Eletha Daethana: Beginnings

A/N: I know I should be working on HS, but I've encountered a block and my Beta hasn't been reading the chapters. Anyways, don't assume this has been Beta-read. If any of you are interested, let me know. If you have any ideas, feed the Review Monster. It will haunt Legolas if you don't!

I still don't own LotR, *tear*.

It was the ring, or maybe the bracelet? Or even perhaps the book I was reading. Yeah. It definitely was the book. No, it was probably a combination of all three. So much power in one spot is definitely gonna make something interesting happen. My name is Eletha Daethana, and I've written this so that elves and humans alike can hear my story. For humans, I'm hoping that my story will convince all that these works of 'fiction' are actually hard and solid facts. For elves, I'm hoping to get a few of you off your high-horse. All creatures are equal; none are inferior.

It started after school on Wednesday. It was raining, and there had been reports all day about motorcycles getting swept over the sides of bridges because of the wind. I was in the library, where the noises of teachers shouting, rain falling, and the wind howling sounded muffled. You're probably wondering why I wasn't with them, why I wasn't waiting for a loving parent to pick me up and listen patiently while I told them everything that had happened. In a sense I was, though my mother wouldn't pick me up in all the hustle and bustle out there. We both hated all of that confusion, so I waited in the calm, warm, library.

I was sitting at my table. Well, technically I didn't own it, but there seemed to be a curse on it. Anyone who wasn't me who sat on it, ended up with a bloody nose and got sent home early. The table was in a secluded corner, about as far away from the door as you could get. Off to my right there was a crackling fire, and to my left and in front of me, there were rows and rows of books. Hundreds of thousands of books were in the library, great for browsing. Today was such a day that I had just finished the short, but nonetheless brilliant, Tales of Beedle the Bard. At home I had plenty of books to choose from, but while I waited I decided to pick up another. It was called Mystic Runes and Magic (For the Adept). Was I 'Adept'? You could say that, though I'm much better now then I could have ever hoped to be with just books.

This particular book I had chosen because I had already read the previous one. Back then I thought that was all it was, but I now know that it had actually come from another world. I wanted to pick it up, to read it, because it seemed as if it was calling me. Would anyone else have picked it up? I actually don't know. I don't know if it was fated to be picked up by me, or if it would have chosen any human to fulfill the task. After all, its what we do that fulfills a prophecy, the prophecy does not control us.

I was not a jewelry girl, but I made two exceptions. One was a golden ring with a blue gemstone on it; the last gift my father gave me before he passed away. The second was a wooden bracelet with sapphire studs. Now the wood for this bracelet was a special wood called Sugar Mangrove, which was soft and supple throughout its life. Never heard of it? Unsurprising. This wood can only grow on the highest mountain peaks, and the seed must be buried in snow to plant its roots. This bracelet came from my grandmother, before she sailed to Japan. Both of the things held symbolic value to me; that's why I kept them. That's also why it happened.

Personally I think it was disrespectful. I mean, couldn't the enchantment had waited until after I had read the book? But no. It had to enact right when I opened the book. I didn't even get to see the title page before I was falling. It wasn't dark like you would imagine. It was full of colors and sounds, blurred and rushing past me. I caught some phrases, some in french, japanese, german, spanish, and then one that sounded suspiciously like elvish. Then I felt my body begin to change. I lost my breasts, I grew smaller and skinnier. I felt my ears elongate, and my face changes, reshaping itself. When I finally hit the ground, I was an elf child.

"Eletha!" A female voice spoke, but it had an accent. Like, when someone says your name, and you can tell it's your name, but it's in a different language. "Eletha! don't auta runnien off ve' tanya, lle sinta lle atar dela." That's what she said, yet I understood what she meant. 'Eletha! Don't go running off like that, you know your father worries.' Yet that language… I had watched those movies enough times to recognize it. She was speaking elvish. Oh crap. She was speaking elvish. I looked down, and found that I was now a young elvish female.

Right now you're probably going to abandon any hope of what I'm telling you is true. But read on. I can assure you that all of this happened, though it has taken me many years to come to term with it, let alone write about it. So read on, and try to imagine it is true.

"But mother." I protested, somehow also speaking in elvish. "I am not far. Father could see me from the porch if he came out." That was odd. I knew everything that had happened in my old life, but I also knew who I was in Middle-Earth. Weeeiiiiirrrd.

I was Elethe Daethana, daughter of Hagas and Eleon. Hagas had been injured in battle when I was still very young, and had difficulty walking ever since. He always feared for my safety, though if I managed to get enough people with me, he would allow me to go on hunts. This always irked me; it wasn't as if orcs were brave enough to take the main roads, or the woods surrounding them. Legolas had always been kind though, teaching me to shoot and giving me challenging targets. Oh wait…. Legolas was my friend. Crap. How was I going to handle that? Legolas, my first crush, was my best friend. I was twenty years old, still only a child in elven terms. I knew all of this, yet I also remembered who I had been in Earth. I was startled out of my thoughts however, when somebody bowled me over. I heard two more elves coming up the hill, and I smiled.

"Ievos." I said, aiming a soft kick to his ribs. "Why do you intrude upon my peace?" Ievos laughed. He had green eyes and a chiseled face.

"How dare I intrude upon your peace?" He cackled, returning the kick. "You're beginning to be just as bad as Thranduil." I tried to cover up my discomfort with a smirk. I disliked how easily Ievos joked about the king. What if Legolas started to take offence that his father was being talked about in such a way?

"Oh Ievos!" I said in mock anger. "How dare you talk about our king in that way?" Ievos just rolled his eyes and laughed. Then our other friends came up the hill. One was a shorter elf by the name of Allisa, and the other was Legolas. I was glad for my Middle-Earth self, who simply thought of handsome Legolas as a friend. It reigned over my Earth self, which was now saying something like: 'Oh my god oh my god oh my god Legolas is running towards me! Oh my god oh my god oh my god-' you get the point.

"Eletha's right, you know." The prince in question said. "What happens if the Prince of Mirkwood finds out, and tells his father?" Then I rolled my eyes. It had been silly of me to ever think Legolas would betray Ievos. He had stopped a few paces away from me, and my two lives were battling with each other. Crush. Friend. Crush! Friend! He's just a friend. No he's a crush! FRIEND! CRUSSSSHHHH! He's only a friend, a very good friend, but only a friend. But he's Legolas!

"Yes, what a shame that would be." Allisa said, laughing. Then in mock seriousness; "I hear the prince comes around these parts sometimes, spying on the common folk to make sure all is well in the kingdom." Legolas started looking around, straining his elven ears.

"But then, how do we not know that this prince is not watching us right now?" All of us laughed, though I was the first to quiet. Just like how I knew who I was, I also knew where I was. Over the crest of the hill directly behind me, the main road of Mirkwood stretched out. Off to my left, a house stood. It was not fancy, but it clearly belonged to someone important; that was my home. Off to my right and straight ahead, the forest bloomed. It was early spring, almost my twenty-first birthday. I yearned for my twenty-fifth, because then my father would run out of excuses to keep my in his sight.

"Don't worry. The years will pass quick enough." Allisa comforted me, as if knowing my thoughts. "Soon you will be twenty-five, legally old enough to go out in the woods on your own."

"But you have been doing it since you were old enough to shoot a bow!" I said, almost grounding my teeth in frustration. "Actual hunting is nothing like targets, though targets do help me get better. I want to be able to test myself against something, to be able to walk in the woods alone with my thoughts." Suddenly Ievos got a glint in his eye, which usually meant to check your bed for poisonous mushrooms.

"You said you wanted to test yourself. Why not join in the contests?" I smiled and shook my head.

"I wouldn't stand a chance. Esta, Almar, Arith, all of them have been shooting deer and rabbits since they could walk." I knew it was very un-elfish of me, but I couldn't see how I had any chance of beating the famed champions.

"Well then start smaller. Go to the smaller championships, see if you can beat them. Are you a dwarf, or an elf?" This time it was Legolas teasing me. I glared at him for his question, but there was really nothing I could do to retaliate; Legolas was the best archer in all of Mirkwood, and he knew it. He met my glare with a smirk, daring me to challenge him.

"Are you hobbit or an elf?" I asked, refusing to be beaten. "I hear hobbits like to prance around all day, singing and listening to poetry." This time it was him who glared at me, and I smirked back; pretty sure I had gotten him back.

"That was low. You know I don't like those sessions."

I shrugged. "Do I? I've heard that you always praise each elf for their poetry and music." He continued glaring at me, but I didn't back down; I had almost won this sparring match of words, and I loved the reward. Legolas seemed to know where I was heading.

"Oh come on! What are you going to do this time?"

"'are'? You sound like you're admitting defeat." Legolas was about as honorable as you could get. There was a tradition, that an elf who lost would have to give one wish to the winner. It wasn't technically law, but if you didn't you were considered to be dishonorable. Legolas gave me one last glare, then held up his hands.

"I…. I a-" I loved watching this internal fight. Legolas might be honorable, but he also had a lot of pride. Admitting defeat was not one of his strong suits. "I- I am."

"Am what?" I asked innocently. If other elves couldn't have seen him, I swear he would have growled.

"I am admitting-" He paused, and I could see the fire in his eyes. By agreeing with me, I could have let it go, and told Legolas my wish. But I was happy to watch him struggle.

"I am admitting that this despicable and cruel elf has bested me." I smiled; it had taken less time then usual for Legolas to give in. I had been thinking of my wish for a while now, but I wasn't sure if it would work. If it didn't, then I would have wasted my wish. If it did….

"Legolas, I will tell you my wish at a later time." He looked at me, and I could tell he wouldn't be trusting me until I had used my wish. I met his gaze, and I could tell he wasn't going to challenge me, at least until I had used up my wish.

"Eletha!" My mother called. I looked towards my house, and saw her standing on the porch. "Your father says that he doubts if you've ridden Isil recently." It took all my willpower not to snort. Of course I hadn't ridden her, Father disliked me riding horses almost as much as he disliked me going into the woods.

"I have not."

"Well Father says if you took someone with you, he gives his consent to let you ride." I made an effort not to show my emotions.

"Thank you, Mother." The elf in question turned and disappeared into the house. For a moment I wondered if I should go up and ask if I could ride the trails as well. I decided against it though. I would ride on the trails, and face the long lecture later. I looked at my friends, and caught Allisa's eye. She nodded, and I went to tack up Isil.

When I got to the barn, I felt something. It was as if my body had shifted into a lower gear; making me slower. My thoughts were different as well, unsure where I was. I sat down on a hay bale, and looked around in confusion. I had ridden horses before, heck I was even on a show jumping team. But I didn't recognize this barn, or the horses in it. What was I doing here?

A/N: All will be explained in the next chapter. Again, feed the Review Monster if you don't want it to haunt Legolas!