WARNING : MILD GORE, GRAPHIC SCENES, POTENTIALLY TRIGGERING SCENES

ONE |  FIRE AND FLAME

THE GLASS WAS MURKY, DARK, AS IF SOMEBODY HAD SMEARED ALL OVER IT WITH BLACK PAINT, COVERING IT AND RENDERING IT USELESS. It was not cracked, somehow, despite being dropped countlessly when I had tried to retrieve it from my mother's back room. For what I was about to do, I would need it. 

We had no mirror, nor did anyone in the village. Mirrors were expensive, and vain. Nobody particularly cared what you looked like out here - well, unless you were me. 

I had never considered myself particularly odd-looking, for a human. I was quite similar to the other girls in the village - dark haired, slight, skinny. It was only once you looked closer, that you began to notice the differences. My dark hair - far finer and darker than any humans, an inky sea of ebony that contrasted with my fair skin. My skin was unblemished, far too perfect for what a human's skin should be. My eyes were bright green, unnervingly so. I had never seen them up close, as I were now, but I could understand it. They were so bright, almost like an animal's eyes, rather than human. 

But most of all, my ears were odd. 

It wasn't that I had the ears of an elf. If I had, they would probably have worshiped me, an elf so far east. Most of the other villagers had never even seen an elf. To be an elf would be a great honour, the greatest. 

The problem arose in that I had the ears of something that wasn't elvish, but something that wasn't entirely-human, either. They were slightly pointed, enough to be noticeable, but not enough to enhance my hearing. In other words, useless. 

The glass I was using as a mirror had cracked slightly, a large gash right through the middle of my face, cutting it in half. It was mildly worrying to look at, but it did not bother me. I preferred to not see my face, anyway. 

I grabbed the knife, with my right hand, using the other to hold my ear still, as I sliced through the top of my ear, the slightly pointed edge slicing clean off. There was only a rather gaping hole now, bleeding rather violently, a river of blood pouring out of the gash. My ear erupted in pain, as I gasped, shielding it as if that would sting less, blood coating my hands. I hadn't expected it to hurt this much. I was only cutting off a tiny piece, the most useless part of my body. 

I had to finish now. I could not fail at the last hurdle. I had prepared for so long, stealing a knife, a looking-glass, even bandages to staunch the blood, should I need to. Trembling, my left hand raised to my left ear, cutting off the top. 

The pain doubled, as I clutched my ears now, regretting this. Was getting rid of my worst feature truly worth all this pain? I did not think so. 

I must have screamed, then, though I do not remember screaming, as my mother came rushing through the doorway after hearing the cries. Now, I remember her screaming. 

"What have you done?" She asked, after wiping the blood off my face and ears, bandaging them. Everything was muffled now, as if I was frozen in amber - I moved sluggishly, exhausted, and every sound made me wince. "It will heal, but it will take time."

"I don't want it to heal!" I snapped, and I could have sworn that I saw my mother flinch at my words. It was true. I had gone through all that pain for nothing? It would heal? It couldn't be. It just wasn't fair. 

She looked stern, and I regretted snapping. It was disrespectful. I should never talk to mother like that, she had raised me, and I owed her everything. "Your ears are a gift, Ryn."

"How?" I asked, and I meant the question truthfully. What kind of gift were they, after ruining my life. "How are they a gift?"

"You are too young to understand," she kissed my forehead gently, but I would not be calmed. I wanted answers, now. 

"I'm eleven!"

"Exactly." Something flashed in her eyes, anger, perhaps, or maybe hurt. It did not make sense. Why should she be hurt? "Your ears," she said more softly, gentle now. Her hand was massaging mine gently, and for a moment I wanted nothing more than to curl up in her arms, "are a gift from your father."

That interested me. My back straightened, perking up, all thought of anger and refusal forgotten. "My father?"

"Yes." 

I waited. She did not elaborate. "Who was he?"

"An elf," she told me quietly, fighting some internal battle inside her own mind. I did not understand why. "A noble elf, a hero."

I listened, rapt, wide-eyed. My mother had many tales, but this was one that she had never disclosed to me before. She was a mystery, a story never to be told. "Noble?" I paused, thinking it over in my mind. "Why did he leave us, then?"

She took my hand softly, comforting. "He had to. He had duties. He loved you very much."

But as I slept that night, I could not help but wonder whether that was the first time my mother had ever lied to me. 

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THE NEXT MORNING WAS almost as dreary as the one before it, I thought. The sky was the same as it was every day, blue and bright, while the ground was as fine and coarse as it had always been. It was worryingly hot, scorching almost, and a number of children had been burned all over their arms from working outside too long. 

"This weather's not good," I heard one of the farmer's say, as he walked to check on his crops. "Bad for the harvest, all this heat is."

There was only one small well on our tiny village, and it belonged to the richest family. Naturally, being the richest had only increased their appetite for wealth, so now every day, we would sell our belongings for water. Milk, eggs, even the clothes off our back, if the lord's required it. 

One day, I planned to be richer than all of them, better than all of them. I could do it, surely. All I had to do was steal from someone richer than them, and all that wealth would be mine. Yes, it was illegal, but so was what they were doing? Justice and law were flawed and useless systems, and it was a waste of time to follow them. 

"What have you got for me today?" One of the women who worked for the lords asked curiously, as I watched her. Her eyes fell onto the cuts on my ears, covered in blood that I had not been able to wash off yet for lack of water. "What happened to your ear?" She didn't sound that caring, only curious. 

"I had an accident," I told her quietly, looking at the ground as respectfully as I could. I didn't want to anger her today, not when I needed that water so badly. 

"Looks like someone finally tried to cut off your awful ears," she said. She had rapidly greying hair and always seemed to sport a permanently disgusting expression, though that could just be for whenever she saw me. She also had a talent for spilling the water that she was supposed to be distributing - although, that also could just be for me. "It's about time."

I bit my lip, ignoring the tears that had sprung to my eye, hating them. They made me look weak, and I couldn't afford that, not when everyone was always out to ridicule me. "Nobody has tried to cut my ears off."

"Well, someone should. I must say, it surprises me that your mother hasn't tried yet," she scoffed. 

"Yes," a tall boy behind me laughed, nudging my back. "My mother says you're an abomination."

"Well, your mother's stupid then, isn't she?" I retorted, clenching my fist behind my back. He gasped in horror, before raising his hand and slapping my cheek, laughing as I fell to the ground. My cheek was burning now, red as I touched it gingerly, gasping. 

"Here," he said, grabbing his pail of water from the woman, who was watching this with bright eyes and an amused smile. "Here's your water, witch." He poured it over my head, soaking my hair and clothes in one go. None to drink. None for my mother, or the animals. 

"Please, just give me a little -"

"Go." She commanded, and I could do nothing else but look to the ground and pick myself up, walking home dejectedly. At least the blood had washed off my face, if nothing else, but now my clothes were wet and heavy, weighing me down as I walked home sluggishly. 

Everyone stared, shocked, amused, surprised, it didn't matter. Nobody tried to help me, or even offer me water when my throat clogged up with thirst. It was so hot now, as if I was on fire, burning away. 

"What happened?" Mother screeched, her voice standing out amongst a ring of silence. She tugged me towards the last food we had left - a small loaf of bread and a few eggs. "How did this happen?"

I shrugged, not knowing what to say to that. How can you tell your own mother that the whole village detests you because of your father? 

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I WOKE TO RED hot flames and smoke in the sky, a growing fire against the pitch-black sky. A drifting fire amid a sea of blackness. "What's going on?" I shrieked, stumbling up from my blanket on the floor. Usually the nights were cold, here, but this one was so hot my blood was boiling, my throat begging for water even more than it had the day before. "Mother!"

"I'm here!" She appeared in the doorway, stumbling slightly as she leaned against it. "Orcs have come."

"Here? Why would they be here?"

"Who knows?" She replied, grabbing my arm and dragging me towards the back door. Her grips was vice-like, as strong as it had ever been. "You need to run, you hear me?"

"I can't leave you!" I protested weakly, digging my heels into the ground. "What are you doing?"

"Listen," she bent, looking me in the eyes as seriously as she could as she touched the locket around my neck gently. "You have to listen to me."

"I am!"

"I know." She kissed my forehead, gentle and comforting. "You must never take that locket off, you understand? Not to sell, or for food, or anything. I know it is not the most attractive, but you must promise me."

"I promise." I nodded vigourously, determined to follow her words as if they were gospel. "Come with me, we can leave together-"

"You'll never get away in time," she said quietly, not sounding afraid at all. "They will catch up to us."

"No, they won't, please don't make me go! I don't want to leave you!"

"It doesn't matter what you want," she says again, and I see her draw a long, thin knife. I have never seen it before, but I think it must be special to her, for she handles it with such care and delicacy. With it, she suddenly seems more powerful, taller, stronger in every way. "Goodbye, Ryn."

"Mother!"

An orc bursts through the door, mouth contorted in a scream of rage, but a knife pierces his skull before he can release it. I gape at my mother, who retrieves the knife calmly. "You must go!" 

"No! I won't! You can't make me!"

She only smiles, before pushing me out of the door gently. She knows that I will go. It is all I have ever wanted, to leave this place. I just can't leave her. How can I abandon her? 

"We will die anyway!" She exclaims, perhaps seeing the indecision on my face as I hesitate. "If you stay, you will die! Just go!" She screams the last part as another orc charges through the door, torch in hand. I see her scream, blade flashing in a blur of silver metal, before I turn, running. 

Once, I look back, but there is only flames where my home should be, dancing with itself as it tears down my home. The orcs are bellowing their battle cries and shouts, but all I can hear is the screams of my village, of the old woman who refused me water and the children who have always hated me. 

I nearly trip, as I see the body of one of the lords sprawled across the ground, lifeless, blank eyes staring at the smoky sky. His bag is full of jewels and gold - he was trying to run. 

There is no point taking the gold with me, it will only slow me down, and waste the time my mother bought me, so I ignore the body, stepping over it and running toward the endless plain that used to surround my home, leaving behind a village that has been flooded with fire and death. 

I stumble on, until the village is out of sight, no longer a beacon against the black sky, an all I can see is a smoky haze rising out the top of it. If I had waited any longer, I am sure that I would've been caught, the orcs would be able to catch my scent. Even now, I may not be safe. 

The sun begins to rise, giving the sky a rosy amber hue, but I curse it, for now I am burning, the sun's heat turning my blood to ash and my body to fire as I cough and splutter. I need water, but there is nowhere to get it - the only village lies too far away to arrive by foot, and I am not even sure that I am going in the right direction. My legs are aching and my body starts to falter, as my footprints curve. I can't even walk in a straight line, I am so tired and thirsty and hungry. 

No. I must keep walking. I must survive, or my mother will have wasted her life trying to protect me, and I am just what the other villagers said: weak, useless, pathetic. I am not weak, I am a survivor, and I must survive. 

It takes three full suns for my body to truly give up, my elven blood sustaining me for a while, before it gives up. On the third day, I finally collapse, alone for miles and without water or food and I know that I am dying. 

a/n - so that's it ! The first chapter. The one I have been planning for about four months since I drafted this fic in May. The first draft of this had some serious pacing problems, so I split it into two chapters, each one a little shorter. I think it works better this way, but I guess we'll see! I don't know when the next update will be, I'm not keeping myself to a regular updating schedule for this, since I have the entire thing prewritten in my drafts. I'm expecting it to be about fifteen chapters, but longer. 

do you prefer more shorter chapters, or less longer chapters? 

anyway, I spent a lot of time fact-checking, foreshadowing and editing this and I'm pretty proud of it ! I think this one might be one of my better written drafts. I'm trying out a new writing style and I like this style much better ! 

i didn't make it very clear before, this is a legolas x oc love story, but i wanted them to have a real, relationship, so it's a very slow burn. their relationship actually develops in the sequel, which will be written after this. i'm planning that one right now. so don't expect a lot of romance in this one. it's mainly about the plot and the characters. 

the first chapter is different to the others in the way that it isn't directly connected to any canon characters at all, everyone here is an oc. i was debating on making this a prologue, but i decided that it wouldn't work very well because of the time skips. instead there's a sort of strange time-skipping intro. 

this a/n is getting long now, so: thank you for reading ! i appreciate everyone who reads this, so thank you. 

lyra .