A/N: well I guess I'm back from the dead. I really hope no one stays mad at me for not updating for a year and a half. And I hope I can pick up the story well. But I said all this last time…

Umm… there isn't anything important you all should know… other than if u don't review I'll probably lose interest so yea…

Disclaimer: you know it

Chapter Fourteen

Serafina raised her good arm slowly towards her head as instructed, and turned around. The thief was faced with both Strider and Legolas, and was less than amused. Legolas was positively furious; his eyes bore holes into the girl's skin. However despite the Elf's displeasure Serafina could see a small smile playing on the ranger's mouth.

Strider's smile faded quickly when his eyes passed over her arm. They lingered there for a moment before he raised an eyebrow at her, but he did not say a word.

It was Gandalf who broke the silence. Serafina figured he must have woken in the few seconds she'd had her back turned, she thought this a little odd but then, he was a wizard.

"Now I did say that we would meet again, did I not?" the wizard asked comically, as he walked around the fireplace to face her, "Now, dear girl, please what in Eru's name are you doing here? What has happened to your wrist? And Legolas please lower you knife."

"Humph?" came a questioning and slightly offended sound from the other side of the fire. All eyes turned to be met with the sight of a very confused and disgruntled dwarf. Gimli stood there facing them with his axe raised in suspicion. Aragorn shook his head at him and Gimli sighed put his axe away and sat back down at his post; murmuring something about how they must have been playing a trick on him, for a Dwarf misses nothing.

Serafina was tired, hungry and in unrelenting pain from the wolf bite, and did not appreciate the jovial tone in the wizards voice. She did not see the humor in the situation that Strider and the Wizard did, she was as serious as Legolas, and the fact that her emotions matched that of the Elf's did not sit well with her.

She squared her jaw. Somehow she knew she had to get out of this. She could not travel with them, she refused to, and even if she tried Boromir would likely cut her head off. The immediate reaction was to fight her way out… but thankfully the rational side of her brain ruled that out. Serafina's heart sank as she realized she was completely at their mercy, she had no control.

Aragorn watched the girl; her emotions were displayed as clearly on her face as paint is on canvas. He hardly knew her, true, but Aragorn knew enough of her antics to see she was struggling with her very apparent lack of control. He glanced at Gandalf, and could clearly see that his friend was pleased and unconcerned with Serafina's 'surprise' entrance, and began to wonder if he was indeed expecting her all along. Moving his gaze on to Legolas, Aragorn sensed impatience, fury and confusion as to why a girl would be wandering in the wilderness.

The ranger was extremely surprised when she opened her mouth to speak.

She could not stay and she could not fight her way out. Instead she would have to find another way. After all, the thief still had her pride.

"I am not here to ask for your help. I came here to take it." Her voice was determined and strong; Serafina paused and looked at her audience of three. Her resolution formed, she would not give in to them – not even now. "And since I have been caught I will leave you with your belongings and your supplies. In exchange for this I would like my freedom."

Gandalf simply raised his eyebrows at this little pride driven statement. The elf scoffed. But the man glared.

All amiable thoughts that Aragorn had held for her up until that moment had now dissolved. The pride she had! The unwillingness to admit defeat and ask for assistance! He knew that with her half-bound wound it would easily get infected, and he guessed she knew the same; otherwise she would not have tried to steal his healing supplies, but still she refused to even be offered help.

Gandalf decided to end this matter, and boomed, "Do not be so foolish child! You cannot, rather evidently, find your way alone in the wild. Your wrist is severely wounded and you probably haven't eaten in days." He continued in a gentler manner, "You shall stay with us until you are fit to continue on your own or until it is safe for you to leave us. You shall have no choice on the matter, my word is final. You shall ask no questions of why we are here, and if you do you shall not be answered." Gandalf gave her a meaningful look that made the thief shiver; Serafina felt his eyes bore into her. Then Gandalf continued, "Aragorn, tend to her wounds. Legolas get some rest, the next watch it yours. Gimli, try to keep watch, we don't want any more thieves stealing our food, do we?" and with that the wizard promptly made his way to his blanket roll and lay down.

Serafina had never felt more like a child then she did in that moment. It was a very alien feeling to the thief, she had been responsible for herself since a very young age and to be told what to do and to obey was a foreign concept to her.

She watched as the ranger played with the fire and some funny smelly weed. All kindness from his face that she had seen earlier was gone. In its place was bitterness, his face seemed stone cold. She sighed in relief; at least she didn't have to worry about trying to be nice to him. She didn't sit. The thief stood on the opposite side of the fire to him. She was not in a pleasant mood and had every intention of making sure he knew that she did not appreciate his help, nor did she want it – Serafina was intent on making this as awkward as possible. No one told her what she could or could not do.

Aragorn decided to leave her standing. He was not sure what his previous conclusion of her was but now all he could focus on was her pride.

"Come here." Aragorn said unfeelingly to her, without looking up. "Sit." He commanded.

Her wrist was a mess. The ranger cringed inwardly when he examined it. Then looked up at her questioningly, "How did you come by this injury?"

"I thought it looked pretty so I stole it from a rich man." Came the fast retort. There eyes met in a cold glare. Serafina continued, "I have a weakness for all things pretty…"

Aragorn would not stand for insolence and glanced pointedly towards Boromir's bedroll. He did not know what was between them but he knew she was afraid of him.

Serafina seethed at his hide and bit back quickly, "I was walking in the pretty woods one nice when a lovely wolf and I decided to play fetch, the rules got a bit hazy and he confused my wrist with a stick. But he apologized and there are no hard feelings."

He raised his eyebrows but made no more threats.

"Well Serafina, you picked and interesting wolf to play with. In fact it was no wolf, it-"

"I know what I saw."

Aragorn took a breath before replying in an icy tone, "Evidently you do not. That was no wolf; it was in fact a warg. This is far too swollen to be a wolf bite. How many nights ago was this tragic game of fetch?"

Serafina looked at him quizzically, "Three nights… what is a warg?"

"It's what bit you."

The girl fumed, her temper was not good at the best of times and she found her tether wearing thin. Somehow she managed to swallow her harsh retort before it left her mouth, and sat in silence as he cleaned the bite.

Aragorn noticed that she sat very still. He knew the sort of pain she was in; he had been on the receiving end of a warg bite long ago, but he remembered it well. He was slightly impressed by her will power, but then he never expected her to make a sound to display and discomfort… she had far too much pride for that. He felt her eyes on him. They never left.

She was scrutinizing him as though she were staring at some puzzle, something that must be blindingly obvious that she couldn't quite put her finger on. And indeed she was – Serafina was trying to figure out the meaning of the name Aragorn. She knew that name, she knew it held some sort of purpose and meaning but she couldn't find it.

It was Aragorn who eventually broke the silence, "What are you doing here, Serafina?" his voice was soft and tired, Serafina thought long and hard about how to reply. Finally she sighed and let down her guard,

"I'm lost; of all the things I stole from Elrond I forgot a map." She paused, "I did look over one before I left but I've never traveled alone before, I thrive in cities, not in the wild."

Aragorn chuckled slightly, and looked up in time to see the thief grin sheepishly, if only for a second. "Where were you headed?"

"Gondor or Rohan…whichever I stumbled on first, really."

"Those cities are far away, you must know that."

"If I could have stolen a horse I would have. But I got caught every time. None of my Elvin friends would let me borrow one either, although I can't imagine why…"

"No, Serafina… me either." Aragorn paused, and then looked at her seriously. "I agree with Gandalf that we cannot leave you out here alone, however you need to understand that you are under no circumstances safe with us."

The girl assessed his face; his eyes spoke worlds to her, of concern and duty – however unwanted. "I realized that in Bree, Strider. I know who those riders serve. And I will figure this riddle out. I don't know why they are hunting you, but you can be sure I will know. And don't forget Strider, I can hold my own."

"Shall I get a second opinion of that?" he asked with a glint in his eye. "From perhaps…" he glanced at her wrist, "said wolf?"

Serafina grinned, truly grinned and replied, "Oh, you'd be welcome to," she said coyly, "but you see I don't play fair; after he apologized I killed him. So it seems if said wolf – or was it warg – could voice his opinion, I'd wager it'd be supporting my competency."

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Here ends chapter 14. I need sleep. Now review dammit! REVIEW !!!