Disclaimer: No I don't own Lord of the Rings and I don't plan to use this story for profit. If that does happen I am sure the great J.R.R. Tolkien will rise from his grave and make sure that my muses somehow turn against me. Also, this is a sequel to the story 'A Fellowship of Three', read it if you haven't before. However, you really can get the gist of what happened by just reading this story.
Over time the minds of humans and mortal creatures are said to be enriched by knowledge due to experience. For three girls this fact held true when they stumbled into Middle-Earth. Little did they know that the forces that be were not yet through with them…
Nearly a year had passed since Alex, Kristi, and Sarah were in Middle-Earth but the experience was still etched in their minds as a reminder that there were limits beyond reality. The first time they set foot in a realm that was not their own, it was but a test of the powers. It was a test to gauge their reaction to an experience the rational minded denizens of Earth were not accustomed to experiencing. Time had passed so that they could mull over their adventure and the power that friendship represented, as they each walked their own paths toward adulthood.
They were all 18 now; with the exception of Alex who turned 19 at the end of April. Kristi still had to wait until the end of August whilst Sarah had to wait until the end of September. But in the long run physical age mattered not, for in their minds they were mature beyond their years. The mind has the capability to learn beyond that which society governs and the soul is an entity that has existed for centuries and centuries past. After their high school graduation they each came at a crossroads. Alex continued working at Tom Horton's, taking a break from the student world we all have been accustomed to. She was set on earning money for college and starting the next fall with the intent to be an English major. Kristi started at the local University at Buffalo, commuting her way from home to classes. She took on a job at a library and was intending to be an English major. Sarah was the adventurous one going to Pittsburgh University in a nearby state and dorming. Taking on a job at a campus library she lived the life of a college student. The girls kept in touch and when opportunity presented itself they gathered to enjoy one another's company, their former adventure always at the back of their minds. They should have known that an adventure such as the one they were on did not simply fade into memory. They should have known that their task was not yet done and there were still eyes upon them. They should have known…but deep down they did know.
It was springtime, a time of renewal, of rejuvenation of things that had been hibernating. It was as if life had been biding its time to revive once more, surprising the world with its strength and beauty. The breeze drifted lazily blowing the scent of lilac to the nose of one who had their eyes closed, basking in a shadow of coolness. Kristi opened her eyes slowly and smiled at the lilac bushes of the neighbors. Placing an old book in the middle seat of her car she started her car…after successfully starting it on the third try she headed to pick up Sarah.
Sarah turned to the window as a breeze caused the curtains to sway in a lazy kind of dance. Smiling slightly, she started to hum the 'Camelot' song from Monty Python and the Holy Grail'. Why that dance popped into her head she couldn't say…but this was considered relatively normal. Glancing out the window again she noticed a silver car pull into the driveway and after yelling bye to her parents went out to greet the driver.
"Greetings Sarah," Kristi said as she got in the car.
"Greetings," Sarah said. "How dost thou fare this afternoon?"
Grinning, "I fare quite well and yourself?"
"The same," Sarah said. Looking to the book, "what's that?"
Glancing to it as she drove, "oh that's just something I thought you and Alex might like to see. I'll show you once we get to her house."
Alex was standing on her back porch, with her eyes closed, basking in the warmth of the sun. A breeze caused the wind chimes to clang together, in euphony with the birds chirping at a nearby tree. Opening her eyes slowly she turned her head to see a car pulling into the driveway and grinned looking down from the porch.
Sarah waved, "hey Alex."
Kristi grinned upward, "ahoy there."
Alex leaned on the porch looking almost as a Juliet seeking her Romeo. "Hey there, all set to watch Lord of the Rings on DVD?"
"But of course," Sarah said as she climbed the stairs with Kristi. "As long as we watch and don't participate."
Alex laughed looking to Kristi and raised an eyebrow. "What book is that?"
"A book the library got as a gift. But since it was too old to put on the shelves I volunteered to take it home with me," Kristi said holding it in her hand.
"Well, what's in it?" Sarah asked.
Kristi set it on the table, "some pretty nifty stuff. It has maps of Middle-Earth and some other stuff! Everyone at the library knows I'm a Tolkien fan, so they let me have it. I spent hours pouring over this book."
"Cool," Alex said flipping through it.
"Likewise," Sarah said pulling out a map. As she pulled out one of the larger maps, a small piece of parchment fell from the book and she picked it up. "What's this?"
"Just a sheet of paper I'm using as a book mark with some Black Speech on it. Just some ramblings really…" Kristi said but trailed off at Alex and Sarah's look. "What?"
"Did you say Black Speech?" Alex said giving her a look.
"Yeah…"
Sarah looked at the paper; "there's nothing on here but a poem in English. 'Forces on high hearken the words of past. Presently the task unfinished until the last. Trinity of souls gathers together as one. Gathered in the darkness void of the sun.'"
"What?!" Kristi said in shock.
Alex paused for a moment mulling over the words but took the parchment from her turning it around, "oh cool Elvish! rana il tuulo' kalina ri' quel en' i' corm tessa voronwe a' tanya man tessa mellon alye'. Wander not from light or good of the heart, hold steadfast to that which hold friend together. Well, that's rather cryptic." She paused, "gee, I'm surprised I can remember that."
"Residual memory," Sarah said nodding. She turned to look at Kristi who was staring off distantly, "what is it?"
Alex turned to look at Kristi; "you've got that look on your face."
Kristi blinked, "what look? Anyway, does anyone else think that's a bit odd?" She pointed to the sun, which was being consumed by a huge cloud.
Alex and Sarah had perplexed looks on their faces as they watched the light around them dim.
"I sense a disturbance in the force," Kristi said in a joking yet serious manner.
"Likewise," Sarah said.
"Something is not right," Alex said shaking her head. Her eyes widened as the clouds covering the sun seemed to reach toward them.
Simultaneously Alex and Kristi exclaimed, "what in the nine hells?!"
Sarah was very close to saying 'run away!' but held her ground. "This is not good." The cloud seemed to surround them and started swirling. "This is definitely not good!"
A bright light appeared amidst the shadows and they all raised their arms covering their eyes. When they opened their eyes their jaws went slack as they viewed their surroundings.
"Oh my god…" Kristi said looking around.
"We can't be back…can we?" Sarah said looking to them.
Alex blinked looking around then slowly nodded, "yes we can…here we go again."
Kristi sighed, "great just great."
Alex whirled to her, "a gift! You got the book as a gift and us being the curious idiots that we are ended up reading it!"
Sarah was about to throttle someone's neck remembering the last time they were here, but paused. "Wait a minute, this doesn't make sense." She looked to Alex, "only me and you read things this time."
"You're right…" Alex said trailing off looking to Kristi.
Kristi was looking around absently holding her arm, "what?"
"Kristi…" Sarah said looking to her.
"Well, I didn't say anything out loud…or rather the words I said them in my head…sure I had a dream about the words and the dark figure said them…but it's always been there…" she said rambling.
"Whoa whoa and whoa!" Sarah said. "What the hell did you say?!"
Alex chimed in, "and dark figure?! And what dream?!"
The both of them eyed Kristi darkly.
Kristi closed her eyes reciting the words, Burguul agh burzum fauthob mog, buurz matuurz durub ob duump." Turning to them, "Shadow and darkness lie hidden of voice, dark mortal ruler of doom."
Alex said quietly, "you're scary when you talk like that, you know that right?"
Kristi just shrugged.
Sarah looked to her, "so let me get this straight. You hear this in your head and you think there's nothing wrong with that?!"
"I…well, I heard it in a dream the other night and the words just came naturally to me," she changed the subject. "Anyway, we should find someplace to stay or at least a safe place or something."
"Wait! You're not getting out of this that easily," Alex said walking over to her and stared into her eyes. "You've had more than one dream lately."
Staring right back, "and so have you."
Sarah interrupted, "oh come on they're just dreams. No doubt after our adventure we would have dreams about it…I mean sure maybe the dreams have been more vivid of late but…"
Kristi looked to them, "so let me get this straight, we've all been having intense dreams about Middle-Earth. So that means there must have been a reason why we were brought back here."
"But by who? Or what?" Alex asked them.
"And is it good or evil?" Sarah asked. "I mean last time we were brought here by a light and this time it was a little of both."
"I have no idea," Kristi said. "I have a feeling we'll find out though."
They collectively sighed.
"So where to?" Sarah asked looking around.
"How about this way?" Kristi asked pointing.
"No," Alex said.
Kristi turned to her and grinned, "what about this way?"
Alex shook her head, "no no no."
"I know!" Kristi said excitedly and pointed, "that way!"
Alex nodded clapping.
Sarah stifled a laugh and mustered as serious as an expression she could maintain, "you guys have seen the movie 'Willow' far too much."
Author's Note: Well, hope you all enjoyed that so far. Next chapter there will be conversing with denizens of Middle-Earth. Which denizens? You'll just have to wait and find out. I'll be updating within the next two to three days. Shoots an arrow, which coincidentally lands on the review button.