Part 2
The elf was wrong about feeling better in the morning, but mornings are good times to think, and this morning, Rae lay awake and thought about things. This is when she formulated a plan.
She went to the courtyard where they would be holding the council to scope it out and try to find somewhere to hide during the council. To her dismay, someone was already there.
The tall man was one she had seen riding in earlier. One of Arwen's attendants told her (amidst giggles) that he was Boromir, the son of the Steward of Gondor. When he rode up, he looked up at the window Rae was sitting at, and looked right at her eyes. Rae and the three elf women with her ducked quickly and the elves giggled fiercely.
When she saw him in the courtyard, she turned to go back to her room, but he turned and spoke to her.
"Wait," he said, and reached for her arm to hold her back. "You aren't familiar to me, yet you aren't an elf or of my country. Are you a lady of Rohan?" She turned back to look at him.
"No," Rae replied, "I'm a guest of the Lord Elrond, and I'm afraid I can tell you no more than that. Even Elrond hasn't guessed it all, but I don't really think he intends to."
"Why are you here?" he asked.
"I brought the hobbit Frodo Baggins here from the forest. He was injured."
"Hobbit?" he said, puzzled. "I have never heard this word."
"They're adorable little creatures about ye high-" she put her hand a little higher than her waist, "with furry feet and dark curly hair."
He took her hand and kissed it. She pulled it back away and he looked at her, puzzled.
"You do realise I'm fourteen."
"What?"
"Never mind!" she yelled and turned away to go back to her room.
It was only ten minutes later when she realised that she hadn't staked out a hiding spot.
***
The next day, she went to the courtyard again, but to her dismay, she found a pack of dwarves conversing loudly.
"If you ask me," an older looking one said, "the elves should have given us a room larger than this courtyard, rather than put us all in separate rooms!!!"
"Oh you know those elves," a younger one said, "they think we are just like them, except shorter, stouter and all around better!!!"
"Yeah, and smellier too," Rae whispered to herself, for their stench was so overpowering, that she had to turn around and go back to her room, still without a spot for the council.
***
The next day, Merry, Pippin, Sam, Aragorn and Glorfindel arrived back at Rivendell. Rae came out with everyone else to meet them. She looked everywhere, as she had each day previous, for the elf who had helped her the first night, but she was nowhere to be found.
She heard a man's voice behind her. "You have not yet blessed me with your name." She gasped, and turned her head. It was only Boromir.
"It's Betty Ann." she said, and turned back around.
"Betty Ann?" he said, puzzled again, but he recovered. "Such a beautiful name, for such a beautiful woman."
"Let me remind you," she said sharply, "that I am fourteen years old, far too young to be marrying some one, or what ever it is you have in mind for me."
"Rae!" Sam called over to her, and she had no choice but to walk over to him. She left Boromir in the crowd, more puzzled than ever.
"Hello Sam," she said, smiling.
"Where's Frodo?" he asked.
"He's got a room in the house," she said. "He's doing okay. He tosses a lot in his sleep, but he isn't getting worse. Nor improving, I'm afraid. Elrond and Gandalf both said he should be okay, though."
"Gandalf's here?"
"Oh, yeah, he arrived a day or two before I did."
"Aragorn," a voice said, and Rae looked up. She hadn't even noticed that they were walking toward the house, but they had arrived. Elrond and Gandalf were standing on the porch, and behind them stood Arwen, beaming at Aragorn. The voice was Elrond's.
"We welcome your arrival," he continued, "and Arwen would like to show you and the three hobbits to your rooms." Aragorn nodded and followed Arwen into the house, with the rest in tow.
As soon as they were out of earshot of Elrond, Aragorn and Arwen began to talk to each other lovingly in the language of the elves. So Rae and the hobbits began to speak in a language the four of them would understand.
"After you guys find your rooms, I can take you to see Frodo."
***
Conveniently, Sam's room was right next to Frodo's, so she didn't have to go far to take the three hobbits to see the unconscious ringbearer.
When they walked into the room, Sam let out something of a moan at the sight of his master.
***
The next day, Merry burst into Rae's room.
"Frodo's awake!" he announced. Rae jumped up and ran out her door.
When she bounded into Frodo's room, she wasn't surprised at all to see Sam already there, but she was overjoyed to see Frodo standing, talking to Sam.
"Frodo!" she cried and rushed forward. She knelt down and hugged him. Then something hit her (mentally).
"You have no idea who I am, do you?" she said embarrassedly.
"She saved your life Mister Frodo." Sam said proudly, "She rode you here on a horse, and made sure they treated you right before we got here." Frodo looked at Rae and smiled grimly.
"Thank you Rae," he said, and she began to melt, "and if there is anything I can do for you, you have only to ask."
"Well, actually," she said on a sudden thought, "there is something you can do."
***
On the recommendation of Frodo, Aragorn, Gandalf, Sam and probably the elf who visited her room, Elrond caved and agreed to let Rae attend his council.
***
Tomorrow was the day of the council, and Frodo had just woken that day, so they had a big feast that night. At the Rae sat next to Boromir. For the entire feast, he kept trying to strike up conversation with her, but he kept stumbling over his words. It seemed odd to Rae, because, based on what everyone had told her, he was a seasoned warrior, a captain in Gondor's army, but all that Rae seen of him suggested shy and unsure of himself.
Luckily, about halfway through dinner, a new person to talk to sat down in the vacant seat across from Rae. Tall, blonde-haired and beautiful, he didn't need to explain that he was an elf.
"Hello," he said in his melodic elvish voice, "My name is Legolas. You don't look familiar to me. You aren't Rae by any chance?"
"Yes, I am, how did you know?"
"News flies fast in the mouths of gossipy elvish women," he said. "I hear you're the one who saved the ringbearer."
She turned crimson.
"Oh, it was nothing," she said. He shook his head.
"I think it was." He smiled devilishly and turned his attention to his plate.
Rae decided to humour Boromir, who was clearly miffed, and asked him what it was like in his country. Pleased that Rae was talking to him rather than some elf, he began to boast about Gondor and how important it was.
Half an hour later, Rae's head began to pound.
"Boromir," she said interrupting him in the middle of a rant about the grievances involved in protecting the world from Mordor, "I think I'm getting a migraine. I need to lie down." She said good night and excused herself. When she found her room, she lay down and slept.
***
She awoke before dawn against her wishes, for she had been awakened by someone shaking her into consciousness, coaxing her with her name.
"Rae," the man's whisper called, "Rae," she turned over and opened her eyes.
"Aragorn?" she yawned, rubbing sleep from her eyes, "Is something wrong?"
"No," he whispered, "but there is something I would like you to see, while the sun has yet to rise. Follow me." She put her jeans on, slipped into her boots, and followed Aragorn down the hallways on to a terrace that faced east. It was indeed not yet dawn, and Rae could just barely see the sun over the horizon.
"What are we looking at?" she said puzzled.
"You are about to find out," he said, staring at the eastern horizon. Suddenly, the sky began to turn blue, and a strip of pink over the Misty Mountains began to appear. All of the forest and the waterfalls in Rivendell began to light up. Then there was some orange on the horizon, then yellow. Then, suddenly, unexpectedly, the sun itself emerged from behind the mountains, and every leaf in the forest, still damp with morning dew, began to glisten. Every waterfall began to sparkle, and every stone on the forest floor shone. Even the ground upon which Rae stood began to glow. She looked closer, and the floor she was standing on was made of wooden planks and each plank was shining.
"It's morning wood," Aragorn said, "This whole terrace was built from it. The trees are very rare, but a grove of them is behind the waterfall below us. They get all the sunlight they need from the sun when it rises each morning. That is why they chose to grow behind this waterfall."
"Because it faces east," Rae said, nodding. Aragorn nodded too, not looking at her.
"But even if the tree is now just wood, it is still living, each morning when the sun rises," He paused, as if deciding what to say next, then said "You are the second human to see the terrace of the morning light at sunrise."
"Why did you choose me?" Rae asked without thinking.
"Because you are different Rae," he answered plainly, looking her right in the eyes. "I felt an instant connection, yet it felt distant and ancient. I do not know what it is, but intend to find out."
With that he turned around and left Rae alone on the terrace.
***
Sorry about inventing the morning trees, I needed to fill in some space and the idea came to me!
REVIEW!!!!!
The elf was wrong about feeling better in the morning, but mornings are good times to think, and this morning, Rae lay awake and thought about things. This is when she formulated a plan.
She went to the courtyard where they would be holding the council to scope it out and try to find somewhere to hide during the council. To her dismay, someone was already there.
The tall man was one she had seen riding in earlier. One of Arwen's attendants told her (amidst giggles) that he was Boromir, the son of the Steward of Gondor. When he rode up, he looked up at the window Rae was sitting at, and looked right at her eyes. Rae and the three elf women with her ducked quickly and the elves giggled fiercely.
When she saw him in the courtyard, she turned to go back to her room, but he turned and spoke to her.
"Wait," he said, and reached for her arm to hold her back. "You aren't familiar to me, yet you aren't an elf or of my country. Are you a lady of Rohan?" She turned back to look at him.
"No," Rae replied, "I'm a guest of the Lord Elrond, and I'm afraid I can tell you no more than that. Even Elrond hasn't guessed it all, but I don't really think he intends to."
"Why are you here?" he asked.
"I brought the hobbit Frodo Baggins here from the forest. He was injured."
"Hobbit?" he said, puzzled. "I have never heard this word."
"They're adorable little creatures about ye high-" she put her hand a little higher than her waist, "with furry feet and dark curly hair."
He took her hand and kissed it. She pulled it back away and he looked at her, puzzled.
"You do realise I'm fourteen."
"What?"
"Never mind!" she yelled and turned away to go back to her room.
It was only ten minutes later when she realised that she hadn't staked out a hiding spot.
***
The next day, she went to the courtyard again, but to her dismay, she found a pack of dwarves conversing loudly.
"If you ask me," an older looking one said, "the elves should have given us a room larger than this courtyard, rather than put us all in separate rooms!!!"
"Oh you know those elves," a younger one said, "they think we are just like them, except shorter, stouter and all around better!!!"
"Yeah, and smellier too," Rae whispered to herself, for their stench was so overpowering, that she had to turn around and go back to her room, still without a spot for the council.
***
The next day, Merry, Pippin, Sam, Aragorn and Glorfindel arrived back at Rivendell. Rae came out with everyone else to meet them. She looked everywhere, as she had each day previous, for the elf who had helped her the first night, but she was nowhere to be found.
She heard a man's voice behind her. "You have not yet blessed me with your name." She gasped, and turned her head. It was only Boromir.
"It's Betty Ann." she said, and turned back around.
"Betty Ann?" he said, puzzled again, but he recovered. "Such a beautiful name, for such a beautiful woman."
"Let me remind you," she said sharply, "that I am fourteen years old, far too young to be marrying some one, or what ever it is you have in mind for me."
"Rae!" Sam called over to her, and she had no choice but to walk over to him. She left Boromir in the crowd, more puzzled than ever.
"Hello Sam," she said, smiling.
"Where's Frodo?" he asked.
"He's got a room in the house," she said. "He's doing okay. He tosses a lot in his sleep, but he isn't getting worse. Nor improving, I'm afraid. Elrond and Gandalf both said he should be okay, though."
"Gandalf's here?"
"Oh, yeah, he arrived a day or two before I did."
"Aragorn," a voice said, and Rae looked up. She hadn't even noticed that they were walking toward the house, but they had arrived. Elrond and Gandalf were standing on the porch, and behind them stood Arwen, beaming at Aragorn. The voice was Elrond's.
"We welcome your arrival," he continued, "and Arwen would like to show you and the three hobbits to your rooms." Aragorn nodded and followed Arwen into the house, with the rest in tow.
As soon as they were out of earshot of Elrond, Aragorn and Arwen began to talk to each other lovingly in the language of the elves. So Rae and the hobbits began to speak in a language the four of them would understand.
"After you guys find your rooms, I can take you to see Frodo."
***
Conveniently, Sam's room was right next to Frodo's, so she didn't have to go far to take the three hobbits to see the unconscious ringbearer.
When they walked into the room, Sam let out something of a moan at the sight of his master.
***
The next day, Merry burst into Rae's room.
"Frodo's awake!" he announced. Rae jumped up and ran out her door.
When she bounded into Frodo's room, she wasn't surprised at all to see Sam already there, but she was overjoyed to see Frodo standing, talking to Sam.
"Frodo!" she cried and rushed forward. She knelt down and hugged him. Then something hit her (mentally).
"You have no idea who I am, do you?" she said embarrassedly.
"She saved your life Mister Frodo." Sam said proudly, "She rode you here on a horse, and made sure they treated you right before we got here." Frodo looked at Rae and smiled grimly.
"Thank you Rae," he said, and she began to melt, "and if there is anything I can do for you, you have only to ask."
"Well, actually," she said on a sudden thought, "there is something you can do."
***
On the recommendation of Frodo, Aragorn, Gandalf, Sam and probably the elf who visited her room, Elrond caved and agreed to let Rae attend his council.
***
Tomorrow was the day of the council, and Frodo had just woken that day, so they had a big feast that night. At the Rae sat next to Boromir. For the entire feast, he kept trying to strike up conversation with her, but he kept stumbling over his words. It seemed odd to Rae, because, based on what everyone had told her, he was a seasoned warrior, a captain in Gondor's army, but all that Rae seen of him suggested shy and unsure of himself.
Luckily, about halfway through dinner, a new person to talk to sat down in the vacant seat across from Rae. Tall, blonde-haired and beautiful, he didn't need to explain that he was an elf.
"Hello," he said in his melodic elvish voice, "My name is Legolas. You don't look familiar to me. You aren't Rae by any chance?"
"Yes, I am, how did you know?"
"News flies fast in the mouths of gossipy elvish women," he said. "I hear you're the one who saved the ringbearer."
She turned crimson.
"Oh, it was nothing," she said. He shook his head.
"I think it was." He smiled devilishly and turned his attention to his plate.
Rae decided to humour Boromir, who was clearly miffed, and asked him what it was like in his country. Pleased that Rae was talking to him rather than some elf, he began to boast about Gondor and how important it was.
Half an hour later, Rae's head began to pound.
"Boromir," she said interrupting him in the middle of a rant about the grievances involved in protecting the world from Mordor, "I think I'm getting a migraine. I need to lie down." She said good night and excused herself. When she found her room, she lay down and slept.
***
She awoke before dawn against her wishes, for she had been awakened by someone shaking her into consciousness, coaxing her with her name.
"Rae," the man's whisper called, "Rae," she turned over and opened her eyes.
"Aragorn?" she yawned, rubbing sleep from her eyes, "Is something wrong?"
"No," he whispered, "but there is something I would like you to see, while the sun has yet to rise. Follow me." She put her jeans on, slipped into her boots, and followed Aragorn down the hallways on to a terrace that faced east. It was indeed not yet dawn, and Rae could just barely see the sun over the horizon.
"What are we looking at?" she said puzzled.
"You are about to find out," he said, staring at the eastern horizon. Suddenly, the sky began to turn blue, and a strip of pink over the Misty Mountains began to appear. All of the forest and the waterfalls in Rivendell began to light up. Then there was some orange on the horizon, then yellow. Then, suddenly, unexpectedly, the sun itself emerged from behind the mountains, and every leaf in the forest, still damp with morning dew, began to glisten. Every waterfall began to sparkle, and every stone on the forest floor shone. Even the ground upon which Rae stood began to glow. She looked closer, and the floor she was standing on was made of wooden planks and each plank was shining.
"It's morning wood," Aragorn said, "This whole terrace was built from it. The trees are very rare, but a grove of them is behind the waterfall below us. They get all the sunlight they need from the sun when it rises each morning. That is why they chose to grow behind this waterfall."
"Because it faces east," Rae said, nodding. Aragorn nodded too, not looking at her.
"But even if the tree is now just wood, it is still living, each morning when the sun rises," He paused, as if deciding what to say next, then said "You are the second human to see the terrace of the morning light at sunrise."
"Why did you choose me?" Rae asked without thinking.
"Because you are different Rae," he answered plainly, looking her right in the eyes. "I felt an instant connection, yet it felt distant and ancient. I do not know what it is, but intend to find out."
With that he turned around and left Rae alone on the terrace.
***
Sorry about inventing the morning trees, I needed to fill in some space and the idea came to me!
REVIEW!!!!!