Chapter 1: Cave time

The thunder woke me from my slumber. I was lying on my back. Still, I could not move. I need blood.

"She is restless Gandalf." Legolas said. He was sitting next to me, his hand stroking my face. I could smell the blood in his arm wafting across my cheek. 'I need the blood', I thought to myself. I opened my mouth slightly and his hand brushed my lips…torture.

"She needs blood, Legolas". Gandalf said as he stood up and walked over to where I lay.

"Give me your wrist" he said. After a moment I felt a wrist pushed against my lips and blood leaking into my mouth.

I felt my senses begin to function again. I bit down on his wrist and my eyes fluttered. The sweet taste of elvish blood flowed into my mouth. My hands snaked up his arm and grabbed his hand. Legolas weaved his fingers through mine and his muscles tensed, sending a heavier flow of blood into my mouth. I sat up and leaned into his chest. Legolas moved his free and to my waist, cradling me."That is enough Amara." I heard Gandalf say. I had my fill, but his blood was like a drug.
Legolas pulled his wrist away from my mouth, keeping his hand in mine.

"How do you feel, Amara?" Gandalf asked. Within in second I had stood up and went to the mouth of the cave I was in. That is a thing with vampires. We are fast and strong. The sun weakens us immensely. That is how the orcs kept me at bay, the roof of the tower I was in had a hole in it, right above where I was chained. Sauron knows what I can do. I can sense power, I can sense the ring. He thought he could torture it out of me. He failed.

I kneeled outside and looked up at the moon. Tonight it was full and I could feel the replenishing energy radiating down. I spent many long nights looking to the moon.

Gandalf placed his arm on my shoulder. "What struggle you have been through, none can tell. For your sake let us help you. Do not treat yourself as a lifeless body. Your heart has stopped beating but your spirit lives on." He said.

"I still see the eye of Sauron. I know where the ring is and we must beat him to it." I said.

I walked back into the cave and sat by the fire Legolas had occupied himself with.

"There are clothes in the bag for you." He said and pointed to the bag next to me.

"Thank you, Legolas. For everything." I said. He looked up and smiled. I stood up and grabbed the bag. Looking through it I found a black dress and boots.

I forgot about the clothes I was wearing now. They were bloody and had multiple holes in them. I went outside to the small river to freshen up.

Later I walked back in to the cave. Gandalf was asleep and Legolas was still by the fire.
"Can you not sleep?" I asked and sat down next to him.

"I was waiting for you to come back." He admitted sheepishly. Legolas looked at me.

"How do you feel? I took a lot of blood." I asked. He touched his wrist where the bite mark is.

"I will be fine." He said.

"We will need to leave at dawn. Sauron's armies will be after the ring now that I am gone." I said knowing what the sun would do to me.

"Do you know where it is?" Legolas asked. Indeed I do, that is what I refused to say for those long weeks in chains.

"The Shire," I said and the words rolled of my tongue so easily..