Born of Men but of Elven Beauty

By SilverLoom07, VilyaTook, Lysse, Estel4life, Mook, Elafacwen, and AvalonEstel

Before you bein: This fic started out as a lone post on a Tolkien related Role-Playing forum. With the work of seven wonderful authors, we have made that one post grow and develop into a story that we all love and enjoy writing every day. It is always being written and revised, and the plot is still in progress. In this way, this fic is unique, because it is not just the work of one author, but of many. We all love our characters, their lives, and their troubles, and hope you will enjoy them also. Lysse
Disclaimer: We're not saying it's ours, so don't have a cow. We don't own this stuff, no way no how.

Hiranneth sat in her father's large and comfortable chair, feeling happy and wistful as she looked out her window over the fields of Rohan. She was subconsciously stroking her long brown hair when her father entered the room, a big grin plastered on his worn face.
"Happy Birthday, Hiranneth!" he exclaimed, whipping out from behind his back a shimmering new cloak.
Gasping in delight, Hiranneth reached out a hand and felt the cloak. It was beautiful and lovely, made of fine grey silk with a warm wool inside, and it was all hers in its finery. She pulled the cloak around her shoulders gently and looked at her father with a smile. "Thank you, papa," she said as she tightly embraced his neck.
Her father laughed heartily. "I'm glad you are happy, dear."
Hiranneth's mother soon entered, reaching over and kissing her beautiful daughter's cheek. "Happy Birthday, sweetheart," she said quietly. Hiranneth embraced her parents again and enjoyed the wonderful afternoon they spent together.

Lying on her bed a few days later, Hiranneth was reading some of her mother's old poetry, her new cloak draped over her shoulders. Her quiet reading was interrupted by her father as he burst into her room, panting heavily. He crossed the room over to her and sat beside her.
"Hiranneth, listen to me. Now that you are sixteen, you have some important decisions to make."
His tone was calm, but Hiranneth sensed not all was right with her father. "What is wrong?" she asked.
Her father looked deep into the blue eyes of his only daughter and pulled her closer to him. "Listen and hear me. It is not safe here anymore. You must run, you must leave here quickly. Do you hear me?"
Something in her father's tone told Hiranneth he was not joking. She shook her head in disbelief.
"Please, daughter, I love you so much. You must go," he whispered. He held her close and tears pricked the corners of his eyes. When Hiranneth showed no intention of moving, he assured her, "Your mother and I will follow soon, but you must go!"
A loud cry suddenly rose up from the west hills. The two of them looked out toward it and saw fire and smoke rising in the distance. Hiranneth's father's eyes widened, and he pushed his daughter out the door and toward the woods to the east. "Run, now!" he cried.
"But papa-"
"Go!" He embraced her one last time and rushed back into the house, leaving Hiranneth with nothing to do but go on alone.
Another cry of anguish and sound like the rolling of thunder further encouraged the girl, and she fled in fright into the trees.

Kiran ran his hand along his horse's neck. He had been riding along the border of the forest when Dune had suddenly spooked and thrown him. Luckily, he hadn't been hurt, just a little bruised, and he had found his horse soon. But the horse had refused to follow his owner out of the trees. Kiran tried again to coax him into walking forward, but Dune pranced away on his feet and refused again.
It was then that Kiran heard the screams. He was startled by a girl who suddenly ran into him, out of breath and sobbing for help. She looked about his age, maybe a bit older, and, though she appeared to be mortal, she held the radiance and light of the elves. If he had not heard her speaking in the common tongue, Kiran would have thought her an elf.
"What's going on" he asked her. He saw through the trees smoke and fire coming from the nearby village. "Was there an attack"

Hiranneth took a moment to wipe her tears and observe the young man she had run into. He was rather tall, with black hair and dark, intense eyes that surveyed her distress with concern.
"I know not what happens. But my father told me to run, for it is not safe." She looked back to the valley and saw great parts of what was once her home up in smoke, the air filled with horrible yelling and wailing. Her eyes filled with tears once more and she turned away from the sight.
"Please, sir," she continued, "I fear my family is in danger. I am but a poor girl, with nothing to aid me in protecting those I love. I cannot fight alone."

A strange surge of emotion pulsed through Kiran as the girl spoke to him. He thought a moment, then mounted Dune quickly and offered a hand to the girl. "I will fight with you" he said. "If it is death you are destined for, you shall not meet it alone, but I do not think that will be your fate." With sorrowful but trusting eyes, the girl took his hand and was pulled up behind Kiran. The horse cantered quickly down into the valley, and its riders made short introductions.

Hiranneth tensed as her house came into view. It was now nothing but ash and piles of smoldering wood; fire had taken everything. Fear overtaking her, Hiranneth jumped down from the horse and ran toward the ruin. She fell on her knees before an unrecognizable burned lump. She could not tell what or who it was, but felt tears of agony burn in her eyes. "The enemy has left," she said to Kiran, looking around at the vast destruction that surrounded her. "We are too late!" She kicked the remains of a broken chair and screamed in agony. How could this happen?
Again sinking to her knees, Hiranneth's angry tears fell as she clutched her cloak and sobbed into it. "Kiran, who could have done this?" she wondered quietly. She was horrified at what the answer might be, but needed someone to blame for the pain she felt.

Kiran didn't answer her question right away. He was staring off in the direction where his father's house once stood. All that was left was ash and smoke. He dropped his hold on Dune's reins and the horse sniffed the ground curiously. When Kiran spoke, his words were choked and quiet.
"I...I don't know. I don't know who did this. This destruction..." His sentence trailed off. "We must leave. This land is dead. We cannot stay." Some of the strength returned to his words now with a great sense of urgency that he didn't understand. Climbing on his horse once more, he beckoned for Hiranneth to join him. The two of them both shed silent tears as Dune sped on away from the ruins, hardly hearing the sound of hoof beats approaching.

Ahéawan's breath came out in rapid bursts as she urged her horse Sweord faster, struggling to catch up to the fleeing figures. When she thought she was in earshot, Ahéawan called"Hiranneth! Hiranneth"
The horse ahead of her turned around, and she continued riding up to it. Still breathing hard, she said"Hiranneth. I am Ahéawan. I bring news of your parents."

Hiranneth's eyes widened and her heart raced. "What do you mean? You know what has happened? Are my parents all right" She breathed rapidly, looking to the woman's eyes for an answer. In the eyes of the older woman, Hiranneth saw coldness and determination, yet also an elegant sorrow. However, she hardly made sense of these observations, so was her mind racing in ache to know of her parents.

Ahéawan's heart softened at the sight of the young girl in tears. She took a deep breath and pulled a rolled piece of leather from her pouch.
"Let me explain" Ahéawan began. "I am-was a friend of your parents. I know little of what has happened here. While riding about two days ago, I spotted dark beasts armed with weapons of fire heading this way. I tried to arrive before they did, but was too late. I came upon your father's house, nothing but ashes, and...well. This belongs to you."
She knew her words did not make much sense to Hiranneth, but she handed the girl the roll of leather. As Hiranneth began to inspect it with troubled eyes, Ahéawan said"I found it among your mother's possessions. She told me of it, long ago. Does it mean anything to you"

Fly watched the strange encounter from up in a tree. He had just come from a rampage in the valley, and was slightly worn out, yet he enjoyed the sense of accomplishment his work gave him. He went out on the limb above them silently, without a creak in the beam or a rustle of the leaves. What are they doing down there? He was suspiciously curious. He drew his bow and arrow and waited. There could be trouble.

Something drew Kiran's attention to a nearby tree. He caught a glimpse of the slightest amount of movement there that he was sure he imagined. Still, he watched it for any sign. He saw something move again. There must be someone there! Slowly he began to pull Dune back, ready to spur him into a run should the movement in the tree be something troublesome.

Ahéawan had taken no notice of the young man before, but now saw him snap to attention and cautiously pull his horse into a more defensive position.
She waited for Hiranneth to say something, but the young and frightened girl was still enthralled with the roll of leather. Ahéawan knew little of its contents, only that they must be guarded carefully.

He smiled as he saw the small group warily watch the area where he was hiding, yet observed they knew not what to expect. So they have not heard of Fly the bounty hunter? They would soon know. He called out, "Well well! What have we here?"

Ahéawan snapped to attention and drew her blade as she looked about for the speaker of the taunt. She saw nothing in the trees from the direction it seemingly came from, but upon closer inspection faintly saw a glimmer of light reflected off a weapon of some sort.
She was about to further investigate, when another young man approached. Ahéawan looked at him suspiciously as he introduced himself, blade still drawn, and kept watch out of the corner of her eye for the hidden enemy in the trees.

Curses. The woman had spotted him. Oh well. Fly muffled a laugh. They could not see him; now it was time for some fun. He silently swung himself upside down on the tree branch, and with a gloved hand plucked the sword from the unwary older woman. He swung himself back up. "What is going on here?" he taunted as he climbed higher into the tree.

Ahéawan was still frowning at the trees when she felt a breeze softly pass her and her blade suddenly disappear from her grasp. She cried out as she whirled around and saw her sword vanish up into the trees.
Eyes burning with rage at the trickery, Ahéawan kicked her horse sharply and rode to the edge of the wood. Despite her awareness of the danger, she looked straight up at where she supposed the creature to be and glared. "Give me my blade back now" she seethed. She placed one hand on her shield and her other hand on her knife, making it clear she was ready for a fight if need be. Ahéawan silently cursed herself for not having the sense to have taken up archery.

Fly laughed at her command. "Why should I?" he asked, hints of laughter in his voice. What fun this turned out to be. He was glad he had stopped by after raiding that town.

Thoroughly infuriated now at this nuisance, Ahéawan furrowed her eyebrows and lifted her knife as to throw it. "Release my blade, or so help me, when I get a hold of you, you will be lucky if your eyeballs stay inside your head" she shouted. She was a bit taken aback herself by her suddenly vicious temper, but nevertheless held her knife in a threatening position and continued to glare up into the trees.

Hiranneth was mostly in her own world at the time as she inspected the leather wrap. "Could it be..." Her mother had often hidden the leather wrap from her and told her never to look at it.
She soon felt the tension in the air and looked about, hearing something strange. Quickly, she put the leather wrap in her pocket. She was afraid the strange person in the tree would take it in addition to Ahéawan's sword.
"What is going on" she exclaimed as she pulled out her dagger. She looked at Ahéawan who now held out a small weapon in defense. "Creature in the tree" Hiranneth called out"what is your business, first of all, and why do you threaten us now? We are but travelers and wish to avoid harm." Not wanting to divulge too much information to the stranger, she did not speak of what they were running from.

Fly shrugged. "Travelers, no doubt from that town I just destroyed," he said mostly to himself. "I was ordered to kill all the inhabitants. Put down your weapons. They will do you no good. You know not to whom you speak." His light voice had lost none of its laughter, yet there was a tone that told them they should not cause trouble.

Ahéawan listened intently to what the invisible stranger in the tree said, stunned.
"You...you did this" she asked incredulously.She still did not release her knife, but tightened her grip. "To whom do we speak"

"Ha" he scoffed. "My name is not worthy to be spoken by your lips! As for your question, yes, I did do this. I started the riot, burned the houses, killed the inhabitants..." He stopped, and looked down. "I am the Fly that cannot be trapped in any web, the son of the night, father of the shadow."

Ahéawan glared into the trees. "Riddles! We are given riddles from a monster who savagely destroys innocent lives. What is it that you have to gain, oh son and father of the darkness" she added mockingly. "If you be a man, then return me my blade and fight like one" Her boldness surprised even her, but Ahéawan stood her ground firmly.

Fly smiled wickedly, then jumped down from the tree, but in the form of a cat"Well? What are you waiting for"