Disclaimer: I don't own any of the LOTR characters or settings (that's all Tolkien's) ... regrettably ... what's mine are the OC's … and the mistakes … yep, that's about it.

Chapter 2

I was sitting on the edge of a cliff, my legs dangling over the water below. Something felt off. I usually felt calmer near water, but this time I was nervous. Strangely enough it wasn't because I couldn't remember how I ended up here – on a small island surrounded by endless sea. No, strange as it sounds the small island felt safe, peaceful.

However, every once in while the peacefulness was interrupted by sounds that didn't quite belong here. Sound of trees swaying in the wind. Bird's song. Rustling of leaves.

The sounds on their own weren't strange, the problem was that the whole island was barren. There wasn't much except for rocks, dirt and occasional blade of grass. There weren't any trees, nor anything else that could sway in the wind. The sounds couldn't be here and yet they were.

The rustling was becoming more prominent, the sound reminded me of autumn. Someone was walking through the woods. The bird's song ended. And just after a twig snapped close by, I heard it, the gasp. The sound spoke of surprise as did the slight waver in the following words.

"Get the chieftain."

The voice couldn't be more than a couple of yards away. Yet when I had turned around searching for its owner, I found no one. I was alone, abandoned on the edge of the cliff.

And yet the warm voice sounded again this time even closer, "Everything will be alright little one."

Still, there was no one. Disappointed, I turned back towards the sea. Nothing had changed. I watched the waves crash against the face of the cliff and slowly all other sounds were drowned out by the sea.

Then the breeze came. At first, I thought it was coming from the sea. It was warm, gentle. It caressed my face sweeping a strand of hair behind my ear.

"It can't be…" the Warm voice was back "I thought that the last youngling was born over a hundred years ago."

And he wasn't alone, there was someone else whose voice spoke of calmness and strength "So did I." the new voice paused briefly before giving a mirthless chuckle and "We were both mistaken it seems."

This time I would swear it wasn't a breeze I felt, but someone's hand placed on my forehead, yet when I reached for it, it wasn't there. I frowned. I wasn't sure where I was anymore, the cliffs or somewhere else?

"Where are you little one?" the Calm voice called. Used to the voices by now, I didn't even bother turning around. There wouldn't be anyone anyway.

It wasn't the voice – "There you are." – but the soft crunch of gravel that convinced me. At first, the footsteps blended with the sound of the waves, almost too soft to notice. But then, another step.

Crunch.

This time I turned, not really expecting to find anyone and ready to blame everything on my overactive imagination. However, this time it wasn't my imagination. I was no longer alone. Seeing the stranger standing mere yards away from me startled me and I backed away on a reflex, moving closer to the edge of the cliff. Somehow, I knew, he wasn't supposed to be here.

A pebble tumbled down the cliff, loosened by my movement. The man froze, panic flickering across his features. Slowly, he took a step back, then another, all the while keeping his hands in the air.

"Peace, little one." His voice was calm, cautious. Still keeping his hands where I could see them, he crouched, his wary gaze meeting mine. "I mean no harm."

I studied him, uncertain. He didn't seem threatening, yet something about him felt… off. As if he wasn't meant to be here.

Then, in a blink of an eye, he changed. One moment, he was dressed in a weathered greenish greyish travel cloak. The next, his entire figure shimmered, his cloak fading into a silverish white, and a matching crown appeared upon his brow.

I marvelled at his new cloak, it was beautiful. But then, just as suddenly, the shimmer returned, and the colours shifted back to muted green and grey. The man's attire flickered between the two states, back and forth, yet he appeared completely unaware of it.

The cycle repeated several times before my patience wore thin.

"You should choose one," I muttered "Your indecision is making my head hurt."

He seemed perplexed at first. However, as soon as he looked down at his hands and saw them flicker, I could see the realization on his face. "My apologies." He closed his eyes, and in an instant, the shimmering ceased. When he opened them again, he was once more clad in his greenish greyish travel cloak.

"It's alright, after all denying one's fate, is a losing battle, I won't hold it against you." I finished with a smile and then turned back towards the sea.

We sat there in silence for a little while, before the man interrupted my thoughts again "You need to go back little one."

"I am not little, I am 25." I exclaimed. His face turned white, and he looked slightly ill, but that didn't surprise me, I would be horrified too, if I called an adult a little one.

"I see, what is your name?" He asked me in a fake cheerful voice.

I thought about it for a moment, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be called. Then the sea whispered to me Mistriel "Mistriel" I repeated, "I think my name is Mistriel." I smiled contentedly.

"You think?" asked the man.

"Yes, everything is kind of fuzzy." I frowned. I realized that not only I wasn't sure what my name was, I also couldn't remember how I got here or where I was before I came here.

"You shouldn't be here." I said suddenly certain of that.

"Neither should you." The man answered.

"But I like it here, it's safe here." I said unsure of why that was so important to me.

"I know little one" I glared at him, and he quickly amended "Mistriel," pausing for a second, he then added "but if you stay here much longer, you won't be able to leave."

"Would that be so bad?" I wondered, "Nothing hurts here, and the sea is so pretty." I said wistfully.

The man looked saddened by this. "What if I promised you will see even more beautiful things if you leave here, Mistriel?" he gently asked.

"Prettier?" He got me there and I could see that he knew that for he smiled and

"Yes, prettier, if you come, I swear that you will see even prettier things."

"Like your coat? The silver one?" I loved how it sparkled.

He chuckled "Yes, if you come with me, I will get you one just like it." I was tempted, but

"Promise?" I had to make sure he was being serious in his offer.

"Promise." He said, and suddenly, I no longer doubted his word. His eyes spoke of truth and hope. Then he stretched out is hand to me, clearly waiting for me to make up my mind.

"Alright." I said, taking few steps toward him "After all, I can always come back."

He looked at me sorrowfully "I will make sure that you have no reason too" he promised.

"You can't guarantee that" I said as I grabbed his hand. Then our surroundings blurred, I was no longer by the seaside. No, where there was seaside a moment ago now was just the smell of a forest and peaceful darkness. I heard leaves rustle around me again. And I felt a warm hand on my forehead.

"The little one was almost too far gone." Said the Calm voice said and then the warm hand moved away, I squirmed at that. I liked the comfort the hand brought, and its owner must have understood, for the hand was back almost immediately followed by softly spoken

"Calm down little one, I am here." I wasn't sure how I knew what he meant, for he didn't say it any language I was familiar with. Yet it felt right, foreign, but right. I let out a content sigh.

Then the Calm voice inquired "What are her injuries?"

The Warm voice responded with "Her ankle is in a bad way, either badly sprained or broken, her ribs worry me and the headwound is nothing to laugh at - there are still shards of some glass in the back of her head and neck." He hesitated, but then continued, almost apologetically "We need for her to wake, to make sure I didn't miss anything. I am reluctant to move her to the camp before we are sure her back isn't broken."

The Calm voice hummed agreeably "You are right Logon; we can't risk moving her."

"Look at me Mistriel." Oh, that's right, my eyes were closed. That's what was causing the darkness. I opened them, only to see two men dressed in now familiar green greyish cloaks. There was the man from the seaside his hand resting on my forehead. The Calm one I amended in my head. I didn't recognize the other man.

"What ails you, little one?" Calm one asked me.

I open my mouth, only to realise, that I wasn't sure how to answer. Everything hurt and although I understood the language the Calm one was speaking, I wasn't sure I could respond in it. So, I just closed my mouth without saying anything.

The Calm one pursed his lips, but that was the only indication he gave of not liking my silence "No matter little one, can you squeeze your right hand?" he said and then he moved his hand from my head to my right palm.

"Mistriel, can you squeeze my hand?" He sounded worried by my inaction, so I did. After all I didn't mean to worry him, I was just perplexed. I was awarded with a hum.

For some reason he didn't stop there and continued asking "Can you squeeze your left hand?" another hum, and "Can you move fingers on your left foot?".

He hummed once again and then looked me in the eyes before continuing as if to drive his point across, "I will need you to move your right foot, can you do that for me?" I wasn't sure whether I succeeded in that for as soon as I tried a wave of intense pain shot through my leg. Suddenly I found myself holding back tears and trying to move away from what was causing the terrible pain. Yet I couldn't something, or someone was holding me in place. Just when I started panicking about not being able to move, the hand was back on my forehead and calming "Shh, you did great little one, it will be alright, rest." eased me into the dreamland.

Notes:

„Cursive." = dialogue in Elvish

„Normal text."= dialogue in Westron

Cursive = thoughts