Author's Note: This is my first attempt at a story here on Please be kind and acknowledge that this is only a prolouge of the story...

Disclaimer: I do not own anything LOTR even though I wish I did. Nothing here is mine but my own idea's and original characters, everything else belongs to the author.

Prologue

"It began with the forging of the great Rings. Three were given to the Elves: Immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. Seven to the Dwarf-lords: Great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And nine… nine rings were gifted to the race of men… who, above all else, desire power. For within these rings was bound the strength and will to govern each race.

"But they were all of them deceived. For another ring was made.

"In the land of Mordor in the fires of Mount Doom the Dark Lord Sauron forged in secret a Master Ring to control all others. And into this Ring he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all life.

"One Ring to rule them all.

"One by one the free lands of Middle-earth fell to the power of the Ring.

"But there were some who resisted.

"A last Alliance of Men and Elves marched against the armies of Mordor. And on the slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle-earth.

"Victory was near. But the power of the Ring could not be undone. It was in this moment when all hope had faded that Isildur, son of the King, took up his father's sword.

"Sauron, the enemy of the Free Peoples of Middle-earth, was defeated.

"The Ring passed to Isildur who had this one chance to destroy evil forever. But the hearts of men are easily corrupted. And the Ring of Power has a will of its own.

"It betrayed Isildur to his death…"

And so this story of Middle-earth begins.

LOTR

"No!" screamed the young Ellette as the fresh corpse of King Isildur began to float in the river. It was obvious by the way he had reappeared that he had lost the Ring of Power. She left the battle behind her, not caring that her companions were slaughtering the last of their enemy as she waded out into the river.

Ellette's wide eyes searched the blood red water to no avail and so she dove beneath it, digging her fingers through the soil of the water bed until she had to resurface for air sometime later. She snapped orders to those who remained, telling them to get in the river and search for the Ring. Many leapt from where they stood into the freezing cold of the river and began to search with her. The battle and murder of the King were forgotten in the mad search for the Ring which lasted well into the night.

It wasn't until her own men pulled her from the water that she finally gave up in her search. Ellette sat begrudgingly away from the encampment and warm fires to console herself from the loss of the Ring. She had not dried off and so the river water had frozen where it lay. Ellette was still as she thought over the days happenings.

She knew the ring was not really gone, just lost, and with time she would come across it again. Yet there was a shadow of a doubt in her heart that made her think otherwise and so she let her eyes close and willed her self to sleep.

It was just as she was dozing off that her keen ears picked up a rustle in the forest not far off from her. Her eyes snapped open and instinctively she became very tense. Behind her, her men seemed to have also taken notice to the company close by and were trying to pretend that they hadn't heard it. Many of them moved around to be closer to their weapons.

She nearly reached for her twin blades by her side when she saw a small Elf stumble out of the forest ahead of her. He was an awkward lad of perhaps six years in age with long blond hair and wide, bright eyes of blue. She would have turned to tell the men not to be alarmed but the boy rushed forwards and dropped to his knees before her. He looked not at her but at those behind her, using her as a shield from their sight.

Ellette noticed the bow and sling of arrows he carried over his shoulder and wondered if he had been separated from his family. The child placed a hand on her knee to steady him self as he peered around her and she nearly slapped him away. What stopped her was the knowledge that he hadn't realized she was alive.

Having stayed still, with the water frozen on her, she looked and felt dead.

It was as she wondered how long she would let the child hide that the forest around the camp erupted with Elves.

Arrows flew through the air, claiming many of her men before they could react. Their dying snarls and roars lit up the air as she stared at the small child, now trembling as he knelt before her with bow and arrow in hand. She ignored the battle behind her as the young elf fired a single shot and quickly reloaded.

She had to admire the lad for his stealth and accuracy, she could track the sound of his arrow hitting the target and so far he hadn't missed but once. There came a clag of metal close behind her and one of her own cut down an elf that had been approaching her. The boy misfired as two of her men came round her with their weapons to protect her.

The arrow shot between her men and stuck fast into a tree. Her men turned on the little Elf and swung their weapons at him.

Ellette blinked as blood splattered her face. Her shoulders dropped and she straightened her back while looking down at the young Elf. Silence seemed to close in around her as arrows began raining down around her. The men behind her were all dead, and to either side of her thick blood oozed over silver and gold blades.

Her men were dead. Ellette gasped as arrows pierced through her back. She looked away from the wide-eyed boy to her men, dead on either side of her. In her hands were her twin blades dripping in their blood. Another arrow hit her and she took a step forwards only to fall onto her knees.

A small pair of hands cupped her face and she found her self staring into the young elves eyes. She was unaware of the small crowd that gathered around them or the tears the child cried as she slumped down and ceased to be.

"Come, Legolas, the battle is done."