Disclaimer: I own nothing of J.R.R.Talken's characters, ideas or anything else. But if you don't recognize anything it is most likely my idea.

The men of the West know not the men of the East. They seem to fear the East, though in some ways the truly should. Past the Sea of Rhun and the Iron Hills lies a deserts a western man would think is uninhabitable. To him he will first see mountains that are higher them the sky and block out most of the rains, then once he passes over them the mountain sides will go from lush and green to all shades of browns, grays, and yellows with no growth to be easily found. As he descends, he will find a desert like no other in Middle Earth. Rolling hills of yellow, gray sand stretch as far as the elvish eye can see, broken only by islands of rock.

I doubt that the man of the west would journey past that point. But if he did, and he made it past that desert of sand and islands of rock he would find a land, though dry, teeming with life.

My home is there on the edge of the Great Sand Desert and between the Gorges of Life. My father as a head chieftain of our land told me of the men of the west. How they rode horses with thick bodies, and built houses of stone and wood. How they live in lands of thick forests of trees taller then the sky, wide rivers and green hills.

As a child my young mind could not fathom all that was being told to me. To me a green hill was a sand dune covered in the fast growing and dying plants after the Great Rain washed the old year away. A thick forest was nothing more then a small ring around a spring hidden well in a dispersion of the earth. And a wide river could be crossed in a few good leaps from stone to stone. To me my world was browns from the sun, yellow and gray from the sand and blue from the sky.

But much changed after my sixteenth Great Rain. Creatures from the west discovered ways over our desert of sand. They came and burned our tents, killed our livestock and raped our women and children. They did not fear the sun as the Orcs, fowl creatures of the Black Lord did. They, though similar in skin and face shape, were tall, strong and merciless. Many villages fell to their hands before our warriors drove them off, killing all that they found, even destroying the women tainted with their life.

Soon after the Not-Orcs where destroyed a man on the back of a sun eagle came. He came to tell us of the destruction of Sauron, follower of the Black Lord. My father did not believe this messenger, though I did. He was a kind man, dressed in all white with a white tuff of hair growing out of his chin, and a smile that, though still with all his teeth, made him look older then the oldest man.

In his time with us he told us more stories of the west. My curiosity for this strange land was peaked. I asked this wizard of many things, he would smile at me an answer me as fully as he could, only to receive more questions. But after two moon cycles he had to leave. As I watched him go I wished sorely that I could follow him, across those mountains and see rolling green hills.

But I could not. As a girl child I was the property of my father and my husband when I wed him. I had nothing of my own. Everything that I called my own was a gift, a gift that could be taken away and give to another or sold if Father deemed it necessary.

Now I am not calling my father a cruel man. He was hardly that. He loved and cared for all of his children and unlike other parents hoped that he would be able to marry all of his daughters to love, not has prize brides or with peace contracts. I, at sixteen, was the age where many of my friends where expecting their first child. Father held me close; he loved me and gave me most of what I wanted. When I became a woman instead of finding me a husband, he gave me a horse.

But after the White Wizard left I could smell in the air the change that was to come.

Three moon turns after the White Wizard left our lands another group of men found their way over the Great Sand Desert. This group did not come on sun eagles but on horses that looked slightly worse for ware. This group was dressed not for the lands they now rode in. Shoulder length hair was left loose and hung like an over cooked leaf vegetable, long coats were clearly made for a colder land and were left tied to the saddles. They did not cover their heads or most of their bodies and the sun had taken its toll. Even the poor horses they rode clearly looked hot and in need of water.

Father sent the young warriors to intercept them as soon as he got word if these men. They clearly came in peace and showed that intention in many ways. As they where brought into camp, I watched them, their hairy faces, yellow hair and pale skin. When they were deposited in the tent reserved for guests and their horses taken to be cared for I ran to Father's tent to hear the news of these strange men of the west.

I slipped in the already crowded tent and helped Yukiko serve the tea to the many men. Though this task may seem below a ruler's daughter, I have learned that serving often allowed me to hear what decisions are made in council and what the men of court where doing. As a woman I am able to glide through the mass unnoticed and ignored. These men know better then to touch a serving girl in foul ways.

One fool did that many years ago to my mother and Father promptly exiled him. "Women deserve respect and to honored for baring our children and razing them to be strong warriors and soft ladies. If I hear of any woman being overly beaten, abused or forced to do acts, this is the fate that will wait those men, or boys." That decree created a few widows that now run some of the largest herds in our lands and many less husbands, sons or male relatives beating a woman to death. And made it safe for me to serve these councils.

They spoke off the men of the west. Asking Father what we should do with them. What are they here for? Are they a scouting force? Will they declare war? They asked and asked as Father sat on his raised pillows and thought. After the questions began to thin he held his hand up for silence. The large room went quiet.

He paused for a moment, looking at his council. "I had some knowledge that a group of this nature would be coming to us from the west. I did not believe White Wizard when he told me. But now I see that I was a fool. King Elessar has taken the throne of the ancient kingdom of Gondor. These are clearly his men and bare his insignia of the white tree. As for why they came, we will have to wait to see their next move." He fell silent and spotted me, his frown deepened and gave me a clear sign that he wished to speak to me after they where done. "We will wait until they are ready to remove themselves from the tent they are in. Then we shall hear what they wish to hear."

At the clear dismissal the tent began to clear, and I readied myself for a long talk with my father.

I hope you all like it. And on to chapter 2!