AN: I've always loved Lord of the Rings and Wheel of Time. Why not combine the two? I cannot promise that this will be updated frequently but like with the rest of my stories I have no intentions on fully stopping work until it is complete.

I do not own Wheel of Time or Lord of the Rings. I have quoted significantly from The Fellowship of the Ring in this chapter.

Chapter 1: Hope and Confusion

"Fortune rides like the sun on high
with the fox that makes the ravens fly.
Luck his soul, the lightning his eye,
He snatches the moons from out of the sky."

In the halls of Rivendell the Wise had gathered. Many had come to the Council of Elrond who did not claim Imladris as their home. Boromir, son of Denethor had come seeking the wisdom of Elrond. Glóin and his son Gimli had also journeyed bearing a warning that the Enemy had sent a herald demanding news of hobbits, and the 'least of all rings' that the messenger had claimed they had stolen. Hobbits, past and present ring bearers, Frodo and Bilbo were there to tell their story.

Gandalf and Elrond had called those who by chance, or destiny, were within the halls of Imladris. Among the Elves, present were Glorfindel and Erestor both Elf-lords of esteem and wisdom. Two other Elves, who were but guests, had also arrived and were given a place to speak. Galdor of the Havens and Legolas of the Woodland Realm of Mirkwood were they. Last but not least was Aragorn, the heir of Isildur.

Much was said of events in the world outside, especially in the South, and in the wide lands east of the mountains. Glóin spoke of the whispers that drove Balin and much of his people to venture into Moria. Many had thoughts of the wisdom of such a venture, however those present kept their council to themselves lest they offend the dwarf who had come bearing timely warnings. All were keenly interested in hearing of the messenger of Mordor who had threatened both the Dwarves of the Lonely Mountain and King Brand in Dale.

From there Elrond spoke the Tale of the Ring. His melodious voice spoke of the great alliance of Men and Elves against the Enemy and how the Enemy was but diminished and not destroyed. He spoke of the weakening of the line of Númenor in Gondor. He ended with the statement that the One Ring had been found.

As Elrond ceased to speak it was Boromir who stood up, tall and proud, before them. "Give me leave, Master Elrond," said he, "first to say more of Gondor, for verify from the land of Gondor I am come. And it would be well for all to know what passes there. For few, I deem, know of our deeds, and therefore little of their peril, if we should fail at last."

Before the Captain of the White Tower could speak more upon the strength of his land a great crack split the air asunder. A shadow seemed to pass over the high sun, and Frodo let out a great cry as the ring that was secured about his person was ripped from him bodily and floated within the air. All save Gandalf trembled, the air warped and darkness shrouded the ring. For a moment, Men, Elf, Dwarf and Hobbit felt their spirits diminish. In the next beat of their hearts the darkness vanished and with it so too had the One Ring.

Glorfindel countenance was greatly troubled. "A foe, greater than our Enemy has touched this place."

"What foe is greater than Sauron?" Boromir asked, troubled greatly. "And what was that which was taken from the little one?"

Many sought to speak at once but Gandalf, known as Mithrandir, rapped his staff upon the ground calling all to silence.

"Peace, much has just been illuminated for me. It has been revealed to me that the One Ring has been taken forcibly from Middle Earth and thrust into the Void. It is beyond our reach and beyond even our Enemy."

"That was Isildur's Bane?" Boromir looked shaken.

The Wizard nodded his head. "Yes it was the One Ring. This council was convened to determine what to do with it. I would have counseled that we take it to where 'twas forged so that it could be unmade. That choice has departed and we are left to contend with Mordor through other means.

Elrond had seen much in his many years. His eyes shone with wisdom, though now they held a touch of despair. "What hope have we then? There is not strength with Cirdan at the Havens, among my house or in Lórien to defy the Enemy through force of arms."

Boromir leapt to his feet once more, his face alight with confidence and vigor. "Gondor still stands. Believe not that in the land of Gondor the blood of Númenor is spent, nor all its pride and dignity forgotten. By our valor the wild folk of the East are still restrained, and the terror of Morgul kept at bay. We are hard behest yet still we resist with fresh cunning and strength that hath stymied the Enemy."

The son of Denethor's words fell mostly on deaf ears and did little to console the worry of the Elves. Gandalf had heard some of the 'fresh cunning' that Boromir had hinted at and would hear more of it in time.

"It is well that you speak with such passion Boromir, it will be needed in the dark days ahead. I speak now to the entire council. On more than one occasion events of the world have been touched by he who has been cast out through the Door of Night. In each instance stroke has been met with counter stroke. Glorfindel himself has returned from the Halls of Mandos and my own presence and that of my brethren show are the result."

Those not of the Elves could not comprehend what Gandalf the Grey was speaking of. The Elves knew and there was wonderment in their eyes. Could another Elf-lord return to them? Could Gil-galad who contended with the Enemy himself return to them? Or even greater? Perhaps the one who fought with Glorfindel at the fall of Gondolin, Ecthelion, slayer of Gothmog? Some even turned their thoughts to that of Fingolfin whose might among the Elves was unmatched.

Erestor asked, "Mithrandir, you have been granted knowledge, impart wisdom upon us, when can we expect this aid to arrive?"

"Who can know? I have only been granted a part of the whole. It is possible that one has already been sent and will arrive at the Gray Havens shortly. Or mayhap it was known that these events would take place and in their foresight, aid has already been sent."

Legolas spoke for the first time at the council, "Surely they would have revealed themselves had they arrived on the shores of Middle Earth."

Gandalf disagreed, "We are but guessing, but if the designs of the Enemy may be more easily thwarted should he not yet know who his foe is there could be reason. I have been bitten by a lack of knowledge most recently and it is a tale that must be told to this council now."

Mithrandir spoke of the duplicity of Saruman. The grievous news that one who had been deep in the councils of the Wise would turn away from them was shared. While ill news seemed to multiply and hearts were heavy, hope too still existed.

For Frodo a great burden had been lifted from him and yet the sense of loss was felt deep within him. The words of Elves, Dwarves and Men washed around him and they held no meaning.

The Dwarves held little concern for talk of Elf heroes of old. They respected the wisdom of Elrond but their concerns were of their homeland and the threat of the East. Would King Brand bend knee if the Easterlings and Mordor came in numbers? What of the fate of Balin's expedition to Moria?

Gandalf himself was uncertain of what lay ahead. He had been given knowledge yes, but he was in the dark as much as the rest. He too was curious; could it be one of his kindred spirits? A new Istari?

All of their guesses would prove to be wrong.

***BREAK***

Three Years Ago…

"Blood and bloody ashes!"

You would think that helping save the world and defeat the bloody Dragon Reborn would entitle a man to some peace and quiet. Oh sure he knew he was going to be in for a wild ride and have put up with the "Prince of Ravens" and husband to the Empress nonsense but at least he had some idea of what he was getting into.

Matrim Cauthon did not think to wake up in the body of someone else. The battle with the Dark One was over but when he let sleep take him he had woken up somewhere completely different. He knew it was not the World of Dreams, he knew it in his bones. He was… elsewhere. His body wasn't even his, though he had to admit it was somewhat close. He had lost an inch of height and everything was just a bit off. On the upside he had two eyes.

Mat wanted to take further stock however now was not the time. New memories bounced around his skull and he learned that he was in the body of a man named Estelmor son of Bentaur. The man was a hunter in the region of Anfalas in the nation of Gondor. The village that he hailed from was at this very moment being attacked by corsairs. His memories suggested that they likely hailed from a city called Umbar.

Already some of the villagers had been slain. The quiet village had little for raiders to gain, cattle and food were not why the men of Umbar had come. Mat could see some of the men folk slaughtered however the women and children were being bound. Fortunately for Mat he had inhabited this body with some of his possessions. The fox medallion was beneath his tunic and his power wrought ashandarei was beside him. How such devices appeared along with his consciousness was beyond him. He had gone through Gateways and Portal Stones but nothing like this was familiar to him.

A corsair ran toward him. The man was shorter than he and armored in a leather jerkin and a scimitar. Mat lashed out with his superior reach, his initial strike was blocked and so was the second. Mat pushed in closer and drove the butt end of his weapon into the raider's knee. That buckled him and made it easy for Mat's blade to slice through the man's neck.

Mat grimly moved forward. There was still some fighting in the village though it was only pockets. Two of the men of Umbar saw Mat's active resistance and rushed forward. One was armed with a pair of long knives and the other with another scimitar. They growled out in a language Mat was not familiar with.

The men were not unskilled however none of them could hold a candle to the foes that Mat had bested. The commander of the Light's armies swung his ashandarei faster than an adder could strike. The broad swing caused the first to flinch back and the other to desperately block. Mat moved forward deliberately coming between the two fighters and sliced the knife wielder across the back of his legs. Instead of spinning around to deal with the second foe Mat thrust backward, driving the wood straight into the sternum of the enemy behind him. Cauthon then skewered the downed corsair and finally turned around to face the man clutching his chest.

Mat gave him no mercy and swiftly finished him before continuing on into the village. He saw a village woman drive a kitchen knife into the back of a raider who was about to kill her husband. She would have then perished when two more quit trying to break down a nearby home's door and fell upon her. Matrim was there in an instant. A half dozen seconds and a whirlwind of blows left the corpses of two more of the invaders.

The man got shakily to his feet and Mat gave him a nod. Estelmor knew the man, the fellow raised goats. "Grab a weapon and stay behind me." He ordered and his bearing was such that the man did so. The village wasn't large; it did not take long before Mat's bloody blade was spotted. The corsairs shouted to each other in their tongue and Mat found himself before a quartet of opponents with more close by.

"Dovie'andi se tovya sagain," Mat muttered his favorite phrase.

Mat stormed forward the ends of his ashandarei blurred as he smashed into his first foe. The corsairs weren't fools and attempted to surround him. They were too slow. Mat killed the first with a blistering combination, it had worked on Couladin and this raider was no Couladin. After killing the first he was forced to parry several blows. Every attack was deflected and he scored several minor strikes at the pirates. The man he had earlier rescued distracted one of his opponents and in that moment Mat struck driving the blade of his ashandarei deep into the torso of his foe.

He yanked it out and slid away from another slash. His movements were precise, as if he was born into the body he wielded. With only two to face him they grew fearful. One shouted again in his tongue, likely calling for help. Not wanting to wait around for more reinforcement Mat swiftly killed his two remaining foes. Two more raiders vacated a house they had been pillaging and were slain with almost contemptuous ease.

His foes were skilled and the gambler was wary of their speed. Mat thought they actually had a bit better reflexes than most line soldiers but they were no Aiel. They also seemed to have no sense of how to fight a weapon like Mat's, their lack of any meaningful armor also hindered them.

'Good thing these blasted bastards don't have bows.'

Other villagers were appearing from hiding places after seeing the corsairs being slaughtered. Three more men of the village appeared, two picked up the weapons of the corsairs while one had a woodsman's axe.

Another half dozen showed themselves and Mat called out. "To me! Send them back into the sea!"

Mat led the charge and the men behind him shouted as well. Mat cut one foe down in the first clash. The men beside him boxed him in however and he cursed as he was forced to fight defensively. Not able to fully use his weapon's reach he was forced to continually block strikes on the haft. Thankfully, his keen eye spotted an opening beside him as one corsair lunged forward to strike down the villager with the axe.

'Not on my watch.'

Mat pushed his foe backward and then shunted his weapon to the side, catching the lunging corsair in the ribs. The somewhat awkward strike tangled up his weapon and he had to drop it as his initial foe struck. Mat wasn't fond of the open handed fighting the Aiel trained in but he was quite familiar with it and other forms of unarmed fighting thanks to his long memories. Weaponless he was able to twist away from the blow, catch the man's hand and then break the corsair's grip. Disarming his opponent was just the first step. He followed it up with a knife hand strike to the man's neck that left him gasping for air. This gave Mat the time he needed to retrieve his weapon.

With a third of the enemy down Mat went to work. They lost a villager but six more of the raiders were carrion fodder. More and more rallied to his side, soon it was the corsairs who were retreating. The rout was not long lasting, instead nearly a score had gathered outside of the village proper. Mat led two dozen out. They were much aggrieved, raids by Umbar had come the previous spring and a village but ten leagues away had suffered. Behind Estelmor they gathered ready to repay the raiders for the death and destruction they had wrought.

Mat raised a hand and the villagers did not move past him. "Leave if you value your lives," he called out in Westron, the common speech that most Men spoke. Mat thought it likely the village would win but more blood would be spilt. They weren't trained soldiers, nor had they lived a life of battle. Fortune, as it so often did, smiled on him.

He had been seen by the men of Umbar fighting. They had seen his glaive like weapon and his mastery of it. After a few more moments of indecision they backed away and fled to their boats likely only a league away.

The men of Anfalas were nearly overcome with the desire to chase them down. It was only Mat's steely countenance and sharp rebuke that stayed their kindled desires for battle.

"Send a rider to Lord Golasgil and inform him of what occurred. We need to tend to the wounded and honor our dead." Mat spoke with power and authority, the voice of someone used to command. If any thought is odd that Estelmor the hunter had that type of bearing or skill at arms they kept their silence. For who could gainsay the one who had brought them to victory and felled so many of their foe?

AN: Yup, the start of another new story.

The introduction is a bit heavy handed. Essentially I'm altering canon by a large degree by stating that Melkor still has power to influence Middle Earth. However the Valar will provide a measured response to any interference (limited as it may be). Both have the gift of foresight and therefore Melkor's stroke was to banish the One Ring so it could not be destroyed allowing Sauron to complete the conquest of Middle Earth through force of arms. By the books the Free People's of Middle Earth were vastly outnumbered and were massively screwed unless the ring drop occurred. The Valar, also having foresight of Melkor's actions, brought in Matrim Cauthon. He is a general from the Wheel of Time book series to give Gondor and its allies a chance of holding back the Shadow.