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Before you read this story:

-Please keep in mind that my mother tongue is (swiss) german

-It's an AU story, so the geographical locations, some of the names and even the character'  behaviour  will  not always be fitting.

-No one ever accused me to be short. So prepare for a very long story (with an equally long introduction) but don't be afraid, there will be more action soon.

-It's my first ever posted fanfic. So if you can spare any minute, REVIEW! (Wrong spelling, odd constructions, logical mistakes, your opinion, anything!)

To Daylight: Thanks a lot for your review! Due to the magic word :"try .doc" I finally found out how to fix the paragraphes of my chapters!!! Thanks again to Guinevere and Pencil Bob and Artemisa who suggested I should do that. I just didn´t find out how thus far!

It's shortly before the One is discovered. Already dark clouds are gathering over Middle-Earth, and their threat is felt by the wiser ones, though even they do not anticipate what is in store for them. Gandalf the Grey is one of them. He seeks to reunite the races of Middle-Earth against future evil, and asks the dwarves, men and the elves to a council, which takes place in Rivendell. But his voice goes unheard; for the mistrust between these different races is deep, and they do not want to change their way of life just because of an invisible threat.

Sentences in italic: Thoughts only, not spoken aloud.

Evil's stirring

I.

Gandalf the Grey stood on the wooden terrace near Elrond's house from where he could overlook most of Rivendell. It's marvellous beauty always had had a strange effect on the old wizard, filling him both with awe and a silent sadness, a mixture of feelings he seldom felt nowadays. He sighed. He supposed it was the touch of eternity and immortality of the elven´s realm which filled his heart with melancholy, for he was old and felt –like men do- far from immortal. Especially today.

Or did he already anticipate a menace, a future doom creeping towards Rivendell?

He sighed again and gathered up his cloak, for the darkness was falling and brought the cooler night air with it. "Gandalf, you fool" he told himself. "You're really getting sentimental and senile; and distrustful, as they told you today at the council. Perhaps you really should retire early. Perhaps then you will stop seeing the signs of evil stirring everywhere…"

His companion, which had cast him a glance from time to time, finally spoke up, interrupting his dark thoughts. "I see the lines of sorrow on your face, Gandalf." he said. "Is the threat to Middle-Earth that imminent that it will not you a moment of peace even here in Rivendell?" Gandalf turned to look at the speaker. "I don't know, Aragorn, heir of Ilsidur." he said gravely. "I don't know and still I feel the hidden menace to us all. I had put my hope on the council of Elrond, yet.."

Aragorn still looked at him with a piercing stare as if to read the other's mind. The wizard didn't continue. "What did you hope, Gandalf?" Aragorn pressed on. "Elves, dwarves and men... there hasn't been an alliance between these races for an eternity. Perhaps…If you had any proof of an imminent invasion, an army invading…" He shook his head. "But after the discussions today I'm in serious doubt that even in that case there could be something like an ally…"

II.

"Oh, there are proofs. The invasion you're asking for has already begun." another voice said behind them, a proud, angry voice. "Don't you see it, Strider? Orcs, hundreds, thousands of them, are marching against Gondor, day after day, and we fight them, we, the men from Gondor, but there are many orcs nowadays, and we loose warriors, every day more. That's why I came here: To seek help for the people of Gondor. And while you have your talks and councils here, men – my men ! – are spilling their blood to protect Middle-Earth. And still there's no help, neither from dwarves nor from elves. Dwarves and elves ! Ha ! The further to stupid to care for something else but their mines, the others to damned proud and heartless to care for the fate of the mortals! It's also for their protection that my warriors die! Who else will retain the orcs if we don't do it?"

"It's the pain in you which makes you say such things, not wisdom." Gandalf said softly. "I understand your anger. Believe me, son of Gondor, I long for an alliance as well as you do…" Again he was interrupted by Boromir. "An alliance? We do not need an alliance." The warrior stated proudly. "No councils, no discussions. What Gondor needs is an army which protects it's women and children, it's men, it's white towers, it's golden fields. We already have paid our price... But they still don't care, these damned wood-creatures and the gnomes! Shall I march with a halfling´s army against the orcs?"

"Be silent." Gandalf said between clenched teeth. "For we are not as alone as you might think, Boromir." Boromir took a step backwards, and Aragorn felt involuntary for his sword.

"You have keen eyes, old man." A voice said from the trees beyond them. Aragorn gripped his sword tighter, and Boromir narrowed his eyes. A silent form now detached from the shadows of the trees and jumped light-footed on the platform on which they stood. He didn't seem to notice the threatening postures of Aragorn and Boromir, and turned to Gandalf. "More keen than it's good for me, Gandalf the Grey."

Before them stood an elf, wearing the green and brown of the wood elves, and the craft of his tunic clearly showed that he actually was a Mirkwood elf. He was young, at least for an elf, as far as one could see in the darkness, and his face was of the ethereal beauty all elves seemed to posses, and his hair shone like silver in the pale moonlight.

"The nightingales betrayed your presence, Legolas Greenleaf, Son of Thranduil." Gandalf said. "And now speak, Prince of Mirkwood : Why are you hiding yourself in the trees like a creature with evil intentions?"

"I have no evil things in my mind." The elf calmly replied. "I came without a weapon. I wished to speak to you, Wizard." He threw a glance at Boromir and Aragorn, which stood at attention, and for an instance there was something like a mocking smile on his lips. With a shrug Aragorn released the hilt of his sword, and Boromir, although hesitating, followed suit.

"My father believes that Middle-Earth is not threatened immediately, Gandalf the Grey." the elf continued. "He thinks that you have your own plans concerning your ally of elves, men, and dwarves, plans you don't want to reveal to us." His blue eyes studied Gandalf´s face. "For the wisdom of the wizards is deep, and no one can read their minds. But still…" he hesitated a moment "…but still I think I saw true sorrow in your eyes as you warned us from Sauron." Gandalf sighed. "Deep is the gap that separates the creatures of Middle-Earth. Mistrust and fear reign, and yet only in unification there could be hope. Perhaps the deeds of evil are already done, more than we suspect, for the dark seed of mistrust flowering even in the hearts of the elves does not seem natural to me. I assure you, Prince of Mirkwood, I have no intentions in my heart than the well-being of Middle-Earth."

"I believe you, wizard." Legolas answered. "And I believe it would be wise from my father to send some elf-archers to Gondor." He looked at Boromir. "Although I'm a heartless elf…" the Prince turned to go"…I´ll go and try to talk to my father. Farewell, Gandalf the Grey, Strider and Boromir, Son of Gondor!" He disappeared in the trees, as silently as he had come.

III.

"What was this?" Boromir asked no one in particular. "The elves will send us help? Us, the mortals?" Legolas seemed to have heard him, for he turned one last time. "Don't hold your hopes high." he said. "For I'm not Thranduil's first born."

"What did he mean by that?" Aragorn silently asked while Boromir mesmerised stared where he had last seen the elf." "Exactly what he said." Gandalf answered thoughtfully. "Thranduil will not listen to him. He has already made his choice, and Legolas knows it. Wise as the king of Mirkwood may be, he's an elf, not touched by the fate of others, for he lives in a world where the transience, the pain, the hate and the love of men have little meaning." He turned to Boromir. "Don't judge the elves for what makes elves out of them. They don't really understand men, not even Legolas, who showed something like pity here. My only hope is, for the elves themselves and for middle-earth, that this will not be the downfall of us all." This last words the wizard spoke merely towards the night. Boromir silently hung his head.

Finally, after they had waited a long time for the return of the elf, Boromir retired for the night, and also Aragorn left and went back to his room. He shortly nodded towards the wizard, but didn't say anything, for the old man seemed deep in thoughts. Indeed Gandalf held his head lowered and didn't move an inch.

But the second Aragorn left the terrace, his eyes searched the place where he thought the elf waiting at least for two hours now. Indeed, a shadow was now moving there, and Legolas Greenleaf joined him. "I bring evil tidings, Gandalf." He said. His voice sounded untouched, he didn't look at the wizard, held his face in the dark. "My father and his council decided to leave tomorrow. They wont send any archers to Gondor. Deliver my greetings to the man from Gondor." Then, more silently, he added. "And my regret." He turned to leave, but Gandalf held him back. "Evil tidings indeed, Prince of Mirkwood." He said and stepped forth so he could see the elf's face in the moonlight. "Evil tidings indeed, when an elf raises her hand against another elf."

On Legolas left cheek there was a red mark, and his lower lip seemed split. The prince moved out of Gandalf´s grip as if he had been burned. "This is nothing, old man!" he said. His voice had lost every hint of gentleness. "It is nothing." he repeated, more calmly now, he seemed to want to ad something more, but then he went silent. Catlike he turned and tried to leave, but Gandalf still held him in a surprisingly strong grip. "Prince Legolas." he said sternly. "Did your father hit you?" Even in the darkness he could feel the distress the elf radiated, and this was alarming, for elves usually didn't show their feelings.

"He was very angry." Legolas finally said. He still seemed quite shaken after the confrontation he had had with his father. "I'm sorry." Gandalf said. "I didn't think…" "Don't pity me." Legolas said coldly and freed himself from the wizards grip with a swift movement. "You have your own problems to solve, Gandalf the Grey." And he disappeared as fast as he had come.

Aragorn, who had overheard the conversation, stepped out in the dark to join the wizard. The old man, only slightly surprised, lifted an eyebrow. Aragorn flashed him an almost boyish smile. "The nightingales stopped singing." he said, but then he became serious. "You're right, Gandalf." He finally said. "I do not need to see any proof that something bad is going to happen. I can feel it in the air clearly now, as well as you do."

It took two days for their fears to come true, more cruelly than they would have imagined in their wildest dreams. Evil made it's long prepared first move – and landed a deadly blow deep in the heart of middle-earth.

To be continued...