Chapter 1: Lost

She awoke to the sound of screaming… it was everywhere and it was not a sound that she had ever heard before…her home, was the most peaceful place imaginable, and now there was screaming. She quickly got out of her bed and started for the door. Before she even reached the door it burst open, it was her brother Galain.

"Finafyr you must leave here. You are in danger". And he grabbed her and dragged her out the door and into the Library across the hall from her room. Galain went to a Bookcase and pulled on a lever that she had never noticed before. And the Bookcase moved. He grabbed her and gave her one quick hug. And then pushed her into the opening that lay in front of them,

"Finafyr please go, and do not look back, there is something evil here, and it is hunting for you I do not know why and I cannot explain further. This passage will take you up beyond the valley, to safety. You will find weapons and clothing. Do not come back please or the lives that have been lost to protect you will have been for naught. I love you and our parents love you, as do the rest of your brothers and sisters and family".

And with that said, he closed the door and locked her away from the screaming. She tried to get back to the other side, she pounded on the door, kicking it and yelling for her brother, but it was impossible. So she turned and looked around. She found herself in a narrow corridor hewn out of the rock. There were torches lit and the passage seemed to go on forever. But she did not want to leave. She wanted to be with her family and to help them with what ever it was that was causing the problem, what ever it was, that was causing the screaming. But Galain had locked her in and the only solution was to follow the corridor to its end.

What had he meant that something evil was hunting for her? Why? What had she done? It made no sense to her but now was not the time to solve a mystery. She had not gone far when she came upon a room. In the room were cupboards and weapons racks. Inside on cupboard were clothes that looked as if they were made for her. They were of the soft leathers that she loved. There were shirts and pants and leather doublets everything that she needed including soft boots. In another she found a pack and in still another she found food and provisions. The weapons were bows and many arrows and long knives, of the kind that she preferred to use. She even found herbs and things needed for healing. It was as if the room had been stocked just for her. As if someone had known that she would need these things someday, and that they had needed to prepare. She packed all, as if she was going on a long trek and continued her journey through the dark.

The Corridor went on for miles and what seemed like days, but was in truth only a few hours. The corridor twisted and turned and ever traveled upward

.. She would not rest, for to do so would mean that it would take longer, to get free of the prison that kept her from the side of her family. She wanted to scream for them to hear her, to tell them that she was coming. But no sound came from out of her; for she knew it would be no use. Finally she reached a tall arched door with the writing of her people upon it. It was a door that could not be opened from the outside no matter what was tried, but if it was true to the similar doors that she had come across all she needed to do was to push slightly and it would open.  She was before the door, but she was afraid that if she tried to open it, that she would only find there was another door on the other side. She took a deep breath and pushed and the door swung into a world of light, she had reached the end of the long dark.

She came out into a clearing, with the high walls of a canyon. She had not realized that there was a door here. She knew exactly where she was, but it would still take her time to come to the high cliffs that overlooked the valley where her people lived. It was a valley that had the endless sea to one side, and the high mountains on the other side. The mountains formed a ring of protection to her home. She walked a little way and then she stopped, and she listened. It was early morning and usually the birds and other animals made a great din with there comings and goings, but not this morning, there was not one sound not one sound for miles around. The forest was still there was not even a rustle of the trees in the wind. That was not right. What would stop the trees and birds from singing? She started to run. If she had not known there was trouble before, she knew it now.

It took her an hour to run to the first vantage point to see her home. When she got there she looked and what she saw brought her to her knees. For the valley was filled with smoke and flame and with her elven eyes she could see, even though it was a long distance for most, she could see that there were bodies everywhere. The valley was filled with the dead of her people. There was nothing in her mind that told her of what could have done this thing, No past legends or stories that told of such a thing. But Finafyr did not cry. She would save her tears for later. Now her mind was filled with a desire to see if there was anything alive in that conflagration. She started to run, but she did not run blindly. What ever had done this thing was probably still out there, she ran silently and cautiously.

She came upon the first of her people not far from where the path started to climb. There were two children and their mother, Zanora. They looked almost as if they were sleeping but as she drew closer she could see that there was something terribly wrong with them. No marks were on their body except for scratches that they must have gotten from running.  And it looked as if Zanora was protecting her young, how could she have not, that would have been her first instinct. What shocked her even more than their death was that they were almost shriveled as if their life essence had been drained from their bodies and the look on their faces was one of horror at what ever they had seen that was doing this?

She had nothing to cover them up with and could not take the time to place them in a proper grave. She whispered a blessing and went on. What about her family? Would she find them like this? With out life in a body, a body that felt as if the soul had been ripped right out of it. She did not know what she would do, if she found them like this too. But Finafyr had to know. And for what she had seen up above there would be much that she would make whoever had done this pay for. For a fire burned in her breast and it wanted getting out. She found more bodies and each was like the one before it. And then she entered her city and there were more bodies there, so many of them that she lost count. Each one was someone that she knew and each one was just as dead. And then in the courtyard of her home she found the first of her own family. It was her Grandfather and at his side was her youngest brother. There were nor words inside of her that could express her anguish.  Her grandfather would never again laugh with her or at her, would never again teach her some small thing that would make life a wonder. Who could have done this thing? And moreover why had they done this thing. What was it that her brother said? That it was after her. Was she the cause of this destruction? She did not know anyone or anything that would do this. She had never traveled alone but always with her family and never to any of the places of the Edain.

She went on to the great hall and there she found most of the rest of her family, her three sisters and 5 more of her brothers, And Her mother. It looked as if they were trying to protect her from what ever it was. All around Finafyr was her family all except for her older two brothers Galain and Giliath. Where they were she had no idea. Room after room she wandered and it was the same everywhere. She found death everywhere. She went back down the stairs and back to the courtyard. She could nothing for them right now. She needed to see if there was any one living in this place of destruction. She went to every house on every street searching and it was all the same. There was no sound no movement anywhere except where she was walking. Her people, every last man, woman and child were gone. She had known every one of them had sat in the great hall with them listening to stories laughing. She had played with these people and loved and laughed and fought with these people and they were gone. They were warriors most every one except for the young ones. And yet there was no sign of blood or battle. It was as if someone had come here and snapped their fingers and all had fallen and when they had someone or some thing had taken the very essence of their being. And where were her two missing brothers. She needed to find them needed to see if they were alive. 

She had wandered far, trying to check every corner of the valley to see if maybe one just one of her people were still living, and also to see if she could find anything about her brothers. She heard a noise, it was not shouting it was screaming and she ran to see where it had come from.  After the utter silence that had been before… the sound was shocking, jangling ever nerve in her body. And yet it was not that it was a true audible sound.

She came into the clearing and there was a shape. All you could see was a rippling outline of the thing, almost like the sun rippling on water on a summer's day. And there was a huge tentacle like thing and it had her brother Giliath. Galain was fighting it, trying to free his brother. But it seemed to be toying with them, and it seemed to be asking questions for she could see Giliath mouthing the words NOOOO and Galain saying.
"We will not tell you, she is gone. Far away…" and Galain turned and saw her and his face turned pale and with the most powerful sending she had ever heard  from him she heard For the love of Eru if you loves us run, and run hard and fast…for it is you it wants dear one and he looked at Giliath and it was as if they were of one will and both of them looked at her and willed her to go and Don't look back Finafyr.. Always remember you are loved and her brother Giliath fought back harder with renewed strength.

She heard in her mind, a shout of defiance and Giliath started to burn and shrivel before her eyes. And she knew that he would never walk the halls of Mandos for he was being destroyed as the life was sucked out of his body and as he was dying, she saw Galain take out his sword and hew at the thing that was destroying his brother, sending mind shouts that were painful to hear. But it to no avail, he soon was caught up in powerful force that engulfed him and she could see him burn like Giliath before him, But he did not crumple to the  ground like a broken rag doll, like Giliath had done… when it was through with him. No this time it started to shimmer and as Giliath had done he did he started to scream but in anger and defiance not in fear. There seemed to be no fear in him for himself, his fear was for her. She watched it utterly consume him and when it was done it spit out his sword. And with Galain gone it began searching for her. It was coming closer and closer and just, as it was about to find her.

The world before her eyes disappeared and she found herself at the top of the valley far above the valley floor. She did not know how she came to be there but she heard a voice inside her head telling her to

Run, for it is coming for you, Run Finafyr, So that those who died did not die in vain.

 "Who are you, where are you", and she screamed "Answer me," and all she heard was

NO that is not important. What is important is that you are never found. Run Finafyr Run" she screamed

"if you could save me why couldn't you save them, why could you not save them too" and the voice said

Because you are not like them you are something different and I could not save them I tried, but I could help you for just an instance.. You are something different and with you it would have received a prize that was at too great a cost 

She hit her hands against the stones beating them in anger and frustration until her hands bled… she wanted to be with her family. Then she decided to go back to the valley, but as she took 5 steps toward that path she found that the way was barred but some invisible force "But I have to go to my family I have to take care of what is left of them. If I do not go who will bury them and sing to them… and the voice said I will…

Finafyr waited hoping to find out who was there with her…but there was no further response. And then the white-hot anger that she felt grew again. She tried again to beat down the barrier with her hands, and still it stood. Then she ran to the place in the stone that she had come out of, but of that there was not sign. It was a door that only opened from the inside. Finafyr railed against the maker of that door, but knew the futility of it all. Finafyr ran back to the place where she could look into the valley, and closed her eyes. From with in her self she found a spark, a place where the white hot anger burned even brighter. somehow she gathered it all together and without know how  she release it.. And the shield quivered, but the shear energy it took crumpled her to her knees. And there she stood sundered from all that she held dear. Gazing into a valley she could not enter. And the tears came faster than before, until she was drenched in a sorrow that threatened to drown her.

For time unnumbered, she stayed in that spot. It could have been minutes hours, days or even years. She knew not. The passing of time was not a thing that she had ever cared about before, but now it mattered even less. Nothing mattered, nothing except that all that she loved and held dear lay in a valley that might as well have been a million miles from her spot. The grief overwhelmed her and still she stayed there bent in her grief. Many of her people never recovered from such a grief. She was locked in a shadow void. She had shut down so completely that anyone that looked would have thought they viewed a statue so still she was and for such along time. In that place she could have existed for years, for there was no need or desire for sustenance.

Then when she was on that border between life and death when only on step would take her to the halls of Mandos, she came to her. Yavanna, Finafyr knew without knowing how she knew. She came to Finafyr and touched her face forcing her eyes to look into Yavanna's eyes, those eyes that were filled with life and growing things. And she took Finafyr into her arms.

"Would you give up Life child of Light? Out of sorrow? What then of the deaths of your kin. Shall they forever be denied the halls of Mandos, for they are not here? "

With that something stirred inside of Finafyr. "They are not here child. They are lost out there, within a void of hate. All of their life force held captive within its grasp, using that maybe to find you."

Finafyr looked at Yavanna. "But" and Yavanna put her fingers to Finafyr's lips. "Hush child, it hunts for you because it has a hunger and you could satisfy for a little while that which is hungers for, for within you is the blood of three peoples. And that is a strong thing. You have the blood of the Noldor, the Maiar and one other, and that is a blood that's fire is white hot and in you there is much to be learned before you can harness your gifts. Your family knew this upon your conception, and prepared. They knew that this could happen. But you are a hope that could end the voids path to destruction, but know this. It will hunt you and threaten to destroy you. And will destroy you unless you learn who and what you are, and learn to harness the white-hot fires of the mingling of your blood. It will be a lonely path. So choose, which way will you go, to the halls of Mandos, Or to uncertainty."

For long ages they stood there waiting. And there was a stirring inside of Finafyr. And one thought, was strongest of all, her family was not there. Not safe in the halls of Mandos. Would she sunder them from their peace? But did she have the strength to do what she was bid do.  She was but one lone elf woman. Yavanna heard this and smiled 'Not just an elven woman. But more, maybe much more, should you wish to learn of it… and you are warrior by birth and by inclination, to the very depths of your being." And then she was silent again waiting for Finafyr to decide.

Finafyr was afraid, she did not know what hunted her, though she knew that if she chose one way she would learn more than she wished.  In the other way, lay a semblance of peace. But how much peace could she find knowing that she had doomed those she loved to an endless horror. And then after what seemed like and age Finafyr came back to herself and looked around her. She was still in the place over looking her valley, and she knew that she had decided. She had taken the harder road