Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings.

"We must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean. If a few drops of the ocean become dirty, the ocean does not become dirty."
–Mohandas Ghandi
Chapter Twenty-One
Help of the Strangest Sort

"Open your eyes," Galadriel said.

It was quiet, strangely quiet for Rivendell. It wasn't a peaceful kind of quiet, either, but a deathly still quiet.

"Where is everyone?" Tova asked.

"I don't know," Galadriel said softly. "Rivendell is never this quiet." Just then, Elrond appeared at the end of the hall. "There's something wrong," Galadriel said. Elrond nodded.

"Eomer and Eowyn came back here a few minutes ago," he said sadly. "They had been attacked by gleems, led into a trap by a girl who said she'd seen Aragorn and . . . oh, no. I'll go get someone to . . ."

"There's nothing you can do for him," Aragorn shook his head, knowing what his foster father was going to say. "The others? What happened?"

"The time of the Woodland Wanderers is ending, I fear. Noka and Eric were dead when we arrived. Tandro and Rona didn't have long, and there's little we can do for Balo." Elrond was doing his best to only state facts, but the truth of the matter hurt the healer terribly.

"She's still alive?" Tova asked. "Latano's niece?"

"Yes, and yes, but she's hurt very badly. I don't think . . ."

"Please, may I see her?"

"Yes."

"It may be best not to mention her uncle," Galadriel suggested gently.

"Then I won't. I just want to see her."

"This way," Elrond said. He led Tova down a hall. Galadriel remained with Aragorn.

"What of Gimli?" the ranger asked.

"A few wounds, I would guess, but nothing serious or he would have told us."

"Laddie!" came a voice from behind them. Aragorn relaxed immediately.

"That girl led us straight into a trap. Just wait until I get my hands on her . . ." He broke off from the Common Tongue and continued on in Dwarvish. Galadriel let out a small smile. As long as Gimli could make threats like that, he wasn't going to die.

Not too far away, a small girl knelt on the ground, tears in her eyes. The ground was covered in blood, and shouts still lingered in her mind: her first glimpse of war.

A woman appeared at her side. "Angelica!" Heather exclaimed, startled out of her memories.

"Dry your eyes, child. You have done well."

"I . . . he's dead . . . I threw it at . . . but he . . . why?"

"There was barely a complete sentence in there, Heather," Angelica said, gently cradling the young girl. "How can I answer? You have done what would've taken Athos years to complete. You've put an end to the Woodland Wanderers. Our troubles will soon be over."

Heather tried her best to smile. "Would you like me to take you back?" Angelica asked.

"I'd rather stay here a while."

"Believe it or not, I know what you mean. Athos is often the same way. You remind me so much of him, it's almost scary."

"Hannon le."

"What?"

"Sorry. A bit of something I picked up in Imladris."

"Elves." Angelica rolled her eyes and disappeared.

After a moment, Heather got up. She knew now where she had to go. She started out . . . for Imladris.

Expert though he was by now, even Athos could barely manage to control a scream as the poison rushed into his body. Every movement demanded his total concentration as he dabbed a piece of cloth into the other jar and wrapped it around his finger. "Now we just have to wait," he barely managed to say before the ground rushed up and hit him.
"Balo," Elrond called softly. Balo slowly opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry, but she recognized the Elf-lord and smiled. He'd been so kind, so gentle.

"Tova?" she asked as her vision got clearer. "Is that you? How'd you get here?"

"Long story."

"Well then . . . don't tell it . . . I . . . don't have . . . a long time."

"Balo, please, don't say that."

"Tova . . . if there are . . . any Woodland Wanderers . . . left, . . . help them . . . please."

"Balo, you don't know what I did!"

"I . . . don't care . . . they'll still . . . accept you . . . I know they will."

"Balo . . ."

"Please . . . promise me . . ."

"I promise. I'll help them in any way I can."

"H . . . hannon le."

"You're welcome, I think."

"Elrond . . . ?"

"What can I do, Balo?"

"I hear . . . singing. What do they say?" She hummed a little of the tune, but then stopped. Speaking, or even humming, was getting hard.

"It is a song of welcome," Elrond said, forcing back his sadness and attempting to smile. He came over to the young elf and took her hand. "They say, 'Welcome home. You have journeyed far under cloud and sun. Now in green fields rest will come. Welcome home.'"

"Could you . . . sing it?"

"Mae govannen bar. Le randier palen nu rana. Si galen aman estë utulien. Mae govannen bar." The Elf's voice blended perfectly with those the young warrior already heard. The Elvish was beautiful, and Balo knew she was going home.

"Radagast, how long has it been?"

"Nearly two minutes, Daëlin."

"He's still breathing," Frodo said.

Just then, Athos groaned and opened his eyes a little. "They were right," he said. "It works. The other effects are still there, but it's not fatal."

Radagast sighed with relief. "Is there enough?"

"There's enough here for at least ten people," Athos assured him.

"Are you coming?" Peter asked.

"I'd better not. They won't want me in Imladris."

"I don't care. I do," Peter said weakly.

"Here," Athos said, dabbing some of the medicine onto a wound on Peter's arm. "I forgot to warn you," Athos half-smiled. "It stings a little."

"Nice timing," Peter joked. "Now here comes the hard part. Close your eyes."

"They're gone . . . they're really gone." Morgan wasn't even trying to hold back tears. She was too weak.

"Death isn't really the end," Gandalf said gently, holding her close. "It's just another part of a long journey, one more step, one more path on such a larger trail, a path we all must take. Wherever one light dims, another is lit. Hope must never be lost, Morgan. Those of us who are left must not give up, for those who came before are counting on us to continue the journey they have started, to show the way for those who will come next."

"How we deal with death is . . ."

"At least as important as how we deal with life," Samuel volunteered.

"True enough," said Aragorn from the doorway.

"Hey, Strider," Morgan said, trying to be cheerful. Aragorn knew it was hard. "Mae govannen," the teenager tried.

"How're you feeling?" Aragorn asked.

"Better since Gandalf started talking."

"Good. Then I think I can give you this. Latano called it a harmonica."

Morgan smiled weakly as he handed her the small instrument. "I can't play very well," she admitted, but gave it a try anyway, and managed a weak, choppy version of 'Home on the Range.'

"That wasn't too bad," Gandalf encouraged.

"Oh, boloney. That was terrible," Morgan insisted. "Latano could do a whole lot better, with chords and everything. I can't even get the melody right."

"Morgan?" Gandalf asked, changing the subject. "Can you tell where Peter is?"

Morgan closed her eyes and tried hard to concentrate. It wasn't easy. So many of her closest friends were dead. Others were in danger. She could barely hear Peter's response of 'We're coming.' Nevertheless, through the blur, the ruckus, the chaos, she found him, tried to give him strength, the strength to get back. But was it enough?

Glorfindel was pacing outside of Imladris, so he spotted Heather first. "Come in, come in," he invited when he saw how sad the young girl looked. He didn't recognize her.

"Thank you . . ."

"Glorfindel."

"Thanks, Glorfindel."

"No problem. You'd normally get a better greeting, but we're having a bit of a problem."

"I know."

"Heather?"

"Yeah."

"Come with me."

"You won't hurt me, will you?"

"No, and neither will anyone else while I'm with you, Heather. Your pain must have been great for you to believe people like Athos and Angelica."

"It's . . . my family . . . or what passes for a family in our neighborhood."

"Come with me, Heather."

He led her down the hall and into the room where the others were. Morgan was again unconscious, still close to Gandalf.

Most of them she recognized from before: Legolas, Morgan, Faramir, Gimli, Aragorn, Avanwë, Gandalf, Elrond, Nora, Ronosa, Galadriel, Samuel, Susan, Eomer, and Eowyn were all there. Tova was there, as well. "Why you--" Gimli started. Aragorn's hand on his shoulder prevented him from going any farther.

"Glorfindel, why did you let her in?" Elrond asked.

"Elrond, what makes her any different from me?" Tova asked. "Heather, is it?"

"Yes."

"I'm Tova."

"You're an elf."

"I know. We're supposed to be enemies. But Balo told me to help what Woodland Wanderers were left, and they can look past that. You're no warrior, Heather, and you're not evil. You're too young to be a soldier. Just be a friend."

Just then, Morgan's eyes jerked open again. Something had happened.

xWhit3staRx -- :) Yeah, I know, evil author, evil cliffie. :)

Sean C-J brotherofNallesariel -- Well, if you only found one misspelled word per chapter, I'd say that's pretty good. :)