Legolas let himself release a breath of relief. They were well on their way towards Lothlórien, and it would be a calm, peaceful place to take a short rest and let the company recover from all they'd faced so far on this journey. From the tireless trek up the mountain, the battle in the mines, and the devastating loss of Gandalf, it was certainly a lot for anyone to take in. That Balrog had been a complete surprise. If it hadn't been for Gandalf, none of them would have made it out. As terribly sad as the whole situation was, he was ever so thankful that they still had a chance to get Frodo and the One Ring to Mordor.

He was also glad to be out of the mountains and headed back to the forest. Maybe not his forest, but a forest nonetheless.

He suppressed a grin. Pippin was beside himself with excitement at meeting more elves. All the hobbits were, despite their sadness. Yes, a stop in Lothlórien would be good for all their souls.

Legolas sat against a wall in their little sleeping quarters, watching the hobbits chat with Boromir and Aragorn over a meal, and Gimli bristling in the corner for having to be bound and blindfolded on their way in.

Suddenly he was surrounded by hobbits with nervous, curious faces. He grinned at them to put them at ease, and they all relaxed a bit to know they'd be allowed to ask him questions. It was Pippin, as usual, who found his courage to speak up.

"Where did you learn to use a bow?"

'Ah. Weapons. Of course. ' He thought fondly. He probably should have expected this. They had all been very interested in learning swordsmanship from the resident humans, and had not seen him really use his skills with his bow until the battle in the mines of Moria. It made sense they'd be curious about a different form of fighting.

"My mother taught me, when I was very young."

"You're mother?" Frodo asked in awe, and Merry furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Not your father? The Elven King? It seems he'd be the one to need to know something like that."

Legolas chuckled warmly. They were curious creatures indeed.

"No. My father does not use a bow. He taught me how to wield a sword, but it was my mother who was proficient with a bow, and it's the weapon I was more naturally inclined too. She taught me that first, and my father taught me swordsmanship much later."

"What's your mother like, Sir Legolas?" Sam asked, and Legolas had to take a moment to consider how to respond.

"My mother... my mother was very kind. She was energetic and mischievous, and the very best story teller. She was a healer, equal to Lord Elrond who healed Frodo, and fiercely protective of all those she loved."

"What happened to her?"

"I'm really not sure. Mother and Father went out for a walk one day. They left me behind to finish my lessons, but they were never gone for very long. My father returned alone much sooner than usual, and he was frantic. My father has always been more on the reserved side, so seeing him in such a state was quite frightening for me. When he was finally able to speak to me about it, he said that there was a dwarf hidden in the woods who cast a curse upon her, and she simply disappeared. He brought him in for questioning and learned very little.

I know, Frodo, that your uncle had spoken to you of the battle with Smaug at the Lonely Mountain. That is not the first war involving dragons that my father has been involved in. Many years before he fought along side my grandfather against dragons. We lost my grandfather in that war. He had, apparently, offended some dwarf noble or another. His son came looking for revenge not long after, and thought my father was my grandfather. All he could tell us was that the curse had been meant to kill her, and he did not know why she dissipated instead. My father traveled here and demanded to look in the Lady Galadriel's mirror, but she refused and simply told him that that which he was looking for would remain out of reach until the will of Ilúvatar had been fulfilled. So as far as we know, she has passed on to Valinor where she awaits us to join her. It is the only hope we've had all these centuries later."

A heavy, somber weight settled on all in the room. Even Gimli, who was beginning to see the elf as perhaps not as awful as he'd first thought, could feel pity in his heart for a child losing a mother. No race was without fault, it seemed.

Legolas did his best to perk up the little hobbits. He picked up the small lute he'd brought with him and strummed a few notes.

"Shall I sing to you her favorite song?"

And so his merry notes filled their hearts instead, and they drifted off to sleep feeling much lighter than they had in days.

Kagome sat on the floor of the little hut, sorting the dried herbs in front her into matching piles as she worked out how to best word her question to rouse as little suspicion as possible. It was only her and the sweet, old miko in the hut right now, but she still wasn't quite ready for anyone to know what she was really feeling.

"Kaede-baa-chan, can I ask you a question?"

Kaede, who had been sensing the unease of the young girl helping her, smiled reassuringly. She loved this girl like a granddaughter. She'd help with anything she asked.

"Of course, my child. Ask anything at all. What is troubling ye?"

"Oh, I was just wondering... did Kikyo ever say anything about, I don't know, dreams of a past life?"

"Dreams of a past life?" Kaede asked in shock. This had certainly not been what she'd expected. "No child, I cannot say she ever did. I was very young when Kikyo-onee-San passed, I'm afraid their was much she did not share with me."

"I see. Thank you Kaede-baa-Chan."

"Tell me child, are you having troubling dreams about Kikyo-ones-san's life?"

"Oh no, nothing like that!" Kagome was quick to reassure. She didn't need anyone thinking she was wrapped up in more angst about Kikyo. "It's just something I've been wondering about since... a certain book I had to read for school! Yeah, that's it! Anyway, these are ready to be ground up, I'll take these fresh ones out to start drying."

Kaede knew the young woman was hiding something, but she was old and wise enough to know not to pry. Kagome was a smart girl. If she couldn't figure this out on her own, she'd surely ask for help again later.

Keiko Higurashi watched her daughter drift around the shrine grounds with a heavy heart. She suspected that she knew what her daughter was beginning to go through, but she also knew it was not time to reveal anything she knew to her daughter just yet. Already she could see the changes her sweet girl was undergoing. She stood a little straighter, her eyes sparkled more blue than they had before, her hair was even a little longer, shinier. She figured those who were with her everyday had not noticed such subtle differences yet. She doubted Kagome herself had even noticed. But it had been some weeks since she'd seen her daughter, so it was much more apparent to her.

Kagome seemed so preoccupied and distant, coming to rest at the base of her beloved Goshinboku and staring up at it reverently. It must be coming to mean so much more to her now.

It was a bittersweet thing indeed, watching her child take her first steps toward her destiny. She was more proud than she was able to say, what mother wouldn't be? But the ache of future goodbyes weighed heavy on her heart.

If given the chance, she wouldn't change a single thing. It had been an honor to be this young woman's mother in her time on earth. She would do it all over in a heartbeat.

A knock on the door drew her attention away from the window she was gazing through, and she put down her kitchen towel to go receive her visitor.