"You have returned little one," Galadriel said as she stepped out of the shadows. "I didn't expect to see you again. Not so soon anyway."
"The ring.....its been stolen," Frodo replied.
Galadriel's eyes opened wide. She looked from Aragorn to Legolas. She could see it in their eyes. It was true. The ring was lost. Stolen from them by a Valarauko. It would have taken a Valarauko of enormous power to be able to take the ring. Now they just had to find where it had been taken and go to get it back. The fate of Middle Earth depended on it.
"Rest now," she said. "Soon you shall go and find the ring."
She turned and walked back into the shadows. The five were exhausted. Some of Galadriel's subjects brought them some water and food. It didn't take long before Frodo and Sam were asleep. Gimli soon followed. Unknown to them, their water had been drugged. Galadriel knew that they would never let Legolas and Aragorn go alone to retrieve the ring. It was a necessary evil, one Aragorn regretted doing. He covered the little Hobbits up with his cloak and watched them sleep for a few minutes.
"We shall return your ring to you little one," he said softly, stroking Frodo's head gently.
"Its time," Legolas interrupted.
Aragorn nodded. He followed Legolas out of the clearing and down the steps to where Galadriel waited. A soft breeze blew through the smaller clearing where she stood. Her robes seemed to float around her. Aragorn thought he had never seen a more beautiful sight except for Arwen when she smiled. He missed her. There was no way of telling if he'd ever see her again. He stroked the necklace she had placed around his neck and remembered her last kiss. Her soft lips on his. Her sweet voice whispering "Forever" in his ear. He loved her like no other in his life. She was willing to give up forever just to be with him. If he returned from this journey alive, his only wish was to spend the rest of his life with her, if she'd still have him.
Legolas stood silently. His crystal blue eyes taking in everything going on around them. He saw the things hidden in the shadows Aragorn missed. He could see the magic floating around Galadriel. She was his Queen. Queen of all the Elves. He was Prince of Mirkwood, son of the King of the Wood Elves. He would follow the ring to the end of its existence, and then he'd return to Mirkwood and to his father. This was his way to show his father he was worthy of succeeding him as ruler of the Woodland Elves. He didn't have anyone he'd left behind. In Elfish years he was still young. He'd always had many young Elven females chasing him, but none ever caught him. He wanted adventure and excitement first before he settled down like his father. So far this journey to destroy the ring had provided plenty of both, and now, it looked like the adventure was just beginning.
Galadriel slowly walked around them, her voice soft and melodic in the moonlight. She put her hand up to her face and softly blew something over the two men before her.
"The ring will bring you home," she said. "Find the ring and trust in it. You will return to Middle Earth and to us."
There was a flash of light and a clap of thunder, and they were gone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What did Giles say?" Buffy asked.
"He said its probably nothing," Willow replied hanging up the phone. "Probably a freak storm."
Buffy went back to the window. She wasn't so sure.
"Back out on patrol already?" Xander gasped.
"You shouldn't sneak up behind me," Faith replied climbing off him. "I could have hurt you."
Xander sat up. His ribs felt bruised from her kick. She'd been the first woman he'd slept with. She'd even tried to kill him. Still, she drew him to her. There was an attraction between them. He could sense it. Why couldn't she?
"Its a bit late to be out isn't it?" Xander asked as he struggled to his feet.
"Just walking," she said. "I heard a noise. Anyway, what are you doing out?"
"Just walking."
Truth was, he was hoping he'd bump into her. That night was amazing, and although she had tried to hurt him, he wanted her still. He didn't see her psychotic side slipping though. He knew he could help her. He could be the one to get through to her. If she'd let him.
"Faith....." he started to say.
"Duck," she shouted.
From behind them sprung two vampires. Faith lunged at both, striking the smaller one, sending him sprawling onto the ground. She threw Xander a stake.
"Make yourself useful," she said as she kicked the larger one in the chest.
Xander grabbed the stake and drove it into the smaller one's chest. He gasped then turned to dust. Faith seemed to be handling herself with the larger one. He sat and watched, waiting to see if he was needed to help. She had him in a headlock and was bashing his head against the wall. One last punch had him on the ground. She grabbed her stake and jumped on him.
"Soon," the vampire muttered. "Boromir will destroy you all."
"Well Boromir will have to wait his turn," she replied as she sunk the stake into the vampire's heart.
He was dust. Faith stood up, wiping his remains from her clothing.
"You ok?" Xander asked, rushing over to her.
"Yeah," she said pushing him away. "I can take care of myself. I don't need you."
Xander's face fell. She'd change her mind and see she needed him. He could wait.
The flash of light caught them both by surprise. It blinded them for a second. When their eyes adjusted to the dark again they saw two figures standing in the darkness. Faith reached for her stake. As they drew nearer she saw they were like no vampires she'd ever seen before. One was very blonde and tall. He carried a bow and had a quiver of arrows on his back. She could just make out something different about his ears too. The darker man was tall, dressed in leather and carried a sword.
"Well well well," she said. "If it isn't Robin Hood and Little John."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"The ring.....its been stolen," Frodo replied.
Galadriel's eyes opened wide. She looked from Aragorn to Legolas. She could see it in their eyes. It was true. The ring was lost. Stolen from them by a Valarauko. It would have taken a Valarauko of enormous power to be able to take the ring. Now they just had to find where it had been taken and go to get it back. The fate of Middle Earth depended on it.
"Rest now," she said. "Soon you shall go and find the ring."
She turned and walked back into the shadows. The five were exhausted. Some of Galadriel's subjects brought them some water and food. It didn't take long before Frodo and Sam were asleep. Gimli soon followed. Unknown to them, their water had been drugged. Galadriel knew that they would never let Legolas and Aragorn go alone to retrieve the ring. It was a necessary evil, one Aragorn regretted doing. He covered the little Hobbits up with his cloak and watched them sleep for a few minutes.
"We shall return your ring to you little one," he said softly, stroking Frodo's head gently.
"Its time," Legolas interrupted.
Aragorn nodded. He followed Legolas out of the clearing and down the steps to where Galadriel waited. A soft breeze blew through the smaller clearing where she stood. Her robes seemed to float around her. Aragorn thought he had never seen a more beautiful sight except for Arwen when she smiled. He missed her. There was no way of telling if he'd ever see her again. He stroked the necklace she had placed around his neck and remembered her last kiss. Her soft lips on his. Her sweet voice whispering "Forever" in his ear. He loved her like no other in his life. She was willing to give up forever just to be with him. If he returned from this journey alive, his only wish was to spend the rest of his life with her, if she'd still have him.
Legolas stood silently. His crystal blue eyes taking in everything going on around them. He saw the things hidden in the shadows Aragorn missed. He could see the magic floating around Galadriel. She was his Queen. Queen of all the Elves. He was Prince of Mirkwood, son of the King of the Wood Elves. He would follow the ring to the end of its existence, and then he'd return to Mirkwood and to his father. This was his way to show his father he was worthy of succeeding him as ruler of the Woodland Elves. He didn't have anyone he'd left behind. In Elfish years he was still young. He'd always had many young Elven females chasing him, but none ever caught him. He wanted adventure and excitement first before he settled down like his father. So far this journey to destroy the ring had provided plenty of both, and now, it looked like the adventure was just beginning.
Galadriel slowly walked around them, her voice soft and melodic in the moonlight. She put her hand up to her face and softly blew something over the two men before her.
"The ring will bring you home," she said. "Find the ring and trust in it. You will return to Middle Earth and to us."
There was a flash of light and a clap of thunder, and they were gone.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"What did Giles say?" Buffy asked.
"He said its probably nothing," Willow replied hanging up the phone. "Probably a freak storm."
Buffy went back to the window. She wasn't so sure.
"Back out on patrol already?" Xander gasped.
"You shouldn't sneak up behind me," Faith replied climbing off him. "I could have hurt you."
Xander sat up. His ribs felt bruised from her kick. She'd been the first woman he'd slept with. She'd even tried to kill him. Still, she drew him to her. There was an attraction between them. He could sense it. Why couldn't she?
"Its a bit late to be out isn't it?" Xander asked as he struggled to his feet.
"Just walking," she said. "I heard a noise. Anyway, what are you doing out?"
"Just walking."
Truth was, he was hoping he'd bump into her. That night was amazing, and although she had tried to hurt him, he wanted her still. He didn't see her psychotic side slipping though. He knew he could help her. He could be the one to get through to her. If she'd let him.
"Faith....." he started to say.
"Duck," she shouted.
From behind them sprung two vampires. Faith lunged at both, striking the smaller one, sending him sprawling onto the ground. She threw Xander a stake.
"Make yourself useful," she said as she kicked the larger one in the chest.
Xander grabbed the stake and drove it into the smaller one's chest. He gasped then turned to dust. Faith seemed to be handling herself with the larger one. He sat and watched, waiting to see if he was needed to help. She had him in a headlock and was bashing his head against the wall. One last punch had him on the ground. She grabbed her stake and jumped on him.
"Soon," the vampire muttered. "Boromir will destroy you all."
"Well Boromir will have to wait his turn," she replied as she sunk the stake into the vampire's heart.
He was dust. Faith stood up, wiping his remains from her clothing.
"You ok?" Xander asked, rushing over to her.
"Yeah," she said pushing him away. "I can take care of myself. I don't need you."
Xander's face fell. She'd change her mind and see she needed him. He could wait.
The flash of light caught them both by surprise. It blinded them for a second. When their eyes adjusted to the dark again they saw two figures standing in the darkness. Faith reached for her stake. As they drew nearer she saw they were like no vampires she'd ever seen before. One was very blonde and tall. He carried a bow and had a quiver of arrows on his back. She could just make out something different about his ears too. The darker man was tall, dressed in leather and carried a sword.
"Well well well," she said. "If it isn't Robin Hood and Little John."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~