Chapter 3

Legolas waited till Tally was asleep. He could hear her snoring through the wall and the bathroom. He crept out silently, taking her keys. He needed to be out under the stars and in the trees to think. Maybe he'd missed something. As he left the flats he felt the same fear he had felt earlier in Galadriel's Mirror. Pushing it aside, he went on. He found a park a mile down the road, and climbed easily over the fence. Legolas headed straight for the nearest tall tree and climbed up that too. He sat near the top branches amongst the quietly roosting birds watching the stars and thinking. Trying to find a way out of his situation. How to get back to Middle Earth. It was obviously a mistake on Gandalf and Galadriel's part. He wasn't needed here. Tally was in no danger. His thoughts were interrupted by a voice so familiar, yet unexpected he almost fell out of the tree. "Legolas Greenleaf, get down from there. I am now an old Wizard and do not wish to spend my time climbing trees after elves!"

"Mithrandir!" It was Gandalf, now a very old wizard.

"Yes Legolas. 'Tis I. We must talk. I have waited many millennia since Galadriel and I sent you here. I know you have many questions. They will all be answered soon. But first we must leave this place. Orcs have been watching your movements since we arrived. They have found out that we sent you here, forward in time. They will kill you and anyone you come into contact with." Legolas jumped down from the lowest branch.

"Natalia." He panicked,

"Natalia Greyson?"

"Yes, I saw her in my vision in the Mirror. How do you know her? She has been helping me. I have been in her home. They will kill her. We have to help her."

And with that Gandalf, led by Legolas, raced back to Tally's flat. The front door was already forced open. Silently, Legolas crept up the stairs, realising how lucky it was that he hadn't heeded Tally's words and left his bow behind. He saw her door was also forced open and there were sounds of a struggle coming from the inside. Taking the Orcs by surprise, he shot them all silently and then turned to help Gandalf kill the others which had followed him to the park and then back again to the flat. They put up more of a resistance, but were quickly and quietly killed on the landing outside her front door. Legolas rushed in to see Tally. She was semi-conscious sitting against her bedroom door frame. Her beautiful flat was a mess, but so was she. Cuts and bruises everywhere. Once eye was almost closed. "What happened, Tally?" she looked at him, her eyes trying to focus. She saw Gandalf in the corner and began to move away from him. Legolas turned to where she was looking, "It's Gandalf, it's alright. No one will hurt you now. You are safe. I will look after you." In the background, Gandalf was frowning, "Tally what happened? Do you need to see a healer?"

"We will take her to a friend," said Gandalf, "His house is protected. Natalia do you have a car? I will drive." Legolas picked her up in his arms and cautiously carried her outside.

Legolas silently got into the 'car'. He was half-petrified, half bemused by the sight of Gandalf driving as they drove down long grey roads. It was an hour before they reached their destination. They were in the countryside outside the big city. Gandalf drove them along many narrow winding roads before they reached the house of the healer. Legolas carried Tally into the house. She was very weak and had a fever. She babbled incoherently as he laid her out on a bed. The healer came in. He was a mortal doctor, old but with a glint in his eye. He took one look at Tally and told Gandalf, "You should have taken her to a hospital. This is a poison I cannot deal with. They would have been able to help her. All I can do is clean up the wounds."

"Do not worry, we can cure the poison. Legolas, go out collect as many daisies as you can find and strip the bark from the willow growing down the field. Be quick. We have very little time."

Legolas did as he was told, the picture of Tally when he first saw her back in her flat was there every time he closed his eyes, and he couldn't help thinking that this was his fault. Using a small dagger, he took the bark from the tree and sprinted to the meadow, plucking what seemed to be every since flower which grew in the long thick grass. He rushed back to Gandalf who had boiled some water and added his own magic to it. He added Nature's magic and sent the jet surging, being so impatient with the gas stove.

"Gandalf, hurry," Legolas urged

"This is not your fault. I should have told you before sending you back. We are safe here. When Tally wakes up, I shall tell you both what is happening. This is ready. Josiah!" he called to the healer, "I shall need many cloth bandages as possible. We must soak them with this and then bind all the places where the skin has been cut."

They returned to the room where Tally lay still babbling, "Gandalf, look," said Josiah pointing to the tops of her legs. The bruising there was heavy, like someone had tried to force them apart, "You don't think they tried, do you?" Gandalf shook his head,

"I do not know. One can only hope. She has a lot to live through."

In the corner of the room, hovering nervously stood Legolas. His face showing the many thousands of years of his life as his brow wrinkle with concern for the girl before him. The girl who was an infant in years compared to him, but knew so much about this new world and had been so kind. He tried to put the thought of the orcs from his head, but couldn't. Gandalf made him leave as Josiah tended the more intimate areas of her body. They both stood outside with their backs turned as even in her fever, Tally winced in pain. Once she was bandaged, Legolas sat by her side, hardly moving day and night. It was 36 hours before she woke up.