Just a Friend

Wow, I am sorry that it has been so long since a longer multi-chaptered story! I have been busy with revision, and also don't want to publish everything I have saved too quickly, because it does take me a long time to write, edit and finalise these longer stories. I would rather publish gradually, but most of the time, rather than take massive gaps to finish writing (as I write I am also working on another multi-chapter fic, that will be coming next)

I'm not really sure where this story came from, but I just decided to write it when I was procrastinating (again). This is set a few years or so after the War of the Ring, and features some OCs, but nobody who I will continue to use in other fanfics. (probably)

Disclaimer: When I tried to sue P.J. for copyright infringement, I was told by the very nice men in suits that I couldn't. So I don't own any of it.

The rickety door to the farmhouse swung open with a bang. A shout came from inside.

"Telan, be careful! Slam that door any harder and it will break."

Telan sighed. "Yes, Ma," he said. He ran his hand through his lanky brown hair and whistled softly as he gathered the tools from where they sat next to the door.

His mother, Alya, appeared in the doorway. "Honestly," she said, a bowl of dough in her arms. "Why do all men feel the need to slam doors? Your father does it every time he comes home from the fields."

Telan grinned. "I don't know, Ma, but I will try not to." He picked up an axe. "How much firewood do you want?"

"As much as you and Cat can carry," replied Alya.

Telan groaned. "Why do I have to take her?" he asked. "She just runs off all the time, and never listens to me."

"She is six, Telan," replied his mother. "She doesn't listen to anyone. Get her to collect kindling, we need more. Now be careful in those woods. You're too far away from the house for me to hear if anything goes wrong. And it rained last night, so be careful you don't slip when collecting and chopping those logs."

Telan cut her off. "Ma, I'm thirteen now," he said. "I can look after myself."

Alya kissed him on the cheek before he could dart away. "You are my son," she said softly. "I will always worry a bit about you."

"Do you worry about Da as well?" asked Telan cheekily.

Alya swatted at him with her spoon. "Mind that tongue, Telan! Now get going. The next few nights might get cold, and we will need the wood if it does."

"Aye Ma," replied Telan. Swinging the axe over his shoulder, he peered into the small cottage. "You coming, Cat?"

A small head peeped around the door. "I is coming, Tel," squealed a small voice. A young girl scampered out of the house. "Is we going into the woods?"

"Stop talking like that," said Telan, but he ruffled her hair as she bounded past him. She was his younger sister, named Cathleen at birth. "Cat, wait up!" he called as he strode out down the rutted track towards the woods. The other way was the fields, where his Da and some others worked, but the land before the woods was too stony to farm properly, so was mainly left alone.

Their cottage sat on the very edge of the town. It was small, and the roof was leaking a bit, but it was home. The town was small for a town, but had an inn that was sometimes used by travellers. Telan had once snuck into town to see the men dressed in dark greens and browns sitting quietly at one of the tables in the inn. He had been thrilled- the insignia of their chests showed them as Gondorian rangers. But before he could get any closer his father had appeared and pulled him away. Apparently the town was not a place for young boys on their own.

Telan whistled a nameless tune as he and Cat reached the shade of the woods. They were large enough to provide firewood for them, as well as the occasional game that Da managed to shoot with his crossbow, the only weapon he had, besides his old sword that now was used for the fire. His father had been a soldier a while ago, a guard left at Minas Tirith when the army marched to the Black Gate. Once the War had ended, seven years ago, they had come here to find a quieter life.

Telan reached the tree stump that he used to split logs and put down the axe. Cat had already disappeared, but he was not overly worried. These woods were perfectly safe now the King had come to Gondor two years ago. He had gotten rid of the orcs and the creeping men, and things were more or less peaceful.

Telan longed to see the White City again. He desperately wanted to become a soldier, a ranger, and learn to use a sword. But every time he asked his father to teach him, Da got a sad look in his eyes and turned away. Telan had learnt to stop asking after a while.

Telan wandered around looking for fallen branches. He was not supposed to take living wood, for these woods did not belong to him or his family. Anyway, green wood does not burn. He picked up a branch and swung it, imagining it was a sword, and he was fighting in the War against all the orcs.

He suddenly realised that he hadn't asked Cat to collect kindling. Telan put the branch down. "Cat!" he cried out. "Cat, little kitten, where are you?"

There was silence, and Telan cursed under his breath. He would have to collect the kindling himself, he thought. He went back to splitting logs, going to find fallen branches, and then splitting more wood.

The axe was getting heavy in his hands and his brow was beaded with sweat when he finally had enough wood. Taking some of the string he had brought, he tied the logs in a bundle and then dumped them in a sack he could haul back to the cottage. He looked around. Cat was still somewhere else, and he sighed. She was a handful sometimes.

"Cat!" he called out, striding out into the woods. Cat wouldn't get lost; she had an uncanny sense of direction and knew where the tree stump was, where Telan would be. Telan felt a little flicker of worry stir in him, and he moved further into the woods. "Cat? Cat, where are you?"

"Cat?" Telan started to move quicker through the woods. "Cat, if you're messing about, come here right now!"

"Cathleen!" Telan was starting to panic now. "You come here right now! Please, Cat, where are you?"

There was a rustle in the bushes and Telan turned in time to see his little sister stumble out, breathless. He swept her up in his arms. "Where were you, Cat?" he asked fiercely. "I was worried!"

"Telan, you have to see what I've found! Quickly!"

Telan groaned. No doubt his little sister had been distracted by some new fascination. The last one had been a spider's web. It had been huge, but it had still only been a web. "Alright then," he said. "But quickly, and then we have to gather kindling and go home."

He placed Cat back down on the grass and she turned and ran off. Telan followed her, sighing. They wove through undergrowth, deeper into the woods. Cat suddenly disappeared from in front of him, and Telan ground his teeth. "Cat, where are you?"

"Come this way!" said Cat, suddenly appearing from the undergrowth. She grabbed Telan's hand, and pulled her older brother through the bushes, into a small, well hidden clearing.

Telan stopped dead. "Cat…" he said softly. "What have you found?"

Who have you found would be more apt, he thought. A body was lying in the clearing, face down. A cloak covered them, and there were marks behind them, as if he had stumbled and fallen down in the mud. A sudden horror filled Telan. Was the person…?

No, he thought, for he saw a slight movement from the figure, the ever so faint rise and fall of their back as they breathed.

"Cat get back," he said quietly. Cat was standing close to the stranger, looking down with curiosity. Telan moved forwards and pulled her back. He crouched down in front of her.

"Cat, you listen to me, you listen carefully." Something in his voice made Cat focus completely on him, and Telan gulped.

"Cat, I need you to run as fast as you can back to the house. Get Ma; tell her that there is someone hurt in the woods. Tell her to come straight here, bring nobody. Especially nobody from the town." Telan knew that a stranger injured in the woods would not be taken too kindly in the town.

"You understand, Cat?" asked Telan. "You get Ma. Tell her there is someone hurt in the woods, and that I am still here. Lead her back to me. You understand?"

Cat nodded, a sudden fearful look in her eyes. Telan kissed the top of her head. "Go!"

She turned and ran through the bushes. Telan watched until he could no longer see her, before turning back to the person lying in the mud.

He crept forwards, wishing he had his axe. Reaching out carefully, he shook the person's shoulder. There was no response, and their face was turned away from him, so he couldn't see if they were awake or not. Taking a deep breath, he heaved at the body and managed to roll it over onto their back.

Telan frowned, moving the long blond hair away from the stranger's face. He checked their pulse, like he had seen his Ma do: two fingers under the jaw. It was fast and thready, but at least it was there. He looked over the rest of the body. It was a man, and he was in bad shape, not least because he was unconscious. Sweat was beaded on his brow and underneath the mud, red blossomed on his shoulder. Telan gingerly touched it; his hand came away sticky with blood.

He cursed under his breath, and tried to see if he was wounded anywhere else. He knew from what his Ma had told him that head wounds were serious, so he checked his head first. It was odd, thought Telan. The stranger was definitely a man, but he had long fine blond hair, though it was covered in mud. He turned the man's head over and gasped. The blond hair had fallen back, revealing a pointed ear.

To Be Continued...

It would be suspenseful, but I think we all know who the elf is!

Next chapter will not be up tomorrow, so I have more time to write my current working fanfic, so I can publish that sooner (if that made any sense). Next chapter will be up the day after tomorrow (which is a Sunday, for me).