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

Chapter 7 (27)

Drive out Darkness

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." –Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope

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

Eomer cursed as he was thrown bodily from Edoras. It was the middle of the night and his captors hadn't exactly been gentle when they threw him through the wooden gates. His horse, Tanwen stood patiently outside the citadel with her saddle and Eomer's packs and shield strapped to her body.

The grey mare with the red streaked mane shifted and pranced when Eomer stood and began to walk towards her. Tanwen knew she had waited too long and that something dreadful had happened judging by Eomer's appearance. She could also smell Amaterasu on Eomer's skin and clothes but only faintly, as if the Marshall had only been in direct contact with the Ame-no-Mihashira for a few brief seconds.

Worry pervaded her being and she whinnied nervously as Eomer mounted up.

The banished Marshall looked back up at his home with sadness, he did not know what he would do. His life had been spent defending his people and home. He would continue to do so. Riding out away from Edoras Eomer was gratified to see his Rohirrim waiting for him on the horizon.

Spurring Tanwen into a canter the pair rode up to the group of soldiers and Eomer surveyed the familiar faces with a feeling of camaraderie surging up in his chest.

"Rohirrim!" Eomer yelled out and immediately every eye was upon him. "We have been banished from our home. We have been labelled traitors and treasonous dogs! But we are no such thing. We will ride out across our homeland, we will find the orcs that plague or villages and kill our people and we will slaughter them where they stand! We will defend our country and its people until the last man! Are you with me?"

A roar of approval was shouted into the dusk and Eomer raised his sword above his head.

"Rohirrim, Ride out!" the banished Lord shouted and the group charged off across the plains, led by Tanwen and Eomer.

Tanwen had been searching for her sister's presence whilst Eomer was giving his speech and she thought she had located her sister. One of the benefits of being twins was that the pair could sense where the other was and could feel if they were hurt or scared. So far Tanwen could tell that Tangwen was to the North, near Isengard and so the grey mare with fire-red mane set her hooves in that direction and could only pray that she reached her sister in time to save Amaterasu.

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

Aneira had been moved from the dark and dingy cell that lay under the citadel. She was now situated in a room in the hall, chained now to a bedpost instead of a wall. The slimy man who had chained her up seemed rather annoyed by something and had beaten her several times. Bruises had flourished on her arms, legs, stomach and probably on her face. Blood had dripped into her mouth and Aneira was quite sure she wasn't a vampire. The taste of blood was doing nothing for her apart from making her feel queasy. But then again she wasn't sure whether it was because it was her own blood (did vampires only like the taste of other people's blood?), but she wasn't sparkly either so the woman decided she officially wasn't a vampire.

Time seemed to pass so slowly in this room. There was no noise from outside the room and nothing within reach with which to occupy herself. Aneira's stomach growled and hunger panged at her gut. She wished she could remember the last time she had eaten, in fact she wished she could remember anything. She knew basic things such as what things were called, how they worked and so on. Details and memories however were gone, nothing but the random images and words that flittered into her mind when she tried to grasp at anything solid.

All she could do was sit on the stone floor, curled up in a smallish circle with her bare legs pressed against the flagstones. Aneira leant her head against the frame of the bed and watched dust dance in the sunlight that streamed through the small window. Tiny particles darting and swirling in unseen eddies of air that flowed through the room. They glimmered and shone brightly in the otherwise dank and dark room and Aneira found herself able to sit and mindlessly stare at the sight.

As the day drew on the sunlight began to fade from the window and soon Aneira was hoping that the slimy man would return and possibly bring food. Her mind could not focus on anything and she felt oh so weak. Perhaps a nap was a good idea…

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

Gimli grunted as he trotted along steadily behind Aragorn and Legolas. For two days now they had been tracking the Uruk-hai with little rest. Tangwen was easily able to keep pace with the Ranger but for some reason she had taken to running alongside the Dwarf filling the air with soft chatter about various things from her relationship with her sister to her journeys round Middle Earth for the last two and a half thousand years or so.

Despite being almost exhausted Gimli had found himself entrance by the tales Tangwen had been imparting. The wealth of knowledge that the Ame-no-Mihashira possessed was astounding and she had been to several of the Dwarf Kingdoms including the halls of Erebor.

"Stop!" Aragorn called out. "Riders approach, take cover! We do not know if they are friend or foe."

The group ducked behind one of the many rocks that littered the landscape. Quite frankly Gimli was glad of the moment's respite even if it did delay them from their mission. Tangwen leapt onto his shoulder and balanced there. The Dwarf did not dare move for fear of knocking the slighter creature with his helmet but he could see that she was listening as her ears were pricked forward and her mismatched eyes were alert.

"They are no foe!" Tangwen said suddenly after a moment as the riders thundered past. "They are the Rohirrim - and my sister is among them!" The white fox leapt off Gimli's shoulder and scampered round the rock closely followed by Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli.

"Riders of Rohan, what news of the Riddermark?" Aragorn called out and was pleased and wary of the speed with which the mounted warriors turned their steeds and began to charge back towards the small group.

The leader wore a helm with a long white plume sprouting from the top and was seated upon a grey mare with bright red hairs throughout her mane. The Three Hunters immediately knew that this particular horse was Tangwen's sister as she was so unusual and the moment the riders had come to a stop in a circle around the strange quartet the leader had begun to speak but the horse was not keeping its head up like the rest of the equines who were agitated with their rider's tension. Instead this horse merely bent her head down and stared at the white fox that rose up onto her hind legs and placed her forepaws on the muzzle of the mare.

'Tangwen!' Tanwen spoke through their mental connection. 'I have missed you my sister.'

'I have missed you too. What news do you bring? You seem greatly unsettled and distressed. Your fire is almost palpable!' Tangwen glanced concernedly over at the Trio but was calmed when they seemed to be talking tensely with Eomer but no weapons had been drawn.

'Grima has taken control of Edoras. The King weakens by the hour and Eowyn has taken to avoiding all public places. Theodred has died, ambushed by Saruman's Uruk-hai. But I have more important news to tell you. One of our kind has become Grima's prisoner. Amaterasu her name was.'

Tangwen let out a sharp bark of surprise that drew Gimli's attention but the Dwarf didn't dare move as weapons had been drawn and Legolas had gotten quite defensive over the idea of Gimli's head being removed. The Dwarf was rather chuffed at this, especially as Legolas had supposedly disliked his father, and the picture of Gimli that he kept hidden, when they had been captured in Mirkwood on the Quest to Erebor. In fact as his father told the story Legolas had called Gimli a goblin spawn or something of that ilk…

'Amaterasu?! You are sure Tanwen?' Tangwen was sharp and cold in her tone as worry began to consume her. If the younger Ame-no-Mihashira was Grima's prisoner she could not begin to think of the horrid things the repulsive man would do to the vulnerable female.

'Positive. Grima saw her transform; she is still unable to control her transformations. You remember how difficult it was for us when we were young. But Amaterasu always transforms back to her humanoid form at sunset and Grima saw her. Now he has called her a witch and locked her up in one of the cells beneath the hill. What's worse is he has some collar upon her neck that prevents her from transforming. The Black Speech is carved into it and so my foxfire was useless. Maybe your power may have some effect?'

Tangwen cursed and then nuzzled her sister's larger face. It seemed that the Trio had finished their conversation with Eomer and by the looks on their faces it had not been good news.

'I will go as soon as I am able to assist Amaterasu. My new companions are searching for their friends who have been taken captive. They are going towards Fangorn and the animals have whispered rumours of a White Wizard roaming the Forest which I was going to investigate but now you have told me this grave news I think I must part ways with them now. I will be at Edoras before sundown. Until we meet again; may the sun shine upon you.'

'Until we meet again; and the moon and stars smile upon us.' Tanwen whickered softly at her sister before obeying the slight pull on the reins from Eomer and moving away.

The Rohirrim cantered away brave warriors defending their homeland and Tangwen felt a sharp pain in her heart after being reunited for a brief moment with her twin before the pain eased into a dull throb.

"What news?" The fox turned to her companions who were all grim-faced.

"Eomer said that they slew the Uruks during the night and saw no sign of any Halflings." Aragorn's voice was harsh and tense, pain lancing his words and the Man refused to look at his companions, concentrating instead on checking the saddle on the horse that Eomer had gifted to him. Legolas had mounted the other horse and pulled Gimli up behind him.

"What are we doing now?" Tangwen asked as the Dunedain mounted up and gathered the reins in his hands.

"We are going to search for our friends. If they have indeed perished they deserve a proper burial and if they have escaped slaughter we owe it to them to find them." Legolas spoke softly as he looked down at the white vixen.

"I shall part ways with you from here. I must go to Edoras. Until we meet again; may the sun shine upon you."

With those parting words the white vixen turned and began to run swiftly across the land, a white blur that bobbed and weaved with the contours of the earth before suddenly leaping into the air and mid-jump transformed into a snowy owl that began to wing its way across the sky until not even Legolas's keen eyes could see her.

"Come." Aragorn called as he guided Hasufel, a brown stallion into a canter and towards the edge of Fangorn were smoke was rising into the sky.

Legolas glanced back one more time in the direction that Tangwen had flown before guiding his grey horse after Aragorn.

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

"Answer me!" Grima screamed at the woman who lay sprawled upon his floor. For several hours now he had been questioning her; trying to determine what had happened but all he had received in reply were vague phrases and mumbled words. In his anger he had lashed out at the prone and defenceless albino and one particularly vicious blow had sent her tumbling to the ground with her head making a loud and brittle sound on the floor. Blood was dripping from a particularly deep cut on the side of her scalp, the place where her head had made contact with the stone floor and her eyes had begun to glaze over.

"I do not speak as I think, I do not think as I should, and so it all goes on in helpless darkness.*Franz Kafka" Aneira mumbled almost soundlessly. Her lips were barely moving as they shaped the words and her dehydrated skin was peeling over the soft flesh of her mouth as it moved.

Screaming in anger Grimas grabbed Aneira's long white hair and pulled her up from the floor using the thick mass of strands as a rope. The pain shooting through her already tender scalp sent Aneira up onto her knees as she tried to ease the pulling. Once she was kneeling Grima knelt behind her and pulled her back to him so that her back was pressed against his front. The Man made no move to conceal the shiver of delight that ran through him as her soft and curvaceous form sank into his.

Using his other hand he began to caress her bare arms, feeling the soft skin that was not marred by any scars only bruises that bloomed in various shades or purples and reds that contrasted in a sick display against the paleness of her skin. Aneira made no motion to move away and only let out a weak and low moan of discomfort before her eyes began to flicker as she lost herself in her mind once more.

Emboldened by the lack of reaction Wormtongue brought his hand up to her face and ran his knuckles along her cheek and across her lips. Still no response apart from fluttering lips that were making soundless words. His hand flattened and then he stroked his palm down over the column of her neck ignoring the gold collar that sat heavily at the base, down over her shoulder and into the curve of her ribs.

Grima was surprised that despite not having eaten for several days the woman's ribs were not more prominent. Even through the thin and bedraggled shirt he could feel the softness that lay beneath: a generous covering that he could not wait to grip and enjoy.

He brought his hand round to her stomach and then began to ascend, his hand gliding up until he reached the swell of her breast. Just as his hand made to explore further there was loud shouting from the hallway which lead to his room and letting a curse out the sallow-skinned man allowed the woman to fall onto her front. The shirt that she was wearing rode up slightly as she fell and Grima had to restrain himself from grasping at the tempting sight she now presented.

Loud and frantic knocks echoed through his dark chamber and he slunk over to the door only to find one of his henchmen outside. The brutes that he had employed were all rather thin and wiry looking with a savageness in their eyes, but despite their wild natures they were fairly thick and easily manipulated.

"What is it?!" Grima snapped. "I'm busy. I thought I told you not to disturb me!"

"There are visitors." The man grumbled out from between yellow and black teeth. Grima nearly recoiled at the stench that seeped from this man's mouth.

"Visitors? Who are they?" Grima was rather concerned. Anyone who wasn't a peasant, some waif or a horseman was considered a visitor. People had been flocking to Edoras for days on end seeking refuge and aid for their troubles but unfortunately the King was too ill to send aid. The amount of people in Edoras increased and so did those who were now camping outside the walls of the city. So far none of them had been of value or importance to Grima or his cause and as they were all people of Rohan Grima's henchmen paid little heed to them. For these visitors to have caught the attention of these mindless and pathetic brutes the newcomers must be important or very unusual.

"Who are they? Do not make me wait." Grima's voice trembled impetuously and he stamped his foot like a petulant child as fear began to take over.

The lackey stared back at him with gormless eyes before answering his voice slow and heavy as he stumbled over the short sentence.

"A Man, an Elf and one of those short things- a Dwarf."

Grima let out a barking laugh as the terror eased from his body. He could easily rid Edoras of a Man: a knife to the back during a brawl or a slip on the steps of the hall on a cold frosty morning. An Elf would be more difficult several men would be needed or poison perhaps. A Dwarf could be killed in his sleep if the assassin was light enough on his feet.

"Is that all? A Man and two creatures? We can be rid of them in a few days, possibly hours now that Eomer has gone. I had forgotten the meddlesome Marshall was gone. This will make murder so much easier. Bring them into the Hall and have someone go and prepare the King to receive his guests." Grima turned to go back into his chamber, it would be nearly half an hour before the King was ready to welcome the newcomers and in the meantime Wormtongue would enjoy the woman who lay in his room.

"Oh." The henchmen said as Grima turned. "There was 'nother one."

"Another what?" Grima snapped but didn't turn around.

" 'nother person. A wizard the guards at the gate said. Some wizard called Goddelf or Gadalf or Ga-"

"Gandalf?!" Grima shrieked.

"That one. Gandalf the Grey." The henchmen seemed pleased to finally have remembered but before he could congratulate himself he was being yelled at by the scrawny man in front of him.

"Gandalf the Grey! Then his companions are more formidable than I thought. Have them leave all their weapons at the entrance to the Hall. NO swords, knives, arrows, axes: no weapon is to enter this building. And make sure the wizard leaves his staff. Do not allow the wizard's staff near Theoden."

Grima swirled back into his chamber; his black cloak wrapped tightly around him and slammed the door to his chamber.

The brute ambled off to do as he was bid but along the way forgot that he was supposed to make sure the wizard left something at the door. Maybe it was his hat? Or his boots? Thinking as hard as he could (which was not that hard) the man gave his orders to one of Theoden's men who looked disgruntled at the order but nonetheless made sure it was carried out.

Upon re-entering his chamber Grima had paced back and forth across the room. His boots had scuffed the floor loudly and he had begun to nervously bite his fingernails. His master had supposedly dealt with Gandalf. But if it was just Gandalf the Grey then his power was not equal to Saruman's. The White Wizard was far stronger than the Grey and Saruman had the power of the Dark Lord on his side.

Thinking all this through had calmed Grima down somewhat and he began to feel more confident and self-assured. There was nothing Gandalf could do and so there was nothing for Grima to worry about.

Another knock sounded on his door and Grima pulled his cloak about him once more and turned to leave his chamber. He noticed Aneira had not moved from her place on the floor and when he turned to look at her he could not see her breathing. Her chest was not rising and falling and her eyes were glassy. Letting out a sharp sigh of frustration Grima opened his door to see two of his lackeys.

"Clear up the mess I've made. Dispose of the body somewhere." A shame, he thought to himself as he regarded the woman on the floor, the pale skin and white hair that was slowly turning red. But she is not Eowyn.

Grima left his chamber without a backward glance and so he did not see the edge of Aneira's lip curl into a smile and her chest begin to rise and fall very slowly, an almost imperceptible movement.

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

Tangwen had been searching the prison cells beneath the Hall for several hours but could not find any trace of Amaterasu. All the cells were empty. The vixen cursed and then made her way through the town, nose to the ground as she searched for any scent that was not human. Something caught her attention. It was neither human nor animal but neither was it Ame-no-Mihashira. The scent was emanating from the stables and so the white canine slipped into the stable and slunk along the stalls until she reached the stall of a large brown stallion.

Wary of the large stallion who was stamping and whinnying causing quite a cacophony of noise Tangwen nosed her way through the straw that lined the floor. The smell in this particular stall was ripe and heavy, as if the bedding had not be changed for several days and Tangwen fought down the urge to flee and save her sensitive nose. Just as she was about to give up her search a tiny hand pressed itself to her nose.

Yipping Tangwen leapt back in surprise. The sharp cry pierced even the stallion's whinnies and he turned his head to regard the fox in his stall with surprise. Tangwen curved her spin and tucked her legs and tail in under her torso and flattened her ears tightly to her head in order to look weaker. The stallion however ignored her and began to nose his way through the straw gently huffing away strands of straw and then physically moving damp bundles with his nose. Finally he stopped and moved away from the dent he had made.

Fresh straw had been bundled together and then buried under old straw. As Tangwen looked down into the hollow she saw a small red light and then the light seemed to gain shape and form until the Ame-no-Mihashira was staring down at a weak and terrified Tennyo. Once again the hand reached out to touch the wet nose of the vixen and this time Tangwen was not surprised and allowed the contact.

Tangwen knew there were no men nearby and so she transformed into her human form and then crouched down and picked up the Tennyo with careful hands. Turning to the stallion she looked at the sad brown eyes that looked at her. Being taller the woman could see that the stallion's coat was matted with sweat and dirt and his mane and tail were in a tangled mess. The smell rising from the animal was almost enough to overpower the stench of the dirty stall and as the Ame-no-Mihashira regarded the stallion she realized why he was in such a bad state.

"You were making sure this little one did not get taken away. You did not allow the men in to care for you in case she was found or they mucked her out by mistake. Oh you brilliant horse." Tangwen pressed her cheek to the stallion's neck and was pleased when he did not flinch away from her touch but rather seemed to settle into the contact.

"I will come back later, clean and brush you and I will muck out your stall. I promise." She kissed his neck before turning her attention back to the Tennyo that lay in her cupped hands.

"Did you come from Lothlorien little one?" She whispered softly to the pulsing red light that flickered brightly and then faded back to a dim and steady glow.

"Did you come alone?" Occasionally creatures ventured from their homes to see the rest of Middle Earth but Tenshi rarely left their safe havens. Another bright pulse of light and then the steady glow once more.

"Have you seen someone else like me? Another female?" A bright pulse of light.

"An Ame-no-Mihashira?" Another positive answer.

"Do you know where she is?" this time there was no change in the steady glow of light. Sighing Tangwen carefully placed the Tennyo on her head before shifting back into her vixen form.

The Tennyo was now lying safely ensconced between the foxes' ears and it seemed this was a familiar position for this particular tiny woman as she wove her fingers into the fur and gripped tightly but not hard.

Tangwen was just about to search the rest of the stall for any more clues when she heard the clatter of hooves and hushed voices talking. Wary of being spotted she slunk through the stables and slipped round the door only to see Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli dismounting the horses she had seen them mount earlier that day.

Tangwen weaved and darted through the legs of those who had gathered to see the newcomers until she was right by Gimli's feet. Barking loudly she got his attention and saw his ruddy face and eyes light up in a smile.

"Hello there lassie. Thought we may see you here."

The Dwarf's rumbling voice gained the attention of his other companions and soon there were four pairs of booted feet surrounding the vixen. Tangwen recognised both Aragorn and Legolas and when she looked at the white clad feet she was puzzled and slightly concerned that Saruman had entered Edoras.

Backing away she hit Legolas' feet and then pressed close to him before directing her gaze upward. A kind face stared down at her from behind long white hair and a short beard.

"Have no fear Tangwen." Legolas spoke. "It is Gandalf."

"A pleasure to meet you Tangwen. The Heavenly Treasures protect and teach us." Gandalf said and bowed low. When he looked back at the vixen he pleased to see the delight with which she regarded him. He supposed it had been several hundred years since anyone but her sister had said the traditional greeting to her. "I see however you are not alone. What is the light upon your head?"

Aragorn crouched down to look at the vixen and let out a gasp.

"Ayaka?! What has happened?!" The Ranger was tense with anger as he took in the Tennyo's limp and frail form and the dim light that glowed from her core. "Ammy is here. She is in Edoras. Ayaka would not leave her side at all during our journey and when we were parted the Tennyo left with Ammy."

"I know." Tangwen whispered. "My sister told me that Amaterasu was here. But I cannot find her. Tanwen said that Grima had put a gold collar with Black Speech etched into it on Amaterasu's neck and that it was preventing her from transforming. I knew you needed to find your friends and so I came here to try and find Amaterasu. If I had succeeded I would have brought her out to you. However I cannot find even a trace of her scent."

The vixen's tail brushed the ground is short strokes as she bristled in anger.

"If he has harmed her I will tear his throat out." She snapped and then began to growl.

"I think it is time we met with King Theoden." Gandalf spoke and then leaning heavily on his staff he began to walk the short distance to the Hall.

The Three Hunters strode along behind Gandalf forming a diamond shape with the small vixen in their centre carefully carrying the slowly recovering Ayaka. It seemed daylight was doing the Tennyo good and her light seemed to be pulsing a bit brighter.

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

As soon as they entered the Hall, weaponless, Tangwen could sense a foul presence within the building. Something dark and evil that was battling furiously with something light and pure. It seemed as if this struggle was permeating the very air. The hall felt charged as of a storm was brewing in the room the temperature was very hot and cloying and Tangwen yelped as lightening jumped between her whiskers and shocked her nose.

Hissing she darted into the shadows to wait and see whether Gandalf would succeed in driving Grima and Wormtongue out.

Both Aragorn and Legolas had noticed the Ame-no-Mihashira's distress and after a quick glance and a nod they spread out around Gandalf ready to intervene. They too could feel the charged atmosphere and knew that something was about to happen.

"Late is the hour in which this conjurer chooses to appear." Grima's voice oozed out across the room and as the group moved toward the throne with the ill King sitting upon it Aragorn kept a close eye on the men who were keeping pace.
"Ill news is an ill guest." Grima smirked at Gandalf who merely dismissed the pale skinned man.

"Keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed trhough fire and death to bandy words with a witless worm."

As the wizard raised his staff that was pure white Grima's eyes widened in fear and he looked around accusingly at the assembled guards and his henchmen who were scattered around the hall.

"His staff! I told you to take the wizard's staff!" he wailed before fleeing towards a side door and darting through. His subordinates realising something was wrong charged forward to intercept Gandalf but were met with opposition from Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli.

The three warriors quickly dispatched the clumsy men who had attacked them. Gimli made to go after Grima but was stopped by a sharp word from Aragorn who gestured to Theoden and Gandalf.

"I release you." Gandalf said and then gestured towards Theoden. Everyone in the room shivered and stepped back when a deranged chuckle came from the bedraggled and ill King.

"You have no power here, Gandalf the Grey." Theoden croaked.

Hidden in the shadows Tangwen bristled and then twitched as she heard someone stumbling around in the hallway next to where she was hid. It sounded like Grima and two others were arguing but all of a sudden there was yelp and then a gurgle and the vixen shivered and pressed herself back against the wall. Whatever was going on it had not ended well for two of the people in that hallway.

Shifting uncomfortably she glanced back to where Gandalf stood, resplendent in white robes and saw that Theoden had been released from Saruman's curse. The King regarded his niece with clear eyes for the first time in weeks.

Tangwen could not enjoy the reunion however as there was a dragging sound and the sound of boots scuffing as if the wearer was carrying a dead weight.

Letting out a sharp yip Tangwen was gratified to see Aragorn and Legolas snatch up weapons from the wall before moving towards the door where Grima had disappeared through. There was a loud curse and then the door began to swing open.

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

Grima cursed as he fled from the hall. Those bumbling idiots had ruined months of hard work. His master would not be pleased with him. Realising that everything was now lost to him including Eowyn, Grima let out a strangled shriek of fury as he swept down the hallway. Turning a corner he saw the two men he had set to cleaning his room carrying Aneira towards him. The idiots were taking up the entire corridor with their awkward way of moving the body and as he shoved one of them to get by they let go of Aneira's blood-slickened shoulders and sent her body crashing to the ground.

A yelp came from her throat and Grima whirled around to see that the woman was lying on the floor blood-stained and bruised but her eyes were clear and she was staring at him in fear.

"You foul witch! You've cost me everything! It was all going to plan until you showed up!" He shrieked and grabbed at her.

Aneira scrambled back from him and ended up clutching the leg of one of the men who had been moving her.

"Get out of my way fool. I need her to ensure my escape!" Wormtongue snarled and spit flew from his mouth.

"You said you didn't want her anymore? You said to get rid of her!" The man's slow lumbering voice grated on Wormtongue's nerves and he drew a stiletto blade and plunged it into the man's exposed heart. The man yelped and staggered back against the wall before sliding down into a slump. His friend had barely a second before Wormtongue spun and slashed the blade across his throat and then all he could do was gurgle as blood filled his mouth before he dropped to the floor.

"You're coming with me! I can ensure my safety from my master with you!" Wormtongue grabbed the chains that stilled cuffed Aneira's wrists together and dragged her onto her feet. Unfortunately she was too weak to stand and slumped down onto her knees the moment he let go.
Cursing he grabbed the chain and began to drag her limp body along the ground. He had to go back the way he came but hopefully with a helpless victim in his grasp no one would do anything to him.

What the pale-skinned man didn't notice was that as they went by the corpses of the men who he had just killed Aneira swiped a crude but sharp dagger and held it tight to her chest. The blade dug into her skin slightly and drew blood but she was ready.

They reached the door to the throne room and Grima grabbed Aneira by her hair once again, pulling harshly on the white strands that were now partially stained with blood.

"Stand up or I will slit your throat!" He growled into her ear and was pleased when she obeyed him. Her legs were trembling but she was standing and he leant forward, pushed the door open and then walked into the hall.

Immediately all eyes turned to them. To the dark-clothed man holding a knife to a woman dressed in little more than a rag with blood plastering one side of her head.

"You bastard!" Gimli cried as he took in the state of his friend and he charged forward only to stop short and raise his hands as Wormtongue pressed a thin already blood-drenched knife to Ammy's throat. Legolas was filled with an ice cold fury that consumed his very being and his eyes took on a glacial look.

"Let the woman go." Aragorn said calmly. Although he appeared calm he was filled with terror at the thought of Wormtongue carrying through with his yet unvoiced threat.

"Let me pass!" Wormtongue snarled at the assembly. "Let me pass or I'll cut her throat."

Amaterasu made no noise and looked at no one. Her trembling legs were very weak and all of a sudden she couldn't hold herself up any more and slid down Wormtongue's body to collapse onto the floor on her knees.

She was panting harshly and clutching at her chest with both hands and the only reason she didn't hit the floor was that Wormtongue had a tight grip on her hair still. Despite her weight pulling at her hair his grip was strong in his desperation and he tugged on it trying to get her back onto her feet.

"Do not come any closer or I will slice her neck." He growled at Legolas who had tried to inch close enough to incapacitate him. Raising his hands the elf backed away slowly. It seemed they were at a stalemate as not even Gandalf dared come close in case Wormtongue lost all composure.

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

There was a roaring noise in her head and Aneira was finding it difficult to concentrate. The knife pressed to her throat was quivering and she could feel the grip on her hair tightening. Above her voices were talking back and forth; Wormtongue's and then several that she could not recognise.

The man pulled harshly on her hair again sending sparking pain through her head and finally Aneira could not bear it any more. Taking the blade she had snatched from the corpse mere minutes before she grasped the handle in both hands and then surged up and back into the tugging on her hair.

Startled Wormtongue let go of her hair and stumbled back only to find himself pressed tight against the wall. Before he could move Aneira snarled and slammed her body weight into him: the blade of the knife drove in between his ribs and sank deep into his body.

He bellowed and swung his hand at her but she had already dropped to her knees from exhaustion. She grinned manically up at him, the right side of her face covered in blood and with her eyes glazed in pain.

Wormtongue gasped for air but none was forthcoming. He pulled the blade from his side and it dropped to the floor with a clutter and his own blade fell from his loose grip. He slid down the wall until he was slumped on the floor just like the minion he had killed moments ago.

Aneira stared at him with a triumphant expression as she watched the light fading from his eyes. As they began to grow dull she leaned towards him before saying;

"I win."

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

A/N: Sorry it's been so long. Real Life got in the way and I lost my creative spark. Ammy took a vacation but now hopefully were coming back. Thank you for your continued support and reviews even though it has been such a long time. I hope some of you are new readers and to my returning readers thank you. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Thanks to:

Counting Sinful Stars, KaribookWorm, Mary Elrondile, Pannthour, Guest chapter 27 . Aug 23, 2013, Emzy2k11, DragonOwl, Mistra Rose, californiamermaid, SoraLover987142, Nebriniel Peredhil, alexiana75, Heatblizzard chapter 2 . Sep 1, 2013, Afrika Sisi, Guest chapter 27 . Sep 21, 2013, twibe, Guest chapter 27 . Oct 20, 2013, ascarletmoon17, Rayne Wentworth, Goldilocks, DJpaigeDJ, hiya there chapter 27 . Dec 24, 2013, HeartArcFantasy21, Rosa1013 chapter 20 . Dec 31, 2013, Legolas Hiddleston, otakuxfanxgirl, desielf, cooldragon87, Kistelle, cooldragon87, jonnioholo

Hasunohana chapter 27 . Sep 1, 2013- Thank you for your review. I know that my writing isn't amazing. I am writing this for fun, to chill out and have some fun but I know that it can be improved. In regards to your points: It depends on which versions you read. I have a book on mythology and some of the stories have Tsukiyomi as being more evil than Susano. I chose Tsukiyomi because it works well against Amaterasu: sun against the moon. Also there is symmetry in the version where Tsukiyomi and Amaterasu are born from Izanagi's eyes whereas Susano is born from the nose in that version… The chapters vary in length and good and bad writing that is entirely dependent on how difficult I am finding it to write that chapter. For example this chapter is not one of my best and has taken me 5 months to write. When I finish the entire story I am hoping to go through and rework every chapter. Flesh out some and improve others etc. Regarding the pairing I haven't got a plan. At the moment I'm actually leaning towards no pairing. Have to wait and see what happens. Thanks for the good review; it is nice to receive large feedback!

Kat chapter 27 . Dec 17, 2013- I'm glad you enjoyed the fic when you were off school ill! I love reading fanfiction all the time but it's always nice to find a surprise one when you are ill! Grammar is a thing that sort of slipped me by a bit. I have started reading punctuation books etc. so that I can improve but its slow going! Thanks for the review and I hope you are still reading a month later!