Lots more chapters to come but I must have reviews!!! This story is finished and If I get reviews I will post the rest of it!

Chapter One: The Summoning

Bring us in this time of need, seven warriors brave indeed. From the mist of future lies, seven men in strange disguise, They will help, this evil kill. Or forever be beneath its will.”

These words spoken in the high elven tongue, Quenya, by the lady of light, were spoken in desperation.

The evil that had reawoken under the Misty Mountains was more than the armies of men and Elves combined could handle. Now that so many Eldar had fled to the beauty and safety of the Havens, Middle-Eath was severely compromised.

Carnithar the Dragon had been placed under the Elven spell of slumber in the early years. Once his destruction was put to an end the other races began to form and flourish.

For thousands of years Carnithar was asleep and forgotten by most. Only two now remained that remembered that time.

Galadriel lit the candle of the future and saw the outline of seven strange men in the smoke. Each of them held strange looking weapons in their hands, and had grim expressions on their faces. These men would help turn the tide of this great threat that now hung like a black cloud over Middle-Earth.

“Hear my plea. You must come to us,” Galadriel whispered as she fanned the smoke into the wind.

“They will hear and come. How could anyone resist your charms, Melath nin,” Celeborn said, placing his hand on his wife’s shoulder.

Galadriel smiled, “I hope you are right.”

“Do not fret. They will come. I am sure of this,” the lord of Lothlorien said, gently kissing her cheek.

Galadriel placed a hand over her husband’s and leaned back against his chest, “Hannon Le, Melath nin. Hannon le.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This shouldn’t take long,” Chris Larabee said, cinching the saddle tight on Midnight’s back. “We should be back before sundown.”

“Alright, Pard,” Buck said handing Chris his saddle bags.

“That little girl couldn’t have gotten too far,” Vin said as he swung into Peso’s saddle.

“Ya’ll be careful,” Buck admonished.

“You know something Buck?” Chris said as he turned Midnight towards the open door of the livery.

“What’s that?”

“You sound like a mother hen.”

“Hey!” Buck protested. Chris and Vin laughed and spurred their horses out of Four Corners.

“They’re right, you do sound like a mother hen,” JD said as he jumped off the fence and headed for the saloon.

“You get back here and I’ll show you who sounds like a hen you little runt!” Buck shouted, running after the kid.

Josiah stepped out of the saloon just in time to nearly get run over by JD with Buck hot on his tail. ‘Those two,’ Sanchez thought as he continued down the street.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The woman had approached them hours earlier, frantic with worry, saying that her daughter had dissapeared.

“I don’t know where she could be, Mister Tanner. But everyone tells me if anyone can find her you can. Please find Sarah! She’s been gone for six hours. She’s never done anything like this before. I’m terrified!”

“Calm down ma’am,” Vin said soothingly. “Now, can you tell us which way she was going?”

“I think she was headed for the river. I followed her trail as long as I could when I discovered she was missing. But I couldn’t find a trace! Oh, mister Tanner, she’s only five!” The woman said, wringing her hands in worry.

“Do you think we’ll find her, Vin?” Chris asked after three hours of fruitless search.

“Unless she grows wings and flys away,” Vin answered.

Suddenly both men felt a warm breeze caress their faces like a woman’s touch. There were words on the breeze, words in a strange language yet both understood.

“Please come… come… come…”

And as suddenly as it had appeared, the breeze vanished! Leaving only the faint smell of smoke.

“What was that?” Larabee asked softly.

“I… I don’t know,” Tanner answered, dazed. Both men had stopped their horses and just stood for a second.

“Help!”

Vin’s head shot up, “That was a little girl’s voice,” he said, kicking Peso lightly in the ribs to get him going.

“Yeah,” Larabee agreed following Tanner’s lead. He couldn’t help but worry however – this path led to the river!

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Galadriel concentrated on making her illusion of a worried mother convincing. But only two of the men had gone in search of the “missing girl”. She watched as the men followed the “trail” she had made. Everything was going smoothly. How much easier this would be if only they were Elves… Oh well, she would just have to do the best she could with what she had.

“Please come… come… come…” she sent on the breeze. ‘Good, they both felt it. Now, to get them to the waterfall.’

Unbeknownst to the two men, the same river that ran quietly in its bed not ten feet away from them was the same river that flowed through Mirkwood.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“Help me mister, please! I’m slipping!” Sarah called to the man she saw above her.

“Hold on, we’ll get ya’, ” Vin called to the scared little girl.

“How on earth did she get down there?” Chris asked rhetorically.

“I don’t know,” Vin said as he uncoiled his rope. “But we have to get her somehow.”

Sarah was clinging to a rocky outcropping that stuck out halfway down the monstrous waterfall.

“You’re gonna have ta’ grab the rope, Sarah,” Vin yelled over the roar of the water as he lowered the rope to the terrified girl.

“Grab the rope!” Chris called.

They were up to their knees in freezing water, Chris was holding onto Vin who was leaning out as far as possible to try and get the rope within reach of the girl’s tiny hands.

“Can you reach it?” Vin gasped as a wave of cold water washed over him. Was it just his imagination or was the water getting higher?

“I think so,” Sarah said tentatively. She reached out for the sodden rope and it brushed her fingertips. She nearly lost her balance on the narrow ledge of rock.

The men cringed until she was secure again. Vin leaned out a little further putting himself in a very precarious position.

Sarah reached out and grabbed the rope, releasing the rock completely. The sudden weight was too much for the position Vin was in. Chris grabbed his shirt as he was jerked off the ledge. His strength was not enough however, and both men fell.

The roar of the waterfall drowned out the frightened yells as the men plummeted out of sight into the mist below.