[*Varda*]

***Shire/Rivendell/Blue Mountains***

The weather cleared that night, and when the group looked out upon the Misty Mountains at dawn, the sky was a spectacular shade of blue and the sun rising above the mountains.

They packed up quickly and set off, following an old track through the mountains. By the end of the day they were well into the land of the Beornings, before starting to turn south. They were all well aware that they didn't have much time to reach Minas Anor, and although they might be the last party there, at least they would not be late.

However, after continuing for 5 hours, the hobbits demanded a rest, and Serin heartily agreed with them. There was surely no point arriving in a bedraggled, worn out mess was there? That would hardly reflect well upon them.

"Where is our route heading, Elladan?" Brando asked curiously.

"The woods of Lothlorien," Elladan replied. "I have not been there in a long time." At this the hobbits looked happy and excited, while Mikhelm just frowned. Serin was happy to observe it was an improvement, as before he would have had much to say upon the subject.

After a while they began to set off again, Serin walking with Elrohir in front. Their talk concerned many things, and soon they were deep in thought.

Theron instructed them to walk near the Anduin, and this they did, as it would take them by Lorien, and eventually Minas Anor.

"Hobbits!" Ciri called back to them. "You are too near the water, be careful!" The younger hobbits were cheerful and running by the water, forgetting its dangers. Elladan went back to remind them, but too late. Odo stumbled upon the side, toppled, and fell in.

Elladan prepared to dive in after him, but Odo had already grabbed a rock, and was hanging on tight.

At length, when a bedraggled and soggy hobbit had been fished out of the water, the group made the awful discovery - much of their food was ruined.