The morning was chilly, though not wholly uncomfortable, along the roots of our camp. I had risen early and found the grass covered in dew and the sunlight shining weakly in through the thick canopy. Gimli was snoring on like he was trying to make an earthquake on his own. How Legolas had not woken up and delivered a swift nudge to the slumbering dwarf was both a mystery and a miracle.

Gideon slept on beside me, snuggled up under his cloak. I noticed it had torn from our time in Moria.

I stood, and went about the process of preparing for the day, daring to sprint off to a bathing pool, and dunking myself into it for a few minutes. It was absolutely freezing, but I knew a proper bath would not be in the near future. Needless to say, I did not drag the bath out, and dressed again in a hurry, for the sake of both modesty and warmth.

Being chilled was helpful, in it's own way. It set my body on alert to what was going on around it, and slowed my mind down, to the point where my thoughts could not get the best of me. I needed it, to help myself from thinking of Gandalf.

I would never tell Gideon or Aragorn or any of them, but I had nightmares throughout the night of him falling. It was one of these that had woken me and then I had realised Frodo had gone off on his own.

No, I was the brave one, and I would continue to put on a brave face to make the others think it. It wouldn't help to show how grief affected me, what with things becoming more tense and more dire recently.

When I returned, the others were packing away everything into their bags. "Fali." Aragorn came and handed me my belt, with my sword and dagger attached.

"Thank you Aragorn." I said, my teeth chattering a little as the weak sun did little to warm me up again. Frodo grabbed my cloak and brought it to me.

"Here." He put it around my shoulders for me, as my arms were so stiffly crossed around my body.

"Thank you Frodo." I said, grabbing the edges and enveloping myself.

"You'll soon have a new cloak." Frodo said. "The elves are to resupply us."

"Good." I nodded. Mine had holes in it now, and our travels were only in their beginning.

"Pack your things." Aragorn said. "We depart from Lothlorien soon." He nodded over me. "Hurry to warm yourself, we will travel by river, and it will be cooler."

"Of course." I nodded, and went to my tent and began throwing things into my bag. I put another pair of stockings over my frozen toes. The Fellowship was soon ready to depart any moment, and I scanned over Merry and Pippin, who I figured were most liable to forget something, and nodded over to Gideon.

My brother had done well, coming this far. He probably felt as though I had dragged him across the rocky side of a mountain, but he had complained little, hunted well, and made it out of Moria alive. I could not ask for more from Gideon.

Boromir stood at the edge of our camp, staring off ahead of himself, and I quickly touched his shoulder. The man jumped at my presence, and one of his hands shot up to swat my arm away quickly.

"Fali…" He sighed when he saw it was only me.

"I'm sorry." I frowned a little. "I did not mean to startle you so badly."

"Are we leaving?" He asked, seeing everyone with their belongings.

"Yes, very soon." I replied.

"Good." Boromir nodded. He did not appear to like Lothlorien very much.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, out of instinct, for I had formed a habit over the years with the hobbits, and especially over this quest.

"Nothing." Boromir shook his head. "It is nothing." He nudged past me, and joined the others.

"What got into him?" Gideon asked, as we all began to walk down to the riverside.

"I don't know." I shook my head. "Something about this place must make him feel uneasy."

"Well, the elves did point arrows at our heads and threatened to shoot." Gideon suggested.

"That wouldn't phase him." I shook my head. "Though I imagine Lady Galadriel's mind tricks had something to do with it." I glanced at my feet. "The mind is a greater source of weakness than the body is."

I quickly hushed myself as we rounded the bend in the road and approached the river, a group of elves awaiting us. Lord Celeborn was with them, and as Frodo had said, he and his attendants had cloaks for us, as well as other supplies.

"Food!" Merry and Pippin gushed over the new rations.

"Don't tell you two plan to start eating it already…" I groaned at them." We haven't even set foot in the boats yet."

"Oh c'mon Fali, just a bite." Pippin pleaded.

"If I catch you Pippin…" I said, warningly. This made the hobbit freeze, and I trusted the rations were safe.

An elf put a new cloak over my shoulders. It was warm, but not heavy like I had anticipated. He fastened the garment with a clasp green and shaped like a leaf, with even fine lines of silver to look like the veins . We were lucky to receive such warm and sturdy cloaks, Lord Celeborn saying that they had never before clad others in their own garments. From across the water, the Lady Galadriel approached on a boat made in the likeness of a swan, as the elves hurried to place our supplies into the provided boats. Merry and Pippin lingered round the food and every so often I had to give them a warning glance.

Gimli could not keep his eyes away from the Lady Galadriel. She was very beautiful, but I had not expected him to be mesmerized by the lady whom he had referred to as an 'elf-witch'. But mesmerized he was, and he took every opportunity to glance at her, for we would not see anything half so beautiful for a long, long, while.

"Lembas." Legolas said, capturing my attention, as he showed a piece of bread to Merry and Pippin. "Elvish way-bread. A single bite can fill the stomach of a grown man."

"Really?" I had never heard of such a fanciful idea.

Legolas nodded.

"You're saying that wafer could feed all of us?" I asked in disbelief. "Could feed those two?" I waved my hand in the direction of Merry and Pippin.

"Try it yourself." Legolas tore a corner of the bread and tossed it lightly to me. I caught it in my fingers. It looked like normal bread…maybe even lighter than normal bread. I sniffed it delicately, and it had no smell, just that of a dried cracker. Gingerly, I popped the bite into my mouth and swallowed.

Either my stomach shrank to the size of a pea or what was in it before swelled to it's capacity. Somehow the small bite filled me. Legolas was smirking at me and my discovery. "Incredible." I replied. "How?" I demanded.

"It's recipe is secret to my people."

"Fine." I shrugged, not glaring at him as much since we had escaped Moria. Now that I was under open sky again, I did not side so much with Gimli in his opinions of Legolas. "Let you elves have everything that's interesting."

Really though, from the grin forming on my face, one could tell I was clearly amazed at the feat. It really was unfair that almost everything of the finest quality was elvish.

"How many did you eat?" I heard Merry ask of Pippin.

"Four." He said, and belched to prove it.

"Four?!" I was too shocked to be angry with him for eating already. "How have you not exploded, Pippin?"

"I did feel full, but I…" He sighed, grabbing at his extremely full stomach. "…thought it a trick of the mind. I didn't know it was special." He looked over to Merry. "I guess you were right to quit after a bite."

I heaved a great, tired breath, preparing myself to deal with Pippin and his indigestion, and possible motion-sickness when we started boating.

The swan boat bearing Lady Galadriel came ashore, and she climbed down toward us, seeming to float. "I come bearing gifts for the Fellowship, for the journey ahead."

She bestowed upon each of us a treasure, or a wisdom. Legolas received a bow (strung with elf-hair of all things). Pippin and Merry had daggers given to them. I wondered if Sam would be given one as well, but Galadriel gifted him with elvish rope, much better suited to his nature.

Aragorn and Boromir had simple gifts. Galadriel said that she had nothing finer to give Aragorn, as he already had the love of Arwen. For the first time I noticed through an opening in his shirt a white and silver pendent, clearly elvish, and clearly a sweet token of love from Arwen. I smiled to see it shining around his neck.

Boromir was not given a weapon, but a belt of fine leather, and a great golden buckle. A princely gift indeed, and he thanked the lady for it politely.

Gideon and I were standing beside Boromir and so were approached next. I did not know what she would give us. We already had enough weapons like Boromir had. Even if she had something to give of finer quality, I felt I wouldn't give up my own blade, with the symbols of the bear my father had etched into it.

"Young Prince and Princess of Erebor…" She nodded with respect, and both Gideon and I bowed our heads even lower. "You may have grown up in a dwarf kingdom, but I have also heard of your nymphian mother." I smiled, recalling the traveling dress Galadriel had left for my mother. The two had never seen each other, but had known of each other all these years. "These will bear meaning to you both." She held out two small pendants on black cord. Both were of pure silver. One of a bear, my emblem, and the other of an otter, Gideon's.

The nymphian symbols for strength and good fortune.

I reached out for my gift, and with a small nod and smile from Galadriel, took it from her hand. It was lovely, with a single green stone clutched within its intricately carved claws. Gideon's otter had a similar stone clasped to its chest.

"Thank you, milady." Gideon bowed his head again, and then tying the cord around his neck.

"Yes, thank you." I ceased my admiration, remembering I also had manners to uphold. Gideon smirked a little at the way I rushed out my gratitude, but took the pendent and tied it round my neck for me anyway.

I loved my gift, but Frodo's seemed to eclipse all of ours. Given to him within a decorative glass vial was a single, pure, glowing star. Earendil…the most beloved.

"May it be a light for you in a dark place, when all other lights go out." Galadriel wished him well, and lowered herself enough to kiss his forehead. Gimli looked almost jealous of such treatment.

"And what gift would a dwarf ask of among elves?" Galadriel smiled down on Gimli, and I almost snickered at how he looked under such a smile.

"Nothing." He grunted shortly in reply, to which the Fellowship began to disperse, stepping aboard the boats. As we left he had a change come over him, and from his mouth the loveliest compliment fell. "Except to look upon the Lady of the Galadhrim one last time, for she is more fair than all the jewels beneath the earth."

A very fine speech, and not entirely different from the sweet words my Uncle Kili bestowed upon Aunt Tauriel.

"Actually…" He stared at his feet. "There is one thing…" And then he mumbled on about how it was stupid to ask.

It would not be until about a half hour later as we left the borders of the lord and lady's realm that he revealed the truth. "I have taken my worst wound at this parting, having looked my last upon that which is fairest. Henceforth I will call nothing fair unless it be her gift to me."

"What was it?" Legolas was curious.

"I asked her for one hair from her golden head. She gave me three."

"How very kind of her." I smiled, patting Gimli's shoulder from my own boat.

"Fali?" Pippin groaned.

"Yes?"

"I think I'm going to be sick." The lembas-stuffed hobbit mumbled.

/

Pippin, true to my predictions, became very ill indeed, and showed us all the horrific result of eating too much lembas. The fact that we were in a boat, on a swiftly flowing river, did not help his state at all. Merry and I soon had our hands full as he turned a shade of green and proceeded to be ill as Frerin had once been after his first night of drinking. The quantity which he ate kept him full (and thankfully nourished) for three days.

"I thought elvish foods could not make you sick?" I looked across to Legolas, as Pippin sat in the bottom of the boat, his head resting back on my knees.

"No one has ever tried to eat four entire pieces." Legolas replied. "I think we can see why."

Frodo looked small and concerned beside Sam. "Frodo? Are you unwell too? Perhaps the motion of the river?"

"Don't mention the river." Pippin breathed, nearly gagging again at the thought of movement.

"No." His hand flinched away from the buttons of his tunic, and I knew he had been toying with the Ring.

"You're not eating and sleeping as you should be." I told him firmly, revoicing earlier concerns of Sam's. "Try to get some rest while we are on the river. Sam," I looked to hobbit in question. "Make sure Frodo eats something."

"Of course, Miss Fali."

"Just Fali…" I sighed, quietly.

"Princess Fali." Boromir smirked at me, teasingly, seeing how I did not like my title in these circumstances.

I snapped my hand across the water and splashed him for his comment. Boromir retaliated with a splash of his own from the oar he held. Despite how stony-faced he could get at times I really did like his company.

The river had broadened considerably, and now we began to enter more mountainous territory. To the left and right of us were thick forests, that stretched out in either direction for miles. In front of us, there was an approaching cliff, far off but noticeably tall. As we drew closer the two pillars I had thought to be natural marvels of erosion grew more detailed, and I finally noticed the shadow of a giant face.

"They are statues?" I asked.

"They are." Aragorn replied. He was smiling at the figures.

"I've never seen any so tall before." I was in awe. That was saying something, having grown up in a mountain that contained quite a few stone marvels of notable size and grandness. But never had I imagined that someone would take all the years…nay, the generations…to carve human likeness out of the side of a cliff. Much like Moria and Lothlorien, it was breathtaking.

I turned to Gideon. "Are they not incredible?"

"Amazing." He was in so much wonder, he was smiling. "They are of great kings of the past, yes?" He asked Aragorn.

He nodded. "Look, Frodo." He tapped the hobbit on the shoulder. "The Argonath. Long have I desired to look upon the kings of old…my kin."

They looked like proud and noble kin indeed. Frodo and Sam were as entranced as Gideon and I.

For moment my brother and I were simply absorbed in the size of the stone kings. But as we drew close enough we began to see the details of their faces and beards, their grand hemlmets, and smooth robes, their incredible extended hands, build correctly so the weight of the stone arm would never send it crashing into the river.

We passed between them, and our heads swiveled, capturing details. Sharp noses, firm eyes, broad shoulders. "Mahal they even carved out feet." I admired the painstaking detail of their sandaled toes.

I watched as we continued down the river, staring at the back of their heads for miles, until distance blurred them too much and they were only strange stone pillars again. Frodo and Sam were also watching with me.

"But you never saw anything like that in the Shire." I grinned at them.

"No, Miss Fali." Sam shook his head. "Strange new territory this all is to us."

"It rivals even Uncle Bilbo's tales." Frodo smiled. I was glad he seemed to have found good spirits again.

After a few more miles, Pippin had recovered and we had traveled a good distance in the day. With the sun beginning to wane, and a plentiful forest full of game ahead of us, we made for the shore, just before a great waterfall.

"We cross the lake at nightfall. Hide the boats and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the north." Aragorn directed as we hurried onto the land.

Mordor…it was months away yet, but at the sound of it's name it sounded much closer.

"Oh, yes? It's just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil? An impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks…and after that, it gets even better!" Gimli groused, his gruffer manner restored now after being confined to a boat most of the last few days.

Pippin and Merry looked up alarmed at the thought of things getting 'better'. Frodo glanced at Gimli, nervously. Gideon was stiff.

"Festering, stinking marshlands, far as the eye can see!" Gimli went on.

"That is our road." Aragron stated. I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf."

"R-recover my…?!" Gimli sputtered.

"Shhh…rest yourself Gimli. That is all that was intended." I tried to calm him. "If a swamp is all we have to trouble that leg of the journey, I shall gladly take it over orcs and trolls."

"Gideon?" I glanced over to him, and tossed him a length of rope. "There is time before nightfall yet. This is a good and plentiful forest. See if you can trap something."

"We should leave now." Legolas said, in a more hushed tone, to Aragorn. I stepped more quietly over the leaves to hear the conversation.

"No. Orcs patrol the eastern shore. We must wait for cover of darkness." Aragorn insisted.

"It is not the eastern shore that worries me. A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind. Something draws near… I can feel it."

"Wait, Gideon…" I called for my brother, as my concern grew. "You should not go off alone."

"Where's Frodo?" Merry asked suddenly, and both Sam and I jolted at his words, Sam snapping out of a light sleep.

A quick glance and I saw he had left our camp. "Frodo…" I sighed, picking up the hem of my dress and running off to go find him.

"Wait, were you not going to come hunting with me?" Gideon asked.

"Take someone else with you if you feel unsafe." I said, in a rush. "I'm going to seek out Frodo."

As I left, Gideon looked apprehensively at Legolas, the other keen hunter of our Fellowship, but decided against it and went off into the trees on his own.

"Frodo!" I called through the trees, seeking out hidden glens and groves where I thought he might be dwelling. "Frodo, where are you?"

I searched high and low, following every rustle of leaves, but did not find him.

"Frodo?" I was beginning to grow frustrated with him, for he had been seeking out isolation more and more, the Ring weighing heavy on his mind.

I finally heard something, almost like a whimper.

"Frodo?" I turned and raced to the source of the noise. I found a clearing but it did not contain Frodo. In the center of the clearing Boromir was on his knees.

He hardly seemed like the Boromir of the last few weeks. He seemed small, and frightened, and sorry.

I took a careful step forward. "Boromir?" I asked quietly.

He immediately turned around his eyes like a scared animals, and looking startled and saddened. "Fali?" He asked, his breath was choked, as though he had been almost crying minutes ago. I was unsure of what to do. He seemed to have broken, and I did not yet know why. He had his episodes where he had been…off-put…but he was still Boromir, who attempted to teach Merry and Pippin to fight, and had not excluded me from spars either.

"Yes…" I said, very quietly. "It's me."

"Frodo…?" He looked around him. "Where is Frodo?"

"I do not know." I replied, coming closer and slowly lowering myself to my own knees, and placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm looking for him now." I paused a moment before questioning "Are you well?"

"No…" His voice shook. "I am lost…" He was so quiet. "I am betrayed by my own senses. I am…lost."

"Boromir, what happened?" I asked carefully.

"The Ring." He replied shortly.

"The Ring?" I tried to keep my voice calm. "What happened? Did Frodo put it on?" Boromir was mute. "Boromir…did you do something? Did Frodo do something? What happened?"

"I was not myself." Boromir explained, seeming to collect himself little by little. "I spoke with him…harshly." He looked at me, apologetic. "I was not myself."

"Did you hurt him?" I pressed.

"No." He shook his head. "I tried, but he ran off. He put the Ring on." He looked at me earnestly. "I did not mean to try to hurt him. I would never hurt Frodo in my right mind." He stared at me. "You believe me, yes?"

"Of course." I said, fear seeping in through a few chinks in my armor. "Of course you wouldn't." I slowly embraced his shoulders. "Let us go and find him now." We rose. "We'll just go and find him…"

There was a call from camp. "Look out! Arm yourself!" Then a roar and a clash of metal.

We were being attacked.