Chapter 2

Buffy had decided to take a stroll while everyone was asleep. Two days ago, she had been brought to Middle-Earth to help the Fellowship. That afternoon, Boromir had hit on her and it was flattering, but she wasn't really into dating guys from other dimensions. Says the Slayer who fell in love with a vampire. Middle-Earth was beautiful. She had never seen anything like it back home.

"Do you always wander off by yourself in unknown lands?" A voice said behind her.

She turned to find Legolas standing behind her. "Legolas. I didn't hear you come up."

"I didn't mean to startle you."

"You didn't. Just saying. And the answer to your question is not usually because I don't usually end up in unkown lands."

"May I speak freely?"

"Sure."

"If what Galadriel says is true, that you are the warrior of your people..."

"Yeah?"

"Why are you not bigger?" Buffy stared at the Elf for a moment, then began to laugh. "What?"

"Nothing. I just found that really funny. I actually get asked that a lot. For some reason... Having it come from you makes it a lot funnier." She took a deep breath. "Sorry. I couldn't tell you why I'm not bigger. But I am a Slayer."

"And what does that mean?"

"Super strength. Super speed. Super hearing. Super seeing."

"Like an Elf?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Interesting."

"I get that a lot." After a minute of uncomfortable silence, Buffy looked at Legolas. "So, would you like to join me?"

"You want me to walk with you?"

"No, I want you to skip next to me and sing a Backstreet Boy's song." He stared at her. "I'm kidding. Yes, I want you to walk with me."

"That would be nice. I would love to escort you."

"Whoa. No escorting. This isn't the prom and I'm not a damsel in distress."

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I'm not used to your speech either."

He smiled at her and she smiled back. "Shall we?" He let her begin to walk and then followed suit.

They walked on in silence for a while and then Buffy asked, "So hold old are you, Legolas?"

"I am 2931 years."

"Oh my God."

"What?"

"Um... Wow. That's... wow. Are you serious?"

"Yes. Quite. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. You just... You don't look you're age."

"And how old are you?"

"Twenty four."

"Hmm."

"What?"

"Nothing."

"You said 'hmm.' Why'd you say 'hmm?'"

"Nothing." He looked down at her. "I promise. I was trying to think of something to say, but the words fell short of my lips."

"Oh. Ok then." They walked on in silence for a few more minutes and then perched on some rocks. "So, what do you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Job wise, what do you do?"

"I'm a prince."

"A prince? Really?"

"Yes. A prince of Mirkwood."

"Wow. Never hung out with royalty before."

"What do you do?"

"Well, I'm no princess. I'm just a Slayer. And I don't really have a real job."

They went on like that all night until the sun began to brighten the horizon. When they made it back to camp, everyone was packing their things. "Where have you two been?" Boromir asked.

"I was escorting Buffy through the woods. I didn't want her to get lost." Legolas said. "It would have been unchivilrous of me to allow her to wonder alone in unfamiliar territory."

"Yes. Quite unchivilrous of you. It is good you were there to watch her."

"I don't need to be watched." Buffy said. "I'm perfectly capable of handling myself."

Aragorn chuckled to himself and shook his head. If Boromir wasn't careful, he would lose the battle for Buffy's heart to Legolas. He smiled at Buffy as she went over to collect her things. This was going to be an interesting journey.

Buffy shook her head and laughed at Pippin and Merry. They were singing and dancing in front of the fire, providing much needed entment. Aragorn had gone to fetch more wood to keep the fire going and Legolas sat on the other side of the fire checking and re-checking his arrows. Frodo sat near Gimli to Buffy's left and clapped for Merry and Pippin, and Sam poked the meat in his frying pan. Boromir walked over to Buffy and sat down next to her, handing her a cup of water.

"Oh, thank you." Buffy said.

"You are most welcome." Boromir said. He smiled at her. "I am disappointed that I have yet to see you in battle."

"I'm not. It's a nice reprieve from fighting night in and night out. Besides, the entertainment is way better."

"Your speech is so strange, yet it is intriguing at the same time."

"My English teachers told me the same thing."

"Oh, so your native tongue is not the one you speak now?"

"Huh? Oh! English is what we're speaking now. It's my original language."

"And you've had schooling?"

"Yup. Twelve years of forced learning and one and a half years of extremely expensive college."

"College?"

"Advanced schooling."

"I see. Well, I applaud your efforts and am most honored tht I sit beside such a studious warrior woman." He took her hand and kissed her knuckles, then stood up and headed towards the woods. Buffy shook her head and looked back at Merry and Pippin. She couldn't help but notice Legolas sitting on the other side of the fire pretending to be interested in his arrows. She smiled and waved at him and she was surprised to see him smile and wave back at her. They watched each other for a moment before Sam came up to Buffy and handed her a plate.

"Here you are, Miss Summers. Hot and delicious." Sam said.

"Sam, how many times do I have to tell you? Lay off the Miss Summers thing, ok? It's Buffy."

"Sorry Miss... Buffy. Once a polite hobbit, always a polite hobbit."

She smiled. "Well, this looks and smells great, Sam. Guess I was hungrier than I thought." She looked back across the fire, but Legolas had gotten up and moved away somewhere.

After a long day of traveling on the river and listening to Gimli's stories, Buffy was almost exhausted. Aragorn pulled out a blanket and prepared to cover the little Slayer as she slept. "Let me." Legolas said. He took the blanket and went to Buffy. As the warmth covered her, Buffy woke up. Only she wasn't in the same place….. And it was daylight. "What the…. Where am I?" She looked around. "Legolas?" No answer. "Aragorn? Boromir?"

"Boromir is no more." A deep voice said behind her. She spun to find a very large and very ugly beatie. It had a white handprint on it forehead. "He will not last to see another sunset." The thing's mouth wasn't moving.

"What do you mean?" The thing stepped away to reveal Boromir's body. There were three arrows sticking out of him. Buffy dropped to her knees. "Why?"

"Your presence here has interrupted the balance. An exchange must be made."

"There was already an exchange! Gandulf…." Before her, half the thing's torso fell and Buffy shot up, startling Legolas. Dawn had broken.

Legolas caught her in his arms and held her. "Buffy….."

"Where's Boromir?"

"What?"

"Where is he?"

"I am here." Boromir walked over to them and crouched in front of Buffy. "What is the matter?"

"No arrows." She looked him over. "Not dead."

"Not yet. What is this about?"

"It was just a dream. Please let it be just a dream." Legolas and Boromir helped her to stand and Buffy pushed her hair back away from her face and looked at Legolas. He smiled tightly at her as if her concern for Boromir had wounded him.

Buffy stared into the woods and reached out her senses. Something was wrong here. Something was coming. After ten days of travelling on the river, the Slayer had been fully updated on what was going on. They were being followed by these things called Orcs sent by an evil wizard called Saruman that was working for a big, fiery eye named Sauron. The Fellowship had been formed to protect Frodo who carried a ring that contained all the evil in Middle Earth and they were on their way to Mordor to throw it into a big volcano or something like that. She had also learned things about each member of the group. Most of all Legolas and Boromir.

Speaking of….. "Your senses are as strong, if not stronger than mine. You must feel the same." Legolas said.

Buffy nodded. "We need to keep moving. There's trouble a'brewin."

"I agree." Legolas moved over to talk to Aragorn and Buffy stayed near the trees..

"Where is Frodo?" Merry asked.

Buffy turned and did a quick inventory of everyone. "Where's Boromir?"

"I shall go and find them." Aragorn moved off into the woods and disappeared.

Buffy was still worried. Her sense were going haywire. Legolas put his hand on her shoulder and watched the woods with her. Something clicked and Buffy heard a voice yell, "Find the halflings!" She glanced at Merry and Pippin. Sam was missing. He had probably gone after Frodo with Aragorn. "Merry, Pippin." They ran over to her. "Run."

"What?" Merry asked.

Buffy pulled out her sword. "Go!" With that, she ran into the woods. Legolas and Gimli followed. They found Aragorn locked in a heated battle with these really nasty beasties like the one from her dream. There were clad in serious armor and toting major artillery. Without a seconds hesitation, Buffy went to work fighting off what could only be Orcs. She noticed Legolas shooting arrow after arrow in quick succession and taking down one or two Orcs with each. Damn, She thought. He's good. Before she knew it, all the Orcs were gone and a horn sounded in the distance.

"The horn of Gondor." Legolas said.

Aragorn ran past. "Boromir."

"Yay! More fighting. I was just getting started." Buffy followed Aragorn, switching to her scythe to do more damage, but she lost sight of him as more Orcs surrounded them. "Legolas?"

"Yes?" He called abck.

"You got this?"

"Go!"

Buffy ran and used her scythe to dispatch Orcs quickly as she went. She found Aragorn fighting off a HUGE Orc that was preparing to throw a knife at the downed warrior. She threw herself in front of Aragorn and caught the knife in midair. She kept the momentum going and swung the knife right back at the Orc. It caught the thing in its upper right arm. It didn't stop him though. He pulled out a massive looking sword and came at her. She held the scythe at the ready and took the Orc head on. Moving the scythe in circular motions around her body, she managed to block the blows and shop off the same arm she had thrown the knife into. Looking up, she smiled cruelly at the thing and then realized it was the ugly beastie from her dream. This one had killed Boromir. With a savage scream, Buffy chopped the Orc in half much in the same way she had done Caleb. Aragorn moved behind her and she turned.

"I'm all right." He said.

"You don't look it." She helped him to his feet and he looked over her shoulder.

"No." Aragorn ran over to the fallen Boromir. He had three arrows sticking out of him and he was fading fast.

Buffy covered her mouth and hung her head. "No." She felt Legolas behind her and she turned into his embrace. Out of the eight left in the Fellowship, Legolas and Boromir had vied for her attention the most. She had spent the most time with them. Boromir had been a worthy fighter and a great man. Pulling away from Legolas and dodging Gimli, Buffy kicked the dead Orc in the head so hard, its head ripped off its body and bounced off a tree. Her three remaining companions stared at her as she made her way back to the river. Sam's things were gone and one boat was missing. She saw movement on the other shore and knew it was Frodo and Sam.

Legolas glanced at Buffy sitting with her back against a tree and her knees up to her chest. Gimli sat on a rock and Aragorn stood a little ways away collecting his barrings. They had sent Boromir's body down river as a matter of respect to their fallen comrade. Legolas knew that Sam and Frodo had gone to the other shore and he pushed the boat into the water.

"Hurry! Frodo and Sam have reached the eastern shore." He paused and noticed that no one made a move to follow. "You mean not to follow?"

"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands." Aragorn said.

"Then it has all been in vain." Gimli said. "The Fellowship has failed."

"And I guess I'm no longer needed." Buffy said, getting to her feet and dusting herself off.

"You are wrong, beautiful Slayer." Aragorn said. "If we are true to each other, we will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment of death Not while we have strength left. Leave all that can be spared behind. We'll travel light. Let's hunt some Orc." Aragorn turned and headed into the woods. Gimli laughed and followed.

Legolas looked at Buffy hopefully. She smiled. "Can't turn down an offer like that." Legolas smiled and followed the Slayer and the others.