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Chapter 2: Living Nightmares

Blackness descended on the forest like a suffocating blanket. It seemed to Alyssa that the surrounding trees and brush were not merely covered in darkness, but consumed by it. The small fire of the campsite chased away the night, but it was still there, testing the borders of the weak light with encroaching shadows.

Alyssa sat with her back to a smaller tree trunk. Her knees were drawn to her chest with her arms encircling her legs. She rested her head on her knees, hiding her face from Legolas and Aragorn. Her body was still periodically wracked with an uncontrollable shudder, and they could both hear her sniffling quietly. She'd declined all offers of food and rest, preferring to just sit there, gently rocking back and forth. Aragorn had decided to simply let her be, knowing there was nothing he could do for her to ease her fears right now. Indeed, he wasn't sure what to do with her period. They sat off to the side, quietly discussing just that.

"Gandalf could probably help her," Legolas said. "She clearly came to be here by some means of magic...perhaps he'll know how to get her back."

"That is a good idea, my friend. But Gandalf comes and goes on his own schedule and we have not heard from him in quite a while," Aragorn replied. Legolas frowned in thought, trying to come up with a solution to this problem.

"We are but a day's travel from the palace," he said finally. "We should take her to my father and from there perhaps we can contact Gandalf, or perhaps the Lady Galadriel."

"That is what I was thinking, as well. At the very least, she will have a place to stay. Once we are there, we can send for Elrond to join us, if it becomes necessary," Aragorn added.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," a small voice spoke up. Legolas and Aragorn looked over in surprise. This was the first she'd spoken in a while.

"We are only trying to decide the best course of action so that we may help you," Legolas said gently. His studied her, missing nothing. She seemed unnaturally pale, and her eyes had a haunted look in them. He could only imagine what was going through her mind at this point. She'd woken up, terrified and confused, and faced with two people for whom she obviously had no inherent trust. Legolas had a good idea of what frightened her so, as did Aragorn, and they both found themselves silently wishing that Arwen, or any other female, had been with them when they found her.

"No! I'm not moving. People will be looking for me -- and I don't know what you're planning to do -- but if you hurt me, they'll find you and you'll spend the rest of your lives in jail!" She spoke with a false bravado, and her voice shook with repressed emotion.

"You cannot stay here," Aragorn said. "And we will not hurt you, nor are we planning to do anything. Your parents will not be able to find you here, Alyssa. We want to take you to someone who might be able to help you find your way home."

"NO!" she yelled, springing to her feet. Aragorn and Legolas rose also, glancing at each other. They could not allow her to take off by herself, and that is where this seemed to be rapidly heading. Alyssa was tense, poised to run, willing to take her chances in the dark. She'd decided that what they'd told her couldn't possibly be true – that she had been kidnapped, maybe even drugged since she couldn't remember what had happened, and that she was not safe with them. She backed up a couple of steps, and they followed her, glancing around warily knowing that raised voices could result in unwanted attention from the inhabitants of the forest. "Stay away from me!" She shrieked. Fear was written across her features, and she looked ready to run. "I'm not going anywhere with you!" Aragorn put his hands up in a gesture of defeat, trying to placate her to avoid having her endanger herself by running off.

"All right, calm down. Please, do not run off into the forest. We will not harm you, and I do not want you to hurt yourself. Let us talk about this so that we can explain what it is we propose to do to help you," Aragorn said soothingly.

"I know you are frightened," Legolas added. "And that this seems an impossible situation, but right now you are reacting without first thinking. You do not know where you are. Running off will only make the situation more difficult." Despite her fear, their words did make a certain amount of sense. Although frightened, Alyssa was not unreasonable, and though she wasn't sure she agreed with that last part, she did realize that she was acting without thinking. The phrase was one she knew well, for her mother often accused her of that very crime, and most of the time she was right. She glanced over her shoulder into the blackness beyond. While she loved to take walks in the trees, she knew she wasn't capable of surviving in the wilderness. She didn't know anything about it. And the darkness was a deterrent all its own. She didn't have a flashlight and the moons and stars did little to penetrate the night. She stood still for a moment, gripped by indecision, hearing and feeling the thud of her heart. She was breathing hard, still ready to run if they took another step towards her.

"Please," Aragorn said softly. "Let us help you. Don't run." Alyssa was about to brush off this entreaty when something strange happened to her. All of a sudden, a rush of feeling came over her, and for some inexplicable reason she knew, absolutely knew, without a doubt, that Aragorn and Legolas were being truthful when they promised that no harm would come to her and that they only wanted to help. Alyssa blinked, startled. She'd always been able to tell if someone was being sincere or truthful, but this was ridiculous! The clarity of this feeling was as pure as if she were asked the color of the sky, or her mother's name. It left no room for doubt, for there was nothing to question. Slowly, the fight or flight reaction left her, and she felt herself nodding, and heard words coming out of her mouth that she could hardly believe.

"Okay, I'll stay," she whispered. She glanced up and saw a look of relief on Aragorn's face. She walked slowly back over to the fireside and sat down, watching them carefully. Her trust was tenuous at best. Aragorn followed suit, but Legolas moved to the edge of the light, his attention drawn into the forest by something. Aragorn registered this, but focused on keeping Alyssa calm, trusting that Legolas would alert him of any danger.

"Alyssa, we want to take you to Legolas' father. We think that someone named Gandalf can help you get home because he is a very powerful wizard." She looked up quickly, and Aragorn couldn't help but smile. "You didn't know wizards existed either?" She shook her head slightly

"None that are real," she whispered, wide-eyed. Aragorn looked at her strangely.

"Well," he continued. "If anyone can help you Gandalf can. We have to travel through the forest..." he trailed off and eyed her critically. "Your clothes, although unusual, seem suited for travel. I believe you will be comfortable enough." Alyssa looked down at herself. She was wearing a t-shirt and a hooded, zipper sweater was tied about her waist. Jeans and sneakers and socks completed her outfit. She smiled a little.

"These clothes are very usual where I come from," she said softly. "What do girls wear here?" Aragorn shrugged.

"Gowns, mostly. Some are fancier than others, but women and girls do not usually wear breeches." She arched an eyebrow.

"They're not breeches. They're jeans," she informed him.

"Aragorn," Legolas called from his post at the edge of the forest. His voice was calm, but there was a note of urgency in it that after many years Aragorn could detect easily. He looked at Alyssa.

"Stay here," he said firmly. She nodded, but stood up, alarmed by the change in demeanor of the two. Aragorn quickly walked over to where Legolas stood.

"What is it?" He asked quietly.

"Orcs."

"How far?" He too peered into the darkness, though he knew his mortal vision would never be able to detect what Legolas' could.

"Not far," Legolas said softly. "And coming closer."

"Can you tell how many?" Legolas shook his head no.

"They are moving quickly in our direction, and they are being quiet." Aragorn clenched his jaw. This was something they definitely did not need right now.

"We cannot stay here. Help Alyssa hide and I will cover our camp." Legolas nodded and went to where Alyssa was standing. Her arms were wrapped around herself, and her eyes were wide with fright.

"What's happening?" She whispered, looking up at him. Legolas put a finger to his lips and shook his head. He led her away from the campsite into the trees.

"We need to conceal you," he said so quietly she had to strain her ears to hear him. "Can you climb trees?"

"Yes -- " she said uncertainly.

"Good. Come on, then..." Legolas lifted her up and Alyssa grasped the branch of a tree and swung her leg over. She pulled herself up and stood, balancing on the branch and reaching for the next. "Keep going," Legolas urged her. "As high as you can." Alyssa's heart was pounding with fear – not of the climb or the height, but of whatever it was that made this necessary. Finally she reached as high as she could go, and she grasped the trunk tightly. She was trembling slightly and a fine sheen of sweat covered her. Legolas had followed her up, and was quite impressed with her agility. "You will be safe here. No matter what, stay quiet and do not climb down unless either Aragorn or I tell you to." He turned to go, but Alyssa's hand shot out and lightly grabbed his arm. He looked back at her.

"Don't leave me," she pleaded quietly, tears shining in her eyes. Legolas met her fright with gentle compassion.

"I must go help Aragorn. You will be fine. Did we not promise you that we would help you and that no harm would come to you while you were with us?" She nodded. "Then trust me now." She removed her hand and he silently made his way back down the tree. Alyssa sat there, clinging to the trunk of the tree, trying to make out what was happening in the dark. Her vision was virtually useless, so she concentrated on trying to hear what was happening. Her overactive imagination assigned a frightening image to every little noise she heard, and after a while, Alyssa started concentrating on not listening to her surroundings.

Aragorn was wiping the rest of their footprints from view and was just about to step under the coverage of the foliage when Legolas just appeared beside him. Aragorn started violently, and wheeled around, ready to attack.

"Be calm, it is only I," Legolas said. Aragorn gave him an annoyed look that he ignored. "Alyssa is well-hidden. And now to us – do we fight or do we hide?" Aragorn's eyes swept over the former campsite while he thought. They had no idea how many orcs were heading in their direction, and neither could afford to be injured, for they had a helpless charge who would need their protection during the trip through Mirkwood.

"We hide," he said finally. Legolas nodded and they quietly made their way over to the tree Alyssa was in. They climbed it quickly, and she greeted them with a relieved look. She opened her mouth to ask them a question, but Aragorn put a finger to his lips and shook his head shortly. Nodding, she shifted her weight slightly and settled to wait.

Several long minutes later, they finally heard evidence of the unwanted visitors passing right beneath the very tree that concealed the three. Alyssa's breath hitched as she peered down through the dense leaves. She could not see much, but what she could see stirred her heart with all the terrors of long-forgotten childhood nightmares, for that was what those creatures seemed to her. Horribly ugly, they grunted and crashed through the forest below them. Alyssa found herself holding her breath and squeezing her eyes closed, waiting for the monsters to pass. She gripped the tree branches so tightly, her knuckles turned white.

Aragorn and Legolas also studied the ground below them in silence, hoping that their presence would go unnoticed. Legolas looked over at Alyssa and was dismayed to see how afraid the child looked, though he did understand. He looked down again and strained his elven senses. After a long while, he finally ventured to speak.

"They are gone," he said in just above a whisper. Aragorn nodded and placed his hand on Alyssa's shoulder comfortingly. She'd opened her eyes when Legolas announced their departure, but did not loosen her hold on the tree, nor was she relieved of her fear.

"What are they?" She asked in a tight whisper. "Monsters?"

"They are creatures of darkness. Orcs," Legolas answered her. She closed her eyes and tried to suppress a shiver. This was getting stranger and stranger. She felt like Alice in Wonderland, surrounded by creatures she'd never thought existed. Elves, wizards, monsters...orcs; she was seriously beginning to doubt her sanity. None of this was possible! Her eyes teared up once more as she was gripped by an overwhelming sense of homesickness. Never before had she so desperately wished to be in her own house, surrounded by her family. Alyssa swallowed thickly around a lump in her throat. Opening her eyes, she saw Aragorn watching her in silence.

"Are you well?" He asked quietly. She nodded quickly.

"I'm okay," she said weakly. "What do we do now?"

"Now, we rest," Aragorn said.

"Rest? But what if the mon...orcs...come back?" Her voice shook with the thought of being asleep on the ground with those things tramping about.

"Do not worry, little one. We will be safe up here," Legolas said. It took a moment for Alyssa to process what he'd said, but her mind finally comprehended the meaning of his words.

"Up here? In the tree?" She asked incredulously. Aragorn nodded.

"It is not safe to go back to our campsite, and we should not move around the forest in the dark. We will take our rest up here tonight," he said. She watched as Legolas and Aragorn made themselves as comfortable as possible on the wide branches. Although Alyssa was not afraid of heights, or of climbing trees, she didn't relish the thought of falling. She'd been sitting sideways on a branch, leaning against the main trunk with her right arm around it. She gingerly turned herself around so that she was straddling the branch and the trunk was at her back. She sighed. There was no way she would be able to rest, let alone sleep, like this. She was too afraid of falling. She looked around, trying to figure out the best way to handle the situation, and her questing eyes fell upon Legolas, who was watching her with a slight smile on his lips.

"What?" She asked, annoyed. "I've never 'rested' in a tree before. I'm going to fall." Legolas stood and moved to her branch.

"Move forward," he said to her quietly. She did, leaning away from trunk. She was surprised to feel Legolas sit down behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and tried to gently press her body to rest against his. She tensed and pulled away.

"What are you doing?" She asked quickly.

"Making sure you don't fall," Legolas answered. "Come now, lay back against me." Alyssa was desperately casting about her mind for a way to politely refuse this, for although she no longer doubted that Legolas and Aragorn wanted to help her, she was not comfortable with such physical contact with the man...elf. Aragorn had been watching the exchange with something akin to amusement, and while Legolas seemed oblivious to the discomfort she was feeling, he was not.

"Alyssa, Legolas is only offering you a way to rest tonight. We have far to go tomorrow, and you will not rest if you do not allow him to help you," he said. Although it was dark, he was fairly certain she was blushing, embarrassed that he'd read her so easily.

"Oh, all right," she muttered, and allowed herself to settle back against the elf. Legolas wrapped his arms around her waist, securing her in place. The tenseness in her body did not go unnoticed, but he said nothing, not wanting to call attention to it and make her feel more self-conscious than she already was. "What if you fall asleep?" She asked in a tight voice.

"I am a Wood-Elf. I sleep in the comfort of trees' limbs quite often. Try to relax and get some rest. You are perfectly safe," he answered her soothingly.

"Easy for you to say," she muttered under her breath. She stared up at the sky, trying to put the strangeness of the situation out of her mind long enough to rest. The positioning of the stars was nothing like what she was familiar with, another testament to how far from home she was. She felt tears well up in her eyes, and she blinked rapidly, not wanting to alert anyone to her emotional state. She hated being weak.

Legolas frowned as he looked down at the head that hardly even reach his shoulder. She is so small, he thought to himself. He was still waiting for the tenseness in her body to give way when he felt her heartbeat quicken. She was looking up at the sky, and although he couldn't see her face, he could feel that she was struggling to not let tears fall. He longed to smooth her hair back and rub her shoulders, to offer her some measure of comfort, but he knew that the physical contact would just upset her more, so he did nothing, pretending not to feel the tremors pass through her body, or hear her quietly crying.