Part 5

Willow couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face as she watched Dawn dance with an Elven partner. It was good to see her smile, truly smile again. Since they'd left Buffy and the others behind in search of a way to defeat Glory and to take the "Key" away, Dawn had an air of sadness around her. Her smiles never quite reached her eyes and Willow had felt guilty.

Guilty for not being good enough with magic to know what to do when they were in Sunnydale. Not being a better help to Buffy and Giles when it came to defeating Glory. Oh sure, she could send her away in a transportation spell, but it wasn't like she could harm her. So here she was, leaving her friends to try to cope with Glory while she 'ran' away with Dawn. What if this was a hopeless chase? What if there was no answer here or any of the dimensions? Buffy, Xander and Giles were in Sunnydale fighting for their lives and here she sat with music and dancing all around her when she should be helping. She should be trying to find a way to defeat Glory. Willow's smile faded and she was suddenly not very hungry. She pushed her chair back and hoped to lose herself in the crowd.

Legolas watched as Willow of Sunnydale's smile faded and her face filled with sadness. How did one so young seem to have the weight of the world on their shoulders? He silently followed her as she slipped through the crowd and out the doors.

Willow wandered onto the balcony overlooking the waterfall. The sound of the water cascading over the rocks and the wind rustling the ancient trees seemed to call to her. She let the beauty of the night and her surroundings seep into her soul, calming her fears and easing her guilt somewhat.

Stepping from the shadows quietly, as not to disturb her, Legolas approached. "Thoughts of my home ease my pain when I have much on my mind, Willow of Sunnydale."

Willow jumped and spun around at the sound of Legolas' voice. She raised a hand to her chest and over her rapidly beating heart. "GAH, don't do that!"

"I am sorry, I did not mean to frighten you. I meant only to offer comfort."

Willow smiled slightly before turning back to the waterfall. "Thanks, but unless you know how to defeat a Hell Goddess I don't think anything will comfort me."

Legolas' brow furrowed in confusion. He thought with Sauron's defeat and the ring destroyed there were no threats. "Does this Hell Goddess have a powerful ring?"

"Ring?" It was Willow's turn to be confused. Was the secret to defeating Glory in some kind of ring? "I didn't notice a ring. Should I have noticed a ring?"

"Frodo and Sam destroyed Sauron's ring, which defeated Sauron. I thought perhaps your Hell Goddess was in possession of one of the other rings."

Willow's mind whirled with the idea. Glory did like accessories and Dawn was a Key, maybe there was a Ring. "What does the ring look like, what does it do and how was it destroyed?" She began to pace as ideas tumbled over themselves. "I need to talk to… who did you say? Oh yeah, Frodo and Sam. Are they close by?"

Legolas watched in amazement at the change in Willow. She went from sadness cloaked around her to walking and talking without taking a breath. He held up a hand to stop her, "Come with me and I'll show you."

Willow followed Legolas as he entered a deserted hall. The walls were decorated with murals that depicted the first battle with Sauron and the last one with Frodo, Sam, Pippin, Merry, Gimli, Aragorn and himself. The flickering candlelight in the hall making them seem to come alive.

"This is the ring." Legolas pointed to the ring depicted in the first battle. Willow listened intently as he told the story of Sauron and his role in his defeat.

"So you're saying if Glory has a ring, I have to take and bring it back to the Fires of Mount Doom." She sagged against the wall and hoped there wasn't a ring involved. How would she get close enough to find out if there WAS a ring and then how would she ever get back to this dimension, travel to Mount Doom and drop it in the lava? Her eyes traveled to the picture of Mount Doom and noticed half the side of the mountain was gone. Even if there was a ring, there didn't look to be a Mount Doom.

Legolas watched as Willow sagged against the wall. He cupped her elbow and helped her stand. "Take heart, Willow. If a ring of Sauron is involved we have many warriors who would not allow another evil to rise."

Fighting warriors wasn't her problem. She had Buffy, Giles, Xander, Spike and if it came down to it, Anya. God, she sincerely hoped the ring wasn't involved.

"Do you know if there are books or papers here that would help me to find if the rings of Sauron are involved or if there is another way to defeat Glory?"

"Elrond has a vast library of Elvish lore. Some of our songs and stories are not written down but passed on through oral tradition. There are many Elves in Rivendell who can tell you those tells. I am from Mirkwood and our tales are different. Each area of Middle Earth has different stories and songs." He noticed Willow's shoulders slumping and he smiled, "Elves are very long lived, Willow and our history is intertwined with Dwarves, Hobbits and Mankind. I am sure that which you seek is among Lord Elrond's library."

Willow smiled at Legolas, "I hope so. I'm kind of tired of hopping from dimension to dimension trying to find the answer. I want to get back and help my friends." Willow's eyes traveled over the lovely script on the wall just above the painting of Rivendell. "What's this? It's very pretty."

Legolas' eyes followed Willow's finger and he looked back at her in confusion. "That's Elvish for Rivendell. You don't read Elvish?"

Willow opened her mouth to say of course she didn't and then the awful thought struck her. Of course she didn't know Elvish… how was she supposed to find the answers in Elrond's library if she couldn't read Elvish? God, she wished Giles were here. He'd probably know how to read it.

"There wouldn't happen to be an Elvish for Dummies book around here would there?" Willow smiled wryly, "No, I don't read Elvish so I guess Elrond's library won't do me any good. Dawn and I will leave in the morning, maybe Aragorn will have a nice library full of information that I can read."

"Willow, you have a city full of Elves that speak in the language of man. There are many scholars who can help with the translations." He looked into her green eyes and heard himself say, "Elvish is a beautiful language and I am sure you would be able to learn it. I taught a few words to Gimli and if I could teach him…"

Willow interrupted with a brilliant smile. "Really? You'd teach me the language?"

Legolas blinked a few times, that hadn't been what he was going to say, but a slow smile crept across his features. "I would be honored to teach you, Willow of Sunnydale."