Wren found herself looking straight up at the grey overcast sky, lying on her back, atop something that appeared to be twitching involuntarily. Pain seared throughout her body, she was not sure where it came from, her throbbing head made it difficult to process a coherent thought. Her lungs were burning, perhaps because she needed air. As she struggled to find her next breath, a pair of stricken blue eyes appeared above her own. A strong arm slid swiftly under her and raised her to her feet.

Legolas held her upright with one arm as he quickly inspected her wounds with the other hand. She leaned on him, dazed as she tried to regain her balance, her hands still bound. The blood from her head wound had started to congeal. Her cheek was already swelling and the cut on her neck was bleeding profusely.

"It's a shallow flesh wound," Legolas said at last as he breathed out, sounding relieved.

"Hmm...?"

"On your neck, the orc's knife must have slid and grazed your collar bone. The cut is not deep."

It was coming back now, the stench of orc hung on her, and she realized the majority of the pain that was flooding through her, emanated from her neckline. She shook her head as her thoughts clarified.

Then suddenly the elf prince's demeanor changed. His gaze hardened and without warning, he blurted out, "How could you have been so careless?

Wren felt like she had been struck again.

She took a step back from his grasp. Stunned by his harsh tone and words, Wren raised her shoulder defensively to her neck, to staunch the bleeding from the wound.

"What do you mean-"

"How could you be so careless to allow yourself to be captured by Orcs?"

Wren was incredulous, unable to respond before he continued.

"Why did you leave without Rodorin?" Legolas spat.

"The situation was within my control," She said, now gathering her thoughts and words into a corner, as she shook loose the bonds from her hands. Bonds that she had been in the midst of untying even before her rescue.

Legolas took a step towards her, breathing heavily, his chest heaving. "Within your control?" he repeated through gritted teeth.

He was about to say something else when he caught himself. He turned abruptly and began striding away from her.

By this time, Strider and the other Rangers had run up to Wren. Strider tore off a piece off his cloak and held it to her neck while checking her other injuries. Wren stood, unable to speak, seething with rage.

Without looking at her, as he inspected her head wound, Strider spoke quietly. "He feared for your life."

Wren looked at Strider in disbelief and said with a voice dripping with sarcasm, "Well, how benevolent of him to inadvertently slice me up then." She added bitterly, "He should not speak to me as if I were a child."

She watched him Legolas walk away on his own back to the village, unaware that the righteous anger she felt was gradually being poisoned by a creeping sense of fear.

-0-0-0-0-0-

This is the first chapter from Wren's point of view ...  so I know this is a short chapter, but it is a necessary bridge to the next! I promise I won't make you wait more than a couple of days!

I would love to receive your comments and PLEASE vote on this chapter if you enjoyed it. Each vote and comment helps the wider circulation of my story, I really appreciate them

DEDICATION: To La_Revolution_de_Enj  for faithfully reading and voting on my story, more often than not being one of the first to do so!