The Fair-Haired Ones

Twilight crept silently over Middle Earth and stretched its long arm over the forests as it turned into a new dawn. The wind still layed at rest as the silver clouds lining the sky opened up and began releasing water droplets. An amount of rain so small that you could hardly feel it touch your skin fell. It was like a child tickling you on the face and arms. It did not make Veronica and Legolas stir at all.

Legolas, whom had fallen asleep beside Veronica, opened his clear blue eyes to greet the morning. He turned on his side and watched Veronica as she slept undisturbed. Her golden hair, lined with patches of morning dew, glistened under the sun. Her fair skin was turning a light tan color from the sun kisses that danced across her face. Legolas kissed Veronica on her forehead lightly and gleamed as he saw the sun shining brightly through the tops of the trees.

Legolas stood and stretched his long, lean body. The morning now had turned to fair and was cool. Legolas ran his finger on the branch of a tree. The forest was showing signs that the autumn would soon be there. He fixed the almost sloppy braids in his blond hair and ventured off to find some wood for starting a fire.

Some time after Legolas's departure, Veronica stirred peacefully and stretched her arms outward. Veronica was slightly alert, as she was still in the stage between being asleep and awake. A branch snapped in the distance and made her body jump, but she thought nothing of it. Her body wiggled slightly on the soft ground as she sought sleep again. Then, another branch snapped more near to her and caused Veronica to sit abruptly upright. She peered around the perimeter before noticing she sat alone.

"Legolas?" she called.

A branch snapped and leaves crunched again. Veronica jumped to her feet and made ready to grab her dagger from her boot.

"Legolas?" she called once more.

There was no answer.

"Malone?" she asked.

Again, there was no answer. Crunch. Snap. Veronica pulled her dagger from her tall brown boot and began to walk forward toward to where the sound came from. Her heart beat rapidly as she crept onward. Crunch. Crunch. Then, Legolas exited the brush, his arms filled with firewood. Veronica sighed heavily with relief.

"Good morning, Veronica!" he exclaimed, setting down the wood.

Veronica sighed again and placed her dagger back into her boot. She smiled and looked toward the ground, shaking her head. She began to walk toward Legolas and looked up once again.

"Legolas!" she shouted as a raptor lept from behind him.

Legolas had his bow ready, until the raptor swatted it from his hands. The raptor clawed at Legolas and swept him into a tree.

"Legolas!" she screamed.

She drew her dagger as the raptor began to circle her. She gulped and breathed harder. Each breath was sharper and deeper than the last. The second scaly raptor was just as the first. It screeched at her as she dodged its tail.

"Come on," she taunted the raptor. "You're the last one here; I'll make sure of that!"

The raptor came toward her again. Veronica dropped to her knees and sliced the beast's ankles as it played leap frog over her. It squawked and cried out as it fell on its back. Veronica walked angrily toward the creature. It smacked her with its tail, but Veronica quickly again was on her feet. Its tail flipped around again, but Veronica stabbed it into the ground. She took her other dagger from her left boot and approached the raptor.

"Go to hell, you son-of-a-bitch," she said and sliced the raptor's throat and stabbed into its heart.

The raptor gave out one final cry as it fell down completely dead. Veronica stayed crouched on the groiund for a moment as she caught her breath. She took the daggers from the dead beast's heart and tail and ran to where Legolas had been thrown.

"Legolas!" she said. She came upon him and gasped.

Legolas had landed between a tree and a stone. The sharp stone had impailed him in his right flank.

"Veronica," he whispered. Veronica placed her hands over his wound to help stop the bleeding. He placed his hand on her now wet cheek and caressed it.

"Oh, Legolas. Hold on," she said.

Veronica stood and looked at both sides of the wound.

"I have to get you off this rock or you'll bleed to death," she explained.

There was no fear in Legolas's eyes. He placed his arms around Veronica's shoulders. "Do it."

Veronica wrapped her arms around Legolas and quickly pulled him from the rock. He yelled out in pain and held his side as Veronica laid him beside the pool of water. She threw water on his wound to cleanse it, but the blood still flowed. She looked down at her blood-soaked skirt and ripped a piece from it. She put it to his wound and had him hold it there.

"Veronica, go for help," Legolas instructed.

"No. I can't leave you here; all this blood will surely bring predators," she answered.

"That's a chance we have to take," he replied. "If you do not, I will die. This you know."

She painfully nodded and kissed him.

"Go, now, Veronica," he said, holding his side.

"I will return; hold on," she answered and took running through the woods.


Thank God the forest resided on the outskirts of Minas Tirith. Veronica ran like the wind through the village and into the kingdom. Crowds of civilians gawked at Veronica, as her outfit was drenched with blood. They tried to help, but Veronica pushed through the people as she made her way into the castle. Blood dripped from her skirt as Veronica slipped and fell face first to the ground. Knights at the entrance helped her to her feet. She turned to one of them.

"My friend is in dire need of assistence. I need to see the King," she said.

The men did not move, but looked at her strangely. She drew her daggers, covered in the blood of the raptor, and held them to the guards.

"Now!!" she exclaimed and the first man obeyed her request.

She looked to the other man. "You, round up some guards."

"Yes, maim," he said running off.

The King and Queen appeared around the corner in their outside wear. Veronica gasped at her shortness of breath as she practically fell into Aragorn's arms.

"What is it, Veronica?" Arwen sounded worried.

"In the forest, we were attacked," Veronica said. "Help me; it's Legolas."

"Take me to him," Aragorn said.