YAY. It's the chapter everyone's been waiting for. Laitheryn awakens and has his first encounter with Woodelves. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

His first awareness after the darkness fled from his vision, was light; a burning, searing light that seemed to spark and shimmer right in front of his eyes. It was as if a brilliant fire had been lit only inches away from his face, with no protecting from its burn. Laitheryn opened his eyes for a split second and wished he hadn't as the light continued to burn. He all but closed his eyes to the unfair light so as not to upset his eyes once more.

The second awareness he had was pain. It seemed as if his entire body had suffered some injury, with no area untouched. His arms hurt, as if thousands of needles had embedded themselves onto his skin. His stomach hurt as well as his back; and he could feel the wetness of his tunic on his skin. It was wet with his blood. His head spun with confused memories and motions that his body was not undertaking, like he was swirling round in a river. 'Ai…the river.'

That stopped him for a second on his mental musings, he had regained more memories of his past while he laid vulnerable in unconsciousness. His recollections had not fled when he regained his senses, they stayed locked in his mind. He dragged his thoughts away from those recollections and began to sort out what had occurred.

Laitheryn was struck more with impressions, over memories. There had been a battle, a desperate fight that he could not win. He had a sense of being surrounded by Orcs, with their bodies blocking out the light of the sun. Laitheryn could almost hear the clash of metal on metal, sounding like a dulled bell in his ears. He could almost feel the presence of a cruel blade cutting into his skin constantly, with flickers of his blood following its course. The trees screams as it died…its pain as its existence ended.

That is what marred him so. That is why his heart felt so heavy in his chest and why his soul bled.

The light, it burned his eyes so painfully. As if he had left sheer darkness and entered a room lit well by candles; it pierced through the cloudy confusion of his mind and forced his attention back. The radiance seemed to brighten further, and unknowingly Laitheryn responded by opening his eyes once more to the lights that were surrounding him, hoping that his vision would have recovered enough so he could actually gain a sense of his surroundings.

Laitheryns' vision did not recover and his eyes felt as if a sun had exploded near then and blinded him painfully with his brilliance. The sparks of lights became one and his vision swam with more confusion than before. Laitheryn blinked slowly, opening his eyes slower than before to help with his recovery.

"He awakens." A males' soft voice drifted through his internal thoughts.

He frowned internally, analyzing the gentle voice that echoed from somewhere above him. It was not cruel and harsh, not an orc voice, but an elf. Was he safe? Did the Orc's attack fail? Did the aid he called for come when he was unawares?

And yet he did not feel safe. As if the evil that had taken him and the Woodelves still surrounded them. Laitheryn could almost pick up the sense of displeasure from the voices of nature near him. He could just hear their words over the rushing pounding sensation that escaped from his head. They spoke of danger all around.

"Laitheryn?" The elves voice echoed once more.

So the Orc's had allowed the elves to tend to the injured, that was unlike them. The darkened species usually did not care for any, and cared not if their captives died from their cold hands or the injuries they had sustained. 'Yet they need us. The more the better.'

They did not wish to see their hard earned 'prey' die so easily, for their pay increased for every elf they brought to their 'master'. It was not care they afforded to their captives, just ensuring the maximum reward. 'What do you pay orcs? They have no need for money…' His thought shuddered away from that thought, after being supplied by many answers; sickening by almost all standards.

"Laitheryn."

It was then he realized that the voice had been speaking to him, while he mused quietly to himself. The half familiar voice also seemed to know his name and had called him by it. Laitheryn was sure his expression must have shown the confusion that spread through his mind. Had he been recognized by the Woodelves that were captured too? Did one call to him now?

He thought back further, knowing that the name the golden lady had bestowed on him was not the one he had answered to previously. The name Laitheryn suited him well, for he had been told by many that he was a 'Forest Spirit.' Yet there was another name...his real name.

Laitheryn found himself sighing internally. If the Woodelves had indeed recognized him, would they not have used the name they knew him by? He felt the crushing disappointment that it was not they that called, but another. The one that spoke to him was an elf he had met after receiving the name Laitheryn; one that had come from Lothlorien, or a visitor to that realm. And yet this strange elf was at least familiar to him.

"Awaken, Mellon nin." The voice insisted.

It was then the elf that belonged to the voice started a most annoying thing; tapping gently on his face with soft fingertips. This was an attempt to force his mind to focus and rouse him from the daze that affects all after awakening from a long sleep. An irritated sigh escaped his lips and the gentle tapping stopped a moment later as if the elf sensed he had won. Laitheryn would not surrender back to the daze that had held him previously.

Sighing once more Laitheryn opened his eyes more, giving himself time to adjust to the burning light that assaulted his vision. Gradually his eyes obeyed his requests and focused on the face that was hovering above him and began to take in the details of that face.

"Good."

The first sight Laitheryn traced out where the concerned blue grey eyes of the Elf above him, eyes that looked like a cool mist over a forest lake. Their eyes met and Laitheryn saw the relief that flickered across the elf's features and a quick smile that darted across the elf's lips, despite the situation they found themselves in. The smile died and it was replaced with a serious expression once more. The elf's dark hair traveled messily down the elf's shoulders and fell mid way down his chest.

This elf he recognized, as one of two that bore the same appearance. Only those that knew the two well could identify which was which. Laitheryn knew he narrowed his eyes as their names began to circle in his mind before he randomly picked the first that came to the top of his mind.

"Elladan?" Laitheryn questioned, finding his voice hoarse as if it had not been used in some time.

The elf nodded to his question asserting that he had guessed right.

"Laitheryn. T'is good to see your memory is undamaged. You have suffered many injuries."

"T'was a guess…"

"Ah. Yet it shows promise."

He found his thoughts beginning to drift towards what the elder son of the Lord of Imladris was doing here. Laitheryn could find no explanation of how this odd occurrence and did not wish the only answer he could arrive at. Somehow Elladan had been captured from Imladris. He found himself wondering if all the orcs that infested Arda had not come for this venture at capturing elves.

This was too methodical for them; something of greater intelligence was planning this mission, and not another orc. Someone had set the orc's to watch Imladris, Greenwood, and possibly Lorien too. This attack showed much organization, too much for Laitheryn's comfort.

Drifting from that thought, he sensed eyes upon him; eyes that did not belong to the elf that was sitting near him. Laitheryn flickered his gaze around looking to see where the gazes came from but could not see past the bodies blocking his view. The gazes, he could sense were not hostile; merely curious and meant him no harm. Laitheryn could feel himself tensing as the eyes continued to study him.

'Perhaps it is because they do not recognize me.' He mused before the thought inverted. 'Or maybe because they do.'

"How do you feel, Mellon Nin?" Elladan questioned suddenly driving his attention back to the conversation.

"I am fine. Worry not."

"You are the last awake; and seemed to have suffered some of the greater injuries."

"I was last found." Laitheryn explained.

"Your injuries are healing slower than I would wish." Elladan answered.

Laitheryn fought the urge to close his eyes in grief. Elves typically healed fast, and did not suffer injuries as long as mortals. If he did not know better Laitheryn would assume that the injuries he sustained were not healing due to the pain he felt for the tree. As if that pain were slowing his intrinsic healing ability.

"I know." Laitheryn said finally, not wishing to speak of what was on his mind. "I will be fine. Worry not."

It still took a lot of energy to speak and he did so slowly and did not say much. The fragile energy he had recouped during his unplanned rest would surely fade soon and he desperately wanted questions answered before he would rest once more.

"And I'm an Or--…" Elladan stated before breaking off suddenly his gaze locking on something that lay out of Laitheryn's sight.

Laitheryn was sure he knew what had attracted the elder elf's attention and guessed why he did not wish to finish that thought. Any reminder of what situation existed was not what they needed at the moment.

"Warg." Elladan finished finally after a pause. "How do you really feel?"

"Truly?" Laitheryn questioned.

"Aye."

"Like…Like…an Orc stepped on my head." He all but whispered finally finding a comparison that would suit the pounding that still came from that region.

"That is all together possible."

There was a pause in the conversation as Laitheryn rested up his strength to continue their discussion. He could feel himself beginning to tire, and he had not managed to ask what he wished. The eyes upon him must have taken note of the annoyed expression beginning to creep onto his face. For now it seemed that more had taken up the practice of scrutinizing him and that annoyed him even more.

"You… spoke, a moment before you woke. I barely caught the words." Elladan started. "You said something about falling in a river. You did not fall in the Anduin again, Mellon nin?"

"I did not fall." Laitheryn accused.

The eyes took note of his tone once more, and he sensed some glancing towards the young lord that set next to him.

"It was graceful Laitheryn, not like a fall at all. More like a dive."

"You pushed me in!"

"Nay…That was Elrohir that pushed you."

"My memory is not that affected, Elladan."

"Ai. I had wished that would have worked."

This quiet banter was to keep their spirits raised, so they would not become prematurely depressed at their capture. Both he and Elladan wished to focus on anything other than the situation that would await them when they reached whatever destination the orc's had in mind. They would need all of their strength then and fought to maintain their hopes.

It was a losing battle.

"What has occurred?" Laitheryn questioned after a moment of silence.

Laitheryn pulled his attention back to the son of the Lord of Imladris, not missing the gazes that followed every expression on his face and seemed mesmerized on every word he spoke. Laitheryn began to find himself more annoyed at the elves that seemed so interested in him. 'If they recognize me, why do they stay silent?'

"Patience." Elladan recommended sagely. "You are still injured."

"Aye…and likely to stay injured for some time to come. It will not do me any harm to fulfill my curiosity. I am sure you have examined me already and are well aware of what injuries I have sustained. You do not need to look me over again."

Laitheryn paused after that, taking deep breaths to regain his strength from that speech.

"Is that an order?" Elladan teased, ignoring the situation around them.

"Aye, if it gets you talking."

"You are an ill tempered patient." Elladan broke in. "My father would have words for me if he knew what I was about to do."

Laitheryn smiled to himself, knowing that he had won that direction of the dialogue. Elladan would answer what he could. The ever present eyes seemed to trace his smile. He would not let them get to him. His internal display of ill temper would not erupt further. It was the situation he had found himself in that was making him tense, nothing else. The eyes had better quit soon though, their constant gaze was unnerving.

"I will not go into the long version of my tale. Only that I was on patrol with other guards from Imladris when we were set upon by scores of Orcs. It did not seem to matter how many we killed, more seemed to melt from the trees and the hills around us. Eventually we were overwhelmed and the majority of our numbers were defeated. Only three escaped their net; I last saw them fleeing back in the direction of Imladris to warn Ada of what had occurred Most of us sustained some form of injury due to that battle and I was rendered unconscious due to a injury. We were forced to travel over the mountains and down to the other side." Elladan paused there gaining his breath.

'This is too well planned.' Laitheryn thought to himself.

"We met up with the group that had you and the Greenwood elves shortly after coming down from the mountains and we have been traveling with you for two days. The other healers of the combined group and I convinced the orcs that many elves would die if they were not treated for their injuries. They were not happy but allowed some enough freedom to treat those we could. They bound our feet and not our hands, when we are at rest." Elladan explained shifting slightly so that Laitheryn had view of his bindings.

"Have you any sense of our location."

"I believe we are heading south from Mirkwood, following parallel to the course of the Anduin. But we are not within sight of the river. I do not know our exact location."

"Ah."

Laitheryn wished he could have more information than what he had been given. But he stayed quiet and listened to Elladan as he continued.

"When I noted that you were among those from Greenwood, and seemed to be greatly injured, I slowly manoeuvred myself closer to you so I could observe your injuries."

"I thank you for your concern."

"You are my friend." Elladan stated.

"There must be more injured that I?"

"You are the last awake. The other healers and I decided I would sit with you until you awoke."

"Ah. I hope I was not a burden."

"Not to your friends, Laitheryn. Those that love you would never see you as a burden."

"How many are there?" Laitheryn asked, realizing he had no sense of the numbers of elves or orcs.

"At least forty elves guarded by over a hundred well armed orcs."

"Over a hundred! T'is some foul undertaking that has occurred here. I fear this is too intelligent for their minds alone. Some dark force guides them now."

"I fear you are correct. Yet I hear nothing of the name of their master." Elladan sighed. "I did not realize you had relocated to Greenwood. Last I heard you were staying in Lorien."

"I was." Laitheryn started, after adjusting to the sudden change in topics. "I thought it was time to leave…I picked a bad time it seems."

"Aye. My Grandnana says you are a free spirit. A leaf that will blow in the winds of Arda until you find what you have lost; she always speaks in riddles."

"A…a leaf?"

"…Aye."

Laitheryn could not explain why that comparison felt so right to him. Why he believed there was much truth in the words, and not just what lay on the surface; much of the meaning was buried beneath.

"Does that disturb you?" Elladan asked.

"Nay…Only that Lady Galadriel seems to know much more of my past than I. Enough so that those words make some sense to me now, but only slightly."

"It is her way."

Elladan seemed to hesitate there, as if wishing to say something further.

"What is it, Mellon Nin. Do not fear to share your thoughts with me."

"You…said something else before you awoke. You whispered something about spiders…and trembled as if in great pain and overcome with fear."

Laitheryn closed his eyes for a moment before opening them once more. He recalled what Elladan was questioning him about. He recalled the terror that coursed through the elfling he had been as he tried to escape the fell touch of the spider. For a moment he relived the panic of the chase through the thick forest. He would never forget the agony of the sting that had been inflicted upon his back, or the cold touch of the water that he had cast himself into moments after.

"It was a dream." Laitheryn stated slowly. 'I am sorry, Elladan.'

"I had read up on the perils that are beginning to assault Greenwood. The image of a spider must have placed itself in my mind from my studies. I know not where the river reference originated. I have not encountered the waters of any river for many a year." He continued after a moment.

This was not a good time for the truth to come out, Laitheryn decided. There were unfriendly ears about and it would not do any good for them to realize that an elf they had captured would hale no Elven realm as home. He was not sure why it was important to keep that knowledge away from the orcs that had captured them, other than a flicker of warning in his subconscious. For now the memory of the spiders and the river would stay a dream. But even to his ears it did not sound like truth. Elladan frowned as if sure that had not been the exact truth.

Laitheryn could sense his friends' intense gaze locking in on his own river blue eyes; searching his answer for what was true. Laitheryn gazed back calmly, and would not give any information away from his face or his eyes. He apologized to the young Lord once more in his mind.

Elladan blinked and nodded slowly, the frown growing deeper on his face.

The eyes seemed particularly interested in that explanation and their eyes seemed to become more intense as they listened to his words. He was sure they did not believe him either as the locked gazes became slightly disbelieving. 'I would tell you the truth, if I knew it.'

The eyes did not lose their intensity and Laitheryn found himself trying to ignore their quiet demands for the truth. He had been told that Woodelves could be quite stubborn at times, and he assumed that was where his own stubbornness originated from, as the struggle of wills continued. Shifting his gaze over Elladans' shoulder Laitheryn caught a flash of sun gold hair that just before it exited his sight.

He did not realize that he had lowered his head back to the ground where he rested until he felt the cold earths touch. Laitheryn was asleep soon after.