Chapter 5

Author's Note: Oh, CRAP, I missed the deadline. *headdesk* So sorry, I completely forgot! Thought the deadline was the 15th again… feel free to beat me up. XD

Also, so I realized right after posting Chapter 4 that instead of being an idiot and calling it chapters '3.0 and 3.5' I could have just made them separate chapters. Oh, I'm so stupid sometimes. But anyway! On to the story.

Sasha adjusted the blade in her hand, eyes glinting evilly. She moved closer.

'Gandalf, do something!' Amanda hissed, terrified.

The wizard stepped forward, raising his staff. But before he could cast a spell, figures dropped out of the trees and encircled us- about a dozen elves, all with bows drawn and arrows pointing straight at Sasha.

'Stop!' I said, waving my hands. 'Don't shoot!'

The elves retreated a step, eyes narrowing in confusion as I defended the person who had been about to kill me. But one second of hesitation was all that Sasha needed.

She hissed in fury, then darted through the ranks of elves and disappeared.

Two elves broke from the group. One, young-looking, raced after Sasha. And the other, who was taller, moved in to talk to us.

'Who was that?' The elf said, nodding toward the place where Sasha had vanished.

'A… friend gone rogue.' Gandalf replied evasively. 'What are you doing here?'

'We stopped for a drink in Bree.'

'Who are you?' Pippin said.

'Glawarbaen.' He said. The second elf jogged gracefully out of the trees and stopped by Glawarbaen's side. 'And this is my son, Caenir.'

'I'm sorry, father.' Caener said. 'I followed her trail, but it seems she took to the trees soon after entering the wood. She is… unusually skilled at hiding traces of her flight. I lost her.'

'That's all right.' Glawarbaen said, resting a hand on his son's shoulder. 'She is already being tracked by Gandalf, a hobbit, and a human girl.'

Caener turned to them with interest, brown eyes flashing as he studied them.

'He could help us.' Amanda suggested timidly.

Gandalf and Pippin huddled around her in a half-circle. 'What are you thinking?' Pippin said in a whisper.

'Well, he could.' Amanda defended herself. 'Even if he lost Sasha this time, he definitely can help us track her.'

'Hmm.' Gandalf thought. 'That's not a bad idea. Let's see how he replies. If he wants to, we can see how Caener fits in. If he declines, we're no worse off.'

Amanda and Pippin nodded in assent, and they turned back to the waiting elves, who had also been conversing amongst themselves.

'If you will accept me, I would certainly join you in your quest to hunt down this 'friend gone rogue'.' Caener said.

'Then it's settled.' Amanda said, a tad too eagerly. Her cheeks colored, and she retreated a bit.

Caener stepped forward to stand with the wizard, the hobbit, and the girl, while Sasha ran further away, getting ever closer to Mordor.

Next Chapter will be out by: 2/13/16 (I hope!)