Ch. 15
Kim was wandering the city aimlessly. Beth and Pete were off together, as were Mark and Mattie. She hadn't wanted to follow any of them like a third wheel, nor had she wanted to cling to Randy. She'd insisted he go off with some of the Elves, who were teaching him archery. She didn't mind being alone. She'd always been a bit of a loner, and there was no reason for that to change simply because she'd come to Middle Earth.
As she was wandering, Kim suddenly found Galadriel walking beside her. Kim was tall compared to human women, but next to the Lady of the Wood, she felt very short. She hadn't been aware of the Lady's approach, but somehow she wasn't startled.
"How are you adjusting to life here, Kimberly?" Galadriel continued walking as she asked the question. She seemed to glide rather than move her feet.
"It's wonderful. Thank you for letting us come here."
"It is my pleasure. I have not seen Almare for several thousand years, and it is good to see her again, and her companions. You six mean a lot to her, and I welcome you as I would our Elven kindred."
"I'm honored." Kim was trying not to fidget.
"Of the six in your group, you are the most isolated." Kim made to speak, but Galadriel held up a hand to stop her. "Being alone is not always wrong, but I wonder that you choose it. You could associate with your companions, but you do not, not even your childhood friend."
"I don't want to interfere with their lives. It's an awkward thing to 'tag along' with a couple, and I don't want Randy to feel like he has to spend time with me simply because neither of us has a romantic interest here, or because we are childhood friends." Why was she telling this woman her innermost secrets? "In another life, Randy and I might have had something, but I don't think there's any possibility of it in this one."
"Why not?"
Kim looked over at Galadriel. She hadn't expected that question. "We're friends—nothing more. I don't want to damage our friendship by trying to impose romance on it." For some reason, the words just spilled out.
"The best marriages are made from the best friendships, Kimberly. Why do you think romance will damage your friendship?"
"If it doesn't work out…"
"Why would it not?"
"Relationships fall through all the time…"
"When the participants are not committed."
"If he doesn't feel the same…"
"And what do you think he feels?"
"I have no idea."
"Really, Kim? How old are you?"
Kim looked over at Galadriel, confused. "Nineteen."
"And how long have you known Randy?"
"Since we were four…Fifteen years. I suppose that's the blink of an eye for you."
"Do not devalue yourself or your experience. You've known Randy for fifteen years. You've watched him grow from a small child to a man. What do you think is in his heart? You know him well enough to answer."
"I might, but I can't sort out what I know of him objectively from my own hopes and fantasies. That's what they are, fantasies that will never work out."
"If that is what you tell yourself, that is what will happen. You would call it a 'self-fulfilling prophecy'." Galadriel cocked an eyebrow and looked over at the shorter girl.
Kim looked down at the ground, then whispered, "I'm just so scared…"
Galadriel smiled warmly. "If you allow yourself to fear change, you will always be alone. Kim, love is worth the risk. Trust in your heart, for it seldom lies, and continue to hope."
Kim and Galadriel went their separate ways. Kim tried to wander aimlessly, but somehow her wanderings brought her to the field where Randy was practicing archery with a few of the Elves. He waved to her, then quickly collected his arrows and walked over.
"Hey! How's it going?"
"Pretty good."
"What have you been up to?"
"Not much, really." Kim wasn't sure quite what to say. She wasn't about to admit the conversation with Galadriel.
"Me neither. I've been practicing archery here and there, but it's getting a little old, and I'm sore—fingers, arms, shoulders, you name it."
"I suppose."
"Have you had a chance to see the Elves' embroidery yet? I know you saw some of it while we were in Rivendell, but have you had a chance to try any of it here?"
"Not yet. I haven't really gotten around to it. Anyway, I'm not sure I want to spend hours on embroidery just yet. There's so much to take in, it's hard to know where to start. I find myself just wandering between things, without really taking anything in."
"Yeah, same here. You want company for more wandering?"
"Sure. I'd like that."
Randy left the borrowed bow with the Elves, and the two of them set off side by side. They walked for a few minutes before Randy finally broke the silence.
"It's amazing, isn't it, how quickly everything has changed. We spent—what?—fifteen years without a whole lot changing, and now, wham! everything is different. Yeah, I know there were a lot of changes on the way—my mom dying, your dad leaving, getting an apartment, going off to college…It all seems pretty minor compared to coming here. It's like we got beamed into an alternate dimension or something. I would never have imagined any of this could be true. You know, the other really weird thing is the way we seemed to forget so much of what we read before coming here. It's like somebody took an eraser to my mind or something. I suppose it's better this way. We knew what we were getting into, but now we can live it without being freaks who know the future and having to worry about messing up the timeline or something."
"You always did watch too much Star Trek."
"I guess so. It's just weird to be in the minority, among Elves… I hardly know how to act most of the time. I know there are humans here, but it's going to be really weird to meet them, especially after spending so much time among the Elves."
"You think we will get to meet the humans?"
"I hope so. It's great spending time here with the Elves, but I feel like an awkward little kid. You remember the time I took Tae Kwon Do lessons?" Kim chuckled with the memory. "That's kind of how I feel now—all thumbs."
"Or feet," she laughed.
"Or feet. It's difficult trying to measure up to Elves, or even keep up with them. They've been very welcoming, but I still feel like an outsider."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I have a hard time relating to the Elves, even Amy. I don't want to bother her – she's got so much going on in her own life. The others are all paired off, and then there's us." Kim sighed, then continued. "Things even feel weird with you. I don't know really why." That wasn't exactly true, but she wasn't going to tell him that.
Randy met her eyes. "Yeah, I've noticed. You're the one who's been avoiding me, so I thought I should wait until you wanted to talk."
"I guess I just don't want you to feel responsible for babysitting me." Randy looked at her, surprised, then laughed quietly.
"This is a switch. You were always the one watching out for me." His voice trailed off for a minute, then he spoke again, lost in a memory. "Do you remember back when I was living with Aunt Ruth and she was so drunk that you had to drive her home? What were we, thirteen or fourteen? I was so glad you didn't get pulled over. Seriously, Kim, we shared an apartment all through high school. Do you think I mind your company? Don't push me away."
There was nothing more that needed to be said, so they just walked in companionable silence for a while, heading back toward the city as the sun set.
Kim was wandering the city aimlessly. Beth and Pete were off together, as were Mark and Mattie. She hadn't wanted to follow any of them like a third wheel, nor had she wanted to cling to Randy. She'd insisted he go off with some of the Elves, who were teaching him archery. She didn't mind being alone. She'd always been a bit of a loner, and there was no reason for that to change simply because she'd come to Middle Earth.
As she was wandering, Kim suddenly found Galadriel walking beside her. Kim was tall compared to human women, but next to the Lady of the Wood, she felt very short. She hadn't been aware of the Lady's approach, but somehow she wasn't startled.
"How are you adjusting to life here, Kimberly?" Galadriel continued walking as she asked the question. She seemed to glide rather than move her feet.
"It's wonderful. Thank you for letting us come here."
"It is my pleasure. I have not seen Almare for several thousand years, and it is good to see her again, and her companions. You six mean a lot to her, and I welcome you as I would our Elven kindred."
"I'm honored." Kim was trying not to fidget.
"Of the six in your group, you are the most isolated." Kim made to speak, but Galadriel held up a hand to stop her. "Being alone is not always wrong, but I wonder that you choose it. You could associate with your companions, but you do not, not even your childhood friend."
"I don't want to interfere with their lives. It's an awkward thing to 'tag along' with a couple, and I don't want Randy to feel like he has to spend time with me simply because neither of us has a romantic interest here, or because we are childhood friends." Why was she telling this woman her innermost secrets? "In another life, Randy and I might have had something, but I don't think there's any possibility of it in this one."
"Why not?"
Kim looked over at Galadriel. She hadn't expected that question. "We're friends—nothing more. I don't want to damage our friendship by trying to impose romance on it." For some reason, the words just spilled out.
"The best marriages are made from the best friendships, Kimberly. Why do you think romance will damage your friendship?"
"If it doesn't work out…"
"Why would it not?"
"Relationships fall through all the time…"
"When the participants are not committed."
"If he doesn't feel the same…"
"And what do you think he feels?"
"I have no idea."
"Really, Kim? How old are you?"
Kim looked over at Galadriel, confused. "Nineteen."
"And how long have you known Randy?"
"Since we were four…Fifteen years. I suppose that's the blink of an eye for you."
"Do not devalue yourself or your experience. You've known Randy for fifteen years. You've watched him grow from a small child to a man. What do you think is in his heart? You know him well enough to answer."
"I might, but I can't sort out what I know of him objectively from my own hopes and fantasies. That's what they are, fantasies that will never work out."
"If that is what you tell yourself, that is what will happen. You would call it a 'self-fulfilling prophecy'." Galadriel cocked an eyebrow and looked over at the shorter girl.
Kim looked down at the ground, then whispered, "I'm just so scared…"
Galadriel smiled warmly. "If you allow yourself to fear change, you will always be alone. Kim, love is worth the risk. Trust in your heart, for it seldom lies, and continue to hope."
Kim and Galadriel went their separate ways. Kim tried to wander aimlessly, but somehow her wanderings brought her to the field where Randy was practicing archery with a few of the Elves. He waved to her, then quickly collected his arrows and walked over.
"Hey! How's it going?"
"Pretty good."
"What have you been up to?"
"Not much, really." Kim wasn't sure quite what to say. She wasn't about to admit the conversation with Galadriel.
"Me neither. I've been practicing archery here and there, but it's getting a little old, and I'm sore—fingers, arms, shoulders, you name it."
"I suppose."
"Have you had a chance to see the Elves' embroidery yet? I know you saw some of it while we were in Rivendell, but have you had a chance to try any of it here?"
"Not yet. I haven't really gotten around to it. Anyway, I'm not sure I want to spend hours on embroidery just yet. There's so much to take in, it's hard to know where to start. I find myself just wandering between things, without really taking anything in."
"Yeah, same here. You want company for more wandering?"
"Sure. I'd like that."
Randy left the borrowed bow with the Elves, and the two of them set off side by side. They walked for a few minutes before Randy finally broke the silence.
"It's amazing, isn't it, how quickly everything has changed. We spent—what?—fifteen years without a whole lot changing, and now, wham! everything is different. Yeah, I know there were a lot of changes on the way—my mom dying, your dad leaving, getting an apartment, going off to college…It all seems pretty minor compared to coming here. It's like we got beamed into an alternate dimension or something. I would never have imagined any of this could be true. You know, the other really weird thing is the way we seemed to forget so much of what we read before coming here. It's like somebody took an eraser to my mind or something. I suppose it's better this way. We knew what we were getting into, but now we can live it without being freaks who know the future and having to worry about messing up the timeline or something."
"You always did watch too much Star Trek."
"I guess so. It's just weird to be in the minority, among Elves… I hardly know how to act most of the time. I know there are humans here, but it's going to be really weird to meet them, especially after spending so much time among the Elves."
"You think we will get to meet the humans?"
"I hope so. It's great spending time here with the Elves, but I feel like an awkward little kid. You remember the time I took Tae Kwon Do lessons?" Kim chuckled with the memory. "That's kind of how I feel now—all thumbs."
"Or feet," she laughed.
"Or feet. It's difficult trying to measure up to Elves, or even keep up with them. They've been very welcoming, but I still feel like an outsider."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. I have a hard time relating to the Elves, even Amy. I don't want to bother her – she's got so much going on in her own life. The others are all paired off, and then there's us." Kim sighed, then continued. "Things even feel weird with you. I don't know really why." That wasn't exactly true, but she wasn't going to tell him that.
Randy met her eyes. "Yeah, I've noticed. You're the one who's been avoiding me, so I thought I should wait until you wanted to talk."
"I guess I just don't want you to feel responsible for babysitting me." Randy looked at her, surprised, then laughed quietly.
"This is a switch. You were always the one watching out for me." His voice trailed off for a minute, then he spoke again, lost in a memory. "Do you remember back when I was living with Aunt Ruth and she was so drunk that you had to drive her home? What were we, thirteen or fourteen? I was so glad you didn't get pulled over. Seriously, Kim, we shared an apartment all through high school. Do you think I mind your company? Don't push me away."
There was nothing more that needed to be said, so they just walked in companionable silence for a while, heading back toward the city as the sun set.