Chapter Two:

Shouts of annoyance and angry curses followed me as I ducked out of the kitchen. It seems my luck at being in the wrong place at the wrong time followed me over from earth. I looked over my shoulder as I turned the corner to check to see if the boy was still after me and ran strait into solid legs.

"Ugh." I groaned which sounded very much like a confused growl. I shook my head and looked up at Legolas now familiar laugh.

"Well, Samantha, what did you do this time."

"I'm going to kill that cat!" a boyish voice echoed from around the corner.

Legolas scooped me into his arms protectively just as Estel came careening around the corner. Legolas and I were visiting Rivendell for Estel's birthday. I was amazed at first at seeing someone I knew to be a future king in such a small frame.

"Legolas! That cat is a devil!" Estel cried skidding to a halt and glaring death at me.

"What did she do?" Legolas asked.

"She knocked the salt into the cake mix, broke three jars of jam and ate the cream in the pantry."

"I did not!" I cried indignantly, "Well, not the cream part."

"And why did you do all that little one?" Legolas asked lifting me to face him.

I gave an irritated growl, "Because the twins thought it would be fun to tie a mouse to my tail."

Legolas let out a bark of laughter, "I see."

Estel gave him a strange look then shook his head, "You should feed that thing to the spiders Legolas." he said then stormed off.

I shuddered, I had gotten a fair glimpse of the spiders on the way from Mirkwood.

I looked up a Legolas miserably, "I didn't do any of it on purpose."

Legolas shook his head and set me on his shoulder and continued to where he was headed. I had perfected the act of balancing on his shoulder and sat quite comfortably there. It helped of course that I was not an adult sized cat.

"You know, most humans believe a black cat will bring them bad luck."

"humph, " I said, "It seems I keep my own bad luck."

"Indeed." Legolas stopped, everything about him froze and I immediately tensed, I looked warily down the hall.

I rolled my eyes and dug my claws into his shoulder, "If you want to know her, you should ask her for her name."

A charming bit of color rushed to his cheeks and Legolas turned to leave. Legolas was only shy around this particular elf. I could understand, even by elfin standards she was breathtaking. Her hair was a moon pale blonde that moved with an unseen breeze. Her eyes were as captivating as her voice. I had watched Legolas waste evening meals just staring at her and all the while she seemed completely oblivious to the prince's attraction.

Maybe that was why I was middle earth. To see Legolas married. He obviously wasn't married in the movies, but Tolken did not necessarily have a completely accurate history of the prince, after all there wasn't any mention of a pet cat was there?

I ignored dinner that night, instead I decided to wonder Rivendell's gardens. Some how I had to get the two blonde elves together. If I did that maybe I could return to my world, or at least my body. I climbed into one of the many trees in the garden and stretched out. The funny thing about being in Middle earth was that I could not remember what I had been doing the day before I woke up on Legolas. I remembered two month prior seeing the third movie with my friends and receiving a degree in college, but I couldn't remember what the degree was in.

My thoughts were pulled back to the present by the sound of voices. Gandalf and Elrond were walking together conversing in low tones. My cat ears picked up mumbles in Common, which meant I could not understand a word. They sat down on the bench below my tree. I listened to their nonsense words for a while and then jumped down landing silently between them. Elrond looked down at me with a flicker of surprise then reached out attentively and stroked my fur. I pressed closer to his hands encouraging him. I walked into his lap and he continued to pet me.

"So this is the young prince's pet?" Gandalf said switching back to the elves language.

"Yes, and odd choice." Elrond said, "But quite charming, if just a little prone to mischief."

I ignored the comment and played the part of the contented cat and curled up into a ball, Elrond's rhythmic strokes lulling me into a half awareness.

"Most curious. I sense something…other worldly about this creature."

My ears twitched at Gandalf's words and I opened my eyes looking up into Gandalf's face. He nodded, "Perhaps she is merely intelligent." he said demeaning his first statement.

Elrond's hands stilled in their ministrations. "I've always felt as if she listened to what is said around her and understands it."

"yeah, no kidding." I muttered.

I stood and stretched if all they were going to do is talk about me I was going to leave, I still had to plan a way of getting Legolas and the mysterious elleth together. I leapt from Elrond's lap onto Gandalf's, I looked up into his startled face with satisfaction, "You know, for a wizard you're awful slow."

And all he heard was a disdainful meow and I jumped from his lap and ran back to Legolas room. Running through the hall I heard my name called.

"Sam!" "Sam"

I groaned, oh no, not the twins. I picked up my pace until I slipped safely through Legolas cracked door. Legolas looked up as his door widen then down as I jumped into his lap. I looked up at him.

"The twins." was all I said and he nodded.

"Where did you run off to during dinner?" he asked.

I tilted my head slightly, "I went hunting."

Legolas laughed, "Right, and what did you catch?"

"Two old men." I responded.

He laughed again. I liked his laugh, I shook my head at the thought then turned to see what my 'young' master had been up to. He was writing a letter to his father. I couldn't actually read it but who else would he write to?

Hmmm….

I flicked my glance from Legolas' concentrating face to his carefully moving quill. I jumped onto the desk and while he was startled grabed the pen.

"Sam!" he cried annoyed as I darted out of his reach and out the door. I heard him shoved the chair back and run after me.

Now…where would that elf girl be? I thought turning a corner and pausing only long enough to be sure Legolas was still following me. It must have been my luck for no sooner did we reach another corner then the very elf I was looking for rounded it. Legolas was too surprised to stop and I watched in mixed satisfaction and amusement as the two elves tumbled to the ground.

I watched as their gaze locked and held. The girls eyes grew wide as she recognized just who was on top of her, then a blush stained her fair skin. It took Legolas much longer to realized the…position he was in. When he did his own cheeks flamed with embarrassment and after shooting me a very irate glare stood and helped her up apologizing profusely.

Her named it turned out to be was Litheria and she happily excepted Legolas apology and his company to her chamber. I watched them walk down the hall and felt a painful twinge in my chest. I let out a distressed mew and then it past. I shook my head, what was that?

I turned the opposite way and went back to Legolas' room. I pressed the door closed and made myself comfortable on his pillow. I was almost asleep when a voice woke me. I looked around in surprise listening again for the voice.

I sat up a women stood at the foot of the bed watching me.

"Sam, what have you done?"

I looked at her confused, "What do you mean, who are you?"

She disappeared without another word looking clearly forlorn and distressed.

Legolas walked in smiling broadly he rushed over to me and picked me up swinging me around, "She's wonderful Sam! She has agreed to come with us back to Mirkwood before returning home!"

I felt the weight of fear and dread settle on me. Why did that thought unsettle me so?

He set me down again and I watched him dress for bed without thinking. It was like he was walking on air. His heart already belonged to another, I couldn't try to take it away. I fled before he could speak anymore of Litheria. I fled to the library. The musty shelves of books created a perfect thinking place.

What was wrong with me? I'm a cat! No another voice whispered, you are human.

I looked miserably out of a window. Did you ever think that maybe you aren't ment to be a cat? Maybe the reason you were in Mirkwood was because Legolas could make you human again?

My tail stilled it's twitching and layed my ears flat on my head. Could that be it? Could I really have been so stupid? Maybe Legolas was not supposed to fall in love with Litheria, maybe the reason I was here was because he was supposed to fall in love with me.

I gave an irritated growl, that was stupid. I'm a cat.

Legolas

I watched Sam streak out of the room and frowned. I was about to follow when I remembered the letter to my father. The quill rested on my bed and a looked at it to the door speculatively. Sam was constantly hinting at getting to know Litheria, perhaps the cat had decided to take matter's into her hands…well paws.

I grabbed the quill and finished the letter to my father adding Litheria's company to the end. I sealed it with my crest then called a servant to send it. I closed the door then sat back down at my desk. My thoughts wondered back to the morning Samantha first came to me. She had told me she was not really a cat, and somehow I was supposed to help her attain her true form. Neither of us had mentioned it sense and sitting there I resolved to try to find a way. She had given me yet another gift in Litheria. Her first had been companionship, her ready conversation and cheery attitude, now she had given mea chance at love. It was the least I could do in return.

Gandalf was in Rivendell, perhaps he could help. I stood and exited my room and remembering Elrond mentioning the gardens I chanced to look there. I did indeed find him sitting beneath a large tree with a thoughtful look.

He glanced my way as I headed towards him.

"Ah, just the young elf I wanted to see." he said with a smile.

I hesitated in surprise then continued and sat in the offered bench.

"Funny, I had come to speak with you."

Gandalf smiled, "I see. What is it you wish to speak to me about?"

I hesitated again trying to come up with a way to say what I needed without sounding crazy.

"Gandalf, do you know if there are other worlds besides ours?" I finally asked.

Gandalf looked at him inquisitively then nodded, "Indeed, there are many other worlds."

"And…do you think it is possible for someone from one world to…to come to this world?"

Gandalf look turned expressionless, "Why?"

"I…it is Samantha."

"Your cat?" he asked surprise evedant in his voice.

I nodded, everyone already thought I was a little crazy when it came to her, might as well say it, "She is not from Middle Earth."

I could tell Gandalf did not believe me, " Have you not noticed how…odd she is?" I continued, " have you not noticed the thought in her eyes? The amount of personality she has?"

Gandalf shook his head, "Alas, no. I have seen her very little in my stay here." he paused and I could tell he was considering something.

"She did seem to have something to tell me earlier, though I do not speak cat, I could not understand her."

I chuckled and before I thought I spoke, " Aye, well I doubt it was polite."

Gandalf looked at him, "Indeed. Well…to answer your question. It would require a very large amount of magic to travel between worlds and a mixing life with our world would create quite a tangle in the web of life and I fear there worlds would try to fix the problem."

"Exactly what do you mean?"

Gandalf thought for a moment, " Think of each world as piece of cloth, each cloth holds thread, each thread is a life. If you take one thread and start to weave it into another piece of cloth you ruin both pieces. And the natural thing to do would be to cut the thread that caused the imperfection."

I sat still looking up into the sky, could it be that cruel? Could those that held the strings of life really cut Samantha's life short? Why then, would they create the weave that would cause the damage?

"I have to go." I said standing and hurrying from the garden ignoring Gandalf's call and forgetting that he had something to speak to me about as well. I had to find Sam.