Companions

Disclaimer: I, sadly, can claim nothing other than the creativity that I put into this and any original characters that may emerge. The rest of Middle-earth and its inhabitants belong to J. R. R. Tolkien and associates.


Companions
Prologue

The elven people came to Middle-earth and accepted it as their home. However, when the race of man entered into being, they grew to fear the power, grace, and beauty of the elves. They thought that the elves held themselves high above the other inhabitants of the world, and men felt that they should be shown the error of their ways. Men thought themselves to be the superior race, and that elves, with their immortal-like life, should serve not only Middle-earth, but men as well. With careful planning, the high lords in the lands of Gondor, Rohan, and many others started deepening the hatred their people felt. For some it took little convincing, while some never agreed to take part. A large army was forged within the land of men, and with a cry akin to that of the thunder of the gods they rode forth.

They fell upon the elven cities like a great wave, destroying all that lay in their path. Those that were not killed and who failed to escape were taken prisoner. At the end of their rampage only a fourth of all elves were free. Some fled across the countryside and over the Misty Mountains, while others took shelter in the forests of the north, hoping to at last find peace. Sadly, their prayers were not yet to be answered, for the men continued to come for them, just not in the same force. Small groups scoured the world over searching for the focus of their hatred.

The prisoners were taken back to the lands of men and treated horribly. They were clothed in rags, sold as slaves, and forced to work under terrible conditions. If they failed to rise to the wishes of their master, the men were allowed by law to punish them as they saw fit, unto the point of death. Luckily for the elves, many saw it better to sell their old slaves in order to purchase new ones, therefore sparing the lives of many.

This continued on for centuries, with few changes in the attitudes of men. They still, after nearly two thousand years, hated the elven race, but at this point in time many knew not how this had come to pass. They knew only that this was how it had "always" been, and many considered it foolish to break such traditions.

There were some, though, who did not see things in this manner. They knew the elves as they truly, a people of the earth who wanted nothing more than to live in peace and celebrate the wonders of life. These people helped the elves in what ways they could. Some were helped to escape their masters, others placed in more comfortable environments.

Those that managed to leave the land of men raced to what remained of their people. As time passed, the number of free elves grew as did their power and strength. They planned their revenge over the course of centuries, gathering their forces in hopes of one day releasing their people from the cages they were forced into.

That is where this tale begins...