[Amanaduial the archer]

Hreeza walked with the rest of the group, and all the time she couldnt stop thinking that, yes, she was walking! The robe of woven silver air she had created felt good against her new skin, her legs, her body, her arms.... She sighed happily and breathed the sweet, clean air, and smiled. They had buried those who had fallen some way from the cave, and had been travelling on foot for the few hours since, as Hreeza didnt have a horse like the rest of them. She had insisted she could quite easily change back to her elemental form, but the other could see how happy she was, and how much it meant to her to be like this, and so they all walked. Besides, it was a relief to be able to see her, rather than having the feeling you could be facing entirely the wrong direction and talking to thin air.

Hreeza felt eyes on her and turned her head to look at Soronûmë, her liquid gold eyes meeting his deep brown ones. He blushed slightly, but didnt look away.

"Pardon me lady, its just I didnt know...I thought....Ive never seen a sprite become..." He stammered, searching for a word.

"Real?" Hreeza supplied, raising an eyebrow, but smiling as she did so. The elf smiled back and laughed slightly, almost nervously.

"I wasnt going to say that, lady."

Hreeza waved a hand, swatting any tension away with her long fingers. "It does not matter, O Elf. I am not used to this form myself." They fell into step together, and Hreeza chewed her lip nervously, trying to build up the courage to say the words forming in her mind. "But maybe...maybe we can be not used to it together?" She winced slightly and gave a small laugh. "That sounded alot better in my head."

The elf smiled and laughed also, more easily now. He nodded. "Aye. I think I would like that, yes."

~~~~~~~~~~

They made a few stops on the way to Mirkwood, including Gondor, but the companions had stayed together, not split of to go to their own homes. Mirkwood was where they had met, after all. As Hreeza stepped into her home forest, she felt all the feelings and sensations seep into her mind, the same as if she was in her corporeal form, and breathed a sigh of happiness and relief. Elentari wanted to stop here, to go her own way, but Hreeza peruaded her to come to the palace with her.

"I want all to know of your worth, O Spider slayer." Elentari had blushed as Hreeza said this.

Hreeza went into the kings throne room, and many in there gasped to see such a strange, yet weirdly beautiful woman. She was still barefoot, but her feet remained as clean as ever, and she still wore her robe of spun air. The king looked around in the air near her as she entered, and for a moment she was worried he wouldnt believe her to be herself.

"It is I, O Elf-King. Hreeza." She said, and inclined her head to him. His eyes slowly came to rest on her and he looked her over incredulously. His mouth opened and closed a few times and Hreeza smiled to see the mighty king lost for words. "I was made corporeal by she who slew the spider."

"She who....made corporeal..." Thranduil stammered, then inclined his head back, remembering his manners, and stood. He walked slowly up to her and Hreeza held out a hand, as she had seen courtiers do so. The king took it and kissed it, then his eyes returned to her face and he looked into her liquid gold eyes. His eyes widened.

"So it is true. You are the Sprite Hreeza."

"Indeed, O Thranduil. And my companions and I bear very good news."

"The spider....Shelob is....?"

"Yes, O King. Shelob is dead."

His eyes widened again and the courtiers around the room began to murmer. Then his face broke into a smile. "Send in the one who slew the spawn of Ungoliant."

Hreeza let Elentari in, and could feel how nervous the witch was, in the room where she had stood long ago, when she was exiled, but she stood tall. Thranduil surprised everyone though, as he walked forwards and embraced her, tears of gratitude in his eyes. Hreeza smiled and let herself out as the courtiers burst into a round of applause.

~~~~

The group half reclined in the sun on one of the large, elegantly carved balconies of the palace. They had heard Elentari's news and all were happy. Bragolhirwen had agreed not to conceal her identity any more, to live without that constant fear making her hide her true self. All wounds had healed, including Lorins arm, and Hreeza was glad to see her hand holding Mins. All were, for the first time in a long time, happy and trouble free.

They had been invited to stay at the palace for a while. Hreeza would return after a few weeks into the forest to once again become part of it, to walk between the arches of the trees and feel the soft earth beneath her feet, let herself float to the tops of the trees and feel the warmth of the sun over the forest, walk and bathe in the streams with the elementals of an element almost as free as hers....and let herself sometimes float apart, back to that blessed state in which she was created, the form of a sprite, and feel everything all together, in the freest element of all.