A/N: Hope the last chapter was interesting enough for ya. It was certainly fun to write! And sorry about the small gap between uploads. I got stuck at the beginning, but I figured it out now. ^^ And another thing, I'm so sorry about the scene transitions! I had little lines of stars in the documents whever there's a scene change, but for some reason they don't show up on FanFiction. O_o I'll try and fix that. Enjoy this next chapter!

Disclaimer: Íverin is mine, but nothing else is! Don't sue me! ;)

As soon as we crossed into Lothlórien, I felt relieved. Tall, strong trees shot up out of the ground around me, with sunlight filtering down between the now bare branches. Just simply being in the woods again lifted my spirit. I could feel the happiness of the trees floating in the air, renewing my soul. I took a deep breath, relishing the scent of the forest air.

As we walked through the trees, Legolas looked at me. "Are you originally from Rivendell?" he asked.

I was caught off guard by the question, but showed no signs of it. "Yes," I replied. I hated lying to him, but I had to. I couldn't risk anyone else overhearing about my past. Not now, anyway. "Why do you ask?"

"You just seem...different," he said. "Something about you...it reminds me of the elves in my home. Do you have ancestors from other lands, perhaps?"

Oh, did I ever. "To be truthful, I am not sure. I am only Elrond's niece by adoption, but I think my mother's family lived in Rivendell at some point."

"Have you ever been to Lothlórien?"

"No. Have you?"

He nodded. "I came here quite often as a child. Sometimes as a messenger from my father, sometimes simply for fun. This place is very special to me."
"It is beautiful," I said.

"Just wait until you see the main city and Lady Galadriel." I smiled and turned my attention back to the trees.

Gimli was whispering to the four hobbits behind us. "Be careful, hobbits! They say a great sorceress lives in these woods. An Elf witch of terrible power. All who look upon her, fall under her spell...and are never seen again." His eyes nervously jumped from tree to tree, and his hand was on his axe. "Well, here's one dwarf she won't ensnare so easily! I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox!"

As if on cue, an arrow suddenly appeared inches from his large nose. I looked around and froze, putting my hands up. Elves popped out from behind the trees, wielding bows and arrows, surrounding us instantly. We had been caught.

A tall blonde elf stepped forward, obviously being the leader. "The dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark." Gimli glared at him.

Apparently, Aragorn recognized him, for he smiled upon seeing the elf. I did too. He was Haldir, captain of Lothlórien. My cousin said something quietly, but I was not paying attention. I was in fear that we would be shot down at any moment. But...they would not shoot down some of their own kin, would they? Maybe they did not recognize me, but if Legolas had been here before, they must have known who he was.

Whatever Aragorn said, Gimli heard it. "Aragorn! These woods are perilous! We should go back!"

Haldir turned his gaze upon the dwarf. "You have entered the realm of the Lady of the Wood. You cannot go back."

He commanded the elves to lead us to the city of the Galadhrim, and it was quite a sight, just as Legolas had said. The trees grew tall and proud; their mighty trunks glimmering like silver, and their branches endlessly twisting up into the clouds. The last of the golden leaves lay on the soft green grass, and there was a sense of magic in the air. Intricately carved wooden staircases spiraled up the trees, coiling around them like great snakes. Lights flickered from between the branches, and quiet singing could be heard from everywhere and nowhere all at once. It was very quiet and peaceful as we walked. Everyone was taking in the beauty and scenery of Lothlórien.

After a bit more walking through the wondrous elven city, we finally came to a large building, with great stone stairs and a massive set of doors at the top. The Company stood side by side at the bottom of the stairs, waiting.

And then the doors burst open, and a bright light shone from inside, momentarily blinding us. I shaded my eyes for a moment until the light dimmed, and only then did I see them coming down the stairs.

There were two elves; a lady and a man. The man was tall, and had long, pale, straight hair, an old but wise face, and dark eyes. He was clothed in robes of shining silver and a woven necklace of the precious metal as well. The lady was also very tall, and her hair fell in long, golden waves down to her hips. Her eyes were a bright, hypnotizing blue, and she wore a circlet of silver on her head. She was wearing robes of shimmering pearl-white.

"Who are they?" I whispered to Aragorn, who stood to my left.

"They are the rulers of this land, Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, who possess one of the three Rings of Power. It would do you well to respect them greatly."

The couple descended the steps and stood in front of us, and Lord Celeborn spoke. "Here there are eight. Nine were sent out, so said the messages. Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desired to speak with him."

Grief settled on my heart, and a sob rose in my throat at the memory of the old wizard, but I was silent. The rest of the Fellowship looked just as upset, for none wanted to answer the horrible question.

Then Lady Galadriel said, "He has fallen into shadow..." and I blinked to keep a tear from falling. "The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail...to the ruin of all." She looked at each one of us as she spoke, and when her eyes met mine, I heard her voice in my head.

" Íverin...daughter of both Elf and Man...why are you troubled? You know not what lies in wait for you in the White City."

"Forgive me, Lady," I said, "but I know very well that there is nothing for me in the kingdom of Men anymore, save for pain and death."

"Your eyes have been blinded by shadow, if that is truly how you feel. But I say to you this! Do not be quick to judge and doubt, o fair elf-maiden! And do not despair, for you have others to comfort you. They will need you to be the light in their hour of darkness before the end."

Galadriel's voice left my mind, and she spoke openly again. "Do not let your hearts be troubled! For tonight you shall sleep in peace. Go now! You are worn with sorrow and much toil."

We obeyed the Lady, and left after giving them our thanks. Servants showed us to a private clearing, where a small tent and soft beds had been prepared for us on the ground. We each took turns visiting the hot springs to clean ourselves up, and when the last of us had returned, the elves brought us a great feast of many drinks and food. Needless to say, we all ate our fill and were able to sleep comfortably that night.

Much later on that night, the four hobbits were fast asleep, along with Aragorn and Boromir. Only Gimli, Legolas, and I were still awake. We talked for awhile, with Legolas telling us many stories of adventures he'd had in the enchanted forest in the past. He seemed very happy to be here, and I was as well. I had never seen such a land before, and now knew why other races seemed to think that we elves were otherworldly and magical.

Finally, Legolas rose from his spot where he sat cross legged on the ground and sighed. "If you will excuse me, I would like to go for a walk. There are a few places I would like to revisit before we go, and I certainly am not tired just yet." He walked off into the trees.

After Legolas had disappeared from sight, Gimli smiled. "Well, lass? Got any new for me?"

I looked at him quizically. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Ah, don't tell me ya don't know!" he said. After I gave no response, he asked, "Ya can't see it? The lad's taken a fancy to ya!" He jerked his head in the direction Legolas had gone in.

My eyes widened in shock. "What? Oh Gimli, you must be mistaken. Legolas and I are just friends, and nothing more."

But Gimli shook his head. "Ya can't possibly think that! Haven't ya seen him lately? The way he held ya once we got out of Moria?"

"But...that was just an act of kindness. I was upset, so he comforted me. That's all."

"Maybe that's how it appears to you, lass, but I know him well. I've seen the way he looks at ya. The way he smiles when you laugh. If you're in danger, how he protects ya." I still looked doubtful. "Just keep yer eye on him, Íverin. You'll see."

After a long moment of silence, I sighed. "Well Gimli, I'm quite tired. I shall see you in the morning."

"G'night, lass."

I laid down on small bed of warm blankets, and within moments I heard the drone of Gimli's snoring. My eyes tracked the patterns of the twisting branches above me, and I became lost in thought. There was no way that Legolas actually felt that way about me...was there? Granted, he did talk to me often, and always seemed to be near my side, but so was the rest of the Fellowship. It's our job to protect and comfort each other, so why would something as simple as a hug make Gimli think that? Surely I wasn't the only one he was this close with! And even if he did feel that way about me, we could never be together. A half-blood, and a royal? No, that would be too risky for him. His family would never allow it. He probably already has someone back home to look forward to, anyway. He doesn't need me.

Suddenly, I heard a soft voice singing, and I closed my eyes and relaxed, pretending to be asleep. Just as my vision went black, I caught a glimpse of Legolas walking back over to the clearing. It must have been him. I waited until he stopped singing and the rustle of him moving underneath the blankets died down, and only then did I open my eyes to look at him. He laid on his back between Aragorn and Gimli, eyes closed, blissfully asleep.

Gimli's words echoed in the back of my mind as I, too, drifted off into slumber. "Just keep yer eye on him, Íverin. You'll see."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The next morning, we quickly began packing our things to leave. Aragorn had apparently come up with a new route to travel on, and wanted to leave as soon as possible, though the rest of us wished to stay in Lothlórien. Before we parted in three elven boats that the Lord and Lady had given us, Galadriel gave each of us a special gift. When at last I approached her for my own gift, she smiled at me.

"You, Íverin, shall receive the Sarn en Estel; the Stone of Hope." Into my hands she placed a smooth, black stone that sparkled in the sunlight, seeming to hold the stars of the night sky inside. The stone was about the size of my palm. "The Stone of Hope will aid you in moments of despair. Look to it when you feel alone, and it will bring to light an image of happiness and joy to lift the darkness from your heart."

I tucked the precious jewel away in my pack and bowed low. "Many thanks to you, my Lady. I could not ever repay you for all you have done for me. For us."

A kind light was in her eyes. "You are very gracious, Íverin, and brave. But do not ever let your heart be weighed heavy by the burdens of the Enemy. You must not give in to the despair that Sauron will lay upon you."

I nodded. "I know. Sauron will not ever so much as lay a finger on our free realms, as long as I have something to do with it."

Galadriel smiled again. She bent down and put a hand on my shoulder. "Remember us, daughter of Men and Elves. Good luck on your quest." She removed her hand, and I turned and went down to the boats that were pulled up on the banks of the Great River, Anduin. After the last person, Frodo, had gone up and received his gift, we climbed into the boats and set off. Aragorn, Frodo, and I were in the first boat, Legolas, Gimli, and Sam in the second, and Boromir, Merry, and Pippin at the rear. We spread all the gear out equally amongst ourselves.

As Aragorn began to row down the Anduin, I looked back at the shores of Lothlórien one last time. Galadriel waved to us as we left, and I watched her until the three boats came around a bend, and we could see them no more. I subtly slipped my hand inside my pack and curled my fingers around the Stone of Hope. By the grace of the Valar, give me strength, I said in my mind as we set off on a new part of our journey.