This morning started out like most others. I was bored. So around noon, I
finally got out of bed and walked to the library. I was browsing the
shelves, when the words of my best friend Kelly came into my head. "Have
you read the Lord of the Rings books?" I had had to admit that no, I
hadn't. "You gotta! Their great!" she had said.
So my feet led me to the Fantasy Section of the library. "Tolkien, right?" I said to myself, searching the T's. I finally found a big '3 books in 1' volume, checked it out, and walked home. After that, I was hooked. I only stopped reading for school, meals, and to do homework. Eventually, it got to the point where I took it to school with me to read at lunch. One such day, I was so wrapped up in an account of some battle that I didn't notice Kelly come up and sit next to me. She grabbed the book out of my hands.
"So you like it?" she asked.
But I wasn't looking at her. A square of paper had fluttered to the floor. Before Kelly noticed I reached down, and, pretending to tie my shoe, put it in my sock. When I got home, I put it on my desk and forgot about it. The next few days I spent reading (of course), but soon I remembered the picture.
I picked it up to look at it. It looked like a Polaroid of the floor of a room, but the tiles seemed almost to be raised from the picture. I touched it, just to be sure, and my finger stuck. When I tried to push it off, the rest of my fingers became stuck, too. Suddenly, with a yell, I lurched forward - right into the picture!
To my horror, I found myself falling towards the hard tiles. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, but I started slowing down. It felt as though I had fallen into a huge tub of jelly. I opened my eyes, and found that I was falling about as fast as a feather, and straightened myself before I hit the ground. I landed lightly on my feet, slightly dazed but otherwise ok.
"Rachael! I was wondering when you would drop in."
Turning slowly around, I saw two men across the room from me. The younger one (I couldn't tell an age, but his hair was dark whereas the other's was gray) was on his feet in front of an overturned chair, looking very dignified but about as surprised to see me as I was to see him. The older, who I guessed had addressed me, was wearing a cloak, a pointed hat, and an amused smile.
The younger man, seemingly getting over his shock, straightened. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked, sounding outraged.
"Steady, now. She is a friend," said the other.
"Who-? Where-?" I stammered. The old man rose easily to his feet.
"How rude of me. I am Gandalf, and this is Elrond. I'm sure you know of us? This is the Elven city of Rivendell."
As unlikely as it seemed, I was filled with a sense of trust. I looked around me. I had to admit, it wasn't too hard to believe. The hall I was standing was roofless. One side backed a rock cliff, two sides had walkways leading to other galleries, and a railing on the fourth side guarded a fall into a crystal-clear pool far below. Everything was carved with intricate designs of vines and delicate flowers, so that it seemed sculpted rather than carved. The entire city seemed to be built on a deep ravine.
The pool was, in fact, a small section of the Bruinen that dissapeared underground shortly before resurfacing. Trees and plants grew on every terrace and the entire city had the smell of spring, an eternal spring I guessed. Terraces and porches and halls were connected by criss-crossing paths, walkways, and briges that were each beautifuly carven and decorated.
I looked back at Gandalf and Elrond. A wizard and a king of Elves! How could this be true? Well, just in case. "I'm, uh, honoured by your presence." I bowed. When I looked up again, Gandalf was smiling with amusement, and Elrond looked impressed. Suddenly I felt a sense of purpose.
"Where is Frodo?" I asked.
"I sent one of my Elves out to look for him nigh on a fortnight ago."
"Glorfindel." I muttered. "He should be back very soon."
"How is it that you know this name?"
"Peace, Elrond." Gandalf looked at me. "This girl knows more about the future than even you could guess"
"How is this? What evil sorcery have you brought into my house?" Elrond turned to me. "Be gone, evil sorceress!" he pointed at me. "Ah nasun es dofel!" he said clearly in what I guessed must have been Elfin tongue. I was thrown violently back against the cliff, and the last thing I remember before I blacked out was Gandalf yelling "Enough! Enough!"
The first thing I saw when I woke up was Elrond looking down at me. I scrambled back on the bed - straight into Gandalf.
"Calm, Rachael. I have explained some things to Elrond, and I believe that will be safe now."
"Deepest apologies, friend Rachael. I was afraid, well, you never can tell who you will meet in these dark times." I looked at him nervously. "I give you my word that no harm shall be done to you while you rest in my halls. Now, I must return to Frodo." Elrond got up and walked away, but stopped at the door and turned around to look at me. "He, as you foretold, arrived shortly after you did," he said, and then turned and left.
"How long have I been out?" I asked Gandalf.
"Almost four hours." was the answer.
"And Saruman?" a shadow passed over Gandalf's face.
"If only you had been here to tell what awaited me there. But - no. It is for the better this way." He looked at me from under his heavy eyebrows. "You may tell them nothing without my consent. Nothing. Do you understand?"
I looked back at his bright eyes surrounded by deep wrinkles. "Two- {i}at least{/i} two of the fellowship will die. Can't I tell them?" He closed his eyes as if in thought. When he opened them, they seemed full of pain.
"Do not burden anybody with an unnecessary worry. If anyone is to die on this quest, do nothing but hint. Tell them to avoid a certain person or place, if you will. But remember: all changes have a purpose." Then his face cleared. "You look well. Let me see your new outfit."
I got up, and for the first time noticed the Elven garments on the table next to the bed. There were a shirt and a pair of pants made of a soft but flexible material that fit so well, and inhibited movement so little, that it seemed more like my skin than clothes. It was a greenish grey, and would be excellent for camouflage. I beamed.
"I will leave you now. If you need me, I will never be too far." He turned to go.
"Gandalf?" I called after him.
"Yes?"
"With care and watchfulness, Frodo should wake up in four nights and three days. If the Elf-cooks start now, we will have the best feast that I, anyway, have ever eaten." Gandalf smiled and walked out.
For the next three days, I wandered around completely unnoticed, exploring Rivendell. On the morning of the fourth day, I wandered into a large decorated room. I thought it was empty, and wandered around picking things up, looking at them, and putting them back down. I had finished in the room and was about to leave again, when a green glint caught my eye. "A beryl!" I whispered with awe. I walked over and reached out, but before I could touch it a hand, gentle but firm, was put on my shoulder.
"That, human, is not yours." a soft female voice with a light accent sounded from behind me. I turned around slowly, and knew at once that this must be Arwen Undómiel. With her dark hair and beautiful face, she looked young but ageless, like Elrond. They were clearly related (as far as looks can tell) and they shared the same majestic presence. After getting over the initial shock of seeing an Elf so beautiful, I sank to the floor and bowed my head.
"Arise Raya." (I had been given an Elven name for some unknown reason that I guessed had something to do with Gandalf) "I have been expecting you. Come with me." I realized with a shock that she spoke the Elven Tongue, and that I understood her. The confused look on my face must have betrayed my thoughts, because she smiled.
"There is some magic in you, Raya. Few have the knowledge of Elven as you do. You have the gift of understanding. Cherish it, and never forsake it. Now come. We have much to learn."
"Learn?"
"Have you ever shot a bow?"
"Uh."
"Used a sword?"
"I took fencing in school." I said hopefully. She stopped walking and turned to look at me.
"This is not school. The real world is a dangerous place, Raya." she turned and continued walking "You need to learn to survive. You shall start with combat, as you will be here for a while yet."
"But Frodo wakes this morning! I have to go and see him." Arwen stopped so suddenly I almost walked into her. She stood facing forward for a second before turning around slowly. She had a strange look on her face.
"You are truly gifted. Only last night it seemed as though he was lost to us. But then my father found a hidden piece of the Morgul blade, and Frodo made an unexpected recovery. You had no way of finding out."
"How do you know I wasn't there?" I asked.
"Do you think that my father would let you wander unattended?"
"But nobody was around."
"Just because we aren't seen doesn't mean that we aren't there." She walked away, leaving me to wonder exactly how long I had been followed. "Come. We go to Frodo." I hurried after her.
When we reached the room where I guessed Frodo was staying, two guards blocked the door, but after a quick discussion they bowed respectfully and made way for the lady. Arwen told me to wait at the door while she went in.
"Who is this?" asked one guard of the other in Elven tongue.
"This is Raya Palantira, Ní Elessyar. She has been brought from over the sea to aid the Halfling in his quest."
"Does she know this?"
"I expect Mithrandir shall tell her when the time comes." he replied. Then he spoke to me in the Common Tongue. "How do you like Rivendell, Raya Palantira?"
"It is beautiful beyond imagining." I replied in perfect Elven tongue, amused by what I was clearly not meant to have understood. As the guards stood gaping, the door opened and Arwen stepped out.
"You may enter," she said.
As I walked through the door, the first thing that caught my eye was the beautiful wooded four-poster in the centre of the room. The second was the figure in the bed. The green and gold coverings were pulled up to his chin, but it was obviously Frodo. His hair was curly and brown, and his eyes were a deep piercing blue. His face was calm, but showed signs of a remembered pain. I looked to the side of the bed. Gandalf was sitting in a chair looking tired but triumphant.
"Gandalf," I nodded to him before walking over to the bed. "Frodo! So nice to finally meet you."
"And who are you in this day of surprises?"
"I am Rachael - uh - Raya Palantira. How are you?
"I feel most recovered already. But if Master Elrond prescribes bed rest-" he shrugged and smiled. I laughed. He looked at me curiously. "You are not an Elf. Where do you come into this strange adventure?"
"I, well, I'm not sure. I guess we'll see."
Gandalf, who seemed to think Frodo was asking too many questions, cut in. "I think that it is high time that Master Frodo got some rest. Out, Raya. You shall see Frodo-"
"-at the feast." I finished for him. "Nice meeting you, Master Fordo." I bowed and turned to go.
"Raya?" Frodo's voice followed me out the door. I walked back in.
"Yes, Frodo?"
"Did you say your name was Rachael?"
"No, well, yes."
"Is it?"
I looked at Gandalf. "I don't know," I said.
So my feet led me to the Fantasy Section of the library. "Tolkien, right?" I said to myself, searching the T's. I finally found a big '3 books in 1' volume, checked it out, and walked home. After that, I was hooked. I only stopped reading for school, meals, and to do homework. Eventually, it got to the point where I took it to school with me to read at lunch. One such day, I was so wrapped up in an account of some battle that I didn't notice Kelly come up and sit next to me. She grabbed the book out of my hands.
"So you like it?" she asked.
But I wasn't looking at her. A square of paper had fluttered to the floor. Before Kelly noticed I reached down, and, pretending to tie my shoe, put it in my sock. When I got home, I put it on my desk and forgot about it. The next few days I spent reading (of course), but soon I remembered the picture.
I picked it up to look at it. It looked like a Polaroid of the floor of a room, but the tiles seemed almost to be raised from the picture. I touched it, just to be sure, and my finger stuck. When I tried to push it off, the rest of my fingers became stuck, too. Suddenly, with a yell, I lurched forward - right into the picture!
To my horror, I found myself falling towards the hard tiles. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, but I started slowing down. It felt as though I had fallen into a huge tub of jelly. I opened my eyes, and found that I was falling about as fast as a feather, and straightened myself before I hit the ground. I landed lightly on my feet, slightly dazed but otherwise ok.
"Rachael! I was wondering when you would drop in."
Turning slowly around, I saw two men across the room from me. The younger one (I couldn't tell an age, but his hair was dark whereas the other's was gray) was on his feet in front of an overturned chair, looking very dignified but about as surprised to see me as I was to see him. The older, who I guessed had addressed me, was wearing a cloak, a pointed hat, and an amused smile.
The younger man, seemingly getting over his shock, straightened. "What is the meaning of this?" he asked, sounding outraged.
"Steady, now. She is a friend," said the other.
"Who-? Where-?" I stammered. The old man rose easily to his feet.
"How rude of me. I am Gandalf, and this is Elrond. I'm sure you know of us? This is the Elven city of Rivendell."
As unlikely as it seemed, I was filled with a sense of trust. I looked around me. I had to admit, it wasn't too hard to believe. The hall I was standing was roofless. One side backed a rock cliff, two sides had walkways leading to other galleries, and a railing on the fourth side guarded a fall into a crystal-clear pool far below. Everything was carved with intricate designs of vines and delicate flowers, so that it seemed sculpted rather than carved. The entire city seemed to be built on a deep ravine.
The pool was, in fact, a small section of the Bruinen that dissapeared underground shortly before resurfacing. Trees and plants grew on every terrace and the entire city had the smell of spring, an eternal spring I guessed. Terraces and porches and halls were connected by criss-crossing paths, walkways, and briges that were each beautifuly carven and decorated.
I looked back at Gandalf and Elrond. A wizard and a king of Elves! How could this be true? Well, just in case. "I'm, uh, honoured by your presence." I bowed. When I looked up again, Gandalf was smiling with amusement, and Elrond looked impressed. Suddenly I felt a sense of purpose.
"Where is Frodo?" I asked.
"I sent one of my Elves out to look for him nigh on a fortnight ago."
"Glorfindel." I muttered. "He should be back very soon."
"How is it that you know this name?"
"Peace, Elrond." Gandalf looked at me. "This girl knows more about the future than even you could guess"
"How is this? What evil sorcery have you brought into my house?" Elrond turned to me. "Be gone, evil sorceress!" he pointed at me. "Ah nasun es dofel!" he said clearly in what I guessed must have been Elfin tongue. I was thrown violently back against the cliff, and the last thing I remember before I blacked out was Gandalf yelling "Enough! Enough!"
The first thing I saw when I woke up was Elrond looking down at me. I scrambled back on the bed - straight into Gandalf.
"Calm, Rachael. I have explained some things to Elrond, and I believe that will be safe now."
"Deepest apologies, friend Rachael. I was afraid, well, you never can tell who you will meet in these dark times." I looked at him nervously. "I give you my word that no harm shall be done to you while you rest in my halls. Now, I must return to Frodo." Elrond got up and walked away, but stopped at the door and turned around to look at me. "He, as you foretold, arrived shortly after you did," he said, and then turned and left.
"How long have I been out?" I asked Gandalf.
"Almost four hours." was the answer.
"And Saruman?" a shadow passed over Gandalf's face.
"If only you had been here to tell what awaited me there. But - no. It is for the better this way." He looked at me from under his heavy eyebrows. "You may tell them nothing without my consent. Nothing. Do you understand?"
I looked back at his bright eyes surrounded by deep wrinkles. "Two- {i}at least{/i} two of the fellowship will die. Can't I tell them?" He closed his eyes as if in thought. When he opened them, they seemed full of pain.
"Do not burden anybody with an unnecessary worry. If anyone is to die on this quest, do nothing but hint. Tell them to avoid a certain person or place, if you will. But remember: all changes have a purpose." Then his face cleared. "You look well. Let me see your new outfit."
I got up, and for the first time noticed the Elven garments on the table next to the bed. There were a shirt and a pair of pants made of a soft but flexible material that fit so well, and inhibited movement so little, that it seemed more like my skin than clothes. It was a greenish grey, and would be excellent for camouflage. I beamed.
"I will leave you now. If you need me, I will never be too far." He turned to go.
"Gandalf?" I called after him.
"Yes?"
"With care and watchfulness, Frodo should wake up in four nights and three days. If the Elf-cooks start now, we will have the best feast that I, anyway, have ever eaten." Gandalf smiled and walked out.
For the next three days, I wandered around completely unnoticed, exploring Rivendell. On the morning of the fourth day, I wandered into a large decorated room. I thought it was empty, and wandered around picking things up, looking at them, and putting them back down. I had finished in the room and was about to leave again, when a green glint caught my eye. "A beryl!" I whispered with awe. I walked over and reached out, but before I could touch it a hand, gentle but firm, was put on my shoulder.
"That, human, is not yours." a soft female voice with a light accent sounded from behind me. I turned around slowly, and knew at once that this must be Arwen Undómiel. With her dark hair and beautiful face, she looked young but ageless, like Elrond. They were clearly related (as far as looks can tell) and they shared the same majestic presence. After getting over the initial shock of seeing an Elf so beautiful, I sank to the floor and bowed my head.
"Arise Raya." (I had been given an Elven name for some unknown reason that I guessed had something to do with Gandalf) "I have been expecting you. Come with me." I realized with a shock that she spoke the Elven Tongue, and that I understood her. The confused look on my face must have betrayed my thoughts, because she smiled.
"There is some magic in you, Raya. Few have the knowledge of Elven as you do. You have the gift of understanding. Cherish it, and never forsake it. Now come. We have much to learn."
"Learn?"
"Have you ever shot a bow?"
"Uh."
"Used a sword?"
"I took fencing in school." I said hopefully. She stopped walking and turned to look at me.
"This is not school. The real world is a dangerous place, Raya." she turned and continued walking "You need to learn to survive. You shall start with combat, as you will be here for a while yet."
"But Frodo wakes this morning! I have to go and see him." Arwen stopped so suddenly I almost walked into her. She stood facing forward for a second before turning around slowly. She had a strange look on her face.
"You are truly gifted. Only last night it seemed as though he was lost to us. But then my father found a hidden piece of the Morgul blade, and Frodo made an unexpected recovery. You had no way of finding out."
"How do you know I wasn't there?" I asked.
"Do you think that my father would let you wander unattended?"
"But nobody was around."
"Just because we aren't seen doesn't mean that we aren't there." She walked away, leaving me to wonder exactly how long I had been followed. "Come. We go to Frodo." I hurried after her.
When we reached the room where I guessed Frodo was staying, two guards blocked the door, but after a quick discussion they bowed respectfully and made way for the lady. Arwen told me to wait at the door while she went in.
"Who is this?" asked one guard of the other in Elven tongue.
"This is Raya Palantira, Ní Elessyar. She has been brought from over the sea to aid the Halfling in his quest."
"Does she know this?"
"I expect Mithrandir shall tell her when the time comes." he replied. Then he spoke to me in the Common Tongue. "How do you like Rivendell, Raya Palantira?"
"It is beautiful beyond imagining." I replied in perfect Elven tongue, amused by what I was clearly not meant to have understood. As the guards stood gaping, the door opened and Arwen stepped out.
"You may enter," she said.
As I walked through the door, the first thing that caught my eye was the beautiful wooded four-poster in the centre of the room. The second was the figure in the bed. The green and gold coverings were pulled up to his chin, but it was obviously Frodo. His hair was curly and brown, and his eyes were a deep piercing blue. His face was calm, but showed signs of a remembered pain. I looked to the side of the bed. Gandalf was sitting in a chair looking tired but triumphant.
"Gandalf," I nodded to him before walking over to the bed. "Frodo! So nice to finally meet you."
"And who are you in this day of surprises?"
"I am Rachael - uh - Raya Palantira. How are you?
"I feel most recovered already. But if Master Elrond prescribes bed rest-" he shrugged and smiled. I laughed. He looked at me curiously. "You are not an Elf. Where do you come into this strange adventure?"
"I, well, I'm not sure. I guess we'll see."
Gandalf, who seemed to think Frodo was asking too many questions, cut in. "I think that it is high time that Master Frodo got some rest. Out, Raya. You shall see Frodo-"
"-at the feast." I finished for him. "Nice meeting you, Master Fordo." I bowed and turned to go.
"Raya?" Frodo's voice followed me out the door. I walked back in.
"Yes, Frodo?"
"Did you say your name was Rachael?"
"No, well, yes."
"Is it?"
I looked at Gandalf. "I don't know," I said.