Blessed by the Valar v2

Disclaimer/Author's Notes: I own nothing but the Original Characters and their adventures. Everything else belongs to JRR Tolkien, the Tolkien Estate, New Line Cinema/Peter Jackson, et. al. This was done purely for entertainment and as an exercise in creativity.

When the emergency escape released her, she found herself in an open field. The planet’s sun was almost directly overhead and there was a pleasant breeze. Taking in her surroundings she noted the vegetation appeared quite similar to Earth’s. She had been born on the North American continent on Earth, and it didn’t look any different from where she found herself now.

Looking around, it appeared she was quite alone. There were no roads or paths she could see and no signs of habitation. Knowing she should find a place for shelter, and more importantly, water, she began surveying the land for likely prospects. She had been trained in basic survival, and had used that skill on many occasions, so she fell into the somewhat comfortable routine of searching for the type of vegetation that would likely lead her to water. She could do without food for a while, but, although the climate was temperate, she could succumb to dehydration without realizing it. Picking a direction, she started on her quest.


His journey was just beginning. Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood, Lord of the Elven colony of Ithilien, rode slowly east. It had been only a few years since the end of the War of the Ring and he delighted in the beauty of a Middle Earth no longer threatened by the shadow of Sauron’s evil. His dearest friends were content and he shared their happiness.

Aragorn was now King of Gondor, Arwen, his Queen. The Hobbits had returned to the Shire, having shared in the adventure of their fellow halfling, Frodo Baggins, to rid the world of the One Ring of Power. Gimli, the Dwarf Lord, and Legolas’ close friend, had returned to his people for a time, helping them to recover from the devastation of the loss of Moria. Faramir, brother to one of the fallen members of the Fellowship, Boromir, was the new Steward of Gondor and had found his true love with Eowyn, the White Lady of Rohan.

There were fallen friends, however, and Legolas still mourned their loss---Boromir, who had sacrificed himself in defense of the Hobbits; Theoden, King of Rohan, uncle to Eowyn and her brother Eomer, the new king; and countless others, lost in the War. But they had died so that Middle Earth might be free from evil and the survivors felt keenly the responsibility of making sure their sacrifices were not in vain.

But today was not a day for mourning. The sun shown brightly, the sky was clear and blue, and Legolas was listening to the songs of the trees. As a Wood Elf, son of King Thranduil of Mirkwood, he had spent his life among the trees. Granted, much of it had been spent in battle with the forces of darkness: Orcs and the hideous spiders which had infested his father’s kingdom during the dark days of Sauron’s power.

As an Elf, he was considered young, barely a couple of thousand years old. His race was virtually immortal, although they could be killed, yet would not succumb to age or infirmity. Instead of growing frail with age, Elven-kind grew more beautiful and wise with each passing century. Life was good for the Prince on this day.

Because of his special bond with nature, he was aware when a disturbance seemed to cover the land. The uneasiness had lasted for just a moment, then vanished. Sudden movement caught his attention a few minutes later. He reined his horse, Arod, and paused. His senses were far superior to those of Men, and his keen eyesight caught a glimpse of something in the sky. It moved so quickly, he almost thought it an illusion. It appeared to have moved into the southeastern part of the sky, yet he was unsure of what he had seen.

The trees had ceased their song with the disturbance, and when they spoke again, it was with curiosity.

“Something was amiss, my friends,” he whispered to the forest. “But I sense no danger now.” He resumed his progress and soon his mood was once again light.

He turned into the shade of the forest and continued his easterly direction. He became aware that the trees were speaking of a stranger among them. A mortal who had sought shelter in their realm. Curious as to whom this may be, Legolas followed the path the trees described. Men did not often venture into these forests. In the past, the Shadow had made them dangerous for Man and Elf alike. While the Elves were at home among the trees, however, Men preferred their own cities and villages, and liked to have a vast expanse around them. Also, Men feared the forests.

Arod stepped lightly along the forest floor, his steps almost Elven in their quiet. When Legolas sensed he was close to the Man, he slid silently from the horse and, with elegant stealth, moved toward the stream he knew ran through this part of the wood.

He caught a glimpse of the stranger while still far enough away not to alert him to his presence. The Man knelt by the stream and raised cupped hands to his lips, drinking deeply of the cool waters. After a few handfuls, he suddenly froze and slowly surveyed his surroundings. When his face turned toward the Elf’s direction, Legolas was surprised to see a woman instead of a man. Mortal women simply did not travel alone, much less go into deep woods.

He was further surprised when her gaze met his, even at this distance. She stood slowly, never breaking eye contact. Knowing he had been seen, Legolas walked slowly toward her, remaining in full view so as not to frighten her. Most mortals had never even seen an Elf and he had found many were afraid of them because of their mystery and legend. This woman, however, did not appear frightened, only curious. He took note of her strange dress---boots, some sort of leggings that seemed to be a part of her tunic as well. She certainly did not look like any of the mortal women he had ever seen.

He stopped far enough away to let her know he posed no threat and waited.

*
Cdr Lymon had been delighted to find the clear stream after only a couple of hours. She gratefully knelt next to it and, after only the briefest hesitation, cupped her hands and drank deeply. She had considered that the water may not be healthy for her---who knew what organisms grew in this alien world? But everything seemed so . . . so Earth-like; and a death from dehydration would be very unpleasant---she decided to risk it.

The water was sweet and soothed her dry throat. She had not seen any forest creatures, yet felt a sentience surrounding her ever since she entered the woods. She had attributed it to the fact she had so rarely been in a natural forest, with so many living things around. She did not feel threatened, but a little wary.

It was while she drank she began to feel another being in the wood. This time, her defenses were alerted---not alarmed, since it could be a harmless woodland beast---but it was a definite presence. She remained motionless while she searched for its location. Her heightened senses told her the creature was behind her and to her left and she slowly turned in that direction.

Her eyes searched that direction and honed in on another set of eyes looking back at her with curiosity. She stood slowly and watched as one of the most amazing beings she had ever encountered moved into full view.

He wore what appeared to be soft leather boots, some sort of greenish-gray trousers and coat, and a pale green shirt beneath. What was surprising were the leather braces on his wrists and---surely her eyes were fooling her---a large bow across his back, a quiver of arrows visible over his shoulder.

After her initial surprise, she noticed his ears---the delicate points just visible through his long, silky blonde hair. This being almost glowed. There was a faint luminescence about him. He didn’t appear to be hostile, but she maintained her guard.

The minutes passed slowly as the two assessed each other. He did not wish to frighten her, and she did not wish to give him cause to pull his bow on her. She was armed only with a small dagger she always kept in her boot, a remnant from her study under one of the more war-like races she had encountered. Finally, he spoke softly.

“Do not be afraid. I mean you no harm.”

She stared at him. The translator implanted in all agents identified his speech as something akin to ancient Scandinavian and maybe even Pictish combined with a few other equally old languages from the European continent on Earth. The positronic net, which allowed the translator to directly contact the language and speech centers of her brain, permitted her to respond in kind.

“Where . . . is this place?”

He noticed her accent was unlike any he had heard in Middle Earth. Yet, she seemed to be responding to the Common Tongue.

“You are in the Forest of Cairyn Elson, on the northern frontier of Gondor.”

Although she understood his words, they meant nothing to her. Where the hell was Gondor?

She tilted her head slightly as she considered her next question. Obviously, this particular being was part of a pre-industrial society. Regulations forbade her to interfere with his development without express invitation from his government. A part of her mind laughed at the concept. She wasn’t sure those rules even applied here. She was so far from home, she would probably never get back.

Legolas watched her as she pondered his answer to her question. She did not seem to be afraid, for which he was grateful. He did not like to cause mortals---or other Elves, for that matter---undue distress.

“Your speech is not that of Gondor nor Rohan. Are you an Easterling?” He was curious about this strange woman. She didn’t look like an Easterling. Her hair was a dark reddish brown and her skin was fair, lighter than that of the Easterling’s he’d seen. She was also taller than most mortal women he’d met. She was not quite his height, but looked like she’d tower over other mortal women. Her stature was almost like that of an elleth.

None of the names meant anything to her. “No. I am . . . from somewhere far from here. I am a stranger in your land.”

“Middle Earth is a vast land. Perhaps your people are from the northeast?” he inquired politely.

“My people are from much further.” Middle Earth. Was it possible there was another Earth? Not just Terra? Immediately she cursed her foolishness. Of course, there were always possibilities. She had seen many strange things during her career. It was possible she had wound up in another dimension. One where this was Earth. She recalled the tear she thought she had seen before losing consciousness in her ship. A rip in the fabric of space, leading her into this other universe. The possibility was definitely there and getting more real by the minute.

Legolas looked puzzled. “From across the sea? None have come to these shores since . . . . You are not Eldar; you are mortal.”

She frowned slightly. “Of course, I’m mortal. Aren’t you?”

She really had no knowledge of his kind. “I am an Elf,” he replied.

It took all of her self-discipline not to laugh. It was absurd. There were no such things as Elves. They were simply myths from the past, part of the fairy tales told to children. Yet, he did look like what she’d always heard of Elves. Except he was tall, well over 6 feet she was sure. Elves were cute little old men with beards or little sprite thingies with wings . . . She shook herself mentally. They weren’t real, that’s what they were.

“An Elf,” she responded slowly.

Giving a slight bow, his right hand brought up to lightly touch is chest, “I am Legolas of Mirkwood.”

“Alexandra Lymon,” she replied absently, giving a slight nod. Her mind raced with the possibilities---if she were in an alternate universe, another dimension, why wasn’t it possible that Elves did exist here? After all, she’d been part of a genetic experiment gone awry. Why should an Elf be so far-fetched?

“Alexandra Lymon,” he repeated. His accent made her rather ordinary name sound slightly exotic. She smiled.

“Have you no protection here? Surely, you do not travel alone,” his grayish-blue eyes reflected the confused tone of his voice.

“I am alone here,” she answered. She knew it was risky, letting her vulnerable situation be known by a stranger. However, he didn’t seem like he was a threat. Besides, she figured she could take him down if it came to that. While he was tall, and his slender frame was obviously muscled, it wasn’t the brawn she was accustomed to seeing in adversaries. She had bested several species before, so an Elf shouldn’t be a problem.

“But what of your husband or father? Do your people allow their daughters and wives to go about unprotected?

Such a question demonstrated what she considered an archaic notion of women. However, she reminded herself this planet seemed to hearken to an ancient past. Stifling a sarcastic retort, she answered pleasantly, “It is not the way of my people to restrict women. We go where we please and do as we please.”

Such a notion did not seem to startle him as much as she thought it would. “Neither do Elven females suffer under such restriction. However, it is the custom of the Men of Middle Earth to shelter their women.” He gave her a gentle smile. “It would appear you are indeed not of this realm.”

She looked away as she gathered her thoughts. Now what?

“Where are you bound?”

“I’m sorry?” she frowned in confusion.

“Your destination. To where do you travel?”

“Oh.” She was at a loss. “I don’t really know. There was an accident and I really haven’t thought any further than finding a place to rest and some water.”

He considered the woman. She looked fairly strong, but not like one of the peasants who worked the land. Her hands, he noticed, were not calloused as would be the hands of a laborer. Despite her strange accent and occasional mispronunciation of some words, she seemed to be educated. Possibly she was a member of the nobility in her land. But her strange dress and lack of an escort was troubling.

“If you will permit it, lady, I offer you my protection until you find your destination.” He knew he had a mission to accomplish, but his sense of honor would not allow him to abandon a woman---especially a lone woman---in a strange land.

She was startled by his words. Such notions of chivalry were foreign in her world. Women in the service were not in need of protection. She was a trained killer, by Heaven! What sort of chauvinistic place had she come to?

Before her ire allowed her to give a scathing reply, the logical part of her mind took over. It was obviously the custom of this place to be protective of females. And, to be brutally honest with herself, she could use his help. She was totally lost, knew nothing of the customs in this world, had no food or means of transportation other than her feet, and, most importantly, did not know what threats may be waiting for her.

Swallowing her wounded pride, she gave what she hoped was a graceful nod. “Thank you for your offer, sir. I would be grateful for your assistance.” Sheesh! This language made her feel like a character from a Shakespeare play or some damsel in distress from a fairy tale. She almost laughed. Not such a far-fetched notion. After all, she was standing here talking to a genuine, in-the-flesh Elf!

Whistling softly, Legolas called his mount. Arod came trotting over and, after receiving a loving pat from his master, began to drink from the stream. The Elf removed his pack from the horse and began to set up a camp.

“How can I help you?” Alex asked.

Legolas looked up in surprise. “You need not trouble yourself. I will hunt for something for dinner, if you are hungry.”

Eying his bow, she asked, “You aren’t going to kill something are you?”

He raised one brow in askance. “Surely you do not wish to eat something while it still lives?”

Her look of horror answered his question. “No, it’s just . . . My people do not eat animal flesh.” Even as the words were said, she realized her dilemma. In her world, they had synthesized meat that tasted and had the appearance of the genuine article. Yet it was a combination of synthesized proteins and flavors. Animals were rarely ever consumed in her world. Some had never tasted real animal flesh. Alex was one of those people.

But here, she had no such option. And there were nutrients that were necessary for survival that, without the synthetic versions, she could only get from eating actual meat. Some other Allied races still ate meat. But it had become the norm on Earth to avoid such by the abundance of the substitute. And in the military, almost everything was synthesized.

The Elf appeared to be waiting for her to continue.

“I would actually like fruit or nuts or vegetables, if you know of any that are available in this forest.” She gave a nervous laugh. “I’m sorry. Here I am making unreasonable demands on you. If you are going to eat, then, by all means, don’t let my reticence stop you. I am a stranger in your land and should abide by your customs.” God, but she hated how that sounded. It just wasn’t in her nature to be demure. Still, her job and her temperament had trained her to be adaptable.

Legolas was puzzled, but somewhat grateful for her words. In truth, he did not wish to take the life of an animal unnecessarily. And there were some trees within the forest that had edible fruit, leaves and even some nuts. He had a store of lembas bread, some dried meat and fruit in his pack for his journey, but, as Elves did not need to eat as much as Men, he had not a large store. If he could find fresh food, he could save his supplies for further into the journey when they might become necessary.

“Then we shall gather something for dinner that does not involve taking a the life of one of the woodland creatures,” he gave her a soft smile. “Come, lady, and I will show you what is safe to eat in these woods.”

They started off into the woods. There, the conversation consisted mainly of him telling her the names of various plants and what was edible and what was dangerous. Most of the fruits and nuts she recognized. Some of the leaves had strange names, but they gathered the ones most pleasing to the palate and returned with an armload each to their campsite.

Living in a synthesized world, Alex had no practical experience cooking. Sure, she could “live off the land” when she had to, but that was just sustenance. She had no idea how to blend flavors.

Legolas built a fire while she gathered water in a small pot from his pack. He showed her which leaves to combine with what vegetables for flavor. Once their stew had cooked, she took a hesitant sip. It lacked the seasonings she had always eaten, but it wasn’t that bad. As they ate, they discussed their respective homes.

Alex was careful to couch her descriptions in terms that didn’t give away the technological level of her home. It was sometimes difficult, but she thought she did pretty well. For his part, Legolas gave her a brief overview of the state of Middle Earth. He glossed over his royal parentage, and his part in the War of the Ring, saying only he had served as a soldier with the King of Gondor in that conflict. It was a bit of a relief to have someone with whom to talk who did not know the story of the One Ring, or the legends of the Elves; someone without a preconceived notion of him and his kind.

As he spoke, Alex relaxed against the trunk of the large tree to her back. He had a pleasant, almost musical voice. It soothed her, like a lullaby. She was still trying to get over the idea of a mythological being sitting next to her. But, she rationalized, here he was, so he must be real. Of course, she thought, she may have died in the crash and this was the afterlife. Not too bad. At least she hadn’t ended up in hell. Her mind began to drift on the sea of his words, imagining the places he described. It sounded as if Middle Earth had been through some rough times recently, but his tone belied his hope for the future.

Legolas noticed his companion beginning to show signs of fatigue. She looked so comfortable as she reclined against the moss-covered trunk of the ancient tree. With her eyes half closed, her features relaxed, she looked younger than he had first thought. Earlier, the tension and fear had given her a somewhat harsh appearance, at least to him. To one not so perceptive as an Elf, she would have appeared calm; however, he could see the signs of consternation: the slightly narrowed gaze, the tense set of her jaw, the defensive posture of her body.

But now, she seemed very much at ease, and that fact pleased him. He knew she must be tired from her ordeal. She had mentioned an accident, but had not gone into details. Certainly, it must be difficult to be lost alone in a strange land.

“You are tired, lady. Rest, and I will keep watch,” he said in a low voice.

“No, I’m fine,” she struggled to keep her eyes open, but they refused to cooperate. “I will share the watch with you.”

He placed his hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back down against the supporting tree. “There is no need to share watches. The shadow that threatened this land is defeated. My kind does not sleep as Men do, and you are weary, so it is no matter. Sleep and be safe.”

She yawned and snuggled against the leaves, resting her head on the folded cloak he had given her for just such a purpose. “Goodnight, Lesgala---Lesagals---.”

“Legolas.”

“Sorry,” she mumbled, “G’night Legolas.”

“Goodnight, my lady,” he answered, but she already slept.