Narrator POV
After Lewis warns her about the full moon Charlotte goes for a swim, and as she begins to plan a trap for Cleo she hears a soothing other worldly voice in the water. The voice surrounds her.
My name is Ulmo, and I have come to offer you the choice of another path besides filling your heart with evil in pursuit of something that was never really yours to begin with.
Will this path you are offering to me bring more happiness than Lewis has?
Yes daughter of the sea on this path you will find true happiness.
Charlotte thinks about this as she is swimming in the opposite direction of Mako island. All she has ever wanted is to be happy, and now the power madness and jealousy has ruined her chance of that. One good thing is that Ulmo's voice has cleared her mind of the madness that had over taken her. Charlotte thinks over everything with Lewis, and realizes that Ulmo is right he was never hers to begin with. She was his rebound after being dumped by Cleo. She wants to be mad at Lewis for using her like that, but she just can't find it in her heart to do so. One thing is certain she wants to apologize to her friends for how horribly she has been acting, but she knows that they won't listen to her if she tries speaking to them. So she swims to the beach outside her house, and goes to her room as soon as she has finished drying off. She writes a heart felt letter to her friends Rikki, Emma, and Cleo in hopes that they will forgive her all the wrongs she has committed against them. When she has finished the letter Charlotte hears her mum call her name as she comes in the door. Charlotte grabs the envelope containing her letter, and goes to talk to her mum.
When she gets to the living room she sees her mum sitting on the couch watching TV. She taps her mum on the shoulder, and waits to be noticed. When her mum looks at her she sees the distressed look on her daughters face.
"What's the matter Charlotte? You look horrible." says Annette
"I have ruined things with my friends, and my path along with it." says Charlotte
"I'm sure you can fix things with your friends, and everything will be just fine you'll see." says Annette
"No they don't want to see me anymore that is how badly I have ruined things with the only friends I have here. Mum can you do me a favour?" says Charlotte
"Anything you need sweetheart." says Annette
"Can you give this letter to Cleo the next time you see her?" says Charlotte
"Sure thing sweetheart. Why does it sound like you are saying goodbye?" says Annette
Charlotte hands the letter to her mum, and says.
"I have been offered another path that will bring me true happiness if I follow it." says Charlotte
"Then you should take this opportunity." says Annette
"Even if this new path takes me somewhere I can never come back from?" says Charlotte
"All I want is for you to be happy sweetheart, and if you can find that where you're going then I have to let you go." says Annette
"Thanks Mum you're the best." says Charlotte
"I know." says Annette
Charlotte hugs her mum one last time, and leaves the house.
Annette's mind is reeling from everything that has happened in the space of an hour. Her daughter asked her to deliver a letter to her friends that she has fallen out with, and then told her that she is leaving home never to return. She meant what she said; She wants her daughter to be happy no matter what. She will do what she can to help her by hand delivering the letter to Charlotte's friends. Annette drives to the house of Cleo Setori. When she gets there she knocks on the door, and waits for it to be answered. Cleo answers the door, and gets a puzzled look on her face when she sees who it is. Cleo opens the door wider, steps aside.
"Mrs. Watsford come in, and have a seat." says Cleo
Annette goes into the house, and has a seat on the couch in the living room. Once they are seated Cleo looks her in the eyes.
"So what brings you here Mrs. Watsford?" says Cleo
"Charlotte asked me to give you this letter the next time I saw you so here." says Annette
Annette hands the letter to Cleo who then reads it, and starts crying by the end. Cleo looks at Annette.
"Where's Charlotte? I have to talk to her right away." says Cleo
"I don't know she said that she has been offered a path that is going to take her somewhere she can never come back from." says Annette
"And you let her go!?" says Cleo
"She said that she will be truly happy where she is going; So I let her go find that happiness." says Annette
"How do you know that she will be happy where ever she is going, and who made this offer anyway?" says Cleo
"I know she will be happy because she said so, and I have no idea who made the offer because she didn't say." says Annette
Cleo gets a distressed look on her face and gets up to rush out the door. Annette asks her where she is going.
"To get Charlotte before she does anything crazy." says Cleo
Annette follows her out the door, and they get in the car so that Cleo can say goodbye to Charlotte. Neither of them realize that they left the letter on Cleo's coffee table. Fortunately Emma and Rikki intercept it before it could find it's way into Kim's hands.
Cleo finds Charlotte standing at the end of the deserted dock. Annette decides to stay in the car so the girls can say their goodbyes in private. Cleo grabs Charlotte's hand, and tries to pull her away from the edge. Charlotte pulls her hand away.
"I have to go Cleo." says Charlotte
"Go where?" says Cleo
"Into the sea to tell Ulmo that I accept his offer." says Charlotte
Cleo sees that there is no talking her out of this so she says.
"I'm coming with you into the sea to give you a gift so that you will know you are forgiven." Cleo
Charlotte nods, takes Cleo's hand, and the two friends jump into the sea together. Once they are in the sea they hear an other worldly voice say.
Charlotte daughter of the sea have you made your decision?
Before Charlotte answers that question I would like to make a request.
What is it Cleo daughter of the sea?
I would like to give Charlotte a gift so that she will know all of her wrongs have been forgiven.
What kind of gift?
Replace the hand gesture she uses for her powers with mine, Emma's, and Rikki's.
Done each gesture will be tied to the correct power. Now Charlotte daughter of the sea what is your answer?
I accept your offer of a new path.
Very well. Once you get to the world of Arda your mortality will be determined by the first person you touch.
My mortality?
Whether you will be mortal or immortal.
I understand thanks for clearing that up.
Ulmo transports her to Arda while she is swimming with her friend. Cleo watches Charlotte disappear in a flash of bright light, and swims to the beach on Mako Island to mourn the loss of her newly reconciled friend.
Charlotte is swimming down a river when she decides that it is time to have a look around. Charlotte heaves herself up onto land, because she is about to lose consciousness from exhaustion. She uses the last of her strength to dry herself off, and then she knows no more. Haldir is patrolling the section of the border that is next to the river when he sees a person lying motionless on the riverbank. He goes to check and see if the person is still alive. When he gets there he sees that the person is female. He checks her for signs of life, and the moment his fingers come in contact with her skin her entire body glows blue. When the glowing stops Haldir notices that she is an elf. He picks the elleth up off the ground and heads back to the city. As soon as he arrives at Caras Galadhon he takes the unconscious elleth to the healing halls to make sure that there is nothing wrong with her that will need to be treated by the healers. After a thorough examination the healers tell him that she has lost consciousness from exhaustion, and she should be fine after she has had some rest. Haldir breaths a sigh of relief, and tells the healers to inform him the moment she wakes up.
After a significant amount of time Charlotte begins to stir; One of the healers notices this and goes to fetch Haldir. When the healer returns with Haldir they see that she is awake and looking around her with much confusion on her face. Haldir walks up to her.
"What is your name elleth?" says Haldir
"My name is Charlotte, and elleth?" says Charlotte
"Elleth is what a female elf is called." says Haldir
Charlotte thinks over everything she has found out so far, and remembers reading the works of J.R.R. Tolkien recently. As she is thinking of these things a full understanding of the situation comes crashing down on her. As she is staring off into space she says out loud to no one in particular.
"So that's what Ulmo meant." says Charlotte
Haldir is extremely puzzled by this strange statement, but focuses on finding out more about this strange elleth he found by the river. He resumes his questioning of her.
"Where do you come from Charlotte?" says Haldir
"I'm not entirely sure that you will believe me if I answer that question." says Charlotte
"Try me." says Haldir
Charlotte nods and thinks of how she can explain this to him so that he will believe her. She looks him in the eyes, and says.
"I was swimming in the ocean about to begin plotting what would have been the biggest mistake of my life if I had gone through with it. When I heard a voice coming out of the sea saying.
My name is Ulmo, and I have come to offer you the choice of another path besides filling your heart with evil in pursuit of something that was never really yours to begin with.
As he said this the madness that had gripped my mind cleared, and I was able to think sanely once more. I responded to Ulmo in my thoughts with a question, and he answered. After having taken some time to consider my options I accepted his offer, and he said.
Very well. Once you get to the world of Arda your mortality will be determined by the first person you touch.
I swam from the ocean to the river then managed to get out of the water, and dry myself off before I lost consciousness." says Charlotte
Haldir takes some time to think over what has been discovered about this elleth, and after a fair amount of pensiveness.
"How old are you Charlotte?" says Haldir
"I'm sixteen." says Charlotte
"So you are a homeless child." says Haldir
Charlotte wants to be upset at this elf for calling her a child, but then she remembers that for an elf she is a child. She watches Haldir pace with a pensive look on his face, and waits for him to work through what ever it is he is thinking about. He reaches a conclusion then stops his pacing.
"I am going to take you in, and raise you as my own. I will love you as if you had been born my daughter." says Haldir
Charlotte thinks about this and realizes that this is her chance to start over as well as get the one thing she never got to have a father. Charlotte smiles at him.
"I accept your generous offer, and I will love you as if I had been born your daughter." says Charlotte
Haldir nods, and motions for her to follow him out of the room.
A month has passed, and Charlotte has adjusted quite well to life in Caras Galadhon. She is learning so much about what it means to be an elf. Whenever Charlotte is not studying or spending time with her Father she is swimming in the river. The other elleths her age shy away from her, because of her red hair. It is at times like this that she misses Cleo the most. She has long since realized that Cleo was probably the best friend that she could have ever asked for. This realization makes her regret her cruelty towards her much more than she already does. That is probably one of the reasons why she spends so much time swimming; It is the only way for her to feel closer to the friend that she has lost. Whenever she actually is invited over to tea by one of the other elleths it is just so that they can have someone to tease and make fun of. Charlotte takes it all without a single complaint, because she figures that she deserves it after the way she treated Cleo. The other elleths don't know why she just sits there and takes their mockery, but they take it as a license to say whatever they please to the red-haired elleth. It does not take very long for her father to find out about this, and to say he is mad would be a big understatement. Haldir talks to each and every one of their fathers about their daughters bullying his daughter. Each and every one of those ellyn thoroughly chastises their daughters for their cruelty. This does seem to put a stop to the bullying for a while.
Charlotte is telling her father why she is allowing them to bully her when she notices that someone is eaves dropping on their conversation. It is Silwen one of the elleths that Charlotte usually takes tea with. She is standing there with her hand over her mouth and tears pouring down her face. Silwen walks up to her.
"Charlotte I am so sorry for the horrible way in which I have been treating you. Will you please forgive me?" says Silwen
"Yes Silwen I forgive you let's start again." says Charlotte
Silwen is overjoyed, and hugs Charlotte. When the two let go of their embrace they run off to see what kind of fun they can find. Haldir shakes his head knowing that his daughter and her new friend are most likely getting into some kind of mischief that he will undoubtedly be hearing about. He is just glad that Charlotte has finally managed to make a friend. Maybe now Charlotte will be able to forgive herself for the misdeeds of the past. Silwen and Charlotte do indeed get into a great amount of absolutely hilarious mischief, and both of their fathers hear about their actions. Who then proceed to scold them, but the smiles never leave any of their faces. The next time the two girls take tea with the other elleths Silwen defends Charlotte mightily. The others figure that picking on Charlotte is no longer worth the effort with Silwen there to defend her. Charlotte now has the peaceful and happy life that she has always wanted, but she never forgets Cleo causing a great amount of sadness at times. When this happens Silwen is always there to cheer her up. The two of them become positively inseparable. Their mischief becomes so widespread that even Lady Galadriel hears about it, however instead of chastising them as was expected of her she just laughs, and tells them that she is very glad they are bringing some excitement to their otherwise dull and mundane lives. They smile at the Lady's compliment, but do not take it as license to get to out of hand with their antics. Galadriel smiles when she hears this in their thoughts, and invites them to have tea with her whenever they are able. The two friends gratefully accept the invitation excited to tell their fathers as soon as they get home after tea. When they have returned home after tea they tell their fathers all about their day. Haldir and Daeron can only groan at their Lady's approval of such antics. Although they can admit that life has become exceedingly less dull since those two trouble makers became friends. The two wardens have become good friends carousing over the antics of their elflings. They know that there will be many more nights and many more bottles of wine drunk in the near future. How their elflings can find so much amusement in causing so much havoc is beyond them. All that the two fathers can do is watch as their daughters amuse themselves at the expense of others. The only way that they have found to delay the mischief making is to increase the amount of studying they have to do in a day. On that note Haldir is having Charlotte study to be a