Episode 1

Deep in the woodlands of the Ewedwaith region of Middle-earth, a group of women-folk from a clan of Dunlending race of Men who called themselves the "Gond," after the name of their tribal leader, foraged for the clan's daily meals.  A cudgel-bearer known as Oisin traveled with the Gond women-folk as protection.  Suddenly, from the shadows of the foliage, an enormous fell beast, a Warg or Werewolf, pounced upon and killed Oisin with one bite, cracking his head in his enormous jaws and shaking the Man's lifeless body like a ragdoll.  The women-folk scattered in panic -- all except for Djerhul.  Named "tearful" in the Dunlendish tongue, Djerhul had been taken as an infant from another Dunlending clan, whom the Gond referred to as "forgoil," Dunlendish for "straw-heads."  Djerhul was less fair-skinned and fair-haired than her "forgoil" kinsmen, however, with the dark hair and tall stature of the Men of Westernesse.

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Seeing Oisin's fallen cudgel, Djerhul took it up and used it to slay the creature, which shocked and awed the women-folk.  Despite the reproaches of the matronly Devnaht to hurry away before more Wargs arrive, Djerhul retrieved Oisin's body and carried it back to the Gond enclave.  Gond the Elder was not pleased that the women had returned with a dead Gond warrior instead of the daily supply of foraged foodstuffs, and disbelieved the accounts of Djerhul's deeds.  Gond commanded Artagan the sling-master to force the girl to demonstrate, and Djerhul used Oisin's cudgel to quickly disarm Artagan and destroy his sling and stone.  In rage, Odgran, a giant of a man and the clan's champion, took up his spear, only to be bested equally as quickly by his diminutive adversary.  Incensed, Gond banished Djerhul from the tribe, ordering her sent away immediately.  She gathered her things, used the Warg hide as a carrying sack, and left the Gond in search of the Gwathló, the mighty river that rushed through her earliest memories.

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Six weeks later, on the other side of the Ewedwaith woodlands, the Noldorin Elf-maid Irimë and a band of Elven hunters set out from the Noldor's capital city of Ost-in-Edhil to hunt for a white stag for Eregion's Spring Equinox feast.  Separated from the rest of the hunting band, Irimë encountered a diminutive Man-like creature, who spoke a folksy dialect of the Mannish Westron tongue and identified himself as one of the "riverfolk."  Irimë recognized him as a Stoor Hobbit.  Giving the name "Fobbin," he told Irimë he was looking for his brother Féagol, and using the conversation as a diversion, stole her scrying orb from her saddlebag.  When Irimë sensed that something was amiss, Fobbin fled into the brambles and led Irimë on a chase for many leagues and many hours by the riverside.

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Several leagues away, and several hours later, Djerhul heard distant shouting and followed the sound, hoping to find anyone else in the forbidding Ewedwaith woodlands, where she had spent the past six weeks fending for herself.  Feeling the swell of groundwater beneath her bare feet, she rushed forward, hoping to find the Gwathló.  Instead, her foot found a trap, and she found herself bobbing several feet above the ground in a net fashioned from dried vines.  Two riverfolk, identifying themselves as Féagol and Fobbin, emerged from the brush and began relieving her of her effects as she remained helpless in the net.  Djerhul grew fey at the robbery, and intimidated the Stoor Hobbits into releasing her in exchange for one of the items in her wolf-skin sack and the promise of helping them hunt their next meal.  They agreed, let her down, and led her to the riverside, where they oversaw a small Gwathuirim village on an atoll, and plotted -- despite Djerhul's objections -- to burglarize the villagers.

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Irimë, using song to activate the harmonic reverberation of her scrying stone stowed in Fobbin's pocket, managed to magically trail the Stoor hobbit to his present location.  From a distance along the riverside, Irimë spotted Fobbin and another Stoor Hobbit -- presumably the brother he had spoken of -- accompanied by a young woman of distinctively Dúnedan or Númenórean stature.  On a tree branch above the trio, and completely unbeknownst to them, a Gwathuirim scout drew a bead on them with his knocked and drawn bow.  Unseen by the bowman, Irimë readied her own bow, and as the Gwathuirim fired, she let loose her own Elven arrow, which split his in half in mid-flight before it could strike Djerhul.  In the confusion, Féagol and Fobbin fled, abandoning Irimë's scrying stone, and Irimë approached Djerhul and the bowman.  The "straw-headed" Gwuathuirim bowman introduced himself as Nilidh, and when Irimë characterized Djerhul as a "daughter of Númenór," Nilidh seemed to begin to recognize Djerhul by her unusual combination of the straight, dark hair of the Númenóreans and the slate-gray eyes of his own people.​

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Nilidh brought Djerhul and Irimë to the atoll by raft, and the Gwuathuirim Elders informed Djerhul that despite the horrible scar-tattoos and the Dunlendish moniker with which the Gond had branded her, she was no Gond, but the daughter of a Gwuathuirim mother, the late Slanmar -- who was said to have died of heartbreak -- and a Númenórean father named Azulzîr, and that her own real name had been Gràinne.  The Gwuathuirim considered this event a joyful reunion, and celebrated Gràinne's return with a feast that continued almost to daybreak thanks to Irimë's entertaining lute and fiddle playing.  But after learning of her Dúnedain heritage, Gràinne resolved to set out in search of the Númenórean and Dúnedain settlements far to the north to find her father.  The Gwuathuirim were saddened by her decision, but saw her off with gifts and encouragement.

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Irimë and Gràinne set out for Eregion first, where they stayed for many months.  There, in the capital city of Ost-in-Edhil, Irimë educated Gràinne about the history of Arda and of Middle-earth.  The rune-covered Elven tattoo-master Anararan used pulverized silima to overlay the scar-tattoos the Gond had put on Gràinne's arms and shoulders.  He made luminescent Elven designs that completely obliterated any evidence of her Gond captivity and gave her an impressive appearance more fitting of a warrior-maid of the Dúnedain.  Eventually, after much anticipation -- especially on the part of Irimë -- the much talked-about and celebrated master Elven smith Annatar returned to Eregion from his homestead beyond the Ashen Mountains.  In time, Irimë managed to introduce Gràinne to Annatar, though it was clear that Irimë's main intention was to get as close to the fair smith as she could manage, for she was undoubtedly smitten by him.  As Annatar and the Guild of Jewelsmiths, the Gwaith-i-Mirdain, entertained Irimë and Gràinne in the front courtyard of Annatar's smithy, a party of Dunlendish Men arrived unexpectedly, apparently seeking Annatar.  As crowds of Noldor held the brutish Men at bay a distance away from Annatar's smithy, Gràinne noticed that the straw-headed envoy was led by no other than Nilidh of the Gwuathuirim, and that the former bowman was missing an eye and a hand, and bore many other savage, and relatively recent, scars . . . !