A/N: Quick disclaimer is that I obviously own non of the property of Tolkien(all hail Tolkien). Also as a warning, this is a girl-fall-into-middle-earth story in a way and will probably be a legomance. So sue me, I have a hobby :)
This first chapter is pretty short but they will get longer. So leave me a review if you have suggestions or think I should continue.
-Morgaine
Before the beginning of time, Eru, called by the Firstborn Ilúvatar, created out of himself the Ainur. Of these some became Valar, descending to the Void to create a world of their master's music. The Lords and Queens of the Valar have dominion over Middle Earth and love its inhabitants dearly. They themselves clothe themselves sometimes in form to walk among their works but each has been known to choose a Champion to be their hand in the dealings of Arda.
xxXxx
Fourteen Valar sat around a large table in conference in a vast hall. Each was powerful in their own realm, and each was necessary in their own part. The tall one with windswept brown hair stood to address the group.
"The climax of the Third Age is upon us. We all know how crucial it is that these events play out as intended. Recently, I have heard whispers of a scheme of Melkor, whispers that speak of a Champion being groomed." Murmurs broke out amongst the table. A sturdier Valar wearing a smith's apron spoke up.
"Then we must send a hand to combat it. Why not a Maiar? Gandalf is currently on Arda. We should endeavor to warn him."
"Have you forgotten, Aulë, that Gandalf the Grey will be occupied with cleaning up the mess awakened by your precious Noldor's greed?" This one's deep voice matched his dark skin and armor. Aulë stood in outrage at his favored race's insult.
Arguments erupted over solutions and tempers rose until the weaver, Vairë, finally convinced the council of her plan.
"The only solution is to send a Champion of our own to defeat Melkor's. Meddling any further might tip the balance and send the fate of the free peoples hurtling off into a direction not of Ilúvatar's wishes. The only question is who will do the calling." After Vairë was done speaking there was contemplative silence until a Valar in green stood. She was Yavanna Kementári who ruled over all things growing.
"I believe that it is my turn to choose a Champion for this council." Other matters were settled and the council starting returning to their own homes, leaving the house of Manwë. Yavanna stopped Irmo Fëanturi, master of visions and dreams.
"Brother, I have a favor to ask of you," murmured Yavanna. Irmo raised an eyebrow.
xxXxx
"Come on, you darn peonies! I want you to bloom already!" Yvonne reprimanded herself for talking to her flower bed again, specifically to the peonies that refused to bounce back up from the week of neglect while she was vacationing in France last month. She should have never relied on the neighbor's kid to take care of her poor garden. In hindsight she couldn't really blame a 17 year old jock to care about doing something his mother put him up to.
Yvonne stood up brushing off her work jeans and gathered up her garden bag. Taking a second to take in the spring breeze she looked around at her modest-sized backyard of two-years. Flowers beds next to vegetables and herbs under the shade of a young oak tree all grew in front of a backdrop of bushes lined-up against the back fence. Smiling wryly at the sight of her tabby cat Chase, Yvonne reasoned that maybe she had carved out a bit of life after her parents' death and her subsequent drop-out from college. She doubted she really had the drive or constitution to be a doctor anyway. Working slow weekdays at a plant nursery suited her just fine.
As she walked up to her porch that sadly only housed her favorite lounge couch and a pile of miscellaneous gardening supplies, Yvonne planned on a nice hot shower, a good fluffy romance novel, and her warm comfy bed. Well, her second hand, slightly lumpy bed that belonged to her grandmother and still kind of smelled like old lady and mildew. But thus is her line in life.
xxXxx
Blurs of color interrupted Yvonne's dreams about the blonde and muscled main character of the evening's novel. Suddenly she was walking in a garden she'd never seen before. The longer she walked the more she realized unearthly the garden was in its ridiculously perfectness. Yvonne stared wondrously at plants with no wilting and every blossom fully opened. No harmful bugs or destructive animals left any marks in this greenery. Moreover she didn't even recognize the species she was seeing. As a pretty well versed gardener she'd expect to at least know some of the beautiful plants but even the birds were unfamiliar. Not a blue jay or sparrow in sight.
Yvonne walked, and walked. Then walked some more, sometimes stopping to study whatever captured her interest. She eventually found her mind wondering and as always when her mind begins to wonder, Yvonne thought of her parents. Her mother was a simple baker at a local bread and pastry shop. She was rotund and always cheerful, constantly cooking something and wearing whatever she was cooking in the form of smudges on her apron or flour on her hands. Yvonne's dad was a night emergency doctor and had been for the last 15 years. He called her Vonny and took her camping every weekend he had off.
Her mind was meandering through her memories of them, dinners, board games, and birthdays. Yvonne remembered getting a call on her cell and being annoyed that someone was waking her up after a long night of studying for an Anatomy final. It was a police officer on the line to tell her that there had been a car accident involving a drunk driver. Her parents hadn't survived.
She wavered between anger and depression for so long after that night until finally she quit her barely started undergraduate studies and moved far away from her university and her home town friends. Without any close relatives or peers Yvonne found a kind of satisfaction in being alone to her plants. At the young age of 23, she had no close friends and spent her days gardening and reading. She sowed her sorrow and pruned off her anger, burying it deep inside to survive.
As she remembered, Yvonne felt a calming mood fall onto her like a blanket. The grief was still there but there was no more aching pain, no more weight of lingering memories, just peace.
After what felt like hours without any noticeable fatigue, Yvonne came across an intricately carved stone bench. Sitting felt like a good enough idea and that way she could study the flower right next to it that looked to be some kind of cross between an orchid and a holly bush.
"Lovely isn't it." The voice startled her out of her pondering making her jump and turn. There sitting next to her was a man studying the flower just as she was earlier. "I call them tinwë, a gift from a friend last time she was in my garden."
"Really?" Yvonne managed to squeak out. This strange man was brilliant. She just couldn't stop looking at how he seemed to just radiate a glow. His face was pale and angular with the highest check bones she'd ever seen and silver grey hair that had to have been longer than Yvonne's own mid back light brown hair. And the ears were pointed. "Th-This is your garden?"
He turned and looked and her with piercing storm blue eyes. "Yes, my name is Irmo. Do you like it?" For a split second Yvonne thought he was talking about his name. She glanced around at the scary pristine garden before replying.
"Oh um yes I do! They're pretty darn beautiful. How on earth do you keep it so well tended?" Yvonne envied the skill he must have to create such order. Maybe he has workers.
"I find gardening good for the soul." Irmo was still looking intensely at Yvonne and she was starting to get uncomfortable. "Excuse me, my dear. I am actually here to bring you to a friend of mine. She is awaiting us by the pond." He stood up from the bench and held out a hand to her. Yvonne looked at it a bit unsure. This whole experience was getting much weirder than her usual dreams. Shrugging she decided just to roll with it and took the offered hand standing up. Irmo hooked her hand on his arm then lead her along the path the way she came.
Just as she was about to say something they rounded a corner coming onto a small clearing that Yvonne would swear wasn't there when she walked by before. In the center of the sunny clearing was a large willow tree next to clear pond. Irmo continued leading her towards the willow then parted the hanging leaves so that she could step underneath the tree's shade. Sitting against the trunk was a woman in a long green dress that seemed to shift shades of green as she moved to stand up.
"Greetings, Yvonne. I have been very eager to meet you." Yvonne thought this one seemed more aloof than Irmo. The lady in green had sunshine golden blond hair that glowed like Irmo's skin did even in the shadow of the tree. What is with the weird glowyness?, Yvonne thought. "My name is Yavanna, and I have a task for you."