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Chapter 1: Alone In The Wood

For a long time, Legolas had hid beneath an old, gnarled tree while only a short distance away from him, horses thundered down the road, horses with their riders clad in armor, wearing swords and bows. Legolas was shaking, pressing himself hard against the tree and trying to stop breathing so that he would not be discovered.

Today was a special day, the day of his coming of age, and yet there was no celebration for him as all of a sudden, his father's kingdom had been attacked. He did not know what had happened to his family, his friends; his father had ordered him to flee so that he would survive the attack. And now he was alone in the wood, surrounded by enemies and without an idea what to do or where to go.

But at least he was still alive and unharmed, which might be more than his brothers -- no, Legolas admonished himself. He would not think of such things. He had to wait until the riders had left, and then he would go on until he would find a safe place.

Finally the riders had vanished into the wood and Legolas dared to leave his hiding place. Slowly he got up, stiffling a groan as his cramped muscles complained, and then all of a sudden a strong hand gripped his shoulder, pulling him back against a hard body. Legolas struggled in panic but quickly stopped resisting when he felt a cold, sharp blade against his skin.

"What do we have here?" a cold voice said, and Legolas froze with fear when he recognized that voice.

What do you do now?

	It is the voice of a Noldo
	It is the voice of a man from Gondor