A Stranger In The Woods

Chapter 10: Discoveries in the Dark

The group walked for many hours until the air became crisp and darkness fell. Katie paid little attention to her surroundings, her mind too focused on the upcoming events of the fellowship.

She was at a complete loss of what to do. One part of her wanted to tell Gandalf or even Legolas about Sarumans plans to bring the mountain down on them. The other part warned her to keep quiet. 'Boromir isn't the only one who doesn't trust you.' She reminded herself. She knew that her warnings might be twisted around to make her look like she was trying to sabotage the journey. 'Maybe it's better to let things play out on their own.' She fought with herself. 'Of course' she countered 'Legolas will be angry with me if he finds out I knew and didn't tell.' It seemed hopeless either way.

After dinner, the group huddled around the fire to keep warm. Nobody spoke for a long time, even the hobbits were to cold to ask questions.

Katie glanced across the fire a Legolas. He looked so mysterious sitting there- flames dancing over his handsome face. She looked away before he could catch her staring and tried to think of something to say to break the silence.

"Who was Lothriel?" She asked suddenly, surprising herself with the question. She hadn't known she was going to ask until she heard the words come from her mouth, but the question had been quietly brewing since Rivendell.

Both Legolas and Aragorn's head snapped up, but it was Gandalf who spoke. "Why do you ask?"

Everyone turned their eyes to her, waiting for her answer. Katie could feel herself blush.

"Elrond mentioned something about her."

"She was an elf." Gandalf paused for a long moment, studying her closely in the firelight. "I think one might mistake you for an elf, if they did not know you."

Katie looked at the wizard, wondering if maybe he had gone crazy. "You mean before they heard me speak or saw me walk?" Gimli snorted.

"Aye lass, you aren't very graceful." The dwarf said with a chuckle. "Who was this elf lady?" he asked. "Not that I care to know," he hastened to add.

Aragorn cleared his throat and looked up into the dark sky, his serious demeanor quieting the group.

"Lothriel and her husband Eldamar lived in Lothlórien with their only child. Lothriel was the only sister to Galadriel, the Lady of Lothlórien. Long years ago the couple was attacked by orcs as they traveled to Mirkwood. Some believe the orcs were sent to ambush the elves. To kill them."

"Or take the child." Katie thought out loud.

Aragorn nodded his agreement and continued. "Many elves died during the battle, including Lothriel and Eldamar. The child's body was never found."

"So the orcs took it?" Katie asked, feeling bile rise in her throat at the thought of those monsters with the child. She wrapped her cloak tighter around her shivering body. "It would be better to be dead than in the hands of those filthy creatures."

"Plus," Katie added, feeling compelled to continue, "If the child were found alive, it would have to grow up without parents; Have to live its entire life mindful of their deaths."

"Not knowing your parents is like having a hole in your heart," she whispered.

Aragorn was taken-aback at the depth of sadness in her voice. "Do you suffer from this loss?" He asked kindly.

Katie sighed. "Yes and no. I had parents….my mother and father both died when I was very young. I don't remember them. Sometimes I have dreams…" She cut herself off abruptly, rather annoyed at her ramblings. She hardly talked about her parents and never about the dreams. She prayed someone would change the subject.

Legolas stared across the fire at her, looking puzzled. He hadn't spoken a word the entire conversation, and now opened his mouth to talk. He abruptly snapped it shut as Pippin cleared his throat.

"Didn't you say earlier that your dad was still alive?" Obviously, it wasn't cold enough not to ask questions.

Katie nearly groaned; she really didn't want to get into this particular subject right now. Or ever for that matter.

"He is Pippin. My biological mother and father died when I was three years old in an accident. I was sent to an orphanage to live-."

"What does by-o-lodge-i-coal mean?" Pippin interrupted.

"And what is an orphanage?" Merry piped up.

Literally biting back a scream of annoyance, Katie told them. "Biological means you share the same blood. An orphanage is a place kids go that have no home."

Both hobbits opened their mouths to ask another question, but were silenced by Legolas.

"Let her tell her story." He said firmly, finally speaking. Katie felt a rush of gratitude for him and her annoyance of the hobbits lessened slightly.

"So," Katie continued quickly, "I was sent to a foster home- a home where other parents take care of you" she added, mostly for the Hobbit's sakes, "and I went through three of these homes before I found my mom and dad. I was there eleven years until I moved out into a place of my own… I call my adoptive parents mom and dad because they raised me and cared for me. They were my parents, and always will be."

"Any more questions?" she finished, a little annoyed at baring so much personal stuff to her companions.

"You moved out by yourself, and your parents allowed this?" Legolas asked, unable to hold his tongue.

Annoyance flared up again, and Katie shot him a piercing look. 'He just can't let it go.'

"Yes, Legolas, and I lived gasp by myself until my mom died 3 years ago."

She smirked at his irritated look. 'He obviously isn't use to being mocked.'

"After that, I moved back in with my father until he had to be hospitalized last year. My friend Devin kindly let me stay with him and I've been there since."

"Well, except now," she added in a mumble, clumsily rising to her feet.

"If no one minds, I am going to get some sleep," she said overly cheerful, looking around the group.

All the men stared up at her, dumbfounded.

"I guess nobody minds, so goodnight." Mortified, she hurried to the horse to get her pack and nearly fell on her face.

'Why can't I do anything right?' she asked herself as she laid out her bedroll. 'Why do I speak before I think?'

She buried her head in her pack and groaned. Behind her, the men finally began to talk again. They were still talking when she drifted off to sleep.

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Katie awoke from a dream some hours later, drenched in sweat despite the cold night air. In her dream it had been storming, a secret fear of hers since childhood. It seemed to her that all the bad things in her life had occurred either right before, or right after a storm.

She broke her arm at a skating rink in third grade, and it stormed.

Her first boyfriend broke up with her in his car, while it stormed outside.

Her mom had told her goodbye, dying as a storm beat against her hospital window.

She walked in on the only man she had ever loved in bed with another woman, and of course, the next day it stormed.

From beside her Gimli emitted an earth-shaking snore, causing her to jump. 'It was no wonder I was dreaming about thunder,' she thought with a small laugh, smiling despite her previous melancholy thoughts. She looked around the group, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Everyone was sleeping except Aragorn, who was at the edge of the group quietly humming to himself as he kept watch.

Slipping on her boots as silently as possible Katie stood, needing to walk to clear her mind from the remnants of the dream. She moved as quietly as possible along the row of bodies, stopping only when she caught a glimpse of Legolas.

The elf was sleeping on his back, arms crossed over his chest, eyes wide open.

Katie gasped, tiptoeing closer to get a better look. 'He almost looks dead,' she thought, tilting her head to the side as she studied him.

His blue eyes held a glazed over look, reminding her suddenly of when her mom had died. A thin sliver of panic ran down her spine as her eyes focused on his chest. It wasn't moving.

"Oh, my God," she breathed, struggling to remain calm. She crept forward and crouched down beside him, hoping to hear his breathing. Nothing. She leaned in closer, only inches from his face, putting her ear as close to him as she dared.

He shifted slightly and Katie sprang to her feet, startled at the movement. She let out a sigh of relief and shook her head, inwardly scolding herself for being paranoid.

Hoping he wouldn't wake up, she quickly walked away, and didn't stop until the group was out of sight.

The stars shone brightly above, covering everything in a silver haze as she sat down on a large rock and turned her face up at the moon. Within minutes, Katie began to feel better, calmer. For some reason, the night sky had always held a relaxing power for her, and many nights after the great tragedies in her life, she would sit outside, alone, in the dark. 'If it wasn't storming, of course.'

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up suddenly, alerting her to the fact someone, or something, was watching her. Slowly she leaned over, casually reaching into her left boot to retrieve the knife hidden there. Aragorn had shown her the invisible hiding place, and, after much cajoling, lent her a small knife to use. She grasped the handle tightly, preparing to fight.

Quickly jumping to her feet, she spun around and nearly screamed when she saw Legolas standing only a few feet away.

"What the hell?" she sputtered, "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

Legolas blinked at her, eyes narrowing as he spied the knife.

"Where did you get that? And what are you doing so far from the group?"

The fear and shock Katie had been feeling quickly turned to anger. "I should be the one asking the questions. What the hell are you doing sneaking up on me?"

"I was not sneaking up on you," he spat, annoyance clear in his voice.

Katie glared at him, wishing looks could kill. 'Or seriously maim,' she thought, not quite wanting him dead.

"Then WHAT do you call creeping up on me in the middle of the night?"

He scowled. "I was walking normal," he bit off.

"Do me a favor, Prince, the next time you "walk normal" behind me in the dark, do it a little louder."

Suddenly she took a step back, looking him up and down suspiciously.

"What were you doing following me anyways? Tired of being my babysitter? Planning to rid the world of me?"

"Unfortunately, this did not occur to me," he said through clenched teeth, frustration evident on his features.

'Katie bit her cheeks to keep from smiling, her anger forgotten despite her best efforts. 'He obviously isn't use to people arguing with him,' she thought, immensely enjoying herself.

"I was making sure you weren't in trouble," he brisked, "or hurt." He reached out and plucked the knife from her hand quicker than a blink of an eye. "You should not travel away from the group."

Katie turned away from him, frowning at the loss of her sword. He had taken the only defense she had in this forsaken world. "I don't see why it matters," she muttered, beginning to walk away.

Legolas reached up and grabbed her by the arm, spinning her around. "It matters," he said in a deadly quiet voice, "because I have to protect you. And I cannot do this when you run away."

"I wasn't running away," she growled, pulling her arm free from his grasp. She turned and began to walk towards the group again, silently daring him to stop her. "And I don't need your protection." She threw over her shoulder, the words sounding weak, even to her ears. She couldn't help it, for some reason Legolas brought out the worst in her. Her childish, temperamental side that only came out when she least expected it.

She walked all the way back to her bed and pulled off her boots before lying down.

Legolas hadn't tried to stop her, and although Katie had gotten the last word in, she had a nagging suspicion she had lost the fight.

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A/N:

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but I have begun to label my chapters. I will also be making each chapter longer than the first eight. I hope everybody likes this chapter, and the idea of longer chapters. If I make you wait over a week for an update, I might as well make it worth it, right?

A special thanks to my brainy beta The Hobbit Ivy for all her hard work. Or not so hard work, as I fool myself to think.

Review please-

Katie-sue