Chapter Two

Legolas could sense from his guards expression the pain the girl was causing him. The girl had his arm in a tight grip behind his back, and he knew that the elf was only alive as a shield against the rest of them.

"What's your name?" he asked her softly, trying to think of a way out of this mess.

She shook her head, an almost gleeful expression on her face, as if she was enjoying this assault on his people. "That little trick of yours isn't gonna work. I have questions that need answering, like where am I?"

He was startled by this, and then thought how much he should tell her if she really didn't know. Deciding that secrets would only worsen her anger, he began to tell her about his home, and that of middle Earth, trying to calm and distract her.

By this time, she had settled herself comfortably on the ground, with an ever watchful eye on her prisoner, and had helped herself to food and drink, the other elves standing helplessly nearby.

"So…Leggy something," she addressed the prince of mirkwood.

"Legolas," he corrected her.

"Whatever!" she answered with smile. "You're telling me I've fallen into some kind of fairy tale? I don't think so!"

While she had been talking, one of the other elves had tried to sneak up behind her. She seemed to have some sort of sixth sense, Legolas mused. Because her eyes shot up in his direction. "Try it and this guy looses more then his arm!"

"Anyway, that kind of shit doesn't happen to me. Buffy maybe but…." her voice trailed off and her concentration on her surroundings heightened.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Legolas burst out, throwing caution to the winds to defend his homeland against her words. "Whatever else this maybe, our lives aren't a fairytale… These are dark times…" Now he also noticed what Faith had sensed earlier. The sound of feet pounding on the earth. "Orcs," he hissed suddenly. "And by the sound of it they have wargs with them as well!"

"You were saying?" Faith muttered, looking on as he turned to his little army.

"It isn't safe to stay here," he told them.

"Hey, its Mr states the obvious!" Faith laughed at them. "How clever of you Leggy. Quite the motivational speaker. But are you forgetting whose giving the orders around here now? It's not like I'm squeamish about taking lives you know. To get what I want."

He whirled round to face her. She had said that so flippantly. On the outside, she looked tough, but he could sense the darkness wearing on her soul, almost winning the battle raging within her.

Faith didn't like the way he was staring at her, almost like he was reading her mind. "What?" she spat out defiantly.

"That I have no problem believing," he told her. "But we have no idea of their numbers. We must hide in the trees and spy out the land, if their numbers outmatch ours, someone must go to my father and warn him."

She shrugged. "Sounds like the coward's way out to me. I personally live for surprises. Whatever life throws at me I take. Besides, I've probably faced worse then whatever these orc things can throw at me."

"That attitude may be your downfall in the end," Legolas said, as if thinking out loud. He looked up at his group who were watching them warily.

"Look," he finally said to her. "On the outside it's clear we're not on the same side. But whether you work for the enemy or not, it would be wise enough to call it a truce and work together."

She was surprised at this suggestion. "I suppose I should agree with you," she murmured. She could use their numbers to her advantage.

"But first, release my friend before you break his arm!"

Rolling her eyes, she shoved the elf roughly forward. There was the catch. Now she had nothing to protect herself. But soon, from the look of things, that would be the least of her worries.

"Go to my father, if you have the strength," Legolas said in elvish, moving closer to him. "Tell him what has happened. Tell him we'll need reinforcements."

The other elf looked at his prince in fear and wonder "You would trust that witch?" he whispered back.

Legolas sighed, torn. "Only a fool would take such risks, but I sense strength in her, she could be of use. So for now. But only for now."

"While you girls are having your little mothers meeting over there," Faith was shouting at them. "We could use a little help here!"

Legolas looked up sharply as the enemy quickly invaded the clearing. In astonishment he witnessed Faith raise her knife and slash easily at a nearby orc. Blood spilled onto the dark grass and the screams of darkness rang out into the night.

Faith had to admire the way these so called elves fought. They had enough speed and wits about them, she supposed that they would be a fair match for her. But soon she focused all her attention on the fight at hand. She didn't notice her captive managing to scramble up into the lower boughs of the trees, and she only barely noticed Legolas moving beside her.

Together they moved simultaneously, dancing around the orc's powerful blows. But then she heard a low growling behind her, and felt a sharp pain in her left shoulder. The wolf had slashed her deeply along her arm, and it was only with her quick slayer reflexes that she managed to avoid loosing it altogether. She stumbled to the ground and turned quickly, just in time to see her attacker lunging towards her. The wolf was huge, and then she remembered the name Legolas had given it. A warg. Immensely larger then the wolves back home and more vicious and ugly, it hovered over her.

Then several arrows flew threw the air and the warg gave out a shrill yelp of pain and staggered backwards. Managing to weakly look around the ground for the knife she'd lost, she reached out with her good arm and took aim herself. Throwing the knife, she watched in satisfaction as the wolf collapsed.

Wincing, she tried to hide the pain she was really in, but when she tried to stand, she found she was surrounded, the arrows now pointing at her. She realised then that someone had gone for backup and that now she was trapped. "Ok you caught me. So where to now?"

Legolas looked at her gravely. "You have violated our lands and our people and you have the potential to cause us great harm. I'll take you to my father, King Thranduil, and he will decide your fate." The prince tried to sound as stern as possible, to cause as much fear that his father, Elrond or even Aragorn could invoke. He knew he didn't pull it off well, if at all

After what seemed like hours, they led her in silence through the forest, until at last they came to its edge. When she finally laid her eyes upon the king's palace, Illuminated by the moonlight, she had to use all her will power not to gape in awe. There was no way that she would admit to being impressed.

They followed a path up to a set of huge stone doors that were set under a hill. The palace was set underground. When she was led though the doors, she found herself walking through a long corridor of stone, lit by red flickering torches. The doors slammed shut behind her, the sound echoing.

As they walked, she saw other corridors and hallways and rooms branching off in different directions. She felt like she had just fallen down the rabbit hole in Alice in Wonderland, and she began to feel claustrophobic. Although, the king's home was actually very spacious, tidy and glamorous compared to other places in middle earth, but it wasn't at all what the dark slayer was used to.

When they finally reached the great hall, she found herself suddenly in the centre of attention.

"Welcome back my son," said King Thranduil. "I'm glad to see you're safe. Who is this stranger you have bought me?"

Legolas explained what had happened as best he could, his father's expression turning darker with every second.

"Since you refuse to tell us your true name and business in our lands lady, and we do not know your true nature or what you're really capable of, I'm going to have to let you spend time in our dungeons."

"Oh, goody," said Faith. "You know, I'll find some way out of here sooner or later. I always do."

"I doubt it lady," he answered smugly. "Only once has someone ever escaped my prison, and since then improvements have been made. This is at least until you are willing to talk more. I give you this chance to explain yourself, because no greater act of violence was done and everyone is still in one peace." He nodded to the guards. "Take her away…"

"I will take her," Legolas offered, interrupting. There was a surprised silence, but then his father nodded.

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Soon after, before the door was closed on her, she looked up at the golden elf in front of her who had taken the time to collect healing equipment on the way for her arm. "I meant what I said up there," she told him softly. "I always find a way."

He said nothing for a long while. "The cut is deep. I will change the bandage in the morning and give you more herbs for the pain"

"I've faced worse," was her only response He gave her a short nod before disappearing and she was soon left alone with her strange dreams.