Time Transcended

Decisions

Disclaimer: I own naught but a stuffed cat.

Sorry it took so long for me to get this one out! Hope it is worth the wait!

It was now the middle of March. Liz had been living in Elrohir's house for two and a half weeks, Elladan and Liz were becoming much closer, and their were rumors of engagement being tossed about by the other three people in that house. Liz had intimated to Rebecca that she if Elladan asked her, she would definitely say yes and accept whatever came with being his wife. They were now very much in love. Elrohir had told Elladan what the Valar had told him, and then with Elladan's permission, he told Liz. Liz took the news well, almost excitedly, and now patiently waited as Elladan made his move.

It was an unusually warm night, and Elladan and Liz were in his room with the windows wide open and only thin veil curtains drawn over them. The moon shone in the room and was amplified, it seemed, by the thin veils, making the whole room seem as if it was bathed in silver. The only other light in the room came from elvish lamps that glowed silvery. All was relatively dim, however, and very romantic.

"Liz, I know that we have only known each other six months, but I ask, will you marry me?"

"Yes!" she answered. Suddenly a ring was slipped onto her finger. It was the most gorgeous thing she had ever seen. She threw her arms around him and kissed him three times before she asked, "When do you think they shall take me to Valinor?"

Elladan looked past her for a moment then said, "As soon as you say you are ready."

"I'm ready," she said, and then she was gone. He left his room and called for Elrohir to come sit with him until she returned.

"What if she says no and decides not to?" Elladan inquired.

"I do not know brother, but I am thinking she will decide to. She is adventurous and bold, not about to be intimidated by obstacles. And she loves you. If she is willing to leave all she knows and go into utter unknown just to be with you, she must love you deeply."

"Still, she doesn't seem as resolved as Rebecca did."

"Our situations are worlds different. Rebecca had to bind herself to me with out any knowledge of the future, and with little hope of seeing me again as long as her life lasted. Liz is going forward with a certain amount of surety. She will know what will happen and that she shall be with you all the way. She is making a safer dare in that way. On the other hand, she is making a braver move. She did not have the luxury of seeing us as we were, Mirë did. I think Liz is braver that way. And she has been seeking you for years my brother."

"What makes you say that?"

"When she met you she had the look of one who found something long missed. If there is one for you, she is it."

Elladan smiled. Liz did seem to be perfect for him.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Liz found herself in a green field with the sun shining clearly. The sweetest music she ever heard was wafting by on the breeze and wrapping her in the notes before it moved on. She was not there a minute before an elf with dark hair came up to her. He bowed to her, to which she returned with a slightly awkward bow, and he introduced himself.

"Greetings Eliza. I am Elladan and Elrohir's father, Lord Elrond. Follow me if you will," he said, extending an arm towards the direction they should go. She walked forward with out saying a word, feeling quite small and insignificant in comparison to Elrond. She had read the Lord of the Rings, she knew what he had done, and felt her life very insignificant in comparison. She was almost to scared to speak, but found she had to when he asked, "How is everyone?"

"Uh- well, Elrohir and Rebecca got married, and returned from their honeymoon a couple weeks ago. Elladan is doing well, but Glorfindel is getting a little homesick I think."

Elrond smiled and said, "I told him before I left he was mad for staying. He never liked humans so much that he wanted to live with them. I am surprised he has not sailed before now."

"The more I learn about him, the more I wonder that as well," Liz answered, feeling more at ease.

"The Valar, my wife, and I have been watching Elrohir and Elladan over the years, and we all approve of you and Elladan."

Liz breathed a sigh of relief. "That's a weight off my shoulders! I was terrified of meeting you to learn you didn't like me."

Elrond chuckled. "I am glad I could abate your fears." After a pause he spoke again. "I assume you were told why you were brought here?"

"Well, sort of. Elrohir told me that if I really, truly wanted to marry Elladan I would have to be brought here to be told or shown a few things, but I received no details."

Elrond nodded solemnly. "I shall tell you a little more then. You shall be shown the people, and, in a way, the world in which Elladan was raised. Also, you shall meet the Valar, the two highest Valar, and be given your choice-"

She interrupted him, "I'm sorry, but I never really understood the whole Valars thing, could you explain it please?"

Elrond smiled and gave her a basic description of the Valar, the roll they played, and various other points of interest on the subject, which took the rest of their walk to the Halls of Manwë. They were then escorted by two Maia into the presence of Manwë and Elbereth. Partially by instinct, and partially by thought, she bowed to both of them in turn and then waited until she was spoken to.

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She walked out of the place and sat down the steps to the hall. She had a huge, more than life altering decision she had to make. She hadn't quite realized what marrying Elladan meant until then. Trying to sort out her thoughts helped very little, and she found herself glad of the first distraction that came her way. It came in the form of Elrond and an invitation to meet Elladan's friends and family.

They entered an elvish hall and found the fair folk everywhere. Some sitting, some dancing, some just standing and talking. All were as merry as young children, yet all seemed as wise, and ancient as the hills they walked upon. After she was introduced to several of them, Elrond left her to interact with them as she willed. She talked and laughed with a few of them, until the bulk of the crowd moved in about the minstrel that was singing the song of Tinuviel.

Liz was lost in the song in a matter of seconds. Her imagination, for the first time in her life, was seeing the image as if it were really there. She listened and saw the story unfold, and thus learned of the sorrow of the elvish folk. The bitter-sweetness of the story overwhelmed her, and she wept in grief for the loss of Tinuviel to the elven race and smiled for the utter joy of her reunion with Beren. Once the song was over, another was sung of a much merrier tone. By then it was quite late in the evening and the stars were starting to come out.

For two weeks, or what she thought was two weeks, she was in Valinor and in that time she got a very concentrated dose of elves and all that went with them. She made several friends, and now saw what would await her.

She was summoned before Manwë and Elbereth and asked to make her decision.

"Before I do, may I see what the human alternative is?" Liz asked, half out of curiosity, half out of serious concern.

"We cannot. Not the Valar, nor the Maia, nor the elves know what lies beyond death for mortals. We have been told only that they enter a place beyond earthly pleasures and into His thought. But what this means, none know. You know better than we do," Mandos answered.

Liz nodded and stood silently for a moment, in deep thought. She knew what would happen if she did marry Elladan and sailed to Valinor. She knew what the losses and gains were, now she had only to decide. She loved Elladan, with all of her heart she loved him, living with out him was rapidly becoming impossible. To follow her love, or to follow what she knew – she remained in silent indecision…

Authors note: Cliff hanger! Mwahaha! Review or no next chapter! I'm so wicked.