Disclaimer: LOTR is still not mine. The Woodland Wanderers are still the best friends I could ask for. :) (stop reading over my shoulder, you pain-in-the-neck elf. You know I don't mean a word of it.) Sorry about that. Latano gets flattered too easily. (NO, don't! No Vulcan neck pinches! Ow! Okay, okay, I won't kill you off in the story right away, now let go!) Man. Or Elf. Whatever. I don't think I claim them anymore. :)

"Sometimes the mind has to discover things for itself."

–Charles Xavier

Chapter Seven

Together

"I don't like this idea, Daëlin," Elrond insisted in one last, desperate try to get the old man to listen to reason and stay.

"Elrond, have you ever known me to suggest a course of action when I could think of a better one? Half an hour, you've tried to find a better way. Did it ever occur to you that there might not be one?"

"Not really. I've always believed one can find a better way, always, if they look long enough."

"We don't have time to look 'long enough.' Your group is waiting, as is mine. They're counting on us."

"I'm going, but do you have to?"

"Yes."

"Very well. You're stubborn. You'll tell us if you can't go on, though?"

"Yes, though I very much suspect you'll be able to tell, Master Elrond."

"Let's go, then."

Two minutes saw the whole group together, and what a group it was! Two wizards: Gandalf and Radagast, two Elves: Legolas and Avanwë, a half-Elf: Elrond, five elves: Noka, Rona, Latano, Tandro, and Balo, seven Humans: Eowyn, Aragorn, Faramir, Bergil, Peter, Eric, and Morgan, and one Dwarf: Gimli, were all prepared to go looking for four Hobbits. Armed with swords, axes, bows, and staffs, they were also prepared for any kind of danger, or so they thought. The Woodland Wanderers, who knew the place they were going far better then most of the others, still hadn't bothered with armor, and had insisted on their normal, overly casual dress, namely, t-shirts and jeans, or, some of them, long pants.

Gimli, more than anyone, was grateful for the strange company. Finally, someone close to his height! Someone he didn't have to look real high just to talk to! Good company until they found the Hobbits again.

"So where do we go?" Bergil asked, talking to no one in particular but asking th equation quite a few of them wanted to.

"Close your eyes," Peter instructed in reply. "All of you."

"Why?" Bergil asked.

"Daëlin, if you're going to try what I think you're going to try," Elrond started.

"It's how we got here," Peter shrugged.

"Daëlin, getting here is one thing," Gandalf reminded him. "Getting back isn't as easy."

"It simply takes more concentration. I can handle that. I've done it before."

"Not when you were this weak."

"Weakness, Mithrandir, has always been a matter of perspective."

"Charles Xavier, X-men issue 304," Eric sighed. "I knew letting Morgan keep reading you those things was a terrible idea." Inside, though, he knew Peter was right. "It's our only way out of here," he said firmly to the others. "Try it, Peter."

"Gladly," Peter said. "Close your eyes, everyone." Everyone did, even Gandalf and Elrond. Radagast placed his hand lightly on Peter's shoulder, as if to somehow add to the old man's strength with his own. Peter relaxed a little, and the wind around them started to blow. It blew faster and louder, all around the group. Then it slowed down to the gentle whisper of a breeze. Elrond let go of his concentration, waiting for the signal to open his eyes. They had done it.

"That's it. Steady down there, Eomer. I can almost reach it."

"Good. You Hobbits are heavy."

"There. Hold it right there," Pippin called from the top once again. "Drat! It's closed and locked."

"Can you see where we are?"

"There's a lot of snow, and some rock; I'd guess a mountain."

"I thought it was a little cold," Merry said, trying to hold back laughter because that could topple the tower of Hobbits and a Human.

"If you're going to do something up there, Pippin, hurry it up," Frodo suggested. "This isn't easy." Just then, the door swung open once again, startling Sam and knocking the tower down. A man stood in the doorway, and behind him the monsters who had brought them there.

"Go," the man said, stepping inside and closing the door.

"What do you want?" Sam demanded, jumping to his feet and placing himself between the stranger and Frodo. Eomer drew his sword, and Merry and Pippin followed his lead.

The stranger just laughed. "It would be foolish to try, my friends," he said calmly. "If I but blow this," he added, reaching up and touching a whistle that hung around his neck, "I will have all the help I need."

"More monsters, I assume you mean," Eomer said, not letting his guard down.

"They're called gleems. I'm known as Confusion. I apologize for the circumstances of our meeting, King Eomer, but I had no choice. I am greatly in need of Rohan's aid."

"Then perhaps you'll answer a few questions."

"Anything."

"Where are we?"

"You're on an island. Specifically, the Snow-Capped Mountains on the Undiscovered Island."

"How original. Why did you bring us here?"

"I need your help."

"Be more specific, and we might be able to help you."

"This island is in danger. The elves here are trying to take over the whole island."

"The Elves are? There are Elves here?" Sam asked.

"Not the kind you're familiar with, Master Gamgee. A very different kind, indeed."

"Let me guess, they have a huge army, the situation is hopeless for you, and you seek the aid of the greatest warriors in Middle-Earth so we can destroy a second Ring of Power for you while you sail to the Lands Beyond the Sea?" Frodo asked suspiciously.

"You don't trust him, Frodo?" Merry asked.

"Not even a little, Merry. If he needed our help, he would've asked us, not kidnaped us."

"Oh, so that is what you think, Frodo Baggins?"

"How do you know all our names?"

"I know more than that. You live in the Shire, but you really haven't been there much recently. You were on a quest to destroy the Ring of Power, in a Fellowship of nine members: yourselves, Aragorn, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, and Gandalf, if I'm not mistaken. This is Eomer, recently crowned King of Rohan after the death of his uncle, Theoden. He met Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli while they were looking for you, Pippin and Merry, after the Fellowship was scattered and Boromir killed by the Uruk-hai who were sent by Saruman the White to capture the 'halflings' who had the Ring."

"Wow," was all Pippin managed to say. Merry's expression mirrored his friend's thoughts, and Frodo and Sam were equally surprised.

Only Eomer had an explanation: "Obviously, my friends, one of two things has happened. Either we have landed ourselves in the future, where our stories are still remembered, or he has captured someone else, as well, and they have told him all this."

"I find the second more likely," Frodo said.

"Yes, but let's not jump to conclusions, my friend," Eomer cautioned. "There may even be other possibilities."

Confusion alone was getting a good laugh out of the whole matter. Only one thing now could ruin his plan.

"Open your eyes," Radagast said. Gandalf did, wondering why Radagast had given the instruction instead of Peter. When he looked down, he got his answer. The old man had fainted. Even with Radagast's extra help, getting out of Middle-Earth like that wasn't easy.

"Why?" Bergil asked Avanwë, who was the closest. "Why is it so hard?"

"Because it isn't easy to defy the laws of the Valar, my friend, or those of nature. Even the Elves who sail over the Sea aren't normally permitted to return. For him to be able to do this at all is amazing."

"You said normally. Are Elves sometimes allowed to come back?"

"Once, a long time ago, when even I was very young. Did you know the Elves lived in the Lands Beyond the Sea for quite some time? Then Morgoth stole the Silmarils from Fëanor and Fëanor followed him back to Middle-Earth, with a great deal of other Elves, including his seven sons and his brother, Fingolfin."

"What?" Legolas exclaimed. "How do you know all that?"

"I was there. You still don't recognize me, do you? Neither did Elrond, at first, when he heard I was back in Middle-Earth."

"Livya!" Legolas exclaimed, finally recognizing the Elf. "You sailed over the Sea . . . ."

"Yes. A long time ago. As I said, Elves are occasionally allowed to come back."

"As fascinating as I find this, really," Gimli interrupted, not really fascinated at all, "we still have four missing Hobbits to find and I would like to leave this forest as quickly as possible."

"Your friends aren't in the forest," Latano said.

"How do you know?" the Dwarf grumbled.

"The forest is constantly watched by the birds, and others," Noka answered for him. "They would have told us were anything amiss."

Radagast looked up from where he was trying to wake Peter. "The elves are right, Gimli," he confirmed. "They aren't here."

"Then where are they and why are we here?"

"We are here because it's not easy to get out of Middle-Earth, let alone anywhere specific," Peter answered, still a little shaky. "I did the best I could. We're close to the southern border of the Unknown Forest. That's good enough."

"Good work, Peter," Morgan smiled, helping the old man to his feet. "You're right. This is close enough. We could've landed ourselves in Paris."

"Where?" Bergil asked.

"Never mind," Eric said before that conversation went any further. "Peter, are you all right? Can you walk?"

"I can try, Eric. That'll have to do."

"I guess it will."

"Follow me," Noka said, running off down the path. Legolas took off after him, as did Avanwë. The others elves soon followed, as did Elrond, Gimli. Aragorn, Bergil, and Eric, as well, tried hard to keep up with their Elven leaders. Faramir, Eowyn, Morgan, Radagast, and Gandalf lingered at the back of the line with Peter.

"Go on," Peter said. "I'll catch up. Wait at the edge of the forest. It's not far." Gandalf, Faramir, and Eowyn went on ahead. Morgan and Radagast stayed anyway.

"You remember me?" Avanwë asked, still keeping perfect time with Legolas.

"Barely," the Elf admitted. "You left when I was very young. I didn't think you'd come back. After all, my father . . . ."

"Banished me? Yeah, I know. Not the first time it's happened, and it won't be the last."

"You got kicked out of your home, too?" Noka asked.

"Yeah, though I wouldn't really call it my home."

"You live here, Noka?" Legolas asked.

"Sort of. Ever since we helped Athos escape the elves, we haven't been welcome in the village."

"That's putting it mildly," Balo laughed. "More than once, they almost got killed trying to go back for help. Finally, they all got themselves captured, and I got thrown out trying to rescue them."

"Stop here," Noka said. "We'll wait for the others." He and the other elves and Elves were the only ones already there. Soon, however, Bergil and Aragorn came running down the path, followed closely by Eric, Gandalf, and Gimli. Faramir and Eowyn were next. Moments later, Morgan, Peter, and Radagast followed them.

Gandalf could see it now; Peter was starting to weaken. He could barely walk, and was supported on either side by Morgan and Radagast, who had stayed behind in spite of Peter's insisting that he'd be all right. They knew him too well.

"Look up ahead. Is that it?" Bergil asked.

"Look at what?" Noka laughed. Even Elrond smiled. Sometimes it was easy to forget they had a blind elf with them.

"That tower in the mountains. Is that were they are?"

"Yes," Aragorn said. "I can feel it."