***
After the four left the room, they decided to go around and get acquainted with the 'castle', as Alex had started to call it. They walked into many rooms and through many corridors, each one more amusing and beautiful than the next. Many of the rooms had carvings or paintings of weird scenes, appearing to be wars or battles unknown. There were also very strange creatures in these paintings, which Jackie had never seen before, except possibly in fairy tale books. She did not want to see some of them, either.
Alex was particularly fascinated with one room, which among other things held the shards of a sword.
"Wow, neat!" He exclaimed, picking up the handle.
"Alex put that down!" Jenny snapped. "You shouldn't mess with things if they're not yours."
Still Alex held up the handle of the sword, and waved it around. "Whoosh, whoosh," he said, obviously pretending to be in a sword fight.
Jackie rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. He was going to poke his eye out, or worse. "Alex, put it down," she said tiredly. He was obedient and immediately placed it where it had lied before.
"Nice," said Andrea, circling around Alex. "You've got him whipped or something, Jackie? He listens to you! Of course, that could be because he's madly in love with you."
"I'm not madly in love with her! I'm just.oh all right I love her. Jackie I love you." He came over and put his arm around Jackie's shoulders. She squirmed.
"Alex, please." Jackie struggled as he attempted to hug her. "Get-off!" She pushed him off of her, where he stood looking at her disappointedly.
"Well you didn't have to be so." he trailed off as he caught site of Jenny, who was looking at a picture. They all went and gathered around it.
It was a strange, dark picture, of a man with armor on, holding up a sword to a huge metal creature. Jackie shivered as she realized that the sword in the picture remarkably resembled the one that was lying in shards a few feet away.
"What do you suppose this is?" Andi asked.
"I don't know but it doesn't look too good for the guy in the picture," Jenny said thoughtfully. "Especially if that's his sword."
After a few minutes the four left to go outside, and explore there. They walked through the edges of the woods, admiring their breathtaking surroundings. The air was cool, and Jackie guessed it to be mid-fall. Then they walked along the river, which was full of clear, sparkling water. 'Nothing like the dirty streams at home,' Jackie thought. 'This entire place is magnificent.'
They strolled around for an hour or so, and then walked back to what appeared to be the 'front porch'. As they were stepping onto the stone, they were cut off suddenly by a group of elves, carrying what looked like a small child. They were talking furiously in their own language, and moving very fast, yet carefully and gracefully. They disappeared into one of the archways.
The four were speechless for a moment. "Well I hope he's all right!" Jenny said doubtfully. The elves around them looked mystified as well.
'How weird,' Jackie thought. 'I wonder if this has anything to do with the important matters Elrond was talking about.' She shrugged it off and they walked back into the House.
***
The next few days were strange ones in the House of Elrond, and seemed even stranger to the four guests from Pataskala. Many people, and some things that were not people, were slowly coming into Rivendell. Some were men, and Jackie and her friends were relieved to at least have some people of their own kind among them. However, when she was able to find one of these people and question them, they seemed to know nothing of Pataskala, just as the elves hadn't. They were dressed like the elves, but in darker colors. Most of them had long, greasy hair and beards. None of them were women. There were also funny-looking small creatures, which Alex mistook for lawn gnomes. He got kicked in the shin from one of them when he asked how they came alive. These creatures, Jackie ascertained, were called dwarves, and they were very short in stature, standing only about four feet tall, shorter than her. They had thick hair and long, braided beards. Most of them were heavily laden with axes and shields much of the time. For nearly a week men and dwarves trickled in. In the evenings the dining hallway was now packed.
Then one day Jackie saw a creature she had never seen before. It was not a man, although it certainly resembled one, and it was certainly not an elf. It was even shorter than a dwarf, but lacked the beard that every dwarf had. He was small, about 3 ½ feet tall, with curly light brown hair and a curious look on his face. His feet were amazingly large for his stature, and they were hairy. He wore no shoes. It struck Jackie that it looked like the child-like thing the elves carried in to the palace a few days ago, but she knew it wasn't the same one. She hurried over to Legolas, who was standing with his back against a wall.
"What was that?" she asked. "It was a little man, even shorter than a dwarf. It looked like a little kid!"
Legolas, who was sharpening a small knife on a rock, looked up when she spoke. "That," he said, "Is a hobbit. They're not very common, especially around here. There are a few of them here, and they were accompanied by Aragorn. They seem to play a large part in the events that are taking place."
"What events?" Jackie asked curiously.
Legolas stared at her. "You don't know what's going on?"
"No," Jackie answered truthfully. She knew something was up, but she didn't know what that something was.
Legolas looked back down at the knife. "I'm not completely sure myself. I just know that it is very important." He looked at her again, his blue eyes deep and unreadable. "And I believe Elrond suspects that you may be involved in some way. That's why I was suspicious of you when you first came here. The world is ever changing; it is not the same as it used to be. Shadow is creeping over the lands." He looked out towards the forest. "One cannot be sure of who he can trust. Friend and enemy are both dangerous."
"Oh well, it's okay," Jackie said. "I don't even know what you're talking about, so I can defiantly assure you that I'm not involved with this creeping shadow." She nodded enthusiastically.
"I suppose Elrond will wish to speak with you soon," Legolas said to her. Jackie realized that she had not seen Elrond, let alone spoke with him, for at least four days.
"Good-bye!" she said to Legolas, before taking off for her room. She decided to find Jenny and Andrea, and tell them these strange things that Legolas told her.
***
When Jackie got to the veranda along their rooms, she noticed the door to Jenny's room partly opened. She pushed it all the way and went inside, where she found Jenny and Andrea sitting on the bed, chatting. Now that they had all gotten over the initial shock of being transported to a different place and time, they were not so apprehensive about the whole affair. It was nice to be away from their world for a while. They were actually able to enjoy their stay, and they were also confident that Elrond would find a way to get them back to Pataskala, or at least to their time. And with no parents around, they were able to do pretty much whatever they pleased.
"Where's Alex?" Jackie asked, noticing that he wasn't there.
"Well we were in the kitchens with him earlier, looking for a snack," said Jenny, rolling her eyes. "He kept bugging the elf cooks for pop-tarts, and they insisted that they did not know what he was talking about. Then he asked if they had Twinkies, M&M's, donuts, Mountain Dew, or Skittles, all of which they didn't. We left because it was starting to get pretty embarrassing; he was all over the floor, throwing a fit. He's probably still down there if you want to talk to him."
"No I don't really need to talk to him, he probably won't really understand anyways, he probably wouldn't understand," Jackie mused. "I talked to Legolas and I wanted to tell you guys what he said."
"Oh!" said Andrea. "Any new leads on getting us home?"
"No, unfortunately," said Jackie. "But he told me that the world, this world, is changing. Apparently there's some evil that's lurking around, and the reason they were all suspicious of us at first is that they thought we were a part of it. But we might be. I think that they seem to think that the old man who dropped the key might have led us here for a reason. It could be good, and it could be very bad."
"How could we mess anything up?" Andrea asked. "We don't even know anything that's going on."
"We're not supposed to be here, and that could lead to anything!" Jenny said. "We could prevent someone from getting killed that was meant to die. Or kill someone who wasn't supposed to die," she added gravely.
"But what if we were sent here for a good reason?" Jackie asked. "What if the man who dropped this key knew that we could prevent something from happening, or cause something to happen, that would change the fate of this world for the better? Or, if we did time travel, perhaps we have already changed it, in the past of our world and the future of this world."
"Or," Andrea said irritably, "Maybe we just crawled through a stupid tunnel and got sent to fairy land. I don't see what the big deal is."
Just then there was a knock at the door. An elf lady stepped in, the same one that had brought them their towels the first day. "Master Elrond wishes to see you," she said. So they got up and left, following her.
***
She led them down to the main floor On the way, they stopped in the kitchens and dragged out Alex, who was munching on some sort of elf candy the cooks had conjured up for him. They walked all the way to the center of the House, to a large room with a dome at the top. It was more beautiful than any other room they had seen. They saw Elrond there, sitting at a desk and looking very seriously at a parchment in front of him. As they drew closer Jackie noticed that it was a map, but she didn't recognize anything on it. Elrond glanced up.
"You wanted to talk to us?" Jenny asked.
"Yes, I did," he answered. "I believe I have found a way to get you back home."
The four cheered. This was great news, and although they would be sad to leave the beautiful Rivendell, they would be very happy to get home.
"However," Elrond said, and their spirits sank. "This will take a while to accomplish. I have found out about a key that does in fact unlock chambers that will allow one to travel through time. However, the tunnel you traveled through is only able to transport you from the future to the past. You cannot get from the past to the future through that tunnel, and besides, there is no keyhole on this side."
"So how are we gonna get back?" Alex asked, his mouth full of elven candy.
"I have found another passageway. It is, however, not here. We know how the key is fashioned, but we have yet to forge another one. The only other tunnel I know of is near Moria." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "And Moria is very far away. It will take a very long time to get there. Not to mention another two weeks to forge the key."
"Two weeks!" Andi moaned.
"Yes, Lady Andrea," Elrond said to her. "I suggest you get comfortable here, as you will be staying here for a while. And there is the other matter of finding you a guide. I do not know who will be willing to take up the task. We shall have to see. But that is not all that I wanted to talk to you about."
He folded the map closed. "There are more matters more urgent right now, and I am afraid that you may be involved. Not by your own doing, but unknowingly when you picked up that key. In our land, there is a Dark Lord, who is growing ever stronger, beginning to gain power. All it takes is one ring for him to come fully to power. This will be the end of the free world as we know it here." He paused before continuing. "And that ring, that powerful ring, has come here."
Jackie furrowed her brows, trying to understand. It was all very unbelievable.
"This is not the whole story, but it is the part that you need to hear right now. I believe that perhaps, it was the Dark Lord's doing that you are here right now. He may want to use you in the scheme to get the ring for himself. I am asking that you be very careful. Thirdly," he continued, "There is to be a council tomorrow, and I am asking that you please come. It will concern the ring, and may also concern you. And lastly, there is to be a feast tonight. I am going to have to ask you to wear the clothes that were brought up for you the day you arrived. They will be much more appropriate than the ones you are wearing now." Then he was silent.
"It that all?" Jackie asked solemnly.
"Yes, you may leave now," he answered. And they did so.
***
"We're not getting home anytime soon, are we?" Alex asked.
"Nice detective work, dipshit. No, we're not." Andrea answered, crossing her arms as she walked.
"Hey guys, stop it. He found us a way home, didn't he? We should be grateful. Anyways, it's not so bad here," she said. She found herself thinking about Legolas.
"Uh I think we have more urgent matters, like getting ready for the feast that's in a half an hour," Jenny said, glancing at her watch.
When they all got to the veranda, they went separately into their rooms. Jackie went to her wardrobe, and mused over her dresses. She finally selected a gold-brown dress that matched her hair. When she slipped it on it was velvety smooth, just like the bed coverings. She brushed out her thick brown hair with the brush that was on the dresser, and pulled it down into a knot at the nape of her neck. Then she looked around for shoes. She knew her blue thong sandals wouldn't go with her dress at all. She looked in the wardrobe again, and to her surprise found small, golden shoes at the bottom. She slipped them on. Perfect. She looked just like an elf now. Well, without the pointy ears.
She walked outside and found Jenny and Andrea already waiting for her. Andrea was wearing a velvet dress of dark blue, and her hair was brushed neatly down to her shoulders. Jenny was wearing a dress of wine red with a gold waistband, and her hair in a neat bun at the top of her head. Each had a pair of shoes identical to Jackie's.
"Where's Alex?" she asked.
"He won't come out! We don't think he can get his clothes on," Andrea said exasperatedly. "If they're anything like the other elf men's clothes, then that's why."
They decided against better judgment to go in there and help him. As they opened up his door, they saw him struggling to get on a shirt.
"Honestly can't you dress yourself?" Jenny asked.
"There's about twenty pieces here! I don't know where anything goes!" he said, frustrated. It took them 5 minutes to get him in order, and by then the feast was less than 10 minutes away. They walked quickly down to the dining hallway.
***
After the four left the room, they decided to go around and get acquainted with the 'castle', as Alex had started to call it. They walked into many rooms and through many corridors, each one more amusing and beautiful than the next. Many of the rooms had carvings or paintings of weird scenes, appearing to be wars or battles unknown. There were also very strange creatures in these paintings, which Jackie had never seen before, except possibly in fairy tale books. She did not want to see some of them, either.
Alex was particularly fascinated with one room, which among other things held the shards of a sword.
"Wow, neat!" He exclaimed, picking up the handle.
"Alex put that down!" Jenny snapped. "You shouldn't mess with things if they're not yours."
Still Alex held up the handle of the sword, and waved it around. "Whoosh, whoosh," he said, obviously pretending to be in a sword fight.
Jackie rolled her eyes and sighed heavily. He was going to poke his eye out, or worse. "Alex, put it down," she said tiredly. He was obedient and immediately placed it where it had lied before.
"Nice," said Andrea, circling around Alex. "You've got him whipped or something, Jackie? He listens to you! Of course, that could be because he's madly in love with you."
"I'm not madly in love with her! I'm just.oh all right I love her. Jackie I love you." He came over and put his arm around Jackie's shoulders. She squirmed.
"Alex, please." Jackie struggled as he attempted to hug her. "Get-off!" She pushed him off of her, where he stood looking at her disappointedly.
"Well you didn't have to be so." he trailed off as he caught site of Jenny, who was looking at a picture. They all went and gathered around it.
It was a strange, dark picture, of a man with armor on, holding up a sword to a huge metal creature. Jackie shivered as she realized that the sword in the picture remarkably resembled the one that was lying in shards a few feet away.
"What do you suppose this is?" Andi asked.
"I don't know but it doesn't look too good for the guy in the picture," Jenny said thoughtfully. "Especially if that's his sword."
After a few minutes the four left to go outside, and explore there. They walked through the edges of the woods, admiring their breathtaking surroundings. The air was cool, and Jackie guessed it to be mid-fall. Then they walked along the river, which was full of clear, sparkling water. 'Nothing like the dirty streams at home,' Jackie thought. 'This entire place is magnificent.'
They strolled around for an hour or so, and then walked back to what appeared to be the 'front porch'. As they were stepping onto the stone, they were cut off suddenly by a group of elves, carrying what looked like a small child. They were talking furiously in their own language, and moving very fast, yet carefully and gracefully. They disappeared into one of the archways.
The four were speechless for a moment. "Well I hope he's all right!" Jenny said doubtfully. The elves around them looked mystified as well.
'How weird,' Jackie thought. 'I wonder if this has anything to do with the important matters Elrond was talking about.' She shrugged it off and they walked back into the House.
***
The next few days were strange ones in the House of Elrond, and seemed even stranger to the four guests from Pataskala. Many people, and some things that were not people, were slowly coming into Rivendell. Some were men, and Jackie and her friends were relieved to at least have some people of their own kind among them. However, when she was able to find one of these people and question them, they seemed to know nothing of Pataskala, just as the elves hadn't. They were dressed like the elves, but in darker colors. Most of them had long, greasy hair and beards. None of them were women. There were also funny-looking small creatures, which Alex mistook for lawn gnomes. He got kicked in the shin from one of them when he asked how they came alive. These creatures, Jackie ascertained, were called dwarves, and they were very short in stature, standing only about four feet tall, shorter than her. They had thick hair and long, braided beards. Most of them were heavily laden with axes and shields much of the time. For nearly a week men and dwarves trickled in. In the evenings the dining hallway was now packed.
Then one day Jackie saw a creature she had never seen before. It was not a man, although it certainly resembled one, and it was certainly not an elf. It was even shorter than a dwarf, but lacked the beard that every dwarf had. He was small, about 3 ½ feet tall, with curly light brown hair and a curious look on his face. His feet were amazingly large for his stature, and they were hairy. He wore no shoes. It struck Jackie that it looked like the child-like thing the elves carried in to the palace a few days ago, but she knew it wasn't the same one. She hurried over to Legolas, who was standing with his back against a wall.
"What was that?" she asked. "It was a little man, even shorter than a dwarf. It looked like a little kid!"
Legolas, who was sharpening a small knife on a rock, looked up when she spoke. "That," he said, "Is a hobbit. They're not very common, especially around here. There are a few of them here, and they were accompanied by Aragorn. They seem to play a large part in the events that are taking place."
"What events?" Jackie asked curiously.
Legolas stared at her. "You don't know what's going on?"
"No," Jackie answered truthfully. She knew something was up, but she didn't know what that something was.
Legolas looked back down at the knife. "I'm not completely sure myself. I just know that it is very important." He looked at her again, his blue eyes deep and unreadable. "And I believe Elrond suspects that you may be involved in some way. That's why I was suspicious of you when you first came here. The world is ever changing; it is not the same as it used to be. Shadow is creeping over the lands." He looked out towards the forest. "One cannot be sure of who he can trust. Friend and enemy are both dangerous."
"Oh well, it's okay," Jackie said. "I don't even know what you're talking about, so I can defiantly assure you that I'm not involved with this creeping shadow." She nodded enthusiastically.
"I suppose Elrond will wish to speak with you soon," Legolas said to her. Jackie realized that she had not seen Elrond, let alone spoke with him, for at least four days.
"Good-bye!" she said to Legolas, before taking off for her room. She decided to find Jenny and Andrea, and tell them these strange things that Legolas told her.
***
When Jackie got to the veranda along their rooms, she noticed the door to Jenny's room partly opened. She pushed it all the way and went inside, where she found Jenny and Andrea sitting on the bed, chatting. Now that they had all gotten over the initial shock of being transported to a different place and time, they were not so apprehensive about the whole affair. It was nice to be away from their world for a while. They were actually able to enjoy their stay, and they were also confident that Elrond would find a way to get them back to Pataskala, or at least to their time. And with no parents around, they were able to do pretty much whatever they pleased.
"Where's Alex?" Jackie asked, noticing that he wasn't there.
"Well we were in the kitchens with him earlier, looking for a snack," said Jenny, rolling her eyes. "He kept bugging the elf cooks for pop-tarts, and they insisted that they did not know what he was talking about. Then he asked if they had Twinkies, M&M's, donuts, Mountain Dew, or Skittles, all of which they didn't. We left because it was starting to get pretty embarrassing; he was all over the floor, throwing a fit. He's probably still down there if you want to talk to him."
"No I don't really need to talk to him, he probably won't really understand anyways, he probably wouldn't understand," Jackie mused. "I talked to Legolas and I wanted to tell you guys what he said."
"Oh!" said Andrea. "Any new leads on getting us home?"
"No, unfortunately," said Jackie. "But he told me that the world, this world, is changing. Apparently there's some evil that's lurking around, and the reason they were all suspicious of us at first is that they thought we were a part of it. But we might be. I think that they seem to think that the old man who dropped the key might have led us here for a reason. It could be good, and it could be very bad."
"How could we mess anything up?" Andrea asked. "We don't even know anything that's going on."
"We're not supposed to be here, and that could lead to anything!" Jenny said. "We could prevent someone from getting killed that was meant to die. Or kill someone who wasn't supposed to die," she added gravely.
"But what if we were sent here for a good reason?" Jackie asked. "What if the man who dropped this key knew that we could prevent something from happening, or cause something to happen, that would change the fate of this world for the better? Or, if we did time travel, perhaps we have already changed it, in the past of our world and the future of this world."
"Or," Andrea said irritably, "Maybe we just crawled through a stupid tunnel and got sent to fairy land. I don't see what the big deal is."
Just then there was a knock at the door. An elf lady stepped in, the same one that had brought them their towels the first day. "Master Elrond wishes to see you," she said. So they got up and left, following her.
***
She led them down to the main floor On the way, they stopped in the kitchens and dragged out Alex, who was munching on some sort of elf candy the cooks had conjured up for him. They walked all the way to the center of the House, to a large room with a dome at the top. It was more beautiful than any other room they had seen. They saw Elrond there, sitting at a desk and looking very seriously at a parchment in front of him. As they drew closer Jackie noticed that it was a map, but she didn't recognize anything on it. Elrond glanced up.
"You wanted to talk to us?" Jenny asked.
"Yes, I did," he answered. "I believe I have found a way to get you back home."
The four cheered. This was great news, and although they would be sad to leave the beautiful Rivendell, they would be very happy to get home.
"However," Elrond said, and their spirits sank. "This will take a while to accomplish. I have found out about a key that does in fact unlock chambers that will allow one to travel through time. However, the tunnel you traveled through is only able to transport you from the future to the past. You cannot get from the past to the future through that tunnel, and besides, there is no keyhole on this side."
"So how are we gonna get back?" Alex asked, his mouth full of elven candy.
"I have found another passageway. It is, however, not here. We know how the key is fashioned, but we have yet to forge another one. The only other tunnel I know of is near Moria." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "And Moria is very far away. It will take a very long time to get there. Not to mention another two weeks to forge the key."
"Two weeks!" Andi moaned.
"Yes, Lady Andrea," Elrond said to her. "I suggest you get comfortable here, as you will be staying here for a while. And there is the other matter of finding you a guide. I do not know who will be willing to take up the task. We shall have to see. But that is not all that I wanted to talk to you about."
He folded the map closed. "There are more matters more urgent right now, and I am afraid that you may be involved. Not by your own doing, but unknowingly when you picked up that key. In our land, there is a Dark Lord, who is growing ever stronger, beginning to gain power. All it takes is one ring for him to come fully to power. This will be the end of the free world as we know it here." He paused before continuing. "And that ring, that powerful ring, has come here."
Jackie furrowed her brows, trying to understand. It was all very unbelievable.
"This is not the whole story, but it is the part that you need to hear right now. I believe that perhaps, it was the Dark Lord's doing that you are here right now. He may want to use you in the scheme to get the ring for himself. I am asking that you be very careful. Thirdly," he continued, "There is to be a council tomorrow, and I am asking that you please come. It will concern the ring, and may also concern you. And lastly, there is to be a feast tonight. I am going to have to ask you to wear the clothes that were brought up for you the day you arrived. They will be much more appropriate than the ones you are wearing now." Then he was silent.
"It that all?" Jackie asked solemnly.
"Yes, you may leave now," he answered. And they did so.
***
"We're not getting home anytime soon, are we?" Alex asked.
"Nice detective work, dipshit. No, we're not." Andrea answered, crossing her arms as she walked.
"Hey guys, stop it. He found us a way home, didn't he? We should be grateful. Anyways, it's not so bad here," she said. She found herself thinking about Legolas.
"Uh I think we have more urgent matters, like getting ready for the feast that's in a half an hour," Jenny said, glancing at her watch.
When they all got to the veranda, they went separately into their rooms. Jackie went to her wardrobe, and mused over her dresses. She finally selected a gold-brown dress that matched her hair. When she slipped it on it was velvety smooth, just like the bed coverings. She brushed out her thick brown hair with the brush that was on the dresser, and pulled it down into a knot at the nape of her neck. Then she looked around for shoes. She knew her blue thong sandals wouldn't go with her dress at all. She looked in the wardrobe again, and to her surprise found small, golden shoes at the bottom. She slipped them on. Perfect. She looked just like an elf now. Well, without the pointy ears.
She walked outside and found Jenny and Andrea already waiting for her. Andrea was wearing a velvet dress of dark blue, and her hair was brushed neatly down to her shoulders. Jenny was wearing a dress of wine red with a gold waistband, and her hair in a neat bun at the top of her head. Each had a pair of shoes identical to Jackie's.
"Where's Alex?" she asked.
"He won't come out! We don't think he can get his clothes on," Andrea said exasperatedly. "If they're anything like the other elf men's clothes, then that's why."
They decided against better judgment to go in there and help him. As they opened up his door, they saw him struggling to get on a shirt.
"Honestly can't you dress yourself?" Jenny asked.
"There's about twenty pieces here! I don't know where anything goes!" he said, frustrated. It took them 5 minutes to get him in order, and by then the feast was less than 10 minutes away. They walked quickly down to the dining hallway.
***