Disclaimer: I do not pretend to own anything of the masterpiece created by Tolkien, I only wish to honor him by my own little creations for his fellow devoted fans. :)

Author's Note:

This chapter won't be up until my Dad get's our internet service back. But I think you can tell by all these updates that I've been busy with my spare computer time. :) Anyway, Safe in My Arms is working away rapidly, and I've gotten over my writer's block for all, and I quote, all my stories! Even my pirates sequel will progress. And let me assure you, not all my new ideas will be good on your part. (Cackled wildly) MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (Don't you just love that laugh?)

Chapter Seven

The Forest

Even in the hard snows, the young elves were out. They were obnoxious teens, not very different from the human ones I had back home. But they possessed a grace that other mortals I had lived my life with, did not have. They ran gracefully back and forth across the snow, flakes dancing about their heads. To say the least... I had little affection for them. (That's putting it nicely. See what living with Elves does to ya? Truth be told, I hated their bloody guts.) I tried to pass quickly, (trudging past is more like it) but the snow which was deepening by the minute was already up and starting to pass my knees. They caught sight of me and grinned, and about five of them ran over. Bounding across the sea of white like deer on a grassy plain. Effortless.

-Aye Victoria!- said one in Sindarin.

-Can't you understand us?- said another teasingly in the same tongue.

I smiled smugly, -Obviously if teasing me about my lack of knowledge on this subject is all you've got on me, I'd suggest you find someone else to vex.- My speech didn't effect them in the least. They all laughed.

"All the more fun." said another, lapsing back into the Common tongue. The glowered down at me wickedly. "Want to go for a walk Victoria?"

"No, I should think not. You seem to be in it deep enough already." Said another, this was followed by another chorus of laughs. Irritated, I again tried to push through their ranks but they held me back. I scowled.

"Come on Victoria." one of them grabbed my arm and yanked it painfully. My anger flared as the snow began to fall harder. I shoved hard against their leader and he fell back into the snow. His bottom sinking in it's cold depths. The others laughed, but he looked furious, he leaped to his feet, then shoving my back in return. I sank into the snow, not half as gracefully as he. The cold dampening my clothes and chilling me to the bone. I tried to get back up when the snowballs started to fly. Many felt like they were made from ice, and each hit my body painfully, knocking the air from my lungs at the searing feeling of both pain and cold. Now some were beginning to hit me straight in the face, slicing it.

"Come on Victoria! So tough now?" I could hear a few of them trying to get their leader to stop. But he wasn't listening. And the snow and ice still flew. I tried to raise my arms as a shield, but they were hitting me too hard. Tears sprung in my eyes, my body was numb. The snow suddenly stopped and I struggled to stand. Two of them helped me up, worry in their eyes and when something warm trickled into my mouth, I realized my forehead was bleeding, just above my temple. The two who had helped me stand looked concerned, and the others were holding back the one who had beat me to a bloody pulp with his bloody ice-balls.

"Are you ok?"

I jerked my arm away, "What did I ever do to you?" I hissed, glaring at them. "Orc swine." I hissed, spat in the snow.

The leader's face turned crimson but the others looked ashamed. That's elven courtesy for you. "You are mortal." he spat the word out as if it tasted back in his mouth. "You amount to nothing you worthless wrench." The others tried to shut him up. Surprise, it didn't work. "You will never belong here. You think you have friends? Ha! Go back where you belong human. There is not place for you here."

I wanted to say something nasty in reply, but tears had started to fall down more heavily down my cheeks. I turned and fled through the snow to the forest. Some of the elves called my name, bidding me to come back. But the leader only shouted, "Go! No one wants you here! Tis better to die in the forests."

And no matter how much I forced myself to believe his words were lies, they had struck home. I felt pain as they slowly sunk in, unlike anything I had felt since I left home. I put my head down like a horse pulling a heavy burden and ran fast as I could...

Straight into the forest.

I shoved my way through the trees until the voices from the village were only an echo on the breeze. My head throbbed, blood running down my cheek. I felt suddenly light-headed and I sank to the ground beside a tree. Too much blood. I cried. The cold bit my skin, my clothes were drenched. But I now couldn't find the strength to stand. Still it snowed, and it seemed so deathly quiet. I sobbed until I could hold no more tears. Which isn't true, they had begun to freeze on my face as night settled. A strange calmness took hold of me, I felt so tired. How long had I been out here? Questions... endless questions swirled in my mind.

"Mirlaic..." I whispered, wishing my faint call would somehow bring her to me. Desperately wishing that she would appear through the trees to take me home. But she didn't. But it isn't your home. You have no home. The young elf's cruel words echoed again in my mind. Now the sky was darkening at a fast rate, my eyelids felt so heavy. I could hardly even feel the cold now. Was the good or bad? I can't sleep... not here... not now... but my body wasn't listening to me. It was going into a type of shut down. I laid my hands on the snow, resting my head upon them. And before I fell asleep, I remember feeling so content, not frightened at all. The snow flaked whirled, like in the Nutcracker Ballet. The fairies sparkling in the fading sun. Can't stay awake....

And that was all.

"Mirlaic, where's Victoria?" asked Elenowen as she entered the Healer's flet. The old elf's face was lined with worry.

"I don't know. She never came home last night." Mirlaic's face was pale. Both she-elf's gazed out the window, the land was covered in another layer of thick snow.

"I'm worried about her, no human could survive a night out there." Mirlaic said quietly.

"But she's not. She'll come home." Elenowen replied firmly. "She'll be fine." She nodded her head to confirm her beliefs. But the fear and doubt churning in her stomach didn't settle. "She has to be."

I blinked, I felt so warm. I smiled, I could hear Talorta grazing in the paddock, his hooves stomping the ground in an effort to get the flies away. The sun beat warmly upon my face. Someone was shaking me, I didn't want to move. It was so lovely here. I never wanted to wake up. If it was a dream, let it so remain.

"Victoria." It was whispered on the wind, my name. I opened my eyes, and there was Zach. He was smiling, his eyes bright. Not lifeless and staring at some unseen object. His hair shining in the sun like in that TV show, Touched By an Angel. Whenever Monica tells someone she's an angel, her whole being is bathed in this warm, heavenly light. That's what Zach looked like now. His neck wasn't twisted funny, his chest rose and fell. "I missed you." I murmured. He smiled again ad shook his head,

"I've missed you too." He lay down beside me and pulled me closer to him. Like when I was little and he'd hold me until my nightmares had faded away. He felt so alive. But I felt so cold. "Wake up Victoria. Wake up." He faded, his face was suddenly gone, and the snow was biting me again. Someone shook my shoulder, everything burned, but at the same time, I couldn't feel anything at all. How can that be?

"Mirlaic?" I whispered, begging for it to be her. No more dreams. "Zach..."

"No. Please wake." came another voice. A strange distant voice. I tried to pull my body out of the sleep that had taken it. But the rude awakening hadn't suited it, and it refused as if it had a mind of it's own. An icy cold had felt my forehead. "You burn with fever. Where do you come from?" Came the voice again.

Everything was clouded, I couldn't think straight. "Gilloth."

The voice didn't reply, but I was vaguely aware of moving. The owner of the voice was moving me. It's arm over my shoulder, dragging my forward. My legs stumbled, protesting at the added strain. Every part of me throbbed, and I could feel myself slipping away.

"Stay awake." it warned.

But it was so hard, I wanted to beg it to leave me be. When it suddenly stopped, pain enabled me to be awake enough to open my eyes. It was a girl, actually an elf. But who cared? It took too much energy to think on such matters. More pain, it was beginning to intensify.

"Leave me." I whispered. "Make it stop." My vision was blurred, so I couldn't see her very well. And I felt too weak and sick to try.

"Do not fall back asleep." She said again.

"Keep talking." I whispered as we moved on.

"Foolish mortal." she muttered.

All I could mostly see was long, dark hair, reaching towards the end of her back which was concealed by a large coat. I figured the only way I would be able to stay awake was if I had some sort of diversion... something else to concentrate on. My body rebelled again against my mind's demands. It was snowing harder now... if that were possible. I started to shiver uncontrollably.

"We're almost there." She said.

But I couldn't take it anymore. I could feel the snowflakes melting on my skin. I collapsed, my mind could no longer rouse my body to move. I couldn't do it. I heard shouts and footsteps crunching on the snow. But I couldn't.... I had given up. It was too hard. The snow seemed to swallow me whole. And I fell into the most deep and wonderful sleep I have even known. It was the best I could ever remember.

And the pain was gone.

Cliffy!! Don't you just love them? Be prepared for an update shortly! :)

Namarie,

Luthien Anaclime

TO BE CONTINUED...