A/N: Sorry for the late update. I wasn't fully happy with this chapter when I first wrote it. Plus I've been focusing mainly on my Sly Cooper Story lately. I wanna finish that before I do anything else. I own NOTHING but my OC: Elizabeth. Nor do I own the lyrics to the Songs.

Elvish will be in Bold Italics. I also do not own the song 'The Song of Hope' from the 'Lord of the Rings' Musical (Music by A.R Rahman and Lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus) nor the song The Prayer.

Chapter 10: The Prayer

The Full Moon shone brightly upon the water beneath my feet and upon the waterfall behind the bridge. I was wearing a silver nightgown with a white cloak over my shoulders. Barefoot, I hopped from stone to stone over the small river to the stone bridge where Aragorn and Arwen had kissed under the moon just the night before. I reached the edge of the bridge where it stood above me. I reached up, gripped the stone of the bridge and pulled myself up to sit on its edge.

I looked up at Lady Moon and smiled, "Hiril vuin Rána,' I began in Sindarin before ending in the Lingua del Drago. 'grazie per avermi giungendo con la tua Luce questa Notte." (My Lady Moon, thank you for gracing me with your Light this Night.)

I closed my eyes and my mind went to a song from the Musical version of the story. It was performed in London England for a while and was one of my favorite Theatrical versions of the story. I began to sing it, Elvish and all. "~Undulávë ilyë tier lomé; Ar caita mornië sindanóriello I falmalinnar imbë met, Oialë...' (All paths are drowned deep in shadow; and out of a grey country darkness lies on the foaming waves between us... forever...) 'At the edge of darkness hope is whispering still. Tender, unerring. Gently stirring. Memories unfurling in the mind. Warm wind from a far, forgotten country long left behind. Wandering the empty road in twilight's silver shade, following the hidden paths lonely and afraid. Let the sunlight free the heart, forever bound to roam, and let the waking morning find the weary traveler returning home.~"

I opened my eyes and spoke. "It's considered rude to approach a Dragon-Blood from the shadows, much less not announce ones' arrival." I did not need to look to see Legolas come from out from under the shadow of the trees. I did not need to look to see him sit beside me, looking up at the moon. "Why did you not send me a message when you found out your heritage?" he asked.

"Fear is a powerful thing mellon-nin. (my friend) I feared you would not forgive me for running from our feelings for each other. Add to that the fear from the visions that Black Bone the Betrayer sent me, my reasons for leaving were justified." I replied still staring at Rána. I felt a hand on my cheek and he turned my face to look at his.

"Anna Elizabeth Jones, I loved you when you were mortal and I love you still. Even now that you are the Dragon-Blood Fire-Starheart and Lúthien Rhuiviel, I have never stopped loving you.' I smiled at him before he kissed me softly, me kissing back. Pulling apart, our foreheads met and he continued 'After you had left I was going to rush after you, realizing that you were the one the guards and myself met along the road back to the city, but Ada (father) stopped me. He told me he made you Elf-Friend." I nodded and held up the ring that never left my finger and then pulled out the necklace and held it out to him.

He blinked and touched the pendent. "I know this necklace. This necklace is the symbol of the royal family. Ada said that he would only give it to the one he considered worthy to be my betrothed, fiancé and wife." My eyes snapped up to his. "Do you think he...?" I let the question hung in the air. He shook his head.

"The prophecy. That most likely helped him figure it out before even you knew your heritage." I bit my lip. "Do you know what it says, Legolas?" He shook his head. "I know little of the Language of the Dragon-Bloods, and the prophecy is written in it. Ada knows the language well so he knows the translation."

I sat up and turned back to look at the Moon. Yes, I knew the prophecy.

"Translated, it goes like this:
~The child of two Clans will be the Mother of All
For in this Second Age the Dragon-Bloods will Fall
The Betrayer will try to gain the Moon Marked Heart
But his Forbidden Love will drive them Apart
Two of Fate's Chosen will help her Fulfill
The Destany that is Eru's Will
One, her Mate True, of Immortal Ancient Blood
The other's Life Water, Creature made from the Mud
One will help her raise her own from the Ground
The other to the Halls of Mandos be he Bound
The Dragon-Bloods will rise and Middle-Earth will Mend
When the Bane of Isildur finally meets its End~"

I fell silent. Finally I said, "I think I know what most of it means. The first line speaks of me, a child of two Dragon-Blood Clans, becoming the Mother of the next generation of Dragon-Bloods. The second is self-explanatory, as the Dragon-Bloods all died out in the Second Age. The third talks of two people; the Betrayer is Black Bone and I am the Moon Marked Heart. I also know the last two lines mean I will be able to truly rebuild my people when the Ring is destroyed." Legolas looked at me questionably. "What does the fourth line 'But his Forbidden Love will drive them Apart' mean?"

I smiled, a bit happy to be telling my Mate-to-Be all this information. "Dragon-Bloods can only marry their Vero Compsgno, True Mate, who is always immortal. If we marry a mortal, we not only give up our Dragons but our immortality and many other things. If our immortal mate dies, then we can marry a mortal. We cannot marry another immortal if our Vero Compsgno dies because then we would live a half and cursed life. Vero Compsgnos have their souls bound together, if one dies a part of the one still living dies with them. The mortal we marry is our Anima Gemella, our Soul Mate. They fill the empty space left behind if our Vero Compsgno dies."

Legolas' forehead scrunched up in confusion. "But are you and Black Bone Vero Compsgnos?" I sighed. "No, we are not. I know who my Vero Compsgno is and I have a guess who my Anima Gemella is." I stood up and faced the Moon. Closing my eyes, I went into my True Form before turning to Legolas and helping him up.

"When a Female Dragon-Blood reaches the mortal age of twenty, somewhere in the thousands in Dragon years, it differs with each female; they are unconsciously led to their Immortal Mate. It's the first immortal male they meet face to face. When their mate speaks to them, the female will feel like she has just heard two sounds that best represents the soul of the mate.' I bit my lip, turning to him. 'The sound I heard when you first spoke to me in Mirkwood was of the wind in the trees, representing your love of the forest, and the sound of a waterfall, representing the power and strength you have within your soul."

His eyes widened. I placed both his hands on my left hand and I placed my right hand on both of his. "Principe Legolas Greenleaf di Mirkwood, (Prince Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood) you are my Vero Compsgno. Here and now I pledge myself to you in all that I am. By the Dragon within me, I give to you my everything. My Body, My Mind, My Heart, My Soul and My Life are yours." I felt the warm glow of the bond we had travel from my heart to our hands. Our joined hands glowed gold.

Legolas looked me in the eyes before straitening to full height. "Hiril vuin Anna Elizabeth, Fire-Starheart and Lúthien Rhuiviel of the Dragon-Bloods,' he began. 'I am your Vero Compsgno. I accept your pledge to give me all that you are. I accept your everything. With Eru and Rána as my witness, I give you my everything. My Body, My Mind, My Heart, My Soul and My Life are yours." Our hands glowed brighter.

"Do you really wish to complete this bond Legolas? Once bound there is no turning back. Betraying your Vero Compsgno will bring suffering on both ends." I asked looking in his eyes. He nodded. "No." (Yes.{in Sindarin} [A/N: confusing right? That 'no' means 'yes'?]) "Then kiss me and place everything you just pledged into it." He did just that.

There was a blast of power that both of us felt spread through our bodies. We felt our minds connect and open to each other and when we parted lust, love, passion and power glazed our eyes. He was breathing hard as he placed his forehead against mine, his mind filling with all the information of the Dragon-Bloods he would ever need. Looking me in the eye he said, "Gi melin, Elizabeth." I smiled and replied "E io ti amo, Legolas." (And I love you, Legolas.)

Finally, for the first time since I got to Middle Earth, I felt content and whole.

~Time Skip~

The morning of December 25th saw the Fellowship preparing to leave Rivendell, all the Elves have gathered to bid us farewell. I stood beside Legolas waiting for all to be said and done. He and I worked all night to make Christmas Gifts for the Fellowship. A simple and small gift. They would help and bring good luck on the journey.

After everyone said their goodbyes in their people's way, Elrond came up to us all and said, "The Ring-bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom. On you who travel with him, no oath, nor bond is laid to go further than you will." He looked each of us in the eye. I stepped forward and went to my True Form. I pulled out the book with Gillian's spirit in it and placed it on the ground in front of me. Muttering a few words in my native tongue, the spell allowed smoke to rise from the book and, like a Genie, his spirit appears in front of us all in his True Form. Elrond bowed.

"Lord Gillian."

The spirit inclined his head back. "Lord Elrond.' He turned to the Fellowship. 'I may only be a spirit but I can still give my Blessings.' He then spoke so that everyone could hear him. 'It is a Tradition when a Dragon-Blood accompanies a group of non-Dragon-Bloods on any journey, whether they be seen or not.' He turned to me while I still kneeled on the ground. 'Dragon-Blood, Do you accept the responsibility to keep the Fellowship of the Ring safe?"

"I accept."

"Do you swear to help the Fellowship when they are in need?"

"I swear."

"And if one of them dies, do you take the responsibility to bury them Honorably and continue to complete the Quest to the end?"

"I do." A glow surrounded me as I swore. On the back of my neck a mark appeared. It was a golden ring with red and gold dragon wings around it and Mt. Doom within the Ring. I reached behind my neck to scratch at it cause it itched. "That mark binds you to the quest. You are to help in any way you can.' He reached out and lifted my chin. 'My daughter. I wish I could take your place but I cannot. If you need me you know where I'll be." He kissed my forehead and disappeared back into the book.

Lord Elrond turned to all of us as I picked up the book and went to stand by Frodo's right shoulder. He grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. 'I'll protect you, Frodo. I will!' I whispered into his mind.

"Farewell. You have the Blessing and Guide of a Dragon-Blood with you. Hold to your purpose. May the blessings of Elves and Men and all Free Folk go with you."

Gandalf then said, "The Fellowship awaits the Ringbearer."

I squeeze Frodo's hand. With a deep breath, he turns and starts to walk out of the gates of Rivendell, the rest of us following behind. With me, Legolas and Aragorn in the back, our sharp ears heard Frodo whisper:

"Mordor, Gandalf, is it left or right?"

Gandalf seemed to pause for dramatic effect (at least to me he does).

"Left."

I turned around to see Aragorn and Arwen exchange a last look before he follows the rest of The Fellowship. I mentally sent a message to Arwen. 'Sister, by the end of all this you shall have a happy ending with the King, father of my heart.'

~On the Night of their First Stop~

We were huddled around a fire I had made, eating dinner. I suddenly remembered the presents. I reached into the bag and brought out the charms. They were nine sliver chains, and on these chains were two scales, one of red and one of gold, with protective spells on them. "Everyone, I have a gift for all of you."

I passed out the necklaces and personally clasped Frodo's and my Mate's around their necks. "In that other world, there is a holiday on the 25th of December. Basically gifts are given to family and friends to show how much they appreciate you. These are my scales and I would have you all wear them to show you're under the Dragon-Bloods protection. They also have protection spells on them. They will protect you all from any and all that might harm you."

I was thanked with a kiss from Legolas, a kiss on my forehead from Aragorn, hugs from the Hobbits, a verbal 'thank you' from Gandalf and Gimli, but Boromir nodded to me fingering the scales curiously. After making sure the fire wouldn't go out, I stood up and walked away from the group.

"What is that woman doing?" I heard Boromir say. I was going to pray to Eru. It was a shock when I learned that Eru and the God I worshiped were one and the same. Did my mother know? Did she pray for a way back home?

I sat down on the grassy field not too close but not too far from the rest of the Fellowship. It was tradition that on the first night of travel for Dragon-Bloods to pray for safety during the journey. Most prayers were in the form of song and sung in the Lingua del Drago and there was only one song that I knew would be appropriate and it was one I knew well. Knowing that Aragorn, Legolas and Gandalf will be able to hear me, I wouldn't be surprised if they translate my prayer for the rest of the Fellowship.

Going into my True Form, my tail lied down behind me in a straight line and my wings spread out behind me. Lifting my head high and opening my blue dragon eyes, I opened my mouth and sang.

"~I pray you'll be our eyes, and watch us where we go.
And help us to be wise in times when we don't know
Let this be our prayer, when we lose our way
Lead us to the place, guide us with your grace
To a place where we'll be safe~"

Now for the real prayer. Mentally muttering a spell a second voice, like mine but not, harmonized with me. As I sang in my people's language, the other voice went with the common tongue.

"~La luce che tu hai
I pray we'll find your light
Nel cuore restera
and hold it in our hearts.
A ricordarci che
When stars go out each night,
Eterna stella sei...

Let this be our prayer
When shadows fill our day...
Lead us to a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe.~"

I looked up to the stars and sighed sorrowfully as tears fell down my cheeks. According to my Father and Draco, my actual age is that of how many years in Middle Earth my Dragon has slept plus the amount I lived as mortal. I was still a child in true Dragon-Blood years but a powerful one, yet I still thought myself old by standards of Men. I knew I will outlive most of the Fellowship and the mortal friends I had made in this world.

"~Sognamo un mondo senza più violenza
Un mondo di giustizia e di speranza
Ognuno dia la mano al suo vicino
Simbolo di pace, di fraternità~"

I shook my head and whipped the tears from my eyes before glancing again at the Fellowship. Passion began to fill me as I began to get closer to the end of the song.

"~La forza che ci dà
We ask that life be kind
Il desiderio che
and watch us from above
Ognuno trovi amor
We hope each soul will find
Intorno e dentro se
another soul to love~"

I placed my fist on my chest with my thumb, fourth and pinky finger out, vowing to Eru but not letting the others see what I'm doing. I then mentally vowed as the song ended. The vow was that if He needed me to die for whatever purpose, then I'd do it.

"~Let this be our prayer
Let this be our prayer, just like every child
Need to find a place, guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we'll be safe

E la fede che, hai acceso in noi
Sento che ci salverà...~"