Chapter Text
We have reached the woods of Lothlórien. I still haven’t talked to (Y/B/F/N) or anyone for that matter. And I wasn't planning on doing it anytime soon. The wound was still fresh and I wasn’t in the best condition for talking. My Raptors kept quiet about the topic. They knew better. Stubbornness and bad temper, two traits I developed from Elashor. The others hadn’t commented on it either. Not yet, at least.
We run into the familiar golden woods. It was so peaceful, the leaves rustling brought a sense of temporary calmness. I closed my eyes for a few seconds to savor the moment and the warmth of the sun. I had missed this feeling. Leaves were falling from the tall trees traveling with the gentle breeze of air.
Aragorn was leading the way followed by me and Legolas, the rest behind us. Blue and Delta were walking close to me.
Frodo's P.O.V.
We were traveling through the woods of Lothlórien. I was still in a bit of a daze from the previous events. Gandalf was gone. He had fallen into the abyss along with the beast. The most affected was Lady (Y/N). I remember her telling me that evening back at Rivendell how he had saved her from, Great Orcs I believed she called them. She hadn’t uttered a word ever since Moria, understandably so, nor was she talking to Lady (Y/B/F/N). It is a real shame, they looked so close. Like sisters. They talked so passionately about their adventures together and now, the tension between them is heavy.
“Stay close young Hobbits!”Gimli’s voice interrupted my thoughts. He placed his free hand upon my shoulder “They say that a great Sorceress lives in these woods. An Elf-Witch of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell”he continued walking, now holding his axe with both hands “Frodo” I heard a feminine voice in my head, making me jump. I frantically looked around “And are never seen again”Gimli finished, walking ahead of me and Sam “You coming to us is as the footsteps of doom. You bring great evil here, Ring-bearer” I heard her again, a pair of bright blue eyes flashing before me. I froze in my tracks, my breathing heavy “Mr. Frodo?”I heard Sam call. I stayed silent and kept walking.
“Well, here's one Dwarf she won't ensnare so easily. I have the eyes of a hawk and the ears of a fox”Gimli boasted. As he finished his sentence, he saw knocked arrows right before his face, aimed by Elves “Oh”the Dwarf muttered once he noticed the arrow. The Elves surrounded us all “The Dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark”one of the Elves said with a faint smirk. Gimli glared at him as he growled.
(Y/N)'s P.O.V.
The Galadhrim finally noticed our presence in their woods “The Dwarf breathes so loud, we could have shot him in the dark”Haldir said to Gimli, slightly smirking down at him. Oh for the love of- can’t we get a break?! Gimli growled in response along with the Raptors, making the Elf’s eyes widen in realization.
His gaze traveled behind Aragorn and finally landed on me. Haldir’s eyes widened more, if possible, upon seeing me. He looked past my shoulder and noticed the rest of the Raptors along with (Y/B/F/N) “Lady (Y/N)! Lady (Y/B/F/N)!”he exclaimed surprised. He placed his hand on top of his chest, bowing his head slightly. The rest of the, quite stunned, Galadhrim lowered their bows and bowed down on one knee, hands placed on their chests as well I am never gonna get used to that “I am terribly sorry, we did not expect you here”he apologized with his eyes closed.
I frowned “No need for apologies, Haldir. Please, lift up your head”I assured the Elf with the best smile I could master, which was not a lot. Haldir straightened up and so did the rest of the Elves.
~ ~ ~
“Welcome Legolas, son of Thranduil”Haldir said to the Prince, placing his hand on his chest “Our Fellowship stands in your dept, Haldir of Lórien”Legolas replied. Haldir turned to Aragorn “Ah, Aragorn of the Dúnedain, you are known to us”he said, doing the same gesture and Aragorn repeating it while saying “Thank you”. The Silvan Elf then turned to me and (Y/B/F/N) “My Ladies, you are most welcome to our Kingdom”he repeated his previous actions “We are thankful”I replied, nodding my head. The Galadhrim had taken us to the Telain*. The sun had already set and nightfall had fallen upon us.
“So much for the legendary courtesy of the Elves. Speak words we can all understand!”Gimli said, starting to get irritated by the choice of language “We have not had dealings with the Dwarves since the Dark Days”Haldir said with a cold gaze “And you know what this Dwarf says to that? Ishkhaqwin ai durugnul! ”Gimli hissed. I sighed in frustration as I pinched the bridge of my nose at the Dwarf’s choice of words. Aragorn turned around and slapped his hand on Gimli’s shoulder “That was not so courteous”he said in a stern tone.
Haldir took a few steps forward, looking at Frodo intensely “You bring great evil with you”he said. He looked at me and Aragorn “You can go no further”Haldir said, walking away. I rolled my eyes at the stubbornness of the Marchwarden of Lothlórien, letting out a heavy sigh. Me and Aragorn exchanged looks.
~ ~ ~
(Y/B/F/N)’s P.O.V.
“Please, understand, we need your support!”
“The road is very dangerous”
The Fellowship was waiting for Aragorn and (Y/N) to persuade Haldir to aid us with our quest. I wasn’t paying much attention, catching a few words here and there. I had taken a seat on some steps, trapped in my own thoughts. Max and Lucy were sitting beside me “Are you okay?”I heard Max ask. I didn’t respond. I averted my eyes from the ground and looked at him, raising my hand to stroke his cheek. He leaned into the touch. Lucy placed her head on my lap as a gesture of comfort. I placed my free hand on top of her head and started lightly scratching it.
A sigh escaped my mouth “I f*cked up, guys”I whispered. Both Guardians looked at me, Lucu getting from my lap “She was trying to save him and I-”I stopped myself from saying anything further due to the tears threatening to spill. I placed my hand on top of my mouth and dragged it, resting it on my lap. I took a deep breath “Don’t say that, (Y/B/F/N)”Lucy shook her head “You were just trying to protect your family”she continued “I’ve never seen her so . . angry before”I stated, ignoring Lucy’s words. The Raptors remained silent “All those years . . she’s never reacted like this”I paused “This is my fault”I exclaimed, placing my hands on my face.
“Hey, it’s not your fault”Max argued “How is it not? If I hadn’t interfered, he could’ve still been here”I argued back “You don’t know that”Max exclaimed “You’ve never faced a Balrog before, you don’t know what could have happened”he continued. I looked at him with wide eyes before shrinking into normal.
Before I could say anything, I noticed Blue approaching us. I send her a small smile. She sat down in front of me “How are you?”she asked “Been better, not gonna lie”I admitted “She’ll come around, don’t worry. Just give her time”she assured me with a smile. I chuckled in disbelief “Yeah, sure”I muttered, looking at the ground. I know (Y/N), she can hold a grudge for millions of years if needed “(Y/B/F/N) . .”Blue started but I cut her off “Blue, no. Please”I implored. She was about to speak but decided against it.
I heard Haldir walking towards us “You will follow me”he said. Looks like they managed to change his mind after all. Obviously. (Y/N) is great at that job.
(Y/N)’s P.O.V.
We were following Haldir through the woods to lead us into the realm. We climbed up a small hill and there it was “Caras Galadhon. The heart of Elvendom on earth. Realm of the Lord Celeborn and of Lady Galadriel, Lady of Light”Haldir said with a smile on his face. The sun was rising, painting it with a beautiful shade of orange.
~ ~ ~
We were inside the Elvendom. Years and years have passed since we first visited and I still can’t get enough of the beauty of this place. A blue hue was falling all over. The moonlight lit up the place as the sun had set once again.
Haldir led us across the Telain to meet the Lord and Lady of Lothlórien. Memories from our first meeting were flashing in my mind. We came to a stop and here they were. A bright white light shone above Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel as they climbed down the stairs, hand in hand.
“The enemy knows you have entered here. What hope you had in secrecy is now gone”Lord Celeborn finally spoke as they stopped at the end of the stairs. He looked at us for a good minute “Ten there are here, yet eleven there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me where is Gandalf, for I much desire to speak with him. I can no longer see him from afar”he said. Lady Galadriel averted her gaze at me “Gandalf the Grey did not pass the borders of this land ”her voice echoed in my head. I shook my head, fighting back the tears by biting my lip “He has fallen into shadow”she muttered. Celeborn looked at his wife. I let my head hang as I looked at the ground, my hands crossed in front of me.
“He was taken by both shadow and flame. A Balrog of Morgoth”Legolas stated. You could see the sorrow in their eyes at the horrible news “For we were needlessly into the net of Moria”Legolas added “Needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life. We do not yet know his full purpose”Lady Galadriel said in a soft tone. I frowned as I raised my head to look at her once more. She looked over at Gimli, who sighed heavily “Do not let the great emptiness of Khazad-Dûm fill your heart, Gimli son of Gloin. For the world has grown full of peril, and in all lands love is now mingled with grief”she continued, as soon as she finished talking her eyes landed on Boromir who started crying.
“What now becomes of this Fellowship? Without Gandalf, hope is lost”Celeborn said “The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all”Galadriel said, her eyes drifting back to Boromir “Yet hope remains while the company is true”she said and glanced at me for a moment “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight you will sleep in peace”she finished and looked at Frodo intensely.
~ ~ ~
After we were dismissed, I headed to the river Celebrant to calm myself down. My Raptors insisted on coming with but I refused. I needed to be alone. The rest were settling in for the night underneath the mallorn trees. As I was approaching the river, the songs of lamentation echoed throughout the Elvendom.
I kneeled down at the edge and observed my reflection in the water. I had black smudges across my face along with some splatters of dried Orc blood on my cheek and forehead. I removed my gloves and reached into the river, scooping some water into my palms. I rubbed my face, trying to wipe out the dirt. When I was done, I wiped my face dry with my sleeve. I sighed and let my hands fall on my lap. I glanced at my reflection once again. My eyes had turned red without me even realizing it.
That’s when I broke . . .
Hot tears started rolling down my cheeks. I couldn’t control them anymore. I bent over, supporting myself on my hands. My fists were clenching the grass, tearing it. Small whimpers and shallow breaths slipped my lips. My tears were falling on the soft grass beneath me. A coldness washed under my skin, flowing through my blood as my skin heated up. Tight claws clamped around my chest and squeezed, crushing my lungs in my chest. It felt like I couldn't breathe!
“Fly, you fools!”
“GANDALF!!!”
I cried even harder at the memory “Don’t let this be the end”I whimpered, my eyes shut tight “You promised you’ll never leave”I hissed, my knuckles turning whiter, if possible “You promised, you promised, you promised”I kept repeating like a mantra. I reached for one of my daggers and held it in my hands. Gandalf had gifted us our daggers once we had finished our training. They’re the only thing left from him. I saw the reflection of my watery, red eyes upon the blade. I clenched the blade and handle, blood trickling down my palm.
I didn’t feel anything.
I was numb.
I closed my eyes once more, and with a shaky breath, I wiped clean the blade and put it back in its sheath. I looked at my injured hand, observing how the wound slowly started healing itself. I let it fall to my knees and hanged my head, now the tears had stopped. I wiped my cheeks and nose with my sleeve.
I heard footsteps approaching me from behind “Go away, (Y/B/F/N)!”I growled, not turning my head around “What seems to be troubling you, my dear?”a different voice said. My eyes widened, recognizing who it was, and immediately looked up “Lady Galadriel!”I exclaimed surprised “I am so sorry, I did not know-”I started apologizing but she cut me off “There is no need for that, (Y/N)”she said in a calm tone, a smile on her lips. She kneeled down beside me.
She noticed the blood on my hand and took it in hers “You should be more careful with blades”she said, reaching in the water and scooping some up with the palm of her hand. She poured it over the wound, cleaning the excess blood. I shrugged “It will heal in a couple of minutes, my Lady”I assured her, not really caring for the wound. She gently let go of my hand once it was clean and I muttered a ‘Thank you’ for her kind gesture. Comfortable silence fell upon us for a couple of minutes as we observed the river until she decided to speak.
“Moria was not your fault”she stated. I looked at her with disbelief “How is it not?”I asked her “I could have saved him but . . I failed. I failed him”I sighed, clenching my teeth. Lady Galadriel placed her hand gently on my shoulder “Do not torture yourself with these thoughts”she said “Gandalf’s fall is not on your hands. He knew who he was up against”she finished. I remained silent “I could have done something, instead I froze and watched him fall into the darkness”I argued, placing my hands over my face.
Her hand squeezed my shoulder reassuringly, making me look up at her “Everything will come around, (Y/N), daughter of (Y/D/N). As I said before, needless were none of the deeds of Gandalf in life”she repeated her words. I narrowed my brows “What do you mean, my Lady?”I asked her. She just smiled at me and said nothing. I was about to ask her again but my phone started buzzing in my pocket. I took it out and turned off the alarm. We had to leave for the Human World “I suppose you are needed elsewhere?”Lady Galadriel guessed. I put my phone back in my pocket “Y-yeah, we have to go”I said as I stood up, before grabbing my gloves, her doing the same “Thank you, my Lady”I bowed my head. She just smiled at me “Have a nice evening, (Y/N)”she wished, mirroring my actions “You too”I said and she walked away That was odd . . . I let out a sigh and went to find (Y/B/F/N). I have to speak with her eventually. I can’t avoid her forever.
I walked where the rest had unpacked for the night and spotted (Y/B/F/N) sitting with the Raptors and a blonde-headed Elf. Wait . . is that?
(Y/B/F/N)’s P.O.V.
After we were dismissed from Lord Celebron and Lady Galadriel, I followed the rest to where we will be staying for the night. I noticed that (Y/N) didn’t follow us. Though, her Raptors did. Maybe I'll talk to her later. She needs to be alone I placed my duffle bag on the ground and sat down on the made-up beds we were provided with, leaning against the tree trunk. A sigh escaped my lips. I took my phone out and started scrolling aimlessly, hoping for some distraction. The Raptors settled themselves down around me. I tried to focus on what I was reading but it was to no avail “Goddamn it”I hissed, rubbing my forehead frustrated and trying to reread the damn paragraph again.
“(Y/B/F/N), is that you?”a familiar voice called. I looked up and couldn’t believe my eyes “Applejack?”I exclaimed to the smiling She-Elf “Oh my Eru”I smiled and got up, rushing to her. How could I forget that she’s here? “I can’t believe it”I laughed as I brought her in a tight hug “How are you? Are you okay?”I asked her as we pulled away “Yeah, I’m great. What are you doing here?”she asked “We’re on a mission”I replied “So the rumors are true. You’re destroying The One Ring”she stated, caressing Lucy and Delta’s cheek who had come to greet her “Yeah, well, a Hobbit had the courage to offer himself. We’re accompanying him to Mount Doom. At least, that’s the plan”I answered “Ah, I see. And the girls?”she questioned “Undercover at Rohan. Hope we meet them soon”I said.
“Right, I remember Rarity ‘texting’ me about it in these”she said, doing air quotations and taking out a phone we had given her to communicate with her. I chuckled “They’re called phones, Aj”I smiled “Yeah, whatever, it’s a nightmare”she said, putting her phone away. I laughed at her statement.
She looked around “Where’s (Y/N)? I don’t think that she left you all by yourself”she chuckled. My smile fell upon hearing this, eyes drifting to the ground. Applejack noticed this “(Y/B/F/N)?”she said “She’s umm . .”I started, looking at the ground again “What?”she questioned, taking a step closer. At that moment, we heard singing. Songs of lamentation.
“A Olórin i yáresse
Mentaner i Númenherui
Tírien i Rómenóri
Maiaron i Oiosaila
Manan elye etevanne
Nórie i melanelye?”
Applejack turned to look at me with a terrified look plastered on her face “(Y/B/F/N), what happened?”she asked again in a serious tone. I drifted my eyes at her and exhaled.
~ ~ ~
“Wow . .”Aj sighed “I just- I don’t know what to say”she shook her head “You don’t have to say anything”I mumbled. We had settled ourselves down, sitting cross-legged. Me on my original spot and Applejack was right in front of me. I had told her everything, from the council, to Moria. Applejack puffed “So he’s just . . gone?”she asked “Yeah, fell right into the abyss”I nodded “And I have to talk with a very pissed (Y/N)”I added, rubbing my face “That doesn’t sound good”Applejack commented. A bittersweet chuckle escaped from me “But I’m sure she’ll understand”she smiled gently, patting my knee “Doubt it. I’m pretty sure that she’d gladly punch me again”I argued “(Y/B/F/N) . .”Aj started “No, no, don’t ‘(Y/B/F/N)’ me. I f*cked up. I stopped her from saving him”I said, raising my voice slightly “I won't be surprised if she’ll never speak to me again”I finished, averting my eyes at my lap as I fidgeted with my fingers.
“Don’t say that! You’re practically sisters. She won’t just throw away over six thousand years worth of friendship!”Applejack exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air “She just needs a little time. I’m sure she’ll come around”she smiled once again “Talk to her, tell her how you feel. She’ll appreciate it”she prompted “I hope you’re right"I sighed, giving her the best smile I could put on.
Suddenly, I felt a buzzing from my pocket. It was my phone going off. I took it out and shut off the alarm “What’s that?”Applejack asked “We have to go to the Human World”I answered, putting it back in its place “To the company?”she questioned “No, to a school. We had a case there and we just stuck there”I replied, getting up from the ground “And we can’t really leave now. Elashor told us some sh*t we didn’t like”I continued, Applejack getting up as well “What kind of things?”she frowned “It’s a long story, I’ll fill you up some other time”I said, patting her shoulder.
“Aj?”a feminine voice called. We looked towards the direction we heard it and saw (Y/N) “Oh Lord, we haven’t seen you in ages”she smiled at Applejack, taking a few steps towards her, her arms open “Yeah, I’ve missed you all”Applejack exclaimed, walking closer to (Y/N) as well and bringing her to a tight embrace “Us too”(Y/N) whispered, tightening the hug. They pulled away “I heard about Gandalf. I’m sorry”Applejack said with an apologetic smile, rubbing (Y/N)’s shoulders. (Y/N) shook her head, a frown appearing on her face “Don’t, please don’t”she muttered, cupping Aj’s hands and bringing them down “Right sorry”Applejack mumbled, turning her head back to look at me.
“Umm . . well, I have to go. Just wanted to stop by and say ‘Hi’”she said, taking some steps back “I’ll be back in a couple of hours if you’re okay with it”she suggested “Of course we are”I assured “Great, then I’ll see you later”she said, waving at the Raptors, earning a happy growl from them “Bye”she said before winking at me “See ya”I said and she was off.
After I lost Applejack of sight, I turned to look at (Y/N). She was looking straight ahead. Neither of us talked. The Raptors were looking back and forth between us in anticipation. Eventually, (Y/N) broke the awkward silence “We should get going so uh, when you’re ready”she said, now noticing that her voice sounded a little bit hoarse. Upon looking at her better, I noticed that her eyes were red and puffy. She’s been crying. I nodded in response. She muttered a ‘Great’ and started walking off.
“(Y/N)!”I called. She stopped in her tracks and turned to look at me “Look”I started “I know that you’re angry with me and the last thing you want to do right now is to talk to me but . . . I’m sorry, okay?”I exclaimed, not bearing that silence between us “I know that it’s not enough and that I shouldn't have held you back but- . . I didn't want to lose you”I stated, my eyes starting to sting “It’s selfish, I know, and I’m sad about Gandalf’s death too. Hell, I’m devastated”I continued “And I know you owed him your life and I f*cked up so so bad-”I was rambling at this point “(Y/B/F/N)-”(Y/N) said but I cut her off “No, (Y/N)! Please, just listen”I exclaimed. She sighed in defeat and stayed silent “I just- the thought of you just . . gone, I- . . . I don’t want to think about it. We’ve seen so much death, I couldn't bear more”I said, tears threatening to fall.
“I don’t know what would happen if I hadn’t held you back . . I’m just- I’m so sorry”I whimpered. One tear rolled down my cheek. I quickly wiped it out “I-I know that it’s gonna take a long time for you to forgive me and honestly? I don’t blame you”I chuckled bitterly “I just wanted you to know that I’m so-”I was cut off by (Y/N) hugging me tightly “I’m sorry too”she said, her voice barely a whisper. I chuckled in disbelief and raised my hands up to return the hug, burying my head in the crook of her neck. I let more tears run down. (Y/N) rubbed my back in a comforting manner “Shh, it’s okay now”she whispered, rocking us slightly. She pulled back and wiped the rest of my tears away “Sorry I punched you. Ilúvatar, I’m such a bitch”she sighed, shaking her head. I chuckled and sniffed “I’m fine, I had it coming”I said with a smile.
“So we’re good?”I asked her. She nodded her head smiling “Yeah, we’re good”she said. I laughed and hugged her one more time “We should get going”(Y/N) stated after we pulled away “Right”I nodded. We changed to a more modern outfit, packed our bags, washed our faces, and fixed our hair. We said goodbye to the Raptors and opened the Gates.
Human World
(Y/N)’s P.O.V.
We stepped out of the Gate and as soon as I set my foot on the pavement, a weird feeling set in my gut. Something wasn’t right “Okay, fifteen minutes til the bell rings. Shall we?”(Y/B/F/N)'s voice snapped me out of it “Hmm? Yeah, yeah let's go”I said, heading to the exit of the alleyway. (Y/B/F/N) didn't seem to notice. Good, I don't want to worry her. It was probably just nothing.
“Ilúvatar, it feels weird coming back after, who knows, how long”(Y/B/F/N) huffed “I think it's been a couple of weeks. Maybe more”I shrugged, seeing the school gates at the end of the block “f*ck, Olivia and Anna are gonna go berserk when they see us”she groaned. I laughed in response “You think?”I asked, entering the school doors “Well, good luck with that” she patted my back and jogged to her class. I shook my head and made my way to my class.
As I was getting closer and closer, I could hear their voices from the other side of the door. I placed my hand on the door handle and before I could open it, I braced myself Lord save me I turned the handle and opened the door. I looked around the class and saw a couple of students already in their seats along with Olivia and Anna. Their conversation died out the moment Anna laid eyes on me “Oh my f*cking God”she exclaimed, getting up from her chair and sprinting to me, embracing me in a tight hug. I let out an ‘oomph’ at the impact “Where the f*ck have you been? Are you okay?”she asked after she pulled away from the hug.
“Hey, yeah I'm okay”I replied with a smile “Yeah, don't think that a simple ‘okay’ will do. Where were you for three weeks?”Olivia asked, taking me in a hug as well. The same knot in my throat started to form. Olivia noticed that and sat me down at my chair “Umm sorry for not contacting you but . .”I started, fidgeting with my fingers. My eyes started burning from the threatening tears “A . . really close relative died and um . . . we were not feeling okay”I said, telling the vague truth of things “Oh my God”Olivia gasped, placing her hand over her mouth “Are you okay now?”she asked, taking my hands in hers “To be honest . . no. Not really”I admitted with a bittersweet smile. Anna rubbed my shoulder in a comforting manner.
I cleared my throat “Anyway, enough about my nightmare of weeks. How are you two?”I asked them “Same as you you know it, nothing special"Anna replied “Oh, we might have some tea"Olivia grinned “Spill it”I said, returning the grin “We heard that a new student will join the class”she announced. That made me frown “New student? In the middle of the second semester?”I doubted “I don't know dude, just what we heard”Anna shrugged. I raised my eyebrows, shrugging the subject off as well. We chatted away till class started.
Lunch
“Hey”I called at (Y/B/F/N) who was waiting for me at the bench. She put her phone away “Hi. How did it go?”she asked “Good I guess”I answered “They didn't suspect anything, right?”she questioned “Nope”I groaned as I sat down. I lounged on the bench, looking up at the cloudy sky “Here”I heard (Y/B/F/N) say. I looked at her and saw her offering me an apple “Thanks”I mumbled and took a bite “I'm tired and bored and I wanna go to sleep”(Y/B/F/N) groaned, placing her elbows on her knees “That makes two of us”I agreed, taking another bite “How are you holding up?”she asked “I don't know, (Y/B/F/N). I don't know”I sighed “I'm trying to not think about it”I continued. (Y/B/F/N) didn't say anything. We just kept eating in comfortable silence.
