Author's Note: For those that asked for clarification about Erin/Legolas- Erin fell in love with Legolas in Rivendell, but she overheard, through a plot convenience at Caradhras, Legolas saying he loved Aria. Gimli has all this figured out- everyone else has been too busy to notice. The lot of them have been working rather hard to get themselves killed, you know.

Note: In A Sense of Belonging, Aria sleeps on the same flet as the other hobbits, but I figure, things being they way were, all the girls would be together. So I changed it, because I get to do things like that, lucky me. I did borrow a big chunk directly from ASoB, because by heck I wasn't about to re-write a scene that didn't need it. It starts right where Rhian and Erin are un blindfolded.

Chapter 16

Rhian got laboriously to her feet, with Erin's help. She leaned on her sister with her good arm, their boots dangling from Erin's other hand. They moved slowly in the wake of the rest of the Fellowship, Aragorn glancing over his shoulder so see that they followed- Rhian refused to be carried any more for the night. The two sisters walked with their heads close together, talking quietly. When they looked up it was to see Legolas climbing a ladder of silvery rope, Frodo at his heels. "Elves," Erin whispered. Rhian only nodded. They came up against the bole of the tree, and Rhian leaned against it, already pale from the short walk. She felt the bleeding begin again on her shoulder, and tried to concentrate on the ethereal voices floating down from above, although she could only hear enough to catch one word out of ten.

Legolas dropped down lightly from the branches, frowning slightly. They were guests in Lorien, and welcome to spend the night in the trees, on the platforms among the branches of this tree and the next- Erin had a sudden silly image of trees with rows of mailboxes on them, like strange apartment complexes. As the hobbits began to climb the rope ladder, Legolas turned to Erin. Both Rhian and Aria were hurt badly enough to make climbing practically impossible. Aria could be lifted, but Rhian...

"I'll go up last," Rhian said. "I can stand on the ladder and hook my good arm through it, if the rest of you will haul me up." One of the elves had descended from the mallorn tree, and he bowed to them. Erin haltingly spoke the elvish greeting, and he smiled at her and answered in kind. Then her turned to Rhian, speaking in Common.

"Perhaps, lady, we may handle you more gently than that. Come."

They followed him to the tree where Aragorn and Gimli waited. The dwarf scowled at the elf darkly, and was ignored. Haldir (so the elf had said his name was) and Legolas vanished upwards, and a net was let down, like a silver spider-web, Rhian thought. It unfolded like a small hammock, and Haldir slipped down in its wake. "For the lifting of burdens onto the talan," he told her.

"Nice to know my role in life," Rhian remarked dryly. The elf, realizing what he'd said, started to protest but Rhian just laughed at him, easing down to sit on the netting, drawing her legs up after her and folding herself into it. Haldir swung up into the tree, and slowly she was lifted upwards. With her unhurt arm she guided her swaying elevator away from branches that threatened to bump her shoulder, until she was drawn up through the hole in the platform that circled the tree trunk, and was assisted to the 'ground'.

The ladder was let down and Erin and Aria followed. Legolas offered a hand to each, but Rhian knew that Erin looked back over her shoulder and saw what she saw- the Legolas lifted the hobbit girl with especial gentleness. Haldir had gone, by then, and Aragorn and Boromir courteously stretched a blanket across half of the flet, curtaining it off to make a private place for the girls.

The pain in Rhian's shoulder seemed to be growing steadily, despite the strange peace she felt, which felt as though it emanated from the very trees of Lothlorien. When Erin began gently easing the bandage away she hissed sharply through her teeth. Her sister looked closely at her face.

"It's getting worse."

"I'm fi-" but Erin was already calling for Aragorn. Rhian submitted to having her shoulder cleaned and examined, tended and re bandaged. Stoicism, she thought, was overrated, but she gritted her teeth anyway.

She slept back to back with her sister, wishing they could talk- but Aria was curled up just a little ways away, and Legolas himself lay beyond the thin curtain.

Erin woke suddenly in the night, and behind her she felt Rhian stir too. The soft wind had died, and peering up through the leaves she could see the curve of a Cheshire cat moon. What had woken them? She lay still listening- harsh laughter, and many feet. The unavoidable clank of metal. She tried to gauge the direction of the sound as it faded it away- to the left? But, disoriented, she could not think what way that was.

Erin heard no more noise, and finally laid her head down again to sleep- she could hear Rhian's deep breathing at her back already, overcome with weariness. She slept again as well.

They woke to a golden morning, and once again Rhian insisted on walking, though she was still pale. Boromir watched her carefully, Erin thought. But the pace was easy, for the most part, and Rhian looked better, only leaning on Erin's shoulder a little.

When they came to where they must cross the river, watching Aria walk across the single rope as the elves did, Rhian shook her head, but Erin looked closely. She stepped onto the taut strand easily at her turn, released the hand hold and walked slowly across, keeping her back straight and her head up and her pace steady, one foot at a time. Aria clapped for her when she reached the other side, and she turned to keep a close eye on her sister's crossing. Rhian too walked straight and steady, but grasped the guide-rope with her good hand, though lightly.

When they had all reached the far side, and the second grey-clad elf had returned to the guard flets with the ropes, there was a small explosion in the form of Gimli, who refused to be blindfolded as Legolas had agreed. For once Rhian was content to remain out of the argument, but Erin looked disapprovingly at Legolas, for agreeing to any condition without Gimli's consent. He met her eyes and seemed to understand, because he looked away immediately. In the end, Erin stepped forward. "If Gimli will consent to be blindfolded, I will be too," she said in exasperation. Rhian nodded in agreement.

"I as well."

"And me," Aria put in, but Gimli, looking speculatively at Erin, shook his head.

"No, I am content. Come and bind my eyes, elf, but I shall claim full amends for every fall and stubbed toe, if you do not lead us well."

So Erin and Rhian went blindfolded as well, and guiltily Legolas walked at Erin's heels, in case she stumbled. Boromir simply picked up a protesting Rhian and carried her. She finally gave up, and found herself describing to Haldir the ocean, when he asked Merry of the havens beyond the Shire and Merry couldn't answer. She told about the beaches she had seen, but mostly she described the harsh crags and the cold waters surrounding them, the places she liked best. She had never been fond of sand. She found herself giving an account of her single visit to Venice, a very long time ago. She and Erin were a source of entertainment throughout that day, until at night they paused, still with their eyes bound. It was noon of the next day when they met a host of Elves, on their way to the northern borders- the sounds that had woken Erin and Rhian in the night had been orcs, now destroyed. And a message came, from the Lady, that Gimli should have his eyes unbound. Erin and Rhian were loosed too, and they all stood silent in the sunlight.

Aria started laughing from sheer joy at the world before her eyes. She spun, and hugged Gimli, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He looked apologetically to Haldir and his amused Elves who were watching nearby. "Now, now," he mumbled. "No need for that."
"Frodo might get jealous if you're not careful," Merry grinned.
"All right, then, I won't single anyone out," said Aria, dashing up to Sam and kissing his cheek (which quickly reddened as he scuffed the ground with his boot). Then Merry, then Pippin (who slyly tugged her tiny ponytail from behind while she wasn't looking and shot a triumphant glance at Merry). Then up to Strider, who lifted her with a laugh so she could reach his cheek.
As she ran up to Legolas, he knelt down slowly. Gimli watched keenly, aware of a new suspicion growing in his mind and wanting reiteration. He got it, catching the split-second expression on Legolas' face, as Aria's lips touched his cheek, that betrayed him entirely. Gimli shook his head and grunted.
Then it was gone, and, last, she approached Frodo. She paused puzzled at his slight half-smile, and he turned his cheek to her.
At the very last second before she kissed his cheek, he twisted his head and caught her full on the lips. Her eyes opened in surprise, but Frodo wrapped his arms around her waist and held her to him. Aria's first shock melted into acquiescence, and she leaned into him, slipping her arms around his neck. Pippin whooped and clapped, and Sam indignantly clapped his hand over Pippin's mouth, obviously wanting no interruption for their first kiss.
No one spoke. Finally Frodo brought his hands up to Aria's shoulders, and she drew her hands down and entwined her fingers through his. They pulled back slowly and Frodo smiled quietly, taking a deep breath and feeling as though Light had entered him. The rest were looking on bemusedly. Sam was sobbing into Aragorn's tunic.

Erin had smiled at the scene, but she turned suddenly to look at Legolas. His expression, though carefully masked, told her that the glory of Lorien was suddenly blotted out for him.