The birds started to sing when Legolas awoke it was just before dawn. Serina was still asleep in her elvish sleep. He landed softly on his feet underneath the branch he slept on. He called the horses and waited some time before he decided he wanted to wake up Serina. He climbed back in the tree and softly grabbed her wrist. Serina startled awake because of that something gripped her. "Watch out, don't fall." Legolas said softly and let go of her arm.

"What is it? Are we in danger?" She asked while she sat up.

"Nothing is wrong, I wish to leave in mere minutes, but I wish to eat before we leave." Legolas explained. Serina nodded and slipped down the branch to land on her feet. They both shared a lembas and drank some water before they continued their travel.

Soon it was afternoon and they both rode underneath the leaf deck of the trees who shield them from the hot afternoon sun. Serina looked round while she moved her fingers from her right hand on her thigh as if she would be playing the piano. "Should we stop and have a little break?" Legolas asked after some time.

"Nay, I do not wish to have a break. I prefer to continue traveling." Serina said while she shortly looked at him. She encouraged her horse in to a trot. Legolas simply followed her; he wondered why she did not want to have a little break. Legolas decided he would ask her later when they would have set up her camp. The rest of the ride they spent in silence, with their own thoughts.

When the sun started to set Serina let her horse walk before she dismounted on a small clearing. The horses were tired and both elves were in a need to stretch their legs. Soon Legolas had build a fire and Serina had returned from her scout and while she looked around for danger, she had gathered some fruits. Soon they would arrive in Helm's Deep; they had only a few days in front of them. Serina handed Legolas a few wild strawberries she already had noticed his fondness for the fruit. She ate one herself while she looked around. She still had that stupid nervous feeling in her stomach; there was nothing around posing an immediate threat to them.

"Why did you not want to stop for a break this afternoon?" Legolas asked cautiously after he had finished his strawberries.

"I just want to get to Florin as fast as possible." Serina said as excuse.

"Why now not wanting to have a break while we are traveling for several days now and not skipping one before? You also slept last night in elven sleep, why not your normal men sleep?" Legolas blurted while his curiosity took over.

"I-I have this feeling, I do not know how to explain but it tells me something is going to happen." Serina told him while she looked at her hands that lay in her lap as she sat next to Legolas in front of the fire. "I saw nothing at my scout, so I do not know what to make from it..."

"You are not nervous of meeting your friend again?" Legolas offered.

"Nay, why would I be nervous about that?" Serina asked. "Something bad is going to happen." She looked at him and he could see something in her eyes he had not seen from her yet. He saw that she was frightened but there were also other things besides the reflection of the fire in her eyes. She sighed and moved her ears upwards, listening to sounds. In the beginning, there was no sound except for the rustling of the leaves by a breeze, but soon enough there was a vague stomping sound and Legolas jumped to his feet. Quickly the sound of stomping grew and strangers would come close to the elven campsite.

"Yrch!" Legolas yelled while he picked up his bow and shot an arrow.

"Yrch?" Serina asked while she jumped on her feet searched Legolas' target. She also had heard the sound but had no idea what to make from it.

"Orcs!" Legolas said and shot a second one. Serina also putted an arrow on the string.

"What are these creatures?" She asked while she shot one herself.

"Evil!" Legolas said. "I thought they would not bother us again?"

"Again?" Serina asked while she put her bow back on her back and stated to fight one with her dagger.

"After the war of the ring, we have not encountered them again." Legolas answered and shot the orc Serina was fighting against.

"Tell me about that later." Serina said while he blocked attack from another orc. It took several more moments and dead orcs before they were save again. "Those are ugly creatures." Serina said while she bent over one of the orc bodies to inspect the features of the creature.

"An Uruk-hai." Legolas said while he wiped his hand on his leggings. "He was the leader of his party, I think. I do not understand why they attacked us, they only a small party."

"But what matters is that we survived the attack." Serina said while she climbed a tree and looked around for their horses. The horses probably got scared and had run away to return later. Serina thought before she settled herself. There were still a lot of things she did not understand, but she could ask them later, and if she had forgotten, they would not have been important enough, she decided.

"Aye, are you unharmed?" He asked.

"I am unharmed, you too, I take it?" She drank some water before she cleaned her hands on a cloth. She broke the lembas in two and past the second piece to Legolas who also just had settled down on the branch next to her.

"I am well; no harm has come to me." He accepted the way bread but after the fight, he had lost his appetite. First, he carefully laid or rather hung his bow and quiver on the branch he was on before he began nibbling on the bread. Finished with his piece of lembas he drank and settled himself against the trunk. "How about that funny feeling of you? Is it still there?"

"I think it is almost gone. I can tell you tomorrow if it is gone or not. Sleep well." Serina told him with an uncertain smile.

"Sleep well, Serina." Legolas said before he eyes glazed over in to his elven sleep.


Three days they rode swiftly and fast, only stopping to rest their horses at noon, also to have a drink and stretch their legs before continuing. At dusk, they stopped and made camp and scouted the area before sleeping, to awake at dawn to travel again. They were now almost in Helm's Deep as they only had a half days ride in front of them when they dismounted again.

"We are almost there." Legolas said while he strokes his nose. Anod breathed softly and pushed his nose in Legolas hand. "It is good to be riding together, isn't it?" Legolas whispered in Anod's ear, he digged his hoof in the earth as agree. Legolas smiled as he patted him before he looked at Serina. She looked a bit tired but she got brighter every meter they came closer to Helm's Deep.

"Then we will arrive tomorrow at noon, if I am right?" Serina said while she walked over to Legolas and Anod.

"Aye, we will. Then we will both see our friends again." Legolas answered with a smile. "Shall we go and scout before we go and rest?"

"Aye, let's go." Serina said and within a half hour, they both had returned. "I have seen nothing out of place." Serina said when she saw Legolas.

"Me neither." Legolas said and swiftly climbed one of the mighty and old trees. He softly spoke to the tree to thank him. Serina also climbed the same tree and tossed him their water skin and a half way bread. She drank herself some water and ate her piece of lembas. When they were one, they both wished each other a night before they both went to sleep and the sun's rays had left for the day.


The first rays of the sun lighted the ever with snow covered peaks of the misty mountains as the sky grew lighter with the upcoming day. Serina and Legolas just finished their preparations for their last ride until they would return to their destination, for now. They rode swiftly and fast between the forest trees on a thin path until it got steeper and they had to walk so the horses would not get an injury. They passed over the opening leaving the woods and walking in to a large valley.

"Welcome to the valley of Helm's Deep." Legolas said in a smile.


Alnata turned and tossed underneath her blankets unaware she had woken up her husband. He sighed and stood to fetch a glass of water. He had set the glass down before he kneeled down at the side of his wife and softly shook her shoulder. "Nata, wake up, saes." Cervanus called softly. She stirred but did not wake. "Alnata, wake from your dark dreams." He called out a bit louder. She stirred again and opened her eyes. She looked at her husband while her eyes filled with tears. "It is all right." Cervanus said softly and handed his wife the glass when she sat. "Tell me, what was your dream about?"

"I- I dreamed, I saw Serina." She said after she had taken a sip from the water.

"Aye, what happened?"

"She- She was with another elf, but they were attacked..." She said while tears spilled over her cheeks. He wiped them away with his thump making her look at him.

"She will be all right. You remember I learned her. How to shoot the bow, and how to fight with her dagger. She will be all right, but you also said there was another elf?"

"Aye, a blond one. He is also a bow master." She said trough her sobs. Cervanus got the glass from her trembling hands and set it down again.

"She will be well, and she will return with the dwarf." He said while he hugged his wife and hoped she would believe his words because he did not know if he believed them himself. After some time she had calmed again so that she was almost asleep. The lack of all other nights of bad rest and having a nightmare had exhausted her. Cervanus laid her gently down tucking her in before he got to his side of the bed. He placed a gentle kiss on her brow before he led down himself and fell asleep.


I am in the Throne room, if you need me.

Cervanus.

Alnata looked at the little piece of parchment that she had found next to her bed this morning. She could not remember the last time she had slept in that late. It was already almost time for lunch when she had dressed and made her way up to the Throne room. She gave her husband a little smile when she knew he had seen her and she waited patiently till all the other elves were gone to join them in the hall where they normally would have lunch.

"Join us, Alnata." Dealion said with a wave of his hand when he had stepped of his throne. Cervanus, Briadir and Alnata followed their lord to the next room where they sat down on the cushions.

"You look tired, Cev." Dealion said when he had removed his helmet.

"I am sorry." Alnata said softly looking from Dealion to Cervanus. Dealion frowned as well as his son. "I had a bad dream, and awoken Cev in the process." She explained. All three other elves nodded.

"It is not for my part to decide or to say anything actually, but would it not be a good idea to maybe go and visit a healer? He might be able give you something that allows you to properly sleep at night." Briadir said thoughtful. He like any other ranger had followed lessons so each of them would know the basic lessons in healing.

"That would be a good idea." Cervanus said while he looked at the she-elf who sat next to him. "But first let us eat, I am starving." He said, Dealion nodded and then laughed at the comment.

"Enjoy." He said before they started eating. They were about to finish their meal when a guard appeared through the heavy curtains followed by a little form.

"Hir-nin? A visitor request your present." The guard said while he stepped aside to let the dwarf through.

"Hydión, mellon-nin! Enter and join us." Dealion said with a bright smile. "You may leave." He said to the guard who left immediately.

"Hannon-le for the lunch, hir-nin." Alnata said and stood.

"Hannon-le that you joined us. Think about what we have said." Dealion said before left. "Tell me, what I owe you for climbing all those stairs?"

"You owe me nothing, mellon-nin. I am in a dire need for some good advice from a friend."

"We shall leave you in peace." Cervanus said who was already getting up from his place.

"Nay, you do not need to leave. Dealions friends are mine." The dwarf replied and Cervanus sat down again.

"What is troubling your mind?"

"You have sent elves to search for Florin, or am I mistaken?" Hydión asked softly.

"Only one of ours was brave enough to go and leave to search for her." The elf-lord told him while he looked at Cervanus.

"You know her. She is my daughter and good friends with Florin." Cervanus said while he looked from the dwarf to his lord and back.

"Serina? Has she gone to search for her?" He asked not believing the words he heard.

"Aye, she has gone for a month or two now." Cev said while he could not hide the worry and hurt from his face. He missed her dearly and wanted her back as soon as possible. Fine lines on the dwarfs face appeared around his eyes, making him look a lot older in wear.

"And you have not received any word from her?" He asked.

"Nay, we have not. And that is what worries us that something had happened to her." Hydión nodded and watched Briadir poor some cups of tea. He sat down and handed everyone a cup. All were with their thoughts before the time they all sipped their cups. Hydión let out a sigh after he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to his friends face. He could see pity but also that he understood what he was going through.

"I miss my daughter." He murmured and saw the sad smile from Cervanus.

"I know how you are feeling, but to pity each other does not help to bring them back."

"I know." The dwarf said and stood. "Let me know something if news has arrived from them, otherwise I will come soon again or this clears my mind and eases my feelings of despair."

"I will send you word as soon as I know myself." Dealion said and watched his friend leave again.

- Well, I hope you like it. I think this chapter was more about Serina's family than Serina herself I think. You will see, she will learn many more things about Middle-Earth. Next chapter we will finally go and meet Gimli and Florin, yay! See you in the next chapter and don't forget to leave me a review, they will make my story better and they make my day! P.S. Thank you Annreader for your ideas and inspiration!-

Dictionary:

Saes - Please

Hir-nin - My lord

Mellon-nin - My friend

Hannon-le - Thank you