Hi all! Here's just a new fanfic I've been working on for a while now, I hope you enjoy. The story has been changed slightly to fit the purpose of my rewriting of it, I hope you don't mind. I know it's over-said a lot, but this is not a Mary-Sue fic. If you've read my other stories, you'll know that I like writing O.C's, so I hope this one doesn't disappoint. I try to make them as dynamic as possible and they develop over time. Please feel free to correct me or criticize me as much as you want if I don't do the original characters justice or even if you think my character should be different. In fact, I encourage you to do so! So yeah, send me a review or a message and I'll do my best to do whatever you guys want!

Now, to the story!

Natures Emissary - Chapter I

I wasn't sure exactly who I was, and I wasn't sure exactly where I was, but I sure as hell knew that I didn't belong here.

'Here' was a clearing in the middle-of-fucking-nowhere forest with twigs in my hair, some kind of pinecone sticking out of my ass, a killer headache and the strange sensation of being watched. The clearing was only small, a few meters in diameter before the thick trunks of the countless pine trees that surrounded me interrupted the circle of grass. It was eerily quiet, and I knew for some reason I wasn't used to that kind of silence, though I knew not what I was used to.

The sun was directly above my head and I welcomed its warmth as a cool gust of air buffeted me. As the air whipped my rusty orange hair about my head in long tangled curls, I realized a startling and, quite frankly, bloody scary as hell detail about the situation I was in – I was buck-naked.

"Well fuck," I said to no one in particular. Probably myself, but that was the first sign of insanity, and I wasn't ready to face that truth just yet.

Lost, naked and alone. It sounded like the beginning of a porno. I laughed at myself out of pity and denial. Maybe if I pretended this was a dream or a figment of my overactive imagination everything would disappear. I waited a few seconds. No such luck.

It was cold as hell so I stood and tried to decide which direction to walk in. I took a left and began my journey into the forest. As soon as I stepped into the shade of the canopy, I regretted my decision. Without the sun it was even more freezing, if that were possible. I held my boobs with my arms and tucked my hands in my armpits to try to recapture any lost warmth. My feet began to move again and I trudged along at a slow pace, trying to avoid (unsuccessfully) the branches and twigs that were waiting to smack me in the head.

I couldn't tell how long I spent walking, it was hard to tell without a watch or even a glimpse of the sun through the heavily leaved trees, but it felt like forever. Eventually, I heard the sound of running water and turned towards it, my mouth salivating at the thought of quenching my thirst. I came to a small stream, barely trickling a meager amount of water, but enough for me to get several grateful mouthfuls. Unfortunately, it seemed I wasn't used to drinking directly from streams and my boobs dipped in the water in my haste to drink. It was so unpleasant a sensation that I fell backwards on my very-bare ass and shrieked at the frozen water. This was not going very well.

A horn blew in the distance, low and long. After a few moments pause, it blew once more. It freaked me out more than I cared to admit and the situation sunk in further. This wasn't just some weird one-off event; this was some fucked-up shit happening to me. I wasn't just naked in a forest. I was naked in forest with other people or things in there too. What did the horn mean?

I crawled towards the nearest tree and huddled against the trunk, wrapping my arms awkwardly around my legs. I rifled around on the ground in amongst a pile of leaves until my fingers closed on a thick-ish branch tapered to a point. It was blunt, but it would have to do. I waited there, waited for what, I didn't know. Maybe a cue, some sort of sign that the horn didn't mean anything. After a while though, the horn blew once more but much further off, nowhere near my position it seemed. I shook my head and realized how stupid I must look huddled naked in a forest holding a stick like some sort of sword.

I was preparing to get up and possibly find some shelter before nightfall when I heard a faint rumbling noise. It was low, very low at first, almost imperceptible. But it grew louder, and as it did I held onto my branch like a lifeline, curling further into my protective ball, scared as shit. I shut my eyes tight in an effort to block it out.

The rumbling grew so loud after a while that it seemed like it was all around me, the ground shaking like an earthquake. Shouts and calls, whistles and snorts assaulted my ears as the rumbling finally came to a halt and the ground below me finally stilled of its trembling.

"This is no orc," commented a voice. "This is a human."

I tried to be as still as possible, hoping against hope that whoever these people were would lose interest and move on with their strange rumbling noise.

"Is he alive?" another voice queried.

I trembled.

"Yes, I believe so. It seems to be moving, as though scared."

I couldn't believe these people were talking about me as though I were some sort of animal. What were they going to do to me?

"We can't leave him here. Perhaps he will tell us where the orcs are."

There was a sliding noise and a thud before footsteps approached me. I decided now was probably a good time to see what was before me. I opened my eyes and raised my head, not knowing what to expect.

Before me, a host of cavalry stood. Dozens of gleaming white horses shifted restlessly from foot to foot, snorting and whinnying as their owners sat proud upon them. Each rider wore golden armor, glittering though there was no direct sunlight. They looked curiously similar; long braided hair, handsome features, light skin and pointed ears. They wore stern expressions, and most were more interested in their horses or the forest around them than me sitting naked before them. Others were looking at me unabashed, no hint of the utter embarrassment I felt inside. They were all male.

The man who made his way towards me was very tall and well muscled, with golden hair and a circlet upon his brow. He wore a green tunic underneath his ornate golden armor and held a hand out to me.

"Greetings," he spoke softly, "My friend, we are in search of a pack of orcs. If you would be so kind as to point us the way we will be more than happy to supply you with clothing and food." His light blue eyes regarded me with curiosity and kindness.

I looked down at his outstretched hand, wondering if it would be more embarrassing or less if I took it and stood. I was a little insecure about my shape, being curvaceous, but I knew there was no room for insecurities when you had no clothes.

"It is a hand extended in friendship, I assure you. There is no need to be suspicious." I could hear faint amusement in his tone.

I grasped his cool hand firmly and allowed him to help me stand. There was a strange murmur of shock in the gathered men and I saw more than a few eyes widen as they saw me. I frowned, intensely uncomfortable. The man who stood before me let out a gasp of shock and quickly unfastened his cloak before wrapping it around my shoulders hurriedly.

"My lady, I apologise greatly. I did not realize." The man spoke with agonizing embarrassment. I almost felt sorry for him. "Please, we will take you back to Rivendell and help you."

"I'm sorry," I spoke after I got over the shock, feeling very strange at having been addressed so formally. "I have no idea what you're talking about. But goddamn I need food and clothes please."

He eyed me curiously and I made a mental note to try and speak more like him in the future. I huddled into the dark green cloak, tightly wrapping it around me. Thankfully it was thick and easily covered my body from the rest of the party.

I was lead by the man who had given me his cloak and another from the cavalry on foot. The rest of the cavalry departed the other way after some words were exchanged in a strange language. We wove in and out of the trees, the two men easily as though this were just your average afternoon activity, and me as though I were just beginning to figure out how legs worked. To say that I fell a lot would be a dramatic understatement. I had no fucking clue where we were, but they seemed to know exactly what they were doing and I had no choice but to trust in these strange, tall, fair people with really pointy ears. I mean really pointy. Like, can-poke-your-eye-out pointy. Who were these people?

As they walked and I stumbled along, the cloak-man began to speak once more.

"If I may ask, what is your name?"

I racked my brain to try and come up with the answer to that question, but nothing came to me. "I… I don't know."

He gave me a peculiar look. "You do not remember? That is very strange. Where are you from?"

"I don't know."

"Why are you here?"

"I don't know."

"How did you get here?"

"I don't know."

He gave me a suspicious stare. "You don't seem to know very much at all."

I was getting even more uncomfortable as the seconds ticked by. "Who are you?" I asked. It was my turn.

"I am Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil and Prince of the Woodland Realms." He stated proudly, watching me for some sort of reaction. Maybe he was expecting a bow or something, but I had a hard time processing his name.

"So… can I just call you Legolas?" I asked meekly.

"If you wish," he replied simply, long legs striding fast through the undergrowth. I hurried to catch up.

I began to tire very quickly and I wondered when I had last eaten. The sun was sinking lower and lower and I grew scared that night would come and the cloak that seemed magically warm despite the cool weather would not stave off the cold much longer.

"What shall I call you?" Legolas asked after a length of time, seemingly continuing the conversation from earlier as though we had spoken only moments ago, though it had been more than an hour ago.

"I don't know-" I started, trying to think. What was a good name?

"That is a strange name to pick, but you do seem to say it a lot." Legolas said with a smile. I realized he was making a joke after a moment and gave a snort of laughter.

"What should I be called?" I asked after a moment. I couldn't think of anything suitable.

"You're eyes; they are an emerald green, quite beautiful. They remind me of the forest at my home in summer, light and glittering in the sun. Perhaps you wish to be called Ella? It is a species of tree where I come from."

I mulled over the name. Ella. I could get used to it.

"Ella it is."

With that, Legolas took off again, leaving me struggling to catch up. I could tell he made an effort every now and then to slow down, as though he forgot how slow I was or that I was there at all, he got so lost in thought as he looked about him at the various aspects of the forest. I had to admit, once I got over the stumbling and cold part, the forest was breathtakingly beautiful. But then I remembered the situation I was in and fear and dread crept back into my mind, almost overwhelming in its intensity.

Just as the darkness of night started to settle in and my stumbling turned to all-out falling over as a result of the lack of light, Legolas announced that Rivendell was just ahead.

"You guys must have twenty-twenty vision or something because I can't see shi- anything in this darkness."

"Our elven eyes can see keener than your human ones. You will be able to see the light of the bridge lamps soon enough, Ella." Legolas explained. His explanation only served to bring up more questions. Elves? That word brought to mind mythical creatures and magic, the stuff of legends and books.

But he was right; within minutes, I could see a faint glow in the distance. It grew closer as we walked and my pace quickened in my eagerness to get out of the forest. Finally we stepped out and onto a paved pathway that led onto a long, narrow bridge. As we walked across, I had to ask to hold onto Legolas' shoulder just to make sure I didn't fall off the edge and into the dark water below.
As I rose my head once back on solid ground, I gaped in awe at the spectacle that was before me. Rivendell, as Legolas had named it, was a haven of beauty and majesty. Elegant and intricately carved structures dotted the landscape and gardens of flowers and trees of all types and colours flourished. A large waterfall thundered down on my right, a sight to behold, though the sound was somehow muted despite being so close. At first I though it may have been a trick of my eyes or ears, surely it would be too loud to think if we were that close.

Legolas, sensing my gaze and guessing my thoughts commented, "Rivendell is magically enhanced in many ways. It is designed to be whatever you need it to be, for example if you need the waterfall to be quiet in order to speak freely or sleep undisturbed."

I nodded, mute, not really understanding but flabbergasted all the same. Our other companion, the silent one with a stern look on his face, disappeared into a building on the right and left Legolas and myself to wander further into Rivendell.

"Over there," he pointed out a small building in the middle of a garden complex, "you will find accommodation and clothing. If you are hungry, make your way to the large feast hall next to the falls. There will be attendants waiting on you in case you need anything." Legolas gave me a deep bow, courteous and smiling. "Good night, m'lady." With that, he lightly jogged off to the same building as his friend.

I stared after him in shock and pinched myself twice for good measure. Yep, it was official. I was insane. There was no way this place was real.

As I made my way up the winding path to the garden complex and new residence for the night, I found my mind wandering. This world, it didn't feel like my world. It felt like I was a guest here, like I had stumbled here accidentally and couldn't find my way home. Except there was one problem; did I even have a home?

The accommodation wasn't what I was expecting. It seemed they didn't have many visitors. There was one large room with a bed that could fit the entire cavalry and their horses. Behind a screen was a large bath with several different sweet smelling soaps and perfumes, but no water, which was greatly disappointing. On the bed, as though they were expecting me, were several outfits. One was presumably pajamas for bed, and the other outfits were long dresses and cloaks all in soft greens or blues. I was about to just plop myself down on the bed and sleep without bothering with anything else, when there was a soft knock at the door.

"M'lady, would you like to bathe?" A young, beautiful girl entered the room and gestured to the bath. She was dressed simply and I guessed she was one of the attendants Legolas spoke of.

"Um, sure?" I said, though it came out like a question.

The girl nodded and left, coming back with a bucket of water that didn't look anywhere near large enough to fill the entire bath. To my astonishment, as she poured the steaming water it just kept flowing from the bucket, an endless stream until the bath was completely full.

I quickly shrugged off the cloak and hung it on the frame before slipping into the warm, soothing water. I expected the girl to leave immediately but she stepped closer instead and began to rub some cleansing salts on me to wash away the dirt and grime of my adventure. Afterwards, smelling sweet and feeling a thousand times happier, she also helped me dress in one of the soft blue gowns. It didn't fit very well, much to my embarrassment. The girl had some trouble buttoning it up at my bust because my breasts kept almost spilling out over the top of the bodice. The material at my hips was stretched tight and I felt like a sausage. I thought the girl would laugh at how ridiculous I surely looked but when I expressed my thoughts, she simply said, "Lady, you have a full, desirous body that many elven women are envious of and many elven men covet. Your hips will bear you many healthy children."

My cheeks flamed and I denied her words. Her slim, tall body was much more sexy and 'desirous' than my own.

Led by the demanding growls of my stomach, I found myself at the feast hall by the waterfall, an open space with a buffet of healthy food laid out for the eating. Several elves were already chatting and picking at the food themselves. There were even a few people who, like me, were not elven kind. Though, unlike me, they were extremely short.

I soon learned, through a little bit of talented eavesdropping, that they were 'hobbits' and that another small man was a 'dwarf'. Apparently they were here on some form of quest, though I could not pick out the details.

The variety of fruits and vegetables available was quite astonishing and I had a lot of fun just trying out everything that I had never heard or seen before. Which was literally everything. I felt slightly piggish as the elves never took more than a few pieces and there I sat with several platefuls. The hobbits and especially the dwarf from earlier ate like me, however, so I wasn't entirely alone.

The only problem was, I didn't speak to anyone. The elves spoke to each other, the hobbits and the dwarf spoke to their group and there I sat, in the corner with my plates of food. I had to resort to just people watching, examining what people did. I ended up making stories about their lives. I imagined one elven woman with ridiculously long brown hair was on a dangerous quest to finally get her hair cut otherwise she would start to fall over it.

Halfway through my meal and self-amusement, Legolas walked in. At first, I expected him to join his elven kind. However, he wandered over to the buffet, picked out some food, grabbed a large goblet of wine and went out to the balcony by himself. Perhaps he was a loner too.

I set down my plates and took the cloak I had remembered off my shoulders. I wove my way through the crowd and stepped out onto the balcony with Legolas, coming up to stand beside him and lean against the rails as he did.

"Ella," Legolas greeted simply, not bothering to turn his head. He seemed lost in thought.
"I have your cloak," I explained. "I figured you might need it. It's pretty cold out here."

Legolas chuckled a little and took a sip of wine. "Elves do not feel the cold."

"Oh," I felt really dumb. "Well, here it is anyway."

I held it out and he finally turned to look at me, his blue-grey eyes sparkling from what I guessed to be his slightly intoxicated state. They sent a shock down my body involuntarily and I almost forgot to let go of the cloak when he tugged it from my grasp.

Legolas seemed to gaze at my new attire with something close to desire before his eyes were back over the balcony and on the landscape around us. "You look quite radiant tonight," he commented lightly. "Very different from when I first saw you today."

"Thank you," I said, though I wanted to scoff at the compliment. I didn't feel radiant. We were both silent. He seemed not to mind the lull in conversation very much, but I felt the need to say something. I settled with asking, "Why aren't you with the others of your kind?"

At first when he didn't reply, I felt as though I had asked something offensive and almost slapped myself for speaking out of turn. He was a prince after all. But then he mercifully spoke.

"I am not from Rivendell and my status has made me somewhat alienated from them, I believe. I do not care much for those who simply speak to me because of my title or because of obligation."

I could feel the emotion behind the words, even if they were spoken flatly. I hadn't expected the depth in his response and it took me off guard. I wasn't sure what the appropriate reaction to that would be.

"Well, you're the only person I know here so I guess it's you and me, huh?" I said cheesily, immediately regretting the words.

Legolas nodded with a small smile and remained distant, his mind seeing things his eyes weren't.

"Where are you from?" I asked to fill the quiet.

"Mirkwood," was his reply.

"Do you miss it?"

"Sometimes," he seemed to come back to himself as he thought about my question. "Though what I really want to do is travel Middle Earth with nothing but my bow and arrows. Nature is the only thing I truly miss." His eyes livened at his words and they were filled with warmth that hadn't been there before.

I looked out at Rivendell, my eyes having adjusted to the low lighting. "This place has lots of nature," I commented. "Do you like it here?"

Legolas shook his head and looked down at me. He was considerably taller. "This is tamed wilderness. It is the wilderness that is untainted and free that I crave to explore. All of this has been bent to our will, for our own purposes and gain. Can't you feel it?" Legolas took a deep breath of the chilly air, eyes closed with a crease on his brow.

I took my own deep breath and tried to imagine what he was speaking about so passionately. For a second, I could almost feel it. Feel the emotion of the living, breathing ecosystem around us. In that second I didn't feel like just one person in an unknown world, I felt like part of an interconnected system of life and death, growth and decomposition. But then the second passed and like an elastic band, the awareness snapped back to my own body, leaning over the railings of the balcony with a goofy smile plastered on my face. I looked back at Legolas.

"You felt it didn't you?" He had been watching me. "Strange, humans are usually too closed off to such things." He murmured.

I felt as though I had passed some unknown test and a part of me was satisfied, while the other part of me was confused as hell. What had just happened? The magical atmosphere of the night was starting to wear off as I thought about what my next step would be. I didn't know anything about myself, or where to go from here. Surely I wouldn't be able to stay in this haven indefinitely. Someone must be able to help me.

"What are the thoughts that make your face so troubled?" Legolas asked, not unkindly. He had turned his body to face mine and it was a shock to have his undivided attention for once as his blue-grey eyes stayed focused on mine.

"I'm trying to figure out what to do next; where to go, what to do, you know that kind of thing. Maybe someone can help me get my memory back or figure out why I'm here." I shivered. The air seemed colder than it had a minute ago.

"Do not worry, Ella." Legolas wrapped his cloak around me once more. "All paths become clear in time. I will speak with Lord Elrond and arrange a meeting for you. Perhaps he will be able to provide some answers to the questions you ask."

I nodded, grateful. "Thank you. I think I'll head to bed now."

Legolas nodded and bowed to me and said a soft, "good night m'lady," before turning back to his beloved view.

I turned to leave but remembered his cloak in time, "Oh, your cloak," I began unfastening it.

"Keep it," Legolas stated, his back still to me. "You need it more than I do." I could hear the smile in his words and gave a smile of my own, though he couldn't see, before I wandered back to my temporary accommodation.

Tomorrow I would speak with Lord Elrond, and maybe, just maybe, all of this would be clear.

I know that Legolas is slightly romanticized with all the nature stuff, but I just thought I would accentuate that kind of passionate quality about him. Anywho, I hope you liked the first chapter, I'm really excited to get it up :D Remember to send me a review or message! Criticism, praise, jokes, random facts of the day, anything is welcome! Thanks for reading! Xx MB