I frowned at the swollen river of Greyflood. Despite the warm, dry weather we had been having in our journey the river was swollen beyond crossing on foot. The bridge in front of us looked barely strong enough to bear my weight. What was once a strong structure was now falling victim to decay. The wooden panels looked rotted away in most places and even without any weight on it, the bridge creaked ominously.

"I'll try it first." I dismounted Axis and handed my reins to Boromir. "I can swim and I'm not wearing chainmail."

"Devera, be careful," Boromir said with a concerned frown.

I simply shot a confident smile back at him. I had no intentions on going any further than a few steps in to see if the bridge would hold me. I gingerly placed a foot on the first plank. It creaked but it held. Taking a deep breath I settled my entire weight on it. Under foot it seemed sturdy enough, maybe the looks were simply deceiving. I took another 2 steps across the wood giving it a good hard stomp with my feet. Dust kicked up around my boots but no other creaking could be heard.

"I think it's ok." I turned to face Boromir.

As I did I heard the wood groan under my feet followed by a loud crack. I took no time in quickly leaping back onto solid ground as the bridge broke from underneath me. My hand flew up to my mouth in a stifled gasp as the entire structure gave way. Within a few heartbeats the bridge was washed into the swift flowing waters. Leaving no more than a few poles standing in its wake like a skeletal reminder.

"Well." I pursed my lips. "Shit."

Boromir let out a strangled laugh that sounded torn between horror and hysterical amusement. I felt my lips tug upwards in a smile and I soon joined in his laughter. I grabbed the reins off him and swung back into the saddle still chuckling.

"I think there's river flats down further we can cross safely." I turned Axis head and wheeled further down stream. It quickly became apparent that the river wasn't going to die down anytime soon and we'd have quite a ride in front of us. Here the grass was lush and thick, both Axis and Nightwind couldn't resist snatching at the grass as they walked along. Boromir and I, although silent had no qualms in taking a leisurely pace for today. True to what I had said we had ridden quite hard to Thabard. Both the horses and us needed a few quiet moments to replenish our energy.

"I have never been this far North," Boromir spoke up suddenly. He'd been quiet today, but not in a sullen silence. "Where have you been here besides Rivendell?"

I was ahead of him so I had to turn back to look at him. He was gazing at me with those curious grey eyes. A small smile made the corner of those eyes crinkle in good humour.

I reined Axis back so we could talk with ease.

"I made it to Bree when I tried to find Rivendell," I chuckled at the memory. I'd gotten so lost. "I stayed there the night at an inn called The Prancing Pony, marvellous ale they have there. Other than that, nowhere this far north."

I bit my lip in thought before continuing.

"I've heard about a place called the Shire, it's where the Halflings live. I saw a few of them in Bree. I've heard about the mighty forest of Mirkwood where the spiders dwell. Dale and Lake Town to the east. I've always wanted to see those places."

"You want to go somewhere where giant spiders dwell, yet you scream like a helpless maiden when I dropped one on you," Boromir teased me with a small chuckle.

I was torn between chuckling with him or shoving him off his horse. I had only been quite young, 8 or 9 if that. Boromir had found a rather large, but harmless spider in his room. He seemed to think it was quite the idea to drop it in my hair. The result had been me screaming rather hysterically trying to get it out. Even Faramir had found it funny.

I tried for the latter of shoving Boromir off his horse but he barely moved an inch. He grabbed my hand when I tried to do it again and dragged me over onto Nightwind with him. I shrieked rather loudly at the sudden movement. It only caused Boromir's chuckles to turn into outright laughter. This time I joined him in laughter. I turned to face him in the saddle and wrapped my arms around his neck. I kissed him teasingly. A promise of what would come later that night. Boromir wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in tight. When we finally broke our embrace he reined Nightwind to a half so I could dismount. Thankfully Axis hadn't run off, he had just stopped to eat the grass when I had been pulled from his back. I remounted and we continued our ride.

We eventually found a flat riverbed where it was safe to cross. The wind around us grew chilly and I pulled my cloak around me. Through the trees the sky was turning a threatening grey. The clouds hung low to the ground with an unusual green tinge. While I was gazing up at the clouds I barely registered that Axis had stopped and was pawing at the water. When I did it was too late, he had already sunk to his knees. I didn't even have time to make any sort of noise as I kicked myself away from him. My head went under the freezing water for a second. As I surfaced gasping for air I could hear Boromir's panicked call.

"I'm fine," I croaked raising a hand in acknowledgement. I groaned as I looked over at Axis who was having a merry time rolling in the water, saddle with saddlebags and all. It was a good thing Boromir and I shared a bedroll. Mine was now sopping wet, along with the small amount of supplies I carried. I pulled my bow and quiver off my back and inspected the damage done to them. Thankfully I had the good sense to carry my arrows in a sealed quiver, for I seldom needed them in a hurry. The fletching was still good and my bow would dry. As soon as Axis was done rolling he got up and shook himself off with a gleeful look in his eye. I sighed in exasperation and squelched over to him to remount. When I reached the other shore Boromir had already pulled off his wool lined cloak and handed it over to me without a word.

"Wear this until we can find some shelter." Boromir glanced up at the deepening storm with a thoughtful look. It wasn't hard to tell that this storm was going to turn nasty in a few minutes. We needed to find shelter and quickly. Although I had only been through this area twice, I knew there was no shelter for miles around. It was just thick forest for miles with no natural caves or anywhere that could shelter us safely from a storm. I kicked Axis into a canter and picked our way quickly through the game trail in the thick of the forest. I could hear Nightwind crashing through the scrub behind us so I never bothered to glance back.

We rode quickly for a good 20 minutes until we hit the road again. A few fat raindrops hit my face which I hastily wiped away. Axis shook his head as the drops also hit him and flattened his ears against the rain. I gave him a quick rub on his neck to reassure him. I let him have a bit more rein for more speed which he happily gathered. Thunderstorms were not Axis' favourite things. In the rare occasions we had been caught out in a storm he was near uncontrollable when thunder rumbled in the sky. I glanced back at Boromir who was crouched down low over Nightwind's neck allowing him to canter without much resistance. My wet clothes made me shiver uncomfortably as the ever cooling wind hit me where the cloak didn't cover.

"Devera!" Boromir's voice barely carried over the wind. I reined Axis back to an abrupt halt and glanced back. Axis snorted in protest and half reared as we came to a sliding halt. Boromir had stopped Nightwind a good 100 meters behind me and was pointing off the side of the road. I quickly spun Axis around and cantered back towards him. He was already heading off the road at a brisk trot. Axis happily bounced after Nightwind and trotted behind him and Boromir. There was a small hut, nearly completely hidden by the trees surrounding it. It was amazing Boromir had even spotted it. Raindrops started to come faster just as we reached it, drenched us and our horses to the bone. I was ready to ride in but the sight of Boromir unsheathing his sword was enough to stop me dead in my tracks. I glanced at the massive broadsword in his hand and swallowed quickly. I had never even thought to go into it armed. I quickly unslung my bow and fumbled briefly with pulling out an arrow. Boromir dismounted and cautiously walked in the doorway. It only took a moment before he came back out and tugged Nightwind inside.

The rain was sheeting down now. Thunder rumbled in the distance causing Axis to skitter sideways nervously. I quickly dismounted and pulled Axis in behind Nightwind whispering soothing words to him. Whether he could hear me over the noise of the rain or not, but he settled enough to stand in the corner quietly with Nightwind. As soon as I was inside Boromir dragged the door across the doorway blocking out some of the weather. It looked like it had been kicked in. But judging by the decay of the rest of the small building, it could have just fallen off too. Boromir and I stood there shivering in the cold of our clothes in semi darkness. Outside the wind howled ferociously.

"Any chance of any wood in here for a fire?" I was shivering uncomfortably. I pulled Boromir's cloak around me but it didn't help much. I felt like I was soaked right through to my bones.

"No," Boromir frowned as he kicked the ground. He was shivering nearly as badly as I was. The horses were steaming with sweat in the corner. The two stallions seemed content to huddle together for warmth and not argue as they were inclined to when kept too close together. When my eyes turned back to Boromir he was stripping off his wet clothes.

"What are you doing?" I asked through my chattering teeth.

"Getting out of my wet clothes before I freeze to death." Boromir pointed at me. "Do the same, you will catch the death of you if you stay in your clothes."

I complied, quickly stripping off the sodden clothes. Boromir had gotten a dry blanket from his saddle and held it open for me to huddle in with him. I gave him an unamused look. Now wasn't the time to bedroom antics.

"It will keep us warmer," he explained quickly at my questioning look.

I slipped into the blanket with him and we settled on the floor on Boromir's bedroll. The floor was damp but at least the bedroll gave us some protection. We shivered in silence while listening to the storm rage on outside. The wind was howling like a wolf pack and the rain thundered on the roof. The old hut was creaking and groaning under the pressure it was being put under by the storm. A few times I thought the roof would cave in as branches crashed loudly against it. Hours trickled by and the storm showed no signs of passing. The day darkened into night casting a gloom around them. A few times I held up my hand near my face and I could only make out a faint outline. It was so dark in the hut. The noise from the storm dulled every other sense. I could feel Boromir occasionally nodding off to sleep behind me only to jerk himself awake. Every time he did it he would grumble under his breath as he woke.

I wiggled around trying to get comfortable. Now dry and warm it would not be hard to fall asleep. However a sense of unease about the environment kept me awake. The darkness was unnerving and the racket from the storm outside unsettling. I knew exactly how Boromir was feeling as he grumbled again behind me. I lay back against his chest and tried to get to sleep.

No sooner had I closed my eyes they were snapped open again. Boromir was sitting rigidly as if straining to hear something. He hand reached out and gripped his sword. I could hear nothing but the howling of wind and the rain lashing against the roof. Though this howling was different. I felt my pulse quicken as I knew what it was. I opened my mouth to ask and Boromir quickly clamped his hand down over it.

"There is a pack of Orcs riding Warg's not too far away," Boromir breathed in my ear. "Be silent and still."

I complied quickly swallowing down the bile that rose in my throat. My heart was thundering so loud I was sure it could be heard over the noise of the rain. Boromir must have sensed my unease as he removed his hand and began toying with my hair. The casual motion made me relax slightly. If the Orc pack was that close Boromir would be up and ready to defend himself. Not sitting behind me playing with my hair. I strained to listen to the noises outside. It took a good long while before I heard a low growl and the harsh guttural speech of Orcs. I glanced over in the gloom where the horses were standing and could see or hear nothing. I hoped both the stallions wouldn't take fright to the noise and smell of Warg's. Axis had never seen them before, but I'm sure Nightwind had. I hoped Boromir's stallion would keep mine calm.

"5 Orcs and one Warg," Boromir breathed in my ear again. "Get you bow and notch an arrow in case they decide to come in here."

Boromir stood up behind me and a faint rustle of clothing could be heard. He must have pulled a pair of pants on. The sound of his sword scraping as it left its scabbard came to my ears. I quickly did as I was told and grabbed my bow. The weight in my hand was surprisingly comforting and by the time I notched an arrow I felt calmer than I had a few minutes ago.

The sounds of the Orcs talking to each other grew louder. They voices stopped right near the door and what sounded like an argument began. I drew my arrow back and kept it aimed at the door. Although I felt calm the arrow was shaking slightly as it was drawn. A loud squeal and a harsh guttural laugh caused me to jump. A few moments later all was silent as the pack kept on moving. I let out a breath shakily and let the arrow fall loose from my bow. Boromir's quiet footsteps moved towards me and he sat down next to me with a slightly forced laugh.

"That was close."

I snorted in reply, not trusting my voice at the moment. I had never been so close to Orcs before. The thought of what could have happened when they barged through the door made my entire body shake in fear. I was no brave warrior. Just a silly girl with a good aim with a bow. I put my arrow back in the quiver and drew the blanket around me. I began to shiver again so the rough woollen warmth draped around me was comforting. Boromir climbed in behind me again and wrapped himself around me. I took comfort in his strength and closed my eyes and tried to get to sleep. I didn't think sleep would ever come to me but I tried to will my body to sleep anyway.

The hours dragged on with Boromir and I drifting in and out of sleep again. The storm finally eased just as dawn was breaking. The morning air had a frosty bite to it sending a promise of a sharp winter to come. We led the horses out in the weak morning sun, breath misting in the air. Our clothes still damp from the night before. I was shivering as I climbed into the saddle. Axis was snorting and dancing around, spooking at something to my left. I grabbed the reins and scolded him before my eyes found what he was seeing.

It was a dead Orc right near the door. I had walked right past it without even noticing it. On closer inspection it had been gutted and its intestines were hanging out along the ground. It must have been the squeal I heard last night. My stomach rolled uneasily but I couldn't bring myself to drag my eyes away from it. I had never seen an Orc so close before. It was a hideous thing, black and twisted limbs with legs that looked like it could barely support its own weight. Its face was a messy pulp of blood and bone all mixed in together. The wind stirred and sent the smell of dead Orc right towards me.

"Devera don't," the words started out of Boromir's mouth and before he could finish them, I found myself on the ground retching up what little food I had in my stomach. Once my stomach was empty I just dry heaved. When my stomach finally settled down I climbed to my feet weakly. I used my stirrup to hoist myself up as my hands shook on the metal. Though they were cool under my flushed skin and gave me slight comfort.

"Here," Boromir offered me his waterskin. "Rinse your mouth out and breath."

I took a deep drink of the water and did as I was told. My breath came out in shaky gasps as I forced myself not to look over at the stinky corpse again. I spat the mouthful of water out and wiped my face tiredly. After my little throw up my entire body felt like it was made of lead. My limbs wouldn't cooperate with what I needed them to do. It took me several attempts to mount. Thankfully Axis was standing still and I managed to drag myself up into the saddle. Looking over at Boromir his face was grey and drawn. He looked as tired as I felt. Even Nightwind and Axis looked tired. Nightwind was sighing heavily and Axis was unusually quiet. I drew my semi dry cloak around me and sighed. It would be a long sleepless journey from now on. Boromir and I would both be on edge and not sleep until we reached Rivendell.

I gazed at the dense forest around me. Judging from the distance we had rode yesterday we were still a good week or two of hard riding from Rivendell. The horses were both tired, it was a hard journey on their bodies. Axis looked far too lean and even the enormous bulk of Nightwind was diminished. Their grain rations had were long gone thanks to Axis wanting to roll in the river. The grain would now be spoilt and beyond saving after sitting in a wet saddlebag all night. All of our fresh supplies we had picked up in Edoras were gone, we only had strips of dry meat left now.

"What are you thinking?" Boromir's voice broke me from my thoughts.

I took a moment to have a good look at his face. He looked stressed, tired and lost. What was happening now was beyond him. Just us alone in the wilderness with an Orc pack sniffing around our tails. He would fight if it came to it, but what to do next wasn't coming easily to him. There were no scouts to send ahead to tell him what lay in front of him. No commanders to help bounce ideas off. Just silly me with a very vague idea of the path to take.

"That we need to ride as hard and fast as we possibly can." I chewed on my lip trying to think of our best plan of action. "We need to get to Rivendell before the Orc's find us or the weather gives us both a fever and kills us."

The sun that had briefly come out with the dawn had now disappeared behind low lying cloud. The air was freezing and it hurt to take a deep breath. My breath misted in the air with every word that came out of my mouth. The tips of my fingers were tingling as I gripped the reins. I rubbed my hand on Axis neck trying get some warmth into them. I envied Boromir's thick leather gloves.

"Then let us ride," Boromir said, his voice weary and tired.

I nudged Axis who moved off quietly without protest. I couldn't help but frown at his complacent nature. Hopefully a few days rest when we reached Rivendell he would be back to his usual cantankerous self. He wearily picked up the canter and we were soon on the road again. The day passed in a blur of green and grey. By mid morning my head was throbbing and by late afternoon I began to cough. Glancing at Boromir he didn't seem to fare much better, he looked pale and his face drawn tightly. As the sun started to set I had to rein Axis in. I was so weary I was swaying in the saddle. There was no protest from Boromir as he had done the same. We both had a job to unsaddle the horses before collapsing on the ground wrapped in a blanket together. I was too tired to even think about that the Orc party would come behind us at anytime.

The next few days wore on the same. My cough worsened before it slowly got better. I had to stop multiple times during the day as I would cough so hard I nearly fell off Axis. Boromir sneezed non stop and looked as miserable as I felt. Neither of us spoke, for it took far too much energy to muster up a conversation. We only managed to sip on water and chew on the last of our dried meat. The weather grew increasingly colder the further north we rode. A sprinkle of snow appeared on the ground when we crossed through the outskirts of the ruins of Hollin. We lingered for a day in those ruins to rest. We found an abandoned house that was mercifully still in tact that sheltered us from the worst of the weather. I had spent the day wrapped in blankets sleeping as much as I could between coughing fits. Boromir had just slept, every time I looked over to him he was snoring peacefully. The next day we had both mercifully felt much better and could even manage a brief conversation while we rode. The brief rest even seemed to do the horses well. Axis felt more enthusiastic as we trotted along and Nightwind seemed happy to keep the pace. We rode on for another 3 days, not straining our horses or ourselves. My cough finally seemed to disappear, along with Boromir's constant sneezing.

I was sure we were close to Rivendell. The scenery seemed familiar as I trotted along with Axis. Every so often a landmark would stand out and catch my attention. From memory we would have an easy few days ride. What started as a sprinkling of snow was now coming more often. Boromir and I huddled down in our cloaks to protect ourselves from the chill. The childish part of me wanted to stop and build a snow fort. I hadn't seen real snow in quite a few years. It rarely snowed so far south in Minas Tirith, however it snowed regularly in Rohan. Most winters I spent in the southern parts away from the bitter cold plains of the Mark. Axis hadn't liked the snow the first day. He spent most of the day snorting at it and trying to keep away from it. By the end of the day I had to stop him pawing at every patch we came by.

"How far?" Boromir asked me breaking me from my thoughts.

I glanced over at him with a smile. The closer we got the more his spirits seemed to lift. It even rekindled his passion as we kept each other warm at night. It was a pleasant change from those dreary days on the ride to Hollin.

"A day or two," I dropped my reins to put my hands under my arms to keep them warm. "It all looks familiar so we aren't far at all."

Boromir said nothing but let his eyes flick to where my ring was visible on the outside on my clothes. A smile crept onto his face. He opened his mouth to say something.

Axis suddenly snorted and shied sideways so violently I nearly lost my balance. Only years of sticking in the saddle actually saved me from being pitched into the snow.

"Curse you Axis," I spat as I grabbed for my reins.

Then I heard a growl to the left of me. My stomach rolled over in fear and my heart found its way into my throat. I knew that sound.

"Devera RUN!" Boromir yelled at me.

His voice snapped me from the panic that nearly overtook my mind. To my left several Orcs with one riding a Warg had appeared. It's what Axis had shied at. I grabbed my bow and notched an arrow and fired off a shot before digging my spurs into Axis. I had no idea if my shot had hit anything but I wasn't looking back to find out. Axis flew underneath me, every muscle straining in his body to go as fast as he could. I couldn't hear Boromir following so I dared to glance back.

There was no Boromir, only the Warg with an Orc on it.

And it was gaining on us very quickly.

"GO!" I screamed at Axis.

My brave horse kicked his gallop up another gear. His breath was coming out in short breaths, steam rose off his body. I dropped the reins and fired another shot back at the Warg. I must have hit something as I heard a terrible scream. Glancing back I had only managed to stick the arrow through the leg armour of the Orc. I must have just surprised it instead of actually injuring it.

I quickly pulled the reins to the left and Axis spun on his hindquarters without missing a beat in his gallop. The Warg managed to overshoot the turn and go straight past us. Wasting no time I let Axis pick his own path at the breakneck speed we were going. We had ridden off the road so I had to duck against his neck to avoid being wiped out by any low hanging branches. I randomly turned left and right to make it harder to be followed. I don't know for how long I rode along in the dense wood. It seemed like an eternity before I pulled Axis up. I was gasping for air and my entire body shook from fear. Axis danced around underneath me snorting in sharp breaths. I patted him trying to reassure him and reassure myself. My hand came away drenched in sweat and almost instantly froze in the cold air. I had to keep Axis moving. We would both freeze if we didn't. Nightfall would be approaching soon. I would have to ride hard and try and find an outpost to keep myself safe.

Boromir.

I gulped in fear. Surely he would have managed to fend himself against the remaining Orcs? I hoped he would have the sense to keep following the road. A guard would find some sooner rather than later to stop him entering the Hidden Valley.

I kicked Axis back into a canter and hoped I was aiming towards the road. My twists and turns in trying to escape from the Orc had gotten me fairly well lost. My stomach coiled in fear at the thought of riding through the night alone. I dropped my reins and notched another arrow just to make myself feel safer. Axis picked up speed as we entered into a clearing. I scanned around the clearing and found it to be empty. I sighed and pulled Axis back into a walk. He snorted warily dancing around sideways.

"Shhh," I tried to soothe him. I wanted to reach down to pat him but couldn't with my bow in my hand. Even my voice did not good, he continued to dance around nervously.

"Axis," I began feeling a little exasperated.

Before I could finish my sentence I felt an enormous weight slam into us. I barely had time to scream before I found myself trapped under Axis. A horrible snapping sound came from beneath him and for a moment I thought he had broken his leg. In what felt like an age Axis finally scrambled to his feet leaving me lying on the ground.

I tried to pull myself to my feet but my body wouldn't cooperate. My left leg was bent at a strangle angle with a bone partly poking out from the skin.I stared at it in horror, yet I couldn't feel anything. My entire lower body was completely numb. A snarl and a scream from Axis broke me from my thoughts.

A rideless Warg was circling him. His hindquarters were dripping in blood and had large claw marks deep in the skin. Blood was pouring from a deep wound in his shoulder. He limped on his back leg, barely able to hold any weight on it. Despite all this his ears were laid flat against his head and he screamed as he struck out at the Warg with his front legs. The Warg snarled yet held its ground, trying to circle closer to me. Axis limped in-between me and the Warg and anytime it tried to get close Axis would try and attack it again.

"Axis!" I screamed at my horse hoping it would scare him away.

He didn't even move an ear in my direction. He just continued his brave struggle. Dimly I heard a horrid cackle but I couldn't focus on anything but my brave horse. I groped for my bow. The Valar must have been smiling on me that moment as it was still in reach, still notched. Without a second of hesitation I loosed an arrow at the Warg's head.

I don't know who was more surprised, me or the rider of the Warg who was standing off to the side. But I put the arrow straight through the Warg's eye, killing it instantly. It was only then I realised there were 3 Orcs, all now standing with murderous looks on their face. I was terrified. Yet in my fear I felt a calmness wash over me. I grabbed two more arrows and loosed them as fast as I humanely could. My body reacted before my mind could really focus on what was happening. And then a dark shape loomed over me. Growling the Orc kicked my bow from my hands before I could reach for another arrow. My bow snapped in half as it went flying across the ground. I feebly tried to reach over for it only to have the iron shod foot come crashing down on my wrist. I screamed as I felt the bones break under the pressure. I screamed so loud I didn't think I would have a voice left afterwards. It was cut off by a backhanded blow to my face. It cut off my scream and the taste of blood filled my mouth. I coughed as the Orc straddled me and gripped my face between his hand. I was in so much agony all I could see was black spots swimming in front of my face. Blood trickled down my cheek where the Orcs claws were cutting into my face.

"Feisty she devil," it growled. "You will make some good sport before I slit your throat."

My eyes widened in fear at his words. The meaning only sunk in when the Orc began to tear at my pants. I struggled wildly, screaming as loudly as I could. My screams were cut off when a repulsive hand clamped over my mouth.

"Shut it," the Orc pressed down so hard on my face I thought I would never be able to breath. And then he kicked me in the broken leg.

I had nearly forgotten about the dead weight that seemed to be below my waist. But then all I knew was pain. Burning white hot pain that made me feel like I was going to die from the agony. I couldn't move, nor could I think. Blackness swam around me and I fought to keep myself conscious. Fear and panic clawed at the inside of me but I was helpless and blind to anything but my pain.

Was this what death felt like? I never thought I would die like this. I had always imagined dying of old age, or in a silly horse riding accident. I had never thought I would see an Orc this close up. Let alone one on top of me trying to rape me before he killed me. I couldn't fight anymore. My body just wouldn't move. I wanted to grope for the dagger I knew I had in my belt but my hand just wouldn't move. I wanted to scream for my brave stallion to run away before the Orc turned on him, but my voice wouldn't work. I wanted to whisper to Boromir that I was sorry for the pain I was about to cause him, but my lips wouldn't blackness was starting to consume me. In the blackness the burning white pain seemed to dim. I wanted to reach for the darkness to make everything stop.

And then a flash of gold. Not the white burning pain, but gold. A heavy weight on my body but it was gone as quickly as it came. Blue eyes pierced through the darkness for the briefest moment before the darkness consumed me.