A/N: Hi! Thanks for the reviews. I hope you like the chapter!
Ch. 2: Carried to new places
When I woke up, I was in a bed in what was probably the most beautiful room I'd ever been in. Everything was decorated and ornate. One whole side of the room was open to a river valley. When I looked back to the other side, I jumped, seeing a dark-haired man much like the one who had found me in the forest.
"Welcome to Rivendell, Amy. I am Elrond, Lord of Rivendell. Glorfindel brought you here after finding you in the forest. You had a bit of fever, but you should feel better now. Glorfindel has told me your story of a cave and a river, but I would like to hear it from you. I'd also like to know where you are from, and how did you come to be here?"
"I told him what I know. I'm from Fargo, North Dakota. I have no idea where I am or how I got here, other than what I told the other guy—Glorfindel, you said."
Elrond looked only a little less confused than I was. He was dressed elegantly, and I couldn't figure out how old he was. He didn't look either old or young, or rather he looked both young and old at the same time. Don't ask me to explain that, because I don't think I understand it myself. Eventually, he spoke, "I do not know of any place in this world called Fargo North Dakota. Either you are from a realm beyond the reaches of my knowledge, or you are trying to deceive me."
"I'm not lying! I'm telling you the truth. I really don't understand any of this. I've never even heard of Rivendell!" I was close to tears, and that's not normal for me. I don't cry easily (a result of years of being the school outcast). I was just scared and confused, and now I was being accused of lying.
"I believe you. I'm sorry to accuse you of deceit. I am trying to understand who you are and from whence you have come."
"OK. All I can tell you is that I'm from North Dakota in the United States of America. My mom is from Germany, and my dad is from Canada."
"I recognize none of those names. I will have to speak of you to Gandalf later, but I believe you have come from a different realm entirely. You are in Rivendell, which is one of the homes of the Elves in Middle Earth. I will leave you to rest now. Are you hungry?"
"Yeah, maybe a little." I had skipped breakfast. The continental breakfast the hotel served reminded me of leftovers from the school cafeteria.
"Very well. I will have something sent for you."
After a while, an Elven woman came in with a tray of fruit and bread. She left for a bit while I ate, then came back, bringing an elegant dress. "I hope this will not be too long for you. I have hemmed up the skirt, and I think it will fit."
"Thank you. I've never had anything as nice." She showed me to a hot bath, and when I'd finished, she helped me get dressed. It was nice to be out of my dirty jeans and old T-shirt. She'd even brought fresh underwear and light slippers, which fit amazingly well. Nothing ever fits me. After that, she brushed my hair. I'd never had anyone do my hair for me. I wear it long, about half-way down my back, but I usually just wear it in a ponytail. The Elf-woman braided a few strands and wrapped them around my head like a crown, and left the rest loose. She showed me around the city a bit, then left me on my own. It was only mid-afternoon, and I wasn't really sure what to do with myself. I wandered around a little, but eventually went back to my room. I was starting to feel homesick. This was quite the adventure, but it was overwhelming. I was tired from exploring, so I took off the elegant gown before laying down and taking a nap.
A knock on the door came after a while. I don't know exactly how long, but I got dressed quickly and answered the door. They guy who'd found me in the woods was standing there.
"Good morning, Amy. We haven't been introduced. I am Glorfindel. I trust you're feeling a little better today."
"I think so. How long have I been here?"
"Since yesterday afternoon. It was late morning when I found you, and I brought you here just after lunch."
"Oh. Um, OK."
"If you're feeling up to it, I've come to take you to dinner."
I wasn't sure what to think, so I just went with him. He brought me to a grand hall filled with Elves, and also some other people. There were several there who were even shorter than me! Glorfindel introduced me to the Hobbit Frodo Baggins and Glóin the Dwarf. There were also a couple other hobbits and dwarves there. The names mostly evaded me. I'm not good with names, anyway. I chatted with a couple of the Hobbits for a few minutes before noticing a red-headed Dwarf sitting a little apart. He almost looked like he was sulking.
I went over to him. "Hi! I'm Amy."
The dwarf looked up, a little surprised anyone had spoken to him. "I am Gimli, son of Glóin."
"I saw you sitting alone and wondered if I could join you…" My voice trailed off. I had been in that situation more times than I could tell, but this guy didn't look very friendly. I tried another tactic. "It's nice to be able to talk to someone who isn't a foot and a half taller than me."
He sort of grunted at that, then looked at me closer. "You aren't an Elf, or a Hobbit, and you're no bigger than me. What are you?"
"I'm human. I've just always been short."
"I don't know the word human. Are you of the race of Men?"
"Yeah. Sorry. I guess we use different wording for the same thing."
He stood up and, sure enough, he was no taller than me. I couldn't tell for sure, but I think we were almost exactly the same height. He bowed his head a little, then took my hand. "Forgive me for being so rude. I am uncomfortable around so many Elves, Lady Amy." After he said that, he kissed my hand. It was strange, but kind of nice.
"I've never been called a lady. Thank you."
"Please, sit down. I'll try to be a little less surly." I sat down across from him, and after a few minutes we were chatting comfortably.
He told me about his home in the Lonely Mountains and his life there. He reminded me nothing more than of a Scottish warrior—except without the kilt.. There was a lull in the conversation, and I asked him, "You said you were uncomfortable around the Elves. Why is that?"
He took so long to answer, I was afraid I had offended him. "The feud between the Dwarves and the Elves goes back many, many years. Most recently, my father was imprisoned by the Elves of Mirkwood some years ago. It was a mistake, and they like to remind us of that, but it was a stupid one! They should have used their great Elvish heads a little more!" He paused for a minute, getting control of himself. "Forgive me. Dwarves are not known for mild tempers, and I am no exception. I hold little love or trust for the Elves, but we have come for their advice, and it is a poor guest who speaks ill of his host."
"Advice? What kind of advice?"
"It is something I should not speak of, at least until after the council. I pray you will forgive me if I say no more."
"OK. That's fine. Can you at least tell me what this council is about? I haven't heard anything about it."
"I am surprised you know nothing about it, if you have spent any time at all in Rivendell."
"Actually, I just got here today, or actually, I got here yesterday, but I was sick and asleep, well, really unconscious. I woke up just this morning. I'm still trying to figure out what all is going on."
"Representatives of all the free peoples of Middle Earth are here and there is something of great importance they will discuss in council with Lord Elrond tomorrow morning. What little more than that I know, I cannot speak of."
"Thanks. That helps a lot."
"I've spoken a lot about myself, but tell me about yourself. Where are you from and why have you come here?"
"I'm from a place you've probably never heard of, and I don't know why I'm here. I'm still trying to figure out how I got here at all. My homeland is called North Dakota, and I was exploring a cave not too far from there when I found a strange passage that shouldn't have been there. I walked down it a ways, but the floor dropped off, so I turned around to go back. Something pulled me down into it, and I fell a long ways into what I think was an underground river. It carried me a river somewhere near here. When Glorfindel brought me here, I was unconscious, so I can't really tell you more than that."
As I spoke, a strange look came into Gimli's eyes. "You came through an unknown passage, fell into a swift-running underground river, and emerged in a lake, only to come here… That is indeed strange. Allow me to dwell on this for a while, and I will discuss it more with you later. I need to talk to my father."
Ch. 2: Carried to new places
When I woke up, I was in a bed in what was probably the most beautiful room I'd ever been in. Everything was decorated and ornate. One whole side of the room was open to a river valley. When I looked back to the other side, I jumped, seeing a dark-haired man much like the one who had found me in the forest.
"Welcome to Rivendell, Amy. I am Elrond, Lord of Rivendell. Glorfindel brought you here after finding you in the forest. You had a bit of fever, but you should feel better now. Glorfindel has told me your story of a cave and a river, but I would like to hear it from you. I'd also like to know where you are from, and how did you come to be here?"
"I told him what I know. I'm from Fargo, North Dakota. I have no idea where I am or how I got here, other than what I told the other guy—Glorfindel, you said."
Elrond looked only a little less confused than I was. He was dressed elegantly, and I couldn't figure out how old he was. He didn't look either old or young, or rather he looked both young and old at the same time. Don't ask me to explain that, because I don't think I understand it myself. Eventually, he spoke, "I do not know of any place in this world called Fargo North Dakota. Either you are from a realm beyond the reaches of my knowledge, or you are trying to deceive me."
"I'm not lying! I'm telling you the truth. I really don't understand any of this. I've never even heard of Rivendell!" I was close to tears, and that's not normal for me. I don't cry easily (a result of years of being the school outcast). I was just scared and confused, and now I was being accused of lying.
"I believe you. I'm sorry to accuse you of deceit. I am trying to understand who you are and from whence you have come."
"OK. All I can tell you is that I'm from North Dakota in the United States of America. My mom is from Germany, and my dad is from Canada."
"I recognize none of those names. I will have to speak of you to Gandalf later, but I believe you have come from a different realm entirely. You are in Rivendell, which is one of the homes of the Elves in Middle Earth. I will leave you to rest now. Are you hungry?"
"Yeah, maybe a little." I had skipped breakfast. The continental breakfast the hotel served reminded me of leftovers from the school cafeteria.
"Very well. I will have something sent for you."
After a while, an Elven woman came in with a tray of fruit and bread. She left for a bit while I ate, then came back, bringing an elegant dress. "I hope this will not be too long for you. I have hemmed up the skirt, and I think it will fit."
"Thank you. I've never had anything as nice." She showed me to a hot bath, and when I'd finished, she helped me get dressed. It was nice to be out of my dirty jeans and old T-shirt. She'd even brought fresh underwear and light slippers, which fit amazingly well. Nothing ever fits me. After that, she brushed my hair. I'd never had anyone do my hair for me. I wear it long, about half-way down my back, but I usually just wear it in a ponytail. The Elf-woman braided a few strands and wrapped them around my head like a crown, and left the rest loose. She showed me around the city a bit, then left me on my own. It was only mid-afternoon, and I wasn't really sure what to do with myself. I wandered around a little, but eventually went back to my room. I was starting to feel homesick. This was quite the adventure, but it was overwhelming. I was tired from exploring, so I took off the elegant gown before laying down and taking a nap.
A knock on the door came after a while. I don't know exactly how long, but I got dressed quickly and answered the door. They guy who'd found me in the woods was standing there.
"Good morning, Amy. We haven't been introduced. I am Glorfindel. I trust you're feeling a little better today."
"I think so. How long have I been here?"
"Since yesterday afternoon. It was late morning when I found you, and I brought you here just after lunch."
"Oh. Um, OK."
"If you're feeling up to it, I've come to take you to dinner."
I wasn't sure what to think, so I just went with him. He brought me to a grand hall filled with Elves, and also some other people. There were several there who were even shorter than me! Glorfindel introduced me to the Hobbit Frodo Baggins and Glóin the Dwarf. There were also a couple other hobbits and dwarves there. The names mostly evaded me. I'm not good with names, anyway. I chatted with a couple of the Hobbits for a few minutes before noticing a red-headed Dwarf sitting a little apart. He almost looked like he was sulking.
I went over to him. "Hi! I'm Amy."
The dwarf looked up, a little surprised anyone had spoken to him. "I am Gimli, son of Glóin."
"I saw you sitting alone and wondered if I could join you…" My voice trailed off. I had been in that situation more times than I could tell, but this guy didn't look very friendly. I tried another tactic. "It's nice to be able to talk to someone who isn't a foot and a half taller than me."
He sort of grunted at that, then looked at me closer. "You aren't an Elf, or a Hobbit, and you're no bigger than me. What are you?"
"I'm human. I've just always been short."
"I don't know the word human. Are you of the race of Men?"
"Yeah. Sorry. I guess we use different wording for the same thing."
He stood up and, sure enough, he was no taller than me. I couldn't tell for sure, but I think we were almost exactly the same height. He bowed his head a little, then took my hand. "Forgive me for being so rude. I am uncomfortable around so many Elves, Lady Amy." After he said that, he kissed my hand. It was strange, but kind of nice.
"I've never been called a lady. Thank you."
"Please, sit down. I'll try to be a little less surly." I sat down across from him, and after a few minutes we were chatting comfortably.
He told me about his home in the Lonely Mountains and his life there. He reminded me nothing more than of a Scottish warrior—except without the kilt.. There was a lull in the conversation, and I asked him, "You said you were uncomfortable around the Elves. Why is that?"
He took so long to answer, I was afraid I had offended him. "The feud between the Dwarves and the Elves goes back many, many years. Most recently, my father was imprisoned by the Elves of Mirkwood some years ago. It was a mistake, and they like to remind us of that, but it was a stupid one! They should have used their great Elvish heads a little more!" He paused for a minute, getting control of himself. "Forgive me. Dwarves are not known for mild tempers, and I am no exception. I hold little love or trust for the Elves, but we have come for their advice, and it is a poor guest who speaks ill of his host."
"Advice? What kind of advice?"
"It is something I should not speak of, at least until after the council. I pray you will forgive me if I say no more."
"OK. That's fine. Can you at least tell me what this council is about? I haven't heard anything about it."
"I am surprised you know nothing about it, if you have spent any time at all in Rivendell."
"Actually, I just got here today, or actually, I got here yesterday, but I was sick and asleep, well, really unconscious. I woke up just this morning. I'm still trying to figure out what all is going on."
"Representatives of all the free peoples of Middle Earth are here and there is something of great importance they will discuss in council with Lord Elrond tomorrow morning. What little more than that I know, I cannot speak of."
"Thanks. That helps a lot."
"I've spoken a lot about myself, but tell me about yourself. Where are you from and why have you come here?"
"I'm from a place you've probably never heard of, and I don't know why I'm here. I'm still trying to figure out how I got here at all. My homeland is called North Dakota, and I was exploring a cave not too far from there when I found a strange passage that shouldn't have been there. I walked down it a ways, but the floor dropped off, so I turned around to go back. Something pulled me down into it, and I fell a long ways into what I think was an underground river. It carried me a river somewhere near here. When Glorfindel brought me here, I was unconscious, so I can't really tell you more than that."
As I spoke, a strange look came into Gimli's eyes. "You came through an unknown passage, fell into a swift-running underground river, and emerged in a lake, only to come here… That is indeed strange. Allow me to dwell on this for a while, and I will discuss it more with you later. I need to talk to my father."