Okay, so here it is, a story at last, not that anyone will actually read it.
Lord of the Rings and Highlander do not belong to me, though it is only very loosely based on Highlander. I own only the plot and Xiao-Xing and any OCs. Though if you ask via PM, I don't mind lending them.
Enjoy
Chapter One – An Ending and a New Beginning
I sighed as I knelt beside the grave. Many would find it strange to find such a person by it, Sgt. Williams had, after all died in the Second World War, nearly seventy years ago. Why would a woman of 23 remember him?
But I wasn't twenty three. I was older than I cared to remember, I had lived through both wars, through the great wars in china. I had lived through a lot.
"Shoshanna," a male voice called out from the other end of the graveyard. The voice belonged to my protégé of sorts, a man of fifty three, though his appearance dictated otherwise. He appeared in his twenties, with brown hair and grey eyes.
"Shoshanna, we have to go, my nephew is coming, he'll recognise me and ask questions," my protégé, David said in a panic.
Shoshanna wasn't my real name, but it was a nice name, and fitted with the Jewish community I was currently living with. It was Hebrew for Rose or Lily. Over the years, I had after all had many false names, but my original name had been Ching-Lan Then after I had realised my immortality, forty years later I became Jing-Mai. I had gone through many, many names.
We left the graveyard and were about three miles away when David stopped walking. He looked nervous as he began to speak.
"Fa Ching-Lan, I wish to challenge you," he said. The one sentence I had wished never to hear from David. He had just issued a challenge to the true death. The curse of our immortality is 'The Game'. There can be only one winner, who has decapitated, and consequently truly killed all other immortals. By issuing a challenge against me, David had just caused either my or his death. And for all I truly didn't want to kill my pupil, I also didn't want to be killed.
Sighing, I drew my Katana as David drew his bastard sword. I had taught him to fight with every weapon I knew, considering the extent of my life, that is a lot of weapons, and he had favoured the bastard sword above all others.
"You know the rules, David? If I die, you get my strength and belongings and vice versa," I said quietly, as checking that he truly understood the meaning of the challenge that he had issued. He nodded as he approached me. At first, I launched no attack, merely defended to allow him to tire himself out. After a while, his strikes were lagging. I took advantage of that, swinging around his body to detach it from his head. After I won the fight, I found myself feeling light-headed and soon fell to the floor seeing only darkness.
When I came to, I felt a tingling pain in my head, I had obviously banged it when I passed out. In front of me, Xiao-Xing, my grey wall eyed mare was stood, without a saddle as I usually rode her. My Mongol bow, a fine bow which I had won after defeating a Mongol who had challenged me many years ago, was strapped onto the blanket which she wore and my old armour, from my days in china as a young immortal was in a neat pile on the floor. I stood up slowly and realised that I was in my old clothing, from the many years ago as a high-ranking woman of China. The clothes I wore were green, and designed to be like men's clothes, however a leather sack beside me revealed many clothes, including more formal ones. Seeing no other option, I donned my armour, comfort and memories flooding me as I did so. It felt so good to be wearing my armour again after so many millennia. Strapping the leather sack on the blanket and placing my sword upon my person, I pulled myself onto Xiao-Xing and began to ride in search of a stream. As an immortal, I had spent plenty of time in the wild. My accelerated healing had kicked in now and my head felt as though it had never been injured. I let myself relax whilst keeping an eye out at the same time, I was so at one with Xiao-Xing that I almost felt as though we were one being.
A movement in the bushes drew my eye. It was only slight, whoever it was didn't want to be noticed. It wasn't an animal, that much I could tell.
"Stay Calm, Xiao-Xing, and approach that bush," I told my beautiful horse quietly in Chinese. Understanding me perfectly as usual, she did just that.
"Who are you? Reveal yourself!" I said in Chinese. I was so immersed in memories and the feelings of the old days that I forgot for a moment when I was. When nothing happened, I spoke in English, "I said, who are you? Reveal yourself!" This time, a man emerged from the bush. He had dark hair and grey eyes, reminding me terribly of David.
"They call me Strider in these parts, sir," the man spoke, looking up due to me being on a horse and he on foot.
I removed my helmet to show my female features. "They know not of me in these parts, but I go by many names. You may call me Jing-Mai as I do not trust to tell you my true name. Where exactly are these parts?" I asked the man.
"We are near Bree, Jing-Mai. Where are you from?" Strider asked.
"I am from many places, but I hail from China, a country far to the east. These lands are foreign to me," I said to the man.
"I am headed to Bree, I could show you the way to allow you t make a life for yourself here in Middle Earth," Strider said to me.
Middle Earth. That triggered a memory, I heard tales of such a place in the late 1950s and read of them in 2001 upon their translation into Chinese. Despite my long life and ability to speak and understand many languages, I had never bothered to learn to read or write many, and I hardly ever read in those anyway, preferring to read in Chinese. I was in the world of JRR Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings'.
"Actually, do you know the way to Imladris? I have heard of the wisdom of the elves, and wish to seek the council of Lord Elrond," I said. I knew that this man, whom I now knew to be Aragorn, was to travel to Imladris anyway, so I could travel with him and the hobbits so as to avoid getting lost.
"Yes, Jing-Mai. I could take you there myself if you wished, but I must stop by Bree first as I need to meet some travelling companions. I would advise you change into something more feminine, though your weapons and armour intrigue me," he said.
I nodded before dismounting Xiao-Xing and going behind the bushes to change into a dress. Wishing to make an impression, I dressed as traditionally as possible. I donned a blue and green kimono, not overly formal though, tied my hair up with a green ribbon and decorative comb with a crystal seashell on.
When I stepped out from the bushes, carrying my armour and other clothes, Aragorn gawked at me. Oh yeah, I forgot about my makeup.
"Jing-Mai, you dress in such a strange manner. I wish to learn more of your culture, perhaps we may talk as we journey to Bree?" Aragorn said.
Nodding, I smiled and replied, "Of course strider. Instead of walking though, I am sure that Xiao-Xing would be willing to let you ride her with me. She is capable of being a very calm horse."
Aragorn mounted her and I followed, sitting behind him.
After a short while, he began conversation. "Jing-Mai, what is your country like? The people, culture, everything?" he asked.
"Well, it's an enormous country, so it varies from north to south and east to west. But people often do not live in the colder parts. I myself am dressed in traditional clothing, which I suppose gives some semblance of the culture. However, women are expected to marry, no for love, but for the money and honour which it would bring to their family. Honour plays a very important role. Many would rather die than dishonour their family. My father, were it not for the status he already had, would have greatly dishonoured my family for his marriage. My father's people had been at war with the Mongols, my mother's people for many years when he wed her. He met her as he lived on the border between Chinese land and Mongol land. Consequently, despite having mostly been brought up as a Chinese woman, I had the horsemanship and archery of the Mongol's. I became a soldier through necessity. That is a part of my past and myself that I do not wish to speak of. What of you?" I said, putting extra Chinese accent in my voice; over the years it had faded slightly.
He smiled slightly, "I am one of the Dunedán, a man of the west. I live my life as a ranger, but was brought up by elves, Lord Elrond of Rivendell actually. In Breeland, where we currently are, I am known as Strider. That is as much as I wish to tell."
I nodded, I myself had not told much after all. Taking in his appearance, I was once more shocked by his resemblance to David. He did, however appear older and had more wisdom in his eyes. Such wisdom as to lead me to believe that his age was greater than it appeared.
"Strider, through sheer curiosity, how long a ride is it to Bree?" I asked; it was raining and Xiao-Xing seemed to wish to run free for a while.
A look of thought passed his face before he spoke, " At this pace, maybe a day. Your blade and bow are strange. The blade's handle is too long, as is the blade itself. It is too narrow and has a strange curvature. How do you handle it?"
"Well, with years of practice I suppose. It's a surprisingly reliable and efficient weapon though. It feels more like an extension of the arm when used properly. You may look at it if you wish," I told the man in front of me.
He nodded and accepted the sword when I passed it to him. He turned it over in his hands taking it in. It had been a gift for my eighteenth birthday. The hilt was wrapped with black leather and blue silk. Down the blade were the engravings '美是不待人和善
夏普水晶
致命的海洋'
"The engravings, what do they say?" Aragorn asked, running his pale finger along them. Despite knowing anyway, I looked at the beautiful Chinese writing before answering.
"It says 'Beauty is not always Kind
Sharp Crystal
Deadly Ocean'. My father knew that I felt as though I would never be taken seriously as a warrior due to my gender, and those were his words of wisdom. He was right, women make equally good warriors as men if they are given the chance," I said quietly, thinking of my Father.
Aragorn nodded, continuing to examine the sword in silence. Wishing to reach Bree quickly, I urged Xiao-Xing into a fast canter, the mare giving a whinny of joy as I did so.
"What language is the engraving in? It looks like none that I have seen before, and I know many languages," Aragorn said quietly.
"Chinese, my language. That is it in its traditional form, there is also a simplified form. It's one of the many languages which I know and as my mother tongue, the one with which I am most comfortable," I replied in little more than a sigh.
So, that was chapter one folks, Please Please review to tell me what you think. Flame me, whatever, just review so I know it's been read!
Aille x