Warmth crept back into her body and she carefully opened her eyes. She was in a bed down in some underground room. A fire burned at the opposite wall, on hooks on the wall where clothes that she'd never seen before. Otherwise, the room was thrifty furnished, with a small table and a couple of chairs made of coarse-cut wood. Next to her bed was a three-legged stool where someone had placed a plate of soup and a glass of crystal-clear water. Carefully she took some soup on a wooden spoon, blew on it and tasted. It was really good. She'd never liked soup before.
After finishing her soup and drunk the water she put her feet on the soil-floor. Her gym shoes stood by the fire, still soaking wet. She found a pair of boots next to the wall and quickly put her feet into them. Then she looked around the room. Now she looked really carefully on all the details, on the few books that lay on the table and the almost burned-down candle. There where also several pots and leather bags with weeds. On the table was also a notebook with old, fading papers and a quill in an inkwell next to it. She wrinkled her forehead, before placing herself at the table. When she browsed through the book she realised that it was empty!
"What the…" she muttered, before she looked through it once again. Not a single word. It was almost like someone wanted her to write someone on the spread page. Slightly uncertain she grabbed the quill, took a deep breath and placed the point on the top of the left page.
"My name is Sandra", she mumbled as she wrote down the words. Then she leaned back and looked at them. Gasping she saw how they faded and disappeared in the pages. Instead, new words showed up.
Good day Sandra, my name is Galrion. I'm a healer.
Sandra stared at the words. Galrion? Who the hell was that? Somehow, the name was familiar. After a while, she once again placed the quill on the paper.
Where is Remus Lupin?
The words faded away and where replaced by Galrion's answer.
He's resting in another room, but he'll be better very soon.
It was my brother who found you in the snow.
Sandra gasped again. Galrion had a brother, he knew Remus. Where these two members from the Alliance? Could it be… she had to know.
Is your brother named Olórin?
The words slowly faded, but weren't replaced by new ones. Sandra sighed. Of course, they didn't want to reveal anything to people they didn't know.
Why do you wish to know that?
Sandra nodded at the words, she'd been right. Now she immediately placed the quill on the paper and wrote down her answer.
I came here from Candracar, through the Universe's Door. There I heard how Olórin and his brother fought about if they should open a portal.
The words faded, before the book snapped shut. Sandra snatched in surprise.
"How uncivilized", she muttred. Then she rose and went to the fire. Mostly because she wanted to do something she placed a new log among the flames. That was when she thought she saw something moving there, among the blazes. With her forehead wrinkled she bend forward. It looked like small, humanlike creatures, but still they where un-human. She shook her head. Was she going mad? That was when the door burst open and two old men came inside. Sandra jumped to her feet. One of them had long white beard and hair, also his clothing and cloak where white and in a black belt was a long sword. In his right hand he held a staff, also white. The second man had also got white hair, but no beard and he was dressed in grey trousers held up by a brown belt. The shirt was grey as dirt and he also whore a long, brown coat. Except for a short knife he seemed unarmed.
"Don't be afraid", the one without beard said. "My name's Galrion."
"I am Olórin", the other man said. "How could you've heard when we fought?"
"It… well, it was an accident", Sandra answered and scratched her neck. "I fell through a portal in my hometown, Norwich, and ended up in Candracar. From there I was supposed to get back by using the Universe's Door, but I lost my concentration when I heard someone calling for help. After what I thought was a nightmare I heard you two."
"How did you get here after that?" Galrion asked and sat down at the table.
"I repeated the words that you said, those that open a portal", Sandra answered. The men stared at her as if she'd gone mad.
"You… you did… what?" Galrion managed to say.
"I repeated the words…" Sandra began.
"So you opened a portal?" Olórin said and tried to mask his surprise.
"I said that, didn't I?" Sandra answered. Olórin inhaled a deep breath, before also he sat down at the table. He leaned heavily on his staff.
"You're the Portalkeeper", he said quietly.
"I doubt it", Sandra protested. "Then you'll have to be a witch or a wizard…"
"A magician", Galrion corrected. "Witch and wizard are the names of magicians that have passed to the dark side. Those who are still in the light are magicians."
"Very well, but if someone's the Portalkeeper that person has to be a magician", Sandra said and placed her hands on her hips.
"True", Galrion admitted and rose. "Only a magician can be the Portalkeeper…"
He approached Sandra and looked calmly into her eyes.
"Only a magician can open a portal", he continued. Sandra winked in surprise. Did he state that she was a magician?
"This is impossible. I'm just a girl from Norwich."
"Here."
Olórin had risen and now stretched an object to her, a thin object wrapped in some old, brown cloth. Bewildered she took it and took away the fabric. A shining silverflute now lay on her lap.
"A flute?" she said and looked at Olórin.
"You're the girl that I've felt when I've been looking for help", Olórin said solemnly. "I've heard you play, so this might help you feel at home until we can get you back home."
"You've heard me play?" Sandra managed to say. She was a flutist with several concerts behind her, but when she played at home she didn't want anyone to listen.
"Sandra, don't worry", Olórin calmed. "You're the best flutist that I've heard since this was used last time, by one of the queens."
For a moment Sandra thought she saw sadness in the men's eyes, but it was gone so quick that she assumed it was imagination. Carefully she took the flute in her hands and placed it at her mouth. When she blew it not just one tone came, but a whole chord! Frightened she stopped blowing.
"How did…?" she said in surprise.
"It's magical", Galrion answered with a smile. "You can play anything on it and make more than just one tone. When you've used it for a while you can even change the sound to other instruments."
Sandra raised her eyebrow in surprise, before she once again blew into the flute. She realised that the other instruments that she thought about where also audible. How was that possible? Galrion had said that it only happened when she'd used it for a while. She looked at the two men and saw that also they where surprised about it. Sandra stopped blowing, but then found out a new song and once again lifted the flute. Now came the sound of drums and violins and winds that whined across the fields, then came the wind-instruments. The old men where charmed until she finally took away the flute.
"That was… wonderful", Olórin said and wiped away a tear. Galrion just nodded.
"Thanks", Sandra mumbled and put the flute on the table. "Now you have to explain what you need some help with."