I've been indulging in a bit of escapism over the last couple of days... and i've come up with this...
----
Entulesse Avatharlo - Return from the Shadows.
Disclaimer: None of it that's recognisable is mine - that would all belong to Mr Tolkien... Any names you don't recognise are mine, and yes I've played about with canon a bit... no I don't make any money from this, its purely for enjoyment purposes...
Spoilers: Umm... for this to make sense, you probably need to know about Morgoth, therefore you probably need to read the Silmarillion - however, if you can't be bothered doing that, i'll try and make it as understandable without it!
Plot: almost 500 years after the war of the ring, the first dark lord is no longer trapped in the Void...
----
Nearly five hundred years had passed since the destruction of the One Ring and Sauron, and since then, relative peace had descended on Arda.
Much had changed over the years, and yet much had remained the same. The alliance between the kingdoms of Rohan and Gondor had remained strong, and both realms had prospered through it.
One change was the lack of Elves remaining in Middle Earth. Elrond had once said that the time of the Elves was over, and to all intents and purposes, it appeared that he had been right. Many elves had sailed for Valinor after the fall of Sauron, including Thranduil, Elrond, Galadriel and Celeborn.
Most of the population of Mirkwood also sailed to Valinor, following King Thranduil when he sailed to be with his beloved wife. The Mirkwood elves that remained had followed their new king, Legolas, to their new home in the forests of Ithilien.
Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn had also sailed, after leaving Lorien in the hands of the brothers Haldir, Orophin and Rúmil. Many Galadrim had left with their Lord and Lady, but almost half stayed behind with the brothers.
Rivendell, which was once known as the Last Homely House, was now almost deserted. Elrond had sailed on the same ship as the Elvenking, to be once more with his wife Celebrian. His twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir, remained, as did Glorfindel. his daughter Arwen remained in Gondor.
After Aragorn's death, she had resisted the urge to sail into the West, after Aragorn made her promise that she would not fade, but would stay to guide their son, Eldarion.
"I will wait for you meleth nin." he had told her.
So stay and guide she had. She had aided her son's rule, and her grandson's, and her great grandson's... And the people of Gondor loved her. Over the years, the daughter of Elrond had been turned to for advice and guidance from everyone, from nobles to farmers. She gave her counsel freely, and had inherited a small part of her father and grandmother's gifts of foresight.
Some years into the rule of Aragorn and Arwen, the Corsairs had joined with Harad in an attempt to topple Gondor. The attack had failed, and the attackers were forced to flee south once more. However, they had not fled before taking some fifty men, women and children as slaves.
Aragorn had wished to go after them personally, but a diplomatic envoy from the east, due any day now, would not let his attention wander to other matters. If the meeing with the eastern messengers did not go well, it could mean war.
Arwen had found Aragorn standing at the very same balcony she stood at now, she remembered. He had been so tense, torn between going after his people, or staying to discuss politics with a volatile nation. Arwen had stepped up behind him unnoticed, and put her arms around his waist.
"I will go. You stay here and receive the diplomats."
"Arwen..." he had tried to protest, to dissuade her.
"You have seen me fight" she interrupted. "You know I'm just as good as my father, my brothers, you. Eldarion is seven now - growing up fast, and he'll be alright without me for a few days."
She had stepped in front of him and smiled.
"Anyway, I've already given the orders to the men - we leave at dawn."
And so Arwen had led a large group of soldiers to find the people who had been taken. They found them almost a week later. The party who had taken them had split, the Haradrim going East once more, while the Corsairs were left with their prize, but thankfully, all the Gondorians were still together.
It had been difficult to free their people, but eventually the Corsairs had been beaten. One of the captives had been killed by their captors during the rescue, a woman, leaving her six year old daughter an orphan. The woman's death had left Arwen deeply saddened, and for a long time she blamed herself. She took the little girl in, as she had no other family, and the child had grown up in the royal house, becoming close friends with Eldarion, and later becoming his queen.
After the attack by Harad and the Corsairs, Arwen had taken it upon herself to personally see to it that anyone who wished to learn, was taught to defend themselves, women included. The response was so great that she had sent word to her brothers in Imladris, and they had gladly agreed to help their sister, whom they had taught to fight, to teach her people.
Footsteps from behind her pulled Arwen away from her memories. She took one last look across the White City from the moonlit balcony before turning and heading back into the hall. A teenage boy stood by the dying fire, staring at the flames. He looked up as Arwen
approached. "What is wrong penneth?" she asked gently.
"I could not sleep my lady."
She smiled. "I see that."
The youth sighed and sat down in one of the chairs by the fire.
Arwen sat opposite him.
"I've been having these terrible dreams. The same ones, over and over."
"For how long?" Arwen asked. It was not unusual for members of her family, especially those directly descended from herself and Aragorn, to develop the gift of foresight. The boy had never shown any sign of the gift, but it was not unusual for it to lay hidden until adolescence.
"About a fortnight." he admitted.
There was silence for a moment.
"What happens in the dreams? What do you see?"
It was a few moments before they boy answered.
"It starts off in darkness, and I can see the whole of Arda - even the city in the West. And then it changes, and I can see a deep cave - and there are creatures everywhere - evil beings. Ones I've only ever read about in my history books. There are hundreds of them, and a voice talking about raising many thousands more, and about taking revenge on the Valar."
For a moment, Arwen wasn't sure what to say.
"What creatures do you see?" she asked.
"Orcs, Uruk-hai, trolls, fell beasts, wargs, balrogs - and many sorts of creatures that I've never even seen described before..."
"I think that you should tell your father about this in the morning. But for now," she lay a blanket over him, "stay here, and try to sleep. Remember, they're only dreams - they can't harm you."
The young man nodded, and was asleep minutes later. Arwen hurried to her rooms, and hurriedly wrote letters to her brothers, Haldir and his brothers, and Legolas, asking to come to Gondor with all haste.
The boy's dreams matched the one she had had this very night for the first time - and she feared what it might mean.
----
Entulesse Avatharlo - Return from the Shadows.
Disclaimer: None of it that's recognisable is mine - that would all belong to Mr Tolkien... Any names you don't recognise are mine, and yes I've played about with canon a bit... no I don't make any money from this, its purely for enjoyment purposes...
Spoilers: Umm... for this to make sense, you probably need to know about Morgoth, therefore you probably need to read the Silmarillion - however, if you can't be bothered doing that, i'll try and make it as understandable without it!
Plot: almost 500 years after the war of the ring, the first dark lord is no longer trapped in the Void...
----
Nearly five hundred years had passed since the destruction of the One Ring and Sauron, and since then, relative peace had descended on Arda.
Much had changed over the years, and yet much had remained the same. The alliance between the kingdoms of Rohan and Gondor had remained strong, and both realms had prospered through it.
One change was the lack of Elves remaining in Middle Earth. Elrond had once said that the time of the Elves was over, and to all intents and purposes, it appeared that he had been right. Many elves had sailed for Valinor after the fall of Sauron, including Thranduil, Elrond, Galadriel and Celeborn.
Most of the population of Mirkwood also sailed to Valinor, following King Thranduil when he sailed to be with his beloved wife. The Mirkwood elves that remained had followed their new king, Legolas, to their new home in the forests of Ithilien.
Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn had also sailed, after leaving Lorien in the hands of the brothers Haldir, Orophin and Rúmil. Many Galadrim had left with their Lord and Lady, but almost half stayed behind with the brothers.
Rivendell, which was once known as the Last Homely House, was now almost deserted. Elrond had sailed on the same ship as the Elvenking, to be once more with his wife Celebrian. His twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir, remained, as did Glorfindel. his daughter Arwen remained in Gondor.
After Aragorn's death, she had resisted the urge to sail into the West, after Aragorn made her promise that she would not fade, but would stay to guide their son, Eldarion.
"I will wait for you meleth nin." he had told her.
So stay and guide she had. She had aided her son's rule, and her grandson's, and her great grandson's... And the people of Gondor loved her. Over the years, the daughter of Elrond had been turned to for advice and guidance from everyone, from nobles to farmers. She gave her counsel freely, and had inherited a small part of her father and grandmother's gifts of foresight.
Some years into the rule of Aragorn and Arwen, the Corsairs had joined with Harad in an attempt to topple Gondor. The attack had failed, and the attackers were forced to flee south once more. However, they had not fled before taking some fifty men, women and children as slaves.
Aragorn had wished to go after them personally, but a diplomatic envoy from the east, due any day now, would not let his attention wander to other matters. If the meeing with the eastern messengers did not go well, it could mean war.
Arwen had found Aragorn standing at the very same balcony she stood at now, she remembered. He had been so tense, torn between going after his people, or staying to discuss politics with a volatile nation. Arwen had stepped up behind him unnoticed, and put her arms around his waist.
"I will go. You stay here and receive the diplomats."
"Arwen..." he had tried to protest, to dissuade her.
"You have seen me fight" she interrupted. "You know I'm just as good as my father, my brothers, you. Eldarion is seven now - growing up fast, and he'll be alright without me for a few days."
She had stepped in front of him and smiled.
"Anyway, I've already given the orders to the men - we leave at dawn."
And so Arwen had led a large group of soldiers to find the people who had been taken. They found them almost a week later. The party who had taken them had split, the Haradrim going East once more, while the Corsairs were left with their prize, but thankfully, all the Gondorians were still together.
It had been difficult to free their people, but eventually the Corsairs had been beaten. One of the captives had been killed by their captors during the rescue, a woman, leaving her six year old daughter an orphan. The woman's death had left Arwen deeply saddened, and for a long time she blamed herself. She took the little girl in, as she had no other family, and the child had grown up in the royal house, becoming close friends with Eldarion, and later becoming his queen.
After the attack by Harad and the Corsairs, Arwen had taken it upon herself to personally see to it that anyone who wished to learn, was taught to defend themselves, women included. The response was so great that she had sent word to her brothers in Imladris, and they had gladly agreed to help their sister, whom they had taught to fight, to teach her people.
Footsteps from behind her pulled Arwen away from her memories. She took one last look across the White City from the moonlit balcony before turning and heading back into the hall. A teenage boy stood by the dying fire, staring at the flames. He looked up as Arwen
approached. "What is wrong penneth?" she asked gently.
"I could not sleep my lady."
She smiled. "I see that."
The youth sighed and sat down in one of the chairs by the fire.
Arwen sat opposite him.
"I've been having these terrible dreams. The same ones, over and over."
"For how long?" Arwen asked. It was not unusual for members of her family, especially those directly descended from herself and Aragorn, to develop the gift of foresight. The boy had never shown any sign of the gift, but it was not unusual for it to lay hidden until adolescence.
"About a fortnight." he admitted.
There was silence for a moment.
"What happens in the dreams? What do you see?"
It was a few moments before they boy answered.
"It starts off in darkness, and I can see the whole of Arda - even the city in the West. And then it changes, and I can see a deep cave - and there are creatures everywhere - evil beings. Ones I've only ever read about in my history books. There are hundreds of them, and a voice talking about raising many thousands more, and about taking revenge on the Valar."
For a moment, Arwen wasn't sure what to say.
"What creatures do you see?" she asked.
"Orcs, Uruk-hai, trolls, fell beasts, wargs, balrogs - and many sorts of creatures that I've never even seen described before..."
"I think that you should tell your father about this in the morning. But for now," she lay a blanket over him, "stay here, and try to sleep. Remember, they're only dreams - they can't harm you."
The young man nodded, and was asleep minutes later. Arwen hurried to her rooms, and hurriedly wrote letters to her brothers, Haldir and his brothers, and Legolas, asking to come to Gondor with all haste.
The boy's dreams matched the one she had had this very night for the first time - and she feared what it might mean.