The Fellowship of the Ring:
PROLOGUE

They say that one ripple in the water spreads to the largest of oceans. That the falling of the first leaf signals the change of the seasons. Up in the sky, the moon, riding the clouds, may change from whole to half to nothing, and you barely notice it unless you consciously look out of the car window on the way home from wherever you were for an hour, a day, a month, a year.

For some people, time passes quickly. Too quickly, that they rush, from moment to moment, afraid that the grains of sand that fall like steadied rain, would run out before they even had a chance to live. And for others, the ages go by with the blink of an eye. Leaving them wondering if the end would finally come. Living each day as if the eons would stretch out to forever. Which, maybe, they do.

There is a story, one that I wish to share -- one that sometimes, I wish I could be sure if it was all a dream. Because it's a little hard to forget. A little too hard, as well, to remember.

The One Ring

Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them,
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

The following text was found in the vaults of Lord Elrond Peredhel, in the Great City of Imladris
upon the arrival of Raziel, son of Radagast the Istari. The translation was carefully done at the
hands of his Lordship, his adviser Lord Glorfindel, Raziel and Raziel's elven companion, Elanalkar.

The Prophesy of Isil

To Middle-Earth They come by will of the Moon,
Five points to a star, a Circle whole and true,
To face the dangers that herald Doom
With banners of violet, green, yellow, red and blue.
Daughters of the world, They come to us soon.

Birth and Burial, Life and Death,
Keeper of Dreams in her soulful net,
Compass to the Four, the balancing key
She be Akasha, Spirit she be.
Of the Five, she be blessed.

Firm be the ground where she may tread,
High be the trees above her head,
Creatures wild – she understands,
She be Earth, Maiden of the Lands.
Of the Five, she be blessed.

Cool be the breeze, her whispered words,
Tender, her breath in it's careful folds,
Clouds be the flock she graciously herds,
She be Air wrapped over this world.
Of the Five, she be blessed.

Warm be the flame she brings to life,
Slow with care or anger bright.
Guide in darkness, hope in strife,
Fire she is, the burning light.
Of the Five, she be blessed.

Above from the sky her tears are rain,
Below, in the ocean, the flood remains,
Thick mists of vapor to cloud the ache,
Speaker for the moon, the Water Thain.
Of the Five, she be blessed.

To the fires they walk under blackened skies,
Each destiny shaped as professed in song,
They go to challenge the Lidless Eye,
And do what they must to right the wrong.
In the land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

A pillar of strength in the eye of the storm,
To learn from every joy hailed and sorrow mourned,
Hands clasped in trust, the Circle they form,
They are the Daughters of the eve and morn.
Blessed be they, blessed be us all.