A green, silver-veined elven leaf-brooch is clasped on their elven cloaks. ''Never before have we clad strangers in the garb of our own people,'' Celeborn tells. "May these cloaks help shield you from unfriendly eyes.''
     After receiving their cloaks, Legolas grabs a couple of packs and puts them in an Elven boat. Merry and Pippin look up as he pulls a small piece of bread from one of the packs.
     ''Lembas,'' he breathes. ''Elvish waybread.'' He takes a small bite before glancing at the Hobbits. ''One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man.'' He stuffs the remaining piece back in the pack and places it in the boats. Merry and Pippin nod as he walks away.
     ''How many did you eat?'' Merry asks. Pippin burps as he answers,
     "Four.''

''Iladya, can I have a moment with you?'' Boromir questions. Iladya turns to Boromir and frowns.
     ''Okay,'' she slowly answers and walks along. She glances over her shoulder, her gaze meeting Aragorn's. Boromir walks away from the group, causing them to have some privacy. She turns to Boromir, crossing her arms over her chest.
     ''I need something off my chest,'' he starts. "It may sound weird but I have grown fond of you, Iladya. That moment I saw you in the council ... It struck me. That moment you joined Frodo, I knew I had to come along.'' Iladya looks Boromir in the eyes, seeing he isn't lying.
     ''Boromir,'' she whispers. He takes a step closer, causing her to step back. They continue this until her back is touching a tree. ''I don't know what impression I have given you-''
     ''You made me fall for you, Iladya,'' Boromir cuts off, his hands grabbing her shoulders.
     ''Boromir,'' Iladya warns in a sharper tone. Boromir doesn't listen and leans in to kiss her. Iladya swiftly moves her hand to her boot and pulls out a knife. She brings the knife up to his chin, ''If I were you ... I should back away and never attempt such thing ever... again.'' She hissed, pressing the knife further into his skin. Boromir glances down at her, breathing heavily. She removes the knife and starts walking away.

The Fellowship continue to load the boats for their journey. Legolas helps Gimli and Merry into the boat. Sam crawls into another boat and quickly reveals he has no measure of sea legs.
     Aragorn sees Iladya near the boats and asks for her attention. He gestures her to walk along, because he had taken notice of her change in behaviour.
     She is in distress, Aragorn thought. Iladya walks along, her arms around her chest.
     ''What has happened with Boromir?'' he questions ''Because I have noticed you're in distress, my lady.'' He reaches for her hands but she backs away. She doesn't look him in the eyes. ''Iladya,'' he whispers. ''You can tell me.'' He places two fingers under her chin and gently forces her to look up.
     ''Boromir attempted to kiss me,'' she says, fighting to keep her voice steady. ''He confessed his feelings for me. I tried to back away ... but he grabbed me and tried to kiss me. I pressed my knife to his chin – which makes Aragorn smiles proudly – and I made clear there is nothing from my side and that he would walk away without anything that has happened.'' Aragorn pulls her closer into a warm embrace.
     ''You did the right thing, Iladya,'' he whispers and presses a kiss on her hair.
     ''I felt scared,'' she whispers, looking up at him.
     ''Yet, you were brave,'' he whispers. ''And I am proud of you.'' Iladya smiles and rests her head against his chest. She feels herself calming down by hearing his heartbeat.
     "I must tell you this," he starts, breaking away from the embrace. Iladya looks him in the eyes and smiles. "I feel an invisible attraction to you, I have grown attached to our relationship and how we act around each other ... What I want to say is, we have a dangerous road before us and I have discovered I cannot bear to lose you but I cannot ask you to be careful because you are a fighter. I do not wish for you to be hurt." A faint smile plays on her lips as she lays her hand on his cheek.
     "As you said, my dear Elessar, I am a fighter and I am two-thousand, nine hundred and thirty-one." Aragorn snorts as he realises she is.
     "I know," he whispers and presses a kiss on her forehead.
     A cough did them go apart, seeing it was Celeborn. Iladya bowed before taking her leave.
     ''Every league you travel south, the danger will increase. Mordor Orcs now hold the eastern shore of the Anduin. Nor will you find safety on the western bank,'' Celeborn speaks to Aragorn. They walk towards the river.
     ''Strange creatures bearing the White Hand have been seen on our borders. Seldom do Orcs journey in the open under the sun, yet these have done so,'' he continues. Celeborn holds a dagger out to Aragorn. He takes the dagger and unsheathes it. It is a beautiful, yet deadly work of art.
     ''Le aphadar ae,'' Celeborn whispers. Aragorn replaces the dagger in its sheath, as he is aware of the creature that has been following them. ''By the river you have the chance of outrunning the enemy to the Falls of Rauros.'' 

The Fellowship are in the three small elven boats. Gimli and Merry are in the boat with Legolas. Sam and Pippin are with Boromir. Leaving Frodo and Iladya with Aragorn. The Elves quietly watch them depart. The atmosphere felt tense, everyone could feel it. War is upon them.
     ''My gift for you, Legolas, is a bow of the Galadhrim. Worthy of the skill of our woodland kin,'' Galadriel spoke. Legolas lifted an elegant bow and tested its strength. Galadriel smiled and walked to Iladya.
     ''I have nothing greater to give than the gift you already bear,'' she spoke, getting a hold of her hand. ''Yet, I want to offer you the bow I have given your brother.'' Iladya bowed as she accepted lady Galadriel's offer. Iladya had a curious feeling of how she knew of her and Aragorn.
     "My lady?" Iladya blurted. Galadriel looked at her with a kind smile. "How do you know?" she asked. Her kind smile grew into a wide smile.
     "I see it in your eyes," she spoke as she leaned closer. ''And some of us could hear it." Those words were only audible for Iladya, leaving her red headed.
     "My apologies, my lady," Iladya apologised with an embarrassed feeling. "Namárië, dearest Iladya."
     Galadriel moved to Merry and Pippin. They both received a dagger. Merry removed a dagger from its sheath and looked upon it.
     ''These are the daggers of the Noldorin. They have already seen service in war,'' she speaks. Pippin looked upon his gift with the fear he may have to use it. He casted his eyes upon Galadriel. ''Do not fear, young Peregrin Took. You will find your courage.''
     Merry and Pippin rode expressionless in their boat.
     ''And you for, Samwise Gamgee, Elven rope made of hithlain.'' Sam bowed to her, accepting his gift.
     ''Thank you, my lady,'' he said, casting a side glance at Merry and Pippin before looking back at Galadriel. ''Have you run out of those nice, shiny daggers?'' he questioned hesitantly. Galadriel smiled, and Sam held onto his rope, embarrassed. She moved on to Gimli, who stared at the ground in her presence.
     ''And what gift would a Dwarf ask of the Elves?'' she questioned softly. Gimli quickly shook his head, ''Nothing.'' He looked up at her. ''Except to look upon the lady of the Galadhrim one last time for she is more fair than all the jewels beneath the earth.'' Galadriel laughed as Gimli scowled at his foolishness and turned away. He recovered and turned back to her.
     ''Actually ... There was one thing. No, no, I couldn't. It's quite impossible. Stupid to ask.''
Gimli rides silently before Merry and Legolas. He closes his eyes, allowing the memory to flood into his head.

Galadriel stood before Aragorn.
     ''I have nothing greater to give than the gift you already bear,'' she whispered, touching the pendant Aragorn wore. Aragorn looked in Galadriel's eyes, his eyes speaking to her. ''You should not worry for her,'' she whispered. ''Obstacles will be thrown in your way but you will fight your way through it.'' Aragorn straightened before her.
     ''Namárië,'' she wished goodbye. Aragorn bowed to her and turned to leave but Galadriel stopped him. ''Nadath nâ i moe cerich. Dan ú-'eveditham, Elessar.''
      ''I give you the light of Eärendil, our most beloved star,'' she spoke while giving Frodo a small crystal phial. Galadriel leaned over and kissed his head.
     As the Fellowship's boats drift past, Galadriel stands alone, watching from the banks of the river. Frodo still hears her voice in his head.
     ''May it be a light for you in dark places, when all other lights go out.''
     ''I have taken my worst wound at this parting having looked my last upon that which is fairest. Henceforth I will call nothing fair unless it is her gift to me,'' Gimli says.
     ''What was her gift?'' Legolas asks.
     ''I asked her for one hair from her golden head,'' he dreams. ''She gave me three.'' It caused Legolas to smile.

''Frodo,'' Iladya whispers, who sits in front of her. Frodo glances over his shoulder and looks at her with a questioning look. Iladya opens her arms, allowing Frodo to cuddle in her arms. Frodo smiles as he moves toward Iladya. He allows himself to feel comfortable in her arms.
     ''Thank you,'' he mutters. She presses a kiss on his hair. ''You are most welcome, Frodo Baggins. Do you want me to tell you about your uncle Bilbo?'' She knows those stories will enlighten his mood and takes his mind off that ring. ''I would like that, very much, please.''
     "Your uncle's company once got caught by my father, King Thranduil, except Bilbo. Legolas and I were patrolling around and we didn't miss a Hobbit because he was never there," she speaks, staring into the distance with Frodo in her arms. Frodo looks up at Iladya while she spoke. Aragorn watches them with a smile on his face.
     "Once night, one of the guards discovered the disappearance of the prisoners. They must have squeezed into the empty barrels because they were floating down the river. We wanted to stop them, but a pack of Orcs stopped by as well. We let them escape and protected them against the Orcs. The living memory of Bilbo clinging onto one of the barrels with his sword, pointed up. The very sword you possess at this moment." Frodo glances down at his hip where Sting was resting.
     "We never got to enter the mountain," Iladya comments. ''After the battle of the five armies ... it was a war we have won, but at what cost? After the battle, I never got to see Bilbo but Gandalf had told me he had travelled with him back to the Shire where he could live his life and the Bilbo you know." Frodo looks up at Iladya as Iladya glances down.
     "Thank you, it means a lot," he thanks. ''Can I say something?"
     "Of course, you can," she replies.
     "I have grown a sense of comfort with you," he says, searching for his words. ''You always cared for me, the moment we departed from Rivendell. You always looked after me. I want to thank you for that." Aragorn found Frodo's words very touching, as found Iladya.
     "I am happy to hear you have grown comfortable with me. I don't know how it happened, but it just felt right." Frodo snuggles deeper in her arms as Iladya giggles.

Aragorn had been sinking into his own thoughts. The moment when the first light of day pierced through the chamber. A warm feeling flares his chest as he pictures a sleeping Iladya.
     ''Aragorn.''
     He could hear his name rolling off her tongue and it made him shiver. That warm feeling spreads across his body by the thought of his future Queen. She does not even need to be his Queen. He needs her to be his wife. His other half. On the contrary, he is frightened that something might happen to her. He knows for certain, he would not survive her death. It would break him. Shatter him.
     ''You should not worry for her,'' she had whispered. ''Obstacles will be thrown in your way but you will fight your way through it.''
     Those words only intensify his anxious feeling. Yet, the part where she told him they would fight their way through, had a soothing effect. Aragorn stared at the two in front of them. Her being in his present, has a soothing effect. If she only knows what effect she has on him. If she only knows how weak she made him.
     Weak, for her.

The boats pass into the great river Anduin. The three elven boats carry the Fellowship steadily southward. Green trees slowly give way to a brown withered land. Aragorn gazes in awe as soon as they are nearing the Argonath.
     "Frodo," Aragorn whispers and taps him on the shoulder. Frodo glances up at two monuments of kings. "Long have I desired to look upon the kings of old. My kin."
     The Fellowship looks up in awe at the towering splendour of the Argonath. Two majestic statues proudly stand on each side of the Anduin. Their left arms are held aloft, their palms facing outwards in a gesture of warning.
     "The Argonath."