AUTHOR'S NOTE: So, this is actually my first Hobbit fanfic since I had stopped writing them for quite some time before deciding to pick up the pen again. I will say that now I've grown up a bit from who I was, I ended up writing this. The world of Sestavar is all my creation and I had made it after wanting to write fantastical stories with various mythical beings as the characters, key among them are my own brand of elves that will be explored throughout the story!

Okay, so in this world, I messed around a bit with the timeline for the events in The Hobbit so by the time the Battle of Azanulbizar takes place, Thorin is around one hundred years old which makes Frerin 95. By human years that makes them in their early thirties. (The credit for this is thanks to Avelera's Hobbit Meta in AO3.)

I do hope you like this!

SUMMARY: "Failed Prophet of Visal you may be, a kingdom's glory you shall see. Take you the Lost Prince of a Lonely Kingdom. Succeed in peace, life and prosperity shall come." These were the final words spoken to Aelinor of Visal before the fall of their kingdom. They escaped their death with the dwarf they had rescued whose name was revealed to be Frerin Thráinul and spent twenty-two peaceful years in a town called Whitebridge only for a summer celebration to go horribly wrong. Leaping into the enchanted river of the naiads, Aelinor was sent away from their world with only Frerin's company. They then undertake a quest to reclaim a mountain, save a king and his heirs along with finding a family and love in between.

PROLOGUE: THE BLOOD IN THE WIND

It was a common day for me and the other prophets of King Adanion. From the corner of my eyes, I could see the seers speaking with the lesser lords and ladies of Visal who had been granted entry into our chambers. I felt unease coil within me at the sight of strangers and I forced my gaze away from them. Squeezing my eyes shut, I began trying the day's exercise where I try to focus on the fate of one person in the room. By far, I was focusing only on the one oracle I felt safe with ever since I had been taken to the palace for my protection.

But as always, I only saw the darkness of my closed eyes.

Clenching my jaw, I tried once more and pictured Chasianna's maternal face, her kind, sleepy eyes of white and her lips that seemed to be curled into an eternally kind smile that brought me comfort every time I sought out company on days where loneliness threatened to consume me. I tried to imagine the different paths her life might take and see what one path might be. But like all my previous attempts, all I continued to see were the darkness and flashes of colour that came with my squeezing my eyes too tight.

'Aelinor, loosen yourself.' I froze at Chasianna's voice so close to me.

Opening my eyes to meet her gaze, I grimaced and ducked my head low, trying to ignore the heat warming my cheeks at the thought of her figuring out what I had been attempting. There were legends saying that Chasianna had been among the most gifted of the prophets in her era and had climbed the ranks into oracles in just three decades. Unfortunately, I was under her wing as the most remarkably unremarkable prophet of my group. Shyael could already see glimpses of the future with just a glance at the person, Ilyarana could hear whispers of future things with just a passing thought of someone no matter their distance and Teroth? Teroth was already on the last legs of his training and was about to take the Seers' Mantle if he succeeded in the Trials.

As for me, I still relied on touch. Unable to stop the visions nor untangle the mess of paths that could get entwined with one another. Each future always blended into one for me and I always ended up feeling terrible after a vision.

'Aelinor.' Chasianna's voice came through to me once more and I bit back a curse directed at myself before focusing upon the older woman. Chasianna, however, was not looking at me like I was lesser or odd like I knew some of the prophets, seers and oracles would do so every now and again. She was only seated before me, her legs crossed and hidden under her flowing gown and as always, a patient smile was upon her lips. 'Where in Sestavar were you, little mouse?' She asked me.

'In the darkness.' I replied, my voice hushed. 'Same place I'd always been.'

Chasianna nodded and pulled me close, keeping her bare hands on the sleeves of my robes. I let out a distressed noise and let her hold me. It was an embarrassing thing to be held like a child in the presence of others but I found myself unable to care. Instead, I just clung tightly to Chasianna and let her rub my back, feeling the metal of her rings against my flesh, I shuddered and tried to control myself.

'Do not fret, little mouse.' Chasianna whispered to me, kissing the veil that covered my head. 'All prophets were like this once.'

'None that took this long, Chasianna.' The deep baritone of Halor invaded the peacefulness Chasianna had instilled into me. I felt myself stiffen before I scrambled back and sat back down in a distance considered respectable for a prophet and an oracle.

Keeping my head bowed, I prayed the male oracle would not force me to look into his eyes and I tried to steady my breaths lest he sense the panic rising within me. Clenching my hands into fists, I struggled to keep myself from fidgeting.

'Halor, they are but a child.' Chasianna started, her voice cold and detached. 'I think we can make a leeway for them seeing as they had only come to the palace two centuries and a half ago.'

'Chasianna, we cannot keep coddling them.' Halor sternly retorted, his voice sharp as knives. I stopped myself from flinching and I dug my nails further into my flesh. 'If Aelinor continues to be this much of a failure as a prophet, then what will become of their future? Will they continue to have these visions that will sap away their energy and strength until they are nothing? Will they have to touch everything just to see a glimpse of an uncertain future? And what of the multiple paths they see? What of those? How will they overcome that?'

Each point he brought up, each concern and rebuttal to an unspoken argument was enough to make me flinch. I kept my eyes shut and tried to block out his words though I knew he was not wrong. In so many ways had he voiced my own anxieties about being a prophet of Visal but to hear it from another's lips with such venom was as painful as sticking myself with burning pins.

'Halor, Aelinor is not your student. Go back to Dagadan and focus your harsh methods upon him.' Chasianna replied, her tone growing terse.

'Dagadan no longer needs my harshness, Chasianna.' Halor shot back, his voice almost as foreboding as the sight of ravens. 'Aelinor will learn nothing from being treated like fragile glass!'

'And I gave you no right to step in for me!' Chasianna snapped. 'As far as I am concerned, Aelinor is my pupil. Not yours.'

I wanted nothing more than to disappear into the marble floors of the palace in that moment.

I had always disliked arguments and to hear such fighting between two people who I knew cared for one another a great deal was something that I despised the most. Every time I knew Halor was nearby and Chasianna was teaching me, I often found a way to excuse myself. Whether it was with Shyael or Teroth's help or whether it was through my own devices. I had always seen them interact from a distance and though I cannot see their future, present or past, I read their body language too well and knew they loved one another. They just...had opposing opinions in regards to one thing. Me.

Halor was inclined to think the worst of me due to him seeing no results in all the years of training I've had but Chasianna had clung to her optimism that she could make an oracle of me yet. I wanted to excuse myself, but to speak in the middle of what I was certain was a heated argument would be drawing attention to myself. Attention that I wanted none of.

I was unaware that tears had been streaming down my face and that my chest was clenching tightly due to the panic I felt until I felt Teroth's familiar hands cupping my face, using my veil as a way to keep himself from touching my flesh. Shyael was beside me, speaking to me soothingly as well though I understood none of her words and when I hurriedly wiped my tears, I looked around and found Chasianna gone from where she was sitting, in her place was Teroth who was looking at me in concern. His eyes were already starting to turn the pale grey of a seer blessed by The Lady of Mirrors but I could still see the warmth Teroth had always greeted me with.

'That's it, Linor, come back to us.' He coaxed, his lips curving into an unsure smile. 'Copy my breathing, alright? Halor is gone for now and you will be safe.' He told me, taking deep exaggerated breaths for me to follow.

With difficulty, I did as he asked and when I had managed to do so, he nodded and gently wrapped my veil round my forehead to press his against mine, the coldness of the gems that hung upon his evergreen hair jolting me slightly.

'I apologise.' I mumbled, trying to ignore the unease I still felt towards my fellow prophets. I knew they meant me no harm but there was always an underlying distrust within me towards such open overtures of kindness.

'No need to worry.' Shyael told me, her golden eyes flicking to the distant part of the room before focusing upon me. 'No one minded.'

'Still.' I insisted. 'I do owe apologies for this. I can't keep on crying and losing myself whenever Halor speaks ill of my less than stellar abilities.' I mumbled.

'Whether you owe apologies or not no longer matters.' Teroth told me. 'What matters is that Halor keeps singling you out among us-'

'And it makes sense!' I retorted, my hands holding onto my veil tightly. 'He was not wrong when he said all those things, they hurt but he was not wrong!'

Teroth and Shyael exchanged glances before Teroth sighed and nodded. Shyael got up and left the two of us for a moment, using the excuse of seeing if the kitchen was done preparing our supper. Teroth held out his hands to me and the whirling patterns indented in his flesh caught my eyes as they always had. His patterns were always so organised and fluid, following a direction and a route that seemed to draw me in regardless of how many times I had looked at it. My patterns were unique to me, yes, but it wasn't something anyone would see. My flesh was quite brown - not as dark as some Earthborn Elves - but the indentations within my skin were lighter in comparison to the deeper grooves within Teroth's lighter flesh.

'Aelinor, look at me.' Teroth told me. His voice was never the sort to raise in anger or frustration and when he spoke to me, it was still as calm as Visal's crystal lakes. The way he spoke to me was like a suggestion, a gentle offer more than a command.

And because of that, I looked at him. It was not for any long amount of time and after a few moments, I averted my gaze and kept my head down.

'I could try and teach you again, you know.' He told me gently. I shook my head.

'No, the first time was enough to convince me I will not learn anything.' I protested. 'And besides, you try and unravel all the paths I ended up seeing when you gave me your ring. None of them made any sense!'

Teroth grimaced and nodded. He remembered the words I told him, the riddle that all prophets, seers and oracles learned to speak in for their sights. None of them made much sense to him and neither did they make sense to me. Shyael tried to see if focusing my sight to a person might help and held my hand for only the fraction of a second before I collapsed and saw hundreds of paths that entwined into one. At the end of that session, I was no more skilled than the moment we started. Ilyarana even tried to help but she admitted that she did not think her method would help me if I was unable to get through all the obstacles my mind presented to me. At the end of it all, I merely admitted that I might not be a good prophet at all.

Shaking away the shame, I rose and straightened out my robes, trying to make sure I looked presentable for supper. Inspecting my palm, I noticed the indentations my nails had made in my flesh and I sighed. It would go away in a short while, Turning to Teroth, I gestured to the door and smiled as warmly as I could without exposing my teeth.

'Shall we?'

Teroth looked like he wanted to continue discussions about my training, but after a few seconds, he nodded and rose from where he sat as well. Offering his arm for me to take, I held onto his sleeves and we made our way to the banquet hall.

~~oOoOoOoOo~~

Dinner was a silent affair. Usually. But for the past fortnight, conversations flowed easily whether in whispers or not. Talk of Visal's impending war with Kholis had been spreading faster as the days pass by. It was not out of a desire for war that we speak though. It was our fears and concerns, our desire to escape and hide. Not only was the royal family worrying for their people, but King Adanion had to worry over those gifted with the Sight as well. There were only eighteen of us in a kingdom of seven-thousand and His Majesty had always made sure that we would be kept safe within his palace walls provided we serve him and his court to ensure a safe ruling and a prosperous kingdom. It was a fair trade for us seeing as we'd heard tell of our people from other earth elfen kingdoms being sold off to people as novelties or tools for war.

Settling between Teroth and Shyael, I waved at Ilyarana who was seated across me. I could feel Dagadan's gaze from where he sat beside Ilyarana and Tehlmar was scrutinising me from where they sat as well. Aego and Ialantha were thankfully keeping to themselves as they had been ever since I could remember.

'Was it true, Aelinor?' Dagadan started, his voice as serious as his mentor's. 'Did Oracle Halor finally tell Oracle Chasianna that you were a hopeless pupil?'

I tried to ignore his question, knowing that there was likely no malice within him to ask such a question. Dagadan was the sort to ask things as bluntly as his thoughts come and I learned to make peace with it. Usually, we try to offer courtesy to one another and avoid each other if we know our schedules, but a prophet's schedule had never been the sort to be set in stone. So now, I just keep my head down and pray that it is enough to have myself be ignored by Halor's pupil.

'Aelinor, you have not answered my question.' Dagadan continued, his voice commanding me to answer.

I pressed my lips together and focused instead on whatever it was Shyael was trying to talk about.

'Frankly, I don't see why it is your business, Dagadan.' Teroth replied coolly. 'You were not involved and I think you best keep that nose of yours out of Linor's business lest that pointy tip you're so proud of gets snipped off.'

Dagadan did not respond to Teroth's taunt and only looked at him blankly before turning his attention to Tehlmar, the two immediately beginning a conversation as easily as one would breathe. Sighing in relief, I shot Teroth a grateful smile before turning my attention back to Shyael who was talking about rumours of the war reaching Visal's first town which she worried might have come to pass already.

'I'm going to assume you're too frightened to try and see?' I asked her. Shyael grimaced in reply.

'Whenever I think and focus on the current war, I just hear screams and commands and the roaring flames.' Shyael told me, her face blanching. 'Sometimes I catch names but none that I'm familiar with.'

I sighed and nodded. 'Do you think this would be enough for us to start our seclusions?' I asked.

'Likely, but I think it would be safer to go into hiding.' Tehlmar replied as he passed the plate of roasted potatoes to Dagadan. 'I know some towns that would willingly host some of our people but the problem is-'

'Will His Majesty listen.' Teroth finished. 'I think he will have no choice but to do so.'

'I highly doubt that.' Dagadan interjected, his voice smooth as it always was. 'His Majesty would try to rule fairly and turn Visal into a prosperous land but I doubt he would be the sort to permit mass evacuations if it means the loss of the kingdom and an uncertain future for his people.'

'And let Visal be taken by the salamanders?' I asked. 'I'd like to think our King is far better than that.'

'Is he?' Ilyarana asked, at last. 'He is just and kind but in the face of war will he be willing to let go of a kingdom he had worked so hard to care for?'

I was about to respond to her when we heard someone clearing their throat behind us.

'And what is it you prophets are so focused on conversing about that you had not taken a bite of your food?' The second male oracle, Aralas, asked us. 'Teroth, Tehlmar, report to my chambers after supper. Meditation is to start shortly.'

'As you will it, Oracle Aralas.' Teroth replied, hurriedly eating the portion he had placed upon his plate.

Dinner became a quiet affair after that.

~~oOoOoOoOo~~

That evening, Shyael and I were the first to return to the prophets' chambers. We shared the room with Teroth and Ilyarana but seeing as they were both with their mentors, Shyael and I decided to just wait for them in our chambers. My bed had always had the curtains drawn to keep others from touching me, but sometimes, Shyael would sit at the foot of my bed so we can both speak with one another.

'Linor, can I tell you something?' She asked me while she took off her earrings.

I hummed an affirmative.

'I will be leaving Visal in a sennight.' She told me in a rush. 'My aunt will be helping me with some of her friends to escape and she will be taking Tehlmar as well.'

I froze. It was sudden news that she told me but when I looked at her, I knew she was not lying. Tehlmar was a friend to Shyael, moreso than I was. And it made sense that she would try to escape from the possibility of war. But the dangers alone of the outside world towards those gifted with the Sight was enough to keep most of us within the palace walls.

'Are you certain of this, Shyael?' I asked, my voice hushed.

Shyael shrugged slightly. 'What choice have we, Linor?' She replied. 'Aunt shall be coming to try and see if King Adanion is open to letting all of us escape but the most that can be done is to help a few of us escape.'

Gathering my blanket in her hands, she held my hands in hers and looked me in the eyes.

'Linor, I highly suggest you try and escape as well.' She told me. 'If the whispers of the future are what will come to pass, then no one will be safe. Visal will burn.'