Eärwen sighed as she plodded on. Her horse had died decades ago and she had yet to find a settlement where someone was willing to sell her a horse for a decent price. Consulting her memories, she realized that she was near Mirkwood as it was now called. Abruptly she decided to take a slight detour. Picking up her pace, she began to approach the border.

It would be nice to formally meet Oropher's son. Oropher had been polite in formal situations but was really witty when they hung out by the campfires away from his bodyguards. Eärwen had been very sad when he had left to lead his troop elsewhere. Before she left, rumors had been spread around that Oropher had died in a foolhardy assault upon the enemy.

The trees were ominously quiet. Eärwen's senses were on high alert as she glanced more and more often into the surrounding forest. Having never actually been inside Mirkwood, she had resolved to follow the only visible road but now she began to doubt the wisdom of her decision. The road was too exposed to threats.

Limdir watched the strange red-headed woman march through the woods. He rather liked her hair. Her hair was a strange red, like that of dried blood and not bright orange like other humans he had seen. As part of Thranduil's royal bodyguard troupe, he had been many places and assigned many roles. His new assignment was to keep all humans away from the elvish domains. However, she was different in some way.

Her sword at her side indicated she was a warrior and a good one at that. The bow on her back was of distinctly elvish make and her hair was in strange braids. They resembled warrior braids of Rivendell but also reminded him of Lothlorien braids. As he appraised her, she drew twin knives from her boots and melted into the woods by the side of the road.

Alarmed, he rubbed his eyes and looked again. She was gone! Frantically, his eyes scanned the ground where he had last seen her. He turned to climb down the tree only to be grabbed from behind and slammed into the trunk of the tree. Dazed, he glanced up to see the red-head from earlier holding a knife to his throat. He noted that her eyes were a bright blue… like the ocean.

"Why were you spying on me?" Eärwen demanded. The blond elf had been watching her, she just knew it. It rankled her to know that she had not noticed him until the trees began murmuring welcomes to him.

Limdir started when she spoke in Sindarin. Not only could she speak it, but she was fluent! She appeared to be waiting for the answer to her question. He decided to answer in Quenya and maybe pretend to not understand her. "Get your hands off me filthy human."

Eärwen's eyes widened. Now he was insulting her? Did she look that stupid? In fluent Quenya she replied, "And your mother dresses you funny, but that is not the point. Why have you spied on me?" The strange elf grimaced.

Limdir was now thoroughly alarmed and embarrassed. He hadn't meant for her to know it was an insult. The fact that she also knew Quenya, which many elves did not know, disturbed him. He felt her knife come closer to his neck. "Why? I grow tired of asking this question, elf."

Eärwen was surprised when he told her the truth. "I am one of Thranduil's bodyguards, sent out to keep humans away from elvish territory." Thranduil's bodyguard? Why would the prince have bodyguards? She pulled the knife away from his neck and leapt down out of the tree.

He dusted himself off and followed her out of the tree. For a moment he was torn. Should I go tell the king about this strange woman or keep following her? Making up his mind, he followed her deeper into the forest.


Sorry for the shortness, but the next chapter is longer and I needed to put in a break here. Review if you have suggestions or critics.