We kept climbing for hours. The snow grew progressively deeper and colder, and soon I was walking behind Boromir and the Hobbits. My mind repeatedly wandered to the incident with the Ring, and I caught myself watching Frodo without meaning to.

But soon, my mind was occupied with something else. Murderous-looking storm clouds rolled in, choking out the sunlight within minutes. Snow flurries began to fall, then thick snowflakes that lodged in my hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes. So, pausing for a moment, I put on my mask and pulled up my hood.

The snowfall grew heavier, and soon Gandalf and Aragorn had to join Boromir in his efforts to cut a trench for us shorter folk. Gimli reluctantly joined our number, but Legolas remained separate, treading softly on the snow three feet above us.

I tucked my hands into my long sleeves and tucked my chin into my chest, resigned to outlasting the cold.

"By my beard," Gimli puffed, struggling to keep up with me. I slowed up a bit, letting him catch up. "This cold is of a bitter sort. Not nearly as harsh as Erebor in winter, mind ye," he added. "But a good deal colder than I should like."

"I've never liked the cold," I said.

"Neither have I, lass. Neither have I. Now I've been trying to convince Gandalf to let us pass through the Mines of Moria, and thus far he's refused. Eda—ye could sway him to our side. Convince him to give up going over this blasted mountain and enjoy the fine hospitality of my cousin, Balin."

I have a halfhearted smile. "The cold is only for a few days, Gimli. It's hardly unbearable."

His eyes widened a bit. "Do ye not want to visit yer home?"

I didn't scoff, but the feeling was there. But instead of answering directly, I said, "Home is where the heart is, and not a place to merely visit."

Gimli nodded reluctantly. "Well said, lass, well sai—"

The air crackled with electricity, interrupting the Dwarf. Lightning split across the black sky, shattering the darkness. The energy bolted into the mountain, perhaps twenty feet above our heads. Followed by a deafening crash of thunder. The earth cried out in pain, and boulders began to fall from the impact.

Legolas leaped into the trench. Wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me against him. Did the same for Gimli, then jumped under an outcropping of rocks.

"Take yer filthy hand off me!" Gimli bellowed.

"Perhaps next time I should leave you to be crushed," Legolas retorted disdainfully, stepping away from us.

I glanced back. Exactly where Gimli and I had been standing, were a pile of massive boulders. We both would've died, if Legolas hadn't intervened. I turned to Legolas, about to thank him for both of us. But Gandalf called him.

"Legolas! Can you hear anything?"

The ellon trotted to the front of the company, passing Boromir and Aragorn, who were shielding the Hobbits. His hair tossing wildly in the storm, Legolas raised his head and closed his eyes. "There is a voice on the wind," he called back. "There is dark magic at work here."

Gandalf sighed, his breath billowing out and gusting away. "Saruman."

Lightning flashed again. Before it could strike, Gandalf raised his staff. A bolt of energy burst from the stone at the end. The two lights met head-on, exploding into a spiderweb of radiance.

"Gandalf!" Aragorn shouted. "We cannot continue! We must turn back!"

"No!" Gandalf insisted. Raising his staff again, he shouted an incantation. But a moment later, a bolt of lightning struck the mountain again. More boulders tumbled down, but we were shielded under the outcropping.

"It is as I said!" Gimli bellowed. "The Mines of Moria would be a much safer route."

Gandalf looked at Gimli, a war raging in his weary eyes. Then he turned to Frodo. "Let the Ring-bearer decide."

Frodo looked up at the rest of us, shivering. The misery in his eyes said the decision had already been made. "We will go through the mines," he announced shakily.

* * *

The rest of the day was spent retracing our steps. I was beyond grateful as the temperature rose, but with that came messier snow that soaked into my boots and clothes far easier.

We didn't stop for the night at sunset, as we had before. Instead, we kept walking, eager to rest somewhere warmer and drier. But my legs were tired and achy, and I was in danger of just lying down in the wet snow and going to sleep.

It was dark when we reached the muddy patch, and without a word, Legolas picked me up and carried me across. And he didn't set me down on the other side. Over his shoulder, Gimli shot me a dark look, and the Hobbit rascals were nudging each other and grinning. I swallowed uncomfortably, unsure what to do with myself. So I pulled out the compass, just to see what it would read.

It pointed at Legolas.

He glanced down at it, then raised an eyebrow at me, his expression less than amused.

I blushed. How does one go about explaining that? I certainly didn't want to go up Cadarhas again. Forcing myself to hold his gaze, I said, "I desire your friendship." My words rang true, surprising even me. I did.

Legolas looked deep into my eyes, his brow furrowing. "Do you?"

"Yes." Eru, it was uncomfortable being this honest.

Legolas was quiet, his expression a mixture of emotions—disbelief, surprise, and...hurt? "Then you shall have my friendship," he replied, his tone disappointingly neutral.

I hesitantly rested my head on his shoulder, an unfamiliar warmth filling my chest when he didn't shrug me off. "Thank you," I murmured.

I glanced at the compass once more, and it still pointed at Legolas. But I knew better than to believe my own explanation. It pointed through Legolas. For Frodo was still behind us, working his way through the mud.

And Frodo still had the Ring.

* * *

When I woke up, I was lying on the ground with a warm brown blanket wrapped around me. Blinking, I sat up. There was a small campfire, and the rest of the company was sitting around and doing various things.

Somebody tall crouched beside me. "I see you've woken."

I looked up. It was Boromir. I squirmed uncomfortably, today's incident still fresh on my mind. "Yes. I...I didn't mean to fall asleep."

Boromir chuckled, his tone also on edge. He shifted to a sitting position beside me. He took a breath and opened his mouth, hesitated, then said, "I wanted to...to apologize. For my behavior earlier. I don't know what came over me."

I blinked. I hadn't expected that. "I...of course. That is, I forgive you." I frowned. If people would only apologize to me more often, I might be better at this! "And..." I cleared my throat. "I'm sorry, also. For my part in the scuffle."

"I forgive you," Boromir replied. "And I hope we can be companions for the remainder of the quest."

I smiled. "I would like that."

"So tell me," Boromir said, smiling, "where do you hail from, Eda?"

Mordor. My least-favorite question. I hesitated, unsure what to say.

"Actually," Legolas said, appearing at my other side, "I think it would be wise for her to eat." He handed me a metal plate with some steaming meat and vegetables.

I immediately bit into a soft cooked carrot, stuffing my mouth so I wouldn't have to speak. Flashing Boromir what I hoped was a convincingly-apologetic smile, I kept eating.

"Well." Boromir stood. "Perhaps we can talk later then." And he walked away.

Legolas settled in beside me, his wary eyes on the Man.

"Thank you," I murmured, hoping he thought I meant only for the food. But when he met my gaze and nodded, there was a deeper understanding in his eyes.

"I do not trust him," he replied in an equally subtle tone. "In the council, he revealed in part what his true intentions are."

I watched Boromir as he sat down with Merry and Pippin and began to talk with them. They suddenly howled out with laughter, startling the entire company. Gandalf scowled at their ruckus, and Frodo touched his chest. Sam rolled his eyes. But Aragorn, lying on the ground and smoking his pipe, just chuckled and turned to gaze into the flames of the campfire.

"He seems content, does he not?" I asked quietly, shifting gears in our conversation.

Legolas glanced at Aragorn, then turned back to look at me. "Yes," he mused. "His contentment does not come unwarranted. He has someone waiting patiently for him, back in Rivendell."

"True." I huffed. That didn't help me in the least.

Legolas caught my gaze, his blue eyes curious. "Have you no admirers at home?"

I bit my lip and looked away, my eyes resting on Aragorn once more. "I have no home. Nor have I any admirers."

Legolas scoffed. "You have the Dwarf." At my startled look, he glanced pointedly at Gimli. A teasing smile played on his lips, and humor danced in his eyes. "He finds you quite attractive, you know."

The sudden beauty in Legolas's face was nearly overwhelming. It was like a vibrant ray of sunshine cutting through the clouds during a storm. And, I was staring. I looked away, my cheeks heating. "Please. I—I don't think—" Wait. What were we even talking about?

A finger on my chin guided my gaze back to Legolas. "That he admires you?" The teasing look was gone, replaced by a sincerity that I didn't know how to react to. "Because he does." When I said nothing, he raised an eyebrow. "Have you never had admirers before?"

I paused to consider. Lovers, yes. Short-term flings with bored males of various races. But to them, I was never more than the most readily-available boredom buster. "No," I finally answered. "I have never had an admirer before."

Our eyes met, locking together. Legolas's bright blue gaze swam with an ocean of conflicting emotions, their depths unknown to me. Unshed emotions I couldn't start to understand or comprehend.

"You have one now," he whispered.

I shifted closer to him. Like gravity, I couldn't fight the unseen force pulling me in. The world around blurred, leaving just us and our bitter histories. Because somehow, I knew. I could feel the agony in his heart, the longing. And all I wanted was to take the pain away. Even if I had to bear it myself.

Legolas looked away. "And he may prove difficult to rebuff."

I straightened from my half-leaned-over position and busied my eyes with the plate sliding off my lap. Pushing it back to the center, I nibbled at a piece of meat. But I wasn't hungry. In fact, I wanted nothing more than to find a rock and hide under it.

What in Mordor had just happened?!