Janice: I don't own LotR, Tolkein does. I love him and all, but I swear, like many other fans out there I will own it… in a few million years. But unlike them, I will be ruler of the world! Mwuahahahahahahahahahahaha (cough cough) hahahahahahahahaha!

Legolas: (sweatdrop) She's gonna kill us, isn't she?

Frodo: I hope not. I have to live my life still.

Janice: (to a rock she's stroking) Soon, Amanda, soon…

Prologue

Everyone has their own story, a tale they could tell. Not everybody goes on adventures to far off lands to retrieve a great load of treasure or destroy a ring of great power. Those who don't are fortunate. I have seen the war for the One Ring. I have seen death, savagery, and gain. I've seen even the bravest men quiver and cry. I've seen old and young fight bravely, many dying, but their hearts were true and valiant. I held the weeping mother's hand when she found out she lost her youngest son and father to death. I consoled the sister who dare not shed a tear for her beloved brother. Crying is a way to heal, I learned. Healing is my specialty, you see. But even I could not save those too close to death.

This is my story which I call Shards of the Future.

Shards of the Future

Chapter: The Now Sixteen Girl; Middle Earth's Only Help

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."--Abraham Lincoln

Triffel Valley was where I grew up. We never did anything as kids, me, Raiana, Glenys and Sarah. The four of us were not the troublemakers, oh no! that was Raina's younger sister and her friends. We four were the adventurers. We were obsessed with a game we had made up. Sarah was our brave knight, Glenys was the evil witch, Raina was the helpless princess, and I was the healer (we couldn't think of anything, besides, we were five-years old!). But, when I was ten, my mother decided I would go with her on her worldly adventures. I liked the adventures, but I missed my friends. You see, Triffel Valley is a peaceful town in the middle of nowhere in Wyoming. I know it seems like an unlikely place to live, but it a nice place.

I was fifteen when we returned to the little ol' valley in the mountains. Everyone greeted us warmly, saying that my mother hadn't aged a day. In truth, she didn't look it, but she felt it. We never keep secrets from one another, Eraustaniel and me. She told me it was this potion she used, but I never told anyone (until now, that is). But the people of Triffel Valley looked upon me. I had grown quite a bit since I had left. They hadn't seen me since puberty hit, and it hit hard! I looked like a seventeen year old when I was only fourteen. My mother said she was a late bloomer, as well as my dad. "It must come from your grandfather," Eraustaniel (my mother) said.

Sarah was the very first person to see me. She too, had gone through puberty, but she didn't grow in the chest, like I had, she had sprouted like a weed. She didn't wear that rugged baseball cap on her head anymore, and her hair had gotten darker, no longer was it a flaming red but a forest auburn. But her eyes, the most captivating feature on her, were much more exotic than I remember, but her violet had stayed.

"Gwynovir Carney O'Hara, where've you been for these few years we were apart?" I looked over the rose bushed and the white picket fence to see her standing there. "What, are you not going to say 'hello' to one of you unborn sisters?" Back when we were growing up, my dad had joked about how Sarah Lee Ashwood was my unborn sister. She still was and always will be.

"A sister you may be," I said wittily, "but unborn you never were." She easy hopped over the fence and grabbed me in a fierce bear hug. "I've missed you, Brave She-Knight."

"And I, you, Kind Healer." I knew they were only silly, childhood nicknames, but they still meant a lot to the two of us. Eraustaniel invited Sarah in. My father was making tofu hotdogs, beef hamburgers, and a salad. "I'll come for the hamburgers." Sarah laughed. I grinned, mum and I were vegetarians, everyone else was an omnivore. I hadn't said he (my father) was planning karaoke. Sarah wasn't much of a singer, but I always managed to get her up on the mike when we grew up.

It wasn't long before Glenys showed up, she wasn't the happy nine-year old with villainous plans to take over the world, she was, however, the villain from a fantasy story. Her silver, moonlight eyes and dark hair, along with very fair skin and the black dress with fishnet leggings made her the villain I knew she really was. But when she smiled slightly, it showed she wasn't all dark and evil. Sarah said it was because of some bad relationships she had.

Raina came along as karaoke was about to begin. She was all smiles and was much more of a woman than any of us. Her wavy orange locks were much brighter and her once emerald eyes were now a leafy green. She wore a pink button up shirt and tight jeans. Her flaming red jacket had kept her warm. She squealed when she saw me and gave me a bone crushing embrace.

"We're starting karaoke." I said, trying to gain my breath back. Sarah looked horrified.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the karaoke time. Sarah was finally forced to sing, but at least to a song she liked, I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Darkness. I respected her choice, I liked the song, even her harpy singing couldn't ruin it.

I believe in a thing called love

Just listen to the rhythm of my heart

There's a chance we could make it now

We'll be rocking 'til the sun goes down

I believe in a thing called love

Ooh!

The night came and past; the four of us friends once together again. My father drove them home and I settled in to my bed, relaxing my muscles. Tomorrow I would be sixteen and lucky me, I didn't have to start school for another day or two. I love snow storms.

When morning came, I was more refreshed than normal. Sleeping on a nice, soft, comfy, warm bed could have been the reason why. My mother was up and cooking something that smelled rather delicious. Leon (10) and Zephyr (13) were already out and playing in last nights fall. Eraustaniel stood there, humming softly her lullaby.

"Morning, mum." I said. She smiled at me.

"Morning, birthday girl." she said cheerily. "How does it feel to finally be sixteen?"

"Eh, feels the same." I shrugged.

"Nothing? You don't feel any different?" She seemed disappointed, as if she expected me to have changed somehow. I looked at her and smiled. "Oh, I'd nearly forgotten, this came in the mail." She handed me a rectangular object. It was thick and wrapped in brown paper. "Don't open it until tonight. Keep it in your satchel, Gwen. Don't let anybody get their hands on it." I did as she told me. I knew she planned for me to stay a night in the forest behind the small, white house tonight. So I got my ceremonial outfit ready; a light brown skirt, white blouse, and brown vested corset. It was simple and easy to put on, so I would be able to dress quickly.

"I'm going to go over to Sarah's. Raina and Glenys said they'd be there too." I slipped on a warm jacket I had gotten while in Canada. "Bye, mum!" I said, kissing her on the cheek and dashing out of the door.

"Wait, what about," the door slammed, "breakfast?"

Sarah lived next door and Raina down the street. Glenys lived a few houses over and across the street. We were the only four girls (besides Raina's sister) that lived on the block. So we banded together against the boys, and often won.

As I was running next door, I saw someone I thought as my enemy, Keegan O'Neil. He stood there, by his red corvette, watching me. He waved slightly and I waved back, and continued to walk to Sarah's door. He had seemed to have changed quite a bit since I had left. I had planned ask Sarah about my worst enemy later.

Sarah's house was a two story, classic Victorian. A tire swing was tied to the extremely tall tree, where an old tree house (our headquarters) stood, once proud in the woody arms. A beautiful garden would surround the now icy pond during the other seasons. A small pine, dusted with snow, was ornate with glittering, glowing balls that would be turned on later. The house was always open and welcome to all, as it was a small hotel (more so a hostel than a hotel, but we prefer the term hotel).

I knocked on the blood red door, watching my breath with crossed eyes. Lance Ashwood, Sarah's father opened the door. He smiled at me and said, "Gwen! It's nice to see you back here safely back home. Come on in, this house welcomes you, my young girl. Sarah is in her bedroom. Here, let me take your jacket."

"Thank you, Mr. Ashwood. It's nice to see you again too." I kicked off my boots and ran up the stairs. The many rooms of the house were to the guests, but the very top floor of the building was the family's. Sarah's room wasn't hard to find, it was the one with sports decorations. I opened the door, without knocking and there Sarah was tangled amongst her sheets. She looked up at me with sleepy violet eyes and was about to fall asleep when I jumped on her and the bed. She groaned.

"Gwen!" Her voice was muffled by her pillow.

"Up! Up, you sleepy girl, or I'll send the orcs on you!" I said bouncing. She sat up and glared at me, after twisting her self and almost making me fall off her bed.

"You know I despise orcs, Healer." She yawned and stretched. "So I'll get up. I haven't forgotten that special power of yours." I blinked. 'Special power?' I thought and then it dawned on me. I had the ability to make my thoughts real.

"Oh, yea…" I said blushing slightly and laughing lightly.

"You forgot." She got up and dug through her drawers. She pulled out jeans and a black t-shirt. While dressing, she decided to keep the conversation going. "So where did you go while you were travelling?"

"A lot of places. In Sweden, we stayed at the Ice Hotel, and I'll tell you, you're butt get numb easily. Everything is so ornate! The Amazon has all these exotic birds you don't even see in the zoos. It's deadly humid there, too. The leeches really sucked. Leeds Castle in Maidstone, Kent, that's in England, was alright. I loved the gardens. They're stunning! I have pictures of them on my laptop. The Meiji Shine in Tokyo is the first Shinto Temple I've been to. The priests and priestesses were really nice to me. The mountains in New Zealand were to die for!" I said, recalling some of the things that have happened to me. She laughed, not that beautiful laughter you'd hear from a princess, but close to it. Her laughter is infectious. My laughter is like a donkey's, loud and annoying.

Her younger brother Michael (who was passing by) with some of the other children from town and visitors looked at us as if we were insane. I grinned at them, they had never heard a laughter like mine. A priestess from the Meiji Shrine had scolded me for not controlling my laughter. But laughter is meant to be heard, beautiful or not; it's the third most understood language ever (love and smiles being the first two). They seemed to understand we were like sisters and we hadn't laughed together in a long time.

"I've missed you, Healer." she said after our laughter had died. I smiled at her through teary eyes. Laughing together was our way of telling each other: "I've missed you so much, so let's just answer every question the way only best friends can understand."

Sarah, Glenys, Raina and I sat in a circle in my room, whispering and giggling, trading stories. I had nearly forgotten what I was going to ask them.

"Hey guys," I said, "I saw Keegan earlier— "

"Don't even start with him." Raina said, crossing her arms. "He all Elsa talks about." I winced. Elsa was Raina's younger sister. She was spoiled and pampered from birth. Raina was treated a little harsher after her baby sister was born. The sixteen-year old was on their nerves right now, I could tell. When Sarah and I are alone, after the other two leave, I'll ask her everything.

"Elsa and Keegan broke up a few weeks ago." Sarah explained. "Keegan didn't want to do the things she wanted, so he ditched her. He seemed happy that you were coming back."

"He was?" I was in shock. Keegan had always picked on me, I thought he did it out of spite, could it be something else?

"Yeah. He's not that bad anymore. He sticks up for us every now and then." Me and my girls were the town outcasts. We never played with Barbie dolls or played house or anything like that. We just couldn't, we yearned for adventure, to be out there and being heroes.

The four of us jumped at the knocking on the door. My father stood there looking worried. "Girls," said he, "best go see Eruaistaniel. She has something for you." We looked at each other, exchanging looks. Clad in pyjamas, we walked into my mother's sewing room. There she stood, her works of art behind her on hangers on the clothes rack. A troubled smile on her face.

"Girls, quickly now, put these on." She handed each of us a dress, and Sarah a light shirt and breeches. Dressing as fast as we could, we did as my mother told. "Gwynovir, got get your bag, make sure your book is in it." Racing down the hall, I grabbed it.

When I returned, they had cloaks on. Bag over shoulder, I fastened my cloak. Eruaistaniel smiled at us, fixing hair or adjusting something. We were to go into the forest, I could sense it. Our old game was going to begin on my sixteenth birthday.

"Hurry now, girls." my father said, ushering us out of the back door. "Go to the glade, once you're there, they can't get you. You're protector will meet you there." We watched everywhere around us. Something was coming to get us. I could feel it.

"Guys, my toes are numb." Sarah said, shivering.

"We're almost there." I said, blowing warm steam on my hands. I was just as numb as they were. During the day, it was fine, but it was a lot colder here during the evening (it dropped twenty degrees).

SNAP!

I whirled around to see a black and red wolf, his green eyes gleamed. Yelping I ran, the others close behind, wolf tailing on us. I wasn't afraid of the vicious beast following us, more so of what was following it.

Leathery skinned beings with crooked, yellow teeth, wiry hair and odd clothing that looked like their skin. Their beady eyes glinted viciously as we ran. They frightened me!

We stopped at the cliff. I don't think it was smart to come this way, damn me and my inability to navigate (with a compass and a map). Sarah was ready to fight, as was the wolf.

I got a better look at it. The wolf wasn't your ordinary wolf (aside from the odd colouring), it had massive, black and red wings. The tail was ringed with the same colouring throughout it's body. The wolf's teeth matched the snow on the ground.

The ugly things chasing us stopped and roared. Something, in the middle of the chaos, raised a white staff and yelled: Lema ed' templa.

The last few things I remember is being hit by a deadly white ball of light, falling off the cliff and watching the ground zoom in closer before everything went black.

Janice: So, did you like it? I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out how to get them to Middle-earth safely… sort of.

Gwen: What do you mean "sort of"? I fell off a freaking cliff! God damnit woman, you need a life!

Janice: I so-ory I'm learning elvish on your benefit.

Gwen: Ti tá llbe Orch!

Janice: (mumbles) Jackass.