Ok, first. I didn't put this in last chapter, and I'm banging my head against a wall in irritation at myself. SO, that said, thank you to all that left reviews and I can not say how happy I am to see that people are reading this story. Now, responses! (I'm pretty sure you can skip all this)

flora1309- Thank you! I'm glad you think so!

lunasana- Yay!

Shadowmoon97- Glad you liked it! and I hope you continue to enjoy this story! *smirks* Yep, no scars to be seen whatsoever. *whistles innocently*

TheBeauty- lol. And thx!

ptl4ever419- Thx! Question, where'd you get the name?

alexma- I'm honestly typing as fast as I can, I don't expect any writers block anytime soon, but with school coming up for me, might be some time between chapters most of the time.

yorushihe- Yay! Stalk all you want my friend!

alice- uh, is that a compliment? I think it is.

jesskalynn- Essentially yes, Padfoot did end up falling through the veil and landed in lotr, I love him to much to see him die. However, it shall be quite some time before we see Sirius in action. AND, do keep in mind that he was hit by Bellatrix's curse. He isn't dead, but he is crippled so to speak.

Pamelasilos- hope these updates are soon enogh for you!

BethyQuake- haha, yep, Padfoot's coming soon.

TheBLackSeaReaper- thank you

Guest- Hmm, do you mean like a slash? Or just them meeting each other in general?

Opinir- Hope you continue to like and read! She's learning sindarin from Gandalf because she didn't exactly learn the language from the Valar then, it was more like knowledge flowed into her mind, but didn't stay besides the name she chose. However, I wouldn't expect her, or anybody really, to immeadiately think to use thier new name, to me, I think she would need some getting use to the new name as it's also in a new language she's now adjusting to.

candinaru25- Sweet! I hope you like these next chapters as much as I enjoy writing them.

elfin69-thanks for the review and she'll have Sirius eventually. And it will be awhile before she sees any other elves.

Guest- Glad you liked the story!

Whew, now that that's done, again, thank you to all that reviewed, followed and favorite, so thank you again! Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 3

While she knew that Gandalf didn't think badly about her or anything, she did know that he could see through her lies of being "alright". Her fantasy of nobody seeing anything different about her or seeing through her and her lies was just that, a fantasy. Every night when she went to sleep as Fawkes sang her a lullaby to chase away the night-terrors and the horrid memories, she could feel his eyes on her. While she knew he didn't think lowly of her, she did know that he saw the fighter. The veteran of a war that claimed everyone she ever loved or cared for. While her body didn't visually show the scars of torture didn't mean they didn't happen or weren't there before. Just because you couldn't see them, didn't mean they weren't there. Her mental scars were just as painful, possibly even more so, than the physical marks. Because she could never be rid of them. While she was proud of her scars, they spoke of what she had been through and how she survived against the odds, why would she want those reminders that she had failed the person that died when she got that jagged scar or that carved marking in her skin? The lightning bolt scar? She lost her parents that night and it was her "connection" to Voldemort. The one that dug into her right arm from her fourth year? She lost Cedric that night, and Voldemort rose from the blood of that wound. With them not there, she could sometimes pretend they never happened and continue walking, building her barriers up and over those memories to keep them out. But that's where she could never excel, her memories would come to her in the night and torment her once (sort of) peaceful dreams. Now, she was like a druggy, addicted to the lullabies that Fawkes would use to sing her to sleep.

Gandalf, she knew, could tell that she was a warrior, trained sense she was twelve, and a fighter to boot. She could guess that it was because he had seen a war himself, the war against Sauron with the Last Alliance. The way she walked with purpose and strength, her shoulders back, and head held high. She exuded confidence, control, and power. Her power was different than his yes, but that didn't mean she was not as deadly as or even deadlier than he. The way he exuded power, it was controlled and tempered yes, but at the same time, if you did something to displease him, you better hope you had a good excuse. With her, it was like the calm before the storm. She didn't even know about this however, but those around her with any type of self preservation instinct or magical radar would. Usually she assumed that people were hesitant around her because of her cold demeanor, and most of the time, that was true. But with her emotions hidden just under the surface, ready to blow, she was the brewing hurricane over the Atlantic Ocean, just hope it doesn't hit land.

But that's besides the point right now, while that should come into play later on, let us focus on the present. She was always tense around Gandalf, and she felt kind of bad because of that, but what was she to do? Forget her training and let her guard down? No, she could never do that because she wasn't like that. She never could or else either she or someone she cared for would pay the price and most likely with their life.

She would never forgive herself if she lost Gandalf as well. As mush as it pained it pained her to admit it, she had come to care for Gandalf and trust him. Her trusting him was a feat of itself though.

"Gandalf," a voice said, breaking her from her thoughts," You're late," the voice announced.

At first she didn't see anything, but the outskirts of, if she remembered right, was the Shire. Then she looked towards the old oak tree and noticed what she could assume was a Hobbit. At first glance she wouldn't have though much, but then she remembered Este's description of the different races of Middle-Earth. When she saw him, his pale skin with his black hair and blue eyes made her think elf at first. But his big hairy feet and short stature told her otherwise. She then took in his expression which would've been an impressive impression of an angry Molly Weasley had his lips not been twitching.

To her surprise and continued confusion, Gandalf returned the stern look, but a much impression than the young (she assumed young) hobbit.

"A wizard is never late Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means too. Not a moment before." They glared at each other for a moment, confusing Calneth tenfold. Though she gave no apparent outward sign of her feelings around those she didn't know, and even then, very few times Gandalf would see her express her actual emotion in front of him.

They continued to glare at each other for another moment before they both burst into joyous laughter.

"Frodo!" Gandalf exclaimed with a large smile," It's good to see you!"

The hobbit, Frodo, lunged from his perch and proceeded to hug the old grey clad wizard. Calneth assumed this was Frodo Baggins, the nephew of Bilbo Baggins whose birthday was today. At the sight of affection however, she edged away ever so slightly, still a little unsure around those she did not know, even if she trusted Gandalf's judgment, she trusted hers foremost.

The young hobbit turned to her and stuck out his hand," Frodo Baggins at your service," he said politely.

She gave a small smile towards him and hesitantly shook his hand in return," I know, I could guess by the way Gandalf speaks of you and your uncle so often. I am S-Calneth," she mentally chastised herself for not using her new name," My name is Calneth."

However, thankfully neither Gandalf nor Frodo noticed her slip-up or just decided not to bring it up.

Calneth could tell that he was hesitant around her much like everyone else was around her at first and she towards them in turn. So she took no personal offence to it, she was use to it by now, everyone seeing her as cold and distant, and where if you made one wrong move she'd blow you to smithereens, at least that's the impression she got most of the time.

Mentally shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she returned to the present as Frodo then climbed onto the wagon she and Gandalf were riding.

Calneth continued to observe her surroundings as Gandalf and Frodo seemed to catch up with one another. As she gazed around at the farm land surrounding them, she felt a lump swell in her chest. The way this village, The Shire, seemed to be, it was practically the way she dreamed of living when she was in her home world. As if he sensed her distress, Fawkes nuzzled his soft feathery head against her cheek giving her comfort without words.

She was suddenly jarred from her thoughts when Gandalf nudged her gently against her shoulder.

She blushed sheepishly when he gave a pointed look towards Frodo.

"Sorry Frodo, I was lost in thought, did you say something?"

He smiled," It's fine, I was just wondering what type of bird is that there on your shoulder."

She nodded," This is Fawkes and he's called a Phoenix form where I come."

He nodded, "Thank you. He's a very beautiful bird. Like an elf in a way."

Calneth chuckled at his comment, knowing full well that Phoenixes were beautiful birds. But having not seen an elf before, she couldn't compare the two. In first year she had often daydreamed of having a phoenix animagus. She mentally chuckled at the memory. She had been so innocent then, it was before Quirrel and long before she was kidnapped by Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Shaking herself from her thoughts she once again came back to reality and paid attention once more to her surroundings, taking in everything, making a mental map. Marking escape routes, labeling people (not that they were all much different from each other) and keeping track of how many people looked at Gandalf with stern gazes and others, specifically children, looked at him with awe and reference.

"You've got a fan club," she muttered to Gandalf who simply looked at her as if she had grown a second head, but his eyes gave away the fact that he knew quite well what she meant.

They continued past the children who ecstatically called out his name and shouted out requests for fireworks while others simply called out his name simply happy to see him, though that group was the minority by far. Just as Calneth was beginning to think he wasn't going to do anything to appease the many small Hobbit children, a flurry of fireworks shot out of the back of his cart, giving the children a small show. A prequel, she mused, for what was sure to pass tonight.

She smiled at the sight of the many smiling children as Frodo smirked knowingly at Gandalf, use to antics by now.

As they were beginning to come around a bend, Frodo hopped off the cart and smiled at Gandalf," Its good to see you again Gandalf."

Gandalf gave him a warm smile," It's good to see you once again too Frodo," he said.

Calneth and Gandalf then continued on to where Calneth presumed the aforementioned Bilbo Baggins lived with his nephew Frodo.

"Frodo seems nice enough," Calneth said conversationally.

Gandalf chuckled," Yes, Frodo is actually quite young for a Hobbit, despite being around 38," Calneth raised a delicate eyebrow at his comment," It's true you know. All the races here in Arda age differently, but all have a certain year when you come of age. Much is the same with any creature, able to think for themselves or not."

Calneth nodded in understanding, she supposed that would make sense as all birds left the nest at some point. She guessed the ages would take awhile to get use to. She fingered her vial necklace with her Thestral tears, mixed slightly with her blood. The tears mixed with blood, were supposed to lead someone to their "soul mate". The Valar had said that she would find him, or her (she didn't judge), here on Middle-Earth. She knew that she wouldn't find them, who ever they were, immediately but she could dream right?

After riding for a little while longer, Calneth found herself and Gandalf looking at what seemed to be the largest and most extravagant of all the homes in The Shire. While they were all holes in the ground really, they all still seemed to be of moderate size and shape, with some a little more extravagant then the others. But, what she presumed was Bilbo Bagginess's residence, seemed to be the largest of them all. She guessed the Master Hobbit was known fairly well within the community of the Shire and fairly wealthy as well.

As Gandalf came closer to the home with what seemed to be windows, and a quite large floor plan too, a thought suddenly struck her. If she was reuniting with her old friend, wouldn't she want to be with him, and preferably alone? So when Gandalf stopped the wagon in front of the house she stayed where she was sitting.

When he was about to ask why she wouldn't budge from her seat, she simply said," This is your friend who you haven't seen in a long while. I don't wish to bother or intrude on anything. Just come out with Bilbo later on if you want me to meet him."

Gandalf smiled at her sadly, looking like he wanted to object to her staying out there by herself, but knew that she was as stubborn as any mountain and wouldn't budge.

As he went inside with, what she could tell, looked like a young Hobbit that was only recently starting to age, she settled down into her seat once more. silently pondering how he could look like he was only a few decades older than Frodo, when he was 111.

'You didn't have to stay out here by yourself,' Fawkes nudged her head sadly.

"Yes I did Fawkes," she whispered to him but mostly herself," I didn't want to be a burden," she inwardly winced at her word choice, but knowing full well that that was how she felt.

For the majority of her short life on Earth, she lived with her relatives the Dursley's. Mentally and physically abused, her Uncle, Vernon Dursley, would always be told that she was a burden by the Dursley's, Never loved by her mother's sister, she would always long to be dotted on by her mother the way Dudley was by his parents. It wasn't until she turned eleven that she made her first real friend in Hagrid and Hedwig. A giant and a bird.

Fawkes's sad trill rang though the air, shaking her from her thoughts. She gave a small, sad smile at the sound of it. Some how, Fawkes would always know when she was starting to go down the not-so-pleasant memory lane.

Lately, she didn't think she would be getting any sleep had it not been for Fawkes and his songs. Though she knew it couldn't last. Fawkes was seemingly getting older with every passing day that he was here with her. She wished he wasn't but she knew that was a futile hope as the Gandalf and the Valar told her exactly what it would cost him to follow her into Arda.

She was taken from her depressing thoughts when the door to the hobbit hole opened once more, revealing Gandalf and Bilbo walking together and laughing at some joke.

"Ah," Gandalf began when he spotted Calneth, "Bilbo, I'd like to introduce you to my charge, Calneth."

Calneth gave a nod of recognition," Pleased to meet you at long last, Master Hobbit. Gandalf has spoken highly of you in our travel here."

Biblbo nodded," Well, it's good to meet you as well, shall you be staying for the party as well?"

She nodded," I'd be hard pressed not to come after all the fuss your community has seemed to make for your birthday. 111th yes?"

Bilbo blushed slightly," Yes, it does seem as if everyone has been making a big fuss, but I let them have their fun. And yes, actually, my eleventy first birthday."

Calneth chuckled, this hobbit seemed nice enough at first glance. But she could almost feel something radiating dark magic from his person. Specifically his front right pocket of his vest. She shook it off against her better judgment, knowing the answer would somehow soon make itself known. She decided she would be wary around him at best, and if worse came to worse, she'd be ready.

"Well Gandalf, don't you have a show to prepare for?" Bilbo said to Gandalf.

Calneth chuckled once more at Gandalf's playful glare towards his cheeky friend. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately, but she had a feeling tonight would be interesting none-the-less.

As the party was in full swing, Calneth couldn't help but think that she had missed so much in her original life. Looking at the people celebrating and dancing, she was reminded of how she use to be able to laugh like them, and truly feel happy like them, and not just at peace with her life and how it would end.

She sat in a tree a few meters from where the party was went on, it was peaceful to sit a little ways away and still be able to watch the festivities. She saw as Frodo seemed to coax his friend next to him to dance with one of the female hobbits in the crowd. She chuckled as Frodo simply pushed said friend towards who he obviously fancied in some way. She had also spotted what seemed to be two friends sneaking one of the larger fireworks from Gandalf's cart. She saw them sneak into a tent and when the dragon shaped firework exploded out of the tent and came soaring back towards the people of Hobbitton. She chuckled once more at the sight of said Hobbit's once they sat up from the remains of the tent, all smoking and covered in soot.

She chuckled at the sight, seemed they needed lessons from the twins and Maraduers. She froze in her line of thought, it had been forever sense she had allowed herself to even think of the pranks she use to pull with the twins and her godfather. Sometimes she would let herself remember, but to consciously think about them, that was something she hadn't been able to do sense Sirius fell trough the veil.

Shaking herself from her self-depressing thoughts she focused on the present and watched as Gandalf reprimanded the two Hobbits who seemed to be close cousins. She chuckled, the twins practically reincarnated.

'Seems those two have a knack for getting into trouble,' Fawkes mused perched on his branch next to her head.

Once the party was cleaned a little because of the mess that happened after the panic of the dragon, Merri and Pippin, as she learned were there names from Frodo, the two trouble making hobbits were sent to dish washing duty with Gandalf watching them. Shaking her head at the sight, but with a small smile on her face, she turned to Bilbo who was on the barrel stage, where many a hobbits were shouting for a speech.

"Speech! Speech!" they chanted as one.

"My dear Bagginses and Boffins, Tooks and Brandyducks, Grubbs, Chubbs, Hornblowers, Bolgers, Bracegirdles and Proudfoots!"

"Proudfeet!" one hobbit in the crowd shouted in correction.

Bilbo simply waved his hand dismissively as the other hobbits laughed.

"Today is my one hundred and eleventh birthday!" he began," Alas, eleventy-one years is far too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits. I don't know half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you as well as you deserve."

Calenth chuckled t the bewildered looks amongst the faces of the crowd, as they wondered if they should feel insulted or if that was a compliment.

"I, I h-have things to do," he fidgeted with something behind his back and Calneth once more felt that same dark energy coming from him in soft waves," I've put this off for far too long."

She frowned, and though she couldn't see his face, Frodo did too. This wasn't a speech for a birthday celebration, but a farewell speech. One for when someone was going to leave. And they weren't coming back.

He addressed the crowd once more," I regret to announce-this is The End," she could practically hear the capitals in his sentence," I am going now. I bid you a very fond farewell," he gazed directly at Frodo," Goodbye."

And with that he disappeared. And as he vanished, Calneth screamed as she fell from the branch she sat atop. As a wave of dark energy washed over her, an entity filled with malice and darkness, pressing against her occlumency shields. Her head felt as if someone had driven a knife it her forehead and was now twisting it around, turning her brain to mush yet she was somehow still awake and aware throughout it all. As she began to tumble from the tree, screaming in agony the way down, her vision fading out, she saw a single flaming read eye, staring at her and into her. Lid less and surrounded by flames, it seemed to scream at her. Then she saw only darkness as she feel into unconsciousness.

Dun dun dun! Yes, Calneth has seen Sauron, he in turn has seen her. And while he doesn't know who, or what, she is, he is aware of her because he is tied to the ring, if someone puts it on, he can see them. SO, I thought it would only make sense for him to know if someone was or wasn't affected by the pull of the ring. In a way however, this is more dangerous because all he knows is that she is powerful and not on his side. So he's probably going to want to know who she is and already wants her on his side so he can win.

Now we go to the next chapter! Where we meet Strider! And you may just have your answers to where Padfoot is, and why we haven't seen him yet.

~candiesandfanfics~