A/N: The Poll has closed! No more votes for the final pairing for it has been decided! Mwhahahahaha! This chapter has been a pain, what you are reading is the product of writing beginning at 11pm, with apple pie as an accompaniment. For some reason Ammy is being extremely uncooperative. Kiyiya on the other hand is raging around my head like the wild Wolf Princess she is. The other night she made me stay up for 5 hours writing one of the final chapters for Dirty Paws, never mind the fact that I haven't even finished writing the fifth chapter yet!

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

Chapter 12 (32)

For St-Atrocity

Made for Another World

"If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world."
― C.S. Lewis

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

Ammy yawned and scratched at her head. Lucifer had been having a temper tantrum for the last half an hour or so now and Ammy was getting fairly bored.

The strange events of what could have been the last few weeks or hours, she had no idea whether the time spent in her old life had actually happened nor how much time of her timeline it had taken, seemed like a dream. As if they were events that she had imagined or had occurred many years ago and were now being dulled by the passage of time.

Amaterasu sat down cross-legged on the floor of the in-between place and began to pet Tuk. Now she sort of knew who she was, her mind was still fuzzy, she could recall seeing the demon minion of Lucifer when she had first died and the Mihashira decided she much preferred Tuk the cat to the demon with the horrible grey skin and bulging belly and bulbous eyes.

Tuk the cat seemed to prefer being a feline too and arched up and against Ammy's hand as it brushed down firmly along his back and every time she reached the tip of his tail she gave it a little twist before she returned to his head to begin the stroke once more. So pleased was Tuk that he began to let a rumbling purr vibrate along his body and his eyes closed.

Ammy resisted snorting at the demon-cat's expression. The cat that got the cream was the perfect definition for Tuk's face.

There was sudden 'Pop' noise and Klotho the goddess was suddenly standing next to Ammy with her head cocked on the side.

"Is my brother throwing a stress ball at the wall?" She said confusedly and the two females watched as Lucifer repeatedly threw the sphere at the glass wall that separated Hell from the waiting room.

"I believe so." Ammy said drolly. "He's being doing that since I beat his test. But I don't remember quite what happened. I suppose I'm still mad?"

Klotho raised an eyebrow as her brother, finally fed up with the stress ball that would not break under the stress incinerated the sphere with a look. A pile of ash formed and a wispy trail of smoke rose from the remains of the stress-relieving object. It was ironic really as the moment the stress ball was destroyed Lucifer suddenly seemed to recall who and what he was.

"You are still mad." He snapped. "I cannot change whatever idiotic magic you inflicted upon yourself in Middle Earth. I have however been able to abate the darkness creeping around your soul. Moving on."

Ammy opened her mouth futilely to try and get answers from Lucifer but a swift hand clasped over her mouth from Klotho stopped the Mihashira.

"I will honour my part of the bargain Amaterasu. You will be returned to Middle Earth in a few seconds. As to the other part of the bargain, whom do you wish me to save?"

Ammy bit her lip and scratched at her ears which were strangely furry. The tail which had thumped the floor too was not her tigress tail but rather looked like a prehensile limb; it moved and balanced her instinctively as she rose to her feet to stand before Lucifer.

"I don't know King Lucifer." Ammy said respectfully and watched amusedly as the King tensed in anger at her indecision.

"Well I have better things to do than stand around here for eternity and wait for you to decide who you wish me to save. You can call me and ask when you finally decide."

Lucifer snapped his fingers and Ammy gasped as a strange sensation came over her. It was as if her body was being washed away from existence. Her feet disappeared and then slowly her legs began to disappear as did the tips of her fingers.

She glanced at Klotho and the goddess smiled reassuringly.

"Do not worry Amaterasu. He has to keep his promises and bargains. He should know better than to gamble with you however. You seem to have been dealt a lucky hand. Good luck!"

Ammy closed her eyes as the sensation of washing away finally took over her entire body and she lost all sense of reality.

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

Aneira woke warm and cosy. She was snuggled deep into the fur cloak that Galadriel had given her. The many furs were warm and comforting and she inhaled deeply. She could smell her own scent as well as that of Gimli and Legolas and Aragorn.

There was a newer smell too, one that was unfamiliar to her. It smelt cleaner than the three males. Like heather and herbs mixed with horse and wet grass. It had a distinctly feminine note to it and Aneira wrinkled her nose annoyed.

She did not like another woman's scent on her things!

Aneira moved to shift in her cloak and felt her elbow hit something.

"Ooof!" A voice exclaimed from above her and Aneira quickly poked her head out from her cloak and looked up. Poor Aragorn was wincing and coughing gently. It appeared her elbow had driven straight into his stomach and winded the poor man.

"Sorry!" She squeaked and felt her cheeks go hot as embarrassment set in.

"Worry not. If I cannot be felled by an orc's sword I do not think your elbow, pointy though it may be, will be the end of me." Aragorn teased lightly and then using the arm that was curved around Aneria's back pushed her up into a more upright position on his lap.

They were still on horseback and were slowly riding along next to a great train of people that snaked across the landscape.

Aneira stared out at the awe-inspiring lands that rolled out before her. It was so clear and calm, despite the hundreds of people, and she felt strangely relaxed cradled in Aragorn's arms and rocking gently with the movements of Hasufel beneath them.

"How long was I asleep for?" Aneira asked and watched Aragorn's face as his brow furrowed slightly.

"Well it has been a few hours since we left Edoras and you fell asleep not long after we departed. It seems my friend, that you lack the control you once had over your animal forms, the moment you fell into slumber you transformed from a monkey to a human." Aragorn said ruefully but was interrupted when Gimli appeared beside them on a horse led by Eowyn.

"Aye lassie, you were curled up round his neck in your wee creature form and then all of a sudden we heard a great yelp and the mighty Aragorn went tumbling from his horse with you hanging off his neck like a bat." Gimli roared with laughter and Eowyn too began sniggering lightly.
Aneira frowned at the lady's amusement and felt her lips begin to pull back over her teeth in a silent snarl. Gimli was her friend and she did not mind his teasing but Eowyn's laughter seemed to be more cutting and mocking.

"How is your neck Lord Aragorn?" Eowyn called in a simpering manner and smiled sweetly up at the Dunedain. Aragorn looked down at her with some confusion before replying and all the time he missed the death glares Aneira was sending at Lady Eowyn.

"It is well my lady. Thank you for your concern."

Eowyn smiled saccharinely before her gaze fell to Aneira who was still snuggled up on Aragorn's lap. The Rohirrim's face lost its composure and she returned Aneira's glares before spreading a concerned and inquiring look on her face.

"Lady Aneira, how are you? We have not had a chance to speak properly. I can only apologise for the dreadful business with Wormtongue, I too suffered at his hands but I was fortunate enough to be able to keep him away from me for the most part. I hope he didn't do anything too damaging to you."

Aneira's mind clouded with memories that seemed foggy but she could see Grima Wormtongue clearly and as she lost herself in the past it was as if she could still feel his hands running along her flesh and touching and gripping her in places where she had not wanted to be touched. His touch had been slimy and cold and filled with lust but not desire and Aneira whined and keened as her mind sought to trap her once more.

"Easy." Aragorn's voice murmured in her ear and Aneira latched onto his words like a drowning man grasping a plank floating by. "That's it. Let it go, slip away from you like water in a river. Bring yourself back to the here and now. You are warm, you are safe and you are protected."

Aneira opened her gold eyes to see Legolas and Gimli peering at her from beside Aragorn and the Lady Eowyn was nowhere in sight.

"She must be pretty desperate." Aneira muttered and then grumbled whilst snuggling back into her fur cloak and leaning her head against Aragorn's chest. The Dunedain's arm looped around her back and supported her and soothed her simultaneously.

She did not fall asleep again but instead listened with a lightening heart and mind to the stories Gimli told of Erebor and the Company of Thorin Oakenshield and the tales that Legolas told of his long life and the Men and Dwarves he had met, including some embarrassing moments about Gloin, Gimli's father. The Dwarf's spluttering led Aneira into fits of giggles and attracted much attention from the Rohirrim, particularly the children who clamoured and begged Gimli for more tales.

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

Not long after she woke Theoden stopped them for a meal. The sun was slowly sinking, having passed midday some time ago. After conferring with several of his men and seeking the counsel of Aragorn Theoden decided to make a temporary camp when the light was almost gone and be moving once more at sunrise. Whilst this would be stressful and fraught for the mothers and children who were having to walk such great distances in such short time with little rest Theoden thought it best to reach the Hornburg as soon as possible so that he could prepare the fortress for defence against Saruman's Uruk-hai.

When Theoden eventually stopped the caravan everyone gathered around with the women, children and elderly towards the centre of their group and warriors and soldiers at the edges of their encampment. Legolas and Aragorn had attempted to persuade Aneira to go to the centre with Eowyn but the Mihashira whilst mad was still stubborn and still held her loyalty and friendship at the forefront of her mind.

They all settled down for the night, Theoden's people soon falling asleep from weariness despite the chill wind that blew across their encampment and the strange noises echoing across the plains. The soldiers were not so quick to fall asleep and soon paired up in order to keep watch with one soldier resting whilst the other kept lookout and they agreed to swap after a certain amount of time.

Aneira was shocked at how many people there really were fleeing to Helm's Deep. So many women and children but very few men. The men were either elderly or had not yet come of age and the soldiers were mainly the private guard of Theoden and the guards of Edoras, their numbers small and their troops spread thinly to try and protect the huge entourage of civilians.

Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli had set up a small camp at the edge with a fire burning brightly like the soldiers, to ward off animals. Aneira sat close to the flames mesmerised by the flicker of the tongues of fire that rose up from the wood.

The Three Hunters took it in turns to keep watch through the night, Legolas needing less rest than the Ranger or Dwarf took the longest stint but through each of their watches they noticed that Aneira had not fallen asleep even once and sat all night mumbling and playing with a strange cord that was tied around her wrist.

Aragorn took the last watch and when Legolas woke him to take over the Dunedain had glanced around the encampment in the dim light and checked everything was well before moving to join Aneira at the fire.

Having little to do Aragorn brought out his pipe and began smoking it quietly, the smoke rising up like dragon's breath and disappearing into the night. He too sat lost in thought until he noticed Aneira had risen up onto her knees next to him and was peering intently at the ring on his forefinger.

"Where did you get that ring?" Aneira breathed and pulled Aragorn's hand up to her face and inspected the ring made of two snakes closely. Her breath was warm and skated over Aragorn's hand in little puffs and he shivered slightly at the contrast between her touch and breath and the coolness of the night air.

"I have always had it." Aragorn said finally. "My father, Lord Elrond gave it to me when he told me the truth of my heritage. It is the ring of Barahir."

Aneira rubbed the top of the ring with her finger and muttered under her breath at the sight of the two serpents.

"Why so interested?" Aragorn asked.

"I saw it in a dream or something along that ilk. My mind loses clarity on this matter." Aneira said and for one brief moment Aragorn thought Amaterasu had returned as her vision cleared and her voice grew strong and clear.

"I made a deal with Death, returned to my old world but it was no longer mine. A choice lay before me and I chose the path less travelled." She shrugged and then surprised Aragorn by bringing the ring up to her lips and kissing the band even as it lay upon his finger. "This ring was in my dream and without it I would not have been able to keep my head. It was warm and comforting and I suppose subconsciously reminded me what I was searching for."

Aragorn puffed on his pipe and waited for Amaterasu to say more but she did not speak again and her vision grew cloudy once more and her demeanour returned to the child-like, innocent state of Aneira.

She held his hand for the rest of the night, her fingers tracing the lines and veins of his hand, running down his fingers, following the curve of his dirty nails and back up. She turned his hand so it was palm up at some point and began to trace strange symbols and squiggles upon the calloused flesh.

Aragorn did not mind, in fact it was quite soothing to feel her smaller fingers exploring his hand. It was quite intimate also but there was no one awake or close enough to see what the Mihashira was doing and how close they were.

A short while before sunrise the camp began to wake and ready themselves for at least another days march. When their companions began to stir Aneira reluctantly let go of Aragorn's hand but would not move away from him and instead wrapped herself in her cloak and leaned against his side, singing softly to herself.

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

Later that morning after they had been travelling for several hours and the sun had not yet even reached a quarter of its journey through the sky, Theoden stopped and allowed his people to rest and eat. The air was cold and people were bundled up in blankets and shawls and desperate for a hot meal and a moments respite.

Gimli had integrated himself with many of the children of Edoras and was now wandering around the small rises and dips of the plains with a group of children following behind him like ducklings, all clamouring for the Dwarf to tell them stories or to show them how to use his axe.

Legolas had disappeared off into the distance, apparently needing some peace and quiet and some time away from Men and Dwarf. Aneira could just about see the elf standing towards the edge of the area where the Rohirrim had settled with various fires and pots cooking meat or soups. He was staring out over the grassland, his bow held loosely in his hand and his other resting on the string as if even stationary he longed to be shooting an arrow.

Aragorn had found a suitable rock to settle down upon and was sharpening his sword with strong and steady movements. The morning's ride had given the Dunedain much to think on as Theoden had deigned to grace the Ranger and Aneira with his presence and Gimli had fallen off his horse at one point much to the amusement of all who saw the Dwarf tumble and particularly to Eowyn whom only moments before Gimli had been sharing the tales of the Dwarrows who were often mistaken for Dwarf men.

Theoden had felt the need to explain Eowyn's sudden cheery mood and Aragorn had almost winced as the penny dropped that the Lady Eowyn was taken with him. Aneira who had been wrapped around his neck in snake form had hummed with laughter and her tongue had flicked out and tickled his neck as she hissed her amusement.

Now Aragorn was sat sharpening his blade and wondering how best to reject the Lady Eowyn's advances whilst simultaneously not offending the independent woman. Aneira was keeping him company and was running around him in smallish circles in her various forms as she practiced shifting.

So far today she had been all bar the largest of her forms: Dragon and Horse. Whilst they were travelling she had taken to riding with Aragorn or Legolas in one of her smaller forms, snake or monkey usually and was now spending some of her pent up energy by shifting and playing with blades of grass or the edge of Aragorn's coat. Finally she seemed to grow weary of shifting forms and for the time being settled down by Aragorn's feet in her tigress.

She yawned widely and loudly and drew the attention of several mothers who hastily pulled their children closer to them and forbid them from going and exploring the feline lounging at the Ranger's feet like a house cat.

Aragorn shook his head at her antics and was about to reprimand her lightly when Eowyn tentatively came up to them with a cooking pot, wooden bowl and spoon. Aneira had already heard Gimli refuse Eowyn's kind offer and she opened one golden eye to see if Aragorn would have such sense but apparently not.

"It's not much, but it's hot." Eowyn said nervously and dipped the bowl into the pot, scooping out some of the stew. Aragorn sheathed his sword and reached out with both hands taking the bowl and then the spoon.

He nodded at Eowyn and thanked her and then stuck the spoon into the liquid. Aneira could not see the bowl but she could smell it and the pot from which the so called stew had come and she wrinkled her nose at the strange and overpowering stench. Aragorn poked around at the contents of the bowl before lifting the spoon with a large blob of meat or fish or something else to his mouth.

Aneira winced as he stopped the moment the strange substance entered his mouth and glanced up at Eowyn. It was quite sweet how nervous she was and Aneira thought if she had been of sound mind she might have found Eowyn quite friendly and kind, as it was all Aneira could think of was how irritating the Rohirrim lady was and how pathetic at making stew.

Aragorn swallowed noisily and then coughed before speaking.

"It's good."

"Really?!" Eowyn exclaimed and blushed before walking away. As soon as the blonde woman was walking away Aragorn moved to pour the stew on the grass beside him and Aneira leapt up with a silent snarl, there was no way she was getting any of it on her fur. She did not want to smell like boiled shoes all day thank you very much. Marshmallows on the other hand would have been fine to smell like.

The tigress furrowed her brow in thought. What were marshmallows? For some reason her brain thought they were like clouds. Or maybe snow?

"You cannot be eighty?!" Eowyn's shrill voice cut through Aneira's thoughts and she glanced up at the pair and nearly laughed at the expression of disbelief on Eowyn's face.

"Eighty-seven." Aragorn murmured.

"You are one of the Dunedain. A descendant of Numenor, blessed with long life. It was said that your race had passed into legend." Her voice was simultaneously horrified and reverential.

Aragorn glanced down at Aneira who was laughing at him with her eyes before answering.

"There are few of us left. The Northern Kingdom was destroyed long ago."

His voice was resigned but tinged with sadness and a hint of bitterness and Aneira bristled at Eowyn's thoughtless questioning. The tigress stepped forward to rub her head against Aragorn's legs and encouraged the Ranger to run his hand through her smooth but thick fur.

"I'm sorry." Eowyn stammered and rushed away causing Aragorn to sigh with some relief. Obviously the prospect of being so much younger than the one she was batting her eyes at had caused Eowyn to doubt her attraction to Aragorn.

Good riddance, thought Aneira and the tigress chuffed at the relieved looking Man.

"Hopefully that has sorted out that problem." Aragorn said as he carded his fingers through Aneira's fur before hearing the call to move out. The Ranger wasted no time in pouring the stew onto the ground, relieved to have an excuse not to eat it, and Aneira transformed into her tiny monkey form and scampered up his arm to sit on his shoulder. There was no way she was walking all the way to the Hornburg when she could catch a ride and have a nap.
Maybe she'd dream about marshmallows on the journey…

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

Kiyiya felt her heart race suddenly as the wind carried the scent of her mate approaching. Ahead of them on the road she could see Kajika thundering back towards them and upon her back was a small figure clad in dark blue clinging on for dear life.

"Here comes the Princeling." Rannoch grumbled and he quickly stepped off the road and disappeared into the tree line. Rannoch and her mate did not get on at the best of times, especially however when Kiyiya was injured or upset.

Kajika came skidding to a halt and dropped low to the ground to allow the Dwarf to slide from her back. Menewa walked forward and began grumbling and growling at his sister, explaining what had happened in her brief absence whilst Kiyiya flung herself off his back and was caught safely and securely in her mate's arms.

"Are you alright?!" He said worriedly and looked over her as he cradled her instinctively to his chest.

"I'm fine Kili. Just very tired." Kiyiya said and nuzzled at his chin with the tip of her nose. His small beard tickled her lips and she sniffed his scent surreptitiously checking to see if he had injured himself whilst she was away.

"You didn't sound just tired a few moments ago." Kili pointed out as he recalled the painful howl that had echoed across the distance between the mountain and Kiyiya, but rather than arguing he pressed a kiss to her lips and relished in holding her close to him. Five months was far too long to spend apart. He always worried when she was gone but it had been many years since Kiyiya had left Erebor for so long.

"I'll explain everything later." Kiyiya promised. "I need to speak with the King. Is he in a good mood? If not I think I'll have a nap and speak to him later." She yawned unexpectedly and went limp in Kili's arms as a wave of weariness fell over her.

"He is pleased you have returned safe. Bilbo made it back several months ago so we were all worried as to what was taking you so long. Have you been using your powers again?"
Kili began walking back towards Erebor, the gates not too far to walk whilst carrying his One. Menewa and Kajika fell in behind the Dwarf Prince and behind them Rannoch came from the trees with Tauriel on his back still.

Kili bristled as he heard the stag's hooves but settled for just glaring at Rannoch.

"I haven't been using them that much." Kiyiya said meekly and felt Kili's hands tighten around her arms and under her legs.

"Hmm." She could tell her husband didn't believe her but Kili knew she would not use her powers without good cause. He always remembered the time she had driven herself to the brink of exhaustion and collapsed for several days after using the gift bestowed upon her by the Magatama. It had not been a pleasant time for the Dwarf Prince and he worried whenever she used her powers that she would become overwhelmed by the emotions and forget her limitations.

"I have news from Lothlorien and from Frodo." Kiyiya waited for a few moments before speaking again.

"I think an audience with the King and the Company should come first."

Kili began to protest but Kiyiya cut him off.

"As soon as I've delivered the news we can go to our chambers and I promise I'll eat and rest. I need to rest for at least two weeks before I return west."

Kili strode through the streets and stairways of Erebor, Dwarves and Men parting before the two Royals and their entourage. Rannoch had transformed at the gates and was now one of the tallest beings loping through Erebor and could be seen over the heads of all the Dwarves. The black-skinned Mihashira was only dwarfed in height by Kaji and Mene who were sniffing the air of their home and noting all the slight changes.

"Open the doors." Prince Kili commanded to the guards who stood in front of the throne room's great stone doors.

The doors swung open and Kili marched through barely breaking his stride at the slight hesitation the guards made at the sight of Kiyiya cradled tenderly in his arms. It was not often that Kiyiya allowed any to see her in a less than strong and commanding state and alongside Princess Dis she was the second most fearsome woman in Erebor.

As it was the guards did not envy Prince Kili or Princess Kiyiya at the worried exclamations and general uproar that suddenly began when the King, His Consort and Princess Dis spotted Kili carrying Kiyiya into the throne room.
The great hall which had been full of nobles, miners, craftsmen and other Dwarves soon emptied out until only the King, Consort, Dis and the Company remained along with Kiyiya's entourage.

"What happened?" Dis said as she marched down the small flight of steps that led to the throne. Kili stood before the throne and waited until a chair had been fetched for him before slowly and carefully sitting down in it with Kiyiya still cradled in his arms.

Dis stopped by the chair and grabbed Kiyiya's face taking in the Wolf Princess's sunken eyes and pale skin. The Dwarrow was not pleased at her daughter-in-law's state and turned to fix Rannoch and Tauriel with a hard gaze that threatened retribution if they had allowed harm to befall Kiyiya.

"For once it isn't my fault Little Wolf is like this your Majesty." Rannoch snapped at the Dwarrow and Dis glared before turning back and returning to stand by the King.

"Hello everybody." Kiyiya said softly and the room fell silent as she spoke. Her tired eyes looked at the faces before her and she bit her lip at the news she was about to impart.

"There is much to talk about and I have grievous news to tell you all." She bit her lip and then sighed before speaking.

"Frodo is making his way to Mordor with the One Ring." Her voice rang in the great empty space and was met with stunned silence. For once the Company did not erupt into shouts and exclamations and Kiyiya took the opportunity to carry on with her news.

"He and several companions made their way from Rivendell, ten to be precise. Frodo, Meriadoc Brandybuck, Peregrine Took, Samwise Gamgee, four Hobbits from the Shire. Legolas Thranduilion and Gimli son of Gloin joined them too as well as two Men: Boromir Captain of Gondor, son of Denethor and Aragorn son of Arathorn, better known to the Company as Estel. Gandalf the Grey was also a member of their group as well as a newcomer to Middle Earth, one of my people. An Ame-no-Mihashira who has been prophesied to come to Middle Earth when the balance wavers."

Kiyiya shifted slightly on Kili's lap and bit back a groan of weariness.

"They have travelled far and were met with many obstacles. Their journey took them through the Mines of Moria."

Dwalin pushed his way forward as did Dori and Nori. Kiyiya glanced around to see if Gloin had returned but could see no sign of the Dwarf.

"Well lass? What of my brother?" Dwalin said eagerly his face alight with hope.

Kiyiya shook her head and watched in despair as the three Dwarves began to crumple. She could feel their sorrow beating at her and pressed further back into Kili's embrace. Her husband wasted no time in pressing kisses to her hair and stroking the curve of her hip with his thumb all the while whispering how much he loved her and how strong and kind and brave she was. It was Kili's words that gave her the courage to voice what the Company had long feared.

"They took Moria back for a time. But there was a darkness there. Balin, Ori and Oin did not survive the mines, nor did any of the Dwarves who ventured in with them. The Dwarves were not the only casualty. Gandalf the Grey fell battling a Balrog that had long been slumbering in the depths of Moria."

Dwalin and Dori raged at her words, shouting their sorrow aloud in wordless cries, whilst Nori slipped back into the shadows to hide his grief. Eventually the two strong Dwarves subsided and wiping tears from their beards they bowed in thanks to Kiyiya for returning with the news that they had long been anticipating and dreading.

"The Fellowship has been forced apart; Frodo and Samwise are journeying alone to Mordor. Pippin and Merry have been capture by Saruman's Uruk-hai and Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are in pursuit. Boromir of Gondor died after my siblings and I had returned him to his city. I would not expect any kind counsel or friendship from Denethor. He believed I was at fault for his son's death and attempted to prevent me leaving Minas Tirith."

The King growled and leant forward, his blue eyes glinting with anger as he looked over Kiyiya as if expecting to see signs of restraint.

"He failed of course." Kiyiya said lightly before continuing. "Amaterasu, the leader of the Mihashira has been corrupted. I cannot explain it fully as it is something that can only happen to a full-blooded Mihashira, but Rannoch can. What I must tell you my King, is that we should prepare for war on all fronts. Mordor lies to the South of us and I have already warned Queen Sigrid of what may come to pass. To the east lies Rhun and there are rumours that the Easterlings are preparing for war, if they join forces with Sauron he will send them to strike Gondor and destroy the seat of the King. They will not pass through our lands peacefully however and we should be prepared to defend the Mountain once more."

The King nodded and settled back into the throne.

"And what of you Wolf Princess? Why did you venture into Thranduil's kingdom alone? We all know of the promise you made to him, has that time truly come?"

Kiyiya stared up at Thorin Oakenshield and nodded gravely. King Thorin sighed and weariness passed briefly over his face.

"I have retrieved the blade and with your leave my King I will venture west once more to return to Amaterasu. She already has the mirror which Galadriel held in her keeping and the Magatama was last seen in Orochi's claws outside this very mountain. Two of the Heavenly Treasures may help her in fighting the darkness that has woken within Mordor for not only Sauron has been spreading his evil but I believe Tsukiyomi has risen."

Behind her Kiyiya felt rather than heard Rannoch suddenly grow tense. Rage filled the air and with one last burst of energy Kiyiya leapt from Kili's lap and flung herself at Rannoch attempting to stop the rage from consuming him.

As her hand fell upon his bare arm however she realised it was too late and gasped in pain as his berserker rage swamped her.

The Company leapt into action as did Tauriel with the Dwarves quickly bringing their weapons out ready to defend King Thorin and his Consort who remained on their thrones but poised to move if necessary.

Tauriel cursed and drew her daggers.

"It has been a long time my friend." She said mockingly and Rannoch roared before charging at the elf maiden. Kiyiya was flung from his side but did not go very far as Kili caught her and wrapped himself around her to protect her vulnerable form from the hard rock. The Wolf Princess groaned and mumbled to Kili. Her speech was slow and slurred as slumber beckoned her to come rest and her lips barely moved as she tried to form the words. Her eyelids began slowly batting and falling until they were almost entirely closed.

"Too tired my love."

"I know Zinlaz (star). You rest now. When you wake up I will make sure Bombur has cooked your favourites for you."

Kiyiya growled in appreciation and despite the cacophony of noise that was ringing round the throne room and the many curses flying through the air in Elvish, Khuzdul and Common tongue she found herself drifting to sleep, lulled by her husband's hands slowly rubbing her head.

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

The Warg attack was completely unexpected. Well Aneira assumed it was unexpected by the way the Rohirrim women and children panicked and began fleeing towards the general direction of the Hornburg and the way the mounted soldiers wheeled around on their horses waiting for directions.

Aneira was sat in front of Aragorn in her human form and found the cacophony and kerfuffle very disconcerting. The Ranger wasted no time in slipping his hands under her shoulders and lifting her off Hasufel and down onto the ground.

Aneira stumbled away from the brown horse and then turned around to look at Aragorn with a bewildered and terrified look.

She could not understand why he had sent her in Eowyn's direction. The Rohirrim lady grabbed her elbow and began dragging the unresisting but uncooperative Mihashira along.

"Come on Aneira!" She panted and Aneira trotted to keep up with the taller female.

"I don't understand." Aneira said. "Where is Aragorn going? And Legolas and Gimli?"

"Wargs and orcs are attacking us. We need to get the women, children and elderly away so that the soldiers can concentrate on stopping the orcs before they reach us. Now come on!" Eowyn snapped and tugged hard on Aneira's arm.

The Mihashira stumbled and crashed to the ground with her hands spread in front of her to try and stop her fall. Mud and grass were ploughed up under her fall and she winced at the pain that shot up her knees.

"Aneira!" Eowyn's voice rang out through the noise that was surrounding Aneira but the Mihashira could not see the blonde for all the people rushing past her. Aneira shifted into her tigress form and tried to weave her way through the people towards Eowyn but was forced to separate herself from the civilians when several of the mules pulling carts reared and cried out at her presence.

Aneira snarled silently at the stream of people and moved away from their unaware boots which had already kicked her several times in the flank and almost trodden on her tail. She glanced down the stream of people but could not spot Eowyn at all.

Behind her the sounds of battle and the cries of men filtered through her ears and her eyes widened as blood drifted on the wind towards her. Aneira shifted her gaze behind her and knew that just over the hill the Men of Rohan and her friends were battling to protect the innocent people trying to flee.

Her mind was made up and Aneira grit her teeth before running up the hill, her body stretching and her claws gouging the earth until she was speeding across the ground, a white blur that leapt and tore an unaware orc from its warg's saddle and drove her teeth into the orc's neck killing it instantly.

There were shouts and screams coming from every direction. Aneira watched in horror as one of the Rohirrim was taken from his mount and an orc blade was driven through his stomach. The Rohirrim were getting massacred.

The tigress scanned the battlefield searching for her companions and she saw Gimli facing down a warg and Legolas riding a white horse and shooting any evil creature that crossed his path. King Theoden was hacking down orc after orc despite only having one good arm and Aneira watched as his guard protected his back.

The tigress fought on, taking down orc after orc and after what seemed like hours but was in reality only mere minutes the enemy's numbers seemed to be diminishing. Aneira yelped and growled suddenly as an orc mace hit her side and sent her tumbling across the ground towards the cliff edge. She scrambled back to her feet and prepared to join the fray once more when she saw Aragorn being drug towards her by a warg.

The Ranger's arm had been caught up in the straps of the crude saddle that sat upon the beast and the rider less warg was charging forward with no direction or sense of danger.

"Aragorn!" Aneira cried and lunged forward trying to prise the Ranger's arm from the warg's saddle but to no avail. The great beast snapped at her flanks as she tried to claw the saddle off and she was forced to cling on and evade the warg's teeth.

"Let go!" Aragorn yelled but Aneira growled and tore at the saddle with her claws. Her gold eyes widened as she saw the edge of the cliff approaching and she sank her claws in desperately trying to get the warg to stop or turn but the pain only incensed the creature and drove it forward.

Aragorn shut his eyes and pulled himself into the warg's body as they went over the cliff and Aneira clung on for dear life and hoped that the stop at the bottom of their fall would not be too painful.

With a great 'splash' and a resounding 'smack' they plunged into the choppy waters of the river and Aneira released the warg in shock. She felt her body being propelled along by the currents and she held her breath as the water buffeted and crashed upon her lithe form.

She could just about see the warg which was unconscious or dead being tumbled in front of her and to her horror Aragorn was being dragged along limply behind it, his coat billowing in the water. She tried to reach his side but when her head broke the water she could not see him.

"Aragorn!" She called and hoped he would hear her. The river swelled and pushed her under once more but this time she was not so lucky and her head slammed into a large boulder that had been smoothed over time by the water's flow but had not been diminished enough.

She felt the crack of her head as it hit the rock and then the pain shot through her already confused and bewildered mind before her vision began to blur and the last thing she could recall was seeing Aragorn floating away from her…

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

A/N: Okay this chapter has been such a pain to write. It's one of those awkward transition chapters where stuff happens but it isn't too important to Ammy's plot but it needs to be said… I do not like this chapter. It has taken three slices of apple pie, several weeks and the last two night's revision to reach this standard and I can't work on it anymore or I'll go nuts.
In other news Dirty Paws chapter 5 should hopefully be up by the 5th December! So any of you interested in Kiyiya's story should check it out!

Please leave a review if you hated or enjoyed this chapter! I want to know what you guys think, truly I do.

Thanks:
Counting Sinful Stars – I have no idea what's going on! And I'm writing the damn thing!
unicornsinpink300 , Emzy2k11,
The- artistic- bookworm – I'm so pleased you stumbled across B&GWD! Romance should be coming up in the next few chapters or so, I've been trying to drop hints but with Ammy's current mental state she isn't entirely sure what she's feeling so it isn't easy!
Teithril – not my longest gap between updates so yay! I'm afraid begging will not speed up the updating, I write when I have the time and motivation and I'm also working on my own original work so my time is divided between reality and writing and then the writing goes to whichever brain child is most persistent. At the moment it's Kiyiya's story but not the chapters I want to be writing, for example I've written what I think is going to be the last three chapters of Dirty Paws but I'm only halfway through chapter 5… My creations do not obey me so begging will do nothing apart from flatter my ego!
Shadowhunter426,
Valkyrie1411 – Thanks for creating an account to vote on the poll and for re-reading my random tale.
St-Atrocity – wow one sitting?! I bet your eyes are tired, I can't even read the stuff I'm writing without taking a break every five minutes. You are correct, Gravestone was the answer to the riddle!