[Nurumaiel]

Robin heard screams through the blinding snow. She could not see anything except blurry shapes moving. She could barely hear Dinodas shouting something, probably to her. She fumbled around at her back, trying to find her quiver, but it was still with Gil-Galad. Scrambling around, shouting, she tried to find the pony, and suddenly her hand brushed against something furry. But it wasn't Gil-Galad. She heard a snarl and then felt a burning pain in her hand. She cried out and jumped back, tripping and landing in the snow, which turned red with blood. Trying to fight the pain, she shouted weakly for help, but no answer came.

Dinodas fit an arrow to his bow. He spotted a dark shape moving towards him and heard a snarling. Quick as a flash, he let the arrow fly, and with satisfaction heard a yelp and saw the figure collapse in the snow.

There was a growling directly behind him. He picked up his club where he had laid it next to him and whirled around, swing down at the same time. There was a thud and the figure behind him dropped. Seeing more of the vicious dogs advancing, he tossed his club aside and once again turned to his bow. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and took careful aim. Yet when he fired, the arrow missed.

"I had better be careful," he muttered, drawing another arrow. "An arrow gone astray could hurt an ally."

Soon he found himself run out of arrows, but still the dogs were coming. So he turned to where his club was. The only problem was that it wasn't. With a cry he fell to his knees and started digging frantically in the snow, searching in vain. He heard a movement behind him and he whirled around, preparing for an attack. A shadowy shape sprang at him and he felt something furry and wet land on top of him, and could feel warm breath go down his neck. There was a growling noise in his ear as he rolled over, but the shape fell off him, springing up again at once for another attack.

Robin heard a noise in her ear and felt something breathing on her. To weak to cry out, she slowly turned and found herself face to face with Gil-Galad. "Gil," she whispered, reaching her good arm up to stroke his nose. "Go to Dinodas, please. Go/"

Gil began making his way through the deep snow, every so often turning back to make sure his mistress was still there. Then he vanished in the whirling blizzard, and all went black for Robin.

Dinodas jumped to his feet and kicked at the dog, trying to discourage it and make it move away. But he only succeeded in infuriating it more. It was hungry and it wanted food. There was food in front of its face, and it would not let its prey go so easily.

Dinodas heard a whinny close by, and shouted, "Gil!" When the pony came into view the dog spotted him and began jumping at his legs, snarling. He began spooking and jumped to one side. He reared and the dog moved forward. Dinodas watched in half horror as Gil's hard hooves landed on the dog's head. It wasn't a very pleasant site.

When Gil realized the vicious creature was dead, he proceeded on with his business, coming over to Dinodas. The hobbit lad spotted Robin's bow and quiver and unhooked them from the saddlebag, flipping an arrow from the quiver as he did so. Fitting it to his own bow, he prepared for another attack of dogs.

But they never came. Perhaps they had all been killed, perhaps they had all run away, or perhaps they were attacking the other members of the group. Returning the arrow to its quiver, Dinodas looked around for Robin, but did not see her. Gil-Galad was trotting the best he could in the deep snow away. Dinodas could still hear the screams, and suddenly he was presented with the choice of either going to Robin or helping the rest of the company. He chose the latter.

Robin rolled onto her back and opened her eyes very slowly. The blizzard was whistling over her head, and she was half buried in the snow. Gil was standing over her. Hadn't he gone to Dinodas with the bow? A faint smile touched her lips. He had. Both the bow and quiver were gone.

Robin was so numb that she didn't feel the pain in her arm. Desperately she tried to get to her feet and mount Gil-Galad, but she only managed to struggle to her knees, and that small feat left her panting for breath. "Gil, you're too tall for me now," she said hoarsely. "I can't get that high."

Gil almost seemed to understand her, for, if you'll believe it, he suddenly bent his legs and went down. Robin stared in amazement for a moment, then dragged herself towards the pony. She had to find help or she'd die from cold. She was also losing much blood from her wound. Grasping his mane in her good hand, she slowly heaved herself onto his back and into a riding position among all the baggage. Ever so slowly, he came to his feet, Robin clinging to his mane and desperately hoping he wouldn't slip on the snow while trying to stand up. Then he was standing fully. He began walking through the snow towards the rest of the company, and Robin fell forward onto his neck.

Dinodas could hear something tramping through the snow behind him as he made his way towards the figures fighting in front of him. He whirled around, and saw a large shape walking towards him. As the shape drew closer Dinodas realized it was Gil. And then he saw what the pony was carrying.

"Robin!" he cried, running forward. He gently lifted the hobbit lass off her pony and saw her arm.

"Hello, Dinodas," Robin said weakly, a smile coming to her pale face.

"Don't you dare die, Robin Brandybuck," Dinodas said, still holding her in his arms.

"I'm not going to die, Dinodas," Robin said. "Not yet. They still need me back home. They're expecting the food." Then her head fell back.

"She's still alive," Dinodas whispered to himself. "We need a healer. Who was it? Branda? Branda! BRANDA!" He began screaming the name as he struggled towards the company, holding the limp hobbit lass in his arms.