OWN NOTHING

The Simple Plan

Tidbit: Sunnydale in similar to Rivendell. Hmm.

CHAPTER ONE

His head was aching terribly from the lost of concentration. The council just ended and he was already on horse back to check the bad tidings at his home. He could not bring himself to handle the pressure as if it were docile, especially when he would open his mouth and speak with what he would later regret. Such as now. The Ring was growing and becoming increasingly desperate, and he had agreed to join the Halfling to take it to Mordor. Now he would spend an entire month scouting his home and bringing slightly less good news and slightly more of bad news.

Legolas sighed.

He let his eyes close and allowed all undesirable thoughts leave his mind. He knew his white steed would not falter in his tracks, so he relaxed against the reins and took another swig of fresh, woodland air. All he needed was a good inhalation and some deep, sensual, and soothing thoughts. His mother always told him to do that before setting off on certain stressful tasks. Regretabbly her task was most unfortunate and it ruined his life beyond anything else.

His eyes opened immediately. Why had his thoughts drifted to his mother? Why couldn't he clear out his mind of all possible feelings that would leave him in a mess of unwanted feelings and desires? He sighed again before turning around to check on the others. They seemed too deep in thought to say much, and the only one to turn around and regard him was Erustale.

He frowned at his friend and made his horse stay in a slow canter.

"Legolas," he stated firmly. "Three more days until we reach our home, and the travel seems so long a way."

He shook his head. "We must not go so fast Eru, we might be overheard. . . or worse."

The other elf sighed. "Yes, I know, but can we just hurry along a bit?" he glanced back at the others, who all begun to look upon their prince desperately. "Everyone is getting restless and we must hurry back. Imladris was such a long ride, even so tiring for the Elves."

Legolas looked back. He knew everyone was getting tired from the slow pace, but they were all trained to ride hard.

It still does not matter though, he said silently. We must not be heard by anything.

There were loud words from somewhere in the distance, soon being followed by brassy squeals and crashing of. . . Legolas strained his ears some more and looked up in surprise. . . bodies!

Legolas pulled back the horse's reins and it came to a complete halt, attempting to calm the neighing steed when he had lost control and started to recede. How could such a noise disturb such a fierce horse?

When Possumfoot was calm he turned back to the others and nodded his head over in the direction of the noise, placing his finger on his thin lips and silencing them.

Legolas made to dismount but the sounds emitted again and he paused. A voice was fading into the distance, but it was loud enough to make to horses restless as they all continued to trot down the portage road, the sound of water flowing somewhere in aloofness.

Legolas stayed on alert and took careful position for his bow. He was ready to use it when need be.

Then it happened.

So quickly, even he couldn't stop it from happening. Someone, or something, crashed into him and knocked him off Possumfoot and down against the side of the road. Without realizing it Legolas' weapons were being tugged free his chest, and with relfex he went to retrieve them but saw that they were no longer strapped securely around his waist, and the weight of having someone on top of him was lifted and the sounds of his company struggling with something ended.

He gave off a curse in Elvish and looked up in anger.

They were all looking down at him curiously. Almost afraid to move.

Angry, Legolas jumped on his feet and approached the nearest elf.

"Galudirith, where are my weapons?" he demanded.

Galudirith, leaping from his horse and standing a good inch shorter than Legolas, tried to keep a steady gaze on the Elf Prince as he shrugged his shoulders.

Legolas grunted in response and went to ask another Elf, but the horsed rider cried out for the prince, but it had been too late. He was struck again, by a smaller figure in white dressings. He hit the ground hard as the world began to whirl around him, and slowly everything went dark and the voices of his group drifted into black nothingness.

---

"Lego - las." Someone shouted.

He groaned and slowly opened his eyes. It was still dark from what he could tell, and the leaves on the trees had begun blowing again. So it was close to dawn, he decided and stared blankly up at the sky ahead. Then someone's face appeared in front in front of him and called his name again, stirring him from his almost conscious mind.

Legolas sat up and tossed Galudirith away. He wanted an explanation of what had happened moments ago.

"My Lord…" Erustale started, but Legolas held up a hand.

"What happened? Who assaulted me?"

"I. . . did." the voice startled him. It was a woman's voice.

Legolas turned around to see, indeed, a woman standing besides Erustale. She stood inches shorter than himself, and her hair was a bit golden than his, and her complexion was darker. Even under the moonlight he could tell himself of her differences, and he decided she wasn't an Elf. Observing her closely, he thought her to be half of something of the sort.

"Who, are you?" Legolas asked, more harshly than he'd liked.

The girl's confused, almost frightened (almost) features changed quickly and she placed her hand on her hip, pointing a finger with the other.

"Excuse me, mister all and mighty." she said angrily. "It isn't like I wanted to drop into your group like this. . ."

"So you're the one who took my weapons!" Legolas exclaimed, looking around frantically. "Where are they- where are my-"

"Here." Erustale walked over and handed Legolas his things. "And she was not the one who took them, Legolas."

"It was an Orc," she said pointedly. "And I was just informed that I'm not in Sunnydale anymore, but some creepy dark place called Middle- Earth. I didn't even know there was a beginning and an end." her eyes flashed. "Oh gosh… there's an end now. Great, now if you excuse me I must go panic and start collecting canned goods-"

"Please!" Legolas exclaimed, holding up his hand to silence her. "You doing a good job at making my head spin by speaking in riddles, Lady. An Orc she says, Eru? Where?"

"The squeals were coming from the Lady, my Lord." Eurstale explained. "Somewhere near the taller trees. He was hiding in a distant, that is why we could not hear him approach."

"They weren't squeals." she said, exasperated. "They were my fighting noises."

"The Orc came out of nowhere, obviously frightened of the. . . well. . ." He trailed off.

Now it made sense to him. That was why his steed was making so much racket over such a noise. Well, the Lady obviously put it through that she was not squealing, and in fact, she was fighting the beast.

Legolas could not hold back a snort as he eyed her. She did not even seem all that capable of wielding a blade, for she was tiny and petite. And basically, not the fighting type that would call themself a ranger.

Now that his head had stopped moving around like marbles, he could judge her more clearly.

Her hair was in fact a golden color, almost the shade of black and honey. She wore strange clothing to him, possibly foreign, and her body was small, but definitely not a child's. He frowned. How could this small girl- woman, he corrected, be able to fight off an Orc?

And knock yourself from your own horse, he reminded himself in embarressment.

"She killed the Orc." Eru added, bringing Legolas back from his reverie.

Legolas, no longer angry, looked down at the woman in strange pride and fascination.

"You did?" he asked, and when she nodded he smiled gently. "Sorry to have been so rude. My name is Legolas Greenleaf, of the Woodland Realm, and this is-"

"I've got all their names." She said. "My name is Buffy, by the way. Buffy Summers."

Legolas frowned. "Summers. Summer, like the season, how very strange."

"Don't get me started." Buffy said.

Legolas nodded but something curious popped into his mind. "How did you come here? Where did you come from?"

Buffy groaned and rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"I just got through explaining it to these guys, I'm not entirely sure." Buffy announced. "All I remember was a bright light and a lot of screaming. And they just got through telling me about Elves and what's been happening lately."

At that Legolas looked over at the group in suspicioun. Erustale and Galudirith shook their heads slowly, indicating that everything was OK. Legolas noted to have a talk to them later about telling strange women about the war of the Ring and what's been happening lately.

"Where will you go?" Legolas asked her suddenly, walking up to his steed to give him a pat on the head.

"With you obviously." She replied.

Legolas chuckled and shook his head. "We are heading forth to my home, Mirkwood. You cannot come with us because you are a human and well, this is an Elf society and they will all get the wrong impression-"

"Ooh." Buffy caught on, shaking a finger at him. "A racial society, then is it?"

Legolas gave her a weird look and simply smiled. "No, it is not racial, if you mean discriminating. We simply enjoy living amongst ourselves that we are only use to seeing Elves around my home. Having a human around will make everything complicated, and complication will end in diversity."

"Have her travel back to Rivendell." Galudirith suggested. "Er, sir?"

"Yes. This Dell place sounds like an excellent idea sir." she followed Legolas back to where his bow and quivers were. "Well?" she prompted

"Well what?" Legolas snapped, clipping his bow across his chest and strapping together his quiver of arrows.

"I'll go to this Riven place." Buffy said. "I have no where else to go."

"How will you get there?" Legolas asked, walking back to his horse. "You know not the way and you do not know how to ride horseback."

"I know how to ride a horse." She snapped and smiled sheepishly. "Sort of, and for your information, I'm very good with directions."

Everyone laughed, and even Legolas snorted.

She pouted. "I'm serious."

"You do not know the way." It was not a question.

Buffy groaned. "But-"

"No." Legolas said hotly.

"Sir, if you will," Galudirith interrupted, getting on top of his horse. "perhaps you can take her to Rivendell?"

Legolas turned to the short guard, whose hair was un naturally frizzy and dark, and shook his head.

"I must go back to Mirkwood with you all." It was not a question again, just another stupid end of the conversation thing.

"You can ride her back to Rivendell, perhaps, and you can ride her back to Lord Elrond, maybe he will know why this mysterious woman wooed us off our feet." Erustale said.

"It's quite important." Buffy stated matter- of- factly. "What? That's what Erustale said."

Legolas looked from Buffy to Erustale. "Is this true?"

He nodded. "Lord, it may concern the…" His voice became lower. "…dark Lord."

The woods fell incredibly silent and intense. Buffy did not know what for, because this dark Lord thing was new to her. Erustale hadn't said anything about a dark Lord interfering with the way she got here in the first place. Maybe Legolas can explain to her why this dark Lord is connected, somehow, with Buffy. After all, Rivendoyle seems pretty far.

After what seemed like hours, Legolas nodded sternly.

"I will ride the- Buffy, to Rivendell. I do not know, however, why she would be in any way connected to Him, and I am very well aware of Lord Elrond's library. I will return shortly to Mirkwood."

"Do not bother, my Lord." Galudirith said. "We will return in a days time to Rivendell. Stay there, Lord, and explain to Master Elrond everything the girl has said to you along the way."

Legolas sighed and gave in. His group was hard to convince so he must take this as an opportunity to hear about the young woman and why it was so important how she arrived here. Where did she come from? Why was she so suspicious? Legolas took from his thoughts for a moment to watch her argue about the different between being a girl and a woman, then sighed. And why was she so damned stubborn?

"We will leave now." Legolas shouted, grabbing onto Buffy's elbow gently. "You will ride with me and tell me everything."

"Let go." Buffy warned, freeing her arm. "You don't have to be so mean. Are you a leader or something?"

"No." He told her, leaping onto his horse and helping her up behind him. "A prince."

"Great," Buffy said sarcastically, hesitating, but wrapping her arms around his waist. The contact between them startled both riders and Buffy was grateful for the warmth around him. It was so chilly out here that she was about to ask for a cloak like the others. "My Lord sirs, it was wonderful speaking with you all." She tried to sound formal, but it just ended up sounding like some bad American actor forcing an English accent.

They said their farewells and watched Legolas gallop away with the mysterious Buffy.

Buffy clung to him and whispered, "Now, would you like to tell me how I ended up here?"