If Legolas seems OOC in this I apologize but my rational is that he's very attracted to Darlana if not secretly in love with her, otherwise all should be well, enjoy. FOUR REVIEWS ONLY, I work my ass off and this is how I'm treated with limited & late reviews? Walked away pouting. Ok and finally a magazine is the official name for the container that holds bullets to load into a gun not a clip. A clip helps to load a magazine, I blame my friend in the Canadian army for harassing me until I got it right. Some Legolas and Darlana romance within, they are not married yet and will be court or dating whichever you prefer calling it soon.

Chapter 4: Travel, Snow and practices.

Darlana sighed, the council had finished two weeks ago, and leaving Rivendell will not occur till tomorrow. Extensive testing of Nathala's abilities proved she was decently skilled in combat, and even more so in magic. She had been trained in secret by her uncles, and surprisingly her mother, from a very young age due to foresight and fear of the little one being in danger.

Sighing again Darlana rose and began going through her bag of holding. 'let's see, packaged food under stasis spells, enough for a small army. Oh gross half rotten wyvern meat, Dvent (1)I gotta clean this bag out more. ' The meat disintegrates 'forgot about that, let's see DM-4, what's this pathetic antique doing here?' Darlana shrugs and continues through her things 'Ahh a rocket launcher, sweet, 20 boxes of RPGs and 10 cluster missiles aka MIRVs (tech note 1), fragmentation and semtex grenades to supply a small war and a… oh somati (2) 15 megaton nuclear bomb and infantry class launcher. What am I doing carrying one of those around?' Darlana shook her head and closed up the bag.

Standing up, Darlana walked over to help Nathala clean her Berrett 50 cal. Darlana really does not like sniper rifles, they are, in Darlana's mind, a weapon of overkill, it is difficult at best to mount a defence against something that could kill you from 150 miles away at most. Darlana favours average ranged weapons like the DM series, and the decent 75 meters range of the Glock. Darlana sighed and decided to go to bed early, and told Nathala she should do the same, but at 8:30 because they were leaving at 6:30 and have to be up at 5 in the morning so they could leave early.

The next day both half-Dragons yawned and got up, Darlana allowed Nathala to have 5 more minutes of sleep before they went off to breakfast. Nathala wore black thick mithril with adamantium outer plates breastplate with reactive capability (tech note 2), twin short swords coming from her back, and a 7-inch hunting knife on her belt. Her sniper rifle which was nearly twice Nathala's size might seem humorous to some, but those who knew what the weapons can do, don't dare laugh. Nathala finally has her Glock with 10 spare magazines and 3 extended magazines at triple size.

Finally grouping with the rest of the Fellowship Boromir asks Darlana snidely, "Do you have enough weapons?"

"Well I wouldn't mind a division of tanks but that's not an option right now unfortunately that is not an option."

"Tanks?"

"Armoured horseless vehicles using a massive cannon and heavy machine guns." Boromir just shook his head and walked off, leaving Darlana sighing in mild annoyance as she continued finishing packing.

Nathala joined them with a cup of Elven drink similar to coffee in her hand drinking from it.

"Awake yet?" Darlana asks to Nathala's groan.

"Sort of, I'm not used to waking up so early."

"Come on, let's get ready to go." Darlana said as they walked to join the rest of the Fellowship and to listen to lord Elrond's farewell.

"On you no oath or bond to go further than you will, farewell, may the blessings of Elves, men and Dwarves and all other free folk go with you." Darlana smiled at that, she had spend a lot of time and patience over her two years trying to sooth the issues and mistrust between the races of Elves and Dwarves with negotiations.

Darlana had succeeded to the point of actual trusting, and cordial relations began occurring frequently thanks to her doctorate in diplomacy and earlier dealings with Elves and Dwarves.

"The Fellowship awaits the ringbearer." Gandalf calls to Frodo who walked ahead of everybody and Gandalf then whispered, "Mordor Gandalf, is it left or right?"

"Left." The fellowship of eleven left the great Elven city.

A&BA&BA&B

Back in Dragon Haunt, Bloom is standing outside in the rain worrying about both her eldest and youngest. "Bloom come out of the rain love." Aurix calls from behind her.

"I'm worried my love, I want them back here where I can do my duty as a mother."

"You have done a great duty as a mother." Aurix say moving his head next to her, and Bloom placed her hand on his cheek, feeling the large scaled ridge, and allowing Aurix to feel her love for him wordlessly. "Now come inside, I know you cannot get sick easily but you're soaked and cold."

"No."

"Do I have to do something drastic?"

"You wouldn't dare?" Bloom half asked.

"I am bigger than you by four size categories and immune to your type of magic." Aurix said playfully, before he walked beside her and wrapped her in his wing to shield her from the rain; he brought her by his mouth to allow his breath to warm her.

"Thanks Aurix."

"Not a problem my heart."

"Before you ask ,I am not coming inside."

"Hmm…"

"What?"

"Oh I was just remembering a lonely eighteen year old red haired woman." Bloom turns quizzically.

"Come again?"

"The day we first met, I asked if I could join you since you looked so miserable and lonely."

"The day that started it all, a new life for both of us, we both lost our parents and had the misfortune to watch it happen." Aurix grimaced.

"I swore personal vengeance against everybody who worshiped the Spider Queen that day I watched my parents die."

"Enough morbidity, fine, let's go inside, I need a hot bath." Aurix playfully nudged her with a claw while making a fanning motion over his snout.

"You do indeed." Aurix bolts.

"OI, overgrown lizard." Bloom uttered at her retreating husband. She headed to the bathing area, which to Bloom is a gigantic pool of lava. The entire Darkwielder family has immunity to fire, which makes a pool of lava nothing more than the equivalent of a nice dip in a hot bath for Aurix or hot swimming pool for Bloom. Bloom after changing to her swimming suit headed for the pool

"Aurix you in there?" Silence, in truth the gold Dragon is lying in wait at the bottom of the pool, waiting to scare his wife and swim with her for a while. "I know you're in there Aurix I can sense you." The gold Dragon rose out to show his face with a grumble.

"You're no fun."

"As nice as it is to be beside you itov, I don't like you scaring me."

"It's more of teaching you to be aware of your surroundings, and if you cannot notice a sixty-five foot tall dragon that you happen to be standing on, something is wrong with you." Bloom just mock glowered as she dove in and surfaces treading water near her husband before standing on his shoulder. Both her and the shoulder are covered by water.

"Thank you." Bloom said suddenly making Aurix look at her in surprise.

"For what?"

"For being there for me since day one, for everything; I was so alone when I met you."

"Oh I know you, a lovely girl who should have had hordes of admirers around you. You were alone nursing a double shot of vodka, was it?" Bloom sighed.

"Yes, I was, and I am not a lightweight when it comes to alcohol."

"I asked if I could join you and you agreed; you looked so miserable it nearly broke my heart."

"Although when I found out who you really were I laughed." Bloom said Aurix pouted playfully.

"Oh yes, I teleport you into my home, waiting for it to click on who I really was, and then ask you to marry me after apologizing to you, then Erianus comes blundering in and calls me by my real name…" Bloom started laughing at the memory.

"Yes you roared in annoyance, transformed, bellowed his name at the top of your lungs then chased after him and beat him up for ruining a very romantic mood." Bloom giggled, "A grown silver Dragon running off with his tail between his legs before you could get your claws on him."

"Well I don't think beating him up is the right term."

"Aurix, he had a black eye for a week after you walloped him with your tail."

"He deserved it." Aurix defended, "Besides I only whacked him once, and you know how brothers react when the other screws up something important."

"Oh yes, I do know that." Bloom's voice turned cold, making Aurix blanch for a second.

"Sorry babe, I forgot how that was a sore subject for you." Bloom had been an only child and a Drow loyal group had killed her parents in a coup. Bloom sighed again trying not to break down while Aurix floods the soul bond with all his love for her.

"You are never alone, I am part of you and you me." Aurix said as he laid his head into the shallow part of the pool, "I'm gonna take a nap here." Bloom swims off him and to the edge of the pool.

"Ok, I'll just be reading by the pool love." Aurix murmured in assent as he closed his eyes to sleep.

A few hours later he began to dream, his dream body felt different than usual, Aurix turned his head to see his sleeping wife, her hair is white and she seems to be much older. Her body is motionless and she seems to have passed peacefully in her sleep, 'No, this is wrong.' Aurix thought before seeing in the mirror the face of a red eyed colossal black Dragon staring back at him.

"GAH." Aurix jolts out of his dream, violently banging his head hard on a lower part of the armoured ceiling with a loud BANG. "deevdru di vi..." (3) Aurix swore at the top of his lungs holding his head.

"Aurix, you ok?" Bloom came running towards him.

"Jakina jakina jakina, loerchik, batobot ouith." (4) "Just banged my head, ouch."

"Bad dream?"

"Yea, ow pain."

"Maybe you should watch for the ceiling." Bloom said handing two red tablets the size of her body to Aurix after magically summoning them, which he took and swallowed gratefully.

"Thanks, short stuff." Aurix said teasingly, making Bloom glare at him playfully.

"Overgrown lizard." Aurix growled and glared back, making Bloom squeak and ran as he chased her. 'This is the life.' Was all he thought as he ran after her and pulled her into a hug, even a blind person could see the love for these two.

LOTR

In Arda, the fellowship of eleven set out on the road, walking for days. Nathala surprisingly is taking it well, she never asked the dreaded words anybody wants a child to say on a long trip: "are we there yet."

Passing by a rock in the order of Darlana, Legolas, Nathala, Gandalf, the hobbits, Gimli, Aragorn and Boromir, the party continue for days on end, stopping only for a total of nine hours a day, for breaks and naps, making their way ever onwards over rock and through forests.

The land being quiet and most encounters of any real note were the consistency of squirrel droppings among the trees. Finally the group decide to rest in a rocky area and Boromir started to teach the Halflings how to fight "Two, one, five, good very good." Boromir complemented.

"Move your feet." Aragorn advised Boromir turned to Nathala.

"Try your hand, young one." By now Nathala had entered puberty and her Draconic traits were becoming more evident. Her skin now has the golden colouring, her eyes were more reptilian, she had claws tipping her fingers and toes and her skin also gained the hardening common to female half-Dragons.

Nathala nodded and drew both of her short swords. She stepped past Merry and Pippin with a flourish of her blades, walked confidently towards Boromir.

"Watch, she'll block with an ascending parry and feint for Boromir's legs, if he doesn't fall for it she'll spring back kick off that rock and kick Boromir in the gut." Seconds later, Nathala had knocked Boromir a few steps back winded by doing exactly as Darlana predicted, "Nathala fights like our mother, fast and rather dramatic, but rather effectively as well, considering our mother is a better swordswoman than I am."

Legolas did a double take at that, considering he had sparred with Darlana over the two years she had been on Arda. He regretted underestimating her full strength and had lost several duels until he learned how to use his speed, and won just as many times as she beat him.

Nathala parries Boromir's recovery strike before Darlana turned to listen to Gimli, "If anyone would ask for my opinion, which I note they are not, we are taking the long way around. Gandalf we could pass through the mines of Moria, my cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome."

Darlana sees well-hidden fear and alarm in Gandalf's eyes, not well enough to hide from her skills in psychology or empathy though.

"No Gimli, I would not take the road through Moria unless I had no other choice."

"Oomph." Boromir grunted as Nathala accidentally kicked him hard in the shin with her mithril-plated boot.

"Sorry." Nathala gasped as Boromir tackled Nathala playfully and started tickling her, "What is that?" Nathala asked pointing towards the distant sky.

"Nothing, just a wisp of cloud." Boromir stood up in alarm as Nathala looked down her sniper scope at the wisp

"Looks like crows."

"Crebain from Dunland!"

"Hide!" Aragorn yelled!

"Wait, xurwk udoka nursaubwa ekess irlym saurivic." (5) Darlana chanted, as the entire campsite turns invisible while a horde of confused squawking crows fly down and circle for a few minutes before flying off again. "Well I say we take advantage of our invisibility while it lasts eh, let's go."

"Spies of Saruman, the passage south is being watched; Darlana would your magic be able to get us past the passage south?" Gandalf questioned.

"It has a time limit, and from what I know, Lloth has a few Drow mages in that area from the last time I was in that area, and they might still be there. If you think Sauron is bad I shiver to think what Lloth would do if she got her hands on the Ring; Lloth is already powerful enough being a major deity. She does not need anything to make her more powerful."

Legolas nodded, he had seen a battle between Darlana and one of Lloth's weaker avatars and even just being a mortal representation of her, Lloth was, Legolas could easily say, Lloth was more terrifying and terrible then confronting the nine Nazgul and Sauron put together. Legolas had fought Lloth and it was only Darlana's timely intervention that saved him from the Demonic Queen of Spiders.

"Then we must take the pass of Caradhras." Gandalf proclaimed, making Nathala and Darlana follow his gaze up to a snow capped mountain.

Both girls say simultaneously in draconic "Vobit persvek vi drisi." (6) Darlana snickered at Nathala's embarrassed look as Darlana led the fellowship up the slope.

Travelling up the slope, Nathala was busy cursing the snow after tripping in it for the umpteenth time. "I hate the damned snow." Nathala cursed as she fell again.

"Do you hate the snow Nathala?" Legolas teased as he picked he up and righted her.

"Oh shut up, you're not having as much trouble, OH HOW IS THAT FAIR? YOU'RE WALKING ON THE SNOW." Nathala bellowed, making the fellowship look back and chuckle as Legolas musses Nathala's hair and continues only to pitch forward as a snowball exploded on his head.

Nathala smirked at the indignant Elf as she continued on before she casted a floating disk and invited the Hobbits to sit on it with her in a big huddle to save heat. Darlana had folded her wings outward and wrapped them around her in a perfect robe-like manner to keep her body heat trapped.

Walking and floating along, Frodo shifted to get a more comfortable position on the disk but sliped off and rolled down the hill.

"Frodo." Aragorn called out as Frodo stood up and began feeling for the Ring, only to notice it some ways away as Boromir picked it up "Boromir." Aragorn said.

"It is strange that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing, just a little thing." Boromir reached to put on the Ring when a soft click of a safety catch release got Aragorn's attention, Darlana had her finger on the trigger of her assault rifle, but it is levelled at the ground. Darlana glares warningly at Boromir who is caught up by the whispers of the ring, if he tried to claim it and put it on Darlana would shoot him.

But Boromir shook himself out of the haze saying "I care not for what you offer, Ring." He handed it back, "My apologies to anything foul I may have either thought or said about your knowledge about such magical artefacts, the ring's voice is a foul thing to heed lady Darlana."

"You are forgiven Boromir, you see why I wish it destroyed. Such a being as Lloth cannot be allowed a chance to seize it." Something about the Ring seemed familiar to Darlana, as if she had seen it before, that same aura around the Ring before she came to Arda.

Boromir shivers at the idea of a power rumoured to be far more evil and powerful than Sauron getting her hands on the Ring of power. Continuing up the slope for two more hours, a blizzard began blowing on the party, another half an hour, when Legolas called out "There is a fell voice on the air!"

"It's Saruman!" Gandalf yelled as the snow above the party break down and landed on them, forcing the Fellowship back under the mild sanctity of the ledge.

"He's trying to stop us crossing the pass, Gandalf we must turn back." Aragorn shouted.

"No." Gandalf began a chant in a language Darlana did not recognize, but she can see Gandalf's spell is failing against Saruman's, who quickly overpowers Gandalf's counterspell and sends tons of snow down onto the stricken party.

Darlana yells out and thrusts her hands skywards, summoning the full powers of her psionic and arcane abilities, and threw up a shield, but the sheer force of it throws her to her knees; the snow is stopped by the shield though the shield is so cracked it's nearly broken. Legolas, being closest to her, asks Darlana if she's well.

"I'm fine." Darlana said, wiping a little of her green and red blood from the side of her mouth "I just used up the entirety of my arcane powers in that shield, the spell drew a little effort from my body as well hence the blood." Legolas nodded in understanding as Darlana groaned as the shield changes into a ramp and the snow rolls off into the crevice below.

"We must get off the mountain, make for the gap of Rohan, and take the west road to my city." Boromir suggested.

"The gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard." Aragorn protested.

"If we cannot go over the mountain, let us go under it. Let us go through the Mines of Moria."

"Let the Ringbearer decide." Gandalf said, Frodo hesitated, "Frodo."

"We cannot stay here, this will be the death of the Hobbits and…" Boromir noticed Nathala did not seem cold at all.

"Ring of resisting cold." Nathala explained "Only have the one, sorry."

"We shall go through the mines."

"So be it." Gandalf said as he told the group to make a huddled camp.

"Wait I just remembered something." Darlana said and uttered a word of command while throwing something near the cliff wall, which forms a shimmering door. "Come in inside, we can relax in warmth and safety, after I close the door behind us nothing can get at us."

Gandalf nodded, quickly making for the door as everybody followed Darlana into the newly opened pocket dimension to reveal a magnificent mansion.

"A spell that truly deserves praising, welcome to the Draconic Sanctuary, my home away from home." A group of transparent men and women dressed as servants came forwards awaiting orders.

"The ten of us need separate rooms, I'll take my usual room. Nine regular warm baths and two lava, and a full meal, cook five of the large pepperoni pizzas we have in storage."

"Yes princess." The servants split off to follow Darlana's instructions.

"The servants are basically intelligent elementals that cannot serve as any other role or exist anywhere outside the mansion. We are in a pocket dimension, time is slowed to the point for ever hour within 1 minute passes outside." Darlana explained, "Now what say we get some warm baths and a meal, then if you wish we can have some fun by allowing me to teach you lot how to use our weapons in a training simulation."

The group nodded before parting, "Call one of the servants if you need anything, there's a bell in each of the rooms." Darlana informed them as they walked out, nodding in understanding.

Two hours later after everyone was cleaned and fed, Gandalf excused himself after getting directions to the mansion's library, saying he wished to read about the things the Darkwielder dominion had researched or done. In the meantime, Darlana lead the group to a large room and activated the magic within which forms an armoury, Darlana told them to choose whatever weapon they liked the looks of.

They were allowed one main weapon and a sidearm. Boromir chose the SMG called the P90 because of it's large ammo magazine and a Glock capable of a full auto firing rate. Aragorn went for a DM-7 and a regular Glock. Legolas chose a Barrett 50. cal sniper rifle and the same secondary Boromir chose. Gimli chose a SPAS-12 shotgun with a recoil dampening spell on it. The Hobbits chose stripped down Uzis and Walther PPKs. Darlana explained how to load their guns.

"Ok boys and girl, these are pain rounds and these are called stun swords, they will not hurt as they are padded, however they do have a magical effect on them, so that if you hit anyone in the torso or head they will be stunned for about 5 to 10 seconds. The teams shall be Girls against boys, against Nathala and I. trust me you want to have numbers on your side. The goals of either team is to capture or "kill" the members of the other team. We call this team deathmatch, don't worry, the rounds fired by the guns are called either training or paint rounds, they will sting if you get shot in a sensitive area but do not really hurt. Everybody understand? Now go out the door to you left and we'll go right pick a base if you wish; there are abandoned buildings and equipment, in the unlikely event your gun does jam, just call for one of the servants who will assist you even if you need a new weapon they will fetch it. Two last things, always make sure you have ammo on you or you'll regret it, oh and sword hits are for capture they don't count as a kill. Understand boys? Let's go game on."

Darlana and Nathala retreat to their favourite mountaintop abandoned building, the only way up is to either fly or enter a gauntlet of four auto sentries with pain rounds in the chain guns. Nathala crouched prone on the outcrop with her sniper keeping an eye out for Legolas or any others of the Fellowship while Darlana went in lone wolf.

Fifteen minutes laterm Darlana slipped through the forest part of the map where Nathala had reported Legolas going in, and had successfully sniped Gimli as he tried to follow Legolas, making the Dwarf sit and pout.

Darlana, in the meantime, was cursing as suppressive fire from Legolas pinned her down, she waited and finally there was a click and a Elvish curse which made her grin as she leaped out of hiding and sprays fire at Legolas, and is about to chase him down when a net snaps up around her.

"Drop it, Darlana." Darlana sighed, Legolas had reloaded by now and Legolas had his Glock to her head. Darlana groaned before she complied dropping her DM-7, Glock and stun sword.

"Now that we have her, what should we do with you? You knows to much to let you go." Legolas said with an amused tone as he gathered Darlana's weapons.

"How about you let me leave?" Darlana suggested.

"Quiet prisoner." Legolas said playfully.

"Don't kill me please, I'm too beautiful to die."

"That I will agree on, so I will simply bind you and keep you as my prisoner."

Darlana tried to escape, but Legolas stunned her the moment she tried to get out of the net, then he bound her to prevent her from escaping, silenced her and blindfolded her so she could not see where they are going as Legolas carted his prisoner off.

Nathala, in the meantime, had successfully guarded the base, relieving the Hobbits as they went to clean off the massive paint splotches on their tunics or in their hair.

Legolas sighed to himself, in the fifteen minutes since he had taken Darlana captive, nothing had happened, Darlana struggled a little but made no serious attempts to escape. Legolas turned to her.

"If I allow you to speak, do you promise not to cry out?" Darlana nodded and Legolas removed the gag keeping her from attempting to contact or warn Nathala.

"Somebody's taking this game too seriously." Darlana said, amusement lining her voice.

"You are a dangerous opponent, milady, I could not allow you to be rescued and wreak havoc like your sister the sniper has."

"Indeed, now what would it take to convince you to release me? What ransom would you ask of me?" She asks playfully.

"If it is not presumptuous… kiss me."

"You want me to kiss you? Okay then." Darlana leaned in to meet Legolas' lips when Nathala came bursting in, her Glock at the ready.

"Oh come on, I work my butt off to rescue you and you're smooching with your captor."

"I think that's enough for today, let's go to bed for tonight and tomorrow Moria." Darlana said, ignoring Nathala.

A/N: Whew finally done, again I'm sorry for taking so long, life has been a ROYAL PAIN IN THE ASS of late, notes and translations below.

Translations in order of number

Disintegrate

Translates to the F word

Son of a …

Ow ow ow, pain, that hurt

Make us unseen to enemy eyes (mass invisibility spell)

Crap in a bottle.

Tech Note 1) MIRV MIRV Abbr of multiple independently targeted re-entry vehicle, essentially multiple smaller missiles breaking off from the main missile to cause massive damage and overwhelm any point defence a vehicle has.

Tech note 2) Reactive armour: Explosive reactive armour, is a explosive lining between the main plates of the armour and was originally developed for tanks by the USSR in Real Life. What the armour does is if an armour piercing weapon or any type of weapon pierces the explosive bit the forwards parts of the armour blows off to prevent penetration. (story wise) shaped charges allow infantry to be staggered by the blow off as the coring projectile is destroyed by the explosive counterforce.

Final notes: To any complainers about the thing Darlana used, it's simply a high level spell called Mage's magnificent Mansion. Look it up on the SRD database if you do not believe me :).

SE