The Last Rites for Souls on Fire

The Fellowship exited the dismal caverns of Moria, exchanging it for the rocky foothills of the mountains. The Hobbits collapsed , each with a look of disbelief. Frodo was crying, tears carving streaks down his dirt-covered face. Faelwen wrapped her arms around Merry as he held Pippin, her eyes seeking out Legolas.
Aragorn spoke, restrain in his voice, "We need to keep moving."
"Give them a moment! For pity's sake!" Boromir yelled.
"No, Boromir. He's right. The Elves of Lorien live in the forest just beyond the edge of the plains. They will give us a place to rest," Faelwen said softly.
"By nightfall these hills will be filled with Orcs. Legolas, Gimli, get them up," Aragorn said swiftly, turning in an attempt to hide his own grief.
The Hobbits mustered what little strength they had to keep moving. Every few steps, a choked sob could be heard, occasionally from Gimli. Boromir walked at the back of the group, a scowl on his face, as far away from Aragorn as possible. The two Elves stayed near the Hobbits, helping them to walk across the rock-strewn and craggy ground. Legolas refused to look at Faelwen, regardless of feeling her eyes on him. She looked at him, worry plaguing her features.

The Fellowship walked in the same choked and silent manner for hours, the foothills seeming to never end. Faelwen carried the still-distraught Frodo, whispering to him in Elvish. Though he couldn't understand, Frodo knew that they were comforting words made solely for the purpose of offering him peace of mind.
"What are you saying, Faelwen?" Were the first croaky words Frodo muttered since leaving the mine.
He looked into the face of the Elf as she smiled sadly, "I said that Gandalf had a brave soul, and would not perish easily. Nor in vain. He would not sacrifice himself, if he believed that you were not capable of continuing without him. You had a truly blessed friend, Little Master."
"But how could he know that I can do this? What if it was in vain?" Frodo said, his distress overwhelming his words.
"Frodo, it is harsh to say but Gandalf's death will be the first of many. This is a war, my tiny friend. He was very wise, he knew you were capable. Not from his head, but from his heart. It is a shame that such a good man was the first to fall victim, but he will not be the last," She looked down at the Hobbit, "You must remember that only by your hands will the destruction of lives be put to an end. Such is a ring-bearers duty."
"Will you take it? Will you destroy it?" Frodo asked, a kind of worried hope emanating from his body.
Faelwen sighed, looking away, "If I could offer you relief, I would, muin mellon. But I cannot take the ring. It will turn me into a wicked creature, not fit to walk upon the earth." (dear friend)
Frodo's eyes became downcast, when suddenly he heard her laugh, a blissful melodious sound, "Look, Frodo! Grass! Oh, I've missed grass. That mine was so dark, nothing but rocks everywhere."
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Gimli asked gruffly.
She put Frodo down and quickly sat, taking off her shoes, "That I don't understand how you Dwarves can live in such places all your lives. I'm a Dark-Elf, and even I prefer plants to that kind of dank place!"
Legolas stood by Sam, trying his best not to laugh. Aragorn too, chuckled as Faelwen continued to taunt the Dwarf, holding her boots in one hand as she walked through the grass.
"Now, now. That wasn't an accurate showing of true Dwarven hospitality-"
"Gimli," Faelwen interrupted sweetly, "I don't like caves."
She laughed softly, reaching for Frodo's hand, "Come on, muin mellon, run with me."
Frodo tripped at first as Faelwen pulled him along but quickly caught his feet, running through the grass beside her. It occurred to him that while he was running almost as fast as he could, she must be going quite slowly. The Fellowship behind them, couldn't help but smile at the two, all of them knowing that Faelwen was trying her best to cheer Frodo up. Merry and Pippin smiled at each other, before taking off running after them.
"Why don't you run with me, Faelwen?" Merry shouted.
"You could hold my hand?" Pippin yelled, a grin on his face.
Aragorn and Boromir laughed at the Hobbits. Sam chuckled as his friends continued to make fools of themselves.
Legolas smirked, "You know, Gimli. Faelwen's right. That cave was a bit dismal."
Gimli grunted, muttering something about, "Useless Elves" as Legolas laughed, slowly allowing his eyes to trail to Faelwen as she slowed to let the other Hobbits catch up to her.

The 4 others caught up to Faelwen and the Hobbits as they sat a short ways from the edge of the forest. Faelwen pulled her shoes back on, a smile on her face, as her 'tiny friends' ate apples from their packs. The apples were quickly tossed aside when Aragorn approached.
"We know, we know," Merry said solemnly, "You don't believe in second breakfast."
"Or luncheon. Or afternoon tea. Or elevensies," Pippin finished, a smile on his face that said he was proud of himself.
Faelwen chuckled, "How can such tiny people eat so much?"
"Because were Hobbits," Merry and Pippin replied in unison, matching grins on their faces.
"Come on, you lot. We need to keep moving," Aragorn said through the smile on his face.
Faelwen stood, quickly and smoothly, completely aware of the eyes watching all of them from the tree tops above.
The Hobbits followed her actions, a lot less gracefully, as the Fellowship set off to enter the Forest of Lothlorien.