A MASSIVELY HUGE thank you to all who reviewed, followed and favourited! All my love to those, it really lights up my day to see that this story is striking up that intrigue already. You are all so incredible, and I'm so humbled by it!
I do have a review by an Anon I would like to address, purely because it seemed like an answer was needed and will probably end up answering a few other reader's questions, too. Just so you know, I do reply via PM to every Review if you sign in! Sadly I can't reply to Anon's directly, so if you want a reply do try to sign in first :)
Anon (Maybe) : So you seemed a tad concerned on my creating a Mary-sue character, which is really sweet that you took the time to warn me and help me out. Just thought I'd ease your fears a bit, and answer them here. The fabled return is paramount to a plot that includes realm-travelling, purely to make it believable and not random pot-luck. Although I don't know how fabled this is, as she doesn't really have a huge impact on the Fellowship's journey or success, but rather needs them to find answers for her own path. Her name is unusual to english-speaking countries but is fairly common in Europe, (and as we all know 'Elle', as people only know her as, is a "normal" name). The eye colour being unnatural is so important to my plot, purely because I needed a distinguishing characteristic she shared with the wolf, and since all humans really share with wolves is eyes, it was an obvious choice (; as well as, Alexandria's Genesis is a genetic mutation thought to have been bred-out (some say myth, some say real. Idc which, it just fit for the story!), much like werewolves in Middle-Earth are thought to have, too. And finally, this species IS canon! Read up on Draugluin (and Carcharoth), he was the sire to all werewolves of Middle-Earth and thought to have been bred out to the Wargs and the White Wolves. Yes, I did do my homework! It's unbelievable, I know Hahah. But anywho, I really do appreciate your review and warning, it's so important to a writer at this stage!
And, without any further adieu, here's the next chapter!
- Torrance Rose -
Elle floated in and out of consciousness.
No fear, no worries. Nothing. Just a blissful state of emptiness.
She wondered absently if this is what dying felt like. It didn't seem to really matter, though. It's not like she had much to live for. Her life was a meaningless repeat of the day before. No family, limited friends. Nothing new, nothing interesting. Just work and sleep. Work and sleep.
Mmm, sleep sounded nice right about now...
Elle awoke stiff and aching all over, feeling as though she'd spent the night on the floor rather than her bed. Her mind struggled to lift the fog of sleep, blinking blearily up into the blazing sunshine above.
"Just a few minutes more." She mumbled incoherently to herself, rolling as if to pull her doona around her a bit tighter.
When her hand grasped nothing but air, and her shoulder managed to dig straight into a rock, Elle's eyes finally popped open. Something was definitely wrong.
Fuck, she wasn't naked in her garden again was she?!
Hefting herself up into a sitting position, horror slowly dawned on her as she looked around.
Oh, no. It was much, much worse.
She almost refused to believe what she was seeing, and just when she decided it must all be a dream, her memories from last night came crashing back.
The orb, oh fuck!
With a noise akin to a wounded animal, Elle scrambled to her feet, her boots scraping against dirt and gravel.
She was at the opening of a cave of sorts, definitely something that was home to an animal judging by the den-like structure to the back. Elle shook uneasily at the impressive pile of bones in the corner, her mouth going dry.
Whatever this thing was, it was big. And hungry.
Breath quickening, she surveyed her surroundings immediately. The cave was bare, so where was the beast?
Hardly daring to breathe, let alone move, Elle felt the telltale sign of tears sting at her eyes as she stood frozen to the spot. What the hell was happening to her?!
A cheerful whistling brought her attention to the light at the front of the cave, and she back-pedalled quicker than she'd have thought possible under the circumstances.
Fuck if I'm becoming someone's breakfast today!
She nestled herself into a narrow alcove in the wall, clamping a hand over her mouth as the tears began to flow freely and the blood rushed, pounding like a drum, to her ears.
"How's my girl today?" An old and squeaky voice greeted cheerfully from the entrance, echoing throughout the cave.
"Where are you, girl?"
Fucking, christ! This was not happening. This was not happening.
Some rustling ensued, presumably the distinctly human voice searching for whatever thing they were keeping in here as a pet.
But what was she supposed to be here for? A snack?! The thought made her visibly shudder as a loud sob racked her body.
The movement stopped just as suddenly, and Elle's eyes grew as wide as saucers as she pressed the palm of her hand to her mouth.
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
"Girl? Y'back there?" The squeaky voice came closer, shuffling slowly across the cave.
Knowing she had no other option, Elle clung to the strap of her bag and swung, just as the shuffling grew too close.
With a strangled cry and a resounding thud, Elle wasted no time in leaping over her fallen victim and racing toward the cave's opening. She'd barely registered the tiny old man dressed in layers of brown before she was whizzing past, her insides clenching as she ran.
"Wait!" The old man called out in distress, and in that moment Elle made the mistake of looking back.
He'd lifted a stick of sorts, almost as large as himself, when her feet had lost all momentum and she realised she was, quite literally, stuck in mud. Where the hell had that come from?! She could have sworn it was just rock and dry dirt a second ago!
Tugging at her boots with the desperation of a captured animal, Elle cried out, "Please, let me go! I didn't do anything!"
The old man was heaving himself up from the floor, looking fairly bedraggled and utterly unaware of Elle's current distress.
"Ooh, my back." He moaned, cracking his joints back in place before turning his bushy eyebrows toward her.
"Let me out of here, you fucking asshole!" Elle all but screamed, breathing so hard she was pretty sure she was hyperventilating.
"Calm down, girl. It's all going to be okay." The old man said in a soothing tone as he crept closer, wary now.
"Okay?! Are you fucking mental, old man?" Elle shrieked, ripping and tugging at her legs to no avail, "I'm about to be dinner!"
The little old man's brows almost disappeared up into the tattered brown hat perched atop his head, mouth dropping open as he looked to her, to the den, to the pile of bones on the floor, before bursting out laughing.
"This isn't funny, you fucking psycho!" She sobbed, panting hysterically, "Come any closer and I'll rip your goddamn throat out!"
Now he looked slightly taken aback, and a little like he probably wouldn't put the threat past her.
"Now, now," He sighed in obvious exasperation, "No need for that sort of language. I'm not going to hurt you, girl. You're not dinner, you're safe."
"Safe?!" Elle sputtered incredulously, "I've woken up in a fucking cave, dude, with bones and- and dead things! And now you won't let me leave!"
He had the decency to look a little guilty now, but that didn't make Elle feel any better about the situation.
"Just, please," She implored desperately, "I won't call the police, if you just let me go!"
"Police?" The old man asked quizzically.
"Yeah, y'know? The guys in blue who lock people up when they kidnap girls for their dinner? Where have you been, under a bloody rock?" Elle snapped, finally giving up on her planted feet and straightening to cross her arms and glare.
She was supposed to look intimidating, but with a tear stained face and those constant tremors, she wasn't having much luck.
"I don't know what... police, is." He shook his head unsurely and continued, "But I cannot let you go. You would die in a matter of hours out here."
The full realisation of what was happening to her hit home, and she accepted with a staggering breath that she had no idea where she was. Now that her initial adrenalin was dissipating, Elle swayed and her vision clouded.
When had she become one of those girls who were always having the ridiculous notion to faint?
"I- I need to sit down." She croaked, and instinctively took his offered arm to steady herself.
As easily as her feet had been immobilised, they were suddenly free and Elle was dimly aware of the old man leading her back toward an array of boulders to sit down.
He was muttering something unintelligible to himself, though she managed to catch the end of it. Something about not being prepared for this to have happened so soon, or whatever.
Well, she scoffed to herself, neither was I, dickhead.
"I just want to go home." Elle's voice was barely above a whisper, broken and drained. She looked up after receiving no answer, her eyes swimming with tears as they locked on to her kidnappers.
"I'm sorry, dear. That just isn't possible." He murmured, tugging on his beard nervously.
"Well make it possible!" She demanded roughly.
Elle eyed him with hostility. He was probably the dirtiest man she'd ever met, and likely homeless too. Her nose recoiled at the side of bird... business mattered through his peppered brown hair. Something about him was annoyingly familiar, but she brushed it off. The tugging grew more pronounced as the old man fidgeted uncomfortably.
"Your home is far from here, child." He said.
"How far?" Her anger was quickly resurfacing as she watched the old man's grey eyes dart about anxiously.
"Look," She snarled, "You can't just kidnap me, tell me I'm safe and then not say a goddamn thing more! I deserve an answer!"
"I didn't kidnap you." He was quick to correct, "You were brought to me. A long time ago."
"What are you talking about?"
"I've been your guardian since you were a babe. Though I am sorely unprepared for your arrival, I did not think you'd be here for at least a few seasons more..." He trailed off in thought, before catching up with himself hurriedly, "The alignment happened faster than I'd calculated. But never mind that, you're here now. And we don't have much time."
"Time for what?!" Elle stammered aggressively, "You to lose your marbles even more?"
He chuckled in amusement, "Just like your wolf, aren't you? Of course, she never actually said much but I certainly got the gist..." He was rambling again, much to Elle's chagrin.
What the hell was he even saying? This man needed psychiatric help, pronto.
"Look," She cut him off quickly, "I get it. You're alone out here, living the hermit lifestyle. Things can get a little skewered with that kind of isolation. But keeping me here isn't going to solve your problems. You need help, okay?"
"No," He clasped his dirty hands over hers, "You need help, girl. Now that you're here, they will sense you. They will come for you, and anyone close to you. We need to leave, now. The Fellowship is our only hope."
The... Fellowship?
Something clicked, and then it all made sense. The jaunty hat, mattered beard and twisted staff. This man, honest to goodness, actually believed he was a member of The Hobbit cast.
To be fair, he'd done a bang-up job on impersonating the addle-minded wizard Radagast. He could practically be his twin! But that didn't change the fact that he was crazier than she'd ever thought possible.
"Oh my god," She whispered, "You're insane."
The old man's brows furrowed, "I'm quite clear of mind, dear. I assure you."
"Oh, right." Elle scoffed, "Sorry Radagast the Brown. Have I offended you?"
He grinned from ear to ear, "Not at all girl, I'm so glad you're coming to terms. We don't have a moment to lose."
"It's called sarcasm, you moron." Elle spat as she pulled her hands from his, "And I'm not going anywhere with you."
He stood, his expression of complete disbelief, "But... The Fellowship! If you are here, then that means it has started. I must take you to Gandalf before Sauron catches wind of you."
"ENOUGH," She shouted from her seat, "of these fucking games! You are going to let me go right now! The fellowship isn't real. Radagast, Frodo, Sauron. None of them are real! They're characters in a book, and you are just insane!"
He stepped back from her anger. "But, my dear... It is real. We are in Middle-Earth. Yavanna brought you back to your true form, just as the signs predicted."
Elle stood and made a point of addressing her attire, "Try again mate. If this is supposed to be my true form, well it's the same fucking deal. I don't look any different."
"But you are. Tonight, when the moon rises, you will see. Yavanna has no power over the night. That is the wolf's dominion. And as you grow in time, the she-wolf grows, and as one you will eventually combine."
"This is fucking ridiculous. It's like talking to a wall." Elle groaned, sitting back down with a hand to her temple.
"Tell me about it." The Radagast-wannabe agreed, looking as though he'd rather be anywhere else but here.
She peered up from between her fingers, "Did you honestly just make a joke?"
He nodded, a nervous twitch to his smile.
"Time and a place, dude." Elle sighed, letting her head fall back into her hand.
This was nothing like she could ever have imagined a kidnapping to be like. Sitting in a cave, talking nonsense with an old man dressed as Radagast the Brown. Typical of her life to make things just that little bit more weird.
Her stomach growled uncomfortably, breaking the awkward silence and demanding Elle's attention to just how hollow and starved she felt. That hunger, coupled by her parched throat, was the final catalyst in pushing her to make a decision on where to go from here.
Maybe if she could get a decent meal out of this guy, and actually sit down with him long enough to have a normal conversation, there would be a slim chance he'd see reason and take her home.
Elle still couldn't decide how the blue orb thingy tied in to all of this, but priorities took precedent. Food first, information later.
"Look," She said, doing her best to sound reasonable, "Maybe we should both sit down, have some breakfast, and talk about this properly. We're getting nowhere from here."
Radagast nodded, eager to be moving forward, "Of course, girl. You're quite right. My house is just outside, I'll be happy to whip you up something to break your fast."
Elle rolled her eyes at the old-school language. She had to give the guy props for staying in character so well.
"Whatever, dude. And my name is Elle, not girl."
Elle followed the sprightly old man as he hurried out of the cave, careful to follow exactly in his footsteps so as not to fall victim to the mud again, and straight into the full brunt of sunshine outside. She shielded her eyes against the blinding light, drinking up her surroundings as surreptitiously as possible.
Nope, didn't recognise a thing.
She looked to be in the very fucking middle of a forest. And not the sparse, cute, woodland kind either. This place looked like it had been left to run wild for thousands of years, with vines hanging off of trees as tall as buildings and as wide as freaking hot tubs. The untamed, feral nature of her surroundings sent goosebumps down her spine.
She shuddered, avoiding a spiders-web that hung loosely over the cave's door.
"Hurry now, girl. Pardon me, Elle. It's right this way." The Radagast impersonator said in his high, twitchy voice, clearly relieved that she was going along with him as he led her down a roughly worn trail.
Elle followed diligently, occasionally stumbling over upturned roots and loose stones. He wasn't kidding when he said he lived right outside. They rounded a fairly massive line of trees to come in full view of the most unusual and oddly darling little cottage she'd ever seen.
The roof was thatched and the walls carved from a mess of wood, stone and mud. It was like a child had randomly thrown in the varying components and it had somehow, through some sort of miracle, managed to work.
Elle raised her brows, concerned with the infrastructure. Obviously there were no architectural laws keeping this dude's imagination at bay, that was for sure. It was a wonder that the whole thing was even standing up, with the way it was leaning oddly against the direction of a few saplings sprouting from the top.
Trudging warily after Radagast (who, by the way, didn't seem even the tiniest bit concerned that his house looked as if it would crumble at any moment), Elle felt that the cottage, at the very least, certainly reflected the mindset of it's owner.
The old derelict held the crooked wooden door open for her, and she stepped in to an even greater mess than the outside. The walls were lined with moss and thick tree roots, seemingly the only thing actually holding it all together, with clumsily constructed shelving upon every other spare bit of space. Books, trinkets and bottles containing she-didn't-want-to-know-what littered the shelves, tables, and most of the chairs too. A small kitchen-like area was in one corner (though she didn't know how someone had survived so long without a fridge or microwave, and with only what looked to be a cauldron and water pump to aid them), a single-sized cot in the other, and no other doors or rooms that she could make out whatsoever.
"Welcome, welcome," Radagast ushered her inside, completely oblivious to her reproving stare, "Please sit down."
"Is this really it?" She blurted out as she took a chair, before realising how rude it had sounded and snapping her mouth shut.
Good one, Elle. A kidnapper that doesn't want to chain you up or torture you, and you go ahead and insult him.
Radagast didn't seem to comprehend the jab, thinking her question genuine as he answered lightheartedly, "Oh yes. There is of course an outhouse behind the water tank, but other than that this is my home. Ingenious, isn't it?"
"Uhh, sure." Elle said as she inspected the fireplace, wondering how on earth this place didn't go up in flames.
Radagast lifted his leather hat with a flourish, hanging it by the door to reveal a pair of birds perched and sleeping within.
My god, this guy took the term cosplay to a whole other level. Elle wondered absently how he managed to tame the animals into behaving so well under the hat for such long periods of time, sure that it must be some form of animal cruelty.
She watched on, curious and somewhat mildly disgusted as he went about preparing breakfast.
The utensils didn't look all that clean, her doubt only rising when she realised he had no stove, no oven, and was now expecting the omelet he'd tossed together to cook over the open fire in the hearth.
"I don't have any meat left, I'm afraid. Is that alright?" The old man was saying, though she was hardly paying much attention as he stirred the egg, veggie and herb goo together to the watchful eye of a hedgehog, "Not that I eat a lot of it to begin with, but what with feeding and taking care of you I just never seem to have any left over for much else."
"Excuse me?" Elle said as she caught on, ignoring the question seeing as how she was a vegetarian anyway, "What do you mean feed and take care of me? I've been taking care of myself my whole life, man. No thanks to you, or to my parents, or anyone else."
Radagast looked up and once more, especially in this environment, she was struck by just how damn similar he looked to the version of the brown wizard from the newest Hobbit movie. He was exactly the same, and yet so different at the same time. Plus, this cottage was almost a copy of the one from the film. Not quite, but close enough.
"Not you, you. But the other you. The little she-wolf." He corrected her in his rusty, nervous tone. She got the feeling that he was holding something back, not that she really cared what. As soon as she got the green light, she was getting out of here.
"There is no other me. No she-wolf, no nothing. Just me." Elle repeated slowly, staring hard into his eyes like she were talking to a child. It reminded her of dealing in the junior section of the library, trying to explain to children the importance of taking care of books. They didn't listen much, either.
"Not anymore, there's not. You've ingrained now. That's why you're here. You've joined, and will soon become one." He told her factually, flipping the sizzling omelet as he went.
"Okay," Elle raised a hand to her forehead and decided to see how playing along for a moment might go, "So say I am this little she-wolf as you seem to think. Why on earth would I have been brought in to a fictional universe, with fictional people and fictional events, to take part in a world that was never written for me. Wouldn't that have been in the movies or something?"
"This has always been written for you!" He laughed in answer, sliding over a plate of food for her. He shot a brief warning look toward a few hedgehogs, rabbits and mice that had appeared at the smell of breakfast, as though their being here was the most normal thing in the world, before digging in to his own. "I don't know what these movies are that you speak of, but Elle, this has been your fate since Yavanna first laid her celestial hand on you."
"Lovely, and who is Yavanna again?" She replied dryly, going along with his charade as she began cutting in to the omelet, keeping a close eye on a possum that was edging closer to her foot.
In any other circumstances, she might have cooed over all the wildlife creeping out of hidden nooks around the room with their arrival. As it was, she decided letting herself be distracted might be exactly what this old creep wanted.
"She is an Ainur, a holy one of the Valar. The 'Giver of Fruits'. She protects all that grows in Middle-Earth and beyond. It was she of course who plucked you from the fires of Mordor when you were born, and protected your soul by sending you to a realm far from Morgoth's influence." He spoke so fluently, so surely, that for a moment Elle almost believed him.
Cutting in to the food, Elle found the crudely cooked meal surprisingly delicious.
"And, what? Didn't have the juice to send my she-wolf soulmate with me then? Come on, dude. You gotta agree that this is sounding completely ridiculous." She said as she wolfed down a couple mouthfuls.
It was Radagast's turn to sigh heavily as he laid his cutlery to the side and matched her stare for stare, "The Valar is all powerful Elle, but no. Yavanna alone did not have... the juice to send your whole form. As well as not wishing to do so, since sending a werewolf into the midst of another realm would be a ludicrous and potentially fatal decision."
Elle nearly choked on her offered clay mug of water as she took a sip, holding the sleeve of her cardigan to wipe her mouth as she laughed, "A werewolf?! Fucking great, couldn't you have thought of something a little more original? I mean really, of all the things I could've been, I get stuck with werewolf? Talk about drawing the short string!"
Radagast glared at her as she took another few bites of her meal, snickering about werewolves the entire time.
"What did you think I meant? That is your true form, your true self. And once the haze lifts tonight, you'll see just what I mean." He scolded her, obviously ruffled by her laughter as he stood and collected their empty plates and dishes.
"I'm sorry," She giggled, standing to help as she finished off the last of her meal, "I just really thought that you'd at least try to sound believable, y'know? I mean, the one rule about lying is to stick as close to the truth as possible. You definitely flew straight across that line with the whole werewolf thing."
Was she seriously still talking about werewolves? Fucking hell, this had to be the strangest conversation she'd ever had.
Radagast looked as if he'd like to tug his beard right off as he turned a disturbing plum shade, mumbling and cussing beneath his breath while he loaded the dishes in the already cluttered basin and left them there to grow mould like the rest of them.
Without any warning whatsoever, the fireplace that was only moments before a pile of embers suddenly sprang to roaring life and spat out with a huff a curled and charred piece of parchment.
Elle shrieked and almost fell backwards in her struggle to escape the flames, patting at the smoking end of her cardigan as she fought the urge to throw herself onto the floor and scream until the crazy man let her go.
Radagast tottered forward, a grim set to his mouth as he captured the letter and read the message inside.
The old man was completely oblivious to Elle's wide-eyed stare, her lips hanging open in shock, sputtering to say something. What just happened?
Tossing it back into the fire only seconds later, he turned to her and said, "Whether you believe me or not, it does not matter. We must leave at once if we are to reach The Prancing Pony in time. Gandalf has sent me an exact hour of arrival and we cannot possibly miss them."
"Oh of course it was Gandalf, right." Elle swallowed, rolling her eyes as she fought for composure, "Forgot you two were best buddies. Well, we'd better get moving then. Gotta do what the magical piece of paper says."
Damn, he must've been planning this kidnapping for ages to get the fireplace rigged for that little trick. He might be good, but she was determined to be better.
At any rate, leaving this dilapidated little hut would get her closer to civilisation and a definite way out. She just had to stick it out until they got into town, and she could ditch the old fella for someone with half a brain.
"You really are adamant to deny your birthright, aren't you?" Radagast queried as he flicked the staff in his hands and had two plain brown packs materialise at his feet, "Even when magic is performed before your very eyes. How queer, humans from your world must be very dull."
Elle blubbered and fought for an explanation, not even daring to believe her eyes.
Come on, brain. Anything!
When nothing of value came up, and her head felt like it was swimming under a gallon of vodka, Elle met his laughing grey eyes with the barest of whimpers, and promptly fainted unceremoniously back onto her chair.
Poor Elle, just can't handle a bit of magic!
Again, I cannot express how much I appreciate you all! I really hope you enjoyed the chap, let me know what you liked/disliked about it and all that. Next chapter will start to become a lot more adventurous, and a lil longer, too. Expect it in the next week!
No Legolas for now :( Soon, my pretties. Gotta build it up, and I didn't want her immediately stumbling on the group. I want you all to get to know her a bit more first.
Until next time,
- T
xo