She hit the ground in front of the warg, dropping her bow and arrow next to her upon impact. As quick as possible, she scrambled back up and reached for her bow, only to be stopped by a growl. Looking up slowly, Nevada met the cold silver eyes of the warg a mere three feet away, growling dangerously with his razor sharp teeth bared and glistening wetly in the night air. She froze, judging the distance between her and the bow, but before she could make a move for it, the warg stepped forward and placed a heavy paw next to the weapon.

" Shit," she breathed, and backed it up, scooting on her bottom and using her arms and hands to push her back." Help," she choked out, then screamed it." HELP! Somebody please *help* me!!" The warg advanced slowly, nearly grinning in predatorial pleasure as Nevada moved herself back and it moved forward.

The fellowship slowed in what they were doing upon hearing the desperate scream cut through the darkness. Heads turned in the direction it came from, but the night made it difficult to see.

" Nevada?" Liana whipered shakily, but from her vantage point, she couldn't see where her friend was. When she went forward, Gandalf held her back, placing her with the alarmed hobbits. Gimli and Boromir exchanged a look, but were so busy fighting they couldn't do anything. Legolas's arrows slowed, his eyes searching for the faerie, and Aragorn froze after killing another warg. His heart had dropped in his stomach at the shrillness of her voice, and he had *no idea* where she was or why she screamed." NEVADA!" he yelled in fear. Looking around, he cursed his limited vision, his heart pounding and panic slick in his throat. The silence of her voice cutting out and the faint growl of something was even worse than hearing her pleas." Where is she?!" Aragorn asked in alarm. He turned quickly to Legolas, who was looking at something in the distance. The elf barely glanced at the human before taking off in a different direction, and Aragorn prayed it was in Nevada's direction. The thought of anything happening to her now just made him sick. Swallowing, Aragorn forced himself to continue to fight, telling himself that Legolas would be able to handle it.

Without warning, the warg roared and leaped for Nevada, who screamed and turned to run. She would have took off, praying that those teeth didn't sink into her back, but she stopped when nothing happened. Turning around, she watched the warg fall to the ground with an arrow in its back.

She stared in amazement, and a hand came into view." On your feet, there are still more to deal with," came a soft voice. She accepted the hand, and met Legolas's gaze.

" You just saved me?" Nevada asked incredulously. He merely smiled and turned to fight another warg, leaving Nevada stumped and not believing that the elf came to her aide. Shaking out of her stupor, Nevada ran over and retrieved her bow and arrow to help finish the rest off.

" Nevada!"

Turning quickly, she spotted Aragorn. He looked pale yet...relieved." Are you all right?" She gave him a nod before turning back to help fight another warg.

Gimli roared louder than the warg he was fighting as he swung his axe at the mighty beast. The warg growled and leapt out of the way, but Gimli only followed, determined to take him down. They fought for a couple minutes, neither side winning, until Boromir came to aide Gimli. Together, the two hacked with sword and axe, and took down the warg.

The hobbits cheered as they watched their comrades fight and kill the wargs, so loudly that they failed to hear the threat coming up behind them. Sam let out a yell as something yanked forcibly on his cloak and he went down hard on the ground, being dragged away by the teeth of a nasty warg.

Liana and Gandalf whirled around at the hobbits shouts, and ran to help him. Frodo, Merry and Pippin were able to slow the beast down and get a few jabs in, but the animl would not give up his hold on Sam. Liana drew out one of her daggers and, using all of her strength, shoved it deep in between his shoulder blades. The warg screamed and let go of Sam, slouching back and slumping over, panting and growling but still alive. Merry and Pippin followed the beast and hacked until they were sure he wouldn't get up again.

Gandalf looked around at the fighting fellowship, realizing that they were tiring and there were one too many wargs here for a group of people who just survived coming off a mountain. Making up his mind, the wizard pulled out his staff and blew into the top, creating a white light that caught the attention of person and beast alike.

To anyone watching, Gandalf seemed to grow past his normal height, and he stalked forward to meet the remaining wargs. Thrusting his staff in the air, it flared with a bright light that blinded everyone near, and the wizard bellowed out," *Naur an edraith ammen! Naur dan i ngaurhoth!*" A tree nearby burst into flames, and the wargs recoiled from the bright light and fled.

When the light cleared, there was nothing left but the Fellowship - the bodies of the dead wargs had gone.

" Nice trick," Nevada marveled.

Gandalf gave her an exasperated look, and turned to the heaving, sweaty fellowship." They will come back no more." Nodding his head towards the horizon, everyone realized the sky was lightening, and a faint blue-gray could be seen." Dawn comes. Let us pack and leave to find the Gates; we cannot waste anymore time."

Everyone put down their weapons and moved to break up camp. The hobbits, full of adrenaline from the attack, talked animatedly as they rolled up their bedrolls and tossed their blankets in the packs, while the other stayed mostly quiet.

Legolas dropped down next to Liana, whose breathing was still quite labored as she folded a blanket." Liana?" he asked in concern, touching her arm.

She looked at him briefly, smiling a bit before turning back to her task." I'll be fine once I catch my breath."

Frowning, he sat next to her and placed his palm on her forehead. It was a little flushed and damp, not as cool as it had been before. Satisfied that there was no drop in her temp, Legolas pulled his hand back and watched her freeze as he brushed a few strands of hair away from her forehead. " You overexerted yourself," Legolas chided gently.

" I had no choice," she told him, her eyes following his movements. She took a deep breath when he tucked a light brown strand of hair behind her ear. When he dropped his hand, she looked at him and reached up to untuck the strand he tucked in. Quelling an amused smile, Legolas went to tuck it back in. Quicker than he expected, she reached up as he did it and placed her hand over his, holding it there; feeling his warm fingers under her own. Slowly, she put his hand down and gave him a look that failed when her lips quirked up in a smile." I like it untucked." Turning away, she finished folding the blanket, and happened to look down at her bandaged hands." Should the bandages come off now?"

Legolas, still charmed by her antics, took her hand and inspected it. He nodded slowly." I am sure they can now. Allow me." She sat obediently and let him swiftly work the knots out and unwrap the bandages. When they fell off, he ran his fingers over her palms, turning them this way and that to see if they had healed. Liana unconsciously shivered at his touch, and resisted the urge to pull away. He noticed and smiled at her, causing her to smile shyly back and look down." They look all right to me," he drawled out, but instead of letting go, he held onto her fingers, a thumb rubbing a soothing pattern on her palm.

Liana pulled away suddenly and cradled her hands in her lap. She wouldn't meet his slightly hurt gaze as she busied herself with the bedroll. Why had she pulled away so quickly from him?" Thank you for untying them," she said quickly, and darted a glance at his face before turning away again. He went to catch a glimpse of the emotion coloring her amber irises, and found it - confusion. She was confused about...well, it must be him. He knew, deep down, that she liked him just as much as he liked her, but at times she acted almost...afraid of him. Perhaps she was afraid of the feelings she harbored for him? Sighing softly to himself, he began to think of ways to take away her fear, but he knew that she would have to overcome it herself. Until then, he would continue to let her know how he felt without alarming her even more. He would just have to be patient with her.

" Careful, Legolas," Aragorn said in elvish as he walked past, so Liana wouldn't know what they were saying." Next time, she won't let you get away with it."

" What did he say about me?"

Aragorn smiled and shook his head at Liana's tone, and sat himself down in front of Nevada. She was bandaging angry red claw marks on her arm, and didn't look up when he sat down. Letting out a breath, Aragorn contented himself to watch her for a moment, glad she was even sitting there." Need some help?"

Nevada looked up, and shied away when he reached up to help her. At the look he gave her, she rolled her eyes, but let him do the administering. While he cleaned the remainder of the claw marks, he gathered his thoughts together. After her screams, he thought he wouldn't see her again. It had never occured to him that Nevada could get seriously hurt by the wargs, and it made him remember that while she was one of the immortal, she wasn't immune to death and becoming gravely injured." Nevada, the warg-"

" I don't remember ever screaming for help like that before," Nevada cut him off, almost to herself yet she looked right at him. At his inquisitive gaze, she continued, face turning slightly red." It's been centuries...since I asked for help like that. Don't know what came over to me," she admitted quietly." I didn't mean to worry any of you too much." Her last statement was in reference to his own scream, which had startled her enough to hear it at the time. She knew it was Aragorn who had shouted, but couldn't believe at how loud and horrified he sounded.

Aragorn shook his head at her, and began wrapping the bandages around the claw marks." Do not feel guilty," he told her." Sometimes it is more noble to ask for help than stay quiet. After all, had you not screamed, Legolas would not have made it to you in time. We cannot afford to lose a valuable member of the fellowship now, Nevada." She stayed silent while he worked, and he thought of his own reaction to her scream. He was sure all of Moria heard it, and the tone of his own voice surprised him. Aragorn finished the last bandage, before telling her," That should do it."

She gave him a small smile." Thank you."

" You're welcome." The man paused, took in her eye, and reached out to touch her cheek near the puffy purple circle around her eye. Her back stiffened slightly as she wondered why he touched her face, but he answered with," How does that feel?"

Nevada mentally sighed with relief, touching the slightly sore spot herself." It's sort of numb, a little sore." She usually hated it when people touched her like that, but she had let him...Why? What made him so different?

" You're accident prone," Aragorn chuckled, and she snorted at him and rolled her eyes. Aragorn then pointed to her hands, then jerked his head in Legolas and Liana's direction." Legolas took off Liana's bandages, and her hands look all right, so we'll take yours off, too."

Nevada nodded and lifted her hands. Aragorn worked on her left first, and while he undid the knots she spoke." You know, if I had just grabbed my sword and kept it, none of that would have happened."

" You never know, Nevada," Aragorn disagreed darkly.

" Oh, I know," Nevada nodded. Her eyes were focused somewhere in the distance, as she recalled, in disgust, her poor marksmanship earlier." I used my bow and arrow, and I *missed* the warg three feet in front of me. How on Middle Earth did I miss such a clear shot? What is wrong with me? I could *feel* that warg laughing at me."

" Perhaps you are just out of practice," Aragorn suggested. Nevada leveled him with a look, which he didn't see because of a particular nasty knot he couldn't seem to get out. He did, however, notice her silence, and smiling wryly to himself, he said without looking up," I'm getting a glare, arent' I?"

Nevada laughed, and Aragorn's hands stilled. His airway seemed to constrict upon hearing the pretty sound, and he did nothing but stare at his hands on hers until she spoke again." You were," Nevada replied with a stray chuckle." And you deserved it."

' Friendship,' he thought desperately. What he felt for her was friendship and nothing more. He found out in the past few weeks that once she opened up, she was good to talk to, a companion that he genuinely enjoyed speaking with. She made witty comments and opinions, and he liked her attitude, even her sarcastic nature. In fact, now that he thought about it, she was one of the only people here that he really conversed with, besides Legolas. When did it come to that? Thinking back, he remembered that it started out as shooting insults back and forth, but gradually grew into conversations. She was opening up to him, and he realized that he had been opening up with her. He did not feel the need to guard what he said around her, and he marveled at that. What they had was an easygoing companionship, and it was absolutely absurd to think of it as anything more. Yes, she was beautiful, but most faeries were. There was nothing wrong with having a friendship with a fair female, and he knew they both drew joy from it. His mind reverted back to when she had screamed for help, and how utterly helpless he felt when he couldn't find her to give her that aide. Whenever Aragorn was around her, he felt an overwhelming need to protect her and keep her out of harm's way, even though most of the time she seemed to go looking for it. When he couldn't protect her, it drove him mad.

" Aragorn? Do you have a problem?"

Remembering to breathe, Aragorn looked up at her irritated face." No. I was caught up thinking."

" Daydreaming, filthy human? Do I even want to know about what?"

Exasperated, Aragorn considered retracting his thoughts about her earlier and shook his head. He finished her left hand soon after and the bandages fell away. The skin on her hand was warm, and he inspected it, looking at her palm and each finger. They were still a little red, but other than that, they looked normal.

" They feel pretty good," Nevada commented, closing her left hand and making a fist, then releasing it.

" Excellent," Aragorn agreed." Let me get the other one."

Nevada watched him undo the knots on her other hand, and turned to look at her left one again. It felt great to be able to move it freely - so great she almost forgot about the dull ache in her eye. Turning away, she looked at Aragorn again, his head bent in concentration. Dirty dark locks hung in his face, and she smirked." Ever thought about washing your hair sometime this millennia, human?"

His sigh was long-suffering." Nevada," he said in a warning tone, but she just grinned. She loved getting on his nerves - it was so easy to do. She briefly wondered why he took her insults in stride like he did, instead of blowing up or getting angry. She figured it was because he knew she didn't really mean them - he seemed to know her pretty well. Which was kind of a scary thought. When did he get to know her so well? Sure, they talked a lot, but it was mostly to make fun of each other or her complaining to him about the weather and him just patiently listening. When had Nevada let him get so close? She *never* got close to people, let alone humans. Leave it to her to befriend a human she'd probably never see again after this was over. Her heart gave a sudden clench at the thought, and she sat back slightly. Something just did not sit well with not seeing him again. That really agitated her - she didn't care *that* much, did she?

" Finished. Do they feel fine?" Aragorn asked.

Jerking herself from those thoughts, she looked down at her other unbandaged hand, and compared the two in front of her, testing them out and cracking her knuckles." They don't hurt anymore," she admitted.

" Good," Aragorn nodded. He gathered the old bandages and tossed them aside." It is almost time to leave, anyhow." Extending a hand down after he stood up, she took it and started at the sensation of being able to feel his hand again, or any contact at all for that matter.

" Thank you," she told him, sounding genuinely sincere.

Aagorn smiled at her before turning around and walking towards Gandalf." Is it time to leave, Mithrandir?"

" Most definitely," Gandalf confirmed." Let us be off."

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

The eleven walked on for miles while the sun rose into the cloudless blue sky, heating the ground beneath their feet and warming the air. Caradhras sat tall and menacing behind them, the snowy slopes glistening farther anf farther away as they made better time to their destination. The air still held a chill to it, but the ground was bone dry. Dead, gnarled trees all around them hung lifelessly, denied much needed water. The fellowship passed rock quarries made of red stones, and not a stream could be seen.

It was many hours before they left the dry, rocky area, and the group felt themselves begin to descend again. Gradually, the air grew muggier, and moisture hung in the air and clung to the rocks they passed. Water trickled out of cracks in the growing walls, and the dirt beneath their feet was replaced with mud. Their happiness at being out of the cold was replaced with fatigue over walking so many miles, and they wanted nothing more than to find the gates and rest.

" We cannot stop for a little bit?" Pippin whined slightly, his feet trudging around in the mud.

Gandalf shook his head from his position at the front of the group." It is already night, Pippin. We do not want to be caught out again in the dark."

" Where are the gates?" Liana asked wearily." Are we even close?"

" We should be there soon enough," Gandalf appeased.

" How come the dwarf here doesn't know where it is?" Nevada asked, leveling a glare at the short man." Isn't this supposed to be your kind of territory?"

" Dwarven doors are kept hidden from intruders," Gimli growled defensively." It is difficult to spot them on sight."

" Yes, master Gimli," Gandalf confirmed." Their own masters sometimes cannot even find them."

" Why doesn't that surprise me?" Legolas muttered dryly. Surprised at his comment, the faeries and hobbits couldn't help but laugh, and at the disgruntled look on the dwarf's face.

Gimli soon forgot his comment when large, battle-ruined walls came into view. Eyes wide, he said in a hushed voice," The walls of Moria!"

They were quiet for a moment, but Nevada and Liana failed to see the beauty of it all. Exchanging a look, Nevada said," They're just walls, Gimli."

Gimli opened his mouth to retort back, but Gandalf interrupted with an," Ah!" The wizard rushed forward and stopped between two large trees." Here we are."

' Finally,' Liana thought as they all reached him. She couldn't see the door, but assumed Gandalf would find some way to reveal it and get it open. Sure enough, Gandalf walked up to the wall and placed a hand on it.

" Now, let's see," he murmured, almost to himself." Ithildin. It mirrors only starlight...and moonlight." The wizard looked up, and the clouds over the moon parted slightly to let the moonlight shine down. With a shimmer, the doors revealed themselves in a yellow-toned glow." It reads: The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak friend and enter"

" What do you suppose that means?" Merry asked.

" It's quite simple," Gandalf answered." If you are a friend, you speak the password, and the doors will open."

" We know this password, right?" Nevada asked.

Gandalf narrowed his eyes at the faerie, who took on an innocent look. Turning back around, he lifted his staff and placed it against the doors. In a commanding voice, he said, "*Annon Edhellen edro hi ammen!*" When nothing happened, he frowned immensely.

" Nothing's happening," Pippin confirmed, and Legolas gave the hobbit an amused look.

" I once knew every spell in all the tongues of Elves, Men, and Orcs..." Gandalf shook his head, his mind running through every possible phrase it could possible be.

" What are you going to do, then?" Pippin asked.

Frustrated, Gandalf turned to the talkative hobbit and retorted," Knock your head against these doors Peregrin Took. And if that does not shatter them, and I am allowed a little peace from foolish questions, I will try to find the opening words!"

Taken aback, Pippin quieted down and cast his eyes to the ground. A slim hand patted his shoulder, and he looked up." Gandalf's just upset he can't get the doors open, Pip," Liana smiled easily at him. He gave her a grateful smile back, and she patted him on the back before turning to speak with Legolas.

"* Ando Eldarinwa a lasta quettanya, Fenda Casarinwa!*"

Nothing happened for the second time, and half of the fellowship sighed and turned away as Gandalf tried more passwords." We come all this way, and cannot get in," Sam sighed.

" Gandalf can get it open," Frodo argued." I'm sure he can." Frodo's attention went from Sam to Merry and Pippin, who were tossing rocks into the large pool of water in front of them. Pippin was just gearing up to throw his stone when Aragorn caught his arm. Startled, the hobbit looked up.

" Do not disturb the water, Pippin," Aragorn shook his head, and Pippin nodded, steering clear of the water's edge.

" Why, what's in it?" Liana asked. She stood up from her seat on a large tree root.

" Many things could be in it," Aragorn answered." We shouldn't press our luck by disturbing it, though." She nodded in agreement.

" Oh, it's useless," Gandalf threw his staff on the ground and turned to sit down on a rock. Sighing, he took off his hat and shook his head, disbelieving that he couldn't get the doors open. He could not believe that he wasn't able to open the doors. Not only was it a blow to his pride, but it was preposterous. It made absolutely no sense.

Frodo glanced in Gandalf's direction and turned back to the beautifully lit door. He played the words around in his head, thinking on what they meant.' Speak friend and enter...' Did it mean friend literally or...A light went on in his head, and Frodo had his answer. He sat up and walked toward the door." It is a riddle."

Everyone looked up." And when did you come to that conclusion?" Nevada asked dryly. She protested when Liana swatted at her arm with a roll of her eyes.

" Speak friend and enter," Frodo emphasized. Turning to Gandalf, he asked excitedly," Gandalf, what's the elvish word for friend?"

Intrigued, Gandalf sat up and responded." Mellon."

The door creaked open and swung outword soundlessly." All right!" Nevada exclaimed, and everyone got to their feet." Wow, Gandalf, Frodo really got you there."

" Hush, you," Gandalf said sternly to the faerie, but shook his head in amusement. The eleven crowded together and walked in a single file line for the inside of Moria, grateful that they were finally going inside of a structure, whereas they had been out in the open for weeks now.

Unbeknowst to any of them, the water lapping against the muddy ground reached higher than before, and something stirred within the deep crevices of the lake.

Annon Edhellen edro hi ammen! (Gate of the Elves open now for me!)

Ando Eldarinwa a lasta quettanya, Fenda Casarinwa! (Gate of Elves listen to my word, Threshold of Dwarves!)

*Please review!! That would be so awesome if you did!!*