Chapter Five
They all sat, sleepy eyed at the bedecked breakfast table. It was eight in the morning, and Merry and Pippin were not up yet. Frodo rubbed his eyes and yawned occasionally. Thranduil looked older and more tired than Frodo had ever seen him look before. Legolas, usually bright eyed and alert, was looking distracted and worn out. He had large dark half-moons under his eyes, which were glazed over. His blonde hair looked limp and his eyes had a "faraway" look in them. Gandalf was not there. "Where is Gandalf this morning, Thranduil?" asked Frodo. Thranduil did not know. "Perhaps he is still in bed," suggested Legolas. "It is very unlike him, he usually awakes with dawn," said Sam. They left the subject and then all went to get washed. As he was resurfacing from his bedroom, Frodo saw Lucy, a maid, leave Gandalf's bedroom. "Excuse me, is Gandalf in there?" "No, Frodo sir. I was just cleaning his room." "Oh. Thank you." Frodo was worried. It was not like Gandalf to disappear without telling somebody where he was going. Actually, on second thoughts - it was exactly like Gandalf to disappear without telling somebody where he was going, thought Frodo. It didn't make him any less worried. "But...but I did see something in his room, sir." "What?" "It looked like a letter or note of some kind - but I'm not supposed to touch anything in the rooms - so I left it there." "Thank you," said Frodo. He went into Gandalf's bedroom and on the dark wood table next to his bed was a piece of paper folded in two. Frodo unfolded it and began to read. * "On guard!" called Legolas, sword in hand. He playfully poked it in Aragorn's direction, who sighed, picked up the sword lying next to him, and rose. "I've been practicing since I saw you last, I am unbeatable!" said the elf, dancing around Aragorn and blocking all his attempts. "It is impossible to defeat me, I'm invincible, I'm-" He stopped short as Aragorn knocked his sword out of his hand with one powerful blow. It flew across the lawn and landed with a soft thud. "Unbeatable?" said Aragorn sarcastically, and sat back down. Legolas looked very angry, and was just about to commence sulking when Frodo came in. "Any news on Gandalf?" asked Sam. "I found a letter in his room, apparently he's thought of a solution, for the war, and he's gone to find...what was it?" he checked the letter. "A 'Salerai'?" Sam shrugged, as did Aragorn. "Anyway, he should be back soon, it says here," Frodo said finding the correct place with his index finger. "That he should be back before lunch time." "Fair enough," said Legolas. "Any of you hobbits up for a duel?" he asked innocently, avoiding Aragorn's raised eyebrow. The four hobbits exchanged nervous glances. "Pick on someone your own size," said Pippin. * Gandalf was back, just before lunch as he had promised. He had received a warm welcome, and was now explaining what he had done. "I have performed a spell with the help of a friend to bring forth those who know the answer. Except it would seem that this spell brings people fourth from whenever they are as well as wherever they are." "Whenever?" asked Aragorn. "From the past, present or..." He trailed off as three teenage girls sauntered in looking very curious. One was admiring the marble flooring, another looking interestedly at the portraits on the wall and a third peering at the elves, hobbits etc. as though they were tropical animals in a zoo. "...Or the future," finished Gandalf.
They all sat, sleepy eyed at the bedecked breakfast table. It was eight in the morning, and Merry and Pippin were not up yet. Frodo rubbed his eyes and yawned occasionally. Thranduil looked older and more tired than Frodo had ever seen him look before. Legolas, usually bright eyed and alert, was looking distracted and worn out. He had large dark half-moons under his eyes, which were glazed over. His blonde hair looked limp and his eyes had a "faraway" look in them. Gandalf was not there. "Where is Gandalf this morning, Thranduil?" asked Frodo. Thranduil did not know. "Perhaps he is still in bed," suggested Legolas. "It is very unlike him, he usually awakes with dawn," said Sam. They left the subject and then all went to get washed. As he was resurfacing from his bedroom, Frodo saw Lucy, a maid, leave Gandalf's bedroom. "Excuse me, is Gandalf in there?" "No, Frodo sir. I was just cleaning his room." "Oh. Thank you." Frodo was worried. It was not like Gandalf to disappear without telling somebody where he was going. Actually, on second thoughts - it was exactly like Gandalf to disappear without telling somebody where he was going, thought Frodo. It didn't make him any less worried. "But...but I did see something in his room, sir." "What?" "It looked like a letter or note of some kind - but I'm not supposed to touch anything in the rooms - so I left it there." "Thank you," said Frodo. He went into Gandalf's bedroom and on the dark wood table next to his bed was a piece of paper folded in two. Frodo unfolded it and began to read. * "On guard!" called Legolas, sword in hand. He playfully poked it in Aragorn's direction, who sighed, picked up the sword lying next to him, and rose. "I've been practicing since I saw you last, I am unbeatable!" said the elf, dancing around Aragorn and blocking all his attempts. "It is impossible to defeat me, I'm invincible, I'm-" He stopped short as Aragorn knocked his sword out of his hand with one powerful blow. It flew across the lawn and landed with a soft thud. "Unbeatable?" said Aragorn sarcastically, and sat back down. Legolas looked very angry, and was just about to commence sulking when Frodo came in. "Any news on Gandalf?" asked Sam. "I found a letter in his room, apparently he's thought of a solution, for the war, and he's gone to find...what was it?" he checked the letter. "A 'Salerai'?" Sam shrugged, as did Aragorn. "Anyway, he should be back soon, it says here," Frodo said finding the correct place with his index finger. "That he should be back before lunch time." "Fair enough," said Legolas. "Any of you hobbits up for a duel?" he asked innocently, avoiding Aragorn's raised eyebrow. The four hobbits exchanged nervous glances. "Pick on someone your own size," said Pippin. * Gandalf was back, just before lunch as he had promised. He had received a warm welcome, and was now explaining what he had done. "I have performed a spell with the help of a friend to bring forth those who know the answer. Except it would seem that this spell brings people fourth from whenever they are as well as wherever they are." "Whenever?" asked Aragorn. "From the past, present or..." He trailed off as three teenage girls sauntered in looking very curious. One was admiring the marble flooring, another looking interestedly at the portraits on the wall and a third peering at the elves, hobbits etc. as though they were tropical animals in a zoo. "...Or the future," finished Gandalf.