A/N: again I apologise for the delay in updating. Christmas, Birthday and College all got the better of me!

Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings or anything else that you may recognise. I do own Ammy and the new OC that appears however!

Chapter 14

Crying

The Fellowship spilled out into the bright daylight, a stark and painful contrast of the dark and gloomy world they had left behind. The grief-stricken men stumbled over the rocks until they each found a place to cry out their sorrows. None would mock the other as they were all consumed with the same overwhelming sadness and pain.

Legolas did not cry but looked around his world with new eyes. It had been many years since he had lost someone dear to him and he could not quite remember how to deal with the pain. Gimli let out deep sobs and clear tears dripped into his beard, hanging like crystals and then disappearing into the redness. Pippin cried loudly, blaming himself for their loss: if only he hadn't touched the arrow, if only he could curb his curiosity. Merry cried silently, in contrast to his dearest friend, tears rolled down dirt-stained cheeks to land in the thickness of Pippin's curls as he leant behind his friend.
Boromir was without tears. He had lost too many men in the past years to the darkness that he thought he had no more tears left. Only when his people were safe would he shed tears, until then the sorrow would have to be hidden. Sam had his head in his hands and small sobs wracked his frame, he had yet to lose someone so dear to him and had always been an emotional little creature.

Aragorn wiped his sword clean and sheathed the blade once more. Sighing he turned and spoke to the blonde elf.

"Legolas, get them up." The Ranger strode back over to Sam and lifted the Hobbit to his feet, brushing tears from the smaller face. "On your feet Sam."

"Give them a moment for pity's sake!" Boromir cried out in horror. He and Aragorn had seen their fair share of slaughter but for the Hobbits who had only left their home on a whim, and had never even dreamed of losing companions in such a venture, it was too cruel to ask them to push aside their grief without even minutes to comprehend it.

"By nightfall these hills will be swarming with orcs. We must make for Lothlorien. The orcs and fell beasts do not dare venture there. We can rest and mourn once safe." Aragorn moved up the hill once again and helped Legolas bring Merry and Pippin to their feet. Once everyone seemed to be brushing their tears away the Ranger looked for Frodo and Ammy.
The Halfling was already making his way towards the forests and stumbled over the large rocks dazedly.

"Frodo?!" Aragorn called and despite the distance when Frodo turned to face him, the Dunedain could see tears trickling from the Hobbit's blue eyes. "Wait a moment Frodo. We move together."

By this point Ammy had padded up to the group looking worse for wear. Her tigress form was stained black with orc blood and there was a cut down her left shoulder and flank which was dripping blood. Out of all of them Amaterasu seemed least affected by Gandalf's fall. Her eyes were clear and her steps steady despite her appearance.

"You will need to bandage my wound before we set off. It does not matter if the wound is treated. It was a clean blade that went in. I do not wish to leave a blood trail for the orcs to follow." Ammy spoke softly to Aragorn who turned to Sam and retrieved the bundle of cloth that belonged to Ammy.

The bandages that she had wrapped around her torso the previous day were still clean and the Ranger used them to wrap the entire wound, binding the fabric round her frame several times and knotting it quite tightly. He was surprised that the tigress did not even flinch or snarl at him despite the pressure he was placing on the wound.

Once Aragorn was finished Ammy set off down the bumpy slope towards Frodo but instead of going to his side like the Ranger expected her too, the tigress merely paused and regarded the Hobbit with golden eyes and then continued on past the Halfling. By this point the rest of the group were ready to move out and they soon caught up with the Hobbit and continued on following Ammy's trail.

They travelled throughout the day, Aragorn leading the Fellowship with Amaterasu always slightly ahead of them. Aragorn was loathe to push the Hobbits so far and so fast when they had, had little rest or nutrition but he knew the orcs would be close behind them and he feared that they would fall quickly if attacked again.

Amaterasu loped ahead of the Fellowship, never straying too far but not getting too close either. How could she stay with them when she had known that one of them would die? And she had not told them, well, she had told Legolas but then they had been distracted by Balin's tomb and there had been the fighting and the running... If only she had told Gandalf what the Fates had said the moment she had woken. Would he still be alive now? Could she have killed the Balrog and saved his life?

The Balrog had terrified Ammy. Rather, that which it signified terrified her. It was a depiction of her complete opposite, everything about her was reflected in the Balrog. Her purity and innocence in this world being the last of her kind made her vulnerable. There would always be something within her calling to the darkness and vice versa. And if she succumbed to the temptations of dark forces then she would be doomed eternally.

The entire time she had been trying to divert the Balrog her instincts were shrieking at her to flee. Knowing that Ammy had been the only being large enough to fight with the Balrog had kept her in place fighting the creature of shadow and flame, and it had been for nought. Gandalf had fallen and she had done nothing.

Why had she joined the Fellowship? Was it to remain with Frodo and the other Hobbits who had become so dear to her? To stay with her only friends in this strange new world? It was not because she was a skilled fighter, the only time she was any good at fighting was when she submitted to the animal instincts within her.

Whilst thinking on her instincts Ammy felt her hackles begin to rise. Someone or something was stalking them. The other was pacing along beside the Fellowship, too far to be discovered but Amaterasu could feel something different was watching them. It had no sense of evil about it, not like orcs or the Ring. Rather than being invasive or aggressive the presence felt familiar and comforting and Ammy was intrigued as to whom it was.

The broken, bruised and battered members of the Fellowship travelled through the afternoon crossing hills and grassy plains until all that separated them from Lothlorien and refuge was a small stream and a short stretch of vibrant green grass.
Aragorn led the way to the forest a new energy running through him and Legolas followed closely after. They hoped the elves would be receiving towards their group, even towards Gimli, and they both knew that the elves would know that they had entered the forest.
The group crossed the edge of the forest and entered into the lands of the Lady of Light with a sense of relief. The orcs would not dare to pursue them into the forest for fear of the elves and so there was safety to be had for a few minutes.

Amaterasu entered the forest last, still searching for the creature that had been shadowing their footsteps since they had exited the Mines. The creature had kept pace with them easily, never coming too close to be seen or scented but Ammy had felt its gaze watching them as they progressed. As the tigress entered the woods she saw a black figure slip into the trees off to her right and standing stock still she waited for any more movement from their mysterious guardian.

Upon seeing nothing she continued following her friends but kept her eyes and ears peeled. Up ahead she could hear Gimli mumbling to Frodo and Sam about the supposed 'Witch' that lived in the forests and Ammy supressed a giggle. Gimli's apparent mistrust of the elves was leading him to tell the Hobbits wild stories. In fact on their travels Gimli had told tales of his dwarf-brethren and if an elf happened to appear in the story, said elf was often spoke of disparagingly and quickly removed from the story.

Amaterasu gazed at the wood surrounding them and felt a sense of peace and calm begin to wash over her. There was sense of sanctity in these woods similar to the one she used to receive in old buildings back in her world, like churches or cathedrals. The trees were tall and seemed silvery in colour on their bark as if covered with a delicate moss or fungi and the ground was covered in leaves and soft, green moss: a stark contrast to the hard stones they had encountered in Moria.
Still searching for the mysterious black figure Ammy sensed people approaching but before she could alert the Fellowship they were surrounded with sharp arrows, notched and pointed in their direction.

"The dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark." A sarcastic tone was heard in a blonde elf's voice and Amaterasu watched as Gimli shuffled and mumbled under his breath. The tall elf then turned to Aragorn who was still leading the party and gestured for the Ranger to follow him.

The group continued onwards into the forest depths, guided by the new elf and surrounded by his wary soldiers. Finally they arrived at a flight of stairs that were made of wood and rose up around the trunk of a tree. As they began to climb the stairs Ammy could sense the return of their follower and the tigress' hackles began to rise and she hastened to suppress the snarl that was building up in her throat. It would not do after all to cause the elves alarm with her feral behaviour.

Finally they ceased climbing and found themselves on a platform. Pippin, Merry and Sam all flopped down onto the ground at once and relished at being still and having a rest. The elves that had been surrounding their group had dispersed and vanished into the trees, some standing on platforms nearby or disappearing entirely but Ammy did not doubt that they were still there watching and waiting.

Night was beginning to fall and the sun was descending rapidly, the temperature was decreasing and a chill wind seemed to be whistling through the branches. Frodo and Boromir seemed out of sorts both males looking agitated and uncomfortable in their surroundings whilst Aragorn and Legolas were more relaxed, but still on their guard.

Ammy could sense that their follower was approaching and wove her way around the members of the Fellowship, pacing agitatedly. The elf general, Haldir was conversing with Aragorn and Legolas and regarded the Hobbits that sat behind the men and dwarf. His eyes fell on Ammy and widened almost imperceptibly and he turned away from the tigress' piercing gaze to land on Frodo.

"You bring great evil with you." Haldir said and returned his gaze back to Aragorn. "You may go no further."

The elf walked away to the edge of the platform and was followed by Aragorn. The two quickly began speaking in elvish, Aragorn waving his hands and arms emphatically and the elf regarding him with steady resolve.

As time dragged on towards the final seconds of sunlight Ammy felt her body being pushed at gently by the presence she had felt earlier and she rose to her feet quietly from where she had been sat next to Boromir and Frodo. The man of Gondor had been comforting Frodo about Gandalf's death, whilst petting the tigress gently, and Ammy had also felt that Frodo was drawing away from the Fellowship. Indeed the dark-haired Hobbit seemed to wince and flinch away from the looks of his friends and companions keeping his eyes turned away from them all.
Boromir's voice rang in Ammy's ears as she looked at the top of the stairs, waiting for the presence to reveal itself.

"You carry a heavy burden Frodo. Don't carry the weight of the dead."

Amaterasu felt her mouth pulling back and revealing her teeth in a wary snarl. The aura that had been soothing was now more demanding and buffeted against her senses and felt as if it were pushing her very soul.

Ammy felt her body begin to contort into a transformation and hastened to suppress the change. It was not the familiar change back to human form but into another animal form and of the three forms she currently had possession of the tigress was the best for defence and was also known to the elves surrounding them. She hated to think what the Lorien elves might do if she transformed into a dragon, not only would she be incredibly intimidating but she would crush the platform and all those on it.
Ammy searched within herself and tried to force the animal back down but it was not compliant like the rabbit or wise like the dragon, this was a new form, a young form. Her efforts were in vain however and the golden lights glimmered and played over her body catching the attention of both the Fellowship and the wary Galadhrim who notched arrows to their bows once again.

Before the elves could even think of loosing their arrows the figure that had been shadowing the Fellowship entered and Haldir turned to the newcomer with recognition. The Galadhrim however did not lay down their weapons and instead divided their attention between Ammy and the new threat.

"Lay down your arrows. She is as much a threat to you as I am."

"But Milady-" Haldir's voice rose in protest at the new authority.

"I said lay down your weapons. I believe my proximity has forced another change upon her and although she attempted to force it back, a change is rarely overcome."

By now Ammy had fully transformed and she blinked rapidly. The world appeared to have grown larger once more and it appeared as if Ammy was lying on her belly. Thinking that she was in rabbit form she tried to rise up onto her front legs but was confused when she could not feel her legs.
Looking up and around quickly Ammy realised that she was looking up the muzzle of a large black wolf.

The wolf was larger than any that Ammy had seen in her old world and was about the size of a large horse with a thick, glossy coat and shiny claws, Ammy stared up at the wolf into emerald eyes.

"What am I now?" Ammy asked as she tried to move again in vain and found that she could feel no limbs. Her tongue flickered out in frustration and as her agitation grew she felt two flaps on either side of her head flare out and her head began to rise off the ground.

A sharp hiss emitted from her and Ammy felt her mouth open wide in a warning to the large black wolf standing before her.

"You're joking? I'm a snake?" Ammy hissed out. She twisted and turned her head, finally gaining some mobility, and saw that she was indeed a snake with white scales pebbled with silver scattered down the length of her torso. Before she could fully admire her new form however the sun set completely and Ammy was forced into yet another transformation.

During this one Ammy let out a few yelps as her body reformed and was relieved when she was finally in her human form. Looking down at her skin Amaterasu saw that instead of being completely naked she was covered in scales. Her entire body looked as if she were wearing a skin suit with scales on it, similar to Mystique from the X-men. It made a change from transforming into a naked woman in front of a group of men. Indeed Ammy was beginning to think that there were few to no women in Middle Earth, having seen only a few and Arwen at Rivendell. Obviously females had no place on quests but then again, Ammy was hardly a normal woman now.

"Hmm. You are an odd one aren't you." The wolf's voice spoke out once more over the gasps from astonished elves and from Ammy's companions.
"Never before have I met a full blood and it is interesting to see how we differ. However now is not the time to be contemplating differences. Haldir."

The wolf turned her emerald eyes from Ammy who sat on the ground before her and regarded the elf. The blonde elf bowed to the wolf and she in return nodded her head downwards. As her gaze rose back up the wolf caught sight of Legolas looking as if he wished to go to Amaterasu's side and Aragorn who also looked torn between staying with Haldir and going to the woman. A wicked gleam appeared in the she-wolf's eye and she smiled a toothy grin before becoming serious once more.

"The Fellowship will go to Caras Galadhon. Amaterasu will ride with me. The Lady is expecting them and I and Amaterasu will meet you there in a few hours." With those final words the wolf turned her attention back to Amaterasu.
The black wolf lowered herself down so that her front legs were flat on the floor and her shoulder was closer to the ground.

"Climb on Amaterasu. You and I have much to discuss and I have much to impart to you with little time."

Ammy regarded the wolf carefully and the spoke quietly but confidently.

"Why should I go with you? I do not know you or what you are. You have followed us since we left the Mines of Moria and you're soul seems to repel and attract mine at the same time. So why should I go with you?"

The she-wolf chuckled and the sound reverberated through the wooden platform and ran through Ammy's entire body causing the woman to shiver. That crafty grin spread over the wolf's face once more, revealing pearly white incisors that echoed of creatures slain beneath them.

"I suppose introductions are in order. My name is Kiyiya and I am the last descendant of the Ame-no-Mihashira. Now, will you go with me?"

Amaterasu felt her jaw drop and then doubt and mistrust began to fill her mind. Casting her gaze around her companions and receiving no indication of discomfort or disbelief, only astonishment, she returned her attention to the wolf once more and stared into the emerald eyes that gleamed at her in the growing darkness.

Kiyiya's eyes were a deep green, darker than grass but lighter than pine and as Amaterasu stared into them, she could almost feel their souls connecting and speaking. The women from another world could sense great sorrow and pain from the she-wolf but also compassion, loyalty and above all love and hope. Kiyiya herself did not dare blink, knowing that she was being judged by this poor child. She would wait as long as it would take in order to speak with Amaterasu, the one who would save their people.

Finally Ammy blinked and broke the connection that had been flowing between the two females. She stepped up to Kiyiya's muzzle and placed one white-scaled hand on the ebony black fur and mourned the loss of her sense of touch due to the snake-skin. The small women then ran her hand along the muzzle, up over the eyes that showed only truth and back down her neck until her hand rested on Kiyiya's shoulder blade.

"I will ride with you."

A/N: Short chapter I know, but this was the best place to stop for now. The next part is halfway done. I hope you all like the new twist. Kiyiya is going to be pretty important in the next few chapters and will return once more in The Return of the King. Kiyiya is my new muse who arrived whilst I was watching The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. She is so full of life that she is even going to have her own story. :D A sister story to this one, set during the events of The Hobbit! I will post the next chapter of BWD and within the A/N will give you all details of the new story and I hope you will all take the time to read it!

Reviews:
Jovie Black – I hope you enjoyed this instalment! And I hope you like Kiyiya!
peaceoutpandas- I think I replied to you personally? Cannae quite remember so here it is again. Ammy is fully tigress whenever she transforms into tigress, I gave her the capability to speak in this form however as it is too difficult and dull if she has to draw everything she wants to say on the ground. When she transforms back to human now she has begun to retain features of her animal transformation because she is accepting the animals fully. Hope that makes sense?
dandapanda – Glad you liked the previous chapter and I hope this one lives up to expectations.
Lord Bingo – So happy you are still reading! Hope this chapter satisfied you're desire for Ammy to gain a fellow of her species. Kiyiya slunk into my imagination after I saw the Hobbit for the first time. Then I saw the Hobbit again and she became firmly entangled within my mind, so much so that she is going to have her own tale. A sister story. ;)
Wisdom's Stare- Thank you for saying you enjoyed! Hope the wait was bearable!
AuroraStarfire- You and I conversed much so all I shall say is: thank you for the advice! It always helps to get a constructive comment that I can reply to and then bounce things off. You are wonderful and I hope this chapter was better than the previous.
Dean Winchester's Play Thing- There will be more battle scenes coming up in later chapters, ones you know well and others that I have created. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
DragonBlade1000 – You are so dedicated and I love you (in a strictly platonic way). Every time you PM it makes me think "I must write more" Please continue to read, knowing at least one person still wants to read makes it worthwhile writing.
MinNinniach- Thank you for your review! The pairing is still up in the air….however Kiyiya has a pairing that I have absolutely no qualms about writing. Ammy's pairing is beginning to shift quite decidedly towards one of the males…but we shall see. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
trollalalala- The last chapter gave me soo much trouble. Mega-writer's block. It was actually depressing me that I couldn't find a way through Moria without going through it almost exactly the same as the movie. Hope this chapter lives up to my usual standard!
IdrilSilmarwenEamaneLuinwe – Happy you liked the last chapter. Regarding Boromir and Ammy friendship…watch this space ;)
faye50free- It always bugs me in movies when the characters go for days without sleeping, eating or bathing… It's incredibly unrealistic as it implies that all of the characters are superhuman! Fore-knowledge huh? I didn't actually specify as to whom would die…..and Gandalf doesn't actually die at the Bridge of Khazad-Dum….soooo…fore-warned is fore-armed? (hopefully you can work out my not so cryptic message!)
daydreamer0001- glad you love it! It's sort of evolved further than I thought it would…and I have soo many ideas that I can't put them all in one story. Therefore there is going to be a sister story to this one.. Thank you for finding my 'epic' chapter epic!
Emzy2k11 – Hello once again devoted follower! Thanks for reading and I apologise profusely for the delay in updates.
AliceBeilschmidt- epic was my word of the week! Don't think this chapter was epic…Intriguing maybe?
Guest 11/24/12 – All the forms Ammy is going to transform into are taken from the Chinese Zodiac. Hopefully your desire for a snake was satisfied. Legolas is preserved huh? Well I guess I always see him like that with a mischievous side underneath. He's Ammy's polar opposite…Aragorn is just drop dead gorgeous but a wee bit depressing. Aragorn is more my type of man which is why I like him more than Legolas…but it's Ammy's decision. Hope you are still reading!
LadyVivianeNight- Smiling is wonderful! I'm happy my attempt has brought you an element of joy! Thank you!
thebeagle- I will continue this story. Even if I'm still writing it in my thirties! I think once I hit Two Towers everything will become easier as I know exactly what is going to happen. Aragorn and Legolas are going to shine brighter in the future, think knights-in-shining-armour? Hope this chapter was worth the wait.
Mango To The Max- Thank you for enjoying my work. Of course I don't mind if you take inspiration from my story, obviously as long as you don't literally copy my ideas/plot or characters. Once you have your story going I'd love to read it! Let me know!
kittylikesWhitlock – Sorry it took so long to update on both counts! Ammy is pretty badass at the moment… And who said Gandalf died? I'm pretty sure he doesn't die… ;)
Jin95- I've always had a love of mythology and so blending the two (fiction and mythology) was an obvious choice for me. I'm so happy you like Amaterasu.
Char 12/21/12- Ammy's forms are following the Chinese Zodiac, which will probably become clearer later. I wanted a collection of animals to use and as I was already using Japanese mythology I thought using another mythological idea would be a good way (and that way I had to think more about the plot! :P)
Guest 12/28/12- You're opinions have been noted! I hope you are still with us!
Imma-walrus-biatch- interesting pen name….Amazing huh? I'm so happy that my fic is the first you've read! It makes me proud to know that people are still discovering my story! Thank you!
TheGirlWhoDream- I'm happy you like it so far… Ammy and Legolas romantic scenes? Have to wait and see… it might not be Ammy and Legolas.
Saellyra of Mirkwood- Thank you! I hope this update isn't too late. Hannon le.
xXThe Solaris MaidenXx- Amazing! Amazing has part of Ammy's name in it which is why Ammy is so cool! (or not, I believe I'm hyper.) Thanks for reading.
Bring-on-the-walrus- Thank you for your kind words. I'm always hoping to create something different. I love reading fanfiction but it can get samey so I always strive for unusual plots/ideas.
hawtphoenix- Thanks for reviewing and I hope it was worth the wait!
Guest 1/7/13 – Thank you for reading! We welcome you, new Legolas/Ammy fan!
DJpaigeDJ – Epic! Thank you! You have made me incredibly happy.
new21writer – I'm so pleased that it's interesting. It really is just a play around that I never expected to become popular. I don't think my writing style could pull off heavy and dramatic.