Daughter of Mithrandir
Disclaimer: I do not own Middle Earth or Gandalf. Adariel and her uncle are my own creations.
Chapter 1
The mid-morning sun shone down on the White City of Minas Tirith as a crowd of people mulled through its streets and went about their daily business. Some were on errands for family or masters. Some were travelling to their place of work. Others were on their way to the stables to leave the city, for whatever reason. These included a young girl of six-years who was running desperately through the cobble-stoned street to escape.
She darted and pushed her way through the crowd, tangled black hair following behind as she ran. The girl was as a mouse dashing and zigzagging to evade a cat. For, like the mouse, she was being pursued, though her pursuer was meant to protect her. A task at which he failed miserably.
Adariel was an orphan and lived with her uncle, an alcoholic and a gambler. He had been drinking the night before and had lost much of his money dicing. Every other night he would come home drunk and in a foul mood, having lost much coin. Uncle would accuse her for thieveries she did not commit and proceed to beat her in 'punishment.' But no more. This time she would escape him and leave Minas Tirith. The young girl planned to run into the countryside and live on a farm. It did not matter to her that she was only six. She would escape Uncle's beatings once and for all.
As she ran, the young girl looked behind her. Adariel could see her uncle in close pursuit. She ran faster, though the crowd slowed the small girl. Yet the crowd also worked to her favour, for her uncle was large and could not move through the crowd as quickly. The wiry girl was tiring fast, though, and she knew she would be caught soon. Desperate, the child slipped into an alley and crouched in a doorway.
From her hiding place, the child could see Uncle slow. He had lost sight of her and walked up to a woman. He made gestures showing her size and spoke to her, probably asking whether she had seen Adariel. He wore a mask of worry that hid his true purpose and the woman pointed down the alley. He bowed his head and ran towards the alley. The child knew it was too late for her to try to run away. The alley ended in a brick wall and he would catch her if she ran out the way she had come in. The girl offered up a prayer to Eru that she might somehow escape her uncle.
She watched as he looked in each doorway and behind the rubbish bins. As he drew nearer, fear gripped Adariel's heart. Usually he only gave her a couple bruises but today she feared she would not be so lucky; he looked wrathful. She let out a whimper of fear and he walked to the doorway. She pressed herself into the shadowed corner, hoping that if she thought she was smaller, he would not see her. Uncle looked at her small shape huddled in the entranceway and said softly, "Come on out, my sweet," but she could hear the edge of deceit in his voice. The small girl stayed put, paralyzed with fear.
Enraged, her uncle grabbed the collar of her dress and lifted her high with one hand. Through his teeth he growled, "You ungrateful wretch!" and threw her down. The child let out a cry as she met the hard cobblestones. He came up to her menacingly, seeming to tower over her. He kicked her against the wall, knocking the air from her lungs. Adariel collapsed, leaning against the side of the alley.
Her uncle no longer sought any justification or excuses and proceeded to pound her. She cried out as his fists flew at her. She had no hope left. With every blow, she knew that she would never escape Uncle.
Then, just as hope was leaving her, Adariel saw an old man clothed in grey walking down the street. With his long, white beard, pointed hat and staff, he might have appeared frightening. Though he inspired no fear in the child. He seemed to come with a torch of hope, glowing like the dawn, in her hour of need. Afraid he might pass by, she screamed through a broken lip, "Mithrandir! Mithrandir!" though she knew not what brought her to say the strange words.
The old man turned upon hearing her voice and peered down the alley. He saw her uncle crouched over her, pounding her with his fists. A fire ignited in his eyes and he carried an air of anger about him. He walked up to Adariel's uncle and tapped him on the back with the bottom of his staff.
As her uncle ceased his blows, she saw him turn slowly to look up at the old man who had an air of disgust. Uncle's last blow had been to the head and darkness was beginning to gather at the edges of the girl's vision. She was able only to see the wizened man, towering over her uncle, raise his staff and say something that she could not hear, for her ears were ringing from being boxed. Then darkness enveloped Adariel as she lost consciousness.