Legolas walked alongside Evangeline to a secluded area in the forest. Her inky black hair had been let down, shimmering in the moonlight like the night river. She wore the same modest traveling clothes as she did before, but they could not conceal her womanly figure. He cleared his throat and she stopped walking. He stared at the stars a bit, stalling for a while. He thought of the words she had said to him in the past few days. It was clear what she had thought of him: perfect, while all she saw in herself was her own imperfections. Galadriel had told him to trust; that it was the only way he would be able to conquer his problems. He had trusted Aragorn with some things, but not all, especially not with what he was currently struggling with.

He looked at Evangeline. Her lips were shut and her brows were slightly furrowed with worry. The fact that she cared – for Boromir, for Sam, and for Gimli – was what moved him to tell her. He wanted her to understand, but even more so, he secretly hoped for her assurance, and that maybe, somehow, this bit of truth would strengthen her trust in him.

"Is this about what I said?" she asked quietly.

"Yes and no, not really." He took a deep breath. They came to a stone bench, and he sat. She sat next to him, her hands folded on her lap and her eyes alert. Legolas continued, "You seem to think that you are the only one who feels failure."

She was silent.

"Ever since I was born, I have been a follower, never a leader, never becoming what a prince of Mirkwood was meant to be. I do not command armies. I do not run the palace. I do not send messages or seal letters. And as of now, my father believes I may be leaving Mirkwood for good."

"Then...he is upset with you?"

"He," he stopped, trying to figure out how to say it. "He would pass on the throne to someone else. And I would agree-"

"But how? How is this right?"

"Save that, if I did not leave, if the darkness of Mordor continues to spread, Mirkwood will no longer be. The trees themselves are beginning to die. Spiders will return. My father would prefer that I stay to protect our people and our home." At this point, he paused, closing his eyes. "I cannot go back without seeing this to the end. But I am afraid. I fear that if this does not come to end, I will have left my father, and Mirkwood for nothing."

"But you are protecting your people, Legolas! Do not regret the choices you have made. I do not understand why your father does not see it, nor why he is not alongside Adar, seeking the destruction of Sauron's weapon."

"He has not left Mirkwood. Only once when the dwarf king, Thorin, went to reclaim Erebor. I know the pain of my mother's death has never lessened within him. I think he still finds comfort in Mirkwood, where they married and lived."

His mother. Evangeline closed her eyes, unable to believe her ignorance. Years ago, at Mirkwood's ball, there was no Queen of Mirkwood to greet them. And I never cared to ask, never cared to wonder! "What happened to her?"

His eyes flashed blue. "She was killed in Mordor."

Evangeline did not know what to say. She could not comprehend how horrible it must have been for him to know that his mother had died at the hands of the enemy. Something stirred in her, something new that she had never felt before: vengeance. They will pay, she thought. They will pay for what they have done to the races, killing their loved ones and separating them/

Evangeline, come.

Galadriel! Evangeline stood up.

Legolas looked down. He did not realize that he had gone so far as to speak of his mother. He closed his eyes to hide his pain, shutting everything else out. Then, a slender, warm hand held onto his. He opened his eyes to find that she was still there.

Evangeline's face was unmasked, and a fire had been relit. "I am sorry, Legolas. I cannot imagine how it must be, nor will I pretend to." She led her hand slide down to her side. "But, let it be known that I will never be at peace until those who tortured your mother are burned away with this darkness." She let him go and started to where she knew Galadriel would be.

The fire inside of her burned. She suddenly remembered the hooded figure in the cavern. The figure that almost vanished as soon as the Shadow appeared. She stopped in her tracks. She did not know why it never occurred to her before, but she knew that the figure was responsible for awakening the Shadow. Whoever it was, he was powerful. How else could she sense its gaze upon her? Eyes that desired her destruction. Eyes that were hidden, calculating and filled with hateful. Evangeline was already uneasy about it, but now she felt sick. A knowledge was beginning to surface, and she only wanted to push it away, to ignore it. Only a dozen feet away, she turned back to Legolas. She was afraid of what was to happen. "Will you wait for me, Mellon nin?"

"Always."

His word broke through the shivers around her, and she grasped onto it as if there was nothing else to hold on to. It gave her the strength to walk to where she knew something would be revealed to her. Something that she did not feel ready for.

Galadriel was there by her water-mirror of visions. "You have already gazed upon the mirror, so there is no need to do so again. Come and sit."

Evangeline sat on white marble across from Galadriel, like she had done so many years ago.

"Do not hold back. What did you see in the mines?" Galadriel's voice echoed through the chambers of Evangeline's soul, only to be reflected off her fear.

"I...I don't know," she replied. Her head was swarming. Something was beginning to surface. A face, a legend. No! I don't want to know. She will tell me, I must be wrong.

I cannot tell you what you already know.

"But it's impossible!" Evangeline stood. "Anorath," she paused, hoping Galadriel would correct her. "He cannot have survived. That was thousands of years ago." Her words died off in the night's silence.

"Nothing is ever certain. We ourselves did not rediscover him until recently."

Evangeline shook her head. Every day had held a new truth, a new limit or piece of knowledge concerning her power and her nature. She could not do this. She was not ready. He would be far more superior, far more capable and learned than she. With a trembling breath, she let it out. "Anorath is alive."

"Yes," confirmed Galadriel. "He had hidden himself since his days of forging the Ring. I believed Sauron had killed him when he was done serving his purpose. But it appears that he has gained some favor in Sauron's eyes, and willingly remains in his service."

"But how can I fight him? I know I have not aged as man does, but if Anorath is immortal, then I cannot even depend on old age to defeat him! With swords, I may have a chance, but with my element," her voice broke off. She hated it. She hated not being enough. If it is to come down to this, than whoever uttered that prophecy was truly desperate.

"Sauron used Anorath's flames to drive fear into Middle Earth. If you cannot conquer your own fears, then you will never be able to defeat him."

Evangeline closed her eyes. Her body was exhausted, but now, even her soul was weary of doom and sorrow. "Is there no one else, Galadriel? Another earthborn can come to do this."

"There is no one but you."

She gasped in despair as tears rolled down her cheeks. Why was I not born of elves or man? I would have chosen to fight alongside my brethren, free from this prophecy, free from having to face what will surely be my failure and death!

Galadriel went over to her and held her like a mother would a daughter. It pained her to know of the earthborn's fate, but no one else was made to balance out Anorath's doings. No one. "This is much for you to bear. Remember that Anorath is not your only enemy. Long ago, there was another earthborn, the only other besides Anorath and yourself. Her name was Amariel. When Mordor had first begun to rise, she had tried to stop it alone. She failed, and is never to walk upon Middle Earth again. The dangers of Mordor are many." She stopped herself from revealing too much. Evangeline's mind was closing off out of fear, anxiety, and confusion. Galadriel did not want to risk losing her completely, but having her face the truth was necessary, as it was for them all. "Remember that you are not alone in fighting this darkness. The elves of Lórien have prepared gifts for the Fellowship. Gifts that are not to be taken lightly. For you, though, we have given a choice."

Evangeline blinked through her tears, confused.

"You may choose whatever gift we have to offer. But do not be so quick. Allow some time to help you discern." Placing a gentle kiss on her brow, she then said, "Go to the water. Go to where you first came to us."

Without question, and without feeling any reason, Evangeline left to where she was born. She was now walking from memory, so tired and drained that she could barely see where she was going. She walked straight into Legolas. "I'm sorry," she quickly mumbled and moved to leave. The tears were welling up, and she did not want him to see her like this.

But he did not let her go. "What has happened?"

She shook her head. She couldn't tell him about Anorath yet, and she certainly would never tell him about Amariel. The last thing she wanted was for him to think that she might suffer the same fate.

He studied her face. "It is what has been upsetting you since we left Rivendell. Is it not?"

She could not speak. She simply let her head fall into his chest as the tears came streaming down. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her close. His arms were strong, and she had a feeling that even if she tried pushing away, they would not let go so easily. And yet, as if he somehow sensed what she was thinking, he let go. A night breeze brushed against her skin, and she felt cold. She continued on, but after seeing Legolas' worry, she managed a small smile that she did not feel. "Do not worry, I will be nearby."

She stood at the edge of the lake, gazing at the midnight waters. She stepped in. The water touched her ankles, her knees, her waist, and then her neck. She closed her eyes and felt the water flow over her face. Now submerged, her memories and emotions began to rise.

Radagast was gone.

Gandalf was gone.

Amariel was gone.

Anorath was alive.

So was she.

She burst from the water. Her chest heaved and she cried. I should have died instead of Radagast. Middle Earth needs wizards. It does not need me. Tears streamed freely down her cheeks. I never should have been.

After a long while, her insides had stopped shaking and her tears had dried out. She felt empty, devoid of life and feeling. Her eyes were directed towards the water, but that wasn't what she saw. Gandalf's fall replayed itself in her mind. What good is my effort? She was not the strongest, not the wisest, and not the most powerful. Why bother? She thought. Why should we even attempt to fight when all shall end in death?

Something rustled in the forest. Seeing that no one was coming from that direction, Evangeline waded back to the lakeside. Her hair and clothes were drenched. She slowly walked past a few trees to a cluster of bushes. She parted through them and gasped. Ten feet away lay a newborn deer. Near its side lay its mother, exhausted from giving birth. The doe's head lifted to lick the newborn before falling again to the ground.

Evangeline left to the lake and summoned a streak. Holding it steady, she walked back to the doe. There was a depression in the ground near it. Gently, so as not to disturb the timid creature, Evangeline let the water flow into the hole. The doe's ears twitched. It turned its head to find the little pool of water.

Evangeline gazed longingly at the little newborn lapping the water next to its mother, wishing to stroke it. But she knew that a single snap of a twig might frighten them. She did not know how long she watched, as time did not hold any meaning to her. As she saw the mother deer slowly regain its strength, she felt something inside. A slow warmth spread through her, a peace. Why do I feel this way? Then, she remembered the words that had weaved their way into her heart long ago:

"Lord Radagast, what is it you love so much about the creatures of the earth?"

"They give me hope."

"Hope?"

"Yes, like tonight, they made me feel that people will be merry again. That one day, children will once more echo the songs of birds, women will chatter happily like squirrels, and men will remain with their families like a watchful deer, not plagued by this brooding darkness."

Innocence. Love. Life. A single tear glimmered from her eyes, but she smiled. The edge of the night sky was tinged with blue – the first sign of an approaching dawn. She closed her eyes as she breathed in. It has always been there, she knew. The good in this world is worth protecting. Hope. It is why we must fight. She thought of how Gandalf refused to give up back in the caves, even when death seemed inevitable. Because of his hope, he saved their lives. This is why I must go on. But it was not just her. The others needed to know it, to believe in it.

When she opened her eyes, she knew what she wanted, what gift she desired most from the only elves who had the right to give it to her.