***
The next morning was bright and crisp. Jackie sprang out of bed, despite the lack of sleep. She was too excited after last night's events, and with the Council only a few hours away. She chose a lavender dress, changed into it, and then walked outside to bang on Jenny and Andrea's doors for them to wake up. They came out sleepy eyed in their white nightdresses that had been provided for the girls.
"Why are we up so early?" asked Andi grumpily, slumping up against the wall.
"The council!" Jackie reminded them impatiently.
"Oh my gosh, are we late? Why are we late to everything." Jenny moaned.
"No, we still have a couple hours," Jackie said. I just thought you should be getting up anyways, so we aren't late."
"Well why didn't you wake Alex up?" asked Andrea.
"He needs all the rest he can get," Jackie giggled. "He was sleepwalking near the Hall of Fire last night after the party!"
"How do you know?" Jenny asked incredulously. "You went to bed before me or him!"
Jackie hesitated. Should she tell them about Legolas? "No,' she thought. 'Not just yet. Anyways, maybe nothing will come out of it.'
"I couldn't sleep, so I took a walk," she said. It was the truth, just not the whole truth. "I guess we better wake him up anyways, though."
"Yeah, we don't want another clothes fiasco like yesterday," Jenny said, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, out of all the people to be transported to another world with us, he just had to be the one."
Jackie grinned and pounded on his door. A very sleepy, and apparently hung over Alex greeted them. He was not happy to be woken up.
"Whatsha you doshigng shaklat for?" he asked, holding up his arm to block the bright sun.
"Oh God Alex, were you drinking elvish wine last night?" asked Jenny in disbelief.
"Maybe," he answered, slumping onto a chair by the door.
It took the girls nearly 15 minutes to get dressed themselves, and then another half an hour to get Alex up and ready for the day. He was dressed, so all they had to do was pull on his socks and shoes, and straighten his tunic. Andrea was sent to fetch water so that he would wake up.
"HEY!" he yelled as Jackie spilled the freezing water on his face. "No need to be mean about it! Oww.my head hurts. I want a Tylenol."
"Sorry, no Tylenol here," answered Andrea, now very chipper.
"It's your own stupid fault for getting drunk," said Jackie matter-of- factly. She looked at her watch. They had an hour, they might as well begin to make their way down there. She also secretly wanted to see Legolas again.
"Come on!" she said, leading them down the stairs. It was a gorgeous day. The sun was shining bright, and the vivid leaves swayed as the wind blew through them. The air was chilly but pleasant. She wondered if it ever stormed in Rivendell. It certainly didn't seem like it would.
When they got down to the porch where the Council was to be held (moving very slowly because of Alex, who was plodding miserably), they heard a single clear note from a bell. Jackie looked quizzically at a nearby elf.
"The warning bell for the Council of Elrond," he informed her.
"I feel like I'm at school again," Andi muttered, taking a seat in a chair. There were many chairs arranged in a circle. A stone pillar was in the middle of the circle, but there was nothing on it. Elrond sat on a raised chair at the opposite end of the circle from Jackie. He nodded to the four as they sat down.
Andrea and Jenny chatted excitedly as elves, men, and dwarves trickled in. Jackie sat silent next to Alex, who stared ahead sleepily. She noticed that Andi, Jenny, and herself were the only women at the Council: the rest were men. She craned her neck back and forward, looking for Legolas.
Finally he entered from the side. He was wearing long robes of brown and green, his hair immaculate. He quickly sat down near the elves, but shot a smile over at her. Her heart leapt, and felt so happy she could burst. She grinned broadly back at him.
Then, Elrond stood up and greeted them. The Council began.
***
The beginning of The Council of Elrond consisted mostly of long accounts and opinions given by many a man, elf, and dwarf. Jackie kept having to elbow Alex in the ribs to keep him awake, because he kept dozing off with his head resting on his chest.
Jackie herself was snapped back to reality after a daydream when one of the hobbits jumped to his feet.
"Then it belongs to you, and not me at all!" he exclaimed, holding up a golden ring. It glittered in the sunlight. Everyone was silent.
'That must be the One Ring that Sauron forged,' Jackie thought. 'It looks like nothing more than a wedding band to me. It's hard to believe something that small carries so much power.' Soon after that, after some more arguing, another hobbit stood up-Jackie recognized it as the older one- and gave a long account about how he had stumbled upon the ring in a mountain. Then, an old, bent, but very wise looking man stood up and gave a long account about what happened to him as he met a man named Saruman. Jackie was able to get from his speech that there was more than one ring formed. She shivered as the tale when on and on, getting more and more dark.
After Gandalf's (the old man) account, there was some more arguing. It was decided that the ring would have to be destroyed, in the one place that it could be: Mordor. Jackie felt a twinge in her heart when the brown-haired hobbit offered to take the ring there.
Finally, Elrond addressed her and her friends. She had to jab Alex again to wake him up. She heard him tell their story to the rest of the Council, who nodded uncertainly as they listened. Apparently their story was just as unbelievable to these people as theirs was to Jackie.
"Ladies Andrea, Jackie, and Jenny, and Master Alex," Elrond said, turning towards them. Jackie felt herself turn red as the entire Council turned their eyes to her. "We will have the key forged before Frodo leaves for his journey to Mordor. And Moria will be on the way. If you would not mind, I would like to send you on the journey with him and his companions, of who will be decided later, up until that point. This will be the safest way for you, as you will be with many people who are able to protect you, and they know the way very well and will be sure not to get you lost. Will you accompany him?" he asked gravely.
Jackie looked sideways at her friends. This was a very big decision. She was not looking forward to the prospect of traveling with that dangerous ring after the stories she had heard about it, but then again she knew this was the only way home. She nodded at them.
"Yes, we will go."
"Wonderful," said Elrond. "Now soon we will figure out is who will accompany Frodo on his journey. Besides, of course, Sam," he added to the reddish-haired hobbit who was sitting on the ground by Frodo, looking defiant.
As the Council dispersed, Elrond walked over to Jackie. "I want you to understand, that this is a very dangerous undertaking, not just to you, but also to the fate of all Middle Earth. Whoever let you find that key wanted you to come here for a purpose, and we just have to keep hoping that that purpose was for the good. You must not give into the temptation of the ring, if it does in fact affect you, at all costs. Do you understand what I say?" he asked.
Jackie swallowed and nodded. With that, he whisked away.
***
Jackie was quiet as she walked around with Jenny after the Council. She was thinking very hard about what Elrond and everyone else had said. Alex had gone off on his own (probably to search for Arwen), and Andrea had gone back up to her room to take a nap.
"Well," Jenny prompted.
"Well, what?" Jackie asked.
"It's not so bad, is it? I mean, at least we're going to get to go home, even if it will take a while," she said lightly.
"Jenny, did you hear how much damage that ring could do? And we're going to be traveling with it! It's dangerous!"
"Yes, I know." Jenny frowned, becoming serious. "We're going to have to watch our actions more carefully. And Alex's, too," she added. "Anyways, I'm kind of looking forward to it."
"What?" asked Jackie, puzzled. "Jenny what the hell do you." she trailed off as a strong hand was placed on her shoulder. She whirled around quickly, and saw it was Legolas. She gulped.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Hi, Legolas."
"Hello. I was looking for you," he said, smiling. Jackie saw Jenny raising her eyebrows at them with a look of mild surprise on her face. 'Oh crap,' Jackie thought. 'It won't take her long to figure out what's up.'
"May we have a word?" Legolas said to Jenny.
"Oh.sure," Jenny answered, waving her hand dismissively. "Have a few." She walked off smirking.
Jackie turned so that she faced Legolas. She sighed. He looked so good.
"What do you want to talk about?" she asked casually. She didn't want to seem too excited.
"Not here. Let's go down to the gardens," he answered. She agreed and they walked slowly side by side down the wide stairway to one of the gardens below. The flowers were still blooming, and seemed to be holding onto the last breaths of summer that lingered oh-so-faintly in the air. The green vines of the plants curled gently over the pathways.
They walked along together for a little bit, not saying a word, just enjoying the beautiful evening. Suddenly he stopped and spun slightly to look at her. She jolted. 'Geez,' she thought. 'He's going to give me a heart attack if he keeps this up.'
"Do you know the seriousness of your trek, if indeed you do go with Frodo, and the ring, to Moria?"
She did. She sighed heavily. "Yes, Elrond has told me. I know the dangers."
He shook his head. "No," he said. "I do not think you realize all of the dangers that are out there. The road from Rivendell to Moria is filled with many dangers that you cannot even imagine. There are more dangerous beasts than wolves in the woods these days. If you are not properly prepared, then there is a very good chance that you will not make it there alive. It is a very great risk you take. And some of these creatures, such as the ringwraiths-"
"I've heard you mention those before!" Jackie said. "Don't they seek the ring?"
"Yes," he said gravely. "They cannot be killed, unless the ring is destroyed. They will seek the ring at all costs, killing anything that comes between them. And besides ringwraiths, there are orcs."
"Orcs?" she asked.
"Yes," Legolas said. "Orcs. I was afraid you have never heard of them. Orcs are terrible creatures, created by the Dark Lord to mock the elves," he spat. "They are also trained to kill, given orders by Saruman to bring the hobbits to him, and kill their companions. He knows who carries the ring."
Jackie shuddered. She was feeling much more apprehensive about the journey now. She felt that she would much rather stay in the Last Homely House with Elrond and his kin, than go into the wilderness to face dangers unknown. But then she thought of her parents and her brother back home. She felt a knot form in her stomach.
"I will get back home," she said. "Even though I know the risks. But I am needed there," she added quietly, almost to herself. "I miss my family." She felt her eyes well up with tears. Though she tried to hold it back, one slipped down her face. Legolas brushed it away with the back of his hand. She looked up into his blue eyes. God, she loved his eyes. They were deep blue, like two pools of round water. She blinked and turned away, her tears subsiding.
"I know, Jackie." She took in a sharp breath. This was the first time he had not referred to her as 'Lady Jackie'. She liked this better.
"I know you need to get home. I would do the same," he continued. "But you need to be prepared to face the danger that await you. Do you know how to use a sword?"
Jackie shook her head. "No," she responded. She had seen scenes from movies and even watched a fencing match once, but she had never felt the need to know how to swordfight. Of course, she did grow up in the twenty-first century, where the vast majority of the people did not know how.
"If you would consent, I would like to train you how to defend yourself. And your friends, also," he added quickly.
'If I would consent?' Jackie thought amusedly. 'Why would I not consent?'
"Of course," she answered. "I would be very grateful, and I'm sure my friends would too."
Legolas smiled. "Great," he said. "We will start tomorrow morning, at 10 AM. Meet me here."
"Okay," she said. Then, thinking better of it, added "Thank you."
"It is likely I will be going with you," he said.
Jackie almost let out a 'YES!' but stopped herself just in time.
They began to walk back to the stairway. "If I do go, I will be representing the elves. Aragorn, son of Arathorn will almost for sure be going, also. You will be safe with him, for he is skilled with a sword, but I think you will find a little bit of training very useful," he said.
The next morning was bright and crisp. Jackie sprang out of bed, despite the lack of sleep. She was too excited after last night's events, and with the Council only a few hours away. She chose a lavender dress, changed into it, and then walked outside to bang on Jenny and Andrea's doors for them to wake up. They came out sleepy eyed in their white nightdresses that had been provided for the girls.
"Why are we up so early?" asked Andi grumpily, slumping up against the wall.
"The council!" Jackie reminded them impatiently.
"Oh my gosh, are we late? Why are we late to everything." Jenny moaned.
"No, we still have a couple hours," Jackie said. I just thought you should be getting up anyways, so we aren't late."
"Well why didn't you wake Alex up?" asked Andrea.
"He needs all the rest he can get," Jackie giggled. "He was sleepwalking near the Hall of Fire last night after the party!"
"How do you know?" Jenny asked incredulously. "You went to bed before me or him!"
Jackie hesitated. Should she tell them about Legolas? "No,' she thought. 'Not just yet. Anyways, maybe nothing will come out of it.'
"I couldn't sleep, so I took a walk," she said. It was the truth, just not the whole truth. "I guess we better wake him up anyways, though."
"Yeah, we don't want another clothes fiasco like yesterday," Jenny said, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, out of all the people to be transported to another world with us, he just had to be the one."
Jackie grinned and pounded on his door. A very sleepy, and apparently hung over Alex greeted them. He was not happy to be woken up.
"Whatsha you doshigng shaklat for?" he asked, holding up his arm to block the bright sun.
"Oh God Alex, were you drinking elvish wine last night?" asked Jenny in disbelief.
"Maybe," he answered, slumping onto a chair by the door.
It took the girls nearly 15 minutes to get dressed themselves, and then another half an hour to get Alex up and ready for the day. He was dressed, so all they had to do was pull on his socks and shoes, and straighten his tunic. Andrea was sent to fetch water so that he would wake up.
"HEY!" he yelled as Jackie spilled the freezing water on his face. "No need to be mean about it! Oww.my head hurts. I want a Tylenol."
"Sorry, no Tylenol here," answered Andrea, now very chipper.
"It's your own stupid fault for getting drunk," said Jackie matter-of- factly. She looked at her watch. They had an hour, they might as well begin to make their way down there. She also secretly wanted to see Legolas again.
"Come on!" she said, leading them down the stairs. It was a gorgeous day. The sun was shining bright, and the vivid leaves swayed as the wind blew through them. The air was chilly but pleasant. She wondered if it ever stormed in Rivendell. It certainly didn't seem like it would.
When they got down to the porch where the Council was to be held (moving very slowly because of Alex, who was plodding miserably), they heard a single clear note from a bell. Jackie looked quizzically at a nearby elf.
"The warning bell for the Council of Elrond," he informed her.
"I feel like I'm at school again," Andi muttered, taking a seat in a chair. There were many chairs arranged in a circle. A stone pillar was in the middle of the circle, but there was nothing on it. Elrond sat on a raised chair at the opposite end of the circle from Jackie. He nodded to the four as they sat down.
Andrea and Jenny chatted excitedly as elves, men, and dwarves trickled in. Jackie sat silent next to Alex, who stared ahead sleepily. She noticed that Andi, Jenny, and herself were the only women at the Council: the rest were men. She craned her neck back and forward, looking for Legolas.
Finally he entered from the side. He was wearing long robes of brown and green, his hair immaculate. He quickly sat down near the elves, but shot a smile over at her. Her heart leapt, and felt so happy she could burst. She grinned broadly back at him.
Then, Elrond stood up and greeted them. The Council began.
***
The beginning of The Council of Elrond consisted mostly of long accounts and opinions given by many a man, elf, and dwarf. Jackie kept having to elbow Alex in the ribs to keep him awake, because he kept dozing off with his head resting on his chest.
Jackie herself was snapped back to reality after a daydream when one of the hobbits jumped to his feet.
"Then it belongs to you, and not me at all!" he exclaimed, holding up a golden ring. It glittered in the sunlight. Everyone was silent.
'That must be the One Ring that Sauron forged,' Jackie thought. 'It looks like nothing more than a wedding band to me. It's hard to believe something that small carries so much power.' Soon after that, after some more arguing, another hobbit stood up-Jackie recognized it as the older one- and gave a long account about how he had stumbled upon the ring in a mountain. Then, an old, bent, but very wise looking man stood up and gave a long account about what happened to him as he met a man named Saruman. Jackie was able to get from his speech that there was more than one ring formed. She shivered as the tale when on and on, getting more and more dark.
After Gandalf's (the old man) account, there was some more arguing. It was decided that the ring would have to be destroyed, in the one place that it could be: Mordor. Jackie felt a twinge in her heart when the brown-haired hobbit offered to take the ring there.
Finally, Elrond addressed her and her friends. She had to jab Alex again to wake him up. She heard him tell their story to the rest of the Council, who nodded uncertainly as they listened. Apparently their story was just as unbelievable to these people as theirs was to Jackie.
"Ladies Andrea, Jackie, and Jenny, and Master Alex," Elrond said, turning towards them. Jackie felt herself turn red as the entire Council turned their eyes to her. "We will have the key forged before Frodo leaves for his journey to Mordor. And Moria will be on the way. If you would not mind, I would like to send you on the journey with him and his companions, of who will be decided later, up until that point. This will be the safest way for you, as you will be with many people who are able to protect you, and they know the way very well and will be sure not to get you lost. Will you accompany him?" he asked gravely.
Jackie looked sideways at her friends. This was a very big decision. She was not looking forward to the prospect of traveling with that dangerous ring after the stories she had heard about it, but then again she knew this was the only way home. She nodded at them.
"Yes, we will go."
"Wonderful," said Elrond. "Now soon we will figure out is who will accompany Frodo on his journey. Besides, of course, Sam," he added to the reddish-haired hobbit who was sitting on the ground by Frodo, looking defiant.
As the Council dispersed, Elrond walked over to Jackie. "I want you to understand, that this is a very dangerous undertaking, not just to you, but also to the fate of all Middle Earth. Whoever let you find that key wanted you to come here for a purpose, and we just have to keep hoping that that purpose was for the good. You must not give into the temptation of the ring, if it does in fact affect you, at all costs. Do you understand what I say?" he asked.
Jackie swallowed and nodded. With that, he whisked away.
***
Jackie was quiet as she walked around with Jenny after the Council. She was thinking very hard about what Elrond and everyone else had said. Alex had gone off on his own (probably to search for Arwen), and Andrea had gone back up to her room to take a nap.
"Well," Jenny prompted.
"Well, what?" Jackie asked.
"It's not so bad, is it? I mean, at least we're going to get to go home, even if it will take a while," she said lightly.
"Jenny, did you hear how much damage that ring could do? And we're going to be traveling with it! It's dangerous!"
"Yes, I know." Jenny frowned, becoming serious. "We're going to have to watch our actions more carefully. And Alex's, too," she added. "Anyways, I'm kind of looking forward to it."
"What?" asked Jackie, puzzled. "Jenny what the hell do you." she trailed off as a strong hand was placed on her shoulder. She whirled around quickly, and saw it was Legolas. She gulped.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Hi, Legolas."
"Hello. I was looking for you," he said, smiling. Jackie saw Jenny raising her eyebrows at them with a look of mild surprise on her face. 'Oh crap,' Jackie thought. 'It won't take her long to figure out what's up.'
"May we have a word?" Legolas said to Jenny.
"Oh.sure," Jenny answered, waving her hand dismissively. "Have a few." She walked off smirking.
Jackie turned so that she faced Legolas. She sighed. He looked so good.
"What do you want to talk about?" she asked casually. She didn't want to seem too excited.
"Not here. Let's go down to the gardens," he answered. She agreed and they walked slowly side by side down the wide stairway to one of the gardens below. The flowers were still blooming, and seemed to be holding onto the last breaths of summer that lingered oh-so-faintly in the air. The green vines of the plants curled gently over the pathways.
They walked along together for a little bit, not saying a word, just enjoying the beautiful evening. Suddenly he stopped and spun slightly to look at her. She jolted. 'Geez,' she thought. 'He's going to give me a heart attack if he keeps this up.'
"Do you know the seriousness of your trek, if indeed you do go with Frodo, and the ring, to Moria?"
She did. She sighed heavily. "Yes, Elrond has told me. I know the dangers."
He shook his head. "No," he said. "I do not think you realize all of the dangers that are out there. The road from Rivendell to Moria is filled with many dangers that you cannot even imagine. There are more dangerous beasts than wolves in the woods these days. If you are not properly prepared, then there is a very good chance that you will not make it there alive. It is a very great risk you take. And some of these creatures, such as the ringwraiths-"
"I've heard you mention those before!" Jackie said. "Don't they seek the ring?"
"Yes," he said gravely. "They cannot be killed, unless the ring is destroyed. They will seek the ring at all costs, killing anything that comes between them. And besides ringwraiths, there are orcs."
"Orcs?" she asked.
"Yes," Legolas said. "Orcs. I was afraid you have never heard of them. Orcs are terrible creatures, created by the Dark Lord to mock the elves," he spat. "They are also trained to kill, given orders by Saruman to bring the hobbits to him, and kill their companions. He knows who carries the ring."
Jackie shuddered. She was feeling much more apprehensive about the journey now. She felt that she would much rather stay in the Last Homely House with Elrond and his kin, than go into the wilderness to face dangers unknown. But then she thought of her parents and her brother back home. She felt a knot form in her stomach.
"I will get back home," she said. "Even though I know the risks. But I am needed there," she added quietly, almost to herself. "I miss my family." She felt her eyes well up with tears. Though she tried to hold it back, one slipped down her face. Legolas brushed it away with the back of his hand. She looked up into his blue eyes. God, she loved his eyes. They were deep blue, like two pools of round water. She blinked and turned away, her tears subsiding.
"I know, Jackie." She took in a sharp breath. This was the first time he had not referred to her as 'Lady Jackie'. She liked this better.
"I know you need to get home. I would do the same," he continued. "But you need to be prepared to face the danger that await you. Do you know how to use a sword?"
Jackie shook her head. "No," she responded. She had seen scenes from movies and even watched a fencing match once, but she had never felt the need to know how to swordfight. Of course, she did grow up in the twenty-first century, where the vast majority of the people did not know how.
"If you would consent, I would like to train you how to defend yourself. And your friends, also," he added quickly.
'If I would consent?' Jackie thought amusedly. 'Why would I not consent?'
"Of course," she answered. "I would be very grateful, and I'm sure my friends would too."
Legolas smiled. "Great," he said. "We will start tomorrow morning, at 10 AM. Meet me here."
"Okay," she said. Then, thinking better of it, added "Thank you."
"It is likely I will be going with you," he said.
Jackie almost let out a 'YES!' but stopped herself just in time.
They began to walk back to the stairway. "If I do go, I will be representing the elves. Aragorn, son of Arathorn will almost for sure be going, also. You will be safe with him, for he is skilled with a sword, but I think you will find a little bit of training very useful," he said.