Okay, everyone, here is the next chapter.
I don't own anything other than Hope, Philip, Hunter, Fern, and Chase. Gosh, that's a lot.
Chapter 7: Fate's Calling
Hunter thundered through the forest upon Windstorm. The feeling the dream had given her had been quite clear - she needed to come to Rivendell as soon as possible. It had been hard explaining the situation to Éowyn, Éomer, and Théodred, whom she had become quite close to in the past few weeks, but they had eventually understood, and Hunter promised to return before setting off. Thankfully, she had not run into any trouble on the way there, and she had no need to use the sword strapped to her belt.
Windstorm's hooves clattered on the cobblestones as Hunter rode into the great Elven city. Beautifully crafted arches decorated the gateway, and the flowers bloomed in vibrant shades of orange, yellow, green, and pink. Hunter slowly dismounted, marveling at the majesty of the city.
The sudden hoofbeats behind her snapped Hunter out of her awe, causing her to whirl around. Two horses rode beneath the archway behind her, both with Elven riders. One was a male with golden hair and a slender build common to the Elves. The second was a young girl appearing about Hunter's age. She shared the same flaxen hair as the male, and her green eyes widened in surprise as she spotted Hunter.
"Who are you?" the female elf asked, dismounting her horse.
"I'm Hunter," the human replied. "And now that I've given you my name, I would like to have yours in return."
The elleth shot her a glare before responding. "I'm Fern. Pleasure to meet you, Hunter."
Legolas watched amusedly as the two exchanged words. He had been much younger when the first Order of Legend had been formed, but he still recalled the exchange between his father's advisor Feredir and the man of Rohan, Fastred. Some things never change, he mused as both Fern and Hunter were escorted to Elrond's study.
~o*o*o*o~
The study was immense, filled with several chestnut bookcases and tables. Around the largest of these tables were gathered three people, all appearing to be about thirteen, Hunter's age. One was a boy with reddish brown hair and kind blue eyes. Another was a young girl, her dark hair falling to her shoulders. The final person was another boy, but on closer inspection, one would see that he was an Elf. He had dark hair like the girl, but his eyes were deep blue instead of piercing gray.
Hunter and Fern entered the room quietly, unsure of what was to happen next. The red-haired boy looked up from the maps that had been left atop the table. "Hey," he called, raising his hand in a greeting. "I'm Philip."
Hunter nodded her head. "I'm Hunter."
"I'm Fern," the elleth added, taking a seat.
The other two people at the table inclined their heads in welcome. "I'm Chase," the boy introduced.
"I'm Hope," the girl stated.
At that moment, the massive oak doors of the study creaked open, and in walked both the Lady Galadriel and the Lord Elrond, the latter carrying a rather large roll of cloth. Even though Hunter had never met either of them, the sense of authority and power surrounding them made their identities quite clear.
"Ah, I see that everyone has arrived," Elrond remarked, striding to the table. "You five have been called to Rivendell for a reason of great importance."
Elrond laid the roll of cloth on the table and unfolded it, revealing a beautiful tapestry. Five figures stood among a field of blue. One was a dark haired man with an amethyst star pendant around his neck. Beside him stood a man with reddish-brown hair, a glimmering white star around his neck. Another man stood among them, his fair hair contrasting with the vibrant orange pendant he wore. Two elves also stood in the picture; one with golden hair and one with dark hair, green and blue stars around their necks respectively.
"This is the Order of Legend," Galadriel began, gesturing to the tapestry. "Long ago, these five were sent to another realm with the task of studying the texts there which contain information about the events in Middle-Earth – past, present, and future. Each was given one of the Elenmîr, five star pendants carved from precious stones and imbued with Elvish magic. These, along with the knowledge gained from the texts, were passed down to the Order's descendants." Here, Galadriel paused, gazing at the five thirteen-year-olds gathered around her. "You five are the heirs of the Order of Legend."
Five mouths dropped open in wonder. "You, Hope Adkins, are the descendant of Eradan, one of the Dúnedain, bearer of the Forodgîl, the Star of the North," Galadriel stated. "Philip Hughes, you are the descendant of Herion, captain of Gondor, bearer of the Nimornegîl, the Star of the White Tree. Hunter Malbrooks, you are the descendant of Fastred, man of Rohan, bearer of the Anorgîl, the Star of the Sun. Fern Anderson, you are the descendant of Feredir of Mirkwood, bearer of the Lasgîl, the Star of the Leaf. And you, Chase Barnes, are the descendant of Erynion of Imladris, bearer of the Duingîl, the Star of the River." As she addressed each of the children, Galadriel indicated the corresponding figure in the tapestry, and each time, one more pair of eyes widened in amazement and disbelief.
"You five have been called to Middle-Earth to aid us as the darkest hour of our time approaches," Elrond continued. "I trust that you have all read the texts, correct?" Hope, Philip, Hunter, Fern, and Chase all nodded their heads silently, too stunned to form words.
"Under no circumstances must you reveal the future to any of us," Elrond instructed, "for that could have dire consequences." The elf-lord's tone became very ominous. "Sauron and his forces are hunting you. The information you hold is more powerful than you believe. If the Dark Lord obtained it, it could spell disaster for all of Middle-Earth."
The looks of amazement on the five children's faces were now replaced with looks of fear and horror. "Do not fear," Galadriel reassured them. "And do not completely trust what you have read. For the future has many paths, and none of it can be certain, and even your mere presence here can alter the course of destiny."
"As for what becomes of the Order of Legend, we shall leave this for you to decide," Elrond stated. "Just remember to keep your necklaces on at all times." He and Galadriel departed, leaving five very worried and amazed children behind.
~o*o*o*o~
Hope stared after the two Elves for a few moments before sinking into a chair beside the table. This was unbelievable! She couldn't understand how Elrond and Galadriel expected them to basically help save Middle-Earth. After all, she mused, we're only kids!
Apparently, the others shared her thoughts. Fern gazed at the tapestry in wonder, unsure of what to do. Philip had frozen, unable to move due to shock. Hunter had begun pacing silently, shaking her head in disbelief. Chase had also sat down, placing his head in his hands.
After a few moments, Hope broke the silence. "So, what are we going to do?"
"I don't know," Chase replied.
"Well, I honestly don't think we should do anything," Fern stated. "From what I can gather, this is after The Hobbit and before The Fellowship of the Ring. We shouldn't interfere with the events, you know, since they're rather important."
"But we were brought here to help," Hope retorted. "If we just sat here, we wouldn't be doing what we're supposed to do!"
Chase stood up. "Hope, Fern does have a point. If we did anything, we could affect what happens to Frodo, the Ring, and the Fellowship."
Philip, who had gotten over his shock, now had something else on his mind. "Um, guys, I…"
Hunter cut him off. "But we should be doing something!" she remarked, facing Fern.
"Look," Fern stated, "I don't want to get involved in all the battles and fights!"
"Um, guys?" Philip tried again. Once again, he was ignored.
"I will not just sit around as people are being killed out there!" Hope shouted, springing to her feet.
"OI!" Philip yelled, causing everyone in the room to fall silent. "Sorry to interrupt and all," he continued, lowering his voice, "but I've only read the first book."
Hope, Hunter, Fern, and Chase all stared at him in surprise. "What?"
"I just finished reading The Fellowship of the Ring," Philip stated. "I was brought here before I could start The Two Towers."
"Well, this changes things," Chase commented, running a hand through his hair. "Has everyone else read all the books?"
Hope and Fern nodded their heads, the latter somewhat more eagerly. Hunter sighed. "I've read all three books," she informed them, "but I read them so long ago I can hardly remember what happens."
"Great," Fern groaned. "But we still haven't answered the question: What are we going to do now?"
"Well," Hope offered, "since Sauron and probably Saruman are hunting us, we shouldn't stay together."
"I kind of promised to return to Rohan," Hunter stated. "I intend to stick with that promise."
"I want to return to Gondor," Philip chimed in. "Boromir said his brother was coming to visit, and I really want to meet him."
"I think I'm ready to become a Ranger," Hope remarked. "I've been training for a while now."
Chase nodded. "Rivendell is where I am from. I would like to stay here." He turned to Fern, who stood right beside him. "Fern, it's rather peaceful here. I'm pretty sure you could stay here too."
Fern shook her head. "No. Even though I like it here, Mirkwood has become a home for me."
"Alright," Hope agreed, making her way to the door. Fern, Hunter, Chase, and Philip followed.
"Do you think we'll ever see each other again?" Chase asked.
"With luck, yes," Hope replied as the five walked into the hall, each going their separate ways.
~o*o*o*o~
Chase wandered through the Last Homely House, unsure of what to do next. Somehow, he ended up in the stables. There, a tall figure was rubbing the nose of a large chestnut horse. The figure was clad in gray robes, and atop his head rested a faded blue hat. It didn't take long for Chase to recognize the man.
"Gandalf!" he gasped, surprised to see the wizard so soon.
The wizard whirled around, smiling as he saw who had called him. "Ah, yes," he greeted. "And you must be Chase Barnes."
"How did you know?" Chase asked.
Gandalf chuckled. "Elrond informed me of the Elenmîr's arrival. He also told me their names." The wizard turned towards the horse once more, guiding it out of the stables. "Well, it has been a pleasure meeting you, Chase, but I must be going."
"Wait!" Chase ran after the wizard, who had stopped at a large wooden cart. "Where are you going?"
"An old friend of mine, the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, is celebrating his birthday," Gandalf replied. "I do not want to be late."
"Ah, Bilbo!" Chase exclaimed.
Gandalf seemed surprised. "You have heard of him?"
"Yep," Chase nodded. "I read all about his adventure with the Dwarves and the dragon."
The gray wizard laughed. "Well, I'm sure he'll be pleased to know that he is rather famous, even in other realms!" Gandalf paused for a moment, thoughtful. "Would you like to meet him?" he asked eventually.
"Seriously?" Chase questioned, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Indeed," Gandalf chuckled. "Bilbo is quite familiar with the old tales. I am sure he would like to see one come to life."
Chase grinned. "I'd love to come. I've always liked hobbits."
Alright, so now the Elenmîr have all met each other. And since they have all gone their separate ways, the story may follow several different plotlines at once. I think I will be mainly focusing on Hope and Hunter, since they will have the biggest adventures. You will also see Chase and Philip, but not as much. Fern, well, she's not really one for adventures or fighting, in case you hadn't noticed.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. Please Review!
Oh, and thanks to everyone who has already reviewed!
