Note!!!! Sorry about the long wait!!!!!! My Internet went out and im still fighting with the company to get it back.. SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chapter 5

Ariel

Kathy woke up sometime in mid-afternoon. She slowly turned over and then sat up. She lifted her shirt and looked down at her side to see just how bad the damage was. Much to her surprise, there wasn't any pain, although by the look of the wound she knew that there should be lots of pain. She looked around to see only the dwarf at the small campground. Slowly she stood up and walked over towards him. When she was about fifteen feet from him she stopped. "Master Gimli?" She said, trying to keep her distance. "Oh, Lassie, you are awake! Aragorn and Legolas will be most pleased to see that you are doing better! And please, no need for the 'Master', just Gimli." He said in a cheerier voice. Kathy nodded her head and turned to walk back over to her blanket. "Lady Kathy, is there something you wanted to ask me?" Gimli said while trying to catch up to her. Kathy turned and watched him approach. She backed away a bit and then asked, "Where is the elf and Aragorn?" Gimli thought for a second and then pointed behind her. Kathy turned to see Aragorn and Legolas walking into camp. Aragorn had a deer over one shoulder and Legolas had his bow in one hand.

Kathy watched as they walked up to her. Both of them stopped a few feet from her and set the deer by the fire. "Lady Kathy, how are you faring today?" Aragorn said as he watched Legolas pull an arrow out of the deer's neck. "I'm okay. Well, as okay as one can be after..." Her words trailed off and she could feel tears forming in her eyes. Legolas could since that she was still greatly grieving, which was to be expected. "Lady Kathy, would you like me to show you where your friend was laid to rest?" Kathy looked up at Legolas, and then back at the ground. She followed him as he walked into the woods.

They came into a small clearing. The trees were tall and grew thick around the clearing, all covered with a beautiful green moss. The ground had patches of lilies scattered about. Legolas pointed to a line of large rocks that circled freshly dug earth. At the head of the rocks was a very large tree. This tree had no moss on it but a vine with beautiful purple flowers wound around its trunk. There was a spot in the tree where the vines and bark had been cut away. Kathy walked up to the grave and knelt down on the ground. As she started to cry, Legolas started to walk way to give her time, but as he was leaving he heard Kathy ask, "What does it say?" Legolas turned and saw her pointing to tree where the bark had been carved away.

He walked over to the tree and placed a hand over the markings that were carved deep into the bark. "Its elfish. In your tongue it says, 'Here rests , slain in battle, before she could see the new world before her. May her soul watch over the friend she left behind." Kathy began to cry. She looked up at Legolas with tears running down her cheeks. "It's beautiful, did you do it?"

"Yes, although I did not know her name, so I was unable to carve it in." Legolas said as he pulled a small dagger from the quiver of arrows still on his back. "Ariel. Her name is...was...Ariel..." Kathy tried to smile as she remembered her friend. "It was her birthday three days ago. She turned twenty-one...." Kathy trailed off and she thought back to that night. She watched as Legolas carved Ariel's name into the tree, and then read it again. "Hear rests Ariel, slain in battle, before she could see the new world before her. May her soul watch over the friend she left behind."

Kathy look down at the grave and said a small prayer. She then looked up at Legolas. "Why would you do all of this? You don't even know me and I tried to kill you and your companions."

Legolas walked over next to her and bent down, careful to keep his distance though. "The only reason you tried to kill my friends and me was because you were scared. You didn't know where you were and what was going on. You then saw your friend slain right in front of you. You were scared and only trying to defend yourself." He said while smiling at her.

"But why would you help me like this, why bury her?" Kathy asked while looking back at her friend's grave. "Friends are the most sacred thing a person can have in their life, and it is not right to just leave them where they died. Even though we did not know her, it was our place to lay her to rest. You are new to this world; it wouldn't be right of us to leave you in the middle of a place you didn't know, angered and grieving. You are alone now and will be for a long time, but over time you will start to trust and make new friends, and have a place to call home." Legolas said as he stood up and then helped Kathy off the ground. "But I have nowhere to go. What will I do?" Kathy said as she wiped her face off with her sleeve. "Until you are settled in this world you are more than welcome to travel with my companions and me. We are headed back to Merkwood."

Kathy looked up at Legolas and then nodded her head. "I guess I have no choice really." Legolas smiled. "It is okay to be scared, but the journey is almost over and there will be nothing for you to fear in Merkwood. It is my home and the elves there will not harm you." Legolas added as they walked back to camp.