My Darling, Lillian
Chapter 1.
An unexpected visit.
A small child with red hair was sitting on a bench in a hospital, playing with a small doll.
"Your father wants you see you." A nurse said, kneeling next to her.
The child nodded, and followed the nurse into a room with the slowly dieing figure of her father lying in what would most likely be his death bed.
"Papa!" The child smiled, and ran to embrace him.
She could not reach his frame, and so warmly hugged the cold metal of the bed frame instead.
Her father wrapped one loving arm about her shoulders.
"Lillian;" He said in a raspy voice, "I won't be here for much longer, and since your mother went away too, you're going to live with you uncle."
The girl, Lillian, peered into her father's eyes with her own deep brown ones, that seemed to draw one in.
"But uncle Boris is so mean, and he's fat!" She complained, wrinkling her nose.
Her father laughed.
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to..." And as he said this, he reclined his head back onto the pillows.
"Papa?" Lillian asked, becoming scared.
"I love you..." He wheezed.
"PAPA!" Lillian screamed, now realizing that her father would never again embrace her.
"...my darling, Lillian."
Lillian's deep brown eyes tried vainly to peer over the bed side, into her father's face.
Suddenly a machine that had been rhythmically beeping stopped, and began the chant of one long wail.
"He's gone." The nurse stated what Lillian already knew.
"Papa..." Lillian whimpered.
Lillian, now a grown woman, was attending a college near by the house of her, now departed, uncle Boris.
Lillian was lonely. She was marked as an outcast, and could never find anyone who would give her a chance, and so she tended to bury herself in her college work.
Since her father had departed, she had also lost all of her grandparents, all of her aunts, uncles, and cousins. And, being an only child, found herself completely family less.
Lillian had also changed in appearance since her childhood, though her hair had not changed much since that day, it had grown down to the middle of her calf, and her eyes had lost their shimmer, and were glazed over in inner pain; the death of all of her family had not been easy.
She sighed as she wandered down a dark back lane. If only she could start over elsewhere.
Suddenly, out of the dark, stepped a wizened old man, supporting himself on an ivory looking staff. He wore a gray cloak, but white showed from underneath when he moved.
Lillian was taken by surprise.
"Hello, Lillian." He greeted her.
"H-hello..." Lillian stuttered, looking at him closely.
"Oh, there's no need to be frightened of me. I am simply here to bestow upon you an offer that I think you shan't refuse."
Lillian stared at the queer old man, wondering if she should run. He was obviously old, and she was an agile runner.
"If you run then you won't have your chance to start over!" The old man cautioned.
Lillian's eyebrows shot up! Could this old coot read her mind?
"Yes, in fact I can."
"Ok, who are you? And what do you want with me?" Lillian asked, edging away from him.
"I am Gandalf, and as I said before, I am here to allow you a second chance; just like you wished."
Lillian was dumbfounded, though she did not show it.
"In this journey you will gain much, though it may be difficult and hazardous at times." Gandalf cautioned.
"..." Lillian replied, not liking the fact that Gandalf had not said what she would gain much of.
"Well?" Gandalf asked.
"Uh...where'll I go?" Lillian asked, a bit baffled by everything, despite the fact that she gave no indication of it.
"To Greenwood the great, to begin with." Gandalf replied, his eyes twinkling as though he had a plan that only he knew of.
Somehow Lillian's face and eyes had remained almost expressionless, only her heart had quickened in hope of a new start.
"First I need to pack..." Lillian said slowly, wondering to herself why she trusted this old man.
'Because you need someone to trust besides books.' A voice deep within her answered.
"All right," Gandalf replied, reaching into his cloak and withdrawing his hand shut and holding something which he threw onto the ground.
"Follow me." Gandalf commanded as he stepped into the greenish cloud that had appeared.
Lillian stood staring at the cloud, wondering if the it was toxic.
"Lillian!" Gandalf called, pulling her in by the arm.
Nearly as soon as Lillian had passed through it, the cloud disappeared; the only sign that it had ever existed was a greenish char on the pavement.
Lillian was surprised to find herself in her bed room.
"Pack only what you need." Gandalf cautioned, "You will only be able to bring one bag."
Lillian nodded, ignoring the fact that what had just happened was scientifically proven to be impossible.
Gandalf sat down in a chair and began to smoke a long pipe.
Lillian watched him out of the corner of her eye, as she packed what she could in a gym bag.
When Lillian had finished, she turned to Gandalf.
"Have you finished?" Gandalf asked, standing.
Lillian nodded.
"Very well then..." Gandalf murmured, putting out his pipe. "Let us leave immediately."
Lillian tried to see exactly what it was that Gandalf was taking from his behind his cloak, but couldn't make out exactly what it was; it seemed to be a powder of some sort, but she couldn't be sure.
"Ready?" Gandalf asked. Lillian nodded her approval.
"Then let us go." Gandalf threw the powder upon the floor, which this time turned a foggy teal color, and passed through the haze it created. This time, Lillian passed through it with no provocation.
Lillian's face registered no emotion as they arrived in a place totally new to her. The place was not unattractive, nor did it have an unfriendly feel to it. It was, in fact, a relatively pretty wooded area, and they were standing in the middle of an un-wooded ring. "Where are we?" She asked in a monotone voice. "In the forest of Greenwood the grate, also known as Mirkwood." Gandalf replied. Lillian nodded. "Excuse me a moment while I find two of the companions who will be in the journey as well." Gandalf said, leaving her in the ring. He was going to search for two old friends. Lillian watched the wizened old man walk until he was out of sight, then sat down, retrieved a book from her bag, and began reading.
Gandalf wandered through the main city of Mirkwood. All around him small Elfish children pulled at his cloak, asking if he had brought any fire crackers. "No, no! I'm sorry, children!" He replied "Hey there!" He called to one older Elf boy who was stringing his bow. "I?" He called back. "Yes, you! Have you seen Prince Legolas, and Master Gimly?" Gandalf called, removing one energetic Elfling from his elbow. "What? The Dwarf? He and the Prince are in the main hall!" The Elf replied, pausing from his task to devote his attention to the tall Wizard. "Thank you!" Gandalf answered, trying to part the sea of juvenile Elves.
Legolas and Gimly were sitting in the central chamber, talking of a quest they had recently been on, to vanquish one of the few remaining dragons in Middle Earth. Legolas' father, King Thranduil, had thought very little of Legolas' expedition, until Legolas had reminded him that he was to receive a fair share of the treasure. Gimly was pleasantly chatting on about the battle with the dragon, in which Legolas had dealt the final blow, when he could not remember the dragon's name. "Was it Ash, or Darthduen, or-" Gimly was struggling, when Legolas suddenly cried: "Olorin!"*1 "No! No! That was not it!" Gimly muttered. "I was not speaking of the dragon, oh mighty and lofty Master Dwarf! Gandalf is come!" Legolas laughed.
"Gandalf?!" Gimly cried, springing to his feet.
"Yes! I have come!" Gandalf laughed, at seeing the Dwarf's reaction.
"What brings you to Greenwood the Great?" Legolas asked, overjoyed at
seeing his old friend.
"Well, there is a job I need done, and I am short one Dwarf and an
Elf." Gandalf smiled, "Do you know of any who would be willing to journey to the Misty Mountains, and aid me in destroying the remnant of the orcs that dwell therein?"
"I believe we may be able to find two such companions." Legolas
replied, feeling ready to head off at once. "When do we depart!"
"First you may wish to pack..." Gandalf reminded him.
Gimly grinned sheepishly as he replied: "We have not yet unpacked from the dragon hunt."
"Such lazy creatures!" Gandalf laughed.
"We are ready to depart then?" Legolas asked, taking his pack from under his chair, where he had forgotten it when he last returned.
"Let us go." Gandalf smiled, walking back towards the door.
Legolas scrawled a quick note to his father, explaining that he had gone on a journey to aid in the slaying of the orcs in the Misty Mountains.
'What will father think when he sees that?' Legolas though, as he sprinted to catch up with his companions.
*1=Olorin is one of Gandalf's names.
Chapter 1.
An unexpected visit.
A small child with red hair was sitting on a bench in a hospital, playing with a small doll.
"Your father wants you see you." A nurse said, kneeling next to her.
The child nodded, and followed the nurse into a room with the slowly dieing figure of her father lying in what would most likely be his death bed.
"Papa!" The child smiled, and ran to embrace him.
She could not reach his frame, and so warmly hugged the cold metal of the bed frame instead.
Her father wrapped one loving arm about her shoulders.
"Lillian;" He said in a raspy voice, "I won't be here for much longer, and since your mother went away too, you're going to live with you uncle."
The girl, Lillian, peered into her father's eyes with her own deep brown ones, that seemed to draw one in.
"But uncle Boris is so mean, and he's fat!" She complained, wrinkling her nose.
Her father laughed.
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to..." And as he said this, he reclined his head back onto the pillows.
"Papa?" Lillian asked, becoming scared.
"I love you..." He wheezed.
"PAPA!" Lillian screamed, now realizing that her father would never again embrace her.
"...my darling, Lillian."
Lillian's deep brown eyes tried vainly to peer over the bed side, into her father's face.
Suddenly a machine that had been rhythmically beeping stopped, and began the chant of one long wail.
"He's gone." The nurse stated what Lillian already knew.
"Papa..." Lillian whimpered.
Lillian, now a grown woman, was attending a college near by the house of her, now departed, uncle Boris.
Lillian was lonely. She was marked as an outcast, and could never find anyone who would give her a chance, and so she tended to bury herself in her college work.
Since her father had departed, she had also lost all of her grandparents, all of her aunts, uncles, and cousins. And, being an only child, found herself completely family less.
Lillian had also changed in appearance since her childhood, though her hair had not changed much since that day, it had grown down to the middle of her calf, and her eyes had lost their shimmer, and were glazed over in inner pain; the death of all of her family had not been easy.
She sighed as she wandered down a dark back lane. If only she could start over elsewhere.
Suddenly, out of the dark, stepped a wizened old man, supporting himself on an ivory looking staff. He wore a gray cloak, but white showed from underneath when he moved.
Lillian was taken by surprise.
"Hello, Lillian." He greeted her.
"H-hello..." Lillian stuttered, looking at him closely.
"Oh, there's no need to be frightened of me. I am simply here to bestow upon you an offer that I think you shan't refuse."
Lillian stared at the queer old man, wondering if she should run. He was obviously old, and she was an agile runner.
"If you run then you won't have your chance to start over!" The old man cautioned.
Lillian's eyebrows shot up! Could this old coot read her mind?
"Yes, in fact I can."
"Ok, who are you? And what do you want with me?" Lillian asked, edging away from him.
"I am Gandalf, and as I said before, I am here to allow you a second chance; just like you wished."
Lillian was dumbfounded, though she did not show it.
"In this journey you will gain much, though it may be difficult and hazardous at times." Gandalf cautioned.
"..." Lillian replied, not liking the fact that Gandalf had not said what she would gain much of.
"Well?" Gandalf asked.
"Uh...where'll I go?" Lillian asked, a bit baffled by everything, despite the fact that she gave no indication of it.
"To Greenwood the great, to begin with." Gandalf replied, his eyes twinkling as though he had a plan that only he knew of.
Somehow Lillian's face and eyes had remained almost expressionless, only her heart had quickened in hope of a new start.
"First I need to pack..." Lillian said slowly, wondering to herself why she trusted this old man.
'Because you need someone to trust besides books.' A voice deep within her answered.
"All right," Gandalf replied, reaching into his cloak and withdrawing his hand shut and holding something which he threw onto the ground.
"Follow me." Gandalf commanded as he stepped into the greenish cloud that had appeared.
Lillian stood staring at the cloud, wondering if the it was toxic.
"Lillian!" Gandalf called, pulling her in by the arm.
Nearly as soon as Lillian had passed through it, the cloud disappeared; the only sign that it had ever existed was a greenish char on the pavement.
Lillian was surprised to find herself in her bed room.
"Pack only what you need." Gandalf cautioned, "You will only be able to bring one bag."
Lillian nodded, ignoring the fact that what had just happened was scientifically proven to be impossible.
Gandalf sat down in a chair and began to smoke a long pipe.
Lillian watched him out of the corner of her eye, as she packed what she could in a gym bag.
When Lillian had finished, she turned to Gandalf.
"Have you finished?" Gandalf asked, standing.
Lillian nodded.
"Very well then..." Gandalf murmured, putting out his pipe. "Let us leave immediately."
Lillian tried to see exactly what it was that Gandalf was taking from his behind his cloak, but couldn't make out exactly what it was; it seemed to be a powder of some sort, but she couldn't be sure.
"Ready?" Gandalf asked. Lillian nodded her approval.
"Then let us go." Gandalf threw the powder upon the floor, which this time turned a foggy teal color, and passed through the haze it created. This time, Lillian passed through it with no provocation.
Lillian's face registered no emotion as they arrived in a place totally new to her. The place was not unattractive, nor did it have an unfriendly feel to it. It was, in fact, a relatively pretty wooded area, and they were standing in the middle of an un-wooded ring. "Where are we?" She asked in a monotone voice. "In the forest of Greenwood the grate, also known as Mirkwood." Gandalf replied. Lillian nodded. "Excuse me a moment while I find two of the companions who will be in the journey as well." Gandalf said, leaving her in the ring. He was going to search for two old friends. Lillian watched the wizened old man walk until he was out of sight, then sat down, retrieved a book from her bag, and began reading.
Gandalf wandered through the main city of Mirkwood. All around him small Elfish children pulled at his cloak, asking if he had brought any fire crackers. "No, no! I'm sorry, children!" He replied "Hey there!" He called to one older Elf boy who was stringing his bow. "I?" He called back. "Yes, you! Have you seen Prince Legolas, and Master Gimly?" Gandalf called, removing one energetic Elfling from his elbow. "What? The Dwarf? He and the Prince are in the main hall!" The Elf replied, pausing from his task to devote his attention to the tall Wizard. "Thank you!" Gandalf answered, trying to part the sea of juvenile Elves.
Legolas and Gimly were sitting in the central chamber, talking of a quest they had recently been on, to vanquish one of the few remaining dragons in Middle Earth. Legolas' father, King Thranduil, had thought very little of Legolas' expedition, until Legolas had reminded him that he was to receive a fair share of the treasure. Gimly was pleasantly chatting on about the battle with the dragon, in which Legolas had dealt the final blow, when he could not remember the dragon's name. "Was it Ash, or Darthduen, or-" Gimly was struggling, when Legolas suddenly cried: "Olorin!"*1 "No! No! That was not it!" Gimly muttered. "I was not speaking of the dragon, oh mighty and lofty Master Dwarf! Gandalf is come!" Legolas laughed.
"Gandalf?!" Gimly cried, springing to his feet.
"Yes! I have come!" Gandalf laughed, at seeing the Dwarf's reaction.
"What brings you to Greenwood the Great?" Legolas asked, overjoyed at
seeing his old friend.
"Well, there is a job I need done, and I am short one Dwarf and an
Elf." Gandalf smiled, "Do you know of any who would be willing to journey to the Misty Mountains, and aid me in destroying the remnant of the orcs that dwell therein?"
"I believe we may be able to find two such companions." Legolas
replied, feeling ready to head off at once. "When do we depart!"
"First you may wish to pack..." Gandalf reminded him.
Gimly grinned sheepishly as he replied: "We have not yet unpacked from the dragon hunt."
"Such lazy creatures!" Gandalf laughed.
"We are ready to depart then?" Legolas asked, taking his pack from under his chair, where he had forgotten it when he last returned.
"Let us go." Gandalf smiled, walking back towards the door.
Legolas scrawled a quick note to his father, explaining that he had gone on a journey to aid in the slaying of the orcs in the Misty Mountains.
'What will father think when he sees that?' Legolas though, as he sprinted to catch up with his companions.
*1=Olorin is one of Gandalf's names.