Disclaimer: Do not own anything recognized from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien or from the movies directed by Peter Jackson.
Chapter One: Choice in the Dark
Darkness is upon me now and all is lost,
One direction all is foul and at a precious cost.
The other direction a light still yet remains,
In it a promise to end all misery and pains.
Since I was able to read I have done so. But, only when my life was dreary. When the real world became to much to bear I would plunge myself into a story as one of the characters. Then at night I had a gift for dreaming all that I had read that day very vividly. It was my escape from the life that I was living. As the years passed by I soon found myself reading more and more.
It all began when my parents fell ill. I would escape into another world and forget the troubles of the day. Soon they passed on and left me with my aging grandparents. Very slowly after the passing of my parents I watched as all my family soon passed away by some means or another. Over a ten year period I lost everyone dear to me with the exception of my grandfather whom I adored since birth. Then I met my husband. Life seemed wonderful for a while. Soon that would end to though when I found out that we could not have children that we both so dearly wanted. He left me then to an aging grandfather that no longer recognized me from a stranger.
So I then turned to the only thing that lent me comfort, my books. I had spent many hours amongst my grandfathers bookshelves when I came across a rather old book. I carefully pulled it from the shelf and examined it. The brown binding was all but falling off of the text and the pages within where thick and colored with age. Upon the pages was not the usual typed script but a legible hand-written one. It sparked my curiosity immediately and all other books laid forgotten.
As I began to read the tale inside I was captivated. It told of a world with magic, evil, elves, dwarves, hobbits, and their histories. The author described the world in a detail as if he himself had been there. Unlike other books I had read I could not place myself as any of the characters within. I found it a little disturbing that I could only picture myself observing from above. I did not like this revelation because I did not like who I was. It was as if a higher power had played with my entire life to see exactly how much grief one person could bear, and I had no desire to be the cold person I had now become.
I still had my dreams though. In my dreams I was there as myself, as much as I hated it for the grief and loss, I still found comfort. In my dreams I would meet the characters I had read about. They were all very kind to me and told me to embrace who I was. I did not want to. I had convinced myself it was done to me to teach me a lesson of some sort that I did not comprehend and that is why it continually repeated itself. There was one character from the books that always talked to me in my dreams trying to convince me that all would be well in time.
He was an elderly man that was always dressed in gray. His name was Mithrandir. He spoke wisdom and of that much I was certain, but at the time I was too involved in myself to really listen to what he told me. He often answered questions I had from what I was reading and indulged me in showing me places I had read about, filling in all of the details that where vague in my reading.
One morning I awoke from a dream in which Mithrandir told me that I would face my final trial on this day. He spoke to me of my many trials and told me that they were placed for me to make me stronger in spirit. I asked him what he meant by final trial and he only smiled at me. As I entered my grandfathers bedroom that morning I knew what the final trial was.
There lay my grandfather upon his bed. I thought him asleep at first but then I felt the lifelessness in the room. The only soul there was me. I approached him and checked for his pulse. I confirmed he had indeed passed on. I found at first I was happy in that he no longer suffered. Then I was angry that it had happened yet again and now I was finally all alone in the world. Then finally sadness took me at the fact that I would never see him smile again. All of it happened in a matter of heartbeats. The sadness and grief finally took over and I ran from the room in search of my car keys.
As I approached the freeway my sadness then subsided to anger yet again. I sped down the freeway with music blaring, pushing my car faster and faster. I was recklessly swerving through traffic not caring if I died at the moment. At that moment there was a voice in my head telling me to slow down and pass this trial. Knowing I was loosing my mind when voices from my dreams started speaking to me while awake, I took the next exit and drove into the country leisurely. I ended up in the middle of nowhere near a lake. I stopped my car and got out to explore my surroundings.
I was at, what looked like, the privately owned side of a lake. Trees where surrounding me and I felt as if I was the only person in the world at that moment. I sat upon a bench for hours thinking of anything and everything. I watched as the still waters would ripple when a fish broke the surface. I watched as the sun began setting behind the hills casting beautiful shades of orange and yellow upon the water. Darkness was upon me now. I could feel it surrounding me. Then out of nowhere the figure from my dreams appeared in front of me. It was Mithrandir and he smiled at me. I know I returned the gesture with a frown.
"You are not real, this confirms that I have lost my sanity." I told him and he smiled even more.
"You have passed your final trial here Elena, and a choice is now held before you." the now all to familiar voice said.
"Why do you call me that?" I asked him
"Because it is your name child. Now take my hand so I may show to you your choices." He spoke as it I did not take his hand he would turn me into a toad. Reluctantly I reached out and took his hand. He lead me further into the darkness. Soon everything became so dark I could not see my hand in front of my face. "These are your choices Elena. One direction will take you further into darkness, the other will lead to light. Make your choice." he commanded of me.
I looked behind me and only saw darkness. Then as I looked all around me there was still only darkness. "I see no light." I told him and he told me to look harder. To my right I then saw a small speck of light gleaming in the distance. I was drawn to it of a will not of my own. "It is so far, I can not reach it." I said looking back in the general direction of Mithrandir.
"It seems far off Elena but it is there. Is the light your choice?" he asked me and I nodded turning back to face the light. "It will be a long distance for you Elena, filled with many trials, but once you arrive there it will have been well worth it." he said taking both of my hands to face him. I watched in awe as a bright white light started emanating from him and then it enveloped me and all I saw was white.
Then I felt as if I was spinning in all directions at great speeds. My hands where still being held, then as suddenly as it all started it had stopped. I no longer felt my hands being held and still all I saw was white. I could hear voices speaking in a language I did not understand. They where powerful voices, so powerful they all but caused pain in my head. There was a presences in all the white and it surrounded me. I then felt that presence envelope me, taking all my body and soul, starting from my middle and working its way out. I felt an incredible warmth surge through me and then all slowly went dark and quite.
Gandalf
Elena was chosen by the Valar for a purpose that was not yet disclosed to me. They summoned me to find her, which was simple enough, and bring her to them. She had showed amazing strength through all of the trials they had put her through preparing her for their plan.
"Olorin take her now to the borders of Imladris and leave her there." Manwe commanded of me. I nodded.
"Do not trouble yourself all will be revealed in time Olorin, now make haste her destiny awaits her." Varda then said. I nodded once again knowing not to question them and left for the realm of Elrond. I hoped that he had foreseen her arrival and prepared accordingly since I could not remain there to see her safely to the last homely house.
Late July T.A. 2998
Glorfindel
I approached Elrond's study warily, knowing that if I was summoned by him in the middle of the night it was something serious. As I approached he opened the door and ushered me in. I frowned as my suspicions were confirmed by the subtle look in his eyes. I turned to him with my arms crossed over my chest, "You summoned."
"That I did Glorfindel, I need you to travel to the borders." Elrond said while handing me a cup of wine.
"Elrond your sons are at the borders why is that I must go and in the middle of the night might I add?" I gave him a quizzical stare and sat down in a near by chair.
"Glorfindel I have ever trusted you with errands of importance, this one in particular is of such importance. Probably more important than most. I can not have my sons pulled away from their duty at the present." I continued to stare at him and finally asked when he became less than forthcoming,
"And what am I searching for?"
Elrond then walked to the window overlooking the gardens and sighed, "I have foreseen the arrival of someone of great importance on our borders. I seen her near the ford. I believe Mithrandir will be with her for a short while." Elrond finished.
I rose from my chair and approached him, "Is that all you have foreseen?"
"No. We do not have the time to discuss it. You must be at the ford by morning." Elrond said while I finished my wine, he then turned to me, "Now make haste, I will explain all that I can upon your return." With that said I nodded to Elrond and made my way to the stables to retrieve Asfaloth.
I pushed my mount all night and into the first break of dawn. I opened my senses searching for anything out of the ordinary near the ford. I sensed nothing. I walked a distance into the forest and then saw a bright flash of light. I approached that direction and watched as the light faded and Mithrandir became visible to me. He was holding a women in his arms.
"Ah Glorfindel you lighten my heart my friend for I feared I would had to have left her here alone." he said. I approached him taking off my cloak. Carefully I wrapped the nude women in it while lifting her from Mithrandir. He then spoke, "Take her to Elrond and tell him I shall arrive within a fortnight. She should regain consciousness by nightfall."
"And her name?" I arched an eyebrow at him. Surely she had one.
"Elena she is now called. Now I shall not tarry to long my friend, farewell." and with that said he was off deeper into the woods. I took a moment to study the women now in my arms. She had long dark hair that smelt of berries. Her skin spoke of her not being in the sun much and was flawless on her face. She had a face of beauty but I saw the trails of her life written plainly upon it in the soft lines above her brow. She was small in stature and weighed nothing to me, yet she looked healthy. There was something else I sensed coming from her. There was something powerful within her. I could not place it and it unsettled me.
I then turned and called for Asfaloth. Once he approached I placed Elena in front of me and we rode at a hurried pace back to the halls of Elrond. It was late in the afternoon that we finally arrived. Upon my arrival the twins where in the stable tending to their mounts. As I entered they stopped all that they were doing to stare at me. I gave them a warning look that would take no argument. Silently they fallowed me into the hall.
I took Elena to the nearest available chamber and laid her gently upon the bed. I then turned to the twins that where standing just inside the doorway. "Elladan find Elrond and tell him I have returned from his appointed errand, Elrohir help me dress her." They immediately set to work. Elrohir found a shift while I carefully removed my cloak from the women.
My hand grazed over her stomach and I felt a shock run through my arm. It was then followed by a warmth and a couple of seconds later a coolness as if I sunk my arm into water. I could not explain it and was examining my arm when Elrohir spoke breaking my concentration.
"What is it?" he asked and I just shook my head. I grabbed the shift from him and motioned him to hold her up. I pulled the shift over her head and as I finished covering her Elladan returned with Elrond. Elrond looked to me before approaching her.
"Mithrandir shall be here within the fortnight. He arrived with her in the woods not far from the ford. Her name is Elena." I finished informing Elrond. The twins where patiently waiting for explanations.
Elrond then approached her and ran his hand over the length of her body, yet not touching her. I watched as he stopped at her stomach. He gently placed his hand there and held it steady for a few moments. He then pulled it away satisfied with his examination and smiled. I looked at him knowing he felt the same as I had and asked, "What is it?"
"Tis' life." He said with the smile remaining. The twins looked no doubt the same as I. Elrond then continued, "Two to be exact, female, the both of them". By that time the twins and myself had become a little unnerved. It was Elladan that spoke first.
"And the father?" he said with the frown on his face. He knew that no one had been within the borders for many weeks that he did not know about.
"That is where the tale becomes a little more complicated. Come let us take council in my study. The lady needs rest in the quiet. I will send Gilraen to watch her for she shall awake before nightfall." Elrond said ushering the twins out the door. I soon followed once I covered Elena with a blanket.
Once we where all seated in the study Elrond looked to me. He knew I had felt the same presents within Elena. Though his sons where well tuned in their senses as well they were not as experienced in them as Elrond or myself. Finally Elrond spoke.
"I foreseen her arrival as did Galadriel. We know little of her or her purpose. We do know that her time here will be with the Eldar for her children must learn all they can from our people." Elrond said and the twins just looked to each other. I did not know why but a thought occurred to me.
"Of the stars are born fire and water." I murmured and Elrond arched an eyebrow at me. I continued voicing my train of thought. "I read somewhere a prophecy of such. That is what I felt when I touched her, fire and water."
"Yes I read that to." Elladan said and then turned reaching for a book off of the shelf. He looked quickly through it and when he found the passage he placed it in front of Elrond. Elrond quickly read it.
"Yes but this is very vague as to what is meant. It could have just as easily been read as something that happened in the past. Yet perhaps we are on the right track. We shall know more when Mithrandir arrives I am sure. For now though we must make Elena comfortable. She is not familiar with our time, nor dare I say elves in general." Elrond said placing the book to the side. "I feel however she will be most accepting of it all. Also the three of you are now assigned to her care. She must be protected." Elrond said sitting back down.
"Ada there are many groups of orcs around our borders, we destroyed two before we were summoned back here. They are from the mountains." Elrohir stated.
"That is why you shall remain here. I want no harm to befall Elena. I have a feeling it will take all three of you to make this so. The others can handle the orcs, they are quite capable." Elrond said and the twins nodded. It was at that time there was a knock upon the door. At Elrond's command a servant entered.
"My lord the lady Gilraen sends me to inform you the women is awake." The maid said.
"Tell her when Elena is ready to escort her here so we may speak with her." Elrond said. The maid nodded and left.
"Do you not think the four of us would be a little overwhelming for her?" I then asked knowing she had never seen elves.
"You are right. Elladan, Elrohir take yourselves from here." Elrond said and at their look he continued, "Fear not she shall be at dinner, I want to make this as simple as I may." They both then nodded and left the study. I looked to Elrond as we waited for Elena.