It's a short chapter, but I wanted to just get the plot going. Read it and you'll understand. And last chapter was very long lol. R&R please, it makes my day! - xDare2Writex

Chapter Six
The Encounter

Nick had started to form a game plan after I told him about the area and the Nazgul of last night.

"Okay-everyone we need- to find some-people, - or a way-back." He bit through his 3rd apple a little more each time.

"So let's take-our packs-of stuff-(which was funny, 'cuz I was the only one with a huge backpack.)-and, (gulp) walk near the stream towards the forest, and keep away from the road and clearings."

He sounded like a genius or Yoda. A genius Yoda! And so, we set off in a single file, Nick in front, then Mark, Delilah, Aleyna, Colyne, Me, Lauren, and Bryan last. We hiked for most of the day, stopping to rest and take naps twice. It refreshed us.

That's when I heard, or more like saw images in my mind, of a band of elves. They were talking in Sindarin about…us I think. It was a comforting thought. If we did find the elves, we could get help.

One teensy minor setback: my Elvish is pretty limited, only phrases and words, which wouldn't get me too far. And as far I as I knew, nobody else could speak fluent Elvish either.

Many hours later, my group had set foot in a deeper part of the forest when Nick stopped walking and said "Who's there?"

"Shut up Nick." Said Colyne terrified.

Out of nowhere, five elves came out of the pine trees, with three horses; a pure white, a dappled grey, and one a sandy pinto color. The horses were lovely, but words cannot describe my amazement at how beautiful the group of all male elves were. I was speechless; which was not a good thing when the elf in the middle said something to me that I could not comprehend.

There were two dark haired elves in the back with the horses. Those two elves behind the blonde one in the front, slightly ganglier and girlier-looking whispered to each other.

"Why does not the elleth answer?"

I shook my head. "Hello my friend," I say.

The first one's sapphire eyes shone.

"Hello elleth. Where do you hail?"

I had begun to say New York but I stopped. They wouldn't know where that is. Still it is where I'm from. "New York."

He cocked his eyebrow in amusement, his lips in a playful half-smile I could not read.

"Of what do you speak?"

When I failed to answer, he asked me more slowly,

"Can you hear me?"I nodded yes.

"Can't speak well, forgive me." The other two just sighed in frustration. I heard them say,

"She's dumb as an ox."

Hey! Nobody talks to me like that. I angrily muttered.

"Tell me to my face." They stared bewildered.

"We're all gonna die! We're gonna starve! We're dooommed!" Whined Aleyna. The others were getting restless. I had to get them shelter. They depended on me.

I couldn't remember what my name was in Elvish. So, I made one up.

"My name is Nienna." He looked confused. Damn. I don't know how to say it. Instead, I pointed at me and said, "Nienna." I pointed at everybody else and said their names. "Aleyna, Colyne, Lauren, Mark, Nicolas, Bryan, Delilah,"

He nodded.

"I see, elleth."

Then his sharp eyes focused on the busting backpack slung on my achy, scratched shoulder. I guess he was just trying to be chivalrous when he said,

"Let me take that pack from you."

But, I gripped it even harder, the contents were too precious.

"No, you can't. It's mine!"

The other two brunette elves tried to persuade me.

"Don't be so shy elleth, allow Legolas to help you."

Oh God. The gorgeous creature in front of me was Legolas? I had no idea. The bold part of me left.

"Oh, I…" blushed.

Delilah saw I was vulnerable and like a quick cat, pounced.

"Hello Legolas. MY name is Delilah." She stuck her huge chest out and curtsied like the lady she actually wasn't. Aleyna glared at her. Even though they were both popular, Aleyna had never liked Delilah for competitive reasons.

"Delilah, the only reason you're here is because you were too dumb to know whether the bright light in a classroom was a death call or Porsche headlights."

Everyone cracked up. Except Delilah and the elves. They looked at each other as if to say 'oh boy, what have we found?'

"I think your father needs to see them. How can they forget their own words? They must be ill."Legolas said quietly to the two twins.

I was really tired, and this was going way too slow. Fatigue and exhaustion was getting ahold of me. I felt hot, chilled, and feverish. My hearing faded in and out, and then my eyes slid back.

"What's wrong with me?" The last thing I saw was my friends concerned faces and felt Legolas' strong arms catching me, before I crashed to the floor.