The possibility of Anna taking a voyage by ship to some mysterious land in the West was not mentioned again by Glorfindel, and Anna herself never broached the subject with anyone. She was still not without hope that she could return to her former life and thus was reluctant to make any permanent or long-range plans.

According to the knowledge of most who abided in the King's house, Anna was content to remain within the safe confines of her chamber and would only emerge for the midday meal. At that time, she spoke rarely but would often try to attend to the conversations around her. When she was unable to understand the languages spoken, she amused herself by observing the speakers' expressions and body language.

Little Fro and his siblings, finding Anna a bit too reclusive and solemn for their tastes, soon lost interest in the newest addition to the King's household. Only Fro would occasionally acknowledge her with a wave or a shy smile. For reasons of their own, few of the Elves ventured to exchange more than polite civilities with the strange Elf-woman. Thus, Anna had no difficulty keeping to herself, which was more to her liking anyhow.

Unbeknownst to all but a few guards, Anna awoke each morning long before sunrise to run a five-mile circuit about the grounds as had been her routine at school. She took advantage of her runs to explore and familiarize herself with the land. As she struck different paths throughout the countryside, she nursed a small hope that she would somehow stumble upon her home much like she had stumbled upon this world. At times, when Anna allowed her mind to wander, she almost fancied herself back at the university running one of the campus trails. For about a fortnight, she continued this routine, trying as best as she could to pass the time.

Anna noted in wonder that her terrible migraines had utterly ceased to plague her. In fact, she had not realized the continual pain she had endured until her head was completely relieved of it. In the back of her mind, she tried to link the pain to the event of her journey – if it could be called that – and entertained the silly thought of achieving a vicious migraine that would send her back home. In more somber moods, she also wondered if she was just waiting idly in the midst of a grand illusion until her body decided to wake itself from a coma. She would rather believe anything other than that she was actually born in this medieval fantasy thousands of years ago and that she would have to make the best of it.

At the end of a monotonous fortnight, one of the Queen's maids intercepted her as she was returning from a morning run. With brows raised at the sight of Anna's running pants and sweatshirt, the maid led her to the chambers of her mistress.

The Queen smiled upon seeing the other Elf-woman, and seemed to take no note of her strange attire and cheeks glowing from exercise. She instead motioned Anna to a seat beside her and dismissed her maid.

"You know you are welcome in my home for as long as you wish?" Arwen questioned her. When Anna nodded slightly, she continued, "I am aware that the Lord Glorfindel has bidden you take the westward journey. If you are willing to heed his counsel, I have procured for you a place on one of Círdan's ships, which were crafted to make such a voyage. The ship will depart at Midsummer, therefore it would be necessary for you to leave Lake Evendim within two month's time."

For a long while, Anna said nothing. When the decision she had attempted to delay was presented to her, she had yet to find the courage to choose her path.

"Your mind is clouded with uncertainty and fear – uncertainty as to your fate and fear of your destiny. Annalië of the House of Finwë, I deem you will never find what you seek on these shores. If it is possible to retrace the path that brought you to Arda, only the Lords of the West will know the way," Arwen counseled gently, perceiving all too clearly the vain hopes of the young elleth.

Anna dared to meet the penetrating eyes of the Queen and searched there for anything that would help her make her decision. Strangely, having lived for many years among the gruff and untrusting people of New York City, she found the sincerity in Arwen's gaze to be sufficient.

Arwen was quick to remark the light of resolve that flashed in Anna's eyes and nodded smilingly. "I will send a messenger this day to Mithlond."

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It was after Arwen had presented the means – and sound logic - of making the westward voyage when Anna's perception of her situation began a gradual evolution. As time passed, she ceased to think of returning home as a possibility of the immediate future and allowed herself to consider her supposed position in the realm of Arda in strictly hypothetical terms. Then, without conscious decision, strictly hypothetical slowly solidified to a sort of reality; and so, when her days at Evendim were waning, her thoughts were more likely to dwell on finding what was left of her family than on the petition she intended to make before the Lords of the West.

Having a plan laid before her, Anna felt infinitely more at ease, even to the point of choosing to spend more time among the people of the King's household. It was not as awkward as she feared, and she found herself highly enjoying the stories the elder Elf lords were willing to share in a language she could understand – stories of Arda's birth and history. It amused her that she theoretically would have experienced much of the history of this world herself had not fate intervened.

Hearing the tragic history of her own family, not to mention the tenuous position her father and brothers held in the regard of the Eldar, was a sobering experience. Anna easily gathered that she must have inherited a greater share of her mother's temperament and regretted it not at all. She smiled though at the thought of her very own feuding family – Susan had argued with her several times over her wish for a larger family, saying her own extensive family did nothing but snipe at one another on holidays and ignore each other the rest of the year. At least Susan's father never held a sword to her uncle's throat. I bet she would agree that I've one-upped her in the weird, dysfunctional family department.

Knowledge of the Noldor's tumultuous history led Anna to wonder how she would be received at the end of her upcoming voyage. If she understood things correctly, her ship would drop anchor at a harbor on the Bay of Eldamar, not so very far from where the first kinslaying had been committed. What kind of treatment should she expect if the Telerin Elves were to discover that her father was the infamous Noldo prince who caused the bloodbath on their shores, however long ago? Scenes from one of her least favorite books, A Tale of Two Cities, danced before her mind's eye, but she brushed them away with a snort at her own foolishness. Surely she could presume that the Teleri would be a bit more civilized than an eighteenth century French mob.

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When Fro realized that the strange Elf-woman he had found would be leaving Evendim in just a few days and Middle-earth shortly after, he made a point to find her, knowing from hearing his mother speak with the Queen that Anna would not be able to return. After finding her room empty, he made inquiries among the ladies who had attended her during her stay. Receiving little assistance from them, he wandered about the halls until he happened upon her in a room that seemed to serve as a library. It was small but only seemed so because books and scrolls walled the room on all but one side, which was covered with tapestries.

Anna was pouring over a large, worn tome under the guidance of Erestor. Her brow was furrowed, and every once in a while she raked her hand roughly through her long mane of hair. Fro had witnessed the same behavior in Elanor many times when he or little Goldilocks pestered her.

With hobbit stealth, Fro padded to the table where the two Elves worked and eased himself onto the empty chair at Anna's right elbow. He tucked his legs beneath him to afford a better view of the object of their study and recognized Elvish script on the ancient leaves of the tome.

"Your vowels are too tightly pronounced, and you apply too much stress on the Rs. Relax the muscles of your mouth," Erestor advised.

"I told you it would be better that I learn the phonetics first. My first impulse when reading a foreign word is to pronounce it as I would a French word," Anna retorted in frustration.

"These are not foreign words. Quenya should have been your native tongue," was Erestor's clipped reply.

Anna sighed. "Sindarin has been much easier."

"I doubt many who dwell in Tirion speak Sindarin. I would advise that you continue your study of Quenya for now." Erestor took up a dry quill and used it to indicate a line of text. "Try again."

When she read the Elvish expression aloud, even Fro recognized the strange accent in her speech. His muffled giggle earned a frown from Erestor and a sheepish grin from Anna who welcomed Fro as a diversion from her tedious language lesson.

"Perhaps you could use a break, Lord Erestor – you know, from the tedium of my ignorance?" Anna suggested, her grin becoming a bit sly. Erestor's baffled expression induced her to add, "I could use a momentary diversion myself from these studies. Do I have your leave?"

"Of course," Erestor responded quickly, "but take heed that you have yet to make satisfactory progress in your native tongue and your departure draws nigh."

Anna shrugged as she rose from her chair. "Immersion has always proven to be the most effective school of foreign language. I would not worry overmuch on my account."

Anna fled the stuffy room before Erestor had the opportunity to reply. Fro, following closely, frowned at the sound of her chuckling. "Are you not afraid to go into the West, Lady Annalië?" he asked.

"No. Why should I be? Is it a fearsome place?" Anna asked as she led them outdoors and toward the gardens.

Fro shrugged. "I was a little frightened when we left the Shire to come to the King's house. I had never left before. You will be going all the way across the Sea, and you will not be allowed to come back."

"No one has said I cannot come back. It does not matter, though. As soon as I discover the way home, I shall leave anyway. I want to go to Columbia, get an advanced degree in physics and do something with it, do something with my life." Anna said, ignoring Fro's puzzled frown.

The two settled beneath an ash tree and gazed upward at its emerald canopy.

"The elves do very little around here, Fro. I do not think I would ever want to stay for very long." Anna said.

"But Father said you are going home, to the West." Fro said.

Anna shook her head. "The West is not my home. My real home is farther away, if you can believe it. I am taking the voyage because someone there may help me find the way back. I suppose I also want to see if I really do have family there."

"What if you do find your family?" Fro asked. "What will you do?"

Anna shrugged. "I will still go home. Children grow up and move away from their families, do they not?"

"Not so far that they cannot visit. We see my grandfather all the time. He wouldn't come with us on our travels, though. He would never leave the Shire," Fro said.

"I suppose I could change my mind once I arrive," Anna said. "If I have learned anything from this experience, it is that what I say I want and will do means very little to the powers that be."

Fro smiled. "I am going to miss the strange things you say."