Disclaimer: No, I'm not Tolkien. No, I don't own it.
A/N - No, I'm not dead, thanks for asking . . . yes, I'll try to update faster from now on.
This is a short chapter. You have been warned.
She opened her eyes ruefully, praying what she had dreamed had not really happened yet knowing that it had. For a fleeting instant, she imagined that she was back at home, that what had happened had all been a dream.
Sîrwen's voice brought her back to reality. "You have slept long," the Elf remarked.
Anna blinked. "Yes, very long, and dreamed deep," she answered. "Perhaps too deeply."
Sîrwen gave her a level look. "How so?"
"I - er - it's hard to explain," she admitted. "I'm not quite sure that I understand it myself."
"Would your dreaming have anything to do with your being taken away from home?" Sîrwen asked patiently, thinking back to an earlier time when her young charge had often woken in the night and been unable to sleep again, burdened with worries of her home and what was happening there without her.
She shook her head. "No - I - I dreamed what would happen if I stayed here, of what would happen to all of the char - all of you," Anna answered, catching herself just in time.
Sîrwen's expression did not change. Indeed, she remained as stolid as ever. "Am I correct in believing that you will wish to speak with Lord Elrond after dressing?"
Anna nodded, relieved that Sîrwen had not pressed the matter any further. "I - yes. I need to see Elrond."
She did not remember dressing or even the walk to Elrond' study. So preoccupied was she that it was not until she entered Elrond's study that she even became aware of her surroundings.
"Greetings, Anna," said the Elf lord calmly.
"Hullo," she responded dully, unable to remember, or care that it was a word that he would not recognize.
"I believe that I have found a solution to your problem," said Elrond warily, noting the strange look in her eye. "That is, if you have not thought of an answer."
"I haven't," said Anna after a moment's reflection, "but someone else has."
Elrond gave her a curious look. "And what might that answer be?" he inquired.
"I am not to call on the Valar for help. Instead, I am supposed to find the oldest of them all and ask for help," she answered, wondering who it might be. Tom Bombadil had called himself the oldest of all, but wasn't supposed to be one of the Valar?
Elrond nodded curtly. "There is one who calls himself the oldest of them all. Would you seek his advice?"
She didn't have to think long. "Yes, and probably try it too," she answered unabashedly. "I love - Arda - but I can't stay here. There are - too many things that have gone wrong since I've been here."
"Such as the death of the man, Boromir?" inquired Elrond.
She turned the answer over in her mind. "Yes and no," she said finally. "There's more to it than that."
"Meaning that Boromir would have died had you not intervened," said Elrond heavily. Noting the surprised look on her face, he added, "There is not much that one does not learn after so many years in Middle Earth. Reading facial expressions is a skill that you learn quickly."
She nodded, remembering some of the struggles that he had experienced during his time. "I understand. But - what am I to do?"
Elrond sighed in a way that did not suit him. "You know how the war ends, do you not?"
"Yes," said Anna, her voice trailing off. "Or, at least I should. If I haven't messed things up too horribly, it should follow the end of the book."
"Then you know that my daughter, Arwen, is to be married to Aragorn," he said. "Do not gape at me in such a surprised way - I am not blind to the affairs of my own house, and my sons would not have ridden to give him her banner otherwise."
She only just remembered to close her mouth before beginning to speak. "Erm, what about their wedding?"
"When my daughter leaves for Aragorn's side, you will also leave with them, but for a different destination."
"The house of Tom Bombadil?" she asked, and shivered. Foresight was not something that Elrond had been mentioned as having, and the thought of it rather scared her.
"That is one of his names," said Elrond calmly. "He is acknowledged as being the oldest by many, and even if it is not him that you must seek, he may give you advice as to how to reach your home."
"Very well," she said softly. "If it is Tom Bombadil who is the oldest, then, well, I'll pay him a visit."
Elrond gave her a piercing look. "Remember, Anna, you are always welcome in my hall."
She sniffled, suddenly aware of the onslaught of tears. "All right," she said thickly. "I'll remember." She resisted the urge to throw her arms around the Elf Lord and hug him as she would have hugged her father. "If things don't work out, I'll - I'll come back here."
Elrond smiled at her, a hollow smile. "You are always welcome in my hall," he repeated.
It was around then that she began to out and out sob. "Thanks," she sniffled. "Thanks a lot." Unable to resist any longer, she threw her arms around the Elf Lord in a wet, squashy hug.
To her surprise, the Elf did not pull away, but rather embraced her in return. "We will find a way to return you to your family," he said, correctly interpreting her tears as those of homesickness. "You will not be trapped in Arda forever."
With that said, he took her by the hand and led her back to her room, and to Sîrwen, who was waiting for her young charge's return.
REPLIES TO REVIEWS:
Ainu Laire - Has Peter Jackson come to Middle Earth? No - but after watching TTT, I felt like killing off Haldir as part of the plot.
yuhi-thedoerofevildeeds - The wait is over! After months and months, I've finally updated!
Hellga - *Shrugs* Maybe my copy of LotR is messed, or maybe I've been around too many badfic writers - I could've sworn it was Peredhel too.
Elanhin - Destroy Middle Earth on Anna's behalf? Never. Things will be fixed - you'll see.
AlmightyIshboo - *Joins in cheering* Hooray! Another chapter posted . . . and things will be resolved in the next two! Hopefully . . . Tom Bombadil may or may not know about quantum mechanics. If he does, it will be frightening but to Anna's advantage. If not . . . well, there you have it.
Acharnae - By the look of things, she is teaming up with Sîrwen. : )
Hirotani - A writer such as myself . . . *Blinks* I'll take that as a compliment, then? Thanks!
Lady Elleth - Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed review. It's always reassuring to hear that your character isn't a Mary Sue, but rather an OFC, and that your writing, while not perfect, is passable. I'm planning on revamping this sooner or later, or maybe going back to the same idea. Whatever I do, your review was/is extremely helpful. Thank you. As for any possible diseases she may carry infecting the people of Middle Earth - I pondered that for quite some time before leaving it out. Hopefully, if/when I come back to this, I'll put it in. Thanks again for reviewing - constructive criticism is something that I rarely get these days! : )
sugaricing - Thanks for taking the time to review!
melata - Another vote of confidence - this isn't a Mary Sue, or if it is, it's so entertaining that it's still worth reading. Thanks. I needed that. : )
Das Blume - What did I mean by the oldest? Well, hopefully this chapter cleared it up. : )
Phoenix Flight - At this point, Truth is too near and dear to my heart to give up. I'll definitely keep writing.
Daisy, Dark, Dailight - Well, it's not exactly soon, but I did update. : -)
*Huggles all her reviewers and passes out chocolate* Thanks for bearing with me through this fic. Please know that the next two chapters will most likely be the last, and that yes, things in Middle Earth will snap back to normal.
Also please know that the last bit of soppiness at the end wasn't planned - it just sort of played out that way.
A/N - No, I'm not dead, thanks for asking . . . yes, I'll try to update faster from now on.
This is a short chapter. You have been warned.
She opened her eyes ruefully, praying what she had dreamed had not really happened yet knowing that it had. For a fleeting instant, she imagined that she was back at home, that what had happened had all been a dream.
Sîrwen's voice brought her back to reality. "You have slept long," the Elf remarked.
Anna blinked. "Yes, very long, and dreamed deep," she answered. "Perhaps too deeply."
Sîrwen gave her a level look. "How so?"
"I - er - it's hard to explain," she admitted. "I'm not quite sure that I understand it myself."
"Would your dreaming have anything to do with your being taken away from home?" Sîrwen asked patiently, thinking back to an earlier time when her young charge had often woken in the night and been unable to sleep again, burdened with worries of her home and what was happening there without her.
She shook her head. "No - I - I dreamed what would happen if I stayed here, of what would happen to all of the char - all of you," Anna answered, catching herself just in time.
Sîrwen's expression did not change. Indeed, she remained as stolid as ever. "Am I correct in believing that you will wish to speak with Lord Elrond after dressing?"
Anna nodded, relieved that Sîrwen had not pressed the matter any further. "I - yes. I need to see Elrond."
She did not remember dressing or even the walk to Elrond' study. So preoccupied was she that it was not until she entered Elrond's study that she even became aware of her surroundings.
"Greetings, Anna," said the Elf lord calmly.
"Hullo," she responded dully, unable to remember, or care that it was a word that he would not recognize.
"I believe that I have found a solution to your problem," said Elrond warily, noting the strange look in her eye. "That is, if you have not thought of an answer."
"I haven't," said Anna after a moment's reflection, "but someone else has."
Elrond gave her a curious look. "And what might that answer be?" he inquired.
"I am not to call on the Valar for help. Instead, I am supposed to find the oldest of them all and ask for help," she answered, wondering who it might be. Tom Bombadil had called himself the oldest of all, but wasn't supposed to be one of the Valar?
Elrond nodded curtly. "There is one who calls himself the oldest of them all. Would you seek his advice?"
She didn't have to think long. "Yes, and probably try it too," she answered unabashedly. "I love - Arda - but I can't stay here. There are - too many things that have gone wrong since I've been here."
"Such as the death of the man, Boromir?" inquired Elrond.
She turned the answer over in her mind. "Yes and no," she said finally. "There's more to it than that."
"Meaning that Boromir would have died had you not intervened," said Elrond heavily. Noting the surprised look on her face, he added, "There is not much that one does not learn after so many years in Middle Earth. Reading facial expressions is a skill that you learn quickly."
She nodded, remembering some of the struggles that he had experienced during his time. "I understand. But - what am I to do?"
Elrond sighed in a way that did not suit him. "You know how the war ends, do you not?"
"Yes," said Anna, her voice trailing off. "Or, at least I should. If I haven't messed things up too horribly, it should follow the end of the book."
"Then you know that my daughter, Arwen, is to be married to Aragorn," he said. "Do not gape at me in such a surprised way - I am not blind to the affairs of my own house, and my sons would not have ridden to give him her banner otherwise."
She only just remembered to close her mouth before beginning to speak. "Erm, what about their wedding?"
"When my daughter leaves for Aragorn's side, you will also leave with them, but for a different destination."
"The house of Tom Bombadil?" she asked, and shivered. Foresight was not something that Elrond had been mentioned as having, and the thought of it rather scared her.
"That is one of his names," said Elrond calmly. "He is acknowledged as being the oldest by many, and even if it is not him that you must seek, he may give you advice as to how to reach your home."
"Very well," she said softly. "If it is Tom Bombadil who is the oldest, then, well, I'll pay him a visit."
Elrond gave her a piercing look. "Remember, Anna, you are always welcome in my hall."
She sniffled, suddenly aware of the onslaught of tears. "All right," she said thickly. "I'll remember." She resisted the urge to throw her arms around the Elf Lord and hug him as she would have hugged her father. "If things don't work out, I'll - I'll come back here."
Elrond smiled at her, a hollow smile. "You are always welcome in my hall," he repeated.
It was around then that she began to out and out sob. "Thanks," she sniffled. "Thanks a lot." Unable to resist any longer, she threw her arms around the Elf Lord in a wet, squashy hug.
To her surprise, the Elf did not pull away, but rather embraced her in return. "We will find a way to return you to your family," he said, correctly interpreting her tears as those of homesickness. "You will not be trapped in Arda forever."
With that said, he took her by the hand and led her back to her room, and to Sîrwen, who was waiting for her young charge's return.
REPLIES TO REVIEWS:
Ainu Laire - Has Peter Jackson come to Middle Earth? No - but after watching TTT, I felt like killing off Haldir as part of the plot.
yuhi-thedoerofevildeeds - The wait is over! After months and months, I've finally updated!
Hellga - *Shrugs* Maybe my copy of LotR is messed, or maybe I've been around too many badfic writers - I could've sworn it was Peredhel too.
Elanhin - Destroy Middle Earth on Anna's behalf? Never. Things will be fixed - you'll see.
AlmightyIshboo - *Joins in cheering* Hooray! Another chapter posted . . . and things will be resolved in the next two! Hopefully . . . Tom Bombadil may or may not know about quantum mechanics. If he does, it will be frightening but to Anna's advantage. If not . . . well, there you have it.
Acharnae - By the look of things, she is teaming up with Sîrwen. : )
Hirotani - A writer such as myself . . . *Blinks* I'll take that as a compliment, then? Thanks!
Lady Elleth - Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed review. It's always reassuring to hear that your character isn't a Mary Sue, but rather an OFC, and that your writing, while not perfect, is passable. I'm planning on revamping this sooner or later, or maybe going back to the same idea. Whatever I do, your review was/is extremely helpful. Thank you. As for any possible diseases she may carry infecting the people of Middle Earth - I pondered that for quite some time before leaving it out. Hopefully, if/when I come back to this, I'll put it in. Thanks again for reviewing - constructive criticism is something that I rarely get these days! : )
sugaricing - Thanks for taking the time to review!
melata - Another vote of confidence - this isn't a Mary Sue, or if it is, it's so entertaining that it's still worth reading. Thanks. I needed that. : )
Das Blume - What did I mean by the oldest? Well, hopefully this chapter cleared it up. : )
Phoenix Flight - At this point, Truth is too near and dear to my heart to give up. I'll definitely keep writing.
Daisy, Dark, Dailight - Well, it's not exactly soon, but I did update. : -)
*Huggles all her reviewers and passes out chocolate* Thanks for bearing with me through this fic. Please know that the next two chapters will most likely be the last, and that yes, things in Middle Earth will snap back to normal.
Also please know that the last bit of soppiness at the end wasn't planned - it just sort of played out that way.