A/N: Well, yes. The last week (and council meeting) or so before departing
Rivendell is Anna's. Please just imagine the "like"s typed every third
word or so. Dana is used as my name here. Which it is. Or isn't . What
do you think? I'm not likely to tell.
And yes, I know that it's been shamefully long since I've updated last.
I'm really, really sorry, but I have resolved to update this fic before I
go on vacation. My muse *did * hit me in the back of my head with her
polished oak staff, after all . . .
When possible, all dialogue has been lifted straight from the books. Much
as I love the movies, it is, in the end, the books I return to. Besides,
this is about ANNA'S education. And, so, quotations come from books. See
if you can spot them.
Disclaimer: All Tolkien's. Except what isn't.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was a beautiful fall day. You know, the kind where you'd jump into leaves except you're too old . . . and your best friend's brother's supercute male friend is watching you. Elrond and the hobbits and everyone else was around the big stone platform-thingy. Legolas was across from me. It was really hard to pay attention to what was being said, too. I still couldn't understand how Dana managed, while reading three or four books a day, getting lectures on the history of Middle-Earth and trying to fence (I'm soooo much better) and KEPT ME AWAY FROM MY LEGGY-POO!!!!!!!!!!!1
Honestly!
Well, Elrond was looking at the hobbits really seriously and went like, "The time has come, if the Ring is to set out, it must go soon." This wasn't ANYTHING like the movie! I didn't get it! Anyways, Elrond went on and on like, "But those who go with it must not count on their errand being aided by war or force. They must pass into the domain of the Enemy far from aid. Do you still hold to your word, Frodo, that you will be the Ring- bearer?
"I do," said Frodo. "I will go with Sam."
Then I cannot help you much, not even with counsel," said Elrond. I can foresee very little of your road; and how your task is to be achieved I do not know." Here Dana grabbed my right wrist.
"Look," she hissed at me. Don't say a word. Not one word. I'll talk to you later."
"But-"
"I'll gag you if I must. Now keep quiet, and let me speak, before something here goes REALLY wrong." A few elves glanced over at us; the rest kept their eyes on Elrond as he stated:
"The Company of the Ring shall be Eleven; and the Eleven Walkers shall be set against the Eleven Riders that are Evil."
At the mention of the number, 'eleven,' Dana had started massaging her temples with thumb and forefinger of her right hand.
"With you and your faithful servant, Gandalf will go; for this shall be his great task, and maybe the end of his labours.
For the rest, they shall represent the other Free Peoples of the World; Elves, Dwarves, and Men. Legolas shall be for the Elves; and Gimli son of Gloin for the Dwarves. They are willing to go at least to the passes of the Mountains, and maybe beyond. For men you shall have Aragorn son of Arathorn, for the Ring of Isildur concerns him closely."
I was waiting for the 'you have my sword/bow/axe' lines- I still don't get it!
"Strider!" cried Frodo.
"Yes," he said with a smile. "I ask leave once again to be your companion, Frodo." Then the two went on a whole long conversation and they basically said Boromir was coming, and it was all so boring! And then Pippin and Merry got to come along, and then Dana clapped a hand over my mouth and gritted her teeth.
"Anna, unseen forces are pushing me into this." She then addressed Elrond. "We too, would have to be tied in a sack to prevent us from following this company."
Elrond seemed as though he would disagree, but then a weird non-sound filled the chamber. The world seemed to move slightly askew.
"Let it be so then. You shall go," said Elrond, and he sighed. "Now the tale of Eleven is filled. In seven days the Company must depart."
As the various peoples began filing out of the room, Dana pulled me aside.
"Now. Be this understood. You will NOT act all wise and mystic-ish and reveal stuff ahead of time. Understood? You will not share what EVENTUALLY happens to this Fellowship with anyone."
"Why? If it'll save-"
"That's it! No matter who it saves, it will lead to worse. Whichever one of the Fellowship you are thinking of, it will not work! When we have a chance to be alone, I'll explain why. For now, have you ever heard of the self-defeating prophecy?"
I totally did not understand. "The what?" Elrond was watching us intently.
"Self-defeating prophecy," Dana sighed. "Basically, our being here affects this world in bazillions of tiny, crucial ways. Say, an apple is lying on the table. Say that in the ordinary course of things, that apple, somehow, in a couple of hundred years, starts an apple orchard. Say that the apples from that orchard start trade in fruits between Harad and Gondor. Don't ask- but they don't like each other very much- and in a few hundred more years, Gondor and Harad sign a peace treaty. But, if you eat that apple, the orchard won't start and Gondor and Harad won't sign a treaty AT ALL, leading to War between the two countries and all the evils associated therein."
"What does that have to do with-"
"I'm getting to that. Now, accept that we change this world just by existing. Next, IF we say what will happen (in some cases not such a very good thing) THEN the parties involved may actively work either for it, or against it. See? Now, if these parties work for it, then they'll change it's happening if it was supposed to come about by pure chance. Tell you what- let's go over to dinner while I tell you the Oedipus cycle. I played Creon in "Antigone" and I have a pretty good memory."
She led me off. Elrond followed the two of us. His eyes were narrowed, and he appeared to be thinking.
Oedipus was sort of interesting. Although I did fall asleep while Dana was going through the mythology.
~*~*~*~**~*~*~~**~**~*~*~
Well? Questions? Comments?
For those of you who wonder, I overacted horribly when I was Creon. I loved every minute of it.
Disclaimer: All Tolkien's. Except what isn't.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
It was a beautiful fall day. You know, the kind where you'd jump into leaves except you're too old . . . and your best friend's brother's supercute male friend is watching you. Elrond and the hobbits and everyone else was around the big stone platform-thingy. Legolas was across from me. It was really hard to pay attention to what was being said, too. I still couldn't understand how Dana managed, while reading three or four books a day, getting lectures on the history of Middle-Earth and trying to fence (I'm soooo much better) and KEPT ME AWAY FROM MY LEGGY-POO!!!!!!!!!!!1
Honestly!
Well, Elrond was looking at the hobbits really seriously and went like, "The time has come, if the Ring is to set out, it must go soon." This wasn't ANYTHING like the movie! I didn't get it! Anyways, Elrond went on and on like, "But those who go with it must not count on their errand being aided by war or force. They must pass into the domain of the Enemy far from aid. Do you still hold to your word, Frodo, that you will be the Ring- bearer?
"I do," said Frodo. "I will go with Sam."
Then I cannot help you much, not even with counsel," said Elrond. I can foresee very little of your road; and how your task is to be achieved I do not know." Here Dana grabbed my right wrist.
"Look," she hissed at me. Don't say a word. Not one word. I'll talk to you later."
"But-"
"I'll gag you if I must. Now keep quiet, and let me speak, before something here goes REALLY wrong." A few elves glanced over at us; the rest kept their eyes on Elrond as he stated:
"The Company of the Ring shall be Eleven; and the Eleven Walkers shall be set against the Eleven Riders that are Evil."
At the mention of the number, 'eleven,' Dana had started massaging her temples with thumb and forefinger of her right hand.
"With you and your faithful servant, Gandalf will go; for this shall be his great task, and maybe the end of his labours.
For the rest, they shall represent the other Free Peoples of the World; Elves, Dwarves, and Men. Legolas shall be for the Elves; and Gimli son of Gloin for the Dwarves. They are willing to go at least to the passes of the Mountains, and maybe beyond. For men you shall have Aragorn son of Arathorn, for the Ring of Isildur concerns him closely."
I was waiting for the 'you have my sword/bow/axe' lines- I still don't get it!
"Strider!" cried Frodo.
"Yes," he said with a smile. "I ask leave once again to be your companion, Frodo." Then the two went on a whole long conversation and they basically said Boromir was coming, and it was all so boring! And then Pippin and Merry got to come along, and then Dana clapped a hand over my mouth and gritted her teeth.
"Anna, unseen forces are pushing me into this." She then addressed Elrond. "We too, would have to be tied in a sack to prevent us from following this company."
Elrond seemed as though he would disagree, but then a weird non-sound filled the chamber. The world seemed to move slightly askew.
"Let it be so then. You shall go," said Elrond, and he sighed. "Now the tale of Eleven is filled. In seven days the Company must depart."
As the various peoples began filing out of the room, Dana pulled me aside.
"Now. Be this understood. You will NOT act all wise and mystic-ish and reveal stuff ahead of time. Understood? You will not share what EVENTUALLY happens to this Fellowship with anyone."
"Why? If it'll save-"
"That's it! No matter who it saves, it will lead to worse. Whichever one of the Fellowship you are thinking of, it will not work! When we have a chance to be alone, I'll explain why. For now, have you ever heard of the self-defeating prophecy?"
I totally did not understand. "The what?" Elrond was watching us intently.
"Self-defeating prophecy," Dana sighed. "Basically, our being here affects this world in bazillions of tiny, crucial ways. Say, an apple is lying on the table. Say that in the ordinary course of things, that apple, somehow, in a couple of hundred years, starts an apple orchard. Say that the apples from that orchard start trade in fruits between Harad and Gondor. Don't ask- but they don't like each other very much- and in a few hundred more years, Gondor and Harad sign a peace treaty. But, if you eat that apple, the orchard won't start and Gondor and Harad won't sign a treaty AT ALL, leading to War between the two countries and all the evils associated therein."
"What does that have to do with-"
"I'm getting to that. Now, accept that we change this world just by existing. Next, IF we say what will happen (in some cases not such a very good thing) THEN the parties involved may actively work either for it, or against it. See? Now, if these parties work for it, then they'll change it's happening if it was supposed to come about by pure chance. Tell you what- let's go over to dinner while I tell you the Oedipus cycle. I played Creon in "Antigone" and I have a pretty good memory."
She led me off. Elrond followed the two of us. His eyes were narrowed, and he appeared to be thinking.
Oedipus was sort of interesting. Although I did fall asleep while Dana was going through the mythology.
~*~*~*~**~*~*~~**~**~*~*~
Well? Questions? Comments?
For those of you who wonder, I overacted horribly when I was Creon. I loved every minute of it.