Chapter Four: The Author's Muse Goes Haywire and

Refuses to Write Coherently Because of Midterm Exams

DISCLAIMER: Staying up all night and studying for midterm exams three nights in a row does strange things to my brain. I apologize for this chapter in advance.

Author's Note: Adonnenniel's name is pronounced like this: Ah-don-nen-nee-ell. Or as I think of it, 'ah' and then 'da' and then 'nenniel'. If that makes any sense ^.^

Random Quote: "Drink cactus juice. It'll quench ya! Nothing's quenchier. It's the quenchiest!" ~Sokka from Avatar the Last Airbender

The journey to the Pass of Caradhras was long and even more trying than the previous walking they had endured. The mountains became gray and devoid of greenery, the air colder and harsher. A thin layer of snow was beginning to layer their path as they traveled closer to the mountains. But despite the weather and dreary landscape, the hobbits still found time to lighten everyone's mood.

"So what do you do in the future? What's it like there?" Merry asked Adonnenniel and Estela. This became a default question that they resorted to asking when conversation was scarce. Each time, Adonnenniel was the one to answer, and each time she answered differently.

"Well, it's very different from here," said Adonnenniel. "Me and Estela are students in high school right now. Once we graduate, we'll go to college and then get jobs. I want to go to New York to study acting and drama, and Estela wants to major in history."

Estela suddenly laughed. "Look at their faces," she whispered to her sister. The hobbits and everyone else were staring at Adonnenniel with varying degrees of confusion.

"What is high school?" asked Sam, breaking the silence. "And what's graduate and college?"

So Adonnenniel launched into and lively and long winded explanation of high school. She mentioned everything from Algebra to cliques, and teachers to the cafeteria food. The Fellowship watched her with rapt attention. Even Gimli and Gandalf seemed to be interested.

"That is quite a place," said Aragorn when at last she finished.

"Yes," nodded Estela. It was the first time she had spoken all afternoon. "It seems so silly now, looking back on it. This place is so much more real to me."

"Yeah, but there are some good things about the future…" Adonnenniel interjected.

"No, there's not." Estela said it so quietly that nobody heard her but Legolas.

"…Like musicals and going on dates and homecoming dances. And chocolate. I definitely miss chocolate. Don't you miss chocolate, Estela? And waffles. God, I would kill for some syrup and waffles right about now. And I really, really miss acting. I want to be on stage again, Estela. I want to be in the spotlight singing and dancing. You know, I was in the middle of a production of Romeo and Juliet before we came here."

"What's that?" asked Sam.

"It's a Shakespeare play. Though, you probably don't know who Shakespeare was either. You wanna explain that, Estela? I just know him cuz of his plays; you probably know who he actually was better."

Estela took a deep breath. "He was a poet and playwright who wrote comedies, tragedies, and histories. His tragedies are my favorite, even though they are always the darkest and always end sadly. Whenever I watch one of his tragedies, I feel like I'm there with the characters, experiencing their pain as well as their elation. The happy feelings are so much more tangible when you have depressing aspects of the play that make it seem more realistic." Estela looked up. She had gotten so worked up talking, she hadn't realized that they had stopped walking. Everyone was staring at her.

"You know what's funny about Shakespeare, though?" she continued, ignoring her audience. "He was the most famous playwright ever to have lived, but his name was not known to the world until after he died. He never got to see one of his plays performed." Estela's voice was excited and intoxicating.

"That is, assuming they were all his plays. There is some controversy that his wife, Anne Hathaway, actually contributed to writing some of his plays. You see, his style is so different is all of his plays, and that discrepancy in writing is what fuels those types of questions. His most famous play is Romeo and Juliet."

"And what's that about exactly?" asked Frodo.

"Two star-crossed lovers. Star-crossed is a way of saying that fate, which the stars personify in many of his plays, dictated that Romeo and Juliet were destined to love each other, but that their love would also be their downfall."

"How does it end?" asked Gimli.

"Well, it ends as a tragedy does. Sadly." When Estela did not speak again, Adonnenniel picked up her thread.

"Romeo and Juliet kill themselves because they cannot be together. It's so romantic!"

"It's not romantic! It's downright depressing. How is it romantic to slay yourself when the one you loved would have wanted you to live?" Estela said sharply. "In some ways I think Romeo and Juliet is more of a black comedy than a tragedy. Everything that could possibly go wrong in the story does, and at a certain point it gets kind of ridiculous. And their love is the only thing binding all the turbulence together. When they kill themselves, it's like that thread is broken, and nothing is left." Estela surprised herself with the outburst. She grinned ruefully. "Sorry. Got too passionate for a moment there."

"No, no, no! I love it when you get overly zealous about history or something you have a strong opinion on. It's really inspirational," Adonnenniel gushed. Estela cocked an eyebrow at her.

"What part do you play?" asked Aragorn to Adonnenniel after a long moment of silence.

"I'm Juliet," she said proudly.

"Oh! Excellent!" proclaimed Pippin excitedly, "Will you recite us some lines?"

"Yes!" Adonnenniel said eagerly. "Here's one of my favorite monologues. It's abridged because we had to do the play in under one hundred minutes, which is not easy. But here goes." And she launched into the monologue. It was incredible, as if she were Juliet in Verona, awaiting Romeo on her wedding night, not Adonnenniel in Middle Earth. Everyone was transfixed.

"Gallop apace, you fiery-footed steeds,

And bring in cloudy night immediately.

Come, civil night, Thou sober-suited matron,

And learn me how to lose a winning match,

Played for a pair of stainless maidenhoods.

Come, night; come, Romeo; come, thou day in night;

Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-browed night;

Give me my Romeo; and, when he shall die,

Take him and cut him out in little stars,

And he will make the face of heaven so fine

That all the world will be in love with night."

A long moment of awed silence ensued.

"That was extraordinary," Boromir finally said.

"Absolutely amazing!" Merry chirped.

"It was as if you were actually the character," Gandalf added.

Adonnenniel was appropriately basking in the praise. "Thanks guys!" she said.

"What was it about exactly, though?" asked Frodo.

"Well," said Adonnenniel, "That monologue takes place on her wedding night, so I think you can figure the rest out, Frodo. Hence the whole 'come night' thing that's repeated a bunch of times." Everyone laughed.

"I love the way you worked with the poetry in it," said Estela. "The meter was just perfect, and fit so well with your emotions."

"Who wants to hear another one?" Adonnenniel asked, her face absolutely glowing. It was followed by an enthusiastic chorus of yeses, and she enthusiastically launched into a monologue from A Midsummer Night's Dream.

And this was how they passed the days preceding the Pass of Caradhras. With light banter and silly stories, and occasionally with deeper conversation. And despite the hours of endless trudging through snow, compared to what Estela knew was to come, this was easy. Fun, even.

Estela mostly spent the time being silent, letting her sister take the spotlight. Occasionally, when Adonnenniel or one of the hobbits said something amusing or bizarre, Estela would smile to herself and look up and find her eyes resting Legolas' face, which wore the same amused expression as her own. At times like this they would stare at each other for several seconds, joined in mutual amusement. And then Estela would look away and the moment would be gone.

Much to her surprise, she slowly found that her favorite person to talk to in the group was Legolas, simply because he knew so much about Middle Earth and its history. The stories he told were enthralling, and intrigued her greatly. It was like Earth's history, but more exotic and dramatic, infused with magic and adventure. They would sometimes talk for hours at a time, reciprocating historical stories from their worlds. Both were equally fascinated by the others' tales. Often he would approach her at any random moment, and ask her to tell a story about the future.

"So," he said, falling into step with her the next day, "Your sister's heart has clearly been captured by plays. What interest in your world has captured your heart?" Estela's breath caught for a moment. He had just asked her what has 'captured her heart'. For some reason the phrase made her cheeks flush. She looked him in the eye, and felt something stir within her, something she'd never felt before and only read about in books. But for the time being, she willed the feeling away and answered Legolas' question.

"History, literature, and horseback riding. But mainly history," she said.

"And what fascinates you about history?"

"Well, I love how it all fits together like a puzzle. An incredible, depressing, and broken, though somehow magical and beautiful puzzle. Kind of like a person," she realized. He was staring at her intently, drinking in her words.

"I also just love the little strange happenings in history. The inspirational stories and people who make you think that humanity is redeemable after all, despite all the wars and violence." Estela's voice swelled with enthusiasm and passion.

"Who is your favorite historical figure?" Legolas asked.

"Winston Churchill," she replied immediately.

"And who was he?" Legolas asked seriously.

Estela looked at him with amusement. "Winston Churchill was the leader of a nation; I guess you would call it. During one of the world wars, when all other nations around him were succumbing to surrender and defeat by evil forces, he remained strong and continued fighting. I think bravery in the face of opposition is the most important quality a person can have," she said.

At times like this, Estela would surprise even herself with her words. She never knew that she had this much depth, that she could say such things and interest others. Talking like this for hours at a time was like unraveling and exploring the layers of herself that she never even knew existed. She also found that sometimes when she was in his presence, there was some intangible feeling stirring within her, unfamiliar yet pleasant and curious.

"He also possessed great wit," she said, smiling now.

"How so?" asked Legolas.

"Well, once when he was at a party, one of the guests got kind of rude because she disagreed with something he had said. She said to him, 'Mr. Churchill, if you were my husband I'd poison your tea!' And he looked at her and said, 'Lady, if you were my wife, I would drink it!'" Estela laughed.

And then, Estela heard a sound she had never heard before. It was musical and enchanting. Legolas was laughing. Actually laughing. At something she had said. The knowledge rekindled that strange feeling within her.

"He sounds like quite a character," Legolas smiled.

"Yes, he was." Estela looked up at him, and he held her gaze. They stopped walking, and the moment lengthened. What was he thinking? she wondered.

"Come," he said softly, "We should catch up with the others." He grasped her wrist lightly, and walked back with her to the group.

Hours turned into days, and days turned into weeks. As time passed and they neared the Pass of Caradhras, the landscape merged from stony, slightly snowy terrains to being mountainous and bitingly cold. A thick blanket of snow layered the ground, now at least half a foot deep. Conversation became extremely scarce, simply because opening one's mouth to speak involved getting a flurry of snow in your mouth.

Meanwhile, Adonnenniel's and Estela's bonds with the Fellowship became more concrete and deepened with each passing day. It wasn't until weeks into their travels that the Fellowship's bonds of friendship were tested. It happened when they were half a mile from the Pass of Caradhras, when Adonnenniel turned around to see that Aragorn, Frodo, and Boromir had stopped walking.

"Stop!" she shouted over the wind to the rest of the group, and the Fellowship froze in their tracks and turned to watch the scene playing out behind them. Estela remembered this part in the movie, and knew what was happening. Boromir was hesitating in returning the ring to Frodo. The way in which the ring so deeply affected him was beginning to show. But the danger passed, as she knew it would, and Boromir, Aragorn, and Frodo caught back up with the group.

It was then that Estela remembered that once they reached the mountains, a ferocious display of Saruman's power would be unleashed, causing a mini avalanche on the mountainside. Gandalf had told her numerous times that she was not to give away anything that was to come. Yet she considered, just for a moment, confiding in Aragorn or Legolas. That way at least someone else would be privy to the knowledge and she would not be solely to blame when it happened without warning.

"What's going on with you?" Adonnenniel asked, falling into step with Estela.

"Nothing, I'm fine," she said dismissively. Adonnenniel gazed at her.

"Estela, I know when something's up with you. You start biting your bottom lip and looking at your feet. You're doing that right now, and you might wanna stop. Your lip's gonna start bleeding and that'll look gross."

Estela rolled her eyes. "Thanks, Adonnenniel."

"No, but seriously, what's going on with you?" Adonnenniel asked. Estela hesitated, knowing her sister wasn't exactly the best person to come to with problems. She oftentimes dismissed things as trivial, or found a way to change the subject to avoid talking about uncomfortable things.

"Well," she said tentatively, "It's just that there are certain events that are about to take place. Certain events that are bad, but if I tell anyone about them then it will mess up the timeline of this whole thing."

"Timeline…That's a weird word," Adonnenniel said seriously. "I mean, what the heck? Time isn't made of lines, it's made of circles. That's why clocks are round."

Yep, Estela thought ruefully. Knew that was going to happen. She looked at Adonnenniel, amusement and annoyance mingling on her face. After a moment, Adonnenniel shrugged and caught back up with the hobbits, leaving Estela to her thoughts.

She found her thoughts wandering back to the avalanche that was about to occur, and how she could do nothing to prevent it. This train of thought led to others. What was she going to do with Gandalf 'died'? They would all blame her, knowing that she knew it was going to happen but did not prevent it. And she would be incapable of telling them that Gandalf isn't technically dead because that knowledge could mess up the plotline. Estela groaned. What was she going to do?

"Is anything wrong?" It was Aragorn. "You look nervous." He voiced his concern in few words, as it was difficult to speak while trudging through the deep snow.

Estela nodded, deciding to be honest with him. Hopefully he'd be more helpful that her sister had been. "What's the point of knowing what's going to happen if I can do nothing to prevent it?"

"Is something bad about to happen?"

"Yes, right about now, in fact. And then later something even worse. I hate feeling so helpless. If I tell you what's going to happen, it could mess up the sequence of events. But if I don't…" Estela looked up to see that once more she had an audience. Gimli, Gandalf, and Legolas were staring at her intently.

Gandalf spoke first. "It is best not to worry yourself with this. Let it leave your thoughts. You must not tell us anything that has yet to pass. Promise me this," he insisted. Estela bit her lip, looking down.

"Estela?" said Gandalf. "Promise me." He had stopped and was looking at her sharply. His gaze was penetrating and fierce, but she locked eyes with him as she spoke.

"I promise," she whispered. As Gandalf looked away, she felt something inside of her break. He was going to 'die'. And there was nothing she could do to prevent the grief that would ensue. To her surprise, Estela felt something wet crawl into her eye. Great, she thought, now I'm crying.

It was Boromir who noticed. He looked at her oddly, as if unsure of what to say.

"It's alright," he muttered, patting her arm awkwardly. This gesture and the absurdity of his words made Estela want to laugh. She looked up at Boromir and saw Legolas standing behind him. He was watching her worriedly. The thought of him seeing her cry was beyond embarrassing.

"Thanks," she said, trying to assume a tone of flippancy, "But it's just the dry air. I'm fine."

Coming Up Next!

-A chapter that actually moves the plot forward!

-A really bad pun I won't be able to restrain myself from using!

-The long dark of Moria! (finally! except they'll probably only get barely past the door though...)

…Review? Por favor? Per favore? Bitte? S'il te plait? Umm…제발?