Continuing on..
I walk unhappily with the Elves. Why am I here? My mind screams. The Lord of the Rings is fiction, which means it's not real! How did I fall into a story? If this has anything to do with Gandalf, I'm going to hurt him! He has a history of interference, beginning with Bilbo Baggins. Well, as far as I know anyway. I sigh and open my backpack. I retrieve my drink bottle and start rinsing my mouth out. Swear to God, I can still taste Greg's blood. The water is faintly pink, which is so, so bad! I nearly gag.
"Are you injured?" The Elf asks disinterestedly.
"No. The guy I told you about, I bit him." The Elf's eyebrows rise in disbelief. "Well, when you kick a guy in the groin 'cause he's trying to take your pants off without your permission, and he has hold of your hair and won't let go, you'd fucking bite him too. On his arm, but I bit his tongue too when he tried to kiss me. Such a bastard, really. I did what I could. I don't want to be raped by some guy, please, he stank of alcohol and I'd already said no before when he asked. It's a long story. This is really Middle Earth, isn't it?" He nods. I slowly nod too. "I was afraid of that."
"Where are you from?"
"A different world, one of Men. There are no Elves."
"But your ears hold a striking resemblance to ours, and we are Elves. And what of your father?"
"My father died before I was born. Maybe this.gate for a lack of a better word, works both ways. Maybe he was from here. If he was he never told my mother, or she never told me if he did. But she always had a thing about these books written by Tolkien. Perhaps she did know. In my world, Middle Earth is a setting from a series of tales for children and adults by a man named Tolkien. Perhaps he knew of your world."
"Intriguing. Lord Elrond will be glad to make your acquaintance, I think. He is fascinated by unknown magic. You are fortunate that Gandalf is here."
I grin ferally "If I find out that Gandalf is part of this, I am going to cause him pain. My mother will be worried sick. I'm all she has left, except for her work, and work is not the same as family." The Elf looks surprised at my certainty.
"How did you do the jump, the somersault when you leaped from one tree to the other?"
"I asked the tree. It pointed out a branch, and I jumped."
"You asked the tree?"
"Yes. I think that you, as an Elf would understand. Trees like me, and I like trees. I also get on well with animals. I asked the tree I jumped into whether it thought I could get away again, but it was pleased to see you. Trees don't normally like people, they are very good judges of character. So that was the reason I didn't try to jump again. The tree liked you. Thought very highly of you too." The Elf looks at me in amazement.
"You talk to trees?"
"Yes. Watch." I walk over to one of the trees surrounding us. One of the Elves goes to stop me, but the Elf restrains him. I lay my hands against its rough bark. It welcomes me, and is surprised at my thoughts of the Elves. They are tree friends, it tells me firmly. Do not be a silly seedling. They are good. Trust them. It is a very motherly tree. That is different to the gums back home, they are mostly male, and very autocratic. Dominating. This tree is softer, more full of life. I remove my hands from it, and am surprised to find that I am crying. I wipe ineffectually at the tears. The tree sounded like my mother.
"What did it say?"
"Basically that I am a silly seedling, and that you are good tree friends and I should trust you. It's a very motherly tree. Different to the trees I know, they're very masculine and solid. It's hard to be a tree in Australia, it's very dry, the weather's unpredictable and there's a drought at the moment. But they never complain, they are full of power. It's the introduced trees that weep for softer winds and gentler rains. It's not right to plant trees from a different environment in Australia. They pine for where they should grow, even if they look all right." I run my fingers through my hair, waiting for composure. I feel a leaf in my hair, and pluck it out. It is a gum leaf. I hand it to him. "Here, this is a leaf from a tree that is called a gum tree. I wouldn't think you had anything like it around here."
He cautiously accepts it, turning it around in his fingers. "Odd shape."
"Break it a little, and smell it." His eyes widen as he sniffs the aromatic eucalyptus scent. I miss home. "What is your name, anyway? You know mine."
"I am Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of the Mirkwood Elves. We are on our way to see Lord Elrond."
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I cry in infuriation. "Let me guess, this is about the One Ring, isn't it?"
Legolas looks at me guardedly. "That is so. How do you know?"
"That's right, I would get dropped in the middle of it. Sauron is on the loose again, isn't he? And there is trouble in Isengard, because Sarumon has gone over? GOD DAMNIT!!!" Legolas frowns at my angry outburst. "This is so not good! I'm leaving, I'll try to get home on my own, I do not want to go any further with you!" I turn to walk away into the trees. I do for a bit, and then I hear one of the Elves coming up behind me. I break into a run and go for a tree. I climb hastily upwards, ignoring Legolas' incensed calls for me to come down. I look downwards, and see him hand his bow and pack to one of the other Elves. He starts to climb up the tree's trunk. Uh-oh. He climbs fast!
I thank the tree then go for another leap to the next tree. It's no less scary then the last time I did it. I climb quickly up again, and then do it all over again. I look backwards. Legolas is staring out from the first tree I climbed up. He goes to jump; I hold my breath then let it out as he makes it. I go for another jump, but I don't time it right in my haste. I fall screaming in fear to the ground, the branches of the tree whipping at me. I twist around so I'm facing the ground in a crouch and make my muscles loose. "Oof!" I hit the ground, but thankfully hear no snapping sounds. My breath is gone, knocked from me by the force of the landing. I wheeze quietly, and then rise unsteadily to my feet and shake my head clear of the mistiness. I start to run again, knowing that Legolas at least will follow me.
I am ahead of them by a few lengths, dodging trees and bushes. I am panting for breath now, lungs straining. I glance backwards to see them running effortlessly, bows slung over their backs. Legolas must have told them not to shoot me. Thank goodness for small mercies. I turn my eyes back to the front again, and then nearly stumble as more Elves appear out of the tree line. What is this, hunt Cat day? I veer off course to a tree and scramble up it. Maybe I'll have a chance to catch my breath there.
Who are the mysterious Elves? Are they even Elves?
I walk unhappily with the Elves. Why am I here? My mind screams. The Lord of the Rings is fiction, which means it's not real! How did I fall into a story? If this has anything to do with Gandalf, I'm going to hurt him! He has a history of interference, beginning with Bilbo Baggins. Well, as far as I know anyway. I sigh and open my backpack. I retrieve my drink bottle and start rinsing my mouth out. Swear to God, I can still taste Greg's blood. The water is faintly pink, which is so, so bad! I nearly gag.
"Are you injured?" The Elf asks disinterestedly.
"No. The guy I told you about, I bit him." The Elf's eyebrows rise in disbelief. "Well, when you kick a guy in the groin 'cause he's trying to take your pants off without your permission, and he has hold of your hair and won't let go, you'd fucking bite him too. On his arm, but I bit his tongue too when he tried to kiss me. Such a bastard, really. I did what I could. I don't want to be raped by some guy, please, he stank of alcohol and I'd already said no before when he asked. It's a long story. This is really Middle Earth, isn't it?" He nods. I slowly nod too. "I was afraid of that."
"Where are you from?"
"A different world, one of Men. There are no Elves."
"But your ears hold a striking resemblance to ours, and we are Elves. And what of your father?"
"My father died before I was born. Maybe this.gate for a lack of a better word, works both ways. Maybe he was from here. If he was he never told my mother, or she never told me if he did. But she always had a thing about these books written by Tolkien. Perhaps she did know. In my world, Middle Earth is a setting from a series of tales for children and adults by a man named Tolkien. Perhaps he knew of your world."
"Intriguing. Lord Elrond will be glad to make your acquaintance, I think. He is fascinated by unknown magic. You are fortunate that Gandalf is here."
I grin ferally "If I find out that Gandalf is part of this, I am going to cause him pain. My mother will be worried sick. I'm all she has left, except for her work, and work is not the same as family." The Elf looks surprised at my certainty.
"How did you do the jump, the somersault when you leaped from one tree to the other?"
"I asked the tree. It pointed out a branch, and I jumped."
"You asked the tree?"
"Yes. I think that you, as an Elf would understand. Trees like me, and I like trees. I also get on well with animals. I asked the tree I jumped into whether it thought I could get away again, but it was pleased to see you. Trees don't normally like people, they are very good judges of character. So that was the reason I didn't try to jump again. The tree liked you. Thought very highly of you too." The Elf looks at me in amazement.
"You talk to trees?"
"Yes. Watch." I walk over to one of the trees surrounding us. One of the Elves goes to stop me, but the Elf restrains him. I lay my hands against its rough bark. It welcomes me, and is surprised at my thoughts of the Elves. They are tree friends, it tells me firmly. Do not be a silly seedling. They are good. Trust them. It is a very motherly tree. That is different to the gums back home, they are mostly male, and very autocratic. Dominating. This tree is softer, more full of life. I remove my hands from it, and am surprised to find that I am crying. I wipe ineffectually at the tears. The tree sounded like my mother.
"What did it say?"
"Basically that I am a silly seedling, and that you are good tree friends and I should trust you. It's a very motherly tree. Different to the trees I know, they're very masculine and solid. It's hard to be a tree in Australia, it's very dry, the weather's unpredictable and there's a drought at the moment. But they never complain, they are full of power. It's the introduced trees that weep for softer winds and gentler rains. It's not right to plant trees from a different environment in Australia. They pine for where they should grow, even if they look all right." I run my fingers through my hair, waiting for composure. I feel a leaf in my hair, and pluck it out. It is a gum leaf. I hand it to him. "Here, this is a leaf from a tree that is called a gum tree. I wouldn't think you had anything like it around here."
He cautiously accepts it, turning it around in his fingers. "Odd shape."
"Break it a little, and smell it." His eyes widen as he sniffs the aromatic eucalyptus scent. I miss home. "What is your name, anyway? You know mine."
"I am Legolas Greenleaf, Prince of the Mirkwood Elves. We are on our way to see Lord Elrond."
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I cry in infuriation. "Let me guess, this is about the One Ring, isn't it?"
Legolas looks at me guardedly. "That is so. How do you know?"
"That's right, I would get dropped in the middle of it. Sauron is on the loose again, isn't he? And there is trouble in Isengard, because Sarumon has gone over? GOD DAMNIT!!!" Legolas frowns at my angry outburst. "This is so not good! I'm leaving, I'll try to get home on my own, I do not want to go any further with you!" I turn to walk away into the trees. I do for a bit, and then I hear one of the Elves coming up behind me. I break into a run and go for a tree. I climb hastily upwards, ignoring Legolas' incensed calls for me to come down. I look downwards, and see him hand his bow and pack to one of the other Elves. He starts to climb up the tree's trunk. Uh-oh. He climbs fast!
I thank the tree then go for another leap to the next tree. It's no less scary then the last time I did it. I climb quickly up again, and then do it all over again. I look backwards. Legolas is staring out from the first tree I climbed up. He goes to jump; I hold my breath then let it out as he makes it. I go for another jump, but I don't time it right in my haste. I fall screaming in fear to the ground, the branches of the tree whipping at me. I twist around so I'm facing the ground in a crouch and make my muscles loose. "Oof!" I hit the ground, but thankfully hear no snapping sounds. My breath is gone, knocked from me by the force of the landing. I wheeze quietly, and then rise unsteadily to my feet and shake my head clear of the mistiness. I start to run again, knowing that Legolas at least will follow me.
I am ahead of them by a few lengths, dodging trees and bushes. I am panting for breath now, lungs straining. I glance backwards to see them running effortlessly, bows slung over their backs. Legolas must have told them not to shoot me. Thank goodness for small mercies. I turn my eyes back to the front again, and then nearly stumble as more Elves appear out of the tree line. What is this, hunt Cat day? I veer off course to a tree and scramble up it. Maybe I'll have a chance to catch my breath there.
Who are the mysterious Elves? Are they even Elves?