Part 1: Flee of the Fallen
Chapter 15: Friends in the Valley
Index Table:
Irkan- flying creature of Pandora
Oel ngati irayo nìli- I am deeply grateful.
The elf Lindir led Rae through the majestic corridors of Rivendell, the soft glow of lanterns casting a warm light on the ancient stone walls adorned with intricate carvings. Though Rae appreciated the other-worldly beauty, the ceiling was far too low for her. Bowing down strained her waist; after all, Na'vi were built to either stand tall or crawl like wild animals.
"You good? I can't spot you on that balcony anymore."Lizard's voice echoed through their bond.
"Yup, heading off to meet some lord of this valley."Rae replied, knowing her Ikran could locate her.
"Lord? Wait, lemme search what kind of human word is that."
Upon reaching the grand doors, Lindir knocked gently. They opened silently, revealing a spacious room filled with ancient tomes and artifacts. Two figures sat at a large wooden desk. The first, an elf with wisdom in his old eyes, long dark hair unbraided, and an elderly look on his features. The second was slightly taller, with a long, flowing white beard and a strange-looking gray pointed hat.
Funny she even knew the word "beard,"since Na'vi people didn't grow any facial or body hair.
"Welcome to Rivendell, I am Lord Elrond. Please, take a seat."Elrond gestured politely towards one of the chairs.
Rae took a seat, her gaze shifting between the two powerful figures before her. "Thank you for healing me and everything, Elrond. And I'm Ra'evani."She touched her forehead lightly to show gratitude.
"I see our guest is truly from another world. I am Gandalf the Grey."The figure with the pointed hat mused.
Rae cleared her throat. "Another planet, I would assume."Seeing the confusion on their faces, she explained, "From what I've heard from the friendly, I am now in Middle-earth, while I am from a planet named Pandora. Us Na'vi have been enemies with people from Earth, which is another planet."
"I presume 'Na'vi'is what your people call themselves?"Elrond asked.
"Yes."
"And may I ask how you happened to be in Middle-earth, Lady Ra'evani?"Gandalf questioned, choosing his words carefully.
Rae thought for a moment. "Well, I connected my neural queue to the Mother Tree of Pandora. When light covered my vision, I found myself in a dark forest."
"Mirkwood, that is."Elrond murmured
Silence.
Gandalf's brow furrowed. "The ways of this world are mysterious indeed. We have encountered many strange events, but your appearance here is unprecedented."
Elrond nodded in agreement. "While we do not yet have the answers, you are welcome here in Rivendell. We shall do our best to help you find your purpose."
Over the next two hours, Gandalf and Elrond explained everything that occurred in Middle-earth, from the nature of elves to their struggles. In return, Rae shared her own stories, from the spirit tree to the name of her Ikran. She began to grasp that Middle-earth was a land where everything was utterly different from Pandora and that she was the only Na'vi here.
"My lady, the hour is late. I shall have Lindir escort you to your chamber. My daughter, Arwen, will be very pleased to meet you."Elrond stood, holding the door for her.
"And I shall be grateful to meet my savior finally."Rae replied smoothly, bowing her head to avoid hitting the doorframe.
The chamber was spacious, with tall, arched windows that allowed the soft, golden light of dawn to filter through. Delicate gossamer curtains framed the windows, swaying gently in the breeze. The walls were adorned with intricate tapestries depicting scenes of elven history and mythology, their colors vibrant and mesmerizing. A large, canopied bed stood in the center of the room, draped in silken sheets and plush, embroidered pillows.
This is fitting for a princess, but not for a Na'vi.
Na'vi people detest anything unnatural.
As Rae walked to the window, considering the best time to summon Lizard for a search in the valley for a proper tree to reside for the night, a knock startled her.
A female elf dressed in a light, flowing gown entered, her dark brown hair framing a gentle smile.
"You must be Arwen."The resemblance to Elrond was striking.
"And you must be Lady Ra'evani. Adar sent me to check on your wound."Arwen smiled, impressed that their guest recognized her so quickly.
Still wearing a top woven from leaves and buds from the river near her Pandora home, Rae shifted slightly to expose the wound. Arwen uncovered the bandages with slender fingers, surprised to see the wound already half-healed, though the neatly done stitches barely kept the cut from reopening.
"Lady Ra'evani, I must advise you to halt physical activity until the wound is fully healed."Arwen frowned with concern.
"Of course, thank you, Arwen. I heard Frodo also has a similar wound on his shoulder."
"You know Frodo Baggins already? He is such a brave hobbit. It was unfitting for Gandalf to burden such a free spirit with such a pure evil wound, my lady."
"Just Rae will do. Do you mind if I ask how you saved me from the Nazgûl?"she asked eagerly.
Arwen blushed slightly. "I'm sure my father has already told you. I was in the forest collecting herbs for the healing chambers when I heard something crash through the dense trees, landing a few feet from us. Then we saw you lying on the ground, a wound only possible by a Morgul blade. We took you on horseback to the healing chamber, and Adar healed you."The she-elf answered honestly but was extremely modest, a trait greatly liked by any Na'vi.
"Thank you, Arwen, I am truly grateful. Oel ngati irayo nìli."Rae bowed to show gratitude, adding the last sentence in her mother tongue.
A bell rang in the distance.
"It's dinner time. Would you prefer to eat in your chamber or shall we go to the dining hall?"Arwen asked.
Rae was startled. "You eat dinner so early? Well, I'm planning to eat with the hobbits on the balcony."It wasn't even sundown yet, and Rivendell was ready for the evening meal.
The she-elf smiled. "Very well, I'll alert the maid to bring five trays. If it is not too much trouble, I would be delighted to join you."
"Of course not, surely the hobbits would be pleased to have such a fair lady at their table."Rae grinned, and Arwen beamed.
When they arrived at the balcony, Rae noticed another man had joined them. She didn't have to ask to know that he was probably Arwen's lover, for their entire being lit up with joy. His brown hair was neatly combed, falling just above his shoulders, and the stubble on his face gave him a rugged look.
"Rae! Is that Lady Arwen?" Frodo called, pulling two seats for their guests.
The man immediately stood up and bowed to the Na'vi. "Milady, I am Strider, a ranger."
"He's the one who saved us at the Prancing Pony!" Merry chirped, surprising everyone that the two hobbits hadn't already eaten the entire tray.
"So, how did your talk with Lord Elrond go?" Pippin asked with his mouth full of salad once everyone settled down in their seats.
Merry gave him a look. "Pippin! That's private!"
Rae laughed. "It's okay, my dear hobbits. Lord Elrond and Gandalf made it clear that I am not of this world, but happened to appear in Middle-earth."
A collective "whoa" echoed among the hobbits.
"Will you ever go back?" Sam asked quietly.
Rae paused. Honestly, she didn't know. Perhaps she'd never go back. And she'd never see what was left of Pandora. What was left of her home.
Luckily, Frodo interrupted. "Would you mind telling us a childhood story of yours?"
Rae smiled gratefully at the hobbit, taking a bite of the steamed vegetables. "Okay, so one day, my siblings and I decided to play a prank on Nataya, my twin brother, by collecting sweet but colorful fruits that are extremely difficult to wash off. But when we collected the fruit, my little brother Locke dropped one, and a swarm of birds swooped in. All three of us ended up covered in paint and feathers. Nataya scolded us and pulled us into a pond. It took five whole days for the paint to finally wear off."
The hobbits doubled over in laughter, almost rocking out of their chairs, while Arwen and Strider barely managed to hide their smiles.
"And what was the color of the paint?" Pippin wondered, munching on his third Lembas.
"Radiant pink," Rae groaned. "It was the only tree that produced pink fruit juice in the area."
This time, none of them managed to hide their laughter. Just the mental picture of the tall Na'vi young woman covered in pink paint and feathers was too much.
"And what about the feathers?" Merry suddenly remembered.
"The paint was unfortunately excellent glue, so the feathers stayed until the color wore off."
Again, the table erupted in laughter.
Everyone exchanged stories of their childhood as the meal proceeded. Though everyone had to admit, the funniest were Merry and Pippin's. Their "heroic" deeds were never forgotten among the residents in the Shire. That included how they "successfully" lit a firework inside a tent; how they built a set of wings from old umbrellas but ended up falling on the birthday cake of their neighbor; how they stole six corns from their aunt's kitchen and ended up hiding out in one of Sam's largest flower pots, not to mention the fact that they digged up the pumpkin seeds for snack.
Just then, Rae's Na'vi hearing picked up the sound of the front gate of Rivendell opening.
"Who's coming at this hour?" Arwen wondered aloud.
Strider stood up and peered over the edge of the balcony. "From the color of their clothing, I think they're from Mirkwood."
Rae gulped.
Mirkwood.
Just as she feared, the guards announced, "Make way! Prince Legolas of the Woodland Realm and his companions have arrived!"