A/N: In which Sakura decides to start learning, and meets the (future) key players in Arda.

Well, here we are! Part 5 of Sakura's adventures in Arda. This chapter feels heavier for some reason, but whatever. Introducing concepts that may come into play, introducing people that definitely will come into play, and also some sad feels? Who knows. I'm the writer but I have no idea what's going on.

Sakura watched intently as Elrond crushed some herbs into a paste with a mortar and pestle. He held his long hair back with a simple tie, and wore a tunic with shorter sleeves, leaving his forearms bare. Sakura, as she had been instructed prior to this lesson, wore something similar. There were other Elves in the workroom as well, making their own medicines and pastes.

Here, in Arda, where conditions were very different than to what Sakura was used to, their standards for clean healing were different. When making medicines, they wore shorter sleeves and fitted clothing to lessen the amount of potential contaminants. It also made cleaning up easier when they only had to worry about the skin instead of their clothes.

Of course, they kept well clean normally. Only the Elves that were stationed in the Healing Halls kept their own uniforms and clothing separate, but it wasn't as if any Elf trained for healing was dirty. And their usual clothing, which held fitted sleeves that went down the wrist and robes or pants that went to the ankle, covered with leather boots were their own manner of protection.

"There are many different ways to heal," Elrond explained. The sound of the stone against stone was rhythmic and soothing. It almost had a musical cadence to it, and Sakura almost felt like they were timing it. "While Elves do have strong magic and the ability to heal by drawing upon the Fëa, the spirit, we do not rely on it. It is our greatest ability, and we often use it to help healing, but it is not the only way."

"And so you make medicine," Sakura said, watching. Watching. Elrond, whether he was are of it or not- and Sakura bet he was- used some magic to imbue the medicine he made. She thought it would work regardless. The magic just made it more potent.

"Among other things," Elrond agreed. "This medicinal paste is meant for surface wounds, such as cuts and scrapes one might acquire during sparring. And if I add another ingredient for a set amount of time, it works on deeper wounds, where the fat of the flesh is revealed."

Another Elf spoke up. "We also make our own bandages, woven to interact with the medicine we make. It works as bandages for all things, of course, but its true worth is proven when combined with the medicine it was made for."

Sakura hummed in understanding as she took this in. Oh, even if Sakura planned to stay in Arda for longer than she planned, she knew that she had absolutely had no chance to learn to heal the way Elves did in that amount of time. Elven Healers trained for an entire human lifetime before they considered themselves anywhere near mastery.

And there was the fact that what Sakura could learn here very likely didn't have an equivalent in her own world. The best Sakura could do would be to find the Men and learn their own methods of healing. Or even the Dwarves, who had similar methods. But to go find the great healers of Men, Sakura would have to travel far. And the Dwarves were so insular that they likely would not teach her if she found them anyways.

Of course, that didn't mean the Elves ignored her questions or her request to learn something. In fact, when Sakura said she wanted to learn, they all but stole her right from under everyone else's noses. And then they went and asked Elrond for an overview lesson, which he did by almost dropping all other responsibilities for.

Sakura got the feeling that Elves rarely had anyone ask, seriously, to learn how to Heal.

"I imagine that, as instinctual as you say your magic can be, that you might learn something from our more spiritual healing lessons," Elrond mused, even as his hands continued to move. "Still, we will have you watch and learn from everything else before we get there in the time that we have. It would be remiss of us to teach you only one aspect."

"That makes sense," Sakura agreed. She settled in, and made sure to pay proper attention. Even if she couldn't make the medicine herself, she could still learn something. Sakura just had to figure out what.

In hindsight, Sakura thought her meeting with the Wizard Mithrandir was a little anticlimactic. She had thought of this great meeting, where things would be happening in the background, and their magic would clash, or work together, or just register their presence in a very noticeable way.

None of that happened. Oh, Sakura had that great feeling, like she was going to meet someone very powerful. But it was almost distant, and almost an afterthought. Sakura was aware that another Wizard was heading her way, but that really was it.

"Miss Sakura," Elrond said, having found Sakura on the edge of one of the many railings amongst Imladris. Sakura wouldn't fall. She was confident in her sense of balance. And even if she somehow did, she had her Cards. "It appears that Mithrandir is almost here."

"How long until he arrives?" Sakura asked, and hopped down.

"Not too long. If we start walking now, we will likely arrive at the front gates as soon as he does." Elrond said. He stepped aside, and offered her his arm. Sakura beamed at him and slipped her hand in the crook of his elbow. She'd never really been offered an arm before. She felt like a princess.

Elrond was, as Strider warned her, often busy with his duties. Though Imladris pretty much ran itself considering that Elves lived so long and tended to stick with routines, Elrond was in charge of it all. A great portion of his duties were keeping the barriers up and running, most of which included more than just the defenses.

The rest, of course, was making sure that Imladris didn't fall apart.

Sakura didn't think it would, not really. But Elrond had dryly assured her that while Imladris would survive his departure, it would just fall apart before stabilizing.

The walk was pleasant enough, and Elrond kept his stride slow enough that Sakura kept up without issue. He was polite, and kind, and indulgent. Sakura thought that the reasons the Elves were so accommodating was the same reason that she hadn't seen any Elven children. The youngest she had been introduced to was a young adult in their terms.

"Here we are," Elrond said, and motioned her forward.

Sakura saw him immediately. He was tall, and wore gray robes, with a gray pointed hat that made him even taller. He had a wooden staff with gnarled knots throughout it, and Sakura could tell it was a focus. He stood partially hunched over, but not because of old age. For all his appearance, Sakura could see the tightly coiled energy that ran through him. It was a magic that needed time to truly get going, but he was incredibly powerful.

"Hello," Mithrandir said delightedly when he caught sight of her. "You're the one we felt, aren't you?"

"Probably," Sakura agreed. She didn't actually know what everyone felt when she came to this world. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Sakura."

Mithrandir paused and peered at her. "My name is Olórin, but you are free to call me Gandalf, if you wish. Or Mithrandir, since the Elves have likely called me as such."

Oh. Whoops. Sakura just introduced herself by her name. Which also happened to be her Name, and… Gandalf would clearly have recognized it as such. Well. Neither of them was unprotected, and it seemed that magic users here either didn't have the magic to use Names, were protected by the gods in a manner different than Sakura was used to, or were simply more polite than that.

Here, Gandalf smiled amusedly, sensing her quiet embarrassment. "And yes, it is very nice to meet you Sakura."

He said her name correctly, accent and all, instead of that odd twist on the last syllable that Sakura had been getting used to here in Arda. Sakura beamed at him and walked forward to clasp his free had with her own. A bit forward of her, maybe, but Sakura was just so excited to meet him.

"There are many things that I'd like to speak with you about," Sakura said cheerfully. "But I think that you should settle in first. I have the feeling we'll be waiting a bit for everyone else to arrive."

"That we will be," Gandalf agreed. His beard twitched slightly, as if he were trying to contain laughter. "I may have hurried a bit more than usual to get here."

"Well, at least it won't be boring," Sakura said.

Gandalf spent some time speaking with Bilbo. They had known each other for decades at the very least, and were good friends. At least that was what Sakura figured, considering that Gandalf took Bilbo on an adventure. And that was also why Bilbo was welcome here in Imladris- he had also met Elrond on this adventure of his.

"Not a done thing that," Sam had said, "Hobbits leaving the Shire? It's just not done."

"You left," Sakura pointed out. Probably needlessly.

"I did, Sam said, frowning at himself. "But it was some rather odd circumstances all told. If not for how it happened, I'd likely never have left the Shire at all."

"Well, I'm glad we met at the very least." Sakura said.

"I am as well," Sam assured, smiling at her.

So, Sakura didn't get to speak with Gandalf properly for a bit. She didn't mind. Sakura would be there for a while yet while they waited for everyone. They had all the time they needed to meet with each other, and there was no reason to rush. Especially since they were effectively strangers and had other friends and acquaintances.

That didn't mean they waited too long though. Curiosity was important for magic users of all times. So while they didn't immediately seek each other out, by no means were they very patient about it.

"I first heard about you in the Shire, from the Hobbits," Sakura told Gandalf and poured him some tea.

The blends here were very different than what she was used to, but they weren't bad. Sakura had to see about getting some cuttings from their tea plants before she went home. Or getting Flower and Woody to study them, so they could be recreated.

"Oh, and what did they say about me?" Gandalf asked, both curious and amused. Sakura made a face at him, because of course Gandalf knew exactly how he appeared to the Hobbits.

"They don't really like that you take people on adventures," Sakura said, "But they did say you were good at parties, and made some nice fireworks."

"I do like their parties, and I do make fireworks," Gandalf agreed, pleased. "And as a race, I hold a deep fondness for Hobbits as a whole. They are delightfully unconcerned about the state of the world as a whole, it's rather refreshing."

"I understand," Sakura said, thinking about what she knew of the Hobbits, and what she knew of her friends. "They care about their comfort first and foremost. If they have good food, good homes, and good families, they are happy. And those are not bad things to be concerned about."

Sakura could say she felt the same, but it would be a lie to say she didn't have other worries.

"Yes," Gandalf said, nodding at her. "It is not that they cannot concern themselves with large things. It is just that they put what they feel are important values in the situation, to see what they feel about it truly. Bilbo, of course, did not go to reclaim a kingdom from a dragon. He went because a group of Dwarves told him they wanted to go back to their home."

"And Hobbits are very concerned with homes," Sakura said.

"Indeed."

Well, that only made Sakura more certain that leaving the One Ring with Frodo while they waited was the right idea. Not that she was just leaving it with him. Sakura and Elrond, and likely Gandalf now that he was here, kept a close eye on him. Elrond certainly cast some protective magics that limited the amount of harm that the One Ring could cause, if not outright negate it temporarily.

"And what do you think about my interference?" Sakura asked curiously.

Gandalf paused, and looked at her. She felt his focus, and wondered at the great power he held. It almost seemed like there was a barrier wrapped around him like a cloak. She had heard of things like this, limiters meant to control and guide power.

"You are an anomaly," Gandalf said after a long moment. "You are a song unsung, but heard anyways. A change that no one was expecting."

"And no one can know if that means a change for worse or the better until I am," Sakura said.

"Yes," Gandalf agreed, watching her with bright eyes. "But I do believe we are hoping very much for the better."

"Hope," Sakura repeated. Yes, she could believe that, couldn't she? Especially for these people that had lived with a shroud of darkness hanging over them, with only the belief in the world promised for them in the future.

The next arrival happened to be the Elves. They were from a different land, known as the Woodland Realm. Apparently it was a kingdom of Elves situated entirely within a forest, large enough to contain not only the kingdom but a lot of surrounding lands as well.

She thought she'd like to visit once, if only to see what kind of place it was. It had to be rather impressive if Elves, already known for their abiding love for plantlife, would specifically name a location such. Woody would especially like seeing it.

Compared to the Elves that Sakura has been seeing, they were different. Their clothing was just as fine, but she saw more focus put on their leather armor and the bright woven colors of their coats. They also, as a whole, had much darker hair than in Imladris, with deep blacks and browns and even reds. In fact, the way they wore their hair reminded Sakura greatly of Lim.

Strider was pretty happy to see them. Apparently he had traveled through the Woodland Realm sometime in the past and had made friends. Sakura was not surprised. She's only known him for a short while, but Strider seemed to have friends everywhere.

"Miss Sakura," Strider said, "I'd like for you to meet Legolas, son of Thranduil, the Elven-king of the Woodland Realm. Legolas, this is Miss Sakura, a Wizard from another world."

Legolas had incredibly dark hair tied up in small braids and beads, and a kind face. He had really pretty, bright blue eyes that Sakura couldn't quite tell were a color humans could get or not. They provided stark contrast to the rest of him, since he wore more neutral tones of green and brown.

"It is nice to meet you, Miss Sakura," Legolas greeted with a bow. He had an accent that, for whatever reason, reminded her of Kero-chan. He grinned at her. "A Wizard? You must be what everyone's been so excited about."

"It's nice to meet you as well," Sakura returned, blinking at him. "And I'm not so certain about them being excited…"

"Perhaps not to you," Legolas said cheerfully, "But I'm used to my father and my brothers. If I can read them, I can read anyone."

Sakura thought that made some sense, but caught Strider's eye, who sighed noticeably behind Legolas. Oh. Maybe she'd just observe? She did notice that the Elves were indulgent of what she wanted, but she thought that was just them being polite, or not used to having teenagers around. Legolas had no reason to lie to her, but maybe he was exaggerating?

Still, Legolas was much more energetic than any other Elves she had met. And the ones he brought with him also seemed less restrained. Not in an impolite way, really. Maybe she was just getting used to Imladris. At the very least, she had to introduce him to the Hobbits. Merry and Pippin especially would like an elf like Legolas. Or, at least she thought they would.

The next to arrive were the humans, or Men as Sakura heard them called. Their clothing was very Western and reminded her of European royalty and similar styles. Tomoyo would definitely be able identify more than that, but that was what their clothing reminded Sakura of. Still, their clothes were also finely made and looked well cared for.

Sakura thought they looked worn down. Not in manner, and not in speech, or even the clothes they wore, but in something else. She thought back to what Elrond had taught her about the situation of the world. Perhaps these were the Men from Gondor. As the largest kingdom of Men, perhaps they were chosen as the representatives for this Council?

"Miss Sakura, let me introduce you to Boromir of Gondor," Strider said.

She noticed Strider was polite, but almost distant as he interacted with them. She frowned in thought. He seemed- well, not afraid, but almost apprehensive. Not that he didn't like them. This was Strider. Sakura didn't think he disliked anyone, really. More like he simply felt being around them was…

Huh. Sakura glanced between Strider and Elrond and Boromir. She knew that Strider was important, but hadn't really figured it out. But Strider standing amongst Men was… Sakura chose to ignore it for now. She'd learn the full truth eventually.

Boromir studied Sakura. "It is nice to meet you," he said, sincerely if gruffly.

Sakura blinked at him, thrown for a second. "Boromir-san," she said, and reached forward to grab his hands. Perhaps this was bold and improper of her, but she had something that needed to be said. "I can't promise it will be easy, nor will it be safe, but I do know that everything will be all right." She looked into his eyes. He had to know this. Boromir was important. Not Strider important, he who could change the world, but the kind that made her heart ache.

She was only one person, no matter how much power she had, or what she could do. Boromir was one of the first people she met here in Arda so directly affected by the darkness she had sensed. Still affected. Gondor was still under siege.

Boromir gaped at her momentarily, and then glanced between Strider and Elrond, who also looked thrown. He took a deep breath, and then clasped Sakura's hands in his own. "I don't know what you mean, exactly, but thank you."

"Just keep it in mind," Sakura said, nodding firmly. She stepped back a little bit, wanting to give him his space back. And then, to maybe settle the odd tone she had thrown their introduction in, smiled at him. "It's nice to meet you as well."

The Dwarves were the last to arrive, and only by a day or so. Sakura knew to expect it, but their height threw her for a second. They were stocky and all had really big beards, and they were about her height. But their faces were all adult faces. Their clothing was just as fine, but she felt most of their presentation was put in their jewelry and the braids they put in their hair and beards.

Gandalf was also the one to introduce them, instead of Strider, or even Elrond. "Sakura, I am pleased to introduce you to the Dwarves of Erebor. This is Gloin, son of Groin, and his own son, Gimli. You two, this is Sakura, another Wizard, and probably much more pleasant to be around than me."

"It's nice to meet you," Sakura said after making a face at Gandalf. She bowed slightly at Gloin, but kept an eye on Gimli. Something about him was familiar, in the way Elrond was familiar. Hm. Gimli wasn't a Seer, though… did he perhaps have something to do with the stars?

"Another Wizard," Gloin huffed, eyeing her. Still, he nodded curtly to her. It wasn't impolite, Sakura felt, on the Dwarves' part. "Nice to meet you as well."

"Yes," Gimli agreed, nodding much more agreeably. He studied her as well. If he had something to do with stars, maybe he sensed it in her as well? Sakura wasn't sure how Dwarves approached magic or other talents. She hoped to figure it out. "Nice to meet you, Miss Sakura."

After their introductions, Sakura went to the Hobbits, who were being distracted by one of their usual mealtimes. They would definitely go to meet the Dwarves since Bilbo had been waiting for them. She had heard of Gloin from him, a little bit, and his stories.

Well, with everyone here, things were definitely going to be interesting. Merry and Pippin would definitely be pleased by the additional people. Sam, on the other hand, seemed to be relieved that not all of the attention would be on them. While the Elves had quickly gotten used to their presence, they were fond of interacting with them.

Sakura understood.

They'd have the actual Council tomorrow, when the Dwarves had a chance to rest after their travel. It would also get everyone to meet or see each other outside of the actual Council. Bilbo especially would like a chance to properly see his friends again. She thought Gloin and Gimli carried some messages and other small trinkets from Erebor for Bilbo.

Sakura went to see Epona. She tried to visit her as often as possible while they were here. Epona was by no means being mistreated by the Elves, even being taken out for exercise, but Epona still refused either bridle or saddle. And Epona was her friend.

"Things are going to happen tomorrow," Sakura told her, running a brush over the black hair. Epona's black coat was almost glossy with how much care she had been getting. It was much better than the matte finish she had when Sakura first met her.

Epona made a curious noise, and shifted closer to Sakura.

"You've probably heard that everyone's made it here. We've got Elves, Dwarves, and Men all here for the Council. And Hobbits, of course, but they tend not to get involved, for some reason? Sam says it's because they rarely, if ever, leave the Shire. Did you know Boromir was surprised to see them? Apparently in lands further way from the Shire, they don't even know Hobbits exist."

Epona snorted in derision, then made a noise that Sakura understood as But they obviously do.

"I know!" Sakura agreed, "But I guess it's been so long since Hobbits have settled in the Shire that they only have legends? Anyways, they're here and they are going to be part of the Council. Least of all that Bilbo and Frodo are both part of this story."

Epona made an agreeing noise, and twitched her ears. Sakura thought she was referencing when they first met.

"Oh yeah, you would know, wouldn't you? I don't imagine that the Nazgûl wouldn't mention something about it around you horses. It's not like most everyone can understand you," Sakura said, nodding in understanding.

Epona made another questioning noise.

"Ah, yes, the Council tomorrow." Sakura paused in her brushing, and swallowed. "We are going to discuss the One Ring. It's- I haven't been really paying attention to it, beyond helping Frodo keep his mind off of it. But it's a big thing."

Epona nudged her, and Sakura automatically started brushing her again.

"I don't quite remember, really, my dream earlier," Sakura said, "But I know some things. And I have an idea of what needs to be done. And- I am a Wizard. Everyone knows this. But I think what I'm a Wizard of is different than anyone will be expecting. And tomorrow, it's going to come to light."

She sighed and pressed into Epona's coat. She was delightfully warm. Epona nudged her comfortingly.

"Thank you. It's not a bad thing. And I promised. But it's a big thing, and I think I'm mostly just nervous. It'll be the first big stepping point, other than my arrival in Arda."

Epona whinnied.

Sakura breathed. "Yes. I know, I know. Everything will be all right." She swallowed, and went to hug Epona around the neck. "I think I'm mostly worried everyone will look at me differently."

This time, Epona huffed and did a very impressive eye roll. She nudged Sakura again, this time a bit more forcefully.

Sakura laughed. "Okay, okay. You'll protect me, I understand. Thank you."

It should be ridiculous, this. A horse, no matter their size, protecting her from all sorts of people? But Sakura was assured. After all, even if she had been taken by Nazgûl, Epona was a horse of Rohan originally. Strider said she was. And horses of Rohan was the very best of the best. Sakura would not be surprised if Epona could in fact protect her from everyone here.

That night, Sakura once again flew to the tallest spire in Imladris. She couldn't sleep again, but she wasn't there to just speak with the Cards. She looked up at the stars. The unfamiliar stars, with constellations that only resembled those that she was most used to by coincidence.

There was a Valar, Elbereth, who presided over the light in all of Arda, and the one who placed the stars in the sky. Elrond had explained to Sakura who the Valar were the same night that she asked about the One Ring, and how they played a key part in Arda's existence.

Sakura thought that she would like to meet her. It was a heavy kind of feeling, and she kept it close to her heart. It was a careful kind of thought. Arda was ruled by magic unfamiliar to Sakura, and she did not know if strong thoughts would give way to being wishes. Sakura was outside of it, either way, but still she had to be careful.

She was her own star. She need not pay tribute to another, for her power was her own. But Sakura was very young, and she thought that speaking with another similar to herself, even beyond how Clow Reed was similar to herself, would be nice.

At the very least, she was glad to know that Elbereth existed. Perhaps she would be of help in the future. At least, that was what Sakura hoped.

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