Chapter 1

Natalia was walking back to her flat. Her perfect flat. She had spent so long getting it just right and it was finally finished, done up just the way she had wanted. She was smiling and humming to herself. Tally reached into her bag to find her keys and when she looked up there was a man sitting down leaning against the wall of her block, shaking and muttering to himself. Weirdo, she thought, but as she got closer, she could hear what he was saying, "I must find her, warn her, she must be prepared." Something about him caught Tally's attention. I'll do my good deed for the day, she said to herself.

"Can I help you, sir? Do you need to call someone?" The man jumped up as she said this, he very nimble and quick on his feet. His eyes then came to look into hers and she saw recognition in them. It is her he thought.

"Do I know you?" she asked.

"No," he said, "but I have come here to help you. We must go somewhere and talk. I must make you understand. You must know." He could see her looking at him like a rabbit ready to bolt. She is frightened, he could feel it, but there was an amazing light in her eyes. "Please, I mean you know harm." He smiled and took her hand to kiss it but she shrank away. This wasn't normal behaviour for 21st century guy. "My name is Legolas."

Tally stepped back from him, "This is some joke by one of my so-called friends isn't it. You know I have a thing for Tolkein, so you decide to hire a guy to dress up as an elf and come here and wind me up. Well thank you, Bob or whoever you are, you can go back and collect your fee and tell my friends what a good laugh it was. Now if you'll excuse me." but she stopped as she saw the hurt rising in his face, "What?" she asked.

"I.." he faltered, "I do not know of Tolkein, or your friends or this Bob of whom you speak. I am Legolas Greenleaf. You have to believe me. Please, you must listen to me."

"If you are Legolas, then prove it. Use you bow and arrow and shoot something. Just don't kill anyone, ok?" she said authoritatively.

"Very well," he said, and strung an arrow on his bow. "Do you see that big tree down there? There is a knoll in the bark about waist high from the ground. I will put his arrow straight through the centre on the one condition that you at least here me out. Do you agree?" Tally nodded, like this guy was going to do that, she thought.

Legolas let the arrow fly and he and Tally walked to follow its path. This must be at least a few hundred metres, she thought walking along. But when she reached the tree, there was an arrow right through a dark mark in the bark of the tree just level with her navel. She looked at him in wonder, "It can't really be, Lord of the Rings was just a book. It wasn't real, just the creation of a talented man." Tally stared at him for a long time until he began to get uncomfortable and cleared his throat.

"As I said, I am Legolas Greenleaf, and I must speak to you of something of grave importance."

"Well I did promise," Tally said, "Let's go grab a coffee."

"Grab a coffee?"

"You know, let's go get a cup of coffee to drink?" she saw the blank look on his face, "Obviously not," she muttered to herself.