***The good-bye bird***

Four small and grey boats lay floating in the water with their entire luggage already in them and several coils of rope.

        "Come. Now all is ready for you. Enter the boats but be careful." Haldir said. Rhia waved good-bye to the three brothers and sat in the bow of the back boat by herself, waiting for Demi, who stayed onshore.

        "Well…"Demi started, but words failed her. "I guess I'll see you soon!"

"Tenna ento lye omenta." until next we meet Haldir said, extending his hand, which Demi took. Orophin then said to her:

"Vanya Sulie!" fair winds and he took her into a light embrace. Orophin and Haldir then with a quick glance at Rúmil, left the two to talk alone.

"I do not wish to say fare-well under such an occasion, but we both have our own paths to take and…Vaira…please be careful. I would hate to think that something would happen to you. I care about you much." The fair elf said, taking Demi's hands in his and looking deep into her eyes, which seemed to bore right into her soul.

"Rúmil…I…I will miss you but…look…as far as I am concerned, we are good friends, very close friends indeed, let us leave it at that until the world is safe again. I have a job to do and I know that…" his eyes slid to the ground but Demi lifted his chin with her hand and smiled, "If I thought of you constantly, I would forget what I would have to do and I would want to return, when my path lies away from Lórien."

"I know, but I will never stop thinking of you." A smile was now on his fair features and his blue eyes shone as though she had just confessed her love for him. He knew she wasn't ready just yet, and he would wait for eternity for her. "Aa' menle nauva calen ar' ta hwesta e' ale'quenle vanimamin loth." May thy paths be green and the breeze on thy back my beautiful flower. Demi smiled, but regret and guilt swallowed the happiness she was just given whole.

"Na… Namaarie!" she chocked back and went to leave him, but he caught her round the waist and left a chaste kiss on her cheek, leaving her to stand alone, blushing furiously. Demi turned around and headed for the boat, a mixture of surprise and confusion on her face.

"So…how did it go?" Rhia asked vigilantly, trying to stifle a laugh.

"Um…yeah…good." Demi said slowly, sitting behind her friend and laying her leaf shaped in her lap. She saw Frodo, Sam and Aragorn in the first boat; merry, Pippin and Boromir-pansy-pants in the second and Legolas and Gimli in the third. Aragorn put his ore into the water pushing off and the others followed his example. Demi found canoeing harder than it looked, and she did not have the strength of her male friends and Rúmil's actions still played back and forth in her mind. Why were males so difficult!

The floated down the river and round a corner when before them came a large swan-like boat, sending out soft and sweet music. This was Galadriel playing the harp and singing whilst her husband sat beside her listening. She ended her song and called to them.

"We have come to say our last farewell and though you have been our guests, we had no feast in honour of your coming. So here we have now a parting feast for you." she said. The Swan boat turned and docked itself on the west bank. The smaller boats did so to and all passengers got off their boats for the feast upon the grass.

They ate and drank, yet not once did Demi see the brothers. This, hoping maybe to talk to Rúmil saddened her. She wanted to have the same feelings for him, but something then held her back. Celeborn spoke to the company, but she took little heed, her heart was now in her head and Rúmil was all it thought of. Then, the odd sensations that she had felt before. Guilt. Regret. Trepidation. What if she did not survive? What if…Oh no! If he hadn't and gone and kissed her she thought. Then she wouldn't be in this predicament.

'Let the feelings and thoughts go my child. There are other things to worry of. Now is not the time. The day will come again when you two shall be reunited.' Galadriel's familiar voice said in her head. Demi lifted her eyes and saw Galadriel looking at her, smiling softly. Demi gave a weak smile and pushed the thoughts aside. The Lady of the wood then stood and took a cup full of mead then gave it to Celeborn who took a sip.

"Drink from the cup of farewell!" she said taking it from Celeborn, then handed it to each of the fellowship. "Drink, but do not let your heart be sad!" she took the cup from Frodo finally and said then. "Now is your time to leave, for it is almost nigh and though the cover of darkness shall help, you have too lost precious time. Before you leave though, here I have parting gifts, so that through these, may your hearts always remember Lothlórien." She then called each fellowship member forward in turn to collect his or her gifts.

"To Aragorn, son of Arathorn, I give thee this," she said, passing his a sheath, covered in various elvish designs and runes. "The blade that was broken shall now find its home here whilst not drawn." He was also given a brooch shaped like an eagle with its wings spread and a green stone set in it.

To Legolas, she gave a mighty bow of Lórien and a quiver of arrows, the hobbits Merry and Pippin, sheaths also, Boromir-flitter-glitter a golden belt, she gave Sam a box of Lórien earth.

The lady then turned to Rhia. "Aure, heir of Elendil, to you I give the heirloom of your household." She said, passing Rhia a silver ring, and in it sat a ruby, deep red in colour. "This shall more than prove your lineage whence you must and also this." She then handed her a small sapling in a mahogany box. "Let this be grown whence your realm is remade."

Galadriel then turned gracefully to Demi. Demi bowed her head. "My lady, though your gifts are generous, I need, nor desire anything. What I need I must do for myself." She said.

"Ah, yes, I thought you would say that, but here. This is what you truly desire that no spell can do. A draught powerful enough to stave off death." The lady said, handing Demi a silver phial. "It has enough to save many lives. One drop should heal a wound, two to revive and three to fully heal. Use it well. Also, I cannot forget this!" she said, revealing a mithril necklace in her hand. Its chain was delicate as though it would easily snap, yet it was incredibly strong. "This I give to you. Your mother left it in my care so that one day you may receive it. It is your most powerful weapon, your key to magic. Through this, you have to merely think of a purpose and that it shall do. It cannot be taken from you without will and will protect you and only you." She gave the necklace to Demi who studied it. A white stone was set in the centre. It looked like a cloud, soft and gentle and fluffy, yet light emitted from it, like a star. It was in the shape of a tear.

"Thank you my lady. Your gifts are most generous indeed!" Demi said bowing and standing aside. Galadriel then came to Gimli. She had no gift for him, but asked him what he should like. He at first refused, then said:

"One of your hairs, my lady, so that it will be treasured forever in my household." He said, bowing low and clumsily.

"Then for you, I give three hairs. I send these words with this gift: I do not foretell, for all foretelling lies in vain: on the one hand lies darkness, the other lies only hope. But if hope should not fail, then I say to you, that your hands shall be filled with gold, yet greed shall not rule you." she said. Gimli thanked her many times.

"Now to you ring bearer, I have a special gift. I give to you the light of earendil's star. May it be a light for you, in dark places, when all other lights go out. Now, may you all go and find hope on any shore." She said. The fellowship then clambered back into their boats and took off with the current. Demi fastened the necklace around her neck and set the phial in her pocket. She knew exactly what to do with the elixir. There would be enough.

Lórien soon slipped from view into the distance. Demi said a final farewell in silence and looked to her path ahead. She would not fail Boromir, no matter how much he pissed her off. She remembered barely his fate, for she would not loose that image if it should come to pass. She would do anything to prevent it.

***

Demi and Rhia, though paddled together, were growing tired. They were not strong enough for this. "Aragorn! Tampa!" Stop Demi called forward and all the boats stopped. The girls pulled up beside their leader. "Rhia and I cannot continue at this pace by strength alone. What say you if I use a little magic to help us all along?"

"I would say it folly. Upon your own boat no but otherwise yes. You may cast a spell upon your boat if it is of dire need." Aragorn replied, looking at the girls red faces from the hard work. They could not continue at all if he pushed them.

"Thanks." Demi said as the others boats paddled on. She took her spell book from her pack and searched for a spell to help. "Ah ha!" she said in triumph.

"What?" Rhia asked peering into the darkness at the shapes of their companion's boats long before them.

"I can summon the water element to make the current under the boat strong enough to carry us forth. I can control the water under us with this spell."

"Go ahead." Rhia said.

"Yala onna en' alu!" Demi said, but nothing happened. "Typical!" Demi cursed.

        "Try again. Maybe you're not concentrating hard enough." Rhia offered.

        "Prolly, I mean, I have never cast a spell like it before. Ok here goes… Yala onna en' alu!" she shouted and the water beneath them picked up speed. "I can control the water with my thoughts, which means I have to stay awake at all times. It's going to be hard cause its really draining me."

        They continued on for a while, catching up fast, but Demi's strength was leaving her. "Keep going." She told herself. "Only til dawn then we get a break." But it seemed as though dawn would never come.

        Dawn came hours later when Aragorn called them over and they set themselves upon the bank. Demi commanded the waters to move her boat with the others and got out. Her legs were weak and she dropped to the ground. Aragorn caught her in time.

        "Vaira, you should have not cast that spell, you are not strong enough. Legolas, tomorrow, you ride with Vaira, make sure she stays out of that spell book and that she casts no spells at all. Gimli, you ride with Aure." Aragorn said, laying Demi to the ground carefully.

        Rhia didn't like being split up from Demi, but she did love hanging with Gimli and took it as a good opportunity to ask questions and invade his personal space.

        The morning went quickly to Demi, for she slept it off whilst the others rested their tired arms. She knew now not to even try such a difficult spell yet. It was advanced magic for starters. Simple spells now she could do with no problems, even mediate spells did not seem to wear on her, but advanced, she had no chance.

        They clambered back into the boats at midday, no one to eager, but they kept the pace slow. Legolas seemed to be keeping a close watch on Demi, and even his attitude of late had changed. Demi knew not to start a fight with the elf, they were good friends and she didn't want to loose that friendship.

        The day seemed to pass uneventful when they were in the boats and legolas refused Demi of any rowing what so ever. "Why? You have to get tired at some point, and I can take over for just a little while."

        "No. I am quite fine thank you." he said, still looking ahead, past Demi. She let out a humph and stared ahead. Instead, she hummed for the trip. Many songs came to her mind, but she decided too be a little evil. She sang:

        "This is the song that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friends. Some people, started singing it, not knowing what is was, and they'll continuing it forever just because…" over and over again. About the third time, Rhia caught up on what she was doing and the two sung in chorus.

        "Hush!" Aragorn called out. "Do you want us to be found by orcs or otherwise?" Demi and Rhia just looked at each other then back to Aragorn, who just turned and paddled on. Demi caught Merry and Pippin sniggering and she had to stifle a laugh herself. Maybe a boating trip wouldn't be all that bad.

***

Authors note: Didn't this just come at an annoying time?

Andreah: Thank you. Your criticism does help. I'm not pretending I'm a decent author. I could never be any good like that. But I write and I love it. And yes, if Demi had been able to save Gandalf, who knows what could happen. If a character is to live in my story, it is for a very good reason. And if Gandalf had not died, he would not become Gandalf the White. I understand if you find this hard to follow and I don't think I can help you understand it all, but some things I can. For some confusing things in here, they are made to make sense as you compile the clues. That is my kind of suspense. This story is made to make you think, yet still enjoy it. Demi's inability to speak westron is more for a comedic side, because even though she is elven, she hasn't been able to speak her native language for so long. This is just to show you that she still remembers it, just not consciously. Thank you very much again and sorry for blabbering on, but I do hope that it helps.

dulaithlossword: Thanks very much. The fights will continue for a short while/ few more chapters I think. So hold on, but I won't keep you waiting. School starts for me tomorrow so that means less frequent updates coz I'm starting my final year. (Cringe). Here's your update.

P.S. Is any one actually reading this, or does it suck that much?

P.P.S If it does suck that much, it doesn't mean I'll stop writing, just thought I'd let you all know.

The web address for the elvish is Thank you. That is all.