Part 1: Flee of the Fallen
Chapter 13: Unexpected Wakening
Even before Rae had opened her eyes, she felt a gentle presence hovering above her, observing her. A shiver ran down her spine. Stalkers. She detested them, especially since her father had started sending Nataya to shadow her and Elara.
She reached for her daggers, but a searing pain shot through her body.
"Aghhh!"she whimpered, realizing her daggers were missing.
Her eyes fluttered open, meeting the gaze of a concerned face framed with curly hair and crowned with blue eyes, the size of a child's.
"Milady, I do not mean to startle you,"the child-like creature apologized, retreating to her bedside, peering shyly at her.
Wait, bed?
Rae scanned the serene surroundings. She lay on a bed adorned with silken sheets and soft, embroidered pillows. The room was filled with an ethereal light filtering through tall, arched windows draped with gossamer curtains. The walls were adorned with intricate tapestries. The furniture was finely crafted from rich wood, each piece carved with delicate patterns and inlaid with shimmering gemstones. The air was filled with the scent of blooming flowers and the faint, calming aroma of healing herbs.
"Where am I?"Rae rasped, her voice hoarse from disuse.
"You're in Rivendell, the healing chambers specifically, milady. Frodo Baggins at your service,"the child-sized creature bowed respectfully.
Rae frowned; this creature spoke strangely but with respect. She remembered her mother's teachings on showing regard and placed her fingers on her forehead, muttering, "Kaltxì."
Though the creature looked perplexed, he hid it well.
"What happened?"Rae asked.
"You were found near Rivendell, gravely injured, at least that's what Arwen told me,"Frodo explained gently. "Lord Elrond's healers have been tending to you."
Rae opened her mouth to ask more, but something rapped the window behind her. Then came a familiar sound: "Rae! Our sleeping beauty has finally woken up!"
Rae spun around, wincing at the movement: "Lizard!"
Her Ikran grinned through their bond: "I see you're already making friends."
The door slammed shut, followed by a terrified shriek from Frodo.
"Well, maybe not,"Lizard smiled awkwardly. "Hey, ready for a ride around this valley? It's quite nice here."
Opening the window, Rae placed one hand on the frame to support herself and mounted the Ikran's back.
The valley was a tapestry of vibrant greens, with ancient trees standing tall and proud, their leaves shimmering in the sunlight. The forest floor was carpeted with wildflowers, their colors vivid against the deep greens of the foliage. "So this is Rivendell,"Rae mused, thinking of Frodo's words. A crystal-clear river meandered through the heart of the valley, its waters glistening as they cascaded over smooth stones. She saw elves walking along the river, some on beasts resembling Pa'li.
She spotted Frodo Baggins on a balcony with three similar-sized creatures.
"Go land on that tree beside the balcony,"Rae pointed.
"No,"Lizard objected. "I'm not going near those children."
"I'll jump if you don't land,"she threatened. They both remembered when Rae had kept her promise to jump from forty feet up, and the Ikran had to carry her home with broken legs. They'd both been scolded, and Lizard got a beating from Nataya, ever the protective twin brother.
The Ikran made a defeated sound and clawed at the tree's branch. "Off you go, I'm going hunting, and don't expect me to bring you a portion."
The four child-sized creatures were staring at her, their mouths hung open in shock. Frodo was the first to break the silence: "Apologies, milady, it was not my intention to run away from -."
"No, it's fine. Lizard could be very intimidating at first sight." Rae chuckled, remembering the time she had trained the wild Ikran when they were both young. "I'm Ra'evani, but you can call me Rae." She stepped forward, giving a formal Na'vi greeting by placing her palm on her chest.
"Samwise Gamgee of the Shire at your service." The sturdy one with kind eyes and curly brown hair peered at her shyly.
"Meriadoc Merry Brandybuck of the Shire at your service," the tallest of them all said with a bow.
"Peregrin Took of the Shire at your service," the slightly shorter and youthful one bowed with an impish grin.
Rae smiled: "So, this Shire is where all creatures of your size are from?"
"Aye! We are hobbits. The most intelligent creatures in all of Middle-earth." Pippin held his head proudly.
Middle-earth? Rae tensed. She had heard many stories of how Earth men had come to Pandora and burned down their home.
"And with the largest appetite!" Frodo teased.
"And the best singer!" Merry chirped.
"Drunken singer," Pippin corrected.
"No, I'm not drunk!"
"Half-drunken."
"No!"
"A quarter drunk."
"Fair enough."
"And the best gardener!" Frodo put an arm around Samwise whose face reddened immediately.
Luckily, Pippin saved him from his embarrassment: "You know, milady, you should visit the Shire someday. We'll definitely throw a huge feast in your honor. It is a wonder to see such, urgh, strong-built and strange women."
"Pippin! That's rude!" Merry nudged him angrily, though Rae got the feeling he did not really mean it.
She chuckled: "It's okay, it's not every day that I see a hobbit as well. So, tell me about Middle-earth." Be a spy when necessary, her father had taught her.
"Well, we haven't been anywhere outside of the Shire, and it's our first time in Rivendell as well," Frodo said, embarrassed.
"We could tell you about the Shire!" Pippin offered.
And that's how Rae found herself spending the next few hours. Frodo had just inherited a house named "Bag End" from his uncle Bilbo, spending his time reading the old tales of this world. Samwise, or he preferred just Sam, is a green-thumb, the loyal gardener of Bag End for ages. Not to mention he is also an excellent cook, as Rae hunted down a duck near the river and he had roasted it for them. Both Merry and Pippin are troublemakers with enormous appetites, proven by them ravishing the duck as if it wasn't the fifth meal of their day.
Rae began to grow very comfortable in their presence, even teasing or commenting once in a while. The hobbits soon were extremely joyous in her company despite her strange appearance. They were absolutely fascinated when she had leaped down from the balcony and came back with a wriggling duck.
"In fact, the two of us met when they were nearly caught for their mischief," Frodo smiled at Rae, who sat cross-legged from him.
"You forgot to mention our heroic shortcut to the mushrooms!" Pippin popped his curls up, licking one of the duck bones.
Then they talked some more of their journey from the Shire to Rivendell, and were just about to tell her about an inn named the Prancing Pony, when Rae heard footsteps approaching them.
"Hush," she told the hobbits, as they gave her a puzzling look. Clearly, the hobbit species has no superior hearing.
An elf with dark hair entered a few seconds later, addressing Rae: "Milady, Lord Elrond awaits you in his study. He said some questions of this world may be revealed if you come."
"Who are you and who is that lord of yours?" Rae demanded, standing to her full height.
The elf visibly cowered and swallowed hard at the sight of her: "Lindir at your service, milady. Lord Elrond is the owner of this valley."
"Sounds fair. Take me to your host," Rae said. She didn't want to sound rude, but not shy either. Who knew what these elves were going to do with her.