AN: Thanks heaps for everyone who reviewed my story especially Linmenel for the name of the elf J (isn't that pic cute?) I just figured it out then… I'm slow, I know.

Chapter 9: When Fate Played A Part

Alfirin opened her eyes slowly, adjusting it to the light. The rain was beating hard on her face as she looked at her surrounding. She could not remembered of what had happened, but whatever it was, she was saved beyond hope.

In front of her laid a huge tree. The tree that she remembered should have ended her short, miserable life. The tree lie so close to her that her feet could touch them. She wondered at who had saved her life. Who or what for she could not recall anyone that was near the vicinity when the thunder struck. But then again, she was not concentrating on her surrounding before.

Her eyes swept around, trying to find someone or something to show her the way home. She had too much a sign to show her that what she tried to do was a hopeless cause. But the only person that she found was unconscious, lying very close to her, his face buried in the pool of mud beneath him. "Nardin!" She choked as she recognised the elf and ran towards him straight away, all pain forgotten. The only thing that's in her mind was a wish that he was still beyond her help.

She dragged him to the tree nearby, laying him underneath the shade. She cleaned his face that was still covered in mud. Fortunately, water was not difficult to find and she was grateful at the thought for she could not recall any body of water nearby. Making sure that he could breath without the mud to stifled him, she started to search for a pulse. She held his hand first, but nothing was visible. Not a sign, nothing. Perhaps she was too late. Perhaps he was already far beyond her reach. No, she pressed the thought away. There has to be a way for her to help. Has to be.

He had saved her life, that much was obvious for her. He must have pushed her out of the way when she was paralysed in fear. She could not lose him. Not after what he had done to her. She placed her hand on his blood-soaked chest, hoping beyond hope that there is still a possibility that he could still be helped. She waited, feeling with all her might for a pulse, but nothing was there. The blood still flowed, increasing her fear. She pushed harder in desperation and suddenly she felt a pulse, ever so faintly, but it was there nonetheless.

She cried in triumph and suddenly felt the need to cry, but she stopped it realising that the danger was still too near to be ignored. She looked at the wound in his chest and wondered at what had befell him. She could not bring to mind anything that might cause the wound. He did not seemed to have hit anything nor was there any rock sharp enough to cause such injury. Still, she could not tell how deep the wound was for it was hard to tell beneath his clothes. She took of his top, cleaned and examined the wound closely. No, it was not made by any natural cause that she could think of.

Finding no reason, she felt that it would be save to simply tend the wound. She looked around. The storm was still raging on, making it hard to find any herb, if there was any nearby. She looked out at the storm and her heart recoiled in fear but a glance at the unconscious elf and she made up her mind. She had to at least stopped the bleeding of the wound if he was to survive. The thought frightened her and, taking no notice about the storm, she walked out from the shade of the tree and started her search for the herbs.

Alfirin returned a few moments later carrying the all the herbs that she needed. Her body was soaked wet and she shivered convulsively but she heed not the coldness of her own body as she ensure that the pulse was still presence in his body. She then prepared the herb, putting it in her mouth and chewed them, mixing it with her saliva. And when she felt that it has joined together well, she spit it out to the wound before applying it thoroughly. She made sure that the wound was covered in the mixture before lying herself down next to him. She closed the wound with his clothes, after washing it with the rain water and squeezed it dry, and held it in place.

Her head throbbed painfully but she kept on waiting for Nardin to wake from his unconscious state. The wound had stopped bleeding but she did not rest fearing that it might be poisoned and would worsen his condition. She check his pulse every now and then, hoping against all hope that he could still survive. She did not know how long the injury has been and was worried that the loss of blood was too much to be healed.

The storm raged on but the pulse stayed steady and at last, having no strength left in her body, she rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

She woke up in the morning with a start. The storm has stopped but Nardin was not beside her. Where is he? She asked herself and it was answered by a greeting. "Alfirin, I was so worried about you. Are you alright? Why didn't you go back to the kingdom?"

"I…I thought," She tried to explained but her voice trailed off as she realised that her reason were not valid enough. She looked down, unable to answer the question.

She was ready for his disapproval but instead he simply said, "I suppose I cannot blame you myself for you have saved my life."

"No," Alfirin responded, "you saved my life. I was merely paying back your deed."

"Yet without you, I would have died nonetheless. Perhaps there is a reason why you should come after all. I cannot say anything against your decision. Alas it seemed that my understanding came late for I could not find the rest of the elves and am on my way back to the kingdom. It will be best for you to come back with me for, I believe, you cannot find them also."

"Very well," Alfirin said. She was going to come back after all and so she did not argued. She tried to stood up and that was when she realised that she was covered in his clothes. She looked at him, horrified, and said, "Why did you let the wound open?"

Nardin turned around and Alfirin saw the wound, red against the fair skin of the elf. The wound did not looked very threatening now. He smiled and said, "You needed it more than me. In any case, the wound has stopped bleeding and you were shivering."

"What caused the wound?" Alfirin asked.

"Orc's sword," the elf answered nonchalantly as though it was nothing. Indeed for the elves that resided in Mirkwood, encounter with orcs were not an unusual circumstances. "I was unprepared. The orcs found me and I was forced to flee for they were of a great number, but I presume I lost them. That was when I found you."

She took off his top and handed them back to him. "I suppose I don't need them anymore." Nardin glanced at her soaked clothes but, knowing her, he did not objected and wore them. He helped her stood up and started to walked back towards the kingdom.

They had not travelled far when they both noticed a footsteps from a distance. Hiding in the nearest tree, they waited in silence for the orcs to pass. They were of a great number and it was obvious that they could not fight them. The orcs came slowly marching. One by one they passed the tree in which the two of them hide. One by one, they ignored them. Alfirin sighed as she heard the last orc went pass the tree. Unfortunately, the last orc heard her sigh and turned around.

It spoke in its guttural language and immediately the rest of the orcs halted and walked back to where the orc stood. They started to spread out, looking around for the source of the sound.

An orc walked pass the tree where the two hide. It walked right beside Alfirin and she held her breath in fear of being discovered but the orc turned around nonetheless and saw Alfirin. Its eyes glinted dangerously but before it could do anything else, an arrow went straight through his head, between its eyes. Alfirin gasped as the orc fell backward. She heard the rest of the orcs running towards them and felt a hand pulling her away.

"Run!"