(Lura's P.O.V.)

On and on we walked, further and further away from the Fellowship. Isengard was in the distance, and we should be there by the end of this day, or maybe into the night. That would give us time to get Pippin and bust out of there, and time to get back before they leave.

That is, unless we get lost in the forest that separated us from the tall building of evil.

I stopped at the outskirts of the woods, thinking of home, and how far we've come. The forest reminded me of Mirkwood, and Mirkwood reminded me of Thranduil...he had no love for me. Only my mother did. And she's gone... Tears ebbed in my eyes.

"Lura, come on! By the time we get there, Pippin could be dead!" Legolas said, not even bothering to ask why I was crying. We walked into the forest. Legolas climbed a tree and said the forest didn't go on for long.

"Where are we?" I asked, gazing about me.

"Fangorn Forest," said Legolas vaguely, continuing to walk ahead of me. "A thin part of it, North of Isengard."

The forest where trees moved! Of course! Fangorn Forest...

"Legolas, I-" Legolas spun around and shot an arrow at me, then behind me.

"Woah, Legolas...if you wanted me to stop talking, I would've, no need to shoot at me," I said.

His eyes looked urgent. "If I wanted to shoot you, I wouldn't have missed. No, I didn't want to shoot you, look!"

"Warg!"

"Hurry, when one comes, the pack will follow!" Legolas bolted, and I followed. Until the vicious sound of barking, howling, and snarling became too intense and they cut us off.

Battle was upon us.

Warg after warg attacked. I fought with my back to Legolas, and he fought with his back to me. Soon, all the Wargs had either fled or had been killed. Too soon.

"Well, that was a small pack," I said. "It was easy, wasn't it Legola-"

"AAAAAAAAGH!" Legolas yowled. I spun to see a Warg had wrapped its jaws around him! Nothing was ever easy.

"LEGOLAS!" I screamed, shooting the Warg cleanly between the eyes. The Warg fell, and I knelt by my brother, forcefully prying open the jaws of the monster, and he rolled out, exhausted and in pain.

"Legolas..." I tried to stop the blood, but the tooth punctures were just too deep.

"Athelas...get athelas..." Legolas croaked. Hope flared in me, but it was soon put it out when I remembered that in the North part of Fangorn, there was no athelas.

"Legolas, the men of the North did not linger here, if they came at all!" I cried, tears coming to my eyes once more.

"Then go...I shall find my way back to the Fellowship by yourself..." he said, even though at this point in time, even breathing was quite painful. "You must push on and save Pippin...on your own..."

"No!" I exclaimed, crying. "I'm not leaving you! I can't loose you!"

"Lura....listen to me...." Legolas replied hoarsely from his painful position on the ground, "Go save Pippin....I will be....fine...."

"No...don't leave me!"

"I won't. The power of our bond will always be resident. In spirit, you will never be truly alone."

"Okay, Legolas. But I will return to you. Im ber." (I promise)

Standing up, I helped him up, and then, with a tear in my eye, I turned away from him for possibly the last time.

(Pippin's P.O.V.)

"You've got some talent there, ain't ya?" said a voice. The man in the cell across from me had been listening to me sing the whole time!

"Well,l I replied, "all of my life I've quite fancied singing. My mother says it's in my blood."

"Ah," said the man, "so have I. Sometimes I sing to the stars above us right now."

"But...we can't see the stars." I replied.

"Just because ya can't see somethin' doesn't mean it ain't there."

A pause grew between us.

"I don't mean to be blunt, sir," I replied cautiously to break the silence, "but what is your name?"

"My name? Ah, my name." The man smiled. "They call me Jessie 'round these parts. But the name my momma gave to me was Lloyd. Don't pay much attention to that."

The man pulled off his hood of his cloak so I could see his face. A short, red beard hung from his chin, and long hair of the same color went down to his shoulders. The twinkle in his away was almost as evident as his southern accent. His skin was tan and callused, showing signs of many past adventures. The eyes were a soft chocolate color, and the small wrinkles under his eyes and across his face showed wisdom beyond most men. He wore simple cloths, a brown riding outfit, with s black cloak, and a belt where most likely supplies, food, and a sword, (due to the scabbard), used to be.

"And your name, my fine lad, is Pippin, Peregrin Took."

I sat there, astonished of how this complete stranger knew of me!

He caught my surprise and elaborated. "You talk in your sleep. I know more about you and your adventures than meets the eye, Master Pip." Jessie replied.

"H-how-"

"Also, I'm a raider from the south. That I was, until the Uruks attacked me on the run. I was unprepared, and those buggers were well and heavily armed. There were so many...100, maybe 200, more than even a skilled ranger such as meself couldn't handle. I've been here for a month now. Possibly even longer. Days blend together when you're stuck in confined spaces."

"No one has come for you?" I asked.

"Got no one to come for me. My wife died a year ago, my children with 'er. All the rest of my family have been picked off one by one by these buggers." Jessie replied.

"I'm so sorry for your loss."

"But the sound of your talk, Master Pip, you ain't goin' nowhere either."

"You're right, Jessie. No one will ever come for me. They all hate me..." I dipped my head sadly.

"Hate is a strong word. Try strongly dislike." Jessie suggested.

"It's true. I'll rot in these halls. No one will come for me..."

Suddenly a recognizable voice whispered from the hallway next to my cell!

"Ah, But you're wrong..."