A/N: Okay, I am posting another chapter. I seem to be addicted to this thing and I can't concentrate in lectures or when I am trying to study. So, here's to hoping that this is finished before the exams come around in November!

Once again thank you to all those people that reviewed. Particularly the Canon Police for not giving me a ticket even though they have a big new wad of them. Thanks you everyone Vanyaer, Black Pearl, Stick, faithfulbeyondfear, chris, Kele-kesen, Arabella thorne, princess greenleaf, Goddess Morrigan and everyone else for their great reviews and constructive criticism. Also, I say hello to Caz and tell her to stop reading this and finish studying!!!

One last thing - I know this story is more like a Mary-Sue, but then again, what story that has an original character inserted into the Fellowship that falls in love with one of them isn't? We all just try to make them as different as possible. Please remember that when Celebfaer first met Legolas, he did not remember seeing her enter the room. And when he first saw her at the Council of Elrond, the only thing that drew his attention was the fact that she wore a cloak for he thought it was unusual, especially for an Elf to be dressed in such a way. In other words she was not like the typical Mary-Sue, so she wasn't breath-takingly beautiful that drew every eye when she walked in the room, though I don't deny her being a Mary-Sue. Anyway, the point is this chapter is very Mary-Sueish so if you don't want to read it, you don't have to. I hope you enjoy it if you do.



Disclaimer: All references to Lord of the Rings Characters and places are the property of J.R.R Tolkien, I have just tried to use them for my own story. Also some of the scenes in this and the next few chapters have close similarities to the book (like the dialogue is very similar).

Chapter 8: Forgiven

The Company continued on until they came to the bottom of Caradhras, then they stood there looking up at the great mountain that towered above them.

"You mean for us to climb that?" Pippin asked, disbelievingly and Aragorn nodded.

"There is no other way."

"One does what one will in order to do what must be done. If Caradhras stands between me and my home in Lothlorien, then I shall do what it takes to get there." Celebfaer added, a suddenly longing to see the trees in Lothlorien coming over her once more.

"You are brave for a she-elf Celebfaer." Gimli said and Legolas looked up and looked at her, disbelief in his eyes then he turned away, looking towards Gimli.

"Elves, be it he or she are very strong willed. And when their heart it set on something, they will not rest until they have it." Legolas told Gimli. "But I for one would brave the mountain for this quest we are on must not fail or all beings in the world will fall into darkness. Even Elves."

"A Dwarf is never warded off by a bit of snow. We are strong and will walk for days in whatever conditions to get to our destination." Gimli said proudly, as Dwarves were not fond of Elves and Elves were not fond of Dwarves. So, Gimli could not let Legolas, have the better hand and vice versa.

"What must be endured will be endured." Frodo said quietly then and that was as if he had made the decision for all. No more complaints or comments were made. They would go up the mountain.

"Let us camp here for the night and continue on in the morning." Gandalf said after a brief silence and the Hobbits, including Frodo grateful for a rest, collapsed to the ground immediately.

After they had eaten and Aragorn and Gandalf had disappeared to talk privately, Boromir and Gimli started to chat to the hobbits.

Celebfaer had walked off to be alone directly after the meal also and Legolas listened to Gimli and Boromir talk with the hobbits for some time before slipping away unnoticed himself. It appeared to Frodo, who had noticed everyone disappear that no one wanted to be in the Company of each other this night. So, he turned his attention to Gimli and Boromir, glad that those two had not gone off by themselves too, for tomorrow would be a very grim day for all of them and he did not know if they would freeze to death or not.

Celebfaer was sitting quietly, by herself wondering how long it would be before she was back in Lorien and able to find her way to the pond by which Elrond had found her all those years ago. She was starting to miss the wood and as weird as it sounded to her, she wanted to be at home, among the Elves. She realised at that moment that she was never going to find her people, so she would have to dwell among Elves for the rest of her life. That thought depressed her, so she made the decision that as soon as the Lady of the Wood told her that she was free to go, she would start the journey to cleanse her wings. Beyond that journey she could not predict what she would do for she did not know if she would survive it.

She was so deep in her thoughts that she did not notice Legolas approach at all, even though he was making enough noise so that he would not startle her. But, however he caught her by surprise when he suddenly spoke as though he had just appeared in front of her that second by some form of weird elf magic.

"The real test will be tomorrow to see if you can walk on snow as I do." He spoke from out of nowhere and she gave a start, coming abruptly out of her thoughts, but she tried to cover it up by nodding.

"I think I shall be able to manage." She replied.

"But if you do not, then the rest of the Company will need an explanation." He stressed once more and she just nodded then the two of them fell silent. Neither wanted to be the first to break the silence but both needed to say something to the other. Eventually Celebfaer was the one to break the silence.

"You spoke earlier on that Elves that have their heart set will not stop until they get what their heart desires. Were those words intended for Gimli or were they intended for me?" She asked softly and he did not respond at first, so she thought he had not heard her. Celebfaer was about to ask again when Legolas answered her question.

"It was but the truth. If an Elf is passionate about something they will not give up until they get it. That is why they are able to die from sorrow, because the grief of losing something they are passionate about is unbearable."

"Have you ever been passionate about something Legolas?"

"I have and she stands before me." He said and she looked at him, a little shocked that he had said it so plainly.

He then moved forward slightly wondering if she would stop him. As she appeared to be content to just watch he moved his hands to her hood and lowered it so that he could now see her hair and ears. He was also revealing to anyone that had good night vision that she was no Elf. And anyone that knew of Fairies would also know her for one as soon as they laid eyes upon her. But she was interested to see what the Elf in front of her would say, so she did not complain, nor replace the hood.

Legolas looked at the sight before him, taking in every piece of her face that he could as though he had to lock her face into his memory forever and as though he was seeing her for the first time. Her hair was brown in colour, much like Arwen's though it was curly and held back loosely by a leather cord so that it was out of her face. Her ears were much like those of a human for there were no points on them, though he knew their hearing abilities were much like those of an Elf. Her eyes were the same colour as her hair and they showed wisdom well beyond her years, though now that he knew more about her he could see the pain and sadness that was also written in them.

"And now she stands as she should and I still feel the same way about her." He said softly, then he gently cupped her face and chin with his hands before he lightly brushed his lips over hers.

Aragorn was the only witness to this as he had come in search of Celebfaer to make sure she was safe, but when he saw the exchange between the two he quickly and silently withdrew back to the camp and he took on first watch.

Legolas drew back and stopped, looking in her eyes to see what her reaction was. But there was none. She was still looking at him with the same curiosity in her eyes as she always had since the day they had met.

"I am sorry my lady, I meant no offense of course......" He started but she reached her fingers up to his long hair and entwined her fingers in the golden locks of hair.

"So beautiful, and your hair is like silk to touch." She said as though in a trance and he looked at her.

"Celebfaer?" He asked her softly, wondering what was wrong with her.

"Legolas, you are beautiful beyond words and any she-elf that is lucky enough to win your heart will have to be the most enchanting and divine lady in all of Middle Earth." She said softly, then she dropped her hands and looked into his eyes for the first time since he had kissed her. Her eyes were full or sorrow and loneliness and Legolas wondered why she seemed so sad.

"One such lady has already won my heart. To me she is the fairest of all ladies and though she is not an Elf, she is the most radiant being in the whole of Middle Earth." He replied, hoping that her eyes would show some form of happiness at his words.

"Legolas, I said she-elf. In Fairy lore it is forbidden to love another being other than another of our kind and I long to be accepted by my people when I find them. My damaged wings will make it hard enough to be accepted but I shall try my hardest and hopefully they will accept me the way I am, without banishing me from the city because I broke that which is forbidden." She said and Legolas put a finger to her lips.

"Do not speak such things Celebfaer, for it pains my heart to see a beautiful maiden such as yourself, in torment." He whispered, then he cupped her face again and kissed her once more, running his fingers through her hair.

Knowing she would regret it, but knowing that she had to do it, she brought her hands to his face then gently made him pull back. No one had ever called her beautiful before and she did not want anyone least of all Legolas to make a habit of it. She had to put him straight because this had gotten way out of hand. Legolas was now looking at her with his big blue eyes, curiosity and unanswered questions in them and they looked as though they were pleading with her to answer all of those questions, but she knew she couldn't.

Celebfaer then let him go, taking a few steps back and then she reached up to replace her hood in its proper place once more, covering her face in a shadow, so he could no longer see it.

"Legolas, it cannot work. If you do not understand why, then at least understand that it cannot." She said then she turned and disappeared into the darkness, heading for the camp, leaving him standing there in wonder about what had just happened.

Celebfaer found that Aragorn was the only one left awake because he was on first watch and when he heard her coming he loosened his sword from the sheath so that it could be drawn in the blink of and eye if it were an enemy approaching the camp.

"Celebfaer, you should get some rest, the path of the mountains is a long and tiresome one and I fear we will have ill weather about us." Aragorn said when he recognized her, putting the sword back into its original place.

"Wake me up for the next watch though Estel, do not do it all by yourself." She replied firmly and he nodded.

"I shall Faer hen." He answered, then she found her blankets and settled down to go to sleep.

It seemed as though she had just fallen asleep when she felt someone shaking her shoulder softly.

"Celebfaer, if is your turn for watch." Aragorn's voice said softly, so as not to wake the others and she opened her eyes. In her sleepy state, she mumbled something to Aragorn that he did not understand, but she did not wake. "Celebfaer?" He asked a little confused.

Suddenly she looked up at him sleepily. "What Aragorn? Is it my turn for watch?" She asked and he nodded.

"Yes, and I only woke you because you said." He added.

"Thank you Aragorn." She said then she stopped as though trying to remember something or as though she were thinking before she smiled again. "Go to sleep, I shall start the next watch." She added.

In the last hour of her watch, Aragorn rose and came to sit with her. He had been unable to sleep and had kept a close watch over the Company as they slept.

Frodo was tossing and turning, though Aragorn figured dreams of the ring were plaguing the Hobbit in his sleep. Aragorn had noticed no other movement among the group of sleeping travelers until he had stood, that was when he noticed Legolas.

Sleeping a little away from the group, Legolas was tossing and turning as though he were plagued by bad dreams too. Aragorn frowned for he had never seen an Elf move when they slept. It was true that they slept with their eyes open but when they walked in the dream world their body remained still. But for them to be unsettled when sleeping was a rare occasion indeed.

So, Aragorn got up to keep Celebfaer company in the last hour, wondering what it was that had passed between the two. He sensed that she would need to talk it through with someone and he figured that it may as well be him seeing as he was a dear friend of hers. Besides he was enjoying watching the two to see how it would turn out between them. He just hoped for Legolas' sake that it was the way he hoped.

"What did you do to him?" Aragorn asked her softly, coming out of the dark and she looked up at him, frowning while he sat down next to her.

"Of whom is it that you speak?" She asked a little confused.

"Legolas."

"Nothing that could hurt him Estel, so do not worry." She replied, looking around and Aragorn sighed.

"He tosses in his sleep, so he must be troubled. And I am beginning to believe that it has something to do with a kiss that was stolen last night." Aragorn said, testing the water slightly.

"You were spying on us, Aragorn, son of Arathorn?"

"Nay, I was merely walking past and came across the two of you."

"Aragorn you know that it is forbidden for me to fall in love with another being." She said and he shrugged.

"Elves and Fairies share a lot more similarities than Elves and Men......" He started, but she cut him off.

"But my people will not accept me if I love one not of our kind, for it is forbidden. They will already frown upon my wings being so badly damaged but they will not tolerate something like that."

"Well fair spirit, on the day of judgement when you are brought before the Valar and he judges you on your deeds in the world will you be happy to say that you caused the death of a great Elf?"

"I do not understand." She said even more confused now by what he was saying.

"Legolas is going to be king of his land one day and because he comes on this journey with us he will be a famous king also. However, if he is left to die from sorrow then he will never make the throne and his brother shall take it in his wake. If you could give him even that little bit of hope, it may help him on this journey because he will find light waiting at the end of this dark journey."

"Aragorn if you were to live for a Millennia and if Arwen weren't already promised to you I would travel with you, learning of your ways and hoping that I would be able to understand some of that mind inside your head." She said and he smiled.

"We can only make use of the time that we are given spirit child. Remember that always and you will live a great life." He said talking from experience and she found it fascinating that even after knowing him for thirty-eight years he was still able to surprise her with the knowledge and wisdom that was in his head.

So, they sat there in silence for a while longer before Aragorn decided that it was time to get them up.

Aragorn of course left Legolas to her because he was a little away from the group and Aragorn figured that she would like to have a few words to the Elf in private before the journey up the mountain.

"Legolas." She called softly and he stirred slightly but did not get up. "Legolas it is time to go my sweet." She said softly again and this time, to her surprise, life came into his already open eyes and he looked up at her.

"It cannot work?" He asked, a slight smile on his face and hope in his voice and she realised that he had heard what she had just called him.

"No, it cannot, but were I a she-elf you would be the only elf that I would pick." She said softly, then she went to walk off but he caught her cloak.

"If you had no wings and pointy ears it still would not make a difference. Love is one of the greatest gifts the Valar gives, we do not pick it, we only find it and once found it can never cease or be weakened." He said with amazing strength and passion in his voice, so she turned.

"Today we go over the mountain, or we shall try to." She said then she walked off to where the others were waking up and starting to prepare a quick breakfast so they could start again soon.

Legolas just stared after her, amazed at her ability to cover her real emotions so quickly.