I had been picking berries to eat in the fields above my village when I saw the orcs. At least one hundred orcs marched towards the village. I could see the children freeze. Little Maowyn, only three years old, started crying. She was standing on the edge of the village, near to me. I raced towards her, ignoring the orcs. I picked her up quickly, turned and fled.

I sped towards the forest, remembering what my aunt had told me. "If you are in danger, head for the forest!" Her voice echoed in my mind. I stumbled, and an orc appeared looming over me. I told Maowyn to run, placing her on the floor. She nodded and fled. The orc sneered at me, his right arm snaking to his waist.

He drew a short sword from his belt and swung at me, cutting my left shoulder. I screamed, both in fear and in pain, and turned to run. A man came silently in front of me and the orc. The man chopped the orc's head off with a glistening silver sword.

I yelped and tried to run away but the wound in my shoulder prevented me from getting far. I was in excruciating pain, blood was gushing from my shoulder. The forest swam, the trees blurring into one giant tree. Then, nothing but darkness.

The unknown girl tried to run away but she collapsed before she could. Blood was gushing from somewhere, she looked badly injured. I walked over to where she was lying, unconscious. She was very beautiful; she had long chestnut brown hair with twigs and leaves caught in it. Although her eyes were closed, I knew they were as blue as the sky on a sunny day.

I picked her up gently and carried her back to the camp. Legolas was waiting on the edge of camp, damn that elven hearing. He spied me, his eyes going from me to the girl in my arms in an unspoken question. I shrugged, I had no idea who she was or what she was doing on the edge of Fangorn Forest.

I set her down on my blankets and got my herbs. Gently tugging her yellow dress down, I swore. The wound in her shoulder was larger than I thought, and it was still bleeding. She moaned as I cleaned the wound with water and athelas.

My head and shoulder pounded. As I awoke, I saw a man with longish dark hair and kind grey eyes leaning over me. My first instinct was to scream so I did. "It's alright, we won't hurt you. I was just cleaning your shoulder to prevent infection." The man reassured. Everything came flooding back, the village burning, my parents' screams, running through the forest, the orc. "I am Aragorn; my companions are Legolas and Gimli. What is your name? Where are your companions?" the ma-Aragorn asked, now gently placing my dress back over my shoulder.

"My name is Beawyn. I sent my only companion into the forest to save her when the orc came upon us." I said, sniffling. Everybody was dead, most probably. I had sent Maowyn to her death. Just then, a tall golden haired elf walked out of the forest, carrying a crying Maowyn. He was followed by a red haired grumpy looking dwarf. I noticed for the first time that we were at the edge of the forest in the shade of a tall oak tree. "Aragorn, we found her crying near to a dead orc. She keeps asking for a Beawyn." He spoke.

"Maowyn! Oh thank Valar! You're safe!" I cried at the same time as she cried "Beawyn!" She squirmed out of the elf's arms and ran at me. "Maowyn, wait. Be careful, I'm hurt. I'll be fine but you've got to be careful, ok?" I instructed, remembering my shoulder. "Where will you go?" Aragorn asked. "We shall find Beodric, my brother. He rides with Lord Eomer and his eored." I answered, more for me than Aragorn. "Can we stay with you?" Maowyn asked, looking innocently up at Aragorn. Aragorn smiled down at the three year old and nodded.

I whistled, and the sound of a horse galloping soon filled the air. My bay horse, Treasa, came galloping up. "Treasa!" Maowyn squealed. I had given several of the village children rides on Treasa and Maowyn had loved it. "She is a fine horse."

We ran into the forest after two hobbits that Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli had been searching for. They wouldn't tell us anything more about what they were doing nor why they were searching for hobbits so far from the shire.

We had been running for maybe three hours when this bright white light blinded us. It was coming from a small hillock in a clearing. Aragorn unsheathed his sword, Legolas notched his bow with an arrow and Gimli raised his axe. I just hid behind a tree, Maowyn tucked between my legs.

She shook in fear as a white robed old man walked between two tall trees. Aragorn looked confused as did Gimli and Legolas. I couldn't hear what they were saying but it seemed to be good. Aragorn looked in my direction and gestured for me to come out, which I did.

Gandalf the Grey stood there, but he was wearing white robes. "'Dalf!" Maowyn ran at him, hugging his legs. "Hello, little Maowyn. Beawyn, what are you doing so far from your village?" Gandalf asked.

"Big scary things burned. Beawyn saved me, we ran. Big scary thing found us, hurt Beawyn. Found by Lego, Gim and Gorn." Maowyn explained, in her three year old way. "Orcs. They destroyed our village, I just reacted. I grabbed Maowyn and ran. We encountered a lone orc in the forest, it stabbed me, but Aragorn killed it and saved me. We're headed towards Edoras to find Beodric." I explained, properly.

Gandalf nodded, thinking deeply. "Gandalf, I know that look! What are you planning?" I cried suspiciously. Gandalf's eyes had gotten that glint that meant he was planning something.