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Ch. 7: Catching up
The next morning, I woke a little earlier. That is to say, it was still morning. Renée was in the next room, looking at a book of some sort. When she saw I was awake, she came in and helped me dress. She was starting to get the hang of it. The book was a history of Middle Earth. She couldn't read the words, but there were a lot of pictures in it. I translated some of the stories for her. She was fascinated by the history of Middle Earth. After a while, she exhausted my knowledge, and I told her to find the oldest of the Elves and get the story from them. After all, they had lived it. She said she would, but then she stopped for a moment. "Elves are really immortal?"
"Yes, they are. It's a strange thought until you get used to it."
"So what happens if one of them falls in love with a normal person—someone who's mortal?"
I could hear the nervousness in her voice. I took a moment, then gave her the honest answer. "They accept mortality and finish out their days as a mortal, aging and eventually dying."
Renée looked a little troubled, but she didn't say anything more, and I wasn't sure what, if any more, I should say, so we just sat and chatted for a while. We talked about various small matters, and then I finally decided to ask her something important. "Renée, how are you adjusting to all of this? To this place, these people?"
"It's strange. This place is so different than anything I've ever known. I know I'll never go back, but I don't mind that. It's funny. I've never been this accepted. My past can't follow me here. You and Pete are the only ones who know anything about that. I trust you not to say anything, and I think I can trust him. I get the impression that even if they knew, they would still accept me, anyway."
She paused, considering what she had just said, then continued. "Jenny, I'm probably being a fool. I barely know Pete, but I feel like he really cares. Who am I fooling? I know better." She was trying to convince herself, but not having much success. It brought up a lot of memories for me. I'd felt the same way about Glorfindel. I had never thought it possible for him to care for me. After all, I was a clueless girl from another world. Somehow he'd fallen in love with me, anyway.
"Renée, I don't know him well either. I didn't even know he was from here until the night we left. What I do know is that he really cares. He watched out for me from a distance for years until Gandalf managed to open a return gate. All this for somebody he'd never met."
Renée wasn't quite convinced. "I follow that, but Jenny, it's different for me. For some reason, he cares about you, but that doesn't change things. I'm still just some tag-along as far as anybody here is concerned. I shouldn't even be here. The only reason I'm here is because I got myself in trouble at a stupid party and called you to bail me out."
It was all I could do not to laugh out loud. Even before our return to Middle Earth, I had known that Pete cared for her. She was definitely not 'just some tag-along' to him, or anyone here. Now, he wasn't even making much of an attempt to hide it. She just had to see it. "Open your eyes, kiddo. Pete really cares for you, but you won't let him get close enough to tell you so." She just looked at me incredulously, so I let it drop.
She muttered something under her breath, too low for me to catch anything except "immortal." Again, I just didn't know what to say, so I let it drop. I had my suspicions, but I wouldn't say anything until I was certain. All I really knew was that my heart was telling me it would work out.
I spent the rest of the day much as the one before. Midafternoon, Gandalf found me, and we sat and talked about everything from the recent history I'd missed to the method he'd finally discovered to bring me back. It was good to catch up.
"I've been quite busy in this last year, but even as I was tramping all across Middle Earth trying to discover the identity of that blasted Ring, I came across some old writings that reminded me of some very old crossings between the worlds. I couldn't go myself, but once I got back to Rivendell, it wasn't difficult to send Elrond's sons after you. I'm just glad they found you so easily. I was guessing somewhat at the location."
"Who and what is Pete? Don't tell me he was there by pure chance."
"No. He is an old acquaintance of mine. Once we guessed what had happened to you when you disappeared, he followed you, hoping you were, indeed there. He has watched over you there, waiting until I could find a way to bring you back. This is where you belong, you know, not there." I must have looked pretty confused, because he patted my hand and continued, "These are not good times for Elven children. I wouldn't have sent you there myself, but Saruman convinced your parents it was for the best, and he sent you there, presumably for your protection. Your parents were killed not long after, so perhaps it was for the best. I don't know. I doubt we will ever know. Because of the time you'd spent there, you were more prone to passage back to that world. I'm not sure exactly why you returned a year ago, but I suspect some evil force, if nothing else, perhaps more of Saruman's treachery."
"And what about Renée?"
"I never knew about her, but it is clear hers is a similar situation. She may even have been born into that other realm to at least one Elven parent. There are not many Elves there, but there are a few. I'm sure her troubles in life were no accident."
"Both of her parents had left her, and I don't think she ever knew them well. So she is Elven. It makes sense."
"Yes, and so are you. We all suspected it for a long time, but now I'm certain of it. I don't know terribly much about your parents. They weren't terribly notable, and I never met them. I know they lived in Lothlórien for many years. Lady Galadriel might be able to tell you more. She may also know something more about Renée; it not, then possibly Thranduil in Mirkwood. I wish I could tell you more."
"That's alright. It's good to know. Thank you, Gandalf."
"You're quite welcome. I just wish I had been able to prevent the accident that injured you so badly. I'm not convinced that was entirely accident, either. There are dark forces there, too, who undoubtedly recognized you and sought to harm you. Anyway, at least we got you back. If you'll excuse me, I need to go speak to Elrond. I'm still worried about Frodo. He has been badly injured." He seemed ready to say more, but then thought better of it, and turned and headed off.
A servant helped me back to my room, and I managed to convince Renée to go to the hall with Pete when the servant offered to stay and help me eat. I spent the rest of the evening in the garden, where I spent a little time chatting with people and catching up with some of the Elves I hadn't seen in years.
Ch. 7: Catching up
The next morning, I woke a little earlier. That is to say, it was still morning. Renée was in the next room, looking at a book of some sort. When she saw I was awake, she came in and helped me dress. She was starting to get the hang of it. The book was a history of Middle Earth. She couldn't read the words, but there were a lot of pictures in it. I translated some of the stories for her. She was fascinated by the history of Middle Earth. After a while, she exhausted my knowledge, and I told her to find the oldest of the Elves and get the story from them. After all, they had lived it. She said she would, but then she stopped for a moment. "Elves are really immortal?"
"Yes, they are. It's a strange thought until you get used to it."
"So what happens if one of them falls in love with a normal person—someone who's mortal?"
I could hear the nervousness in her voice. I took a moment, then gave her the honest answer. "They accept mortality and finish out their days as a mortal, aging and eventually dying."
Renée looked a little troubled, but she didn't say anything more, and I wasn't sure what, if any more, I should say, so we just sat and chatted for a while. We talked about various small matters, and then I finally decided to ask her something important. "Renée, how are you adjusting to all of this? To this place, these people?"
"It's strange. This place is so different than anything I've ever known. I know I'll never go back, but I don't mind that. It's funny. I've never been this accepted. My past can't follow me here. You and Pete are the only ones who know anything about that. I trust you not to say anything, and I think I can trust him. I get the impression that even if they knew, they would still accept me, anyway."
She paused, considering what she had just said, then continued. "Jenny, I'm probably being a fool. I barely know Pete, but I feel like he really cares. Who am I fooling? I know better." She was trying to convince herself, but not having much success. It brought up a lot of memories for me. I'd felt the same way about Glorfindel. I had never thought it possible for him to care for me. After all, I was a clueless girl from another world. Somehow he'd fallen in love with me, anyway.
"Renée, I don't know him well either. I didn't even know he was from here until the night we left. What I do know is that he really cares. He watched out for me from a distance for years until Gandalf managed to open a return gate. All this for somebody he'd never met."
Renée wasn't quite convinced. "I follow that, but Jenny, it's different for me. For some reason, he cares about you, but that doesn't change things. I'm still just some tag-along as far as anybody here is concerned. I shouldn't even be here. The only reason I'm here is because I got myself in trouble at a stupid party and called you to bail me out."
It was all I could do not to laugh out loud. Even before our return to Middle Earth, I had known that Pete cared for her. She was definitely not 'just some tag-along' to him, or anyone here. Now, he wasn't even making much of an attempt to hide it. She just had to see it. "Open your eyes, kiddo. Pete really cares for you, but you won't let him get close enough to tell you so." She just looked at me incredulously, so I let it drop.
She muttered something under her breath, too low for me to catch anything except "immortal." Again, I just didn't know what to say, so I let it drop. I had my suspicions, but I wouldn't say anything until I was certain. All I really knew was that my heart was telling me it would work out.
I spent the rest of the day much as the one before. Midafternoon, Gandalf found me, and we sat and talked about everything from the recent history I'd missed to the method he'd finally discovered to bring me back. It was good to catch up.
"I've been quite busy in this last year, but even as I was tramping all across Middle Earth trying to discover the identity of that blasted Ring, I came across some old writings that reminded me of some very old crossings between the worlds. I couldn't go myself, but once I got back to Rivendell, it wasn't difficult to send Elrond's sons after you. I'm just glad they found you so easily. I was guessing somewhat at the location."
"Who and what is Pete? Don't tell me he was there by pure chance."
"No. He is an old acquaintance of mine. Once we guessed what had happened to you when you disappeared, he followed you, hoping you were, indeed there. He has watched over you there, waiting until I could find a way to bring you back. This is where you belong, you know, not there." I must have looked pretty confused, because he patted my hand and continued, "These are not good times for Elven children. I wouldn't have sent you there myself, but Saruman convinced your parents it was for the best, and he sent you there, presumably for your protection. Your parents were killed not long after, so perhaps it was for the best. I don't know. I doubt we will ever know. Because of the time you'd spent there, you were more prone to passage back to that world. I'm not sure exactly why you returned a year ago, but I suspect some evil force, if nothing else, perhaps more of Saruman's treachery."
"And what about Renée?"
"I never knew about her, but it is clear hers is a similar situation. She may even have been born into that other realm to at least one Elven parent. There are not many Elves there, but there are a few. I'm sure her troubles in life were no accident."
"Both of her parents had left her, and I don't think she ever knew them well. So she is Elven. It makes sense."
"Yes, and so are you. We all suspected it for a long time, but now I'm certain of it. I don't know terribly much about your parents. They weren't terribly notable, and I never met them. I know they lived in Lothlórien for many years. Lady Galadriel might be able to tell you more. She may also know something more about Renée; it not, then possibly Thranduil in Mirkwood. I wish I could tell you more."
"That's alright. It's good to know. Thank you, Gandalf."
"You're quite welcome. I just wish I had been able to prevent the accident that injured you so badly. I'm not convinced that was entirely accident, either. There are dark forces there, too, who undoubtedly recognized you and sought to harm you. Anyway, at least we got you back. If you'll excuse me, I need to go speak to Elrond. I'm still worried about Frodo. He has been badly injured." He seemed ready to say more, but then thought better of it, and turned and headed off.
A servant helped me back to my room, and I managed to convince Renée to go to the hall with Pete when the servant offered to stay and help me eat. I spent the rest of the evening in the garden, where I spent a little time chatting with people and catching up with some of the Elves I hadn't seen in years.