Recapturing the Song
A Lord of the Rings Fan-Fiction
By: Soulful Gray
Disclaimer: Same as before; I do not own anything to do with Tolkien's works, although original characters of my own making do appear in this work of fiction.
Quick Author's Note: Yeah, Easton comes from the future of our world, but not extremely far into the future. This'll explain at least one thing.
Chapter One
"So are you going to tell us more?" Wynnie asked at the breakfast table the next morning.
Aunt Gray paused in her reading of the morning paper and then set it and her glasses down. A tiny, knowing smile flicked her lips. "Isn't it a bit early?"
Wynnie snorted. "It's morning. Duh."
Aunt Gray cackled. "That's my girl."
"Aunt Gray's right though. Let's wait until at least breakfast is over, Wynnie."
The young girl made a face and then nodded her consent.
A couple of hours later, they were outside in the backyard garden, seated under the window that Aunt Gray always sat at in the evenings. The ocean spray was thick in the air as they seated themselves on the garden benches.
"I planted this garden after my career really kicked off," Aunt Gray said fondly. "Singing has always had a way of making things beautiful."
"Or making money," Ivy said dryly.
Aunt Gray snorted, smirking. "Whichever comes first."
She looked deep in thought for a moment and then started to speak.
"I saw very little of anyone for the next few days after coming to Lothlorien. I never left my flet. And then..."
Lothlorien
Easton peered over the railing that guarded her flet. She stared down at the shining gold of the world below and shuddered.
She hated heights. Kinda silly since she had wings, but she couldn't help but intensely dislike the feeling of being above the ground. The flet made her nervous, though it had proven stable in the last four days.
She'd seen little of the rest of the woods. She had no desire to see anything else. And nobody, save Galadriel, a few servants, or the healers, really ever came to see her. The lack of company was nice in a way. She no longer had Argis practically breathing down her neck, bossing her around.
But still, she was lonely.
Not an uncommon feeling for her, mind you.
She looked over the railing again when she thought she heard a slight commotion. Her rounded ears perked slightly through her straight and shaggy blonde hair.
This might make you wonder; Argis is a Magitas, and so is Easton, but Argis looks Elven and Easton appears more human. Not even Argis could explain to her why she had such human features and wasn't as dark if skin as most Magitas.
Down below her felt, she watched as three men on horse back dismounted and strode towards Haldir, who greeted them with the same cold formality she hadn't ever seen leave his face. Her amber eyes flicked over to the med and one of her eyebrows rose in surprise.
What she'd assumed were three men were really one man, one dwarf, and an elf. She couldn't tell much past that from how high up she was, but she saw that at least.
And then an old man appeared, clad in white, carrying a staff. She blinked and stared at the three. Could these be the allies Galadriel spoke of? She hadn't said anything of who or what they were, so she had to assume they were the ones that would help Easton find her voice again.
She drew a sharp breath as the elf- who had long blonde hair- looked up, straight at her. She was glad her wings always drooped, so he couldn't see them from the ground. He met her eyes and she felt her heart skitter to a halt and then slam into her ribs a half a moment later.
Taking a deep calming breath, she stepped away from the railing.
A knock sounded on her door, and an attendant poked his head in. He avoided looking at her wings and spoke coolly.
"Lady Galadriel requests your presence to greet the travelers."
She nodded and picked up the white cloak some servants had given her.
She was clad in a white dress that had veins of silver shot through it, and a gray sash tied around the middle. The cape was of similar material to the dress and she flipped it about her shoulders to cover her wings.
In the last few days, the healers had struggled over her wings, but for some reason, their ugliness would not go away. A few feathers had grown back, and their downiness was something new, but the older feathers refused to be tamed or groomed back into place. Some of the scabs had been broken and healed, and all were just thin white scars, but they wouldn't be covered by feathers.
Sighing, Easton left her room and followed the attendant down the steps.
Legolas
His elven senses had screamed at him to look up, and he had.
Legolas's gaze met the gaze of a young blonde-haired woman who stared over the railing of a flet at him and his party. And then she moved away, and the Elf's interest was piqued.
Who was she? Granted, he hadn't really hoped to plan on returning to Lothlorien, so he didn't know all the faces, but hers was out of place somehow. And with is keen eyes, he wasn't sure she was even Elven.
Haldir led them to the same platform where he and the rest of the Fellowship had met Galadriel for the first time. Galadriel greeted them in much the same way, her serenity a balm for their weariness.
"Again you walk the Golden Wood," she said calmly. "And again it is during Middle Earth's time of need." She looked around. "Leave us, all save Haldir."
The Elven attendants that often stood there were gone, silently, and Galadriel came forward.
"It is with a heavy heart that I ask you to serve Middle Earth in this way again, but it cannot be helped. I would introduce to you the reason for your coming."
And a moment later, Legolas saw her again.
She was human; at least, Legolas thought she was. She was led by a young elf who disappeared soon after.
Clad in white, she looked uncomfortable as she moved towards them. She was human, he confirmed, lacking the pointed ears of elves. She was tall for a woman (AN: I know that earlier I said she was average, but in ME she's probably tall) and had the strangest cut of hair. It was fairly short, barely reaching past her chin, and was evenly parted down the center, but it was spiky, and one half of her hair seemed longer than the other half. While it was clean and brushed, it still had an untamed air about it.
"The Lady Easton has come to our world in search of her voice."
Easton. What an odd-sounding name. It sounded, boyish, like it should be for a man rather than a woman. And in search of her voice? What did that mean, he wondered.
"What does a voice have to do with the fate of many?" Gimli asked gruffly from beside him.
"Much as the case may be," Gandalf answered and smiled kindly at Easton, who was silent. "Good day to you, young lady."
She nodded and looked away.
She was shy, Legolas thought. No other word for it.
"So what exactly is going on here?" Aragorn asked calmly.
"Nothing that honestly concerns you," came a voice and Legolas spun sharply and came face to face with...
...an elf?
He had to be. He walked silently and had the trademark ears. But they were longer and pierced, and his hair was so dark, it reminded him of Arwen. But his skin was dark as well, and Legolas had never seen a tanned elf.
And he was atrociously ill-mannered.
"Lady Galadriel, I know not why you insist that she has something to do with your world when she doesn't."
The Lady frowned at the elf and Easton looked at him questioningly.
"Argis, I assure you that what you may think is clouded and untrue."
Argis stepped forward and put his hand on Easton's shoulder. "And I assure you, Lady Galadriel, that our staying here has become tiresome and pointless. I have informed you of what we seek, and how are we to-" he stopped in mid-sentence when Easton shrugged from under his hand and moved away. He glared at her coolly for a moment.
"The Windoswe move fast. We have only a short window of time in which we may track them before they move onto the next world."
Easton sighed and tuned out his voice as he argued on as he had in the same manner with every other world they had been to.
It was tiresome. In every world, if they were taken under as guests, he would at first be very strict in following their commands. And then he would change, all of a sudden becoming stubborn and insistent. And if they asked to see her wings, he always commanded her to.
She wondered if he didn't get some cheap thrill out of humiliating her.
As he was embarrassing her now. It wasn't long before the man, the dwarf and the old wizard had joined into the brewing argument.
Legolas watched her withdraw into a silent shell. She clutched tightly at the cape that covered her and he wondered why she wore such an article in fine weather. Occasionally she would wince when Argis would be particularly sharp and her eyes would shift nervously.
Her shoulders trembled a bit, and she bit her lip once in a while. A flush started across her cheekbones and down her slender neck, and he realized her embarrassment was slowly turning to anger.
And then she snapped.
Argis was in the middle of going on about Middle Earth being useless to him when Easton's hand flew out of nowhere and slapped across his mouth. He looked startled and then petulant as he glared at her over her fingers. She glared back, a definite pout coming to her lips. Then she shook her head and drew her hand away, putting it stubbornly on her hips in a fist as it became a staring contest.
Argis snorted. "What do you have to say then, Easton?"
Her eyes widened and she stepped back, dropping her hands and looking down at her feet.
Legolas finally realized why she was so quiet. He realized that they literally had to find her voice again.
Easton, the fate of Middle Earth and many other worlds, was mute.
Later
That went well, Easton though sarcastically as she sat alone in her flet.
Finally, Galadriel had convinced Argis to at least let the four newcomers help find the Windoswe. It hadn't been pretty, with the cool way Argis argued. Haldir and he had exchanged some words, before Celeborn had commanded silence.
Argis really was a prick.
She sighed and reclined comfortably in a chair next to the railing. He had good intentions, saving his people and all, but most of the time he was a stubborn jerk. Obviously nobody had taught him a thing about tact or charm or anything that would probably get him farther than he was today.
She reached over and picked her pack off the floor and started digging through it.
Thank god Galadriel had not asked her to remove her cloak in front of the strangers. She was surprised that Argis hadn't told her to do so either. She swore he was sick and got thrills from seeing her uncomfortable.
She found what she wanted; a Tiny Code Player. She got out her headphones, plugged them in and switched the tiny little box on. (AN: It's kinda like an MP3 Player). A TCP was just an inch-by-inch thing that had only surface space enough for a teensy touch screen and outlet on the side for her headphones. The battery in that thing was an ET-R-Nal, so she never had to worry about recharging or replacing it. And the memory was astounding.
She took out a tiny pointer and scrolled down the screen list to a file that had her name on it. She touched it and then set it to "Play All List."
Closing her eyes, she lost herself in her own voice as it flowed over the headphones.
"Where am I today,
I wish that I knew,
'Cause lookin' around,
There's no sign of you,
I don't remember one jump or one leap,
Just quiet steps away from your lead,
I'm holding my heart out,
But clutching it too,
Feeling this short of a love that we once knew,
Calling this home when it's not even close,
Playing the roll with nerves left exposed,
Standing on a darkened step,
Stumbling through the light,
Others have excuses,
I have my reasons why,
We get distracted by dreams of our own,
Nobody's happy while feeling alone,
Knowing how hard it hurts when we fall,
Lean another ladder against the wrong wall,
And climb high to the highest wrung,
To shake fists at the sky,
Others have excuses I have my reasons why...
(With so much deception,) it's hard not to wander away,
(It's hard not to wander away!) It's hard not to wander away!"
If she had her voice, she would have been singing along with it. So instead, she listened and listened well, catching where she faltered, where her voice might had squeaked a bit. The song was an old one by Nicklecreek, and it was her favorite out of her short debut album. The songs on her TCP were still pretty raw, but she loved listening to them over and over again.
When she'd been locked in that tower, voiceless, the TCP had been her salvation of sorts, a connection to herself.
A connection she intended to rebuild.
As soon as she could get to the Windoswe.
Another song came on and she bobbed her head to the slightly beat-filled song, when a knock came. She jumped and touched the off button moments before the door opened.
She stood and scrambled for her cloak as the old white wizard poked his head in.
Red flushed her cheeks as he caught her with her wings half-covered. But he didn't seem to mind them and didn't stare as he turned that kind gaze on her.
"I didn't wish to disturb you, but I wonder if you have time to humor and old man some company at dinner."
She bit her lip and felt herself relax.
"I've been told you do not join the others in the dining hall."
She shrugged.
"Well, it's as good a time as any, don't you think?" he asked, smiling, holding his arm out to escort her.
She cocked her head to the side and stared at him in puzzlement. She'd expected disgust at her wings and instead he was being the kindest of people, next to Galadriel. And he wanted to escort her to dinner. She blinked.
She must be hanging around Argis too much if she was judging people too much.
Slowly she shrugged on her cloak and inched towards him. She placed a hand on his arm and he smiled and led her from the room.
She didn't know what she was thinking, actually accepting his offer. She didn't want to dine with the other elves; she couldn't stand their grace and beauty and the way a few of them seemed to look down on her. But the wizard, Gandalf put her at ease in a way she hadn't felt in a long time.
He reminded her of her grandpa.
Where that thought came from, Easton didn't know, but she decided it was true. Her grandpa had had the same kind nature, the same twinkle in his eyes. That had to be why she felt at ease with him.
Gandalf looked down at the young lady at his arm. She was so timid; he was surprised she'd accepted his invitation.
She was also very expressive. Her wide amber eyes would shine when she was suspicious or like before when she'd put an admonishing hand over that rogue, Argis's mouth. Her brows drew down and she pursed her lips in a tiny pout when she didn't understand or when she didn't like something. And she bowed her head when she was embarrassed.
"So tell me, my dear, have you seen much of Lothlorien?"
She looked up at him and shook her head "no."
"Well then, perhaps you would like to go with me tomorrow, and I might show you about before we make ready to leave."
She appeared to ponder for a moment and then looked up at him and shrugged.
"Think on it."
She nodded that she would.
They reached the dining hall and she stiffened as they passed through the archway. Her shoulders straightened and Gandalf felt the muscles in her arms bunch up a bit.
"Not to worry dear. They won't bite."
The hall had one long table and Gandalf led her over to the far end, where Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli were seated. She felt the gazes of many on her and felt sweat pop out on the back of her neck as she passed them. Two chairs were conveniently left empty, and he directed her to the one next to Legolas, who held it out for her. She blushed as she sat down and stared at the table a bit as Gandalf moved around to seat himself beside Aragorn.
"Easton, I'm not sure that you caught our names through the din of earlier," Gandalf said. "I am Gandalf the White. The Elf next to you is Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood. Beside him is Gimli, son of Gloin. And seated next to myself is Aragorn, King of Gondor."
She nodded once to each of them.
"A pleasure to meet you," Legolas said politely, as did Aragorn.
Once more she nodded.
Heck, what else could she do?
The meal was served, and Easton relaxed some. Gimli was entertaining, and her silent laughter made her cheeks glow a bit. He started telling tales of his own bravery- as well as "a couple about the elf,"- and it charmed her. Of course, he told all tales with the utmost humility, and her eyebrows would quirk at one of the other three to see if any of his tales were true. Most of them weren't, and made them all the more funny.
When the theme of his stores came to something about a ring, Easton blinked in interest and looked to Gandalf for elaboration. She was glad they were good at picking up her subtle questions, for soon they were all regaling her with the story of the War of the Ring and Sauron and Saruman. Her eyes grew wide as she listened with interest to what had happened to Middle Earth only a few short years before.
Dessert came as the story ended and she picked at it. She heard some conversation down the table and picked up something that sounded like her name. Easton glanced up, and apparently she was right about someone talking to her, because Legolas and Aragorn were looking that way as well.
"Wings?" Aragorn asked. He looked at her and she looked down. Her shoulders tensed and she nodded that yes, she had wings.
She figured Legolas already knew. He didn't seem surprised. But he did seem concerned that the elves down the table were speaking of her.
"Why didn't the Lady mention this?" Aragorn asked.
"We don't know why the Lady does a lot of things," Gandalf said. "And it's probably for the best that we found out on our own."
Easton avoided looking at them. She hated her wings, hated how ugly they were. People judged her for them, thought she was a freak. She scooted her chair back, making to leave, when Legolas stood as well.
"I will escort you," he said softly, offering her a hand to stand.
Not wanting to make a scene- everyone was watching- she reluctantly took his hand and let him help her to her feet.
"Goodnight, Lady Easton," Aragorn said from his seat.
"Sleep well. We will begin preparations for our journey in the morning," Gandalf said.
Gimli just nodded to her.
Legolas led her through the archway and to the stairs that would lead them to her flet.
"You're uncomfortable walking with me," Legolas observed.
How could she deny it? She was nervous around him. Easton nodded.
"Do not be. You should not let the judgment of others control how you act."
They paused outside her flet and she shrugged.
Knowing he probably wouldn't get much farther with her responses, Legolas bowed and bid her good night.
"We rise at dawn," he reminded her. "Sleep well, my lady."
She nodded and moved inside.
He was beautiful, she thought as she removed her cape and lay it across a chair. And he was different from the Lothlorien elves she had met. Many of the elves here were stuck up, and although their disdain was silent, it was stifling. They obviously didn't like outsiders.
But Legolas didn't seemed to be judging her. He hadn't seen her wings yet, but he knew of them and didn't seem to think they made her lower than even a human was to the immortal elves. Nor did Gimli or Aragorn. And Gandalf had seen them and didn't even mention them to her.
Maybe that's why Galadriel had sent for them to aide her in tracking the Windoswe. It was because they were so non-judgmental. Heck, they were all so different from each other, it didn't surprise her.
Maybe it wouldn't be so bad in this world.
Maybe it...
She stopped and rubbed at her throat gently. She'd felt a tiny shock of pain roll along it, and it was soon gone, so she dismissed it.
She wondered if she should allow Gandalf to show her some of the immediate Lothlorien. She didn't think she would. Wouldn't it be pointless when she figured she was leaving Middle Earth soon?
The shock of pain came again and she blinked in surprise, rubbing a little more furiously at her skin this time. And then...
Easton dropped to her knees as something shot through her. A deep pain in her chest, near her heart. She clawed at her skin and rolled to her back. It felt like something was rising up inside her; she didn't know what, but it hurt like hell!
She rolled and knocked into a chair. It clattered loudly against the rail and then fell to the floor. She couldn't breathe now! Her wings cushioned her against the floor and she coughed loudly, trying to clear her throat for air.
The door swung open; apparently Legolas had taken his time in leaving and had heard her knock the chair over. He rushed to kneel by her side and grabbed at her hands as she clawed at her own throat.
And then it was over, and Easton blacked out from lack of oxygen.
"It was the Windoswe," Argis confirmed later as he stood in the corner of Easton's flet, watching a healer put some salve on the scratches she'd put on her own throat. "They're taunting us, trying to get us on their trail."
"Why would they do that?" Aragorn asked as he watched the Magitas Elf closely.
He snorted. "Because they like playing games and leading us around. And they have control over her voice so they can cause her pain."
"I still can't see how it is that a voice could save Middle Earth," Gimli spoke bluntly.
Argis didn't brook an argument when the dwarf spoke, which was surprising. Instead he let the comment pass.
"The voice is powerful in many ways; it can sing a body to sleep, it can soothe tears, it can cause pain to sensitive ears..." Argis paused. "Easton's voice can bring life to a whole people once again. As is the power of the Magitas."
"You are a Magitas," Legolas pointed out. "Why do you not use that same power?"
Argis didn't seem to like this question and made it known with a scowl. "Because in the last centuries, the song has faded from our world. I know not the right song to sing because I cannot feel it. Easton has that power." His voice was bitter, and Legolas picked up on one thing.
Argis was jealous of Easton.
It was almost funny, really, ironic even. Easton was obviously more than a little intimidated by the tall elf, and he was jealous that she was to save his world. He was jealous that she apparently sang so beautifully and he could not.
He looked over at the still figure on the bed and frowned thoughtfully; it seemed silly that singing a song would raise a people, but he supposed stranger things may have happened.
Easton started to awaken a moment later and when her eyes were fully open she stare at them blankly. It took her a little bit to realize what was going on and she abruptly sat up when she did.
They'd all seen her wings as she lay on the floor and in the bed, but no that they straightened out behind her, Gimli, Aragorn, and Legolas really saw what it was that sent tongue wagging about Lothlorien. They were hideous appendages that looked quite useless; the bandages were falling off at the joints and hung down, making them look more banged up than they already were. It was little wonder that she tried to hide them from everybody.
Against the sharp command of the healer, Easton launched from the bed, heedless of her wings- which weren't that big- and headed to the railing. She nodded her head sharply at Argis and pointed towards the south, her other hand gripping the railing for support.
The healer followed and put a hand to her shoulder. She shrugged it off abruptly and angled a glare at him before again pointing south.
Argis raised an eyebrow.
Exasperated and frustrated, she pointed at her throat and then back to the south.
"They head south?" he asked incredulously.
She nodded.
"Impossible. I sense their power to the north. You need your rest Easton. Your delusional." He turned around and made to leave the flet.
A burst of strength coursed through Easton and she growled deep in her throat, though it was a silent growl. She glared at his back and then leapt forward, snagging a fistful of his shirt and yanked him back.
The force of his body falling back into Easton's was enough to snap the rail behind them and they went careening to the ground. The other occupants shouted in alarm and Argis gave out a choked cry as they fell.
Easton kept a hold on his upper body and glared at a point in the sky as she opened her wings. What good they would do, she didn't know, but she was determined to try.
And low and behold, a thermal caught her scrawny wings and carried them up. She urged the bruised appendages into motion and flapped them once, then twice, and soon they had floated above the flet they'd fallen from.
Easton was bound and determined to get Argis to listen to her. She knew the Windoswe were headed south. She could feel it in her bones, but he refused to listen to her silent pleas. He was such a jerk! She was tired of his quiet disdain and his inability to accept any help from her. She was surprised he'd taught her to fight even! It made her furious that he thought she was incompetent. She wondered why he even bothered to bring her along. Why couldn't he have just found the voice on his own?
This world was different. She could feel her voice here, and she could sense the Windoswe as well. Why wouldn't he for once, just once, listen to her?
She spun him around and held him up in the air by the front of his shirt. Easton had had it. She glared down at him and then spun to face the south. She angled her head at it and then looked back down.
"We're going north," he choked out.
She shook her head and let him drop. Not good enough.
Aunt Gray's House
"It's getting late. Let's get some dinner," Aunt Gray said, pausing the story.
"What!" Wynnie cried in dismay. "You can't stop there!" Her stomach growled.
"Your belly's protesting. We'll continue later after we get something to eat. Who's up for Chinese?"
Glumly, Ivy and Wynnie agreed to pause for dinner and they headed inside to get their things and head to town.
Ivy drove, and Aunt Gray stared out the window. She felt a slight pain in her throat and smiled sadly. It was a ghost of a pain and it reminded her of the story she was telling them.
She looked over at her two girls and the pain went away under the happiness she felt that they were with her.
So, how was it? Did you love it, hate it? Please tell me! And tell me if I need to improve on anything! Feedback is much appreciated! Oh! And thank you to DarkAngelPearl for being my first-ever reviewer on this story! gives a huggle
Soulfully yours,
Gray