Lord of the Rings
They both ignore the way Motira's fur fades just a little every time Frodo puts on the Ring. They can see the others, especially Sam and Lojale, looking as well but Frodo merely turns away and Motira tilts her head upwards. They don't need help.
They've made camp for the night and the two of them huddle in a corner. Pippin is entertaining the others, Haizi shifting through a thousand forms.
'We shouldn't be here.'
Frodo looks down as Motira, the cat's face looking up as she speaks. He shrugs. 'We said we'd do it-'
'But we shouldn't have said that.' Her claws catch on the chain the Ring is on. 'We can't do this. We're relying on everyone else.'
'What's so bad about that?' They look up as Haizi turns into a leopard, mimicking Legolas' Koa. Frodo pulls Motira closer to himself. 'They said they'd help and I'm sure they will.'
'That's not the point.' She said, climbing up his arm to droop over his shoulders. 'We shouldn't be on this quest. Aragorn or Boromir could take it. They'd do a much better job than we're doing.'
Frodo sighs, running a hand through her red-brown hair. It had once been a pure, brilliant ginger but not anymore. He wonders if it'll fade any more.
'It'll change back, right Fro?' The hope in her voice would be pitiful, if he didn't feel it too.
'Of course, Tira. I'm sure it will. Just as soon as we destroy the Ring.'
'What are we doing here Sam?' Lojale says, curling up next to her human. The Hobbit and his labrador dæmon have taken first watch but will stay awake all night. One, because they don't trust Gollum and two, so Mister Frodo can get some sleep.
'We're helping. That's what we always do.'
The words would probably mean more if it weren't for the huge black mountain in the distance, the place they're headed for. Every step they take means Lojale has to support Motira more, means Sam has to watch Gollum more, means Frodo holds the Ring a little bit tighter.
'Bit pointless, though. Helping.' They both know Motira only accepts help because she's weak and Gollum won't really do something while Frodo's watching. Frodo refuses to let them near, thinking their going to take his 'precious' as Gollum calls it. Sam doesn't know how they're going to destroy the Ring, if Frodo won't even let it go.
'Lojale?' The voice is quiet and they both turn. Motira sits there, her dark brown fur drooping and her ears twitching. 'Can I sit with you?'
They nod together, Sam moving so Motira can rest against his dæmon without touching him.
'I'm worried about Frodo.' She says, leaning into Lojale.
'So are we.' The labrador say, nuzzling the cat's neck. 'So are we.'
The three of them sit there for a moment, hobbit, dæmon and master's dæmon. They stay, unmoving, wondering if things will ever be normal again.
They really doubt it.
Haizi shifts into an eagle and flies to the top of the wall, watching the orcs and trolls and everything, attacking. She flies back down, landing on Pippin's shoulder.
'Anything?' He says, pretty much under his breath.
'Nothing.' She says back in the same tone, flying onto his shoulder to shift again. He doesn't look at her, too focused on the door. He's sure something will happen soon, either he'll be dead or Merry and the others will turn up. He doesn't know which one he expects to happen but he hopes it's the second.
'Check again?' He whispers, still not looking at her.
'Can't.' She says, with no room for argument.
'Why?' He says, turning. A wolf, grey with streaks of black and a white face, watches him, head tilted. As he asks, he realises why. She can't change anymore.
'Really? This?'
She nods and he has to stop himself falling in on himself. Wolves are unheard of in the Shire. They are for the greatest of warriors, people who have seen unimaginable horrors, or both. He can't have a wolf. He just can't. What would his family say?
'Pip?' Haizi asks, her eyes growing worried. 'Pip, it's fine, just think about it.'
Okay, think about it. Unimaginable horrors. His time with the Uruk-hai would cover it and then there's Moria and Weathertop and- his heart stops- the Palantir. Great warrior. Look where he is, a Knight of Gondor.
'Right then, we're a wolf.'
Haizi smiles and howls.
Ritari hurdles closer to Merry as the horses head out. Eowyn's Vegter, an eagle, is resting on her shoulders, distracting some attention from the wildcat but not all of it. Ritari had to hide in case one of the Rohirrim noticed the wildcat dæmon.
'I don't like this.' She whispered as the got to the battle field. Thousands of orcs stood in front of them. They had to fight that.
'Me neither.' They both shouted in reply to Theoden and held tight to Eowyn as the battle began. Ritari's claws dug deeper into Merry's shirt as the battle wore on, only an inch below Eowyn's arm. When they were thrown from their horse, Ritari stayed in the same position, her impact softened by her hobbit.
The two of them, forgotten by those around them, looked for Eowyn and Vegter. They gasped when they saw her, facing the Witch King. They ran forward, not even thinking as Merry drew his blade, striking the Nazgul in the leg.
Pain shot up his arm and Ritari screeched in agony. The two of them fell backwards, clinging together as their world went black,
'Merry! Ritari!'
The familiar voice makes them open their eyes. Pippin stands there, an unknown wolf at his side. The wolf, Haizi they realise, nudges Ritari.
'Are you going to leave us, Pip?'
'No, Merry, we're going to look after you?'
Haizi gently lifts Ritari into his arms and he holds his dæmon tight. They survived the battle. They are alive.
'Today's the day.' Vasilissa whispers when they wake. Today is the day, the day they will do what what their ancestors couldn't, the day they will be crowned. They won the war and, now, they will claim their birthright.
Aragorn rises slowly, watching the lion stretch and jump off the bed. She blinks at him, gesturing towards the clothes slung over the chair in the corner. The clothes were chosen weeks ago, during all the other preparations for the ceremony like guests, wording and food. Aragorn and Vasilissa hadn't listened to a word of it, to concerned with the four injured hobbits in the Houses of Healing. But now the Halflings are healed and the ranger is to have a coronation.
'Let's go.' Vasilissa says, nodding at her human. Her fur has been combed by a handmaiden's monkey dæmon.
They stand in front of thousands of people, watching Gandalf speak. When the crown is placed on Aragorn's head, Vasilissa lets out a great roar, listening to the crowd's dæmons reply. They wonder through the crowd, nodding at those who bow to them.
When the elves arrive, all they see is Arwen and Zorka. The dove flies to rest on Vasilissa's shoulders and Aragorn takes his love's hand.
They stand in front of the four; wildcat, cat, dog, wolf. They start to bow, all eight.
'My friends. You bow to no one.'
He sinks into a bow, feeling Vasilissa do the same next to him. Others follow, copying King and Lion.
Koa finds Khana, Gimli's dæmon, after every battle before running back to Legolas. The leopard says something quietly to the armadillo, listens to the reply, bows his head and lopes off. The dwarf and the elf say nothing to each other about this nor they they talk after battle but always exchange glances when this happens.
'What do you say?' The two are sat in a room of Rohan, the leopard draped over the bed, the elf resting on the chair.
'To who? Khana? Nothing important.'
Legolas rises an eyebrow. 'It must important, if you repeat it every time.'
Koa's tail begins to sway from side to side. Her eyes widened slightly and her shoulders hunch. The taunting of the dæmon is to simply annoy her elf. 'We just check.'
'Check what?'
The leopard jumps off the bed, spinning in a circle. Her tail, still swaying, hits her elf's legs. 'Are you sure you want to know? It might hurt your pride.'
Legolas sighs. No matter how friendly they have become with the dwarf and his dæmon, he still doubts Koa and Khana talk about anything too important.
'I'm sure nothing Khana has to say will hurt me too much. Now what do you check.'
Koa jumps, opening the door and standing in the doorway. Like most wood elves, they are Stretched to make life easier in the forest and for fighting. 'Just kill rates.'
'Why would that wound me?
'Because you always lose.' Koa laughs and leaves the room.
'You won again.' Khana says, crawling on to the bench next to Gimli. The two of them frown as they watch Koa leave Legolas' room. Dwarves have always seen Stretching as unnatural, one of the reasons the two groups didn't get along. Having spent so much time with the elf, they are getting used to it but it still unnerves them.
'Really? What was the score?'
The armadillo smiles. '45 to 40. There were a few you missed and a few he didn't actually kill.'
Gimli laughs, the chortle getting louder when Legolas walked out of his room, storming after his dæmon. Khana laughs as well, tail tapping her dwarf's arm then pointing upwards. Hanging from the rafters is Koa, her tail flicking lazily.
'Bet you he doesn't look there.'
Gimli looks at Khana, eyebrow raised. 'And what are we betting, lassie? The money we share, the possessions that belong to both of us?'
'Shut up, lad. It's a figure of speech.'
Her tail comes round again, whipping him this time. He pushes her away and she jumps down from the bench.
'I'm going to go see Vasilissa. Need to talk to her about that 'toss me' thing.'
Gimli sneered, thinking back. The lion had taken the smaller dæmon in her mouth, jumping across with her without even asking. A stab of pain had gone through his chest when their bond, obviously shorter than Aragorn and Vasilissa's was pulled tight.
Khana curls into a ball and rolls off, ignoring her dwarf.
Uchawi flies between each room, checking the dæmons of her wizard's companions. Pippin's room is first and the newly-settled wolf seems fine, apart from the slightly scuffed ear. Merry is in the next room over and clings to his wildcat, though the owl can't see anything physically wrong. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli are all fine, the lion, leopard and armadillo curled up together outside their room. Sam's dog seems exhausted and her paw looks burned but otherwise okay.
It's Frodo and Motira that worries her.
She flies back to her room, landing swiftly on Gandalf's shoulder. Since Uchawi change from grey owl to snowy owl, they've been much closer.
'Motira's black Gandalf. Pitch black.'
Gandalf sighs, stroking her feathers. 'We knew this might happen. As much as we hoped against it, we couldn't stop it.'
'Doesn't mean I have to like it.' Uchawi says, flying to the edge of the bed.
'At least she hasn't faded completely, Cha.'
Uchawi shivers, thinking of Seikkailija, Bilbo's rabbit dæmon who was almost transparent and Gollum, who lost his dæmon all together. 'No, we are blessed with that. But Frodo will not be the same.'
'No. Of course not. I doubt he will stay in this world much longer. Nor will we for that matter.'
Uchawi smiles, tilting her head. 'The Grey Havens and Valinor have been calling since Moria. But I wonder if I'll be going.'
Gandalf smiles fondly. 'I would never go if you were not. It's not Haven without you.'