So… hello again guys around the world!
Here's one of the promised stories: 'The story never told before 1: 'The Wandering Star of Gondolin'
Before this story I wish, as always, make a couple of… warnings, so to speak.
1. This time I wrote it with the help of Celridel who scholar in Tolkien's universe is, as well as English is her native language and, therefore, she's much better than me in writing.
2. The original plot is completely mine, but… Celridel had helped me not only as beta but giving me good ideas for the story. I write the chapter but she polishes it and I must say that she's wonderful in that.
3. This time, a mutant that is not very well-known (at least not like others), Laura Kinney AKA X-23 will be the main character along others. In this story won't be 'too much adventure' as for example in the second stallment of the trilogy 'Mutants in Middle-Earth: The War of the Ring'. However, that doesn't matter that it won't have at all. Especially because it will not only describe the Sack of Gondolin but other fights.
4. In this crossover will be explained how Laura and Glorfindel met and how they fell in love. Also, there will be another love story which is very well-known: Idril and Túor.
5. This time the story will be told from different points of views: of the main characters and in the third person of narrator… meaning the common one.
6. Laura AKA X-23 will have her mutant abilities, but much more enhanced. To who haven't read the second stallment of the trilogy 'Mutants in Middle-Earth: The War of the Ring'; the mutants are indirect descendants of the Istar known as 'The Two Blue Wizards', so their skills are enhanced immensely. Also, her story and some other characteristics will be changed in order to create the story.
6. This is the first part of a series of stories where Laura is the main character and depending of the times, others will be added. However, I want to tell that depending of the reviews and the readers and, in general, of the reaction of the readers, I'll continue with this project.
7. I promise that I will finish this story with the help of Celridel, but I also want to warn that I won't be able to upload chapters as fast as the stallment 'Mutants in Middle-Earth: The War of the Ring' for different reasons. But is a fact that we will finish it.
About the last stallment of the trilogy 'Mutants in Middle-Earth: A New Shadow Arises', I'm still working on it, but I'm very slowly in that one. That's why I decided to start for a while with this one.
Now, after having said all these… 'warnings'. I hope you enjoy it, moreover because this time a native of English and a great beta is helping me.
So… let's begin!
Chapter 1: Prologue
"I will never understand these Elf guys! I've been living among them for fifty years. I still don't understand their rules and customs. Why don't they talk the night before the Gates of Summer?
Elves are a rather strange race. I think it would be easier to understand the Dwarves than Elves. Elves are immortal and civilized. They're perfect, and it still gets on my nerves sometimes. Especially when they refer to me as 'fíriel', daughter of the Edain race.
But, they only do it when they want to annoy me.
They've still don't know what to think of me, I imagine. I'm a human who is immortal and with my characteristics. They've never met anyone like me! To date, the word 'mutant' has not occurred to them. Why? Don't ask me, because as I said before, Elves are a strange race.
Part of it is because of moral values. They are very different from our society. For fifty years I have observed, I have noticed it, I have learned it.
For example, Time. Time doesn't exist for them. It doesn't matter. Elves are immortal, they have all the time in the world. They don't have to deal with the constant rush that happens on Earth, as all society seeks to achieve goals and aspirations. Time on Earth is a bitter enemy to man, but for these guys ... it means nothing. A day is the same a century.
One would think that living like this becomes boring, especially in a place like Gondolin. Gondolin is a city that none can enter, and none can leave. It's a prison, in some respects. King Turgon believes that it is the best means to be safe from the evil that ravages Middle-Earth that is called 'Morgoth'.
It was difficult at first. Every day was the same. You find everyone equivalent to the day before. They don't change physically. The only thing to break the monotony was birth of some Elf-Children, the arrival of Túor. Three years ago, he and Princess Idril married. And then, of course, the birth of Ëarendil. But the most wonderful of all the changes is that a week ago Glorfindel declared his love and gave me this necklace he forged especially for me. I'm going to wear beyond death.
But, with time you get used to it. At least I did. You find more important activities than running to get to work or to get home to cook or take care of the family. No, you find time for much more activities ... that are more noble, 'higher', as Ecthelion would say. The study of the stars and, in general; of the arts.
The Elves do that. Their music is beautiful, they write poems, build new buildings; take care of the environment. They can do this because there is no Time for them. Túor said it best: 'Time is a vestige from the outer world.'
However, even though the elves are certainly a very rare race because they have immortality at hand, not to mention that they are all very beautiful. They are very intelligent; they have an agility, speed, and stamina that can easily compete with mine. They are excellent warriors; excellent architects; their medicine, although only based on herbalism, is very advanced. Elves are a rare race, but they are so cocky! Most of Gondolin's population is composed of the Noldor. These are the smithy-Elves, and they know perfectly well that no one can surpass them in their metal-working abilities. (Except for the Dwarves, but that is an open secret). Many of them have a substantial ego. Among some, it was so great it led them to challenge their gods, the Válar. It's not that I believe in the Válar. I'm an atheist and I have not had any reason to change my mind; However, it's stupid to challenge a god.
Their conceit has cost them dearly because they are here now, stranded in Middle-Earth and suffering for their pride. Morgoth has taken care of making their lives miserable.
It was Fëanor and his oath that led them here. What a big ego the Noldo must have had at that time, that for a few jewels Fëanor and his children have decided to make an oath that would cost more than they could pay. He must have been unbearable. Poor Nerdanel! In fact, I do not think those Facility bastards were so greedy as to kill their own people for jewels. The Silmarils were for the Elves, the Heel of Achilles. Many of them also left a paradisiacal place called Válinor, similar to modern Earth's Eden. They abandoned it to get their own kingdoms. The Válar tried to stop them, but the proud elves did not want to listen and went through many hardships. For example, Glorfindel and most of the inhabitants here had to go through a frozen hell, the 'Pass of Helcarexë', where sadly the wife of King Turgon died.
That's a short story about the Noldor. They look down their noses at everyone who isn't their own races. Except for Túor. He's a good guy, and he even won the heart of the Princess Idril, which wasn't easy.
About me…? My temper hasn't helped me much, neither my past nor my claws ... what has helped me is my healing factor and my immortality as a mutant. But the Elves haven't figured out a way to classify me yet. Most consider me a resident of Gondolin. I train new recruits, I have my own house. I even have some respect, but I don't think I'll ever be as dear to them as Túor.
But Glorfindel, the Lord of the House of the Golden Flower, one of the best warriors of all Gondolin, the darling of this whole city, has fallen in love with me. That might earn me some points in their book.
Every time I remember Glorfindel giving me his Fëa...something happens. I feel warm and safe and, my God, so happy! After twenty years of loving him in secret, I discovered it wasn't unrequited. He doesn't care about my past, nor my temper, nor my claws. He only sees me: Laura Kinney, his beloved Wandering Star.
That's something I have to accept, Elves can be very patronizing. They feel they are the first born of Zeus, unique in every way, even down to their concepts of love and marriage.
I don't want to marry Glorfindel because it will elevate my rank, although I admit that the idea doesn't displease me. I have no intention of marrying him, so I belong to nobility, but because I really love him. Even if he was an ugly Elf (which is a paradoxical statement) and if he were poor, I would still be happy with him.
But back to Elven marriage, Elves perceive it as sacred. It surprised me at first. Back on Earth, cheap flicks are normal, but Elves declare their love to last for all eternity.
It's the same with sexual relations. When I told Glorfindel about of brothels and pornography ... hahaha! You would have seen his face! Elves are strictly puritanical about sex because, for them, it's equal to marriage. So, any bachelor or bachelorette Elf is a virgin. Yes! It's true! Even if they're a millennia old!
To conclude, Túor and I can consider ourselves the most fortunate of all humans. And talking about love, I am now the happiest person in the world. Glorfindel loves me too, just as I love him. I better finish this quickly. Yesterday he asked me to join him on the Eastern wall so that we can sing together for the first time and join the Elves' choir to welcome the first dawn of summer so that the party of Tarnin Austa can begin!
Laura came running to the Eastern wall of the Hidden City. During those fifty years, she had learned to walk silently, almost as noiselessly as the Elves, which was excellent, especially for those festivities. The Elves took silence very seriously on the twenty-first of June, the day of the Gates of Summer.
She climbed quickly up the stairs, heading towards the place where she and Glorfindel had agreed to meet the night before.
The Elf-Lord was already there, staring out over the misty fields of Tumladen. His thick gold hair was loose. Laura loved his hair. It made her think of warmth and fire. No circlet adorned his brow, but he was wearing the colors of his house. There were celandine flowers sprinkled across the mantle on his broad shoulders like he had taken a field in spring and draped it over himself. He wore sturdy boots, and although this was a time of peace, his vambraces were on his arms. The gold chape of his sword-scabbard looked out from under his mantle.
Laura stopped on the edge of the states and watched him for a second. She had no words to describe his beauty, and even less the beauty of his heart. For forty years he had been able to see through a layer of stone that encased her heart. People couldn't hurt her if her heart was hard. It had worked. For some more than others, but it worked.
But Glorfindel had been a different matter. He had never given up, but slowly delved his way through that layer of smooth obsidian and discovered the real Laura Kinney. He had put aside the mutant, murderer, mercenary, and X-Men, known as X-23, and had only regarded Laura Kinney. And he had not been content with it, he had shown her that she was more than even than she had thought in her wildest dreams. He had helped to her change. Once, her ruler was anger or revenge. Now, her guiding star was love, directed towards only one. Him. Lord Glorfindel, Lord of the House of the Golden Flower, whose heart was as golden as his hair.
Oh! She could well be considered the luckiest of both mutants and men. That this proud warrior-Elf would look past the fair ladies of Gondolin to a strong-tempered, unattractive mutant. Mule-stubborn and difficult instead of the winsomeness, he had fixated his heart on her. Laura was lucky, more than lucky; and every time she saw him, her love for him increased ... if that was possible.
He turned towards her, his blue eyes bright. Laura had arrived, and for the first time in fifty years, they would sing together to welcome Summer.
He approached her, and kissed her left hand tenderly, on the knuckles where her claws would have protruded. Laura shivered. She knew this was his way of showing his infinite confidence and love to her. When he looked up, he smiled, intoxicatingly warm and bright.
Laura sensed as she always did, that he beheld a great measure of beauty.
For him, she had dressed in a silken green dress, the edges of the wide sleeves and the neckline hemmed with silver. Her hair was loose, black and soft, something he loved. On her chest shone the necklace of mithril, the pledge of love that he had given her a week earlier.
When Lord Glorfindel saw it, he gently passed one of his fingers around the outline of a horse, his beloved's favorite animal; while, with the other, he gently squeezed the left hand of his love who blushed. This done, he led her to the place where he had been standing.
Neither of them had exchanged a single word, in the observance of tradition, but they both felt love. She leaned her head on his broad chest and closed her eyes as they stood there.
Suddenly, Glorfindel felt a slight shudder and he looked down, into Laura's wide green eyes. She turned her frightened gaze from him and gazed around the fields below. Her body tensed. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply. The dawn breeze was cool on their faces, wafting every few moments in soft gusts.
Her eyes sprang open. She released his hand and leaned over the wall. When the wind blew, she would grow rigid, concentrating on whatever smell it brought her. Every movement was made with more and more fear.
Her hands clenched into fists. She began to run, up into a higher spire. Glorfindel caught her by the hand and whispered in her ear, a voice taut with concern.
"What's wrong?"
She swallowed, her pupils dilated with fear.
"Glorfindel, something terrible is coming. Something foul. I've sensed it, I've smelled it!"
"What is it?" he asked urgently.
Stars were pale in the sky; the heavens were purple across the Echoriath. And the sunrise song burst out, sweet notes rising true and clear to greet the fiery sun of Summer's dawn. The keening of silver trumpets rang out loud in ancient custom.
Then across the jagged peaks came a red flame and dyed the mountains red with blood. There was the noise of thunder, and standing upon a great peak, a crimson dragon lifted back its head and roared.
Silence fell. The songs failed in the singers' throats. Terror gripped the city with iron claws.
And across the reddened peaks, there stood black figures, an army, a mighty army of despair. Dragons roared among them, war-machines and mighty trolls. Balrogs shrieked for the rape of Gondolin.
There were mustered all the legions of Mordor, and their braying horns echoed dimly in dark Echoriath's sides.
Dragon-fire burned the sky and seared the clouds.
The Sack of Gondor had begun.
Well, this is the 'beginning' which, actually starts with the end… or almost the end.
Waiting your reviews guys!