Ch. 4
Time passed, and the reading group gave up on new material in December. No one had time to do any extra reading. Only Amy seemed unstressed. Even though they didn't work on any new books, the group continued to meet, often at her house. The reading group became a kind of support group for them. One night just weeks before finals, they met at Amy's house. After everyone was seated in the living room with sodas, coffee, or tea, Amy spoke.
"I don't think there's any point in trying to discuss literature. What are all of your plans for Christmas?"
There were shrugs all around. Mark's family was trying to get him to stay with them over the holidays. He was trying his best to get out of it. Randy and Kim would stay in their dorm rooms and exchange gifts between the two of them. Beth had no family, so she'd probably just stay at the house. Pete's story was the same. He lived alone in an apartment. His children lived at least an hour's drive away. Even Mattie, who had the most normal family life of any of them, really didn't have any plans. Her family was alive, and they supported her, but she had always been a misfit. She told them that evening that she'd been adopted, and had never grown close to her adopted family. She was going to stay in her dorm for most of the holidays and just come home for Christmas day.
"Well, since it sounds like no one has no great plans, why don't we spend the holidays together? I have a trip I've been thinking about taking, and I'd be happy to have company. You know, Mark, I should never have gone to your Renaissance festival. I've been restless ever since. I'm torn. I'm feeling homesick, but I don't want to leave any of you, either."
Mattie spoke up. "Can't you go visit for the holidays?"
Amy smiled sadly, playing with a strand of golden hair. "Unfortunately, it's not that easy. If I leave, it will be for good. Home is a long ways away, a lot farther than any of you could ever imagine."
"I've traveled an awful lot, Amy," Pete said. "I have a hard time buying that. What's going on? Who are you—really?"
Amy was startled by the question. He was perceptive. "Good question, Pete. It's one few people think to ask me." Amy looked more uncomfortable than any of them had ever seen her. She was usually so poised, but now she was fidgeting with the tag on her tea bag, not meeting eyes. After a moment, she looked up, having composed herself. "You probably won't believe me, but here goes. You know I had you all to read Lord of the Rings as an example of historical fiction. It's not quite as fictional as you might think. Middle Earth is my home. We all joke about teaching history from memory, but I really do. I've lived here for about twenty-five hundred years, and watched Earth develop, but now I'm getting homesick. I'm one of the eldest of the Elves, and I miss being around people my own age." She paused for a long moment. "Do you think I'm crazy yet?"
"Actually, no," Kim replied. "Coming from anyone else, I'd laugh it off as crazy, but I believe you. Don't ask me to explain it, but it makes perfect sense to me."
The others chimed in their assent, too, but Mark sat quietly, looking down into his coffee. After a moment, he lifted his head. "Is it possible for us to go with you?"
Amy just stared at him. After a moment, Pete chimed in. "Well? Is it?"
"Yes, it is," Amy conceded. "But you'd never be able to come back. You'd have to leave everything behind—family, friends…"
"I don't claim to speak for the rest, Dr. Carmichael but I think I've got my family and friends right here in this room." Randy's voice was quiet, but firm. The others chorused their agreement.
"If you want to go, we'll be with you," Pete said firmly. "We're with you on this one."
Amy Carmichael looked around the room for a moment, overwhelmed, and finally nodded. "OK. We'll leave once I've got my grades in and everyone is finished with finals. I have one condition, though: unless we're at school, call me Amy."
So it came to be that a two weeks later, the seven of them gathered at Amy's house. They had spent the last two weeks cramming for exams, but also learning Westron. They were dressed in jeans and t-shirts except for Amy, who wore the pale green tunic and darker pants she'd worn the day of the Renaissance festival. She had a pack strapped to her back. The others had a few personal mementos, but other than that, carried only blankets, food, and a few bottles of water. The food consisted mostly of trail mix and beef jerky, with a few pieces of fresh fruit thrown in. Pete had a knife stuck into his belt.
They piled into Amy and Peter's cars, throwing belongings into the trunks, where Amy's weapons were already stashed. They drove four hours to a forest in the middle of nowhere, or at least that's what it seemed to the students. After paying the parking fee for the national park, they got their things from the car trunks. Amy strung her bow and shouldered it and a quiver of arrows. She also pulled a sheathed sword out of the trunk. She drew it out of the sheath just a couple inches to test the blade, which was very sharp, indeed. This wasn't the practice sword she'd used at the Renaissance festival. Once everyone was ready, they headed off hiking in the woods, stopping only to eat quickly and to deal with other necessary functions.
As night fell, the small party could detect nothing different from the forest they'd been walking in much of the day. They stopped at a likely campsite, and Pete helped gather firewood, and Amy lit a fire somehow, even though no one had brought matches. The others were confused and tired.
"Amy, I hope I'm not just being stupid, but where are we going? It seems like we've been walking forever. Isn't there some kind of magic that has to 'poof' us there?"
Amy chuckled. "If there was, we wouldn't be hiking through this wood. No, we have to go the hard way. Another couple days should do it, depending on how much time we make. It shouldn't be more than a week at most." There were groans all around, but Amy laughed. "Are you tired of this already? I never said the way there was easy." The mirth disappeared from her face. "Seriously, you can go back if you want. The passage between the worlds isn't easy. I'll take you back if you want."
Mark spoke for them all. "I don't think so. You won't get rid of us that easy. You're going to have to listen to a lot of griping on the way there, especially if it's going to be a week's worth of walking, but we aren't going to turn back. We just didn't expect to have to walk all the way there."
Amy nodded. "There is magic to it, at least what you might think of as magic, but it isn't the easy 'poof!' and you're there kind. You'll notice over the next couple days we won't run into the landmarks we should have. Pete knows the area and I think he's noticed it already. If you'd come here alone, you'd be in the foothills of mountains right now, not in this valley. The change will be gradual, but we are leaving the world you know. Right now, we aren't really in either world, but as we keep walking, we'll gradually make the transition into Middle Earth. Don't think about it too much or you'll get a real headache and you won't be able to sleep. Speaking of sleep, I think it's time for that for all of you."
"Do we need to set a watch?" Pete asked.
"Eventually, it will become necessary, but not yet. I'll let you know when setting a watch becomes necessary." Pete nodded and wrapped himself up in a blanket from his pack, appearing to fall asleep immediately. The others followed gradually. Mark watched Mattie shiver for a few minutes before lying down beside her, covering them both with his blanket and holding her close. They both fell asleep a few minutes later, and then Amy, still sitting by the fire, heard a chuckle from Pete's general direction.
"You'll play matchmaker for those two yet. What are you doing still up? If we need a watch we should share it, not let you stay up all night."
"Actually, I need a lot less sleep than you might think, Pete." Amy's voice was just audible, just loud enough for him to hear without waking the others. "Elves tend to get by on less sleep than Men. Besides, I want some time to think."
"Care to share your thoughts? I'm having trouble sleeping, anyway."
"I'm just remembering a lot of things. It's been ages—literally—since I've been back to Middle Earth. I don't know exactly what the date will be when we get back. Time isn't constant between the two. I'm not sure how much of Tolkein's work is actual occurrence and how much is literary license, but I imagine most of it is historically accurate. We will probably return to a time earlier than the end of The Lord of the Rings. I'm worried about what we'll find when we get there. Middle Earth has enormous potential, both for good and evil. We may find the world a lot darker than I expect. Besides that, it's still very wild, at least compared to the lives these kids have lived. You've seen war, possibly more brutal than any I've seen, but none of these kids have. Even Beth hasn't seen much difficulty. Sure, she's lived through a lot, but she's never watched anyone die before."
"I know what you mean. I'd still like to get my hands on her ex, though. I don't know what he was thinking cheating on a gem like that—and then hitting her!" Pete paused for a moment. "It's probably a good thing we're leaving before I get my chance. Oh, well. At least she'll be well out of his reach. You say you've lived through war. Would you mind telling me more, or would it hurt too much?"
"It's painful to remember, but time does make things easier, and I've had thousands of years to deal with it. I was young when it happened, but I watched Elves slay other Elves, then betray each other, and fight each other rather than unifying to fight the common enemy. What's more, I watched Men listen to a deceiver and turn away from everything they knew was right and then repress their lessers simply because they could. I've seen them consumed and destroyed for love of power and atrocities committed for the sake of greed. None of the races of Middle Earth is free from that taint—Elves, Men, the Dwarves; even the Valar and the Maiar themselves. I guess the point is that I've lived through a lot. For now, though, you should try to sleep, and we should quit making noise." Pete fell asleep to the sight of Amy wandering aimlessly around the camp, singing softly.
Time passed, and the reading group gave up on new material in December. No one had time to do any extra reading. Only Amy seemed unstressed. Even though they didn't work on any new books, the group continued to meet, often at her house. The reading group became a kind of support group for them. One night just weeks before finals, they met at Amy's house. After everyone was seated in the living room with sodas, coffee, or tea, Amy spoke.
"I don't think there's any point in trying to discuss literature. What are all of your plans for Christmas?"
There were shrugs all around. Mark's family was trying to get him to stay with them over the holidays. He was trying his best to get out of it. Randy and Kim would stay in their dorm rooms and exchange gifts between the two of them. Beth had no family, so she'd probably just stay at the house. Pete's story was the same. He lived alone in an apartment. His children lived at least an hour's drive away. Even Mattie, who had the most normal family life of any of them, really didn't have any plans. Her family was alive, and they supported her, but she had always been a misfit. She told them that evening that she'd been adopted, and had never grown close to her adopted family. She was going to stay in her dorm for most of the holidays and just come home for Christmas day.
"Well, since it sounds like no one has no great plans, why don't we spend the holidays together? I have a trip I've been thinking about taking, and I'd be happy to have company. You know, Mark, I should never have gone to your Renaissance festival. I've been restless ever since. I'm torn. I'm feeling homesick, but I don't want to leave any of you, either."
Mattie spoke up. "Can't you go visit for the holidays?"
Amy smiled sadly, playing with a strand of golden hair. "Unfortunately, it's not that easy. If I leave, it will be for good. Home is a long ways away, a lot farther than any of you could ever imagine."
"I've traveled an awful lot, Amy," Pete said. "I have a hard time buying that. What's going on? Who are you—really?"
Amy was startled by the question. He was perceptive. "Good question, Pete. It's one few people think to ask me." Amy looked more uncomfortable than any of them had ever seen her. She was usually so poised, but now she was fidgeting with the tag on her tea bag, not meeting eyes. After a moment, she looked up, having composed herself. "You probably won't believe me, but here goes. You know I had you all to read Lord of the Rings as an example of historical fiction. It's not quite as fictional as you might think. Middle Earth is my home. We all joke about teaching history from memory, but I really do. I've lived here for about twenty-five hundred years, and watched Earth develop, but now I'm getting homesick. I'm one of the eldest of the Elves, and I miss being around people my own age." She paused for a long moment. "Do you think I'm crazy yet?"
"Actually, no," Kim replied. "Coming from anyone else, I'd laugh it off as crazy, but I believe you. Don't ask me to explain it, but it makes perfect sense to me."
The others chimed in their assent, too, but Mark sat quietly, looking down into his coffee. After a moment, he lifted his head. "Is it possible for us to go with you?"
Amy just stared at him. After a moment, Pete chimed in. "Well? Is it?"
"Yes, it is," Amy conceded. "But you'd never be able to come back. You'd have to leave everything behind—family, friends…"
"I don't claim to speak for the rest, Dr. Carmichael but I think I've got my family and friends right here in this room." Randy's voice was quiet, but firm. The others chorused their agreement.
"If you want to go, we'll be with you," Pete said firmly. "We're with you on this one."
Amy Carmichael looked around the room for a moment, overwhelmed, and finally nodded. "OK. We'll leave once I've got my grades in and everyone is finished with finals. I have one condition, though: unless we're at school, call me Amy."
So it came to be that a two weeks later, the seven of them gathered at Amy's house. They had spent the last two weeks cramming for exams, but also learning Westron. They were dressed in jeans and t-shirts except for Amy, who wore the pale green tunic and darker pants she'd worn the day of the Renaissance festival. She had a pack strapped to her back. The others had a few personal mementos, but other than that, carried only blankets, food, and a few bottles of water. The food consisted mostly of trail mix and beef jerky, with a few pieces of fresh fruit thrown in. Pete had a knife stuck into his belt.
They piled into Amy and Peter's cars, throwing belongings into the trunks, where Amy's weapons were already stashed. They drove four hours to a forest in the middle of nowhere, or at least that's what it seemed to the students. After paying the parking fee for the national park, they got their things from the car trunks. Amy strung her bow and shouldered it and a quiver of arrows. She also pulled a sheathed sword out of the trunk. She drew it out of the sheath just a couple inches to test the blade, which was very sharp, indeed. This wasn't the practice sword she'd used at the Renaissance festival. Once everyone was ready, they headed off hiking in the woods, stopping only to eat quickly and to deal with other necessary functions.
As night fell, the small party could detect nothing different from the forest they'd been walking in much of the day. They stopped at a likely campsite, and Pete helped gather firewood, and Amy lit a fire somehow, even though no one had brought matches. The others were confused and tired.
"Amy, I hope I'm not just being stupid, but where are we going? It seems like we've been walking forever. Isn't there some kind of magic that has to 'poof' us there?"
Amy chuckled. "If there was, we wouldn't be hiking through this wood. No, we have to go the hard way. Another couple days should do it, depending on how much time we make. It shouldn't be more than a week at most." There were groans all around, but Amy laughed. "Are you tired of this already? I never said the way there was easy." The mirth disappeared from her face. "Seriously, you can go back if you want. The passage between the worlds isn't easy. I'll take you back if you want."
Mark spoke for them all. "I don't think so. You won't get rid of us that easy. You're going to have to listen to a lot of griping on the way there, especially if it's going to be a week's worth of walking, but we aren't going to turn back. We just didn't expect to have to walk all the way there."
Amy nodded. "There is magic to it, at least what you might think of as magic, but it isn't the easy 'poof!' and you're there kind. You'll notice over the next couple days we won't run into the landmarks we should have. Pete knows the area and I think he's noticed it already. If you'd come here alone, you'd be in the foothills of mountains right now, not in this valley. The change will be gradual, but we are leaving the world you know. Right now, we aren't really in either world, but as we keep walking, we'll gradually make the transition into Middle Earth. Don't think about it too much or you'll get a real headache and you won't be able to sleep. Speaking of sleep, I think it's time for that for all of you."
"Do we need to set a watch?" Pete asked.
"Eventually, it will become necessary, but not yet. I'll let you know when setting a watch becomes necessary." Pete nodded and wrapped himself up in a blanket from his pack, appearing to fall asleep immediately. The others followed gradually. Mark watched Mattie shiver for a few minutes before lying down beside her, covering them both with his blanket and holding her close. They both fell asleep a few minutes later, and then Amy, still sitting by the fire, heard a chuckle from Pete's general direction.
"You'll play matchmaker for those two yet. What are you doing still up? If we need a watch we should share it, not let you stay up all night."
"Actually, I need a lot less sleep than you might think, Pete." Amy's voice was just audible, just loud enough for him to hear without waking the others. "Elves tend to get by on less sleep than Men. Besides, I want some time to think."
"Care to share your thoughts? I'm having trouble sleeping, anyway."
"I'm just remembering a lot of things. It's been ages—literally—since I've been back to Middle Earth. I don't know exactly what the date will be when we get back. Time isn't constant between the two. I'm not sure how much of Tolkein's work is actual occurrence and how much is literary license, but I imagine most of it is historically accurate. We will probably return to a time earlier than the end of The Lord of the Rings. I'm worried about what we'll find when we get there. Middle Earth has enormous potential, both for good and evil. We may find the world a lot darker than I expect. Besides that, it's still very wild, at least compared to the lives these kids have lived. You've seen war, possibly more brutal than any I've seen, but none of these kids have. Even Beth hasn't seen much difficulty. Sure, she's lived through a lot, but she's never watched anyone die before."
"I know what you mean. I'd still like to get my hands on her ex, though. I don't know what he was thinking cheating on a gem like that—and then hitting her!" Pete paused for a moment. "It's probably a good thing we're leaving before I get my chance. Oh, well. At least she'll be well out of his reach. You say you've lived through war. Would you mind telling me more, or would it hurt too much?"
"It's painful to remember, but time does make things easier, and I've had thousands of years to deal with it. I was young when it happened, but I watched Elves slay other Elves, then betray each other, and fight each other rather than unifying to fight the common enemy. What's more, I watched Men listen to a deceiver and turn away from everything they knew was right and then repress their lessers simply because they could. I've seen them consumed and destroyed for love of power and atrocities committed for the sake of greed. None of the races of Middle Earth is free from that taint—Elves, Men, the Dwarves; even the Valar and the Maiar themselves. I guess the point is that I've lived through a lot. For now, though, you should try to sleep, and we should quit making noise." Pete fell asleep to the sight of Amy wandering aimlessly around the camp, singing softly.