[Author's Note: If you see this, it means I have put link to music that helps me into mood as I write this chapter. Feel free to listen to them as you read on. Let me know what you think! Happy Reading]

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This was it. Our last day in Lothlorien, before our journey takes a harder turn. The Uruk-hai, Boromir's death, the endless running to get to Merry and Pippin who will be captured by the orcs later. I shuddered. I forced myself to focus on the knowing that on our way we would meet Gandalf soon. I held on to that hope.

Lady Galadriel held a farewell supper in our honor before we go the next morning, but my appetite seemed to be gone. So after playing with my food to respect our host (by that time I forgot that Lady Galadriel could read minds, and when I finally did I face palmed inwardly at my plan to pretend eating), I took the first leave to be alone.

Usually I would wander with Legolas, we're like peas and carrots, but even Legolas noticed that sometimes both peas and carrots need their privacy to sort their minds out. He respected it, leaving me wandering by myself.

As I walked back past the boys' talans, Legolas smiled and waved at me as a wave of intense doubt and worry hit me, along with a darkness that brewing in the back of my mind. These days I could identify the foreboding feeling as the Ring's influence.

I stopped in my track and searched for Frodo. I smiled at Legolas briefly before Legolas went back to talk with Aragorn and Gimli. Frodo was brooding alone by a tree, further away from the others, almost unseen in the shadow, as Sam was fast asleep beside him.

"Hi Frodo," I greeted him softly, trying not to startle him. His bluest eyes looked up from behind a tree. A surprised expression etched on his innocent, flawless face.

"Miss Leane," he said and nodded a little bit uncomfortably, "Good evening."

Frodo nodded and looked down at his hands. I felt his sadness and his worries, so I thought I should try to ease the hobbit's mind, even by just being there.

"May I join you?"

"Sure, miss Leane."

"You know, Frodo, it's about time you call me Leane," I said as I took a seat on the grass, but still keeping my distance from him, knowing that the hobbit had become paranoid lately about the others, especially Boromir.

Sure enough, the others were chatting around the fire softly, knowing that Frodo wanted to be left alone while Boromir sat at the furthest tree from Frodo. I noticed Legolas sent several glances at me but I ignored him. That curious elf.

Uncomfortable silence filled the atmosphere, so I decided to start the small talk."It's beautiful, isn't it? The Lothlorien forest?"

"It is, Leane," he answered with a small voice, "But I missed the Shire more."

"I missed my home too, Frodo," I said smiling, "Your home must be lovely. Can you tell me about the Shire?" I asked, knowing that making your opponent speaker talk about themselves is a good way to start a nice chat.

And so our conversation went on as Frodo and I talked about our homes and I saw Frodo relaxed a bit at my presence. A hint of homesickness latched our voices as we talked and Frodo's shoulders slumped at the end of his description about his home.

"I don't think I am the right person for this responsibility. This is just too extraordinary for me, Leane," he admitted, "I wish the Ring never came to me," he added, his face fell.

My heart clenched at the feeling of his desperation and his sadness in my chest. Why did such an innocent, kind and small hobbit who never even seen war before have to bear such a burden?

"We must have faith that everything always happens for a reason, Frodo. And so far, you've shown more resistance to the evil more than any of us could endure," I said, "Trust me, you are the man for this job. You'll see."

"I have been nobody, Leane. Just an ordinary hobbit. What if I made a grave mistake of taking the Ring to Mordor? Someone else greater than me should do it."

"Someone wise ever said before that extraordinary things only happen to extraordinary people. You, Frodo, are extraordinary," I said matter of factly, "You don't realize how brave you are, or how big your heart is. You're Ferdinand the Bull," I muttered smiling.

"Ferdinand the Bull?" he said with confusion, "But I'm a hobbit." I laughed lightly, to which he was blushing and I explained.

"I guess I haven't told you about the story of Ferdinand the Bull, have I not? Even Bilbo haven't heard about this. Do you want to listen to the story?"

Frodo's eyes shone at the mention of story, and he nodded frantically in which I smiled widely and started in a clear rhyming voice.

"Once upon a time in Spain- it's a realm in my world- there was a little bull and his name was Ferdinand. All the other little bulls he lived with would run and jump and butt their heads together. But not Ferdinand,"

At my change of voice tone, Gimli came in to listen near us and I smiled at him. Frodo didn't seem to mind.

"...He liked to sit just quietly and smell the flowers. He had a favorite spot out in the pasture under a cork tree. It was his favorite tree and he would sit in its shade all day and smell the flowers.

Sometimes his mother, who was a cow, would worry about him. She was afraid he would be lonesome all by himself. "Why don't you run and play with the other little bulls and skip and butt your head?" she would say. But Ferdinand would shake his head. "I like it better here where I can sit just quietly and smell the flowers.""

Legolas and Aragorn stood behind us, as I felt their curiosity flared behind me. These men are just a big fluffy teddy bear on the inside. I smiled widely at the thought. Frodo cut me in the middle of my story.

"Excuse me, Leane," he said as he looked up at Aragorn and Legolas, "Won't you sit down and listen to the story? It seems more comfortable than standing," he offered kindly, and both the men- well, man and elf- sat next to me and Gimli.

"Please continue the story, mellon nin," said Legolas.

"Alright, where was I? Oh! His mother saw that he was not lonesome, and because she was an understanding mother, even though she was a cow, she let him just sit there and be happy."

I heard Frodo giggled a bit at the mention of the understanding cow mother.

As the years went by Ferdinand grew and grew until he was very big and strong. All the other bulls who had grown up with him in the same pasture would fight each other all day. They would butt each other and stick each other with their horns. What they wanted most of all was to be picked to fight at the bull fights in Madrid, a great city in Spain.

But not Ferdinand- he still liked to sit just quietly under the cork tree and smell the flowers."

Everyone smiled fondly at the mention of the sweet bull, and I could feel their hearts lightened by the story. It only gave me more energy to tell the story animatedly, like one would tell children, all with the exaggeration and its hyperbole.

"One day five men came in very funny hats to pick the biggest, fastest roughest bull to fight in the bull fights in Madrid. All the other bulls ran around snorting and butting, leaping and jumping so the men would think that they were very very strong and fierce and pick them.

Ferdinand, however, knew that they wouldn't pick him and he didn't care. So he went out to his favorite cork tree to sit down. He didn't look where he was sitting and instead of sitting on the nice cool grass in the shade he sat on a bumble bee. Well, if you were a bumble bee and a bull sat on you what would you do?" I asked my friends. Frodo chirped excitedly to answer.

"Sting him!"

"Yes! Frodo, you would sting him. And that is just what this bee did to Ferdinand. Wow!" I exclaimed in exaggerated astonishment, and the rest were laughing at my antics. At this point Boromir and the other two hobbits joined our circle already.

"Did it hurt! Ferdinand jumped up with a snort. He ran around puffing and snorting, butting and pawing the ground as if he were crazy.

The five men saw him and they all shouted with joy. Here was the largest and fiercest bull of all. Just the one for the bull fights in Madrid! So they took him away for the bullfight day in a cart.

What a day it was! Flags were flying, bands, music were playing... and all the lovely ladies had flowers in their hair."

At the mention of the lovely ladies, Gimli and Pippin whistled and I laughed lightly, continuing.

"They had a parade into the bull ring. First came the Banderilleros with long sharp pins with ribbins on them to stick in the bull and make him mad.

Next came the Picadores who rode skinny horses and they had long spears to stick in the bull and make him madder.

Then came the Matador, the proudest of all- he thought he was very handsome, and bowed to the ladies,"

The hobbits are laughing now and excitement were swimming in their eyes.

"He had a red cape and a sword and was supposed to stick the bull last of all. Then came the bull, and you know who that was don't you?

Ferdinand. They called him Ferdinand the Fierce and all of the Banderilleros were afraid of him and the Picadores were afraid of him and the Matador was scared stiff,"

Somehow I got too engrossed in my own storytelling and my accent had turned into a spanish accent at the mention of these characters and made the others laugh, even Boromir. I grinned.

"Well, Ferdinand ran to the middle of the ring and everyone shouted and clapped because they thought he was going to fight fiercely and butt and snort and stick his horns around.

But not Ferdinand. When he got to the middle of the ring he saw the flowers in all the lovely ladies' hair and he just sat down quietly and smelled.

He wouldn't fight and be fierce no matter what they did. He just sat and smelled. And the Banderilleros were mad and the Picadores were madder and the Matador was so mad he cried because he couldn't show off with his cape and sword. So they had to take Ferdinand home," I said with much animation and exaggeration in my voice, to which the hobbits and Gimli laughed, while the others smiled happily.

I took a moment to pause and see my friends' expression. My heart melted at the sight and my voice softened as I ended the story.

"And for all I know he is sitting there still, under his favorite cork tree, smelling the flowers just quietly. He is very happy. The end."

As I delivered the ending, I looked intently at Frodo, and I could see that he finally understood why I called him Ferdinand the Bull, for his strength and his bravery was just as humble as Ferdinand. Frodo returned my smile with a genuine and lighter one.

"Now children," I said playfully to my friends, who actually were grown man, some older than the others. Think of thousands years old, "It is now past bedtime, and the story is over. Why don't we just head back to our sleeping quarters?"

"That was indeed a very heart warming bedtime story, for a moment I feel as if I am a children again," commented Aragorn with a smile.

"Lass, you'll make a good mother someday! Blessed is he who will become your husband!" Gimli exclaimed. I laughed and shook my head.

"I don't know about that. I hope," I replied smiling.

The hobbits begged me for more stories but I declined, saying that a story for one night was long enough. They groaned and reluctantly went to their talans, while the others thanked me for the story and and went to sleep as well.

As usual, Legolas stayed behind and smiled at me when the rest already went away. I stood up to sit next to him and linked our arms together.

"Do you enjoy the story, Legolas?"

"Aye, immensely," he replied in melodious tone, "I love hearing your stories and your voice."

I smiled at his genuine and sweet comment. Elves are sometimes too pure, which was why Legolas intrigued me the most. I broke out of my reverie and randomly talked.

"I've been thinking, maybe after all of this is finished, I can just be a storyteller- if possible."

"Or a mother," Legolas offered his idea playfully. I laughed and hit him.

"Yeah, right," I snorted. Legolas frowned a little at me.

"Don't you wish to have children someday, mellon nin?" he asked seriously. My laughter subsided and I answered.

"Of course I do, Legolas."

"Then someday you will," he said confidently as he smile fondly at me. I smiled back at him.

"Someday," I repeated the word, smiling, then added, "Someday is a very dangerous word. It's really just a code for 'never'," I said softly, "Someday I'll travel around the world. Someday I'll build my own favorite house. Someday I'll learn Spanish. Someday I'll write a book. It's always someday."

I finished, my mind traveled to the quotes I remembered hearing from a movie, just realizing how true the word was. My life these days were just as unpredictable as it could be, and my future was just a bunch of somedays.

Legolas pulled his arm that was linked in mine and put it around my shoulders. His eyes boring into me, and no word was said. I smiled at him and put my head on his shoulder. Suddenly feeling his worry for me, I face palmed inwardly.

Way to make the mood go sour, Leigh Ann.

"I'm gonna miss this, Legolas," I said trying to change the topic.

"Aye, me too," he replied as he embraced me tighter. I leaned in happily to his side.

He pulled away his head to look at me and I saw determination in his eyes.

"As long as I still live, I would do anything to protect you and I will see to it that your someday will come to you as today," he swore solemnly, "And I will protect your life with all my might, even if it meant sacrificing mine. You have my word."

My eyes widened at his vow and realized how wrong that was. I shook my head frantically.

"No, no... Take it back, Legolas," I told him with alarm, and Legolas frowned in confusion.

"Your allegiance is for the Fellowship, not me. This was not supposed to happen. You are distracted, Legolas!" I said sternly with alarm and panic in my voice. "If you focus on protecting me, it means your priorities had moved from its original place and I- we can't ruin the way fate take its course. Please Legolas, take that back," I pleaded.

"Nay, I cannot. And I won't. My heart already decided, and the vow had came out of my mouth," he said genuinely, his eyes searching mine, "You are under my protection, mellon nin, do not fret."

"Legolas... This is bad. I'm distracting you. Our friendship... what if it change the course of fate?"

"Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe this is exactly how the fate was supposed to be?" he asked, resolve in his eyes, "Do not fear the future, mellon nin, for what we can do now is do our best and cherish today. Will you not cherish what blessings we have now?"

He was right. I looked at the magnificent view and the safety and peace it provided us, and also the health of every single one of us. I nodded reluctantly and pulled him into a hug and I let his warmth surrounding me.

"Hannon le, Legolas."

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[Author's Note: You might have seen its animated movie "Ferdinand" but the real story comes from "Ferdinand The Bull", a classic bedtime story which is one of my favorite of all times. What do you think about including bedtime stories within the story? And what do you think of Legolas' vow? Good thing or bad thing? Leave your comments below and feel free to speak your theories, opinion, critics etc. And if you enjoy reading the chapter, don't forget to vote! Last but not least I want to say thank you for all of you who read this far, who vote and comment. I always get so excited when I see a comment and seriously it always made my day. Have a great day ahead, PRECIOUSSSSS ♥️]