Disclaimer: I own nothing. The full versions of this and all my fics can be found on adultfanfiction.net author ID Shanastay.
Btw, the song at the beginning is The Dream Within by Lara Fabian. If you've seen Final Fantasy the Spirits Within, it's the song at the end with the credits.
Chapter 1: Free-Fall
Free… the dream within
The stars are crying, a tear
A sigh…
Escapes from heaven, and worlds end
Janessa felt like she was floating, surrounded by darkness. It was as if she were engulfed in warm water, the liquid lapping gently at her skin.
Breathe… the dream within
The mystifying
We tremble and spin
Suspended within
Pain flared in various parts of her body, drawing a gasp from her. The discomfort faded away to a dull ache, warmth suffusing her body.
Look beyond,
Where hearts can see
Dream in peace
Trust love, believe
Janessa felt safe for the first time in she didn't know how long. Her senses seemed muted, yet that fact didn't disturb her. She reveled in the feeling, letting herself be at peace.
We tremble and spin
Suspended within
Suddenly the woman was falling, tumbling through empty space. The drop went on and on, seemingly endless. Yet she wasn't worried.
Free… the dream within
A voice is calling, a song
A prayer, from deep inside you
To guide you
Janessa became aware of a voice singing softly. The sound was melodic, soothing even. The woman suddenly noticed she had stopped falling. As that realization struck her, she registered the voice had changed. There were two now. One was singing while the other had a more urgent note.
Be… the dream within
The light is shining
I fly on the wind
Salvation begins
Janessa suddenly felt light hitting her face. Her eyes fluttered open, her vision swimming. For a moment she thought she saw a blurry face before her, haloed in gold, then it was gone. She blinked slowly, her surroundings gradually coming into focus.
Look beyond
Where hearts can see
Dream in peace
Trust love, believe
Jan found she was lying on her left side in a grassy clearing surrounded by evergreens, the heady scent of pine hitting her nose. She blinked several times, raising her right hand to shade her eyes from the brightly streaming sunlight as she lifted her head, looking around. The lilting melody continued, seemingly floating along the light breeze.
We tremble and spin
Suspended within
As she stiffly sat up, she realized she was dressed in full leathers, her bow, quiver and katana strapped to her back. She froze as she spotted a figure crouched across the clearing, several feet away from her. Adrenaline flooded Jan's system as she rolled to her feet into a modified crouched lunge, left leg up, right knee down. Her right hand dropped to pull up her pant leg, her fingers wrapping around the hilt of the long knife in her boot.
Free… the dream within
The stars are crying, a tear
A sigh, escapes from heaven
And worlds end
Janessa paused again as the striking figure across from her spoke, uttering several melodic syllables. Wait a minute. That sounded familiar. The other had not moved from his position and was waiting for a response. The redhead took a moment to take in the other's appearance as her mind whirled, trying to identify the language he'd spoken.
Jan assumed the long unbound golden hair blowing around the figure composed the "halo" she had perceived as she became conscious. He must have been kneeling over me and backed off when he realized I was coming to. The person across the way was handsome and clearly male, based on his facial features and build. He was lithe but well-muscled. He was clad in muted shades of green and brown, a grey cloak flowing off his shoulders.
He was crouched down, his weight balanced between the balls of his feet and the fingers of his left hand that was extended to the ground in front of him, causing him to lean slightly forward. His right hand was by his side, fingertips trailing over the hilt of a curved sword resting on the ground. On his back were a gracefully arced bow and a quiver full of blue-fletched arrows. His posture was warily defensive, the tensed muscles of his thighs visible through the fabric of his leggings.
While she stared at him, he stared back just as intently, something unidentifiable in his eyes. Jan finally hit on what was so familiar about the language he had spoken. She had heard it before and fairly recently. Sindarin. That's what he's speaking. Hold on. Why the hell is he speaking that?
Jan took another look around at her surroundings, spotting her saddlebags near the base of a tree and realizing the last place she remembered being was running away from an exploding tanker on a Colorado Springs freeway. OK. WTF??? How did I get here and where the hell is HERE?
The redhead watched the blonde across the way narrow his eyes, scrutinizing her as thoroughly as she had him. He spoke again, the syllables floating across the clearing like music, but his tone betraying the words as some kind of demand.
Yep. Definitely Sindarin. Trying to remember what little she had learned of the language she spoke a simple phrase, "Saes, mellon." The figure across the way stood, rising to his full height, the long, curved sword gripped in his right hand. Jan let her pant leg drop back, the fabric hiding her knife as she stood.
Remembering something else she quickly placed her right hand over her heart and bowing slightly she uttered what she remembered to be a greeting, "Mae Govannen." She continued, not wishing the figure to believe she was fluent, "I remember little of that language. Do you speak the language I'm using?"
As Jan stood back up the wind caught the tall figure's hair, swirling it away from his head, revealing pointed ears. That little observation was a bit more than the woman could take. Making a "T" sign with her hands, she spoke again, cutting him off. "Time-out. What the heck is this?" Keeping the elf? in her periphery she looked about the clearing, shouting, "OK! Come on out! Joke's over! You had your fun!"
Jan watched the elf's confused expression as she yelled to the trees, "You dumped me in a clearing with some rather fine actor who almost had me convinced for a second there that I'd actually landed in Middle Earth." When nothing happened other than the pseudo-elf raising his blade Jan tried one more time. "Not funny anymore! Come ON! Joke's over!"
The figure across the way stood defensively, suddenly spoke again, his voice deep and melodic. "Who do you address so? Clearly you were not speaking to me."
Jan laughed lightly, "You can drop the act, jig's up."
His brow furrowed, he answered, "Jig? I do not understand. Why would I be acting? Your speech is odd, yet you seem to know my language. Identify yourself."
"Who am I? Who the hell are you and why won't you just stop with this charade?" Jan retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.
The elf set his mouth in a line, annoyance now clear on his face. "I say again, identify yourself. I am not jesting."
Jan rolled her eyes. Still stand-offish, she adopted a false Irish accent, declaring, "Tell me your name elf, and I shall tell you mine."
Both the elf's brows went up as the woman sounded very much like the dwarf Gimli. His patience clearly wearing thin he called out, "I am Glorfindel, Lord of the House of the Golden Flower, seneschal to Lord Elrond Perendhil. Now, who are you?"
Jan's mouth dropped open and she stared blatantly in disbelief. Whoa, back up. Glorfindel??? Hello? Did I just fall into Middle Earth or something? Not possible. No way. I am NOT talking to the infamous balrog-slayer.
Across the way, the warrior was regarding the woman with disturbing alacrity. She fits the description Legolas gave me exactly, right down to the leather attire. That hair. I have never seen a shade such as it. But how can I be sure this is she? And how did she get here? From what he said she was in another time or place, somewhere entirely foreign. As Janessa stared, Glorfindel began advancing on her position.
The woman perceived the movement and immediately moved to the side and back, reaching up to retrieve her katana. Her own annoyance showing, the redhead brought her sword to the ready position. She held it in a two-hand grip, left foot forward, right angled back, her weight balanced between, weapon raised over her head, point turned to face the elf.
"Sure you are, and I'm Arwen Undomiel." Realizing she'd probably gone too far with that she continued, "My name is Janessa Collier, I have no house and serve no one but myself. Now, who are you really?"
Still advancing slowly, Glorfindel answered her challenge. "I have told you who I am, yet you do not believe me." The elf moved warily, assessing the woman's stance as that of an advanced fighter. He was determined not to underestimate his opponent.
Jan spoke carefully as the pair began circling each other. "Let's assume you ARE the legendary reborn balrog-slayer. That would mean I'm most likely in the forest surrounding Imladris and I've somehow stepped into a storybook or this is one hella realistic dream because you are a fictional character."
Glorfindel tempered his reaction. "How do you know of me? Only a select few are aware of my rebirth. And I assure you, I am quite real," the elf's face was painted with suspicion.
"Ok, how 'bout this? You lower your sword, I lower mine and we figure this out."
Glorfindel nodded, lowering his blade, but still holding it ready.
Jan dropped hers so the back side of the blade rested against her left forearm while she reached over and pinched her right arm. OW! FUCK! "One question." Glorfindel inclined his head. "Has the One Ring been found?"
"The One Ring was unmade in the fires of Mount Doom by Frodo of the Shire some time ago." The seneschal puzzled over her apparent knowledge of events in Middle Earth. With conviction, Glorfindel realized, this IS Legolas' mystery woman. She is linked to him. That must be how she knows as much as she does. But how could she not know of the Ring's destruction?
The redhead watched the elf as true recognition flared in his eyes. He knows something. Jan brought her sword around, holding it casually in her right hand. "You know me. Not my name, but somehow you know something about me. What are you not saying? Tell me!"
As the woman practically flamed before him, the seneschal felt the same tightening in his loins he'd experienced as Legolas described her to him. Perturbed by his unconscious reaction, the elf pushed aside the unwanted desire, reigning in his body's reaction. Intriguing. I will examine this later, at a more opportune time. Perceiving that she posed no imminent danger to him, Glorfindel sheathed his sword at his hip.
His thumbs tucked into his belt, the elf stood casually as he dropped a ton of bricks on Janessa's head. "You are the woman from Legolas' visions. He told me of you and the violent assaults you suffered. He suffered with you. I know not why or how, but tis true."
Janessa was struck dumb for a moment. Mouth hanging open she almost dropped her sword at Glorfindel's matter-of-fact declaration. I'm WHAT? He huh? What the hell? Mind reeling, Jan closed her mouth, dumbly returning her sword to her back, processing what the elf-lord had said. She was pulled from her thoughts as the seneschal whistled sharply. Her eyes widened as a huge white stallion emerged from the tree line. Asfaloth. He's just like Tolkein described. Oh dear. Oh god. This is REAL!
Fuck this. I don't care what he says, I'm not getting played and this is one game I am NOT participating in. Janessa waited until the horse approached the elf, whickering softly. Once Glorfindel's attention was off of her, the redhead turned on her heel and took off running.
Glorfindel immediately caught the sound of her footfalls. His head snapped around in time to see the flash of her red mane disappearing into the tree line. Where is she going? Knowing he was faster on horseback than she was on foot, the elf took the time to retrieve her bags, securing them to the rear of Asfaloth's saddle. She will not get far. The elf-lord calmly swung onto the stallion, urging the horse into the trees, easily following the sound of Janessa crashing through the underbrush.
Jan ran almost blindly through the forest, dodging around trees and forcing her way through the brush. Knowing full well she was leaving an obvious trail, Jan slowed down, listening for any sounds of pursuit. After several seconds of hearing nothing, the redhead assessed her surroundings. Glorfindel is not a wood elf and he's on horseback. I can't outrun him but maybe I can hide.
The woman looked quickly around, spotting a tree with limbs low enough to climb. Jan ran the few steps there and launched herself up, catching the branch and swinging herself up. She climbed further, until the view of the ground was obstructed by sprays of evergreen needles. Spotting a substantial limb leading over to another tree, she followed it, leaping over to the next pine. She glanced down again, reassuring herself she was not visible from the forest floor.
Jan looked back up to find herself on the wicked business end of an arrow. She looked past the weapon into steel-grey eyes. She spotted the pointed ears immediately as the raven-haired elf had his locks pulled back in a thick single braid, lying over his shoulder. The dark elf issued what was clearly a command to climb down.
The woman raised her hands, palms out, showing they were empty before crouching down on the branch and swinging around it to drop on the one below. She glanced back up to find the elf tracking her, bow still flexed, arrow ready to take her out. "Bloody hell. Good job Janessa, you got REAL far," the woman muttered to herself as she clamored down.
She dropped the last several feet to the ground to find Glorfindel waiting, sitting astride Asfaloth, a slight smirk gracing his face. To one side stood the elf who had accosted her, his bow now on his back. Wait a minute. How did he beat me down? Jan sensed movement behind her and whirled about to find herself face to face with the elf in question. What the…?
She looked back by Glorfindel, the blonde elf now smiling at the woman's evident confusion. The same elf stood by Asfaloth, also grinning. Oh ha ha! Jan stepped away from the elf next to her. "Elladan and Elrohir, I presume."
The identical elves lost their smirks at her statement, suspicion now growing in their place. Glorfindel took that moment to break in, "This is Janessa Collier, the woman from Legolas' visions."
After a moment of stunned silence, the twins began firing off questions at the seneschal in Sindarin, the redhead scowling at the trio. The blonde elf cut them off quickly, asking how they had managed to get away from Elrond.
Jan caught the occasional word and "Elrond," wondering what they were discussing besides her.
Elladan sheepishly answered the seneschal, explaining their Ada had decided an extended patrol along Imladris' border was part of an appropriate punishment for their latest prank. Glorfindel dismounted, turning to face the redhead as the twins began to move off.
Even if these people are who and what they claim to be, I have no desire to find out the hard way that Tolkein was wrong about some things. Janessa faced off against the blonde elf, craning her neck to look up at him. He has the most amazing aquamarine eyes…
"Do you believe me now?"
"My belief is irrelevant."
One dark golden brow went up. "Will you come with me now?"
"Fine. Whatever."
"I will take that as an affirmative." The golden-haired elf turned back to mount the stallion as Jan moved past the horse, walking ahead. The seneschal stopped, "Where are you going?" As Jan turned, the elf ordered, "You will ride with me."
"The hell I will. Bite me." Jan moved on ahead.
The twins had stopped several yards away, watching the altercation.
Frowning, Glorfindel moved forward, grasping Jan's left elbow with his right hand, pulling her back, "Why would I…"
The woman reacted to the touch instantly. Jan pushed back with his pull, throwing her full weight against the elf as she twisted toward him. The move was unexpected, Jan hooking the back of his right ankle with her right foot as he tried to step back, her shifted weight throwing him off balance. Glorfindel went down, holding fast to the woman, pulling her with him.
Janessa landed on her left side atop the elf. She tried to roll away to her right, off of him, only to find herself flat on her stomach, her hands pinned behind her, the seneschal sitting on her. The woman cut loose a stream of abusive curses, squirming in the elf's grip. "Sonofabitch! Who the hell so you think you are? Let me up!" Jan twisted her head so she could see the blonde elf from the corner of one eye.
"I do not believe that would be wise as you seem determined to fight my every direction. Now, do you intend to calm down? We need to return to Imladris." Glorfindel held his position as Janessa's answer was to try to writhe out of his grasp again. The seneschal suddenly realized her behavior was causing an inappropriate reaction in him. He found her stubbornness and fire somehow stimulating. How can this woman be eliciting such a response from me? He quickly squelched his reaction again, swiftly securing the woman's wrists with heathline and stood, hauling the redhead to her feet with him.
Janessa was indignant as she was unceremoniously tied up, hauled up and then tossed face-down across the lower part of Asfaloth's neck. She ceased struggling as she had no desire to piss off the large stallion. She turned her head to face Glorfindel as the elf mounted his steed, baring her teeth in a snarl before resignedly turning away, dropping her cheek to the horse's flank. She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the elf urge Asfaloth into a ground-eating gallop, bearing them swiftly toward Imladris, silent tears streaming down her face as she focused her senses on the thundering of the horse's hooves against the ground.
Elladan and Elrohir watched the seneschal subdue the woman with open amusement that a human had managed to floor the Elda. From their vantage point they each wondered at the tears rolling down the redhead's face. Neither understood the source of her reaction to Glorfindel's touch or salted tracks finding their way down her face. A new puzzle was before them, their curiosity piqued. Legolas' mystery woman had been found, but that fact only opened up a whole new series of questions.
A/N: Never fear, Twisted WILL be different. This fic is going off in its own direction.