When Liah woke the next morning, she was disoriented, and tried to stand up. But then she realised that she was sitting on a horse, and that someone was holding her around her waist. She blinked blearily and saw that she was riding among trees, and that there were several other riders around her. Of her original captors, there was no sign.
"Awake, my lovely?" Liah almost groaned. It was the pale man from last night who's horse she was riding on. "Good," he said, although Liah hadn't answered. "Riders, halt!" he called, and the riders all stopped. He slid fluidly from the horse, and pulled Liah down after him. He pulled something from the saddle bag and tossed it to Liah, who caught it awkwardly with her tied-up hands. It was a bundle of white cloth and something silver. The man pointed to a nearby grove of trees.
"You will change into that over there. And I would suggest not trying to escape." Then he untied Liah's hands. "Hurry up. If you keep me waiting, I will come to see what is taking you."
Liah hurried over to the grove and quickly changed into the dress. It was plain, but of fine material. The silver thing was a belt. She was about to put it on when the pale man appeared, and grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back to the horses. "Get on, hurry up," he hissed at her. Once they were on, he kicked the horse. "Ride, ride fools!" he yelled to the other men. Suddenly, and arrow whizzed over head and struck a man. He fell from his horse with a cry. The pale man cursed and shoved Liah off the horse. He jumped down and yanked Liah back onto her feet by her hair, and then pulled her off the road.
"It seems someone is trying to rescue you," he hissed. "Sadly, they won't be succeeding!" he pushed her into a tree and began to throttle her. Liah kicked and struggled, but her protests became weaker and weaker. Suddenly, he stopped, his eyes growing big with shock, and he fell over. Liah, hovering on the verge of unconsciousness, saw that an arrow was sticking out of his back. Then, everything went black.
When Liah woke up, a very attractive young man was leaning over her. "My lady, are you alright?" he asked.
Liah blinked. "You're an elf!" she said.
"So are you. I am Legolas, son of Thranduil, King of Mirkwood."
"I'm only a half-elf. And I'm Liah."
"Pleased to meet you, Liah." Legolas extended his hand to Liah, to help her get to her feet.
Pointedly ignoring it, Liah got up on her own.
The elf looked slightly put out. Maybe he's used to flimsy elf-maidens who fall over his feet whenever he walkes by, Liah thought wryly. "So, where exactly am I?" she asked.
"You are in Mirkwood, m'lady, in the realm of my father." Then he added, in case she hadn't heard the first time, "King Thranduil. King of Mirkwood."
Liah nodded distractedly, stretching out her sore arms. "I can't believe I was so careless as to let them capture me!"
"It's not you're fault," Legolas said gently. "Those brigands have even captured some of our most skilled elves - though that is all over now!"
Liah looked at him oddly. "Why are you talking to me like that?"
Legolas blinked. "Like what?"
"Like you're trying to impress me, or make me like you."
He looked rather dejected. "Was it really that obvious?" At Liah's nod, he sighed. "I told Father it wouldn't work, but he insisted. He wants me to talk to anyone new coming into our kingdom, and set them at ease. Then, I'm supposed to pump them for information."
"That's not very nice! You get people to trust you, then just turn around and question them?"
The elven prince looked indignant. "This is not just for fun, little girl! This is vital to the security of my people!"
"Little girl?" Liah's voice rose. "How dare you! You - you- augh!" She turned on her heel and walked away. This Legolas of Mirkwood was thouroughly insufferable!
"Hang on, you can't just walk off. There could easily be more of those bandits about." Another elf had appeared seemingly out of nowhere. She looked remarkably similar to Legolas. "I know he's a stuck-up git sometimes, but he means well," she added, gesturing back to Legolas.
Liah was rather impressed that this elf dared to insult "the great prince of Mirkwood," and said as much.
The she-elf threw back her head and laughed. "He's my brother! He's never been safe from my regular attacks on his character, as he calls them."
Liah grinned at the woman. "You do look like siblings," she told her. "But I don't think I can stay here any longer, regardless of whether Legolas's heart is in the right place.
"I cannot in good conscience let you wander off on your own. There are other pockets of elves in the wood who would be markedly less kind towards a strange elf wandering into their midst." Legolas's sister looked concerned. "At least stay the night, and we can set you off in the right direction in the morning." She stuck out her hand. "I'm Tolwen, by the way."
Liah took her hand and after only the briefest of hesitations replied, "I'm Liah."
"Come on then - let's get you some new clothes. I'm sure you don't want to wear that any longer," Tolwen said, gesturing to her white dress. As Liah gamely followed her, Tolwen asked, "How long were you their slave for anyway?"
Liah stopped dead in her tracks. "They were slavers?" she demanded in an icy voice.
Tolwen turned around, concern furrowing her fair brow. "You didn't know?"
"No." Liah felt cold. Only now did she truly realise what terrible fate she had so narrowly escaped. "I - they only - I was only with them since yesterday."
Tolwen put a comforting hand on Liah's shoulder. "I'm sorry. But you should count yourself lucky that you escaped them." Her melodious voice grew hard. "They shall no longer make captives of my people. My brother and I have seen to that."
They don't know about the others, Liah suddenly realised. "Tolwen, those weren't the men that captured me. There were others - they gave me to the men you killed."
Tolwen glanced around, her sparkling blue eyes taking in every detail of the surrounding forest. "I know. But we can't talk here. I'll bring you to my father - he'll want to hear everything you can remember about the other men."
Well, that's all I have for now . . . more soon to follow!