Chapter 1

A Memory of Long Ago

...The rain was falling heavily all about and visibility was poor. A faint orange glow peered out of a window of a cabin just beyond the tree-line. This cabin belonged to a small family of humans just south of the forest of Mirkwood. The two-year-old twins were asleep at this late hour. A little girl, about five years old, was sitting by the hearth of the fireplace playing with her doll. Her father went hunting just before sunset and has not yet returned. Eneil had been gone for quite a while. His wife, Eowthia, was beginning to worry.

"Mamma," Melannen stood up and climbed into her mother's lap, "where's Father?"

"I am wondering that myself, dear," she replied. Eowthia listened sharply as she heard drums pounding. Also listening, Melannen stood up and looked out the window. She saw little dots of lights in the distance. Melannen walked into the kitchen at the back of the cabin. She took a lantern from a cabinet and lit it. She removed a section of floorboards with a hidden rope. She was quite strong for her young age. She grabbed her doll and lantern and pulled the floorboard down after her. Melannen was just small enough to sit between the floorboards and the dirt floor. She crawled to the darkest corner of the hidden basement and lowered the flame of the lantern to a small yet steady ribbon of blue. Melannen reviewed the process her father had taught her to do in case of an emergency. She wrapped her arms around her legs as she curled up in the corner. The drumming over head was increasing in volume and tempo. She then remembered what her father had said to her. 'Be sure that Mamma and the boys come down with you, too." Melannen's eyes began to water as she remembered.

The atmosphere suddenly silenced as thunder crackled overhead. The front door slammed open. Melannen held tight to her doll. She listened as an orc came into the front room. A ringing noise sounded as a sword was unsheathed. Melannen clasped her ears as her mother's scream filled the air and ended with a thud on the floor. Two chops of an axe was heard but no screams were emitted. Footsteps thudded overhead as one of the orcs searched the house. Melannen looked up at the floor. Dust and dirt were seeping through the cracks.

"There's no one else here!" an orc shouted as he moved to the front of the cabin, "Let's move on!"...

Melannen awoke in tears.