Arlen thought she was going to burst. She was lost, hungry, and surrounded by people who thought she was an Elvin princess. Counting to ten, she took a deep breath and faced the startled man in front of her.
" I am not who you think I am. My name is Arlen not Arwen and I am just a regular person, you know, a mortal. All I know is that my car crashed and I found myself in the pages of a story book and I need help." She told him, trying to hold back the tears that were about to run down her face.
Gandalf looked at the strange creature who stood before him. She looked like Arwen beside from her strange clothes and bound hair, but she did not act anything like her. By the looks of it, it seemed that she had no memory of anybody here. It could not be right, though, he had seen her die. He knew he was not mistaken, for wizards never make mistakes. Furrowing his brows he started to pace around the room, when it hit him, Galadriel's spell. He turned toward the young woman.
" How old are you", he asked Arlen.
Arlen thought that to be a strange question but the keen blue eyes of the wizard were staring at her so intensely that she brought herself to answer.
" Twenty two, twenty three next march." She replied. The elf at her suddenly stared at her.
"That cannot be, you are no younger than eight hundred," he said to her.
" Do I really look that old?" she snapped back at him.
Gandalf walked up to her.
" Do you have parents?" he asked.
" Yes, sort of" was the answer he received.
" Sort of?" he questioned back.
" To tell you the truth, I don't know my true parents. I was found behind a restaurant by a waitress who worked there. She gave me to an adoption agency. They placed me in a foster home, where I was abused, until about thirteen. Then, by a miracle, I was adopted by the Tipper's. They are the only parents I ever truly had." She told him in a pained voice. Even though it had been nine years since she had left the foster house she still had scars from where she had been hit.
Gandalf smiled to himself. He looked at the woman and the elf, both seaming very confused.
" Perhaps an explanation would be helpful right now," he said to the two, " When Arwen was born, many years ago, she was blessed by Galadriel, The fair queen of Lorien. The blessing was that when Arwen died that her body would float to another world where she would stay. Once she died in that world she would float back to Middle Earth. The only problem was that she would have no memory of being Arwen, as we can see now. "
Arlen could believe what she was hearing. She could not be some long lost princess. Middle Earth was not real, just a world made up by a brilliant author with a huge imagination.
" Gandalf, as much as I want to believe you, I am afraid that I can not. First of all, I know you are all saddened by the passing of Arwen, but that does not mean you have to take it out on me. I am just an average person who wants to get home," she sputtered out.
" But you are home, my dear, there is no other place for you to go" The wizard answered.
" What happened to the world I used to live in? What happened to land where everything used to normal and right? All I did was crash my car and I ended up here, where all of you mental cases are trying to make me believe this bogus story that I am Arwen. There is no Middle Earth; there is no such thing as elves and wizards. I just want to ho back home!" she wailed, releasing the flood of tears from her eyes. Wallowing in her own self-pity, she sunk to the floor. Legolas knelt down beside her, trying to comfort this vision of his old friend.
Gandalf to knelt down. His eyes became gentler. He knew the pain it would cause this woman, knowing that she would never be able to go to her old home.
" Now Arwen." He began but was cut off by Arlen yelling at him.
"I am not Arwen, do you here me?! I am Arlen, and if anyone else calls me Arwen, I swear I will kill myself!" She looked and faced the wizard.
" Well then you should sharpen your sword, for that is your name from now on. You see, you are no longer alive in your other world. That ' car crash' thing you were talking about must have killed you. You are no longer part of that world." Gandalf said to the shivering, little wraith that knelt in front of him.
Arlen did not want to believe him, but yet it did make sense. What other explanation was there? Why else would she suddenly find herself in Middle Earth? Still with tears steaming down her face she looked at Gandalf and he could see in her eyes that she believed him.
"Legolas, please show the princess to her room. I think she might want to freshen up before the celebrations tonight." Gandalf said to the elf.
" Celebrations? " Arlen asked the wizard.
" Of course. It is not every day that a princess comes back from the dead. Anyway there are some people I know that very much want to see you." He answered as Legolas led her out the door.
Arlen found her self being led down beautiful halls made out of marble and gold. Then Legolas brought her outside, into the golden world. It had to be the most beautiful place that she could have ever wished to see. She felt the pain inside of her slip away as she was bathed in the peace and calm of this marvelous place.
" I see that Rivendale is working its old charm on you to" The elf beside her said. Arlen had forgotten all about him.
" Oh yes, I bet this place could calm old Sauron himself" Arlen answered with a laugh.
" How do you about Sauron? I thought you had no memory of Middle Earth" He questioned her.
" Well, where I come from there are a series of books and movies called the Lord of the Rings. It tells all about the journey of the ring." She said, still amazed by her surroundings.
Legolas stopped so abruptly that it caught her of guard.
" Then you know, you know what will happen to Middle earth, you know what will become of our future." He said in awe.
" Naturally, they were my favorite books. I read each one of them at least five times. I know perfectly well what will happen." She told the stunned elf.
" What then, what will happen" he asked her.
" I do not know if I should share that information with you. I need to ask Gandalf fist, he seems to know everything that goes around hear." She said as they reached a little building at the side of your palace.
" Of course, I am sorry that I pried into your business. Well here is your room. I will send for hot water for your bath. Be ready by noon, for that is when I will come to fetch you. And, I am very glad you are back, no matter what state you are in. " He said as he walked away.
Arlen went into the room. It was beautiful. The walls and floors were marble and the ceiling was pure gold. On one wall there was a huge window that overlooked into one of the many beautiful gardens. On the other wall was a bed with silk blankets and pillows. There was also an amazing gold and wood dresser with a mirror over it.
The water arrived soon and after she had taken a bath she walked to the dresser and pulled out one of the many, lovely dresses. She picked a dark blue dress that was inlayed with golden threads and blue slippers to match it. Then she combed out her hair and let it fall back lose on her back, ticking it behind her pointed ears. When she looked at herself in the mirror she lost her breath. Looking back at her was a beautiful woman. Her skin seemed to glow and her blue eyes were filled with light. The blue dress fell and hung in just the right places and her hair looked like shining brown silk. Now she really did look like the princess the elfs, she thought. She did not see little tomboy Arlen, but graceful, beautiful Arwen. She was brought back to reality by a knocking on her door. She opened up to find Legolas standing before her, looking dazzling in a silvery green tunic. He took one look at her and smiled. That was the Arwen that he remembered.
" Come my princess, there are many guests awaiting your presence." He told her, taking her hand and leading away.