Title: Friends to the end

Author: Mystkyten

Rating: pg

Author's note: This takes place before the fellowship of the rings.

Summary: Tithen Dulin finds a new friend, one the other may not find as friendly.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters you recognize, they belong to Tolkien, I am only borrowing them for a little while. I promise to bring them back in the same condition as I found them, maybe with a little wear and tear

means thought
means human speak
means flashback
"means elven "

Please R/R

A/N You really need to read Tithen Dulin before you read this one in order for it to make sense. This story takes place 5 years after Tithen Dulin.

Chapter 1

Tithen Dulin was bored, and a bored 10 year old was NOT a good thing. Ada and Legolas were in meetings all morning and it did not look like they were going to come out any time soon. Elinor and Nyssa were also in the hall, healing the wounded elves. There had been a lot of wounded lately. Ada was worried about that, hence the meetings, but when Tithen asked what was going on, Ada told her not to worry about it.

Tithen looked out the window into the garden below. She so wanted to go into the garden. Ever since the attack when she was little, she was not allowed in the garden alone. But that was years ago! Surely she was old enough now. She was 10, old enough to take care of herself. Legolas had been showing her how to use a bow, and Ada had given her a miniature bow that was once Gwaeren's. Tithen remembered the spirit of the elfess that helped Ada and Legolas find her. She had not told Legolas or Ada, but whenever she had nightmares, she sensed Gwaeren's spirit with her, soothing them away.

A noise outside the window attracted the girl's attention. It sounded like a small animal crying. Tithen leaned out the window trying to see if she could figure out where it came from. She started to climb out the window and then realized that she would not be able to do that with the dress she had on. She would have to change first, and she knew exactly what she would put on.

Tithen looked down the hall to see if anyone was watching. Determining the coast was clear Tithen dashed into Legolas' room. Once there she quickly dove into the wardrobe at the back of the room. From previous forays into the cupboard, Tithen knew clothes that Legolas had worn as a child were in the bottom all the way in the back. Legolas had dug some of them out for her when she showed an interest in using the bow. Ada was not happy about it, but Legolas pointed out that is did not hurt for Tithen to know how to defend herself. Tithen grabbee fie first tunic and leggings she could find. She ran back to the door and seeing that no one was around, hastily made her way back to her room.

She giggled as she hurriedly put on the clothes. This was going to be a grand adventure. If she hurried, she would be back before they noticed she was gone. She briefly thought about the danger of going out on her own, but nothing had happened in years. She fastened the last toggle on the tunic, gathered her bow and dagger, and then scurried to the window. Looking around the yard, she made sure no one was in the area, and then scampered done the trellis. Freedom!

King Thranduil looked at the elves standing before him. Most were battered and bruised. The worst injured were lined along the wall, with Thranduil's daughter and her friend tending them. Too few remained of the patrol. This was the third attack this week. Their assailants came fast and furious; there was no time to avoid them. Even knowing they were there, did not help. One elf called them Draug Amarth, wolves of doom. These creatures were similar to wargs, but smaller, quieter, faster and in most cases deadlier. They traveled in packs and attacked as a group. They were so silent that they swarmed over groups of elves before the eldars even knew what hit them. Thranduil had not heard of creatures like these before. They must have come from Dol Guldur, no where else was evil allowed to flourish except the land that no spirit dare tred, Mordor. It has gotten to the point where no elf was safe beyond the walls. Even large patrols lost half their numbers before escaping.

King Thranduil listened to the debate going on around him. This new threat must be stopped. He looked over at his son, before he could do more then that, a disturbance at the door caused everyone to look that way.

A distressed elf hurried into the room and stopped before the king. He gave a little bow.
"Your Majesty forgive me, a pack of draug amarth are outside the gate. The patrol from the south is due to return, they will never make it past them."

King Thranduil rose to his feet gesturing to the guards by the door. "Gather as many elves as to can and send them to the wall. See if we can drive them back."

King Thranduil led the rest of the elves out of the room.

Over with the wounded, Elinor looked at her friend. "Nyssa, I can take care of the rest, you might want to go check on Tithen Dulin. She is probably bored out of her mind."

Nyssa smiled and nodded at the princess. "You are probably right. I will bring her here, now that the meeting is over, she can help with the wounded." She knew the youngster enjoyed helping Elinor tend the injured.

Nyssa entered Tithen's room. "Tithen, do you want to come help Elinor with the wounded?" Nyssa looked around the empty room. "Tithen?" The young elfess noticed the open window. With her heart in her throat she hurried to the window. She scanned the yard looking for traces of the young human. She spotted the child heading to the wall with a determined look on her face. Before Nyssa could call out to the child she disappeared into some bushes. Nyssa ran for the door.

Thranduil and Legolas hurried up the wall and looked down at the creatures below. Thranduil was not sure that he had ever seen a more evil creature. There sre small about the size of a wolf, but with a stockier body similar to the wargs. They were like jackals, lunging at the elves on the wall above them. Thranduil could see the patrol stopped at the edge of the forest. They could come no further with the beasts between them and the gate.

The elves on the wall fired into the pack trying to take as many down as ibleible and trying to keep their attention on the wall and not the waiting patrol.

Unexpectedly one of draug amarth looked off to the left of the wall. With an eerie half howl half growl he lead the pack away from the gate. Thranduil signaled for the gates to be opened, while Legolas signaled to the patrol to hurry into the safety of the walls. The gate was no sooner closed then Legolas spotted Nyssa and Elinor running frantically towards them.

"Father! Tithen Dulin is outside the wall. She was seen going through the old gate." Elinor pointed off to the left at the gate that Tithen had previously been kidnapped through.

Legolas and Thranduil looked at each other in horror. That was the direction the pack of draug amarth had gone.

tbc