Chapter 1

italics - thoughts or memories

xxxxxxxxxxxxx -passage of time

(Elenna)

All I have ever known was the whisper of the trees and the calls of the creatures of the forest. Since I could remember I have always lived here, in the wilderness, in the tall green trees and gentle, winding brooks. The tender caress of the winds as I rest under the shade, the laughter of the water, the peaceful silence of the woods, life was all around me.

Before that was nothing more than a faded memory, colors and faces I do not recall anymore, shadows that flash across my mind.

But I do not live in memories, here, I needed to survive. Nature is not friendly at all times; I needed to be on my guard. I have roamed these lands for countless years; I did not survive by mooning over forgotten times of long ago.

No, memories are of no use to me, but on lonely, silent nights, I wondered what these images might mean.

If I had known the love of a mother once, if I had laughed and played with a brother or a sister, if I had found counsel with a father. For I have never known them, never seen them.

I was completely alone.

All I was left with was the memory of my name. Elenna, they called me, Star-wards. The one last clue I had left about my past. The sound of a woman calling my name rang in my memories, a beam of light piercing the fog. An image of a woman with silver hair would surface, but her face was hidden from me, I could not see it.

In my dreams I would reach for her, calling for her, but then she was gone, and I was alone again.

Naneth, come back to me…

But if she was my mother, I never knew.

When I was younger I sought refuge with the woodelves of these forests, and they taught me to survive. To listen to the trees and birds, to track my prey and evade the predator, to fight with weapons. I learnt from them the art of secrecy, and skill with the bow and the swords.

But my skill soon exceeded theirs and so I left them. I had taken what I needed. Their parting gift to me were two Noldorin daggers, white handled, engraved with designs of climbing vines, swift and deadly. These I treasured, as I did the memory of the friend who gave them to me.

These will serve you well Elenna, they are made by the Noldor, in the days of the Last Alliances. He said, They were a gift to me, so now I make them a gift to you.

I will always remember you, I need no trinket to remind me. I said to him.

No, you do not, if I remember correctly, you are most gifted in remembering people, especially if they irk you. He remarked, But with these, I will always be by your side protecting you, little sister. He said softly.

Since when did I need protection, my oh-so-powerful brother? I said, and he laughed.

When the days grow darker, you may be in dire need of them.

Farewell my friend

That was the last time I lived among my own kind, and since then, I have not lived among people again. I cherished the silence of the forest, for it was my home. I belonged to it, and I loved every tree and flower.

In the quiet of the night, I would sit in the branches of the highest tree, and look up into the stars. They became my dearest friends, their presence gave me comfort I have never known. For I was named for them, you see, to be drawn to the stars of heaven even more so than the forests of the earth. They sparkled and shone just for me, they were the family I never had. They gave me hope, but of what, I did not know.

During the day, I had no predators after me. My daggers remained at my side. I was invisible in my forest, for we were one. I had learned my lessons in woodcraft well.

When I hungered, I hunted game and picked fruits from the trees. When I thirst, I drank the sweet water of the brook.

I was content.

Occasionally, I would come upon some settlement or the other of men. Then I would sit, hidden in the trees, and watch them. The laughter of the children's play, and the chatter of the women as they did their daily chores, the talk of the men as they worked, I heard all. But it would soon bore me and I would silently slip back into the shadows of the trees, and left them to their business.

I went wherever the winds took me, I had no destination. The world was vast and I wanted to see it all. And so I wandered the plains and forests of Eriador, but I never went any more north than I had to, for there were many settlements of men and elves there that I had no wish to stumble upon; I avoided people whenever possible. When I needed clothing, I would return to the woodelves, but I do not stay long. Their numbers were slowly dwindling.

I never saw my friend again. He left for the shores of Valinor soon after I went to live in the wilderness. The grey elven ships took them faraway onto the high seas.

The sea, I have never, in my journeys, traveled to the shores of middle earth. I had no desire to leave these lands, my beautiful forests, and I still clung the sliver of hope that I would, one day, find the ones I called family. I felt like I had left some task unfinished here, some nagging presence in the back of my mind that told me I could not leave until I did what I needed to do.

Until then, I would not part with my beloved middle earth.

So I walked the paths of the world without care, without worry and without fear. I passed through the lands of Rohan, where the tall grass plains swayed in the wind, and the sky was a blue dome that surrounded me. The horses grazed peacefully, and I walked among them unseen. I visited the forests of Fangorn, the eldest one, and spoke with the sighing trees. That forest seemed like the warm embrace of a mother I had never known, protective, loving, and kind. Yet it could be harsh and reprimanding, like a mother angry at a naughty child. There I stayed the longest, for I did not want to leave its safe boughs of green. I parted with it grudgingly, but I still searched for them, my family.

So it came to pass that I followed the river Anduin and came to the Golden Forest of Laurelindorénan, the land of the singing gold. He had told me about it once, the magnificent forest of the Silvan elves, now called Lothlorien, the Dreamflower, where leaves turned gold and fell in the spring. The only place where the mighty Mallorn grew proud and tall, east of the sundering seas. I slipped in beneath their boughs, and let their presence surround me.

Do not take me for a fool, I knew these woods were heavily guarded, but I knew the trees would hide me from sight. I was just like another creature of the forest, staying hidden in the shadows, as I have all my life, wrapping my grey cloak around me. And then I saw them, the grey shadows between the trees, the guards of Lorien fair, eyes probing in search of intruders, but they saw me not. Yet I still felt a strange presence surrounding me, some power that knew I was there, as I went deeper and deeper into the silent woods.

(Haldir)

The woods were silent, not a leaf stirred, still we watched the borders of Lorien, guarding our beloved wood from the evil that stirs beyond its enchantment. It has been peaceful these last years, but it was a watchful peace, for the Dark Lord Sauron was defeated, but not destroyed.

Still Orcs have long ago learnt not to brave the trees, and mortals hold the wood in fear.

I leaned back against the smooth bark of the tree, resting my head, and listened to the silence. Suddenly I thought I heard a faint swishing of a cloak amongst the branches. I sat up and surveyed the tree line. I saw nothing, heard nothing, but I was so sure I had heard it.

"What is it?"

I turned and saw my brother looking down at me with concern.

"Nothing, I had just thought I heard a noise yonder, but I must be mistaken." I replied.

"Indeed, the borders have been quiet lately." He followed my eyes to the place I looked.

"Too quiet."

His eyes scanned the bushes, but finding nothing, we settled again into comfortable silence. A light breeze blew around me and tousled my silver blonde hair.

The trees sighed with the wind. Still, there was a nagging feeling at the back of my mind that something had slipped pass our diligent nets.

"I think I will go and investigate the source of this mysterious noise." I told my brother.

"Suit yourself brother, I will not go running around chasing some noisy squirrel." He replied, "You are too cautious."

"So it would seem." I drawled. "Stay here, I will be back soon."

I leapt down from our perch in the trees and continued into the woods.

The mighty mallorns rose around me, their branches reaching high into the canopy of leaves. All was silent, and I sensed no presence of life, yet I was sure there was something hidden in the shadows beyond my sight.

But there was nothing. I turned and started back to the talan where my brother waited, when I saw a shadow flash between the trees. I looked again, but there was nothing there. But by then I knew, something had gotten past our sharp eyes, and it must – be – found.

I raced back to the talan and silently signaled to my brothers.

Something is in here, alert the other guards.

They nodded and sent coded calls to the other talans hidden in the woods. I went in search of the silent shadow in the trees. I had not the first clue what it might be, but it must be very skilled in the art of hiding to have gotten past our watchful eyes.

(Elenna)

The silence of the wood was broken by a bird calling to another. But my ears told me that they were not bird calls at all, but signals of the guard. From the thousand years I have spent in the wilderness, I could tell a real bird call from a fake one, even if it sounded like one in every way.

The woodelves have often used birdcalls as silent signals to each other.

I smiled, so they have finally found out something had gone amiss.

I climbed the branches of the mallorn closest to me and folded myself into its shadow. Then I watched and waited.

And then I saw him, emerging through the shrubbery, silver blonde hair flowing to his shoulders, braided in the fashion of the guards. He wore a cloak that seem to change hues with the forest around him, sometimes as pale grey as the bark of the mallorn trees, sometimes a brilliant green like lush leaves in the sunlight. He bore a great white bow carved with designs of birds and flower, and a quiver of arrows hung about on his back.

His eyes were searching the branches of the tall mallorns, scrutinizing. He turned his gaze to the mallorn I was hidden in and I saw clearly his features for the first time. His eyes were like two sharp grey beams that probed the tree, and shining with some enchanted light. And he was fair, very fair. His sharp chiseled features had power and arrogance etched into its very lines. He was tall and lithe, his broad shoulders hinting at the strength concealed within.

Suddenly I was urged to show myself to him, to have his eyes hold me in their gaze of mithril.

I leapt from the shadow of the tree and landed silently on the grass behind him.