Chapter 3: Easy Now
Price entered their room carrying a couple of handguns, magazines, and their cigars and cigarettes when Soap finally woke up. He felt for his wound and was surprised that it was not bleeding anymore. He looked around and found Price standing at the door with a M1911 45 and an USP 45 pistol. Soap sat up and said,
"What's going on Price? Did we run in to a trap?"
"Negative Soap, we need these guns as precautionary measures. Besides Nikolai has one. And wear your jacket, can't go in a formal dinner with only a bloody shirt on, literally. We are needed tonight. Ready up in five minutes and act as formal as you could and Nikolai…"
Snapped Price as he holstered his M1911,
"This is not some dinner where you could go chasing girls on your fashion. Not in here, I feel that these folk are very different than ours. And we should not get drunk, copy?"
"Copy that Captain Price."
Answered Soap and Nikolai together. Price then handed out their tobacco and cigarettes. Nikolai than smiled and felt for his lighter at his pocket but there are none so he asked Price.
"Do you have a lighter Captain Price?"
"None… We can't smoke now. I already wanted to smoke also. I guess there's one on the chopper."
Replied Price. He checked his watch and it is already evening moments later a knock was heard and Price opened the door and a man came in and introduced himself,
"The three of you are invited tonight and I will guide you there."
Price agreed and so they walked out of their room following man. As they walked Soap managed to ask,
"What day is it today if I may ask?"
"It is the 18th of August of the 3019th year of the third age of Middle-Earth."
"Thank you Erestor, we lost track of time when we got here."
After that they were silent again. Finally they entered a great hall and there gathered a number of folk living there and Price quickly noticed one small figure: He was barefoot and has woolly feet dressed in a more modern clothing like those of what his grandparents wore in the old times thought the captain. they were gestured to take a seat at a great table and they sat down and they were introduced by the person that sat at a special seat at the end of the table.
"Greetings Captain John Price, Captain John Mactavish, and Nikolai."
"My name is Elrond, the lord of Rivendell"
After that Price, Soap, and Nikolai were introduced to the other persons present at the hall. They met lords, ladies, and finally they met the small man and his name was Bilbo Baggins. A feast followed and it was welcome development for the three for they never ate or drank that much for years. Captain Price had a chat with Baggins and later knew that the folk around them were elves and Bilbo introduced himself as a hobbit. Price and his companions finally had some "intel" about Rivendell that in the elven tongue was called Imladris and the folk that lived there. After the feast only the three men were left and the lord of Imladris. And Elrond asked them,
"The appearance of your raiment are very strange, and I have been told that you came from a metal flying object that I saw yesterday after there was a flash of light and and a sound like thunder coming from the north."
Price replied in his miltary manner,
"You may not believe this but yes that metal object was a vehicle called helicopter that we rode to get here. Well we are not really from here, We are from Afghanistan."
"Afghanistan? And how did you get here?"
Asked the elf lord. So Price told Elrond an in depth account of their adventures with Task Force 141 from Russia to Afghanistan, from the boneyard where they were betrayed by General Shepherd to their escape after Soap killed him with a knife in his eye.
Elrond then told them,
"From what you told me, the three of you seemed to soldiers and had led men in battle. You always heeded your call of duty but this time may I ask your leave to stay here in Rivendell for the months to come. We will need men of your kind in a quest that the fate of Middle-Earth relies in but I cannot tell more about it now there will be a right time for it to be told and things will be made clear in that time."
Price, Soap, and Nikolai pondered at these words. After a while they finally agreed.
"Lord Elrond, we agree. We will assist in this mission it looks like this is a way to thank you for saving our lives and to help others. And we still do not know how to return from where we came from."
With that Elrond thanked them gave them leave to go to their rooms and rest.
