9. Oak - Time's out of Joint
The woodcutter could not recall a time when the old King was not on the throne, nor could his father, or even his grandsire.
No doubt, Lord Eldarion, now King Eldarion, would rule well enough, but things felt different somehow, as if the world were turning upside down.
The woodcutter shook himself; he had work to do. The forest remained unchanged while Men came and went. The great oaks outlasted the foresters by centuries; their branches budding anew through countless springtimes.
In the forest's heart, the woodcutter observed that the mightiest oak had fallen, cleft asunder by a lightning bolt.
This is a work of fan fiction, written because the author has an abiding love for the works of J R R Tolkien. The characters, settings, places, and languages used in this work are the property of the Tolkien Estate, Tolkien Enterprises, and possibly New Line Cinema, except for certain original characters who belong to the author of the said work. The author will not receive any money or other remuneration for presenting the work on this archive site. The work is the intellectual property of the author, is available solely for the enjoyment of Henneth Annûn Story Archive readers, and may not be copied or redistributed by any means without the explicit written consent of the author.
