I had been roaming the cemetery for hours, tossing possibilities and plans back and forth in my head. Still, nothing could be done about my situation: I was in deep shit. Once again and even deeper than the last times. When I thought about it, things had gone downhill since Legolas' appearance on my balcony. My decision to leave him represented just the recent low point.

I kicked a stone aside and stopped in front of a mausoleum that looked like St. Peter's, but smaller, and dropped onto one of the benches that stood directly in front of it. If I had known that my pursuers were so influential that they could falsify evidence and even get the police on their side, I probably would not have run away. But how could I have known? Besides, I was still not conclusively clear about whether it might not have been policemen after all.

I buried my face in my hands, closed my eyes and ignored the rain, which in the meantime had completely soaked not only my jeans, but also my shoes and jacket. The weather suited my mood.

What could I do? The sentence of the elf came to my mind, in which he had said that my world would change if I did not help him. What had he meant by that? I still wasn't ready to believe him, but I was certainly curious. I swallowed. Why was I worrying about this now, of all times? I probably wouldn't see him again. I had decided to go my way alone, at least that's what I had thought.

A shiver ran down my spine and I sneezed. I had to get out of the rain, otherwise I would probably die of pneumonia rather than in the hands of my pursuers. Shivering, I walked on and after what felt like an eternity I reached a chapel.

Cautiously I approached it. There seemed to be no one in there and the door was not locked. With a sigh, I slipped inside. It wasn't warm but at least I could dry off in peace and maybe even sleep a little. I hid in a corner, near a radiator. It was on the lowest setting, but I put my hands on it and enjoyed the warmth that slowly spread through me.

I must have fallen asleep, because when I woke up, I no longer heard the trickle of rain. Still a bit uncoordinated, I wanted to stand up, but then felt a body right next to me.

I froze in mid-motion and wrenched my eyes open. In the twilight streaming in through the windows of the chapel, I could see that this someone was sitting next to me with his legs crossed, his fingers playing with a necklace that I knew all too well. I expelled my breath. How had he found me?

"The necklace." The elf's voice was low, and I stared at him. "It led me to you."

Had he read my mind? Or was my expression so easy to decipher? I felt the blush rise to my face, so I quickly looked toward the altar. If I had expected anything, but not this. Was I supposed to explain myself to him?

Obviously, he expected me to say something.

How about the truth?

There it was again, the little voice that was almost certainly responsible for much of my guilt. I bit my lip and cleared my throat. "I was scared."

"I know."

I still didn't dare look at him. The situation reminded me unpleasantly of the time I, then an elementary school student, had promised my mother I wouldn't play at the construction site next door and yet had. I had broken my foot and had firmly assumed that my mother would freak out. Instead, she had just looked at me in disappointment and shook her head while the doctors had been in the process of putting the foot in plaster. That was a much worse punishment than any angry word could have been. I hadn't known what to say then either and had just quietly limped out of the room behind my mother. I was still staring over at the altar. "I won't run away again."

He said nothing and I realized he was waiting for me to turn my head. So I gave myself a jolt. I knew I had a guilty conscience written all over my face and I couldn't meet his gaze for more than a few seconds. "I'm sorry."

"If you had shown up in Middle Earth and told me what I told you, you'd be sitting in a dungeon right now."

I frowned and looked at him with a questioning expression. What was that supposed to mean? That he would have felt the same way I did? That he understood how I had reacted?

"You don't have to believe me, just tell me if you've decided to help me."

"Why do you need me of all people?" I had to ask that question before I could answer his.

"Because I'm running out of time."

Of course. He just wanted to know where he stood and didn't expect anything from me. If I said no, he would leave me here and try to handle everything on his own. I felt a twinge. It bothered me, but what did I expect?

That I had some special role? That I was the chosen one? What a load of garbage. It had been a coincidence that I had been first on the scene. Everything else was a product of my curiosity. I was just the one he felt he had the best chance of getting help from, and he wasn't wrong about that. Before, the police had seemed like the best way to get my life back, and now?

"I will help you."

He nodded and I sneezed again. Damn, it really hadn't been a good idea to walk around in the rain all this time. My jeans had dried up to some extent by now, but the rest of me was still clammy and cold.

Legolas stood up. "Take off your clothes."

"Excuse me?"

"You will get sick if you keep your wet clothes on."

"I'm certainly not going to undress here! Besides, I doubt I'd be any warmer naked."

I gave him an angry look and crossed my arms in front of my chest. He ignored me, instead pulling something out from behind his back and holding it out to me. "Only as long as it takes your clothes to dry."

I opened the bundle and recognized the hospital gown, worn-out sweatpants, and white loafers. Another shiver ran down my spine and I decided to put the clothes on. It was still better than sitting there shivering the whole time next to a heater that didn't warm me enough. "Turn around."

It didn't take long for me to spread the wet clothes over the rest of the heaters and put the other clothes on. They were at least four sizes too big.

I was glad I had short hair that was sticking straight out in all directions, but at least it didn't take forever to dry.

I lifted up the sweatpants and plodded back to the heater, where I sat down again on the floor, on which now lay a blanket. The elf put another one around my shoulders.

"Where did you get that from?"

He sat down next to me. "They were in one of the back rooms."

I shrugged and pulled them tighter around me. Wherever they came from, they gave me warmth. Although not enough, because my hands were still stiff.

"Sleep now."

I looked at him. "I thought you were running out of time."

"It's no use to me if you're exhausted."

I let it go at that, tightening my legs and resting my head on my arms.

But sleep wouldn't come, even though I was still dead tired. The dry clothes helped a little, but the cold was too deep in my bones already. "I'm still cold. Maybe it would be better if we leave now."

"So you're going to walk through the cemetery in a hospital gown?"

I rubbed my hands and breathed into them. "No."

"If that's the case." He opened his arms. "You're welcome."

I stared at him. Was he serious? "I'm not sleeping in your arms!" I replied resentful.

He raised an eyebrow. "You're cold."

"Yes, and you... You're..."

"Warm?"

I pinched my lips together. I certainly wouldn't throw myself into the arms of a man I barely knew. Especially not in this situation!

He sighed. "Ina, I will not touch you."

I gave him a suspicious look, but found neither a lewd grin, nor eyes that looked at things that were not meant for them. Instead, Legolas looked as if he, too, would prefer a different solution. I pulled the blanket tighter around me. "Fine."

Awkwardly, I slid over to him and wished eagerly that the earth would open up. However, a good heater would have done the trick, too.

He put his arms around me and pulled me up against him. I was stiff as a board, wondering where I could put my head without getting too close. How the hell did you keep your distance when you could hear the other person's heartbeat?

After all, he didn't seem much more comfortable either, judging by the tension in his body. I finally decided to lean against his shoulder.

After just a few minutes, I began to feel warmer and relaxed a bit.

"Better?"

"Yes."

"Then sleep."

I closed my eyes and felt my thoughts slowly melt away in all directions as I listened to the elf's breathing. I forgot where I was. I forgot what kind of situation I got myself into, and I forgot whose arms I lay in.