A/N: We have Tigress, Bunny and Snake Ammy in this chapter! We're nearly at the end folks!

Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings. If I did, Sam would not have such a crap accent in the movie. It offends me. Ammy is mine as are several other characters with names that aren't from Tokien-verse so please don't steal them. Ask to borrow and I may say yes.

"Normal Speech"
Wolf Speech (aka growling that Kiyiya understands cause she's grown up with the wolves)
"Elvish Runes"

Chapter 18

Fracturing

Their journey down the Great River, Anduin was not particularly troublesome, merely lengthy. As the days grew on the strength of the sun burnt off the mist that lay near the ground and the water's surface until the entire group could feel a continuous heat on their skin.

Despite the strength of the sunlight the group were not overly warm as there was a steady wind that swirled around them and danced across the water. Ammy enjoyed herself basking in the sun. As soon as they had moved into smoother waters she had slid off Aragorn's shoulders, along the bottom of the boat until she had reached the prow of the small vessel. Then she had wrapped herself around it once so that her head lay on the crest of the frame.

She had been joined by Ayaka who sat in front of Ammy's snout, happily chirping as her long red hair flowed in the breeze. The red Tennyo spent hours merely chattering away heedless of the fact that Amaterasu could only guess at Ayaka's true meaning.

That first day they had stopped the boats around midday to clamber onto the shore and stretch their legs and have a meal. The Hobbits were most grateful of this. Whilst in Lothlorien they had been able to have their seven meals a day and they had not enjoyed the morning journey. The elf-bread was not particularly filling for a Hobbit stomach and all four of them knew they could not each too much or else they'd be taking more than their fair share.

Whilst on dry land Ammy had shifted back to tigress form and taken the liberty to have a run through the woods that bordered the river. Ayaka had enjoyed the run as well as the fae-like creature flew ahead and above Ammy. Occasionally the little red light had disappeared off into the trees and then returned with feathers and shiny rocks to show to the tigress. Having no satchel Amaterasu could not keep the gifts but made sure that Ayaka knew that Amaterasu appreciated the gifts by purring extra loudly.

The tigress also climbed up a tree to the top and enjoyed the breeze and the view. The tree tops bowed gently in the breeze and Ammy had to sink her claws into the bark of the branch in order not to fall off. In the distance she could see great stone cliffs. She could just about see that the cliffs had a divide between them but it was very hard to make out. Ammy reckoned that it would take them the rest of the day to reach those cliffs.

Scrambling back down Ammy was greeted by a furiously chirping Ayaka. The winged woman flew around Ammy's head berating the tigress for taking so long. Chuffing with laughter Ammy batted the fairy away gently with her paw.

"If we're running late then stop telling me off and get moving. We don't want the others to get worried." Ammy teased.

She darted off back into the undergrowth slipping under and over fallen trees, leaping trailing ivy and slinking around various bushy plants. The only signal of her swift movement was the bowing and waving of leaves in her wake. The soft paws of the tigress broke no sticks or branches despite her weight and her paw prints were not deep in the sandy dirt that carpeted the forest floor.

Ayaka sighed , shook her head and then took off after the tigress, catching up to Ammy in a couple of minutes and then landing on top of the feline's head. Ammy let out an amused laugh as she felt the tiny body nestle into her fur and small fingers grip the hairs on her head.

Bounding around tree trunks Ammy heard Ayaka squeal and chirrup with excitement at the wild ride. All too soon Ammy could hear the Fellowship calling for her and the riverbank came into view. Sliding to a stop the tigress panted lightly and trotted down the shore.

"Cutting it fine there lassie." Gimli grumbled but his eyes were twinkling under his bushy eyebrows. Rubbing against the dwarf Ammy trotted past him to her boat where Frodo and Sam were seated. Aragorn stood near the water's edge and watched as Ammy trotted over to him, looking rather smug.

"May I assist you climbing aboard?" Aragorn mock bowed and Ammy turned her nose up and looked away, affecting a rather snooty look.

"You may, Lord Aragorn." Transforming Ammy took on her snake form once again and slithered up Aragorn's leg and torso until she was once more draped upon his shoulders. As he climbed into the boat the Dunedain Ranger slipped and nearly went into the river and as Ammy felt her tail dip into the water her snake's hood burst open and her mouth opened in a harsh hiss.

"It's freezing! Get up, get up!" She hissed angrily and curled her body tighter around his arm. The snake didn't like the freezing water as it sapped the warmth that she had gained from basking all morning.

Aragorn hastily withdrew his arm from the water and shook off the droplets that clung to him. He then turned his head and found an agitated snake looking into his face.

"My apologies Lady Ama. Are you alright?"

"I never realised that you were clumsy Aragorn."

"Well I've never had a viper wrapped around my shoulders when I've been climbing into a boat before. No offence Ammy but you are rather clingy."

Ammy reared back and her hood flared once more as she hissed in surprised. Aragorn half expected her to nip him but instead she hissed and tickled his nose with her tongue. The Man scrunched his nose and frowned.

"You win." Ammy tilted her head on its side and Aragorn swore if she had eyebrows they would've been raised.

"Didn't think you had it in you Aragorn. Now, I hate to change topic now that we've finally discovered your sense of humour, but shouldn't we head off soon? Or else we will be delaying our epic mission."

Aragorn picked up the paddle and began to make long smooth strokes against the water. The boat glided away from the bank and as Ammy watched Boromir and Legolas drew up beside them. The three taller males made paddling look effortless.

After watching for several minutes Ammy decided to take a nap. Slithering down the Man's torso Ammy slid along the bottom of the boat once more but instead of resting on the prow of the vessel she instead chose to tickle Frodo's foot with her tongue.

Giving a small start Frodo looked down and then on seeing Ammy curled up on the wood he reached down and picked her up carefully with two hands. Hissing appreciatively at the warm hands of the Hobbit Ammy was quite content to be curled up in Frodo's lap, one of his hands caressing her hood gently the other resting on her back. Ammy's tail hung off the edge of Frodo's leg and the tip of it flicked lazily in contentment as she drifted off into a light slumber.

The days passed in a similar manner but Ammy took turns in the different long boats. Sometimes she would spend the day with Legolas and Gimli and was regaled with tales of Erebor and the Blue Mountains. During his tales Gimli was very vague about his family and the rulers of Erebor and occasionally Kiyiya's name came up in conversation.

"Kiyiya lives in the Lonely Mountain? And her pack?" She questioned, she was keen to know more of the mysterious wolf-shifter.

"Aye. She and her pack live in Erebor. Well, she lives in Erebor with Menewa and Kajika but the rest of Ithil Draug Tylwythau have taken up residency in a special cave that has been carved in the side of the mountain. The King commissioned it himself because the natural caves were too small for the wolves."

"Why does Kiyiya live inside the mountain?" Ammy asked. She had noticed Gimli seemed to be avoiding making any comments on Kiyiya's personal life.

"Well that is where her family is, her Dwarfish family that is. Now that's enough of that lassie. Have you heard of how Bilbo Baggins tricked the great Fire Drake Smaug?" Gimli blustered and as he seemed so agitated and flustered Ammy allowed the dwarf to tell her how Bilbo snuck in right under Smaug's nose.

On the last day of their journey down the Anduin, Ammy took residency in the boat with Aragorn, Frodo and Sam. For a few hours Sam had instructed Ammy on proper plant care and told her of his garden back in The Shire. Amaterasu was certain she knew more ways of how to keep greenflies off herbs then she would ever have cause to use. Sam's talk had come accompanied with some of the dried herbs that the gardener Hobbit had told her of all their uses. Many of the herbs were for cooking but others would work as good natural remedies for wounds and illnesses.

Ammy made sure to pay attention to Sam, particularly when he was telling of the uses of the different plants but after a while she could feel her blood growing cold. Slithering up to the prow of the vessel the serpent basked in the warmth of the sun and quickly fell into a deep sleep. The first sleep she had, had in many days without being visited by Izanami's visions of the past or a lesson from Master Campfer.

She was woken several hours later in the late afternoon by Ayaka jumping up and down on her snout. Blinking awake Ammy fixed the tiny female with one golden orb. Ayaka stopped and looked down sheepishly her hands clasped in front of her.

After a moment of contrite posturing she flapped her wings and rose into the air above Ammy's head and pointed. Rising up Ammy could see two giant stone figures, one bearded and both wearing long robes and crowns.

The statues towered above the small boats and appeared to be partially carved out the cliff. The forest ended at the cliff and left only towering rock in its place. The rock itself was marbled with various colours and shades of stone ranging from stone like granite to marble to quartz. Ammy was awed and amazed at the sheer magnificence of the carvings and how they were both a part of the landscape and yet, at the same time completely different.

"They are the kings of old. They've watched over the land for many centuries. Long have I desired to look upon them, my kin." Aragorn lent over and spoke to his awed passengers.

Passing through the gap between the statues and the cliffs the Fellowship floated gently out onto a wide lake; it was curved and on both sides Ammy could just about make out forests that seemed dense and thick. Ahead was another pair of cliffs, it appeared the entire lake area seemed to be in a sort of bowl like structure, and the water appeared to be flowing between the gap in the cliffs. A fine mist seemed to be rising from that area and Ammy guessed there was a waterfall there.

Aragorn called out to Boromir and Legolas and the three of them began to steer the boats towards the shore on their right. In mere minutes they had grounded the boats and all of the Fellowship gratefully clambered out. Amaterasu waited until both the Hobbits and the Dunedain had exited the boat before she transformed into her tigress form, leapt over the side of the boat and landed in the shallow water of the lake. The water here was slightly warmer than further upstream and Ammy decided to take the time whilst the others were unloading the boats to have a wash and enjoy the clean water.

The forests on the edge of the Anduin were almost silent, save for the footfalls of two giant creatures. Kajika and Menewa cantered amongst the trees, forging paths in the silence of their surroundings. All creatures seemed to have fled and as the wolves tracked the Fellowship they could smell fear on the air and there was the scent of something new.

This new thing smelt foul and unclean. Like dirt, but not like dwarf smell, more like mud and swamp and marshland. Both of the Ithil Draug wolves were having trouble tracking their prey because the wind was constantly blowing the foul stench in their direction.

Kiyiya was crouched low on Menewa's back in her usual travelling position, with her spear clutched tightly in her right hand.

Both the wolves and the woman had been travelling for the better part of several days having left Lothlorien several hours after the Fellowship. Kiyiya had taken the time to equip herself for the journey and she had also needed to send another message to her home and gather supplies for the end of the road. Knowing that at least Boromir would be injured the ebony-haired woman had sought out cloth to be used as bandages, alcohol for cleaning the wound, a clean needle and boiled thread and some special herbs and leaves that the elves used for healing.

Kiyiya had filled another satchel with these items and then tethered it to her packs which sat on Kajika. The she-wolf was the best tracker out of the trio and was not as big as her brother so the medical items were more likely to remain intact and unsullied on the more graceful wolf.

As they ran through the trees Kajika suddenly picked up a new scent and swerved to a halt at the shoreline. Her nose down she sniffed the sandy dirt and moved around. Suddenly she crouched low, pulled her lips back over her teeth, pressed her ears against her head and began to snarl.

"What do you smell sister?" Kiyiya asked softly as she slipped off Menewa's back. The male wolf began pacing restlessly as soon as the small woman moved away from him. His muscles rippled beneath his flesh as his pent up excitement and adrenaline caused him to trot back and forth like an anxious pup.

The Halfling. It is the one. The one before Bilbo. He smells of time, decay, caves, water, fish and of the Ring. Kajika growled and her answer sent her brother into a frenzy of snapping teeth.

"You mean Gollum? From the Misty Mountains? Where is he Kaji?" Kiyiya crouched down next to her pack sister and placed a soothing hand on the wolf's cheek. The she-wolf fixed a large amber eye on the scarred woman's face and then sniffed the air.

He is ahead of us. Tracking our new pack-sister and her pack. He is behind them but not long.

Let us hunt him down! Menewa barked and yipped out as he jumped up and down sending shudders through the ground. That foul creature doesn't deserve to live. All he wants is the Ring and he will do anything to have it. Let us chase him and remove him from the face of the Earth!

"No!" Snapped Kiyiya as she whirled round to face her brother. The big male wolf began to snarl angrily at his humanoid sister and rather than backing down the tanned female pulled her lips back in a snarl too.

As Menewa grew closer and snapped at her, Kiyiya brought her spear up in the air, waited a moment and then bopped the wolf on the snout with the flat of her blade.

"Enough. We have our task. We must track down Amaterasu and the Fellowship and give aid to Boromir of Gondor. Now come on. We have wasted several precious minutes here already."

Grumbling discontentedly Menewa stopped his movements and sent a reproachful look to Kiyiya. The woman did nothing but raise her eyebrows and waited. Huffing the wolf crouched down and waited for her to climb back onto his back. Once Kiyiya was settled atop her brother once more, Kajika began to sniff the air and catching the scent of the Fellowship she set off in the direction.

They had much ground to cover and as Kiyiya looked up at the sky she saw that the sun had reached the middle of the sky. She could only hope they would reach the Fellowship in time…

The Fellowship had made quick work of unloading the boats; Aragorn and Gimli carried packs and various weapons from the wooden vessels whilst Sam and Pippin began to make their dinner over the fire which Merry was finding more kindling for.

They had food from the elves but Legolas had also shot down some rabbits that had been hidden in the undergrowth. Whilst they would never admit it, all of the males were glad of the meat after several days of a vegetarian diet. All save Legolas and Ammy; the elf because he did not eat meat and Ammy refused to eat the rabbit, it felt too much like her brethren. After all she had spent a considerable amount of time as a small fluffy white bunny. Nope, no rabbit meat for Amaterasu.

As she did need to eat some meat Ammy had waded out into deeper waters once she was clean and then stood still for several minutes. Pippin had watched curiously (and silently!) as the tigress remained as if frozen.
Just when he was about to call out to her the tigress darted forward, mouth wide open and went face first into the water. Rising back up triumphantly the feline trotted back to shore, a long and fat fish still twitching in her mouth.

Moving to a dry rock nearby, she lay down and dropped the now motionless fish onto her forepaws. Watching Pippin for several minutes Ammy hoped he would get the clue but the Hobbit remained clueless.

"Do you mind? This is probably going to be quite messy and I would hate to put you off your scrumptious meal of rabbit…" There was a wicked tone to Ammy's voice and Pippin gulped, nodded and then turned back to the fire where Sam and Merry were just about to dish up bread and meat to everyone.

Ayaka, who had disappeared into the forest the moment Ammy had gone for her bath, returned to her friend's side. In her arms the Tennyo carried a few flowers and a stalk with some berries on it. Wings flitting madly she hovered above the tigress and then dropped down on the rock next to the Ame-no-Mihashira's paw.

Pulling her skirts around her and making sure she was seated comfortably Ayaka finally ceased her wings fluttering which left the wings still and folded against her back.

Pausing in her decimation of the fish, Ammy looked at her tiny companion and inspected the wings with interest. They were about two inches in length and were like glass panes; there appeared to be blood red bones that were symmetrical in shape that formed a skeleton and across and between those bones were tiny panes of different reds. Ammy felt like she was looking at a stained glass window in a church as there were so many varieties within the wings and the patterns were exquisite.

Chirruping Ayaka looked up at Ammy curiously.

"I was admiring your wings Ayaka. They look rather delicate." Ammy licked her lips and whiskers as she spoke, hoping to remove and blood and bone. She was after all still a lady with manners even if she was in the body a feline.

Ayaka seemed to ponder for a moment and then gave a shrug-like motion and nodded her head to the side.
Ammy interpreted this to mean that they were sort of sensitive and delicate but they wouldn't break as easily as a pane of glass.

Chuckling Ammy turned her attention back to her fish and made quick work of the meat quickly stripping it until only the skeleton of the fish remained. Licking her lips she looked round at the seated Fellowship.

Gimli, Sam and Pippin were all sat close to the fire enjoying their rabbit sandwiches. Aragorn was still moving around sorting out the camp but stopped when Legolas spoke.

"We should not linger here."

"Orcs patrol the Eastern shore. We will wait till nightfall, then cross the lake, hide the boats and continue on foot."

"It is not the Eastern shore that worries me." Legolas sounded troubled and concerned and Ammy flicked her ears around quickly listening for any disturbances.

The moment she did the tigress realised that the animals had stopped making noise. On their arrival the animals had fell silent and after Legolas had caught a couple of rabbits they had remained silent. During the course of the meal however the birds had begun flying again and the tigress had heard small mammals moving in the undergrowth; mice, voles and squirrels gathering food and foxes stalking the smaller creatures.

All this noise had stopped however and Ammy rose to her feet and padded down to where the Dunedain and the Elf stood. Gimli remained next to the fire grumbling to Pippin about the terrors they would face.

"Something is out there." She whispered. "The animals have hidden and there is no noise. Even the wind seems to have stilled."

"A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. There is a foul presence here or approaching. I can feel it. We should leave now Aragorn." The Mirkwood Elf reasoned with Aragorn and whilst the Man contemplated their words, Legolas drew his bow and an arrow and notched the weapon.

"If we were to cross now we would last mere minutes before being captured. We must wait for cover of darkness, even if we have to paddle close to this shore for the next few hours."

Ammy opened her mouth in a silent snarl at Aragorn's words. She understood the reasoning behind the Man's thinking but her instincts were going crazy.

Suddenly Ayaka flew down and began pulling Ammy's tail. Whirling round the tigress looked at the Tennyo.

"What is it Ayaka?"

The miniscule winged-woman pointed to the fire and Ammy looked; Gimli, Pippin, Sam…

Merry came out of the trees carrying dry branches piled high in his arms. He dropped his burden near the fire and then looked around at his companions.

"Where's Frodo?" The sandy-haired Hobbit asked looking up at Aragorn and Legolas whose heads were bowed together as they spoke.

Ammy moved forward and stood next to Merry. Sam and Pippin scrambled to their feet and looked round the surroundings.

Aragorn turned his head to where Boromir had laid his shield, pack and cloak and saw the space was empty.

"Boromir's gone too."

"Maybe they went together?" Merry suggested trying to sound confident but there was an undertone of anxiety in his voice. Despite this he laid a reassuring hand on Ammy's head. The tigress wasn't sure if the touch was to calm her or him.

"If Boromir is with him then surely Frodo's fine."

Ammy moved away from the fire to the edge of the forest and began scenting the air.

The Fellowship began picking up their various weapons, preparing for the worst.

"If there is something out there that isn't friendly, then Boromir and Frodo won't know. Even if they are together." Ammy spoke softly and then began to growl.

She wasn't entirely certain Boromir and Frodo were together. Rather she suspected Frodo had gone off alone and Boromir had decided to follow him. A few nights ago Boromir and Aragorn had argued over the Ring once more and ever since the Gondorian had appeared restless and worried. Ammy had not been the only one awake to hear the whispered conversation as she had seen Frodo's open eyes reflecting the light of the moon.

The dark-haired Hobbit had withdrawn since the Bridge of Khazad-Dum and Ammy knew she had done the same. Both of them were plagued with guilt about Gandalf's fall and Ammy knew the truth, she knew someone would die. The Fates had told her so and she had done nothing to prevent it.

Frodo's guilt was baseless and Ammy should have told him so. She should have told them all.

"I'm going to find Frodo." The tigress declared and she began to step into the forest but was stopped by Legolas leaping in front of her.

"We're all going to go Lady Ama. But we shouldn't go alone, if there is danger then it is better that we are in pairs at least."

"I don't have time to wait for you all to keep up with me. I can find both of them faster than any of you can. Feline senses remember?" Her tails swished angrily as the elf darted in front of her once again.

"Move aside Legolas." Ammy growled out.

"No. You need to wait." His voice was calm and steady and that only infuriated Ammy further.

"No, I need to go and find Frodo. I don't know what will happen if I don't find him soon." She snapped out and made to move past the blonde elf once more but was stopped when Gimli moved in front of her also, his axe held casually in his hands but his eyes bright and watching.

Aragorn moved forward too and crouched next to Ammy. Sam, Merry and Pippin had all made to follow Amaterasu but upon seeing the confrontation going on, all three Hobbits had backed up and decided to wait and see who would come out on top.

One-on-one they knew that Ammy could probably take down both Gimli and Aragorn with relative ease as they had seen her practicing with the trio and Boromir in Lorien. Legolas would take more tricks and manoeuvres and energy she couldn't afford to waste but if it was a question of speed the tigress would outstrip the elf. An Elf, a Dwarf and a Dunedain Ranger against the tigress however was a different matter altogether.

Ammy had yet to take out all three of the warriors in any of the training sessions and both the Hobbits and she knew that today would be no different.

"You need to tell us what you mean. Amaterasu you have been acting strange since we left the Mines of Moria. All of us have seen it. Even in Lorien you snapped when Galadriel gave you the Yata-no-Kagami and on other occasions only Ayaka has stopped you from pushing your limits. You've barely slept, hardly eaten and apart from our conversation in the hollow you haven't spoken with me or the others. Tell us what is troubling you?" Aragorn kept his voice pitched low and steady.

Ammy stared at him, then up at Gimli and Legolas and then she whirled around and stalked back past the trio of anxious and worried Hobbits. The tigress paced back and forth viciously for several seconds and waited to see if they would move but not a single one of them would budge. Even Sam who looked lost and confused without his Master Frodo was watching Ammy like a hawk.

"Do you know why I was brought into your world?" Ammy growled out softly. "To restore an ancient race that I know nothing about. A race I'm apparently descended from. Surprise number one: I'm not human any more. Surprise number two: I've been transported to a different world where none of the rules are the same and there is nothing familiar here at all. Surprise number three is the reason why I have been sent here, to accomplish two things; restore my people and rescue them from some magical stone that will kill anyone who touches it unless they have the three treasures, two of which are lost and secondly and probably most important of all, to ensure that the Ring-bearer survives."

Ammy could feel threads inside her winding up, getting tighter and tighter as she grew more agitated. Izanami had explained the threads the other night and the main jist of it all was that they were her strings of fate. Each line connected to a different person and depending on her decisions and the actions of the recipients of the threads the lines would remain strong or break.

She had explored the strings of fate a few days earlier and discovered that the threads which bound her to the Fellowship were beginning to wear thin. Particularly her gold and silver threads which led to Frodo and Sam respectively.

Legolas and Aragorn's stubbornness was the last straw and Ammy felt herself winding the threads up into a tight knot in her chest as her emotions overcame her.

"You don't know what will happen to me if I fail. I have been informed that if I fail, I will be sent back to the point where I entered your realm. I will retain all of my memories but you will all have forgotten me. Whilst that might not sound like a bad thing, every time I fail the same thing will happen. If I make a wrong decision and cause the Ring to never be destroyed and my people to never be saved then I will be forced to repeat the same events over, and over, and over, and over again for all eternity until I succeed. And each time, none of you will remember me."

Ammy paused in her monologue her breath coming in short gasps as she began to get hysterical. Ayaka had flown over and sat on her head but for once the Tennyo had nothing to say.

"I'm already terrified that I've messed up! Because the Fates told me that someone would die! And look what happened! Gandalf fell! They told me and I did nothing!" Letting out a wail Ammy leapt onto a rock and then jumped over the stunned males.

Landing unsteadily behind them she regained her footing and then spoke once more.

"Even if I have screwed up I'm not gonna lay down and wait to find out. I'm going to keep going until I get chucked back to the beginning. And if I end up doing this for all eternity then so be it. You are all worth it and the only thing I wish I could change was that Gandalf was still with us."

Swallowing back a lump in her throat and tears in her eyes Ammy sped off into the forest, ignoring the cries of the males from behind her.

She had to find Frodo.

Ammy could smell Frodo's scent ahead of her. She had been tracking him for several minutes now, nearing on half an hour and she was worried.

His scent had started off with a smell of loneliness, guilt and resignation which had then been punctuated by a sharp jolt of fear and wariness. Boromir's scent had intertwined with Frodo's but it was not the usual Gondorian's smell.

Boromir tended to smell like the usual things a male smells of, sweat, dirt, etc. but he also had an underlying scent of sun-warmed stone, gunpowder and the leather oil he used on his sword sheath. Now however he smelt dark, dirty and tainted.

The ground was scuffled and there were both Hobbit footprints and boot prints in the ground.

So intent was she on tracking Frodo that the tigress almost missed Aragorn coming up behind her. She realised he was nearing her when a twig snapped underfoot.

"I wouldn't get too close if I were you." She said dully. "I'm still upset and likely to bite the next person who gets too close."

"I do not believe you would harm me Amaterasu. You value your friends highly and would never intentionally hurt any of us. Even Boromir."

The Ranger crouched next to the tigress and inspected the footprints. As a seasoned tracker Aragorn would have far more luck finding Frodo than she would so Ammy stepped aside but kept her senses open.
Her strings of fate seemed to have settled down for now and Izanami had been whispering comforting words in her mind. Coupled with Ayaka's hand stroking the soft fur on Ammy's ear the Ame-no-Mihashira had quickly settled down and allowed her being to fill with a sense of calm and resolve.

No one would die today if she could help it. And no god or goddess was going to tell her otherwise.

Aragorn clambered up the hill with the tigress close on his heels.

"Boromir went off in the opposite direction but Frodo definitely went this way."

The pair trotted up the slope and leapt over roots and gnarled branches. The footsteps were urgent as they hastened to find their close friend.

They came upon a stone platform and as they paused and examined the area they spotted Frodo sat on the ground. Sniffing Ammy smelt a change in Frodo's scent; the pleasant Hobbit smell had been tainted with a foul stench. It was not like sulphur or something disgusting that made you recoil the moment you smelt it. This stench was a creeping scent that slowly invaded your senses and had a strong tang of iron about it.

Aragorn stepped forward his foot landing on a tree stump loudly, startling Frodo who wheeled around and regarded Aragorn with panicked eyes.

"Frodo?" Aragorn asked as he looked at the worried Halfling. He had never seen Frodo so lost and terrified. Not even on Weathertop had the Hobbit appeared terrified, nor when they travelled through Moria.

"It has taken Boromir." Frodo said quickly as he recoiled away from the force of Aragorn's gaze.

"Where is the Ring?" Aragorn moved forward quickly, concern colouring his voice but Ammy could see that the Dunedain's sudden movement had only spurred Frodo's already wary state. The blue-eyed Hobbit leapt up and ran away from the pair but was stopped when Ammy grabbed the edge of his cloak in her mouth and tugged gently, bringing him to a halt.

"Frodo!" Aragorn held out his hands away from his body in a pacifying gesture and took smaller and slower steps towards the Hobbit. Ammy turned to face Aragorn and felt Frodo walk up beside her. She was ready to defend Frodo against Aragorn if the Halfling felt threatened.

At this thought she felt some of the thinner strands that bound her to Frodo snap and whither. The string of royal blue that led to Aragorn seemed to grow stronger however. Puzzled Ammy dismissed it for a moment and turned her attention back to the current proceedings.

Aragorn was knelt in front of Frodo whose outstretched hand held the Ring openly. Isildur's heir closed Frodo's fingers over the Ring.

"I would have gone with you. Into the very fires of Mordor." Aragorn whispered as he held Frodo's hands tightly within his own and stared into the startlingly clear, blue eyes of the Hobbit. The Ranger's gaze flickered to Ammy who stood still by Frodo's side and he released the Hobbit's hands and brought his palms up to cradle the tigress' face.

"Look after him Ammy." Aragorn placed a soft kiss on her brow and as he turned his attention back to Frodo his gaze was drawn to Frodo's belt. There was blue glow escaping from Sting's sheath and Aragorn drew his sword and knife as he stepped backwards.

"Run! Both of you! Run!"
He gestured for them to turn behind them and after one last look at Frodo Baggins and Amaterasu the Ame-no-Mihashira he turned to face his opponents.

Leaving the proud Dunedain Ranger behind the pair turned tail and ran back down the hill towards the campsite where the boats and their packs were. Ayaka who had remained silent throughout had flown off the moment they left Aragorn behind and whilst she was worried for the Tennyo, Ammy knew she had to concentrate on getting Frodo across the lake.

The sounds of battle rang off the trees behind them and both could hear Aragorn's battle cries. Ammy winced and fought the urge to turn back. The royal blue thread that tied her to Aragorn was pulling insistently at her heart and she was finding it difficult to keep moving.

As they ran down the hill, sliding on leaves and leaping over branches they heard the Uruk-hai slip past Aragorn and give chase to the Hobbit and the tigress. Suddenly Frodo darted off the open space and hid behind a tree. Ammy was too big to hide behind a tree trunk so she quickly transformed into her rabbit form and Frodo picked her up, cradling her to his chest.

Looking to the place they had left both were startled to see Merry and Pippin peering over a fallen tree.

Pippin and Merry gestured wildly for the dark-haired Hobbit and shockingly white rabbit to join them but Frodo shook his head.

"What's he doing Merry?" Pippin asked confusedly as they stared at Frodo. Ammy was sat in Frodo's arms and her gold eyes looked at Pippin with a sense of sorrow.

"They're leaving. Frodo's leaving." Merry spoke as he realised what his best friend was doing.

The Ring had weighed heavily on Frodo for several months now and Gandalf's death must have been a wake-up call. Frodo wouldn't be able to live with himself if anyone else died on his quest.

"No! They can't leave!" Pippin cried and scrambled over the log, hoping he could reason with the stubborn pair.

Merry leapt up after him and as they trod on the open ground they saw Uruk-hai crashing down the slope towards them.

Staring wide-eyed Ammy made to go to the two unprotected Hobbits but Frodo's grasp on her middle was firm.

Nodding to Frodo, Merry gave a smile and then began jumping up and down as he moved backwards down the slope.

"Over here you ugly, smelly creature! You looking for me?!"

"No Merry! They're looking for me!" Pippin cried as he too jumped up and down.

Peregrine Took was naturally curious but he wasn't brave and he nearly dropped down to the ground when the large monstrosities spotted the pair of Hobbits. Gulping he summoned every ounce of courage he could muster, looked to Merry; his partner in crime, and then they both set off down the hill, yelling, shouting and insulting the dumb creatures that gave chase.

As the White Hand Uruk-hai thundered past their hiding place Ammy swallowed back more tears. The forget-me-not blue thread which bound her too Pippin and the deep burgundy that led to Merry seemed to waver and quiver and she feared they would snap. Amaterasu knew what it would mean if the thread snapped and she prayed that both strings remained.

As they arrived on the shore where they had beached the boats Ammy and Frodo panted slightly and stopped for a minute to catch their breath. The albino had transformed back into a tigress so that she wasn't a burden to Frodo and both the tigress and Hobbit had run as fast as possible.
Ammy had doubled back over their trail a couple of times to make sure they weren't followed and so far it appeared they had been successful in evading the Uruk-hai.

Frodo began to gather his pack and his belongings. They had been placed carefully next to everyone else's and the Hobbit felt an almost overwhelming sorrow fill him. Breathing deeply he rubbed at his blue eyes with his sleeve and wiped away two errant tears. Going over to the food satchels Frodo took out several packets of lembas and stored them in his own pack. A water gourd followed as well as a roll of bandages and then finally Frodo tied up his pack.

Moving to one of the boats that hadn't been fully dragged onto the shore the Hobbit and the tigress began to push it into the water. Once it was almost fully floating Frodo dropped his pack in and then scampered back to the oars.

As Frodo walked by her stationary form with the oars Amaterasu came to a realisation. She would not be going with Frodo.

She could feel the bond that had connected her and Frodo together splintering, as if threads were wearing thin and then snapping, but instead of leaving the connection empty the loose threads began to weave themselves into other people's threads. Gasping she felt a sudden loss and then it was gone as the other strands filled the gap which had taken up a considerable part of her heart.

Having little time to fully explore down the threads Ammy simply felt out the newcomers and realised that there was at least five of them. But her bond to Frodo was weakening until there was barely any left. The gold thread was not gone but it was considerably thinner and less prominent than before.

Frodo had placed the oars in the bottom of the boat, double checked he had everything he could think of and was now standing looking across the water to the other shore. He knew Ammy would be leaving him now, he could sense it in the way her attention had turned inward and away from him. As he thought the tigress walked down the rocky shore to where he was stood.

"I can't go with you Frodo."

"I know. I can feel it."

"I don't think our destinies are following the same path any more. I have new obligations now and out paths have diverged. Yet, I know we will see each other again." The tigress buffeted her head against the Halfling's body.

"Oh Ammy. We will succeed, survive and return." Frodo threw his arms around the tigress and buried his face in her fur for the last time. A few tears escaped his eyes and trickled into the white and silver-streaked strands, finally landing on the skin underneath. Ammy shivered as she felt this and closed her eyes, wishing she could be human so as to fully embrace Frodo.

"I know Frodo. You and I will meet again, after your quest is completed and I have rescued my people. When we next meet though, I feel we will not be the same as we are now."

Halfling and tigress stared into each other's eyes as Ammy drove a promise out of Frodo that she hoped would sustain him through his long and troubled journey.

"Promise me you will destroy the Ring. Swear it. Do not let it seduce you into keeping it or you will become like the creature Gollum and all of Middle Earth will be destroyed under Sauron. Promise me."

"I promise Amaterasu. I will destroy it."

"Good. Then let us not say goodbye. For this is not the end. Now go. You have precious little time."

Sharing one last fond look Frodo turned and pushed the boat out into the water and jumped in, settling himself down on one of the benches and picking up the oars. Ammy stood on the edge of the shore, small waves lapping at her feet, the cool chill of the water rushing up through her being filling her with calm resolve. As she watched Frodo begin to make his way across the lake there was a cacophony of noise behind her and Sam burst out of the bushes, his pack on his back and pots and pans clattering around his legs.

The plump Hobbit merely nodded at Ammy before shouting for Frodo and wading into the water.

"Sam! Go back!" Frodo cried from the boat as he saw his friend wading into deeper water.

"I'm coming with you Mr Frodo!"

"Sam! You can't swim!" By now Sam had reached the edge of the shore and there was a sudden drop where the rocks and earth ended and the Hobbit stepped right off the edge, going straight down under the water.

"Sam!" Ammy and Frodo cried, the tigress moving into the cold water as if to go forward when Frodo began to paddle back towards the shore. The dark-haired Hobbit quickly reached the spot where Sam had gone under and reached into the cold water, grasped Sam's outstretched hand and pulled him up to the surface.

Amaterasu paced up and down a small spot in the shallows of the water, the cold liquid ebbing and flowing around her, reflecting her agitated state. She was relieved when Sam finally made it into the boat. She could see the two Hobbits exchange words and then they embraced.

"Good luck Frodo! And remember your promise!" Both Halflings turned at her shout and waved back at her before picking up an oar each and beginning to row across the lake.

Watching them begin to paddle across the lake Ammy allowed her sadness at their parting to fill her mind for a few seconds. The silver and gold threads which belonged to the two Hobbits were now entwined, each twisting around the other but they seemed thin and fragile, like spider webs.
She had little time to think on it though as Ayaka burst through the leaves looking for Ammy. The Tennyo had found Sam and brought him to the shoreline where she knew Amaterasu and Frodo had intended to leave the Fellowship.

Ayaka was extremely happy to see that Amaterasu had remained and her euphoric state was reflected in her movements and the light which she exuded.
The Tennyo was still glowing bright red but rather than being one constant shade it was as if the light within her was pulsing, fading from bright ruby red to pale rose pink. Ayaka chittered and pulled on Ammy's ear trying to gain the attention of the Ame-no-Mihashira. Finally Amaterasu tore her gaze from her friends and looked at the fae-like creature.

"We should go Ayaka, but first do you think you could help me retrieve the Yata-no-Kagami? I have a feeling I may need it soon and I'm loathe to leave it here on the shore unprotected."

Ayaka chirped and nodded. Both females went over to where the packs had been hidden and Ammy sniffed each until she found Aragorn's. Ayaka pushed the peg through the loop that held the satchel closed and then Ammy used her paw to flip it open.

The Tennyo dived into the bag and then pushed out a medium sized leather pouch which Galadriel had given to Ammy along with the mirror. The leather pouch had been created to hold the mirror and thus was the perfect size. Held closed with a button and a tie the mirror was secure within the leather and Ammy knew that a soft but thick fabric lined the inside and so there was little chance of the mirror being damaged.

The leather was almost black in colour but had runes etched into it in a gold-like paint. The runes were a mixture of languages ranging from the Common Tongue to Elvish and there were also the strange runes that had covered Kiyiya's satchels. The Common Tongue had words such as; Mirror, Amaterasu and Sun. The Elvish was vaguer with a short verse etched into the back of the pouch:

"Sun, Moon and Stars
United relieve the land
Heal, Soothe and Ease
Rejuvenate the land."

Of course Ammy had no idea what the poem meant nor did she have any idea what the strange runes that also adorned Kiyiya's satchels were.

There was little time to ponder however and Ammy quickly got Ayaka to unbuckle the straps that were fixed to the pouch. The tigress then instructed the Tennyo on how to fasten it to her tigress form.
After several tense seconds the mirror was finally buckled to her belly with a strap crossing her shoulders and another wrapping around her torso. Ayaka tugged at the straps but they were tight against the tigress' fur and as Ammy shook her body the fur eased out and over the straps hiding the dark leather within her fur.

Once they were finished Ayaka flew down and landed on Ammy's head and once she was certain the Tennyo was holding on tight Ammy sprinted off into the forest chasing the sounds of battle

A/N: There we go, naught but a chapter or so left of The Fellowship of the Ring! I'm feeling quite emotional. I hope this chapter was okay, it's mainly based off the plot from the film, but I fiddled with it a bit. I know that Boromir is supposed to get shot by Lurtz at the same time that Frodo and Sam make their way across the Lake. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are supposed to be going to his aid at the same time, but for my AU storyline I had to mix it all up.

I know there hasn't been much Legolas/Ammy interaction so please don't start yelling at me Lemmy followers. I've been quite focussed on their relationship at the beginning of the story. It was Aragorn's turn. I will not be doing a love triangle as I cannot stand them. The main pairing will be decided in The Two Towers.

Please leave a Review! I'm sorry it took so long for me to post the last update but I was really disappointed with the response, especially considering some of you were leaving me messages to hurry up and review. Despite the late update only a mere few of you reviewed (thanks to those who did). Come on guys, it only takes a few minutes and it does help motivate and encourage me to update. So maybe we could have more reviews for this chapter? Pretty Please?

Thanks to:

DragonBlade1000- Thanks! The last chapter was really difficult to write. This one just kind of wrote itself, albeit in a random order. I'm glad you like Ayaka. With the forthcoming events of the Two Towers arc I felt Ammy needed a constant companion! Can't say any more or it'll spoil it! Kiyiya's story is still being written. I have the prologue and Chapter 1. Chapter 2 is being written as we speak but I want to have a few more chapters before I post it! I also need to complete the history for the prequel and BWD so that it all ties in! I have created a timeline. Seriously it's about three A3 pages long at the moment… Hope you enjoyed this chapter! And thanks again, I always really appreciate your reviews.
trollalalala – I've updated! This chapter has even more information in! ;) Battle sequence next chapter (which I'm terrified about writing!)
GleekLover2012 (Guest 31/03/12) –Arammy preference noted. I still haven't decided… Sorry again about the long wait but at least this one was sooner!
Elvius Slytherin Riddle Black- wicked penname! Here's your Easter update… I've just started my Easter vacation so it's still Easter for me…
Calemireth- I will never abandon this story! It's my baby. Over a year old now! A year and three months! I've updated sooner. Hope it was worth the few days wait.
dandapanda- Sorry about the eagle… There's a bird of prey though? Ayaka is my new favourite character (besides Ammy of course). Have you seen Rise of the Guardians? She's mainly based off Baby Tooth from that film with a touch of Tinkerbell about her.
Emzy2k11
jonnioholo- umm interesting use of the English language there… Lemmy preference noted.
lovelydove-xoxo – You made it this far! Thanks for reading and I'm so glad you're hooked!
Eeirany- I'm glad the wait was worth it. Boromir living…Boromir dying… Lucifer is playing with the idea. :D
- Thanks for re-reading the Prologue and letting me know what you thought! I did write it over a year ago and I've had two birthdays since then. I like to think I and my writing style have matured. Pairing is undecided yet. I'm predominantly going off the movies rather than the books. So I'm not necessarily going to stick with Canon for the pairings. It is AU so I can mess with it…
Katgirl (Guest 02/04/13)- Really?! Is your name short for something or is it Amy spelt with two 'm's? Ammy is an abbreviation of Amaterasu so that would be wicked if your name was Amaterasu… Then again I'm assuming that would make you Japanese or your parents Japanese mythology fans… Thanks for reading, if you made it this far!