There was a silence between them, Ali was completely frozen. There was a time when a hundred thoughts would have run through her head, things to say, what to do. Right now she had nothing, nothing but a pounding heart, and throbbing head, wondering if this woman was in on everything as well.
"You do not believe in me," the woman continued, "in fact you do not believe any of this is real." At first Ali didn't believe this either but as the woman spoke her mouth didn't open. Trying to be covert Ali glanced around for hidden speakers but didn't see any signs.
"This is no trick, there are no speakers, I am simply speaking directly into your mind," Galadriel tilted her head ever so slightly.
If this is real what am I thinking of…HORSERADISHES! Ali yelled in her mind.
"Horseradishes are a random thought indeed, but enough of this game." Galadriel began to move slowly towards the balcony. Ali on the other hand was having a bit of an issue just letting this revelation go. This woman was in her mind, literally reading her mind at that moment. She needed aluminum foil, and she needed it now. Is that even possible? How? Who was she? Was she actually dreaming? Was this just some bad dream? Was there any sort of substitute for foil?
"Let me start from the beginning, it will answer some of your questions." Galadriel turned so the setting sun illuminated her white dress in soft pinks. "I am Galadriel, one of the few who can delve into the minds of others, although mine is a story for another time. The answer to whether or not you are dreaming well that is a complicated one, for the answer is both yes and no.
"Physically your body resides both here on this plane of reality and back in your own reality. Although you are not dreaming, you died." Galadriel paused, watching Ali, but Ali didn't say anything, not yet. "You were brought here by myself, to save middle earth. Do you know much of Erebor?" Galadriel asked.
Reluctantly Ali shook her head no, she had heard it mentioned but she brushed it off, assuming it was make believe. Like she had assumed everything was so far.
"Erebor was once a rich land, producing much of the areas wealth. Often overlooked was the importance such a stronghold would have in a time of war, and unfortunately it feels as though war may be on the horizon. Although it does not matter how powerful the hold is if ruled by the wrong persons.
"Thorin is a strong dwarf one who would rule well, in his wake Fili will be just as wise one day. I have seen devastation in their future, if something was not changed they would not live to see the rise of Erebor," Galadriel paused and let the words sink in.
Sink in they did, so much so that Ali's head felt muggy. These men were going to die, she actually believed that, but she didn't know if that was such a bad thing, they had still killed the orc.
Images flooded her mind, playing as if it were some horrible movie. Orcs darted back and forth slaughtering a family, dragging a woman out of her home by her hair. Another crouched by the door, twisting a young boys arm until it dislocated with a squelching pop then rip as it was pulled from his shoulder. The orc bit into it, black ooze mixing with fresh red blood, teeth scraping the bones.
Ali lurched forward and heaved. It was lucky she had passed on eating for a while as she wretched again. Although she hadn't actually thrown up she wiped her mouth as the images disappeared.
"Orcs do not feel pity for those less powerful, they do not feel mercy for those who cannot defend themselves. They feel anger, hatred, hunger, and power. There are many in this land that would kill for less than merely something to pass the time. It would be wise to keep that in mind." Galadriel's words cut Ali but her voice was still angel soft.
"What does this have to do with me?" Ali gasped, still feeling queasy.
"I think you have an idea child," Galadriel didn't smile anymore as Ali looked up at the flawless woman. It was at that moment that the pieces to this puzzle started to click into place.
Ali had always been different in a way, seeing shadows where there ought naught to be, hearing voices when all was silent. It had scared her father, who was a suspicious man. He believed she was possessed, then later claimed she was conspiring with the spirits to kill him. It made him angry, it made him violent, it kept people from hanging out with the weird kid. So she hide it, Ali spent so many years pretending that she didn't see, didn't hear, that she had almost forgotten.
"But they were not spirits," Galadriel continued. "You my child walk the Veil. A hidden connection between worlds, what you were seeing were not the dead but merely glimpses into this land. It was quite the effort even for me to find a Veil dweller, since your denial was so great."
"So I was brought over by you, because Thorin and his nephews won't live through retaking Erebor?" Ali mind churned over these facts, but her part was still confusing her.
"When the final battle arises you will have a decision. Live here in Middle Earth and allow Thorin's fate to cause a downward spiral amongst his people. Or accept his fate as your own and help save his people, giving the land the much needed support it has lost." Galadriel finished but there was no amusement in her eyes anymore.
"You're asking me to be selfish and live, or die for a man who hates me?" Ali asked, this whole speech summed up in one question.
"Not so much Thorin as his people, the race of man, and all those who will perish during the war once their king has been slain. I am asking a great deal, but not the end of your life. I pulled you from the other side of the Veil for a reason, when you are killed your spirit will be sent back to your original body."
Ali was sitting back, looking at the ceiling. When she fell asleep on the bench the last thing she thought would happen was this. Actually this wasn't even the last thing on her mind cause it hadn't even bothered to cross it. There was more of a chance that Godzilla would walk through the park fight a giant battle and step on her and that was how she might die.
"The choice is yours my child," Galadriel hummed.
This was a pretty serious choice, Ali looked over to tell her but the room was empty. Jumping up she looked around, peering around the bed as if Galadriel had crouched down to hide behind it. Of course she hadn't, Ali almost kicked herself for thinking a woman like that would do something so stupid. None the less she shimmed over to the balcony and peered down, still not there.
The room was totally empty, she had disappeared into thin air. Yet strangely enough it didn't bother her, or more than that it didn't surprise her. Why should it? Ali thought, as of today that was literally the least strange of all the strange things that were topping the time she saw the man in a diaper on the subway.
Leaving just Ali with big personal questions. Would she die for them? Could she kill for them? Why did all of this happen to her? Did she actually believe all of this was actually real? Questions people her age should be thinking were much less important. Does my make-up look good? Could Ironman beat up Batman in head to head combat? Where should I eat lunch today?
"How does a person answer these questions?" Ali groaned covering her face with her hands dramatically. That's when it dawned on her, she didn't even know these people, or dwarves for that matter. That's where it had to start, she had to get to know the, each of them, and possibly that would help her decide. One thing at a time.
It was early the next morning, too early in fact, but the sun was beginning to shine and Ali had promised herself she would get up. Groggy she sat on the edge of the bed rubbing her face praying that this place had some form of coffee. Reaching out to where she had dropped all her over clothes she was shocked to find bare floor.
A glance down confirmed her suspicions, there was nothing, even her heavy boots where gone. Ali just stared at the empty floor, willing herself to be surprised, or at least a little horrified. Sometime last night someone had come in and stolen her clothes, all in all it paled next to one story tall trolls turning to stone. At least she still had her thermal leggings and a shirt. Near the foot of the bed something caught her eye, it was a dress. Picking it up she examined it, it was the deepest emerald green, with gold stitching that flowered across the skirt, and a low cut neck. Carefully Ali removed her own clothes and shimmied into it.
It was obvious that it was made for a child, although with the height difference she wasn't too surprised. The top was a bit too snug and pressed her breasts a bit, pushing them up and revealing more cleavage than she thought she ever had. The waist fit perfectly thank god, but her hips were a bit too wide, which hitched the skirt up to knee level. Quickly she pulled her leggings back on, if she was going to show that much boobage she didn't need to show that much leg. Doing her best to shove her breasts down into her bra Ali realized it was a lost cause and decided to let her hair fall down to help cover them up.
After pulling on the boots they had left Ali caught sight of herself in the mirror as she went to leave. She looked different, she had never let herself wear nice things, much less girly things and didn't know how she felt about it.
Ali's looks didn't matter though, cause today she was going to get to know the dwarves, figure out how she feels, and try not to fall out of her top.
All that was easier said than done though as she wandered the massive halls. For a rowdy bunch they were incredibly hard to find. In fact she found the first of them in a place she was looking more in desperation than actually thinking they might be, the library.
Sitting in overly large chairs it was almost hard to think of them as full sized men. To add to that she found it hard to imagine anyone who sat in a library knitting would have spent the day before beating in the heads of orcs. None the less that's where she found Dori and Ori, silently clicking away on their individual projects enjoying the sun beams spilling in from the windows.
Nerves hit her suddenly and she stood behind a bookcase. Surely they wanted to be left alone not bothered by some strange woman who they really didn't know. What would they think of her after how she acted yesterday?
"Annoyed that's how," she answered herself then clamped her hand over her mouth, but it was too late.
"Hello?" Dori called.
Kicking herself and her mouth she stepped around the bookshelf and waved a tiny hello. "Mind if I join you?"
"Ahh, Ali, we wondered when you would be out and about, of course come and sit." Dori smiled and motioned with his project to the chair opposite him.
Jumping up Ali managed to get into the chair without much problem. Although when she turned back around she found Ori's face down and ears turning red. Suddenly self conscious she pulled her hair forward and cleared her throat. "What are you gentlemen working on?"
"Oh just a scarf or two for the company, when we journey through the mountains it will be rather cold." Dori smiled over as Ori concentrated intensely on his own. "If you would like we could knit you one as well."
Those words hit her in the stomach like a fist. "What? Why would you do that?"
"What do you mean? Your part of the company of course," Dori stated rather matter of factly as he clicked away.
Part of the company, they considered her part of the company. Ali had never been made part of something by another before. Sure she had been on the gymnastics team, but that's cause she had signed up for it, they couldn't get rid of her. They made a point to never pair up with her though and never talk to her unless necessary. Now here she was a part of something, and it was making her stupidly emotional.
"I...I would love a scarf," Ali said, trying not to let the emotion show in her voice.
"Here, y…you can have this one, if you like of course," Ori held out what he had just been working on. It was a pretty sky blue, each knit was soft yet sturdy as Ali took it in her hands, long enough to wrap several times around her neck and then fall to her waist.
"It's so beautiful," Ali whispered still playing with the stitching.
Dori laughed, "It's just a scarf, not a thing of beauty."
Ali couldn't help the smile that spread across her face, "I think it is, and I'll treasure it forever," she hopped off her chair. "I best be off now, I've other tiny adventures that await." She didn't tell them that this was the first thing anyone had ever given her, that was over sharing.
"A bit odd isn't she?" Ori asked pulling more yarn from his bag as the pair watched her bounce away.
"Yes, but then again we have never met a tourist before, could be that she is rather normal by their standards." Dori tutted, "strangely fascinated by scarves though, wonder what would happen if she were given mittens?"
"Maybe they don't knit where she's from?" Ori shrugged, it was easier to think when she wasn't around.
"Must crochet there," Dori turned back to his work and Ori nodded in agreement.
Whew, all the serious question answering is done!
Well for the most part, I have a light hearted couple chapters to follow :)
Thank you everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed
If you have questions, comments, general statements about life, I'd love to hear them
Till next time, muah :)