Thank you all so very much for your reviews! I was going to wait until the weekend to post the second chapter because then I would have more time to finish typing up the third one, but I wanted to post it now, just because. I fixed the typo in the first chapter where I had Carita 'Mandawen' that's what I get for working on two stories at the same time. Sorry about that! Again, thank you for your reviews. I hope you like this chapter!

Note: Dialouge in bold is spoken in Elvish.

Disclaimer: I own nothing associated with Lord of the Rings.

Chapter 2

Gandalf left the crowd of now silent men, elves and dwarves and stood before the hobbit. "I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear," Gandalf said gravely as he put his hands on the hobbits shoulders. Aragorn rose from his chair and Carita looked at him before he even spoke.

"If by my life or death, I can protect you, I will," Aragorn said before he walked over and kneeled before Frodo. "You have my sword," Aragorn said and he stood to stand next to Frodo.

"And you have my bow," Legolas said as he walked over and stood next to Gandalf and looked at Frodo.

"And my axe," the dwarf said as he glared at Legolas before he stood next to him making himself a member of the group.

"You carry the fate of us all little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done," the first man said as he walked over and joined them.

"Hey!" a voice shouted from the bushes and all turned their eyes to see a portly hobbit come running up and stopped as he stood next to Frodo. "Mr. Frodo is not goin' anywhere without me!" he said firmly.

"No indeed, it is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not," Elrond said with the hint of a smile in his voice.

"Wait! We are coming too!" another voice shouted, but this time from behind Carita. She turned and laughed softly when she saw two more hobbits come running up the walkway and both stopped next to Frodo. "You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!" the blonde haired one said.

"Anyway you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission, quest... thing," the slightly shorter and sandy brown haired one said. The blonde looked at him with a sigh.

"Well that rules you out Pip," the blonde said quietly. Elrond sighed and looked over the group and opened his mouth to speak when Carita stepped forward and walked over to the small hobbits. Silence fell amongst them again and the three hobbits that had just joined them looked at her with wide eyes, but Frodo looked at her with curiosity.

"The company you now keep, master hobbit, is strong and true," she said gently. "However, there is always room for one more. I give to you my guidance, wisdom, and skill with a blade if you will take it." Frodo looked at her with surprise clearly written in his eyes. He nodded and she smiled as she raised her hand and rested it on his cheek before she lowered her hand and turned around to face Elrond. His face was indescribable, but he took a slow breath as Carita stepped aside and stood next to Aragorn who looked at her in surprise and wonder.

"Ten companions," Elrond said as his eyes lingered apprehensively on Carita. "So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring!"

"Great," the sandy haired hobbit said. "Where are we going?" he asked and Carita smiled as she looked at him and the other hobbits sighed. Gandalf moved to Carita and took her arm.

"Carita," Gandalf said as he led the Maiar away from the group. "This is madness, you should not have pledged," he told her quietly as the others gave short introductions.

"Madness that I wish to aid in the destruction of what I watched tare this land apart so many years ago?" she asked as she stopped him from leading her any further and turned to face him fully. "You know as well as I that you will need all the power you can muster to face the challenges you will face on this journey. Do you think I did not plan ahead? Do you think that I am a fool? I have been made the fool once before by this evil, and I will not be made the fool again." Gandalf sighed as he looked at her. "There is no reason that I cannot make this journey, and I shall make it, but I will not lead it. That, my dear friend, is up to you and Aragorn, and no one else. I will be merely another pair of hands to defend when necessary."

"If you shall fall . . .," he trailed off and Carita put her hand on his shoulder.

"Then that is my fate," she said softly. "If I fall defending this land, then so be it." She lowered her hand and looked at the group of men, elf, dwarf, and hobbits that she would keep the company of for many long days in the coming months.

"Cartia," Gandalf said and she looked at him. She could read his concern in his eyes and she knew instantly what he was thinking.

"The only members of our party who have any knowledge of me are Legolas and Aragorn. But who I am does not matter, Gandalf. You of all people know that." Gandalf nodded and patted her shoulder before the two of them joined the others once again. Legolas' eyes met Carita's as they approached and she gave him a small smile. "I hope I have not missed all of the introductions."

"Indeed," Gandalf said. "I know all of you, but my companion here, has not had the pleasure."

"Gimli son Gloin," the dwarf said gruffly as he looked at her. Carita bowed her head and smiled at him, but he still looked at her slightly bristled from her stopping him earlier.

"Boromir son of Denethor, Steward of Gondor," the man from the south said and she met his light gray eyes.

"I know of your father," Carita said quietly. Lord Denethor was not a stable man and he treated his youngest son poorly, but treasured the one before her as Gandalf had told her when she asked of Gondor. Boromir looked at her with a furrowed brow, but one of the hobbits spoke before he could.

"I'm Peregrin Took, but everyone calls me Pippin," said the sandy haired hobbit and Carita smiled at him.

"I'm Meriadoc Brandybuck, and Merry will do," said the blonde haired hobbit.

"Samwise Gamgee," the portly hobbit said as he glanced at her and then quickly looked away a small blush on his cheeks. Carita smiled kindly at him and his nervousness. He was far from home and he truly did not know the journey that lay ahead of him. She turned her eyes to the hobbit that carried the heavy burden and gave him a smile. She knew his name, but wished for him to introduce himself.

"Frodo Baggins," he said quietly and she bowed her head to him before she looked upon the last due to give their introduction.

"Aragorn, son of Arathorn," the grey eyed man said and Carita gave him a smile before she glanced about the party.

"I am Carita," she said after a moment. "I am thankful that you have not protested to a woman joining your ranks, and I hope that my presence shall be more of a comfort than a hindrance on our long journey ahead."

"I am certain, my lady," Aragorn said with a pause and she turned her eyes to him once again. "That you shall be no hindrance and your presence shall be greatly appreciated." Carita laughed softly and shook her head, some of her black hair falling over her shoulder as she did so.

"Thank you kindly for your words," Carita said. She glanced about the party before she looked to Gandalf. "There is a brief journey I must make, not far from the city, but I shall be back long before we set off for our journey."

"You're leaving?" Pippin asked and Carita grinned as she kneeled before him.

"Have you taken to me already Pippin?" she asked and the hobbit blushed and looked down at the ground before he slowly looked back at her. "I am not traveling far," she said gently. "I live within the woods that surround this valley, and before we set out, I must be ready for the long journey ahead." She stood and kept her gaze on Pippin. "I did not bring my sword or my other things with me on this journey, but I shall return within a week. So, take heart." Her eyes once again swept across the party and she sighed quietly. "I must take my leave," she said again and she turned and drew her hood upon her head once more before she quickly and silently left the platform and was gone from sight.

"Who is she?" Merry asked and Gandalf looked at the hobbit.

"In due time, Meriadoc, you will learn more of her, but for right now I think it is best we find you three suitable arms and have you practice with them," Gandalf said and Merry and Pippin frowned.

"But we'll miss lunch," Pippin said and Gandalf smiled.

"Lunch will turn into supper and all will be right again," he said and looked to Frodo. "I think Bilbo had wished to speak with you further, Frodo," Gandalf said and Frodo nodded. "Come," Gandalf said as he stepped aside and led the three other hobbits away and down another path while Frodo took to the steps and was gone from the platform.

"What business does a woman have in making this perilous journey?" Boromir asked and Aragorn and Legolas looked at him.

"It is in your best interest, Boromir, that kindness is shown upon her," Aragorn said. "You know not who she is, and it is not our place to tell." With that Aragorn and Legolas left the platform talking quietly of the journey ahead and Boromir huffed before he too followed. Gimli sighed and adjusted his grip on his axe and trudged away to once again join his companions that had traveled with him.

Carita sighed as Moonlight came to a halt outside her home and she took a deep breath as she looked at the dark gray wood. Her home sat upon the cliff side and blended with the stone so that from a distance it looked as though only rock sat upon the mountain. Dismounting her proud stallion, she walked up the three steps of her home and opened the door.

Her journey had taken her a little over a day, but that was only because she had walked for much of the journey just to enjoy the peace before she called upon her horse that was following closely. The late afternoon sun filtered in through the windows and filled the small sitting room/dining room/kitchen space with a golden glow.

She quickly moved to the bedroom and to her wardrobe. She pulled a satchel from the wardrobe and sat it on her bed before she turned to the wardrobe once again. Carita pulled three tunics and three pairs of leggings from her wardrobe and folded them carefully and tucked them into the satchel. Going back to her wardrobe, she pulled her worn and well loved boots that had been a gift from Elrond many years ago. Folding the top of the boots down, she tucked them into the satchel. Carita looked at the satchel and then took a deep breath before she kneeled before her wardrobe and opened the bottom drawer.

Carita sighed softly once again as she pulled the black velvet cloth that covered her sword. It had been many years since she had to use the beautifully crafted sword, but as she picked up the carved sheath she took a deep breath and the weight of the metal became once again familiar in her hands.

"Let us hope," she said as she stood, "that when the time comes to use you once again that I will be as accurate and deadly as I was in the past." She stood fully and wrapped her long fingers around the metal tightly before she laid it onto her bed. Carita looked around her room before she tied off her satchel and put it in the chair next to her fireplace and then put her sword there as well. "A hot bath and some sleep shall do me good before I ensure that my home is secure and then make my way back to Rivendell," she said quietly to herself before she gathered her things and went into the washroom to take a warm bath and to rest her mind from the troubles that had plagued it and to ready it for the journey ahead.

At the dawn Carita was busying about her hope packing what food she had into another satchel and dressed in a dark green dress and her hair in a long braid down her back. She hoped to leave before noon so she would return to Rivendell and help with the hobbits training. They would need some help in learning their arms before they left because in the wild none can be too careful.

Once the food satchel was packed, she carried that along with her traveling satchel out to Moonlight, who stood outside her home saddled and ready. Though she did not need a saddle to ride, she needed the saddle to fasten her satchels to. Moonlight looked at her and she laughed softly.

"I know you hate to be saddled, my friend," she said quietly. "But I cannot carry my bags and ride with ease." Moonlight neighed and she smiled before she petted his neck and went back inside. Her brown traveling cloak was laid on her sitting room chair that also held her sword. She fastened the belt of her sword to her slim waist and as if she never went a day without it at her side, she adjusted to the weight of the steel. She fastened the cloak to her shoulders and pulled the hood over her head once again, but her long braid hung over her shoulder. Glancing about her house she sighed. "It shall be a long time before I come back, but I will come back."

With that, she turned and left her home, latching her door as she did so, and descended the stairs. Quickly mounting Moonlight she turned him and he set off into a run down the path towards Rivendell and Carita laughed at the rush of wind around her and gripped the reins tightly. It was only a matter of time before laughter would be a rare occurrence, but she would laugh all she could because that was what kept the darkness at bay.