Usual Disclaimer: I don't own anything Middle-Earth related, just my original cast.
Revised: 15 December 2013
Author's note upon changes: I merged chapter one and two together. I've edited the comments about Ashlinn's singing voice, as it is meant to say her voice was better now than it was before. Ashlinn has no talent in Earth for singing.
Author's remarks upon this story (in which you can ignore said note if you desire):
Firstly I would like to apologize in advance for any mistakes I do make. This is towards the time line and also the Quenya spoken. The Quenya words used in the beginning of this story is really only used till the characters finally begin to understand Quenya itself and then all normal writing, unless there are notations about it, are in Quenya or later in Sindarin (after the third kinslaying). I realize that I could probably tell the story of the elves meeting the humans in their point of view, but I am going to stick with namely the three main characters, Cian, Ashlinn, and Jaden and moreso Ashlinn. Despite the short introduction and leaving of Carter & Maya, they will be inserted back into the story eventually, but that is still many more chapters later that have yet to be written as I write this.
I also must remark on the time line itself. I have a time line of events that between the Silmarillion and various encyclopedic websites about Arda, elves, the history, culture and else-wise, I realize I will make mistakes. If you notice a mistake, please tell me. I am aiming for consistency towards canon. That being said there are certain wiggle room for things. I would also like to note that later on Glorfindel is re-embodied and is back to Middle-Earth during the Second Age. I am going with the latest version of what Tolkien wrote.
The story itself will unfold between three to maybe four various arcs, depending upon how I desire to write out about the second age and later the third age. There will be no 10th walker. I prefer to stick with the actual canon Tolkien wrote and stick to the wiggle room. There also may be edits in the future for the story, some parts more embellished than others.
This first arc is the Gondolin Arc, the Hidden City and the founding of my characters house, the House of the Blessed Star (Thlim Mánilmo). I guess about Thlim Mánilmo, with the name anyways, but they don't play a major part of the power structures of the 12 Houses that were in power before it's fall. As I said, I'd like to stick to canon as much as possible.
I have an obsession with details and sticking to the canon, so some chapters are slow in coming.
So without much ado, here is the short prologue and the first chapter.
Prologue \\ Location: Aman, passed the Fourth Age
"The world has changed. It seems that is the beauty of time itself, is change. The world will continue to spin on and on without you, even if you feel like your heart has died with grief. It is never the end, oh no, it is only a new beginning. All we have in our lives, is this one moment, this one precious moment trapped forever in the eternal now.
It seems only our minds can travel backwards the paths of our yesterdays and emotions will arise from the surface. Alas, memories, it is a gift and a curse. It is a gift because we can remember all those we have lost, or remember simpler, happier times. It is also a curse because memories are like thorns, our darkest memories are like waves crashing upon our shores, sometimes rather large and frightening and too easily do we drown upon them.
It seems like the worst part of it is that the world has indeed changed and the only thing about me that has changed in several thousand years is that my eyes hold the wisdom of ages. They have seen friends die, fought with armies against two Dark Lords, have loved, lost, and watched cities be laid to waste. It wears on you after a while, but you have to come to your own terms with it. Maybe it is why that even after so many ages, I am still fond of the Buddha's teaching, even here where I dwell now, in Aman."
Sighing, a woman placed down the quill she was using to write with. She slipped her hand under her chin and stared at what she wrote. She yanked at her white blonde hair and sighed again as the door opened. Sensing her husband's presence she turned to look at him.
"What are you doing, anarinya?" His eyes a bright blue.
"I'm writing, well, my story. How I came to be here. It's more for my sake than anything else. You know I don't care to be mentioned in the histories. I am going to find healing in this story," She got up and went to him then and he pulled her against.
"Ai, anarinya, I know you do." He pressed his lips against her forehead. "Come to bed, melda."
"Alright," she said. She walked over and blew the candles out at the desk and her husband drew her away.
Chapter 1 \\ The Arrival & the Illness \\ 113 of the First Age
Ashlinn stopped at the edge of the cliff and smiled looking down at the lake. It had been forever since she had been here it felt like. The blue water of the lake seemed inviting after the hard day's hiking. She turned around and waved at her brother and her friends. Ashlinn quickly covered her mouth seeing her friend, Maya, the only other girl on the trip lagging behind.
"Ash, how much further," groaned a boy with short messy brown hair.
"Shush Carter, this hike is nothing."
"Ash isn't kidding Carter," another boy with short black hair spoke up. His name was Jaden and was Ashlinn's older brother. Jaden clapped Carter on the back. "We took two summers to do it, but we hiked the entire Appalachian."
"Why would you want to do that?" Maya asked.
"To be outdoors? To get away from the parents? It is just you, the wilderness, and not much of the constant drone of the outside world while you are hiking. It's soul good. There is music as much here as there is in a rave, Maya." Ashlinn replied grinning.
"I want to climb Everest," Cian, Ashlinn's brother said as he walked over to look at the lake with Ashlinn.
"You have to be joking. That is dangerous," Carter exclaimed.
"I guess so, but I would get a thrill out of it. Hopefully. I love white water rafting and skydiving, but I want a new thrill," Cian replied. Ashlinn clapped her Cian on the shoulder.
"In due time, in due time Cian. But first, let's get down to the lake! I want to swim." Ashlinn turned and headed towards the path that would wind down the cliff side and take them out of view of the lake before reaching. She didn't glance back at her friends but her brother quickly fell into step with her. They walked quietly used to a comfortable silence between them. Carter and Maya continued to bicker loudly and Ashlinn glanced at Cian, noticing him grinning, she couldn't help but grin. He bumped her shoulder with his.
"Aren't you glad we came out here Ash?" He asked quietly.
"Yes," Ashlinn responded quietly. "But I cannot wait to go skydiving at the end of this week!"
Jaden came up behind her then and rested his chin on her shoulder, "Am I coming for skydiving?"
"Of course you are! Where would we be without you Jaden? Mom and dad took care of everything for us." Cian waved his hand in a non-nonchalant manner. A cold, biting wind picked up and blew through the trees. Ashlinn closed her eyes against the strong wind and sneezed, as she did this, it felt like the world had shifted somehow. Ashlinn shook her head at the weird feelings and opened her eyes as the wind died down.
"Well that was strange..." Ashlinn's voice trailed off. There was no path here and the trees were strange all of a sudden, taller, older. She stood mouth agape and glanced at her brother.
"I feel like it is apt to say we are not in Kansas anymore Toto," Cian said quietly, his face darkened and looked disturbed.
"I want to know how is this possible," Jaden brought up thoughtfully. "Could we have stepped through a wormhole? It may seem like a strange reason, but how else can you explain that extremely cold wind? It may be springtime here, but that wind..."
"There is no reason to think upon these things. Since clearly we are somewhere different, we need to figure where we are and hopefully it is not a question of when. Carter? Maya?" Ashlinn responds. The three turn around and find that neither of their friends were with them. A deep panic set into Ashlinn and from Cian's and Jaden's face to was panic. Carter and Maya were college friends and that didn't have the experience that the three had with outdoor survival. Ashlinn and Cian were childhood friend's with Jaden and had dragged him about on all their adventures as their families were very close.
"Carter? Maya?" They all called out, but only the silence of the forest greeted them. Trembling, Ashlinn sank to the ground, fear pounding in her heart. She started to take deep, calming breaths.
"What do we do guys?" Jaden asked quietly. Ashlinn chewed her lip and sat in silence deep in thought. The silence in the forest was rather eerie.
"We need to stick together for one," Cian said.
"Stop," Ashlinn said.
"What was that sis," Cian asked.
"Stop moving, think, observe, plan. Clearly we are in a forest that is not our own, so," Aishlinn said.
"We don't know the dangers that are in this forest. We need to be careful about the wild animals, though thankfully this is not a jungle," Jaden remarked.
"Yeah," Aishlinn smiled then. "I cannot tell where we are and waiting to be found does not seem like an option. We don't know where we are and nobody would think to call us here, so we need to keep moving." The trio quickly hashed out the details and stretched out meal plans. Cian suggested going south, saying at least hopefully it would get warmer. They checked the compass and headed south in hopes of finding civilization or hopefully someone. They passed the first of the day in silence until noticing the dwindling light.
"Let's set up camp. It will do us no good to have to set up camp in the dark," Jaden noted the light coming through the dense trees.
"Wait!" Ashlinn glanced about and pressed her finger to her lips for silence. Closing her eyes she tilted her head listening to the sounds she heard.
"What is it Ash?"
"Water," she replied with a smile.
"Yes! That is good. Now we can travel along side the river hopefully and not have to worry about water. This is a good place to set up camp then!" Ashlinn only nodded in agreement at this. They set to work setting up camp for the night with a practiced ease in silence. They refilled their bottles with the water from the river that was nearby and settled back into camp with a simple meal to nourish their bodies. In the last of the light they put up food in the tree and sat around the campfire. They sat in silence for a while.
"Well this trip has been eventful guys," Jaden spoke up, breaking the silence.
"Yes it has been, I'm sorry this happened," Ashlinn said.
Cian poked the fire a bit before speaking. "Hopefully we can find Carter and Maya, wherever we are. Or at least hopefully they are home, safe, still on the trail and they can head back."
"I'll take first watch guys. I don't feel safe here. I'll stay up for three hours guys, who wants to watch the fire after me?" Ashlinn glanced at her watch on her arm, it read 9:13pm and set her alarm.
"I will Ash," Jaden said before Cian spoke up. "Cian you can take the last watch."
"No problem." Cian and Jaden turned into the tent leaving Ashlinn by herself. Ashlinn climbed up one of the trees to peek through the foliage and see the stars. Her parents had raised her up on constellations of the Northern Hemisphere, but none of these seemed familiar to her. It greatly disturbed her as she climbed down the tree. She had been hoping that seeing the stars would help her find her way. Ashlinn chewed her lip wondering if she should tell Cian and Jaden about this.
"God, what a nightmare this is," she whispered out loud staring at the fire. She continued her prayer quietly."God, somebody, help us. Please. I'm afraid, afraid of where we are that maybe somehow we are in another world and we will find ourselves against unfriendly enemies. Help us find civilization or at least people who can help us."
The hours seemed to pass by quietly but Ashlinn began to feel ill to her stomach. Just what she needed was to come down sick. Ashlinn took out a bag from her backpack that had medicine in it. She popped a tums and an advil hoping that it could help hold off how sick she felt. She rubbed her jaw for a second grumbling to herself mentally. She added another stick to the fire. God, what a nightmare. Ashlinn sang to herself quietly to help make the hours pass by, eyes alert upon the surroundings. Her alarm went off on her watch and she silenced it quickly before crawling into the tent and shaking Jaden awake. His dark eyes seemed flat with exhaustion.
"Time already?" Jaden grumbled.
"Yeah," Ashlinn said quietly. Jaden sat up quickly looking at her.
"You okay, Ash?"
"Just tired," said Ash smiling weakly. "I'd like to catch some z's."
"Alright." Jaden ruffled Ashlinn's golden hair before crawling out of the tent and zipping it back up. Ash settled into the sleeping back with a sigh. She closed her eyes and slipped into a fitful sleep, filled with voices and people calling her name. She dreamed of a giant monster of shadow and flame towering over her and someone grabbing her hand as she screamed someone's name seeing a flash of gold at the foot of the monster. They turned into nothing as she felt herself shaken roughly.
"Ash, ash! Wake up!" She felt herself shaken again. All she wanted was to sleep more. She opened her eyes to see Jaden and Cian looking at her with concern.
"What," she asked hoarsely, her voice very quiet. She cleared her throat.
"What?" She asked again but her voice sounded quiet and rough.
"You don't sound good. As much as I hate it, we need to stay here." Cian pressed his hand against her forehead. "Plus, I think you have a fever. You are very warm to touch. I know that isn't a good judgment but seeing as we don't have a thermometer."
Jaden held out a cup of water, "Drink this."
Ashlinn gulped down the water greedily before spilling a bit in her hands and rubbing it against her forehead. Her stomach felt queasy as her brother handed her some food to eat. She managed to eat a few bites and laid down. She closed her eyes feeling so ill and pulled the sleeping bag to her chin.
"I'm sorry," Ashlinn spoke out.
"Don't worry Ash, everything will be okay. Remember I'm a doctor."
"A surgeon Jaden, a surgeon."
"Same difference. Go back to sleep."
"Okay..." she managed out before drifting back into sleep.
Ashlinn woke up with a start, shooting pain working it's way through her back, her knees, her legs. Her head was pounding. It hurt to move, it hurt to lay still. The pain just would not go away. She pressed her hand to her forehead and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She looked over to find Cian laying down as well, sweat dripping from his forehead.
"Oh gods," she groaned.
"Here take this," Jaden spoke up from her left. Ashlinn sat up and looked over at Jaden. His hair looked damp and his eyes looked flat. Ashlinn took the medicine and the water and swallowed it. She noted how pale her older brother looked.
"What's wrong with us Jaden?" Her voice cracked. It hurt to talk.
"I don't know. I am really worried Ash. I've never seen anything like this. Cian came down last night with the same thing and this morning I'm beginning to feel the same sickness. The advil helps take the headache away."
"We are in deep shit aren't we..." Ashlinn looked down at her hands in her lap, her eyes watering. Jaden pulled Ashlinn into a hug.
"I will not lie, we are. But we will pull through, we always do. Don't cry, don't cry, you need to stay hydrated." Jaden tried to soothe her. He stroked her hair as Ashlinn sniffed and rocked her back and forth. He sang quietly to her then, his voice cracking now and again. She drifted into sleep wondering if her brothers and her would make it out alive. If they would die like their mother. Her grip on reality slipped away and she drifted into an easy dream, this time one filled with figures of light visiting her. They said things in a strange tongue she did not know and sometimes in what seemed like pure musical notes. There was two trees that had great light that she walked under before darkness came. She woke up suddenly and briefly to drink water, before quickly slipping into her feverish dreams of figures of light and strange languages, wanting to not be aware of the serve pain that racked her body. Ashlinn wasn't sure how she was managing to keep going back to sleep, but she was grateful.
The sounds of birds awoke Ashlinn and she noted it was daylight. Her pain seemed to be less, but it was still a bone deep ache. Feeling hungry, Ashlinn crawled out of the tent and shakily stood up. She walked over to the tree and pulled the food container down. After taking a few snacks she put it up again in the tree and sat down leaning against the tree. She munched quietly looking around her, shivering, before singing quietly a girl scout song to herself.
"Mmm, I want to linger," she started to sing, "mmm a little longer, mm, a little longer with you."
Ashlinn stopped then and frowned. She cleared her throat and sang one of her favorite songs, noticing it was different. Jaden poked his head out as she finished.
"Hey Jaden, want some food?"
"Yes," he said croaking, he looked up at the trees. Ashlinn got up and moved over towards her brother and sat down on the ground in front of him. Jaden settled into a sitting position and took the food Ashlinn offered.
"Your voice, it's different," he remarked.
"Yes, well it is not harsh from having a dry throat anymore. Better than your scratchy voice," Ashlinn teased.
"No, it is different Ash. Even now as you speak, it is more soft, more smooth."
"You are lying, you just trying to make me not think how we are in the middle of no where, our bodies are going into starvation mode, and we are sick. No one knows where to look for us here."
"It isn't that," Jaden murmured. "It is different, not crazy different but it's really distinct sounding."
"I think that is the illness talking Jaden."
"Maybe," he grunted and ate one of the bars. "If you are feeling well enough, can you refill all the water bottles. Cian and I have been drinking most of them. I'll stay awake to make sure you get back."
"Sure," she agreed readily enough. Jaden gave her the bottles and the filter. Ashlinn stood up and noticed Jaden studying her intensely.
"What's with that look?"
"Look down at yourself," Jaden sighed, rubbing his temples. Ashlinn looked down and for the first time realizing how ill-fitting her clothes appear now to her. Thankfully she always wore long shirts, but it seemed like she had gained some inches. She almost seemed to have lost weight and was much thinner. This bothered her a great deal.
"This is fucking weird," Ashlinn swore and stalked off to fill the water bottles. She hummed to herself impatiently as she filled first one then another. As much as she was afraid for what was happening to her and wanted to run screaming in any direction, she knew it would do no good. Ashlinn prayed that when she got back to society that the doctor's would have an explanation to how she mysteriously gained several inches to her height. Once filled she hurried back to camp and found her brother looking as pale as a ghost. She squatted down beside him placing the water bottles on the ground.
"You okay?"
"No." Ashlinn looked into Jaden's eyes and realized for the first time how afraid he really was. Jaden, her brother, the rock, the one who was always calm no matter what happened in their family was afraid.
"What's wrong?"
"Look at the date on your watch," he ordered. Ashlinn did so. March 12th it read. Ashlinn looked up at Jaden and visibly paled.
"I have been unconscious for a week?"
"We all have been. I woke up a couple times, but I never looked at the date. Just had some water. Every time it was daylight, so I thought only one day has passed. But for a whole week...and one more thing. Your voice is different, but check, check your ears." He managed to get out at last, his voice cracking on ears. Ashlinn confused did as Jaden suggested and touched her ear. The bottom was fine, she still had all her piercings. She moved her hand up and stopped, feeling what her brother had noted. She gasped and shoved her hair out of the way and motioned towards it with the other hand.
"It's," she paused and managed to get it out, "pointed?"
Her brother moved his black hair out of the way to show his ear. It was tapered into a point. It reminded Ashlinn of elves, but not the gigantic ears she had seen in art. No, their ears were smaller than that, more human sized, or in this case elf-sized and natural. Ashlinn chewed her lips and closed her eyes, inwardly freaking out. She took deep breaths hoping it would steady her.
"This cannot be real," she said to herself. Jaden pinched her then.
"Ow! What is that for?"
"You said this is not real. That pain reminds you this is very real. Something very real happened here and I have no idea what."
"Guys, you are so noisy, be quietly," Cian called sleepily from inside the tent.
"Cian, wake up, come outside. Now," demanded Ashlinn. Cian grunted and poked his head out of the tent and glared at Ashlinn.
"I have been feeling unwell. Whatever bug you got, I got. I'd like to sleep more, seeing as you seem all well and I still feel queasy."
"Cian, this is important," Ashlinn shouted and shoved her hair from her ears, "look!"
Cian stared at hear ear and looked over at Jaden who had his hair tucked behind his ear. Cian looked at both of them and slid his fingers under his hair to his ear and then he let out at a startled yell Ashlinn winced at the sound.
"Is this a joke?"
"I wish it was," snorted Ashlinn and she stood up, "I gained a few inches too."
"No you didn't." Jaden stood up then unsteadily and slightly leaned against Ashlinn. Jaden had always been really tall, he stood at six foot six inches. Cian and Ashlinn had always been almost a foot shorter than their elder brother, but now Cian couldn't help but guess that Ashlinn was close to being six foot. Cian sighed and got out of the tent expecting to be shorter than his siblings, but to the surprise or maybe not to much surprise Cian also was taller now.
"This is not medically possible," Jaden muttered.
"Don't we know this," grumbled Ashlinn. "I'm happy to be taller now, but this is ridiculous. There is no technology in the world I swear that can give us over 5 inches of height like this, or the seemingly extra growth of cartilage that makes up our pointed ears, or the change of quality in my voice! I don't believe it was some weird bug either!"
"What other option do we have?"
"God, magic! I normally go for the logical explanation, but there is not a single one for why we are suddenly in a new area we have been in. These trees are not native to the area we are hiking in, nor is that river! This is all so completely illogical! So what other option? I do not know!" Ashlinn snapped.
"Chill Ash. I'm sure we will figure out what has happened. First of all though, Jaden and I definitely need another day of rest. He looks paler than a ghost if that is possible and I am still feeling queasy. Come on Jaden, let's go back to sleep." Cian spoke up trying to diffuse the situation and pulled on Jaden's arm, making Jaden stumble a second, before he sank to his knees and her brothers entered the tent.
"I'll make lunch then," Ashlinn called out to them. Ashlinn set about gathering wood and the materials to start a fire to cook one of the meals they originally had for their trip. Quietly humming and occasionally singing, enjoying the fact that as weird as this sudden transformation was, her voice was smoother and far more fair then it had ever been. Ashlinn had always had a decent singing voice and had taken choir for eight years, but her voice was no classically trained master. She could always carry a tune. Her voice was always okay, not enough of a talent to be noticed by others. Now it was prettier, but still not capable of hitting some of the higher and obviously the lower notes. Ashlinn prepared the simple meal before disturbing her brothers from their rest. They ate in silence annoyed with each other and left to their own thoughts. They cleaned the dishes together. The next morning passed in silence with a few grunted commands as they quickly broke down camp and set about leaving no trace of their being.
"Are you guys feeling well enough to hike now?" Ashlinn asked with concern. No matter their arguments her brothers were her family and she would never do anything to risk their lives.
"We are fine now," Jaden gave her a small smile. Ashlinn nodded and took out her elastic and pulled it into a bun to keep her hair out of her face. Ashlinn slipped her backpack on and grabbed the water bottles.
"I'll go feel these up, alright?"
"Sure thing Ash. We are almost done here. We'll meet you at the river in a second."
"Okay."
Elvish Guide \\
anarinya – quenya – my sun