Chapter 1
"Lasto beth nin!" ((Hear my voice!)) Chanted Gandalf. He was in a room with only one other, the Lord Elrond. "Tolo dan na men Celebhiril! ((Come back to us Celebhiril!)) I lû tolo! ((The time has come!))"
Gandalf completed the spell and spoke with a smile; "Brannon Elrond ((Lord Elrond)), It is completed. She should 'arrive' here soon."
"Excellent!" Replied Elrond. "Hannon le ((Thank you))."
***
Adrienne awoke suddenly as she rolled over onto something hard. At first she thought it must have been something in her bed, her book perhaps, but then she became fully awake and took in her surroundings. What she saw astounded her! She was no longer in her bedroom, nor anywhere near by the looks of it. She was in a forest! One completely unlike the forests at home. The trees were different, more like those that would be seen in European forests. There was none of the eucalyptus or paperbark normally seen in Australia. Soft moss lined the floor under some of the trees. A chill wind blew. Adrienne shivered.
Where was she? Muddled thoughts ran through her mind; how did she get wherever she was? How would she get back? Did she sleepwalk? How could she have gotten so far? Did someone take her here? What was going on?!? She realised she was panicking and tried to calm herself down. She'd find her way back, somehow. Or at least find someone to help her.
Adrienne pulled herself up off the ground. Which way should she walk? Or should she stay and wait for someone? But would someone come? Adrienne couldn't think straight, and so just decided to rely on her instincts and walk. She picked a random direction and started, though slowly - her bare feet not used to the prickly ground.
"Brrrr" Adrienne shivered. Wherever she was - it sure didn't feel like summer. The heat of the day earlier was but a memory. Her skirt, although it was long, did little to keep out the chill. Also, it seemed as though it was earlier in the afternoon than even when she'd gotten home from school. Although the air was icy, strong rays of sunlight shone through the canopy above. The forest was so peaceful. All she could hear was the song of birds and the rustling of leaves in the wind. "I must be a fair way from the roads. It's so quiet." She said to herself, almost in a whisper.
***
Adrienne had been walking for what seemed like hours and still didn't seem to be getting anywhere. She sat down and lent against a tree. The ground beneath her was soft with moss and leaves. She was tired, hungry and worried. Adrienne sighed, "None of this makes sense."
"Where the hell am I?" She mused. "This couldn't possibly get any worse!"
It did. "Oh bugger!" shouted Adrienne as. it began to rain!
She hadn't been lost for long, but already she felt defeated.
***
She did not hear him approach, silent as a whisper. He moved up to walk beside her.
She was a little startled at first. She knew she should feel frightened - some strange man had just appeared and she was now alone in the middle of no-where with him, but somehow, she was not scared at all; strangely comforted in fact.
Adrienne turned to face the stranger and spoke nonchalantly, "Um, hello. Sorry, just wondering where you appeared from."
The man now standing before her looked around twenty, yet somehow much older - like he was ageless. He was wearing a green tunic, and a cloak was about him, clasped at the front by a silvern leaf. The colour of his attire was clearly meant to camouflage with the surroundings. He had long, golden hair, with a tiny plait pulled back at either side of his head. His hair was soaking with the rain. It didn't take her long to figure out that she definitely was not anywhere near home.
She shut her mouth, realising she had been gawking at the gorgeous man. He looked like an. Elf.
He smiled "From the east," He replied simply "I am headed for Rivendell."
"Rivendell!?!" Her whimsical suspicions were confirmed. She was in. Middle-earth!
"Yes, Rivendell." Said the Elf, a little surprised by Adrienne's reaction. "You seek it?"
"I do now!"
"It's dangerous for a young lady like yourself to be travelling alone in these times." Concern showed in his face. "How far have you come?"
But Adrienne wasn't listening. She was trying to get her head around the fact that she was in Middle-earth. "Wow!" She muttered to herself. "Sorry, I probably sound like a complete airhead right now. It's just. I'm in Middle-earth?"
"And you were not before?" He asked, the concern had subsided and an amused smile had formed upon his lips.
"No." Adrienne replied. The Elf looked puzzled, and Adrienne went on, "Right. Well, I've only been in Middle-earth for a few hours. I've never been here before and I'm not from anywhere near."
"Then where are you from?" Asked the now inquisitive Elf, still smiling.
"I am from a place called Earth." Adrienne smiled to herself. She had practised this spiel so many times in her daydreams. It seemed silly, now she really was here. She went on, "Do you know of it?" The man shook his head. He was now very curious about this strange girl.
"Well, I've read about this place, in books. By a man named Tolkien." She searched his face for any recognition of the name. Nothing. "Anyway, his books were always considered fiction but some of us really believed Middle- earth existed, or wished it did with all our hearts. We thought, perhaps there was some way we could get here. and I got here." Adrienne spoke the last few words dreamily, her eyes distant.
She shook her head a little as though to wake herself, She looked up at the striking Elf before her. He was so tall! Adrienne wasn't a short person yet he seemed to tower above her.
"And here I am, standing before an Elf, a supposed work of fiction." She had difficulty believing her own words.
The Elf was not sure whether to believe this girl or ask if she felt unwell. For now, he just asked for her name.
"I'm Adrienne."
He pushed a strand of his dripping, golden hair behind a pointed ear, "And I am Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil. It is a pleasure to meet you Lady Adrienne."
Adrienne just about fainted when she heard his name. "You are Prince Legolas Greenleaf? Who travelled with the fellowship?!?" Her eyes were wide with anticipation and even more excitement.
"Yes." He replied smiling, even more amused "You know of me, yet live in a unknown land?"
"As I said, Tolkien's books! You were my favourite character." She said with an embarrassed grin."
"Really?" Legolas asked, laughing softly. "Thank you."
He's even more gorgeous than I could have ever imagined. Thought Adrienne.
"Um. Anyway. How far are we from Rivendell?" Asked Adrienne
"Only a few hours. We'd be there by morning if we continued now," It was only now that they both realised that rain had stopped. The sun, although now fading, had returned to the sky and was drying the earth.
"How is getting there by morning a few hours?" Adrienne said sarcastically.
"But," continued Legolas "Seeing as we are both tired and wet I think we should rest. I was going to stop for the night soon anyway, and I'm getting incredibly hungry."
"Hear! Hear!" said Adrienne, longing to rest her sore feet.
***
They sat down under a large tree, where the rain had not reached the ground so much and questioned each other about their own lands. Legolas pulled some food out of his bag. He offered Adrienne some but with all the excitement she was not hungry. He ate his own share with relish; he had travelled far that day and had eaten little. As he ate Legolas studied Adrienne's face, which was deep in thought. She was beautiful. Dark brown, silky hair hung about her shoulders. She had large, deep and yet bright eyes of a stormy silvery-grey. They were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen in his long life. Except. he felt like he had seen them before.
"Lasto beth nin!" ((Hear my voice!)) Chanted Gandalf. He was in a room with only one other, the Lord Elrond. "Tolo dan na men Celebhiril! ((Come back to us Celebhiril!)) I lû tolo! ((The time has come!))"
Gandalf completed the spell and spoke with a smile; "Brannon Elrond ((Lord Elrond)), It is completed. She should 'arrive' here soon."
"Excellent!" Replied Elrond. "Hannon le ((Thank you))."
***
Adrienne awoke suddenly as she rolled over onto something hard. At first she thought it must have been something in her bed, her book perhaps, but then she became fully awake and took in her surroundings. What she saw astounded her! She was no longer in her bedroom, nor anywhere near by the looks of it. She was in a forest! One completely unlike the forests at home. The trees were different, more like those that would be seen in European forests. There was none of the eucalyptus or paperbark normally seen in Australia. Soft moss lined the floor under some of the trees. A chill wind blew. Adrienne shivered.
Where was she? Muddled thoughts ran through her mind; how did she get wherever she was? How would she get back? Did she sleepwalk? How could she have gotten so far? Did someone take her here? What was going on?!? She realised she was panicking and tried to calm herself down. She'd find her way back, somehow. Or at least find someone to help her.
Adrienne pulled herself up off the ground. Which way should she walk? Or should she stay and wait for someone? But would someone come? Adrienne couldn't think straight, and so just decided to rely on her instincts and walk. She picked a random direction and started, though slowly - her bare feet not used to the prickly ground.
"Brrrr" Adrienne shivered. Wherever she was - it sure didn't feel like summer. The heat of the day earlier was but a memory. Her skirt, although it was long, did little to keep out the chill. Also, it seemed as though it was earlier in the afternoon than even when she'd gotten home from school. Although the air was icy, strong rays of sunlight shone through the canopy above. The forest was so peaceful. All she could hear was the song of birds and the rustling of leaves in the wind. "I must be a fair way from the roads. It's so quiet." She said to herself, almost in a whisper.
***
Adrienne had been walking for what seemed like hours and still didn't seem to be getting anywhere. She sat down and lent against a tree. The ground beneath her was soft with moss and leaves. She was tired, hungry and worried. Adrienne sighed, "None of this makes sense."
"Where the hell am I?" She mused. "This couldn't possibly get any worse!"
It did. "Oh bugger!" shouted Adrienne as. it began to rain!
She hadn't been lost for long, but already she felt defeated.
***
She did not hear him approach, silent as a whisper. He moved up to walk beside her.
She was a little startled at first. She knew she should feel frightened - some strange man had just appeared and she was now alone in the middle of no-where with him, but somehow, she was not scared at all; strangely comforted in fact.
Adrienne turned to face the stranger and spoke nonchalantly, "Um, hello. Sorry, just wondering where you appeared from."
The man now standing before her looked around twenty, yet somehow much older - like he was ageless. He was wearing a green tunic, and a cloak was about him, clasped at the front by a silvern leaf. The colour of his attire was clearly meant to camouflage with the surroundings. He had long, golden hair, with a tiny plait pulled back at either side of his head. His hair was soaking with the rain. It didn't take her long to figure out that she definitely was not anywhere near home.
She shut her mouth, realising she had been gawking at the gorgeous man. He looked like an. Elf.
He smiled "From the east," He replied simply "I am headed for Rivendell."
"Rivendell!?!" Her whimsical suspicions were confirmed. She was in. Middle-earth!
"Yes, Rivendell." Said the Elf, a little surprised by Adrienne's reaction. "You seek it?"
"I do now!"
"It's dangerous for a young lady like yourself to be travelling alone in these times." Concern showed in his face. "How far have you come?"
But Adrienne wasn't listening. She was trying to get her head around the fact that she was in Middle-earth. "Wow!" She muttered to herself. "Sorry, I probably sound like a complete airhead right now. It's just. I'm in Middle-earth?"
"And you were not before?" He asked, the concern had subsided and an amused smile had formed upon his lips.
"No." Adrienne replied. The Elf looked puzzled, and Adrienne went on, "Right. Well, I've only been in Middle-earth for a few hours. I've never been here before and I'm not from anywhere near."
"Then where are you from?" Asked the now inquisitive Elf, still smiling.
"I am from a place called Earth." Adrienne smiled to herself. She had practised this spiel so many times in her daydreams. It seemed silly, now she really was here. She went on, "Do you know of it?" The man shook his head. He was now very curious about this strange girl.
"Well, I've read about this place, in books. By a man named Tolkien." She searched his face for any recognition of the name. Nothing. "Anyway, his books were always considered fiction but some of us really believed Middle- earth existed, or wished it did with all our hearts. We thought, perhaps there was some way we could get here. and I got here." Adrienne spoke the last few words dreamily, her eyes distant.
She shook her head a little as though to wake herself, She looked up at the striking Elf before her. He was so tall! Adrienne wasn't a short person yet he seemed to tower above her.
"And here I am, standing before an Elf, a supposed work of fiction." She had difficulty believing her own words.
The Elf was not sure whether to believe this girl or ask if she felt unwell. For now, he just asked for her name.
"I'm Adrienne."
He pushed a strand of his dripping, golden hair behind a pointed ear, "And I am Legolas Greenleaf, son of Thranduil. It is a pleasure to meet you Lady Adrienne."
Adrienne just about fainted when she heard his name. "You are Prince Legolas Greenleaf? Who travelled with the fellowship?!?" Her eyes were wide with anticipation and even more excitement.
"Yes." He replied smiling, even more amused "You know of me, yet live in a unknown land?"
"As I said, Tolkien's books! You were my favourite character." She said with an embarrassed grin."
"Really?" Legolas asked, laughing softly. "Thank you."
He's even more gorgeous than I could have ever imagined. Thought Adrienne.
"Um. Anyway. How far are we from Rivendell?" Asked Adrienne
"Only a few hours. We'd be there by morning if we continued now," It was only now that they both realised that rain had stopped. The sun, although now fading, had returned to the sky and was drying the earth.
"How is getting there by morning a few hours?" Adrienne said sarcastically.
"But," continued Legolas "Seeing as we are both tired and wet I think we should rest. I was going to stop for the night soon anyway, and I'm getting incredibly hungry."
"Hear! Hear!" said Adrienne, longing to rest her sore feet.
***
They sat down under a large tree, where the rain had not reached the ground so much and questioned each other about their own lands. Legolas pulled some food out of his bag. He offered Adrienne some but with all the excitement she was not hungry. He ate his own share with relish; he had travelled far that day and had eaten little. As he ate Legolas studied Adrienne's face, which was deep in thought. She was beautiful. Dark brown, silky hair hung about her shoulders. She had large, deep and yet bright eyes of a stormy silvery-grey. They were the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen in his long life. Except. he felt like he had seen them before.
