I'm finding it almost alarming how much easier it is to write this story than it is to write HP:CO. At least I now have a beginning for the summer chapter and have made some progress in writing it. I'd like to thank several reviewers who sent me a PM with ideas of how to conquer writer's block. Thanks for that.

This story is coming along nicely and I have decided to change several key points, as you can all probably guess from how this chapter has progressed. The story line has changed a fair bit from TLE, so I think that several plot points will surprise and, hopefully, please you.

So...

The Immortal Hero

Chapter 5

Tegalad looked around the forest he found himself in. He knew he was dreaming, or dead, as he wasn't feeling any of the pain that had plagued him for the past few months. He was also feeling completely safe, something he had felt before but always with the knowledge that he was still in a dangerous situation or that there was something out there that meant him harm. There was none of that in this forest.

"Little One, you couldn't help yourself could you?" asked a melodic voice filled with silent laughter. Tegalad turned around and found himself staring at the woman who had brought him to Middle Earth. He bowed to her politely.

"Am I dead ma'am?" he asked.

"Dead? No, child, you are in a healing trance, one I put you in when your wounds became very serious," the woman answered. "The Fellowship and you arrived in Lothlorien safely and you were handed over to the finest elven healers in the colony. When you wake up you will be almost completely healed. You'll have some scars but you won't feel the pain from them anymore."

Now that Tegalad was looking, he noticed that the woman in front of him was an elf. Her reddish blonde hair hung to her waist and her pointed ears clearly marked her race. Her eyes were pale green, not as vibrant as his own yet still distinctive in their own right. She was slim and her emerald dress brightened her eyes and brushed against the ground when she walked. She wasn't wearing any shoes.

"Ma'am? Who are you?" Tegalad asked shyly. She was even more beautiful than he remembered.

"My name is Faelwen and I am one of the Valar that govern over Middle Earth," she told him with a laugh. "I have spoken with Lady Galadriel and Lord Elrond about you, letting them know that you were in Middle Earth by my will. They have been watching out for you for several months, as it took a while for your change to be made. They will all respect your decision, whatever it is and will ensure that you are safe.

"If you do choose to join the Fellowship though, I would suggest leaving your beautiful owl behind so that you can still communicate with the elves, and they with you. Your wolf I would suggest keeping by your side. He is very loyal and will protect you."

"But what if he gets hurt?" Tegalad asked, going with the assumption that he was joining the Fellowship. "Hedwig would be safe but Shadow wouldn't. I don't want him to die."

"Death is a part of life Little One," Faelwen replied. She pulled the child into a hug and played with his hair. "Your Shadow, if he were to die, would always be with you, just like your Hedwig would if she were to die. One of fire and one of air."

"Does that mean they'll be a part of my powers?" Tegalad asked softly.

"Yes," was the instant reply. "I brought you here, and I promise that I won't leave you alone."

"Thank you," Tegalad whispered. The two stood silently for what felt like a long time. Tegalad had a few questions about his former world but was unsure of how to ask them. Faelwen continued to stroke his hair, now humming a lullaby under her breath.

"What's happening now, back on Earth?" Tegalad asked.

"Your friends are a part of the recovery team," the elf replied softly. "Hogwarts is being rebuilt but I'm sad to say that the Ministry isn't changing and old rules are being put into play again. But society is moving on, they're recovering nicely."

"How many dead?"

"That's not what you need to hear now," Faelwen stated firmly. "In time, after you have recovered, I will tell you everything. But for now all you need to know is that with Voldemort's death, the war ended."

Tegalad nodded, he wasn't sure that he wanted to know how many he could have saved if he had acted earlier. He pulled himself out of the elf woman's hold and looked around. The forest was incredibly beautiful. The trees were lush and green and there was no sign of human interference. Small animals ran around in the undergrowth and birds called out to each other high in the trees above them.

"Where are we?" Tegalad asked with a soft smile.

"We are in my home," Faelwen replied. "This is the border of my home, my brothers are further in. They tend to not interfere with what goes on, but they agreed with me when I said that the situation was dire. Should you ever need help I, or one of my brothers, will be here to offer it."

"So I can talk to you in my dreams?"

"Yes Little One. But I will warn you now, you can't come here every night. You have to face your nightmares eventually."

Tegalad nodded silently. He was disappointed that he couldn't get rid of them but understood Faelwen's reasoning. He didn't want to become dependent on this place.

"It's time for you to wake up Little One," Faelwen murmured. "I'll give you sweet dreams like this when I can, but not every night, alright?"

"I understand," Tegalad replied. "I'll see you soon though?"

Faelwen nodded and gently kissed the top of Tegalad's head. The forest became lighter and Tegalad soon found himself lying down. The sounds of the forest hadn't left but he knew now that this was reality, not dreams.

His green eyes flickered open and stared around his room. The roof was white and smooth, and as he turned his head to the side Tegalad realised that he was sleeping underneath the roots of a very old and large tree. The bed he was lying on was soft and seemed to hug his small body. He sat up and pulled his knees to his chest.

He was wearing a small set of pants and a slightly large shirt. His chest was bandaged but he knew his ribs had been healed and his wounds taken care of. A quick glance at the bottom of his feet let him know that they had been completely healed, only a few scars to be seen. He noticed that his hair had been washed and brushed, making it no longer look like a rat's nest and letting it hang to his shoulders in silky waves. Pulling it in front of his eyes, Tegalad noted that the red in his hair was more prominent and felt a lot softer than it had ever been.

He looked around for Shadow or Hedwig but was disappointed that he couldn't see them. Determined to find them Tegalad slid out of bed. There was no pain from his movements and as weight was put on his feet, he felt no discomfort. He smiled and experimentally bounced up and down. Satisfied that he was healed he walked to the edge of the tree and looked around.

At first he thought that he was completely alone, until he spotted a beautiful elf walking past a fair distance away. Slightly intimidated at being alone amongst such large trees, Tegalad jogged silently through the trees until he was behind her.

Her blonde hair was curled, unlike Legolas who had straight hair, and fell to her waist. Her white dress gave her an ethereal glow and when she turned around, her bright blue eyes were amused and kind. Tegalad stopped moving and shyly ducked his head. She walked back to him and knelt down so that she was at his height.

"Good afternoon Little One," she said. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better ma'am," Tegalad replied. "Are you Lady Galadriel?"

"I am," she replied, slightly shocked. "How did you know?"

"Lady Faelwen told me," Tegalad answered softly. "She said that she spoke to you and Lord Elrond about me."

"That she did," Galadriel agreed. "She was very worried about you, about what you had gone through. And you shall be safe from the war here. It is entirely possible that you won't even notice the war going on."

"But what if the war gets really bad?" Tegalad asked. "Won't the war then come here?"

"If that were to be the case, we would have left long before the enemy found us," Galadriel explained. "You will be safe here, I promise."

Tegalad nodded and looked around curiously. Galadriel took his hand and started to lead him the way she was going before she stopped. She started to explain some things to him, such as how long he'd been asleep and what the Fellowship had been up to. He had been sleeping for a week as his injuries had been very serious. The Fellowship were recovering and grieving for the lost member. Tegalad had frowned sadly when he was told of Gandalf's fate.

Galadriel also told him that Shadow spent most of his time with the Fellowship while Hedwig was often seen with the elves, basking in the attention bestowed upon her and enjoying the quiet life of the elves. Tegalad was looking forward to seeing his friends again and thinking seriously on what he wanted to do.

The sound of his name being called pulled Tegalad from his musings and he glanced up to see Aragorn smiling and walking towards him. Tegalad grinned and released Galadriel's hand before running up to the man and leaping into his arms. Aragorn smiled as he lifted Tegalad into the air before settling him once again on his hip. Tegalad looked back to Galadriel who simply nodded and walked away. He tilted his head curiously at her but was distracted when Aragorn started to walk away.

"How are you feeling Little One?"

"Better," Tegalad replied easily. "I'm all healed."

"That's great news!" Aragorn said happily. "We were all very worried about you when you wouldn't wake up."

"How is everyone?"

"Recovered. We're organizing our packs and supplies at the moment. The plan is to leave in a few days and continue on our journey. It is still a long way to Mt. Doom."

"You're going soon?"

"Yes, Little One," Aragorn said sadly. "But at least when we leave we will know that you are safe and awake. Besides, there are still a few more days before we leave. Don't frown yet."

Tegalad smiled softly. He was glad that he still had some time left to be with Aragorn and the Fellowship before they left and he wanted to see for himself that they were recovered. He also wanted to see Hedwig and Shadow and make sure they were alright as well.

"You need to eat more," Aragorn said suddenly. Tegalad looked at him with his head cocked to the side and eyebrows furrowed. "Don't look at me like that. You are far too light for an elven child of your age."

"I'm fine," Tegalad stated.

"Oh yeah? Well I think you could be around fourteen or fifteen summers old and I know that ribs aren't supposed to stick out like yours do."

"I'm seventeen," Tegalad corrected with a frown. "And I just haven't been allowed to eat for a while. That and I've always been told I'm short for my age."

Aragorn stopped walking and looked at the child on his hip. Tegalad looked like a seven year old human who had been in a war zone. As he had been raised among the elves, Aragorn knew how slowly elflings aged but if Tegalad was telling the truth, then he was aging even slower than was normal. He should look like a nine year old.

"Before we leave, I'm going to ensure that you eat as much as a hobbit does every day," Aragorn stated firmly, leaving no room for argument. "And I can assure you, they eat a lot."

Tegalad adopted a horrified expression. He thought of Ron briefly and how he would stuff his face full of food, and shuddered, both in remembrance of the friend he would never see again and the idea of eating that much food. Aragorn chuckled in amusement, but his eyes were still concerned. Tegalad assumed that the man was shocked at how old he claimed to be and ignored it.

When they reached a clearing Tegalad heard a group of voices, but knew that it was in another language as he couldn't understand it. Aragorn called out, causing the voices to stop, before they started up again and the Fellowship appeared. The Halflings were in front, Peregrin the most excited. The others walked behind but they all looked happy that Tegalad was there and conscious.

Tegalad squirmed out of Aragorn's hold and for the first time realised how small he was. The Halflings were the same size as he was, except for Frodo and Sam who were at most an inch taller than he was. Peregrin was actually a bit shorter than he was which made him feel better. Gimli was taller again and he was wearing a plain tunic, no longer carrying his armor and axe around with him everywhere.

Aragorn, Boromir and Legolas, however, towered over him. He estimated that he came up to just above their waists and was forced to tilt his head backwards just to see their faces. Boromir looked like he found that amusing as he was smiling broadly when he saw Tegalad's head tilt back to see them. The man said something with a laugh and Tegalad looked to Aragorn and Legolas to translate for him.

"He says that you look overwhelmed," Legolas said with a smile. "And he's right. If you were any smaller none of us would be able to see you."

Tegalad scowled, eliciting laughter from Legolas and Aragorn. He ignored them and looked around for Shadow and cried out in delight when he spotted the wolf running towards him. The Fellowship looked to where he was looking and cried out when a large blur moved past them and collided with the small elfling. Tegalad merely grunted upon impact before laughing and trying to push away the cold nose and to stop it from tickling him.

Shadow moved back with a doggy grin on his face and allowed Tegalad to sit up. Tegalad wiped his face on his sleeves, scrunching up his nose and trying to regain his breath from laughing at the same time. Peregrin was laughing so much that he had fallen to the ground and his fellow Halflings were also grinning.

"Where's Hedwig?" Tegalad asked once he could breathe again. He wrapped his arms around Shadow's neck with a goofy grin on his face and craned his neck back to look at Aragorn.

"She's been flying around," the man answered. "She'll probably be close by. She didn't leave you for a good many days before she was told that you were going to make a full recovery."

Tegalad nodded and looked around at the surrounding trees. His emerald eyes blazed as he searched for the smudge of white against the green foliage. Shadow barked and used his nose to push Tegalad's head around. Tegalad's grin widened when he saw his first familiar flying towards him and he opened his arms welcomingly. Hedwig cooed in his arms and nuzzled his cheek happily. Tegalad laughed, delighted that his animal companions were unharmed and well looked after.

Aragorn was talking to the others in another language, his tone serious and his expression hard. Everyone's gaze moved to him throughout the speech but Tegalad ignored them in favor of focusing on Shadow and Hedwig. He was startled though when he felt a hand settle on his shoulder and looked up to see Legolas' smiling face. Tegalad might have imagined it but he thought that the elf's expression looked strained, forced almost.

"We're all about to get something to eat, come and join us," the elf said. Tegalad knew it wasn't a request but he was hungry so he nodded and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

When they sat down to eat, Aragorn put a plate of food in front of Tegalad that was almost overflowing with food. Tegalad looked at the plate in horror and then up at the man. There was no way that he could eat all the food on the plate in a day, never-mind one sitting. Especially in his present condition of recovery.

"You will eat as much of that as you can Little One," Aragorn said firmly. "I don't expect miracles but I do expect you to attempt to eat all of that."

Tegalad gulped and looked back at the plate. He heard Peregrin laugh next to him and turned to glare at the Halfling, only to stare in disbelief as the plate in front of the Halfling was almost inhaled. It was almost as if he had been on the verge of starving to death or never expected to see food again. Aragorn spoke his name again; a hint of warning in it, and Tegalad looked back to his own plate, ready to eat some of the food on it.

Not even halfway completed, Tegalad's eyes began to droop and his head drop to his chest. When he realised what he was doing he snapped his eyes open again and lifted his head, but that only served to make him more tired. He heard a low chuckle before he was suddenly lifted briefly before being lowered onto someone's lap. Blinking in confusion, Tegalad looked up into the warm brown eyes of Boromir. Tegalad looked to Aragorn for an explanation.

"You're tired," the man said with a smile. "Boromir won't let anything happen to you, go to sleep."

Tegalad smiled and looked back up at Boromir before he closed his eyes and rested his head on the man's chest. He was surrounded by a peaceful feeling of belonging, something he hadn't felt for a long time, and the steady heartbeat of Boromir lulled him into a state of peaceful sleep.

The next day Tegalad spent most of his waking time with the Halflings. After he had said their names, Peregrin scrunched up his face before pointing to himself and saying, quite clearly, "Pippin". Meriadoc had laughed before doing the same, instead saying "Merry". Frodo and Sam had no corrections to their names and even though they couldn't understand each other beyond hand gestures, they had a great time trying to communicate.

Tegalad gathered that Pippin was the youngest Halfling in the group, and even though he was older than the elfling by around ten years, he acted much like a child on a strange adventure. He guessed that Halflings matured slower, coming into adulthood at a later stage than that of a human.

Merry was tolerant of Pippin's behaviour, giving the impression that the two of them were quite close. Tegalad would have called them opposites. Where Pippin was loud and impulsive, Merry was more calm and the thinker of the duo. They were both troublemakers though, the centre of attention and able to lift anyone's spirits.

Sam reminded Tegalad of a protective mother of her children. He was always watching his companions and Tegalad, making sure they weren't in too much trouble but also making sure that they all, especially Tegalad, ate when it was time to. Sam, however, was most protective of Frodo, acting like a body guard and a mother at the same time.

Frodo was the quiet one in the group, often sitting next to Tegalad and laughing at the antics of Merry and Pippin. He seemed better than when they had been in the Mines but Tegalad could see the hidden sorrow and pain in his eyes, something he was quite familiar with himself. Shadow played with Merry and Pippin, barking loudly and tripping them up when he could. Hedwig stayed with Tegalad, sitting on his lap and watching everything with her large eyes.

The "grown ups" were not far away and while they were occupied with their own activities, they were still keeping watch over the "children".

After a while the Halflings took it upon themselves to begin to teach Tegalad how to speak their language. The attempt was a complete failure but all of them ended up laughing in enjoyment.

Meals were large and throughout the day Tegalad was given small snacks to eat. He was in a constant state of fullness but no one would allow him to skip a meal. Elves came by in the afternoon to talk to him and Tegalad was amazed and unnerved by how genuinely happy and sincere the elves were to meet him. Their stares were at first uncomfortable but Tegalad did his best to ignore them as he had been told the next youngest elf to him was Aragorn's girlfriend Arwen, and she was over two thousand years old. Tegalad couldn't imagine living that long, but if all elves were long lived then he wouldn't be lonely.

On the second day after he woke up Tegalad, Shadow and Hedwig went off into the forest to talk quietly. Everyone knew where he was but allowed him to be alone for a short time. Tegalad wanted to find out what his companions wanted to do but to do so he didn't want to have an audience.

"I don't know what to do," Tegalad admitted quietly. Hedwig was on perched on his right knee staring up at him and Shadow had his head on his left knee. Both were silent as he talked himself through his problems.

"I've been in more fights than I would care to remember, and have more scars than anyone should have. Almost from birth I've been surrounded by violence and neglect, always wanting someone to love me for me, not because of my name, or who my parents were, but me. At times I can't help but think that if I had come here as a human, or a Halfling, or some other creature, would the elves still fawn over me? Would they still want me here or would I be merely a visitor?

"Don't get me wrong, it feels great having so many people care about me without expecting something in return, and I don't think I've ever felt this peaceful before. But what if it's just because I'm young? When I get older will I be left to fend for myself?

"And what about this journey that the Fellowship is on? I know it's dangerous and all that, but are they just going to be left alone? Is no one going to help them if they need it? The fate of Middle Earth rests on their success or failure, so they're going to need all the help they can get.

"When I first came here I had no intention of being a part of another war, never mind being in the thick of it, but the time that I've spent with the Fellowship…it made me see what it is they're fighting for. Glory is a part of it, but they're doing it for their friends, family, race…and everyone who can't save themselves, all the innocent people out there who have done nothing wrong. It made me see that I can't just hide away. That's not who I am, even though it seems like I've forgotten a huge part of what I was.

"I've always fought to protect my friends, people I don't even know and have never met before. I don't know how to step back and ignore the war, wherever I am. I can make a difference, no matter how small that difference is."

Tegalad ran his fingers through Shadow's coat and stroked Hedwig's feathers softly. Neither animal had made a sound, their presence enough for the child in front of them. They would follow the elfling, no matter what choice he made.

"I need to speak to Lady Galadriel," Tegalad murmured after a while. "Then we can find Merry and Pippin. I wonder what they're going to do today…"

His decision made for the moment Tegalad stood from his sitting position and went off in search of the Lady of the Wood.

He found Galadriel in what looked to be a garden. The place was hidden away from the rest of the elves, down many steps and in a circular area. In the centre of the circle stood a basin, or a bird bath. The stone was decorated with various designs that had been engraved into the stone-work.

The ground was covered in soft grass, as lush and green as the rest of the forest, no weeds grew and only a few circular stones, evenly spaced, disrupted the greenery. The stones, which appeared to be stepping stones, circled the basin and lead off to a small waterfall and past the flowers.

The waterfall was small, looking more like a water feature that was seen in some muggle gardens back on Earth. The soft sound of falling water was like soft music in the background of an otherwise silent area.

The flowers circled the entire area like two semicircles, separated only by the stairs and the waterfall. The flowers were a range of colours, blues and yellows, reds, pinks and purples, as well as stunning white flowers that looked like miniature moons, luminous and captivating.

Galadriel was standing next to a section of white flowers and Tegalad was amazed again at her beauty. The flowers, while beautiful, were dull in comparison to the elf. Her natural glow and the peaceful expression on her face lighting up the small hideaway. She turned towards the elfling slowly, a welcoming smiled on her face as she beckoned him closer.

"Come child," she ordered. "Come sit with me."

Tegalad smiled shyly as she sat gracefully in front of the flowers. He hoped that she wouldn't ruin her dress by getting the white fabric dirty. As if sensing his thoughts, Galadriel laughed. The sound was like a group of bells ringing together to create a beautiful harmony.

"What troubles you child?" she asked curiously. Tegalad told her. He pulled his knees to his chest as he explained his insecurities and the conflict that was growing inside of him. Galadriel remained silent as he spoke, her expression changing ever so often from being sad, or to having a soft smile on her face. When Tegalad was done she surprised him by pulling him into a hug.

"While I won't deny that I would like you to stay here, I don't want you to be unhappy," she said. "The Valar don't just make decisions on the spot, they do everything for a reason. You came here for a reason, but most of all for you to heal. I would suggest you spend a few more days thinking about what it is you want to do. The Fellowship leave the day after tomorrow so I think that maybe you could spend tomorrow walking around Lothlorien, talk with some of the elves here. I will do my best to help you, whatever your decision ends up being."

Tegalad smiled up at Galadriel gratefully. He hugged her back, much to her surprise and pleasure, before he stood up again.

"Thank you My Lady," he said softly. "I'm going to find the Fellowship. I'll take your advice about tomorrow. I'll ask Legolas to guide me around, or to help me find someone willing to guide me."

Galadriel nodded and watched with a smile on her face as the former human ran back up the steps he had come down a while ago. She stood from her sitting position and glided over to the waterfall where a tall jug balanced. After filling the jug she walked over to basin and poured the water into it. After staring into the basin unmoving for several minutes she blinked and looked to where Tegalad had disappeared to and whispered softly to herself.

"What a difference you will make, Harry Potter."

Tegalad ran through the trees, Shadow at his side, Hedwig flying overhead, and his elven guide on his other side. His guide, Haldir, had said that elves could run fast and for a long time, something Tegalad wanted to test for himself. He learnt that elves were very athletic and much in touch with nature, they stayed away from the Realm of Men and their wars as much as they could and lived in forests.

Haldir was a Marchwarden, a leader of the guard, and he had been the leader of the group who had led the Fellowship into Lothlorien. His hair was blonde, like most elves' hair, and he carried a light but sharp sword that was strapped to his waist at all times. When Tegalad had first seen him, he had seen a warrior and someone who could kill without a moment's hesitation. Yet the more time he spent with him he could appreciate the older elf's sense of humor, sarcastic as it was, and learnt that the elf really loved children.

That was another thing he had learnt. As elves were immortal, rarely did they have any children, which was why children were held in high regard. Haldir had admitted, in a hushed whisper, that he and his wife Vanya hoped that one day they'd have a child they could spoil. Tegalad had been surprised, finding it hard to believe that the warrior in front of him was married.

He learnt then that elves didn't so much as marry each other as humans did, but it was more they found their soul mate and their love created a bond between them that was impossible to break. Should either one of them die, the other would more than likely become depressed and set sail for Valinor to never again set foot in Middle Earth. Tegalad had thought that the elvish custom of marriage far more ideal than the customs he had been exposed to on Earth. Then he became sad because as the youngest elf in existence currently, and the age gap between him and the next youngest, meant that he would likely never find himself his soul mate and live for the rest of eternity alone.

"How do you handle a sword young Tegalad?" Haldir asked after they ate a light lunch on the edge of the boundary of Lothlorien. A raging river rushed past their eating spot and Tegalad wondered how the Fellowship had gotten past it without falling in.

"I've been taught how to wield one," Tegalad replied to the question warily.

"Lady Galadriel would like to know how well you can defend yourself, especially against more experienced swordsmen."

Haldir stood gracefully and drew his sword from its scabbard. Tegalad stood as well and watched as the Marchwarden pulled a smaller sword from his pack. The elfling smiled at the offered sword but didn't take it, instead focusing on summoning his own sword as he had done on countless occasions. Haldir jumped in shock as the sword of Godric Gryffindor flared into existence in a rush of red flames.

Tegalad grinned in triumph and held the sword in front of him, ready to defend against an attack. Haldir grinned as well and put the second sword on the ground, out of the way of where they would be fighting.

"That is a talent you should keep hidden Little One," Haldir commented before he swung his sword up and down onto Tegalad's blade. "It could give you the edge in a battle if no one knew you had a weapon on you."

Tegalad nodded and defended himself against another swing. He knew Haldir wasn't really trying, just trying to get an indication of how well he could fight. He remembered the first time, or second time really, that he had held the Sword of Gryffindor. Dumbledore had given it to him during the Christmas holidays in his Sixth Year and every day for the next few months different members of the Order had journeyed up to Hogwarts to teach him how to use it without hitting himself or accidentally chopping off a body part that he wasn't supposed to.

Thinking to himself as he blocked another attack, Tegalad decided that he would show Haldir a little of what he was capable of. It was a long time since he had tried this particular trick, having discovered it shortly before his capture, and he wasn't sure if it would work. Gathering his elemental abilities close to himself, he leapt back and spun around, concentrating on his fire element to turn his body to ash, and his air element to move him instantly behind Haldir, before the ash once again took the form of his body and he was now in the perfect place to "kill" his opponent. The whole incident took less than a second.

"I win," Tegalad declared as he gently poked the elf with his sword. Haldir whipped around, his eyes wide in panic and shock, before he dropped to his knees and pulled Tegalad against his chest.

"What was that?" the elf demanded as he pushed Tegalad far away enough that he could see his face while still keeping a firm grip on the child's shoulders. Tegalad looked at the elf wide-eyed.

"How did you do that?" Haldir continued. "I thought Saruman had used his Dark Magic for a brief moment there and turned you to a pile of ash before my very eyes."

"I learnt how to do it a year ago," Tegalad murmured. He had been so pleased about his abilities that he hadn't even thought about Haldir's reaction. "I can control fire and air to an extent, and when I combine them I can, in a sense, teleport to where I want to go. It doesn't hurt me and the experience is over so quickly that I don't have time to feel anything."

His eyes started to tear up and he looked down at the ground. He didn't know what he expected would happen after revealing his ability, but it hadn't been an interrogation. Some amazement, and some stuttered questions, but that was it.

Haldir saw the eyes tearing up and gently pulled the child into his arms again. Tegalad's sword disappeared in a flash of fire again, but the child didn't move.

"I'm sorry Tegalad," Haldir murmured into the reddish black hair. "I was just so surprised when you disappeared; I thought something bad had happened to you. Please don't be sad. It was very impressive, and another thing you should hide from the enemy. You certainly won our little sparring match; I will have to be wary of it in the future when you are older and a much more experienced fighter."

Tegalad smiled at the thought and moved his arms to wrap around Haldir's chest. Now that the adrenaline had worn off Tegalad noticed that he was a little tired. After not having used his elemental abilities for many months, the sudden use of them sapped at his strength.

"I'm tired," Tegalad murmured. Haldir chuckled and lifted the child into the air.

"Then sleep Little One," he ordered. "When you wake up you will be back in your bed with you wolf and owl watching over you."

Tegalad nodded and closed his eyes. His last thought before he fell into a deep sleep was that he would have to practice Fire Jumping, as he called it, so that he wouldn't be exhausted after every jump.

Different, I know, but I'm hoping that it sounds better and explains a bit more than the last version of this story. Next chapter should be up in a week or so, maybe sooner depending on how many reviews I get. If your idea wasn't included in the last story, or you want to see someone live/die, or there's something you think this story needs, let me know and I'll try to accommodate you.

Review please! :P