Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with LOTR *runs off crying*


A/N: Alrighty, Thanks to those who reviewed I really appreciate it, and yah Stage-Rose my thoughts exactly, I like Mary Sues also, if others don't then they don't have to read the story *shrug* I also noticed how tiny my chapters were, it never looks that small in word but on FF it is so I'll try to make them longer. Well yes on with my story.

Chapter Three


Laurel's eyes fluttered open, only to be greeted by the quick stabbing pains of a headache. She didn't get many of those but she supposed since she had fallen into a stream headfirst and also passed out already today it was coming to her. A sudden chill seemed to come over her and she pulled the blanket closer around her trying to keep in the warmth she had managed to accumulate.

"Wait a minute...," thought Laurel, her mind returning to her, she had passed out, cold and wet, she was now damp and trying to keep in warmth that shouldn't have been there. Where the hell had she gotten a blanket?

"Maybe it had all been a dream?" she thought. "It had all been a weird confusing dream, I never ended up in some field and I never saw that necklace. It was just a dream." Though right after she made that claim in her mind she heard something, and it sure as hell was not her cat. It sounded like a grunt, not just a grunt though; it sounded like her Dad or some of the guys from school when they completely nod off in class. It wasn't a sound she was used to waking up to, so to see if maybe it had been more than a dream, or maybe she was in the hospital and that was her Dad beside her. Not wanting to provoke more pain from her headache she cautiously opened one eye, as slowly as she could, then the other eye. It was dark and her eyes slowly adjusted to the lighting. She started to see shapes and there were the dying embers of a fire, only the glowing logs left, giving very little warmth. And in the dying firelight she could make out the shape of a man, nearby but he wasn't sleeping, he was playing with something in his hands. It was white and every so often there would be a glimmer of silver. It looked like a horn from Laurel's point of view, a horn from a cow or bull or something like that.

She realized then that she was in a blanket staring at a man she had never met in her life. It wasn't like she was used to this kind of thing, waking up near some guy that she had no memory of. In the dark light she watched him, while he sat as though waiting for something. He had nice features, his face looked like it was used to looking arrogant and proud, he looked like he was the kind of guy to always follow the rules. His hair went to his shoulders, which managed not to look y, if anything it made him look more masculine. Entirely, it looked like he had been through rough weather and was going to go through more until he managed to get where he was going. His face and clothes looked weather beaten and stained. "I wonder why he's just sitting there, maybe I should say something?" thought Laurel.

As though he had heard her about to speak his eyes went up, no longer looking at the horn in his hands; he looked at her and gave a ghost of a smile.

"I see you are now awake, shall I travel on or do you need assistance still?" the man said, with a slight tone, only to add to Laurels confusion.

"Pardon me?" asked Laurel "I'm sorry but I don't even know where I am, am I still in Oakville or did you take me somewhere else?"

"I took you nowhere, I found you and believed you to be , although there was a strong pulse, so I decided to help you rather than let the scavengers take you, I presume you are grateful that it was I and not the Orcs that found you." He replied, his arrogance and pride seeped through ever word, Laurel watched him smirk when he mentioned how he got to her before the Orcs had, although she had no clue on Earth what an Orc was.

"I'm sorry, but I still do not know where I am nor do I know what on Earth an Orc is! So if you be so kind as to point me in the direction of Oakville I will just get out of here." Laurel decided to become direct and she was sick of answering a question with another question. The man stood up and wandered off into the darkness, outside of the firelight, getting nervous that he had just left her to find her own way home she called out to him, trying to express that she needed help, although not wanting to sound scared.

"Quiet, do you want to be ed by the creatures that walk through the night, you must not be so loud!" came the answer, a whisper but she could still hear him so the man was not to far away, although she still could not find him with her own eyes. Laurel wanting to not still be lying on the cold hard ground started to get up, but found her muscles and joints to be very tight and they did not want to be moved to quickly. Afraid she was about to cry, nothing seemed right, the smell if the land wasn't even the same, where she was everything had a crisp smell here it all merged together.

The man came back into view though now he held the reins to a horse, and he looked at her as she tried to stretch out her limbs, "What is your name?" he asked her, as though he thought she may be to stupid or confused to remember.

"Laurel" she replied, but rushed in just wanting to get a direct answer as to how to get home: "Where am I? None of this looks familiar, I wasn't in a field before, there were trees, alot of them and I know that my Dad will be very worried, I'm all he has, Please just point me in the direction of Oakville and you want have to worry about me." She said this all very quickly afraid that the unshed tears were about to fall down her face and she would look like a complete and utter wuss.

He looked at her for a second, "There is not a village or town near here for miles, the closest thing is Rivendell, and I know you are not an elf. Perhaps you are truly lost; maybe I should take you with me. I have never heard of this Oakville and I know many of the villages in the area around here. Is it a new town?" She looked at him as though he was crazy.

"Oakville is over two hundred years old and it's not a village it's almost a city." She said, afraid that she was completely lost and would never get home.


The man seemed to consider this for a second, looking confused as though trying to place the and the town she spoke of.

" I can honestly say I have never heard of such a town, but perhaps Elrond or Gandalf has, so I will take you to the city of the Elves, have you ever ridden a horse before?"

"Yes, but not in a long time, who is Elrond or Gandalf. And did you say elves?" She was starting to wonder about this guy's sanity.

"You don't seem to be from around here, maybe this Oakville is an enclave or something, you have little knowledge of the outside world perhaps, though if it is anywhere in Middle Earth Gandalf will help you so lets move, I must be to Rivendell before daylight if I am to take part in the council.

His decision seemed to be final as he said it because he placed his hand out for hers. Though the last time she had ridden a horse had been at her 7th birthday party she figured if this guy was going to try and help her he was really her only choice. She did not want to be alone, at night in some place she had never been before so she put her hand in his and he helped her up onto the horse and he sat behind her. It was daunting at first but before long she became numb and fell asleep against the man who's name she did not even know yet.

~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~


Laurel woke up in a very confusing position. She had fell asleep against the man's chest as they had ridden to a place she had never heard of called Rivendell. When she had woken up, the man she had met on the previous night was in between picking her up and trying to shake her awake. She looked at the man she had met just that night, and saw he looked more tired in the gray light of morning.

"So you are awake." He stated as he placed her on the ground, but still held her slightly as she tried to gain a sense of strength in her legs. Still extremely confused she tried to use her own legs and get some distance from the stranger that had taken her horse back-riding. Her poor sleep depraved mind was starting to wake up and she was starting to become terrified.

She stumbled back a bit only to hit something solid. It was warm and hands wrapped around her shoulders steadying her, terrified of who she might see she turned around and looked into eyes that seemed to hold ages in them. She had no idea of who this might even be but she noticed pointed ears and guessed that this must be and elf and there was no way she was home anymore.


A/N: So what do you think? Yay, I'm going to write another chapter tonight or tomorrow also Laurel didn't totally freak out yet cause she just woke up, you know that groggy feeling when you 're like "Okay alright I'll go along with this." Kinda thing. I like this story so far even though it can snag sometimes, please tell me what you think! Just click the review box!