Thank you for all your responses to the last chapter. I was delighted at the interest in the story. I hope you continue to enjoy it!
So It Begins
Bernard awoke suddenly, sweat dripping from his brow and heart racing. He looked around his room in confusion for a moment before he realized that he was still in Rivendell. He had been dreaming one of the strangest dreams he had ever had. Strange burly men were gathered around him, looking to him for direction, and Bernard had lifted one hand and pointed at some people he hadn't known before. The burly men turned and killed these people, pounding them to death with fists, legs and axes.
"You all right, mate?" a voice said.
Bernard turned his head and saw William standing in the doorway of his bungalow. He stared at him in confusion for a moment.
"You were yelling," William said.
"Was I?" Bernard replied. Then he shook his head. "I had a disturbing dream. I'm sorry I disrupted your sleep." He swung his legs off the side of his bed and ran a hand over his face.
"It's morning anyway," William shrugged. "I suppose we should try and solve that riddle today. Catherine's already up. She wasn't in her room when I passed by."
"Now where would she wander off to?" Bernard said, standing and walking over to his balcony to look at the rising sun to the east.
William stepped up next to him, observing the beautiful sight as well. "She's a free spirit, that one," Williams smiled fondly. "There are not too many women that I'm acquainted with who would boldly step through a portal without reservation."
Bernard turned his head to observe William's whimsical expression. "Yes, she does have many admirable qualities. But for people like us, we had best not entertain anything further than friendship with that bold adventuress."
William looked at Bernard, frowning. "What do you mean by 'people like us'?"
Bernard made a scoffing noise as he laughed. "Really William, must I spell it out for you? We are 'have-nots' while Catherine is most definitely a 'have'. I've heard of her family, enough to know they wouldn't let you through the front door."
"Or you, it seems," Williams muttered, irritated.
Bernard shuffled uncomfortably. "Well… yes, my family is titled but our fortune was lost a few generations ago in an unfortunate set of circumstances. A situation I hope to rectify in the future."
They both watched the sunrise in silence, deep in their own thoughts.
OOOOOOOO
The elf maiden led Catherine into Elrond's magnificent library. Catherine was struck with awe, as if she had just walked into a holy shrine where all fell silent with reverence. Such loving care seemed lavished upon the volumes and scrolls in this room; each displayed as if in a museum showcase, and carefully tended and provided for.
Catherine turned to her companion and whispered, "Are you certain I have permission to be here? Will Lord Elladan allow it?"
"Yes, my Lady," the maiden replied. "He welcomes you to be here."
Catherine nodded, feeling like a kid in a candy store. Her fingers itched to touch and her mind ached to devour all the knowledge that she could.
Learning – that was what made Catherine look forward to each new day. She wanted to know everything that ever was. Unlike most of the young women her age that she knew, she preferred libraries and lecture halls. While her peers spent most of their time trying to attract suitable husbands, Catherine spent most of her time with her nose in a book or writing in her vast number of journals.
Though most people would consider a woman with her interests to be homely and uninteresting, Catherine was anything but. Though she did hardly anything to display her beauty, she was beautiful nonetheless. She could hold her own in many intellectual conversations and wasn't afraid to assert her opinions, even to the displeasure of her parents who wished that Catherine was a bit more reserved. It seemed to them that men who were initially attracted by her beauty, soon felt intimated when faced with the bold and opinionated viewpoints of their daughter. Catherine was a doer, not a follower, a quality many men preferred their potential wives not to have.
Catherine tucked her long hair behind her ears as she contemplated the feast of knowledge before her. A glance at her elven companion made her pause however. The maiden was looking at Catherine with concern.
"Is something wrong?" Catherine asked, cautiously.
The maiden lifted her hands towards the sides of Catherine's head and asked, "May I, my Lady?"
Catherine almost wanted to laugh when she realized what the big deal was. Apparently tucking her hair behind her ears was not proper. She nodded and the maiden smoothed her long strands back down over her ears.
The elf had come to Catherine in the early hours of that morning, telling her that she would help her prepare for the day. Catherine accepted the offer, thinking it may be rude if she refused. She had wondered briefly if Bernard and William had their own attendants as well.
As the elf maiden prepared to tend to Catherine's hair, Catherine had told her not to bother and that she'd just sweep it up into a pony tail behind her head. This was how Catherine usually wore her hair, preferring to keep it out of her way. The elf had frowned at her, however, as she watched Catherine tie her hair up with a ribbon.
"Why do you hide your glory?" the maiden asked.
"My… glory?" Catherine inquired.
"Aye, my Lady," the maiden replied, glancing at the pony tail on Catherine's head.
Catherine immediately surmised the problem. All of the elves she had observed thus far wore their hair long. Catherine reached her hand up and fingered her ribbon. She really wasn't used to having her hair loose where it would fall upon the books she so loved to read. 'But while in Rome…' she thought, pulling the ribbon and freeing her hair.
"On second thought," Catherine said, "I'd like for your help." She sat down on a stool in her room as the maiden shaped her long golden brown hair into a smooth cascade.
"It is most becoming, my Lady," the maiden said as she ran her fingers over the strands. Catherine couldn't help but blush. She really didn't like fussing much with her hair, but if it was important to the elves, she supposed she could make an exception.
Now she stood in Elrond's grand library running her fingers reverently over the volumes on display, wondering what to read first. She smiled as she noticed Tolkien's books were also here on display. She turned towards her companion to tell her and was startled to find her host standing there instead.
Catherine straightened and bowed. "Lord Elladan," she said, "forgive me. I did not know you were here."
He bowed in return and said. "Do not apologize, my Lady, for Elladan is truly not here. I am Elrohir and I have come to greet our welcomed guest."
Catherine bowed again and said, "It's an honor, my Lord Elrohir. I am Catherine Tulare." She tried to remain calm, but her insides were a mess. Lord Elrohir! He looked exactly like his brother.
He nodded in greeting, observing her carefully. "I apologize for not greeting you upon your arrival. I have only arrived in Rivendell before the sun."
She smiled and nodded, tongue tied as to what to say to this majestic elf.
"I have come to escort you to the morning meal," Elrohir said to relieve her discomfort.
"Oh, yes," Catherine nodded, the pang of regret in having to leave this library fled as soon as she took hold of Elrohir's offered arm. Her nerves fluttered as he led her out of the library to the dining pavilion where Bernard and William were already waiting.
The two young men turned and looked in her direction, their faces looking a bit bewildered. Catherine surmised that they were surprised to see her walking arm in arm with Elrohir and she blushed.
But Catherine would have blushed deeper if she realized the real reason they were gawking.
William and Bernard looked at Catherine with fresh eyes, her hair long and flowing in feminine beauty and her gown much more delicate than the one she had worn yesterday.
Bernard glanced at William's adoring face and sighed. He hoped he didn't have to contend with William's infatuation for Catherine. They really needed to focus on finding Tolkien and getting home again and he didn't fancy becoming some sort of third wheel in this relationship. Though she was quite fetching this morning, he thought.
The meal proceeded with only polite conversation made between men and elves. When the meal was done, Elrohir inquired, "Have the meaning of Elostirion's words come to you?"
William blinked a few times and said, "Not quite yet, my Lord. We plan to ponder the meaning this morning."
"But we wouldn't be adverse to any help," Bernard added, drolly.
Elrohir smiled slightly but said nothing.
Drat these elves, Bernard thought. They know and they won't even give us a clue, not one tiny hint.
"Elostirion was quite clear in his desire to have his words understood without the aid of the elves," Elladan stated. "We shall respect the wishes of our friend."
"We understand, my Lord," Catherine said, graciously. She shot Bernard a quick glance of reprimand but he only shrugged in return.
After breakfast the three of them gathered in a garden near the central courtyard to talk in private.
"Honestly Bernard," Catherine scolded, "it wouldn't hurt to show a bit more humility. We are their guests."
Bernard frowned. "We are the equivalent of aliens from outer space to them, Catherine. Why would it be out of place to expect us to behave differently?"
Catherine sighed heavily. "I give up," she stated. "Let's just discuss the riddle, shall we?" She turned her head towards William who was giving her a funny look. "William, what are you thoughts?"
"What?" he replied distractedly. "Oh, yes, well… I suppose I do have a few ideas. The first part, 'tender charges young and old, beneath towers the sentinels watch', brings to mind a large city, Minas Tirith perhaps. The sentinels could be the guards that watch over the 'young and old'."
"Yes," Catherine replied, "that occurred to me as well. But the part of the riddle that says, 'to remember that which has always been', throws me off track.
"It could be referring to the library at Minas Tirith," Bernard added. "After all, it goes on to say, 'the words, the words, the words, lay endless to mortal minds'.
"It seems too obvious of an answer," Catherine replied, shaking her head. "But 'that which has always been', seems like it's referring to something much older than a city made by men."
"Of course!" William exclaimed. "What is older than men or elves? It has to be the Ents, the tree herders."
Catherine smiled, "Yes! I think you're on to something. The Ents could be the 'sentinels' towering over and watching their 'charges'."
Bernard began nodding in agreement. "And their long winded words would seem 'endless to mortal minds'."
Catherine stood up from the bench in excitement. "That's it! Fangorn Forest! That's where we need to go."
Bernard's face fell. "Isn't that quite far from here?"
"Well, it's certainly closer than Minas Tirith would have been," William replied.
"Tolkien is probably strolling around with Treebeard, waiting for us to come," Catherine said, excitedly. "Won't it be amazing to see an Ent?"
William smiled at her excitement, but Bernard frowned. "Do you suppose there are still goblins in the Misty Mountains?"
"We don't have to go over the Misty Mountains," Catherine said. "We can go the other way, across Dunland and through the Gap of Rohan."
William shook his head, "No, that would take longer from Rivendell. We should cross the Misty Mountains to the Anduin Valley and follow the river down past Lorien. Then we can cross overland to Fangorn."
Bernard rubbed his forehead. "I can't believe we are going to do all this."
"Well, what choice do we have?" Catherine asked. "Let's see if we can get an audience with Elladan or Elrohir. We can tell them what we think and perhaps they can give us some advice for our journey."
OOOOOOOO
That evening they informed Elrohir of their discovery, which the regal elf neither confirmed nor denied. He did, however, tell them he would provide an escort over the Misty Mountains and that all would be prepared for the journey in a week's time.
Catherine was delighted that they wouldn't be leaving immediately as it gave her a chance to explore Rivendell and the library. Bernard was anxious to be on the way, wanting to get this journey finished so he could give Tolkien a piece of his mind for all the man put them through. William was determined that they be prepared as much as possible and planned to scan maps, plotting their route with care.
When the departure day arrive, the three of them gathered with their escort of three elves. Happily, they were given horses to ride across the mountains loaded with food and supplies.
Much of Rivendell had gathered to see them off and they felt a pang of regret at having to leave this beautiful place so soon. As they made their final bows and farewell to Elladan, they were surprised to find Lord Elrohir on his horse along with their elven escort.
"My Lord?" Catherine asked. "Do you ride with us?"
"Yes, my Lady," he replied, "for a time."
She nodded in gratitude and they all mounted. Catherine had ridden horses many times before and felt much more comfortable than Bernard and William. The horses, however, seemed more knowledgeable than them about where they were going, so they gave up trying to control the beasts and let them take control.
With a last glance at the beauty of Rivendell, they set out on their adventure.
OOOOOO
The days flowed smoothly, one after the other, with long hours of riding during the day and camping under the trees at night. Elrohir had informed them that it would take about twenty days to fully cross over the Misty Mountains on horseback.
Catherine had hoped to speak more with Elrohir as they rode on, but she soon learned that elves preferred to travel in silence, as unnoticed as possible. It was in the evenings before the fire that they indulged in conversation.
They were told that goblins still lived under the mountain but their numbers were fewer now, the goblin wars having thinned their population. Travelers were rarely attacked these days and the elves in particular were usually left alone. This news was met with much relief and gratitude for the presence of their elven companions.
The three students couldn't help but marvel at the efficiency of the elves. The effortless way in which they set up camp, provided meals and prepared to leave in the morning was a wonder in itself. One felt very safe with the elves about, as they seemed to never sleep but kept silent watch over their surroundings. They hunted just as swiftly as they did everything else, often bringing down an animal with the release of one quick arrow without warning while they traveled.
In the evenings, William had taken an interest in learning how to use the bow and the elves patiently taught him. Catherine, on the other hand, was quickly learning which plants were edible and which weren't by carefully observing their guides. She could tell they slowed their actions down, so she could learn. She didn't hesitate to ask questions as well. Bernard seemed ever uncomfortable on the journey and spent most of his time glowering in his misery.
Yes, Bernard very much preferred reading about adventures than actually having them.
OOOOOOOO
A/N I hope you didn't mind the lack of action in this chapter. I really felt I needed to flesh out the characters a bit more, so that you would get to know them. We mostly got to know Catherine in this chapter, but Bernard and William's backgrounds will soon be revealed as the journey progresses. And I promise things will get more exciting as they go on as well.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please send a review and let me know. Thanks!