If this is a Dream...
Chapter 3
"Waking up to Strangers"


It was an Elven victory, but with many losses. Casualties were numerous on both sides and there was much work to do before there could be any celebration. Elves sadly gathered the bodies of their fallen comrades and laid them out to be buried. Orc carcasses were heaped unceremoniously into a massive pile to be burned; they deserved no better.

The six friends sat on the hillside looking on in horror at the carnage on the field below. They turned as they saw two figures break away from the mob of working elves and watched them as they moved steadily closer. The friends recognized one as Haldir, the elf Captian, Kevin greeted him civilly, "Congratulations on your victory, my lord," he said awkwardly.

"It was not mine, friend," the elf replied, "It was ours. Your friend, I am told, fought bravely, does she live?" He said this seeing the unconscious form of Becky, lying nearby.

"Aye, lord, she lives, though she is badly hurt," Kevin said, watching curiously as the other elf left Haldir's side and walk over to Becky. He knelt beside her and touched her forehead gently with the back of his hand, he looked up at Haldir worriedly, "She is burning up with fever," he said, "we must get her medical attention immediately!"

Haldir turned to Kevin, "That is my brother, Halden," he said, "he encountered Lady Rebecka in battle. Your friend needs help, I give you all permission to enter our wood, your friend has helped where she need not have, and for that we owe her our hospitality."

Kevin bowed awkwardly, for he had never done it before, "Thank you, friend, we gratefully accept your offer, whatever help you can give Becky, we accept with honor."

The elf smiled, "Good. Halden, put her with the rest of our wounded, we will be leaving shortly."

****

Late that night, with her wounds bound and her fever treated, Becky lay, still unconscious, with her friends around her.

The healer, who had been sitting at the side of the bed, stood up and wiped his hands on a towel. He looked at everyone sitting around nearly dozing off, "There is no danger for your friend," he said, making everyone jump, "she is a very strong young lady, she will recover quickly. You all look exhausted, you should sleep. Come, I will find someone to take you to your rooms.

Gladly the others stood and began to file out of the door.

"I think I will stay with her," said a quiet voice in the corner. It was Halden, they had nearly forgotten he was there, "If it is all right with all of you that is, she might wake up and wonder where she is."

Kevin nodded, "Thank you, friend, I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

Derek was the last to leave the room and paused in the doorway, "Uh, would you, er, let me know when she wakes up?" he asked.

Halden nodded, "You two are betrothed then?" he asked blandly, trying not to show any emotion in his voice.

Derek was taken by surprise by the abrupt question, "I, uh, no, I mean, not any more, we used to be, together I mean, but that was a long time ago."

The elf nodded.

"It's just that," Derek continued, "she's a really good friend of mine and, well, I don't think she knows it."

Halden smiled, "You are a true friend, Derek," he said, "I am sure she knows that. Go and get some rest now, I will let you know when she wakes."

"Thanks," Derek replied, and walked swiftly out, shutting the door behind him.

****

Becky woke with a bright light shinning behind her eyelids. Without opening her eyes, she yawned loudly, "I had the strangest dream..." she said aloud to herself. She tried to sit up but a shooting pain ran up her side and she cried out in surprise.

Instantly there was a familiar pair of strong hands pushing her gently back on her pillows. "Careful, lady, you are not yet completely healed."

Becky looked up at the stranger in her room and recognized him, "Oh, it's you!" she exclaimed. She rubbed her eyes, "I guess it wasn't a dream, huh?"

"I'm afraid not, lady," he replied.

"Awesome!" she exclaimed, unable to contain her relief that she had not been dreaming, "So that must mean I'm in Lothlorien then huh? Cool!" She looked at the elf and saw that he was looking at her strangely, "Oh, er, sorry, I guess I'm just glad I'm not dead. Oh, hey, that reminds me, did we win the battle?"

The elf nodded, still looking a little confused by her earlier outburst, "Yes, lady, we were victorious, though many good warriors were lost..." he bowed his head as if remembering.

"I'm so sorry," Becky said, "if only I could have done more to help you..."

The elf's head came up and his face was drawn up in surprise, "Oh, no, my lady, you did much more that you were expected, it was not even your fight, you did not have to help us but you did and we are grateful for that!"

"I didn't do much, but thanks, and please, enough with the 'lady' thing, my name is Rebecka."

"Pleased to meet you Rebecka. I am Halden, you may not remember me but-"

"Of course I remember you!" Becky interrupted, "You saved my life, how could I not!"

Halden smiled, and Becky's heart nearly stopped, he was gorgeous when he smiled. "Oh, but as I recall," he said, "you also saved mine."

Becky smiled then too, "So I did," she said, then stopped, noticing who he reminded her of. "You know, you kinda look like-"

"Haldir?" he interrupted. Becky nodded. "Yes I know, he is my older brother, we look very much alike."

"Oh," she said, and mumbled under her breath, "I wonder why the books never mentioned that Haldir had a brother..."

"What was that, Rebecka?"

She looked up, "Oh, nothing, just thinking out loud, sorry." She looked at him curiously, "Halden?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you stay here with me?"

The elf started a little and turned a bit pink, Becky found this quite cute, but he when he answered he seemed quite calm. "To tell you the truth," he began, turning to look out the window, "I am not quite sure. Ever since we met in the battle, I have just felt... well, I am not sure what I felt, but I knew I needed to find out, so I suppose that is why I stayed." He turned and smiled at me, "That, and because I was worried about you."

Becky was touched, she reached out and took his hand, "Thank you, Halden, I am grateful."

Halden smiled and stood, "Now, if you will excuse me, Rebecka, I promised a friend of yours that I would inform him when you woke."

Becky grinned, "Well, by all means, keep thy promise kind sir!"

He grinned back, "I will see you again, lady Rebecka," he said and left the room.

Becky gazed up at the ceiling. "I think I like him," she said.

"Like who?"

Becky jumped as Derek walked into the room, "oh, uh, no one. How did you get here so fast?"

"Oh, that elf guy, Halden, I think his name was, met me in the hall on my way over here. So, you ok?"

Becky grinned, "Yep," she said cheerfully, "I feel like I could go out right now and kick some more orc ass's!"


"You're a liar," he stated flatly, though he was smiling, "I'm glad you're ok."

She smiled sweetly, "You always were the sweet one, Derek," she said, "what have you and the others been up to?"

Derek smiled mischievously, "Oh, this and that. You know, everything here is really pretty, including the girls!"

Becky rolled her eyes and laughed, typical 17-year-old male, she thought, then out loud, "Well of course they are, silly, they're elves! Elves are the fairest people in Middle Earth!"

Derek shivered, "Oooo, don't say that it still weirds me out that we're here in the first place. So what do you think of the elf guys?"

Becky blushed without meaning to, "Oh, they're cute I guess."

Derek smiled knowingly, "You like Halden don't you?"

Becky looked at him, surprised, "How did you...? What... oooh, you nosey little crab!"

He grinned, "I knew it! Becky and elf boy sitting in a tree..."

Becky threw a pillow at him, "Shut up!" she squealed, "Why don't you go flirt with one of your pretty elf girls!"

He laughed, "Maybe I will, but right now I have a bed ridden friend to visit with."

"Well then sit down and visit, but you had better not tell him! Where are the others this morning?"

Derek sat in the chair vacated by Halden, "Oh, but it's NOT morning," he said, "you slept the day away, it's 2:00 already, or at least it is on my watch, I don't know how the tell time here."

"Oh, you'd better not flash that around too much," Becky said, "it might cause trouble."

"Yeah, well, as for the others, they're having a late lunch in our rooms, waiting for you to wake up so we can all go and have a meeting with our host and hostess."

Becky smiled, "Ah, the enchanting Lady Galadriel and Lord Celeborn, can't wait!"

"Yeah," Derek replied, "And I've been meaning to ask you, what are they anyway, like gods of something?"

She laughed, "No, no, they're elves, just like all the others, but very wise and powerful, if anyone can help us, they can."

Derek ran a hand through his spiky, blonde hair and sighed, "This is all so... weird, I just... don't know what to make of it.

"Aye, neither do I, friend, but we'll just have to make the most of it," she replied.

"Yeah, but you're loving every minute of it, I can see it in your eyes, this is your element. You're even starting to talk like them!"

Becky grinned, "Well, as you said, this is my element, talking like them is what I do best!"

Derek smirked, "Yeah, well, I'll probably be talking like them too by the time this is all over with. Come on, let's go meet the others, are you up to it?"

She shrugged, "I'll manage," she said lightly, "Go 'way, I gotta change."

"All right, but make it snappy," he said, getting up and closing the door behind him as he left.