Disclaimer: I don't own diddly squat of LOTR. Just the characters and subplot or intertwining plot? You guys know what I mean… Hey lawyers! Don't bother me.

Again, sorry for the mistakes. I do not use a beta. One day I'll replace them with better/easier reading chapters. In the mean time, again, make sense of it yourself. I am doing this out of my own pure enjoyment, but at the same time, I hope you all enjoy it too.

This chapter CONTAINS VULGAR LANGAUGE! Including the F-word… and the S-word…

Sorry it took me so long to do this. I have been busy with a new temp job I just got, plus you know… social life. Hahaha.

Thank you reviewers! Keep on telling me how I'm doing. And of course, thank you to the silent members who have faved this story, me, and the followers too. It makes my heart metaphorically grow with fondness to keep enjoying my writing and my appreciation that you are reading this. :]

I will not list who's POV it is. Actually listing who's POV it is while the reader is reading a story, kinda ruins the flow of things. Sorry, that's just not how roll when it comes to this style… I guess I can start listing it here before you read it? I can do that… if I forget to do it… mah bad, yo. So POV as Follows: Gandalf, Layla.

Also THERE WILL BE MANY FRAGMENTS. After all, this is POV and people's thoughts spaz out, say incomplete sentences, blah blah of the sort. If you would like to assist me with punctuation, PLEASE PM ME WITH THE LINK. Do not list it in the reviews or mention of it. Just mention if you like or dislike how this story is going, but be gentle about it. Feedback is appreciated and not flames. Kthxbye.

Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Things Happen

We had arrived to Weathertop. I have thought to myself, since we have been traveling together, that she looks horrible. She never fixes her clothes right. Her brown leggings are never smoothed out, she made holes at the wrists of her black long sleeve tunic to put her thumb through it, and her brown short sleeve tunic that she has it over her long sleeve has a few food stains on it. I'm thankful that she doesn't have it on her brown boots. I also had to purchase her a brown cloak with a hood to help her cover her ears and her face. She told me she felt very mysterious and pretended that she was a wizard too, moving her arms and hands around in an ungraceful dreadful way as if she was conjuring a spell.

How embarrassing that was to witness.

She always apologizes for when something happens to the clothes that I have bought her, but at least she is very appreciative. Even when we stopped by Edoras and had met King Theoden, she was in awe of meeting him, and thanked him much for his hospitality, even though, as she put it, 'has a bad attitude', but we both knew, as a king, has much stress to deal with. She mentioned that King Theoden should really relax.

Her voice shakes me out of my thoughts.

"Gandalf, are you sure we should stop here?" She yawns as Shadowfax comes to a stop at the bottom of the hill. We have been riding for a few days since we have departed from Bree. It has been a long ride and she hasn't been able to sleep ever since we have met. Whenever we are about to leave an inn, I always notice that her long sleeve tunics in which she sleeps on her forearm is always lightly tearstained. "Yes it should be fine. Though I can see your Elvish side can stay awake, but it seems as your mortal side is still dominant. You need to rest and you can't do it by sleeping and salivating on my robes." I laugh.

"Oh my freaking God, Gandalf! I don't drool!" She then takes her sleeve and overacts to my comment by vigorously wiping her mouth. She had just woken up…

"I can't help to think that I should really remember something about you arriving at Weathertop…" We both dismount off the great horse.

"Remember Elena. We do not talk about the future for even the smallest change can cause a great catastrophe." She has mentioned to me many times how she wants to confess the happenings of the future, but I always refuse her.

"I know, Gandalf. It's just hard… really hard… especially since I'm such a gossipy little bi-"

"Elena…" I always have to catch her.

"iieeeeautiful woman. Beautiful woman. Sometimes it's really hard to keep my mouth shut when it concerns life and death!" She crosses her arms and she marches ahead of me. "I understand how you feel, but you will know of when and where to mention these things if it is desperately needed."

"I know! I know…" She stops at the bottom of the rocks before she climbs up. She takes a deep breath and she has a quick tremble. "It's still so weird that I can hear you when you're, like, twenty feet away!" She covers her human ear. "Yep, just on my left side. This elf ear is now my good ear…er, best ear." She rubs her eyes, "And just a quick mention, my eyes are ridiculous confused. One eye is seeing a lot clearer than my other eye. I thought I needed to wear glasses at one point… AND I have been feeling the weirdest pains on my arms, and legs, and shoulders! This is stupid…" I couldn't hear the last sentences because of her mumblings... What are glasses?

"Don't you worry. Elven eyes have tremendous eyesight, and your mortal eye is trying to adjust to it, though it never will. You need to relax." I walk next to her and pat her head. I look at her and she glares with a twinkle of amusement. "I'm not some little kid you know. I'm a full grown woman." She crosses her arms.

"Well, that may be true, but compared to me, you are only an child." I could not help but snicker.

"Yeah well… oh hey look! It's Weathertop!" Such false enthusiasm. Of course we're here, but I'll go along with her change of conversation. This is not the first time of course, such silly nonsense.

"I think while we are here, in case Frodo comes here by some slim chance, I'll write out a message to say that I was here with today's date." I began to step ahead of her and found a path to walk us up to the top of the hill.

"Well that was easy. Here I thought I had to rough it." I heard her say behind me. How lazy can she be in her own world? "I ridiculously miss escalators, elevators, conveyer belts… Gandalf, can't you just magically send me up there?" I look back at her, and she is already sitting on the ground barely moving from the starting point.

"As you probably know, the night is young, dark, and it is only the two of us here and with Shadowfax so far away, who knows what will happen. So either wait here and figure it out, or come up to see the wonders of Weathertop." Hoping some dark thoughts will grind in her mind that we should stay together and to build her energy and endurance.

"Fine. Scare me why don't you… I'm coming, I'm coming. Keep your grey hat on Old Man." Old Man? It is a fact that I am old in physical and chronological age, but… oh I am too old to care.

We continue to walk to the top and I look back to her. She is staring out to a location where one can hide. "Gandalf, did you say you were going to leave a message?"

"Yes. Why?" I raise an eyebrow to her.

"No reason…uh… it's just really important that you do. Good thing you thought about it all by yourself rather than me telling you. The future hasn't been tipped too much." This is may be true, though with her being here, who knows how much the scale has moved.

When we reach the top, Elena for some reason, is very excited. She runs toward the middle of the concrete floor, her hood falling off, and sits on the ground.

"It still psychs me out Gandalf. I'm here in Middle-Earth. I've been here for about a month maybe more, and… well, I'm just here. The only way to keep my sanity is to think of this as a vacation… that there is some way to get back home…"

"Sometimes you do have to find something to look forward to, otherwise, what are you working or even living for?" I sat on a stone and began to carve out my message.

"True. And what Saruman said when we first bailed from the Orthanc? About how I'm not ready to be his vessel?"

My eyebrow has risen again. What is she thinking about, I wonder. "What would you like to ask? I can try to answer when you ask the question."

She picks off the tiny pebbles and smoothes out brown boots and leggings. "What do you think will happen to me?"

I think back to what Saruman had mentioned that Sauron needed Elena to be immortal (so naturally an elf) and since Sauron is, no matter what, an Ainur, and with this power, he had succeeded into transforming her, but it seems to me it had been put to a stop since she may be clinging to her mortality. Perhaps Elena being from another world, she may be easily influenced by the dark lord since she has no idea how know any true power or even the comprehension of the feelings attached to it.

"I think all good things will come your way if you work hard enough and continue to resist the evil inside of you. Not only that, I know, that you already know about the One Ring, you possibly may be the most sensitive to it since you have energy directly from the Dark Lord Morgoth." She must know these possibilities and I cannot shield her from them forever.

She sighs. "I figured as much. I know I can beat this. I have to. I don't want to lose who I am, let alone what I am. I just need help in knowing… everything I guess? So overall, I have dark lord engeries… though I thought at least Morgoth was gone to the void.."

"As did I, Elena. But it may be that before Morgoth was defeated, some energy may have been transferred to Sauron, and when the Eye of Sauron remained and chose you to be Sauron's vessel, that's how a connection has been established now." It has taken about a month, but she has finally accepted her predicament. I have struggled this entire time for her to speak about what has happened to her, but she had been in denial. Oh the many times I have heard her say, 'This is all a dream.'

This is actual progress for her.

"Elena. I am here to make sure that the Dark Lord's connection to you never meets your mind, as long as you keep your distance away from such lingering thoughts." I shift on the stone where I sit, to lean forward and smile at her. She runs her hand through her hair.

"I know." She then completely lies down on the ground with her hands behind her head, staring out to the starry sky. "I'll never succumb to that. There is no reason to become an elf for me. No reason at all. And if by some stupid reason I do, and I mean if I somehow actually find a retarded reason to find one, my thoughts will no way become evil. None of my own anyway." She sighs.

After resting for what seems like hours, it was already time for us to depart this magnificent hill. I tell Elena to rise, for we still have a long way ahead until we reach Rivendell.

"Aww man really? But it's just so relaxing here. All this traveling really sucks." She rises and starts rubbing her back, patting herself off. "I think I might be feverish. My eyes feel so warm." She began rubbing her eyes.

"Elena, you are rubbing your eyes too much. Don't want to go blind now, do we?" I start to see her actually press her hands into her eyes.

"I know, it's just really warm and cause of the warmth, it's making it all itchy. Maybe I'm allergic to the gravel here or something." It may be some sort dirt reaction in the air…

"Gandalf, it's getting warmer, no, hotter!" She has now palmed her eyes and began to scream.

"Elena, what are you feeling?!" I rush to where she stands and I grab onto her forearms attempting to pull them down. I need to see her eyes.

"No! No! They hurt!" She struggles with me, but I managed to pull them down, but she is shutting her eyes very hard.

"Elena! Open them! Open your eyes!" She screams again and she began to cry out. I see her tears streaming down her face, trailing down her cheeks. She slowly, and painfully, opens her eyes and I see it… flames in all in both her eyes… while the white has turned black.

The Eye of Sauron. Is he using it to try to see us?

Then we heard a very dreadful noise. No man nor orc can utter…

It is a warning!

The scream of the Nazgul.

"Nazgul! We must flee! Straight to Shadowfax now!"

I reach for her hand and we begin running down the trail back to the leveled earth. She falls, bumps her feet into rocks, and at some points yells out of pain.

Once we have reached the bottom, Shadowfax is in hysterics urging us to get closer.

I hear the hooves of many horses behind Shadowfax and there the nine were. And they begin riding their horses fast and straight towards us. I had to pull Elena to me to then help her onto Shadowfax. I turn to the white stallion's head. "Shadowfax, ride hard and ride fast. We must reach Rivendell!" The horse nods and I proceed to lift myself on him, with Elena in front of me. She has put her palms on her eyes once again and she is yelling and groaning in pain. "Hold on Elena!" She let's go of her eyes and struggles to see what is going on.

Now we make haste, and the nine Nazgul are behind us and very close.

I pray that we make it in time. We still have days until we reach the House of Elrond.

The Black Riders surrounded us during this chase. They all have drawn their swords ready to strike, but at each attempt, Shadowfax dodges their swings.

"Go Shadowfax! Make haste!"

"Gandalf! Look out!

I stare out into the woods of Lothlorien. It almost seems like the trees glow at night. My room is huge. It's bigger than my apartment! All my stuff back home are probably collecting dust right about now. I miss home so much… family, friends….. AND INTERNET!

I miss the internet so much. I actually had my bag with me, and first thing when I got this room, was dig for my phone and realized,.. snapz! No signal or 4G.

Did Elena make it okay? I worry about that bitch... I saw those flames consume her. We screamed for each other… we reached out of each other… Did she find anyone? Was she lucky enough to find anyone from the Fellowship? Oh God, please… please…

Once I get the skills to survive, I will find you. I know you wouldn't want me to go out there blind. I just hope you were lucky as I was when I first got here. I wonder how you are… Are you branded? Normal? Did you find Lord Elrond? Gandalf? The Hobbits? Hell even Aragorn or Boromir… Please… I hope you are safe...

I look at all the different Elven people outside of my window. Everyone has a little glow and they are so graceful and seem like they are floating, not walking at all. Something I haven't achieved yet. Lord Celeborn says I stomp as if I was an angry tempered young elf whenever he and Lady Galadriel would ask to see me for a little chat. And Lady Galadriel couldn't help but giggle a bit and nod her head to say that she agrees with her husband. They tease me, but they mean well. The three of us have had a lot of quality time together during dinners and walks.

Gosh, but a lot of things happened… I think it's been about a month now.

When I first woke up here in my room, I thought I was dreaming… I thought I had a one night stand, and then I felt pain in my back… you don't feel pain in your dreams.

I was bandaged up and right next to me in a chair was the brightest, most soothing light… skin and hair so fair, and I was in awe…

Lady Galadriel herself…

She saw me freak out when I first saw her and saw me deny everything around me proclaiming that it was all a dream.

She laughed at me. A light laughter that ever the gracious lady can express… I'll never be as lady like as her. I laugh at the memory.

I told her everything. How I saw Elena being stripped from me, being stuck in that tree, and she told me what was revealed to me about my special tattoo on my back and her theory.

"I believe you are here for a balance. I sensed two forces penetrating through this world of great evil and a great good. The branding you have on your back share the symbolism of The Valar created by Ilúvatar. You have already begun your change from mortal to elf. You will soon be granted great power when it is needed. Whilst you are here, you will learn what needs to be learned. From your earlier reactions, I can tell already that you are rash with your emotions, but you follow through according to your will. I know you can save the race of men and all of Arda from this evil."

But then what she said about Elena…

"As for your friend, I do not know for sure, but if you are here having the symbols of the Valar, our angel-like beings as you call it, she may have been selected for evil, though I cannot sense much of it, if there is any, as of right now."

The Lady and I talked for a long time when I woke up. She even gave me her two cents that the reason why I know Elvish already, it's because I was "born" into this world as an elf. I felt so good talking to her, especially after everything that had happened. I was able to talk for so long because I actually felt no pain. And the scary thing is…

I haven't been feeling any pain ever since.

I feel pressure from when I trip, and I would say "ow", but out of reflex, but no pain. I haven't told anyone yet. Not even The Lady. I just don't want to hear any bad news… I want to be in denial for a little bit longer in case I'm like, dying or something… I don't want to know if I'm dying right now.

I'm in Lothlorien. I'm gonna live it up right now.

I've taken a lot of tours around the woods. Rumil and Orophin take their turns. When one is patrolling the woods, the other one is with me. We laugh, we talk, we play jokes on Haldir, like, leaving leaves in his room, I hide his bow, I hide his tunics, and he is fast when he chases me down the halls, but with my spazztastic moves, I outrun him… for like a minute. He always snatches whatever he has in my hands and walks away in with a scowl from this throat. He's just so adorable to mess with.

I admit it. I'm like a little girl in elementary school picking on her little school crush…

I just can't help it. I hear him yell at me with, "Confound it Layla! This is absolutely an inappropriate! Do not go into my room again!" or "How many times must I tell you to not touch my things!"

I've only been messing with him since he's been picking on me about my archery lessons… He's so arrogant and with an ego to boot!

The Lady had strongly suggested until I find out what powers I have, I must learn a few things just in case. Learn to be light-footed when walking or running; be in tuned with nature, and archery. It could help adjust to my eyesight, so it was a good choice. And deep down, I think The Lady of the Wood knew who I wanted to train me, even though Orophin and Rumil were volunteering themselves.

Her words were to Haldir, "She would need adamant training and strict discipline. Haldir, your position will be substituted by one of your siblings as you train this new 'fledging elf'." She smiled. I looked at Haldir and I rolled my eyes, pretending that I wasn't enthusiastic about the idea either.

Haldir tried to hide his face of either disgust or something of the sort, but he showed his shock, sucked it up, and said, "As The Lady requires of me, it shall be done." And turns to me and said, "We shall start in a few days, so that I may discuss with Rumil and Orophin about trading schedules between the three of us concerning patrols and it gives me time to create your lesson plan." He had to struggle with those last words.

It was just a pain being with him at first.

I remember our first tries of me of just trying to figure out how to even hold the stupid bow! "Hold steady! Keep your arm straight! Your elbow is too far off and they must be parallel to each other!" Blah blah blah… but then I feel the heat every time…

EVERY TIME!

He comes up behind me and adjusts my posture himself. I start to get all giddy and freeze at his touch and I get really nervous when I just feel a slight breath… from his mouth… when his head is next to mine. I would get so stiff each and every time. Once or twice I hit the center target out of the many times he brought me out to the archery fields, and I would actually get a small smile out from him.

Was he proud of me? Or was he thinking, "bout time, bitch" kind of smile… then he told me "Now, try that again."

Oh the life I lead now… That took me forever to get the center target! Of course, I couldn't get it again, after another couple of weeks. Then he smiled more at me, but as a better understanding that he is proud of me… OR that finally his teachings are getting through to me. So I'm a slow learner, big deal.

Then he asked questions. How old am I? What is the world like where I come from?

I looked at him wide eyed. It was on a day after I finished my lessons one day.

"What? Can't I be curious about my own student? We have been spending much time together, might as well be acquainted." Of course, once I told him my age, he said I was a baby. A 'mere fledging'. I just told him that because I'm so young to him, I had to mature very quickly… so I did a little "shimi" move by moving my shoulders to shake my boobs.

He just coughed and looked away. I think he turned a little red and hastily changed the subject. I laughed and went a long with it.

Then we talked. And we talked for a long time.

Then he asked me to continue talking with him over dinner.

He told me of a memory that he and his brothers were having an archery contest and the loser, poor Rumil, had to do patrols for Orophin for an entire month. I would just listen to him.

Soon the pranks and the bickering went to talking and swapping stories. Then I find myself being escorted by Haldir and eating a snack with him outside when he isn't on duty. Shit, he even brought me once to one of his patrols, talking to me most of the time without ever taking his eyes off of the boarder. He is a very good multi-tasker.

He'd tell me about the Galadhrim, the training, how he rarely leaves beyond these boarders…

You know, he's not so bad the more you get to know him…

Seriously though, I was like, what the fuck? But I love this attention from him!

I started to see less of the brothers and more of Haldir.

He's snarky, a smart ass, he's charming, he's a dick, he's sweet, he's an asshole… He's told me things, like:

"You're shot has been improving. You're getting closer to hitting something."

OR

"My heart sings to see thee, but at a lower note of despair. Perhaps more like a screech."

Oh gee thanks! Jackass… but I can't help but laugh. The things he just says to me either sends him a glare and a slap on his shoulder, or I just scoff at him and laugh later.

He doesn't laugh. He just chuckles. A masculine chuckle.

It's been a month of a hellish bliss being with this guy… er… elf? Elf guy? Sure why not…

"Layla!"

I turn around from staring out the window of my room.

"Man Haldir! You scared me!"

He shares his haughty smile with me and strolls into my room. He was already wearing his bow and quiver on his back. "Well, you should have been expecting me, with leaving your door open. I could have been an orc readying to assassinate you."

I just cross my arms and give him my own snooty smile. "Well, then you just didn't do your job very well, now did you?"

"Yes, well, it seems that my new distraction happened to smell like one, and that scent lead me here."

Oh that jerk face! "Oh go kiss an orc!" and I stick my tongue out at him and I laugh. Then I got caught off of my guard because within a blink of an eye, and with his light-footed gift of his race, he was right before my face smiling so devilishly.

"My apologies, but kissing you is out of the question." He then grabs my cheeks and squeezes them together making my lips into fish lips. I swat him away with hands like I was beating him. Well, just slaps really on his shoulders.

"Oh my God! You just can't turn off your evilness can you?!"

"It is a part of my charm. Calm down. I promise to be nice to you now." He puts his hands up blocking my strikes.

I stop my rain of slaps, and go next to my bed to grab for my training bow. "You better be nice to me. These hands can be pretty dangerous, you know."

"I and my brothers very much agree. Come along then. It is time we stroll over to the archery range, to improve, what you call, your growing skills of death."

"Yeah yeah. Keep your tunic on, Old Elf. I'm wearing my lucky color today." Wearing a soft color of a blend of silver and gold dressy dress, with no sleeves today… it's my kinda idea of what Lady Luck would wear.

"Oh yes. Let us put it to the test then."

We walk beside each other on the way to the archery fields, first getting out of the main grounds and onto the path to lead us there. I smile and wave to Orophin and Rumil and they wave back from their patrol platforms, making kissy faces at me. I couldn't help but blush a little, and good timing that Haldir wasn't paying attention to me. I fan myself a bit to cool my face down.

"Are you alright? Why is your face red?" Crap, he looked at me and stopped walking. I look up into his crystallized blue eyes, and I mean I have to look up. He's like half a head taller than me. Heh heh…

"Oh I'm fine. I'm just feeling a little hot is all. I think I'm still adjusting to being an elf and losing my ability to feel temperatures you know? I think it's still trying to forget what it's like…" I love using this lie when I blush…

"Oh yes. You have mentioned that. I'm sure you'll be used to your new immortal life soon." He just smiled a little bit and we continued walking.

Haldir is really amazing, and and and… oh boy… I think I'm really crushing on him… FML.

I shouldn't fall for him… I barely know him! Not enough time of being here… plus I have to worry about Elena. Where is Elena?

I release a breath that I didn't know I was holding in and let out a sigh.

"Are you sure you are alright?" He puts a hand on my shoulder and I freeze up. I take a sharp breath in and I just say, "Yep. I'm good. Don't you fret, Dude. I swear, I am in tip top shape. Yeah let's do this!" I just keep marching on toward the path leaving a confused elf behind, but he easily caught up to me.

"Layla, now what is the matter? You have been acting strangely since I met up with you in your room. What is on your mind to cause you such distress?" We had arrived to the range and I was ignoring him. I quickly grabbed some of the training arrows that were in the quiver that were next to the post line of wood of where I am supposed to stand behind and I can see the target. I put on the quiver of arrows and I put myself up in position stretching out my arm and bending my elbow making sure they are in a parallel line.

"I'm fine Haldir really. Please just, drop it. I'm just having an off day today." I steady myself and slowly breathe out and release the arrow.

I hit the target, but not the center. I grabbed another one from the quiver on my back and do the position again. And then I felt it…

His body heat radiating against me, the feeling of his hands on my skin to fix my posture, his breath on my neck to try to see the alignment of my aim, and oh God, I think I'm going to melt in his hands. My legs are shaking.

"Layla, why are you trembling?" He puts some of his weight on me to try to keep me still…

I'm going crazy right now. And I think I'm about to do something stupid…

"If I hit the center target, I'm going to do something very… very brave… and very very stupid…"

"What are you saying?" He briefly let's me go and as fate would have it…

I released the arrow and it hit the center target.

I drop the bow and take off the quiver and I face him.

"Layla, what is wro-" I cut him off with my lips. I cup his face with my hands, and press my body to him, giving him an all one sided passionate kiss. Once I felt nothing for those few seconds, I let go. I thought I felt something go around my waist, but I didn't think anything of it.

I sighed, not opening eyes. "Yeah. That was dumb… um, don't tell anybody, okay?" I looked up into his eyes and all I saw was shock. I started to well up a little bit in my eyes and I pressed my lips together.

I'm so stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!

"Layla I-" He takes a step forward. Is he going to yell at me? Pity me? Push me away now?

I fucked up royally…

I raise my hand up. "No it's okay. Lesson learned. What would a marchwarden want with me? Yup. I did something really improper for an elf, but hey, I've only been an elf, for like, what? A month?" I try to laugh it off, but I was too nervous to be smooth, and I slowly start to take a few steps back from him. I need to be away from him. "You know what? Forget this ever happened. I'm so sorry." I turn around and I start running away.

"Layla wait! Please wait! Listen to me!" Shit he's chasing me. I hear his footsteps, but I won't be caught this time.

"Leave me alone! I'm sorry okay!" I'm running past everything. More elves, trees, hallways, everything. I'm making a lot of noise with my running, but I don't care right now. I'm picking up my dress and it starts to get some small tears around my legs. Shit, the seamstresses are going to get mad at me again for ruining another one.

And then I trip on a fucking root… and I fell…A TREE ROOT! Damn it!

"Aiya! This cannot be happening!" I just get up right away, feeling the pressure of where pain should be, I don't feel it. This isn't good. I really can't feel pain…

"Layla, do not stray too far from the boarders! Stop this instant!" I wonder with all of this yelling, I bet the entire Galadhrim knows what we're doing… sucks balls…

"No! I can't face you right now!"

"You must stop! You are bleeding!"

"It's okay, I can take of myself!" Really? Now this sucks balls…

I had to come to a halt before I spread blood everywhere. I take a few breaths to calm down, and actually take a look at myself. I see a trail of blood going down my arm and already onto my finger tips, touching my nail.

"Ohhhhhhhhh…" I guess when I tripped on that root, I must have hit a rock or something… I'm grazed and pretty much bleeding, a lot… huh…

I took a look at my legs again. Yep, teared the bottom area pretty bad. Teared holes and scratches that are lightly bleeding. I feel a trickling down the sockets of my eyes. I wipe it away only to bring it before my eyes, is more blood. I check my forehead, and yep. More blood. I think I hit my forehead.

In seconds, Haldir caught up to me. "Layla. Are you mad?! You are hurt! How can you still be running?" Oh can this be any more awkward for me?

"Trust me. I'm fine… I think. Not only am I not a match for the marchwarden, but I'm a freak of nature too. Can this get any worse…?" I sigh, and I just start heading back, walking of course… no need for more accidents.

I stopped because I felt his hand grab for my elbow. "Layla, what is going on here?"

I just straight up started sniffling, and more tears came out. I just smiled a sad smile. At least someone else will know, if Lady Galadriel hasn't found out yet.

I turned to him and he releases my elbow. "You see, I don't feel physical pain."

I see the shock on Haldir's face again. Never thought I would actually see it twice in a day.

"What do you mean? I don't understand." Guess I gotta show him…

"I really don't know when I get hurt anymore. I might feel some clues. Sometimes, I'll feel pressure of where I might have gotten hurt, but that's about it. I don't feel the distress of pain." I bring my opposite hand to my shoulder and actually apply pressure to it. And I mean a lot of it and I don't cringe at all. More blood seeps out of my injury and trails down some more, following the flow to down to my fingertips.

"By the Valar, Layla…"

"See? I told you I was a freak of nature. I didn't want to tell anybody in case this was like, a sign of dying from an illness or whatever. I don't want to know if it's true or not…" Insert nervous laugh here… I press on my forehead, I don't know if it's a scratch or a gash, but I rub right over it, and I still don't cringe. He stares at me up and down, and his face softens.

"Yeah, so… this is why you found me in a tree. I came from another world," I look down on the ground and kick some dirt, rub my nose… Damn this is hard…, "I've only been an elf for about month, I'm barely ladylike at all, I have a vulgar tongue," I do the air quotes with my hands, "who knows what the heck I am with this branding on my back, and AND… I can't feel pain. Yeah forget about me actually. Let's go back to being… whatever we were before." I pick up my dress and I turn back around to start walking, but then I get whipped around again, to face Haldir, but this was really really fast. My hair went flying behind me.

And he's kissing me! He's kissing me! My eyes are wide, and I see his are closed. He had to bed down a bit to get me… I then relax into the kiss and close my eyes. I feel his hands wrap around my waist… ohhhhh that's what he was about to do before I split from him earlier… ha… I wrap my hands around his neck and we make the kiss deeper… such passion I'm getting from this elf… I've never felt this way before with my previous relationships… ever… It's like magic.

We finally release after what seems like forever and I had to relax my breathing rhythm a bit… that was one helluva kiss right there.

"Now you listen to me, since I finally have a chance to say what was needed to be said before you ran off like that." Is he smiling? He arches his eyebrow. I gulp and I slowly nod.

"Before you pulled that impulsive, rash, little stunt of yours, I was planning to invite you to embark on a walk with me after our training, and ask you if it would be appropriate to begin a courtship relationship with you." I pressed my lips together and did an 'oh' face and I covered my face with my hands… then I realized I was probably spreading more blood on my face. How did he not get any on his face? Damn he's magical… I clasped my hands behind my back and rocked my body from side to side as if I was a little girl pretending that I did nothing wrong.

"Now I have always learned the manners of courtship in which the appropriate protocol is that the male will purse the female of his interest." I started to rub the dirt with my foot with the ball of my foot. I am so embarrassed.

"And most of all, I do not think you are a 'freak of nature' as you call it. You are an amazing being. You are rash, impulsive, farfetched, caring, and someone who can very much put me at a challenging game of 'clashing tongues'." Oh he smirked… but a flirtatious one… that's so hot… I knew he referred to our bickering, but wow…

He cups my face…

"You have been certainly a challenge to teach, but it is very eventful. So in a good way I suppose, that has me so enthralled about you. No other elleth has done that. You are beautiful, and I cannot wait to know more things about you." He looks to my shoulder, and I scrunch my eyebrows together in worry. "We will find out as to the reason why your body is the way it is. And don't say you are possibly dying. It pains my heart to hear you say that, but I suggest we speak with the Lady of the Wood to find out. It is very concerning." He looks to me again, and he brings me into a full on embrace.

"In the end, you are a match for me." FML that brought me to tears. I hid my face into his chest and I couldn't help but laugh a little.

I feel that he kissed the top of my head. "You're thinking that you should've waited till after training." He's good.

"Yeah I am." I pull away, and I looked at his chest. Oh balls….

"Oh uh… sorry… I bloodstained your tunic…" I bit my lip.

"That's fine. It's fresh, so it will come right off. In the mean time," He intertwines his fingers into mine, "let's go get cleaned up and so we can actually have a nice dinner." I smiled and we both walked back. I squealed quietly, but he still heard me, doing one of his huffle chuckles.

I wonder how long has Haldir been curshing on me? I can't help but be curious. We were pains in our asses for a couple of weeks. Heehee… I think of an old 90s song by Savage Garden…

"Oooo I want you, I don't know if I need you, but, oooooo I'd die to find out… So can we find out…?" Oh goodness… he gave me a quick squeeze of my hand. "You'll need to sing that to me later on…" Now I'm hella blushing…

As we walk back, heading for the main hall, I couldn't help feel a little guilty…

Elena, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm giving into a little happiness right now.