Summary: Eladrien is a Spirit Elf on a mission. She must see King Thranduil and warn him of the evil that is attempting to infiltrate his borders. Sent by her mother who has since been re-captured, she must venture on, with her sister and brother, putting all of them in great peril. By achieving her goal, she will be betraying her own people. Yet failing is not an option. Unless Thranduil's son, Legolas, gets in the way. Legolas does not trust the stranger who is of an Elf-kind foreign to him. Yet, he soon realises there is more to her story than meets the eye. Will he be able to put aside his concerns and learn to trust her? This will be a romance so if anyone has a great aversion to Legolas romances, you'd probably be better off not going any further. Of course, if you don't really like Legolas romances but want to see if this is a Mary-Sue or not, please continue…and if you do think it's a MS, I give you full permission to flame me if you can back up your claim!
Disclaimer: All characters, places etc are JRR Tolkien's creations or inspired by his works.
The first part here is the Prologue and is mainly a narrative describing the history of the Spirit Elves, who are a main feature of this story. It may seem a bit heavy going but I promise it's the only bit like this, and it is necessary in that it sets the scene. The story will take place in the Valinor at a time when most Elves have forsaken Middle Earth and already passed to the Undying Lands. Bear with me, it should be worth it!
PROLOGUE
Many centuries before the Elves of Middle Earth made their journey to the Undying Lands, a distant kin of theirs had already forsaken the land of mortals and established themselves in the Valinor. They were the Spirit Elves, known to very few in Middle Earth. Nomadic by nature, they had travelled along the Misty Mountains, deep in the shadows and undiscovered for many centuries until circumstances forced them to abandon their territories for a safer haven. They had once been akin to the Silvan Elves who had mainly passed eastward from Lindon, west of the Ered Lun, and established realms in the forests during the Second Age.
At this time of great discovery, a small group of Elves had left Lindon and been lost to their kin forever. They had travelled for many centuries, oblivious to the world around them. Deep in the Misty Mountains they had stayed and learnt to communicate with each other through the medium of their minds. It was a powerful tool as it allowed this small group of Elves to be as silent as the grave and escape detection from the creatures that lurked in the darkness. The group grew in number though many perished from the dangers around them. Necessity compelled them to make use of the tool of their minds and they continued to cultivate and strengthen it until they had managed to achieve complete separation of body and mind.
With this, the Spirit Elves were born. For them, the physical world was a secondary consideration. Each Elf could see fully into the minds of all those around him. Thus, no secret could lie unhidden and all souls were bared so that each Elf was as close to his neighbour as could be. They rarely spoke to each other in the traditional manner, practising it only to ensure the Elvish tongue of their ancestors was not lost to them. They were nomadic Elves, seeing no reason to establish a base, as their physical happiness was not as important to them as their mental world. But, their closeness to each other meant that, over time, they grew wary of all strangers, even other Elves. Spirit Elves had great power over their own minds but could not see into minds of others. They grew afraid of all other Elf-kind and retreated deep into the Mountains where they were rarely seen and never heard.
Yet with this extraordinary mastery of the mind came a new foe. By seeing into the minds of those around, a Spirit Elf in possession of a stronger will was easily able to command others and bend them to his purpose. The desire for power, a trait more prevalent in the hearts of men than that of Elves, began to spread. The cancer grew until the Spirit Elves were divided and at war with each other, led by those whose very nature had become twisted, bloody and vengeful. Yet many stayed true to their Elven beliefs and slowly, the wicked were driven out. The susceptibility to evil could not be so easily eradicated. To combat this terrible weakness, a leader was elected, King Earendur and all put their faith and belief in him. He ruled absolutely and any who dared undermine the authority of the King were punished severely and cast out forever to live in exile.
For many centuries the King ruled true and the Spirit Elves prospered in the heart of the Misty Mountains. But as the Shadow began to grow on Middle Earth, so did the dangers faced by this small group of Elves. With no allies to help them, it became harder and harder to drive off their many enemies. King Earendur was wise and good but he could not foresee how to save his people from ruin. Then, the biggest blow of all occurred when Earendur, leader and beloved King of the Spirit Elves, was felled in battle against a large group of orcs. Many others were killed and lay beside their King while those who had survived felt all hope dwindle and die, and wished to follow their leader. The time of the Spirit Elves in Middle Earth was over. Lost, broken and leaderless as they were, they came out of the Misty Mountains, crossed the Shire and reached the Grey Havens. From there, they passed across the Sea and the legend of the Spirit Elves who had once lived in the very shadow of the Misty Mountains passed from the memory of all but the Wisest of Middle Earth. It was only the story of Aladwen, the young Spirit Elfling, that helped to remind those who would have also forgotten.
Aladwen's story began before Earendur had been called on to unite his people, when the Spirit Elves were a divided race. They were scattered in small numbers and easily fell prey to the dangers around them. One such group had been separated from their kin during a battle with a roving band of Wargs. Frightened and alone, they had found safety at Rivendell however much they had been reluctant to seek help from the other Elves, who were strange to them. Lord Elrond had, of course, known of the existence of the Spirit Elves and of the rumours of their mind powers, and he had been eager to witness it for himself. These powers were beyond what he had expected, The Elves never talked to each other in the traditional manner and when they could be prevailed upon to speak to him, it was clear that they were unused to Elvish. They were wary and suspicious of all the Elves of Rivendell and would not divulge any information about themselves or their people. Elrond had become increasingly concerned as the small group had begun to fade almost from the moment they had entered Imladris, as if a large blanket was being cast over them, shielding them from view.
There was one however, who did not fade. She was the youngest, innocent and naive, who answered to the name of Aladwen. Young and trusting of the great Lord Elrond, she had explained much of the history and culture of her people and became his best source of knowledge concerning this secretive Elf-kind. He learnt that their abilities to control the mind had developed so much over the many centuries that it was now possible for a Spirit Elf to disappear from one place in the physical world and reappear in another. Of course, this was an extremely difficult task and took many months. It could only take place if the Elf desired it above all else. She explained that her kin were very unhappy at Rivendell and wanted nothing more than to return to their own people. They could not read the minds of those at Rivendell and this made them mistrustful of their hosts. Also, the long separation of Spirit Elves from other Elf-kind meant that they had, over time, lost the pointed ears of the Elven race. Those at Rivendell did not quite know what to make of these strangers and they were mainly left to their own devices, increasing their isolation. It was clear they did not belong there so Elrond allowed them to go. Each one slowly faded and left Rivendell, recalled back to the bosom of their kin through the strength of their minds. But Aladwen did not fade and follow her people. She had discovered a different world at Rivendell; a world where she could be happy. No longer was she forced to sleep on the cold, ungiving ground, or walk great distances carrying her life on her back. And most important of all; Aladwen felt safe. With her kin, she had been taught from an early age of the vital importance of secrecy and isolation. The ability to stay quiet for many days and to fade into shadows were greatly encouraged but for a boisterous young Elfling, they proved arduous tasks. Too often she had been severely reprimanded for putting herself and her fellow Elves in danger. Roaming forever through the bowels of Middle Earth was a daunting and unappealing life and Aladwen had looked on Rivendell as a safe haven away from the unspeakable dangers always lurking just outside the fires and camps of the kin. It was her security. Her people called to her mind, begging and pleading with her to return to them, but she could not.
Many years passed and Elrond sent Aladwen to live in the Rohan city of Edoras, as she resembled the mortal women more than she did the Elves. There, Aladwen grew up, comfortable and secure, and married a young Rohan lord. They had three children and Aladwen seemed blessed by Lady Fortune. But the happiness of men is all too easily cast asunder and, when their children were still very young, Aladwen's husband was slain in battle. Aladwen continued to live at Edoras until, one day, she could no longer ignore the call of her people. She took her children and set off to find the Spirit Elves that she had forsaken long ago. Elrond never saw her again. Sometimes, when a Ranger found a slain Spirit Elf or evidence of their nomadic trail was discovered, Elrond would remember Aladwen and wonder what had become of her. Many centuries came and went, and all signs of the Spirit Elves disappeared from Middle Earth. Elrond presumed they had passed over the Sea and he sent up a silent prayer to the Valar that among them, Aladwen and her three children were safe.
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Phew! It's a little full on but not anymore. Please review if you've got a minute, I'd love to know what you thought of it!
Ooh, need some help…I'm having a little trouble with something: apart from Elf-woman, is there anything else you can call an Elf who is female? Also, an Elf-child…here I use Elfling but I'm not sure that's strictly Tolkien. If anyone has knowledge about this…and I know there are a few!…could you please explain this to me…either through a review of email me at ameliebabie@yahoo.co.uk I would be very grateful, thanks!
Amelie xx