See part one for disclaimers and such.

Chapter 13

Erin's breakfast settled into her stomach as she sat on the stone edge of the wall overlooking the courtyard below, her legs swinging idly as she observed the men and elves of the Grey Company make their preparations for their journey. Éowyn had left her shortly after eating, saying she had some things to attend to before the company's departure, and Erin had wandered the halls of Meduseld, finally arriving at the spot she now sat, her fingers gripping the rough stone. A rising wind ruffled her hair, blowing strands into her face and she tucked it behind her ears irritably, her eyes narrowing slightly in the glare of the sunlight.

She felt someone settle next to her on the wall and turned, smiling at Legolas as he perched alongside her, his longer legs crossing easily at the ankles as he leaned back, taking a deep breath of cool morning air.

"Good morning," she said, her breath catching for a moment as he returned her smile. He's so beautiful, she thought. For a moment, she felt the familiar rush of feelings towards the elf, but pushed them firmly aside. She had on her plate right now, and she had to be content to that Legolas her friend.

"Good morning," he returned her greeting. "How are you feeling?"

She shrugged. "Better. Stiff, and sore, like someone beat me with a baseball bat, but otherwise, okay."

His eyebrows rose slightly. "Baseball bat?" he repeated. "Is that some kind of weapon from your world?"

Erin laughed. "No. It's used in a game. Its like a big stick, and you try to hit a ball with it, without your opponent catching it."

"But you do not beat your opponent with it?" he asked, his voice lightly teasing.

"No, that's against the rules," she replied, grinning easily at him.

"Ah," he said, nodding, "That is good then."  He tilted his head slightly, tucking a braid behind his pointed ear as he regarded her thoughtfully for a moment. "It is good to see you smile, meldis. You have changed since I last saw you - you are not so unhappy here, I think."

Erin looked away, shrugging. "I don't know, Legolas. Sometimes I'm happy to be here, other times I'm so out of my depth it frightens me."  She looked back at him, shaking her head. "I still feel like I shouldn't be here at all - like it was some cosmic joke at my expense."  She sighed, changing the subject. "You guys are leaving soon?"

"Aye," he replied, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Tell me something, meldis amin," he said, reaching out to tuck a strand of dark brown hair away from her face. "Who has won your heart?"

"What?" she asked, startled by his sudden change of topic. "What do you mean?"

He smiled slightly. "You told Merry you were taken. I believe those were your words. I would like to know who has won your affections."

She looked at him a moment, and shook her head. "Why? I mean, what does it matter?"

"Why will you not tell me?" Legolas returned, raising an eyebrow.

Erin scowled, looking away from him. "I lied, okay? I didn't want to deal with a hobbit with romantic notions, so I lied."

"You are lying now," Legolas replied easily. "Though I do not know why. I thought I was your friend."

"You are my friend, Legolas," Erin said with a short sigh. "I just didn't think I needed to share details of my personal life with you."

"Is it Haldir?" he pressed, surprising a short bark of laughter from her.

"Hell no," she said, shaking her head and looking back at him. "Though he's certainly handsome and noble and all those wonderful things women are supposed to want in a male."  She gave him a faint smile. "Besides, I already know that elves and mortals aren't supposed to mix."

He read the unspoken pain in her words. "Who has said such a thing to you?" he asked softly.

Erin grimaced slightly. "Haldir was kind enough to enlighten me while I was staying in Lothlórien," she replied.

Legolas nodded. "While it is true that it normally does not occur, it is not forbidden. Who has the right to forbid love where and when it happens?"

"I'm not in love with anyone," Erin insisted firmly, her cheeks warming under his regard.

"Oho!" Legolas retorted, his lips curving into a smile. "I see you blush with your words. Now, indeed, do I know the reason for the changes I see within you."

"You're awfully nosey for an elf," Erin said, her lips twitching as she fought not to smile at his good-natured grin. "Very unbecoming, I must add."

"Ha!" he replied. "You have been surrounded by the stoic elves of Imladris and Lórien. The elves of Mirkwood are known for their insatiable curiosity." He lowered his head slightly, his dark eyes glinting in amusement.

She snorted, covering her mouth with her hand. "With the exception of Haldir, I would not describe any of the elves I've met as stoic. Rúmil and Orophin certainly do not fit that description, nor do Elladan and Elrohir."

"And which of these has earned that blush I see?" he teased, enjoying her discomfiture. "It cannot be Elrohir, for he is most taken with the lovely Melaphríl. It must be Elladan."

"Drop it, Legolas," Erin said, feeling her cheeks redden even more.

"No?" he said, drawing his brows together thoughtfully. "Then perhaps it is the brave Orophin who has captivated you."

"I'm going to push you off this wall if you don't drop it," she warned.

He laughed, not in the least bit concerned by her empty threat. "Rúmil, then, for he is certainly fair and skilled with gentle words."

She sighed, and adopted an infatuated pose, batting her eyes at him. "No, dear Legolas, for my heart pines only for you."  He blinked at her a moment, startled by her words, and she hid her smile. "I've been in love with you since I first laid eyes on your cute pointy ears."  His expression of surprise was so comical she could no longer contain her laughter and she let it go. "Gotcha!"

Legolas shook his head at her, trying to frown and failing. "You are not funny," he told her finally, his mouth betraying his words with a smile.

"I thought it was funny," she returned, her chuckles gradually subsiding. "You should have seen the look on your face. Though your ears are quite fetching," she couldn't resist adding.

He drew himself up and looked down at her, his eyes gone suddenly dark and beautiful, his smile breathtaking. "Only my ears?" he asked, his voice a soft caress.

She gasped. "How do you do that?" Her midsection felt fluttery for a moment as he leaned closer, and she could feel the silken brush of his hair against her cheek. "Don't tease, Legolas," she said quietly. It's not nice."

"Only my ears?" he repeated with a smile, leaning forward even as she tried to pull away. His lips barely grazed her cheek, and she jumped. He pulled back, giving her room to breathe, and smiled.

"Gotcha," he said, parroting her words back at her.

Erin scowled, feeling her heart resume a more normal rate. "That wasn't very nice."

He tilted his head and looked at her. "I thought it was," he answered truthfully. "You smell quite pleasant."

Erin dropped her face in her hands and groaned. "You're not going to leave me alone until I tell you, is that it?" She peeked at his face through her fingers and saw his triumphant grin. "Fine. If I tell you, will you tell me why it is you want to know so badly?"

Legolas nodded, pulling his knees up and folding his arms around them, resting his chin on the backs of his forearms. "Fair enough," he said agreeably.

"Éomer," she replied shortly. "I think I like him."

A dark blonde eyebrow lifted slightly. "That is the great secret you have been keeping from me?" he asked in disbelief.

"Why was it so important that you had to drag it out of me in the first place?" she retorted, blushing furiously.

Instead of answering, he took one of her hands in his and turned it palm upwards, his finger tracing a path along the lines. "I wanted to know," he replied finally. "No more than that."  He looked up at her, seeing the anger in her eyes. "You are my friend, Erin. I wish to see you happy."

She frowned. "Would you have pestered Gimli like this? Or Aragorn, for that matter?"

He shrugged gracefully. "Maybe," he replied. "Yes."

Erin tugged her hand away from his tickling fingers and rubbed her palm against her leg, trying to erase the tingling sensation left by his touch. "Now who's lying," she said, confused more than ever.

"Are you in love with him?" Legolas asked, ignoring her observation.

She sighed, copying his pose, wrapping her arms around her knees. "In love with him?" she shook her head. "I hardly know him, Legolas But I like him so far."

"Something else is on your mind," he pressed gently. "What is it?"

She shrugged, avoiding his gaze. She would not tell him. Absolutely would not tell him, that what she had said earlier was not very far from the truth. She could not let herself hope for something that was hopeless from the start.

"It is nothing," she answered finally.

"You do not seem as lost as you once were," he observed quietly. "Something has changed within you, for the good, I think. Did the Lady give you the answers you needed?"

"Some," she admitted, glancing at him. "But not all. I'm still very lost, Legolas. And confused, and homesick."  Her eyes caught sight of a familiar figure striding across the courtyard, and without realizing, she followed his progress as he made his way to the stairs that led to the hall.

The elf turned his head and followed her line of sight, his lips curving slightly as he saw Éomer pass through the wooden doors of the hall. "Perhaps, then, I should have said that your heart was no longer lost."

Erin looked back at him and snorted. "If you say so, Legolas."  She hugged her knees against her chest and looked up at the clear blue sky above them.  "So what was with the flirty bit?" she couldn't help but ask.

He raised an eyebrow. "It worked, did it not?"

"Nosey elf," Erin muttered, glancing at him with mock exasperation.

"Do you forgive me?" he asked, his eyes bright with laughter.

She leaned across and kissed him soundly on his cheek. "Nope," she lied. "And I pity your sisters, if you've got any."

Laughing, the tall elf rose, leaving her to her view of the courtyard below.

Éowyn's fingers lightly touched the links of the chain mail shirt she had pulled from the armory, tracing the individual links with her fingertips, her brow furrowed in thought. Her sword lay forgotten for the moment on the large wooden chest beside her as she knelt on the rug, carefully considering.  The Grey Company was leaving soon. How then, to follow them without being seen?

She rose gracefully to her feet, holding the chain mail to her as she checked the door once again, ensuring that it was locked from within. Her breeches and tunic lay folded carefully next to her sword, as did her shield and helm.  She would wait until they departed; she would give them a good lead, before following on Mearagar. Her horse was swift, and she knew the land better than they. She would have no trouble catching them before they entered the Paths of the Dead.  She would wait, hanging back at the end of their company, and follow them inside. She would not be left behind, wondering over the fates of those she cared for more than anything.

She had not lied to Erin when she had told her friend that she thought of Aragorn as a brother, but it had not been entirely the truth either. She loved the dark haired ranger with all her heart, but knew there was no hope in it for her. She had accepted that he could never return her love, and had to content herself with being his friend. 

Elladan's arrival had changed her feelings towards the ranger in a way she would never have expected, but the outcome of it pleased her nonetheless. A faint smile crossed her lips as she remembered her encounter with him the night before, shortly after she had seen Erin tucked into bed.

***"Love has its own rules, shield maiden, the heart answers only to itself." His voice was soft and smooth, caressing her ears.  "Time grows short, my Lady, precious few days may remain in which to experience the ways of love." His dark eyes holding hers captive as he looked at her.  "You must pay the penalty for your transgression against my brother and Melaphríl." 

His mouth covering hers, gentle, softly teasing lips, strong arms pulling her to him, his lithe body against her own.  Soft caresses of tongue, warm and wet and sweet, strong hands gently caressing, shivers wracking her frame.  Words, words she did not understand but that shook her to the core, made her tremble with need.

"How do I make you feel?" asking her softly, his eyes dark, mirroring the desire she felt in their depths. "Would you want to know me, shield maiden? Would you let me into your heart?"***

With the arrival of Elladan and their subsequent encounter in the barn, Éowyn found the pain of her unrequited love had diminished greatly. The dark haired elf had enchanted her, stolen her breath and her heart with his words and his kisses, filling her with a longing that made her feelings for Aragorn pale in comparison. She loved Aragorn, but she yearned for Elladan in a way she did not yet comprehend fully. It was enough to know that the beautiful half-elf felt something for her in return.

Her face flushed slightly as she remembered his words to her in front of the fire, how tenderly he had stroked her hair, her back, placing soft kisses on her eyes and lips. How he had vowed to return when the war had ended, to court her and woo her properly. His gray eyes had twinkled with mischief and tenderness as he spoke those words, and she had lost her heart to him then.

How, then, could she bear to be parted from him? To stay behind, worrying over his fate, wondering if he would ever return for her?  She was a Shield Maiden of Rohan, and no stranger to the dangers of battle. It was more fitting that she should be by his side to face the darkness to come.

Slowly, with trembling fingers, she began to undress, laying her gown aside as she reached for her leggings, pulling them over her slim hips and tying them. The soft undershirt came next, followed by the chain mail. Over this, she donned her tunic, and finished by fastening a long blue cloak at her throat. She reached for her sword and buckled it at her waist, tucking the matching knives into their wrist sheaths before strapping them to her forearms. She pulled her boots on, smoothing the tops that reached just past her knees and buckling the straps that held them in place, before sliding the hood of her cloak over her tightly braided hair. She tucked her helmet under her arm and reached for her shield, sliding her other arm through the straps until it rested in place.

She glanced at herself in the reflective surface of another shield, and nodded in satisfaction. With her features well hidden, she could easily pass for a youth, and she hoped that no one would notice her addition to the company until it was too late to send her back.  She took a deep, steadying breath, and opened the door to the armory, stepping silently as she could into the hall and closing it behind her.

Straightening, she walked with purposeful strides down the hall towards the main doors, passing familiar faces without pause, noting that they merely glanced at her without any sign of recognition. Her boots scraped the stone steps as she swiftly descended them, and she cast a quick look about her, breathing a silent sigh of relief when no one paid particular notice of her as she made her way across the courtyard to the stables.  Her heart nearly stopped when she saw Aragorn standing with Halbarad, but the men's attention was not on her, and she passed by them quickly, and entered the barn without looking back. She made her way quickly to Mearagar's stall, unlatching the door and stepping inside. Her horse knew her by her scent, pushing his nose against her chest in greeting, and she stroked his neck with trembling fingers, leaning against his warm hide. 

Now, all that remained for her to do was wait.

Erin watched the small horseman stride purposefully across the courtyard, his helmet tucked beneath his arm, his gait faltering for a moment as he passed by Aragorn and Halbarad, before entering the barn. She saw Elladan, Elrohir, and Melaphríl join the men in the courtyard and watched them for a moment, frowning as her eyes returned to the stable door.

Something wasn't right.

The thought popped into her mind unbidden and she rose from her perch on the stone wall, stretching her body carefully to work out the kinks, wincing as the movements made her ribs ache. Her gaze returned to the dark opening of the barn door, and she frowned again, unsettled.

She made her way to the stone steps that led to the courtyard and descended them, wondering what was prompting her to cross the flagstones of the yard and take the sloping path that led to the stable. She nodded briefly to Aragorn as she passed him, giving a little wave to Elladan, Elrohir and Melaphríl before turning her gaze back to the stable.  She was not aware of their eyes watching her curiously as she paused outside the door, before stepping into the cool shadows of the barn.

Erin closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head, before stepping past the first line of stalls, ignoring the equine heads that poked out of the doorways, their eyes watching her progress as she walked with slow, faltering steps down the aisle. Something drew her, like a magnet, to the third stall on her right, and she recognized the horse that peered out at her with a start.

It was Mearagar, Éowyn's horse.

She stepped closer to the stall, reaching up to scratch the soft nose he pushed at her, and wondered what the hell was going on. Without conscious volition, she turned, reaching for the latch that held his door and lifted it, pushing the door open with her hand and stepping into the stall, closing it firmly behind her.

Erin turned, feeling as if the world had slowed, and met the surprised blue eyes of the horseman she had seen crossing the courtyard earlier.  It took only a moment for recognition.

"Éowyn!"

The rider pushed back the hood that covered his hair, and a long blonde braid tumbled out.

"How did you know I was here?" the lady demanded, obviously unhappy at being found.

Erin opened her mouth, and then shook her head. "What are you doing?"

Éowyn stiffened, pulling herself upright. "I am going with them. I will not be left behind."

"You cannot go," Erin heard herself say. "That is not the path for you."  Goosebumps prickled her arms and she shivered suddenly. "Aragorn must take that path. Not you."

"I do not wish to be left behind," Éowyn said, unnerved by her friend's blank look. "I cannot bear it."

"That is not the path for you," Erin repeated, shivering again with sudden cold that filled her. "Your destiny lies another way."  She shuddered, leaning for a moment against the firm wooden wall of the stall.

Éowyn shook her head. "I care not for your words, my friend. You speak of things you know nothing about. I would follow my heart, and fight for my people at his side."

Erin's head lifted, and Éowyn saw that her eyes were wet with tears. "Only death lies upon that path," Erin whispered, before her eyes rolled back and she collapsed against the straw.

The shield maiden dropped to her knees beside her friend, reaching for her hand and holding it, shocked by the icy and clammy touch of Erin's skin against her own.  She chafed it gently, trying to warm it, before reaching out to shake her friend by the shoulder.

"Erin, Erin!" Éowyn called her name urgently, shaking her again, her face rapidly growing troubled when her friend did not respond, her head rolling limply against the straw.  Trembling with worry, Éowyn rose to her feet and unlatched the stall door. With a final glance at Erin's pale and unconscious form, she stepped into the aisle and ran for help.

She was sitting beneath the large oak tree, her arms folded around her knees as she looked up at the greenery above her. Tears slid freely down her cheeks, and she trembled in fear.

"Child, why do you weep?" a melodious voice asked, and she looked up, wiping her tear-streaked face with the back of her sleeve.  A man and a woman smiled down at her. They were wondrously tall, and their eyes were the color of the sky. Their faces were kind and beautiful as they regarded her with gentle, warming smiles.

"I'm lost," twenty-three year old Erin said, wiping the last of her tears away with her fingers. "I can't remember the way home."

"Shhh," the woman said, bending down to enfold the frightened young woman in her arms. "Do not fear. We will show you the way."

Erin hugged the woman tightly, so glad to have been found she felt herself shaking.

"Who are you?" she found herself asking when the woman had released her.

The man and the woman exchanged a quick glance, before the woman helped her to her feet, holding her hand gently with her long and graceful fingers.

"We are the ones who brought you here," the woman said softly. "We gave you a task, which you have completed."

Erin looked at them in confusion. "What task?" she asked, allowing the man and woman to lead her along the leaf-strewn path.

"To befriend the shield maiden of Rohan, and to be our voice when it was needed," the man replied, looking at her kindly. "You did well, child."

Erin smiled, pleased that she had his approval. "Then I can go home now?" she asked, looking from one beautiful face to the other.

"If that is what you truly wish," the woman answered gently. "We will show you the path."

She nodded, watching the leaves gently fall from the trees and wondering at it. The trees around them seemed to be caught in a mix of seasons, some were bare of foliage, others held the brilliant colors of autumn, and still more held the green buds of spring. The air was clean and fragrant, and she filled her lungs deeply, savoring the crisp scent. 

It reminded her of Lothlórien, and her steps faltered for a moment as memory came flooding back.

Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Haldir, Orophin, Rúmil, Galadriel, Celeborn, Éowyn, Elladan, Elrohir, Merry, Melaphríl, Gandalf and….Éomer. Orcs. The battle of Helm's Deep. Death everywhere. Legolas' gentle teasing and heartbreaking beauty. Gimli's pleased smiles and gruff affection. Aragorn's strength and kindness towards her. Gandalf's understanding. Éowyn's friendship. Éomer's strong arms protecting her, his kisses enflaming her. All of it tumbled through her mind, and she reeled under the onslaught.

The man glanced at the woman and they stopped their walk, watching as Erin remembered everything from beginning to end. She lifted her head and stared at the two, blinking slowly as she recovered from the rush of memory that had flooded through her.

"You," she managed. "Why did you do this to me?"

The woman smiled gently. "Your fëa called to us from across the void."

Erin shook her head. "My what?"

"Your soul, if you prefer," the man answered. "The spirit that resides in your body; that which makes you who you are."

"I don't understand," Erin said, shaking her head again.

"We heard your call when you were still but a little child," the woman said, with a subtle, knowing look. "We could not take you then, you were not prepared."

"We could not take you from your loved ones," the man continued. "So we returned you to them, and gave you into their keeping."

"But you could take me now?" Erin demanded, her eyes flashing in anger. "Why now?"

"You were ready," the woman answered simply. "It was time."

"I don't understand," Erin repeated, turning away from them to lean against the silvery brown bark of a cedar tree. She crossed her arms and looked at them, shaking her head.

The man and woman exchanged a glance, and the woman spoke again, her melodious voice soothing. "Did you not ever wonder why you were unhappy in your life?"

"Did you ever feel that you did not belong?  That you were missing something in your life that would make you complete?" asked the man, his blue eyes bright as he gazed at her. "And why it is that part of you feels that it belongs in the world we sent you to?"

"Have you not ever considered why you never found the love you sought so strongly?" the woman continued gently.

Erin dropped her arms to her sides and straightened, looking at them both. "You're saying… what is it that you're saying, exactly?"

"That your fëa did not belong to the world in which it was born.  Your soul was destined for this one," the man answered gravely.

She blinked at them. "My soul was born in the wrong place?"

They beamed at her. "Precisely," the woman answered. "We do not know why it happened."

"For good or for ill," the man added.

"Yet happened it did. We merely sought to correct the mistake," the woman continued with small smile.

"And to give you the chance, the opportunity to feel what it is like to be in a world where your soul truly belongs," the man finished.

Erin shook her head. "This is beyond weird," she said finally. "I don't know what to say. You two are telling me that my soul, my fëa," she corrected with a brief and humorless smile, "Was supposed to be born in Middle Earth, in a world, as far as I know, that only existed in the mind of a college professor. I'm supposed to believe that somewhere along the way there was a great, cosmic mix-up, and my fëa got sent to the wrong place. And out of the goodness of your hearts, you brought me here to see if I felt better about my life, because my fëa actually belongs here, and not in the world I was born in." She took a deep and trembling breath before continuing. "And you don't know why or how this mix-up happened, just that it did."

"Yes," the woman nodded.

"So you brought me here to do what? To help Éowyn? To tell her that she's not supposed to follow Aragorn?" Erin asked incredulously.

"We gave you the task of aiding the shield maiden so you would have a purpose, a reason for being here that you could understand," the man explained gently.

Erin crossed her arms again. "Gandalf and Galadriel both said that my presence here has caused changes in the natural course of events. Was that your purpose for me as well?"

The man and woman exchanged another one of those long, meaningful glances that Erin was beginning to find irritating.

"It was not a direct purpose, Erin, but it has served the needs of many," the man replied.

Erin took another deep breath, and dropped her arms, stepping away from the tree. "So now what? I did what I was supposed to do?"

The woman nodded. "You have completed the task set before you."

"I can go home?" Erin was confused by the rush of feelings that followed the thought of returning to her world, and everything she knew. Part of her longed to see her parents and friends, and to return to the normalcy of her life as a student. Yet part of her could not imagine never seeing the friends she had made during her stay in Middle Earth. Never see Éowyn again, or Elladan and Elrohir and Melaphríl? Never tease Gimli or see Legolas' smile? And what about Éomer?  What about the way she truly felt there – despite the dangers and the lack of hot running water. What about the way Middle Earth had called to her – its magic and beauty, and the peoples that lived there.

"If that is what you wish," the man answered. "A choice lies before you, Erin Smith. Return to your world and all you have known there, or remain here, where your fëa truly belongs."

The woman raised her arm and pointed, and Erin's eyes followed the gesture, her eyes widening as she saw a distinct path appear before the woman's feet. It wound through the trees and between the plants that grew in the forest, before splitting; one fork leading right, the other winding to the left.

Erin stepped closer and stopped between the man and woman, looking at the path before her, her eyes trying to see where the two branches led. Though her eyes followed them both as far as she could, she couldn't tell where either of them would lead her.

"Which do I choose?" she asked softly, glancing from one beautiful face to the other. "Which path is the correct path?"

The man and woman smiled gently down at her, their eyes luminous. "We cannot guide you in this, child. The choice must be yours alone," the woman said softly.

"One path leads to your heart's true desire," the man said. "The other does not. Though neither choice will leave you truly unhappy, there is sorrow in both."

They stepped forward together and embraced the young woman, the man placing a soft kiss at her temple, the woman a kiss on her cheek, before stepping away from her once more.

"Your choice is before you," the woman said gravely. "Choose wisely. Choose well."

"May the blessings of Ilúvatar be upon you," the man said, touching his heart in a brief bow in the manner of the elves.

"Who are you, really?" Erin whispered. Her eyes widened in awe as both the man and the woman seemed to grow even taller before her eyes, their raiment taking a soft glow that reminded her of Gandalf when he had revealed himself to them the first time. Their eyes gleamed impossibly bright blue, and their heads were crowned with what looked like miniature stars.

"Farewell, Erin," the woman said, raising her hand. "We wish you well."

Their glow intensified and Erin was forced to look away, the brightness of it too much to look at. When it faded away, she looked back, not surprised in the least to see that the man and the woman were both gone.

"As cryptic as elves," she muttered softly, blinking as her eyes gradually readjusted to the lack of glow. "And I never got to ask them about Tolkien."  She sighed and glanced down, her eyes following the path before her.

She began to follow the path, grousing quietly to herself as she walked through the trees, keeping her eyes on the fork ahead. "Galadriel said I'd get a choice. She didn't bother to tell me that I wouldn't know which was which!"  She took a deep breath and stopped, the tips of her boots touching the end of the path where it split. "One way leads to my heart's desire," she said softly, glancing to the right. "The other? Obviously doesn't, but I won't be completely miserable. What a choice." She looked left, her eyes narrowing slightly as she tried to make out any detail that would give her a clue which one she was supposed to choose. 

Erin stood at the crossroads and several moments passed as she wavered, undecided, uncertain which was the right path to take.

"My heart's desire," she repeated softly to herself, sighing quietly. "What is my heart's desire?"  She considered the question honestly for a moment, closing her eyes. What was truly her heart's desire?  She remained motionless for several moments, before she finally opened them and smiled.

She glanced at the right hand path for a moment, then back at the left, and followed her heart.

End Book 1

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