I got up shakily from my bench and went back towards Hanj's camp. There was so much to see. And as for the shopping part, well, I didn't really need any necessities, but there were undoubtedly lots of frivolous things to spend the elf lord's coins on.

The camp was still abustle with people practicing their skills for tomorrow's afternoon performance. I finally saw Jafa balancing easily on the rump of his pony Taffy while juggling several ceramic mugs with nary a wobble.

I wandered about and though asked to join a group around the main campfire, I decided I had had enough walking for the day. My foot was all sore and crampy from limping. Sighing, I climbed into my wagon, which I noticed by the absence of his blankets, that I was no longer sharing with Jafa. Ah, so I could spread out tonight and not worry about kicking him.

As I settled into the furs, I sleepily wondered again about the young girl in the "entertainment" camp. I certainly hoped nothing nasty was going on there. But tomorrow, I would go and see. Just to be sure.

I dreamed of Elrond that night, but I can't remember what we were doing. I was in his study, I think, oh well, it doesn't matter much since I cannot remember it. But silly as it sounds, when I woke up, I was feeling a bit sad and I missed him.

Jafa soon pulled me out of my doldrums by dragging me off to breakfast and then to a morning rehearsal in the big tent. What a show they put on. Acrobats and trick riding and juggling, all kinds of things.

Once the rehearsal was done, I realized I could go off on my own. Taking my pouch of coins and securing it beneath the long robe I wore over my dress and boots, I set off.

Heaven you guys, heaven. It was kind of weird. I kept looking at things and thinking of friends of mine in the 21st Century. Oh, Janie would love that shawl and Valerie would definitely love that necklace. I finally stopped myself from picking up a handful of silver bangles from somewhere south of Minas Tirith. I mean I could buy a couple for me, but I did not need one of every design! Taking a deep breath, I took myself in hand and did more looking than buying.

I saw more hobbits too. They were out and about as well as behind the tables of goods for sale. I was dying to talk to some, but restrained myself.

I did try lots of the food. I'll admit some of them were unusual, like something deep fried in oil and round. Some kind of fish it smelled like. Lots of different baked goods, lots of grilled meats, and plenty of places to drink of course. Even at this hour of the morning. I was reminded of a call I used to hear at a renaissance style faire in my world used even in the morning when the faire began: "Why walk when you can stagger; Why stagger when you can fall down drunk!"

I was looking at a scarf in a booth, when out of the corner of my eye, I could swear I saw Aragorn, who had not been to Rivendell in some time. He was dressed very much as a Ranger. Dark green shirt under a long leather jerkin. He had what looked like an elvish cloak thrown over one shoulder. He wore a sword at his side of course. And though dressed in black trews and black boots, he did not look scruffy. He looked rather rogue-ish as a matter of fact and if his heart had not been given to Arwen…..Okay seriously, just a joke. No messing with the Grand Tale. But he was certainly nice looking, especially with his hair braided back into a long queue. The crowd thickened around me as I dropped the scarf and tried to keep up with his tall form, striding through the crowd. A man backing up a dray wagon stopped his progress forward. Aragorn stopped to help him with his horse, while the man kept traffic out of the way.

Waiting until they were done and Aragorn was about to move on, I ran up to him and grabbed his sleeve. He turned quick as a blink and then smiled at me. "Why Mistress Marie, what a surprise!" He looked about. "Whom did you travel with? Surely not Lord Elrond? The second summer planting is about to start, and he usually out in the fields."

"Um, no. I can with a group of entertainers who stopped near Rivendell on their way here. Lord Elrond decided it would be all right for me to come with them, as I have not seen anything like this. I haven't seen much of Middle Earth, you know." I looked around. "And this is great! Why, I have even seen hobbits!"

He laughed. "Why certainly, we are not far from the Shire." He looked about and then taking me by the elbow, he pulled me along with him. "Come with me Marie, if you will." He hooked my arm with his and delighted to be walking with him, I did not care where we were off to.

We went down a temporary lane of food booths and Aragorn picked one at the end, which had a prime location because it took advantage of a shady circle of oaks under which were several trestle tables and benches. Picking one in the deep shade, we weren't seated more than a minute or two when a young woman came up to us. Before we could order, she dimpled at Aragorn and said, "My Da just wants to say thanks again Strider for your help last night. He is feeling much better."

"I am glad I could help. Mind he stays in bed another day."

"I'll tie him down if I have to. So what may I get you?" She smiled at both of us.

"A glass of southern white wine if you have it." I answered.

"That we do. Danfila white is our best."

Aragorn spoke up, putting a gold coin on the table. "That will do for her and for myself a glass of your father's dark ale."

Taking the coin she hurried off.

"So, what did you do for her father?"

"I was having a glass last night and he served me himself. I could tell by looking at him he was not well. A few questions later and I found he had a festering leg wound which I was able to treat. If he rests today and continues to keep it clean he should be all right."

"Just like your father." I couldn't help but grin knowing there would be a bit more to Aragorn's healing abilities than what he had learned from Elrond.

He smiled back. Relaxing, he brought one knee up on the bench before him, adjusting himself and his sword to get comfortable. I adjusted myself in a similar fashion, putting my sore foot up on the bench. That was much better.

"I noticed you were limping Marie. What have you done to yourself now?"

"A wagon wheel rolled over my foot as I was helping to push it out of the riverside muck. The local healer wrapped it up while I slept I guess. Though she must know elvish medicine because the salve on it smells very much like your father's."

Aragorn grinned back at me and shrugged non-committally. The waitress returned. Not only did she bring us our drinks, but she also set a bowl of grapes and two fresh baked rolls before us.

Aragorn thanked her and we were both silent as we sampled the food before us. And the waitress was right, the Danfila white was very nice.

"All right my lord Aragorn," I brushed a few strands of breeze tossed hair off my face. "What is this all about?"

Finishing his swallow of ale, Aragorn set his mug on the table with a "thunk." An oak leaf drifted down near his hand and he picked it up and idly twirled it by the stem. "I am glad you are enjoying yourself here Marie. But I must let you know that fell things are abroad."

"They are?" I had no idea where he was going with this.

"I and four other Rangers make a habit of patrolling this area between Michel Delving, the Misty Mountains, as far south as Eriador and as far north as we need."

"That's a lot of territory."

"It is, but save for a few bandits and such, the land is quiet. We have had few incursions of orcs or trolls, save the ones you recently ran into earlier in the year."

"Lucky me."

Aragorn pulled out a long thin-stemmed pipe and set about filling and lighting it. "As you say, lucky you. But the orcs you ran into and especially the Nazgul were very unusual. A Nazgul has never been seen this far north, in my recollection, nor in father's, for that matter. That a Nazgul has appeared at all is very unsettling news. I and the other Dunedain have been trying to discover the meaning of his appearance. And the fact that we have seen another band of orcs less than a month ago here in the Wild."

The breeze blew a few more leaves down on the table and I inexplicably shivered. I prayed that the events that led to the War of the Ring were not already beginning to stir things up here in Middle Earth. I bit my lip and stared a moment at the next King of Gondor and was relieved he was still focused on his pipe. I almost stood up to pace, but my sore foot kept me from jumping from my bench. The evil in Mordor was not beginning to wake was it?

"More orcs? Oh dear. You don't think my arrival had anything to do with the appearance of the Nazgul, do you? That perhaps, however I got here to Middle Earth—attracted it here? And the orcs?"

Aragorn's keen grey eyes speared me sharply. "I and the other Rangers are worried that not only has your visit somehow disturbed the sleep of dark things, but perhaps, you might be the focus of their curiosity."

I hunched down on my bench. I quickly gulped a big swallow of wine. Was he trying to tell me that my coming here might not only be a bad thing for me, but also bring evil on the folks here at the faire? What a terrible thing to be---a sort of Typhoid Mary as it were and just, well, ruin everything.

"Maybe I ought to go back to Rivendell then?" Damn. I had no other ideas.

Aragorn puffed on his pipe for a moment. "At the moment, I am not sure that is a good idea. I am going to seek out some of the elves that have come to the Faire and see if they have noticed anything unusual in the last several weeks. Perhaps the Nazgul's appearance is a mere coincidence."

"But you doubt it, " I finished for him.

He inhaled deeply on his pipe and then, as he blew out a few smoke rings, he nodded.

Oh I was in deep doo-doo now.