Surprise, everyone! Bet you thought you'd seen the last of me.

I'm so sorry for putting this story off for so long. I've had a pretty hectic few months, but believe me, I never abandoned this story. I've been experimenting with plot threads and writing several scenes for future chapters, and I swear, y'all, I'm gonna finish this story eventually.

I really appreciate the reviews, favorites, alerts, etc. from all of you. It means so much, and motivates me to (very slowly) keep this story going. I can't say the next chapter will be out soon, but it won't be nearly as long of a wait this time! Please let me know what you think!

Chapter 10: Uh...Howdy

"So," I said awkwardly, shifting uncomfortably in the saddle. "You said your home was near Milkwood?"

Radagast jumped slightly, as though he'd forgotten I was sitting behind him. "Mirkwood," he corrected, without turning to look back at me.

"Right, right." I adjusted my grip on his cloak, tapping my fingers idly on the rough fabric. "So, uh, what's it like there?"

"Hmm." My traveling companion contemplated this for a while. He didn't seem to be in any hurry to have a proper conversation, and it was beginning to grate on my nerves; I had to stop myself from tugging on his cloak like an impatient toddler. "Mirkwood…" he said after a minute or two, "is not what it once was."

"In what way?" I pressed.

"Hmm." Radagast shrugged. I waited for him to respond, but he just gave a noncommittal grunt and fell silent. I stifled a groan.

"Ah!" he exclaimed after a moment, and I looked up eagerly, wondering if he was finally going to talk to me. Instead, he reached out a hand and whistled lightly.

"What-?" I began, but Radagast shushed me and whistled again. I stared at him in confusion for a moment, then bit back a gasp as a bird landed on the man's outstretched finger.

"Hello, my friend," he said softly, keeping his hand extremely still despite the jostling of Poppy's hooves. Radagast leaned forward and whispered something to the bird. It was just an ordinary sparrow—at least I thought it was—but it was bobbing its head up and down as though it was actually listening to Radagast's words.

"What are you d-?"

"Shh!" he breathed, leaning closer as the bird chirped something back to him. "Ah! Is that so?" Radagast murmured. "These are dark tidings, indeed." The bird bobbed its head and whistled.

"Are you really talking to it?" I said loudly, and with a startled flutter of wings the bird was gone. Radagast turned and glared at me. I winced.

"I was attempting to, yes," he said, his tone not quite so mild as before.

"What are you, Snow White?" I exclaimed. "You can't just talk to animals. Can you?"

Radagast flicked the reins idly, facing forward again. "That is untrue. Anyone can talk to animals," he said sagely.

I rolled my eyes so hard I was surprised they didn't pop out of my head. "Okay, fine, anyone can talk to them," I said exasperatedly. "But how did it talk back? And how did you know what it was saying, how did it understand you? And the way it just landed on your finger like that…" I gestured wildly into the air, lost for words. "Can everyone do that here? I mean, is that normal, in Middle Earth?"

"I do not believe so," he said, then scratched at his beard thoughtfully. "You do not hail from Middle Earth."

"Well, no," I said hesitantly.

"Hmm. I thought not." Radagast sounded entirely unconcerned; he could have been talking about the weather. I braced myself for the inevitable interrogation—but he simply shrugged, flicked the reins, and continued on.

Not much time had passed before another sparrow flitted over and lighted on Poppy's mane. The horse flicked her ears in annoyance, but allowed the bird to perch there as Radagast whispered to it. Next came a cardinal, its red feathers standing out starkly as it rested on the man's brown-cloaked shoulder, chirping into his ear.

"What are they saying?" I exclaimed at last, unable to take it anymore. Radagast looked up as the dragonfly he had been mumbling to flitted away.

"They are answering my questions," he said after a while.

"And what are you asking them, then?" I demanded.

Radagast shrugged airily, his hat flopping over his eyes. "Questions."

I covered my face in my hands to stop myself from screaming.

We stopped only a few times throughout the day. Radagast had been right when he'd said he knew how to find more food and water in the wilderness. He dismounted here and there, seemingly at random, to pluck handfuls of berries from bushes or dig up small white roots from unassuming tufts of weeds. He even found drinking water, from hidden ponds and springs tucked away in the hilltops, which were gradually growing greener, with the occasional withered tree twisting out of the grass and rock.

I followed Radagast's lead as he awkwardly pointed out which plants were safe to eat from and how to find the ripest berries to eat. It was actually kind of pleasant, having someone to talk to and learn from as I traveled; at the very least, it was better than my lonely, miserable wandering the day before.

As we gathered a rather meager dinner, I paused in our foraging, my arms full of dandelions and a lumpy root Radagast had called burdock, to find the man crouched low in the grass, talking to a field mouse, which had reared up on its tiny hind legs and was squeaking intently at him. Radagast nodded sagely, whispering urgently back and shooting a glance in my direction. I scowled, feeling oddly left out. I wondered if they were talking about me. I fretted for a moment, biting my lip self-consciously, before coming to my senses. It's a mouse, for Pete's sake. Get it together.

Radagast patted the creature on the head fondly before straightening up as though nothing odd had happened. There was nothing to do but roll my eyes and keep gathering food; I knew that if he was willing to tell me what these animals were saying to him, he'd tell me on his own time.

The sun was setting over the western plains when we came upon a rare grove of trees in a valley between two steep hills. "We shall rest here for the night," Radagast told me as Poppy came to a halt. By now I'd noticed that his horse seemed to respond to Radagast's vaguest of intentions, rather than commands made with reins and stirrups.

I dismounted clumsily, half-falling off Poppy's back as my sore muscles screamed in protest. Dragging myself to my feet, I looked around at the stunted, windblown trees. "Should we make a fire?" I asked hopefully, dropping the contents of my sleeping bag and violin case into a pile onto the grass.

"Oh, no, no," Radagast exclaimed, wringing his hands and looking around. "That is not a good idea."

My spirits sank. A cold wind was already biting through my flimsy, tattered blouse, and I knew it would only get colder as night fell. "Come on, I'm freezing," I whined, but Radagast waved a hand dismissively.

"Come now, it is a warm summer evening. Besides," he said, patting Poppy's neck reassuringly as he removed her saddle, "I wish for us to remain unseen this night."

I scowled. "Why are you worried, anyway? We're in the middle of nowhere. Who would see us?"

Radagast removed Poppy's harness and saddlebags slowly, taking his time. Poppy wandered off as the man began unpacking his bags, and I twitched impatiently as he fussily arranged his belongings in neat little rows in the grass. Without looking up, he shrugged and spoke at last. "The White Wizard would see us, of course. He is looking for you."

"What?"

"Hmm. The White Wizard has many eyes throughout these lands." He glanced from side to side into the dark undergrowth, and I shivered, suddenly wondering if we were being watched.

"How do you know he's looking for me?" I said, my voice an octave higher than normal. I glared at him. "Don't tell me the sparrows and rabbits told you that." Radagast shrugged again, and I groaned, pressing my face into my hands. "I shouldn't have set off those emergency flares! I've ruined everything, haven't I?"

"I cannot say," Radagast said calmly, now spreading out his bedroll in the grass. He smoothed the ragged blanket out painstakingly, seemingly unaware of my panic. "I am almost certain that your fireworks yesterday alerted the White Wizard, as they alerted me," he added after awhile. "Nothing else in Middle Earth could resemble those remarkable flares. Even Gandalf's fireworks are nothing like them."

"Wait, you know Gandalf?" I said, my voice still shaky.

"Yes."

A ridiculous thought flitted through my mind. I narrowed my eyes at him. "And you know Saruman too?" I ventured.

"Of course," Radagast said. "He is one of my Order."

"Your order?" I repeated, my suspicions growing stronger. "What order?" He didn't answer; his buggy eyes were scanning the trees airily, as though he'd nearly forgotten I was there again. I frowned. "Are you a wizard?" I said hesitantly.

"Hmm?" He jumped slightly, turning to blink at me with owlish eyes. "Yes, yes, of course. I am Radagast the Brown."

A cold, horrified feeling was seeping through my limbs. "Oh." I couldn't believe I'd been right. I took a step back. "And are you…are you more like Gandalf? Or Saruman?"

Radagast the Brown didn't answer. Instead he was staring distractedly into the darkness again, his expression rather vacant. I followed his gaze, which was focused on a firefly hovering over the grass. The insect let out a yellow flicker of light, bright in the dim evening air. With a delicate motion, the wizard plucked the firefly out of the grass with a thin, weathered hand and smiled gently, whispering to it under his breath. I watched him for a long moment, studying the tender expression on his face, and fought a sudden urge to laugh.

"You're nothing like Saruman, are you?" Sighing heavily, I unrolled my sleeping bag and sat down next to the wizard. I felt ridiculous for even thinking it. As strange as he was, Radagast the Brown had to be the least threatening person I'd ever encountered.

"I had hoped you would tell me of your dealings with Saruman unprompted," the wizard said after a while. The firefly on his palm flickered again, and flitted away into the darkness. "The White Wizard does not often show interest in mortal Men, or indeed anyone, of late. Tell me, what was his interest in you?"

Suddenly nervous, I hugged my knees to my chest. It was cold out, whatever Radagast said. "You already guessed that I wasn't from Middle Earth," I said. "That's because Saruman brought me here. From a city called Dallas, in another world." I hesitated, unsure of how to explain.

Radagast nodded. "Go on," he encouraged, still looking intently into the night sky. I took a deep breath to reassure myself, and continued.

Telling my story grew easier with each word; it was cathartic, somehow, to confide in someone else, and Radagast's placid smiles and vacant nods of encouragement were very calming. "Did you already know what Saruman was doing?" I asked. The wizard hadn't seemed particularly surprised by my story.

"No, not exactly," the wizard admitted after a while, looking decades older than before, his face thin and ragged in the near-total darkness. "I was in Isengard not three months ago, at Saruman's bidding. I saw what was collected in the White Wizard's storerooms; I saw the fervor in his eyes. I smelled the metal, the smoke, the fires burning in the pits below Isengard. Yet I had believed—I had hoped…ah, but it is useless now. The Nine have ridden from Minas Morgul, the head of my Order has betrayed us, and now we must contend with your weapons on top of everything else."

"I'm sorry." My voice was small, and I hugged my knees to my chest. They're not my weapons, I wanted to protest, but I still felt responsible. If I hadn't told Saruman anything…if I'd hidden the book better, or destroyed it…if I had stayed in Isengard, and perhaps tried to destroy his collection of weaponry…but Radagast was right. It was useless now.

We sat in silence for a long time. The sky grew inky black, and I kept thinking that I could see the glint of black eyes, or that I could hear the heavy thud of footsteps followed by the swish of a long cloak. I twitched helplessly on my sleeping bag, wanting to get out my flashlight but afraid of attracting attention, as Radagast had warned. He was staring unblinkingly into the shadows of the trees. Saruman's betrayal must not have been easy for him to take. "You must inform the Lord Elrond of Saruman's treachery," Radagast said at last. "As well as Gandalf's imprisonment."

I nodded, eager to do something that might help. "Do you think he'll be able to do anything? Would…uh, Lord Enron be able to help Gandalf? Or is there…I mean, is there anything you can do for him?"

"Lord Elrond," he corrected placidly. "And I do not know. Perhaps."

I waited for the wizard to continue, but he didn't. I sighed, curling up in my sleeping bag and looking up at the night sky. There were so many stars here; the light pollution of Dallas was worlds away. I'd learned the constellations as a little kid, in my outdoorsy hiking phase, but looking up at the sky now, I didn't recognize any. The black sky spread endlessly above us, and I wondered how it could be so oppressively dark even with so many stars shining. Tears welled up in my eyes again, and I pressed my fists into my eyes in exasperation, not wanting Radagast to see me cry.

I glanced over at the wizard surreptitiously. His shadowy profile hadn't moved an inch; he may as well have been turned to stone. I wondered if he'd fallen asleep sitting up, or if wizards even needed to sleep. Maybe he was just staring intently into the horizon like I had been, staring as though trying to pierce through the trees and hills to see something far out of reach. I sighed and rolled over, curling my knees up to my chest. The smell of grass and wet earth filled my nose, and the heavy, plasticky fabric of my Kevlar vest pillow dug into my face. It took a long time for me to fall asleep.

I was woken up by Poppy's snuffling breath on my face again. I sat up and rubbed at my face quickly to hide the wetness on my cheeks.

"Mornin', Radagast, I muttered. "Mornin', Poppy." Radagast didn't answer, preoccupied as he was with talking to a mouse that was running up and down his tattered sleeve.

I rubbed at my face again to wake myself up, and tried to comb some of the tangles out of my greasy hair with my fingers, more self-conscious of how gross I was now that I was traveling with someone. The wizard wouldn't notice or care, of course, but I was still uncomfortable.

We had a meager breakfast of leftover berries and roots. My stomach rumbled painfully, and I tried to ignore it; this was better than nothing, after all. "Let us move on," Radagast said briskly. "Time is of the essence; Lord Elrond should be informed of your news at the nearest opportunity." I nodded wearily, packing up my things and clambering up onto Poppy's back.

The day passed in a dull, if companionable, silence. Poppy carried us at a faster pace than before, though we still covered an infuriatingly short distance by nightfall. I was restless; I'd never traveled this slowly in my life, accustomed as I was to driving eighty miles an hour on the interstate.

The next day was much the same. Radagast and I didn't talk all that often, but he seemed to grow more comfortable answering my questions when I asked them, and no longer jumped in the saddle or got flustered when I addressed him. We had settled into a kind of awkward routine; if Radagast vastly preferred to travel alone, at least he didn't show it often, and if I still cried myself to sleep at night, I managed to hide it well enough from him.

On the fourth morning after setting out with Radagast, the wizard turned in the saddle and offered me a rare smile, his eyes crinkling merrily under the floppy brim of his hat. "The Last Homely House is just beyond those hills," he said, pointing over Poppy's head in the distance. "We will reach Rivendell by midday."

"Really?" I gasped. I craned my neck to try and see over the wizard's bony shoulders, but I didn't see anything. The land had grown greener and rockier as we'd traveled, with wide patches of leafy trees, small cliffs and steep valleys cutting abruptly into the hills. Still, I didn't see any signs of elves or homely houses.

"In fact," Radagast added after a moment, "one of Lord Elrond's patrols rides out to meet us even now."

I couldn't see anyone approaching, but I nodded, trusting my traveling companion's intuition. We continued riding in silence, though I kept shifting excitedly in the saddle, unable to sit still. The morning slipped by, maddeningly slowly. Then—

"Radagast the Brown!" cried a sudden voice.

"Gah!" I jumped forward so violently that my forehead collided with the wizard's bony shoulderblades. A horse and rider were approaching us, moving so quietly and swiftly that the stranger was level with us in seconds, his gray horse falling into step alongside Poppy before I even knew what was happening.

"Back so soon, my friend? I didn't know you had missed us so much!" The rider laughed, making me jump again. His voice was clear, deep and musical, his laugh washing over me like a bucket of ice water. I stared at him, slack-jawed, as our horses trotted along in tandem. An elf, oh my gosh, he's an elf! Long sunlight-colored hair flowed like water down his back, his face framed by slender, pointed ears. I couldn't believe how inhuman he was; the actors from the Lord of the Rings movie seemed ridiculous in comparison—he was regal and fey and entirely unearthly, and those eyes—

Radagast pinched the bridge of his long nose. "Hello again, Lanion." Poppy came to a halt, as did the elf's horse. I heard the wizard sigh heavily.

"When you last passed through these hills you scarcely had time to say hello!" the elf exclaimed, raising his eyebrows in mock offense. "And now you have returned to us, not two weeks later."

"Well, hmm, yes. A rather unexpected situation has called me back to Rivendell," the wizard replied, gesturing mildly to me. Lanion turned to look at me, and I froze under his gaze.

"Oh—uh, howdy," I croaked, giving the elf a stupid little wave. Did I really just say howdy, oh my God, Bee, what is your problem—

"Hello, miss." Lanion extended his hand to me, looking curious.

"Hi," I said stupidly, and felt myself flush as I realized I'd greeted him twice. Forcing my eyes back into my head, I grabbed his proffered hand and shook it heartily. The elf, who I realized too late had been moving to kiss the back of my hand, not shake it, looked quite taken aback. "Oh. Uh, sorry. I…I'm Bee," I muttered, clearing my throat. "Smith. Um, Beatrice Smith, I mean." I wished quite desperately that the earth would open up and swallow me whole.

"So you are the unexpected 'situation' that brings dear old Radagast the Brown back to us," Lanion said, looking rather confused by my behavior but mercifully ignoring my embarrassment. "Where did the wizard find you?" he asked. "Radagast has been known to have odd traveling companions, but they most often have four legs and a tail." He flashed the wizard a mocking, dazzling grin and I felt rather faint.

"I—" I cleared my throat again, finding it impossible to look the elf in the eyes. "I need to speak to Lord Elrond," I managed. "It's really important."

Lanion glanced quizzically at Radagast, who nodded in confirmation of my words. "Very well, then. I am certain you have quite the story to tell."

As Radagast and I dismounted Poppy—thankfully I managed to do it without falling into the grass—the wizard and elf continued to talk, this time slipping into another language. Elvish, I realized, my excitement outweighing my embarrassment as I tried to listen in. The language was achingly beautiful; I'd never known spoken words could sound like this. I was overcome by the desire to hear Lanion sing; what must elvish music sound like, the melodies and lyrics and instruments—

"Beatrice?" Radagast interrupted my thoughts, motioning for me to gather my supplies from his saddlebags. I jumped, realizing that I'd been staring vacantly at Lanion like a lovesick puppy.

"Sorry," I muttered, feeling heat creep into my face.

"You've not seen an elf before," Radagast said as I grabbed my things from Poppy's bags.

I winced, knowing that if even spacey, bumbling Radagast had seen my awkwardness around Lanion, there was no way the elf hadn't noticed too. "There aren't any elves where I'm from," I stammered. "They don't exist back home. I didn't know they'd be so…" I gestured helplessly into the air.

"That they are," Radagast rolled his eyes as he fussily rearranged his supplies in the saddlebags.

"Are you ready, Miss Smith?" Lanion asked, transferring some of my bulkier items onto his horse.

"Oh!" I exclaimed. "Yeah. Just a sec." Suddenly feeling reluctant, I turned back to Radagast. "So you're leaving?"

The wizard nodded. "You are in safe hands with Lanion. Now, I must return to my home with all haste. Tell Lord Elrond of everything that has transpired since you arrived here. It is imperative that he knows of Saruman's treachery. You may trust him."

"Okay," I said. "I just…I don't know how to thank you for helping me."

Radagast looked startled. "Oh, there is no need—"

"Yes there is!" I insisted. "You saved my life, and I meant it when I said I'd pay you back. I'll find some way to make it up to you." Before I could think about my words, I added: "I'll see you again to pay you back before I return to Texas, okay? I promise."

"My dear, there is no debt," Radagast insisted, looking uncomfortable. His hands twitched as he picked at a loose thread on his cloak. "Do not trouble yourself—"

I hugged the wizard tightly, cutting off his stammering. "I'll miss you, Radagast the Brown," I said, my voice muffled by his ratty old cloak.

Radagast patted my head awkwardly, as though I were one of the rabbits he'd spoken to in the wilderness, and hastily freed himself. I gave a sniffling laugh. "Away with you, now." He shooed me in Lanion's direction. "Hurry off."

"Bye, then," I managed. "Oh! And tell Poppy goodbye, too!"

I was so preoccupied with my farewells that I forgot to be embarrassed when Lanion took my hand and helped me onto the back of his horse. Before I knew it the elf and I were cantering away. I twisted in the saddle to see Radagast mounting his horse; he looked oddly somber as we rode away, a solitary figure swallowed up by a windswept brown cloak.

"Radagast is quite the character, isn't he?" the elf said after a while. I nodded hesitantly, my shyness returning in full force as I awkwardly adjusted my grip on Lanion's torso. My face was burning. I hadn't showered in goodness knew how many days, I was sweaty and dirty and bruised, and I was pretty sure there were pieces of grass in my hair—and now I was awkwardly pressed up against the most beautiful person I'd ever seen. This had to be a nightmare, it had to be—just kill me now, honestly— "What I am most curious about, however," the elf added, "is the mortal woman who convinced him to travel with her."

"Convinced?" I mumbled. "I didn't convince him to do anything. He offered to take me to Rivendell."

"Of course," Lanion said, though he sounded skeptical. "Yet all the same, I have never known Radagast the Brown to take on such a traveling companion."

We rode in silence—an uncomfortable silence, at least on my part. I greatly preferred traveling with Radagast, even with his strange quirks and mannerisms. I felt starstruck around Lanion; he was just so unnatural. Even his horse was just a little too graceful, a little too silent, and it seemed to respond to the elf's wishes even more innately than Poppy had to Radagast's commands.

Relief washed over me when we finally came to a rugged little path that wound down the side of a hill, descending into a wooded valley.

"Welcome to Rivendell," Lanion said, turning in the saddle to smile back at me. My breath hitched—seeing the elf's smile was like staring into the sun—but then I looked ahead and I wasn't sure my lungs would ever work properly again.

Rivendell was beautiful. Achingly beautiful. Like the elves themselves, the movie didn't do it justice in the slightest. Lanion's horse carried us down into the broad valley, and I felt myself overwhelmed with what I could only describe as magic. The air itself smelled sweet and clean and renewing, and the sunlight beamed down across the treetops below us in a brighter shade of gold than I'd ever seen. Judging by the faraway sound of rushing water, a river was flowing through the valley, too, mingling with birdsong and the wind in the grass and, just on the edge of hearing, the sound of voices. They were elves' voices, they had to be—and they were singing. I leaned desperately over Lanion's shoulder, all embarrassment forgotten, as I strained to hear more, but nothing sounded familiar. The instruments—they were far away still, but I didn't think they sounded like violins. At least, not like violins I was used to. Harps I recognized, and voices singing in the same ethereal language Lanion and Radagast had spoken in earlier today; one of the voices burst into laughter and my heart skipped a beat. This was too much; I didn't have enough eyes and ears to take it all in.

"Miss Smith."

I jumped. "What?"

Lanion didn't turn around, but I could tell he was rolling his eyes. "I said, Miss, that you must wish for a bath, and perhaps a meal, before being granted an audience with Lord Elrond. Am I not mistaken?"

"Oh, right," I stammered. "I mean…I don't want to impose," I added uncomfortably. I had forgotten all about Elrond. I hadn't even realized that Lanion's horse had already led us across a beautiful stone bridge at the bottom of the valley, and we were now in some kind of beautiful courtyard, filled with gardens, fountains, and delicate archways.

"Come now, it will not take long. A maidservant will gladly see to a bath and a hot meal for you." Lanion turned and helped me dismount; despite his grace I still managed to catch my sandal in the stirrups and nearly elbowed him in the face as I stumbled down from the horse. He, gracefully, chose not to comment on this new embarrassment. "Well, Miss Smith?"

I looked around, face burning, still in shock at where I was. Honestly, a bath sounded more amazing than anything else in the world, and I hadn't had a hot meal in ages. I couldn't even imagine how comfortable the rooms here would be, and how nice it might be to sleep on something other than a stolen sleeping bag or a filthy straw bed in a prison cell in Isengard.

Isengard…"No, no, I need to speak to Elrond!" I said frantically, images coming to my mind unbidden of Gandalf trapped on the roof of Orthanc, of Saruman's collection of weaponry, the fiery shape of that eye in his crystal ball thing— "It can't wait, it just can't. Please, you have to take me to him now—"

"Are you certain, Miss?" Lanion raised an eyebrow at me.

"Yes, yes!" I nearly screamed, pulling helplessly at the roots of my tangled hair. "I know I'm all gross and whatnot, I don't give a crap! When can I see Elrond?"

"Right now, as a matter of fact," a voice said from behind me.

I froze, feeling the blood rush to my face. Of course. Of course this would happen. "Lord Elrond!" Lanion exclaimed. He bowed slightly to the elf approaching us, who nodded his head in return. I wondered if I should bow too, or curtsey or something, but the moment seemed to have passed as I stood there awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot. Lanion launched into rapid-fire Elvish, perhaps hoping to prevent me from speaking and embarrassing myself further. I caught the name Radagast several times, but nothing else.

"That will do, Lanion," Elrond said after a moment, nodding sagely. "Tend to your horse, and to our guest's belongings. I need you patrolling our eastern borders again before nightfall."

"Of course, my lord," Lanion bowed again, and turned to me. "Well met, then, Miss Smith. I hope to learn more of your story upon our next meeting." He gave me another dazzling smile. Unable to find my voice, I gave him a pathetic little wave as he led his horse away.

"Now," Elrond said. "I understand that you need to speak with me?"

"I...yes, sir," I stammered. "I mean, if that's alright. I didn't mean to-"

Elrond raised an eyebrow slightly, but I couldn't tell if he was annoyed or amused. "My dear, I distinctly heard you say that you do not give a...well, it matters not. Come with me to my library, and we shall speak."

I nodded, my face burning, and allowed myself to be led through the courtyard by the Lord of Rivendell.