Welcome to Dagor Dagorath: Trials of Elestirnë. This is my story which is completely AU Based. I will try to blend in some of the Canon of the description of the final battle of battles. But majority wise it will be from my own thoughts, where I procure some ideas to go along with my character and her storyline. So please, if it upsets you or bothers you seeing a story with mostly AU based ideas. Read another story because this will not be to your liking - and I am sorry for that. And another thing, I am searching information about the important details in the local LOTR websites that help guide me along here. So pardon me if some bit of information is not quite correct.

Now here we go! I am proud of what I have worked up within my mind and I hope it becomes a story you'll enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF TOLKIENS WORKS, CHARACTERS OR CANON!

Chapter One

•••

Elestirnë stood quietly, watching the scorching smoke hover menacingly above the burning White City which laid in the far distance. In that far reach stood the scorch kingdom of Gondor, whose grace had fallen to the foul scourge that swept upon unsuspecting people. Defiling its innocents and ruining its beauty with their thunderous bellows as they wreaked havoc. The sky was a fearsome black color now, no longer the peaceful blue. And all the birds who'd flown above the looming structures, just hours ago, were long gone from the hellish kingdom before them. It was truly the sight of a destroyed home. The once breath-taking vision of ethereal grace was replaced with the horrid images of sprawled out corpses and crumbling buildings; done by the hands of the gruesome orcs and their deranged Uruk-hai commanders. (Fell creatures from legends of old, which tore down the peaceful looking statues of their long-passed Kings and Queens. Whose hands swung their blunted swords along the flesh of terrified men and women, old and young. Taking and killing from the furthest reaches of the city's bordered walls to the castle's own interiors.)

The realization that she and many of her own people were now left homeless and mourning their fallen loved ones left another scar on her already beaten heart. It seemed that she, the once proud daughter of the Honorable King Eärendur and Queen Emeldir, was now broken.

Her heart beating sluggishly within her chest as she gazed at the burning city. All her strength had faded at the sight of her parents' fallen bodies, nestled close to one another as their arms held tightly to the mauled frame of her much younger brother.

Elatan was the third child of her parents, and the baby of their family.

He had only seen three summers during his short life; cut shorter by the blunt blade of an orc. And no longer would she be able to gaze upon his twinkling blue-grey irises, which would shimmer with joy whenever they met hers, as did his soft honey-colored locks of hair – from their mother's father. He had been her light in the sky with his open curiosity, loving embraces, gentle giggles, and little fingers that curled around her own. But now he too was counted among the rising number of dead. Because just like the others, he had left this world for the next.

The pain of his unexpected departure weighed heavily on her being as she felt her lungs shudder with the sorrowful sob she held back. It pushed and pulled within her body, demanding that she release the torrent of cries which begged to be let out. But she knew that no matter how hard and long she wept for their return.

They would never set foot onto this soil again.

Tears burned her eyes at this thought, staining the view. 'Please know that I tried, father. Please know that I fought as hard as I could to reach your sides, mother… Please forgive me of my failure, Elatan.'

She wished they could hear her pleas all the way to Mandos before they went past the circle.

"Sister." A warm hand grasped onto her own, halting the trembles. The voice was masculine, though it held a youthfulness, and filled with exhaustion when the person spoke again.

Elestirnë turned to greet her brother, Eldacar, with equally tired eyes. She took in his roughened appearance that was littered with bruises, scuff marks, and sparse splatters of dried blood. It didn't look right on the boy of fourteen summers.

The look left her heart panging with grief at the terror which swam in his heavy grey-blue irises. It spoke to her and told her of the horror which was coating his being after barely managing to escape the hell that swept upon his home, leaving bodies, and destroyed structures in its wake. His dark honey-colored hair was windswept and sprinkled with tinged smoke and debris. It only added to his ruffled form and to the sadness she felt snaking through her veins. His hands, which were vaguely trembling, reached out to grab ahold of hers'.

A noticeable flicker of utter relief sparked within his eyes as he seemed to center himself once more by holding desperately onto her hand with all his strength.

The emotional pain he was dealing with equaled her own as she too tightened her grip onto his hand, stilling the slight tremble that caused his violent tremors to fade. The two siblings simply focusing on one another while they stood silently amid the crowd of horrified survivors – their defeated expressions matching the ones around them.

"Captain Beregond seeks your council," the boy's voice was low and soft as he spoke. His shorter form nearly nestled against her side, leaning as close to her as he could.

He was silent for a moment.

"The others and he wish to discuss what your intended destination is."

A ragged sigh escaped her lips at this, knowing how upset and confused these men would be once she told them of her plans. But with a long inhale, she nodded ever so carefully to not disturb her younger brother from leaving her side. "Then you'd best lead me on," she began softly. "I feel that my presence would be more accepted with you there beside me, anyways."

"What? Why is that?" Eldacar asked with a worried frown taking hold of his confusion. "Did something happen between you and the captain? Or the mariners?"

"No, no, no. There is nothing amiss between the captain and our mariners." She told him truthfully, not daring to withhold anything from her brother. "Come now, or I'm afraid we'll soon miss this council the captain wishes to have with me."

The curious look her brother sent her had a tired smile dancing along her lips.

"Are you to lead me on, little brother?" She asked him with a soft, and fond, look donning upon her exhausted features as she held out a hand for him to grasp onto. "If so, we'd best not let them wait."

Eldacar came forth and snatched onto her armors muddied navy-blue cape. His fingers curling into the soft blue fabric of the material as he began to tug her forward with him, keeping her close to his side while they made their way through the crowd of people aboard the swan-boat. He didn't speak, nor did he look at her as they walked. The only way she knew the boy of fourteen was listening was by the tightening grip he had on her cape, becoming ever so tighter when the group of gathered mariners and tired knights of the guard finally came into their view. His feet seeming to slow from their earlier fast pace, inching closer and closer towards the men and women.

It brought another smile to her lips at his actions.

Elestirnë lifted her bruised mottled left hand and dropped it atop his soft curls, gently mushing them with warmth. "Thank you, little brother, for the escort." She then said with a sweet smile now replacing the exhaustion riddled one.

"I'm grateful for your help."

Together they walked towards the gathered group, hand in hand as the men and women before them turned to greet the two. Each held a mix of emotions on their faces when their Princess and Prince came into view; some stiffening and the others offering respectful gestures with sympathetic eyes. It was met with her own look of sorrowful compassion as she stopped to meet their eyes with hers. The haunted expressions she saw matched many on the boats they'd been able to scramble together. Every expression was tinged with lingering grief and near tangible pain once her gaze mingled with their darkened ones – some seeming to grow darker.

A pang throbbed within her heart at the very state of the men and women standing in front of her. Their stances, which had been prideful some time ago, were hunched and curled in on themselves, displaying the aches they held within their beings.

"Pardon my absence," she began softly, tiredly. "I seemed to have forgotten myself over the period of this journey. My state of mind hasn't been rather clear as of late. But with the blow that has wrought its way upon us, I can only assume my actions are understandable."

A following of nods came.

"My thanks," a pitiful smile tugged at her chapped and busted lips as her hands released Eldacar's shorter frame from her side. "Now then…"

She approached the group, while slipping her right hand into the worn and torn leather pouch that was attached to her stained belt, hanging loosely around her hips. The gesture caught the curious eyes of the mariners and circling knights. Her hand rising soon to show them that she held a faded yellowish-white paper object up for them to see. It was a scroll of some kind that was obscured by her hand as she lifted it higher, until it rested just in front of her armored chest.

A determined expression suddenly taking hold of her earlier sorrow as she swiftly met their eyes with a renewed strength flaring to life in her now narrowed grey-blue irises, which grew more determined as she stared at them.

"What we wished to discuss lies waiting in my grasp," her voice was husky and drawn with sudden power, gathering strength when she spoke.

"In my hands I hold a map gifted to me from my father, King Eärendur. Who was gifted it from his father, King Eldarion."

A muffled gasp went up into the air when she fell silent.

"What we seek on this map is far from the plague that is the Black Tree." She spoke.

"The destination I intended for our people is the hidden valley of legend and lore. Where the once noble and fair Elven Folk dwelled during ages of our past."

Stunned silence fell.

One man stepped forth from the circle, the captain Beregond. His eyes wide and locked onto hers' with shock and visible confusion. "And you're sure of this, Princess?"

"Aye, I'm sure of it." She told him with an air of growing faith, blossoming within her chest at the brief glimmer of hope in his and the others faces. "With the combined aid between our people here, we can find the Last Homely House that was once called Imladris in the tongue of the Elven Folk."

Voices spoke up now with fervor, all of whom wished to reach the haven that was on the map. Women and men surging forward with their eyes pinned on the map that she held for all to see, letting them take away the courage they'd have need of during their journey to the land they sought. It brought a wave of emotion through her being seeing the people's once haunted faces grow healthy again at the talks of reaching some form of safety from their enemies. And it cemented her desire to see them safe and well protected from the reaches of the Black Tree and their vicious allies.

So, she met each face that surrounded her and Eldacar. Remembering them with every shutter of the eyelid, imprinting their hopeful expressions into her memory as much as she could.

"Arvegil, I'll need you help with the readings of the map," she told the scholar, who straightened at her request. "Belecthor, if you'll lend some aid to the mariners on this course then I'm sure we'll have no issues following the waters of Anduin."

The men came forward.

"Let us begin the journey," she said with resolution.

The two nodded at her orders and moved, Arvegil coming to stand next to her. It had many of the people whispering with praise and certainty as she directed the others as well. Men and women were soon disappearing in duos or more while they set out to see to their current orders, maintaining some form of conversation while doing so. It was apparent their hope had been sparked, enough to motivate the once sorrowful people of Gondor to act again.

A surge of survivors came forth then to question if they'd be given some commands like those before them; many wishing to be a part of the commotion surrounding them. Eldacar had stepped in when the crowd converged on the two. His eyes meeting hers in part awe as he assisted the quizzical people who turned to him then.

'Forgive me, mother, father, and Elatan. But I've still a duty to these people here.' Her eyes wandered from the crowd, which broke away in action.

A fire awoke in her chest as she pulled her gaze to the waning sun when its rays blanketed on them, laying a sheet of warmth onto her visible skin.

'We've still the path ahead of us to travel, it seems. So be with us as we trek its course.'

She turned then, facing the west.

Thank you for reading the First Chapter of my story! I hope you enjoyed it. And there will be more chapters to come! I tried to create a character that I could visualize in my mind, and so Elestirnë came to my mind...

Comment if you like!