2. Beginnings
"A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care that the balances are correct."
From the Manual of Muad'dib by Princess Irulan
Dune Frank Herbert (1965)
Caras Galadhon Lothlorien 20 May/53 Tuile 2946 III Age
Buffy woke to the sounds of singing, the sounds lilting and soft as though carried on a soft breeze. The words meant nothing to her but the sound was beautiful none the less, and also deeply calming. Rather than tense up and attack as she would have done normally she simply relaxed further into the softness that surrounded her. Whistler had said that they were sending her somewhere safe to learn about her new world and also to have some free time to learn about the new world they had dropped her in. Time she intended to use to the full extent, she wasn't about to be caught off guard this time. Her thoughts however were interrupted by a soft but beautiful voice next to her.
"Welcome to Lothlorien Dagnir. Welcome to your new home."
Buffy turned her head and for a moment was slightly blinded by the sudden rush of light to her eyes as she opened them. After a moment her eyes adjusted and she focused on the woman before her. She was unearthly, regal, timeless and above all beautiful. Buffy could see that in a sweeping glance. But it was her eyes that gave Buffy pause, they were so beautiful, kind, compassionate, warm and full of patience. Buffy could feel them pulling her in, reading her, studying her, calling to her soul. Buffy felt as if she was drowning in this woman's eyes and pulled back. The feeling of drowning was one she had come to hate after the Master's lair. She quickly gathered her thoughts around her enough to ask the question that Whistler hadn't given her an answer to.
"Where am I?"
"You are in Arda or Middle Earth child." the woman said smiling at her.
"Ok. And you would be the one that Whistler sent me to right?" Buffy asked the white gowned woman who sat next to the bed Buffy had now realized she was in.
"Yes. Although you shall not see him again. His work is in your former world for its higher powers. You are now under the care of the Valar." the woman replied with a kind smile.
Buffy processed this with a sense of growing hope and relief. So no more work for the PTB. Great! Now she just had to make sure that these Valar weren't as bad as her old bosses. "Are these Val guys going to treat me like the Powers did cause if they are we have a slight problem." Buffy aksed hoping that they were different or else she was in for a whole lot of trouble. The woman smiled at her as though she understood completely before responding. "No child, they will not. The Valar are much more gentle in the manner of which they guide. For here they choose more warriors to ease the burden."
Buffy instantly liked these Valar people. That meant that she wouldn't have to work as hard. Which was more than alright with her. But first she had to figure out the lay of the land.
"They sent me to you to learn about this world right?" Buffy asked.
"Indeed. I was told of your coming well before and we have prepared much for your arrival. You will need to learn about this land and all that comes with your arrival here."
Buffy looked at her for a moment thinking about the fact that that the woman not only knew that she was coming but had prepared for her. Generally that meant that she was some sort of seer but since the higher ups had decided to use her as Buffy's guide she guess that the woman wasn't evil. She seemed kind and caring and Buffy felt any doubts she might have had about her goodness or intentions fly right out the window. She already liked this woman although she didn't know her name.
"What is your name? And what am I gonna have to learn?"
"My am Galadriel, Lady of Lothlorien and its ruler. But perhaps before we begin in earnest you would care to dress and eat."
Buffy loved that idea. Food! She couldn't even remember the last time she eaten. Then looking down she realized that she was in little more than a long nightgown and that her clothes were nowhere in sight. Galadriel rose from her seat and made her way to the door, stopping before she reached it.
"My grand child Arwen shall be here in but a moment to help you dress and then then bring you to me."
Galadriel went through the door and closed it behind her. Leaving Buffy to stumble out of bed and look for a bathroom. After several seconds of searching she spotted a water pitcher and bowl on a table with a mirror and groaned.
"Just my friggin luck. No plumbing. Betting there's no tv either."
And so Buffy's life in Arda began.
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Several hours outside Imladris (Rivendell) 20 May/54 Tuile 2951
Buffy sat on the back of her horse Minuial and went over the last five years of her life.
After grudgingly accepting Arwen's help to dress she had followed the beautiful elleth through the trees to another suite of rooms. Galadriel was there with two men whom she introduced as Celeborn and Haldir. The first being her husband and the second her Marchwarden.
They sat for dinner and so it began.
They tried not to overwhelm her, that much she knew. But still it was more than Buffy had ever expected. Celeborn agreed to oversee Buffy's education on everything from or about Arda. From history to geography to philosophy and more. Haldir taught her about tracking, Elven fighting, living from the land and how to ride a horse. Camping was really not her thing but after five years now she was good at it. Arwen began to teach her their language, customs and music as well as how to be a lady. Buffy really hated that, especially when they refused to speak to her in anything but Sindarin after the first year. But she'd learned it. Wanted to kick Celeborn in the head a few times but she'd learned it. Of course Haldir found it funny to see her struggle but since she had permission to wail on him during practice didn't get to her as much.
They'd also told her of her mission. To help the heir of Gondor take his crown when the time came. It wasn't yet time but one day it would be. In the mean time however Buffy was free and she loved it. For the first three years they had treated her like family. Though Celeborn had refused to call her Buffy because it apparently sounded wrong to him. But then during the third year Galadriel approached her and asked if she and Celeborn might become Buffy's foster parents.
Buffy had jumped at the idea. While she'd still missed her mom and sister, she'd left those memories long behind. One was gone and the other was safe and now Buffy felt that she had a new family. She and Arwen had become like sisters and Celeborn reminded Buffy of Giles sometimes. Though on a few occasions she had found that he had a bit more of a mischievous streak and he didn't have any glasses to polish. But she'd gotten the Sindarin equivalent of 'dear lord' a couple of times so it was still pretty good.
And so she became the foster daughter of the Lord and Lady of the Golden Wood. Given a new name and taking up a place of nobility, though none outside the inhabitants of the Wood or the family of Galadriel were to ever know after what had happened to CelebrÃan years before.
And now here she was riding with a large guard and Arwen to meet the rest of her new family. A meeting she was both excited and hightly nervous about considering what Buffy had heard about Arwen's twin brothers and her adar.
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To see them riding through few hundred yards was to be slightly taken aback for anyone of Arda. In a group of over twenty there were but two women. One was dark and tall sitting regally on her brown mare, her hair pulled back into an intricate knot.. The other was fair and slight with long blonde hair spilling down her back. The front was held back from her face by two intricate braids. On her head was a simple circlet of mithril much like the one worn by their sister. But while Arwen's was simple vines hers resembled a butterfly. Though smaller, she commanded more attention, her beautiful green Elven riding gown a sharp contradiction to Elven blade clearly seen strapped across her back.
Elladan and Elrohir watched their sister and the one they knew to be the foster daughter of their daernaneth. She was beautiful, though they had not known before this. But she also intrigued them. A child of man they knew, had been sent by the Valar themselves and had been given gifts unlike any before. Their adar had informed them that she had been given the same choice as all Peredhel, to live a mortal life or to be immortal like the all of the first born. This alone would have sparked their interest but their father had not been through. She was Dagnir, a slayer and as such that was her name at all times unless she were among her immediate kin alone or in Lorien. They had been told her name among the family and seeing her now for the first time they new it fit. Raina meant gracious in their tongue and by the way she sat her horse they both knew it was appropriate. She held the gracious beauty of a queen. But the in the way only other warriors would know she could also offer gracious death to any who were unwise enough to cross her. But there was also the final name she had been given amongst their people: Wilwarin. The Wilwarin stars welcomed the Eldar into Varda and it seemed that like their sister she had been given a title worthy of her blessing of the Valar.
Knowing by the way her eyes moved now that she knew of their presence they came from their hiding spots among the trees.
"Mae govannen muinthel nin" they said in unison to Arwen as they approached smiling brightly. Arwen Undómiel had been gone for almost twenty years and though it was not a long time by elvish standards it was still enough time for them to miss her.
Coming along side the two ladies to ride they greeted their new kinsman together as well.
"Mae govannen gwanur nin" (well met kinswoman)
They studied her intently for a moment and were surprised when she had no qualms about studying them back as well before she replied
"Mae govannen" (well met)
They couldn't help but smile at this little mystery. She seemed so cool and collected from afar but this close they could see the mischief, passion and life burning in her eyes. She was one of them.
"I am Elladan and this is Elrohir. We are pleased to meet our new kinsman." Elladan smiled as he spoke and was amazed at the transformation in her face as she smiled back and chuckled softly.
"Arwen you were right. They could sell you the moon if they wished to." she replied with laughter in her voice. "Amongst kin I am Raina. Amongst friends Buffy and to any else Dagnir Please call me Buffy. I have a feeling we're going to be friends."
The two raised their eyebrows in a way that was very much like Elrond at her comment about the moon but seeing the sparkle in her eyes and her comment about being friends they relented deciding to enjoy the last hour of the ride home as the sun set behind them.
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It was late and Estel knew that he should be asleep but couldn't. Over the last two months his ability to sleep seemed to have disappeared. Knowing who and what he was now was far too much for a young man of twenty.
He wanted to escape it, to hide. Fate had chosen him for something he didn't want at all. And so here he was slinking around the gardens in the night attempting to avoid the gwenyn at all cost.
Moving softly through the last of the halls his ears suddenly caught the sound of singing. Though not the singing of the elves. The voice was soft, sad and so full of emotion that Estel crept closer with all of the skill he had.
Come here
pretty please
Can you tell me where I am?
Won't you say something
I need to get my bearings
I'm lost
And the shadows keep on changing
And I'm haunted
By the lives that I have loved
And actions I have hated
I'm haunted
By the lives that wove the web
Inside my haunted head
Estel had made his way into the garden but still not close enough to see who was singing. The song was unfamiliar to him and so he kept moving forward silently
Don't cry
There's always a way
Here in November in this house of leaves
We'll pray
Please, I know its hard to believe
To see a perfect forest
Through so many splintered trees
You and me
And the shadows keep on changing
Estel could see her now, sitting on a stone bench in the middle of the garden with her bare feet sticking out from under her long dark dress. Her knees were pulled up and she sat on the bench sideways her feet flat on the stone. He couldn't see her face or hair underneath the cowl of the cloak she wore.
And I'm haunted
By the lives that I have loved
And actions I have hated
I'm haunted
By the promises I've made
And others I have broken
I'm haunted
I will always love you
I will always need you
I will always want you
And I will always miss you
Estel could feel the pain radiating off her. He didn't know who she was, only that she was far too small to be of the first born.
Come here
No I won't say please
One more look at the ghost
Before I'm gonna make it leave
Come here I've got the pieces here
Time to gather up the splinters
Build a casket for my tears
For a moment Estel thought she had seen him and spoken to him but knew that she hadn't as she continued. After a few moments she had finished the song and in one graceful movement stood and made her way away from him. But as she had stood for a moment he had seen her eyes and he know that they would be with him for the rest of his life.
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