Gandalf stormed back into the cave, its temporary inhabitants silently watching his form. He knew he crossed the line with Kagome, but it needed to be said and he refused to take his words back. She was too nice for her own good and would try to do everything to help a person in need. The woman's stubborn streak would not be broken so easily. Perhaps he could have been kinder with his words, but irritation got the best of him.

Now she was out somewhere in the woods.

Alone.

In the rain

And emotionally unstable.

Gandalf's guilt tugged at him, but his pride remained strong. He had half a mind to go after her, but he brushed his concern away. Kagome could handle herself; she was strong in more ways than one. She needed to understand that changing a person's fate was out of the question. Besides, this wasn't the first time this had happened. She always pulled through after some time with her thoughts.

He sat down and lit his pipe; god knows he needed a good smoke. However, tranquility was not something that his companions offered him.

"Gandalf," he heard Sam ask, "Where is Kagome?"

"Out and about, I suppose," he replied nonchalantly.

Pippin exclaimed, "What? You suppose?"

"She will be back. Don't worry."

"She sounded like she was mighty upset," noted Merry.

"Gandalf, do you not think that we should go looking for Kagome?" This time it was Aragorn that spoke. Boromir decided to put his two cents in and mentioned the weather and the danger considering the emotional state she seemed to be in.

Gandalf sighed. Now the humans were speaking up. It had only been roughly three days and Kagome had most, if not all, of the company on her side. He should have seen this one coming.

"She will be fine. She needs to sort out her thoughts and her emotions before returning to us."

Gimli stood up. "No," he said. "I will not sit around when she is out there alone. I will look for her and try to bring her back." With that, he left the cave.

"I shall go as well," said Legolas, getting up.

Gandalf puffed on his pipe, "Well, I think that is more than enough people going out to look for her."

Aragorn nodded his head, "I have to agree. Legolas, you should stay. I trust Gimli's skill in battle enough to know that he can protect himself, and I also trust that Kagome can fight along his side. The rest of us should stay behind and continue to rest."

Legolas frowned but sat down. The company begrudgingly accepted the situation though none of them were very happy with Gandalf. There was little conversation in the cave save for the hushed chatter of the hobbits.

Sam decided to make more soup because he believed that Kagome would want something warm to eat when she came back. If she came back, that is. Kagome wasn't all too close with any of them, having only known each other for a few days, so Sam was worried she would leave them. He grew to like her.

She was kind, understanding, and considerate. She was wise without the unearthly stoicism of the elves or the double-meanings of the wizards. He was elated to know that she would be joining them, and he knew the other hobbits felt the same. Not everyone knew of their race, much less their culture. Kagome treated them like equals, not some child or exotic animal as many big people did.

The other hobbits decided to help Sam, trying to make the most delicious soup they could with the little ingredients they had and quarreling quietly as they worked. It helped them take their minds off of the worry for their friends and the looming danger of their quest.

"I hate you."

Kagome meant those words. She just didn't know who she was aiming it towards. Gandalf, the gods, the Fates, Midiriko, herself? They all seemed plausible. Maybe she meant it for all of them at once. That sounded about right.

Kagome looked down at the cave. She didn't wander far; she wasn't about to abandon her newfound teammates even if it were for a little while. Instead, she stormed away from view and climbed a nearby tree. She wasn't far up, just sitting on a low branch. If they wanted to find her, they shouldn't have too much of a problem.

She let her head fall back against the trunk she sat against and let out a curse. She shouldn't have gotten so riled up when Gandalf was right. He was only trying to protect her and this world.

"Kagome, lass!"

The priestess looked down, finding a soaked dwarf. "Gimli," she greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, what else?"

She smiled and looked back up at the sky. She heard Gimli sit down at the base of the tree and waited for him to speak.

"I understand the need to keep secrets," he began, "My race is secretive by nature, so I won't be offended if you choose not to share things with me. Still, I offer my ear if you ever want to talk about it."

Kagome pressed her lips together until giving in to her own emotions. "Well, if you are so willing…" she began. Gimli grunted as a sign to go on. She continued, "Gandalf is being a prick. That doesn't mean he is wrong, but he doesn't have to be so harsh and blatant about it."

"Well, what is 'it', Kagome?"

She didn't answer. After a moment of silence, she said, "These travels are heavy all of us, but they are heavier on the little ones," she said sadly, "They are not used to this."

"They chose to come with us," Gimli pointed out.

"They chose to support Frodo. They are loyal and honest and will never turn their back on the people they care for. Just because they are here with us doesn't diminish the fact that they are new to all of this."

"That is true." Gimli let her sit with her thoughts for a moment. He was about to open his mouth to say something, but she beat him to it.

"It's not fair that innocent people have to die," she exclaimed.

Gimli jumped at the suddenness but recollected himself swiftly. "Aye, lass, it is not."

"Sending Frodo to Mount Doom is a suicide mission! Hell, just having him carry the Ring is close to suicide in itself."

"Is that what you were arguing about with Gandalf earlier?"

"Yes! He claims this is the only way."

"It is. No one else should take it, for the Ring corrupts any-"

"And are Hobbits immune to such corruption?"

"No, but he seems to be doing well. Far better than if any of us carried it," he said.

"Doing well," Kagome scoffed, "Yes, Hobbits are resilient. They have little evil in their hearts. They squabble and gossip, but they are a far cry from evil. Still, that doesn't mean that he isn't affected by the Ring. I can see it in his eyes, Gimli. He is tired in ways that were never meant for a Hobbit. The darkness weighs on his soul, stealing bits and pieces of himself. If he keeps this up, he will lose himself entirely. It has already started."

"If not Frodo, then who?"

Her voice hardened, "Me."

"You? Are you not called by the Ring's power as well, lass?"

"Gods, no. I've had my fair share of evil whisperings that I'm more annoyed rather than allured. The power the Ring promises is false. It is vile and oily, and I would like nothing more than to destroy it with my own power."

Gimli raised his eyebrows and stared up at the frowning woman. "Can you do that?"

Kagome sighed, "Gandalf reckons that I could, but the rest of the white council warned him and me against such ideas." She growled, quite impressively in Gimli's opinion, before she said, "If I have the power to save others and protect them from the darkness of the world, then why can't I?! I am a priestess, Gimli. I have the ability to help others, and I am not even allowed to do anything."

She lost her fire and slumped down against the bark. She spoke again, but this time, Gimli could detect fatigue, pain, and deep sadness in her voice, "It doesn't matter. I know exactly why I cannot intervene. It is not my place to make such calls. It is not my destiny to take over Frodo's mission. I do not get to decide who lives or who dies. I can only tell the stories of the ones who passed. I'm completely useless. It's the painful truth, and it is one that I have to deal with."

Gimli wasn't sure what to say. There was a lot to process in her rant, and he was sure that there was more that he didn't understand. Still, he wanted to support her. If she trusts him enough to sleep peacefully in his presence and express her emotional vulnerability to him, then he will return the favor.

Kagome was a nice woman. Gimli didn't like just anyone. He was a dwarf, and dwarves don't open up to strangers. Sometimes not even to other dwarves since they were distrustful of the people that they didn't know. They were not one to show their vulnerabilities, whether they were objects, emotions, or people. They hid all that away under a rough exterior. It was hard to get a dwarf to relax.

But Kagome made everyone want to open up. She just had this aura about her that made a person want to relax and bask in her presence. He was sure that she wasn't influencing anything with her holy magic. She really just was kind and held no bias. Kagome was motherly, attentive, and polite. She respected boundaries without seeming closed off or judgemental. She made people feel understood, which was a rare trait to find in any race.

She was also good company. Kagome wasn't afraid to laugh boisterously with him. Female dwarves are known to be loud, and the priestess could definitely fit in. She even had some good ale in her little pack of hers. She loved to make jokes with everyone and chatted happily with ease. She listened when people came to talk to her and offered great advice from what he heard.

It had only been a few days, but he really did come to like the woman called Kagome. He made up his mind to nurture this new friendship, starting with supporting her through her emotional turmoil.

"Kagome," he began, "I am not very good at dealing with emotions, but I do want you to know that your frustrations are indeed valid. I trust you do have the power to change the lives of many, so it is only natural for a kind soul such as yourself to want to reach out and help those in need."

"But I-"

He interrupted her, "No, Kagome, listen to me first. You said it yourself that Gandalf was right, and you abided by his word. You can't take over someone else's responsibility, but from what I understand, that doesn't mean you can't help the little things."

"Little things?"

"Aye. Healing the sick and injured in devastated towns. Giving guidance to those who are lost, be it on the Road or in their own mind. Even just you being who you are is a shining beacon of light and hope in these dark times."

He chuckled at her skeptical face, "I can attest to all of these things, lass. I have seen you heal not only the Hobbit's wee ankle, but you also took away all of our weariness as well. Just being in your presence has made us, or at least me, feel more refreshed in months. Even Boromir has spoken of your wisdom."

Kagome bit her lip as she considered his words. "I suppose," she finally said.

"Suppose away, lass. Gandalf may be stopping you from destroying the Ring yourself, but you can still create big changes everywhere else you go. Many people have little problems that pile up to be huge issues in the long run. You have your work cut out for you," he chuckled.

Kagome hopped down from her branch and gave Gimli a crushing hug. He didn't expect that kind of strength from the woman, but luckily she did not comment on the surprised noise he made. He hugged her back, crushing her too as was dwarvish fashion.

"Thank you so much, Gimli," she whispered. She pulled back and wiped her eyes. "I was so wrapped up in the thoughts of what I could not do that I was blind to what I could do," she said with a smile.

"I'm glad I could help," he said gruffly, trying to hide his blush at being complimented so. He cleared his throat and asked, "Are you going to head back? I think the rain is getting stronger."

Kagome stood up and stared at the entrance of the cave. "No," she finally said. "I'm no longer terribly angry, but that does not mean I want to be anywhere near that wizard right now. Besides," Her eyes grew distant, "I have other things to think about."

He studied her before stating, "There's still something bugging you."

"Well, anger is a secondary emotion. There is always something else underneath that wrath." She smiled at him. "It's alright, though. I'm alright. I just need to sort through some stuff."

"I can stay and talk if you want."

"Thanks, Gimli, but I need time to myself before another venting session." She placed a firm hand on his shoulder, "You go ahead. I'll head in eventually."

Gimli hesitated for a bit, but her smile assured him. With a nod, he left her alone. When he got back to the cave, he was bombarded with questions.

"Did you find her?"

"Is she okay?"

"Where is she?"

"Gimli, why are you alone?"

"Wait, does that mean you didn't find her?"

"What if she's injured?"

"Can she heal herself?"

"You can ask her when we find her."

Voices were overlapping with each other, and it was hard to tell who was speaking, so he had to raise his voice. "She is alright!" When everyone quieted down, he continued, "She is alright. I found her and we spent some time talking. She wants to be alone right now. There still seems to be something heavy on her mind, but she needs time before another 'venting session' as she called it."

Sam stepped forward and asked, "Do you know when she will come back?"

"Yeah, we have food for her," Pippin added, "And for us too, but mostly for her!"

"She'll come around, I'm sure," Gimli assured.

"Best we keep the food warm then," Aragorn said with a small smile.

A/N: Aaaaaayyyyyy, it's been a very long time, hasn't it? I'm so sorry about that. I haven't forgotten about this or any of my other fics. I'll make sure to update within a few months rather than a year or two. Do you have anything you wanted to see between characters? I'd love to hear what you guys hope for lol! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Btw, should I cross-post this on my A03 account? I'm not sure if I should. Idk. Anyway, please follow, favorite, and/or comment!