- 03/24/08 - Well, I can't believe it. I actually wrote a full-length chapter and uploaded it. I think I'm in shock. Everyone, I cannot tell you how very sorry I am about not updating before this but my life has been in a complete earthquake for a while and I've finally been able to just sit down and write. I hope you guys have fun reading this new development in Adlanniel's (or whichever her stupid names you wish). I certainly had fun writing it. Be warned, the first few paragraphs I wrote about a year ago and the my writing has gotten a little more, um, mature since last time so that's why there is an inconsistency to the chapter from the others.

Please review and I would love any suggestions you guys have to change the idea or to kill anyone off. Since Rhov and Adlanniel are my only made up characters that could be a little difficult. However, I am killing off Boromir, but I think all of you knew that already.

Toodle-pip for now and I hope to see you all again. And again DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!! Not that I'm begging or anything. Dark-Elf

I entered the music room, thinking it would be just Rhov. Instead, I was faced with Elrond, Gandalf, Aragorn, Legolas, and Rhov. They were huddled together and talking softly, stopping the instant I stepped into the room, which made me suspect they had just been discussing me. "What's all this?" I asked, a little irritated.

"Adlanniel," Elrond began in a tone that dripped with authority, "we have need of your unusual services."

"I beg your pardon?" I bellowed. "What services, I don't do anything special except for being a burden and irritation to the entirety of Middle-Earth!" I inwardly winced; I had just answered way too honestly.

Elrond appeared momentarily struck dumb and it was Legolas to the rescue. "Be that as it may, Adlanniel, you do have some rather peculiar gifts beyond that. I have informed Lord Elrond of your ability to read any language and both of us agree that you can probably speak all languages as well." He stopped to wait for my reaction to all this. I kept my face blank of all expression.

"You see, Rhov has had a, um, a…" Legolas faltered to a real halt this time and looked pleadingly over at Rhov who was staring at me.

I sighed and flopped unceremoniously onto a stool. "Don't tell me, the elf has had a vision of some sort and it's in his ancient language that none of you have ever bothered to learn because you thought the strain had died out or stayed east of everything and now I have to interpret someone else's dream…. Wait! How come Rhov can't translate for himself?"

It was Gandalf's turn to talk and he glared down at me from beneath his bushy gray eyebrows. "This is the ancient language of the Maia and no one since the First Age has spoken that language. It is holy, almost untouchable, and above all, dangerous. Essentially, only those who can understand it are allowed to deal with the power that is the Maia's speech."

My head dropped into my waiting hands and I rested my elbows on my knees. Wonderful, I was now up to here in big, huge, old trouble. That is the worst sort of trouble, I think. Do not mess with ancient stuff; it is a little slippery. "Why, in the world, are you worried about a dream that Rhov had when you should be packing?" I muttered through my fingers. Rather unfortunately, elves have darn good hearing and Aragorn and Gandalf weren't far behind in figuring out what I had said.

Rough, callused fingers touched my cheek and I heard Aragorn say, "Elves do not dream as we humans do, Adlanniel. If the Maia have spoken to him at such a time as this, it is well that we know what they wish to say. Eru knew that you were here and sometimes I wonder if He was not the one who gave you such a gift so we might be helped at this time. Listen to Rhov, Adlanniel."

I nodded and lifted my head from my hands. "Shoot." I said. Blank stares focused on me and I rolled my eyes. You'd think after having lived here for… what is it, 50, 100 years, I would've dropped the American lingo. "I mean, proceed with whatever you need to say." Good golly, I need to be more careful with my language or I might have an arrow sticking out of me one of these days.

Rhov spoke, finally, in a deep sweet voice in a language that seemed musty, old, and almost unpronounceable but filled to the last syllable with something far more terrible and beautiful than a word like magic could describe. But I could still understand what he was saying but I understood it in the same language; there was no translating, merely an understanding.

From ancient stones and woods, Come we of elder days to speak with our child

Of darkness and light.

Look to the swan-men of the sea and do not follow

Your brother to the western shores or your heart

Will be stolen from its rightful owner.

Keep your mind fixed on the company and

Heed the Lady of the Wood.

Lastly, do not go out when all others must,

Else you will die and your love will fade.

I sat for a moment, ruminating on the meaning of such an odd, rather oblique little poem that didn't even rhyme. For a moment, everything was still, silent and I felt something like a ribbon of… a strange beautiful song coming to me and I dropped my hand to the harp sitting next to me. Without really thinking about it, I began to pluck the strings of the harp to the tune encircling me in its mystic smoothness. All of a sudden, pictures so beautiful and terrible began to sweep in front of my eyes so fast and steadily I shut my eyes, hoping they would go away. Instead they slowed down and became such vivid colors and shapes, such as I had never seen in my old world or in this one. I kept playing the music for it was all that seemed to keep my being together, threads that were becoming tighter and stronger.

A hard poke in the ribs ended my rather enjoyable weirdness startled me and I snapped my eyes open.

Rhov, Elrond, and Gandalf were all staring very hard at me, with a sort of blatant horror that irked me. Aragorn was tapping his chin and watching me as if I was a strange creature in a cage. Legolas pulled away from where he had poked me, a strange, I would almost call it fearful glint in his eyes. The threads of music drifted away and the ribbon that had kept my body close to the harp loosened and then shredded to nothingness.

I dropped my hands from the harp strings and stared at the others trying to figure out how to explain what happened.

Right as my lips began to open, Elrond's suddenly said in a quiet, thoughtful tone. "You are not a Maia, are you?"

The idea was so ridiculous that the whole strange picture seemed to shatter away and I almost laughed out loud but choked it down. Everyone except Gandalf and Elrond involuntarily backed up several steps. Ok, now I knew I was different somehow from my brother's whacked-out time machine and all, but the odds of my becoming whatever mystic being a Maia was in the process was, well, entirely impossible.

"Don't be silly. I will admit that was very strange and very dangerous whatever happened, but guys, I am not a mystic being. Really. The reason I can read, speak, and translate different languages is probably because my brother foresaw the problem that being illiterate in a new place could cause. He probably just forgot he wanted to make my new life a living hell and didn't bother fixing his space-time continuum coordinates." I was feeling completely normal now, actually so normal, I was feeling hungry.

"I see." Said a very relieved-looking Gandalf. As a matter of fact, everyone seemed very happy to have me back to my normal self. A catalyst to be sure, very strange to be sure. Gandalf's eyebrows went up. "Now, what did Rhov's message say?"

I started to repeat the poem, lyric, whatever it was, and felt the ends of the ribbon started to drift back to life. I stopped so fast the others blinked. No offense to them, but I had the feeling that I didn't want the ribbon to come back so fast. Perhaps, since the message was for Rhov alone and perhaps I just didn't want to experience that awful grasping ribbon again.

I looked up into Elrond's confused eyes and shook my head. "I don't think I can tell you right now."

Elrond nodded and some understanding came from him. Without a word, he grasped Aragorn and Legolas by the arms and pulled them out the door with him. They didn't seem particularly unhappy to go. Personally I would much rather pack than be faced with a very strange, completely insane circumstance where even your elderly and very wise, um, elders, are sort frightened of someone. Or, come to think of it, something might be a better general description. What are Maia, anyway?

Rhov and Gandalf were left and both had the most quizzical smiles drifting across their faces. We sat (or in their case stood) for several moments in silence. I couldn't bring myself to look into Rhov's eyes or Gandalf's so I closed my eyes and began playing the harp. The threads of the message's tune came back to me and I played it, very happy to notice that the ribbon wasn't coming back.

Suddenly I didn't want to stop playing, the entity that was myself slowly disappearing into oblivion and I was losing track of whether or not there had been a beginning to the music. It seemed that the music had been playing forever and it would never end. Fear, but a great joy seemed to clutch my heart and I wondered if I wanted to, if I could truly end the music.

"Adlanniel, you must come back." A hard, ugly voice sliced into the swirling beauty. Something exploded in front of me, and my entire world shattered with a splintering crash.

I was back in the music room and it was dark with the peaceful pale silver of a half-moon shining through the windows. The harp gleamed with a cold beauty and I realized I was still seated on the stool but no one was in front of me. But then a touch of warmth settled on my shoulder and I whipped around. I must have been dizzy or just a trifle off kilter because I fell of the stool and hit the rug-covered stone floor with a jarring thud. I must have hit it really hard because an awful pain ripped down my spine.

"Easy, child, easy." Said a warm gruff voice and strong arms picked me right off the floor. Gandalf stood in my line of vision and his face was whiter than moonlight could ever make it. He was gripping his staff with pale knuckles and his eyes were glittering with some fierce fire. "You must no speak. Try not to make any quick movements or you might really be lost."

I dearly wanted to ask what in the world he meant when it came to me that someone was holding me that I hadn't yet identified. Slowly, I turned my head up and saw that it was a frightened, perhaps slightly angry Rhov who was holding me. Then it struck me that both Gandalf and Rhov had seen what had happened after I started playing the Maia's music. Maybe they could explain what happened to me. I turned back to Gandalf a little too fast because an explosion of exceptionally fierce pain pierced my head and I tried to stifle the scream that demanded to be let out. What came out was something like a strangled whimper. Rhov's arms tightened rib-crushingly around my shoulders and legs.

Gandalf stifled a groan. "I told you, Adlanniel, easy does it. Now we shall speak of this in the morning before the Fellowship leaves. Rhov knows enough to tell you the details after I leave. But you must rest and do not move again. Sufficed to say, you are dealing in dangerous waters and whatever happened to you on the journey here from your world, it was significant. As a matter of fact, I hope your brother doesn't try fixing the space-time continuum again. It seems to be a very delicate process that requires great thought and planning. It is Eru's great mercy that allowed you to come unharmed and whole to us."

At Gandalf's reference to the space-time continuum, I wanted to laugh really hard but I settle for a large grin. I was so very glad to be back out of that strange world and most certainly it was a bonus to be held by Rhov in that protective (if a bit tight) manner. For some reason, at my smile, Gandalf slumped over his staff and plopped down on a handy bench with, I assume, either relief or irritation. At least his face had resumed his normal color and Rhov responded to Gandalf's action by loosening his hold.

After a moment, Gandalf stood and touched my cheek with the tips of his fingers. I hadn't realized I was freezing until he did because his fingers felt like liquid fire racing through my skin and into my blood. Then I could remember no more. I'm fairly sure I either fainted or just slipped into a dreamless sleep with no music or pain.

I woke to a wet cloth being dabbed on my face, droplets of moisture dripping down my neck. My eyes opened and I saw it was Arwen wielding the washcloth with a grim Elrond standing behind her. Both of them noticed at the same time I was awake and it was Arwen that shrieked and fell off the bed. Elrond merely closed his eyes and groaned. I was slightly appalled at their reaction to my joining the living, you'd think they'd be happy, not screaming and groaning and… clutching their foreheads?! That was just a tad much.

"What?" I snapped and both Elrond and Arwen (who had stood up behind her father) stared at me, the whites of their eyes very prominent. Then I remembered that Gandalf had said no talking and I braced for something really horrible to happen. When nothing did, I glared at Elrond. "What?" I repeated and pushed myself upright.

Gandalf's voice, bright and pleasurably grumpy growled from the doorway. "Lord Elrond is merely relieved that you are awake and able to speak. Although why he should be happy about the latter is beyond me."

"Steady on." I said and grinned as I noticed several familiar heads peeking over Gandalf's be-robed shoulders. A thought suddenly struck me. "Gandalf, aren't you supposed to be toddling off for your heroic, death-and-glory adventure with all those strange people behind you?"

"Actually, Adlanniel," Legolas piped up from behind the wizard, "we were supposed to be on the road yesterday."

I blushed, feeling ashamed at causing everyone to delay but just a tiny bit gratified that they all couldn't bear to leave without knowing my circumstances. If, of course, that was the reason for their continued residency. "Why aren't you, then?"

"Because," commented Merry, who had scooted his way around Gandalf and Elrond and plopped himself on my bedside, "your rotten brother wouldn't move from his perch on the bench outside no matter what and we really couldn't tie him up and throw him over Bill. The poor pony would break his back. And Rhov couldn't take his place to represent the elves and Eru forbid that the twins do it. So, here we are." And he flopped full-length next to me, hands behind his head.

"Yes, and I'd better move before someone pushes me over." Gandalf said and sidled away from the doorway, effectively unblocking the entry. Legolas rushed over, nearly knocking a very amused Bilbo flying. Legolas wrapped his arms around me and hugged me so tight I'm sure my eyes looked as if they were going to pop out.

I saw Aragorn, all the other hobbits (Pippin was kindly steadying Bilbo), Elladan and Elrohir, and Rhov. They were all smiling in that giddy, silly sort of way that translates great relief and/or delight that now they could get on with their trip. When my gaze finally settled on Rhov, he looked straight into my eyes and I thought I heard him whisper my name as if from across a distant place, but his lips didn't move.

Legolas pulled back and I noticed that he was crying and my neck felt wetter than before. He clutched my face in both his hands and said sharply but almost in a whisper, "Don't you ever, ever do anything like that again. I don't care if the whole world demands you do it, you will refuse. I have almost died a thousand deaths the last few hours and it would kill my father for sure if you left us. Eru be praised, He did not require your presence in His halls yet."

A single tear trickled down my cheek and he wiped it away. I leaned forward and kissed his forehead and then hugged him close. This is what my brother should have been to me and thanks to the fates or Eru or whatever, I had been given my true brother.

Some loud sniffling caused Legolas and I to let go of each other and look down at the lounging Merry. He was wiping his nose on my sheets.

"Very touching." Gandalf said with forced acerbity (I noticed him handing a handkerchief back to a grinning Bilbo). "Now, friends we must collect our dwarf and the man of Gondor and prepare to leave before lunchtime."

"What?" Said five hobbit-voices at the same time. "Before lunchtime?"

I stood with Gandalf on the steps of the Last Homely House, watching the flurried, last minute preparations that always plague the very beginning of a trip. Elrond, Arwen, the twins, and Rhov were all standing together with Aragorn, speaking in low, hushed tones. Frodo was bidding his last farewell to Bilbo who was gazing wistfully at everything, no doubt wishing he were younger and stronger. Gimli the dwarf was standing with the few dwarves that had accompanied him for the Council. Everyone had someone to stand with except for the man from Gondor, Boromir I believe Gandalf called him.

Since Gandalf was brooding and not inclined to speak, I drifted across the courtyard and no one seemed much to notice. Boromir noticed me approaching and bowed, a bit stiffly but I didn't mind.

"My lord, I have not had the pleasure of meeting you. I…"

"By the kings!" Boromir gasped, interrupting my nice little speech. "It is a goodly thing to hear the tongue of my people in the mouth of an elf! Pray, where did you learn it?"

Oh, dear. I must automatically be able to speak other people's languages. I must have spoken in Gondorian or something like that. I decided that I had better make things a bit clear to this man who, I was beginning to realize, was very handsome in terms of maturity and strength. Something seemed awfully familiar about him but I couldn't quite put into words why that was.

"I am no elf, my lord. Perhaps we should just say I am a human, for even Lord Elrond is not sure of what I am. As for knowing your language, it is a gift given to me when I entered this world. You must pardon me for startling you, I had thought I was speaking the Common Tongue."

"Pardon most readily given." Boromir laughed and it was pleasant, a true human manly laugh. "What is your name, lady."

I smiled and curtsied. "As I was going to say before you interrupted me, sir. I am Adlanniel, ward of the King of Mirkwood and guest of Lord Elrond. I most glad to meet you, Lord Boromir, son of the Steward of the White Tower." Now how the heck did I know that?

"You know a great deal about me, my lady. Do these elves and wizards speak to you as an equal then?" Boromir said, his eyes ablaze with curiosity.

"They are my friends and family, good sir, and since I am an unknown to them, it is understandable that they treat me with care I suppose. You see that elf there, with the fair hair, bow strung and quiver full? He is my brother, Legolas Prince of Mirkwood. Will you watch him for me?" I held out my hand to shake his.

Boromir smiled, showing strong if somewhat yellowed teeth. "It would be my pleasure Lady Adlanniel." And he grasped my hand.

I was about to tell him that I was no Lady in title or personality when a rushing feeling, like a wave crashing into me hit like a freezing shower and I saw this man, full of arrows in his chest and back, dying with Merry and Pippin's voices screaming somewhere near. Then a terrible fear and hunger for something… the ring pierced me through the heart and I cried out.

"Lady!" A bellow brought me back to earth with a jerk. This was getting heartily exasperating. Couldn't I just stay in this time zone and life with getting thrown around and seeing things?

Boromir had still held my hand in a tight grip but his face was white as a snowdrift. Fortunately he hadn't yelled too loud because no one had come running to see what happened. Except for Gandalf who was striding across the courtyard toward us with a fierce gleam in his old eyes. Rhov was following. Oh lovely, as if I hadn't already given those two enough heart attacks for a lifetime. I dearly hoped this wasn't as bad in terms of severity as what happened in the music room.

"What just happened?" I asked as Boromir loosened his grip.

"Lady, I am not sure." Boromir choked out. "Your eyes turned completely white and your face was filled with an strange, fearful light."

"Really?" I said, beginning to feel a little light-headed. "I'm having some problems with containing my aura, sometimes it breaks through the force-field." Great, now I was speaking nonsense.

Boromir blinked and started to say something when Gandalf strode up with Rhov in tow and put his hand on top of my head. Something that felt like warm bathwater trickled down my body from head to feet. Life seemed to spring into my veins and I was very decided this had better be the last time Gandalf had to do this. I was getting vexed at freezing up and what would happen if Gandalf wasn't around to warm me up? Not a good thought.

Rhov was speaking to Boromir. "What happened, Boromir, did she faint?"

"No, she seemed very well until I took her hand and then her eyes turned to white fire and light seemed to fill her face and her skin turned to ice. Does she do this often?" Boromir sounded rather worried as if he was afraid that if he let go of my hand, I'd go absolutely berserk.

"She has spoken to the ancient Maia and she has seen some part of Eru's song of creation. Eru saw fit to return her to us but this must be a lingering effect of her experience." Rhov said and Boromir let go of my hand. This was news to me, why in the world didn't anyone tell me this?

Gandalf took his hand away from my head and took my left hand, the one that had touched Boromir's. "This is no lingering malady, Rhov. Now, I am glad to see you made Boromir's acquaintance but now you must say farewell to him and to the others. We must leave. Don't touch anyone else you don't know, Adlanniel. I do believe it is safe to shake Boromir's hand just, for the sake of my nerves, don't do the same with Gimli." And with that perfectly clear and succinct statement, Gandalf strode over to Elrond who had been watching us.

For some reason, I dearly wanted to speak kind words to Boromir, to hear him speak of his homeland. A strange and awful certainty that Boromir would never hear his own countrymen's speech again or see his white tower again was crushingly sorrowing.

On some strange impulse, I reached up and cupped his cheek in my hand and gazed into his grey eyes. Words that I hadn't even planned to say sprang out of my mouth with frightening sense. "My Lord Boromir, we shall never meet in this world again. I ask you to be careful on this journey and to beware of your very self. We humans have many gifts that the elves may never bear, but they are heavy burdens at times. Do not let yourself be crushed by your hopelessness, your people have the King coming to them. Have no fear that they shall be safe. Now, bend your head and let me bless you, that your victory be assured through Eru."

It was strange to hear such words coming from me, of all people. But that hideous certainty and a strange knowing of what this man needed to hear egged me on and kept me from shutting up and running away. He seemed to have an understanding and he bent his head to me and I kissed his forehead, wishing with every bit of my being that I would be wrong and see him again.

"I thank you, Lady Adlanniel, for your kind words, I shall carry them within my heart. And I have not forgotten your request, I shall see to your brother's safety." Boromir said in a thick voice and straightened up.

"Oh, and sir, the two hobbits, Merry and Pippin, I rather think they will need a little guidance in sword play and you seem to be very competent. Now I take my leave, may Eru keep and bless you on your quest." I curtsied and smiled once more into his eyes.

A hand settled on to my shoulder and I realized that Rhov was still next to me. I had completely forgotten about him, oddly enough. He bowed to Boromir as well and then steered me away towards Legolas and Aragorn. As I bid farewell to my brother, to Aragorn, to all the hobbits there was something niggling in the back of my head, some strange premonition that when I saw these again, none would be as they were now. They were to go through fire and death, to see friends and brethern put to the sword. No, this was the end of something, not an era, but... something.

When I reached Gandalf, he took both my hands and bowed his head till our foreheads touched. "Lady Adlanniel," he said, in a whisper only I could hear, "you are a very special child, indeed you have become as one of the Children of the West who have never seen these shores but have dwelt in the light of the Two Trees. There is work for you here, and I think you know of it, if not clearly as of yet. I pray you to follow us on our journey with Rhov and not to be afraid to go back to the Maia, for you might entreat them of our quest. Eru Himself may hear you and He is not evil; He is Sauron's greatest and most powerful enemy, something which our evil enemy has forgotten in his desire to rule Middle Earth.

"Stay close to Rhov for he understands these things, perhaps better than Lord Elrond or myself. Rhov will keep you safe and watch over you since I cannot. Your place is here for now. And may I remind you that I know what the Maia spoke to Rhov, and to you I think, be sure that you are the Lady of the Wood. May the blessings of Eru be upon you. I love you, my child, and I will see you again, perhaps not in this world, but on the white shores of the Western Lands."

A familiar, strangling lump filled my throat. Gandalf's words had filled me with dread, but also with hope; I was not alone and if I indeed was the Lady of the Wood the Maia had spoke of, perhaps I could be of some use to everyone as Gandalf had said. I nodded and felt the tear beginning to trickle down my cheeks. But I did not wish to part with Gandalf with terror. Even though it came out thick and phlegmy (be it known, I may have had some sort of out-of-body experience but it hadn't seemed to clear up my more irritating human problems such as phlegm), I still managed to sound happy. "My grey father, I shall see you again in this world but you will have changed slightly, I think. Pray, keep an eye, or two, on Bill, I rather think he has a mischievous streak in him."

Gandalf pulled away and looked me straight in the eye. "Adlanniel, you are a strange little creature. Here Rhov, take this child and make sure she doesn't kill herself while we're gone. Heaven only knows I'm going to have fits not knowing if she's gone and shredded the fabric of the universe."

As the Fellowship trooped out of the courtyard, I felt Rhov's hand touch mine and then gather it up in his long fingers and squeeze. Then Arwen slipped her hand into my free hand and so we stood there, watching our friends and family disappear out the gateway, turning left towards the exit from valley.

Elrond and the twins were turning back into the Homely House and the other elves and Gimli's dwarves had begun to drift to some other place.

I had a sudden, very silly idea and tearing my hands out of Rhov's and Arwen's, I dashed up to the wall and then up the stairs to the walkway. I could see the Nine Companions slowly beginning the steep climb up the cliffside.

"Legolas!" I bellowed. Rhov skidded to a halt next to me and sent a 'for goodness sake!' glare my way. Legolas turned around and the others stopped and glance back towards us. "Legolas, don't forget to give Aragorn a kick in the pants for me now and then!" This time, I knew that only Legolas and Rhov understood me. At least I'm fairly sure they could only understand me since it was Legolas I was speaking exclusively to and apparently I blab out the very particular language of the subject I'm talking to. So I was mostly confident that I was speaking in woodelf lingo. At this point, I couldn't tell when I switched from language to language.

Legolas waved to me to acknowledge and then turned back. I noticed that Aragorn was glaring suspiciously at Legolas. My eyesight must be getting better if I could see that.

Rhov and I watched the company walk to the top of the valley and then over the edge to disappear. He didn't say anything till they had gone and then he looked down at me with a strange coupling of a grimace and grin. "One of these days, Adlanniel, I will start to understand you."

I grinned back up at him and patted his arm. Now that the company had disappeared, the twist in my gut had vanished. "Don't bet on it, buddy. Don't forget I am a girl and you are a guy. I highly doubt you will ever understand me. Your kind haven't been able to do it in the millions of millenia of my old earth, why should you be able to do it?"

"What does you're being a girl have to do with anything?" Rhov said, cocking his head in a very dashed handsome way.

"Because, silly, I said so."