NOTE:

Hello all, I'd just like to say that I'm really happy to post my first FF. I've written several stories but this is the first one I've actually posted. This story will eventually become a Lord of The Rings spin off. This story was inspired by several other books and movies. I do not own any characters, lines, or plots that you may recognize as the work of J.R.R., Marian Zimmerman, and other authors as well as the lines of the Lord of The Rings film trilogy or King Arthur. However I'd just like to say that the majority of this story is of my own creation. So please join me on my adventure and do me a kinda favor please review. This is my first solo FF so any feed back you can give me is welcome, be it criticism or praise. The reviews help me as an author so I can make this story more enjoyable to its readers. I have a hard time with spelling and grammar so that will probably be an issue to some, but remember I'm only 15 and I'm doing my best. ;) Thanks everyone and enjoy.

Adriana ran as fast as she could over the gently sloping hills of her homeland. The small shoots of new grasses bending beneath her tiny feet. Her laughter ringing through the air like the merriest of bells.

She ran faster as the shouts of her brother, Cratias, and her best friend, Gailon, sounded behind her. She left their words unheeded and continued on until she came to the river. Its' waters flowing unusually strong for so early in the year. She turned and followed the length of the river and slowed her pace. Her brother and Gailon would inevitably catch up with her ; there was no use in running from them any longer. Adriana sat down beside the river and pulled her soft leather boots from her feet. She didn't bother to roll up the legs of her breaches and proceeded to plunge her feet into the cool deep waters of the river. She absent mindedly began to trail a small lazy hand over the surface of the shallower waters near the shore. The steady stream of water parted over her small fingers in tiny waves. So fascinated by the cool water was she that thoughts of Cratias and Gailon slipped from her mind like the water from her hands.

"Adriana, what do you think you are doing. Mother and father are going to be furious if you don't come back with us this instant!" Cratias scolded as Gailon proceed to take a seat beside her. The sudden actions caught her off guard and caused her to jump slightly. Gailons' steady hand was the only thing that prevented her from falling in to the current of the river.

" Leave her be Cratias. She's only 5 summers, she knows no better." Gailon said. Although Gailon appeared to be defending her, Adriana knew he was goading her and refused to fall for his devious tricks he knew would infuriate her. Although she may only be 5, she had an awful temper that would cause even the bravest of souls to cower in the wake of her tantrums. Or at least that's what Gailon had told her since she was 2.

" Why should I go back? There's nothing to do at home. I finished all my chores this morning." She said as she drew her feet from the water and slipped her soft boots back on to her feet. She stood silently and began ring out the bottoms of her hide leggings. The damp hide was smooth and sleek beneath her fingers as her hands worked them over.

Cratias answered " Why should you go back? Must you really ask! There is plenty of other things to be done, hides to be cleaned, fire wood to be gathered, meet to be cooked and floors to be swept. When will you learn that these..."

"...things need to be done. I know they must be done but why must I do them. There are plenty of other young men in the village who can do them just as well as I." Adriana spoke with such confidence and conviction one would have almost no room to argue...almost.

" Adriana, you know just as well as I that it is not a mans place to do such things. As a woman they are your duties." Cratias said as he moved to stand next to her. " I know it does not seem fair, but it is the way things are done. It is the way things have always been done. Now, let us go." He gently squeezed her shoulder and began to leave. Adriana simply stood there, not wanting to follow but knowing she had no real choice in the matter.

Gailon spoke up " Come Adriana, we should not tarry any longer." With that said, he to began to leave. But Adriana still did not move. She simply sat there, pondering just why things were done in such a manner.

I crouched beside the fire, holding my hands close to the flames, seizing their warmth. It was snug, here, under our elk hide hut that I shared with my parents, sister, and at one point in time, my brother.

My parents lay asleep together upon their mats, their thick furs lying over them protecting them from the chill. The sound of the crackling flames echoed through our hut.

How I wished I didn't have to leave this sanctuary, but if I stayed much longer, my little sister would come and pester me and my father would give me more chores to do for the day.

I wanted no part in this. I was a grown woman of 22 and I desperately longed for my independence. Summoning my strength, I leapt lightly to my feet. I strapped my twin swords snugly to my back and then swung my pack over them. I grabbed my bow ,that had been resting against the hide walls, and tossed it over my shoulder. I turned from the fire and loosened the throngs on the door flap, and crawled out quickly. I blinked at the lite darkness around me. It would be dawn soon but I could still get in a few hours' practice before I was to start my morning chores.

I glanced around. The surrounding land was stark and bare with the exception of our large village. Some 60 huts formed a circle around a large meeting lodge and fire pit. Each of the huts just like my own. A pile of furs, a set of fire sticks, a couple of flint knives and a small store of meat. Wisps of smoke drifted through vent holes and off into the wind. I noticed that no guard sat up on the look our post on the hill up ahead.

" How odd," I mumbled to myself, but soon forgot the oddity as I ducked behind huts. I made my way to the few stunted tree stumps just beyond the camp. The tree stumps worked wonderfully for target practice. I would, at times, set a large bundle of grasses tied with a braided hide rope up on them and hack away at it with my swords. Of course, the grasses served their purpose of a target, but they never fought back. Very rarely could I find a partner willing to spar with me. Most men in my village were older men and couldn't keep up with my youthful agility. The younger men, including my brother, had been sent away some 12 years ago. They were sent away to guard our border from the warring tribes in the west. They were the only defense against the larger more powerful tribes of the west. Their wealth and shear mass set them a step above tribes likes ours. I'll never forget the summer my brother left us. I , being

only 5 at the time, didn't understand the fact that I would probably never see my dear brother again. That I would never hear his voice again. That I would never be able to lay for hours in the once lush grass around our home or play childish games of tag with him and Gailon. I'd never forget that they were taken from me.

( flashback )

" Adriana, wake up, Adriana..." Cratias cried softly as he gently shook his younger sisters shoulder. Adriana stirred and her eyes fluttered open. She looked up at him curiously and wiped the sleep from her eyes with her small fists.

"What is it.." She mumbled, yawning widely. She sat up and looked around and quickly noticed the absence of her mother and father. " What's going on? Where are mother and father?" She looked in to her brothers eyes and noticed the distress and sadness that lingered there. " Cratias, what has happened?"

" They've come ...the men from the boarders. They've finally come." Adrian simply sat there not understanding what her brother was telling her but all the while knowing it was not a good thing. This fact became even more evident as a few tears fell past her brothers dark lashes. She watched as they traveled down his checks. They barely made it past his nose before he hastily wiped them away. " I'm leaving Adriana..."

" But you'll come back wont you? Midsummer is approaching and you and Gailon promised to teach me how to shoot a bow and you said you'd teach me to fish and..."

Her brother hung his head, her childish naivety making this all the more difficult for him. He simply wanted to hold his sister one last time and give her the gift he wanted her to have. He looked up into her childish round face. Her eyes still a light with the images she'd spoke of. He couldn't do this, gods be damned he couldn't tell his own sister that he may never come back. He couldn't brake her heart. Cratias put his hands to his sisters' face and held it gently. He smiled half heartedly and kissed her brow.

" Of course I'll come back." He whispered " I have something I want to give you." He cleared his throat and pulled a bundle out from behind him. He presented them to her and she hesitantly unfolded the cloak in which it was wrapped. Adriana gasped at the sight that beheld her. She giggled and jumped into her brothers arms.

" Thank you, oh thank you, thank you, they're beautiful." She said as she pulled the twin swords from her brothers grasp.

" I know they are some what large, but in time you will grow into them. Father has promised to teach you along with the bow..."

" But when you come back, cant you do it yourself."

" He can teach you while I'm gone. I expect you will become quite good with them in time. When I come back I'll teach you more..."

" You promise?"

Cratias hesitated, " I promise." His answer broke his heart as he looked into the happy eyes of his sister.

(end of flashback)

I shook the 18 year old memory from my minds eye and continued on, dry grass poked through, thin powdery snow that cracked beneath my feet. To the south and west, low hills were covered lightly with powdery snow. The frigid late winter winds blowing violently around me, and yet, life endured. Our tribe had spent many winters here. But soon the time would come

when we would move to follow the caribou and elk herds that migrated farther and farther south every year. I paused and listened. Somewhere a guard dog was barking but, from where I could not tell. The sound seemed to echo in my ears and come from every direction. And then, it stopped, so suddenly and abruptly that I knew something was terrible wrong

I headed straight to the river. I didn't slack in my pace until I was sure I was hidden by the slope of the land. Then, with the cold air burning in my chest, I slowed to a walk and carefully picked my way through the stunted trees. Wood was scarce here in the east, but I'd been trained from an early age to avoid damaging even the youngest of saplings.

I walked further and a light click-click sound came from somewhere in front of me. The noise itself was oddly quiet, yet it sounded as if it came from multiple sources.

I moved my head, turning it from side to side, and focused carefully on the source of the sounds. I moved up the hillside and stopped dead in my tracks. I bent down slowly and picked up the bloodied rope hide to which our dogs had been tied. The ground beneath my feet was slick and red with blood.

" This can not be." I though as I got down on my hands and knees and crawled up the rest of the hill. I slowly lifted my head and peaked over it's crest and almost screamed at what I saw. I threw myself down and tried desperately to calm my rapid breathing but it was impossible. There, just beyond the foot of the hill, was an impossibly large army of Octinian warriors. " This is impossible! What are they doing this far east?" I said softly to myself. I had to warn my people, but how there was no way to do it without the army seeing me. The wind began to pick up, the loose snow flying in a flurry all about me. I reached behind my head and tucked in a loose strand of hair, my finger tips brushing over my bow... 'that's it' I thought to myself. I hurriedly grabbed my bow and pulled an arrow from my quiver. I then grabbed the small knife with in my boot and etched an A into the shaft. Then rolled over and cut the blooded rope from its holding place. I sheathed my knife and tied the end of the rope to my arrow and loaded it into my bow. I mumbled a small prayer of our people under my breath, hoping against all odds that this worked. I pulled back the string and aimed at the roof of the nearest hut. I released and followed the arrow with my eyes it flew true and straight and landed with a small thunk. Almost immediately there was a loud cry of surprise that echoed through the valley.

" This, is not good, this, is not good." I thought repeatedly in my mind. The Octinians''' surely could not have missed that, and they hadn't. The steady beat of drums filled the valley. There was only one thing left to do. I leapt to my feet and turned about to face my village.

" RUN! There's no time, GO NOW!" I screamed as loud as I could. People came pouring out of their huts and paused for merely a second as the sound of the drums filled their ears. " GO!" I screamed, but it was to late, they would never make it out alive, none of us would, but by the gods I would take as many Octinians' down with me as I could. I turned back just as the Octinians' began their charge. I unsheathed my swords the blades ringing as true as freedom through the air. I flipped them both in my hands my fingers falling into their all to familiar spots upon their hilt. I charged forward a deafening battle cry erupting from deep with in me. I was one woman against an entire army. Nothing but a flea up on their mighty backs.

I collided with my first Hadrian thrusting one blade into his gut and spinning round to decapitate the man next to him. I blocked a blow coming from the left, aimed directly for my head, I dropped down and swept the feet of the three closest men out from underneath them. I leapt back to my feet, spinning my blades as I did, trying desperately to injure as many men as possible. They were all beginning to close in, pressing around me like a suffocating wall.

Soon I wouldn't be able to move at all. I quickly abandoned my swords for the rather large knife I had placed back with in my boot. I lashed out randomly striking anything with in reach. I heard the cries of the villagers as the army swept over them like a wave of death. However it was one cry of agony that made me pause. I would recognize my fathers voice anywhere. The cry became strangled and then abruptly stopped. It was almost as if life itself had paused for that one brief moment of agony. Everything seemed to slow as his image flashed before my eyes.

I was pulled from my stupor by a powerful blow to my face. I stumbled backwards and tripped over one of the men I had killed and fell into a heap on the ground. I spit the blood from my mouth and moved to stand again only to be stopped by the point of a sword at my neck. I froze, this was it, this is how I would meet my end. I dropped my knife at the mans feet and spit upon them. He punched me in the face and I felt the sickening crack of my cheek as I fell yet again. Blood trickled down my chin and neck, my clothing was covered in the blood of Octinians'.

" Get up!" The man whispered harshly. I didn't move. He went to kick me in the gut but I grabbed his foot and twisted with all my might. I grabbed the dagger from the ground and swiftly slit his throat. Blood erupted from his neck and sprayed my clothing, coating me in yet another layer of blood. I went to take down another but was thrown back by a force I hadn't seen. I looked down and there protruding from my shoulder was the shaft of an arrow that was berried deep with in me. I bent down to pick up my sword but was shot in the other shoulder and was unceremoniously thrown to my knees upon the blood soaked earth. My dagger fell from my trembling hand. I strained to pick it up but my fingers fumbled uselessly. I stumbled to my feet, my arms stiff and tense with pain. I stood alone in the middle of an enemy army crippled and defenseless.

" Well, well, well what do we have here?" a man said, who I assumed to be some sort of leader. He was dressed richly, his armor a shining silver with virtually no blood on its' pristine surface. Slowly he unsheathed his sword and put it to my neck. He circle d round me like a tiger stalking its quarry. His sword making a thin red line upon the flesh of my neck. His eyes roaming over my shaking form. He was suddenly up on me in two long strides. He gripped my hair in his hands and through back my head, retching my neck into an excruciating position. I stiffened trying my hardest to stay on my feet. His sword pressing down on my neck, so close was it that if I took a breath it would surely slit my throat. A new figure entered my line of view this man was dressed and looked similarly like the other.

" On your knees." Hissed the man at my side, his grasp on my head pulling me over and shoving me to the ground. I fell hard, the shafts of the arrows hit the ground and jarred them into an awkward angle.

I cried out in pain my voice sounding to harsh to even my own ears.

" I said on your knees!" This time his voice was at a booming roar. I made no move and as I expected he kicked me in the side.

" Wench!" he cried " On your knees...bow before the King!"

' The King' I thought ' The King of Octinia, was here, standing before me.' He kicked me again, I groaned and rolled to my side so I was facing their King.

" I bow to no man, let a lone a King who..." My sentence was cut off by a boot connecting with my already broken cheek. The last thing I remember was the metallic taste of blood seeping into my mouth and the face of the Octinian King.

We'll that's the end of chapter one. Thanks for reading and reviewing.