Disclaimer: I don't own LOTR
Something at Rivendell
He left and she looked at the huge bed. It looked so inviting. She took her shoes off and flopped down on it, nestling herself in the pillows. She exhaled and curled up. This was so much better than sleeping on the ground in the itchy grass. She fell asleep in no time at all.
When she woke up again, it was dark out. She sat up abruptly, again forgetting where she was. It had been a few weeks now (or so it seemed, it could have been longer), and she still panicked when she woke up. She immediately calmed down when she saw her surrounding, though. It felt so comfortable here in...Rivendell? Yes, that was it. The "Elven City in the mountains" she'd heard Strider call it. She went to her balcony and leaned against the railing, looking out at the scenery. She could hear soft music and see lights all around her. The air was nice and warm, and she sighed, leaning on her hands. How would she ever get back home?
Then she took a step back. Whoa, whoa Laura...calm down, she told herself. School and all that stress is just what anyone would want to get away from. So she took another deep breath and continued to look out on Rivendell. As she saw all this, she suddenly remembered the people she'd left on Earth. It hurt to remember them. This was like a night where they would sit together and have one of those deep, intellectual conversations which are so rare for humans to have with each other. She whimpered, swallowing a forming lump in her throat.
As she spent a minute wallowing in her own grief, she opened her eyes wide. She heard music. From where? From just beyond those waterfalls, it seemed like. It was soft and beautiful. An Elf maybe? Her curiosity melted as she wandered throughout Rivendell all evening, experiencing the sights and sounds.
By the next morning, she was already settled in. Arwen had lent Laura one of her older dresses, which she didn't mind at all. It was a beautifully woven green dress, and with her hair down she looked Elvish. Not to mention she looked strangely like Arwen. She sat on a bench, reading a book although it wasn't in English. She liked looking at the Elvish characters. And it seemed like the words were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't quite figure out what they meant.
She shifted her attention as she heard a horse enter the city very near to where she sat. It was a man. He had short brown hair that draped in front of his eyes, and wore a black and maroon suit with little golden stars dotting the maroon sleeves. He looked at the sight for a moment, amazed. Then his gaze fell on the teenager sitting near him.
She got up, completely thinking on her toes. She made a small bow to him. "Welcome to Rivendell, my lord," was all she could think of.
He nodded at her as he stepped off his horse. "Greetings, my lady. I am Boromir, a knight of Gondor."
She had no idea what Gondor was. She gave him a hesitant look, then said, "Is Lord Elrond expecting you?"
"Of course, he has summoned many men and Elves here to hold great council concerning something of the utmost importance."
"I see. I'm not an Elf, so I don't know what he has planned. Like you, I am a guest here."
He smiled, understanding now. She took the reins of his horse and politely directed him where to go. As she walked with the horse to the stables, another stranger appeared, unnoticed by her.
He was another Elf, but he wasn't from Rivendell. He was a wood Elf, and he lived somewhere else in Middle-Earth. His name was Legolas Greenleaf, and he was the prince and the messenger of the forest of Mirkwood where his people dwelt. When he saw Laura he stopped his horse at once. What was she doing here? Luke's daughter, here in the middle of all this? He was puzzled, and decided to go straight to Lord Elrond about this issue.
On her way back from the stables, she looked up and saw a man with grey hair sitting, his back facing the window. Gandalf! Grinning, she ran into the Homely House, waving to Elrond and Legolas as she passed them, both giving her an odd look. Her bare little feet pounded against the stairs and down the hallway as she burst in the room, giving Gandalf a start. He sat in a chair at the foot of a bed with Frodo lying in it.
Her eyes again grew serious. "Is he okay?" she asked Gandalf, her voice full of concern.
"I think he will be. He showed amazing strength in being able to withstand the power of that Morgul Blade. I think this little Hobbit may hold some tremendous power."
She made her way into the room, toward the bed, whispering so as not to wake Frodo. "Gandalf, what about that ring he had? He put it on and disappeared, twice. And while I was carrying him to Elrond, he all of a sudden felt heavier. It was a whole lot, but I could tell. Gandalf that ring he has is bad news."
He lifted both his eyebrows to hear this. "I am indeed impressed, my child. You've only been here a couple of months and already your intuition is growing stronger. Tell me, have you seen any visions lately?"
What? He knew. He knew that she was a Jedi and what she was capable of; this old guy she'd just met. But he was so much more than just an old crazy man with a blue hat. She could feel a divine power just flowing from him. He'd been around a while, and she knew not to hesitate to tell him something.
"Actually, right before I met Strider...I had this dream that I would meet this King, and he was in the dark. And like Frodo, I could sense the Ringwraiths coming for us."
He leaned back, stroking his beard. He mumbled to himself, something that she couldn't make out, but it was probably in wizard-talk or whatever. She patiently waited for him to say something, but before that could happen, Frodo's eyes fluttered open. "Where am I?" he asked as he wearily sat up.
"You are in the House of Elrond, and it is October 24th, if you'd like to know," Gandalf informed him happily.
Frodo's eyes widened. "Gandalf! What happened? Why didn't you meet us?" he asked.
Laura could see Gandalf slip off into thought, and in the blink of an eye she saw two wizards atop a tower, fighting. One was white, and had long white hair. The other was Gandalf. After this flash, Gandalf glanced at her.
Something at Rivendell
He left and she looked at the huge bed. It looked so inviting. She took her shoes off and flopped down on it, nestling herself in the pillows. She exhaled and curled up. This was so much better than sleeping on the ground in the itchy grass. She fell asleep in no time at all.
When she woke up again, it was dark out. She sat up abruptly, again forgetting where she was. It had been a few weeks now (or so it seemed, it could have been longer), and she still panicked when she woke up. She immediately calmed down when she saw her surrounding, though. It felt so comfortable here in...Rivendell? Yes, that was it. The "Elven City in the mountains" she'd heard Strider call it. She went to her balcony and leaned against the railing, looking out at the scenery. She could hear soft music and see lights all around her. The air was nice and warm, and she sighed, leaning on her hands. How would she ever get back home?
Then she took a step back. Whoa, whoa Laura...calm down, she told herself. School and all that stress is just what anyone would want to get away from. So she took another deep breath and continued to look out on Rivendell. As she saw all this, she suddenly remembered the people she'd left on Earth. It hurt to remember them. This was like a night where they would sit together and have one of those deep, intellectual conversations which are so rare for humans to have with each other. She whimpered, swallowing a forming lump in her throat.
As she spent a minute wallowing in her own grief, she opened her eyes wide. She heard music. From where? From just beyond those waterfalls, it seemed like. It was soft and beautiful. An Elf maybe? Her curiosity melted as she wandered throughout Rivendell all evening, experiencing the sights and sounds.
By the next morning, she was already settled in. Arwen had lent Laura one of her older dresses, which she didn't mind at all. It was a beautifully woven green dress, and with her hair down she looked Elvish. Not to mention she looked strangely like Arwen. She sat on a bench, reading a book although it wasn't in English. She liked looking at the Elvish characters. And it seemed like the words were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't quite figure out what they meant.
She shifted her attention as she heard a horse enter the city very near to where she sat. It was a man. He had short brown hair that draped in front of his eyes, and wore a black and maroon suit with little golden stars dotting the maroon sleeves. He looked at the sight for a moment, amazed. Then his gaze fell on the teenager sitting near him.
She got up, completely thinking on her toes. She made a small bow to him. "Welcome to Rivendell, my lord," was all she could think of.
He nodded at her as he stepped off his horse. "Greetings, my lady. I am Boromir, a knight of Gondor."
She had no idea what Gondor was. She gave him a hesitant look, then said, "Is Lord Elrond expecting you?"
"Of course, he has summoned many men and Elves here to hold great council concerning something of the utmost importance."
"I see. I'm not an Elf, so I don't know what he has planned. Like you, I am a guest here."
He smiled, understanding now. She took the reins of his horse and politely directed him where to go. As she walked with the horse to the stables, another stranger appeared, unnoticed by her.
He was another Elf, but he wasn't from Rivendell. He was a wood Elf, and he lived somewhere else in Middle-Earth. His name was Legolas Greenleaf, and he was the prince and the messenger of the forest of Mirkwood where his people dwelt. When he saw Laura he stopped his horse at once. What was she doing here? Luke's daughter, here in the middle of all this? He was puzzled, and decided to go straight to Lord Elrond about this issue.
On her way back from the stables, she looked up and saw a man with grey hair sitting, his back facing the window. Gandalf! Grinning, she ran into the Homely House, waving to Elrond and Legolas as she passed them, both giving her an odd look. Her bare little feet pounded against the stairs and down the hallway as she burst in the room, giving Gandalf a start. He sat in a chair at the foot of a bed with Frodo lying in it.
Her eyes again grew serious. "Is he okay?" she asked Gandalf, her voice full of concern.
"I think he will be. He showed amazing strength in being able to withstand the power of that Morgul Blade. I think this little Hobbit may hold some tremendous power."
She made her way into the room, toward the bed, whispering so as not to wake Frodo. "Gandalf, what about that ring he had? He put it on and disappeared, twice. And while I was carrying him to Elrond, he all of a sudden felt heavier. It was a whole lot, but I could tell. Gandalf that ring he has is bad news."
He lifted both his eyebrows to hear this. "I am indeed impressed, my child. You've only been here a couple of months and already your intuition is growing stronger. Tell me, have you seen any visions lately?"
What? He knew. He knew that she was a Jedi and what she was capable of; this old guy she'd just met. But he was so much more than just an old crazy man with a blue hat. She could feel a divine power just flowing from him. He'd been around a while, and she knew not to hesitate to tell him something.
"Actually, right before I met Strider...I had this dream that I would meet this King, and he was in the dark. And like Frodo, I could sense the Ringwraiths coming for us."
He leaned back, stroking his beard. He mumbled to himself, something that she couldn't make out, but it was probably in wizard-talk or whatever. She patiently waited for him to say something, but before that could happen, Frodo's eyes fluttered open. "Where am I?" he asked as he wearily sat up.
"You are in the House of Elrond, and it is October 24th, if you'd like to know," Gandalf informed him happily.
Frodo's eyes widened. "Gandalf! What happened? Why didn't you meet us?" he asked.
Laura could see Gandalf slip off into thought, and in the blink of an eye she saw two wizards atop a tower, fighting. One was white, and had long white hair. The other was Gandalf. After this flash, Gandalf glanced at her.