Protecting the Fellowship

by original-creativity

Kenzie is a witch...a special witch. And she has been thrown into Middle Earth to travel with one of the most famous group of warriors and protect them from a demon who demands the One. LegolasOC Romance plus Please review!

16. Chapter 15

As I was writing this, I realized that it was going to possibly be the largest chapter in the first story. I really didn't plan it that way, it just happened as I began to write it. Then I realized that the reason why this was so long was because it is, by far, the most pivotal and important chapter in the story. I mean Galadriel is in it and it must accommodate her right? LoL. Really though, questions and events arise in this chapter that will make you wonder what in the hell is going on and then, later on of course, you'll realize the significance. :D Oh, foreshadowing is a beautiful thing. There are going to be a couple of twists and turns, boys and girls. I hope you're ready for it.

PirateAngel: I am SOOOOOO unbelievably sorry that I haven't read your story in forever. I am truly a horrible person and promise that I will get on it as soon as I can. :D Thanks for sticking with mine.

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Chapter 15: Broken...but Vindicated

Author's note: Because of rules, I had to remove lyrics from the story.

There was nothing now. She found she could no longer gaze around at the beauty of Middle Earth; it simply wasn't affecting her. It was as if she had been in a waking nightmare for the past few hours. She was dead inside and found herself no longer caring. The only thing that constantly ran through her mind was getting to Lothlorien without them turning on her. If she could accomplish that, then she could call for her sisters and leave the Fellowship forever, never turning to look back.

The remaining members of the company continued on, their grief, sorrow, blame, and guilt rumbling through their minds with each new step. She, however, thought only on her new plan, getting the hell away from Middle Earth.

She had let them down in a way that she was slowly beginning to understand. Now she felt that the only way to redeem herself was to leave and allow someone else more capable to handle it. What had she been thinking? Katlin was right; she had become too emotionally involved and now it was coming back to bite her in the ass.

She turned for the first time and looked back at them, no emotion on her face. How could she convey any emotion when she felt none accept failure? She was never one to grovel for forgiveness; her pride would never allow that, no matter what had happened, and she knew it wouldn't make an exception. It spoke to her now, demanding that she suck it up and move on.

'Gandalf was supposed to die, damnit! It wasn't your fault. So where in the hell did they come off blaming you?'

'But they don't know,' she thought back, slowly turning her gaze forward to Aragorn's back, 'They don't see the bigger picture and I made sure it stayed that way.'

In that sense, she thought ironically, she had succeeded in her mission.

And so she waited. She waited for her salvation in Lothlorien, she waited for her needed comfort in her sisters, but mostly she waited for her deserved hate. With each step, she prayed that their grief and sorrow would cloud their minds for another day, another hour...just another minute.

She knew that the moment they finally move past the heartache would be the moment that she would become the enemy among them.

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Aragorn stopped several feet ahead of them and gazed out at the country in front of him. He sighed, somewhat relived; they would reach Lothlorien well before the sun would start its descent.

"We can stop here for just a moment," he called back to them, turning and looking at them as they stood on the banks of the swallow creek bed.

They all seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and began to scatter around along the side of the water. Kenzie made her way down the stream from them, stopping far enough away so she couldn't hear anything they were saying. But it seemed that the Fellowship wasn't about to let her out of their sights. Legolas followed her somewhat, but kept his distance. The others then followed his lead and Kenzie found that she wasn't going to get any peace from them for the rest of the day.

The young witch let out a heavy sigh and carefully knelt down to the edge of the water. She greedily scooped the clear liquid up in her hands and drank. Thoughts began swirling in her mind once again, but she couldn't focus on just one. She was tired of thinking about it and wondered if she would ever care.

She side-glanced at the hobbits for a split second before turning her attention back to the water. They were whispering amongst themselves, well, all of them except for Frodo. Kenzie licked her lips and continued to busy herself with the water as she allowed herself to listen to their conversation.

"Are you all right?" Merry asked Frodo softly, trying to keep the conversation private. But he knew as well as Kenzie that it wouldn't be; the rest of the Fellowship was wondering if Frodo was truly capable of moving on as well.

"No, I will never be all right," Frodo replied softly, his gaze fluttering over to Kenzie, but then turning away just as quickly.

"Mr. Frodo, it's not your fault," Sam whispered, laying a comforting hand on the older hobbit's shoulder.

Frodo fixed his jaw as if he weren't going to reply. But then he looked up and stared out into the water in front of them, something coming over him. It was as if he had finally come to realize something.

"You're right, Sam," he started, "It isn't my fault." Slowly, his eyes moved over to the young witch and he glared at her, all of his anger and grief lurking in his gaze.

Kenzie licked her lips and lowered her head again, dipping her hands down into the cool, clear water. She knew this was coming; that it would only be a matter of time before he vented his frustration, blame, and guilt on her. The young witch had thought that she was prepared for it by now, but as her hands began to shake noticeably, she realized that she wasn't.

"Who among us knew about the secret entrance into the mines? Who lingered by the door in the tomb, knowing that the orcs would soon attack?" The hobbit questioned standing and making his way toward Kenzie.

"Frodo," Pippin started, his voice pleading for his friend to stop.

"Tell me, Lady Kenzie, when will you begin helping us? So far, you have just let us made one wrong decision right after the other," Frodo accused, still nearing her.

Kenzie swallowed and continued to stare at the water, unable to meet his accusing eyes and hatred-filled voice.

"Frodo, Gandalf's death was caused by no one here," Aragorn stated softly, yet sternly as he came up behind the hobbit and put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him just in front of the young witch.

"No, it wasn't," the hobbit agreed, still looking at Kenzie, "but she did nothing to stop it!" he snapped venomously as he jumped from the Ranger's grasp and landed on Kenzie. Although he was small and light, Kenzie's exhaustion worked in his favor, and Frodo pushed her to the ground easily, "You let him die! You knew all along that he was going to fall and you did nothing!" he screamed, holding his tiny hands around her neck, pushing down hard.

Tears streamed down Kenzie's face as she attempted to push him off of her, but somehow she didn't have the strength to stop him. He continued to yell, but she no longer heard the words. The only words that would affect her were the first ones he spoke. Frodo had now brought the guilt to everyone's thoughts and it would only be a matter of time before they accepted the truth as well. Kenzie had known that Gandalf would die.

And she did nothing to stop it.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Kenzie, Aragorn pulled the small hobbit off of her, struggling to hold Frodo as he fought against the Ranger's strength. Legolas made his way toward her, but he never got there. The young witch rose to her feet immediately and jerked her wrists quickly, freezing the entire Fellowship. She sniffled loudly and hastily began to wipe away her tears. When she could see clearly again, she looked around at the frozen members of the Fellowship. Deep in her heart she knew all along that this would happen; she just refused to believe it. Kenzie gulped and, overcome with grief and depression once again, turned from them and headed across the creek toward a small patch of trees that stood a short distance from the brook.

She began picking her way through the trees and brush carefully, not knowing where she was going, but not really caring. She was growing more and more tired with each step and her body was begging her to stop, but she would not listen. She wanted to put as much distance between herself and them as possible. Kenzie was so determined to get away from the very people that she was supposed to protect that she didn't hear the small bell sounds or notice the blue and white lights that floated around in front of her.

"Kenzie, what are you doing?" Katlin's voice sounded in her head and she looked up startled.

Her older sister stood in front of her, a look of sisterly concern and confusion written all over her face. Next to her stood Brian, his face mirroring Katlin's exactly. Kenzie couldn't response at first; she just stared at both of them as if she didn't recognize them.

"Kenzie," Brian stated, walking forward and taking hold of the young witch's shoulders gently.

This seemed to bring her out of her daze and she looked up at the whitelighter, tears brimming on the edge of her eyes.

"Katlin was right," she stated, her voice becoming choked with emotion, "I can't do this anymore. Not with them hating me."

"Oh, sweetheart," Katlin replied soothingly, walking forward and enveloping her younger sister in a hug as she sobbed.

Kenzie retold the entire event, from her first deadly temptation with the Ring all the way up to when she had looked up and seen them standing in front of her. Katlin and Brian listened patiently, with no interruption as the youngest O'Neil retold her tale to them. When she had finished, Kenzie looked up at Katlin, her eyes puffy from her tears and her cheeks red.

"I was so stupid, Katlin," she started, tears threatening to fall again, "I should have listened to you and Kennedy."

"No, Kenzie," Katlin replied as she shook her head, "You're not stupid. Kennedy and I were the ones who weren't right."

Kenzie sniffled and pulled away, confusion clouding her face, "I don't understand."

"Kenzie, you were right; they do need our help and one of us was destined to use our powers and stand beside them as they fight for the freedom of their home. And you are the only one with enough knowledge to do that," Katlin started, "Kennedy and I, we don't have that."

"But they don't understand, Katlin," Kenzie wailed, "They don't get the fact that I couldn't do anything! And they won't see the fact that I wanted to help him. I wanted to help him so much..."

The oldest O'Neil smiled faintly, "They will in time," she replied, placing a stubborn piece of hair behind her little sister's ear, "They will in time."

"I can't go back there, Katlin," Kenzie stated defiantly, shaking her head, "I can't go back there and face them now that they realize that I could have stopped Gandalf from falling."

"Kenzie, you can't abandon them now. They will need you now more than ever," Brian started, "The Fellowship is beginning to break and if you leave them, they will believe that this really is a lost cause."

"But you didn't see them!" the young witch screamed, "You didn't have to see them break down or lose hope or give into grief! They didn't try to blame or hurt you!"

She was suddenly choked by tears and she lowered her head, "You didn't have to hear Frodo's words and see their faces as they began to see that I really was the one to blame."

"So you're just gonna give up?" Katlin asked, her voice changing dramatically.

"What else can I do?" Kenzie asked, looking back up to her sister, defeated, "They're better off without my childishness anyway."

"Oh bull shit," Katlin stated harshly, causing Kenzie to gape at her.

"Listen to yourself, Kenzie! You never give up...never. What's so different now?" the oldest O'Neil demanded.

"It's not the same," Kenzie replied sheepishly.

"No it's not," her sister argued, "But sweetheart, we have dealt with this before. We have seen death, felt shame and failure, and coped with others' blame. Just because this is another world and a different kind of Innocent doesn't mean that the evil you will be facing has changed."

Kenzie sniffled again and lowered her head once more, gazing at the grass and flowers at her feet. Katlin sighed and walked towards her sister again and placed her hands on her shoulders.

"When it comes down to it, Kenzie, you have a demon to stop and an Innocent to protect. That's not anything new to you. You are a Charmed One."

New tears fell onto Kenzie's cheeks as she threw her arms around her sister again, hugging her tightly. "Thanks, Katlin," she whispered.

"No problem. Now," Katlin started, pulling away with a smile, "I think that you have an Innocent that is in need of protection right about now."

Kenzie nodded and wiped away her tears, "Yes. I do."

"We are just a call away if you need us," Brian reminded her.

"I know, thanks," she replied, smiling slightly.

Katlin and Brian smiled back reassuringly before disappearing in a swirl of blue and white lights. After they were gone, Kenzie took another deep breath and stared up at the sky, regrouping herself. She assumed that they were going to have a lot of questions for her when she returned and she needed to be prepared for the worst. Finally, after a few seconds, the young witch turned back and started down the direction in which she had come. As she waded through the many trees, she felt herself becoming focused on her purpose again. Katlin had been right, once more. Kenzie was there to save an Innocent. She was a Charmed One; that's what she did. That's what she and her sisters were destined to do; protect the world, and others, from the unspeakable evils that lurked in dark corners and hid in shadows. Sure, there would be death and blame and failure, but as Grams use to say, "Everything in this life has a purpose; from the most seemingly unimportant decision to the death of someone close. There will always be a reason why it happened and we must accept this fact."

Just as she was about to reach the end of the trees, a twig nearby snapped and she looked up quickly. Legolas was stopped just a few feet in front of her, gazing at her in concern. Kenzie stopped as well and stared back at him, waiting for him to make the first step.

The elf pursed his lips, "You froze us," he stated.

The young witch looked away and nodded, even though she knew he wasn't asking.

He nodded slowly as well and then walked towards her, "Are you all right?"

"Yes, Legolas," she began, "I'm fine."

She continued to look around at anything except him. She knew if she did look at him, then all the composure she had built up would be lost. Legolas stopped just in front of her and attempted to meet her gaze.

"We...were worried," he stated softly.

Kenzie sighed and looked him directly in the eyes, "Well, you don't have to worry anymore. You found me and everything is fine."

With that, she walked around him, praying that her strength would hold out for just a little bit longer.

"Kenzie, are you su...," the elf began, but the young witch turned and cut him off.

"Yes. Now let's get back to the others," she stated, turning back down the path, "I don't want to leave Frodo alone for too long. The demon could attack at any given moment."

Legolas sighed as she continued on, obviously unaware that he wasn't following. He looked on at her wistfully, knowing just from their small encounter that she would never be the same again. Gandalf's fall, Frodo's blame, and her own grief had brought about a change in her; he could already sense it. He wanted to comfort her just then and let her know that the members of the Fellowship had not shut her out or claimed her as an enemy;...at least he hadn't. But as she continued to walk away from him, his heart dropped as he realized that he was too late. Kenzie had already accepted the fact they blamed her for the wizard's death.

Legolas sighed again, slowly making his way back towards the others as well, even more disappointment seeping into his heart. It was hard for him, but the elf would admit that he really wanted comfort from Kenzie as well. He wanted to know from her that this was what really was supposed to happen; that they weren't fighting a lost cause. But then that wouldn't be fair to her; if Kenzie had no comfort, then Legolas would have none either.

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Soon after Legolas and Kenzie returned to the brook, the Fellowship was off again, drawing closer and closer to the elven lands of Lothlorien. The sun was beginning its descent and Aragorn pushed them towards to the safety of the forests with a fear that orcs would appear at any given moment. Finally, as dusk began to sneak its way around the land, the company entered the outer borders of the elven kingdom. Kenzie hung back behind Legolas and Aragorn, finding herself more alert about everything around her than she had been before. The elf and Ranger walked in front now, whispering to each other in elvish and the young witch found herself wanting to smack them both. Just because everyone hated her and Frodo had tried to kill her didn't mean that she wasn't still there to protect the young hobbit and help keep the Fellowship's future intact.

"Stay close, young hobbits!" she heard Gimli ordered, herding the already frightened hobbits together behind them, "They say there's a great sorceress that lives in these woods...an elf-witch of terrible power."

Kenzie decided to turn around at that moment and shot a look at the dwarf that scream, "Hey, watch it." She didn't need him planting more hateful thoughts about witches in their heads.

The dwarf seemed to ignore her, as he had become an expert at doing, and continued on with his little scary story, "All who look upon her, fall under her spell..." he trailed off, looking around the woods carefully, "and are never seen again."

Kenzie turned again, about to tell the dwarf to stop scaring the hobbits, but stopped when she saw Frodo begin to look around frantically. It struck her then that Galadriel was speaking to the hobbit, already making her presence known in his mind.

"Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked cautiously, sensing his friend's distress as well.

Gimli seemed to be the only one who didn't pick up on Frodo's sudden behavior as he continued on with his talking, "Well, here is one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily," he stated, turning to the hobbits as he spoke.

Kenzie rolled her eyes and suddenly stopped as she bumped into Aragorn. The Ranger was looking at Legolas, waiting for the elf to say something. She suddenly saw a shadow lurking behind a tree and slowly brought her hands up in surrender so she wouldn't be shot with a deadly arrow.

"I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!" Gimli finished, turning just as a Lorien elf appeared, notching an arrow and pointing it directly in the dwarf's face.

Other elves began appearing at that time, catching the rest of the Fellowship by surprise. Legolas had long ago drawn his bow and held it in front of him with an arrow already notched, ready to be released, while Aragorn had decided to take Kenzie's approach and slowly lift his hands in surrender.

"The dwarf breaths so loud, we could have shot him in the dark," an elf stated as he strode forward proudly, looking at each one of the members of the Fellowship in turn.

Kenzie felt the familiar feeling of a smirk creep up on her face as she recognized him. Haldir had always struck her as a smartass; someone that she could get along with very well.

A smart and clever smirk was fixed on his fair face until his eyes stopped on the young witch. It seemed that he recognized her as well as a look of realization sat in and the smirk vanished slightly. The young witch was waiting for him to speak, but he never did. He turned his gaze to the other members of the Fellowship suddenly and took in a sharp breath when his eyes rested on Frodo. He mumbled something to himself, much like a person praying quietly to themselves would, and looked back up to Aragorn.

"Follow me."

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Sometime later, after a few minutes of walking, the elves of Lorien led the company to a small flet that sat up amongst the trees. The hobbits began to spread out and drop to the floor of the flet, exhaustion taking its final toll on the small creatures as Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Kenzie stood to talk with Haldir.

"Mae govannen, Legolas Thranduilion," Haldir started first, looking fondly at the younger elf. ¤Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil¤

Legolas nodded as they clasped each other's shoulders in a greeting, "Govannas vîn gwennen le, Haldir o Lórien." ¤Our Fellowship stands in your debt, Haldir of Lorien.¤

Haldir nodded reluctantly, as if stating that there really wasn't anything he could do, and then turned to Aragorn.

"Ah, Aragorn in Dúnedain," he started, bowing his head slightly to the Ranger, "istannen le ammen". ¤Aragorn of the Dúnedain, you are known to us.¤

Aragorn bowed his head as well in respect while he mumbled his thanks.

"So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves!" Gimli cried from behind the Ranger, "Speak words we can all understand!" he demanded roughly.

Haldir turned his gaze to the dwarf and seemed to sneer at him as he replied, "We have not had dealings with the dwarves since the Dark Days."

Gimli huffed, "And you know what this dwarf says to that? Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul."

Kenzie had never known what those words had meant, but after being with Gimli as long as she had been, she could only begin to fathom what curse he had just launched at the elven guard. She saw Aragorn roll his eyes and knew that he had understood the dwarf as the Ranger turned to him.

"That was not so courteous," he scolded and then turned back to Haldir to attempt to bring back the peace.

Haldir just shook his head, signaling that nothing else needed to be said about it and then turned to Kenzie. It seemed that he didn't expect her to be anything special, but once he looked upon her, something clicked in his head again.

"You are the one," he stated so softly that she almost didn't hear it.

"Excuse me?" Kenzie asked, not paying any attention to the members of the Fellowship that began to look between her and Haldir with confusion.

"You are the powerful sister that the Lady has been waiting for," he continued, his voice quickly changing from awe to serious.

"Lady Galadriel has been...," Kenzie trailed off, not fully understanding what it was that he was saying, "waiting for me?"

"Yes," Haldir replied with a smile.

Kenzie couldn't help but smile back at him slowly. No one had smiled at her in what seemed like a lifetime; it felt good that someone was still able to look at her and not feel disgusted. He looked past her then, about to say something about the others that traveled with the group, yet closed his mouth and never spoke. The young witch turned to follow his gaze and then understood why the elf had become so quiet. Haldir pursed his lips as if he were listening to something and then intensified the glare he gave Frodo.

"You bring great evil with you," he whispered softly and soon the rest of the company's eyes were on Frodo, all except for Kenzie.

She knew they were all thinking about the Ring now. An uneasy silence came over the Fellowship and it made Kenzie fidget. Aragorn sighed and lowered his head, knowing just as Kenzie had that the elves of Lothlorien wouldn't allow evil into their forest so easily; especially an evil as consuming and destructive as the one Ring.

"Only the Charmed One may proceed," Haldir stated suddenly, bringing the others out of their reverie, "The rest of you can go no further."

Kenzie lowered her head and bit her lower lip as the elf turned and walked away. She couldn't meet the gazes of the others as they all turned to stare at her. Out of all the things that she could see coming, that one hit her without notice.

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A few minutes later, the members of the Fellowship sat apart from each other as Aragorn continued to argue with Haldir, pleading helplessly it seemed to convince him to harbor them for at least the night.

"Boe ammen veriad lîn," Aragorn pleaded, "Andelu i ven!" ¤We need your protection. The road is very dangerous!¤

Kenzie sat the farthest away, tucked underneath the low branch of one of the trees in its added shadow. She watched them all carefully from a distance, Frodo and Legolas especially. The hobbit seemed lost in his own thoughts as he tried to piece together what had happened to him and his friends in the past months. Her eyes then jumped to the elf. He hadn't looked at her or even said anything to her since she had tried to run away. The young witch didn't blame him; when she thought back to the moment, she did seem a little mean when he came to find her. She sighed, oh well. What had been done was done and she couldn't change it now.

She was taken aback when Legolas suddenly turned and she almost looked away in fear of being caught staring, but realized that he didn't look back at her, his eyes rested on Frodo. The young witch then watched as each member of the Fellowship turned to gaze at Frodo in turn, their faces etched in concern. She understood their worry; Frodo had been right when he said that he would never be the same. The company could already see the changes beginning inside of him.

Just as this thought faded from her mind, Frodo turned and looked at her with sadness. Kenzie gulped, shocked that he had done that after what had happened that afternoon. She pulled her eyes away from him, unable to stand his gaze any longer. But as she drew away, she noticed that the others were gazing at her as well, the same sadness now lurking in their faces. Kenzie gulped and lowered her head, wishing that they would look away. She didn't want their sympathy now.

Suddenly, she took notice that Aragorn's voice no longer echoed around her. The young witch turned her head towards the Ranger and found him bowing earnestly to Haldir. The elf bowed back and then walked up to the rest of the Fellowship, a grave expression on his face.

"You will follow me," he ordered and then swept away and down the flet.

Kenzie sighed and then stood, heaving her pack onto her shoulders again. She walked past the others, ignoring their stares once again as they also stood. She could have sworn that she saw Legolas reach for her out of the corner of her eyes, but decided that she must have been imaging it.

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The Fellowship fell into step behind Haldir as he lead them towards the heart of the lands of Lothlorien. Kenzie followed behind Aragorn for most of the night and into the early morning hours. She listened as he and Haldir spoke in elvish, finding it more soothing now than she had earlier. Both voices flowed smoothly with the language, their tones moving with the motion of the conversation. Many times she found herself wondering what exactly it was they were talking about, but would quickly change her mind; that would take away the mystery of it all.

Some time after dawn, however, they stopped talking and Aragorn fell back behind Kenzie and began to speak with the other members of the Fellowship. The young witch was just beginning to wonder why he hadn't stopped to ask her about how she was doing, when she noticed that Haldir had slowed his steps so that he could speak with her. She looked over and smiled at him slightly, waiting for him to speak first.

Haldir smiled sincerely at her and then gazed back in front of him, "My Lady speaks very highly of you." Kenzie turned towards him and raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

The elf nodded, "Yes, she has spoken to Elrond of Rivendell," he started, still gazing ahead, "The Lord has told her many things of your powers and...personality."

She laughed and found it felt good. Had it really been that long since she had actually laughed? It felt like it had been forever.

"And has the Lady of Light shared any other thoughts with you that pertain to me?" the young witch asked.

Haldir smiled, "She cannot wait to meet with you. I believe that she has many things that she wishes to discuss."

Kenzie's face suddenly fell a little. She had no doubt that the Lady of Light would possibly wish to talk about the future events of Middle Earth and the death of Gandalf the Grey. She bit her lip and lowered her head, the promise of leaving those thoughts behind beginning to dwindle.

"Lady Galadriel will not bring you sorrow, Lady Kenzie," Haldir stated as if he read her thoughts, "If anything, I trust that she will bring you peace."

The young witch sighed, "Do you know what happened, Haldir?" she asked.

He sighed as well, glancing back at the other members of the Fellowship again, "Yes, I think that I do."

"Would you blame me?" she asked.

Haldir smiled slightly, "I cannot respond to that question because I am not in the position to give a comforting answer. However, I am in the unique position to not only see their side, but yours as well."

"And?" she asked.

"Lady Kenzie, you mustn't dwell on things that cannot be changed. What has been done is now unchangeable. For the good of this earth, and your mind, you must move on with your mission. The others will understand in time," he replied softly.

Kenzie sighed, his words sinking in. She found comfort in them and was glad that he was being honest with her. He was right; she needed to move on. She thought for sometime, silently letting things tumble through her head as they continued on. Haldir, fortunately, remained silent at her side, studying her once and again to make sure that she was all right.

After a while, the company began to climb a hillside and Kenzie pulled out of her reverie, realizing that they were about to get their first glance at Lorien.

"So," she started, "how much longer till we reach this place you call home?"

Haldir smiled, seemingly glad that she was feeling better than when he first found her, "The journey will take the rest of the day."

At that point, they reached the top of their climb and Kenzie gasped slightly at the gorgeous scene that lay before her. Haldir's smile grew at her reaction to his home.

The trees were a lush green that the young witch had never seen before and they caught the light of the glittering sun just right, casting their beautiful glow on the elven city that lay tucked snugly amongst them.

"Caras Galadhon, the heart of Elvendom on earth." the elven guard started as Legolas and Aragorn walked up behind them, "Realm of the Lord Celeborn and of Galadriel, Lady of Light."

"It's gorgeous," Kenzie whispered, Aragorn nodding in agreement as they continued to stare out at the elven city.

After a few more seconds, Haldir turned, "Come, we must continue on."

Slowly, they turned to follow the elven guard. Kenzie lingered the longest, staring out at the forest. She faintly heard Haldir calling for her and, with one last look, she turned, continuing down the path.

¤x¤x¤x¤x¤xThe company continued on towards Lorien, the day passing along without any event. Kenzie had worked her way back up behind Haldir and she was happy when he began a conversation with her that didn't involve Gandalf or her troubles. They spoke of many things, their separate lives and families, interesting stories, and much more. The young witch slowly began to feel like herself again, even though a nagging part of her brain kept reminding her of the reality that she would have to face sooner or later. Still, she found comfort in the fact that she was able to laugh and tell stories. In Haldir, Kenzie was finding the exact thing she needed; someone who would willingly take her mind off of the tragedy that affected the Fellowship.

Soon, the crisp morning turned into a hazy afternoon and as Haldir and Kenzie continued to speak to one another, the afternoon faded into a glowing night.

"We are now at the borders of the city," Haldir stated as towering trees began to fill the landscape around them.

Kenzie gazed in wonder as they glittered in the moon, providing enough light for the company to continue its quest. She found herself breathless as she studied the stairs carved out of the trees and was stunned even more when her eyes gazed upon the gorgeous flets resting in the branches above their heads.

"You have seen nothing until you gaze upon the Lady and Lord's home," Haldir whispered near her ear as he watched her marvel over the simple homes.

"I can't even begin to imagine what that looks like. If it's better than this,..." she trailed off, her eyes still roaming the trees above her.

He laughed softly and continued to lead them on towards his Lord and Lady. After a few more minutes, the Fellowship and elven guards finally came upon a tree that was larger than all the others. Without a word, Haldir began to climb the stairs and the company followed without question, still in awe with the beautiful elven city that lay all around them. They climbed for what seemed like an eternity before finally stepping onto a small platform that stood before another grand staircase. Haldir motioned for the Fellowship to wait there and then, with one last encouraging look to Kenzie, swept down another staircase, disappearing out of sight.

The young witch sighed, tension growing inside of her at seeing the Lady. She found herself thinking back to what Haldir had said and began hoping that Galadriel really could give her the peace that she was longing for. Her eyes wandered around her at the beautiful carvings. Haldir had been right about this; the flet was even more gorgeous than she could imagine. It glowed with a brightness that was all its own and the young witch had a feeling that was due to the elves that resided there. She sighed audibly as she continued to busy herself examining the stunning cravings that ran up the trees. Finally, movement at the top of the stairs caught Kenzie's attention and she turned her eyes to look upon Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel for the first time. They looked much like she expected them too; Celeborn's handsome face was set in a stern glare and his dark eyes held a look of seriousness that startled Kenzie somewhat. His long, light blue robes and pale blonde hair were glowing brightly in the light and the young witch couldn't help thinking that he truly looked like a lord or king.

Galadriel's face was set in a similar stare and Kenzie found that it was a look that didn't suit the Lady, the young witch had expected to see a bright smile curling on her rose red lips and twinkling in her crystal blue eyes. Her flowing blonde hair was crimped slightly, like Arwen's, and Kenzie smiled slightly as she thought of her friend in Rivendell. 'Well, we know where she gets that from,' she thought, remembering that the Lady of Light was Arwen's grandmother.

Galadriel set her hand gently in her husband's and they slowed descended the staircase towards the Fellowship, seemingly floating on air as they did so. Kenzie sucked in a breath, unable to comprehend the aura and powerful magic that suddenly surrounded her. Looking up at the Lady, it dawned on her that it was emanating totally from Galadriel. Kenzie took a deep breath and let her eyes gently close as she fell into the magic energy that engulfed her and her companions. A little smile curled on her lips as the Lord and Lady continued to descend the stairs; it had been too long since she had been in the presence of a very strong magical presence such as Galadriel's.

Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel finally stopped on the last stair just above the Fellowship. They both gazed around at the company, studying each member in turn as if they were sizing them all up. Kenzie had opened her eyes once more and stood tall, staring confidently at the two elves. No one moved or spoke for what seemed like ages.

Then, Celeborn drew in a breath, "The enemy knows you have entered here," he stated, his voice sending shivers down the young witch's spine.

"What hope you had in secrecy is now gone," the Lord continued and Kenzie found his words true; hope was beginning to fade all around them.

"Nine that are here, yet ten there were set out from Rivendell," Celeborn drawled, stating the obvious as his gaze raked over the company again.

"Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him," he stated, seemingly looking out over their heads, "I can no longer see him from afar," the Lord trailed off as if he suddenly come to the realization of what had happened to the wizard.

As the elf's words tapered off, Kenzie felt her gaze pulled to Galadriel, waiting for her to speak. She found the Lady gazing at Aragorn, her face squinted slightly in concentration. As she stared at him, she suddenly found the answer that she had been looking for and her eyes widened in shock.

"Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land. He has fallen into shadow," Galadriel breathed, her disbelief still evident in her face.

Kenzie felt the sting of the wizard's death all over again. She turned her eyes away and noticed that the rest of the Fellowship had done the same as well.

Legolas broke the silence first, his voice startling the young witch as he began to speak, "He was taken by both shadow and flame. A Balrog of Morgoth."

Galadriel suddenly shifted her gaze from the Ranger to the elven prince, her eyes questioning him and waiting for him to continue.

He worked up his courage and turned his eyes up towards hers, "For we went needlessly into the net of Moria."

Galadriel nodded slightly at him and drew in a breath, "Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his full purpose."

Kenzie took a deep breath and looked away, wishing suddenly that someone had picked up on that foreshadowing element. But she knew that they wouldn't.

Galadriel let her wandering gaze rest on Gimli and smiled reassuringly at the dwarf, "Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-dum fill your heart, Gimli, son of Golin," she started as he looked up and met her eyes.

"For the world has grown full of peril and in all lands, love is now mingled with grief," she finished, quickly shifting her eyes to Boromir as she ended. Kenzie turned her eyes to the Lord of Gondor also, watching as he began to shake while he tried to hold her gaze. But in the end, he could not. Quickly, he looked away, a choked sobbed, escaping his lips. The young witch swallowed hard and looked away from him, wondering what the Lady had said about Boromir's homeland to upset him so. Kenzie's stomach clenched suddenly; was this her fate? Would Galadriel look at her and project into her mind images of a chaotic San Francisco? Would she see her sisters fighting for their lives in a battle that they could not win? Would Galadriel tell her of the disastrous fate of the world that she knew, letting more grief and sorrow slip into Kenzie's heart?

"What now becomes of this fellowship?" Celeborn asked, his voice breaking the silence that had settled, "Without Gandalf, hope is lost."

Kenzie's eyes shifted over to Aragorn who lowered his head, uncertainty clouding his face. What was it with this guy and the loss of hope deal? Every time he mentioned it, she saw a little piece of each member of the Fellowship fade away. Angered by this, Kenzie drew in a breath and found a little bit of courage that she thought had vanished.

"There is always hope," she found herself whispering.

Her companions and Celeborn looked at her with mixed reactions, most of them surprise. Galadriel, however, nodded, seemingly pleased that Kenzie responded.

"The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all," the Lady started, a small smile appearing on her lips, "Yet hope does remain, while the company is true."

When she finished, she smiled brightly at Kenzie and then at Sam, as if she was hinting to something that would be incredibly important in the future. While she knew the reason why the Lady gazed at Sam, she was baffled as to why she had been gazed at. Perhaps it was because she showed that she believed there was, and always would be, hope for them to accomplish their task.

"Do not let your hearts be troubled," Galadriel began again, bringing Kenzie out of her thoughts, "Go now and rest for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight you will sleep in peace."

When she finished, she glared at Frodo and Kenzie became frightened of the Lady for the first and only time. The way that her eyes bore down into Frodo's haunted her and she fought the urge to pull the hobbit out of the gaze of the elven witch. But the glare ended as quickly as it had begun and Kenzie shook the image of Galadriel's eyes out of her head.

After sweeping another beautiful smile at all of them, Galadriel placed her hand in Celeborn's again and turned up the stairs once more. Kenzie found herself staring after them, wondering why the Lady hadn't said anything to her. What if Haldir had been wrong; maybe Galadriel didn't want to talk to her after all? The rest of the Fellowship turned to follow a maiden down the stairs once more and the young witch turned as well, but stopped suddenly when a voice echoed in her mind.

"Come with me child," it spoke softly and a violent shudder coursed through her.

Kenzie looked back briefly to see Galadriel staring at her, a small smirk played upon her fair face.

"Do not be afraid," her voice echoed in her mind again.

The young witch licked her lips and looked back to see Legolas staring at her, waiting for her to follow him and seemingly refusing to leave her, even though his face held a look of annoyance.

"Kenzie," Galadriel's voice sounded again and Kenzie could not ignore the pleas any longer.

Putting aside the perplexed look Legolas gave her, the young witch turned back to the Lady and ascended up the stairs towards her.

The Lady of Light smiled, pleased that Kenzie was following, and turned back to continue ascending the stairs. Her earlier thoughts of being slightly frightened by the elven witch's glare and disappointed by not wanting to be seen by her vanished as she silently followed the Lord and Lady up another staircase. They did not look back at her and Kenzie didn't look back at the Fellowship; something inside her told her to just keep her head straight and continue on. Soon, the trio came upon another flet that split into two more staircases, one to the left and the other to the right. Celeborn and Galadriel looked at each other for a brief second, obviously sharing a conversation in their minds. As Kenzie began to wonder what they were saying to one another, the two elves turned and looked upon her. The young witch licked her lips nervously, waiting for what would happen next. Surprisingly, Celeborn smiled at her slightly and then turned down the left staircase, disappearing from her sight. Kenzie turned her eyes back to the Lady, her eyebrows creased together in confusion.

But Galadriel just smiled, "Come, Kenzie," she whispered in the young witch's mind and then turned down the right staircase.

Kenzie took a deep breath, more confusion and doubt flooding into her mind as she continued to follow the elven witch blindly. The staircase that they were now descending was straight down with no flets interrupting the course of the carved wonders. Kenzie kept her head bent as she followed Galadriel, a thousands questions floating in her mind, but no answers to ease them. Finally, just when the young witch thought she might scream if she stepped down again, they reached the forest floor and the Lady began to lead her on through the trees.

The young witch paused at the bottom of the stairs for a moment, but then shook her head and pressed on. Lorien was far more beautiful than anything Kenzie had ever imagined. Everything glowed with a gorgeous, soft blue light, eliminating a need for any other source of light. Galadriel wove through the giant trees effortlessly with a knowledge she gained over thousands of years. The young witch contemplated asking the Lady where it was they were going, but couldn't find the voice to do so. Finally, just as they went down another small staircase, Kenzie opened her mouth to question Galadriel, but the Lady stopped by a large tree and up held a hand.

She smiled brightly at Kenzie and walked around the tree. The youngest O'Neil sighed, following the elven witch, and then gasped at what she saw. The space behind the tree was a beautifully constructed bath area. A small staircase stood in front of them, leading the two up to a medium sized pool that glittered deep midnight blue. A gentle waterfall fell from the rocks that surrounded the pool on the right and a flat rock surface curled around the left side. Any free space around the pool was covered in gorgeous flowers that Kenzie had never seen in Lorien until that moment. As she gaped at the beauty of the area, two elven maidens walked around her and towards the left side of the pond.

"This is my private bathing area," Galadriel spoke to her for the first time, "you may make yourself comfortable and use it to it's full extent."

Kenzie turned and looked at the Lady, her eyes wide with amazement, "I couldn't..."

"These are my hand maids," Galadriel interrupted, smiling brightly as the blonde and brunette maids placed several bottles, and two soft towels, on the smooth rock, "If you need anything, they are just a call away."

"Thank you so much, Lady Galadriel," the young witch breathed, not able to think of anything else to express her gratitude.

The Lady simply nodded her head and then turned back down the stairs, disappearing with her maids into the woods. The youngest O'Neil took a deep breath and turned back to the pool, staring at the steam that was rising from the water. She thought of how long it had been since she had bathed and her muscles began to beg her to slip into the welcoming warm waters. Unable to ignore it any longer, Kenzie gazed around to make sure she was alone, slid off her pack, and then gingerly pealed her clothing off. She laid out Arwen's outfit as neatly as she could and then slid into the waters.

A sigh escaped her as the calming and soothing nature of the warm bath soaked into her skin. Everything was slowly erased from her mind and she allowed the tranquil quality of Lorien to surround her. After a few minutes, she carefully undid the braid in her hair and began to wonder if she could have someone braid it back before the Fellowship left. When her blonde locks fell loose, she dunked her head quickly and soothed back her wet hair when she surfaced. She then floated towards the left side, gazing at the bottles that rested on the smooth slab. Kenzie allowed her fingers to lightly run across the multi-colored bottles and found herself wondering which was what. Coming to the conclusion that any kind of soap would be good for her hair at that moment, she selected a sky blue bottle and gently pulled the corked from the top. The liquid that slid into her hand resembled shampoo, so the young witch replaced the bottle and lathered the soap into her wet curls. As she rubbed her scalp with her fingertips, she began to wonder where the rest of the Fellowship had been taken. She hoped that they were bathing as well, so she wouldn't feel as bad for being taken to her own private bath. That and Aragorn and Pippin were getting a little icky. Kenzie laughed and was glad that she did. Laughing was more relaxing than she had ever given it credit for. After lathering her curls, she picked another bottle (this time a pink rose color) and swam back toward her pack. She sat the bottle beside her pack and then begin to rummage around in the sack. She smiled when she pulled out her razor and shower pouf, thinking about how truly awesome her sisters really were.

Sure no one could see her legs or anything, but the feeling of unshaven legs was driving her insane. Once she had finished that task, she swam towards the waterfall and thoroughly rinsed her hair under the warm water. She then washed her grimy skin twice with the pink soap and made her way towards the left side again. Kenzie carefully climbed the stairs out of the pool and wrapped one of the soft white towels around her body. After she had tucked it snugly around her, the young witch grabbed the second towel and set about to dry her hair as much as she could. Just as she wrapped the cloth around her dripping curls, someone cleared their throat loudly, causing Kenzie to whip around quickly. The two elven maidens from earlier had appeared, the blonde holding a beautiful white gown in her hands.

"Would you like some help, Lady Kenzie?" the brunette asked, making her ways towards the young witch.

Kenzie looked back and forth between the two, confusion leaking into her face, "Ummm, no, I can get it, thanks."

The elven maid nodded, "Very well. We have brought you a gown to wear while we have your traveling attire cleaned," she stated as the blonde elf said the gown down and began to pick up Arwen's outfit.

"Wait, I think...," Kenzie started, afraid that something bad would happen to the outfit that she had come to love.

"Do not worry," the blonde elf spoke with a smile, "We will take very good care of it."

Kenzie sighed and nodded her head, trusting that they really wouldn't do something to her clothing. After she had gathered the clothing, the blonde maid disappeared down the stairs.

"When you have finished dressing," the brunette elf started, grabbing Kenzie's attention again, "we will help you with your hair."

She then turned as well and disappeared down the stairs. The young witch had opened her mouth to ask where she would find them when she was done, but quickly shut it, knowing that it was useless. She sighed heavily and made her way towards the white gown. After drying off thoroughly, Kenzie gently picked up the silky dress and slipped it easily over her head. The fabric fitted and pulled in all the right places and she suddenly wished that she had a mirror to see if she truly looked as gorgeous as she felt. Feeling a little brighter, she wrapped her hair in her towel again and slowly walked down the stairs.

She began humming a song that she couldn't remember the name of as she started on the path that the had brought her to the bathing area. When she walked around the large tree that secluded that area, she stopped suddenly as she found herself staring at the two elven maids. They both smiled at her brightly and Kenzie smiled back, not surprised that they were waiting there.

"Follow us," the brunette elf stated before the young witch could open her mouth and turned back down the path.

Kenzie sighed and laughed slightly, almost knowing that she would say that. It seemed that the elves of Lorien didn't explain much, they just took you wherever they needed you to be. Tightening the towel around her hair, the young witch took a deep breath and followed the two elven maids through the land of Lorien. The curled and twisted through trees that Kenzie vaguely found familiar. Suddenly she realized that they were back tracking towards the Lord and Lady's flets. Sure enough, they came upon the same stairs that Kenzie had descended earlier and began to climb. Just as before, Kenzie thought that the stairs would go on forever, before they finally reached their destination. The two elven maids turned off of the stairs and onto a large enclosed flet.

As the young witch gazed around the flet, the elves pulled out one of the chairs from a large table and turned it towards the edge of the flet.

"Please, have a seat," the blonde stated, motioning towards the chair.

Kenzie nodded and tried to gracefully sit down, unwrapping her hair from the soft towel. She sat in silence, closing her eyes as the two elven maids gently tugged the knots out of her hair. It reminded her of when she was little when Katlin and Kennedy would work through her hair while they sat on Katlin's large bed. Kenzie frowned suddenly, but not because the elves tugged on her hair. The memory of her sisters brought back a stab of sadness. Soon, the two had finished working through the young witch's hair and pulled away, taking the towel from her hands.

They then walked towards the door and turned back to her, "The Lady will join you shortly," the blonde elf started.

"In the mean time, help yourself to some food," the brunette finished, both of them smiling brightly at her.

Kenzie nodded in respect, "Thank you, again."

The two maids nodded as well and then left the young witch with the silence of the growing night. She stood and walked tentatively towards a long table that was furnished with many plates of different kinds of fruits and sweets, running her fingers through her wet locks. She looked around cautiously and then took what looked like a grape from one of the plates. Kenzie gently popped the fruit in her mouth and chewed noiselessly on it. Finding it very good, she grabbed a few more and walked over to the side of the flet, peering over curiously as she continued to munch on the pieces of fruit.

"I see that you have taken a liking to our fruits, Lady Kenzie," Galadriel's voice floated into the room.

Kenzie turned and nodded, swallowing a piece before finding her voice, "Yes, milady. Thank you very much."

Galadriel nodded as she walked onto the flet and towards the end of the table, taking a piece of orange melon herself. The two stood in silence was they both chewed on the different kinds of fruit. Finally, the Lady of Light smiled at the young witch after she finished another piece of melon.

"You are quite different than I imagined you would be, Lady Kenzie," she stated.

"Well, I am different from what I was when I started this journey," Kenzie replied, folding her hands in front of her.

Galadriel nodded, "Yes, I can understand that. But I still expected you to be a little more...lively."

"You mean childish?" Kenzie asked, a small smile on her face.

"Yes, a little more childish," the Lady replied, smiling brightly at her.

Kenzie sighed and her smile faded somewhat, "I was forced to grow out of that."

"Was it forced or did you chose it?" Galadriel asked, raising an eyebrow slightly.

To that, Kenzie didn't answer. She really didn't have one to that question and somehow she suspected that Galadriel wasn't looking for one. The Lady sighed, "This journey is not exactly what you had thought it would be," she stated.

Kenzie shook her head.

"For a time, you were expecting to leave once you reached my lands, didn't you?"

"Yes," the young witch started, lowering her head and staring at her hands, "But my sister showed me my importance here and I stayed."

Galadriel smiled again, "Sometimes, it takes a love one to point out the things that are the most obvious."

"And to teach us the hardest lessons," Kenzie pointed out as well, feelings of wanting to see her sisters again creeping into her mind.

"You truly are wise, Kenzie O'Neil, as well as beautiful," the Lady of Light started, "I can see now why he cares for you so," she finished in a whisper.

Her last statement caused the youngest O'Neil to look up suddenly, "Excuse me?"

But the Lady turned away, walking down the length of the table towards a chair, "You underestimate yourself greatly, Kenzie. You are a powerful and skilled witch, you are wiser than many your age, and you are stronger than you will let yourself believe."

Galadriel sat down at the end of the table before continuing, "You are more important to this Middle Earth than you will give yourself credit for as well."

"But how can I be?" Kenzie asked skeptically, "I'm not suppose to be in the story of Middle Earth."

"No, you weren't," the Lady agreed, "But neither was this demon that you are here to stop."

This silenced Kenzie, causing the young witch to think on what the elven Lady had stated. Galadriel watched her ponder on her words for a few seconds before standing and making her way towards her.

"You have learned so much in these past few months, but you have yet to learn what you need to know about yourself and what you will mean to this Fellowship before the war is over," she stated softly.

Kenzie licked her lips and gazed down at her hands again, wishing that she could believe what Galadriel was saying about her, but finding that she could not.

"Whether you will believe it or not, you are their strength now, Kenzie O'Neil. You will give them all hope before this war is over," the Lady breathed, causing the young witch to look up at her once again.

She licked her lips and tried to piece together words to say to the elven Lady, but Galadriel raised a hand to stop her.

"I believe that I have kept you here long enough," she smiled, "You probably want to make sure that the others are all right and guard against this demon."

Kenzie swallowed her words and nodded.

"Then I will detain you no more," Galadriel stated, leading the youngest O'Neil to the stairs, "There will be someone at the bottom ready to take you to them."

"Milady, I have a question about this demon," Kenzie asked when they reached the staircase that curled up to the flet.

"Yes?"

"Do you know where he is? Can you see him from afar or read his future intentions?" the young witch asked, hoping to finally get the break that she had been waiting for.

The Lady smiled kindly, "I cannot answer any of your questions at this moment. But I will ponder on the matter and call on you again."

Kenzie smiled gratefully and bowed her head, "Thank you, Lady Galadriel, for everything that you have done for me and the Fellowship. We are in your debt."

The Lady just simply nodded and watched from the flet as Kenzie descended the stairs and followed the guard elf towards the area where the other members of the Fellowship were already making camp. The young witch could feel the Lady's eyes on her as she continued to walk. Just before they turned out of sight of the tree, Kenzie turned back to smile at her once more, but found that the Lady of Light had disappeared from her perch. She sighed and then smiled slightly, feeling slightly better by Galadriel's encouraging words.

Kenzie followed the elven guard for some time before he stopped before some stairs, turning to face her abruptly.

"The rest of your company waits below in a clearing under the trees. After you reach the bottom of the stairs, just follow the path a little ways and you will come upon the area," he instructed.

"Thank you," Kenzie replied, bowing slightly as the guard bowed to her and then left.

The young witch took a couple deep breaths and then descended the stairs, preparing herself to see them again. For some reason, she felt the same anticipation she had when she first met the Fellowship. When she placed her feet on the cool grass again, she took another deep breath, pushing that anticipation, along with her fear, out of mind.

She finally reached the spot where they were camping, not attracting anyone's attention. The white gown she wore flowed around her, surprisingly not restricting her movement or making a sound, which she was glad for.

"What is that, Aragorn?" Sam asked as she approached.

Aragorn shook his head, "Do not fret, Sam. It is only Kenzie," he then looked back up at her and bowed his head.

"You are truly a vision, Lady Kenzie," he stated.

Kenzie hesitated at this comment, then bowed her head, "Thank you, Aragorn."

A small ray of hope began to light in her heart. Maybe he didn't hate her as much as she had thought. Maybe the others didn't hate her as much either. Kenzie gazed around her and caught Frodo's angst filled eyes. She quickly adverted her gaze, the ray of hope beginning to fade. Perhaps not.

"I didn't recognize you, Kenzie. I almost thought that you were the Lady of Light," Pippin stated softly.

Kenzie smiled weakly, "Not quite, Pippin."

She then leaned down and kissed his cheek, "But thank you, just the same."

Kenzie stood again and started toward the small fountain that stood just slightly away from them. She gazed up at the stars as the elves of Lorien started to sing their Lament to Gandalf.

Legolas walked back into the small camp, carrying a pitcher to gather water. He looked around, listening to the beautiful voices of the elves.

"A lament for Gandalf," he stated.

Merry sat up and looked at the elf, "What do they say about him?" he asked.

Legolas looked down at the ground in front of him, "I have not the heart to tell you."

He then paused shortly as he turned to look at the hobbits, "For me the grief is still to near."

The elves continued to sing as Sam spread out his cover and sighed, "I bet they don't mention his fireworks. There should be a verse about them."

He then stood, "The finest rockets ever seen. They burst in stars of blue and green."

Gimli snorted loudly and Aragorn grimaced, hitting the dwarf hard so that he sat up.

"Or after thunder, silver showers came falling like a rain of flowers," Sam trailed off and then sat down, frustrated, "Oh, that doesn't do them justice by a long road."

Kenzie turned and smiled at the hobbit, "It was beautiful, Sam."

Sam looked up at Kenzie and gave her a faint smile.

"I'm sure Gandalf would have approved," she finished.

After that, she turned back to looking up at the stars.

Legolas sat down the pitcher he was holding by the fountain and walked up beside her. Kenzie did not turn to face him or acknowledge his presence. He reached out and took her hand and she turned, then, and looked at him.

"Walk with me," Legolas stated simply.

Kenzie nodded and followed as he gently pulled her along. The two walked along a path in silence, still hand in hand. Kenzie did not know where Legolas was leading her, but did not bother to ask. Her mind was on other things. Finally, the two came to a clearing of some sorts where the tops of the tall trees opened in a small gap. It allowed the moon to engulf the forest floor in a pool of light. Kenzie walked to the center of it and sighed, looking up at the stars.

"You still blame yourself for his death," Legolas stated suddenly, making her aware of his presence.

"Everyone else is, so why should I be left out, " Kenzie breathed, but she knew that he would still hear.

Legolas shook his head and walked up behind her, "No one blames you, Kenzie," he stated, reaching forward to place a hand on her shoulder.

But she pulled forward violently and placed a considerable amount of space between them. Tears brimmed her eyes again as she spoke, "Oh, don't try to make me feel better. We all know that I knew it was going to happen! That I knew when, where, and how and I did nothing to stop it! I might as well have thrown him off myself!" she cried.

"Ai'er," Legolas started, caught off guard by the feelings that she had bottled up.

"Please, Legolas," Kenzie scoffed, her back still to him, "I'm not stupid. I know what you all feel when you look at me."

She choked on her sob then, lowering her head as the tears fell off of her cheeks. Legolas watched, not knowing what to do as she cried silently, but feeling awful for making her feel such sadness. Kenzie then raised her head and sniffled, "The hobbits hate me because I took away their mentor, Aragorn hates me because he has to lead us now," she paused, a sob catching in her throat, "And Frodo hates me because I robbed him of his strength."

Legolas quickly closed the space between them, turning her to face him. She would not meet his knowing glacier gaze as he gripped onto her shoulders tightly.

"Kenzie, we do not hate you. What we all feel for you if quite far from it," he started.

The young witch shook her head, not believing him. The elf pursed his lips and lifted her chin with his hand, forcing her to look at him.

"You are our strength, Ai'er," he whispered with conviction.

Kenzie's breath caught. Suddenly, Galadriel's voice echoed in her head, "Whether you believe it or not, you are their strength now, Kenzie O'Neil. You will give them all hope before this war is over."

"You are our reassurance that this battle is worth the effort, the pain, and the loss," Legolas finished, studying her face for the ray of hope that he had missed.

She looked up, "I'm not strong, though. Legolas, you are putting your faith in the wrong place."

"No, Kenzie," he argued, cupping her face with both of his hands, "You doubt yourself so much that you miss what is so obvious to the rest of us."

"And what is that?" she sniffled.

"That you are strong, Ai'er," Legolas replied, gently caressing her cheeks with his thumbs, "That you have enough courage to stand with us and leave your world to help us. That you didn't have the heart to let us stand against this demon alone."

Her tears silently ran down her cheeks and over his hands. Kenzie suddenly threw her arms around his neck, burying her head into his soft tunic. She cried for what seemed like an eternity. She cried because of her grief for Gandalf, she cried because she missed her home, she cried because she feared for her sisters, but mostly, she cried because she could only pray that what Legolas said was true. She wanted to believe more than anything that the rest of the Fellowship didn't hate her for what she had done. How could they know what would become of it? They had no inkling to the fact that Gandalf would return to them, stronger than ever, and help them defeat their foes. They did not realize that many, many days from that very moment, they would all stand together at Minas Tirith and rejoice the coronation of Aragorn; the events of Moria a distant, horrible memory. But the harsh reality that Kenzie faced was that that was going to be then and, unfortunately, this was now. The Fellowship knew nothing of their future and Kenzie was bound by fear not to tell them.

Slowly, her sobs died down and her tears began to dry on her cheeks. She did not move from Legolas' embrace, however. His presence was a great comfort in her chaotic state. His calmness and reassurance washed over her like a warm breeze and Kenzie was not so willing to leave that feeling quickly. But to her dismay, the elf pulled away from her, bringing his hands up to cup her face once again.

Legolas stared at her in such a way that a shiver traveled down her spine. The young witch could not move her mouth to ask why he looked at her that way; a look that she recognized from the day that they had their first fight, when he had said something to her in elvish. What was he thinking when he looked at her this way? What thoughts tumbled in his mind, causing a glazed expression to mask his face as he gently graced her cheeks with his touch?

"Lego...," she started, her voice coming out as a soft breath.

"Shhh," he interrupted, shaking his head slightly.

But she wouldn't; his gaze was raking over her face for a reason and she wanted to know why. She stopped though as he slid one arm around her waist and his other hand into her hair. Kenzie drew in a soft breath and her eyes unintentionally fluttered shut. Soon she felt his soft breath on her lips and she tilted her head just the tiniest bit before...

An elven maiden cleared her voice very loudly, "Lady Kenzie," she stated.

Kenzie's eyes flew open and she stepped back slightly, looking behind Legolas. The brunette elf that had helped her stood just inside the tree line, her face showing no emotion, but her voice hinting to her regret for interrupting.

"The Lady Galadriel would like to speak with you now," she finished.

The young witch nodded, "Thank you."

She then turned her eyes back to Legolas, whose face flashed with disappointment for a second. His eyes then turned up towards hers and he smiled softly.

"Go," he breathed.

Kenzie sighed and then nodded, brushing his hand with hers as she walked past him. She continued on, forcing herself not to look back at him, and followed the elven maiden out of the clearing and down another path.

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We almost kissed, she thought as she followed the elven maid through the forest.

The thought, in one aspect, was encouraging and Kenzie suddenly became filled with a happiness that was almost overbearing. But the more she thought about it, the more doubt filled her mind. What if she had been imagining it? Sure, it was hard to imagine someone trying to kiss you, but you never know! Especially with Legolas it seemed. Kenzie sighed heavily and decided to think on it no more. That didn't last long, however, when her skin would tingle where he touched her and she remembered the wonderful feeling of being that close to him.

"Here we are," the elven maiden stated, stopped at the top of another flight of stairs.

Kenzie looked at her, confused for a moment and not sure whether she was to go down the stairs or not. But the maid motioned for the young witch to continue down, "The Lady is waiting for you at the bottom," she instructed, smiling reassuringly.

Kenzie took a deep breath and nodded, then, picking up the front of her dress, slowly made her way down the stairs. The stairs curled around the base of a tree and as the young witch made another turn on them, the Lady of Light came into view. She noticed that Galadriel was standing by a tall pedestal, peering into a basin that was sitting on the top. Kenzie pursed her lips, wondering if the Lady was gazing into her mirror. If that were what she was doing, would she have the young witch look as well?

She finally placed her foot on the soft ground and made her way towards the Lady slowly. She first wondered if she should make her presence known, but then realized that Galadriel probably already knew that she had been there for sometime. So she waited patiently, standing off to the side with her hands folded in front of her.

After a few moments, the Lady finally stood up and breathed deeply. This made Kenzie twitch with wonder and anticipation. What did she see? Did have to do with the demon? Once Galadriel had caught her breath, her eyes slowly moved up to Kenzie and she smiled softly.

The young witch found that she couldn't wait anymore, "Did you see...?" she started.

The Lady nodded, "Yes, I peered into the mirror to see about this demon that you have been waiting for."

Kenzie opened her mouth to ask another question, but then promptly closed it, realizing that she was being quite rude. Galadriel just continued to smile. She took a breath and turned away from the mirror, walking over to a small fountain that was behind her. "I can barely see him from afar," the Lady began, "He is watching you and your companions from a distance. But it is a distance that I did not anticipate."

The young witch let the words sink in her mind and she thought on them for a moment. If the Lady could barely see him from a distance, then that must mean that he had not passed into the borders of Lothlorien behind the Fellowship. She had anticipated that he wouldn't do that. Kenzie wondered if the Changer knew about Galadriel and just always assumed that he did, so that she would not be caught off guard if he would show up. That would explain why he hadn't followed the Fellowship into Lothlorien; the Lady would sense his evil presence as soon as his foot hit the forest floor. So, if he wasn't in Lothlorien, how far away was he? Kenzie supposed that that really wouldn't matter. He probably would just shimmer to the other side as soon as the Fellowship left. Or would he?

"Lady Galadriel," the young witch started carefully, "What exactly is he doing? Do you know if he is planning anything?"

The Lady's eyes became glazed somewhat and then they cleared, "He is just watching you. I cannot see if he planning an attack or not, but I would assume that that would be his intentions. This demon has been watching you for sometime, I feel."

"Seeing my moves and how powerful I am in this world," Kenzie pondered out loud, biting her lower lip in thought.

Galadriel nodded, "I believe so."

The young witch took a deep breath and stared out into space, trying to decipher what the demon would do next. He had already given her a warning that he would attack soon, but he had yet to fulfill that promise. Kenzie then sighed in frustration and crossed her arms. The Lady watched her with a small smile, as if she knew what questions and annoyances tumbled in the young witch's head. As Kenzie continued on in her pensive silence, Galadriel turned back to the waterfall behind her and carefully picked up a silver pitcher. She gently dipped the pitcher into the pool underneath the fall and allowed it to fill. The Lady then turned back to Kenzie and silently made her way to the mirror.

"Do you wish to look into the mirror?" the elven witch asked.

Kenzie stood up straight immediately, "Won't I see the same thing as you did?"

The Lady smiled more brightly, "The mirror shows us all different things. You will see what you wish to know about the most. Since you have already learned about the demon, I will guess that the mirror will answer another question of yours."

The young witch drew a deep breath and shifted her gaze from the elven witch to the mirror, asking herself if she should really look in or not. Finally, she sighed and looked back up at Galadriel.

"All right," she started, "I'll do it."

The Lady nodded and took a final step towards the pedestal and skillfully poured the water into the large silver bowl that was the mirror. After the mirror was full, Galadriel motioned for Kenzie to gaze in. The young witch drew in a shuddering breath and walked towards the pedestal. Licking her lips, she bent just slightly and peered into Galadriel's mirror.

For a split second she saw her image; her damp curls falling over her shoulders and her face reflecting her exhaustion. The mirror then shimmered and a new image appeared. Boromir stood, sword in one hand, ready for battle. He brought his sword up to strike at something that was approaching him, but a loud twang sounded and Kenzie jumped slightly as a large arrow stuck out from the man's chest. A look of complete and utter shock crossed Boromir's face, but he seemed to push the fact of his wound aside. He turned and began to battle with another Urk-Hai, defending the creature off skillfully. It was then that she heard another loud twang and another arrow appeared in the Lord's chest.

Kenzie suddenly found that she couldn't look anymore. Her mind begged and pleaded with her to look away; she didn't want to see Boromir's death. The mirror suddenly shimmered again, as if obeying her silent command and an image of her and Legolas appeared. They were talking to each other, but she couldn't make out what they were saying. He seemed to be pleading with her about something and she watched herself shake her head and look behind her with anxiousness. Legolas said something again and Kenzie stared at him for a second, something flashing in her eyes. She then reluctantly agreed, jerking her hands to obviously unfreeze everything around them. It was then that the Urk-Hai began to surround them and overpower them quickly. The young witch watched as she battled the creatures and noted that she was getting weak. It was then that it happened.

Just as with Boromir, Kenzie heard a loud and distinct twang of a bow. The young witch drew in a sharp breath at first, wondering if she had been the one that had been struck. But as she watched herself turn quickly, her breathing stopped entirely as she watched Legolas fall forward, two Urk-Hai arrows sticking up from his back.

Kenzie gasped and pulled back from the mirror quickly, covering her mouth with her hand to hold back a scream. Tears glistened in her eyes as the images of the mirror played back again in her mind. Slowly, she raised her eyes from the mirror to meet Galadriel's.

"Do you understand now?" the Lady asked.

"Yes," the young witch replied, choking on her sob, "If I stay with him, Legolas will die."

The elven witch pursed her lips, "Do you now know why you are torn with the decision of staying?"

Kenzie gulped and turned from Galadriel's knowing gaze. She didn't think that she had really thought about it until that moment, but suddenly realized that it was in the back of her mind all along. She would have to leave Legolas soon and follow Frodo on to Mordor, not knowing how long it would be before she would be able to see the elf again. And for the first time, it truly struck Kenzie how hard it would be to leave Legolas. She now knew why it would be, though, but she didn't know if she could admit it.

She took a deep breath, "Because I love him," she whispered, tilting her head back and looking up at the sky, "If I stay so I can be with Legolas, he will die."

Galadriel nodded, "We all have our destinies, Kenzie. Just because it is not something that we want to do, doesn't mean that we can turn away from it."

Kenzie licked her lips as she silently cried, her heart now torn between her mission and her new found love. They both stood in the silence that curled around them, the young witch sniffling time and again. Finally, the Lady of Light sighed and made her way towards Kenzie.

"You need your rest, young one. I will take you back to the camp. There is other business that I must attend to before this night is over," Galadriel stated, placing a comforting hand on Kenzie's shoulder.

The young witch nodded and they began up the curling stairs. She followed the Lady silently, her head bent and her hands folded in front of her. She loved him; she really did love Legolas and she had not even realized it until that moment. But the question now was if he loved her in return? There were the encouraging words that he would offer her and the comforting hugs that he always gave at the right moment, but what did that mean? Legolas had said that he would help look after her and he was possibly one of her closest friends in the Fellowship due to the fact that he had been the first person she had met in Middle Earth. That didn't mean that he loved her, though; he was just being a friend. But what about the day he was teaching her to speak elvish or just before she talked to Galadriel when they almost kissed? Didn't that mean he felt something more for her? Maybe. Kenzie desperately hoped so.

After a few more minutes, Galadriel and Kenzie arrived at the Fellowship's camp. When they stopped just outside of the area, the young witch smiled as the snores of Gimli reached her ears. The Lady of Light turned towards the youngest O'Neil and smiled softly at her. Kenzie wiped her eyes again and smiled back slightly.

"Goodnight, Kenzie. I hope that you will find the peace that you are searching for," the elven witch stated softly.

Kenzie simply nodded, not able to form enough words to return a reply. The Lady nodded in return and then made her way into the camp, obviously following a path to her mirror that would grab Frodo's attention. The young witch watched as Frodo sat up when Galadriel walked past, startled that the Lady was making her way through the camp. She waited patiently for the hobbit to follow Galadriel down the path and stepped into the camp herself when Frodo and the Lady of Light disappeared.

Kenzie wasn't for sure if she wanted to go to sleep just yet; there were just too many thoughts tumbling around in her mind. She passed a cove under a tree where the hobbits were sleeping and bent down, ruffling Pippin's curls affectionately. The young witch then crossed the soft grass over to the second tree cove where Aragorn, Boromir, and Gimli had made their camp and was surprised to see Legolas sprawled out off to the side of the tree, gazing up at the sky.

As she approached them, the elf lifted his head easily and smiled softly at her, "Are you all right?" he asked and Kenzie found herself smiling just barely, wondering how he always seemed to know that something wasn't quite right with her.

"Yeah," she replied slowly, still walking towards him, "I think that I am."

"You should get some rest. I know you haven't slept in days," he stated, once again knowing exactly what she needed.

"I was headed that way. Can I...?" she started, motioning to the spot beside him.

Legolas nodded and scooted over, providing just enough room for Kenzie to lie down next to him. She did so as gracefully as she could and rested her head gently on his shoulder. The elf accommodated her without protest, placing an arm around her and pulling her closer to him. Too tired to think on how close they were, the young witch slipped her arm around him and snuggled closer.

Nothing was said after that and they both found that words were not needed. Kenzie soon drifted off into a dreamless slumber as Legolas watched her. He noted the different shades of her hair and the ways that her face had changed. This women in his arms had grown older and wiser in the few months that he had known her. At the moment, the elf didn't know if these changes were good or bad, but he did know that they had made her stronger and that was one thing that would belong to Kenzie forever. Her strength. A strength that not only empowered her, but him as well, and was one of the many reasons why Legolas found that he loved her.

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Yay! I am finally done with the TWENTY FOUR page chapter! LoL. On to the next one. Wow, it's hard to believe that I'm almost finished. ¤tear¤

Lyrics that were posted with this story were "Broken" by Seether feat. Amy Lee and "Vindicated" by Dashboard Confessional