Disclaimer: don't own LOTR, wish i did.

Chapter Four

For the third time in a row, Serafina was woken suddenly, though it was not a guard's snore, nor a Nazgul's cry but a stern rapping on the door. She stood up groggily trying desperately to focus on what the obviously angry man on the other side of the door was trying to say.

"In the name of the Village Watch: open this door!"

Serafina gasped audibly and Strider reached for the door handle. "Stop!" she whispered to him urgently, "Please, you must understand, let me go first."

Suddenly wide-awake, the thief sprung into action crossing the room in a frenzy, Serafina grabbed her belongings and opened the window. She appraised the distance as carefully as possible in seconds. The thief noticed some hay bales lay almost directly under the widow. 'The stables must not be far' she thought with excitement a plan forming quickly in her mind. Serafina turned her head to look at Strider for a moment. She cast him a brilliant grin and jumped out of the window.

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The ranger shook his head; he did not know what to make of such a girl. Wiping the chuckle from his face he opened the door, somehow he knew she would be all right.

The Village Watch was a hassle Strider could have done without, yet they were fools and none too difficult to deceive.

Closing the door behind them Strider set about waking the hobbits. They were going to need as good a head start as he could give them from the Nazgul.

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She landed on the hay bales with a soft thud. Serafina was thankful that it was so early and the streets were empty; she did not need this to get complicated. Quickly she retreated away from the window in case Strider gave her away. She smiled, it was just past dawn—the gates would be open.

Serafina quickly located the stables and sent up a thankyou prayer to anyone listening for there was no one blocking her path. However when she was inside she found the doors to each stall kicked down. There was hay everywhere and it was completely abandoned.

The wheels in her head were turning furiously trying to figure out where all the horses had gone. Then she remembered, the Nazgul. The horses would have fled in terror, not that she blamed them. Her curious mind wanted to try and puzzle out why the Nazgul had been here last night, but realising her current situation Serafina decided that her curiosity would have to be satisfied some other day.

She had to leave, and leave quickly. No one would be able to stop her if she was riding through the city and out the gate. But walking they would surely catch her. Deciding whatever she would do she had to keep moving Serafina took leave of the ruined stables and jogged silently through the quiet town.

The thief approached the gate to the city with caution, and rightly so. Guarding the gate was five men of the Village Watch, in addition to the gate warden. She sighed heavily from her hiding place and eyed them appraisingly. With regret she knew that if she had a horse she would have galloped through them.She rebuked herself fordwelling on something that was not going to happen. So she started working through other scenarios through her sharp mind.

After dismissing the idea of charming or fighting her way out she came to the conclusion that she could not confront them in anyway and expect to leave with the upper hand. She stole away from the gate to a part of the city wall where they could not see her. She had ideas of busting her way out with a hammer or digging out yet she dismissed them all as impractical and childish. Then she came across a tree by the wall. It was a long shot and she knew it but time was running out, as were her options. Eyeing the tree warily she began to climb, rucksack securely slung over her shoulders.

It wasn't a hard climb, but Serafina had never been one for trees. Windows were fine, buildings too, but trees were not her favourite. However her life had never allowed her the option of choice, Serafina did things because she had to, and this was one such occasion. She crouched on a sturdy limb and crawled towards the wall, behind her the town of Bree was stirring. She hardened her resolve and crawled the last meter that would have her hanging over the other side of the wall.

She was close now; freedom from those that chased her was almost tangible. Taking a breath she imagined she was jumping from a window and let go. She hit the ground and rolled, avoiding injury. Serafina straightened and surveyed her new freedom. To her left a little was she saw the East-West Road, thinking it was as good a road as any she set off parallel to it, intending to only walk on the road when the village of Bree with its thugs, Village Watch and Nazgul were far behind.

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Around midday on her second day of travelling Serafina stopped by a lake just off the road. She laughed when she saw a few horses by the lake. Undoubtedly these were the horse that had fled Bree in terror the night before she'd left. She was discouraged by the fact that they were unbridled and unsaddled, she had ridden horses before bareback, but that was a bit like trees; only if she had to. Frowning at the choices, or lack of, she was forced to make Serafina dug into her rucksack and pulled out an apple.

Cutting it in half with one of her daggers she ate half and approach one of the smaller horses holding out the apple half. The horse took it after a quick sniff and munched away.

Patting him reassuringly she moved to his side and grabbed a fistful of mane. Swinging herself up awkwardly she fumbled around for a few minutes trying to get the hang of steering. Smiling stupidly to herself when she mastered turning the horse towards the road she set out again, deciding to follow the road wherever it lead.

hi guys, i hope u all like it so far and feel free 2 review... ; ) and to my 1 reviewer thankyou thankyou

im sorry if it seems a but slow 2 start...it'll pick up soon...and i promise legolas will feature... stupid smile>

i did proof the last chapters but i think i forgot to save the changes...oops