- - - Grace - - -

Into the forest we went. I crept closer to Legolas without really noticing it. Then I bumped into his arm and jumped about a foot away from him. He smiled at me and reached out to touch my hand and steady me. I hoped that whatever was in this forest was very killable.

"Look!" cried Legolas suddenly.

"Look at what?" said Gimli.

"There in the trees."

"Where? I have not elf-eyes!"

"Hush! Speak more softly! Look!" said Legolas, pointing. ¹

I squinted and just saw the outline of a stooped, old man in white. Aragorn hissed something that sounded like Saruman. They started to whisper to each other about getting their weapons out to strike this old man dead. I guess he was pretty dangerous. Where I come from, old men are friendly and give you candy.

Legolas refused to shoot the old man from a distance, that would be unjust. Whatever. As long as I didn't get killed first, I didn't care when they shot him.

Aragorn gave the signal that they should raise their weapons. Legolas nodded to me to stay behind them. I was only too happy to listen.

There was a blinding white light as they ran forward. I saw Gimli's axe fly out of his hands. Aragorn dropped his sword with a cry of pain. Legolas shot an arrow. This old man never would have lived but he had some kind of invisible shield. The arrow ricocheted right off it. I felt a burst of pain near my right hip and then I knew no more.

- - - Aragorn - - -

There was no warning. She had no time to cry out. One moment she was standing and then I heard her crumple to the ground. I didn't take my eyes off of Saruman. Then Legolas spoke.

"Mithrandir," he cried, "Mithrandir!"

"Well met, I say to you again, Legolas," said the old man. ¹¹

It wasn't Saruman, it was Gandalf! Once I knew I wasn't in danger of getting attacked from behind, I turned and hurried to Grace. Legolas joined me also. One of his arrows was protruding from above her hip. I knew that it must have caused some internal damage because she had lost consciousness very quickly after getting hit.

I let Gandalf through to look at her. Being an Istari, he had healing powers I could only dream of. He could hurt or heal with one touch. Without any questions about who she was, he touched the arrow that was embedded about half my hand's length in Grace's side. Her face took on a look of pain.

"We need to get it out but we cannot risk tearing or straining any muscles," Gandalf said. But that didn't solve our problem of how.

"We can't leave it in, Gandalf," I said, like he hadn't just said the same thing.

"Of course not!" he agreed.

"Then it needs to be taken out, Mithrandir! And quickly!" said Legolas. He looked more panicky than I had ever seen him before. Elves weren't ones to get upset, and Legolas even less than most. He probably felt bad for his arrow hitting her.

I bracingly put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at me, his eyes had some unreadable emotion in them.

"Take her hand," Gandalf told no on in particular. "Hold her shoulders down." Legolas took her hand and I braced her shoulders so she wouldn't move. Gimli reached over and took her other hand.

Gandalf slowly started to pull the arrow out of Grace's side. She let out a cry, but didn't wake up. I applied some pressure onto her shoulders to keep her from moving and hurting herself some more. Legolas looked into her face and held her hand tightly.

Soon Gandalf had the arrow almost out. "As soon as it is out, we will have to put something on her side. We need to keep her from losing more blood than is necessary."

Gimli ripped a corner of his shirt off and handed it to Gandalf. Legolas' fingers were turning white Grace was gripping them so hard. She still hadn't opened her eyes or given a sign she was awake. There were tears streaming down her face and she looked like a young child. Legolas leaned down and whispered into her ear and kissed her temple to soothe her.

With a last small tug, the arrow was out and Gandalf pressed the cloth to her skin under the edge of her shirt, which was now blood soaked. Gandalf motioned for us to follow him so Legolas picked up Grace like she weighed nothing, and followed.

"I'm sorry, arwenamin. Please forgive me," I heard him whisper quietly to her.

- - - Grace - - -

"Ooow," I wailed, "What the fuck happened?" I usually don't swear too much, but you'll have to forgive me, I had a hole in my side and it hurt a lot.

I tried to sit up but then I realized I was sitting up. Well, kind of. I was on a horse again (and as soon as I realized that I jumped - which hurt a fair bit - and almost fell off ) and I was leaning up against Legolas. He had one of his arms under mine, holding the reins, and the other kind of looped around my stomach, not touching my hip.

"You were hit," he said in response to my question. I was about to ask what with, but I suddenly remembered the arrow hitting the invisible barrier and bouncing off. Into me, I guessed. Poor Legolas. He was so kind, so elvish, that I guessed he felt horrible even though he didn't intend to do it. What am I saying? Poor Legolas? Poor me! I had a hole in my side!

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"We're heading to Edoras, to see Théoden King." There was silence for almost a minute and I could feel his tension.

"You feel bad about what happened to me, don't you?" I said, knowing full well he did.

"I am so sorry, arwenamin! I never meant for it to happen! It would have been better if it had hit me. 'Tis all my fault you're injured." I could almost hear the guilt in his voice. He hung his head. I grabbed his hand that was resting on my side and squeezed it to reassure him it wasn't too bad. Okay, it was bad, but I wasn't dying. I didn't think.

Without me really noticing, Legolas had flipped over my hand and was studying my wrist. The cuts had long ago disappeared, only to be replaced with scars that were quite apparent. There was no way you could miss them even if you only had one, quick glance.

He lightly ran his thumb along my wrist. Without speaking, I knew he was, again, asking what had happened. Sure, I trusted these guys, but did I trust them enough for this? Aragorn knew, but he didn't know the half of it. He didn't know how my parents had told me how much of a mistake I was, countless times. He didn't hear the kids laughing and calling out horrible things to me as I walked down the school hallways.

With no answer from me, Legolas sped up his horse to catch up with Aragorn and Gimli. Only then did I notice there was a third horse with us. It had an old man in white on it. The last thing I had known, they were trying to shoot this guy, why the change of heart?

Gimli watched as we came up beside them and his eyes fell to where our hands lay, entwined. I blushed a bit. It probably looked like something was going on here. Let me tell you, I didn't feel anything for Legolas. Okay, so he was good looking. Extremely good looking. Damn, he was just sexy. But still, I didn't want to get into anything.

- - - Gandalf - - -

Aragorn had informed me of the situation. Grace had been introduced to them in Lothórien. Galadriel had sent her along. I trust that Galadriel had a good reason; she could see what had not yet come to pass. To stop Legolas' arrow from hitting me, I had blocked it and it had hit Grace in the side. It must have been more serious than first presumed, she had fallen quickly and not regained consciousness for several hours. I hoped that Théoden King would welcome us and she could be healed quickly.

As we rode through the city of Edoras, we got odd looks from many of the people who inhabited it. It was probably very uncommon to see and elf and dwarf together. But it was also an injured girl, what would like look a wizard to them, and the King of Kings.

We came to the door of the palace and came upon the Doorward of Théoden, named Háma. He said we must leave all our weapons aside before entering to see Théoden King. This was not going to be easy.

- - -Legolas - - -

They would not part with their weapons. I had expected the dwarf to put up a fight but Aragorn also didn't want to give up the sword of Elendil. I disarmed myself without word. I knew Grace had a small dagger strapped to her thigh under her long tunic. Aragorn had given it to her as we pursued the Uruk-hai. With a glance, I told her she must take it off.

Finally, we were permitted to enter. Gandalf greeted Théoden King politely but the King replied by asking why Gandalf Stormcrow should be welcome. A pale man sitting on the steps of the dais, spoke then:

"You speak justly, lord," he said. "It is not yet five days since the bitter tiding came that Théodred your son was slain upon the West Marches: your right-hand, Second Marshal of the Mark. In Éomer there is little trust. Few men would be left to guard your walls, if he had been allowed to rule. And even now we learn from Gondor that the Dark Lord is stirring in the East. Such is the hour in which this wandered chooses to return. Why indeed should we welcome you, Master Stormcrow? Láthspell I name you, Ill-news; and ill news is an ill guest they say." ¹¹¹

He laughed and fixed us all in his gaze. His eyes lingered on Grace and I could feel her shudder beside me. Gandalf then strode purposely forward, throwing off his grey cloak so the light from his robes was blinding. Almost immediately guards came running to remove him from the King's presence. Grace stuck out a foot and one tripped. She whistled and looked around casually as if nothing had happened. I smiled at her childish, yet working solution.

More guards came running forward to disable Gandalf. Aragorn, Gimli, and I held them off. Gimli seemed to get extreme pleasure from knocking Wormtongue over when he tried to run for a guard. Gandalf pressed forward towards Théoden. He cried out to Saruman, who had invaded Théoden's body. A young woman with blonde hair ran forward to help the King but Aragorn grabbed her around the waist and held her back.

I heard Grace gasp as Théoden King's face changed all of a sudden. He looked around and the young, blonde woman ran the rest of the way to the dais and bent down at the side of his chair. There was talk by all. Théoden went outside to tell his people one thing:

"We are leaving to Helm's Deep!"

(A/N: Well, ouch. Flames hurt. There have been a couple and they kinda put me down but I guess some of them actually have some constructive criticism. Whatever. Sorry, there won't be much from Gandalf's P.O.V either. I just don't know how to write like and Istari would talk. I'm trying though.)

¹ The Two Towers, page 481

¹¹ The Two Towers, page 483

¹¹¹ The Two Towers, page 502