Hello! Thanks for checking out my story.

Before diving in, there are a few things I would like to mention:

In writing this fanfiction, I have taken elements from all of Tolkien's written world as well as some from the movies. I've read the books but I am the first to say that I am certainly no expert. So please, if you are a Tolkien purist, keep that in mind! I will try and stay as close to canon as my story allows, however.

After reading possibly hundreds of LoTR fanfictions, I really wanted to write one which focuses on Glorfindel. I think his history is absolutely fascinating. Also, he doesn't get much love from the fanfiction world, and I wanted to change that. So yes, this is a romance, and also a 'girl falls into Middle Earth', though hopefully it's not the same old story that's been done thousands of times. The romance will be slow. I'm not really a fan of romances that take 10 chapters to develop. I also hate Mary Sues, so I'll do my best to avoid that.

I would absolutely love feedback on this story. Enjoy it? Great! Tell me what you like about it. Do you think it sucks? Tell me, but tell me why. Is my character becoming a Mary Suck? Dear god, please let me know. This is the first fanfiction I've ever written, so your reviews will really help me to become a better writer.

DISCLAIMER: This is a blanket statement for the entire story. I do not own anything Lord of the Rings related. It all belongs to the amazing J.R.R. Tolkien. I only own Keira and the plot :)

"To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." –J.K. Rowling

Keira Darcy had always believed in magic. And not in the slight-of-hand, excuse me while I redirect your attention over here type of magic. No, she believed in the magic fully rooted in the world, the type that lived inside the tiny veins of the oak leaf and which made its presence known when the warbler sang its melodic song to the universe. It was the magic beyond the veil of human's eyesight. The type that was ancient and existed without pretense. Of course it's real, she thought to herself. To not believe in it would be madness.

Keira, of course, never told anybody this. This was not something that was commonly accepted in every day conversation. There really wasn't a way to interject, "Oh! Of course I believe in magic, what a silly question!" without appearing delusional and childish.

But the belief was still there. It was pitted in her stomach, an ever-present ache that made its way along the synapses and junctions of her very cells all the way to her heart, where it then circulated throughout her bloodstream, pulsating with certainty and conviction. But still she never told anybody, lest they think her crazy and lock her up in a mental facility. She really didn't have time for that.

So, she sifted her beliefs to the corners of her mind, locked them away and only entertained them when she was certain she wouldn't be found out. She did what she was supposed to do; she got a job, paid her bills, and stewed with the monotony of everyday life, as most are wont to do. Her beliefs may have been childish, but she could not shake them with age and the wisdom that supposedly comes with it. For some reason, as time wore on, she only became even more certain in her beliefs. It was like a secret; one that she was on the cusp of figuring out.

For all her dreamy-eyed nature and unwavering beliefs, there was also a bit of melancholy within her, lying deep beneath the surface. It came from the feeling that the secret magic of the universe was always just out of reach, as if her outstretched fingers only allowed for a tiny tingle of truth that hid itself in the winking of the stars. She had made a reluctant sort of peace with this sadness; she felt as though it had always been a part of her, and probably always would be.

It was no shock then, really, that Keira absolutely loved fantasy books. They gave her reprieve from the steady drum drum drum of everyday life that threatened her sanity. She often subtly placed herself in the stories themselves, and made them her own, twisting the story line to fulfill her own dreams. This was a regular occurrence, one which, though she now skillfully hid from her peers, often made her daze out the window dreamily.

So it really shouldn't have been a surprise to her that she was dreaming when she died. She saw the flash of the headlights veer towards her, like two twin beacons ushering her towards the unknown. She scarcely felt the impact, and had no time to organize her thoughts or steel herself for the pain. Instead, the only thoughts that came to her, without reason or any knowing attached to them, were here we go again. What a funny thing to think about in your last moments on earth.

Across the great divide and through the veil which separates worlds, a rider sat upon his steed, his sharp eyes glancing between the twisting branches of the trees. His golden hair shone against the light which managed to pierce between the branches, almost as if the light itself were searching for him, as if it desired to rest upon his gilded mane and reflect itself to the world. He let out a soft sigh, thinking to himself that he had felt lighter on this day than he had in ages.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze ran through his hair and caressed his face, and his lips parted slightly as his sapphire eyes widened. He could almost hear the small tinkle of joyous laughter, as though Manwë had sent the wind from Valinor itself, for the sole purpose of making its way to rest upon his face and twist throughout his golden hair. He smiled then, a smile so full of joy that the birds themselves had no choice but to stop their melodious tune to peer upon his countenance. Their song then erupted throughout the trees, a symphony so beautiful that it stretched throughout all of Arda, even making its way into the very cracks of Mordor, where a solitary weed, which grew against all odds, seemed to smile amongst the dreary gloom, its minuscule leaves stretching towards the sky in delight. The rider, filled with both hope and certainty, urged his steed forward, towards the trees of Imladris.

"Noro lim, Asfaloth," he whispered. "Noro lim!"

Keira awoke, rather uncomfortably, along the banks of a bubbling stream, with sharp rocks angling into her back and head. Her mouth felt as though it had been seared with sandpaper, and she could feel her head pulsating in time with her heartbeat. At least she wasn't dead, she thought. Opening her eyes slowly and squinting beneath the warm sun, she groaned as she sat up and brushed away the rocks that had settled into her dark brown hair. She checked herself for injuries and found a slight knot on the back of her head, only bleeding slightly. Tearing off a piece of her shirt, she placed it over the wound and took in her surroundings. A massive tree line stood to her right and its density made peering beyond it impossible. To her left was the stream, with water so clear that she could see the multitude of colorful rocks beneath its surface.

Eyes wide, she took in the landscape and slowly meandered to a large boulder jutting out of the river and leaned against it. She had always had very vivid daydreams, but quickly concluded that this was definitely not one of them. The sky was too bright, the trees too beautiful and she could actually feel the coolness of the river when she danced her fingertips on its surface. Maybe she actually did die. Maybe she had died and gone to heaven. She never really believed in the afterlife, but all of her convictions were steadily flying out the proverbial window.

She began to make her way along the banks of the river, not quite trusting herself to navigate the density of the trees. Although, if she really was dead, she thought with a snort, it's not like she could die again.

She had been walking for what seemed like half an hour, though was probably much less, when she felt another's presence make its way into her consciousness. Feeling eyes upon her, a sense of fear made its way along her spine, causing the hair on her skin to rise in helpless defense. She froze in place, taking in a sharp breath as she did so. Then, ever so slowly, she turned around, and her breath was once again stolen from her lungs.

The man that appeared through the thickness of the trees was more than beautiful, and saying that he was merely beautiful did him no justice. It was like saying the sun was hot and the moon was bright. He had rich, mahogany hair that shone against the sun, falling below his shoulders and onto his chest, while a circlet of silver that resembled Celtic knots lay upon his head. He wore a tunic of bright silver that starkly, yet elegantly, contrasted with his hair. As she gazed upon his face, she noticed that he seemed neither young nor old, but his blue eyes, which resembled the sea on a sunny day, seemed to hold within them the very wisdom of the world. His eyes made contact with her now seemingly dull green ones, and they appeared to pierce her very soul. She hastily took a step back for fear that he would judge her in an instant and find her wanting.

As she scrambled backwards, the man lifted his hands in the universal symbol for peace, and slowly made his way towards her. She started breathing heavily, on the verge of hyperventilating, when he began to speak in a lilting tone that seemed to be borne of the very stars themselves.

"Mae govannen, my dear girl. I will not harm you."

Keira sucked in another breath, her heart beating wildly against her ribcage. "Who…who are you? Where am I? Am I dead? Am I…am I in heaven? Because I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to sneak up on people and give them a heart attack in heaven. Or am I in hell? You're not what I thought demon would look like, but maybe that's how they get you…." She didn't really think she had done anything that bad to receive eternal damnation, but maybe the time she stole earrings from the local boutique in her preteen days had done it. "It's a goddamn rite of passage!" She threw out stupidly, forgetting that he wasn't privy to her internal monologue. She glanced up at him again, somewhat embarrassed, and her breath was stolen from her, again, when she noticed his ears. They came to a point and jutted out slightly from his hair.

The man, though she wasn't really sure he even was a man at this point, smiled slightly, his friendly but all too-knowing eyes crinkling in the corners. "I am called Elrond, child, and I am Lord of Rivendell, the place in which you currently reside."

A few moments ticked by as she peered up at him with narrowed eyes while he continued to stare at her. Keira, now a hundred percent over the ridiculousness of the situation, let out a very un-ladylike snort. It began as such, and then snowballed into a fit of giggles. "Hah!" she managed aloud, her shoulders shaking with amusement. Apparently someone had decided to play a prank on her.

Wiping the tears from her face, she looked up at him again. "Did Sarah put you up to this?" Kudos to her, she mused. This certainly made up for the time she photoshopped Nicholas Cage into her family portrait that went unnoticed for months, or the time she put flour in her friends hairdryer. "Because this is all a very impressive joke, but I would kindly like to know where the hell I am."

Elrond's, or whatever his real name was, expressive eyebrows shot up into the expanse of his forehead, and his mouth thinned somewhat, making him seem like a father who was disappointed when his child broke curfew.

"I assure you, child, that this is no joke. Now, you will follow me. We have much to discuss. We shall also have your wound tended to."

Keira suddenly remembered the small scrap of fabric she had pressed to the back of her head and glanced at the bright red spot of blood it now held. Whoever this man/being was, he didn't exactly appear to want to harm her. If this was a prank, she thought to herself, she may as well see how it plays out. Somebody had obviously gone to great lengths to fool her. She sincerely hoped it was one of those costplay things. Or was it cosplay? Either way, she shook her head and looked up at the Elrond impersonator.

"Okay," she said with humor, "I'm Keira Darcy. Lead the way, Lord Elrond."

So there you have the first chapter. I've mapped out the story and have the first 10 written, so I'll try and post weekly updates.

Please review!