Title: LOTR The Beginning
Chapter 1: Ill Wind
Pairing: Gandalf/Galadriel
Genre: Ship/Romance/AU
Rating: Pg-13
Warning: Language, Threat of death (no character death)
Spoiler Alert: LOTR and the Hobbit (books, maps and movies)
Summary: Gandalf saves Galadriel's life after she fled Eregion by way of Moria to get to Lorien in the Second Age after the Rings of Power were created.
A/N: If you don't like the idea of Galadriel falling for a younger version of Gandalf, then you might not want to read this. I am using the books, maps, letters, notes and movies as a frame to make my romantic fiction. This is not a Canon-Fanfiction. You were warned that this is Alternate Universe.
Galadriel exited the great mansions of Khazad-dûm and waved away the escort that Dwarven King Durin III gave her.
She was thankful that the dwarves in this area had a long time friendship with the Elven-smiths of Eregion. They allowed her into Moria and helped her navigate it to the other side after a couple days of rest in their halls.
King Durin II had been at odds with Celeborn because of an old feud and the fact that Durin's father had asked her for a lock of her hair. She thought it was all foolish and mentally thrashed Celeborn when he refused to escape their dire situation via way of Moria's gates.
She would have preferred to have a companion on her travel, but she was not unaccustomed to traveling alone.
During her times of solitude while traveling, she often wondered how her life would have been different if she had returned to her homeland in the Undying Lands. She knew that she could not go yet because she was able to perceive in the future that the fate of Middle Earth depended on her being there. She could not gather any more detail than that, and it frustrated her.
Galadriel thought over what she tells people about her situation when they ask. She often spoke as if she did not leave with the other elves and go back to her true home because of her love for Celeborn and that he refused to go. She also made it sound as if she was banned from returning.
None of these reasons were true. It was not known was that their marriage was arranged only to secure the existence of life in Middle Earth; it was an unusual arrangement for elves to make. But with power comes sacrifice.
When she met Celeborn by chance, they shared a vision that they believed was from the gods. The vision showed them that they would marry and their child would be a catalyst to ensure all of Middle Earth and the Undying Lands would be saved.
After the vision, the two married and never spoke of the vision to anyone else because they were afraid that speaking about it could stop it from happening. The existence of entire races hung in the balance of their union.
Over the next few thousand years, each of them had come to care for each other and even have the child together that was foretold, but they never romantically loved each other.
Lady Galadriel contemplated that in private away from the watchful eyes of the public, they had their own separate personal lives. They were content shoring up their power base to make their group of elves the predominant one in Middle Earth.
Now, she felt truly alone as she walked between trees while listening for any minds that might be near. For thousands of years, she knew that Celeborn had formed a bond with another elf maiden who was his true mate. As agreed, they kept it hidden from all watchful eyes. She, on the other hand, had not found such a one to share her true self with, and it saddened her that there was no one special in her life. Galadriel was beginning to fear she never would.
During her silent travels, Galadriel pondered over the changing futures she kept seeing.
In more than half of them, she managed to get the Ring of Power and help destroy Middle Earth as Sauron's queen. She knew she would never do that of her own free will and believed that the power of the ring must tempt her in the future. She sometimes felt anxious for the moment when she could choose not to claim power, but feared she might fall to temptation especially because it is said that the ring uses your sadness to its advantage.
Galadriel leaned forward under a branch and contemplated that unlimited power to forge the world into your will was a very tempting treat for a being that lives tens of thousands of years. She hoped she would have the strength to refuse such an enticement.
When she was sure she was alone, she pulled her cowl out of her backpack and secured it over her long flowing cream colored gown.
She then removed her gold circlet from her head and tucked it the backpack.
Galadriel peered down at herself after securing her backpack in place. She knew that the plain robe like article of clothing would be less conspicuous than her flowing multilayer gown.
Once she found the path that lead to Lorien, she felt a rush of thoughts that were streaking toward her at an accelerated rate.
A vision of poison dipped talons raking her body flickered in her mind. She instantly threw up a protective barrier around her body just as hundreds of small birds came into view.
They clawed and slammed their bodies into the barrier not caring for their own lives as they tried desperately to get closer to her. She was not able to push them away because of the sheer number of them. She was trapped in a cloud of flapping wings.
An ill voice floated with them in the wind causing her to loosen her grip on her concentration and the poisoned claws inched closer before she could push her magic back out toward them.
Galadriel knew over time they would wear her down, and she would die.
Galadriel screamed out a call that was then carried on the wind to the ears of her eagles that lived within the borders of the Misty Mountains. Over the last thousand years, whenever she called to them for help, they would come straight way. They would only help with transporting someone out of a deadly situation, and she believed this definitely qualified.
She prayed to the god Manwe that they would arrive soon.
The murderous claws inched closer till she could only keep a small shield around her. She ended up kneeling on a bed of pine needles curled up in a ball as tight as she could make herself trying to bide time till help came. She had even discarded her backpack as she was trying to make herself as small as possible, which was difficult for a woman of just over six feet.
The barrier flickered as if cracking, and she yelled out words of power trying to buy herself even a few moments. She could not feel the minds of the eagles near, but there was another being that approached.
She dared not use even a flicker of power to see if it was a foe or a friend. As her voice started to die, she knew that her own fate would follow its sound into abyss if the entity did not help her.
Galadriel's voice gave out and the magical shield failed enough to let a few birds inside the barrier. A couple of claws scratched at her neck delivering the deadly poison that burned her wounds like acid.
A burst of iced wind exploded from the direction of the nearing entity and the birds were tossed several yards away in a tumble. She was able to see several had flown to the side and were even now snapping and clawing at a dark cloaked figure.
If she had even a flicker of power left, she would have used it to help the figure that was getting closer.
Galadriel heard a man's voice booming out commands as she lay on the ground with her eyes closed. She just lay there unable to move as if paralyzed and felt the poison spread in her body.
After a few moments, the sound of flapping wings vanished.
Galadriel struggled to open her eyes, but she could not. She was using all her energy to force air into her lungs.
"I've got you." The man's voice called to her as if far away.
She felt her body being rolled over and a warm hand pressed on her forehead.
Galadriel heard ancient rune words being spoken, and it felt as if the runes were attaching themselves inside her body. The hand lowered over her face, and she felt a sweeping sensation extend down over her body then it came back up and settled over her ears.
When her eyes opened, she knew the runes were inside her blood stream filtering out the poison and others were blocking the ill voice from entering her ears.
Her hood fell back and an older man's face came into view. He had kind blue eyes, a grayish white beard and bluish gray hat. The man leaning over her was not a conjurer she recognized.
Before she knew what she was doing, her hand reached up straightening his beard then tucked his long hair behind his ear. She noted he was not an elf, but she knew he was not human.
"Mithrandir. You saved me. How?" Galadriel noticed her hand was still touching him, and she slowly pulled it back.
Olorin, who was known in Middle Earth as Gandalf, felt enchanted by the lovely female elf calling him a gray wonderer in the common elf tongue. He pondered over question.
Gandalf knew even in her weakened state that she was no damsel in distress, but her mind was fighting to function fully again. He decided not to comment that he had heard the magic of her words and felt compelled to obey the call.
"Why would any man save so lovely a lady? Chivalry my dear." Gandalf extended a hand to help her to her feet.
She gripped his hand tightly and was able to stand.
Gandalf gasped at the silken contact of her skin, which was softer than an angel's wings, but her grip was that of a man wishing to bend metal.
She loosened her grip the second she felt that bone was about to snap then withdrew her hand into her cowl.
His eyes danced with mirth knowing she was playing a game with him. It was one that he would want to win if he was not under orders from the Valar Elders not to show power, but to only persuade the elves and men to work together.
He marveled at her physical ability because even hardened warriors were not able to even sit up an hour after being exposed to even half of the poison that had been in her body.
Gandalf's mind made an instant connection.
Physical abilities that exceeds that of a man, strength of mind that rivals that of the gods, silvery golden hair that puts the sun to shame and loveliness that almost brings you to your knees and binds you to her will.
There was only one conclusion. "You are the Lady of Light, Galadriel, the greatest of elven women and granddaughter of kings."
"It would seem I am at a disadvantage Mithrandir. I know not who you are." Galadriel's soft yet compelling voice floated around him.
He grinned knowing that her powers were even now returning to her. "You would know me as Gandalf the Gray."
Galadriel blinked slowly when she felt a flicker of power that emanated from his left bicep. It felt like a blocking spell similar to the one that made her just leave Annatar. After she left, it was revealed that Annatar was Sauron pretending to be an emissary from the Vala Aulë.
Her heart started to pound when she contemplated that this was all a ruse and this wonderer in gray was really someone else pretending to help her to gain her trust.
She very slowly stepped closer keeping a pleasant smile on her face.
The older man, who appeared to be a human man in his sixties, eyed her as if not able to understand what she was doing.
Galadriel knew she only had a few more seconds before he understood. Her left hand darted out gripping his bicep over top of his gray robe and she pressed her thumb onto the place of origin for the power. She felt the heat from a rune under her thumb.
Galadriel's electric blue eyes darted into Gandalf's pale blue ones. Her mind stabbed into his mind seeking to capture the image and knowledge of who he was before he could block her.
She pressed her other hand over his heart and spoke a word of power to unveil his rune that made him appear to be other than what he was.
Gandalf was shocked at her tenacity and quick mind probe. He didn't even put up a fight for about thirty seconds because he was completely entranced by her blue eyes and the press of her hands on his body.
When he finally pushed back with his mind, he was able to keep her away from his inner thoughts. She was still able to hear his conscious thoughts, but she was not able to swim in the depths of the pools of his mind gathering things at will.
Galadriel let go and stepped back. Her mouth opened and closed several times. She knew what his true name was and felt guilt that she had forced her mind into his.
She usually peered in slowly not really letting the person know she was looking around till she spoke words to them where they could hear in her mind. In elven culture, what she had just done to him was punishable by death because of who he was.
Galadriel glanced around expecting lightening to strike her or for the world to open up and swallow her into its depths. When nothing happened and a few minutes passed, she finally looked up into his eyes.
What she found shocked her almost as much as her actions shocked him. She found delight and merriment.
His even voice spoke to her. "Bolts from on high are not going to strike you down no matter what the legends say. I hope you can keep my secret. Wouldn't want the earth to swallow you whole now would we?"
"I was recently deceived by someone using glamour to disguise themselves. I did not know who you were. I didn't know you were one of the Maiar of Valinor, of the people of the Vala Manwë. Forgive me, Olorin."
She knew it was said that the Maiar of Valinor were immortal beings that sometimes were sent to earth to dwell as an earth creature of different types to guide when evil forces threatened to disturb the balance of life. They were sometimes worshiped as angels, but she knew they were lesser gods that were stripped of most of their powers then sent to earth to intervene. He was ageless, but not the old man standing before her.
"Just don't speak to anyone about it." Gandalf was quiet knowing that there could be more small bird spies around. "And do not speak my true name. There are many around who would use this information and not for the good. One's name holds power. Mithrandir or Gandalf will suffice."
"You are using glamour even now to appear as an old man." She inched closer inspecting him while visualizing the image of his true form in her mind. He actually had silver white hair not the dull gray her eyes were viewing. His eye color was the same, but his body was actually closer to that of a human man in his early thirties or an elven man closer to five or six thousand. He was of the same height, but his body was actually rather muscular and not the slender fragile elderly man before her.
"It's better if they see me as a wizard or a wandering conjuror. Who would listen to a young wizard? No one. Wizards who counsel should be old and wise." He could see on her face the assessments she was making.
"I understand." She knew he was keeping up this facade of being an old wizard so that he could gain trust and influence events in Middle Earth.
She folded her hands. "Our goals are the same. We both want to save Middle Earth." She paused then smiled with the next word and whispered. "Mithrandir. You are part of a council sent here…the Istari. How many of you are there? "
Gandalf grinned back at her then looked around making a statement. "My group has five. More could show up you know."
"More wizards?" She inquired.
"No, more spies." Gandalf shifted his stance when he almost reached up to touch the wounds on his face that he was keeping hidden under his glamour.
"Then I must leave for Lorien. Would…would you accompany me in case they do find me again?"
He could not help it and lifted his hand to touch his chin where blood was about to drip.
Gandalf's hand came back with blood on it. "Damn birds. Where's the brown when you need him?"
Galadriel remembered a flash of a wizard dressed in a brown robe talking to animals. She ignored it. "You are wounded."
Gandalf raised his eyebrows at the accusation.
"Let me take a look." She felt concerned for him. He was a god in what appeared to be a human body, and he was wounded because of her. It felt as if the claws were cutting on her heart. A god had just saved her life and been wounded in the process. She shook her head at the craziness of the situation.
Her hand touched his chin feeling only his beard. She could not even feel the blood. She pulled her hand back not seeing anything. "Are you still bleeding?"
He didn't see why he would lie to her, but he didn't want to tell her that the blood was flowing down his neck now. "Yes."
"You cannot just heal yourself?" Her eyes searched still trying to see the wound.
"No." Gandalf was more concerned with her life and had used up what powers he had at preservation on her, but he was not going to tell her that either. Knowledge was power, and she already had too much power over him.
"Can you drop the glamour and let me see, so I can help."
"Not out here. I'm forbidden." What he didn't tell her was that he could, but there would be a penalty to him that would far exceed the benefit of doing it.
"Then, you are coming with me to Lorien where I will tend your wounds in private. Our ride is here." She smiled and her face seemed to illuminate with the radiance of the sun as a gust of wind blew her hypnotizing hair back.
It was infectious, and Gandalf smiled back as he watched three Great Eagles swoop down out of the sky. "It would appear so."
A/N: I just had to write this after watching the first Hobbit. I love the idea of them having a romantic connection and leaving for the Undying Lands together. :)