As of right now this is my favourite chapter. And only three chapters left!!!!!!!!! Can you tell I'm exited? I do not own any of the characters. I have finished this book! Now all that needs to be done is go over the chapters! Thanks to all my readers. And thanks to Kenn.Davis.56 for pointing out that Adrenaline would not have been known as that back then, and for the suggestions.

They stumbled away from the mountain, moving down the road that curled away from the mines. The road was rough and filled with holes, but they were able to make good time as the sun lit the road. After several minutes Faramir looked up at the sky, seeing the sun directly above, and he shuddered. They were still close to the mines, and he wished to be far away by the time it was dark. He suddenly noticed a cut on his arm, and he realized that he must have been hit by an orc in the fight the Battle Rush masking it; the black sleeve of his shirt had hidden the blood. As he walked, his mind kept going back to Mithrandir and his fall. He already missed the wizard, who had been a mentor to him ever since he first met him. He blinked hard as his eyes stung with unshed tears and swallowed straightening as he saw Pippin looking back at him, his eyes lost. Faramir pushed his grief away -- grief at the loss of his brother and grief at the loss of Mithrandir. The Hobbits needed someone to support them in their own grief. He looked into Pippin's eyes and nodded.

As the road turned south, the sun was shining on their right, and Faramir saw a river winding along the ground, moving downhill till it disappeared into a haze in the distance. Legolas moved to stand next to him. "Lothlorien!" pointing at the haze, his voice rose in excitement and longing. "It is the home of my people. In the summer, the ground is golden with the fallen leaves and the trees have golden flowers on them." Faramir saw Aragorn nod and shift restlessly.

"And that is our destination. But it is a long way away, and we must move quickly to put Moria far behind us."

They set off running again, moving down the hill, following the river to Lothlorien. Faramir's arm began burning, the pain pulsing with each beat of his heart. As they ran, Legolas suddenly called out. "Aragorn! The Hobbits!" Faramir turned, seeing Frodo and Sam trailing behind, breathing hard and stumbling. The two men moved quickly to their sides, and Faramir followed Aragorn's lead as he knelt.

"Climb on Hobbits. We will carry you till we reach a safe place to rest." Sam put his hands on Faramir's shoulders, and the younger man stood, holding the Hobbit's legs. As Faramir took a step forward, he felt his legs tremble slightly, but he stayed silent. His only wish was to keep moving away from the mines. They soon reached a river that fed into the faster-flowing river that they were following. They crossed the river, stepping on moss-covered stones, the two men following behind the others. As they reached the other side and moved down a hill, they came to a small, protected grove of trees planted by the river. They halted there, and Faramir kneeled slowly, letting Sam off his back.

Gimli and the two youngest Hobbits started a small fire, putting a pot with water over it. Soon the water was boiling, and Aragorn knelt by Sam. Pushing the pant leg up, Aragorn studied the cut, nodding in approval.

"It is a good thing this cut was not poisoned. Many of the orc blades are dipped in poison, causing painful convolutions and death if the wounds are left untreated." He put a hand on Sam's shoulder. "Wash it well with the water, and it will heal soon." Faramir stood with his back to the group, hand on his sword, as he kept guard; his arm was still throbbing, but it seemed to be better. He heard the voices of the others grow in excitement, and he turned to see Frodo wearing a pure white shirt. He heard Gimli's voice filled with awe.

"Mithril! It is a priceless metal that is as hard as a diamond."

Faramir turned back, smiling, as he heard the others talking quietly. Right now, they needed this; there would be time later for grieving. He heard soft steps coming up behind him, and he turned to see Legolas holding out some food for him.

"Here we will rest for a short time, then continue on our way. We are trying to make it to the woods tonight." Faramir took the food with a nod, and as the elf turned back away, he put some food into his mouth with a shaking hand. The pain had come back with a vengeance, and his hands were starting to shake. Soon after, they continued moving, running through the evening and into the night. As they ran, Faramir began to feel worse; the pain spreading througout the rest of his body, his legs weakening. Just as they reached the edge of the woods Faramir's vision tunnelled, as he felt himself falling.

He heard voices calling his name, sounding as if they came from under water. He struggled to pull himself from the darkness, but the darkness grew. As Faramir slipped under, he felt a searing pain tense his muscles, and he heard someone cry out and he was dimly aware that it was himself.

Occasionally he felt hands holding him and carrying him. He heard the sound of water moving and soft voices talking, and he felt pain. The times that he came up from the darkness, there was searing pain, and he continually heard a voice crying out. After a while, Faramir felt warmth flow into him, and he heard a woman's voice. He slipped into a deep sleep without pain. Drifting out of the darkness, he opened his eyes feeling the absence of the sharp pain. As his eyes focused, he saw the concerned gaze of Legolas as the elf sat next to him. Faramir spoke, his voice horse.

"Wha' happ'nd?" Legolas smiled at him.

"You were injured in Moria; the blade that cut you was poisoned. We have been worried for you; the poison had already spread far."

Faramir struggled to sit up, and Legolas supported him. Looking around, he saw he was in a room filled with light, though it was a silver light like the moon. He looked over at the elf. "How long?"

Legolas studied him closely. "It has been five days since you fell to the poison; the poison had gone deep. Lady Galadriel was needed to take the poison out." He stood, moving towards a window. "We are now in Lady Galadriel and her husband Celeborn's home in the midst of the woods. We travelled hard through the woods, being led by elves of this land." Faramir's eyes drifted closed as he listened to the elf, and he fell asleep. The next few days, Faramir stayed in bed, gaining strength, and each day he woke to someone sitting by his side.

Gimli: Why do you keep picking on the poor boy?

Faramir: Boy?

Gimli: You are not even forty years old. I am hundreds of years old. You are a boy.

Faramir: Am not.

Gimli: Are too.

Faramir: Not

Gimli: Are

Me: Enough! Don't argue. Faramir, you are a boy compared to Gimli. Gimli, you are a baby compared to Legolas.