Into the World of Elves

Ch 3- OW!

Temperance ran with tears streaming down her face. She ran until she collapsed in exhaustion. She lay in the middle of a clearing, thoughts of what she had just learned running through her head. So much could be lost if what she had been told was true. Her silent tears changed to sobs. She cried until the tears just stopped and all that was left was a hollow feeling. Temp shook herself and sat up.

"Its not true! I won't believe it!" She cried standing up. She looked around trying to figure out which direction to head in when she heard a noise in the forest. She turned to look off into the forest behind her.

"Oh gosh! That could be anything! Run for your life Temp!" Her mind cried anxiously. So Temperance turned and ran as fast as she could into the other side of the woods. Fear gripped her as she heard someone or something coming through the trees and leaves behind her. She shot forward running with all she had. Until her shirt caught a root and she started to fall down. She tried to catch herself on a rotten tree.

"OW!" she cried as a sharp burning pain shot through her hand. When she landed, she rolled into a sitting position and held her aching hand. She heard whatever was following coming towards her. Temp tensed waiting for the attack. Then it spoke and she began to breath easy.

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"Today was a fine hunt wasn't it?" Gimli asked the elf beside him. Legolas smiled over at his old friend, nodding. They were headed back to the city, when Legolas thought he heard something. He stopped and listened. Gimli continued to walk and chatter.

"It's not true! I won't believe it!" He heard from a small distance away. He looked off into the forest.

"What is it, elf?" Gimli asked finally noticing that Legolas had stopped. Legolas held up his hand to quiet him. He looked into the forest and saw a clearing. There in the clearing was what seemed to be a child. He stepped closer to get a better look. Gimli followed and stepped on a twig. The girl must hhearheard the noise because she whirled to look upon the forest. Legolas soon realized that he had been mistaken in his observation that it was a child. He could now see that it was a small woman. She stood squinting trying to see into the dark woods.

"Damn!" He thought as he watched her turn and run deeper into the forest. He started after her. He wanted a better look at her. She was fast he thought as he followed her quick pace.

"OW!" Legolas heard and sped up. He saw her sitting on the ground cupping her hand. She was hurt, he saw and moved forward.

"Let me see." He said softly, kneeling beside her, reaching for her hand. She didn't look up; just let him take the hand. Looking at the tiny hand he saw large splinter imbedded in the tender flesh just below her thumb.

"I'll take this out." He said, still she didn't look up, only nodded. He let go of her hand long enough to pull out the knife he was carrying. Again he took up her hand, he was about to use the knife when……….. "OW "OW THAT HURTS!" The woman yelled, causing him to wince.

"I have not even touched it yet." He said amused.

"You haven't? I could have sworn I saw you touch it." The woman said trying to pull her hand away.

"I haven't, so just be patient and this will be over quickly." Legolas said tighten his grip on her hand. He pulled it closer to him, and once again tried to remove the splinter.

"OW!!!! LET GO! LET GO! You're hurting me!" she cried out.

"I still have not touch It.," he said evenly. The woman sighed and tried to tug her hand back.

"Good! I think I'll keep it for a pet. My hand can be its home. Now let go!" She said, jerking her hand.

"No it must be removed! Now just hold still!" Legolas ordered, his attention still on the piece of wood.

"Close your eyes!" He said, smiling when he heard her loud groan. He looked up and saw her eyes squeezed tightly shut. He ran his finger over the injury and she flinched but didn't make a sound. Nodding he made quick work of removing the sliver of wood. He rubbed his fingers over the spot as if the sooth the pain.

"It is done. You can open your eyes now." He said looking up at her once more; her eyes were still squeezed closed.

"LEGOLAS?" He heard Gimli calling out to him but still he looked upon the woman, waiting for her eyes to open. They popped open at the sound of his name an fou found himself looking into a pair of blue eyes.

"Odd." He thought as he looked into the azure depths. Those icy eyes looked strangely familiar, bring back memories from days of yore. Memories he didn't often give into and he didn't today.

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"No!" Temp's mind gasped as she heard another familiar name called out. Her eyes snapped open and she found herself face to face with a man.

"ELF!" she corrected herself mentally.

"Oh Wow!" she thought reminding herself to breath. He was magnificent! Orlando Bloom in all his elven glory couldn't compare to the gloriousness of the elf before her. He frowned slightly. He looked a little confused, then his frown changed quickly to a smile.

"Hey maybe living here won't be so bad after all?" She thought looking at the fine hunk of elvish meat in front of her.

"NO! You are going back!" she said firmly to herself.

"LEGOLAS?" was again called out, and Legolas turn to answer. She stopped him by grabbing his arm. He turned back to her, a questioning look on his face.

"Which way is the city?" Temp asked quietly. His smile returned and he pointed off to right.

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He was turning to answer Gimli when he felt her hand clamp lightly on his arm. Turning back to her, he saw her confused look.

"Which way is the city?" She asked him softly. He smiled and pointed her towards the right. Legolas turned back to call out to Gimli.

"Here Gimli!" He had barely gotten the statement out of his mouth before the lady behind him bolted but instead of heading for the city she ran in the other direction. Cursing he started after her like he had done before. He found her standing in another clearing, staring down at something on the ground.

"Its true, all she said is true." He heard her murmur. He stepped up beside her to see what she was looking at. It was something he had never seen before.

"What is true?" He asked watching her. She turned to him with sorrow filled eyes.

"She told me I couldn't go back." She said.

"Who told you that you couldn't return?" He asked confused by her statement.

"Galadriel." She said. He nodded his understanding then.

"Ah!" he thought as her studied her more closely. Upon closer inspection he saw that she was no elf but a human. He had heard the rumor that a human had been found in the woods bud did discounted it because it was supposedly impossible. Thought it had happened once before. He thought of the promise Tolkien had broken upon reentering his world. It was a shame that this poor girl had to be punished for that man's mistakes.

"I'll never see them again. I used to wish to get away. It would seem that I have gotten my wish." She said.

"A wish didn't bring you here. You have no need to blame yourself for something you had no say in." He said placing a hand on her shoulder.

"What will I do?" She asked frightened she didn't know anything about this place.

"First you'll tell me your name. Then we will go back to the city and you can talk more with Galadriel. She will help you with your problems." He said smiling down at her. She stared at him in shock. THAT was his solution! How could he act like this wasn't a big deal! She was stuck lives with elves for the rest of her life! Well she supposed she could give him some slack, he hadn't ever been thrown into a whole new world.

"Why do I all of the sudden want to sing the song from Aladdin?" She wondered.

"My lady?" Legolas asked when she didn't answer him. She blinked and looked at him.

"Temperance. My name is Temperance." She said sticking out her hand.

"It is a pleasure, Lady Temperance." He said taking her hand and pressing a kiss on the back of it. Temp had to beat down the urge to sigh and grin stupidly up at him.

"Just Temperance please. Or you can call me Temp." She said pulling her hand from his.

"Very well, Temperance. Shall we go back to the city and Galadriel?" Legolas asked her. Temp nodded silently. They start back towards the city.

"I am Legolas." He said walking beside her, looking ahead with his arms behind his back.

"Yes I got that from the person yelling at you." She said dryly. He turned to look at her swiftly.

"Gimli!" He said realizing he had left this friend by himself. Suddenly something came crashing out of the forest and straight into poor Temperance.

"OH!" She cried as she was thrown to the ground and something heavy landed right on her.