Author's note:
It's been a long few years since I wrote a story, so I know my skills are really rusty. And I mean REALLY rusty. So please, no flames or criticism, I only write because I'm extremely bored!
I do not own LOTR or anything/anyone affiliated with it.
The Last of the Sheann
Chapter 1
The Ent walked through the forest quietly, well as quietly as any Ent could. The Tree People were not renowned for stealth. They were the keepers and protectors of the forests. Tree Beards was the oldest forest of Middle Earth known to the world of Men. He strode casually over fallen trees and boulders, listening to the conversation of the trees, bidding them good morning.
Suddenly as he was greeting one particularly young sapling and teaching it to speak, he heard screams and the clanging of metal on metal and wood. He hurriedly (or as hurriedly as an Ent could) followed the sound, careful not to be seen. It was the way of the Ents to not partake in anything that did not involve the forest.
He eventually found the cause of the noise. Men, Elves and Dwarves were fighting horrendously ugly black creatures. They seemed to be protecting a beautifully decorated carriage. It wasn't long before the party of Elves, Dwarves and Men began to fall to the ongoing onslaught of creatures. Tree Beard continued to watch the battle, something niggling in his mind. It was the way of the Ents not to battle in wars that did not concern them, however, the trees were urging him to help, to save the people. More so they urged him to protect the carriage.
"Your Majesty! You must flee, the Orcs have too many!" One elf shouted over his shoulder. The door of the carriage swung open and a beautiful she-elf appeared. Her hair was a rich brown and lightened to golden blonde tips, she wore a sturdy outfit of leggings and a tunic with a green vest. Her cape flowed behind her as she sprinted away from the carriage, a small bundle in her arms, the men and elves doing their best to stop the Orcs from pursuing. Tree Beard watched as 3 of these 'Orcs' managed to evade being struck down and charged after her.
"Help her!" the trees implored him. Tree Beard looked around with confusion. Never had he heard such urgency from them before. They repeated their request again and again. Tree Beard looked back as the final Elf was cut down by an Orc. "HURRY!"
Tree Beard moved hastily in the direction he had seen the She-Elf sprint. The trees directed him between telling him to hurry.
"Ents do not concern ourselves with problems of the world of Men," Tree Beard grumbled crossly, although his own mind was in turmoil at what he had just witnessed. It's not like he had not seen his fair share of death and war in the forests. It was quite common actually however something of this occasion was unsettling and he was yet to figure it out.
"Hurry!" The trees implored again.
Their cries were much more desperate now as he heard metal clanging against metal. He rounded a very large oak and there he saw the She-elf battling one handed with an elegant sword. She sliced the head on one small Orc before stabbing her sword through the eye of another.
Tree Beard could see she was bleeding from a wound on the side of her abdomen. Only 3 Orcs remained but Tree Beard hesitated. This was not right, Ents did not concern themselves with the wars of Men or Elf. It is how they had survived so long.
"You must stop them!"
Tree Beard lunged forward and grabbed one Orc, sending it flying back into a tree with a resounding crack, much to its companions' surprise. They wheeled around and looked up at the Ent with a combination of terror and anger as their comrade slumped to the forest floor, dead.
The she-elf too looked at him with confusion and fear. However, she recovered sooner than they and sunk her sword deep into the nearest Orc which screamed in agony as she twisted the sword for maximum effect. The other Orc turned around and in anger sunk his sword deep into her side. She did not scream but grit her teeth and swung wildly at it.
Tree Beard grabbed this Orc and with little effort separated his body in two and flung the pieces high into the air.
The she-elf slumped to her knees, dropping her sword by her side. She still held the bundle in one arm, albeit loosely now as the life began to slip from her body with her blood. She looked up at Tree Beard with sadness in her eyes.
"Please, take her," she whimpered taking the bundle in two hands and holding it in front of her.
Tree Beard looked at her with concern and confusion.
"No, too late. Too late to save her, but we can still save this world."
Tree Beard looked around in surprise.
"Please, take care of her," the she-elf begged, holding out the bundle as her strength began to fail her.
Tree Beard looked at the trees around him as they began to shift and sing a mournful song on the breeze. This behaviour was so strange for them. He took the bundle as the She-Elf fell to her elbows.
She rolled onto her side and pulled the Scimitar from her body, her olive skin was discoloured red as the blood washed from the wound. "You must keep her safe until she is of age. The very world we know depends on it. The day will come, she will need to be trained. Her true birth right will call her and she will know what needs to be done. Please, take good care of my daughter..." she said her last words as the last breath left her body.
Tree Beard looked from the bundle back to the she-elf's lifeless body. The trees sang their mournful tune on the breeze.
Suddenly their wooden limbs began to move and bend towards her, they began to lift her body and move her to the nearby stream where they a log that was also moved by other trees was held against the current. They placed her body on the log, crossing one hand over her heart, and set the log adrift. Tree Beard looked in wonder as the water seemed to begin to glow an unnatural blue. He had not ever seen such magic.
Finally, he looked down at the bundle in his arms, it was beginning to stir. He raised a hand slowly, dredding what might be looking back up at him. He moved the blanket to one side. Inside lay a baby, a girl, if the way she was dressed in fine elven clothing was any indication. Her bright, golden amber eyes twinkled up at him.
"What am I to do with you?" he murmured, not so much to the child but to the trees that seemed to be looking over his shoulder at the child. The child began to gurgle and giggle, reaching a hand up to grab a twig of Tree Beard's facial limbs. She yanked forcing his foliage to shake. This in turn sent more giggles from her. He gently pried her fingers from the twig.
"I see you will be a handful," he said and began to walk back from where he had come.
He took her to his clearing where he ate and slept when necessary. He made a rough bed of leaves and soft heather to lay her on. She gurgled and smiled in thanks. Such a smile that seemed to brighten and pierce the darkness of Fangorn Forest.
He thought for a moment. "I must go back to the carriage and find some way to help me care for this child. I know nothing of the children of Men or Elves," he said looking up and around at the trees.
They swayed and whispered in agreement. He found a broken twig with some leaves left on it and handed it to her in the hopes of occupying her. She giggled and shook it.
Taking that as a sign she would be fine he got back to his feet and rumbled back in the direction of the carriage, the trees guiding him with their whispers.
He soon found the opening and what remain was not pleasant. The Orcs had slain all the remaining members of the escort party. Body parts lay scattered amongst the remnants of armour. It seems the creatures had a favour for fresh meals.
Tree Beard moved to the carriage and tried to peer in but could see nothing of interest. He moved to the back of the carriage and found two trunks. He was about to try and open them when the trees began to sound alarmed and urgent in their whispers. He picked both trunks up and hurried back.
He could tell he was nearing the clearing when he heard the screams. The child had found its lungs and seemed intent on screaming the forest down. It had crawled from its bundle of blankets and was sitting in the centre of the clearing looking up into the starry sky.
"Now child," Tree Beard said gruffly putting down the trunks. The child stopped screaming and looked at him. A wide grin appeared on her face. Tree Beard found himself smiling back at her.
It had been many moons since that fateful night in Fangorn Forest. Tree Beard had not found many clues to the child apart from a strange necklace and some elvish clothing of different sizes. He had only been able to gain access to one trunk as the other featured an intricate lock he could not figure out let alone work with his large and clumsy twig limbs. He knew nothing of giving Elvish names or names of Man but the trees gave her a name. 'Penneth' or Young One in the language of the elves.
She had to be at least seventeen years of age by Tree Beard and the forest trees calculations but she looked no bigger than a ten year old child of Men. She spoke the Entish language as well the language of Man that Tree Beard felt he must teach her. The trees were teaching her the little Elvish they knew. And she in turn was trying to teach Tree Beard, hard to do when he would regularly start snoozing in the middle of her lessons.
"Pa, wake up!" she whined, throwing a twig that connected with his nose. He started awake, looking down at the elf-child, her hands on her hips and looking very cross indeed.
"I'm sorry, Little One, I'm afraid my old brain can't keep up with Elvish. It has a hard enough time trying to remember the Language of Man to converse with you," he said, lifting her into his branches. She found a comfortable bough and settled in. "It's time you slept little one." She yawned and rubbed her eyes.
So this is it, the end of the first chapter.
I'm posting this story simply because that way I can clear it off my computer but if I should ever want to come back to it I know where I can find it.
If you do enjoy this story though, I would love to know about it. This story is already written, I'm just adding chapters as I go along, although if you have any suggestions I could possibly see if I can fit them in somewhere
