Don't worry readers this is defiantly not a dream and in no way will this story end that way. Caitlin is really in middle earth. Well not really, but in the story she is so there.

Caitlin's eyes slowly opened and she brought the covers up more tightly around her. the morning air was freezing and on any other morning Caitlin would have felt a stronger urge to stay in her warm cocoon of blankets. But this morning their seemed to be nothing keeping her their. her shoulders felt heavy with burden. The war seemed so close. So many thousands of lives resting on her decisions seemed closer on her mind than they had ever before and it was with great pain in her heart that she was able to sit up. She hung her legs over the side of the bed and closed her eyes.

strength would come.

It must come.

Her feet placed themselves hesitantly onto the wooden floor. She knew he was gone. His side of the bed still barren. She remembered last night as well, and along with the pain of his absence came understanding. Along with the anger there was a certain wish that she too could just leave. This was not the fairy tail of the movies. Legolas the beautiful, graceful, elvish prince whom every fan girl wished to be with.

Their relationship was a myriad of pain and pleasure, for while their was heaven in their touch it was also as though torment played with their heart strings reminding them that time they had together slipped through their fingers like grains of sand.

She remembered how he had held her last night. How they had breathed in the fragrance and touch of love, true love.....for one last time.

He thought she was asleep. But under the darkness of night, as he left her, tears had fallen from her eyes.

And now while she sat there. her heart breaking from grief she searched and waited for strength.

It must come.

She knew also that now was more important than any time before. before helms deep Caitlin had led no battles, and after helms deep she would be called upon to lead many more. She could see the faces of the men who had died on that fateful day and yet with all the horror that had brought to her she was now more haunted by the faces of the family members of those she knew would die in the battles to come. The battles she would lead them to their deaths fighting.

These people revered her as a gift from god, sent down to save them from souron. A wizard who could see into the future and would lead them to certain victory. She was none of these things, but still, in her heart she understood that they were clinging to her as the last and only hope they had left. And without that hope the battle would already be lost.

She had to find strength, strength to go on for these people. She had no more room for hesitation, no more room for the thoughts of home that was constantly in her mind. Now she had to be a leader, had to be decisive, wise, strong, and above all she had to be filled with hope, that is what these men needed more now than ever.

Caitlin thought for a moment of legolas, and how much easier this would be with him here. a smile came to her face at the thought of him.

But then, it was gone, for he was gone, and she could no longer rely on him, she had to rely on herself.

Strength would come..... it must come.

"...I ride to Gondor. This is the only way." Said Gandalf as he Aragorn, Gimli, Theoden, and Eomer stood in the great hall.

"shouldn't we await the wizard. She surely will have some words to say on the matter." Said Eomer.

"here she is now." Said Gimli with a smile as Caitlin walked in. "and she does have a name ya know." Said Gimli frowning his brow to eomer as Caitlin approached.

"we were just discussing the events of last night, gandalf is going to..."

"Gondor, yes I know." She said sternly to Eomer. "and Pippen will be accompanying him their." she said.

"it will be a three day ride to Gondor," she continued, now directing her comments to Gandalf. "Lord Denathor will be less than eager to welcome you to the city Gandalf." She said. With a solom look but then a smirk appeared on her face. "however I have confidence that should we direct our gaze to the beacons within the week that we shall not be disappointed." She said.

Aragorns expression became brighter upon hearing this. As Caitlin continued. "Gimli how long will it take the dwarves to reach Gondor from here?" she asked. Caitlin knew that it would be six days before they would receive word from Gondor through the beacons and then another five days for theoden and his army to regroup at the mountain. and make their way to Gondor. She wanted to time it so that the dwarves reached Gondor at the exact time they did.

"oh, I would say about six days or so considering they will be walking."

"inform them that they will be setting out for Gondor in five days." She said.

Gimli nodded in agreement.

"you know this is the right course of action?" asked Haldir as he walked in.

Caitlin was silent for a moment, "yes." She said decisively but inside she was doing everything possible to stop herself from saying she was only doing the best she could do, that she really didn't know for certain. But that wasn't an option any more. No one would be that better off if she told the truth. They needed her to be right. To know the for certain what was going to happen. "yes, trust me, I know what im doing." She lied.

"Elromd has requested an audience with you before he departs for rivendell Caitlin." Said Haldir. As he looked around at the men standing with her. "once you are finished here of course."

"thank you haldir," she searched the faces of those surrounding her. their expressions telling her that they had nothing to add nor anything to question of what she had said. "if that will be all then I will wish you a safe journey Gandalaf." she said as she approached him and they embraced. She could feel his worry for her as he hugged her. and she knew he questioned weather leaving her now was the right thing to do. In truth she questioned it herself for they both knew that in his absence everyone looked to her for answers, answers to questions even he did not pretend to know. It was in a strange way therefore that the name they had given her fit all to well. 'wizard' it was how they looked upon her now, as though she were a wizard. One of the old race that only consisted now of gandalf and souromon. "do not fear child, do not fear," he whispered into her ear. "the despair and responsibility you shoulder now will come to pass as it will and neither you nor I can change it." she could feel her heart swell with pain. Without legolas to lean on it was much more difficult to hold back her uncertainty her weariness. But Gandalf released her and she stood tall once more continuing the pretence of strength and knowledge that they so desperately needed.

"this way." Directed Haldir and Caitlin followed him out of the hall to Elrond.

"uh. Lass." Yelled Gimli after her as he ran up to meet her.

Caitlin turned around. "yes."

"I am gonna be meanin to speak with ya when ya get a chance." He said.

"alright. When I am finished ill meet you in the armory alrigth."

"er..yeah alright." Said Gimli as Caitlin continued on her way.

A few minutes later she entered Elronds room. Haldir awaited her out in the hall a she entered.

It was indeed beautiful, with drapery and elvish designs around every corner. To the right was a balcony and this is where she found Elrond. His slender figure leaning slightly on the balcony edge staring out at the windswept plains and onward up to the mountains in the distance.

Caitlin walked silently over to him and gazed out at the scene before them with out greeting him.

"it is beautiful isn't it." he said as he continued his watch. "I remember in the days past when this land was filled with thousands of wild horses. Once long ago it was in these lands that the elf and horse first laid eyes upon one another and we have been brothers ever since. A kinship that has lasted longer than even the eldest elvish memory may stretch." He said as he closed his eyes and smelled the breath of cold wind that swept across his face. "during the last war with souron though, their herds were slaughtered by the thousands and today only a fraction exist today that once were." He turned to her and walked inside the room motioning her to sit across from him in the elaborate sofa type seats that lay near the fireplace. "it is I suppose now mans time to find their own kinship with the horse. One which has already begun with the people of this land." He said. "our time is passing. As you well know." He said in a low voice.

"yes." She said. "but I suspect it was not your relationship with these lands or its inhabitance that has summoned me here lord." She said, wanting to get to the point.

"you are right, however this is a subject that...." he paused. As though in pain. "my daughter..." he stopped and Caitlins eyebrows raised, she knew what he was referring. Her decision to stay. "my daughter has chosen her path." He stated. "and she now can find no protection from valinor as her kin do. She is mortal." Though he was strong and stern as ever Elrond had a sadness in his voice that Caitlin recognized, it was the same tone that resided in everyone she spoke to here in middle earth. It was one that fought back sorrow and grief with every breath, it told of how much despair would befall him if the war was lost. And it was one crying out to her for salvation. For relief. For hope. Just like every other voice she spoke to here did.

"this is the true reason for my visit, there is something my daughter has beseeched me that I give you, I along with galadriel and Arwyn trust you will know what to do with this." He said as they both stood and he presented to her Narsil reforged.

Caitlin gasped despite herself as the weapon was handed to her. its heavy leather sheath warm in her hands.

"I must return to my people, I have done all I can and given more than I was ever willing." he said as he thought of his daughter. Elrond looked into her eyes.

"we must win, my daughters life is now added to the thousands more that are in your hands young one. Do not fail me. Do not fail this world." He said. Before from the room. Leaving Caitlin holding the sword. The sword of hope she thought, the sword of the king of Gondor. and for the first time in a long time caitlin found a smile however small, creep up to her face.