I turn around and grin at Boromir "Let me down now. I want to talk to
the trees. They sing." I lose myself in the ecstasy of it, then shake my
head "So, I'll leave you here. Thanks for the ride, Boromir, son of
Denethor, Man of Gondor." I slide off the horse, then think of something
that I could give him "Wait, I have a gift for you." I rummage in my
backpack, and then give a short bark of delight when my fingers close upon
the rectangular block of chocolate. This morning, which seems an age ago, I
had packed a block of Cadbury's Dairy Milk chocolate to savor while
reading.
I break off a row and hand it to him. He looks at it curiously, and sniffs it. "Eat it, I bet it's better then anything you've ever tasted. It's called chocolate, it's a sweet." I break off a row and begin to nibble at it. He cautiously tastes it. His eyes widen in stunned pleasure, and he starts to eat it faster. "I will say farewell to you now, perhaps we'll meet again in council with the Elves." I walk off towards the trees of the city. The Elves are coming closer to the party of Men. I don't want to converse with them just yet, so I do some dodging tactics. I turn back and see Boromir wave to me, and then turn to face the Elves.
I swing my arms and hum as I advance towards the trees. They croon songs of home and hearth and heart. I have never met trees that have such human personalities before. Yet they sing of sorrow, of friends that leave for a home beyond the waves and leave them here alone. I nod; the Elves are leaving for the Land beyond the Sea, the Land in the West. I crouch down beneath one, hands placed palm down on its trunk. Instantly I am plunged into a whirlwind of sensation, feelings of growth, of what it is to be a tree. It's more active then you would suppose. Parasites to fight, insects to avoid, the birds that sing in its branches, the soil around its roots, a tree is aware of all near it, and other trees as well. Its song of nature is more powerful then any I have felt. Then a hand shakes me on the shoulder, and a cold sword tip slides underneath my jaw line.
"What are you doing here, in the outskirts of Rivendell?" A hard voice asks. Oh boy, some other macho male to annoy me today. At the encouragement of the sword, I rise to my feet. I sigh tiredly.
"Talking to the trees."
"Talking to the trees?" The voice asks in puzzlement.
"Yes. I don't see what's so odd about it. Apparently the Elves here do so all the time. At least that's what it says, and all the other trees around here." The sword is withdrawn, and then flips the hair over my ear.
"I seek your forgiveness, lady. I did not know you were an Elf."
I whirl round to face the man, hands on my hips "And if I was a mortal, what then? Would you have chopped my head off? I certainly don't think much of the courtesy of the Elves. So far, I've been shot at and chased by a blond Elf who called himself Legolas Greenleaf, and now I'm being threatened with a large sharp instrument by an Elf from Rivendell! The only male around here who's treated me with any sort of decency was a Man named Boromir from Gondor!" I am panting slightly now, exhausted by my tirade. The man raises his eyebrows. Then I notice that the sky is deepening into afternoon, I've spent a few hours conversing with the tree. "However I must thank you for waking me from the tree. The trees back home aren't nearly as strong, nor as alive with thoughts. It must be the Elves that make the difference." I muse.
"Beg pardon lady, but aren't you an Elf?"
"Why, aren't you?"
"No." He raises his hair to show me his rounded, human ear.
"Then you must be Estel, also known as Aragorn son of Arathorn, heir to the throne of Gondor of the blood of Isildur, also known as the Ranger Strider, beloved of the Lady Arwen, daughter of Elrond Peredhil, Lord of Rivendell." I pause for breath, amazed that I remembered all of his titles and affiliations. He looks gob smacked. "How are the Hobbits that you brought to Rivendell? Has Frodo Baggins recovered from the wound the Nazgul gave him? How are Meriadoc Brandybuck, Peregrin Took and Samwise Gamgee? I expect Sam is fascinated by all the Elves though. Have Merry and Pippin done anything else stupid like stealing Gandalf's fireworks? Tell me of them as we walk to Rivendell." He silently offers me his arm, and I decorously take it. He looks slightly ashen. Probably the metamorphosis from screaming harridan to pleasant mannered maiden is shocking enough, without me knowing all these details. "And how is Bilbo? I want to read his book." A thought comes to me, and I grip his elbow tightly "Is the Ring safe? Does Frodo guard it well?"
"He does, my lady. How did you know who I was? How do you know so much?" He looks frightened by me. Silly Man. There is much that is worse then me in Middle Earth. Like the Bal Rog, or the Leviathan in the pool by the entrance to the mines of Morior. I only know things; I cannot truly harm him.
I smile at him as we continue walking. "That is easy to answer. I am from another world, far removed from Middle Earth. There, I have read of what is to come in a book of tales of past deeds. That is my danger. But let us walk faster; I wish to speak with Gandalf and Lord Elrond. And I need to apologize to Legolas."
"What do you need to apologize for?"
I smile sweetly at him. "I kicked him in the balls." Aragorn flinches. "Don't worry, he deserved it. You haven't done anything to merit it, yet. But I think that you won't. You love the lady Arwen, and her I will not replace. However, if you take undue pleasantries with my person, you may not be ever able to father children. Have I made myself clear?" He nods dazedly. "Good, then you can tell all the other males that you think might be inclined to take advantage of my honor as a chaste maiden. That will be their warning. How are Elladan and Elrohir?"
"They are well." Poor man, he looks seriously ill.
"Here, have some chocolate. It's good for shock." I offer him a cube. He threatened me! I'm not giving him a whole row, like I did Boromir. "My name's Caitlyn, by the way, but you can call me Cat. I really shouldn't have run away from Legolas, but the shock of finding myself in what I thought was only a tale of valor quite mixed my wits. And I felt more comfortable with Boromir anyway. I'm used to Men, I'd never met an Elf until today. Where I come from, it is a world of Men. I suspect that my father was an Elf from Middle Earth, but I'm not certain."
"Interesting. Is your father still alive?"
"No. He died before I was born. I look a lot like him though, from the photos my mother has."
"Photos?"
"Like paintings."
"I see."
"Anyway, I can't wait to see Boromir's reaction when he finds out that there is a heir to the Gondorian throne. He's nice enough though so don't be too hard on him. And I want to meet the Hobbits! Isn't it odd that a Hobbit will carry the fate of Middle Earth? For Frodo will volunteer to carry it, take it to Mordor and cast it into Mount Doom. You must go with him. You will save his life several times, but in the end when Boromir dies, and Sam and Frodo leave the Fellowship to go to Mordor, you must leave him then and go to rescue Merry and Pippin. It is what I have read, but I hope to stop Boromir's death. He is a good man, and perhaps by replacing the lure of the Ring, I can save him. He deserves that." I finish quietly. "After all, you are going to remove his place in life when you ascend the throne of Gondor." Aragorn shakes his head "You will. You cannot prevent it. To gain the armies of Gondor, you will do it."
"You have given me much to ponder, Cat. I will give you into the care of my lady, Arwen." Unnoticed by me, we have reached Rivendell and there are lots of people staring at me. I flush, very conscious now of my outlandish clothing. At least, it's outlandish here. I can't see any women in pants, anywhere. "She will arrange an audience with her father and Gandalf."
"Good. I need to speak with them." Aragorn waves to a brown haired Elf lady, who smiles radiantly when she sees Aragorn, and hurries over.
"Arwen my beloved, this is a maiden from another world. She needs your aid, and urgently desires to speak with your father and Gandalf. She seems good at heart, but maybe here for some darker purpose that she is unaware of. She knows much, and seems to know of the future. Though she has the form of one of the long-lived, she doesn't know Elvish. " Arwen smiles at him, and pats his cheek fondly.
"Do not worry, Estel. I think my father is free now, so I'll take her to him. Gandalf is with the Hobbits, and I can get him on the way. Be true of heart, I will see you at the Banquet tonight, after the council. " They kiss and Arwen takes my hand. Aragorn strides off, leaving me with Arwen. "Come we will go speak with my father."
"Let us go. Do you have a dress I could borrow? I didn't expect when I left home this morning that I would be meeting with kings, princes and nobles. And do you know if Legolas has come in yet? I need to apologize to him." I start to chatter as we walk.
I break off a row and hand it to him. He looks at it curiously, and sniffs it. "Eat it, I bet it's better then anything you've ever tasted. It's called chocolate, it's a sweet." I break off a row and begin to nibble at it. He cautiously tastes it. His eyes widen in stunned pleasure, and he starts to eat it faster. "I will say farewell to you now, perhaps we'll meet again in council with the Elves." I walk off towards the trees of the city. The Elves are coming closer to the party of Men. I don't want to converse with them just yet, so I do some dodging tactics. I turn back and see Boromir wave to me, and then turn to face the Elves.
I swing my arms and hum as I advance towards the trees. They croon songs of home and hearth and heart. I have never met trees that have such human personalities before. Yet they sing of sorrow, of friends that leave for a home beyond the waves and leave them here alone. I nod; the Elves are leaving for the Land beyond the Sea, the Land in the West. I crouch down beneath one, hands placed palm down on its trunk. Instantly I am plunged into a whirlwind of sensation, feelings of growth, of what it is to be a tree. It's more active then you would suppose. Parasites to fight, insects to avoid, the birds that sing in its branches, the soil around its roots, a tree is aware of all near it, and other trees as well. Its song of nature is more powerful then any I have felt. Then a hand shakes me on the shoulder, and a cold sword tip slides underneath my jaw line.
"What are you doing here, in the outskirts of Rivendell?" A hard voice asks. Oh boy, some other macho male to annoy me today. At the encouragement of the sword, I rise to my feet. I sigh tiredly.
"Talking to the trees."
"Talking to the trees?" The voice asks in puzzlement.
"Yes. I don't see what's so odd about it. Apparently the Elves here do so all the time. At least that's what it says, and all the other trees around here." The sword is withdrawn, and then flips the hair over my ear.
"I seek your forgiveness, lady. I did not know you were an Elf."
I whirl round to face the man, hands on my hips "And if I was a mortal, what then? Would you have chopped my head off? I certainly don't think much of the courtesy of the Elves. So far, I've been shot at and chased by a blond Elf who called himself Legolas Greenleaf, and now I'm being threatened with a large sharp instrument by an Elf from Rivendell! The only male around here who's treated me with any sort of decency was a Man named Boromir from Gondor!" I am panting slightly now, exhausted by my tirade. The man raises his eyebrows. Then I notice that the sky is deepening into afternoon, I've spent a few hours conversing with the tree. "However I must thank you for waking me from the tree. The trees back home aren't nearly as strong, nor as alive with thoughts. It must be the Elves that make the difference." I muse.
"Beg pardon lady, but aren't you an Elf?"
"Why, aren't you?"
"No." He raises his hair to show me his rounded, human ear.
"Then you must be Estel, also known as Aragorn son of Arathorn, heir to the throne of Gondor of the blood of Isildur, also known as the Ranger Strider, beloved of the Lady Arwen, daughter of Elrond Peredhil, Lord of Rivendell." I pause for breath, amazed that I remembered all of his titles and affiliations. He looks gob smacked. "How are the Hobbits that you brought to Rivendell? Has Frodo Baggins recovered from the wound the Nazgul gave him? How are Meriadoc Brandybuck, Peregrin Took and Samwise Gamgee? I expect Sam is fascinated by all the Elves though. Have Merry and Pippin done anything else stupid like stealing Gandalf's fireworks? Tell me of them as we walk to Rivendell." He silently offers me his arm, and I decorously take it. He looks slightly ashen. Probably the metamorphosis from screaming harridan to pleasant mannered maiden is shocking enough, without me knowing all these details. "And how is Bilbo? I want to read his book." A thought comes to me, and I grip his elbow tightly "Is the Ring safe? Does Frodo guard it well?"
"He does, my lady. How did you know who I was? How do you know so much?" He looks frightened by me. Silly Man. There is much that is worse then me in Middle Earth. Like the Bal Rog, or the Leviathan in the pool by the entrance to the mines of Morior. I only know things; I cannot truly harm him.
I smile at him as we continue walking. "That is easy to answer. I am from another world, far removed from Middle Earth. There, I have read of what is to come in a book of tales of past deeds. That is my danger. But let us walk faster; I wish to speak with Gandalf and Lord Elrond. And I need to apologize to Legolas."
"What do you need to apologize for?"
I smile sweetly at him. "I kicked him in the balls." Aragorn flinches. "Don't worry, he deserved it. You haven't done anything to merit it, yet. But I think that you won't. You love the lady Arwen, and her I will not replace. However, if you take undue pleasantries with my person, you may not be ever able to father children. Have I made myself clear?" He nods dazedly. "Good, then you can tell all the other males that you think might be inclined to take advantage of my honor as a chaste maiden. That will be their warning. How are Elladan and Elrohir?"
"They are well." Poor man, he looks seriously ill.
"Here, have some chocolate. It's good for shock." I offer him a cube. He threatened me! I'm not giving him a whole row, like I did Boromir. "My name's Caitlyn, by the way, but you can call me Cat. I really shouldn't have run away from Legolas, but the shock of finding myself in what I thought was only a tale of valor quite mixed my wits. And I felt more comfortable with Boromir anyway. I'm used to Men, I'd never met an Elf until today. Where I come from, it is a world of Men. I suspect that my father was an Elf from Middle Earth, but I'm not certain."
"Interesting. Is your father still alive?"
"No. He died before I was born. I look a lot like him though, from the photos my mother has."
"Photos?"
"Like paintings."
"I see."
"Anyway, I can't wait to see Boromir's reaction when he finds out that there is a heir to the Gondorian throne. He's nice enough though so don't be too hard on him. And I want to meet the Hobbits! Isn't it odd that a Hobbit will carry the fate of Middle Earth? For Frodo will volunteer to carry it, take it to Mordor and cast it into Mount Doom. You must go with him. You will save his life several times, but in the end when Boromir dies, and Sam and Frodo leave the Fellowship to go to Mordor, you must leave him then and go to rescue Merry and Pippin. It is what I have read, but I hope to stop Boromir's death. He is a good man, and perhaps by replacing the lure of the Ring, I can save him. He deserves that." I finish quietly. "After all, you are going to remove his place in life when you ascend the throne of Gondor." Aragorn shakes his head "You will. You cannot prevent it. To gain the armies of Gondor, you will do it."
"You have given me much to ponder, Cat. I will give you into the care of my lady, Arwen." Unnoticed by me, we have reached Rivendell and there are lots of people staring at me. I flush, very conscious now of my outlandish clothing. At least, it's outlandish here. I can't see any women in pants, anywhere. "She will arrange an audience with her father and Gandalf."
"Good. I need to speak with them." Aragorn waves to a brown haired Elf lady, who smiles radiantly when she sees Aragorn, and hurries over.
"Arwen my beloved, this is a maiden from another world. She needs your aid, and urgently desires to speak with your father and Gandalf. She seems good at heart, but maybe here for some darker purpose that she is unaware of. She knows much, and seems to know of the future. Though she has the form of one of the long-lived, she doesn't know Elvish. " Arwen smiles at him, and pats his cheek fondly.
"Do not worry, Estel. I think my father is free now, so I'll take her to him. Gandalf is with the Hobbits, and I can get him on the way. Be true of heart, I will see you at the Banquet tonight, after the council. " They kiss and Arwen takes my hand. Aragorn strides off, leaving me with Arwen. "Come we will go speak with my father."
"Let us go. Do you have a dress I could borrow? I didn't expect when I left home this morning that I would be meeting with kings, princes and nobles. And do you know if Legolas has come in yet? I need to apologize to him." I start to chatter as we walk.