Disclaimer: All names, characters, places and events associated with Lord of the Rings are property of J.R.R Tolkien, not me. The only thing that I created was a character called Celebfaer, who may or may not be a Mary Sue, depending on your opinion.



Chatper 21: The Giving of Gifts and Farewell

That night Legolas slept with the rest of the Fellowship for they had many things to discuss before they left on their journey the next day.

When the morning came, the Elves that could speak the common language came down and gave the Fellowship gifts whilst they were preparing for their journey. The food they gave were in the form of thin cakes and they fascinated Gimli. The cakes were called lembas, waybread and would keep travelers on their feet for a day.

Legolas however was not interested in hearing something that he knew already and his eyes wondered up in the direction of Celebfaer's house. Aragorn noticed Legolas' gaze and he too looked up to her house, wondering what caught the elf's attention up there, but there was no movement from her house at all, which saddened Aragorn.

"She will come to see us off." Aragorn said softly to Legolas, trying to reassure him and Legolas turned to look at Aragorn.

"It matters not, for we said farewell last night." He said in response, no emotion in his voice, which despite himself Aragorn thought as a good thing.

Legolas was back to his normal self, uncaring of anything but the next Orc that he could slay. In fact it had taken him the whole night to rebuild his defenses and he knew that he would have to keep them up at least until the end of the quest. He had decided last night when he had said farewell to Celebfaer that he would not think about her until the ring was destroyed. On a quest such as theirs, luxuries like that would only interfere with their concentration and hinder them.

Eventually the Fellowship were ready and the Elves that had come to give them the lembas had also given them elven cloaks. So, they donned the cloaks for they were told that the Lady herself had made for them. Haldir approached them when they were ready to leave. "It appears I shall be your guide once more." He announced and so he led them to the river where three elven boats were stocked with yet more food, ready for the Fellowship to use them.

But Galadriel would not let them leave her domain without a final farewell, and so they had not gone very far when they saw a boat on the river also. The boat was shaped to the likeness of a Swan and they stopped alongside it. So, Galadriel invited them to attend lunch with the Lord and Lady of the Wood for they had yet to eat with them and the Fellowship greatly accepted.

Celebfaer was beside the Lady, dressed as Galadriel was in a white cloak, with very little embroidery on it, the hood up so that her face was showing but none of her hair. Galadriel herself wore a hood, though it showed some of her golden hair also, but when they stopped on the grass for lunch, she put it down and he hair appeared as though it were a ray of sunlight itself.

When the luncheon was over, Galadriel rose and offered all the members of the Fellowship a drink from the cup of parting, then she announced that she had yet more gifts to give to each member of the party before they left for their journey.

"Celebfaer?" Galadriel said and the Fairy looked up at Galadriel from where she was sitting on the grass, she had been told to keep up her guise as her scholar if she was to stay in Lothlorien and she intended to do as she was told.

"My Lady?"

"Will you bring the chest out from the boat please?" She said, so Celebfaer walked over to the swan boat and brought a silver chest from it, laying it at the Lady's feet before she opened it. When Galadriel was satisfied that she was ready, she called out to Aragorn and he stepped forward. "This is the gift of Celeborn and Galadriel to the leader of your Company." She said, and Celebfaer took the sheath that had been made for his sword, out of the chest and handed it to Galadriel, who then gave it to Aragorn.

"A blade that is drawn from this sheath will not be stained or broken, even in defeat." She said then she asked Aragorn if there were anything else that he desired that she could give him, but there was not, for she could not give him Arwen, which was his heart's desire. So, Galadriel gave him a silver brooch in the shape of an eagle with its wings outstretched with a green gem in the middle that had been given to Arwen by her mother.

And so, Celebfaer passed each gift to the Lady and Galadriel spoke to each as she gave them her gift. To Boromir she gave a golden belt; Merry and Pippin were given small silver belts. Then she turned to give Legolas his gift and Celebfaer took the bow from Lothlorien and the quiver with arrows from the chest, then she held in her breath as she gave them to the Lady.

"To Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood forest, I give a Lothlorien bow. May each arrow shot from this bow fly true and hit their target." Galadriel said and Legolas bowed then accepted the bow and arrows, looking at them in wonder as though they were the most beautiful things he had ever seen.

"Your gift shall be treasured my Lady." He said to Galadriel and then she moved on to Sam.

Sam was given a little box that had soil from her garden in it and Sam was in awe as he took the box from her and then she moved on to Gimli. There was nothing left in the chest but the pouch that Celebfaer herself had put in there and she picked it up and held it in her hands, wondering what Galadriel would give Gimli and Frodo.

Galadriel asked Gimli what he would want from the Elves and he merely wanted to be given a single strand of Galadriel's hair so that it could be a treasure in all of his family. That she gave to him and then she moved onto Frodo.

"Ring-bearer, for you I have prepared this." She said and she took a small crystal phial from her cloak pocket. The phial glittered as it moved and it appeared as though white light was coming from her hand, when she passed it to Frodo. "In this the light of Earendil, our most beloved star is caught. May it be a light to you in dark places, a light when all other lights go out." She said and Frodo merely bowed in response.

Frodo was the last of the Company to receive his gift and then Galadriel dismissed her servants so that all that was left on the grass was the Fellowship, Celeborn, Galadriel and Celebfaer and then Galadriel told Celebfaer to stand.

"My Scholar, and friend to you all has some gifts to give to you also. At this point in your journey they may seem useless, but she has great wisdom beyond her years and I pray that you all keep her gifts close for they may aid you also." Galadriel said then she turned to Celebfaer and nodded.

So, Celebfaer opened the pouch that she had in her hands.

After she had left Legolas the night before, she had gone back to her room and made these gifts in hope that they would be able to help the Company and give them strength in some way. They were stones that she had threaded onto a piece of leather so that they could be worn as a necklace if their bearers wished.

Celebfaer stepped forward to Frodo first, then she kneeled down so that she was level with the hobbit.

"To you Frodo, I give an Emerald, green as the grass you stand on, may it help you to see the goodness in the others around you. Middle Earth depends on you to make this quest succeed." She said softly to him and the hobbit had to strain his ears to hear, and when she finished, Frodo nodded, then she took the necklace out and placed it in his hand. "Wear it close to your heart Frodo." She said to him a little louder and that was all that the others heard.

Then she moved on to Sam, kneeling once more. "Sam, to you I give a Diamond, the strongest stone in all of Middle Earth and I bid that it will give you courage when you need it." She said whispering once more then she put the necklace in his hand and repeated what she had said to Frodo so that each could hear it.

Next was Merry, who she gave a purple coloured stone that had six points. An amethyst to point him in the right direction when he needed it. The stone also had healing properties, so she hoped it would be helpful to the young brave hobbit.

To Pippin she gave a deep red coloured Ruby to protect his health and body and strengthen the heart as well. He was the youngest of the company and she hoped that the Ruby would help to protect him when the others were not there to help him.

Then she stood up once more and approached Boromir, who looked at her with clear distrust in his eyes. "Boromir of Gondor." She said softly. "To you I give a Blue Lace Agate, may it give you peace and help you think clearly." Boromir took it but she knew he would not wear it or use it, it was more likely that he would cast it into the river when none were looking. "Do with it as you wish." She said louder this time and he nodded.

Next along was Gimli and she smiled at him when she got to her knees once more so that she was eye level with the Dwarf. "Master Gimli I do hope that you shall not take offence from my gift. To you I give a black opal and I hope that it will aid you and help you to release your anger in productive ways, when you do in fact get angry." She said softly and Gimli nodded to her, he was not offended. "Wear it close to your heart." She said then she moved on to Aragorn, her second last and one of the hardest people to say farewell to.

"Faer Hen......." He started but she cut him off.

"Estel, to you I gift a Jade stone in the hope that it brings you wisdom and prosperity. You shall not fail in your choices Aragorn, the people in this Fellowship and the free peoples of Middle Earth depend on your judgement and guidance." She whispered to him and he just nodded, then took the necklace she gave him. "Wear it close to your heart."

"I shall, for wisdom is the one thing that I shall need most." He said softly also and she smiled, then she moved on to Legolas who was looking at her with curiosity.

"My love, there is nothing that you could give me that you haven't already........" Legolas started softly, so that none other than her heard him.

"There is Legolas. To you I give a Carnelian for it invokes passion and love. Two things that all Elves are well known for. This stone also increases energy, may it give you that when you have none left. Wear it and I shall be with you." She said for his ears only, putting the red-orange coloured stone in his hand, resisting the urge to kiss him one last time. "Wear it close to your heart." She announced loud enough for all to hear and Legolas nodded.

"Indeed I shall." He said, his face unchanged and as emotionless as it had been that morning. But before she could turn away he whispered once more. "Nor shall I forget my promise." He added and Celebfaer nodded then she walked back to where the Lady was standing because she was finished.

"And now we in Lothlorien shall bid you all farewell, for the day is getting late and it is wise for you to be on your way." Galadriel said and Aragorn bowed to her as the rest of the Fellowship walked over to the boats.

"We thank you for your kind gifts and comfort during our stay in Lothlorien. May the Golden Wood stay as pure as the hearts that dwell there forevermore." He said and then he walked to the boats, where he helped Frodo and Sam in. Boromir was helping Merry and Pippin into his boat, while Gimli was jumping into the boat that he was to share with Legolas.

Legolas was behind him, but before he jumped into the boat he tied the necklace that Celebfaer had given him around his neck, then he pushed the boat forward into the water before jumping in and taking the paddle.

So they started their journey once more and Celebfaer hoped that each of them would be all right and survive the terrible peril that was ahead of them.

But she was not allowed to watch until they disappeared for Galadriel and Celeborn were wanting to get back to the City.







A/N: I just thought I should tell you that the stones she gives the Fellowship have NO EFFECT on what happens in the book (in fact Boromir does throw his away) and the Fellowship follow the guidelines of the book, NOTHING is changed from any of the books. The only thing from the books that I changed was Celebfaer joining until Lothlorien and a few bits and pieces along the way, but as of now the Fellowship go by the book til the end of the quest.