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"To be happy-one must find one's bliss"
― Gloria Vanderbilt
King & Lionheart
Chapter thirteen; Bliss
24 October 3018
Well, you're dead Freya. Dead as a freaking dodo.
Why is death so comfortable? I feel like I'm lying on a cloud. I sighed internally at the softness surrounding my body.
Me being dead was the most logical explanation. I ran through in my head everything that had happened, over the last few memories of when I'd been awake. Glorfindel, riding the horse, the ring wraiths. I was suddenly very reluctant to carry on thinking or to open my eyes.
I remembered the conversation and thoughts that I'd spent worrying about ring wraiths. I was very frightened, that if I opened my eyes, I might wake up to find eight pissed off riders in black with a very angry leader.
I wasn't a ring wraith was I? I couldn't possibly be. The last thing I remembered was looking into a strange golden light.
I knew easily what would be better out of heaven or being a trapped soul, only existing to please an evil lord. I spent to long worrying about what might be, and impulsively, spoke loudly.
"Hello?" My voice was very hoarse and painful from the lack of speaking I'd been doing lately.
There was a few beats of silence.
"Hello." A strange voice replied.
Not unpleasant, but sort of gruff and tired, with a hint of amusement hidden. How can you possibly get all of that out of hello idiot, open your eyes.
When I finally did open my eyes, I was pleasantly surprised by the room's inhabitants, even though I felt really awkward.
Aragorn stood furthest away from me, smiling wider than I'd ever seen him. Even though he looked nothing like he usually did.
"Aragorn…did you…did you take a bath?" I opened my mouth in mock horror, he'd grown use to my 'unusual' sense of humour over the last few weeks and seemed to know I was kidding, the other two gentlemen in the room however did not.
He looked, well sort of, good looking now that he was clean, and neatly shaven- his beard trimmed to an appropriate length. He was wearing a deep red outfit, which made him look less like a ranger and more like…royalty.
Sitting closest to my bed, chewing on a pipe was an old man, with a very long grey beard, wearing…a dress. I tried not to react too much to it, I knew people dressed strangely here, but he had to be the oddest looking man, I'd ever seen.
He looked kindly enough though, with piercing blue eyes, so I flashed him a quick friendly smile before turning my gaze to inspect the final man in the bright, airy room I'd been settled in.
Or elf, I should say. He was not quite as handsome as Glorfindel had been. He looked older and sadder, less mischievous. He did stand tall and proud however, he was as beautiful and perfect as an elf should be- from his pointed ears to gentle smile.
"I've never met an elf with black hair before…where's Glorfindel?" I only asked out of curious politeness, but it sent off a train of thoughts that made my chest tighten with worry.
"The hobbits? Where's Frodo? I want to see him. I want to make sure he's ok. I need to see him. Please" I nagged, a bit hysterically. I couldn't even put into words how much the hobbits meant to me now. They were like the odd little, hairy footed brothers I never had.
I really couldn't lose them now, they were all I had to hold onto.
"The hobbits are well, Freya. Thanks to you, Aragorn has told us. You have been very brave, braver than one your age ought to have been, but there is much we do not understand, that needs explaining." The elderly man spoke from next to me, he'd been the man to reply to me before.
My eyes widened as the man spoke, in response to his words. What could he possibly want from me? I didn't know anything about anything.
"About you, Freya. You are lost. I have told Gandalf some, but I did not understand all you have told me, about your sister, Lou? Nor about the little jewel in my keeping or the land from which you hail."
I bit my lip, obviously they'd want to know where I came from. I had a horrible feeling I'd be interrogated on the ring or on the black rider I'd killed. I cringed inwardly. Not killed, you can't kill something that isn't dead. I reassured myself, not a murderer. You did it for the hobbits.
"Freya?" Aragorn's voice pulled me back to the present, his face was less happy now, he looked worried again. "This is Lord Elrond, he has healed you these last few days. You are very –he put an exceptional amount of stress on the word very- lucky to be alive. You have heard the hobbits speak of Gandalf. This is him."
Gandalf, the wizard inclined his head towards me, in greeting.
The elf took a step forward a smile on his face, "Welcome to Rivendell, Freya Nott."
His voice was as breath-taking as Glorfindel's had been. "Thank you, sir." I stuttered out, "for saving me. And Aragorn, and Glorfindel." I looked back at the ranger. "Really, I can't thank you enough..."
"There will be time for celebrations and thanks later Freya, but now we must hear your story." Gandalf prompted.
Where do I even start? I took a deep breath and started at the beginning, the very beginning.
I told him about earth, about airplanes, cars, houses, jobs, equality, the lack of elves, hobbits and dwarves –which I was not happy about- I told him about growing up with my mother, about how Lou had been the best thing in my life, she and Toby had been like a family for me.
Then I'd spoken about how horrible it had been when I'd lost her. The flash of lightening, the year of therapy and then, how it had happened to me. How I'd arrived in middle earth. Tom and Goldberry, the hobbits, Aragorn…our walking.
The only thing that went unmentioned, was my dreams about the elf lady; that was mine.
Talk turned to the wring wraith…the witch king, Lord Elrond kept calling him. They were both pretty impressed that I'd managed to kill him, more even than Glorfindel had been.
"It was luck. But…well" I blushed "I really, really wasn't going to let them hurt my hobbits." I finished awkwardly, playing with my bandaged hand in my lap. "I don't even remember how it happened. Frodo turned invisible-OH" I looked at Aragorn again. Was I allowed to mention the ring?
"Yes, one of the rings many powers, child." Elrond nodded encouragingly. I didn't carry on speaking until Aragorn nodded as well, I wasn't sure why seeking the ranger's approval was so important. I guess probably because I didn't want to upset him, he'd sort of become a bit like the hobbits. Except less cute.
"Well, Frodo vanished. And I knew he'd never, ever leave the other hobbits. He's too kind, and the man –wraith- he started walking towards where he was…and I don't know I just sort of stood in the way and tried jabbing at his arm, blindly."
As I thought back in the fight, that seemed so long ago, my shoulder gave a painful jolt- as if in revenge. I reached my hand towards it, hissing in pain.
"You are lucky to be alive Freya." Lord Elrond repeated Aragorn's words.
"Another few hours, and you certainly wouldn't have been. It took a great deal of skill for Lord Elrond to remove the fragment of blade lodged in your shoulder, I'm afraid you will always have some pain as a lasting reminder." Gandalf sounded sad, as if it was him who'd always have a dodgy shoulder. It was worth it, wasn't it? He would have killed us all if I hadn't of done anything. Not that I'd jumped in meaning to kill him…I'd just wanted to stall him until Aragorn came back and saved us all.
"How did I kill him? I didn't even…I just wanted him to go away." I felt like a little child, sitting in a room full of grown-ups, completely lost.
"Only very powerful weapons can break the seal about a wraith young one. You were given such a weapon by Tom Bombadil, as were the other hobbits. I do not think it was luck that gave you that dagger, or the courage to use it on Weathertop, Freya. It was prophesised many, many years ago that the Witch King of Angmar would die not by the hands of man. You are not a man." Gandalf's eyes twinkled strangely as he spoke, almost like he was proud, or smug.
"I know, Glorfindel told me." I sighed heavily, whatever anyone said, I knew it was luck that saved our lives that night.
"How appropriate. It was Glorfindel whom predicted such an outcome. I do hope he's not too smug, very troublesome for an elf….amongst others." Gandalf shot an amused look at the elf standing by the window, watching us.
Lord Elrond pressed his lips into a hard line of disapproval.
"Glorfindel?" My mouth fell open, what a crazy thing to happen. "He…he was very surprised."
"Even the wise are not all-knowing, Freya. In fact more often than not, we are quite ignorant. But Glorfindel is amongst the wisest in Rivendell." Gandalf smiled at me again, kindly. I had taken a sudden, uncontrollable liking to this strange Wizard. He reminded me of someone I wish I'd known.
"You are quite special Freya, I suspected before Aragorn told me anything, my dear. I have seen marks like yours before, though only once, they are the same- I have no doubt! But then, that is a story for another time I suppose, you are tired and I am weary of speaking. Rest!"
I gawped at him, understanding. I pushed myself up on the bed urgently. I felt like the chaotic few weeks I'd just endured would be completely worth it if I could see Lou again. She'd probably laugh as I explained Tom Bombadil, being naked in front of the Hobbits and she must have stories to tell me.
After all she'd been here more than a year, with elves and magic. There is so much to talk about. Her face flashed in my mind like a light, clearing away the blurry, confusing, horrible situation and events that I'd landed myself in.
"What? No. You know where Lou is? She is here then. Can I see her? Please?"
"She is not here Ai raa." Aragorn broke in gently, taking a few steps towards me, to push me gently back into my pillow.
"Do not worry about anything, rest for a while, and more will be explained tomorrow." Lord Elrond finished, soothingly. "There will be a council, and a feast when you are well enough. You have killed a mighty foe, this will heighten our chances in this war. You have been very brave Freya."
After very little talk, mostly me protesting, I was given a goblet of liquid, which sent me off into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.
I slept on and off throughout the day, trouble less.
I'd forgotten how wonderful beds could be. I'd forgotten how wonderful, not being in pain could be. My shoulder throbbed a bit through the day, but the elf, Lord Elrond had worked magic on me. The only thing really wrong was how tired I'd felt.
To my unexpected delight, I'd been woken just as the sun was setting by a gaggle of very happy and excited hobbits, Merry in the lead. Glorfindel stood in the window where Elrond had earlier, glittering in the light as the hobbits talked and laughed sat around the bed. I almost didn't notice when the elf slipped out, the hobbits certainly didn't.
Only Frodo, seemed upset. "That'll be the council tomorrow." Pippin told me grumpily when I'd asked why Frodo looked so worried.
"Which the younger hobbits are not permitted to attend." Glorfindel reappeared suddenly, with a tray of soup, bread and some sort of yellow liquid. I blushed deeply when he shooed the hobbits from the bed and lay the tray across my lap. "For the lovely lady." He winked nodding at my scarlet face.
"Hm. I don't know why Gandalf thinks you're trouble, Glorfindel. I think you're adorable." I responded cheekily, trying to hide my embarrassment.
They all hovered round as I ate the meal quickly, I'd been told I was too unwell to attend tonight's meal, and should rest for the council meeting tomorrow.
Glorfindel assured me that he and Frodo would be there, and I would see plenty of the hobbits the next day before leaving with a bow, taking my little guys with him.
After Glorfindel and the Hobbits had left for the night, I settled in until the morning. I was still quite tired and wanted to be ready for whatever tomorrow had to throw at me.
I woke up only once in the night, to go to the toilet in a bedpan in the corner of the room. As I was walking back to my bed, something caught my eye through one of the many windows, a cloaked man loitering awkwardly in a clearing from Rivendell.
I was worried at first, his dark shadow reminded me so much of a ring wraith until an elf came and greeted him. He glanced upwards at the window, before I had the chance to scuttle away, before following the elf in a hurry.
I fell back to sleep instantly, I was safe here- it was bliss.
:)