"Hiyah!" I made grunts with each stab and thrust of my daggers. It's slightly hard when you're fighting with daggers and the other person had a sword, but I make do and I'm slowly getting better. Even though Braiglach says that my fighting is practically perfect.

I ducked under the swing of Braiglach's sword in a twirl and raised up and tapped her shoulder with one of my daggers.

I smiled, "I win."

Braiglach sheathed her sword with a sigh, "how have you gotten this good?"

I shrugged and opened my mouth to say something else but a shadow passed over us.

We both looked up to find my 'father', lord Celeborn, standing near us, looking straight at us. His ethereal beauty took up our view.

"Braiglach, you have done well in training her. But I would now like to go up against her in combat."

Braiglach immediately nodded and backed up while I was screaming at her in my head--No! Tell him that we're still training!--but she wasn't a mind reader or anything close to what Galadriel can do.

Celeborn stepped in front of me, bowed his head just slightly, and unsheathed his long sword.

"My daughter, I yearn to see how much of a warrior you have become," he offered my a small smile, with which I did not return.

We circled each other, waiting for one of us to make the first move.

I soon became bored with circling and my nerves got the better of me. I jumped forward, aiming for his shoulder with my blades.

He merely pushed them aside with his sword and swung his leg out so fast I almost didn't see it. But I did see his leg move and I jumped back.

I twirled around and with a jump, I swung out my right arm to nick him in the neck. He ducked, grabbed my arm, and swung me down onto the ground. He raised his sword, but I rolled out of range and jumped up.

I bent down and swung at his legs. He jumped back and went to slice diagonally across the chest. But I jumped clear over him and landed behind him.

I began to get excited, he didn't anticipate this move. I raised my daggers to, again, slice his neck (for all we had to do is draw blood) but he spun around, bent out of the way of my daggers and cut me on my shoulder.

By the Valar, I cursed in my head.

Celeborn put a hand on my shoulder, the unwounded one, "well fought."

I nodded my head, too shy to say what I really wanted to say.

"You have been taught well, my daughter." Celeborn turned towards Braiglach, who had been watching the whole melee and now had a look of awe on her face, "I compliment you, Braiglach, on your training."

Braiglach's face turned red, "hannon lle, Heruamin (thank you, My lord)"

Celeborn responded with a smile, then his gaze returned to me. His expression dropped as he looked at me. I followed his eyes to my shoulder where a red smudge is slowly spreading underneath my white blouse (I'm not wearing my tunic and armor since I'm not out patrolling. My casual wear, such as I am wearing now, is a white blouse with a black belt around the waist, and black trousers.)  Now that I see the cut, well, see the blood through the shirt, I feel it stinging. The pain hasn't exactly set in yet.

Celeborn strode towards me and his fingers flitted over the blood-soaked blouse.

"I must take you to the healer. Forgive me for cutting you so deeply, I did not realize it. I suppose I was just trying to concentrate on the fighting, you are a well-trained warrior," I suppose his words were supposed to make me feel better. But they didn't. They only made me feel worse. He's trying to act like my father, well, I'm sorry Celey, the role of father has already been taken.

Celeborn put a gentle hand on my back and steered me towards the infirmary talans. His touch made me uncomfortable, not just because it's his hand, anybody's touch makes me uncomfortable, I just need my personal space. Doesn't anybody get that?

I shrugged out of his touch, which just made my shoulder burn badly. I walked a couple feet away from him. I was slightly nervous that he'd be offended by that but I told myself, 'who cares what he thinks?' when really, I do care what he thinks. But I tried to ignore that.

I thought about the last month, or was it two months? I couldn't keep track of the days. Anyways, it's been same old same old. Every other day I'd go out patrolling with some elves, occasionally with Gantar and Phraan, but I tried not to patrol with them. Every time I looked at them I thought about Erlathan. Ever since his death, I've been torn up about it. It's one of the reasons why I don't train with my sword any more. I blame myself for his death, if I hadn't dropped my sword in the fight then it wouldn't have gone through his chest. His blood is on my hands, well, more like on my sword. I still bring my sword with me when I'm on patrol, even though I don't use it. For me, it's like carrying him around with me, him being my guardian angel... Or perhaps the other way around. I guard the other elves that are around me with Erlathan on my mind.

And that day changed me forever, it like a bucket of cold knowledge had been dropped on me. I had realized that life isn't a book of fairy tales (even though I somewhat already understood this). Life isn't like one of my books, it's cruel and real. And that's possibly one of the worst things. People die. People live. And that's cruel. People die that deserve life and people live that deserve death. Erlathan shouldn't have been taken from us, he should've lived. But he died, and it's all my fault. I can never reverse my mistake, and that thought crumbles me up on the inside. I would do anything to turn back time and sheath that sword. Things like that make you realize that the tiniest of things can change the way things play out.

Also, since that day that changed everything, I now have to keep a leash on my power. That energy surge that came out of me had drained me severely. We now knew that my power could harm me, not just the things around me. And that energy surge left a scar on me: a strange mark that resembled the stars up in the sky. This mark lies on my left collar bone. And it isn't just one star-like-mark, there's multiple. Large ones and small ones that begin on my collar bone and trail down onto my breast and towards my armpit. From my earlier studies, these marks look like the ones on the Doors of Durin and on many other things in Middle-Earth. It's also a symbol for something that scares me very much because of what it would mean...

I tried blocking my thoughts the rest of the way to the medic talan. I didn't have to try blocking much longer because we soon arrived there.

We didn't have to stand around waiting since Celey over here is the lord of Lothlórien. The same elleth that had treated me for a "broken" rib all that time ago rushed me to a private room.  I sat down on the bed and the nurse gently pulled down my blouse to expose my wound. I winced as the fabric was moved away from the cut. I didn't look as she exained it, I get queasy when looking at wounds.

She cast a worried expression towards Celeborn. She cleared her throat, "my lord, I need to remove Lumornel's blouse, I do not think she would be comfortable with you in the room, so I ask..." She trailed off. She seemed nervous asking Celeborn this question, I can understand though. Asking the person who has the highest authority something would be really nerve racking. I braced myself for him to say no, that he would stay, but to my surprise he said, "for me to leave the room?" He chuckled, "of course. Send word of her status to me as soon as you are done tending to her wound."

The elleth bowed her head, "of course, my lord." She breathed out a sigh of relief when he left.

Her long, straight brown hair swished as she made her way over to me.

She touched my blouse, "may I?" She asked.

I nodded and she carefully and untied the strings in the front (to make more of a neck hole) and lifted the shirt over my head. I felt exposed in my trousers and under garment that cover my breasts (A.N. It's like a bra, but medieval style).

Desperate to relieve the tension I asked, "forgive me, I didn't seem to catch your name last I was here." I offered a small smiled.

"Í eneth nin Meriaeth (my name is Meriaeth)" she smiled but soon muttered a "goheno nin" as I winced when she further inspected my wound.

"How did you obtain this wound?" She asked.

"I spared with Celeborn," I simply stated.

She must have mistook my expression for one of disappointment, "don't fret, no one can spare against him very long. Actually, no one really lasts more than a few seconds up against him," she said as she went to the corner to gather supplies.

"Really? I thought they would've lasted long considering I only lasted a couple minutes."

Meriaeth's eyes widened, "a few minutes!? My word, you really must be quite the warrior!"

I laughed at her comment, although I really wouldn't call myself a warrior. 

Her bewildered expression soon turned into a grim one, "this may hurt a pinch," she said, although I wasn't focusing on the words that said 'this may hurt,' I was laughing about the 'a pinch.'

I saw in her hands a bowl of Asfalas (see father and mother? Reading all those books really did help.)

My inside laugh dissipated and was replaced with pain. Meriaeth pressed the Asfalas into my wound. I clenched my fists, no doubt my nails drawing blood in little crescent moons on my palms.

Meriaeth quickly got a patch of cloth, put the patch on my wound, and applied pressure. I squeaked a little as the pain suddenly increased.

She then grabbed a roll of cloth and wrapped my shoulder. In order to do that she had to go under my armpit and around and across my chest.

She smiled as she handed me my now ruined blouse, "later you may want to come back so I can change the bandages or if you need something for the pain."

I smiled, "thank you, Meriaeth."

•••••••••

As I was walking to my talan, the sun had started to disappear behind the horizon. Upon my talan, I leaned on the only railed section, getting a good view of the city I have come to know and love.

With the setting sun, the already golden tree tops seemed to burst into a flaming light. When the sun was safely tucked away behind the trees and hills, the blue and white lanterns winked on. I smiled at this places ethereal beauty. It was like this place was perserved in a time of long ago, it's beauty and cleanliness safe from all of things of Middle Earth.

I leaned against the railing for a good thirty minutes, lost in my thoughts and in the beauty that I just couldn't get used to.

Soon my ears picked up the loud murmurs of the elves, I couldn't see or hear what was going on, but something was happening down there.

I went to exit my talan, but then my eyes caught the large red blood stain on my blouse.

I sighed and turned around to go put on another white blouse. The only problem was, I couldn't find a clean one. I found a nice dress instead: Lacey-ish white top that cinched at the waist and went out in a gray, flowing bottom that reached down to my feet. The capped sleeves left my arm bare but still covered my bandages enough. I covered my collarbones with my hair. Lastly, I put on my circlet. I checked the pocket of the pants I just had on for the jewel Legolas gave me. The jewel reminded me of him, but I feared that I would never see him again. I sighed with sadness but then the sadness got tucked away as panic filled me: the jewel wasn't there. I ransacked my room, under the pillows, under the blankets, under my bed, double checked my pant pockets, but it just wasn't there.

My door suddenly swung open to show Braiglach.

I inwardly groaned, "what?"

"I'm just checking on how you are," she looked me up and down, "looks like you're fine."

She then furrowed her brows, "although me you seem a bit panicked.  Why, may I ask?"

"Nothing," I said, instinctively reaching to put my hands in my pockets, except there weren't any (since I'm in a dress.)

"Was there any other reason for why you came?" I ask, getting slightly annoyed, I really need to get back to searching for that precious stone.

"Yes, I found this. I thought I saw you with it in earlier days," she folds out her fingers and in her palm is a beautiful blue and purple, almost glowing, stone.

I gasped and rushed forward, taking the jewel in hand and hugging her, "hannon le, hannon le, hannon le! (Thank you, thank you, thank you!)"

Braiglach stumbled back in surprise and awkwardly patted my back, "glassen. Forgive me for asking, but what is so special about the stone?"

I pulled back and watched my thumb rub over the smooth surface, "Legolas gave it to me before he left me, it belonged to his mother before him."

She gasped, "Mîr Êl."

"Star Jewel? What does that mean," I could feel my brows furrow.

She shook her head, "I-I shouldn't tell, for it is not mine to tell."

I sighed, the commotion I heard outside earlier completely forgotten.

"Whatever," I shook my head, fatigue overwhelmed me and I yawned, "let me just get some sleep," I waved her away.

She held her arms up in surrender, "all right, all right. I'll let you get some sleep," she went to the door and was half way out when I called out, "and don't come back and wake me!"

I heard her chuckling on the other side of the door as I collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.

•••••••••

Running. Running, just running. My bare feet pounded on the soft dirt as I ran and my chest burned from my rapid breathing and I could feel my heart beating everywhere through my body.

All I could feel is terror, pure terror. Adrenaline pumped through my veins, making me feel very jumpy and it still didn't seem like I'm running fast enough.

Behind me, I heard a mix between a growl and a hiss. The terror pushed a yelp out of my mouth.

The wind screamed in my ears as I ran and the ragged breathing of the monster behind me got closer and closer. Tree branches and thorns tugged at my short white dress and skin and hair.

Somehow my already unbelievable terror heightened when I saw a very high black wall stretch out in front of me in the distance. It didn't seem to end. I was going to be trapped.

But I didn't try to turn, otherwise the monster would've gotten me, so I kept running towards the wall. Panicky thoughts ran through my head fast as lightning, I wasn't able to interpret them.

I approached the wall and skidded to a halt, turning around.

The monster was terrifying and it was approaching—fast. The monster is so terrifying that I stood there paralyzed: it had slick black skin that looked as hard as dragons scales, it's eyes were like black pits, it's feet were webbed and its long pointed tail whipped back and forth as it approached. And most terrifying of all was its mouth; it had rows and rows of sharp, pointed teeth and the tongue behind those teeth was even worse. The tongue was a vibrant mix of red and orange, exactly like fire and lava. The tongue seemed to glow too.

My voice came back to me and I screamed as it jumped back on its haunches and leaped through the air at me.

•••••••••

I jerked awake. My breathing was rushed and my heart beat was like a race horse. A layer of sweat covered me.

I stayed still, my eyes frantically searching my surroundings. I'm back in my room, no monster or wall to be seen.

I sat up in bed and lit my lamps, desperate to keep the darkness of the night at bay. I grabbed my journal and wrote down my dream—along with other things too.

When done, I hid my journal where I normally do, in my undergarment drawer. With shaking limbs, I braid my hair. This has become more of a nervous habit. My white hair rests on my shoulder and I place the circlet back on my head.

Not being able to be holed up on my talan anymore, I go outside on the ground. Being on the dirt floor with bare feet and a white dress (although this one is longer) made me think of my dream and I nervously looked around.

"Lumornel!" I nearly jumped put of my skin when I heard Braiglach's voice.

I went over to her and placed a hand over my heart, "Why'd  you have to scare me like that?" I breathed heavily, trying to get my heart rate back to normal.

She laughed, "goheno nin, didn't know the mere sound of my voice would scare you." She clutched her stomach while laughing. Honestly, it was even that funny.

I would've been more annoyed if I wasn't looking around me, nervously checking the shadows for lurking monsters.

Braiglach looked up at me and her smiling face instantly turned into a frown, "has something happened?"

I looked at her, trying not to quench the urge to look at the shadows, "just had a nightmare, that's all." I started walking towards the inner parts of Caras Galadhon.

She rushed to walk beside me, "would you like to tell me what happened in it?"

"Not peticularally." We walked in silence.

I kept getting shivers that riveted up and down my back, as if someone was watching me. Several times Braiglach caught me looking over my shoulder and asked, "what are you looking for?" But I would always answer with, "nothing." And that was true, what I was looking for, the monsters, weren't even there, they are a figment of my imagination.

Don't you just hate nightmares? They toy with your mind.

I started to head to the training grounds but Braiglach grabbed my arm, "no, you have to go to mindon amrûn."

"Why?"

"Lady Galadriel said something about it," she shrugged.

With a reluctant sigh, I turned my direction towards mindon amrûn, I didn't feel like arguing with her.

The adrenaline started to where off as I got closer to my destination. I heard a voice that I didn't recognize ring out, it seemed to be in the middle of saying something and it sounded male, "—There should be a verse about them.

'The finest rockets ever seen

They burst in stars of blue and green

Or after thunder, silver showers... '

There was a thud, as if this person was sitting down, "Oh, that doesn't do them justice by a long road."

I furrowed my eyebrows and step through the barrier of mallorns only to have my heart painfully thud to a stop and my breath was literally taken out of me. Time seemed to still.

A beautiful ellon clad in silver stood there in front of me, blue eyes locking with mine and pale blonde hair pulled to the back of his head, flowing down his back. Legolas.

A cry left my lips and didn't even realize my legs had started moving until I collided with him, my arms thrown around his neck and my head buried in his shoulder. His arms enclosed around my waist and his face buried in my hair. I could feel him breathing in the scent of me. Not that I could blame him, I was doing the same thing to him.

"Lumornel," I heard him whisper to himself, as if testing my name on his lips.

I didn't realize there were people around us until I heard I a gruff voice clear its throat, "Lad, you failed to mention you have a Lass."

Surprised, I pulled back and quickly unsheathed my long hunting knife that is was sheathed in a holster on my thigh under my dress.

I pointed the knife at a...a... Dwarf? A short hairy man with red hair stood before me.

Apparently, the surprise was evident on my face, "never seen a dwarf before, Lassie?" He leaned on his axe that also appeared to be a walking cane.

I didn't answer, only held up my knife. That was until Legolas' pale hand gently pushed it down, "he is harmless, Lumornel."

I sheathed my knife while not revealing anything important down there (if you know what I mean.)

The dwarfs bushy eyebrows shot up, "Lumornel?! So this is the one who will be joining us on this follyful journey?"

I nodded my head, afraid to talk to such a stubborn creature of wrath.

I let my eyes wander over the group of men, and to my surprise I found four hobbits! Four! I've never seen a hobbit before, only read about them in a books—and there wasn't much about them in my books.

A more stockier hobbit with blonde-ish hair saw me starring at him in curiosity and he blushed.

My continuation of my sweep of the group told me that there were also two men; one with dark blonde hair and another with soft brown eyes and hair.

I turned my gaze back to Legolas, "I was told that there were to be nine of you. Yet there are only eight."

Instead of letting Legolas answer, the mortal man with brown hair, the first one I have ever seen up close and talked to, spoke, "yes, nine of us set off from Rivendale. But we lost a dear companion in Moria."

When I didn't ask who, mostly because I was to shy to ask, he answered, "Gandalf the grey fell to a Balrog of Morgoth. But it was not in vain, he brought the Balrog down with him."

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. He killed a Balrog? Then another voice in my head said, 'foolish! Of course he brought down a Balrog! Gandalf is a wizard, part of the Istari!'

In my meek voice I asked, "would you mind telling me your names?"

The man with brown hair bowed his head and said, "I am Aragorn, Son of Arathorn. And this is Boromir of Gondor," he guestered to the other man.

"And I am Gimli Son of Gloin!" The dwarf spoke in his gruff voice. My eye brows raised once again.  Aragorn? Son of Arathorn? Wasn't he heir to the throne of Gondor? And Gimli? Son of Gloin? Gloin, as in the dwarf that went to Erebor with a group of thirteen dwarfs and a hobbit?

I turned my head to the hobbit. The hobbit that had blushed stood up and bowed to me, "I am Sam Gamgee, a hobbit of the Shire." I smiled at him and he blushed redder than earlier.

Two hobbits that looked almost identical stood up and bowed too, "I am Peregrin Took, but you may call me Pippin, also from the Shire," the hobbit next to him elbowed him in the ribs, "we're hobbits Pip, we're all from the Shire."

Then that hobbit said, "I'm Meriadoc Brandybuck, also known as Merry." I smiled at them too and nodded my head.

The final hobbit stood and did the traditional elvish bow (fist over heart with a bowed head) which surprised me, "I am Frodo Baggins. It is nice to be acquainted with you, my lady."

I nodded my head, introductions have finished. Well, all but one.

"I would introduce myself, but it seems you have already learned my name," I said.

The dwarf spoke once again, "aye, lassie. We know your name, but that is all we know about you." I blushed, why did he want to know more?

"Well... I am the supposed daughter of Galadriel and Celeborn, I was raised in Mirkwood, and I am the one the prophecy speaks of." After my last statement all went dead quite, every bit of their eyes widened.

"The p-prophecy?" The man—Boromir—stuttered.

I shrunk into myself, hating their stares.

Legolas spoke, "we had no idea she was the One until I brought her here right before I left for the Council of Elrond."

He turned towards me, "what ha—" he froze.

"What?" I asked, worried for some reason.

He brought up his hand and touched the bandage on my shoulder, making me wince.

"Oh. I-it's nothing. I was in a duel with Celeborn and he cut my shoulder more deeply than was necessary. A-although he said that was an accident." My words didn't seem to affect him.

"You're bleeding."

I looked down at my shoulder and cursed in elvish.

I looked back up at him, "I should go to the infirmary. Get this cleaned up."

He nodded and just as I started to walk away he asked, "Lumornel? Tonight are you sharing the sleeping area with us?"

I froze at his question. I looked at him, down the path to the infirmary, and finally at the group of men, "I... I would rather sleep in my own bed." I bowed my head in shame and quickly walked to the infirmary.

That didn't go as I expected it to go.

•••••••••

"The dwarf breathes so loud we could've shot him in the dark,"

                          —Haldir

Thanks for reading folks! Let me know what you think please! And a vote wouldn't hurt either! You and the comments and votes are very much appreciated!

Novaer, melloneamin!