Author's Note: This chapter is considerably longer (eleven pages!) and it might take a few days before I finish the next, so please by your usual patient selves! Thank you.

Europa: Well this was interesting. I hope you continue it. I just love your disclaimers, by the way. I'm suprised the hobbits could hit it. They must have been practicing. ^_^ Actually, hobbits have considerably good aim, especially when it involves throwing rocks. Just an interesting piece of mostly useless info for the readers!

Phoenixqueen: Geez! Poor Alagi (I'll call her this for now, since I don't remember what her real name was anymore) having the elves discussing things around her and she having no clue what they are talking about. Hopefully things are going to get better for her soon. I never remember how to spell Alagi's full name (Alagiaiel) which is why I shortened it. Plus, I have trouble knowing the correct pronounication! But I am sure that this is angel in elvish, so, that pretty much settles it. Yeah, it would suck not knowing what everyone is talking about, but not to worry! Things will get better in time.

For all those who want to know, Aragorn will be appearing in the next chapter. :)

Disclaimer: An oiluphant came and sat on the disclaimer.

Chapter Four: Hobbits

By Dameon

Eressëa gave me a tour of all of Rivendell, which was quite bigger than it looks. It is a marvelous place. It is not a city, or a town, or a kingdom. It was simply a house.

The tour had taken the rest of the day, and by the time night came I was just getting back to my room; where I immediately collapsed onto the bed, exhausted.

I woke up about noon the next day, my arm and wing not hurting so much today. The sun was warm and their wasn't the lightest bit of breeze. The grass was a green and the water splashed happily along rocks in the stream far below.

As I got up, I saw a green set of clothes and something new, the tan colored coat from the meeting. It was long, stopping at the heel of the boots left for me. I liked the coat immediately as it seemed to be something that I should know, but didn't.

It had taken me a few minutes to dress, but I managed and proceeded through the vast halls of Rivendell. Other elves glanced at my strange coat, but they gave me a small smile and walked on.

Entering a room that Eressëa had shown me yesterday (but I had forgotten already) I figured out quickly enough that it was the library. Many large, cushy red chairs surrounded a fireplace while row after row of books filled the bookshelves. The floor, made of some rock I guessed to be marble, was polished so intensely that I could see my reflection. A row of three pillars, made of the same stuff as the floor, in a half circle led outside and down to the river.

I was in stunned awe at the gaze of the impressive library. I heard a chuckle behind me, and swung around to find an elf in white clothes and a massive white cloak looking at me. It was one of the ones from the meeting, but which?

"I'm sorry if I startled you milady, but it twas a funny sight to see you gaping at the library."

I blushed and started to fiddle with the edge of my coat. "I didn't mean to disturb anyone."

"How can you disturb anyone if no one is here?" asked the strange elf.

I looked about and saw that I was the only person in the library besides the elf guy. I felt incredibly stupid.

"My name is Glorfindel," the elf continued. "I was at the meeting, remember?"

I nodded, and didn't know of anything else to say, so I decided to switch the subject. Turning to one of the bookshelves, I picked out a book with strange writing on it.

"What is this language?" I asked.

Glorfindel looked puzzled. "That is elvish script, Lady Alagiaiel." He looked ready to say something else, but he only fell quiet.

"Oh," I said, putting the book back. "Looks confusing."

"To many humans it does, but if they could read the writing they would know of the wonders it holds," Glorfindel sighed. He smiled at me with his crystal grayish-bluish eyes. "I believe Master Elrond would like to see you. Allow me to take you to him."

I nodded, and Glorfindel led the way. As we were walking, dozens of questions came to my mind. "How old are you?"

Glorfindel laughed. "Almost 7,000 years old milady."

"Wow," I smiled. "Cool."

"Cool?" Glorfindel asked.

"It means, something is good, or you're okay with something," I explained, somewhat taken back on being asked to explain cool. Then it hit me, elves wouldn't know slang. I should try to avoid slang, and all the stuff I remembered (what little bit there was of it).

"I have never heard 'cool' used in that manner," Glorfindel pondered out loud. "Very intriguing."

"Ah, Glorfindel. You have met Lady Alagiaiel." Elrond stood in an archway, watching us. "Thank you for bringing her."

Glorfindel nodded. "Twas nothing. I enjoyed talking with her." Glorfindel turned to me before going. "We must get together and talk again some time."

With a small bow the elf in white was gone. Elrond turned to me. "I am glad to see you are getting along. I wish to see how your injuries are healing."

It only took a few minutes for Elrond to check the bandages. He commented the whole while, saying things such as: "This will be mended in about a week." "We should put more salve here." and such things.

With a nod, Elrond left and I was alone again. I wandered back to my room and sat on the stone ledge that led to the balcony. The wind felt great, nice and cool. It seemed that the weather was always sunny and warm. I wondered if it ever rained.

All I could remember about home was tall buildings reaching to the sky, many people walking underneath the buildings, and mutants. I couldn't remember anyone or any places. I felt small, unimportant, and these elves always seemed to be…well…intimidating. They were tall and old, yet young, and wise.

I decided to lie down, since my arm and shoulder hurt again. As I went to sleep, my wings, though they hurt, constricted and seemed to curl against my back. It was happily familiar. I fell asleep like that.

It had been a week since I had joined the elves. I still had on my cast and my shoulder still hurt when I moved it just right, but I was pretty sure today would be the day my wing was healed.

A lot had happened in one week. Glorfindel and I are now very good friends and he is always happy to explain things or just talk.

I had learned where important places were, such as the song room, the dining room, and a room with a statue holding a broken sword. I had asked Glorfindel about that room.

"This is the sword Narsil," Glorfindel explained as I looked at the broken sword.

"Why would you keep a broken sword?" I asked.

"Narsil cut the hand of Sauron during the Last Alliance," Glorfindel said. He noted my confused look and went on. "Sauron was a dark, evil being who wanted nothing but power. He made the One Ring."

"The One Ring?" I continued, looking closely, but not touching, Narsil.

Glorfindel sighed. "Long ago, the dark lord Sauron gave three rings of mighty power to the elves, seven to the dwarves, and nine to the race of Men. Secretly, he made the One Ring to rule over them all in the fiery depths of the Fiery Mountain. Isilidur took his father's sword, Narsil, and cut the One Ring off of Sauron's hand. Sauron vanished, and the Ring passed on to Isilidur, who kept it instead of destroying the evil once and for all."

A slight darkness seemed to come and pass as Glorfindel told the story. I shivered slightly. It wasn't a pleasant story so far.

"What happened after that?" I asked.

"The ring betrayed Isilidur to his death and is now lost," Glorfindel finished.

"The *ring* betrayed Isilidur?" I asked, confused again. "How can an inanimate object like a ring betray someone?"

Glorfindel looked solemnly at me. "The ring has powers all its own and a will to return to Sauron's hand. But come! Enough of this dark tale! Let us go enjoy the sunshine in the gardens!"

I still wondered secretly why people named swords and how a ring could have so much power, but I stored it away in the back of my mind and went with Glorfindel to the gardens. We talked of many things, including Elvish Language and other languages unknown to me.

Eressëa and I have become the equivalent of best friends, and he is always happy to have me around during an exceptionally long guard shift. "I love the company," he said. He tells me of things he has slain - like orcs and wargs - and of things he has heard.

I loved hearing about it all. I would sit for hours, listening to Eressëa talk about orcs and wargs and the few battles he had been in. He told me about the rush of adrenaline during battle, the tension of waiting for the enemy, and the sound of the swords and arrows in the air.

I met the last elf from the meeting a few days ago. His name was Lindir, and like the other two, we had become good friends. He liked stories and songs about a time long ago, when, according to him, was the time of the elves. Fortunately, he liked other things to, such as nature. It seemed like every elf liked nature and things that grow. He also knew where everything was on a map, and didn't need the help of labels to name towns, mountains, or rivers.

I loved Rivendell. It was a beautiful place with new things to explore each day. I absolutely loved walking around with one of my new friends and learning about things I had no idea existed. I was still extremely shy around everyone, especially around Elrond and Arwen. But Eressëa assured me that that would change.

It had now been seven days, one week, since I first crash-landed here. And my wing felt great. I had woken up the third morning, remembering that I had had my wings before, and that I could fly. I was excited to say the least.

I was now on my way to find Elrond, and hopefully get my wing out of its bandage. Maybe I could fly again this week! I saw Lindir and walked towards him.

"Hey! Lindir!" I called, waving. A few elves around me gave me a glance as if I did something wrong.

Lindir smiled slightly and came up to me. "Hello Lady Alagiaiel." He leaned closer to me and said quietly, "The correct addressing is Master Lindir. It is important to address someone in a polite manner when others are around."

"Oops," I said, growing red again. "Sorry."

Lindir only smiled again. "It is okay. You do not know much of our customs yet. Just remember that for the feast in three days. Ah, you must need help finding Lord Elrond. Come with me."

I froze. "W-W-What feast?"

Lindir beckoned for me to keep up and I had to jog to keep up. "There is a feast for the Yavieba."

"The yawibea?" I asked, pronouncing the name wrong.

"The Yavieba," Lindir corrected. "The Autumnal Equinox. A feast is held at the Yenearsira, the Winter Solstice, Sheelala, the Spring Festival, Yavieba, the Autumnal Equinox, and Faradome, the Summer Solstice. Feasts are held and are a time of laughter and fun. I think you will enjoy it, Alagiaiel."

"He…he…uh…yeah," I said, laughing weakly from extreme nervousness. What would people think of me, especially my wings? "Um, do a lot of people show up for this feast?"

"Many elves come, mostly from Rivendell but every once in awhile we have elves from Mirkwood come," Lindir said. "We also get traveling elves and sometimes we get men."

"So, lots of people?" I asked again.

"Yes, lots of people," Lindir nodded. "Ah, Lord Elrond. Lady Alagiaiel was looking for you." He bowed.

"Good morning Master Elrond," I said, also bowing, yet not quite sure what I was doing.

"Lord Elrond, Alagiaiel," Lindir corrected.

"Heh, oops. Sorry," I apologized, once again blushing. I get embarrassed easily. "Um, is now a bad time to look at my wing sir?"

"No," Elrond said, walking away from the arch he had been staring out of. "How does your arm, shoulder, and wing feel?"

"My arm feels like a wet piece of meat in a sheet, my shoulder only hurts if I move it the right way, and my wing feels great!" I said enthusiastically. I waited for Elrond's reply.

After having me sit on a bench, he had me lift my arm and tested my wing and looked at my arm in its cast. He mumbled things to himself as he made sure I was okay. He stepped back after he rebandaged my cast.

"It is healing nicely," Elrond commented. "But I think we'll leave the wing tied up for a few more days, just to be safe." He obviously saw the disappointment on my face as he added. "Once we are sure the wing is completely healed, we can try flying."

I smiled broadly. "Right on!"

"Now, I believe Arwen was looking for you," Elrond continued. "I believe you'll find her in the gardens."

"I'm right here," a voice said from the doorway. Arwen swept in, the folds of her light blue dress making a soft swishing sound as she walked. "Ah, Alagiaiel, I was looking for you."

"I'll leave you to alone," Elrond said. He swept off, looking like a living statue, tall, regal, and powerful.

"Alagiaiel, we have a festival coming up," Arwen started.

I nodded. "The, yaveba, right?"

Arwen smiled. "The Yavieba, yes. I want to make sure you are ready for this festival, and that means knowing how to address people."

I hung my head. "Mmm. About the festival…"

"Yes?" Arwen asked.

"There are, lots of people, right?" I asked nervously.

"Yes," Arwen nodded.

"I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to this," I admitted.

"Why?" Arwen asked, sitting beside me.

"Because…" I trailed off. "What would people think of me? I'm a, weirdo. How many other people do you see with wings?"

Arwen laughed, and I jumped from the sudden noise. Her laugh was beautiful, kind of like a bell. It was pleasant to listen to.

"Oh Alagiaiel, is that what you're worried about?" Arwen smiled. "You listen to me. You are very special. How many people can fly? No one will make fun of you. This is a strange world, as you have yet to discover. No one will make fun of you, Alagiaiel."

I nodded, not really believing her. Arwen sighed, and put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry about it Alagiaiel. Now, about addressing people…"

I came back from dinner that night, tired and my brain crammed full of correct ways to address high elves, elven kings and queens, other elves, and so on so forth. High-ranking elves and elven kings were addressed as Lord, though kings were also called your majesty or your highness. Other elves were addressed as Master, and while we were at it, Arwen taught me how to address a human king. That one was easy, it was King, your majesty, or your highness.

That was about all, and I left Arwen feeling completely foolish and stupid. Sighing, I walked through the halls of Rivendell, wondering what to do next when it hit me…literally.

"Sorry Lady Alagiaiel!" Eressëa apologized as I stumbled somewhat. "I didn't see you come around that corner."

"Hi Eressëa!" I said enthusiastically. "Its okay. What are you doing?"

"I'm on my way to the south end to relieve the guard," Eressëa smiled. "Want to come?"

"Yup," I grinned back. "Guess what!"

"What?" Eressëa asked as we walked down an open hall.

"Once my wings heals completely, I can try to fly!" I said. "And my wing might be healed in a few days!"

"Congratulations!" Eressëa said. "I know how you've been excited about that!"

I smiled, but didn't really have anything else to say. "What's up with you?"

"What's up?" Eressëa asked, confused. "Well, the sky is up!"

"What's up, its like, what are you doing, how are things going, kinda like that," I explained. "So, what's up?"

"Just guard duty," Eressëa shrugged. "And more guard duty, and yesterday, I did guard duty."

I giggled. "Do you every sleep or eat between guard duties?"

"It doesn't seem like it," Eressëa sighed. "Yet I eat about the time the moon is at its highest point, and sleep until about dawn. That is the routine every night."

"Doesn't it get boring?" I asked.

"Sometimes, yes, and lonely," Eressëa replied. "But when the sun rises, it is worth the long hours, for when the sunrises, the world is cast in orange light and the river sparkles, dancing in the new light while the sun's rays cast new hope into the world. And the air is clean and fresh, while the grass is heavy with dew."

"I would never have described a sunset like that," I said, somewhat surprised at the detailed description. "Well, I could never get up for a sunrise, I wouldn't even make it out of bed before the sun had already risen!"

We both laughed as we emerged in the south end, overlooking one of the many entryways into Rivendell. I looked out from the balcony, admiring the well-kept dirt path surrounded by dark green trees and never-ending bushes. The soft light of afternoon made everything slow like and sleepy. Eressëa took the now empty spot of the guard, who had already left.

After a few minutes I felt my head nod and I looked up at Eressëa, who was standing silently and seemed to be thinking about something. Though I didn't want to break his thought, I wanted to talk to him.

"Eressëa?"

"Hm?"

"Where does this road go?"

Eressëa broke from his though and looked down at me. "It goes past the Bruinen Ford and through the wilderness to the small town of Bree. Past Bree is the Shire. At one point in time, the road veers off into Mirkwood forest."

"Hey, aren't there more elves in Mirkwood?" I exclaimed. "And what's the Shire?"

"Yes, there are elves in Mirkwood," Eressëa nodded. "The Shire is a small land that isolates itself from the bigger lands. Hobbits live there."

"Hobbits?"

"Hobbits are, small people," Eressëa said, slowing his talking down as if he didn't know what to say. He paused for a moment, thinking. "I can't really describe a hobbit when I've seen so few. It would be better to go meet one yourself. That's it!"

Eressëa turned and looked down the way we came, giving me directions the whole time. "Go down this hall and take a right, past three rooms until you get to an alcove. There will be stairs leading down into the gardens. You should find him there."

"Find who?" I asked.

"Go, find out Alagi," Eressëa smiled. "Now go!"

I scampered off, walking alone in the big halls, listening to the soft thuds of my boots. I eventually found the alcove, having to retrace my steps twice to find it as I get lost easily. Walking down the stone stairs and into the garden, I heard the river water and birds and another new sound.

"Oh bother, that doesn't sound right. This will sound better…yes."

Someone was talking to him or herself, not knowing that someone else was here with them. I walked a little ways along a small stone path and came to a stone bench, where the shortest man I have ever seen during my stay in Rivendell. Even I was taller then him!

He had white hair that was all over the place and was wearing simple red clothes and no shoes, his hairy feet not touching the ground. He looked very old and was currently writing in a large red book with a quill.

I stepped closer curious. "Hello?"

The man looked up, almost dropping his quill in surprise. "Oh, hello! I didn't notice you there!"

"What are you doin'?" I asked, gesturing at the book. "Writing 'bout somethin'?"

"Yes, in fact," the man said. "I'm writing about an adventure I had, a very long time ago."

"Cool," I said. "That's neat."

The man smiled, then looked at me closer. "I don't believe I've seen you around before."

"Eh, I've only been here a week," I said slowly. "I'm Alagi."

"It's very nice to meet you, my name is Bilbo Baggins," the little man said, extending his hand. I shook his hand as he said. "Where did you arrive from?"

I sighed. "I really don't know."

"Don't know?"

"I lost my memory in a fall," I explained quickly.

"I'm sorry," Bilbo said. "It must be very tough to not know where you're from."

"Or who I am," I added. Bilbo only smiled sadly, and I decided to change the subject. "So, uh, I was taking to Eressëa…"

"Who?" Bilbo interrupted.

"He's a guard," I explained. "We were talking about someplace called the Shire and about people called, um, hobbits I think it was…"

"Ah, hobbits," Bilbo said. He put his book down. "You wanted to know about hobbits?"

"Yeah," I nodded. "And Eressëa couldn't describe them."

"Well, he certainly sent you to the right place!" Bilbo laughed. "My dear, you are looking at the only hobbit in Rivendell!"

I was surprised. This man was a hobbit? He was so different from the elves! I smiled.

"Hobbits are very different from elves!" I commented.

Bilbo laughed. "Yes, we are *very* different from elves Alagi!"

"So, can you tell me anything about this adventure you're writin' about?" I asked Bilbo, pointing at his book.

"I'm not quite finished writing it down," Bilbo admitted. "It started a long time ago when…"

It was after dark when Bilbo finished his story. He tended to go into a lot of detail at times and then get sidetracked about something else. But slowly but surely, Bilbo reached the end and I can't say that I didn't enjoy it.

"Thank you *very* much, uh…Master Baggins," I somewhat guessed, bowing. (That had been part of my lesson with Arwen, when and when not to bow.)

"It was my pleasure, completely my pleasure," Bilbo smiled, shaking my hand. "And do call me Bilbo, please. All these formalities get so old."

"Thank you again Bilbo," I said. "I should be going."

"Please do drop by a visit me again!" Bilbo called out as I walked back up the stone path.

I waved back. "I will!"

Walking down the halls, I smiled. I had met someone knew today who liked me. I got to talk to Eressëa and I heard a new adventure story. Feeling sleepy, I decided to skip dinner and go right to bed.

The stars cast light in the halls as I made my way to my room. Having forgotten were it was, I found Lindir and asked him, who kindly showed my where to go. I didn't bother to take off my clothes as I collapsed onto the bed. I don't know why, but I was tired.

That night, I dreamed about dragons and hideous black beings.