Disclaimer: You know the drill...

Authoress' Note: YAY! I've finished my final exams and high school is over forever! I actually finished this chapter a week or so ago, but I was waiting to hear from my beta reader, Makura Koneko - thanks heaps for your help! Anyway, read and review!

The beginning of this chapter has been inspired by Alexia Sinclair's "Siren", which you can find on my website (link in my profile – you'll find it in 'fanfiction', under the heading 'Chapter Information'). It's a fantastic photo, so go have a look!

Also, here's a quote which seems to fit quite nicely, though somewhat inaccurately. It might even make you think a little...

"Once upon a time, I dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither. Suddenly I awakened, and there I lay, myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man." - Chinese sage Chuang-tzu, 3rd century B.C.

Chapter 8

The black and nothingness melted away as a palette of colours, soft and muted, slowly materialised. In her mind's eye, Elaria was standing in the middle of a quiet forest which bore a great similarity to the one she had left on Earth. Shadows of tall oaks with long leafy branches crisscrossed her figure, enveloping her in a cool embrace she did not feel, like the clammy ground under her bare feet or the earthy scent in the air. Her ordinary senses were pushed to the background as the dream senses took over, perceiving her surroundings through quick images and fleeting emotions.

She regarded what she was wearing with a remote calmness. It all made sense, as everything in a dream seems to at the time. A light blue dress, loose and flowing, matching the colour of a sky which could only be glimpsed in patches through the highest branches. Her arms and shoulders were exposed to a breeze which made the folds of her dress billow around her legs. However, she was not cold. It did not seem to really matter anyway.

Her attention was drawn to several vivid splashes of colour weaving their way through the maze-like forest. As they drew nearer, she recognised them for what they really were - a group of purple, yellow and orange butterflies, their wings tipped with black and white. They began to flutter around her, tracing an invisible path in deliberate winding arcs around her body. As they brushed lightly past, Elaria sensed the wind becoming stronger, though strangely enough, only where she was standing. Like a small, isolated cyclone, it gradually picked up speed, until the force was enough to lift her slowly into the air.

Higher and higher she rose, finally breaking through the canopy and coming out into the clear open sky. She floated peacefully, unafraid, as the butterflies continued flying around her still form. Invisible hands gently turned her over onto her stomach, and gave her a mighty push forward. She stretched her arms out in front of her as she skimmed over the treetops, feeling like a superhero, invincible and free.

After a few seconds of glorious flight, Elaria looked down and noticed the trees were starting to thin out; she was clearly reaching the edge of the forest. She sensed the butterflies slowing down as they soared over the last treetop and emerged by the grassy side of a deep blue pond, banked by reeds and tiny pink flowers. Then she saw it, for the third and definitely not the last time in her adventure; the silver butterfly.

It rose from the branch it had been resting on, its wings shining with a light purer than any star. It stopped just outside her reach and hovered there, enticing her to come closer. As she neared, it moved away, fluttering quickly towards the pond.

Elaria followed the butterfly as it began to circle lower and lower, still out of her grasp. She could see herself reflected in the surface of the pond, amid the dragonflies and the other butterflies that were steering her towards her quarry. She stretched her right arm out, leaning forward to try to catch the elusive butterfly. It alighted upon the pond and seemed to just melt away, tinting the water silver in the process.

This did not deter Elaria who dived down towards the spot where it had disappeared, index finger extended, legs kicking in the air as though she was trying to swim. Her dress and long hair blowing back in the wind, she was just about to touch the water, the silvery hue shimmering in the light, when...

The scene abruptly faded away. Elaria's mind tried to hold onto the dream, but it was being swiftly dragged, kicking and screaming, up the levels of consciousness. Something important had been about to happen. Something crucial. Something that could change everything...

Elaria slowly opened her eyes. She blinked several times and when the world finally came into focus, the first thing she saw was a face grinning inanely over her.

"You were snoring," it said immediately.

"I was not!" she cried indignantly, sitting up bolt right.

Elaria's feeling of contentment from her dream dissipated at the accusation. The details were slipping away already - she had been flying, hadn't she? The more she tried to recall it, the quicker it left her, until soon, she had forgotten it completely, not to remember it until some time later.

"Yes you were," Skye smirked, as Elaria focused her attention on her sister again.

"Was not!" she immediately retorted.

"Was too!" Skye stuck her tongue out.

"Was not!" Elaria did likewise.

"Was too!" said Skye

"Was not!" Elaria rubbed her eyes wearily and yawned.

"Was too!"

"Was not!"

"I heard you!" Skye said roughly, getting sick of the monotonous argument.

"I don't snore!" Elaria stated stubbornly.

"Oh, yeah? Wanna bet?" Skye asked, raising one eyebrow.

"Not another bet!" Elaria rolled her eyes.

"Well, I'm willing to bet everything I have that you were just snoring," Skye said, crossing her arms with a superior expression on her face.

"But.. I just don't snore..." Elaria protested weakly.

"It happens," Skye said kindly, patting her sister on the arm.

"How long have you been here?" Elaria asked abruptly, changing the subject.

"Long enough to hear you snore," Skye replied sweetly.

Elaria glared at her sister who blinked back at her innocently.

"Oh, alright," Skye relented. "Only about 10 minutes, but man, you must have been in a really deep sleep! I was walking around, opening and closing doors... I had to jump onto your bed to wake you up!"

"Well, thanks a lot! What if I was really tired or something? Just go ahead and disturb my sleep, see if I care," Elaria said sarcastically.

"Jeez... Sorry for breathing! Do you know what time it is? It's almost 12! You've missed out on all the good meals so far - you wouldn't want to miss out on lunch as well, would you?"

"Oh," Elaria said, chastised. "Er... thanks."

"No problem," Skye replied cheerfully. "What are sisters for?"

Several pictures immediately popped into Elaria's head, including Skye as a doorstop, a vacuum cleaner and a dartboard. She diplomatically decided to remain silent.

"Anyway, while you were busy sleeping, me and the Hobbits have been exploring. You won't believe how big this castle is! It's like those old-fashioned ones with dungeons and everything! And Gondor is huge as well, but we couldn't really go anywhere coz it's so busy... Aragorn's got everyone rushing around, trying to put together his big plans. He's going all out for this war, you know - I think he's trying to get the world's largest army. I wouldn't be surprised if he started giving swords to all the babies and animals, getting them to- WHAT? What's with that look on your face?"

"Nothing," Elaria scowled. "Just wondering how you managed to say all that without collapsing from lack of air."

"What can I say?" Skye shrugged. "I'm just very talented in everything I do - from talking to, well..."

"Eating?" suggested Elaria. "Annoying people? Getting me kidnapped?"

"Hey, wasn't my fault! Not as though you weren't rescued..." Skye said defensively.

"Yeah, well... Still! If you were going to kill that Orc, you should have killed that Uruk-hai too," Elaria said.

Uncharacteristically, Skye didn't answer her and remained silent for a few seconds, pretending to examine the patterns on the bed covers. Finally, she looked up, her face serious.

"I don't think so, Elaria," she said quietly. "It was bad enough killing one of those things..."

Elaria looked at Skye closely. Something was obviously bothering her sister, enough to make the usually cheerful girl so solemn and unsmiling.

"It really affected me, you know? I mean... I've never intentionally hurt any creature bigger than a spider, and to kill something in cold blood... well..." Skye trailed off.

Elaria gave Skye a sympathetic look. She hadn't even thought about how the whole event could have affected someone so young and innocent.

"I was in shock afterwards," Skye continued. "But Aragorn talked me through it and managed to make me accept it pretty quickly. He said that everyone reacts like that the first time, that the guilt and horror is normal, and that you get used to it eventually... And he convinced me that I wasn't a murderer, even though I really did feel like one. It changes everything, you know? It's like... you have power over someone's life and..."

Skye smiled wryly at Elaria.

"Listen to me! I should be talking about TV and school and make up, not... death and destruction. I'm too young for all this stuff! Anyway, you should be getting up now... We'll be late for lunch!"

"Wait a sec!" Elaria protested, as Skye dragged her out of bed and propelled her forcefully towards the wardrobe. "Shouldn't I make my bed first?"

"Let the maids do it! I saw them taking your clothes away to be washed, and I'm sure they'll be back to fix up the rest of the room soon. What do you want to wear? Oooh... that red dress is so mine. Here... try this on!"

Elaria reluctantly accepted the garment Skye shoved at her, and held it against her body.

"It's too short!" she said accusingly.

"Exactly!" Skye winked in an exaggerated manner.

"What is that supposed to mean?" demanded Elaria.

"Welll... If you wore it, you would definitely impress certain people," Skye said slyly.

"What are you talking about?" Elaria asked, knowing perfectly well what Skye was insinuating.

"Don't tell me you didn't notice the way that Faramir dude was looking at you yesterday!" Skye exclaimed. "He couldn't keep his eyes off you - I would have told him to take a picture coz it would last longer!"

"I don't think they have cameras in Middle-earth," Elaria replied icily.

"Well, I wish they did - I would have taken a photo of Legolas' face! He was so jealous, it wasn't funny. Actually... it was!" Skye said gleefully. "Imagine his face if you came out wearing that dress!"

Skye dissolved into a fit of giggles, while Elaria tried desperately not to imagine Legolas' reaction.

"Stop laughing," she snapped, putting the dress back into the wardrobe. "I'm not wearing it. Now get out of here while I change into something else."

Elaria pushed a sniggering Skye firmly out the door and quickly discarded her current outfit in favour of a long-sleeved, forest green dress which fell down to her ankles. She had deliberately selected it because it showed the least amount of skin possible. Huh, take that Skye! she thought vindictively. She hurriedly brushed her hair, quickly checked her reflection in the mirror and then joined Skye in the corridor outside the room.

Skye immediately set off to the left, walking proudly and confidently as though she owned the place. She kept up a running commentary about the palace as they swiftly made their way to the dining room. Elaria followed Skye passively, only half listening to her sister's chatter; she was more interested in the abstract paintings hanging on the walls and the life-like statues positioned outside each door.

They descended a long winding staircase, bumping into Merry and Pippin at the bottom. The Hobbits were practically jumping up and down with excitement; they hadn't eaten anything for hours, and judging by the smells emanating from the dining hall, lunch was just about ready. Elaria noted that they seemed to have regained their usual air of innocent cheerfulness as they greeted her joyfully.

"Good afternoon, Miss Elaria!" said Merry. "Have you had a good night's sleep?"

"Um... yes, I slept well," Elaria replied awkwardly, not used to such politeness.

"My lady, you are looking simply ravishing today!" Pippin exclaimed.

"Er... thank you very much," Elaria said stiffly.

A bell started ringing loudly from inside the dining room, signalling the meal would now be served.

"No need to go all formal on us, Elaria," Skye said breezily, ushering her sister into the hall. "We're all friends here."

The group sat down together at one end of the long wooden table taking up most of the room. In front of them was a generous and diverse banquet. Elaria was relieved to see that only a few of the dishes were unfamiliar to her; the rest looked quite appetising, from roast potatoes to chicken salad. The Hobbits piled a bit of everything onto their plates and began to attack the food with gusto. Skye and Elaria exchanged amused looks and followed suit.

The meal was a leisurely and lengthy one. They were joined by many of the palace guards, who generally left them alone, apart from a few curious glances every now and then. The rest of the Fellowship were conspicuously absent, along with Faramir, to Elaria's great relief. She didn't want someone staring at her while she was stuffing her face in a rather ungraceful manner.

When everyone had eaten their fill, they sat around discussing what had happened so far and what they should do now. Seeing as Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas were too busy organising the war effort and everyone else was carrying those plans out, nobody had given the four any specific instructions. They decided in the end to go find their friends themselves and see if they could help in any way.

However, as they walked out of the room, they discovered that they didn't need to go very far to do so, for Aragorn was fast approaching them, Gimli and Legolas in tow. To their surprise, he stepped around them automatically, without even a glance in their direction.

"And then we will have to send out messages to our allies as well as any who are sympathetic with our cause - Eru knows how, considering the distance. I will have to come up with something soon..." he was saying, still moving at high speed.

He only noticed that Legolas and Gimli had stopped when he turned around to ask them a question and found that nobody was there. He retraced his steps and found the pair again, along with the rest of the Fellowship. He lifted a hand in greeting, but none of them noticed, for they were all too busy staring at two strangers dressed like ordinary citizens.

The eldest of the pair, a petite, dark-haired girl with surprisingly familiar features, raced up and hugged him enthusiastically.

"Aragorn!" she squealed once she had released him. "Do you remember me? The last time I saw you was when I was a baby..."

Aragorn, who had been taken by surprise, blinked down at her in puzzlement.

"I'm Amleth, your cousin!" she cried at the blank look on his face.

She beckoned her companion over, a young boy, perhaps a little older than Skye. He had the same brown eyes and slender frame as Amleth, though his shoulder length hair was lighter in colour than the girl's dark brown mane.

"And this is Estragon - he was named after you!" Amleth said with a dazzling smile. "He's heard so much about you, but has never seen you before. He's wanted to meet you since he was young - you're his hero! So I brought him here, even though this is a royal castle and more grand than we're used to... But we're family, are we not?"

"Ah, yes..." Aragorn replied hesitantly.

Estragon, who had been looking embarrassed at Amleth's description of him, now turned to Aragorn with a hopeful expression on his face.

"Lord Aragorn, I was wondering... Can you, I mean, will you... tell me about your adventures?" he asked earnestly. "I have never strayed beyond the walls of Gondor - I hear such strange tales about what happens on the outside... I would very much like to hear a tale from someone who has experienced it themselves."

Aragorn gazed impassively down at the eager youth. He had been like Estragon once, longing for a life full of adventure and excitement, to travel freely across the land with nothing tying him down. However, things had turned out far different than he'd expected. He hadn't seen any of his immediate family for years, and with a stab of guilt, he realised he had never truly been there for any of them, these people who should be closer to him than any other, these beings of his own flesh and blood. The fate of the world seemed to be literally pressing down on him, but he decided he could spare some time for his young cousins; after all, what was a few minutes when he had a whole lifetime to catch up on?

"I have seen much over the years," Aragorn began carefully. "And there are many things I cannot tell you. However, I do recall an incident where Legolas and I wandered accidentally into a pack of goblins..."

As Aragorn narrated the tale, Estragon gazed at the man in wide-eyed fascination, his mind caught up in the events, living them as though he had been there himself. Amleth and Legolas listened to Aragorn intently, adding their own comments every now and then, while Gimli and the Hobbits started an argument about the differences between Dwarves and Hobbits. Elaria's attention was split, like her sister's, between the amusing conversation of the Dwarf and the Halflings, and Aragorn's exciting story.

Elaria laughed at something Gimli said then turned just in time to see Amleth touch Legolas' arm lightly and look up at him coyly from beneath her long lashes. Elaria frowned along with Legolas and regarded the girl with disgust. Sure Amleth was pretty, but she was so ditzy and empty-headed, and she talked even more than Skye! Why would an Elf like Legolas be interested in a girl like that? Why would an Elf like Legolas be interested in a girl like you? she thought before she could stop herself.

She tried to suppress her rising jealousy as Amleth become more and more flirty with Legolas. Just when she could take it no longer, the girl made a bold but foolish move; she reached up and tugged on the Elf's ear playfully.

His response was harsh and immediate; before Amleth knew what was happening, her wrist was in Legolas' vice-like grip, held tightly away from his face. His fury was evident as he narrowed his cold blue eyes at her.

"Do not touch an Elf's ear without his permission," he hissed in an icy tone. "Only those who he truly cares about may have that honour!"

There was a tense silence as everyone waited for Amleth to reply.

"Oh... I heard about how Elves are all touchy about their ears," she said, unfazed in the face of Legolas' anger.

Whatever Legolas had been about to say next was cut off, as for a second time in two days, the clear ringing of trumpets sounded throughout the city.

"More visitors!" Estragon cried excitedly. "I wonder who it will be this time?"

Before anyone could hazard a guess, someone called out from behind them.

"My lord! You said-"

The guard, who had been running full pelt towards Aragorn, stopped to catch his breath. Distracted by this new turn of events, Legolas let go of Amleth, who scowled up at the Elf, clearly displeased.

"You said.. to tell you immediately, if, if we saw a rider in white," the soldier panted, leaning on his knees. "I ran as fast as I could!"

"Excellent!" Aragorn exclaimed. "I'm sorry, my cousins, but I must take my leave of you now and go greet an old friend who has just-"

"There is no need to go anywhere," interrupted a gravely voice from his left.

Aragorn turned and saw the 'old friend' in question, looking almost godly in his white robes and hair the colour of pure snow.

"Gandalf!" he cried, losing his usual composure. "I did not expect to see you so soon!"

"I would have come earlier, but I knew you needed some time first," Gandalf said calmly. "I arrive offering you all I have at my service, whether it be my counsel, my powers or my connections."

"This is happy news indeed!" Aragorn cried. "My heart is lighter now that I know Gandalf the White is by my side once more. But first, my good friend, I must attend to your needs - are you not hungry? Are you weary? I will wait until tomorrow to speak to you if necessary."

"I feel perfectly fine. We can converse now if you wish," Gandalf replied.

"Then let us at least sit down, for I believe this conversation may run for many hours without pause," Aragorn said eagerly.

He hurried towards the dining room, followed closely by Legolas and Gimli, who assumed they were also invited to this meeting. However, Gandalf did not go after them straight away; he had yet to address the others who had been patiently watching the interaction between the White Wizard and the King of Gondor.

"My dear Hobbits, I hope I find you well? Elaria and Skye, I will need to talk to the two of you later. You look puzzled, Amleth and Estragon. Allow me to introduce myself - I am Gandalf the White, a wizard who wields the Flame of Arnor and an ally to your cousin in the greatest of all wars. Do not fear. I wish no harm upon your city," he said, turning to each group he had addressed.

Then he was gone, leaving them all feeling a little disappointed at not getting to talk to him longer.

"Come, Estragon," Amleth said, looking haughtily at the few remaining. "We should go home now."

Estragon trailed after her reluctantly, glancing at Skye before he left. He hadn't noticed the girl with the interesting hair had been there the whole time. Damn. Just his luck. He walked off slowly, vowing to at least find out her name before she left Gondor.

"Hmm..." Skye said appreciatively, eyeing Estragon's retreating back. "He's cute..."

"Oh, please," Elaria sighed. "You've said that about every guy we've met so far. Who next? Gandalf?"

"Well, that pointy hat is kinda a-" Skye started, before noticing the horrified expression on her sister's face. "I was only joking! No need to look at me like that!"

"So... What are we going to do now?" Pippin asked brightly.

"I dunno," Elaria shrugged. "What do you guys wanna do?"

"Let's play hide and seek!" Skye said excitedly. "This castle is so big that it'll take ages trying to find somebody. Fun!"

"How old do you think I am?" Elaria threw in quickly before the Hobbits could ask what 'hide and seek' was. "We both got over those kind of games a long time ago!"

"Hey, I'm getting in touch with my inner child," Skye said defensively. "Fine.. How about we... look around the castle some more?"

"Yeah, okay," Elaria said unenthusiastically. "There's nothing better to do anyway."

So along with the Hobbits, they spent the next hour strolling up and down the corridors. Eventually, Skye, Merry and Pippin got bored of walking and began chasing each other around instead, much to Elaria's embarrassment. Luckily, the sheer size of the palace meant that they didn't run into many people. The trio tired of the game after awhile, and since the Hobbits were hungry again, they all made their way back down to the dining room.

"They're still in there?" Skye said incredulously at the sound of soft voices from inside.

She reached a hand out to give the handle an experimental turn, when the door suddenly opened of its own accord. She jumped back in shock as Aragorn stuck his head out, a surprised look on his face.

"Skye? Do you wish to speak to any of us?" he asked.

"Er.. Um..." she stammered. "Not really... I was just, I mean, we were going-"

"Aragorn!" Gandalf called from inside the room, interrupting her. "I believe Elaria and Skye are here to speak with me."

Elaria exchanged a look with her sister, and dutifully traipsed into the room. Merry and Pippin only had time to squeak a quick goodbye, before Aragorn shut the door. He took a seat on Gandalf's right, facing Legolas from across the dining room table. Along with Gimli, who was directly towards Gandalf's left, they were sitting in the exact places Elaria, Skye and the Hobbits had sat for lunch.

"Come and join us," Gandalf beckoned the girls closer.

Skye immediately took the seat next to Aragorn, forcing Elaria to take the one opposite her, the one right next to Legolas. Younger sisters are so sneaky, Elaria thought grumpily as she tried to sit as far away from the Elf as humanly possible without falling off her chair. She scowled at Skye who grinned in return, obviously delighted at making her older sister uncomfortable.

"Now that we are all seated..." Gandalf began, glancing from Skye to Elaria and back, effectively ending their silent exchange. "Elaria and Skye, these three here have been asking me a good deal many questions about the two of you, but I have been putting off answering them until you were both present. Now, Legolas, I believe you were the most persistent in your enquiries, so... ask away."

"I would like to know where they come from," Legolas stated, directing his question at Gandalf. "There is probably no Elf or Man who has travelled as far and as wide as Aragorn and I. However, neither of us, in all our journeys, have come across an Elf like Elaria or a girl like Skye. It almost seems that they are not of this world, so unusual is their appearance and speech."

You hit the nail on the head, Legolas, Elaria thought to herself. Judging by the twinkle in Gandalf's eyes, she had a suspicion that he also knew the truth and was similarly amused. Yet what was his answer going to be?

"Exactly, Legolas," the wizard declared in reply. "You are quite right."

For a moment, everyone sat in stunned silence, even Elaria and Skye. Then Legolas leapt up from his seat, closely followed by Aragorn.

"Either you have gone mad, Gandalf, or my ears have turned to wood," Legolas began passionately. "However, since both of these outcomes are equally unlikely, I can only conclude that you are telling the truth. Yet, how can this be?"

"You mirror my thoughts perfectly, Legolas," Aragorn said.

"Sit, my friends," Gandalf said calmly, motioning with his hands. "Few know of the existence of other worlds, so I am not surprised you doubt me. But I speak the truth: Elaria and Skye come from another world, one that is vastly different from ours in ways you can only begin to imagine."

Aragorn and Legolas sat down slowly, each grappling with this new idea. Silence prevailed once again. Elaria glanced at Skye who was looking smug. Typical. She then scanned the rest of the group. Gimli seemed completely confused, while Gandalf was just waiting patiently for his words to sink in. Aragorn was frowning. And Legolas? Elaria turned to her right and saw him regarding her thoughtfully.

"I have another question for you, Gandalf," he said, not taking his eyes off her. "How did Elaria and Skye get here? Can you travel between worlds?"

Legolas seemed to have accepted Gandalf's words already. Elaria supposed though, that in a world where magic existed, anything was possible. She certainly hadn't been surprised. After all, she had been transported to a fictional place where characters she had only read about in books had turned out to be real. Other worlds? That was nothing.

"A good question," Gandalf turned towards Legolas, who tore his gaze away from Elaria to look at the wizard. "Yes, people can travel between worlds. However, not only is it very difficult and dangerous, there is also no guarantee that one can return to their own world. Only the wisest know how to do this. Elaria and Skye did not choose to make this journey. They have been summoned here by another being of great power. In their world, magic, as you and I know it, does not exist. The folk there would find it extremely difficult to believe what you have accepted so readily. But these two suddenly found themselves in Middle-earth one day, and now, they believe and accept many things they would not normally have thought possible."

After Gandalf finished speaking, everyone sat in silence, pondering his words. He had answered a question that had been bothering Elaria - how they had got here - but this still left her with one that was much more important - why were they here?

"Now we know how they came to be among us," said Aragorn, interrupting Elaria's thoughts. "But what I would like to know is... Who exactly are they? What makes them so special?"

"Hmmm, how can I put this into words..." Gandalf asked himself thoughtfully.

He gazed off into the distance, obviously collecting his thoughts together.

"In this chaotic universe we live in, chance is in a constant battle with fate and destiny," he began carefully. "Unfortunately, we are often the victims of such a war, caught helplessly in the middle. This means that sometimes people are born at the wrong time or in the wrong place. They may live, but never know their true potential."

Gandalf paused. He knew something that would change the life of one of the people before him forever. He had debated with himself whether he should reveal this secret or not, but had eventually decided though that the truth needed to be told, for only then could a trapped soul be set free. He steeled himself mentally for the shock he knew it would cause, and then turned to the person he had in mind.

"Elaria," he said gravely. "In your own world, you were just an ordinary girl, were you not? Yet when you arrived in Middle-earth, you suddenly found yourself Elf-formed and-"

"Are you telling me Elaria is not an Elf?" interrupted Legolas, jumping up from his seat in disbelief.

"It's true, I'm not an Elf," Elaria said quietly.

Legolas glanced at her then slowly sat back down, his stunned expression mirroring Aragorn's and Gimli's perfectly. So, they all believed I was an actual Elf - what a joke! thought an amused Elaria.

"Ah, but this is where you are mistaken," said Gandalf suddenly, taking Elaria by surprise.

She looked at him warily. What did he mean by that?

"You may not believe what I am about to tell you next, but it is the truth," he continued.

Get to the point already! Elaria thought impatiently.

"Elaria..." said Gandalf while gazing at her calmly. "You are not a human - you are an Elf."

---

Authoress' Note:

Oh, I do love a good cliffhanger! Of course, only when I'm standing over the helpless readers clinging to the edge, holding the rope just out of their reach! Don't worry, I'm not going to let all of you suffer for too long...

You're lucky I even updated this early! The chapter was actually going to be a lot longer, but I decided that this was a good point to stop at. The chapters seem to be getting longer and longer, yet the story is really just starting! At this rate, the 20 or so chapters I've planned to write will turn to 40!

I personally like the beginning dream sequence a lot. Took me awhile to write too! I'll also have you know that I've managed to solve a major problem I was having with the most crucial aspect of the story - not going to tell you what though...

Hope you liked this chapter! Please review - I never get sick of hearing anything that remotely resembles praise and I also don't mind if you're critical, as long as it is constructive. So REVIEW!

Since less people reviewed this time I'll answer each review personally.

Messages for Reviewers:

Purple Elf - Thanks for that! For some reason, I thought Faramir was older than Boromir. I haven't actually read the books properly so I don't know some of the finer details. Thanks for reviewing and sorry it took me so long to update!

Valkyrie - I've tried to make Elaria less Mary Sue-ish by giving her some faults. The romance is beginning but it's going to take awhile to develop fully, you'll just have to wait and see... I'm definitely going to keep writing, no worries!

Aladdin – Hello, my friend! Aww, not satisfying, ey? You have high standards I guess. It's gonna take me ages to finish this story, so you'll probably forget the website! In the next few chapters, Legolas will become much more understandable, don't worry!

Kay50 - Hey Elaria's not exactly a helpless maiden now is she? Well, if she is, it won't be for long!

Dunthonwen - Thank you! Sorry for making you wait the past few months, but I promise from now on that I'll update sooner! But yes, I do have a perfectly good reason for the wait - I was studying for a very important set of exams! You wanted me to update in a few days? You crazy? You know how long it takes to write one chapter? The best I can do is weekly! We'll have to see from now on...

Latin4ever93 - At first you started reading it and then? Did a bit of your review get cut out? Were you saying that you didn't like the story at first but then it grew on you? I'm just a bit confused...

J-squeegy-tikiman - (Interesting nickname!) Yes, this story is going places! Um... my sister is older than Skye and is thus annoying in different ways than her, but I would say Skye is more annoying! Thanks for the suggestion, but the thing is... I really don't want to spoil the last movie for myself by reading a summary and anyway, I'm not following the books - this is basically my own version, so it doesn't actually matter what happened in the last book. Oh don't worry about Elaria's fighting ability, you'll see what happens! Ah yes, but who says great things always have to happen on the battle field? I'm glad you liked Merry's speech!

legless (da 1 and only) - You have such a bad memory! Hey it's actually been just a month or so, not 6 that I haven't updated in! I realise now that Aragorn's speech was a bit too short, but oh well, what can we do? Ahem, you should have been studying? Shame on you! Actually come to think of it... I'm writing this reply when I'm supposed to be studying, hypocrite I know...

Munsje - Glad you don't mind me writing my own ending! Hmm... I'm sure Tolkien knew what he was doing when he decided that Faramir should be captured - it's because of a law, isn't it?