After much time dorment, I believe I am going to try to start writing this again. Yay! I will try to update as much as I can, but truthfully I'm still trying to decide the fate of these characters, especially Kylie. I know the ending, just not how to get there. Isn't that frustrating?
Anyway, this is set right after my other story, Tenth Member: Fellowship of the Ring. I try to follow cannon as closely as I can and I like to try to combine the book events and the movie events. So you don't necessarily have to read my other story to understand this one, but I recommend that you at least read the last chapter.
Disclaimer: as much hard(?) as I've tried over the past few months, I still do not own Lord of the Rings. Not mine. I do not own LOTR or any other brand or reference you see in this story. Or Kylie… it's sort of wrong and illegal to own a person.
Chapter 1 – Nothing but Grass
Her head really hurt. But something was touching it.
"No, the skull is not cracked." Hands continued to caress her head. "She has sizable knot on the side."
"Well that orc did hit her, Aragorn," said another voice.
The hands would not stop, and they were starting to touch where her head really hurt. "He hit her here. There is another bump on the side of her head here. Do you remember what happened?"
A minute passed. "Well, so long as it does not have a great adverse effect on her sense of balance I believe she will recover," said a lighter voice.
"Hmph!" hmphed a harsh but not evil voice, "remember who you are talking about, Legolas. This "sense of balance" you refer to is already quite impaired."
"I… resent… that…" said Kylie slowly.
She started to open your eyes, but the bright light hurt.
"Finally, we have been so worried."
"I'm fine dad."
More silence. "Kylie… your father is not here. You have not returned home."
She thought for a minute, and then everything came back. The ring… the journey… orcs….
"What happened?" she moaned, eyes still shut.
"We were attacked by orcs. All of us," said one of the voices. Oh yes, Boromir.
Kylie finally opened her eyes, but the light hurt and she couldn't keep them open. "We okay?"
"We are. Merry and Pippin were captured," said Legolas softly.
"What?" Then she remembered seeing orcs carrying off her two friends. "I'm not a Halfling…" she continued.
Complete silence. "Yes… you are human," said Aragorn.
"Very human if I may add," chimed Legolas.
She heard a light rustle and opened her eyes to see. The light hurt so she closed them again, but it was getting better.
"Does the light hurt?" asked Aragorn.
"Yeah…."
"Legolas, can you stand here? To the left a little… just enough to shade her face… thank you."
Kylie could tell when the elf was in position and opened her eyes.
She saw four very tired friends. Aragorn, Boromir, and Gimli looked very sweaty, almost as if they had just run a marathon. Legolas looked perfectly fine, but one side of his hair looked much shorter than the other side. Boromir had several bandages on his arms, and one that was wrapped around his torso.
"Just a scratch," he smiled when Kylie eyed him with concern.
"You and Boromir probably received the worst of the fight," said Aragorn. "They were after the hobbits."
"They were? That one… he tried to grab me… think he thought I was a hobbit."
Legolas laughed. "You would be a very tall hobbit if that were the case!"
Kylie smiled, but Aragorn looked concerned. "We will simply have to be more careful."
"Ha! Careful yet we race towards those very orcs as we speak!"
"Huh? Going towards… how long have I been out?" asked Kylie.
"About two days," said Legolas. "And guess who has been bestowed the honor of carrying you around?"
"Oh… um… thank you? How did you…."
"It was not easy. The first day you nearly throttled Legolas. Then we learned how to shorten the strap on your bag and use it as a sort of cushion," said Boromir.
"Throttle Legolas?" Kylie looked at the elf uncomfortably.
"You were a heavy weight on my neck," said the elf.
"Heavy?" She was awake now.
Aragorn laughed and said something in a language that only he and Legolas could understand. It must have been embarrassing because Legolas yelled indignantly back.
"Come on now lads, we don't have all day!" huffed Gimli.
Aragorn shook his head, eyes shut and growing solemn. "This is true. We do not. Something unnatural gives speed to these creatures. They are orcs, yet they seem unaffected by sunlight." Legolas added something in his language, looking at Kylie. Aragorn just nodded. "No matter. Kylie, how is your head."
She touched it gently. "Ouch. Fine."
"Very well. Legolas, will you do the honors?" he said, emphasizing the last word. Legolas just huffed and picked Kylie up as if she was a sack.
"Can you hold on?" asked Legolas?
Kylie grabbed him, but her hands couldn't hold. They were very sweaty. "No."
Legolas sighed. "Aragorn?"
Aragorn walked over and adjusted straps on Kylie's hands and legs, tying them to different parts of Legolas. "Just stay still, and close your eyes."
"Alright. Aragorn, where are we going?"
He looked right into her eyes. "We are following the orcs, and it is hard to guess…."
"Not that hard," snapped Boromir. "They're going right to that traitor, Saruman"
A/N: There we go! Please read and review. Ideas and constructive criticism are welcome
