Chapter Fifteen:

"Perhaps, you all should know now Lady Laurel's true purpose for joining the fellowship."

They all glanced up to Gandalf, confusion and sadness written across their faces. Legolas cast a glance over his shoulder at the wizard's words. Aragorn had known Legolas for nearly all his life and he had never seen such a distraught look grace the usually calm and collected elf's face.

"What do you mean true purpose?" Boromir was the first to speak. Gandalf motioned for them to follow him and he promised to explain it to them quietly while they made their way through the dark mines.

"Laurel had not wished to divulge this information to the fellowship, but I feel if it were to remain a secret, it would do her memory a disservice." The group trudged behind the wizard, hanging onto each word that fell from his lips. Legolas was the last one trailing the furthest behind, not wanting the others to witness his anguish, but being an elf he could still easily hear Gandalf's words.

"Laurel was born many centuries ago to a farmer and his wife," he began. A few gasps came from the hobbits.

"You mean to say that woman was over a hundred years of age?" Boromir questioned incredulously.

"I am saying, Lord Boromir, that she was over a thousand years of age," Gandalf cast a glance back at the man and continued on. "Please, hold your burning inquiries until the end." The hobbits all gave silent nods as they followed the wizard over a winding stone causeway.

"Her eyes were a beautiful shade of green, but their change in shade frightened her parents, prompting them to seek the advice of the Istari. Saruman offered to take the child, but told no one of her existence, not even the other wizards. As a child, she would not eat like normal children, instead absorbing her energy from the sun like a plant." Legolas' head snapped up upon hearing that. He thought back to all the times she had refused to join them for meals and why she spent so much of her time out in the gardens.

"The small girl had been blessed by the goddess, Yavanna, and was given the ability to help plants to grow and could communicate with Middle Earth's many creatures." Gandalf let out a sigh as he continued. "Saruman had locked her in a tall, remote tower and lead her to believe that she would be hated and abused in some way should anyone learn of her gifts."

"That's absurd! We loved Laurel!" Sam whispered angrily. Gandalf nodded solemnly to the small hobbit.

"Lord Elrond, Glorfindel and I were the only souls that knew her secret, and we tried our best to encourage her to trust in others. In the end, it seemed she could not move passed that deeply ingrained fear that Saruman had seeded in her as a child." They made a few turns and softly padded down a dark corridor as Gandalf went on.

"She escaped one day and made her way to Rivendell with the help of animals she encountered. She asked them to keep watch over her in the nights and to keep an eye out for any dangerous passersby that she need avoid. That was why we had asked her to join the fellowship," he explained. "She did not want to embark on this journey, it was only through the pleading of Lord Elrond and myself that she agreed. She was meant to help make sure our path was clear of danger through communication with the birds along the way. They would fly in each direction and notify her if orcs or other dangers were close by. In fact, she was the one who alerted the guards in Rivendell of the orc ambush on the patrol."

Legolas felt his heart clench. He knew she had been keeping secretes from them, but he never knew that she played such an important role under their noses. They had treated her as an inconvenience or a burden at times, when really she was one of the ones doing the most to help them.

"She had already mastered archery and daggers before she came to us, but Glorfindel helped her with the sword and honed her close combat techniques. She was told to train with the fellowship to build camaraderie, but she was afraid to show her true skill level for fear that it would bring about questions she did not wish to answer."

Now it was Boromir's turn to feel guilty. He had lashed out at her for her supposed lack of skill and had sent her to the healing halls because of it, all the while labeling her as a foolish and frail woman. He hung his head low in the shame that he felt as he walked behind Gimli and the hobbits.

"Glorfindel was her trainer?" Everyone paused for a moment when they heard Legolas speak up from behind them. His voice was low and they could see the sadness in his eyes as he waited for an answer. Gandalf gave the elf a sympathetic look, knowing full well that Legolas had assumed like many others that Laurel and Glorfindel maintained a romantic relationship.

"Indeed."

Laurel felt cold all over. The last thing she remembered was Legolas carrying her through the snow down the mountain. Her lungs felt tight and she couldn't move any of her limbs. All around her was complete darkness. Cold darkness.

Suddenly, a bright light appeared and she had to squint her eyes so as not to be blinded by it. A beautiful woman in flowing green robes and long, curled, chestnut hair appeared before her. She was absolutely stunning and the light seemed to radiate from her as she drew closer.

"Sweet Laurel," an ethereal voice spoke. Her eyes grew wide as she realized the woman was speaking to her. She gave the young woman a smile. "I have been watching you, little one," she said softly.

"Who-who are you?" Laurel stammered.

"I am Yavanna, sweet one. I am the one that blessed you with your gifts." Laurel's mouth gaped as she listened.

"Where am I? Why can't I move?" she asked, still wanting to know what exactly was going on. The woman gave her a sympathetic smile.

"My watcher has you. I created him many centuries ago to guard over this lake, but unfortunately the orcs found him. They tortured him and turned him into a rather cruel beast with a hatred for visitors. I have informed him that he is to release you." Laurel nodded, but she had no idea what this "watcher" was or about any lake.

"I have come because your body is trying to leave this world," she explained. Laurel gasped in shock at her words. She was dying? Was this from the cold or from this watcher thing she was talking about? Her thoughts immediately went to Legolas. She liked him very much and she hoped he was not too distraught over her condition.

"It is not yet your time, little one, there is still much more left for you to do." Laurel was pulled from her thoughts and back to the current conversation with the goddess.

"What do you mean? I have been nothing but a burden to the fellowship and most of them do not want me to accompany them. I have no use for them," she sighed, remembering the times she had nearly died or gotten hurt and they had saved her. Yavanna smiled at the woman.

"They will need you more now than they ever have, you will see. I have given you these gifts for a reason. Use them, trust in your companions, and do not be afraid to let others into your heart." She felt her cheeks start to heat up when she realized she was probably talking about Legolas.

"So what happens now if I'm dying?" she asked. Laurel felt her body begin to grow warm as Yavanna began to lift her hands. Yavanna smiled lovingly down at the woman as she started to fade from sight.

"Wait!" Laurel called out to her. She still had so many questions! She grew even warmer now and the darkness began to fade away into light. The light became brighter and brighter around her and she squeezed her eyes shut. She gasped in a lungful of air when her body broke the surface. A large, gentle tentacle had lifted her body from the water and placed her body on the warm grassy bank of the lake. She sputtered and coughed as water came out of her lungs and her skin heated under the bright rays of the sun.

She watched the slimy arm retreat back into the murky water and then flopped onto her back in the grass. She looked around, trying to see if she remembered where she was, but she had no memory of this place. On one side there seemed to be a rocky avalanche of some sort and there were pieces of tentacles and blood on the shoreline next to it. She had a feeling that the fellowship had been there.

So, what had happened to her? Did they leave her to die? Was she too much for them to carry and keep around so they tossed her to this octopus-squid-watcher thing for his dinner? Laurel had to mentally slap herself. No, they wouldn't do that to her. Legolas wouldn't allow it.

When she thought of the woodland elf, she became aware of the heavy, wet cloak that was draped around her. That was Legolas' cloak that he had wrapped her in on the mountain. Laurel smiled softly as she ran her fingers gently over the fibers and waited for her clothes to dry a bit in the sun.

After about an hour, Laurel sat up, dusting off her breeches and tunic, and vowed that she would tell the fellowship her secret when she caught up with them. But, now that they were separated, how would she find them?

Many hours had since passed from when she emerged from the lake and the sun was now high in the sky. She didn't know where she was heading, but the deer she sat astride seemed to know. He took her through dense forests and over streams, eventually coming to a narrow, rocky pass through the mountains. She felt from the buck that this pass was not known to the men of Middle Earth, and only a few elves knew of its location. It was extremely narrow and lined by the sharp rocky edges of the two mountains that bordered each side. The buck's antlers would not permit his passage, so Laurel thanked him kindly as she slipped off of his back.

"Thank you, my friend," she said gently as she stroked his neck. She called to a few birds that were perched in a tree nearby and they quickly flew down to her, resting on either shoulder. "Would you mind flying ahead of and behind me while I pass through this crevice?" The birds chirped sweetly in her ears and took off, swooping high and low to scout the way.

Laurel had to turn sideways and step over the loose stones that littered the bottom of the passage. She could feel the rocks scraping against her arms and occasionally her face. Her long, luxurious brown hair became tangled and dusty from the walls and she smelled of mildew and wet stones.

The progress was slow-going, but she pressed on, nearly twisting her ankle when some of the stones underfoot shifted from her weight. Two or three hours had gone by and she sorely needed to rest, but she couldn't even turn around or sit down when she was pressed tightly against these rocky walls. She took in a shaky breath and managed a few more steps, ignoring the throbbing she felt in her feet.

She staggered her way through the tight passage as the sun began to droop lower in the sky. By now she was really sore, and really tired, and really irritable. Bracing her hands against the walls, she leaned her back against the other and called out to the little birds flying overhead. The one that had been scouting ahead of her came down to rest on her forearm.

"How much longer does this pass go on for?" she said with exasperation. The little sparrow hopped a few times on her arm and tweeted lightly. She saw from the birds eyes that she still had a few more miles to go, but that it was certainly a shorter trip than going over or under the mountains. Laurel gave the bird a silent nod of thanks before it took off again. She rested her head against the stones and closed her eyes for a few moments, taking a deep breath. She released a long sigh and shook out her shoulders and feet as best she could.

"Alright, let's do this."

She powered on, ignoring the pain, the scrapes, the sore feeling seeping into her bones. The sunlight barely filtered in through the small ravine, but it was enough to keep her going. An hour later found her close to the end. She heard the chirping of the birds and felt a relieved smile form on her face. The end was finally in sight! She pushed through the last narrow few feet and tumbled out onto soft grass.

"I did it," she let out a breathy laugh as she laid there for a few moments. Eventually, she sat up and spotted a small pond a good few yards East of where she was. Hauling her sore, tired body off the ground, Laurel made her way over to the pond and sat down by its edge. She took off her boots and rolled up the hems of her breeches while she stuck her feet in the cool water. The setting sun was beautiful as it cast watery shades of oranges, pinks and reds across the surface of the pond.

She remembered her lessons with Gandalf and tried to concentrate on the water. She imagined the water leeching the soreness from her feet and she felt the water doing just that. A sigh of relief parted her smile and she laid back on the grass with her feet still dangling in the water. Maybe it wouldn't hurt if she just stayed here a little while, she pondered, feeling sleep start to creep over her.

The crickets chirped in the warm air and the sun's last rays slipped below the horizon, sending the cue for the fireflies to light the evening air. Laurel sighed contently as she breathed in the smell of wildflowers that drifted on the slight breeze. Tomorrow she would resume her journey, but for now she would rest.