Chapter 10

Samantha smiled at the group nestled at the base of a large tree. A tent had been set up and they had obviously been settling in. The hobbits waved to her, happy to see her alive and walking. Aragorn sat sharpening his sword and looked up to nod in greeting. He wasn't as expresive as the hobbits but he too was glad to see her alive. Samantha also spotted Legolas. Boromir and Gimli were no where to be seen.

Legolas walked up to her and Haldir, a gentle and relieved expression adorning his face. Samantha looked into his eyes and was caught off gaurd by the level of emotion. She felt a swarm of butterflies erupt in her stomach, she wasn't sure any man had looked at her like that before. It was almost... loving. 'Jesus woman, it's just a look get a hold of yourself!' There was no need for her to be so flustered!

Legolas stood a few feet away and his eyes shifted to Haldir, "Thank you for guiding her here, Haldir. Are you feeling up to being out of bed, Samantha?" His gaze shifted back to her and he failed to realize the coloration to her face was because of him and not a fever.

Before Samantha could push out any words Haldir answered for her, "Even if she wasn't she would have demanded to see you all."

Samantha shot him a side glance and crossed her arms. "Well, it's weird waking up in an unknown place, okay?"

'You would know. Wouldn't you, child?'

Samantha's head whipped around to try and find the foreign voice. She wasn't flustered anymore, she was freaked out. Haldir and Legolas looked at her in surprise. Haldir only smirked while Legolas looked on in confusion and a little worry, "Are you alright?"

She couldn't tell them she heard a voice in her head, that would be crazy talk! Maybe she was just really tired... "Thought I heard something... Must just be because I'm tired."

Haldir nodded, a knowing smile touched his lips. "Well, I leave her in your care, Master Legolas."

Legolas thanked him and held his hand out to Samantha. She took if and it felt like fire against her cool skin. Legolas lead her to the rest of the company and didn't notice her thoughtful expression as she focused on the feeling of her hand in his. She could feel the callouses from years of wielding a bow. Such a contrast to the image of elves, sleek and elegant. His hands were rough against hers and she took notice of how much larger his hands were compared to hers. A tingle settled in the core of her being as she thought about these hands roaming in other places.

There was a long pause for Samantha. She didn't think of anything, she didn't say anything, just stared out in front of her as she felt her face begin to blend with her hair.

'WHAT. DID. I. JUST. THINK?!'

She had the sudden urge to pull her hand away from Legolas but restrained herself. She didn't want to be rude. At the same time, she couldn't believe herself! Her eyes looked down at her feet, wanting to hide her face in embarrassment. Yes, Legolas was perhaps the most attractive man she had ever met, but she couldn't be having these fantasies! She wasn't going to ruin a perfectly good friendship with him because of her urges!

This was all because she hadn't had any alone time since coming to this world. Always surrounded by others and not wanting to get caught was a good deterrent. Maybe it was time to try and find some alone time.

Legolas led her closer to the group and Sam gave her a funny look, "You feeling alright? Your face is as red as your hair."

Aragorn caught this and looked up from his blade sharpening. A grin touched his lips and the hobbits grinned as well. Legolas seemed oblivious to the actual situation and looked at her, "Do you have a fever?" He placed his hand to her forehead to check, like a parent would a child.

Samantha gently touched his hand and pushed it down shaking her head, "I just need to sit down..." She sat down next to the fire and ignored the prying eyes of her friends. She knew they knew something was up. She only hoped they would leave it alone.

"So what'd ya do to her?" Merry asked Legolas.

The elf gave the hobbit a surprised look. Before he could ask what the hobbit meant Samantha answered, "Nothing. It was a long walk down here and I'm feeling a little tired is all." While it wasn't a lie, it wasn't the whole truth either. Even though every fiber of her being wanted to sleep she was happy to be with them again. They were all she had now.

Legolas studied her. Her answer had been too quick. She was hiding something but he would not pry. He bid his farewell before heading off to do whatever it was elves did and said he would be back shortly. Samantha looked down at the small fire they had built and Merry spoke up, "Long walk, huh?"

"Yeah, what else would it be?" Samantha defended.

Pippin laughed, "Oh, we have an idea." Him and Merry laughed to themselves.

Frodo smiled but gave Merry a push with his foot, "Stop teasing, already."

Merry held up his hands in defense, "I'm just saying she looked fine before Legolas walked up to her."

Frodo came to her rescue before she had to respond, "How is your neck feeling?"

She gave him a small smile, "It doesn't hurt. Just a little tender sometimes."

Sam took a seat next to her and held out an apple, "That's good. You looked like you were one foot in the grave last we saw you. And we believed it too!"

"Guess this life isn't done with me yet." she said absentmindedly. Samantha took the apple without hesitation and bit into it. She couldn't remember the last time she ate something so good. It wasn't until then that she realized just how hungry she was. She hadn't eaten anything since before the fight in Moria.

Her hand halted in her lap and she looked at her friends, "How long was I out?"

Aragorn was the one to respond this time, "A bit over a day. You are very lucky. The healing of the elves is what saved you."

Samantha took another small bite of her apple as she let that sink in. 'Was I really that close to dying?' "What was wrong with me?"

"We cannot say for certain what poison ailed you. After speaking with one of the healers we have a hunch that the orc coated their blade in Sleeper-Teeth venom."

She gave him a weird look, "What's a 'Sleeper-Teeth?'" She could see the hobbits were just as interested at the weird name. It sounded like a dinosaur out of Land Before Time.

Aragorn explained, "It is a spider that lives in caves. It hunts prey much larger than itself. The venom causes the animal to become delirious and sluggish from infection. Allowing the spider to kill its prey once it has worn itself out, or take the kill once the poison has done its job. Though it is a reclusive species, and coating a blade in their venom is virtually unheard of."

Looking down Samantha placed a hand on her neck, "I guess that Orc really wanted people to suffer."

Pippin shook his head, "Going through the effort just to hurt and torture. It's a bit much, isn't it?"

"Orcs don't care." She said to him. "On another note, just another reason to hate spiders!"

"You don't like spiders?" Frodo asked.

She looked at him like he were dumb, "Do you like them? They are the devil incarnate and they all need to burn." She could sense the blank looks she was being given and decided to just continue eating her apple. After she finished a portion of it she spoke, "Some people back home would wonder what it would be like if spider's were the size of dogs. Would they be easier or harder to deal with?"

"Harder, without question."

Samantha looked up and there was Legolas. Her heart sped up from her earlier embarrassment. Why was she feeling this way now? She had always thought he was attractive, of course. He was also considerate and nice. She thought it was cute how he was so dumb about the simplest things. A smile broke across her face as she remembered how he had never skipped a rock before. She felt content when he was with him, calmer.

And, that's why, she can't have sexy thoughts about him!

Not to mention, other than the obvious differences between them, she was like a baby sister to him. Even if in some fantasy they could be together in any way he wouldn't want her. She was a simple human, he's a gorgeous elf. The two don't exactly mix. And who knows what people in Middle Earth of inter-species relationships...

When she realized she was staring she looked forward. 'I'm such a doofus...'

"Why do you say that?" Pippin asked him.

Taking a seat, Legolas began, "In Mirkwood, there are giant spiders. Some larger than a full grown man. It can take several arrows to take a smaller one down. They are very agile and quick like their tiny counter parts. Regular spiders are much easier to deal with. A spider the size of a dog, or horse, can't be killed by my boot."

Sam nodded, "Fair enough. Good thing there aren't any spider's like that around here."

Samantha got a shiver from imagining a spider larger than herself. She had had enough things try to kill her, she didn't need to imagine another.

"Your shot needs improving if you need more than one arrow, laddie." Gimli walked up to the little encampment and caught Samantha by surprise. She hadn't seen him since she screamed in his face. His eyes landed on all the fellowship, except her. He refused to look in her direction and she could feel the regret clawing away inside her heart. Her eyes were locked onto him as he walked over to the table with a few trays of food and he grabbed one. She wanted to say something but nothing came out. Her mouth opened and closed a few times but she just couldn't find the words. "You need to work on your aim." He said as he walked away, stuffing whatever was on the tray into his mouth.

Even though her body was begging her not to she stood up and took a few steps forward, "G-Gimli?" He didn't even stop as he walked away to be alone.

A heavy silence hung in the air. Everyone was staring at her and she didn't know what to do. Confronting bitchy people was one thing, but confronting a friend who she hurt and insulted? Completely different story. What if he never wanted to hear her apology? What if he would never allow her to even try and speak to him again? She didn't know the right way to go about apologizing.

The doubt, regret and shame were too much and she felt a few tears build up from frustration. She blinked several times as she held the apple in her hand tight and walked away from the fellowship. Even though she wanted nothing more than to see them, she didn't want them to see her cry again. She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't care.

"Samantha!" Legolas shouted her name and his hand reached for her arm. His tone told her all that she needed to know. He didn't want her on her own. Like any harm would happen to her in a magical forest city full of magically perfect elves.

Samantha ripped her arm away from his grip and continued on her way. Legolas was about to try once again to stop her but Aragorn stopped him, "Let her be, Leoglas." Legolas stood and watched her has she left. His eyes following her until he could see her no more.

Samantha didn't know how long she had been walking for. Her body ached but it was on autopilot and she would keep going until she could find a decent place to cry by herself. Her mind was void of all thoughts and the memory of her screaming at Gimli replayed in her mind again and again. How Aragorn scolded her. 'They probably think less of me or hate me now.' How could she be so stupid? Tears began to fall as she berated herself.

After a while Samantha came to a small stream and she finally listened to her body's plea to rest. She nestled herself against a smaller tree and her body seemed to sink into the hard wood. At this point anything was comfortable. Perhaps she should have listened to Haldir and stayed in bed.

"Why am I so stupid?" She said with a sigh

She looked at the water and thought of the events of the last few days. She couldn't help think about her older brother, Nate. He hated her too. This all made her think of him. She had gotten angry and screamed at him too and they have never really been on speaking terms since. And, now, they never would be. She's stuck in another world and she'll never see any of them again. Mom, dad, Nate, Conrad, Merick, she would never be able to see them again. She left them alone with so many questions about what happened to her. None of them would know she ended up dying from magical creatures or her own stupidity in a world that shouldn't even exist.

The tears were flowing freely now and she just tried to suppress her sobs.

And, in this new world, she had a new kind of family within the fellowship but she felt she was screwing that up too. She's just a weak child to all of them. She's even more useless than the hobbits and nothing will ever change that. Just like back home, she'll continue to be herself and that will just push everyone away because she's just a useless nobody that shouldn't even be here!

She huddled her side against the tree and wiped her eyes and nose best she could. 'I just want everything to stop. I want my normal boring life back. I want my family back. I want my home back.'

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Posted: 7-17-2020
Edited: 8-30-2020
Edited:1-6-2021