A/N: What's this? TWO chapters in the same week? It's a Christmas miracle, folks

Honestly, I don't have a real explanation for this. I've been listening to a lot of movie soundtracks lately that make me think of this fic, so... blame that, I guess? I don't know. Whatever, hope you enjoy this chapter anyway! I've been looking forward to writing this one for a very long time. ;) DRAMA ENSUES!

To Whatever End: Chapter Four

-Kathryn-

The heavy wooden door opened with a soft creak, exposing me to the outer terrace surrounding the Golden Hall. It was a warm night, though still cooler outside than within the main hall amidst the celebrating Rohirrim, and I appreciated the breath of fresh air as I stepped through the doorway. My attention, however, soon shifted elsewhere as I looked around for any sign of my target, having seen her bolt and abandon the party not ten minutes ago. I paused when I noticed her small form not far off to my left, legs dangling over the edge of the terrace as she sat alone on the stone walkway. I turned and slowly moved to approach her, my frown deepening when I drew close enough to see the distant, forlorn look on her face. "Erin."

She blinked and immediately sat up a little straighter, looking over at the sound of my voice. When she saw me, her expression shifted into a calm, passive one, though it felt anything but sincere. "Hey," she said, attempting a casual air.

But I wasn't buying it for a second. "What's going on?" I asked, staring down at her. "Why did you leave?"

"I needed some air."

"Erin. Seriously. Tell me what happened."

Erin closed her eyes for a moment, expelling a breath, then turned away from me to look out across the open fields again. "Nothing happened, Kathryn. I'm fine."

"Then why are you sitting out here alone looking so upset?" I pressed. "I thought you were enjoying yourself in there."

"I was," she answered, "but I needed a break."

I paused for a moment as she continued to blankly stare into the darkness. "...A break from the party, or a break from certain people at the party?"

I almost missed it, but her jaw clenched the tiniest bit at my implication. "A break from everything. I felt trapped in there."

I frowned, trying to reassure her. "Erin, no one in there wants to hurt you. You're okay."

"You don't know that." Still, her gaze remained fixed on the endless nothingness ahead. "I felt people's eyes on me, Kathryn. Multiple times, I'd turn around to catch men glancing away so they wouldn't be caught staring. People think I can't hear them whispering about me as I pass them by, but..." She let out a dry, humorless laugh. "In a way, it's almost more insulting. If they all hate me so much, the least they could do is admit it to my face."

On instinct, I opened my mouth to defend, but then stopped, knowing she was right. "Technically you're not a murderer, Erin. Your name's been cleared."

"By the law, yes," she nodded. "But that doesn't mean shit to the people that are angry." There was a brief pause, and when she spoke again, I could hear the grief creeping back into her voice. "...I should've been named guilty. I am guilty. His blood is on my hands."

I watched her carefully for a moment longer before sighing, moving to sink down next to her and take a seat at the terrace's edge. "There's no easy way out of this," I admitted. "What you did was wrong, and awful, and... well, I know you don't need me to tell you all that a second time." Then I turned to look at her directly, a deep concern in my heart for my best friend. "But you can't let guilt consume you like this. It's not worth it."

"What do you want me to do, Kathryn?" Finally, she looked back at me, though there was a spark of frustration and anger in her eyes. "Waltz back in there pretending like nothing ever happened? There's irrevocable damage that's been done on more than one field, and that's not something I can overlook!"

"I'm not saying you should," I replied. "But you also shouldn't drag yourself down even further. You've been miserable for weeks. I get that your mistake was a big one, but you don't need to dump a heaping load of eternal self-punishment on top of all the other stuff. At least, not in the way you have been." Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly in confusion, and at first, I was hesitant to explain. Seconds later, though, I shook my head, still intentionally holding her gaze. "Why have you completely given up on him?"

Erin's face fell immediately, and she turned away again, choosing to look back to the horizon. "Because it was the right thing to do.

I still stared at her. "...Was it?"

Her fists clenched, and again a sudden frustration returned to her voice. "I'm not going to sit here and debate this with you. It was my decision, and it was the best decision. End of story."

"Erin, you can't keep doing this to yourself," I said quietly. "I know how much this is hurting you, and I don't understand why you've completely abandoned all hope that things could ever work between you and Legolas again."

"Because that's just the way it is," she shot back. "It's something I have to learn to accept."

"But why?" I persisted. "This isn't what you want, Erin; you love him!"

In that instant, something snapped, and as soon as the words left my mouth I saw her almost physically flinch before she rounded on me, eyes blazing. "Of course I love him!" I froze, shocked by the sudden ferocity of her words mixed with the glassy sheen in her eyes. For a minute, it fell silent as we both were caught off-guard, and Erin swallowed, then blinked, refusing to let tears fall. She recovered first, her anger fading away as her voice softened and now became heavy with emotion. "But it's not about what I want. It's about what's best for him; what's going to keep him safe, and happy, and..." She trailed off, a distant look coming over her again before she collected herself and dropped her gaze to her lap. "The crown prince of the Woodland Realm, dating a mortal woman that hundreds believe killed one of Lord Elrond's sons? People would come after him, Kathryn. He'd be branded a traitor to his own kind, and then what happens when he tries to someday return home? He has a responsibility to become king one day, and there's no way that's ever going to happen with me at his side." She shook her head, her voice fragile. "I'm not going to ask him to abandon his birthright for me. I won't do it."

I didn't move an inch as Erin spoke, the full weight of the situation slowly settling on me as she explained herself. She hadn't gone so in depth the first time she'd told us about her and Legolas' split, and for weeks, I'd been so confused as to why she'd done it. She cared about Legolas more than almost anything else, so why would she give him up so suddenly? But now I understood. She cared about Legolas more than almost anything else. "...I'm sorry, Erin." I couldn't think of anything else to say. She remained silent, eyes downcast as we sat there together for a moment longer. Finally, I sighed, looking to her as I asked a question I already knew the answer to. "You're not coming back?"

Erin shook her head. "No," she answered quietly.

I hesitated, not wanting to leave her alone out here, but also knowing there was nothing more I could do. "Okay. You'll be okay out here?" Another pointless question, but she nodded anyway. I stood, straightening the skirt of my dress and casting one last sympathetic glance in her direction. "If you need anything, come find me." Another nod, though by now I doubted she was even listening. And then I turned and walked away, leaving Erin alone with her thoughts as I headed back to the party inside, suddenly not in the mood to celebrate anymore.

-Erin-

I risked a glance over my shoulder as Kathryn disappeared into Meduseld, barely catching a glimpse of her before she ducked back through the great doors. Finally alone again, I allowed my body to relax, pulling my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. So many thoughts rattled my mind, and about more than just my encounter with Legolas that night. By now, he felt like the least of my worries. Briefly, though, my thoughts lingered on the unexpected turn my conversation with Kathryn had taken, and I closed my eyes, letting out a breath. I'd surprised even myself with my outburst near the end of it. Of course I love him. It certainly hadn't been the first time the idea had occurred to me, but I'd never said it out loud until now. And somehow that made it all the more real and all the more painful. I can't love him. I already made the choice to walk away, and he agreed to it. He admitted to having second thoughts about our relationship himself, and I have to respect that. I won't force him into something he doesn't want to pursue.

And truthfully, Legolas hadn't been the sole reason I'd abandoned the party anyway. All night long, my thoughts had been centered around Helm's Deep and the treachery I'd committed there, made even worse by all the other Rohirrim celebrating around me. I could still envision Elladan on the ground in front of me, blood draining from his chest and coating his breastplate in a slick crimson wash. Rainwater streaking through mud and dirt on his face as all color left him. Grey eyes staring up at me as the light within vanished, turning them cold and dead. I took a shaky breath, bringing my hands to my face. God... what have I become? I'd been asking that for weeks now, barely able to live with myself the more I thought about it. I have blood on my hands that can't be washed away. Never, no matter what I do. For a split second, Saruman's prophetic warning sounded in the back of my mind, and I remembered how easy it could be for me to die in this upcoming war. I lifted my gaze to the clouded sky, mulling over the concept. Part of me felt like it was the only way I could ever hope to redeem myself, but in reality I knew that was a lie. Nothing will bring him back. Not even my own death. There's no point in trying for redemption, because I'll never find any for what I did to him.

The more it sank in, though, the more fearful I became. What do I do, then? I can't do anything to clear my conscience; I can't do anything to earn forgiveness. So where do I go? How do I even begin to collect myself and press on? My thoughts traced back to when I'd first arrived in Middle-Earth six years ago, heart set on joining the Fellowship and fighting for this world I so deeply loved. I thought that was my purpose back then, I mused. I acted like some self-appointed Protector of the Realm. I scoffed. Some protector I've turned out to be. My own self-righteousness has been the cause of almost all our problems ever since I decided to get involved. I could remember the excitement I'd felt when I'd first convinced Kathryn to join me. I'd been living the dream... little old me, given the opportunity to become one of the great heroes of Middle-Earth. But I'd utterly failed in that. I was no great hero. Not by a long shot. I stared blankly ahead, recalling all that'd happened since we set out from Rivendell. Can I even call myself a hero at all anymore? ...No. No, I can't.

I swallowed, genuinely scared by the realization. So what then? I can't just go back and pretend to be a hero when I'm not. I've never been. And if I'm not a hero, than what am I? I don't want to be a murderer, I don't want to be a monster... but I don't know what else there's left for me to do.

And then, seemingly out of nowhere, I heard Legolas' voice as if he were whispering in my ear. What do you want to do?

My head snapped up, and I drew a sharp breath. I remembered our conversation several nights ago, and the answer came to me in an instant. "To help people," I whispered to the empty skies. "I... I want to help people." And it was the truth. Not for myself, not for honor or glory or redemption... just to save whoever I could, no matter what it took. My gaze drifted downwards to the ring Galadriel had given me as my thoughts shifted to the threat of the Haradrim and Easterlings waiting just beyond the horizon. I can't give up on that now. Thousands of people could be spared, I have to do something. There must be a way to convince Théoden and the others that they're coming... I have to find a way.

After several more minutes of sitting in silence and thinking, however, I'd still come up with nothing. Frustrated, I sighed and finally stood, deciding to just call it a night and head back to the guest room. I had no desire and no reason to return to the party, and it definitely wasn't going to be ending anytime soon. I reentered Meduseld, quietly slipping through the halls until I came to the large room, pleased to find it completely empty. Within ten minutes, I'd changed and was curled up on my mattress, pulling the light blankets up to my chin. I laid on my side, staring at the wall as my mind raced, still stuck on this problem of the new and deadly alliance our armies would soon face. As I drifted off to sleep, I almost hoped I'd have some sort of prophetic dream about it. Maybe that'll give me some brilliant idea.

The days continued to pass uneventfully after the night of the party. In fact, it wasn't until almost a week later that anything of remote importance happened at all. As had become the norm, I found myself once again unable to fall asleep one night, not at all tired even though most people had gone to bed hours ago. Instead, I opted to head out to the terrace once again, a spot I'd been frequenting lately to just be alone and think. As I pushed past the door and stepped out to the familiar sight of expansive rolling hills stretching out beyond Edoras, I smiled, oddly comforted by the scene. Glancing to the side, however, I paused, noticing the black silhouette of someone standing on the terrace's back edge, hooded and cloaked. Knowing who it was, I turned and walked towards him, casting a brief glance back in the direction of our room as I realized what was about to happen. I stepped up next to Legolas as I reached him, following his gaze as he looked out to the mountains stretching along the horizon. "Lovely weather we're having, huh?" We'd both mutually agreed to put the events of the party behind us a few days after it'd happened, returning to our usual lighthearted friendship.

His mouth twitched upwards in a smile at my sarcastic greeting, but it didn't last, a wary expression quickly returning to his face. "...I do not like it."

"What, the weather? I think it's pretty nice."

"No... the atmosphere," he said. "The earth has gone still, and the wind silent." My own mood sobered at his foreboding words. "A dark presence has fallen over Edoras. I can feel it."

I said nothing, feeling a similar tension as we stood side by side. Soon enough, the sound of booted footsteps echoed across the stone as Aragorn also emerged from Meduseld and came to join us. The ranger flanked my other side, contributing to our unofficial group brooding session as we all stared out into the darkness together in silence.

"...The stars are veiled," Legolas soon stated. I glanced up at the clouded sky. "Something stirs in the east. A sleepless malice..." He trailed off for a second, then spoke again, tone darkening. "The Eye of the Enemy is moving."

I glanced to the elf briefly before my eyes shifted in the direction of Mordor. "He's almost ready. His armies will be at their full strength soon enough, and then they'll be unleashed upon the rest of the world." Again, the Haradrim and Easterlings came to mind, and I frowned. We still have no way to warn anyone about them.

"All we can do now is wait," Aragorn said, "and prepare for the wars to come."

"It's hard to prepare for an army you're not expecting," I replied, shooting him a sideways glance. I still resented Aragorn not allowing me to just come clean and tell everyone what I'd told him and Legolas. We hadn't discussed it again since we'd first returned to Edoras, but now I was starting to get desperate. We were running out of time.

Aragorn did not miss my pointed look. "No," he agreed. "It is not. But we have no other choice." My jaw clenched, and I returned to staring out at the landscape again in silence.

-Kaia-

It felt like I'd been laying there for hours, trying and failing to fall asleep on the old, beaten mattress amidst the quiet snores of other sleeping men. Somehow I just couldn't seem to fall asleep tonight, an uncomfortable tension making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, and I didn't know why.

I was stirred from my dozing by the sound of bare feet crossing the floor, frowning at the disturbance to the room's stillness. I turned onto my back and pushed myself up, squinting when I saw who it was crossing the room. "What the hell are you doing, Pippin?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin at my voice, whipping around and letting out a startled gasp. But then his eyes met mine, and the hobbit visibly relaxed, shoulders slumping. "Oh... Kaia. It's just you."

"Who else would it be, an Orc?" I rolled my eyes. There was no one else in here besides the two of us, Gimli, Gandalf, and one or two other men I didn't know. Pippin continued to step backwards after a second, nearing the wizard's bed. When he turned towards the old man, however, he jumped again, jerking back. I sat up a bit more, frowning in confusion. "What is it?" I whispered. "Pippin!"

But he ignored me, suddenly narrowing his eyes before leaning in and waving a hand in front of Gandalf's face. Then his expression shifted, and he looked down at a round object covered in blue cloth hugged to Gandalf's chest as he slept.

My face fell as I realized what the hobbit was thinking. "Pippin, don't you dare..."

Too late. He'd already picked up a ceramic pitcher and moved in to switch it out, pausing and jerking back again when Gandalf mumbled something in his sleep. Once Pippin was sure he hadn't woken the wizard, he carefully reached in and grabbed the palantír, sticking the pitcher in its place as a decoy.

"Pippin!" He turned at my urgent whisper, a deeply unsettling gleam in his eye as he rushed over to sit with the stone at the foot of my bed. I instinctively scrambled back, a jolt of fear ripping through me like an electric shock. "Get that fucking thing away from me! Go put it back! You shouldn't even have it!"

"I just want to look at it," he whispered, already tearing the layers of cloth away. "Just one more time!"

"Put it back!" I hissed again, but my words were abruptly choked into silence as the cloth was pushed aside, revealing the impenetrable darkness encased in smooth glass. My fists clenched, and I forced myself to close my eyes, turning my head away. I could hear the distant screaming. "...Pippin..." I whispered, remaining deathly still. "...Please." But I received no answer, and when I finally risked opening my eyes again, my blood ran cold. He was reaching towards it, both hands grazing the stone's surface. "Pippin, stop!" I gasped, feeling myself tremble as golden light stirred from deep within. "Don't fucking touch it! Do you hear me? Pippin!"

The light grew stronger as he grasped it fully now, brow furrowed in uncertain fear. Golden rays seeped through his fingers and cast an eerie glow across Pippin's face. Now he looked angry, shaking as if trying to resist something, and my heart began to pound on my chest. I wanted to do something - reach out and smack it from his hands, or even tackle him to the ground, but I felt frozen in place, fear gripping me as I blinked against the vision of a fiery eye. Pippin closed his eyes, hands shaking even more now as he tried to turn away from the thing, face scrunching in pain...

-Erin-

Without warning, Legolas' hand shot out and gripped my arm, eyes locking with mine. "He is here!"

My eyes widened. "The palantír..." I breathed. "No!" I bolted for the door, both elf and man less than a second behind.

-Kaia-

Golden light suddenly burned as bright as flame, encircling the stone like netting as Pippin jerked back, jumping to his feet. He thrashed about uncontrollably, unable to let go of the palantír as Sauron completely ensnared and overwhelmed him. "PIPPIN!" I screamed. "GANDALF, HELP!" I felt myself moving, desperately trying to untangle myself from my sheets as the hobbit dropped to the floor, now convulsing on his back. Terror flooded my entire body as my gaze remained rooted to his face, eyes wrenched shut, and mouth open in a silent scream of pain. A distant thundering came rushing down the hall, and I got to my feet right as the door burst open. Without thinking, I leapt towards him, hands outstretched to try and rip it from his hands, but then someone shouted, and my fingertips were only an inch away from the glass when Aragorn slammed into me at full force, pinning me on the ground. I looked up to see Erin and Legolas also frozen in the doorway and screamed again, desperate for someone to do something. "HELP HIM!"

-Erin-

As soon as the door flew open, everything burst into chaos. Aragorn tore past me in the blink of an eye, tackling Kaia and pulling her away from Pippin before she reached him. She screamed for someone to help, and I froze, my head turning to see the young hobbit shaking and jerking back and forth on the floor as he clutched the palantír, burning brightly in his hands. And then my eyes fell to the stone itself, and suddenly everything came to a screeching halt.

It all happened in less than two seconds, although it felt like the world was moving in slow motion as my gaze centered on the flaming stone. For a moment, my mind went entirely blank, save for one word: Proof. As soon as the thought entered my mind, it felt like every warning siren and bell in the world went off, and my thoughts flew by at impossible speeds. No. Too dangerous. Don't. He'll see you. Hunted. Danger. But above it all, that one word kept ringing out over and over: Proof. The proof we needed to save thousands of lives - it was here, an opportunity staring me right in the face, begging me to take it. I felt my fear turn to grim determination. Whatever it takes. And before anyone could even think to stop me, I shot forward, my thoughts on nothing else but the innocents as I dove towards Pippin, hands outstretched. I heard someone shout my name, but they weren't quick enough, my hands already closing around the glass.

The last thing I remembered was ripping it from Pippin and falling back before the world around me disappeared and darkness swept across my field of vision.

Fire. Burning fire everywhere. Roars of fury - wrath unleashed.

The images flashed across my mind before I knew what was happening.

A dark-skinned woman falling to the ground, her body mangled and broken.

Another woman screaming as a shadow with a crown surrounded her, sucking her life away.

The Pelennor burning. Fire raining from the heavens; a great storm covering all Arda.

I felt like I couldn't breathe. My throat burned, and suddenly the flame shifted, swirling into a single eye with a black slit at its center.

You cannot hide.

Every inch of my skin felt like it was on fire, and I felt myself scream, but it was drowned out by the roaring inferno and Black Speech grating against my ears louder than anything I'd ever heard. I tried to resist, to pull away, but then something shifted, and again I heard a chilling voice that seemed to pierce my very flesh and blood.

I see all within you.

Suddenly, an impossible pain burst behind my eyes, white light flooding everything and washing the flame away. I gasped, choking on my own breath, and then the images came again.

A familiar forest, lush and green. Four girls ahead of me, hiking along a dirt trail. I knew their names. Kathryn turned around and smiled at me.

I froze. I didn't understand. That wasn't Sauron's image, it was... it was mine.

I sat around an old wooden table, cards in my hand. Surrounded by my family and the comforting smell of my grandmother's home. My head turned, and I smiled, laughing at something my cousin said.

What was happening?

A dark room, my child self seated on a couch and illuminated by the television's glow. My father next to me, pointing to the screen. A sense of wonder washing over me as I watched a dark-haired man with an ancient sword slice an Orc in two. He turned and killed another, barely pausing in his stride as -

Fear struck me like a lightning bolt, and I felt myself scream. I strained desperately to shut him out, knowing what he was doing, frantically trying to turn my mind elsewhere -

The treetops of a forest, bathed in sunset glow. Golden hair shining and radiant, spilling down his back like a waterfall as he sat by my side, regal and strong.

Eleven standing as one, a proud elven lord looking upon us as his voice boomed across the open hall. "You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!"

I fell his pull again, stronger than before, and a crushing weight on my chest as I clawed wildly at my own subconscious, trying to regain control.

Myself, a little girl sat in my father's lap on a hot summer's day. Sunlight streams in through the old windows, and my dad's arms are wrapped around me, holding a children's book in his hands for me to see. My mother appears in the doorway, watching as my father bounces me on his knees and sings the silly rhyme. She smiles.

For a split second, my grip went slack, and I felt an incredible pain surge through my body once again.

I am still on the couch, and the room is still dark. My dad laughs and cheers as I sit, completely transfixed by the television screen as the music soars in triumphant fanfare. The dark tower is crumbling, shattering into a million tiny pieces as its flame shrinks smaller and smaller, his own land collapsing around him-

A roar of fury swallowed me whole as I focused all my strength on him; on tearing myself away from him. Flame consumed the memory as the pressure in my head grew so strong I felt like I might snap in half, and I screamed again, my voice shredded raw. The weight on my chest pressed down harder, and everything was burning, burning -

Something slipped from my grasp, and I blinked, and then everything was gone. All of it. The fire, the angered roars, the pain... gone. Stars danced on the edge of my vision, and I gasped for breath, coughing violently as my body jerked back. Strong hands gripped my shoulders, and the darkness started to recede, and suddenly I could feel my own limbs again.

I blinked a second time, and the blurred forms around me came into focus as I looked up, still gasping and shaking violently. Gandalf was the first person to respond, his hand reaching to cup my face as he leaned down. "Erin. Look at me." As his fingers grazed my cheek, I flinched, though I felt no pain. Another shudder rippled through me, and Gandalf shifted, his gaze now falling to my trembling hands which still burned like the skin had been singed off them. "Shh." He took them in his own calloused ones, and my breathing slowed as a cooling sensation washed over me, flowing from the tips of my fingers into the rest of my body. "It's all right, Erin." I could see the others standing over him, all looking down at me with varied looks of concern and fear. My eyes flicked to Kaia for half a second, but were drawn back as Gandalf spoke again, carefully, quietly. "What did you see?"

-Kaia-

The color drained from Erin's face at the wizard's question, absolute terror in her eyes as she laid there, shaking in Legolas' lap. Her mouth opened, but she could hardly speak. "...Fire," she gasped, chest heaving as she sucked in panicked breaths. "...Fire, everywhere, and... and people dying, and..." She trailed off for a moment, and I saw her gaze shift, looking past Gandalf again. Fearful eyes looked to Aragorn, but as they settled on him, she blinked, and then something in her face changed as she took a deep breath, focusing all her efforts on calming herself. When she looked back to Gandalf, she was still visibly shaken, but spoke slightly louder than before. "...Gandalf, I... I saw Sauron's armies. The Easterlings and the Haradrim... they march with him." As the words left her mouth, Legolas' eyes widened from where he sat behind her, still holding her steady. I frowned, noting the way his jaw clenched as he now stared at her in disbelief. My gaze flicked to Aragorn, confused even further when I saw his face fall as well.

It was eerily silent in the room for several long seconds before Gandalf responded. "...You are sure of this?" She nodded, and he almost seemed like he didn't want to believe her, wise blue eyes lingering on hers a moment longer. "What else did you see?" Erin's mouth snapped shut, and her eyes slipped out of focus. She looked more terrified than I'd ever seen her, and it stung. "Erin," Gandalf prompted, coaxing her gently. "You must tell us all of it. Leave nothing out."

She closed her eyes, taking another deep breath and clenching her fists. "I... I saw the Pelennor burning. I saw Kathryn consumed by a shadow... dying. I saw Kaia dead on the ground." My heart dropped. Erin didn't open her eyes, refusing to look at anyone as she paused, her next words barely escaping her in a whisper. "...He got inside my head." I froze. "He started leafing through my memories... and I tried to stop him, but I-" Her voice caught, and she finally opened her eyes again, looking at Gandalf with a severity only a few of us understood. "He saw things he was not supposed to see."

The wizard immediately drew back, his response clipped and abrupt. "Leave us. All of you."

No one hesitated against the authority in his tone, each of us quickly turning and exiting the room without a word. As I stepped out into the hall, I paused, seeing Legolas immediately pull Aragorn aside as the two of them began whispering fiercely to each other in hushed elvish. The others wandered off on their own, except Pippin, who emerged with a dazed and distant look on his face, still shaken.

I looked down at the hobbit, understanding his fear and confusion all too well. "Hey, Pip." I gently laid a hand on his shoulder, trying not to startle him. "You want to go see if we can find some food? Would that help?" He looked up at me for a moment, then slowly nodded, and I smiled. "Okay. Come on, let's head down to the kitchens. They're bound to have something." We started off down the hall together, leaving Erin and Gandalf alone in the room where I knew he'd be drilling her about everything Sauron had seen. But that wasn't what stuck with me as I walked alongside Pippin. No. Everything else felt muffled against the voice of Galadriel, her voice a warning chime in my ear.

If she acts, his life will be put at risk.

I swallowed, remembering what I'd seen in the Mirror. Remembering my task.

You must not fail.

Despite all my efforts, I couldn't keep the smile on my face, heart sinking like a stone. The deed was done. That was it.

Everything was set in stone now.

-Legolas-

Time stretched on in unending silence as I stood alone in the hall, all others having long since abandoned the room entirely. I could hear quiet, muffled voices from within as they discussed whatever Gandalf had wished to, though I could already guess what it might have been. My gaze remained fixed on the wooden door as I waited, wishing I could simply will it open with my mind as my patience wore thin. Anger burned hot in my veins, my mind racing through what had just happened and what would now come upon us as a result, and above all else I simply could not understand why. No, that was a lie, I knew why she had done it, but I could not fathom what ridiculous sense of reason drove her to it while knowing the consequences. For a moment, my eyes fell shut, recalling her screams and the horror they had instilled in all of us.

Just then, the voices fell silent, and soon enough my gaze returned to the door as it slowly opened. After what had felt like a lifetime, Erin stepped out into the hall, stopping just after crossing the threshold in a daze. Her mouth hung slightly agape, hazel eyes staring forward as if in a trance. Her face was flushed red and wet from tears - she looked more exhausted than I'd ever seen her. At first, she remained completely still, but then realized she was not alone, slowly lifting her eyes to meet mine. There was a flash of fear across her face, and she turned, attempting to escape.

But she was not quick enough. In an instant, I had grabbed her, my hand firmly gripping her shoulder as I spun her back against the wall. Erin gasped, quickly looking away, but I did not move, standing directly in front of her as my anger was finally given a means of escape. "Why did you do that?" I stared at her, demanding answers. "Why did you throw yourself at him like that? Have you any sense of reason within you at all?!"

She flinched, rushed apologies spilling forth. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just - I wanted to help, and I knew - I knew if I told them I'd seen it, they'd have to believe me... We needed proof, and I-" She inhaled, attempting to calm herself as she finally opened her eyes to look back at me. "They'll have no choice but to take me seriously now. Thousands of people will be spared."

"At what cost?" I snapped, still holding her in an iron grip. "Do you have any idea what this means, Erin? Sauron has seen you! He is hunting you, and you have just shown him where you are!"

"You think I don't know that?" she shot back, eyes sparking.

"Then why did you do it?!"

"Because I wanted to help them!"

"So your plan was to sacrifice yourself? To throw yourself at an evil you did not fully understand?"

"It doesn't matter what happens to me-"

"He could've KILLED you, Erin!"

Her face fell in an instant, and she froze where she stood, stunned into silence. I blinked, only then recognizing the pounding of my own heart, loosening my grip slightly as I stared at her. "...You cannot risk your own life so rashly," I pleaded, a familiar fear hanging over me like a great cloud as I remembered Saruman's foreboding words. Please.

She swallowed, eyes softening and again clouding over with fear. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

But now I was unable to hold her gaze, looking down to the floor. "...You know what will happen now," I said.

"Yes." Her answer was hesitant, not wanting to speak aloud that which we both already knew. "We'll ride for Minas Tirith. It'd be too dangerous for Pippin and I to stay here."

Still, I did not look up. "When will you leave?"

A pause. "...Tomorrow." Now my gaze did lift to meet hers again, shock staring into grief. "Gandalf says we've got no time to waste."

In that moment, I was rendered speechless, the realization striking me with unexpected force. Tomorrow. She will leave and not return to us. She rides to the city Sauron means to strike hardest... alone. Where I cannot protect her. Again, I felt a division in my own heart I did not understand. But then I noticed something else change in her expression, a distant look overtaking her again as she suddenly was no longer focused on me. I stilled, watching her carefully. "...What did he see in you?"

Erin bit her lip, fearful eyes seeing images I could not. "...He dug through my memories," she whispered. "And I saw... I saw Kaia and Kathryn, and me, and our other friends back on Earth, hiking through the woods." My eyes widened as she continued, voice shaking. "I saw my family playing games at my grandmother's house... and I was laughing with them; I was happy." Her eyes suddenly grew wet with tears, and she made no effort to stop them from slipping down her face. "I saw my mom... and my dad..." Her body trembled, and I quickly stepped forward to wrap my arms around her as she broke, collapsing into me, sobbing. I said nothing, holding Erin in shocked silence as I realized how deeply Sauron had shaken her. "...I can't do it, Legolas," she gasped, face pressed to my shoulder. "I can't. It hurts so much, I can't..."

"They are all safe, Erin," I said softly. "Sauron cannot ever hurt them."

"I know," came her broken response. "But I miss them."

Again, I fell silent, despaired by knowing there was nothing I could do. For several minutes, neither of us moved, standing in the hallway together as she wept in grief for what she had lost. When Erin finally regained enough of her composure to speak again, she drew back, pulling herself free from my grasp as she looked up at me. "There was one other memory he saw," she explained, wiping at her face in vain. "It was... it was the first time I ever watched Lord of the Rings with my dad. I was just a kid." She paused, taking a breath to steady herself, though now her pain was mixed with an underlying fear. "The first time he saw the memory, it was when... in the great battle at Minas Tirith, when you and Aragorn and all the others are fighting. And I tried to pull away from him; I didn't want him to see..." She trailed off, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "But he was too strong, and... when he saw the memory again, it was at the end of the movie when he was being defeated. Sauron saw a glimpse of his own destruction."

My body tensed, and I looked at her. "...What does this mean?"

"I don't know," she said. "But he was angry. And he'd know that the only way he can be destroyed is through the destruction of the Ring, so..."

"...He knows we seek to destroy it," I breathed, the severity of the situation fully settling in. "Valar..." For a moment, my gaze fell away, horrified, but then I looked back to her with urgency. "But you said nothing to him of Frodo?"

Thankfully, Erin shook her head to that as well. "No. He didn't see Frodo and Sam; he won't know about them.

I exhaled. "Then that, at least, is a small comfort." I paused, still watching her. "...Are you going to be alright, Erin?"

At first, she did not answer. "Yeah, I just... I need to be alone for awhile."

Again, she turned to leave, but I caught her wrist in my hand for a brief moment, stopping her. "Erin-" Our eyes met, and my words vanished, suddenly unable to speak. I wanted to say something more, anything to comfort her, but nothing came.

She held my gaze for a moment before offering a transparent smile. "Thank you, Legolas." And then she turned away again, pulling herself from my gentle grasp and vanishing into the darkness of the hall without another word.