"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually, from a nonlinear, non-subjective viewpoint, it's more like a big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey... stuff." -Doctor Who

A light dusting of faint, twinkling stars littered a pale blue sky as a cool wind swept through the valley. A few birds chirped, swooping lazily throughout the sky and in between the trees, signaling their readiness for the day to begin.

Further down the valley, next to the eastern bridge, Keira shivered and pulled her cloak tighter against her body. She blinked against the wind and up into the faces of Elladan and Elrohir, who were listening, patiently, with matching smiles of both tolerance and amusement, to her demands.

"Promise me you'll look after each other," she said, pointing a finger at each twin, respectively. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid, and you won't run off foolishly into danger. I know how you two are." She then placed her hand on her hip and sighed. "And that you'll come back as soon as you can."

Elladan smirked, and reached forward to ruffle her hair. She allowed it with a roll of her eyes. "Oh, Keira," he said, "do not worry your pretty little head. We will be just fine. After all, this is not our first - " he tilted his head, "what did you call it?"

She snorted. "Rodeo, it's not your first rodeo."

"Ah, yes. That was the one." Then he picked her up, squeezing her as he twirled her around and set her neatly on the ground.

Elrohir copied his brother, making Keira a little dizzy. "When we return, Keira," he said as he sat her down, "I expect you to be able to best Elladan at the sword." He smirked, and also ruffled her hair. "Though, that should not be too difficult."

Elladan punched his brother on the arm while she let out a quiet laugh. The two then hopped gracefully on their horses and turned towards the bridge.

"And remember, Keira," Elladan yelled from over his shoulder, "Now that you have a real sword, you must remember that the pointy end faces out - that is very important!"

She snorted into her hand. "I'll do my best to remember that, Elladan!" she yelled back. With a final wave of her hand, she watched them go, her eyes never leaving their retreating backs until they were only small specks in the distance.

Keira sighed and shook her head, struggling to find the right words.

"No, Glorfindel, the people aren't actually in the box. It's like...there are thousands of little pictures, which are kind of like paintings, only they're taken by a camera," she paused at his look of confusion, but kept going, "and when they're put side-by-side, it looks like they're moving."

After their training session, Keira and Glorfindel were walking slowly through the corridors, while Keira tried, albeit poorly, to explain the wonders of television.

Initially, when Glorfindel had finally caved and asked what a movie was, she smirked; now, however, she realized trying to explain somewhat complex technology to someone who'd never heard of electricity wasn't exactly easy.

In her attempt, she'd already ventured off topic no less than five times, including sideline tangents explaining that no, not everything that happens in a movie is real, and yes, binge-watching Netflix was a perfectly acceptable way to spend a weekend.

"And how exactly do these pictures get into the box?" Glorfindel asked, glancing down at her.

Keira shrugged. "Magic?" Glorfindel raised an eyebrow, and she snorted. "Kidding. I'm not really sure. It's a little over my head, to be honest. Something about pixels and transmitters and electron beams...way too technical for me to explain." She closed her eyes and sighed, wistfully. "Sometimes I really miss Google."

"Google?"

She grimaced. "Yeah, I think that's a topic for another discussion. I don't think I'm mentally prepared to bring you down that rabbit hole just yet."

Glorfindel chuckled. "So these movies then tell a story?"

"Yes, exactly!" Keira said with a broad smile. "And there are thousands upon thousands of them, about almost anything you can think of."

"I see," he said with a grin. "And did you have a favorite amongst these thousands upon thousands?"

"Well yes," she said, hesitating slightly. She looked up and pointed a finger at him in warning. "But you have to promise not to laugh if I tell you about it."

Glorfindel's grin widened, and he placed a hand over his heart. "You have my word, Keira."

Narrowing her eyes, she searched his face and continued.

"Okay, well it's about this teenager named Marty McFly who's friends with this crazy inventor named Doc. So, Doc builds a time machine out of a car, right?" She paused, then added, "a car is basically a metal contraption that gets you from one place to another really quickly, almost like a horse, but not really - actually, forget that, I'm getting off topic." She shook her head. "Anyway, so they have this time machine and they travel to the past- "

"They travel to the past?" Glorfindel said, pausing his steps.

"Yes, I know it's ridiculous," she said, grinning and rolling her eyes, "but you promised you wouldn't laugh! And like I said, movies can be about literally anything, real or not. So, as I was saying, they travel to the past and Marty has to-"

Keira's words and steps faltered abruptly when her eyes flicked up ahead. Further down the corridor, no more than ten feet away, stood Lord Elrond bent over in conversation with a short, almost childlike person with a curly mop of white hair. Her eyes widened dramatically and her breathing hitched. She turned sharply to Glorfindel.

"Oh my god," she whispered, pulling on Glorfindel's elbow and bringing him to a sudden halt. "Oh my god, is that a hobbit?! Glorfindel, look- no, what are you doing?! Don't be too obvious!"

"You are giving me conflicting orders, Keira," he said with a laugh as she held onto his arm. "Do you wish for me to look, or to only appear that I am looking?"

She ignored his question, too mesmerized by the small creature in front of her. Then, barely restraining a girlish squeal, she ran over to him, eyes comically wide and a wearing a huge smile.

His face was weather-worn and wrinkled, with soft lines curling around his forehead and in the outermost corners of his eyes. He wore a dark green waistcoat, complete with a burgundy jacket and trousers that stopped at his ankles, highlighting his bare, hairy feet. He carried a walking stick which was almost as tall as he was, and with his rosy cheeks and twinkling blue eyes, Keira had to restrain herself from flinging her arms around him in an all-out fangirl moment.

"Oh my god," she repeated in a hushed voice, "you're Bilbo Baggins! You're the Bilbo Baggins!"

The hobbit, who had previously been mildly alarmed by the eccentric woman's sudden appearance, straightened his waistcoat and fixed her with a rather self-satisfied smile.

"You have no idea how long I've waited to meet you!" she said before he could respond. Then, thrusting out her hand, she said, "I'm Keira Darcy, and I cannot tell you what an honor it is. I know everything about you-" She glanced up when Lord Elrond cleared his throat and gave her a look, " - from Lord Elrond, of course. Will you please, please, tell me one of your stories?"

"Ho, ho!" the hobbit said jovially, shaking her hand. "You must be the young woman I've heard so much about!" He glanced up at Lord Elrond, who nodded in confirmation. Keira's smile, if possible, widened even further.

"Well, my dear," Bilbo said, "it sounds as though you have had quite the adventure yourself! They do tend to spring out at you, do they not? Generally during your morning tea, which can be quite a bother. Though," he said, reaching up to pat her cheek, "it is rather lucky you've found yourself here and not in Mirkwood. Nasty, nasty business, those spiders. Quite lucky, indeed. Tell me, my dear," he said, taking her by the arm and leading her down the hallway, "have you heard of the tale with the great stone-giants? Big as a mountain, they were-"

"Keira."

The beaming grin on her face faltered when she turned to find Lord Elrond giving her a reprimanding look.

"Have you forgotten about your lesson with Lord Erestor this afternoon?" he said, one eyebrow raised.

The grin fell completely. She looked down at the hobbit, back to Lord Elrond and back down to the hobbit again, the internal struggle evident on her face. Then, schooling her expression to one of doe-eyed innocence, she brought her eyes back to Elrond's.

"Lord Elrond, please," she whispered. "It's Bilbo Baggins, the Bilbo Baggins." The hobbit behind her straightened importantly again. "It's just one class, surely there's no harm in missing just one class?"

Glorfindel coughed into his hand with what she thought was an attempt to cover a laugh, so she silenced him with a glare. Elrond shared a look with Glorfindel, both eyebrows now raised in amusement.

"Keira, my dear," he said, taking her hand in his, "I do believe you have forgotten that I have had centuries of dealing with those particular looks, and I am afraid they no longer work on me." Her shoulders slumped. "Now, you will attend your lesson, and I am sure that Mister Baggins will afford you with a tale once you have finished."

Keira tilted her head back and let out a long, exaggerated sigh. "Fine." Then, under her breath, she said, "how did that not work? That look always works."

Glorfindel didn't even try to cover his laugh this time, so she punched him lightly on the arm. "Hush," she said, pointing a finger while he feigned hurt, the smile never leaving his face. She turned dejectedly back to the hobbit.

"Do not trouble yourself, my dear," he said, hunting in his jacket pocket and pulling out a slender smoking pipe. He lit it, took a few quick puffs, and said, "education must come first, I've always said. Education, then adventure! Although, there is a great deal to be said on what can be learned on an adventure. Did you know," he said, taking her arm again and leading her away, "that the Misty Mountains are also referred to by their lesser known name, Hithaeglir, and they stretch well over - "

Lord Elrond cleared his throat at their retreating forms, and Bilbo turned around. "Right, right, yes, of course," he said. He looked up at Keira's sullen face. "There will be plenty of time to speak of adventures once your lesson is over. We can regale each other with our tales once you have finished, preferably over a nice spot of tea. Tell me, how long do these lessons normally last?"

Keira made a face, like she had just swallowed something particularly unpleasant. "Literally an eternity."

The hobbit chuckled, and patted her cheek again. "Not to worry, my dear. Come find me once you are through, I will be waiting."

Keira watched with sad eyes as the hobbit walked down the corridor, his walking stick clacking against the floor and a cloud of smoke billowing behind him. She tried her best not to pout, when Glorfindel, who had been watching her expression with only thinly-veiled amusement, started to laugh. She glared, swatted his arm again, and said, "shut up, Glorfindel."

"Tell me, Miss Darcy," Lord Erestor said, his voice practically dripping with disappointment, "why exactly you felt the need to reference the 'small, brown, happy bird' no less than," he glanced down to scan her homework, "thirty four times?"

Keira grimaced, then shrugged helplessly. "Overall ambiance?"

His look was reproachful, and she shrunk further into her chair. "And you believe happy birds are fitting when discussing the formation of Idril's Secret Way?" he asked, his face set in hard, stern lines. She grimaced again, not knowing how to respond.

"While your essay in Sindarin was passable," she brightened a little, until he added, "your Quenya still leaves much to be desired. You will rewrite it, excluding anything related to avian creatures, including their overall disposition, coloring, and stature." She resisted a sigh, when he continued, "you will also write a second essay on Tuor's involvement with Voronwë, describing the Seven Gates of Gondolin, in detail, as well as their entrance into the city."

Keira balked. "But," she started, incredulous, "the chapter ends when Tuor got to Gondolin, and you haven't taught me that yet." She looked up at him, her eyes wide. "How am I supposed to write about something that I know nothing about?"

Lord Erestor fixed her with a look that made her feel like an incompetent child. "Do you not know of anyone who would be able to educate you on the matter, outside of myself? Is there no one in all of Imladris who is knowledgeable on the subject?"

Keira, now feeling properly foolish, held her tongue.

"You must learn to use your resources, Keira," Erestor continued with a hard look. Then, with no warning, he leaned down and placed his hands on either side of her desk, well within her personal space. She inched back, surprised by his sudden proximity.

"There may come a time when the answers are not laid out before your feet, Miss Darcy," he said, each word spoken with sharp precision, "and in those times you must rely not only on previous knowledge, but also on those who are more knowledgeable than yourself. Understand?"

She nodded quickly and breathed a quiet sigh of relief when he backed off. "Good," he said, and turned to his desk to collect her papers. "I expect both essays to be turned in in two day's time." Quickly gathering the papers he returned, she stood to leave.

"And remember, Miss Darcy," she heard him say as she reached the doorway, "for every mention of a small, brown, bird, happy or otherwise, I will continue to increase the workload as I see fit."

She almost snorted. "No more birds," she said over her shoulder as she fled the room, "you got it!"

The evening sun had finally decided that it was best to retire, and the room where Keira sat was shrouded with a soft, hazy light cast by a few half-burned candles. Her legs were crossed beneath her, and she sat, perched on the edge of her seat, with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open slightly.

"And then what happened?"

"Well," Bilbo said, his animated face flickering in the candlelight, "stone-giants, caring little for the whitherto's of a group of sodden, weary dwarves and a young hobbit lass, continued their battle, while we stood, right on top of their heads!"

She gasped and brought a hand to her mouth. "No."

"Quite, quite," Bilbo said seriously. "So!" he continued, "we leapt from atop of their heads, feet flying and the air thick with dwarves, over to the side of the mountain. And you see, my dear, I almost didn't make it," he said, pausing dramatically. "So Thorin, rest his soul, charged down the cliff face and pulled me up to safety with one arm, only just in the nick of time."

"That was so brave of him," Keira said in awe. She heard a noise to her right, and turned to see Glorfindel leaning against the doorframe, his smile half-hidden by the shadows. She scooted over and patted the empty seat next to her.

"You're just in time, Glorfindel," she said, smiling at him as he sat down, "we're just about to get to Goblin Town." She glanced quickly at Bilbo, then added, "I mean, I think."

Glorfindel chuckled quietly at her near mistake, so she discreetly elbowed him in the ribs. He rolled his eyes and placed an arm behind her to rest against the back of the sofa. Turning her attention back to the hobbit, she settled in, eager to hear the rest of Bilbo's tale.

He continued on for a good portion of the night, never once losing enthusiasm, and Keira gasped and remarked in all the appropriate places. Eventually, however, she felt her eyelids become heavy and start to droop. Her yawns became more pronounced and frequent, and she ended up falling asleep nestled in the crook of Glorfindel's arm.

Glorfindel watched the sleeping woman with a soft smile, and Bilbo, who realized he had lost his audience, hopped up from his seat and patted the elf on the arm. "I trust you will see her to bed, young lass." Glorfindel glanced up and nodded, then returned his face to the woman in his arms.

The flickering light from the candles was starting to dim when Keira awoke, somewhat startled. She sat up quickly to create space between her and the elf she had unknowingly used as her personal pillow. "Sorry," she said, embarrassed. Then, adjusting her eyes to the dim room, she looked around, noticing the hobbit's disappearance. "Aw, where'd he go?" She searched the room again, and then pulled herself up to peer over the back of the couch.

Glorfindel chuckled. "Do you really believe him to be hiding behind the couch, Keira?"

She sighed and sat back down. Stretching her arms and yawning widely, she said, "you may not know this, Glorfindel, but hobbits are very, very sneaky creatures. They are experts when it comes to hiding." She then added, "sorry I fell asleep on you."

Through the muted light, she thought he looked amused.

"You snore."

Keira scoffed and wrapped her arms around her legs, leaning back against the arm of the sofa. She fixed him with an even stare. "I do not snore, Glorfindel. Clearly your elf-ears are failing you in your old age. I suggest you get them checked."

"I assure you, Keira, my ears work perfectly fine. Although," he said, the smirk in his voice evident, "they may have suffered damage from the relentless noise you were making. I believe I am now traumatized."

She reached over to swat his arm, but he grabbed her wrist and spun her around so that her head was in his lap. She scowled up at him as he peered over her, his smile brightened by the candlelight.

"Ridiculous elf."

His smile became soft as he regarded her. He then replied, quietly, "silly woman."

She rolled her eyes and returned his smile, then glanced back up. "Hey, I have a question."

He laughed, stretching back on the couch as he released her hand. "Of course you do, Keira."

Her glare only made him laugh again, so she ignored it.

"Will you help me with my homework?" she asked, blinking up at him. "I have to write an essay over Tuor when he arrived in Gondolin, and another over Idril's Secret Way." She rolled her eyes. "Apparently, my Quenya still sucks, so I'm being punished with a bombardment of history."

He was silent for a moment before she added, "oh, and I'm not allowed to mention anything to do with birds."

He looked down at her, bemused. "And why would you include anything to do with birds when speaking of Tuor or Idril, Keira?"

She let out an exasperated sigh. "You know, for a race seemingly so in tune with nature and a love for creativity, you really have no appreciation for scene setting." Glorfindel raised an eyebrow. "Okay, fine," she said with another sigh, "I'm guessing it has something to do with abusing the word count with superfluous details, or something to that effect." She flicked her eyes down and then back to his. "Maybe."

He grinned. "Ah, so the truth comes out."

"Whatever," she said, sitting up and resting her hands on her knees. "So, will you help me?"

"Yes, Keira," he said with a laugh, "I will help you."

The pair worked well into the night, aided by the light of freshly renewed candles. Glorfindel, Keira found, was a much more patient teacher than Lord Erestor.

"So the sixth gate was made of gold with an image of Laurelin at the center, right?"

"Yes, Keira, that is correct," he said as she scribbled down some notes.

"Okay, then the seventh and final gate was the Gate of Steel, and that one was made by Maeglin." Keira did hesitate then, and sent him her best inconspicuous glance at the mention of the elf.

Glorfindel, seemingly unperturbed, replied, "Yes, the final gate was that of steel, and was meant to serve as a final defence against the enemy."

She nodded, relieved, and they continued to work until the candles were once again burned down. Glorfindel corrected her Quenya when needed, and Keira continued with her questions.

Then, with a wide yawn, she tossed her quill on the table, grateful to be done with half her homework. "Well, I am officially an expert on Tuor, every single gate, and I did it with not one mention of a single bird. Lord Erestor will be so pleased."

Glorfindel laughed as he helped her gather her homework, and they slowly made their way into the corridors, Keira yawning all the while. He held his arm out, which she took, glancing up at him with tired eyes.

"Glorfindel, may I ask you one more question?"

"From now on, Keira," he said, smiling down at her, "I want you to assume that the answer to that question is always 'yes'. You may ask me anything you wish, at any time."

She grinned down at her feet, and then brought her eyes back to his. "Did- did you ever assume that Maeglin wasn't who he said he was? I mean, did you ever suspect that he would betray Gondolin?"

Glorfindel let out a long sigh and peered down the hallway. She watched as his eyes became distant, no longer seeing as they walked.

"There were certain instances," he said, pausing on the word, "that his loyalty was brought into question. I, however, rather young and blinded by hope, as well as an almost fervent desire to only look for the best, failed to heed my own instincts and the warnings of those closest to me."

He paused, dropped his arm and took her hand in his. He looked down at her, his blue eyes locking with her own. "It is one of my greatest regrets, Keira," he said softly, "seeing those that I love perish, alongside my city."

"I'm so sorry, Glorfindel," she whispered, the words feeling wholly inadequate as soon as she said them.

He squeezed her hand. "Do not allow it to trouble you. We are here now, alive and well, and that is what truly matters."

She nodded and squeezed his hand in return. Then, she shivered as a cool draft swept through the corridors.

"You are cold," he said, removing his cloak and placing it around her shoulders.

"Just a little," she said, smiling at him in thanks. "You know, I always thought Rivendell would be a rather temperate place. I'm actually a little surprised that it's kind of chilly."

"Well," he said with a chuckle, "it is October. Even Rivendell is subject to cooler weather."

She froze as they reached her door, suddenly feeling like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her head. Her eyebrows came together as she pulled on his arm. "Wait, what did you just say?"

He looked at her questioningly. "I said that Rivendell is subject to-"

"No, no, I meant about it being October." Keira looked to the ground, eyes shifting as she tried to mentally tried to piece together the days. Then, more to herself, she said, "That can't be right, it was just the beginning of September."

Glorfindel looked at her, concerned. "Is everything all right, Keira?"

Her head snapped back up. "I'm fine, Glorfindel." She shrugged off his cloak and said, "thanks for the cloak, and for helping me with my homework. I'll see you tomorrow?" He nodded and she quickly entered her room and shut the door.

Keira's breathing quickened as her back slid slowly against the door. She sat, cross-legged on the ground, eyes roaming around the darkness of her room as she tried to figure out how she'd completely lost track of time.

Was it really October already? It seemed to her that she'd done nothing more than blink, and the past few months were gone when she'd opened her eyes. She remained on the floor, wondering if time passed differently here. Maybe being around immortal creatures, those who had little concern for the passing of time, had somehow rubbed off on her. She could recall that time in Lothlórien had been similar for the Fellowship, passing by much more quickly than they'd believed.

But how could she have let herself become so complacent, so at ease that she'd stopped paying attention?

Swallowing back the anxiety that had risen in her throat, she hauled herself off the floor, stripped off her clothes, and climbed into bed. She stared up at the vaulted ceiling and silently willed her mind to stop racing. Squeezing her eyes shut, she rolled over and focused on her breathing, hoping that it would somehow calm her long enough so that she didn't have to force her eyes to stay shut.

Keira did not sleep that night.

A/N: Hello all my lovely readers :)

I hope you are all having a wonderful week, and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you all for your continued support! Love you all!

-dartwing