Part 2

Gimli quickly reached for his axe that he carried strapped to his back and warily kept his eye on the two strangers. He'd learned long ago that looks were often deceptive. "I am Gimli, son of Gloin."

Willow nervously watched the small man with the beard waiting to see what kind of dimension they had landed in this time. She shifted her weight slightly to position herself in front of Dawn. Her eyes continued to flit from the small man to the axe he held in his hand and back. "I'm Willow and this is Dawn."

"And we're from a galaxy far, far away." Dawn mumbled in Willow's ear hoping to bring a smile to her friend's face.

"Hush, Princess Leiah." Willow hissed.

"Leiah? I thought the Princess' name is Dawn."

Dawn beamed, "I'm a Princess. Okay, not in the same league as you oh goddess Willow but…"

"Goddess. You are a goddess?"

Willow narrowed her eyes at Dawn who just smiled innocently at her. She turned back to Gimli, "I am NOT a goddess."

"But you do magic? You were the one that put the tear in the sky?"

She was not about to reveal to Gimli that it was actually Dawn that caused the tear in the sky. "In a way, I caused the tear between worlds."

Gimli's eyes widened slightly, "You are a wizard?"

"Yep, she's a regular Hermione."

"You think the monks would take you back?" Willow mumbled at Dawn.

"Ah… you wouldn't send me back, Willow. You'd miss me too much."

"You are the Princess' protector?" Gimli interrupted the girls.

Willow opened her mouth to protest but Dawn answered first, "Friend and Protector."

They were only a half day's journey from Rivendell where he and others had been summoned for Elrond's Council. Elves, Dwarves and Men were gathering even now but unlike the last time it wasn't a Council to defeat Sauron but a Council to decide how to coexist in the New Age. Perhaps Elrond, Celebron and Galadriel would be able to tell the truth these two speak.

"I travel to Rivendell, a half day's journey to the South. You are welcome to join me."

Dawn smiled her thanks, "That would be great, thanks."

Gimli indicated that they follow him. "We are to travel to the realm of the Elves."

"Elves?" Willow's eyes widened. "Are you an Elf?"

Gimli laughed, "You think me an Elf?" He'd have to tell his friend Legolas when next he saw him.

"Well, actually PRINCESS Dawn thought you were a Dwarf but since you mentioned Elves I thought you might be one."

"I am a Dwarf. You speak as though you've never seen an Elf or a Dwarf. Are there no Dwarves or Elves in your land?"

"Well, I did see a troll once but nope not a dwarf or an elf."

"You have wizards and trolls but no Dwarves or Elves? Are there Hobbits where you are from?"

Dawn wrinkled her brow, "Hobbits? I've never heard of a Hobbit before have you, Willow?"

Gimli couldn't imagine a land where there were no Dwarves, Elves or Hobbits. "What is your homeland like if there are no Dwarves, Elves or Hobbits?"

Dawn and Willow told Gimli tales of demons, magic and warriors for the Powers That Be.

~~~~

Gimli stopped beside the Ford of Bruinen and pointed to the land on the opposite side. "This is the beginning of Rivendell, the land of Lord Elrond."

"It's beautiful." Dawn's eyes roamed the landscape of trees, mountains and the river. "Is it far to where Lord Elrond is?"

Gimli pointed to a waterfall in the distance, "The House of Elrond sits there on the edge."

Willow narrowed her eyes against the sun reflecting off the water and tried to see a building but all she saw was the waterfall and the rocks and trees surrounding it. She leaned in to whisper to Dawn, "You see anything?"

"Nope, just the waterfall." Dawn whispered back before she turned to follow Gimli across the river.

A cry escaped Willow's lips as she collapsed when she reached the other side of the water.

"WILLOW!" Dawn yelled and raced to her friend's side. "Are you all right?"

Willow's breath came in short gasps, "Magick, ancient powerful magick. I didn't feel it before but it's overwhelming."

Dawn knelt down next to Willow and grabbed her hand for support. "Is it too much? Do you need to leave? We can find somewhere else to go or we can even go to another world. We don't have to stay here."

"She feels the magick of the Elves. They shield their magick from outsiders and only those with powers can feel it when they cross the barrier."

Dawn turned pleading eyes to Gimli as Willow fought to catch her breath, "Will she be all right?"

"That is up to your protector."

Dawn's eyes developed a dangerous glint as she narrowed them at Gimli, "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means Little Warrior that only those magick users that are pure of heart may enter the realm of the Elves."

Dawn dropped Willow's hand and stomped toward the Dwarf, "You didn't think that was important enough to tell us before we entered?!"

Gimli stood his ground, "Is your friend not pure of heart?"

"Of course she's pure of heart! She's the best friend a person can have!" Dawn yelled at Gimli.

"Then, there is no reason to fear for your friend."

Willow tried to hear Dawn's yelling over the pulse that was pounding in her ears. This magick was more intense than when the Romany or whoever took over her body to give Angelus his soul back. This was more intense than what she had tapped into to translocate Glorificus. She tried to yell for Dawn but all that came out was a soft whisper, "Dawn."

Dawn turned and quickly went back to Willow's side, "I'm here, Willow. I'll carry you back over the river and we can leave."

A hand reached down to lightly caress Willow's hair, "Why leave now? You've only just arrived in this land."

The intensity left Willow's body as soon as she felt the soft touch on her head. Her wildly beating pulse began to slow and her breaths were no longer harsh. Now that her heart was no longer threatening to beat out of her chest she risked a glance upward.

"Oh my god! I died and you're an angel."

Arwen smiled, "No, you have not passed into the land of shadow. I am Arwen, welcome to Rivendell."