I was able to update today before they shut down the log in! Yay! Anyway, thank you all very much for the reviews. I hope you like this chapter. It kind of jumps and fast forwards a little and the timeline seems a little screwy but it'll work out in chapter 15 cause it'll make more sense. Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Lord of the Rings. I only own Aria and her family.

Note:Dialouge in bold is spoken in Elfish.

Chapter 14

Aria practically ran up the steps that led to her talan and once inside she quickly closed the door. Her meeting with the lady wasn't for several more hours so she had time. Aria sat down at the small dining table in the kitchen and just looked at the parchment in her hands. Aria broke the seal of the envelope and pulled out the piece of parchment. She careful unfolded it and Legolas' curved and beautiful writing was revealed on the page. As she began to read she could hear his voice in her mind telling her the words on the page.

"My dearest Aria,

Though it pains my heart for you to stay in Lothlorien, I know it is best because you need to learn of your powers and the greatness of your family. I will cherish the gift you have given me and you will be with me at every step of this journey. I know not when I will return to you, but I will return to you. That is a promise.

Inside the envelope, you will find my gift to you. It is all I have to give to you besides my heart . . . le melin Aria. That means 'I love you Aria' and I do more than words can express on a page." Aria stopped reading and just stared at the page. Before he left, he had spoken those words to her. He told her he loved her and she just watched him leave. She never said it back, but he didn't expect her to. Aria closed her eyes tight and slowly opened them as she returned to reading.

"You are safe inside the boarders of Lothlorien and there I hope you remain until the end of this war. Be safe and wait for me my love.

Yours for eternity,

Legolas"

Aria wiped away the tears that had fallen from her eyes and sat the parchment on the table. She picked up the envelope and looked inside. She gasped at what she saw before she remembered one night in Rivendell a few days after the council and the making of the fellowship.

Flashback

Aria dropped her long knife on the ground when Legolas' blade came into contact with the top of her left hand. "Ow!" she exclaimed as she looked at her left hand. Legolas sheathed his knives and stepped to her taking her hand into his. When he looked at her hand, he saw a shallow cut that was about two inches long.

"I am sorry Aria," he said as he pulled out a cloth from his tunic and pressed it down on her hand. Aria noticed a silver chain around his neck. She followed the chain and saw a silver band with a light green stone set like a solitaire. She mentally shook her head and turned her attention to Legolas.

"I'm alright Legolas. It isn't deep," she said. Legolas looked up at her and shook his head before he returned to his work.

"I should have been more careful."

"Will our enemies be more careful with me?" she asked and Legolas stopped wiping her hand and looked up at her.

"No, they will not," he said quietly. Aria nodded but her attention was brought back to the ring on his neck. She raised her free hand and fingered the ring on the chain. She noticed the band wasn't simple around the stone; there were leaves around the stone. It was almost like the leaves where protecting the stone. Legolas looked down at her hand and then looked up at her face.

"What is this?" she asked as she moved her eyes from the ring to meet his silver-blue gaze. Legolas gave her a small smile.

"My mother gave it to me when I was a child," he said. "She told me that one day I would find the one my heart longed for and that I should give it to her when my heart was lost to her." Legolas smiled. "You know . . . the stone matches the color of your eyes." Aria chuckled and nodded her head.

"That it does. Why do you wear it on a chain?" she asked genuinely interested as she lowered her hand.

"I've always worn it. She gave it to me on the chain and put it around my neck. She told me that I should keep it close to my heart so I would know when the time was right." Aria smiled and nodded.

"It's beautiful. Whomever you lose your heart to Legolas, will be one lucky girl. She'll get a great guy and a beautiful ring in one swoop." Legolas laughed and shook his head.

"Come. Let us go and put something on your cut." Aria laughed and followed him up the path and into the city.

End Flashback

Aria carefully took the ring from the envelope and once again felt the tears fall from her eyes as the light green stone sparkled in the sunlight that poured into her talan. She slowly slipped the ring onto her ring finger of her left hand and was surprised to find that it fit her perfectly. She gently touched the ring before bringing her hand to rest over her heart and she smiled.
Nearly two weeks had passed and Galadriel was teaching her well. Aria was a fast learner and was finally able to control nearly all of her powers. She was even able to manipulate a burning fire and a pool of water to move at her will. The only one she was having difficultly with was wind. "Child, it is alright," Galadriel said as Aria growled in frustration when she wasn't able to lift the vase from the table.

"I don't understand! I was able to use wind when we were attacked in Moria, why isn't it working now?" she asked after she turned to look at Galadriel. Galadriel just gave her a small smile.

"There was great pressure on you then to perform, but now you are not in danger and are just learning to control them. You will be able to control wind soon enough." Galadriel said. Aria just nodded her head and returned to the task at hand, using wind to lift the silver vase from the table. Unknown to Aria Galadriel gasped quietly and looked to the east. "Gandalf has returned to us as Gandalf the white." Galadriel stood. "I will return in a moment, Aria," Galadriel said before she quickly stood and made her way swiftly from the clearing. Aria frowned but shrugged her shoulders before she returned to trying to lift the vase.

Legolas rode with Gimli behind him on the horse, Arod, given to them by Eomer, nephew to King Theoden of Rohan. They rode towards a billowing cloud of smoke that they were told were the burn corpses of the Uruk-Hai that the Rohan soldiers had destroyed. Aragorn was the first to reach the pile and he dismounted quickly as he scanned the battle field. Legolas dismounted and help Gimli down. Gimli's feet no more hit the ground and he was over at the pile digging through it. Gimli sighed and held up a small hobbit belt. "It's one of their wee belts," Gimli said sadly. Legolas closed his eyes and put his hand over his heart.

"Hiro hyn hîdh ab 'wanath (May they find peace after death)," Legolas said. They had lost two more companions. They lost Gandalf to the Balrog, Boromir to the Uruk-Hai, and now Merry and Pippin were gone. He moved his hand up and felt Aria's pendant under his tunic. He was thankful she was not there to have witnessed the loss of three more of their companions. Aragorn screamed and broke Legolas from his thoughts as he kicked an Uruk-Hai helmet and fell to his knees.

"We've failed them," Gimli whispered and Legolas sighed. Aragorn looked over the field once more only to have his attention drawn to something. He quickly stood and ran over to an area and kneeled over the grass.

"A Hobbit lay here... and the other," he said. Legolas and Gimli soon joined him in following the tracks. "They crawled." Aragorn stood and followed the trail. "Their hands were bound." He kneeled down and picked up a piece of cut rope. "Their bonds were cut. They ran over here... they were followed." Aragorn caught more of the trial and broke into a run, Legolas and Gimli right behind him. "The tracks lead away from the battle, into... Fangorn Forest." The three hunters looked at the giant trees of Fangorn. Aragorn and Legolas in amazement and Gimli in disbelief.

"Fangorn! What madness drew them there?" Gimli asked.

"They were running for their lives and paid no mind to the danger that may have laid ahead. They only knew the danger that was at their backs," Legolas said as he looked at the trees. Aragorn nodded.

"We continue our hunt. Arod and Hasufel will not travel off," Aragorn said before he stepped into the forest. Legolas right behind and Gimli a little slower than the others followed behind Legolas.

They had been walking in the forest for some time before the night fell. "We will rest before we continue on. If they are indeed in the forest, we may come across them yet," Aragorn said as he stopped near a fallen log. Gimli sighed, thankful to finally get a chance to rest. Legolas only nodded his head as he scanned the trees. Aragorn sat down and pulled out a piece of lembas before ripping a piece and handing it Gimli who had moved to the ground next to him, with his back propped against the log. Gimli did the same and handed the remaining part to Legolas. Legolas took it before he walked over and sat down on the log with Aragorn. Aragorn looked at Legolas as he took a small bite of the lembas. "What troubles you besides the obvious?" Aragorn asked. Legolas gave his friend a small smile before he looked ahead again.

"Every free moment . . . I think of her," he said quietly in Elfish as he raised his empty hand to the pendant once more. Gimli looked at Legolas and sighed before he laid his head back and slowly drifted off to sleep. Aragorn raised an eyebrow at his friend noticing that once again he rested his hand on his chest.

"What is it you carry under your tunic my friend?" Aragorn asked. He knew of the ring Legolas wore around his neck, but Legolas had told him he had given it to Aria before they had left. Legolas sighed and pulled the silver chain out to reveal Aria's sapphire pendant. Aragorn's eyes widened. "Aria's pendant," he whispered, switching back to common as Gimli had fallen asleep.

"Aye, she gave it to me the night before we left Lothlorien. It was then that I knew she cared for me as much as I did her. That was why I had given her my mother's ring." Aragorn smiled and nodded his head. Legolas looked at Aragorn and smiled. "Rest, Aragorn. I will keep watch." Aragorn gave Legolas another smile before he moved the ground and sat like Gimli before he drifted off to sleep. Legolas stood and scanned the trees. As he did so, he could have sworn he saw an old man in the distance but when he looked again, there was nothing but the trees. He sighed before he returned to his watch, his heart however thousands of miles away, resting in Lothlorien.

"Gandalf is alive!" Aria cried at Galadriel who had just told her that Gandalf had returned. "How . . . when?" Aria asked.

"He has been sent back to complete his task," Galadriel said calmly and Aria shook her head in disbelief.

"When did he return?" she asked.

"Two weeks ago. He has once again joined your companions." Aria smiled, thankful that Gandalf was back and that he would be able to help them. She only wished she could help them as well. Galadriel smiled at Aria. "We are sending an army of our own to Helms Deep in Rohan to aide in the battle against Saruman. Haldir is to lead the soldiers." Aria's eyes widened and she quickly stood.

"And I will go with them," Aria said her voice hard like steel. Galadriel stood and smiled at Aria before she cupped the young elleth's cheek.

"I knew you would," she whispered before she moved her hand from her cheek and took her left hand and looked at the ring that rested on her finger. Galadriel smiled at Aria, who looked at Galadriel questioningly. "Your powers are strong and you now know how to wield them correctly. You will make a difference in this war, pen veren (valiant one)." Aria smiled. In addition to teaching her about her powers, Galadriel had also taught her some Elfish so she was able to hold basic conversations. "I will inform our Marchwarden of your intentions. Go and ready yourself." Aria bowed her head and quickly left Galadriel's talan. She raced to her own talan to pack her satchel and ready for war. Galadriel smiled before she spoke to Haldir telepathically and then looked over Calas Galadhon. Much was about to happen and the world would be forever changed.