"So, this Rivendell is an Elven village? Or is it a city?" Anya decided that she might as well ask a few questions. He wasn't giving her the glare of 'why am I dealing with this woman' or the look of 'there are dangerous things – be quiet', so it should be fairly safe.

"The elven folk do not have cities in the human fashion." His voice was soft, so that it wouldn't carry through the forest, and he moved almost silently. As easy as he made it look, it was probably a matter of habit. "Neither do they have the same numbers as the human nations. There are several groups of elves, similar to what the humans would count as nations, and Lord Elrond is the ruler of this group."

"How well do elves and humans normally get along? Are there any other peoples that I might encounter?" She wanted to figure out what sort of rules this place had, and how much she would have to adjust to live here.

"There are hobbits off that way." One hand waved to his left, as if to indicate a direction. "They are a short, pleasant natured people, who spend a great deal of time at home, eating and being merry among their friends and family. Few of them travel far from home. The dwarven kind are a bit taller, and more somber, given more to the crafting of tools and underground halls than feasting. They occasionally trade with the elves, so you might see one of them if you stay in Rivendell. There are also the goblins and the orcs, but you would not wish to encounter them. They have been corrupted by the powers of darkness."

"So, elves, hobbits and dwarves are okay, humans are human, and goblins and orcs are bad for me. Hopefully far away." She glanced around the forest, wondering why all of this sounded vaguely familiar. Had D'Hoffryn put in a twist to tell her something about the world as well as making certain she could communicate with whoever she encountered? He must have, or else how could she understand Strider?

"What did you do before you found yourself here, Anya?" The question could have simply been an effort to change the subject, as calm as he sounded.

"I worked in a shop. I helped keep track of the inventory, and getting in new supplies, and keeping the ledger." She glanced at him, and the well worn sword, and decided not to mention the demon fighting just yet. There was no way to know how he might take that.

"How does someone who helps at a shop find herself thrown into a different place, so far away that you hadn't heard of elves, dwarves, or hobbits?" He had this annoyingly suspicious tone, as if he was convinced that she was hiding something.

For a moment, she let herself be angry, before conceding to herself that well, she was hiding things from him. Softly, she admitted, "I almost got married. But something happened, and he changed his mind, he left me. And now… now I'm here, a short distance from Rivendell. I hope that Rivendell is a very long way from Sunnydale, and it definitely sounds like it. There weren't any elves or hobbits, and the only dwarves were particularly nasty."

After that, they only spoke of the trees and the various birds and animals that they could hear around them. Small things very like squirrels gathered nuts, chattering to each other and scolding the passing humans. At a little stream, Anya saw the tracks of a rabbit. "Of course there's bunnies. There's bunnies everywhere. All it takes is just one slipping through the cracks into a world, and boom, you have teeming hordes of them."

He was definitely laughing as they kept walking.

Other than goblins, orcs, and bunnies, this place didn't seem too bad. Not yet, at least.

The path opened up, and she could see a waterfall spilling down the side of a hill. There were flowers and open areas, and after a moment Anya realized that the pretty pale stones were actually buildings. She could also see a few people moving among the stones and trees. "So, this is Rivendell, and those are elves?"

"This is Rivendell, and those are indeed, elves, Anya of elsewhere," Strider's voice was amused, and he held out his arm. "Allow me to introduce you to Lord Elrond, who is the leader of these fine people."

Lord Elrond, though of a similar height and build, was far less scruffy looking than Strider. In fact, he looked quite elegant in a not-quite human sort of way. The hue of his eyes was more jewel like than humans, and there was a bit of a point to the one ear that she could see among the long silken locks of hair. Elegant clothing that was similar to medieval nobility but at the same time completely different flowed over a body that seemed, as near as she could tell, to be in excellent shape.

Looking into those pretty eyes, Anya could see age, and pain, and the half faded sting of loss. This was a man who had lived, who had fought and suffered. Someone with a strong will and a history that was long and probably quite interesting. Someone who would not simply accept that a young seeming woman named Anya had popped out of the air in the forest and question no further.

"I'm Anya," She offered a smile and a half bow that looked nowhere near as smooth and graceful as the one Strider had made when he'd introduced himself. Of course, a curtsey would have looked ridiculous in pants, so she hadn't bothered with that, and Lord Elrond of Rivendell didn't look like the sort of guy that shook hands on introductions.

"Anya of Elsewhere?" One of Lord Elrond's eyebrows rose, and there was the suggestion of a smirk along his lips. "How did you come to be in the forest near Rivendell, traveling alone? Some urgent quest or an important message?"

"Magic seems to have been involved in her arrival, though she claims that she has no knowledge of any reason why magic would bring her so near Rivendell," Strider's words didn't quite sound like an accusation, but he didn't sound at all amused. "She was in the midst of a clearing, and none of the leaves around her had been disturbed."

"Magic?" He focused entirely on Anya, and for several long moments he just looked at her, as if he was trying to see into her, to read her mind, or perhaps her soul.

Anya felt a slight shiver as it occurred to her that she had no idea what the elves of this world were capable of. For all she knew, he could be reading her mind or soul. "I'm not the one who worked the magic to drop me into the woods near Rivendell."

"No, you are not powerful enough to bridge between worlds," His words were soft, as if perhaps they weren't directed at her or Strider as much as him thinking out loud. "You might as well remain in Rivendell for now. While you do not appear to be a danger to my people, I am somewhat puzzled about your arrival, and shall consider what to do with you."

Anya could feel her passions wanting to offer a few suggestions about what he could do with her, and she bit at her lip to keep silent. Much as she had always found men with power to be appealing, and especially when they also looked good, that was not the way to start things here. A handsome face and personal power were no guarantee that he wasn't a jerk. Despite her efforts not to offer any sort of suggestions, her stomach gave an audible gurgle in a vote for 'feed her.'

Lord Elrond gave a small chuckle, and spoke again, "Perhaps we shall start by asking you a few questions over a meal?"

With a smile, Anya agreed, "That works for me."

Shaking his head, Strider left her standing near Lord Elrond. As he walked away, his cloak flaring just a little behind him, Anya could almost swear he was chuckling.

End part 3.