*crawls out of lair* *blinks at bright lights* Ohai! *checks pulse* Yep, I'm not dead yet!

So, my excuses are many and varied, including (but not limited to) Senior Year 1.5 (I extended my degree last minute...), being temporarily homeless, prepping to move across the country, dumping an emotionally abusive boyfriend, and the mother of all cases of writer's block, among other things. Grawr. You guys can all thank all the feels-y bits in The Hobbit movies for dragging me back into fanfiction!

No, I'm not writing Hobbit fanfiction... yet.

Anyway. I'm sorry for abandoning all of you, even though I have seen all the follows/faves/review emails from you guys. If I haven't responded to your review (and I don't even remember who I've replied to at this point), just know I love you all, whether you've utterly given up on me at this point or not. XD

And because this A/N is already too long for me to add a blurb on the ORUCP: I don't own Lord of the Rings or Star Wars (although I did just write an academic paper comparing Narnia and Middle-earth...). If I did, Obi-Wan Kenobi would live in my closet, and Kili would live under my bed. But I can dream...

The summons had come later that afternoon that they were to return to Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel's talan after sunset. Dusk had just fallen when the Jedi crossed over the threshold of the large platform into the Elven Lord and Lady's presence. Aragorn and his seven companions were already there, seated in chairs just below the Elves' dais. Elven guards quickly brought more chairs for the Jedi before melding into the shadows. Qui-Gon noticed that against the silver bark of the tree, they were nearly impossible to see, unless they moved quickly.

Celeborn spoke first, his deep voice resonating through the room. "You mentioned earlier, Master Jedi, that you were guardians of the peace in your own territory. You are not only ambassadors, but skilled warriors as well."

Qui-Gon nodded as the Elf Lord spoke. "This is true, Lord Celeborn." He briefly hesitated before continuing. "We have heard during our time in Lothlorien of a coming war, one that cannot be avoided by diplomacy. While we do not know much of your world, to our regret, we are willing to offer our services as Jedi Knights in this upcoming war." He and Cin had discussed this earlier in the day, and both had come to the agreement that they should do something to aid in this war. Their Padawans, when approached, supported their Masters' decision to offer help.

"That is well," said the Lady, her piercing blue eyes looking at each of the Jedi, penetrating their hearts and discerning what laid hidden in their minds. Qui-Gon felt the stirrings of the Force strongly around her- he had no doubt that she was at least equal to the Shaman of the Whills, and far surpassed even Master Yoda in terms of wisdom.

He was drawn from his musings by the Lady's low, melodic voice. "In this coming war, we have but one little hope, one that could fail swifter than most could conceive. This is of the utmost secrecy- what you hear now must not go beyond the present company." She looked to Aragorn, seated to her left. "We have spoken to Aragorn about this, and he has consented to speak of this quest with you."

Aragorn leaned a bit forward in his chair- a little stiffly, Qui-Gon noted. He knew that Cin was also feeling the effects of the sparring match from earlier that afternoon, in the forms of bruises and sore muscles. Cin Drallig might be a Jedi Battlemaster with command of the Force, but this Aragorn, son of Arathon, was far more used to the steel swords of Middle-earth, and was a respected swordsman in his own right.

Now that Qui-Gon thought about it, the Force flowed very strongly through the human man. He had no doubt that, had Middle-earth been part of the Republic, Aragorn would have made a superb Jedi Knight.

The man in question looked at all four of the Jedi in front of him before nodding and beginning to speak. "We have told you of Sauron, and the Last Alliance at the end of the Second Age." Four nods from his audience, as the Jedi tried to ignore the sudden wave of Dark Side energy that swept through the talan. "He is now rising again in Mordor, and his strength now is strong enough to rival the power he wielded in the Second Age. This is the oncoming war of which you know."

Obi-Wan hesitantly spoke up. "If Sauron was destroyed at the end of your Second Age, three thousand years ago, how has he managed to return?"

Aragorn looked down. "He was not destroyed, merely weakened." He looked back up. "The source of his power was not destroyed as it should have been, but rather taken by the King of Arnor, Isildur, who claimed it from Sauron. The source of his power was a Ring- a Ring crafted by Sauron to rule all other Rings of Power. The Ring betrayed Isildur to his death in the Gladden Fields, several leagues south of here, and was eventually taken from the river where it had been lost by the creature we now know as Gollum. Five hundred years later, it was taken again, by Bilbo Baggins of the Shire."

Baggins? Why does that- Qui-Gon frowned before looking to Frodo. His last name is Baggins if I recall correctly from yesterday, is it not?

Seeing the glances the Jedi bestowed upon the small Hobbit, Aragorn nodded. "Bilbo is Frodo's uncle. When Bilbo eventually quit the Shire, he left the Ring to Frodo, not knowing what peril he doomed his heir to. It is while the Ring has been in Frodo's possession that we have discovered that the magic ring Bilbo found many years ago in a cave under the Misty Mountains, the one that granted him invisibility and unnatural long life, was the same Ring that Sauron used to create his stronghold of Barad-Dur in Mordor."

The Jedi all exchanged glances between each other. Qui-Gon felt the Dark Side of the Force becoming stronger as Aragorn spoke- not from the human himself, but from another... presence on the platform, one that was in no way benevolent. It seemed to be centred around Frodo- yet Qui-Gon's interactions with the Hobbit led him to believe that the small humanoid was oriented toward light.

Aragorn continued to speak. "If Sauron should ever regain this Ring, all hope for Middle-earth will be lost. There will be none left with the strength to withstand him- and only the Elves have any chance of being able to escape. He has been seeking it ever since his defeat- and has come perilously close to gaining it."

"And... this Ring..." said Cin hesitantly. "What must be done with it?"

"It must be destroyed," said Frodo, his voice quiet and hesitant. Qui-Gon noticed that one of his hands had come up to his chest, and was tightly gripping something under his shirt. It was from there, the Jedi realized, that the malevolent presence he'd noticed was emitting.

Aragorn spoke up again. "There is only one way that the Ring can be destroyed. It must be taken to Mordor, to the Mountain of Fire that it was forged in, and thrown into the Cracks of Doom. That is the only way that we have any hope of defeating Sauron."

Zara blinked. "... It has to be taken into the realm of Sauron himself to be destroyed? That is risky, especially if he is trying to regain it. Is there no other way?"

Frodo shook his head. "No other fire will burn hot enough, and no weapon can make so much as a scratch on it." He paused before looking at Aragorn and Galadriel. "Unless, perhaps, a Jedi lightsabre?..."

Galadriel lowered her eyes in what seemed to be dismay, but Aragorn frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know- no Jedi weapon has been tested against a Ring of Power before."

Qui-Gon shrugged and unclipped his lightsabre from his belt, igniting the green blade. "Could it not be attempted?"

In response, Frodo slowly reached into his shirt and pulled a metal chain out from underneath. Hanging off the links was a small, golden ring. To a casual observer, it would not have looked like much, merely a small ornament on a chain- however, all four Jedi flinched, feeling waves of the Dark Side radiating off the Ring. Anger and hate surrounded the Ring- but amidst the rage, there were soft, seductive whispers in a strange language. Qui-Gon couldn't understand the words themselves, but he immediately knew the Ring was offering him power beyond his greatest dreams... power to become Grandmaster of the Order, to find the Chosen One, to restore peace and justice and stability to the galaxy, to-

He shook his head, attempting to banish the temptations from his mind. Raising the lightsabre, he moved it close to the Ring, so as to hit it squarely and melt the golden trinket...

... and felt his arm lower of its own violation, the lightsabre switching off. He couldn't muster the will to actually damage the Ring, Jedi Master or no.

Galadriel grimly smiled. "You feel the power of the Ring, Master Jedi? Then you understand why so many people, especially Men, fall prey to it. Isildur took the Ring from Sauron's hand, seeking to make himself the greatest King of Gondor and Arnor before he was slain in an ambush, betrayed by the very Ring he'd taken. Gollum killed his best friend for it, and lived for far longer than was natural for his people, becoming twisted into a fearsome creature. Bilbo Baggins was the only one to be able to surrender it freely- and even then, he needed the assistance of Gandalf the Grey, a powerful wizard, to do so. The Ring speaks with the voice of Sauron himself, always seeking to corrupt and destroy." As the Lady spoke, Frodo quickly returned the Ring to its hiding place under his shirt. Almost immediately, the Jedi felt the oppressing dark presence lessen, although it was still there, lurking under the surface.

Casting out with the Force, Qui-Gon was dismayed to feel tendrils of the Ring's power in and around Frodo, corrupting the light that seemed to be the Hobbit's natural state. Beside Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan was frozen still, eyes tightly closed. Qui-Gon knew the signs of a Force-induced vision when he saw one, but decided to question his Padawan about it later.

Cin took a slightly-shaky breath, regaining his composure, before looking back at the Middle-earthlings. "We are willing to aid in whatever way we can. What would you have us do?"

"There were nine of us to begin- the eight that you see here, as well as Gandalf," said Aragorn. Qui-Gon noted an amount of grief radiating through the Force from the human. "We set out from the Elven stronghold of Rivendell in the north some months ago to travel to Mordor to destroy the Ring. Gandalf fell in Moria to a Balrog- a demon of shadow and fire. Yet the remainder of our Fellowship must continue on. The road there is fraught with danger and we have little hope of succeeding without aid." He looked at the Jedi. "Yet four Jedi warriors to aid us could turn the tide in our favour, even by a fraction- and that may be all that we need. If you would, we would ask for you to accompany us, and guard the Ringbearer on his quest. We may have lost Gandalf, who was wisest in our lore and the history of our world, but Jedi with command of... the Force, you called it?... and lightsabres may prove to be our salvation."

Qui-Gon paused upon hearing the human's request, looking over at Cin. He was not so close to the younger Knight as to communicate words to him, but he could transmit feelings, and projected his acceptance of Aragorn's request into the Force. Cin looked back over at him before focusing on the Force- Qui-Gon could just sense the Force moving between Cin and Zara for a second before he felt agreement from the Knight. The senior Master then turned to Obi-Wan, who had by this point surfaced from his Force-induced vision. This will be dangerous, Padawan- not just from potential attacks, but I feel the Ring itself may prove hazardous.

Yes, Master. But I think the Force brought us here for just this purpose. And we certainly won't be doing Frodo or the others any favours if we just stay in Lothlorien. Qui-Gon didn't miss the note of hesitation in Obi-Wan's mental voice, though- the boy didn't want to be near the Ring any longer than he must, but his sense of duty to the planet was winning out over his own desires. The Master felt that Obi-Wan would be willing to do whatever was required to destroy this Ring.

I agree, my young apprentice. Qui-Gon looked back at Aragorn and Frodo before nodding. "We will come with you."

Almost immediately, the Fellowship relaxed, some sighing in relief at the prospect of this new-found alliance. Hope flooded in the Force, temporarily drowning out even the continuous dark waves from the Ring. Aragorn himself looked as though a large weight had been lifted off his shoulders as he sat up. "That is good to hear- we cannot offer you anything as of yet, but you have our thanks, Jedi."

"And should we succeed, said Celeborn, "the gratitude of all Middle-earth." He sat back in his seat before speaking again- this time to the Fellowship. "But now is the time for the remainder of this Fellowship to chose whether they would continue on with the Ringbearer and the Jedi, or linger in Lothlorien for a time. But know that, should you stay, it would be only temporary- for we are now come to the edge of doom. There will come a time when either it shall be safe for you to return home, or you will be called to the last defence of Lothlorien."

Silence reigned for a moment. Galadriel looked upon each member of the Fellowship before nodding. "They have all resolved to go on."

"For myself," said Boromir, "my way home is before me, not behind."

Is he not part of this Fellowship? Qui-Gon frowned as he listened to the discussion. Or is he only accompanying this quest for as long as their routes lie along the same path?

"This may be," said Celeborn, "but is all of this company going to Minas Tirith with you?"

"We have not chosen our course yet," said Aragorn, a little bit too quickly to be natural. "I know not whether even Gandalf knew which way he would choose."

"So be it. But regardless of which way you choose, you cannot ignore the River." Celeborn drew himself up a bit. "As you know, the Anduin is swift and fast, and cannot be crossed between here and Osgiliath, save by boat- and even the bridges of Osgiliath have been broken down and the landings held by the Orcs of Mordor. To the east of the river-" Qui-Gon had the feeling that these words were more for the benefit of the Jedi than the native Middle-earthlings- "-lies the straight path to Mordor and the Ring's destruction. To the west lies Gondor and perhaps a brief haven of safety, for a time."

"And the western path is the route I would choose," said Boromir, "if I were the one leading this Company."

Aragorn said nothing, although he was frowning, deep in troubled thought.

"Your decision lies some days ahead of you," said Celeborn. "It is not my place to choose your route, but I will aid as I can. Some of you know how to use boats- Legolas, whose folk know the swift Forest River; Boromir of Gondor; and Aragorn the Ranger."

"And one Hobbit!" piped up Merry. "Not all of us Hobbits fear boats- my people live beside the Brandywine River."

"As well as four Jedi," spoke up Cin. "We are taught how to handle boats from our days as students."

"This is very good to hear," answered Celeborn. "In that case, we will furnish your company with boats. They will be small and lightweight, for you will be forced to carry them in some places, should you follow the River to the rapids of Sarn Gebir and the falls of Rauros. They will make your journey easier for a time, but they will not take you to your destination, whether that lies in Gondor or the east."

Aragorn visibly relaxed and thanked Celeborn many times- to have the promise of new warriors to aid in the quest, and the gift of boats was a great encouragement indeed. Shortly after, the now-expanded Fellowship left the talan and returned to the foot of the great tree. Qui-Gon lingered for a brief moment to speak to Aragorn, drifting a little ways from both his own colleagues and the Fellowship. "If it is all right, we would take this evening to ourselves to meditate by ourselves."

The human nodded. "As you will, Master Qui-Gon. We will rejoin you on the morn." Offering a half-bow to Qui-Gon and the other Jedi, Aragorn slipped into the shadows, his long legs carrying him swiftly to his companions.

Nodding, Qui-Gon turned away and hurried after the other Jedi. He very quickly caught up to Obi-Wan, who was walking a bit slowly and appeared distracted by something. "Padawan?"

Obi-Wan started, jerked out of his thoughts, before looking at his mentor. "Sorry, Master."

"It's quite all right." Qui-Gon rested a hand on his apprentice's shoulder. "Back in the talan, when you saw the Ring... you had a vision?"

"Yes, Master." Obi-Wan stopped walking, although the young man didn't seem to be aware of his actions. "I saw darkness, and Frodo... he was under a cliff. I think he... he was dead, or unconscious- I don't know. It was so dark, and everything just... it felt evil. Then there was a great fire, and I-I could hear the Ring speaking to me..." The teen squeezed his eyes shut, as though trying to shut out the memory of what the Force had shown him. "It... it offered me power, said the Jedi were weak, and I could save the galaxy, become the most powerful Jedi since Revan himself, and..."

"Shh, Padawan." Qui-Gon gently rubbed Obi-Wan's shoulder, trying to project comfort to him despite the worried frown on his own face. "It spoke to me too- it offered me the same as you. It probably says that to everyone, I imagine." He was a bit relieved to learn he wasn't the only one who'd wavered, even if only briefly, under the Ring's lure, although he was displeased that Obi-Wan had been another target. "You're proving yourself to be a very capable Jedi by withstanding it, Obi-Wan."

The teenager looked over at Qui-Gon, likely still seeking reassurance. The boy was still shaken by his experience with the Ring, Qui-Gon noted- he didn't blame the lad. The younger Jedi took a deep breath before nodding. "I understand why this planet needs that Ring destroyed- I'm amazed Frodo hasn't been driven mad by it yet."

"As am I, especially if he's held onto it for a long time." Qui-Gon didn't mention just yet that he feared it would only be a matter of time before Frodo was corrupted by the Ring's influence- while he normally wasn't connected to future premonitions of the Force, he had a sense that the Ring's darkness. was permeating the small Hobbit's spirit faster than anyone realized. "Come- let's head back to the talan. We have a big day tomorrow and need rest."

"Yes, Master." Edging a bit closer to his mentor, Obi-Wan let the older man lead him to the tree that had been their home for the last several days. Cin and Zara were already on the wooden platform, quietly discussing what would follow in the days to come- Qui-Gon decided not to interfere with the other pair, and instead settled himself on a wide branch just off of the talan proper. "Get some rest, Padawan- we start early tomorrow."

"Yes, Master." Ever the obedient Padawan, Obi-Wan settled down in his nest of blankets for meditation before sleep. Qui-Gon cast a small smile at his student, remembering when it had been a fair sight more difficult to make the auburn-haired apprentice sit still long enough to commune with the Force, before dropping into his own meditative stance. The newest stage in their journey was coming with the dawn.

It was mid-morning, and the Elves of Lothlorien did not seem inclined to let their visitors go without first gifting them with new supplies beyond the grey boats that patiently waited on the river. The Jedi, latecomers though they were to the quest, seemed to be counted among the rest of the Fellowship already by the Elves- Obi-Wan gently fingered his soft new grey cloak as he thought. It wasn't a style of clothing normally worn by Jedi, although the green-grey colour would probably suit a Corellian Jedi quite well, but he rather liked it. To hear that the cloak would be warm or cool enough at need was an additional side benefit, as opposed to the bulky woollen robes of the Jedi. Obi-Wan was still wearing his brown robe under the cloak, although the day promised to be warm enough to shed the garment at some point.

There were other gifts being given by the Lady Galadriel- weapons, belts, a little box for Sam, and a strange light-filled crystal for Frodo that reminded Obi-Wan of the Healing Crystals of Fire in the Jedi Temple. The Jedi had not been exempt from this, either- Obi-Wan and Zara each sported two Elvish knives (one rested on Obi-Wan's belt, and the other in his boot, while Zara's had vanished up her sleeves), while the Masters now each carried a strange sword in the Middle-earthling fashion. They were a far cry from the lightsabres that hung off their owners' belts- long steel blades, single-edged swords with an elegant curve and finely crafted hilts- and dangerously beautiful in their own right. The Lady had looked each of the Jedi in the eye as she handed them their new weapons, while her words were for all four of them. "The weapons of your people may come to be inadequate here, and we would not have you unarmed. May these blades serve you well."

Obi-Wan wasn't quite sure when a steel dagger would work better than the plasma lightsabre he'd learned how to use as a child, although he supposed that, should he need stealth or anonymity, the knives would work quite well. Perhaps he could ask Legolas for some tips with dagger-fighting- the Elf sported two long-handled knives behind his quiver of arrows (a gift from the Lady, along with his new bow. His old weapons had been stowed in one of the boats.). Perhaps Aragorn or Boromir would be willing to share secrets of using a steel weapon as well.

It was only now, after a meal hosted by Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel, and the blessing of the two Elves over the company, that the small boats were being loaded with their passengers. Master Qui-Gon and Master Cin seemed to have reservations as to whether the lightweight boats would hold their weight- Aragorn didn't seem to have any problem in his boat, but then his fellow passengers were Frodo and Sam. Boromir had a similar balance in his boat. However, the boats were surprisingly tough and had no issue with bearing two fully-grown human men and a mostly-grown teenager- Obi-Wan had found himself sitting between both the Masters. Zara had ended up perched on top of an extra bag or three in Legolas and Gimli's vessel, and was already chatting it up with the Dwarf, who appeared to have developed some protective instinct over the slight female. Maybe that was an element of Dwarven culture, or maybe it was just Zara's tiny feminine form that inspired such protection- the redhead seemed to be tolerating it rather well. Obi-Wan knew from past experience that Zara was what one called "fiercely independent" normally.

The auburn-haired Padawan looked over as Master Qui-Gon very gingerly lowered himself into the boat, trying to centre his much-higher centre of gravity whilst not encumbering the sword carefully belted on over his back. The Elvish boat rocked a bit, but stayed upright. "Do you have an extra copy of the map, Master?"

"Lord Celeborn was generous enough to provide us with one," Qui-Gon nodded the affirmative. "We're following the river as far south as we can unless we change our course from the water." He looked into one of the packs that the Elves had also provided- the Jedi, of course, had not arrived with anything beyond their robes, their lightsabres, and the contents of their belt pouches: comm links, small toolkits for lightsabre repair, rebreathers, a few precious strips of bacta for wounds, and a few protein bars, in case the Elvish food ran out. "What is this bread they've given us?..."

Legolas glanced over when he heard Master Qui-Gon's mutter- evidently Elves had very sharp hearing. "Lembas bread, Master Jedi. A single wafer is enough to keep a grown man on the march for a day!" The Elf grinned before returning to carefully steering his boat away from the mooring on the roots of one large white tree.

"Lembas... interesting." Qui-Gon sat back up, with a wafer of the bread and the map. Splitting the bread in two, he handed part to his grateful apprentice and looked at the map. "And the river seems to go on for a while."

"It's still odd looking around and seeing ancient maps written on prehistoric parchment," muttered Master Cin as he settled himself in the back of the boat, taking up a paddle. "I never realized how much I missed technology before landing here..."

Obi-Wan shortly laughed before returning his focus to the river as the boat started to move out into the water, Master Cin presumably in charge of making sure the boat stayed on course, beside the boat Legolas appeared to be steering and close behind Boromir. One glance back to see Lothlorien fading into the distance, Lady Galadriel's musical voice chasing the travellers over the water- then the river rounded a bend, and the golden forest of the Elves was gone from view. Obi-Wan looked forward again, letting his mind wander as he thought about the approaching journey. What would be the next stage? What did the enemy look like? The Padawan couldn't quite stop the feeling of leaving a safe haven and stepping out into an unfriendly, dangerous world that was entirely alien to him, a feeling he hadn't experienced since he'd been a Youngling. Only one way to know how this was going to go...

... so I'm badly out of practice with writing stories. -.- I know the story's been dragging, and I'm sorry about that! The action should be starting in the next chapter, though, whenever I get around to writing it. Which will hopefully be sometime in 2014... maybe the first half of the year if I'm lucky!

The reading is much appreciated, and the reviews are too, whether you're a newcomer to the story or one of the long-term followers who's probably had me declared dead and zombiefied at this point. Thanks, guys! I love you all!

Xaja