DISCLAIMER: Familiar Lord of the Rings characters do not belong to me. No profit was made from this story.

Chapter 1: The Meaning of Alone

Alyssa walked slowly through the forest and brush. The hot, humid day wrapped around her and she sighed in contentment. She just didn't get to do this often enough. Wandering in forests and wooded areas made her feel peaceful and connected...not exactly something her 11-year-old mind understood, even as mature as she was, but something she welcomed nonetheless. A rush of wind stirred the quiet, still trees, and she tipped her face up, closing her eyes against the brightness of the sun. She swore that if she listened the right way, she could just hear the trees whispering...could just barely make out their ancient language...

"What do you hear, young one?" Alyssa snapped back, the spell of the woods forgotten, lost to sudden shock that tore a surprised yell from her throat, took her breath, and caused her to lose her balance, for although neither the tone, nor the words were threatening, they were wholly unexpected. She had wandered out here alone, and was not expecting company, least of all company like this. Gazing up wide-eyed with fear that slowly melted to confusion and wonder, her dark green eyes took in the sight of an elderly man in a strange manner of dress, with a long flowing gray beard. His eyes, clear blue and young, despite his old appearance, twinkled merrily at her.

"Who-who are you?" Alyssa asked when she finally managed to get her lungs working properly. After her initial fright, she quickly came to the conclusion that although unexpected, the appearance of the man did not put her in danger. He was elderly, and she was confident of her safety. But when he did not answer her, she grew wary and climbed to her feet, backing up a few steps. The stranger was staring at her intensely and the initial fear was metamorphosizing into well-metered discomfort. She sensed something...a power...about him that was hidden behind his appearance. It unsettled her.

But the old man simply stood and looked at her, an expression she could not read on his face. Alyssa shifted on her feet, thoughts of bolting no longer at the forefront of her mind. She studied the man as intensely as he studied her. A dozen different thoughts all raced through her mind, most of which appealed directly to her compassionate nature. He was old, maybe in need of help, and while she was not sure of his state of mind, she was still certain that she was in no immediate danger. He watched silently as she went through these lines of thought. The expression on her face began to reflect a new concern, not for herself, but for him. Yes, he thought to himself. This is definitely she.

"I was listening to the whispering of the pines as the wind passed through them," Alyssa answered his original question, "when you startled me. I didn't realize anyone else was here. I hope I didn't stumble onto your property, sir?" She let the question hang, and he gave a quick shake of his head. Alyssa was silent for a moment, trying to figure out where to go from here. Sighing quietly, she decided on a direct approach, since the indirect one got her nowhere. "Are you okay, sir? Can I help you?" As she spoke, she glanced up at the sun, trying to guess how long she'd been there and what time it might be. Around 4:00, she thought. Her mother would be expecting her to come home soon.

"I am fine, child," he replied after a moment. "But I would like to ask you something, if I may?" Alyssa nodded, puzzled. He had a slight accent she could not place, and spoke in a manner that seemed to go against his bedraggled appearance. Clearly, this man was more than he appeared, and she wasted no time in wiping her mind of her preconceived notions. A sudden breeze caught her red hair and teased the curls gently. "If I say to you 'Beware the shadow' what would you reply?" He watched her face for a sign...and he was not disappointed. Alyssa's breath hitched, and she went even paler under her freckles than she usually was. Not that he was surprised, for he knew she'd heard those words before.

"I'd – I'd say 'Beware the east'," she finally answered in just above a whisper. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest at the phrase that had haunted her dreams since she could remember, but never knew why. The uttering of those words caused events that had been holding still across time to start again, and an old power, unlocked by a deceptively normal-looking old man, did what it was created for. Alyssa found herself feeling as if the breath it took her to say those words was the only breath she had. Fear clutched at her mind as darkness started to close over her sight. Her ears were filled with the sound of rushing wind, and then there was nothing...no sight, no sound, and then no awareness.

*                       *                       *                       *

Alyssa awoke with a violent and sudden jerk and gasp, as one sometimes does when wrenching out of a nightmare. She struggled to a sitting position, taking deep breaths, reassuring herself that she could, for the distant, yet recent, memory of not being able to was still fresh in her mind. She looked around herself, confused and panicky. This was not where she was supposed to be, of that she was certain. Where am I? She thought to herself, still feeling dazed. These woods were vastly different from the scrub area she'd been walking in and she couldn't figure out how she'd gotten there. Looking around, she ascertained that she was, indeed, alone. She had no specific memory of what she'd been doing before the feeling of suffocation came over her, not even remembering the strange encounter with the old man. Slowly, she rose to her feet.

"I would have you state your name and purpose for entering this realm. Answer quickly, or find an arrow for your troubles," a cool, accented voice said behind her. Alyssa's heart jumped, and she did her best to stifle a cry of surprise as she fought her flight instinct and the surge of adrenaline in her system. Her breath came in ragged gasps and she could not control the trembling that was taking hold of her limbs. "I grow weary of waiting," the voice said. She squeezed her eyes closed and desperately tried to make her voice work. She swallowed, and balled her hands into fists. Her mind was reeling and she felt dizzy from her rapid breathing. She was shaking, and her legs began to feel weak. Suddenly, she felt a sharp tip at her back, and her body lost its battle against the fear and she crumpled to the ground.

Legolas reacted instantly, catching her and easing her down. Concern warred with suspicion, for while she seemed no more than a frightened young human girl, albeit strangely dressed, he'd seen her literally appear out of nowhere and that was reason enough for caution. As he studied her prone form with a slight frown on his face, he heard the quiet approach of his human friend.

"Legolas?" Aragorn said as he stepped up to the elf. "What has happened here?" He knelt beside him and the unconscious girl. Legolas shook his head.

"I know not," he answered. "She appeared out of thin air, as if by magic, right before me. I asked for a name and statement of her doings, and I could see that she was very afraid. She trembled like the leaves in the fall. I pressed her again for a reply, and she fell unconscious without ever having spoken a word." As Legolas spoke, Aragorn gently examined her, making sure she was uninjured.

"Well," Aragorn said finally as he glanced towards the setting sun. "Let us make camp and keep watch over her. When she awakens, we will question her." Aragorn bent to pick her up, but Legolas stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"We should secure her, Aragorn," he pressed forward even as the ranger shook his head. "I know she appears harmless, but she came out of nowhere and would not give a name. In these times of growing darkness, we must take no chance with a stranger such as this." Aragorn sighed, but relented. The elf was correct. Legolas firmly, but gently, bound her wrists and feet together, using his elven-made rope that would not hurt her skin. When he was finished, Aragorn picked her up, and could not help but be struck by how young and innocent she looked. Together, he and Legolas moved quickly to where they'd planned to camp for the night.

*                       *                       *                       *

Alyssa woke slowly, called back to consciousness by the sound of voices. She struggled to understand what her confused senses were signaling to her and trying to ignore the panic that was stirring in her heart. Tensing, she realized she was bound hand and foot, and her heart thudded with fear. Dimly, she realized that the voices behind her had stopped, and she immediately stilled her movements, not wanting to draw attention to herself. She tried to breathe normally, but her pounding heart and fear did not allow that. She heard footsteps as one of them approached her and she forced herself to remain quiet as a tear slipped down her cheek.

Aragorn crouched down beside the girl. Although he head not heard, Legolas had alerted him to the change in her breathing, indicating that she'd awakened. Aragorn frowned as he saw the tension in her small body, and the fact that she was shaking. She was relatively close to the fire they'd lit and it was not cold over here. She was frightened. Gently, he placed a hand on her shoulder, but before he could say anything, she reacted.

"No!" she screeched, desperately rolling away and sitting up. She awkwardly scrambled backwards, until she felt something at her back. "Please no! Don't touch me!" She pressed back as hard as she could, knees drawn to her chest, head turned, eyes squeezed tightly shut. She was shaking uncontrollably, crying. Aragorn looked over at Legolas who had quickly joined him. They exchanged concerned glances. Whatever they'd been expecting, it certainly wasn't this display of soul-wrenching terror. Aragorn knelt back down beside her, this time keeping his hands up in plain sight.

"It is all right, little one. Do not be frightened. You are safe here. No one will hurt you," Aragorn said gently. Alyssa dimly heard the voice of the man in front of her, but her fear made it difficult to focus. She was starting to have difficulty breathing properly and that only fueled her panic. Kidnapped by two men...her mind quickly went down the darker road of possibilities associated with this situation. After a short while of not being able to get through to her, Aragorn looked at Legolas helplessly. "She is sunk so far into her fear she is not responding. I do not know what to do," he admitted. Legolas knelt beside Aragorn.

"Let me try something..." Aragorn backed up and Legolas started to sing. Although he was not expecting Legolas to do that, he realized that it made a certain amount of sense. There was no sound more soothing than the singing of an elf. Legolas was singing in Elvish, and Aragorn was certain that she didn't understand the words. But that didn't matter. It was not the understanding, but the feeling, that was important here. After a few moments, Alyssa seemed to come around, coaxed out of the fear by the sweet sound of Legolas' voice. Her breathing slowed to a more normal pace, though it was still quick and shallow.

"Please do not be afraid. You are in no danger from us," Aragorn said gently. The girl turned wide, frightened emerald eyes to him. She was still trembling and her teeth chattered as if she were cold.

"Where am I? Why am I tied? Who are you? Please, please let me go," Alyssa managed to get out, though her voice shook with fear. Her eyes flicked to Legolas and they saw her surprise clearly. "What are you?" She directed at him. During this tirade of frantic questioning, Aragorn had pulled out a short knife, meaning only to cut the ropes. Alyssa saw it, though, before he had a chance to say anything, and pressed back again with a short cry. "What are you doing?"

"Peace, child, peace. I mean only to cut your bonds. I am sorry for restraining you, but we did know if you were friend or foe." As he spoke, Aragorn gently removed the rope from around her ankles, and then her wrists. She watched every move he made in frightened silence, tense and shaking. Aragorn though that it was highly unlikely that she would be any danger to them and although he'd not said so, Legolas agreed. He could smell her fear...something like that could not be faked. "Now," Aragorn said, taking a seat in front of her. "Let us find some answers here. My friend told me that when he asked you what you are called and what your business was, you did not answer. Answer now, so that we may rightly decide what to do with you." Alyssa's mind raced. She had no memory of how she came to be here. For all she knew, they were responsible. She was finding it exceedingly difficult to meet the questioning eyes of the two men. Fear and uncertainty still had tight control over her, and she felt as if might start crying. She bit her lip and took a deep, shuddering breath. It did not seem as if they were going to hurt her, but that provided little, if any, comfort.

"My name is Alyssa," she said finally, in just over a whisper. "And I have no idea how -- " her voice cracked, and she had to stop talking to recompose herself. A tear she could not help slipped down her face. "No idea how I got here. I woke up here. I don't even know where here is." She was still shaking, and Legolas removed the cloak he was wearing and moved to drape it over her. She flinched away from him and he stopped what he was doing when he saw this.

"Let us move to the fireside to continue the discussion," Legolas said instead. "For although the chill comes from within her, the warmth may help to dispel it." He looked at her kindly and she was struck by his eyes. Something about his eyes belied age his features did not. She found it both frightening and fascinating. Legolas reached out a hand to help her stand, but she ignored it, using the boulder she'd been leaning on instead. Her legs felt weak and shaky, but she made it over to the fireside on her own. She watched warily as the two men both seated themselves some distance from her in an effort to make her feel less threatened.

"Alyssa," Aragorn said slowly, once they were seated. "A strange, but pretty, name. I am Aragorn and this is Legolas," he said, purposefully leaving off the formal titles. They would probably just confuse her more. He saw her eyes fasten on Legolas. Aragorn glanced at him and shrugged. Legolas understood the gesture.

"Alyssa, have you ever seen an elf before?" Legolas asked softly. Alyssa's face registered confusion at the nonsense question.

"Of course not," she said quietly. "They don't exist. Why? What is this about?" Aragorn got the distinct impression that this meek, frightened girl could be quite a force to reckon with when she was so moved.

"Alyssa," Aragorn said quietly. "Legolas is an elf. They do exist. As a matter of fact, they were in Middle Earth before any other race."

 "An elf," she said slowly. Her mind was racing so quickly that she could not catch a coherent thought, except to doubt the sanity of the two men, and possibly her own. Finally, she shook her head. "That isn't possible. Elves are fairy-tale creatures. They don't exist!" A look of something quite close to annoyance passed over Legolas' features and Aragorn looked down to avoid smiling at her comment.

"I can assure you, my lady," he said a bit stiffly. "That I am not a fairy. I am an elf...and if you wish to doubt my existence, then you must doubt your sight. For an elf is sitting directly in front of you." Aragorn watched her carefully. Alyssa's eyes were focused on the fire in front of her, and she was quiet for a long time.

"Middle Earth?" she said softly, almost to herself. "Where is Middle Earth? What country am I in?"

"You are in the realm of Mirkwood," Legolas answered. "My home."

"Mirkwood? But what country is it? Am...am I in the United States?" She asked them suddenly, a new look of panic in her eyes. Aragorn and Legolas exchanged glances.

"We know not of what you speak," Aragorn said quietly. Alyssa's heart sped up as the gravity of her situation set in.

"America?" She tried again. They shook their heads. "Ireland? Or, or Germany?" She named the countries her family had ties to. Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at their gentle, sad expressions. She gasped on a sob as she realized how lost, how truly lost, she was. Alyssa felt as if a great void had opened inside of her and for the first time in her short life, she completely understood the meaning of the word "alone." It was breathtakingly terrifying.