Hi readers! Welcome to my story. I've dabbled in a number of categories and genres on other sites, but found I was interested in dipping my toe into LOTRO fanfiction. This story idea has been in my head for over a year, and I finally decided to write it!

"Lord of the Rings Online" takes place in Middle Earth and loosely follows the plot of "Lord of the Rings". It stands well on its own, and after getting some feedback from other readers unfamiliar with the game, it is still enjoyable even if you have not played it. Hopefully you like it too!

Enjoy!

Chapter One

I was running for my life. Wolves had ambushed me on the road and mortally wounded my horse, and I had no choice but to flee on foot. Normally I would have attempted to fight them off, but I was outnumbered ten to one and doubted I would survive such an encounter.

Suddenly the ground beneath my feet disappeared and I was rolling down an embankment. I had turned to look back and was paying less attention to where I was going than I should have. I hit my shoulder hard on impact and felt something pop, but I was barely able to gasp in pain before I found a dagger at my throat. The hard eyes of a man pierced mine as he assessed me. I then noticed him listening to the howls and swift footfalls of the wolves who pursued me; thankfully my accidental fall had thrown them off the trail.

"Don't move." The man pulled out a bow and knocked an arrow, crouching very still while aiming in the direction of the pack. After a few minutes of tense waiting, he relaxed slightly and turned towards me, but kept his bow in hand.

"Who are you and what are you doing in this land?" he growled suspiciously.

"I…I am just a traveler, passing through on my way to the Trollshaws," I managed to gasp, the pain in my shoulder becoming more and more unbearable.

Eyes narrowed, he replied, "A simple traveler is rarely so armed." Assessing my injuries quickly, he slowly placed his bow on the ground. "I see you are injured from your ill-timed fall. Although I do not yet trust you, I will help you if you will allow me to tend to you."

I nodded stiffly; my jaw clenched in pain. He helped me sit against a nearby tree and prodded at my right shoulder. "It is dislocated and will need to be reset. I do not have any pain medicine to spare so you will have to do without." I nodded in acceptance.

Without giving me a moment to prepare he quickly popped my shoulder back into alignment. I bit my lip to prevent from crying out, but a pained grunt still escaped. Gruffly he said, "I have some linen bandages I can bind your shoulder with, give me a moment." Quickly and efficiently he bound my shoulder, which still ached but was beginning to feel better now that it was in place.

"Now," he murmured. "I will ask again, who are you and what are you doing in this land? I do not believe you are simply passing through".

I sighed. "You would be correct, but my intentions are good".

"I will be the judge of that. What is your name?" I noticed he had his right hand under his cloak, likely on the hilt of a dagger.

I hesitated for a moment. Not knowing who this man was, could he be trusted? Was he working for the enemy? Despite these questions, I sensed no evil in him and decided to tell him the truth. "I am called Gwinthilnel," I stated simply. "And who might you be?"

His eyes narrowed and then widened as he took in my appearance more closely. "You are an Elleth." Too late had I noticed the hood of my cloak had slipped, revealing my pointed ears clearly.

"How very astute of you", I said sarcastically before shutting my mouth. Acting this way would not be helpful in this situation. "As I mentioned, I am on my way to the Trollshaws to visit my kin. Specifically, I was looking for the Forsaken Inn to spend the night; I have traveled far this day and need rest to continue."

"I would not look to the Forsaken Inn to find rest. They are suspicious of outsiders and may not give you a room." He seemed almost…amused? His expression was serious, but laughter flickered in his eyes.

Getting impatient, I replied, "I do have gear to camp but had hoped for an actual bed. Despite your…recommendation, I will attempt to gain entrance. Farewell-"

"Did you expect me to let you slip away alone?" he asked. "As you may have noticed, this land is not without danger. Traveling alone can be perilous. I will escort you to the Inn. I am still unsure of your character and wish to determine if your intentions really are as innocent as you say".

Taking a few deep breaths, I attempted to calm my temper, which was now very short. "Very well. I will let you come along, but only if you tell me your name, stranger."

"Let me come along?" he replied, eyebrows raising. "I go where I will, with no one's permission but my own. I do agree it is only fair that we both know the names of the other, as we will be travelling together. I am called Candaith, of the Dunedain," he stated with a small nod of his head.

Now it was my turn for my eyebrows to raise. "You are Dunedain? There are very few of you now and I did not expect to come across any in my lifetime. However, recently I have had dealings with some of your kin in Eriador." The one most worthy of note was Aragorn, whom I had met recently, and we had already been through much together in a short span of time. I got the sense that he did not want to broadcast his location to many, and decided to keep my knowledge of him to myself. Candaith had the build of what I had come to associate with the Dunedain; tall, dark-haired, lean and muscular. His eyes were blue and expressive, and he was clean-shaven.

Candaith looked suspicious, "This gives me more questions than answers, Elleth. Perhaps you could aid me in a few things before we leave? If you do so, it would do a great deal to earn my trust."

"I do not have time for this!" I said roughly. "There are things that I must attend to, and helping you with your menial tasks is not one of them!" There was much to be done in the Trollshaws, and I needed to get to Imladris. Spending time in the Lone Lands doing anything besides riding as fast as I could was not in the plan. "I owe you my life, and am grateful for your aid, but I cannot stay."

As I began to stand, he said, "Gwinthilnel wait-" and grabbed my right arm tightly. He winced guiltily as I cursed at the pain in my shoulder. "My apologies…I am sorry I hurt you. The truth is, I am unable to complete these vital tasks alone. The orcs here are not like ordinary ones; they are more intelligent. One of the leaders carries plans for their next actions to subdue the Lone Lands, and I must intercept him to attempt to prevent this. My main weapons are also missing, as I had to flee while trailing this orc, and I hope to recover them." He let go of my arm and sighed. "I would not ask if it was not important. The safety of the people of these lands are at stake, and I must do what I can to hinder the efforts of the enemy, however I may."

I considered his request. I could see the honesty in Candaith's eyes and knew I could not walk away without offering what help I could. It would also be useful to have him as my companion to the Inn as I was unfamiliar with the area, however gruff his countenance.

"I will help you, but I cannot delay long. Let us make a plan". We sat next to the fire and discussed our next moves, trying to diffuse the tense atmosphere. Despite his aid, I could not verify he was truly Dunedain. He could easily be one of the many ruffians I had encountered in my travels simply masquerading as a man who could be trusted. This distrust needed to be banished before we could truly work together, but I was unsure how to do so. I decided to stay on my guard.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

That day and the two following we were able to destroy many crebain, which are evil birds that are servants of the enemy, and retrieved the plans Candaith had mentioned. Additionally, we hindered the orcs however we could, burning supplies and defeating many of the vile creatures. We even rescued a man who was being held prisoner. The most dangerous feat was fighting our way up to the summit of Weathertop, eliminating the orc presence. A strange force of evil was at work there, but I could not place it. Each night we would all but collapse from exhaustion next to the fire, eating the rations we both had with us and getting to know each other. The distrust that had first been present had dissolved as comradery developed. I could sense no ill-intent in him after spending time in his company. Both of us wanted to fight for good, and it was a refreshing change to fight alongside someone.

Only once Candaith was satisfied with what we accomplished did he feel comfortable leaving in the short-term to travel with me to the Forsaken Inn. "The people there trust me and will be more apt to allow you to stay if I vouch for you," he stated, and I agreed it was sound. We decided to ride his horse in tandem. I grieved the loss of my own; although I had not been her rider for long, I had felt some affection for her. She had been a boon companion and had saved me from many tight spots…including the last. I could hear her fighting the wolves as best she could, but she was no war horse. Her sacrifice gave me the slight time advantage I had needed to flee. A tear threatened to escape as I sent a prayer of thanks.

It only took an hour to reach the Inn. As Candaith had predicted, Anlaf the owner was very suspicious of me. It took quite some convincing and perhaps some coin (although I did not see such an exchange) for Anlaf to allow me to stay.

After receiving the room key, I turned to Candaith. It felt a bit strange saying farewell, but it was necessary; Candaith had no need to stay at the Inn and I had a mission to accomplish that took me far away from his camp. We parted with a warrior's shoulder clasp and I awkwardly gave a small wave. He smiled warmly and I surprisingly felt a blush creep up my face. Why on earth am I blushing like some simpering elfling? I thought I heard a slight laugh but could have imagined it.

That was the last I saw of him for quite some time.

I'd love to hear what you think!