Author's Note - This story is not at all related to or intended to contrast with book, film, or old 1970s cartoon canon, and is more of a Shadow of Mordor-like tale. The events, characters, and legendarium of Middle-Earth are owned by a literary mind so great that it surpasses the works of Mark Twain, C.S. Lewis, Homer, and Shakespeare combined, the mind of the late J.R.R. Tolkien, and by no other, save for his son Christopher. Some of the dialogue is owned by Peter Jackson and the writers of his films. Please read and review, I want to know your thoughts on the story.
"The greatest adventure,
Is
what
Lies
Ahead…."
Chapter 1 – The Pool
The tress and the winds of Lothlórien had settled into the darkness of night as The White Lady Galadriel conversed with the hobbit. She was one of the Noldor, a group of the elven peoples of the ancient world, and her domain fell to her power, and she to the power of Eru. She and the hobbit stood across from each other, separated by a small pool. The hobbit was offering Galadriel something: a golden ring. She knew that this day would come, as it had been written by the Elven scholars of old, and the ancient Valar before them. She could not submit herself, for the golden ring was no ordinary ring, but the One Ring, the evil weapon that the Dark Lord of Mordor, Sauron, had used to plunder the nations of Middle-Earth, and whoever wields the One Ring shall be encompassed with the spirit of the Dark Lord. The ring bearer at this time was the hobbit talking with Galadriel, Frodo Baggins, and he was trying to destroy this terrible burden, which meant traveling through the near entirety of Middle-Earth to the land of Mordor, where he could cast the Ring into the fires of Mount Doom from whence it came.
"If you ask it of me, I will give you the One Ring," Frodo said, telepathically. Galadriel was stunned by this.
"You offer it to me freely?" Galadriel asked, "I don't deny that my heart has greatly desired this," she admitted. Suddenly, the air around the two became heavier and more toxic, as if the soul of Mordor had found its way to the woods of Lothlórien, and the area around the two became darker than it already was, as the figure of Galadriel began to shine with a blue light. Her eyes were black and hollow, and she spoke with a powerful and demonic tone.
"In the place of the Dark Lord you would have a Queen! Not dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morn! Treacherous as the Seas! Stronger than the foundations of the Earth! All shall love me and despair!" She foretold, as she immediately grew weak, "I have passed the test. I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel."
"I cannot do this alone," said Frodo, with worry about him.
"You are a Ring-bearer, Frodo. To bear a Ring of Power is to be alone," Galadriel explained to Frodo. She extended her hand to Frodo, so he could understand that she bore a Ring as well, "This is Nenya, the Ring of Adamant, and I am its keeper. This task was appointed to you, and if you do not find a way, no one will," she explained.
"I know what I must do, it's just that… I'm afraid to do it," remarked the hobbit.
"Even the smallest person can change the course of the future," Galadriel said, as she began to leave, "Good eve to you, Frodo Baggins."
Frodo acknowledged this, but he didn't think that was going to happen. He was too deep in thought to sleep, and he paced around the pool, "What have you gotten yourself into this time, Frodo? It's like Bilbo all over again!" he thought as he paced. Suddenly, he heard a small bustle in the bushes near him. He had heard them earlier, but that was when The White Lady somehow changed into a dark one for a moment. Frodo knew exactly who was making the noise, "Sam!" he called quietly, "You can come out now, you buffoon," and out came ol' Samwise Gamgee, another hobbit Frodo's age with whom Frodo had been befriended to from an early age.
"Just watchin' your back, Mr. Frodo," Sam excused, "those Wood Elves are queer folk, and even more so than your Sackville relatives."
"Yes, they're not exactly the same Elves we meet up in Rivendell, but remember that Legolas, one of our own company, is an Elf from the Forest of Mirkwood," Frodo included, "and our journey wouldn't be anything without the skilled archer that he is."
"Yes, yes, Mr. Frodo, I know all too well," said Samwise, "Now what was it that you saw in that there pool of water?"
"I saw... a consequence. If we don't reach Mordor and destroy this Ring, then we'll feel Sauron's wrath upon our homeland, and the rest of Middle-Earth as a whole," Frodo answered, "I had to remove my eyes right away, since I did not want this image to be still in me."
"Kind of guessed that, Mr. Frodo," responded Sam.
"Yes, but guessing isn't seeing, and seeing is believing," Frodo explained, "Imagine everyone dead or made slaves, Sam. Your family, my cousins, the Boffins, why, even old man Proudfoot-"
"-Proudfeet," Sam corrected.
"Right," said Frodo, "but imagine them either dead or enslaved by Sauron, utterly defenseless. We can't let that happen, Sam. Oh, I just wish Bilbo would've left that Ring where it lay in Gollum's cave!"
"Yes, Mr. Frodo. I wish we could see what actually happened down there. You know Bilbo, always stretching the truth about his stories," said Samwise.
"Wait, Sam, we could! The Mirror of Galadriel can show events in the past and future. Come on!"
The two hobbits walked over to the small pool, and began to view its waters.
"Show me Bilbo Baggins in Gollum's cave, fifty years ago," he told the pool. The waters began to make ripples and waves, revealing a moving image of Bilbo and Gollum, an old, fish-like, and almost naked creature. This event Frodo knew of quite well, as Bilbo had spoken of the famous 'Riddles in the Dark' game to his nephew many times, the game that Bilbo bested Gollum in for ownership of the Ring. In the image, Gollum panicked and moaned in defeat, but it seemed to Frodo that Bilbo already had the Ring in his pocket. Common event that Bilbo would stretch the truth, after all, it was the Baggins' way.
"Mr. Frodo... uh, do ya think we should look at this anymore? This pool looks as queer as the folk-," Sam said, with a sudden stop. The hobbits now found themselves in a dark area, and not in Lothlórien, "-here."
"Sam? Sam, are you there?" Frodo yelled.
"Yes, Mr. Frodo. I can't see you—umph!" Sam said as he ran into Frodo. They both went crashing to the floor.
"So there you are," said Frodo, "But where are we?" he asked, not expecting a reasonable answer.
"Wait, Mr. Frodo! I hear something," shushed Sam, "this way, quietly!"
The two hobbits crept their way over to a fainted light. Frodo heard the voice as well, and to him it sounded like his uncle Bilbo.
Sam peeked round the corner quickly and turned back to Frodo, "It's him, Mr. Frodo, it's Bilbo!" he peaked around once more to see again.
"And he's... young."
P. S.
Thank you for reading! Keep it up, guys and gals!