Previously

They were in a cave, and there was a passage leading to Durin knows where on the opposite wall. There was the sound of a horn blowing, and a few moments later, a dead Orc rolled down and landed in front of Balin.

Bofur went to look down the passage.

"Do we follow it?" he asked.

"Of course!" replied Dwalin; and the company made their way along the tunnel.

Chapter 4. The Valley Of Imladris

"Eve! Dinner time!"

The little girl turned, her eyes sparkling, and ran over to her parents. She was wearing a pink swimming costume, with little flowers decorating it, and she pulled her goggles off as she sat down next to her mother. This was their first holiday abroad, and they were staying in a resort in Sumatra. Her mother handed her a towel. "We are going to eat in the restaurant, love, so you had better get dressed again."

Eve smiled, and picked up her pile of clothes, running to one of the changing lockers. She came out a few minutes later and slowly walked back to her parents, so as not to slip into the pool. Her father was looking at the sky, a worried look on his face. Hundreds of birds were flying southward, and there was a strong breeze. His wife punched his arm gently.

"It's just the wind." She said smiling.

Eve handed her towel and swimming costume to her mother, who put them in a bag, and took the little girls hand. They walked into the restaurant, and sat down to eat.

"Thank you for the holiday." Eve whispered to her parents. Her mother smiled at her, and was about to reply, when several people ran to look out the window. The trees were bending over from the wind, and people were running inside. Her father got up, and walked up to the glass, peering out. A huge tidal wave suddenly appeared over the trees, and came hurtling towards the resort. Eve's father turned to look at them in horror as it hit, and Eve felt herself being pushed along in the water, struggling to keep her head above the surface, before climbing onto the top of a lorry, and everything went black.

"Are you ok?"

Eve looked up at Fili, who was frowning down at her. His hair was a mess after running from the Orcs, and he had bags under his eyes. She gulped, quickly thinking of an excuse. She didn't want them to know what had happened, at least not yet.

"I'm fine," she lied, trying to smile. "I… just feel bad about you having to carry me."

He chuckled, his green eyes crinkling at the corners.

"I don't mind, you're not exactly heavy." He smirked. Eve looked down, and there was an awkward silence between them till Bofur shouted,

"I can see the end of the tunnel!"

The grey gloom of the tunnel lessened, and Eve looked up as they came onto a ledge, in front of the most beautiful place she had ever seen. They were in a valley, with waterfalls pouring down the cliffs, reflecting the afternoon sunlight. It was lined with trees, and there was a river running down the middle. The air felt warmer, and the breeze was gentle and welcoming. Down amongst the trees, and along the river banks were ornate houses. Not normal brick houses, or even woodland cottages, these were Elven homes. They were carved from wood, with terraces on the fronts, and decorated with ornate sculptures and carvings. They looked open, and inviting, and she noticed elves walking along the paths that connected the buildings. Statues were dotted here and there, and flowers grew in abundance. She gasped in amazement, and was so enchanted by the beauty of the realm, that she almost missed what Gandalf was saying.

"Welcome to the Valley of Imladris, more commonly known, as Rivendell."

Thorin turned to him, his brow furrowed in anger.

"You have led us straight to our enemies! They will certainly stop us if they find out our mission!"

"You have no enemies here, besides the ones you make, Thorin Oakenshield!" Gandalf rebuked him. "Getting through this will require no small amount of charm, which is why I shall be doing the talking." He added sternly.

Gandalf led the company down a winding path that ended on a stone dais, situated in the middle of the river. Bridges led off it to different parts of the valley, criss-crossing over the gently flowing stream. A dark-haired elf came running down the steps of one of the grandest houses, and approached them. Eve looked at him curiously. She had never seen anyone with such pointed ears or symmetrical features. He walked up to Gandalf and bowed.

"Mithrandir!"

"Ah, Lindir," replied Gandalf, bowing slightly in return. "I seek council with Lord Elrond."

"My Lord Elrond is not here-"he began, but at that moment, the same horn the dwarves had heard on the plains sounded, and Eve saw a small group of horses approaching. The dwarves started yelling at each other, and formed a tight formation in the centre of the platform. Fili, Eve and Ori were pushed into the middle. The riders circled them, and one of them called out in greeting.

"Gandalf!" he climbed off his horse, and embraced the wizard. He was dressed in golden plated armour, and had a thin circlet resting upon his long brown hair. He had an air of wisdom and power around him that affected all those near him. The elf spoke with Gandalf for a few moments in Elvish, before turning to the rest of the company.

"Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain. I knew your grandfather, Thror, well, and I am pleased to meet with his heir. May I invite you to dine with us?"

Lindir walked up and whispered something to him, and Elrond, turned back to them, noticing Eve in Fili's arms.

"I will have your injured friend taken to the healing rooms. She will be free to join us if she is able."

Lindir came towards them, and the dwarves reluctantly moved out of his way. He stopped in front of Fili, who was looking at him suspiciously, but nodded and let him take the girl. He lifted her gently, and walked away from the company, disappearing into the woods. Fili and Kili watched him nervously, but followed the Elf maiden who came to show them the way to the dining hall.

Eve looked around in awe. She was overcome by the incomparable beauty of Rivendell. It made her think vaguely of Switzerland, she had done a geography report on it, but even that had been nothing compared to here. They arrived at the healing house, and Lindir carried her in, gently laying her down on a bed, before turning to one of the healers. They spoke briefly, and then he turned back to her, bowed and left. The healer came over to her and smiled.

"My name is Nethril. What ails you pen-tithen?"

Eve gestured to her leg.

"I was attacked by a Warg, and I didn't move fast enough." She explained. Nethril nodded, and examined the wound.

"Ceven dhaer anno vellas lín enin 'raw hen." She whispered, holding her hand above the cut. She then turned, and started gathering and mixing herbs. Eve watched her work. She wished she could do healing, she would be much more use to the dwarves then. After a while, she realized Nethril had started singing, and listened attentively.

"O Elbereth Gilthoniël

silivren penna míriël

o menel aglar elenath!

Na-chaered palan-díriël

o galadhremmin ennorath,

Fanuilos, le linnathon

nef aear, sí nef aearon!"

Eve felt her eyes closing, and though she wanted to hear the whole song, she felt herself drifting off to sleep.

The dwarves were lead up a great staircase to one of Elrond's chambers. Like the rest of the structures in Rivendell, it was very open, and the landscape could be seen for miles around from the great table resting upon the balcony. Elves rushed to and fro, bringing all sorts of vegetables and wines. Gandalf sat at a separate table with Elrond, talking in hushed voices.

"Do you think they have any chips?" Ori whispered loudly across the table, clearly displeased with the lettuce on his plate.

"Where's the meat?" Bombur's eyes darted over the table.

"I don't think elves really eat meat." Balin frowned.

A groan of dissatisfaction erupted from the dwarves before they attempted to tackle what had been given to them. Kili kept looking up to see if Eve had come back, but there was no sign of her. It's just taking a while to heal, he told himself. She'll be fine; the elves will take care of her. Not that he trusted the elves, but he knew their healing was better than most. He looked down at his plate of fruit and vegetables. Picking up a peach, he bit into it. Juice dribbled down his chin, and he wiped it on his cuff. Looking up he noticed Fili laughing at him. Shooting a glare at his brother, he took another bite from the peach. It wasn't too bad, not as good as meat of course, but at least it was better than leaves. The wine was good, fruity, but appetizing. Even so, ale would have been more generally appreciated. Elves and their strange ways, he thought. He looked out into the valley, wondering where Eve was, and wishing she was sitting beside him. That would make the meal more interesting for sure.

A/N I am so sorry about the delay in posting this! I have so much homework at the moment…. Anyway, I believe I have a few translations to explain.

First of all, Nethril means healer, so the ideal name. (Hopefully?)

The healing spell she uses translates to – Great earth, may you give your strength to this body. Not very exciting, but I found it on a site, and thought I'd add it in. Also, pen-tithen, means little one.

If you were wondering what the translation to - O Elbereth Gilthoniël, was, here you are!

O Elbereth Starkindler, white-glittering, slanting down sparkling like a jewel, the glory of the starry host! Having gazed far away from the tree-woven lands of Middle-earth, to thee, Everwhite, I will sing, on this side of the Sea, here on this side of the Ocean! (I think it sounds better in Sindarin!)

Also I thought I'd tell you a bit of her history, yes, her parents die in a tsunami. *Feels* You will find out more about it later on! Thanks for reading so far, and PLEASE REVIEW! :D