Hi guys I'm back hope you like my next chapter.

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Chapter Thirteen: Setting Off

I whipped out my daggers and turned them on. Himon and Faervel decided that just then was a brilliant time to just stop and stare in shock as though they had never seen droid before. Though, now that I think about it, they probably hadn't.

Using the Force I pulled one of the droids towards me and twirling my blades around chopped off its head and limbs before it could do anything about it. Himon and Faervel had finally stopped staring in shock and both tried to shoot it down with arrows, which needless to say did nothing. I was about to intervene when the droid I had just dismembered blew up knocking me to the ground. Sense when have these things been programed to self-destruct?!

I got up with several scrapes and grabbed my daggers. The other droid was causing the elves problems. They had given up using arrows and were now attacking the thing with their sword which was slightly more effective, but the droid is made of metal so not really. Besides they had no clue as to how to fight a droid. Sighing I pulled it towards me with the Force.

Unfortunately the droid responded by firing blaster bolts every which way. "Get down!" I yelled. With the flick of my hand I sent the bolts aimed at me traveling harmlessly into the sky, before dismembering this droid as well. Then remembering what had happened with the other one, sliced the chest piece in half before it could blow up.

"Alright," I said, taking a deep breath, "that was unexpected." The many of trees surrounding the clearing now had multiple burn marks and or random metal pieces cutting into them.

"What were those things?" Faervel asked, walking up out from behind the tree he had taken cover behind.

"Assassin droids," I said absent mindedly. I was trying to figure out what assassin droids had been sent to do. Contrary to what their name seemed to imply assassin droids sometimes do more than go around and kill people at their owners bidding.

"Connection error. This pod will self-destruct in 5-4," mechanical voice inside the pod began.

"Oh, no," I said, and jumped backwards, landing behind the front line of trees.

"3-2" then voice calmly continued. Then there was a very loud explosion, that I'm sure could be heard for miles around. What was up with everything self-destructing?

"Does everything from your world explode?" Himon asked rather concerned.

"Generally no," I said. "In fact I don't think I have seen an escape pod that could self-destruct. That kind of defeats the point of an escape pod. I mean, I guess if there was an FS-13G support system you could just rewired the… Sorry I'm rabbling, aren't I?"

Himon shrugged. "Might I suggest that we head back now?" he asked.

"Good idea," I agreed. Almost unconsciously I noticed a memory chip from the droid that had not exploded, grabbed it with the force and stuck in in my pocket to look at later. I didn't bother telling Himon or Faervel because they probably wouldn't understand what it was anyways.

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The rest of the week went by uneventfully. I managed to reconstruct my sheaths for my daggers. They were part of fingerless leather gloves that went up to my elbow. This way if I where long sleeves, which I normally do, the daggers are completely concealed. A thin strap around the hilt keeps them from falling out unexpectedly.

The elves kindly fixed Aragon's sword and then made the blade look even cooler with pictures and writing. Aragon decided to name his sword Andúril which translates to something along the lines of 'Flame of the West'. Apparently for a weapon to actually be important it must have some cool name or something like that.

The day of our departure finally came. It was a dull and lifeless day with dark heavy clouds hanging low in the sky. A strong wind was blowing through knocking any last leaf trying to bright mood to the ground, leaving the trees looking lifeless. Only in the distance could the green of the pine trees be seen. The scene fit the mood of most of the people present. I don't think I would include myself in that most though, because as I mentioned before I thrive on making hopeless missions succeed.

The only other person that appeared to be not depressed by the weight of the mission was the poor pony we had gotten in Rivendell. Sam had somehow convinced us that Bill, as he had taken to calling the pony, should be our beast of burden. It was hard to believe how much Bill had changed from the poor scrawny thing we had pick up in Bree to quite a nice looking pony. Now I've had a rather limited experience with ponies, but I figure he looked better than most.

It had been decided that we would travel by night until we were quite a distance away from Rivendell in order to conceal our path. Therefore we had all gather together at dusk to say our goodbyes and set off.

I didn't have many people to say goodbye to as I didn't really know that many people in Rivendell who weren't part of the Fellowship. Himon and Faervel made me promise to be careful, and I, in turn, made them promise to stay out of trouble. That had been in the great hall. Now we were all waiting outside for Gandalf who was still inside, probably taking to Elrond.

Suddenly I heard a loud blast and jumped slightly turning towards the noise and saw Boromir lowering his horn. "What the heck?" I exclaimed. "You do realize we are trying to be stealthy, right?"

"Yes," Boromir responded. "But always I have let my horn cry at setting forth, and though afterwards we may walk in shadows, I will not go forth as a thief in the night."

"Announcing our departure to the world kind of defeats the point of being stealthy afterwards, though," I argued. "As they already know where we are."

"Have you no sense of honor that you wish to depart like a common criminal?" Boromir asked me.

"It's not so much a question of honor as it question of common sense and good logic," I responded, rolling my eyes.

"I have always blown my horn when starting off. I will not change my custom now just because the danger is greater."

"You are totally using the Appeal to Tradition fallacy," I told him. "So please give me a logical argument for why announcing our departure was necessary."

"It is not bad logic to hold to tradition."

"It is when there are logical reasons not to do so. Such as need to be stealthy and you yourself admitted that the danger was greater."

"You still haven't answered my question about honor," Boromir said, clearly getting irritated at my ability to beat him at logic.

"Actually I did," I said, possibly enjoying this a bit too much. You see, Boromir had trouble respecting me as an equal as I'm a girl. Because, you know, that has anything to do with my ability to reason or defend myself. "As I said before honor has nothing to do with it. And how is leaving quietly unhonorable?"

"Honor is the most important thing," Boromir said raising his voice.

"It has nothing to do honor," I said, raising my voice as well. "It has everything to do with logic!"

"So you don't have any honor!"

"I never said that!" I paused taking a deep breath. "I just don't see what it has to do with what we're talking about, or how us departing quietly goes against honor."

"It just does," Boromir insisted, stubbornly not admitting that he was wrong.

I opened my mouth to say something, but then shut it realizing there was no point in further arguing the point if he wouldn't use logic. "Fine, don't be rational," I finally said.

"I am being rational."

"No you're only rationalizing"

"What's the difference?!"

"When you rationalize, you arguing something with actual reasons. Whether they are good or bad doesn't matter. You are only being rational when your arguments are good ones, which yours are not. It is a rather technical difference but an important one."

"You're impossible," Boromir declared.

I shrugged and looked over to where Aragon was sitting and had been watching the whole interaction. "And here I thought Legolas and Gimli would be the ones to cause the most arguments," he said.

"Well, you might just be wrong," I said, smiling and then added. "Again."

"When was I wrong before?" Aragon asked more confused than offended.

"That's for you to figure out," I said mischievously.

"Like I said," Boromir repeated, "You're impossible."

"I won't argue with you on that one," I said.

Before anyone could respond to that Gandalf and Elrond came out and we all gather from our various places around the yard.

"This is my last word," Elrond said to us. "The Ring-bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom. On him alone is any charge laid: neither to cast away the Ring, nor to deliver it to any servant of the Enemy nor indeed to let any handle it, save members of the Company and the Council, and only then in gravest need. The others go with him as free companions, to help him on his way. You may tarry, or come back, or turn aside into other paths, as chance allows. The further you go, the less easy it will be to withdraw; yet no oath or bond is laid on you to go further than you will. For you do not yet know the strength of your hearts, and you cannot foresee what each may meet upon the road."

"Faithless is the one who says farewell when the road darkens," Gimli commented.

"Maybe," Elrond said, "but let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall."

"Yet sworn word may strengthen quaking heart," Gimli said.

"Or break it," Elrond said. "Look not too far ahead! But go now with good hearts! Farewell, and may the blessing of Elves and Men and all Free Folk go with you. May the stars shine upon your faces!"

"Good… Good luck!" Bilbo said, shivering in the cold. "I don't suppose you will be able to keep a diary, Frodo my lad, but I shall expect a full account when you get back. And don't be too long! Farewell!"

There were many elves there to watch us depart and in quiet voicing us wishing us well, but there was no music or cheerfulness about it and the voices quickly faded away. With that we set off into the night leaving Rivendell behind us.

Sorry these chapters keep taking so long but I keep jumping ahead in my mind and planning scenes will happen much later on and yeah. Anyways please review because I love reviews.

Schyrsivochter, Review this that, and Sir Baron thank you for reviewing.