When they all got back to the tree they were staying at (like a hotel but more leafy) they discussed many things. Including Boromir being most sneaky about Frodo and a certain ring that is evil.

Luthien realised that Legolas was back to normal, when he said something about boats that had nothing to do with Luthien.

She couldn't decide whether or not she was relieved or disappointed.

But that didn't really matter because right now Legolas was looking at her oddly. Not oddly like he pined for her, unfortunately, but like he was a little confused. 'What is the matter, friend?' she asked in their (well, in her adopted) language quietly. They were seated a little apart from the others so there was no trouble of anyone over-hearing.

He looked at her for a long time before answering, 'this day has passed strangely… I know not why I feel this way, sort of absent…' he trailed off and shook his head in frustration.

Luthien took a while to answer. '…Legolas, you consumed a great amount of wine this past night, perhaps that has something to do with your present unease?'

He laughed. 'Verily, I have made a fool of myself!'

She smiled nervously. He looked at her seriously then and seemed as if he might ask her something, when Gimli plodded over. Bloody dwarf!

'Excuse the interruption Lady Luthien, Elf,' he directed to Legolas, 'come tell me of your last few days, for we have not yet had a chance to speak.'

Luthien was about to point out angrily that he and Legolas could talk as often as they liked aboard the boat tomorrow, but then she realised that she would sit in the boat with them. Besides, she wasn't sure that she would want Legolas to ask her any tricky questions about the day.

Gimli seated himself beside them and Luthien let her mind wander un-attentive to their funny jesting babble. Tomorrow she would be given a gift! Luthien very much liked gifts. So did Lucy, for that matter. How odd. She hoped it would be cool and useful, which of course it would be, being elven made and all (by elves).

Her mind continued in this ramble for quite some time until her name, uttered by perfect lips, called her back to the land of awakefullness.

'Pardon?' she yawned.

Gimli grinned at her. 'You seem to be falling asleep, m'lady.'

She smiled sleepily at him in an appropriate manner and nodded her head gracefully.

'Yes, I think I shall make my way to bed. Tomorrow shall be a long day.'

The two companions farewelled her and she left. It would have been a very graceful exit had she not tripped on her skirt on the way out and stumbled a little. Luckily, she composed herself quickly and walked out with her usual elfishness and beauty. Gimli and Legolas watched her retreating figure. Legolas had a strange feeling that she had left something out about the day that had just passed, but decided not to dwell upon it. It didn't seem like a very good idea to dwell, as he felt as though whatever it was he couldn't remember wasn't a particularly good thing TO remember.

The morning dawned as it always did in the mornings, but when Elanor and Luthien woke they felt a sadness upon them. It was their very last time in Lothlorien. What if they never saw the leaves of the Golden Wood ever again?

As they put all their belongings back into their packs, they were very quiet and did not speak and joke around as they usually did with one another.

Elanor occasionally giggled, thinking about Celeborn and his… peculiarity… but then sobered. She was a little bit nervous about being in the Two Towers- orcs. Mean and smelly they were, and she was going to be stuck with them for days.

She sighed, pulled her pack onto her back, and followed Luthien to where the rest of the fellowship were gathered.

The two friends cheered up immensely as elves presented them with gifts of clothing and food. They were both pleased about the clothing, but Elanor was quite ecstatic about the food. She LOVED elvish meals.

They were all given the very cool grey cloaks with the nifty leaf brooches clasping them together at the neck. Elanor eagerly pulled hers on over her travelling clothes. Luthien tried to look serenely pleased with her present and restrained herself from beaming and jumping up and down with glee. She had SO wanted one of these cloaks. And, she reflected, wrapping herself in the grey folds, it really did suit her.

After eating (and in the hobbits' case, eating and eating and eating) Haldir led them to where the boats floated in the stream. Ropes were placed in them, and I am just saying this because it's very important later in the story even though not in OUR case… but Merry Christmas nonetheless.

It was then that they all got into their individual boats. To Luthien's great disappointment she was expected to share with Elanor, instead of sitting closely behind Legolas as she had originally planned.

Elanor was a tad insulted and she pouted. 'We shan't see each other for YONKS after this,' she said, crossing her little arms across her little chest.

'Well… now I shall have to row,' Luthien said, looking put-out.

'I can row,' Elanor answered defensively. 'We did rowing in year seven at Aquatics. I was just as good at it as you.'

'Didn't you get stranded?'

'Um, yes…I seem to remember that… but I can row. Pleeeeease stay with me? I cannot stay in a big boaty all by my selfy.'

'Oh, alRIGHT.'

'Hurrah!'

'But only because… er… just because. Anyhap, I suppose I may miss you a little bit when I am off galavanting with my Love.' She paused. 'If I find the time.'

'Gee. Thanks,' Elanor said dryly.

'Shouldn't we get changed into our gallavanting gear then, boat buddy?' Luthien asked more cheerfully. Elanor suspected this was because Luthien wanted to show off her sexy clothes to Legolas. Sigh.

And so off they went and returned just in time to set off in their boats and then get onto the green grass to eat lunch with the Lord and Lady of the Golden Wood.

As the alighted upon the grass, the men commented on the beauty of their garments and Luthien proudly modelled her outfit while Elanor gave a small curtsy and sat down to eat.

She was very satisfied with the clothes she had designed for the elven dress-makers. She had pants that were clingy at the top but flared out at the cusp of a brown elven cloth that would not tear, and a silver leafy belt around her hips. Her top was a light shimmery green, it was rounded at the neck, had pretty lace doilies circling the upper arm and trimming the corsety lace-up at the top of the shirt, and the sleeve hang loosely from the doilies at the arm.

Elanor was dressed in her usual hobbit girly attire. Her dress was a little longer for warmth and was more swirly and loose so that she could move easily in it. She had a hobbit top that was kind of corsetty and was dark brown in the colour; her skirt was a lighter shade of the same colour. She figured that the brown would bring out her eyes (that was what the lady at the uniform shop had said when they were first given their BROWN school uniforms at least), so hopefully Pippin would like her eyes, and also if she fell in the mud the dirt would just become an addition to her already beautiful outfit and wouldn't really take anything away from it. Which was tres bon.

Lunchy meal was, as it always was, fantastically delicious. The elves were bloody good cooks and so they right well should have been. Thousands of years was enough time for anyone to learn how to cook properly after all. Elanor thought about this, nibbling happily. She didn't suppose she could ever learn how to cook, no matter how many years she tried.

She was feeling a bit sad about this, because after all, what if one day Pippin said to her 'Elanor,' he would say 'Elanor, will you make me a cake?'

And she would have to answer 'Pippin… I am awfully sorry, but my ability to make cakes…edible cakes… is not able.'

Luthien interrupted her by grabbing hold of her little hobbit wrist and squeezing it tightly with excitement.

'Elanor!' She hissed quietly, still clinging to her friend's arm. 'We get our presents now!'

Elanor beamed through a mouthful.

Galadriel forced them all to drink from the cross dresser's cup. It was actually a very nice gesture.

She then commanded them to sit on the grass. She and Celeborn got chairs because they were special.

She made a little speech about gifts and what not, but Elanor and Luthien did not hear exactly what she said because they were too busy getting excited about said gifts.

It was like Christmas, but not at Christmastime! And almost MORE special because it was all Middle Earthy and it was not every year a person (elf, or hobbit) received a pressie from Lady Galadriel herself.

Aggas got his jewelly thing, Boromir his belt of gold, Merry and Pip pip little pretty silver belts. Leggy got a bow, and he was marvelling at it while Elanor and Luthien grew very restless and impatient, rather like young children on Christmas morning, unable to stand the wait any longer. Only they looked more stupid and slightly out of place.

Finally the Lady Galadriel turned to the two extra companions. Firstly, bending down, she gave Elanor a small book, little enough to fit into her hobbit sized pocket. Elanor opened the cover gently and read a title in elvish, the writing beautiful, swirly, and in her eyes incomprehensible.

She looked up at Galadriel, her brown eyes somewhat confused.

'It is a book of poems and tales of our people of old,' she explained kindly. 'The rest of the book is written in the common tongue so that you may enjoy them.'

Elanor grinned and thanked her.

She then turned to Luthien (who was by now yawning in a very exaggerated manner, which she quickly stopped) and met her gaze. 'And for Luthien Firithnar,' she said in her soft lovely voice, 'I give you a flute. May you find comfort in its gentle song and remember the music of Lorien.'

Luthien smiled and received the flute carefully. She didn't want to make a fool of herself in front of gathered company. Ah, then she would be quite the fool.

Elanor looked at the flute and said in a quiet voice. 'I didn't know you could play the flute,' she said, raising her eyebrows.

'Well I can,' she answered haughtily, patting her flute feeling pleased. Hurrah.

'Legolas?' Luthien said, wandering over to him, 'you have a nice bow.' He nodded, and continued to admire the craftmanship of the golden bow in awe. Eventually, and with Luthien tapping her foot and looking about them impatiently, Legolas asked what she had been given.

'A flute,' she said, showing him the small wooden flute with intricate designs swirling around the holes.

Legolas nodded interestedly and then went back to his bow.

Luthien shrugged to herself. She would test out her brilliance at flutering later and charm him like a snake charmer charming snakes. Only she would not make her Leggy rise up out of a jar thingie. Because that would be stupid.

Sam and Frodo received their pressies most happily- Elanor looked at Frodo's pretty light of Earendil with a tad of jealously. It was a very pretty light glassy thing- but she contented herself with her book. She loved her book and to show her love for it (to, er, herself) she patted the bump in dress where she had pocketed it.

And at long last Galadriel farewelled them and it was time for them to leave the Magical Land of Lothlorien.

The elves called goodbye to them and so on and so forth as the companions got back into the boats they had been seated in before. They sat in their boats and watched as the golden wood disappeared behind them, sinking into the distance, and they slowly slid back into the ordinary world.

Ordinary for SOME.

Heh.

At first they were all awfully sad, and Gimli cried into his beard. This was particularly sad as they had never seen Gimli quite so distraught. It didn't help that everyone else was awfully glum either. Luthien and Elanor were, like the others, a bit down of heart, but they had realised that on an ordinary day (in their own world) they would at this moment be in double maths.

So I am sure you can see just why they were not TOO miserable.

Elanor and Luthien came across a slight problem in that Luthien was a much stronger rower than Elanor and they ended up travelling very lopsidedly, or, depending, they would go round in small circles before getting back on track.

Legolas noted this with a laugh, forgetting his sorrows. 'Perhaps it would be wiser if you took turns at rowing,' he suggested.

Luthien turned a bit pink and nodded sheepishly. 'Er- yes, perhaps that might be a good idea.'

Like a true friend she handed the oars to Elanor and settled back comfortably in the small boat.

Elanor overcame this difficulty by pretending she was in the Olympics and was rowing for Australia. Luthien rolled her eyes as her friend commentated on herself.

'And here comes Elanor Bramblerose,' she cried in an announcers voice, 'coming south down the river past all others at a terrible speed- why, she's bound to win the gold- and- YES! Yes, she's done it!'

This was ridiculous mainly because for one thing they were behind everyone else, and for another Elanor was making quite the spectacle of herself. Luthien nudged her with her toe. 'Elanor,' she hissed. 'Shut UP.'

Elanor stopped basking in her 'win' and blinked. 'What?'

Luckily the rest of the company were all lost in their own thoughts and had not really noticed her outburst, much to Luthien's relief. She was sick of explaining stuff to them, and anyway, she was busy daydreaming about she and Leggy's wedding day. And wedding night.

The rest of the day passed drearily and uneventful, the only source of entertainment however, came when Pippin toppled out of his boat during an animated ramble and Elanor shrieked something about Lochness monsters and dove in after him. Luthien had not been able to calm down for about and hour after that.

The night was just as cold and dreary and Frodo had fallen asleep in his boat so Aragorn has called a halt. This was lucky as Luthien felt her arms were about to fall off from rowing and she had very nearly had some run ins with Legolas and Gimli's boat as she had unconsciously tailed them in her drowsiness. Tactfully they had said nothing of it.

They woke up in the morning to see Gimli kindling a fire in the early morning rays of the sun.

Elanor sat up grumbling. She had a crick in her neck and the idea of spending another whole freaking day on that bloody river did not please her very much. Luthien felt much the same, although she liked being able to watch Legolas row… nice, strong arms he had. Mmm. Arms of strongness. She would strive to be like him and have strong arms also.

The days passed, long and uneventful. Luthien and Elanor's arms had grown used to the strenuous exercise; or perhaps they were hurting so much it just wasn't possible for them to hurt any more at all. It seemed likely. Sadly they capsized their boat when Luthien had been a little too enthusiastic in a race with Merry, Pippin and Boromir. Elanor could swim, much to the surprise of the other hobbits (owing to the fact that she'd taken lessons as a member of mankind many years ago) and Luthien of course happily bobbed up and down in the water. Happily because Legolas had jumped in after them.

Legolas looked about him in the chilly water. The hobbit, though capable of swimming, would soon tire and so he would have to help her out first. He glanced over at Luthien for reassurance. Luthien grinned back at him and splashed him with a small wave from her (rather toned looking) arm. He laughed and grabbed the doggy-paddling hobbit and lifted her easily into the elven craft. Luthien swam over to him. "Nice day for a swim isn't it?"

"You are an insane one, Firithnar," he said in (ahh…) their elvish tongue.

She grinned back at him, too happy for words. He put out his hand to her and she thought, not for the last time, that This Was The Proposal. But then he began to lift her and she eventually realised he was trying to prevent neumonia.

Though they sat both drenched and shivering, Luthien was perfectly happy, for Legolas had not only saved her but he had complimented her too. And when Elanor had settled back into the boat, Pippin (and Merry…and Boromir) had pulled up beside the boat and asked if she was alright. Pippin had given her his blanket. Merry had given Luthien his. Luthien was not quite as happy about that – particularly as she had noticed a slight tendency of his to watch her when she brushed her hair and ate and … he watched her quite a lot actually. Damn. The cute wee Brandybuck had a slight crush on her. Which of course meant she had to be extra sneaky when she in turn watched Legolas. Bother.

After awhile the trees which had lined the banks of the river slowly began petering out and soon they were flowing along through a barren land. The company were uneasy; Elanor and Luthien were bored.

'I spy with my little hobbit eye, something beginning with N.'

Luthien continued rowing, looking around as she did so. 'Nothing,' she answered.

'Damn… your turn.'

'I spy with my beautiful eye, something beginning with G.' She looked smug.

'Gimli.'

'Nope.'

Elanor twisted around in the boat and peered around. 'Goats.'

'There are no goats.'

'Yeah, well, if there were I'm sure you would have picked them. Sometimes you're just so transparent… um… grey…cloaks?'

'Nup!' Luthien was getting pleased with herself.

Elanor scowled. 'I give up.'

'Are you suuuuuuure?'

'Yes.'

'Hehehehehehe!' She handed her oars to Elanor and grinned happily. In such situations one had to enjoy life's simple pleasures.

'Well, what was it?'

'Gorgeous hottie elf boy,' Luthien answered.

'Hmph,' Elanor said. She stopped talking as rowing made her tired and all that she could ever find the breath for was long nonsense songs. Her favourite was the one that went 'Iiiii, don't want a pickle…just wanna ride my motorsickle… and Iiii don't wanna tickle… I'd rather ride my motorsickle. And Iiii don't wanna diiiie! Just wanna ride my moooootorcy……cle.'

She launched into this soon, rowing along. Luthien had perfected the art of zoning out and staring lovingly at Legolas in a distant fashion so that he wouldn't be too unnerved. It helped pass the time.

When Gollum made a sneaky appearance Luthien made sure to throw him a fish coz she had a soft spot for the little fella. Aggas wasn't as happy about him as Luthien and Elanor though and suggested that they speed up and row for longer spells. Luthien groaned. 'Great. Just great. All this pain for YOU,' she said to Elanor as they made their boats ready one overcast day, 'I could have been in Leggy's boat but no. You had to turn me into slave girl!'

Elanor was indignant. 'I do too help you row! Why, feel my strong arm muscles!'

Luthien looked at them in disgust, 'You only row for an hour a day before complaining of a stomach ache! And when you are rowing its so slow that we lose sight of the others and I have to take over to catch us up again! Honestly!'

'Well I try.' Elanor said humbly.

There was then a moment of freaky-deaky-ness where they accidentally went into some rapids and almost got themselves torn to pieces on rocks. To make matters worse there were orcs on the eastern shore shooting horrid black arrows at the innocent and much cooler and also hotter people in the boats.

Luthien and Elanor were in a panic. Luthien took over the rowing as Elanor's arms were not strong enough to manage on her own and they'd end up as fish food if she didn't do something. Once they were out of the danger of the rapids, there were the bloody orcy arrows to worry about. Luthien tried to row and lie down on her front at the same time to escape being hit. It looked very awkward but it was safe. Elanor put her arms over her head and sat cowering in the prow. She didn't want to get hit by arrows.

Luckily, being slower than everyone else occasionally had its advantages- the majority of orcs did not notice the boat that was drifting behind the rest of the company and so fewer arrows were shot in their direction.

They made it to the western shore, relieved and exhausted.

Elanor crawled out of the boat and flopped onto the sand. She kissed it happily and then sat up pulling a face, sand on her lips.

Luthien checked to make sure Leggy was alright, and just in time too. Not because he then died and it was the last time she ever saw him alive, oh no. No, she saw him do something Very Cool Et Tres, Tres Bon. Over their heads a dark shadow had flown, covering the light of the moon with an evil blackness. Legolas, a true champ, had shot at it and PLOP, out of the sky it fell.

Not with a plop though.

That was just for special effect.

Then everyone praised him and Luthien beamed, proud of her love. She hugged him and said 'good aim Legolas!' and then realised that elves don't hug and sat down next to Elanor bashfully.

Later on the next day, Legolas and Aragorn were to go off to find a smoother road and everyone watched them go off engulfed by the mist, not knowing whether or not they went to their deaths. Luthien said she wanted to go with them but Aragorn wouldn't let her. 'Stout hearted you are Luthien, yet it is best that you stay here amongst the others and wait for our return. If indeed we are to return.'

'Happy fella isn't he?' Elanor muttered to her as he went off with Luthien's hottie who is hot.

'I just wanted to go off in the mist with them… maybe lose the man… get lost with the elf…' she trailed off dreamily.

Elanor rolled her eyes. 'Eye spy again?'

But all was well, as Aragorn said when they returned a couple of hours later. They'd found a place to take the boats and stuff so they exhausted themselves dragging everything off there. Everyone was really tired so they pretty much went to sleep. Luthien was so confused that she tried to close her eyes to sleep but then remembered, looking over at Legolas, that she must 'mingle the stars with her dreams'. She'd rather mingle with Legolas in her dreams.

During the night it drizzled briefly and Elanor woke up feeling damp. She tapped Luthien on the shoulder. 'I don't see why they don't have hotels in Middle Earth,' she complained. 'I want bed and breakfast and I want it now.'

Luthien ignored her.

That day was the tres cool day of the Argonath; ie; the really huge rock king things that stood awfully tall and high on either side of the river. Elanor and Luthien stopped their rowing and sat in the middle of the stream staring up at them, awed.

'They look big at the movies,' Luthien said thoughtfully. 'But…now they look even bigger.' It was a wise comment indeed.

They quickly started rowing again once they realised everyone else was quite a long way ahead down the river. 'Legolas,' Luthien muttered to herself. 'Wait for me!'

Elanor was becoming very whiny. She was sick of the river and she knew that the only thing there was to look forward to was being thrown about by stinky horrible orcs.

Luthien, however, was growing ever more excited. One…maybe two… more days and she would be with her love ALL THE TIME…and those other two guys…and, sure, Boromir was going to die, but even so. They'd deal with that when they came to it. She had seen it happen in the movie a number of times; she was sure she'd cope in real life.

'Ah, Leggy. He looks so hot when he runs,' Luthien said with a happy sigh.

Elanor, sitting huddled up in her cloak, muttered something under her breath.

'What was that?' Luthien asked sharply.

'Nothing,' Elanor said sullenly.

'Now, now, Ellie.'

'…Ellie?"

'Yes. The thing is, at least you will be with your love and you will see all the excellent stuff he does in an extremely nifty hobbity Pippin way.'

Elanor nodded. 'I s'pose so.'

'And I… I will be in bliss.'

'And agony,' Elanor said with a snigger.

'Shut up.'

Aragorn was forlorn about Gandalf and he led them off to where they stop at Tol Brandir at Amon Hen. Which as we all know, was not a very good idea. It was a good idea in a sense, but a bad idea in the 'Boromir dies' aspect of it all. And the 'Merry and Pippin and Elanor get carried off by evil orcs,' and the 'Sam and Frodo go off to Mordor,' part.

So… maybe it wasn't such a good idea at all.

They were all sitting around the next day, arguing about where to go, and discussing the many different options before them. Elanor and Luthien left them to it and had a bit of best friend bonding playing hand clapping games off to one side.

As the serious discussion went back and forth, mainly centred around Frodo, in the background the faint sound of 'my mother, your mother, lives down the street. Eighteen, nineteen, marble street. Every time we go there this is what they say- girls are sexy, made out of Pepsi, boys are rotten, made out of cotton…' could be heard accompanied by the slapping of hands of the two friends.

A merry time it was indeed.

They had completed several little ditties and rhymes, some of them many times over- 'down by the banks of the hanky-panky,' for example, had been sung probably about ten times, as had 'say say my playmate,' when Frodo went off to 'think.'

And as we all know this really meant 'get scared off to Mordor by a possessed Boromir.'

Elanor and Luthien looked at each other, a bit sad.

This was it.

Soon they would be separated for who knew how long?

Well, the book knew how long and really it wasn't THAT long at all… but even so, it was a big scary war ridden world out there.

Elanor quickly made sure she had some lembas in her pocket, as well as her gift from dear old Galadriel, and then decided she was set for the road ahead. She just had to wait until Merry and Pippin disappeared and then she would follow them faithfully off.

She quickly hugged Luthien around the legs. 'Bye bye Luthien,' she said quickly so that the others would not notice. 'Good luck with your legs not falling off…and your Leggy.'

Luthien grinned. 'And I hope you do not get trampled…or eaten… by orcs.'

'Thanks buddy.'

By now Boromir had also disappeared off into the woods. They both knew what was really going on in there and it wasn't very happy. Poor Frodo.

Back by the river side, no one else knew why Frodo was hesitating for so long with his decision. (Luthien and Elanor felt wise and knowledgeable.)

Everyone was saying that they wanted to go with Frodo even though he wouldn't want them to, when Borors came back. Aragorn questioned him and everyone got worried by his news of Frodo's flight. Merry and Pippin ignored Aragorn's calm orders and ran off like crazed loons on loon tablets crying out to Frodo. 'Go on quick!' Luthien hissed to Elanor like she was prompting her in a play or something, and Elanor obediently ran yelling after them. Gimli and Legolas also ran off like crazy loons and Luthien gave Boromir a quick hug before running off after them with a big grin on her face.

They both ran through the trees in opposite directions, following their individual loves, when suddenly everything went black.

When their eyes cleared they found to their immense horror that they were standing out the front of their classroom in their school in Australia in reality.

And they were dressed as Pokey and Gumby.

'Oh. My. God,' Sarah-jane-that-was-once-Elanor whimpered, seeing her reflection in the glass door.

Lucy-who-was-only-a-moment-ago-Legolas'…stalker sank to her knees and pounded the grass with her fists in anger. 'Elbereth Gilthoniel,' she moaned. 'Oh my Illuvatar!'

It was then that they heard the sound of the Evil One. The Troll. She was laughing in her merry stupid way, each cackle driving a stake into the hearts of the innocent. Filling them with darkness and disgust.

They both knew that, if the Trollish one lay her bulgy eyes upon them, they would be in a rather large pile of merde.

'Quick!' Lucy hissed, leaping up. She grabbed Sarah-jane by the shoulder and pulled her behind the trailer that sat on the grass outside their classroom. Dear old trailer. Provider of shade and now shelter in a time of great need.

'Why?' Sarah-jane moaned as they watched IT go by, "Why now?'

'I think I know,' Lucy said, 'and I think I know what to do about it. Come on!'