Chapter 31

Elizabeth was unsure of what to say. Mommy had said that being blind meant you couldn't see and had to be helped with everything until you memorized where everything was. She'd also said that some blind people got dogs to guide them and some used canes. But of all things to happen to a little eight year old girl, why this!

She remembered Mommy reading her the story of Helen Keller – a girl who was blind AND couldn't speak. She learned to speak eventually, but she was blind for her whole life. Did that mean that Elizabeth would be blind for her whole life, too? Did that mean that she would never again see the beautiful sun, or Gandalf's warm and friendly face?

"Elizabeth?" Gandalf asked. Elizabeth turned her head in Gandalf's direction, but her eyes would not look directly at him. It pained Gandalf to see Elizabeth's beautiful hazel/gold eyes looking past him blindly.

Elizabeth didn't say 'what' or anything at all for that matter. She simply looked towards where she thought Gandalf was. Already she was adapting to her disability.

Gandalf sighed. He turned to Elrond, his good, old friend, Elrond.

"Is there nothing you can do?" Gandalf asked. Elrond shook his head sadly.

"Elizabeth!" a voice cried. Elizabeth held out her hands blindly, trying to feel for whoever had entered the room.

Gandalf and Elrond spun around to see the allegedly-dead Haldir standing in the doorway.

"Who is it?" Elizabeth asked. Gandalf and Elrond glanced at Haldir and saw his smile fade.

"It is Haldir, aieramin (my little one)." Haldir said. "Can you not recognize my face when you see it?"

Although Elizabeth could not directly turn away and look at the ground, she could still turn away to show her sadness. Tears formed in her eyes and she began sniffing softly.

Gandalf opened his mouth to reprimand Haldir for his words, but closed it quickly. Instead, he shook his head and went to Elizabeth. He embraced her and rubbed her back as she let her tears out and finally began crying.

Haldir frowned at the scene and could not bring himself to look away. His heart panged at the thought that he had hurt Elizabeth in some unknown way. He felt a hand on his shoulder and saw Lord Elrond standing behind him with a reassuring look on his face.

"Come, let me explain." The elf lord said softly. He walked outside of the room and motioned for Haldir to follow. Before following, Haldir glanced once more at Elizabeth's small, shaken form in Gandalf's arms.

He exited the room and looked at Elrond. "I do not understand what I said that caused her sorrow."

"No, you do not." Elrond agreed. Without hesitation, he got right to the point. "Elizabeth is blind, Haldir."

"How?" Haldir asked, in a surprisingly calm manner. Elrond gave him a questioning look.

"Do you not remember your soul traveling to the Halls of Mandos?" Elrond asked. "You died to save Elizabeth."

"That I remember," Haldir said. "very vividly, also."

"I would expect that." Elrond said. "But Elizabeth followed you to the Halls of Mandos, that is, as far as a living soul can get."

Haldir remained silent.

"She appealed to the Valar themselves to see if she could offer anything to save you." Elrond said.

"And she offered her sight?" Haldir asked incredulously.

"No, fortunately she did not." Elrond said. "Her guide, Prince Keshavan, offered himself to the Valar. I do not know all of the details – only Elizabeth does."

Haldir put lifted a hand to his forehead in distress and sighed. "And she just stood there and let her friend sacrifice himself for me? That does not sound like the Elizabeth that I call my sister."

"As I stated, I do not know what happened while they were in the presence of the Valar. But I do know that Elizabeth must have been restrained or forced to stay behind when Prince Keshavan went into the Halls of Mandos. You are only permitted to enter if you are dead or offering your life for another." Elrond said.

"So it has been done before?" Haldir asked. Elrond nodded.

"Yes, it has. Very rarely, though." Elrond answered.

Haldir looked at Elizabeth who still sat in Gandalf's embrace. She was no longer crying, but her blind eyes were red and puffy. Gandalf was rocking her back and forth and calming her with his words of wisdom.

"Go to her," Elrond said. "tell her you did not know. Apologize. She will forgive you."

Haldir nodded and reentered Elizabeth's room. Gandalf stopped his whisperings in her ear and looked up at Haldir from the chair he sat in. Elizabeth looked around blindly.

"Haldir?" she asked tentatively.

"I am here, aieramin." Haldir said softly.

Elizabeth swallowed nervously and pushed herself cautiously off of Gandalf's lap. She took a step forward and waved her hands blindly in front of her.

"Where are you, Haldir?" she asked.

Haldir had never before encountered a blind person, let alone a blind child. He watched Elizabeth feel around for a moment before a thought came to his head. She could adapt to her disability!

"Haldir—" Gandalf started, but stopped as Haldir held a hand up.

"She can learn to do things on her own." Haldir said sternly.

"Haldir, I do not think that this is the best way to help her." Gandalf said quietly, but Haldir again shushed him.

"She can listen to our voices and place us in the room." Haldir said, slightly loud. He turned his attention on Elizabeth, who was only about four feet away from him. "Can you find me, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth frowned slightly at first but then turned in Haldir's direction. She took a few steps forward, then stopped, unsure of where exactly his voice was.

"I am here." Haldir said softly so that Elizabeth could locate him. She had listened carefully that time, and so she took a few more steps forward and found Haldir's outstretched hand.

Haldir looked to Elrond and Gandalf, who each in turn glanced at one another and turned back to Haldir with amused faces.

"She can learn," Haldir said, "and perhaps she can even regain her sight."

At these words, Gandalf looked slightly irritated.

"Haldir…" he said, and trailed off.

"Gandalf, do not be so quick to condemn Elizabeth to her blindness. There is a possibility that the Valar will allow her to regain her sight." Elrond said.

"You do not even know how she lost it in the first place!" Gandalf said loudly.

"Then perhaps you should ask Elizabeth." Haldir suggested. Elrond and Gandalf both looked to him and he continued. "I, myself, have wondered how Elizabeth proceeded with going to the Valar and returning without her friend."

"Or Gandalf could tell you the part he knows and then I could finish." Elizabeth put in.

"That would be very exceptional, Elizabeth." Elrond said. He looked to the White Wizard. "Gandalf?"

Gandalf cleared his throat and sat down. He waited for all others in the room to take their seats as well before he began.

"I entered Elizabeth's mind after she took herself to the Valar. I followed her to the entrance to the room that the Valar meet in. We were allowed in – for whose name I know not – and Elizabeth was introduced to Mandos.

"He seemed to take a liking to her, because he immediately said that he would enjoy to further guide her once she crossed over to the Undying Lands." Gandalf said with a slight frown. "But, in return to what happened, Elizabeth said that she had heard of Mandos before.

"He responded well, but then told Elizabeth that if she wanted to offer Mandos what she was planning to offer, I would have to leave. So I took my leave willingly." Gandalf finished. All eyes were now on Elizabeth.

"After he left," she said. "We told Mandos what Haldir had done and that he didn't deserve to die. So I asked him for Haldir's soul back."

"And he just gave it to you?" Haldir asked slightly incredulously.

"No, silly! I'm not done yet!" Elizabeth scolded childishly. "After that, Mandos said that there needed to be another soul to replace Haldir's and said that Haldir wouldn't like it if I replaced his soul with mine."

"No I would not have liked that at all." Haldir said seriously. "In fact, I would have rather stayed dead then have you die for my sake."

"I know, that's what Mandos said. Wow, he must be psychic or something." Elizabeth said thoughtfully. It took her less than a moment, though, to return to the main subject. "Anywho, then Keshavan said that he should go in Haldir's place. And I told him no but he shushed me."

Elizabeth now wore a cute, expressive little pout on her face. She sighed dramatically and pouted even more as a strand of hair fell onto her face. She went cross-eyed trying to look at the strand of hair on her face as she blew air at it, trying to blow it away from her. This gave the small group some much-needed comic relief.

But when the small strand of hair was back in its place, Elizabeth returned to absolute seriousness, which was surprising for a young eight year old.

"So then, Keshavan went into this room with Mandos and the door locked by itself. And I tried to open it with my hands but it wouldn't open. So I opened it with my mind like Keshavan had taught me.

"And I ran in, but a white light stopped me. It was really bright. And after it went away, Keshavan was just laying there…" Elizabeth trailed off, her blind eyes staring straight ahead.

She was reliving the entire incident as she told it.

"Elizabeth, dear, you do not have to tell us right now if you do not wish to." Gandalf said gently.

"No," Elizabeth said, shaking her head. "I know you wanna know, Gandalf.

"And so Keshavan was just laying there and Mandos showed me my mommy and daddy. And then he showed me someone who looked a lot like you, Gandalf." Elizabeth said. "He had your face and he was as tall as you, but his hair was short and gray."

Gandalf remained silent, but those who knew him well could tell that he knew more that he let on.

"And after that he told me a secret." Elizabeth finished. "That's all."

"What was this secret?" Haldir asked. Elizabeth looked at him incredulously.

"Well if I told you, than it wouldn't be a secret, would it?" Elizabeth said teasingly. Haldir arched an eyebrow at his 'sister'. She narrowed her eyes at him, but then gave in. "Fine. I'll tell you, but you all hafta promise to not tell anyone else."

The others in the room nodded one by one.

"Ok. He told me that because I'd gone into his room where he'd switched Keshavan's soul with Haldir's that I'd be blind. He said that only people who are dying or switching places with someone else can go into that room besides him and I was neither." Elizabeth said.

"So now we know the reason that you have become blind." Haldir said softly.

"Yup." Elizabeth said. She didn't know what else to say except for what popped into her mind. "So what am I gonna do at Aragorn and Arwen's wedding?"

"Well, you were going to be the Flower Girl," Elrond said sternly. "but since you are now incapable of such a task…"

"No! I can memorize the path – I know I can!" Elizabeth interrupted.

Elrond looked at her skeptically and sighed. "You will need to speak to Aragorn and Arwen on that manner."

The room became silent until Elrond broke that silence.

"I believe Haldir and Elizabeth have some discussing to do." He said.

He stood by the door and waited for Gandalf. Gandalf, in turn, stood to his feet and exited the room with Elrond. Haldir stood to his feet and helped Elizabeth from her bed.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" he asked softly. "I could guide you if you wish me to."

Elizabeth nodded. She held Haldir's hand and allowed him to guide her outside. They walked until he came to a small garden near the palace of Minas Tirith.

"Are you really real, Haldir?" Elizabeth asked. Haldir stopped walking and knelt before Elizabeth, his hands on her shoulders.

"Of course I am real, Elizabeth. If you need further proof that I am real, than pinch me, do whatever you require. I tell you now that I am very real." Haldir said sincerely.

Elizabeth pinched Haldir and felt him flinch. She felt his face with her hands and remembered his face.

"Why?" Elizabeth asked. "Why did you hafta die?"

"I knew I needed to do something to save you." Haldir answered quietly. "I knew it was my duty."

"Well don't do it again." Elizabeth ordered. "Cuz if you do, I'm gonna be real mad when I hafta go and get you again."

"Yes, my lady." Haldir said, playing along as he bowed his head low.

Haldir looked at the sky. The sun was setting behind the remains of Mordor this evening. He sat down next to the small spring in the garden.

Haldir sighed as he lay down next to the stream. Suddenly, he let out a grunt. Elizabeth had carefully figured out where his stomach was and had laid her head on it.

"Excuse me, the last time I checked, I was not a pillow." Haldir grumbled.

"You are for me." Elizabeth responded cheerfully. "Now stop talking, it makes your tummy feel weird!"

Haldir rolled his eyes and sighed. He closed them soon after and fell into dreamless, yet peaceful sleep. Instead of dreams, he had thoughts. He thought of Elizabeth and how dear she was to him. He thought of Lady Galadriel and wondered if she'd known how he'd turn out.

He thought of his own parents and how they'd left him in charge long ago. He thought of his brothers, Rumil and Orophin. Come to think of it, they were here, in Minas Tirith. He would need to go and see them. Elizabeth would enjoy that. His brothers would be equally worried about her new disability.

"Haldir,"

The voice startled him from his sleep and his thoughts. Haldir opened his eyes. Lord Celeborn was standing over him. Haldir immediately moved to get up, but Lord Celeborn stopped him with a single hand.

"You would not want to wake Elizabeth, would you?" Celeborn asked.

Haldir glanced down at his stomach and saw the small head resting there. He shook his head in agreement with Lord Celeborn.

"What is it, my lord?" Haldir asked.

"It is the Gondorian seamstress. She wishes to know what color Elizabeth will be wearing." Celeborn said softly.

"Why ask me?" Haldir asked.

"I am not asking you. I planned on asking Elizabeth, but seeing as she is quite weary, I shall wait until later."

"Red," a voice mumbled.

Haldir and Celeborn looked to the little girl whom laid on Haldir's stomach.

"I want a red dress this time, Mommy. Red's my favorite color." Elizabeth mumbled.

Haldir looked to Celeborn. Celeborn looked to the Marchwarden with raised eyebrows.

"It shall be red, then." The Lothlorien elf lord said. "Thank you, Lord Marchwarden."

It was a warm, but slightly windy day when they had Aragorn's coronation. Elizabeth could feel it. She could feel the rays of the warm sun on her skin, the soft breeze gliding over her arms. She had already learned to tell what kind of day it was by feeling. Gandalf had taught her quickly.

Elizabeth also knew that they were a great deal of people gathered for the coronation. She knew this because she sensed something large in front of her. It was kind of like when you closed your eyes and someone passed a hand over your closed eyes, and you have to blink because you can sense their hand.

"Now come the days of the king," Gandalf said. His voice startled her slightly. Her hearing had yet to increase in ability. "May they be blessed."

Elizabeth felt Gandalf step away from Aragorn and stand next to her. A protective hand lay on her shoulder. She heard Aragorn sigh and then the people cheering. She had been right. There were a large amount of people before them.

"This day does not belong to one man but to all. Let us together rebuild this world that we may share in the days of peace." Aragorn said. The people cheered.

Suddenly, something landed on Elizabeth's nose. It smelled suspiciously of lilies.

"Gandalf," Elizabeth whispered.

Gandalf seemed to know that Elizabeth was slightly alarmed by the unknown objects fluttering about in the air and landed on her.

"They are flower petals. White flower petals. For Minas Tirith, the white city. For Elessar." Gandalf whispered to her. Then, as if reading her mind, he continued. "Elessar is Aragorn."

Gandalf took Elizabeth's hand then. Aragorn began to sing in elvish and he walked down the burgundy carpet. Gandalf followed Aragorn, leading Elizabeth.

Legolas approached the small group with other elves – most likely from his home, Mirkwood.

Elizabeth heard Aragorn say something in elvish to Legolas.

"Hannon le."

And then there was a long silence. Elizabeth's slightly improved hearing picked up a somewhat familiar voice.

"Go to him," the voice said.

Another short silence was endured and then loud clapping. She heard a feminine laugh and then she was guided to a place where she heard two voices whispering to her.

"Elizabeth," one voice said.

"Who's there?" Elizabeth asked.

"Can you not recognize the voices of your favorite twin friends?" the second voice asked.

"Elladan? Elrohir?" Elizabeth asked hopefully.

"Aye, my little friend, you have found us out." Elladan said.

Elizabeth felt herself lifted into someone's arms. She reached out and tried to figure out who was holding her.

"Elrohir?" she guessed.

"Fortunately not," a stern voice whispered back.

"Haldir!" Elizabeth whispered with glee. She hugged Haldir's face tightly, until she felt she'd hugged him long enough.

"Thank you for that," Haldir said stiffly.

After the marriage and coronation were over, Elizabeth was taken back into the palace by Haldir for a banquet. Elizabeth had to have help eating and since Haldir had gone off to speak with Legolas and the other elves, Elizabeth was left with Gimli, of all people.

"Now," he said. "The proper way to eat meat is to take it in your hand here…no, more like this…here let me help you…"

Gimli taught her how to hold her meat in her hand properly.

"Then," he said, returning to his own meat. "you bring to your mouth, and RIP a piece off as roughly as possible."

Elizabeth heard Gimli bite into his own meat and rip a piece off like a hungry animal. She sat there, blinking her blind eyes and holding her chicken in her hand. Elizabeth didn't know whether to try to run away or to just call for help.

Fortunately, at that moment, Elrohir came over to her.

"Gimli, are you trying to teach my young friend here, to be a dwarf?" Elrohir asked humorously.

"I am teaching her the proper way to eat meat." Gimli said, chewing his meat with his mouth open. He took a swig of beer.

"Why don't you come with me, Elizabeth? Father has been asking about you." Elrohir said. He lifted Elizabeth into his arms and carried her towards the table where his father sat, finished eating, talking with Gandalf.

When Elrond saw Elizabeth in Elrohir's arms, he took her immediately and sat her on his lap.

"And what have you been doing this evening?" Elrond asked.

"Gimli tried to teach me the proper way to eat meat." Elizabeth said. "But Elrohir thinks he was trying to turn me into a dwarf."

Elrond chuckled. "A dwarf you will never be, little one. But a daughter of mine to be, perhaps you would agree to that."

"You want me to be your daughter?" Elizabeth asked, frowning. She wasn't quite sure what that meant.

"Yes, I do. I would adopt you. Elrohir and Elladan would be your brothers. Arwen would be your sister." Elrond explained.

"But what about Haldir? And Rumil and Orophin? What about them?" Elizabeth asked.

"All those that love you are your family. I would just like to make it official." Elrond answered.

"And what about Gandalf?"

"What about me?" Gandalf asked. Elizabeth was slightly startled. She hadn't noticed that Gandalf was sitting at the table with them.

"Well don't you love me too?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, I do love you, Elizabeth. But I am hardly the right candidate to father an eight year old." Gandalf answered. Seeing the disappointed look on Elizabeth's face, he continued. "But I will always visit you."

"Promise?" Elizabeth asked.

"I promise." Gandalf said.

"Can Haldir visit too?" Elizabeth asked.

"Haldir has responsibilities in Lothlorien, Elizabeth." Elrond said. "You will see him occasionally, and he will be joining us when we leave for the Grey Havens."

"Oh. Well, I guess that's ok for now." Elizabeth said thoughtfully.

But something else lingered in her heart. She should have been happy, no, overjoyed that she had a new family. But inside she knew she still had one, back on Earth, in her regular dimension. She just wanted to see them once more before saying goodbye forever.

Elrond seemed to understand how she felt just by watching her. He watched her silently with a considerate look on his face.

"You wish to see your true mother and father, do you not?" he asked.

Elizabeth sniffed. She was getting emotional just thinking about it. She had held her homesickness inside since the beginning of the quest. She didn't know why, that's just the way it had worked out.

"Elizabeth?" Elrond prompted, waiting patiently for an answer.

Elizabeth nodded. "Just once. Then I promise that I'll come back and stay here until I die."

Elrond smiled and tucked Elizabeth's head beneath his chin, embracing her gently. It was nice to be able to love a child again. Something in the back of his head told him that she was replacing Arwen, but Elrond drove the thoughts out of his head. No one would replace Arwen and no one could be like Elizabeth.

"As long as you are careful, you will not die." Elrond said simply. He enjoyed having the secret that no one else knew about. The Valar had contacted him earlier.

"But I'm gonna get old, right?" Elizabeth asked. "All humans get old and die."

Elrond smiled, mostly to himself. "But you are no ordinary human, Elizabeth. You single-handedly aided Middle Earth on several occasions. And for that, the Valar have granted you immortal life."

All souls in the room were shocked save Elrond. Elizabeth seemed excited, Gandalf was slightly amused and the other elves were overjoyed.

"So I can still go to the Undying Lands, right?" Elizabeth asked.

"Of course you may, child." Elrond answered. "Now off to bed! Tomorrow, we leave for the woods of Lothlorien."

And once those words had been spoken, Gandalf himself stood to his feet and lifted Elizabeth into his arms.

"Good night everybody." Elizabeth said, as Gandalf carried her away.

((Author's Note: I am so sorry that this has taken me so long. Just a few days after I posted last time, I went to a convention and I ended up in the hospital. That's why it's taken me so long. I apologize and I hope you'll forgive me. Again, if you want to contact me, my AIM screen name is: musik iz my muse or gothdancer2

Thanks!))