A/N: I'm sorry I have been gone so long! If you are actually interested in why I have been absent it is because I had an important exam which I had to work for! The exam was on Sunday so my time is now my own and I can sit down and write without feeling like I should be doing other things. As I said before I am really sorry but I hope you enjoy this chapter.

"Speech"
'Ammy's thoughts'
Visions from the Yata-no-Kagami (Mirror of Truth)

Chapter Two (22)

Which way you go…

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to."
"I don't much care where –"
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go."

― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Ammy's eyes flew open. The cavernous den beneath the split rock was almost pitch black save for the soft glow of Ayaka's light. Ammy's newly discovered body clock told her it was an hour or so before dawn; the Ame-no-Mihashira had been woken the last few days an hour before dawn so that Boromir, Aragorn and Legolas could teach her how to fight in her human form.

There were no select times or areas where an orc pack would attack and so Ammy had been forced to learn to fight in all her forms. Thus the hourly training sessions before dawn. After dawn she had practiced in her animal forms and so now the albino was proficient in her animal forms and mediocre at best in her human form.
She was so used to this gruelling schedule that her body still woke her before dawn despite her no longer having a tutor or indeed friends to help her.

Snuggling into the fur of her cloak Ammy whimpered slightly as her foot slipped out from under the soft pelts. The air outside her cocoon was sharp and bitter, like a sharp frost had settled overnight. Snatching the offending appendage back into her warm bundle Ammy shivered and rubbed her face against a particularly soft piece of fur.

Ayaka had been woken by Ammy's rustling around and the Tennyo was not best pleased. Chirping in a rather moan-like fashion the small fae clambered over Ammy's face to hide in the pelt by the albino's cheek.

"Sorry Ayaka. I slipped." Ammy whispered as the darkness encouraged her to keep her voice down.

After laying there in a drowsy but not sleepy mood for several minutes Ammy felt around the inside of her fur cloak until her seeking hands found the Yata-no-Kagami's pouch. She pulled the mirror pouch up and rested it on her chest. Despite the soft red glow produced by Ayaka, she could not see the runes, letters, words or patterns that had been etched onto the surface. Instead she trailed her fingers gently and softly over the surface feeling for the marks she knew were there. Tracing the runes and shapes with her fingertips was calming and Ammy continued this for several minutes until she knew the flow of the letters and patterns.

Then suddenly she felt spurred and drawn to take out the mirror itself despite the fact that she wouldn't be able to see anything let alone her reflection. Undoing the catch on the pouch and lifting the lid Ammy was surprised to be bathed in a soft gold light coming from within the case. The mirror was glowing a caressing and warm light which bathed Ammy's face and Ayaka who woke up and then trilled nervously and excitedly at the mirror. Exchanging puzzled looks the two females explored the mirror further.

Bringing it fully out of the case Ammy turned it to face them; Ayaka jumped onto Ammy's chest and placed a small hand on the surface of the mirror. The light brightened and then dimmed for a second and in that split second Ammy saw Ayaka as if she were magnified. Every detail of the Tennyo had been sharpened and it was if she were seeing the small fae through a microscope or a magnifying glass.

The features of Ayaka's dress were visible; crane-like birds were embroidered into the hem of her dress and the silk-like garment which fluttered around her seemed to have tiny symbols sewn into it. Then the mirror fogged once again and shone at the same brightness it had exuded earlier.

Ayaka was thrilled with this new trick and proceeded to repeatedly touch the mirror, each time striking a different pose. The two spent a few minutes laughing at some of the wild poses Ayaka was doing and the faces the Tennyo made at herself. Then Ayaka gestured for Amaterasu to try.

Still giggling from the Tennyo's last pose Ammy reached out her finger over Ayaka, careful not to knock or shove the small fae. The moment Ammy's finger touched the surface of the Yata-no-Kagami the light increased causing Ammy's eyes to water and she blinked furiously until the light disappeared.

On its disappearance Ammy and Ayaka saw images and moving figures playing out on the mirror's surface.

A black-haired woman with raven wings was fighting a pale-skinned man with long black hair that trailed along the ground. The man's eyes were pitch black and his thin lips were open in a wide and horrid smile. Blood splattered across his face as his claws scraped into the woman's flesh and as she roared back in pain he leered at her and licked his lips of her blood. The raven-winged woman fell to the ground and the man kicked at her with his foot. She did not stir and he grinned triumphantly and looked up.

When he looked up it was as if his eyes caught Ammy's, as if he were staring directly into her mind and soul. Ammy felt a sharp pain in her head and cried out closing her eyes in reflex. As soon as she had shut them the pain vanished and when Ammy opened her eyes the image on the mirror had changed to her reflection. Pink eyes wide with fright stared back at her, silver hair falling into her face and curving around her cheeks. Her lips were slightly parted with fright and Ammy nervously licked her dry lips.

As she stared at her reflection it began to change also. Ammy's cheekbones and jaw line seemed to become more pronounced, the skin around her eyes appeared to turn blood red and streaks of blood ran down from the corners of her eyes. Her already jagged fringe became more wild and chaotic with several chunks of hair growing longer until some of them covered her face from the top of her head to under her jaw. Ammy's reflection stared back at her in its grotesque and macabre form and then it began to smile revealing long sharp fangs.

At the sadistic smirk Ammy began to wail softly and her cry grew louder but she still could not look away. Ayaka panicked at began to flutter around the cavern trying to catch Ammy's attention but the Ame-no-Mihashira was transfixed on the mirror's surface. Finally Ayaka flew down and slammed into Ammy's cheek causing the larger woman's head to ricochet from the blow and her eyes were torn from the mirror.

The moment her gaze broke with her reflection Ammy ceased wailing and tossed the mirror away. It's surface dimmed and then continued to glow with the same warm light it had shone with when they first began to look at it.

Amaterasu crawled onto her hands and knees, her eyes still wide with fright. Ayaka hovered at eye level and chirped worriedly at her friend.

"I'm alright Ayaka. I thank you my friend." Grabbing the mirror pouch Ammy scrambled over to where the mirror lay inconspicuously and grabbed it, nearly throwing it back into its case. As soon as the catch was sealed on the pouch both females let out a sigh of relief.

"I have no idea who the woman was. I've seen the man before, the first time I looked into the Yata-no-Kagami… And that was me; I've seen that image before again when I held the mirror. That is what I could become." Ammy shivered and closed her eyes but the image of the demonic version of her was etched into her mind's eye.

The sun had begun to rise and the sky began to lighten from midnight blue to a more gentle and warm blue. Just before the sun rose over the horizon Ammy scrambled from the cavern, the mirror pouch hung securely beneath her fur cloak, strapped to her naked skin. As the sun crested the horizon Ammy transformed into the tigress and the feline basked in the sunlight playing over her fur.

Ayaka flew out from the cavern to dance around in the fresh morning air. After stretching and yawning several times Ammy looked around her surroundings. When she had landed as a dragon there had not been much light for her to inspect the area they had ended up in. Now she could see gently sloping plains as far as the eye could see in one direction and in the other there seemed to be the greyish-blue shape of mountains.

Seeking a better view Ammy leapt up onto the cracked rock beneath which she had slept. The tigress felt a strong breeze from the east ruffling her fur and she turned her nose to the wind. There was the smell of grass, small mammals and water from that direction. Looking northward the only thing Ammy could see was mountains and deep rolling hills and vales. To the west she knew Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli were and beyond them Frodo and Sam travelled through Emyn Muil. South lay lands she knew nothing of.

"Which way should we go Ayaka?" Ammy asked the Tennyo who flittered around the tigress until finally pointing west.
"Why that way?"

Ammy's only reply from the red fae was a vague chirp.

"I suppose it doesn't really matter which way we go. I don't know where we are, and until we can find somewhere I can look at a map we have no idea where Merry and Pippin might be taken. If there's water in that direction then maybe there will be people."

The tigress leapt from the rock and then stood still. Searching within her Ammy remembered how it felt to be a horse. She recalled the sensation of her hooves thudding on the ground, the wind rushing over her flanks and through her mane, the ease in which she had been able to cover the ground in a smooth canter. As usual the gold lights played over her body and soon she stood as a horse once more.

"Come on Ayaka!" Ammy whinnied as she set off in a gentle trot, the sun was still rising, the sky was blue and there was not a cloud in the sky. So far Ammy was feeling pretty optimistic.

After several hours trotting, cantering and galloping interspersed with walking and the occasional short rest period (along with some grass eating which Ammy didn't particularly enjoy, she had never had the desire to try grass as a human and even as a horse there wasn't an enormous need to chow down on the green blades but, needs must) Ammy eventually came across the water that she had smelt. A river flowed across the landscape, babbling and chattering over rocks.

Approaching it at a steady trot Ammy quickly bent her head down and took a long drink of the cool mountain water. The mountains that she had seen in the distance seemed to be where the water flowed down from and despite the length the liquid had travelled it still retained some of its coolness.

Trickling down her parched throat the water was a great blessing. After her first intial drink Ammy was careful not to drink too quickly or eagerly in order to make sure she didn't upset her stomach. She had no desire to re-see the grass she had eaten earlier. Ayaka too was grateful of the water but in a different way to Ammy as the Tennyo drank and then proceeded to dive into the water, clothes and all.

The red fae darted in and out of the water splashing Ammy's muzzle and face as she played. Whickering with laughter Ammy stomped her front hooves in the water and returned the favour. The two continued to play at the edge of the water for a while, darting in and out of the water and trotting along the riverbank. Finally Ammy decided it was time to move on.

This time she decided to turn north towards the mountains. Calling Ayaka too her, the white horse cantered northward along the river edge, sometimes entering the water's edge when the sun felt too warm on her back. An hour or so later and Ammy began to scent humans and other horses.

Slowing her pace down as she neared them Ammy tentatively approached the area where she could smell men. A group of soldiers nearing 2000 men were riding along the western bank of the river. As Ammy came abreast of them some of the men spotted her cantering along beside them and began to shout and call to her. Ignoring them Ammy continued to canter along the Eastern shore until she was nearing the head of their company. Slowing to a trot she inspected the company out of the corner of her eye.

All the men were mounted on horses of various coat colours. Bays, chestnuts and greys seemed to be the main coat colour but every now and again she spotted some dappled horses and one or two cream.
Ayaka had flown down onto Ammy the moment they had come across the cavalry, the Tennyo was still wary of being seen by anyone that Ammy didn't know. Being seen by the Fellowship hadn't been an issue as Ayaka could clearly see that they were friends of Amaterasu's and so the Tennyo had been slightly flighty and nervous but had quickly overcome any anxiety when the males of the Fellowship treated her with interest but weren't overly curious.

These new men however were a lot louder and bigger than most of the Fellowship (The Hobbits and Gimli were only little men so Ayaka hadn't been much intimidated by them) and there were a lot more of them so the Tennyo thought it best to hide and observe these newcomers from a safe spot. The forelock on Ammy's head seemed to be perfect, snuggling down on top of the mare's head and pulling several strands of Ammy's long mane over her frame the fae was hidden completely from view but able to peer out at the thousand men and their horses who were riding parallel to them. And if the men though occasionally the top of the white mare's head seemed to glow pink then they simply put it down to the sunlight or a glint off armour or a rock.

Walking steadily along the eastern bank of the river Ammy watched as the men rode alongside her. All the men were in full battle armour, a brown colour mainly with some gold patterns decorating the plates. Each man carried a sword and a shield but some had bows and arrows or spears also. At the head of the mounted company rode a small group whose helmets had wispy horse hair like plumes coming from the top.

In a contingent of five men there rode four around one, the four carried standards bearing an emerald coloured flag with a rearing gold horse on it. These standards had sharp metal points on both ends of the pole and so Ammy assumed that they could be used for fighting also but the men who carried the standards only had a shield and a sword. The man riding in the centre of this group was not wearing his helmet and so the Ame-no-Mihashira was able to study his features better than those of his comrades.

He appeared quite young, younger than Ammy in any case, around the age of 18 or 19 and it seemed he had only just started to grow a beard judging by the ragged stubble that shadowed his jawline. His hair was long and a golden-light-brown colour and fell to the middle of his back. This young man seemed to be the leader of these men as several men rode up to speak with him and would then fall back or dart off somewhere.

Finally someone seemed to point out Ammy's existence to the young soldier and he turned curious eyes on her. As he watched her pace along parallel to them his gaze grew heavier and Ammy sensed that he was truly startled to see a lone horse. Suddenly the youth raised his hand and the company came to a halt.

By now all the men were peering around each other or standing up in their stirrups to get a glimpse of the white mare that had been dogging their footsteps for the last few minutes. The young leader rode his bay horse with a black mane to the edge of the river and then watched as Ammy mirrored his actions. Except Ammy moved further into the river than had. She carefully placed each hoof wary of slipping on the rocks that made up the riverbed. The water pounded against her legs and body as she moved deeper into the rushing water until she stood nearly in the middle, then she stopped and waited to see what the youth would do.

'There's no way I'm walking over to you completely until you show me you aren't just going to prod me with a spear or try and kill me. You're going to have to give me something boy.' Ammy thought and then whickered softly in amusement. Tossing her head up and down she looked at him mischievously and then shifted slightly.

The soldier watched her for a few minutes before he sent his stallion into the water, he however wouldn't ride out to the middle and so the two ended up in a standoff. After several minutes the youth gave up and nodded in respect to Ammy. His eyes when he looked back at her seemed wistful as if he had missed something magical and exciting and Ammy was hard-pressed not to just wade after him.

Instead she waited until he had moved back into formation and signalled for his troops to move forward. Then once they had almost passed her and none of his men had made to make Ammy move either or to try and capture her Amaterasu decided to trust him.

Returning back to the eastern shore Ammy began to canter along the river once more to catch up with the head of the column of riders. The men shouted and whistled as she ran by, her form and flowing mane and tail catching their eye. This strange mare moved lightly over the ground considering her size and muscle mass and her mane and tail seemed to be like silver streams in the air. Seeing a meander in the river that shortened the distance between each shore Ammy increased her speed from a canter to a gallop and as she came to the raised shorelines edge she jumped into the air and crossed the breadth of the river and landed heavily on the other side.

Her increased speed had put her ahead of the cavalry and so most of the men including the fresh-faced leader had seen her jump and land ahead of them. Ammy continued moving once she had landed and swung round to stand on the path the soldiers were taking. Standing still in the middle of their way Ammy waited patiently for them to reach her.

The standard bearers watched her warily as their leader called for everyone to halt once more. Once they were stationary Ammy slowly moved forward until she stood but a metre or so from the mounted boy.

This time he dismounted his bay horse and began to move slowly towards her. Shouts and calls of protest were made by his still seated guard but he silenced them with a shout and a raised hand. Whinnying softly and flicking her tail nervously Amaterasu waited for him to reach her.

Finally the youth stood before her, his hands held out and away from his body, palms facing upwards to show he meant no harm. Despite his vulnerable pose the boy exuded confidence and calmness and his hazel eyes looked into Ammy's gold ones with no hint of fear or nervousness.

'This boy is cocky. Or confident. Either way he knows I don't intend to hurt him.' Ammy chuckled to herself. Moving forward in heavy steps Ammy paced forward until she stood nose to nose with the boy. Still he didn't move and then Ammy truly knew he meant her no harm.

Deciding to initiate contact Ammy stepped back and then bent her head down and nosed at his open left palm with her nose, her soft lips nuzzling his skin. At that the boy raised his other hand and began to stroke her forehead.

Seeing the mare close her eyes and relax into his contact he began to run his hands further down her neck. Moving slowly and keep his strokes smooth, soothing and a steady pressure he explored her body feeling the muscles and bones beneath her coat; he ran his hands over her shoulders and withers, down her legs, over her back and over her breast. When he reached her side he discovered the thin wound that she had received in Moria.

Whilst the blade cut was healing her running and jumping earlier had torn the wider part of the wound open and a small trickle of blood had begun to wind its way down her flank.

"Grimbold! Bring water and cloth. Our new friend is injured." The young leader called back to his company and soon a man in full armour rode forward on a light brown stallion carrying a water pouch and a ragged but clean cloth.

"Here Lord Theodred." He handed the items over to the younger man who opened the water and poured a generous amount over Ammy's flank. Wiping away the blood the pair inspected the wound.

"It is a clean cut my Lord. I do not think it will cause her much discomfort and should begin to seal up soon." Grimbold spoke and Theodred returned his water skin and cloth. The older man who had flecks of grey in his beard and hair went down to the river edge where he washed the cloth of blood and refilled his water skin.

Theodred remained with Ammy and began to stroke her whithers and flank. Ammy whickered gratefully at the young man and he let out a chuckle.

"You are a beautiful mare aren't you?" He said as he stared into her gold eyes. "If I did not know better I would say you were one of the Mearas but it has been an age since one of the horse-lords crossed our lands. If you were not so pure and clean I would say you were a Nazgul steed for you have the same size and shape to be one of their number, but you feel clean and untainted from evil despite the blade wound on your flank."

Grimbold returned to where Theodred's horse stood, the bay stallion with the white mark on his forehead had been tossing his head nervously when his rider dismounted and went to the new horse. Seeing Grimbold coming towards him the bay stallion whickered and went forward to meet him. The man grasped his reigns and led him to where Theodred stood with Ammy.

The moment the bay was near the grey mare he lunged as if to bite her but Ammy simply darted away and bowed her head down, submitting to the larger horse. Satisfied with her subservience the stallion walked back to where Theodred stood open-mouthed at Ammy's quick submission. Never before had he seen any horse give in so quickly to another challenge.

"You are a strange one indeed my white and silver friend. If you are joining our company I should introduce you to the three you have met so far." Theodred gestured to the bay stallion who was standing behind him.

"The rude and spoiled stallion is Brego, my steed. The man is Grimbold one of my marshalls and his steed is Hasufel. And I am Theodred son of King Theoden, son of Thengel." Looking at the mare in front of him Theodred seemed to feel that he wasn't simply talking to a horse; it felt like she understood him completely. Slightly disconcerted Theodred mounted Brego and signalled for his men to begin riding onwards.

Ammy fell in beside Brego, her smaller frame matching his strides despite their height difference.

"What shall we call the newcomer my lord?" Grimbold asked from where he rode alongside Ammy's other side boxing her between the two stallions.

"Well, there are a few names that spring to mind…" Theodred began before he paused in thought. "But I believe Aneira suits best. Her coat is like white snow that is freshly fallen."

The newly named Aneira snickered gently to herself at her new name. Since entering Middle Earth she had gained several names and it seemed she would earn even more.

'Although, Aneira seems pretty normal compared to Amaterasu. I think I'll keep Aneira.' Ammy thought and then concentrated on listening in to the conversation between Theodred and Grimbold. If she could find out where she was then maybe she could gain an idea of how far she had been separated from Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli and then she could make her way towards them…

'Aneira' had joined Theodred's cavalry in the middle of the morning and as they cantered onward she discovered that she was about to enter a battle. Theodred had been told of a group of Uruk-hai making their way south and further into Edoras. The Rohan soldiers hoped to be able to cut off the Uruk-hai before they could make their way into Theodred's land fully and by cutting down a few of the Uruk-hai they could weaken Saruman for a short while.

Aneira recognised Saruman's name, she vaguely recalled Gandalf talking of the white wizard who had turned from the light and now worked with Sauron. A shiver raced over her flanks at the thought of the evil Sauron who had corrupted Tsukiyomi. Thinking back on her morning Ammy remembered how grotesque and macabre Tsukiyomi had appeared in the mirror. Questions had been pestering her for several hours now, like when had Tsukiyomi turned from his people, who was the woman he had been battling, what had happened to the raven-winged Ame-no-Mihashira?

Izanami had not responded to any of Ammy's calls for her aid and the spirit's lack of response in the past two days had begun to worry Ammy but she did not know what to do. Amaterasu had also tried to call for Campfer's aid and advice but all her attempts at calling him in her dreams seemed to have failed.

Whickering softly Ammy tossed her head and pranced annoyed. 'Stupid spirits and trees say they want to help and then leave me on my own! If I had been able to contact Campfer I might have been able to find out where Merry and Pippin were being taken. And Izanami could have helped me understand the threads better…'

Thoughts of the mirror made Ammy uncomfortable and then she came to the realisation that she hadn't felt the mirror's pouch on her body at all. The straps that kept the mirror on her body hadn't chafed or rubbed where they should have. Worriedly Ammy thought back to that moment, had she put the mirror back on? Yes she had. She had strapped it on under the fur pelt, which always came back after Ammy had transformed. The only thing she could do was hope the fur kept the things that were hidden underneath it.

Turning her attention back to the forest they had entered moments ago 'Aneira' felt the other horses begin to shift nervously at the dark trees. Raising her head and flaring her nostrils Aneira smelt for something. She could feel something was not right either and it was making her uneasy, a dark sensation tingling at her senses.

"Move carefully men." Theodred called out to the soldiers and they all drew their weapons, notching arrows on bows or drawing their swords. Theodred put his helmet on and strapped it on firmly to his head and then drew his sword.

Moving forward cautiously Aneira felt the nervous tension of the thousands of horses and men behind her seeping into her body making her felt jittery too. Even Ayaka, who still lay over Aneira's poll and top of her forehead, was shaking and squeaking frightened.

The company made their way further into the forest, still using the river Isen as a guide but once they were deeper into the woods the trap was sprung.

Uruk-hai moved swiftly and heavily through the trees and burst out from both sides of the river. Men shouted and called and then the battle was joined.

Theodred had a mere two thousand or so men at his command and the Uruk-hai outnumbered them two to one. Not only were there foot soldier Uruk-hai but mounted archers and fighters riding on wargs. The foul wolf-like beasts were nothing like Menewa and Kajika and Aneira recoiled away from them in fear, her ears pressing flat against her scalp, her mouth opening in a high-pitched scream and her eyes rolling back in her head so the whites were showing.

The smell of the warg predators was terrifying in itself and combined with the smell of blood from man, horse, Uruk-hai and warg was truly frightening. The added sounds of men and horses dying, weapons clashing, snarls of the wargs and Uruk-hai only further pushed Aneira's willpower to the extreme.

Get a grip! Ammy thought and managed to push down and control her fear. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before, even in her rabbit form when the Crebain had been searching for her she hadn't been this frightened. But then again she had never been in battle before. Most books and films back in her old world had tried to make war and battles glorious and clean affairs, but they weren't. They were tiring, scary, and blood-filled and there was no honour in death. At least not at the hands of Uruk-hai who only revelled when a death was as gruesome as possible.

For some reason none of the Uruk-hai had tried to attack Aneira and so she had been able to retreat to the edge of the skirmish whilst she fought her instincts. Her mind cleared now and her flight instinct under control she turned her attention back to the battle.

Seeing men falling to wargs almost tempted Ammy to transform and become dragon, but if the Rohan were defeated and the Uruk-hai knew of her transformation then they would try to capture her or kill her once again. If Theodred won but knew of her abilities then he too may try to use her; as a weapon against Saruman, or as a pet. Either way Ammy wasn't about to reveal her secret unless she had no choice.

Instead she leapt into battle, kicking and bucking at Uruk-hai as she had when she fought to keep them away from Boromir a mere day before. Uruk-hai soon began falling into dead weight around her but for every Uruk she seemed to fell more took their place.

The battle continued for many hours and Aneira fought against not only Uruk-hai but weariness that seemed to be sapping the strength from her very bones.
The Uruk-hai were greatly lessened in numbers but there were far fewer Rohan soldiers remaining. Men and horse littered the ground, some dead others still calling out feebly in pain and anguish. A small cluster of around 50 Rohan cavalry remained and they were fighting valiantly against the two hundred or so Uruk-hai that remained.

Aneira too was in this number for she had managed to find Grimbold and Theodred and now she was watching their backs. Suddenly the Men's ranks seemed to be penetrated and screams of human and horse pierced the air as they were torn apart by wargs. Grimbold let out a hoarse cry as he was dragged from Hasufel and pierced by an Uruk's blade. Hasfuel let out a terrified whinny and ploughed through the Uruk-hai who let him go by unharmed at seeing Grimbold lying on the ground, easy sport to torture and maim.

Aneira fought not to close her eyes at Grimbold's terrified face and pain filled screams. Instead she turned her attention to protecting Theodred and Brego. The bay stallion was frenzied and his body mass slammed into Uruk-hai, toppling them and then he crushed their skills with his hooves. Theodred too was fighting on his sword cutting into Uruk-hai necks from his vantage point. Aneira too bucked and flailed with her hooves at the Uruk-hai.

Alas it was in vain for Theodred was caught by an Uruk blade. The sharp force of the blow and the pain of the wound caused the young leader to fall from Brego's back and he toppled into the river. Screaming loudly Brego jumped in after his rider and the stallion too was carried down the river by the heavy flowing water.

Aneira saw that Grimbold now too lay dead and as she quickly scanned the area she could see no sign of any living man or horse. Whinnying she turned and ran into the Isen, plunging under the surface and then being tossed along down the stream.

Her head crested the surface of the river further down the stream when the river was forced to slow and Aneira was able to swim to shore. After she had climbed out of the river she looked up and down the bank. Bodies littered the ground even this far, mainly those of the Rohan soldiers and horses. Whickering tiredly she began to search for survivors but kept her ears open for any sound of Brego and Theodred.

She continued back down the way they had journeyed, carefully and respectfully picking her way through the fallen. Ayaka who had remained hidden all this time and who had clung on desperately when they had jumped into the cold waters of the Isen decided to come out of her hiding place now and flew alongside Aneira her soft glowing light bright in the fading light of the afternoon.

Grey clouds had begun to mass overhead and Aneira tried to pick up her pace. If she found Theodred and Brego and they were alive she might be able to do something for them, at the very least they could share body heat as she was sure the night was going to be very cold and there would not be much time to find shelter before sunset and she became human.

Just as Aneira was about to give up hope of finding Brego or Theodred she heard a shrill whinny in the distance. Her ears pricked up and as she listened once again she recognised the sound as Brego. Trotting back into the water at the shoreline Aneira was able to make her way further downstream where the bodies were fewer. Then she saw him.

Brego stood in the river, his nose down in the water nuzzling at a prone form that lay there gently bobbing with the water's ebb and flow. Aneira cautiously whickered as she approached and was relieved when Brego didn't scream at her or become at all aggressive.

As she reached him she saw that the man's body floating in the water was Theodred's. A sudden burst of adrenaline filled her form and she shot forward and began to nuzzle Theodred on the same side as Brego. Together the two horses managed to roll the young man over so that he was lying face up. Holding her sensitive nose over the man's face and nose Aneira was relieved to feel weak but steady breaths hitting her nose.

Whickering to her Brego buffeted her gently with his head. The stallion was soft in his affection but soon turned his attention back to his rider. Looking up Aneira saw the grey clouds finally mask the setting sun. The night began to fall and the temperature dropped rapidly. The bay stallion began to shiver as the water and sweat that coated his hair began to cool quickly. Aneira too felt the cold begin to seep into her coat but before she was fully aware of it the sun set and she was human once again.

Having not yet been human in her horse form Ammy was surprised to find that it was the one of all her forms that seemed to be most humanoid. Her finger and toenails seemed to be harder than usual, obviously imitating hooves, she had horse ears and instead of smooth human skin she had retained horse hair on her arms and legs. The horse hair ran from her finger-tips up her arms and over her shoulders to just under the curve of her breasts, from her toes up her calves, thighs and buttocks and then it stopped just under the small of her back. Ammy wasn't complaining however as it was much warmer with the horse hair on her form than if she had been naked under her fur cloak.

The gold lights which always appeared with her transformations had slightly startled Brego but when he sniffed at her he recognised her scent as was less worried. Moving swiftly but smoothly Ammy put her arms under Theodred's shoulders and began to drag the young soldier from the water and onto dryer land. Once there she gesture for Ayaka to come closer and she inspected the wound on his stomach.

In the red light of the Tennyo she wasn't able to make out much of the wound, his mail had broken over it and so it made it difficult to see how severe it was. Sighing Ammy took off her cloak and draped it over him. There was no one, save Brego and Ayaka around at the moment she had little cause for modesty. As she draped the fur over him Theodred opened his eyes and sought out her form. Startled Ammy tried to move back and cover her body but the boy's hand grasped her wrist painfully tightly.

Gasping he managed to blurt out:
"Let me lie here- to keep the ford until Eomer comes." (Taken from Tolkien) His hazel eyes pierced Ammy's frightened pink orbs and she nodded back shakily showing she had understood him. Breathing a soft sigh Theodred's eyes closed once more and he fell into a deep sleep.

Standing back up Ammy searched around the dimly lit are for something she could use to wipe Brego down. Finding a green cloak that had once belonged to a Rohan soldier further up the bank Ammy carefully negotiated the fallen bodies and weapons and retrieved the fabric.

The cloak was still dry and only had a small stain of blood on it and so Ammy proceeded to give Brego a good rubbing down. As she cleared his hair of fur she made sure to check his body for injuries and found only a few cuts and grazes. As she rubbed down over his withers and flanks Ammy increased the pressure of her strokes and gave the tired bay stallion a slight massage. Brego whickered gratefully as some of the tension that had been stored in his body from the battle eased away.

Finally deciding that the rub down would have to do as she didn't have another cloth or a brush Ammy decided to return to Theodred's side and try and keep him warm. She didn't dare try and remove his armour or wet clothes in the dark as she wouldn't be able to see if she was making his wound worse or not. She suspected the armour was actually keeping his insides, inside him and so maybe it was more of a blessing. After all she had no tools to sew him up for do anything for him, all she could do was try and keep him warm and hope they survived the night.

Kneeling down in the cold grass next to the boy she quickly lifted her cloak and then slid underneath it. Curling up against Theodred's left side she hugged his body to her, hoping some of her warmth would be transferred to him and that the cloak would trap heat in also. As she lay there she saw Ayaka flutter down to land on top of Theodred's forehead. Watching the Tennyo Ammy was amazed to see that Ayaka had deepened the redness of her light. As the blood-red turned to crimson there seemed to be a warm sensation emanating from the Tennyo and stretching out a finger Amaterasu was surprised to feel heat actually radiating off Ayaka. It wasn't much but it was warmer than the cold air that had been flowing over the injured man's head earlier.

Wriggling on the ground Ammy tried to get comfy but found that the mirror pouch was making things difficult. Realising that the mirror pouch was still strapped to her naked body Ammy quickly fumbled at the catch and then peered into the opening. There nestled safely inside was the Yata-no-Kagami. Amaterasu would have brought it out to check if it was damaged or anything but she was too tired and too nervous to expose herself to more terrible images. She had, had her fill that day.

Closing the pouch once more she finally managed to find a comfortable place on the ground and cuddling Theodred to her she closed her eyes and attempted to get some rest.

Brego had watched the strange white-haired female drag his rider out of the river and inspect his wound. Then she had taken the time to care for him but had done nothing for herself. Seeing her lying down and covering his rider with her fur Brego moved to Theodred's other side and lay down. The warmth from the large bay stallion was transferred to not only Theodred but also to Ammy and the Ame-no-Mihashira opened one tired eye to see Brego lying next to them, his eyes shut but his ears pricked forward and alert. Anything coming towards them would have a hard time sneaking up.

Despite the mud and blood which coated her form Ammy found herself drifting off to an uneasy sleep and hoped that morning would come soon.

The fitful and worried state that Ammy fell into as she slumbered reached even Izanami in the depths of Amaterasu's mind. The ancient Ame-no-Mihashira had seen all that Ammy had seen during the battle at Isen Fords and the spirit wept for the destroyed innocence that Ammy had possessed. Seeing the battle and men falling quickly and painfully under the blades of remorseless Uruk-hai had caused Ammy's heart to weaken and cry for the Men.

The battle had been long and drained Ammy's strength and thus, in turn, it had also drained Izanami of her strength. The walls and traps that the spirit had erected around Ammy's mind and soul to try and keep Tsukiyomi out had weakened slightly and some of the outer-most defences had fallen completely as Amaterasu fell asleep.

Checking her structures worriedly Izanami breathed a tentative sigh of relief to see that only a few had fallen, there remained around thirty or fourty walls and at least eighty traps for Tsukiyomi to try and break down. The only issue was that Izanami would now have to concentrate all her attention on keeping the walls up. If she was distracted for even a second by what was happening in the real world, then Tsukiyomi may be able to break down the defences and seize the helpless Amaterasu's soul.

"I am so sorry Amaterasu. You are truly alone now. I only wish I could help you reach Campfer, but holding the fortifications to keep Tsukiyomi out mean Campfer can't enter your mind and dreams either. I am so sorry." Izanami wept as she turned her attention away from reality and further into Ammy's mind.

The black thread slipped around the walls of Izanami's defences and probed and pushed at any weak points, then a wall fell and the sense of evil triumph seemed to thicken. Determination and resolve as well as assured confidence oozed from the jet black thread and at the end of it Tsukiyomi the man grinned to himself.

The treacherous Ame-no-Mihashira sat in a dark room with only a pale beam of light streaming down on him. The silvery light only served to make him appear more sinister and anyone watching from the shadows would have recoiled back in fear as he opened his eyes and began to laugh.

"Soon, very soon, my dear Amaterasu, you will be completely and utterly under my control!"

Malevolent and cruel laughter filled the darkness and even the moon seemed to want to turn away from Tsukiyomi's demonic exultation….

A/N: Congrats to lovelydove-xoxo for being the 400th review! I know you aren't technically the 400th reviewer but your review was 400th so let's not quibble over details! I have been so impressed and flattered by the number of reviews and the encouraging words you guys have written, reading reviews makes my day better and also spurs me on to write. Please leave me more!

Reviews:
Gleeklover2012 4/16/13
Sadly only a guest- I'm sorry I've been so long! I had an important music exam to practice for so I was concentrating on that for the last month! I'm working on Dirty Paws and this now though, because I'm free from obligations! I hope this chapter makes up for my absence!
jonnioholo 4/21/13
smarticlesophie 4/28/13 – I changed the original idea/plot for Ammy's transfer into Middle Earth because reading back it was rather childish and not particularly inventive. Also my writing style was awful back then… The new version is going to tie in rather nicely in the forthcoming events.
DT 4/29/13- It's so intricate I have a timeline, graph, spidergram and over 300,000 words of notes on the plot! I can't even remember my plot twists half the time!