Ithilwen had just turned into hallway with the latest load of clean laundry when she saw Jack. "I thought you had work to do."
"Funny, I could say the same," he shrugged.
"I am doing work. I'm taking care of the laundry before I head out." She balanced the basket on her hip and moved past the guardian and went upstairs.
Jack, not to be left out, followed her as she deposited the piles of clothes on her naneth and sister's beds before moving to her own room. In there, she tucked away some of the clothes and began to drag out more piles to drop on her bed. Following that, a couple of bags sailed through the room to land nearby.
"It looks to me like you're making a mess."
"I'm packing," came the muffled noise from Ithilwen's closet.
"Where you going?"
Ithilwen came out of her closet with another armful of clothes that she set in a separate pile on her bed before packing her first picks. "Texas," she said briefly, folding and rolling shirts as she talked. "There's a haunted house convention down near Denton." Zipping the bag up, she moved towards the other pile of clothes. "It's been brought to my attention that I've been moping, and that I need to get out of the house. So I'm going on a road trip."
"By yourself."
"Yeah."
Jack pulled her desk chair closer with his staff before dropping into it. "You're not going to feel lonely on a single-person road trip?"
"Well what am I supposed to do, Jack? Everyone's busy with their own work!" Ithilwen shrugged, turning to her vanity cabinet. She searched the drawers until she located her makeup bag and began to fill it with the ones she felt she would most likely use. "I don't expect to have a babysitter. I am an adult after all."
"I know that," he said. "I was just thinking about well, you know, you not being able to talk to Legolas."
Ithilwen turned back to face him. "Aw, you do care," she teased, laughing when he stuck his tongue out at her. "You spending this extra time with Esther's starting to show."
"Actually, I wanted to ask you about that." He watched as she stuffed the makeup bag into the half-filled duffle bag, disappearing briefly to collect her styling devices and add them. "Is it weird that I feel like I've enjoyed this time I've spent with Esther before?"
She looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"I mean when I'm at her office, for example. It's not so much the talking as it is the feelings I have." Jack ran a hand through his hair and groaned. "It's almost like deja vu I guess."
"Well what kind of feelings do you have, exactly?" Ithilwen picked up the duffle bags and carried them downstairs. Jack followed, grabbing the laundry basket at her request.
"Peace? I feel...relaxed, is the best word I can think of. Like I can go spend time with Esther even on a bad day and still feel like everything went right."
Downstairs, Ithilwen dropped her bags by the door, taking the laundry basket from Jack and returned it to the mudroom. When she came back into the hallway, she motioned for him to follow her back down the hall and into Fiona's studio. Jack proceeded to wander around as the elleth drug out large plastic bins and searched silently through them. He still didn't see how half the things she had selected would be appropriate for a haunted house convention, but then she hadn't exactly said where else her road trip would lead.
Once she found what she was looking for, Ithilwen closed the bins and shoved them back into their resting place. "You know Jack, it sounds to me like you're comfortable around Esther."
"But I've felt this before!" he protested, following her out of the studio. "I know I've felt this before! I-I don't know where or when exactly, but I have!"
Ithilwen turned back to him suddenly, and Jack had to remember to not whack her with his staff. It wouldn't have been the first time her elven movements had caught him by surprise. "Maybe this is one of your memories you're experiencing? Is there a chance you two could have been alive in the same time?"
Jack shrugged. "I don't know. She's pretty secretive about that stuff. Cupid's got her on a special project right now, or I'd ask her."
"Paper work?"
"That's putting it delicately," he laughed. He had to be careful or he'd blow Esther's cover, and he knew she would do worse than knocking him off her office chair for asking if her breasts were real. She had fought hard to get the clearance she needed for this work, and he couldn't ruin the surprise. Jack would do some things, but even he had his limits.
Luckily Ithilwen appeared to not have noticed his watered-down answer. "If you have any kind of genealogy records on file, it's a place to start. Maybe you could find out if you have any descendants based on your sister's family line? Or check for Esther's, if you can find out her married name. There weren't many places to live then, so for all you know, the two of you could have been neighbors!"
"I'll ask North or Bernard about that," Jack told her. "So when do you start your road trip?"
"When I get the everything else done," she replied. "Check the lights, doors, all that boring stuff."
"You planning to take pictures?" he asked suddenly, nudging one of the duffel bags with his staff."
"I planned to. Why, you want something specific?"
"I was just going to suggest filming the trip, if you can pull it off. Jamie's been telling me about some of these people who record all kinds of things to put on the computer for others to watch. You wouldn't feel as alone then, and we'd get to see what you see everywhere you go."
Esther had cleared out a space in her living room, moving what furniture she owned up to the walls to expose the hardwood surface she'd need. On the coffee table sat piles of notes, several books, a box of North's snowglobes, and a box of all the tools she could possibly make use of. Out of habit, she quickly swept the area after rolling the old rug over to the couch, but really it was procrastination. What she was about to attempt all boiled down to hours of studying, planning, and worrying. Frankly, she was scared shitless.
It wasn't so much about failure that scared Esther - she had a history of mistakes, and her learning process was built on studying her failures. She wasn't scared about the thought of falling short on her plan, because only a select few knew anything about what she was trying to accomplish, and they were all Guardians. No, what scared Esther was the thought of succeeding. The very idea of making contact with another world, another race of beings outside of the scope of the normal human's comprehension was incredibly intimidating. She had seen the conspiracy theorists and their peculiar manner on the subjects of life outside of Earth, but this was bigger than a bobble-head shaped alien. If she could pull this off, she would make a connection that would transcend their current dimension.
'And no one would know,' she thought, retrieving a box of chalk and her notes. With a piece of paper in hand and a piece of chalk in the other, Esther began to replicate the vigil she had crafted onto her floor. 'In fact, it's best if no one knows. There are far too many times in history where the human race has raped once-beautiful lands of their resources for personal glory.'
Once Esther was certain she had redrawn the vigil correctly, she returned the chalk to its box and dusted off her hands. Now came the messy part, and she really hoped it would come off her floor later. A small, dark red vial was taken from the box of tools next, along with a paintbrush. She twisted the cap off the vial and took a sniff, recoiling quickly. 'I must be out of my damned mind,' she thought, referring back to her notes to trace over selected markings with the pig's blood in the vial. 'All I need is for someone to come in here right now. They'll think I've either killed Jack or that I'm about to sacrifice a live chicken!'
She wasn't even certain that pig's blood-brushed markings in the vigil would help at all, but she was willing to try, albeit muttering "Ew ew ew" with each movement. All that remained was for the candles to be placed in their designated spots, and to pluck up the courage to get the show on the road. A trip to a mortal new age shop had been fruitful several days ago, as Esther explained to the store owner that she was seeking to communicate with spiritual forces and find guidance in their power, and she had specific goals on her mind that she wished to see successful. The store owner had sold her almost every color of the rainbow, giving her a list of meanings intended with each color, and wished Esther the favor of the Goddess in her endeavors. The mortal didn't have to know that Esther's plans weren't just spiritual, but literal.
The last thing Esther set on the outermost edge of the chalk vigil was a spirit board with wooden planchet. It was ridiculous, but she figured it would be her best sign to find out if she made contact with anyone at all. She sat down on the floor just in front of the spirit board and vigil and took a breath. 'Now or never, Es.'
"With darkness comes the light,
Shadows linger in my sight,
I seek you guidance, Irmo!
Banish this creature with your sight!"
It was only the first part of the spell, but something strange happened. Esther watched with alarm as a breeze entered through the room, when all of her windows were closed tight. The movement of the air was focused on this part of the room, and one by one, each of the candles that had been placed were lit.
"What is it that concerns you?"
"We are being summoned."
A murmur of voices converged at this piece of news. Who would be daring enough to make direct contact with one of the Valar? The majority of the highest-ranked were gathered in the halls of Ilmarin, summoned by Varda's request. She, with her king, sat before the squabbling beings in silence. She had felt the magical energy reaching out to her from an unknown force, and she immediately sent missives to all who could arrive quickly.
"Silence," Manwë ordered. "What we have bearing down upon us is little more than a soul seeking guidance. If you will cease your words and listen, you will be able to feel the energies that Varda called each of you here for."
Thankfully, this had the intended effect of shutting the lot up, as each stood still and looked inside themselves for the source that their queen had discovered. Irmo looked up minutes later. "The soul that is calling is seeking an audience."
"Just how does this soul believe this is possible?" Yavanna asked.
"It is because they are not from Arda," the queen answered, not taking her eyes off of Irmo. "You will be the one best suited to respond, Dream Master."
"What does he intend to say?" Mandos rumbled from beside Oromë. "Who is this that can breach the barriers of Valinor's protection by Eru Illúvatar!"
Manwë raised a hand to silence him before he could continue his train of thought. "It is someone who is quite capable of magical spellwork, and thus we must proceed cautiously until the seeker's intentions are made clear."
Everyone turned to look for Irmo, who had since made himself a seat on the floor and retreated into himself to focus better on the calling of the magically-infused seeker. It was only a matter of waiting to see what happened next.
Esther kept going through the incantation, despite the nervous twist in her gut at the candles self-lighting. She really hoped she hadn't accidentally summoned the spirit of a serial killer; how the hell would she explain that in a report to Cupid?!
"Hail, Irmo! Please hear my cry!
My intent is pure of heart,
Allow me this honor of your grace,
Your vision, your space!"
The sun had long since set, and the only light source Esther had in the living room in that moment was the flicker of the candles spread across the vigil. She could only watch in horror as the wax had begun to make its way down to the floor, mixing with the chalk dust and pig's blood. There was nothing to do about it now; she had started the spell and she had to see it through. Besides, the scuttling sound of the wooden planchet on the spirit board easily distracted her from thoughts of cleaning the next day.
The planchet began to scrape across the board without her touch, and Esther knew she had found someone. The problem was, she didn't know who.
"W-Who are you?" she asked the space before her, staring at the board intently.
Through the glass circle Esther could make out one word: Irmo. Had it been that easy? She had found him? Doubt began to eat at her, and she had to make certain. After all, it could have been a malevolent spirit trying to troll her.
"How can I be sure that you are Irmo?" she asked, her voice holding more courage than she felt.
The planchet fell silent then, and she grew worried she had angered the spirit. A split second later, the piece levitated before her at eye level, prompting her to look through the view finder. Esther swallowed, then peeked through, almost expecting a jump scare. Instead, she saw her life as a mortal, the happier times in the village, long before she had learned of Jack's death. What appeared in the view finder next was nowhere in her memory bank, and she nearly screamed.
It was a tall man, possibly taller than North and a fraction of his build. His thin frame was draped in dark robes, a midnight blue that was decorated with silver etchings, reminding her of the night skies and its stars. His hair was a silver white, which was barely noticeable in the freshly fallen snow of the landscape. His eyes, were a shade of blue that was so light, they were almost matched his hair.
"I am Lord Irmo, Master of Visions and Dreams, Young One," he told her. Esther didn't see his mouth move at all, but she could hear him clear as a bell in her head. "What perchance, do you seek my guidance?"
"I am Esther, Guardian of Pure Love," she said. Better to get that out of the way before she started asking for help. "In my world, there is a mother and child that were sent by ill magic. I want to give them the opportunity to return to their true home."
Irmo's figure stood silent in the snowy scene, and Esther briefly wondered if he had even heard her. "Two of the Eldar were taken from Arda more than a century ago," he acknowledged. "Nienna has wept for their sudden partings from their homeland many times. However, there is little that can be done to right the wrongs of the world."
Esther felt her stomach sink. "Surely there must be something!" she pleaded. "I have studied so hard just to make contact with your people! I will do whatever it takes to bring them him!"
"Even if it would mean the eventual end of your companionship?" Irmo asked. "Could you bear the burden of parting with those you have grown close to?"
"Believe me, it has been something that I have dealt with far longer than most know. I know the consequences, and I also know it would be selfish to keep them here. Their family is not whole; it is wrong to keep them separate."
Irmo's mental projection in the illusion looked through the small glass view of the planchet. He could see that the young woman on the other side was sincere in her worlds. When he told her that this was out of their power, it was not meant to disappoint her. Assisting in the affairs of Arda was one thing, but the ability to pierce other dimensions was next to impossible for them. For Eru, it might have been likely, but there was no getting him to interfere with current events. "Your words are kind for folk that are not your own, Guardian Esther," he said. "If you truly wish to act on your words, you must understand that the Valar are incapable of this level of magic. We will aid in your endeavors, but much of the power needed will come from you. Do you feel capable of withstanding extensive spell work to begin your training?"
Esther could only stare open-mouthed at the Valar that she had been talking to. He was willing to help her! "O-Of course!" she said hastily. "I will do whatever it takes to make this work!"
"Then you are a true friend to the Eldar that reside in your world," he said. "Your devotion to your friendship is honorable, and will be duly noted."
She found herself bowing slightly in thanks to Irmo. He then proceeded to give her a brief lead in where her training would begin before the view in the planchet started to distort. "You can count on me, Lord Irmo!" were Esther's last words as the image faded, the planchet clattering to the spirit board.
With the departure of Irmo, the candles that had been lit began to go out, one by one. The planchet slid across the spirit board, pointing to 'GOODBYE', signaling the end of the session. Esther then began to close the vigil as customary, reciting the given words of thanks to all that she could remember. The room was nearly pitch dark now, and she had had no idea she had talked to Irmo for so long. Her hands shook slightly as she stood up, and in an attempt to cross the room to reach the light switch she managed to trip over the spirit board. She didn't realize she was so rattled until she could see her hands move in an agitated manner.
'But, this is a good thing,' she thought, returning to clean up her tools. 'I now know that I have a chance at getting them back to middle-earth.' Esther frowned with irritation as she looked down at her floor. The blood, wax, and chalk were all fused to the hardwood panels, and she didn't much feel like cleaning it that night. She threw a rug over it instead.
"How long do you think you'll be gone?" Morwen asked. Ithilwen had decided to call her before setting out for her trip.
"A month and a half, maybe? Two at the most, I think." She moved the bags out on the front porch as she talked with her naneth. "I'm only taking some clothes and things for the conventions. I'll worry about everything else when I get where I'm going."
"Well take the little cooler with you at least. You can get some stuff for sandwiches when you get tired of junk food."
"Alright Nana."
"And don't forget to call us when you reach your destination. You know we worry."
"I will, Nana."
"And Ithilwen?"
"Yes, Nana?"
"Please try and have fun," her naneth told her gently. "I know you're still upset, and I wish I knew of something that I could do for you. Just try not to worry about what's going on at home. I'm sure everything has been in our odds. He may even be busy; but I have no doubts that he won't find a way to you."
"Thanks, Nana," she smiled. "I'll let you get back to work, and I'll try to have some fun." When her naneth hung up, Ithilwen pocketed the phone in her jeans and made a tour of the house to make sure everything was turned off. Satisfied, she checked her room once more to make sure she had grabbed all of the bags she packed, when she noticed the shirt draped across the edge of her bed. Ithilwen stared at the silvery material and chewed her lip, sighing in resignation a moment later and collecting the garment to toss over her shoulders.
'I must be out of my mind,' she thought. 'But maybe if I keep it with me I'll hear from him? Huh,' she paused on her descent of the steps, 'it still smells like him.' When Ithilwen realized she was sniffing the ellon's tunic like a cat, she blushed brightly. 'Thank gods I'm home alone, or Fiona would never let me hear the end of it!'
After she locked the front door, Ithilwen grabbed her bags and tucked all but her smallest two in the trunk. She then went around the house to check the back door before slipping into the garage to collect the small cooler Morwen had insisted she take. This she put in the passenger seat with her two small bags. One was the obligatory purse, but the other had an assortment of things she might have need of during stops; state maps, the list of directions, sunglasses, her mp3 player, among other odds and ends. She dropped her cell phone in her purse as she spotted a small silver device peeking out of the other bag.
"I was just going to suggest filming the trip, if you can pull it off. Jamie's been telling me about some of these people who record all kinds of things to put on the computer for others to watch. You wouldn't feel as alone then, and we'd get to see what you see everywhere you go."
Again, Ithilwen chewed her lip as she debated Jack's words. She had a video channel that she rarely used anyway, and it wouldn't be hard to upload it at the hotel...but should she? Fiona would probably tell her to go for it, she knew this. Her sister had even recorded her college graduation ceremony so that one day Haldir would get to watch it.
'It's been a long time since I've done one of these,' she thought, fighting to secure the camera on her dashboard. Mashing some buttons she leaned back in her seat to get comfortable. "It's been a while," she said, snorting out loud at how pathetic she sounded. "It's been an..ah..interesting year for me, and I haven't uploaded any videos since before I graduated college. I planned out this road trip - literally two days ago - and I thought, why not record it?" She started the engine and began to back out of the driveway as she continued to talk. "A friend actually suggested I do this, so thank you Jack. Now I have no choice but to grace y'all with my face for the trip!"
Outside the Food Lion in Dinwiddie, Ithilwen tore open the bag of ice and dumped it into the cooler - after taking it out of the car first, of course. She then unbagged her food items and arranged them in the cooler. Given its size, she opted for a six-pack of bottled drinks, some small packs of lunch meats, and a bag of kiser rolls. When she discovered the rolls wouldn't fit, she left them atop the cooler with the bags of chips and fudge-striped shortbread cookies.
"I am such a pig," Ithilwen said into her camera. "But then the cooler is the smallest one we own, so not much is going to fit into it anyway, you know? I got some fancy sandwich rolls, turkey, pepperoni, some bagged lettuce, four different kinds of chips - can't resist a sale - and...cookies!" She held the package up. "Fudge stripe cookies!" she grinned. "I'm going to be rolling into Texas, and I mean literally rolling, cause my ass is already huge."
What wasn't seen in the angle of the camera were the family-size bags of chips she had mentioned being on sale. Of course, anyone that knows chips knows that half the bag is air, so really she had bought four "normal" sized bags. The engine roared to life once again, and Ithilwen found herself getting back into the swing of talking to herself while a camera recorded.
"Are you sure this is the request you have asked of us?" Manwë spoke, his voice echoing in the large room. Each of the Valar that had been summoned earlier were called forth once more to overhear the pleas of the female figure before them, who had come to seek their guidance and assistance. Even though the lone figure was of the same stature as the others, the aura of the collective seemed to dwarf the one into submission out of respect.
"Yes," the voice said weakly, then determined. "Yes, my lord. This is the request that I have come to ask of each of you." It was a fool's hope, she knew, but knew that she had to try. The volunteered seclusion had been unbearable as of late, and she hoped to remedy her actions.
The collective seemed to huddle together in hushed conversation to consider her request. Manwë looked to Irmo, who did not avert his gaze. "You know of a way," the king whispered.
"It will be a challenge, but yes, there is a way," Irmo replied. "It will fall to the Guardian to breech contact again, however. This request would be beyond my capabilities otherwise."
Estë lay a supportive hand over her husbands'. "How certain do you feel about the chance of success?"
"This is maddening!" Tulkas whispered harshly. "The decision to come to Valinor was the final decision! Why should we allow the request?"
"Because she is one of our own," Varda said in a much gentler tone. "And Irmo has already given his word to assist the Guardian of the Other World with her request; to deny one of our own would make us no better than the dark forces we fight against." She turned her attention to Irmo. "As you were saying, Lord Irmo?"
Irmo bowed his head in gratitude, only saying, "I am utmost certain that the trial will be successful, yet I cannot be certain when I will speak with the Guardian again."
Manwë nodded sagely, turning back to address the female that waited in the center of the room patiently. "We have decided that we will honor your request." The female seemed to be near tears of gratitude. "However, we cannot honor your request in the manner that you seek. Would you still be willing to accept our assistance to fulfill your desires, or shall you return to your place and wait for an undetermined amount of time?"
Still near tears, the female wasted no time in answering. "I will go with your judgment, my lord! I trust your will and have faith that things will unfold for the best!"
"Very well, my child," Manwë spoke again. "Blessed journey, and may you find what you seek."