Chapter Twenty-Five

Whispers in Parth Galen

I awoke when I was gently placed on cool sand close to the river's edge. Turning on my side, the outline of Nick walked away. I sat up.

We were on the banks of Parth Galen, the sad place where the fellowship broke and parted ways. Suddenly my senses heightened. This could go one of two ways: Frodo and Sam desert us, Merry and Pip get kidnapped and Boromir dies…. or maybe that could all be avoided. Maybe everyone could stay together. In my book's map, there was a way to avoid all of this, a secret shortcut to Morder through the ancient Fay city, The Realm. Maybe they wouldn't listen to me, but hell, it was worth a try.

The Fellowship sat resting, deciding what to do next. Legolas leaned towards Aragorn, "We must go. We cannot linger here. A shadow and a threat has been growing in my mind." I recalled this meant the Urak-Hai were heading this way. If I delayed speaking up any longer fate would take its course and decide for all of us. "Aragorn, there are orcs on the river bank." Gimli barks. Urgently I say, "Aragorn, there is another way." All eyes snapped to me.

"Look, if we can follow this map to the entrance of The Realm there is a faster, cloaked way out of the forest that the Urak-Hai cannot follow." Aragorn regards the book map cautiously. "You withheld this information until now?" I hesitated- it did kind of look bad. "Yes, but only for our safety. This is Lord Elrond's book and it can lead us to the Fay Realm."

A hushed silence hung for a moment before chaos ensued. "No absolutely not. It's too dangerous! Deserted for Ages or worse-, Who knows what happened to it? Men's lore never even knew of this Realm's existence!" Boromir spat. "Aye, but even more, how do we get in? What if it's a grave like Moria?" Gimli said softly. I didn't know how to answer them in words. Something inside my body just told me that I had to find this path.

The Realm; this hidden city of magic couldn't just be gone. It calls to me at night; in dreams it whispers of a vibrant and lush land, as varied as this one is hilly, flat and dull. (sorry landscape no offense!) My resolve steeled. I would do whatever it takes to find out what happened to it, "Listen to me, I know it sounds impossible but I can find it and I will get us in. And we will all be safe, together." Aragorn rubbed his temples for the hundredth time, thinking, 'I need a new day job'. "And what then? What if there is no way out, what if complete shadow has engulfed it?"

"It's still faster then walking all around Isengard and Gondor!" And it truly would be, despite I suspect the time difference being like Lothlorien, where one day actually equates to like twenty days. While Aragorn studied the map again, he turned towards Nick behind him and said, "what say you Nicholas?"

He stayed quiet for a moment. "I say, let's go!" He was grinning, obviously pumped at discovering a new city.

Boromir groaned and slung his sword onto his back muttering something along the lines of "…following a Fay's orders…" Colyne placed a hand on his shoulder. "That Fay is my closet friend, Boromir." Glancing at her face, Boromoir musters a smile (?!) "My apologies Col." Col? He put his arm around her waist. Col? Ew. He was too old for her anyway.

Delilah was lying down against a tree. It was clear that she had no intentions of moving. Which in all honesty, suited me quite fine. Samwise was just chilling by his pack, intently scrutinizing the grey elvish rope brought from Lothlorien. "Indeed, this'll come mighty handy sometime, no doubt about it." He says to Merry and Pip. Frodo was standing alone in his usual brooding sulk. I shout over to him, "Hey, leave some angst for the rest of us, okay?" My humor withered under the gaze of his dry, worried look. Sigh.

Ten minutes passed and Aragorn directed everyone to move more inland and hide the boats. Following the map, the "expert tracker / ranger" led us over forest terrain, going deeper and deeper until the trees grew silent. It was misty and dark here...Whack! My forehead collides with the leather quill strapped to Aragorn's back. "Oww!" I rubbed the red egg angrily forming on my head. "It should be right here." The ranger says dismayed. There was clearly nothing here but trees, mushrooms, dirt, leaves, more trees, more dirt…. and round mushrooms in a clearing. My eyes narrowed. Those mushrooms- they clearly were the poisonous Toadstool kind. I walked over to one, bent down and plucked it.

"Uh if you're hungry Vanessa, you should try the grey ones. Those are not good to eat. Gave Merry a bad turn once, didn't they?" Pippin said, making a face. Merry quickly nodded in agreement. My hand involuntarily dropped the deadly 'shroom. Aragorn shook his head. "According to the map it should be here. Maybe nothing has existed here for ages." My eyes wandered back towards the patch of mushroom. There was one, two, three, four and another and another! They grew in a weird circular pattern… wait, could it be a fairy ring?

Remembering the book's instructions, I step into the circle. "Stay back a little bit, just in case!" I call to everyone. Removing my sword, I slide it across my palm. "What are you doing?" Someone shouts as I watch my own blood drip, seeping into the dirt directly in the middle of the fairy ring. A riddle, archaic words that have no meaning in this age, sprang from my lips without knowing them. "There is a world Seen yet Unseen. A place that is the go-between. Hidden away from prying eyes and proud hearts that wish its demise. Blood of its own, as is the decree, element to element. Reveal the Door to me!"

"Follow me in." I whisper, and before all our eyes a gold white light outlines a small round doorway. It shimmers all the colors of the rainbow. Shakily, I grasp the heavy pull and yank. The gateway opens swiftly and my heart skips a beat. It just feels like home. "Everyone come after me, wait five seconds first so that I know it is safe to cross for non-fay." I entered and immediately felt numb. I couldn't feel my body. I was too numb to even panic, floating through this swirling gold vortex endlessly…. and then I wasn't.

Seconds. It took mere seconds to walk through yet felt like an eternity. Everything felt different. How can I even describe the portal aloud? If the gateway was any indication, this new world would be indescribable; great, beautiful and terrible all at once.

What else can I say? I wasn't in Kansas anymore ;)