Disclaimer: I own all and nothing! Thanx again to those of you who reviewed! I really appreciate your input! Does Orlando Bloom really look like Justin Timberlake? Someone told me this and I just about bit her head off. (Don't worry, I won't do this to you if you agree with her...) I don't think he does! But I do agree with my friend Nikhila that he has a crooked nose...

AlianaofMirkwood

or

more plainly,

Rusty

Chapter Four: Friends

Aliana knew she could never get out of this one. She had told Legolas she had friends in Lake Town, but she knew no one here. Her only chance to escape this was to run away tonight. She had rested enough and Raurous would still be ready to go.

But she didn't feel like getting out of bed. He fever had gotten worse. She coughed consistently and sneezed often. And now it was raining outside. She had to agree with Legolas, it wasn't very wise to travel through the Long Marshes now. But how was she supposed to know it was winter!

She at least had to try! She wasn't going to sit in bed like some old lady too ill to move, expecting her son to do everything for her! She was independent!

Aliana stood up and grabbed her pack. When she reached the door, she felt cold steal pressed against her neck. The candlelight flickered and she saw the face of Ivellios. He grinned as she backed into the wall, defenseless and alone. "Legolas isn't here to save you this time," he whispered.

"I don't need the help of your Prince! I can take care of myself!"

She ducked under the blade and around. On her bed lay her two elven knives, which she grabbed and held firmly in both hands. Ivellios smirked. "I'll bet you don't even know how to use those."

Aliana returned his smirk with one of her own. "We shall have to see then, won't we?"

Ivellios lunged at Aliana who gracefully dodged to the left. He lunged again, this time bringing his sword inches from her neck, the only barrier being her own knife against his. She spun around and thrust both knives at him, but he brought his sword up just in time to send them clanging to the floor.

Aliana looked around for something she could use in defense, but nothing her eyes reached seemed reasonable. Meanwhile, Ivellios was closing in on her, sword raised and ready to strike. Aliana braced herself for the blow, but it never came.

An arrow whizzed past her face, hitting Ivellios in the shoulder. He cried out in pain and fled from the room. Aliana looked around and saw two figures standing in the doorway. She recognized them both right away, but they looked a little different then when she'd seen them last. "Nikhila! Ben!"

As the sun streamed through the tiny window, Aliana could see them clearly. One was a tall girl with tan skin and long black hair. She wore black pants and a blue tunic and leather armor. Around her waist was a sword encrusted with sapphires. She also carried a bow, beautifully decorated with green leather along the handle and a golden bowstring. She smiled at Aliana and stepped forward to embrace her. "Tas maara an kena ly!" Aliana cried.

Then she stopped and looked at the other figure, still standing in the doorway. He had short dirty brown hair and brown eyes. He was dressed almost exactly like the girl only he wore a black tunic instead of blue. He had a sword with green emeralds covering the hilt and all along the side.

She ran over to him, knocking him to the ground, and hugged him tightly. "I didn't think I would ever see you two again! And where did you get these...word...word...um..." She pointed to the bow Rina had still held in her hand.

Her friend almost laughed. "Arsenical?"

"Yes! That's the word I was looking for! Where'd you get these arsenical weapons!"

"They were a gift," explained the boy. "From Layanna of Mirkwood. She told us you'd just left and gave us these weapons. Then we came to search for you and here we are!"

The two of them stood up, Aliana's arm still around Ben. In the doorway stood Legolas, looking at them all expectantly. "I heard a cry and came to see what the trouble was. Are these your friends, me heri?" he questioned, eying Ben suspiciously.

"That was Ivellios. My friends startled him," she said, a sly grin on her face as she saw the elf glaring at her from the doorway across the hall. "This is Ni-"

Nikhila stepped forward. "Do not worry. Ben will not take your beautiful elf away from you. He is simply one of her friends. I am Rina and this is Ben." She obviously didn't think Nikhila was a very appropriate name for this time and place.

Legolas bowed. "I am honored to meet two friends of the lovely lady Aliana. I am Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood."

Rina gave Aliana a knowing smile and turned to Legolas. "And we are very honored to meet such a fine elf as yourself, Legolas. But, what, may I ask, is the reason that you are traveling so far from Mirkwood?"

"It is not very far from Mirkwood, actually, and I am traveling with Aliana, or 'my beautiful elf', as you put it. Although, I do not think Aliana would agree with you on that," he said, a dubious look on his face.

The she elf smirked. "You are right, my Lord. I do not agree with that statement in the least. And he only travels with me because he does not think I am fully capable on my own. Am I right?"

Legolas opened his mouth to speak, but Rina interrupted. "And I would completely agree with him there, Aliana."

"What!" Aliana cried. "Who's side are you on!"

"Obviously Legolas's, for the moment," Rina laughed.

Aliana crossed her arms and sat down on her bed, rubbing her side. "Are you sure you won't let me look at that, me heri?" Legolas questioned.

"Yes, I'm sure! I am perfectly capable of tending to my injuries on my own!"

Ben had guessed what had happened and changed the subject, knowing it would only upset her to keep speaking of it. "Where are you headed next, my fish obsessive little friend?"

Aliana threw here pillow at him. "Shut up, Ben! For your information, I am no longer obsessed with fish, I just...um...well...let's not even go there..."

Legolas looked at the two of them quizzically as they argued about the subject of fish, which he was utterly confused about. Rina pulled Ben off Aliana, who happened to be trying to tickle her into telling the truth. Holding Ben's shirt collar, she repeated his question. "Where are you traveling to next?"

"The lady was venturing southwest to Isengard to discuss business with Gandalf the White," Legolas explained. "But she said she had friends to visit in Esgaroth, and I guess you to be them?"

"Yes," Aliana said rather quickly. "These are the friends I came to visit."

"Very well, I shall leave you three to talk." Legolas bowed one final time and strode from the room.

Rina and Ben sat down beside Aliana, none of tem saying anything for a long while. Finally, Aliana spoke. "How did you all get here!"

"Well, you know… I'm not really sure," Ben said, scratching his head.

Rina appeared just as confused. "We just happened to run across your diary while we were over at Jessica's and all of a sudden…"

Ben continued for her. "Words began to appear on the page. It said 'Where would you like to go?' So, just to be funny, I said Middle Earth."

"And all of a sudden, we ended up in Mirkwood."

"It was the weirdest thing."

"Yeah, I mean… How on Earth did that happen!"

All was silent for a moment before Aliana spoke up. "You can't stay here!"

"What! Why not!"

"It's too dangerous! And I don't want either of you getting hurt!"

Rina half laughed. "We just got here! And besides, you can't expect us to pass up a chance as great as this! What do you think is gonna happen to us anyways?"

"I don't know, but I don't want to find out! Neither of you have any sort of experience with swordplay and archery!"

"Oh, and you do!" Ben asked angrily.

"As a matter of fact, yes! I've been practicing this kind of stuff since I was six!"

"And just how do you think we're going to get back!" Rina snapped.

"You two will come with me to Gandalf's. We can ask him how to get back. I'm sure he'll be able to figure something out!"

"Why do we have to go, and you get to stay here!"

"You don't think I'm going to go back home, do you! I'm not going back to that hellhole EVER AGAIN!"

Her two friends looked at her sadly for they knew she was right. It wasn't fair to make her go back to that place when she'd finally gotten a break. But still, they didn't see why she said they had to go home. Their lives weren't perfect either.

"Why won't you just tell someone?" Ben asked, seeming a little less angry.

"You remember what he says. 'Don't tell anyone or I'll kill you!'! I'm not going to say anything and you better not either! I know what he's capable of!"

"But if you said something, he'd be arrested! And he couldn't hurt you!"

"I don't care! You don't seem to understand the magnitude of the things he's done! He got out of his punishment when he killed my mother, even when they had loads of evidence!"

Aliana stood up and strode from the room, giving the indication that the conversation was over. The two friends watched her leave and then turned to each other. "I know she doesn't want us to, but we really have to tell someone when we get back."

"No, we can't! If she doesn't want us to, it's her decision! We're going to keep our mouths shut!"

Aliana walked through the town with its residents just awakening and leaving for their jobs. She walked across the bridge and into the forest surrounding the marshes. She found a small path leading around the Long Marshes and to the south, just where she was headed.

My friends can do what they want! I don't care anymore! I'm not going back home, and nothing anybody says can stop me! I'll get to Isengard alone! And if that friggin' Prince has a problem with it, he can just kiss my ass!

Up ahead, she saw a figure leaning against a tree, his cloak draped tightly around him. Aliana eyed him cautiously, but continued on her way. When she'd reached him, he stuck his sword out in front of her, causing Aliana to stop suddenly and slip in the mud. "You made it clear that I was going to have to watch you more closely, so that's what I did."

"I moka ly!" she cried. "Can you elves ever take a hint!"

Legolas grinned. "Usually, yes. But not when we have become particularly infatuated with a certain she elf."

Aliana, who had been trying to stand up and had finally regained her balance, fell back down in the mud again. "What did you say!"

"Don't pay any attention to the mindless babble of my dear Prince," came a voice from behind them. "He likes to spout poetry to anyone who will listen."

They looked behind them and saw Ivellios, riding a gray horse, followed by Rina on a beautiful brown horse and Ben on a short paint colored one. Following them were Rauros and a snowy white horse as magnificent and graceful as they come. "We figured you were ready to leave when you took off like that."

With one last glance at Legolas, Aliana swung into the saddle and rode to the back of the group. Legolas watched her, then jumped into the saddle in a way quite familiar to the three best friends, for he had done the same thing in the Two Towers movie back home. Aliana couldn't help but grin and Rina put her arm on her friends shoulder and whispered. "He could be yours, you know."

Aliana laughed silently to herself. "Yes, I know. But I don't want him. He's too annoying. And besides, what would I do with a prince, anyways?"

The two girls laughed as the company (AN: With Ivellios and Aliana glaring daggers at each other, I can't very well call them companions.) made its way down the path. Legolas rode in front, followed by Ivellios, Ben, Rina, and Aliana as rear guard.

The sun beat down upon them from gaps in the trees above as they traveled south along the river Celduin. All day they traveled, no one saying much to each other, save Legolas and Ivellios, discussing their ways of travel. Aliana spoke to not a soul during those long hours. She simply rode along behind Rina, wondering whether or not she really wanted to go back home.

It was late in the night when the company finally stopped. Ben and Rina went off to gather wood while Legolas went to the river with a pitcher for water. Aliana was left lone with Ivellios, who watched her intently.

She lifted the saddle off Rauros and placed it on the ground beside her. It was then that Ivellios made his move. He walked swiftly over to her, cornering her against a large tree. "So, you think you can outsmart me? I know what you're up to! Dragging your worthless friends into this!"

Aliana scowled. "I had no choice in the matter! I cannot stop them from coming!"

Ivellios laughed. "But you do have a choice in allowing the Prince to fall for you! Stop working your evil magic and release him from your spell!"

"What on earth are you talking about? Magic? Spell? I know of no such thing!"

"I could forget all this and not kill you...under one condition."

"And what is that!"

Ivellios leaned even closer to her, if that were possible. "If you'll be mine," he whispered in her ear. "Say you'll be mine and I'll forget all this."

"Never!"

"Then you've elected the choice of pain!" he cried as he drew his sword and backed up a step. "Draw your weapon and we shall end this!"

"You aren't worth my effort."

"We shall see!"

Aliana drew her knives from around her waist and held them ready in both hands. "Let's finish this!"

The two of them lunged at each other, weapons aimed to kill. Both missed, but Ivellios managed to scratch Aliana across the cheek. The two circled each other like lions, waiting for one to make the first move. At last Aliana had Ivellios right where she wanted him.

She sprang at him with all her strength and pinned him to a tree. She held her blade against his throat and looked him in the eyes. "I could end your life here and now." He gulped. "But you aren't worth the effort."

She turned away, but not before leaving a large gash on his shoulder. Her knife still at hand, she sheathed the other and stormed off into the woods. Ivellios watched her go before rubbing his shoulder and unsaddling his horse. He then attempted to tend to his wounds as best he could and fix his shirt so it appeared as if nothing had happened.

This girl was becoming more and more of a bother to him as time went on. He would have to dispose of her and soon. By whatever means necessary. No matter what it took, he would make sure she didn't live long enough to make it to Isengard.

Aliana strode from the campsite, unaware that she was taking the same path Legolas had to go down to the river. She reached the large body of water and stared into its deep blue depths. The water on the surface foamed and bubbled as it ran over jagged rocks and slippery stones.