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Author's Note: As I said about not keeping with my own deadlines. We can just pretend a week has passed ;) Thanks to the reviewers. Love you guys!


Chapter 2 – Trading Stories

Susan could barely contain all the emotions, swirling around inside her. All of them seemed intent on monopolizing her mind. One moment she was terribly exited about all the new impressions. The next she was consumed with sorrow over the lingering sense of loneliness and worry. Then there was the heartbreaking fear over the things she couldn't control. She missed her siblings terribly and couldn't, no matter how persistently she ignored it, shake the feeling she was forgetting something.

And throughout it all Estel remained the perfect gentleman. He, and the three hobbits, for that was their race, escorted her to the house of Elrond. There she saw her first elf. He looked mostly like a man, certainly not like she imagined elves to look. Tall and willowy was he, much like the dryads of Narnia. His hair was the color of dry soil and his eyes, the clearest blue.

"Welcome, Estel," He bowed to Susan's companions before extending a hand to Susan herself. "And who is this? The companions of Frodo Baggins were expected. I did not expect a woman."

Susan felt the fledgling stages of irritation arise at his slightly condescending tone, but reeled it in as a good queen should.

"This is Queen Susan the Gentle. She fell on our trail just beyond the Ford of Bruinen, my Lord."

Lord Elrond stared deep into her eyes, as if searching the origins of her soul. She stared back and summoned all remaining patience.

"My Lord, I believe the queen is in need of rest," Estel said. Susan shot a thankful look his way and almost smiled.

"Indeed. It must have been a long journey," Lord Elrond agreed quietly. It was almost as if he knew more about Susan than she did herself.

"It was," she answered in her most serene tone of voice. The most important thing was to NOT PANIC. No matter how frightening this new situation was, she had to remain alert and calm.

"And I assume the same goes for the rest of you?" Elrond gazed down at the three hobbits.

"We'd like to see Mr. Frodo, Sir." Sam spoke up, trying his very best to be brave.

Elrond smiled pleasantly. "Estel will take you," He arched his brows questioningly at Estel, who nodded.

"Come, my friends." He walked them into the grand house.

Elrond studied Susan quietly before standing aside and motioning her forward. "You are not of this world," he said after a few paces.

Susan wasn't surprised he had realized it so soon. "And this is not my home," she answered sadly, thinking of course of Narnia.

He immediately saw her sadness and softened his countenance considerably, till something almost tender stole over him. "Do you remember how you came to be here?" Unknown to her, she reminded Lord Elrond somewhat of his daughter.

She looked down in concentration. Her filthy feet were leaving splotches on the floor. "I remember a sense of falling and a feeling of being squeezed through the head of a pin whilst simultaneously stretching beyond my limits." She looked up. "Why would Aslan bring me here?" Things were making less and less sense with every passing minute.

"Who is Aslan?" Elrond questioned and though his voice was calm, Susan still reacted as though he had shouted.

"He's. . ." She struggled to put her thoughts in order and into words. "He's the King of Kings, Lord Narnia. The Lion?"

Elrond looked questioning, but remained silent. Seeing the distress he had caused the young woman, he decided things could be settled later. He still had to go see Frodo. And perhaps a trip to the library, to check the ancient and the – as of yet, still – unfulfilled prophecies of Galadriel? Also he would have to speak with Gandalf privately. Could be the old wizard had valuable input regarding the latest guest of Rivendell. He gazed at her disheveled appearance. "Someone will come to assist you shortly."

As if on cue, a tall, dark-haired woman appeared around the corner. Elrond smiled in an almost tender way. "Queen Susan, this is Arwen. My daughter," And the two women truly did look alike.

Arwen smiled and did a little curtsey. "Your majesty," If only a bit shorter, Susan's beauty was almost as mesmerizing as the elf's.

Susan could do nothing, but smile back at Arwen's gentle demeanor. The Narnian queen curtsied as well and followed the elf-lady into the room given to her. Inside there was a large bed and a curtained off area, containing – if the steam was anything to go by – a hot bath. Susan's spirits instantly lifted, not unnoticed by Arwen. The tall, elven lady giggled and helped her undress, though her earthen-styled dress and underwear were simple enough to don and remove on one's own. The two women didn't speak much. Arwen focused on removing the mud from Susan's hair and Susan focused on the lovely sensation of hot water and following cleanliness. She was dried and dressed in a long, dark-blue nightgown and tucked in. For a moment she thought it would be impossible to sleep in the middle of such a wonderful day. She quickly realized her mistake as Arwen left the window open and departed. The sound of wind blowing through the trees lulled her to sleep in minutes.

The next morning Lord Elrond waited by her door to accompany her to the dining-hall. There she found Estel, Sam, Merry, and Pippin eating a sturdy breakfast with two friends. One was an old man, dressed in grey, who was taller than Estel. The other, she suspected, was another hobbit. She remembered the name Mr. Frodo from the day before. For a second she was unsure if she should intrude, but Pippin spotted her before she could fully make up her mind, much less make a graceful retreat.

"Queen Susan!" He waved her over with wild gestures and she couldn't help but smile. "Gandalf, this is the lady I toold you about. She's a queen!" His voice was trilling with laughter and friendliness and she found herself hard pressed not to laugh. She nodded when Gandalf stood to seat her.

"A pleasure to meet you, Sir." She smiled meekly.

Immediately it seemed as if Gandalf's expression softened. "The pleasure is mine, your highness." He pulled out a chair for her and she found herself bowing regally. It was easy to slip into courtly manners around such gentlemen. Estel stood briefly as well, though the hobbits remained seated due to the effort it cost them to get on the tall chairs to begin with.

"Please, eat." Estel gestured to the empty plate and the table loaded with food.

She smiled and helped herself. Not even years of royalty had made her comfortable with others serving her food. Gandalf and Pippin seemed immensely pleased to see a woman of her supposed stature eat so well. She was indeed famished.

"Hello, milady." Frodo greeted softly.

She noticed he barely had any food on his plate and looked pale. "Am I correct to assume you are Mr. Frodo?" Her tone was a bit abrasive, she realized, but these people seemed to care very little for courtly manners.

The dark-haired hobbit smiled bashfully and nodded.

"And pray tell us your tale, Queen Susan." Gandalf asked.

"Susan, please," she answered automatically. The others nodded while Estel smiled. "And I'm not certain it wouldn't sound as complete lunacy," She couldn't hide her blush and prompted smiles from all six men.

"I think you'll find our minds quite open to all sorts of tales," Gandalf answered.

Susan nodded and began. She started at the very beginning we all know so well it will not bear repetition. She told of the adventures she had had in Narnia and of the family she had left behind in England.

"I don't understand. How can you be dead if you're right here?" Merry asked.

She smiled. "I don't quite understand myself."

Gandalf leaned closer. "This Aslan-creature. He interests me greatly. You speak as if you know him."

"I know him almost as well as he knows me." She smiled and told the story of the Great Lion as best she could - starting with the first dawn of Narnia and the arrival of Jadis. Some they had already heard from her previous story, but as all her siblings, she was a great storyteller and captivated them quite easily.

"That is a great tale, indeed, Lady Susan," Frodo said quietly after she had finished. What she did not know then was that Frodo was quite the storyteller himself. A gift he inherited after his equally gifted uncle Bilbo.

She smiled and glanced out the windows, noting it was almost noon. They agreed to depart till dinner, but not before Estel leaned over the table. "You need not worry about our belief of your tale, Susan. You are one of us as surely as had you been with us from the start."

She was slightly shocked over, what she saw to be, the vow of loyalty and friendship. Even more shocked, was she to see the four hobbits agree wholeheartedly. She nodded her thanks and allowed Gandalf to escort her to see Lord Elrond.

The elf-lord was waiting when she and Gandalf entered his library. "Queen Susan," He took her hand and bowed, to which Susan curtsied in return. "I trust Estel and Gandalf saw to your needs?"

She smiled. "Certainly."

He led her to a small settee. "Tell me. What did they say of Frodo?"

She glanced at Gandalf who wordlessly encouraged her to tell the truth. Just then he reminded her so fiercely of Aslan that she gave him a brief smile. "Well, Frodo told me about the Shire and his uncle Bilbo."

Elrond nodded. "Did he tell you of Bilbo's adventures?"

"Yes," She smiled, remembering the story about the three trolls.

"And I take it you are no stranger to adventures yourself?"

"No." She was confused where the questions were leading. For the first time since arriving, she felt a stab of worry.

Lord Elrond quickly noticed and reached to grasp her hands lightly. "Do not worry yourself, young queen. We mean you no harm."

She nodded and tried to smile, but found the fear had left her quite hollow and fragile.

"Tell me, my queen. Did he tell you of his own adventure?"

This confused her. She had noticed that Frodo was awfully pale and weak, but thought it poor taste to ask or comment on it. Was this perhaps a remnant of the adventure Elrond spoke of?

"Frodo has carried, and carries with him still, a ring." Elrond motioned for Gandalf to sit as well. "This is the reason he left the Shire, you understand."

Susan nodded, but couldn't understand why a ring could force someone to abandon their home.

As if reading her mind, Lord Elrond leaned closer. "This ring is no ordinary ring. It is a ring of power."

"A force that cannot be harnessed." Gandalf interjected.

Susan nodded and remained silent.

"Frodo has brought the ring here so that we may decide what to do with it." Lord Elrond continued.

She frowned. "But I don't understand. Why would elves decide this alone if the ring is as dangerous you say?"

At this Elrond smiled. "It is not only ours to decide. It falls to all races. Men, elves and dwarves. That is why your sudden appearance both thrills and worries me."

Susan was holding her breath. "Why?"

"Because a prophesy was written many centuries ago," He glanced at Gandalf. "It predicts as follows 'As the four corners of the earth draw nearer, all shall be laid bare and the two towers shall fall'. The two towers of which it speaks are the towers of Sauron and Saruman." The elf-lord shared a meaningful look with Gandalf. "One sits in Isengard and the other is surrounded by orcs, deep in the bowels of Mordor."

"What are orcs?" Susan glanced from one to the other.

It was Gandalf who answered with a grin. "Vile creatures that I pray you shall never be forced to lay eyes upon."

Susan drew a new breath. "And how is this ring dangerous?"

"The ring of Sauron was created to empower the wearer. And there was only ever one intended wearer."

"Sauron himself?" Susan guessed.

Both men nodded. "Through the ages the Ring has changed hands four times since its creation, nearly 3000 years ago."

Susan's face fell as she had a feeling she would not like what came next.

"First was at a moment of victory over Sauron, when Isildur, a king of men, took the Ring from Sauron and kept it for himself. Second was nearly two and a half thousand years after Isildur's death."

"Who found it?" she asked in a riveted voice.

"The creature known as Gollum."

"That's the creature from Bilbo's tale!" she exclaimed.

Elrond nodded. "Indeed it is."

"But . . ." Her expression became grave. "But Bilbo stole that ring from Gollum, so-"

Elrond nodded again and continued. "So the ring spent nearly fifty years in the Shire until recently when a young hobbit inherited it from his uncle . . . and brought it here."

Frodo. She inhaled sharply, but wasn't given a chance to reply.

"Frodo carries a great burden. The wound he received on Weathertop, he will carry for the rest of his life."

"What about the ring? What will happen with it?" she asked in despair.

Elrond sighed and silently passed the word to Gandalf. "It is our hope that the council will see reason and decide to destroy it. Regardless, I will speak my mind at the gathering and advocate for its destruction."

"What gathering?" Susan asked.

"There is a meeting between men, elves and dwarves scheduled to take place in just a few days time."

She nodded just as a new question struck her. "But if you want it destroyed, why don't you just do it now?"

"The One Ring was forged in Mount Doom and only there can it be undone." Lord Elrond replied.

She inhaled deeply. Her somewhat pleasant mood vanished under the weight of their information. She hadn't been brought to Narnia to rest, as she first expected. She had been brought to an entirely new world to fight in yet another war. Though neither of the men mentioned it, she knew there was a very real chance that a full-fledged war could erupt. After all, it only took two opposing sides to create unrest.

After their meeting, they left her be for the rest of the day. She glanced at some of the old books, but found she couldn't read the language most were written in. In the end she spent most of the day, pondering the information shared with her by Gandalf and Elrond.

Bilbo Baggins joined them at dinner that night and gave his rendition of his adventures. Though no one made any mention of the ring it was clearly on their minds. The next day an emissary from Gondor arrived. It was the son of Denethor, Steward of Minas Tirith, The White City of the East. Though Boromir, as he was called, dined in the common area with the others, he and his men mostly kept to themselves. But unnoticed by Susan, Boromir had admired her stunning beauty several times before their actual meeting.

It was ten days after her arrival to Rivendell, he approached her. "Milady?"

She jumped slightly, having been shocked out of her chat with Estel. She found the ranger to be interesting conversation. Though he was no elf himself, she learned he knew much about their history. He reminded her of her brothers in a way. At Boromir's intrusion Estel excused himself and Boromir took his place.

"Forgive me for interrupting, milady," he said and sat down on the sunny bench next to her.

"It's quite alright. And call me Susan, please,"

He smiled in that slightly goofy way most of her suitors had when she addressed them directly. "Susan . . ." The way he said her name she knew he was already smitten. "If you don't mind me saying: Susan is such an odd name for an elven lady as beautiful as yourself."

She blushed furiously. "I'm not an elf, my lord."

He seemed truly surprised by this. "Surely you jest?"

She shook her head and briefly considered how much to tell him. "I'm human like yourself."

He laughed out loud and practically slapped his knee in surprise. "The wonders of the world . . ." he pondered openly. "How can a creature such as you have been born by mere mortals?"

Subconsciously she had her first, negative reaction to the man. The word 'creature' spoken in context with her name reminded her of a proud prince, who had courted her ages ago. "I could explain it to you, if you would like, Sir?" she answered coolly.

He blushed furiously, but as she predicted, took no offense. "I can truly say I have never met a woman such as yourself." he said, almost fondly.

She nodded her thanks and smoothly directed the conversation onto a safer subject. "Is it true you're heir to the throne of Gondor?"

He nodded. "Have you been?"

"No," She smiled sweetly. "I'm afraid all I've seen of Middle-Earth is this place. Though it truly is a lovely sight."

Boromir nodded. "It is a haven on earth," With a deep breath he studied their surroundings. "Though should you ever wish to visit a real city, I shall gladly take you to Gondor one day."

Though she knew what he meant by 'real city' it still made her bristle. "Is Rivendell not to your liking, Sire?"

He chuckled smoothly. "Indeed it is. I only mean that a place as perfect as this could never thrive under the rule of man."

She nodded though she had not actually missed his true meaning first time around.

"If I may be so bold as to inquire how you came to be here?" he asked.

Only now did she give pause. What to tell, how much to share? "It is a very long story, my lord." She had quickly realized he was oblivious to her royal title, but had relished a chance to speak informally. She had never had the chance in Narnia. But here where no one save three men and four hobbits knew of her, she found it was a brilliant way to get to know new people without pretense. The way ladies and lords, such as Boromir, treated those below themselves spoke greatly of their personalities. She realized she was predisposed to chivalry from men due to her looks, but appreciated the way Boromir spoke to her as an equal and with interest.

"We have all day, Lady Susan."

It seemed she was in a bind. Not to tell him now would generate a very negative impression. "I am not of this world."

He nodded, seemingly not surprised. "The elves mention as much, but I was not certain they were correct in their assumptions."

"And you are not alarmed?"

He actually laughed. "A thing as beautiful as you could not be anything but gracious and good."

Again she bristled slightly and suddenly remembered how he dismissed Estel upon arrival. "I once knew a woman, pure as ice, with skin as fair as mine and hair the color of grain," She was glad to find him clinging to every word. "She was responsible for the slaughter of thousands of my people and the near death of my brother."

Boromir looked mortified. Both over the tale itself and from being corrected by a woman.

"She was pretty too." With that she stood and left him gaping. "It was a pleasure speaking with you, my Lord. We should continue our conversation another day." And with that, she let the skirt of her light-blue, velvet gown caress the floor in departure.


AN: TBC. It's gonna be a while before the action ensues, but hopefully you'll remain interested till then. Let me know what you think.