* Two *
At the end of the third day of travelling, Ryanna and Lord Menel arrived at the Green-Hill Country, at Tookborrow to be precise. It was not like they hadn't heard stories about that strange little people named the Hobbits…The thing was they hadn't met one before that day. So they were puzzled, to say the least, when they encounter a group of five small creatures returning from the hills. They weren't taller then a human child and were as comical. Of course that the small company was surprised too to find two Elves wondering along the Stock road. It was common knowledge that Elves were dangerous folk and could very well make men and hobbits for that matter, go insane. So they did what they thought was the most rational thing to do at the time: the five Hobbits attacked the Elves with their hunting spears.
Ryanna and Lord Menel exchanged amused looks as the five Hobbits roared and advanced on them with their small spears, preparing what the two Elves could only imagine was a ferocious attack. Of course that the hobbit assault was easily cancelled by the two Elves and the small group restrained of causing any sort of damage.
"You will pay for this demon!" One of the hobbits shouted, trying to kick his way out of Lord Menel's grasp. The small creature succeeded and immediately charged for his spear, but Ryanna was fast enough and took it out of his way.
"I don't think you will need this Periannath*." She said hoisting the small lance as high as her arm could reach. The hobbit jumped, trying to catch it but the she-Elf was very tall. Ryanna tried her best to speak the mannish language the small creatures seemed to use as a common speech. "We mean you no harm little one." She spoke softly to the enraged hobbit.
"No? Then give me back my spear." He commanded. The other four hobbits were trying to escape Lord Menel's tight grip, but to no avail. The Elf was too strong and a menacing look made the creatures stop their attempts.
"I believe that you will try to hurt me Periannath, if I give you back your…weapon." She stated trying to sound serious, but her amused eyes betrayed her.
"Well then, you give me no choice demon." The hobbit said and before Ryanna could figure out the meaning of those words, the small creature kicked her hard against her anklebone, making her yelp in pain.
"I am not a demon." She snapped, a little annoyed with that hobbit attitude and in pain. "I'm an Elf." She stated trying to shake the pain away.
"And what is an Elf? It is a demon, I tell you!" The intrepid hobbit yelled back. "Magical creatures that come at night to poison little children's sleep and steal their dreams."
"What?" Ryanna questioned, confused with that revelation. "We do no such things!" She protested a bit irked.
"Tell her Nob!" One hobbit incited, earning another menacing look from Lord Menel. "Let me go you big…oaf!" He yanked his wrist from Lord Menel grasp, but the Elf did not let him go.
The brave hobbit in front of Ryanna seemed uncertain of what to say next. If the demon-Elf attacked him, he had no way how to defend himself.
"It's true! You are a demon. Y-You enchant men and hobbits and you take them to your Realm and they are never seen again!" The Hobbit uttered accusingly.
"I think you have mistaken me by a fairy." Ryanna offered with a gentle smile.
"Fairies?" The hobbit seemed confused and looked to his companions for some sort of enlightenment. The four hobbits just shrugged their shoulders, equally confused. Ryanna wanted to laugh at the hobbit's perplexity, but had to swallow the laughter for she didn't think the small being would appreciate it.
"Me and my friend mean you no harm, believe me little one. We are just travellers heading to Imladris." Ryanna explained. The hobbit watched her still suspicious, but made no move to attack her again.
"Imladris?" One hobbit inquired.
"Rivendell, you idiot." Other hobbit explained sounding annoyed.
"What do you think we should do with these four Periannath?" Lord Menel inquired; looking obviously disgusted at the four creatures under his grasp.
"I think it is safe to let them go, Lord Menel. They are not a threat to us." Ryanna looked at Nob, searching for an agreement. The Hobbit nodded and Lord Menel released his friends. Immediately they attacked him, throwing the Elf to the ground. Ryanna giggled slightly, but composed herself as soon as Nob glanced at her.
"Get these monsters off of me!" Lord Menel muffed plea made Ryanna want to laugh, but instead she helped him get up and away from the still furious hobbits.
"This is what happens when we don't take the road as we were supposed to." Lord Menel muttered under his breath, trying to clean his vests off of leafs and dirt. Ryanna just gazed at him annoyed, but said nothing.
"Pray tell me, what are two Elves doing at the Shire? I though they all lived at Rivendell." Nob inquired, stepping between the Elves and his four companions, avoiding any other confrontations.
"We crossed the Great Sea and we are here to see Lord Elrond." Ryanna replied cryptically. It was best to keep their business to themselves.
"A fair Lady like yourself should not have come to Middle-Earth. These are dangerous times." Nob informed, fear in his eyes. Ryanna couldn't stop but wonder amused when had she stopped being a demon and started being a fair Lady.
"Yes, unless you came to fight the barbarian hordes from the South, you should return to your home immediately." Another hobbit said.
"What barbarian hordes? What evil has come to Middle-Earth? Pray tell me everything." Ryanna was now definitely puzzled. The Evil she had sensed upon arriving to Middle-Earth was now very real.
"We do not know much, my lady. Men have all fallen into the dark Shadow and at night we hear the wolves lament. We can only imagine what those barbarians are doing to our beloved earth." Nob told, his voice quivering with fear and sorrow. The remaining four hobbits nodded in agreement. "That's why we never go outside the Shire anymore and that's why we are so dreary of strange folk."
"I understand." Ryanna nodded, sensing the Hobbits fear in her own heart.
"You should go back. Leave this land before it is too late." Nob warned her, but Ryanna was determined to get to the bottom of that mystery. And the only person she could think of to inform her right was obviously Lord Elrond. She had one more reason to get to Imladris as soon as possible.
"I thank you for your concern, but we must leave you now. We must get to Imladris quickly." Ryanna informed the Hobbits, bowing her head.
"I'm sorry if we didn't convinced you otherwise. Could I at least have the pleasure of your name?" The small being wondered, bringing a smile at Ryanna's face.
"My name is Ryanna Elentári, master…?"
"Nobleton Took." The hobbit bowed his head and smiled, revealing some very yellow teeth. Ryanna chuckled and bide them farewells. She and Lord Menel resumed their path, leaving behind five very stunned and very in love Hobbits.
"I hope we won't find any more small fiends on our way to Imladris." Lord Menel spat when they were far enough from the Hobbits. "Those creatures are very noisome and unpredictable!" Ryanna chuckled amused.
"That's why I liked them." She said with a small smile. "But I didn't like what they told us about the Evil that is consuming this land."
"Me neither. I hope Lord Elrond will be helpful enough to tells us what's going on and that he will agree to go back with us."
"Somehow, I find that very hard to believe. After what those Periannaths told us, I very much doubt that Lord Elrond will want to leave this land as it is." She said, concern dripping from every word.
The two Elves travelled swiftly through the Woody End Forest, their steps mixing easily with the sounds of the pulsing forest. They wanted to make it as far as the Brandywine Bridge before nightfall. Forests weren't the safest place to be in at dark times. And they still didn't know what sort of Evil hide behind the trees. The only problem was that, after crossing the Bridge, they would have to follow the East road for a while. And at night, roads could be very dangerous.
Gandalf sat calmly on the wood bench. He had his eyes lost in the West, smoking some raw tobacco prepared by his hobbit friends in his old pipe. His thoughts were far away and he didn't heard when Elrond stepped closer to him and sat beside him on the bench.
"I could never understand your passion for that horrible thing." He commented with a displeased face, fanning the smoke away with his hand. Gandalf just smiled, his eyes never leaving the west.
"Then you couldn't truly understand the simple pleasures in life, my dear friend." Was Gandalf reply. A comfortable silence fell between the two, although Gandalf could sense the agitation in his friend.
"How much longer must we wait for Elbereth's help, if she indeed kept her word?" Lord Elrond finally said, revealing his true thoughts and anger. "This waiting is killing me Gandalf."
"Be patient my friend. I've been sensing this new presence in the air, I can't really explain it to you…"
"I know what you're talking about. I feel it too." That surprised the wizard and he gazed over the Elf.
"Then you know what this means don't you?" Gandalf questioned hopefully.
"It means nothing Gandalf." Elrond snapped a bit angry. "Elbereth presence is not something an Elf can ignore. She's ever present, her light is always lighting our way."
"But have you felt it this strong before?" Lord Elrond hesitated before answering Gandalf's question.
"No." He said silently. "It is as if Elbereth herself was walking upon Middle-Earth, but you said it yourself: she was not willing to leave Aman so it is an impossible occurrence."
"Not quite, my friend." Said Gandalf with an amused look, resting again against the bench's back and blowing a cloud of smoke into the air. "Not quite" He repeated lost in his thoughts again. Lord Elrond didn't push for him to speak his mind, though it was what he wanted to do. He knew Gandalf would speak in his own due time.
"Send Legolas to the edge of Trollsaws. Tell him to wait at the Ford for our unexpected guests." Lord Elrond just stare at Gandalf for a while, stunned by his words.
"Guests? Who? You mean, Elbereth's help?" The last question was added with hope.
"We will know soon enough." The wizard offered with a small smile. "Tell him to leave at once Elrond, but don't tell him what I've told you."
"How could I? You told me nothing old friend!" Elrond stated, rising from the bench. Gandalf just chuckled. He took another drag out of his pipe. Interesting choice Elbereth…He thought, now smiling broadly as the sun set.
Notes:
*Elvish name for 'hobbit'.
Thank you Arabella! You know why…And thank you for the reviews, but please keep them coming!