A/N) I'm not sure if anyone has ever attempted a story like this and if anyone reviews I would be glad if you could tell me if there is any stories such as mine, so I can read them and not copy ideas. I do except flames and if you wish to discuss anything with me, then e-mail me at my address which is found under my folder.
Onto the first chapter of The Phantom Of Mirkwood
LORD OF THE RINGS
TITLE: The Phantom of Mirkwood
AUTHOR: Strider's Girl
RATING: PG-13
SUMMARY: A trip to Mirkwood ends in disaster when a half-dead spirit emerges to terrorise the elves. Its up to Aragorn, Legolas and the twins to find out what the spirit wants unless they want the entire wood-elf race picked off one at a time!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Lord of the Rings. I am only using these characters for fun; I intend to make no money out of this what so ever.
NOTES: I own the character of Oronar and anyone wishing to borrow him, may do so, as long as they say they are using my character.
Chapter One: Promises
"Estel!"
It was one of those hot summer days in Rivendell, where the air was hot and stuffy; where the occupants in the Last Homely House usually could not live together. Usually on days like this the 'children' of Lord Elrond got on each others nerves and played jokes on one another causing the other one to try and get revenge on the one that had played the joke in the first place.
Judging by the shout that rang through the halls, Elrond guessed that his older son, Elladan, had been the victim and that Estel, his adopted human son, had been the perpetrator.
From looking out from his study, the elven lord caught a glimpse of a very wet Elladan, his brown hair, soaking, the top of it sticking up, giving him a rather comical appearance. The elven lord suppressed a laugh and watched intently as Elladan advanced on Estel, who was laughing his head off beside Elrohir, Elladan's twin.
Elladan lunged at Estel, who moved away with surprising speed for a human. Elladan crashed to the floor. Estel by this time was laughing even harder and did not notice when Elladan lunged at him again, knocking him into a tree. Taking his chance, Elladan grabbed Estel by the hair and pulled him to his feet and dragged him to the fountain that Elladan had been pushed into. With a shove, the elf threw Estel into the water keeping him under with his hand. The human struggled to surface but the strength of Elladan kept him down.
Elrond was actually smiling as he watched the two of them. It was time for him to step in. If he was not careful then Elladan might actually kill Estel. Stepping out from his study and into the hallway the elven lord walked quickly to the archways and stepped into the blazing sun.
He called softly, but sternly enough so that it caught the attention of both of his sons. "Elladan."
Elladan turned sheepishly towards his father and released his hold on Estel who resurfaced, gasping for air.
"You know you could've killed me!" the human said, his blazing grey eyes fixing on his brother.
"Serves you right, little brother, for soaking me!" Elladan retorted.
Elrond raised his hands. "All right, you two, stop it. Elladan, Estel go and clean yourselves up. Elrohir, go with them and try and make sure they don't kill each other in the process."
Elrohir rushed after the elf and human who were hitting each other playfully.
Elrond wandered round the garden. Through the trees he could make out a woman sitting, her golden hair shining in the afternoon sun. He made his way through the undergrowth and came to the patio of where the woman sat on a bench. Her eyes were gazing at the many flowers that were blossoming.
"What have they done to Estel now?" the woman asked, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
"You heard the commotion?" Elrond asked as he sat down beside her.
"Yes I did. It seems that your sons are a bad influence on my son." the woman smiled. "It feels like only yesterday he was a year old; he was sitting on my lap, smiling with my husband beside me." her eyes lowered to the ground and Elrond saw sadness creep up on her.
"You miss him don't you?" he asked.
"Yes," she answered, "my people didn't want me to marry Arathorn. But they gave in when he said that if we married then hope would be born for men."
Elrond nodded, "That is true. That is why I called Aragorn Estel when he was brought to this house. Also to protect him from the evil in the world." He sighed, "Its been a year since I told Estel who he really was, and at first he was afraid of his high lineage, but it seems that he has now accepted it. There will be a time in his life when he'll have to take the path of the king; the path that could kill him, but for now he has no worries about it."
"You are wrong about Aragorn, Lord Elrond," Gilraen (that was her name) said, "He does dread who he is. Ever since he met your daughter, the fair lady Arwen, he has been enriched by her beauty and loveliness. He has spoken often to me of her, telling me that he cannot have her as his own, unless he becomes king. Aragorn just wants Arwen; he doesn't want the responsibility of the race of men on his shoulders. Isn't there any other way?"
"No," Elrond replied, "I will only allow my daughter to choose a mortal life as long as Aragorn becomes king. There is no other way. I am sorry if this disheartens your son, Gilraen, but I cannot allow their betrothal just yet."
Gilraen smiled sadly. "Just like my people. Didn't want me marrying a man of fifty-seven years; I was only twenty-two when I married Arathorn." She then laughed, "I've just realised something. Aragorn is only twenty-one and your daughter is...."
"Two thousand seven hundred and eleven years." Elrond replied, promptly, a smile glittering across his fair face.
"That is old to a human," Gilraen murmured, "I only hope Aragorn finds happiness. I do not wish for anything bad to befall him before his time his up to dwell in Middle-Earth." She smiled, "Now, tell, me Lord Elrond, what have your sons been doing to mine?"
"Elladan tried to drown him, again," the elf lord answered. "Once again, Elladan was robbed of the chance to do so by me."
Gilraen shook her head. "Your sons have gone from bad to worse since Aragorn was brought to this house nineteen years ago!"
"Yes, I think it was a mistake in taking your son in as my own." Elrond suppressed a smile. "They were just settling down nicely when you and your son came along."
"Oh, so its my fault now?" Gilraen prompted, "that your sons have grown immature once again?"
"No," Elrond laughed, "They were turning into nice elf-lords until Estel turned up and began to be a nuiscence that turned them like this. Hopefully they will settle down again when Estel eventually decides to leave Rivendell."
"That might not be for another ten years!"
"If it is then I'll have to send him away to Mirkwood; to see if he can cause trouble in King Thranduil's halls. I'm sure that if Estel can cause trouble anywhere he can definitely annoy the wood-elves." Elrond said, smiling. "But now, I have spoken too long. I need to see if Elladan hasn't found another way to drown Estel."
*****
Aragorn dried his hair using a cloth. Elladan stood nearby glaring daggers at him. He had told his younger brother dozen of times that he hated water and what does his sneaky little human brother do? Go and sneak up on him causing him to fall into the fountain! Elladan was now partially dry, but his hair was still sticking up and was refusing to flatten. Unfortunately, when Aragorn had surprised him, the human had stuck some liquid into his hair that he had created, making the elf's hair sticky and a slight tinge of blue.
The only thing that was preventing Elladan from grabbing hold of Aragorn and throwing him out of the window was the fact that his brother Elrohir was watching over them. And from experience, Elladan knew that Elrohir was fast.
"Just you wait Estel. I'll get you back and you'll wish you had never been born!" Elladan said.
Aragorn only sniggered. "I'm so used to you threatening me, Elladan, that I do not worry over it."
"I promise you little brother, I'll get you when you least expect it and when no one can save you." the elf replied.
Elrohir stepped forward. "Enough is enough. No more threats, brother," turning to Aragorn, "and you, no more pranks or tricks on any of us."
"I'll only stop if Elladan doesn't try to kill me within the next two days."
"What do you say, brother?" Elrohir asked.
"Fine." Elladan agreed though none in the room could see the glint in his eyes.
Elrond then entered the room. He looked at each of them and seeing them all safe and sound nodded. Then he left without saying a word. They were used to this happening.
*****
It was a few days later that Lord Elrond called Elladan, Elrohir and Aragorn to his study. There he made an announcement.
"I have received greetings from King Thranduil of Mirkwood. He wishes for us to come to his home to celebrate his son's two thousandth year. His son has requested that you join him, and I am certain that between the four of you, you lot can come up with many ways to disrupt Mirkwood. I, too will be coming with you, to make sure that you don't cause too much trouble. We leave in four days time."
The three of them then left the study and sat outside. Elladan's hair and now turned to normal and he seemed to have forgotten about his 'revenge' on Estel for the time being. They sat quietly talking to each other. Aragorn the most stunned of the lot. He had not known that Legolas (King Thranduil's son and only heir) was two thousand years old. Legolas had never told him his actually age and had left Aragorn to guess, though he had thought the elf prince to be just only over one thousand years. Obviously he had been wrong.
"I cannot believe how old he is." he finally said.
Elladan laughed. "You didn't know how old the Prince was? We've known for a long time!"
"Then why did you not tell me?" Aragorn asked.
"It was more fun to see you work out his actual age." Elrohir said.
"Well at least I know now." Aragorn said, turning away from his brothers and walking away from them.
*****
Deep in Mirkwood, the Prince's Royal Guard suddenly disappeared followed by a close friend of his. A dark shadow was beginning to spread under the eaves of the forest.
To Be Continued.....
A/N) What do you think is awaiting Aragorn and the twins when they reach Mirkwood? Will the shadow emerge? All these questions will be answered in the following chapter! That's only if you like it, that is.