~~~

"Sometimes, it is to hard to take a road that has many dangers, but that does not mean you will be looked down upon for trying and deciding to go back and take another road. For choosing a different path does not mean you are not strong enough to keep going, but that you are smart enough to not waste your life on a pointless journey."
~Numinex

~~~

It had been about two weeks since the council and every day I have been training my sons how to properly handle a sword, or in their case, long daggers, and everyday I felt an on coming dread that I knew I could loose them. This trip was not for the light hearted and every day I felt sadness wash over me as I looked upon their smiling faces knowing the journey would change them forever.

Now I stood looking over the garden that is Celebrian's, knowing that soon, these beautiful flowers would fade too as the rest of the elves flee to the undying lands and that all lands of the elves are to perish, for the rings that were given to them by Sauron are the ones that keep this land alive and without the one ring, the others will fall into disarray and be lost.

It made me sad to think of the beautiful cities of the elves such as Imladris, Lorien and the woodland realms would fall with or without the ring being destroyed and it gave me a heavy heart to think of such dark times. As a soft sigh escaped my lips a felt a gentle hand touch my shoulder and I looked over to see my sister Celebrian.

"Why do you sigh so heavily for one so young my sister?" I looked down at her garden again and closed my eyes, "I sigh for all of the beauty in this world that will be lost should the fate of the one ring come to an end, weather in the hands of Sauron where all will fall or in it's destruction where the power of the other rings shall fail."

She held my hand in a consoling way as she looked down at her garden with the same gaze I am sure I had right now, intertwining her fingers with my own. I was not at all bothered by her holding my hand, nor would I be bothered if she kissed me for that is the way of elves. Such actions are of a consoling fashion rather than a sign of affection as a Man would see it.

All elves act different among others of different races than of their own kind. Among others, Elves make a specific point to refrain from any actions to be taken wrong, such as a hug, a kiss or holding someone's hand, but among other elves they are very expressive and such actions are ones of friendship and joy, not of intimate relationships.

An Ellon would easily hug another Ellon if it meant to console their friend or to show a form of friends ship or to show they are comrades, the same goes for an Elleth giving another Elleth a chaste kiss on the lips, it is not of intimacy but of comfort and kindness to be portrayed through a simple action. For instance, if I were to see Haldir again, I would most likely kiss him to show my joy at out meeting as I assume he would do the same.

I smiled at the thought of Haldir and Celebrian looked at me curiously, "I can see your spirits have been lifted my sister, but by what?" I smiled even wider as my thoughts branched out to the blond Ellon I have known for so long, "Haldir." It was one word but it spoke thousands to my sister who smiled knowingly, "The Marchwarden of Lorien? Yes... if I remember properly you two were quite close during your stays in Lorien."

I smiled again thinking of his clear green eyes but another face appeared in my mind, it was that of Legolas, and I couldn't help but compare the two together and I sighed again thinking of how both are important to me in some form even though I have known one for a long time and I have known the other just a few weeks, "Celebrian, I need some advice." She turned to face me fully as I frowned trying to get my thoughts together,

"Long have I wished to be wed, but no Ellon has proposed... had I the choice I can think of two Ellons I would wed instantly and yet they show no interest in me where as men are at my feet begging me to wed them after a day of first meeting... I am lost sister... am I to spend the rest of my life alone?" I looked to her for the answers and she smiled sweetly at me before pulling me into a hug.

"Do not fret... I was much like you before I met Elrond, we even hated each other at first, but we then fell in love... so there is still one put there waiting for you as desperately as you wait for them, all you need to do is go where the wind takes you and you shall find the one for you." I sighed and nodded closing my eyes, "I hope so... I really hope so."

~~~

After about two more weeks of training in Rivendell, trying to get the Hobbits to be able to wield a sword properly, or more like a long dagger properly seeing as swords are to big and far to heavy for them to carry. It was quite sad seeing the day come around that we had to leave the safety of Rivendell, not knowing what lay before us on our journey or if we will return to see Imladris again.

My brother came out to see us off, Elladan and Elohir were with him, both looked very upset that I was leaving so I walked forward embracing the both of them in a warm hug, "Behave for your father and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise." Elladan sniffled and nodded while Elohir comforted his twin brother as I kissed them both on their fore-heads, "I will see you again, this I promise."

I walked away from them back over to my other four sons who were watching the exchange curiously and as my brother sent us off with a few parting words I felt a sadness leaving the warmth of Imladris as Legolas took pace next to me, "Why do you make promises you know you can't keep?" He asked quietly and I sighed bowing my head, "Because, it makes it easier on them, thinking that I will return, even if I know I will not... why be pointlessly cruel?"

He seemed to think about this for a moment before tilting his head to the side, "And yet you are sad... why do you spare others from sadness if it only makes you sad in the end?" I sighed and looked down smiling sadly, thinking of the looks of sadness in Elladan and Elohir's eyes it made my heart hurt and all I wished for was that should I fall, they will find a way without me.

"My life was once full of such sadness, destruction and death to the point I would hide away in fear of being hurt and harm all others around me to protect myself... I caused so much sadness all because I was to selfish to see that others were hurting as much as I was... so, to atone for such actions, I will no longer be so selfish, rather take the worries of the world unto me if it were to ensure other's joy before my own."

I smiled sadly and a voice called out to me, "Mum!" I looked up immediately at the sound of Frodo's voice and I saw he was smiling back at me and was waving me to him. Without even a second glance I quickened my step until I got to Frodo who was walking with Boromir, "Boromir says that Gondor is very beautiful and that there is a white tree that never dies there, is it true?"

I smiled and ruffled Frodo's hair, "Yes it is. Gondor is a beautiful land, with many wonders in them, the white tree being one. It is a very strong fortress and has been for years, even long before you or Boromir were born." Frodo looked excited and I pulled him close to me in a hug as we continued to walk, "Some day you and I will go and see the city of Gondor, your brothers can come too if they wish, I promise you this."

Frodo gave a little cheer and rushed back to tell the other Hobbits about my promise and Boromir chuckled softly before speaking, "You have a gift it seems my lady." I looked up into his eyes curiously and I tilted my head to the side, "What do you mean?" He smiled and gestured back to the excited Hobbits who were now talking of what they would do when I take them to Gondor.

"You have this ability to warm the air around you... just your presence can lift the spirits of others, especially that of the little ones." I smiled in response to this, in truth my opinion of Boromir was changing. When I first encountered him I saw him as nothing more than a pig, but after training with him for about a month, and even now, I could see that I had judged him unfairly, he was more ignorant than he was rude, he simply did things that he didn't know would be offensive.

"Not to mention how beautiful you are. In all of my years I have never seen one like you. I know you not to be elf for you do not have the ears of an elf but you are to beautiful and graceful to be that of a regular woman. What, in truth, are you?" I considered for a moment to actually tell him what I was but I decided that now was not the best time and I just smiled, "I am merely a shepherd to these lost lambs."