Chapter One: Many Meetings

Disclaimer: No- I don't own Lord of the Rings... However, I do own myself, and Adunaciriel.

I love fanfiction. I've read many fanfic's where the author finds themselves in The Lord of the Rings. Some of them really are quite stupid about what they do in Middle-Earth. Really, really stupid. So when I took a walk one evening through a forest and came out in the wild lands just south of Rivendell, I knew what not to do.

I somehow managed to find my way to Rivendell and promptly collapsed with exhaustion at the front gate. When I woke up in the morning in a sumptuously soft bed with a fluffy comforter and silken sheets, I wondered briefly where in Great Eru's Arda I was (I actually do say that). The dark beamed ceiling above me was familiar, but not as if I had seen it before. I was puzzled. I sat up and looked around and my confusion deepened, this room, the architecture, the view from the carven window beside the bed, everything was familiar. It couldn't be... could it? This was Rivendell- I knew it almost intimately, having visited in dreams, theaters, and concept designs uncounted times. As I sat gaping, a figure robed in rich red velvet swept in.

"What the fu-!?" I spluttered, just remembering to shut up so the figure wouldn't hear what was clearly not a term used often in Middle-Earth. "M-Master Elrond," I stammered, "greetings."

He inclined his head graciously. "And to you, mellonin." I smiled, 'my friend', he had called me. I paused for a moment,

"Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo."- "May the stars shine upon the hour of our meeting."

"Ah..." he chuckled gravely "'tis good to meet one not of the elven kind who speaks the ancient tongue." I smiled up at him, though still rather awed.

"I thank thee, Master Elrond." I made sure to talk like a proper inhabitant of the World at that time.

"So," Elrond said, "What is thy name and where did you come from?" That required a fast bit of thinking.

"Em... from Rohan I am come." I said, damn, how was I supposed to come up with a Rohirric name? I dredged up what knowledge I had of the tongue of the Rohirrim. "...Haleth is my name". He arched one of those imposing eyebrows at me,

"Indeed? Seldom do the Rohirrim come to Imladris, and even less often the women of that country. Did you bring no gear? No weapons?"

"I was... (another frantic search for the right word) waylaid by orcs at night as I slept. They took my pack and my sword and bow, and yet harmed me not, though 'tis a mystery to me why they did not kill me." I'm not sure he believed me, the way he looked at me from under those eyebrows, but it was the best I could do. At any rate, he did not seem disposed to question me further at that moment.

"I shall send one of my house with clothes so that you may join us at table." He said, and swept out again. I blinked, it could be a dream, I supposed, but somehow, it didn't seem like it.

I got out of bed and stretched, finding that the elves had clothed me in soft pajamas and had folded my clothes (cargo pants and my "wise-ass" t- shirt) and put them on a bedside table. I flushed red, wondering how on Arda I was going to explain those.

As I sat lost in my thoughts, an elf walked in. She had a fair pale face, and long, raven-dark hair.

"Im omenlë Haleth. Nin esse'na Adunaciriel." She said- "I greet thee Haleth. My name is Adunaciriel."

"You are from Rivendell?" I asked, immediately puzzled by her name, which meant 'Maiden of the Western ships' For an elf who was not from the Havens to have the word 'ship' in their name was extremely unusual.

"Thy name, I mean- 'ship maiden'?"

"Ah, yes" she said, amused, "My mother is of the Teleri. I came here in my youth seeking of the wisdom of Elrond and this is my home, such as it is. I seldom stay in one place for long, for my soul is that of a wanderer. Even to the far countries of Rhûn and Harad, I have been, and yet I am not content. I fear in time I must make the journey to the Havens and depart at last from hither shores..." she sighed, staring off into space, seemingly forgetting my presence. Then she started

"I am sorry, I meant not to burden you with my troubles." I yawned,

"'S okay" Damn! I knew I was bound to screw up somewhere, what to say now? "Um, I mean, er, eh, 'ti-'tis fine..." I trailed off lamely into silence. Adunaciriel looked at me piercingly.

"I think," she said, "that you are not from the Mark, whatever you say. I have been in that land many times, and... you are different. To any, perhaps, but one of the Rohirrim, or one who knows them and their ways, you would seem as one of them, but...Where didst thou come from, that you endeavored to hide it from us?"

My eyes darted around the room, as if searching for a way out of the bind I was in, none was to be found.

"Would you believe me if I told you?" I asked, cringing mentally at what might well be coming.

"Yes, I think" she said "For there is something about thee that I have not known before." I squirmed guiltily

"I'm- I'm from somewhen else."

"Somewhen?" she asked, looking at me quizzically.

"Before I tell you," I said, "You must swear not to repeat what I say to anyone. Not even the Lord Elrond." Silence, but I trusted her, she was, after all, of the elven kind. "I'm from the future." I said, "Far, far in the future... I dunno how I got here." Puzzlement filled her fair face.

"If... if you are from the future," she said, "How do you know about us? How to speak the high elven tongue... and how do you know about Rohan and here... in Rivendell?"

This was going to take a while. "Well, "I said, "About 50 or 60 years before I was born, a man named John Ronald Reuel Tolkein wrote a book called The Lord of the Rings..."

After an hour and a half or so, Adunaciriel seemed mostly to understand what I was getting on about.

"So," she said, "to all but me you shall be Haleth, daughter of Frambar and Théodwyn, shield maiden in training, as it were, and you come from the Westfold in the Riddermark."

"Lovely." I said.

"I shall bring you clothes and you shall dine with us, if it pleases you." pronounced Adunaciriel

"That would be absolutely swish." I grinned at her as she cocked an eyebrow at my use of the word swish "Great, wonderful, fantastic, cool, luvverly, good." I defined for her. She smiled wryly and started to depart

"Wait- Adunaciriel!" I started. She turned,

"Mmm?"

"Erm... I was wondering. Before I break my fast if I could see that one of the little folk as is called Peregrin Took- son of Paladin?"

She suppressed a chuckle "I assure thee, m'lady, young Master Took will be at table." I grinned, where else would he be? Just like Pippin.

She returned after a moment, bearing clothes. They were all dresses and gowns. Now, though I dislike wearing such things on a daily basis, I am not incapable of admiring them, and these were most definitely worthy of admiring. Silks and velvets and brocades, all embroidered with the finest stitching one could imagine in gold and silver thread. The colors were rich and the fabrics soft to the touch. After several minutes of searching, I picked out the one I liked most. It was of luscious dark-green velvet, which set off my red hair nicely, with a golden girdle and absolutely enormous sleeves.

I looked at myself in a mirror of silver and did a double take. That was me? In that dress? I looked... well, I looked beautiful. My thick coppery hair tumbled halfway down my back, framing my porcelain-white face. The cloak at the back trailed behind me and my sleeves brushed the floor, my hands standing out against the dark cloth. My ears... well, perhaps this was just wishful thinking, but my ears seemed slightly pointier. I grinned and turned to the elf. Taking a deep breath, I said "Alright then... let's go."

I was led to the feasting hall where there were only three, rather small people at the high table. Feeling I could be more casual with the hobbits, I sat down and said

"'Ello. Peregrin, Meriadoc, an' Samwise is it not?"

"'S not." Pippin said. "Pippin, Merry, an' Sam, if'n ye please miss. An' ye are...?"

"Whoah!" Merry said, jostling Pippins arm. "Ye fancy 'er then?" Pippin looked scathingly back at Merry

"Pray tell, Master Meriadoc," he said, with mock courtliness "Where did ye ge' such an idea inter yer 'ead?"

"'Miss'?"

"Ah wis bein' polite- may's well. A' least," He said with a wicked grin in my direction, "Till we ge' t'know 'er." I grinned back, liking him immediately- like that was any surprise.

"M'name's Haleth."

"Have a pint?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows at me. I smirked at him, to buy me a minute to think- I was underage... technically, but what the hell! It's time to party like a hobbit.

"Be much obliged." I said as he slid a tankard down the board to me, the head foaming over the side as I barely caught it. I mopped some of it off the side with my finger and licked it. It didn't taste bad, I was somewhat surprised to find. It was reminiscent of the beer my dad drank (nothing like Guinness, thankfully), but sweetish and a little nutty. I took an appreciative mouthful, licking the froth off my upper lip.

"S'good." I said, turning to Pippin, who was draining the dregs of his ale.

"'Tis, though innit?" He said, hardly slurring his words at all - I noticed there was not only an empty half-pint in front of him, but a pint as well. I could only surmise that hobbits were all but immune to the effects of alcohol until they had had at least a few pints. I shrugged to myself as Pippin continued

"Ye wan' anythin' else? Surely ye don' mean t'get by on a pint alone!" He chuckled- as did I when I realized that such a thing would, in the Shire, be regarded either as hilarious or terrifying.

"Aye." I said, suddenly realizing that I was ravenous. I grabbed a thick slice of bacon and started gnawing on it. Taking another swig of ale, I said,

"So, Peregrin Took, son o' th' Thain, what brings you and yer fine friends to Rivendell?" Pippin blinked at me

"How'd'ye know Ah wis th' Thains son?" I put my fingers to my temples and said

"I am a seer; clairvoyant... I read minds..."

Pippin looked worried, Merry, on the other hand, knowing it for a joke, said,

"I had not heard that those of..."

"Rohan", I supplied.

"... Those of Rohan had that gift".

He glanced at me, grinning, and then shot a look at Pippins face and promptly collapsed in his seat, laughing uncontrollably.

"Mighty Valar! Pip, it was a joke!" I gasped, shaking with mirth. His face brightened considerably, and he once again gave me that characteristic eyebrow waggle, saying

"Oh, Ah knew tha'- Ah wis jes' jokin'... Ye like another pint?" he added, hastily changing the subject.

I grinned wolfishly at him, and he matched my expression to the letter.

"Aye."