Lord Of The Rings Fan Fiction ❯ LOTR : On the Wings of a Dragon ❯ Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 

Three Rings for the Elven-Kings under the sky,

Seven for the Dwarf-Lords in their halls of stone,

Nine for the mortal men doomed to die.

One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne

In 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.

 

The sun sank behind the mountains in the West. All was quiet in the land of Gondor. The lanterns were lit in the city of Minas Tirith. Guards clad in silver patrolled the white walls. Men were now lead by a king of great power and stature. All was quiet.

 

It has been three years since the great battles for Middle-Earth, and still the fields are burned from the wars. Orcs still thrive in small packs, wargs still prowl. The men of the East attack the borders of Gondor. But they are just a nuisance, not a threat to the great cities and castles. The elves have left except for a select few, who remain to tend to the Elven cities for the next ten years. The final ship from Middle-Earth awaits their departure. The main population of elves remains in Lothlorien, except for Arwen, the wife of King Aragorn. The white city of Minas Tirith still rebuilds from the battle with Sauron, but in time will be beautiful again. The kingdom of the horse lords, Rohan, now commanded by King Eomer, begins its time of peace and freedom. Gondor and Rohan are now strong allies, strengthened by the marriage of Faramir, steward of Gondor, and Eowyn, sister of Eomer. Gimli and Legolas are often within the walls of Gondor, speaking with their friends. The hobbits Sam, Merry and Pippin, are gone back to their homes, now raising families of their own. Gandulf and Frodo are gone from Middle-Earth with the elves, never to return. And so the story begins, in the dark of night in the walls of Minas Tirith.

 

Many were sleeping, but the King, the Queen and the nobles were feasting in the great hall of Minas Tirith. King Aragorn and Queen Arwen sat at the head of the room at the largest table. King Eomer was seated next to Aragorn and Lady Eowyn and Lord Faramir next to Arwen. Nobles were seated at this table and two other long tables. Legolas and Gimli also sat near to Aragorn. The king rose and all were quiet.

“Three years this day,” He began “We defeated Sauron and his creatures of shadow.” Aragorn raised his cup, everyone did the same. “In remembrance to the brave men who died fighting the darkness that threatened to destroy us all.” He drank from his cup and everyone followed. They cheered. The night moved on. The feasting was over and dancing begun. Legolas stood by the window and watched. Gimli sat near by drinking fine ale. Legolas thought of the past three years as the sun came over the horizon. He looked out the window towards the mountain. In the far distance, too far for a man to see, but very clear to an elf, was a rider. In an elven cloak, on a white horse, they rode north. He watched them ride swiftly until they disappeared into a shroud of trees. Legolas wondered what an elf would be doing near Minas Tirith for quite some time.

 

By the next day Legolas still wondered of this rider. He sat next to Gimli, who smoked a pipe, in a small table in the hall. Aragorn sat with them. Aragorn was a king, but he enjoyed, more then anything, to be near his friends. They sat and talked about the battles they had fought and how the land was becoming grander. That night a messenger came. He spoke to Aragorn directly.

 

“Sire, the orcs are becoming bolder. They have attacked a small town not far from here. By the time the men arrived to stop them, the town was burned to the ground.” The messenger was panting from his journey and Aragorn sent him to rest.

 

“This is not good.” He told Legolas and Gimli. Aragorn paced back and forth. He immediately sent men to patrol the lands more carefully. While all were asleep Legolas looked out the window. He once again saw the rider, but this time they were riding towards Minas Tirith in the far distance. Legolas mounted his white horse, Arod, which had been a gift from Eomer, and rode swiftly from the gates of Minas Tirith, riding towards the nearby forest where he saw the rider disappear earlier that night as he sat looking out the window. Legolas halted as he heard a noise. Water trickled. The wind gently swayed the branches. There was something else. A faint clack of hooves on stone. He caught a glance of white behind the trees, but when he turned it disappeared. He waited for a few moments, but heard no other sound. Arod shifted nervously as an owl hooted, and Legolas turned him toward Minas Tirith.

 

Legolas returned to the city gates and the guards allowed him inside. He put his horse into the stall and strode towards the great hall. At the top of the steps he saw Arwen, clad in white. She spoke to him quietly in Elvish.

 

“You saw the rider.” she said.

 

“It concerns me, not many elves would ride so close to Minas Tirith and not come to the city.” he said softly.

 

“She is not an elf.” Arwen turned and walked back to her sleeping quarters. Legolas pulled his hood of his cloak over his head, and stood on the walls watching the sun rise over the mountains. He heard the chirp of the birds and the bustle of the awakening people of Minas Tirith. There was a change of the guards. Legolas was so deep in though of Arwen's words and of the white rider, that he did not hear Gimli behind him.

 

“Something is troubling you.” Gimli told him in his gruff voice. Legolas turned to his friend.

 

“I am very deep in thought…” and it was true. A horn blared signaling the return of a scouting party and Aragorn appeared from the hall's massive doors. Few men, too few, dismounted and bowed in front of Aragorn.

 

“Few of you have returned.” Aragorn eyed the group. Less then a third of the group was standing in front of him.

 

“Sire.” The leader of the party breathed in heavily. “We were attacked. We were returning with the report of the destroyed town and if that rider hadn't of driven the wargs away…”

 

Aragorn stopped him. “What rider?”

 

“The elven rider on the white horse.”