Faolan Ch 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings, I only own the plot and my OCs'.  AKA, pretty much everyone in this first chapter.
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   Near the borders of Gondor, on the edge of a forest in the mountains, lies the small village of Tasneem.  Dirt roads paved the grounds and grassy fields and farmland lined the river bordering the village.  The buildings were sturdy yet simple, made with stone foundations and wooden frames and rooftops.  Most of the houses were built with front porches in which the residents would commonly be seen conversing on during the later hours of the day.  
   Droplets of water fell upon the river.  A young girl sat upon a dock, swinging her legs back and forth over the edge occasionally skimming the water's surface.  Having seen only ten winters, she was not yet considered strong enough to assist with most of the daily chores that her village required, and was only responsible for the house chores assigned to her by her mother who worked at the village inn; The Merry Riverside.  It was close to mid-day and Fravardin had already completed her chores for the day, so she had decided to go and relax down by the river docks located near the inn.  
   Smoke drifted up from the chimney of the inn along with mouthwatering aromas.  People from around the village had begun gathering inside for the special feast.  One villager was just about to step inside when he spotted the little girl sitting at the docks.
   "Fravardin!" the man called with a heavy accent.  "What are ya doing there all by your lonesome?  It is a special day lass!"
   The girl turned to look at the man and giggled as he strolled over and sat heavily down beside her, causing the old dock to creak and sway.  
   "Uncle, you are going to break the dock!" she said in between giggles.  The man put a hand on his chest in mock pain.
   "Are ya saying that I've had a few too many large feasts?"
   "No!  Of course not!" she said slightly panicked. The man just laughed and pat her shoulder.
   "Calm down lass, I was only messing with ya."  Frevardin looked slightly sheepish for a moment before her face suddenly turned sad.  She looked out over the river.  
   "I wish he could be here…" 'Uncle's face turned sad as well, knowing who she was speaking of.  He put his arm around her little shoulders and pulled her close.
   "Me too lass.  Me too…  But who knows.  Maybe he'll turn up soon.  As a birthday present!"  
   The young girl looked at him sadly, but gave him a small smile.  Her uncle was always trying to cheer her up.  The man was incredibly kind and gentle towards her and took it upon himself to look out for her while her mother worked at the inn.  Especially after the girl's father went missing almost two months ago.  'Uncle' used his thumb to wipe a stray tear off her face.
   "You look so much like him, your father." He said gazing at the young girl fondly.  She offered him another small smile and buried her face in his chest and wrapped her arms around him.  
   "I love you Uncle Sergio."  A fond, gentle smile worked its way onto Sergio's face.  He returned the hug.
   "And I you, my niece."  After another few moments, he released her and stood.  "Now, there is a lovely feast being prepared inside for a very special occasion.  But we cannot have it without the guest of honor now can we little lady."  Fravardin sniffed and rubbed her eyes with the sleeve of her long sleeved dress.  
   "You go ahead, I will come in a moment." She offered one more small smile.  
   Sergio pat her head and turned to walk back to the inn.  
   Fravardin looked over the dock at her reflection in the water.  Her long ruby blonde hair was quite messy and sticking up in various places.  She pulled a small wooden comb from her dress pocket and began running it through her hair.  
   Before Sergio opened the door he looked one last time towards his niece.  
   "Hey lass?" the girl looked up from her reflection.
   "Yes Uncle?"
   "Happy Birthday!" Fravardin allowed a large genuine smile to cover her face.  
   
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   Fravardin played her brand new fiddle and laughed while her friends and family danced and laughed with her.  Sergio and the girl's mother, Fidel, watched from behind the bar clapping and cheering at the antics of the children and adults dancing to the girls music.  Merry music and laughter filled the Inn after the feast and the birthday girl was given her new instrument.  Fidel watched her daughter proudly.  She acted strong for everyone, even though she knew that deep down Fravardin was not much better off than she was.  The disappearance of her husband Vucic had upset the balance of their usually peaceful lives.  He had gone out hunting like he did every month, only this time he never returned.  Search parties were sent out, but they had only returned with his hunting gear and supplies.  There was no other sign of her husband's whereabouts or any indication if he was even alive.  She sighed as she fiddled with her wedding band.  Catching this, Sergio put his arm around his sister's shoulders to try and provide some sort of comfort.  Fidel put her arm around his back in a half hug, him being quite a bit taller than her made it difficult to return the gesture in the same way.  
   The celebrations continued later into the day until the sun began to set, and the people grew tired after a day of non-stop celebration.  They bid Fravardin a happy birthday and a good evening and thanks to Sergio and Fidel before returning to their homes with their children either skipping in front of them or sleeping in their arms.  After Fidel closed the door to the inn, she went about wiping down some of the tables and cleaning up what little was left of the feast and celebrations.  She also wanted to give her brother some time to talk to her daughter.  There were things that she needed to know that she wasn't ready to tell her.  She had argued with him that Fravardin was too young for his stories and that they would frighten her, but for some reason he was persistent.  After a quick argument, she gave up and told him to do what he thought he must.  
   She wiped a few more tables down and put up all the chairs except for the one her brother and daughter occupied near the bar, and headed up the stairs and into her bedroom to read by the candle light.  
   Sergio saw his sister retire upstairs and sighed before turning his attention to his young niece, who was currently polishing her new fiddle.  He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small bundle and placed it on the table.  The young girl paused in her polishing to look at the bundle, then look up at her uncle in confusion.  
   "What is that Uncle?"  he chuckled at her.
   "It's a present lass.  It is your birthday after all." She looked confused.
   "But you already got me a present." She said holding up her fiddle.  He pushed the bundle towards her.
   "I know, but this is something I wanted you to have."  She frowned for a moment before her eyes began twinkling with excitement.  Gently placing her fiddle down, she grabbed the bundle and began inspecting it; turning it around in her fingers and shaking it to listen for any indication of what it might be.  The older man laughed at her antics.  
   "Just open it lass."  She smiled and pulled the string holding the bundle together.  The cloth open up in her palm and she stared at the object in her hands.
   The object in her hand looked back at her, its smooth edges reflecting her dark eyes.  The citrine gemstone that sat in the middle glowed with the candle light in the room, and Fravardin almost felt as if it were alive.  It even seemed to be giving off heat, as if the object in her hand had a heartbeat all its own.  
   She picked the ring up out of her palm and brought it closer to her eyes to inspect the smaller detail.  The citrine gem was securely held in place by polished silver weaving around the edges and connecting it to the band.  A single triskel weaved into each side of the gem, which then branched out into knot work that weaved itself around most of the ring band.  The gem itself was smooth and contained a starburst pattern on the inside.  Fravardin looked up at her uncle in awe.
   "Uncle…it's beautiful."  Sergio, who had been watching her close inspection of the ring, smiled.  
   "It's too big for your wee little fingers right now, but when your time comes it will mold itself to fit your finger perfectly.  Until then, you can wear it around your neck with this." He pulled out a small leather cord and gently took the ring from her fingers, then slid the ring onto the chord and tying it into a secure knot around his niece's neck so that it would never be lost.
   She looked at the ring that now hung around her neck before turning her attention towards her uncle.  
   "I do not understand.  What do you mean when my time comes?"
   "You will know lass.  But for now, I have a story to tell you."
   
Ok, I'll end this chapter here to see what people think of it.  Next chapter I have a lot of stuff that needs to be explained to fit my OC into the rest of the story I have planned.  Events from LOTR as long as the characters such as Aragorn will begin appearing probably around chapter 3 or 4.  Please leave a review.  I'm excited about this story and really want some feedback.  I'll be working more on it tomorrow and will hopefully have another chapter up soon.