It was the grim reaper, not the death reaper or the grand reaper. Honest mistake,

Tidbit: A cockroach can live 9 days without its head before it starves to death.


Chapter five




What the hell did this book mean? Buffy cursed lightly under her breath, pacing her room back and forth, once in awhile casting weary looks in the book's direction. After wearing the heels of her slippers out, she leaned against her bed post and inhaled a deep breath before silently deciding what she must do. What can a stupid book mean anyway? That the slayers in Middle- earth were destined to live in hell for the rest of their eternity's? Thanks but no thanks, Buffy already did that in Sunnydale.


All in all, she would pretend that she knew nothing of slayers in Middle- earth, or the book that lay on the side of the table innocently looking up at her. She was a good actress, anyway.


It was the final dinner celebration, thankfully, and Buffy was trying to focus on the food at task, but found herself thinking about the book. Why, or why did things happen at the wrong time? Rivendell food was really good, but she suddenly lost her appetite and leaned back in her chair.


Elves and the guests danced, sung, and ate, and most of the mortal guests were drunk as hell and it took all of Buffy's peer counseling advice's to stop herself from lifting up that wine bottle and downing whatever liquid was in there. Legolas seem to only notice the woman's distance from food and celebration.


"Is something wrong?" he asked after witnessing Buffy reaching in and out for her wine cup.


"Nothing." answered Buffy quickly. "Just a bit nervous."


"Ah- ha." Legolas said, gazing down at his own drink. "Do not worry though, I suppose I am a little nervous as well. But you know what you could do, do you?"


She really wasn't nervous about heading off with the fellowship tomorrow, and it was very hard for Buffy not to bark the truth at Legolas' comment. He must not know why she was really nervous or what she found out in that leather bound book in her bedroom.

Buffy could only shrug at the Elf's suggestion, and he leaned in closer to her, so their heads nearly touched.


"You can dance."


Buffy burst out laughing, clapping her hands on her knees, somewhere underneath her fluffy dress.


"Good one, really." she snorted.


"I am serious. Why not dance?"


"Well, there could be one possible reason, Legolas." she said. "Because I can't dance."


"Nonsense." retorted Legolas. "Everyone can dance."


"Oh yeah?" Buffy said, and waved her hand to the dance floor. "What do you call that?"


Legolas turned to where Buffy was pointing and nearly fell over in his chair. Gimli, obviously drunk, was doing some sort of poor attempt at an Elven dance, since his hands were flying in the air woodenly, and his feet were stomping away on the wooden platform. Perhaps Buffy was right. Not everyone can dance.


Shuddering, he turned back to Buffy. "I see."


"Point one for Buffy." Buffy said, leaning back and stretching her arms. "what time is it?"


Legolas tore his gaze away from Buffy to look out on the balcony, the night sky clearly visible through Lord Elrond's dinning Hall.


"Near midnight." Legolas answered a moment later.


Buffy seemed impressed at this handy proficiency of Legolas'. "Cool. Maybe you can teach me how to tell the time without checking my watch."


Legolas frowned deeply. "Maybe you can teach me what some of the words in your language mean."


"Right after I dress up in a chicken costume and do a dance." she murmured, deciding it wouldn't do any harm if she took a tiny sip from her goblet. After taking a sip, she winced and turned to Legolas. "I thought Elven wine was good?"


Legolas frowned and took the goblet from Buffy. "It is." he said, looking in and tipping the cup side to side. When he could see nothing wrong with it, he placed his lips over the edge of the cup and took a sip. Crying out in protest, Legolas cringed and held out the cup. "'Tis not!"


A hoarse laughter erupted soon after Legolas' detest against the wine.


"Thought- hiccup- you'd like the new change!" mused Gimli, howling with laughter at Legolas' face.


Buffy covered her nose from the smell issuing out of the Dwarf's mouth.


"Hey buddy, ever heard of a tic tac? Minty flavored." Buffy added.


Legolas, not really knowing what a tic tac was, laughed along with Aragorn and Boromir, who had just accompanied the others after Buffy's comment. Buffy rolled her eyes and took back her goblet, looking down at the liquid hesitantly, unsure of whether or not to take another sip.


"Don't be afraid." the Dwarf exhorted aloud, grunting in his own cup. "It's just ale, I- hiccup- thought it would do these fancy feet good if- hiccup- they had a little boost in their celebrating!"


"Eww." Buffy exclaimed, setting down the cup. "Ale? Like in beer? That stuff is gross."


"It is the specialty of the Dwarves, milady." explained Aragorn. "They find it pleasing."


"Well they can have it." Legolas spat angrily. "Buffy obviously does not enjoy their taste in celebration."


Gimli's face flushed and clapped his hand across his chest in some kind of insulted manner.


"Perhaps it is your taste in celebration that no one enjoys!" he growled, surprising Buffy since he had successfully said a whole sentence without slurring with his words. "So- hiccup- there!"


Well, it was a close call.


"Or maybe it is your presence that is tedious to the party!" Legolas shouted in an abrupt manner.


Buffy watched the exchange in mused silence with Aragorn and Boromir. But Buffy wasn't really understanding the Elf and Dwarf, since they both would have to get along if they were all going to travel together for awhile, and listening to the two suddenly got annoying. Taking a deep breath, and knowing she'd regret this later, she downed the entire cup of ale, consuming the entire liquid in one gulp.


Legolas and Gimli's voices died down as Boromir and Aragorn stared at her in disbelief.


"There you go!" bawled Gimli, a gleeful hint in his tone.


"Buffy." Legolas stated in awe.


"The woman has spunk." Aragorn commented, and Boromir silently agreed.


"No, the woman had enough." she correct coldly, standing up and lifting her dress. "And if you excuse me, I'll head off."


"I'll walk you." Legolas said, standing promptly.


"I don't need to be walked to my room." She protested, passing Boromir aside and walking towards the balcony. "I'm sure I can tuck myself in without an Elf always up my ass."


Legolas stopped his pursuit of the woman as if ice had been dropped onto him from Iluvatar. That was most definitely not the way Buffy usually acted, especially from a woman with such elegance and respect. To an Elf no less! But Legolas silently agreed that it was simply the ale that had changed her sudden change in mood, and returned to his discussion with the Dwarf on proper wine uses, Buffy still on his mind, like usual.



Having the book so thickly placed in her mind, Buffy just realized her rudeness towards the Elf and could have slapped herself in the head if it wasn't for her persistent walking. Open mouth, insert foot. She shouldn't have done that, she would have gone longer without worrying, and she should not have also drank all that ale. Light headed, she walked on across the long balcony, once and awhile glancing up at the stars the Elves called Valinor.


She didn't know how long she walked until she came to an end of the balcony, where the windows of the guest rooms showed and Buffy's heart sank to see them all empty and dark. Everyone must be back at the dinning Hall. But she couldn't go back there, not after what she said to Legolas and not after making such an impressive scene. It didn't matter though, and as she leaned against the railing she wasn't shocked to hear the soft patter of footsteps behind her. At first she thought it was Legolas, but she knew the sound of his footsteps. Soft feather brushes that patter against the floor. God, she was spending way too much time with the Elf.


Not bothering to turn around, she greeted the new comer with a sigh and turned back to the stars.


"I see your discomfort and I wanted to know if it is from the Elf?"


"No Aragorn, it's not from Legolas. You wouldn't understand." she replied with another sigh.


"Aye." She watched him come up beside her, staring up at the sky as well. "Do you miss your home?"


Buffy turned to him now, and for the first time she saw how determined he was.


"What do you think? I have a sister at home that needs me right now, and where am I?" She took a moment to look around her. "Nirvana."


Aragorn smiled, despite the unusual woman beside him. "I know why you are distant, though."


Buffy turned to him again and saw that he was holding something in his hand, and when he lifted it up under the moonlight, she saw now that it was the book she was reading. She raised her eyebrows in question, but he put his finger to his lips and handed the book back to her. He didn't say anything after that.


"Does everyone here always have to be so discreet?" Buffy asked miserably.


"You are very confusing as well, Buffy of Sunnydale" stated Aragorn playfully. "And you mustn't worry on that now, because you've committed yourself to this journey, did you not? And those dreams you've been having-"


"Yeah, no comment, please!" Buffy cut in with a groan. Those dreams were really starting to bug her, but now that everyone knows about them it was getting out of hand.


"I am just helping." he tried.


"Well, I don't need help. Just not in the way you think I do." She pushed herself off the railing and walked down the steps that led to the gardens. Aragorn watched her from on top of the balcony and she waved up at him. "See you in the morning, Strider." And with that said, she walked off into the night.


Aragorn shook his head gravely and put his hands together. Elrond was completely wrong with his foreseeing of this woman from Earth. It will take a long time before they could understand her, and that meant it will take a long time to find a way to send her back. Sighing, he gave a small smile to the sky before returning back to his Evanstar. Her promised to return back to her, and he will.

---



Buffy couldn't believe how early it was. She was not use to waking up at this ungodly hour of the morning, and the last time she usually woke up before dawn was back in high school. And if it wasn't for the impatient maids and a very compulsive Arwen, she would never have gotten out of bed. Pulling herself together, she allowed the Elf to pull her away from her bed and towards a soothing bath. Stripping down to her ankles, Buffy entered the water wearily, trying her best to keep her eyes from drooping down.


"You must stay alert, Buffy." Arwen stated firmly, lifting a bowl of water and pouring it down her head. "Today is an important day for us both."


"The sun isn't even out." whined Buffy, blinking up at Arwen.


Arwen smiled. "Yes, and neither is the soap, so hold still."


When Buffy was dried off and wrapped in a towel, Arwen returned later with a set of different clothes laying across her arms. Buffy didn't have time to notice what they were until Arwen laid them out on her bed. Whirling around, Buffy saw her sweat pants, flower shirt and her underwear laid out across the unmade sheets. Surprised, Buffy gave Arwen a big hug and accomplished a great victory dance before scooping them up in her arms and taking a big whiff of them. They even smelled good!


Arwen watched and laughed lightly.


"It was very hard to wash out the stains from your clothing." she said suddenly, explaining why they were so late with returning her belongings. "And for awhile I thought I misplaced them."


Buffy held out her shirt and stared in awe.


"You got out that ketchup stain? You're a miracle worker, Arwen!"


Arwen gave Buffy a withering look and said nothing. She left her to get dressed and Buffy did just that, too excitedly because she kept putting her arms in the wrong places and her pants on backwards, and finally succeeded in wearing her clothes. She adjusted her bra strap, not used to wearing them since she wore no under garments when wearing those burdensome, but beautiful dresses, and her underwear felt extremely tight. She wanted to remove the underwear and she was half way of removing her shirt when a knock at the door interrupted her.


She turned around and stared at the Elf between her door frame.


He watched her from their distance in shock. What was she wearing?


She returned the gaze and almost fell over in what she saw. What the hell was he wearing?


"You like you're going to war." she commented after a moment.


Legolas touched the leather strap that held his quiver to his chest and frowned.


"It's for the journey."


"To hell?" Buffy asked, finding the strength in her legs to move to where a set of boots were in the far corner of the room. She wrinkled her nose in the air and sneezed. "Where's my sneakers?"


"Oh, those things." he said more cheerfully. "They were lost when you fell from the horse."


Buffy's eyes widened. "My sneakers were lost when I fell? Why couldn't I remember that!"


Legolas shrugged and frowned.


"The boots are your exact size, so perhaps you'd feel comfortable wearing them."


"I would feel comfortable wearing my sneakers," she murmured. "but, fine."


Legolas sighed with relief. He thought she would argue some more about not having what she wanted, and watched in refined silence as she examined the boots, slipping them on her feet and tying them tightly. He wasn't so sure why he was so frightened of her, especially since she was just… a woman. But then he quickly changed his mind, remembering the anger and embarrassment from the night before when she had insulted him. Suddenly Angry, he turned and went to leave, but Buffy stood up quickly and ran after him.


"Where are you going?" She asked. "I was hoping we could walk downstairs together."


His back to her, he shook his head stiffly.


"You know the way, don't you?" And he left.


"God." Buffy said. "Didn't mean to burst your bubble!"


So, taking a quick look around the room, Buffy walked down the deserted halls by herself, wide awake now that she had the small encounter with Legolas. At least he was not angry with her anymore, or so she thought, and the thought of him forgiving her made the guilt in her stomach lessen a little. But then again, the information in the book she read was playing itself over in her head and she was silent when she reached the others. Frodo, however, was the only one not present, and she went to stand next to Merry, but Elrond grabbed her by the elbow and gently gestured away from the crowd.


She followed, happy as anything to get away from questioning Elves.


Elrond, on the other hand, was fine to speak with.


He smiled down at her. "How are you?"


"Fine." Buffy lied. "And you?"


"Very well, thank you." He replied, but she caught something in his eyes.


"That's not what you wanted to ask me, is it?" she concluded wistfully.


"No, it was not." He took her hand gently in his and gave it a small squeeze. "Remember everything that I told you, Buffy, for I am still unsure of whether or not you will find a way back to your home."


"What are you talking about?" whispered Buffy. "Gandalf had said-"


"No, listen to me." continued Elrond sternly. "I see something in your future, Buffy, something that will happen and it'll make you decide whether or not you are committed or not. You will hate it at first, but listen to others when they want to help you. Some may not, for who you are, but the one's that will will exceed in your liking. Especially a certain someone."


Buffy thought he meant Gandalf, but something caught her by the throat and she couldn't talk. He was right.


"And I see that you have nothing to protect yourself with?" His voice softened as she changed the subject.


She shook her head, confused. "Well, weapon wise, no. But I have my arms and legs."


Elrond smiled at this but reached for something inside his cloak. Buffy watched in amazement as a deadly looking blade extended its way out from the cloak, shining brightly even in shadow, glinting down at Buffy as stared at her reflection. It had delicate designs around the edges, and written down by the handle was something in Elvish.


"We tried to retrieve your name in our language," Elrond explained. "But we never heard of your name before, as beautiful as it is, so the Elvish phrase stands for someone who was, and is, very brave. Beren."


"Beren." Buffy repeated in a low voice. "It's beautiful."


"Indeed." Elrond handed it over to Buffy, and she examined it closely. "Do you like it?"


"Hell yeah!" Buffy proclaimed, but then apologized and lowered the blade. "I mean… I do."


Elrond smiled. "I am glad you enjoy it, and here is its holder. It has an Elvish saying on it, but I must not get into that right away since you are about to leave."


Buffy took the waist strap from him and fingered the leather binds. It was perfect, as was the blade, and she excitedly wrapped it around her waist and slipped in the Elvish sword with her name on it. Well, not her name, but what she stood for. She is a brave one, and it felt very good that someone had finally acknowledged that in Middle- earth. She turned to Elrond and gave him a hug before hurrying back over to the others.


Merry, Pippin, Sam and Frodo, who had arrived the same exact time as Buffy, asked about her new weapon.


She told them it was a gift from Elrond and they all showed her their gift from him. Several small knife blades, but nothing as special compared to Buffy's new gift and as they chatted she realized that nothing could take the grin off her face.


Legolas watched her curiously from where he stood near Aragorn and Arwen, and thought her new gift as a relief. He knew she had not a weapon for her own use, and seeing how Elrond thought on this subject wisely, he no longer was angry with him for allowing Buffy to join them.


He smiled and returned his conversation to Aragorn when Elrond finally spoke.


"The fellowship," began Elrond, his hands folded against his chest but Buffy knew he was nervous. "has many hearts in the palm of their hands, and many will not return their hearts until they finally return."


He continued to speak in a low, steady voice and Buffy was only half listening. His voice was drifting slowly away as she watched everyone closely and studied their faces. They all seemed frightened, anxious and nervous, but Buffy couldn't help but wonder why. Would everything in the book come true? Would they really encounter all those awful things that the book said they would? The pony neighed and Buffy was brought back from the reverie that seemed to be on her mind.

"Let the tale go unfinished, for on this journey…" he sent a grave look to everyone around him. "is far from over. Gîl síla erin lû e-govaded vín, and farewell."


Buffy, however, was not thinking about Mordor, or what they might face, but what Gandalf had said. Finding her way home on the way to… where were they going anyway? How will she know how to find the way home from here? She was millions and millions of miles away from California and now it was too late.


They already passed Rivendell and it seemed a red blur to Buffy as she stood on the plain, admiring the view with nostalgia emotions.


"Its begun." she murmured softly, looking away from the flaming sky to her hands. "and there's nothing I can do about that."