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Chapter Nine

Disclaimer- No, we don't own LOTR or anyone in it (We just wish we did) Don't bother suing us cause we got no money. Lisa owns Sitara Amaya, her necklace and powers. And Kellie owns Arlywren Emrys and her Gifts. By the way, Sitara means morning star in Sanskrit and Amaya means night rain. Please Read and Review: flame if you want, but flames will be sent to Mordor. Enjoy!

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Endless days past as the Fellowship made their way ever onward, the elven boats plowing through the water, needing little guidance from the passengers. None among the group spoke unless it where nessacery, the two women conveying their thoughts to each other telepathically when they could.

For most of the journey up the Great River, Sitara remained at the bow of the craft, remaining silent to all of the members of the Fellowship unless spoken to. Even to Arlywren, her closest friend from whom she'd always received mother like love and sister like care, did she remain silent, speaking only during times of lesson or through their Link. The dark thoughts that still clouded her mind slowly ebbed away, as if washed away to the back of her mind with the soft lapping of waves against the boat. The others mostly understood, giving her a wide berth when she needed it or giving quiet words of comfort other times. Arlywren sat near her friend, her back propped against a bedroll, legs streched out along Sitara's back. Sitara, who lay on her side, head cradled in the crook of her arm, lay sleeping in the bright morning light. Arlywren surrpressed a yawn. They had only been on the move for an hour or so, on the second morning of their journey down the Great River, and already she found herself bored. Shifting her weight, she glanced at Legolas as he wielded the paddle, using it to bush the boat along. "Let me take over for awhile." she spoke softly, knowing he could hear her well enough. "We've a long way to go yet, and I could use something to do. It will keep you rested and me busy." She smiled as the elved archer regarded her for a moment before nodding silently. He placed the paddle to the side of the canoe and shifted to allow Arlywren to move up next to him. That done, he deftly scooted into Arlywren's spot, leaning his long frame against the bedroll, his legs streched out as Arlywren's had been. Arlywren smiled and dripped it into the water with elf-like silence. "That's much better." she commented, her arms moving to propel the craft.. Glancing up at the stirring Sitara, she smiled. "Morning, Sit." she greeted in a whisper. Sitara yawned, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face, and glanced back to look at her fried. Raising an eyebrow, her eyes asked a mild question that masked another deeper emotion as she saw the new arrangement. Nodding at the elf, she threw a half smile at Arlywren. "Morning Arly. Got bored did you?" she smiled again as Arlywren nodded, and turned her face away from them, glancing out over the water at the boats ahead and their surroundings. That deep running emotion in her eyes was the only way her thoughts about Legolas being so near to her were conveyed, though she spoke not a word through inner or outer voice.

She didn't last long and soon fell into a dreamless sleep, lulled off by the gentle lapping of the water and periodic call of birds overhead. Out of the silence, Arlywren spoke. "I am sorry about that." she said in a hushed tone. " She's not been herself since the attack." Legolas, shaken from his wandering thoughts, glanced back. "You needn't apologize. I understand well enough how hard it must be for her. She was, after all, raised by an elven parent when she herself is human."

Arlywren's eyes narrowed, her gaze sharp. "She is hardy of the race of man, Legolas." Surprise showing in his eyes, the elven prince glanced between the two women as Arlywren continued, speaking carefully. "Her mother was a half elf from Rivendell and her...father....us a full elf. It is a rare enough occurrence, to be sure, but it happens. When her mother died, the dove necklace was passed on to Sitara. Within that necklace, the opal more specifically, is a power that was put there by Sitara's grandmother, who was human. Because the power was put there by a human, the necklace gives each of its wearers the appearance of being human. Should Sitara remove the necklace, she would revert to her elven form. Her mother was the same way." a soft smile crossed the older women's lips. "It seems the women of her family have always been shifters." Legolas nodded slowly, his mind working to absorb the information he had been given. "That would account for quite a lot." he mused softly, watching the slumbering woman at that bow of the canoe. "The shifting and other magic, the human appearance and elven parents. I take it that this grandmother was a sort of witch or necromancer?" He received a nodded reply. "Two things that puzzled me. How old is she really? Because if her appearance is human, her age would be human, am I right?: Arlywren shook her head. "Not quite. It's tricky, this magic of hers. She is, in fact, over 2,000 years old. And while she is immortal, it is hard for her to remember things beyond more recent times when she is in this form. What else puzzles you?" His answer was quick enough, for he had planned his question. "Where do you come into this?" Arlywren smiled "I can understand where there is confusion there. There are parts of this story that confuse me as well." her smile faded and her voice took on that of a bard's melodic storytelling voice. "I came from another world, and I will not bore you with the details, but, to make a long story short, I was sent and trapped here by a spell gone wrong. I have yet to be able to reverse it. That happened several years before Sitara was born. And because I am not in my own world, I have retained my youth, though I am, in truth, almost as old as yourself. And, basically, my job has been to take care of Sitara." Legolas nodded and fell silent, allowing his thoughts to overtake him as the small canoe plowed silently onward.

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And thus it remained for the first several days of water travel. Short nights of rest on the bank of the river, and long days of daytime travel with early starts and late stops. During this time Arlywren and Legolas switched places often, speaking little. Sitara slowly crawled out from her protective shell, even smiling at the Hobbits as they practiced sword fighting with their companions and as they bickered softly amongst themselves about food and the like. Surrounded by friends, she was slowly becoming herself.

It was on the night that Gollum was spotted that things began to change, however subtly. Besides the rather unnerved Hobbits, Sitara noticed other things. Boromir muttering nervously to himself, some hidden emotion in Aragorn's eyes as he tried to keep the company's spirits up. But even then there was something else, a dark cloud that seemed to hand over the group and dampen their spirits. Arlywren felt it to, and it troubled her. Seeing her friend's unease, Sitara followed her into the woods as she went to get water from the River for dinner. "Arlywren? What's wrong?" Sitara asked quietly as she watched her friend seat herself on the riverbank. Arlywren glanced up, a sad smile on her face as Sitara sat down beside her, dangling her feet in the cool water. "There's a darkness over the heads of the Fellowship, Sit. I know you feel it too." She looked away, eyes troubled as she gazes across the dark waters. "I have seen things, Sitara, dark things that I cannot stop. It troubles me greatly." Sitara nodded slowly and wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulder. Through their Link, she sang several lines of their song to her friend and then stopped "Just remember, Arly, tomorrow will always come, and with it, a new chance to help the world. Come now, Arly, let's get back to the Fellowship." Arlywren smiled and stood, following her friend back to the camp.

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After that, things were never quite the same, for all that nothing bad had yet happened. It was as if they were waiting for this thing to happen. But it wasn't until the eighth night that things became noticeably worse. It was on this day that Aragorn had decided to travel through the night to gain time. Just as they had hit the Rapids, arrows sung through the air, striking ever closer to the boats and their inhabitants. In a split second decision, the boats were turned and pushed back upstream, making their slow way for the western shore. When at last they reached it, the Fellowship stayed within their canoes, resting little as they waited for the night to pass. At one point during the night, just after Legolas had made his shot at the unknown airborne creature, Arlywren caught Sitara's eyes. "It is starting, Sitara." she spoke once through the Link, then she shut her mind, closing it from her friend.

When dawn broke, it broke upon a dense fog which enveloped everything it touched. It was soon agreed that Legolas and Aragorn would go ahead by land and see if the ancient path that lead to the end of the rapids was clear of danger. It was hours before they returned, which kept both women and Frodo on edge. None wanted to think about what would happen should Boromir or Gimli be forced to lead.

When the two did finally return, it was to the relief of all. It was then decided that they would carry the three canoes down the old path to the older portage way, from which they could once more launch the canoes and continues onward past the Gates of Argonath. Boromir and Aragorn took one of the boats, while Sitara and Arlywren slowly managed another. The two Men then returned for the final boat while the other carried the baggage to the portage.

It was there that they spent another night of restless waiting, where two of the Fellowship members watched in silent vigil. The night passed slowly and when dawn broke at last, the members of the Fellowship were almost glad to be on their way. And it was on this day that the group passed through the great Gates of Argonath, whose statues held their heads high and their arms outstretched. Each of the travelers stared up in awe as they passed, eyes wide. Especially Sitara, who had never heard of these things, much less viewed them, and the Hobbits, who, being small as they were, could not imagine anything so large as this. It was a day that would stick in their minds for quite awhile.

After the passing of the great Gates, things returned to the restless waiting. The dark cloud seemed to lower itself upon the three canoes, clouding the group's mind and leaving them uneasy. It was on the tenth day, the day they finally landed at Amon Hen, that things changed drastically. Frodo went off into the forest, trying to collect his thoughts. And that would have been all right, had Boromir not followed him and tried to take the One Ring.

Upon finding Frodo, Aragon was prompt in releasing him to solitary travel, just before orcs attacked the company. Arlywren and Sitara had gone in a different direction to search for Frodo alone. And it was them that first encountered the Uruk Hi. Wielding her staff, Arlywren gave an angry yell and charged the orcs. Sitara, Gwaedh in hand, followed her friend, slashing at any and all orcs within reach. But the orcs were not intent on the human and elf, and only attacked them if they were first attacked. Sounds of fighting soon reached the two women's ears. A quick exchange of words using their inner voices sent the women in that direction, fighting their way through the flood of orcs. After awhile, Sitara and Arlywren came upon the clearing where Aragorn knelt over the dying Boromir. A quick glance at Arlywren made Sitara sure that this was the dark event that she had foreseen. Not long after, Gimli and Legolas burst into the clearing, weapons ready at their sides. Both elf and dwarf took in the scene before them and fell silent, faces revealing their emotions.

Moments later, the body of Boromir went still and his eyes closed for the last time as his life blood fled his body. Aragorn stood, face solemn, eyes sad. "He is dead." he stated, voice soft as the small group of five readied Boromir's body for a funeral that would take him over the waterfall.

Upon reaching the River bank, the little group found that Frodo and Same had continued on without them. Aragorn stopped Legolas when the elf made for the canoes. "Their fate is no longer in our hands." he said, regret showing in his eyes. Arlywrne and Sitara remained silent, seating themselves under a nearby tree, waiting. "Then the Fellowship has failed!" cried Gimli, who still watched the two Hobbits disappear in the trees on the opposite bank. "We have done our best." replied Aragorn. "But we shall not leave Merry and Pippin to face death. Let's go hunt some orc!" Legolas grinned, his eyes still sad, and took up his pack, removing what was not needed and adding other. Sitara, Arlywren and Aragorn did the same as Gimli gave a loud battle cry. Moments later, the group had readied their things and charged into the forest, hot on the trail of the fleeing Uruk Hi.

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A/N- Hey all! Hope your enjoying in this! The next chapter or so might take me a while to write for several reasons. 1. I am writing a story with the OSA. (check it out on ff.net under the s/n Obsessive Stalker Anonymous) 2. I am not sure of how I want to continue.....oh wells, hope your liking this! R/R!