Well, hi there!

I have been a bit busy, working on what I hope will be novel...about, well...elves!

Anyway, to help me when I've gotten stuck, I have indulged myself and written some more Marie and Elrond. This tale should be the usual mish-mash of intrigue, silliness and, well,....... Elrond that the other two Marie and Elrond tales have been.

As you may recall, Marie was laying in Elrond's surgery at the end of "A Winter's Interlude," when the room began to whirl and she hit something hard.........

I opened my eyes and stretched. I looked around and it took me a few moments to realize that I wasn't in my room, nor in Elrond's surgery, or any place in Rivendell.

I was lying on the carpet in the den of Valerie's house.

I was "home."

Sitting up, I looked around and saw Valerie sitting at her computer across the room.

"Hey Val! Wha-what happened? What am I doing here?"

"What are you doing here?" My friend came over to me and sat next to me. "We were trying to get you to Rivendell in Middle Earth, remember? And you went all stiff and strange."

She pulled me up and then stood there looking at me as she brushed her curly hair off her face. "You've only been on the floor about 20 minutes. I guess it didn't work."

About to tell her otherwise, I shook my head sadly. "No, I guess not. Well, I better get home. I feel kind of headache-y."

"Yeah, well, no surprise. We can try it again another time. Maybe next weekend?"

"Yeah, sure okay. Thanks Val for giving this all a whirl."

"No problem. No problem at all." She picked up her striped cat Spider and walked me to the door. I scratched the kitty's head and gave her a quick hug and then went slowly down the stairs.

I got to my car and stared at the Honda in incomprehension for a moment and then feeling utterly spaced out, got my keys out of my jacket pocket and got in.

Turning the engine over, I sat there, with my hands on the wheel and then slowly put the car into gear and drove home.

I was amazed I could drive, without causing an accident. I just drove straight home and parked the car in my underground spot.

I even went and got the mail. And walked up stairs to my apartment where my black cat Ivy chirped in greeting as I opened the door.

I went to the couch and sat down heavily, dropping the mail on the coffee table.

I pushed aside a movie magazine and then stopped as it featured an article on what some of the actors from the Lord of the Rings trilogy of films were doing.

I stared at it and then went into my bedroom and flung myself on my bed.

I was home. I didn't want to BE home. At least I was pretty sure I didn't.

Ivy jumped up on the bed purring and curled up against me.

I stared at what had been my injured wrist. Not a mark on it. Sitting back up I quickly took off my shoes and socks. All my toes were there.

As if it all had never happened. Ever.

I cried myself to sleep.

The next morning, I sat up quickly in bed. Was I back in Rivendell?

NO!!!!

I was not even sure what day it was. I went to my door and got my newspaper and opened it up.

It was only Sunday.

ONLY Sunday.

What was Elrond doing? What had he thought when I disappeared?

Had he been relieved? Was he a little bit said? Had he carried on with a shrug as if nothing untoward had happened?

Rubbing my face, I went into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. Stared at the common everyday things in there. Slowly pulled out the milk and hunted up some dry cereal. I made a bowl, but could only eat half of it. My stomach didn't feel good, and I pushed the cereal away.

Ivy chirped around my legs, rubbing for breakfast. I got up and gave her food and petted her.

I stared at the headline on the front page of the paper and then pushed that away from me as well.

I went into the living room and flung myself on the couch.

Oh, Darn, What did my eyes fall on? The DVD of The Lord of the Rings.

I couldn't help myself and put in the disc. As the movie started I stared at it until the tears in my eyes completely washed out the details.

Hitting the remote, I shut it off. That was not going to make me feel better!! Especially the Rivendell scenes.

Being home was certainly not making me very happy.

Every time I did something that would have been considered normal as apple pie...I'd find myself staring into space, lost for a moment and confused.

I was miserable. Not even talking to my friends made me cheerful, or even going to the movies or out to dinner. Even indulging in sushi didn't make me feel better.

Driving the car and using the computer really made me feel displaced.

I wanted to go back.

Desperately.

Does this mean I was obsessed, ah, AM obsessed with a certain elf lord?

Yeah, yeah, I am...and besides, it wasn't like I had the most interesting job in the world.

Or the most interesting life.

I called Val one evening and said I'd like to try again for Rivendell and she agreed. We'd try it on the weekend again.

I spent the rest of the week sort of organizing my affairs and secretly saying good bye to things.

I wanted my stay to be permanent in Rivendell.

The following Saturday, I took a look around my apartment, grateful I

had not signed a lease. Anything valuable I had ready to take to Val to do with what she will. Clothes and books had gone to charity.

Dressed in a simple dress I used for the Renaissance Faire which was long sleeved, blue with a green bodice, i surveyed myself in the hall mirror. I pulled my hair back in a ponytail. I had a backpack already, filled with a few mementos I could not part with and this time, I was taking Ivy, my 8-year-old cat. I just couldn't leave her behind. Though I had not seen any cats about Rivendell, I could not imagine that Elrond would mind if I brought her. She wasn't much of a hunter these days and would probably stay in my room.

Taking a deep breath, I pulled my black wool cape on over my dress. I took one more look at myself and then turned, left my apartment. Going down the stairs, my spirits rose. I WOULD get to Rivendell this time.

And I would not return.

"Hey Val, I'm back, and this time dressed proper for Middle Earth!'

"And I see you are taking Ivy with you. Think the elves will like her?"

Val laughed and then sat at her computer.

"Sure, she's a thing of beauty. The elves will like her fine."

"All right then. Are you two ready to go?"

"Yes Val." I put Ivy down (she was in my backpack, her head peeking out of the top flap. I hugged my friend close and said, my voice tight, "Thanks again Val. You are the best."

"I just hope it works this time. You are the brave one, Marie. I could never leave this." She patted her computer.

I looked at her, took a deep breath and picked up the backpack.

Val sat at her computer and got to work.

I lay on the floor where I had, 10 days ago. I held Ivy close to me and closed my eyes, willing as hard as I could that when I opened my eyes, I would find myself in Rivendell.

I couldn't wait to tell the elf lord what had happened. Even he would be surprised, I think!

Thump! I hit something hard. Ivy yelped and struggled out of my arms. I opened my eyes to see...well, pine needles, small stones...dirt.

Oh shoes! Don't tell me I've ended up somewhere else.

I sat up, wiped my face and looked around. Ivy sat on a nearby fallen log, washing her face. I was surrounded by forest. Towering pines and oaks, the late sun awash through the leaves and branches and stretching long shadows everywhere. Through a convenient gap in the trees, I could see mountains to the east.

The Misty Mountains?

I stood up and brushed off my dress. I got Ivy and settled her in the backpack, leaving room under the flap for her to look out.

She was a good sport about it too, and stayed calm.

Okay, so I wasn't in Elrond's surgery, unless I was hallucinating or something. I looked about as I started walking. Naw, this was too vivid and

too real.

I went towards the mountains hoping I'd come across the East Road, or some elves, or something! But the woods around me remained mostly quiet, save for the calling of rooks and the sound of the wind through the leaves.

I walked until it got too dark to see. I found a clump of boulders and decided they were as good a place to make camp as any. I carefully set down the backpack and letting Ivy out, I went about collecting easily found wood.

It only took me a few minutes to get a fire going. (Matches, what a godsend!) I pulled out some dry food for Ivy and poured her some water from my stoppered pottery bottle purchased at the Renaissance Faire and took a few slugs myself. (No, I did not bring any Evian water. Not going to leave 21st Century trash in Middle Earth!)

Well. Well. I was back in Middle Earth. I mean, I was pretty sure I was. It sort of smelled the same. I just got the feeling I was.

Tired from all the walking, I curled up in my cloak and blanket and got as comfortable as I could for sleep. Ivy curled up between me and the fire, purring.

Did my eyes open on the elf lord? Yes?

No, sigh, it was just Ivy cleaning herself again, one leg high in the air.

Getting up with a moan from the cold ground, I blinked in the morning sun and wandered off to do my morning ritual. Coming back a few minutes later, I rummaged around and fed both of us. With a minimum of fuss and muss, I cleaned up the campsite and off into the morning we went.

Obviously, all this walking gave me time to think about what was going on. Even though I hadn't arrived back where I left from, I was certain I was in Middle Earth. I was relatively certain the mountains I saw glistening with snow and dotted with deep purple shadows were the Misty Mountains. But even I knew (weak Tolkien scholar than I am) that chain of mountains went north and south through pretty much all of northern Middle Earth. Heck, I could be well, lets see...what was south along the mountains. Rohan....yes, but too many trees. Lothlorien? I stopped with that and swallowed, glancing all around me. Surely, if this was Lothlorien, I would have been either skewered by an elf arrow, or surrounded by archers. I stood quiet until Ivy broke the silence with a questioning chirp.

No, this had to be the northern reaches. This wasn't Lothlorien, or-or Fangorn either. With that settled in my mind, I walked with more spring in my step as I headed to the mountains. Maybe today I would see the elf lord!

Evening came. I was tired and my feet hurt. At least I had found a stream. I practically dropped Ivy as I sat next to some rocks. I put my head on my knees, exhaling in exhaustion.

I had NO idea where I was going!

"HelllloOOOOOO!" I threw up my head and called out loudly. Nothing. I only disturbed the nearby birds.

"Mae GOvaNNNNEnnnn!" I tried the Sindarin for "hello."

Nothing.

Leaves fell. And so did my spirits. Ah, heck, I kicked the dirt, I could wander around here for ages and never cross paths with another living thing.

And I might never see the elf lord again!

Well, that was certainly cheery thinking! Getting up decisively, I made another fire, surrounding it with rocks. Ivy once again sat nearby and cleaned herself. I went off to the nearby stream determined to catch us a trout for dinner. We could both use the fresh food.

I took my boots and socks off and dipped my feet into the bitterly cold water. My tootsies! Yes Yes! Some of them were missing!! I WAS back in Middle Earth! I almost fell as I did a caper in the water. But I settled down

soon enough and hunted some trout. It was getting dark quick. Finding one hovering in the shadow of a large boulder, I picked up a big enough stone, and heaved it hard at the fish. I was gratified to see a thin trail of blood come to the surface. I scrambled about and pulled up my mangled trout. It was a good ten inches long. Plenty for me and Ivy.

Cleaning it, I skewered my half on a stick and cut up Ivy's on a flat rock. We were very happy campers with our fresh fish.

I lay near my fire, replete and hopeful. Tomorrow, surely tomorrow, I would come across either the East Road, or Rivendell.

Sure.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~to be continued (of course!)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~