A/N: New Chapter! Whoop. Lots going on in this chapter and I just want to say that the scene where the concept of Heaven, Hell, Purgatory etc. arrives does not express my personal opinions on any religion nor my thoughts on the afterlife. I am an agnostic and so the views expressed within are what I have gleaned from other people's opinions. Please don't flame me if the representation does not agree with your personal view or religion, I am trying to portray an Afterlife for everyone, not one specific religion.

Warnings: Some mentions of sexual thoughts/acts and possible Religious Content.

"Speech"

'Wolf Speech'

~G~A~M~B~L~I~N~G~~W~I~T~H~~D~E~A~T~H~

Chapter 5 (25)

Elysium Fields

"And they live untouched by sorrow in the islands of the blessed along the shore of deep-swirling Ocean, happy heroes for whom the grain-giving earth bears honey-sweet fruit flourishing thrice a year, far from the deathless gods" -Hesiod,Works and Days(170)

~G~A~M~B~L~I~N~G~~W~I~T~H~~D~E~A~T~H~

Squinting through the light Grima watched as a white horse seemed to glow and then vanish and as he crept forward to see more he saw a white and silver snake in Brego's stall begin to shine with gold and silver lights spinning around its body. As he watched the snake began to change and take a new form and as astonished as he was Grima could not bring himself to look away from this light; it was as if it called to him, to his very soul, a growing hunger that could only be sated by whatever hid behind the spectacular light.

Finally the light began to fade and Grima Wormtongue was astonished and fascinated to see a human like form sat where the snake had been. White hair pooled down the human's back and gathered in a silky puddle at on the floor. A hooded cloak covered the human's skin and so it wasn't until Grima tripped over a wooden pail at the side of the stall causing the wood to crack loudly against the door that he saw the human's face and skin.

A gasp of shock and horror left Grima and he drew a small thin dagger and pointed it at the creature. This was no angelic creature, no heavenly being sent to him. This was a demon sent to tempt him with her pebbled scales covering her face and her big pink eyes. No creature created by anything good could be so tempting and at the same time so repulsive for though something within this succubus called to him, her very appearance reviled him and he fumbled as if to kill it.

Ammy recoiled back from this sallow-skinned man with greasy and bedraggled black hair. His skin was too pale as if it had been sapped of all nutrients from the sun and his eyes were a pale grey that flickered over her form with both admiration and horror.
She tried to move to hide behind Brego, sure that the man would not dare come in the stall of the Prince's horse but was not swift enough as the man grasped the back of her cloak and yanked her smoothly over the stall and out of Brego's reach. The bay stallion screamed angrily and kicked at the wall of his stall, hooves thudding against the wood which would not yield.

"What are you? What witchcraft brought you here? And why have you come to this hill, why to Edoras?" Grima whispered in her ear as he pressed his face against her silky hair. This creature smelt and felt divine despite her pebbled skin and pink eyes. Demon or not he knew he would not allow anyone else to have her.

"Let me go!" Ammy cried and pulled at Grima's hands trying to loosen his grip on her cloak. The man let out a snarl as her nails tore his flesh and then pressed the edge of his knife to her neck. Releasing the cloak allowed the pelt to fall down and as he held her tightly against him with his left cheek pressed to the right side of her head, whilst his left hand held the blade, he could see down her body and caught the glimpse of the swell of her naked breast.

Arousal shot straight through him and he moaned and bucked gently against her back. The demon realised what he was doing and let out an angry cry and struggled against him despite the sharp blade cutting into her neck and drawing droplets of blood that trickled over the scales of her skin.

Brego went wild when the scent of her blood reached him and his angry cries drew Ayaka who flew at Grima. The Tennyo pulled at the man's hair, clawed at his eyes and generally tried to cause him into letting go of Ammy but the man kept a tight hold of his new prize. When the small red light came towards his face once again he batted his right hand at her and Ayaka went hurtling through the air and hit a wooden post hard, a soft thudding sound reaching Ammy's ears.

The Tennyo let out a small whimper as her head connected with the wooden post and as her eyes rolled shut she slid down the post and fell into a small pile of hay, her red glow flickering and pulsating in wild flashes as she lost consciousness until finally it seemed to stop altogether.

"No!" Ammy cried and ceased her futile struggles. "Don't hurt her! Leave her alone!" She went limp in the man's grasp and could feel his triumph as she submitted to him.

"I shall not harm whatever that thing was if you talk to me. What manner of demon are you? The men spoke of a brave grey mare who rode in with the injured Prince Theoden. That was you was it not? The only other grey mare is that brute Tanwen but she has red in her mane and has been Eomer's steed for several years now."

Amaterasu gulped nervously and then nodded, wary of the blade still cutting into her throat.

"What witchcraft allowed you to take the form of a horse?"

"It is not witchcraft, nor any other magic." Ammy tried to keep her answer short and before the man could press her for more information the stable doors burst open and men flooded in. Some of them were the soldiers who had ridden with them back to Edoras and Ammy hoped they would not let this man kill her.

"Wormtongue. What happened? We could hear the horses getting agitated and your voice was raised?" One of the men began asking questions but fell silent as he saw Ammy in Grima's grasp. One by one the men fell silent as they realised Grima was not alone.

"I found a witch in Brego's stables. This demon-child was cursing the Prince's horse. You all remember the grey mare that rode in with Prince Theoden and Lord Eomer?" The soldiers nodded and muttered to each other their eyes hardening as they listened to Grima's lies.

"Well this demon-spawn is that grey mare, which pretended to aid Theoden in order to infiltrate Edoras and harm the Prince and the King. I saw her casting spells on the Prince's horse and wishing both beast and rider ill. I'm sure if I had not caught her she would have slipped through the village to the King's room and cursed him also. She is an agent of the darker forces that are roaming this land, look at her eyes, her hair and her skin. Pink eyes with red orbs that show she is a devil-child, white hair to deceive us into trusting her and her skin is like a snake, scales cover her flesh. And look at this pelt that she wears, many different animals cover this devil's body including warg fur!" Grima's voice rose in volume as he twisted and manipulated the truth, all the time pressing his blade deeper into Ammy's throat. Even swallowing caused the sharp edge to sink deeper into her flesh and more blood to ooze out around the metal and trickle down her neck.

"I see what you are saying Grima." One of the men stepped forward, dressed in tough leather with a sword at his side. His hair and beard were both a light ginger colour and Ammy felt Grima tense as this man stepped forward to challenge his words.
"But this woman does not feel evil, nor does she look as though she wishes to curse us all. In fact she looks like she is terrified."

"Of course she doesn't look or feel evil!" Grima sneered and his right hand rose to her scalp and gathered some of her hair in his hand pulling back on it tightly causing her head to tip back and her eyes to close in pain. Tears leaked from her eyes but at this distance they were unnoticeable with her pebbled skin.
"Her eyes were casting a spell on you. She is trying to deceive you all into thinking she is innocent. She is an impure creature that will destroy us all!"

Grima's statement was met with an angry whinny from Tanwen's stall as the grey mare reared up and kicked at the air with her front hooves. Tanwen barged at the door with her breast and the door began buckling as the mare threw her body weight upon it. Her nostrils were flaring and her mane with the red hairs was tossing wildly around her head.

The men forgot the demon that lay prone in Grima's grasp and hastened to soothe Tanwen and prevent the mare from destroying her stall door. Looking around at the panicking men who were now trying to calm a stable full of screaming and whinnying horses; two of which were Tanwen and Brego, both trying to come to the demon's aid, Grima decided that this situation was a perfect time to escape in, with his prize.

The sallow-skinned man began to walk to the stable door, his hand still pulling Ammy's hair and his blade still pressed into her neck forcing the woman forward. In the excitement none of the soldiers noticed the King's advisor slipping away with the captivating woman and they soon forgot all about her when Tanwen broke free of her stable and began to canter around the city; the soldiers spent an hour or so trying to catch the mare and return her to the stable but were only successful when Eomer who had only just heard of the escaped mare came down and soothed his horse. After he had tethered his mare in her stall he returned to the hall and to Theodred's side, his worry for the Prince overriding all things, even the fact that the grey mare that had come to Edoras with them was missing.

~G~A~M~B~L~I~N~G~~W~I~T~H~~D~E~A~T~H~

Ammy groaned as she woke, her head was throbbing and there was a horrible smell of damp and wet earth and straw filling her nose. Blinking blearily she tried to focus her vision on her surroundings that were only dimly lit by a single flaming torch that was flickering weakly as droplets of water fell into the flame and hissed as the fire evaporated them.

As her senses returned to her Ammy could hear a constant sound of water falling and hitting the ground in a steady cacophony of noise. There was also the faint sound of men moving about, talking, drinking and the occasional loud thump of intoxicated affection.

The place Grima had dumped her in was hardly a five star hotel; a dank dark room that had nothing in it save a wooden pail that was empty in the corner (the toilet) and the meagre blanket that lay on a haphazard pile of hay (the bed). Ammy would have laughed at the irony of her situation, having seen many similar scenes in historical and fantasy movies back in her old world, but her head was throbbing far too much for her to take much amusement in anything.

Shortly after dragging her from the stables Grima had called out to several shady looking men who were skulking about in the shadows cast by the torches and the spaces between the wooden buildings. Before she could see anything else someone gave her head a blow with a blunt object, probably the end of a sword hilt or with something wooden, and then she was out like a light.

The last thing she remembered was Grima's eager face watching her as she faded from reality and lost all knowledge of her surroundings.

"What a horrible man." Amaterasu croaked as she looked around to check she was truly alone. Sitting up she could feel metal cuffs around her wrists and ankles and peering through the gloom she could see that the cuffs were thick iron bands with chains that were attached to the floor and wall. There was also something around her neck and as she prodded it with stiff and numb fingers, for it was rather cold in this cell-like room, she could sense a dark power emanating from the collar that had been strapped round her neck.

The collar too was metal but it didn't feel like iron, or at least not the same iron as the cuffs on her wrists and ankles which were made to endure but were not smooth or polished. The collar on her neck was smooth and polished and as her fingers crept around the surface of the manacle she could feel no place were the metal had been joined; it was as if it had melted together once on her neck leaving no seam or lock.

The manacles on her wrists were closed with a lock and the ones around her feet too had a lock and were also joined together so that if she had to walk she would be forced to shuffle, unable to stride or run because of the shortness of the chain.

Huffing at her situation Ammy stopped fiddling with her new 'jewellery' and crawled over to the crude mattress. Whilst not particularly plump nor did it do anything to alleviate the hardness of the stone tiles that made up the floor, the hay and blanket did offer some aid from the cold. Someone had taken her fur cloak and the mirror. All Amaterasu could do was hope that they had kept the Yata-no-Kagami as a trophy and didn't have any idea what it was or what it could do. Instead of leaving her naked her captors had given her a thin, worn shirt that at one point might have been a fawn colour but now seemed to be dark grey or brown and the sleeves were torn and ripped and a few holes dotted the area near the hem. Still it was better than being completely naked and it would offer her some modicum of modesty when Grima inevitably came to leer.

Shivering Ammy sat and waited for her captor to arrive and begin his interrogation; at least she hoped that was all Grima came for, as there was no way he was getting anything else from her, no information and she would rather die than allow him to pleasure himself over or with her body.

~G~A~M~B~L~I~N~G~~W~I~T~H~~D~E~A~T~H~

Boromir looked around at his surroundings. This large room was strange, at times seeming full of people and then it was as if he was completely alone. He had wandered around for a great length of time, expecting to come to a door, an arch, a window, anything that would tell him where he was but no matter how far he walked the wall always stayed the same distance away.

He was clothed as he had been on the Fellowship's journey with everything he had, save his arm guards which had mysteriously disappeared. He was not punctured with holes however nor was he caked in blood. He was as he had been when they had set out from Rivendell, clean, excited and ready to save Middle Earth.

Eventually he had given up looking for a door or window and just sat down where he was and contemplated the events that had led up to his death. For indeed he realised that he had died and that this was not Middle Earth. He just hadn't expected the After Life to look quite so…odd.

Just as he was contemplating getting up and walking again, because he was getting tired of seeing the same people flickering in and out of existence, three women and a man appeared. The women looked intrigued at his existence whilst the man looked as if he were brewing with unexpressed anger. The four newcomers stared at Boromir for several minutes before finally the man lost all composure and let out a mighty bellow.

"TUKKKKK!" He yelled and his voice boomed around the endless room which had been cold as death moments before but was now burning and smelt of ash and smoke. A sharp crack sounded and there was suddenly a goblin creature bowing low to the ground, its big globe eyes closed in terror and its bloated belly undulating in terror.

"Why is this mortal in the waiting room?" The male newcomer's voice had now turned deceptively soft and smooth, caressing and comforting but with an unmistakeable sense of manipulation and evil. "I thought I instructed you to make him survive thirteen days so that I could use Amaterasu's bargain…"

Boromir stood and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw his blade in defence but the women had moved between him and the man with wings, horns and a tail.

"Forgive me most malicious Lord Lucifer, Tuk failed." The pitiful demon whimpered and prostrated himself on the floor in front of the King of Hell. "Amaterasu was not quick enough, Tuk did as Lucifer King commanded, he made Amaterasu change shape, but she was making little threads to people at the same time and then she fell 'cause it was too much work and then when she got back up the stupid horse took too long to get to pathetic Boromir-man and so the stupid man died-ed when the nasty Uruk-hai's arrow pierced his flesh. It sounded gloriously evil and sticky Lucifer King though, when the arrows went into the man's flesh and his blood oozed out." Tuk grinned and licked his lips as he remembered the blood pouring from Boromir's wounds.

The man in question however looked rather ill and turned his face away from the demon just in time as the King of Hell lost his temper and blasted the skinny demon with a ball of jet-black fire. The smell of scorched leather filled his nose and Boromir coughed and gagged, his eyes watering.

"Get out of my sight!" Lucifer yelled and Tuk whimpered pitifully as the flames coursed over his body. "You have failed me Tuk and I will punish you severely later. Begone!"
Another crack noise and the demon (that was still on fire) disappeared leaving only a scorch mark behind.

"Now Luci. Calm down." The red-haired woman spoke drolly to Lucifer with a hint of anger in her voice.
"You know there is nothing you can do about it now, and if you had wanted the job done properly you would have gone yourself to make sure Boromir didn't die before the thirteen days." The second sister with blue hair quipped and then turned to look at Boromir.
"Stop it all of you. We need to sort out where Boromir, son of Denethor, Captain of Gondor is to go." The last woman spoke and smiled kindly at the bewildered mortal.

"We are the Three Fates or Moirai; Atropos, Lachesis and myself, Klotho. We measure the thread that makes a mortals life and it is we who decide when and how a human shall die. Your fate was changed slightly and so normal procedures will have to be ignored. The measurer has been summoned and your deeds in life will be weighed to decide where you will spend your afterlife." Klotho smiled and then began to twiddle her thumbs.

An awkward silence descended over the group as the two older sisters chose to ignore the mortal and Lucifer was too angry to even look at Boromir. Klotho kept sneaking glances at the man who had been a part of Ammy's life for many months now.

Finally Boromir broke the silence.

"What deal did Lady Amaterasu make with you?" He asked his voice soft but stern, reminiscent of the Captain that he had been.

"Amaterasu said that she would do anything the gods asked of her, if they let you live." Klotho began to explain but was cut off when Atropos cut her off.

"Our brother Lucifer accepted Amaterasu's deal. If you lived for thirteen days more than when your death date had been scheduled by us, then Amaterasu would be Lucifer's plaything, unable to disobey any command that he gave her. Luckily for Amaterasu you only lived a mere few days past your original death. The creature Tuk was supposed to try and extend your life but being an imbecile he was unable to do so."

Lachesis took over the commentary now her voice gleeful as she related her brother's situation.

"Lucifer now owes Amaterasu one wish, a bargain. If she asks something of him, he is bound by the laws of Heaven, Hell and all Worlds to fufill her request. It has been millennia since this happened. I believe it was Hercules that beat Lucifer last?" She broke off into tittering laughter and the gods turned their attention to her, ignoring Boromir once again.

The Gondorian let out a shaky sigh. He was relieved that Amaterasu did not owe the King of Hell anything. The evil man with his dark eyes and eerie wings was truly terrifying and Boromir shivered at the thought that Lady Ama would have had to do his bidding.

Before any more conversation could begin there was suddenly a newcomer amongst their small group. A Jackal headed man appeared in the room with a set of scales.

"Anubis. Such a pleasure to see you as always." Lachesis said bitter sweetly as she regarded the jackal-headed man with derision.

"What took you so long?" Lucifer snapped and glared at the new god.

"I am retired. It took me a while to find my scales." Anubis growled and then turned his attention to Klotho.

"Klotho my dear, why have you asked for my aid?" Anubis was gruff but pleasant and the blonde-haired goddess was smiling sweetly up at the Jackal completely un-phased by his appearance or her siblings' rudeness.

"I'm afraid Lucifer struck a deal with a mortal and didn't win. The mortal you see before me was the cause of the bet and so Lucifer cannot deal with his case. This is Boromir who was supposed to die a few days ago, but Lucifer extended his life with a bargain made to another mortal. Unfortunately for Lucifer Boromir died before the thirteen days were up and so Lucifer cannot now judge Boromir's case as he is biased and he owes a mortal a debt." Klotho explained the situation succinctly and before she had finished speaking the Jackal had put his scales down on the ground and placed a single white feather on one of the scales.

"Pardon me." Anubis growled before he plunged his hand into Boromir's chest and grasped the man's heart, pulling it from his chest.

Boromir winced and let out a yelp as his heart was pulled from his body. It didn't hurt but felt incredibly uncomfortable, like the numbness one gets after sitting on a limb for too long. The god placed Boromir's heart on the scale that was opposite the feather and the gods all turned their attention to the scales watching attentively as the two sides began to lift up and down, sometimes the heart being higher than the feather, other times the feather having the higher ground.

"Execuse me." Boromir said and Klotho turned her attention to him. "Exactly what is Lord Anubis doing with my heart?"

"He's judging your soul. The feather is from the goddess Ma'at who is the goddess of order, truth and righteousness. If the heart weighs more than the feather i.e. the feather finishes weighing less than your heart then it means you were more wicked than good and thus will go to one of the seven planes of hell. If your heart finishes weighing less than the feather then you will go to the Elysium Fields. At the moment the scales are weighing each of the deeds you did in life, battles, conversations, actions and your relationships to see whether you were good or wicked." Klotho patted Boromir on the arm as he shifted nervously his eyes flickering over to the scales which were still shifting up and down.

"I wouldn't worry. From what I have seen you were a good man in life." The pair watched the scales anxiously and as the two sides began to slow down they waited on tenterhooks as the heart rose up above the feather and settled there.

"Luckily for you Boromir of Gondor you have passed this test successfully. You have permission to enter the Elysium Fields." Lord Anubis bent down and picked up Boromir's heart and then thrust his hand into the man's chest. Boromir gasped and choked slightly and as the jackal-headed god withdrew his hand there was a slight tugging on his chest and Boromir fell to one knee.

Anubis retrieved his scales and feather and held them carefully in his hands and then bowed slightly to the assembled Fates and Lucifer. There was a rumbling noise and then a flight of stairs appeared in the vast room leading up to a doorway that appeared to be suspended in nothingness, held in space by neither wall nor floor.

Klotho linked her arm with Boromir and began to walk towards the staircase with the confused Gondorian.
"You have been lucky Boromir. You have fought for your country, your world, and now you can rest eternally in Elysium Fields. Many of your ancestors already reside there as do the men who fought valiantly with and under your command. You will find many friends beyond that door."

"What of my friends in Middle Earth?" Boromir asked as the pair began to ascend the stairs, with each step his worries and fears seeming to lift from his shoulders. "I cannot rest without knowing their fate. My father and brother still remain in Middle Earth, as do the Fellowship and Frodo! I need to know what happens to the Ring!"

He halted on the topmost step and the door at the began to swing inwards opening up to reveal a strange world that looked like Gondor but if you looked too closely it seemed to fade away into another place…

Boromir felt himself being drawn towards this calming and peaceful land that looked so similar to his beloved homeland but he was held back by his worry for the fate of the world he had to leave behind.

"I will visit you in Elysium Fields and relay the events that have occurred and those I expect will pass in the future. There are also several places within Elysium Fields where you can see into the world you left behind. Find your long lost comrades and rejoice at being reunited with them once more and then you can look at Middle Earth. Your time in that world is over Boromir and now you must do as we gods can only often do; sit and watch the fate of worlds play out." Klotho stood on tiptoe and pressed her lips softly to his cheek. The goddess then laid her hand on his back and gave him a gentle push towards the doorway.

Boromir stepped over the threshold and as he did so he seemed to revert back to an age where darkness had not yet touched his soul nor weariness taken root in his mind. The door began to swing shut again but before it could fully close Boromir called out to the goddess who was watching him enter paradise.

"Please tell Amaterasu I am sorry, for many things. I will watch over my friends and wait to welcome them here!" The door shut and the lock turned, sealing Boromir into his well-earned rest.

Klotho bowed her head to the door and promised that the next time she spoke with Amaterasu she would pass on his message…

~G~A~M~B~L~I~N~G~~W~I~T~H~~D~E~A~T~H~

Ammy settled back onto her pathetic excuse for a bed and let out a sigh. Sunrise would soon be approaching and she knew she had been locked in this cell for one night, without being interrogated. She had rested for a short time, snoozing lightly as she didn't want to be caught unawares if Grima arrived. After gaining some rest Ammy had decided to explore her new 'room' and see if there was any way out.

Unfortunately her chains and manacles limited her movement but she had managed to find a few places where a rabbit or snake could sneak out of the cell. All she had to do was wait a few more minutes and then it would be a simple matter of slithering her way to freedom. After that Ammy had no idea what she would do; maybe go back to the stables and see Brego, leave Edoras and try and find Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli or Merry and Pippin.

A sound invaded her thoughts and Amaterasu rose up onto her haunches, watching the heavy wooden door to see who came through. The person that entered her cell was not Grima nor was it any of the dirty brutes who had knocked her out. The newcomer was tall, thin and female.

White hair that was straight as an iron poker fell down her back and seemed to glow in the dim light, but there were a few streaks of blood-red hair that broke up the almost too white mass of strands. The female wore brown trousers that covered her legs to mid-calf and her ankles and feet were left bare, save for the flame patterned tattoos that danced from her toes up her legs and were hidden by the trousers. Her toenails were not pale but instead were a shiny grey and viciously pointed, rather like claws.

As Ammy continued perusing the newcomer she saw that she wore a red tunic shirt that was laced up at the neck and belted by a leather strap that had a small dagger hanging from it. Flame tattoos also covered the backs of her hands, (which were also tipped with grey claw-like nails) and rose up her neck, over her cheeks up to her eyes. The eyes which stared straight back at her were different coloured; one blue, one gold. But the most interesting things about the newcomer were the fox ears that twisted and flicked about on top of her head, the sharp teeth that poked out over her bottom lip and the long, thick, silky tail that lazily swished side to side with the tip just dancing over the ground.

"I'm assuming I'm not the last one then?" Ammy managed to blurt out after several seconds awed silence.

"Indeed not, little one." Her voice was amused but aloof and the refined tones seemed to echo around the damp chamber. "My name is Tanwen and I have waited many centuries for your arrival Amaterasu."

The taller woman inclined her head in a bow and left her neck exposed, showing her subservience and harmless status to the other Ame-no-Mihashira.

"We've already met haven't we?" Ammy said and watched as Tanwen chuckled and then began to cross the small space to inspect the manacles that bound the younger woman to the wall.

"I have been Eomer's steed for many years now. My sister and I have been travelling Middle Earth in our animal forms for centuries. We rarely transform into our human bodies as the Dark Lord and his minions can sense our presence more easily. But now, I shall endeavour to liberate you from these manacles."

Tanwen inspected the cuffs that were rubbing against Ammy's wrists and ankles and seemed to be amused.

"These will take less than a second to melt off." But before she could begin to melt the iron manacles she spotted the collar around Amaterasu's neck.

"WHAT IS THAT?" The tall woman yelped and recoiled away from Ammy, fox ears pressed flat against her scalp, tail bristling and her teeth bared. Terror filled her mismatched eyes and Ammy felt herself begin to become panicked too.

"I don't know. I woke up with it on!" Ammy yelped and pressed her trembling fingers to the smooth, cold metal encircling the thin column of her neck.

"It feels horrible!" Tanwen whimpered and then crept forward again to inspect the collar, lifting and holding Ammy's mane of her as the fox-woman ran her fingers and claws over Ammy's scaled skin.
"It's made of gold, but there doesn't seem to be a lock or keyhole. At the back there are runes but I cannot read them. They look and feel like the Dark Speech."

"Like the Ring?" Ammy asked as Tanwen sat down in front of her.

"Hmm… Wait?! You've seen the Ring?!" Tanwen looked both worried and excited.

"I was travelling with a group to Mordor where they hoped to destroy the Ring. I accompanied them because Gandalf and Elrond said that I had to help the Ring-bearer. They said that my fate was woven with the Ring-bearer's but I could not follow him. Something else called me away from Frodo's side."

"We, the Ame-no-Mihashira form bonds with those who are linked to us." Tanwen began to speak slowly and pensively.

"I know. I felt the bonds and I felt one of my companions die." Ammy swallowed and looked away from the other woman as grief threatened to swamp her again.

"Yes, the bonds tell us the strongest and most prominent emotions of the person we are bonded to. But we also find one person in the entire world who is the sole reason we exist. Our destinies are entwined; they are our fated person either in a romantic way or as a friend. Occasionally Ame-no-Mihashira have been bound as enemies, such as your namesake and Tsukiyomi. Your fated person obviously did not proceed with this Ring-bearer." Tanwen regarded Ammy with curiosity.

"Can you remove the gold collar?" Ammy asked anxiously as she could feel the change begin to consume her and she hoped that she could escape in a slightly more useful form than a snake if possible.

"I cannot. Only a wizard or someone with knowledge of the Black Speech could remove it now it has been fastened around your neck. I only wish I knew what this collar does! Some of the collars were for control, subjugation, pain. The list was endless and very few people in Middle Earth had the ability to remove them once they were attached to a person. My sister knew how to tell which collars enforced which command…"

Before Tanwen could continue however Ammy began to glow as the familiar change began. Except, it didn't begin. The lights faded out and Ammy was left there as a human; no scales, claws, ears, tail. Just a normal mortal as she had been back on Earth.

Not two seconds after the change had failed Amaterasu began screaming. Her body writhed on the thin mattress and her hands formed claws that scrabbled the air seeking anything to grasp onto as waves of pain wracked her small form.

Tanwen leapt forward and tried to hold Ammy down as the smaller female contorted and her head slammed down on the floor.

"Amaterasu?! Shh! You need to be quieter. What is it?" Tanwen gasped out as Ammy ceased screaming and began moaning.

"I can't change! I haven't changed. I shouldn't be in a mortal human form. My body transforms at sunrise and sunset so that I am hidden from Sauron. I should be animal now. But I'm human! The change keeps trying to happen but something is preventing it and it hurts!" Ammy gasped and then closed her eyes as pain flooded her body once more. The wave of pain ebbed and her eyes flickered open with confusion and pain seeping through her gaze.

"My head hurts. Izanami! Izanami! What is happening in my head?!" Ammy moaned and then began to scream again.

Tanwen stroked Ammy's brow and held her hand tightly as the albino's body seized up with only tremors running through her form to show the immensity of her anguish.

"I don't know what to do!" Tanwen mumbled as she tried to comfort the younger woman. "I need to find Tangwen, she might be able to help you."

Tanwen formed a ball of fire in her hand that flickered fiercely and to a sharp point and then began to hold it to one of the manacles that encircled Ammy's wrist. If the fox-eared woman could free the small human she might be able to sneak her out of Edoras and then the two of them could find Tangwen and maybe get some help for the tormented woman.

Before Tanwen could even begin to slice through the manacle footsteps echoed down the stone corridor that led to this cell. Ammy's screams had obviously been heard further up the passageway and so someone had come to investigate. Despite Ammy's screams Tanwen could tell from the tread that it was Grima Wormtongue and the fox woman looked between the open doorway and the still screaming woman.

She let out a curse and then pressed a soft kiss to Ammy's sweaty forehead before running over to the door leaving, shutting and locking the cell. Amaterasu's screams and wails could still be heard through the heavy wooden door and Tanwen pressed her forehead to the marked surface.

"I'll come back later. I promise Amaterasu." Her form flickered briefly and then a white-furred fox with red markings and a red tipped tail scampered into the shadows and watched as Grima hurried to the door and began to unlock the door.

As soon as the sallowed skin man was in Ammy's cell Tanwen trotted up the stairs and back out into the sunlight, the memory and sound of Amaterasu's screams ringing in her ears.

~G~A~M~B~L~I~N~G~~W~I~T~H~~D~E~A~T~H~

Many miles away in the jagged and unfriendly rocks of Emyn Muil Frodo, Sam and the newly captured Gollum were camping in the shelter of a large rock away from the misty-rain that had been falling all night. The ground beneath this rock was not as rough or sharp as the other areas and so Sam had finally been able to get a good night's sleep.

As dawn broke across the horizon and the light penetrated the veils of mist that had settled around and over the landscape Frodo and Sam were jolted awake as they felt a deep pain within their hearts and minds. Both Hobbits had been dreaming pleasantly (or at least fairly nice in comparison with Frodo's recent nightmares) only for their dreams to be pierced and shattered with the sound of a woman screaming.

Frodo clutched his chest where his heart which was pounding frantically after a sharp pain had pierced it seconds before. Sam too was looking flushed and was rubbing his chest. Both Hobbits looked at each other worriedly.

"Do'ya reckon that was Lady Ama, Mr Frodo? It sure sounded like 'er." Sam mumbled as he massaged his chest.

"I do Sam. Although I do not know how we could feel her pain." Frodo replied before he turned to look at the steadily lightening sky…

~G~A~M~B~L~I~N~G~~W~I~T~H~~D~E~A~T~H~

Kiyiya yelped as she was thrown from Menewa's back as the giant male wolf had tripped and fallen to the ground. Kajika too had stumbled to a halt and was growling ferociously.

The woman lay on her back despite the beads digging into her skull and back, and placed her hand over her chest whilst the other hand rubbed tears from her eyes. The pain that had filled her for a moment passed and she was left with the memory of its passing.

'What was that?!' Menewa growled as he clambered to his feet. The wolf had been mid-stride when the pain had hit all three of them and he had felt his legs and paws buckle beneath him, sending him head first into the dirt.

'There is no enemy nearby that I can smell or hear.' Kajika rumbled as she continued her agitated pacing. The she-wolf did not like enemies she could not see to fight. 'It must have been witchcraft… But it did feel rather like Amaterasu.'

Kiyiya stood and brushed the dirt and grass blades from her clothes and then ran her hands over her siblings' muzzles as the two giant wolves sought comfort from her touch.

'It definitely felt like Amaterasu. Something or someone is causing her immense pain and for a brief moment her pain travelled through our connections.' Kiyiya looked back to the west where she knew Amaterasu was.

'There is little we can do now. We are only a day's travel from the edge of Greenwood. If we continue forward we can aid Amaterasu when the time is right. Going back will do little to help her if we are too weary from journeying.' Kajika was the voice of reason and Kiyiya sighed before climbing back onto Menewa's back, spear in hand.

'Let's go onward. We shall just have to hope that Ammy is strong enough to overcome this new foe.' Kiyiya growled and yipped and then the trio continued onward towards the trees of Mirkwood that could be seen in the distance by the light of the rising sun.

~G~A~M~B~L~I~N~G~~W~I~T~H~~D~E~A~T~H~

Not too far away from Edoras on the plains of Rohan Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn all woke and drew their blades. The three males were all panting harshly as a dying scream faded from their minds. Tangwen who was keeping watch in her white fox form swiftly transformed and crouched in the midst of the males.

They had run through the night, having been desperate to keep close on the Uruk-hai's trail and had only taken a short rest, less than an hour.

"What is it? What has woken you all?" Tangwen asked softly as she regarded their pale faces in the pale dawn's light.

"I heard a woman screaming." Legolas said as he looked around their surroundings with wide eyes. Even he was panting harshly from the traumatic sound that had filled his relaxed mind.

Gimli grumbled and got to his feet before speaking. If Tangwen hadn't known better she could have sworn she saw a tear seep from the gruff Dwarf's eye only to vanish swiftly into the fiery depths of his beard.

"It wasn't just any lass. It was…" The Dwarf stopped suddenly his voice choked with emotion. Aragorn stood too and placed his hand on the Dwarf's shoulder.

"It was Amaterasu. I do not know what has happened but as soon as we find Merry and Pippin we will find her. Even if we have to travel all over Middle Earth, even to the Western Shores to find her; we will not leave her behind."

Aragorn's voice was wrought with emotion but there was an underlying sense of anger that made the thousands year old Ame-no-Mihashira shiver. She did not want to be on the receiving end of this Dunedain's anger.

~G~A~M~B~L~I~N~G~~W~I~T~H~~D~E~A~T~H~

Grima cursed as he fumbled with the key in the lock. This room was carved out from the mountain that Edoras stood on top of. At the rear of the city there was a steep precipice of stones that seemingly had no path, but to those closest to the King who had knowledge of a route.
A small series of passageways ran beneath the hill that allowed an escape route for the women and children in case of an attack. The idea was that they could escape into the hill and hide in the various rooms until the siege had passed. Unless one knew of it the doorways and entrances were hidden inside the Golden Hall. One of these doorways just happened to be conveniently placed in Grima's room and so the sallow-skinned man had decided to hide his new prize in the dark depths.

He finally managed to open the door and winced as he swung it open as the female's screaming seemed to magnify and his ears rang with the sounds of her torment. Striding into the room he raised his hand and slapped her across the face sending her head into the wall.

The sharp knock on her head did not cease her screaming but gave her a nasty bruise.

"Be quiet!" Grima hissed and he put his hand over her mouth muffling her screams. As far as he knew the labyrinth beneath Edoras was soundproof, but he could not chance Eomer or Eowyn hearing the screams, descending the stairs from his chamber and discovering the woman hidden here. The traitor was certain that neither of the sibling would react well to his imprisonment of this female.

Finally the white-haired woman stopped screaming and just moaned lowly and clutched at her head, scrunching silk strands between her dirty fingers.

"Why are you screaming?" Grima asked when she seemed to have calmed somewhat. He was disconcerted by the sound of pain and utter agony in her voice but also by the twisted expression that adorned her face. Her eyes were squeezed shut and tears were falling steadily from the corners of her eyes and into her hair.

"My head hurts. And my body hurts. What have you done to me?" She gasped out and opened her eyes to stare at him with pain-glazed pink orbs.

"It's the collar I placed on you. It was a -gift- from my master. It forces the wearer to be truthful. And it has worked splendidly." Grima allowed his eyes to pass over her form that was writhing on the straw mattress. Gone were the scales and in their place smooth, pale skin that was unmarked save for a few pearly white scars. The only thing that marred her form now was the demonic eyes that stared into him.

"Tell me your name." Grima ordered with a sense of malevolent glee.

"I have many names." The woman whimpered and then began to moan again. She rolled away from his gaze and curled into a ball her hands still clutching at her temples.

"Tell me the name you use currently." He snapped, displeased by her avoidance. It seemed he would have to be specific as the collar did not demand the entire truth. An answer that was truthful would be accepted and so the Wormtongue would have to work hard. This could be very fun. Especially if she resisted and he was forced to use physical means. Grima turned to the door and pushed the wood into the frame and then turned to face his victim with a smile.

"Where to begin?"

~G~A~M~B~L~I~N~G~~W~I~T~H~~D~E~A~T~H~

A/N: So there we go! Hope you aren't disappointed with this chapter. We're on 480 reviews! I am overwhelmed by the response and the helpful and kind words you all have left! Maybe we can reach 500 for next time? I love each and every review I get so please send me more!

Thanks to:

Danda225, californiamermaid, Kistelle, Nebriniel Peredhil, Fellowship of Avengers, Rorythedragon, selene344, Emzy2k11, Mary Elrondile, DragonOwl, Ellie Park 7/2/13, DragonBlade1000, jonnioholo 7/7/13, DJpaigeDJ, Sakari13Lennie, Kenpachi's Vixen
CherryBlossomTrinity – Thank you for reviewing! I love it when a new reader tells me that they are still enjoying this fic!
emzers 7/7/13 – Ammy is going to get two new forms very soon! It's going to happen very quickly and because of certain things and blah, blah, blah can't tell you anything cause it'll spoil the plot but yes; she is going to get new animal forms!
TheBurntWaffle- Thank you sooo much for what you wrote! I read it and it made me smile. I feel truly humble.