Ch.6
'Come in, Rian-Celine,' said a majestic voice in her head.
That is SO the Lord Elrond, thought Rian-Celine, startled. She hurried in.
Gandalf, Arwen, and three other Elves were sitting on some very comfortable couches. Gandalf was eating ketchup quietly. She curtsied deeply to Arwen, and to the Elf on her left. For he was undoubtedly the Lord Elrond himself. The other two Elves stood behind Elrond and Arwen, and bowed slightly. Rian- Celine noticed they looked exactly alike. She guessed who they were, but preferred not to think anything while she was under the piercing gaze of Lord Elrond.
'Please sit down, my child.' Elrond commanded her. The girl seated herself gracefully.
'Gandalf has told us that you are a stranger here, to Middle-Earth, and that you wished to stay here for...seventeen years?' Rian-Celine took a deep breath, organized her thoughts, and spoke aloud to the group.
"Yes, I am not from Middle-Earth, though I wouldn't say I'm a stranger, as I know a good deal of it's history and future too. I come from a world inhabited only by men. I cannot hear myself, or anyone else, speak. I hear nothing. I smell nothing, and I taste nothing. Only with someone like Gandalf or the Elves who use telepathy can I communicate. I was not like this in my world. I know not how long I will be here in Middle-Earth, but if my instincts are correct it may amount to 20 years. And I would wish...it would be easiest for me to live amongst Elves given my lack of certain senses. That is why I asked Gandalf to bring me to Imladris."
'You are a woman, then?' inquired Elrond with disbelief. Rian-Celine noticed his incredulity. Of course she was a woman...wasn't she? Come to think of it, there were alot of strange things about her...what if...no, it couldn't be possible! Could it?
"I...think I'm a woman." she faltered.
Elrond nodded slowly. The thing about telepathy is you have to be quite experienced to eavesdrop, Rian-Celine thought uncomfortably. And right now I haven't the slightest idea whether Any of those five are talking about me!
At last Arwen rose, and held out her hand toRian- Celine gravely. But Rian- Celine knew their was a merry twinkle in her eye.
'Welcome to Rivendell, Rian-Celine Woodlands.'
And so it was settled. Rian-Celine was quite excited at the prospect of seventeen years in the company of such people. Elrond's children were very friendly and asked many questions. Their telepathic conversations were interrupted by someone at the library door. One of the twins noticed first, and laughed joyfully.
"Father, here is another guest for you!"
Bilbo Baggins trotted in. He was made much of by all, though Rian-Celine stayed in the background until someone actually introduced her. She had forgotten all about his coming to Rivendell. She thought he looked ever so slightly older, but more relaxed that that night at the party. Indeed he was quite overjoyed himself at the sight of his old friends. From the familiarity with which they treated each other Rian-Celine guessed that the suspicions people held about Bilbo making some side trips to Rivendell in the last 60 years were quite true. She was delighted when Bilbo inquired who she was. Even more when she found that he too was aspiring to telepathy, no doubt his experience with the Ring had something to do with that.
"I am glad that I will have the pleasure of conversation with SOME mortal in this house of everlasting Elves!" Bilbo admitted with a laugh and a mischievous grin in the direction of Elrond. Elrond tried to look insulted, and failed miserably. Gandalf interrupted. Rian-Celine did not know what he was saying, until Arwen took pity on her and repeated it.
"I am sorry to break up this joyous moment, but I must take my leave. Urgent business calls me to Gondor."
Cries of "Stay to dinner" and "Already?!" "Tomorrow, Gandalf!!" assailed the determined wizard's ears. He said farewell. Elrond accompanied him out, leaving Arwen, the twins, Rian-Celine and Bilbo feeling slightly dejected. Never one to dwell on the displeasing, Rian-Celine perked up.
"He will be back," she said aloud. The twins grinned at her.
"Let us show Rain-Celine about Rivendell before dinner," said Arwen, regaining her equanimity. Bilbo declared that he should dearly love to do so, but the long journey had quite exhausted him. At this one of the twins took him by the hand, winked most unroyally at Rian-Celine, and left.
'He's showing Bilbo to his room. The hobbit will be in good spirits for dinner.' Arwen told Rian-Celine. 'Elrohir will join us later, shall we go?'
Oh. So the one in front of her was Elladan. Really, how did Arwen tell her brothers apart?! They were a very handsome set of twins indeed. Would it be wise to fall in love with one? Rian-Celine realized that she was talking to Elladan out loud. She panicked. What did she just say?
'I never met a car. What is a car?' he replied.
Car? Car? Neither had she....what was a car? A car is that thing on four wheels...good grief. WHAT in MIDDLE-EARTH was she SAYING?
"I, um, I'm having a bit of trouble with this whole losing my senses thing," Rian-Celine said. "Could we just walk on quietly for a bit?" Arwen obviously had been waiting, Elladan looked slightly baffled, and Rian- Celine was not certain she had not lost her senses in more ways than one.
'Come in, Rian-Celine,' said a majestic voice in her head.
That is SO the Lord Elrond, thought Rian-Celine, startled. She hurried in.
Gandalf, Arwen, and three other Elves were sitting on some very comfortable couches. Gandalf was eating ketchup quietly. She curtsied deeply to Arwen, and to the Elf on her left. For he was undoubtedly the Lord Elrond himself. The other two Elves stood behind Elrond and Arwen, and bowed slightly. Rian- Celine noticed they looked exactly alike. She guessed who they were, but preferred not to think anything while she was under the piercing gaze of Lord Elrond.
'Please sit down, my child.' Elrond commanded her. The girl seated herself gracefully.
'Gandalf has told us that you are a stranger here, to Middle-Earth, and that you wished to stay here for...seventeen years?' Rian-Celine took a deep breath, organized her thoughts, and spoke aloud to the group.
"Yes, I am not from Middle-Earth, though I wouldn't say I'm a stranger, as I know a good deal of it's history and future too. I come from a world inhabited only by men. I cannot hear myself, or anyone else, speak. I hear nothing. I smell nothing, and I taste nothing. Only with someone like Gandalf or the Elves who use telepathy can I communicate. I was not like this in my world. I know not how long I will be here in Middle-Earth, but if my instincts are correct it may amount to 20 years. And I would wish...it would be easiest for me to live amongst Elves given my lack of certain senses. That is why I asked Gandalf to bring me to Imladris."
'You are a woman, then?' inquired Elrond with disbelief. Rian-Celine noticed his incredulity. Of course she was a woman...wasn't she? Come to think of it, there were alot of strange things about her...what if...no, it couldn't be possible! Could it?
"I...think I'm a woman." she faltered.
Elrond nodded slowly. The thing about telepathy is you have to be quite experienced to eavesdrop, Rian-Celine thought uncomfortably. And right now I haven't the slightest idea whether Any of those five are talking about me!
At last Arwen rose, and held out her hand toRian- Celine gravely. But Rian- Celine knew their was a merry twinkle in her eye.
'Welcome to Rivendell, Rian-Celine Woodlands.'
And so it was settled. Rian-Celine was quite excited at the prospect of seventeen years in the company of such people. Elrond's children were very friendly and asked many questions. Their telepathic conversations were interrupted by someone at the library door. One of the twins noticed first, and laughed joyfully.
"Father, here is another guest for you!"
Bilbo Baggins trotted in. He was made much of by all, though Rian-Celine stayed in the background until someone actually introduced her. She had forgotten all about his coming to Rivendell. She thought he looked ever so slightly older, but more relaxed that that night at the party. Indeed he was quite overjoyed himself at the sight of his old friends. From the familiarity with which they treated each other Rian-Celine guessed that the suspicions people held about Bilbo making some side trips to Rivendell in the last 60 years were quite true. She was delighted when Bilbo inquired who she was. Even more when she found that he too was aspiring to telepathy, no doubt his experience with the Ring had something to do with that.
"I am glad that I will have the pleasure of conversation with SOME mortal in this house of everlasting Elves!" Bilbo admitted with a laugh and a mischievous grin in the direction of Elrond. Elrond tried to look insulted, and failed miserably. Gandalf interrupted. Rian-Celine did not know what he was saying, until Arwen took pity on her and repeated it.
"I am sorry to break up this joyous moment, but I must take my leave. Urgent business calls me to Gondor."
Cries of "Stay to dinner" and "Already?!" "Tomorrow, Gandalf!!" assailed the determined wizard's ears. He said farewell. Elrond accompanied him out, leaving Arwen, the twins, Rian-Celine and Bilbo feeling slightly dejected. Never one to dwell on the displeasing, Rian-Celine perked up.
"He will be back," she said aloud. The twins grinned at her.
"Let us show Rain-Celine about Rivendell before dinner," said Arwen, regaining her equanimity. Bilbo declared that he should dearly love to do so, but the long journey had quite exhausted him. At this one of the twins took him by the hand, winked most unroyally at Rian-Celine, and left.
'He's showing Bilbo to his room. The hobbit will be in good spirits for dinner.' Arwen told Rian-Celine. 'Elrohir will join us later, shall we go?'
Oh. So the one in front of her was Elladan. Really, how did Arwen tell her brothers apart?! They were a very handsome set of twins indeed. Would it be wise to fall in love with one? Rian-Celine realized that she was talking to Elladan out loud. She panicked. What did she just say?
'I never met a car. What is a car?' he replied.
Car? Car? Neither had she....what was a car? A car is that thing on four wheels...good grief. WHAT in MIDDLE-EARTH was she SAYING?
"I, um, I'm having a bit of trouble with this whole losing my senses thing," Rian-Celine said. "Could we just walk on quietly for a bit?" Arwen obviously had been waiting, Elladan looked slightly baffled, and Rian- Celine was not certain she had not lost her senses in more ways than one.