Disclaimer: not mine!!
Note: I can't think of anything to say right now, except that I am quite
bereft at the fact that the last time I checked one, yes one person has
read my story, or at least reviewed it. Is it really that boring? Well
then, I'll have to spice it up a little! Hmm.more blood? More battles? Deep
dark evil secrets? Sounds good to me!! But where to begin?
Stranger in the Shadows
The man awoke again with bandages around his head, arms, and chest. He was in a bed that had a tangle of branches for a headboard; clearly a room of Elven creation. Before, being touched by anything made by the elves would have been enough to send him into a screaming fit of writhing pain. But now, after Hithlain, he did not care. All feelings were gone. He was just.there. A mindless zombie who did nothing but sit and stare out into space.
Later, lord Elrond came to speak with the man and ask him some questions. The man didn't answer at first. His eyes would just wander. Dark black pits they were; empty. They reminded Elrond of the ashes left after a fire has been smothered with water. The scar across the man's face was also curious.
"What is your name?" Elrond asked.
"I have none. I am worthy of none, save Monster," replied the man darkly.
"Would you care to at least tell me who you are?"
"I do not know. I am not sure I ever really knew. Just a tool, something He could bend to do His will," he said bitterly.
"who is this man you speak of?" Elrond questioned.
"Not a man," he said. "Far from it." And the man would say no more.
The next day Elrond asked him the same questions, but got the same answers. This continued for several days, until the man stopped talking all together and Elrond decided that the man had suffered enough torture in his life, and deserved to live out the rest of his days in peace and quiet. Though the man never really enjoyed any peace at all. * * * * * (Okay-I know I promised a little more action, but it's gonna take me a little longer to get there. Please keep reading!)
Time passed slowly for the man. He spent days gazing out his window into the forests of Rivendell. He hardly ate, never slept, and hardly said more than two recognizable words. He did mumble quite often however, and most of the elves thought him very queer.
For years the man sat by his window and muttered; replaying visions of his past life over and over again in his head. Until one day, a strange shadow appeared on the outskirts of the valley. It was seen slinking through the trees, mostly at night, and brought an uneasiness to the elves of Rivendell.
Guards began to watch the shadow closely. When chance came that the shadow wandered too close to the city, the watch-elves trapped the figure and brought him before Elrond.
At the unmasking of the hooded and cloaked figure, all were treated with an astonishing sight. The masked person was a woman. And not just a woman, but the female version of the man by the window!
Her eyes glowed as a fire shrouded in black smoke. A scar jutted across her right cheek, cutting up underneath her eye and over the lid. Black ebony curls fell to her shoulders. She frightened the lesser elves with her piercing stare.
The man from the ruined village was now old, bent and graying, yet one could still see a remarkable resemblance. Elrond remembered that the man had mumbled something once about his daughter; Simbelmynë, who had been taken by orcs during the raid. He wondered if this could be the same girl.
Elrond went to the man's room to ask him about his daughter.
"Many years have you been here in our care," he said," and yet I know now more of you than the first day we met. Will you tell me nothing of your past?"
the man remained gazing out the window, but answered;
"My past is not something I wish to share. It is too terrible for sharing. My wife was a pure, gentle, beautiful woman. She saved me from darkness, though she did not know. But now she is dead of my doing. She is rotting beneath the earth and will never again walk through the green fields barefoot because of me!"
"What about your daughter? Surely she has been looking for you?" Elrond suggested.
The man then turned and stared into Elrond's eyes.
"My daughter has been dead for 25 years. A short time that may seem to you, but to those whose lives do not last forever, it is a long time."
"What if I was to tell you that I believe I have found your daughter?"
"Then I would tell you that you are a liar."
Elrond got up, walked to the door, and motioned for the elves outside to bring the young maiden in.
She stood at the door, tall, cloaked, and silent. The man stared back up at her from his chair. Elrond and the other elves quietly left and shut the door behind them.
"Who are you?" asked the man. The girl didn't respond. Instead she threw off her hood to reveal her long black hair, jagged scar, and fiery black eyes. The man gasped.
"Simbelmynë?" he breathed.
"That is a flower, old man. I hope you do not mean to call me a flower," said the woman.
"But how? They took you away. Simbelmynë?" sputtered the man. "Daughter?"
"I am certainly no daughter of yours," she spat," despite what those ruddy elves seems to think. Though by that mark on your face I'd say we have come from the same place." She walked over to the man.
"No," he sighed. "This can't be."
"Why did you desert Him?" she asked. "Not very wise, I don't think. You can be sure though, that when I get back I will inform Him of your treason. He will be sure to punish you."
"I have been punished enough," said the man. "Death would bring comfort to me now, and no amount of torture that He could inflict would cause me more pain than what I have already been through. Especially now, that you are here, my baby, but are lost in Darkness."
"Poor lad," mocked the woman. "Afraid of the Dark? You best get used to it, my friend. For soon all the world will be covered in it."
Just then Elrond reentered the room. The girl threw her hood back over her head and followed the elf out of the room.
"Lord Elrond," called the man.
"Yes?"
"That was no daughter of mine," he lied. "Lock her up. She is evil. Never let her out of your sight."
Elrond made no reply, but looked solemnly upon the man. Despite the fact that he knew little of the man and his life, Elrond had had somewhat the same feeling, and for some reason believed whole-heartedly in the old man in front of him. He left the room and put out orders to keep the young woman imprisoned. * * * * * Several days went by with the girl in Rivendell. Elrond became more nervous about the girl as the Ring of Power was discovered and brought to Rivendell. He called together a meeting of all the races of Middle-earth. During the council he was so distracted that he did not notice a dark shadow lurking among the trees.
It was finally decided that the young Frodo Baggins, a hobbit, would take the Ring to Mordor and cast it into the fires of Mount Doom to destroy it. he would be accompanied by Gandalf the Grey, Aragorn son of Arathorn, Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood, Gimli son of Gloin, Boromir of Gondor, Samwise Gamgee (Frodo's gardener) and two other hobbits of the Shire named Meriadoc (Merry) Brandybuck and Peregrin (Pippin) Took.
The Fellowship was to set out the next day, and after they had left Elrond began to collect himself again. He finally remembered about the girl, but when he went to check on her, she was gone.
Stranger in the Shadows
The man awoke again with bandages around his head, arms, and chest. He was in a bed that had a tangle of branches for a headboard; clearly a room of Elven creation. Before, being touched by anything made by the elves would have been enough to send him into a screaming fit of writhing pain. But now, after Hithlain, he did not care. All feelings were gone. He was just.there. A mindless zombie who did nothing but sit and stare out into space.
Later, lord Elrond came to speak with the man and ask him some questions. The man didn't answer at first. His eyes would just wander. Dark black pits they were; empty. They reminded Elrond of the ashes left after a fire has been smothered with water. The scar across the man's face was also curious.
"What is your name?" Elrond asked.
"I have none. I am worthy of none, save Monster," replied the man darkly.
"Would you care to at least tell me who you are?"
"I do not know. I am not sure I ever really knew. Just a tool, something He could bend to do His will," he said bitterly.
"who is this man you speak of?" Elrond questioned.
"Not a man," he said. "Far from it." And the man would say no more.
The next day Elrond asked him the same questions, but got the same answers. This continued for several days, until the man stopped talking all together and Elrond decided that the man had suffered enough torture in his life, and deserved to live out the rest of his days in peace and quiet. Though the man never really enjoyed any peace at all. * * * * * (Okay-I know I promised a little more action, but it's gonna take me a little longer to get there. Please keep reading!)
Time passed slowly for the man. He spent days gazing out his window into the forests of Rivendell. He hardly ate, never slept, and hardly said more than two recognizable words. He did mumble quite often however, and most of the elves thought him very queer.
For years the man sat by his window and muttered; replaying visions of his past life over and over again in his head. Until one day, a strange shadow appeared on the outskirts of the valley. It was seen slinking through the trees, mostly at night, and brought an uneasiness to the elves of Rivendell.
Guards began to watch the shadow closely. When chance came that the shadow wandered too close to the city, the watch-elves trapped the figure and brought him before Elrond.
At the unmasking of the hooded and cloaked figure, all were treated with an astonishing sight. The masked person was a woman. And not just a woman, but the female version of the man by the window!
Her eyes glowed as a fire shrouded in black smoke. A scar jutted across her right cheek, cutting up underneath her eye and over the lid. Black ebony curls fell to her shoulders. She frightened the lesser elves with her piercing stare.
The man from the ruined village was now old, bent and graying, yet one could still see a remarkable resemblance. Elrond remembered that the man had mumbled something once about his daughter; Simbelmynë, who had been taken by orcs during the raid. He wondered if this could be the same girl.
Elrond went to the man's room to ask him about his daughter.
"Many years have you been here in our care," he said," and yet I know now more of you than the first day we met. Will you tell me nothing of your past?"
the man remained gazing out the window, but answered;
"My past is not something I wish to share. It is too terrible for sharing. My wife was a pure, gentle, beautiful woman. She saved me from darkness, though she did not know. But now she is dead of my doing. She is rotting beneath the earth and will never again walk through the green fields barefoot because of me!"
"What about your daughter? Surely she has been looking for you?" Elrond suggested.
The man then turned and stared into Elrond's eyes.
"My daughter has been dead for 25 years. A short time that may seem to you, but to those whose lives do not last forever, it is a long time."
"What if I was to tell you that I believe I have found your daughter?"
"Then I would tell you that you are a liar."
Elrond got up, walked to the door, and motioned for the elves outside to bring the young maiden in.
She stood at the door, tall, cloaked, and silent. The man stared back up at her from his chair. Elrond and the other elves quietly left and shut the door behind them.
"Who are you?" asked the man. The girl didn't respond. Instead she threw off her hood to reveal her long black hair, jagged scar, and fiery black eyes. The man gasped.
"Simbelmynë?" he breathed.
"That is a flower, old man. I hope you do not mean to call me a flower," said the woman.
"But how? They took you away. Simbelmynë?" sputtered the man. "Daughter?"
"I am certainly no daughter of yours," she spat," despite what those ruddy elves seems to think. Though by that mark on your face I'd say we have come from the same place." She walked over to the man.
"No," he sighed. "This can't be."
"Why did you desert Him?" she asked. "Not very wise, I don't think. You can be sure though, that when I get back I will inform Him of your treason. He will be sure to punish you."
"I have been punished enough," said the man. "Death would bring comfort to me now, and no amount of torture that He could inflict would cause me more pain than what I have already been through. Especially now, that you are here, my baby, but are lost in Darkness."
"Poor lad," mocked the woman. "Afraid of the Dark? You best get used to it, my friend. For soon all the world will be covered in it."
Just then Elrond reentered the room. The girl threw her hood back over her head and followed the elf out of the room.
"Lord Elrond," called the man.
"Yes?"
"That was no daughter of mine," he lied. "Lock her up. She is evil. Never let her out of your sight."
Elrond made no reply, but looked solemnly upon the man. Despite the fact that he knew little of the man and his life, Elrond had had somewhat the same feeling, and for some reason believed whole-heartedly in the old man in front of him. He left the room and put out orders to keep the young woman imprisoned. * * * * * Several days went by with the girl in Rivendell. Elrond became more nervous about the girl as the Ring of Power was discovered and brought to Rivendell. He called together a meeting of all the races of Middle-earth. During the council he was so distracted that he did not notice a dark shadow lurking among the trees.
It was finally decided that the young Frodo Baggins, a hobbit, would take the Ring to Mordor and cast it into the fires of Mount Doom to destroy it. he would be accompanied by Gandalf the Grey, Aragorn son of Arathorn, Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood, Gimli son of Gloin, Boromir of Gondor, Samwise Gamgee (Frodo's gardener) and two other hobbits of the Shire named Meriadoc (Merry) Brandybuck and Peregrin (Pippin) Took.
The Fellowship was to set out the next day, and after they had left Elrond began to collect himself again. He finally remembered about the girl, but when he went to check on her, she was gone.