Disclaimer: I don't own Lord of the Rings, nor any of its related material.
This is my first fanfic for Lord of the Rings. Actually, this would be my first fanfic period. So anyways, enjoy the readin'!
Also, I would like to thank Shea and Lauren for assisting me in Elven names and Sindarin translations.
9. PLANNING OF THE TRIP
We got back there around mid afternoon, and Legolas headed over to the main building to put away the packs and the various supplies he had taken. While he was doing this, I glanced over at the courtyard to see Shea and Lauren working on their swordsmanship with determined looks on their faces. As I watched, I realized just how good they'd gotten. Their moves with the blades were graceful and smooth.
All of the sudden, I could hear it again. The sword's humming came down from the library windows and filled the air. Soon, it was so intense, I couldn't hear the wind anymore or the swishing sounds of the girls' blades. I soon found myself looking up to the main window of the library in that trance again.
There was a tap on my shoulder, and I jumped. I turned around to see Legolas standing next to me. I hadn't heard him approach due to the humming noise of the sword. Now he seemed concerned and was saying something to me. I told him I was fine, but I couldn't hear my own words. He said something after that and indicated the girls in the courtyard. I nodded and he strode off towards them.
So... This proved that the sound was indeed within my head. Legolas couldn't hear it. In any case, I had to get rid of it, so I walked into the main hall, up to the library doors. To my surprise, they were wide open. Upon walking through the entrance, the sword's sound stopped.
"Thank you!" I thought and left the library. When I was not more than a couple feet away, though, the sound started up again, and I halted. I ran back into the library and the sound once again stopped.
"Okay," I thought to the sword. "What little game are you playing this time?"
I walked up to the spot where it had been hidden and removed the books. The casket was gone!
"Elrond took it with him to show the others."
I turned around to see Arwen standing in the doorway of the library.
"Others?" I asked.
"A secret council, mostly composed of elves," she replied and started to walk towards me.
"If it's secret, why did you just tell me?" I joked with a grin.
Arwen smiled and stopped where she was a couple metres in front of me. We just stared at each other for minutes on end. I could tell she had been waiting here this whole time to see if I would be lured into the library, and she had been told about the unlocked door. So Elrond had noticed. I'd expected he would.
"It keeps ringing in my mind," I told her. She just kept looking at me and said nothing in response. "Look, I know it sounds crazy, but it's true."
You can't imagine the frustration I was feeling right now. I wanted to ask her if they all suspected me of something, of whether they thought I was up to no good, etc., but I knew there was no point. I could tell in her eyes such things were not to be spoken at this time. At the same time, I also wanted to tell her all about the sword's weird effects. I wanted to tell her how the sword had appeared on my bed, and I had to sneak it back into the library. I wanted to tell her, even if she wouldn't believe me. Still, I got that same feeling that now wasn't the time.
And then it came to me, as if my mind had been filled with mud, and a crystal clear stream of water had come through and washed it all out. I knew what I had to do.
"I have to go," I said.
"Where?" she asked. Arwen seemed truly shocked, like she hadn't been expecting that from me.
"Away from here," I told her. At her questioning look, I continued, "It's the sword. I have to get away from it."
"But it's not even here," Arwen stated.
"It doesn't have to be," I replied and waved my hands to indicate the entire room. "This room is filled with magical items and magical pieces of information..." Arwen started to look around as if she were already beginning to see what I was saying.
"Everything here has been influenced by the sword," I continued, looking at the shelves of books. "This room is soaked with its energy."
Then I turned back to her and added, "There is something I have to do. I know it in my heart, and I must leave to do it. Please, you must trust me."
"What do you have to do?" she asked with a concerned look on her face.
"I can't tell you now," I responded, "but what I can tell you is that I must travel far to do so. Please, Arwen, you must let me go. It's very important. My mission here may be the key to solving the mystery of the sword and why it reacts to me as it does. And please don't tell the others. They'd fret about me and no doubt try to stop me. But I must do this, I must. Please..." I couldn't think of what else to say to convince her.
Arwen stood where she was, not saying anything for a long while. Then she finally nodded solemnly and walked over to several spots in the library to collect a few unknown items. She then walked over to me and gave me two things. The first was a small pouch of what seemed to be coins and the other was a miniature brown flute made of a fine wood.
"The money may or may not be useful, depending on where you go," she said, referring to the pouch of coins I now held in my left hand. Then she pointed to the small flute.
"That," she told me, "is in case you run into any trouble wherever you may go. Should you encounter serious difficulty in your task, blow it, and our feathered friends - the birds - will hear its call and come to assist you in any way they can. Keep in mind, though, that it will only work on creatures which are allied with us. Not all birds will come to your rescue. In general, its usefulness diminishes greatly the farther away from Rivendell you are."
"Thank you," I said with an expression of gratitude.
Arwen nodded and asked, "When will you be leaving?"
"In a couple hours," I replied.
"You won't even stay for supper?" she questioned with a saddened look on her face, although I think she knew inwardly that I had made up my mind and wasn't going to change it.
"No," I said. "I think it would be best if I left as soon as possible. I'll stay here for a few hours to complete some research first, but I must leave after that."
Arwen nodded again and told me she would pack me some food for the trip in the meantime. I slipped my backpack off my shoulders and asked if she could put everything in there. She agreed, and I shuffled things around (and took out various items I wouldn't need for my mission) to make space for the food. She then walked off with my backpack to the kitchen, and I got started in my research.
I had to find a drake. That had been the desire in my heart. That was how I could help the elves. In addition, I had some feeling deep within me that told me once I'd found the drake, I would be able to master the sword. Somehow this had all fit together as if I had suddenly put all the pieces of the puzzle together and seen a glimpse of the picture it displayed. To anyone else, I'm sure this would all seem crazy, but to me, it all made complete sense.
I quickly went to work and pulled out all the books I could find on drakes and dragons. Unfortunately, they were all written in Sindarin (which I couldn't read). I was able to find many useful maps, though. I grabbed pieces of parchment and copied them down. Once I was done, I had a pretty good idea of where I'd go looking.
Arwen had come back a while ago and deposited my backpack beside me. Upon seeing the books laid open with entire pages written in Sindarin, she offered to translate for me. I told her that wouldn't be necessary, but thanked her anyways. I think she must have happened to read some of it and gained some understanding of what my plan was, because she gave a slight gasp at one point but quickly recomposed herself afterwards.
Lastly, she did something I had definitely not been expecting. She gave me a quick peck on the forehead and wished me good luck in my voyage.
I blushed a little at the kiss and found myself thanking her once again. I then gave a goodbye (even though I wasn't leaving right that minute) and a smile to let her know I did indeed plan to come back in one piece.
She smiled back, despite the gravity of the situation, and then left the library to leave me to my studying of the books.
Finally I was finished and put all the books back in their places. I picked up my backpack to make sure I had everything I would need (or everything I thought I'd need anyways). I gave the interior of my backpack a quick look just to see what Arwen had packed for food and discovered that she had also added such things as rope and hooks, a knife, blankets, etc. I guess that's why she'd taken a little longer than I had otherwise expected.
As I left the main building, I thought about going over to the courtyard to pick up a bow and some arrows, but I quickly decided against it. First of all, my archery skills were still so bad that it probably wasn't worth it for me to carry the extra weight of equipment (hanging a bow on my shoulders would also make it harder to run). Secondly, I didn't want to take the chance of running into Legolas or one of the girls and having to explain the loaded backpack on my shoulders. I'd probably be forced to lie so they wouldn't try to stop me from going, and I'd hate to have to lie to my friends. No, it was best to start my journey right now and get on with it.
So I left. This time, I had to use the switchback path to get up the side of the mountain to get on course. I just hoped Arwen had picked the best path for me (that was the one thing I let her help me with in regards to the books - she showed me the way through the Misty Mountains that had the least number of dangers).
It took me almost two weeks to reach my destination, and I fortunately encountered no major dangers that would have given me a reason to blow the little flute. Nevertheless, hiking through the mountains was hadn't been easy - there were countless nights involving snow, cold conditions, falling boulders, and more snow. I sure came to appreciate the thick blankets Arwen had given me.
Anyways, other than that, my trip was pretty much uneventful, so I've decided to skip to the part where I actually got to my destination.
This is my first fanfic for Lord of the Rings. Actually, this would be my first fanfic period. So anyways, enjoy the readin'!
Also, I would like to thank Shea and Lauren for assisting me in Elven names and Sindarin translations.
9. PLANNING OF THE TRIP
We got back there around mid afternoon, and Legolas headed over to the main building to put away the packs and the various supplies he had taken. While he was doing this, I glanced over at the courtyard to see Shea and Lauren working on their swordsmanship with determined looks on their faces. As I watched, I realized just how good they'd gotten. Their moves with the blades were graceful and smooth.
All of the sudden, I could hear it again. The sword's humming came down from the library windows and filled the air. Soon, it was so intense, I couldn't hear the wind anymore or the swishing sounds of the girls' blades. I soon found myself looking up to the main window of the library in that trance again.
There was a tap on my shoulder, and I jumped. I turned around to see Legolas standing next to me. I hadn't heard him approach due to the humming noise of the sword. Now he seemed concerned and was saying something to me. I told him I was fine, but I couldn't hear my own words. He said something after that and indicated the girls in the courtyard. I nodded and he strode off towards them.
So... This proved that the sound was indeed within my head. Legolas couldn't hear it. In any case, I had to get rid of it, so I walked into the main hall, up to the library doors. To my surprise, they were wide open. Upon walking through the entrance, the sword's sound stopped.
"Thank you!" I thought and left the library. When I was not more than a couple feet away, though, the sound started up again, and I halted. I ran back into the library and the sound once again stopped.
"Okay," I thought to the sword. "What little game are you playing this time?"
I walked up to the spot where it had been hidden and removed the books. The casket was gone!
"Elrond took it with him to show the others."
I turned around to see Arwen standing in the doorway of the library.
"Others?" I asked.
"A secret council, mostly composed of elves," she replied and started to walk towards me.
"If it's secret, why did you just tell me?" I joked with a grin.
Arwen smiled and stopped where she was a couple metres in front of me. We just stared at each other for minutes on end. I could tell she had been waiting here this whole time to see if I would be lured into the library, and she had been told about the unlocked door. So Elrond had noticed. I'd expected he would.
"It keeps ringing in my mind," I told her. She just kept looking at me and said nothing in response. "Look, I know it sounds crazy, but it's true."
You can't imagine the frustration I was feeling right now. I wanted to ask her if they all suspected me of something, of whether they thought I was up to no good, etc., but I knew there was no point. I could tell in her eyes such things were not to be spoken at this time. At the same time, I also wanted to tell her all about the sword's weird effects. I wanted to tell her how the sword had appeared on my bed, and I had to sneak it back into the library. I wanted to tell her, even if she wouldn't believe me. Still, I got that same feeling that now wasn't the time.
And then it came to me, as if my mind had been filled with mud, and a crystal clear stream of water had come through and washed it all out. I knew what I had to do.
"I have to go," I said.
"Where?" she asked. Arwen seemed truly shocked, like she hadn't been expecting that from me.
"Away from here," I told her. At her questioning look, I continued, "It's the sword. I have to get away from it."
"But it's not even here," Arwen stated.
"It doesn't have to be," I replied and waved my hands to indicate the entire room. "This room is filled with magical items and magical pieces of information..." Arwen started to look around as if she were already beginning to see what I was saying.
"Everything here has been influenced by the sword," I continued, looking at the shelves of books. "This room is soaked with its energy."
Then I turned back to her and added, "There is something I have to do. I know it in my heart, and I must leave to do it. Please, you must trust me."
"What do you have to do?" she asked with a concerned look on her face.
"I can't tell you now," I responded, "but what I can tell you is that I must travel far to do so. Please, Arwen, you must let me go. It's very important. My mission here may be the key to solving the mystery of the sword and why it reacts to me as it does. And please don't tell the others. They'd fret about me and no doubt try to stop me. But I must do this, I must. Please..." I couldn't think of what else to say to convince her.
Arwen stood where she was, not saying anything for a long while. Then she finally nodded solemnly and walked over to several spots in the library to collect a few unknown items. She then walked over to me and gave me two things. The first was a small pouch of what seemed to be coins and the other was a miniature brown flute made of a fine wood.
"The money may or may not be useful, depending on where you go," she said, referring to the pouch of coins I now held in my left hand. Then she pointed to the small flute.
"That," she told me, "is in case you run into any trouble wherever you may go. Should you encounter serious difficulty in your task, blow it, and our feathered friends - the birds - will hear its call and come to assist you in any way they can. Keep in mind, though, that it will only work on creatures which are allied with us. Not all birds will come to your rescue. In general, its usefulness diminishes greatly the farther away from Rivendell you are."
"Thank you," I said with an expression of gratitude.
Arwen nodded and asked, "When will you be leaving?"
"In a couple hours," I replied.
"You won't even stay for supper?" she questioned with a saddened look on her face, although I think she knew inwardly that I had made up my mind and wasn't going to change it.
"No," I said. "I think it would be best if I left as soon as possible. I'll stay here for a few hours to complete some research first, but I must leave after that."
Arwen nodded again and told me she would pack me some food for the trip in the meantime. I slipped my backpack off my shoulders and asked if she could put everything in there. She agreed, and I shuffled things around (and took out various items I wouldn't need for my mission) to make space for the food. She then walked off with my backpack to the kitchen, and I got started in my research.
I had to find a drake. That had been the desire in my heart. That was how I could help the elves. In addition, I had some feeling deep within me that told me once I'd found the drake, I would be able to master the sword. Somehow this had all fit together as if I had suddenly put all the pieces of the puzzle together and seen a glimpse of the picture it displayed. To anyone else, I'm sure this would all seem crazy, but to me, it all made complete sense.
I quickly went to work and pulled out all the books I could find on drakes and dragons. Unfortunately, they were all written in Sindarin (which I couldn't read). I was able to find many useful maps, though. I grabbed pieces of parchment and copied them down. Once I was done, I had a pretty good idea of where I'd go looking.
Arwen had come back a while ago and deposited my backpack beside me. Upon seeing the books laid open with entire pages written in Sindarin, she offered to translate for me. I told her that wouldn't be necessary, but thanked her anyways. I think she must have happened to read some of it and gained some understanding of what my plan was, because she gave a slight gasp at one point but quickly recomposed herself afterwards.
Lastly, she did something I had definitely not been expecting. She gave me a quick peck on the forehead and wished me good luck in my voyage.
I blushed a little at the kiss and found myself thanking her once again. I then gave a goodbye (even though I wasn't leaving right that minute) and a smile to let her know I did indeed plan to come back in one piece.
She smiled back, despite the gravity of the situation, and then left the library to leave me to my studying of the books.
Finally I was finished and put all the books back in their places. I picked up my backpack to make sure I had everything I would need (or everything I thought I'd need anyways). I gave the interior of my backpack a quick look just to see what Arwen had packed for food and discovered that she had also added such things as rope and hooks, a knife, blankets, etc. I guess that's why she'd taken a little longer than I had otherwise expected.
As I left the main building, I thought about going over to the courtyard to pick up a bow and some arrows, but I quickly decided against it. First of all, my archery skills were still so bad that it probably wasn't worth it for me to carry the extra weight of equipment (hanging a bow on my shoulders would also make it harder to run). Secondly, I didn't want to take the chance of running into Legolas or one of the girls and having to explain the loaded backpack on my shoulders. I'd probably be forced to lie so they wouldn't try to stop me from going, and I'd hate to have to lie to my friends. No, it was best to start my journey right now and get on with it.
So I left. This time, I had to use the switchback path to get up the side of the mountain to get on course. I just hoped Arwen had picked the best path for me (that was the one thing I let her help me with in regards to the books - she showed me the way through the Misty Mountains that had the least number of dangers).
It took me almost two weeks to reach my destination, and I fortunately encountered no major dangers that would have given me a reason to blow the little flute. Nevertheless, hiking through the mountains was hadn't been easy - there were countless nights involving snow, cold conditions, falling boulders, and more snow. I sure came to appreciate the thick blankets Arwen had given me.
Anyways, other than that, my trip was pretty much uneventful, so I've decided to skip to the part where I actually got to my destination.
