~~My heart jumped into my mouth and as my mouth opened I feared that everyone could hear its noisy beating. It reverberated in my ears, anyways. Rosie and I were led straight to a large, cherry wood dining table and two lady elves with black hair and shimmering blue eyes gave us chairs specially made for hobbits! (They had several cushions on them, so that we could see over the large table) This dining area had several openings that acted as windows, the entrance into the valley could be seen, along with four fantastic waterfalls. Rosie smiled at my stupefaction.

Finally, I gulped and shook my head "we're really here" I whispered, Rosie reached over and held my hand, patting it softly. Now, Rosie's changes was brought to my attention once more "Rosie" I said softly and she turned to me, her blue eyes still glowed like a star in the night sky. "You've never known how to speak Elvish...or, that's what you told me" I said, she sighed and took her hand back, rubbing her face.

"Mr. Gamgee taught me some Elvish, I told him about our trip before we left and he taught me" She said casually as the two elvish ladies brought over many, many plates of food.

"How did you know we were going on this trip? I never told you, I never told anyone! I made the decision in my head, you're not going to tell me that you're a psychic now, are you?" I asked and Rosie burst into a fit of laughter, but, her laughter was a few pitches off from normal Rosie laughter. Rosie's laughter was high and nasally, this laughter was deeper and more masculine.

Man laughter.

But it came from her.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" I asked, scooting farther away from her, Rosie shook her head, a smile still upon her face.

"No, no, oh, I'm fine, Myrtle, I'm fine." She whispered, smiling to me. I highly doubted that statement. All of a sudden the sound of heavy, stone doors opening reverberated about the room; Rosie and I turned to see an older elf with long, greying, black hair. His eyes were the color of warm mud in the summer and he wore a robe that would send rubies into shame by the vibrancy of the red colour.

Gold embellishments added to the robe's grandeur.

Rosie and I stood upon the cushions of our chairs and awaited this elf; could my eyes be deceiving me? Was this really happening? This elf was Lord Elrond! The elf smiled and captured us into hugs, walking to his grand chair and sitting (Rosie and I sat again too) he smiled once more. "So, you are Miss. Myrtle Baggins?"

Lord Elrond asked, looking to me as he ate a tossed salad. I nodded quickly, he chuckled. "Are you nervous or excited?" He asked me, I giggled.

"Excited, very excited" I said as one of the lady elves put salad on my plate and another gave some salad to Rosie. Elrond smiled once again.

"No doubt you want to learn about Bilbo, do you not?" Asked he, I nodded. Elrond sighed and to the tune of a flute Elrond told us of Bilbo's many triumphs. Running after the company of Thorin Oakenshield, fighting the trolls, the spiders of Mirkwood, the conversation with the dragon Smaug, the desolation of Dale, the War of the Fives, and the return journey. I did not touch a piece of lettuce on my plate I was so intrigued!

Elrond smiled at the end of those wonderful tales "now, Smaug the all powerful has a son." Elrond said, I leaned closer. "Smaug the first mated with a shape shifter, who died during childbirth; so now it is just Smaug the fist and Smaug Jr." finished Elrond, smiling to Rosie and I, I nodded and turned to Rosie to find that she was staring at her hands and her entire plate was cleaned! "So, Miss. Baggins, where do you and your friend plan on going?"

"Dale. We plan to go to Dale" I said, Elrond's face fell from happiness to shocked realization.

"Why would you want to go there?" Elrond hissed, his change of tone frightened me. Rosie grasped my hand and smiled, her glowing blue eyes softening.

"We're on an adventure, Peredhil, we're going to see the Lonely Mountain and then we'll return to the Shire" Rosie said, a growl in her voice. A silence ensued after this, a silence that consisted of Lord Elrond and Rosie narrowing their eyes at one another; Lord Elrond glanced away first. He sighed and shook his head.

"Even though the one ring was destroyed a thin layer of orcs still roam the mountains and Mirkwood is not completely cured of its sickness. Evil things still walk Middle Earth, Miss. Baggins, and if you're not ready, you will die." Lord Elrond said, again a silence occurred, and it did not cease until Rosie grasped my hand and pulled me away from the table.

"Sorry, Peredhil, we have a long road before us, good bye" Rosie called as she dragged me to the door, Lord Elrond stood.

"Be careful, Miss. Baggins, be very careful" Lord Elrond called as the doors to the elvish empire shut behind us.

~ "Maybe this was a mistake" I whispered that night as Rosie and I sat around a small fire she built earlier. The mountains climbed high into the sky and yet, Rosie and I still sat at their feet. Like children sit before their grandparents as they tell them stories of long forgotten times. "Maybe we should go back to the Shire" I whispered again, Rosie stood and sat beside me as I laid in the dry, warm grass. Rosie shook her head and leaned over me.

"No, we can't now, we're already past Rivendell. Don't worry, we've got weapons now, and if anyone tries to hurt you, I'll be here" she said with a smile, I smiled and the memory of the strange happening with the trolls was brought up to my mind. I sat up on my elbows and faced her, then, I told her what happened and she grinned. She said nothing, but, she smiled and quite a large smile at that.

~ It seemed the days melted into one another, I couldn't decipher if it was Monday or Wednesday! Days dripped into nights and it seemed we were going nowhere. The Misty Mountains surrounded us, every way you turned there was a mountain! That is, until we got to the High Pass and once again I felt the sun kissing my cheeks and hugging me. Too long Rosie and I bathed in the shadows of the mountains, my skin turned pale and I was cold, constantly cold!

The mountains soaked up the sun's warmth and hid his outstretched arms, the mountains even hid little Luna from Rosie and I!

One night, as Rosie and I huddled close to the flames of the fire a strong wind (that was not uncommon) blew in between the mountains, quenching our fire and leaving Rosie and I in total darkness. Rosie and I both attempted many times, but our fire wouldn't breathe again, the wind was too strong. Rosie, somehow, was fine despite this, she never shivered a bit! I, on the other hand, was uncontrollably shivering and quaking, soon, I couldn't feel my fingertips or my toes! Rosie quietly stood and picked up some long sticks, standing them up against the mountain she created two walls. Using more wood and grass she created a ceiling and helped me inside.

Rosie walked over to a small tree and glanced about her, almost as if she were paranoid. Next, she ripped the bark right off of the tree! And casually walked back over to me; she yanked the bark in place and laid down, pulling me down beside her and wrapping her arms around me. I couldn't wrap my brain around how warm she was!

~Getting back to High Pass; Rosie and I walked out together and the first thing I did was run around in the sunshine. Rosie smiled and watched from afar as I fell on a bed of grass and soaked up the sunshine.

~A week passed and Rosie and I just set foot over the bridge of the Old Ford River.

From where we stood the forest of Mirkwood was plainly visible.

"All we have to do now is get through Mirkwood and walk along the river until we reach Dale, Rosie, we're so close!" I cried in excitement.

I should've slowed down and heeded more of Lord Elrond's advice than I did.

Evil things do still roam in Mirkwood.