Syah's Tears

It was to the sound of leaves that Syah began to wake. But the sounds were different. She had been in the mountains and forests long enough to know that she was not in the Cascades anymore. She immediately knew she was on a tree limb instead of her porch. That these woods smelled different. That they felt darker and more dreary.

Do not panic, she said to herself. When I opened my eyes, I will not panic.

Years of pain and survival training had taught her enough to know that panicking would probably get her killed. So she cautiously opened her eyes. Only to find a man, like no other she had seen before, staring at her.

“Holy crap!” she yelped, startled to the point that she slipped off of the tree limp she was on and fell to the ground.

There were two more men looking at her when she returned to her senses. This made her back into another tree, but not before tripping on a root.

Get a hold of yourself, Syah.

She made herself stand up straighter and her defenses immediately took over. She looked at the three men, all still staring at her but more with curiosity and concern rather than if she was an intruder. They were staring at her clothes strangely also. And who wouldn’t? They looked tailored, while she looked...alien.

Dark green cloth pants and a gray zipper sweater. And black hiking boots to. Where the hell was she? Where in her world were there men like this?

Well, she sighed, at least the colors match theirs.

“Man eneth lin, hiril nin?”

Syah was completely caught of guard by his soft voice. As well as his blue eyes. Though, she had no idea what he was saying to her.

“What is your name?” he asked again, but in a different language.

“I don’t understand.“

Syah put on her best ‘I have no idea what you’re saying’ face, hoping he would understand her.

He obviously didn’t know what she was saying either, but he did nod to her expression. “Henion.”

Syah took that to mean ‘I understand’. She hoped so anyway.

The other two men looked wary of her presence. However, they did not say anything about it. They seemed to not want to question the third’s word.

“Where am I?” she whispered, trying hard not to show her own worry. She did not think it wise to show these men her doubt and concern.

Though her gut instincts told her they would not harm her, that did not mean she was not in danger. And a language barrier made the situation no easier.

The one who had been speaking to her walked closer. Fighting the urge to back away and move behind the tree, Syah instead took a few steps forward to show she wasn’t afraid.

He put his hand to his chest before he spoke. “i eneth nin, Legolas.”

It took Syah a moment to realize he was speaking his name to her. She put her hand to her chest and said, “Syah.”

“Syah,” he repeated with a gentle smile. “Suilad.”

Legolas turned to his two companions and said, “Hathol.”

The man bowed to her and said, “Suilad.”

“Aras.”

The other man turned and bowed. He also greeted her with, “Suilad.”

Legolas reached his hand out as if to usher her towards him. To have her follow him. “Aphado nin. Avo visto, hiril nin. Avam auta lye.”

Syah was not sure what to do so she listened to her gut instinct and began to walk with them. Little did she know that he had just told her to follow him, and to not stray from their side. That he promised that they would not leave her.

Little did she also know that her gut knew who Legolas was. What he was. Deep inside of herself, hidden, were the answers to her questions of this new place. But she would have to learn them for now. And rely on the one thing that had kept her going through the years.

Raw, human instinct.

The instinct to survive.

But she also would have to learn the one human thing that she had lost: the feeling of belonging.

And to not be alone.