DISCLAIMER: *glomps Maedhros and retakes the Ring* Haha! My One Ring of Unlimited Copyright Privileges is mine! All mine! MWAHAHA- *Han Solo comes tearing past on a speeder and snatches the Ring* HEY! You scruffy-looking nerfherder, GIMME! *chases*

The reaction to this has floored me. I'm honoured that people love this so much- and for you, dear readers, I shall endeavour to update this more frequently. Feel special. XD

Ren Ankh: Nice to see you again!And I shall arm-wrestle the muse into submission so I can update this- Howzat? XD

Henxu: Hee hee hee! This shall be fun to write. XD

"Oh, Sith..." He groaned, gingerly attempting to turn his head. "What-"

"I'm never letting you pilot a ship again," muttered a grouchy-sounding voice from somewhere to Qui-Gon's left.

"Shut up, Cin." Qui-Gon cracked an eye open, eyeing the younger Master, who was sitting cross-legged on a sleeping pallet in a meditation position. "You all right?"

"All things considered?" Cin shrugged one shoulder, mindful of the cloth sling cradling his left arm. "I'll live." The blond-haired Knight gently touched a bandage wrapped around his forehead. "I don't think the planet we landed on is very sophisticated though- no bacta in sight."

"That's odd... Don't most planets in the galaxy have at least access to bacta?" Qui-Gon slowly sat up and looked around the small room, trying to ignore the throbbing in his skull that spoke of a concussion. He relaxed a bit when he saw Obi-Wan asleep on a third pallet, and carefully stood up to check on the teenager. "Where's Zara?"

"I thought so, and I have no idea." Cin frowned worriedly. "I think she's nearby, though..."

"Which is a comfort." Qui-Gon gently touched Obi-Wan's forehead. "Padawan?"

The teen groaned and shifted away from his Master's touch.

"Obi-Wan, c'mon... you need to wake up."

"'s too early..." Obi-Wan rolled away from Qui-Gon, trying to go back to sleep.

Qui-Gon just shook his head in frustration and amusement. "Padawan, up. We aren't at the Temple."

A moment later, Obi-Wan semi-reluctantly rolled back over. "Where are we?"

"I don't know. Are you hurt?"

"'m sore. What- Oh." Obi-Wan's brow furrowed. "The ship's probably totalled."

"I'd imagine so." Qui-Gon stiffly sat back on his own pallet and closed his eyes, trying to quell the dizziness induced by walking around. Not a good idea, Jinn.

Several moments went by before Cin looked around. "No one got a glimpse of who brought us here, did they?"

Qui-Gon started to shake his head before remembering how much that motion would hurt. "Not I." Opening his eyes again, he looked around the small room. Everything was in shades of grey or white, including the two thin, screen-like walls and the wooden floor. The room appeared to have been built around the trunk of a great tree- the silvery bark made up a third wall between the screens, leaving the fourth side of the room open for what seemed to be a walkway leading past it. The only light came from small silver lanterns set around the room, aided by the moonlight filtering through branches and leaves to reach the empty wall. When Qui-Gon focused, he could just catch a faint scent wafting in with the cool breeze, that smelled of forests and fresh grass. A soft voice was singing in the distance, but the words were too faint for the Master to make out.

Glancing toward the open wall, he saw a young-looking humanoid come into sight. His first thought was that the ship had crash-landed on Thustra and the Jedi had been rescued by Sephi. This woman did bear a striking resemblance to Master Fay- she appeared to be little older than Zara, with long silvery hair and delicately pointed ears. Her blue eyes, though, seemed to hint at a long life filled with both joy and sorrow- they had a depth to them that not even Master Fay's eyes could match, even with her two centuries of existence in the Order.

"Excuse me?" asked Cin as he stiffly stood up. The woman paused, curiously glancing at the Jedi. "Could you tell us where we are, please?"

The woman blankly looked at Cin before glancing at Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan.

"I don't think she speaks Basic," observed Obi-Wan. "What language do Sephi speak?"

"Basic, I thought," mused Qui-Gon, watching the woman swiftly leave his field of vision. "It may be that we've come across a tribe that keeps an unknown ancient language of the Sephi."

"Oh, joy," muttered Cin as he sat back down. "Hopefully someone here can understand us."

The Jedi were left in silence for only a few minutes before they heard soft footsteps outside. A man of similar appearance to the woman entered the room and looked at the Jedi. Behind him, the woman hesitated on the walkway outside the room, observing.

"I apologize for my daughter, Edain," spoke the man in accented Basic. "She does not speak the Common Tongue of your people. I am Mirion Idhrenonion, the chief healer of Lothlorien."

"It is quite all right," answered Qui-Gon graciously. "We thank you for your aid, Mirion Idhrenonion. I am Qui-Gon Jinn. This is Cin Drallig, and my apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"A star shines in the hour of our meeting," said Mirion, inclining his head. "How fare you?"

"I've felt better," admitted Cin, gingerly touching his temple through the bandage. He frowned as Mirion moved closer to inspect the wound. "Have you seen my own apprentice? She's a small human girl, bright red hair-"

"Ah, the young adaneth?" Mirion turned and spoke in a strange melodic language to his daughter, who then vanished. "She has been treated for her injuries as well, Man of Rohan. She is nearby- my daughter will send someone to bring her here."

Cin visibly relaxed upon hearing the healer's words. "Thank you." After a moment's pondering, he looked back up at the man. "What did you mean by 'Man of Rohan'?"

Mirion frowned as he removed the bandage and turned to fetch a bowl of water on the table behind him. "Are you not one of Théoden's men of Rohan to the West?"

"No- I know not of this Théoden, nor of Rohan."

"We do not know what planet we're on, I'm sorry to admit," spoke up Qui-Gon. "Where are we?"

"Planet?" Mirion gave Qui-Gon a confused look before returning his attention to the gash in Cin's forehead. "You are in the forest of Lothlorien, the realm of Lord Celeborn and his wife the Lady Galadriel. Where are you strangers from, if you are not aware of Rohan or the Golden Wood?"

"We're from Coruscant," answered Qui-Gon, perplexed as to where this Lothlorien was. I've not heard of a planet called that... Perhaps Lothlorien is a city on this planet.

He was interrupted from his musings by the arrival of a slim golden-haired woman, with Zara in tow. The stranger bowed and departed, allowing Zara to enter the small room. The Padawan was walking with a slight limp, had an assortment of bruises along her face and moved with a stiffness that hinted at broken ribs, but appeared to be relatively all right. Cin sighed in relief when he saw the small teenager. "Are you all right?"

Zara shrugged. "I've been worse. How badly are you hurt?"

"I'll live." Cin closed his eyes as Mirion re-wrapped his wound. "Thank you, again."

"You are welcome." The healer stepped back to gather up his supplies. Glancing over at Qui-Gon, he spoke again. "I do not know of this 'Coruscant'. It is well that the Lord and Lady have requested to speak with you as soon as you are sufficiently recovered."

"They have?" Qui-Gon exchanged a glance with Cin, who nodded. "I believe it's high time we spoke with them."

"As you say." Mirion inclined his head before poking his head out and calling out in his language again. Two males swiftly appeared, who had to be none other than the healer's sons, if their slim features, bright blue eyes and silver hair were any indication. Mirion confirmed Qui-Gon's suspicions in the next breath. "My sons Eruvadhor and Annoderu will escort you to the Lord and Lady."

"Thank you, Mirion," said Qui-Gon as he carefully stood up. He paused for a moment, willing away the ache with the Force, before accompanying the other Jedi out of the healing room.

The two men, whom Obi-Wan suspected of being guards more than healers, led the Jedi down a set of stairs that twisted around the trunk of a massive tree. The platform with screens that the male Jedi had been placed in had been built against the tree, using a large branch as a base for the floor. The stairs had continued to ascent beyond the platform, and as the Jedi and their escorts descended, they passed by many other small rooms and platforms. Few had more than one screen to serve as a wall, and all in different positions- Obi-Wan suspected the screens could be moved at will.

When the group reached the ground, they immediately found themselves in deep, soft grass, dotted with yellow and white flowers. More trees, some even larger than the tree the group had just descended, rose high into the darkness over Obi-Wan's head. The sound of singing was louder on the ground; although Obi-Wan couldn't understand the tongue, he felt inexplicably saddened by the haunting melodies. A small group of humanoids was gathered near the base of another nearby tree- they appeared to be of a different species than the other residents of Lothlorien. Obi-Wan was sure he could see children in the group.

But then their escorts arrived at the foot of another great staircase, leading up to the crown of the largest tree in the forest, and Obi-Wan temporarily forgot about the group below. He followed his Master and Master Drallig up the long, winding staircase, Zara beside him, with one alien behind the group and the other leading.

After what felt like an eternity, they arrived on a large, open platform. Their guards stepped to the side as the Jedi stepped forward into what felt like a throne room. They could see no small number of guards posted about the room, bearing an assortment of ancient weapons- swords, spears and bows. Obi-Wan would have commented to Qui-Gon through their mental bond about the archaic weapons if his attention had not been immediately commandeered by the man and woman seated at the end of the room.

As the Jedi approached, both humanoids, whom Obi-Wan guessed to be the Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel that Mirion had spoken off, rose to greet their visitors. "Welcome, strangers from afar, to fair Lothlorien," spoke the male. "We have anxiously awaited word on you since your vessel smote the side of Caradhras."

Obi-Wan mentally filed "Caradhras" away to ponder later as he bowed with his fellow Jedi. "It is our honour to meet you, my lord," said Qui-Gon. "We are indebted to you for your aid."

The silver-haired man allowed for a glimmer of a smile to pass over his stern, wise face. He did not appear to be old, despite his hair colour, unless Obi-Wan looked closely at his eyes. They were grey like his raiment and hair, and spoke of sorrows and grief from ages past. The Padawan let his gaze flicker to the Lady at his side, and was immediately spell-struck. She was clad all in white, and golden hair hung in fine braids down her back. She was young of face, but her eyes were ancient, older than Obi-Wan could imagine. She looked at him, freezing his very thoughts with her penetrating gaze, before looking to the other Jedi. When she spoke, her melodic voice was scarcely higher-pitched than her husband's. "The only debt we ask of you, travellers, is for you to tell us of your purpose here. For you were not brought here by random chance- I see that much."

In front of Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon seemed to stutter, transfixed by the Lady's piercing stare, before finding himself. "It would be a pleasure, my lady. I sense that our worlds have not come into contact, for we fear that we know of nothing that your people have spoken to us about yet."

Several of the guards moved forward, bringing chairs for the Jedi to sit on while they related their tale. Once he was comfortably seated, Master Drallig began to speak. "We are Jedi ambassadors from the Galactic Republic-"

The Lord and Lady gave him a blank stare. Master Drallig faltered. "Er... We're from another planet, one of a number of planets that have joined together in a common alliance. We are Jedi- ambassadors, peacemakers, and guardians of the alliance."

"I think I may understand what you mean by 'Jedi'," spoke Lord Celeborn, frowning, "... but what is a 'planet'?"

Qui-Gon spared Master Drallig from explaining a planet to these seemingly-primitive people. "In space, there are many stars with globes of earth and water and lifeforms that circle them. The masses orbiting the stars are called 'planets'."

"Ah," said the Lady softly. "And is the machine that our people pulled you from something that you use to travel between these... planets?"

"It is," said Master Drallig. "May I ask about this planet's land?"

"You may." Lord Celeborn gestured to one of the guards, who brought forth a large map printed on an ancient sort of flimsy. "I believe your people might call this 'Middle-earth' or 'Arda'. Lothlorien only covers a small part of this world, as you may see." He extended a long, slender finger to a small area of the map.

Curious, Obi-Wan looked over Qui-Gon's arm at the map. Most of the writing on the map, he could not recognize. But he could identify a long mountain range near to the forest that Lord Celeborn was pointing to. A long, snaky line that the teen supposed was a river wound between the mountains and another large forest before leading to a large body of water that had to be an ocean, going past another large mountain range.

Qui-Gon frowned at the map. "I recognize mountains and rivers, my lord, but I cannot read the writing- the characters are strange to me."

"Not to me, Master Jinn." Zara curiously studied the script. "I studied something like this last year in preparation for a mission to the Unknown Regions. I didn't go on the mission after all, but I recall something of the script." She looked at the map curiously. "Hmm... Go... Godor?"

"Close, young one," said Lord Celeborn. "Gondor, the last great realm of Men." He curiously looked at Qui-Gon. "We had supposed that you were a Man of there, Qui-Gon. You bear a likeness to their kin, who are of the lineage of fallen Numenor."

"Interesting..." mused Master Drallig. "What is this 'Rohan' that I hear of?"

"This realm, to the north of Gondor." Celeborn pointed. "They are the Horse-Lords, nomads, fierce in war, fair of skin and hair. We thought that you and the younger ones were of their kin." He eyed Zara. "It is rare indeed for a girl barely into womanhood to travel with men- young even by Edain standards."

"I have been told that several times," admitted Zara. In truth, Obi-Wan knew she had horrific luck with landing on planets where all matters of government and peacekeeping were male-centred. She hated it, but had learned to accept her fate.

Obi-Wan curiously looked at Celeborn. "'Edain', my lord?"

"Second born children of Iluvatar- the Mortal second-comers, after the Elves."

"Elves? Is that what-" Obi-Wan realized belatedly how bad that question would sound and felt his ears heat up with embarrassment. He could inwardly sense Qui-Gon mentally facepalming.

The Lady lightly laughed, however. "Your ignorance of our land is forgiven, young one. We are indeed of the Firstborn, the Elven kind, the Eldar race. There are a few of us who still remember fair Valinor and the Two Trees in the First Age of Middle-earth, of whom Lord Celeborn and I are two. The Men, or Edain, are the second-comers. The Dwarves came third- creatures of the stone halls. None know from whence the Hobbits or Halflings came from, as they are a reclusive race, although it is thought that they may have existed since the First Age in peace and quiet." Upon seeing the Jedi's confused looks, she added, "As Men count the seasons, we are three thousand and nineteen years into the Third Age."

Obi-Wan blinked. He could feel shock radiating from his companions, which he himself echoed. Over three thousand years? In one 'Age' alone? Master Yoda himself is only 800 years old! Then how old...

"But you are still recovering from your wounds, Jedi travellers." The Lady gracefully rose. "You are weary and need to rest- and you must think about what you have learned. You may rest in Caras Galadhon- you will be safe here from the darkness beyond Lothlorien's borders." She spoke in the strange language, which Obi-Wan now felt he could call Elvish, to a pair of guards, who them disappeared. "Lodging will be prepared for you. One of our guards will escort you there."

As she spoke, a male Elf with white-blond hair and an ancient-looking quiver on his back entered the room. The Lady inclined her head to the Jedi. "Haldir will see you to a resting place. We will speak again, Jedi."

Recognizing a dismissal, and inwardly grateful for a chance to mull over this new knowledge, the Jedi rose and bowed to the Lord and Lady before following the Elf, presumably Haldir, out of the throne room.

"This will be your lodging for as long as you stay in Lothlorien," said Haldir in thickly accented Basic as he led the Jedi up a slim rope ladder onto what Zara now knew to be called a talan. One screen provided a cover against the breeze. The room was modest, featuring blankets and furs as the majority of the furnishings. Two silver lanterns hung off the branches reaching over the room, filling the space with a soft white glow. "There are other Elves nearby- you need only call if you require assistance. Someone will come to guide you on the morn once you are rested."

"Thank you, Haldir," said Master Jinn as the Elf vanished. Zara noted with interest that the Elf preferred to climb through the branches, rather than use the silvery rope; jumping lightly from branch to branch until he reached the ground.

Cin observed the Elf as well. "I don't blame him," murmured the tall Jedi. He and Master Jinn had both harboured their doubts that the thin rope would bear their weight; although they'd not spoken out loud, their apprentices had sensed their concern. However, the rope proved stronger than expected.

A slight noise from behind the two Jedi turned their attention from the swiftly-departing Elf. Obi-Wan was bent over the comm that had been in his belt pouch when the ship crashed, muttering curses at it in Huttese. "I can't get a very clear signal- I don't know that we could reach any passing ship."

"And giving what little technology is available on this planet," said Cin, frowning as he knelt on one of the blankets, "it's unlikely that they would have any materials available to repair our ship."

Zara voiced the question that all four Jedi were thinking. "How are we going to get back to Republic space?"

Master Jinn shrugged helplessly. "I'm not sure. But we'll see if we can get to the ship tomorrow- there may be something that we can salvage from the crash site." He stretched out amongst the blankets, squirming a bit until he was comfortable. "In the meantime, we had best get some rest. There's not much that we can do tonight."

Weary from the stresses and injuries of the last day, the others followed Master Jinn's example. The blankets were warm and very abundant; Zara, unused to such comfort in her life as a Jedi, contently snuggled into the wraps.

Just as sleep was claiming her, she glimpsed, through the branches of the tree, a slim figure watching the Jedi before slipping away through the branches. Uneasily, she inched away from the edge of the talan until she was safely curled against Cin's back, but was claimed by a deep sleep before she could worry about the strange watcher for long.

Adaneth: literally, "mortal woman"

Talan: flet, platform

So evidently Tolkien and his overly-descriptive tendencies have gotten to me. Meh.

Anyway- thanks for reading! (I've been told this is going kinda slowly- my apologies. But it is better to have the groundwork established before getting to the good stuff, no? Yes.) Patience is a virtue, or so I've been told.

Reviews feed the muse!

Xaja