Disclaimer: Anything you recognize is J.R.R. Tolkien's work. All I own is
my plot and my original characters.
A/N: This is a (slightly) improved version of my original story. Everything is exactly the same except for the fact I decided to omit what originally was the first chapter. I thought this was a better place to start the story. Please, R&R!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*Chapter 1*
***Dream Diary***
December 23.
Prank, dream or reality? Yesterday morning, a guy who called himself Imrel came up to me and said I might go to Middle-Earth. He said he would come back to me if I was going to go, but then he said he'd come back anyway... It was all very confusing, really.
I'm beginning to feel like he's someone I have to face, someone I can't hide from. I haven't been able to stop thinking about him. I even dreamt of him last night.
***I was standing in a forest path. The foliage of the trees was so thick no light could possibly get through, and there were huge spiderwebs across some of the trees. I was wearing a long, flowing white silk gown and a grey cloak. In my left hand I held a silver lamp.
I left the path and started to walk deep into the forest, until I came to a clearing near the river. There was an Elf standing on the rocks, fishing. If he hadn't been moving, I doubt I could've seen him, as his clothes blended in very well with the background. When I came near he turned around to see me. It was Imrel.
He smiled. "It is good to see you again, milady, though this visit is rather unexpected." "And so it is for me. I... I don't know what to say, I didn't mean to come here, it just... happened." I was thankful for the darkness, my face felt hot, and in the daylight I would've doubtlessly shown a nice purple coloring.
"Come with me." He took my lamp for me and led me down the river, holding my hand to keep me from stumbling. Soon we came to a bridge, and past that we reached the gates. The guards made as if to stop us, but Imrel held them back. "She comes with me. Let her come and go as she may wish, whether in company or alone." "Yes, sir" They bowed and returned to their posts.
"Very impressive. Do you always get your way around here?" I tried not to laugh. "I have some pull with the boss, so I can usually get away with things that others don't. As long as I ask nothing they are strictly forbidden to do, it's all right," he said with a smile.
The gates led to the mouth of a huge cave that ran into the side of a steep slope covered with trees. There, the great beeches came right down to the bank, till their feet were in the stream.
Inside, everything was beautifully adorned, sort of Goth style. The colors used were mainly dark shades of green or brown as a background with lighter tones forming designs.
In a great hall with pillars hewn out of the living stone sat a king on a throne of carven wood. Upon his head was a silver crown adorned with... snowflakes?... and in his hand he held a staff of a pale wood set with diamonds. It looked almost as if the wood had grown around them.
"King Thranduil," I heard Imrel say, "I present to you my good friend Erin." I knew I should curtsy, but that sort of thing I've never done very gracefully so I bowed instead. "It is a great honor to be here". "The honor is ours, milady, in having such a distinguished guest. You shall most probably have to come and go from this place for a time, therefore, a room has been prepared for your use when you are here." replied Thranduil. "Imrel, please show her the way."
Together we walked down a long corridor adorned with tapestries. One in particular caught my attention: it showed a winter storm raging upon a forest where it was obviously supposed to be spring. The forest was turning dark and musty. It was a very beautiful tapestry, as were all the others in this hall, but the idea that such a bright place could turn to darkness in such a drastic manner scared me. I had the feeling something like to that had once happened to Mirkwood.
I had stopped to look at it, and Imrel must've read my feelings by the expression on my face, because he said, "It shows what Morgoth and Sauron did to our forest. Once it was one of the brightest and most beautiful upon Middle Earth, called Greenwood the Great, but it has been turned to what it is now. Hence comes the name by which it is best known to the outside world: Mirkwood. Nevertheless, we love our forest: though it may seem fearful to you, it has a dark, sweet beauty that is all it's own."
Next to the tapestry was a door leading to my room. Imrel set the lamp, which he still carried for me, on a small table beside the doorway. "I hope you will be comfortable." "Yes, thank you." He turned to leave. "Imrel?" I called for him and he turned back. "Thank you for everything," I said finally. I couldn't think of anything else to say, I didn't even know why I called after him. He seemed to understand and smiled softly at me. "It's been a pleasure. Goodbye."***
I woke with the memory of his smile. I haven't seen anyone smile at me like that in a long time. Maybe this is all I can ever hope for. The smile of someone who cares for me, but only in my dreams...
(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((
A/N: Well, there it is! Let me know what you think.
Special thanks to Dolores J. Nurss for all her help in this chapter. :-)
A/N: This is a (slightly) improved version of my original story. Everything is exactly the same except for the fact I decided to omit what originally was the first chapter. I thought this was a better place to start the story. Please, R&R!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
*Chapter 1*
***Dream Diary***
December 23.
Prank, dream or reality? Yesterday morning, a guy who called himself Imrel came up to me and said I might go to Middle-Earth. He said he would come back to me if I was going to go, but then he said he'd come back anyway... It was all very confusing, really.
I'm beginning to feel like he's someone I have to face, someone I can't hide from. I haven't been able to stop thinking about him. I even dreamt of him last night.
***I was standing in a forest path. The foliage of the trees was so thick no light could possibly get through, and there were huge spiderwebs across some of the trees. I was wearing a long, flowing white silk gown and a grey cloak. In my left hand I held a silver lamp.
I left the path and started to walk deep into the forest, until I came to a clearing near the river. There was an Elf standing on the rocks, fishing. If he hadn't been moving, I doubt I could've seen him, as his clothes blended in very well with the background. When I came near he turned around to see me. It was Imrel.
He smiled. "It is good to see you again, milady, though this visit is rather unexpected." "And so it is for me. I... I don't know what to say, I didn't mean to come here, it just... happened." I was thankful for the darkness, my face felt hot, and in the daylight I would've doubtlessly shown a nice purple coloring.
"Come with me." He took my lamp for me and led me down the river, holding my hand to keep me from stumbling. Soon we came to a bridge, and past that we reached the gates. The guards made as if to stop us, but Imrel held them back. "She comes with me. Let her come and go as she may wish, whether in company or alone." "Yes, sir" They bowed and returned to their posts.
"Very impressive. Do you always get your way around here?" I tried not to laugh. "I have some pull with the boss, so I can usually get away with things that others don't. As long as I ask nothing they are strictly forbidden to do, it's all right," he said with a smile.
The gates led to the mouth of a huge cave that ran into the side of a steep slope covered with trees. There, the great beeches came right down to the bank, till their feet were in the stream.
Inside, everything was beautifully adorned, sort of Goth style. The colors used were mainly dark shades of green or brown as a background with lighter tones forming designs.
In a great hall with pillars hewn out of the living stone sat a king on a throne of carven wood. Upon his head was a silver crown adorned with... snowflakes?... and in his hand he held a staff of a pale wood set with diamonds. It looked almost as if the wood had grown around them.
"King Thranduil," I heard Imrel say, "I present to you my good friend Erin." I knew I should curtsy, but that sort of thing I've never done very gracefully so I bowed instead. "It is a great honor to be here". "The honor is ours, milady, in having such a distinguished guest. You shall most probably have to come and go from this place for a time, therefore, a room has been prepared for your use when you are here." replied Thranduil. "Imrel, please show her the way."
Together we walked down a long corridor adorned with tapestries. One in particular caught my attention: it showed a winter storm raging upon a forest where it was obviously supposed to be spring. The forest was turning dark and musty. It was a very beautiful tapestry, as were all the others in this hall, but the idea that such a bright place could turn to darkness in such a drastic manner scared me. I had the feeling something like to that had once happened to Mirkwood.
I had stopped to look at it, and Imrel must've read my feelings by the expression on my face, because he said, "It shows what Morgoth and Sauron did to our forest. Once it was one of the brightest and most beautiful upon Middle Earth, called Greenwood the Great, but it has been turned to what it is now. Hence comes the name by which it is best known to the outside world: Mirkwood. Nevertheless, we love our forest: though it may seem fearful to you, it has a dark, sweet beauty that is all it's own."
Next to the tapestry was a door leading to my room. Imrel set the lamp, which he still carried for me, on a small table beside the doorway. "I hope you will be comfortable." "Yes, thank you." He turned to leave. "Imrel?" I called for him and he turned back. "Thank you for everything," I said finally. I couldn't think of anything else to say, I didn't even know why I called after him. He seemed to understand and smiled softly at me. "It's been a pleasure. Goodbye."***
I woke with the memory of his smile. I haven't seen anyone smile at me like that in a long time. Maybe this is all I can ever hope for. The smile of someone who cares for me, but only in my dreams...
(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((*(((
A/N: Well, there it is! Let me know what you think.
Special thanks to Dolores J. Nurss for all her help in this chapter. :-)