A Tangled Skein of Thread
Chapter 1: Strawberry Tea and Sympathy
LoTR fanfiction by Kaie
Author's notes: Yeah, nothing much of Middle Earth happens in the first chapter. Mostly background information on the main character Eren. Oh, btw, before little hissy-missies start... well... hissing, this isn't a Mary-Sue. I think it's kind of pathetic to write a Mary-Sue, but hey, mark my words. Come the next installment of the LoTR movies, and I'll be writing a Mary-Sue myself, of course, with Legolas at my side. Ahhh..... Lego. ^.^ Tee.
Side notes: on Earth, her name is Eren Francis, her first name pronounced Eh-ren. in Middle Earth, her name is Valaen Feanor, pronounced Vala-en Fey-ah-norr.
Feedback: Comments, suggestions, constructive criticism, etc at welcome at the aforementioned e-mail too. All flames will be used to fry eggs. Yum. If your name is Jacob Cherry and you live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, you are most definitely NOT welcome to review this fic or any other I write, simply because you're a doo-doo head who deserves to be reincarnated as the One Ring because you fit its description oh so well and also because you get cast into the depths of Mordor, and also because you reside in Middle Earth and not on regular old pantsy-wantsy Earth where the rest of us have to deal with your infidelity. *takes a breath* And next time, I'll kick from the front, not the back, and I won't miss.
Otherwise, enjoy.
Tenna' ento lye omenta.
Until next we meet.
-Kaie
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings, nor any entities, trademarks, paraphernalia, copyrights, etc found within and it's affiliates. I'm just borrowing them for awhile. =)
The streetlights flickered in their glass orbs. Eren picked her head up and glanced at the lights, a sigh escaping her. It seemed they glowed dimmer this time of night than any other hour. It was the fifth night in a row she hadn't been able to find a decent place to sleep in. She'd wandered the streets, being chased by stray dogs, and yelled at by drunks.
Eren's life in the past five months had been a tumultous whirlwind of fights, angry shouting, doors slamming, and fists lashing. Two months ago she had grabbed all her available cash and a few twenties she filched from her mother's purse and went on her own. It had been an impetuous decision, one she regretted at times. For the first few weeks, she lived fairly well, for a runaway. Staying in hotels every now and then, she was able to eat well whenever she was hungry, and her clothes stood up to the elements better than expected. But all could not stay. The cash began dwindling and she put herself on a strict ration, buying only food when the hunger gnawed at her stomach like a thousand knives constantly scraping her insides. Her clothes began looking ripped, ragged, and wore thin, fraying at the seams. She had decided not to stay at hotels any more, as they were usually a waste of money. She instead looked for abandoned buildings, ones with perhaps other homeless people in there who weren't sociopaths. Occasionally, she got lucky and had a fire in a barrel to sleep next to, and a blanket over her body.
Now, the clouds had herded together in the bleak sky and opened upon the earth. Rain pelted the roofs of cars, forming puddles on the street, soaking Eren to the bone. She needed a place to stay, desperately, but all the available hotels and motels turned her away when she came knocking. Her urchin appearance made her feel a bit ashamed at times, having to beg for money or food. But all that hadn't helped her in the past week. Even with all of her spare time spent searching for dropped cash, begging, and saving her money, she only had a few dollars left. She had not stayed in an inhabited building for two weeks, at least. Her ebony hair was greasy and pulled back in an impromptu ponytail, her face dotted with streaks of mud and dirt. Her clothes looked worse for the wear, mothy, torn, and wet. Still, the motel owner looked upon her kindly when she pushed open the glass doors. She, the owner that is, looked a bit like Eren's grandmother, with a hefty build, and silvery hair piled up in a loose knot at the top of her head, and spectacles twinkling in the fluorescent lights.
"H-how much for a night? Just one." Eren's voice was hoarse and tired, her eyes smudged with weariness.
"Ahh.. 29.50." The old lady replied, her tone soft.
Eren reached into her pocket, and pulled out all her money. One ten, and the rest one dollar bills. She spread them onto the counter in front of the lady, and counted. Tears started to well in her cerulean eyes when she realized she was six dollars short. Steeling herself, she wiped her eyes warily and reached into her pocket to see if she had missed a bill or two. The old lady watched her for a few moments, then, seeming to come to a decision, pushed the crumpled bills back towards Eren.
"Now, now, it's going to be alright. You need the rest more than I need this money. Keep it. Your room is number 11, here's the key. When you get settled in, come over here and I'll give you a cup of hot tea." The woman patted her hand gently, smiling at Eren.
"Oh... oh, oh, No I couldn't, really, I--"
Eren began stammering, trying to thank the woman, but she ended up just closing her eyes and nodding silently.
"T-thank you..."
The room was quaint, with a smell that was reminiscent of an attic closed off too long. But it was better than the other places she had stayed in so far. As was wont with all hotel rooms when you first entered them, the room was bone-chillingly cold, but Eren wrapped her arms around herself and glanced around. The bed was neatly made, with a thick comforter and two pillows. Across the small room, barely 4 feet from the bed, was an unfinished wood desk, with a notepad and pen on top. The bathroom had a rusting faucet and showerhead with mildew-encrusted tiles, but still Eren stripped off her clothes and took a shower. For the next fifteen minutes, she was in bliss, warm water pounding down her back and thawing her frozen extremities.Her clothes, laying on the bed outside the steamy bathroom, had already begun to dry by the time she stepped out of the shower. Wrapping her hair up into a quick turban, she pulled on her clothes and sat down on the bed to finish drying her hair. The tiny, chipped lamp sitting on the bedside table cast an aura of buttery light around her and the bed, giving the room a warmer feeling, despite the rain spilling in sheets outside. Rubbing her hair briskly with the towel, she sat down half-amusedly at the desk, and picked up the pen. She felt as though she should write a letter to somebody, as if she was on one big trip. But she knew no one, and even if she did, she couldn't waste money on postage. She stood up and draped the damp towel over the chair, taking in the whole room.
Suddenly, she remembered the kindly motel owner's invitation for tea. A quick glance at the window told her the rain was still pouring outside. Still, she felt she needed to go talk to the old woman, and thank her. She pushed open the door cautiously, then, haphazardly almost, took off for the main office. The rain slapping against her feet, she dodged in and out of cars and poles to try and reach the front office. She was pleased to find she made it there without getting herself too wet.
The office lobby was empty when she entered, the only sounds coming from a T.V. in a room whose door was half-way shut.
"Hello?" Eren's voice wavered. "I-is anyone here?"
Silence.
Her wet sneakers squeaking against the linoleum, she walked over to the room with the T.V. and peered inside. The old lady was sitting at an overstuffed leather armchair, watching a rerun of Andy Griffith. As the familiar whistling theme came on, the woman began humming along with it.
"E-excuse me." Eren tried again, her voice a little louder this time.
The leather groaned under the woman's sudden shifting as she turned to look towards the door.
"Oh, it's you dear. Yes, yes, I invited you for tea, now didn't I? Well, come on in, and I'll put the pot on the stove." With a small grunt, the woman heaved herself off the armchair and began for the kitchen.
"You really don't have to bother with the tea..." Eren started, as she ventured into the room.
"Ah, well it's a cold night out and tea will warm both you and I up. So, let's have at it. You just make yourself comfortable over there, and I'll be along in just a moment."
"I-I..." Eren pushed a hand through her tangled mane and surveyed the room. A small armchair sat at an angle from the T.V. and the old woman's seat. She sat herself down in it, aware of the wet imprint she was leaving.
"I... er... just wanted to thank you.... for what you did." She said, her face down. "It was very nice of you..."
The cups on the worn silver tray the woman carried, rattled as she moved in front of Eren. Setting them down on a coffee table in front of the TV, she spoke. The smell of strawberries filled the air.
"Oh, 'twas nothing. I don't mean to be rude, but I don't expect you've had much kindness in your life. Otherwise, you wouldn't have run away."
Eren flicked her head up, one hand poised, about to take a cup. The woman had seated herself and was staring at Eren, serenely. Gathering herself, she picked up the cup and took a sip, trying to look nonchalant. The tea burned her tongue and her throat going down, leaving with the sweet aftertaste of strawberries. Steam from the cup roiled in the air like the thoughts in Eren's mind.
"H-how... " The cup rattled on the saucer she held and with a mental thought, she steadied it.
"How did I know you ran away? Well... simple really. Ah, perhaps I shouldn't say that. There are many things that seem simple to one and complex to another. Let's just say not everything in this world is quite as it seems. If it was, how would we have our lives?" The woman leaned back in her chair, a wry smile upon her wrinkled face.
"I'm afraid I don't understand." Eren began, trying to keep her tone polite.
"How should I start this? Well, one thing to keep in mind, is in order to know yourself you must know people. As you can tell, I'm no spring chicken. I've known many people. And as such as in this world, not all are kind, not all are evil. Most, however, lie within what I call a gray area. Teetering on the brink of the alignment of good or bad. These are the ones that know not themselves or the world around them."
A harsh sigh arose from Eren.
"I still don't understand you." She started, her tone getting to be a bit irritated.
"Perhaps I've been talking in circles too long. You see--"
A sharp noise from the main office cut her off; the incessant ringing of a phone.
"Excuse me, dear. I need to go answer that." And with those words, the woman was out the door and in the office.
Another sigh came from Eren.
"Figures." She muttered, and set the cup of tea down on the coffee table rather roughly. Several drops of tea sloshed out from the cup and landed on the table. Looking around helplessly for some napkins or paper towels, she found none, and used her sleeve to wipe up the drops. A worn book, lying slightly behind a vase of wilted daisies, caught her eye. Reaching out, she picked it up from the table and studied it.
"Lord of the Rings." She murmured aloud. The name of the book was not unfamiliar to her. She'd heard it before, as it obviously was very well-written, though she'd never read it. Flipping it open, she skimmed across the pages.
"Map of Middle Earth...Middle Earth?" Her brow furrowed. Her eyes darted rapidly from page to page, as she read through bits and pieces of the book. After a few moments, she let her arm dangle over the arm of the chair, the book still grasped within it, and leaned her forehead on the heel of her free hand.
"This book is about as easy to decipher as that old woman's words." She muttered. Then, with a furtive glance at the book, she smiled a bit wistfully.
"Too bad though. Middle Earth sounds enchanting." Her last words were muffled by a yawn. She pressed the back of her hand to her mouth and leaned back in the chair. Casting an annoyed look at the door, she let out a little heave of indignance.
"Grr... when is she going to get back? I want to go back to my room and sleep... mm..." She blinked sleepily. "I'll just... rest my eyes... for... for... for a moment...." The world went dark as Eren closed her eyes and fell into sleep.
Chapter 1: Strawberry Tea and Sympathy
LoTR fanfiction by Kaie
Author's notes: Yeah, nothing much of Middle Earth happens in the first chapter. Mostly background information on the main character Eren. Oh, btw, before little hissy-missies start... well... hissing, this isn't a Mary-Sue. I think it's kind of pathetic to write a Mary-Sue, but hey, mark my words. Come the next installment of the LoTR movies, and I'll be writing a Mary-Sue myself, of course, with Legolas at my side. Ahhh..... Lego. ^.^ Tee.
Side notes: on Earth, her name is Eren Francis, her first name pronounced Eh-ren. in Middle Earth, her name is Valaen Feanor, pronounced Vala-en Fey-ah-norr.
Feedback: Comments, suggestions, constructive criticism, etc at welcome at the aforementioned e-mail too. All flames will be used to fry eggs. Yum. If your name is Jacob Cherry and you live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, you are most definitely NOT welcome to review this fic or any other I write, simply because you're a doo-doo head who deserves to be reincarnated as the One Ring because you fit its description oh so well and also because you get cast into the depths of Mordor, and also because you reside in Middle Earth and not on regular old pantsy-wantsy Earth where the rest of us have to deal with your infidelity. *takes a breath* And next time, I'll kick from the front, not the back, and I won't miss.
Otherwise, enjoy.
Tenna' ento lye omenta.
Until next we meet.
-Kaie
Disclaimer: I do not own Lord of the Rings, nor any entities, trademarks, paraphernalia, copyrights, etc found within and it's affiliates. I'm just borrowing them for awhile. =)
The streetlights flickered in their glass orbs. Eren picked her head up and glanced at the lights, a sigh escaping her. It seemed they glowed dimmer this time of night than any other hour. It was the fifth night in a row she hadn't been able to find a decent place to sleep in. She'd wandered the streets, being chased by stray dogs, and yelled at by drunks.
Eren's life in the past five months had been a tumultous whirlwind of fights, angry shouting, doors slamming, and fists lashing. Two months ago she had grabbed all her available cash and a few twenties she filched from her mother's purse and went on her own. It had been an impetuous decision, one she regretted at times. For the first few weeks, she lived fairly well, for a runaway. Staying in hotels every now and then, she was able to eat well whenever she was hungry, and her clothes stood up to the elements better than expected. But all could not stay. The cash began dwindling and she put herself on a strict ration, buying only food when the hunger gnawed at her stomach like a thousand knives constantly scraping her insides. Her clothes began looking ripped, ragged, and wore thin, fraying at the seams. She had decided not to stay at hotels any more, as they were usually a waste of money. She instead looked for abandoned buildings, ones with perhaps other homeless people in there who weren't sociopaths. Occasionally, she got lucky and had a fire in a barrel to sleep next to, and a blanket over her body.
Now, the clouds had herded together in the bleak sky and opened upon the earth. Rain pelted the roofs of cars, forming puddles on the street, soaking Eren to the bone. She needed a place to stay, desperately, but all the available hotels and motels turned her away when she came knocking. Her urchin appearance made her feel a bit ashamed at times, having to beg for money or food. But all that hadn't helped her in the past week. Even with all of her spare time spent searching for dropped cash, begging, and saving her money, she only had a few dollars left. She had not stayed in an inhabited building for two weeks, at least. Her ebony hair was greasy and pulled back in an impromptu ponytail, her face dotted with streaks of mud and dirt. Her clothes looked worse for the wear, mothy, torn, and wet. Still, the motel owner looked upon her kindly when she pushed open the glass doors. She, the owner that is, looked a bit like Eren's grandmother, with a hefty build, and silvery hair piled up in a loose knot at the top of her head, and spectacles twinkling in the fluorescent lights.
"H-how much for a night? Just one." Eren's voice was hoarse and tired, her eyes smudged with weariness.
"Ahh.. 29.50." The old lady replied, her tone soft.
Eren reached into her pocket, and pulled out all her money. One ten, and the rest one dollar bills. She spread them onto the counter in front of the lady, and counted. Tears started to well in her cerulean eyes when she realized she was six dollars short. Steeling herself, she wiped her eyes warily and reached into her pocket to see if she had missed a bill or two. The old lady watched her for a few moments, then, seeming to come to a decision, pushed the crumpled bills back towards Eren.
"Now, now, it's going to be alright. You need the rest more than I need this money. Keep it. Your room is number 11, here's the key. When you get settled in, come over here and I'll give you a cup of hot tea." The woman patted her hand gently, smiling at Eren.
"Oh... oh, oh, No I couldn't, really, I--"
Eren began stammering, trying to thank the woman, but she ended up just closing her eyes and nodding silently.
"T-thank you..."
The room was quaint, with a smell that was reminiscent of an attic closed off too long. But it was better than the other places she had stayed in so far. As was wont with all hotel rooms when you first entered them, the room was bone-chillingly cold, but Eren wrapped her arms around herself and glanced around. The bed was neatly made, with a thick comforter and two pillows. Across the small room, barely 4 feet from the bed, was an unfinished wood desk, with a notepad and pen on top. The bathroom had a rusting faucet and showerhead with mildew-encrusted tiles, but still Eren stripped off her clothes and took a shower. For the next fifteen minutes, she was in bliss, warm water pounding down her back and thawing her frozen extremities.Her clothes, laying on the bed outside the steamy bathroom, had already begun to dry by the time she stepped out of the shower. Wrapping her hair up into a quick turban, she pulled on her clothes and sat down on the bed to finish drying her hair. The tiny, chipped lamp sitting on the bedside table cast an aura of buttery light around her and the bed, giving the room a warmer feeling, despite the rain spilling in sheets outside. Rubbing her hair briskly with the towel, she sat down half-amusedly at the desk, and picked up the pen. She felt as though she should write a letter to somebody, as if she was on one big trip. But she knew no one, and even if she did, she couldn't waste money on postage. She stood up and draped the damp towel over the chair, taking in the whole room.
Suddenly, she remembered the kindly motel owner's invitation for tea. A quick glance at the window told her the rain was still pouring outside. Still, she felt she needed to go talk to the old woman, and thank her. She pushed open the door cautiously, then, haphazardly almost, took off for the main office. The rain slapping against her feet, she dodged in and out of cars and poles to try and reach the front office. She was pleased to find she made it there without getting herself too wet.
The office lobby was empty when she entered, the only sounds coming from a T.V. in a room whose door was half-way shut.
"Hello?" Eren's voice wavered. "I-is anyone here?"
Silence.
Her wet sneakers squeaking against the linoleum, she walked over to the room with the T.V. and peered inside. The old lady was sitting at an overstuffed leather armchair, watching a rerun of Andy Griffith. As the familiar whistling theme came on, the woman began humming along with it.
"E-excuse me." Eren tried again, her voice a little louder this time.
The leather groaned under the woman's sudden shifting as she turned to look towards the door.
"Oh, it's you dear. Yes, yes, I invited you for tea, now didn't I? Well, come on in, and I'll put the pot on the stove." With a small grunt, the woman heaved herself off the armchair and began for the kitchen.
"You really don't have to bother with the tea..." Eren started, as she ventured into the room.
"Ah, well it's a cold night out and tea will warm both you and I up. So, let's have at it. You just make yourself comfortable over there, and I'll be along in just a moment."
"I-I..." Eren pushed a hand through her tangled mane and surveyed the room. A small armchair sat at an angle from the T.V. and the old woman's seat. She sat herself down in it, aware of the wet imprint she was leaving.
"I... er... just wanted to thank you.... for what you did." She said, her face down. "It was very nice of you..."
The cups on the worn silver tray the woman carried, rattled as she moved in front of Eren. Setting them down on a coffee table in front of the TV, she spoke. The smell of strawberries filled the air.
"Oh, 'twas nothing. I don't mean to be rude, but I don't expect you've had much kindness in your life. Otherwise, you wouldn't have run away."
Eren flicked her head up, one hand poised, about to take a cup. The woman had seated herself and was staring at Eren, serenely. Gathering herself, she picked up the cup and took a sip, trying to look nonchalant. The tea burned her tongue and her throat going down, leaving with the sweet aftertaste of strawberries. Steam from the cup roiled in the air like the thoughts in Eren's mind.
"H-how... " The cup rattled on the saucer she held and with a mental thought, she steadied it.
"How did I know you ran away? Well... simple really. Ah, perhaps I shouldn't say that. There are many things that seem simple to one and complex to another. Let's just say not everything in this world is quite as it seems. If it was, how would we have our lives?" The woman leaned back in her chair, a wry smile upon her wrinkled face.
"I'm afraid I don't understand." Eren began, trying to keep her tone polite.
"How should I start this? Well, one thing to keep in mind, is in order to know yourself you must know people. As you can tell, I'm no spring chicken. I've known many people. And as such as in this world, not all are kind, not all are evil. Most, however, lie within what I call a gray area. Teetering on the brink of the alignment of good or bad. These are the ones that know not themselves or the world around them."
A harsh sigh arose from Eren.
"I still don't understand you." She started, her tone getting to be a bit irritated.
"Perhaps I've been talking in circles too long. You see--"
A sharp noise from the main office cut her off; the incessant ringing of a phone.
"Excuse me, dear. I need to go answer that." And with those words, the woman was out the door and in the office.
Another sigh came from Eren.
"Figures." She muttered, and set the cup of tea down on the coffee table rather roughly. Several drops of tea sloshed out from the cup and landed on the table. Looking around helplessly for some napkins or paper towels, she found none, and used her sleeve to wipe up the drops. A worn book, lying slightly behind a vase of wilted daisies, caught her eye. Reaching out, she picked it up from the table and studied it.
"Lord of the Rings." She murmured aloud. The name of the book was not unfamiliar to her. She'd heard it before, as it obviously was very well-written, though she'd never read it. Flipping it open, she skimmed across the pages.
"Map of Middle Earth...Middle Earth?" Her brow furrowed. Her eyes darted rapidly from page to page, as she read through bits and pieces of the book. After a few moments, she let her arm dangle over the arm of the chair, the book still grasped within it, and leaned her forehead on the heel of her free hand.
"This book is about as easy to decipher as that old woman's words." She muttered. Then, with a furtive glance at the book, she smiled a bit wistfully.
"Too bad though. Middle Earth sounds enchanting." Her last words were muffled by a yawn. She pressed the back of her hand to her mouth and leaned back in the chair. Casting an annoyed look at the door, she let out a little heave of indignance.
"Grr... when is she going to get back? I want to go back to my room and sleep... mm..." She blinked sleepily. "I'll just... rest my eyes... for... for... for a moment...." The world went dark as Eren closed her eyes and fell into sleep.