Due to the looks that everyone gave her as she walked out, even her friend Allison, Megan instantly felt foolish for picking out the ensemble she had on. She swallowed hard and then looked over to Legolas, then down to the ground. She didn't even want to look him in the face, figuring that he probably just lost all interest in her.

She heard what he said about how he wanted to start out and then she nodded. She carefully took the bow and arrow, only looking at it. She then got in her stance, standing sideways. She focused her attention on the target and put the bow and arrow in their places, putting the tip of the arrow right by her cheek. She let out a small breath and then let the arrow lose from its hold.

Hearing a thud, she looked and saw that the arrow HAD hit the target, just not the middle. It was more toward the very bottom. But, hey... At least she hit the target! She smiled a little at the thought and then lowered her bow, shyly.

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Within fifteen minutes, Allison was panting, practically drenched in sweat, and feeling helpless. Aragorn was a patient and kind teacher, but once they actually started in on combat, it was clear that he was not going to show her mercy. In retrospect, she told herself it was a good thing, since no orc in the heat of battle could be expected to wait patiently while she figured out how to wield a sword. Still, she was quickly growing exhasted.

"Move your feet!" Aragorn instructed. I'd like to move my feet away from you, future king of Gondor or not, she thought darkly. He swung the sword towards her again and she stepped backward, bringing her own sword up to block the blow. Her bare foot slipped on the ground and she fell flat onto her back, her breath being knocked from her lungs.

She lay there, gasping for air and looking up at the clear blue sky, wondering if she would ever get this right. Aragorn gave her a moment to catch her breath before he reached out a hand to help her up. Allison took it firmly, and he lifted her onto her feet. "You're getting there," he said kindly. "Next time, try moves one and three when I come at you with the sword. You can do this."

Glancing around, Allison saw that they had attracted an audience--Boromir stood in the doorway, leaning up against it as he watched the training sessions. Fantastic.

-------------

"Very good form," Legolas said as he watched the arrow soar towards the target. The arrow found it's mark, though more near the bottom of the target than anywhere else. Still, her aim was good, if not flawless. He smiled at her. "Very good," he repeated. "You've had good training in technique, in any case. We just need to work on your aim a bit. Get another arrow ready, and I'll help you. May I?" he asked. He stood behind her, taking a hold of each of her arms to guide them where to go. He was acutely aware of how close he was to her, but ignored it. "Now, hold this position while you focus on the target. Your shoulders will start to ache after a while, and you won't have the luxury of waiting like this during a real fight. But for practice, it's a great way to improve your aim. Just focus on the center of the target and try to get the arrow as close to it as you can." He let go of her and stepped away. "Whenever you're ready."

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Megan smiled a little more to Legolas congratulating her on her hit. She nodded to all he said and then felt him right behind her, which made her heart beat ten times faster. Though, she didn't grow tense from the touch or closeness. She looked over and saw an audience form, but tried not to think too much on it.

Looking back to the arrow, Megan focuses only on that one thing and bit her lower lip. She closed her eyes for a few moments, before opening her eyes and narrowing them a bit. She did all that Legolas told her to do and then let go of the arrow, letting it soar toward the target. It was a bullseye. She smiled widely and then looked to Legolas happily. "I did it!" She exclaimed and laughed a bit.

-----------

Frodo was still on a walk with the other Hobbits and decided that he wanted to go and watch them train for a bit. He had Sam, Pippin and Merry follow him and then stood beside Boromir, watching Arabella closely. He saw how good she was doing and smiled, happily. She was doing way better than he would have done.

[Sorry it took so long! I'm at work still. Off at 4:45pm. ):]

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(It's totally all right, I only just got back to college and had dinner and stuff, and apparently all the girls on my floor are walking to Dairy Queen at 8, so I have to go to that...I don't like forced social events. Anyway....)

She was still having difficulty breathing after her fall, and she was grateful for the distraction when Megan shot the arrow perfectly. Allison watched, a mixture of pride and disbelief on her face. Megan had always been a fast learner, but she wasn't expecting her to pick it up so quickly! Still, she supposed her being an elf had something to do with it. She gave her a quick grin but whirled around as she heard Aragorn's sword whooshing towards her again. She didn't move out of the way enough, though, and he tapped her lightly with the flat side of it like he always did when she didn't dodge--his way of 'killing' her. "Pay attention," he instructed. "One day your life may depend on it."

Boromir let out a little laugh, shaking his head. Allison glared at him. She had never much cared for Boromir, in the books and the movies--she viewed him with a mixture of pity and scorn. She could tell that the real life version was going to be no different. She picked up her sword again and waited for the next attack. Hopefully, this time, she would be ready.

-------------

Legolas' eyes widened in approval as he watched Amara's next arrow make a perfect hit in the center of the target. "Excellent!" he exclaimed, feeling a sudden sense of pride in her abilities. "You may need less coaching than I thought! Try to hit that same mark again. If you succeed, it will pass through the arrow you just shot. If you can't do it, that's all right, but do try. I'm impressed with your talents so far."

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[Mmmm... Dairy Queen ice cream<3]

Megan smiled more to Legolas and then heard him ask her to do the next task. Her smile fell a bit and then looked back to the target. "I think that was just a lucky shot... I couldn't do a second one..." She said to him softly and then looked over to him once more. She bit her lower lip and held onto her bow tightly. She was starting to get nervous again, taking a deep breath.

Focusing on the target once more, Megan took a shaky breath. She had to think of it as if it was an Orc chasing after her. One that wouldn't go down, even with one arrow in its chest or head. She made a face at the thought, but she had to keep thinking it or else she would never make it alive. So, shaking her head a bit, she got another arrow and prepared to shoot. The Hobbits were starting to make noise in the background. She could tell that it was Merry, Pippin and Sam. She expected it, but it was hard for her to fully focus because of it.

Calming herself, she was about to let go of the arrow, but got hit by something hard on the back of the head. "Ow!" She exclaimed and then accidentally let go of the arrow, having it shoot in the totally wrong direction and into a tree. She rubbed the back of her head and looked down to the ground, to see what had hit her. It was an apple. She looked over to where the Hobbits were and saw Merry, Pippin and Sam standing there; looking as if they were deer in headlights. She shook her head and laughed a bit, seeing that Frodo was doing the same.

-------------

Frodo stared at Arabella and watched as she fought with Aragorn still. He heard Boromir laugh at her, when Aragorn "killed" her again and then glared a bit to him. This man was not going to be good to have around, but they needed him. Taking a deep breath, he saw Sam take out an apple from beneath his vest. He knew what was coming. "Where did ya get that, Sam?" Pippin asked curiously and then Sam stared at him. "Uh... From the kitchen?" He asked and slowly started backing away.

"Oh no you don't!" Merry exclaimed and then took the apple from Sam, starting to throw it back and forth with Pippin, while Sam was in the middle; trying to get it back from them. "Give it back!" He yelled, feeling a bit hungry already. The two Hobbits continued throwing it, until Merry threw it too far and it ended up going toward Amara and Legolas. "Uh oh..." Pippin said softly and they both stared, watching the apple hit Amara on the back of the head.

They both sighed in relief, as Amara started laughing at them. Luckily, no one got hurt in the process.

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"Move your feet," Aragorn told her. "Try to predict my next move before I make it. You can do this."

Allison nodded, focusing as best she could. She moved when he moved, wondering if she was getting the hang of it. He was about to strike her when she heard Megan's outburst, and she dropped her sword arm to her side as she turned to look. Aragorn tapped her lightly but followed her gaze to where Megan stood, looking first to the apple on the ground at her feet and then to the clearly-mortified Hobbits. Allison burst into giggles, shaking her head. She caught Frodo's eye and gave him a little shrug, as if to say 'What can you do?'

Aragorn, seeing this as an incredible teaching moment, lunged toward Allison with his sword again. She stifled a scream as she saw it was coming right at her. A sort of primal feeling took control and she thrust her own arm upward, the sound of metal on metal ringing through the courtyard as the blades collided. Then, not even realizing what she was doing, she moved her arm again, throwing Aragorn's sword back. Then, she reached up with her sword as far as her little arms could reach, her blade as close to Aragorn's throat as possible.

Allison froze in shock as her mind came back to her, realizing what she had done. The courtyard had gone silent, but Aragorn smiled. "Good. You've just learned possibly the most important lesson in swordcraft: In the heat of battle, you'll have no time to think of technique. You must rely on instinct, and your instincts are good. You have much to work and improve on, but your instincts are good. That's enough for today."

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Legolas looked over his shoulder disapprovingly at the Hobbits, but he relaxed after Lady Amara began laughing. "No more distractions, please," he called lightly. Of course, Estel chose that moment to attack Arabella, causing even more of a distraction than before, but Legolas watched with interest as the small Hobbit lass was able to block the blow and launch an attack of her own. One eyebrow raised slightly. Perhaps she'll make it after all.

Turning back to Amara, he smiled. "Shall we try it again--without the threat of apples this time?"

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Megan laughed a little bit more and then looked over to Aragorn and Allison, watching them fight intensely. She stared and watched her best friend kick butt during the sword-fighting and smiled widely. She rested her hand on her hip and then saw the tip of Allison's blade as close to Aragorn's throat as she could get it.

Starting to clap for her friend, she then heard Legolas speak to her. She looked over to him and giggled a bit, nodding to him. "Yeah... I'll try it again." She said softly and then looked back to the target. Grabbing another arrow, she put it in its place and stared at the spot that she was supposed to hit.

Something happened, when she looked at it this time. It felt as though an energy was coursing through her, the further back she let the arrow go. As soon as she let go of the arrow, the energy went to the highest extremity and then made the arrow go really hard and fast into the arrow and completely through the target. The force was so strong that it sent her to her back, landing on the grass with a loud thud.

Having the wind knocked out of her for a bit, she stared up at the sky with her eyes wide and her mouth ajar. She shook a bit and then slowly sat up, trying to catch her breath while looking over to the target. The one arrow she had just used had gone straight through the other arrow, splitting it in half and was sticking in a stone wall behind. She had a look of complete shock on her face.

What the heck was going on?

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Frodo laughed more at Pippin and Merry, before looking over to Arabella. He smiled widely to her and shrugged back, before seeing Aragorn take the opportunity to attack her again. He saw how she handled it and smirked a bit, being really pleased at how great she was doing. He definitely had to give her kudos for that.

Nodding a bit, he crossed his arms and then heard Merry and Pippin complaining in the background about being hungry again. He rolled his eyes slightly and took a deep breath, playfully pushing them along. "Come on then. Hurry up." He said, walking with them back to the dining halls.

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Allison's victory was sweet, but short-lived. She watched in confusion as Megan's arrow found it's mark, but the force of the shot knocked her flat on her back. Abandoning her sword as she flung it away from her, Allison ran towards Megan, dropping to a kneeling position next to her. "Are you all right? What happened?"

-------

Legolas didn't know what to think. In all his long years, he wasn't sure if he had ever seen anything like that happen before. He wanted to congratulate Amara on her success, but first he had to make sure she was not hurt. He knelt on her other side, across from her friend, concern written in his eyes. "My lady?"

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[Not trying to steal Allison's thunder, I promise! I just thought that it would be a cool idea if they both had gifts. Allison's is magic and Megan's might be controlling energy.]

Megan heard Allison and Legolas' voices beside her and knew that they were there, but their voices were muffled. Almost as if she was starting to suffer from being deaf. She swallowed hard and continued staring at the target, completely shook up. She was fine, but had no idea where that shot had come from.

She slowly looked to Allison and then Legolas, not knowing what to think. Suddenly, a voice from her head started to speak and she knew that no one else could hear it. You and Arabella are doing well... Soon you will be brought to our side. You will be ours. The voice hissed and echoed. She instantly knew that it was Sauron. She gasped a bit and then quickly stood up from her spot. She looked over to Allison quickly and took a deep breath. "Arabella... Sauron is speaking to me..." She whispered, sounding scared. She had no clue what they were all in for.

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(No problem, it's your RP, and I think it's an awesome idea!)

Megan's eyes were filled with a wild fear, and Allison felt more helpless than ever, not knowing what to do for her. She looked at Legolas, willing him to do something, anything, but she didn't know what. "Aragorn!" she called frantically. He raced over as well, Boromir following behind him.

When Megan told them what she had heard, Allison felt her breath catch in her throat, and she couldn't speak for several minutes. "Are--are you sure?" she asked, horrified. This wasn't right. Sauron wasn't supposed to speak to anyone except through the Ring, when he was trying to tempt someone to take it and use it for themself. That was how it was supposed to happen.

...Wasn't it?

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Megan shook a bit and then slowly shook her head, staring at the majority of them. Sauron was starting to get to her. "I... I can't help the Fellowship. I can't even take care of myself." She said sadly and then held her head in her hands, trying to get Sauron's voice out of her head. She leaned against a nearby tree and was starting to lose it. "I can't do this..." She whispered and took a deep breath.

She swallowed hard and then looked up to Legolas, feeling a lot of energy build up inside her again. She didn't know why this feeling kept appearing randomly, but she hoped it was for good reasoning.

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This was not good. Megan hearing the voice of Sauron was terrifying enough, but now giving up hope like this...Allison couldn't let it happen. "Yes, you can," she insisted. "You can do this, M--Amara," she said, catching herself just in time. "You're not alone. We're in this together, all of us. Trust me. We can do this!"

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How can the voice of the Enemy be within her head? Legolas wondered, looking at Estel questioningly. His eyes yielded no answers. His eyes flickered back to Lady Amara, who was gazing at him. His eyes met hers and held them. "Your friend is right," he told her in Elvish. "You are not alone. The Fellowship swore an oath to protect you, and to protect each other. You must put your trust in us."

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Megan heard all that Allison said and felt tears reach her eyes, swallowing hard. She then looked over to Legolas again, hearing what he said to her in Elvish. Both of their words seemed to empower her ten times more and then the energy she felt was much stronger. So strong, in fact, that it made the voice of Sauron finally go away.

She let out a sigh of relief and then lowered her head a bit, to regain her composure. She swallowed hard and then looked back up, nodding her head slowly. "Alright... I'm gonna work harder." She said softly. She rested her hand on Allison's shoulder and smiled a little, before walking over to Legolas again, slowly.

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Her eyes welled up when Megan's did--Allison had always thought that she herself cried too often and too easily. When Megan stood up with more determination than ever, though, Allison became so confused her head started to hurt. So first she is excited to be here, then we both freak out, then she leaves the room in tears, then she's determined again, then Sauron possesses her or something for reasons I still don't understand, and now she's going to work harder than ever? She understood why Megan might feel so motivated, having experienced the enemy firsthand, but...it was all getting to be too much for the little Hobbit. She was tired. She was hungry. She needed a shower and some Gatorade and a nap. None of which she could really get here. Well, maybe the nap.

Still, despite her confusion and exhaustion, she smiled at her friend. "We're here for you," she promised.

She stood up, brushing her hair off of her forehead, where it lay plastered there by sweat. "I'm going to rest for a while, if we're done for the day," she told Aragorn. "Let me know if you need me." Walking away, she passed Boromir as she neared the doorway.

"You have courage, little one," he said. "I think we will be lucky to have you and your friend along." Allison nodded and walked away, giving him a ghost of a smile. In her fanfic, she and Boromir had not gotten along. She didn't expect any difference here.

Once inside, she leaned against the nearest wall, looking up at the ceiling as her emotions overtook her. Megan had had her freakout moment, and apparently, it was time for Allison's. What if I can't do this?

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"We don't have to continue," Legolas tried to tell Amara. "You've just been through a lot. You are well within your rights to stop for the day, or even just take a small break to rest and recover your strength. Truly, I understand...but if you insist..." He picked up her bow from where she had dropped it and handed it to her with a look of concern still on his face.

(You think maybe we should do another time skip? I for one am anxious to get them actually started on their journey, but it really doesn't matter--it's up to you!)

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[Um... YES! TRAVELING BUDDIES! <3 ]

It had been a rough couple of weeks, since Megan and Arabella had arrived in Rivendell. They had spent the whole time training and getting to know everyone much better. Especially Frodo with Arabella and Legolas with Megan. They were all close now. They had set out for their journey a couple of days ago and were on their way toward The Misty Mountains. It was going to be a long journey; that Megan was sure of.

Walking in between Legolas and Aragorn, Megan looked ahead at Allison; who was walking alongside Frodo. She watched as the two of them interacted and smiled a bit, knowing that they were getting closer. She was super happy for her friend and knew that this was something she had wanted from the very beginning. Looking over to Legolas, Megan smiled a little more and then looked at the scenery. "I never got to fully thank you... For all of the training. You too, Aragorn. Without you guys, I wouldn't be able to fight for the Fellowship. I really appreciate you two." She said softly and then looked between them.

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Frodo had been going through some pains during his time in Rivendell. His wound hadn't felt too good, but he was learning to cope with it. Luckily, his mind would be so focused on other things during the journey, that he wouldn't have time to dwell on his wound and its pain.

Walking toward The Misty Mountains with the Fellowship and Arabella and Amara, Frodo stayed close to Arabella. He was fully attached to her and knew that it would stay that way throughout the whole journey. He didn't want to lose her. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Sam following closely behind him. Sam was extremely protective of Frodo and he was quite aware of it. It was flattering, really. Merry and Pippin were walking with Bill the Pony while snacking on some apples. Everyone had their own conversations going on.

"You had been doing quite well with your training in Rivendell, Arabella. I was really impressed." He said, letting his bright blue eyes rest their gaze on Arabella's beautiful face. He smiled a little and then looked ahead, happily.

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(Last post for the night, but I'll try to post before my first class tomorrow!)

The weeks had passed in a blur of endless training and practicing, until each was indistinguishable from the next. Allison felt she had improved a bit in her swordplay, but she was absolutely hopeless with a bow, and everyone knew it. She supposed that Hobbits were simply just not meant to be archers.

Her training with Gandalf had been going well also. She hadn't gotten as drained as she had the first tme she had done magic, and her Shields were improving. He had begun to teach her how to summon items to her with magic without touching them, but that was a more complicated spell she hadn't begun to master.

Of those weeks in Rivendell, two things stuck out the most. She had been in the room with Frodo when Bilbo had given him the mithril vest and Sting, and had had to leave the room because she knew what was coming next--Bilbo losing control and trying to take the Ring. She hated knowing what was going to come next--it felt like skipping to the end of the book or something. She had run from the room, not stopping until she had come to the first empty one she could find, bursting into tears. It was there that Arwen had found her.

Allison had met her and spoken with her, of course, but this time was different. They had talked for nearly an hour about their fears for the future, and Allison had even admitted her feelings for Frodo. Talking to Arwen felt like talking to a mother and a best friend all at once--she didn't judge or interrupt, and she had the wisdom of the ages that she was willing to impart on her. "Hold on to your love," she had advised. "In these dark times, it is all we have. Let it keep you strong, mellon nîn, my friend." Arwen's gaze fell on Allison's necklace. "You are an Elf-friend, Arabella," she told her. "Never forget that."

The sound of Frodo's voice broke through Allison's thoughts, bringing her back out of her reverie and into the present. She was immediately aware of how sore her legs were. Only two days into the journey and she would be happy if she never had to take another step!

"Thank you," she said. "It's been a challenge, I can definitely admit. But I have some strength in me, apparently. How is your shoulder?" she asked, glancing at it.

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"There is no need to thank me," Legolas assured Amara as they walked, Mithrandir leading them with the Hobbits not far behind. "It has been an honor to teach such an enthusiastic student, and you've improved by leaps and bounds in just a few short weeks. You will be quite formiddable in battle now, I should think." He offered her a smile, relieved to see the contented light in her eyes. There had been no instances like on that first day, when Sauron had invaded her thoughts, and Legolas hoped there would not be again.

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