Well... this chapter was sucky to write, I really hope it's just me that thinks it sucks. I had writer's block and I wanted to try and make this interesting, and it didn't work that well.

Anyway, Thanks to everyone who reviewed, favourited and follows this story- you are the truly awesome ones. Don't forget to leave a review- tell me your opinions on how I could make this story better, or just your general feelings, I WANT TO KNOW! Also, on a different note- this story is in a community! :O

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, only Rosalie. The rest is owned by Tolkien (RIP)

Limited time and Painful Goodbyes

Gandalf was sat next to her desk, snooping through her sketchpad. Her IPod was also there and Gandalf was fiddling with it, his big eyebrows furrowed in confusion and concentration. Rosalie had washed herself quickly, trying to get rid of the sweat she'd formed during training. She put on a long sleeve top and light trousers, hiding the small bruises and rolled her shoulders and neck. She knew her outfit wasn't what people here classed as proper for a woman but she didn't care- she preferred it to the dresses Glamoreth urged her to wear. She waited for a little bit, watching Gandalf fiddle with her IPod, watching his frustration.

"Are you ready?" The wizard asked quietly and Rosalie blushed, thinking he hadn't noticed her. "Do you want me to show you how it works?" Rosalie countered, trying to regain some control. Gandalf frowned at her, holding the device between his fingers, jumping slightly when the screen lit up and Rosalie stifled a giggle. "Here, you just swipe your finger across there and entered a pass code." Gandalf watched curiously as Rosalie opened up her IPod to the home screen. "Fascinating," He murmured, still staring at the screen, sliding the pages back and forth with one of his fingers. Rosalie leaned over, taking it out of his hands and plugged in her headphones but slipped it into her pocket. "I thought we were going somewhere?" Rosalie asked innocently and Gandalf smiled, leading her out of the room.

They were all in another one of Rivendell's secret gardens. The hobbits were sat around in a casual circle, laughing and chatting, as if they had forgotten what they were going to do. The man Aragorn was there as well, seemingly accepted by Frodo and his friends while Legolas stood nearby, watching the wildlife with avid interest though his eyes kept darting back to the little group. Gimli and Boromir were nowhere to be seen and Rosalie relaxed slightly. "Rosalie!" Pippin shouted and everyone turned to her. "You're back!" Rosalie laughed and sat down next to Merry and Frodo, finding new energy. "Where've you been?" Merry asked, looking up at the girl. "Uggghhh..." Rosalie shuddered, still smiling and the Hobbits laughed. "Making enemies out of elves," The girl smiled and Aragorn laughed while Legolas shot her a quizzical look. "I've been spending some 'quality time' with Annúnor, an elf here in Rivendell." Rosalie held up her hands and screwed up her face when she said 'quality time' and Legolas smiled, as if he understood.

Aragorn leaned over to her. "We haven't been officially introduced. I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and you are the infamous Rosalie." The girl gave him a wry smile. "Infamous? I hope you don't base that on these guys," She threw her arms around the Hobbits, "opinions of me." Aragorn laughed and from behind her, she could hear Gandalf chuckle. "Do not fret just yet, my lady. I have heard nothing but positivity about you." Rosalie wrinkled her nose. "No, no, no. I don't do that whole 'my lady' thing. You can call me Rosalie, I'll call you Aragorn and it'll be like we're old friends." The ranger frowned slightly at her logic and simplicity, but nodded. "That goes for you as well." Her finger turned to Legolas, who frowned at her, a smile hidden in his eyes.

"Does that count for me as well?" Rosalie turned to see Boromir standing a few feet from the group. "I would like to apologise for my behaviour earlier. I realise it was rude and I was only trying to protect you from the dangers that this quest will bring. However, I realise that you are used to making your own decisions, and if it is your decision to come with us, then I must learn to accept it." Boromir stood there under the girl's stare in silence until she shrugged and moved over, patting the ground beside her and he let out a silent breath, keeping a wary eye on Gandalf. There was still a little tension between the group but they pretended to ignore it, focusing on idle chat that never strayed near controversial topics.

Rosalie felt herself falling into a pattern over the last few weeks of her life in Rivendell. Every day, Annúnor woke her before dawn to run with him. Slowly, she felt her muscles acclimatise and grow, the distance increasing and Rosalie realised she could keep up with him for longer. She would spar with him, moving onto using actual blades instead of sticks. Her movements weren't as fluid as the elf's and she would get several new bruises each session but she could at least fight back. Every few days, she would spend time with the Hobbits, a reminder that not everything was about war. Sometimes, she would spend afternoons with Glamoreth, watching her work, occasionally being taught strange little skills that Rosalie could never master, leading to laughter from both girls.

Rosalie wasn't the only one training. She could see the blond elf on the quest training every morning, firing arrows at a target with precision no one could match. The dwarf kept to himself, never seen near the fields when the elves were there, meaning Rosalie only saw glimpses of him on the training fields during evenings when the elves retired to their halls. She never saw the men but she always heard rumours of them. That was when she realised what was happening- truly. They were leaving, going on a journey that would only end with bloodshed and death. Everyone on this quest accepted it and they were preparing- they were hardened soldiers who had already lived through countless battles, and Rosalie was just a little girl from a small country who'd never really been in a fight. The Hobbits didn't seem fazed by this though. They acted like everything was normal, laughing and eating enormous amounts while Rosalie felt a knot of dread tighten in her gut.

It was getting closer- their leaving day. Glamoreth had gotten in a lot more clothes- none embroidered but soft and durable- the kind that would last through the storm they were heading towards. There was also a pack set out nearer her desk, as if daunting her whenever she walked into the room. Annúnor's training sessions had become longer and harsher, turning from simple steps and manoeuvres to a deadly dance with the aim to kill. Every time they stopped, Rosalie felt an overwhelming rush of panic over the usual gratitude, the thought of time making her worry. She had started extra training- in the dead of night; she had taken the stick out to attack the enemy trees in the clearing- oblivious to the pair of blue orbs keeping an eye on her through her secret lessons.

A strange nice thing was that the dye in her hair wasn't fading. Rosalie had been worrying about that- a small nag at the back of her mind during her free hours that soon it would turn back to the boring brown of before. Though it didn't. The colour was still as vivid as always, a small relaxant in a hectic world. A small thing she had stopped worrying about.

Rosalie knew today was the day she left. Her pack had filled, with a lot of thanks to Glamoreth, and she had decided to leave a lot of the stuff she brought to Rivendell here, only taking her sketchpad and pencils with her. Glamoreth hadn't needed to wake her up; the girl was up and dressed when the elf came in, her eyes tinged slightly pink. "I brought you this- while I have grown fond of your blue hair, others will see it as a sign of strangeness and so you should have this." Glamoreth unwrapped a deep blue cloak, small silver tendrils woven around the hem of the hood, reminding Rosalie of Jack's jumper from Rise of the Guardians. Rosalie ran her hands over the silky material, lighter but stronger than anything she ever owned. "Thank you, Glamoreth. This is beautiful." The elf just smiled in response, staring at the girl, sadness glimmering in her eyes. "There is another gift we want you to have." "We?" Rosalie echoed and Glamoreth smiled, holding something covered by cloth. "My brother, Annúnor," Glamoreth smiled a little, watching Rosalie's mouth drop open, "and myself want you to have these, not only as a reminder of your time here but to protect yourself from the evil you will face for us." The cloth fell to the ground, revealing three spotless weapons and Rosalie felt like her mouth dropped to the floor with it. There was a silver sword, which she had first seen Annúnor carry to their first lesson, then never again. Leaves and vines wrapped around the hilt, like many elven designs but still looked comfortable enough to wield. There were two small daggers as well, fashioned like their big brother with entwining vines. "They were made for war, battle, protection and they would be better suited for you," Glamoreth had added when she had seen the girl start to protest. Rosalie kept silent, tracing delicate patterns along her new weapons. "Why do you say this like we will never meet again?" She asked in a small voice that quivered near the end. Glamoreth sighed and put a hand on her shoulder. "My brother and I are planning to sail to the West, the Blessed Realm of our ancestors. The call has been growing for many decades and we have decided to act upon it. I will never see you after your departure and that feeling breaks my heart." Rosalie looked up to see tears sliding the elf's face. She reached up suddenly, wrapping her arms around the elf, "I'll miss you Glamoreth, the truest of my friends here." Rosalie slowed her words, trying to stop her own tears affecting them. "I hope you find happiness in the West."

As it turned out, Rosalie was earlier than she thought, with the two men, the dwarf and Merry and Pippin missing when she met up with the rest of her fellowship. Sam was stroking a little pony's nose, a small tuft of ginger hair sticking up next to his ears. He was loaded up with a few packs and Frodo was stood next to Gandalf, his eyes glazed over, deep in thought. "Who is this handsome fellow?" Rosalie whispered into Sam's ear, which jumped and blushed. "This is Bill... I just couldn't leave him here, y'know?" Rosalie nodded and rested a hand on the pony's neck. "Where are Merry and Pippin?" Rosalie asked and Sam shrugged his shoulders. She sighed and dropped her pack, "Don't worry, I'll go round up the stragglers." She winked at Sam and walked back up the hill into Rivendell, starting in the direction of the kitchens.

Along a corridor, was one door ajar. Calmly, Rosalie approached but stopped when she saw who was there. The beautiful elven woman from Elrond's banquet and Aragorn were deep in conversation, speaking Elvish. Even from this distance, she could see the muscle jumping in Aragorn's cheek and the tear stains on the elf's cheeks. Silently, Rosalie crept away from the door, giving them a little slice of privacy before they left.

Guess everyone knows some kind of secret passage to get outside of the maze that I lovingly call Rivendell... Rosalie thought, walking back to the meeting point to see everyone there, including Merry and Pippin who were both laughing at something. "Hey, you're back!" Pippin shouted and Legolas jumped suddenly, glaring at the Hobbit before muttering in his language, raising a small smile from Aragorn. Merry looked at her, a smirk on his little face. "Hurry up next time, Rosalie, we almost left without you." Merry and Pippin snickered before stopping at Rosalie's glares. Wordlessly she picked up her pack, turning back to Rivendell, seeing a few faces that came to wave them goodbye, including Annúnor. He looked down on her from a window, his jaw taunt and nodded to her before turning away. She turned to Gandalf, standing near the front with Frodo and heard his quiet whisper. "Gandalf, which way is Mordor, left or right?"