The Tale of Greenwood: The Journey Northward
Chapter 1- Journey Foretold
During the First Age Year 145, March 17th, an elf was bore by Almárean Horthian and Erulissë Castiel- they are my parents. My name is Laegor Horthian, I was born in Greenwood Forest, east of the Misty Mountains and west of the Lonely Mountains, I am a silvan. Silvan, is a Sindarin word for wood elf and as wood elves we are thought to be less wise then the other Eldar such as the High Elves of Rivendell and the Moon Elves of Lothlórien. However we make up for our wisdom in our physical prowess and connection with the trees and as a child my prowess stood out among the other silvan. I use to divert myself by climbing the trees and exercising deep in the forest, none saw me save my father and with this foresight he saw great things.
I began working on tactical survival, archery and other martial arts- my father yearning me to not abdicate. The early trials in my long life were of nothing but training and discipline, my character slowly developing from it. I began competing in marksmen competitions and sparring with other Eldar, most notable, Fëanor, the Prince of the early Elves. We had fierce battle's pitting the Eastern-styled Carromeleg against his more Western-styled Blade Song.
"Mae govannen, Laegor" Fëanor says gingerly, bowing. "Ready yourself, Feanor." My left hand opens up and is held out in front of me, my right hand clenched and tucked to the side, his hands mock that of wielding a blade. We begin to circle each other, our eyes locked in a heated struggle to take initiative. Feanor jerks forward, exposing his vain feint, colliding himself with the nadir of my right foot. He reels back in astonishment and resets his hands- his smug face is removed and laced with aflliction. "So tell me, Feanor, who is your Blade Songinstructor?" I asked, puzzled. "Oh, I teach myself, Laegor." I looked at him queerly, "The one who teaches himself, has a fool for a master." He smiled, "Then let this fool show you how it's done". He let's off a shrill cry as he dashes toward me, moving his hands fluidly the palms become fist and meet my face. I twirl, trying to regain myself. My stance drops and my face begins to bruise- it seems I underestimated this Prince. He wiped his hands vaingloriously as he approached me, gaping at his handy work. "So, a fool huh?" The empty forest around me then suddenly seems to stop and everything stands still. The dew dripping from the leaves stay waylaid, the light peering through the cracks in the canopy stay shone, the wind settles and the creatures halt. Even the prince in all his glory stands motionless. I for a moment feel the cosmos drift about me: reds, yellows, purples, and pinks amalgamate while dismal stars illuminate the colors. I begin to hear a music unlike anything I've ever heard before, the sounds of horns and voices rising about me, spiritual like beings begin to take shape playing their music as if that's been what they have done since the beginning. They are the Ainur- the ones created by Iluvatar before the elves or men came to be. Beings thought to not have played music since they came to Arda. The sound was beautiful but short lived, in a sudden abruptness the noise ceased and the painted sky around me attenuated and the harsh reality came jolting back. Feanor gawks as he tower's above me, the heel of his boot on my chest. It seems while I was in this phantasm, Feanor bested me. "I hope you retract what you said earlier Laegor" Feanor taunted.
My mind, still clouded by those visions, nods to Feanor "Yeah you did well, Feanor. Perhaps we could do this again?" "Of course, hoping your skills increase when the time comes" Feanor walks away with his company, journeying back to his home in Caras Galadhon, west of the Misty Mountains. That dream puzzled me so I decided to speak to my father about it, perhaps his insight could help me. The forest returned to it's normal self as I limp towards Greenwood. The shadows of trees smother my vision and begin to play tricks on my head, animals howled and the day quickly turned to night, my umbrage was unrivaled. As I walked along, the songs of my vision begin to fill my ears again distorting the ambiance around me- it's beauty leading me pass the shade and pass the darkness. Torches burn bright in the distance and and the sounds from my dream dissipate being laced with the sounds of Silvan songs and chatter. I've managed to make my way back to the city of Dul Guldur, the most eastern city in Greenwood. My kinsmen were dancing and singing, it was crisp and clean song but made little sense:
Pân i valt law thilia,
Law pain i reviar mistar aen;
Iaur i vell law thinnatha,
Law thynd dyfn na-niss rathar aen.
O lith naur echuiathar aen,
Calad od dúath thuiatha;
Adamminen i vagol vreithannen,
Pen-thôl ad echannen i aran.
The singing stopped and my father greeted me, "Im gelir ceni ad lín", "As am I father, I wish to speak with you in private". He nods his head and walks to his tent, beckoning me from there. My father spoke up "What is it, Laegor?" "I had a vision father...while I was sparring with Feanor, I was encompassed with colors and songs- it was most glorious-" "Then what seems to be your problem?" my father interrupted. " It was the Ainur, the ones who's music was told to heal- whose music help shaped this world...the Children of Iluvatar."
My father's face turned from delight to distress, his hand groping his forehead. He muttered "I have heard this dream before but not in a very long time. My father use to tell me of stories such as this, stories of the Ainur and stories of how he was visited by them in his dreams." "So what does it mean, father?" I asked in hesitance, "When my father told me of these visions he was summoned by the Valar and was told to undertake a Great Journey from our home of Cuiviénen to Valinor. He left and took me with him, we traveled very far. Yet soon after we settled Melkor sparked a war with the Valar, causing many elves to leave. Me being one of them, which is why I decided to move here, in Greenwood-" he stopped and smiled "however, my father stayed and became an Avari- the ones who stayed." My eye's crossed and I began to feel flustered "So what does that mean father?" "It means you have been summoned...theValar have a need for you", he stems his head and stood up. He opens the tent and stares up at the starry-sky, "It seems you must take a journey of your own, Laegor..."