Prologue
You really don't need to know my real name. All you need to know that I am known as Civateteo, and I was coerced into writing this. Yes, this story. Or rather as they put it, this account. It's not that bad, really. You only need to give it a chance. It's not really the best, but it's not hacknayed. At least, that's what I think. Of course, this is my story, and authors have a habit of thinking high of themselves. Maybe it's just me.
It all started on New Year's Eve, before I was due to go to a large bash my friends were giving. I had no wish to go, but I was obliged to. I had more or less promised my friend I was going, so I had to go.
I was walking down the stairs in my dress, over-coat and high-heels. A big, big mistake. I have absolutely no balance at all, and going down the stairs with heels... oh boy. I missed a step, tumbled, and ended up on the floor, unconscious.
All right, I know. It sounds completely made-up and totally... hackneyed, but oh well. Let me continue. Bear with me, and if this is a horrible account, you can flame me. You probably know what's happening. I didn't. Not then, at least. But give me a chance, and let me tell this story. It's not as it looks like.
I woke up not in my house, but in a wood, with four horses surrounding me. Yes, horses in the middle of the forest, and very mean-looking people staring down at me. One of them leapt off his horse, and knelt by me.
By heavens, I could have died right there. Quite literally, too. He was absolutely gorgeous, and held a blade to my throat, pressing it harshly against my throat. His hair was long, dark and drawn back behind his ears. His pointy ears, I might add. An elf! AN ELF!!! It couldn't be happening.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice coldly polite and accented.
I think my brain had stopped working. "You're an elf." Yes, it had stopped.
"I did not ask who I am. I am asking who you are." The knife pressed deeper into my throat.
I tried to push his hand away, but it didn't work. "Civateteo. Human. Let me go."
"And where from?" He had not let me go. I was liking this elf less and less.
"Um... Rohan?" It had to be Middle-Earth. Elves this gorgeous, uh-huh.
"And your golden hair?" I winced, remembering my dark hair, and un-Rohanian features. But on the good side, it was Middle-Earth.
"Enough, Elrohir. Let her go." Another elf approached us, both identical to each other.
Elrohir? ELROHIR? And the one beside him mist have been Elladan. I had indeed died, and gone to heaven. And the best parts were coming up Legolas, Glorfindel, Haldir... but at that moment, a horrible thought appeared. I was going to become the dreaded Mary-Sue. And all will hate me for it. All... the world (at least the portion that reads fanfiction)! No, it must not happen.
"Are you not going to get up?" Elladan now knelt by me, his kinder face showing concern.
"Hold on... I need to make something clear. You are Elladan, Elrond's son, right?" He nodded, a bit uneasy. "And this is the time when the One Ring is around, correct?" He nodded again. "Oh, no. Oh no. I have to go. I have to go back to Rohan, and... and -" I scrambled to my feet, ready to run anywhere but to Imladris.
"You are not leaving." Elrohir stepped into my path, blocking my way. And let me tell you. Six feet worth of elf is not easy to get past. Especially if you're five foot five, have absolutely no power or balance, and in a state of shock. All right, not shock, but close.
I put my hands on my hips, indignant. "And why not?"
"Because you may be a spy, and you must meet our father so he can pass his judgement." Elrohir's eyes narrowed, regarding me suspiciously.
"I'm not a spy." I took a step forward, ready to bring out the menacing human in me, but sadly, my left heel gave out, and I had no chance to match the elf. I was still wearing the dress, overcoat and heels. Not forest-wear, but thankfully, I was not transformed into a female Ranger or an elf automatically.
"Don't you think a spy would be spying rather than sitting on the floor?" I started yelling at him from the floor. "I would not be here if I were a spy, damn you!"
He gave me a cold glance, then looked to the rest of the group. "We have little time to waste. Put her on a horse. We make for Imladris immediately."
I gave up, and took Elladan's hand. "You have most likely sprained your foot, Lady Civateteo. We will be in Imladris in a day or so."
I gritted my teeth, and limped after Elladan, using his arm as a support. "Lovely." He led me to his horse, a large chestnut. I didn't quite like horses, and eyed the horse warily. He eyed me back.
"He will not mind an extra rider. Come." He gave me a friendly smile, and leapt up onto the horse's back. "What puzzles me is why a maiden of the Mark would wear such clothes." Elladan reached down, and held out his hand.
"Hold on..." I bent and loosened the straps of my shoes, and stepped out. "Well, you see... not all Rohan people like... or ride horses." I tucked the stupid heels into my overcoat pockets, and accepted his hand. He pulled me up, and I scrambled hurriedly, holding onto his tunic, until I was seated behind him.
Thank the Valar the dress was not a straight one, but was loose, and riding astride wasn't too much of a problem. Elrohir rode up to us.
"Are you ready, brother?"
"Lead the way." Elrohir waved to the two other elves (the strong, silent types, I suppose). "Are you ready, Lady Civateteo?" Elladan asked. "You might want to hold onto me, in case you would fall off. The road ahead is a treacherous one to strangers."
"I'm all right, thanks. Full steam ahead." I grabbed a handful of his tunic as he whispered to his horse, and off we went. There was no chance to talk during the wild ride through the forest. Thank heavens. I was trying to sort out the craziness that was flocking my brain.
So I was heading for Imladris. The place where everything begins and becomes a disaster. I am so going to hide, and wait until the Fellowship leaves, then come out. Well, maybe get a glimpse or two of the Fellowship, then find a way back home. A nice, solid plan.
Too bad it didn't work. Things had gone totally out of hand, and I didn't know it yet.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing belongs to me, except for myself, the horses, Civateteo, and probably the plot... yeah. I won't sell this or stuff. Everything belongs to the rightful owners.
You really don't need to know my real name. All you need to know that I am known as Civateteo, and I was coerced into writing this. Yes, this story. Or rather as they put it, this account. It's not that bad, really. You only need to give it a chance. It's not really the best, but it's not hacknayed. At least, that's what I think. Of course, this is my story, and authors have a habit of thinking high of themselves. Maybe it's just me.
It all started on New Year's Eve, before I was due to go to a large bash my friends were giving. I had no wish to go, but I was obliged to. I had more or less promised my friend I was going, so I had to go.
I was walking down the stairs in my dress, over-coat and high-heels. A big, big mistake. I have absolutely no balance at all, and going down the stairs with heels... oh boy. I missed a step, tumbled, and ended up on the floor, unconscious.
All right, I know. It sounds completely made-up and totally... hackneyed, but oh well. Let me continue. Bear with me, and if this is a horrible account, you can flame me. You probably know what's happening. I didn't. Not then, at least. But give me a chance, and let me tell this story. It's not as it looks like.
I woke up not in my house, but in a wood, with four horses surrounding me. Yes, horses in the middle of the forest, and very mean-looking people staring down at me. One of them leapt off his horse, and knelt by me.
By heavens, I could have died right there. Quite literally, too. He was absolutely gorgeous, and held a blade to my throat, pressing it harshly against my throat. His hair was long, dark and drawn back behind his ears. His pointy ears, I might add. An elf! AN ELF!!! It couldn't be happening.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice coldly polite and accented.
I think my brain had stopped working. "You're an elf." Yes, it had stopped.
"I did not ask who I am. I am asking who you are." The knife pressed deeper into my throat.
I tried to push his hand away, but it didn't work. "Civateteo. Human. Let me go."
"And where from?" He had not let me go. I was liking this elf less and less.
"Um... Rohan?" It had to be Middle-Earth. Elves this gorgeous, uh-huh.
"And your golden hair?" I winced, remembering my dark hair, and un-Rohanian features. But on the good side, it was Middle-Earth.
"Enough, Elrohir. Let her go." Another elf approached us, both identical to each other.
Elrohir? ELROHIR? And the one beside him mist have been Elladan. I had indeed died, and gone to heaven. And the best parts were coming up Legolas, Glorfindel, Haldir... but at that moment, a horrible thought appeared. I was going to become the dreaded Mary-Sue. And all will hate me for it. All... the world (at least the portion that reads fanfiction)! No, it must not happen.
"Are you not going to get up?" Elladan now knelt by me, his kinder face showing concern.
"Hold on... I need to make something clear. You are Elladan, Elrond's son, right?" He nodded, a bit uneasy. "And this is the time when the One Ring is around, correct?" He nodded again. "Oh, no. Oh no. I have to go. I have to go back to Rohan, and... and -" I scrambled to my feet, ready to run anywhere but to Imladris.
"You are not leaving." Elrohir stepped into my path, blocking my way. And let me tell you. Six feet worth of elf is not easy to get past. Especially if you're five foot five, have absolutely no power or balance, and in a state of shock. All right, not shock, but close.
I put my hands on my hips, indignant. "And why not?"
"Because you may be a spy, and you must meet our father so he can pass his judgement." Elrohir's eyes narrowed, regarding me suspiciously.
"I'm not a spy." I took a step forward, ready to bring out the menacing human in me, but sadly, my left heel gave out, and I had no chance to match the elf. I was still wearing the dress, overcoat and heels. Not forest-wear, but thankfully, I was not transformed into a female Ranger or an elf automatically.
"Don't you think a spy would be spying rather than sitting on the floor?" I started yelling at him from the floor. "I would not be here if I were a spy, damn you!"
He gave me a cold glance, then looked to the rest of the group. "We have little time to waste. Put her on a horse. We make for Imladris immediately."
I gave up, and took Elladan's hand. "You have most likely sprained your foot, Lady Civateteo. We will be in Imladris in a day or so."
I gritted my teeth, and limped after Elladan, using his arm as a support. "Lovely." He led me to his horse, a large chestnut. I didn't quite like horses, and eyed the horse warily. He eyed me back.
"He will not mind an extra rider. Come." He gave me a friendly smile, and leapt up onto the horse's back. "What puzzles me is why a maiden of the Mark would wear such clothes." Elladan reached down, and held out his hand.
"Hold on..." I bent and loosened the straps of my shoes, and stepped out. "Well, you see... not all Rohan people like... or ride horses." I tucked the stupid heels into my overcoat pockets, and accepted his hand. He pulled me up, and I scrambled hurriedly, holding onto his tunic, until I was seated behind him.
Thank the Valar the dress was not a straight one, but was loose, and riding astride wasn't too much of a problem. Elrohir rode up to us.
"Are you ready, brother?"
"Lead the way." Elrohir waved to the two other elves (the strong, silent types, I suppose). "Are you ready, Lady Civateteo?" Elladan asked. "You might want to hold onto me, in case you would fall off. The road ahead is a treacherous one to strangers."
"I'm all right, thanks. Full steam ahead." I grabbed a handful of his tunic as he whispered to his horse, and off we went. There was no chance to talk during the wild ride through the forest. Thank heavens. I was trying to sort out the craziness that was flocking my brain.
So I was heading for Imladris. The place where everything begins and becomes a disaster. I am so going to hide, and wait until the Fellowship leaves, then come out. Well, maybe get a glimpse or two of the Fellowship, then find a way back home. A nice, solid plan.
Too bad it didn't work. Things had gone totally out of hand, and I didn't know it yet.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing belongs to me, except for myself, the horses, Civateteo, and probably the plot... yeah. I won't sell this or stuff. Everything belongs to the rightful owners.