December 24, 3018 of the Third Age

Today was our last in Rivendell. Lord Elrond has informed us that we leave at the crack of dawn tomorrow and I can only hope that things will go well. Arwen and Aragorn have been really nice to me over the last weeks since I woke in Rivendell. Both Boromir and Aragorn have been training with me everyday so that I can defend myself better.

I will be sad when we leave tomorrow but I must tell myself that it is for the best. It is late and I should get some sleep.

Shealyn

************************************************************************

A soft knock woke me the next morning just before sunrise. "Come in." I called sleepily.

The door opened and Arwen came in with a sad smile on her face. "Good morning Shealyn I hope you slept well?" She asked as she handed me traveling clothing. "I had these made for you so that you would not have to travel in a dress."

"Thank you Arwen." I replied sadly as I went to the bathroom to change.

When I reappeared in the room Arwen looked up and smiled. "I know this might sound foolish..." She trailed off a moment.

"It's not foolish Arwen... I will watch Aragorn's back I will keep him safe." I replied knowing what she was going to say.

"Thank you." She whispered as I pulled her into a hug. "Remember this Arwen... though you will not be together your love is strong and he will always be with you here..." I placed my hand over her heart.

"For someone so young you speak true words of wisdom." She replied. "Come it is time to go." She added sadly.

We quickly ran down the stairs where part of the Fellowship was already waiting. Aragorn smiled and took Arwen aside to say goodbye.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I will miss you my love." Arwen whispered as Aragorn pulled her into a hug.

"As will I." He responded pulling away briefly to look in her eyes. "What is it my love?" He asked.

"Watch over Shealyn, Estel. Though she is brave she is but a child." Arwen replied glancing over at the girl who was sadly watching the farewells.

"I will watch over Shealyn, do not worry." He replied kissing her softly on the lips.

The two pulled away and Aragorn wiped the tear that fell from Arwen's eye with his thumb with a sad smile. Arwen smiled sadly as he backed away to join the others at the gates.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lord Elrond approached us and smiled sadly. "Goodbye Lord Elrond I will miss you." I whispered as I came to him.

"Our hope will be with you and the Fellowship child." He replied hugging me gently.

"The ring bearer is setting out on a quest to Mount Doom, and you who follow him have no oath or bond laid upon you to go further then you will." Lord Elrond told the entire Fellowship.

I stood silently watching Aragorn and Arwen looking at each other sadly. "You will see her again." I whispered taking hold of his hand. Startled Aragorn tore his eyes from Arwen to look down at me with a small smile.

"The Fellowship awaits the ring bearer." Gandalf said taking up his staff.

As I followed behind I heard Frodo whisper. "Mordor, Gandalf left or right?"

"Left." Gandalf answered.

We left Rivendell far behind us and traveled on into the day. Gandalf was in the lead followed by Legolas, Gimli, the hobbits, Boromir, me, and Aragorn. For the most part I kept up with everyone easily.

"When do we stop?" Pippin asked an hour into our trek.

"Not now Peregrin." Gandalf responded sounding somewhat annoyed.

Pippin sank back suddenly afraid of the grouchy wizard that led us. I snickered at the hobbit who spun around to glare at me.

I only shrugged turning once more to follow the others.

************************************************************************

"We will rest here." Gandalf stated sitting down on a log an hour before dusk.

Merry and Pippin set their packs down immediately to begin supper. Sam and Frodo joined their friends in preparation as I looked around the small camp.

"I'll be right back." I whispered absently as I walked away from the group into the forest.

My eyes and ears opened and alert I scanned the area stopping every once in awhile to listen for danger. In one such stop I heard someone approaching me quietly. I pulled my sword from the sheath and waited.

"You should not wander away from camp." A voice said from behind.

Turning I found Aragorn come to me. "I'm sorry Aragorn. Logan taught me to make sure the campsite was secure." I responded sheathing my sword.

He nodded and beckoned me to come. Smiling I walked back to the campsite and sat down between Merry and Pippin.

"Are you hungry Shealyn?" Pippin asked offering his plate to me.

"Yes, thank you Pip." I replied taking the plate from his outstretched hand.

"Get some rest." Aragorn called to our little group. "We have a long day ahead of us and you will need your strength." He added.

"Goodnight guys." I said sleepily as I lay down.

"Sleep well Shealyn." Pippin said squeezing my shoulder.

Lying there I looked up at the stars and smiled. "I never really got to see the stars this bright... only when I went camping with Logan." I whispered closing my eyes I fell asleep not feeling the cloak being placed over me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sitting back down next to the fire Aragorn looked back over at the girl's sleeping form. Arwen was right Shealyn had seen many things in her young life, but she was still just a child.

"Shealyn is a brave girl. She will make it." Legolas replied looking at his friend's worried glance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Nightmare*

Wind and rain swept around the X-men as we faced our enemy. Naturally I was standing between Wolverine and Jubilee.

"Stay close half-pint." Wolverine growled as he got into fighting position. With a slicing sound his claws came out as the enemy drew near.

Even though I promised to stay close we were separated and I found myself surrounded by at least seven robots. They were called Sentinels, the largest robots I had ever seen. Each was equipped with enough fire power to destroy a small town. One was reaching towards me ready to squeeze the life out of me but I brought my hands up and fired.

"Wolverine help!" I screamed as I backed up into one of them.

I saw Wolverine look in my direction, horror was written all over his face. Suddenly I was lifted into the air by a metal chord and gasped as it grew tighter around me.

"Wolvie." I gasped as little dots appeared in my vision.

"Lightning hold on!" He yelled trying to get to me.

He attacked the Sentinels full force causing the huge robots to turn their attention on him. One of the Sentinels bent down aiming its chords toward Wolverine. As it wrapped aroud his body energy ripped through to the end of it. Wolverine's body jerked as the volts raced through his body.

"Wolvie no!" I screamed.

"Let her go." Cyclops yelled blasting the chord that wrapped around me.

Screaming I fell the thirty feet to the ground...

*End of Nightmare*

Pippin woke late in the night to soft whimpers nearby. Slowly sitting up he looked around to find that they were coming from Shealyn who was tossing and turning in her bed roll. Crawling over to her Pippin attempted to wake her, but to no avail. Several minutes passed and the young hobbit was becoming increasingly worried for his young friend. Quickly Pippin got up to find Aragorn for help.

"Aragorn." He said quietly shaking the ranger's shoulder.

The ranger slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Pippin who stood above him. "What is it Pippin?" He asked in annoyance.

"I am sorry to wake you, but I did not know what to do..."

"Pippin what is wrong?" Aragorn sat up completely awake.

"It is Shealyn she is having a nightmare. I can not wake her." Pippin whispered.

Aragorn quickly rose from his bedroll and went to the whimpering girl's side. He tried to wake her as Pippin had tried, but he got the same results.

"WOLVIE!" Shealyn screamed sitting upright startling the man and hobbit and waking the others.

Legolas sprinted into the camp bow ready. "What has happened?" He asked realizing there was no danger.

"Shealyn was having a nightmare." Pippin replied quietly looking at the shivering girl before them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"WOLVIE!" I screamed sitting up.

As my vision cleared I noticed Aragorn and Pippin crouching beside me. Frightened due to the images that I saw in the nightmare I began to shiver remembering that mission that almost took my life and several others as well. Without being asked Aragorn wrapped me in his cloak and proceeded to pull me into his lap.

"Shh little one it is alright. 'Tis only a dream." He whispered softly

Tears streamed down my face as Aragorn held me singing a soft Elven lullaby in my ear. The soft melodic Elvish words flowed around me causing my eyelids to droop and finally my eyes closed. After a moment he lay me back down on my bedroll.

"Don't leave me." I pleaded berating myself for sounding like a small child.

Without a word Aragorn pulled his bedroll beside me. He proceeded to pull me close and I smiled remembering that Wolvie would do the same thing whenever I had a nightmare at home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aragorn knew that Shealyn was berating herself for sounding so weak, but he knew that all she wanted right now was someone to hold her.

"Sleep well little one. Do not worry I will chase your nightmares away." He whispered softly pulling the cloak over her small shoulders.

He was amazed by her strength and courage she had shown over the few weeks that they had known her. As Arwen had said Shealyn was strong, but she was but a child. Aragorn thought over the few weeks remembering in the time that he had known Shealyn, Aragorn had seen the pain in her eyes, but it would only be for a moment or two before it would disappear.

"If by my life or death I can protect you I will." He whispered smiling as he remembered the first time he had said that to Frodo at the Council.

Shealyn shifted in her sleep, but did not wake causing Aragorn to smile as he lay his head down and falling asleep.

*** Hey I hoped ya liked the chapter R&R! ***