Title & Chapter Number: War of Daenova 1/?
Author(s): - Author's Index
Fandom: LOTR Crossover with Legend of the Swords
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: "Lord of the Rings," "The Silmarillion" and "The Lost Tales" belong to J.R.R. Tolkien, and I'm borrowing them without permission. They will be returned when I am through. Legend of the Swords (LOTS) is owned by the Chroniclers of Khaenna, and I borrowed that with permission. This is a non-profit piece of fiction, so all you lawyers can just bugger off and find someone else to swindle.
Warnings: Character resurrection (Ereinion Gil-galad); the very fact that this is a crossover.
Betas: None
Cast: Major players in the Trilogy; characters from LOTS
Timeline: War of the Ring for LOTR; AU for LOTS
Spoilers: A lot of things from the Trilogy, particularly ROTK. If you've only seen the movies, then stay away from the middle parts of the fic until you've seen all three.
Summary: LOTR AU CROSSOVER. Gandalf has brought in strange new guests for Elrond's Council. They are a mysterious group of people who hid from the Free Races of Middle-Earth - until now. In the lead of their Queen, Caelis, they have decided that it is time to lift the veil over their existence and fight alongside Elves, Men, Dwarves and Hobbits for the freedom of Middle-Earth. But the War of the Ring is only the beginning of another War, for in the realm of Khaenna, Caelis must rise up to claim her birthright and lead her people in a bitter struggle to wrest their lands from the darkness of the Shadow.
Notes: Mostly bookverse, though there will be times when it will occasionally slip into movie-verse - but mostly when the two coincide so seamlessly that it is possible for one to have occured in the other. Thoughts will be written 'like so', and dialogue will be written "like so". Also, many of the conversations in Elvish will be written ^like so^. Many of the conversations in Daenovan will be written ~*like so*~. Any words/phrases that are written in their original, whether Elvish or Daenovan, shall have asterisks beside them and then they will have translations at the bottom of every chapter. Same thing goes for unfamiliar terms.
Chapter One: Lift the Veil
Gandalf clung to the back of Gwaihir the Windlord, as the mighty eagle swept over the peaks of the mountains, flying past the peak of Caradhras. As the Eagle Lord swooped over the snow-covered mountains, Gandalf remembered something - or, put more precisely, SOMEONE. 'Yes, it would be wise to let her know of what has happened... perhaps bring her to the Council...
He shook his head thoughtfully. 'She may decline, mayhap, for she does not wish to break the secrecy that her race enjoys...but this is an event that shall require her aid, more so now than ever before. If this obstacle is destroyed, then she may return to her world and claim her Right.' Shouting over the roar of the wind, he said to Gwaihir, "I am grateful for your aid, Gwaihir, but I must take another route. I cannot go to Imladris for now!"
"Where do you wish to go then, Gandalf?" asked Gwaihir.
"To the Foothills of Caradhras."
"The Foothills of Caradhras? You wish to visit her again, do you not? You always looked upon her as a daughter."
Gandalf smiled. "Aye, you are right, Gwaihir. This matter concerns her as much as it concerns the rest of Middle-Earth. She has every right to know."
"Then I shall take you to that destination," Gwaihir replied, and he dipped down low in a swoop, heading for the Foothills of Caradhras.
~*~*~*~
She sat astride her steed Vhreleria, which in Daenovan means "valor", looking over the plains, her far-seeing eyes scanning the horizon with pinpoint precision.
At that moment, Tirmin, one of her companions, approached her, and whispered, ~*We must go back, Commander. It seems that the Orcs will not dare to attack us today.*~
She shook her head. ~*No, we must be vigilant, all the more so now that things are quiet. Not a day has gone by that we were not attacked at least once.*~ Her eyes narrowed. ~*This peace is unnatural. It does not bring me ease.*~
~*Which is all the more reason for you to be safe up in the hills,*~ Tirmin said, his voice low. He paused, then said, ~*Caelis, you may be a commander of our little troop, but remember that you are also-*~
~*Yes, yes, I know,*~ Caelis said with a dismissive wave of her hand. She turned to Tirmin, and smiled slightly. ~*But remember, as Commander, it is my duty to face whatever dares to trouble us.*~
Just then, there was a shout from the others. ~*Commander, Gwaihir the Windlord approaches!*~
'What?' Caelis looked up to the sky, and watched as a great winged shape started to descend in a spiraling motion, gradually riding the wind currents down to the ground. It was not long until a large eagle landed in the field before them, and a bent gray figure descended from the back of it. A smile lit up Caelis' features when she recognized who it was. ~*Gandalf!*~
Gandalf looked over towards her direction, and smiled, waving his staff in the air to show that he had heard her.
Unable to contain her excitement any longer, Caelis urged Vhreleria forward, and the horse ate up the remaining distance between her and the Istar. Jumping down from her steed's back, she threw her arms around Gandalf, and hugged him as best as her armor could allow. ~*Gandalf! It has been much too long since you last came here to visit!*~
Gandalf chuckled, and he returned the hug as well. ~*Indeed, it has been much too long since I saw you.*~ He stepped back, and took in her appearance. ~*You seem dressed for a war campaign, my dear! What is going on in this land?*~
Caelis shook her head. ~*Not really a war campaign, just a never-ending struggle to keep my lands free from the droves of Orcs that seem to be coming more frequently nowadays.*~ She grinned brightly. ~*But come, Gandalf! We must show more hospitality to a guest of your magnitude!*~ She mounted her horse, and pulled Gandalf up so that he rode behind her.
The Wizard threw his head back, and laughed as they made their way back. ~*You give me more credit than I deserve, my dear!*~
~*Ah, it is nothing! It is the least I can do for the person who took me in when my mother and I were cast out of our land, for the person who gave me a new life, for the person who saved me from Orcs and who attempted to save my mother from the end that eventually befell her...*~ Here Caelis fell silent, and they rode on a little distance, Tirmin and the others following a respectable distance behind them.
Gandalf did not respond to that. Caelis smiled slightly, and shook her head. 'Does he still blame himself for my mother's death? Oh Gandalf, it was not your fault, can you not see that! You could not have done anything more to save her than what you did. At the very least her body was spared from the defilement of those Orcs. That is enough for me.'
They had now reached a clearing deep within the forest at the Foothills of Caradhras. Caelis waited until all the soldiers who had ventured out with her were in the clearing, then cried, ~*Open!*~
For a while, all was still, and then the trees before her shimmered, danced, and disappeared entirely. What stood before her now was a great gateway. The arch was intricately carved with dragons twining around and swirling over the entryway, and in the center of the archway was a large crest with a seven-rayed star surmounted by a crown; beside it was another crest with the crescent moon and a scepter across it. These were the symbols of the Star and Moon Dragons.
The gates creaked open of their own volition, and the little troop passed into the arch. When all were through, the shimmering began again, and the forest was whole once more.
~*~*~*~
Gandalf watched as the expression on Caelis' face shifted and changed almost instantaneously. ~*What?*~
~*It is true, unfortunately,*~ Gandalf replied with a sigh of his own. ~*Saruman is no longer to be trusted. Not by the Honored Races, not even by the Exiles. He has fallen into evil, Caelis. The power of the Ring has seen to that. His lust for power is something we cannot stop.*~
Caelis was silent for a long moment, mulling it over in her thoughts. 'I cannot blame her for being so surprised,' Gandalf thought. 'Of all the people we thought would turn to the side of Evil, it was Saruman's conversion that we least expected.'
~*Middle-Earth has lost a great ally,*~ she said as she wearily rubbed her temple. ~*What shall the Honored Races do, now that Saruman has turned against them? Who shall they turn to in their fight against the Shadow that rises in the East?*~
Gandalf smiled at her. ~*Perhaps the Honored Races could look to the Exiles for help.*~
Caelis looked up at him, silver-flecked onyx eyes wide. ~*Are you certain of what you tell me?*~ she asked in a hushed voice that showed how startled she was. ~*The Honored Races do not ask for our aid. They have never asked for our aid.*~
~*Ah, but that is only because the Exiles have not made their presence felt.*~
~*You know how the Honored Races look upon my kind.*~ Caelis frowned then, a cloud hanging over her features. ~*The things that you name dragons in this world are nothing like my people, and yet since we call ourselves by that name, we are feared and hated, especially when we take on our other form. Middle-Earth is not like Khaenna, where our kind are indeed feared, but more often respected and revered.*~
Gandalf sighed. 'I felt that she would say such a thing.' He knew that he wouldn't have an easy time convincing Caelis to break the secrecy her race enjoyed - or to lift the veil, as Caelis and the other Dragons termed it. He gazed at the silver-haired maiden in front of him. ~*They - we - need your help, Caelis. We need the help of your people. If we have the Serpentines of Khaenna on our side, then perhaps, perhaps, the might of Sauron would not mean a thing anymore and we would be able to fight back without hesitation.*~
~*We are not as strong as you think we are, Gray Wanderer. I used to think so, when I was young. I tried to fight in my own small way. But that particular struggle was for naught.*~ Caelis looked back at him with a clearly sad gaze. ~*If we are, indeed, as powerful as you claim, then we would not be exiles in this land to begin with. We would have easily been able to sweep Ximtarien and his army from Zireshekel out of Daenova. What makes you think that we would be able to easily fight back against the Dark Lord of Mordor if we could not even defend our own kingdoms?*~
Gandalf shook his head. ~*I am not saying that you are strong enough to defeat him completely. We do not ask your people to fight alongside ours, though I must admit that we will need your aid in that aspect. But what we need most is your wisdom, and your counsel. Your people have great wisdom, and it is wisdom that we shall need the most.*~ He bowed. ~*As a representative of the Honored Races of Middle-Earth, I invite you and chosen delegates to join me in the Council of Elrond in Imladris.*~
Caelis stared at him. ~*I? Delegates? Go to Imladris for Elrond's Council? But we are not of the Honored Races! We have no right to be there!*~
~*As I said, child, we will need your wisdom and your knowledge.*~ Gandalf smiled slightly. ~*And in a war of such magnitude as this, your kind cannot remain hidden for much longer.*~
~*We did so during the Last Alliance, Gandalf. We can do so again.*~
~*This war is too great and too important. You know that the Last Alliance failed. Shall you allow this war to fail as well?*~
Caelis seemed to falter, and Gandalf smiled, knowing that he had succeeded. 'My coming here has not been wasted after all.'
~*I see your point,*~ muttered the silver-haired Dragon High-Queen. She stood up, and the movement showed that she had come to a resolution. "Very well then, Gandalf," she said, speaking for the first time in the Common Tongue, "I shall hold council to decide who shall join our journey to Imladris. In the meantime, I suggest that you rest."
Gandalf chuckled, and bowed. "As you wish, Your Highness."
~*~*~*~
Rishkon's eyes narrowed. ~*And you think this move wise, Commander?*~
Caelis nodded, trying to keep a stern look on her face. ~*Aye, Rishkon. I have seen Gandalf's point: we cannot keep on hiding for much longer. We did very little during the Last Alliance, and look what happened. If we had been there, then maybe we could have aided and hastened Sauron's fall. And yet, look at what has happened. That accursed Ring lives on, and is on its way to returning to its Master.*~ She shook her head. ~*Nay, we cannot continue hiding ourselves. Tis too dangerous.*~
Dives spoke up then. ~*Are you certain of this, Commander? Long we have had some measure of peace because we do not meddle in the affairs of the people of this world. Are you willing to break that peace and bring upon us the wrath of the Shadow in the East? We have escaped his attentions for sometime because of our secrecy.*~
~*Tis true that we are taking a great risk by revealing our presence to the Shadow,*~ Caelis began, ~*but this is a war of great magnitude, and the stakes are too high for us to ignore it for much longer. The Shadow will not ignore us for long. Once he is through with the Honored Races, he will turn upon us. Tis only a matter of time until he does.*~
Tirmin looked up from where he was writing down the details of their council meeting. ~*I see wisdom in the Gray Wanderer's invitation, Commander. I feel that the Honored Races can benefit from our counsel - particularly yours.*~
Urima nodded. ~*I agree with Tirmin. We have spent too much time in this world to ignore its plight. We are just as culpable to what happens to it as the Honored Races of this land. Simply because we fled here in exile when our own land was taken does not mean that we do not care for what happens to it.*~
Caelis turned to Forwil, who had not spoken all throughout the meeting - as was typical of him. ~*Forwil, what say you?*~
Forwil glanced at her. ~*We have lived in this land for a long time, Commander,*~ he said quietly. ~*We cannot merely ignore its plight. I, for one, will not allow what happened to Daenova to happen here as well. It is not just the lives of the Honored Races that are at stake here, but ours as well, and the lives of our younglings. We cannot allow more disaster to fall upon the remainder of our people who yet live in this realm.*~ He fixed a piercing gaze on his commander. ~*As protector of our people, Commander, you know that you must fight this evil along with the Honored Races of Middle-Earth, if not for their sake, but for the sake of our race who live here in exile.*~
Rishkon snorted. ~*I still do not agree. This is going to be a disaster, Commander, that much I can see. The Honored Races no longer have the strength to fight against the Shadow, and we ourselves cannot fight against him alone, for our numbers are too small and we are far too weak militarily. We can barely protect our borders from the Orcs that wander here; what more from the Shadow in the East? Will you risk the safety of our people by lifting the veil that has screened our existence from this world?*~
Silence settled in, blanketing those who had gathered for the council thickly and heavily. At last, Dives worked up the courage to speak. ~*Commander, know that this is your decision. We are only here to advise. Know that we shall follow you, whatever you may decide upon.*~
Caelis smiled at Dives. ~*Are you certain of this?*~ she asked softly. ~*For you know as well I do what I intend, and that it is a path that shall lead to the death of many - perhaps of one of us who sit here.*~
~*Then it is a risk we shall take,*~ Tirmin, ever the diplomat, said. He smiled kindly at his superior. ~*For you, Commander, we willingly follow any path you should so choose - even if the path leads to the Underworld.*~
Caelis smiled more broadly, and even felt tears come to the corners of her eyes. ~*Very well then,*~ she said, swallowing to move the tears away from her eyes and the lump from her throat. ~*We leave within two days from now. You are to accompany me as delegates to the council.*~ She pursed her lips into a small frown. ~*Let us hope that the Honored Races of Middle-Earth will accept our aid and counsel.*~
~*~*~*~
Honored Races ~ translated Daenovan term for the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth. Once, the Dragons used to call all races in Khaenna (including themselves) this same name, but those exiled in Middle-Earth use the term in the same way the residents of Middle-Earth use the term "Free Peoples".
Exiles ~ term used by the Daenovan exiles in Middle-Earth for themselves. They call themselves as such to differentiate themselves from the Honored Races (aka the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth).
Gray Wanderer ~ translated Daenovan appellation given to Gandalf
younglings ~ translated Daenovan term for children
~*~*~*~
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