Authors note: Sorry this has been forever. It's been slowly progressing due to school stuff and computer troubles. Sorry, Chelli, I needed to get something out, so the rest will be in the next chapter. The next chapter will be very soon hopefully! It all depends on my violin studies and my school work! Anyway, thanks for everything guys!
Chapter 13
"It's difficult to believe we've been here for almost two complete weeks," Chelli observed.
"It's been a wonderful vacation considering the storm that's coming," Katie responded with a sigh.
Legolas gripped her hand, "Don't worry about it now, melamim. Just wait. Maybe you'll see something in your last lesson with Galadriel."
"Hey! No touching, elf-boy," Chelli ordered. Merry began to laugh at the pouting look on Legolas's face as he let go of Katie's hand.
The small group walked through the woods laughing until they reached the steps that led to Galadriel's mirror and Katie's final lesson from Galadriel.
"You and Merry must stay here," Katie commanded Legolas in Elvish.
"Yes, Ara. I know," he responded and bent down to kiss her on the cheek.
Suddenly Chelli was standing in front of him. "Hands, lips, and all other body parts are not to touch her, elf-boy," Chelli ordered again.
"Why did you free her?" Legolas groaned in Elvish. "She's ruined everything. We have not been able to go to dinner-parties because she moved into the room beside ours when she lost that stupid bond with Merry. She followed us around like an unwanted chaperone, and annoyed me. We have lost more of the little time we have together! Your friend's far too overprotective."
"She just worries, Legolas. She cares, but she does not understand everything. I think it is hard for her to realize that I am a completely different species than we used to be. She is human again, just like the rest of your friends. They don't grasp that an elf's values and ethical systems are different from theirs," Katie responded in Elvish.
"Why don't you…"
"I haven't' told them what the result of the true-love spell was. They do not know the consequences that we are going to face in the future. Give me time to explain. It will be hard on her, on all of them," Katie interrupted.
"You two stop away in Elvish. Let's go. I want to get his whole mirror thing over with," Chelli commanded.'
Katie nodded and led the way down the stairs and Chelli followed.
"Bossy little thing isn't she?" Leoglas muttered.
"Yup," Merry answered, "but she's great at it."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Katie, Chelli, I'm glad you've finally arrived. Shall we continue with the lessons? Chelli, you'll go first. Katie, make sure you control what she sees," Galadriel said when they entered the clearing that contained the mirror.
Chelli nodded and stepped forward, and looked over the seal of the mirror and waited.
A picture appeared- It was a man with beautiful, brown, curly hair walking around outside of a picturesque Italian villa. A small girl with brown curly hair and large brown eyes peeked out from behind an open door. She squealed when the man looked at her.
"Ahhh, mommy! A balrog!"
The man ran for the little girl and tickled her into submission. An older Chelli came out of the house with a picnic basket and a kite. "Stop playing balrog. If she ever meets a real one, she'll expect it to tickle her, honey," Chelli commanded.
"Mommy!" the little girl ran to Chelli and hugged her tightly.
The scene changed. Many little curly headed children ran along a garden path. They looked quite tall compared to the hobbits who lived there, but they were having fun just the same. One of the hobbits came towards a fifty-year-old Chelli with a smile.
"Chelli, your grandchildren are adorable," he said.
"Thank you, Rose's children have turned out well. Me…"
The visions faded.
Chelli looked up with tears in her eyes. She walked over to Katie. "That wasn't fair! I was just about to find out who he was!"
"It wasn't time for you to find out who he was. You'll know in time, Chelli," Katie responded as she looked at the glass with sadness. "I suppose it's my turn. Chelli if you focus, you'll be able to see what I see."
Chelli nodded in appreciation at her friend's gesture to make things even, knowing that Chelli would be upset if everyone knew her future and she didn't know her friends. Katie walked resolutely toward the mirror and looked in.
The water changed- Katie and Legolas stood in Galadriel's study. Katie was holding a large book and looking aghast at the first page. Legolas urged her to do the spell, and Katie mumbled some words in Elvish. Suddenly a white glow surrounded the two.
"What does it mean, Ara?" Legolas asked hopefully.
I mean…we're…."Katie tried to say.
"We're true loves. We've been bonded!" Legolas finished for her. He walked over to her and hugged her close.
"This isn't going to work, Legolas. I have to go home, and you have to stay here when the time comes," Katie noticed.
"We can't be separated! Don't you understand, melamim? We didn't plan for this to happen, but it happened almost instantly. You need to understand that if we're separated, we're both going to be worth nothing! We'll fade into shadows of what we formerly were," Legolas responded in desperation, knowing Katie was right.
"Legolas, my friends and family need me at home. You're the only heir of your father's kingdom! You can't come with me. I can't stay with you. Galadriel says we'll most likely only have one chance to go home, so I can't travel back and forth,"
"I suppose you're right," Legolas admitted while he hugged Katie more tightly. "We'll just have to spend as much time together as possible."
"Like we have a choice in the matter, melamin," Katie joked while a tear ran down her cheek. Legolas smiled and kissed her.
The waters changed again- Legolas sat on a throne in a palace Katie assumed was his home in Mirkwood. A young blonde elf boy came running to him and threw his arms around him.
"Annatindome, have you seen your mother? One of the lords wants to talk to her about something." Legolas asked the child.
"I've seen mother, father. I'll go get her," Annatindome answered, and ran off to get his mother.
The visions stopped, and Katie was so upset that she fainted. Chelli and Galadriel rushed over to her, both trying to wake her.
"Do you see now why Katie seems so sad?" Galadriel asked. Chelli nodded.
"I'd never realized…the child. Was it hers?" Chelli asked.
"It would seem not, if she's leaving with you all," Galadriel responded and pulled out a vile with a potion known for waking sick people from long sleeps.
"Katie…No, Ara now, I suppose. Ara won't be coming home if I have anything to say about it," Chelli muttered as she helped her friend back onto her feet. "Legolas!" Chelli called.
He came running with Merry not far behind. "What happened?" Legolas asked desperately.
"Legolas, calm down, Katie was only overwhelmed but what she saw in them mirror and fainted," Galadriel responded with a sad smile. Legolas's eyes widened in alarm, but he hesitated to go to her because Chelli was there.
Chelli smiled. "Legolas, why don't you take Katie back to your room. I have a blonde friend who's acting suspiciously around one brunette hobbit," Chelli ordered before dragging Merry off to find Pippin and Jenny.
When she had left the clearing, Legolas rushed to Katie's side, picked her up, and carried her out of the clearing. Galadriel smiled, hoping that her interpretation of Katie's vision was going to be the correct one, instead of Katie's.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Have fun?" Esther asked Chelli as she walked into the clearing where her friends were staying.
"I learned a lot," Chelli mumbled. "Katie and Legolas have gone back to their room," Chelli answered to Ashley's questioning look.
The movement in the clearing stopped. "You let them go somewhere alone?" Boromir asked in shock. Chelli nodded.
"Whatever they saw in that mirror had to be serious," Aragorn commented. Everyone nodded in agreement. A giggle came from behind a tree.
"Jenny Ann Jordan! Stay away from that hobbit," Chelli screeched before running off to drag her friend back to the group.
"Well, at least she hasn't changed entirely," Paige commented.
"Yes, and I think from now on, we shouldn't question whether or not Katie and Legolas are together. Just take it as a given. I believe I know what has happened," Aragorn commented before he got into his sleeping roll. "Good-night. We leave tomorrow."
Esther looked at him, stunned that he was just now announcing but shrugged it off. "Everyone in bed! We've got an early start tomorrow!" she called, and everyone grumpily got into bed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Get up, everyone!" Pippin yelled. "We need to leave!"
Aragorn who was packing everything up silently, glared at the young hobbit. "You needn't have awoken them. Legolas and Katie haven't come down yet. They said they'd come and get us when everything was ready," Aragorn hissed.
"What?" Chelli screeched. "You woke me up from nothing!" Pippin ran and jumped behind a grumbling Ashley.
"Ashley, please protect me from Chelli!"
Ashley nodded and pushed Pippin in between Gimli's sleeping bag and hers before going back to sleep.
Esther sat up, looked at the person in the sleeping bag beside hers, and began to giggle. Aragorn made his way over and put a questioning hand on her shoulder.
"Jared, he didn't even flinch through all of this. He slept through Chelli coming back last night too!" Esther laughed.
"That sounds very much like Jared," Katie said form behind Aragorn. Esther jumped.
"I didn't know that you were there!" she said.
"Elves can be extremely quiet when they want to be," Aragorn commented with a laugh and patted Legolas on the back. "Am I correct, Legolas my friend?"
Legolas nodded. "Lady Galadriel would like you all to meet her in five minutes at the edge of the river. She wants to give all of us a few parting gifts."
Legolas grabbed Katie's hand and started to walk away. "Au revoir, Esther. I'll see you in a few!" Katie called before letting Legolas pull her in the direction of the river.
They walked in silence for a moment, before Legolas pulled her close. "Do you realize this is the last time we'll actually have alone? We'll be fighting battles all the time after this," he whispered.
"I know. The road ahead will be hard," Katie responded resting her head on his shoulder.
"Ara, if I asked you for a favor would you do it?" he asked, laying his head atop hers.
"Of course, Legolas, if it's in my power to fulfill it."
"Stay here. Stay here and be safe. Galadriel says if you recast the bond-breaking spell it should free you," Legolas urged, tightening his grip.
"Legolas, that is something I cannot do. You ask me to leave my friends? They need me and I need to be with them! I'm not going to leave you to your fate alone," she answered fiercely.
Legolas pulled away and looked deep into her eyes. "Then I have one thing to say to you before Galadriel comes. I can see her in the distance. Melamim, I love you!"
