I LIIIIIIIIIIVE!

I could come up with a million excuses as to why I haven't updated in such a long LONG time…but I feel I'd just be making excuses.

NOTE: Play sad music at the end for an enhanced reading session!

Chapter 21: Past Tense

It was nearing midday when the company slowed to a halt, giving the horses a rest while having lunch.

"We make good time," Théoden told them as he surveyed the land.

"We shall have returned to my Hall well before sun down if all goes well," That time was too far away for Tess and she hit the ground asleep before Naomi could tease her about anything. With a sigh of dismay she settled for leaning against Legolas and crunching on an apple; not that she disliked it however. His pale hand traced circles on her back and made the butterflies in her stomach flip flop faster. She nuzzled closer to him after she finished her apple and enjoyed the last few moments of peace this trip was going to offer. Her fingers spread against his chest, letting the velvet shirt brush her hand gently and was mildly surprised when she felt the fast boom-boom-boom of his heart against her palm.
"I can feel your heartbeat," She admitted with a small blush.

"It is no longer for my sake that it beats," He told her with a smile as he grasped her hands against his chest tightly. A feminine giggle escaped he lips as Naomi's face turned a red colour.

"I should feel sickened, but it's just too cute," A tired mumbled came from their left and Naomi rolled her eyes.

"When you finally admit you like….him, I am gonna hang SO much shit on you," Naomi grumbled as she jabbed her thumb in an unsuspecting Éomer's direction.

"I would protest….but I don't have enough energy," Tess said with a frown as she folded her arms behind her head, staring up at the clear sky with a troubled frown. Naomi's mouth opened to speak but the King beat her to it.

"Come, it is time we continued on our way," With yet another defeated sigh Naomi got to her feet and walked over to Hasufel, where Legolas helped her mount up.

"I shall count the moments we are apart," he whispered as he kissed Naomi's hand. Aragorn hoisted Pippin up behind her and it was the only real thing that kept her from melting off the horse. Tess meanwhile had tiredly stumbled to Firefoot and was awaiting Éomer, she couldn't help but roll her eyes dramatically at the display of love.

"Your friend is in love, do you not approve?" Éomer asked coming around from the other side of the horse, making Tess jump with surprise.

"No! I-I mean it's not that I just…" Her voice trailed off as she tried to think how to word her feelings, Éomer seemed to understand and silently lifted her into the saddle.

"There is no need for you to speak of your feelings to me, I was merely curious as to your reaction; if it is a personal matter-,"

"Nah, it's not that I just…well I'm really happy for her, I just don't want her to get hurt," Tess trailed off again as she watched Naomi smiling like a love-struck fool at Legolas. With a nod and a small smile that said he understood, Éomer mounted up behind her and held her waist as he had done that morning.

"I do not think that the Elf could ever hurt her," He told Tess pointing towards an oblivious Legolas, who was smiling just as love-struck back at Naomi.

"It's not Legolas that I'm thinking of," Tess mumbled under her breath as Gandalf gave the signal to move out. Éomer urged Firefoot on and tried his best to ignore the words Tess had uttered, as they weren't meant for his ears.

/\\

"Oi…..Teeeess? Hello? …..WAKE UP!"

"I'm up! I'm not asleep I—AH!" With a loud yell Tess tumbled off the bed and onto the hard stone floor.

"Ow…,"

"Oh you'll get over it, now hurry up, we have a party to go to," Naomi said excitedly as she warmed her hands on the fire. As Théoden had predicted they had reached Edoras well before sundown and Tess disappeared the moment a room was prepared for her and Naomi. Despite the unpleasant awakening she was happily surprised to find she had had no dreams what-so-ever. It was night now and the feast for the victory of Helm's Deep was almost ready.

"Come oooon," Naomi whined impatiently as Tess sleepily pulled on her breeches, having slept in only her socks and the floaty, off-white drawstring shirt from Lothlòrien.

"I don't need to eat, you should have just let me sleep," She grumbled as she pulled her boots up over her breeches.

"It's a special feast to honor 'the victorious dead' Eowyn said, it's really important to many people and you should be there to honor Haldir," Naomi said stubbornly as Tess pulled on her leather vest. She'd barely tied up the last knot when Naomi grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the room.

"Besides, you don't have to stay all night, just for a little while," Naomi told her with a last smile as she pulled Tess into the packed hall. The two women weaved their way through until Naomi spotted Legolas and Gimli and took off. Tess bumped into Aragorn and he showed her to an empty seat at the front between him and Gamling.

A hush pulled over the crowd as Eowyn offered a goblet of wine to Théoden, who stood in front of the throne with Éomer at his left side and Eowyn at his right. In a toast to the people of Rohan Théoden raised his goblet and everyone stood, a mug of some beverage in their hand.

"Tonight we remember those who gave their blood to defend this country, Hail the victorious dead!" He spoke to everyone, and in one voice they spoke back.

"Hail!" Tess followed Gamling's lead as he raised his mug higher for a moment before drinking like everyone else. The strong taste of Ale brushed over her tongue and down her throat as she thought of Haldir, the brave Elf from Lothlòrien.

After another quick speech from Théoden about the bravery of the people of Rohan he called for the feast to begin and a loud cheer rose up as the music started. Tess wandered around aimlessly for a while when she was pulled backwards.

"Hey! What are you—Naomi?"

"Come on! Legolas and Gimli are gonna have a drinking contest and you should enter too!" Naomi laughed as she came to a table with Legolas and Gimli on one side and Éomer on the other next to a large barrel.

"Tess is going to join you guys!" She told them as she pushed Tess in front of the table.

"Wha? Hey! I never said-,"

"You can go back to bed straight after," Naomi told her as compensation, Tess didn't even blink as she sat down next to Gimli, whilst Legolas remained standing. Éomer, who seemed only slightly surprised at Tess entering the competition, filled three mugs and handed them out.

"No pauses, no spills," He stated the rules and Gimli happily took up his mug.

"And no regurgitations!" He cried, to the amusement of the Rohirrim men around him.

"So…it's a drinking game?" Legolas asked confused as he took up his mug from Éomer, a slightly baffled look on his face.

"Aye!" The men around shouted and Tess smirked taking up her mug.

"Last one standing wins! Heh heh heh!" Gimli laughed before bringing the mug to his lips and gulping down the ale, Tess following quickly after with Legolas hesitantly following after that. Naomi laughed happily as the game began. The men and women around them cheered and laughed as well, enjoying the feast. A few mugs into the game Naomi saw Eowyn walk over to Aragorn with a goblet in her hands, offering the drink to the Ranger. A tiny frown dented Naomi's forehead at the intimate actions between the two, before she decided to think of it later and turned back to the game. Mug after mug piled up on the table as all three kept up their drinking, more than once Gimli loudly farted making Naomi burst out laughing. A decent mound had formed in front of the Dwarf as he chuckled loudly between mugs.

"Raaaaar, it's the Dwarves that go swimming, with little hairy women!" He bobbed and laughed cheekily, making Tess snort into her new mug; foam and ale splashing all of her face.

"Gimli!" Naomi exclaimed during her laughter, disbelieving what he had just said. With a large belch the Dwarf continued on drinking.

"I feel something…," Legolas said with a troubled expression as he turned to Éomer, who raised his eyebrows in question. So far Legolas had made no emotion to indicate he was becoming tipsy, and the large pile of mugs in front of him made that hard to believe.

"A slight tingle in my fingers…I think it's affecting me," The Elf said perplexed. Gimli slammed down his latest mug and with slurred words exclaimed how Legolas couldn't hold his liquor, before promptly passing out and falling backwards off his seat. Smugly Legolas turned to Éomer and stated;

"Game over," But the only playing female protested.

"Noooo! No no! I'm still…hick….going," Tess managed between her hiccups and giggles; Naomi rolled her eyes and grabbed Tess' cheeks.

"I think you've had enough t-"

"Oh my god!" Naomi was cut off as Tess looked at her with wide eyes.
"W-What?"

"You have three eyes!" The brunette declared laughing as she grabbed another mug and wandered off into the crowd.

"Someone should really go after her," Naomi said absently as she wrapped her arms around Legolas' waist, watching her wasted friend disappear.

"I feel she will be fine," Legolas laughed as he lent down and kissed her. The strong taste and smell of Ale filled Naomi's senses and made her dizzy and breathless.

"How come you aren't drunk?" She asked airily as Legolas pulled back for a moment.

"Elvish wine is much stronger than the Ale of men," he explained briefly before pulling her close to him again.

"Cool," she muttered as he pressed his forehead to hers, holding her gently and swaying to the music before it suddenly changed to a much faster beat.

"Oh you can search far and wide!" the voices of Merry and Pippin rang out and Naomi's eyes bugged when she heard Tess' voice mixed in as well.

"Oh I have gotta see this!" Naomi laughed taking Legolas' hand and pulling him to the table where Tess, Merry and Pippin were dancing.

"You can keep your fancy ales, you can drink them by the flagon, but the only brew for the brave and true-," The lyrics stopped for a moment as Merry had to recall Pippin's attention before the trio finished the song loudly.

"But the only brew for the brave a truuue, comes from the Green Dragon!" To finish the song the three smashed their mugs together before turning them upside-down and draining them. Merry and Pippin were fine but Tess lost her balance and fell backwards into the crowd. Naomi gasped in surprised panic when her friend disappeared, but she smiled when she saw where her friend had landed.

"Oh…hi Éomer," Tess giggled looking at the man's shocked face. He had been reaching out to talk to his sister when the drunk female and dropped into his arms; face flushed and grinning.

"One day he's not gonna be there to catch her and she's gonna hurt herself," Naomi muttered, making Legolas laugh as they watched Éomer try to put Tess back on her feet, key word being try.

"I think perhaps it is time you retired," Éomer told Tess with a grin as she tried to reach for another mug of ale.

"Noooo," She whined, still trying to grab the pesky mug that seemed to run away from her hands. When she finally did grab a hold of it Éomer took it from her and handed it off to someone else.

"Heeeey! That was mine!" She turned too fast and in a dazed moment tripped on her own feet before crashing into Éomer's chest.

"Come, I shall escort you to your room," He told her chuckling as he placed his hands on her shoulders and directed her away from the main hall into the much quieter side hall.

"Éomeeeer I don't wanna go to bed," She whined again, sitting down on a trio of stone steps that lead up to the main guest rooms.

"As you wish," The horse-master said sitting next to her, in a joyous whoop she went to stand to go back to the hall, but Éomer yanked her back to the steps.

"No more ale," He told her through a poorly hidden grin.

"Why? I'm not that tipsy!" She huffed crossing her arms over her chest.

"How many fingers do I hold up?" The blonde man asked with a smirk. Tess looked at the three fingers he held up and squinted.

"Six..? Oh wait no! It's five fingers and one thumb right?" She answered after rubbing her eyes quickly. Éomer let out a loud chuckle before telling her the correct number.

"You changed how many fingers while I looked away! You cheated!" She accused in her defense, this only made him laugh harder and hold out his hand.

"I have only five fingers," He told her as his laughing subsided, with a grumble Tess grasped his hand and counted each finger on his hand. Éomer leaned over with a smile to watch her.

"Well…it seems you do have that many," She muttered as she looked up again, to find herself almost nose to nose with Éomer. The grin on his face slowly dropped as they watched each other, neither sure what to do with this new found closeness. His hot breath drifted across her face, making her heart beat faster. Ever so slowly, so as not to scare her, her raised a hand and brushed it against her chin. Gently they both leaned in just that little bit closer, she could feel the heat radiating from him now.

Suddenly she released a sigh and pulled away.

"I'm sorry…I can't do this," She told him ruefully.

Éomer sat still with a dazed expression on his face as she stood up in a wobbly fashion.

"I think I will go to bed now…goodnight," With a quick nod of her head she dashed up the three stairs and hurried down the hall to the room she shared with Naomi, hiding her red face…and her tears.

/\\

Naomi tossed in her bed, the sheets stifling her.

'How could she do that!'

Indeed, Naomi had seen what had come to pass between Tess and Éomer, and she was far from happy about it. Sitting up the woman looked at her totally unconscious friend, a frown plastered on her face as if she was dreaming about something troubling. With a sigh Naomi stood and pulled her dark breeches on underneath her pale blue undershirt, not bothering to tuck it in she pulled on her boots and left the room. She stood leaning against the door in the hallway for a moment try deciding where she would go, when Aragorn emerged from a room further down. The ranger didn't seem to notice her as he walked off down the side hall and through a doorway to the main hall. A smirk stretched across Naomi's lips as she followed him as quietly as she could. When she reached the doorway to the main hall she paused, listening to the sound of someone stirring the fire. Quickly she pulled her boots off to create even less noise and snuck into the hall, hiding behind one of the columns.

"What time is it," A soft voice she recognized as Eowyn echoed around the silent hall.

"Not yet dawn," she heard Aragorn reply. Naomi peeked out from behind the column to watch as Eowyn reached for the ranger's hand as he turned to leave. The Shield Maiden of Rohan went on to tell of the dream she had had and how it had scared her. The two shared a few more words before Eowyn slipped back to sleep. Naomi hid behind the column again as Aragorn stood and left. His footsteps faded as he retreated out a side door and Naomi released the breath she was holding.

'I really need to speak to Aragorn about this…what happened to Arwen?' Questions swirled through her head as she made her way back to the side hall.

"Pippin! Are you mad!" Came the hushed voice of Merry from one of the many guest rooms.

"I just want to look at it, just one more time…," Pippin's voice sounded strange, and as she slowly opened the door she could see why. In Pippin's hands was the Palantír, the seeing stone they had found from Saruman at Isengard.

"Put it back!" Merry told him sternly, but the other Hobbit was already lost. Naomi quickly but down her boots and ran to Pippin, holding out a hand to pull him away from the obsidian sphere when suddenly the inside erupted in flames that circled a black iris…the eye of Sauron.

It all happened in slow motion for Naomi, reaching out for Pippin, the eye forming, Pippin's hands fusing to the Palantír as her own hand grasped the now distressed Hobbit's arm, her own hand fusing to Pippin and then the wave of heat that washed over her body as Sauron used the touch as a connection.

Her mouth opened in a scream but nothing came out as her throat closed over, the hideous feeling of something invading her mind was too much and her eyes rolled into the back of her head.

XxX

"….mi…..aomi…," The voice sounded familiar but she couldn't remember in the heavy darkness that held her.

"…..omi…NAOMI!" Her eyes snapped, light flooding into her vision and making her close her them again.

"Open your eyes, my dear, the pain will pass," She peeled them open again to find blue eyes boring into hers.

"Gan…dalf?" Her head pounded heavily, making her wince in pain.

"Easy now, do not strain yourself," The wizard told her gently as she struggled to sit up.

"No…need to sit up…I'm gonna-," Just in time someone had a large jug under her chin, as the food from the feast left her stomach via her mouth. Swear words were heard when she wasn't gagging or gasping, her face contorted in pain and frustration.

"What…happened?" She asked breathless as she finally lifted her head, still clutching tightly to the jug incase her turbulent stomach decided it wasn't finished.

"The fool of a Took decided a peak at the Palantír was in order…and you just to happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," The white wizard explained as he cast a glance to where Pippin sat between Merry and Legolas.

On the Elf's left sat Aragorn.

Naomi took one look at the ranger and turned back to the jug to empty more of her stomach.

She heard a slight chuckle from someone and would have heatedly demanded what there was to laugh about had her mouth not been occupied. His nose had clearly been broken and reset, clotting blood still stuck to his face, but was clearly not that important to him as the wound on his left arm. Blood had already seeped through the bandage and Naomi had looked over the exact moment he unwound it to wrap it in a new bandage.

It was not pretty.

"What….h-happpened?" She rasped as Legolas sat beside her, a mug filled with water in his hand. The members of the Fellowship in the room looked to one another, before their eyes warily stopped on Naomi.

"Saruman appears to hold much knowledge concerning you and the Dark Lord," Gandalf told her softly, so that the other men in the room did not hear.

"The men and women of this world are weak, and those of your world are even weaker,"

"Then why choose us?" Naomi asked almost desperately, needing to know why she was ripped from her home and dumped in Rivendell all those months ago.

"You have a darkness in your heart, a shadow that you will not be able to ignore for much longer, the Dark Lord will call for you soon,"

"I…did that to Aragorn?" Naomi asked feebly, tears building in her eyes. Gandalf nodded grimly, casting his eyes to the floor for a moment.

"Oh god," She swallowed the lump forming in her throat as she thought of the connection she had with Sauron, that he could control even her body without her knowing.

'I wonder if Tess felt his presences as well…SHIT!'

The cuss word she had said out loud as her eyes snapped open again.

"What is it?" Legolas asked placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Tess!" Naomi cried in panic. Gandalf was on his feet with Aragorn following him out the door in an instant, Merry and Gimli helping Pippin to his feet as Legolas did the same for Naomi.

"Do you-," The Elf was stopped when Naomi glanced at him with anxious eyes; he nodded once then pulled her into his arms. It didn't take long for them to reach the female's shared room, it was only three steps up and four doors along the corridor. They reached the room in silence, hearing Gandalf give everyone orders.

"Legolas, stay here with Naomi in case Tess returns," And suddenly everyone was gone, leaving Naomi with a clear view of Tess' empty bed.

XxX

She stood in a great hall, on either side stood the Kings of the past; lined up at watching her with their marble eyes. Before her was a throne, several steps high and far above the second throne where a man with graying hair, cloaked in finery sat grumpily.

"I do not think we should so lightly abandon the other defenses," The man spoke looking directly at her. Tess frowned when she looked at him; there was something about him…something familiar. His position indicated he was of high rank, a steward.

"Defenses that your brother long held intact,"

"What would you have me do?" A voice sounded behind her and Tess turned, seeing a man that made her heart lurch for a second. A man in brown leather with shoulder length hair stood behind her, his blue eyes painfully familiar.

"Boro-…no…Faramir?" But her words were not heard and the conversation between the man on the throne and the man standing behind her.

"My lord Osgiliath is overrun," They talked war, and the bad feeling in Tess' stomach rose.

"Much must be risked in war, is there a Captain here who still has the courage to do his -lord's will?" There was a tense silence as the man Tess had decided was Faramir paused.

"You wish that our places had been exchanged…that I had died and Boromir had lived," It was true then, this was Faramir. Tess eyes switched to the man on the throne, no doubt his father, the Steward of Gondor.

"Yes, I wish that," The man said without feeling. The breath left Tess' lungs as she registered what had been said.

"Since you are robbed of Boromir I will do what I can in his stead," With a bow Faramir turned to leave the hall, momentarily turning back to face the stony faced man, eyes damp with unshed tears.

"If I should return, think better of me…father,"

"That will depend on the manner of your return," the steward told him displeased as Faramir walked towards the grand doors that served as the entrance to the hall.

"No! Don't go! This is a death sentence!" Tess screamed at Faramir as she ran after him through the door. In an instance everything changed, instead of being in a hall Tess was on a field, riding next to Faramir as he yelled out a battle cry. She whipped her head forward to see a whole battalion of Orcs aiming their arrows for them.

"This is madness!" She screamed hysterically, but it went on unnoticed and she still rode forward against her will. The twang of hundreds of bows sounded and Tess watched in horror as arrows rained down on the men. Faramir and she were the only ones not hit, still riding forward towards their immanent end. In a desperate attempt to do something she flung herself off her horse and into Faramir, pulling both of them to the ground to avoid the next volley of arrows. The man didn't notice at all as he hauled himself to his feet once again. A third volley of arrows flew towards them and in an attempt to protect Faramir dashed in front of him.

Despite it all she smiled.

She was going to serve a worthy cause, she would save Faramir and that would mean something good would happen because of it.

Her smile faltered.

Tears leaked out her eyes, and fear settled in as the arrows grew closer.

This was gonna hurt.

She couldn't help but scream as hundreds of arrow pierced her body.

XxX

"No," There was no way in hell she was gonna let Tess out of her sight again.

"You don't understand, I have to go!" The brunette woman's throat croaked as she tried to rein in her anger. Her day had been going awful ever since she had first opened her eyes from her vision.

"Why? Why do you have to so desperately get to Minas Tirith Tess?" Naomi asked back, already knowing the answer.

"I can't tell you! You won't let me go!"

"I'm not letting you go anyway! So you might as well tell me!" Naomi told her stubbornly as she grasped Tess' arm to stop her from preparing.

"I'm going to Minas Tirith…because it's how I'm going to get home," The answer left Naomi's speechless, her mouth opening and closing like a fish.

"Do you remember when we first found each other in Middle Earth? You told me that I got hit in the head with a large hail stone," Tess stated and Naomi nodded her head.

"That would have killed me, so I figure if I die in this world I'll go back to our old one,"

Tess finished as she pulled her bright red tunic over her chainmail shirt. Sobs erupted from Naomi's chest as tears poured down her face.

"That's why you're going! Wh-What about everyone here? What about the quest! What about ME!" Naomi wailed grabbing her friend's arms. Tess hadn't told anyone else this side of the story, and Naomi could see why. Gandalf would never had let her go with him and Pippin had she told him this.

"Y-you…you can't just…l-leave me!" She told her desperately as her fingers gripped Tess' tunic.

"I have to! Otherwise someone else is going to die; besides I don't know for sure that it will happen like that, there is a chance I will live…"

"I-I don't care! I won't l-let you go like this!" Naomi's legs failed her and she dropped to her knees, still tightly holding Tess' tunic. Slowly the brunette kneeled before her, taking Naomi's face in between her hands.

"Naomi…you have Legolas now, you will be okay," She told her gently, grinning at her happily.

"I don't belong here Naomi…I was a mistake, you heard Saruman, this way I'm saving the life of someone precious and proving that I do have worth," Naomi shook her head furiously.

"You're more than just a pawn to be sacrificed! There are people who love and depend on you apart from me!"

"And I'll always be in their hearts, as I'll always be in yours," Tess said pulling her into a tight hug.

"I need to do this," She murmured as she stood quickly, before Naomi could grab hold of her again.

"Goodbye," With a last grin Tess was gone.

Naomi couldn't move as sobs heaved through her body, as she hugged herself, trying to keep herself together. Something was breaking inside of her, however, and the pain hurt.

"No…..no no no no NO!" Naomi said as she heaved herself to her feet, following her friend out the door but at a much quicker speed.

'She can't leave me like this! I won't let her leave! There's still so much…so much left to say and do! I can't lose her!' Spurred on by her thoughts she sprinted, not carrying when she bumped into people. She emerged from the hall but didn't stop and turned for the horse stable, passing by Legolas on the way.

"Naomi? What is-," She ignored him and raced down the aisles until she found the stall that Shadowfax was kept in.

Was.

Past tense.

Nothing was in the stall now except a hysterical blonde woman.

Author's Note:

Dun dun duuuuun.

Again, sorry for not updating sooner; a range of bad things happened that included evil computer viruses, exams and just brain dead bad luck.

Hope this emotional chapter makes you all feel better!

Love you all

AxM

P.S. I know I don't deserve them but reviews would be much loved! XD