Chapter 23 - Forget Me Not
Nicole ran through the woods of Fangorn. She searched frantically for Legolas, Juliet, Daniel, and Jeremy. She searched and searched. She had to talk to them. Days past, and she wandered, alone. She didn't care about anything except finding her friends. There was a battle she saw, an unpleasant one. It was the battle of Helm's Deep.
- - -
Nicole was running through a crowd of orcs, humans, and elves. All she wanted to find was Tom. It was raining, and she wasn't supposed to be outside of the caves of Helm's Deep, where the women and children were being protected. But she had a feeling, a feeling of someone close to her dying. Soon, she reached the gates of Helm's Deep.
She managed to escape, but was it any good? She turned to see behind her. On the top of the walls there were thousands of orcs and humans and elves fighting. She was positive she searched the entire fortress, and she couldn't find that certain blonde haired human from Rohan. None of the captains have seen him.
She just watched helplessly as the humans and elves lost terribly to the war. Suddenly, nine flying Ringwraiths, on black dragons flew and circled Helm's Deep through the sky. The dragons looked evil and mournful. Just then, huge flames came flying out of the dragon's mouths and blew up Helm's Deep.
"NO!" Nicole screamed, as she watched it burst into flames. "TOM!" She went running back in, but was stopped at the gate by flames. "TOM! JESSICA! IEKIKA! FELIESHA?" She screamed out her friend's names, and raced around the walls to find another door, or an opening, or something. There was nothing. She kneeled to the ground, and wept. She was alone.
- - -
Nicole suddenly opened her eyes. She was in Fangorn Forest. She had an awful dream of the events of the previous night. She got up, and sat by a dying fire. She poked it with a stick, as the last spark went out. She decided to get up and continue searching for her friends.
"Please. . . Find me." She said, looking up to the stars.
- - -
Daniel, Jeremy, Julliet, and Legolas all were sleeping on Chantal as she rested on the ground. Suddenly, Daniel opened his eyes.
"Nicole?" He said out loud. He looked around. He could feel the presence of one of his good friends. "Nicole?" He repeated. There was nothing but the dark, and silence. He jumped off the sleeping Ent and started walking towards the forest. They were at a little opening at the moment. He walked through the forest, and soon met the figure of someone, he couldn't see who it was, because of the mists.
"Daniel?" The familiar voice called out. Daniel walked closer, and soon realised it was Nicole.
"What are you doing here?" Daniel asked. Nicole slowly started feeling tears returning to her already red itchy eyes.
"They're gone, Daniel." She said. "All of them, gone."
"What do you mean?" Daniel asked.
"I mean everyone! The Nazgul killed off every last Rohirim, every last Rider, every last royal blood." Every time she said something, she got closer. ". Every last one of our friends." She finally said. Daniel was speechless. "I came to find you, to say goodbye." She said. Daniel stared at her.
"What do you mean goodbye?" Daniel asked.
"I have this feeling. One night, I was talking to Tom, the prince of Rohan, and he told me he was half Elven. So when we were talking, we decided that if anything happens, we'll meet each other in the Gray Havens. So I have to go find him now. I have this feeling he's not dead." Daniel was silent for a moment.
"I understand..." Daniel replied. "I'll miss you. . ."
"I'll see you again, whenever you go to the Gray Havens." Nicole said, trying to cheer Daniel up.
"I guess so. . ." Daniel said, looking to the ground. "Yeah. I'll meet you there." Nicole smiled meekly.
"Goodbye Daniel." She said. They looked at each other for one last time, and then she disappeared back into the mists of Fangorn.
"Goodbye, ...Nicole." He said, then he turned to walk back to the rest of his friends.