THE ELVES OF SUMMER

LOTR Fic by the Carefreequill

Summary: Jamie is lost in Middle Earth. Now what? Can two brothers from Ithilien help her find her way? It is an adventure in the lives of Thelyn and Alcon, after their parents leave for Valinor. (Follows The Last Seer. If you haven't read it, I recommend it.)

Disclaimer: I own Jamie, and a handful of Elves I created for The Last Seer. Everything else is Tolkien's. No infringement is intended.

Notes: Sindarin is in italics.

Accidents Happen

Jamie was an independent tomboy of sixteen from the Northern California. She didn't wear make up or read teen magazines, she hiked in the woods. She kept her curly brown hair fairly short in a casual mop that was still feminine, but didn't reach beyond the base of her neck. Her complexion was tanned from long days spent outside in the sunshine. Her mother would chew her out for coming home after dark covered in dust, with mud and moss in the tread of her shoes. But Jamie didn't care. It wasn't like she was running around with boys or something, she just liked being outdoors. Jamie didn't respect her mother anyway. Less than two months after her father died, Jamie's mom started seeing other people… lots of other people. Jamie was disgusted. She was at the bottom of her mother's list of important people and it stung. Jamie took charge of her own life and skated her way through school on an easy B average. Other than that, she did as she pleased.

Jamie loved to read, classics mostly like Treasure Island or any other good adventure. Occasionally she'd read Isaac Asimov, Anne Rice or Agatha Christie. Her favorite thing to do was take a book into the forest and find a nice quiet spot to read. One Friday afternoon, Jamie decided to camp out. She didn't tell her mother, not that she'd notice anyway, she just loaded her backpack with a change of clothes, sleeping bag, food and a couple good books. She dressed in layers with her khaki pants that had the handy option of zipping off the legs for shorts, a blue flannel lumberjack shirt with a tank top under it, and her hiking jacket. She zipped the liner out of her jacket, stuffed it into her backpack and then slipped out the back door. She headed down the path into the woods she'd become so familiar with. She loved the Northern Redwoods, tall and strong. Usually she went to a quiet glen to sit and read, but decided to do something different. Jamie shielded her hazel eyes from the sun as she looked around for a different trail. She spotted just the thing and climbed up a steep hill to a cliff that overlooked a mountain stream. She found the perfect place to sit and watch the water that was still swelling its banks from the spring thaw. She sat on the ledge over the rushing water and smiled. Jamie closed her eyes and lost herself in the roar of the torrent. The air was pleasantly cool so close to the water and Jamie thought she'd move closer to the banks. But the earth beside the stream was unstable and she lost her footing. She tried to reach for a branch to catch her balance, but it was too late and she tumbled forward right into the rushing stream and was carried away…

Thelyn and Alcon were unusual elves that stood out among their people. They were identical twins, and quite handsome, but that was normal for elves. What set them apart was their flaming red hair and green eyes. Those features came from their mother, Miranda. She wasn't an Elf, she was a Seer. She had spent her life sharing her wisdom and then departed across the sea with their father, Haldir. After their departure, the twins had spent much of their time in Ithilien, but were becoming more and more restless. Their older sister Miiriel had tried to convince them to stay in Minas Tirith with her and her husband Eldarion, but they would only spend short visits. This particular day, they finished their duties as border guards around the forest of Ithilien and decided it was perfect weather for swimming. On the northern side of the wood was a clear stream that marked the border of the Elves' settlement. The pair rode along the stream until they came to a waterfall that poured into a large clear pool. It had been their mother's favorite swimming hole and now it was theirs as well. Thelyn and Alcon dismounted and tied up their horses.

"I don't suppose you have a towel in your saddle bag?" Alcon asked his brother.

"Of course not," Thelyn said, "You?"

"Nope, just a blanket," Alcon said.

"Lay it out on the bank and we can put our clothes there," Thelyn suggested.

They removed their swords, quivers and bows followed by their clothes and laid them on the blanket. With nothing left but their underwear, looking a bit like grey loin cloths, the brothers glanced at each other.

"Race you to the other side," Alcon said with a cocked brow.

"You're on," Thelyn said and they both tore down the bank and dove in.

They swam hard, a fairly even match, but Alcon managed to get there just a little faster. They sat on the opposite bank and caught their breath. Thelyn shook the water from his long red hair and chuckled.

"And I thought this was going to be just another boring day," Alcon said. "You're improving."

"I should know better than to accept a swimming challenge against you," Thelyn said. "You always did swim like you were part fish."

"Yes, well you always best me in a foot race so we are even," Alcon said.

They shared a laugh together, but quickly sobered when a flock of birds suddenly broke from the trees above the waterfall and flew away. They immediately looked across the pond to their weapons neatly laid out, and uselessly out of reach. Alcon dove back in the water to swim back and get his sword, but halfway across he stopped and looked up. From the stream above, a black bundle tumbled over the falls. He was about to retrieve it when he heard a cough and a gasp.

"Wait, look!" Thelyn yelled as he pointed to the top of the falls.

A body plummeted over the falls and into the pool below. Alcon waited for them to surface, but they didn't, so he dove in after them. Thelyn dove in as well and they searched desperately for the swimmer. They dove down again and again, coming up only briefly for air. Finally, Alcon rose to the surface with the swimmer in tow. Whoever it was had short brown hair and was dressed strangely. Alcon dragged his burden to the shore and Thelyn grabbed the black bundle and followed. On the shore, Alcon turned over the… girl? She was icy cold and her skin was nearly blue. She looked very young, barely more than a child.

"It's a girl," Alcon said in astonishment.

Thelyn checked for breathing and a pulse, and thankfully she was still alive, but barely. Suddenly she convulsed and broke into a coughing fit. The brothers both sighed with relief and turned her to her side to help her clear the water from her lungs.

"You're alright," Thelyn said. "You're going to be just fine."

Alcon noticed her round ears. "Try the common speech, Thelyn. She probably won't understand…"

The brothers watched as she caught her breath and opened her eyes. She stared up at them and was visibly shocked by their appearance. Thelyn blushed when he realized they were nearly naked in front of a young woman.

"Do you understand me?" he asked in Sindarin.

She gave him a confused blank stare. She seemed barely coherent, but it was obvious she didn't understand.

"What's your name?" Alcon asked in the common speech.

She started shivering and chattered out, "J-J-Jamie."

"Jamie?" Thelyn said.

She nodded and Alcon grabbed their blanket and covered her up.

"That's a nice name," he said, trying to put her at ease. "My name is Alcon and this is my brother Thelyn. Where do you live?"

"Scotts Valley," Jamie said weakly. "I got swept downstream. I've been in the water for quite a while. How far have I gone?"

"I don't know," Alcon said seriously. "We have never heard of this… Scottsvalley you speak of."

She looked at them nervously and Thelyn recognized the fear in her eyes immediately. "There's no reason to be afraid, we won't hurt you, Jamie. It is lucky for you that we were swimming here. You probably would have drowned," Thelyn said.

Alcon was watching her closely, and her eyelids started to flutter. A moment later she just passed out.

"We need to get her out of those wet clothes and warm her up," Alcon said as he started peeling the sopping wet layers off of her. "Grab my shirt, it'll have to do for now." He examined the strange shoes she was wearing and frowned at the ties. They were knotted and swollen from water so he just grabbed his knife and cut them.

Thelyn removed her tank top, trying not to stare. This was not a time to worry over her modesty; they were merely trying to save her life. He still blushed as he put Alcon's long shirt on her. Finally free from her soggy clothes, Alcon wrapped her in the blanket again.

"We need to get her indoors," Alcon said. "She needs the care of a healer."

"Our house is the closest," Thelyn said. "I'll take her there and you ride into the settlement for help."

They dressed quickly and Thelyn mounted up. Alcon lifted Jamie up to him and Thelyn wrapped an arm around her.

"Hurry with that help," Thelyn said. "She doesn't look good."

"I will, now get going," Alcon said and slapped the flank of Thelyn's horse.

Thelyn galloped through the woods taking every shortcut he knew. The girl in his arms was fading from exposure. This Jamie was a complete mystery, but at the moment it didn't matter. All that mattered was that she needed their help. One thing he'd learned from his mother was that there are no coincidences. She fell into their laps for a reason. He couldn't wait to find out what that reason was.

"She is finally starting to warm up," Legolas said as he put his hand on her forehead. "She should be fine with a little rest."

"When she wakes, give her this tea and try to get her to eat," Tulco said. "I expect to see her on her feet in a day or so."

"Thank you for coming so quickly, Lord Tulco," Thelyn said.

Tulco gave the brothers a nod and left.

Failon turned to Alcon and asked, "Who is she?"

"Her name is Jamie and she said she is from Scottsvalley," Alcon said. "I have no idea where that is."

Legolas cocked a brow and looked at her again. She was young, near the age Miranda had been when she first came to Middle Earth. He furrowed his brow in thought. "Did you look in her pack?"

"There was no time," Thelyn said.

"Open it," Failon said. "Perhaps there will be a clue in there as to who she is."

Jamie was dimly aware of voices, but she couldn't understand what was being said. She felt lost somewhere just beneath the surface of consciousness. The voices were near, but far away somehow. She tried to open her eyes but her lids felt like lead. Her mind raced through the memories of what happened. She was hiking… and oh god! She fell… Jamie remembered the icy water and the current that carried her miles from home. She was drowning and then, she was rescued… or had she died and they were her angels?

"Clothes, a bed roll, food… I think, and books," Failon said. "They are drenched but still readable… well, the writing is unusual."

"Let me see that," Legolas said. It was as he'd suspected. The characters reminded him of Miranda's writing. He was most interested in talking to this Jamie when she woke up.

Finally she was able to open her eyes. She was lying in a comfortable bed under several blankets. There was a roaring fire in the fireplace and there were four men in the room. They all had long straight hair pulled back in an intricate braid and they had… pointed ears. Jamie closed her eyes and then opened them again. Yes, the ears were still pointed. One was blonde; another had strawberry blonde hair, and the other two she recognized as her red-haired angels. They were having a discussion and… searching her backpack? What the hell!

"Hey! Where am I and what are you doing?" she asked in annoyance.

Legolas turned around and was confronted by an angry pair of hazel eyes.

"We thought we might find out where you came from," Legolas said. "Your family is no doubt worried about you."

Jamie frowned at the mention of family. Mom wouldn't miss her until the school called to find out why she was absent. "That is unlikely," Jamie said bitterly. "If you want to know where I came from, ask them; I told them when they found me," she added as she pointed at the twins.

"Scottsvalley," Legolas said thoughtfully. "Is there another name for your home?"

"Not Scottsvalley, Scotts… Valley," she said with a chuckle. "How about Santa Cruz?"

Blank stares.

"Boulder Creek?" she ventured and then tried a larger town though it was farther north, "San Francisco?"

"Those names are all unfamiliar," Failon said firmly.

"Not all of them," Legolas said, his mind grabbing on to San Francisco. Miranda was from San Francisco. Hmmm.

"Well what part of California am I in? It's not like I see people who look like you every day…" she said in frustration.

"California?" Failon repeated, remembering it from a story his mother had told.

"What do you mean, people who look like us?" Thelyn asked with a cocked brow.

Jamie bit her lip, suddenly realizing she had gone too far. The last thing she wanted to do wa insult them. "Nothing," she said quietly.

"You mean the ears," Legolas said knowingly. "Are there no Elves where you are from?"

"Only in stories," Jamie said, and then her eyes suddenly got big and she exclaimed, "Oh, my god! Where am I?"

"You are in the Elven Settlement of Ithilien in the land of Gondor," Legolas said. "Welcome to Middle Earth, Jamie."

Jamie looked from face to face in utter shock. Did she get sucked down a whirlpool into fantasyland or something? What was she going to do now?

Thelyn watched her expressions with interest. She was out of her element, and she was scared, but she tried to sound brave. He found it admirable, and somewhat amusing. There was an uncomfortable silence and Thelyn didn't like it. Thankfully it was broken by Silivren.

"All right, all of you, out. She needs to get some rest," Silivren said firmly as she entered the bedroom with a tray.

The four Elves immediately headed for the door, thankful for the chance to get away and talk. Legolas paused at the door and looked back at Jamie. There was something mysterious at work and he wished Miranda were here. Perhaps he should talk to Miiriel. She inherited her mother's gift. Perhaps she could shed a little light on this situation. He sighed and left, closing the door.

Silivren helped Jamie to sit up. "My name is Silivren," she said with a smile. "You were lucky that the twins were swimming this morning," she added.

"Who are they?" Jamie asked.

"The twins? Thelyn and Alcon are my brothers in law. Failon, with the reddish blonde hair is my husband," she said. "And the Blonde Elf is Legolas Greenleaf, the Prince of the Northern Forest realm and the leader here."

Jamie blushed, realizing she was completely lost. "What's going to happen to me?"

Silivren looked at the young woman with sympathy. "How old are you, Jamie?"

"Sixteen," Jamie said.

"Don't worry. You are among friends here. Now, drink this tea. Lord Tulco, our healer insists it will help speed your recovery," Silivren said with a smile.

Jamie took the offered cup and sipped it. It had a pleasant flavor and it seemed to warm her right through. "Thank you, Silivren," Jamie said sincerely.

"Eat, and get some sleep," Silivren ordered. "I'll check on you in a little while." She left Jamie alone and rejoined her family in the front room.

They were seated at the table debating what to do next.

"I think we should take her to Minas Tirith," Legolas said. "Aragorn would be most interested to meet her, and maybe Miiriel will have some idea of what to do."

Silivren was annoyed. The poor girl was lost, sick from exposure and frightened. She needed a chance to recover. She needed a little time to get to know them so she'd feel safe. Rushing her off on a journey to meet the King was not a good idea, at least not yet. She frowned at them and stood with her hands on her hips.

"You are not taking her anywhere," Silivren said firmly, glaring at her husband. "The poor child is terrified."

Thelyn cocked a brow at the use of the title child. He'd gotten an intimate look at her and Jamie was no child. "Child?" he repeated.

"Sixteen, lost and surrounded by strangers," Silivren said firmly. "Have a consideration for her feelings." And with that she went to the kitchen to cool off. Sometimes men could be so insensitive, even elves.

"Well," Failon said to his brothers. "I guess you two have a houseguest."

Alcon looked at Thelyn and they both looked back at Failon. Two unmarried Elves in a house alone with an unmarried woman. Not good. "You and Silivren are welcome to stay…"

"Relax, Thelyn, we'll stay," Failon said with a chuckle.

"I'll stop by in the morning to see how she is doing," Legolas said as he rose from the table. He gave the twins an encouraging smile and then left.

Thelyn went to his room without another word.

Failon turned to Alcon and asked, "What do you think?"

"I think Thelyn likes her," he said with a smirk.

Failon shook his head. "Figures."