Hey everyone! This is the first story I've ever posted, and I'm really excited to see what everyone thinks about it. Please review; constructive criticism, suggestions, and ideas are welcome. Hope you enjoy!

All Lord of the Rings material is property of J.R.R. Tolkien. I'd like to thank him for creating such a wonderful story. I would also like to send my thanks to Peter Jackson for bringing such an amazing trilogy to the screen. Some parts of this story are directly lifted from the book, and other parts from the movie. Auranor and situations and events unique to her are my creation.

Prologue
A Dark Past

The all too familiar echo of clanging steel rang through the forest, followed by a forceful, determined grunt, then the scraping of disengaging blades

"Ha! You shall not escape so easily, young warrior!" bellowed a deep, thunderous male voice in the Sindarian tong.

"Nay! I shall escape much less hindered!" taunted a strong willed female voice, the beautiful Elvish flowing from her lips like the crack of a whip.

Into a green, treeless clearing ran a beautiful elf maiden, clad in intricately crafted armor. She grasped in her hand a long, sleek sword with an elaborately designed metallic hilt, mounted with a single, amethyst stone. Her long, blonde hair danced in the breeze behind her as she ran, and her misty blue eyes gleamed with a spark of mischief. She ran with the commanding agility and grace of the Mearas, the great wild horses of the Riddermark. Suddenly, she came to a halt in the middle of the clearing. A sly smile grew across her face as she eyed a nearby oak tree. She walked to the base of the tree, sheathing her sword across her back, and began to climb, much like a cat. Then she perched upon a branch, completely out of sight to the unobservant eye, awaiting the arrival of her pursuer.

Just as the elf maiden had expected, another elf appeared through the trees, running toward the clearing. His face was youthful in appearance, yet his eyes shone with the wisdom acquired through countless ages of the past. A sword he also carried, crafted in the same sleek Elvish style. The hilt was studded with sapphires that sparkled brightly in the sun. As he neared the clearing, he slowed to a cautious walk, observing everything around him. His keen elf eyes and ears caught even the slightest movement or sound. He continued on slowly through the clearing, and soon neared the tree in which the she-elf was hiding. A sly grin grew across his face as he passed by the tree, and stopped but a few feet beyond it.

Suddenly, the maiden sprung out of the tree with a victorious battle cry, sword drawn. The blade was poised such that it would easily impale her advisory through the back upon landing. However, the elf on the ground was not as dimwitted as the she-elf had hoped. Just as the blade of her sword was about make contact with its target, the wise elf spun around with his sword raised above his head, guarding himself from the predicted blow. The two blades crashed together, resonating across the entire countryside, silencing any wild creature within hearing distance. With great speed, the elf swung his blade around, disengaging with his foe, causing the she-elf to loose all sense of balance, and land hard on the ground. She shook her head, trying to recover her senses, but when she attempted to regain her height, she was met by the cold steel of her foe's sword resting against her throat.

She shrank back at the touch of the blade upon her fair skin, but stared her opponent in the eyes without sign of fear. "Go on, kill me if you dare," she taunted with a sly air.

"Do not tempt me, for I will if you cause the need," the elf replied with a rather arrogant attitude. The two stared each other down like animals. Smiles slowly grew across their mouths, until they were both laughing hysterically at one another. The elf withdrew his sword, sheathing it, and offered a hand to the she-elf. She gladly accepted it, and he pulled her up onto her feet. He handed her sword to her, and she also replaced it to its rightful scabbard.

"I say, My Lady, you gave me quite a run for my luck this time," the elf admitted. "But there are still some flaws to your method."

"My Good Lord, had you not realized my whereabouts within the tree, I would have succeeded in defeating you," the other boasted.

"If you would not have fidgeted so much while hiding, I would not have heard you," he replied with a chuckle.

"I suppose you are right," she admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Ah Auranor, you fight just like your father, with such skill and bravery. But you also have been gifted with his stubborn desire to continuously expand your knowledge in the way of battle," the elf said, gazing lovingly at her with a warm smile. "You have your mother's radiant beauty and melodious voice."

Auranor looked up at him with a sad smile, then shifted her gaze to the ground. "Nestellon, I miss them so much. I wish they were here with us, even if only for a moment." She sighed, a veil of grief and sorrow shielding her eyes. "I remember the day that they were taken from me. The horror is still fresh in my mind, as if it all happened yesterday."

"Your father was an honorable warrior, and one of the greatest captains to ever command the Elvish army," Nestellon lamented.

"He was outnumbered and slaughtered by a group of orcs while riding to Gondor. The day my mother and I learned of his fate, we were both driven into a bottomless pit of sorrow. My mother, however, did not live through the night. She died of a broken heart. In the morn, I was alone. I would have soon followed them to the Halls of Mandos if not for King Thranduil's concern and haste in sending me to Rivendell, to the House of Lord Elrond. He believed that an escape from reality may save me from meeting the same bitter end." As she recalled the horrid memories, she felt a deep pain within, as if someone had grabbed her heart and was sucking the life from her body. But she ignored the pain, for it was not the first time that she had felt it.

"When I arrived, Lord Elrond welcomed me with open arms, and accepted me as one of his family. Elladan and Elrohir are my brothers, Arwen, my sister, Elrond, my father. And you, Nestellon, are my uncle. You have taught me how to fight and how to heal. I hold you all so very close to my heart, but you most of all," she finished with a genuine smile as she gazed at Nestellon.

"Nin mell hen," he replied.

"I beg your pardon Dear Uncle," Auranor interrupted with a sarcastic arrogance, "but I am 2932 years old, and far from a child."

Nestellon laughed heartily at this. "Yes Auranor, 'tis true. You are no longer a child in any way. But to me, you will always be my young niece, no matter how many ages you see on Middle-Earth."

"Mellen lle Nestellon!" Auranor exclaimed as she threw her arms around Nestellon's neck in a huge hug.

"And I love you as well, my dear child," he replied as he returned her hug. "Now, I believe we should make our way back to Rivendell. Lord Elrond said that he is expecting important guests tonight. We should not want to be late for their arrival."

"Last one back to Rivendell has to kiss the next dwarf we see!" Auranor challenged, and took off running at a pace faster than when entering the clearing.

"Now that is not very fair!" Nestellon called after her as he burst to a full speed run. "She is a very special elf," he muttered to himself, "a very special elf indeed."