Chapter Two
Lost and Found
Summer stirred as she felt the warmth of the outdoors' light upon her face. The warmth of the light lingered for a few second before a steady pain set in through her head. With her eyes still shut, she lifted a hand to the temples of her head and began to massage there. She decided that she must have hit her head against the headboard, and massaged her forehead a few minutes more.
Summer removed her hand from her head and cracked open an eye. Around her large trees billowed upwards, their leaves silently falling to the ground. The sun was shining through the holey blanket the trees created and many birds chirped in the background. Summer's other eye flew open and summer shot upright. Where the hell was she?
Summer rubbed her eyes and focused on her surroundings. There definitely was not a forest near her hotel, so that erased her thought that she might have been sleepwalking. Then a more terrifying thought came across her mind. Maybe she was kidnapped! Fear quickly spread through her.
"Relax, Summer," she reassured herself aloud. "There has to be a reasonable explanation for this." Except she could not think of one.
Summer quickly looked around her, making sure her first notion of she being along was correct. She saw nobody, but now was much more wary of every little crinkle the leaves made. Why would her captors just leave her out in the middle of the woods? She thought, unless she did not have anything worth robbing.
Gently climbing to her feet, Summer began deciding which way she should start walking. In each direction, there was forest as far as the eye could see. Deciding on heading north, Summer took a few steps realizing her trip would not be easy with the rocks and leaves pinching the bottom of her feet. Summer drew her hair back into a ponytail, braced herself for the journey ahead of her, and began walking.
A half an hour or so passed and Summer seemed completely lost. Deciding to take a break, she sat down on a large rock and fanned herself with a leaf. What she wouldn't do for a glass of water! Summer's thoughts quickly turned unpleasant. What would she do if she never got out of her? Would she starve to death or be forced to hunt her own food? She hated the sight of blood so much!
Without warning, tears began to drop from summer's brown eyes, long delayed from when she had first wanted to start crying. But just as quickly as the tears had come, Summer took a deep breath, knowing that crying was going to get her nowhere, and controlled herself.
"It's all right, Summer," she reassured herself. "It's alright." But right then, Summer knew it wasn't okay. She could feel that she was being watch, and ever so slowly, turned her head around behind her.
Just then, an arrow whizzed by her turned head and hit the tree in front of her. Summer gave a scream turned her head back around at once to see a two hideous, grimy creatures leering at her from about ten feet away.
Summer's mind worked quickly. She took a self-defense class back home, but she did not know any move to scare off these two.
Knowing she would surely die if she stayed there, Summer made a break for it, sprinting as fast as she could away from that area. Behind her she could hear the creatures grunting and attempting to keep up with her. And then she heard the sharp zing of a third arrow and a large thud on the ground.
She whirled back around to see an arrow sticking out of the head of one of the disgusting beings. Blood was spurting from their cranium and Summer covered her mouth, feeling very sick. Then all of a sudden from out of nowhere, a tall, thin, blonde man carrying his own bow and arrow, leapt in between Summer and the remaining creature. The creature let another arrow fly in the man's directing, which he swiftly dodged and then sent another in the being's direction. It flew into the creature's chest, and Summer could only watch in sheer astonishment as the creature fell to the ground dead.
Feeling dizzy, Summer stretched her arm out to gain support from a nearby tree. But Summer's attention quickly focused on the man who had saved her. He was tall, about six feet, with long golden-blonde hair and sparkly blue eyes. He was, however, dressed in what looked like a Robin Hood costume, and he had applied some type of pointy ears over his regular ones. Great, yet another one of New Zealand's weirdos, thought Summer.
"Are you alright, my lady?" He asked politely. His voice was deep and warm.
"Yeah I'll be ok. I just hate the sight of blood, that's all. Thanks for 'saving' me, too," she added.
"Thanks are not necessary, my lady. It is my duty to save a beauty being attacked by orcs." He smiled a very pretty smile.
Attacked by what now? Summer asked herself. Great, the freak is hitting on me. Summer brushed some leaves off her shoulder.
"You wouldn't know where we are, by any chance?" maybe nature boy knew a thing or two about geography.
"I certainly do. We are just on the outskirts of Mirkwood." He gave another one of his pretty smiles.
Summer cocked an eyebrow. Mirkwood? Like she knew where the hell that was.
"I was on my way to Rivendell," he continued, "When I heard a scream. I dismounted my horse, and I decided to see where it came from. Then I saw those two orcs attacking you."
"I see." Summer looked down at her feet. They did hurt a lot. "You would mind giving me a ride on your horse to the nearest telephone? Or a taxi stand?"
The man seemed confused. "Telephone? What is a telephone?" Boy, this guy is really into his character, thought Summer.
"Or just any place with other people?"
"I can bring you with me to Rivendell, if you wish, and there you can contact who you need to. Although we are still about a day and a half away, and there will not be much room on my horse." Anything is better than walking, she thought to herself.
"That's absolutely alright. And thank you so much! I don't have any money with me right now, but I can pay you when we get to...Revendiel."
"Revendell," He corrected her. "And payment won't be necessary. It is my favor to you." The pretty smile appeared again.
Now it was Summer's turn to smile. "Well thank you very much Mr...."
"My name is Legolas, son of Thranduil, Prince of Mirkwood."
Summer smiled wider, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm Summer Roberts. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you," Legolas returned. "My horse is this way." He pointed past the trees on Summer's left. Summer nodded and headed off in that direction. Legolas' stare followed her and beheld the woman in front of him. She was dressed oddly indeed, and spoke differently from anyone he had ever heard. But he thought her to be beautiful, even covered in dirt and leaves.
Legolas controlled his thoughts and followed Summer to his horse, where he helped her on an reinitiated his journey.
Summer actually enjoyed sitting behind this man. He smelled very good, a bit like a flowers mixed with tree bark, and made a mental note to ask him what cologne his was wearing.
"I take it you are not from around her," he spoke, breaking the silence.
"Nope, I'm from Washington D.C. in the U.S. I've always wanted to come here though. It's so totally gorgeous."
"I have never heard of this land you speak of. Is it far?"
"Yeah, almost a world away." Wait a minute, thought Summer, I remember his name from somewhere. Now where was it? Summer thought about this for a good ten minutes. Yes! Legolas! He's a character in Lord of the Rings! But why is this guy trying to impersonate him? Was it Halloween already? I have to give him a hand though, his costume is pretty good.
Summer's gaze drifted upon his pointy ears. There were so...lifelike. Summer couldn't tell where his real ears began. They were just so...
Before she knew what she was doing, Summer reached up and gave Legolas' ear a good tug.
"Ow!" he slapped her hand away. "Why did you do that?" He looked away, annoyed, and rubbed his ear when Summer had pulled it.
Summer clasped her hand over her mouth. Oh my God! He really IS an elf! That must mean that I'm in Middle Earth! But how? Summer recapped yesterday. There was waking up, eating, boating...
"The Ring!" she said aloud. "Sorry?" asked Legolas.
"N..Nothing." Summer sat there in disbelief for along time. Then her brain couldn't take it anymore. Maybe this is a dream, she thought. I need to get some rest. Summer laid her head upon Legolas back, falling asleep to his wonderful scent.
Lost and Found
Summer stirred as she felt the warmth of the outdoors' light upon her face. The warmth of the light lingered for a few second before a steady pain set in through her head. With her eyes still shut, she lifted a hand to the temples of her head and began to massage there. She decided that she must have hit her head against the headboard, and massaged her forehead a few minutes more.
Summer removed her hand from her head and cracked open an eye. Around her large trees billowed upwards, their leaves silently falling to the ground. The sun was shining through the holey blanket the trees created and many birds chirped in the background. Summer's other eye flew open and summer shot upright. Where the hell was she?
Summer rubbed her eyes and focused on her surroundings. There definitely was not a forest near her hotel, so that erased her thought that she might have been sleepwalking. Then a more terrifying thought came across her mind. Maybe she was kidnapped! Fear quickly spread through her.
"Relax, Summer," she reassured herself aloud. "There has to be a reasonable explanation for this." Except she could not think of one.
Summer quickly looked around her, making sure her first notion of she being along was correct. She saw nobody, but now was much more wary of every little crinkle the leaves made. Why would her captors just leave her out in the middle of the woods? She thought, unless she did not have anything worth robbing.
Gently climbing to her feet, Summer began deciding which way she should start walking. In each direction, there was forest as far as the eye could see. Deciding on heading north, Summer took a few steps realizing her trip would not be easy with the rocks and leaves pinching the bottom of her feet. Summer drew her hair back into a ponytail, braced herself for the journey ahead of her, and began walking.
A half an hour or so passed and Summer seemed completely lost. Deciding to take a break, she sat down on a large rock and fanned herself with a leaf. What she wouldn't do for a glass of water! Summer's thoughts quickly turned unpleasant. What would she do if she never got out of her? Would she starve to death or be forced to hunt her own food? She hated the sight of blood so much!
Without warning, tears began to drop from summer's brown eyes, long delayed from when she had first wanted to start crying. But just as quickly as the tears had come, Summer took a deep breath, knowing that crying was going to get her nowhere, and controlled herself.
"It's all right, Summer," she reassured herself. "It's alright." But right then, Summer knew it wasn't okay. She could feel that she was being watch, and ever so slowly, turned her head around behind her.
Just then, an arrow whizzed by her turned head and hit the tree in front of her. Summer gave a scream turned her head back around at once to see a two hideous, grimy creatures leering at her from about ten feet away.
Summer's mind worked quickly. She took a self-defense class back home, but she did not know any move to scare off these two.
Knowing she would surely die if she stayed there, Summer made a break for it, sprinting as fast as she could away from that area. Behind her she could hear the creatures grunting and attempting to keep up with her. And then she heard the sharp zing of a third arrow and a large thud on the ground.
She whirled back around to see an arrow sticking out of the head of one of the disgusting beings. Blood was spurting from their cranium and Summer covered her mouth, feeling very sick. Then all of a sudden from out of nowhere, a tall, thin, blonde man carrying his own bow and arrow, leapt in between Summer and the remaining creature. The creature let another arrow fly in the man's directing, which he swiftly dodged and then sent another in the being's direction. It flew into the creature's chest, and Summer could only watch in sheer astonishment as the creature fell to the ground dead.
Feeling dizzy, Summer stretched her arm out to gain support from a nearby tree. But Summer's attention quickly focused on the man who had saved her. He was tall, about six feet, with long golden-blonde hair and sparkly blue eyes. He was, however, dressed in what looked like a Robin Hood costume, and he had applied some type of pointy ears over his regular ones. Great, yet another one of New Zealand's weirdos, thought Summer.
"Are you alright, my lady?" He asked politely. His voice was deep and warm.
"Yeah I'll be ok. I just hate the sight of blood, that's all. Thanks for 'saving' me, too," she added.
"Thanks are not necessary, my lady. It is my duty to save a beauty being attacked by orcs." He smiled a very pretty smile.
Attacked by what now? Summer asked herself. Great, the freak is hitting on me. Summer brushed some leaves off her shoulder.
"You wouldn't know where we are, by any chance?" maybe nature boy knew a thing or two about geography.
"I certainly do. We are just on the outskirts of Mirkwood." He gave another one of his pretty smiles.
Summer cocked an eyebrow. Mirkwood? Like she knew where the hell that was.
"I was on my way to Rivendell," he continued, "When I heard a scream. I dismounted my horse, and I decided to see where it came from. Then I saw those two orcs attacking you."
"I see." Summer looked down at her feet. They did hurt a lot. "You would mind giving me a ride on your horse to the nearest telephone? Or a taxi stand?"
The man seemed confused. "Telephone? What is a telephone?" Boy, this guy is really into his character, thought Summer.
"Or just any place with other people?"
"I can bring you with me to Rivendell, if you wish, and there you can contact who you need to. Although we are still about a day and a half away, and there will not be much room on my horse." Anything is better than walking, she thought to herself.
"That's absolutely alright. And thank you so much! I don't have any money with me right now, but I can pay you when we get to...Revendiel."
"Revendell," He corrected her. "And payment won't be necessary. It is my favor to you." The pretty smile appeared again.
Now it was Summer's turn to smile. "Well thank you very much Mr...."
"My name is Legolas, son of Thranduil, Prince of Mirkwood."
Summer smiled wider, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "I'm Summer Roberts. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you," Legolas returned. "My horse is this way." He pointed past the trees on Summer's left. Summer nodded and headed off in that direction. Legolas' stare followed her and beheld the woman in front of him. She was dressed oddly indeed, and spoke differently from anyone he had ever heard. But he thought her to be beautiful, even covered in dirt and leaves.
Legolas controlled his thoughts and followed Summer to his horse, where he helped her on an reinitiated his journey.
Summer actually enjoyed sitting behind this man. He smelled very good, a bit like a flowers mixed with tree bark, and made a mental note to ask him what cologne his was wearing.
"I take it you are not from around her," he spoke, breaking the silence.
"Nope, I'm from Washington D.C. in the U.S. I've always wanted to come here though. It's so totally gorgeous."
"I have never heard of this land you speak of. Is it far?"
"Yeah, almost a world away." Wait a minute, thought Summer, I remember his name from somewhere. Now where was it? Summer thought about this for a good ten minutes. Yes! Legolas! He's a character in Lord of the Rings! But why is this guy trying to impersonate him? Was it Halloween already? I have to give him a hand though, his costume is pretty good.
Summer's gaze drifted upon his pointy ears. There were so...lifelike. Summer couldn't tell where his real ears began. They were just so...
Before she knew what she was doing, Summer reached up and gave Legolas' ear a good tug.
"Ow!" he slapped her hand away. "Why did you do that?" He looked away, annoyed, and rubbed his ear when Summer had pulled it.
Summer clasped her hand over her mouth. Oh my God! He really IS an elf! That must mean that I'm in Middle Earth! But how? Summer recapped yesterday. There was waking up, eating, boating...
"The Ring!" she said aloud. "Sorry?" asked Legolas.
"N..Nothing." Summer sat there in disbelief for along time. Then her brain couldn't take it anymore. Maybe this is a dream, she thought. I need to get some rest. Summer laid her head upon Legolas back, falling asleep to his wonderful scent.