Hello readers! Sorry about the long wait, I was on vacation and nowhere near my computer. But now I'm back home, and hopefully the updates will become more frequent.

This is again one of the shorter chapters, but I hope that the next few ones will be longer. This is also another filler chapter, right before we get into the real plot of the story.

Also, a reply to Nia's review: Yes, a lot of people do not want the Elenmîr paired within the group, but as of right now, there is too much of an age difference for them to be properly paired with any of the canon characters. But I will take Elladan/OC into consideration for later…

Disclaimer: I own only my OCs.

Chapter 15: Change

Hope's eyes slowly fluttered open, taking in her surroundings. She found that she lay on her front on a downy bed. The room was dimly lit, the walls made of gray stone. Her back and shoulder ached terribly. Groaning, Hope gently pushed herself up, distantly recalling the reason why she was as she had found herself.

"It's good to see you awake again," a voice remarked. "You've been asleep for quite some time."

Hope turned to see a familiar gray wizard standing in the doorway of the room, a smile on his aged face. "Gandalf!" she exclaimed.

"It is indeed I," the wizard replied, striding to her bedside. "You are in one of the healing rooms in the palace of Mirkwood," Gandalf informed her, answering the silent question etched on her face. "Thankfully, you only suffered two minor arrow wounds, nothing more."

"Hope!" another voice called from the entranceway. A familiar Ranger rushed over to her, wearing a relieved smile on his worn face.

"Aragorn!" Hope grinned at the sight of her friend. "Are you alright?"

"I received no injury," Aragorn replied. "I am glad you are healing, mellon nin."

"I cannot thank you enough for finding Gollum and bringing him here," Gandalf stated. "It was a perilous task, and completing it will help our cause greatly." The Wizard turned and began walking towards the door. "If you will excuse me, Hope, I have some important matters to attend to."

Gandalf exited the room, leaving Hope and Aragorn alone in the room in an awkward silence. Eventually, Aragorn spoke. "I believe I understand you now." Hope cocked her head quizzically to the side. "What you said to me while we were in the Marshes about being hunted, I understand now," the elder Ranger clarified. "A messenger came from Rivendell yesterday. Hunter has been forced to flee from Rohan. She arrived there with a message for the other Elenmîr: 'A shadow haunts your paths. You must be careful.' I see now just how deep the danger you five are in. I am sorry I did not see it sooner."

"It is fine, Aragorn," Hope replied. "I should apologize for becoming so angry with you." She sighed. "I suppose we both have things we are sorry for."

Aragorn chuckled. "It is in the past now. I would not dwell on it."

~o*o*o*o~

Fern paced in the garden, mulling over the events of the past few days. The message from Hunter deeply worried her, and it did not help that the orcs were closing in on Mirkwood.

"Fern."

The elleth whirled around to see Castien striding into the garden, holding a long item wrapped in cloth. "What is it, Castien?"

"I want you to have this," he stated, folding back the cloth.

Fern gasped as he revealed a beautiful chestnut bow and a dark green quiver full with skillfully fletched arrows. "But, I do not know how to use them that well!"

"I will train you more," Castien replied. "I heard the message from Rivendell, and it fills me with concern. I want to make sure that you can defend yourself out there when there is no one else to protect you, meleth nin."

It took Fern a few moments to register what he had said. "Meleth nin? Castien, do you truly mean that?"

Castien smiled softly before gently kissing Fern on the lips. "Does that answer your question?" he asked. "From the moment I first met you, you have held a special place in my heart. At first it was just as a good friend, but it soon became more." He hesitated for a moment, before adding, "Le mellon, Fern."

A grin spread across Fern's face. "Le mellon, Castien," she replied. "I will gladly have you train me."

Castien laughed lightly. "Come, then. We begin now."

~o*o*o*o~

The next few days in Mirkwood passed without much trouble. Hope was healing well, and she was soon declared fit for travel again. Under the guide of Castien, Fern became proficient with the bow and arrow. And perhaps the best piece of news was that Gandalf finally succeeded at extorting some incredibly useful information out of Gollum.

"Gollum was captured and tortured by Sauron," Gandalf revealed to Aragorn and Hope (Well, Aragorn mostly. Hope already knew this.) one night. "Strangely enough, he was freed, but not before he revealed the bearer of the Ring and where he was to be found." The Wizard shook his head. "Frodo is in grave danger. I will send him on his way as soon as I can. As he journeys, I must travel elsewhere to see if I can gain more information. Hopefully, we will meet in the town of Bree." Gandalf sighed turning to the two Rangers. "But if we do not, you two need to lead him to Rivendell."

Aragorn nodded, accepting the task. "When do we leave?"

"We depart at dawn's first light tomorrow morning," Gandalf answered. "We shall stop at Rivendell along the way. I must discuss these matters with Master Elrond."

"We shall see you in the morning then, Gandalf," Hope stated. Despite her calm demeanor, inside, she was burning with fear. She knew what troubles occurred along Frodo's journey, and she could do nothing to prevent them.

~o*o*o*o~

Chase stood in the training range, practicing his archery. Though his mind was focused on the target, he could not help but worry about Hope, Fern, and Philip. He also could not shake the urge inside of him to do something to help them. They were like a team to him, Middle-Earth's emergency force if you will. The five of them needed to help each other and the friends they had made here. His initial standing on the first day the Elenmîr had changed. Chase resolved to help the Fellowship and Middle-Earth's inhabitants as much as he could until he died or departed for the Undying Lands. He hoped for the latter.

With that final thought, the young ellon sent an arrow straight into the bull's-eye of a target, where a cluster of arrows were already embedded. "That was an excellent shot, mellon nin," a familiar voice stated from the shadows.

"Elladan!" Chase exclaimed, putting away his bow.

The elder ellon chuckled, taking a seat on a stone bench along the side of the training area. "You shoot almost as well as Erynion did."

Chase walked over to Elladan, his interest perking up at the mention of the first Duingîl's name. "You knew him?"

"Indeed," Elladan answered. "He was a great friend and a courageous warrior." He paused for a moment, deep in thought. "I also knew Feredir, Fern's ancestor, and Eradan, the ancestor of Hope."

Chase pondered over what he had said. "What's it like?" he finally asked. "What's it like being immortal?"

Elladan sighed. "It is a gift and a curse. Those of Elven blood are not easily taken ill or injured, which is an advantage in battle. Yet when you befriend those of the line of Men, you must go through the pain of eventually losing them to death."

A rather gloomy silence settled over the pair. It was an inevitable thing, death, yet neither wanted it to happen, to take their friends away from them. Suddenly, what seemed like a perfect copy of Elladan dashed over to them, a bright grin on his face. "Elladan, Chase," he called. "Estel has just arrived, along with Gandalf and Hope."

Almost immediately, the cloud of dread above them disappeared, and the two of them sprang to their feet. "Elrohir, are any of them injured?" Elladan asked his brother concernedly.

"None of them were injured on the journey to Rivendell," Elrohir replied. "But Hope and Aragorn are quite obviously worn. They are weary from there travels."

Chase nodded, a smile slowly spreading across his face. He raced down to the courtyard, where Hope, Aragorn, and Gandalf were dismounting. The gray wizard immediately departed for the Lord Elrond's chambers, and Aragorn took the reins of the three horses to lead them to the stables. Hope, meanwhile, had met up with Hunter, and the two young girls were amiably chatting on one of the stone benches.

"Hope!" Chase called happily.

Hope stood up, a warm smile upon her face. "Chase! It is good to see you again, mellon nin!"

"You as well," Chase replied, before the two clasped hands and pulled each other into a warrior's embrace. "How do you fare?" the ellon asked.

"Hunter asked me the same thing," Hope chuckled, sitting back down on the bench. Chase sat down on her other side, so that Hope was in the middle. The young Ranger recounted the events since the last time they had met, the troubles on the mountain pass, the hunt for Gollum, and her most recent travels.

"So Gollum has been found?" Hunter asked, doing her best to recall the events from the book.

Hope nodded her head solemnly. "Indeed. The events of the books are about to be set in motion."

"Well, what should we do?" Chase asked. "I wish to help them, but we cannot change history."

"But there lies a problem," Hope replied. "Even though we are doing nothing, we are still changing the course of events. I worry for what the future holds for us."

Hunter sighed. "I suppose we can only hope for the best."

~o*o*o*o~

The three Elenmîr's talk continued far into the day, each swapping stories of their various escapades. For them, it felt normal, a part of their life that been missing for the past year, to just chat and laugh at each other's expense. But something had changed about each of them. The way they held themselves, the manner in which they spoke, it was not the same as it was when they had first met a year ago.

Elrond noted this fact as he observed the three from the balcony alongside Gandalf. Hunter held herself high, a courageous, fiery spirit resting inside her. She had become a true Shieldmaiden of Rohan, unafraid of war and death. Chase stood proud and tall like a warrior, yet he had also become gentle and kind, learning the ways of the forest and nature. Hope seemed to have grown in strength of body and spirit, holding fast to what she trusted. The air of a true Ranger hung around her, one who has traveled the wilderness bravely.

"They have grown much since the Elenmîr first met," Gandalf remarked, stepping away from the balcony and back into Elrond's study.

Elrond followed the aged wizard into the large room filled with several books and scrolls. "They have seen and experienced things than no child should at their age," he replied. Childhood was a precious thing to many of the Elves, always so quick to disappear and fade into mere memory.

"Elrond, they are no longer children," Gandalf stated. "They carry the valor of their ancestors in their blood. The five of them are stronger than anyone has realized. They were born for this task that they face."

"Let us hope so," Elrond sighed, gazing out one of the windows. "The shadow is coming upon us swifter than anyone expected, determined to quench any beacon of hope for us. We will need all the help we could possibly receive."

Gandalf stepped over to the window, a knowing twinkle in his eye. "Do not doubt their abilities, Elrond, for sometimes the smallest among us will play the biggest role in the future."

Okay, so hopefully next chapter the action will begin. I will do my best publish chapters for all of my stories as quickly as possible. In the meantime, though, please review!