Author's note:  Please review and tell me if you understood everything. Well, hope you like it!

"Alinne, you know, he understands what you say..."

"I know, I can tell that he does not speak in order not to reveal himself. I may be younger Nithem, but I know how to tell these things! I am not a fool!" The young elf answered with anger and annoyance in her voice. She then added in a softer manner "I just wanted to hear him speak..."


"I'm sorry, I just still think of you as that little girl who could not wait to become a woman, and when she did, she acted more childish than ever!" Nithem laughed and then quickly added, "I have to go put the boat away and report our arrival. I was hoping the elf would not wake up yet, but I am afraid that you will have to take him on your own. Can you do it Alinne? You cannot let him escape! He looks really strong too..." she added beginning to question her decision to leave Alinne alone with the prisoner.

Reassuring her friend, Alinne quickly added, "I can do it Nithem."

Alinne picked Legolas up, walked him over farther away from the river and gently dropped him to the ground, while not letting go if his tied up arms for a second. When he looked to where the boat was, he noticed that the other elf was already gone and that she has taken the boat with her. He quickly noticed that Alinne was trying to get him back up. She was strong but not even close to his strength. Even better, she had just removed the ropes from his legs.  He decided that breaking away and running off was his only choice.  After that he would follow her undetected.

He felt almost sorry for the poor elf just trying to prove herself, but he decided that he had to get away somehow. When he felt that she loosened her grip a bit, he broke off and ran.

"Oh no!" The young elf chased after him catching up quite fast for his legs were unused to such a fast run after so long of sleep. She caught up to him and tripped him with her foot. He fell hard to the ground landing with her on top of him, with his arms and legs pinned to the ground. While Legolas cursed him self for not waiting longer, she breathed a sigh of relief and decided not to give him such a chance again.

After tying his arms behind his back as hard as she could, she let him stand up. She thought she felt him try to run again, so she quickly unsheathed her sword and put it up to his neck. "Try and run again, and I won't be so easy on you." Her voice sounded cold, and in this manner, her sword still threatening his neck, she made him walk toward their destination.

After a relatively long walk, Legolas tried to once again try and flee. The sword was no longer at his neck, and after many tries he was finally able to loosen the rope around his hand without the elf maiden noticing. He decided that now was the time to act. He was walking in front, so he simply pushed the girl down and ran.

While running, he got the rope off, and felt around his wrist for any bruises. He looked back and to his surprise, saw that he was not being followed. He kept looking back to see why his captor just let him go. That question was soon answered, but at the price of a hard kick right into his stomach. Although he didn't know how, the elf maiden got in front of him, and kicked him while he was looking back.

He tried to recover, and quickly got up, only to feel the tip of a sword once again at his neck. This time, he quickly jumped to the side, forcing the sword to scratch him hard, and tried to once again flee.

Ughh! Stupid elf! He is still weak I suppose, but I won't be able to catch him again if he runs.

Giving up the last of her 'given' strength, she ran after him. It was a much longer chase than she thought, but in the end, while looking back, he tripped on a root, and fell. Alinne didn't hesitate to jump straight on top of him, and pin his arms and legs to the ground. After recovering some strength, she tied him to a tree, and sat down to rest.

After about 20 minutes of rest, Alinne got up, picked up her sword and approached the tied up elf.

"I am sick of playing these games." She said coldly, while once again pointing the tip of her sword at his neck. "What is your name?" He looked stubborn as he looked away from her eyes and she knew that he would not speak without some "motivation".

Legolas didn't answer, but she slid the sword over the side of his neck, creating a quite painful scratch. He finally said "My name is Legolas Gree.... um...Greestrein." he answered deciding that giving away his real name could be a very bad idea.

He was quite surprised to see that she didn't move bit, even though he finally said something.

"Where are you from, and what are you looking for?"

"Well, if you must know..." He was cut off by yet another painful scratch on the other side of his neck, and a cold voice.

"I must..."

Looking at her impatience with surprise, he finally said, "I am from the sea. I am looking to come back to my home. I lived in Mirkwood, but I found everything different when I got back."

"When did you get back?" Alinne felt sorry for this elf. She had known many that went traveling, and after coming back to their forest, found it completely different. Her voice visibly softened up.

"Only about 3 hours before I was so viciously attacked by...well...actually, by you."

"I am sorry, but we have to take prisoners. In these times especially..." Alinne looked down remembering in sadness and fright at what Middle Earth has come to.

"Lady, will you please tell me what happened to my beloved Mirkwood?" Legolas looked at Alinne with innocence and confusion in his eyes.

"You really do not know?" Legolas shook his head, so Alinne told him the whole story.

"When the War of the Ring was over, many did not take caution. Thinking that the worst was over, they figured that being safe was now a given…idiots, and not a precaution to be taken. Almost none but some villages, including this one, knew that there is still evil, and did not let their happiness get in the way of protecting themselves. That is why, when He came, many villages were not ready and had to surrender to His power. We are now forced to protect our village from everybody, so if anybody is found in Mirkwood, especially if they are alone or in small groups, they are taken as prisoners."

"Who is He, whom you speak of?" Legolas was horrified to learn the story, but he didn't let his voice show a hint of fright.

"He, is the wizard who was following Sauron in the dark days. I suppose he saw it wise to attack right after the downfall of Sauron. I do not understand why it was so soon, but he attacked with a mighty army, and is now in control of much of Middle Earth."

"Saruman?" Legolas cried in horror "But he is dead is he not?"

"Saruman? Of coarse he is! He is although, an old friend of Saruman's. Perhaps wanting to avenge his friends death was the reason for His attack."

"What is His name?" Legolas looked straight into Alinne's eyes and saw that she was frightened to even speak of Him.

"I am afraid, I cannot say, for no one but He himself knows it." There was a long silence, which was broken by Alinne. Trying to change the subject, she said, "You know, there was a famous elf named Legolas." Legolas looked up with a sparkle in his eyes and a small smile forming on his lips. Alinne saw it, but continued. "I hear he was a great warrior. He was one of the fellowship as well. "

"You feared? As in you do not fear it anymore?" At that moment she knew that he was not who he said he was. A thought once crossed her mind that he may be Legolas Greenleaf himself, but she decided that a warrior as great as him would have been able to escape from her with ease, but kept the thought in her mind just in case she really was so lucky to have found him.

"Well, I am afraid that we have to continue. I am sorry about that kick, but I had to stop you somehow." She smiled and untied him from the tree, keeping his arms still tied as tight as ever, and began walking him towards her city once again.

She suddenly stopped and looked at the sun. It would be setting soon.

"Oh no!" She fell to the ground and put her head between her knees, trying to think of what to do. Oh no! Why am I so stupid? We will never get to the city in time! The evil comes out at night, and with the prisoner I'll never get there in time! What if he runs away again?   She suddenly looked up, realizing her terrible mistake of leaving him unguarded, but no, he was standing there, just looking at her in confusion.

She stood up, untied his arms, and simply said, "We have a small problem. This forest is not safe at night, and you running away and this conversation have taken much time. Evil lurks here on every corner once the sun is down. We cannot reach my city if we walk this slowly, and especially if you try to flee again. The only chance we have is to run as fast as we can, but I realize that you cannot do that with your arms still tied. I am going to let you go, and you can either follow me to my city to safety, or run your own way, and try your luck with His powers." She paused for a second after untying his arms, and then said.

"Which is it going to be?" Without even waiting for an answer, she started running. Legolas had made them run so out of their way when he was trying to get away, that she had to pick up her pace in order to be about sure that they would get there by nightfall. She tried to listen for any footsteps behind her, but could hear none.  Stupid elf! He's going to get himself killed if he does not follow me! Well, there is nothing I can do! I told him the truth, I let him go...Ughh!!!!! Why do I feel so guilty! Why does...  She stopped these thoughts when she heard light footsteps catching up to her.

When he caught up, Legolas ran right by her side, just observing her. She was not what he ever expected a woman to look like. Instead of the usual charm and beauty an elf maiden usually possessed, her face was full of knowledge, and cares that such a young elf should not have. He finally decided to speak.

"How did that cut hurt so much yet not draw blood?" he asked.  After his arms were untied he had felt the scratches on his neck and was very surprised not to find blood.

Alinne answered in a straight voice. "It is what my parents taught me to use when a prisoner refuses to talk. By pressing the sword on a certain part of your neck, I am able to only cause the slightest scratch, while causing much pain."

"Well, I am glad that you finally had a chance to test it on somebody" Legolas said sarcastically with a smile, trying to get the young elf to laugh.

"Actually, I have used this method on many before you, but thank you for willing to be the test dummy." She said even more sarcastically, and to Legolas's dismay, not even smiling, let alone laughing. She then turned to him and he saw a sparkle in her eye. Giving him a slight smile she ran off quicker. He caught up to her once again and kept running silently by her side.

Author's note: Well, I really hope you liked it. I realize that I'm not the best action writer in the world, but stay with me, it gets better.