Disclaimer: I own Kirilla. I do not own the Lord of the Rings or any of the characters in the Lord of the Rings. Thank you. Please don't sue me!

As I fought the orc, tumbling down the hill and over the darkened forest, I grew ever more weary. The unicorn magic was fading. Soon I would fail. Even the elfin blood within me was growing weak. My body hurt everywhere.. pain filled by every move. Magic would not help. My nimbleness was already well into dying.. proved by torn locks of silvery hair on the ground, droplets of blood spraying my gown, my face, and the ground beneath me, leaving a pathway of red each way the orc and I rolled.

Desparation began to cover me.. how could I be saved? This orc was no ordinary orc.. nay, he had a purpose.. to kill me. He was not the only of the ugly orcs waiting.. there were others, following the one tackling me.. for each one I slew, another came..

Finally.. there were not many moments left. I used my last resort.. The shriek that filled the air, filled my being, filled the land was a keening cry. Barely above a whisper, and yet heard by all.. the unicorn's call. Not many would recognize the cry of a unicorn.. but I knew it was my only chance. Elves, I knew, if any were nearby, might perhaps recognize a unicorn.. for at one time, long, long ago, the elves and unicorns were good friends.. still are, but there were no links anymore.. last of them being Elrond.. yet he was still hiding at Rivendell..

The darkness began to fall over me.. my knife fell, cutting new long marks of blood across my right leg ; my bow, my precious bow that I had worked many months creating, cracked; and my quiver of arrows poked into my back harshly. Blood oozed from my forehead, my scar was hurting dreadfully. I could feel my heart beating rapidly.. I did not want to die! But there was no hope! I had lost so much blood.. I did not feel I could fight the orc much longer.. he knew it, too.

But moments before I could fall unconsious an arrow zinged through the nearby air, landing with a resounding thunk through the orc's throat. An elfin warcry filled the air.. followed by cries from human and dwarf... The world swam before me as the orc fell to the ground beside me where I lay in the bloody grass. I tried to focus as fleet footfalls came to a stop next to me and a tall figure dropped to the ground.

An elfin face peered over my own, eyes fixing on mine.. beautiful, brown eyes, full of wisdom and something else I could not place... I tried to speak.. no words could come out.. my throat was spent from the unicorn's call. He asked me something in elvish.. I could not answer.. the blackness was falling over me... He shook my shoulders gently with soft hands, taking care about the wounds covering my arms. I tried harder still to speak, forcing out,"Ortanyë." It came out little but a whisper, yet the man above me nodded and picked me up carefully, darting to a safer place before setting me down and pulling an arrow from his quiver, a fierce look upon his face. Then he disappeared. I blinked several times before I nodded off into the blackness, unaware that a battle was raging around my fallen form..

~*~

A time later, I heard words in the darkness.. Lorien.. Lorien.. NO! I did not want to go to the forests of Lorien.. My heart filled with anger and fear. The deep voice was rough, questioning. Elfin words of question filled my heart.. but I refused. Then: Rivendell? I was consenting.. the darkness slipped back in.

~*~

What seemed but a moment later, I regained my consiousness. I found I was leaned against the solid form of someone, arms wrapped around me to keep me from falling. I gazed upward, though it hurt to move my head. Firelight highlighted the face of an elven man. I felt a sense of safeness wash over me, and let myself relax against him. He stirred, and I felt a gentle touch to my forehead. A deep voice spoke words of reassurance. I fell to the darkness of the semiconsious again.

~*~

Once again I awoke from the darkness.. all around me it was white.. the air was fresh. Slowly I cracked open an eye as my senses slowly returned. I realized a warm hand was holding my cold one, a head of long, blonde hair was settled on the bed next to the hand.

Music filtered through the wind, an ethereal quality flowing to it. My violet eyes opened another crack, and the beauty of the room I was in took me by surprise. As I stared in wonder at the shimmering curtains, the head rose, and I was presented with a gaunt, fierce face.. the face of an elven warrior. Brown eyes that were suddenly so familiar I noticed first, dark eyebrows over them.

"Ortielyë?" a deep, rich voice said quietly. The lips of the elven man moved with the words, and I nodded slowly.

"Ië." I was so tired still, the pain was still great. I murmured further in elven-tongue, my violet gaze slipping down to where a hand with long, slender fingers held my own, then back up.

"My.. rescuer?" I whispered in elven, tilting my head to take in his familiar face."

He nodded, his second hand rising from his side to brush a strand of silvery-gold hair from my eyes. "I did."

"And.. you were the voice in my heart.. in the darkness?"

"Yes, it was I."

"I thank you, sir," I said, managing a grateful smile before I rose, sitting up in the bed. Suddenly as I had risen, pain shot up my back and I cried out in pain.

The warrior who had saved me rose quickly, standing his full height, and called loudly in common speech. Presently, two elven women came, bearing healing herbs and the like.

"You have suffered a great deal, lady. You need to rest and recover," one said in a soft voice, looking upon me with pitying eyes. I was angry, but I was helpless to voice my anger. The pain grew more intense. Sadness swept over me. I could not heal myself! My hand flew to the star upon my forehead, and my other hand covered it. I leaned forward, ignoring the pain my back and arms felt at the stretch. Tears came. While I cried, the warrior was given herbs, which he offered. I accepted, but I refused to raise my head.

"Kirilla? That is your name, milady?" the warrior said gently, putting a comforting arm around my shoulders, ever careful of my bandaged wounds.

I paused my sobbing, gasping in surprise. I forced my tear-stained face to meet his. "How do you know my name?"

"The trees told me, fair one. While we made our way to Rivendell. The trees spoke to me of a Snow Maiden when they felt you, of a Lady of the Forest.. named Kirilla. It could only be you, for the trees do not lie."

I stared at him in wonder. He had appreciation for the trees.. I could indeed feel such, and it was enough to make me curious. "What do you know of the forests?"

"I know plenty."

"Tell me what you know and have heard."

He chuckled, a low, wonderful sound, as the laugh of elven kind are beautiful. "You will demand, Lady Kirilla?"

I immediately was remorseful and apologized in the elven tongue. "I am sorry, sir. I would like to know what you know and have heard of the forests."

He chuckled again, but consented, and for the next hour or so, we spoke of our travels. He did not ask of my origins, and I did not offer him any. Then a weariness came over me and I laid back, pain filling my chest and my heart. "Please.. let me be." I asked quietly, rolling to my side.

He nodded, then stood and left the room as I entered the darkness of the dreamworld and slept, calling out a soft, "Namárië, Kirilla," as he left.

I dreamt that time of warriors, evil, and times of chaos.. but my dreams soon slipped to thoughts of this warrior who had saved me from the orcs.. the one who'd heard my call. I did not yet know his name, but I felt something special, thinking of him.