Chapter 1

Bright Beginnings

The Maia blinked at the bright sun above its head and marveled at the sensations that assaulted it. For the first time it its long existence it knew what it was like to see. It could feel the warmth of the sun's rays, smell the warm grass on which it lay, and hear the soft buzzing of insects in the flowers. The joy that filled the Maia in that moment was so great that it felt it bubbling up inside itself until it expelled the joy with an exuberant sound. For the first time the Maia knew what it was to laugh.

The Maia raised its hand above its head and marveled at the complexity of its first corporeal form. Tendon slid over bone as it wiggled the long, seemingly delicate fingers. Slowly the Maia sat up, in awe of the way its muscles bunched and pulled to maneuver its body the way that it wished. It looked down at its new form and gasped in amazement. "I am female," it breathed. Tears stung its eyes as it realized for the first time it had a unique identity, and in that moment "it" became "she."

With sudden joyous energy, she leapt to her feet and ran across the field in which she found herself. Leaping and spinning reveling in the agility of her new body. Breathing great lungfuls of fresh air and spreading her arms wide she sang her joy to the sky.

When her enthusiasm had run its course, she flung herself back onto the grass panting heavily and wearing a huge grin on her face. She examined her surroundings with more care. She was sitting in the middle of a field that sat in a small valley right at the foot of rolling hills. To her left was a river that burbled happily over its stony bed. Along the river grew Cypress trees and their spicy scent wafted through the valley on the summer breeze.

For a long while she just lay there, watching the clouds turn pink as the sun dipped below the horizon. As the stars winked into existence she greeted them each by name until her eyes, heavy with exhaustion lost focus and she began to dream.

In her dream she saw the face of her lady Este, she beamed, babbling her delight in her form and the world she had been placed in. "Hush, little one," she soothed "I am happy for your joy, but there is much I must tell you." The Maia calmed herself and listened intently to Este's words. "You know your purpose, little one, you are to bring hope to this dark world, and that is no easy task. It is up to you to determine how best to serve your purpose. You have been equipped by Lord Irmo and myself to accomplish your goal but the skills that we have taught you in the art of healing and dream giving must be used with care and caution. It is your heart dear one, and compassion that must sway those you meet and bring them back to the light." As her words trailed away, the Maia found herself doubting her preparedness.

"Please," she whispered, "Don't leave me. I don't know where to begin."

The face of Este smiled gently, "I will always be watching dear one but you will not always hear my voice. Do not doubt yourself for you are Hope and your identity must not waver." Este's face faded away and the Maia found herself rising from the blackness of sleep and becoming aware of the light that was a new day.

She blinked in the early morning sunlight that was streaming into the field in which she rested. The Maia stretched her arms above her head, marveling again in the body she now inhabited. There was a light dusting of dew on her skin and on the grass around her and a thin mist rose from the river to her left. As she raised her head, she caught sight of a lovely doe drinking by the water. At the sound of her movement, the doe looked up but did not run. For a long while, the two stared at each other before the doe turned back to the water. The Maia watched with fascination, taking in the delicate hooves and soft brown coat of the beautiful creature until it finished its drink and bounded away. Only then, did the Maia go to the water and quench her own thirst.

Once her thirst was addressed, she became aware of the hunger that gnawed at her belly. She looked around and saw some bulrushes growing near the water. The knowledge of herb lore that she had gained in the tutelage of Lady Este in the art of healing told her that she could find the sustenance she desired there. She walked over to the patch of bulrushes and picked a few from their roots and washed them in the river, she gathered her plunder and moved back towards the patch of dandelions that she had seen in the field before. She added several of these to her bundle and toped it off with a sprig of fireweed for taste. It pleased her that the skills she gained after long years of study had already proved so useful. She sat with her back against the tree and began to nibble on the bulrush roots. She knew that she could not survive on only plants for long but they provided enough energy for the time being.

As she scanned her small field, her keen, new eyes picked out dozens of different plant species, their medical properties, nutritional value, and name of each in all the tongs of middle earth flashing through her head. Upon finishing her meal her eyes alit on a huge Cypress tree, one of the dozens that lined the river and blanketed the valley in its spicy scent. She smiled and ran over to it wrapping her arms around its vast trunk and looking up into the branches. She felt the strength of the tree and sighed in contentment. "My Lord," she spoke softly, "may I take of your wood and meld its strength to mine?" The tree shuddered in the breeze and she smiled her thanks.

She than sat upon one of the large Cypress knees that wound around the base of the tree and closed her eyes, placing her hands on the rough bark of the tree. She furrowed her brow in concentration and began to sing. It began as a soft low note, barely audible, but it slowly grew, her rich warm voice undulating in the still morning air. All other sound seamed to dissipate, as if the whole valley had stopped to listen. As she sang a soft golden glow pulsed from her fingers into the tree. Slowly a new branch began to form in the trunk of the tree by her hands. It began as a thin shoot sprouting out of the glowing bark and in the span of minuets, her song coxed the small sprout into a long, sturdy branch. Her song began to swell, crescendoing in a series of runs. The pulsing glow intensified and the branch began to shape itself carefully to her specifications. The bark twisted into subtle forms that could have been words in some long forgotten language and the tip began to widen and split forming a hollow center with a subtle vine motif covering the hollow section. As her song reached its climax the pulsing glow, radiating from the Maiar's hands became steady and with her last strong note the light became blinding in intensity. When the note had trailed away and the light had faded the Maia was left holding her masterpiece.

It was as staff, it was about one and four-fifths meter tall, about her own hight, and seemed to radiate with the power that had just been poured into it. She sighed, leaning tiredly against the tree she had just used. She looked into the branches, panting softly, "Thank you" she breathed and closed her eyes, cradling her staff to her chest.

She only rested briefly, for her task was not yet done. She used her staff to push herself to her feet and then waded into the shallows of the river casting about in the water as if she was looking for something. She waded deeper until the water came to her hips, looking below her into the riverbed with great concentration. With a cry of excitement, she dove fully into the water and arose dripping and clutching a smooth oval stone slightly smaller than her fist, it was a piece of quartz veined with gold that had been washed down from the mountains many years before, tossed along rivers and streams until it came to its resting place. She waded back to the riverbank and sat upon the roots of the Cypress tree again, dangling her feet in the water. She took a deep breath rolling the stone in her hand. Then she closed her eyes and began to sing again. As her song grew the stone in her hand began to glow brilliant gold. She brought the hollow portion of the staff and the stone together and pushed them together in a swift motion. In another blinding flash of light the stone was resting in the hollow part of the staff, encased by the carved vines formed by the cypress wood. She continued to sing, both the staff and the stone began to glow, and a line of golden light connected the stone to the Maia's chest connecting them. As the song continued, the Maia herself began to glow with a golden light. She slowly slowed her song and with a soft finale, she broke off her song and the glow gradually diminished.

She sagged into the tree besides her and her eyes drooped closed, within minutes the slow rise and fall of her chest initiated her slumber. She had diminished her strength greatly in making her staff but she now had passed the test and become a full Instari. She was prepared to take her place in Arda and was one-step closer to fulfilling the task that was appointed her by the Valar.

Down the valley in a small house by the river, a strange old man with yellow boots stood up from the breakfast table and cocked his head a grin spreading across his face as he listened to the lovely voice drifting through the window with the breeze.

"Goldberry my dear," he said jovially, "I am off to fetch you some water lilies, and I may bring another gift as well." With a wink, he grabbed his blue coat and skipped out the door with an agility that defied his age. His wife just smiled and laughed to herself as she watched him dance down the river path.