Hey all! I am currently very inspired to write so…here I am! (Just a reminder, I don't own LOTR or any of its characters, just my OC Amaniel)

The first part of the trip was melancholy in my eyes. Legolas believed I wouldn't hide, that I wouldn't lie, but I did, and for a childish fear. How could I have such little faith in him? I feel like an absolute fool! What's worse? I continue to hide, damn coward I am. I ride Tuarwen towards the back, some children walking beside my horse. Up ahead, I saw Legolas walking ahead, his keen eyesight giving him an advantage to scouting.

I spotted another familiar blonde head talking to a short, red-headed man on a brown horse. I had learned from Eowyn his name was Gimli, son of Gloin. I heard her laugh at the Dwarf, who suddenly lost control of his horse and fell off. "That was deliberate!" he yelled.

Eowyn laughed and rushed to help him. I laughed as well, though more at his fall than anything else. Although his fall reminded me of…

"You're sure about this?"

Legolas grinned at me, tightening the vine, "Positive, I do this all the time in Mirkwood."

The Prince had been here for about a month, and already he was teaching all kinds of odd things, like swinging on a vine over a rather large waterfall. Legolas had shot the arrow that stuck in a tree at the top of the waterfall. I swallowed nervously, watching as Legolas calculated the leap he was about to make. The vine was awfully close to the waterfall, so close that, when swung, the mist would render the scenery nearly invisible. I felt Legolas place a hand on my shoulder, "Don't worry, that arrow isn't going anywhere," he said reassuringly.

"It's not the arrow I'm worried about," I mumble.

He grins and pulls the vine one last time. "Done," he announces.

He hands the rope off to me and I take it, unsure what to do. "Shouldn't you demonstrate first?" I ask tentatively.

"You swing, Amaniel, just jump. The vine will hold."

I swallow nervously, peering down over the edge of the cliff we stood upon. It was a very long fall…I could feel myself shaking as I gripped the vine…and jumped. I was falling, lower and lower until I felt a force pull me up. The wind rushed against my hair and I breathed in the mist. It was cool and clean, the swing one of the most exhilarating things I'd ever felt in my entire life. The vine carries me forward and I land safely on the other side, laughing. I heard Legolas call out, "Amaniel?!"

I shout back, "I'm alright! That was amazing!"

I could hear his laugh and I threw the vine back so he could join me. I watched the tree where the arrow was stuck, the beginning of the vine attached to it. Judging by the angle and how it wasn't moving, I could only assume he had caught it. I saw it tighten as he prepared to swing, then the vine moved, carrying Legolas over to me.

All of a sudden, I heard a yell and the vine stopped, the tension clear. I couldn't see him through the mist and I frantically call for him, "Legolas?!...Legolas?! Where are you?!"

I saw the vine wiggle and I heard him, his voice strained, "I'm stuck! I can't move! There's a rock jutting out of the falls!"

I had to do something, but to my horror, I saw the vine starting to break. "Legolas! The vine!"

I heard him swear as he struggled to free himself…I think, "Legolas! Tell me what's going on!"

"It's a mess of three rocks! When the vine went down I got caught in them! The vine's tangled around my legs!"

"Is the vine holding you?!"

"Barely, I've got two rocks behind me and one up ahead."

I sighed, "But if the vine broke would you be able to hold onto the rocks?!"

I heard him struggle and the vine wiggled, speeding the breaking process. He swore again, "It's the mist, the rocks are too slippery for me to get a good hold!"

I frantically searched for something to let me help him. To my right, a rather long, thick vine hung on a tree. I grabbed it and analyzed its length. I asked Legolas to call out and he did. It was a poor estimate but judging by how his voice sounded I estimated him to be a little less than halfway across the twenty-three foot waterfall. The vine I held was roughly thirty feet and fairly thick. I tied it to a nearby stone and rushed to the edge of my cliff. "Legolas?!"

"Amaniel! I'm slipping! Run back to Lindon! Go!"

Filled with determination, I shouted, "I'm not leaving you!"

"You barely know me! Why would you care?!"

He stuck me there, I had only known him for a month, and yet here I was practically risking my life for him. I was very close to the edge, if my vine snapped I would go tumbling to my death. No, Legolas needed my help, and that was reason enough. I wasn't going to let him die without trying to save him. I threw the vine, "Legolas! Can you see my vine?!"

His vine was dangerously close to snapping and he called out, aggravated, "I can't see anything! I'm surrounded by vines!"

I pulled my vine back and threw it again, this time I heard him yelp and my vine wiggled, "I got it!...I think…" I heard him yell.

My vine stopped wiggling and I panicked.

Legolas's vine had snapped.

I screamed as his vine disappeared from my view. Gone…he was gone…no! He can't be! I'm so stupid! This is all my fault! I should have-! My self-pity was cut short when I felt a sudden yank on my vine. I wasted no time and began to pull, praying he was alive, or that it was at least him. The vine was almost done and for a moment I thought I had imagined the yank…that is, until a familiar blond head popped into my line of sight. I nearly shouted with joy as I hauled the Prince over my cliff and onto the grass. He was breathing heavy and grinning up at me, "You're not getting rid of me that easily, my lady."

I smacked him and he laughed, suddenly pulling me into an embrace. I hugged him back and listened as he whispered in my ear, "Not many elleths would have done that you know."

I chuckled and we parted, "Well I'm not other elleths now, am I?"

"You most certainly are not. Thank you…mellon nin."

That was the first time he had called me "my friend". I inhaled deeply, sorely missing those times. I cursed myself again for not telling him who I was. Diona, where had I even come up with that name? I scoffed; it wasn't even a good name. From what I knew, it was a rather common name among women in the race of men.

Up ahead, I heard shouting, followed by the loud calls of "Wargs!" All around me, people began screaming and fleeing for their lives. Tuarwen reared and I charged her forward towards the battle. I saw Legolas shoot a scout before leaping onto the same horse as Gimli. Once I caught sight of the Wargs, however, I unsheathed my sword and released a furious battle cry.

We met the enemy and my sword met the exposed neck of an unfortunate Orc. I turned Tuarwen around and killed the Warg that Orc had been riding. I ducked just in time to miss a decapitation by another Orc. I parried the blow and Tuarwen whirled so I could return the favor and decapitate him, his head hitting his Warg. The beast snarled and leapt and I slashed at its heart. I had no time to savor victory, for I now faced two Orcs, each on his own Warg. The dog-like creatures snarled and snapped. Tuarwen met the challenges with a rear and mighty bellow of a whinny. The Wargs charged and I slashed at one, narrowly missing the great beasts head. The other leapt over, his sword nicking my shoulder and drawing blood. I growled but refused to lose my focus.

I charged Tuarwen, and she leapt over a dead Orc before trampling another about to strike Legolas. I turned quickly so he wouldn't see my face and returned to battle. The two Wargs I had been dealing with had lost their Orc riders, but their instincts were fueled on bloodlust. Tuarwen stomped her hoof in a challenge as the beasts growled. They lunged at the same time and I was forced to move Tuarwen back. One tackled me and I flew off of Tuarwen, who quickly galloped away. Good, brave one she is I will not see her hurt. My attention was brought back to Warg who decided it would be a good idea to attack. It lunged and I thrust my sword out to meet its neck. I quickly pulled my sword out to slash an Orc who attempted to catch me by surprise.

I was a whirlwind of slashing and killing, removing Orc and Warg filth alike. I savored the adrenaline coursing through my body as the battle progressed. The soldiers of Rohan were fierce, the Wargs and their Orcish riders didn't stand a chance. My blade ended the lives of many Orcs, Wargs as well with their ungraceful movements. The thing with these enemies was that they had no balance, riding simply something they are not meant for. They say the Wargs were especially developed through dark magic to give them their strength and make them easier for the Orcs to ride, when in reality they were barely scratching the surface of true riding.

I saw their numbers thinning and sliced at another Orc. I started running in the direction of a few scouts getting too close to the caravan of civilians. Suddenly, a searing pain rips down my side and I shout, collapsing to the ground. I kick the vermin who stabbed me in his face and ended his life with a slash of my blade. I tried to stand, but my leg would not move. The damned dagger had been poisoned, a numbing one by the feel. I was losing blood rapidly and struggled to maintain focus on the world. I am a warrior elleth, this wound will not hamper me!

But it did.

The poison spread to my hips and I could not get up. I rolled onto my back, cursing at myself for not paying more attention. It was one of the rules of battle, don't leave your enemy until you know he's dead, never assume, yet I assumed. I gripped my side, trying to staunch the blood flow. Pain ripped through my body and I bit my lip to keep from screaming. A head of blond hair was running my way. No, Valor, no! I rolled to my unwounded side, but it was too much. I felt his hand touch my shoulder as he rolled me to face him. He knelt above me, trying to bandage my side, "Diona! I had no idea you were-!..." I met his eyes and his worry was replaced by confusion…and a hint of betrayal, "Amaniel?"

I smiled weakly and whispered, "Hello, meleth nin," before the shadows took over my vision and I lapsed into dark dreams.

By now I'm sure you all hate me for my cliffies, but what can I say? Apparently they're a specialty of mine :) Love you all!