The Trees Remember
Chapter Three
"A Friendly Visit"
The Elves spun around to face the one who addressed them in Sindarin. The woman standing before them was clearly not a woman at all. Her creamy skin shone faintly as if a single beam of moonlight penetrated the angry black clouds floating in the sky and cast a pale halo around her. In her eyes, blue and clear as a drop of rain, immortal wisdom burned. She stood eye level with Haldir; the tallest of the Elves, and no hint of apology flashed across her face as she looked down to survey the others. Eldar she was, yet the identity of her kin group escaped them. She looked unlike any Silvan Elf known to the ellyn, and no wood-elf would care to remain in this machine-driven city of Men, but no other kindred remained in Arda.
"Please, come with me. I will take you someplace safe."
The Sindarin she spoke was extremely different from Valinórean Sindarin. Her accent also sounded strange, but her words were understandable. The gentle tone of her voice struck a chord in all of them, and they followed her without question. She led them across the street to the building they had considered entering.
She spoke to the doorman in the gibberish language the farmer had used with the Elves. He smiled and nodded, then disappeared into the building. The elleth turned back to them.
"I was sent to look for you, and I am glad I found you before the authorities did. Strangers are not welcomed into America warmly any more. There used to be a time when this country truly did open her arms to the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses, but that has passed now. The attack on Pearl Harbor last year cut the last bonds of love for foreigners that we had."
The Elves did not understand her meaning, but were happy to have found a friend. A metal cart pulled up to the curb beside the Elves. They stepped back, almost in unison. The elleth, however, opened the door and motioned for them to get in.
"Have you seen a car before?"
They nodded, warily. She laughed lightly.
"There is nothing to fear." They still did not move to enter the car. "Look, you can't ride a horse through Boston. There is nothing to fear from an automobile. Ricky is a good driver."
A man seated in the driver's seat waved to them. "Mae govannen, mellyn."
His Sindarin was atrocious, but his effort made up for the difference.
"What about the horses?" Elladan asked.
The elleth looked at the animals. She turned to the bellman and spoke to him in his language. He nodded again, more than happy to accommodate her.
"They will be sent to a stable outside the city."
The Elves said farewell to the horses and crammed themselves into the backseat of the automobile. The elleth sat in the front beside Ricky. As the car lurched away from the curb, the Elves scrambled to find something to hold onto. Ricky hit the brakes hard to stop at a crosswalk causing the Elves to erupt in protest.
"This machine is a servant Angband!" Haldir cried.
"Calm yourself, Haldir of Lórien. There are many things far more frightening in this new world than a car."
The Elves' faces paled as she said this. The car began to move again, and the Elves braced themselves for the duration of the ride, but did not complain again.
"How do you know my name?" Haldir asked.
"I know much more about you than your name." She smiled, coyly, "Does that frighten you?"
The four Elves looked at each other nervously. Each wondered silently if she led them into a trap.
"Who are you," Elladan demanded.
"In this world, I am called Elaine. I have had different names in the past, however."
"You look like Arwen Undómiel," Haldir replied.
His comment earned him a sharp jab in the ribs from Legolas, but Elladan and Elrohir took no offense. Haldir was right. She did look something like Arwen. The march warden, however, had very rarely been around their sister. There were obvious differences, and Elaine was nowhere near as beautiful as Arwen. If she were, she would never be able to blend in with mortal women.
"Thank you, Haldir," she answered, blushing slightly. "We're almost there."
Up ahead stood a large, solitary gray and red building. In front of the building sat a dozen machines with many long, rectangular boxes linked together. As they left the building, puffs of smoke issued from a stack in the first box.
"It looks like a dragon," Legolas stated.
He was the only person in the car to have ever seen a dragon, but his friends nodded anyhow. As the mechanical dragon passed them, the car shook with the rumbling and rushing.
"It's a train. It's much faster than a car," Elaine explained.
That did not seem to relieve the Elves' tension at all, but they followed Elaine into the station. She spoke to a man behind a glass window in the gibberish language the Elves heard all around them.
"What is the language you speak?" Elrohir asked.
"English," she replied. "It's a form of Rohirric."
Legolas smiled proudly, having figured that out already. "I knew that."
Haldir scowled at him. "You know everything about men, yet you still have not figured out that Nimrodel was not lost because the balrog escaped Moria."
"Yes, she was," Legolas countered.
"She was not, Legolas. My father knew her personally. She was lost sometime after."
Elladan sighed wearily. "Is there anyway you could separate them on this train?"
Elaine smiled, but shook her head. "I'm afraid not. We must stay together in one car."
She led them through the bustling station to the platform from which their train was departing. The Conductor smiled warmly at her.
"Hello there. Going back to Washington?"
"I am," she replied. "I've reserved my usual cabin."
"Very well. We'll see that you're taken care of, Miss Livingston."
Elaine led the Elves onto the train and showed them their cabin. She hoped that the speeding train wasn't too much for the Elves, but it was the fastest way to Washington D.C. She almost thought about taking an airplane, but quickly decided against that. If the Elves thought a car was frightening, she did not want to imagine them flying through the air.
The Elves looked up at the florescent lights in wonder. It appeared that sunlight radiated from inside the glass, but the light was dim and discolored the room around them. Elaine attempted to explain electricity. The Elves' ability to understand such a foreign thing impressed her, especially since she could not properly explain the workings of electric lights.
Elaine took her seat, and motioned for the ellyn to do the same. A touch of confusion flickered across her face when they would not sit until after she did. She crossed her legs and smoothed her blue dress out around her knees. The Elves turned their attention away towards the view out the window. Ellyth in Middle-earth would have never worn something so revealing.
"We should be in Washington within a few hours."
"Washington?" Elladan asked.
"Yes, Washington D.C. It is south of here."
"Why are we going there?" Elrohir inquired.
After the remark she made to Haldir in the car, he was not so willing to trust her.
"The person who sent me to find you is there. He wishes to speak with you."
"And who is this person?" Elladan pressed.
"My friend."
Knowing he would get no more from her, Elladan turned his attention towards the window also. The train did not seem to bother the Elves as much as the car. It traveled much faster than a car, but the ride was smoother. The Elves enjoyed every moment of the scenery. Along the railroad tracks, the landscape was undeveloped except in a few places. The sight of trees and rolling meadows lifted their spirits considerably. Elaine was grateful that this rail line bypassed New York City.
"If you are hungry, dinner will be served in the dining car shortly," Elaine stated.
"A meal that is not lembas and water would be most appreciated," Legolas said.
The others seemed to agree with his sentiment.
"I will go tell the waiters to expect us. Wait here. If we get separated on the train, we may not be able to find one another again."
With those words, Elaine slipped from the car.
"We go now," Haldir said, standing up.
"Haldir!" Elladan scolded, "Sit down."
"I do not trust her. She is hiding something. That is plain to me."
Elrohir nodded his assent. "I also do not trust her."
Elladan sighed, "Do you truly feel ill will from her?"
The two Elves conceded that point.
"What kind of Elf remains in Middle-earth all these long years? She has even blended in with the humans. She wears her hair to hide her ears as if she is afraid of being discovered," Haldir argued.
"Why do you not ask me about that, Haldir?"
The Elves started as Elaine slipped back into the cabin. They narrowed their eyes at her. Something was amiss. They had not felt her approach.
"I am sure my answer will be a frightening explanation indeed. Ask me, and you will soon be covering those leaf-shaped ears yourself. We may go for dinner now."
The Elves stood to leave, but Elaine did not move from the door.
"You cannot go into the dining car armed."
The Elves told her their objections immediately. Elaine shook her head.
"You cannot. There are very wealthy people sitting in that car. Very wealthy people are very nosy, and nosy people like to gossip. You already stand out far too much in your clothing. I cannot let you go to dinner with bows, quivers, and swords."
The ellyn looked to Elladan. The elder son of Elrond reluctantly unbuckled his sword belt. Slowly, the others did the same. Elaine was very aware of the fact that Elladan had a hunting knife tucked beneath his tunic, and Haldir had a dagger in his boot. She said nothing about it.
The people in the dining car appeared exactly as Elaine said they would. The women wore furs over their shoulders and heavy diamonds on their throats and ears. Many had painted their faces heavily, and they looked like court jesters to the Elves.
The maître d' seated them at a table in the back of the dining car, as Elaine had requested. The waiter smiled at his favorite customer. Elaine was one of the most frequent travelers on this exclusive rail line, and very conscientious with tips.
"Good evening, Miss Livingston," Angelo smiled. "I see you have some different friends tonight. Shall they need a menu?"
"No, Angelo. They are quite familiar with the entrées. In fact, we have already decided. The gentlemen would like poached salmon, and I will have my usual."
Angelo looked disapprovingly at the Elves. He wondered what kind of men asked a woman to order for them.
"Of course. I will bring it to you promptly."
"Do you like fish?" Elaine questioned.
She was not sure what these Elves were used to eating, but she did not image it was hamburger and Caesar salad. They nodded their approval. Elaine already noticed that the wealthy women were beginning to gossip about the strange men seated with her. She hoped their manner of dress would not reach the ears of the New York World journalists.
"What is this?" Haldir asked, looking at his dinner.
"Fish," Elaine replied. "Salmon. I can't tell you the Elvish name for it, but I'm sure Círdan would know it."
Elladan looked at her curiously. No one spoke of the Elf-lord in such an informal manner, not even Elrond.
They were not half finished with their meal when an elderly woman approached their table.
"Hello, Elaine," she smiled, false sweetness seeping from her voice. "Who are your friends?"
Elaine shook her head. "They are both friends and family. Gentlemen, this is Mrs. Ranier. They don't speak English."
Mrs. Ranier nodded, now very interested. "Thatcher never told me you had foreign family."
"Well, Mrs. Ranier, it was nice to see you, but we really must turn in now. My family has had a very long trip. Please, excuse us. We'll see each other soon I'm sure. Perhaps we could chat longer then."
The woman accepted the gentle brush off without complaint and took her seat beside her husband again.
"Let's go back to the cabin," Elaine said, standing.
"I'm not finished with my fish," Haldir stated.
"We must go now. That woman has suspected far too much."
Elaine headed for the exit without another word. Elladan motioned for the Elves to follow her.
"Why must we be so afraid of the woman knowing that we are Elves?" Legolas dared to ask.
Elaine looked back at him, startled by the question. An invisible veil fell over her eyes, and she suddenly appeared detached from the modern world. They caught a glimpse of a foreign elleth, lost amid a sea of terrible immortal memory, and darkness haunted her eyes.
"Do not ask me that," she replied, rather harshly. "It is sufficient to say that you should cover your ears and do as I say. Unless you wish to find out first hand. You should rest before we arrive in Washington. You will not have much time after that."
Haldir started from his rest, surprised that he had allowed himself to sleep. He was at full attention within seconds of waking. He noted the presence hovering around his feet, and looked down to see Elaine bent over his pack. She moved the items around carefully so as not to noticeably disturb anything inside. Elaine jumped when Haldir's feet hit the floor. She dropped his pack, and stood up.
"What are you doing?" he asked, incredulously.
"I was looking for something," Elaine answered.
She cringed inwardly at her own answer, but she hadn't expected the march warden to wake. She should have, considering that his sole duty as march warden was to detect intruders.
"In my pack?"
She nodded.
"What could you possibly need in my pack? Lembas, maybe?"
"I was looking for some clue as to why four Elves from Valinor have shown up in the United States."
"You could have asked."
"Would you have told me, Haldir?"
"Do not address me so informally," Haldir responded, drawing himself up to his full height. Even then, she was just as tall.
"Please, forgive me. I did not mean to insult you, Lord Haldir," she replied, sarcastically and accompanied by a low bow.
He was painfully aware that he was not nobility, but he did not shrink under her harsh words.
"Master Elf will do."
Elaine laughed, "You expect me to call you Master Elf?"
"Yes," he replied, holding her gaze firmly.
"Fine, I shall call you as you wish to be called."
Elaine sat down in her seat and opened a magazine. She absorbed herself in the reading, acting as if Haldir was not standing over her at all. The march warden took his own seat, casting scathing glances at the elleth. If she noticed, she did nothing about it. She seemed unaware of the Elf, flipping from page to page. Finally, after two hours of this, Elaine stood and touched the three sleeping Elves.
"Legolas, Elladan, Elrohir," she turned to Haldir. "Master Elf."
Haldir seethed silently, clenching his fists. Legolas gave him a questioning look, but the march warden said nothing.
"We have arrived in Washington, D.C."