Alana

Alana frowned as the rocks beneath her slid slowly. Gripping Niltincoiel's reigns tighter in her already bruised hands Alana ignored the sounds of the frantic animal.

"Well, Nilcoire, it looks like a hard journey down this mountain." She commented looking at the gray wolf standing behind the stallion mare's black frame.

Nilcoire whimpered softly, knowing that it did not really matter what happened to Alana know, for she would die soon anyway. Either from lack of food and drink, or from the broken heart that she had now that she was missing both of her parents.

The ground beneath Alana sifted again, and she plunged down, as if skiing on snow. Her feet were set, and her body tense. As the rock she was standing on rammed into another, Alana was hurled towards the ground, finally letting go of the horse. The frightened mare shot down the rocky hill and skidded to a stop by the now moaning Alana, Nilcoire coming up close to her.

"Ow. My head. My head. It hurts. Make it stop! Please…" She cried from below, and the frightened elfling curled up around her legs and cried softly. The last twenty four hours had been hard on her, but not as hard as the past year.

//~// Flash back //~//

"Alana? Stay here with your grandmother. I need to speak with your father." Thranduil took his son arm and led him away, allowing Alana to stay and talk to Aleaega.

"So my dear how have you been recently? I hear your mother is pregnant again."

"Yes, Grandmother. Ada thinks it'll be a boy this time. But he tells me he's happy with just our little family now." Alana said softly.

"I imagine he is."

Alana could feel a strange compulsion to leave the room then. "I need to check on something, I'll be back in one minuet."

"Yes, my dear. Don't be long."

Alana went outside and dunked her head in a fountain, trying to understand what had scared her. A loud booming noise, many screams and powerful impact with the marble path were the last things Alana witnessed before blacking out.

***

Alana ran as fast as she could from the burning forest around her, and clean out of Mirkwood. She sobbed harshly as she thought of her now dead mother, father, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and friends. She decided that it was up to her then, being the last of the family, to rule Mirkwood.

Alana had walked many miles and for many months wandered, finally making it home. To her amazement she saw on the palace steps…

"Grandfather!" Thranduil spun around at the sound of Alana's voice. Face lighting up when he saw her.

"Alana!" He caught her up in her arms and hugged her harshly. "We thought you were dead!"

"I thought you were too!" Alana hugged him fiercely, realizing that if Thranduil had escaped.

"What happened to Ada, Grandfather?"

Thranduil's face saddened a bit. "If you had been here a few months ago you could have stopped him, but he has marched off to his death. We got a message, only this morning, and I fear your father is dead."

"No! But he can't be! Grandfather!"

"Shhh, shh. Little one." Alana clung and sobbed softly, being only a young elf, (In human years around twelve) and very emotional.

Later that night Alana, blinded by grief, bound off with her father's stallion, her favorite hunting wolf, and a heavy heart. She, too, would march to her death.

//~// End of Flash back //~//

Alana remembered sadly what had happened and allowed her tears to fall harder. She had been traveling for weeks and was headed towards Mordor, wanting to meet her death.

Standing up, Alana slung herself onto the horse and started off again.

***

Alana gripped her knives in her sweaty hands, looking at the two forms scurrying along Mordor's border. Interesting things, these small creatures were, and Alana decided to approach.

"Greetings." She called. Niltincoiel followed with Nilcoire behind.

The two creatures turned quickly, reaching for their meager weapons. "Who are you?" One of them asked.

"My name is Alana, of Mirkwood. Who are you, to travel these desolate lands?"

"I am Sam, and this is Mister Frodo. I should ask you the same things."

"I travel because I have a wish to die." Alana said nonchalantly.

"Why do you have a death wish?" The one whom had not spoken asked quietly. Frodo.

"Why should I live? My family has been killed off, my heart is heavy, I will die soon anyway." Alana responded.

"Well, the way we're going, Miss Elf, we'll end up dead anyway." Frodo didn't understand exactly, but her felt a strange connection for this elf, telling him to trust her.

"Than I shall accompany you for a little while."