AN Well thank you everyone for all the wonderful reviews. I am sorry for my LARGE delay in updating but I've started back at college and I'm taking a Lit course that requires a LOT of reading and writing. My finals are coming up (YEAH!) and I am taking a day away from homework to work on this story and the others. I also got a JOB! WOOT WOOT I work with kids now! It is awesome!

Once on a Blue Moon

Chapter 10

Morning came way too quickly for my taste but I knew that I would have to get up when the sounds of Hobbit voices reached my ears. I could still feel my leg raising and falling with every breath Moon took. I cracked an eye open to find that my pillow had been replaced sometime while I slept with Legolas' cloak. I turned my attention down to Moon who was watching me with a rather impatient look in his eyes. "Finally awake I see. The elf has been up for hours as have I."

I glared down at Moon and snorted "Not all of us are morning people Moon, and of course the elves are up, they rarely sleep. Beyond that I'm sure that Legolas is just over joyed to be on his way to such a beautiful elvin city. So be quiet and when I raise my foot slip out as easily as you can so as not to jostle my foot too much."

He let out a huff but did as I said and as I raised my foot up slightly with a groan he shimmed out from under my leg as carefully as possible then moved to my side so that I could use him as support while sitting up. Once I was situated sitting up and comfortably leaning against Moon's side I let my eyes wander the talan. Legolas was over with Aragorn and Boromir talking in hushed tones and then I let my eyes drift to the elves who occupied the tree. They were watching me cautiously but I could see the question in their eyes. They must have noticed me talking, well growling, at Moon. Although I spoke to him a few times I figured they were either occupied or polite enough to not bother me while Legolas was attending to my injuries. I sighed and tilted my head slightly in an inquiring look. Finally one of the elves walked over to me but kept a distance from Moon. "You are the wolf's master?"

I chuckled slightly "No, Moon is my guardian but he definitely isn't my pet"

He watched me for a second and nodded slightly "You can speak to him in his own language?"

I sighed, either he couldn't speak the common language in middle earth too well or he really didn't want to talk to a lowly human but his curiosity got the better of him…. Or he lost a bet with the other elf but I guess I'll never know. "Yes, I can speak to the wolves. Don't ask me how or why, I am not exactly sure myself but I can. Moon here is my protector but he is not tame. BUT he is trustworthy he will protect me and anyone I am protecting."

The elf seemed a bit upset at that but nodded and moved away. I heard a snort from near me and turned to find Gimli having woke up with a start and was looking around cautiously "Dwarves sleeping in trees preposterous!"

I chuckled and his eyes darted to me. "Well you slept in the tree so it isn't totally preposterous Gimli… but Moon agrees with you. He said nearly the same words last night"

Gimli laughed a deep echoing laugh and all eyes drew to him in our talan, and my guess the talan in the other tree as well. "Smart wolf you have there Ek. NOW When can I get down from this death trap?"

Legolas chuckled and said something to the other elves. A voice came from the other talan and soon the two strange elves were lowering the ladder and everyone began to descend. I had yet to move and Legolas came over. "How is your leg feeling Echui?"

I groan and chewed on my lip. "There is still a dull ache but I have yet to even attempt to put any pressure on it. I haven't touched the bandages either."

He sighed and it was only then that I noticed that Moon, Legolas and I were the only ones remaining in the talan. He gently reached out taking my ankle in his hands. He slowly unwrapped the bandages and thankfully the swelling had reduced, though it was still larger than normal. He gave me a half smile, both of us glad that it was showing improvement but it was evident that it would be very difficult for me to walk on it. One of the other elves returned to the top of the talan and rambled off a few words. Legolas looked at me sighing "They want to lower Moon down but they wanted you to tell him to behave"

I nodded and looked over at Moon. "Get your butt down there and wait for me, and don't growl or snap at those elves. They are already too jumpy already"

He growled at me but nodded and trotted over to the wolves standing there while they cautiously refitted the harness and lowered him quickly to the ground. I let my eyes shift to Legolas and sighed "I can't climb down that thing, going up is one thing when the adrenaline is still rushing through my body but now I don't want to risk falling down."

He watched me for a second than nodded. "It shouldn't be too hard to fix the harness to work for you. But it won't be very comfortable."

I shrugged signaling that I didn't care so before I could blink he had scooped me up in his arms and carried me over to the edge of the loft where the other elf was waiting with the makeshift harness. The strange elf quickly untied the knots and was about to retire them around me when Legolas snatched them from his hands. Part of me was grateful because I really didn't want a stranger pawing at me, but another part of me would rather have a stranger because every time Legolas wrapped his arms around me to pass the rope behind my back or had me shift so that he could make me a 'seat' I had to hide a blush and a shutter that ran down my spine.

Finally the harness was completed and after a few quick words to Aragorn the two elves lowered me down into Aragorn's waiting arms. I sighed and glared at him "Put me down, slowly I need to at least test if I can walk on my own before I become the damsel in distress"

He gave me a warm smile and nodded laughing softly. He shifted me slightly in his arms then leaned down slightly so that my feet could touch at my will. I first put my good foot down and then shifted so that all my weight was on it. He stood up helping me and still I stood only on my good foot. Once I was fully standing on my own only holding tightly onto Aragorn's arm did I test putting weight on my hurt ankle. A hiss escaped me quickly after and I was glad that I had ahold of Aragorn because the pain that shot up my leg nearly had my knees giving out from under me. I quickly was swept back into Aragorn's arms and I let out a grumble "Great… just great… what are you guys going to do… carry me all the way to Lorien?"

He just smiled at me and gave a half shrug. "If we must."

One of the Elves rambled off something to Aragon and his face fell. "We will need to cross a path that it would be difficult to carry you and Moon they recommend we leave you here"

I let out my own growl and struggle "Then let me down I'll walk there myself… I am not being left behind!"

He held on tight refusing to release me and finally I gave up. "Fine but I'll make it across the thing on my own… as for Moon I'll deal with him"

Moon looked at me curiously and I sighed "We have to cross something that they can't help you across. Go, check in with the wolves and Worgs give them an update on how I'm doing and where we are going. When we get to Lorien I'll talk to someone and see if there is a way to get you there."

Moon laughed and gave me a coy grin "I know how to get to what the elves call Lorien, but it will take me about a week. I'll make a detour and talk to my pack Alpha so a little longer. If you leave before than please leave me scent markers to help find you."

I nod and sigh tugging on Aragorn's shirt "Help me down to his level I need to say goodbye for a while until he finds me again."

Aragorn nodded and knelt down slightly so that I could reach out and scratch Moon behind the ears and under the chin. "Behave, and don't push yourself too hard. We'll be there a while, no one will leave me behind and my ankle will take me few weeks to heal… a month at the most. Spend time with your mate and your pack, I am safe within the walls of Lorien."

Moon didn't seem happy to be leaving me but he agreed and after pressing his cold wet nose to my cheek he ran off letting off a long low howl. I let out my own howl in return then tapped Aragorn's shoulder and he stood up giving me a sad smile. "He'll be back… he needs to spend time with his mate and pack…"

Once Moon was well out of sight the fellowship and the elves escorting us started on our way to Lorien. The group walked for hours and I was passed between Aragorn, Boromir and Legolas so no one got to tired. When we finally got to the river that we would have to cross Legolas refused to let me down and insisted that he could easily carry me across as long as I sat perfectly still in his arms. I wanted to protest but I knew that it would be difficult for me to shimmy across the ropes on a sprined ankle. So I did as he asked and once the ropes were up he shifted me until he felt he had his balance then I took slow calm breaths as he darted light as air across the ropes to the other side. The moment his feet touched the ground I let out a shuttering breath and squeezed his neck slightly.

It took a while for the rest of the fellowship to get across the rope bridges but when everyone was settled the elves informed us that me and Gimli would need to be blindfolded. Gimli started to put up a fuss but I raised my hand silencing him. "Stop Gimli, have the elves blindfold us all, except perhaps Aragorn or Legolas because someone has to carry me and no offense but I don't trust anyone else but them to tote me around."

Gimli let out a huff but nodded he seemed to want to protest against Legolas but he also knew that I was already comfortably situated in Legolas' arms. So because the elves were more comfortable with Legolas seeing the path to Lorien everyone except for Legolas was blindfolded. Again they started to walk, it was slow going because we were all being led around like lambs on ropes. I couldn't see anything but the smells and sounds of the forest had grown and I was overwhelmed by the scent coming from the Elf that was holding me.

I let my head rest against his chest enjoying the sound of his heartbeat. The quiet that we traveled in was making me a bit tired but I refused to go to sleep. I tried to identify where everyone was by the sounds of their footsteps. The elves were nearly silent though I did catch slight sounds every so often. Gimli's steps were heavy and sturdy he was directly behind Legolas and me. Aragorn's footfalls were nearly as silent as the elves but they had more depth to them. Boromir's steps were nowhere near silent but they were further apart than the four smaller sets of footsteps that seemed to be nearly sprinting. The cautious stumbling steps were most likely Sam while the ones that sounded like they were right next to those were probably Frodo's. The other two were almost indistinguishable from each other so they had to have been Pip and Merry.

The day went slowly and I drifted in and out of sleep but finally we stopped for the evening to rest. They wouldn't take our blindfolds off but Legolas refused to leave me so I ended up curled up against his side nibbling on the food that we were given. I whined slightly tilting my head back so that I could 'look' up at the sky. "I miss watching the stars already."

Legolas placed a hand on mine and began describing in beautiful detail what he could see of the sky. I let my covered eyes drift close and I tried to imagine the beauty that I was missing. Apparently the area we had stopped was a clearing with an open view of the sky. The beautiful nearly full moon was high in the sky illuminating the clearing well. It was amazing that we had only on this quest for just shy of a month I was keeping track by the moon cycles. Ironically New Years was marked by the New moon. This year celebrated a double new moon in January.

Legolas continued to describe the beauty around us but I found my mind drifting to the warmth and woodsy scent that belonged to the elegant elf. All day he had been the one thing that overwhelmed my senses and so my mind had barely left him. He wasn't the typical male that drew my attention. I usually went for the dark bad boy type… more like Aragorn. But for the first time in my life I was finding myself drawn to the pretty boy. The sweet man who held doors for me, helped me mount a horse and made sure that I was comfortable. He also had beautiful hair and his eyes were so deep and warm you could almost fall into them and never find your way out.

In my silence Legolas must have guessed me asleep because I felt his hand brush against my cheek and then run through some lose trills of hair. I was shocked but restrained myself from moving or indicating that I was awake and aware of his actions. He whispered a few things that I could not understand then moved ever so slightly so that I would be more comfortable.

I had spent the majority of the night lying awake listening to the sounds around me. It must have been because I spent the previous day drifting in and out of sleep. I had heard a stranger approaching and speaking to the two elves that were our guides just before what felt like dawn but I still have no idea what he said to them. Soon the sounds of the camp coming to life reached my ears and I reached up to poke Legolas in the chest. "Wake up sleeping beauty it sounds like it is about time to get going."

He chuckled and helped me shift so that he could get up and stretch out. I sighed hating that I was stuck relying on someone else to help me get around but I did my best to not show it. I heard a call across the clearing and then Legolas let out a happy yell. He surprised me by dipping down and quickly removing my blindfold and I blinked a few times letting my eyes adjust to the low light of the morning. "Word has come from Lorien that the whole fellowship can travel without blindfold and see the wonders of the forests!"

I laughed and then let my eyes drift to the rest of our group. Gimli was groaning and rubbing the sleep out of his now uncovered eyes. The hobbits were still asleep and blindfolded except for Sam who was up and trying to make sure that Frodo was fine. I then let my eyes wander down to my leg and before I could even move to inspect it myself, Legolas was knelt down carefully unbinding it to inspect how it was healing. It was luckily looking even better today than before but I still wasn't willing to test it out until someone who was more knowledgeable in the healing arts could inspect it.

He finished his inspection then wrapped it back up. He went to pick me up but with the movement I decided that perhaps I needed to test it out for myself. I really had to use the bathroom and I refused to have any male help me unless it was an absolute must, the previous day I had no choice because I was blindfolded but today, well no way... "Um… just help me up, I need to go about my morning routine and I believe that I should be able to handle that on my own."

He seemed reluctant but agreed and he quickly lifted me into his arms with a rather loud protest from me before toting me a little away from the group then finding a fallen tree for me to use to support myself while I finished my morning routine. "Call if you need me I won't be far away"

I groaned but nodded he sat me down on the log then vanished off into the forest. It took a little bit of inventiveness but I finished my morning bathroom break then called out to Legolas. He quickly scooped me into his arms again and took off towards the group. When we returned everyone was awake and there was food being passed around. I smiled at my hobbits and they each came over to check on me. Sam handed me something to eat and drink and Legolas as well before going back to take care of Frodo and make sure he ate.

Soon the camp was broke down and we were back on the road to Lorien. The forest was beautiful and now that we were unblindfolded I was being passed around like a hot potato again. Boromir was always making jokes about the elves and why they had been so secretive "It isn't like we would ever find our way through this forest without them. Every tree looks the same to me"

I laughed and agreed, Aragorn kept pestering me about how my leg was feeling if he even jolted me the slightest thing. I finally begged to be passed off to Legolas and he laughed as he hoisted me into his arms. Thankfully he kept mostly quiet only commenting every now and then about animals we saw or unique looking trees. The sun was just lowering below the treeline when we saw the first signs of Lorien. The sight before us was breath taking, I had thought Rivendell was beautiful but Lorien was just amazing.

AN/ Hello everyone! Sorry for the lack of update school and life take their tolls but I'm trying! I'm also (YET AGAIN) looking for my LOTR book… I"ll find it soon hopefully!