Something Evil This Way Comes  

The lightning cracked and the thunder sounded on the night of December 6, the third age of Middle Earth, the year 304. Lady Celebrian was with child for the third time in her life. Her husband, Lord Elrond waited as patiently as one could outside of her door. The other healers had quickly ushered him out of the room soon after Celebrian went into labor, for the Lord had uneasiness in his eyes that showed he would not be of much help. Something about this new child had worried him since the beginning and his worries with the child were showing clearly on this night. 

Accompanying him where his sons Elladen and Elrohir, both of the same age, both black haired and gray eyed. Arwen, their only daughter sat quietly in the corner, only to be seen when the lighting flashed in the skies above. She was young for an elf, not quiet one hundred, and the youth in her eyes glowed in the dark of the night.  

A scream of pain echoed through the halls of Rivendell, the horrible sound causing all in hearing distance to shudder. The screams continued until, finally, the sound of a baby crying took the place of them. Lord Elrond jumped up from his seat and ran into the room, trying to look as calm as possible.  

Upon entering the room his eyes caught sight of his wife cradling a crying child in her arms; the gleam of her face covering all signs of her earlier struggles. Lord Elrond gathered himself together before cautiously approaching the sweat soaked bed.  

Celebrian looked up from the baby in her arms to her husband’s worried eyes.  

“Come, look upon your daughter’s face. She wishes to meet her father.”  

Lord Elrond carefully sat down beside his wife and looked at his new child for the first time. Finally, a smile spread across his cheeks as he watched his daughter study him. Lord Elrond took the child from her mother’s arms and into his own. He held her softly to his chest and looked deep into her dark eyes.  

“She is beautiful my love…beautiful.” He said softly as he stood up from the bed and began to sway back and forth, easing the child to sleep.  

“How are you feeling?” Lord Elrond asked as one of the healers took the sleeping child out of his arms.  

“Tired, but that is to be expected.” Laughing Celebrian motioned for her husband to come to her side.  

Lord Elrond sat beside his beloved once again and looked onto her tired face.  

“You shall sleep now; rest while you still can for by tomorrow you will no longer be a Lady with child who can order everyone about.”  

Celebrian merely nodded, for she was already falling into the dream world. Lord Elrond kissed his wife’s sweat stained forehead and walked out of the room to inform the three awaiting person’s of their new sister.  

*^*^*^*^*^

The lighting and thunder continued on throughout the night and on into the morn. The skies remained black and deadly, causing all to remain indoors and out of the storms grasp. All stayed awake, the uneasy feeling in the pit of their stomachs keeping them from the dream world they so wished to enter. The exhausted Queen and the new Princess were the only two who lay sleeping. Though the Lady still awoke many times in the night, the uneasiness filling her also, but the princess slept on; the bright flashes of lightning and the horrendous pounding of thunder not reaching her, for all of the evil things in Middle Earth were simply welcoming their Queen. 

*^*^*^*^*^  

Winter had faded into spring three times and the young Princess was now three. Many who lived in the house of Lord Elrond chose to call the child Verce, or wild one in the elvish tongue. 

Soon after the child was born she was visited by Gandalf, or Mithrandir as the elves called him. He was a wise old wizard whom had become a close friend to all in the house of Elrond. The wizard took a quick liking to the child and was chosen by Celebrian and Elrond to bestow a name upon her. He chose Narelle, for her already wild spirit reminded him of fire and the way it burnt all in its path. And her dark beauty reminded him of a fire’s flames in the night, the way it moved and flicked against the dark skies. 

Many also called her Dolhin, or dark-eyes, for her eyes were nearly black, and became so when she was angered, but child liked the name the wizard had decided to befall upon her above all, and so her name became Narelle.  

Narelle grew and changed as any child would; yet many things set her apart from all others. She was powerful, even at the age of three many listened to her and obeyed her requests without a second thought. Her eyes turned blacker then the night when anger surged through her body, causing all to fear her wrath.  

One above all was changed by the coming of this new child; her father, Lord Elrond. Since the birth of his daughter dreams of past wars and memories haunted his mind. His child’s eyes reminded him of something past, something he had witnessed long ago.  

These dreams, memories even, caused him to lay awake night after night. He would often retire to his study and try to pry the visions from his mind, but it was always to no anvil, for only the coming of the day light and the awaking of his household would calm his mind.  

One night the dreams drove him to the safety of his study, as they often did, though this time he did not try to rid the screams from his mind, he merely began to search many of his books searching for what he longed to know. Nearly driven to insanity he began to search his books trying to find what connected one of Sauron’s greatest allies, the maiden he often saw in his dreams, with his daughter.  

His mind often wondered to his daughter’s dark eyes; they reminded him of ones he had seen before the time of the Last Alliance. Because of this he searched through prophecies and legends hoping to discover the ancient Prophecy that told of what Sauron had promised long ago. He searched nearly all before coming across the one he sought. It spoke of the Last Alliance and the fall of Sauron the Deceiver. The book also told of one of Sauron’s greatest warriors. This warrior, or weapon, was what had interested the Lord the most. 

Lord Elrond read and studied throughout the night until he found what he had needed. He then wrote a message to the Lady Galadriel, calling upon her wisdom and help.  

Soon the Lady arrived at Rivendell, feeling that the message was of dire importance. Lord Elrond met her in the night along with Celebrian, the child in her arms. That night the lightning crashed and the thunder roared, much as it had the night of the coming of Narelle. Evil knew that discovery would soon be made, and with it the possibility of their end. 

Galadriel studied the child for only a moment before coming to her conclusion.  

“I can tell you nothing of what you ask. My only advice is to treat her no differently and make no such word of what you are thinking she may be. On her 1000 birthday send her to bide with me in Lothlorien, only then may I have answers.”  

The Lord and Lady soon left, only to return to their home in the wood, leaving Lord Elrond and Lady Celebrian many years to simply watch and wait hoping that one day they would discover if their daughter was truly the one spoken of in the ancient

Prophecy.