As all other days, this day was beautiful. Whether is was sunny and warm or storming with force, Lúthien adored nature in all its wonders. She always felt a strong connection with it. She loved life, not hers specifically, but the life that was all around. Her mother had said it was her womanly instincts that made her so zealous about creating and nurturing life the way she did. Whenever Lúthien found a sick or injured animal, she would care for it until it was in full health. She tended the gardens, which was one of her responsibilities, but she did so with great care and pride. She tended the horses as well, much to her own delight. It was well-known she had a way with plants and animals, so whenever an animal was ill or crops were poor, the village turned to her for help. Some said that her touch alone could breathe life into the sick, injured, or dying. She had even been known to nurse people back to health who had been on death's door. Though she was happy to help others, her real calling was nature.

Her parents had thought of her as a gift from Valar. They had tried for many years to have children of their own, but could not. When it neared the time when Edel, Lúthien's mother, was coming of the age when she would no longer be able to bear children, a wonderful thing occurred. A small group of elves had been passing through their town on their way to an elfin city. Seeing an elfin maid among them, and knowing they were an old and wise race, Edel ran to the maiden. Edel pleaded her story to the slightly surprised elfin maid and begged for her advice. To Edel's and the elf maiden's companions' surprise, the maiden dismounted her horse and told her fellow elves she would remain with the woman until she had given birth. The shocked company continued their journey without the elf maiden.

Aden, Lúthien's father, upon hearing the elf would help his wife bear a child, devoted much of his time and energy catering to the elf maiden and his wife. The she-elf was indeed a strikingly beautiful woman. Her long, dark brown hair fell in waves down her back, her crystalline blue eyes sparkled in any light, and her porcelain skin was flawless and seemed to almost glow. Her name was Arwen.

Arwen changed Edel's diet, ridding it of any and all meats. Aden protested to this somewhat, insisting Edel would need meat to help a baby grow and his wife remain strong. Arwen calmed his fears, with some help from Edel. After a week without meat, Arwen mixed several herbs together in a glass and told Edel to drink it. Edel drank the fragrant concoction with much delight. Then Arwen told Edel, with great tact, that she should be intimate with her husband that night.

Some weeks later, Edel became quite ill. Aden had been ready to blame Arwen, until she had told him that the illness was a sign that he was now a father. With that said, Aden began making immediate plans for celebration, though Arwen was quite specific that Edel should drink no ale until a year after the baby's birth. After Arwen explained that ale could damage or even kill the baby, Aden threw all the ale in his house directly out the window. Arwen laughed with good nature at his zeal and love for his wife and unborn child.

Many months passed and Edel grew quite large. Both Arwen and Aden saw to her every need. Aden made sure Edel was always comfortable and happy, while Arwen constantly monitored the health of mother and child. Around nine months after the elfin party had first passed through, they returned, searching for Arwen. When they learned the baby was not yet born, but would soon be, they camped outside Edel and Aden's home, waiting for that day.
Then came the night when Aden was sent out and women were sent for. Aden rushed to gather family while Edel's strangled cries rang out into the night. Many people waited out in the night, elf and man alike. When the house fell silent, everyone began to fidget with nervous anticipation. And when straining ears heard the soft cries of a baby, cheers went up all around. Edel and Aden's families and Arwen's companions stood ready to rush the door. When it finally opened, dozens eagerly filed in to see the child.

Edel laid in the bed, sweaty and slightly pale, but looking unbelievably happy as she held a small bundle in her arms. Everyone crowded around as Arwen pulled the soft fabric away from the baby's face. Many noises of approval and adoration were made as the tiny cherub face was revealed. The elves, especially, were joyous since birth was so rare for them. Elfin women were rarely fertile for the fact that they lived so long. While human females were fertile every month or so, it could be decades, even centuries before an elvish female became fertile.
There was much hand shaking, congratulating, and passing of the baby throughout the night. One of the elves, a soldier who had seen many battles, became elated when, while holding the child, it opened its eyes.

"He opened his eyes! Come see!" the soldier exclaimed excitedly, barely remembering to speak in Westron.

"She." Arwen commented, as she gathered around the child with everyone else.

"I have a daughter?" Aden asked, smiling. Arwen nodded. Aden's smile broadened. "In that case, I can't wait to spoil her rotten." He said laughingly.

Everyone laughed at that comment before Edel's aunt asked, "What will you name her?"

"Name her after mother, Aden." Aden's brother said.

"No. Name her in honor of Arwen." One of the elves said.

Suddenly, there was much arguing over what to name the child. Everyone, save Arwen and Edel, was so caught up in their debate that they took no notice of Arwen as she took the child and carried her over to her mother. Edel held onto the baby as Arwen looked onto the child's cherub face and shining grey eyes.

"She will grow into a true beauty." She commented.

Edel smiled up at Arwen. "Yes, she will." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Will you think of a name for her in your language? Something special."

Arwen began to speak. "There was once an elf maiden who was said to be the most beautiful of all elves. Her name, to this day, remains synonymous with beauty. Her name was Lúthien."

"I will call her Lúthien, then, for the beauty she will someday become. And I will give her a second name, Arwen, to honor you for giving me such a precious gift." She said, Arwen smiling down at her. "I have decided." Edel said, loud enough for everyone to hear above the arguing. The room fell silent and all eyes were on her. "Her name will be Lúthien Arwen, for her beauty and the person who made her life possible."

"Lúthien Arwen." Aden tested. "That will do quite nicely."

The room buzzed with murmurs of agreement.

Lúthien smiled, breathing deeply as the sun warmed her face and a slight breeze played across her pale skin. The shift of her knee-length, dark chestnut brown hair was almost unperceptive in the fair breeze. She fiddled with the ends of her hair, which was coiled in her lap, as she sat. She looked out across the field, her long, lush lashes shielding her eyes from the bright sun. Her full, rounded lips pursed as she considered many black specks on the eastern horizon. Riders, no doubt on their way to something very important. She ignored their distant approach and smiled as a new breeze tickled across her face. She began to braid her hair.

Lúthien was a beauty of beauties. Arwen was considered to be the most beautiful of her kind, but Lúthien's beauty was almost unnatural, even by elf standards. Her father had said her looks were due to elfin magic, since she looked almost nothing like either of her parents. Her mother had chocolate brown eyes and sandy brown hair, while her father had brown eyes as well and hair the color of rust.

Although her mother had been considered a true beauty in her prime, Lúthien still shone like a candle in the dead of night. She had the affections of many men from the ages of 12 and 13 all the way up to men 3 times her age. Despite this, she was still available, even though she was well over the age when other women would marry and start families. Truth be told, she just wasn't interested. Although she someday wanted a family, she simply could not see herself with any of the men she had met. She knew they did not understand her feelings towards life and nature, and honestly didn't care. She had realized years ago that their only interest in her was what they saw, not who she was. The only people who truly understood her were her parents, so she was perfectly happy to devote all her love to them. She felt inside her heart that the one she was meant for was out there, somewhere, but at 19 years of age, she was already considered middle aged.

She sighed as she finished her braid, tying it off with a ribbon, and looked up towards the horizon once more. The riders from before had gotten considerably closer, and were much greater in number than she had originally thought. She squinted her eyes, straining to make out the riders in the distance, who were making remarkable time towards their destination. A sudden gust of wind began to whip around her, almost as if in a rage at the approaching riders. An unexplainable fear sent a chill through her. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong. It was as if the wind whispered words of unspeakable horrors that she could not possibly conceive. Lúthien stood and hesitated. Never before had she felt such a feeling. The wind blew again, harsher than before, intensifying her fear until she could think to do only one thing. Run.

She turned tail, lifting her dress, and ran south towards her village in the distance. The wind beat against her back as she ran, seemingly encouraging her to run faster, so she did. She ran quickly, a sharp pain beginning to tighten in her side, and still she raced on. Swifter than she had ever ran before, she made her way towards the village, the swanfleet marsh directly behind her. Her legs began to burn as she pressed onward. Soon she could no longer deny the intense burning as she felt her strength wane. Just as she thought she'd never made it, and her legs felt ready to buckle beneath her, she gained her second wind. The burning in her legs faded, the stinging in her side lessened, and she felt a second burst of energy flow through her. It almost felt as if she hadn't been running much at all. Thankful for the reprieve, she continued her sprint, running as fast as her legs could carry her.

She soon was close enough to see people walking around town. She did not know how far the riders were, but she dared not look back. For some reason, she felt that those riders were what she feared. She had to warn everyone. Something fearsome was coming. Something dangerous. Something evil.

As she entered town, she began to yell as loud as her gasping lungs would allow. "Run! Run for your lives! Something is coming!" she hollered to the stunned villagers, never stopping to see if they heeded her warning.

She continued running, warning villagers as she went, until she came upon her house, at last. She burst through the door in an instant, startling her mother and father.

"Lúthien! What is the matter, child?" asked her very concerned father, staring wide-eyed at his breathless daughter.

"Something is coming." she gasped. "We must flee!"

"What possible thing could startle you so, Lúthien Arwen?" Her mother asked.

"I do not know what it is, though I know it is evil. I feel it deep within me, like an icy hand gripping my heart."

Her mother and father exchanged glances before rising.

"I will pack provisions." Her mother said.

"And I will saddle the horses." Her father said.

"Please, make haste. I do not think we have much time."

Her mother and father exchanged another quick glance and a nod to their daughter before rushing to complete their tasks. Even if they did not believe Lúthien, they would not be so foolish as to ignore her fears. Should something truly be wrong, they would be ready. Should it be nothing, they will have lost nothing in humoring their daughter's upset.
Minutes later Edel entered carrying travel sacs.

"I've packed enough food for a week or so." Edel said, looking to her daughter. "We should pack blankets and spare clothes."

"The horses are ready for riding." Aden said, entering from outside.

"We're almost through packing, father." Lúthien said, noticing her mother had already moved off to get the blankets and clothes.

"Lúthien," Aden said, placing his hands on her shoulders, "go on outside and put those travel sacs on the horses." He said, motioning to the bags on the floor.

"Yes, father, but where are you going?" She asked, concern evident in her voice.

"I'm going to help your mother. I'll be right out. I promise." He said, looking into her eyes.

Lúthien nodded, grabbed 2 of the 3 bags, and headed out. Aden walked into the room he shared with Edel, a frown playing on his face.

"What is wrong? You look troubled."

"I hate to lying to Lúthien," he said, pulling a sword from under their bed, "but I can't tell her I'm bringing this in case we truly are in danger. You know how she feels about killing."

Edel smiled warmly. "Yes. Indeed, our daughter has a compassionate heart." she said, watching Aden slip his sword in the bottom of the bag before placing clothes and blankets on top. "We raised her with so much love. You do not think we raised her with so much love that we blinded her to the fact that sometimes killing is a necessity, do you?"

"Never. We raised our girl into a perfect lady." Aden said, hugging his wife close.

"Mother! Father!"

Lúthien's sharp cry called from outside. Edel and Aden broke apart and hurried outside, Aden grabbing the last travel bag as he passed. They reached the door to find Lúthien standing near the horses, stopped in her motion as if her body had turned to stone. They followed her gaze towards the horizon to see a black fog racing towards town. It took only a moment for them to realize the fog was a large group of riders.

"I didn't expect them to be this close this fast." Lúthien said, her voice shaking with fear. She looked at the other villagers, who were all turning their gaze toward the approaching riders. It appeared that no one had made any efforts to make an escape. "Are you fools?" she yelled, her voice course with fear and worry. "Gather your families, get on your horses, and run for your lives! Can you not tell something is terribly wrong?"

"Lúthien. Edel. Get on your horses."

The calm in Aden's voice was strained and sent shivers down Lúthien's spine. She had never heard her father speak in such a tone. With out questioning his reasons, they climbed wordlessly onto their horses.

"Now, ride." He said, turning his horse away from the riders.

"But father..." Lúthien began, looking back on the other villagers with great concern.

"I said ride!" His voice bellowed, leaving no room for further argument.

Lúthien was stunned. Her father had never spoken to her in such tones. However afraid she had been before, she was many times more frightened, now. In an instant, they were riding away from the village. She rode up beside her father.

"What is it, father? What upset you so?" she asked, her delicate brows furrowing in concern. Her father looked to her, and Lúthien was surprised to see such fear in his eyes. She had never seen her father afraid.

"Those were no horses those men were riding, and those were no men upon them." He said, his voice cracking slightly.

While Lúthien had been addressing the villagers, Aden had been straining to make out the approaching riders. What he saw made his blood run cold. Though he did not know what to call what he saw, Lúthien would soon learn for herself. They were not men, or even elves, on horses. They were orcs on wargs.

Cerulean Sage

"Let me see... that would be the first chapter. I figured I'd just clear up a few things. Back in the 'olden days' life expectancies were short. Very few people were expected to live long beyond 40 years of age, so any time from about 15 to 20, you were considered to already be middle aged. What a hassle. I couldn't imagine having a mid-life crisis while still going through puberty. Also, I don't know much Elvish, so instead of attempting to make my characters speak elvish, failing miserably, and embarrassing myself, I'm just going to have the elvish speech in italics or something. Also, I'm unsure whether I want both Lúthien's parents to make it to safety, or Aden to die defending Lúthien and her mother. I think the story would play a little better if both survived, but it would add more drama and suspense if he died. Either way it would work out, which is why I'm deciding to let you, the reader, decide.

On another note, I'm trying to base this story strongly on a map of Middle Earth, not just doing guess work or making up random places and things. Swanfleet is an actual place on the map. The orcs came from the east because they traveled north through the western portion of the Fangorn forest, along the Dunland mountain range, and then east along River Gwathlo towards the village where Lúthien lives, which happens to be just south of Swanfleet. It's important to me to keep the story as true to LOTR as possible, and it's important to the story that it makes sense and I don't contradict myself. If my story is confusing, then it's not enjoyable for the reader, and if it's not enjoyable for the reader, then I'm just wasting my time. That is why I put in the extra effort to make my story better. Do it well, or don't do it at all."