In a Land Where Shadows Lie

[Matsi]

''Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne,
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

One Ring to rule them all,
One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all,
and in the darkness bind them,
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie."

Almost sixty years passed since the second rise, and fall, of the dark lord. That one ring, the ring of ultimate power, had fallen into many different hands, all but one of which had been horribly corrupted. It's last bearer was able to throw the ring back into the fires inwhich created it, thus destroying the dark lord, and bringing peace on the land once more.

The elves moved themselves across the seas and onto the western shores, as dwarves burrowed themselves further into their halls of stone. This left Middle Earth to the kin of man.

But peace has not lasted. A new species has migrated in from across the oceans in the north and press further into Middleearth, fighting for their space in the world. But, that is not the biggest concern for Middle Earth. Rumors started to rise about a white wizard coming back to Middle Earth, and how he seems to be trying to bring back the dark lord by gathering the Lesser Rings that still hold their power.

With this news, many elves returned to their old homes in preperation of helping the kind of man in the distruction of this new threat. Rivendell, once again, became the meeting point for the spokespeople of the different races, but this time, Elrond summoned ones that he had faith in...

All that is gold does not glitter;
all that is long does not last;
All that is old does not wither;
not all that is over is past.
Not all that have fallen are vanquished;
a king may yet be without crown,
A blade that was broken be brandished;
and towers that were strong may fall down.

This meeting was just for those that he directly summoned. Not the spokespeople for the races, but mearly the ones he summoned. So far, he had a few infront of him.

The first, which was just to his left, was a tall and slightly lanky, yet femanine man. His hair was cut short, and held a red-brown color. His eyes were blue and expressive, but his face was smooth and emotionless. His name was Genesis, son of Faramir and Eowyn of Rohan. Elrond wished that Boromir had had a child, for he was one of the original fellowship, but son of Faramir was great as well. After all, Faramir had not been tainted by the Ring of Power, and that showed a true heart.

In a seat directly across from him was a tall, but thickly built young man. He aged in his high twenties, maybe older. His hair was white as snow, and long as well as thick, with ties of feathers through it. His eyes were blue-grey, and his face was soft and slightly worn. He was a young wizard, but talented. He was not the direct bloodline of Gandalf, but the famous white wizard trained him after the wars had ended. He called himself "The Healer", but his real name was Zunin the Brown. He was not as experianced or powerful as a grey or white wizard, but he would be a good ally.

Right next to the wizard was the Heir of Gimli, not that she showed it. She was short and thickly built, but she bore the more human characteristics that she recived from her human mother. Her mother and father's relations had been a "fling" to say the least when the dwarf moved back from the western shores and paid a visit to Gondor. Her hair was black, with blue beaded braids through it, while her eyes were a deep shade of earth-green. Her name had been picked out by Gimli. Nocte. For she was the star in his night, he had said.

The three of them chatted quietly as they waited for the rest of the summoned. Of course, silence fell as a raggedly dressed female walked into the hall.

Elrond looked at her and smiled slightly. She was short, not much taller than a hobbit really, but she was dressed like a ranger. Her pants were dusty and a bit too big for her short legs, her shirt was tattered slightly, and a bandana pulled her red-brown and blonde hair out of her face. Her eyes were a light silvery-blue, and angled, and her face resembled the angled elven faces. In fact, to the others that did not know who she was, she looked much like an elf. Her skin was fair and almost glass like, and unaging looking, while her structure, from what they could tell, was angled yet sturdy.
But Elrond knew there was more to her.
"Welcome, Zarriel."
The girl nodded politely to Elrond and took a seat, as far away as she could from the others for sitting in a ring of chairs.

She didn't want to be there, in all honesty. She didn't fit in. She, like Nocte, was a hybrid, but not a favored one. Her father had been best friends with Nocte's, which may have explained why Nocte glared at the girl with stern eyes, but her mother had not been well liked by elves or dwarves. Needless to say, her father was good at seeing the beauty in all.
Her mother had been one of the new species. A species that Man called Ferals, but called themselves Lexoans.

Lexoans were, by man, classifyed as a species of goblin, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. The closest relative they had were actually Elves. Though, they didn't show it often. With long backs, arms that were slightly too long for their bodies, long fingers, and legs that could only be discribed as "werewolf like", they looked like a cross of a werewolf and Goblin. Their faces are slightly elongated with an odd canine-humanesq nose, and large ears that look similar to a mix of Elf and Horse ears. On their rumps were long, prehinsile fuzzy tails that they often used as weapons or as an extra hand.

Of course, females were more mild looking than the males, and some, as long as their ears and tails were hidden, could pass off as humans or even elves.

Zarriel had been lucky and inherited more of her elven side's looks. Granted, she didn't wear the bandana and baggy pants just for fashion. They helped cover up her... abmoralities... so she could better blend in.


Elrond cleared his throat, getting the groups attention off of the silence, and the trio that were originally talking, went back to sharing stories about their parents while Zarriel just listened.
The elf king knew the rest would be arriving shortly...

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.

[Knight]

elanora - dusk elf, expert on healing etc
raine - daughter of aragorn and arwen - half-elf regal, proud when not comfortable; relaxes to become sweet, friendly, full of laughter, strong
lume - ranger, human, distantly related to aragorn. loyal, protective, brave, curious
alaric - son of legolas; wood elf - quiet, stern, serious, observant, very accepting

The race of the dusk elves had been a powerful one long ago. Once, they had been strong; their magic legendary. Over time, however, they had faded from memory when they retreated to the wild lands, the ones untouched by all but the rangers. And their magic became something different; it became elusive. It gave them the ability to change their forms, allowing them to blend in with the animals in the world around them. They became deer, they became wolves, they became birds. And the strongest and most powerful of them all? They became dragons. And the royal family, of course.

Dusk Elves became elusive creatures, evading the detection of all, even the Enemy himself. They kept to themselves. They did not choose sides; they watched the final battle and returned to their homes in flocks of migratory birds, in packs of wandering dogs and wandering foxes and deer and snakes. There, they were content to spend the rest of their time in anonymity.

Even as they were forgotten, they forgot that other races knew of them. And when the rumors came of a wizard ready to bring back the Enemy that they would not stand against, the Dusk Elves retreated further into the shadows. Their dragon king watched with slitted eyes as the world moved past them once more, and he was surprised, more surprised than he would admit when a messenger of Elrond himself arrived upon his doorstep, requesting a dusk elf to come to his home.

Elanora was the one who was sent. She was young; a daughter of a warrior who had stepped away from the path that her father followed to pursue healing, and she was the only one who was willing to go when the chance was offered.

The elven woman was slender and of about average height with the darker hair that was typical of her race. Black, it hung to her waist when unbound, though she usually wore it up and out of the way. Her eyes were a bold, bright blue and she shifted, like her mother, into the form of a gray wolf. She had blue markings in this form, swirling marks around her eyes, on her paws and on her tailtip. But in her typical form, she looked like any other elf; angular features with lean muscle and pointed ears. She could have passed for a wood elf, with her more naturalistic clothing. She kept herbs in her bag in case her magic failed her, and wore only a single, small sword at her waist; a gift from her brother. Fighting was not something that she intended to do, clearly.

Her arrival at the hall was earlier than some, but later than others. She blinked, hand raising in a slight greeting towards Ellrond as she took a seat silently, taking in those that had already gathered. They seemed to know each other, making her the odd one out. But Ella, as she called herself, didn't truly mind. She was content for the moment to watch and to listen. It was enough to merely be included, to have a chance to prove that her people were as strong as they had once been. Her brother would have been proud.

The next arrival was a slightly more distinctive one. She arrived upon a horse of Rohan, one marked with with her father's crest. The brown and white creature was built more for strength than speed, and that was exactly the way that Raine liked it. Daughter of Aragorn and Arwen, the young woman was a little bit . . . different. She was a princess, and a half elven one at that. A regal creature, she was solemn and quiet when around strangers, but friends found her cheerful and outgoing, full of laughter and always ready to help others. She was accepting and loving and was the darling of the court back at home.

When Ellrond had called for a son, it was Raine who stepped up. Her brother was older than she; already settled down with a wife and ready to assume the throne. Raine, on the other hand, was not an heiress and was certainly not going to be getting married any time soon.

She certainly looked elven, with the angular features of an elf, but there was clearly some human there. Her ears were pointed, though significantly less so than her mothers; and she had the dark hair of her father and silvery eyes. She had the more bulky build of a human, with more than a hint of curvature. She was no lean elf, but the grand daughter of Ellrond himself did not disappoint.

She walked into the hall in riding pants and a man's shirt. However, she certainly was no man, and though the crown that her father had sent her with was stuffed in the pack that she carried, she still walked like a princess. She carried herself regally and strode forward to sit easily at the side of the strange elf. The others were familiar, but the lands that Raine hailed from were far from their homes, and she had not been the one to go out on diplomatic trips.

There were two others who had yet to come; Alaric, son of Legolas and his human companion Lume. Lume was a ranger and the duo had met when Alaric had dabbled in becoming a ranger himself. Of course, it didn't really work out. Alaric much preferred the Murkwood, though it had lost much of its . . . murkiness since the Enemy had been defeated. But with the rumors of the white wizard returning, a tide of darkness had swept their wooded home once more, leaving spiders and other, stronger monsters lurking in its wake. It was nothing that Alaric and a bow couldn't handle, but the lean elven man had found that the outside world was not as simple as the home that he loved. Still, he had found a friend in the ranger known simply as Lume. If one asked him, they would find that the ranger was distantly related to Aragorn, though not nearly close enough for him to approach the man.

Ellrond had asked for just Alaric, and yet, he would get Lume as well. Lume, who had shaggy gray hair and orange eyes and a bulky build, was a warrior. He carried a broadsword, heavy and powerful if wielded properly, which contrasted sharply with the lean and light Alaric. With long silvery hair like his father and emerald eyes, Alaric was a far cry from the human that he entered the hall with. His weapon of choice was a bow and arrow, and he was a far cry from the bulky man who walked beside him as they entered the hall together.

The two walked side by side, finding themselves next to Zarriel.

The time had come. A new era was about to begin upon Middle Earth.

[Matsi]

Elrond stood from his seat. His bright ever were cloked by a stern gaze as he looked at each one of the group. He was slightly disappointed, still, that none of the Hobbit heirs had taken his offer, but then, Hobbits were strange, lazy creatures. Meridoc Brandybuck, Peregrin Took, Samwise Gamgee and the Baggins family were really the only exceptions to this. Not that he had met many hobbits, but from what Gandalf and Aragorn had told him, this was the truth.

He blinked a few times, bringing himself out of his thoughts, and looked at the ones sitting closest to him, then around the circle of chairs.
"Welcome, and thankyou for coming to Rivendell," He said smoothly and in a proud tone.
"Many of you have at least seen eachother in passing from the kingdoms of the old fellowship, but I will introduce each of you, Just as I did at the meeting that chose the fellowship," His gaze shifted around, waiting to see if there were going to be any objections. A few fidgets, but no words.

"Genesis, Son of Faramir of Gondor, and Eowyn, queen of Rohan," He watched as Genesis nodded his head slightly, his blue eyes sparking. Pride was in Genesis' heart, Elrond could see that, but he was not like his uncle that died long ago. He was like his father. A willow compared to Boromir's Pine. He could bend and sway in the wind. He did not break easily.

Elrond's eyes moved to the next seat.
"Elanora of the Dusk Elf realm," He nodded to her slightly, yet his eyes were inspecting her. He was surprised that the dusk elf had been pulled from her realm so easily. That was very unlike her people. No matter. Next.

"Zarriel the Ranger, Daughter of Haldir of Lothlorien and Zenara of the Lexoans,"
He watched at Zarriel's eyes narrowed unhappily. He knew she would be displeased with the mentioning of her kin. Normally, he would have just left it out, but in this meeting, there would be no secrets. Especially of something as silly as kin.

"Alaric, Son of Legolas of Mirkwood," He smiled slightly at Alaric, whom shared a similar bloodline as himself. What could he say, he still favored his own kin over man.

"Lume the ranger, of the Gondorian Kin," He said as he slightly glared at Lume. He was not pleased that this ranger entered the fray as well. He could only deal with the unruliness of so many of the wild-folk.

"Raine, Daughter of Aragorn of Gondor and Arwen of Rivendell," He smiled at the young woman. He was a little displeased that she, the daughter of his wonderful princess, would wear the clothing of a human man, but he smiled at her happily and warmly either way before shifting his gaze to the next of the group.

"Zunin the Brown, Apprentice of Gandalf," Zunin nodded.
"Please, just Healer works fine," The brown wizard said softly, making Elrond nod and hold back a snort before looking at the last member of the group.

"And Nocte, Daughter of Gimli of Durin's People, and Tasella of Gondor,"

.............
...................

Elrond made sure to cover the all of the rumors that he had heard and had been told about. By the time that he silenced, the sun was well past the middle of the sky, and he could see hunger, boredom and various other thoughts in the eyes of his group. He smiled and stood once more from his seat.

Your rooms have been prepared for you. They are all in the western hall. Dinner shall be ready soon. We will continue this tomorrow. Go now and rest and be merry," He said, then strode off.



Nocte looked around awkwardly at first, but then hopped to her feet and stretched.
"Blast it. Pa' always told me how Elrond Half-elven liked to talk, but I never believed him," She hummed out as her green eyes looked at the other faces. Yes, most of them were familiar after all. Yet, she didn't know if she could find a friend in any of them. Of course, what was the harm in trying?
"Do you think there will be ale or wine at the dinner? I have always fancied a taste the Highland ale," She asked openly. One thing she got from her father... Her love of spirits.

The Healer rolled his eyes slightly. Dwarves. He had met enough of them to be able to say that. No matter. Following the Half-Dwarf's actions, he stood up and stretched his long arms and legs. It felt nice to move again.

Genesis stayed sitting, but he stretched his legs out in front of him. His blue gaze looked from one person to the next. He rarely left the lands of Rohan, so this was different for him. He did not have his men on their horses behind him this time. No, this was not a normal adventure for the Rohan man. Thus, he sighed and reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small book and started to read it, tuning everyone else out.

Zarriel didn't move from her seat for quite a few moments. She listened to the others, then stood and strode off towards the western hall. She had no passion to deal with these people, not yet at least.