Chapter Fourteen
Up, up, and down?

This freaking path is freezing. I mean it. It's like in the negatives it's so cold, and yet the guys keep on trekking.

Meanwhile, I contemplate that if I jump how long it will take to hit the bottom. If I defrost on the way down, then it would be worth it.

Even though I can stand on the snow, I have to keep hauling various people that get stuck in the thick slush. My fingers are purple and painful. Everyone's faces are red from the windburn.

The hobbits had long ago stopped walking, too frozen to move. They had to be carried by all the men. And besides the little incident with Frodo dropping the ring earlier and Boromir not wanting to give my, ahm, Frodo's ring back, nothing happened. All we did was keep following Gandalf step after step up this God forsaken mountain! Delilah was also being carried by Aragorn. She had fainted after ten minutes of walking. Even though I could stay on top of most of the snow, my wet wings hung down like a dead weight tied to my back.

"Free-ee-zzz-zz-ing."

Colyne chattered. Knees deep in the frosty enemy, she could barely stand. Every vein on her arms and face were purple, showing through her pale skin. I tried hauling her up a few inches.

"Tthannkss."

I was really concerned now. We could all die up here of hypothermia. Well, not Legolas. The elf was walking on top of the snow, as if it were a cloud. Besides the wind messing up his hair, he wasn't freezing as far as I could tell. It was almost godly. Just then, a deep accented voice rang through the air.

"Klamnfjnvj. Ndejfjeb. Osnvingli. Melonisnamd."

"There is a fell voice in the air." Legolas yelled.

"No really? I couldn't tell." I screamed to no one in particular. I was just cranky.

"It's Sauraman!" Gandalf shouted.

I super-listened, but the chilling words weren't in Sindarian, but the Black Tongue of Mordor, which I didn't know, nor would I want to.

I didn't want to go any further.

"Guyss. Guys-" My breathe turned to ice in front of me, giving me a frosted mustache. I didn't have time to finish my sentence. The side of this stupid freaking cold mountain came crashing down.

"Don't. Move. Vanessa." I opened my eyes. Then closed them. Sweat dripped off my forehead, despite it being anything but hot. I opened them again, but when I did, I didn't wake up from this bad dream like I thought I would.

"Crap!" I cursed in English, too scared to move a muscle.

I was hanging over the mountain's cliff, and the fossilized tree root that I had somehow wrapped my numb fingers around was the only thing holding me from certain death.

The snow had settled, and several scared faces were looking down at me.

"Hold on!" cried Nick.

"I'm trying!" I screamed.

"Help me up!"

Gandalf reached down his staff.
"Grab onto this."

Numbly, I did as told. But, my fingers were beyond listening to my head. The slippery surface of the wood went right through my hands. I reached back to the root. I was only maybe 4 feet down from the cliff's edge. Maybe I could climb? But no, there was nothing to hold onto. And no plants. The Earth wouldn't save me this time. But maybe my wings could...

"I need to grab somebody's hand. Then I could brace myself against the cliff, and my wings will propel me up."

Nick yelled, "I'm coming!"

Taking his sword out, he gave it to Mark, and leaned over the side. Forming a human chain, with Aragorn at the head, Nick was lowered down close enough for me to touch his hand.

"Closer." I whispered. Finally when half his torso was over the edge, I could stand up straight. I willed my wings to flutter. They listened, unlike my bad fingers.

"Okay, now pull up." I said breathlessly.

"Back up guys." Nick yelled. The fellowship backed up as far as they could, and I began to move up. A little too fast. The inertia created by my wings pushed me forward fast.

"Woah! Stop!"

Nick was already over the edge, and I let go of his hands. Big mistake.

"Ahhh!"

CRASH! OW! Flop!

"Nice landing Vanessa." Lauren said. Some people snickered. I shook my broken skull. And looked right into Legolas' Elvish eyes. I had landed right on top of him, in a very commanding position. He cocked his head to the side.

"I would say that was a very graceful landing."

I laughed nervously.

"Hehehe…yeah…sorry."

People were waiting for me to get up, so I did. Now I know I was sweating. Was it hot in here or what?

Walking over to Nick, who I noticed looked a bit put out; I thanked him with a hug. He beamed, as not only his friends but the fellowship acknowledged him. Exhausted, I curled up onto the snow against the rock wall. The sound of more debating filled the air. Obviously we couldn't keep it up this way, but now I was too sleepy to care. Everyone slowly faded from view.

Dream world had a new special for me tonight: Big Bird and Barney dancing with Katy Perry, while "I kissed a girl" played. Go figure.