"What-… What are you doing in my closet?" The Hobbit asked after he settled down from his initial shock.
Frodo Baggins had been milling around his home on what had seemed to have been a usual Wednesday morning. He had resolved to drink some tea and look over old maps that morning, he would relax and sit by the warm hearth of his fireplace, and he would simply enjoy the day. Instead however, upon opening his kitchen cupboard he came upon the most unusual find, a little girl!
She stood most awkwardly inside of the small wooden closet, and stared back at him with a face that looked nearly as perplexed as his did. Clearing his throat with a subtle 'Ahem' the Hobbit prepared to ask another question. However the little girl spoke first, "Uh oh!"She gasped.
"Umm, Miss?" Frodo's question was ignored by the girl as she began to straighten herself up. She slowly stepped out of the cupboard, placing one foot on the floor of his kitchen at a time until she fully stood within the humble home of the hobbit. She peered about herself in wonder. "Again?" She gasped again, her hands now placed on either side of her face. "Where in Middle-earth am I this time?"
"Now! You listen here…" Frodo began in a clear voice, mustering all he could do to sound stern. "Just breath, calm down Miss. That's right…" He continued to sooth the unusual girl as best as he could. "Oh?..." The girl blinked down at the hobbit, as if only just noticing him."Oh!" She repeated once more. "Hello there!"
"What is your name?" Frodo asked softly in return to the child. "What? Oh…Do you know where this is?" She began "Who are you and- I mean..Hello!"She came alive in an instant, chirping so swiftly that Frodo almost misunderstood all that she had said. Frodo crossed his arms, becoming displeased. Here- some girl comes out from his cupboard- unannounced, uninvited into his house and asks him who he is! This was all sounding familiar for Frodo. "I am Frodo Baggins, and this is Bag End- My home. Now, may I know who you are and why you are here? Pray to the Valar that you can say more than just 'hello?'"
After several moments the girl before him was still stuck in a silence. Several times her lips moved but not a single word nor sound came out, her blue eyes were wide and searching once again and her silver blonde hair hung loosely in intricate braids which were tied off with a silk blue ribbon and laid to sit upon her left shoulder. Some strands of her hair hung down into the face of the child and in front of her eyes. Frodo could see youthful sun kissed freckles dashed lightly across her cheeks and nose, but it was however, the point of her small ears that had then caught the attention of the hobbit.
'An elf in my cupboard?' He wondered "What is your name?" Frodo tried for the third time, taking a deep breath himself and trying to calm down.
"Hel-.. Greetings Frodo!" She said suddenly and bowed her head deeply before arising once more and straightening up. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Master of Bag End. My name is Eleniel and I am a resident of the Elven kingdom of Imladris,..Rivendell that is!"
Frodo had heard many amazing things about the beautiful Elf haven of Rivendell, and instantly he was intrigued by the presence of the elfling.
"Sulaid, Mae govannen!" (Greetings, and well met!) Frodo had spoken with perfect annunciation and he suddenly became so excited about his Elvish company that he forgot all his frustrations and the perplexities of the situation. He decided that she must be a messenger from Gandalf! She must have a letter from the old wise wizard explaining why he was late. 'What a relief!' Frodo surmised happily. It had been some time since Frodo had seen the meddling wizard, and with his birthday approaching Frodo wondered if he should begin the first stages of his journey to leave the Shire. He had already begun packing his belongings for the short trek to Crickhollow, but from there he did not yet know what to do. Eleniel smiled brightly as she recognised her native tongue Sindarin, and bowing once again she returned the appropriate greeting in the same language. "How is the Lord of Last Homely House?" The hobbit asked, gesturing to a chair at the kitchen table for the girl to have a sit- He was after all in most situations a good host.
"Oh!.. um" Eleniel began with a small smile and big eyes "The Lord Elrond is very well!"
Frodo laughed and nodded, she was certainly a chipper little thing. Again Frodo was reminded of how queer the situation was, she was in his cupboard after all! "Why not some tea?" Frodo suggested, thinking to himself he wondered what else he was to do with her. Eleniel nodded her head in answer, though she too wondered much about her current situation. How she was here, why she was here and could she trust this little man? She contemplated if perhaps it would be best to leave as soon as possible, though she had no idea where she was. This creature knew of Imladris at the very least and it also appeared as if he knew her father, Elrond. Though this mutual friendship may or may not be a good thing.
"Your Sindarin is very good, Master Frodo" Eleniel realized aloud as she sat within the offered seat at the wooden table. Frodo had reached for a metal kettle filled with water and set it hang above the fire to boil. "Well thank you, although I do not speak you language fluently."Frodo's cheeks flushed with modesty. "My uncle Bilbo taught me, He has travelled to your kingdom many times"
"Bilbo the Hobbit! Bilbo Baggins, and you-.. of course are a Hobbit too!" Eleniel laughed and bounced with joy. Bilbo was a friend to her, she enjoyed sitting by his side in the Hall of Fire, and listening to all he could possibly tell her. He told stories in a different way than the Elves did. Now it made sense why this man-..or hobbit rather, was so small.
"And you-.." Frodo laughed before stating "Are an elf.., Elleth?"
"I am!" They both laughed as Frodo slipped an oven mitt upon his hand and grabbed the kettle from the fire moments later.Eleniel began to relax, as Frodo sat the hot kettle upon the table and began to prepare two tea cups and a plate of biscuits for his guest and himself. Eleniel was who had not eaten since that morning obliged and soon sat along with Frodo at the table with a lovely cup of tea and a handful of biscuits. 'What an unusual, yet delightful afternoon' Frodo thought as his day seemed to be getting brighter, so to speak. However, we all know how thoughts such as these only foreshadow what is to come; disaster.
"Cheers!" Frodo sighed contently and sipped his tea. "Now, how about that letter?" He asked kindly.
"..Letter?" Eleniel was perplexed once more, what letter was the hobbit talking about?
"Yes, the letter from Gandalf of course! …That is why you are here is it not? I thought-.." If she was not here to deliver a letter from his dear friend, then why was she here? Frodo was becoming very confused.
"I am sorry!" Eleniel began quickly. "All that I may tell you is that I did not mean to come here-… It was rather an accident" 'What am I doing?' Eleniel thought desperately. This was not like her- she needed to think of an excuse, she could not possibly tell this small creature the truth about everything. "Accident?- How could you unintentionally end up in someone's cupboard?" Frodo set down his drink quickly, some spilling out of his cup as he did so. He was becoming rather upset to be honest; none of this was making any sense to him.
"I am sorry, I mean you no harm and I did not mean to disturb you Master Hobbit!" Eleniel's tone became notably anxious and afraid as she continued the argument in her head. 'What do I say!' she continued to worry.
Then in a patronizing sort of way, the hobbit demanded an answer "Well then what did you mean to do?"
"I…" The elfing began stammering, looking at the hobbit nervously, wringing her hands. "Can you keep a secret?" She asked suddenly, Eleniel was weighing the positives and negatives of her options in her head.
"Secret?" Frodo repeated in awe and in confusion. What sort of secret could she possibly have?
"The biggest secret of all secrets!" Eleniel whispered, staring at the hobbit with big eyes, as if what she was saying was of a high importance; stuff of legends.
"Well yes, I suppose I can keep a secret." Frodo responded shortly, this all seemed like child's play and mischief to him. Even still, he could not help but feel inspired and intrigued; Frodo always loved a good fairy tale after all. A heavy silence filled the room, time seemed to stop or slow down in a way and Frodo waited for the girl to speak.
"Time travel!" Eleniel whispered in a vibrant and fantastical sort of way, her small hand traced a circle in the air- in a magical sort of way. Frodo choked on his beverage "Your pardon?" He managed to ask in between gasps for breath, the poor hobbit had taken a sip at the wrong moment.
"Time...travel!" She repeated again, but slower than before."I meant to travel back in time to a specific point-.. But for some reason I was brought here Frodo, to you!"
Still silence from Frodo, he could say nor do nothing. Eleniel continued "That is what I can do, this is what I am… Eleniel, the Master of Time and Space"
".. Oh my" Was all Frodo could possibly say after a long while. With wide eyes he slowly took a sip of his tea. Eleniel in the meanwhile smiled sheepishly, still sitting across the table from him in his kitchen. 'She was a loon!' Frodo decided. The more he thought of it, the more he became confused.
"You must keep your promise, you must not tell a soul!" Eleniel pressed incessantly once more. "I could get in a lot of trouble for telling you…"
Frodo nearly laughed, "Tell? What in all of Middle- earth would I say, even if I wished too?" His tone was cynical, and his voice was raised.
"I know it seems queer, but..."She began as she looked down at her small hands in contemplation. 'Why did I tell him? Of course he would not understand' Eleniel thought sadly. She closed her eyes and covered her head with her hands. 'What have I gotten myself into this time?' She knew the rule, she knew she should never reveal the secret unless in dire circumstances. Stupidly, she had said too much and now what would she do? The two fell into silence, their own thoughts plaguing each of them. Eleniel laid her head upon the table and wrapped her arms about herself.
He felt sorry for her suddenly as he sat and watched her, she seemed lost and defeated. Her silver hair now hid her youthful face, but Frodo could hear her slow and uneven breaths with his keen ears. She was crying…Frodo had made the poor little Elven maid cry, what a sin in the world. An act such as this should be forbidden, for Elven maidens should never weep, should they?
Frodo's heart instantly melted and he stretched a hand out to the girl to place it on her shoulder. "There, there. I am sorry to have shouted at you little one. Do not cry, everything will be alright you will see!" He spoke in a settling voice, a way that reminded Eleniel of her Adar. "I am so very confused is all"He continued to reason honestly."I do not know why, but my heart tells me to believe you, Eleniel"
With tear-filled eyes Elenel sniffed, and blinked up at the hobbit. She watched him for several moments before speaking, she said "You have to promise, please keep my secret Frodo Baggins".
Thus, the young hobbit promised to keep the secret of the Elven girl who mistakenly traveled through time and space into his very own cupboard. From here, the journey of Frodo Baggins was beginning, as was another chapter in the Time and Space chronicles.