Nimeway rode along the path through the North-Downs that according to her map led to a small town. The last town she had been in was a complete waste of time, and in fact, she left with a deep scar on her arm. She simply tied it up with a cloth, ignoring that and her now swollen eye. The next town ended up not being as much of a disappointed, though what the locals told her of the slave's fates broke her heart. She did not know what to do afterwards, and a part of her nearly made her barge into Angmar and find Rossethor on her own, but she stopped herself and directed her mare to lead her and her young wolf, Raaka, home.
Relief flooded Nime when she made it to the safety of her home, and she tended to her arm, though she was interrupted when Fiontann walked into her house holding Beriadan, Nime's beloved son. He became worried when he saw Nime's arm, but she assured him it was merely a scratch. Then more worry entered his face when Nime told him what had happened to Ross and why she had to go to the North Downs in the first place. But in the end, he asked her to accompany him and a few other Dawners to the Lone-lands.
Happiness filled Nime when she saw Dataak once more, Nime was always happy to see her brother-in-law. Throughout the trip, they spoke to eachother and shared each other's problems to one another. After the trip, Nime spoke to Fion and tried to advice him on his troubles, though Nime wasn't fully confident of her advice when she went back home.
The final thing Nime could remember was laying on her bed that she hadn't seen in about a week and slipping into sleep, Baloo curled beside her, Milo on top of her, Anice on top of the canopy, Ber in her arms, and Raaka at her feet. Though Nime still felt an emptiness without Ross there. And although her strength was depleted and she struggled to stay awake when she was on her feet before, Nime found herself looking in the darkness of the room, wide awake.
A lot had happened in the past month, and the sudden realization came over Nime and struck her. She realized that despite the fact that she killed Cuilelass, that Rossethor was gone, that she had done some gruesome things to try and find Ross, she found a loyalty to her friends that she never realized she had. One of which she was willing to risk her life beside them and kill herself if it meant to bring them to safety.
The memory of Hardoleth when he spoke to Nime beneath the bridge outside of Bree hung in Nime's head. The story she told him of his past stuck there. She never knew why he had told her the story, but she knew it affected her in some way. What that way was, Nime didn't fully understand or know, but she knew it did it.
Finally, Nime directed her eyes to the baby in her arms. He looked so much like Ross that it stung Nime's heart. She knew she needed to find Ross, but she also knew Dat was right, she couldn't risk her own life. Ber needed a mother, but Nime didn't know how much she could do if Ross never came home. Nime knew she could only solider on for so long before she'd collapse. But when Nime looked at Ber, she felt nothing but love and compassion in the baby's tiny face. His blue eyes shone when he smiled, but at that moment, they were closed in a peaceful slumber. The soft breathing in the warm room slowly began to eat away at Nime, and the next thing she knew, she had fallen asleep. She would solider on tomorrow, but for now, Nime needed the sleep.
"Eventually we'll forget the past, the reason we cried and who caused us pain. In the end, all we can chose is what we wish to hold on to. Our love, or our hate. They are both the same, yet so different. Life is not black or white, yes or no. It's full of greys and maybes, and all we can do is change how we react to those greys and maybes."
