Author's Notes: I don't own anyone from Lord of the Rings. If I did Frodo wouldn't have gone on to the Grey Havens. Legolas would be teaching me how to use a bow and arrow. Aragorn and Arwen would have been married long before the Ring was found. I don't own any of the Inu-Yasha characters. If I did, Sesshomaru would be joining Legolas in teaching me how to use a sword. Enjoy.

Recently I got copies of the show and saw that the spelling of Sesshomaru is indeed spelled wrong. Forgive me but I was going by what I saw in the magnas. I did correct the spelling in all the chapters.

Chapter 13

The Great River

Tori folded several new tunics before shoving them into the bag lying on the bed. She half-turned to look at Sesshomaru as he placed his clothes on the bed. "Can you believe that we've been here for two months? It only feels like a few days."

Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around Tori's thickening waistline and rubbed his hands over her protruding stomach. "Haldir told me that time passes differently here than outside Lorien."

"So I found out." Tori pressed her hand over Sesshomaru's. "Are you sure that you want me to travel with you and the Fellowship?"

"I see no reason for not to. I only ask that you do not fight if we have to go into battle." Sesshomaru leaned down to nuzzle her neck.

Tori sighed softly as a knock sounded on their door. "Come in."

Miroku peered around Legolas as he fearlessly pushed open the door. "Are you sure they're dressed?"

"We would have yelled at you to go away, Miroku, if we weren't." Tori pulled away from Sesshomaru and finished packing his tunics.

"Aragorn sent us to tell you that Lady Galadriel wished to see us before we left." Legolas bowed slightly to Sesshomaru and Tori. "And we must finish packing the boats."

Tori looked up from the bag. "Boat? We're going in a boat?" Her laugh seemed to be a bit shaky.

"Yes. On the River Anduin." Legolas looked at Tori and saw that she was shivering slightly. "You are not afraid of the water, are you?"

"Water, no. Boats, yes. Let's just say one bad experience with a canoe at camp has turned me off of boats." Tori jerked on the strings of the pack to close it. "Stupid boys and their pranks."

"What boy?" Sesshomaru's voice rumbled slightly through the growl.

"You don't know him." Tori waved her hand slightly.

"Tell me." Sesshomaru's claws dug into the palm of his hand.

"His name is Johnny Storm. He and I used to go to school and summer camp together. He knocked me out of the canoe when I wouldn't give him the oar." Tori rolled her eyes as she picked up the pack. "Can we just forget about it?"

"If I ever see him he's going to get a claw full from me." Sesshomaru took the pack from Tori and stomped out of the room.

"You'd think he didn't love me with the way he acts sometimes." Tori smiled as Legolas followed her out of the room.

-----

The Fellowship was gathered around five canoes and loading them with supplies for the journey down the river. Legolas opened one of the food packs and pulled out a small square of flat bread wrapped in some type of leaves. "Lembas. One small bite can sustain a man for an entire day." He slid it back into the pack before closing it and loading it into one of the boats.

Tori was seated well away from the rushing river where she had decided to keep Rin and Shippo busy while the rest of the Fellowship packed the boats.

Rin looked at her mother relaxing against one of the many trees of Lorien. "Reidou, are you scared of the water?"

"No, sweetie, I'm not afraid of the water." Tori nibbled on her bottom lip as Rin and Shippo waited for the rest of the answer. "I just don't like small boats."

"Why?" Shippo watched Tori fidget slightly.

"It's just something that happened years ago." Tori waved her hand slightly, effectively dismissing the subject.

Aragorn made his way over to the small group. "We are ready to leave."

Tori accepted his hand to pull her to her feet. "Thank you." She slowly followed Aragorn and the children to the boats.

Sesshomaru wrapped his arms around his mate and growled softly to calm her. He looked up as several elves stepped from the trees with Galadriel and Celeborn leading them.

"We have gifts for the Fellowship." Galadriel motioned toward the Fellowship.

An Elf stood before each member and draped a silky hood and cloak around their shoulders. They pulled the cloaks closed and used a brooch to secure it. The brooches were in the shape of green leaves with silvery veins.

Rin shifted the material in her hands and watched as it seemed to change colors with each movement. She looked up at Galadriel. "Are these magic cloaks?"

"No, my dear. They are special but magical. They will help you keep out of sight of unfriendly eyes whether you walk among the stones of the trees. They will also keep you as warm or cold as you need."

Rin nodded slightly as she looked down at the cloak covering her. "That's good I guess."

Celeborn's gaze drifted over the Fellowship and saw Koga fidgeting slightly with the cloak. "Never before have strangers been garbed in our clothing."

Shippo bounced on his feet as Galadriel moved closer to the Fellowship. "I have another gift for each of you." She reached for a small pack. "Rin, to you I give a pack with all that you should need for your journey. There is also a small brooch that you may touch if you are in danger and your friends will hear your need." Rin smiled as she took the leather pack. Lady Galadriel smiled as Rin pinned the brooch to her tunic under her cloak. She moved on to Shippo. "Shippo, to have fox fire is a great gift but I give you this powder. Throw it and it will cause whatever it touches to explode. Add your foxfire and watch the fireworks." Shippo took the small pouch of powder. "Lady Sango, to you I give a gift that will help you fight. This sword was crafted by our blacksmith for you. It is light weight but extremely strong." She handed the sheathed slender sword to Sango. "It may come in handy." Sango slid the sheath under her belt so that it rested next to her own sword. Galadriel turned to Koga. "My dear Lord Koga, to you I give these gauntlets. They will help to protect you from the swords of our world." She turned to Sesshomaru as Koga put the gauntlets onto his wrists over his furry ones. "Lord Sesshomaru, you carry two very powerful swords and with them you protect your mate quite well. I give you this." She handed him a set of curved daggers similar to what Legolas had slid under his quiver of arrows. "They will never break. I also give you these sheaths for your other swords. The sheaths will prevent any sword that you draw from them from breaking." Sesshomaru bowed slightly as accepted the gifts. "Lady Tori, you have a little one to protect as well as yourself. To you I give this sword. With the one that you received from the Elves in Rivendell, it will help you protect your family." She turned to Miroku as Tori slid the sheath alongside her other sword. "Miroku, you have lived here among the Elves for many months. You have learned much about our culture and way of life. To you I give a sacred item. This mirror is similar to the one that I look into from time to time. You have only to look into it and you will see images of your past, present, and future." Miroku bowed as he accepted the mirror. Galadriel moved slowly down the line of the Fellowship until she stood in front of Legolas. "Legolas, our kin from the north, to you I give a bow of the Galadrim. It will aid you on your journey." Legolas bowed as Galadriel turned to look at Gimli. "Gimli, son of Gloin, what gift would a Dwarf ask of an Elf?"

Gimli looked down at his feet. "None, milady."

"Surely there is something." Galadriel refused to move.

"There is nothing but to look upon your beauty one last time." Gimli flushed slightly as Galadriel laughed.

"To you I give this." She plucked three long strands from her hair. "Three hairs from my head. May you keep them safe."

Gimli blushed again as he took the hair. "When I return home I will find the finest crystal and encase them within it."

Galadriel smiled softly as she moved onto to Sam. "Master Gardener, to you I give a box of fertile dirt of Lorien. I also give you a fine and sturdy rope. You never know when you will need it." She moved on to Merry and Pippin. "Meriadoc and Peregrin, to you I give these daggers. They have already seen battle." She noticed the worried look on Pippin's face. "Not to worry, young Peregrin. Courage is nothing more than to do something that you are afraid to do." She drifted along the line to Boromir. "Boromir, Son of Gondor. To you I give this belt of golden leaves. I also wish you a safe journey back to Minas Tirith." She knelt down so that she could scoop Kirara into her arms. "Kirara, I know of your gifts. To you I give this golden collar. It is woven with many enchantments for your protection. It will also grow when you go back to your larger form." Kirara meowed once as Galadriel placed the collar around her neck. Kirara jumped back to the ground and Galadriel rose gracefully to her feet. "Aragorn, soon you must face your destiny. I give you this sheath for your sword. Like Lord Sesshomaru's, any sword drawn from it will not break." Her fingers drifted softly over the silver necklace hanging around his neck. "I have nothing greater to give you. You already have the greatest gift in her love." She turned to look at the last member of the Fellowship. "Frodo, I come to you last though you are not last in my thoughts. I give to you our greatest treasure, the star of Earendil. It will light a path in the darkness." She stepped back and looked over the entire Fellowship. "I wish you all a safe journey."

Celeborn moved close to Aragorn and Sesshomaru. "I must warn you. Saruman has bred Orcs with men creating something that has the cunning of man but the strength of the Orcs. They can move in the sunlight so you must be wary of these creatures." He handed each Sesshomaru and Aragorn another dagger. "Travel by the river and only by day."

Aragorn nodded as he and Sesshomaru slid the daggers among their other weapons. Legolas lifted Shippo into the small boat as Gimli scrambled over the side. Miroku helped Sango into the middle of their boat before handing Kirara to her and Koga settled in front of her. Frodo and Sam had already settled into the boat that Aragorn was to be guiding down the river. Tori nervously climbed into the boat as Sesshomaru placed Rin in front of her. Merry and Pippin were waiting patiently for Boromir to get settled so that they could leave. Aragorn settled himself behind Frodo and Sam and quickly pushed the boat away from the shore. The others followed and soon they were gliding through the water.

-----

Tori kept her eyes on the horizon as the sun slowly began to sink in the west. They had been traveling all day, only stopping to eat and even then not starting a fire for a hot meal. She saw Aragorn slowly start to turn toward the western bank. She sighed softly as Sesshomaru followed him. Finally solid land. Tori braced herself as the boat scraped along the bottom of the river. Sesshomaru jumped out and gently pulled the boat from the water. Tori climbed out as Rin scrambled over the side. Shippo hurried to join her as Sam quickly went about setting up camp. Legolas, Koga, and Gimli hurried into the surrounding forest to get some fire wood as Aragorn, Boromir, and Miroku quickly made sure that all the boats were secured on the shore.

Tori dropped to the ground beside Frodo. "How are you doing, Frodo?"

"I'm fine." Frodo didn't look at her. His eyes were trained on the river flowing just past the shore.

"Yeah right. You didn't eat anything when we last stopped." Tori noticed the way Frodo seemed to flinch. "The kids slept some in the boats as did everyone who wasn't rowing, except for you."

"She's right, Master Frodo. You don't sleep; you barely eat anything." Sam was stirring a pot over the small smokeless fire.

Tori nodded as Sesshomaru dropped to the ground beside her. "You must take care not to give in to the power of the ring, Frodo." Sesshomaru watched as Frodo turned to face him. "Kagome guards the Shikon Jewel but she has yet to give in the dark powers that can control it."

"Though it surprises me with how often she gets mad at Inu-Yasha." Shippo looked up from the fish he was cooking. "What?"

Tori smiled as she shook her head. "Let's just say that there are times when it would be easy to give in to the darkness but it would be better if you didn't."

Frodo just nodded as he took the plate of steaming food from Sam. "I'll try to eat something."

Tori turned back to her own plate as Sesshomaru took his from Sam. "That is all we ask."

Aragorn stood on the shore watching the waters flowing past. I am not a leader and yet here I am leading the Fellowship to Mordor. I wish Gandalf were here. He'd know what to do.

Legolas was hidden among the branches of one of the trees surrounding the camp. His elven eyes skimmed across the horizon looking for dangers that were near. Gimli and Koga were playing a card game with Rin, which she was winning. Shippo was running after Merry and Pippin while Sam and Sango cleaned up around the fire. Boromir was leaning against a tree as Miroku watched him carefully. He had already noticed that Boromir had taken to watching Frodo more closely than any of the others. One by one the Fellowship, all but Boromir since he had the first watch, wound down and curled among their blankets beside the slowly dying fire.

Boromir looked around the camp to make sure that everyone was asleep before hiding behind an overly large boulder. His eyes roamed along the river until he caught sight of a log floating past the camp. Two large eyes gazed at him from the log.

"It is Gollum." Aragorn watched Boromir jump slightly. "I had hoped that we would lose him on the river but he is too crafty a sailor."

"Perhaps we should take the Ring south to Minas Tirith. It would be protected there."

"I would not take the Ring within a thousand leagues of your city. I have seen what that Ring has done to minds of men and I do not want that to happen in Minas Tirith." Aragorn turned on his heel and made his way back to the fire.

Neither of the men had noticed that Frodo and Tori had heard the entire conversation.

-----

Tori was getting bored looking at the trees passing. Even playing 'I Spy' with Rin had gotten boring. Rin had gotten tired of reading her books that she had packed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Aragorn pointing to two tall pillars standing on either side of the river.

"Behold the Agronath, the Pillars of the Kings." Aragorn gave Frodo a small smile. "Long have I wished to look upon my kin."

"I guess coming this way was a good thing." Tori leaned back into Sesshomaru as he paddled the little boat along the currents.

"They look like they took a long time to make." Rin looked back at her 'parents' and smiled.

"Perhaps I should do something like that in the Western Lands so that my children's children can look upon my face." Sesshomaru barely grunted as Tori elbowed him slightly.

"You know that you'll be able to see them for a long time so it would be pointless to create those pillars." Tori relaxed slightly as she watched the boats slip between the pillars. "I hope we stop soon."

"Are you well, my lady?" Legolas had maneuvered their boat a little closer to Tori and Sesshomaru.

"Just the rocking is making my stomach act up. Once I get on land I should be fine." Tori gave Legolas and Gimli a smile before tossing a book to Shippo. "Something for you to read aloud to Legolas and Gimli, Shippo."

"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe?" Shippo looked up from the book in his hands.

"Kagome got it for me the last time she went home. I think you'll enjoy it." Tori watched as Shippo quickly opened the book and started to read.

"Once we are a league down river we'll head to the western shore." Aragorn paddled his boat past the small group with Miroku right behind him.

"Then we'll have to travel on foot to Mordor." Sango's groan could be heard over the gentle sounds of the waters.

Tori closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the birds in the trees. She opened her eyes slightly when she felt the boat turn toward shore for the last time. Her crystal blue eyes widened when she saw the waterfall and she began to pray that they weren't going over it. The bottom of the boat scraped along the ground as the current swept them ashore. Tori scrambled over the side and splashed through the shallow water toward solid land. Rin giggled as she splashed her hands in the water. Slowly everyone unloaded the boats. Sesshomaru and Koga saw several logs lying along the bank so they ripped them apart for firewood. Merry started the fire while Sango sent Rin and Shippo for water. Tori set out the makings for a quick lunch. Thankfully they had yet eat any of the lembas or any of the ramen that they still had left so she pulled out several packets of the ramen and set it to one side. The water was in two pots over the fire.

"Perhaps we should cross the river while it is still light." Miroku glanced at Tori before getting hit by Sango.

"Take rest, Miroku. We will need the cover of night to cross." Aragorn moved toward the edge of the clearing.

"What do we have to do when get over there?" Tori looked up from the pots of water.

"I'll tell you what we'll do." Gimli continued to sharpen his axe. "First we'll have to find our way through the endless maze of Emyn Muil. Then we go through an impassable marsh known as the Dead Marshes. Then we have get through the Black Gate and find our way across the barren lands of Mordor to Mount Doom."

Aragorn barely turned to Gimli. "Take rest, Master Dwarf."

"Take rest? Take rest?" Gimli glared at the ranger. "Pay no heed to that little ones. Take Rest indeed."

Legolas stood at the edge of the clearing watching the forest. "I say we cross now."

"No. Orcs hunt on the eastern shore. We will wait until nightfall and then make our way east." Aragorn stood a few steps behind Legolas.

Merry and Koga came back from gathering more firewood from the ripped apart logs. Merry dropped his load far enough from the fire that they wouldn't catch on fire and looked around. "Where's Frodo?"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked around the camp. Tori noticed that one other person was missing as well. "Never mind Frodo. Where's Boromir?"

Silence echoed through the clearing.