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Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 37

Aragorn rode his horse before the men of Rohan and of Gondor as they all coward back in fear. "Hold your ground!" Aragorn shouted as he road Brego in front of the men. Carita brought Moonlight to a stop and turned her light eyes to him. "Hold your ground! Sons of Gondor, of Rohan! My brothers! I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me!" Aragorn called as he road back and forth between the men and all eyes were glued to the man.

"A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship," Aragorn continued, "but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down. But it is not this day! This day we fight!" Carita felt her own heart swell at Aragorn's words, and the men seemed to take his words just as she was. "By all that you hold dear on this good Earth. I bid you stand, Men of the West!" Aragorn exclaimed with a raise of his sword. Brego reared slightly as Aragorn turned him to face the enemy and Carita could not help the smile that came to her face. Aragorn was truly a man among men, and she knew that she would do all she could to see him sit upon his rightful throne. Carita dismounted Moonlight and put her hand on his snout as she moved in front of him and looked into his eyes.

"Stay out of harms way, my friend, and mind the other steeds with Shadowfax," she ordered quietly. Moonlight snorted and stomped his front hoof, but Carita only smiled. "Go on, Moonlight," she whispered. "I will not stand alone." She lowered her hand and Moonlight stared at her for a long moment before he turned and trotted over to the others rounding up the horses and guiding them away from the battle. Carita turned around and fell into line next to Legolas. They were being surrounded by the orc army, and it was only a matter of time before their fate was dealt.

"Never thought I'd die fighting side-by-side with an elf," Gimli said and both Carita and Legolas looked at him.

"What about side-by-side with a friend?" Legolas asked and Carita's eyes flickered to him before they rested on Gimli once more.

"Aye, I could do that," Gimli said quietly and Carita turned her eyes to the enemy that surrounded them.

"Both of you better have your minds set on fighting and not dying," Carita said sternly drawing her blade like the men around her. Legolas and Gimli looked at her and she looked at them. "I shall never forgive either of you if you fall."

"Nor I you," Legolas said quietly to her and she met his eyes. Carita felt an overwhelming surge of emotion from him and she gave him a small smile at the love she felt.

"You will not have to worry," she reassured him, but a hissing slowly filled her mind and her eyes were torn from him. Carita frowned as her eyes found the burning eye of Sauron.

"Aragorn," the voice hissed and Carita glanced at the man before she looked at the eye once more and his focus was on her before she heard a deep rumbling laugh.

"Laugh all you will," she thought as she gripped her sword so tight that her knuckles turned white. His focus moved to Aragorn again.

"Elessar," he hissed and Carita looked at Aragorn and the man turned slowly and met Gandalf's gaze before he looked at her with tear filled eyes.

"For Frodo," he whispered and turned to the enemy and charged. Pippin and Merry followed with Legolas, Carita, Gimli, Gandalf and the men behind them doing exactly the same.

They broke the line of orcs and the battle began. Carita let out a growl with every orc she slayed within the first few moments of battle. As she fought she suddenly felt like something was off and when a screech filled the air she froze. Her light eyes turned up to the sky and her heart fell. However, that feeling was short lived when the large eagles came to battle with them and sunk their strong talons into the winged beasts the Nazgul rode upon.

"Eagles! The eagles are coming!" Pippin's small voice carried from somewhere near her right. Carita smiled and returned her attention to the battle, failing to see that remaining Nazgul turned and flew toward the mountain. Carita parried a blow from an assaulting orc and sent him to the ground, a deadly slice through his mid-section. Carita glanced about her and saw Aragorn battling a troll that was far too much for him.

"Aragorn!" she heard Legolas shout and saw the elf fighting to get to the man, but failing because the enemy kept crossing his path to the man. Carita looked back at Aragorn only see the troll send him to the ground. Carita's eyes widened and she Legolas call out again. Gathering her energy, the Maia surged forward using her speed and slashed at the troll's leg as he raised it to crush Aragorn. The troll let out a cry and swung his heavy club at her sooner than she expected and she was sent flying through the air.

She expected pain when she landed, but not the severity of the pain that ripped through her back and then her stomach as the earth below her shook with a deep rumble. Her vision darkened slightly and she looked down to see a blade covered in blood in her stomach. She had fallen onto a tilted sword and was pierced by half the blade. She felt her head lull back against the dead guard's body, and the man whose sword had pierced her.

As darkness consumed her vision and as a roaring filled her ears, she could hear cheers of the men around her and then a flash of blonde was before her. The last thing she remembered was Legolas' fear filled blue eyes and his voice calling her name in utter desperation.

They had set up camp to tend to the wounded before they traveled back to Minas Tirith. Gandalf, however, had taken two eagles and went in search of Frodo and Sam. Legolas sat in the tent that was set up for Carita and looked at the ashen face of his love. Aragorn had done his best to tend to her wound, but he had told him with tears in his own eyes that he did not know if Carita would live. Silently, he took her hand into his. Her skin was dull and he sighed as he raised his free hand to her face.

"You promised, Carita," he whispered as he ran his fingers down her cheek and then turned his hand to run his knuckles down her face. "You cannot go, not now."

"Legolas?" Aragorn asked as he entered the tent and Legolas looked up at him, but did not move away from Carita. "We will be moving out tomorrow at the dawn. I've made arrangements for Carita to be carted." Legolas only nodded and looked back at Carita with a frown. "She's strong, Legolas, and she has survived this far."

"But will she survive the journey to Minas Tirith?" Legolas asked as he gripped her hand tighter, but she did not respond.

"That I have no answer for," Aragorn said as he walked over and raised her tunic slightly to check the bandage on her stomach. A small spot of blood covered the center of the wound and Aragorn sighed as he lowered the soft cloth Legolas had placed on her after they removed her blood stained tunic and looked at Legolas. "Her wound still bleeds."

"Then is it hopeless?" Legolas asked his voice quiet.

"It is never hopeless, Legolas," Aragorn said trying to convince himself and Legolas looked at him. "Carita never gave, and I do not intend to. I know you love her, Legolas, and perhaps your strength is what she needs."

Legolas sighed heavily as he turned his eyes to Carita once more, and shook his head as tears threatened him once more. Never had he felt such a great loss, and it was now odd that he could not feel her. In the short time of their bond he had became accustomed to sensing her open emotions, but he missed them now that she was blocked from him; and he did not like the sense that the last feeling he had of her was of pure pain before darkness.

"I do not know if my strength is enough for I feel I have barely any to give," Legolas whispered as he wrapped both of his hands around her much smaller one.

"Then I will sit with you," Aragorn said and once again Legolas looked at him with a forced smile before he focused on Carita once more. Aragorn took the vacant seat and the man and elf continued their vigil over the fallen Maia.

Carita woke with a start and quietly cursed her surroundings. The crisp white linen, the fresh flowers on the bedside table, the cream colored walls, and the soft cool breeze were all she needed to know where she laid. Quickly climbing from the bed Carita moved from the room and walked down the corridor her white nightdress and her loose long hair flying behind her. As she reached her destination, she opened the large white double doors without even knocking and her eyes fell upon the Lady of the Stars.

"It has been so long, my child," Lady Varda said with a gentle smile. It had been many, many years since Carita had seen her lady, but Lady Varda looked just as she had all those years ago; her hair was still long and the purest white, her grey eyes still sparkled, and her pale skin glowed with her own light, brighter than any other.

"Why am I here?" Carita demanded and Lady Varda did not look surprised by her question.

"Do you not remember?" Lady Varda asked. Carita searched her memory; she remembered fighting against the orc armies of Mordor at the Black Gates to give Frodo and Sam time, she remembered the Nazgul flying overhead, and Legolas' concerned face as he looked at someone else. However, after that it was blank.

"I remember fighting against Sauron with Legolas and the others, why did you take me in the middle of a battle?" Carita demanded.

"Child, your body on Middle Earth is dying," Lady Varda said gently and Carita frowned. "Your life is nearly gone from it; that is why you are here again."

"What?" Carita asked with barely audible voice for she could not believe the words Lady Varda had just spoken.

"You rushed to protect Aragorn son of Arathron from a troll, and in doing so you were thrown and landed on a fallen soldier's blade," Lady Varda said. "Aragorn himself has been doing his very best to tend to you, but he is failing."

"No," Carita whispered as she looked away from the lady and down upon the marbled floor. Tears filled her eyes and she looked at Lady Varda once more. "You cannot let this happen," Carita said and Lady Varda looked at her sadly.

"You have lived a long life on Middle Earth, Carita, perhaps it is time you join me once again in my hall," Lady Varda said and Carita shook her head as a tear fell from her cheek.

"You have not watched me upon the earth for many years," Carita said quickly as she closed the distance between them and touched Lady Varda's forearm. "I traveled with the Fellowship to destroy the One Ring, to rid the earth of Sauron forever, and in our quest I fell in love. I fell in love with an elf that will perish if I am to die." Lady Varda looked at Carita with pity and under standing in her eyes. "He is my match and I am his. Please, my lady, I ask to return to my body not for me but for him." Lady Varda covered Carita's hand with her own.

"It is not my place to decide your fate," Lady Varda said. "That decision lies within the hands of Mandos." Carita pulled away from her and stood straighter as she quickly pushed away her emotions. Mandos did no care for weeping females, and she needed to ensure her emotions were held in check.

"Then it is with Mandos that I must speak," Carita said and with a quick curtsey Carita was gone from the room. Lady Varda sighed and ran a long slender fingered hand down her face before she looked out the window.

"Let us hope, child, that your words are enough to sway him," Lady Varda whispered before she took her seat once more, however, she no longer had the desire to read.

A/N: Okay, I know I use the injury, dying and coming back thing a lot, but technically she isn't dead. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter and as I asked before and as I ask every time, let me know what you think!

Please read regarding Fix: Thank you to Anonymous for pointing out my mistake. I took notes on the different Valar and for some reason I drew a line connecting Mandos and Varda. Thank you for pointing out my mix up, and I've fixed it as you can see.