Chapter One:
Charlie walked on shifting her weight with the large pack on her back;
she'd stayed over at her friend Anna's house for a few days and decided to
walk home, how wrong she was! She walked along the bike path that went
around the edges of the suburbs, through the bush.
Charlie didn't feel threatened how could she? With a black belt grading coming soon in Aikido and a beginning on Jishu kan she felt she could take on anyone but her sensei.
After an hour of walking she was looking for a shortcut. "I am going to kill my conscience when I get home." She muttered to herself just when she spotted a large clump of trees that cut into a suburb. "Maybe. ah, why the hell not." She laughed and began to walk through, her mobile battery was flat so she couldn't ring her parents, it was getting dark and boy were they going to be mad!
She wrestled with the trees to get through; it felt like hours going through the trees but looking at her watch only minutes had passed, certainly faster than the bike path. She squinted in the distance seeing the end. "Finally." She smiled and walked out, the site however was not what she panned to see, gone were the power lines and fences, the trees weren't even the same! And down further were a bunch of men, with horses. "What the hell is going on here?"
She questioned to herself placing the pack at her side for the moment she needed a rest. They wore strange clothes; she felt she'd seen them before but when? Where?
Suddenly a hand fell on her shoulder, in a state of panic she quickly pinned him to the ground, he had long blonde hair and wore the same strange clothes as the other men. Charlie heard a creaking sound to see arrows pointed at her, definitely not good. "Let him up."
Came the simple command, slowly she took her hands off him and grabbed her pack possessively. "I'm sorry but he frightened me." She said in a timid voice, her soprano voice quavered at the sudden onset of danger. "I gathered."
Her victim voice rotating his shoulder gingerly. Charlie stared at his face; it was. no it couldn't be. it was. Legolas.
"Where are you bound?"
The question came, she shrugged. "I fear I am lost, I went into the woods hoping to find a shortcut only to find myself very much lost. I am in great need of a guide." The elven prince nodded staring at her strange apparel. She wore jeans and sneakers with her low cut v-neck top on and a blue and white knit jumper tied about her waist. Feeling somewhat edgy Charlie hastily pulled her jumper on. "You can stay with us tonight, the Lady of the Isari has requested a visit from me, I could not disappoint her." Charlie nodded and walked amongst the fair elven men toward their camp. Istari? She was in middle earth! She was meeting her crush! What else could a sixteen-year-old want? To go Home.
"Could it be possible for me to meet with her, the wisdom of the Istari is renowned and she would undoubtedly have the answers to which I seek." Charlie asked him softly as she placed her things down. She'd watched the three movies that had come out and had read the books, it would be a few years at least till Aragorn died being of the numinor line he lived for a few hundred years. "How long has it been since Sauron was defeated?" She whispered to herself, she'd read the books and was scarred to be stuck in the middle of the time when they were fighting over the one ring, though she didn't remember a Lady of the Istari. "It's been about eighteen years."
A voice said behind her, she turned to see Legolas watching her, she seemed to be off put by his presence, wasn't enough that her posters of him watched her as she walked around her bedroom his eyes would follow her here as well.
"Have you nothing else to do your Highness or is there a reason behind you watchful eye?" She questioned him in a calm tone, in such a way he wouldn't reconsider and decide she should fend for herself in the Orc ridden world. "You interest me, such strange technology for one so young, I know nothing of the object you have."
"Of course not." Charlie agreed, what was she meant to say? Of course not, this is my disc man, and mobile phone, oh yeah and here is the soundtrack to the 'Lord of the Rings'? "May I ask you a question?" A musical voice questioned behind her, it was another elf, and young by her guess, though young to them is a thousand years so. "Please." She smiled pushing up the sleeves of her jumper. He nodded and stepped closer. "How did you pin the prince to the ground? He is one of the greatest and strongest warriors at the moment." Charlie grinned at the questioned and looked at him as if asking, may I continue. Legolas smiled and nodded this human had the grace of an elf yet there was a born strength that held her apart from all races in middle earth. "I have learnt an art of fighting called Aikido, it relies on flow of the body more than strength, to pin someone down is to hold them in a position in which you are centered and they are not." She enlightened them; she knew it was barely getting through. "If I had a volunteer I could demonstrate." She smiled her eyes scanning the elves who had been listening with their spectacular hearing. No one would step forward and after a few minutes Charlie let out a deep throated chuckle. "Surely the mighty Mirkwood elves are not scared of one woman?"
One stepped forward, Ethenion an archer of the green wood. "I am willing to volunteer." He voiced, Charlie nodded and walked over to him. "Grab my hair." She said shortly, she turned around so her back faced him and waited for her rich blonde hair to be pulled, nothing happened. "Surely your fine elf ears are not blocked!" She laughed giving him a look as if to say, well? "No dear lady, I heard you." "Well, grab my hair." Charlie sighed, the callused hand of an archer landed on her plaited locks.
She pulled her right hand into a fist and slammed her knuckles into the hand where the central nerve was, she could feel his arm twitch with pain, her left hand covered the first keeping the elven hand on her hair, she then ducked under and stepped through him until she was behind him, she pushed the hand down and Ethenion fell to the ground. The elves stared at her in amazement; they surely hadn't seen that before. "That's not how I fell." Legolas spoke up staring at the bewildered elf that still lay in the ground. "No it's not, sorry it was a reaction." Charlie nodded sheepishly, Ethenion stood up brushing the dust of his clothes off. They sat by the fire the elves chatting away about one thing or another as Charlie observed them in quiet contemplation. She rummaged through her pack to find her disc man, she put in her soft Celtic Twilight album and relaxed as the haunting music came through the earphones. "Where exactly are you from?"
A voice asked her calmly, it was Ethenion. "Some where far away," Charlie sighed stopping the CD and putting her Disc Man away before any probing questions came. "Traveler?" Came a call, She turned to see Legolas staring at her. "Yes?" "May I speak to you alone?"
Charlie nodded and walked over to him shoving her hands in her pockets. They walked away from the camp to a cluster of boulders. "Please, sit."
Legolas smiled waving his hand toward the boulder. She sat and stared at him with intent eyes. "Please tell me all, I will not doubt you." Legolas said, she turned her face away, yeah like he'd believe this. "I can't tell you." She whispered. "Surely you can shed some light on your origins." He pursued, Charlie turned her brown eyes to his blue ones. "I have an older sister, my parents work for ah, never mind." Charlie told him trailing off like she could tell him. "Your appearance seems very strange to me and you technology is alien to middle earth. Legolas voiced to her in a frank tone, She nodded and stood up, "I know, I'm not from middle earth, I'm not from anywhere near middle earth." For some reason Charlie felt very angry and violated that she would have to say that to him, she walked away, back to her pack. She gathered her things, slung the pack on her back and walked off into the darkness of the night. "Where are you going traveler?"
Charlie chose not to respond and continued walking; she got about thirty meters from the camp before he stopped her. "Where are you going, you do not know the country and there are brigands and robbers near by." Charlie shrugged and strode past him walking on. "Where are you going?"
Legolas tried for the third time finding this strange woman rather stubborn. "I'm hoping that if I walk long enough I'll wake up from this dream." "I assure you this is no dream, we are both very real." She shook her head pulling up her hipster jeans and shifting the backpack to a more comfortable position. "No, it's not true, this has to be a dream, you're not real and neither is this place. I'm in a coma at the hospital and I want to wake up." She persisted falling to the ground, her cover crumbled and Charlie broke down in tears. "I'm sorry," She choked through ragged sobs. "I. I just want to go home." Charlie wrapped her arms around herself crying until her body shook with exhaustion. The elven prince walked over and sitting down beside her opened his arms wide, not bothering to wait Charlie turned and collapsed onto his chest no longer crying but quietly mourning the loss of civilization.
Charlie didn't feel threatened how could she? With a black belt grading coming soon in Aikido and a beginning on Jishu kan she felt she could take on anyone but her sensei.
After an hour of walking she was looking for a shortcut. "I am going to kill my conscience when I get home." She muttered to herself just when she spotted a large clump of trees that cut into a suburb. "Maybe. ah, why the hell not." She laughed and began to walk through, her mobile battery was flat so she couldn't ring her parents, it was getting dark and boy were they going to be mad!
She wrestled with the trees to get through; it felt like hours going through the trees but looking at her watch only minutes had passed, certainly faster than the bike path. She squinted in the distance seeing the end. "Finally." She smiled and walked out, the site however was not what she panned to see, gone were the power lines and fences, the trees weren't even the same! And down further were a bunch of men, with horses. "What the hell is going on here?"
She questioned to herself placing the pack at her side for the moment she needed a rest. They wore strange clothes; she felt she'd seen them before but when? Where?
Suddenly a hand fell on her shoulder, in a state of panic she quickly pinned him to the ground, he had long blonde hair and wore the same strange clothes as the other men. Charlie heard a creaking sound to see arrows pointed at her, definitely not good. "Let him up."
Came the simple command, slowly she took her hands off him and grabbed her pack possessively. "I'm sorry but he frightened me." She said in a timid voice, her soprano voice quavered at the sudden onset of danger. "I gathered."
Her victim voice rotating his shoulder gingerly. Charlie stared at his face; it was. no it couldn't be. it was. Legolas.
"Where are you bound?"
The question came, she shrugged. "I fear I am lost, I went into the woods hoping to find a shortcut only to find myself very much lost. I am in great need of a guide." The elven prince nodded staring at her strange apparel. She wore jeans and sneakers with her low cut v-neck top on and a blue and white knit jumper tied about her waist. Feeling somewhat edgy Charlie hastily pulled her jumper on. "You can stay with us tonight, the Lady of the Isari has requested a visit from me, I could not disappoint her." Charlie nodded and walked amongst the fair elven men toward their camp. Istari? She was in middle earth! She was meeting her crush! What else could a sixteen-year-old want? To go Home.
"Could it be possible for me to meet with her, the wisdom of the Istari is renowned and she would undoubtedly have the answers to which I seek." Charlie asked him softly as she placed her things down. She'd watched the three movies that had come out and had read the books, it would be a few years at least till Aragorn died being of the numinor line he lived for a few hundred years. "How long has it been since Sauron was defeated?" She whispered to herself, she'd read the books and was scarred to be stuck in the middle of the time when they were fighting over the one ring, though she didn't remember a Lady of the Istari. "It's been about eighteen years."
A voice said behind her, she turned to see Legolas watching her, she seemed to be off put by his presence, wasn't enough that her posters of him watched her as she walked around her bedroom his eyes would follow her here as well.
"Have you nothing else to do your Highness or is there a reason behind you watchful eye?" She questioned him in a calm tone, in such a way he wouldn't reconsider and decide she should fend for herself in the Orc ridden world. "You interest me, such strange technology for one so young, I know nothing of the object you have."
"Of course not." Charlie agreed, what was she meant to say? Of course not, this is my disc man, and mobile phone, oh yeah and here is the soundtrack to the 'Lord of the Rings'? "May I ask you a question?" A musical voice questioned behind her, it was another elf, and young by her guess, though young to them is a thousand years so. "Please." She smiled pushing up the sleeves of her jumper. He nodded and stepped closer. "How did you pin the prince to the ground? He is one of the greatest and strongest warriors at the moment." Charlie grinned at the questioned and looked at him as if asking, may I continue. Legolas smiled and nodded this human had the grace of an elf yet there was a born strength that held her apart from all races in middle earth. "I have learnt an art of fighting called Aikido, it relies on flow of the body more than strength, to pin someone down is to hold them in a position in which you are centered and they are not." She enlightened them; she knew it was barely getting through. "If I had a volunteer I could demonstrate." She smiled her eyes scanning the elves who had been listening with their spectacular hearing. No one would step forward and after a few minutes Charlie let out a deep throated chuckle. "Surely the mighty Mirkwood elves are not scared of one woman?"
One stepped forward, Ethenion an archer of the green wood. "I am willing to volunteer." He voiced, Charlie nodded and walked over to him. "Grab my hair." She said shortly, she turned around so her back faced him and waited for her rich blonde hair to be pulled, nothing happened. "Surely your fine elf ears are not blocked!" She laughed giving him a look as if to say, well? "No dear lady, I heard you." "Well, grab my hair." Charlie sighed, the callused hand of an archer landed on her plaited locks.
She pulled her right hand into a fist and slammed her knuckles into the hand where the central nerve was, she could feel his arm twitch with pain, her left hand covered the first keeping the elven hand on her hair, she then ducked under and stepped through him until she was behind him, she pushed the hand down and Ethenion fell to the ground. The elves stared at her in amazement; they surely hadn't seen that before. "That's not how I fell." Legolas spoke up staring at the bewildered elf that still lay in the ground. "No it's not, sorry it was a reaction." Charlie nodded sheepishly, Ethenion stood up brushing the dust of his clothes off. They sat by the fire the elves chatting away about one thing or another as Charlie observed them in quiet contemplation. She rummaged through her pack to find her disc man, she put in her soft Celtic Twilight album and relaxed as the haunting music came through the earphones. "Where exactly are you from?"
A voice asked her calmly, it was Ethenion. "Some where far away," Charlie sighed stopping the CD and putting her Disc Man away before any probing questions came. "Traveler?" Came a call, She turned to see Legolas staring at her. "Yes?" "May I speak to you alone?"
Charlie nodded and walked over to him shoving her hands in her pockets. They walked away from the camp to a cluster of boulders. "Please, sit."
Legolas smiled waving his hand toward the boulder. She sat and stared at him with intent eyes. "Please tell me all, I will not doubt you." Legolas said, she turned her face away, yeah like he'd believe this. "I can't tell you." She whispered. "Surely you can shed some light on your origins." He pursued, Charlie turned her brown eyes to his blue ones. "I have an older sister, my parents work for ah, never mind." Charlie told him trailing off like she could tell him. "Your appearance seems very strange to me and you technology is alien to middle earth. Legolas voiced to her in a frank tone, She nodded and stood up, "I know, I'm not from middle earth, I'm not from anywhere near middle earth." For some reason Charlie felt very angry and violated that she would have to say that to him, she walked away, back to her pack. She gathered her things, slung the pack on her back and walked off into the darkness of the night. "Where are you going traveler?"
Charlie chose not to respond and continued walking; she got about thirty meters from the camp before he stopped her. "Where are you going, you do not know the country and there are brigands and robbers near by." Charlie shrugged and strode past him walking on. "Where are you going?"
Legolas tried for the third time finding this strange woman rather stubborn. "I'm hoping that if I walk long enough I'll wake up from this dream." "I assure you this is no dream, we are both very real." She shook her head pulling up her hipster jeans and shifting the backpack to a more comfortable position. "No, it's not true, this has to be a dream, you're not real and neither is this place. I'm in a coma at the hospital and I want to wake up." She persisted falling to the ground, her cover crumbled and Charlie broke down in tears. "I'm sorry," She choked through ragged sobs. "I. I just want to go home." Charlie wrapped her arms around herself crying until her body shook with exhaustion. The elven prince walked over and sitting down beside her opened his arms wide, not bothering to wait Charlie turned and collapsed onto his chest no longer crying but quietly mourning the loss of civilization.