1) clouds
2) someone making a bet
3) a disease
4) bubbles

Read the Opposition

I sighed loudly. Telling this tale was getting too harsh. Bringing back bad memories. Horrible. Coming from my na�ve role in Grenada, California, I thought everything would be the same as in �Lord of the Rings�, the first journey.

I was wrong.

I opened my mouth to continue, just as I heard the door open and Frodo walk in.

"I'm home!" he called.

Nikki and Sam ran to the door. Even though Sam was in his late tweens, and Nikki was fast approaching the age of Thirty-three, they still acted childish sometimes. Frodo walked into the kitchen, where I had been beginning to tell the tale of our journey to the children. He raised one eyebrow, a feat I had many times tried to master but never could. When I saw him do this, it strongly reminded me of one of my friends back home. I swallowed. I missed home. The woods, the fields.... Wait, that was here I was describing. I think I'd seen the Lord of the Rings movie too many times...

"How much did you tell them?" he asked in a whisper only I could hear.

"Not very far..." I thought at him, utilizing our power of mind-communication he had shown me all those years ago�

"Still haven't lost the talent, after all these long years," He thought back.

I grinned, but Nikki had just seen us and was gawking at us like we were crazy.

"We probably shouldn't tell them anymore for now." He said. I privately agreed, though did not say so.

~Two hours later~

After all the chores were done, Frodo was still away. He and Merry and Pippin were visiting, for Merry and Pippin had just gotten back from a trip they took to Bree. This time, they really WERE writing a book, trying to inspire hobbits of the Shire to strengthen their connections with the peoples of Bree. Nikki walked in, and saw me. I had my chin in my hand, and was staring off into space. She frowned, and walked over to me.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," I said, the tone I used reminding me of Gandalf in Rivendell.

~Flashback~

So, we were walking along, First Strider, then Frodo, then I, and Merry and Pippin in the back. I heard Frodo draw breath as the watchtower Amon Sul came into view. I rightly guessed that He was having very painful memories flood back. I placed a hand on his shoulder.

As soon as we had pitched camp, Aragorn pulled out a sheath and handed it to me.

"This sword is yours now. Keep it close."

I laughed inwardly. "D�j� vu," I said, quietly.

"Don't worry," Merry began.

"We won�t be as stupid this time." Pippin finished.

"You'd better not," Sam growled.

Twenty minutes later found our camp quiet, dark, and guarded by Frodo. He had volunteered, for god knew why, to be first watch.

Later in the night, Aragorn was shaking me awake. "Wake up," he said frantically. "The nazgul are coming."

Frodo crouched down by me. "You alright? He asked.

"Yes," I answered, suddenly fully alert and fearful. He held out a hand to me, and I took it. I stood up, and we all watched, as if in slow motion, the eight ring wraiths coming towards us. My eyes widened. Next to me, I heard Sam draw breath sharply and Frodo cringe.

As soon as the camp was surrounded, and everyone was fighting a couple of ring wraiths at a time, with Aragorn taking on three, all of it became too much for me. I stumbled backward, falling down hard.

"NO!" Frodo shouted. He dodged through the fray and put himself between the ring wraith and me. He then proceeded to attempt to save himself also, and started to drive it away with his sword. I heard horrible shrieks as several of the wraiths fled, leaving three, and Merry and Pippin were chasing after one, while Aragorn, Sam, and Frodo worked at the other two. As soon as I regained my sense of balance and drew my sword from its sheath, one of the wraiths was already standing over Frodo, who had, in all the confusion, fallen and gone unnoticed. The wraith raised its sword, and I lost my senses as I ran over. I flung myself over Frodo, shielding him from the ring wraiths' blows, and screamed out as I felt the Morgul weapon of the horrible creature bearing down on my back. It was then that everything went dark as I lost my memory.

~End Flashback~

"You sure you're alright?" Nikki asked.

"Yeah, fine." I replied, getting up at the sound of an approaching horse cart. I heard Frodo talking, sounding very excited, but I couldn't quite make out the words. As soon as I walked outside to see who was here, my face broke into a huge smile. I hadn't seen him for at least forty years.

"Gandalf!" I exclaimed, as I ran to the old wizard.

"Look who I found," Frodo said, also sporting a big grin.

"Come in!� I nearly shouted in my excitement, motioning for the old wizard to enter.

As soon as we had all clambered into the house, I began to stutter. I wondered how it was that, after all these years, Gandalf was actually alive. After Gwalahir had come to get us, through word of Bilbo, and Gandalf was not with him, we had finally feared for the worst. Gandalf, so we thought, had finally fallen.

And now we were proven wrong.

"And who are these young ones?" Gandalf asked.

"Oh... this is Nikki and this is Sam... This is Gandalf, kids. A very old friend." I caught Gandalf's eyes as Frodo said this, and he smiled.

"Speaking of Sam, where is the old rascal?"

Frodo and I exchanged glances sadly.

"But, Gandalf, I thought you were..." I trailed off.

"Yes, as I thought of you. But, when I finally made my way from the Grey Havens to Middle Earth. Gwalahir told me of your life, I made haste to the Shire."

I looked down, stirring my tea.

"What's wrong?" The wizard asked concernedly.

"Sam is..." I trailed off.

"Sam is... dead." I finished.

Gandalf's smile very quickly faded into a look of horrified sadness. The children each bore a look of confusion.

"Samwise Gamgee. A very old and very dear friend to your father for many years and a wonderful companion and friend of mine for a year."

"I'm sorry," Nikki said softly. "I never knew."

"We didn't want to tell you yet, but your father and I are, well, not exactly who we might appear to be." I said.

"Ah." Said Gandalf. "So, you haven't told them yet?"

"Of course not." Frodo said. "They're much too young. But we had agreed that we would tell them the basics of what happened, leaving out all the violence, until they're ready."

"I see. So, how did he die?"

~Flashback~

As we started off, once more waking to find the morning shadowed and scarred with darkness, I could feel the immense weight of the ring pulling me slowly but surely downward.

"You okay?" asked Frodo.

I sent a look in his direction. "What do you think?" I asked. He raised one eyebrow. "Jeez, you remind me of Rachel." I said. He frowned. "Nevermind." I said, yearning for home. I hadn't been there for nine months. After Gandalf had told me I might never be able to return, I was affixed to my mission and gave no thought to tomorrow, for I did not know if it would come. As the slope greatly increased, the weight grew heavier and heavier. I didn't think I could bear it any longer. As we neared the top, my vision blurred. All I could see was a slightly lighter gray slope, which was the mountain in front of me, and a darker black beyond that. The ground began to level off as we came to the summit. My breath began to come in sharp, painful, rasping intakes of air. Frodo patted me on the shoulder and I took comfort enough in that small gesture that I could go on.

We had finally reached the summit of Mount Doom.

Just as we had reached the top, I heard a noise behind us. I looked back, and Frodo and Sam were fighting two Orcs.

"Leah! Go!" I heard Frodo exclaim as his Orc drew closer and made him edge back. I was at indecision. Risk my life and the quest in going over and helping, or go to the chasm and fulfill my duty and leave Frodo and Sam to their own protection?

I had, during my journey, found that indecision is often worse than the wrong choice, so I hesitated little before I ran to the mountain.

I then heard a yell and turned around to see Frodo sprinting towards me. He did not look like himself. As I fumbled with the ring's chain, trying to achieve my task and worrying about Frodo at the same time, he caught up with me. As he grasped the chain around my neck, slowly strangling me, I thought desperately. Wait.... This seemed familiar almost... What did Sam do when Gollum was strangling him?

So, using my last inspiration, I unlatched the chain and threw myself backwards.

Several things happened at once. I heard a sickening crack as Frodo's head collided with the ground, and I stumbled blindly in the direction of the chasm of doom. Then, I heard Sam's voice, calling Frodo's voice faintly, as I, finally regaining my senses, stumbled over to the place where I was to fulfill my quest... I heard a yell as I dropped the ring into the fire. I spun around and the last thing I saw was two figures, lying on the ground. I didn't have consciousness enough to make sense of it.

When I woke up, some time later, I was alone. Gathering what little strength I had, I weakly crawled over to where Frodo was. He looked to be dead. I prayed to god, or to anyone who would listen, that he was not. I frowned, trying to remember any fragment of what I'd learned in that stupid safety camp my mom had made me go to before third grade. I squinted in the grey dawn's light, trying to see where his wrist was so I could take a pulse.

Oh, yeah. The pulse is strongest at the neck. I put my hand up to his neck, and at the same time bent over to see if I could hear any sign of breath or life. There was no pulse that I could feel.

I panicked. So, he was dead. I had to do something, but what? I finally decided that, seeing as how it would be what Frodo would have wanted me to do, I crawled over to the other shape.

Even though he was lying face-down, I could still recognize the figure as Sam. The back of his cloak was stained with blood, and a sword was protruding from his back. I shakily reached out a hand to pull it out, before recoiling. If there was any chance at all that he could have life in him, which I seriously doubted, it would be best not to pull the sword out, as it was currently stemming the bleeding. I tried to think clearly. What would they have done? My mind suddenly went back to Tom Bombadil. I did the first thing I thought of.

"Help! Help!" I cried, but my voice was lost on the ever-whistling wind. "Help!" I tried again, but it seemed useless. I looked over into the ever-rising fires of Mt. Doom. So, the fellowship had come to an end. I was about to give up when a familiar sound came over me... Like a bird calling... I spun around, to see Gwalahir and one other eagle coming... But Gandalf was not with them. I ran to where Frodo was and started waving my arms.

I had then woken up in Rivendell, a week later, to find that Frodo had somehow been mended by the elves. Sam was not with us, as the eagles had overlooked him, and a funeral service had been held the day after we woke up.

~End Flashback~

"Well, the reason I made such haste was because Gwalahir gave me a message when he told me you were alive... A written message. With the seal of Mordor." Gandalf said.

At this, He took out a sealed envelope and handed it to Frodo. He frowned, and looked up at Gandalf, who nodded. The children's eyebrows were knitted together in utter confusion.

"Mordor?" Nikki said. "But... isn't that where Mount Doom is?"

"Yes." I replied, without looking up. Frodo had now opened the letter.

We looked at the signature on the letter and everything became blurry.

Signed, Samwise Gamgee

So he was alive! We then read the letter out loud.

"Frodo and Leah Baggins, I have your friend, Sam Gamgee as he calls himself, here at my fortress of Cirith Ungol. He will be executed on the 22nd of January. Signed, Grima Wormtounge. Signed, Samwise Gamgee"

We looked up at Gandalf, whose face was solemn.

"We have to go get him," Said Both Frodo and I at the same time. �It�s a trap, so we should be extremely precautious, but we can�t let him die!� I added. Gandalf smiled.

"No, we cannot leave him. As it is still early March, we have enough time to reach Mordor by next January. I will help you, as will the others, I am sure."

As he said this, Merry and Pippin burst into the room.

"Right on cue," noted Gandalf.

"You seriously need to get eavesdropping lessons." I said, with a laugh. "I want go as soon as possible, but we can't leave the children for that long."

"Of course you can't. We're coming with you!" said Nikki and Sam together.

"You can't." I said. "The road is too dangerous. I can't allow you to come."

"Well, don't forget, they're both older than Merry and I when we went the first time," Said Pippin, with a wink at the children.

"PIPPIN!" I said. "YOU'RE NOT HELPING!"

"Of course not."

"well," said Frodo cautiously, "They do have a point."

I was exasperated. I threw my arms in the air. "I give up," I said.

"Good. I wouldn't want you to waste your time. After all, you were only twelve when you went on YOUR journey."

I scowled at Frodo. "Okay, I'm going to go start getting things ready."

"I'll get all the ponies." Said Merry. He left and Pippin followed him.

Frodo, Nikki, and Sam left to get everything else ready.

"I'm glad you're back." I told Gandalf before following them.

"So am I, so am I."

~Three Days later~

"So, we've reached Crickhollow," Frodo said, once he'd reached the cottage Frodo had still not gotten rid of after his journey so many years ago (he never knew when he might need it).

"We're leaving first thing tomorrow." Pippin said.

"Which way are we going? Certainly not..." I said.

"I know a pretty good shortcut we could take," Nikki said, trying her best to be helpful.

Pippin, Merry, Frodo, and I all looked at each other for about three seconds and then turned and looked at Nikki.

"No," we all said at the same time. Gandalf laughed.

"What?" she said, looking from person to person.

"Umm.... Nothing." I said.

"Well, I guess we might as well go in the direction of the Old Forest." Said Frodo dejectedly.

"Yeah." I agreed. "It certainly looks like the only safe plan from here. We'll just have to be very careful this time and make sure NOT to take a rest until we get through it."

So, the next morning, we were walking through the forest, and I started singing a song I had remembered from long ago, when I lived in my world.

w you met me, you don't know why, you can't turn around and say good-bye, all you know is when I'm with you, I make you free, and swim through your veins like a fish in the sea.

�I'm singin', follow me, everything is all right, I'll be the one to tuck you in at night, and if you want to leave I can guarantee, you won't find nobody else like me.�

I then stopped singing and realized Nikki and Sam were looking at me. This song had been one of my favorites to sing when I was on my first journey, so, naturally, Gandalf, Frodo, Merry, and Pippin knew it.

"What song is that, Mom?" Sam asked curiously.

"Oh, just a song I know." I replied. Frodo then started to sing softly, where I had left off, and our voices began to blend together.

�I'm not worried `bout the ring you wear, `cause as long as no one knows, then nobody can care.�

We fell silent, and a drape of quietness fell over the seven of us. As we neared the Barrow-Downs without yet meeting Tom Bombadil, the Withywindle, or Old Man Willow, we felt fairly relieved. As it grew dark and we neared Bree, I began to warn Nikki and Sam against the atmosphere of the inn.

"Don't talk to strangers," I said. �God, I sound like my mom.� I thought to myself.

"Yeah, Yeah, mom. We know the drill. Don't worry." Sam said.

"And, whatever you do, do not dance on a table," said Pippin, snickering.

"And don't TELL anyone your real name." Frodo said, glaring at Pippin. "We're the Underhills from now on."

Gandalf laughed, a twinkle in his eye.

Same old wizard, I thought, and began to hum.

When we had reached the Prancing Pony and checked into our rooms, no one was tired, so we went down to join in and perhaps get something to eat.

Once we had reached the main part of the inn and sat down at a table, Nikki and Sam started looking around. When they had taken in all that was to be seen, and sampled the wonderful beer that everyone loved, they started whispering and looking to the corner where two people in hoods were sitting. One was wearing an overlarge elven-cloak, and the other a plain black cloak.

"Those people have done nothing but stare at us since we arrived." Sam finally quietly announced to us. When I saw who they were talking about and looked around, I looked at Frodo. Something seemed all too familiar about this. The men straightened up in their chairs just as Barliaman passed.

"Who are those men in the corner?" I asked him.

"Not sure.... All I know's that one's an elf, the other a human. A ranger, I think."

Gandalf's eyes twinkled.

"Aragorn! Legolas!" Frodo whispered. With a grin, Frodo and I went over to the �strangers�.

�Long time, no see,� I said with a grin. They pulled their hoods back to reveal the king and the elf prince we had not seen for so long.

�So we meet once more,� Legolas said, as we all walked back over to where the others were sitting.

�So nice to see you again,� said Gandalf. Merry and Pippin just smiled, and Nikki and Sam looked to be very confused.

�And who are these children?� Aragorn asked, raising an eyebrow at Frodo and I.

�How is it all you guys can to that? Jeez! Some people have all the talent.� I said. Aragorn looked confused.

�Nevermind.� I said.

�This is Nikki and Sam, our children.� Frodo said, smiling. Aragorn raised the other eyebrow, then lowered them and smiled. �So, what are you guys doing this time around?� Legolas asked.

�Trying to� well, take a look at this.� Frodo pulled the letter out of his pocket and handed him the letter to the elf.

�From Mordor.� He remarked. He read it, eyes widening at the signature and date, and handed it back to Frodo.

�And I hope you�re not even thinking about leaving us behind.� Aragorn said.

�Of course not.� Gandalf said.

~Two days later~

So, we had reached Weathertop, the tower of Amon-Sul. We had camped out and lit a fire, not expecting wraiths this time. Nikki and Legolas were sitting a little way from the fire, talking, Aragorn, having given Nikki and Sam swords (did he just cart around a bunch of swords just in case he met up with an ally who did not yet have a weapon!?), was teaching Sam how to use his, and everyone else but Frodo and I were sitting around the fire. Frodo and I sat on the edge of the tower, looking at the stars. I sighed.

�It�s beautiful, isn�t it?� he asked.

�Yes,� I replied, �but very cold.� I was shivering through my cloak. He put his arm around me, and I leaned in and put my head on his chest.

�This is the way it should be,� he said. �Just you, me, and the sky above.�

I laughed. �Frodo,� I said, �I love you.�

�and I love you.� He replied, before leaning in and kissing me.

~Meanwhile�~
~Nikki�s POV~

There I sat, next to Legolas. He was telling me great tales of elves, of Rivendell, of his journeys. I did not know why, but his eyes seemed enchanting since I first set my sight on them. When we first met, he had even winked at me� a small, private wink, which nobody else had seen. I was beginning to wonder if perhaps there was more to that wink than I had originally thought�

~Leah�s POV~

When at last we separated, we were both smiling. I yawned before leaning back in against his chest and closing my eyes, the gentle rhythm of his breath and heartbeat lulling me off to sleep.

Two hours later, I was being shaken awake. Something seemed familiar about this. I opened my eyes to see Frodo, his eyes wide and looking frantic.

�Wraiths,� He breathed.

�The children!� I exclaimed, and grabbed my sword. We ran as fast as we could back to camp, but it was too late. Two Wraiths stood over Nikki and Sam, with their swords raised high above them. The children exchanged glances, terrified. Even as we ran, the Nazgul screamed and brought down their swords, stabbing Nikki�s left shoulder and Sam�s right. We kept running, hoping to ward them off before they could do any further damage. Legolas, Gandalf, Merry, Pippin, and Aragorn apparently had the same idea, as they were chasing after the other Wraiths. When we got to where the children had lain, both were in severe pain. The wraiths had backed off a little and were now advancing upon us. We looked at each other and ran towards them, screaming.

I was never sure how exactly I made it through that night. Everything seemed blurry, but somehow we drove the wraiths out of our camp and started off towards Rivendell.

�We have to hope,� said Gandalf, with a faint trace of a smile, �That the children are as strong as their parents.� Frodo and I looked at each other with worried glances. We were taking turns carrying Sam, he being the youngest and lightest, while Legolas bore Nikki.

�Hold on,� he whispered in her ear.

�I will,� She said back, and tightened her grip around his shoulders.

Later that night, when we had finally decided to pull back and see if we could find Athelas, Two people rode into our camp while Aragorn and Frodo were still out looking for the weed. �Ah,� said Gandalf, startling me. �So nice to see you, Arwen, Glorfindel.� I spun around, hoping to see whom I most wanted to at that moment.

It was none other than Glorfindel and Arwen, exactly who I was expecting.

�Thank god you�re here.� I said.

�What?� Said Glorfindel, looking confused.

�We�ve had a bit of trouble,� Said Gandalf, pointing to Nikki and Sam. Glorfindel and Arwen headed over to where I was tending the wounds of the children with herbs.

Eventually, after everyone got back to the camp and talked it over, it was decided that Legolas and I would go ahead on the horses, Legolas with Nikki (they had become fast friends) and I with Sam. We set out after an hour�s rest, most of which I spent talking to Frodo.

�Do you think they�ll make it?� I asked him, meaning Sam and Nikki.

�I think so. I hope so, at any rate.� He replied. This made me fall silent for a while, because I was very worried about the children.

�Are you sure you want to go?� He asked. �I would go in your place,�

�I would accept, but I would rather go ahead with them. I�m very worried, and I want to be there when they get to Rivendell.� I said. He smiled, and put a protective arm around me.

�I love you,� he whispered.

�And I you, more than time can tell.� I said with a smile, and got up as I saw Legolas begin to mount his horse and beckon to me. I walked over to where the children lay, checking one last time to make sure their cloaks were secure and their makeshift bandages properly in place, and then carefully picked up Nikki and placed her on the horse in front of Legolas. He put one arm around her, keeping the other hand on the reigns. I placed Sam on the other horse, and carefully climbed up into the saddle behind him. Frodo came to see me off. He smiled.

�Ride hard. And don�t look back.� He said. I smiled, as I recognized this as the same thing Aragorn had said to Arwen.

�I will. Be careful and don�t worry. I will not let them fall into the shadow.� And with that, Legolas and I rode off.

That night was one of the longest of my life, like most miserable nights. The next day, as we neared the river that outlined the borders of Rivendell, Sam and Nikki seemed to sag. Legolas and I exchanged worried glances.

We urged them ever frequently to hold on, to hang in there, but it was almost lost, just a comfort to ourselves. Just as I was about to give up hope, Legolas gave a loud cry. We had reached Rivendell.

I don�t know how long I sat near Elrond, who was saying various chants and prayers over the children, and changing the dressings on the wounds every once in a while. Eventually, he stood up, brushing off his hands after changing the bandages for the final time. He looked at me. �I�ve done all I can.� He said. �Only time can tell whether or not we were too late.� I gulped. �Don�t worry,� he said, �They got here faster than either you or Frodo did, and I�m getting better at healing people with this type of wound.� I smiled thinly. �Elrond,� I said, �Thank you so much for your help. With everything. You�ve not had an easy life, and you still find it in your heart to help. Thank you.�

He smiled. �I only hope it will be enough,� he said too quietly for me to hear.

The next day, the rest of our companions came into Rivendell, so the day was mostly spent answering inquiries about our journey.

�Did you have any trouble?� Frodo asked.

�Not much. Towards the end, I almost gave up hope. It was horrible. I�ll never know how you and Arwen managed.� I replied. He put his arm around me and sighed. �I hope they wake up soon,� he said, �I�m worried about them, and I do not like being delayed. The 22nd of January is, although still far off, too close for my comfort.� I nodded, and looked over to where they lay, Legolas sitting over Nikki, looking almost as though he was making an important decision. �Do you ever get the feeling,� I whispered to Frodo, �That Nikki and Legolas are almost more than just friends?� He laughed softly.

�Yes,� he replied, �Although she�s much too young.�

�Much too young!?� I exclaimed quietly, �I was only thirteen when we got married, for god�s sake!�

He blushed a bit. �You�re probably right, as usual.� He said. I giggled.

�What?� he asked.

�Oh, nothing,� I said, looking back over to Sam and Nikki.

The next day, I was awoken by the calling of birds outside my window. I wandered down the hall, unconsciously moving towards Nikki and Sam�s room. When I had reached it, I sat down and looked around. Though I had not at first realized it, I recognized this to be the same room that both Frodo and I had woken up in when we had gotten stabbed at Weathertop. I heard steps in the hallway, what sounded like two pairs. I turned to the doorway in time to see Frodo and Legolas come into the room. They acknowledged me with a nod and sat down, Frodo on my right side and Legolas across from us next to Nikki. He was looking sadly at her pale sleeping figure. I smiled and looked at Frodo, who was looking back at me. I cast a meaningful look back towards Legolas, and Frodo nodded. I smiled.

�It�s so cute,� I thought at him.

�Yeah, I think it�s really sweet,� he thought back, and put an arm around me. I looked back down at Sam, and stared at him for a while before looking up at Legolas, who had his hands folded and his eyes closed, looking serene. I then turned my gaze to Nikki, who chose that exact moment to wake up.

�Where am I, and what is the time?� She asked. Legolas looked at her, startled. I laughed, before answering her.

�You are in Rivendell, and it is about ten o �clock in the morning, on October the Twenty-Fourth.� I said.

Nikki rubbed her eyes and sat up, this action pulling the blankets a little bit off of Sam, who then woke up. �Where am I?� he asked groggily.

�In Rivendell.� I said. He also sat up, and the children looked at us. �What happened?� Nikki asked. �I remember people in black- Nazgul, Aragorn called them- and getting stabbed in the shoulder, and�� she trailed off.

Legolas laughed softly. �You were indeed, as Leah would say, out of it,� he said.

I smiled. It was obvious that Legolas liked Nikki as more than just a friend, but I wondered: did she like him in that way back? Sam interrupted me from my thoughts.

�When do we set out again?� He asked. I looked at Frodo. �As soon as possible,� I said. �Sooner than last time, we don�t have to sit around waiting for a bunch of elves and dwarves to quit arguing.� I said, with a wink towards Frodo. He smiled. The children just looked confused.

That night, we all had dinner together, us now consisting of Frodo, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, Nikki, Sam, and I. When we all sat down and had started eating, Frodo�s eyebrows knitted together. �What is it?� Gandalf asked, seeing him.

�Why is it,� Frodo asked, �that we always manage to travel in nines?� I looked around, and, seeing that he was right, laughed to myself. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Nikki, who was sitting on my left, kept stealing glances at Legolas. I wondered about this, and decided I would ask her about it later. The opportunity of later came sooner than I had expected, about twenty minutes after we started eating. I turned to Nikki. �Nikki,� I said, �Umm� I was wondering�� I began, but couldn�t figure out how to finish. My daughter looked at me in confusion, and my eyes must have darted to the elf sitting next to Frodo, because she sighed.

�You were wondering if I was in love with Legolas,� she said with a slight smirk.

�Umm�yeah.�

�Well,� she said, chewing a piece of bread thoughtfully, �I kinda have a bit of a �crush�, as you always call it, on him, but��

�But you can�t figure out how to tell him.�

�Yeah.�

I smiled. �I�ll help you tonight.� I said. I may be about fifty-two in Hobbit years, but that was only twenty-six in human years�. Gosh, which meant that Nikki was sixteen, I was only ten years in human years older than my daughter.

Nikki looked at me. �Help me?� she asked, her face arranged in a look of confusion.

�Yeah, I�ll give you advice and stuff.�

�Oh. Okay.�

I did not then know that at that very moment that Frodo was having almost the same conversation with Legolas.

�You like her, don�t you, Legolas?�

�Who?�

�Don�t play stupid. You know who I mean and I know you have your eye on her. And I think you should act on it.�

The elf turned red. �But, Frodo, she�s your daughter!�

Frodo winked. �I know, my dear friend. And your point is? If you like her, go for it.�

�Maybe I will� I may be brave when it comes to battling and such, but not when it comes to matters such as this. In general, elves are usually very open and obvious about matters of the heart, but I�ve always been a bit shy.�

�Well, honestly friend, you didn�t think I�d leave you to your own devices, did you? I intend to help you out with every step along the way.�

�Thank you, Frodo.�

�Anytime.�

The next morning found Frodo in Legolas� quarters, and I in Nikki�s.

�Mom, what do I say?�

�Just say whatever feels natural. Also, quit with the Mom thing. In human years, I�m only ten years older. I like to think of my age in terms of human years, because then I�m only twenty-six. You�d be sixteen.�

�Oh. What will feel natural, uh, whatever I�m supposed to call you now?�

�Say the first thing that pops into your head. As long as it doesn�t involve cuss words, less than charitable thoughts, or anything gross. Call me Leah.�

�Leah?�

�Yeah?�

�Thanks.� And with that, she leaned forward and hugged me. I looked at her, examining her face. She had, because of my horrible genes, just gotten over a bad case of acne a few months ago, but her face was clear, her complexion fair. She was ready to go. I smiled, and she smiled nervously. It was then time for me to go back to my room, as Sam had just walked in.

�Bye,� I whispered.

Back in the room, I found Frodo, sitting on the bed, his eyes closed. I sat down next to him.

�Where were you?� I asked.

�I would ask the same of you,� he said, eyes still closed.

�I was talking to Nikki. You?�

�Talking to Legolas.�

�What about?�

�Er� Umm��

�Nikki, right?�

�Yeah.� He replied, looking defeated.

�I see. Well, as a matter of fact, I was talking to Nikki about Legolas.�

�You mean she feels the same about him as he feels about her?�

I grinned. �Yeah. Are you thinking what I�m thinking?�

�Yeah.� He said, wearing an identical evil grin.

�I�ll forge the one to Legolas. North balcony? Eight thirty tomorrow?�

�Sounds good.�

So, there we sat, forging notes. I to Legolas, and Frodo to Nikki. Five minutes later, we sat back and read our finished products.

Legolas,

Please meet me on the North Balcony at eight thirty tonight.

Signed,

Nikki Underhill-Baggins

Darling Nikki,

Meet me at eight thirty tonight on the North Balcony. I must see you.

Yours,

Legolas Greenleaf

We nodded. This was good work. I agreed to give Legolas his from Nikki, and Frodo would give Nikki hers from Legolas. Everything was set.

The next night after dinner, Frodo and I tracked down our people to whom we were delivering letters, and gave them. Everything went smoothly, and eight thirty found us sitting behind the pillars near the North Balcony.

As Frodo and I sat in our hiding places, we watched the scene unfolding in front of us.

Nikki and Legolas both walked in from different places, Nikki from the right and Legolas from the left, they saw each other and promptly blushed. Legolas smiled and walked over to where Nikki was. Frodo shifted himself so he could see.

�First thing that pops into your head,� I whispered, making silent prayers that she would not turn fuchsia, or say or do anything stupid.

�Lovely night tonight, isn�t it?� She said, making small talk. Legolas saw through it at once.

�Why did you ask me to come here?� he asked. Frodo and I exchanged looks. I smacked myself on the forehead.

�Why did I ask you here? You were the one doing the asking!�

The elf bore a look of confusion. �But I thought�� he took out a folded and wrinkled letter and showed it to the girl, and she examined it closely.

�This isn�t my handwriting,� she said. �Look at this.� And she pulled out a letter with an almost identical message. Frodo rolled his eyes. When Legolas read it, his eyes widened. �This is Frodo�s handwriting!� he said.

�Wait� Let me see yours again�� When she looked at it, examining it more carefully, her eyes widened. �This is my mother�s handwriting!� She exclaimed.

Legolas finally seemed to realize the full extent of their setup just as Frodo finally figured out the extent of our error.

�Crap,� he said quietly, but it was unfortunately loud enough for Legolas� sharp elven hearing. �Did you hear something?� he asked Nikki with as evil a grin as he could manage. �Why, it sounded almost like Frodo.� He motioned to her, and they crept out of sight. Frodo and I looked around nervously, sitting there for god knows how long. Nikki finally broke the silence. Her voice seemed to come from behind us.

�You guys know that was not such a good idea.� She said, hands on her hips.

�Uhhh�� I said, turning around. �Hi?�

The elf and my daughter both looked down at me. I drew myself up to my full height, and looked each in the eye for a couple of seconds.

�Well, neither of you would make the first move, and we wanted it to work out for you.�

�Oh, yeah, GREAT excuse.�

�Don�t you try using sarcasm on me, young lady. I�m not very good at sarcasm.�

�Was that sarcastic?�

�You know it.�

Legolas and Frodo both suddenly laughed. �What?� both Nikki and I asked.

�Well, it�s just that you two are not very good at arguing.� Frodo replied.

Nikki and I exchanged glances before exclaiming.

�Frodo!� I said, just as Nikki exclaimed �Dad!�

�Well?� he asked. �I was just stating the obvious!� I snorted.

�And while we�re on the subject, you�re sure not good at insults.� Frodo was unphased. �Neither are you.� He replied.

I shook my head. �Well, time to get to bed.� I said.

�What?� Nikki asked.

�We have to leave tomorrow. As soon as possible.� Frodo said, coming to my aid.

�We�ll go to sleep soon. I just need to talk to Nikki for a moment,� said Legolas, in an almost shy voice. Frodo and I exchanged glances.

�YES!� I said, before steering Frodo away in the direction of our room.

�Take all the time you want!� He said, turning back for one last look. Nikki gave thumbs up at me behind Legolas� back, which he fortunately didn�t see. He had put an arm around her waist and she seemed very attentive to what he was saying.

�What do you want to talk about?� Nikki asked.

�I just wanted to say that, although neither of us want to admit it, I think we both �have a thing for each other�, as Leah would say. I know that�s true on my own side, although I didn�t want to admit it. We�ve had a great friendship, and I really don�t want it to end, no matter what.�

�What a mouthful.� Nikki said, smiling. �And I might as well say that I like you as more than a friend also, as long as it�s out in the open.�

�Well, I�m glad that�s cleared up.�

�Me too.�

Nikki looked up, and they stared into each other�s eyes for a few moments, before Legolas leaned in and kissed her.

I looked nervously in the direction of the North Balcony, awaiting some sign of what was happening. Frodo seemed to sense my thoughts.

�How do you think they�re making out?�

I looked at him.

�It wasn�t meant like it sounded!� He said in his own defense.

�Yeah. Sure�� I teased.

He leaned back against the headboard, and I got up from my seat at the desk and sat next to him. He put him arm around me as I leaned back and I smiled and put my head on his shoulder.

�I haven�t heard any screams, so I assume it�s going good.�

He laughed softly and I looked over to see a thin smile on his lips, but he looked sad. I searched my mind for a split second before realizing what was wrong.

�You�re worried about Sam, aren�t you?� I asked, being cautious so as not to upset him. He nodded and looked over at me.

�Yeah, I am. It�s even worse knowing that he�s been alive and has been tortured for forty years and we didn�t do anything about it than thinking he�s dead.�

I nodded. �I know what you mean.�

I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, just as Nikki walked in, big grin on her face.

�So I assume everything went well?� I asked.

She sat down in the chair and nodded.

�Do tell!� Frodo said.

�Oh, you don�t wanna hear all the details.�

�Yes we do!�

I cracked up.

�What!?� She asked.

�Jeez, this reminds me of the movie �Grease�!� Nikki looked confused. I shook my head. �Nevermind. I won�t ask.� She said.

�So?� asked Frodo.

�Well� We talked for a while, and then�� she drifted off.

�And then what?� I asked.

�And then� he kissed me.�

I let out a whoop just as Frodo exclaimed, �Yes!�

Nikki blushed.

�And�?� I said.

�And what?�

�And what else happened?�

�Well� We sat and held hands and talked for a while, and then he said we�d probably better get going, because we were leaving pretty early tomorrow.�

I smiled. �I believe congratulations are in order?� I asked, and she blushed further.

�Yes, they are. Congratulations!� Frodo said, in a voice not unlike that of Alex Trebek.

�I�d probably better get going.� She said. �I�m pretty tired and we have lots to do tomorrow.�

I nodded. �Get to bed!� I said, mimicking my mother. She laughed a bit. �Okay, okay!� she said, hurrying away. I spoke to Frodo after she left.

�Don�t worry,� I said, continuing our last conversation. �We�ll get there in time.�

I looked over at him, and noticed that tears were now rolling down his cheeks. I frowned, worried. I leaned in to whisper in his ear.

�That�s not the only thing bothering you, and we both know it. What else are you worried about?�

�What am I not worried about? I�ve made so many mistakes in my life, and they�re all coming back to haunt me.�

�Like?�

�Like leaving Sam behind, like trying to��

�Trying to what?�

He choked on a dry sob. �Trying to take the ring from you.�

I choked, hearing that and seeing his face like that. �You weren�t yourself.� I whispered.

�But I still feel horrible for it.� He said, looking at me with eyes full of sorrow. I bit my lip and leaned in, hugging him tightly.

�You once told me something. One word that saved my life, and set it back on track. Maybe I can return the favor.� I said.

�Please,� I whispered.

He looked at me, and I smiled.

�Please don�t blame yourself for everything. For anything.�

I leaned in and wiped the tears off his face, before burying my face in his chest.

�I love you.� I whispered. He responded by shifting his arms and pulling my forehead to his chest.

�And I you.� He finally said, after a long silence.

I didn�t hear him. I was fast asleep.

When I woke the next morning, I looked up to see Frodo looking back at me, his face tear-stained from the night before and his blue eyes sparkling from his pale face in the early morning light.

�We have to get up soon,� he said very softly.

�Darn.� I said, stretching and yawning. I finally got up, still stretching. In about two minutes I pulled on a tee shirt and one of the original pairs of the jeans I had brought when I came to this world. Part of the whole miraculous situation, they still fit me, although I was half the size I had been. Under the shirt, I wore the Mithril, which Frodo had insisted I wear on this journey, even though I had protested. Over all this, I pulled on my elven-cloak. I stayed barefoot, however. The hobbit in me was coming out again. Frodo looked at me, and raised an eyebrow, as if to inquire whether or not I was ready. I nodded, shouldered my pack (we�d packed the night before), and headed out the door.

When we got to the North Balcony, were we�d all agreed to meet, everyone was there except Nikki, Sam, and Legolas. A few minutes later, all three of them came down the hall, Nikki and Legolas talking quietly and Sam shaking his head. Now that all nine of us were there (Nikki, Legolas, Aragorn, Merry, Pippin, Sam, Gandalf, Frodo, and I), we were ready to set out.

When we got onto the road, I looked back at the beauty of Rivendell, which I would not see for so long. Arwen and Elrond were standing on the North Balcony, waving to us. Aragorn looked back sadly at Arwen. Nikki bit her lip, and Legolas was stealing glances at her, with a small smile creeping across his lips. Frodo nudged me and pointed to him. Then he snickered, and Legolas blushed.

�Legolas,� Frodo said with an air of brilliant observation, �you certainly seem smitten today.�

Legolas blushed further, cast down his eyes, and kept walking in silence. I sped up a couple of paces to talk to Nikki.

�So, how are you feeling?� I asked.

�Better,� she replied, �although it�s still slightly painful,�

I nodded. �I know,� I said, in my most sympathetic voice. I patted her shoulder. �It was the same way for me. I wish you and Sam hadn�t come,�

�I�m glad we did� We�ve seen so many new places, met so many interesting people.�

�You mean you met Legolas.�

�Umm� Yeah.�

�Aha.�

�Is that a good aha or a bad aha?�

�Umm.... Depends on how you want to see it.�

�I�ll see it as good��

�That might be the best idea. So, anyway, I�m just going to tell you now that this is a tough journey, and very dangerous. Frodo and the rest probably have the best experience, as they�ve tackled this route twice. Just cross your fingers that this doesn�t happen the same way it did.�

�Why? What happened?�

�Well, the journey in general was very rough, and I just really don�t want to relive it.�

�Oh��

Just as she said this, Frodo and Legolas caught up with us. Legolas came between Nikki and I, Nikki moving over to make room, and Frodo came to my right side. I looked up into his eyes, the corners of them creased in laughter, and I smiled. He nudged me, looking pointedly in the direction of Nikki and Legolas.

�I showed them the mind-reading trick,� he thought at me.

�Oh� you sure that was a good idea?� I thought back. He laughed softly enough that no one but me could hear him.

�I don�t know, but remember? We can look into their thoughts, and they can look into ours, if we have the will. Of course, we have the upper hand, because we know how to guard our thoughts.�

I smiled, and focused my thoughts on Nikki and Legolas.

�I love you,� Nikki thought.

�And I you. More than anything.� Legolas replied.

They smiled at each other, and Frodo and I snickered.

�What?!� Nikki exclaimed, noticing our laughter.

�Oh� Nothing�� I said, in between furious fits of laughter.

�What is it?� asked Legolas, looking very confused.

�Well,� said Frodo, wiping tears from his eyes, �It�s just that we can �hear� your guys� mind conversation�

Nikki and Legolas� faces both slowly turned very pale and turned to looks of horror.

�How can you�?� Nikki began.

�We have it too,� Frodo and I thought at them after looking at them. They paled further.

�Umm�� Legolas began, dropping his elf-prince demeanor. We smiled.

�It�s okay,� I said, meaning their talk.

�In fact,� Frodo began, �You remind me of two other people I know,�

He looked at me and I went slightly red, but smiled. Nikki glanced at Legolas and their eyes met. I nudged Frodo and walked ahead, Frodo a little reluctantly. I glanced back to see them talking, Nikki occasionally blushing or giggling.

That night, Gandalf and Aragorn spoke to us about our route.

�We must, however reluctant we may be about it, make for Moria.� As no one else had heard of this plan, the reaction was astonishing. Everyone but Aragorn, Nikki and Sam gaped at him.

�But�� I said, lost for words.

�We cannot risk that path again, Gandalf!� Legolas exclaimed, breaking the silence.

�We can if we wish to reach Cirith Ungol by January 22nd. Don�t forget, we are only just out of Rivendell. We have much journeying ahead of us.�

I closed my eyes. �Gandalf,� I said, composing myself. �We could go over Caradhras just as easily.�

�But,� Aragorn explained, coming to the wizard�s defense explained, �We do not know if any power has been regained in Isengard, and if we have to double back, we will surely be too late.� I stared at him.

�What?� He defended himself. �Gandalf already talked to me about this,� he said. I nodded and bit my lip.

�But what about the bridge? That�s why we had to risk the Gap of Rohan last time!� Legolas asked.

�Well, things have changed since we were there. The dwarves repopulated Moria, fixing up the broken pieces of Khazad-Dum and everything else that was in need of repair, but they were once more driven out. The Balrog had escaped its dungeons and wreaked havoc, killing many of the dwarves.�

�Well, is facing the Balrog once more really worth the risk?� I asked.

�Do not think I have been idle these past years, Leah. Upon hearing of the news of Moria, I made my way there. I imprisoned it once, more, although I do not think it impossible it has escaped and we will have to face its terrors once more.�

Gandalf stood up and walked over to where he was going to sit to take first watch. �We will go through Moria.�

�We should be to Moria within a month at the most.�

~Twenty days later~

�Mellon,� Frodo and I said together, as the great gates of Moria swung open to greet us. Ripples in the water that no one but Nikki noticed were coming towards us at an alarming pace.

�Umm�. That�s not good, is it?� she asked, pointing to the water.

�RUN!� I shouted. No one hesitated to run into the darkness of Moria.

We walked on.

And on.

And on.

For three days we walked, hardly breaking the silence except when necessary. Frodo and I would occasionally mind-converse, and we often liked to eavesdrop on Nikki and Legolas, who were almost constantly using their powers of telepathy. They seemed, to our minds, very similar to us when we were �young and reckless,� as we liked to think of it. At last, after three days of walking, we came to the part of the journey everyone who had been into Moria was dreading.

The Bridge of Khazad-Dum.

We began our decent down the great staircases. I shook my head.

�What is it with us and big staircases?� I asked Frodo. He smiled. �I don�t know� us, staircases, and traveling in nines. It must be a conspiracy.�

We heard a crash behind us. Things did not look good, although this time there were no Orcs.

�RUN!� Gandalf yelled. I moaned inwardly. It was like a horrible replay of my worst nightmares. We all began to run down the stone steps as fast as our legs could carry us. We then came to what we had hoped would not happen.

A segment of the staircase was missing. Aragorn leaped across, Merry and Pippin under either arm, and beckoned to Frodo and me. I looked at Frodo before leaping across. Frodo came right behind me, then Gandalf. Legolas picked up Sam and threw him across to me, leaving him and Nikki. A loud crash came, as a rock fell down, crashing a part of the staircase behind them down into the black abyss. I was terrified, and Frodo�s eyes were suddenly very large and scared. Nikki gulped audibly. She looked up at Legolas, who was busying himself with trying to balance his weight evenly so that the staircase would not fall. A chunk fell out from below, leaving the segment of stairs even harder to balance.

�Lean forward!� Aragorn commanded them, and they obliged without question or second thought. The stairs once again fell forward, closing the gap. I caught Nikki in my arms, giving her a quick hug, and Legolas was caught by the wrist by Frodo, this action giving as much extra balance as the elf�s graceful posture needed. We then ran, making our way swiftly towards the Bridge.

All of us got over safely. Or so we thought. We turned back, and there was Gandalf, reenacting the scene he�d played through twice already.

�You cannot pass!� He exclaimed, raising up his staff and enveloping himself in a sphere of white light.

�No!� Nikki shouted. The rest of us were wide-eyed in terror.

�Gandalf!� I yelled, before I could control myself. He did not look back, but instead spoke, addressing the Balrog.

�I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udun. Go back to the shadow! You cannot pass.�

The Balrog roared in reply. Gandalf brought his staff down, and the bridge broke at his feet.

�Run, Gandalf!� Frodo yelled. The wizard, heeding his warning, lingered for a split second before turning to come to where we were standing.

�Nooooooo!� Aragorn�s voice rose up above the collective exclamation, and we stood watching, helpless, as the Balrog�s whip rose up to flank the side of the bridge and pull Gandalf to the edge of the bridge. He struggled for a moment. We saw him pull a package out of the folds of his robes and place it on the bridge before vanishing.

Aragorn ushered us towards the gate.

�Wait,� I said. Aragorn turned. �The package. He left a package on the brink of the bridge.�

Aragorn looked and saw I was right. Legolas walked a couple of paces towards the bridge.

�I will retrieve it.� He said, and walked away, ignoring Nikki�s protests. He reached the bridge and put one foot on it, testing its sturdiness. Satisfied, he walked to the edge of the bridge, picked up the package, and walked back.

When he returned, we all huddled around it.

�You open it.� He said, putting the package in my hands.

�Me?� I asked.

�Yes. You.�

I fumbled with the cloth-wrapped bundle, and opened it to find a note and a vial. I opened the note.

�Leah and Frodo,� I read out loud, �I wrote this letter in case I should fall at Khazad-dum. I hope you will never have to read this. The vial inside this bundle is a very precious treasure. You will know what to do with it when the time comes. Do not worry about me, I will return as soon as possible to you. Signed, Gandalf.� I looked up to see eight people staring back at me.

�Well,� I said, �What are we waiting for? Let�s go!�

We all hurried to the gates of Moria and stepped blinking into the sunlight. Nikki and Sam had silent tears running down their cheeks, while the rest of us knew better that to think for a second that Gandalf was dead. I walked over to Sam and Nikki and put a protective arm around each of them.

�He�s not really dead, you know,� I said.

�What do you mean?� Sam asked.

�I mean that this same situation has happened three times now and Gandalf lived through it. He fell in battle against the Balrog each time and each time he came back.�

�Really?� Nikki asked, drying her eyes.

�Yes,� I replied. I smiled. �He�ll come back, and probably save all of us in the process. You just wait and see.� And with that, I sped up to talk to Frodo, and heard, through means of psychic eavesdropping, him ask Nikki if she was all right. I smiled. They were so perfect together.

�Well?� I asked Frodo when I reached him.

�Well what?�

�Well, what do you think?�

�About what?�

�About� all this��

�Well, I don�t know what to think.�

�I see.�

We then walked on for a while in silence. Around nightfall, we reached the golden woods. I smiled as we walked among the beautiful trees. Nikki smiled, and looked around in awe. We then heard the stretch of bowstrings. I heard Aragorn speak.

�Haldir of Lorien,� he said, bowing to the elf. I smiled.

�Who did you hear breathing this time?� I asked. Frodo laughed before addressing the elf.

�The elf pulls his bowstring so loudly we could have avoided him in the dark,� he said. Haldir smiled and turned on his heel, beckoning for us to follow. We followed, and soon came to find Galadriel and Celeborn waiting to greet us.

They smiled.

�We�ve been expecting you,� Galadriel said, addressing us while looking each of us carefully in the eye.

That night, I heard the familiar beckoning voice of Galadriel calling me from my dreams into waking. I sat up and saw Nikki and Legolas following Galadriel. I got up and trailed behind them, knowing what was coming.

When we reached the pedestal and she had poured the water into the mirror, she spoke to Nikki first.

�Will you look into the mirror?� She asked.

�What will I see?�

�Even the wisest cannot tell, for the mirror shows many things. Things that were, things that are, and some things that have not yet come to pass.�

Nikki stepped up and looked down into the water, which bubbled slightly as she peered into its depths. As she stared down into the water, she smiled. �Awww�� she said, quietly. Galadriel smiled.

�And you?� she asked, turning to me. As soon as Nikki had stepped down, I stepped up and looked into the water. Barely visible ripples formed on the surface. I frowned slightly when I saw what was in the mirror. It looked like a chamber of Cirith Ungol, but I did not see Sam. Instead, I saw Legolas, Nikki, Frodo, and I sitting dejectedly against a stone wall. I looked up, at Galadriel, who looked pointedly down at the mirror. I looked down, and what I saw next settled me- an image of all of us at Cirith Ungol, including Sam Gamgee. I smiled a bit and stepped down. Legolas stepped towards the pedestal and looked into the mirror intently. After a couple of seconds his face widened into a smile. He looked up from the mirror at Galadriel and raised an eyebrow inquiringly. She nodded and he took a couple of steps towards Nikki.

�You will all face various dangers throughout this journey,� Galadriel said. �And the most important thing to remember is that you should never lose faith and always stay close to the ones you love.� She smiled. �Luck be with you, we�ll be praying.�

With that, she ushered us towards bed.

The next morning we were to depart from Lothlorien, and we loaded into the elven boats. Legolas, Nikki, Frodo, and I sat in one boat, and Aragorn, Sam, Merry, and Pippin sat in the other. As we watched Lothlorien disappear from view, our hearts sank with the prospect of leaving the beautiful city.

A couple of hours later, we had reached our camping spot for the night. We had set up camp for the night and gotten together the best supper we could.

�We must get some rest,� Aragorn finally announced. We all nodded and went to find the softest ground we could.

I woke during the night to see Frodo�s eyes looking at me.

�Gah!� I exclaimed. �Frodo! Don�t DO that!!!�

He smiled and looked pointedly towards the place where Nikki and Legolas were sleeping. She had her head nestled into his shoulder, and he had a protective arm around her, pulling her to himself. I smiled and looked over at Frodo. He smiled, but it faded as we heard what we had been dreading.

Footsteps.

LOTS of footsteps.

Coming this way.

�Shit!� I said quietly. Frodo looked at me.

�You wake up that side of the camp, and I�ll wake up this of the camp.�

I woke Aragorn first, and then it was my painful duty to wake Nikki and Legolas. I tried awaking them by voice, but that didn�t work. I shook Nikki�s shoulders.

�What?� she said feebly, squinting to see.

�Orcs.� Legolas said, recognizing the sound. I nodded grimly.

Nikki was now wide-awake. I looked at her, sizing her up. I did not think her ready for this sort of thing.

�Get your sword. You may need it.�

�Sword?� she choked out.

�Don�t worry. Stay as hidden as possible.�

Nikki nodded weakly and drew her sword out of its sheath.

We all stood in a circle with our backs together, for that was the method of defense the second fellowship (the one for my quest) had developed, and we had not lost our touch.

As the Orcs approached, we did our best to fight them off, but it was no use. Frodo and Legolas gave a scream, and I knew no more.

When I woke up, I immediately knew we were no longer outside. I could feel cold, hard stone beneath me. I opened my eyes and looked over to see Frodo, striding back and fourth across the stone floor with his head bowed in thought. I looked to my left and saw Legolas and Nikki, dumped unceremoniously on the floor beside me. I looked up again towards Frodo and was extremely surprised to see him bending over me.

�Good morning, if you could call it that.�

I looked towards the miniscule window and saw he was right. It was completely dark, though it felt like morning. I nodded.

�Where are we?� I asked weakly.

�I�m not positive, but I think�� he trailed off. I looked around and smacked my forehead.

�Cirith Ungol.� I said. He nodded faintly and sat down next to me. I sighed. This rescue mission was NOT going as planned.

He put an arm around my shoulder and pulled me to him.

�We�ll be all right,� He said. �I know it.� I nodded mutely. He smiled. �We�ve gotten out of worse fixes before. I have faith.� He looked at the far wall for a second and bit his lip. There was a door there. Of course, he�d already tried it, but it seemed familiar for some reason. I looked at him, frowning. His mouth opened a bit and his eyes went wide.

�What is it?� I asked. He did not reply but instead jumped to his feet and began looking at the ceiling. I was confused for a split second more before realizing what he was looking for. He stopped, looking straight up, and I realized we had found it. I smiled.

He frowned, jumping up in an attempt to open the trapdoor. It was to no avail. I tried too, but I was also too short.

�Damn this hobbit shortness!� I exclaimed. �If I was still a human, I�d be able to reach this!�

Frodo chuckled. I walked over to Legolas.

�Wake up.� I said. He moaned.

�Wake up!� He rolled over.

�Wakey Wakey, you lazy Elf!� I yelled in his ear as loudly as I dared.

�Holy God! Do you always have to do that!?� He asked, waking up enough to adopt my exclamation. I shook my head.

�Come help us open the door.�

�The door?�

I pointed the two foot wide trapdoor in the ceiling at the far side of the room.

�Oh,� He said, and got up.

The trapdoor proved easy to each for him but we decided that we would wake Nikki up first as a precaution. When all four of us were standing by the door, Legolas reached up to open it. We could not see anything, but there did not seem to be any immediate danger.

�Nikki, You stay here,� I said, as Legolas helped Frodo and I into the room. There was a figure, clothed in rags, lying against the far wall. Legolas helped Nikki into the room too, oblivious of my warning, and I shook my head. He climbed up himself and, seeing the rags, he nodded to us and all four of us began to walk slowly towards the figure. The person stiffened, hearing our approach. They sat up, a dirty gray cloak hiding their face. They looked up at us, or so I guessed, as I couldn�t see their eyes. The person spoke in a very crackly voice, as if they hadn�t spoken in a very long time and were unsure if they still could.

�Frodo?�

Frodo frowned.

�Who are you?� He asked, and the person pulled down their hood. I didn�t recognize the person for a minute, but after a second, three among us realized who it was at the same time and all three of us dove to hug him at the same time, the result being that he was thrown against the back wall in a pile of hobbit and elf. Nikki stood watching the comical scene unfold before her, although she was utterly confused as to whom the person was.

From the bottom of the pile came a muffled laugh. �Get off!� the voice yelled, sounding less unused than before. He laughed a laugh of pure joy.

�But... How are you guys here?� He asked in bewilderment.

Frodo laughed. �You didn�t think we�d just sit around and let you die, did you?�

He shook his head. �I�m stunned� I didn�t think I�d ever see you again�� He looked over at me.

�And Leah, too! It�s great to see you!� He sat, shaking his head in astonishment. His eyes focused on Nikki and he smiled.

�And who is this young lass?� He asked, raising an eyebrow at Frodo. I laughed.

�This is Nikki.� I told him. �Nikki, this is Samwise Gamgee.� She nodded as her confusion subsided. Frodo spoke after a couple minutes had passed.

�I�m sorry to say, Sam, that this certainly isn�t a very efficient rescue mission. Now we�re the ones in need of rescuing.�

Sam frowned. �You shouldn�t have come,� He said. �They�ll kill you too.� He looked up at us. I fixed my expression.

�I would rather die trying to save someone who risked their life for mine forty years ago than sit at home and let them die.� I told him, ending with a smile. �And besides,� I added as an afterthought, �We haven�t had a good adventure for a long time and this one is far from over.�

He looked up at me in wonderment. I bit my lip and Frodo was about to say something when Legolas gasped.

�Footsteps,� He said. I strained my ears and realized he was right. I grabbed Frodo and Nikki by the wrist, pulling them towards the door and pushing them through the trapdoor after Legolas before turning to Sam for one last word.

�We�ll be back,� I said. He nodded and I jumped through the trapdoor, landing catlike on the stone floor. Legolas shut the door after me, just in time. The door opened and He walked in, flanked by three Orc bodyguards. He said something to them in a foul language, and they nodded. They walked into the room, opened the trapdoor, and pushed my companions through before going through themselves and closing the door.

Leaving me face to face with Grima Wormtounge.

He began to circle me, walking slowly and menacingly in a full circle before facing me.

�Oh, not you again!� I said.

�Are you afraid of me?� He asked.

�You wish,� I replied coldly.

�Still rather sharp of tongue, are we?�

�No, that�s a snakelike trait. That�s more your type, you��

�Oh. So you still wish to be fresh with me.�

�Something like that, you disease-ridden piece of filth.�

�Well, before long you will be subdued. You remember what I said? About you all dying one by one?�

I had no response.

�I�ll take that as a yes. Well, I have decided something. You-� he paused dramatically, �-will be the last one to die.�

I breathed sharply and he saw my weakness. He almost had me.

�You will watch your friends and family die one by one, until none are left. Then you will be tortured for any information and killed.�

I bowed my head slightly.

I cleared my throat and lunged at him. He took two or three steps backward and snapped his fingers. Two more Orcs arrived at the open door and held me back. They chained my wrists to two chains hanging on the wall. Because I was short, the held my hands a little above waist height, and I struggled against them.

�Did you really think you could win? There is no triumph over the force of Sauron, you should know that by now.�

I bared my teeth. I was now the fiercest I could ever remember being. I lunged at him again to no avail, and he laughed. He took a couple of steps towards me so I couldn�t reach him with my feet, and lifted my chin up with one foul finger. He put his face close to mine.

�I have already captured your other friends. They are here, in my tower. If you wish for all of them, including yourself, to die, by all means keep resisting. You know why I had you left behind instead of one of the others. I know you have seen what others have not. You know more than they do. Knowledge is a powerful tool. Now, I give you the choice: watch your friends die, or let them go back to their normal lives and stay here.�

�Stay here?�

�Don�t play stupid. You know what I mean. Stay here and assist me. Be my� Dark lady in-training.�

�Never.�

�Don�t be so na�ve. I will give you a fortnight to decide.�

I bowed my head in sorrow.

�I�ve made my decision, you piece of filth. I will not help you!� I growled. I was losing strength and willpower by the minute, and he knew it.

�I shall return in a fortnight.�

With that, he opened the trapdoor, summoned the five Orcs, and left. Legolas, Nikki, Frodo, and Sam came cautiously out and saw me, pathetic as I was, still chained to the wall.

�Leah!� Frodo exclaimed, sprinting to the place where I was chained.

When he reached me, he frowned.

�What did he say?� Legolas asked.

�That piece of filth said that either we die, or you all go back and I stay here.�

�Stay here?� Frodo asked.

�As a servant of Sauron.� Frodo�s jaw dropped.

�We won�t die,� he said. �The others will rescue us.�

�He already has the others,� I told him, bowing my head.

�That�s impossible,� Frodo said in disbelief.

�Is it?�

�He lied before� Why should he be telling the truth now?�

�I know it in my heart. I can feel it.� I said.

�What did you say to him?�

�I told him I would never join him, but the refusal was weak. My will is being broken down. Slowly, and I still have some willpower, but it�s hard to refuse.�

�Hang in there.�

�He�ll be back in a fortnight.�

Frodo nodded concernedly and sat next to me, putting an arm around me. Nikki and Legolas sat on my other side, and I collapsed and drifted into an uneasy sleep filled with nightmares.

When I awoke, it was pitch-black, as the lamp that had been hanging from the ceiling had been extinguished. However, one of the things my journeys had conditioned my body for was quick adaptation to dark. In a couple of seconds, I was able to look around the room. What I saw confused me for a minute.

There were not four other people in the room, there were eight. I could make out the faint outlines of Frodo, Samwise, Nikki, Legolas, Aragorn, Merry, Pippin, and Sam. So they had been captured. I nudged Frodo. He moaned in his sleep.

�Frodo,� I pleaded with him, �Please� wake up�� I nudged him a little harder with my foot and, in a couple of seconds, I heard his voice in my mind.

�What is it?�

�They�re here.�

�Who�s here?�

�Look around. Aragorn, Merry, Pippin, and Sam.�

When he heard this, he looked around. Sure enough, Wormtounge had not lied.

�Oh no,� he moaned out loud.

�Should we wake them up?� I mind-inquired.

He answered with a nod. I replied trough voice.

�You wake up the people along the far wall, I�ll wake the people I can reach.�

He nodded again. I then began the task of waking up as many people as I could. This proved to be Samwise, Legolas, and Nikki. The two latter proved difficult. When everyone was up, they came and sat in a circle near my wall so as to include me. We then began to talk quietly of what to do. After much arguing and talking, Aragorn finally took charge.

�We will wait for Gandalf. If he does not show up in a fortnight, we will have Leah say she will stay here.�

�But-� I interrupted.

�SAY you�ll stay here,� He counter interrupted. �When he releases us, we�ll com back for you.�

�And how do you know he�ll keep his word?� I asked. �He might say you�ll be released and kill you anyway.�

�That�s a chance we�ll have to take,� he replied.

�And what if I do not agree with this plan?� I asked angrily.

�Do you wish for all to come to ruin?� Aragorn asked back just as hotly. I sighed angrily. There was nothing I could say� I leaned back against the wall resignedly and Aragorn took this to be a sign of defeat. For a few minutes, all was silent until Frodo spoke.

�What hope do we have of getting back into this tower? For surely Wormtounge will have it more heavily guarded. He will expect us to come back for Leah.� I bowed my head and spoke.

�If Gandalf does not come, I will stay here. You must go. Leave me here.�

�No, Leah!� Frodo exclaimed. �Either we all escape, or�� he trailed off.

�I will not let you all die.�

�Well then, we have no choice but to escape.�

�And if we cannot?�

�Then we die.�

I hung my head at these words. Aragorn interrupted, seeing that morale was quickly lowering.

�We still have a fortnight, and I have faith in Gandalf. Get some sleep, everyone. I�ll be first watch.�

At these words, everyone went to get comfortable. Frodo stayed by my side, and I put my head on his shoulder. What was probably an hour but seemed like seconds later, I did not hear his breathing slow as it usually did when he was asleep. I heard everyone else�s slow breathing or snores, and knew that he and I were the only ones awake. I then heard him whisper softly in my ear, his warm breath blowing gently on the side of my face. I closed my eyes, indulging in the sound of his voice.

�We will get out of his, you know. I�d bet my life on it.� He cooed softly.

�I know,� I whispered back. I opened my eyes and looked straight into his beautiful blue ones, looking at every line and speck of color that made up the kaleidoscope of blue.

As he looked into my eyes, his arms wrapped around my waist and his face inches from mine, I saw a single tear trickle down his face, cutting through the dirt that had built up there on out journey. I frowned and bent forward to kiss away the tear. I smiled faintly and whispered a single word.

�Please��

He looked back at me, face solemn.

I leaned forward until our faces were an inch apart.

�Don�t cry.� I said, not heeding my own words as tears began to fall down my own face. Frodo bent in and wiped them away with the corner of his cloak.

�I�ll be here with you until the end. I promise.�

I smiled at those words. He then sighed and got as comfortable as he could without leaving my side.

~Nikki�s POV~

I woke up and all was dark. It appeared at first that all were asleep, until I heard my parents whispering. I did not catch their words, and I kept my breathing shallow, lest they hear me and think I was eavesdropping. Within twenty minutes, I heard their breathing shallow and slow down and I knew they were asleep. I then heard a sound of footprints, as if people were walking by outside the door. I had been wrong in my prediction that everyone was asleep, for I felt Legolas stiffen beside me.

�You�re awake?� I asked at long last.

�Yes,� he whispered in reply.

�Do you think we�ll get out alive? Please tell me the truth.�

Legolas sighed resignedly. �I don�t know, Nikki. I don�t know.�

My lip trembled to hear these words. I was looking for the truth and I had gotten it. He looked over at me as I began to cry silently. I hadn�t cried since I was very little. He wordlessly cast an arm around my shoulders and drew me in close to him. I put my arms around his waist. He put his hand beneath my chin and lifted my head, forcing me to look into his piercing eyes.

�Know, however, that I love you deeply and with all my heart.� He drew me up into a kiss and I knew no more except the gentle touch of his warm embrace and soft lips. The world around me faded.

~Leah�s POV~

I awoke with a moan. Well, if you could call it awakening. It was even darker when I opened my eyes than when they were closed. Twelve days had passed since Wormtounge had come to talk to me. If Gandalf wasn�t here in two days, well, I didn�t want to think about what would happen.

Twelve days I had spent chained to this wall, Frodo hardly ever leaving my side, and then only for a couple of minutes. I suddenly heard footsteps in the hall. Frodo noticed both the footsteps and the fact that I was awake, and put a finger to his lips. I nodded but did not heed his warning, as I let out as gasp. The door swung open to reveal Gandalf. His sparkling eyes roved around the room, observing everything.

As Frodo and I were the only ones awake, he walked over to us first. He assessed the situation with my handcuffs wordlessly. When he finally unlocked them with his staff, I found my voice.

�Gandalf,� I said, standing and stretching, something I hadn�t been able to do for nearly two weeks. He nodded.

�So nice to see all of you again,� he said.

I smiled. �As it is nice to see you.�

We finally decided the best plan would be to wake the others, then wait for the Orcs who brought us our food (if you could call it that) to come. We would kill them and wait for more to come. If we were lucky, we might be able to hold steady for the two days until Wormtounge came. Then we could kill him.

To a certain extent, our plan succeeded. We killed most of the Orcs, but because of this, a certain person decided to pay us a visit.

Gandalf, unfortunately for us, was behind all of us, peering out the miniscule window and formulating an escape plan when Wormtounge entered the room. Legolas and Nikki were towards the front. Wormtounge simply stood at the door, and every one of us stopped in our tracks, and could not will ourselves to attack him. I heard his voice in my mind.

�Have you decided?� He asked.

I silently asked Frodo what to do and he gave an encouraging nod.

I looked Wormtounge straight in the eye. I smiled, finding exactly the right words, something I was almost never able to do.

�Give me liberty or give me death, dirtbag.�

With this, I raised all my will, all the hope I�d ever had. I drew my sword and lunged at him. He moved too late as Frodo, Gandalf, and I lunged at him and an arrow sprung from Legolas� bow and hit him. I stepped back, wiped off my sword, and slid it back into its sheath.

�That takes care of that,� Pippin said. Gandalf returned to his post by the window and nodded.

�We must get to the top of the tower,� He said. �The eagles are coming!�

I grinned widely. I couldn�t help it.

We opened the trapdoor and climbed through. This was the top floor, but Gandalf rose to the occasion magnificently. The ceiling had a hole large enough to climb through in a few seconds. We climbed through to see the dark shapes of six eagles coming towards us. When they reached us, I climbed onto one in front of Frodo and lost my senses.

When I woke up, I was lying next to Frodo in a white bed in an airy white room. I sat up and looked around. There was another bed to the left of mine, in which Legolas and Nikki lay. To the right, Aragorn was lying unconscious with Arwen sleeping in a chair next to him. Sam, Samwise, Merry, and Pippin were nowhere to be seen. Gandalf sat in a chair in the space between the bed I was in and the one Nikki and Legolas shared. He acknowledged my being awake with a nod.

�Glad to see you�re awake.�

�Where am I?� I asked, feeling clueless and at the same time feeling a strong sense of d�j� vu.

�Minas Tirith.�

�Ahh... The White City.� He nodded in reply. It was that moment that Frodo awoke. Once he had been told where we were, Gandalf spoke to us.

�If the medication works, the rest should be awake soon. Elrond wants to see all of you as soon as possible.�

I was puzzled. Gandalf explained there would be a ceremony of some sort, and Elrond had come from Rivendell to see us. We had been out of it for a month. At this point, I fell asleep.

Some time later, I awoke to find that everyone else was awake and getting prepared for a feast. I got up and dressed. We then proceeded to a great hall, where many elves and men were seated. Elrond greeted us with a nod and a smile, and motioned for us to sit at his side, which we did.

As soon as everyone had gathered, Elrond stood and cleared his throat.

�I have an announcement to make, and several things to say. My announcement is this: for outstanding bravery in the face of danger, I would like to present each of the ten sitting at the head of this table today with a reward.

�For all but Gandalf and Legolas, who already possess it, I present each of you with the immortality of the elves.�

I gasped as each of us but Gandalf and Legolas were handed a glittering crystal pendant on a wrought silver chain. Everyone else was just as stunned and we smiled and thanked the elven lord for the gift.

�The other is that I invite all of you on a voyage to the West, when you are ready.�

At this, smiles from the crowd. This was the perfect ending to the perfect adventure. Well, almost perfect. We had accomplished what we�d set out to do, and everybody was safe and alive. A first. I grinned and looked around at my companions, their broad smiles flashing back. That night was a night to remember.

Fini.
Critique?