12

It was Lily that saved me. Yep, the little dancing girl. Because I had mentioned I was going to look for Delath and check out Bron'Nala, she began to worry about me (as well as Delath). So, on one of her shopping trips through the fair with a couple of other girls, she crossed paths with two elves and she mentioned me to them.

And they of course, went to Aragorn.

But, the rescuing and all, I missed most of it because I was so caught up in my nightmares, I had no idea what was going on, most of the time.

What I remember though was a softening of my dreams. The edges of them began to get lighter, like they were fading. And the horrors I pictured began to peter off, they became less violent. Less lurid and graphic. And there were elves, friends of Aragorn's. I remember feeling some warmth, warmth that went through me.

But it all gets muddled and confused when I do try to remember it clearly. But the longer I was away from Yko, the stronger my memories became, and some of them did not bear remembering!

I have so much explaining to do here. And because I have to do it after the fact, well, I shall try to have it all make sense. So bear with me. I'd go make a cup of tea, if I were you.

Aragorn found me in a cave up in the Little Rock Hill behind Bron'Nala's camp.

He and a couple of elves and Rangers. There were four of them, I think. Aragorn found me lying comatose on the rock and gave me into the care of one of the elves, named Gwindal. (A real sweetie, I tell you. From Mirkwood with sunny yellow hair and blue grey eyes. He and his companions did what they could to take the edge off my fears)

Then Aragorn went looking for the monster.

And what was kind of silly, the creature was nearby, just around the curve from me, lying deep in his dark dreams. Instead of killing the so-and-so outright, Aragorn bound him up, using good elvish rope.

He said the monster screamed when he awoke and tried to bit the ropes off, but neither Aragorn nor the elves were moved by his noise.

They dragged him out of the cave, into broad daylight mind you, and instead of shriveling up into a stinky pile of ash he just covered his eyes and whined that he was going blind.

That too, really impressed the elves and Aragorn. Aragorn finally tied a cloth around the monsters eyes to "silence his yowling" as Aragorn told me later and led him into the horse tent of Bron'Nala, who turned out to be very helpful in the end.

It appears that the creature, whose name was Yko (pronounced "eekoe") had used Bron'Nala's camp as a sort of base of operations, you might say. He threatened Bron'Nala with the information that he knew the southern performer and his girls worked to fleece the audience. While some of the girls danced, other worked the crowd, being friendly to the men (of course) and filching money pouches. Bron'Nala was NOT a slaver, however. He brought a different set of performers with him every time because the newer girls were less jaded and more anxious to please than seasoned dancers. Bron'Nala did a little threatening of his own to keep the members of his troupe in line, but he did not kidnap and sell women.

Anyway…Aragorn told me he did a little persuading with the help of the Rangers and the other elf, Denyr, to get to the heart of the matter.

On what exactly had been happening.

Aragorn (such a good storyteller!) explained it thus: Yko was what was known as a "dream eater." Not really a vampire, except, well, maybe a psychic one. He fed off people's dreams and fears, manipulating both. Yes, he had sliced me in the throat and done the icky licking and all…but he did not "drink" my blood. He only made me think he was doing that. He had a very powerful mind and a very sick and twisted one as well. Aragorn said he tried to snare Aragorn's attention, but you and I know you don't mess around with the future King of Gondor. Who's had one of the most awesome elves in Middle Earth for a dad and teacher. Yko apparently knew there was no way to mess with Denyr. And the other Rangers, warned by Aragorn, avoided eye contact. Yko's ability to silence and choke me with a wave of his hand was because he had already visited my mind before I had awakened in the horse tent. To "smell" me out as it were…(shudder.)

Dream eaters are, as close as I can determine from Aragorn's explanation, genetic flukes here in Middle Earth. Perhaps originally some creation of the Dark Lord in in the Second Age. At this point in time, they are not necessarily creatures of the Dark One, or friendly with orcs. They are solitary exiles, lurking on the fringes of cities and towns. And something like the Great Northern Fair was a magnet for one like Yko. They prey on whomever they can ensnare. As far as Aragorn knew, there were not many. He had not heasrd of one in some time.

I just happened to be one of the lucky ones, I guess.

And yes, he had snared Delath. Aragorn sent the other Rangers to find the poor lass who was nearly catatonic and half-starved, in yet another cave in Little Rock Hill.

But the dreams and fears of a very young performer were nothing compared to the feast that I as a stranger in elvish clothing represented to him. That's why he indeed made me "last" as long as possible. Why I had a head full of Hollywood horror films as well as 21st Century manmade horrors, literary and literal for him to savor and twist and season. A veritable cornucopia of scary stuff!

Now, as for me.

What a mess, as you can imagine.

Gwindal had wrapped me in a cloak and taken me out of the cave. We went to his encampment. I could not stop shivering and as I was carried, the movement of the oak leaves above me, shifting in the sunlight, made me feel dizzy. Gwindal took me inside a tent and laid me in a pile of sleeping furs. I wanted to sleep but because I had been rescued, I was jittery with nerves and adrenaline. It was a strange combination. I snuggled into the soft wool of the cape reveling in the faint scent of sunlight and something slightly herbal.

Just as I had gotten my heart to slow down, I was lifted again. Gwindal had returned.

"Mistress Marie. I have brought my companion Beregor who among us is the most skilled with healing and herb lore. He will attend to you."

I looked into Gwindal's kind face, his eyes smiling at me, a sharp green. Another elf leaned over me, also smiling. His hair was dark, almost black. A small braid with a tiny pinecone in it dangled along his jaw. His eyes were very dark as well. But like Gwindal's, they held a great deal of warmth. He brought a hand up and rubbed it down my face slowly until it reached the initial wound Yko had given me on my neck. I could feel warmth from his hand. Deep, penetrating. I closed my eyes at the easing of my pain. But when my lids shut, all I could see was Yko's leering face and blood dripping from his mouth and his fetid breath--- "No!" I screamed and struggled to unwind myself from the cloak. "He's going to bite me if I close my eyes!" I screeched at the two elves. "Don't let me sleep! I cannot! He'll get me!"

Gwindal held me tighter and Beregor put his hands on either side of my face and I could feel him trying to push calm into me, as Elrond would do. But my visit with Yko had done its damage and I did not feel overcome with peace as I did with Elrond.

"All right, Mistress Marie. Shhh. Do not fear. I have some water being heated up for a bath. Can you tolerate a bath, do you think?"

I nodded slowly. Beregor stood up and Gwindal lay me back down in the nest of sleeping furs. Now don't get me wrong, I did feel a lot better than I had, but Yko's abilities were great. I was still feeling uneasy, expecting Yko to jump out of the afternoon shadows and bite me. I know, I know, stupid thinking when it is afternoon in a fine elvish pavilion and two charming elves have made you the focus of their attention.

But Yko's "touch" was oily and insidious and I could not get comfortable, nor get him out of my mind. I kind of see-sawed between being grateful I was with the elves and fighting Yko's horrors.

I wanted to sleep, but I just lay there, watching the shadow patterns of the oak leaves shift and weave on the beige pavilion roof above me.

And I could not stop the shivers.

I heard some commotion and lifted my aching head out of the cloak to look about. Two elves had brought in a large brass tub that was slightly steaming in the cool air. I smiled slightly. Where would they have gotten such a thing? One of the performers camps no doubt.

Gwindal came over to me and picked me up. A stool had been placed by the side of the tub. Gwindal took the cloak off of me. He did not make me stand, but held me about my waist while he and Beregor undressed me. Beregor frowned at the cuts Yko had made on me to make me think he was dining on my blood. I continued shivering some and cowered against Gwindal when I saw the ragged state of my leather pants and bloodied tunic.

Gwindal picked me up and set me in the tub. The water temperature was more hot than warm, but the water had been treated with lotion of some kind, because it was very fragrant and slightly oily to the touch.

It felt wonderful. I wanted to slide down to the bottom of the tub, but with a laugh Gwindal held me up and he and Beregor gently washed my cuts, and even my hair.

Everywhere their hands touched, my skin felt warm and the pain eased. But exhaustion was eating away at me.

By the time the bath was finished, all I wanted to do was sleep. But I knew I couldn't.

Once my cuts were salved, and the nasty one on my neck was actually bandaged, Gwindal put me back in the sleeping furs. I looked up at him and grabbed him by the hand before he left. "Don't leave. I can't sleep; my head is filled with horrors. Horrors worse than when the Nazgul had me."

Frowning Gwindal asked Beregor to come over to me. Kneeling on either side of me, the two sat a moment on their heels, concentrating. Then they raised their hands over me and tried to cleanse my spirit (like the time Glorfindel and Elrond did after my capture by the orcs.)

It helped some because I felt myself drifting off into a warm yellow light. And I felt peaceful for the first time in days.

But, of course, it did not last.

I awoke screaming and flailing. It was night, though soft light was on me from a hanging silver lantern. Gwindal was there immediately and he pulled me into his lap and held me tightly, murmuring softly.

Beregor eventually joined us. He brought a goblet to my mouth and before I could think, I drank it down because my mouth and throat were as dry as desert sand.

He meant well, he did! It was a soporific and it worked quite fast.

All the faster for me to sink into Yko's poisoned visions.

The dreams gave me an adrenalized rush of strength that flung me out of my furs and out of the tent until I was running off in the dark.

When I was finally caught, kicking and screaming, I think it was Aragorn who held me and wrapped me in a cloak. I could hear him talking, the rumbling of his voice, but my struggles and cries made them unintelligible.

My energy was soon depleted and I lay limply in his hold, tired and anxious. I was really losing it, my body trembled and I could not stop it. I just wanted it all to stop.

Aragorn. Is he great, or what? He walked with me out in the cool moonlight. Slowly, whispering bits of songs and sagas to me, even singing. The sound of his voice helped me to at least focus some and not make me feel as if I was going to shatter in a million pieces. And he must have done it for sometime.

I was handed off to Gwindal at some point who also sang and quoted Quenya sagas to me.

Their voices sort of overlaid what horrors my mind was spewing.

You know, my family may be lost to me behind whatever veil lies between Middle Earth and my original 21st Century life, but Aragorn, the elves and my dear, dear elf lord, really made up for the fact I was cut off from everyone who knew and loved me the longest.

I mean, after all this time, almost two years as near as I can calculate, I have been treated with kindness and humor, and affection, which has meant just everything to me.

And has made living in Rivendell that much more wonderful.

What I am trying to say here, is I don't know what I would have done with out Aragorn and his friends helping me as much as they could, and for getting me back to Rivendell as they did.

Because of course I got back to Rivendell. (I mean, come on, where else would I be writing down this tale?)

And I got there in the most unexpected manner.

You guys, Aragorn, knowing only his father would be able to deal with me successfully (and Delath. She needed some help too) climbed to the top of Little Rock Hill and using a special call, echoed and augmented by the beautiful voices of his elvish companions called on the aid of the Great Eagles.

Not Gwaihir himself, but one of his many fledglings, Awanak.

As the sun rose, Aragorn took me out to the wide pasturage on the north end of the fair where the carnies and visitors could stake out their animals for grazing.

Careful to avoid any stampeding, he and the elves went to the very edge of the grassland there and awaited the huge raptor.

I saw him! I did….but at the time he turned into a lurid blood red flying beast/dragon intent on ripping us all apart. The elves surrounded me with their singing and slowly, the flying beast turned into a Great Eagle who landed silently and then stalked over to us on great clawed feet. Aragorn even let him stare at me with one of his great golden brown eyes, which momentarily silenced my fears with an endless vista of sky and clouds.

Aragorn brushed a hand across my cheek before Gwindal mounted up. I do remember his warm smile.

Aragorn did not take me to his father himself, because his duty was to the patrons and carnies of the Great Northern Fair, but sent Gwindal and Dernyr to carry us to Rivendell.

I remember a feeling of stomach dropping force as Awanak flung himself back into the sky and the smooth flap of his wings.

But, wahhh! I cannot remember seeing the views that made the elves holding us cry out in wonder and delight and brought forth heart felt song from them. I do remember the sound of Awanak's low voiced croaks and skrees of eagle speech. He sounded happy to hear the elvish singing.

I was fighting to keep the black oily spill of Yko's mental vomit from overcoming me.

And look, I am sure you are wondering, how this could have been worse than the Nazgul?

Well, first, I was a curiosity to the Nazgul and he needed me to function as his "eyes" in Rivendell as you recall, me and Dalmiel. He was not bent on poisoning my mind with the will Yko did. The Nazgul enjoyed poisoning me, well, because he could. But I (and the elf lord) think Yko was so bad because I was the undisputed center of the dream eater's focus for two and a half days.

And it took a long time to wash that out of my system.

Okay, so Awanak took several hours to go what would have taken us days and days..wait it's a couple of weeks actually. ANYWAY, by the time we reached the Vale of Rivendell, the moon was sinking into the west and the sky was just beginning to turn lavender when Awanak alighted in the north sheep pasture, scattering the sheep into bleating knots of terrified wool.

But Awanak was a gentleman and did not sup on any of the elf lord's sheep. Actually the downward spiraling of the Great Eagle made me rather nauseous so I concentrated on not getting sick all over Gwindal.

Once the Eagle had landed (okay bad NASA joke), the elves gracefully dismounted and said their farewells. With a great "Skreeeee" Awanak leapt up back into the sky.

Dwindal and Dernyr walked swiftly out of the pasture, and once their legs had warmed up some from their hours of sitting astride Awanak, the two ran with us down to the House.

I remember this part. I could smell the sweet smell of apple and peach blossom on the air and the sleepy chirping of awakening birds. The lowing of cows and the bleating of goats: all the sounds of the upper farms.

I relaxed as much as I was able.

I was home.

When we reached the House, we were greeted by the guards. I stared in the soft dark for Lord Elrond or Glorfindel, but it was Erestor who greeted us.

He came over to Gwindal and me, pulling back to the cloak to look at me fully. "Ah, Marie. Welcome home." He touched me briefly on the face. In minutes, Gwindal and I were strolling down the familiar corridors of the Last Homely House to the ever-popular study and surgery of Lord Elrond.

I remember I kept brushing my face, trying to keep the feeling of crawling bugs off my skin. And there were bats too. But they seemed thin and insubstantial, floating in and out of sight.

So immersed in trying to get rid of huge cockroaches off my neck, I was plucking at my bandage when I was laid down and that beloved face cut through the murk in my mind and stilled my hands.

"Elrond!" I croaked. He smiled at me and rubbed a hand down my face. I could not take my eyes from his so well-loved face. The roiling haze in my head seemed to recede some. I propped myself up on my elbows. "It is you?" I whispered. I was suddenly afraid this was some trick of Yko's: using my great affection for Elrond somehow and twisting it into some kind of horror.

"It is I, Marie. No phantom."

I bit my lip, his face was beginning to shift some and go out of focus. I brought my hands up in a defensive position in front of my face. "Oh, don't change your face!" Please, stay with me awhile."

Elrond put his hands on either side of my head and flooded my mind with his light. The kind of light he had used to burn away the Nazguls' touch. And it helped a lot. For a couple of hours at least. Because it was the elf lord.

My head didn't ache so much and I could feel myself relax, even when he was examining my wounds. The one on my neck, though Beregor had done a great job checking the infection, was going to need stitches. But that was for later.

When I could actually sleep.

And surprisingly, I did actually sleep.

I was in my room, and my dear Ivy was curled up next to me. I turned my head slowly to look to my small bedside table where I saw my goblet standing. There was a vase of lilacs as well. My goblet with ivy leaves. Sigh. I hadn't needed that for medicine in so long. When I moved my head, I could feel the pull of stitches. I put a hand to the clean linen bandage and sighed contentedly. Okay, now I was going to get better. I carefully sat up and took the goblet. With a deep breath I drank the contents down. It was bitter and nasty. Bless the elf lord.

Done with the medicine, I picked up Ivy and put her to one side of me and then swung my legs over. I had to whip my weakness both mental and physical. I couldn't just be in thrall to Yko's poisoned thoughts any more.

I stood up. My head whirled some and my knees felt a bit weak, but I was standing. I took a few steps, my goal on my little outside patio and the edge of my fountain. I wanted to see if there had been any fish put in there. In the spring, Elrond let some of the fountains be used as quiet places for breeding and to nurture fingerling's to help maintain the stock behind the fishing weir and to keep the Bruinen replete with trout, salmon, minnows and sticklebacks.

I felt slightly nauseous by the time I reached the edge of the fountain. I fell to the stone lip of the pool and almost fell into the water. I sat there and put my head slowly into my hands. I never did check for the fish.

A wave of darkness overcame me and Yko's face leered at me, mouth agape and filled with too many very sharp teeth dripping blood. I tried to brush the image away but the image kept coming at me and with a sharp ache, I felt the teeth sink into my neck. I cried out feebly and stood, clawing at my throat. "Go away!" I shouted and I tried to think of something else, like the broodmares and their foals running in sunlight up in the summer pastures. The rose garden in bloom and filled with scent. Lord Elrond smiling at me….

Lord Elrond was holding me and smiling at me, the sunlight glowing in sparks from the center of his eyes. I tried to say something, but I felt completely weak. He swung me up in his arms, his eyes never leaving mine as we reentered my room and he set me on the bed.

You know, it is always the little things. The little things that help get you through the dark times, such as they are.

My first couple of days back in Rivendell fluctuated between light and dark. It was just great being around the elf lord, even when he was doing things like tending to the wounds I'd gotten from Yko.

I even met up with Delath, who was improving. She was shy around the elves and me, but it was good to see her regain her health and rid herself of Yko's poison.

Even when Elrond would find me in the throes of a bad dream, he would ease it as only he could and I began to feel hopeful and actually began to find myself relaxing, just being home. Listening to the peaceful sounds of the waterfalls and birds singing—heck elves singing. I went out to the horse barns to see the two new foals. And my dear Carenloth, who had been bred to Elrond's Rhean. Her belly hung low as she was due to give birth within the month. I went into her roomy box stall and brushed her down good. I even felt the foal move.

I opened her stall door and she followed me down the barn and out into the afternoon sunshine. I took her to a nearby paddock where the two new mothers stood, whisking flies as their young ones slept in their shadows. Carenloth lipped my hair as she went past me and joined the mares. She didn't go far, but stopped in the sun and closed her eyes.

Smiling, I latched the gate and walked slowly back towards the House. Impulsively, I made a detour and went to the large rose garden. I wandered through the budding plants, some of which had open blooms on them, pausing to smell a few. Heavenly. I reached the center of the garden where a large fountain splashed. I sat on a bench, on the cool stone, and dangled my hand in the icy cold water. A pair of ducks enjoying the fountain came over to see if I had any snacks. When I didn't have anything to offer them, they slid away from me and stopped to enjoy the fountain spray, rising up out of the water and flapping their wings. Soon they sailed around to the other side.

I leaned against the smooth stone lip of the fountain and stare off at the Misty Mountains, the tops of the highest peaks still covered with snow. Clouds shredding across the sharp points of stone, sailed off over the valley, causing bars of shade to slide across Rivendell as the wind moved them off.

I bunched up my cloak and got more comfortable.

Rivendell I knew, was all I needed to get ride of the lingering stain of Yko's poisonous encounter. I closed my eyes and rested my head on my folded arms.

Sleep overcame me completely, as if I was being swallowed in a blanket of pitch. It was dark and I shivered with a feeling of menace hovering beyond my sight. Suddenly I felt the prickle of…things walking across my skin and burrowing under my clothes. Stinging…things.

Spiders! I hated spiders and I jumped up trying to shake the invaders off of me. Stung several times, I felt dizzy as I smashed what creatures I could find. But more came.

I screamed, but my throat seized up and I could barely breathe. Spiders walked across my face, I could feel their prickly little feet. I whimpered terrified. I opened my mouth to try to scream again and horrified, I felt a spider inspecting my mouth….

Then it bit me on my tongue and it began to swell up as the spider continued to walk….

It's the little things.

Like the simple taste of water trickling down my throat. I could swallow. My tongue was not swollen nor spider bit.

I was not cold and the terror of the spiders faded off like the bad dream it was. I turned my face away from the cup held to my lips, having had enough. Smooth silk brushed my cheek. I opened my eyes, disoriented and sat up.

The strong arm behind my back held me up and I looked into the warm, expressive face of Lord Elrond. He was sitting next to me, holding me in the crook of one arm, the other hand still holding the goblet within reach.

"Better now, Marie?"

I shivered and smiled. "Yes. Yes." I shivered again and he held me closer, his body warmth easing my fear. "I am sorry this keeps happening, my lord, pulling you away from your work. I just had another bad dream."

He set the goblet down and rubbed a hand down my cheek. "A dream eater's touch is a fearsome thing to overcome, Marie." He put a finger under my chin to turn my face to his, his dark grey eyes holding mine and filling me with peace. "But you are strong and fearless, Marie. And you will pass this test of your spirit. As you have so many times before."

I chuckled. "I guess so. But it is wearying, I must admit." I leaned my head on his shoulder, tired. "Middle Earth has certainly been more than I ever expected."

"Hopefully, the good things will out weigh your…misadventures."

I lifted my head, covering a yawn, smiling at him. "Oh yes, the good has been better than I could have ever imagined. But I would have never been able to survive here without your kindness and care, my lord. And these things above all have Middle Earth the wonder it has been for me.''

He smiled and patted my shoulder. Smoothly, he stood up, taking me in his arms as he did so. "Come, let us go back in the House. Enough of these bad dreams. I think we shall deep cleanse your spirit, as we did when you met up the Nazgul. I was hoping the dreams would fade off on their own, but they have not."

"Um, well, maybe they will. I am sure that this dream eater thing can't be as bad as the Nazgul. I don't want to put you and Glorfindel to any trouble."

"Any darkness that troubles you this long is bad, Marie."

I sighed. "Just call me Marie, girl magnet to the Dark."

Elrond laughed as we walked the outer corridor of the House, the thick vines of wisteria and honeysuckle throwing shadows across us as we went to my room.

Setting me on my bed, Ivy immediately came trotting across the floor from my little patio and hopped up on the bed, while Elrond left the room. I petted my kitty as she purred and head-butted my chin. Ahh, my sweet mamoo. (one of the nonsense words I call her). I sat up as Ivy kneaded a spot on the quilt to curl up in. I took off my cloak and went and hung it up in the wardrobe. Kicking off my shoes, I wandered off to the patio and spent a few minutes smelling the flowers that had bloomed. There was even some lilac, which is one of my favorites.

Sighing, I turned to go back inside and then halted nervously when I saw Glorfindel and Elrond standing inside the archway to the patio.

"Hi, I was just going back in." I suddenly felt nervous and clutched my hands together. I really hated making the two elf lords do a "spirit cleansing." Mine right now must be a disgusting mess.

While I was thinking this, the two came up to me, their eyes sparkling with sunlight. Elrond put a hand to my right elbow and guided me back into my room, stopping at the edge of my bed,

Biting my lip, I climbed up on the bed. I felt awkward as I lay down. I mean, well, there they were, looking as ethereal as only elves can when late afternoon sun softens the colors of their robes making them glow. Well, wait, I guess they were glowing as they began to call forth whatever it is that makes elves more…well elvish I guess.

They stood a moment murmuring softly in Quenya and then, Elrond leaned down and laid a hand on my brow. He caught me off guard and before I knew it, I was sound asleep with Ivy curled up like a small warm pillow next to me.

I guess it is because of who they are. It worked, at least it has so far, and it has been a couple of weeks now. And though Elrond said it might take some time for Yko's touch to fade, he was being characteristically modest.

All I can remember is light. Light burning out dark creatures, dark thoughts, pain. The light touched everything and either burned it away or strengthened the good. (And I know the two elves at the Faire tried…and what they did helped. I guess it was just that they weren't as old as Glorfindel and Elrond.) (Okay, it was really just because they weren't Elrond and Glorfindel!)

It was twilight when I awoke. The bedside candle was lit. A fresh bunch of lilac stood in a stoneware vase. Ivy was sitting on the bedside table next to the vase, washing her face.

I sat up and focused on my mind, tentatively trying to call up nasty things. I could call them up all right, but they didn't sink their phantom claws into my psyche and make me run gibbering to hide in the wardrobe.

Ivy stopped washing her face and looked at me, candlelight in her dark cats eyes and then meowed questioningly.

I leaned over and petted her and she hopped off the table with that and trotted out of our room, on her way to the kitchens no doubt to beg Resaldil for scraps.

Standing, I straightened my gown. I went into the bathing room and brushed my hair out. I saw the bandages on my throat had been changed. I put a hand to it and I could barely feel it.

I went out of the room and walked slowly down the corridor, noticing everything. The stone carvings on the walls, the thick vines, the inlaid wood of the ceiling above me. I paused at a spot with a bench overlooking a particularly beautiful waterfall of three streamers of white foam, splashing and dashing over rocks, ferns growing on the edges along with lilies adding color. I took a deep breath and then, unbidden, a flush of tears swept me, and I swallowed a sob.

I was so lucky to be here. So lucky to be with Lord Elrond (and Glorfindel and Erestor and Resaldil and Cerwal….) here in Rivendell. Elves who were kind and knowledgeable, and even had a sense of humor.

And they liked me, no matter what happened to me or what I did, an ungraceful human from the 21st Century.

I was the luckiest girl in two worlds.

I think this is going to be it for a while. I must finish my novel (Its about elves—what a surprise). I loved writing these Marie tales. And to be honest, the first two are my favorites, especially the second one. But all of them have just been a complete romp for me. It has been boundless fun to write about Elrond and Rivendell as if I had actually been there.

Sigh.

Well, I guess that's why I'm a writer: to go where only imagination can take you!

Thanks for reading this, and I hope some day you'll be able to pick up my writing at a bookstore!