Aragorn walked out of the castle at Edoras to see Legolas and Nira standing side-by-side looking out to the horizon.
"The stars are veiled," Nira said.
"Something stirs in the east," Legolas said. "A sleepless malice. The eye of the enemy is moving."
"He is here," Nira gasped.
They ran to where the rest of the group lay sleeping to find Pippin convulsing on the floor. Aragorn rushed forward, and took the palantír, falling to the floor in pain. Nira stepped toward him with a cloth and pulled it out of his hands. Gandalf asked Pippin a number of questions.
"He asked about Hermione," Pippin whispered.
"Did you tell him anything?" Nira hissed.
"I tried to tell him nothing, but he saw your face in my thoughts. He seemed interested in you."
Nira pulled him to his feet and helped him get dressed. She pulled him to the hall to await the king as he was summoned. She pushed him to sit down, while she stood with Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Théoden entered with a few guards as par usual.
"There was no lie in Pippin's eyes," Gandalf told the king. "A fool, but an honest fool he remains. He told Sauron nothing of Frodo and the Ring. We've been strangely fortunate. He saw in the palantír a glimpse of the enemy's plane. Sauron moves to strike the city of Minas Tirith. His defeat at Helm's Deep shows our enemy one thing. He knows that the heir of Elendil has come forth, but thankfully he remains ignorant of Nira, or she would figure into his plans. He knows that Men are not as weak as he supposed. There is courage still, strength enough perhaps to challenge him. Sauron fears this. He will not risk the peoples of Middle Earth uniting under one valor. He will raise Minas Tirith to the ground before he sees a king return to the throne of Men. If the Beacons of Gondor are lit, Rohan must be ready for war."
"Tell me," said the king. "Why should we ride to the aid of those who did not come to ours? What do we owe Gondor?"
"You did not call for aid!" Nira yelled. "How was Gondor to know that Rohan needed aid if they were not told? You hid in Helm's Deep and acted like it was your last stand, while you could have sent for help or lit your own beacon. You act as if Gondor deliberately abandoned you in battle. How can you be abandoned when you did not ask for their help to begin with?"
"Just because you tell us you are royalty, elf, does not give you the right to tell me how to run my land. Théoden is king Rohan, not Nira."
"Things are now in motion that cannot be undone," Gandalf said cryptically. "I ride for Minas Tirith, and I won't be going alone."
Nira and Legolas stood in the main hall in Edoras. They turned toward the door as their elven senses picked up running outside. The doors were thrown open as Aragorn ran in.
"The Beacons of Minas Tirith," he yelled, "the beacons are lit. Gondor calls for aid."
Nira and Legolas watched the king intently. Théoden looked at Nira before shouting orders that meant war. Nira, Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn hurried to their rooms to pack their belongings. They strapped their bags to the saddles of their horses, before leading them out to where the men were meeting.
Men pulled themselves up onto horses outside as Legolas, Nira, Gimli, and Aragorn readied to leave. Nira smiled at the men who gave her odd looks for dressing like a man. Aragorn saw Éowyn leading a horse.
"You ride with us?" he asked her curiously.
"Just to the encampment," she replied. "It's tradition for the woman of the court to farewell the men."
Nira rolled her eyes as Aragorn pulled up a blanket to reveal a sword, before riding away to join Legolas and Gimli.
"Horseman," Gimli grunted. "I wish I could muster a legion of dwarves fully armed and filthy."
"You kinsmen may have no need to fight a war," Legolas said. "I fear that war already marches on their own lands."
"Besides," Nira laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "One dwarf is bad enough."
Legolas smirked as Gimli grumbled to himself. Legolas rode to follow the king, but Nira was cut off. The soldiers rode in formation, keeping Nira from exiting the gates. Once they were all through, she broke free and ran her horse up the line to the head of the army.
After a long, hard ride, the army made it to the camp where they were to meet the others who would come. The Rohan army ran through the camp, led by Théoden, Aragorn, Nira, and Legolas.
Nira found a tent that wasn't being used and put her pack inside. She expanded the interior of the tent so she could stand easily. She smiled at her handiwork, before turning to see Legolas watching her with a smile, arms crossed. He stepped toward her, pulling her against him, kissing her lightly.
He took her hand and led her into the camp. Gimli joined them, after a while. They happened upon Éomer. The horses nearby pulled against their ties.
"The horses are restless and the men are quiet," Nira observed.
Éomer put his saddle down and said, "They grow nervous in the shadow of the mountain. I am surprise a woman has made it so far on such a perilous journey."
"I guess I'm just full of surprises, now aren't I?" Nira sneered.
"That road there," Gimli said, looking down a narrow dark chasm in the mountain. "What is that?"
"It is the road to the Dimholt, the door of the mountain," Legolas said.
"None who ever venture there ever return," Éomer said. "That mountain is evil."
"What?" Nira smiled. "Is the big, bad knight scared of a little rock?"
"It isn't the rock that worries me. It's what lay within."
A/N So some poking fun at some of the character. More fun with Éomer still ahead, including a strike to his male ego. Review, come on I want more that two, maybe five. Five is a good number. I'd love ten, but I don't think that will happen.