Middle Earth's Last Hope

Vaeri woke up the sun peeking casting it's light on the fellowship. They had been traveling for several days and they were about to head into the High Pass. The trees had thinned and soon would give away, showing nothing but small shrubs until they were consumed by the thick snow. They had abandoned their horses long ago and now traveled on foot.

"Remind me again why we had to get ride of our horses?" Gimli muttered as he tried to keep up with the others.

Gandalf led the group followed by Aragorn and Frodo, Legolas and Vaeri, Boromir, Sam, Mary, Pippin and Gimli trailing at the end. Vaeri laughed, "Oh Gimli, it's not that bad!"

"Easy for you to say, you elves can prance around like little butterfly and never get tired," Gimli grumbled, "I am a dwarf, full of bone and muscle."

"When are we eating second breakfast?" Pippin asked clutching his stomach.

"Pippin we already went over this…" Aragorn said shouting down to the half-ling.

"I agree with Pippin, when is second breakfast? I am starved…" Vaeri said winking at Legolas who rolled his eyes at her.

"At least someone get's me!" Pippin exclaimed.

Gandalf turned back towards the grip, "A blizzard is heading straight towards us. If you have any more clothes I recommend putting them on now." The group stopped as they all put on more layers of clothes to prepare for the blizzard that was heading straight towards them. Vaeri heading towards Pippin slipping him an apple,"Here is our second breakfast." Vaeri said sending him a wink as Pippin bit into the crisp apple moaning in pleasure at the crisp, sweet taste. "Stay warm, little one." Vaeri said rubbing his hair before heading back to join with Legolas.

The group was prepared for the intense cold of the blizzard, everyone shuffled threw the few feet of snow except for Legolas and Vaeri. Legolas led the group while Vaeri stayed back helping the hobbits and Gimli climb throw they thick snow. As Vaeri was helping Mary get out of a particularly deep whole in the snow, Gimli fell face first into the plush snow. Turning around she laughed as Gimli sat up, snow covering his every hair making him look like an old man. "What are you laughing at?" Gimli asked as he shook his head, sending flakes of snow flying everywhere.

"Oh nothing," Vaeri sing-singed at him. Gimli muttered incoherent words, probably some insults but Vaeri just laughed.

When they thought the blizzard couldn't have picked up anymore it did. It became almost impossible to see the person in front of them. The walked blindly threw the snow, when Vaeri began to her ominous words in the air. She rushed forward to Legolas, "Do you hear that?"

"Yes…" Legolas said.

"What do you hear?" Aragorn shouted, barely audible over the sound of the roaring wind.

"There is an ominous voice in the air!" Legolas shouted, causing the fellowship to come to a halt. Vaeri looked up at the sky to see a bright flash, followed by a deafening roar.

"Hug the cliff!" She screamed and saw the slow movement as they tried to make it, but it was to late. Vaeri felt the like a hundred pound had been dropped on her. She opened her mouth but snow poured in. She moved her arms wildly, trying to loosen the snow. She finally felt her hand break the surface. She struggled a little while longer until she felt the snow give way and she brought herself to the surface. She looked around only to see snow, when another figure popped out. It was Legolas. They quickly surfaced the others and they sat their regaining their breaths.

"This will be the death of the hobbits!" Boromir shouted to Gandalf.

"Let us turn back and take the path under the mountains," Gimli said, "Let us go to the Mines of Moria!"

"It is up to the ring bearer," Gandalf said hesitantly.

"We will go under the mountain," Frodo stuttered his lips chapped and splitting. They turned back each carrying a Hobbit on their back to make the trip quicker. Vaeri grabbed Pippin swinging him onto her back, "Hold on, little one." She said as they began the trudge back down the mountain path. The blizzard soon passed and the air felt much warmer, the hobbits already starting to look better. The trip down the mountain was quicker, it took half as much time.

They soon began to see shrubs and small trees. The small saplings turned into thicker, larger and healthier trees, until they were able to let the hobbits walk by themselves again. They were back into the forest and night had fallen upon them, an uncanny silence in the air.

The group stopped for the night in a small clearing, "I have a very bad feeling…" Vaeri said to Legolas in concern. Just as the started to settle down for the night, a high-pitched scream filled the night sky. The company covered their ears, trying to get the awful sound out of the head.

"The Ring Wraiths!" Aragorn exclaimed.

"Into the trees!" Gandalf whispered helping Frodo get to the first branch. The group struggled trying to get into the trees as quickly as possible and as quietly as possible. The screams grew closer and the urgency grew all the hobbits had climbed to a safe height with the help of Legolas and Aragorn. Gimli struggling to reach a branch when Legolas reached down pulling him up beside him. Gimli grumbled at the help mumbling about how he needed no help.

Vaeri was last on the ground, since she would have the most ease climbing. She crawled up the tree next to Legolas unable to see much but the twisted branches. She climbed until Vaeri found she was a safe distance up the tree.

They heard twigs snap around them, as the group fell into a hushed silence. Below, only the outlines of the wraiths could be seen; there were three. Vaeri heard something creak and begin to snap and was much to close to bed down below. All the Ring Wraiths were on the ground scouring the area when she heard a deafening snap and sudden weightlessness.

A branch hit Vaeri in the stomach stopping her fall, she moaned in pain. The branch fell to the ground with a thud, she winced at the noise. Looking up she could see the horror in Legolas' eyes. They Ring Wraiths began to scream, knowing that they had found her; Vaeri began to climb the tree again when she felt the hand grab her ankle. And pull.

Losing her grip, Vaeri fell to the ground at the feet of the wraiths. They had their swords drawn and one lunged. She rolled out of the way as the blade pierced the ground. She scurried to her feet, knowing that she was outnumbered. Grabbing her daggers she blocked one of the wraith's attack. She kicked it in the stomach, clearing a path for her to flea. She sprinted.

Vaeri ran, pushing herself faster than she had ever before. Her legs were numb but she couldn't stop. She felt weightless with her speed, the scream of the wraiths slowly disappearing behind her. She began to slow her pace until she came to a stop.

She listened carefully, to the quiet sounds of the forest. She heard a twig snap and turned around to face her enemy. The three Ring Wraiths stepped out of the forest, their blades drawn. The one in the middle was known as the Witch King, instead of a black hood, he wore a metal helmet that was sharp and pierced the air.

Vaeri drew out her bow, knocking an arrow in place before releasing it into the black hole where their faces should have been. The scream pierced her ears causing her to cringe in pain. The other two attacked her, forcing her to drop her bow and grab her daggers. She parleyed their attacks easily; they were testing her.

She locked blades with one of the wraiths, she twisted her daggers around creating an unbreakable hold with the blades. Vaeri pulled forcing the sword out of the wraith's hand. Vaeri flung a dagger at the wraith, another blood-piercing scream filling the air. Only one more to go; the Witch King.

The Witch King twirled his sword in the air, attacking Vaeri fiercely. The blow knocked sent one of her daggers flying out her hand. She grabbed the smaller one strapped to her leg and blocked his next attack. He swung his sword at her head, she ducked barely reacting in time. Vaeri lunged at her enemy, trying to land a blow. He grabbed her by the throat, "You can't kill me…" He whispered with a voice of death, that made her very inside freeze in fear.

Vaeri was throw backwards, hitting a tree. Her head spun from the impact. Standing, she felt her way around her boot trying to find her hidden dagger. She grabbed the hilt throwing it at the wraith and was satisfied when she heard another piercing scream; Vaeri relaxed, she had gotten the Witch King.

"Scream." The voice of death said, as he slid his blade slowly into gullet and she did just that. It felt as if someone was boiling her blood with stabs of electricity. Her mind went blank from the pain. Vaeri felt blindly for the blade wanting it out of her body, instead she felt it be pushed in more, until she felt the cool metal protruding from the other side of her stomach. Her head spun from the pain, it was all she could think about.

She had finally stopped screaming, when she felt the blade slowly being removed. Vaeri fell to her knees, blind in agony. Her body was shaking and her breaths were forced; it felt as if her body was shutting down. The sword was removed with a final tug, releasing one last blood-curdling scream.

Falling to the ground, Vaeri whimpered feeling the electricity beginning to spread to all parts of her body. Blood was seeping out of her wound quickly and she had no way to bandage it. "Enjoy the gift." The voice said, Vaeri opened her eyes to see the Witch King walking away leaving her there to die.

Looking down at her wound, Vaeri gasped. She was bleeding…a lot. With shaking hands, Vaeri touched the sore flesh feeling something still embedded inside her. Vaeri clutched the sharp object, gasping in pain as she removed the sliver of blade. Slicing her hand, she dropped the object, it clattering against the ground.

Vaeri stood up, her legs shaking from the effort. Clutching her side, she felt the blood, spurt out every time she took a step. The witch king's words, snapped into her mind and she gasped; she needed to find Athelas. She continued walking scoring the ground for the plant; she saw it suddenly out of the corner of her eye. Vaeri limped towards it her head felt as light as a feather, a small voice in her head told her it was from blood loss.

Grabbing a hand full of the plant, she threw into her mouth, chewing it until it became a paste. Spitting it out, Vaeri rubbed into her wound, gritting her teeth at the pain. Vaeri felt the pain slowly subsiding and with it her vision.