Part 3
Dawn narrowed her eyes at the beautiful stranger that had seemed to appear out of nowhere. She hadn't noticed Arwen's approach at all. One minute, she was holding Willow's hand and the next minute, Arwen was placing a comforting hand on Willow's head. Sure, her mind had been a little preoccupied what with Grumpy telling them about the pure of heart test and Willow writhing in pain but Glory was too fresh in her thoughts to trust a sudden appearance of a stranger.
A slight pressure on her hand brought Dawn's attention to Willow and away from Arwen. "Are you all right?"
Willow slowly nodded and took it as a good sign that her head remained attached to her body. "Not lookin' forward to doing that again any time soon."
A soft pale hand reached down to offer assistance when Willow tried to sit up but Dawn subtly pushed it out of the way as she slipped her arm around Willow's waist and supported her weight.
A small smile flitted across Arwen's features before she turned to Gimli, "Welcome, Master Dwarf. There was concern for your late arrival but I see now why you were delayed."
"My Lady, may I present Princess Dawn and her Wizard Protector, Willow."
Willow inwardly sighed at the title of Wizard Protector. She guessed it was better than being called a goddess or being hunted by a demon mob.
Dawn stubbornly stuck her chin out as she looked at Arwen, "Will Willow be alright?"
The Elf nodded and gently smiled at Dawn's concern, "She carries the white magick of a pure heart, our Elvish magick will not cause harm. Come, my father and the others await."
Willow patted Dawn's shoulder as she moved to stand on her own, "I'm okay, Dawn. Just a little oogy, it's like all the effects of a hangover and none of the fun of getting one."
The dwarf waited for Willow and Dawn to follow Arwen before he joined them. Even though the female wizard passed the Elvish test, they had yet to pass Gimli's test of those he trusted.
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A soft gasp escaped Willow's lips as she came to a sudden halt at the top of a rise. The noise brought Dawn quickly to her side, "Are you okay?"
Willow smiled over at Dawn before she turned her awe-struck gaze back at Rivendell. "I'm fine, I've just never imagined anything so beautiful or peaceful looking."
Below snow capped peaks along the flowing Bruinen sat the many-terraced home of Lord Elrond. It blended perfectly with its natural surroundings, as though the very forces of nature had carved it out of the stones over time.
Arwen looked over her shoulder at Willow with a smile, "Though I no longer live here and my home is elsewhere, my heart always lightens when I return to Rivendell."
Willow's face grew thoughtful as her mind turned toward Sunnydale and all that she left behind. If there hadn't been a battle with Glory or a need to defend the Hellmouth would her heart 'lighten' at the return to Sunnydale? She wasn't sure she would call Sunnydale home. Sure she missed the people there, her family and friends, but as a place… not so much.
"Why the gloomy face, Willow?" Dawn asked as they continued on their trip down the mountain.
"I was just thinking about Sunnydale."
"Yeah. I miss them, too. Do you think Buffy and everyone is okay?"
Willow reached over and took Dawn's hand in her own. "If anyone can get out of a jam it's Buffy. Even if Buffy couldn't, Spike certainly always comes out on top."
Dawn squeezed Willow's hand and said in a small voice, "Do you think Glory has stopped looking for me?"
Gimli moved closer as he heard the young princess' question. So they were on the run from this Glory.
The red head didn't want to lie to Dawn but neither did she want to reveal that she was afraid that Glory would try to torture the answer out of Buffy and the others. Just look what she had done to Spike and her friend Tara to get information about the location of 'the key'.
"Even if she DID happen to open a portal somehow there's no way she would be able to find us. I mean the odds have got to be about a million to one that she would be able to track us through the dimensions that we went to."
Gimli silently followed and tried to digest this new information. This was not the first tear in the sky that the Wizard had performed and this Glory must be another powerful female wizard if she could make a tear in the sky to follow Willow. He would report everything he'd overheard to the Council members.
He truthfully did not think the Princess and her wizard Protector were working with the forces of darkness in Middle Earth but until he knew more of their story he would reserve judgment on whether they worked for the Light in their world.
The Dwarf did not like the timing of their entry into Middle Earth and he did not believe in coincidences. There had to be a reason that these two dropped into this realm at the time of Elrond's Council.
A feeling of peace fell over Arwen as she lead Gimli and the others over the bridge and into Rivendell. She loved Aragorn and their home and she would never leave there to return but she did miss the living among nature of her childhood home.
Dawn cocked her head to the side and listened, "Is that singing?"
Arwen closed her eyes for a moment and listened to the voices of the Elves, "It is a song of welcome for Gimli. Come, you must be tired from your journey. I will show you where you can stay." She indicated for Willow and Dawn to follow her up the stairs before turning her attention to the dwarf. "Your regular room is prepared, Gimli. My father and Galadriel wish to welcome the guests before Council matters."
Gimli's heart skipped a beat at the mention of Galadriel. He had forced himself to stay away from her, as it was too hard to see her and know she would never be his. When there were important matters to attend his father, Gloin, met with the Elvish Council. His father had insisted he must attend this Council and Gimli had reluctantly agreed. The meeting with the travelers hadn't been the only reason for his late arrival. He'd stayed as long as he dared without appearing rude. Bringing himself out of his thoughts he waved goodbye to Arwen as he took a side staircase that would lead to the room he used while in Rivendell. The sound of the beautiful Elvish singing that told of his victory against the Dark Lord followed him through the trees.
Willow and Dawn's heads twisted from side to side taking in all the splendor that was Elrond's home. Dawn's eyes widened as they passed beautiful people in beautiful silken clothes. She looked down at her dirty clothes and self-consciously patted at her wind blown hair. She was glad that she still held Willow's hand. She felt like a fish out of water surrounded by the elegance.
Willow's free hand wiped at the dirt on her jeans but gave it up for a lost cause when it only smeared it in deeper. She felt like she was being watched and judged by a city full of Cordelias and her Cordettes. All her insecurities that she'd hoped she'd outgrown came rushing back and she had to fight from slumping her shoulders and wrapping her arms protectively around her waist.
Dawn squeezed Willow's hand and gave her a trembling smile.
Arwen opened a door into a bedroom with a smile, "Welcome to Lord Elrond's home, Princess Dawn and Willow. I hope you do not mind but the women of the court have brought you clothes for your stay here. My father wishes you to rest from your journey and he requests to meet with you before the evening festival for Gimli begins. If this meets with your approval?"
Dawn wondered what Lord Elrond and Arwen would do if they said no it didn't meet with their approval. She didn't get a chance to find out before Willow told Arwen that would be fine.
At the click of the closed door Dawn turned to Willow, "Okay is it just me or have we landed into the world of supermodels? I mean was there one normal looking person out there? Do you think they drown them at birth and only the beautiful survive?"