A/N: I apologize for the delay of this chapter, but Belinda hadn't gotten around to typing it for awhile. I can safely say that the delay this time was not my fault :) Anyways, enjoy!

Chapter 11 BELINDA'S POV

Well, the whole idea of not interfering just went out the window. Obviously, by just existing in this world, we were making changes, and I was not about to just sit back and do nothing while this world went to hell. I looked over to Amanda, who was scooting away from the collapsed door, and several dead bodies. Apparently, this was one thing she couldn't handle well.

"Amanda, you are going to be fine." I told her firmly, taking her hands and pulling her up, then putting my arm around her shoulders. She shuddered, no doubt still remembering the death of her grandmothers. I pulled her around so that she was looking me straight in the eye. "You need to be fine right now. If you want to freak later, that's fine, but you need to shove the feelings away for now." This wasn't the best advice I could give her, but it was all I could do, trapped in a mine.

"Thanks, I'll be fine. It just was a bit of a shock." I watched as she shook off the feelings the best she could, and slowly calmed herself. The others in our group were none too happy about the dead bodies, but none of them had reacted as violently as Amanda had.

"Alright, mon capitan," I mock-saluted Gandalf, "Since you're in charge here, why don't you lead us to where we need to go." Frodo gave me an odd look.

"You aren't even bothered by the bodies, are you?" I shrugged, looking around at the bones.

"I'm sorry they died, I wish we had time to give them a decent funeral, and they don't really help the décor of the dark, creepy cave, but I can't save them and I can't bring them back." Amanda gave me a knowing look, as she knew that no matter how much they bothered me, I wasn't going to show it. When I looked at Legolas, he had the same look on his face, only with a little more worry on it. When did he learn to read me that well? Or was it just really obvious? I shook my head slightly and then looked to Gandalf. "I suggest we get a move on. You," I pointed at Pippin, "Don't touch anything, and don't go by any wells, okay?" He nodded. "On second thought, that goes for everyone else too. We don't need to go asking for trouble."

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We finally took a break in the tunnels at the point where it branched off into three other tunnels. I sat wearily; tired of walking in almost pitch-dark caves and breathing dry dusty air. Amanda came to sit next to me.

"I thought we weren't going to interfere." She said accusingly. I sighed.

"We already have. I will not let people die or be injured if I can prevent it, since we have already interfered." I said firmly, then sighed again, and leaned backwards. "I am starting to slightly regret signing up for this quest. My back is killing me, I'm tired of walking, we sleep on rocks," I kept my voice low, "It's worse than Girl Scout camp." I jumped as Legolas sat down beside me and smiled innocently at him. I had forgotten how quietly he could move.

"Worse than what?" he asked curiously, looking at me.

"Girl Scout camp. Two straight weeks of nothing but pure torture…hiking, swimming, creeking, backpacking, crafts…" I trailed off, "They are all fine in moderation, but two straight weeks of it is a bit much. Kind of like this."

"It'll get better after we get out of here, out of the underground." I couldn't help but notice his small shudder.

"You have something against being underground?" I asked, looking straight into his eyes.

"Elves do not like caves, or being underground. We live in trees, with nature." I smiled at his formal reply.

"So you wouldn't have anything personal against caves?" I watched his eyes and noticed a small flicker of some emotion I could not read.

"No. What would give you that idea?" I moved closer to him and said simply.

"Something in your eyes." I turned away then, signifying the end of the conversation, deciding to bring it up at some other time, when he might be more comfortable with the subject.

"Belinda," I turned back to him, "What's skiing?" With a laugh, I began to explain the wonderful sport of flying down mountains on two pieces of wood and two sticks…

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"And people from where you come from do this… for fun?" Legolas was incredulous. The rest of the Fellowship, with the exception of Gandalf, who was smoking, and Boromir, who just hated me because I was female, was also crowded around me.

"But it is fun!" I protested… for about the fifteenth time.

"And you've actually done this?" I smiled.

"Of course I have. I go skiing every winter, and I'm really good at it. Aren't I Amanda?" Manda sent me a baleful glare.

"Perhaps. I'm much better though." I mock gasped and glared right back.

"You are not! You might be as good as I am, but definitely not better." She rolled her eyes, but did not respond. "Tell you what… after we destroy the ring and save the world, I will take you all skiing, and I guarantee that you will never forget it."

"You can say that again." Legolas muttered sarcastically. I whacked him lightly.

"Just for that, you're not invited." I informed him, turning my back to him, arms crossed across my chest in mock hurt.

"I'm sorry. Can I please come?" I glanced back at him, but soon realized I could not even pretend to be mad if I was looking at him. So, I quickly turned my back again.

"Absolutely not. You insulted skiing. I will not allow you to continue to insult the sport by tagging along on our excursion." I barely concealed a smile as he moved around to look at me.

"Please, Belinda? I promise I won't ever insult it again." This time I could not conceal the smile that crept across my face.

"Little trickster," He growled, grabbing me and tickling me. I gasped, curling into a ball.

"Okay, okay, I give up. You can come, you can come, just STOP TICKLING ME!" Legolas finally stopped, and as we caught our breaths, we realized what kind of an awkward position we were in. I had fallen on him, and we were now sprawled across the ground, legs entangled, clothes in disarray. "Umm, well this isn't awkward or anything…" I said with a nervous laugh, pulling back from him.

"Actually, it did look sort of awkward," Amanda added, always the helpful one. I glared at her, pushing my hair back away from my face.

"You know, just because you do not understand the subtle art that is sarcasm," I hissed, fully ready to rant at her. Ranting at her was better than looking at Legolas and being embarrassed all over again. But I was cut off, mid rant, by Gandalf.

"Aha! It is this way," he said, pointing.

"Perhaps it would be better if we stayed here for the night." Aragorn suggested. He had a way of making his simple suggestions seem like orders. I wondered if he knew he did it, or if it was just instinctive. "The hobbits are sure to be tired after our long walks, and I'm sure the women are as well." He would have been glared at for the insinuation that we would be more tired than the men, but as it was, I really couldn't bring myself to give him a real glare. I was tired, and at least I was now being referred to as 'woman' not 'child' or 'girl'. I decided to ignore it for now.

"Yes I believe it might be." Gandalf replied, sitting back down again. I sighed in relief and flopped down on the ground, shrugging off my backpack.

"Tired?" Legolas asked with a small smile. I nodded wordlessly, rubbing the back of my neck. Amanda began to set her bedroll up next to me.

We were in a small cavern off of the other caves. It thankfully did not have any skeletons in it. I had had enough of seeing dead people for one day. And I was definitely not used to walking this much, and for this many days at a time. I bent backwards, digging my knuckles into my spine, and heard my back crack. A really bad habit of mine. Some people crack their knuckles, I can crack my back.

"Don't do that," Legolas said with a wince. I smiled sheepishly at him.

"It's a bad habit that I have. Whenever my back hurts, I do it."

"She also cracks her knuckles when she's nervous," Amanda added from where she was lying down on her bedroll. I gave her The Look (this would be the I know where you live, sleep, and I will find you and kill you. It was a look that I had perfected). "What? You do!" she protested. I sighed and began to unroll my own bedroll.

"Are you going to be okay sleeping in a cave?" I asked Legolas, who I was sure had a personal aversion to caves. He shrugged.

"I'll be fine. I don't like it, but I'll be fine." I nodded. Life gives you a deck of cards and you learn how to deal; it was always my philosophy in life.

"Look at it this way, we should be out soon," I said cheerfully, "And hopefully not sleeping on rocks any more." He nodded, and then moved away to set up his stuff a little ways away. I closed my eyes and focused on pushing all the death I had seen today away, far back into my consciousness.

I laid awake for a long time, my eyes closed, listening to the sounds around me. Amanda laid awake for awhile too, I could tell by her breathing. She was probably thinking of her grandmother who had died. Finally, either exhaustion claimed her, or she made her peace, and her breathing slowed and became regular. I laid there for some time; feigning sleep until, at last, sleep did claim me.

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I awoke some time later to the sounds of murmuring voices. I looked around, and soon found Gandalf and Frodo talking. Not wishing to eavesdrop on them, I tuned them out and looked around me. Aragorn was awake and on watch, looking out into the other caves with one hand on his sword. I wasn't too worried; he always had a hand on his sword when on watch. All the others seemed to be asleep, with the exception of Legolas. I could never tell with Legolas. Apparently, part of being an elf is sleeping with your eyes open. I never could tell whether he was awake and staring at a wall or asleep. It always bothered me.

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The next time I awoke, the camp was beginning to wake and get around. Breakfast was being made, and people were packing. I sat up and looked over at Amanda. She was still fast asleep, so I poked her.

"Go 'way," she muttered, hitting at my hand. I shrugged.

"Okay, I guess we'll just leave you here in this dusty cave while you finish getting your beauty sleep," I smiled. She sat up and glared at me.

"You wouldn't dare," she told me, but began to get up and around anyways. I rolled up my bedroll and attached it to the top of my backpack.

We all got up, ate, packed, and then hit the road again.

"I think I've decided I hate caves," I muttered to Legolas. He laughed quietly as we walked through more caves.

"I'm sure I hate them more than you do."

"Yes, but you are taller than I am." He stared at me, quite befuddled.

"What does that have to do with anything?" I smiled at him.

"Everything." Amanda, the ever helpful, decided to explain it to him.

"She hates people being taller than her. So, if you are, and something goes wrong, it is obviously because you have committed the dreadful sin of being taller than her." I glared at her.

"Since when have you felt the need to explain everything? It is more fun when they are confused. And you know you are just jealous, since you're shorter than me." I replied, gesturing with my hand at around hobbit height.

"I am not that short! I am only two inches shorter than you are! I'm 5'5."

"Whatever."

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A/N: It's true, I'm shorter than her! I'm older than her and yet, I'm still shorter than her. Hopefully next update won't take as long, but it's my turn now and I still have to work on my Horcruxes story –cough...read...cough-. Now that I am done with my subliminal message, read, review, all that fun stuff.

Amanda a.k.a A.N.L