1 Chapter 1: Surprises
"Where do you suppose she's from?"
"I cannot guess. But when she come too we shall find out I hope."
The voices continued as Clara came too. She did not open he eyes, instead lay where she was trying to figure out whom the voices belonged to. Her head ached slightly and her mouth was dry. She breathed in deeply but as she did so her throat caught and she coughed. The voices stopped and she heard feet move near to her. Slowly she opened her eyes and blinked at the light that shined in them.
When her vision cleared, she saw that to he right stood a tall man with long, straight hair, smiling down at her. He seemed familiar. Like she had seen his face somewhere before not so long ago. But she could not quite place it.
"Master Frodo." The man spoke. "Would you fetch a glass of water please for our guest?"
As Clara stared in wonder and bewilderment at this familiar stranger, she heard the sounds of someone filling a glass from a pitcher and cross over to where she lay. Thoughts were spinning Clara's mind. Has she heard right? Did she really hear the name correctly? Her thoughts were interrupted by the man telling her to sit up. She did so, propping herself up against the soft, down pillows. She was handed a glass of water, which she took and sipped. The man was quiet but as she lowered her glass he spoke again.
"Welcome to Rivendel." He said in a clear and well-spoken voice. "I am…"
"Elrond?" Clara interrupted him as the voice suddenly jogged her memory and she realised who this man was.
"Yes." Replied Elrond, with a look of surprise and wonder on his face. "You are in the House of Elrond."
"In Rivendel." Said Clara quietly, breaking away from his gaze.
Still the look stayed on his face. Clara's mind was now reeling even more.
"I musta hit me head harder than I realised." Muttered Clara. "What? Um…why Am I?" Clara asked.
"That is something we were hoping you could tell us." Said Elrond. "Master Frodo and his companions found you lying in some woods not far from here. They brought you immediately."
As he told her this, he looked at the person who had come to stand next to him. When Clara looked her heart missed a beat.
Next to the tall, slender elf (for that is what he was) stood a man at about 3 feet tall. His short, dark curly hair fell over his forehead and his bright blue eyes shined. He smiled at her. Her reaction was delayed but she smiled back.
"And now that you, by some strange fate, know my name and you know Frodo's, it is for me to ask, who you are and where you were before you were brought here?"
Clara paused for a moment, taking this in, when she finally spoke; her voice was slow as she tried desperately to remember what had happened.
"My name is Clara." She replied and then again paused, wondering how the next piece of information would be taken. "And I don't know…how I came to be here…but what I do know is that…I don't belong here. In Middle Earth I mean." She cast her gaze up at Elrond. "I'm not from this world."
There was a pause. Elrond's face was solemn and if indeed he was shocked by this news, he did not show it. Clara did not dare look at Frodo directly but out of the corner of her eyes she could see that he did not hide the surprise that he felt. Still Elrond did not speak; instead studied her face as if searching to see if what she had said was true. Clara wished that he would say something.
"I do not deny that what you have just told me has come as a shock, yet at this moment I cannot say what I think." Said Elrond, as if reading he thoughts. "I shall need to discuss this matter with Gandalf. He has expressed a wish to talk with you once you had woken. He met the hobbits while they made their way here with you."
Clara nodded, unable to speak.
"Now I must leave you." He smiled. "I am sure that you wish to rest. You seem to have had quite a fall. Later I shall send food and then we should talk." And with that he turned and soundlessly left the room.
Clara looked after him and then at Frodo, who remembered himself and smiled.
"I should leave too. Elrond is right. After rest you may feel better. I believe you face many questions. I shall no doubt see you soon." And then also he followed Elrond's lead and walked out the door.
And so Clara was left alone and bewildered and feeling quite lost, to try and grasp an understanding of what had just happened.
"Where do you suppose she's from?"
"I cannot guess. But when she come too we shall find out I hope."
The voices continued as Clara came too. She did not open he eyes, instead lay where she was trying to figure out whom the voices belonged to. Her head ached slightly and her mouth was dry. She breathed in deeply but as she did so her throat caught and she coughed. The voices stopped and she heard feet move near to her. Slowly she opened her eyes and blinked at the light that shined in them.
When her vision cleared, she saw that to he right stood a tall man with long, straight hair, smiling down at her. He seemed familiar. Like she had seen his face somewhere before not so long ago. But she could not quite place it.
"Master Frodo." The man spoke. "Would you fetch a glass of water please for our guest?"
As Clara stared in wonder and bewilderment at this familiar stranger, she heard the sounds of someone filling a glass from a pitcher and cross over to where she lay. Thoughts were spinning Clara's mind. Has she heard right? Did she really hear the name correctly? Her thoughts were interrupted by the man telling her to sit up. She did so, propping herself up against the soft, down pillows. She was handed a glass of water, which she took and sipped. The man was quiet but as she lowered her glass he spoke again.
"Welcome to Rivendel." He said in a clear and well-spoken voice. "I am…"
"Elrond?" Clara interrupted him as the voice suddenly jogged her memory and she realised who this man was.
"Yes." Replied Elrond, with a look of surprise and wonder on his face. "You are in the House of Elrond."
"In Rivendel." Said Clara quietly, breaking away from his gaze.
Still the look stayed on his face. Clara's mind was now reeling even more.
"I musta hit me head harder than I realised." Muttered Clara. "What? Um…why Am I?" Clara asked.
"That is something we were hoping you could tell us." Said Elrond. "Master Frodo and his companions found you lying in some woods not far from here. They brought you immediately."
As he told her this, he looked at the person who had come to stand next to him. When Clara looked her heart missed a beat.
Next to the tall, slender elf (for that is what he was) stood a man at about 3 feet tall. His short, dark curly hair fell over his forehead and his bright blue eyes shined. He smiled at her. Her reaction was delayed but she smiled back.
"And now that you, by some strange fate, know my name and you know Frodo's, it is for me to ask, who you are and where you were before you were brought here?"
Clara paused for a moment, taking this in, when she finally spoke; her voice was slow as she tried desperately to remember what had happened.
"My name is Clara." She replied and then again paused, wondering how the next piece of information would be taken. "And I don't know…how I came to be here…but what I do know is that…I don't belong here. In Middle Earth I mean." She cast her gaze up at Elrond. "I'm not from this world."
There was a pause. Elrond's face was solemn and if indeed he was shocked by this news, he did not show it. Clara did not dare look at Frodo directly but out of the corner of her eyes she could see that he did not hide the surprise that he felt. Still Elrond did not speak; instead studied her face as if searching to see if what she had said was true. Clara wished that he would say something.
"I do not deny that what you have just told me has come as a shock, yet at this moment I cannot say what I think." Said Elrond, as if reading he thoughts. "I shall need to discuss this matter with Gandalf. He has expressed a wish to talk with you once you had woken. He met the hobbits while they made their way here with you."
Clara nodded, unable to speak.
"Now I must leave you." He smiled. "I am sure that you wish to rest. You seem to have had quite a fall. Later I shall send food and then we should talk." And with that he turned and soundlessly left the room.
Clara looked after him and then at Frodo, who remembered himself and smiled.
"I should leave too. Elrond is right. After rest you may feel better. I believe you face many questions. I shall no doubt see you soon." And then also he followed Elrond's lead and walked out the door.
And so Clara was left alone and bewildered and feeling quite lost, to try and grasp an understanding of what had just happened.