AN: Hi all! Another week, another update! I hope everyone's having a
stellar summer and doing lots of fun things. I went to see "The Village"
the other day. It was pretty good...not as good as "Signs," though. Then
again, I'm partial to movies about aliens. Hence the reason why I'm typing
this while watching a "Star Wars" movie (going though an extreme Star Wars
thing...not sure why). Anywho, thank you all for our reviews! I greatly
appreciate them. Please keep them coming as I'm going to need all the help
I can get for my Creative Writing class next semester.
et-spiritus-sancti: I'm glad you liked the metaphor! I hope you like this next chapter as much. Niphredil's trying her best and is truly in for a shock soon. Quite soon, actually. As for her decision, that's going to make a big impact.
LalaithoftheBruinen: I'm glad you liked the chapter! I really am. Here's Niphredil's reaction, coming at you soon. I hope you like that just as much.
sunni07: Being cheerful at either really late or really hours does indeed bother may people and it something I try to do as often as possible. Works well in the place where I dance. The title of the chapter does work into something like "To Give Names." I used it because Elrond is giving himself a name in the chapter as well as a title of sorts. I'm sorry about the ending...I truly am!
LadyJadePerendhil: LOL! I'm glad you like Elrond's entrance. They're both going to be walking on eggshells with each other for a while. He's not sure what to make of her and she's sure as anything not sure what to make of him. I'm glad you liked it, though!
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for a handful of made up characters. Tolkien thought up the concept and, as such, it belongs to him. I'm just playing in his world. I'm broke and in college. All I own are Pointe Shoes.
Niphredil stared at the man- the one who had just proclaimed himself to be her grandfather- with unseeing eyes. There was just no way, no way at all he could be her grandfather. First off, and foremost, he looked too young. Grandfathers, in her opinion, were supposed to be these old men who were kindly and gave you treats.
From what she had learned from her parents, her grandfather wasn't exactly the kindest of figures. After all, he had forbidden her parents from seeing each other. In a round about way, he was responsible for her exile to the Muggle world. Her mother had feared his reaction to her when she was just a baby and had squirreled her away for safe keeping.
At least that's what she assumed her mother's words meant. She knew she could have been taking them the wrong way completely.
"Grandfather?" she asked, incredulously, "You look far too young to be my grandfather."
Part of her wanted to get away from this man, if indeed he was her grandfather, and head back into the citadel where she figured it was safer. Even now, after however much time had passed, she didn't want to test how he was going to react to her.
The other part of her wanted to stay, to learn everything she could from this man...elf...whatever he was. He was, after all, the lore master her mother had told her was coming. That meant he knew things. Things that could prove useful to her, help her understand the world she was living in. Things that could explain just who and what she was. She had so many questions and he looked to be the source for answers.
She had come here looking for answers, hadn't she?
Elrond looked at Niphredil, slight smile on his face. The shock was expected but her fear, the fear dancing just behind her eyes, was not. Why she was afraid of him, Elrond could only guess. He knew, though, Arwen might have something to do with it. His daughter had been afraid to tell him of Niphredil in the first place. That information may have come down to his granddaughter in some way, shape, or form.
"I may look young, my child, but I am far older than even you can imagine. To me you are still very new to the world and not in the way you are thinking," Elrond said with a wiry half grin.
"But how?" Niphredil broached, "That's not possible. I mean, unless you're a wizard or something and you're using magic of some kind."
She hadn't meant to question his words, to make a fool out of herself, but she found she couldn't help herself. There were just too many strange things going on for her liking.
"I forget, you do not know what you truly are," he began but found himself being cut off.
That, in and of itself, came as a surprise to Elrond. She appeared to be a somewhat meek person, afraid of her own shadow. It could have been an act, however, albeit a very clever one. Perhaps one she was not aware she was using.
"Emma said I was an elf," Niphredil stated in a matter of fact voice.
Elrond shook his head ruefully. There was no way to blame Emma for her actions. According to what he had learned, Aragorn had made Emma promise to befriend Niphredil. The young elfling most likely assumed that being friends did not entail keeping any secrets from the other.
"She is correct, in a way but I am sure she was not able to explain exactly how you are an elf. Your mother could have explained this to you. Instead, she had deferred that honor to me," Elrond corrected.
Niphredil simply nodded. Learning usually entailed silence in order for ears to pick up on every small detail of her lesson. Details were always the things teachers asked about on tests. She wasn't aware of a test coming from this elf, from her grandfather, but one could never be sure.
"I am half-elven, as is my daughter and twin sons. This designation is not just a title, as I believe you once assumed it to be and it is not something to be taken lightly. To be half-elven carries a burden with it. A burden it has fallen on me to help you understand. To be half-elven, requires you to make a choice. You can chose to be immortal and share the fate of the Eldar, or you can chose to be mortal, like you parents, and die when your time comes," Elrond explained, in a storyteller's voice.
"But, of both my parents are mortal," Niphredil broached, trying to put the puzzle together in her head, "how am I an elf? Shouldn't I be mortal like them?"
"That is a question with a simple answer. That is, simple to say. It is far more difficult to explain and I venture to believe that I may not know exactly how it happened. You were born to my daughter before she chose a mortal life. She was still counting among the Eldar, as was the child she was carrying," he answered knowing he was forcing more questions instead of providing more answers.
For the second time in quite a short span of time, Niphredil was struck speechless. What did one say to something like that? Immortality was just the stuff of fairy stories.
"As are elves and apparently I'm an elf," she mused.
Being an elf, she could nearly wrap her mind around. There were other elves in this world to help lessen the strangeness. The fact she was immortal, however, she was having difficulty wrapping her mind around. It just seemed so far fetched, so something people in the other world could only wish for, and here she was being offered it on a silver platter. It was hers for the taking.
"You are only immortal if you chose to be. That is why I am here, to tell you about this choice. To help you understand what is it you are being asked to decide," Elrond said his voice far more gently than she expected it to be.
"What am I being asked, sir? I'm not quite sure I understand it," Niphredil brought up truthfully.
"You must decide your own fate, little one. Chose to be immortal and I will hold of my sailing to the West until you are prepared to leave these shores. Chose a moral life and you will pass when your time comes. Though that time will be longer than that over an average mortal," he explained, trying his best to put it in words Niphredil could understand.
Niphredil gave her grandfather another wide eyed stared. That was some choice he was laying before her.
For some reason, one not easily discernable to her at the time, she recalled a story she had been asked to read in school called "The Lady or the Tiger." In that story, a man was asked to choose between two doors- behind on love, behind the other death. Unlike the man in story, Niphredil could clearly see her choice.
The words "Take the blue pill, take the red pill," echoed in her mind along side the story. Every other choice she had made in her short lifetime paled in comparison to this one. This was not something she could decide off the cuff, it seemed as irrevocable as the "red or blue pill" choice Sid and the others talked so often about.
"How long...how long do I have to decide?" Niphredil asked, finally finding her voice.
If she had time, she felt she could make the proper decision. The one she felt comfortable with. The one that would suit her and make her happy.
"Not ling, little one, for your great grandmother wishes to leave. I am hold her and you are holding me. Much depends on the haste of your decision," Elrond said, sounding slightly sad.
"Where is it you are going and why am I holding you here?" Niphredil questioned, trying to cover all the bases before doing anything else.
She knew it was best to see all her options before making any choice. That way she could make the best decision possible. It was unwieldy and methodical; she knew that to be true, but it was her way of doing things...most of the time.
"Like most of our kind, I grow weary of this world. I wish to sail to the West to the Undying Lands. If you decided to be counted among our kind, though, I will put off my sailing until you are prepared to go. It is the least I can do for both you and your mother," Elrond replied.
Niphredil was unhappy with the fact she was not being given a longer period of time in which to decide her fate. Such a large decision in such a short period of time hardly seemed fair to her.
"This is a very big decision you are asking me to make, sir. I can't just decide here and now how long I'm going to live. Please, sir, if it is at all possible, can I have just a few days to think it over? I promise not to take forever," Niphredil requested, suddenly feeling quite overwhelmed. By everything she was being asked.
"Of course. I would not want you to make this decision only to regret it later. Everything has its purpose, Niphredil, including this decision. I can only grant you a handful of days, though," Elrond stated, watching Niphredil with careful eyes.
She seemed to understand what was being asked of her- a good thing to say the least- but was faltering under its weight. It was a heavy burden, he knew from experience. He just hoped she was equal to its weight and she would follow her heart. She would make the choice that was right to her and only her. The choice that was free from outside influence, including his own influence.
(AN: The "take the blue pill, take the red pill" is a reference to the choice presented in The Matrix Trilogy. It's one of those irrevocable choices akin to the one being presented to Niphredil.)
et-spiritus-sancti: I'm glad you liked the metaphor! I hope you like this next chapter as much. Niphredil's trying her best and is truly in for a shock soon. Quite soon, actually. As for her decision, that's going to make a big impact.
LalaithoftheBruinen: I'm glad you liked the chapter! I really am. Here's Niphredil's reaction, coming at you soon. I hope you like that just as much.
sunni07: Being cheerful at either really late or really hours does indeed bother may people and it something I try to do as often as possible. Works well in the place where I dance. The title of the chapter does work into something like "To Give Names." I used it because Elrond is giving himself a name in the chapter as well as a title of sorts. I'm sorry about the ending...I truly am!
LadyJadePerendhil: LOL! I'm glad you like Elrond's entrance. They're both going to be walking on eggshells with each other for a while. He's not sure what to make of her and she's sure as anything not sure what to make of him. I'm glad you liked it, though!
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for a handful of made up characters. Tolkien thought up the concept and, as such, it belongs to him. I'm just playing in his world. I'm broke and in college. All I own are Pointe Shoes.
Niphredil stared at the man- the one who had just proclaimed himself to be her grandfather- with unseeing eyes. There was just no way, no way at all he could be her grandfather. First off, and foremost, he looked too young. Grandfathers, in her opinion, were supposed to be these old men who were kindly and gave you treats.
From what she had learned from her parents, her grandfather wasn't exactly the kindest of figures. After all, he had forbidden her parents from seeing each other. In a round about way, he was responsible for her exile to the Muggle world. Her mother had feared his reaction to her when she was just a baby and had squirreled her away for safe keeping.
At least that's what she assumed her mother's words meant. She knew she could have been taking them the wrong way completely.
"Grandfather?" she asked, incredulously, "You look far too young to be my grandfather."
Part of her wanted to get away from this man, if indeed he was her grandfather, and head back into the citadel where she figured it was safer. Even now, after however much time had passed, she didn't want to test how he was going to react to her.
The other part of her wanted to stay, to learn everything she could from this man...elf...whatever he was. He was, after all, the lore master her mother had told her was coming. That meant he knew things. Things that could prove useful to her, help her understand the world she was living in. Things that could explain just who and what she was. She had so many questions and he looked to be the source for answers.
She had come here looking for answers, hadn't she?
Elrond looked at Niphredil, slight smile on his face. The shock was expected but her fear, the fear dancing just behind her eyes, was not. Why she was afraid of him, Elrond could only guess. He knew, though, Arwen might have something to do with it. His daughter had been afraid to tell him of Niphredil in the first place. That information may have come down to his granddaughter in some way, shape, or form.
"I may look young, my child, but I am far older than even you can imagine. To me you are still very new to the world and not in the way you are thinking," Elrond said with a wiry half grin.
"But how?" Niphredil broached, "That's not possible. I mean, unless you're a wizard or something and you're using magic of some kind."
She hadn't meant to question his words, to make a fool out of herself, but she found she couldn't help herself. There were just too many strange things going on for her liking.
"I forget, you do not know what you truly are," he began but found himself being cut off.
That, in and of itself, came as a surprise to Elrond. She appeared to be a somewhat meek person, afraid of her own shadow. It could have been an act, however, albeit a very clever one. Perhaps one she was not aware she was using.
"Emma said I was an elf," Niphredil stated in a matter of fact voice.
Elrond shook his head ruefully. There was no way to blame Emma for her actions. According to what he had learned, Aragorn had made Emma promise to befriend Niphredil. The young elfling most likely assumed that being friends did not entail keeping any secrets from the other.
"She is correct, in a way but I am sure she was not able to explain exactly how you are an elf. Your mother could have explained this to you. Instead, she had deferred that honor to me," Elrond corrected.
Niphredil simply nodded. Learning usually entailed silence in order for ears to pick up on every small detail of her lesson. Details were always the things teachers asked about on tests. She wasn't aware of a test coming from this elf, from her grandfather, but one could never be sure.
"I am half-elven, as is my daughter and twin sons. This designation is not just a title, as I believe you once assumed it to be and it is not something to be taken lightly. To be half-elven carries a burden with it. A burden it has fallen on me to help you understand. To be half-elven, requires you to make a choice. You can chose to be immortal and share the fate of the Eldar, or you can chose to be mortal, like you parents, and die when your time comes," Elrond explained, in a storyteller's voice.
"But, of both my parents are mortal," Niphredil broached, trying to put the puzzle together in her head, "how am I an elf? Shouldn't I be mortal like them?"
"That is a question with a simple answer. That is, simple to say. It is far more difficult to explain and I venture to believe that I may not know exactly how it happened. You were born to my daughter before she chose a mortal life. She was still counting among the Eldar, as was the child she was carrying," he answered knowing he was forcing more questions instead of providing more answers.
For the second time in quite a short span of time, Niphredil was struck speechless. What did one say to something like that? Immortality was just the stuff of fairy stories.
"As are elves and apparently I'm an elf," she mused.
Being an elf, she could nearly wrap her mind around. There were other elves in this world to help lessen the strangeness. The fact she was immortal, however, she was having difficulty wrapping her mind around. It just seemed so far fetched, so something people in the other world could only wish for, and here she was being offered it on a silver platter. It was hers for the taking.
"You are only immortal if you chose to be. That is why I am here, to tell you about this choice. To help you understand what is it you are being asked to decide," Elrond said his voice far more gently than she expected it to be.
"What am I being asked, sir? I'm not quite sure I understand it," Niphredil brought up truthfully.
"You must decide your own fate, little one. Chose to be immortal and I will hold of my sailing to the West until you are prepared to leave these shores. Chose a moral life and you will pass when your time comes. Though that time will be longer than that over an average mortal," he explained, trying his best to put it in words Niphredil could understand.
Niphredil gave her grandfather another wide eyed stared. That was some choice he was laying before her.
For some reason, one not easily discernable to her at the time, she recalled a story she had been asked to read in school called "The Lady or the Tiger." In that story, a man was asked to choose between two doors- behind on love, behind the other death. Unlike the man in story, Niphredil could clearly see her choice.
The words "Take the blue pill, take the red pill," echoed in her mind along side the story. Every other choice she had made in her short lifetime paled in comparison to this one. This was not something she could decide off the cuff, it seemed as irrevocable as the "red or blue pill" choice Sid and the others talked so often about.
"How long...how long do I have to decide?" Niphredil asked, finally finding her voice.
If she had time, she felt she could make the proper decision. The one she felt comfortable with. The one that would suit her and make her happy.
"Not ling, little one, for your great grandmother wishes to leave. I am hold her and you are holding me. Much depends on the haste of your decision," Elrond said, sounding slightly sad.
"Where is it you are going and why am I holding you here?" Niphredil questioned, trying to cover all the bases before doing anything else.
She knew it was best to see all her options before making any choice. That way she could make the best decision possible. It was unwieldy and methodical; she knew that to be true, but it was her way of doing things...most of the time.
"Like most of our kind, I grow weary of this world. I wish to sail to the West to the Undying Lands. If you decided to be counted among our kind, though, I will put off my sailing until you are prepared to go. It is the least I can do for both you and your mother," Elrond replied.
Niphredil was unhappy with the fact she was not being given a longer period of time in which to decide her fate. Such a large decision in such a short period of time hardly seemed fair to her.
"This is a very big decision you are asking me to make, sir. I can't just decide here and now how long I'm going to live. Please, sir, if it is at all possible, can I have just a few days to think it over? I promise not to take forever," Niphredil requested, suddenly feeling quite overwhelmed. By everything she was being asked.
"Of course. I would not want you to make this decision only to regret it later. Everything has its purpose, Niphredil, including this decision. I can only grant you a handful of days, though," Elrond stated, watching Niphredil with careful eyes.
She seemed to understand what was being asked of her- a good thing to say the least- but was faltering under its weight. It was a heavy burden, he knew from experience. He just hoped she was equal to its weight and she would follow her heart. She would make the choice that was right to her and only her. The choice that was free from outside influence, including his own influence.
(AN: The "take the blue pill, take the red pill" is a reference to the choice presented in The Matrix Trilogy. It's one of those irrevocable choices akin to the one being presented to Niphredil.)