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.

WARNING! FEMSLASH! ANGST! ABUSE!GENERAL MEAN THINGS AND ICKINESS!

Hidden Identity Chapter Three, Grey Watch

"There's Grey Watch!" The scout a little way ahead shouted back to the group and after a few more moments of riding Grey Watch came into view, or rather the smouldering ruins of what was left of Grey Watch came into view.

"No." Shí's gasp was only heard by the people closest to her and they all at once took off for the village. They found Leila's horse tied to the remains of a fence but no Leila. They dismounted.

"Where is he?" Dagon asked worriedly.

"Search for any survivors," Legolas ordered and the group split up, walking through the village slowly, keeping their eyes open for anything. Dead elves were everywhere, including people Shí had known very well. When she found her fathers body she fell to her knees and gently touched his cold cheek, no tears would fall. Dagon slowly knelt by the distraught lad and put an arm around his shoulders.

"Who is it?" Dagon asked slowly.

"My Ada," the tears fell now and Dagon held the boys shoulder tightly as he grieved. Legolas had noticed that while most houses were still smouldering one had had it's flames doused by water and so entered it, finding Leila sobbing into her mother's body. Slowly he knelt beside her and touched her shoulder.

"Sorry," Leila mumbled, trying not to move her mouth too much as she wiped her tears, hindered by the fact that more soon replaced them.

"Who is this?" Legolas asked gently.

"My Nana." Legolas looked at the 'boy's' poor face and felt his heart breaking. Gently he pulled Leila into a loose embrace and rocked her as she sobbed. "I can't find my Ada or my brothers and sisters…"

"Maybe they got away Sérle," Legolas suggested, at the same time also reminding her that she was supposed to be a boy. "Namarie (Goodbye) Nana," Leila whispered, gently touching her mothers cheek before she stood and walked to the back of the house, opening a little cupboard. Out came a delicate looking necklace and a book.

"What are they?" Legolas asked as he rose slowly.

"My old diary and my Nana's favourite necklace, Ada gave it to him when he asked her to marry him," Leila sighed and held the sparkling silver necklace up for him to see, "Maybe I'll do the same."

"Sorry," Legolas said, unsure of what else he could say.

"It's ok," Leila too ka deep breath and straightened, a determined look on her face she walked out of the house and to her horse, placing the book and necklace in her things. Legolas stayed inside the house for a few moments and was about to leave when he noticed something was moving about under the table which had half collapsed and had some of the fallen ceiling on it. Pulling it away he found a small girl with long blond hair, huge fear filled green eyes staring at him as she clutched a doll close to her. Both her and the doll were covered in black soot and dirt.

"Hello," Legolas said quietly, smiling at the girl.

"Hello," the mumbled was quiet and her fearful expression didn't change.

"What's your name?"

"Pedoé," the little elfling whispered, "Where's Leila? She was with you."

"That was my fiend Sérle," Legolas said confused, maybe the child had though Sérle's voice sound like someone else's.

"That was Leila, Sérle's a farmer. That was Leila," Pedoé said with childish authority, her gaze changing to one of determination.

"Whose this Leila?" Legolas asked.

"My sister."

"I think you might have been mistaken but if you come out here I'll take you to the person that I was with," Legolas offered, holding out his hand to her. Pedoé slowly took it and allowed him to lead her outside quickly and over to where Leila was stood, face pressed into her horse's neck. "Sérle, I found this in your house," Legolas said, his voice calm. Leila wiped her eyes and turned to look at him and froze, staring at Pedoé in undisguised shock.

"Pedi?" Leila asked quietly. Pedoé gave a loud scream of delight and ran to Leila, hugging her around her waist tightly. Leila easily picked up her youngest sister and held her close, her eyes straying to where Legolas was stood. "My lord…"

"The little one was asking after her sister Leila, she said that it had been her with me and not you. Are you Leila?" Legolas asked seriously. Leila winced and nodded slowly, looking down at Pedoé sadly.

"Leila what happened to your hair? And your face? And why does he call you a farmer?" Pedoé asked innocently. Leila covered her mouth as some of the other men looked around.

"Pedi, Sérle's my name for now so can you call me that, only that and not Leila?" Leila asked. Pedoé nodded vigorously and Leila removed her hand with a small smile.

"But where did you hair go? And why the white thing?" Pedoé asked.

"The white thing is a bandage, I got a nasty cut on the cheek. And I had to cut my hair off to pose as a boy to be in the army. I've got to put you down Pedi, you've grown a bit and your heavier than I remember," Leila said quietly before letting her sister down. Pedoé giggled as she reached the floor. Leila looked up from her and at Legolas as he walked closer.

"I won't tell them if you wont," he whispered in her ear.

"What?" Leila gasped in surprise, she had been sure he was going to kick up a fuss and have her punished, thrown out etc.

"Your one of the best we have, I'm not getting you banished just because you happen to be the wrong sex for the army," Legolas explained with a smile.

"Thank you," Leila whispered, blushing behind the bandages.

"Can I be a boy and where's Nana?" Pedoé asked, looking up at both of the warriors. Leila smiled and looked down at her.

"Only in your willing to cut your hair and wear leggings," Leila said, smiling when Pedoé gasped and grabbed her lovely hair. "So that's a no then? And I'm afraid I don't know where Nana is."

"Oh. I'm tired," Pedoé mumbled suddenly, giving an exhausted looking yawn. Leila picked her up and walked over to a stack of hay, laying Pedoé gently down on it and then covering the little girl with her own warrior's cloak. Pedoé was sound asleep in moments, not even stirring when Leila gently kissed her forehead.

"How old is she?" Legolas asked.

"350 I think," Leila said, brushing a stray strand of hair from Pedoé's face.

"Young then," Legolas said quietly. "Now, there aren't any other women or children around that I can see so they must have gone into hiding somewhere or escaped. Is there anywhere you can think of?"

"It looks like the men and boys probably fought. They might have gone to the caves if they'd had enough of a warning but if not then they'd probably have hidden them in the buildings, that's the only one with a cellar though," Leila explained thoughtfully, pointing to the largest building in the village.

"Dallas! Take some men and check the cellar of that building! Dagon, ride to the caves and see if anyone made it there!" Legolas ordered.

"Where are the caves?" Dagon called back.

"I'll show you," Shí offered quietly.

"Good," Legolas said as Dagon and Shí mounted their horses and rode out of the village. "How many people lived here?"

"About 200, it was quite a big village," Leila offered and Legolas nodded.

"And so far we've found about 10, that's quite right," he said quietly.

"Some could have been taken prisoner I guess," Leila suggested.

"My lord! There's about 50 women and children in here!" Dallas shouted loudly from the doorway of the building.

"Get them out then!" Legolas shouted back. Leila was already running over to the building when the children ran out, unhappy and covered in ash. The only calmed when the mothers and older women came out and comforted them.

"Leila?" one of the women asked in surprise.

"You must have mistaken me. I know of Leila but I am Sérle, lot's of people have been confusing me with her. We must look very much alike," Leila said as she went up to the girl who was the same age as her.

"Oh, my mistake, sorry," the woman winked slyly and Leila smiled.

"Do you know where Leila and Shí are? They disappeared a while ago?" the woman asked, emphasising the second name.

"No I'm afraid I don't. You could ask my friend Gaalin though," Leila said with another smile as the woman, Ahora, giggled quietly and nodded.

"Yes I'll ask him. Thank you anyway." Leila nodded to her and walked over to the other men who looked rather jealous.

"Popular here as well I see," Melserk said nodding to the women.

"I'm from here."

"Ooh, I see," Melserk smiled now.

"Are they all married?" Dallas asked.

"No, only a few."

"Good."

'One track mind, all men definitely have a one track mind,' Leila thought to herself with a laugh as Shí and Dagon got back, both looking slightly green and ill.

"We didn't find any women or children my lord but we found something else," Dagon said quietly, sadly.

"What?" Legolas asked.

"A battleground. The final resting place of all the men and boys from Grey Watch," Shí said simply, tears in her eyes that she refused to let fall.

"How far away is it?"

"Not far."

"We shall bring them here and burn them, they deserve proper funeral's," Legolas said sadly as the village women began to cry.

"Yes my lord. Everyone follow me," Dagon said, dismounting and walking away from the group, followed by all the warriors and some of the villagers. They hadn't been lying when they said it wasn't far, they reached it in 10 minutes.

It looked like it had been a slaughter, not a battle. There were hardly any of the enemy dead, just the poor elves from Grey Watch. Slowly the dead were lifted and carried back to the village they had died trying to protect. Leila had to use all of her strength to move one of the few enemy's bodies out of the way and when she did she jumped in surprise for there looking up at her was Shí's younger brother, alive.

"Gaalin!" she cried worriedly.

"Leila?" Gwaithdil asked, his words slurred from pain, his eyes glazed.

"Yes it's me. Shí's here too but we're pretending to be men. Please don't give us away, we're here to help you," She said, gently stroking the soft skin of his cheek before moving the dead enemy completely off him.

"I can't feel my leg," Gwaithdil mumbled. "I have no leg!" His panicked cry jerked Leila out of her staring, she had been staring at what was left of the boys leg, severed just above the knee and still bleeding. If she didn't stop it he'd bleed to death. She ripped the tunic off the dead man and pressed it the wound, only just stopping herself from retching.

"Dil!" Shí had arrived with Legolas, falling to her knees by her brother and taking over pressing on the wound. Leila spun round and wretched uncontrollably, Legolas gently holding her hair back. Dil smiled up at Shí who gently kissed his forehead and lifted him into her arms. "I'm taking him to the healers." She turned and ran back towards Grey Watch.

"I hate finding people's family when we are forced to do this sort of thing, it make's me want to cry," Legolas said sadly as he helped Leila to stand.

"Be thankful it will never be your family your highness." Legolas nodded slowly, watching as she moved away to continue the unbearable task. She turned a small body over and nearly screamed, instead she back away slowly for it was her youngest brother, his eyes closed in death, an arrow sticking out of his blood covered neck. "Rilon."

She looked away but the next body she was her fathers, close to Rilon's, head severed completely from his body and then when she turned away again there was her last brother Sindadil, a deep gash on his chest. She was crying hysterically now and found she couldn't breath, Legolas only just caught her when she fainted. He held her until she slowly came to, staring up at him with pain filled eyes.

"Leila?"

"My Ada…Mr brothers…" That was all she whispered before she began to cry once more, pressing her face into his chest. Legolas held Leila close as he looked at the remains of her family, "Rilon was only 1000, Sindadil 1423, they shouldn't have…they shouldn't be…" Her sobs became hysterical as Legolas began to rock her.

"I'm sorry, I really am," Legolas said gently in her ear. Leila sobbed for a few more minutes and then awkwardly left the comfort of Legolas's arms and went to Rilon, picking the limp boy up in her strong arms. Legolas did the same with Sindadil and the two walked back to Grey watch. The dead were being laid in the square for families to identify them but Leila went straight to her old home and laid Rilon down next to his Nana. Legolas lay Sindadil by his brother and then went for her Ada's body, leaving Leila alone to say her final farewell's to her family.

"They're all gone," she whispered as Legolas lay her Ada down by his wife, placing the head carefully in place.

"What about your other sister? You said sisters earlier," Legolas asked.

"I can't find her, Risen I mean, she was Rilon's twin," Leila sighed as more tears fell down her cheeks, definitely not doing her wound any good.

A/N R&R?