The sun was not out. Again, it was hidden by the thick layer of dusty gray
clouds that hovered overhead. For nearly a months end, clammy fogs and
overcast skies were a reminder of an evil that affected not only the
spirits of one, but now the weather. Yes, damp, dull spirits and a damp,
dull atmosphere; what a life to live.
No, Elenya could not say she hated it. There was an excitement about it, a sense of adventure that came upon her every time she stepped outside into the fog. It covered her like a woolen blanket, invisible to the eye, but free to move around without the worries of the dangers that lie in the woods surrounding her home. And recently, those dangers were ever more real..
Elenya shook her head, as if the small movement would completely rid her of all the fears that had just filtered into her mind. As much as Elenya loved the wilderness and the idea of traveling throughout Middle Earth, there was a voice at the back of her mind, reminding her of what could happen, what had happened to her mother.and it was this voice that kept Elenya at bay, close to home and never venturing far into the woods, only willing to go into the shallow outskirts of the forests. Oh yes, she would often look at those trees, the greenery of it all, with a longing that Elves rarely show, yet she could not willingly push herself to enter. For she knew what lurked behind the beauty of it all, and not even the ever watchful eye could force her to move closer than she dared.
A voice broke into her train of thought, "My lady, it is growing dark. Perhaps you would like an escort home?"
Elenya turned, suddenly aware of the grass stained dress she wore. Three men on horse back stood in front of her, their royal guard plates shinning brightly in the sunset. She picked herself up from the ground and curtseyed slightly. "Kind sirs, I appreciate the offer, yet I cannot help but wonder what three of the Royal Guard are doing here, miles from the Palace of Mirkwood, at the edge of their kingdom? Certainly you are here for more than an escort." The men nodded their heads politely, and the one in the center answered.
"Ay, the King has sent a few of his men to search for Minskroot, a healing agent for battle wounds." At this Elenya raised her eyebrows.
"A healing agent? Are you insinuating that perhaps war will reach Mirkwood?" She stepped closer.
"Milday, I did not wish to startle you. It is only a precaution. After all, Middle Earth grows more and more dangerous with each passing day, as I am sure you are aware. Speaking of which, you should not be this close to the Forests of Mirkwood unaccompanied. There are men in these woods,"--- Elenya cut him off.
"I am fully conscious of the dangers of this wood." Her face hardened.
"I did not mean to imply,"--- She cut him off again.
"Well you did. I will not require an escort tonight, thank you." And with that, Elenya turned on her heel and marched straight back to Mirkwood leaving the men utterly bewildered, and without a glance behind her.
It was so infuriating! Elven men thought they knew everything! Well, Elenya did not need their ever so insightful knowledge, nor did she need their protecting. In all truth, her bitterness had not always been so.blunt. No, Elenya could vaguely remember a time when life was nearly perfect. But everything had changed on that infamous day.
200 years ago
The night was beautiful, clear, and crisp. The stars shone brightly above, twinkling and winking as if they held a secret that none other would ever understand. Elenya often found herself in this position, back to the ground, eyes wide, staring up into the depths of the night with all her being. Elves were known for their love of nature, among other things, but Elenya seemed to take it to an extreme. In fact, throughout the Kingdom of Mirkwood, elves regularly sought her out for help regarding herbs and healing remedies. Thus, her current position under the stars was one of immediate comfort.
It had been a long time since life was as it was now. Relations between races were virtually perfect. For once, there seemed to be a mutual agreement among the peoples of middle earth, one to avoid conflict at all costs. Yet, Elenya had never experienced a war of any kind. Truth be told, she was a newborn in the race of elves. Born less than 300 years ago, Elenya was still developing the grace and poise that her elders had mastered. She still had the impatient awkwardness of her youth. In all truth, the only truly unique quality she had attained in her short life span was her amazing intellect regarding nature.
"Elenya!" Her Mother's voice called to her. Elenya arched her back and tilted her head backwards to see her mother walking towards her.
"Hello Mother," She called back, "I was just looking for you." Elenya sat up, running a hand through her tangled hair. She had been gazing at the stars for nearly two hours now.
"Did you perhaps think I was to be found in the heavens? You have not moved from this position all night!" She grinned. "Is it too much to ask to spend some time with my only daughter? Gregor is too old now for motherly company, for he is.a man now, so he says. Or a man he shall become, for he still has that arrogance of youth. Yet, you my daughter, shall never tire of me, as old as you get!" She giggled and began to tickle her. Elenya squirmed and screamed, her peals of helpless laugher echoing against the heavy folds of the sky.
And then suddenly her screams of laugher were matched with screams of rage, whistles of arrows, clashes of swords in the not so far distance. Her mother instantly stopped and looked up to the top of the hill, where shadows battled in the distance. Her body tensed.
"Mother, what is happening?" Elenya's voice shook.
"I have not the slightest idea. There are warriors of Mirkwood atop the hill.and men. Men are attacking the city." The last phrase hung in the air, as if it was meant to be a question. Her mother's trained eye had picked up on the details of the shadowy figures above, a result of age.
"Come, let us get back home with Father and Gregor." She called above the war cries. "They will know what is going on." The screams grew louder; her mother's voice a little more frantic, a little more urgent, "Hurry."
And then all at once bodies were streaming against her, dragging her down, and her mother's hand that had been clutching her own was gone. Elenya's own screams could not be heard above that of the war cries, yet this did not stop her. She screamed and ran blindly through the crowd, oblivious to swinging swords around her. The battle ground seemed endless. Elenya searched, right, left, yet every direction she turned a duel ensued. So she sat down on the earth turned ground, let out a howl of agony and cried.
"Mother!" and with a heavy butt of a sword, Elenya's head met the dirt and there was darkness.
Just the first chapter to get the story line going.let me know what you think.
No, Elenya could not say she hated it. There was an excitement about it, a sense of adventure that came upon her every time she stepped outside into the fog. It covered her like a woolen blanket, invisible to the eye, but free to move around without the worries of the dangers that lie in the woods surrounding her home. And recently, those dangers were ever more real..
Elenya shook her head, as if the small movement would completely rid her of all the fears that had just filtered into her mind. As much as Elenya loved the wilderness and the idea of traveling throughout Middle Earth, there was a voice at the back of her mind, reminding her of what could happen, what had happened to her mother.and it was this voice that kept Elenya at bay, close to home and never venturing far into the woods, only willing to go into the shallow outskirts of the forests. Oh yes, she would often look at those trees, the greenery of it all, with a longing that Elves rarely show, yet she could not willingly push herself to enter. For she knew what lurked behind the beauty of it all, and not even the ever watchful eye could force her to move closer than she dared.
A voice broke into her train of thought, "My lady, it is growing dark. Perhaps you would like an escort home?"
Elenya turned, suddenly aware of the grass stained dress she wore. Three men on horse back stood in front of her, their royal guard plates shinning brightly in the sunset. She picked herself up from the ground and curtseyed slightly. "Kind sirs, I appreciate the offer, yet I cannot help but wonder what three of the Royal Guard are doing here, miles from the Palace of Mirkwood, at the edge of their kingdom? Certainly you are here for more than an escort." The men nodded their heads politely, and the one in the center answered.
"Ay, the King has sent a few of his men to search for Minskroot, a healing agent for battle wounds." At this Elenya raised her eyebrows.
"A healing agent? Are you insinuating that perhaps war will reach Mirkwood?" She stepped closer.
"Milday, I did not wish to startle you. It is only a precaution. After all, Middle Earth grows more and more dangerous with each passing day, as I am sure you are aware. Speaking of which, you should not be this close to the Forests of Mirkwood unaccompanied. There are men in these woods,"--- Elenya cut him off.
"I am fully conscious of the dangers of this wood." Her face hardened.
"I did not mean to imply,"--- She cut him off again.
"Well you did. I will not require an escort tonight, thank you." And with that, Elenya turned on her heel and marched straight back to Mirkwood leaving the men utterly bewildered, and without a glance behind her.
It was so infuriating! Elven men thought they knew everything! Well, Elenya did not need their ever so insightful knowledge, nor did she need their protecting. In all truth, her bitterness had not always been so.blunt. No, Elenya could vaguely remember a time when life was nearly perfect. But everything had changed on that infamous day.
200 years ago
The night was beautiful, clear, and crisp. The stars shone brightly above, twinkling and winking as if they held a secret that none other would ever understand. Elenya often found herself in this position, back to the ground, eyes wide, staring up into the depths of the night with all her being. Elves were known for their love of nature, among other things, but Elenya seemed to take it to an extreme. In fact, throughout the Kingdom of Mirkwood, elves regularly sought her out for help regarding herbs and healing remedies. Thus, her current position under the stars was one of immediate comfort.
It had been a long time since life was as it was now. Relations between races were virtually perfect. For once, there seemed to be a mutual agreement among the peoples of middle earth, one to avoid conflict at all costs. Yet, Elenya had never experienced a war of any kind. Truth be told, she was a newborn in the race of elves. Born less than 300 years ago, Elenya was still developing the grace and poise that her elders had mastered. She still had the impatient awkwardness of her youth. In all truth, the only truly unique quality she had attained in her short life span was her amazing intellect regarding nature.
"Elenya!" Her Mother's voice called to her. Elenya arched her back and tilted her head backwards to see her mother walking towards her.
"Hello Mother," She called back, "I was just looking for you." Elenya sat up, running a hand through her tangled hair. She had been gazing at the stars for nearly two hours now.
"Did you perhaps think I was to be found in the heavens? You have not moved from this position all night!" She grinned. "Is it too much to ask to spend some time with my only daughter? Gregor is too old now for motherly company, for he is.a man now, so he says. Or a man he shall become, for he still has that arrogance of youth. Yet, you my daughter, shall never tire of me, as old as you get!" She giggled and began to tickle her. Elenya squirmed and screamed, her peals of helpless laugher echoing against the heavy folds of the sky.
And then suddenly her screams of laugher were matched with screams of rage, whistles of arrows, clashes of swords in the not so far distance. Her mother instantly stopped and looked up to the top of the hill, where shadows battled in the distance. Her body tensed.
"Mother, what is happening?" Elenya's voice shook.
"I have not the slightest idea. There are warriors of Mirkwood atop the hill.and men. Men are attacking the city." The last phrase hung in the air, as if it was meant to be a question. Her mother's trained eye had picked up on the details of the shadowy figures above, a result of age.
"Come, let us get back home with Father and Gregor." She called above the war cries. "They will know what is going on." The screams grew louder; her mother's voice a little more frantic, a little more urgent, "Hurry."
And then all at once bodies were streaming against her, dragging her down, and her mother's hand that had been clutching her own was gone. Elenya's own screams could not be heard above that of the war cries, yet this did not stop her. She screamed and ran blindly through the crowd, oblivious to swinging swords around her. The battle ground seemed endless. Elenya searched, right, left, yet every direction she turned a duel ensued. So she sat down on the earth turned ground, let out a howl of agony and cried.
"Mother!" and with a heavy butt of a sword, Elenya's head met the dirt and there was darkness.
Just the first chapter to get the story line going.let me know what you think.