Chapter Two – I Can See The Way Ahead
As Gandalf, Thorin and the Company slowly crossed the narrow bridge into Rivendell; Jasmine couldn't help but be filled with a sense of wonder. She had never seen anything as beautiful as this place. Even the air felt different to her. The group walked into a circular courtyard, with two large statues at the entrance.
Bifur had stayed close to Jasmine, keeping an eye on her. He was concerned about her injuries. He noticed that even though she hadn't complained, she was limping badly. Dwarves by nature did not trust Elves, but he was hoping they could help her. He had heard tales about Elvish medicine – it was legendary. Perhaps they could heal her wounds.
As the Company wandered about the circle, Jasmine found her legs were starting to stiffen up, making it difficult to move. She desperately wanted to find a place to sit down, but there was nothing nearby. She could feel blood trickling from the bandages Bifur had carefully wrapped around her knees. They had become completely saturated. The loss of blood was beginning to make her feel weak.
The gentle touch of a hand on her arm made her turn. She gazed into Bifur's soft brown eyes. He pointed down at her legs, concern flooding his face. Apparently he had also noticed the blood on her legs. He spoke to her in that strange language of his and also made some hand gestures.
Jasmine sighed. "I really wish I could understand what you are saying. If you can understand me, I just want you to know that I am so grateful for your help. I don't think I would have made it without you."
"Oh he understands you right well lass…he just can't answer you back."
Turning she saw Bofur step close to her. "My cousin can't speak the common tongue because of the axe in his head. It has messed up the way he speaks. Maybe one day he'll get it back, but till then." Bofur shrugged.
"Well can you tell me what he just said?" she asked.
"He's concerned that your legs are still bleeding…that you need new bindings. Truth be told, I find it concerning as well." Bofur replied.
Jasmine gave a soft sigh, "Honestly, I do feel a bit woozy because of it. I need something I can use to apply pressure…maybe that will stop the bleeding."
Taking a deep breath, she asked, "So how did Bifur become injured?"
"Orcs attacked a village we lived in and he was injured in the fight. It happened a long time ago, but he has learned to live with it," he replied.
"That's terrible!" she said sadly. Turning toward Bifur, she touched his shoulder, "I'm sorry that happened to you. Horrible things seem to happen everywhere don't they?"
He nodded.
Jasmine put her hand to her face. She felt like she was on the verge of fainting. She took a couple of deep breaths trying to steady herself.
The sound of footsteps on the stairs brought everyone's attention in that direction. Thorin whispered something to Dwalin. A young Elf walked slowly towards the group. He addressed Gandalf making what seemed to be a gesture of welcome before saying, "Mithrandir." then adding something in an unknown language.
Gandalf obviously knew him. "Ahhh, Lindir!"
When Gandalf replied at least he spoke in a language she understood, "I must speak to Lord Elrond."
"My Lord Elrond is not here." Lindir replied.
"Not here…Where is he?"
Lindir started to respond when the blare of a horn was heard in the distance. To Jasmine it sounded like the same horn from earlier during the Orc attack.
The Dwarves all turned in the direction of the sound and saw a line of armed riders approaching across the bridge they had just crossed. Thorin immediately yelled something in Dwarvish and the group made a tight circle pulling Bilbo and Jasmine into the center to protect them. For his part, Gandalf continued to stand near the stairs, unafraid of the Elven riders.
Jasmine clamped her eyes closed against the pain of being shoved into the circle. She took several deep breaths trying hard not to scream. Bifur turned when he heard her exhale loudly. Her face had taken on an ashen hue which concerned him even more. She needed help and soon.
As the Elves rode into the courtyard, they made several circles around the Dwarves before stopping. One of the riders spoke directly to the Wizard. "Gandalf."
Smiling, he replied, "Lord Elrond" then added something in Elvish.
Lord Elrond continued to speak in his language to Gandalf as he dismounted and embraced the Wizard. It was very obvious they knew each other well. Changing to English, he said, "Strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders. Something or someone has drawn them near." He handed a strange looking item to Lindir, who seemed concerned by it.
"Ah, that could have been us." the Wizard answered.
Thorin stepped forward, with Dwalin staying by his side.
Lord Elrond approached, "Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain."
"I don't believe we have met." Thorin replied
Coming closer, Elrond said, "You have your grandfather's bearing. I knew Thror when he ruled under the mountain."
In a sneering tone, Thorin replied, "Indeed, he made no mention of you."
Lord Elrond then spoke his native tongue again to the group.
Gloin apparently didn't care for it, saying, "What is he saying? Is he offering us insult?"
Gandalf answered, "No Master Gloin, he's offering you food."
Surprised, the group turned and consulted each other, Gloin said, "Ah well, in that case lead on."
As Lindir directed the Company where to proceed, Jasmine was approached by Lord Elrond. He had noticed immediately she was injured.
"My Lady, I have called for someone to assist you. I shall make sure you are well cared for."
"Thank you. I appreciate that."
Bifur had refused to follow the others, staying with Jasmine. She turned to him touching his shoulder, "Don't worry, I will be all right. I'll join ya'll in a bit."
Bifur shook his head starting to protest, but Jasmine put her hand gently against his face. "I promise I'll be back once they take care of my wounds."
Not sure he wanted her to leave his sight, Bifur finally nodded following after the others.
Just as he disappeared up the staircase, Jasmine blacked out and dropped to the ground.
O – O – O – O – O
Lord Elrond, Gandalf and Thorin arrived on the terrace where the meal was to be served.
Trailing behind his friend, Gandalf said, "Kind of you to invite us. Not really dressed for dinner."
Amused by his comment, Elrond said, "Well you never are."
After the threesome seated themselves, Lord Elrond said, "So what can you tell me about the young woman traveling in your company? She seems somewhat out of place."
"Well," Gandalf responded, "she was not part of our group, we found her. She says she is lost and asked for our assistance. That's all I know at the moment.
Elrond took a sip of wine from his cup, "Indeed! Well she does give off the aura of a lost soul. Hopefully my healer will help with her injuries."
Gandalf nodded as he took a bite of food.
The other Dwarves seated away from the main table, talked quietly amongst themselves all except Bifur. His eyes remained glued to the entrance, awaiting Jasmine's return.
O – O – O – O – O
After she had passed out, Jasmine was carried to a room where Lord Elrond's personal physician examined the wounds on her knees. As he was cleaning the cuts, she slowly came too. Blinking her eyes a few times, she tried to sit up but began to feel woozy again.
"My Lady, try not to move too much. I have gone over your injuries and I can assure you that you shall be well soon. Just lie back down and I will see to the healing."
Doing as he asked, Jasmine could feel herself becoming drowsy…
She wasn't sure how long she had been unconscious, but as she opened her eyes for the second time, the Elf physician asked, "How do you fair now, my lady?"
She took a deep breath before sitting up. Glancing at her knees, she was astonished. Not a trace remained of the gashes that once covered both. She looked at the physician, "Wow! How did you do this?"
"It was a simple thing to accomplish. Try to stand."
Turning, she slid off the table then took several steps making sure to bend and stretch both legs. Smiling, Jasmine said, "I feel great! No pain…no pain at all. It's a freakin miracle! Thank you so very much!"
The physician seemed a bit confused with her language, but bowed slightly before saying. "My Lord Elrond had a room set aside for your use where you can refresh yourself. It is just down the hall. Once you have finished, the servant waiting outside the door will return you to your companions. There is also a fresh change of clothes for you in the room."
Jasmine's face lit up, "Thank you again for doing this."
He bowed again, "You are most welcome, my lady."
Opening the door for her, the Elf standing outside took Jasmine to the room.
She took her time cleaning up. The Elves had provided her a tub for soaking and after all she had been through it felt wonderful. The clothes they had provided were exquisite. The dress had long flowing sleeves, a form fitting waist, low neckline and long skirt. The material was soft and diaphanous, the color a deep shade of purple. She couldn't stop herself from twirling in a circle once she put it on. She wasn't nearly as tall as the Elf the outfit was probably made for, so it did drag a bit, but she didn't care. It made her feel a bit like a princess. Turning to look at herself in the mirror… a strange thought popped into her head, 'What would Bifur think of how she looked?' She stepped back – 'Where the hell did that come from?' Clearing her mind, she opened the door and the waiting Elf guided her to dinner.
O – O – O – O – O
Walking up the steps and entering the terrace, Jasmine discovered dinner was in full swing. Gandalf and Lord Elrond stood, indicating a chair for her. Pardoning herself for a moment, she wanted to find Bifur to let him know she was fine. She immediately saw him across the room. Walking quickly to where he was seated, she realized he had already spotted her and had gotten to his feet.
She gave him a huge smile before throwing her arms around him. "They healed me. I don't know how they did it, but I'm as good as new. I won't even have scars." Lifting the dress to show off her knees. There indeed was no sign of the previous wounds, not even any bruising.
He gave her an enthusiastic nod and smiled.
Turning in a circle, she made her dress swing around her, "I feel so good right now. I feel like dancing."
He kept his eyes on her as she glided around in a circle, his heart thundered in his chest. Why did this woman affect him so?
She smiled once more before saying she would talk with him again later. Turning, she headed back to her seat.
After taking her chair, Jasmine glanced at the surroundings, noticing a lot of food scattered around the floor. She looked at Gandalf for an explanation, before asking, "What happened here? Where did all this food come from? It looks like there has been a frat boy's food fight."
Neither Gandalf nor Elrond gave her an explanation for the mess. In fact the Wizard just looked in another direction avoiding her gaze. Unsure if she should ask again, she let the issue drop.
Trying to change the subject, Lord Elrond asked, "I hope my healer was able to take care of you properly, my lady?"
"Oh yes he was wonderful. I wanted to thank you personally. I can't begin to tell you how much better I feel. What he did was a miracle."
Elrond seemed pleased by her answer then said, "Gandalf has informed me of your plight…that you appear to be lost. Is there anything I can do to assist? Do you have family that might be searching for you?"
Jasmine took a deep breath before answering the Elf Lord's question. "I am lost, but in my particular case, I don't think there is much you can do. As to family, I'm an orphan so nobody will be looking for me."
Elrond nodded. "I am sorry, my lady, but if you do require my assistance you may have it at any time."
Jasmine nodded. "Thank you I will remember." After taking a few bites of food, she said. "Now that I can walk without pain, I was hoping to visit one of the beautiful gardens I spied when we first arrived. Would that be possible?"
Lord Elrond replied, "You may indeed, my lady. All of them are at your disposal. Visit any one you like."
"Thank you again."
Across the room, Bifur couldn't take his eyes from her. He was enthralled with every move she made. To him, she was the most beautiful creature in Mahal's universe. Since their initial meeting, something had begun to stir within him. It was like nothing he had ever felt before. He was still trying to understand why this young woman made him feel as he did. Even his cousin Bofur had commented over dinner that he had noticed how much attention he seemed to be showing her. He just needed time to process it all.
O – O – O – O – O
After dinner was completed, Jasmine excused herself and hurried off to visit one of the gardens that had caught her attention. It was dark now, but thankfully torches lined the walkways providing ample light for her to see everything.
Bifur had watched her departure wondering where she was going. He wanted to follow, but was intercepted by his cousin. While he certainly wished to speak with Bofur, at the moment what he really wanted was to find Jasmine.
It took her a few minutes to locate the garden she had spied that afternoon. Walking through the entrance, she sighed and took a deep breath. The scent of different flowers filled the area around her. It was heavenly. She stood quietly in the center of the small garden feeling such a sense of serenity.
She noticed a nearby bench and sat down. Removing her boots and socks she stood up wiggling her toes in the grass. She then removed her MP3 player from the cross body pack and popped in her earphones. Scrolling through the list of songs in it, she found the one she was searching for. As the first cords of the song began she started to sway to the music, singing along softly. When it got to the chorus she began to sing louder…
'I know you're out there somewhere
Somewhere, somewhere
I know you're out there somewhere
Somewhere you can hear my voice
I know I'll find you somehow
Somehow, somehow
I know I'll find you somehow
And somehow I'll return again to you.'
As the music swelled in its intensity, she began to twirl and skip around the grass…feeling so free. She let her arms sway as she moved...pirouetting in a circle. Since her arrival this was the most relaxed she had ever felt. The built up tension drained from her body…she felt at peace.
O – O – O – O
Bifur had been searching for her since she had departed the terrace. Finally slipping away from his cousin, he walked the different stairs covering Rivendell looking for her. The faint sound of someone singing caught his attention and he moved toward it. As he came down the staircase, he saw a small garden below and that's when he saw her. Slowly approaching he tried to stay in the darken part of the walkway, not wanting to disturb her. She seemed to be dancing about the grass, skipping and twirling.
Stopping his descent, he leaned on the railing, observing her. She paused her dancing for a moment and seemed to fiddle with something at her waist. At this distance and in the dark, he was unsure what it was. She stood for a moment but was soon singing and swaying again.
'The summer sun is fading as the year grows old,
And darker days are drawing near,
The winter winds will be much colder,
Now you're not here.
I watch the birds fly south across the autumn sky
And one by one they disappear,
I wish that I was flying with them
Now you're not here.
Like the sun through the trees you came to love me,
Like a leaf on a breeze you blew away...'
Bifur had never known or seen anyone like her. His eyes never strayed from the young woman as new emotions sprung to life inside his body. He was so involved that he didn't hear Bofur come up behind him.
"Hey cousin, what are ya doin here in the dark?"
Bifur nearly jumped out of his skin. He turned and put his hand over Bofur's mouth. Softly he said, "Itkit!"
Bofur came up beside his cousin and looked in the direction he pointed. Tilting his head, he whispered, "What is she doin…dancin?"
Bifur nodded. "Nar Lon tul singuroz"
Bofur looked over at his cousin, "Why would she be doin that?"
Bifur shrugged. He didn't know why, but she was absolutely beautiful doing it.
The two Dwarves continued watching Jasmine until they saw her putting her boots back on and leaving the garden. They both moved swiftly up the stairs to rejoin the members of the Company. They had taken over one section of a nearby terrace for the night. Most had already fallen asleep or were quietly talking.
Bifur and Bofur laid out their bedding for the night and sat down. As Bofur stretched out on his blanket, he glanced over at his cousin, "You're startin to feel somethin for the lass aren't you?"
Bifur sigh then nodded. "Oei."
"Why do you think that is?"
He shrugged because he still wasn't sure why. He only knew in the short time he had known her, she had become very special to him.
Bofur decided to stop his questions because he could tell Bifur was struggling to understand what was happening himself.
The exhaustion of the day finally claimed him as he fell asleep…and dreamed.
O – O – O – O – O
Most of the Dwarves weren't sure how long they would be in Rivendell. They all were just awaiting the word to move on from Thorin. Balin had informed them that they had gotten the answers they needed on how to proceed. The Elf Lord was able to read the map and they now knew they had to leave soon to arrive in Erebor on time.
Jasmine found out the details of their quest from Bilbo. She also knew they would soon be departing and she had a decision to make. She could stay and let Lord Elrond find a way to get her home or she could follow the Company on their quest to retake their home. The fact that it would be a long and dangerous journey and would involve a fire breathing dragon – a fact that made her head want to spin around – didn't factor into her decision. She said she was going with them. Her mind was made up. She wanted to help. They wanted to reclaim their home...something that she had never had.
Thorin wasn't very happy with her decision and certainly was capable of making her stay, but the others wanted her to go with them. He wasn't the only one that was skeptical. Dwalin shared his feelings, but she was now part of the Company.
O – O – O – O
The next day as she was wandering around Rivendell listening to her music, Jasmine thought she heard the sound of raucous laughing and splashing. Curious as to who was causing it, she rounded a corner catching sight of all the Dwarves playing in a large decorative fountain…and they were all naked.
"OMG!" she said trying to stifle a laugh.
Closing her eyes she slapped her hands over her mouth and began backing away from the scene. Before she did however, Jasmine opened one eye, searching for Bifur among the group. 'Just one little peek,' she thought. Shaking her head, she finished backing up and playfully slapped one of her hands. "Oh, wicked, bad, naughty, evil Zoot!" Thank you Monty Python.
She couldn't stop herself from giggling just as Lord Elrond and his aid Lindir approached. They were speaking their Elvish language as she passed by them. Bowing slightly, she hurried in the other direction.
As she reached the corner of the building, she leaned back around and realized they had just come upon the Company. Pursing her lips together to stop from smiling, she continued on her way. Once she was out of earshot, she began to laugh hysterically.
Later that evening, she was going to join Bifur and the others on the terrace, but as she walked up she realized they all were in their long johns. Deciding perhaps was not the best time for a visit, she changed directions. Maybe she would come back later.
While she had intended to return, after reaching her room and lying down she fell fast asleep.
O – O – O – O – O
The next morning Jasmine woke up knowing the Company would be departing soon. She put on a pair of blue jean, socks, her boots, one of her long sleeve shirts, then her fringed jacket. Making sure she had all of her belonging neatly tucked away, she slung her backpack over her shoulders, then her hobo bag. As much as she wanted to take the Elven dress, she made sure it was folded neatly on the bed before leaving the room. She went up to the terrace where everyone had been sleeping. They had almost completed their preparations when she arrived.
Bifur looked up as she entered and smiled. He was beyond ecstatic she was going with the Company. He had fretted she might decide to stay in Rivendell. Now that she was going with them, even though Thorin was decidedly against it, he hoped to get to know more about her. He had spoken to Bofur and asked him to translate for him when they talked. His cousin had agreed.
The Dwarves, Bilbo and Jasmine carefully made their way out of Rivendell. Thorin decided they should leave while it was still dark to avoid any confrontation with the Elves. They hoped to be long gone before it was discovered they had disappeared. The only person that knew was Gandalf and he told them to wait once they reached the mountains where he would join them.
By the time it was light, they had already climbed high into the mountains surrounding Rivendell. Jasmine was walking behind Bifur and saw Bilbo stop in front of her. He seemed to have a sad expression on his face as he took one last look behind him. She had felt he was reluctant to leave even as the Company departed.
The path they were on was narrow so they were walking single file with Thorin currently in front. He paused and said, "Be on your guard, we're about to step over the Edge of the Wild. Balin you know these paths, lead on."
"Aye." He replied.
Thorin noticed Bilbo looking the other way. "Master Baggins, I suggest you keep up."
He turned towards Thorin and gave a slight nod before getting back in line to follow the others.
Bifur turned giving Jasmine a comforting smile as he walked in front of her.
She smiled back all the while thinking, 'I'm on an epic journey for sure, but I can see the way ahead.'
o - o - o - o - o
Some information about things that appear in the story
Itkit - Khuzdul for Silence
Nar Lon tul singuroz – Khuzdul for And she is singing
Oei – Khuzdul for Yes
The featured lyrics are snippets from – I Know You're Out There Somewhere by The Moody Blues
Forever Autumn by Justin Hayward