Legolas, having taken a break from helping Aragorn with his work in the settlement of Annúminas, decided to take a stroll through one of the gardens outside the palace.

The sun was warm and bright overhead, and the colors of the garden brilliant in its light. But a sound caught his ear from nearby, and he knew it wasn't birdsong. Worriedly, Legolas followed the noise until he encountered Katie, sitting in the grass at the foot of a tree.

She was not sobbing aloud, but silent tears were running down her face. Her expression was not twisted with grief, but stony in its despair.

"Are you well?" Legolas asked in some alarm. Katie looked up at him and shook her head, not even bothering to move or brush the tears off her cheeks.

"What is wrong?" he asked, kneeling beside her.

Helplessly, Katie answered, "I'm just so miserable." Her voice was hollow and hopeless. She was not plunged into a loud or furious grief, but a cold, grey depression.

Legolas had seen the war horrors come upon soldiers in this way—Merry himself had been greatly depressed in the aftermath of the Battle of the Pelennor. He hoped Katie's depression would be of no longer duration.

He drew out a handkerchief and gently wiped the tears off of Katie's cheeks, then took her hands and pulled her to her feet. It had occurred to him that her very inaction was probably exacerbating the problem, and drawing her hand through his arm, he escorted her out of the garden.

"Come," he said kindly, "there is work we can do in the settlement. They will very much appreciate your help."

Katie nodded and bravely tried to smile.

"Good girl," Legolas said impulsively, and they headed off of the palace grounds.

000

Katie ate her dinner quickly and quietly excused herself from the table almost before everyone else had finished eating. Legolas and Arwen exchanged a glance.

"I will go in to her before she sleeps," Arwen murmured, and Legolas nodded. They had spoken earlier in the day about her condition, and had resolved to keep an eye on her together.

When Arwen entered Katie's room that night, she found the girl sitting up in bed, hugging her knees.

"Why do you not go to sleep?" she asked gently.

"I'm afraid I'll have nightmares again," Katie admitted hoarsely. "I see dead faces enough with my waking eyes; I cannot bear to see them in my sleep!"

"I know a remedy for that," Arwen said, gesturing for Katie to lay down.

As she pulled up the blankets to tuck Katie in, the girl asked, "Is it that lullaby?"

Arwen cocked her head. "Do you know of it already?"

"Elrohir sang me to sleep last night," Katie explained.

"Ah." Arwen smiled. "Our mother wrote the song, and she used to put us back to sleep with it when we had nightmares. She wove her magic into it; it will send you into a peaceful and unmarred sleep. Shall I sing it to you?"

Katie nodded. "Yes, please."

000

Arwen sang Katie to sleep every night in the week that followed. During the day, Legolas tried to seek her out and include her in as many activities as possible, so as to take her mind off of dark memories. It worked to a point, but still Katie rarely smiled and never laughed, and Legolas knew there were mornings that she remained alone and silent in her room, feigning sleep to any who knocked on the door. He was convinced she would improve over time, but he still worried about her.

When there was no work to be done, he often tried to draw her out and talk with her. Sometimes she complied, and sometimes she was distracted or reticent. One morning, they walked around the perimeter of the settlement of Annúminas. The morning sun had not yet grown hot, and it was pleasant to stroll between the houses and the lake.

"How long has it been for you since you were last in Middle-earth?" Legolas wanted to know.

"A little more than a year," she answered. "I finished my schooling a month ago, and I've been applying for jobs."

"It has been more than fifteen years here," Legolas told her.

Katie nodded. "I thought as much. Elanor is fifteen," she said, referring to Sam and Rosie's oldest child. "And beautiful," she added.

Legolas nodded. "She is that," he agreed. They walked in silence for a moment, watching the sunlight glint on the water and hearing the sounds of people talking in the settlement.

"This may seem an odd question," Legolas said, "but how old are you?"

Katie gave the ghost of a smile. "Honestly, I don't know. I've never sat down and figured it out. It was very confusing to me to be celebrating my birthday back home and know that I really wasn't exactly a year older. But I couldn't exactly stand up and say, 'I'm older than twenty-two, you know!'"

"So you never told your family or friends about your visits to Middle-earth?"

"No, never." She paused. "Well, Grandma knew, of course, and Megan. But I never told anyone else. And it was interesting trying to keep the secret." She turned to Legolas. "You see, my hair grew the last time while I was here. I had to cut a few inches off of it when I got back home, so that nobody would notice. But there was nothing I could do about the changes I acquired on the trip to Minas Tirith. It was the middle of winter at home, and people wanted to know why I had gone out and tanned!"

Legolas laughed, pleased to see that he had finally drawn more out of his young friend than her usual one sentence answers.

As if reading his mind, Katie immediately became quiet again, and Legolas couldn't pry anymore conversation from her for the rest of the walk. He hoped Elrohir and the others would return soon.

000

Every night Arwen sang Katie to sleep, and Katie slept soundly and dreamlessly until morning. Or at least, if she dreamed, she didn't remember the dreams, and they did not frighten her. One night she told Arwen she would try and go to sleep on her own, but she woke in terror just after midnight. Arwen was there within moments to soothe and calm her and sing her back to sleep, and Katie didn't try to sleep on her own again.

One night, a week and a half after the twins had gone, Katie drifted into a strange dream. Images of Lothlórien faded in and out of sight, and huge, sweeping vistas of the sea stretched out to strange horizons. A small boy ran past her, laughing—a boy long black hair and laughing eyes. She thought vaguely, So this is Elrohir as a boy. He was a beautiful child.

Katie became aware that there was someone beside her, although she couldn't turn her head to see who it was. But the presence of a stranger did not scare her in the least. In fact, she was not so certain it was a stranger. Finally, her companion spoke.

"You have things to accomplish here in Middle-earth," the figure said. The voice was feminine, but pitched low so that it almost could pass for a man's voice.

"I know," Katie answered despairingly. "I don't feel I can accomplish anything right now. Or that it will matter if I do or not."

"Oh, my child, you are weary with sorrow." The person leaned over and kissed the top of her head. She felt a strange, warm tingle wash down over her, leaving a welcome serenity in its place. "You will be given the strength to go on—the strength to be joyful," her companion said.

They were both quiet a moment as the sun rose and fell a hundred times over the mountaintops, and Katie reveled in the rest she had not been able to find in many days.

Her companion let her rest there for a moment which seemed like years, and then gently took her shoulder.

"Turn—and see what is before you."

Katie turned, and the scene changed. They stood in a ruined city, the shapes of crumbled walls eerie in a strange sort of half-light that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

They seemed to stand on what had once, centuries ago, been a street corner. The deformed shapes stood fallen rows about them.

Standing directly before her was a tree which had grown up between blocks of stone, its roots writhen like snakes over the contours of the ancient ruin. It was twisted and strange—doubly so in this uncanny light. Under normal circumstances, Katie would have shivered with dread, but she felt no fear with the companion standing by her side.

"Do you see this tree?" her companion said, gesturing to it. "When you see this tree, you must turn right and follow the ancient road."

"What will I find at the end of it?" Katie asked.

"That you may not know," the figure said gently. "Even the very wise do not know where may lead the roads they choose. But take this road you must."

"I will take it," Katie said firmly.

"Good." Katie could hear the smile in her companion's voice. "That is all that is asked of you."

Katie felt their interview was coming to an end, and she wanted desperately to see the person she was speaking with. Slowly she turned her head and looked.

She thought for a moment that it was Galadriel who stood beside her, smiling sweetly. But as she looked, her companion looked not so much like Galadriel as another elf woman, very similar in feature to the Lady of the Wood, but a little less tall and with straight, silvery hair. As she looked, it seemed she saw Galadriel again—and then the figure changed and looked no more like an elf-woman, but Katie turned her eyes away in respect and holy fear. And power surged around her and was gone, and someone was knocking softly at her door and telling her it was time to awake, and the sunlight was falling in warm shafts on her bedsheets… And Katie smiled at the simple pleasure of warmth and morning sunlight, and felt peace washing gently through her heart once more.

TBC

AN:

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