Hello my dear ones!
Thank you all for the feedback, it does one's heart well to have people take the time for something as small as "good job". Y'all are awesome
Forgive me for the delay, I'm a music major like my OC (she's not much like me honestly, other than that fact) so I'm super busy. Taking 20 hours, accepted into 3 musical ensembles, the works…
I'm really enjoying writing this! The OC you'll meet, Layla Willowson, is incredibly charming to me. I wanted her to be a music major like I am because I wanted to be the most accurate I can with the details of school. She's had a rough life, like so many people I know, so it's made her a stronger person…More on her back story later. But she definitely is a darn proud Texan like I am!
Please enjoy everyone! And thank you for giving this story a chance.
Early Morning, Layla's room
The scent of fresh rain wafted through her open window. Layla groaned at the feeling of the cold air against her bare shoulders, drawing the blanket back over her. Jenny, her Chocolate Labrador huffed at being woken up. As she lay there scratching Jenny's ears thoughtfully, she went through today's agenda. She would grab an apple for breakfast so she could rush outside before the rain could start again. Texas weather was extremely bipolar. Saturdays were her day to really pay attention to her small garden, take care of her handful of horses, clean up the house, and go through her music. She was studying music performance at the local college and needed all the time she could scrounge up. Theory, piano, dancing and voice lessons swallow up her schedule, peppered with the required basics she dreaded.
As she softly hummed Put On A Happy Face she got up to get ready for her busy day. Articles of clothing were thrown across the room in haste. Gray clouds were forming in the sky, but Jenny's antsy attitude was what really clued Layla in that rain was promised soon. After shoving her legs through jeans, her feet into her steel toed work boots, arms and head into an old Texas Prideshirt and her hair into a pony tail, she headed for the kitchen. Her brothers favorite pocket knife took its rightful place in her back pocket.
Rain was already starting to patter on the old tin roof. Layla sighed and reached for cowboy hat, tucking her dirty blonde hair into it. Her dad's ancient long, bulky, leather coat he would wear when he would have to go out in weather like this and take care of the cattle they had was hanging on the coat rack by the kitchen door. Smiling softly, she ran her fingers down it before slipping it on.
Nails on linoleum made her turn to see Jenny staring curiously at the door. Ears perked, the lab woofed suddenly. Then, she growled. This made Layla's heart stop. Her sweet, accepting, loving dog never disliked anyone, nor has she ever been angry like this. Goosebumps covered her arms when Jenny's hackled raised and the dogs' muscles tensed.
She slowly drew back the curtains from the window of the door, not wanting to look out. She wasn't a particularly strong person despite her dancing, and she absolutely hated violence. She thought she saw figures by the rusted '67 truck she used as a lawn ornament at the edge of the woods, though she hoped that was just her imagination overreacting. Her gut knotted, a sure sign that something wasn't right. Never take a women's intuition lightly. Layla grabbed her dad's shotgun he always kept loaded by the door and headed outside. Her heart thumped loudly as she told Jenny to stay and shut the door behind her. The growls and clawing the dog caused shot Layla's already frazzled nerves.
*\-~-~/*banished*\-~-~/*
Aragon was falling. He has been falling for years it seemed, soaring through this green, pulsing tunnel of nothingness. The word banished kept snaking through his thoughts. His body was there, he could see it connected like it should, then it would stretch before his eyes, then disappear altogether sometimes. At time, he could see his friends. Then he would be alone. He continued to fall.
Then…he just stopped.
He lay there (for indeed, he realized he was lying) flexing parts of his body to make sure everything was intact. When his head had stopped spinning, and the ringing in his ears ceased, he opened his eyes, only to see more green. At first he was worried that he was still trapped in that damned tunnel, but his confused mind finally grasped that it was grass.
As if an arrow had suddenly hit him, everything came back to him. The White Wizards' castle, his allies disappearing, Gandalf, watching his body fade from some wizardry…the ranger got on his feet, needing to find his friends.
Senses on edge, he took note of his surroundings. He seemed to be in some field with trees surrounding him. It wasn't nearly as cold as it was at the wizards' fortress and he was starting to sweat underneath his tunic and cloak. Thankfully, his sword somehow stayed in its scabbard. The surrounding woods were quiet. Drawing his sword for protection, he began the search for his friends and some answers.
After about an hour long search, he had located Legolas and Gimli near a small brook. The three were embracing each other when they heard the tell-tale hobbit laugh and an elated "Frodo! Sam!" Elf and man ran towards the sound, with a dwarf falling behind cursing underneath his breath.
Mary and Pippin almost killed Sam and Frodo with their violent hugs and the screeching laughter in their ears. The four held each other like the brothers they have become. A snapping twig alerted them all and they turned towards the source, but the frantic hugs began again when Legolas and Aragon broke through the vegetation. A puffing Gimli soon followed.
Aragon led the group to the bottom of a hill where a tree's roots had created an overhang for them to sit so they could talk. When the greetings died down, a shadow of nervousness and tension grew over them. Frodo, ever curious, turned to Aragon.
"Strider, what happened? Where in Middle Earth are we? Is this some sorcery?" His eyes grew distant. "Sam and I were in the mountains and then we just, well, we just weren't. There was just green light and this word I couldn't make out being repeated in my mind."
"Aye, little one," Aragon nodded. "though I'm not sure entirely sure what exactly has caused this, I know who."
Gimli sneered, his eyes darkening. "This is Saruman's doing. He used old magic to send us here. Said something about banishing us. Does that tickle anyone's memory?"
Licking his dry lips and staring into the woods, Legolas nodded. His long fingers fiddled with his bow and when he spoke his voice sounded far away. "You're right, my friend, that is old magic. Very, very old, probably older than the nine rings of power. He has an ancient Calima, which is the Elvin word for bridge."
Aragon nodded again. "Arwen told me about sorcery like this." His face grew pained and paled when he spoke her name. "The wizard has a magical artifact he used to send us here. If I remember correctly, when someone with either a purely innocent heart or a completely corrupt one holds the stone, they hold the power to banish whomever they chose across a bridge that stone and it's two sister stones create."
Perking up at that, Mary tossed the stone he had been studying (apparently bored by the conversation) and stood. He struck a determined pose and announced "let's find that bridge and get back on our quest!" He began walking into the woods, motioning for them to follow. He was stopped by Legolas grabbing his tunic.
"Foolish, naïve hobbit, this isn't a bridge you can simply find and cross. This bridge isn't terrestrial at all. The only way to return to Middle Earth is to find one of the 3 Calima stones."
Quiet until now, Sam stood as well. "Mr. Legolas, what do you mean return?" He looked panicked and sick, already knowing the answer, but hoping he's wrong.
The ranger got on his feet and led them into the woods. "He means that we're not in Middle Earth anymore. Now, we can panic later. We need to scout the area, find anything useful, see if there's any living souls nearby and set up for the night. The clouds are darkening, we'll be caught in the rain soon. I think I see a clearing ahead."
The older males shushed the hobbits questions and concerns. Gimli looked up at the elf, his eyes wide with concern and Legolas nodded understandingly, placing a hand on his shoulder for a brief second.
As if to add to the drama of the occurring situation, the sky decided to open up and soak them. Sam stayed tight to Frodo's side, holding his own cloak over the both of them.
When the companions came closer to the clearing, they could just barely make out the outline of a cottage-like building. It had a metal roof with poles and contraptions on top. The windows looked to be made out of real glass. There was a small, sad-looking garden to the side that seemed to call out to Sam for help. A few horses behind a specially crafted metal fence began to take refuge from the coming rain underneath a wooden stable. Looking at each other, Legolas and Aragon motioned for everyone else to stay as they investigated. The two slowly broke through in the clearing, weapons at the ready. In front of them was a rusted carriage-like contraption.
Legolas nodded his head toward the cottage where a shadow was passing in front of the curtain of a small window. A small white hand grabbed it, pulling to the side and the inhabitant looked out, their face blacked out by the light behind them. Aragon and Legolas ducked behind the contraption, turning to see the rest of the company following behind them despite their orders.
After a few moments of held breath, a door by the window creaked open and a figure in a long coat and oddly shaped hat stepped out, their shoes loud against the ground.
Gimli scrambled underneath the blue sheet-like thing covering the back of the metal contraption, wincing when he heard the covering crackle. He settled between sacks that looked like they were filled with some kind of animal feed. The hobbits scaled the trees, thankfully hidden by the thick branches. Nothing happened for a moment, and then the figure began walking towards them.
Peering out from behind his cover, Legolas saw the figure held a metal stick weapon of some kind in their hand. Whoever it was raised it to their face, holding it almost like a telescope. Suddenly, the tree behind them that Pippin had scrambled up exploded, a jagged hole suddenly forming in the bark. Pippin yelped and fell out of the tree staring in fear at the figure whose metal stick was smoking slightly at the end.
"What're y'all doing on my property?" A clear, high women's voice rang out across the clearing.
Not really a cliffhanger…OK kinda haha!
Well everyone? Thoughts? And although I absolutely adore LOTR, if I ever get anything wrong, please message me/review and tell me. I can be kind of an airhead at times.
Please please please give me any and all thoughts, if you wouldn't mind taking the time.
P.S. The more and more I write this…I'm really thinking I am gonna go for the romance :D wish me luck! Next installment will be up soon.