*Disclaimer: Some swear words, that's why I thought to rate this story M. I decided to follow the movies more just because I think it flows better for the story I have planned :) Thanks for reading!
In the summer when Wren was 10 years old, her grandma told them about an old family legend of a waterfall that held in the depths of its pool a stone that would grant your heart's desires.
"You know the story of Raven stealing the Sun?" Their Grandma asked. It had been a hot and sticky day. Wren and Rae's parents went to town to pick up more ice for the water cooler since theirs had all melted. The cabin had no A/C and the girls were starting to get cranky.
"A very rich and powerful Chief had the Sun hidden away in a wooden box," Rae answered. "Raven was tired of the darkness so he decided to trick the Chief by disguising himself as the Chief's grandson and asked to play with the Sun."
"That's right," their grandma smiled, "and when the Chief handed it over for his grandson to play, Raven transformed back and flew away with the Sun, bringing light into the world."
Wren rolled her eyes. She heard this story many times before.
"Ah, I see you Wren," her grandma laughed, "But what you haven't heard is our family's involvement." This piqued Wren's interest. "Inside the box were also the Moon and Stars. Raven carried all three to the sky, but it was too heavy so he couldn't fly high. So Great Bear, our ancestor, held onto the Stars and Moon while Raven placed the Sun into the sky. Raven then came back for the Moon and Stars, and that is why you don't see the Stars when the Sun is out."
"But unbeknownst to Raven," Grandma continued, "Bear had kept one of the stars to pass down to her future children. She wanted them to have Light of their own. And that is what lies beneath the waterfall."
Wren and Rae looked at each other, eyes sparkled with wonder.
"But how did it end up in the water?" Rae asked. Her grandma looked back at them, sadness clouded her face and didn't answer.
"Who cares, let's go find it!" Wren yelled and the question was forgotten.
Wren and Rae went out every day that summer, eagerly searching for the magical stone underneath the waterfall. At dusk they would return to the cabin, empty-handed, no glimpses of any waterfall. Their grandma would sit outside on the front porch swing, waiting for their arrival, a cigarette hanging lazily in her hand. "Did you find it?" she would laugh, "did you find The Light?" The girls spent the next few years blazing trails and drawing crude maps to try and find the waterfall and Bear's star. But somewhere along the road towards adulthood, childhood dreams faded away and they gave up.
But before Rae passed away, she brought up the waterfall. Rae had been feeling unwell for a while. She had liver problems and wasn't able to gain weight, but the doctors said there was nothing wrong. Even after they didn't know what claimed her.
"Promise me you'll find it one day," she said in an off-handed way.
Wren just scoffed, "I think Grandma was pulling our leg, just wanted us out of her hair while she smoked."
Rae shook her head and laughed. "It's there, I know it is."
"Okay, even so, you know I can't swim very well so you need to be the one to dive headfirst! We'll find it together, when you're feeling stronger," Wren said, effectively ending the conversation. Rae smiled and Wren pretended not to notice the sadness beneath her twin sister's eyes. Rae passed away in her sleep soon after. Many times Wren would wonder if Rae had a vision that day….that she already knew that she was not long for this world…
But Wren stopped believing in things like that after Rae died and she never went back to the cabin. Stopped believing in 'The Light' and the stone…
…Until today. On an impulse she thought to look for the treasure her sister was sure she would find. Maybe, somehow, if she could at least find the damn waterfall she could make sense of the story, of the belief her sister and Grandma held so faithfully. But instead all Wren found was a man dressed like one of her favourite literary characters.
"Gandalf…" Wren said skeptically, slowly backing away. "…The Grey." The Man Who Called Himself Gandalf smiled and continued to puff on his pipe. "I must have hit my head harder than I thought or I'm having some kind of psychotic breakdown because you are not real."
"Ah, but I am real."
"No, no, you are just some character in a novel, and I…" Wren stammered and looked around. It was darker than before. "I should be heading back to the cabin and not be having imaginary conversations…" Wren turned to leave to walk back up the hill.
"You will not find your way home that way, Wren." The Man Who Called Himself Gandalf sat back down on the rock. A gentle breeze flowed through the forest. Wren sniffed the air. She could smell the smoke from the pipe. It sure smelled real.
"Okay, let's say you really are Gandalf," Wren air-quoted his name as she turned to face the wizard, "How do you know my name and why are you here?"
"Your raven-friend told me your name," Gandalf simply replied, "and it's not that I am there but that you are here."
"Raven-friend?...Wait. You mean, here…as in…?"
"Middle Earth."
"MIDDLE EARTH?!" Wren started to rub her forehead. "That's impossible, I was just on that hill there, in MY world.."
"Hm." Gandalf scrunched his bushy eyebrows, deep in thought. A few silent minutes go by.
"So how did I end up here," Wren slumped down into the earth and started fiddling with the grass, "if here is where you say it is." She still didn't want to admit that this was all really happening.
"Your raven-friend brought you here, but for what purpose I have not an idea." Gandalf replied. Great, fucking trickster raven, Wren thought.
"Ah, I wonder if perhaps it has something to do with the quest that I am on now…" Gandalf quietly remarked to himself. Wren's eyes shot up. "Although what your role could be…" Gandalf trailed off.
"Wait, did you say 'quest'?" Wren tried to tamper down a prickle of excitement burble in her stomach, to not engage in what could be a very vivid hallucination. But she couldn't stop herself. "Is it something to do with a mountain and dwarves?" Or rings and hobbits, Wren thought to herself.
"Why, yes. But I had enough of the company of stubborn dwarves for the night, which has led me to here and to find you…" Wren knew Gandalf was annoyed and was probably remembering his talks with Thorin earlier in the day. "Though, I have learned other the years that things that come to pass are for a reason," Gandalf looked closely at Wren, studying her.
"My grandma used to say that," Wren smiled, remembering her grandma, "She used to say, 'things happen for a reason', whenever something sad happened..." Although, Wren stopped believing in that too after Rae died. Gandalf seemed to sense the sadness in Wren's tone because he changed the subject.
"I believe you will play an important role in this quest, perhaps you're knowledge will prove useful, although too much said could change what should come to pass…" Gandalf looked at Wren, knowingly. That's true, Wren thought, The events of this lead to Bilbo getting the ring, which allows Frodo to inherit it later and eventually destroy Sauron for good. If I mess with anything, that whole future could be destroyed. Wren shook her head dismissively, Wait a minute, what am I saying!
"But perhaps as well, your fate is to learn and not change." Gandalf said mostly to himself as Wren was stuck in her own head.
It had been a long while since she had last read The Hobbit, a year since she had seen the final movie. Wren could practically hear the soundtrack in her mind right now. Wren had to hold back her incredulous laughter. If only Rae could see me now, Wren thought, She would say "Wren, you've finally done it! All that time you spent daydreaming of being in another world and now look where you are! You nerd!" Wren instinctively clutched at the memorial necklace dangling around her neck and her smile slowly faded thinking of her twin.
Suddenly, Wren started to squint. The clouds must be finally breaking, Wren thought. But when Wren looked up into the sky, she could make out some lingering stars. The sky was turning orange—morning was coming. Which meant…the trolls. Wren looked over to Gandalf, still lost in his thoughts. He was making no indication of moving. Shouldn't he be on his way to help save the company from the trolls? Wren wasn't sure what to do. Does she interfere? And by interfering isn't she then admitting that this is all real?
What do I do, Rae? Dive headfirst or…?
"Gandalf! Did you say you left the dwarves and Bilbo?" Wren asked suddenly. Gandalf looked at Wren like he forgot she was still there, and looked behind him.
"They should be catching up shortly," Gandalf said.
"Not if the trolls eat them!"
