This is something I've had half-written for a couple of weeks but I just wanted to update my other stories first. This will be written in collaboration with Aria Breuer and is dedicated to her for the online friendship she has had with me and for her love of LOTR and Frodo Baggins ^_^ I hope she, and everyone else, enjoys this. The first chapter is a short one, but others will be longer. This is just a bit of a prologue.

The woman blinked slowly as she woke from the Elvish equivalent of sleep. Her dreams, as always, had been full of dark, twisting shadows and emptiness so great that it felt like a hole existed in her chest.

But this morning there had been something else. A face. It was a small face, slightly Elvish in appearance, but also different. The face's pale skin contrasted greatly with the pink tinge to the cheeks and the sapphire blue of the eyes, which were wide with excitement and anticipation.

The woman knew who this was. It was common knowledge that the great evil of Middle-earth had been vanquished, and the One Ring destroyed. It was also common knowledge that the Ringbearer himself, seeking healing from the lasting effects of carrying the cursed object, would be sailing to Tol Eressea, along with Lord Elrond and Lady Galadriel.

The face she had seen in her dreams was the hobbit Frodo Baggins.

Frodo breathed deeply as he stepped out of the sleeping quarters onto the deck, making his way to the prow of the ship. He found his elder cousin Bilbo sitting there, gazing wistfully out over the mists that covered the world around them, reducing sight to a few metres. However, both hobbits trusted that the Elves knew where they were going.

Frodo seated himself next to Bilbo, still feeling a bit shaky after the previous day's events. It had been the anniversary of his injury on Weathertop and it had felt like the worst day of his life. He didn't remember much, only feeling as though he had been frozen solid and a sharp shard of ice was imbedded in his left shoulder. He had woken from the feverish delirium late the last night and told that they would soon arrive at Tol Eressea, where the pain would slowly lessen.

Unconsciously, he placed a hand over the wound, feeling it throb icily. It couldn't compare to the previous day's pain, but it was still mildly distracting. Bilbo's hand rested on his other shoulder, and Frodo turned to him.

"Nearly there, my boy. Then we can both rest. And perhaps, one day, we will be able to banish the evils of that ghastly thing from our minds, hey?" Bilbo murmured softly, his voice quavering with the age that had shown up so quickly once the Ring had left his possession.

Frodo managed a smile. "I hope so, Uncle."

He felt a warm presence behind him and knew, without looking, that Galadriel hovered over them. She, too, eagerly awaited their arrival on the island, to see her beloved daughter again.

"How do you fare, dear hobbits?" she asked, her voice washing over them like a summer breeze, alleviating some of the ache in Frodo's shoulder.

"Better." Frodo answered, and his smile as he gazed up at her was far more relaxed.

Bilbo chuckled. "I'm right as rain, as always. Say, Lady, do you think I will feel youth on Tol Eressea once again?"

Galadriel smiled brightly. "The physical maladies will be the first to be washed away. You both will soon feel the energy and strength of your youth, but it is the mental scars which will be the most difficult to heal. I believe that both of you can overcome them, in time, as long as you remain willing."

"I know they will." A gruffer voice announced Gandalf's arrival. "How many times have I told you, Lady, and Elrond that hobbits will forever surprise you."

Galadriel smiled. "I did not believe you until the Fellowship entered under the leaves of Lorien, but then I knew that Halflings would change the world. Perhaps soon, Middle-earth will fade from the time of Men and the time of Hobbits will arise."

Bilbo grinned up at her. "Soon for you, Lady, but possibly over an Age for Men and hobbits."

She dipped her head gracefully.

A few hours passed in soft silence. No talk was necessary, and the silence was not awkward. However Frodo was locked in a constant mental battle with himself. It had oft happened since leaving the Grey Havens. Each time his thoughts wandered back to Middle-earth, and the Shire, and all those left behind, he would immediately try to focus on something else, whether it was the soft sound of the wind or the grain of the wooden boat. For it was too painful to remember, when he knew his past was lost to him.

He did not regret his decision to sail to the Undying Lands, as he knew that he could not continue to be a burden on his friends when he had no peace within himself, but the knowledge that all he held dear was gone was too much to bear along with all his other pains. Perhaps one day he would be able to remember with fondness, and look ahead to the slim possibility of Sam following him, or Legolas, who had always spoken wistfully of the sea. But not today.

At that moment, he was pulled from his musings by a sweet scent on the faint wind, and the delightful sound of elegant voices, carried to them over an unknown distance. They were Elven voices, and though Frodo could not yet understand what was being said, his mind felt strangely calmed as he closed his eyes and let himself listen.

"We are nearly there." Galadriel whispered, her tone of voice portraying her longing and relief. Longing to see her daughter again, to see the island of Tol Eressea, and relief for the hobbits who could finally begin their final journey to healing.

Well, there it is :) Hope everyone enjoyed that and I look forward to hearing in reviews. Till next time ^_^