Disclaimer: Let's keep it short and sweet, shall we? I own nothing but the simple characters of my own invention. Please don't sue.

A/N: Unlike the previous chapters, this one takes up exactly where the other three left off. Oh, and this version of the chapter hasn't been beta read as of yet. When my beta reader (Makura Koneko…go read her fics!) gets to it, I will post the corrected version.

Through A Glass Darkly

By Corrie McKinnon

Chapter Four

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." – 1 Peter 5:8

***

Or at least something that looked like it.

Shelby blinked owlishly at an impressively realistic rendition of the fabled palace of Arthur's. Lovely. We've run into a Renaissance Faire where they dress up as blond, sexy Vulcans. Well, one of them must have a cell phone, she deduced, ignoring the twinge of dread that was growing in her mind.

Apparently, the castle was not their destination, for Túrelio halted, gently placed the sleeping Connor on the ground, and turned to face Shelby. Through hand signals, he managed to tell her to wait while he went and did…something. The last bit was untranslatable.

She watched him until he was out of sight, shivering all the while. The night seemed more foreboding when you were alone. Plus, one had more time to stew, and that was never a good thing.

What is going on here? This is a small town, surely something of this magnitude would have been announced in the paper, Shelby reasoned. And what about that guy? That language...I've never heard anything like it! Something's not right. She glanced down when Connor stirred, but he was merely shifting. She sighed and settled down to wait.

After what seemed like hours had passed, Shelby was ready to go find Túrelio, regardless of the consequences. She was tired, hungry, and frightened. As much as she had fought it, it now appeared more likely that they were most definitely not in Missouri anymore. The psycho squirrel, the Vulcan-man, the Camelot look-alike castle…not to mention the abnormally tall trees looming overhead! Shelby was a factual person, and all evidence pointed toward, no screamed "this isn't Kansas anymore".

Frustrated, she jumped up and furiously began to pace. "This is not what I had in mind for a relaxing day," she moaned softly to herself. Glancing for what must have been the thousandth time in the direction Túrelio had gone, she increased her pacing speed anxiously. Where was he?

Suddenly, she stumbled and stepped on a twig that made a loud snap in protest. Shelby winced and glanced at her son, praying he wouldn't wake up.

Apparently his subconscious wasn't listening at the moment. Connor's eyes fluttered, and he stretched and sat up. "Mom?" He said, yawning. "What's going on?" He pushed himself up to come stand by her.

"Nothing. I'm just a little restless." Liar...

"Where'd the dude with the long hair and pointy ears go?"

Shelby gestured vaguely at the castle. "Presumably to get help."

"Mom…where are we?" Connor's voice had taken on a vulnerable tone.

She bit her lip. What could she tell him? That the 'innocent' fairy ring had zapped them to Never Never Land where Vulcans in tights who couldn't speak any known language walked around with bows and arrows? Uh uh. Absolutely not!

Shelby smiled reassuringly. "I'm not sure. But don't worry. We'll be okay, I promise."

Her son relaxed and grinned at her. Ah, to be young and naïve again!

"Shelby."

She jumped in fright. Good lord, didn't these people make noise when they walked? Connor peered out from behind her, his eyes wide with intimidation.

And with good reason: Túrelio had returned but not alone. There were two other men with him. One of them was tall with the same pointy ears as their rescuer, but that was where the similarities stopped. This Vulcan had dark brown hair and serious blue eyes. And was the other one…yes! A human, at last.

Apparently Túrelio had informed his companions of the communication problem. The dark-haired Vulcan made an elegant gesture to himself (did everyone here take ballet, or something?) and said, "Elrond."

The human gave her a grave smile. "Aragorn," he said softly. She should have been wary of the newcomers, but there was something in the human's eyes that said 'I am trustworthy'.

Shelby offered them a shy smile. "Shelby," she said to them, waiting for her son to introduce himself.

When he said nothing after a few minutes, she glanced down. Connor was still staring at them.

"Aren't you going to say hello?"

Connor violently shook his head. Shelby sighed. This was too much for him. He was usually bold, but it was the middle of the night in a strange place, with strange people.

She shrugged apologetically at the trio and pointed to the cowering child behind her. "Connor."

Elrond pulled something out of his robes she hadn't noticed before. It was a map, she assumed. Aragorn pointed to mother and son then pointed to an area on the map. She squinted at the lettering. It looked familiar, but she still couldn't read it.

"Lothlórien," Elrond pronounced slowly.

After a few more tries, Shelby got it. They wanted to take them to this Lauren place. She hesitated. On one hand, if she went with them, she might never see home again. But then again, the same might happen if she didn't. I hate my life, she thought grouchily.

She nodded her assent, and in return, she got a smile from Túrelio and Aragorn. Elrond simply inclined his head.

Aragorn turned and motioned to someone behind him. Out of nowhere, another Vulcan approached, leading three horses. Shelby's eyes widened. They couldn't possibly think…!

Connor seized her hand excitedly. "Mom, look! We get to ride horses. I got to ride one at Joey's party last year! It was so cool," he chattered, oblivious to his mother's dismay.

"Um, hello?" She waved her hand at Túrelio. When she had his attention, she pointed to the horses, then shrugged. He stared blankly at her. This is getting old really fast. After a few repeats, he seemed to get the gist of it. He and Elrond conversed in low, hurried tones while glancing back periodically.

Finally, they appeared to come to a conclusion. Túrelio mounted a horse and urged it over, halting about a foot from Shelby and her son. He scooted back and held a hand toward her, clearly expecting her to get on. Well, okay, she could deal with that. As long as the beast didn't go too fast. But…

"Connor?" She questioned.

Túrelio offered a reassuring smile. "Aragorn," he said simply, implying that her son would be accompanied by the only human.

After overseeing her son's ascent onto the horse, she was back where she began: standing in front of the other animal. It blinked at her placidly. Don't look at me with those innocent eyes, she thought. I can see right through you. You're just waiting 'til I feel relaxed and safe, then you'll bite me or kick or...or...

"Shelby?" Túrelio asked curiously.

She blushed when she realized that they were all staring at her. "Oh well. Guess I can't put it off any longer. Nice horsie," she said, just in case. The thing merely yawned. Ingrate.

She gingerly placed her hand into Túrelio's, and he effortlessly pulled her into place in front of him. He waited patiently as she squirmed to get comfortable. As soon as she nodded her head, her escort waved to the rest of the party.

They were off!

***

A/N: All right, first of all, I am VERY sorry about the long wait. Life hasn't been easy for me lately, and I've had some things that I just couldn't ignore in favor of writing. I'm grateful for your patience, and thrilled people are enjoying my composition so well! I posted TAGD on a whim; I didn't think it would be this popular. Because I'm in such a good mood right now, I'll answer some questions asked in reviews. Be aware that I don't usually (and probably won't again) reply to questions in my actual story, because I believe it takes away the impact of the plotline. In the future, if you ask a question either send it to my email address, or go ahead and ask in a review and I'll answer you with an email.

JustBreathe – I'm sorry, but I've already gotten one! Thank you, though! J erika palad – Wow! What a review, you left me speechless! I hope I continue to live up to your expectations. theMuse – Brilliant? *blushes* Tell that to my brother! LOL LeopardDance – Thank you! And good eye! She WAS too trusting. But the catch is, I intended to do that. I have relatives in Peculiar and the entire town is VERY sheltered. Most people there are pretty naïve. They don't really want to believe that some people might have bad intentions. deepy – Túrelio is speaking Westron. I ABHOR when people assume "common speech" means English! If you were in France, is "common speech" German? NO! Finally, there is another writer out there with a brain! J Chatelaine – *falls over in shock* Whoa! If your reviews were any more flattering, I'd develop a big head.

Again, thank you all for being patient. I apologize if I didn't get to your question(s). I should update again in about a week.

– Corrie