From Death to Life Again
Chapter One: Resurrection
The Dead Marshes were still and silent. They had been this way for many years and had only had the silence broken once when three travelers passed through on their urgent errand almost a day ago. Beneath the foul water, something very odd was happening. For the first time in centuries a feeble heartbeat was beginning in one of the submerged corpses. As time wore on, the pulse became stronger and consciousness returned to the dead warrior.
"Where am I?" the warrior wondered, then started at the fact that he had thought in the first place. Slowly, as his brain began to work properly again, he realized that he was underwater and that his lungs were filled with it. With a sudden, panic-stricken move, he erupted from the depths, coughing and gagging up water as he went. As quickly as he could, the warrior struggled onto one of the few patches of dry land in the marsh. He lay there for what seemed like an eternity, not caring that his clothes were covered in filth and that weeds of almost every sort was tangled in his long flaxen hair and was hanging from his Elven ears. All he cared about at that moment was getting air into his oxygen deprived lungs. When he came to himself again, the elf warrior looked around, confusion written clearly on his handsome features.
"This can't be Dagorlad! Where am I? How did I end up here?" the elf again wondered, as he sat up and looked out across the mist enshrouded marshland. Had he looked down, he would have been horrified by the sight of other elves and men under the very waters he had emerged from. Deciding that he'd had enough of the silent and foul place, the elf shakily got to his feet and started walking. He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally put the Dead Marshes behind him. Yet he did not stop; he got as far as the Emyn Muil before he finally sat down to rest.
"Elbereth, I am tired! I never realized just how far it is to walk to Emyn Muil from that bog! I hope I can make it the rest of the way to Lorien without provisions!" the elf muttered, as he looked at himself, disgustedly.
"But first a bath is in order. I must look a fright! " The elf thought, as he headed in the direction he knew the Anduin River was in. After another long walk the elf finally made it to the river. Even though the water was icy cold, it was fresh; not like the fetid, stagnant water of the Dead Marshes. After he had gotten a bath, washed his clothes and dried them in the sun, and gotten dressed, he started cleaning his armor. He wrinkled his nose in disgust as he wiped the grime and muck out of the metal, and smiled when it again shone in the sun.
"Now for my sword." The elf thought, as he unsheathed the grime-encrusted blade and started cleaning it. He noticed, with a start, that once it was cleansed; it shone with a cold blue light, signaling that Orcs were near. With a swift leap, the elf launched himself into a tree, sat on a sturdy branch, and waited. As he watched, a whole troop of Orcs ran into sight.
"A patrol! Just my luck!" the elf thought, sourly, as he moved silently from tree to tree. He knew that he was outnumbered and that an attack would be futile. When the Orcs had gone, the elf descended from the trees and slipped silently away from the river. With the expertise that only the Dunedain showed, he found the tracks of something other than Orcs. Three something's.
"Hmm……………….a man, an elf, and a dwarf. They were here not too long ago. And they were in a hurry too, by the looks of things. Might as well follow them. There might be a chance that they know what happened in Dagorlad." The elf muttered, to himself, before following the tracks left by the three in question. For about a day and a half, the elf followed the trail left by the three travelers. It eventually led to Rohan and Fangorn Forest.
"Into the forest? Why would they go in there? Dwarves are mountain people and men don't usually have anything to do with woods of any kind! Oh well." The elf murmured, making a face at the awful stink that was being raised by the pyre of the Orcs that lay nearby. As soon as he'd set foot into the forest, the elf could hear and sense the anger of the trees around him.
"Something has riled these trees up, but what? What could it be that has angered them so?" the elf thought, as he followed the trail. Suddenly, he found the source of the trail, and had to backpedal to keep from running into the back of the elf in the trio. The other elf, the dwarf, and man all turned and looked at him, as startled as he was to see them.
"It appears that we have a new ally. What is your name?" a male voice asked, as its white-clothed owner approached.
"My name is Herendil. Who might you be, if I might be so bold to ask?" the warrior elf asked.
"I am Gandalf the White, and these are Aragorn, son of Arathorn, Legolas son of Thranduil, and Gimli, son of Gloin. How far have you traveled, Herendil?" the wizard asked.
"From a marsh, to the Anduin, and from Anduin to Rohan. I followed their trail in here." Herendil replied, as he motioned to Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn.
"Where are you heading from here, Herendil?" Legolas asked, curiously.
"I don't know." Herendil said, with a shrug.
"Would you mind coming with us? We are going to Edoras from here." Gandalf said, as he looked at Herendil.
"I will be happy to travel with you four. It is much better than traveling alone." Herendil replied, glad that he wasn't alone anymore.
"Then come along then." Gandalf said, as he led them out of the forest and whistled, getting the attention of a magnificent white stallion that had been grazing until then.
"Shadowfax, the lord of all horses. He and I have been through many dangers, and there are many more to go through before all is said and done." Gandalf murmured, as they all mounted the waiting horses (Legolas and Gimli on one, and Aragorn and Herendil on the other. Gandalf rode alone) and galloped off. Little did Herendil realize just how much time had passed since he had last been alive, and just what was about to happen to him.
Author's Note!
I realize that not everything is going to line up in chronological order, but I started writing this on a whim. I hope this is all right!
Gemini