AN: Thanks to- Vanna, Pumpky, Nikki, Van for your reviews.
Chapter 11: An Idea Stuck In The Head
In the library, Quinn was trying to reach for a book in the bookshelf. She was standing on her toes and stretched out her hand as far as she could but still she couldn't reach it properly but barely touched it. Quinn was about to stop trying like that and go look for a stool or something to sand on, when someone's hand easily reached the book and he took it out for her. When Quinn looked up, she found someone she has seen before but never really talked to nor knew who he was for that matter. He was one of the men staying in Rivendell.
"Thank you" said Quinn politely as the man handed her the book. He nodded his head accepting her gratitude. Quinn thought he would leave but he didn't instead he said-
"It seems you like it here in Rivendell. I imagined you to be quite desperate to return home. I am Boromir by the way, son of Denethor the steward of Gondor." Boromir introduced himself to the girl. He has been waiting for an opportunity to talk to the girl. Who wouldn't want that since she came from another world? With knowledge of things, they can't even imagine. Boromir would often wonder about this other world. Specially because it is ruled only by men.
"It's nice to meet you. I am Quinn but I think you already know that." It was impossible for anyone in Rivendell not to know her. She is still very much the talk of that valley.
"Aye, your coming to middle earth was one of the most bizarre things I have seen in my life" said Boromir recalling the day of the council. Quinn stared at him for a moment before she giggled out a bit.
"Let me guess, you were there too when I appeared out of nowhere." Why wasn't she surprised? Boromir didn't understand what Quinn found so funny?
"Yes, I was present there and saw it happening with my own eyes though it was very hard to believe. What is so amusing about that?" Boromir asked curiously.
"Nothing. It's just it seems everyone in Rivendell was present there to witness my accidental arrival here. It's kind of comical I guess" said Quinn shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.
"I assure you, not everyone was present to witness something so extraordinary. It was only a few people" said Boromir making Quinn think- 'Boy he must feel very lucky. Well congratulations to him.'
"Are you searching for a way to go back home or have you decided to stay here?" Boromir asked with utter interest.
"No, I will leave when the time comes. And I already know how to go back, so I don't really have to look for a way" replied Quinn casually and Boromir continued their conversation. He even requested Quinn to take a walk with him. Clearly Boromir wanted to know more about her and her world. Quinn had no problem. It's always nice to get to know someone new.
"I have heard rumors that it is your necklace that brought you here" said Boromir glancing at the necklace around Quinn's neck.
"It is no rumor. And this necklace will take me back after one year. It needs an eclipse in order to work." Quinn explained as much as she knew about the necklace. Boromir listened to her carefully.
"So what have you planned to do during this one year?" Boromir asked at the end of Quinn's explanation. She shrugged her shoulders in reply.
"I dunno. I haven't thought about it yet." Quinn replied honestly. Boromir smiled at that. The girl was very carefree. Is everyone like that in her world?
"Well if I were you, I would've probably tried to find out about my past" said Boromir, making Quinn frown in confusion at him.
"Why would you want to do that?" Quinn asked. She already knew about her parents who were no more and that she was promised to Legolas. Quinn didn't think there was something, anything else to know.
"Why not? I would have been curious to know who sent me away to another world in the first place and why? That necklace of yours, didn't become enchanted on its own. Someone created it for a purpose. But you are not me. You must have different priorities" said Boromir but what he said earlier, got stuck in Quinn's mind.
"If you were me, how would you have started looking for answers?" Quinn asked very curiously.
"You are acquainted with a wizard. If I were you, I would have gone to him for help" said Boromir and Quinn seriously considered it. She was thinking that, Boromir was right. She should learn about her past and what really happened to her? How did she end up in another world when she was born here? Who sent her away and why? Tangled with those questions, Quinn also found her purpose in middle earth. No longer, she needs to wonder around in Rivendell aimlessly. Quinn could spend her one year trying to discover her past. She looked at Boromir and stared gratefully at him.
"Thanks Boromir, for talking to me. I think I just figured out what am I gonna do during this one year."
"So you have decided to solve the mysteries of your past." Boromir asked to confirm and Quinn nodded her head.
"I must talk to Gandalf. Thanks once again Boromir. I'll see you around" saying that Quinn ran away to find Gandalf. Boromir stood confused and amused at the same time. Quinn was definitely a bit different. Her accent, way of speaking and the way she behaved were uncommon yet not very other worldly. It confused Boromir because he was thinking that Quinn would be very strange and different from them. That he won't be able to understand her at all. Boromir was kind of thinking of her as an alien. However, his assumptions turned out to be much different than the reality. Yet, Boromir's curiosity wasn't vanquished. Not only that, he unknowingly filled curiosity in Quinn's mind as well, about her past. About what had happened all those thousands of years ago? Little did Boromir know where that would lead to?
Gandalf was in his chamber, reading a book. Quinn knocked on the door to gain the wizard's attention. "Gandalf, are you busy?"
"Quinn, please come in. Is everything alright?" Gandalf inquired even though he had met Quinn in the morning, at the breakfast table and everything was fine.
"Actually there is something I need to talk to you about" said Quinn and Gandalf nodded his head. He put down the book he was reading and paid undivided attention to Quinn. She inhaled a deep breath before speaking up again.
"I've been talking to Boromir just a while ago. He said something to me that made me think-"
"What? What did he say?" Gandalf asked with utter curiosity and seriousness and also a bit anxiousness.
"He said if he was me then he would've tried to find out who sent him away to another world and why? Gandalf I think I should find out about my past. What is the truth behind what happened? It could be something very important. Something I should know about." What Quinn said made Gandalf think about it. She wasn't being unreasonable at all. Truth to be told, Gandalf himself wanted answers. However, Quinn misinterpreted Gandalf's silence. She thought Gandalf didn't approve.
"Gandalf I know, you are already doing a lot for me, I owe everyone here for being so kind and caring. I really didn't wish to trouble you more but-" Gandalf silenced Quinn before she could speak more.
"Quinn, you are not troubling me at all and you owe me nothing. It's just, I do not know how I can help you. I have been looking for a way to make you an elf, reveal your true self but so far I am unsuccessful-" Quinn interrupted Gandalf right away.
"Gandalf, why are you still looking for a way to turn me into an elf when I have already decided to leave after one year?" Gandalf looked into Quinn's eyes and said-
"Because I believe you've taken that decision in haste and without thinking everything through."
"What is there to think through?" Quinn asked confusedly.
"You might change your decision later, Quinn" said Gandalf and he was kind of sure about it. No, Lord Elrond hasn't seen Quinn's future. All the glimpses he had of her future were blur and very unclear. Lord Elrond believed it was because Quinn wasn't determined about her decision, that her mind could change in the future.
"I don't see it happening within one year Gandalf. I think instead of looking for a solution to that problem, which I no longer consider a problem, we should seek for answers regarding my past" suggested Quinn very enthusiastically.
"There is no answer here. For that I must travel far but I cannot since I am a member of the fellowship and I must help Frodo. There is no guarantee how long it would take for our journey to end. It could take more than one year. You would be gone by then if you do not change your mind about leaving." Gandalf has stood up from his desk by then, and walked over to the open window. Quinn stood up as well as she kept looking at Gandalf.
"Where is it you are hoping to find some answers?" Quinn asked wanting to know.
"Mirkwood. You had disappeared from there" said Gandalf. Legolas' home, Quinn thought to herself.
"But I am not certain that I shall find something there. For all I know it could be an unsuccessful venture" said Gandalf sighing out a little. He suspected the quest to be a complete waste of time.
"Why is that Gandalf? Why do you think the quest will be unsuccessful?" Quinn asked curiously. Gandalf turned around to look at her.
"Because the only elf who was with you when you had mysteriously disappeared was your mother. And most of the elves who were involved in searching for you has either sailed away or died. The remaining elves like King Thranduil, doesn't know much himself. I really do not think I shall find anyone helpful there. But then again, there is no other place where I could go looking for answers regarding you" said Gandalf. Quinn understood the difficulty of the situation. She remained quiet for a moment. She began to realize, discovering her past was next to impossible. But then something clicked in Quinn's mind. Unlike this time, when Quinn appeared out of nowhere in front of many people, her mother Alasse was the only person who witnessed her sudden disappearance. She could definitely tell them something no one else could. But Alasse was already dead.
"Gandalf in order to solve a mystery, we need clues. I have a strong feeling that my mother is the first clue" said Quinn making Gandalf scowl at her.
"She is already dead Quinn and her soul is resting in the halls of Mandos" said Gandalf.
"I know but you are a wizard Gandalf. Surely you know how to contact with the dead" said Quinn confidently however Gandalf chocked on his breath.
"I can do no such thing Quinn. Whoever told you I can, was simply fooling you" said Gandalf shaking his head to himself. Quinn immediately became disappointed. She had assumed that since Gandalf is a wizard, he could do these things. Guess, the wizards and witches of middle earth were different. They probably never even heard of planchet or automatic writing or stuffs like that.
"So there is no way to contact someone in the halls of whatever" asked Quinn as she sighed out heavily. Feeling very hopeless.
"Halls of Mandos, and no there is no way to contact someone there without dying and going there himself" confirmed Gandalf but then Quinn remembered something she watched in the Supernatural show.
"What about near death state? Could someone hanging between life and death go to the halls of Mandos?" Quinn asked and Gandalf immediately threw her an incredulous look but Quinn waited for a verbal answer.
"No and even if it was possible, it is too dangerous and absolutely suicidal. Who would be foolish enough to do it?" However, inwardly Gandalf knew that it was indeed possible for a soul to venture into the halls of Mandos when very close to death. Because it was quite possible that the body will die and the soul won't be able to return anymore. But the person has to go very close to death to make it happen.
"Me" said Quinn not minding that Gandalf would think that she has lost her mind. However the wizard didn't hear her the first time since he was lost in his own thoughts. So Quinn spoke louder.
"Gandalf I will do it." He looked at Quinn with wide disbelieve eyes.
"You may not be able to contact with the dead but you can certainly put me into a near death state, can't you Gandalf?" This time Gandalf didn't look at Quinn with disbelieve. He downright glared at her.
"I think you have finally lost your sanity Quinn if you think I will do such a thing to you."
"What's wrong with this plan?" Quinn asked with nonchalant tone of voice as if she was talking about going to one of the gardens of Rivendell and not about the halls of Mandos. "If I can get to Alasse, I mean my mother, then we will find out what really happened that day when I disappeared. It could lead us to the next clue."
"Or you could just die" stated Gandalf. Quinn didn't deny that. She was aware of the risks. It's just that she didn't care enough.
"Well I could but I really think this is a risk worth taking. Imagine what if I don't die. We will be one step closer to solving the mysteries of my past. We should always think positive Gandalf" advised Quinn wisely which earned her another glare.
"I will never condone such madness Quinn, forget about it." Gandalf stated with stern and strong tone of voice.
"Gandalf you promised to always help me." Quinn kept insisting.
"Not help in killing you." Gandalf argued back.
"There is no guarantee that I will die." Quinn sighed out heavily when Gandalf simply scowled at her angrily.
"So you won't help me?" Quinn asked again being very persistent. Gandalf said nothing this time. Only sternly stared at her.
"I mean you are absolutely sure?" Still no response.
"I mean you are absolutely, completely, one hundred percent sure." Still no response from Gandalf.
"Oh come on there must be something I could do to change your mind." Quinn knew she was being ridiculous but she had to try. This time Gandalf responded, though with action. He pointed his staff at her. Quinn immediately took a step back.
"Okay, I see you have made up your mind. I will- ahem take my leave then." Quinn was scurrying out of the room but she stopped at the door and turned to look at Gandalf again.
"Would you let me know, if by any chance you have second thoughts?" Quinn tried one last time, making Gandalf step towards her as if he is going to attack her. Quinn hurriedly ran away from there.
"Foolish girl." Gandalf muttered under his breath. He thought Quinn will forget about it as he has refused to help. Only if he knew, how determined Quinn was about it!
