Disclaimer: I do not own LotR
Notes: Thanks for the reviews! I realize that I set the fic to early; at this rate we'd have ten very monotonous chapters. So there may be a time skip or something of the same ilk.
Chapter Six
Day Ninety-Six
Another ranger came by today, but immediately was whisked off to meet with Lord Elrond.
I had a long talk with Glorfindel and Erestor about how I got here.
I left that conversation none the wiser but more confused. They're both extremely smart and I'm, well, not. So while they understood each other perfectly (and in every language they ended up using, no less) I just sort of sat there, eyes wide, exited when I caught a single word.
Finally finished replenishing the extracts I ruined. Glaewron told me I did well. Celegeth sort of nodded in agreement and smiled at me like I was a child. Which, to her, I was.
It's deeply bizarre to realize that all these people I am befriending have at least hundreds of years on me- well, except Gorvon. But he's in his forties.
Glorfindel is in the lead, age wise. He hasn't told me his age but he must be at least five thousand or so.
Freaking elves.
Day Ninety-Six, Night
That ranger from before?
THAT WAS ARAGORN!
No, but really. I met him. He knows my story. He asked me about it. He nodded pensively while looking at the ground.!
Honestly, this worries me; how will I react when I meet someone else I'm a fan of?
Day Ninety-Seven
I managed to have a conversation in Sindarin today!
To be fair, is was with Erestor, who is patient ad used to my botched elvish, and yes, it was about mushrooms, but still!
I told Glorfindel and he wasn't quite as exited, but Elladan (who he had been speaking to) cracked the first smile I'd ever seen on him. Though I doubt it was for the same reason as I was smiling, and I haven't actually seen him that much.
Still.
I feel accomplished.
Day One Hundred
Well, here I am, the big one-oh-oh
in my time in Middle Earth, I have
a) learned that pages make poor TP
b)been carted around on a horse by a complete stranger (who I may or may not be friends with)
c) been forced through slave labor and learned what women in the middle ages felt like
d) learned one (and a half-ish) languages
e) seen Rivendell
f) met Elrond, his children, Glorfindel, Erestor, Aragorn, and several other elves and Dúnedain
g) proved my usefulness (and lack thereof)
that is quite a lot.
I miss my family terribly, though. I can't believe I have been here for so long. Almost a third of a year. That doesn't seem like a long time but when you've been thrust into another world with only a diary and a pen, it is (where did you come from? And how come you never seem to run out of pages/ink?)
I have learned so much here, but I just want to go home.
Day One Hundred and One
I cried today. Just curled up and had a pity-party.
I don't even know why.
Erestor was worried since I missed our lesson and though I was sick. I told him that I was fine, just a little sad.
He told me to come to the lesson, but he had a cake there and just asked Lindir to sing. I was still crying a the end of it but I feel a lot better.
Day One Hundred and Five
I've been busy these past few days. Nimhel has been teaching me basic household chores. I already knew a lot of them, but I sort of learned the 'elvish flare' aspects.
Like, with Mildburg, she told us to wet a cloth and just use that to dust wood. But the elves have this solution thing they put in the water and a specific way of dusting so that the furniture doesn't get damaged.
I picked up quickly though.
I've also been studying extra-hard with Glaewron because I have realized that I am, in essence, another mouth to feed and I feel very bad; I'm not even paying rent. And while my work will never be at the same level as an elves, I can still contribute; they can sell my extracts in the markets and when human guests come, Celegeth suggested they might be more comfortable were they treated by another mortal (I agree a little bit; I have more faith in elvish skill but they can be unintentionally intimidating. I certainly wouldn't want one giving me a physical).
After my little cry (which I am so hugely embarrassed about) Erestor gave me a little book of poetry that had both Sindarin and Westron translations. He said it was nothing much but it may help me learn, and that he had two copies so I could keep it.
I almost hugged him but I just thanked him instead.
Day One Hundred and Six
Nimhel dragged me to the kitchens and placed me in the care of an ellon named Ruinir, having decided it's high time I learned to cook; apparently they are preparing for a time when I may not be in elvish company, as all the cooks here are males.
I didn't manage to deal with anything that looked vaguely alive, but I've always had some minor competence in the kitchen (I never, unlike my sister, burned pasta). So I did OK.
Barely.
But hey, at least didn't burn anything down.
Day One Hundred and Eight
I met Bilbo today- sorry, Bilba.
He is very, very old. But he is hardly hindered by his age. Nimhel introduced me to him, thinking I might appreciate some mortal company.
We had a nice conversation and some tea.
He is very amusing. He tells stories well.
Day One Hundred and Nine
Lindir asked that I sing something in class today. Erestor coughed and quickly changed the subject.
I think Lindir understood why. I heard the two of them discussing a cat at lunch.
Day One Hundred and Eleven
I worked in the kitchens today. It took me six tries, but I managed to make an onion soup even he admitted was 'very good, for a mortal pallet'.
The problem was that these elves use recipes calling for a little salt and two or three pinches of rosemary, and not exact measurements. But now that I have figured out the approximations of each, I can cook a few things relatively well. Ruinir said that once a Dúnedain turns up, I would cook whatever I had learned for them.
I tried not to read too much into that statement.
Day One Hundred and Twelve
Glaewron gave me a few golden coins today and said they were my share from the extracts. I told him that there was no way I could accept it, but he was very insistent.
Nimhel has made me a small leather wallet to keep them in. I was very thankful. I keep it with my pajamas and Mildburg's dress.
Day One Hundred and Fourteen
Lýthril and Erestor came to blows again- well, not really. They are entirely to snarky around each other, however. I don't even know what it was about, but Glorfindel who was witnessing this, certainly did nothing to help. I think he was goading them.
Eventually I just found Lindir and listened to him sing something. It sounded very sad but pretty.
Day One Hundred and Eighteen
Elladan stopped by me elvish class today. He didn't do much; he just sort of snickered whenever I made a bad pun.
Day One Hundred and Twenty
I successfully made Onion soup with absolutely no help today!
And Elrond's sons, the only elves who don't seem to see me as completely inept due to my mortality, tried it and told me it was very good, even better than some soups they had tried made by women who had cooked for years. I doubted that last bit but t was quite good, if I don;t say so myself.
I am learning many other recipes as well. I enjoy cooking; not as much as I enjoy working with Glaewron, but still, it's fun.
Day One Hundred and Twenty Two
Glorfindel expanded on some topics in the Silmarillion today. We had a long discussion about the history of Gondor. He said that, when Aragorn gets back, he'll have him talk to me.
I answered some of his questions about Earth. I tried to explain our history, but it's hard because I now realize I have no real starting point.
I've been thinking...if this is real, than so is Eru and so are the Valar. My dad was, in name, christian and my mother was a nonpracticing Jew, so religion was never a huge part of my life. So this is deeply bizarre. It's like having your world view flipped.
Day One Hundred and Twenty Four
Guess who's back?
I was expecting Gorvon to be gone longer than forty-eight days, but he said that tomorrow he's riding off towards Rohan and his home and that will take a god few months, so he wanted to say hello to me before. He promises to be back soon, however. Well, as soon as possible.
I was unreasonably happy to see him.
I talked to him about my world today, and everything I learned (he said that my onion soup was marvelous but my salmon pie could use some work). Most of the time he listened attentively but every so often he'd g into a mood, and be all sigh-y and head shake-y.
I sill have no idea what to make of him, but oh, well. He is who he is. And I think that he may be the closest friend I have here.
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