Hey, I'm really sorry I didn't update for soo long. But I was busy with school work. To make it up to you today's chapter is longer than the previous ones. It was really painful for me to write this whole conversation between them about how she wound up in middle earth but I got through it. I hope you will like it. Have a nice time reading. :)
Disclaimer: I obviously dont own any part of The Lord of The RIngs. It's all Tolkien's work/ But I do own my original character Arianwen together with all her weird and crazy mathematical mind ;)
They arrived at the inn a few hours later soaked to the bone. The old three floor wooden building had a plain front with small square windows. Ari was shivering lightly when she was getting of the horse and she could feel her clothes leaking with water that later poured back onto the ground. When her feet touched the ground they momentarily disappeared in the thick layer of mud and Ari could feel her shoes filling with the sticky substance. She heard another loud splash on her left when Legolas got off his horse not avoiding this fate even despite being an elf. He led the horse to a large gate on the right of the entrance.
The windows of the inn emanated with dim, but warm light so inviting for Ari's eyes and tired body. Despite that instead of entering inside she tried to follow Legolas to the stables, but he turned around and said "Just wait here, I will be back in a few seconds."
She stood in the rain for twenty one more seconds allowing 3 more liters of water pour over her, but right now it didn't make any difference. Her clothes were totally wet and a few more seconds outside would not make it worse. She stood immobile once more rethinking all that happened since she found herself lying on the ground in the dark forest. Her mind was still trying to make sense of what happened and a continuous argument endured within her. An argument with herself. And if she knew herself well it was not long for a real battle to come.
Legolas emerged back from the stables eyeing her suspiciously once more, as if he hasn't done that enough already. Without saying anything he turned towards the door and started walking gesturing her to follow him. They entered through the door and the rain suddenly stopped. The have been outside for so long feeling endless drops of water hitting their skin, that its presence felt more right than its absence.
Her eyes adjusted to the brightness quite quickly and she could see the interior of the room with all clarity. Small tables scattered around a large room were all occupied and the bar was almost full with creatures of different species including mostly men, but she noticed more than a few dwarfs and one elf sitting at the far end of the table. Legolas crossed the room and approached the counter placing a gold coin on top of it.
"Two rooms for the night." he looked hesitantly at Ari and added "And two glasses of wine. Actually...make it a bottle".
The barman laughed loudly eyeing the elf with a disapproving look "You sure are going to need something stronger judging by the state of your clothing, eh?"
Legolas smiled politely but turned around and walked away pretty quickly, leading her to a distant table in the far left corner of the hall. They sat down on opposite ends of the table both of them quiet. Ari stared intensely at her hands calculating the angle at which her hands would receive the most energy from the fireplace. The fire is five meters away, fifty centimeters below the level of the table. The tangent of the angle is one tenth... In reality she just wanted to find an excuse not to look at him.
"Ehm, Lady Arianwen..." Legolas started quite awkwardly "...now that we are not soaking wet anymore and we found a..." he looked around his face for once expressing his true feelings "...nice place to sit, why don't you tell me what you were doing in the forest there?"
She looked at his face for the first time. He looked worried or at least that's what it seemed to her. She was never too good with people. Maybe he always looked like this. She couldn't recall.
Ari sighed deeply and tried to relax "You wouldn't believe me anyway". Thats not a good thing to say. They alway say it and it never ends well. You can do better. It was already too late to change that.
His eyes were still surprisingly calm but she knew she was testing his patience. Elfs always seemed as if time wasn't that important to them but he was in a hurry and she knew that he would rather be on the road despite the rain, than stuck here with her. Waiting for her explanation. He leaned forward on his chair looking her in the eye.
"Lady Arianwen, I take my pride in being as open minded as I possibly can. I consider you should give me a try." He said.
People on her right started to argue loudly. Many swearwords. She could still hear the sound of the rain outside the window. A drop every second. His breath. One every ten seconds. GOD WHY DOES HE BREATHE SO LITTLE!
Everything around her exploded. Her mind just simply couldn't deal with so much information at once. Everything felt different here all the rules she relied on so much from gravity to the tip of Legolas's pointy ear. EVERYTHING was different.
"I'm not from this world!" she screamed her lungs burning and her eyes filling with tears. Than she just broke down, tears flowing down her cheeks and her body shaking incessantly. He just sat there looking at her, confusion mixed with compassion in his eyes.
It took her two minutes and twenty five seconds to calm herself down and wipe the tears out of her face. Five seconds more a waitress dressed in a long but lacy dress brought their wine placing two glasses in front of them. Legolas opened the bottle and poured some of the burgundy drink filling both of them almost to the edge. Without saying a word. He placed the bottle back on the table moving one of the glasses towards her. She took it gracefully wrapping her hands around the stem.
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have screamed. I overreacted. I..." he interrupted her "It's no problem Lady Arianwen, at least I know your feelings at that moment were true. Have a taste of this wonderful wine, relax and I will listen to the whole story. No screaming this time." She chuckled lightly and took a sip from the glass and froze suddenly the rim still touching her lips. The wine...The wine was exactly the same. It reminded her of home.
Ari finally relaxed into her chair, leaning backwards and placing the glass back on the table. She looked at Legolas with determination on her face. "I will tell you everything, but you have to promise you won't tell anybody unless I allow you to."
He looked sincerely amused "Look who is giving out orders now!" he exclaimed the smile grew wider on his face.
However she remained serious, blushing slightly at his comment "I have the basics to suspect that what I will tell you might be really important but also potentially very destructive for this world." His face returned to his normal blunt look as he settled himself in the chair.
"Than I will listen with utmost respect and decide for myself... " she looked at him with uncertainty "...but I promise I won't tell anybody without your approval." Ari sighed with relief and sipped more wine from her glass.
"Let's start then... I said I'm not from this world. This is true. In my world gravity is different. I think the radius of the planet changed, because the density of the soil seems similar. If we assume the relativity of time and space..." If you are going to convince him you need to make more sense. Get yourself together. Speak to him in his language not yours. "In my world elves don't exist. Neither do dwarves. You are a book character and so is many people you know in this world. I think I got transferred...travelled from my world to this using what you would call magic and what we back where I come from, call science."
He looked at her silently, she could almost feel his mind working, processing every one of her words. "Can you give me any proof of that?"
She closed her eyes and sighed. He wants proof. How's she supposed to give it to him if she doesn't even know where or when she landed. What if…? The world is rarely coincidental and even science proves that. What if?
She opened her eyes. "Are you by any chance heading to Rivendell right now?" He looked surprised, but he nodded his head. She continued "What if I told you I know why you are going there?"
He was confused beyond measure "It's not possible, nobody knows why I am headed there. Accept me and king Thranduil and few other trusted. Unless..." she nodded and finished off his sentence "...unless I'm telling the truth."
He was tense and she could sense it. He inhaled deeply nodding slightly to inform her she can continue. She leaned in closing the distance between them, making sure nobody is listening in.
"You're heading to Rivendell for the meeting of the council. The council summoned by Lord Elrond because the ring of power has returned." He exhaled shock clearly visible on his face. He looked around quickly making sure nobody heard any of this. "If i was my father I would behead you before your knowledge could cause any more harm to this world. However I am not him nor are those his lands so I will believe you."
She looked at him bowing her head slightly "Thank you."
"Now if you'll let me escort you to your room. We have a long way to go tomorrow at dawn to make it in time" he stood up offering her his arm.
"We?" she looked at him with surprise on her face.
"Yes, I am taking you with me to Rivendell. With your permission we will consult Lord Elrond about your current knowledge and situation." His face clearly indicated he wouldn't take no for an answer "I will come and wake you up in the morning."
They picked up a pair of keys from the barman that clearly had too much alcohol already and was excitingly telling some really inappropriate stories to a waitress giggling helplessly on the floor. Legolas eyed them with disgust clearly written all over his face which didn't go unnoticed by Ari. He quickly turned around and she followed him up the stairs to the first floor where he lead her to the door with a room number painted carelessly on them.
"This is your room. I will see you in the morning." He turned around and wanted to walk away.
"Goodnight Legolas" she said quickly. He turned around smiling slightly "You too Lady Arianwen, may your dreams let you find your way back home." She smiled back at him feeling surprising gratitude towards him and everything he had done today.
"You will not be disappointed with your choices. I will make sure of that. Also if you could lose the lady part, I would be extremely exhilarated." She didn't know why she said that but it just seemed like the right thing to do at the moment.
"I will try. Sleep well" She couldn't see his face in the dark but his voice suddenly got more tense as if something she said had caused him pain. Then he turned around and disappeared on the other side of the corridor.