A/N: You may notice, Cleff, Ash, Zephyr and Shea may have a part in Middle Earth, but they don't have some sort of super powers. Well, they do have gifts that are naturally built up in them like for instance…

Cleff has in control of the whole story… since she is Cliffhanger. Well, its her gift of writing which brings supernatural stances in Middle Earth… since we all know, she is influenced by Ash and they aren't both SANE. As for Ash, well… she became a Wraith, and does the incredible things Wraiths do… disappear and appear to be skilled in horseback riding, well sooner, she will gain control of the book as well. (SPOILER) Zephyr is an archer all her life, ever since Ash and Cleff met her, its her weapons which make her stronger. Well, the archery taught to her by Legolas is her rare gift. ^_-  Zephyr, although unexplained, is also a natural Mind-Reader. As for Shea, she is simply, a hobbit magnet. Well, she can also sense if any of the hobbits are in trouble and can quickly come to their rescue, which gains its use when they proceed to Mordor. (SPOILER) More or less, in Middle Earth, they can't survive without helping each other.

Chapter 16: A Journey Worth Risking

"You are now The Fellowship of the Ring, and I am afraid I just can't be."

Cleff shut her eyes tight, despite that the tears she wants to cry out of anger doesn't want to fall out. She stands alone, on top of one open Elven porch, overlooking nine people, specifically the Fellowship, who seemed to be preparing for a long trip to Mordor… although one is missing…

Cleff watches bitterly, as Shea fondles with the hobbits (with Zephyr watching dangerously behind her back), bickering and baby-talking, till she pinches little Pippin (who is still healing from the cuts and burns he gained from the Distraction-Arrow™ incident the night before) and makes him squeal on high-pitch note. Shea covers her ears and stumbles backwards, therefore hitting and stumbling on Zephyr… not the right person to stumble on, when she is dying to pull out her Black-Arrows-Of-Immortal-Pain™ and shove it up Shea's rear end… This results to a manic spree around the fountain, Shea running for her life, with Zephyr hounding like a Balrog behind her. Pippin, on the other hand, was still sobbing over his small cut, making Zephyr hiss "Crybaby."

Cleff snorted, she has seen Zephyr chase Shea for years, when they were still school mates. Well, the nasty b*tch from hell has been intimidating Zephyr for more than five years already, and when Zeph gets pissed, she brings out her winning bow and arrows, she could have smuggled under the principal's eye for a long time… But it is the conversation clearly heard between Boromir, Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli that caught Cleff's eye… and she wasn't too happy about it…

"Nasty child," Boromir snorted, hand upon the hilt of his sword. "The Cliffhanger, was it?" Legolas, having respect to mysteries and prophecies of Middle Earth, such as Wizards and Istaris, frowned down upon Boromir's statement. "I doubt it, but I don't agree with Lord Elrond pushing along, dragging a nasty little brat along with us." Cleff, being only a few stories up high, felt cold, intimidated and pale upon Boromir's reaction.

Gimli snorted, and hugged his axe closer to his chest, looking more gruff than ever. "Boromir is right," the Dwarf growled. "Why is it that we have to take a child along with us? The path to Mordor has pointed edges… and no innocent mind can endure it…" Zephyr, upon hearing this, halted in her tracks, and glared at Gimli, without being seen. Shea, seeing her chance, grabbed Sam's ALMIGHT PAN OF… out of nowhere, and slams it down Zephyr's head. The young archer can't stand it any longer… so she finally took her handy Baseball-Bat-Of-Doom™ out of pandemonium, and chased Shea with it, with a blood-curdling, Indian war-cry scream.

Legolas didn't agree more to the dwarf's point of view, but kept his mouth shut, as Aragorn stepped forward. "The children, indeed are not durable to join this quest," he smugly said, crossing his arms, his attitude falling upon the Strider's shadow once again. Cleff kept her mouth, even if in disbelief in Aragorn's actions, she didn't want to be discovered eavesdropping.  "Wreckless, mindless, and full of undaunted innocence they are… especially not that they could control the greed of the One Ring…" Aragorn whispered, as for the first time Boromir agreed with him.

Legolas, finally had the floor and he spoke up saying, "As for the hobbits, they are almost considered children too, are they? Then why are the delicate halflings included in this quest… if children themselves are too young to protect themselves. " Aragorn looked up at Legolas, as their eyes met, the Ranger seeing the point in his eyes. Boromir looked away, his hand smooting the hilt of his sword. "Indeed, Legolas is right. Children carry innocence and truth, enough to protect us from the One Ring's undeniable lust. If they can resist it, so should we." (TRULY CORRECT ARAGORN! TAKE THAT BOROMIR!)

Cleff found hope in Aragorn's words, as she looked up and saw the sun falling back into the darkness, it was almost sundown. Again, she heard Aragorn spoke. "I have seen the Cliffhanger in action," he confirmed to Boromir. "The girl isn't much of a child as I expected her," he spoke. "But regardless of the mere truth that she keeps messing things up…" Cleff turned red, and backed away from the porch, gulty of herself.

Suddenly, just after Cleff thought she has gone far enough of what the Fellowship has to throw against her, another ear-piercing deep voice rang from her back startling her.

"Undauntless enough," Elrond said crossly, walking up behind her, as Cleff tried to look innocent, despite her hesitation to join the Fellowship. "After you perform a prideless walkout on my council, I find you eavesdropping on the Fellowship's conversation, child." Cleff stepped back from the porch, as Legolas, Gimli, Boromir, Aragorn, Zephyr, Shea and the hobbits looked up, and noticed that she was standing there. One by one, they shook their heads and left the fountain-rock-garden, leaving Zephyr, Shea and the hobbits still creating catastrophies.

Cleff crossed her arms, and faced Elrond, swallowing all her fears. "I am afraid of this, Lord Elrond," she spoke, pride quivering in her voice. "As you may be thinking, I am not going." And with that, Elrond gave her an empty glare and sat down a chair, mocking.

"You should be afraid," he spoke mockingly, as another figure emerged from the darkness to stand by his side, Gandalf. "For such words, 'I am afraid, I just cannot.', isn't reasonable enough for a Cliffhanger." Elrond waved his hand impatiently and quoted from Cleff's walk out speech back from the Council. Cleff looked down on the floor, feeling less guilty, but more of betrayed in the moment.

"I didn't choose you to be a Cliffhanger, so just you would walk out on the most important quest you should take, Clefe," Gandalf said more crossly, pounding Cleff's pride to dust, even if she found the courage to talk back. "I didn't choose to be a Cliffhanger in the first place-" she retorted. "Then I shouldn't have chosen you after all…" Gandalf answered firmly, keeping her speechless.

Cleff felt the option to fight unreasonable, as she gave up all hope and slumped on a chair. "I can't carry all of this on my own," she whined as she set her eyes on the Book, which Elrond has taken in his arms. "Especially when you say that my only ally has betrayed me, left me all alone in the darkness, and turned against me…"

Elrond passed the Book hopelessly to Gandalf, who leafed through it, and told Cleff, "Don't keep blaming the past for a fault not written by your hands, Cliffhanger. Fate has other plans for you, if Frodo the hobbit was tasked to be the Ringbearer, then fate then decides to lay the burden of Cliffhanger to you. It is as simple as that."

Its not as simple as that… A frustrated voice answered in Cleff's head. Much to Cleff's relief, Gandalf approached her, bearing the Book with a smile. "Things fit into pieces soon, Cleff… and as you go along your way, mysteries left unsolved shall finds its answers… and we shall be there along the way." This left Cleff deep in thought, grateful of the Istari and his kindness, and Elrond of his compassion, as she just stood there, staring after Gandalf's words, thinking…

"Thank you for finding the time to deal with my foolishness, and succeeding to convince me," Cleff finally decided with a smile, as she prepares to sprint out of the porch. "I am going with the Fellowship." With a small pat on the back, Gandalf finally let her go, and before she can get out of their sight, Elrond called out. "They will be leaving by nightfall," the elven king muttered, turning to Gandalf with confirmation. The old wizard just nodded. Cleff gave them a frantic nodd, and dashed down the stairs.

Elrond and Gandalf looked over the fountain-rock-garden, and saw Cleff dash across it, to be halted by Zephyr. The two girls ask each other questions, and to each's delight to find out that they were both in the Fellowship, started jumping up and down in complete excitement, as they exited towards the elven hall.

"What a fine Cliffhanger you have chosen Gandalf," Elrond spoke heedlessly, unbelieving. "That child will bring balance to Middle Earth, once the Ring is destroyed."

~ ~ ~

Cleff and Zephyr were scrambling down an elven hall, trying to catch the sunlight before the Fellowship could leave, when a door suddenly bursts open, stopping the two, panting in mid-track. To their surprise, Frodo emerged from the room, the Mythril slung over his shoulder, and the Sting closed upon his hand. And upon seeing Cleff in a hurry, he was surely startled… and confused. "Where are you going?" the hobbit asked quickly.

Cleff tried to catch her breath as she said, "To my room, we barely have enough time to pack up before the sun goes down…" She stopped talking as Frodo returned her a look of self-pity, rejection and confusion. "You're leaving to find your Wraith friend, are you…?" he asked bitterly, water dwelling in hid blue eyes, making Cleff feel like a fool, and Zephyr feeling sorry.

Cleff and Zephyr shook their heads, exchanging grateful glances. "Not this time Frodo," Zephyr answered. "I have been reprimanded by the council," Cleff announced softly, to get rid of embarrassment, as Frodo's eyes widened with pity. "Its all my fault-" he started, when Cleff raised a hand to silence him. "No apologies needed, Frodo," she murmured, as Zephyr slumped her back down a pillar, still panting. "I am the one who needs to apologize to you for giving you the feeling of rejection, and refusing to proceed with my promise of loyalty to you. I shall be with you till the very end, old friend." With that, Cleff's guilty feelings all vaporized.

Frodo seemed to have taken the apology so seriously, as he tried to stop himself from hugging Cleff, and just started to march down the opposite direction. "Thank you dear Cleff," he said, before he walked away. "That meant a lot to me."

Cleff watched Frodo walk away, as she found the time to catch her breath. She was about to run after him, when Zephyr suddenly stood up and dragged her towards the opposite direction. "Not now Cleff!!! This way!!!" she screamed into Cleff's exhausted, ringing ears.

~ ~ ~

"Where is she?" Frodo muttered nervously. It was past nightfall. The whole Fellowship was assembled outside The House of Elrond, except for Cleff or Zephyr. "Oh don't worry about that wrench Frodo," Shea piped up behind him, putting her long arms around the poor confused hobbit. "She refused to join us and accompany you to all the worst places, and you know that I'll always be by your side… oh, after what happened to us last night…"

Merry and Pippin winced, Sam offered them earplugs, as Frodo turned around nervously and said, "Nothing happened to us last night, Shea.." Shea's jaw dropped as if stupefied, as her own eyes began to fill up with tears. "You don't remember…" Frodo began to panic, much to Sam, Merry and Pippin's dismay, as he began to fuss about on Shea, trying to stop her from throwing an enormous tantrum. "It doesn't matter dear Shea…"

Boromir and Aragorn somehow exchanged glances, after seeing the Frodo and Shea upcoming catastrophe, and shook their heads in unison. Legolas rolled his eyes, as Gandalf sighed impatiently, waiting hand and foot, leaning on his staff, with his pointy hat on the head, waiting right by the Gates Of Rivendell. (if Rivendell ever had entrance fees or gates… nevermind.) Boromir looked up, and "tsked", turning to Gandalf, who was standing still and said, "Need not to make haste, Gandalf the Grey. We must go now, the path that awaits to Mordor is growing as thinner as it seems…" Then, he was suddenly, interrupted, as all of their eyes suddenly strayed towards the peak of the elven stairs.

Suddenly, a sudden scrambling was heard from the top of the staircase… and Cleff and Zephyr both appeared bumbling fast on clumsy restless feet, with large sack slung over their shoulders. Cleff, was about to hang around and collapse at the top, when Gandalf sighed, and began to walk out of Rivendell. "Gandalf! Wait!" The two girls chorused, as Gandalf and Boromir stopped to a halt. Cleff and Zephyr quickly bounded down the stairs, and lined up behind Aragorn, Merry and Pippin (who was busy checking if he brought enough food), ignoring the suspicious looks of Gimli and Boromir. Legolas suddenly brightened up to see Zephyr with them, all packed with her arrows and dangerous thingamajigs.

"I need not ask but much to the rule of the Council," Boromir asked arrogant and demanding as he always was. "But, what the hell are you two doing here?!!" Frodo's eyes widened in some sort of anger, as Cleff opened her mouth to retort back angrily at Boromir, her eyes flaming, when Zephyr just nudged her hard on the stomach.

Gandalf turned around simply and answered Boromir, "The matter has been settled. This Fellowship needs a Cliffhanger, and there she is." Boromir was speechless, as he was left frozen on his two feet, staring back at Gandalf, as one by one, they exited Rivendell. Cleff and Zephyr passed him, and happily stuck their tounges out at him. Lucky, Boromir didn't bring some scissors.

~ ~ ~

Cleff and Zephyr exchanged glances, and looked down fourty feet below the mountain they just hiked up. They never knew Middle Earth was this magnificent, and you don't even have to go rock climbing… "That was sooo high…" They chorused, as Gandalf chuckled behind them, patting both girls at the back, making their knees buckle because of the height. Cleff brushed off any dust off her traveling garments, which consist all of elven fashion: a tight top with a sophisticated collar, with her grey turtle neck under it, dark brown robes that flow over her tight brown leggings, with small, black leather boots, with a little brown pointy hat sitting on top of her head (given by Gandalf, to complete the "Cliffhanger" attire), and on her belt is fastened, a long sharp pointed, elven sword. Zephyr wore the same sophisticated collar top, all matching Cleff's attire, all in black. She tried to wear her hair in a ponytail, to no avail, but Zephyr usually likes her hair worn like a huge flowing arc of jet black silk-threads, flowing in the wind…

Shea on the other hand was so stupid to wear a very long elven fashioned dress, which she could trip on, but only to realize that she got silk leggings and tough leather boots under that girlish skirt Cleff and Zephyr frowned upon.

The two girls were still busy worrying about the height of the mountain, when a small, annoying voice piped up behind them, pretty muffled for an apple is stuck in the person's mouth. "Are we there yet?" came Pippin's annoying little question, that came up every fifteen minutes eversince their flight from Rivendell.

Zephyr and Cleff rolled their eyes, and walked past Pippin, who quickly catched up, following their tracks. "As I asked, are we there yet?" he repeated, his voice more muffled for Merry has forced the whole apple in his meat cage. Cleff smacked her forehead, and looked desperately at Zephyr, who can only shrugged. "According to head count: That's the 567th time you have asked, dear Pippin" Cleff said exhaustedly, putting some exaggeration on the last words.

Finally, Pip clamped his huge mouth. Zephyr and Cleff sighed, as they hiked towards another small hill (about fifteen feet high this time), and when they got to the top, the most beautiful breathtaking sight awaited them… some bunch of boulders positioned on each other with a lot of beautiful green mountains far away. Then suddenly… "So, are we there yet?"

Cleff let out a frustrated sigh, as Zephyr cannot take it anymore, as she bashed Pippin on the head with her almighty Baseball-Bat-Of-Doom™, her face fusing out shards of steam from her nose and ears. Pippin whimpered quietly, soft enough not to send Shea fussing over him, as he asked sooo pitifully, you can mistake him for a cute little teddy bear in tears… "According to painful-head count, dear Zephyr: that was the 97th time you painfully bashed me on the head… Oh why do you hate me so much…"

Zephyr turned around slowly, as Cleff snorted, and followed the Fellowship in suit of settling down the boulder-mountain. "Because you are damn childish, dear Pippin," she hissed, making sure not to leave any trace of empathy on her face, as she climbed up a boulder after Legolas, who promised to give her some arrow-training.

Pippin, on the other hand, gave this cute little pout at a bewildered Merry, as he painfully rubbed the spot where the Baseball-Bat-Of-Doom™ hit him…

~ ~ ~

Cleff has been sitting on top of the highest boulder now for half an hour, her face hidden behind the Great Book, as she watched the Fellowship do the things she has never seen done before. Gandalf, for starters was silently blowing different colored smoke-rings, and with Gimli beside him, the poor dwarf almost choked on a blue one. This made Cleff note on the side of the Great Book (still flashing the current events happening word for word), I wonder, with all those technocolored smoke-rings, what could be the color of Gandalf's lungs?

Sam and Frodo were sitting nearby, laughing merrily over a cooked pan of sausages, with Shea hovering nearby, much to Sam's delight. This made Cleff roll her eyes and consider the possibility of a Frodo and Sam slash… but she doesn't want to have that happen in the Great Book. Especially a romance with Shea.

Zephyr and Legolas were having their archery training by the bushes nearby, Legolas whispering to Zephyr to hit the Distraction-Arrow™ on Boromir's butt… thinking of the nasty effects that could happen…

Unfortunately, Boromir was busy ducking, flailing Pippin and Merry's miscalculated sword-fights, that the Arrow missed his… erm… delicate part and went whizzing past Gandalf's head… knocking off the pipe off his mouth… Legolas merely panicked, and grabbed the bow and flung it into Aragorn's hands… making Gandalf think Aragorn did it. Cleff was laughing like a lunatic, as Gandalf angrily chased Aragorn with his staff, as the Ranger ran around the boulder-mountain for his dear life, and not to be turned anything unnatural… As you can see hidden in the bushes, Zephyr and Legolas having a precious high five, with an A+ on Zephyr's elven report card…

Somehow, Cleff laughed so hard on top of the highest boulder, it attracted everyone's attetion. Cleff went silent, face all red, and her pointy hat lopsided. "Ooopps… sorry." She said, then unleashing a very unfeminine belch… that attracted a cloud of birds that seems to be moving faster than the wind… "Spies from Isengard!!!" Legolas screamed, leaping out of his hiding place, Zephyr upon his tail.

Cleff held her hat down, as suddenly Gandalf grabbed her on the collar and dragged her down the highest boulder, and under the lowest one. Everyone did suit, as Boromir grabbed a frantic Merry and Pippin, and dove under a boulder, Frodo and Sam being hauled by Aragorn and Shea after throwing the sausages aside and putting out the fire. Cleff, Gandalf and Gimli were all hiding under the lowest boulder, along with Legolas and Zephyr.

"Very manly belch you made Cliffhanger," Gimli shook his head embarrassingly. "Very manly." Zephyr snorted at Cleff quietly, as Cleff turned to Gimli, all red, "Why, can you belch louder than that?" She hissed. Gandalf rolled his eyes and said, "It is still a very productive thing to do, Cliffhanger," he hissed. "Belching like a Balrog when you're on the peak of a mountain…" Gimli's eyes widened as if he remembered something.

"Gandalf, we could take the road to the Mines of Moria! My cousin Balin will give us a Royal welcome!!!" Legolas, Zephyr, Gandalf and Cleff remained speechless, as an eerie pack of nasty birds flew overhead, instead of crickets sounding in the background. Zephyr, Cleff and Gandalf exchanged sour looks as Cleff whined much to Gimli's dismay, "We can't go to Moria, its dangerous-" Then next thing Cleff knew is that Zephyr had her hand clamped around her mouth.

Frodo and Sam, on the other hand, was hiding under a boulder with Aragorn, when a bird-spy began to attack the sausages they laid aside… right beside the place where Aragorn and the hobbits were hiding!

"Shooo! Shoo!!!" Frodo started musing, trying to kick the bird away with his hairy feet… Luckily, Aragorn was able to pull him away from the bird, screaming in his ear, "Are you crazy?!!! That bird's a spy from Mordor!!" Sam and Frodo exchanged sour glances. "Bird a spy from Moria? Ewwww…" (I know this doesn't make sense.)

 Meanwhile, the birds all flew away in the nick of time, as Gandalf, Zephyr, Cleff and Legolas jumped out of their hiding places, and the other members of the Fellowship followed suit. Gandalf quickly turned to Gimli and said, "I will not take the path to Moria till I have no other choice Gimli." Then Gandalf turns to the rest of the Fellowship and announces, "The birds have tracked us down… we must get to Mordor as quick as we can…any suggestions?" They all turned to the Cliffhanger and the Ringbearer. "Whaaaat?!!" Frodo and Cleff mused in unison.

"You're the one who belched in the first place!" Zephyr said to Cleff. "But you're the one who fired the arrow in the other hand!!!" Cleff threw back. The two began bickering each other till Gandalf had to clear his throat, and Zephyr and Legolas had to turn red and hide their wands. "We have another option," They all look up onto a farther mountain, but filled with snow and hailstorms. "We must cross Cahadras."

Frodo nodded, and sooner or later, everyone had to. Then suddenly, Shea appeared in tears, running around in a tantrum, Merry and Pippin poking at her hair. "Poooooo!!! I hate poooooo!!!" Shea was screaming. "She has been pooped by a nasty Mordor bird?" Zephyr asked curiously.

All the members of the Fellowship quickly exchanged glances, and quickly scrambled off the mountain, nobody seemed to want to do anything with the Girl-With-The-Stuff-On-Her-Hair. Merry and Pippin shrugged, and dragged Shea along with them, her hair starting to get really sticky. (ewww)

"Why is this isn't my day?!!!" Shea squealed.

Disclaimers: Zephyr's arrows, bow, and weapons including the NEW Baseball-Bat-Of-Doom™ belong to Zephyr with the help of Mordor Inc. "Your Headless Heads Are Us!!!"