Disclaimer: I do not make any money from this chapter or any of the chapters to come. I am not claiming ownership or rights to any of the story setting or recognizable characters from Tolkein's beloved world. The only thing that is mine is the character Margaret and the plot of the story. That said, I still am not making any profit or attempting to sell any aspects of this fanfiction.


Winter Wonders

Margaret saw the snow flakes, and the water churning beneath her. She was standing on a rock, but couldn't seem to find who she was looking for

"Ma!" she called, but all she heard was the sound of her own voice. A little boy next to her cried and shook from the cold. He turned his face away from Margaret, and jumped into the water next to her.

"You will not be able to take in any air," she heard Glorfindel's voice, " That is unwise."

The wind swirled around Margaret, and she felt her feet move towards the water.

"Ma! Help me, please!" she cried, " I don't want to go back in."

She knew her lungs were burning, although she could not feel it. She knew that she was in danger, but she couldn't seem to find help.

"Glorfindel!" she yelled.

Margaret woke with a start. She was in her bed, the silk scarves that covered two thirds of her room blew slightly in the cold winter breeze as a draft entered her room. She pulled the covers around her tighter. Glorfindel had insisted that a fire be kept going in her room at all times during the winter, and that large, heavy drapes were placed behind the open arches of her room. They were the same colors as the scarves that lined the open walls which they were placed behind. Purple and pink behind one another, one heavy and one light and flowing. On the other side of her room, the walls were made of stone. Normally the elves did not need the drapes, but Margaret was human, and needed something heavier to keep out the ridged air. Tonight however, she was still chilled.

Thinking of her dream, she remembered the little boy as one of the tenement children back in New York. No one was ever really warm in the winter there. She thought again about the water, and looking for her Ma. Ma is never going to be able to help me again, she thought with sadness. Feeling extremely tired, cold, and alone, Margaret worked up the energy to crawl out of bed. She wrapped the blankets around her shoulders, and left the room.

Imladris was very different to her eyes at night. There was little to no light in the halls, and she often had to feel her way around. She knew this path well, however, so she was able to walk right up to the door. The knob was a little above her head, and she had to stand on her toes to reach it, but she managed, like usual, to open the door. As quietly as she could, she walked up to the big bed and looked up.

Glorfindel turned and smiled to her. He reached his arms out, and pulled her up next to him. Margaret curled against his chest, and snuggled her face into his shoulder.

" Sleep Penneth," he said softly, " You have nothing to fear this night."

Finally warm, Margaret's eyes drifted shut, and she slept peacefully for the rest of the night.

The next morning, Glorfindel shook Margaret awake. It was even cooler than the day before and she danced around on the stone floor, trying to keep her feet warm against its coldness.

" Glorfindel," she asked, " Can we go out in the woods again today?"

" I cannot. But I believe Calin has a special lesson planned for you today. He asked me that you dress warm." Glorfindel smiled as Margaret's face lit up. She ran off to bathe and dress for the day.

Calin pulled on his deer skinned gloves and made sure Margaret's cloak was fastened. Today he was going to take her out and show her why and how the different changes occurred among forest. He was going to teach her how animals lived when there was less grass and food during the winter time. She always loved outdoor lessons, and Calin could not help but be cheerful at her enthusiasm.

" What would you like to learn first?" he asked her as she bounced up and down on her toes.

" The animals," she answered excitedly.

" Alright, off we go then." Taking her hand, he led her out of the court yard, and toward the meadow. The forest ran along one side of the open field, so it would not be difficult to explain the different eating patterns of the forest creatures.

" The squirrels," Calin began, " as you know build nests during the summer. When the weather is warm, they gather as many nuts and seeds as they can. They eat much so they fatten up, and then store the rest among the twigs and branches of their nests. All the eating they do allows them to grow thick fur coats. During the cold times they have food to eat from their stored supplies."

" Many small animals, like skunks, hibernate during the winter. They eat all spring and summer season, and then sleep for the long months. Sometimes you will hear elves say the forest has gone to sleep. So many animals are be out of sight for a time, it makes it quiet."

Pointing to the meadow, Calin explained the foraging of deer. How they looked for anything they could eat, whether it be in the forest or in the fields. He talked about the movement of fish in the streams, and the interesting way in which frogs that lived in trees dug into the cracks and crevices to keep warm.

" The frogs are so still," said Calin, " They seem almost frozen and dead. But when it warms up, they come out."

He smiled as Margaret listened to him intently. She was fascinated by the animals and how they maintained survival. He took great pride knowing she was learning so much from his teachings.

" That will be all for today," he said and saw her smile falter. " We can come back out tomorrow if the weather is decent."

Margaret brightened at the thought of another outdoor lesson, and took Calin's hand as the walked back to the court yard. Sulwen was waiting for her as they approached.

" Margaret," she said, taking her hand and giving Calin a nod, " Glorfindel was called away on business, but he will be back by tomorrow evening."

Sulwen watched as Margaret froze, and held her breath.

" Glorfindel is gone?" she asked is a shaky voice.

" Just for tonight," Sulwen soothed, " Come, we will join Elrond and the twins for meal, and then I can read to you if you like."

Margaret nodded and allowed Sulwen to lead her away. Glorfindel had been gone several times since Margaret had first come to Imladris, but never over night. She was not what she would do if the bad dreams woke her again.

That night, after Sulwen had tucked her in and kissed her forehead, she stared into the darkness for what seemed like hours. The wind whistled outside her window, and she pulled her knees up to chin, hugging her arms around her legs. Margaret closed her eyes and finally fell asleep.

It wasn't much later that Margaret awoke, scared from the terrifying images of the orc she had encountered before Glorfindel had found her in the forest. Tears ran silently down her cheek as she thought of the mixed images that had floated over her mind. In the dream, the orc hadn't been chasing her like it did that day, but rather it was chasing her Ma. Usually Glorfindel would come and save her, but tonight no one came. As her Ma had yelled, and disappeared from her sight, she woke with the last wisp of the dream leaving her staring into the red eyes of the beast.

Crying still, she was surprised when a pair of warm hands touched her face, and then lifted her from her bed.

" Calm down child, all is well," said Elrond. He took her in her blankets and walked to one of the various rooms in the house. Margaret was not sure where they had gone, because it was too dark to tell. Elrond sat down near fireplace. It was burning bright with the flames that licked up the blacked stone of the chimney. The wood crackled against the heat. He settled her against him, and rocked her slowly back and forth in the chair. Margaret knew which room she was in then. It was the only one that had a rocking chair in it. Often the twins were in here when they were home, for it had been a play room to all of Elrond's children growing up. Feeling better than she had since she had arrived home after lessons, Margaret fell into a deep sleep.

Lord Elrond smiled to himself, thinking of how long it had been since he had held his own children after their nightmares. He thought of his sons, and how they usually comforted each other from bad dreams, but often he would if they had dreamt simultaneously. He thought of Arwen, how her tears always crushed his heart when the silver blue of her eyes looked at him in fear. So many times had he soothed the frightened hearts of young ones. He sighed, wishing he still could for his own offspring. Their hearts were in much pain, as was his own, since the departure of Lady Celebrian many years before. His sons often left on war parties to hunt orcs while Arwen spent much of her time in Lothlorien. It pained him to know that he could not help their hurt.

Margaret snuggled closer, bringing Elrond out of his darkened thoughts. At least for now, he mused, I can comfort this one.