THE FORGOTTEN

The Road Home

Author's note: The chapter in which – Lothril braces herself to say goodbye to her friends and Middle-earth family, and she and Legolas keep sneaking off at night. …FYI- I'm going to mention a Silvan tradition about new moons – 100% made up by me. Well, here we are to the very end of things covered in the Return of the King (barring some very vague stuff in the appendices). This is equal parts scary and exciting. It's scary because we're leaving the well charted waters of the book behind and forging our own path ahead. It's exciting because I can now start bringing in more characters that I couldn't work in very much before. In the meantime though – here's some bitter sweet fluff to bring us back to Isengard.

Between their betrothal and the departure of everyone from Minas Tirith, Legolas could be found with a green book and a pencil, sketching during quiet moments and quickly shutting it if Lothril tried to peek, with a smile on his face. The weeks following also found Lothril spending a good deal of time with Elrond, which meant that Legolas was frequently spending time with his future father and brothers by marriage, which resulted in a surprising amount of time with Arwen and Aragorn, whom Legolas realized he would be family to, even if a bit distantly. Simultaneously though, Celebdil and Lassethuil wished to see their grandson as much as they could before they all had to go their separate ways again, and everyone decided rather informally that since they all wished to spend time with Legolas and Lothril it was only sensible that they all have dinner together every night, which frequently led to spending time together after dinner.

Lothril didn't mind though, because everyone seemed to get along and work together very well and the atmosphere was always very relaxed and comfortable. More comfortable than things with her extended family were frequently… not that they didn't get along, but both sides had a list of topics you just didn't bring up if you wanted to keep your sanity. Nothing crazy, nothing even divisive, but if you did not want to endure either an endless lecture or a guilt trip, you were best to avoid certain things altogether. She found not having a list to mind rather a relief.

After the first of these get-togethers, it became known to Celeborn and Galadriel, who were staying up in the seventh level it being just the two of them, that these family dinners were occurring, and they were promptly invited to them. At first it was a little awkward with Celebdil and Lassethuil in particular as this was their lord and lady, but ground rules were laid very quickly that so long as this wasn't some sort of official function, formalities were to be promptly forgotten because they were family. So, every night for several weeks they all met for dinner and Lothril would frequently look around and shake her head because here she was, some middle class girl from Michigan hob-nobbing with kings, lords, and ladies, betrothed to a prince, eating dinner with a bunch of elves and this was now normal. To say nothing of the frequent invitations extended to the hobbits, dwarf, and wizard.

Another thing that Lothril found curious with her new normal, was the way Thranduil reacted to learning of the friendship between Legolas and Gimli. She hadn't been privy to the initial discussion, but the way that Thranduil didn't seem to mind Gimli's company nor Legolas spending time with him if Lothril was otherwise preoccupied struck her as interesting. To quote Legolas, Thranduil's reaction had been "a slight frown, then he shook his head and said, 'you always were bringing home the oddest friends. This will certainly not hurt our relationship with Erebor, but you are not inviting him to stay with us unless he is conducting business.' Then he poured himself a glass of wine and told me to go kiss my betrothed or something, so here I am!" Of course, he was a very good son and happily obeyed his father's instructions to kiss his betrothed.

Of course, it was plain Thranduil had no desire to befriend Gimli himself, but he was friendly towards him and courteous though perhaps a little more distant with him than he was perhaps with the hobbits. Gimli though did not seem to be particularly interested in befriending Thranduil either. Again, courteous towards him and amiably showing him the respect one ought to show a king, but very little inclination to become familiar with him. Lothril, being friends with Gimli herself, found she couldn't really get too excited about the mutual attitudes displayed between Gimli and Thranduil. There were people she didn't really want to befriend back home, nor they her, but because her school was small, they had to be friendly with each other anyway. No enmity, no friendship, just a mutual social situation and congenial conversation on odd occasion, but otherwise very little to do with each other and very little interest in changing that. She had supposed there would be a measure of hostility of one degree or another with at least one of the parties, if not both, but if there was, they both hid extremely well, and as Legolas seemed very relaxed and at ease with his father still, Lothril guessed Thranduil wasn't secretly lecturing him on his poor choices or giving him disapproving looks when she wasn't around.

She, Legolas, and Elrond had several more private discussions where she and Elrond mostly talked and tried working through things together and Legolas mostly listened as he tried to understand and unravel how her mind worked and how what had happened, how it changed her, and what it might mean for the both of them. As things went along, Legolas began asking questions, trying to catch up on prior conversations that had started in Rivendell, and it became more of a three way discussion at times, which Lothril found more difficult, but more helpful too.

After the second time though, Lothril made it clear she didn't mind if Elrohir and Elladan were in the house, as she felt bad about them being kicked out, and she told Elrond she had toyed once or twice with the idea of telling them and Arwen just so it was all out in the open. In the end though, she couldn't quite bring herself to bring it up, but she supposed if they happened to hear something and ask, she might be able to explain it. The twins appreciated not being kicked out of the house, and though they were insanely curious as to why Lothril, Legolas and their father would be locked up in the library for hours with strict orders to not disturb them unless the house was on fire, they were also disciplined enough to keep away from that end of the house and respectful enough not to pry.

All in the all, Lothril enjoyed those fleeting few weeks in Minas Tirith the most out of her time there yet. Breakfast with Elrond and the twins, mid mornings alone with Legolas either out in the garden or wandering around the city (and had she known it, she and Legolas becoming the second most talked about couple after only the king and his new queen), or sitting for Celebdil so he could begin his mantle portrait of her. Lunch was either with Elrond or the Fellowship, and if with the Fellowship, frequently then a game or two and conversation through afternoon tea, and then the time between afternoon tea and dinner alone with Legolas or with Elrond and the twins, and then dinner with everyone and afterwards songs or games until Legolas would steal her away to say goodnight for an hour or two.

However, as was expected, the weeks of rest and fellowship in Minas Tirith drew to a close and everyone began turning their eyes towards home. There was a good deal of discussion from Thranduil's party on the route they wished to take home. The most direct route as the eagle flies would be to cut up straight from Minas Tirith, cross the Anduin, cut through the Dead Marshes and Emyn Muil then straight through the brown lands and skirt the eastern edge of the forest all the way up to the Elven King's land. Of course that route was also the absolute last route any sane person would ever wish to take. Lothril mentioned that she would be departing from Isengard, and that seemed to immediately make up everyone's mind that they would go that far, and then Legolas revealed the bargain he had made with Gimli to go through Fangorn, and the elves all at once agreed the chance to see ents was too great to be missed and that unless Legolas objected, they would all cut through Fangorn, onto Lothlórien and there part from Celebdil and Lassethuil until the wedding, and then cut straight through Eryn Lasgalan and then home.

Lothril was a little surprised to learn that Thranduil had seen fit to bring horses for her and Legolas all the way down to Minas Tirith, but she supposed at the end of the day, he really wouldn't have had any idea that Éomer loaned them horses… In any event, she was quite happy that she would have a chance to ride Galion again. He was such a good horse! Leofa was a wonderful horse too, but she belonged back in Rohan in the stable of whatever good family had lost their loved one. She made a note to herself to ask Éomer who Leofa belonged to and see if perhaps she could give them a gift as a thank you. She knew full well they would probably rather have back their husband or son but that was beyond her power. However, a horse is an asset and one she had been borrowing for months now and she would show her gratitude if she could.

Lothril listened to the post Isengard plans with a little melancholy. She did wish to explore Fangorn, but that simply wasn't to be. She was looking forward to seeing her family again, but she really more than half wished she was going back with them. A vague thought of where she wanted to go first when she returned to Middle-earth flitted in her head, but as she did not know when or where she would return, it seemed a bit silly to plan. In fact, the only thing she had to plan at all was where she wanted to send all the dresses and jewelry and gifts she had been given by Legolas and Arwen. In the end, she supposed as she and Legolas were going to live in the Woodland Realm a couple years after they were married, it would be just as well to send everything there. She supposed if she wound up returning to Rivendell, she would more or less just resume the wardrobe she had while she was there and have the hems let out. If she returned to the Woodland Realm, then it would all be there and that would be the end of that.

Once plans were made, Legolas and Lothril took a quiet little evening stroll through the streets.

"I still cannot believe your father was so kind as to bring me Galion all the way down here for me," Lothril said.

Legolas smiled, "It would reflect very poorly on him if he did not ensure his once ward and son's betrothed was not taken care of."

"Legolas, there is something I have been wondering for a while now and this evening reminded me of it – why is the horse named after the butler?" Lothril asked.

Legolas burst into laughter and after a moment replied, "Oh, it is all a bit of a joke really. Galion is one of my horses, as was his dam and his sire one of Ada's. She went into labor and we were notified and kept posted and when it seemed to be drawing close to the time she would deliver, we came down and brought with us food and drink for Brenion who was aiding her. We arrived just as he was being born and even being all knees and legs he was a handsome foal. We helped Brenion tend the foal and the mother and when everyone seemed settled and content we three sat down at a table brought over and sat just outside their stall to keep an eye on things. We could not have been sitting five minutes when the foal began to stand for the first time. He wobbled up beside Brenion and immediately starts nosing at his wine cup and then he fell down and Ada said, 'Now whom does that remind you of?' and of course we all knew and we laughed, and even harder when he stood again on his own and though he was a little more steady, he still weaved a little on his way back to his mother. I decided then and there to name him Galion, and it is now our little joke."

Lothril laughed. "Oh, poor Galion! Does he know?"

"He knows the horse shares his name, but he does not know why as I have not told him and he has not asked," Legolas replied with a grin. "And do not feel sorry for him. He knows full well he got off easily after that incident."

Lothril smiled and was quiet for a moment before she said, "Now that I know, thank you for loaning me your horse."

"What is mine is yours," Legolas said simply. "And I was happy to loan him to you on the way to Rivendell."

"You barely knew me," she said dismissively.

"I still liked you for as much as I knew you," Legolas said. "You have been charming me since the first dream we shared."

"I may have a confession to make along those lines," Lothril said with an almost guilty look on her face.

"Oh?"

"You may have occupied more than a few day dreams before you showed up," she confessed, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

"And since then?" he asked, putting on a stern face with an arched brow.

"Many, both waking and sleeping," she admitted with a sly little grin.

"I am glad to hear it," he said before kissing her on the cheek.

The procession that left Minas Tirith was large and left with mixed feelings. Everyone was glad to be heading home, but a prevailing feeling of sadness at the pending departure was hanging on everyone. Even so, it wasn't wholly morose traveling up to Edoras, even for the Rohirrim.

Traveling with such a large company and at ease was decidedly slower than riding at a breakneck speed and taking dangerous paths through haunted mountains, but Lothril found herself gladly exchanging a more leisurely pace for a more pleasurable journey. Morning travel started after sunrise and after breakfast and evening travel ended before supper and sunset, which meant that evenings were long and restful and often filled with story and song. At night, Lothril stayed in a tent alone without objection. She actually enjoyed it when she actually slept in it.

More often than not, in the evenings after stories were told and songs were sung and everyone started heading off to bed, she and Legolas would slip out of the camp and just out of sight, which was not difficult in the rolling hill country. Away from the fires and away from the camp and the others they could see all the stars clearly and brightly. Brighter than Lothril had seen them since she arrived.

She and Legolas had been having casual astronomy lessons together since they left Mirkwood, and this was often a continuation of them. Ithilien had been more leisurely planning what they will do when they move there, but back on the road again, they fell back into old habits. He would tell her stories and sing her songs of the stars that the Silvan Elves held dear. She loved seeing his enthusiasm to teach her about his customs and his songs and stories, not just ones that belonged to the Sindarin Elves with whom he never lived, or things of Elves in general, but things from his people that he knew and loved and governed over. It all seemed a bit more personal to him and he was delighted he was able to share it with her. He was thrilled whenever she asked questions or seemed to particularly like a song or tale. Now that her departure was imminent, he wanted to share as much of himself as he could with her. He knew full well when she returned they would have a good long while together, but that did little to dampen his eagerness. Besides, they did not know how long she was going to be gone. He wanted her to have as much of himself as he could give her to have in her heart while she was gone.

They were lying in the grass on a blanket, shoulder to shoulder, with their Lothlórien cloaks spread out over them both. The grass was long and thick and even without the cloaks and in bright sunshine they would have been hard to spot from any sort of distance, but at night with only the stars shining and their cloaks over them, they were as good as invisible.

"It is a new moon tonight," Legolas said.

"I love the moon, but I love how bright the stars are when he is hidden," she said.

"In the very beginning when the Elves awoke, there was no sun or moon, only starlight and the first elven marriages were thus held in starlight. Amongst the Silvan Elves there is a tradition that a newly married couple spend their first new moon together beneath the stars in memory of the beginning," Legolas said. He glanced over at her and she was placidly lying still and looking up at the sky.

After a few moments she said, "I suppose you would like to observe that tradition."

"I would. You are beautiful by starlight and I would love to celebrate our marriage with such an observance. However, I am doubtful you have such a tradition in your old world and I am willing to yield to you in this matter. It is not the sort of tradition anyone else need ever know if we keep it or not," he replied.

"Do other elves observe this also?"

"I do not know," he replied. "You could always ask Elrond. He is a master of lore."

"Hmm… I may ask him if I remember, but I am unsure whether or not I am comfortable with the idea. I will think about it though," she said.

"If it helps, I can promise you we would not be disturbed, seen, or heard. I am also willing to compromise as there is a room in my chambers that has a very large window with an excellent view of the night sky. However, if you conclude you would rather not observe it at all, I will honor your wishes," he said.

"Thank you. Though now I am not sure how I could possibly say no," she smiled. "I will think about it and let you know before we are wed. I do know though, that I am very comfortable with the idea of you kissing me in the starlight."

"Truly? That is wonderful to hear for I am also and I am greatly desirous to do so," he replied, propping himself up on one elbow before he leaned down to kiss her and let his fingers trace the line of her jaw. "How soft are your lips by starlight, my lothil! Softer than the night breeze that stirs the grass. Softer than the starlight that shines in your eyes. Warmer than summer sun."

She smiled. She really liked this…ritual? Custom? Whatever… she liked this means of expressing affections. "How sweet is your mouth that sings to me, my Greenleaf! Sweeter than the sweetest wine. Sweeter than golden honey. More heady than strong mead." She sat up until her lips could reach his and kissed him.

As they kissed he laid her back down and felt his heart so stirred that when they broke apart he said,

"Fairest of bright flowers, I long to gather you to myself and breathe deeply your scent.

Yield your soft petals to me and let me know the sweetness of your love.

Let me bring the light of my spirit to yours and illuminate the deep places.

Let me show you the strength of my love when we bind ourselves together.

Open to me the deep wells of your heart and invite me into your secret places.

I will guard you and keep you and none will know your beauty but me.

Let me give you the fullness of my love by starlight

And make your heart shine as the noon sun."

"Legolas! Mercy!" she gasped. It wasn't fair how he could turn her head like ale with a few soft spoken words!

He looked at her steadily and resolutely as he replied, "This is but a small part of the things I wish to say to you. I love you Lothril and I want you to know the fullness of my love. You are departing now in mere days and I would have as much of my heart go with you as I can contrive. Do not reject my words out of-"

She laid a finger on his lips which he promptly kissed and fell silent. "I do not reject them. I receive them gladly, but they are like strong drink that turns my head at once. I cry mercy so you will let me revel in them before giving me more to savor. I would try to reply in kind, but it would not be so sweet poetry."

"Please try," he pleaded. "You have done so well before, but even if you fail to create verses, I would rather have disjointed speech than none."

"Hmm… let me think," she said with a grin.

"Let me inspire you," he said before leaning down and kissing her again.

It shocked her sometimes how much feeling he could sneak into a single kiss.

"Well?" he whispered when he pulled away.

"I am drunk on your kisses and yet I crave more. The sweet innocence of your love is my anchor. Your love and your heart are untainted by shame, guilt, or fear. How I wish the same was true of me! You have done much more than you know to remove those things from my heart, but still they linger. I rejoice that yours are the first lips that I have pressed to mine. I rejoice that I have found you and that you are unafraid of the darkness that has long haunted my soul. In sorrow and grief have I shown you the ugly scars that I bear, and in love you are turning them into something beautiful. Hold my hand, press me to your side and guide me as I walk blinded in the light of your innocent love. Be patient with me as my steps often falter and I fear, for I must unlearn that fear with trust. Trust you are well earning and trust I long to give. Desire without guilt, love without shame, trust without fear. Be patient with me, my love and guide me. Though I have been trespassed upon, you are the first I invite inside. I sorrow for how I have been wronged, but you are restoring me."

It was not verse, but it pierced his heart and he wept. Even in their conversations with Elrond, she was rarely this open and direct about her past or how she felt.

"Oh! I am sorry, I have made you sad after you gave me such a beautiful verse!" she said apologetically.

"No! No!" he said aloud as he pulled her up to sitting and folded her into a hug before adding mentally, "I thank you so much for those words! I am grateful for you laying out your pain and healing so plainly to me. I am grateful you told me. Oh Lothril! There is so much I wish to say in reply, I hardly know where to begin." He fell silent and held her for a while. His dearest, sweetest, loveliest Lothril! "My heart breaks over what you have suffered, I grieve that you still bear scars, but I rejoice that you are healing. That I am helping you…"He stared at her with eyes nearly brimming with tears. "I am humbled and honored that you trust me and I am also thrilled that you invite me in. I realized," he paused a moment and debated continuing then decided to press on. He needed to say it once. "I realized there were many challenges you have already faced alone and now I would face them with you. You have been trespassed upon and I cannot fathom enduring such a horrible thing. I marvel that you still can trust and love at all. I am honored that you invite me inside. I am your choice and you have made it out of love and free will. That I am the recipient of such love and trust from one who has endured such things – I am honored you deem me worthy. You are beautiful meleth nin, inside and out and I am honored and humbled you are letting me in. I swear I shall do all I can for you. I promise I shall give you all my patience. I know you wish to wed before Elrond departs, and I desire to marry you next fall, but I will also give you as much time as you need. If next autumn you are not ready to join with me and wed, then we will wait as long as you need."

She took his hand and put her head on his shoulder for a moment before she sat up straight and said, "My mother always said never get engaged, or betrothed, to someone you aren't ready to marry. I have been ready to marry you since you kissed me after I told you about my past. If tradition and such were satisfied, I could marry you tonight."

He gently tucked her hair behind her ear and let his hand linger there as he gently stroked her cheek with his thumb. "Perhaps, but we must wait. What can I do in the meantime?"

"I am not sure there is anything more to be done than what you are already doing, and I appreciate everything you are doing immensely," she replied before giving him a kiss.

"Mmm… Shall we then resume our earlier occupation?" Legolas asked with a smile.

She smiled and replied, "I think that would be nice."

"Very well then," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper as his face drew closer and closer to hers before he dropped down onto the grass and stared up into the sky. "Now, this time of year in the Western sky you can see the constellations-"

"You imp!" She sunk back down into the grass and looked up at the sky giving Legolas an annoyed look.

"Oh, not that far back? Very well. The Silvan Elves throw a festival around this time of year to celebrate the blueberry harvest. It is three days of blueberry everything! Pie, wine, beer, desserts, preserves - you shall love it! Unless you do not like blueberries," he said grinning.

"I adore blueberries," she replied, suddenly looking forward to next summer. She got a curious little thrill when she realized she just made plans for next summer in Middle-earth, more specifically in the Woodland Realm. It wasn't a huge thing, it was a silly little thing, but it was a regular life thing. They had festivals like that back home all over the place for all kinds of produce. "In fact, I am excited about being there next year for blueberry festival."

"Truly?" he asked, turning his head towards her.

She nodded as she replied, "I am. Very excited. We have festivals like that back home and it just seems so normal life… I mean, ever since I got here I have been training or traveling or getting buried under a mountain of gifts from you. It is very exciting to think of just living life here with you."

"I am excited to think of living life with you also. Though I warn you that getting buried under a mountain of gifts shall be part of your life henceforth," he replied.

"Really Legolas, what am I supposed to do with it all? You have already given me four complete sets of jewelry, three gardens worth of flowers, a large wardrobe, six belts, all of which I dare not begin to guess how much you paid for them, and who gives someone loose gems?"

"A prince who is madly in love with his lady," he replied before kissing her.

"No truly Legolas, what does someone do with loose gems?" she asked.

"Have them made into something," he said.

"Like what, besides jewelry?" she asked.

"You could have them set into a weapon or its scabbard, or put it on something like a box or chest or sewn into a bag or dress or something like that. I was given an emerald a few years back and had it cut into a leaf shape and it became part of cloak pin," he answered.

"You know I come from peasantry, right?"

"Yes, you have mentioned that. Do you recall that I am a prince and you will one day soon be a princess?"

"Yes, I believe you have mentioned that."

"Then I am afraid you must suffer your prince giving you gifts worthy of a princess," he said before bestowing her with a series of little kisses. Goodness, how he loved her!

During the days she rode with Elrond and the twins, but more the twins. All three were about to say goodbye to Arwen forever. At first she had planned on giving them space and allowing them to enjoy their last moments together undistracted with her riding perhaps with Galadriel and Celeborn, as both Legolas and Thranduil reckoned she should ride with her adopted family, but Elrond asked her to ride with them and so she did. All told, she would spend about two months with her adopted family whole before they were scattered and sundered, and even at that she still hadn't met Celebrían.

Lothril kept wondering how Celebrían was going to take the news that her beloved Arwen decided to marry a mortal. She hoped her dear Ada Elrond wasn't going to get it when he broke the news to her. Her mind kept wandering to her own parents and how they were going to take it. She kept looking over at Elrond with feelings of horrendous guilt and dread. She was in essence, doing the exact same thing as Arwen, just in reverse. Arwen though seemed to have made her peace with it, and Lothril knew full well Elrond had agreed to the marriage with both eyes open and full comprehension of the implications, and still he gave his blessing. He even looked happy for her at the wedding. Happy and heartbroken, but the joy was unmistakable. Even now, he was still treating Aragorn like a son and there certainly did not seem to be any hostility or resentment between them, and it was not like Elrond had to worry about offending the king of Gondor. He was leaving Middle-earth.

Still – would her parents understand? And how crazy was it all going to sound? And how on earth could they be okay with the notion of her marrying some Elf they never met. Or some Elf… from another world… that is in a fictitious book…

She buried her face in her hands and shook her head. Could elves get sick from nerves? Because was starting to think she could. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you alright?" Elrond asked, his voice just carrying over the din of the horses.

"I am thinking about how I am going to explain everything to my mom and dad. Do I start with 'Hey – I am an Elf now, you know, like Middle-earth and I am betrothed to Legolas. You know, the one that traveled with the Fellowship in the books. We plan on getting married next fall. Oh, and I am here to hunt down a band of orcs. Can I borrow the keys to the car?' Or maybe, 'I am here to hunt orcs that escaped from Middle-earth, but it's okay because I am an elf now and I have gone to war and slain dozens. Did I mention I am betrothed to Legolas, prince of the Woodland Realm?' If I am not locked away as insane it will only be because they died of shock first," she said.

Her entire adopted family, including Aragorn, looked at her pityingly. Everyone had long seen the parallels between her and Legolas and her old world, and Arwen and Aragorn and the West; but this was quite possibly worse. Elrond knew and understood the choices and their consequences. As far as Lothril's mother and father were concerned – none of this existed save as a work of fiction.

"I wish I had some advice or counsel to give you, but I do not," Elrond said. "I will say though, if and when the time comes for you to explain all these things to them, you shall find the words you need. Of that I have little doubt."

She returned a small smile. "That is some consolation."

"I hope knowing we heartily approve of your choices and your betrothal and subsequent marriage is some comfort also," Elrond replied.

"It is a comfort," Lothril said.

After two weeks travel they arrived in Edoras and after Théoden was buried and Éomer crowned, Elrond and Arwen said their final goodbyes. They went up into the hills for their farewell to each other and Lothril happened to see them ride off. She watched them go and her heart went out to both of them. She missed the moment Elrond returned to the company readying to depart and only noticed his return when he rode up beside her. She couldn't tell if he had been crying or not, but he his mood was particularly subdued and she had no idea what to do or say, so only leaned over lightly placed her hand on his shoulder before the call to move out came. That night they came to Helm's Deep where, as Lothril understood the plan, they would stay two days before heading to Isengard and then…Home. She was having trouble bringing the riot of thoughts and emotions into balance and kept to herself as everyone else busied about getting settled in. At this point, Helm's Deep was starting to feel like an old friend and she was just as comfortable against the wall as she was a room or a tent pitched in the Coomb.

It was against a wall Elrond found her. It was a section of the wall not very far from the door, slightly obscured by a couple of barrels and a crate partially covered by a tarpaulin. She was just sitting very quietly, alone with her thoughts, her face looking both blank and sad as it was wont to do.

"There you are," Elrond said.

She stirred and looked up at him. "Indeed, here I am. Am I needed?"

"No, but we were all curious where you wandered off to," Elrond replied, sitting down beside her. "You have been quiet all day. Do you need to talk?"

"I could ask you the same," Lothril said, looking at him.

"I had sixty-years to talk with her and say everything I needed to say. And I did. So did she. The only things left unsaid between us are the things that have not yet come to pass and even at that I have given her such wisdom as I could. The grief may long abide, but I have said all I needed for the moment," Elrond replied. "But what of you?"

She shook her head. "I will be home in three or four days and I have never felt so torn about going somewhere in my life. I want to see everyone and say goodbye and at the same time there are more than a couple bridges I am going to happily burn behind me. And If I wind up back in school for a month, I might die of boredom."

"I thought you enjoyed school," Elrond said.

She gave one of her crooked little grins and said, "So did I, until I had lessons with you. Being able to ask questions all day, go as deep into a topic as I want, and change topics as soon as I have mastered things has spoiled me and put me off modern classrooms permanently, I think. To say nothing of the infinitely better scenery."

"So your school is not situated in a picturesque mountain valley overlooking a river?" Elrond joked.

"Not remotely. I will bring back a picture so you can see the charming architecture employed to offset the flat empty field like landscape it is set in," she replied.

Elrond chuckled then grew slightly more serious again and asked, "Are you nervous about going home?"

She nodded. "The more I think about being back, the more nervous I become. I have serious doubts that I can go back to being Jennifer, even temporarily."

"I strongly suggest you do not attempt it. You have grown and changed too much, and all for the better," he said.

"And in no small part thanks to you and Legolas," she said.

He put an arm around her and said, "Do not ignore the work you yourself have done. Truly, you have done most of the work of growing and changing and we have only needed to encourage you and guide you."

She didn't say anything but she did slouch down a little more and lean her head on his shoulder. At length she said, "If I do end up back at school, at least now I can sleep during the dull bits and no one will be the wiser."

Elrond laughed. "At least there is that."

They reached Isengard and Lothril knew her moment of departure had come. She had spent the last couple days surrounded by Elrond, the twins, and Legolas as much as possible, and having many a long conversation with the twins and Aragorn about tracking and such related things, just to make sure she remembered things discussed before. Even as Gandalf was talking to Treebeard, Lothril dismounted and slung her pack and weapons on her shoulders and began saying her goodbyes. This was the worst feeling she had ever had – she wanted to go home and see her family and her friends and have one last hug, one last memory, and a goodbye. At the same time, she did not want to go back. She wanted to stay with Legolas and Elrond and start finding out what a normal life as an elf would look like. She never felt such dread before about going home, but then she realized she wasn't. She was only visiting… and that felt even more weird…

"Do you have everything?" Elrond asked.

"Yes, Ada. I have everything," she answered, a smile teasing her mouth.

"Good. I hope you can spend time with your father and mother and your sister and brother before or after you start your mission," he replied.

"I hope so too. I also hope I am not gone from here too long. I do so desperately want you at the wedding," she replied.

"We have all talked it over and have agreed that unless you are gone years, we shall wait for you to return," Elrond said.

A teary eyed smile took her face. "Oh good!"

"Give me a hug and then make your goodbye to the others," Elrond said.

She grinned, "Alright Ada." She gave him a big hug and said, "Thank you for everything. I would be so lost without you!"

"You are welcome, daughter," he replied and then let her go.

She made her rounds through the Fellowship and then Galadriel, who had the most curious little smile tugging at the corners of her mouth, and Celeborn and Legolas' family and then she came to Thranduil. She still wasn't sure what to think about what sort of relationship they had going except now that Michigan was on her mind, she had half a mind to give a friendly nod, a short little wave and say, 'See ya later! Tell everybody I said hi!'

Thranduil however was a king and always knew what to do in every social situation. He took her hands and with a very genuine and warm smile said, "We shall surely miss you. Take care of yourself. We look forward to welcoming you as family soon."

"Thank you. I look forward to it also," she replied with a smile.

Just then everyone's attention was drawn to the singularly weirdest thing any of them had ever seen. Lothril and Legolas recognized it immediately.

"What is that?" Sam asked, voicing everyone's question.

"That is how I am going to go back," Lothril answered.

Everyone watched as the ball of light came down silently to earth. It did not cast off much light itself, creating only faint shadows as it came down.

Legolas came beside her and took her hands and said, "You must go. Farewell my love. Be safe and careful on your hunt and come back to me swiftly. Enjoy your time with your family also. I love you!"

"I will be safe and careful and return as swiftly as possible. I love you so much! Farewell, my beloved," she replied. To his mild surprise and utter delight, she leaned in and gave him a long, sweet, heady kiss that threatened to make him forget where they were.

He pulled the green sketchbook out of his pack and handed it to her and she promptly tucked it away in hers. "Shall I walk you over to it?" he asked, trying to keep his voice even.

"Yes, please," she answered.

They held hands and as she passed Elrond again, she broke free and gave him another quick hug and then took Legolas' hand and kept going. It only barely touched earth when they reached it and she gave his hand a tight squeeze and then let go and without looking back, walked into the light.