Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings already!!!!

Characters: Mairead (I know, I changed it again…=/), Glorfindel (sigh), and Asfaloth. Hey, horses are people too!!

Summary: This chapter is about Mairead's first month in exile. Wandering about in the wilderness to the north of Arnor/the Shire.

A/N:

Glossary of Elvish in this piece:

Baw: No

Bainil: Lovely one

Naethen: I'm sorry

Maer le?: Are you well?

To Zimraphel, THANK YOU!! I knew that some of that stuff just wasn't quite right, like 'My friend.' They had that wrong… =/ (In the movie Aragorn says it to Brego, and it was Mellon nin I really, really am grateful. I am learning, but I wasn't good enough to do it on me own. And again, thank you!

Glorfindel paused, he felt another Eldar near. Turning his horse, Asfaloth, toward the top of the falls, he looked down. There he saw a beautiful Elfmaiden bathing in the pool below. She was singing softly to herself as she washed her garments. When she had finished, she lay them by a small fire at the edge of the water, and shook her hair from its braid. She then began to remove her shift. Glorfindel looked away until he heard the soft 'plish' as she entered the water.

/What a fascinating creature./ He thought to himself, studying the gear strewn about. A longbow and a half finished quiver of arrows lay beside a belt on which twin fighting knives in sheaths were attached. Glancing back at the figure in the water, he thought, /A warrior? I should have known./ Chuckling, he reached out to be sure there were no other presences near. "Hmm," he muttered to Asfaloth, "A true warrior would never have their guard down so in a land unknown to them. We will just have to keep an eye on her, won't we?" Asfaloth snorted, attempting to eat grass over his bit. She was a strong swimmer he noted, still watching. Suddenly, she submerged herself. Glorfindel watched for her to resurface. When she was under for some time, he began to worry, and when she still didn't resurface, he dismounted, brow furrowed. As he looked for a way down, she emerged. Not wanting to alarm her, Glorfindel quickly returned to Asfaloth, and accidentally brushed a branch, which the Elf below noticed. Ducking low, he heard her mutter something to herself, and leave the water. By the time he had sneaked back to Asfaloth, she had put on a deep blue tunic, and was pulling on a pair of slate leggings. He watched as she sat cross-legged and began to mend a pair of olive green leggings, singing to herself. Then reined Asfaloth around and wandered off.

Glorfindel stayed in the woods for the rest of the day, not tailing the fair maiden, but keeping nearby. The next day however, he felt a malice that had entered the peaceful wood, and so followed very near her, watching her and feeling for the source of the threat. He knew she could feel it, and he. As the day passed on, the air felt even closer, and Glorfindel became very nervous. Midday came, and with it, heavy clouds. By late afternoon, the sun was all but invisible, and that's when the menace struck. The Elfmaiden wandered into a clearing as the last of the sunlight fell behind the clouds. He impelled his steed around to the right so he could watch her without being seen. As he passed behind some dense trees and lost sight of her, he heard a loud gasp, and hurrying through the trees, he heard the grunts as she struggled. When he finally came out of the trees, he saw here kick a large, man, it appeared, in the back of its head. He was impressed, he could feel the hatred pouring from the being toward her, as the backlash washed over him. He watched as she fell, and as the creature stepped forward, he snapped to and urged Asfaloth forward, the harness bells ringing.

Mairead slowly rolled her head. She opened her eyes, as they cleared, she noticed that the sky was clearing, clouds she hadn't noticed before were breaking up above. Continuing to look around, her eyes fell upon the most beautiful Elf she had laid eyes on. His long golden hair fell about his shoulders as he bent his head over her, his emerald green eyes intent, his delicate brow furrowed in concentration. Then she realized what he was concentrating on. A sharp pain shot through her stomach and she tried to sit up, chest heaving, and felt his hands on her shoulders, pushing her back down.

" Baw, Bainil," he softly commanded. His eyes looking into hers. "Do not move, let me see to your injury.

/Injury?/ she thought to herself. Then it all came rushing back. Hearing a soft tinkling, she looked to her right, near her head there stood a horse, with tiny shining bells in his bridle, shaking his great head. /So that was the sound I heard./ Turning her face back to his, as he bent over her, /So he must have saved me./ Another sharp pain coursed through her, and she gasped.

"Naethen," he hastily said, taking his hands from her side. She looked down to her right side, and there, spreading across nearly her whole stomach was a deep maroon bruise. She felt ill and lay her head back down, closing her eyes. She heard him shift and a soft feathery touch fluttered over her stomach, and she realized she was not wearing a shirt. Almost reacting, she decided against it, for some reason she trusted this Elf there was no longer pain as he worked, and she came to realize that wherever he didn't have his had became cold. A cold that seeped through her, and left her feeling almost hopeless until her brushed his hands back over it.

Eventually, the calming feel of his hands put Mairead to sleep. Leaning back, Glorfindel studied her, his bright eyes clouded with worry, and turning to Asfaloth, he said,

"Stay here an watch over her," the horse snorted in reply, and stepped closer to her still body. And patting him on the nose, Glorfindel hastened into the trees.

He returned a few minutes later, his arms filled with fragrant leaves. He kneeled next to her, and placed his hand on her forehead, which was sweating then he made a paste of water and a few of the leaves he brought back and smeared it across the bruise. Then he reached into his pack and pulled out a bottle of an Elf draught, then crushing some leaves, he pushed them into the bottle and swirled them around. Then shaking her shoulder gently, he woke the maiden next to him and raising her head said, "Drink this." She did, and setting her head back down he asked, "Maer le?" She nodded carefully, smiling thankfully at him. He smiled back, "Well enough to stand?" She thought, then softly replied.

"I think so." Hooking his arm through her right, and putting the other around her waist, he pulled her to her feet. She swayed, and steadied herself on his arm. He smiled gently at her, waiting. Blinking, she let go of his shoulder, and stood on her own. Smiling encouragingly, Glorfindel, introduced himself with a deep bow.

"I am Glorfindel of Imladris, realm of Lord Elrond Halfelven. Do you know of Rivendell?"

Mairead thought a moment, "Yes, I have heard of Elrond and the Last Homely House, in Rivendell, but I'm afraid that's all I know." A slight shadow passed across his face at that comment, but she was too distracted at the time looking at the state of her clothing. Her leggings were rolled far down her hip, and her tunic hung open. Glorfindel noticed the embarrassed look on her face and suggested she put on a new tunic, as he had to cut the other open to reach her wounds. She smiled ashamedly as he reached for a tunic from the top of her pack. She began to roll the top of her leggings up, and stopped suddenly, frozen, as a hiss escaped her clenched teeth. When Glorfindel looked back, her eyes were wide and tears had begun to fall. He hurried over and rolled the top of her leggings back down for her, off the massive bruise marring her beautiful porcelain skin. She let out the breath she had been holding in and collapsed into his arms. Careful not to put pressure on her right side, he helped her to straighten out.

"Do you have any gowns with you, Lady…?" He paused, waiting for a reply, but she looked to the ground and then hastily pointed.

"Yes, in the bottom of the pack." He ignored the unanswered question for the moment, and dug out a gown of very practical material and handed it to her, then he lead his horse next to her and draped a blanket over its back and walked to the other side, with his back to her. Steadying herself on the side of the great animal, she carefully removed her leggings, then her tunic and quickly slipped the gown over her head, wincing as she lifted her arms. When she turned back to the horse, the Elf had taken and folded her clothes and was packing them away. Then he threw her pack over the horses back and folded the blanket three, four times and placed it well in front of that. Turning swiftly, he grabbed her right hand, bowed deeper than before and kissed her knuckles, with a roguish twinkle in his eye, he cried.

"Milady! I shall take thee with me, and protect and heal you as best I can, if it be permitted!" Then he spun her under his arm and, putting his left hand on her left hip, hoisted her atop his great steed. Then leaping lightly behind her, he wrapped his right arm around her waist, and the bruise that he touched warmed, as it had before, though the cold had crept up unnoticed by her. Deciding this Elf could not know of the dishonorable way in which she had left her people.

"Mairead Lassetelemna," she murmured.

"Hmm?"

"That is my name."

"Ah," Glorfindel said, smiling, "Let us be gone swiftly from this dreadful place," he paused, then with a grin, "Mairead," then he spurred Asfaloth forward.

Asfaloth traipsed along slowly with an even, steady pace. Drowsiness crept over Mairead, and she leaned back, settling against Glorfindel's strong chest and sighed, "Hannon le," and fell asleep in the circle of his protecting arms.

-Thank you.

I'm sorry it took so long, but yeah. The next chapter will probably take even longer, seeing as I am right now at a bump. Oh, and if anyone sees any problems, please let me know, my editor is temporarily unavailable (AKA, we are having a row.) It would be much appreciated. Thanks to all other reviews!! Much love.