Chapter 1
Keladry stood on her balcony, looking out on to the woods that surrounded the tower. This particular tower belonged to her mentor, Gandalf the Grey. It sat out in the middle of a huge forest with briar rose walls and ivy that created the framework of the tower.
Keladry sighed, wondering how long it would be until Gandalf deemed her fit to leave the Marble Tower. Counting off the weeks she had already stayed here, she was shocked to find the sum total was almost half a year. 'How time flies when you're training,' she thought to herself as she returned indoors.
Even the beauty of the distant mountains after the sunset could not keep her away from her bed.
Keladry slipped into her rose nightgown and between the linen sheets of her bed.
Time to make her nightly wish. Keladry closed her eyes and whispered to the night.
"Please let me go home soon," she pleaded to the North Star outside her window. The question asked, Keladry snuggled into her pillows and fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
The sky showed signs of just waking up when Keladry opened her eyes. Stretching and yawning, Keladry observed the new day from her bed.
A knock on the door shook her from daydreams of her mother and father making breakfast and starting the morning chores at their house in Lothlorien.
"Keladry!" a gruff voice sounded from the hallway. "I have a surprise for you if you can pry your body out of bed!"
"I'm awake, Gandalf. Give me a few minutes to get dressed and I will meet you in the dinning room," Keladry replied. Gandalf must have a wonderful surprise or a horrible new lesson on magic for him to come wake her. Hoping that it was option one, Keladry got dressed in a sea foam green dress that left her collarbone bare with a scoop neckline.
She walked to the mirror and combed out her long brown hair that swept down to her mid back. She didn't have bags under her wolf gray eyes and her light skin wasn't breaking out with any thing like the hives she had gotten last week from a spell she tried. Smiling, Keladry walked into the hallway and down the stairs. She was very excited. Maybe Gandalf would take her back home, or at least on a trip away from this stuffy Marble Tower of his. She got to the bottom of the stairs, then nearly ran into the dinning room.
Her mentor was sitting at the square table where they ate their meals, watching the single servant carry in breakfast on a silver tray. Steaming griddle cakes for her, a big bowl of oatmeal for him.
As Keladry took her place across from him, Gandalf turned his attention away from the letter in front of him. "Ume lle kaima quel? Did you sleep well?" he inquired as he started to spoon oatmeal into his mouth.
"Tereva, diola lle. Fine, thank you. ," Keladry answered him in Elvish. Gandalf respected her heritage and often spoke to her in her native language. Seeing that he would not reveal his surprise until done his food, Keladry dug into her own food.
After about 15 minutes, Gandalf pushed his plate away and motioned her to follow him, waiting until she was done. He led her into his study, where she normally had lessons.
Keladry groaned inwardly. 'New lesson,' she thought.
Gandalf sat down at his desk and Keladry plopped into the chair across from him. "I was planning on finishing up some of your last learning's here," he started. "But then I got a message that cannot be ignored. This message was from King Thranduil of Mirkwood. It seems that they are having some trouble with the stray Uruk-hai that managed to escape death after the War of the Ring. They would like me to go and capture them all so they can avoid a huge battle."
"Does this mean we are going on a trip?" Keladry asked excitedly. As much as she wanted to go home, Mirkwood was one of the biggest and prettiest Elf colonies in the area or, some said, in Middle-Earth.
"Uma, manka lle merna. Yes, if you wish."Gandalf smiled. "Quel? Well?"
"Diola lle!! Thank you!!" Keladry cried as she jumped out of her chair to hug Gandalf. "Amin mela ta! I love it! Gandalf, you're the best!"
"I'm glad that you want to go. Now if you hurry up and pack, we can leave right now." Gandalf suggested as he returned Keladry's hug.
"Right away!" Keladry exclaimed as she flew out of his study, up the stairs and into her room. She pulled numerous dresses out of her wardrobe and stuffed them into her travel pack. She then grabbed a couple sets of pants and tunics, leaving one set out for her to change into. Keladry also got a pair of slipper shoes and a pair of boots. Throwing on the tunic and pants, she laced up the boots and shoved the shoes she had been wearing and the slipper shoes into her pack.
After pulling the brush through her hair to put it up into a ponytail, Keladry threw her brush into the bag as well. Taking one last glance around the room, she saw her ears in her reflection. She touched the pointed tips, smiling as she thought of how they alone marked her as an Elf, a First Born immortal being. Shaking her head, Keladry dismissed all thoughts of anything but her trip. Running back down the stairs, she found Gandalf waiting for her at the door.
"Do you have everything?" he questioned while they were walking out of the door. He had gotten the servant to saddle Shadowfax and Rerauko she-demon, Keladry's favorite horse.
Keladry nodded as she mounted up and waited for Gandalf to do the same. He waved open the gates and out they rode, leaving the Marble Tower behind.
Keladry stood on her balcony, looking out on to the woods that surrounded the tower. This particular tower belonged to her mentor, Gandalf the Grey. It sat out in the middle of a huge forest with briar rose walls and ivy that created the framework of the tower.
Keladry sighed, wondering how long it would be until Gandalf deemed her fit to leave the Marble Tower. Counting off the weeks she had already stayed here, she was shocked to find the sum total was almost half a year. 'How time flies when you're training,' she thought to herself as she returned indoors.
Even the beauty of the distant mountains after the sunset could not keep her away from her bed.
Keladry slipped into her rose nightgown and between the linen sheets of her bed.
Time to make her nightly wish. Keladry closed her eyes and whispered to the night.
"Please let me go home soon," she pleaded to the North Star outside her window. The question asked, Keladry snuggled into her pillows and fell into a deep sleep.
* * *
The sky showed signs of just waking up when Keladry opened her eyes. Stretching and yawning, Keladry observed the new day from her bed.
A knock on the door shook her from daydreams of her mother and father making breakfast and starting the morning chores at their house in Lothlorien.
"Keladry!" a gruff voice sounded from the hallway. "I have a surprise for you if you can pry your body out of bed!"
"I'm awake, Gandalf. Give me a few minutes to get dressed and I will meet you in the dinning room," Keladry replied. Gandalf must have a wonderful surprise or a horrible new lesson on magic for him to come wake her. Hoping that it was option one, Keladry got dressed in a sea foam green dress that left her collarbone bare with a scoop neckline.
She walked to the mirror and combed out her long brown hair that swept down to her mid back. She didn't have bags under her wolf gray eyes and her light skin wasn't breaking out with any thing like the hives she had gotten last week from a spell she tried. Smiling, Keladry walked into the hallway and down the stairs. She was very excited. Maybe Gandalf would take her back home, or at least on a trip away from this stuffy Marble Tower of his. She got to the bottom of the stairs, then nearly ran into the dinning room.
Her mentor was sitting at the square table where they ate their meals, watching the single servant carry in breakfast on a silver tray. Steaming griddle cakes for her, a big bowl of oatmeal for him.
As Keladry took her place across from him, Gandalf turned his attention away from the letter in front of him. "Ume lle kaima quel? Did you sleep well?" he inquired as he started to spoon oatmeal into his mouth.
"Tereva, diola lle. Fine, thank you. ," Keladry answered him in Elvish. Gandalf respected her heritage and often spoke to her in her native language. Seeing that he would not reveal his surprise until done his food, Keladry dug into her own food.
After about 15 minutes, Gandalf pushed his plate away and motioned her to follow him, waiting until she was done. He led her into his study, where she normally had lessons.
Keladry groaned inwardly. 'New lesson,' she thought.
Gandalf sat down at his desk and Keladry plopped into the chair across from him. "I was planning on finishing up some of your last learning's here," he started. "But then I got a message that cannot be ignored. This message was from King Thranduil of Mirkwood. It seems that they are having some trouble with the stray Uruk-hai that managed to escape death after the War of the Ring. They would like me to go and capture them all so they can avoid a huge battle."
"Does this mean we are going on a trip?" Keladry asked excitedly. As much as she wanted to go home, Mirkwood was one of the biggest and prettiest Elf colonies in the area or, some said, in Middle-Earth.
"Uma, manka lle merna. Yes, if you wish."Gandalf smiled. "Quel? Well?"
"Diola lle!! Thank you!!" Keladry cried as she jumped out of her chair to hug Gandalf. "Amin mela ta! I love it! Gandalf, you're the best!"
"I'm glad that you want to go. Now if you hurry up and pack, we can leave right now." Gandalf suggested as he returned Keladry's hug.
"Right away!" Keladry exclaimed as she flew out of his study, up the stairs and into her room. She pulled numerous dresses out of her wardrobe and stuffed them into her travel pack. She then grabbed a couple sets of pants and tunics, leaving one set out for her to change into. Keladry also got a pair of slipper shoes and a pair of boots. Throwing on the tunic and pants, she laced up the boots and shoved the shoes she had been wearing and the slipper shoes into her pack.
After pulling the brush through her hair to put it up into a ponytail, Keladry threw her brush into the bag as well. Taking one last glance around the room, she saw her ears in her reflection. She touched the pointed tips, smiling as she thought of how they alone marked her as an Elf, a First Born immortal being. Shaking her head, Keladry dismissed all thoughts of anything but her trip. Running back down the stairs, she found Gandalf waiting for her at the door.
"Do you have everything?" he questioned while they were walking out of the door. He had gotten the servant to saddle Shadowfax and Rerauko she-demon, Keladry's favorite horse.
Keladry nodded as she mounted up and waited for Gandalf to do the same. He waved open the gates and out they rode, leaving the Marble Tower behind.
