Tolkein owns it all, Meyer owns her bit too.
10 - Things to do in Mirkwood, when you're dead. (January)
(Just a little note, mostly down to few reviews, ty for all those reading! Timelines have been mentioned to me, so I have started putting dates in my chapter headings to give me an idea of where I am at, hopefully this will help! Timeline – Twilight – Edward left in September just after Bella's birthday, Bella left Forks shortly after and aarrived in M/E mid Sept – M/E – Council of Elrond was Oct 25 3018 – They started out on their little walk Dec 25 3018 after sending out scouts. Moria was Jan 13th – 15th, with them arriving in Lothlorien on the 15th Jan and staying for a month to recover. Meanwhile back in Twilight world...the Cullen's began their search for Bella in January (which is slightly off canon as in the books, Edward didn't turn up until March pfft whatever) The outcasts (love the term) split from the Cullen's and Renee sends them to Charlie in Mirkwood, this gives them time to get a little training Elven style and familiarise themselves with the geography of M/E before I set them on a collision with Bella. As for Bella's age..it will come up...soon, according to official LOTR sources Legolas was 2931 during the WOTR, so as Bella in this is his twin...yea the outcasts are in for a surprise!
Charlie lead the four vampires through the large stone doors of the Halls of the Elven king. They looked on in awe at the cavernous halls as they followed him along tunnels and up flights of stairs to the throne room. Where they found Thranduil sat upon his throne.
"My lord, it seems that Ecthelion has sent these four vampires through the portal." Charlie stated. (Renee)
"I see, are these the same vampires that caused hurt to my Daughter?" Thranduil asked, his eyes flintlike as he stared them down.
"Three have come from that group, although it appears that all is not as it seems, the fourth is known to Ecthelion and I," Charlie replied.
"I would bid you welcome, but I wish to know the nature of your relationship with my daughter first, then perhaps your reason for being here," Thranduil stated as he leaned back on his throne. His robes spilling over the arms like a waterfall, giving him an air of regalness whilst his countenance screamed no nonsense verging on anger. When he chose to he could be quite charming, but it was taking everything in him not to strike them down where they stood, whilst he waited on their answers. No one would get away with willingly hurting his daughter.
Jasper stepped forth and offered a courtly bow to the Elven king, "My lord, I am Jasper Whitlock, I was a member of the Cullen coven, although that is no longer the case. My brothers and Sister have come at the request of Renee...um Ecthelion to offer aid in the coming war, we are at your service sire," Jasper offered.
"I see and what part did you have with the hurt caused to my daughter?" Thranduil asked, ignoring Jaspers offer of help.
"I liked her sire, she was always accepting and non-judgemental of me, I am empathic and on the night of a birthday celebration I suffered the blood lust of 6 other vampires as well as that of my own and attempted to attack her, my brother Emmett...here held me back from doing so until I could calm myself, I have felt great guilt over this for some time." Jasper finished.
"It seems Jasper, that it was not entirely your fault, l cannot lay blame for a beast taking a bite when there is blood spilt, it is only natural, what of this Edward?" The elven king asked his face screwed with contempt. Even saying the name, made him want to destroy something.
"He used it as an excuse to break up his relationship with your daughter sire, the coven leader trusted his judgement over all others and accepted his proposal that we all leave without notice, we three strongly disagreed, finding it rude and unacceptable, Bella had been so accepting of us, and we could see that his actions would cause her hurt, alas we were outvoted," Jasper stated.
"Thank you, your account matches my daughters, Beren will find accommodations for you, you will be trained in our ways and conscripted into the guard, I have no doubt that your assistance will be called upon soon, until then, please take time to settle in," Thranduil said dismissing them with an airy wave.
The four vampires bowed and turned to follow Charlie who had returned to collect them.
"So that is Bella's father?" Rosalie asked.
"That was Bella's father being tame and welcoming, had you been Edward..." Charlie laughed to himself as he imagined the welcome the teenaged vampire would've had.
"He's not like I would've imagined," Rose added.
"I doubt he would be, for all intents and purposes, you've seen me as that person," Charlie offered. "I'm much calmer than King Thranduil, he can be quite difficult to deal with for those outside his circle."
"Renee said that Bella has a brother?" Emmett asked.
"Legolas is Bella's twin, he's the elder, he and Bella are very much alike, although I would suggest that Bella is the more easy going and accepting, whereas Legolas can be quick to temper, but the pair together are unstoppable, you must understand that the Bella that you know, is but a shadow of what the true Bella really is, she's not some naive teenager, she's over 2000 years old and is a fully trained and thus dangerous member of the Mirkwood patrol. Her father sent her away for the safety of the family line, he saw the darkness that was encroaching and knew that she wouldn't sail west, she'd not heard the call of the sea." Charlie offered as he turned down another corridor. "Here we are," he said opening a stone door, inside a hollowed out cavernous room, with 3 more rooms forked out that they presumed were bedrooms.
The four vampires looked taken aback, over 2000 years old? They could hardly comprehend all that she would've seen. That's what you get for taking things at face value back on earth. It only went to prove, that for all the time the vampires had been around, they weren't as knowledgeable as they thought.
"Thank you Charlie...uh Beren? It'll take some getting used to the names," Rosalie said in thanks.
"No problem, you can hunt in the forest, I'll come back and lead you out so you can familiarise yourselves. Until then please make yourselves at home," Charlie replied before leaving with a quick bow.
The days that followed the four vampires familiarised themselves with the Elven halls of the woodland realm, Charlie had shown them where they could hunt and instructed them to avoid Dol Guldur as their lives would depend on it. "Take only the sick and the aged, we live a symbiotic life with the animals here, we try not to harm those that share the Woodland realm," Charlie requested.
The Vampires agreed, even Peter who had changed his diet to animal blood without argument, even though the elves never asked him to.
Next Charlie lead them to the training grounds, in the lower caverns of the vast halls, here they found many elves sparring, or shooting targets with bows. Jasper and Peter were enthralled as the synchronicity and the swiftness of the Ellons and Elleths there.
"How ceri – hin Agar-Yulmo cost?" An Ellon asked Charlie when they entered. (How do these blood drinkers fight?)
"Nai hain indo finta ammen!" Charlie replied before turning to the vampires. (Maybe they will show us)
"Galion was asking how you fight, I suggested that you might like to show us," Charlie said to the four vampires.
Emmett smiled widely and clapped his hands together. Whilst Jasper and Peter nodded their agreement. Rose was a little more subdued in her response but agreed all the same. Pairing off, they stood in the centre of the training ring, surrounded by the Elven guard.
"We fight predominantly hand to hand, as in our realm, vampires tend to only fight each other, we rely on speed and brute strength for the most part, but hope to include some of your techniques to compliment our own." Jasper said to the assembled guard.
Facing off to Emmett, he crouched in a fighting stance and gestured to his brother to fight. The two vampires clashed like two enormous boulders smashing together, they were brutal, yet swift in their movements, grasping and throwing each other around. Eventually Jasper subdued Emmett and had him by the neck on the ground. The gathered Elves applauded, awed by the style of fighting.
"Do you ever use weapons?" Charlie asked for the gathered guard.
"When I was human, I was an officer in the Confederate army, I used a pistol, rifle and a sword, although I've not used any of those in over 100 years," Jasper replied.
"Cost nin? Fight me?" Charlie asked, pulling his own sword from the sheath at his waist.
"As you wish," Jasper replied taking a long sword from a nearby rack.
The two squared off to each other, saluted with their swords and then twisted into fighting stances. Their initial flurries were probing attacks, meant to get a read on their opponents, but soon, they became more fluid and faster. It wasn't long before they were sprinting and jumping about the training area, swords clashing as they thrust and parried.
It was obvious that both were accustomed to using the swords, although Charlie was definitely better and had Jasper cornered quite swiftly.
"Devig? Do you yield?" he asked as he held Jasper back.
"Never!" Jasper growled as he kicked Charlie in the stomach and held his own sword to the elf's neck. "Do you yield?" he smirked.
Charlie laughed as the gathered guard looked on in surprise, he nodded and allowed Jasper to grasp his arm to pull him up.
"You're good, with more training, you'd be unstoppable, what about everyone else?" Charlie asked.
"We've all had hand to hand experience, Jasper taught us to fight, but I served in the same army as Jasper, and have some experience with swords," Peter replied.
Charlie nodded, taking note of this, he had the four vampires go through the stages, showing their skills and then paired them with Elves who were better in skill to train them where they lacked. Rose proved to be a competent archer, which pleased her to no end, as she preferred ranged fighting. When they showed her how to handle a glaive, they knew that she had found her niche, she was formidable and quickly showed a masterful control of the long handled weapon.
They soon found their stride amongst the Mirkwood guard and it wasn't long before they were sent out on a patrol, where they had their first skirmish with the giant spiders that had once more invaded the woodland realm.
Emmett amused the Elves when he faced his first giant spider, by screaming loudly, he quickly pulled himself together when the huge beast charged him and he swiftly jumped over its massive frame, landing on its back and embedded his sword into its thorax. He then proceeded to do an amusing victory dance, which the left the elves bemused as they dispatched the rest of the nest and destroyed the webs.
"Do you think that we'll ever go back?" Emmett pondered looking at the others.
"Perhaps one day, but I like the simplicity of being here, that and I quite like that Peter had the foresight to 'kill' us off before we met with Renee, can you imagine Alice's face when she decides to dip into my accounts for one of her shopping trips and finds them closed up?" Jasper laughed.
The others smirked too, knowing that those innocuous little brown envelopes that Peter had given them all those months ago, meant that the Cullen's would not be accessing their funds or their various homes. Rose sighed a little at the loss of the few properties that they'd had, but if it meant the demented Brady bunch wouldn't get their hands on them, she was happy enough, and she really did feel accepted and welcome here.
The months since their arrival moved quite swiftly, and the four vampires settled in well with the Mirkwood elves. When they weren't undergoing training, they could often be found wandering the cavernous halls, frequenting the vast library and learning Sindarin from a very patient Charlie. They took numerous patrols with the guard out into the Mirkwood, destroying more and more nests. The first time they encountered Orcs was an experience in itself. They'd been moving southwards past the Old Forest Road, they never went further than the East Bight, but had turned slightly westwards and could make out Dol Guldur in the distance. The Orc pack came out of nowhere and the four vampires froze, having never seen the like before.
"Drepa tak!" the leader of the pack said as they charged at the four vampires. (Kill them)
Thankfully they snapped out of it and saw the threat for what it was and using a mixture of Elven sword play and vampire agility soon killed the pack off. On return to the Elven Halls, they informed Charlie of what had happened and he filled them in on Orcs, Goblins and other nasties that they may encounter, the fact they were moving into the East Bight infuriated Thranduil who in turn increased patrols, he would not stand for them encroaching any further.
And so life continued, but the fact that Legolas and Ránëwén (Bella) had now joined others on a quest, meant that being reunited with her would be a little longer.