**I don't own anything from Lord of the Rings, J. R.R. Tolkien, or any of
the poetry or poets referenced (such as John Keats)-all I own is Dascha,
Ivy, Geniveve and Christopher**
Leaf-Fringed Legend
By Leah Pensotti
"Sylvan historian, who canst thus express A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme: What leaf -fringed legend haunts about thy shape Of deities or mortals, or of both, In Tempe or the dales of Arcady ? What men or gods are these? What maidens loth? What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape? What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?"
-John Keats "Ode on a Grecian Urn"
Chapter Two: Out of Space and Out of Time
Geniveve sat up, straight as could be, "Gandalf?"
The man shook his head, "Yes that's right."
She sighed deeply, "I'm either dead or crazy."
Gandalf puffed his pipe, a vague look of amusement on his face, "We shall talk later, Geniveve. I'll leave you to wake your companions, I should think they'd like to see a familiar face. Someone should be by to help you, Lord Elrond wishes to speak with you all. I will see you then."
Gandalf rose from the chair, gathered his hat and staff and then walked to the door. Geniveve mustered a small "goodbye" before the door closed and looked around the room. Only a few specks of color were apparent, the rest of the décor was white. Geniveve pulled the covers back, her tennis shoes were on the floor next to the bed and she still wore her black tank top and dark jeans, but her dark green sweater was missing.
She tiptoed over to Dascha's bed first and shook the girl by a large shoulder, "Dascha. It's Gen, wake up."
Dascha's shoulder length hair covered her face and a strong arm flew out to knock Geniveve over and then Dascha mumbled a few inaudible words in Russian. Geniveve pulled herself up from the floor and blew her hair out of her face with an exasperated breath.
"Oh, you're gonna get it now."
Geniveve took a pillow from the bed and pressed it over Dascha's face firmly. Dascha started to struggle and Geniveve relented and removed the pillow to see Dascha very much awake and laboring for breath.
"You want me dead, Gen?"
Geniveve chuckled, "I should ask you the same thing, Terminator. I've been trying to wake you up. Come on, we need to get Ivy and find Chris. I'm afraid we're in a mess."
Dascha rolled of her bed and glanced at her surroundings, "Where are we?"
Geniveve sighed, "In hell-or a reasonable facsimile. You wouldn't believe me if I told you. First we'll wake up Ivy and then we'll try to figure it all out."
Together they turned to where Ivy slept. Geniveve whispered gently and tapped Ivy's shoulder, "Ivy, I think you're dreams have come true. Wake up."
Ivy looked up wearily, her hazel eyes drooping; "Christopher wants to marry me?"
Dascha let out a hearty laugh and Geniveve smiled, " No. I wish, Ivy. Think hard."
Ivy sat up and her eyes went wide. Her black hair stuck up funny from sleep; "Holy shit! Where are we?"
Geniveve cleared her throat, "Um. Rivendell."
Ivy shot out of bed and ran to the balcony. A frantic glare was in her eye. She tore at the curtains and squealed happily, "Arrgh! I can't believe it."
Geniveve and Dascha stood in the middle of the room and watched as Ivy jumped on a bed. Geniveve approached slowly, " Ivy, get it all out now. Don't, you know, wig out when we meet people. You may think we're lucky. I think we're dead. Maybe I'm dreaming. Hey Dascha, pinch me."
Dascha reached out and twisted the skin above Geniveve's elbow. Geniveve howled in pain, "Okay, uncle, uncle, uncle! Maybe I'm not dreaming."
Ivy stopped bouncing on the bed, "Evie, we're not dreaming! This is real!"
Geniveve sighed, "Alright then, it's mass hysteria. Caused by the storm and the tree. That has to be it. Let's go get Christopher."
Ivy looked at her in horror, "Where is he?"
Geniveve pointed to the left, "Next door. Don't tell me you're gonna be shy. That's my job. If people only knew the truth about you, Ivy O'Connor. You're not tough at all."
Geniveve opened the door and looked out to the hall, making sure that no one was there. They then quietly walked to the next door and sneaked in. Christopher lie in the bed asleep, a cut visible across his forehead. Geniveve nudged Ivy, "Hey, there's sleeping beauty. Go wake him up."
Ivy looked to Geniveve and sneered. Geniveve stepped away and sat on the side of her brother's bed, "Chris. We need you're help. Wake up."
Christopher turned over and looked up at Geniveve, "If you're coming in here to tell me that we're in Rivendell, there's no need. Aragorn was here earlier."
Geniveve wrinkled her brow, "He was? What did he say?"
Her brother sat up and yawned, "Not much."
Geniveve sighed, "What do you think happened? How did we get here?"
Christopher shrugged, "Mass hysteria or we're dead."
She smiled, "Yeah, that's what I thought."
Ivy stepped forward anxiously, "No. We're here. This is real."
Christopher smiled at Ivy, "Come on Ivy. This is a fictional place."
Ivy looked defeated and then said, "Did Aragorn say anything important?"
Christopher rolled out of bed and then stood up, "No. Well, he did say that Elrond wanted to see us."
Geniveve nodded, "That's what Gandalf told me."
Ivy's jaw dropped, "Gandalf was in our room?"
Geniveve nodded, "Yep."
Dascha looked confused and then spoke, "We are in that book, no?"
Ivy smiled, "We are!"
Dascha sighed, "I am being punished, no?"
Christopher and Geniveve laughed until their faces turned pink. All of a sudden a knock comes on the door and a small voice is heard, "Um, is everything all right? Gandalf sent us to bring you your clothes."
Dascha opened the door and looked down as the others ran to her side. There stood three little men with curly mops of hair on their heads and hair-covered feet, looking up in shock at Dascha. Ivy looked to Geniveve and then Geniveve looked to Chris and they all looked back down to the creatures at their door.
Dascha screamed in terror, "AGGH!"
The tiny men screamed in return, "AGGH!"
Dascha threw the door shut and caught her breath. Geniveve pushed the girl out of the way and opened the door. The creatures cowered against the wall as she walked towards them slowly, "Are you all alright? I am so sorry about that. She has never seen people like you before."
Geniveve smiled, and doubted her sanity. She had never seen anything like them before, either, "My name is Geniveve. Will you all please come in? We won't hurt you."
All three of them smiled cautiously and walked into the room. Christopher and Ivy flanked either side of Dascha on the bed, trying to calm her down.
Geniveve smiled reassuringly, "You said you brought us clothes?"
The smallest of the three stepped forward, "Here you go. I'm Peregrin Took. My friends here call me Pippin, though."
She reached out and took the bundle from Pippin that looked to contain their jackets and Geniveve's green sweater, "Thank You, Pippin I have been wondering where these went. Who are you're friends?"
Another stepped forward, "I am Meriadoc Brandybuck, er, Merry and this is Sam."
Geniveve nodded and looked to the silent one, who looked to be shy but also a little sad, "It's nice to meet you both. This is my brother Christopher, my friends Ivy, and Dascha."
They looked in curiosity at Dascha and then Geniveve felt a tug on her pant- leg. She looked down to see Sam beside her; she crouched down and asked, "Yes Sam?"
He stammered a bit, "Er, we haven't ever seen anyone like her before either, if you take my meaning."
She laughed faintly, "Yes, Dascha is a real rarity."
Pippin stepped closer, "She's really big."
Ivy and Chris both laughed as Dascha reeled. Geniveve laughed again, "And you're quite small."
Merry puffed out his chest a bit; "We're hobbits. What are you?"
Chris stood next to his sister, "Humans."
Pippin looked up, "Well Gandalf nor Strider, er, Aragorn have seen the likes of you. Where did you come from?"
Ivy spoke up, "Far away."
Geniveve stood up again, "A different space and time, I should think. Truth is, we got here by accident. We really don't know how it happened."
After a brief silence Sam spoke, "I should go check on Frodo. I suppose I'll see you soon."
Geniveve smiled, "I hope so Sam."
Sam blushed a bit and walked through the door; Merry and Pippin turned around and Merry spoke, "Aragorn should be by in a hour, to take you to Lord Elrond. All of you should get ready."
Geniveve and Ivy nodded in unison as the hobbits left the room. Geniveve turned to observe Dascha, who sat at the bed clutching her knees.
Dascha finally spoke, "Hobbits?"
Geniveve merely nodded and realized that it was another nail in the coffin of her sanity.
**Remember to R&R! Next Chapter-Aragorn, Elrond, the Hall of Fire with Bilbo, Frodo and Geniveve. Fellowship soon to follow**
Leaf-Fringed Legend
By Leah Pensotti
"Sylvan historian, who canst thus express A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme: What leaf -fringed legend haunts about thy shape Of deities or mortals, or of both, In Tempe or the dales of Arcady ? What men or gods are these? What maidens loth? What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape? What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?"
-John Keats "Ode on a Grecian Urn"
Chapter Two: Out of Space and Out of Time
Geniveve sat up, straight as could be, "Gandalf?"
The man shook his head, "Yes that's right."
She sighed deeply, "I'm either dead or crazy."
Gandalf puffed his pipe, a vague look of amusement on his face, "We shall talk later, Geniveve. I'll leave you to wake your companions, I should think they'd like to see a familiar face. Someone should be by to help you, Lord Elrond wishes to speak with you all. I will see you then."
Gandalf rose from the chair, gathered his hat and staff and then walked to the door. Geniveve mustered a small "goodbye" before the door closed and looked around the room. Only a few specks of color were apparent, the rest of the décor was white. Geniveve pulled the covers back, her tennis shoes were on the floor next to the bed and she still wore her black tank top and dark jeans, but her dark green sweater was missing.
She tiptoed over to Dascha's bed first and shook the girl by a large shoulder, "Dascha. It's Gen, wake up."
Dascha's shoulder length hair covered her face and a strong arm flew out to knock Geniveve over and then Dascha mumbled a few inaudible words in Russian. Geniveve pulled herself up from the floor and blew her hair out of her face with an exasperated breath.
"Oh, you're gonna get it now."
Geniveve took a pillow from the bed and pressed it over Dascha's face firmly. Dascha started to struggle and Geniveve relented and removed the pillow to see Dascha very much awake and laboring for breath.
"You want me dead, Gen?"
Geniveve chuckled, "I should ask you the same thing, Terminator. I've been trying to wake you up. Come on, we need to get Ivy and find Chris. I'm afraid we're in a mess."
Dascha rolled of her bed and glanced at her surroundings, "Where are we?"
Geniveve sighed, "In hell-or a reasonable facsimile. You wouldn't believe me if I told you. First we'll wake up Ivy and then we'll try to figure it all out."
Together they turned to where Ivy slept. Geniveve whispered gently and tapped Ivy's shoulder, "Ivy, I think you're dreams have come true. Wake up."
Ivy looked up wearily, her hazel eyes drooping; "Christopher wants to marry me?"
Dascha let out a hearty laugh and Geniveve smiled, " No. I wish, Ivy. Think hard."
Ivy sat up and her eyes went wide. Her black hair stuck up funny from sleep; "Holy shit! Where are we?"
Geniveve cleared her throat, "Um. Rivendell."
Ivy shot out of bed and ran to the balcony. A frantic glare was in her eye. She tore at the curtains and squealed happily, "Arrgh! I can't believe it."
Geniveve and Dascha stood in the middle of the room and watched as Ivy jumped on a bed. Geniveve approached slowly, " Ivy, get it all out now. Don't, you know, wig out when we meet people. You may think we're lucky. I think we're dead. Maybe I'm dreaming. Hey Dascha, pinch me."
Dascha reached out and twisted the skin above Geniveve's elbow. Geniveve howled in pain, "Okay, uncle, uncle, uncle! Maybe I'm not dreaming."
Ivy stopped bouncing on the bed, "Evie, we're not dreaming! This is real!"
Geniveve sighed, "Alright then, it's mass hysteria. Caused by the storm and the tree. That has to be it. Let's go get Christopher."
Ivy looked at her in horror, "Where is he?"
Geniveve pointed to the left, "Next door. Don't tell me you're gonna be shy. That's my job. If people only knew the truth about you, Ivy O'Connor. You're not tough at all."
Geniveve opened the door and looked out to the hall, making sure that no one was there. They then quietly walked to the next door and sneaked in. Christopher lie in the bed asleep, a cut visible across his forehead. Geniveve nudged Ivy, "Hey, there's sleeping beauty. Go wake him up."
Ivy looked to Geniveve and sneered. Geniveve stepped away and sat on the side of her brother's bed, "Chris. We need you're help. Wake up."
Christopher turned over and looked up at Geniveve, "If you're coming in here to tell me that we're in Rivendell, there's no need. Aragorn was here earlier."
Geniveve wrinkled her brow, "He was? What did he say?"
Her brother sat up and yawned, "Not much."
Geniveve sighed, "What do you think happened? How did we get here?"
Christopher shrugged, "Mass hysteria or we're dead."
She smiled, "Yeah, that's what I thought."
Ivy stepped forward anxiously, "No. We're here. This is real."
Christopher smiled at Ivy, "Come on Ivy. This is a fictional place."
Ivy looked defeated and then said, "Did Aragorn say anything important?"
Christopher rolled out of bed and then stood up, "No. Well, he did say that Elrond wanted to see us."
Geniveve nodded, "That's what Gandalf told me."
Ivy's jaw dropped, "Gandalf was in our room?"
Geniveve nodded, "Yep."
Dascha looked confused and then spoke, "We are in that book, no?"
Ivy smiled, "We are!"
Dascha sighed, "I am being punished, no?"
Christopher and Geniveve laughed until their faces turned pink. All of a sudden a knock comes on the door and a small voice is heard, "Um, is everything all right? Gandalf sent us to bring you your clothes."
Dascha opened the door and looked down as the others ran to her side. There stood three little men with curly mops of hair on their heads and hair-covered feet, looking up in shock at Dascha. Ivy looked to Geniveve and then Geniveve looked to Chris and they all looked back down to the creatures at their door.
Dascha screamed in terror, "AGGH!"
The tiny men screamed in return, "AGGH!"
Dascha threw the door shut and caught her breath. Geniveve pushed the girl out of the way and opened the door. The creatures cowered against the wall as she walked towards them slowly, "Are you all alright? I am so sorry about that. She has never seen people like you before."
Geniveve smiled, and doubted her sanity. She had never seen anything like them before, either, "My name is Geniveve. Will you all please come in? We won't hurt you."
All three of them smiled cautiously and walked into the room. Christopher and Ivy flanked either side of Dascha on the bed, trying to calm her down.
Geniveve smiled reassuringly, "You said you brought us clothes?"
The smallest of the three stepped forward, "Here you go. I'm Peregrin Took. My friends here call me Pippin, though."
She reached out and took the bundle from Pippin that looked to contain their jackets and Geniveve's green sweater, "Thank You, Pippin I have been wondering where these went. Who are you're friends?"
Another stepped forward, "I am Meriadoc Brandybuck, er, Merry and this is Sam."
Geniveve nodded and looked to the silent one, who looked to be shy but also a little sad, "It's nice to meet you both. This is my brother Christopher, my friends Ivy, and Dascha."
They looked in curiosity at Dascha and then Geniveve felt a tug on her pant- leg. She looked down to see Sam beside her; she crouched down and asked, "Yes Sam?"
He stammered a bit, "Er, we haven't ever seen anyone like her before either, if you take my meaning."
She laughed faintly, "Yes, Dascha is a real rarity."
Pippin stepped closer, "She's really big."
Ivy and Chris both laughed as Dascha reeled. Geniveve laughed again, "And you're quite small."
Merry puffed out his chest a bit; "We're hobbits. What are you?"
Chris stood next to his sister, "Humans."
Pippin looked up, "Well Gandalf nor Strider, er, Aragorn have seen the likes of you. Where did you come from?"
Ivy spoke up, "Far away."
Geniveve stood up again, "A different space and time, I should think. Truth is, we got here by accident. We really don't know how it happened."
After a brief silence Sam spoke, "I should go check on Frodo. I suppose I'll see you soon."
Geniveve smiled, "I hope so Sam."
Sam blushed a bit and walked through the door; Merry and Pippin turned around and Merry spoke, "Aragorn should be by in a hour, to take you to Lord Elrond. All of you should get ready."
Geniveve and Ivy nodded in unison as the hobbits left the room. Geniveve turned to observe Dascha, who sat at the bed clutching her knees.
Dascha finally spoke, "Hobbits?"
Geniveve merely nodded and realized that it was another nail in the coffin of her sanity.
**Remember to R&R! Next Chapter-Aragorn, Elrond, the Hall of Fire with Bilbo, Frodo and Geniveve. Fellowship soon to follow**
