A/N: ok ok¡KI'm sorry I've been changing this hero's name for quite a bit. Legolas to Tuinor, and now Faramir!! I do hope this will be the very last time I change it, because I'm satisfied with it now. But if I should change it AGAIN, please bear with me. If I forget to change Tuinor's name anywhere, please tell me. So, without further ado, here's chapter 6!!

Chapter VI

After a small breakfast, Gilauriel wandered into the forest nearby her home. Her brothers and sister had warned her if the dangers of the ancient wood, but today, although she had no intention of heeding them, she had tied a small dagger to her, hidden beneath the folds of her dress. As she walked down a warn path, she tried to imagine a much more friendly forest, with the sun shining down on the crowns of the trees, and birds chirping overhead. Her concentration was so great she was not even aware of a faint, ugly squeal left of her.

The forest is not as perilous as Arwen and the twins had described it to be, she thought, almost forgetting the dagger at her side. It was a while before Gilauriel realised her surroundings were deathly quiet.

Suddenly, she felt a large, scaly hand cover her mouth, completely catching her off guard, and a blade was pulsing at her neck. Her skills instinctively took over, and although she had never fought real orcs before, she elbowed him in the face, managing to stumble away from his grasp. She took the time while the orc screeched in pain to unsheathe her dagger and point it to where ever the creature was standing.

While the orc whined in pain, another knife edge touched her nape.

'Challenge us, she-Elf,' an orc hissed. 'Try to kill us all.'

Gilauriel could hear many taunting voices of orcs. Just her luck; she had tripped into an entire band of those hideous things. Why did she bring a small knife, instead of a sword?

The blade edge pressed harder on her flesh. She closed her eyes to try and find where this group was standing. It was impossible to fight blindly. She would die soon enough. Her lessons in sword fighting were not enough. The Elf instructor had been too easy on her.

'Ah well, if you will not fight us, little one,' the same orc answered sneeringly, 'it will not hurt. Just a little ¡V' there was a silence '¡V it will be painless.'

Gilauriel felt the filthy warmth advancing her, and immediately took action. She stabbed at the front of her and felt it enter something. The orc screamed in pain and jumped back to attack her. She felt the orc-blade cut into her flesh and took her knife to whatever she could aim at. The severing instantly stopped and she felt something drop dead at her feet. She could hear all sorts of ugly shrill of the orcs as she downed their captain, but she could hear from behind other voices ¡V Men's voices.

Gilauriel felt the rest of the troop proceed on her, and she panicked. There was no way she could outfight them all. She could only guess that there were many. The sound of the pack was getting louder, and she could only stand in fear as they overcame her. O Valar, protect me ¡V

A hand took hers that was holding onto the blade, and she almost stabbed at whatever it was, but realised this hand did not belong to an orc.

'Gilauriel!' She recognised the voice to be Faramir's. 'What are you doing in these woods? They are perilous! What is worse, you are blind. You cannot take on that band of orcs alone!'

'How did I know I would attract orcs in that forest?' she demanded, feeling hurt for being called blind. 'I only took a walk to there!'

'Come here!' he said anxiously. He led her away from the battle grounds. 'Are you all right then?'

'Of course!' she replied boldly. 'Why wouldn't I?'

'Because you are lying. There is a cut on your neck.' He touched it gently.

Gilauriel pulled back. 'It's nothing. If you are done concerning for me,' she added, 'you may return to battle. I can go home myself.'

'No you will not,' the captain answered. 'Elrond had been looking for you. I had orders from him to find you, and bring you back safely home.'

'No orc will follow me from here,' she retorted. But she reluctantly gave in. She enjoyed the company of Faramir, anyway.

He held her hand and guided her back to the Last Homely House, where Elrond and his faithful son Elladan stood waiting.

'Gilauriel!' the prince cried when he saw her. 'Thank the Valar you are all right.'

She suppressed a weak smile from where the voice had come from, but ¡V

'How many times must I tell you?' Elrond asked angrily. 'You must tell either your parents or siblings where you are going if you are to leave the house! You could have been killed!'

'Ada, I am not a young child as you see in your eyes,' the blind Elf protested. 'Just because I am the youngest and most ill-fitted in the family why can you not accept the fact that I've grown and matured?' She pushed past her brother and Elrond, running up the stairs as tears flew freely in her eyes.

'Gilauriel,' Elladan said sympathetically, and rushed after her.

'I am sorry, Faramir,' Elrond said formally. 'It is a rule of mine since Gilauriel is the youngest and has been known to get lost in her own home.'

'I understand, my lord,' the captain replied quickly. 'She told me that she was blind, but I swear by the Valar that I will tell no one of this.'

'Did she?' The Elf-lord seemed impressed. 'Then I'm afraid I will have to hold you to your word. After all, I suppose it is her decision whether or not to tell others of her hidden secret. Thank you again, for looking after my daughter.' He bid Faramir farewell and returned back to the house.

'Gilauriel?' Elladan whispered, placing his hands on her shoulders as she sobbed onto her bed.

'Go away.'

'Let me see that cut by your neck so I can heal it, you would not want an infection, would you?'

'What would it matter? I will not die from it,' she retorted.

'But you also have the blood of Men within you. We can never be sure whether aging or immortality will affect you,' the prince replied gently. 'Come, little sister, show it to me.'

Gilauriel lifted her head and smiled through her tears. It was known between Elladan and her that she simply could not resist him calling her little sister so endearingly.

Elladan grinned back, and held her close to him. 'I love you, little sister.'