Chapter 4; The Hall of Fire
"Merry! Merry! We've been tricked!" I heard a voice whisper. It drew me out of my nap, and I listened with closed eyes. "Glorfindel lied to us! This isn't a dwarf woman."
"I can see that Pip." I could hear the little voices around me, one was behind me and one was in front of me; then I felt a sharp prod in my back, and I winced. "Don't do that Pip! You might wake her!"
"But she wasn't moving! Just making sure she was alive!"
"Well obviously she is because she's breathin'!"
"Merry don't get too close!" I rolled on my side and opened my eyes, there were two little eyes staring at me.
"AHHH!" I screamed out in shock and sat up quickly; my scream had obviously scared whatever it was that was staring at me too.
"AHHH!" the owner of the eyes screamed and fell back wards. It was a small child, with shaggy blonde hair; he fell to the floor and crawled away from me.
"Did she hurt you Merry? I'll get her!" I heard a small cry and moments later something tackled me from the side and I flew off the bed; I screamed in pain as my bad ankle was suddenly straightened. At that moment I saw another child, this one with shaggy brown hair, leap for me. I grunted as I deflected his jump and flung him over me.
"AHHH!" he screamed as he hit the floor. I sat up and scooted away from the two small children. The two stood and they looked at me with angry faces; now that I had a good look at them, they weren't children at all; they were really, absurdly short twenty year olds…with no shoes and hairy feet. Both of them drew swords and pointed them at me shaking them threateningly.
"I'm warning you!" said the blade haired one, "One move and I'll stick you!" the brown haired one nodded and shook his sword at me. At that moment the door to my room burst open and there stood Gandalf looking livid. He pointed his staff at the two child-sized twenty year olds; they immediately dropped their swords, screamed, and ran away.
"Meriadoc Brandybuck! Peregrin Took! Why do you insist to pester and harass the sane to INSANITY?!" Gandalf soon caught up with them and held them by their ears.
"Honest Mr. Gandalf sir! Glorfindel told us that she was a dwarf woman!"
"Merry's right! And we'd never seen a dwarf woman before so we came to have a look!" Gandalf brought the two back in front of me and I pulled myself up onto the bed, still in a state of shock. That was Merry and Pippin! I was just pestered by Merry and Pippin!
"Good morning Laura." Gandalf said to me with a fake smile, "I'd like to introduce you; this is Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took." He pushed the two hobbits forward and they stared at the ground. "Merry, Pippin, this is Laura Barnes."
"Hullo." They said in ashamed voices. I quickly reached for the dark brown cane by my nightstand and used it to stand.
"These are the hobbits?" I asked excitedly. Merry and Pippin looked at each other with half glances and as I exclaimed, "WOW! They are so awesome! I mean, WOW!" I walked around them and they said to each other,
"You know this is one of the best reactions we've had from a person who's never seen a Hobbit before!"
"I am glad to see you able to walk about, Laura." Gandalf said with a smile. "And since they are already up here," He then looked down at the hobbits with a devious smile as Merry and Pippin looked back with apprehensive eyes, "I am quite sure that young Merry and Pippin would not mind taking you around Rivendell!"
"No, Gandalf, it's ok, I think-" I began but another voice interrupted me.
"Gandalf, my father has sent me to show Laura Rivendell." I turned and saw Arwen standing tall and proud in my doorway. I smiled and looked at Merry and Pippin,
"Sorry, but what ever Elrond says right?" I winked at them and they looked at me.
"Oh!" Merry exclaimed, "Right! Come on Pip!" With that, Merry grabbed Pippin's sleeve and they ran from the room. Gandalf laughed and said to me kindly,
"Please, use your time wisely, there are few hours of daylight left and I'm afraid that tomorrow we will all be preoccupied."
Arwen walked with me through the many winding halls of Rivendell and into many of its elaborately painted rooms. She helped me up stairs and we rested when I got tired. Most of the time I said nothing, I was in so much wonder and surprise at this place. I was astonished at the care and attention to every detail, but when you live forever, I guess that gives you a lot of time to plan things. I didn't hear much that Arwen told me about the history of different rooms, and statues, I was too absorbed by the beauty and splendor of the various rooms of Rivendell.
At last, we came to a large hall. It was quiet and vacant; there were no windows or candles, and all that lit the large room was a great fire that sat in a hearth between two beautifully carved pillars of stone. The flame lit the painted walls, whose pictures told stories of famous men and elves alike.
"This is the Hall of Fire." Arwen said to me; her voice echoed in the vacant room, "This is where we tell our stories, it is hard for people who have not dwelled in this room to stay awake." She looked at me and said, "but you show no sign of weariness." She was right, I wasn't tired at all; if anything I was inspired and moved by the grandness of the hall. "It usually stands empty and quiet, and people come here who wish for peace and thought." I looked around once more and thought that it was a shame that this room was hardly used,
"The fire always burns, right?" I asked Arwen,
"Pardon?" she replied,
"You always keep the fire lit in here though, right?" Arwen looked at me with suspicion and I quickly changed the subject, "Never mind, say, is Frodo feeling better? I mean, I know that he's healed and all but is he up and about?" When I said that Arwen looked at me in even more shock.
"Yes, and yes. How did you know those things?" I looked at Arwen and became worried, so I changed the subject again,
"Female intuition. Say, I saw Aragorn this morning, he was in my room when Lord Elrond and Gandalf were talking to me." Arwen's looked changed from suspicion to tranquility,
"Yes? Well, I am sure that you wish to meet the rest of the hobbits; although, after what happened this morning, you might have had enough 'hobbit' to last you for a while!" I laughed and we walked out of the Hall; as we walked away, I paid special attention to where it was, maybe I'd pay a visit, for some peace and thought later.
Arwen and I walked all the way to the other end of Rivendell, where there were many balconies suspended over magnificent waterfalls; there I met Frodo and Sam. They both were happy, carefree, filled with smiles and laughter. I couldn't even tell that Frodo had the ring; obviously it must not of grabbed a hold of him yet. All the while I kept a smile on face and laughed with the hobbits.
"Laura did you really come from Isengard?" Frodo asked as he helped me sit on a stone bench. At this Sam shuddered and said,
"Dreadful place Isengard. You couldn't get me to stay there let alone visit! Not even if you gave me a whole sack of gold!" He suddenly took back what he said and said apologetically, "I mean…oh, I'm sorry." I smiled as I replied,
"Don't worry, I'm not actually from there, but yes, I met Gandalf there by coincidence and he brought me here." Frodo smiled and put his hands into his trouser pockets as he said in a suave joking tone,
"Bilbo said that you had quite the run-in with Saruman the White!" he laughed as he added, "You managed to kick him…some how?"
"Um, yes, actually I kneed him in the nose." Sam and Frodo both winced at this and I added, "Yeah, but believe me, it wasn't the smartest of my ideas! After that an Orc forced my ankle to sprain. And that's how I got like this! I am so lucky that the scumbag didn't break my ankle!" they nodded and Sam asked,
"So where are you from Miss Laura, where do you call home? Surely you're too clean and pleasant to be from Bree."
"Truly!" Frodo agreed as I stumbled and tried not to tell them.
"Laura," Arwen said slowly, "I now remember that my father wished to speak to you. I fear that was a little while before, we should hurry as to not keep him waiting much longer." And the day was saved thanks to Arwen and her brilliant white lie.
Soon after, I met Gimli and his father, Glóin, who had traveled from the lonely mountain. Both were very friendly and lively, and I soon realized after meeting the hobbits, Gimli, and Glóin that they all must be coming for the council of Elrond. If there is going to be a council, will I have anything to do with it? I wondered hopefully, Will I have anything to do with the fellowship at all? I shook my head skeptically, "Probably not Laura." I told myself.
Later that evening, I ate dinner in the great hall and after lots of singing and story telling, I met Bilbo and the evening ended. One by one people left to retire for the night, until Elrond, Gandalf, and myself were left. Gandalf drank from his goblet, and as he set it down said,
"It seems that the night has indeed come to its end. Laura, do you need assistance back to your quarters?" I shook my head and answered,
"No, thank you so much for the thought though." I was happy to have someone so kind to me after of spending just a day in Rivendell. I reached for my cane and stood easily; although my ankle was still "tender", as my mom would have said, after walking around all day I could move much easier than at first. I looked to Elrond who too drank from his cup. "Lord Elrond, I cannot thank you enough for your hospitality." Lord Elrond laughed and with a nod he answered,
"Sleep well child." I smiled and took my leave as Gandalf and Elrond began to whisper to each other. I left the hall, although I didn't go to my room, I walked to the Hall of Fire; I needed some quality Laura-alone-time. When I arrived in the hall, I was almost intimidated by the serenity of the room, the fire cast long shadows on the floor giving the room an almost sacred feeling, and I felt for the first time in a long while that I was small and insignificant. I leaned against one of the pillars closest to the great fire and sat at its base with closed eyes. The crackling at the fire was incredibly pacifying; I then began to think. What did I think of what actually happened two nights ago? The park with Janine, the eye, and then the tower of Orthanc, where I fought, then kneed Saruman, the White Wizard himself, in the nose. Then, of course, my ankle was nearly broken and I was thrown on the tower only to be rescued by none other than Gandalf the Grey…Yep, it was just like any other day. I smiled at this thought as I opened my eyes and looked at my right foot. It was still heavily bandaged, but I was curious. I slowly and cautiously unraveled the wrap and examined my ankle. It was very swollen and I couldn't tell if my ankle was badly bruised or If an excessive amount of shadow was covering my foot. When I placed my bare foot on the cold tile it sent a chill up my spine. As I re-wrapped my ankle I wondered if this bad sprain would effect me on earth.
If I ever even got back to earth period.
"I see that you too are far from home." Said a smooth voice from out of nowhere, I jumped so badly that my bad foot hit the ground and I shouted loudly in pain. I tried to cradle my hurting ankle as I looked at the pillar beside me and saw the silhouette of a man leaning against it.
"I suppose." I answered somewhat grumpily. The man stood and walked toward the fire, and I saw his face. He had light blonde hair about the same length as my own, and wore very elegant clothing. His face was dripping with emotion and shadow as his eyes looked fiercely into the fire. My eyes widened when I saw his face; it was Legolas Greenleaf, Price of Mirkwood; the single elf who would travel with the fellowship as the representative of his people. That very same elf was standing three feet in front of me.
"There is so much darkness in our world I think that what little serenity left is all that keeps our sanity." He said thoughtfully,
"Yeah, everybody needs a little peace every once in a while." I said as I gently placed my ankle back on the floor. He smiled gently then turned his gaze to me. In the firelight, he looked so menacing, with shadows cast on his face and light dancing in his eyes, that I was intimidated. I looked away from his eyes to the fire, but I could still feel his stare.
"Are you the one that Gandalf rescued from Isengard?" I looked back to him and nodded slowly. He nodded then said, "Then it is an honor to meet you, Lady…"
"Laura. My name's Laura Barnes."
"I heard of your turmoil at Orthanc," he said, while looking at my clumsily wrapped ankle, "Gandalf praised you tremendously." I smiled and answered,
"Thanks, but I really didn't do much, I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time."
"How so?" he asked. I shook my head and replied,
"I just was, I guess; it was a very…awkward situation. But I guess I did the right thing." I think the vagueness of my answer offended him; he looked back to the fire and said,
"I see." There was a weird silence between the both of us.
"So, you came for the council of Elrond too? I didn't think that you'd arrive until tomorrow." I stated plainly, he turned his head to me and asked in a concerned manner,
"Excuse me? My Lady Laura, I did not know you until moments ago, how did you know of my coming?" Crap. I thought to myself, how would I get myself out of this one?
"I guessed, I mean, I knew about the council and figured that the others, who weren't here already, would arrive in the morning." I paused before I added, "I hope I didn't offend you." His almost angry expression did not leave his face as he turned back to the fire.
"You are different, my Lady, from any other mortal woman that I have ever seen." He said, I could tell by the way he spoke that this was not a good thing.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"You may take that anyway you wish my lady, but for one so young, I believe that you have no place to speak your mind. Good evening." And with that he left the room. My mouth was wide open at what he said to me, What a jerk! I thought to myself. What did I ever do to him? God! I didn't do A THING to him! I'm sick of people treating me like I'm 10. I grabbed my cane and stood before the fire. The whole damned place must be PMSing. Elrond said nothing of me actually attending the council tomorrow morning, and as I thought about it, I didn't want to be there. I stared into the flames and lowered my head, I felt as if I should thank the hall for allowing me to think. Thanking a room is stupid, but paying reverence is common courtesy.
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Sorry I got behind on answering my reviewers, so here are my replies! And thanks again to everyone who reviewed, I wouldn't be doing what I am if it weren't for the all of you!
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Chapter 1Kim: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you took a look at my story!
TriGemini: Yeah, I must admit that that spot wasn't the best place to leave a story! Thanks again for the review!
Chapter 2TriGemini: Well, all that is going to be explained in future chapters and the whole situation will remain a problem well in to the second part of the story! WHOA that was a big spoiler! Anyways, thanks for the great review!
GitaMerah: Well, thanks so much for staying loyal to reading my story! I Love to hear from people who read the original version of my story! And to be honest, I re-wrote it because I felt that I could do so much more with the story! And in the end I wasn't satisfied with it! Thanks again!
Soul: Wow! Thanks a lot for the compliment! Really, both of the beginning chapters were extremely difficult to put together!
Chapter 3Sapphire2988: Yeah! I'm so happy to hear honest input from readers! I totally LOVE IT! I was actually wondering if anyone who read the original version could see any changes in the revised version! Thanks a billion!
Childofgod-4ever: Wow!! Thanks a bunch! I thought that I'd be the only one who knows what changes I made! But I'm glad that people are noticing!
Ms. Unknown: well thanks! Yeah, you probably won't notice big differences until you get further into the story, and as for right now it's only small details. Thanks again for your review!
