The Red Elf
A few quick notes before you begin.This story is an AU. I don't really want to go through all my lovely plot changes at the moment, so perhaps it would be easier if you could just accept what happens as it happens, and if it's *that* bad a change, just flame me (though they can't really be that bad, this is an AU after all, but anyway.)
The only thing I will say is that this story takes place about 80 years after the destruction of the ring, and of the fellowship only Legolas and Gandalf are still around, oh and I have ignored the fact that they killed Haldir in the Two Towers, because when I started writing this I was oblivious of that.
Anyone who has started reading this from the beginning knows that this is not going to end the way I had originally intended. Enough said on that topic.
Thank you for choosing to read my story, I would appreciate a review as well and I don't really care if it's a flame, if you need to say it, just say it. Well, I won't keep you from it any longer. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings or the people and places from it. They are the property of J.R.R. Tolkien. Although, anyone you haven't heard of prior are of my creation (there should be about three people).
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The Red ElfChapter One: The Beast's Gaze
Rain plummeted against a small window, in a cramped dark room. Well actually the window was more like a crack in the wall that some fool decided to place glass over. The room, it more closely resembled a shelf-less closet. Yet this 'room' held one thing in it that not even the most hideous of things could ruin. Azure. She was a charming, young woman. However for some reason her sadness and sorrow had consumed her. She sat staring out at nothing, thinking of nothing, just. being. But the girl's obvious blankness was soon interrupted when a strange, yet familiar voice sounded through her ears.
"It means nothing!" started the voice. "You're life; look at you. How can you just sit there and waste so many precious seconds."
"There's nothing wrong with my life!" protested Azure, coming back to reality.
"You can not fool me, nor can you even fool yourself. You are shying away from something you cannot accept. Once you break through the beast's gaze, you shall understand"
"What are you talking about? What beast?" she cried, begging for more answers. The voice did not answer her. But before she could call out again, she felt herself being pulled down into a pit, which had appeared under her. She tried to scream, but no sound would escape her lips. She was falling.
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"Are you alright, Ms. White?" asked John a tall, black haired man. Azure opened her eyes and found she was sitting in her office. She panicked instantly at the thought of falling asleep at work. John noticed her sudden nervousness.
"Don't worry its still lunch time." Azure sighed in relief at hearing that it was still lunch. She could just imagine what her boss would have done if he had found her asleep with so many deadlines to be met.
"So you're ok? I mean you were talking to yourself."
"Yeah I'm fine, just a nightmare." She replied, interrupting him. "Everything's great now that I'm back at my desk in the real world." Even though she said this with indescribable ease, in her heart she was still quite disturbed with what she had just seen and heard. John didn't notice any problem, so he simply smiled and continued down the hall to his own office.
Azure sat and quietly pondered her mystery 'beast', sub-consciously twisting her dark red hair, around her slim fingers. Then it was as if a light bulb had flickered on in her head. It was just too obvious; she appalled change! Azure's life ran on a tight schedule filled with alarms, day planners and a month's supply of pre-made breakfasts, lunches and dinners. Evidently her dream was in fact a revelation, the voice was her heart beckoning for her to give up her 'planned' life and throw caution into the wind. 'Perhaps,' thought Azure. 'My life is a little dull. Maybe I should take a. vacation.' For once in a very long time Azure had thought her life did need a change. Since this sudden change of 'heart' had come upon her so abruptly, she decided why not change right now. With that thought in mind she grabbed her coat and hat threw them on and marched out the door. Several people turned their heads towards Azure as she left, they were indeed surprised, but did not try and stop her.
Azure walked down the cold, misty streets to her London home. The roads seemed so empty to her, but then she was not used to being out of work at such an early hour. She crossed the last intersection and came to her, and her brother's, Victorian corner house. She stepped in quietly, not expecting anyone to be home. However, she was wrong. Her brother was home, and was absent-mindedly hovering about many tightly wrapped parcels. William was an appraiser for a museum in the city. He specialized in weaponry from the sixteenth century, but still had a vast knowledge on nearly everything, and thus being so, Azure was not surprised to see her once clean home overflowing with strange things.
"Well aren't you going to say hello?" asked Azure, beginning to sound, and look, annoyed.
"What.Oh.hello there. What are you doing here, it's only 1:00pm" replied William stopping, briefly.
"It's actually a somewhat interesting story. You see I fell."
"That's really great," he interrupted "but you see I've found something of greater interest." He completely stopped his movements and motioned for her to come with him into the kitchen, Azure was, to say the least irritated that William had so blatantly ignored her story, but she followed all the same. Once there he continued telling his tale, while pulling out packages and placing them here and there.
"A few weeks ago I got a call from the Museum's director, Mr. Johnson, he informed me that he'd spoken to a new client, whom was searching for a piece of authentic weaponry; I presumed, to add to his collection. Anyway the client flew in yesterday, and met with me this morning. Once we commenced talking about what he was seeking, he told me about a 'quaint' little antique store he'd passed by on the way over. Naturally I suggested we go over there and see what they had to offer.
"When we finally arrived, I was actually quite pleased with their selection. So here I was with this client looking for weaponry, when the client saw some shields and things hanging behind the front desk. He inquired with the owner about several pieces but didn't seem quite satisfied. Several times, it crossed my mind that if this guy is rich, why the heck was he looking in a place such as this; but I didn't mention it. However, between my thoughts I noticed the owner look over at me curiously, every few minutes. It was driving me positively mad so I just asked him 'Why do you keep looking at me?' He seem taken aback by my straightforwardness, but eventually he asked me if I was William White. I told him yes and gave, what I believe can only be described as look of astonishment. Yet the way he looked at me. it was almost as if a task had been complete or something like that. Anyway he disappeared behind the desk and brought out three parcels. I hadn't the foggiest idea what he was doing so I just continued waiting for some sort of explanation. He piled the parcels in front of me and practically shoved them into my hands. I asked 'What's this?' but he didn't say anything, he merely motioned for me to look at them, so I did. They were quite simple from afar, oddly shaped and wrapped in brown paper. But upon looking closer I noticed there was something scribbled on it. It said William White, the one under it said Zoë Remington and the third: Azure White."
There was complete silence for a while. To Azure this just didn't make sense; maybe that two were for herself and her brother was plausible but Zoë. Zoë had been William and Azure's best friend forever. They all, sadly, had become friends when they were little while living in an orphanage; they had remained that way until this day.
"What are you telling me, my.your.Zoë's name! Who was this man?"
"I don't know. He only told me to take them."
"You took them, are you crazy?! They-they could be bombs or something!"
"Azure, honestly! Calm down, they're not bombs. Besides I didn't open them. But I called Zoë and she's coming over, I was about to call you too but I see that it was not necessary."
"Fine. once she's here we can decide what to do."
After about ten minutes of waiting, a knock came from the door. Azure got up swiftly and answered the door. it was Zoë. Azure politely ushered her friend into the kitchen, where William was rearranging the still bound parcels into a row on the kitchen table. The three just stood there gazing at them for a few minutes unsure of what to do or say, until Azure piped up.
"This is crazy! We can't just stare at them, we need to find out what they are."
"You're right!" added Zoë, pushing her blonde tresses behind her ears.
"Well then, who will open theirs first?" asked William excitedly.
"Lets open them together."
So each of them reached down and grabbed the parcel with their name on it and began to gently pull apart the paper. Zoë was the first to completely reveal her item. It was two sheathed daggers. Each had ivory handles with gems and strange markings on them. William immediately disregarded his almost untouched parcel and seized Zoë's open one.
"These are absolutely amazing!" stated William who was ecstatic. Azure however, continued to unwrap hers. She carefully bid her time doing it; not touching it at all as she unveiled it's secret. Seconds later she fully spread open the wrappings to see a bow and quiver; the quiver being filled with finely made arrows. Both the items reflected a great deal of beauty, and mystery, engulfed in markings similar to the ones on Zoë's daggers. She had yet to touch them, and simply stared wide-eyed at them. But curiosity came over her and no longer being able to hold herself back she reached down and pulled them up to her eye level, holding the items tightly in both hands. Almost instantly she felt as though she was back in her dream world, falling down her never-ending pit of doom.
When she came to realisation again she was no longer falling, yet she felt as if her eyes had been sewn shut; she could not open them. Nor did she want to when she heard the soft rustle of leaves and smelt the fresh scent of the outdoors. She forced her eyes open, but still everything remained dark. There was something covering her face, a hood and cloak. As she became more aware, she noticed her arms were positioned upward. holding out her bow with an arrow neatly fixed in it, while the quiver was slung tightly over her shoulder. She lowered the bow and removed the hood from her eyes. She was in a forest; her clothes were different from those she'd been wearing earlier. She had on a full-length dress made of soft navy blue velvet, and a black hooded cloak, which clasped around her neck with help from a small emerald brooch. Her red hair was pulled back in a tight bun, except for a few strands that had fallen across her face. Oddly she was not at all scared or nervous by what had just happened, and although it seemed likely, she did not think it was a dream. This was much too real. But her thoughts quickly subsided when a large gust of wind nearly forced her from her feet.