Title: The Talismans of Middle-Earth

Summary: The three talismans of legend were believed to be lost long ago. But when Gandalf finds that it is not so, he finds that the talismans are spread to different legions of Middle Earth and an evil female wizard by the name of Alatar is hunting down the three who hold the talismans, he relies on pieces of the former Fellowship to safely accompany them to the realm of Rohan. What dangers behold the Fellowship on their journey? MerryOC, LegolasOC, EomerOC

Spoilers: Post-Return of the King

Disclaimer: I do not own any of Lord of the Rings. The only characters I own are Tinaraviel, Elaera and Breathien.

A/N: Although it is Post-ROTK, I have made a change. Gandalf did not go to the Grey Havens, he stayed behind to keep the peace in Middle Earth.

Chapter 1: The Legend of the Talismans

Long ago, in the age before the races of Middle Earth had arrived, the creatures ruled the land. Each creature had a duty to the sacred place. The Eagles, with the gift of wisdom and protection, were the rulers of the sky. The Dragons, with the gift of fire and courage, were the rulers of the mountains. The horses, with the gift of speed and agility, were the rulers of the land. When the first wizard arrived, he created a talisman, each with the power of the creatures, and hid them in the deepest chamber of the Misty Mountains. Whoever brought the three talismans together had the power to rule all of Middle Earth.

But when the races began to inhabit the land, the wise wizard Balian, creator of the talismans, took the amulets from their chamber and separated them among the three most trusted races, believing that not one single individual had the right to rule Middle Earth. Balian entrusted the talismans to the Elves, Men and Hobbits. He dared not give it to the wizards, for the wizards already had enough power. He dared not give it to the Dwarves, for they were too greedy for their own good.

The talismans were handed down from generation to generation within the family. But during the War of the Ring, the trail was lost, along with the talismans. The legend of Balian and the three drifted into legend, and much of history was lost. The people of Middle Earth had forsaken the tracking down of the talismans, believing that they were nothing more than a fairytale, until a witch happened upon a scroll that now sits within the Library of Minas Tirith.

Alatar had been traveling through Middle Earth when she found a scroll in Mirkwood dated back to the time during the war. The author had inscribed that he had been given by his father a strange necklace with the symbol of a blue eagle emblazoned upon it. From that time forth, Alatar spent her life tracking down the talismans and seeking the power to rule all of Middle Earth. She entrusted her findings to her two wizard mentors, and told them of the three families that held the talismans. The wiser of the two wizards knew that whoever held the talismans were in peril, so he traveled across Middle Earth. And that, my friends, is where the tale begins.

The king of Gondor was standing in his window balcony, overlooking the beautiful city of Minas Tirith. Although it was being rebuilt after the destruction from the war, the king couldn't have been more awed by it. His wife lay asleep in their bed, completely undisturbed. He couldn't have felt any luckier than he was after he married her. The sun was shining brightly on the white city, creating a radiating beauty about it. The clouds that normally hung over Mordor had long faded away, allowing the distant sun to shine clearly. As he stood their, he saw a figure clad is pure white riding a white stallion running through the streets of Minas Tirith. It could only have been one man, and if he was in a hurry, it must have been something important. The king quickly disappeared from the balcony and ran into the hall of the kings where he saw his steward walking towards him. "My lord, Mithrandir is here to speak to you."

"Send him in, Faramir."

Faramir bowed low to his lord and motioned for the guards of the Citadel to open the doors. The white wizard quickly strode across the room to where the king stood. A look of worry was etched across his face. The king could only think of one thing to say. "It has been a long time, old friend."

"Aragorn, I have urgent business that I must share with you."

If Mithrandir was this worried, it must have been important. So, Aragorn led Gandalf away from the hall filled with Faramir and his guards and into a more secluded part of the Citadel. "What is it that you wish to speak to me, Gandalf?"

"I am sure that you are familiar with the story of the Three Talismans?"

"Elrond told me the story long ago, why do you ask?"

"I had a pupil by the name of Alatar. She was a bright witch for being so young, but she is after the power of the talismans. Aragorn, you do know what happens if the talismans are combined?"

"The destruction of Middle Earth. But I thought they were lost long ago."

"That is what I thought until Alatar came to me telling me of a scroll that told of the family that held the talisman of the Eagles. She was then able to find the rest of the scrolls and track down those families as well. Aragorn, I found the three who now hold the talismans. I need you to find Legolas, Meriadoc, Peregrin and Gimli. You have to escort them to the Realm of Rohan so that they can be placed under the protection of the king. From there, I will meet you in Edoras and we will discuss our next plan of action."

“But why the young ones?”

“Meriadoc and Peregrin may be foolish, but I have a sense that they will be important in your quest. May the Valor protect you.”

Gandalf was just about to leave when Aragorn asked, "Gandalf, where are you going?"

"I need to seek the libraries in Rivendell. It is there that I will find everything I need to know on the Talismans.”

“And where do I find these people?”

“The one that holds the talisman of the horse is Breathien. She lives in the ruins of an old city in the North. You may find the keeper of the talisman of the eagle in Lothlorien. Her name is Tinaraviel. The final bearer, the talisman of the dragon, is in the Shire. She is Elaera. Legolas and Gimli should be arriving in Mirkwood soon and Meriadoc and Peregrin are in their respective homes of Buckland and Tuckborough. Good luck, Aragorn.”

And with that, Gandalf had disappeared from the chamber and back to the land from whence he came. Aragorn was left in a state he had not felt for quite some time; worry. Worry that Middle Earth would come under the ruling of an evil power once more and that Middle Earth was under a dangerous threat again. Aragorn knew what he had to do, and he had to do it immediately. How was he going to explain this to his wife? There was not time. Quickly, Aragorn dashed out of the chamber from whence he came and commanded, "Faramir!"

"Yes my lord?" asked the man that had become Aragorn's trusted friend as he ran up to speak with the king of Gondor.

"I am to set out on a quest. I need you to reign in my stead and to take care of Arwen. If she asks where I have gone, tell her that I have been called away to Rohan for the safety of Middle Earth. Will you do this for me?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Good, now I’m going to need Brego saddled and ready for immediate departure. I will be down in a minute."

Faramir bowed low and ran back to guards to order the readying of the king's noble steed. Meanwhile, Aragorn raced to his armory where he saw his sword gently resting on a marble table and his traveling garments folded neatly next to it. It seemed ages ago that he had worn that same outfit on the quest to destroy the One Ring. After Aragorn was all set and ready to go, he headed to the stables where he found Faramir standing next to his beloved horse, Brego. "I've come to see you off," he smiled.

Aragorn gave a nod of the head to Faramir as he mounted his horse. Before he left, he turned to Faramir and said, "I have faith in you. Rule this land nobly while I am away."

"I will, my lord."

Aragorn nodded once more to his friend and with a slight kick to the horse's sides, he galloped off to the ruins of the Kingdom of the North.

TBC…

It's been a while since I've written a LOTR story. Please tell me what you think!