A/N: Well! This is my first shot at Tolkien verse so please don't be too harsh on me. I own nothing other than the OC Calemirai. She is from a small forest in Rhun that has a made up name as well as I could not find anything really beyond Dorwinion and the Rhun sea that was confirmed, so deal with it… or don't either way. And sorry if this one is a little slow to the get go… Oh the fun of introducing a new character to a verse lol. Also if anyone has trouble with her name it is pronounced( Cal-ay-me-rye) and later she may go by the nickname Cale (Cal-ay) And now! on to the chapter lol

It was cold, Colder than it should be so late into the season of echuir. It was the time of year when trees were supposed to be budding and early flowers were supposed to be unfurling their petals, and yet not a single flower had bloomed for miles.

Calemirai's Brow furrowed with frustration as she made her rounds about the forest perimeter. Many things had seemed off in the past decade, from the cold season lasting longer and longer to trees on the western and southern edge of the forest seeming to be ill or dying. And she was not the only one to notice the changes either, but she seemed to be the only one in her kingdom to have any drive to find the reason behind it. Perhaps it was the drive she had inherited from her human mother, and perhaps it was her connection to the trees that drove her, either way since the first leaves began to twist and whither she could feel an air of unease blow over her.

Ever since she could remember she had found more comfort out in the trees then she ever could the polished stones of her home. And even as a small elfling she had claimed to feel the pain of the trees that protected her village. On many occasions she had been scolded for wondering past the tree line too close to night, and had been told tales of large creatures who ate the children who strayed too far. She had never believed such tales.. at least not until the change had begun.

Since the trees began to fade she could not hide the dread she felt as the moon rose into the sky, and the sun sank behind the trees. And though there had been hardly any strange activity, there had been the occasional gossip of a large spider web, or an animal's body being found mutilated. It was time for something to be done before the rumors became something more.

There had been many stories from the west of an evil that had spread over the land, and even of parts of Rhun being taken in by it. Helping to attack the forces to the west. But they had long since passed by the time they reaching the Elven city of Calenbar and it had been more then twelve years since the stories had ceased to drift in, yet it seemed too coincidental that she had heard of the west facing a change in the land that was so familiar to what was happening in her own woods.

For a long while she stood, in the clearing between the sickly trees wondering her next move. The day began to fade away around her, pulling her from her thoughts. She was going to have to leave. She was going to need to hunt down the source before more trees and plants grew ill, and before it spread to the animals. For the night, though, she returned home, as she knew the next many months would be quite exhausting…

...

Calemirai had nearly forgotten what civilization had looked like by the time she reached the lake town of Esgaroth. She had been traveling for months and it was now well into the season of Laer. The city was large and quite prosperous from what she could tell, with large stone buildings and bustling market district. And she could hardly wait to find the inn and clean herself up better then she had been able to in the streams she'd come across in her travels since leaving Dorwinion.

Her long dark hair had been kept mostly in one tight braid or pinned in something of a bun to keep it out of her way, and though she had a few mostly clean outfits (that were not completely caked in mud, dirt or whatever else she came across during her journey) she felt it best to save them for once she had been bathed and had the chance to brush out the tangles in her hair. She had managed to find a rather warm, thick cloak at a small shop before leaving Dorwinion which had held up well over the past month or so, and was something of a godsend, as she was not used to being around so many humans, and it helped to conceal her ears.

With the help of a few kind strangers she was able to find an inn that included a washing tub without too much trouble and after a wash, change of clothes and a small nap she felt she may actually be able to think straight enough to ask around and get some information that may relate to the situation in her homeland.

She had come across some strange, beastly creatures before she left Rhun, creatures that's silhouettes could almost be mistaken for elves, but up close their skin was mottled with greens, blacks and tans and festering with sores. Their eyes feral and colored in reds or golds, and teeth sharp as any predators. She had been lucky enough to avoid contact with any of the small groups she had seen traveling by hiding high in the trees, or deep in bushes and heavy underbrush, though she had found herself in combat with one stray just before reached the inland sea of Rhun. The smell of the vial creature was enough to turn her stomach, and she had gotten a rather harsh side wound out of it, but they were far from invulnerable to her daggers. She wondered if such creatures were known in these lands.

She hoped someone might be able to tell her at the tavern which attached to the inn. She left her room with her two favorite daggers strapped to her sides, and her cloak pulled snug around her shoulders, Hood up.

Her eyes trailed over the patrons of the bar, suddenly feeling as though her own garb was not so bad off. Though there were some men who looked more or less like they had just finished a long day of fishing, smithing or some other physical job. There were more still who looked like they had crawled up from the gutters or straight out of the butchers toss buckets.

Her muscles tensed and her stomach sank with a feeling of repulsion. Still she made her way to a stool near the bar, seeking out anyone who may be even a little approachable. But as the night wore on and patrons came and went it was beginning to seem the night would be fruitless. It was then that she noticed a man staring at her from a table not far from the bar front where she sat.

He was large, with shaggy brown hair and deep set eyes that held a level of menace that caused her subconsciously pull her cloak tighter around her for comfort, and for one hand to drop to the hilt of her dagger. Much of his face was covered in a short unkempt beard, and he grinned as he noticed her glance. And worse he was not alone and his grin was far from a friendly tip of the hat.

Calmly she stood, laying out enough to pay for the few drinks she had sipped on during her search. She took a deep breath before focusing her eyes on the door that separated the tavern from the inn. But before she could reach the door she felt a large hand clench tight around her arm, stopping her in her tracks and nearly pulled her right off her feet. A small yelp escaped her lips, partly in shock at the sudden grasp and partly in pain.

"Well, ello 'ere cutie. What has you in such hurry now?" The man's voice was low and the stench of his breath as he brought his head in close was enough to make her dizzy off the fumes. She tried to pull her arm free but his grip only grew tighter, and she heard the steps of his friends as they moved in behind him. "A little girlie sitting alone all night long in a place like 'is.. Your boyfriend forget about you sweetie? Need a new one eh?" his thick body moved in close behind her, and she began to feel her heart pounding as panic filled her."

"No… nothing like that.. just on my way to bed… I-If you could excuse me" she muttered as her free arm reached down to grasp her dagger. But her hand was instead met by the greased fingers of one of the man's companions as they snaked around her free wrist, spinning her to look at them.

"Well 'en deary… how 'bout invitin me an friends up to kiss ya g'night?" he said in a low growl near her ear. Her face heated as she squirmed to get free. She wanted to scream, though by the looks of the people sitting around the bar –some uninterested, while others watched the assault with small grins or nods- she doubted it would be of much use. The door to the inn opened and shut, though she was too focused on the men before her to glance back.

"Sorry. I.. am afraid I have to decline.. I uh… h-have an early start in the m-morning" She muttered, thrashing to get her arms free, though she only seemed to manage to strain one of them, to her dismay which caused another pained grunt to escape her lips.

It was then that she felt a hand on her shoulder and she began to shudder before realizing the new hand was from behind her. And a far gentler voice spoke out.

"Are you ok miss? Do you need some help?" She was confused at first, but then nodded her head.

"Please.." She muttered, doing her best to turn her head. Though she couldn't get a good view of the man's face, her eyes were clearly met with a pair of sharp grey-blue hues locked on the face of her attacker.

"Vis 'ere is none o' yer business pretty boy, so you an' your friend jus move along b'fore you get Vat pretty face all scarred up" The man hissed, pushing the girl into his friend as he closed the distance between himself and her would-be savior. She was unable to catch much of what happened next, but she remembered seeing what looked like golden silk whirling about as her savior spun and then she was unsure who was striking and who was receiving.. but in the end the large man fell to the ground and the hands that had been digging into her finally loosened before letting go all together as his goons seemed to decide the fight wasn't worth it.

She stood for a moment, looking between the man on the ground, and the man who protected her, still trying to figure out exactly what had happened before she finally let her eyes travel over her protector. He was tall and lithe, dressed in greens and browns. Her eyes stopped and lingered on his face and she could feel her cheeks warming at the site of him. He had soft slender features, the most drawing of which were indeed his grey-blue eyes. His hair was long and golden, pulled behind his arched ears with a few small braids trailing through his locks. It had been a long time since she had seen comparable beauty, and even then she was unsure if there was any comparison at all. He was an elf, though she had rarely met one with such fair features before, as many in her homeland were darker haired and with darker eyes, her grandfather being one of the few exceptions.

"Are you.. alright?" he asked, his brow furrowing as he moved closer to her. Her silence and staring undoubtedly coming off as concerning. She let out a nervous chuckle as blood rushed to her cheeks.

"Oh! Yes! Forgive me… You just… came out of nowhere and that was all just so sudden. Thank you, thank you so very much" She finally said once she was able to find her voice. "I was not expecting the locals to be so… Hostile."

He smiled as she finally spoke "Well it's hard to find a man not looking to fight or become… overly friendly this late in any tavern I'm sure." There was a hint of amusement, as well as curiosity in his voice as he spoke. "And it's almost unheard of to find a woman who is not either working or up to no good this late either."

"And that's why I am leaving now. It seems I was lost in my thoughts longer then I meant to be" She replied sheepishly. "My name is Calemirai, and I am new to this area… Might I get the name of the good Samaritan who was so kind as to save me?"

He nodded, the amused grin still lingering on his lips.

"I am Legolas, from Mirkwood."

A/N :

Thank you for sticking it through! I hope you enjoyed the story. Any feedback would be much appreciated! I am already working on the next chapter and will try to have it up in less than a week, though I would like some feedback before I do… Next chapter there will be much more of a certain elf prince! =D