The next day started with a bit of excitement, there was talk that Gandalf the Grey would be here soon. The man that was thought to have the ability to answer all my questions. I woke up and changed into a dress that most likely Lethoniel picked out and left one the chair for me, I walked out into the garden and just breathed in the fresh air, letting my thoughts run away with me.
"Evie!" I heard two voices shout.
I turned around to see Merry and Pip running at me with giant smiles plastered on their faces. They finally reached me and they handed me an apple and some kind of bread.
"We didn't see you at breakfast so we were going to your room to bring you breakfast…" Merry said.
"There was more to it but Merry, here decided to eat the rest." Pip glared at Merry, while Merry blushed and laughed nervously.
"Don't worry about it; I'm used to not eating breakfast." I replied as I picked the apple and started eating they stared at me in disbelief and began with their questions of my world.
I don't know how long we had been in the garden for but I could hear someone coming from behind me, I quickly turned and saw Legolas slowly making his way towards us, he smiled at me as I gave him a questioning look. My attention was turned back to the hyper hobbits sitting in front of me that just wanted to know about everything in my world.
"Legolas do most elves not eat breakfast?" Merry asked.
Legolas stared at the hobbit with a confusing grin and I just chuckled at the question and shook my head; Legolas turned to me and questioned me hoping that I would explain what Merry was talking about.
"It's nothing." I replied with a small smile. I stood up from my seat on the bench and began to make my way to a stream, leaving the hobbits to talk amongst themselves. I could feel Legolas' intently stare at me as I walked away from him.
"Evie..." he cleared his throat, "Gandalf has arrived and he and Lord Elrond are waiting for you in his study."
At the mention of Gandalf's name I perked up, all the questions were coming back in whirlpools of thoughts.
"Really?" I asked in an excited tone. 'Maybe he can answer all my questions.'
"Yes." He smiled back at me, "Would you like me to show you the way?" he stuck his arm out for me to take.
I accepted his arm, knowing fully well that I would get myself lost. "Thank you."
We walked in silence for awhile, seeing as my thoughts were racing and I was feeling a bit nervous about meeting this Gandalf.
"Are you fine Lady Evie?" He stopped and looked straight at me, concern filled his eyes.
"Umm...Yeah, I mean yes and just call me Evie please." I stuttered out nervously.
"I can sense your uneasiness. Please tell me what troubles you." His voice was filled with worry and genuine care.
I sighed and my hand instinctively went to the ring that hung around my neck. "Nothing troubles me…it's just, I don't know. What if this Gandalf guy can't answer all my questions? What if he's just as lost as I am? Am I just supposed to go around this world and not question my purpose here or how I am here?" I let everything out with a frustrated breath.
His eyes seemed to soften and I could see a smile shine through. "My dear Evie, you would have nothing to worry about, if Gandalf does not have all the answers you will be fine. I believe that only you can make your purpose and fate in this life. You can find or make your purpose in this world. But I am sure that Gandalf will not leave all your questions unanswered." He smiled as he squeezed my hand for comfort.
I smiled, actually smiled, and I could feel my head become lighter as his eyes stared into mine.
"How do you know exactly what to say to make me feel better?" I questioned teasingly.
He smiled back at me. "I am glad to know that I have put your troubled mind at ease." And we made our way to the study.
As we got closer to the door I could hear voices of three or four different men arguing about a ring, Legolas knocked on the door and as soon as the sound emitted through the arguing ceased.
"Come in."
Legolas opened the door for me and I could see Aragon and Lord Elrond were in the room and a tall man with a long white beard, whom I assumed to be Gandalf, stood in the middle of the room.
Lord Elrond and Aragon bowed their heads, and Aragon gave me a small smile, trying to ease the tension in the room.
"So you must be Lady Ever?" Gandalf finally spoke up with a smirk.
I nodded in agreement, "And you must be the Gandalf the Grey, I presume?" with the same smirk plastered on my face.
He gave a hearty laugh, "Yes, yes my dear child. Please take a seat with me. "He sat down and pulled a chair out across from him for me to sit.
"I hear you are not from this world." He gave me a suspicious look as though he didn't know whether or not to believe me.
"No, I'm not from Middle- Earth." I responded in a defensive manner, I couldn't help it I was starting to feel attacked.
"May I ask where you are from?" he asked, sensing my guard. I could feel him trying to pry into my mind, trying to see my thoughts to find the truth but Cheveyo had taught me how to block intruders and my mind was well guarded. I gave him a look that told him to stay out and his eyes seemed to twinkle with laughter but his face showed defiance.
"I am from a land called North America, in a world called Earth…" I began with my story of my people and Cheveyo and how the government had killed us off and how I have been on the run for months on my own now.
"Why were you running away from these people?" Aragon interjected as I finished my story of meeting up Legolas.
I started to fiddle with the ring that laid on my collarbone, "The Aluanahi, my people, had powers given to us by the earth…some could call on the spirits of the waters, trees, or north winds and use the power of nature as they wished. Each person in the tribe had a different power that all contributed to keeping the Aluanahi alive…" I sighed as memories flooded my mind. "Cheveyo, was war chief…leader of the tribe, and my father, in a spiritual sense at least he was to me. He had the power to foresee the future and with a single touch of a persons' possession or hand he could see images of the persons' past and feel the emotions of the persons' history. The government had been looking for him for a long time hoping to use his powers for their benefit…they had sent a spy into our lands and once he saw what I could do and reported back, the government found my powers a lot more useful and stronger than the powers of Cheveyo, they were determined to get to me."
I kept caressing the ring on my neck and I could feel the warmth that it emitted every time that I touched it. The warmth comforted me; I could feel his spirit so I continued on with my story.
"Cheveyo would not let this happen and I knew far too well what they would put me through had I surrendered myself, so as the Aluanahi do, we united in forces and were prepared for battle. At night, those cowards ransacked the land and killed every man, woman, and child in sight to search for me. I did everything I possibly could and we lost so many kin." I could feel the tears coming as I recalled the images of that night. "Cheveyo and I grabbed the people the we could and ran as far as possible away from the village. We ran for years as a small group of 15 and with each passing month the group got smaller and smaller. Until the one day it was just Cheveyo and I left, he would never let me surrender, he was determined for me to fulfill my fate, and yet he would never tell me what it was I was supposed to do. When they found us he gave the gift of his spirits and his powers were now inside me, he was giving himself up so I could get away. When they captured him and saw that he had no spirit they killed him out of pure rage and were determined to find me." I wiped the tear that had escaped from my eye. "They tried and there were some close calls, but they never got me." I smiled as the ring seemed to send the warmth all through my body.
"What other powers do you possess?" Lord Elrond asked, taking me out of my thoughts.
I shifted in my seat and put my hands on my lap not sure if I could trust them with knowing everything I could do. Gandalf sensed my mistrust and decided to ease my worries.
"There is no need to fear neth min; you would not use your powers to cause harm on you or any other living creature. There is no need for your mistrust." He smiled at me, but it did not work.
"No disrespect to any of you but how do you expect me to trust such knowledge in the hands of men that don't even trust me? I'm sorry but if any of you have mistrust in me that you will surely receive the same." I retorted.
"It is not that we mistrust you, but you must understand that we must take precautions in which we place our trust and alliance in during these dark times." Lord Elrond had risen from his chair and was now walking in a frustrated pace.
I sighed and decided to be the first to be put on the line. "If knowing will help you trust me than I will speak and I hope that I am not in the wrong in trusting any of you." They all nodded in agreement.
"I have the power of an elemental; I can control wind, water, fire, earth, and light. Cheveyo had begun in training me in manipulating the dark to my advantage but…his death was untimely. I can understand the language of the wind and trees; they speak to me and I to them. I also have the powers that Cheveyo gave to me, so I can see into the future although at times it can be quite unclear, and I can see into the past. I have yet to gain complete control of these powers but with practice I know I can achieve the control that he once had on them." After saying my powers, Gandalf wanted to see them in action.
"Bring the lit candle on the desk." I pointed at the candle and Legolas brought it to me. I held the flame down into my left palm as the men watched with curiosity at what it was that I could do. I put the candle down and watched as the flame dance on top of my left palm. I put my right hand on top of my left and enclosed the flame in my hands and made my way to the middle of the room.
I stood in front of the men and separated my hands, they watched in awe as both hands now carried a large flame.
"I can make the flame smaller," as I said this the flames almost disappeared with the exception a glimmering light in the middle of my palms. "Or bigger." As soon as I thought the word the flames became wild and grew about 3 feet tall in my hand, with that I walked to the window of the room that faced a waterfall and threw the fire from my palm into the water.
I turned to face them and showed them that my palms were left unharmed.