The Elf, the Hobbit and the Dwarf - Book 1 NEW VERSION

Prologue

In the beginning of time, there was only Eru Ilúvatar, "the One", the creator of the world. He made Arda and all the other worlds known by speaking the universe into existence with the word Eä - it is. Arda became the world in which Middle-earth existed. Eru produced through his thoughts angelic spirits of good nature called the Ainur. The Ainur sang to Eru and the music defined the events that would take place on Arda. Melkor, or later Morgoth, is from where all evil would stem in Middle-earth. The Ainur were given the choice of living in Arda and those who did were called the Valar. The leader of them all was Manwë and under the Valar were less powerful spirits called the Maiar.

In Arda, there was Aman, the far west, known as the Undying lands. It was eventually removed from Arda and all the paths to it with it, except one straight path across the sea that only Elves could access. The mortal beings could therefore never access the Blessed Realm.

The first Children of Ilúvatar were the Elves, or the Quendi, who were also called the Eldar. They were the wisest and fairest of any race of Arda that was given physical bodies. Some of the Elves were brought by the Valar from Middle-earth to Valinor across the Sea, where they were taught by the Ainur. These became known as the Elves of Light however some of them returned to Middle-earth and stayed well into the Third Age. That is where the story begins; on Middle-earth.

Once there was a Hobbit who set out on a quest to reclaim the homeland of the Erebor Dwarves of old. Never did he know where his journey would take him or what friendships were going to be formed. Once there was an Elf-maiden, beautiful and exceedingly more powerful than the rest of her kin. Never did she know that this Hobbit would take her on an adventure she wouldn't soon forget. It had all started like with most Elven lives, though, with a young child living with her parents in an Elven realm.

This realm was that of Lothlórien, the Heart of all Elvendom on Earth. It was a place like no other, with magic more powerful than any other Elven Kingdom. Located beneath the Misty Mountain, the realm was magical because of its ruler lady Galadriel of Light; the ring-bearer of a ring of power, Nenya. It enriched the land and kept it safe from evil, making it a haven for everyone who ventured there. In the capital, Caras Galadhon, lady Galadriel and her husband lord Celeborn dwelled. Two daughters they had; the twins Celebrían and Caladwen. A daughter each they had carried in return and Celebrían had carried twin boys of her own. Celebrían and her family had left Lórien long ago, and now only Caladwen remained with her daughter and husband.

"Mother," her little voice called, and she hurried to catch up with her mother who was walking out of the stable.

Caladwen turned around, her light hair flowing over her back as she did so, and she raised her thin eyebrows slightly. Míriel had always admired how beautiful her mother was, but it wasn't very strange since she looked just like Míriel's grandmother Galadriel. The same light hair and blue eyes, only that Caladwen wasn't nearly as tall as Lady Galadriel. Míriel hoped that she would grow up to be that beautiful and tall, but for now, she was only five and her hair was dark as her father's.

"Yes, my dear?" Caladwen said and smiled widely when she saw her only child and daughter.

Caladwen had ventured far from Lothlórien during the time of her pregnancy, travelling the land with her husband and when she returned to her parents with a baby they were overjoyed. Caladwen knew from the very moment she looked into her daughter's eyes that her name could be nothing else than Míriel - a jewel. Her eyes perfectly embodied the emerald green colour of the jewel carrying the same name, and it had remained a mystery as to how she had acquired such unique eyes as none of her parents had them. Well, her father Veryan did have green eyes as well but they were much paler than Míriel's blindingly colourful ones. This, however, was not the first unique thing about this Elf-child.