Greetings, fair reader!

This is the first story of The Redeemed One Trilogy involving Gilrael, and lays out part of her past, though more of it will be revealed throughout the series. The Elvish is from grey-company (.org) and arwen-undomiel (.org) though some words are unclear and I tweak em a bit.

I try to post a new chapter every other day, though sometimes I get caught up in a hurricane of activities, but please come back to continue the tale!

All reviews, comments, and opinions are warmly welcomed, and guide me along the path of becoming a better writer, and encourages me to write more. So don't be shy! :)

I hope you enjoy this story, hopefully the first of many more to come!

Until next time,

Elluviel

(Rated T because I rather be extra safe then a little bit sorry.)

About T.A 1,300 ...

King Thranduil glanced up from his writings as his messenger, Firlowen, ran up to the throne. "Hir nin!"

"What is it?" the king snapped. "It had better be important. I ordered -"

"Legolas is gone," Firlowen miserably announced.

Thranduil bolted upright, scattering his papers down the steps. "Again?"

Firlowen nodded.

"How long has he been gone?"

"We do not know, my lord. Earliest he could have possibly left was after the feast last night."

Thranduil jumped down the steps, and whirled to face Firlowen. "How did you know this?"

The messenger shrugged. "Your son had the decency to leave a note."

"GIVE IT TO ME!" Firlowen quickly thrust out the letter, and Thranduil scanned it quickly.

"Found strange tracks in woods this morning. Going under cover of night to investigate. May not be back for a while, but do not worry. If you want me to return, do not send guards after me. They would scare off the creature.

Legolas."

Thranduil waved it in the air before Firlowen. "Do you know what this means?"

"No, but it is clear - "

"Legolas never writes in incomplete sentences with such vague details as 'strange'! Does this not strike you as odd?"

Firlowen pointed out, "You are not very close to your son."

Thranduil glared at him. "In any case, it is clear this is a dangerous mission. Why else would he travel at night?"

"Secrecy?"

"My point exactly! We must send out guards and retrieve him." Firlowen sighed. When the king was in an agitated mood, one had to be very careful with their words.

The messenger leaned against a column and crossed his arms. "With all due respect, my lord, Legolas is not an elfling. He does not need to be 'retrieved'. Do you not know he is the best archer and tracker in the Woodland Realm?"

Thranduil flashed him an angered glare. "As a matter of fact, I do know that about my own son! Get Arkanil to gather -"

"My lord! Legolas wrote explicitly for you not to send soldiers after him. You know he is serious to say he would not return if you do, because besides being an excellent hunter and tracker, he is also exceptionally talented at hiding."

Thranduil walked slowly up the steps to his throne, and slumped down. "I cannot believe I am obeying my own son," he muttered. Then he waved a hand to the gathered band of elves. "Leave it for now. But if he does not return in three days – which is plenty – I will send them off. Satisfied, Firlowen?"

"To the utmost, my lord." Firlowen bowed, and hurried off.

The wind rustled through the autumn leaves. A beam of golden light shone in a single ray onto the forest floor. A squirrel scampered up a trunk. A single maple leaf flush with red and orange dropped, floating gently down as the breeze carried it to land on a thick log. A lone figure crouched in the shadows, aware of every sound however mingled, every motion however concealed. Crunch. Clang. Crunch. Clang. The steady, rhythmic march was noted and memorized, the strange Orc/Man tracks duly observed. It was only a matter of time when the creature would be in clear sight and shooting range of Legolas Thrandulion, Prince of Eryn Lasgalen, a devoted hunter who never tired of his prey, never ceased to track it down, until he had fulfilled his goal.

His keen blue eyes darted through the trees as sudden rustles in the bushes ahead of him competed for his attention. Silently, he pulled in arrow from his quiver, nocked it with precise gentleness, and pulled it back in a slow, smooth motion. The rustles grew louder, violent even, and Legolas tensed his muscles, ready to fling the arrow or leap out of his hiding spot, whichever would be necessary.

A fox leaped out, and Legolas relaxed his arrow, feeling a bit foolish. But he frowned when he saw this was no ordinary fox. It was a black one, with ashy streaks of grey lining its bushy tail.

He strained his eyes and ears, hoping to catch a glimpse of something else. Then he heard it. Soft, stealthy steps, inaudible to anyone but a trained hunter of the Eldar. A gentle swish! as well, which spoke of a long cloak. And finally, a smooth scraping, a sword being urged out of its sheath. No, wait, two swords.

Legolas drew his hood over his head, and tightened his grip. Just when he could see a shadowed outline of a thin figure, he released his arrow, and all Mordor broke loose.

The arrow bounced harmlessly off the hooded man's cloak, but before he had time to notice that, the man leapt forward, brandishing two long swords, gleaming wickedly in the afternoon sunlight. Legolas twirled around, and swung his bow to the man's legs, hoping to trip him. The man simply jumped and slashed forward. Legolas ducked, rolled, and as he whirled around, twirled out his sword, and kicked one of his opponent's swords out of his hand.

He snarled, but instantly quieted as Legolas thrust forward. The Sinda slashed and jabbed and blocked, all the while advancing closer, and increasing the speed and force. He found the man was exceptionally skilled, and would have been an even match had he not been covered in sticky spider webs, and dried blood. In due time, he locked his silvery sword behind the black one, twisted his wrist, and caught the black sword as it fell. Instantly his hand burned, and he threw it behind him as hard as he could.

Shaking the stinging hand, he thrust the point of his sword to the stranger, who had fallen to the ground and landed on…her back.

Her hood had fallen off, so Legolas could see her stained, dirty, yet beautiful face clearly, and was surprised to find she must have been a she-elf, captured by Orcs long ago. She was about his age, but must have been about a decade younger, though it was hard to tell with Elves. Her ears were pointed, her hair was long and straight, and her body was tall and slender. She wore a long, dark cloak hemmed with red that flickered and seemed to be made of shadows. She wore a shining metal clasp on the cloak, and a silver and ruby ring. Her armor was black and dark grey, so she could easily hide at night. But what sickened Legolas were her dark, brown eyes, hardened with distrust and hatred, but currently on fire with anger and doubt.

However, her being an Eldar changed things. He slowly lowered his sword, and gently said, "Av' osto." She seemed not to comprehend. So Legolas tried again in Westron. "Do not fear."

She recoiled, frowning, but answered in the same language. "Give me one solid reason why I should believe that."

He was surprised to find she spoke articulately and intelligently, a skill Orcs could never hope to have, and one which was rare in Men. So, he decided that she was not entirely a monster.

Slowly, Legolas crouched down and laid his sword on the leaf-stricken ground between them. Then he extended a hand to help her up, which she refused, but as she warily stood, now covered with leaves in addition to spider webs, she looked impressed.

When he drew back his hood to show he trusted her, she took a step back in awe, and stared at him as if she had never seen an Elf, or her reflection, before. Legolas smiled, and she narrowed her eyes and glared at him. "You may think you have an advantage, Elf, but I am not weaponless."

Legolas cheerfully announced, "Neither am I."

She raised an eyebrow. "Show me."

"I will, and gladly, if you show me yours." She leaned back, seeming to weigh her options, and in a violent yet smooth move, whipped out two jagged daggers from the inside of her cloak, poised elegantly in front of Legolas' neck. He smiled at the triumphant look in her eyes, and in one fluid twirl, grabbed his two hunting knives from their sheaths on his quiver and thrust his foot around hers, causing her to fall onto her back and loosen her grip on her daggers.

But all the while, he was gentle and restrained, as if playing. She seemed to notice, and snarled at him. "Who do you think I am, a woman to be treated like a maiden with no skill?" Legolas could not stifle a cheery laugh, something he rarely had a problem with. But then again, he had never met someone like this stranger who seemed, in his mind, to connect with him immediately. A sudden desire to befriend her, learn her history, gripped him.

The laugh, in any case, startled her, as did his easy-going release of her, the casual re-sheath of his knives and the glimmer in his starry eyes as he bent to retrieve his sword. She backed up, and when he was finished, stood.

Then her deep brown eyes widened like a doe's as Legolas handed her the two daggers, and then presented her swords. She took all of them slowly, processing his behavior in an attempt to decide whether he was mocking her or being truly gallant. To Legolas' relief, she decided on the latter, and stuttered something in appreciation.

The prince nodded graciously, and then leaned against a trunk, picking up his arrow and twirling it in his hand as he watched her.

Her face was now flushed, and she appeared angry at herself for feeling embarrassed. But in a short while, she stammered a string of words. "I ... lost…need…help."

Legolas hid a grin and pretended not to hear. Finally, she marched resolutely up to him, and clearly announced, "I am lost in this forest, and I would appre-"

"Your wish is my command, lady."

She glared at him. "I am under the impression you understood me from the start."

Legolas flashed a grin and shrugged. "You will have to wonder that for the rest of your days."

He whistled, and after a moment, his horse trotted into view. Legolas gestured for her to mount first. She hesitated, then looked him up and down. Slowly, it began to dawn on her, and she took a step back, hand on the hilt of her sword.

"Who exactly are you?"

Legolas assumed a solemn look, washed of all emotion. The one he usually wore. "Guess. My time is at your disposal."

She sniffed disdainfully. "Legolas. Prince of the Greenwood. I should have known."

Known or not, Legolas was surprised. Not many who lived outside the three elven realms knew this, and even among the Elves, the kingdom of Eryn Lasgalen was barely known.

Then she narrowed her eyes. "You seem eager enough to help me, though surely I am a stranger to you. Do you know me?"

"No," Legolas said quickly. "But I would like to."

She stared at him, and he cracked a smile. "What is your name?"

She crossed her arms. "Gilith."

Starlight, Legolas thought. In Sindarin. There was no way the Orcs let her keep her original name, so this one was most likely false.

However, he kept quiet about that. "Do you or do you not trust me to help you?"

Her attitude, once arrogant and demeaning, seemed to have changed in an instant. "I trust you, my lord. Thank you." This time, she accepted his hand and swung onto the horse, giving a shy smile. Legolas nearly sighed with relief, but as he mounted in front of her, something stirred in his mind. He glanced back, but nothing was amiss with so-called Gilith. He pursed his lips, being unable to shake the feeling that something about her was familiar. Very familiar.

He leaned down and whispered, "Noro lim, Brindal." Instantly Gilith clutched his waist as the horse executed a flying leap over the bushes, as if she understood the Sindarin perfectly.

Though he had always been exceptionally skilled at making female elves, elleths, trust him quickly enough to pour out their souls to him, and had mainly succeeded with this foreign one, he had a sense that she was hiding something from him. Something major. Something to do with the black fox that preceded her, and her unique jeweled ring.