On the first few weeks of travel, I made it to the Eagles Eyrie where I met some other human civilization. Over the season, I had made my way past the misty mountains where a storm had hit but luckily I was given shelter by the men who dwell there. After that I proceeded to follow the East Road where I eventually reached Bree. It was a small place where men and hobbits dwelt side by side. Still, with every population I happen upon, conversations and readings reveal not a clue to what I was. Although, there was a time when I took lodging at the Prancing Ponies, some of the older folk, not the wiser folk, do not let age-convolute wisdom, suggested that I made it to Emyn Uial(Hills of Evendim), it was rumored that an all-knowing man lived there and would answer questions if the price was right. It was also said that he had the largest collection of tomes of all Middle Earth.
When I headed for my rented room for the night, thank Kili for the extra gold he'd given me, the bartender pulled me aside and advise, "Young girl, whatever tales of Evendim shrew you've heard, keep no mind of it, most people who venture there never returned, there's something fishy 'bout that place. I've warned you."
As a true-hearted fool, I did not heed any warning. And that would be my regret for a long-cursed time.
I knocked on the door leading to the large house among the mountains, the doors looked ancient, painted a mouldy shade of purple. No one answered on the first knock. I left a few more seconds pass before I knocked again.
This time, an impatient, high shrill voice shouted from inside, "Who is it? It's bloody too early in the morning." The door remained unopened. The voice is too high too be a man, there's only so much you can trust from bloody drunk people in the bar, I thought.
"Good morning ma'am, I am truly sorry for calling on you so early in the morning, but there are somethings which I require your wisdom to uncover. Would you permit my entrance so that we shall talk inside?" I asked in the most polite tone I could muster.
There were multiple unlocking sounds from inside the door, one…two… six clicks were heard before the door opened barely enough for me to see an eye peering out through the crack. The woman's eyes where the same colour as the door, making it more eerie.
"Sylvia Knightley, daughter of the Lord of Dale making your acquaintance. Again, apologies for the early disruption." I plastered a sweet smile on my face.
With a scoff, and some muttering like, "Dale? Where the hell is Dale?", "what's a young girl doing here…" she stepped back and allowed me to enter.
I took my hood off as I entered the house and I surveyed the place from left to right. There were messy piles of paper littered all over, some stacks were laying dangerously close to the open fireplace. In contrast, the shelves were standing packed and organized in the background. They shelves were topped high, right up into the ceiling. Did I forget to mention that the visible area was about 3 levels high?
As I turned to look at where the old woman was, I had lost sight of her. Suddenly, a hand was placed on my shoulder causing me to jump and spin around.
There stood the woman, opposite to her shrill, old voice, she appeared only middle-aged, barely having any grey roots in her hair. She had large purple eyes and dark red hair, messy and tangled. Her nails were long and sharp and painted grass green. She dressed in a simple pale dress but it looked worn and dusty. All my assessments about her was that there were a lot of contrasting descriptions.
"What do you want?" she said in a business-like tone. Pushing her hair back in an impatient air.
"Madam, I would like information, there is a question plaguing my mind that I wish to solve. None have been able to answer my question since I set off on my journey for answers a year ago. I will pay handsomely if you could give me some leads."
"Hmmmmm, I do like money, and a bit of a challenge. Well go on then, what is it?"
"I don't know what I am!" the words rushed out of my mouth.
The lady's eyebrows shot up towards her hairline at my bleakness. I swallowed, trying to better compose myself less she thinks that I am a freak.
"What I mean is, I was adopted by my parents, thirty-six years ago, and I haven't aged a day since my twenty first birthday.
"Intriguing…" she commented and gestured, "continue." She came around the chair, examined my features closely, twirling my hair around, sniffing it, then inspecting my hands as if it were the most interesting object she'd ever seen in her life.
"After some traumatic incidents, I realized that I fear no fire," she started plowing through her collection of books in the far corner of the room where I followed her, "I realized that my skin is impenetrable to sharp objects." She moved on to another row of shelves, the book on these shelves looked more ancient than the ones I've seen so far, "And the weather bends to my emotions if I will it to."
There was an "aha" moment when the women pulled out one of the most ancient books I've ever seen. The language of the book I had no knowledge of. She clutched to book in her hands like it was a babe and while she caressed the bindings, whispered, "Yes, I know, yes, I know."
"ummm, I beg your pardon?" I was feeling very uneasy.
She seem to break out of her weird moment with the book, "Ah yes my dear." In a dripping sweet voice that sent shudders down my spine, "Here is the book of the ancients that reveals and unveils. Let's see now…" she opened the book and flipped through the pages until the very end. "We shall conduct a ritual that allows me to uncover your true self. Now take a seat dear, do you prefer red tea or green tea, perhaps a biscuit or two for breakfast while I set up."
She busily bustled around the area, pushing me down on a chair ladened with pieces of paper.
I watched as she gathered some tea for me and ran off where I couldn't see her. She came back shortly, holding a bucket of red liquid, "blood of the lizard" she said as though that was self-explanatory.
Then next she returned with an assortment of foul-smelling herbs. After that she came back with something bloody and a potion. After which she proceeded to clear a patch of area and started to draw with the objects she brought with her.
When she was done, her hands were covered with blood and she looked frenzied with excitement. "Shall we continue dear?" her smile was sending chills and warning signs blaring in my brain but I shook it off, mustered my determination and stood up, walking towards her.
"I am ready."
"Good, now, take off your shoes, cloak and come stand in the center. Remember, no matter what happens, do not leave the circle."
I sat stone still in the middle of her drawing, my heart was racing in anticipation, I placed my sweating hands on my knees and closed my eyes. The woman started to chant in a language not like any I have heard, not even Quenya sounded so ancient and mysterious.
Her voice began soft and quiet and gradually grew in power and enthusiasm, it sounded horrifying and beautiful at the same time. It had a rhythm to it. Then without warning, coldness drowned me as a liquid poured upon my head. As soon as it touched my head, it started to burn. Anywhere the liquid reached, it left an agonizing burn along it, I could feel myself scream, it was like something was burning out of me. I felt like my conscious was detached, I knew what I was doing but could not command it, my hands were clawing at my head, where the burning hit first, I scratched at it as if it could ease the pain. I could feel my teeth protruding onto my lower lips now. My eyes were unable to open, more liquid continued to pour upon me, this time concentrating on my front and soon after my backside. It was pure torture. At some point, I must have blacked-out. For when I opened my eyes again. The world was different. The images processed in my brain where not the same anymore, it didn't even have an overlap. My vision was simply divided into two halves and did not connect. My head felt heavy, not the drowsy feeling of heavy, but physically heavy, like my neck was doing twice the normal job it had been doing to keep me head up. I reached up to feel my head but the sensation of touch was so peculiar that I recoiled away. It was as if I was scraping against metal.
A evil cackle erupted from next to me. I turned to look at where it came from. Instead of just turning to see, my head made a large arc. "Silly girl, didn't know what she was. You think I was going to just tell you what you so obviously am? No, I will and have controlled your true self. Such a pity, a rare creature like you to expose yourself to me, the most ambitious collector and experimenter of middle earth, oh how much fun and excitement I will have with you as my new specimen, my precious dragon."