A/N: Hey all! This is my first real attempt at a story, so I hope you all enjoy it! Just to warn you, this is a Mary-Sue! So if you don't like that type of story, you should leave now. Don't come and flame me about it, because I've given you fair warning. I would really appreciate any comments or constructive criticism, though. Anyway, if you still want to read this, on with the story!

Chapter 1

Amanda Raine was not your typical girl. She was beautiful, intelligent and excelled at everything she did. She had waist-length crimson hair that shone like fire when the light caught it, pale skin with not a single freckle to be found, and sparkling vivid blue eyes. She was tall and very thin, with elegant curves in all the right places.

Her looks were not her only asset, however. Mandy was a gentle, sweet, selfless girl who cared more about others than herself and would die to save the ones she loved. Despite this, she was despised everywhere she went. The kids at school bullied and teased her mercilessly. The pushed her, called her names, and stole her belongings. All her life, she had never had a real friend.

At home, things were hardly better. Her mother had died when she was three, and her father had remarried. Mandy's stepmother was heartless and cruel. She hated her stepdaughter, and was jealous of her for her beauty. Whenever Mandy's father was out, she forced Mandy to do all the chores for her. She would not let Mandy have any nice clothes or belongings, instead she took everything for herself and gave Mandy the things she didn't want. Her father was always busy at work, and didn't notice the neglect his only daughter was suffering.

On the outside, Mandy looked as happy as everyone else. She got top marks in all her classes, and was always smiling. She was captain of the girl's soccer team at her school, as well as their star player. She took classes in archery, fencing and karate, and had won trophies in each. She also had a truly exquisite singing voice. Inside, though, Mandy felt as though she was drowning. She knew she did not belong here. All her life, she had felt that one day she would escape and find somewhere she did belong.

One cold, misty afternoon, Mandy was walking up the hill from school, singing a sad song to herself. As she sang all the birds were drawn to her voice, and they flocked around her and chirruped sweetly to the tune of the song. Mandy had always had a way with animals; they could sense her kind spirit and trusted her instinctively. She was wearing a fitted black tee-shirt, and hipster skinny jeans. It was a simple outfit, but it accentuated her every curve beautifully. Without warning, the ground seemed to disappear from beneath her feet, and she had the sensation of being spun violently around again and again. Around her was black; tiny pinpricks of light showing in places. Suddenly, the spinning stopped and she was flung to the ground. Dazed and winded, she blinked to clear her head and stared around.

The landscape had changed completely. The suburban street had disappeared, to be replaced by rolling hills and thick scrub. The air was clean and pure, and in the distance she could see tall white mountains towering up to the sky.

Mandy leapt nimbly to her feet, glancing around nervously, poised for action at the first sign of danger. Everything around her was still, though. Nothing could be heard but for the faint chirruping of birds and the gentle swish of the breeze through the grass.

Suddenly, three figures appeared over the hilltop. They were mounted on horses, and moving quickly towards her. Her first instinct was to run and hide, but she struggled against it and remained where she was. The riders caught sight of her and made towards her, checking their horses several feet away and drawing their weapons. Up close, Mandy could see that they were men, but they looked very little like men. They were…beautiful, but there was no trace of femininity in their beauty. Two of them were identical, with long dark hair that gleamed in the bright light of the sun. The third was blond, with shining cerulean eyes and a kind, handsome face. He dismounted quickly, and approached her cautiously.

Mandy stared at him, wide-eyed. He was like no other being she had ever encountered, and she felt her cheeks turning pink. His gaze seemed to pierce her very soul, and she felt as though she was standing naked before him. As he drew closer, he opened his mouth and spoke. His voice was deep and melodic, and the language was beautiful, but she could not understand a word he was saying. Puzzled, she fought back her self-consciousness and held out her hand to him.

"Hello," she said awkwardly. "I'm Amanda."

The strange man stared at her outstretched hand in confusion, raising one elegantly slanted eyebrow. His two companions had also dismounted and come up beside him, scrutinizing her. Mandy blushed again, her hand falling limply to her side.

The three strangers now turned to one another, and began conversing in the same beautiful language. Their voices were hushed and slightly anxious. After several moments, they appeared to come to an agreement. The two dark-haired ones re-mounted their horses. The blond smiled reassuringly at Mandy, and moved to stand beside his own white stallion. He nodded, and beckoned to her. She stepped forward tentatively, until she was standing directly in front of him again. He ushered her towards the horse, indicating that she was to ride. The horse wore no saddle or bridle, yet it stood serenely beside its master, without needing to be restrained. Swinging gracefully up, she patted the stallion's neck. He arched upwards into her touch, instinctively attracted to the calm aura of his new rider. Behind her, Legolas leapt up onto the horse's back with ease, wrapping his arms gently around Mandy's tiny waist to gently grip the horse's mane. Mandy felt a chill run up her spine at the soft touch. This man was not like anybody she had met before. She knew she should have been panicking, having been jerked into some strange new world where none of the inhabitants even spoke her language, but his presence soothed her. Somehow, she knew that no harm would befall her while she was in his care. Resisting the urge to snuggle back against his chest, she sat up straight as the stallion started smoothly forwards. The blond man urged him into a canter, the two dark strangers adapting to the new pace behind him.

For hours, they rode on. The rolling hills gave way to a flat, rocky plain, but the horses miraculously maintained their pace over the treacherous turf. That, in turn, gave way to more hills, darker and steeper than the ones before, scattered with tall trees here and there. For a while, Mandy watched attentively as the wild scenery flashed past her. The pure air seemed to wash through her body, infusing her with alertness and a new strength. After a time, though, she felt herself growing weary. She did not want to request a stop from these strangers, and had no method of communicating her exhaustion to them anyway. The day's events were finally beginning to catch up with her, and she felt disoriented and a little frightened. What on earth was happening to her? But soon, even her turbulent thoughts could not keep her awake. She felt her consciousness slipping slowly away, until her eyes flickered closed and she fell into a deep sleep.

Behind her, the stranger smiled faintly as the girl's crimson head lolled backwards to rest on his shoulder. He spoke softly to the horse in his strange language, bidding him ride softly, with no lurches or unexpected jolts to disturb her slumber. He didn't know who she was or where she came from, but something about her was…different. He knew that she was special. And already, he could feel himself growing attracted to her. She was truly more beautiful than anyone he had ever seen. Pushing the thoughts aside, he returned his focus to the road. They still had many miles to cover before they reached their destination.

A/N: Don't forget to review!