Chapter 28
Over the next weeks all Rivendell was involved in readying the Fellowship for their journey. Many people assisted, until the day came that the nine walkers set out. In the late evening everybody farewelled those who carried the fate of Middle Earth.
Nobody moved as the Fellowship walked away, fading in to the distance. As the Fellowship became invisible, all the people slowly left, going back inside. Last to leave were Gloin, the dwarf, Gimli's father, the old Hobbit Bilbo stayed as long as he was able, and Elrond had almost to drag Arwen away.
Rory had found herself standing next Jessryn, Legolas's brother. Like the other loved ones of the Fellowship, he stayed until full dark, long beyond any possibility of seeing anything. When Rory left, Jessryn made a strange request that he wanted to see her the next day. Puzzled, Rory agreed.
That night, the Hall of Fire was pretty much deserted, but Rory felt like sitting in there. She took a seat near the fire, and was watching the flames flickering, her mind pretty much in neutral.
A voice spoke from the darkness around the corner, and Rory recognized the old Hobbit, Bilbo.
'Bilbo, you startled me', she exclaimed.
'I didn't mean to do that! I was just wondering if you wanted some company?' asked Bilbo.
'Sure, pull up a seat', Rory replied
'Well, I wonder how our nine Walkers are', Bilbo said after a moments silence.
'I'm sure they're fine, Bilbo. They are all capable people, or Elrond would not have chosen them. Everything will work out all right', Rory said.
'You really think they can walk into Mordor and throw the Ring in the Cracks of Doom?' Asked Bilbo.
'Yes, don't you? I'm sure they will have many nasty adventures on the way, but they will be successful', said Rory.
'You seem so sure? Why?' the hobbit asked
'Well, mostly because they have set off to do the last thing ole Sauron expects, walk into Mordor with the Ring, and of course he doesn't expect that anyone would try to destroy the Ring, he will be thinking one of the Elf Lords will try to use it against him. So, you see, it really comes down to the element of surprise', Rory answered him.
Bilbo was again quite for a moment, thinking. Finally he spoke 'Maybe you are right. I hope so', he said and then shook himself, 'Somehow I don't think we should speak more of this tonight'.
'I agree, Bilbo, so maybe you can answer a couple of questions for me?' She asked.
'If I can, I will,' he said.
'Jessryn of Mirkwood has asked me to see him tomorrow, I don't really know him well, and I was wondering if you could tell me more about him', Rory said.
'What do want to know? I know a bit about Jessryn, he has been a frequent visitor to Rivendell. Elrond taught him when he was a child, apparently he spent a long time here because Elrond helped him to understand his half- elven nature.' Bilbo replied.
'That's what I want to know. How the King of Mirkwood came to have a half- eleven son', she said.
Bilbo settled himself comfortably. He loved story telling and here was a good opportunity 'The tale as I heard it is this, one day about seven hundred years ago, the Elves of Mirkwood found a young Mortal girl wandering lost in their forest. She was only a child, four or five years old they estimated. Far too young to be left alone, and they feared she would fall into the clutches of the huge spiders. So the border guards who found her took her to Legolas. He decided that the girl should be taken back to his father's palace, where the Elves cared for her while trying to find her family. No trace of her family was ever found, and the Elves came to the conclusion that she must have been from one of the small villages that were once scattered around the edges of Mirkwood. Orcs had destroyed many of these villages, and so the Elves gave the girl a home with them. She grew into a pretty girl, and the Elves taught her Archery, and to fight, and so she became one of the border guards, and this is how she lived for many years. Eventually, she was injured in a fight with Orcs, and during her recovery, she caught Thranduil"s eye. The result was a child, Jessryn, and when he grew up, he too became one of Mirkwood's guards.'
'Wow, an interesting story. But what was Jessryn's mother's name, and what happened to her', Rory asked.
'I don't know. Jessryn doesn't speak of his family, but I know that of Mirkwood's Royal family, only Legolas is kind to him. The others seem embarrassed to have a half mortal relative' Bilbo said.
'Yes, Jessryn and Legolas are close, aren't they. I wonder that Jessryn didn't volunteer to join the Fellowship to be with his brother.' Said Rory.
'He did, but Merry and Pippin were already going, and so there was no place for Jessryn.' Said Bilbo.
'HHmm, but that still doesn't explain why he wants to see me', said Rory.
'Don't you know?' said Bilbo. 'In that case, I will say no more, and I think that I shall bid you good night, and leave you to wonder why a man would care to see a woman he admires'. He smiled as he left, going to his rooms, leaving a very stunned Rory sitting by the fire.
Over the next weeks all Rivendell was involved in readying the Fellowship for their journey. Many people assisted, until the day came that the nine walkers set out. In the late evening everybody farewelled those who carried the fate of Middle Earth.
Nobody moved as the Fellowship walked away, fading in to the distance. As the Fellowship became invisible, all the people slowly left, going back inside. Last to leave were Gloin, the dwarf, Gimli's father, the old Hobbit Bilbo stayed as long as he was able, and Elrond had almost to drag Arwen away.
Rory had found herself standing next Jessryn, Legolas's brother. Like the other loved ones of the Fellowship, he stayed until full dark, long beyond any possibility of seeing anything. When Rory left, Jessryn made a strange request that he wanted to see her the next day. Puzzled, Rory agreed.
That night, the Hall of Fire was pretty much deserted, but Rory felt like sitting in there. She took a seat near the fire, and was watching the flames flickering, her mind pretty much in neutral.
A voice spoke from the darkness around the corner, and Rory recognized the old Hobbit, Bilbo.
'Bilbo, you startled me', she exclaimed.
'I didn't mean to do that! I was just wondering if you wanted some company?' asked Bilbo.
'Sure, pull up a seat', Rory replied
'Well, I wonder how our nine Walkers are', Bilbo said after a moments silence.
'I'm sure they're fine, Bilbo. They are all capable people, or Elrond would not have chosen them. Everything will work out all right', Rory said.
'You really think they can walk into Mordor and throw the Ring in the Cracks of Doom?' Asked Bilbo.
'Yes, don't you? I'm sure they will have many nasty adventures on the way, but they will be successful', said Rory.
'You seem so sure? Why?' the hobbit asked
'Well, mostly because they have set off to do the last thing ole Sauron expects, walk into Mordor with the Ring, and of course he doesn't expect that anyone would try to destroy the Ring, he will be thinking one of the Elf Lords will try to use it against him. So, you see, it really comes down to the element of surprise', Rory answered him.
Bilbo was again quite for a moment, thinking. Finally he spoke 'Maybe you are right. I hope so', he said and then shook himself, 'Somehow I don't think we should speak more of this tonight'.
'I agree, Bilbo, so maybe you can answer a couple of questions for me?' She asked.
'If I can, I will,' he said.
'Jessryn of Mirkwood has asked me to see him tomorrow, I don't really know him well, and I was wondering if you could tell me more about him', Rory said.
'What do want to know? I know a bit about Jessryn, he has been a frequent visitor to Rivendell. Elrond taught him when he was a child, apparently he spent a long time here because Elrond helped him to understand his half- elven nature.' Bilbo replied.
'That's what I want to know. How the King of Mirkwood came to have a half- eleven son', she said.
Bilbo settled himself comfortably. He loved story telling and here was a good opportunity 'The tale as I heard it is this, one day about seven hundred years ago, the Elves of Mirkwood found a young Mortal girl wandering lost in their forest. She was only a child, four or five years old they estimated. Far too young to be left alone, and they feared she would fall into the clutches of the huge spiders. So the border guards who found her took her to Legolas. He decided that the girl should be taken back to his father's palace, where the Elves cared for her while trying to find her family. No trace of her family was ever found, and the Elves came to the conclusion that she must have been from one of the small villages that were once scattered around the edges of Mirkwood. Orcs had destroyed many of these villages, and so the Elves gave the girl a home with them. She grew into a pretty girl, and the Elves taught her Archery, and to fight, and so she became one of the border guards, and this is how she lived for many years. Eventually, she was injured in a fight with Orcs, and during her recovery, she caught Thranduil"s eye. The result was a child, Jessryn, and when he grew up, he too became one of Mirkwood's guards.'
'Wow, an interesting story. But what was Jessryn's mother's name, and what happened to her', Rory asked.
'I don't know. Jessryn doesn't speak of his family, but I know that of Mirkwood's Royal family, only Legolas is kind to him. The others seem embarrassed to have a half mortal relative' Bilbo said.
'Yes, Jessryn and Legolas are close, aren't they. I wonder that Jessryn didn't volunteer to join the Fellowship to be with his brother.' Said Rory.
'He did, but Merry and Pippin were already going, and so there was no place for Jessryn.' Said Bilbo.
'HHmm, but that still doesn't explain why he wants to see me', said Rory.
'Don't you know?' said Bilbo. 'In that case, I will say no more, and I think that I shall bid you good night, and leave you to wonder why a man would care to see a woman he admires'. He smiled as he left, going to his rooms, leaving a very stunned Rory sitting by the fire.