"Is she always like that?" Boromir whispered to Aragorn.

He shook his head. "She's been getting worse. She barely even lets Legolas speak to her."

Gilrael marched far ahead of Gandalf, who 'led' the way, and seemed to be always glaring and muttering curses to herself.

Aragorn pursed his lips. "I wish there was something we could do about it."

Suddenly, Frodo cleared his throat. "I-I'm going to go on ahead to, um, talk with her."

Sam frowned. "But you know she doesn't talk with anyone, right Mr. Frodo?"

"She'll talk with me," the hobbit growled. With that, he stumbled ahead as everyone halted with surprise to watch.

Gilrael turned as Frodo stopped behind her. "I…need your help," he managed. "The Ring…it's too heavy."

He looked up with miserable eyes, and to his surprise she knelt in front of him, touching the Ring which hung on a chain around his neck.

"I know," she murmured. "I know. Such a strange fate for a hobbit, to carry such a heavy burden."

Frodo shrunk back when she kept on stroking it and staring at it, but she looked him hard in the eye. "The Ring has no hold over me, Frodo. You must take care that it does not overtake you."

The hobbit nodded, suddenly fearing the elf in front of him. Her cold eyes seemed to see through his very soul, an icy look of…evil. Then it passed.

"You need my help," she murmured, rather to herself. Then out loud, she cleared her throat. "I'm afraid there is not much I can do to help you. This burden you alone must carry. I cannot do it for you. But that does not mean I cannot sympathize with you. I know how it feels, Frodo, and I will help you fight it. Come, will we walk together?"

She offered a hand as she stood, and Frodo managed a smile. His weary, drawn face regained some colour, and he took the hand which gripped so warmly and firmly to his. Gilrael may appear frightening, but he realized he knew what she was feeling on the inside. Especially when he caught a glimpse of her ring.


Tauriel dipped her head graciously. "Thank you for everything, but I really must be leaving."

Nuileth raised an eyebrow. "Where will you go? To find Legolas?"

Tauriel frowned. "Do you know him?"

The Sindarin elf snorted. "Know him? Almost every elleth whose beauty is above average and has an ounce of skill in archery knows him. And I thought I was the only one."

Tauriel widened her eyes. "You mean he…actually did it-"

"No, he never went that far with anyone," Nuileth quickly corrected. "He was always very princely and proper with his manners. But he never stayed for long with anyone. Until me. He even lived here in Lorien for a year or so, and I thought he was the one for me, until he suddenly got a strange idea into his head and left me. Left me broken."

Tauriel pursed her lips. "I'm so sorry. I-If it's not too rude, what was the strange idea?"

Nuileth shook her head. "He thought Il-that is, Gilrael was still alive. And he chose that little sliver of a hope over me, willing to risk the fact that she actually was dead. The only problem is that he was right, and now…"

Nuileth bit her lip. "I feel used. I love him, Tauriel, but there's no chance of his returning it. His head is always in the clouds when it comes to Gilrael, with not a chance of bringing it down."

Tauriel slid her bag to the ground, knowing she ought to spend some more time there. She patted Nuileth's shoulder. "I don't know very much about these things, but if you really love him, you would want the best for him. Who he chooses."

"But Gilrael is hardly good for him!" Nuileth protested. "She's a monster, and he doesn't see that! Her dark, desolate soul is just the opposite of his pure, joyful one, and she'll bring him down to the depths of her misery! I couldn't stand seeing dear Legolas like her!"

Tauriel shook her head. "I would give Gilrael a chance, Nuileth. You don't know her. She's been through a lot of things, and I think it's a miracle of how far she's gone from when she first arrived at the palace. Give her a chance, Nuileth."

"I don't want to," the Sinda muttered. "I want to kill her."


It had a black band, with a silver dragon on the front. In its mouth was a shining ruby.

"Does it have powers?" Frodo asked her.

Gilrael pursed her lips. "More than I care for."

"Can't you take it off?"

The Elf shook her head. "I wish. I've tried so many times, but it never budges. The only way to get it off, to heal my pain, is to destroy that Ring."

Frodo glanced down at it. The Ring was simple, just a golden band, but how powerful! And how dangerous!

"I'm sorry, Gilrael," he suddenly announced.

The Elf peered down at him. "What for?"

"That you had to suffer so much. I can barely stand to carry the Ring for a month, but no doubt you had to carry yours for years."

"Centuries," she agreed. "It is mighty difficult. But I feel like it is perfectly normal. I don't remember any time in my life where I never felt some sort of deep pain."

Frodo gazed up at her with sorrowful eyes. "That's so sad."

Gilrael smiled sadly, patting his shoulder. "Well, it's our fate, I suppose. We must carry it out. Ah, the others are calling us to stop for the night. Let's go back."

During supper, as always, Gilrael sat at the back, hidden in the shadows, while Legolas sat perched in a tree. The rest always had a merry time, laughing and eating and smoking. But that night, Boromir joined the elleth.

"You always sit alone," he observed.

"I prefer it that way," she curtly replied. Unfortunately, he didn't get the hint.

"What do you think about this whole business? This 'destroy the Ring' thing?"

Gilrael glanced at him warily. "I think it's a good idea but hard to execute. You have different views."

Boromir nodded. "I think it's such a waste that so much power should be destroyed."

Gilrael narrowed her eyes. "Really."

Boromir stared at her, almost hungrily. "You could take it. Frodo trusts you. And you wouldn't have to deal with it. I would bring it home."

Gilrael stood. "Don't wish for something that you don't know the limits of, Boromir son of Denethor."

As she was about to leave, the man leaped up and grabbed her arm. "Gilrael, get the Ring and run away with me to Gondor."

He promptly ended up on the ground with a broken nose.


"What did Boromir do?" Frodo asked as they continued marching the next day.

Gilrael snorted. "He ought to take a year or two in Thranduil's halls to teach him proper manners. And he ought to spend the same amount of time as a captive in Mordor to teach him the powers of darkness."

Frodo shook his head. "He's really a kind man. But greedy, I suppose. You know you broke his nose."

"Serves him right," Gilrael declared. "But it's nothing that Est-Aragorn couldn't fix."

"Do you know him? Aragorn?"

Gilrael nodded. "By a different name, no surprise. But yes. I saved his life when he was just a little one."

Frodo smiled. "I wish I could be like that. A warrior, able to save people's lives."

"Be careful what you wish for," she warned. "With the ability to save lives comes the ability to take them. One must be wise to discern which to save and which to kill."


One morning, the Fellowship came to rest on a hill, where Legolas approached Gilrael, who was scouting.

"Gilrael, I need to speak with you."

"I'm busy."

"Gilrael."

The elleth sighed, and glanced at him, annoyed. "What?"

The prince jumped on a boulder next to her. "You haven't spoken to me in weeks."

"So? Are you all that matters?"

Legolas looked hurt. "I thought I was your friend."

"You think many things, Legolas, but you fail to consider others."

The prince hardened his face. "Well if that's how you feel, Gilrael, I'll leave you alone."

He turned, and Gilrael swallowed. She cared for him, she really did, and that's why she distanced herself. To protect him from her dark secret.

Suddenly, she jumped, startled, as Legolas suddenly cried, "Crebain, from Dunland!"

"Hide!" Aragorn yelled.

"You're a terrible scout, Gilrael!" Gandalf scolded as everyone rushed to put out the fire and hide under brush and stone cliffs.

When the evil birds passed, everyone stood up uneasily. Gandalf grudgingly said, "Spies of Saruman. Our passage south is being watched. We must take the paths of Caradhas!"

Gilrael widened her eyes. "Mith-I mean, Gandalf! The hobbits will freeze in the bitter cold!"

Gandalf looked at her. "It is either that, or Moria. And I know you know what is in Moria."

Gimli frowned. "Well, if we're voting, I say Moria! My cousin Balin will give us a royal welcome! What's there to fear?"

"Darkness and death," murmured Gilrael.

"What a beam of joy," Pippin observed. "In any case, I've been looking forward to snow."

"Shut up, Pip," Merry muttered. "The blizzards are going to change your mind."

A/N: Thank you all for reading and for all of your support! Hope my little tale has captured some of your attention. I'll be out of town for about a week, so I might not be able to update during that time. Then when I get back school will be cracking, and it might be a bit crazy. But don't worry! I'll post the next chapter as soon as I write it.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!