Disclaimer: After reading my story I have decided to re-write my epic Hidden Identity. It will take a long time so be patient, will include all the best bits of the old version and some new bits. Still only own my made up characters though sigh shame, I'd love to own Legolas and Elrohir.
Hidden IdentityPrologue; Before Anything Happened
The sun was shining down at the elven village of Grey Watch as it's citizen's went about their daily business, tending their farms and packing food and clothes into the three carts to be taken to the larger cities of Mirkwood to be sold. In one house a slim teenage girl was trying to get her youngest sister dressed, their mother busy cooking the breakfast.
Her name was Leila, she was the eldest of the family and had a talent for sewing patterns on the necklines of the dresses her mother made, meaning that they brought more money in the city markets. Her young face was beautiful as all elves were, her eyes a pale blue with a dancing look in them and her hair silky blond and hung in curls to her waist, kept out of her face by a scarf that match her sky blue dress tied around her head.
A loud holler from outside signalled the arrival of her best friend, a little bit of a tomboy. Leila patted her sister on the head and let her shuffle down the stairs before going to the room, brushing the ends of her hair with the brush she had been previously using on her sister. Shí stood leaning against the single tree in the garden, holding her bow and quiver in her hands.
"Are you coming or what? Leave your hair alone and get down here!" Shí asked impatiently. Her hair, while as blond as all the other elves of the woodland realms was dead straight bar one little twist of a curl which fell over her left eye, also blue but much deeper. While Leila's sky blue dress was tight and accented her growing figure Shí's was cream and baggy, held in at the waist by a light brown chord. Not at all stylish or ladyship.
"I'll be right there Shí!" Leila turned from the window and quickly tidied up the top of the dressing table and slipped on her soft shoes before padding lightly down the wooden stairs. "I'm going out with Shí for a while nana, is there any time that you want me back?"
"I could do with help after lunch, preparing for the twins party this evening," her nana said turning quickly from the bread she was expertly kneading. "Do you want something to eat before you go?"
"No thank you, I'll pick and apple while I'm out. I'll be back to help you later nana," with a smile and a gentle kiss on her nana's cheek she walked out of the kitchen door and over to the very impatient Shí.
"About time, I need to get in my practise if I'm to enter the contest this year," Shí said while turning and heading out of the garden, leaving her more feminine friend to follow her grumbling about the fact that Shí couldn't really enter because it was a boys competition and despite popular belief Shí was a girl.
Their usual clearing was empty and Shí set up quickly while Leila looked around for a nice red apple, plump and juicy, ready to be eaten. A thud signalled that Shí had shot her first arrow and the curse that followed told Leila she hadn't hit the bulls eye. With a small grin she reached for the perfect apple only to have it snatched away by another hand quickly.
"Well what do we have here?" the charming male voice was filled with laughter as Leila looked up into the tree to find three of the village boys a little older than her and Shí grinning down at her, one holding the apple she wanted.
"Not funny Neenyan, give me back my apple," Leila said, putting her hands on her hips as she glared up at them.
"Oh but I want this apple Leila, go and find another," his grin grew as Leila's glare deepened, her right hand reaching up to try and take the apple back. She missed. "Nice try girly. Hey I've got an idea, you beat me at archery and I'll leave you alone. You can even have the apple back."
"You know I don't know how to do archery, only Shí does that," Leila huffed trying once again for the apple. More thuds and curses meant that Shí hadn't noticed what was happening so Leila was alone. She tried to get the apple a few more times and the boys laughter grew. "Fine, I'll challenge you at archery."
"I was hoping you'd say that but let's change the deal a little. You win, we leave you alone and you have the apple. I win and I get to spend the party with you, as a date," Neenyan's grin had changed slightly. Leila stared wide eyed at him before nodding and walking over to Shí.
"Can I borrow your stuff Shí?" Leila asked as the boys jumped down and walked over, "I've been challenged by Neenyan and I need to win. Really need to."
"Neenyan's an idiot," Shí grumbled as she handed over her bow and wrist strap, disappointed that she had to stop her practice and just plain annoyed with the stupid village boys.
"Do you know how to hold the bow Leila?" one of the other boys asked as Leila awkwardly put the wrist strap on. She scowled at him and moved to stand where Shí had been, looking at the homemade target on the tree. "You have to aim for the middle you know."
"Oh shut up."
"We'll have three shot's each, alternating," Neenyan said watching as she clumsily strung an arrow, bottom lip between her teeth. They could see her eyes focusing on the target as she pulled the string back to her mouth, copying what she'd seen Shí do hundred's of times and then with a quick and silent prayer she let the arrow loose…and hit the second ring on the target, not the centre, the next one.
"How in the name of all that's holy…?" Shí asked amazed as Leila's jaw dropped, that was her first ever shot. Neenyan angrily took the bow and fired quickly, with much practice. His arrow struck close to hers.
"My go?" Leila asked. Neenyan handed her the bow roughly, this wasn't going quite to his plan as she set up again, lip bit once more. She let go, the arrow whooshed to the target and hit on the very outside of the bulls eye ring. "Oh…"
"When did you learn to shoot?" Shí asked.
"I don't know," Leila told her quietly as Neenyan took his next shot. It hit next to his first. So far, much to everyone's surprise she was winning…somehow. She took the bow, smiling shyly at him while he glared at her. He wasn't impressed at being beaten by a girl. She readied herself and pulled back the string. It was then Neenyan made his decision, yawning widely and spreading his arms so that just as she let go his hit her elbow. Her arrow thudded into the very edge of the target.
"Sorry."
"That's ok, I still hit the target," Leila's smile was genuine, she knew what he'd down and planned to get revenge and use her growing cleavage to do it. Calmly she knelt slightly in front of him, sorting out her shoes. When she felt his eyes glancing at him she calmly adjusted the neckline of her dress. His arrow went suddenly and bounced off the tree's trunk.
"Neenyan! What was that?" his friends asked shocked as he blushed deeply.
"Well done Leila!" Shí laughed loudly having seen her friends trick. Neenyan sighed and held out the apple, a slightly sulky look on his face, on his rather handsome face.
"Here's the apple," he sounded truly disappointed but not only that he'd been bested by a girl, that he didn't get to go to the party with Leila. She took the apple before talking kindly to him, smiling brightly,
"Let's compromise. I get the apple and you leave me alone and I'll be you're date for the party. That way we're all happy." Her suggestion was answered with a grin, a hurried kiss on the cheek before Neenyan fled followed by his friends.
"What was that?" Shí asked, eyebrow's raised.
"I think I just got my first date."
"That's what I thought I just witnessed…now if you're done dreaming come and show me how you shot like that without ever picking up a bow before."
"Ok I'll try…"
A/N There we go, a prologue for the new version of the story.