Disclaimer: See Chapter 2

Notes to Reviewers:

Ellfine: Thank you. I am having the doors widened even as I write because I can't get my head through them any more! (Just kidding!) I have a large head anyway; it just doesn't have all that much inside it.

Celeborn is another character that has always fascinated me. He can't have had the easiest marriage in the world and Galadriel always seemed rather 'driven' to me. When everyone else saw her as fair and very wise, I had misgivings about her and always thought she was quite a 'dark' character. Not evil you understand, far from it, but driven, dark, ambitious and not above manipulation, albeit very diplomatic manipulation. Celeborn always struck me as the anchor in that relationship, he was the one who grounded her and submerged many of his own needs and desires so that he could make sure hers were met. If I really wanted to expand Celeborn I would write him in the notion that when she finally sailed to the west, he took some much-needed time to himself and did the things that he really wanted to do before joining her and sinking into obscurity as the son in law of the King. As it is I wanted to at least highlight some of what might have been very real fears for a character like him.

Rion is being put through the mill, but he's a tough little baby. Anyway, he'll do fine. Eonwe likes him so he will be able to pretty much write his own ticket when he gets back home.

Reptile Lover: Yes it is hard to find decent modern/ancient combinations among fanfics and I must admit to pondering the wisdom of whether to put that in the summary, but since this is primarily a challenge I have set for myself to try and create a believable 'modern folk end up in Middle-earth' story, I thought it would be a shame not to say so. It's one of the reasons why I chose to set it during the War of Wrath which is a rather under-used period by fanfic writers and with canon characters who don't get a lot of press, like Tulkas and Eonwe, or even Gandalf pre-LOTR (Olorin). I am pleased that so far it is working out okay.

In order to avoid many of the clichés of the 'falling into ME' scenario I have so far limited the interaction between the inhabitants of ME and my four characters from 2005 and will continue to do so, even given that Gil-galad and his merry band have now been involved by Eonwe. The touch about Gary actually being a future incarnation of Eonwe sort of slowly developed as I was writing. I thought that the idea of there being a time limit set on Gary-Eonwe being able to occupy the same time period as Eonwe-Eonwe at least gave some substance to the fact that there are two of them and creates a feeling of 'suspense' to the whole thing. Will Gary get the weapons and his little team back before he ceases to exist? And indeed, how will they manage to get back to their own time? And the whole thing being set against the background of increasing geological activity and war gave the whole notion an interesting twist for me to write and hopefully for others to read.

Pink Panther: You are welcome to the dedication! Joining the army was a challenge for me especially since I was already 29 by the time I enlisted. I wanted to prove I could do it.

Chapter 18 – In an insane world, only the insane are sane

"The enemy is anybody who's going to get you killed,
no matter which side he's on."
- Joseph Heller, Catch22

"I think you would do well to keep the mortals as separate from our main force as you can Ereinion. Keep the contact to a minimum. We do not know what these people are capable of, nor do we know of their origins." Cirdan's deep voice interrupted the High King as he pored over a map and tried to extract a possible route that an orc or orcs might use to travel towards the north.

Ereinion's lips pursed. "Aye. I think so too. My biggest concern is whether they will readily accept help from us. If they do have one of these…deadly weapons, then might they not aim them at us first and ask questions later?" He sighed and impatiently brushed a strand of long dark hair behind his ear.

"Indeed they may. It is certain that they will be confused and afraid, not to mention hungry. They will not be at their most rational. Who are you thinking of for the search groups?"

Ereinion frowned slightly. "I had thought Celeborn and Gildor to track the orcs and perhaps Erestor and yourself to head the group that seeks the mortals out. Do you think I should take one of them myself?"

Cirdan looked alarmed. "No! That would not do at all. If the main force is to remain in one position, then your place is with them. If there is trouble they need you to look to for leadership in battle. I would suggest that Glorfindel stays behind with you. The warriors idolise him. It's all the fault of that damn Balrog slaying nonsense."

Ereinion chuckled. "Balrog slaying nonsense? Somehow I do not think that the elves fleeing Gondolin thought of it quite like that. Nor Glorfindel."

Cirdan gave a grudging laugh. "That is not what I meant and you know it. I meant the fact that the warriors seem to believe that Glorfindel now has some special power to protect them against the Balrogs. The fact that Namo saw fit to let him loose and re-embody him into Valinor doesn't help either. There is a glamour about him that is hard to ignore."

The High King's dark eyebrows lifted. "Glamour? A strange way to describe it. The Valar must have had their reasons for sending him to us at this time and yet I do not think that it is his heroic deed that makes the warriors react the way they do towards him. I think it is more that he has this charisma and a light about him that lifts the spirits. Even here his presence sets an incandescent glow that lights up the dark places and chases away shadows. I for one am glad of it."

"I am not immune to his light Ereinion, or his abilities. I think he is a good warrior to have with us, which is why I suggest that you keep him with you." Cirdan stood up, stretched and wandered to the tent opening. "I estimate another hour till dawn. I think I will go and get some rest." He gave the High King the once-over with that penetrating gaze of his. "And so should you."

Ereinion nodded. "Yes, I will, I just need to sort which warriors will go with you and Celeborn." He picked up a quill pen, dipped it into the inkpot and began to write.

Cirdan huffed a sigh and took the quill off him. "Get some rest Ereinion." His voice was stern. "That will keep for another hour. If they have any sense, the mortals will be following the river either north or to the south. Even they must have realised that most settlements are more likely to be alongside the rivers than in the middle of a wood or a plain and they need to find a settlement quickly if they do not want to starve to death. Either way, we should be able to find them quickly I have no doubt of that."

"There is also the concern of the party of orcs that Eonwe mentions in his letter. They may well have not left Nan Tathren and you should go prepared for trouble." Ereinion rubbed his chin wearily.

Cirdan gripped his shoulder and propelled him towards their bedrolls outside the small tent. "I will, and you will now try to get some sleep before you fall over. An exhausted battle commander will be no use to the warriors if you are attacked while our force is divided."

Ereinion grinned and allowed himself to be pushed in the direction of his blankets.

Only seconds later he was wandering in the realms of dreams, the main one of which was an extraordinary, very vivid dream where he was being pursued by a painfully shining Glorfindel who had to be at least twenty foot tall and who was pushing him along a dock that stretched into the distance for what seemed like hundreds of miles so he could take the ship to Valinor before the Balrogs killed him.

Along the banks of the River Narog, Nan Tathren, heading northwards

The brazen heat of the previous day had now given way to a light drizzle. The weather changes were abrupt and, combined with the regular rumblings deep in the earth, made the atmosphere even more oppressive than it had been before. There was a deep sensation of some horribly impending doom or disaster and the fact that, as they trudged along the riverbank in the wake of the light-stepping Elf, they saw no signs of life other than the trees and vegetation only added to the oppression.

Even though it was a fanciful notion, the Chief caught the sensation that the trees themselves were brooding and grieving. The thought that they sensed their own doom and were preparing themselves for it kept insinuating itself into his conscious thoughts and his heart felt unaccountably heavy at the idea of all of this loveliness dying away.

A few yards in front of him, the Elf, who had managed to convey to Kim that his name was Melannen or something along those lines, was guiding them along the riverbank. Kim was walking beside him and Chief was glad to see that her step was livelier than it had been and her face, upturned to the Elf's as they spoke to each other, was vivacious. It occurred to Chief that when she looked happy and relaxed, she was an extraordinarily pretty young woman. Not striking by any means, just very pretty. It was nice to see her shuck off a few of her worries, and she blossomed under the attention of the rather beautiful Melannen.

It was clear to the Chief that the Elf was teaching her some of that Elvish stuff as they walked along and she was returning the compliment by teaching him the English for it. Every now and again Melannen's silvery laughter and her effervescent giggles over some mispronunciation floated back to the three men in the rear and made him and Jim laugh at least. Gary remained rather uncharacteristically silent and morose as he stalked along at the rear of the party.

The Chief decided that Gary was probably sulking and the fact that Melannen had gone on just a brief foraging expedition earlier in the day and came back with some berries and nuts that assuaged their immediate hunger pangs hadn't helped things along on the diplomatic front. Gary's surly and jealous attitude hadn't lifted and his thanks to Melannen had been monosyllabic at best.

For his part Melannen had seemed slightly perturbed rather than offended by Gary's behaviour. He kept glancing anxiously over at Gary while they ate as if he was more concerned that he had offended him. Which, of course, brought up the rather more disturbing issue that the Elf obviously seemed to think that he knew Gary. On the other hand, Melannen seemed cheerfully oblivious to what was becoming starkly obvious to both the Chief and Jim; Gary was falling rather painfully in love with Kim and was jealous of the fact that she seemed to prefer Melannen to him.

For the Chief's part, although he had some sympathy for Gary's plight, he could have forgiven the Elf for anything just because he made Kim glow and the Chief knew that in reality she had precious little to glow about in her ordinary, rather hum drum life back at camp.

The trouble was that she was horrendously shy, although no one who didn't know her would have realised it had they seen her talking to Melannen. To the Chief's knowledge Gary was the first man to pay her any real attention since she had arrived at the unit two years earlier. While the other girls could be seen going out together and flirting with the lads in the Mess, she more often than not stayed in her room and avoided social functions unless they were mandatory and the Regimental Sergeant Major ordered attendance by all Senior Ranks. Even then, she made her escape as early as she could.

Consequently nobody in the Sergeant's Mess knew her very well. Most of the men liked the girls who were more lively company, so Kim hugged her solitary life to herself. The other thing was that she rarely took any of her leave unless bullied into it and if she did take it, she spent it in her room in the Mess rather than going on holiday or going home. The Chief didn't even know where 'home' was for her since she never spoke of it or her family.

He had liked her quiet, hard-working demeanour from the beginning. She didn't spend the time she should be working flirting with the men, she did everything that was asked of her with a quiet smile and cool efficiency. He thought she was the most refreshingly pleasant young woman that he met for a long while and he felt very protective of her.

It wasn't that he particularly disapproved of Gary falling in love with her; it was just that it was highly inappropriate for a commissioned officer to make advances to a non-commissioned officer. Fraternisation between officers and other ranks was not encouraged by the highly archaic and rigid class system imposed by the military and was usually punished by separation of the lovers. One, usually the man, was posted into another unit as far away as the Records Office could manage, the other, usually the woman, would remain and be the target for the slings and arrows of outraged military society; usually in the form of the soldier's wives. The Chief would bare his bum in Harrod's shop window before he'd let that happen to Kim.

The Chief glanced back at Gary bringing up the rear. The Major's handsome face was set in grim lines and his eyes, which were dark and depthless, were firmly riveted on Melannen and Kim in the front. The muscle that had started jumping in his clenched jaw earlier was even more pronounced and the Chief got the unnerving impression that he was like a tightly coiled spring just waiting to be unleashed.

In his own way Gary was as beautiful as Melannen, perhaps even more beautiful if that were possible. There was an almost exotic, dangerous beauty about that smooth, deep golden-hued skin and the dark blue eyes with their thick fringe of soot-coloured lashes. Even the smile, when he chose to stop sulking and unleash it, was utterly devastating. The Chief was not usually affected by other men's smiles, but even he admitted that there was something rather gorgeous about it and he found that admission very disturbing indeed.

The fact that Gary seemed to be taller and broader somehow, as if the forest or the very air was sustaining him and making him stronger, was also very disturbing. Chief shook his head at yet another fanciful notion. What with that, Gary's stunning smile getting under his skin and the bloody trees talking to him, the only place he'd be going when he got home was to a nice padded room with a personalised straitjacket.

The thought was rather appealing somehow.

He abruptly decided that it was time to have that little talk with the good Major before open warfare was declared between him and the Elf. With that in mind he dropped back and fell into step beside Gary who didn't even give him a sideways glance.

"Were you always this tall?"

Gary's thoughts had been brooding on Melannen and Kim happily skipping along in front, or so seemed to him. The sight was the cause of a sharp pain in the region of his chest and a tightening of his gut. He was so immersed in his jealousy and anger that the Chief's mild comment took him by surprise.

"Huh?"

"You seem taller." The Chief's tone was light and conversational, as though they were taking a nice little stroll rather than trying to escape to civilisation, wherever that was.

"Taller than what?"

The Chief chuckled. This was not how he had envisaged this conversation going. "Taller than you were before. How tall are you by the way?"

Gary frowned, as though the question was the hardest he'd ever had to answer. "I don't know, I don't think I've been measured since I enlisted. Six foot six maybe?"

"Well I'm six three and you are a lot taller than me."

"Is it a competition or something?" Gary just sounded irritated now.

The Chief grinned. "No, just an inoffensive way of opening a conversation with someone who looks like he wants to murder everyone in sight!"

They heard Jim choke off a hoot of laughter from in front of them and Gary gave a reluctant chuckle. "Do I really look as bad as that?" He asked.

"Yes." Both Jim and the Chief chorused.

Gary sighed, shifted the weapon to a more comfortable spot on his shoulder and stuck his hands in his pockets. "I don't mean to. I'm sorry. It's just this whole situation is far too weird and that Melannen chap is setting my teeth on edge. I'm not sure I like the idea of Sgt Freeman being so…open with him. We don't know who he is or where he comes from."

"He seems a harmless enough bloke." The Chief responded mildly.

Without preamble Gary suddenly turned a glittering wrathful gaze on him. "He is a fierce and terrible Elven warrior, my friend not some harmless bloke."

The Chief stood his ground but his eyes narrowed. "Now why would you say something like that sir?"

Gary blinked and a confused expression passed over his face. "Like what?"

The Chief sighed deeply. Most conversations with Gary were becoming very strange now. He kept saying things in the middle of them that sounded as though someone else was saying them. The Chief decided to gloss over it. "Never mind sir. It doesn't matter."

Gary wouldn't let it drop. "I'm doing it again aren't I? Saying crazy things." His voice sounded distressed.

"Not so much crazy." The Chief demurred in a cautious voice in an attempt to reassure him. "Just…well…it's as if someone else is talking through you."

"I don't even know I'm doing it." Gary sounded wretched. "It's getting worse, the further along we go and I keep having strange thoughts or daydreams, or something."

"About what?"

"I'm not sure. Its just fragments of what seems to be some kind of dream to be honest. Earlier on, after we ate and stopped for a rest, I dozed off for a few seconds and when I woke up it's as if I was somewhere else, in a forest still, just not this forest, and I was surrounded by tents with bright pennants and horses. Someone…a tall, golden haired, bearded man was talking to me and I was trying to answer him when everything cleared and then I was back with you guys."

"How long has this been happening? Have you been having these all along?" The Chief was now more than a little worried, but he desperately tried to conceal it.

Gary shook his head. "No. Just in the last day, since we killed the orcs and Melannen joined us really. They weren't so pronounced before, just wisps of thought really. The first pronounced one was the one I just described to you." He hunched his shoulders miserably. "It felt as if someone else had taken over for a few seconds, just like you said just now. I'm sorry Chief, I know I'm not really making much sense, but it's the best I can do by way of an explanation."

"You're tired sir. We're all tired, but it's bound to be more stressful for you because of the fact that you're in charge of us. We could do with a bloody good night's sleep in a nice bed, a square meal and a proper bath."

"I suppose so, but I don't think I'll be holding my breath for it." Gary replied quietly. He glanced back up at Melannen and Kim. "That isn't helping much." He said bitterly.

"Ah. Yes. About that." The Chief cleared his throat. "I've been meaning to have a word with you about Kim."

Gary grimaced. "Am I going to get the fatherly lecture on fraternisation now?"

"If you like." The Chief replied calmly. "I'm not blind sir. I can see how you feel just by the way you look at them and the way you and Kim look at each other. Now, we're far away from home and it might seem like an easy thing to do, to fall in love with the lone female in our little group, but you're not going to do her any favours by pressing your suit."

A dangerous glint appeared in Gary's eyes. "Are you warning me to stay away from her Sergeant Major?" His tone was soft, but there was an edge to it that told Chief he would have to word his reply very carefully.

"I wouldn't presume to warn you off sir. Kim's a grown woman and wouldn't thank me for that." He replied in a calm, level tone. "However, she is also a member of my staff and as such, is under my protection. Come on sir, you know what happens when officers fraternise with other ranks and in this place." He gestured around him. "And in this time, whatever this time is, there is nothing to hinder it. No Ministry of Defence, no Commanding Officer and no military authority of any kind. There's just us. What I'm worried about is what happens when we get back home to our own time, place, or whatever. Kim doesn't have that much in her life except for what she's achieved in the Army. You know as well as I do that any relationship between you could finish all of that, not just for her, but for you as well. Do you really want to do that to her, or yourself?"

"Do you think my feelings towards her are so shallow then?" Gary's tone was cool.

"It doesn't matter what I think about how you feel. It matters what she thinks and what your intentions are towards her. Leave her be sir, please, I'm asking, not telling you. I know she returns your interest and I don't want to see her hurt. Stay with your own kind, you'll both be better off."

Gary raised an eyebrow. "My own kind? And who might that be Sergeant Major?"

The Chief was unimpressed by the now decidedly dangerous note in Gary's voice. He met Gary's gaze firmly and directly. "You know fine well what I mean sir. The kind of ladies that generally come to the Officers Mess, the ones who know about your kind of world and how to conduct themselves in it. Kim would be in over her head in that environment and you know it. The stigma of her dating a man out of her class and rank structure would follow her and not even you would be able to protect her from any insinuations or slurs. I've seen it happen far too many times. It might work in Civvy Street, but not in the British Army. The military is too set in its ways."

As much as Gary wanted to protest against the Chief's comments, he found that he couldn't. He'd seen it too, especially among the officer's wives. They had this 'radar' that told them when someone didn't fit and he'd seen them go in for the kill before. Did he want that for Kim? The answer had to be no, he just wanted to hold her, love her and keep her safe from everyone. The idea of letting her go filled him with deep pain and he knew, deep inside, that if things developed any further he wouldn't be able to do it. It might even be too late already. The irony of the whole thing was that she seemed more interested in the otherworldly beauty of the Elf than in him.

Somewhere along the line he was convinced that he'd blown it with her anyway.

He sighed. "I don't think it matters Chief. In any case I think I've messed up my chances with her. I keep having to pull rank on her and I know she hates me for it, but I have to do it." He looked up at Chief under those incredible lashes and his eyes now held a pleading expression in them. "If I'm to get us back, I have to maintain tight command of the group. I can't tell Melannen or whatever his name is what to do, but I can keep a grip of those people I am responsible for. I know Kim doesn't like it, but she's in the army no matter how far away we are from home, I am her superior officer and she will have to obey my orders."

He gazed at Kim with such longing that the Chief almost retracted everything. Had he done the right thing in speaking to Gary? After a moment's reflection he decided that he had. At least Gary now knew that she wasn't unprotected and he'd think twice about pushing himself on her. "I think it's for the best sir." He said in the most neutral tone he could muster.

Gary gave him a wry smile. "The best? I wonder. I can't promise not to fall in love with her Chief. I think the damage has already been done there. All I can do is promise not to press my suit without telling her what she would be letting herself in for. But be warned, if she is interested and wants to make a go of it after she's in possession of all the facts, I am not going to turn her away, but it will be up to her and I will stand by her decision."

"Fair enough." The Chief took his attention off Gary and walked smack into Jim who had stopped dead. "What the fuck?"

Jim pointed at Melannen.

The Elf had stopped and his head was cocked on one side, his gaze directed along the path beyond a particularly thick group of trees. Gary noticed that he had pushed Kim behind him and that she was standing with a look of trepidation on her face. He walked past Jim and the Chief and up to where Melannen and Kim were standing.

"Go and stand with Jim and the Chief, Sgt Freeman." He said softly. At the same time he swung the weapon off his shoulder and cocked it as softly as he could. He took a rather perverse pleasure in noting that Melannen winced slightly as he did so. The Elf was noticeably nervous around whoever had the weapon.

Kim nodded. "Yes sir."

Gary was pleased to see she obeyed him instantly. Melannen was still listening and when Gary opened his mouth to speak the Elf laid a slender, gentle finger on his lips to stop him. "Cotumo" (1) He whispered and made a slitting motion with his hand across his throat. He grasped Gary's sleeve and pointed directly in front of him. "Orch!" (2)

Gary took that to mean that the Elf thought that some of those creatures were up ahead, but Melannen's expression also said that he wasn't altogether sure, then to Gary's outright astonishment he flung himself down and pressed his ear to the ground. After a second more of listening he leapt to his feet again and gestured that they should get away from the bank and hide in the trees.

Neither Gary nor any of the others gave an argument. Within seconds they were all concealed among the trees and Gary had the weapon pointed in the direction of where Melannen had been pointing earlier.

Whoever came down that path was going to regret the day they were born.

Cotumo (Quenya) Meaning 'enemy'

Orch (Sindarin) Meaning 'orc'

NB: Melannen tries to speak a mixture of both Sindarin and Quenya to get his point across since he isn't sure whether Gary and the others speak either of the languages beyond a few words.