~ ~ ~ ~ CHAPTER ONE ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The night came as suddenly as a heart attack, though it seemed the day would never end. The group of eight, Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippen, the hobbits, Gimli the dwarf, Legolas the elf, and Aragorn the human, pushed themselves through the forest, their energy dwindling.
"I'm quite sorry, but I don't think I can go on much further tonight without some rest," gasped Pippen, resting his hands on his knees. Sam, Frodo, and Merry warily nodded their heads.
"I agree. I myself feel worn, " added Frodo, leaning on Sam for support.
"All right. We'll rest here for the night. But come first light in the morning, and we must continue. We shan't waste anymore precious time after this," said Aragorn. The company could suddenly breathe easier, knowing that rest could finally be achieved. "Legolas, would you-"
"I'll take a look around, make sure there is no threat to us being here. I sense from the trees that all is not at ease. Rest while you can, though don't get too comfortable. We might leave here sooner than we think," said Legolas, fingers grazing his trusty bow. "I shall return shortly," he added over his shoulder as he went deeper into the woods. "Mortals," he muttered.
There was no reply from his companions. All were asleep.
~*~*~*~
Legolas's heart was beating quicker than usual, which was never a good sign. He knew something was amiss. That was one of the perks about being an elf. One could sense these types of things long before any mortal or wizard could. His eyes carefully scanned the forest, trying to make sense of the dark shadows, searching for any movement, anything moving at - wait! He heard the crunching of the fallen leaves. Someone, or something, was moving, walking. By the sound, he could guess that there were two, no, six, people, or orcs, somewhere within fifty feet of him, to his right. He knew they couldn't be elves because elves made virtually no sound when walking. And that trait came to good use as he quickly shortened the distance to ten feet between him and whatever is was in a good 4 seconds as he drew his bow and arrow taut and aimed, the full moon casting just enough light on his targets: a small figure (human) with a dark cloak on, and a black horse. So much for his idea of six people.
"State your name and reason that you are here," he said, aiming his arrow at the human. His voice must have startled the human for he/she jumped about a foot in the air at the breaking of the dead silence by the sound of his commanding voice. The human turned around slowly.
The human turned out to be a young woman, around the age of 22 or 23. Her light brown hair came down approximately to her navel in a long braid as it hung over her shoulder. Nevertheless, not every hair was in place; quite a few had gotten loose from its captivity of the thin piece of rope, holding the braid together. Her brown eyes were full of fear and sadness as she looked up at Legolas.
"My name is Thessolar, and this is my horse Thor. I have no reason for being here except that I no longer have a home nor a family," she said in a shaky yet strong voice.
"Why have you no home nor family?" asked Legolas, slightly softened by her voice and her eyes.
"I…I…" Thessolar's face suddenly lost its color and she fainted. Thor gently nudged her with his nose. Legolas, startled by her fainting, quickly stored his bow and arrow and rushed over to her and picked her up, carrying her back to the others. Thor followed.
