Dawn broke over the mountaintops, but the sun was hidden behind low, dark clouds. I pulled my cloak tightly around me. The jacket was warm and felt like it was filled with down and the fur-lined cloak kept me very comfortable, but the biting East Wind chilled my skin wherever it touched me.

The Elves followed a path only known to them towards the foot of the nearest mountain. I saw nothing to mark it. As we climbed out of the valley, the temperature plummeted and the naked hardwoods gave way to evergreens.

There was no snow yet at our elevation, but there were no living creatures to be seen either. The forest was silent except for the wind whistling through the branches. The Elves were quiet as well; I'd expected the horses to be clad in bells, but they weren't.

We traveled up and up along a zig-zag path at a slow pace. The path was narrow and we were moving single file. I watched the Elves, some were walking alongside their horses, others were riding, but all were wary.

I fumbled inside my pack for my little leather ball and absently squeezed it in my right hand. The tension and quiet in the normally ebullient Elves made me wonder if I should take the sleeve off my hook, but I decided not to. I didn't like the idea of accidentally cutting Legolas' mare or myself.

Legolas had told me the mare's name and it was virtually unpronounceable. I had taken to calling her Willow and she seemed to like it. I spoke to her softly, "Willow, we're going to be together for a while. Do you mind if I talk to you?"

She shook her head and I took it as a 'no' so I continued, "Thank you for being so gentle with me. I know you love Legolas and you'd be nice to me for his sake, but I hope eventually we'll become true friends, not just because of him."

She nodded and I began to wonder if she actually could understand me. I thought about Macavity and decided she probably could.

As we cleared the rim of the valley I turned to look. I could see the path of the Bruinen in the distance, but there was no sign of the Last Homely House, just a broad expanse of bare trees. To the North and South all I could see were the mountains. I looked at the sky and occasionally I thought I saw a bird circling very high, but it was just on the edge of my vision and was lost in the clouds.

We continued on for hours. I eventually got tired of working with the ball and dropped it back in my pack. We weren't traveling fast enough for the horses to need rest, but I knew eventually they would get hungry. I started wondering when we would stop. The path widened and an Elf rode up to my right, it was the one from my CPR class.

"My lady, we will be stopping soon, I have a small bottle of miruvor the prince asked me to give to you. You can put it in your pack when we rest."

"Yes, thank you. I'd feel better knowing I had it with me."

I shifted a little, looking forward to being able to stretch my legs a bit. I'd been drinking from my water skin and was beginning to feel my bladder as well. Every time I opened the skin I thought of Gimli tying the string to the cork so I wouldn't lose it.

"My lady?" the Elf was still riding next to me.

"Yes?" I replied.

"I see you are sad and the prince told me you were not happy about leaving Rivendell. You will like King Thranduil's palace. It is warm and luxurious; there are many elflings as well," he smiled.

"I'm looking forward to it. I wasn't happy about leaving, but it was no insult to your home. I felt I was being sent away. I'm sure Mirkwood is a wonderful place to live. You miss your prince as well, don't you?"

"Yes, we all do. His majesty will be saddened that he has not returned with us."

"But he will be proud that his son is representing his people on this important quest."

"Yes, my lady. The King has always been proud of his son." I was holding the reins loosely with my left hand and he glanced down at the ring. "He will be happy to hear the prince has finally fallen in love, as well."

"You don't think he'll be upset that Legolas fell in love with a mortal?"

"He will be sad that your time together will be so short, but when we tell him how happy the prince is, he will not be troubled."

"And what of the rest of his people? Is there no one who will be, um, disappointed? Surely Legolas has admirers."

He grinned, "The prince has had many admirers; however, among the Eldar, love is either present or it is not. When it is not, the issue is not pressed. The prince has never encouraged any elleth."

"That is good to know. I wouldn't want to have to fight for him. I'd be outmatched by an Elf."

"You will be safe, my lady. That ring you wear declares that you and Prince Legolas have plighted your troth to one another. No Eldar would dare violate it and no Elf of Mirkwood would treat you with anything less than the respect a princess deserves."

"'A princess'," I repeated softly to myself.

He nodded. "It is time to rest; come, my lady," then he said something to Willow and she quickened her step to follow him.

We stopped in a small clearing. It was flanked on either side by rocky cliffs that blocked the wind. It looked to be the foot of a pass that climbed high up into the clouds. The ellon helped me off Willow and I stretched and walked around a bit getting the circulation back in my legs.

The Elves kindled a small fire and guards were posted. Scouts came back and others were sent ahead. I noticed that although the Elves wore nothing heavier than regular leather tunics and trousers, the horses each had a thick fur-lined blanket over their backs. I wondered why Willow didn't have one until I realized it was because my own cloak covered her very well. A blanket was put on her back and she was led to where another Elf was tending the horses.

I sat near the fire and snuggled up in my cloak. A mug of hot tea was offered to me and I took it in my right hand. The elleth who gave it to me stared at the hook. I laughed. "Gimli made this for me, do you like it?"

"It appears to be very useful. Do you mind if my Lord husband studies it when we return to Mirkwood? He is a smith and we have many warriors who would have use of such a device."

"Of course. Would you like to look at it more closely?"

"If you do not mind."

I set down my mug and unbuckled the strap. I slid off the wrist sleeve and handed it to her. She saw my hand then and reached for it. "Would you like to see how it looks under the glove?"

"Yes," she answered simply. I took off my ring and the glove and held out my hand. She took it gently and turned it over. "It is so slender."

I flexed it and brought my thumb to my finger and pinkie-stub. "Yes, but it still works pretty well." The back of my hand was no longer bruised and although it was narrow, if not for the pinkie it would have looked undamaged. She turned my hand over again so it was palm-side up.

She traced the scar with her finger, it was still pink and glossy, and the skin around it was blackened as if by a tattoo. "It looks exactly like a wound from a spider bite," she said softly.

"I suppose that makes sense. I guess I already have something in common with the warriors of Mirkwood. I just wish I had been awake while it was treated and operated on. I might need to know how to do it where we're going."

She let go of my hand and asked, "May I see your glove? I understand Lord Elrond made this for you himself?"

"Yes, it's truly ingenious. The little cut-outs are what makes it stretchy and keeps pressure on the wound. When I don't wear it for too long, my hand begins to ache. I think the bones of my wrist haven't quite healed in their new positions yet."

She handed me the glove and I put it and my ring back on. She looked closely at the hook and was touching the leather sleeve.

"You can take that off, but be careful, the sides and point of the metal are as sharp as a blade."

She did not remove the sleeve but replied, "That is a useful weapon. One that cannot be taken from you in battle."

"Not unless they take my whole hand."

She handed me the device and I put it back on. I picked up my mug and held it in both hands to warm them. The tea was sweet and had a taste that reminded me of Christmas spices, like mulled cider.

"Thank you for showing those to me. I am certain those who make such devices will want to recreate the glove as well."

"My pleasure. Thank you for the tea, it's wonderful. Will we eat now?"

"You may eat if you are hungry; we Elves eat only twice a day when we travel, breakfast and dinner. I suggest you take your mid-day meal as we ride. I will give you food to keep with you."

"Le hannon," I replied. She made a quick soup for me while I sat and drank the tea. Then she prepared a bundle of dried fruit, nuts, salted meats, cheese and bread for me to put in my pack.

"Le hannon," I said again and took the bundle. I handed her back the empty mug and soup bowl and stood and walked over to where Willow was munching her oats.

"I'm just putting some food in my pack, Willow. I'll be done in a minute," I said and patted her. She twitched.

"My lady, this is the miruvor the prince wished for you to have." It was the Elf who had ridden next to me. He handed me a wooden bottle, the cork was tied to the mouth of it.

I smiled and put the bottle in my pack next to the food. I guess it's only natural Legolas would've noticed the one on my water skin.

I took off my cloak and laid it over Willow's back, then took out a couple squares of toilet paper and turned to the ellon. I didn't have to speak; he smiled and led me to a sheltered offshoot of the clearing then turned and walked several yards away and stood as if on guard. I did what I had to do; I'd gotten used to situating my weapons during this chore at the training grounds and was finished quickly.

I walked back towards Willow and the Elf fell in step next to me as I passed him. He helped me put my cloak back on. "We are moving again, my lady," he said and helped me back onto the horse. Her thick blanket was gone and a thinner one was in its place; he fanned my cloak out over her; it covered her rump completely.

We started up the pass and it narrowed quickly so that we were traveling single-file again. It was dark and the walls gave me the uneasy feeling they were closing in above us. It would have been a perfect place for an ambush except the cliffs were extremely high and sheer.

We rode for another several hours and there was nothing to see or hear except the horses ahead of me. I looked up and saw nothing but a thin strip of grey sky. It made me dizzy so I didn't do it often.

Eventually we rode out of the crack and out onto the snow-covered mountain. The wind whipped around us and we were riding inside the clouds. Between the blowing snow and the fog, I could barely see the horse in front of me. I pulled my cloak tighter and prayed Willow would keep her footing. The sky was darkening and I thought sullenly about the Fellowship beginning their quest. They should be leaving Rivendell soon, if they haven't already. I hope they stick to the book. I don't want to think of what could happen if they don't.

I heard a distant rumble then and realized I should be more concerned about myself. I had no reason to think my future was assured. After all, in the books Legolas never married. The thought made me shiver.

We continued up the mountain and eventually broke through the clouds. I could see we were in a pass between two lofty peaks. The sun was dipping below the clouds behind us and the stars were twinkling into view in the eastern sky. It was breathtaking.

My new best friend rode up beside me again, "My lady, we will be stopping for the night soon. It will be too cold for you and the horses to go on."

"Thank you. Is there any shelter at all up here?"

"Nay, we shall set up a few tents for you and the horses."

"I see. Is this pass dangerous?"

"Yes, but you are safe with us. There are orcs in the Misty Mountains and recent snowfalls have made the pass dangerous because of the possibility of avalanche. If you are separated from us at any time, please stay with your horse in one place and we will find you."

"That's just what my mom taught me, well that and ask a policeman. I doubt I'll see one of them."

"It is unlikely you will see any men on this mountain, my lady," he replied earnestly.

We stopped shortly after that and rode in ever-narrowing circles, using the horses to trample enough of the three-foot-deep snow for the Elves to erect three tents. I stayed on Willow until they had finished and the Elf I had begun to think of as my guard came and helped me off.

He led me into one of the tents, the floor was slushy, but there was a fire in the center and several cots set up near it. I looked up and there was a hole in the center of the ceiling where the smoke exited. The wind whipped the walls, but it was sturdy and very warm.

I sat on one of the cots and realized I was exhausted and had a headache. I'd nibbled along the way so I wasn't very hungry, but when the Elves began cooking, the smell was too enticing to let myself fall asleep. We dined that night on a thick stew made with venison and large pieces of vegetables.

The Elves of the company came in shifts and stayed just long enough to eat. When the last one left, I lay down on the cot and wrapped up in my cloak. I didn't bother to even take off my boots or hook. I fell asleep listening to the wind.

I woke at dawn to a cold, clear day. The Elves made a hot cereal for breakfast and we broke camp. I still had a headache, but I had a jar of strips of tree bark that when chewed worked like aspirin.

The next several days passed in this manner. Sometimes I would hear a distant rumble, but most days were windy and cold, but quiet. I saw no wildlife, not even a high-flying bird. The Elves showed no ill effects from the altitude, but I noticed my headache was getting worse and it was becoming more and more difficult for me to breathe.

My guard stayed very close to me then. I tried to hide my discomfort as much as I could, but by the third day he could tell I wasn't well. I was unconscious most of the time and nearly fell off the horse. We were past the point of no return; it would have taken longer to go back than to go forward, so as a precaution, he tied my legs to Willow to prevent me from falling off.
It wasn't until we started back down the other side of the pass and I began to feel more alert that the Elves began to show signs something wasn't right. We made camp just above the clouds. I asked my guard why there was so much tension.

"Our scouts have reported there is orc activity lower down in the pass. There is also evidence of snow and rock slides. We must be very wary from now on, especially when visibility is low."

Although I was tired, I didn't sleep well that night. In the morning I made sure my supplies were restocked and my belongings were strapped on securely. The ellon insisted on tying me to the horse again, even though I was feeling better. We made our way slowly through the clouds. I hadn't remembered them to be so thick on the other side of the mountain and we had been riding in almost zero visibility for about an hour when suddenly I heard rumbling. It was not distant.

I heard shouting and was hit from behind by a wall of snow. I was forced forward and held on to Willow's neck as tightly as I could. We slid but stayed upright; I saw nothing but white and heard nothing but the thunder of the snow for a very long time.

I don't know how long the avalanche lasted. I don't know if I lost consciousness, but I realized when I could see daylight over my head that I was very lucky. Somehow we ended up on top of the snow when it finally settled. I knew how rare that was, so I silently thanked the Valar. I looked all around us and saw no one. I didn't call out, because I was afraid to start another slide.

'Stay with your horse in one place and we will find you,' echoed in my mind. My legs and Willow's bottom half were still covered. I dug down and found my knife and cut off the rope then pulled myself out on top of the snow and checked myself over. I found only a few bruises and scrapes, but Willow had yet to move. She was breathing but her eyes were closed. I dug through the snow praying she was okay.

My hands were freezing by the time I got to her front legs; they looked okay so I kept digging. I found the blanket, then the straps and my pack. Her chest, back, and belly were okay too, so when I found my harness, I took it and my pack off of her. I dug down further and began to see blood.

"Oh no!" I whispered and dug faster. When I finally got to her back legs I found where the blood was coming from. Both of them were scraped and had awful gashes on the knees. They must have been scraped along the rocks underneath the snow. I ran my hands along them checking for breaks; I didn't find anything, but I had no idea what a break would feel like.

I grabbed my pack and rifled through it looking for the pouch the healer had given me. I found it but the bandages were too small for Willow. I dug through the front pockets for a pain relieving salve. I rubbed the ointment onto the cuts and scrapes, grabbed the blanket, and used my knife to cut several strips from it to bandage her legs. When I was finished, I tunneled around the horse and piled the snow up high around us to shield her from the wind. Eventually, we had a nice little cave, but I started to worry that the Elves wouldn't be able to find us in it.

"If any of the Elves survived the slide, that is," I muttered to myself despondently. "What now? I can't make us too obvious, there are orcs here too. Do I wait here, hoping that if any of the Elves survived, they find us before the orcs?"

I'd managed to clear the snow in a way that Willow was lowered slowly onto her side and I covered her with what was left of the light blanket. I leaned up against her belly in an attempt to keep us both a little warmer. She still had not awakened.

I warmed my hands in my armpits and thought about starting a little fire. There was no wood to be seen and the floor of our little cave was snow and rock. I thought about burning the rope, but decided the smoke might draw too much attention, so I shoved it into my pack. Willow stirred. "Easy girl," I said soothingly. Don't move, you're hurt and we're safe for now." She quieted. I went through my pack again and found the bottle of miruvor. I took off her bridle as I said, "I want you to drink some of this, just a little. Do you understand?"

She made a little grunt and shifted slightly, but did not try to get up. She turned her head toward me.

I uncorked the bottle and took a sip, then put the mouth in hers and tilted it up slowly. She took one swallow and moved her head away. I re-corked it and put it back in my pack. "Good girl, Willow. I'm sure they'll find us soon. Just stay calm."

I didn't know if I was talking to her or trying to convince myself. I was afraid to fall asleep, so I retrieved the bundle of food. I gave the fruit and nuts to Willow and I ate some cheese and meat. We shared the bread. As the sky above us began to darken, I felt my eyelids getting heavy. I curled up close to her and wrapped us both in the cloak. I sank into a deep, dreamless sleep. My last thought was of Legolas, I hoped he wouldn't find out I was gone until after his mission was over.

I woke in the middle of the night to an overpowering stench. I couldn't see, but I could feel Willow was still breathing. I leaned toward her back end, but I knew the smell of rotting flesh and horse manure and this awful smell was neither. I confirmed it when the smell was no stronger at her rear than anywhere else. Orcs! That's the only thing it could be.

I quietly took off my cloak and covered Willow with it. I put on my harness and pack and stood up slowly. I could see nothing, but the stench was on the wind coming down from higher elevations. I squatted back down, torn. I didn't want to leave Willow to fend for herself, but if it was more than one orc I couldn't defend us. If they find her, they'll eat her alive. I took my knife out and considered killing her myself to save her from that torture, but I couldn't do it.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered and put my knife back in the sheath. She stirred but didn't move. "Willow, stay put and don't make a sound, please. There are orcs out there." I took one more swig of the miruvor and let her have one more swallow. "I'm going down the mountain, stay here and stay quiet. Only move if you hear Elves. The orcs are upwind and probably won't smell you if I cover you with snow, okay? Tell Legolas I love him." I felt her nod. I wrapped up the remainder of the meat and cheese and took them with me, afraid the smell might draw the orcs.

I took the light blanket out from under the cloak and climbed out of the snow cave. I laid it over the opening in the top and covered it with a light layer of snow, leaving a tiny opening for air. Then I low-crawled as quietly as I could down the slope. When I felt I was far enough away, I buried the food in the snow.

The smell of orcs was heavy in the wind, but as I crawled, it got fainter and fainter. My hands were freezing again and sometimes I slid more than crawled, but by daybreak I was within sight of where the snow ended.

I was half-frozen, but I was afraid to stop. I was also afraid to stand up, so I kept crawling on my belly. Finally, I reached the rocky line where the snow thinned. I rolled over onto my back resting my head on the head of my axe, and looked up at the sky. The clouds were still low and dark. I lay there for a little while remembering the day I woke up in the middle of a dirt road far from Okinawa. At least this time I have weapons and I'm dressed more appropriately. God, please let Willow and the Elves be okay.

I sat up, took another swig from the bottle, and started moving again. I stood up and got the lay of the land. Far ahead at the foot of the mountain I could see the silver-grey ribbon of the Anduin and Mirkwood beyond. There was a large rock in the middle of the river and I set off down the steep slope of loose rock toward it. My path took me further south than I wanted so I turned and tried to go back towards the north.

Soon the loose rock became treacherous and just as I'd decided to go back the way I'd come it gave way beneath me. I fell on my back and began sliding down the mountain. The small rocks began to move larger ones and before I knew it I was being tossed and tumbled. At some point in the fall I was knocked out.

I regained consciousness, but it took some time for me to regain enough of my senses to think clearly. I kept my eyes closed and took a deep sniff. I smelled nothing strange, just cold, crisp air. I listened. I heard a loud pounding in my ears but eventually identified it as my heartbeat. I opened my eyes to darkness. I didn't know if I was in a cave, or if it was night, or if I was blind.

I started to assess my body. I was on my back on the cold, hard ground and I had a splitting headache. I was freezing. I wiggled my toes and felt shoes. I bent my knees so my feet were flat on the ground and they slid back out from underneath me. I brought my arms together straight over my chest so my hands touched, I felt an odd contraption strapped to my right hand. What the hell is that? It feels like a . . . hook!? What the fuck?

I put my hands to my sides, pushed myself into a sitting position, and slid a little on loose gravel. I'm on an incline? I felt something on my back resisting the movement. I reached back and shifted it; it was long and slender on the bottom like a broom handle. I felt around my body, there was something strapped to my left leg and I was wearing a belt and what felt like guns and a sword. Guns? A sword? And I'm wearing a broom on my back? No, something isn't right. Go back to sleep. I lay back down and blacked out again.

The next time I woke to a strange sensation, something was licking my left hand. It was warm; as a matter of fact, I was warm. I was still on my back, but whatever I was laying on was soft and the broom No . . . it was my axe was gone. I rubbed my face with my right hand, not wanting to disturb whatever was licking my left hand. Wasn't I wearing my hook? I felt my thumb and index finger, my ring, and my gloved pinkie-stub; the hook was not on my hand. I felt down my chest, I was still in my jacket, but my belt was gone, too.

Well, if whoever took my weapons wanted me dead I would be, so there's no reason to panic. I opened my eyes and saw dimly that I was in a room. There was a light source somewhere, but my vision was cloudy. I turned my head slowly to see what was licking my hand; it was a large grey dog with big brown eyes. "Hello there. Did you bring me here?" I whispered. My voice was raspy and weak. He tilted his head when I spoke and then turned and ran away; even with my blurry vision I could see it was a boy-dog.

I brought my saliva-soaked hand in front of my face, it was covered in cuts and scrapes, but the ring Legolas had given me was still there. I wiped the slobber off on my jacket and tried to sit up. My head POUNDED and my chest and stomach hurt so I decided to stay on my back.

Soon I heard the clicking of the dog's claws on the hard floor; he was coming back and I turned toward the sound. The dog came through a doorway and behind him walked an absolutely enormous black man with a full black beard and large brown eyes. He was wearing a long tunic that came down to his knees and no shirt underneath. He had huge muscles and although I couldn't tell because I was lying on my back, he looked like he was well over seven feet tall.

"You are awake!" he boomed in a deep baritone voice that reverberated in my head.

I winced and brought my right index finger to my lips and nodded.

"My apologies, dear lady," he continued much quieter. "I imagine you have quite a headache."

I nodded again and whispered, "Yes. Where am I? Where are the Elves? Where's Willow?"

"I am afraid I do not know. You were alone when I found you. You are lucky, we do not usually travel on the west side of the river, but we were tracking a band of goblins."

"Where am I?"

"You are in the house of Beorn. I am Beorn the third, grandson of Beorn. I see by your rings you are friend to both the Elves of Mirkwood and the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain. That is quite an accomplishment. What is your name?"

"I'm Elaura. I was traveling with the Elves from Rivendell to King Thranduil's Hall."

He poured something amber from a pitcher into a wooden cup and held it out to me. I took it and he pulled up a chair. I leaned up on my left elbow and took a sip. The liquid was warm, but not hot; it was sweet and tasted like honeysuckle.

"How did you get separated from the Elves?"

"There was an avalanche on the pass. Willow, my horse, and I were taken far down the mountain. I was told to stay where I was if we got separated, but after dark I smelled orcs and had to hide the horse and crawl away."

"You crawled all the way down to the foot of the mountain?"

"No, I crawled only to the end of the snow; I rode a rockslide the rest of the way."

"That explains your condition. You have no broken bones that I could see, but you have several rather large lumps on your head. Finish that cup and rest. When you are better, we will discuss what to do with you. We cannot take you to Mirkwood in any case. That way is infested with goblins. We will send word to King Thranduil you are safe, but that is all we can do for now."

"Thank you," I replied and finished the drink. I lay back down and fell asleep again.

End of Chapter 30.