AN: Thank you to MistressOfImladris, Pyro-Misa, and Shetan20, for your reviews and to all who have followed and favorited this so far!

Estella's POV

I moaned in annoyance as the sound of birds chirping filled my ears. Not wanting to get up, I turned to reach my mother's pillow to try and block the noise out, but instead of a soft feather pillow, I felt something hard and cold against my face. My eyes flew open, and I looked around, finding myself lying in the dirt, surrounded by tall trees. As my eyes wandered, taking in my unfamiliar surroundings, I felt fear and confusion creep into me like a knife. I could have sworn I fell asleep on my mother's bed, but I was not in her bed. Nowhere close.

"Where am I and how did I get here?"

Slowly sitting up, I tried to remember the events of last night. After a few moments, the veil lifted from my mind, and it was at that moment I remembered the bright white light in my mother's room engulfing me and snatching me away bringing me here…wherever here was.

Feeling something hard grasped in my hand, I looked down and realized it was my mother's sapphire necklace. Not wanting to lose it in this unfamiliar place, I clasped it around my neck, where a small gold heart-shaped locket also rested. The pendant was a sweet sixteenth present which held a picture of my mom and me.

I knew I needed to figure out where I was and the only way I was going to do that was if I explored my surroundings and attempted to find someone who could help me. "I will not find anyone sitting in the dirt."

Sighing heavily, I stood up, but when I got to my feet, instantly a massive wave of nausea and dizziness, assailed my entire body. I tried to move, but everything spun like a top, and before I could lower myself back to the ground, I fell to my knees, scraping the palms of my hands. Feeling a burning sensation from where the skin was torn slightly from my hands, I cried out in pain, and closed my eyes, hoping the queasiness and vertigo would pass. After a few minutes, the dizziness finally receded, but nausea did not. As my stomach became queasier, I started to take deep breaths, trying to calm my stomach; however, my stomach had a mind of its own, and seconds later I found myself vomiting into a nearby bush.

When I finished emptying my stomach, I wiped my mouth off, still feeling a little shaky. Once I knew I would not be sick again, I attempted to stand once more, but this time slowly. After a moment or two, my mind became clear, and my stomach settled down enough for me to move forward. Slowly, I began walking into the forest, trying to figure out where I was. One thing was for sure; I certainly was not in Seattle anymore. As I continued, minutes turned into hours, and the further I walked into the forest, the more lost and confused I became. The trees all seemed the same!

"I have to find a way out of here," I nearly screamed, as the sickening feeling of being lost crept its way up my body like a vine.

Eventually, I came to a stream. It gurgled and chattered to the rushes at its side, and just as I started to cross the creek when I stopped suddenly in my tracks. Looking across the stream, I noticed the trees were black. Massive white strands billowed, tangled together in spider webs. Another thing had crossed my mind—no birds were singing now. In fact, no sound could be heard for miles around. A chill ran up my spine, and I shivered, looking away from the black woods and to the stream.

"Now what am I going to do?" Suddenly, I remembered my mother once told me if you followed a river upstream, you would be further away from civilization, but if following it downstream, you would eventually come to civilization. The only question was, which way was upstream and which way was downstream? I knew I needed to decide and soon, so I decided to go to the left, hoping I might find someone before nightfall.

About an hour or so passed and I still was not any closer to finding a town, and on top of that, I was beginning to feel my body become weaker. I had not had anything to eat since the previous night and whatever I did have for energy was somewhere behind me in a bush. I was not sure how much further I could go. The more I walked, the more my body protested, and I had to fight the urge to sit. But as I gazed around me, I knew I needed to continue for each passing second, I was not only becoming weaker, but I was also feeling disoriented. As much as I wanted to blame it on the lack of food, something inside of me was telling me, it wasn't and that I needed to keep moving.

"I have to find a way out of here," I whispered, too afraid to cry out. "Mom, I need you. I am so scared."

Just as I was beginning to think I was not going to find a way out, soft whispers filled the air, stopping me in my tracks for only a fleeting moment. At first, I thought it was just a figment of my imagination, but as I listed closer, I could hear the voices once more. Feeling a wave of relief come over me, I started to run in hope, dashing through the thick shrubs only to nearly collide into a group.

Faster than I could blink, they had strung their bows and were now surrounding me with arrows aimed right at me. Raising my hands in instinct, I stood as still as I possibly could too scared to even breathe, lest I find myself as a human pincushion. As I stood staring at them, wishing they would lower their weapons, I noticed they were wearing strange brown and green medieval tunics and leggings, and their hair was long ranging from black to silver. But it was their faces that stunned me—a wild beauty that I had never even dreamed of. My first thought was they were reenacting a play, but that thought quickly left my mind for their eyes held an expression that said they were in dead earnest, and not even the most gorgeous, talented actor could even hope to look like these people, the embodiments of wise and ancient fairness.

Trembling, my eyes suddenly fell on their ears, and my breath hitched: their ears were leaf-shaped, almost like hers. "Help me!" I cried out, holding up my hands to show I was unarmed. Fear was gripping me like a vice as I realized I had no idea if they could even understand me and even though I had shown them I meant no harm, they still had not lowered their weapons. I tried once more to make them understand me. "Please, help me, I don't mean any harm. I just want to go home."

One of the natives finally stepped forward and searched me. It was only when he was satisfied that I had no weapons on me that he gave the others a nod indicating that I was not a threat to them, and they lowered their weapons. The native who had searched me spoke to a nearby companion rapidly in a strange fluid language, that sounded like music. Leaving the group for a minute, he soon returned with someone following him. I noticed it was a male—tall, with bright blue eyes and pale gold hair. If I hadn't been so frightened, I probably would've been mesmerized by his beauty.

He must have sensed my fear, for he raised his hands with a brief smile as if trying to comfort me. He finally spoke. "My name is Legolas Thranduilion, Prince of Taur-nu-Fuin. Who are you and what is a young Elf doing wandering alone in these woods?"

I swallowed. "Taur-nu-Fuin?" I tried to repeat the word, and I knew I had mispronounced it for the others looked at me with a strange look on their faces. I suddenly did a double take when I realized he had called me an Elf. "Wait, an Elf? No, I am no Elf! My name is Estella, and I am from Seattle. I do not know how I got here," I cried throwing my hands up in the air in exasperation.

Legolas' eyes slitted and he turned back to his companions before redirecting his attention back to me. "I do not know of what you speak, Estella, but you may not wander alone, here. Spiders come fierce and fear us no longer, and they will not hesitate to slay an unarmed Elf such as you. My father will welcome you."

He beckoned, and I hesitated, not sure if I should follow, but I soon realized, I did not have much of a choice, and as I started to follow him, the world began to tilt, spinning as darkness encroached over my vision. The last thing I saw before I passed out was the one known as Legolas catching me before I hit the ground.

*Taur-nu-Fuin is the Elvish word for Mirkwood