- - - Galadriel - - -

I knew Haldir was coming before I saw or heard him. With him was someone. A girl. A human. Someone unfamiliar to me.

Haldir finally came into sight. He was holding a human girl by her hand and pulling her along. Her appearance was slightly odd.

There was blood covering her hands and it went up to her elbows. Her eyes were very oddly coloured. When she moved her arms I could see there were big gashes on both her wrists. I had never seen cuts like that and I wondered what could have done that.

"My Lady. I found her in the woods. She hasn't said a word to me since I met her. The wounds on her arms like unnatural. I brought her to you to see what we should do with her." I could tell the young girl didn't understand any of this because Haldir said it all in Silvan, our language.

I reverted back to common tongue for her benefit.

"I am Lady Galadriel. What is your name?"

Her eyes moved onto me and I could see her studying me for a second before seemingly losing interest.

"Perhaps she is a mute?" Haldir suggested.

Stupid ass, why would I want to talk to you?

The temptation to burst out laughing when she projected that thought was very hard. I coughed lightly to cover up what very close to a laugh.

I struggled to keep my voice steady when I spoke. "I highly doubt that, Haldir."

- - - Grace - - -

I was thinking sarcastic, often mean, thoughts about Haldir. Galadriel seemed to be trying to contain her laughter. Looking around, I saw nothing that looked remotely funny. Maybe it was a blonde thing.

Haldir and Galadriel kept conversing. They had forgotten about me for the time being. I decided to listen; it might come in handy later.

"They should be here within the day."

"And you say there is nine of them?"

"If everything goes as planned, yes, 'tis nine."

I had no idea what they were talking about. I thought I better stand here looking bored so they get the hint.

After a few seconds, Galadriel seemed to acknowledge that I didn't want to listen to a conversation I understood nothing of, because she told Haldir to take me away and tend to me. Which I took to mean: get information.

Unsuccessfully, but bravely, Haldir tried to start conversations with me. It was probably pretty dangerous. I wasn't in a good mood. My wrists hurt more than I wanted to admit and I was sore, dirty and tired.

I was led to a little pool of water that looked extremely clean and was surrounded on all sides by bushes. Thank God. I didn't really feel like having people watch me strip and take a bath.

- - - Haldir - - -

I left the silent girl alone by the healing waters so she could bathe in privacy. The Lady had told me to tend to her well. Show her around, let her bathe, care for her arms, give her new clothes, all those things.

I had just been informed the Fellowship was coming to Lothlórien. Lady Galadriel thought that they would be there within the day.

I was looking forward to seeing my friend Legolas, I hadn't seen him in almost half a century. We were long overdue for a talk. I had also heard that the King of Kings would be with the Fellowship. If that's not impressing, I do not know what is.

After leaving the silent one for a good portion of an hour, I started to walk back to the healing waters. I called over to bushes before going through, not wanting to catch her naked. She didn't reply, which didn't surprise me, but I figured I had given her enough warning so I stepped through.

She was standing in her dirty, blood soaked clothes, watching me. I handed her a simple green dress with short sleeves and a tight waist. She took it from me and started to look at my face. At first she was just studying me, but after a while, she just stared.

It took me a while to realize she wanted to me to turn around so she could change. I started to flush slightly but managed to hide most of it.

She tapped me lightly on the shoulder to indicate that she was done changing. I turned around and held up a roll of bandages that I had brought for her arms. She nodded to show she understood that I would be wrapping her arms, and held them out in front of her.

As gently as possible I wrapped her wrists. Again I wondered what could have done that. It looked like something done with a knife but that didn't explain how she had come to our woods or who had done it.

"Who did this to you?" I tried asking her another question. I hoped that she would answer this time.

No luck. But her eyes, that a second before had looked like she was in a daydream, came back to earth and sharply looked right at me. At first she looked startled but that soon gave way to a look of sadness. Her eyes started to fill with tears but still she wouldn't say anything.

Looking determined, she blinked, trying to clear the tears.

- - - Grace - - -

I wasn't going to let this stranger see me cry. But for the first time since I had slashed my wrists, I felt ashamed.

When he asked me who did it, his voice was full of hate for whoever, whatever, would do that to someone else. What would he think about someone who did this to themselves? I thought it would be better he didn't know.

After my arms were wrapped so tightly I could barely move my wrists, Haldir motioned for me to follow him. I decided that it would be better than wandering around by myself, so I followed.

I was lead back to a place with huge stairs. In front of the stairs stood eight people. Some appeared to be children and some much older than I was.

Haldir and I came into the clearing without anyone noticing and we stood on the side. I saw Galadriel and an unknown elf, holding onto her hand, gracefully walk down the stairs. They looked more like they were floating.

"Here there are eight. Nine were to set out: so said the messages. But maybe there has been some change of council that we have not heard, Elrond is far away, and darkness gathers between us, and all this year the shadows have grown longer," the elf with Galadriel said. ¹

Then she spoke: "Nay, there was no change of council. Gandalf the Grey set out with the Company, but he did not pass the borders of this land. Now tell us where he is; for I much desired to speak with him again. But I cannot see him from afar, unless he comes within the fences of Lothlórien: a grey mist is about him, and the ways of his feet and mind are hidden from me." ¹

I heard all this but didn't really understand. Then I heard watched a man with longish brown hair speak. His blue eyes looked kind but full of pride and unspoken leadership.

"Alas! Gandalf the Grey fell into shadow. He remained in Moria and did not escape." ¹

Galadriel seemed to take this news hard. I heard Haldir let out a quiet gasp. The children, or what I thought then to be children, had their heads bowed. One of them had a look of a great weight on his shoulders.

I listened to Galadriel talking to them for a while. Telling them that the quest wouldn't fail if the Company stayed true. I still didn't have a clue what quest they were talking about. Silently I slipped away.

I found my way to a clearing. It was surrounded by trees and looked like a nice place to have a rest. I sat down a fell asleep.

How long I slept, I don't know, but I was awoken by a gentle poking in my side. I opened my eyes and stretched. There was a squeak and a thud. Sitting up quickly, I saw one of the children on the ground. I must have startled him and he had fallen over.

As soon as I looked at him his face broke into a huge smile. Slowly he stood up and came a bit closer to me. He was too short to be an adult, yet his face didn't resemble a child's at all.

"Hello! I'm Peregrin Took. People call me Pippin for short. I come from the Shire. That's where all the hobbits live. I'm a hobbit too. What's your name?"

He said this all so fast that I had trouble taking it in. I blinked and looked at him. His eyes were wide and blue and they stared right back at me, unabashed.

I sighed and leaned forward, bringing my knees up, and flopping my arms onto them. Pippin saw my bandaged arms and reached out to touch my hand.

His voice was quiet and timid when he asked, "What happened?"

I didn't answer but I started unwrapping one of my arms to show him. He helped me a little. When the bandage fell to the ground, his eyes widened. My arm was very red and disgusting looking. Haldir hadn't put any ointment or anything on them so they were just oozing whatever it is that cuts ooze.

The little hobbit took my hand in both his little ones and brought it up. His eyes weren't filled with anger like Haldir's had been, they were filled with sympathy. I think he guessed there was more to this than everyone thought.

I don't know what it was about that look, but it made me think that I could trust him and he wouldn't judge me at all.

"I'm Grace." Was that my voice? After being unused for a long time it was all raspy and sounded horrible. I cleared my throat and repeated myself.

There was a huge smile on Pippin's adorable little face. "They told me you wouldn't speak. Haldir had told Legolas you were here and that you hadn't told anyone your name or how you got here. He said that someone must have attacked you and just left you here. Is that what happened?"

I shook my head and lowered my gaze. "I don't really want to talk about it." He seemed to get the message and changed the conversation to a new topic.

"Come and meet my friends! You'll like Merry and Frodo. Sam's kind of uptight sometimes but he's nice too. And there's Aragorn and Gimli and Ganda-" Suddenly he cut off and lowered his head.

"Pippin, are you alright?" I asked him.

He swallowed, nodded his head sadly and struggled to speak. "Something happened to Gandalf. He - he... fell."

I had no clue what he meant by "fell" but I felt sympathy for him nevertheless. I reached out and put my hand on his shoulder. The hobbit looked up at me and smiled a ghost of his former one. I stood up and reached my hand down for his.

"So, what was it you said about me meeting your friends?"

(A/N: Yay! Another chapter done! If you like, Review, if you don't, Review. Just don't flame me too hard please! I love Pippin, he's like the best hobbit of them all. Except Frodo. Who's hot. What a hot hobbit!! Keep reading guys! Oh, and I forgot a disclaimer on the first chapter so: I don't own Lord of the Rings or anything that goes with it.)

¹ The Fellowship of the Ring, page 346