Story Downloaded from Open Scrolls Archive (https://www.openscrolls.net)

Title: She, sorry they, will be back (#4252)
Author: gaiacaecilia
Chapters: 18

Archive: Tolkien
Category: Lord of the Rings
Description: The sequel to 'Dawnstar and Friend', Eleanor has sailed to Valinor with Legolas and Gimli leaving Ginny behind in Rivendel looked after by Miriel and the twins. Upon arrival in Valinor Ellie is met by her family and the Valar. Now in the Elfin haven, she can put her plan into action and get her human friend immortality. The Valar on the other hand seem to be up to something and are only dropping hints. The problem is, the hints suggest that whatever they're up to, it clearly involves Ellie and her friends somehow. Oh well, at least life isn't boring.
Published: 06 Jul 2010
Updated: 06 Jul 2010
Warnings:
Type: Romance
Characters: Thanduil; Celeborn; Other; multiple OC's


Chapter 1 - Arrival in Valinor and mourning

Eleanor's POV

Leggy and I were sailing the little ship my beloved husband had built us with our beloved little Dwarf friend.

I had my hand on my abdomen, wondering when to tell them.

I have never been in this situation before so I don't really know how either. I hope they and everyone else will be happy.

Leggy has been rather down for a while now. He only stayed in the human world to remain for Aragorn and now our human friend has died, we left off.

Leaving Miriel behind was not too hard as we knew we would see her again as soon as the mental twins decided to come to Valinor.

It was leaving the now middle-aged Ginny, though it had been a fair while (in human standards) since Amrothos had died and her children were all married and whatever. She would only have the few elves and her descendants left and she would never come to Valinor as she was human.

Unless my little plan worked out of course...

As I stood at the front of the ship (don't ask for terminology, me no know) I saw land roll over the horizon.

My elfin blood told me what it was immediately, my kind know when we have come home instinctively.

The arms I felt wrapped around me said that Legolas also knew that we had first sight of Valinor.

He hummed to me quietly, I am sure he could feel my nervousness, I am about to meet a family I didn't even know I had until I was an adult.

After what feels like both too long and far, far too soon, we manage to dock on the most beautiful wooden dock I have ever seen.

It is obvious that those tall towers round the dock were used for them to see and identify us long before we actually arrived, aided by the flags upon the flag pole. Legolas had run both the banner of Gondolin and the banner of Mirkwood up the mast.

What makes it obvious is the welcoming party.

I see Elrond, Glorfindel, and one hell of a lot of elves I don't recognise.

I have to admit to shaking so much that I can barely walk off the gangplank down to the pier.

When we get down from the boat, Elrond calms me a little by hugging me before introducing me to the very distinguished looking elf beside him.

"Eleanor, meet your father, Turgon. Turgon, this is your daughter Caladhiel Minuialêl or Eleanor as she prefers to be called."

My father immediately pulls me into a rib-crushing hug. When he pulls back and looks at me with such happiness I feel more than slightly inadequate. Do I really deserve this totally unconditional love that he seems to have for me?

Once again my ingrained little insecurities come out.

Ada, as I must remember to call him, then introduced me to the rest of my family. Only my sister, Idril properly notices how nervous I am.

Eventually I am able to drag him back to my husband.

"You have not been introduced to Legolas, have you, Ada?"

"He is a Sindar you happened to travel with, what more is there to say?" I look at my father's expression and remember that Thingol of Doriath and he are not best of buds for various reasons.

"Elrond and Glorfindel did not tell you?" Judging by the way they seem to have joined to eyes-to-sky-floor-and-anywhere-but-us squad, the little cowards have not. "This is my husband, Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood and Ithilien."

Well that statement had an amusing affect.

If he were a human I am sure he would have just gone an interesting shade of puce, but as it is only his eyes pop out and his mouth works about uselessly as he tries to think of something to say.

To make it even more fun, Legolas had clearly finished his introductions and had been on the way over to me to do something similar so all his side of the family, particularly his grandfather Oropher, also seemed to be having a similar reaction.

You will never guess who ends the uneasy silence.

Yes that is right, our lovely Dwarf companion.

"What is all the fuss about? The two of them love each other and everyone seemed over the moon when it was announced in Rivendell."

That is the cue for the floor-sky inspection squad to get back to work.

Oropher then asks something, and it is the first time I have heard my grandfather in law-speak.

"Did my son condone this match? It is clear the Noldor did, but did he?" Before my husband can speak I get in there first.

"Your son was the one to suggest it and got most unhappy when I decided to flirt with Glorfindel to annoy him. If looks could have killed when I did that I most surely would have got here via the Halls of Mandos." Those present that were in on that plan grin manically at the memory. That was such a good night.

Back to fish impressions from the rest of the ancient ones. I decide to change the tone a little.

"There was something I have been meaning to mention, that I found out about a day ago, since everyone that matters is here and silent I shall tell you all now." They are all looking at me expectantly now. "I am very pleased to announce that I am pregnant."

The racial enmity is suddenly forgotten. A new baby smoothes everything over, though judging by Ada's face he is having trouble dealing with a child he last saw as a week old baby being pregnant with her own child.

I think adjusting to me being an adult is going to take him a while.

Miriel's POV

We waited until the boat disappeared over the horizon.

Ginny sniffs again and a tear rolls down her cheek. She and Ellie have barely been apart ever since they arrived in Middle Earth and now the two friends have been parted forever.

I study Ginny carefully; she still looks young, although not as young as she was. Her hair is still a thick, bright sheen of strawberry-blonde that falls to her waist. Wrinkles are starting to appear, but not very much.

It's her eyes though which truly show her age – like the elves of old, her eyes are full of a wisdom only obtained after countless years of life, unlike the elves of old however, her eyes sometimes show great pain and sorrow.

The only eyes I've ever really seen such a look in before belong to Ada when he's remembering Naneth. When Amrothos died over 40 years ago, Ginny was beside herself with grief; she is again as happy as she was when Amrothos was alive, but occasionally, her eyes lose their light.

I put my arm about Ginny's shoulders and, along with the Twins, we rejoin the party of riders from Dol Amroth and set out for Rivendell.

Ginny's children accompanied us on our journey of farewell because it is also the journey of their own farewell.

They stay with us in Rivendell for about a week after we arrive back in the Last Homely House.

When they do leave, only Ginny is there to see them off – this is a kind of parting which should always remain private. For Ginny is saying goodbye to her family forever; she lived through Amrothos' life and death; she cannot bear to do the same with her children.

True to my word, I stay away until I hear the sound of hooves grow fainter; I then go out to the main courtyard in front of Rivendell. Ginny is not there. I start looking; a passing maid says she last saw Ginny heading out to the farthest corner gardens.

I don't wander over there; Ginny obviously wants to be left alone.

We don't see her all day; it's only at dinner when I actually go to find her.

Ginny is in her room, sitting by her dressing table when I enter. She has her back to me and seems to be frantically wiping at her cheeks.

"Dinner's ready," I say gently.

"I was just coming." Ginny's voice sounds a perfectly steady, but, when she turns to face me, I notice her eyes look more moist than usual. An awkward silence ensues.

"I see you gave Rosetta your circlet," I say brightly, indicating the space on her shelves where the carved box usually lies.

"Yes; to be a family heirloom. My sons were very pleased when I also gave them most of my collection of weapons as well as my Mithril shirt – it's not like I'm going to be doing much more fighting."

Ginny turns back to her mirror and begins to brush her hair; I turn to leave.

"I found a grey hair today – my very first!"

I turn back to Ginny, unsure of what to say.

"It's strange; I find my first grey hair, while my eldest are already turning grey themselves."

Ginny hunches over, hanging her head. I go over and kneel down beside her; Ginny flings her arms around me, sobbing as though her heart would break – maybe it has.

A small movement at the door causes me to look round just in time to see Elrohir silently close it behind him.

He, Elladan, and I are going to stay in Rivendell until Ginny dies and then we too shall follow our kin and make our final journey out of Middle Earth to the Undying Lands...


Chapter 2 - Babies, surprises and living the end of life

Eleanor's POV

It was eventually decided that a small palace would be built for us somewhere between the lands of Oropher and my father. We stayed with either one while it was being built.

Oropher and Turgon seemed to think the house building was another good way of competing with each other, so I used the same male avoid techniques we had used first in the Dunedan village then with Ginny's, Arwen's, Éowyn's, and Lothiriel's babies.

Though the males were extremely happy about my child and I have absolutely no doubt they would make sure he or she would want for nothing, they most definitely did not want to listen to a bunch of females gassing about babies.

The strangest thing would be that the female Valar decided to join in the baby-talk. Neither Tolkien nor the elves give you a good impression of what the Valar are really like.

They are very much like normal elves, but with far more power.

The male variety acted just like any other males I have known around babies and girl-talk, and the female ones are indistinguishable from normal females in the same situation.

One day, a few weeks after our arrival, Varda and Manwë invited us to tea. Yes, tea.

Not too surprisingly, considering the circumstances, it was mostly Varda extending the invitation and she wanted to talk babies.

Both males present had the looks of people wanting to be somewhere else. I think they had both had had enough of baby-talk.

While there, I decided to start off my little plan.

At one point I made a wistful comment about how I had always though Ginny would be the midwife for all my children.

They asked politely about Ginny and so we told them.

Legolas got the idea immediately and Varda was wearing just the right kind of soppy look on her face about how much we would miss my human friend and whatever.

Phase One complete.

Just before the subject changed, I made a mournful comment about how there was probably nothing that could be done about her humanity and whatever. Judging by the expression on Manwë's face though, I was wrong on that stake.

Purrfect.

Later on the conversation got onto my foreknowledge.

They seemed immensely curious about the elves that had stayed behind. I don't think they knew when those elves would turn up either.

As evening was descending we returned to Ada's house as it was closer and stopped there.

When we asked where Gimli was (Ada doesn't mind dwarves, so Gimli stays at his house) he tells us that Aulë has expropriated him slightly.

Apparently that Vala is interested in the soul member of his own race to actually get to Valinor.

What a surprise.

Over the next few months I begin to appreciate one of the major downsides of being an elf. The pregnancies are an entire year long.

Thankfully, for the latter part we have our own house and so I am at least left alone occasionally.

As I grow to the size of a house, still eating normally I might add; I get grumpier.

One of the joys of being friend with the Valar is when I get those cravings for things from my world they can make them turn up.

Ginny would probably want to kill me; she had to put up with major chocolate cravings, but nothing even resembling chocolate is in Middle Earth.

Eventually someone decides do what is basically the elfin version of ultrasound, making the rest of us wonder what took us so long to think of it.

Well that explains that – 'that' being why I am so big so early on in the pregnancy, relatively speaking.

I happen to be carrying twins. Must be hereditary or something.

The end of my pregnancy takes absolutely forever.

Looking on the bright side though, another thing came at the tail end of my pregnancy.

A certain someone who I had really wanted to meet had been doing business the other side of Valinor when I first arrived and finally returned about two weeks after when I would have given birth if I were a human.

This certain someone would be High King Gil-Galad.

And true to one of my favourite fanfictions, he is a total nutter.

He was very formal at first, but he soon caught some of my more risqué comments (which the better brought up ladies didn't and the males mostly pretended not to while also trying not to laugh) and turned his full sense of humour on me.

We got on like a house on fire and my husband suddenly got very possessive.

Oh well.

It was the presence of the slightly insane High King that made that last month or so bearable as, much to the horror of everyone around me, I went into premature labour.

I wasn't worried, but they were.

I think I shocked everyone when I insisted on Leggy being in the birthing room with me, but there are some things a girl has to insist on and that was one I was not willing to give in about.

I also understand now what Ginny went through with all her pregnancies and why she also insisted that Amrothos be present for all the births after the birth of their first child. Like her, I wanted nothing more than to put my husband through the same amount of pain that I was going through (especially as he was the cause of it).

The first one, a little girl, took forever to be born.

Like me when I was born, she had platinum-blonde hair and pale eyes.

Then, at a marginally faster pace, came her brother.

He had darker, golden-blonde hair and I suspect took after his father more.

I didn't really care who they took after, they were my babies and I was immensely proud of them.

As with the babies I had seen in Middle Earth it took them a few days to get really cute, but when they did, I don't think there has been anything cuter that I have ever seen.

Admittedly, I am slightly biased of my children, but still!

My son is called Valaráto (meaning god's champion) and my daughter is called Valyaceulë (divine renewal). We are not the ones who chose those names, Irmo insisted on them.

Irmo is strange Vala and it is quite clear that the names 'god's champion' and 'divine renewal' are significant names, as 'hope' was for Aragorn.

Once the healers (including Elrond, much to my annoyance) let me out of bed again, I became immediately active, more than a week in bed is enough to send anyone stir crazy.

Once I had worn off all that excess energy, I got the fun of dropping round the palace of Manwë and Varda for tea and baby-talk.

Manwë seemed rather more interested now there were actually babies there, and he took possession of my son for the entire visit.

Towards the end of the visit when my children had gone to sleep, both Valar got a serious look on their faces. I frown at them, and then Manwë starts to speak,

"I know you have missed your friend Ginny, and in retrospect we both agree it was cruel to make her only a Dunedan when both her companions were elfin, so as a present to you, we have arranged for her a place in Valinor and when she comes here there is a way for her to become elfin. We will arrange that she can become elfin and your three companions shall remain together." He says this all in a bit of a rush and it takes me a minute or two to comprehend what they have said.

Well I thought the plan would take rather longer to implement than that.

Once I have regained my senses I ask them the obvious question,

"How do we tell her she has a place in Valinor?"

Miriel's POV

Ginny is very quiet during those first few days after her children leave, but she keeps herself busy. If it's nice weather, she either goes for day-long rides or works in the gardens; if not, she works in the library either repairing or rewriting the older books.

One day, she comes into breakfast looking very cheerful. None of us say anything, but Ginny's powers as an Empath are still as strong as they were 100 years ago.

"I can tell you're all rather put-out by my suddenly happy demeanour, so I'll put you out of your misery. Last night I decided to take a trip. I'm going to ride to the Field of Cormallen and see what I can find."

The Twins and I look at each other; this is most unlike Ginny. She's never really liked long rides, especially as she got older (I think it stems from our escape from Mirkwood just after she and Ellie arrived in Middle Earth).

"What do you want to find?" I ask tentatively.

Ginny just shrugs in a non-committal way; she begins fingering the chain which holds her betrothal and wedding rings...

A little while later, Ginny arrives back in Rivendell. She's very bouncy and looks quite young again as she nimbly jumps down from her horse and returns my hug enthusiastically.

"You found what you were looking for then." I state rather than ask; Ginny hasn't been this happy in weeks.

"Yes, I did."

"Are you going to tell me what it was?"

"No, not quite yet; there are still one or two things to finalise first."

A few days later, Ginny calls Elladan, Elrohir, and I together.

"It's ready!" she says, her eyes shining. She laughs at our mystified expressions, "Come with me."

We follow her out to the gardens and she leads us to one that is smaller and more private than the others. We stop dead – the garden has been transformed into one of the most beautiful and artistic I've ever seen.

The flower beds are a rainbow of different shades; they are made up of both local and foreign flowers. Gravel paths snake their way around the beds and are bordered by a myriad of different shells – some I recognise from the beach near Dol Amroth.

Elegant statues made of the finest marble pop up every now and then around the lawn.

The whole garden is bordered by some thin wooden boards arranged in a criss-cross shape (trellises Ginny once told me). Woven through the trellises are baby rose buds, which continue their winding way over the gate that closes off the garden.

The centrepiece is a ring of wooden benches which face out on to the garden; peering between them, I see a small sapling just poking out of the ground below.

"That's the same as the tree under which Amrothos asked me to marry him – it only grows in the woods next to Cormallen. This whole garden is a memorial to him – it's what people sometimes did back in England when they lost someone."

"And this is what you've been working on?"

Ginny nods.

"I've also had this made." She brings out a gold plaque; it is inscribed with the words:

In Loving Memory of Prince Amrothos of Dol Amroth.

A loving husband and a true friend.

AMICITIA VERA EST PRAECLARA, ET OMNIA PRAECLARA SUNT RARA.

"The last bit is Latin for 'true friendship is splendid, and all splendid things are rare'."

"It's marvellous, Ginny. Amrothos would have loved it here."

Ginny nods,

"Yes he would."

She then makes for the Last Homely House.

"Don't you want to sit out here for a little while?"

Ginny turns to face me,

"No, I... I expect I'll spend a lot of time here over the next few years... thinking about Amrothos and my children." She smiles at us before making her way back across the gardens.

Ginny was right, she does spend a lot of time in the Memorial Garden, but not always on her own, in fact she's always very happy for someone to be there with her.

Although I do notice that, after she first shows us the garden, she never again mentions Amrothos, her children, or her life in Dol Amroth...


Chapter 3 - The Plan succeeds...

Eleanor's POV

The august Valar in front of me then explain that they will help power the telepathy that already existed between the three of us to increased strength to allow me to talk to Miriel who, by default of being elfin, is easier to reach than my human friend.

I reach out my mind rather tentatively.

"Miriel?" after about three rings, metaphorically speaking, she picks up.

"Ellie! How, what?"

"Valar powered my friend, long story. The reason for this call is to inform you that Ginny has been allotted a place in Valinor so you will have to bring her along when you leave. How are both you and she by the way?"

"She has moved back to Rivendell and the Twins and I are looking after her as she gets more decrepit. Our original plan was to stay until she died then come. I think we will all be happy to come earlier and bring her with us."

"In Rivendell, why?"

"She didn't want to watch her children grow old and die like she had her husband, she said goodbye to them shortly after you left and came to live with us again. We visit Ada frequently and Adindel almost seems to be getting to like her. He will be staying with Ada when we leave I think. He is too loyal to Mirkwood to leave. I think he is also scared of meeting mother."

"She hasn't been released from Mandos yet, though if I tried hard enough I am sure I could convince her release out of him. I like Mandos, he's nice. Actually, all the Valar are nice, hence the change in mind about Ginny."

At that point it is made clear we have to cut off the conversation so we say our goodbyes and cut off communication.

When I get back home I hug the life out of Legolas before explaining why I am so happy. He is happy as well; then again he was in on the give-Ginny-immortality plan.

I have to admit we kind of forget to mention this to everyone else, not to mention the speeded up travel plans for the Twins, Miriel, and now Ginny.

This is mostly as pay back for Elrond for forgetting to mention about my marriage to the various assorted elves that really should have been told.

We are meeting with both sets of in-laws, who are at least tolerant of each other now, when the messenger comes through to warn us a ship flying the colours of Rivendell and Mirkwood has been sighted on the horizon. There is also a third flag the sentry does not recognise. I soon ascertain that it is the flag of Dol Amroth. I ascertain this out of the hearing of those who have any chance of working out what that could mean though.

The ship is due to dock about midday tomorrow so we leave shortly after dawn to arrive in time for it. We do not live that close to the coast and we only have horses to travel on.

Elrond, Glorfy, and a few others, including Erestor, Silva, and a now grown Lanthi (as I have now taken to calling her, I just can't take these over-long names), stare at the human standard in confusion.

Erestor and family look a bit mournful, they do not know about what Manwë has agreed to and so that symbol reminds them of someone they are mourning for. I just cannot wait to see their faces when they find out. If only I had a camera...

Before the ship has had time to put the gang plank out, a certain blonde elleth jumps over the side and hugs the air out of me.

I am not sure which Sindar was most offended that I got first hugging rights.

While we are hugging I whisper to her about the fact I have not told about Ginny yet. She pulls back from me, grinning like a total loony.

As she does, the gangplank is finally secured and an ancient human descends gracefully. I had never quite comprehended the time difference between Valinor and Middle Earth before, but the rate at which she has aged tells me quite clearly that time is far, far slower here.

I also finally grasp her aging. Before I was never far from her so never noticed it happening but now...

Ginny is old. There is no other way to describe it, she is old.

Wrinkles, the lot.

She has truly aged into ancientness.

On the other hand, she has maintained an inherent grace created by too much time round elves and though her hair is mostly silver now, she is still very recognisably my long time best friend.

I hug her senseless. When we last said goodbye, I never thought we would meet again so the reunion is emotional to say the least.

Once I let go, we turn to Erestor and co who are gaping at us.

I have never seen such a shocked look on that elf's face before. Or any of the other elves face either for that matter.

To break the silence I decide to clarify for those who obviously think they are hallucinating.

"Erestor, are you not going to greet your ward? It took me enough effort to get the Valar to allow her to come here." The expression on his face is indescribable. There are so many emotions in his face that there is not one expression, except his jaw slowly dropping in absolute total shock.

Eventually he gets over it enough to move at quite remarkable speed to her and hold her to him in what I am sure is a bone-crushing hug.

Shortly after that Silva and Lanthi join him and when they eventually pull back, all four are sobbing. I have to admit that I am close also, partly because of them.

Eventually everyone gets over the shock enough to greet Miriel and the Twins.

Once they have done that, Elrond looks at me a bit accusingly.

"You knew this was going to happen didn't you? You knew they were sailing here, and with Ginny as well!" well someone had to work it out.

I decide that offense is the best defence and decide to not even bother pretending I didn't know.

"Yup, since about a week after the monsters were born. Varda and Manwë decided to give it to me as a present, well half a present; the other bit is yet to come." Elrond narrows his eyes at me.

"What would be the other bit be?"

"Ask him." 'Him' would be the aforementioned Vala who is bouncing along the pier wearing an expression almost as insane as Miriel's.

When he arrives he looks at the newly arrived party and immediately zones in on the single human.

I decide introductions are in order.

"Gin, Mir, Ro, Dan, meet Manwë, ultra powerful Vala-guy who let Gin-Gin come to Valinor." Those who know me have to laugh, well after Manwë does anyway.

Gin-Mir-Ro-Dan sounds sort of like one of those longwinded elfin names actually.

Back to the story...

I don't think I made a happy Vala by getting him to explain the transformation.

He promised it though, so he can't exactly pull out now.

He doesn't give us too many details about how the transformation works, but he takes Mandos, and Ginny's adopted elfin parents with him when he takes her off to his palace to arrange her transformation.

Varda then takes us back to our house and explains the basics of the process.

It goes something like this.

Silva and Erestor donate blood which is used by Mandos to create a new elfin body which bares close enough resemblance to Ginny. It will be different because there are some extra inches, all the little imperfections straightened out, and things like that.

Then they basically kill Ginny, but instead of her soul going off to where human souls usually go when humans die, Irmo and Mandos (the Valar of the souls, or whatever you want to call them) trap the soul and edit it slightly to be more elfin while making it still the same person.

This editing mostly changes things like the way emotions are felt and the very subconscious thing like that. It should not really change her personality. I am glad, I like her personality.

Once they have edited the soul to be suitable for an elf rather than a human, Manwë would help Mandos put the soul in the new body.

I decided not to ask what they did with the old one.

I later realise that since the new body is basically made with recombined DNA from Erestor and Silva then she really will be their daughter. How strange...

Miriel's POV

I'm in the library when Ellie's 'call' comes through. At first I can't quite believe what I'm hearing, I mean I have had no contact with Ellie since she sailed.

To tell the truth, I'm only half listening to Ellie as she's explaining the reasons for this contact – Ginny being able to come to Valinor with us!

When we've said goodbye, I shriek with delight, causing the elf who took over from Erestor after he sailed to come marching past the shelves with a very peeved expression on his face. Naturally I don't wait for him to say anything, I just whirl him around and rush out to find my husband.

I find both him and Elladan sitting with Ginny in one of the gardens, Elrohir is reading aloud from a book of elfin legends. As I approach I slow down for I see a dreamy and contented smile on Ginny's face – she has accepted her fate and is now the happiest she's ever been since moving back to Rivendell.

I wonder if we really are doing what is best for her, but that is something only she herself can decide.

All three (four if you count Murrlin stretched out at their feet) look up when they hear me.

"Ginny... I've just had a mind conversation with Ellie. Apparently, you have been allotted a place in Valinor."

At my words, both Elladan and Elrohir turn to look at Ginny, who's wearing a look of complete disbelief. When she does speak, her voice hoarse,

"Me – a place with the Valar? But, I've accepted my fate, I always thought I would die here – I've been happy here, and now you want me to choose all over again?"

No one says anything.

Ginny then gets to her feet, the Twins make a move as though to help her, but she moves suddenly out of their grasp,

"I may be old and decrepit, but I can still walk."

I have to smile at this, even after all this time, Ginny's immensely proud nature still shines through. She heads off in the direction of the Memorial Garden, Murrlin following slowly behind.

Ginny doesn't join us for dinner, neither is she about when we all start preparing for bed; I take her cloak and make my way out to the gardens.

I find her lying, her head resting on Murrlin's body, fast asleep by the now full grown tree. I know she shouldn't really be allowed to sleep outside at her age, but I know she needs this so I lay the cloak over her body and leave them in peace.

Ginny comes in slightly late for breakfast the next morning.

"Right, when do we set out for Valinor then?"

I smile warmly at her,

"As soon as we're ready."

"Good." She sits down and begins eating. I'm about to ask how she made her decision when I notice that the chain which usually hangs around her neck is gone – I think she's finally let Amrothos go.

Our journey to the Grey Havens is very long for we take the easier paths through the woods and mountains.

When we arrive, we find that Elladan and Elrohir have completed the boat they were building and we immediately set sail.

It's only now that I realise that I've unwittingly experienced the sea-longing; I feel at peace.

When land eventually hoves into view upon the horizon, Elladan runs up three flags: Mirkwood, Rivendell, and Dol Amroth and then we all prepare ourselves for our landing the next day.

I'm so excited that I don't even wait for the gangplank to be secured; I jump nimbly over the ship's side on to the dock and run immediately to Ellie.

"No one, apart from your brother, knows about Ginny yet." she whispers in my ear.

We grin at each other before turning to watch as Ginny makes her way gracefully down the gangplank.

As Ellie rushes forward to embrace her lifelong friend, I look around and try my best to hold in the laugh that's threatening to burst from me – everyone is doing perfect gaping-fish expressions.

I then try not cry as Ginny is finally reunited with her family.

I have to say that Manwë is possibly one of the coolest, not to mention most insane, Vala I've ever met. Not that I've met many Valar, but I'm sure that not many of them exude such penneth-like excitement as what Manwë does.

After all the introductions, Ginny takes Erestor's arm and they and Silva are led away by Manwë and Mandos to Manwë's palace in order to begin her transformation.

Everyone else then goes back to Ellie and Legolas' house and everyone new to the area is proudly introduced to their twins – Ginny will be ecstatic, she's always loved children. So have I as a matter of fact; I suddenly feel the tiniest bit jealous of Ellie and Legolas.

I gently squeeze Elrohir's hand – I think sometime in the near future the Peredhil family will be hearing the pitter patter of tiny feet...

Ginny's POV

When I get to the Memorial Garden, I let rip,

"You selfish, selfish man!" I shout as I look Amrothos' plaque, "Why did you have to fall in love with me? Why couldn't you have married someone your own age, who would live to about the same age you did? Why, why, why did you have to pick me? ... If I hadn't had met you, this decision would be easy..."

I sit down upon the grass, my head in my hands, sobbing as though my heart would break.

All the people I knew are either dead or have sailed; I'm the only one left – which fate do I choose?

I don't know how long I sat there, but I eventually feel Murrlin's head as she rubs it against my arm. I tickle her soft ears and look into her eyes... I realise that I've made my choice...

I'm asleep in my cabin when the ship finally docks in the port at Valinor. Elladan gently shakes me awake.

"We're here," he whispers softly.

I take a deep breath as I make my way out on to the top deck; it's been nearly 150 years since I last saw either Ellie or my family, I've changed a hell of a lot, but they haven't – this is going to be weird with a capital 'W'.

I hug Ellie senseless, tears falling.

They fall faster when Ada takes me in his arms for what I'm sure is the hardest hug on record.

It's a wonder that I've any tears left by the time Naneth and Vanlanthiriel have joined in.

I don't really listen as Ellie has her little joke with the rest of the elves; I just watch from the sidelines, leaning against Ada.

I try to hide my face when Manwë's eyes find me, but I'm propelled forwards by Ada and introduced by Ellie.

I don't really know what I expected when I first heard about Manwë, but my expectations were certainly nothing like the reality. I hope all the Valar are like him, he's cool.

In almost no time at all, I'm led gently away by Ada with Naneth walking beside us.

I'm a little nervous to say the least; I mean I have no idea how I'm going to be transformed into an elf. Maybe the reason no one has told me anything yet is because the process is so frightening and complicated that they were afraid I wouldn't come if I knew any of the details.

I stare dumbstruck at Manwë as he casually explains the process to me.

"Don't worry, Ginny, the process is perfectly straight forward." Tuh – easy for him to say, he's not the one about to be killed and have their soul transported into another body.

"So you've done this before then?"

Manwë doesn't look me in the eye – great.

I'm shaking by the time Manwë leads me and my soon-to-be parents into one of the healing rooms.

He takes a phial of blood from Ada and Naneth before I'm almost ceremoniously placed within the centre of the room with everyone standing in front of me. Manwë hands me a crystal phial full of a completely clear liquid. I look about me,

"Can't I sit down?"

"No, the poi... potion works best if you are standing."

I can't believe I'm about to do this.

I drain the phial in one – I cough, a burning sensation almost like nail varnish remover at the back of my throat.

Ada makes towards me, but Manwë and Mandos hold him back.

My head feels light, I stagger, the room spins, and then everything goes black...


Chapter 4 - Reunited, forever this time.

Eleanor's POV

It took her over a week to wake up after the procedure and none of us were allowed to see her in that time.

It was one of those times when I was extremely glad for my children as I was occupied by them and so had little time to worry.

Shortly after this, I decided Manwë had an evil sense of humour.

All of us, Noldor and Sindar alike, were sitting in a garden watching my children do what babies do and playing pass-the-baby every so often.

There was not much conversation as we were all worried about Ginny, as none of us had ever come across the process before.

Then I felt two delicate hands cover my eyes and someone whisper in my ear.

"Guess who."

I knew who, of course.

Me being me, I twisted and sent her crashing down onto the ground in front of me.

The transformation was really quite weird, I had never really thought about how all those little things that make her elfin would change how she looked.

Little things like the slight changes in her features' shapes and the new iridescent quality to her hair.

She was also back to looking twenty, wearing a beautiful purple dress, and her hair fell in sheets of satin down her back.

She also glowed.

Pretty, glowing Ginny.

'Scuse me while my mental age drops.

Once everyone was over the shock of her being there again we all hugged her into insensibility.

When we calmed down a bit, she sat by Silva and Erestor and I suddenly saw that the change in her features had made her take on the features of her elfin parents.

Now she really did have her father's nose, mother's eyes... you get the idea.

The aforementioned evil-sense-of-humoured Vala then plonked down in a free space and began to speak.

"In honour of her becoming one of the Eldar, I have decided to give Ginny a proper Quenya name." I suddenly remember that though I know my Sindarin formal name I have never actually come across what my name would be in Quenya. "She is to be called Mírerussë."

Red-haired jewel, okay if he says so.

Out of curiosity I ask about my Quenya name. Apparently it is Árel. That is not too bad actually, it is nice and short and kind of pretty. I bet you can't work out what it translates as though.

Okay maybe you can.

Getting back to the story...

Gil-galad, being the person he is, has to make a comment on Ginny's new name (I am sure we will still use her human name though).

"It's very pale pinky-gold more than red." That thought had occurred to me actually, but I am not a demented elf-king so I didn't voice the thought.

Manwë just shrugs,

"Am I bovvered?" Ginny and I look at each other and collapse laughing. Only a British person would get the joke and neither of us is quite sure where he picked the phrase up from.

I am truly a corrupting influence it seems. I have turned the King of the Valar into a chav.

The pleased look on aforementioned Vala's face shows that our reaction was what he had planned for when he said that.

The next thing asked is who the babies are.

I had forgotten Ginny had not been introduced to or told about my children.

After that Ginny moved into Erestor and Silva's house and we all helped Elrohir and Miriel to build another house close to mine and Leggy's because that pair had the same problem as we did with the whole family thing.

They had yet to get a kid to smooth things over with.

As my monsters started growing into toddler-hood, what would be called the terrible twos in human children, Miriel announced her pregnancy to us.

I had this horrible feeling the poor girl would have to put up with twins like me and a few months later, Ginny confirmed that I was right.

Considering the father it shouldn't be too surprising that they were twin boys called Mánasairon (blessed sorcerer) and Ainicánë (god valour). Once again they took names given to them by Irmo, who insisted on it.

I have a bad suspicion that there is some plan for our children with the unusual insistence of a Valar on certain names and all of them hinting towards some sort of destiny.

It looks like Sue-ness is hereditary too.

Oh joy.

Things settle down in Valinor and, though there is no fighting, we still practice with our weaponry, I have to admit to finding the look on my family's faces when they saw me use the spiky staff is highly amusing and I am sure that all those that had not been in Middle Earth with us are shocked by how well all three of us girls handle our weaponry.

Another bit of fun Ginny and I have is passing on what we know about modern technology.

In Middle Earth we had been cautious about things like that because of Sauron and the Big Nasties as we called them.

Too much talk of flying round the older twins resulted in the Peredhil Brothers rather than the Wright Brothers and I am sure Miriel wanted to kill us for that as she was perpetually worried about them getting injured.

Elrond and Ginny didn't bother worrying. They got beds and the healing equipment ready.

I am sure the twins were overwhelmed with the faith their father and friend had in their capabilities to not get injured.

Honest.

After several assorted injuries later they got a glider going.

I am not sure which elves Ginny and I scared the most when we decide to try out the gliders. We had made sure that the twins were sure they were safe.

We made sure the children didn't get near the gliders until they were adults though...

As our children grew they all turned into talented young people and the fact that Valya (once again I shortened the name to something reasonable) was the only girl did not get in the way as, despite protests from many of my relatives, I did not stop her from doing boy-things like learning to fight and whatever.

The look on Ada's face suggested that he saw the sight of another warrior princess in the family and would rather have a more lady-like one, but dared not say anything.

All four of them excelled at magic, like their mothers had and as it was a type unique to us and our descendants, but Mánasairon excelled the most and he also gained the skills of a powerful elf-seer, which Maedhren tutored him in.

The name he was given seemed to be making sense and I have this worrying feeling the other names would make a lot more sense at some point in the future.

I do not think I am really sure I want to find out how though.

Ginny's POV

I don't move or even open my eyes when I awaken to the sounds of someone bustling about the room.

It takes my foggy brain a little while to realise that the sounds I'm hearing are far, far sharper and clearer than they ever were before, even when I was young.

I wait until whoever it is leaves the room and then open my eyes.

Sunlight is pouring through the open windows, making the light room glow with a brilliant golden colour.

Gingerly, I sit up and lay my head in my hands as it feels decidedly heavy.

When I'm ready, I straighten up, then freeze... there's a gentle tickling sensation about my ears where my hair is brushing against them. Slowly, I put my hands to my ears and feel their delicate, sensitive points. I smile for I feel the ring at the top of my right ear – trust Manwë to let me keep such a thing. I like him even more.

I then start examining my hands and arms – my wrinkles have gone, my moles and spots have vanished, the fresh milky colour of my skin glows with life and vitality. Manwë has also let me keep my tattoos.

I get out of bed and move over to the full-length mirror. I feel my body move with an innate elfin grace.

I stare at my reflection, I've gone back to looking about 20, my hair is its original rich strawberry-blonde colour, and my eyes... I freeze for my eyes are no longer bluey-grey, but a deep sea-blue colour. I then notice other slight changes to my facial features like the shape of my nose, the arch of the eyebrows, and the shape of my face itself is different; it's now more elongated, it now resembles Ada.

A soft chuckle behind me makes me whirl round. Manwë is leaning against the doorframe, his arms folded, his eyes dancing.

"Like it?"

As if he doesn't already know the answer.

I wait while he dashes off, returning a few minutes later with Eama behind him. She may have been living as my maid in Rivendell after everyone sailed, but we still hug each other as though we too had been parted for 150 years.

Eama then helps me into a simple gown made of deep purple silk – I'm rather happy to say it has one of those infamous Rivendell backs. She also places a brand new circlet in my hair; it's modelled after vines, the delicate metal weaving in and out of itself. The front ends don't meet each other, but they are embedded with tiny diamonds and amethysts.

Manwë then leads me outside to a garden where everyone is seated together, playing with two young babies.

Manwë gives me a knowing wink and smile and hides behind a pillar. I then silently tip-toe (very easy to do when you're an elf) and put my hands over Ellie's eyes.

"Guess who."

She immediately twists in her seat and sends me crashing down on to the floor in front of her.

We're then surrounded by everyone and they all join in the hugging session delightedly.

When I'm finally allowed to sit down in between Ada and Naneth (hey, I can say those names and actually mean them now!), Manwë joins us.

"In honour of her becoming one of the Eldar, I have decided to give Ginny a proper Quenya name; she is to be called Mírerussë."

Mírerussë... red-haired jewel... I rather like it. I think I'll still use my human name though, far less complicated, especially as I've never referred to Ellie as 'Caladhiel'.

I haven't met Gil-galad before, but I get an immediate impression of his rather nutty personality when he quips (with a completely dead-pan voice and manner),

"It's very pale pinky-gold more than red."

Thanks a lot, buster – I'll have you know that I'm very proud of my red hair (well, red tinted hair, if you really want to be that pedantic).

I'm about to voice my thoughts, but Manwë gets in first,

"Am I bovvered?" Ellie and I look at each other and collapse into helpless giggles – where the hell did the King of the Valar pick up that phrase? On second thoughts, I think it was rather pointless me even thinking of that question.

I then ask something that I've been dying to know,

"Who's are the babies?"

"Mine," answers Ellie proudly and picks up the little girl and places her in my lap, "This is Valyaceulë and my son is called Valaráto." She then takes the little boy from his father's arms and sits down in front of me.

"Aren't they gorgeous?" I gush and start playing with Valyaceulë's podgy little feet.

At this, all the females in the vicinity gravitate towards us and begin talking baby-talk. It's amazing how quickly the garden empties of males until Valaráto is the only one left.

"Good morning." I turn at the sound of Elrond's voice. He's visiting us – he swears blind it's just for old time's sake, but he doesn't know I saw him emerge with Ada from Ada's office. It seems Elrond still needs advice from his chief-councillor.

I'm in the library at the moment, I've just been finding some books that I want to read to Valya and Vala (Ellie's right, elfin names really are too long and complicated at times). Elrond has just caught me leaning over the balcony, looking down on to the garden where Lanthi and Miriel are playing with the young children.

Ellie and Legolas are visiting some friends today, but they didn't really want to take their children on such a hard journey so I said I'd look after them. Miriel said she'd help and came over – she seems to have been doing that quite a lot recently. It's like Ellie's babies are magnetised or something, Miriel can't seem to get enough of them.

I think about this as I turn back to the garden below,

"Well, well, well – about time too."

Elrond joins me, looking confused.

"Look at that," I say, indicating the scene in the garden, "What do you see down there?" Elrond looks.

"Miriel and your sister playing with my cousins." God, that sounds weird – Elrond has started saying that, I think he does it mostly to annoy Ellie.

I resist the temptation to point out that they are actually his cousins once removed.

"Yes, but look at Miriel, doesn't her body language or face tell you anything?" Elrond still looks confused, so I elaborate, "What's the one thing that's missing Miriel and Elrohir's life?"

He still doesn't get it, for all his wisdom, Elrond, like most males, can be very dense at times.

I make a significant nod towards Miriel, currently holding Valya – she looks rather dreamy.

As the comprehension begins to dawn on Elrond's face, I say nonchalantly,

"I will be very surprised, Elrond, if you didn't become a grandfather within the next 18 months." I clap him on the shoulder and stroll out of the library.

I so love being right; within two weeks of my conversation with Elrond, Miriel happily announces that she's pregnant.

Naturally, I'm chosen as midwife – this makes me smile as it means I get to pull a few strings when the time comes to sense Miriel's baby...

"Out of the way," I say as Ellie makes her way over to feel Miriel's rapidly expanding stomach, "As midwife, I get first dibs on the sensing."

OK... I was wrong... it is babies, as in the plural, and they're both male.

I have to smile when Miriel's labour starts for she immediately grabs hold of Elrohir's hand and refuses to let him go – I think her presence during many of my children's births and, no doubt, that of Ellie's, has convinced her that it makes everything so much more bearable when you actually have the cause of all the pain right by your side so he too can experience all the joys of giving birth.

The people of Valinor now have modern technology – well, modernish. The elder twins have fashioned themselves a kind of glider.

Neither Ellie nor I were particularly worried about them, but poor Miriel was as was Manwë. Now, Miriel I can understand, but why would Manwë be so worried about Elladan and Elrohir?

He neatly side-steps the question whenever I ask him, instead telling me to keep practising with my weapons.

That's another weird thing; Manwë came to our house one day with a whole load of weapons, saying that I'll never know when I'll next need to use them. I stared at him,

"But, there's no fighting in Valinor."

"Doesn't hurt to be prepared," replied Manwë, he has the same look in his eyes that tells me he's hiding something...


Chapter 5 - Kittens and Family

Eleanor's POV

In the year after Miriel's sons reached their majorities, the most peculiar thing happened.

Our cats, which Manwë had informed us had life-spans tied to our own (that is they died when we did), got pregnant.

I have no idea how as they were all female and there were no male giant cats hanging round Valinor.

All our cats had four kittens, both mine and Ginny's litters had two females.

All three litters are a mixture of white, silver tabby, and black cats.

Manwë informs us that the kittens are for specific people.

Legolas gets my silver tabby; the other male kitten is black and goes to my son, so my daughter gets the white one. I think they are all happy and, to my amusement, Legolas calls his cat Merlin, after the original silver tabby.

He might not know who Merlin was, but Ginny squeals delightedly when he names the cat that.

Honestly!

Each of Miriel's twins gets a black cat and her spouse and his brother get the other two. The silver tabby goes to Elladan while Elrohir gets a white one to match the one which belongs to his wife.

The kittens from Ginny's litter go to Ada, Gil-galad, Lanthi, and Erestor.

Manwë does not specify why these people get the kittens, but I think there is a reason.

I also notice that I have one left over, I wonder why.

A couple of weeks after the kittens are born, my question is answered when I see Mandos, Manwë, and a vaguely familiar blonde elleth riding down my garden path.

Legolas is out visiting someone or other; I have to admit I didn't listen very much as I wanted to stay home and rest.

As the trio get closer to me I notice that the elleth bares a startling resemblance to Miriel.

When they see me, they ride over and dismount from the horses they are riding.

"Is Legolas around?" Manwë asks.

"No, he is out visiting someone, I wanted to stay home." He nods before pushing the suddenly shy elleth forward.

"This is Myrwen, Legolas' mother." I stare. She is my mother in-law!

Blimey, that was not expected.

She greets me quietly, and she looks so nervous that I hug her.

She is nervous about meeting me? I thought it was meant to be the other way round!

As we are beginning to get over the awkwardness, Nyx comes padding over to us with the final kitten in her mouth.

By this point we have all sat down on the grass to talk and my cat drops the fluffy little kitten in her lap.

This one is mostly black but with a white patch over her stomach, and that patch goes up to the bottom of her face.

"Meet Nyx and Claudia." I first rub my own cat then the tiny little kitten. She gives me a look that asks me to explain the names.

"Nyx is the Greek goddess of the night, Greece being a country in the world I grew up in, and when I was little my adoptive family bred cats and one of the kittens looked very much like that one. She was called Claudia as well, so I named that one after her." She nods in comprehension.

Mandos then informs us that Myrwen was who the last kitten was for and I finally get an explanation for the pregnancies without males.

I don't think the biblical scholars would be too happy to know that the Immaculate Conception happened in cats as well.

I also finally get an explanation for how we found the three little dears in that oasis in Harad.

The Valar wanted us to have feline companions which have saved our lives many times over the years so they made three absolutely adorable kittens as they knew we would fall for immediately and put them in the oasis, knowing we would stop there and find them.

Right, there is nothing like doing it the easy way to get what you want I guess.

I had sort of expected a less blatantly magic explanation for it for some reason.

The fact that they simply created our cats implies that their kittens and who those kittens were assigned to was not a coincidence.

I keep getting stinks of something to come, but whenever I try to bring it up with the Valar, I never get anywhere.

They leave in the early afternoon, after stopping for lunch.

Myrwen stays with me though, she moving into our house for the time being at least.

I suddenly get a mischievous idea.

"Myrwen, what do you say to me mind-calling Legolas to get him to invite Miriel and Elrohir, possibly with their twins to dinner?" I ask her.

"That would be nice. I want to actually meet my daughter, not to mention my grandchildren. Eru, that is weird, grandchildren when I have yet to meet my daughter." She then narrows her eyes suspiciously at me, I think she notices the wicked little smile I am wearing, "You are not planning on telling them that I am here, are you?"

"I have an evil sense of humour; it is one of my personality defects."

Myrwen grins at me wickedly – I think I am going to like her somehow.

When I sense my husband getting near, we move into the parlour, not wanting to give the group any warning. I also tell the servants not to tell anyone that she is here.

We soon hear them out in the corridor and we go silent.

In a matter of seconds, the double doors behind the sofa Myrwen is sitting on open and Legolas, Miriel, Elrohir, and both sets of younger twins walk in.

Legolas looks at the lady sitting in front of him, then frowns first at me then her.

With her back to him he cannot see who she is.

With perfect timing she turns round and speaks.

"Ah, Legolas, I was just having the most fascinating conversation with your lovely wife here. You have chosen a fascinating elf to marry you know." Apparently I am not the only one with a warped sense of humour.

Legolas gapes at her and so does Elrohir.

The rest have never met her before of course so they are looking at her in confusion.

Now they are in the same room I can see just how similar Miriel and Myrwen actually look.

"Naneth!" Legolas exclaims and moves round the sofa to fall at her feet and hug her.

As he is doing this, I can see the confused looks change to comprehension. I also see Miriel start to shake.

Considering all the angst and grief she suffered over her mother's death, I think I can at least sort of understand her feelings.

Myrwen can also see her daughter begin to fall apart.

"Miriel, dear, are you not going to greet your mother?" she asks gently.

Miriel moves round the sofa hesitantly and also falls at her mother's feet.

Myrwen then embraces the two gently and they have the most moving reunion. I have to admit I have a lump in my throat throughout, I remember what it was like to be reunited with my elfin parents and I had more warning than they did.

I also never thought myself responsible for my mother's death.

Eventually the three pull apart and introduce Myrwen to her grandchildren, who are all rather floored at the sudden appearance of their grandmother, and Elrohir, who has had just enough time to get over her appearance to get nervous about meeting his new in-law.

Ginny's POV

No one notices time rolling by in Valinor; the only way I can gauge time is by the steady growth of the four children.

They grow up watching their families and me practicing with our weapons on a rather regular basis (weekly at the very least). So naturally all are over the moon when they're given their first (wooden) weapons at (what would be in humans) the grand age of five.

Valya in particular is very enthusiastic – it may have something to do with the fact that she's the only girl amongst the younger elves. There are many arguments on the subject of gender supremacy during which, I'm always an objective observer – honest. I mean, the older elves have known us far too long to be quite so rash with their words.

Vala, Mána, and Aini will eventually learn which gender is better – even if Valya has to beat it into them.

We start off quite small in their training – in fact we don't even train them at first, just let them run around with their wooden weapons.

We've built a large training hall in which all our weapons are displayed. We really have amassed quite a collection now, so much so that I hardly know which weapon to pick.

When they're just shy of becoming teenagers, the children are introduced to proper metal weapons as well as Dwarf-like throwing axes. We had tried introducing them to these earlier, but stopped when Legolas was very nearly beheaded by his own daughter.

I also start teaching them more stuff on the trampoline as well as bungee ballet.

That's one of the great things about living in Valinor – the Valar can get us anything we want. I'd always loved trampolining as a child, but sort of gave up at uni.

I'm actually amazed at how much I can still do, though that might have something to do with elfin grace or whatever.

The years carry on their steady lengthening, until suddenly – shockingly even – Ellie's twins reach their majorities.

I'm really not all that surprised when major birthday celebrations are announced. The elves, even before their majorities, barely celebrate birthdays; that's probably why a majority is probably the only birthday when everyone goes all out on the celebrations – last time in an infinite life-span when they'll get to do so.

For fairly obvious reasons, neither Miriel nor Ellie nor I celebrated our majorities, so we take every opportunity to enjoy this one.

The Valar really do know how to put on a party – like I said, such celebrations don't come round very often, unless of course you count the now annual festivals of Christmas and Valentine's Day – wonder who suggested those...

Anyway, the great day dawns and everyone is suitably excited.

The party is taking place in a large meadow away from everyone's houses – this means camping of course; it also means that everyone is woken up by Valya and Vala's excited shouts when they see what everyone had been doing when they stayed up so late last night.

You would have thought that 50 years of life would have toned down their childishness, but then they do have the overriding influence of people like Manwë practically on their doorstep.

The whole field is decorated in gold – this suddenly makes me think of golden wedding anniversaries from England...

Glittering streamers are hung around the trees, golden balloons (Ellie insisted) tied in great bunches dot the grass, and tiny little creatures that are a kind-of cross between faeries and dragonflies flit through the air.

A great, golden marquee has been erected around an ancient oak tree in the centre of the field – this is where the feast is to be held.

Vala is dressed in formal robes, doublet, and hose – all gold. He suddenly looks very grown up and distinguished; I can foresee a lot of fluttering female hearts in the future; his sister is dressed in a gorgeous gown made of the palest of primrose coloured silk and embroidered in gold. The cowl neck skims the top of her bust, enhancing it wonderfully. Every ellon not related to her suddenly becomes very attentive, whilst all those that are, become strangely protective.

Everyone else is dressed in the formal colours of his or her house; as I'm no longer a member of Ellie's house, Manwë has decreed that I get to choose my own formal colours. Guess what colour I go for.

The party lasts all day and long into the night with almost continual dancing and games throughout. Alcohol flows freely, even with me.

I'm not very happy the next morning when I'm gently shaken awake by Naneth; the sun has barely risen and the early morning mist still hangs over the field. I'm annoyed from the small amount of sleep I got, not the fact that I have a hangover – which I don't. Being elfin means my tolerance of alcohol has sky-rocketed.

Naneth sees my mutinous expression and laughs,

"Someone's not very happy this morning."

"Why are we up so early?" I ask drowsily.

"Because we have to leave before Valaráto and Valyaceulë wake up – it's tradition that once an elf has reached their majority, they are taken somewhere and left to make their own way back home. It's a sign that they're ready for independence."

"And it's meant to be a surprise?" I ask, slightly more alert as I wasn't informed of this. "They're hardly going to sleep through all this activity..." I pause, looking at Naneth, "... I suppose that's where my extra bottle of sleeping draught went last night; I did wonder why I was asked to bring two along, not to mention why Vala and Valya suddenly became so drowsy."

When we left the field, the only sign that the anything had happened the previous day was the single tent that housed the still sleeping twins.

I'm quite amused by Ellie's behaviour when we reach home – she just can't keep still; for all her apparent toughness and no nonsense attitude, Ellie still becomes a quivering jelly whenever her children are away from her for any length of time.

"But they're only 600 months old," she says worriedly when I sigh because she has got up for the umpteenth time to look out the window.

"They're 50," I answer amusedly, "Besides, we've been training them for 40 odd years and they're in Valinor, so I highly doubt they're going to come to any harm."

Even this doesn't reassure Ellie; neither does it reassure two certain, slightly younger siblings who still have their majorities to come.

The children have all grown now, but they're not the only ones.

I must be going blind or something because one day I suddenly notice that Murrlin's looking rather tubby; she's also eat a hell of a lot more than usual.

When I mention this to the others, Ellie and Miriel also comment that the same seems to be happening to their cats.

Strange thing is they all seem to be fat only around their stomachs...

OK... maybe I'm going stupid as well as blind – the giant cat population of Valinor has just increased by twelve.

Murrlin, Falathiel, and Nyx all have four kittens each and apparently, they're destined (yes, destined) for specific people. Murrlin's two boys go to Turgon and Ada; her two girls go to Lanthi and Gil-galad.

I really wanted one of them to go to Naneth, but Manwë insisted that the four mentioned above get the kittens. He doesn't just skirt around the issue when I ask the reasons behind his sudden insistence, he uses the entire wardrobe – this guy's mysteriousness is really beginning to bug me, it's almost as if our whole lives in Valinor are being directed towards something and I'm not really sure if I want to find out what it is...


Chapter 6 - Somethings coming, don't know what, don't know when...

Eleanor's POV

After that life settled down.

I am not sure Oropher approved of who Thanduil's wife was, but he wisely did not comment. She remained living in our little palace anyway.

It was nice having her around actually, not anything like those stereotypical mothers-in-law.

I quickly grew very fond of her and so did everyone else.

One time, when the others where off somewhere (I don't bother keeping track of what my family is off doing this time), we had an interesting private conversation. This was a few weeks after her return.

"Miriel always seems a little reserved around me, do you know why?" she asked me.

"I am not sure, but first when I was in Mirkwood, then later when Miriel was reconciled with Thanduil, after running off with us when we escaped, I discovered that Thanduil and Legolas had never talked with her about your passing and she had got this idea from what little she did know that she was responsible for your death. When your husband found out this out, he was absolutely devastated. I know; it was my shoulder he cried on.

That was when they were first reconciling with each other. I think he managed to semi-convince her that she was not responsible, but I think that, whatever she told him, she still thinks that she was responsible in a little part of her mind and she cannot quite shake off the notion it was her fault somehow, no matter what anyone tells her."

Myrwen looks almost as disturbed as Thanduil had when he first found out.

I think she may have had a private talk about that at some point shortly after that.

Miriel certainly looked a bit happier.

About a millennium later something quite disturbing happens.

Lanthi and my son started 'walking out' together.

They make a cute couple, but it is still quite disturbing.

Actually, only Ginny and I find it so as we are used to the human way of working out these things, the fact that Lanthi was an adult when Valaráto was born doesn't bother the elves as a few centuries age difference is relatively small in immortals.

I discover that by elfin standards the sum total of the time I spent in romance with Legolas before we engaged (not counting the 90 years or so when we were running round the wilderness) was what the elves consider to be a whirlwind romance.

Lanthi and Valaráto take nearly a century of courting to actually getting round to popping the question.

Thankfully, they have a fairly short engagement and get married fairly quickly.

By now I am getting this strong impression that elves stay in their chambers for about a week after their wedding every time.

I ask about this and apparently it is the way elves are programmed, as every time we sleep together we are bound slightly closer and the first week or so of the bond forming is very important to the ultimate formation of our bond.

In other words, the more 'exercise' we get in that first week, the stronger that emotional bond formed between the couple.

Well that explains why Legolas and I are so close.

Thankfully my daughter keeps her head clear through all this romance stuff.

Another thing I notice is that all of those given new cats begin to acquire magic like ours.

The more that happens the more I think things are beginning to stink rather.

No matter how much I ask our esteemed resident deities they always evade answering me.

That in itself speaks louder than words.

The question is what the hell are they up to?

A long while after the marriage of Lanthi and Valaráto (I have stopped counting time here), we start getting clues.

Irmo asks Ginny and I to tutor the Blessed Ones (as Ginny calls the ones who are owned by the giant cats) in our world.

The Valar are kind (!) enough to provide us with text books and show us how to make anything we need to make them understand what we are trying to explain to them.

When we give them history lessons and lessons on the culture we grew up in, I have the great amusement of seeing the shocked, disturbed, and absolutely horrified (and variations on those themes) expressions that flit across my father's face as he begins to grasp what the world he sent me to be brought up in was actually like.

Actually, we manage to disturb everyone with those lessons.

The looks on everyone's, but particularly Erestor's, faces when we give them a rather more detailed rundown of the Classical Civilisations, their culture, religion, myths and anything else you could ever want to know about Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and the lands around those civilisations are amusing to say the least.

I don't think they were ready for the concepts of incest, rape, and goodness knows what else that is the norm in Classical Mythology. Not to mention the generally unelfin nature of those societies.

I think it was the nature of ancient brothels that traumatised them the most though.

Hell that traumatised me a bit too and I am used to this stuff.

Once we had fully immersed them in our culture, science, and things we learnt at school then the Valar introduced them to our world weapons.

I know I amazed everyone including Ginny with, not only how good I am with a rifle, but that I can shoot a plastic tea spoon at 100 yards (around 100 metres, a little less I think) even though I haven't held a rifle since I was about 15.

One of those days we have finished lessons, training, and whatever, we are sitting down talking to some of the Valar when Aulë brings up a question which makes me really suspicious about what they are up to.

"How would all of your names deal in this world?" Why would that matter I want to ask.

"Most of the elfin names would be noticed, but would be considered just foreign or something, few people would comment though a few might assume the names come from a certain language. The only names that couldn't be used are Elladan, Elrohir, Legolas, Erestor, Gil-galad, and Turgon. Those could not be used as they are mentioned in books by Tolkien. Legolas is the only name which would be really well known, but the others, particularly the names of the Twins and Erestor, are highly likely to be known by the huge fan audience for Tolkien the world wide and Gil-galad is quite well known too. Turgon is the least like to be noticed actually." I explain.

"Why would my name be least well known?" Ada asks, I think he is slightly offended.

"Because your name is only really mentioned in The Silmarillion, The Children of Hurin, and The Unfinished Tales, Ada. It is generally accepted that the sign of a true fanatic of Tolkien is that they managed to read the whole of the Silmarillion without once being tempted to throw this whole Tolkien thing in and give up while the Unfinished Tales is a book made up of taking the little bits from all of Tolkien's other works and putting them together to make a vaguely readable story. Your one other showing is right at the beginning of the Children of Hurin and that is only a fairly passing reference in the introductory section that lays down the whole background for the story. I have to admit that I never got much past that point, but never mind."

"You never got past that point?" Manwë asks.

"I was never that much of a fanatic, if I wanted to know something I would go on the Council of Elrond website and look it up in the encyclopaedia. It was easier and less boring. Either that or go on Thain's Book, which was another useful website."

"There was a website called Council of Elrond?" Elladan buts in.

"Yes, but out of the desire to preserve your and everyone you know's pride don't go in the humour section, particularly the captions competition. One of the joys of not being mentioned in the book is that I never get the piss taken out of me like that."

This conversation goes on like that, degenerating as it does.

I have this unfortunate inkling of what the Valar want us to do though...

Uh-oh.

Ginny's POV

Thanduil was a very lucky elf when Myrwen agreed to bind with him – she absolutely delightful.

I warm to her immediately when we're introduced.

I can see why Adindel also tried to court her.

Adindel...

You know, this is the first time I've thought about him since I came to Valinor – maybe it's seeing what the first elleth he fancied looked like.

Not that I'm comparing myself in any way to her – I spent the vast majority of my life in Middle Earth believing Adindel hated me to my very core (and hating him for it), only to find out that the opposite was in fact true.

It wasn't the best circumstances to find out in, not to mention being highly embarrassing when I think about the way that Adindel saw me for the first time.

Admittedly, he did seem to warm to me whenever I visited him and Thanduil in Mirkwood during the years after Ellie sailed, but I always believed I would die, so I never really paid any attention.

Maybe that was one of the reasons why I didn't want to visit Mirkwood as we travelled to the Grey Havens – I knew what me being turned into an elf could entail and I don't think I was ready for that.

But now?

I do find the vastly increased possibility of Adindel and I getting together quite disturbing actually, but strangely not half as disturbing as the thought of my sister getting together with Ellie's son.

Only Ellie shares my feelings on this subject – she after all was brought up in the same world as me and it's a little disturbing to say the least when I think that Lanthi was an adult when Vala was born.

Not that I suppose I can talk seeing as I was midwife to the birth of my own father-in-law.

Thankfully, the whole romance of the situation (I really am a sap for these things) takes over and I begin to enjoy the prospect.

I also enjoy giving Lanthi sisterly advice as well as trying to bring Ada round to the idea.

I find it quite amusing to observe all the comings and goings from a more objective viewpoint rather than being at the actual centre of events.

I never really appreciated quite how protective Ada is – many's the time I have to distract him whilst Lanthi sneaks off for a little time alone with Vala. And this happens a lot, not only because Lanthi and Vala are in the passionate throws of a new relationship, but also because it takes almost 100 years for it to go any further.

Not very long when you live for eternity I know, but you try keeping an overly-protective elf-lord content for that amount of time.

But, anyway, they get finally get married and settle down together and life in Valinor continues...

Ellie and I are starting to be able to piece together exactly why some of the Valar act so strange around us sometimes – especially when we ask questions.

We have been asked to tutor everyone who received one of our cats' babies in the history and culture of our world.

Once we dispense with all boring stuff like that, Ellie and I take great pleasure in going into exquisite detail as to the everyday life of the Classical World. While Ellie concentrates on the more domestic side, I make everyone slightly queasy when I describe the varying diseases and ailments that afflict our world.

I think what disturbs them most is the almost ecstatic and dream-like state I describe them in, especially the diseases loitering at the more gross end of the spectrum – bubonic plague and dysentery to name but two.

After theory comes all the practical stuff – modern weapons training for one.

I've hardly ever seen guns and stuff in real life, let alone learn to use them.

I'm a bit daunted really.

But elfin grace comes up trumps again – I manage to hit the target nearly every time. I still think I prefer the old weapons though – there seems to be something classy in swinging an elfin long-sword about.

I begin figure out exactly why the Valar are putting us through such rigorous tutoring, etc when Aulë brings up the subject of reception of elfin names.

I think about everything whilst Ellie tries to pacify her father on the subject of his only vague recollection in the minds of Tolkien fans: virgin births followed by kittens given to specific elves, the sudden desire for said elves to be tutored in the ways of my old world. These two I could possibly overlook if it weren't for the fact that said elves again are given training in gun use, not to mention the Valar's very telling silence whenever questions are asked as well as Manwë's little hints.

With all these thoughts in my head, I suddenly pipe up,

"Why are you suddenly so interested in the way people will respond to elfin names, Aulë? It's almost as if you're preparing everyone for a life in our old world."...


Chapter 7 - Go fetch.

Eleanor's POV

Not too long after that, the Valar finally tell us what they were grooming us for.

They call us into a large ornate room and we all sit round a large table. I can't help noticing that it looks remarkably like board rooms everywhere.

All it needs is a projector screen or some equivalent like a flip chart or something.

Then the entirety of the Valar proceeds in and sits on the other side of the table.

That is a little strange as Tulkas, Oromë, and Ulmö are rare visitors to Valinor and we do not know those three so well. I have no idea what they are usually doing, but they are not near us very often.

Once they are sure everyone (including our cats) is there, Manwë stands up and starts to talk.

"You may have noticed that we have been grooming all of you for some task that involves the world from which Ginny came from and Eleanor grew up in." He pauses to glare at me as I snort, talk about understatements.

"You have also almost certainly noticed the fact that certain elves are missing and have failed to come to Valinor. I have got just a little bored of waiting for them, for I am beginning to think they will not come without a bit of pushing. It has been a long time by elfin standard in Valinor and time flows much faster in that world.

The world Eleanor and Ginny grew up in is not a separate world, but the same world far into the future, and this is where the elves in question are. We want you to go fetch." For some reason that turn of phrase is slightly offensive. Woof, woof, yes master!

They all stare at the King of the Valar in amazement until finally Ginny finds her voice,

"You mean our world is Middle Earth, only goodness knows how far into the future?" I answer that one.

"I would have thought it a bit obvious Ginny, I spend enough time telling you about how Tolkien was not original, I wrote an entire essay on how he was influenced by other things in my first year. I got a first for it if you remember that far back.

The most obvious left over is the story of Atlantis, or Atalantë in elvish. That was Númenor if you remember your history correctly; Plato and all those others to come up with sunken land myths had to have a starting point, but the myths got edited over the years. Remember all those late night conversations we had at uni when you got me to explain how myths change over time and the number of people who told them?" I then have an idea and turn back to the Valar to ask them about it, "You know all those flood myths we learnt about from 'early' human civilisation, did those actually happen?"

Ulmö answers me. He has a soft lilting voice which reminds me of the sea,

"Yes, those great floods did happen, they are what wiped out the Hobbits and most of the Dwarves, though some of both survived and interbred with the humans. Only the humans and the elves we want you to retrieve could manage any movement to ships that could survive the floods on a serious scale."

The set of his face tells me not to ask about why these floods happened though I have a suspicion that the reasons given in the myths was about right. It also means that Ulmö was probably the god named as responsible for the floods.

That rearranges the theology I was brought up with.

Manwë takes over again.

"As Eleanor said, there are hangovers, but most of Middle Earth was destroyed in those floods just mentioned and the human race had to start again mostly. This world is totally different from the one you left and even much of the geography is different."

I start to try and compute how long ago we must have left Middle Earth by taking approximate dates for the floods and things like that. Whoa, that is extremely scary; my age might have reached six figures! That is not a thought I even want to think about.

Manwë spends most of the rest of the day giving us details.

We each get a necklace that makes it so people only notice what we want them to notice. This necklace will only be fully effective on those without elfin blood and the more present the less effective. It will be one of the ways we can identify those with elfin blood.

Our cats also get collars that do a similar job, though those will be controlled by those who own the cat in question.

Over the next few weeks we will practice our brief and Ginny and I will help prepare us a ship to sail back to England.

Yes, you heard right, England.

Our brief is that we are rich people with old titles (Manwë and co have somehow arranged it so that actually is the case, you've got to love having gods as your employer) and we have the money, influence, and general eccentricity required to go round the world for no apparent reason.

I guess that also explains the strange names; rich people have this thing for strange names I have noticed.

Legolas will become Llordan, Gil-galad will become Gerard, Turgon will be Theodore, Elladan – Aeron, Elrohir – Alexander (he like being called 'leader of men') and Erestor will be Michael.

If you are wondering where those names came from, one of the things the Valar got was a little laptop and they let the males go surfing through a baby names website to pick new human names. Those were what came out.

I have a suspicion that a certain High King, who shall remain unnamed (though not unknown), got a little sidetracked by a Phantom of the Opera related website because after he has got his new name, he acquires this habit of breaking out into ridiculously overdone song.

We would have to take them to see the original.

The next bit of fun was fitting out clothes for everyone.

Ginny and I immediately started thinking of new evening dresses when new clothes were mentioned. We are terribly predictable.

Since I had the opportunity I insisted on a kilt in my family tartan, properly done. I have always wanted one of them. If you are wondering, that would be my adopted family tartan, that of the Wallace clan!

While the Valar are not around, Ginny and I make travel plans to go to the place we either couldn't go to on our last world tour or wanted to go back to.

I wanted to have meals in the posh restaurant in the Villa D'este in Italy and at the top of the Eiffel Tower, which we hadn't got up because the queues were so long. Ginny wanted to go scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, bungee jumping over Victoria Falls, and have 'fabulous fun' as she called it at Alton Towers. In case you hadn't guessed, my best friend is a bit of an adrenaline junkie.

Mind you, it would be quite something to see Turgon and Erestor's, not to mention Myrwen's, reaction to rides like Oblivion.

We also wanted to go back to Brittany, the most north westerly part of France that I had fallen in love with when I was little and when I took Ginny there, she also fell in love with the place.

One thing the Valar arranged was for our degrees, which we had already both got firsts in, got transferred to being Oxford degrees and they used magic to ensure we had all the relevant knowledge for that.

There are times I absolutely love the Valar.

The others also got degrees like that and the magically inserted knowledge to go with them.

Less than a month before we were due to sail for England, a little crisis comes up.

Assuming there would be no danger that he could help with, Glorfindel had gone to another part of Valinor to live with his family.

He had heard that several of his charges from over the millennia were going back to the place where we could get hurt, including Turgon – the elf he had originally left Valinor for, and the princess he had come back for when he came to Middle Earth the second time.

My lovely knight was not planning on letting us go without him.

I love Glorfindel dearly, but now was not the time.

Had he not learnt that I listen to no one when it comes to running off on potentially fatal little missions?

Us wonderful, kind people that were going on the trip let the Valar deal with my knight. Aren't we so generous?

I don't think anyone, but those that were deities got why Ginny and I were constantly humming 'Mission Impossible' and 'London Calling' in those days leading up to us leaving.

Needless to say aforementioned deities did not find that half as funny as we do.

I am pretty sure the musical jokes are our way of hiding that we are nervous about going back to the world in which we grew up.

Wouldn't you be nervous?

Excited but nervous.

Ginny's POV

I don't know whether it was because I had practically outed the Valar and their plan or whether they were going to tell us soon anyway, but after that conversation, it isn't at all long before Ellie, Miriel, and I along with all the Blessed Ones are called in front of the entire Valar to be given a detailed account of what they want us to do.

I think everyone's rather intimidated at the sight of all 14 Valar sat in state in front of us (I know I certainly am). I've never been in the presence of so many gods before; some like Manwë I'm fine with because I know them, but others, like the rather reclusive Ulmö, I've never seen before.

Manwë and Varda are sat in the middle; the six other female gods are sat on Varda's right, the six males on Manwë's left.

Scanning across the line of male Valar, I notice a significant space next to Tulkas, who's sat at the very end. There's no chair next to him, but I think I can guess as to who would have sat in it.

The floor beneath the table is filled with the 15 cats, all lying in varying states of spread-eagledness. It did make for a rather entertaining meeting as you'd occasionally catch glimpses of twitching paws or tails or, when one of the Valar was speaking, a furry head would suddenly pop up next to its owner causing a few minutes of general gushing before the meeting was called to order again.

I'm rather stunned by the end of the meeting – I mean I was never in the least bit religious so I never took all those flood myths seriously. I was always in favour of the more scientific reasons behind Creation, so it's a big shock to find out that not only did all these floods actually happen, but the god that caused them is sitting only a few feet away.

It's certainly changed my outlook.

The next few weeks are spent in planning and fine tuning all the little details.

I initially spend quite a lot of time trying out different illusions when I'm wearing my necklace. I eventually decide on darkening my hair and bringing out the red in it as well as shortening it slightly and making it wavier.

I do alter my other features as well, but not so much as I don't think I need all that much change seeing as my transformation into an elf significantly changed how I look anyway.

At least I'm able to live up to my Quenya name at last. I tell Gil-galad this when we're in our next training session – I've never really forgotten his comment about my hair when we first arrived, granted he probably only said it to annoy Manwë, but my female pride won't allow for such conceptions.

"I prefer its original colour, it suits you." Was all he said on the subject before he manages to wrestle me to the ground.

This makes all the males crow in delight as they don't manage to beat all us girls very often.

"You had an unfair advantage, I was distracted." I say through gritted teeth, while still on my back.

Gil-galad chuckles and pulls me to my feet.

"You shouldn't have been talking about your hair then, should you?"

I insist on a red velvet collar for Murrlin because red is what my original cat wore and he always did suit red best. I love it that I can change how she looks now – it means I'm able to actually pick her up at last and have her properly on my lap. It also means Murrlin can sleep on my bed at night as opposed to her pile of cushions on the floor – I always wake up in the mornings now with her lying stretched out against my stomach.

I did quite enjoy finding out that my Medical Degree would now come from Oxford, but not as much as planning my whole new wardrobe with Ellie, which naturally includes many evening dresses.

I'm also planning on getting myself a set of purple biker leathers. Ellie and I have been given full driving licences and I was over the moon to find out mine also included a full motorbike licence as well.

I've always had dreams of riding motorbikes you see – all part of my adrenaline junkie nature I suppose – you've got to love being friends with all-powerful gods.

As the time before we leave gets shorter and shorter, I find myself becoming more and more nervous. I don't know why, I've spent most of my life in Valinor and before that, way more time in Middle Earth than I ever would have in England.

Maybe it has something to do with the simplicity of life here; even in Middle Earth, life seemed simple when compared to how I was living before.

OK, fighting in a war that the fate of everything in Middle Earth depended on was not the most relaxing of ways to spend one's life, even when you know the outcome. But that's the point, Ellie and I knew what would happen and so we could control how we acted.

Back in England, I didn't know what was around the corner and it'll be the same this time. Oh, we have a mission, but we don't know how it's going to be accomplished and whether the elves we are to 'fetch' will even want to come back.

There is the alternative explanation for my nerves of course, but I don't even want to think about that one.

Consequently, I spend many night time hours in the training hall doing bungee ballet.

It's one of the best ways to unwind – better than yoga (not that I've tried much yoga). You can let your mind wander as you sweep through the air, especially if you have a Valar-powered MP3 packed full of relaxing tunes.

One night, I suddenly sense another elf in the hall; opening my eyes I see Galadriel standing in the doorway, her long white cloak almost fluorescent in the dim light.

I'm quite surprised actually, we don't see Galadriel as often as we'd like as she lives a little way off from our cluster of houses.

She enters as I slow myself down before unhooking the ropes and walking over to meet her.

"So this is what you do to relax? Do you mind if I have a go?"

Galadriel removes her cloak, revealing a graceful set of silver leggings and white tunic.

I wonder how many nights she's been watching me.

She begins like a pro, not that I should be too surprised as she is one of the most graceful and powerful elves I know and you don't really need to know much more than the basic principles of bungee ballet to be able to do it.

"I can see why you're so fond of it," says Galadriel as she slows and stops. "It's certainly relaxing and mesmerising. Is that why you come here so often – to relax? Manwë tells me you're not all that keen about going back to your old world."

I gape at her – I don't even bother asking how he would know that, if elves can read minds, then the Valar definitely can.

"I suppose he's also told you why?"

Galadriel doesn't say anything – well that's a yes then; she waits, in spite of myself, I can't help opening up to her,

"Oh, I don't know – it is memories I suppose. Memories of many things – some I want to forget, others I... others I'm just confused about..." I trail off.

Silence... I speak before I can stop myself,

"Don't you ever get lonely? Without Celeborn, I mean."

Galadriel considers,

"It comes and it goes."

"I don't suppose anyone would want to go through eternity without someone to love." I say almost to myself.

As we reach the double front doors of the hall, Galadriel stops and turns the full force of her gaze on me,

"I won't lie to you, Ginny, I want my husband back and I don't believe any elleth wants to go through life alone."

Was there some significance in that? I don't have time to consider as Galadriel is already on her horse – why do elves always do that?

I'm not sure if my conversation with Galadriel has really soothed me about this trip; if anything, it's given me more to think about, but it was good to be able to talk to someone.


Chapter 8 - Welcome to England

Eleanor's POV

We boarded our ship in early spring, don't ask me of which year, and even though we had been warned about metal ships, those that had not come from our world found them very strange.

I am pretty sure they all (bar Gil-galad) found it weird that we found calling the ship the Black Pearl, then doing Jack Sparrow impressions was highly amusing and insisting on doing those impressions frequently.

I am sure my father thought I had gone slight mad, but gave up on commenting when I convinced my children and nephews as well as Gil-galad to join us and we taught them more impressions from films.

The trip back was about three weeks long I think and we filled our time with silly impressions and loosening up the more done-up elves.

Eventually we dock in Bristol City Harbour, a small leisure harbour six miles inland on the western side of England, just beneath Wales, which is the other side of the river we had to go up to get there.

Ginny likes the choice of harbour because it is relatively close to her original home in Taunton, Somerset.

The big house that has been arranged for us (complete with gardener, house keeper, and the other things we need to keep the house up while running around on our mission) is near Bristol, in a good clean neighbourhood, but as it is patently a conservative area, you can justify one of those little golf carts to get to the house next door.

The first funny thing when we arrive is that, through the door, we have got lots of election literature.

We look at the date for this election on the internet and then at the actual date. Ginny and I have to laugh.

We have arrived in England shortly before we were nicked from Australia by Legolas and Adindel. We would probably have lots of fun watching the news people go nuts over two English girls disappearing in the Australian outback.

We then have to spend time explaining to the elves about voting as, due to the way the Valar arranged it, we all have the vote.

This results in us sitting down and swatting up on the main parties, not to mention having a laugh by looking up the Monster Raving Loony Party website.

If you are wondering, Ginny and I vote as a matter of principle and we were going to get our elfin friends and family to vote as well. What would be interesting was that, by upbringing, Ginny is a Labour supporter and I was always a cynical little Tory along with my adopted parents.

It was a good job we didn't have a timeline to rush along because that was a start that suggested we would be taking our time.

For the first few weeks, we always made sure that none of the elves were out of the company of either Ginny or I.

We slowly let them out on their own to do small things then larger as they got used to the new world they had been dropped in.

Only when we are fairly sure that the elves are at least mostly acclimatised do we start searching for the elves we have been sent to retrieve.

As we do, the news about the disappearance of Ginny and I in Australia comes up, I have to admit that Ginny and I start to drive our companions mad by our morbid and slightly obsessive gathering of virtually every piece news on our own disappearance. I don't think they understand why we found it so interesting.

But we mustn't lose track of why we're here – our first start was to visit our good friend Google.

It took surprisingly little time for us to find a hit that is useful.

It appears that the elfin rulers cannot fall into total obscurity.

They have set up businesses, which work closely with each other, that are very rich. They try to stay out of photo's and being rich it is not hard, but a combination of Google and the hacking/computer skills my brother had taught me in my teens meant that we could dig out a good enough picture to identify the elves in question.

In fact we found pictures of Celeborn, Thanduil, and Adindel with surprising ease.

Celeborn has the new imaginative name of Caleb, Thanduil now is Aaron (amusing as 'Aran' means 'king' in Sindarin) and Adindel is now Alistair. I have to admit I approve of that last name as one of my adopted brothers had that name too.

All three have maintained their long hair, but now wear it tied back in such a way as to hide their ears; they don't have the magic to hide their race like we do.

The next problem is the plan for how to get them and then convince them to join us in Valinor.

As we research further we find that there is a little side business which is obviously more in the nature of a hobby than a specifically money making enterprise.

The business is one to do with re-enactment, primarily medieval re-enactment

They clearly still harkened after the old days.

Perfect.

The next trick was to get to them through this medieval thing of theirs.

That was made easier through the fact we had all brought some stuff from Valinor, including all our weapons which was a sizable collection, larger than what many museums would have by some way.

We have great fun setting up our armoury in one of the larger rooms in the house.

Anyway.

The main company is in Europe, but there is a branch working in England as there is a serious interest in re-enactment in a country with so many castles and things.

First we contact the English manager, a young man called Michael who is very charming in a way that reminds both me and Ginny of Amrothos.

Once we actually meet the guy he also looks disturbingly like Amrothos too. We put this down to coincidence; it has been several thousand years after all.

He is very charming in real life as well and has those nice manners down to perfection.

If you are wondering, when we go visit him to talk medieval stuff, only Ginny and I go for the first visit.

It is not so much a business, but a society and all things the members pay for are simply so the thing does not make a loss.

They society provides accurate things for all the members and also sets up weekends, which vary in style to cater for all people, from the dabblers to the diehard re-enactors who would happily go spend weeks living as medieval people.

Michael seems quite taken with us; well we do look like two very rich twenty year old women who share his interests. I notice that he shares his charms equally at this point, though looks a bit disappointed when I mention I am married. I don't mention I have two fully grown children as no one is that well preserved.

As we show great interest in medieval weaponry he asks if we would like to see his collection. We agree enthusiastically.

In his own personal armoury he shows us one section which contains company replicas as well as a few he commissioned himself and then points out another section specially made to protect his originals, which he had inherited.

He also has a training area, complete with a rather beaten up padded dummy.

Upon my request he lets me use his 'pointy stick' as I still call it.

Apparently they have drawings and other pictorial evidence of this weapon and though it is far from popular, partly because it is so hard to use, he still has one.

I thoroughly enjoy his look of surprise when I do not need any help from him to show me how to use it and then even more surprised when Ginny uses another of his replica weapons to have a serious duel in which we show that neither of us are helpless little girls.

I think that at that point he ceased to see us as just pretty and rich potential members.

Score one for us.

Then he shows us those family heirlooms of his.

Ginny and I have the hardest time not to show what we really think of his heirloom weapon collection.

Though there are some things we don't recognise, we do recognise the pretty glittery chainmail, several of the swords, and a few other weapons...

Oops.

Ginny's POV

As soon as our ship is built and the hold filled with supplies, we board and leave.

I resist the urge to ask exactly how the journey is worked out – my head's in a spin just contemplating it.

The journey takes three weeks, but luckily the Valar provided us with everything we thought we would need to make the journey more bearable.

This includes a huge collection of DVDs; once everyone else has worked out how to use the TV and DVD player, there's an almost constant showing of every kind of film imaginable.

Strangely though, not many of the elves seem all that keen on watching things like 'Silence of the Lambs' of course that may have something to do with some of the more sexually explicit content rather than any horror contained therein.

This doesn't stop Ellie and I from jumping out at people and doing Dr. Hannibal's tongue thing – scares them all silly.

Of course the impressions don't stop there – you have no idea how entertaining charades can be when elves are playing, especially if they try to do someone they've only seen once in a film. One of my favourites to do is a Captain Jack Sparrow impersonation – I stand on the mast on one of the little life boats (we had to find a use for them somehow) in a pirate outfit (films do get just a tiny bit boring) and look as though I'm staring into the distance.

After the first time I try this, Elladan, Elrohir, and Gil-galad insist on joining me. Naturally we can't all fit on the mast – even elves aren't that light. So we stand two-by-two either side of the mast staring at the horizon.

After that time everyone insists on joining us – Turgon took a bit of persuading, but Ellie gave him her puppy-dog eyes and he relented.

The image created is so good that we recreate it and take a photo. I wonder what everyone will say when we show them that picture – 13 high-ranking elves all standing around in two lifeboats dressed in Jack Sparrow outfits with two more (Gil-galad and I) standing on the masts – what a bunch of weirdoes, probably.

We eventually dock in Bristol City Harbour – a choice I much approve of as I was always proud of my West Country roots.

The house we're to live in is absolutely MASSIVE. It's more of a mansion really – well it does require at least twelve main bedrooms plus guest ones, all ensuites (would you want to share a house with fourteen others and only have one bathroom and toilet?).

As well as the main drawing room, parlour, etc – each main bedroom also has its own sitting room – even in this enlightened age, elfin sensibilities still shine through.

The back of the house opens out on to a huge landscape-garden; at the front is a winding, gravelled drive which ends at the garages.

I concentrate on what is housed in the garages while Ellie explains the ins and outs of the British voting system – she is after all the Politics graduate of the group.

We have been given two convertibles for nipping around in and two mini-buses for when we all go somewhere. I then fall on my knees with wonder and delight at the sight of a brand new Yamaha motorbike; I put my hands together as if in prayer and whisper 'thank you!'.

I'm gone for the rest of the day. I do offer everyone a ride on my bike, but they take one look at it and decline rather quickly – spoilsports.

Ellie and I spend the first few weeks acclimatising everyone to our world.

This makes for rather amusing mornings in the first week as we have to continually stop and search everyone for any weapon larger than a small dirk.

"Any policeman worth his salt would arrest you on sight if you began swinging this around." becomes one of the more common phrases.

Little differences concerning permitted weaponry aside, everyone acclimatises rather well.

This means we can begin the search for our 'victims' (we have been given permission to use 'any means necessary' to get them to go back to Valinor, including the threat of fading).

The internet is both a blessing and a curse – blessing because it cuts down research time like nobody's business, but it also means that any news website we go on, Ellie and I confronted by our own faces.

We arrived back just before we were taken from Australia; before long, Ellie and I become the main news story – I mean how many times do two British students go missing (camp and all) without a trace? There is usually some kind of clue, but not in our case.

The only bits I can't look at are interviews done with our parents – it brings it all home – the tears, the pain, the not knowing. I've known grief, but at least I knew what had happened to my loved ones.

Anyway...

We find our victims surprisingly quickly – even the heads of major, international businesses can't hide away all the time, especially when Ellie's hacking skill are utilised.

It's kind of weird to see Thanduil, Adindel, and Celeborn in suits and ties – they look rather charming actually.

Despite their modernity, all three still clearly remember the old days and old ways – they're involved in a medieval re-enactment society. I bet they were in their element when the medieval period was in full flow.

My own parents were involved in re-enactments of the English Civil War, but I never liked it myself – was never one for camping. However, I rather like the sound of this medieval business – the dresses are far prettier and flowier, not to mention going excellently with our long hair.

I'm not shallow.

Honest.

First things first, we contact the English manager of the re-enactment society and arrange a meeting. I suppose we could have just by-passed that and found them all ourselves, but we did really need someone 'on the inside' as it were – would have made a rather dramatic reunion though!

When we meet the manager, he instantly reminds me of Amrothos. Can't think why though, maybe it's because he's also got dark hair, pale eyes, and is about the same age that Amrothos was when we first met.

Michael is charmingly enthusiastic about the re-enactments, becoming even more so when he realises that Ellie and I also share a passion for history, especially when we reveal that our passion extends to weaponry as well as pretty dresses.

We're immediately taken to Michael's private armoury where he begins to show us around.

"It's one of the biggest private collections in the country," he informs us proudly.

Ellie and I exchange amused looks – not by a long way, mate.

Michael looks a little nonplussed when Ellie shows great skill with a replica of her pointy stick thing, but it's only when I challenge Ellie to a duel using another of Michael's replicas that his eyes practically pop out of his head.

Afterward, Michael's attitude to us changes, it's still absolutely charming, but is now tinged with what appears to be respect. Now whether that's out of fear or genuine feeling I don't know.

Score one for us.

Michael then takes us to see the section is his collection which contains originals, many of which he inherited.

Ellie and I stop dead, staring at all the weapons hung about the walls; they seem to focus on a shirt of pale, glittery chainmail.

We stand in absolute silence, our eyes steadily taking in every detail.

The realisation dawns – I don't just recognise them, I remember them for they are the exact same ones I left my sons before I knew I could go Valinor.

As Michael turns to face us I gasp, my hand flying to my mouth – I am staring into the face of one of my descendants.


Chapter 9 - Lift off

Eleanor's POV

Going home after that meeting is a little awkward, especially for Ginny.

When we get home it is even more awkward because the first thing we are asked when we get through the door is how it went.

Ginny immediately pleads a headache and goes to her room, leaving me to deal with the inquisition.

The expressions on their faces would have been comical if the issue was not affecting Ginny so much. The reminder of her family and the realisation that Michael is a descendant of hers is obviously bringing up painful memories for her.

Once we have finished with this little talk, Erestor immediately goes up to comfort his daughter, who I think needs him.

Later that day Michael calls.

"Are you two okay? Ginny seemed particularly distressed when you left."

"Yes, she is fine; she just had a bit of a shock."

"A shock? What could have shocked her?"

"It is hard to explain. Is there a time you could come here for dinner? It would be easier to explain here than over the phone."

"Would Saturday be good?"

We organised a time for him to come over. I had decided to let him further into what we were doing as he would be useful to what we were trying to achieve.

There was also the fact that even if we could not tell him his relationship to Ginny, she would still appreciate him being round. Once she had got over the shock anyway.

I had said it would be an informal dinner and he could come round mid-afternoon so we could explain before the meal and things.

Not all that surprisingly, he arrived early.

I think it was my daughter who answered the door as Ginny and I were upstairs in the training room with Lanthi fighting Erestor and Elrond's twins.

I only knew he was there because I heard him walk in just as I managed to pin Elrohir to the floor and remove him from the match.

We did not stop training for him though, we carried on until – by default of numbers – Lanthi and I took Erestor out and Ginny took Elladan down. Girl power strikes again.

I think that Michael was even more shocked than he had been before when he saw us fight.

Once we had finished tidying ourselves up, we invited him to come see our weapons collection, where we were going to put away our weapons anyway.

When he gets there, he stares at the huge collection in absolute surprise, mostly at the sheer size I think.

He then goes to examine the weapons more closely.

I hear a sharp gasp from him as I have finished putting away the double bladed sword I had been using.

I turn around to see him looking at the old sword I was given when I first joined the Dunedan, which is almost identical to one of the weapons Ginny left with her family and is now in Michael's possession.

"How can this be? It is clearly ancient, not a replica and it looks like it was made by the same person as made mine." He says this more to himself than to us.

I go over to him.

"I doubt you would believe why that is. The sword was my first proper weapon and was deliberately made to be simple and inconspicuous. There were two others made and there were other weapons made for us as well. If you are wondering, those other weapons are the long knives, the daggers, and the bows and quivers." As I am listing them off, I point to the weapons.

"Where are the third set of weapons, I notice they are not there." I look at him, trying to gauge whether he is ready for this.

"How much have your employers, those would be Caleb, Alistair, and Aaron, told you about weapons and their past?" He frowns at the question; it doesn't actually answer his question.

"They said that our families, that's theirs, mine, and the Tayconters, have been very close for generations. They sort of helped bring us up and taught us all about all things medieval and are what got us into these jobs helping them with the society and everything. I have no idea how they know so much about all this, but they do."

Legolas, or Llordan as he has been introduced, is looking at me with a faintly amused expression.

"Tayconter? Is it me or does that sound suspiciously like Telcontar? What is the betting this family has dark hair, pale skin, and grey eyes, not to mention are all well preserved?" he asks.

"I am not taking up odds on that, my fair husband. The thought about names had occurred to me; after all, the other Dunedan bloodline we have come across has bred true." I reply.

"What are you two talking about?" Michael looks at us, really quite confused.

"I doubt you would believe us if we told you, now in the age of scepticism." He looks at us and raises an eyebrow in a way that reminds me of Ginny so much I want to laugh.

"Would you settle for a suspension of disbelief? I am beginning to think something very strange is going on." He is looking at us with the same expression my mum used to wear when she thought I was lying about having no homework.

We go and sit down, though we do take the odd prop with us just in case.

"Have you noticed that noticed that Alistair, Aaron, and Caleb have not aged at all since you were young?" He nods. "Have they ever mentioned their families at all?"

"I know Alistair and Aaron are brothers and that Aaron was once married, I never found out what happened to his wife, but I do know that both of them loved her. I also know that Alistair fell for another girl later, but she also married someone else." I try not to collapse laughing, partly because Ginny is glaring at me.

My husband is also trying not to laugh I notice. I don't think anyone else realises what is funny about that.

"What is so funny?"

"I'm not sure I should tell you for fear of my best friend committing friend-acide on me. She would kill me if I told you who that other girl is who Alistair fancied. Myrwen over there is Aaron's wife who they both fought for and my husband, as well as Miriel, is Myrwen and Aaron's children." He gapes at me in surprise.

"But, they are grown! How can they be ..." He drifts off, he knows his employers have looked twenty since he was small.

"I probably would shock you in telling you that Theodore over there is my father and he is far older than any of your employers. It would probably shock you to know that Valyaceulë and Valaráto are my children. Mánasairon and Ainicánë are Miriel and Alexander's children." He looks at us in total surprise.

"How on earth can you all look twenty yet there be three generations here?"

"Look into our eyes, notice that though we appear physically young our eyes give away our true age a little." He looks at me, looking deep into our eyes. He then turns and looks into each of our eyes, trying to gauge our age.

"Somehow, you seem so much older, I do not know how you manage to look so old when I look in your eyes, but so young otherwise."

I decide to let the magical illusion which hides what I truly look like from him drop and his eyes widen as he looks at me.

"How the hell did you do that?"

"Magic," I state simply. I have wanted to do that for years.

He is staring at me in total and complete amazement.

"Who, WHAT are you?" he gasps at us.

"We are elves. Do you want the full and proper introductions?" he nods, apparently lost for words.

As I introduce everyone, they all drop the illusions that hide what they really look like so as not to get too much notice. As each introduction goes through, Michael's eyes widen.

By the time I have finished, his eyes are the size of dinner plates and he bears a certain resemblance to a deer caught in the headlights.

"Why are you here?"

"The gods of the elves got bored waiting for them to come home, to the original elfin land of Valinor where our gods reside. They sent us to go fetch, in their words."

"Go fetch?"

"The elfin gods have an evil sense of humour and are quite human in a way. I wouldn't advise meeting them; they would probably scare you through their personalities alone."

He grins at me.

"I guess what you want is for me to help you to 'go fetch'."

I nod.

Michael holds his hand out and spits on his palm. I have to resist cringing and also spit in my palm.

We slap our palms together and shake on it.

"Deal!"

Ginny's POV

Michael stares at me, clearly at a loss as to what could have affected me so much.

"Ginny, are you OK?" He makes his way towards me, but I back away, my eyes darting anywhere but Michael's face.

"I don't feel very well; I think I need some fresh air," my voice quivers slightly, "Excuse me."

I turn and almost stumble out of the armoury – it's a wonder I can find my way outside, such a maze of corridors in the building.

Ellie follows close behind.

When we reach the car, she puts out her hands for the keys, which I give to her without a sound.

We're silent on the way home, I'm just staring into space; I can tell Ellie shoots me the occasional look of concern.

There's a mini stampede before we even manage to close the door.

"Lanthi, please," I say, putting my hands in front of me as my sister opens her mouth excitedly, "I have a headache; I want to lie down."

I push my way through the group, everyone staring at me; I don't think hardly any of them have seen me act like this before.

I know they're all watching my retreating back.

Once inside my sitting room, I lean against the door, eyes closed. A single tear escapes through my eyelids.

A soft knock at the door brings me out of my reverie; it's Ada, his face grave with concern.

We sit on my sofa. Ada doesn't say anything; he waits for me to break the deadlock.

"I thought I was over it; I thought several millennia in the company of the Valar would..."

More tears escape; Ada takes me in his arms and rocks back and forth, whispering gently,

"I know, I know."

Suddenly all the rage, pain, and feelings of injustice that I had thought gone, explode from me. Pushing Ada roughly away, I leap to my feet, breathing heavily.

"What do you know? What does anyone in this house know about what I have been through?" My voice is high with anger, but then it lowers to a deadly whisper, "No one here will ever understand what it is like to watch their husband whither away and die in front of them; to watch helplessly from the sidelines as the same fate happens to their children; and then wait for the same fate to happen to them, only to make a choice which means they have to live with their memories forever."

Ada stares at me, whatever he was expecting, I don't think it was that. I turn away from him.

More silence before I feel Ada's gentle arms fold about me; I try to beat him off, anger still burning in my heart,

"It's just not fair; it's not, it's not, it's not." With every word, I punch Ada's chest, but he still holds on.

Then, just as suddenly as it appears, my anger leaves me and I lean against Ada, sobbing uncontrollably.

I feel so much better after my outburst; it was as if I had been bottling up all my emotions after Amrothos died, only for them to be released when I met Michael.

He phones later in the day to enquire after me. I feel rather excited when I hear Ellie making arrangements for him to visit us – I think I'm going to like having one of my descendants around.

Michael arrives so early for his visit on Saturday afternoon that we haven't finished our training session.

It does make for a rather dramatic introduction as Michael is shown in just as Ellie manages to remove Elrohir from play. Ellie, Lanthi, and I carry on fighting until we stand victorious – girl power strikes again!

As Ada and Elladan get gingerly to their feet, trying to look unfazed, though failing miserably, Michael manages to stutter out a faint 'hi'. He's shaking slightly, which is probably due to the fact that Lanthi had used her throwing axe during the fight and it had entered the wall barely inches from Michael's face.

We give Michael a chance to calm down as we go and freshen up and then take him to see our collection of weapons.

Michael's eyes pop out on stalks when he sees just how piddly his collection of weapons is when compared with ours.

It isn't long before he homes in on the fact that many of Ellie's old weapons are identical to the ones he inherited. I leave them at this point to go down and make some tea – the poor man looks like he's about to go into shock and he's not the only one.

Miriel helps me take all the cups out to the drawing room along with a plate of my own homemade chocolate fudge brownies.

What? I like to bake; I also like to do the cooking when our cook is having a day or two off. Anyway...

We enter the drawing room just as Ellie asks if any families had been mentioned at all – huh?

It probably does help to be present at the start of a conversation, not that this conversation needs much explaining – the next things mentioned are 'Alistair' and 'Aaron' plus a reference to Aaron's wife, not to mention the fact that Alistair also loved another – oh god...

I glance at everyone over the top of my cup; both Legolas and Ellie are trying to keep back the laughter that is obviously brewing inside them.

I feel myself colour and glare at them, but luckily everyone else is too absorbed in trying to work out what was so funny in Michael's last statement. Michael in particular looks confused; after all, he had just been talking about something serious.

"What is so funny?" his tone implies slight annoyance.

Ellie, however, isn't fazed and answers him in an airy voice, but she does look at me when she mentions the 'other girl'.

Clearly, she doesn't know me as well as she thinks, if I ever find out she's talked about Adindel and I behind my back, then I won't commit 'friend-acide' as she puts it, instead I'll find some way of keeping her clinging to the edge of life...

As the conversation goes on, I begin to understand some of the reasons behind Michael being invited around – evidently Ellie wants to let him in on some of our secrets so he will either be so glad that some of the questions that must have been drifting around his head are answered and will help us, or that he'll be so overwhelmed by the information that he agrees to anything she asks.

The time then comes for something that, judging by her delighted face, Ellie has wanted to do for years – she lets Michael see past her illusion.

When Michael has finished gaping at Ellie after her offhand explanation of 'magic', he manages to gasp,

"Who, WHAT are you?"

"We are elves. Do you want the full and proper introductions?"

Michael nods silently, mouth still slightly open.

His mouth and eyes get wider and wider as we each show him what we truly look like. Even though I've seen everyone drop their illusions before, I've never seen it done in such a theatrical way.

It is rather overwhelming to see everyone's ears become pointy and their hair change (quite dramatically in the case of the men-folk who all (apart from Elladan and Elrohir) have short, spiky hair). It's a good thing that none of the cats are around.

I know if I was in Michael's situation I would probably run screaming for the hills, but he simply gets over his gaping-fish look before grinning manically,

"I guess what you want is for me to help you to 'go fetch'."

Clearly my sense of adventure has prevailed within my descendants.

Ellie nods.

The deal is then sealed with spit – rather her than me.

Houston, we don't have a problem, we have lift-off!


Chapter 10 - Got one!

Eleanor's POV

Well, we had done it again, we had recruited the locals.

The conversation had not gone exactly as planned, but then again, we hadn't exactly planned the conversation as we realised that it depended on all sorts of features like Michael's belief level and things.

It went very well though, and we did not have to tell him quite everything though we told him more than originally planned.

He soon organised for us to go to this event he had got one of his bosses to go to, it was Caleb – that is Celeborn to us oldies.

It is a re-enactment in the grounds of Bodiam Castle, which is actually just about post castle-age built by a romantic, but it does look like the cardboard cut out castle and is a National Trust property.

Obviously, one of the slightly less serious level weekends.

We book up a nice local hotel/B&B and bring along our Valinor clothes and a small selection of weapons.

On the Friday we all go down in suitable dresses for our houses (yes, we do still hold onto that tradition though Ginny wears her own choice of colours as Manwë declared her a separate house) or leggings and tunics in the case of the blokes.

We do not see our human friend at first when we arrive and we take the opportunity to go look round the stalls and things.

It is very strange to go there as Bodiam is a castle on the side of the country I came from and I had visited frequently when I was a child.

To think, my family who took me here are probably sitting grieving me somewhere or other. That thought made me want to cry a bit.

After an hour or two we bumped into Michael, who was dressed in the blue and silver of Dol Amroth. Okay, we shouldn't have started reminiscing about his ancestry.

He nabs Lanthi, Valaráto, me, and Legolas and takes us over to another person with this silver-blonde haired guy in silvery blue leggings and tunic with a grey cloak that we (well not Valaráto) recognised from somewhere.

Can't think why we recognise it.

When he turns round he doesn't immediately recognise us, but that is probably because we still have our illusions up even though they affect him much less.

When he looks at us properly, we have the extreme amusement of watching his face drop off in slow motion.

He starts off with a polite smile and that drops slowly with his jaw and his eyes widen as he recognises us.

He almost looks like he wants to run for a few seconds, but collects himself and comes over to us.

Out of pure mischief I greet the Sindarin elf-lord in Quenya. My son and daughter-in-law follow suit. I think my son just did it innocently as he grew up in Valinor, but I think Lanthi was also in a mischievous mood as I know she knows that he is definitely is a Sindar through and through.

My husband on the other hand greets him in Sindarin.

His returned greeting is rather less frosty than ours is for some reason.

He cannot say much to us in public with other people around so he sticks to politeness, though little more.

We drag him across to meet the rest of the family and be reintroduced the ones he knew before.

The most amusing bit is introducing him to my father, who he has not met, but heard an awful lot about.

Awful in every sense of the word.

A Sindar Lord of Doriath meeting the King of Gondolin.

Doriath, the city that was home to the King of the Sindars who banned the language of the Noldors or Caliquendi of Valinor, Quenya.

Gondolin, the hidden kingdom of the Noldors and the last place which used Quenya as the main spoken language.

How is that for tense?

They are civil however, partly because I am there and they both know I would kill them slowly and painfully and possibly bring in another round to the Kinslaying if they were not civil.

While they are talking, Ginny walks up to us, having still been looking at the stalls until this point.

We get an amusing repetition of the expression Celeborn wore when he saw me.

He had always been fond of her and probably thought she was dead long ago.

She looks a bit different than before because of her transformation so he has even more trouble believing it is her.

"Virginia? But you are dead; you died thousands of years ago!" Well that comment confirms one thing we wanted to know.

She grins and hugs him.

"Yes, it is me. The Valar rock, particularly Manwë and Varda. They made me elfin using Ada and Naneth's blood to make me a new body. Have you noticed the new about the disappearances in Australia of two girls?"

"Yes, what has that got to do with anything?" He looks confused.

"That would be Gin-Gin and I when Leggy and Adindel took us back in time to Thanduil for all those politics." Ada raises an eyebrow at me. We had kind of skirted round describing the exact reasons for Thanduil and his relatives bringing us back to the past.

"Er, let's not get on to that just yet." We don't want a political debate cough-argument-cough just now, we have better things to do.

Celeborn then gets to the point,

"Why are you lot here? You have sailed, that or died and got to Valinor through the Halls of Mandos." Michael then gives us a strange look. I decide to explain,

"Elves can die, but when we do, we go to a place called the Halls of Mandos. Mandos is sort of like Hades without the personality defects and stuff. I like him actually. After we have been in the Halls for a certain period of time, Mandos makes us a new body and we go to live in Valinor."

"Another question is when did you decide to educate him about the details of a society that died before the Great Floods?"

Ginny answers this time,

"When he joined us in doing the Valar's will. The Valar (and Galadriel) want you and the other elves back where you belong and that is the haven of the elves. The Age of Men started long before those aforementioned floods, caused by Ulmö – the elfin god of the sea, if you were wondering."

"Ulmö caused that?" Celeborn asked.

"Yes, though I couldn't convince him to tell me why. He is one of the most terribly closed mouthed of the lot of them. Varda and Manwë, not to mention Mandos, actually are the friendliest and you frequently cannot tell the difference between them and ordinary elves."

We spend the rest of the day wandering around and being generally medieval, before going to a nearby pub for dinner. We notice that most of the patrons in the olde worlde style pub are wearing medieval dress.

We spend most of that night talking; convincing Celeborn that coming to Valinor is the best idea.

We have the next two days to convince him over to our side before we go on to getting the rest of the elves.

I hope we will not have to use our final weapon, a threat the Valar gave us to use as a last resort.

I really hope I will not have to threaten fading if they don't come.

Ginny's POV

Michael clearly had questions for his employers that he wanted answers to – hell I think anyone would if their employers had not aged in the slightest in all the time of acquaintance. He also probably wanted to break free of his hum-drum life and experience the upcoming reunions, many of which would be stirring to say the least.

Fortunately, we had arrived during the 'season' for re-enactments – I don't think even the most die-hard re-enactors would seriously choose to camp in a tent in a farmer's field during the British winter.

This meant Michael found it relatively easy to arrange for us to go to an event that Celeborn would also be attending – what a coincidence!

"Surely it would be easier and quicker if we met them all at once." I say the night before we're due to leave. "I mean, have you seen the amount of luggage we're all taking? And I have to do all the driving."

"Half of it actually, besides you sure you want to meet them all so quickly, Ginny?" Ellie is looking at me, an amused and knowing smile playing about her lips.

I open my mouth to answer, but close it again – on second thoughts, maybe that would not be such a good idea...

It takes us nearly five hours to drive from Bristol to nearly the far edge of East Sussex.

I drive one mini-bus with Gil-galad, Ada, Miriel, Miriel's twins, and Elrond's twins and all our luggage; Ellie drives the other mini-bus with everyone else and all their luggage.

We would have taken our cats, but that would have created far too many logistical headaches, so we leave them with the housekeeper.

On the Friday after we arrive, we drive over to Bodiam Castle. Naturally, we all want to make an entrance so we all wear our Valinor clothes. We also wear our own colours – this makes for a rather colourful turn out.

My dress is dark purple silk with minute flowers embroidered in silver all over the bodice. The sleeves are (small) bells, but the upper halves are gathered against my arms with a criss-cross of silver ribbon. The back, although not daringly low, is low enough to reveal most of my tattoo – not very authentic I know, but then, it's also not very authentic for someone to wander around so nonchalantly in purple silk.

We spend a little while looking around all the stalls before Michael finds us. He's dressed in the colours of Dol Amroth and he suddenly looks so much like Amrothos that my mouth hangs open; I look away.

As much I enjoy having my descendant around, I wasn't quite prepared for how much a simple costume would make him look so much like my husband.

Fortunately, Michael has not noticed anything strange and he purloins Ellie, Legolas, Lanthi, and Vala, leading them off through the crowd whilst I wander over to where people are practising archery. Ada, Elladan, and Gil-galad follow and watch as I bewilder the man in charge with my archery skills.

I fire off the arrows in the same way that Legolas does in the Two Towers film during the Battle of Helm's Deep (obviously not balancing on a moving shield) – I've always wanted to do that!

I hold out the bow to Gil-galad,

"Do you accept the challenge, Gerard?"

Gil-galad raises his eyebrow and takes the bow from my hand. I move round to his other side while he lines up his first shot. Whilst no one is looking, I carefully put my hand to Gil-galad's back and momentarily press his spine with my fingertips. Gil-galad misses the target by a mile.

"That's not fair, I was distracted," he says in a manner not too dissimilar from an incident not all that long ago.

"You shouldn't have been quite so eager to beat me then, should you?"

I turn and walk off serenely – I've always wanted to do that as well.

Wandering back through the stalls, I suddenly spot Michael and co talking to a very tall, very familiar man (well, elf) dressed pale leggings and tunic with a cloak of a darker hue. I notice the cloak is clasped with an equally familiar leaf brooch.

Grinning to myself, I move slightly so that I approach the group right in the centre of Celeborn's line of vision. I bring myself up to my full height and walk sedately and gracefully through the crowd.

It doesn't take long for Celeborn to notice me. Slowly, his jaw drops and his eyes pop out.

I think he's mainly having trouble in grasping that it is actually me he's seeing. Can't blame him, he was, after all, under the impression that I had died thousands of years ago; now he's having to get his head around the fact that I'm now an elf and, consequently, have been alive for all this time. I have also changed somewhat due to my transformation.

He doesn't speak until I'm right in front of him – he actually looks slightly pale as if he's just watched someone return from the grave. Well, he has essentially.

"Virginia? But you are dead; you died thousands of years ago!" Celeborn has a look of complete disbelief and incomprehension on his face; his eyes are darting all over me.

I incline my head slightly before beaming and wrapping my arms about his shoulders. Even with my elfin height, I still have to go on tip toes to do this.

Celeborn doesn't return my hug immediately; I think he's still trying to reassure himself that I'm not a ghost. But he presently envelopes me in a gentle, yet wholehearted, hug.

Stepping back from him, I finally answer his question, well, shocked statement,

"Yes, it is me. The Valar rock, particularly Manwë and Varda. They made me elfin using Ada and Naneth's blood to make me a new body. Have you noticed the new about the disappearances in Australia of two girls?"

"Yes, what has that got to do with anything?"

What? My and Ellie's disappearance has been one of the main headlines; our pictures have been beamed out across the country – I know we (especially me) have changed, but not that much. Is it me or is the male of every species particularly stupid?

Actually, better not answer that – it was more of a rhetorical question anyway.

Almost as though she has read my mind (she probably has actually), Ellie answers Celeborn herself.

"That would be Gin-Gin and I when Leggy and Adindel took us back in time to Thanduil for all those politics."

Tuh! 'All those politics'? Selling the situation a bit short isn't she?

Turgon looks a little cynical – no wonder, Ellie has never exactly got round to telling her father the precise reasons behind her (indeed our) sudden arrival back in Middle Earth. His eyes flick towards his son-in-law; Legolas has the grace to look slightly abashed, but is saved when Celeborn and Ellie carry on the conversation.

I only chip in again when Celeborn questions our motives behind us telling Michael about Middle Earth – he sounds quite reproving.

I keep my eyes fixed on his as I answer – they flicker momentarily when I mention Galadriel.

The rest of the day is spent wondering around the fair (or 'fayre' as it shows on the banners); my plan to be as ladylike as possible... excuse me, gorgeous, flowing dress... sort of backfires when I'm roped into giving a demonstration of battle archery.

Fortunately, both Michael and Celeborn know who I really am so they don't try to get me to join the society.

In the evening we go to a traditional English pub for dinner, although we don't make the grand entrance that was hoped for – everyone already in the pub is also dressed medieval. But I suppose the number of people in our group did do something.

I notice Celeborn is rather quiet throughout the meal; I only find out the reason when we're about to part company in the car park.

Celeborn takes my arm and pulls me a little way off from the others.

"Has Galadriel said anything about me?" I can't quite gauge his tone – it's sort of a mixture of tenderness and, oddly, apprehensiveness.

"Only that she wants you back."

"How did she..."

"Sound?" I finish helpfully and Celeborn nods. "Mmmm... loving, possibly a little threatening as well."

Celeborn's eyes widen at the last bit; he turns away without a murmur.

Bingo! I don't think we'll have to threaten fading with this one.

One down, two to go.


Chapter 11 - A long awaited reunion

Eleanor's POV

The next day we went back to the fair thingy and once again monopolised Celeborn, which was made much easier by the large number of us.

We go for the gentle approach as we have a little while to do this, we want to have got him at least mostly convinced before we go on to the next one.

By what I expect is not really coincidence, Thanduil turned up on day three.

Someone should not have invented phones!

Or aeroplanes for that matter.

The one person we had held back a bit was Myrwen, for reasons pertaining to not warning Thanduil of her presence as, for fairly obvious reasons, she was our main weapon to get Thanduil just where we wanted him.

When we see the Lord of Lorien engaged in conversation with a frown on his face and Gil-galad standing nearby with an unusually serious expression on his, we converge on the group from all directions, trying to make sure someone who is best to get there first while leaving them with back up.

I got selected again.

I insist on my husband coming with me for this one.

Thanduil has changed little more than Celeborn.

Ginny holds Michael back, probably worried Thanduil's famous temper will happen.

The gaze he turns on us is quite dark, but it lightens up when he sees his son coming towards him.

I think he missed his family.

He greets us fondly.

Well, that is a better start than with Celeborn.

We get through the niceties like 'how are you' and whatever.

Through my husband's telepathic link, I feel his sense of humour jump and we make a silent plan, and then carefully guide him over to his wife.

Everyone watches us, having realised that we are going to bring about a very special reunion any minute now.

When he lays his eyes on his wife, they open so wide it should be impossible and he stops dead, totally amazed.

"Breathe, Thanduil," I whisper. Fainting would be such a bad entrance.

She comes over to him hesitantly, not really sure of what he is thinking. They have not seen each other for so long and lost each other in such a tragic way.

My heart goes out to the pair.

Good god, what is Adindel going to be like when he sees both Myrwen and Ginny, both of whom he thought were dead?

Anyway...

When Myrwen reaches her husband, he reaches out a hand and gently strokes her cheek.

"How is this real? Why have you been sent back to me now? I am not just seeing things, am I? Please tell me I am not seeing things." My romantic side (yes I do have one, I just keep it under wraps most of the time) goes out to the pair.

Her response is to lean in and kiss him gently.

This soon degenerates somewhat and I decide to take this opportunity to tell them to get a room.

I have to admit to being slightly embarrassed when they take me up on that and disappear off.

Though I am not half as embarrassed as their children are, not to mention grandchildren.

That evening they come down to the bar of the pub near where we are staying, glowing in a way I associate with newlyweds and are rather too close. It is really embarrassing.

"They newly married?" The barman leans over and asks.

It looks like we are not the only ones to notice.

"No, they have just been separated for a very long time because of circumstances. They are being embarrassingly happy about being together again."

"Ah," he says simply, he smiles at me mysteriously in a way that is a little too knowing.

Why is everyone out to embarrass me?

The next morning leave the little village near Bodiam, but migrate instead to a large country house to have a bit of privacy with what we need to do.

Yes, we do bring Michael along for the ride.

Previously we have not had the opportunity to let Thanduil in on the whole group or drop our disguises properly as we had been in public and the elfin king had been more than a little distracted by his wife.

We also have to deal with the weird factor of both Celeborn and Thanduil in jeans and t-shirts.

They look oddly sexy like that.

Not that I am looking – already taken!

The looks on his face as he is introduced to the older elf-lords in our party are amusing.

He knew Gil-galad and famously didn't like.

The High King also died at the same time as his father so that adds interest.

My father just about manages to be civil to him, but you can see his prejudices trying to get out in his expression.

Then we introduce both sets of twins.

He is suitably proud of his grandchildren, and he suddenly seems to be an eighty year old human when he realises who they are.

He also insists that they need Sindarin names as they are half-Sindar.

I definitely think that does not impress my father.

Tough luck, honey.

Judging by the way he carefully ignores the fact that before us, only one elf ever has returned from Valinor, but suddenly there are fifteen of us means that he probably already knows why we are there.

In the afternoon a day or so after we have arrived, Ginny, Miriel, and I sit down with him to talk.

"You know we haven't told my brother you are here yet?" he asks.

"Why?" Miriel asks.

"Because we thought that it wouldn't be a good idea to tell him Ginny is back, considering the way he feels about her."

"What, the fact he wants to kill her slowly and painfully?"

We look at each other. Someone at least, has not worked out that Adindel fancies Ginny.

"Killing her, in any way is not really on his agenda. There are other more entertaining things he wants to do with her." I say slowly. The blank expression on her face gives away that she doesn't get it still so I elaborate,

"He fancies the socks off her and has done so ever since he first saw her sleeping topless in that clearing in Australia when he kidnapped us." Ginny is glaring at me like no tomorrow. Thanduil raises an eyebrow at me,

"How did you find out about him looking at her while she was topless in that clearing? I know because he told me, but..."

"Legolas."

"Ah, I get it."

Miriel is looking at Ginny very wide eyed.

Ginny is glaring at Thanduil and I like she wants to kill us slowly and very, very painfully.

She is also as red as a tomato.

Ginny's POV

Everyone else spends the next couple of days trying to persuade Celeborn to come back to Valinor with us – I say everyone else as I don't participate. I'm pretty certain Celeborn will come with us – I've seen even the Valar quake with the thought of Galadriel's reputation, so he will have no chance.

I haven't said anything about either of my conversations with Galadriel or Celeborn so he's most likely just toying with everyone – probably the most fun he's had in quite a while.

This is the best reason I can think of when Thanduil arrives on the scene somewhat unexpectedly.

We initially see him from behind; he's talking with Celeborn.

At first, I don't realise that his companion is Celeborn for the latter is leaning against one of the stalls so we can't see his whole shape.

For one wild moment, I think that it's Adindel – I'm still not prepared for meeting him. Hell, the rate I'm going, I'll probably never be ready to meet Adindel.

Hopefully my gasp was covered up by a similar sound from Myrwen when she sees her husband.

I also hope my look and sigh of relief when we see Celeborn's profile was not noted.

I hold both Michael and Myrwen back when everyone surges forward to confront Thanduil.

The reasons for this are many and varied:

I doubt that Thanduil's explosive temper has been dulled at all over the last x-number of years – I like having Michael around and don't want him scared off.

Myrwen is going to be our main weapon for getting Thanduil back to Valinor and we don't want him noticing her until just the opportune moment.

I'm nervous myself about meeting him, not only because he was never more than polite to me, but also because several millennia of loneliness and alcohol-fuelled, depressive conversations could loosen anyone's tongue when talking about their feelings. I doubt even Adindel is immune to situations like that.

Anyway, we three watch as Thanduil greets his children and their spouses.

Myrwen gasps again, but this time, it's a sound full of longing – however much she missed her children, I think it was always Thanduil who she yearned for the most.

We then see Ellie and Legolas each take one of Thanduil's hands and guide him in our direction; Michael and I do the same to Myrwen.

I needn't have worried about Thanduil – he has eyes only for his wife.

I watch their reunion with a soft smile on my face. I know Ellie would call their kissing a 'degeneration' or something, but I just think it's romantic.

Somehow, it's rather hard to hate someone when you see them being so open and carefree with their feelings.

When Ellie tells Thanduil and Myrwen to get a room, I suddenly feel someone's eyes on me and turn to look. Everyone is still turned towards Thanduil and his wife, but I'm convinced I saw Gil-galad's head move slightly.

We don't see either Thanduil or Myrwen until the evening.

Gil-galad and I are with Ellie when the barman asks about them.

We're ordering drinks, well Gil-galad is; Ellie, Legolas, Elladan, Miriel, and I are going to help him carry the drinks back to where everyone else is sat. We're also ordering some food – the landlord seems to have become very friendly and chatty for some reason.

When Gil-galad sees the embarrassment flit across Ellie's face after the barman has said 'ah', he gets a nutty grin – the kind of grin that I've come to associate with mischief.

Carefully, he leans over and whispers (not that he really needs to whisper as he speaks in Quenya),

"May I be the first to offer my congratulations?" At the questioning looks, he elaborates, "The impending addition to the family."

He nods in the direction of Myrwen and Thanduil and then waits and watches as the comprehension begins to dawn on everyone's faces.

"But they already have children, why would..." Miriel trails off, I answer before Gil-galad as I also feel like teasing.

"Oh come on, Miriel. They have a lot of catching up to do; you may find that their passion gets the better of them."

Gil-galad smiles and nods approvingly; we collect some drinks and hastily make our way back to where everyone is sitting – they will not want to compound their embarrassment further by discussing such a subject in front of the pair in question.

My suspicions about Thanduil are confirmed in the morning at breakfast. He initially looks kind of surprised to see me – despite my transformation and the illusion, you can still tell it's me.

I think the first thought running about his head goes something along the lines of: 'what in the hell is she doing here?' (I think mostly stemming from the fact that he'd thought me dead for thousands of years).

The second probably pertains to confusion as to why I would willingly come back from Valinor in order to go and get the elves that still remained, especially as some never really tried to hide their dislike of me.

It also looks like I was right before: Thanduil must have had many heart-to-hearts with his brother over the years. I notice that he keeps glancing over at me all through breakfast – he doesn't seem confused anymore, he almost seems to be sizing me up.

If Adindel's feelings towards me ever stretched to anything more than desire, Thanduil may well be becoming conscious of the fact that there is now a vastly increased chance of his brother making those feelings plain for all to see. I can't quite make out whether he considers this a good or a bad thing.

After breakfast, we all decamp to an ornate Elizabethan mansion in order to let Thanduil in on our mission.

The official story is that Celeborn inherited the house, but everyone in our party realises that he was probably the one who had it built in the first place.

When we're all grouped together in the sunny drawing room, all members of the hunting party (well we are sort of hunting these elves down) lifts their illusions.

We have actually got it down to quite a fine art now – we all stand in a line or semi-circle or whatever and one-by-one lift our illusions; if we time it right, we can actually get a sort of Mexican wave effect – it's rather entertaining to see the eyes of whoever we're in front of following each change.

I notice Thanduil's eyes pause slightly when Gil-galad reveals himself; the smiles and greetings from both parties are rather strained when they're properly introduced.

I don't suppose you can really blame Thanduil for his animosity seeing that (as it were) Gil-galad is one of the Noldor big wigs.

The day passes pleasantly enough and I'm almost certain that Thanduil wants to talk to me about something (I wonder what).

Apart from being a highly embarrassing subject matter, I'm not really all that sure whether I actually want to talk to Thanduil about it, given the state of our relationship and everything.

Consequently, I spend as much time as possible avoiding any sort of situation which could enable Thanduil to get me on my own.

I can't avoid him forever though and he eventually corners me whilst I'm in the library with Ellie and Miriel.

What surprises – as well as unnerves – me is that he asks Ellie and Miriel to stay with us.

I'm unnerved because I highly doubt that several millennia after the event has Ellie's amusement over the revelation that Adindel not only ogled, but also fancied me all the time we were in Middle Earth, abated.

And what would Miriel say? She may be initially shocked at the turn of events, but then she may begin to see the situation as a gossip's dream. I think she's been looking for a way to get her own back after Gil-galad and I teased her about her parents' steamy reunion. Out of deference, she won't go near Gil-galad with a ten-foot barge pole, but I'm fair game.

However, seeing as both Ellie and Miriel are present, there's a little part of me that hopes that Adindel won't be mentioned.

That hope is killed off pretty quickly, however, when Thanduil (after a telling glance in my direction) asks,

"You know we haven't told my brother you are here yet?"

Obviously, I can't do anything more than look as nonchalant as I can (very hard given the circumstances) and try to brace myself for what I know is just around the corner.

"Because we thought that it wouldn't be a good idea to tell him Ginny is back, considering the way he feels about her."

Wait a minute, did he just say 'we'? Who on the earth would he tel ... oh god, he hasn't told Celeborn has he?

I can tell you that I'm now mentally bashing my head on the table in front of me.

I'm not helped of course by Miriel's evident belief in the fact that all her uncle wants to do to me is 'kill ... slowly and painfully' – Miriel's naivety has a nasty habit of showing itself at the worst possible times.

I feel my face begin to colour as Ellie explains to Miriel (as though she were a five year old) exactly how and why 'the Adindel hates and therefore wants to kill Ginny slowly and painfully' version of events just won't do anymore.

What other option is open to me now other than glare at both Thanduil and Ellie?

Usually, I'm rather happy and proud when I find out that what I thought was right; not so in this case.

Why oh why do people feel the need to have all these little heart-to-hearts? And don't say it's because of our highly developed brains – that sort of excuse really doesn't wash with a girl who's about to die of embarrassment.

Everyone is now staring at me; I can tell my face is aflame.

I can't really gauge either Thanduil or Ellie's expressions – the latter certainly seems to be on the amused end of the spectrum.

Miriel, on the other hand, although she's very wide eyed at this piece of information, is looking as though all her dreams have come true...


Chapter 12 - Flashbacks to the past.

Eleanor's POV

Somehow the 'Ginny topless on arrival in Middle Earth' story gets around the house very quickly.

I bet Ginny is wishing she hadn't trained Miriel to be a gossip now.

It is an amusingly long time before she can look at anyone without having to turn away because of our expressions, which generally show that we are trying not to laugh.

Or other equally sympathetic expressions.

One day she is complaining about this to me as we watch 'Have I Got News for You' on replay.

"Look on the bright side Ginny; he will have even more trouble living it down when he turns up!"

"Not funny, Eleanor."

Oops, I must have really pissed her off, she doesn't use my full name unless she is ... unamused.

About a week later, at a meal, Thanduil asked us all a question.

"There is another re-enactment in northern France, a place Josselin, do you want to come?"

"Is that Josselin as in the capital of the Dukes of Rohan?" I ask. Yes, there is a place called Rohan in Brittany, northern France. It is very pretty and medieval.

Thanduil looks at me in surprise; I don't think he expected any of us to know the place.

"Yes, how did you know about that?"

"My adopted parents took me to Brittany every year from when I was four until I was sixteen, though we usually went down to the Concarneau area. We went to Josselin a couple of times and stopped there on the journey. I like it." I explain.

"That re-enactment is not for a few weeks so if you wanted we could get a ferry or something down to Concarneau, then go up. Would you then like to go to Mont Saint Michel and some other Breton/Norman sites?" he replies.

"Oh, yes please. I have to admit that I still miss there, I have never fallen in love with one place as totally as I have Brittany." I am visibly grinning now; a tourist tour round my favourite bits of France is right up my street.

Hopefully I will be able to get all the old albums I want for me to bring back.

Ada is looking a bit jealous, I think he has once again been hit by the fact he missed my entire childhood and that someone else got all that pleasure of me as a child. I sort of feel sorry for him; I mean it is not like he had much choice about that.

A few days later (once we had collected our cats), we leave via a private jet and land at Quimper Airport, a nice modern place all of about fifteen minutes drive from Concarneau.

From there we took some choppers (seventeen people and fifteen cats don't fit in one) down to their house round there.

When I saw what the building was, I squealed like a three year old.

"It's the Yellow House!" I got a lot of blank, slightly freaked out looks. I decided elaboration might be in order.

"When we used to come here when I was a child, I always wanted to come here because I could see it from the road, but never worked out how to get here!" Celeborn smiles at me.

"Elfin magic rocks. We made sure humans could not get here, it is nice to know you like the accommodation though."

I have no idea how long it took me to stop grinning.

That night we ate in my favourite restaurant in the town and I indulged in my favourite dishes.

Somehow the sword shops seemed infinitely less interesting than the previous time I had been here.

The next day we actually showed the elves round the town, making sure to show them the chocolate lion.

Yes, the chocolate lion.

There is a sweetshop which makes statues of things out of sugar and/or chocolate and my favourite was always the chocolate lion.

Once we had finished shopping and looking around we went and sat in the theatre type area at the far end of the Ville Close, the old town of Concarneau.

We sat there eating crepe we got from a stall (yes, I know that is weird considering how we arrived, but it was fun) and gassing.

We had spread out a bit, my children down the front with their cousins and Lanthi and the rest of us spread across the higher tiers.

While we were happily chatting away, I felt a hand on my shoulder and a human voice says my name.

I turned around to see who it was.

My jaw dropped.

Then I let rip a stream of profanities.

Behind me were my human parents.

That was not supposed to happen.

I guess that is also a lesson on why I should not have use an illusion so close to how I looked as a human.

All my elfin friends are giving me weird looks.

Ginny is staring at me wide eyed and probably think the words I am saying.

Mum had red rimmed eyes and dad did not appear much better.

"Erm, hi. What you doing here?"

Bad English I know but my parents had shocked me into reverting back to the slang I used when young.

"You're dead; they told us you had almost certainly died. How can you be here, eating crepe, so easily?" My heart broke for them.

I search for a way to explain everything to them.

"You didn't tell me I was adopted." They gasp.

"How did you find out about that?" I point down at my father, a couple of tiers below.

"That is my father. If you are wondering, my disappearance was not my idea." I give my husband a significant look and he has the grace to look a little sheepish.

I think he is slightly guilty now he can see firsthand how taking me that day affected my family here.

He had previously thought that this was an all-round good thing, but he is now seeing my other family.

I also notice my father trying his best not to look jealous as he knows he really owes these humans for having brought me up.

The rest of the day is spent trying to explain to them what happened without letting Ada in on the politics of why I was brought back.

We never did tell him that for fear of him exploding.

The looks on my parents faces when I raise the illusion for them, as does Gin and everyone else who is paying attention (in other words, not Lanthi or either set of younger twins) then for the cats, our constant companions.

I don't think they have ever seen proper giant cats before.

Nyx greets them in a way I more associate with dogs, and that is to slobber them.

There is also the fun of their expression when I tell them that two of the adult people in the arena are my children and that the younger one is actually married to another of the adult people.

At least I haven't got grandchildren.

That would just make me feel old.

Eventually they explain they had come there to grieve for me as that had always been one of my favourite places.

That night we go to this little restaurant called the Harlequin and I deliberately order the seafood pizza.

This is because I know they don't shell the seafood so you get whole mussels, langoustine, and a variety of other shellfish.

The look on the faces of those not forewarned was extremely funny.

My human parents agreed with me on that.

When I went to bed that night, I felt the reunion, short though it had to be, went really well.

Hell, it could have been a lot messier.

Ginny's POV

I shall never forgive Miriel, never! The story about Adindel ogling me gets around the house in about the same time it takes to read a stop sign.

I suppose it's my fault really; I shouldn't have trained Miriel to be such a gossip, but how was I supposed to know that several millennia into the future something even more worthy of gossip than a royal wedding would come and bite me on the behind?

The day after our conversation with Thanduil, I come down to breakfast rather late. All noise stops when I enter the dining room; everyone is staring at me – they're all desperately trying to keep their faces straight. I feel my own begin to burn and quickly take my seat, avoiding eye contact with everyone.

This becomes such a regular occurrence that I take to having my meals separately. This is only possible with breakfast and lunch though, as we always have dinner together. During these times I try to act all unconcerned, but, given my behaviour at other points during the day, this is really rather pointless.

Only Thanduil and Celeborn don't share everyone else's amusement – Thanduil's reasons must hail from brotherly loyalty, whilst Celeborn's from the fact that he has evidently known for some time.

I'm so grateful that there are some who don't find the situation amusing that I go up to them and kiss them (yes, even Thanduil) on the cheek by way of thanks.

Eventually, however, the novelty wears off and my face is finally able to return to its normal hue.

The next day Thanduil informs us that there is to be another re-enactment at Josselin, northern France.

I can't wait – I'm all for going. Ellie and I had visited parts of Brittany at the beginning of our world trip, but we only had a few days so we didn't really get to explore as much as we wanted to.

"Hey, don't forget about the cats!" I pipe up as Thanduil and Ellie's conversation draws to a close, "We haven't seen them in ages and, seeing as we're evidently going to be away for quite some time, we really should take them with us."

Everyone readily agrees to this proposal, although both Celeborn and Thanduil look a little shaken at the prospect of travelling with fifteen cats, all of whom are actually very large and very protective of their respective owners.

Reasons pertaining to limited space are amongst those given when Ellie and I alone drive off to collect said cats.

The reunion between cats and elves is rather touching and amusing to say the least, even those like Gil-galad who like to make out they're so hard and tough, come over all gushy when their cat scampers up. I smile to myself when I see him begin to play with little (well, all the cats are little at the moment) Bastet (Gil-galad liked the idea of there being an Egyptian cat goddess) as though she were a child.

I wonder what sort of father he'd be.

Why am I even thinking that?

Anyway...

Apparently, it's still going to take a few days for all the cats' travel documents to come through. I'm surprised that Celeborn and Thanduil even managed to arrange for it all at such short notice.

Celeborn informs me later that they have contacts as well as a few favours that needed to be called in at the government office which deals with this sort of thing.

I'm so happy to have Murrlin back that during that night, I remove both her collar and my necklace and get Murrlin all settled on a squashy pile of cushions while I take my duvet and snuggle down next to her, using her as a pillow.

A few days later, we finally arrive at our destination in France.

I'm as excited as Ellie when we see which house they live in. Ellie had insisted we come here on our world trip, she hoped that a fresh pair of eyes would enable us to find a way over to the Yellow House. We never did though.

It's rather weird when you stop and think that, when we here before, we had no idea what would happen to us in Australia and that we were planning out our lives in ways that were completely different from how they turned out; not to mention the fact that when we were living in this world, Celeborn, Thanduil, and Adindel were always around doing all their medieval stuff.

Come to think of it actually, I remember watching a history programme and that the aforementioned elves were mentioned briefly on it (obviously by their pseudonyms). I'm rather creeped out by the fact that one of those that I had vaguely heard about when I was a teenager actually ends up fancying the living daylights out of me and that I return from another world just to fetch him back.

I bet Dr. Who would have a field-day with that lot!

The next day, we all (cats included) troop off to the local town.

Yet again, we make quite a scene. It's not so much the number of us, which isn't really that big, especially when you consider the fact that the locals are probably used to seeing large numbers of foreigners milling around.

No, it's the presence of fifteen cats which gets us noticed. At least we have illusions for them as well otherwise we could find ourselves in a whole heap of dog pooh.

Anyway, we spend a lot of the time being tourists and exploring all the old parts of the town as well as visiting mine and Ellie's all time favourite sweetshop.

They also sell smaller versions of their statues and we all buy one. Mine is actually a teddy bear shape, but who cares?

I'm ashamed to admit that I manage to consume it all in one sitting. Well, it was just so delectable. Besides, I'm an elf and our constitutions are slightly more hard wearing than a human's.

Afterward, we wend our way over to the end of the Ville Close and sit down to eat crepe.

I sit down below everyone else with Ada; Gil-galad and Turgon are in the tier behind us; behind them is a group consisting of Miriel, Elrohir, Elladan, Myrwen, Thanduil, and Celeborn; Ellie and Legolas are alone together on the third highest tier; the five youngest members of our group have abandoned us in favour of the front tier.

We're all happily chatting and laughing together when the light-hearted mood is instantaneously swept away by a pitifully questioning voice that says one word:

"Eleanor?"

I recognise that voice; how many times had I spoken to Ellie's adopted father when we were at uni together?

Everyone whips around.

Ellie is turning the air blue with a string of short, sharp swear words.

Judging by the fact that every elf in the immediate vicinity is giving Ellie and her adopted parents the oddest of looks, I'm the only one who fully understands the situation as well as Ellie's reaction, even if they did use Ellie's full human name.

Silence falls; everyone around me has zoned in on the little group in front of us, no one really knowing what to do.

Personally, I'm on tenterhooks, waiting for one of the three to break the deadlock.

"Erm, hi. What you doing here?"

I have to admit, I would have probably said something just as ungrammatical.

I turn away, eyes closed, when Ellie's adopted mother finds her quivering voice – she sounds so lost, so bewildered.

Apart from the contact they must have had with each other when news of our disappearance first came out, I have no idea whether Ellie's parents would still be in touch with mine.

What must they have gone and be going through?

Ellie's mum is right – how can we be eating crepe so easily? Does this make me a selfish person – for not contacting my parents in some way to let them know what happened to me?

But how would I even begin to explain? I can hardly put my life story into a letter and how would I end it? 'Yeah, sorry, I've just come back from the Undying Lands to collect some elves who should have sailed ages ago, but I couldn't find time to pop in to let you know how it's going.' I don't think so.

A hand on my shoulder makes me jump, I look up to see Ada on his feet – apparently Ellie wants to introduce us all properly.

"Are you OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Ada narrows his eyes slightly, but doesn't pursue the matter.

I hastily rub my eyes when I'm certain no one is looking and then smile as I'm introduced.

I can't quite gauge Ellie's parents' reactions when Ellie informs them that I've been transformed into an elf – shock is probably the nearest description.

'Shock' doesn't even come close to describing their reaction when we all lift our illusions – although the usual amusement at said lifting is somewhat lacking in this case (for me anyway).

Despite everything, I begin to relax and enjoy myself as we spend the rest of the day and then the evening with Ellie's adopted parents – they were always easy to get on with.

It's only after the meal at the Harlequin, when we're all saying good night, that I finally pluck up courage to ask Ellie's father something,

"Do you see my parents at all?"

If Ada heard this, he doesn't say so.

Ellie's father delicately considers his answer.

"We haven't seen them for a while now; we all thought it would be best... closure and all that."

"Please... don't tell them you've seen me... I just... can't..."

They both nod in understanding.

I then rejoin everyone else for the drive back to the Yellow House.

Later on, long after everyone has gone to bed, I creep downstairs and out into the garden, mobile in hand.

I know it's a disgustingly late/early hour, especially as England is one hour behind France, but my mind won't let me rest until I do this.

Shaking, I punch in my telephone number – for whatever reason, it's one of the few details I can remember about my old home.

I lean against tree, listening as the phone rings at the other end.

A very sleepy voice answers,

"Hello?" It's Mum.

My courage fails me; I just stare ahead, trying to get my voice to work.

"Hello? Look, this isn't funny..."

I sniff as my screwed up eyes begin to leak.

This stays Mum, she says (far more tenderly this time),

"Who is this? ... I'm going to have to put the phone down now."

This is my last chance – I know I shall never be able to do this again.

I say, my voice barely audible,

"I love you..."

Whether Mum heard or not, I don't know for I immediately disconnect the call.


Chapter 13 - One easy lesson in how to make an entrance

Ginny's POV

Even now I don't know exactly why I made that phone call – it's not like I'm even technically biologically their daughter anymore.

God, how callous was that?

Maybe I wanted to reach out to them last time, for my own 'closure'.

I'm not sure if even I will ever be able to fully answer that.

The next few days is a rather weird experience for me – I'm happy for Ellie and her adopted parents that they've be able to see each other again, but when I see them together, there always some part of me that's wishing for them to go away or for my own parents to be here in their place

All in all, I'm relieved when we part company at the end of the week; at least we can all go back to how we were before.

Hopefully, the next time we see them, things will be slightly less of an ordeal for all of us.

It's so good to be friends with those who have major contacts in the fair/re-enactment world – at Josselin, we don't stay in the big hotel, we get to stay with the Duke of Rohan in his own house: the Chateau Josselin.

This is a far better prospect all round, especially for the cats as they get to run around the grounds as opposed to being shut up indoors all the time.

Being the charming host he is, the Duke of Rohan insists on welcoming us with a proper black-tie dinner. We girls all squeal delightedly when we're told this as it means we get to wear gorgeous, figure enhancing gowns.

I'm not sure what the men-folk think of the prospect when they realise they will have to wear bow-ties and dinner jackets. If what Thanduil, Celeborn, and Adindel look like in ordinary suits is anything to go by, then they will all look rather appealing.

A smart suit always does something for a man I've discovered – it gives him a certain je ne sais quoi. Then there are the evening gowns worn by us girls, I've always held myself slightly differently when wearing a floor-length gown and heels, of course the whole effect is enhanced by our elfin grace.

All our dresses are gorgeously elegant, haute couture creations. My own is made of dark gold silk, has a love-heart neckline, and a small train. The decoration on the dress is a sort of starburst in paler, glittery gold on my left-hand side, level with my waist. Similarly coloured gold piping radiates out from the star all over the front of the dress.

My shoes match my dress, but I secure my hair with silver pins. My jewellery also doesn't match my dress, instead the necklace, earrings, and bracelet are made of silver weaved into delicate filigree designs and embedded with minute rubies.

We all congregate in one of the upper sitting rooms while Ellie makes her way downstairs.

She returns a few minutes later with our host; I very much doubt that I'm the only female in the room with her mouth ever so slightly open.

The Duke is GORGEOUS; in fact he's so hot that he's virtually steaming!

I lean over and whisper in Valya's ear,

"If I wasn't barred by circumstances, then I don't think I'd turn him down if he asked for my hand in marriage." I say this in Quenya, just to make sure the Duke doesn't hear it. Of course any elves within earshot can understand whatever language I speak, so maybe that's why Ada's head jerks slightly in our direction.

The Duke is probably all too aware of his good looks, which is the most likely reason for his flirtatious manner when he's introduced to us girls, even the ones who make it quite plain that they are married (probably to remind themselves of the fact as much as anything).

I do notice that the Duke's eyes light up ever so slightly when he's introduced to Valya and I, us being the only two single girls in the room.

"Enchanté, Ma Belle," he says seductively, before kissing my hand.

I smile and incline my head slightly, aware that all eyes in the room are fixed upon us.

We all chat for a while as we wait for the Mayor to arrive. The Duke, although he pays every female the same amount of attention, manages to stay by my side as though we were joined at the hip.

I must admit that I probably flirted with the Duke more than I was supposed to, but what's wrong with that? He's the first male to show me any such attention in quite a long while and I intend to enjoy every minute of it.

The Mayor arrives a little while later and we presently descend to the magnificent great hall.

The Duke and I go first, and then the Mayor and Valya, then all the couples, and those males who don't have a female to escort bring up the rear.

The Duke sits at the head of the carved, oak table and everyone else sits boy girl on either side.

The meal, well banquet really, is utterly splendid and lasts for quite a few hours.

Once the meal was finally over and all the coffee and liqueurs had been removed, all the females with a husband were whisked away at an amusingly fast pace – all were wearing seductively gorgeous dresses.

This makes mine and Valya's situation slightly awkward as we're now the only two females left and the Duke has a twinkle in his eye which suggests he wants to follow in the footsteps of Ellie and co.

Fortunately, I'm not the only one to have noticed as Ada and Gil-galad both rise in unison with the Duke.

Ada offers me his hand.

"Thank you, Monsieur, but I will escort my ... sister back to her room." I could tell he was about to say 'daughter' – thank God he stopped himself otherwise we would be facing a lot of uncomfortable questions, especially as Ada and I look about the same age.

The Duke's eyes flicker slightly, but he bows.

Thanduil, evidently worried that his grand-daughter would receive similar treatment from either the Duke or the Mayor, quickly follows Ada's lead.

The next day we girls all dress up in gorgeous flowing dresses and the boys in tunic and hose.

All the males are noticeably more comfortable with this get up than what they were last night. This makes them all seem rather more attractive.

We ride in two carriages – all of us in gorgeous flowing dresses ride inside, whilst all the males balance on the outside; Thanduil and Celeborn do the driving.

Upon arrival, Elladan and Gil-galad jump down, open the doors, and help us girls down.

Once he's opened the fair, the Duke offers me his arm and escorts me to the stalls. Gil-galad insists on following us; I think this somewhat annoys the Duke, not that he was ever going to try anything more than flirt as Ada's manner last night was more than enough to warn anyone off.

After the stalls, he takes me to a central open area where there is dancing as well as sword fighting.

As I'm in another silken creation, which is incidentally white and the palest shade of lilac imaginable, I decide against proving my skills with a sword, instead opting to be shown a few traditional dance moves.

I partner the Duke at first, but for some reason this seems to annoy Gil-galad and he insists on partnering me for the next dance.

I'm rather tired after the dance with Gil-galad as it was quite a fast, complicated number so we wander over to the food area and sip some homemade lemonade before wandering back to the open area where a jousting demonstration is being set up.

The Duke did offer me wine, but I declined. I may be an Elf with an alcohol tolerance that goes up to the clouds, but that doesn't mean to say I will willingly drink the stuff anymore than I have to.

There is already quite a large crowd jostling around the edge of the jousting area, so we three stand to one side and begin chatting. Well, the Duke begins chatting – he begins to relate his family history.

It starts off interesting enough, but then it begins to go on and on and on...

You know the feeling you get when you're just so saturated with information that your brain cries out for a rest? Well, it was getting to that point when we're all distracted in a way that none of us expected.

I'm nodding vaguely, trying to look interested as the Duke enters the eighteenth century when, out of the corner my eye, I notice a very tall, blonde male coming straight towards us.

I've barely begun to turn in his direction when I find myself pulled into said male's arms and his lips planted on mine passionately.

IT was at that point that I lost all coherency.

Eleanor's POV

Approximately a week later, we left for Josselin.

When we left there was much hugging, kissing, and the extracting of promises from my human parents.

The main promise was to be back in that part of Brittany for the festivals, like the Fillet Bleu. This would be translated from French as the Festival of the Blue Nets, which was a celebration that happened every summer in Concarneau and is always great fun.

Though I wouldn't eat the food served on the street, not after last time.

Also bring baby wipes; there is a lack of hygienic loos.

Anyway, off the problems suffered before at that fun little festival.

When we got to Josselin, we actually stayed in another posh house, which I am sure was one hell of a lot more comfortable than the nearest hotel.

We have arrived there a day or so early to get our bearings and whatever before the main fair thingy.

I have to admit I enjoy running round the town even more than I did last time, partly because of the spell that means I don't have to learn French because, whatever language I speak, the person I am talking to understands and vice versa. It also applies to reading things, which is very useful.

This is to be a rather different than before at Bodiam as the Chateau Josselin is still inhabited by the Rohan family.

The aforementioned family head wanted to meet us the night beforehand with the Mayor of Josselin, as the fair was originally organised by the town and then the elf people were called in as the professionals.

There was a proper dinner party organised in the great hall area and we got out smart clothes.

That is, the guys were in suits which they were trying not to look uncomfortable in and us girls were revelling in beautiful haute couture evening gowns, one of the joys of being stinking rich this time round.

Around early evening I go out of the sitting room everyone is waiting in and begin to descend to the lower level of the house when the butler comes out of the entrance hall with a young-ish man in military uniform.

He is probably thirty something with French good looks.

Those being dark hair, slightly tanned skin, and dark eyes.

He looks rather delectable.

No, down brain!

Married!

He looks up at me with a look that says he is appreciating the slinky midnight-blue dress I am wearing with a daringly low neckline.

"May I enquire as to who you are, beautiful lady?" he says in smooth, rich sounding French that reminds me of exactly why they refer to French as the language of love.

"I am Eleanor, Aaron's daughter-in-law" That statement makes it absolutely clear I am off limits. I see his face flicker slightly when I say that, then the charming expression returns. He dismisses the butler and I lead the Duke, who I suspect is a bit of a playboy, to the sitting room.

My suspicions are increased when he is introduced to the other females in the room and he is complementary, to say the least, to all of them.

This time, his expression does not flicker when he is told most of us females are taken.

He does take to calling Ginny 'Ma Belle' though.

The first time he does I happen to be looking at a certain nutty High King. Well, I never realised that...

His expression actually flickered to what I am sure was jealousy.

Well that will make life interesting.

Our lovely Duke, in his smart, blue uniform, offers his arm to Ginny, who is wearing a strapless, gold satin dress which clings to her curves and enhances her now quite considerable height.

She, like all us elves, could now easily get a job as a model at 5' 11". She is still short for an elf, but for a human?

She takes his arm as Valya takes the arm of the considerably less attractive, but still nice Mayor who arrived a little later and the rest of us take the arms of our husbands.

The meal is suitably spectacular and provides all sorts of opportunities for flirtation that I am sure only a continental, preferably of the Latin nature, would think of.

Our French Duke definitely thought of them.

I noticed that he concentrated on Ginny, probably because, though we had not told him all of the relationships present, he knew that Valaráto was Valya's brother and my son was wearing a protective big brother look, never mind that he is technically younger if only by a few minutes.

It could also have been a matter of personal taste.

Whatever, when the meal was over, everyone seemed a little relieved.

I soon got this impression that the married males in the room had another reason to be relieved as all of them whisked off their wives, all dressed in slinky haute couture gowns, to the bedrooms.

I had a very entertaining night that night.

Legolas was very attentive.

The next morning, when I was very glad for the elfin constitution being way better than a human one, we got up and dressed medieval.

For a laugh we had arranged proper medieval style carriages to get to the fayre in the castle garden park.

The Duke greet us formally, he himself in tailored tunic and hose I am sure he had designed from one of the medieval portraits hanging around his ancestral home.

Then he announces in that beautiful French of his that the fayre is officially started.

It is strange to do this in France as we are in the place that William the Bastard, sorry William the Conqueror (to use his polite epithet), ruled first, well near it anyway.

It is really quite fun actually.

At one point I am with Thanduil, Legolas, Miriel, and Elrohir when Thanduil turns round and gasps.

He also goes just a bit white.

I try looking where he obviously has glanced and don't see anything.

What I do see is, a little way off, Ginny, the Duke, and a slightly possessive looking Gil-galad talking together.

Then Miriel gasps,

"Is that who I think it is?"

She seems more than a little shocked and has also gone slightly pale.

"Is what who you think it is?" I ask, just a little mystified.

She points to a tall figure in the crowd that has long blonde hair pulled back and covering their ears.

That person is far too tall to be female, even for an elf.

Uh-oh, I have a feeling I know who that is.

The blonde head turns slightly and looks towards Ginny.

That figure suddenly moves about as fast as it can through the crowd, which is not over enthusiastic about fast moving.

We also try to make our way to Ginny and co, some primal instinct tells us that there is about to be trouble.

As we get closer to them, I see that I was right.

Blondie would be Adindel.

"What the hell is he doing here? He was not supposed to be here until this evening!"

This is Thanduil's contribution to the proceedings.

Much to our amazement, Adindel went straight to Ginny.

He wasn't even sneering.

What the hell?

The Sindarin Prince then pulls her into his arms and kisses her senseless.

While we are all gaping, my eyes drift to Gil-galad.

He is glaring daggers at Adindel.


Chapter 14 - And another in awkward

Eleanor's POV

The only sort of recovery we make from the most pure undiluted shock possible is to get closer to the four.

Ginny is standing in Adindel's arms totally unresisting, almost certainly because she is as shocked as the rest of us.

He carries on totally oblivious to anything else around him, including the impending threat of death from one very jealous High King.

Once his has finished pillaging her mouth, which had dropped open in surprise at some point, his lips begin to migrate over her face and neck.

He seems to be trying to kiss every bit of exposed skin like it is the only chance he will ever have.

If Gil-galad's expression is anything to go by then he might be right there.

As we get closer we begin to hear that every moment he is not kissing her skin, he is murmuring away in Sindarin.

Listening to what he is saying we get that, approximately, he thinks he is hallucinating and that he will take what he can get while it lasts because soon it will be gone and he will go back to being lonely.

'It' I am pretty sure is Ginny and any form of affection or whatever you want to call it that he can get from her.

Then he kisses the point of the ear without the piercing and Ginny's body shudders slightly and I think her legs give way. I am guessing she has just discovered how sensitive elfin ears are when kissed.

Gil-galad can obviously take no more and coughs significantly and takes Adindel's shoulder in a firm grasp.

The Sindar Prince pulls back as Gil-galad lets him see past his illusion to who is really standing beside Ginny, incredibly possessively.

We all converge in the hopes of stopping another Kinslaying.

It takes Ginny a few seconds to come back to her senses and get to her feet again before pulling away from Adindel.

"Brother?" Thanduil asks softly, obviously shocked to the core, just like the rest of us.

"I think I am going mad, Thanduil, for she died millennia ago at the dawn of the Age of Men yet she is here, young as when I first saw her, not like she was at the end. How can it be?" He sounds absolutely devastated, I never realised that his affection went beyond desire, I think only Thanduil ever found that out.

"Eleanor convinced the Valar to give her immortality and change her into an elf. Look at her, and then you will see it is Ginny in the form of our kind."

The gaze Adindel then turns on his brother is tortured.

"But how could she return from Valinor? Surely she wouldn't have chosen our fate to walk among Men and guard the last lines of the elves' blood when she had lived in the splendour of the Undying Lands."

Now that is an interesting statement, one to be explored at a later date though.

"Despite previous assumptions, brother mine, we have not been barred from Valinor for not coming for so long. Actually, the Valar have sent fifteen elves of Valinor to 'go fetch'."

Adindel raises one eyebrow perfectly.

"Go fetch?"

"Manwë's words not mine," I but in.

He then looks around, all of us now being near and having lifted the illusions which concealed our identities.

The expression on his face when he looks on Myrwen is amusing.

I suspect it has something to do with the fact that she has obviously seen his rather emphatic greeting of Ginny and he is embarrassed, considering the fact he once courted Myrwen, but lost out to his brother.

The entire conversation went on in Sindarin and this leaves the Duke of Rohan looking at the rest of us rather blankly.

I decide it is an idea to take the Frenchman aside and give him an explanation, albeit an edited one.

"Right, Alistair over there has loved Ginny for donkeys years, but last time they were near each other, he tried to hide by acting like a bit of a prick because he had previously tried to get Myrwen to marry him as she was his first love, but married his brother. He has been separated from Ginny for some time now and thought she was dead for various reasons, the same applies to Myrwen. The last two people he had expected here would be those two and once he finished showing Ginny how he really felt about her, or more precisely was stopped, we had to explain to him what the hell was going on."

The Duke gives me an arch look.

"That sounds like part of the plot of a bad romance novel, Belle Dame."

I grin,

"You haven't heard half of it yet. There is a lot more that sounds even more like the plot line to a bad romance novel bar the fact that my presence means that I deliberately took some of the romance factor out and brought the whole thing back to earth again. There are several romances that have happened in the story, many with trials, tribulations, and politics involved, not to mention running away, explosive reunions, and arguments with the in-laws."

"Does that stuff actually happen?"

"It does in my family at least." I answer.

He laughs.

A few hours later we are sitting in the main sitting room of the house trying to explain things to the still shell-shocked Adindel.

Miriel and I soon pick up our own version of Leggy and Gimli's count-the-Orc-kill game – count-the-longing-looks.

We are also playing count-the-jealous-looks as well.

No prizes for guessing which elf each game is pointed at.

Once Adindel is suitably over his shock, he asks Ginny to go somewhere private for them to talk.

If looks could kill then Adindel would be getting to Valinor through the Halls of Mandos.

After a few minutes of silence during which Miriel and I are looking at Gil-galad and trying not to burst out laughing, we fail.

We don't stop laughing until our ribs are aching, goodness, males are so funny.

While Ginny and Adindel are off talking, we are all taking the opportunity to express our surprise at this turn of events.

I mean, we had all by now worked out that he had a thing for her, but that was not what any of us expected to happen.

A little while later, in the evening, the two return and both immediately went to the drinks cabinet.

Ginny got herself a Baileys and Adindel helped himself to a large whiskey.

Ginny does not usually drink and definitely not strong stuff in any serious quantities, but she downed that Baileys like a seasoned drinker.

I am not nearly so surprised at how Adindel manages to down what must have been a triple shot in five seconds flat.

Both avoid looking at each other, I think that might have been an awkward conversation.

Now I understand why Elves don't have anything like Mills and Boon.

They don't need it, they can just look at real life.

Ginny's POV

Adindel carries on kissing me like there's no tomorrow. Due to the fact that I'm temporarily stunned with shock as well as being clutched firmly to Adindel's chest, I let him carry on without any resistance on my part – never mind the fact that I'm not doing anything to encourage him.

When he finally releases my mouth, I take deep breaths in order to steady and calm myself; not that there was much point in this as Adindel begins to trail kisses all over my face, neck, and top of my chest.

My dress is yet again tastefully low-cut so there is plenty of bare skin for him to kiss.

Adindel is also gently stroking the exposed skin on my back.

Not only is Adindel kissing every bit of skin he can find, he's also murmuring away to himself. I can tell the language he's using is his native Sindarin, but I have absolutely no idea what is being said as I'm still stunned with shock.

Hell, he could have been singing 'Nessun Dorma' and I still probably wouldn't have heard any of the words.

Adindel then suddenly begins trailing kisses up the side of my neck. I have a pretty good idea at where he's headed – how many times had I seen Ellie and Miriel be kissed in the same way?

My friends had tried their best to describe what it feels like to be kissed on the point of the ear, but nothing, and I mean NOTHING, prepares you for the rush of the pleasurable, tingling sensation that washes all over your body.

So unexpected is it that I shudder and my legs give way. Luckily, I'm leaning against Adindel and he manages to hold me up with his strong arms.

I breathe more deeply than ever, trying to compose myself; it is significantly easier this time as Adindel's lips are no longer in contact with my body.

It is only now that I notice that we have an audience and that Gil-galad is staring into Adindel's eyes with an expression I can only describe as jealous hatred.

It is this that makes me really wake up and pull myself out of Adindel's arms. I back away a few paces and jump about a foot in the air when Ada puts his arms protectively around me.

'Paternal distrust' doesn't even cover what is currently flashing across his face, but he is stayed from any action when we all hear the anguish in Adindel's voice.

I look at both Thanduil and Adindel – the former is wearing a look of brotherly concern, the latter inconsolable pain. Adindel almost seems to be pleading with his brother that what he is being told cannot be true.

I catch Adindel's eye when he looks at me – his expression tells me everything.

The rest of the afternoon is awkward to say the least, not least because Adindel evidently wants to talk to me, but was always prevented from coming too near me, namely by Thanduil who seemed to have super-glued himself to his brother's side.

Elladan did try to make light of the situation by saying that Adindel obviously had something else on his mind other than talking, but he was quelled at once by a look from his sister-in-law.

Adindel gets his chance to talk to me later in the day back at the Chateau.

It had been suggested that Adindel really deserved a fuller explanation of events, and that is what we have been doing for the past couple of hours.

Luckily, either Ellie or Miriel fill in on the bits concerning me seeing as it was clear that I was in no fit state to do so myself. I just sit in one of the Duke's antique chairs, not speaking, and not looking anybody in the eye.

The whole conversation is made ten times worse by my guilt over some of our actions – one of which is bound to arise between Adindel and me at some point in the future.

As the conversation draws to a close, Adindel gets to his feet and comes over to me,

"Is there somewhere private we can go to talk?"

I lead him up to my room.

I was considering going outside and wandering around the gardens, but I was afraid Adindel would take it the wrong the way.

I automatically sit on the sofa when we enter my room; Adindel sits next to me before I can stop him. I would have got up to sit somewhere else, but I was too embarrassed to do so.

The smell of Adindel's deodorant fills my nostrils and I try not to breathe in too deeply.

Before you ask, it's very weird to smell modern deodorant on an Elf I last saw dressed in robes in Middle Earth.

We actually sit in complete silence for quite a while, both too self-conscious to talk.

"You look beautiful, Ginny."

I don't react to the use of my nickname – even in later years, Adindel and I had always been very formal with each other; I think this is the first time I've ever heard him call me 'Ginny'.

I also realise that I'm still using my illusion and this prompts a question,

"How did you recognise me at the fair? I mean I wasn't facing you and my transformation did change my features slightly."

Adindel looks at me before answering slowly,

"I don't know; I was looking around for my brother and then I noticed your little group. I couldn't be sure at first, but something in my heart told me it was you."

I have to smile and laugh slightly at this – looking at Adindel I can see his brother and, by extension, his nephew in him. Adindel looks confused at my reaction so I explain,

"What you just said sounded like something Legolas would say to Ellie; she told me once that Legolas said her image had burnt itself into his heart. You never really struck me as the overly romantic type."

"Well, my behaviour towards you was never as it should have been, especially given what has happened since we last saw each other."

Adindel's hand suddenly makes a jerky motion as though he was about to reach out to touch my cheek, but thought better of it. Being an Elf, I'm able to sense the slightest movement and react to it with virtually the speed of light; I react by pulling back ever so slightly. The movement would be barely noticeable to a human, but Adindel notices it. His eyes flicker. Feeling guilty, I drop my gaze.

"I wouldn't do that to you, Ginny." Even to an Elf, Adindel's voice is barely audible.

Another awkward silence ensues during which I consider what Ellie would do to lighten the situation.

I eventually decide that needling is the best tactic.

I put my head on one side and say teasingly,

"You know you did a damn fine impression of hating my guts. I was most surprised to find out the truth; Ellie will enjoy telling you I went into virtual apoplexy."

"It wasn't so much your guts that I hated; it was your humanity which I took offense to."

I sit up straighter and purse my lips, staring at Adindel with as much contempt that can be put into one look.

Adindel pales and tries to make instant reparation by launching into this big speech about his Sindar upbringing and about million other similar excuses, but, bless him, he keeps tripping up over his own words. He also manages to let slip one or two insults about humans, insults which he really shouldn't be uttering at this juncture if he wants to have any chance with me at all – Elf I may be, but I'm still enormously protective over my upbringing and roots.

Adindel goes on in this manner for over ten minutes, stopping only when I lean back against the cushions, cross my arms, and say resignedly,

"Men!"

I, of course, say it automatically, but Adindel just looks aghast and launches into a similar tirade, only this time, it has even more insults against humanity.

That's right, Adindel, forget the spade and go for the JCB instead.

It is rather amusing and actually rather endearing to watch.

Suddenly – I have absolutely no idea where this came from – I lean over and hug Adindel, who stops in mid-flow.

I think he is just as surprised as I was when he kissed me earlier – probably due to the fact that this is the most amount of affection I've ever willingly shown him.

Slowly, ever so gently, Adindel's arms fold themselves around me.

I think it was the sensation of his soft hands upon my back that wakes me up. I stiffen, as does Adindel, but he doesn't let go, it is me who has to break the clasp.

Pulling back, I feel myself going red, but the room has luckily darkened during our conversation, so Adindel can't see.

We again sit in awkward silence, not looking at each other and looking away instantly when we do.

Eventually, Adindel gets to his feet and begins nervously pacing up and down. He's also muttering away to himself, but I'm not really paying attention.

My ears only prick up when Adindel stops and says,

"I could kill for a whiskey right now."


Chapter 15 - Mud

Ginny's POV

I'm very thankful when an early night is suggested as I've hardly been able to even look in Adindel's direction since we re-joined the others.

In fact, everyone seems to be rather nervous; no one speaks very much and we all jump to our feet when Turgon announces his intention to turn in.

It seems all the Valar are impatient to the core for, over breakfast, Ellie describes how she awoke very early and entered the sitting room, soon finding herself face-to-face with none other than Ulmö.

I think this unnerves all our victims slightly as the appearance of one their deities must really bring home to them the fact that we are most definitely only here to 'fetch' them back to where they belong.

Apparently, we've been summoned to Mont Saint Michel, where we shall all meet Ulmö – on the sands.

Why, I hear you ask. Well, don't look at me – Ellie just skimmed over that part. I don't think Ulmö really gave her a satisfactory answer.

However, we can't leave Josselin for a few days yet as various members of our group have actually been paid to attend the fair.

The Duke attends everyday and is still determinedly flirting with me, even though he was also witness to Adindel's 'pillaging of my mouth' as Ellie called it (yes, using her usual political skill with tact and delicacy)!

The fair passes much the same as it had at the start, although I get some pretty interesting looks from various quarters, especially if I'm in a group that includes Adindel – I'm always glad to leave at the end of the day.

When the fair finally finishes, we bid farewell to the Duke. This is done with many kisses all around; the Valinorians are slightly put out at being required to kiss the Duke on both cheeks, but as Ellie and I have been told many times before: etiquette is etiquette!

I don't think the Elves were all too happy with our smug expressions and many comments that included some sort of reference to 'payback'!

We all pile into a mass of helicopters and fly in a northerly direction to Mont Saint Michel.

We have booked into a lovely hotel owned by none other than the Tayconters – something tells me that that might not be a coincidence! We also happen to take over the entirety of one of its buildings.

We're left to our own devices on our first day, but are invited into a private sitting room in the evening where we finally get to meet our hosts.

There are three in the family: Fabrice, Suzanne, and their absolutely adorable little girl Isabelle.

One of the things that immediately strikes all of us when we sit down in front of the little group is how much Fabrice and his daughter resemble our old friends from Gondor, not to mention their great to God only knows (literally) how much uncles, i.e. Elladan and Elrohir.

This is probably why they in particular take such a shine to little Isabelle and take charge of her for the majority of our visit.

As the Tayconters already know Celeborn, Thanduil, and Adindel, they treat this a bit like a catch-up session. Many minutes are passed while they ask after each other's current activities, etc.

Suzanne then looks over at the rest of us with a meaningful expression that implies proper introductions are in order.

Thanduil begins,

"Over here is my wife, Myrwen; our children, Llordan and Miriel; and their spouses, Alex and Ellie; and those four are our grandchildren, Valya, Vala, Aini, and Mána." The last four he points at like a teenager and wearing a manic grin.

I comment,

"He's a little daddy proud!"

All us Elves then take great pleasure in their freaked out expressions.

Thanduil, with his arm now firmly placed around Myrwen's waist, begins another of their rather frequent and steamy reunions. Therefore, Adindel takes over,

"Next to Ellie is Ginny..."

At this, Ellie somehow requires a hacking cough which is none too dissimilar from laughter. I move to elbow her in the side, whereupon she scuttles over to her husband and collapses in fits of giggles against his chest.

Legolas holds on to her whilst he wears an expression which suggests that his laughter is held off by the thought: 'The things I do for love'!

Everyone else is doing variations of the sky-floor inspection squad and wearing nutty grins, all save for Gil-galad who's looking like he wants to throttle Adindel very slowly and very painfully. I myself probably bear an uncanny resemblance to the lobster I had in the restaurant earlier.

Suzanne, bless her, obviously notices the teeniest bit of tension in the air and immediately moves the conversation somewhere else.

Later on, just as we're about to leave, Suzanne leads me out to one of the many balconies and asks concernedly,

"What happened earlier?"

"Well... it all relates to the saga that is me and Alistair." She looks at me with a perfectly raised eyebrow and I elaborate, "The first time he saw me I was asleep and topless, he then proceeded to act like a complete pillock and pretend that he hated me, whilst actually fancying the pants off me. We did not see each other for quite a long time and the next time we did see each other, he just walked up to me and began snogging me like there was no tomorrow."

Suzanne utters a diplomatic 'ah' before tilting her head to one side and, wearing an inquisitory expression, asks,

"Did you notice that Gerard didn't seem to find it quite as amusing as the others?"

"Yes I ..."

Oh.

I then utter the Sindarin equivalent of the F word.

The next morning, Ellie informs us of a new development: we now have a time and a place for our metaphorical 'phoning in'.

We leave our human friends and all troop down to the marshy sands that are only visible at low-tide.

It's a rather novel experience to finally be able to walk over tidal sands and not begin to sink into the stuff.

After a few minutes of waiting, the water-logged sand begins to rise up into an elegant spiral, forming a solid wall, before slowly sinking again. When it stops moving, we are confronted by a robed Ulmö; he's wearing a very superior and self-satisfied smile.

Good God (no pun intended), grow up.

Ulmö then makes an overly florid bow and looks at us expectantly; Valya completely deflates the situation by saying, in a very derogatory manner,

"Yes, dear."

No guesses as to where she got that from.

Ulmö's eyes flicker slightly before his face smoothes back into its usual passive expression.

We then begin walking and talking; we basically begin filling Ulmö in on what has happened since we arrived. We obviously leave out one or two more intimate details, but I can't help noticing that all our victims have become rather quiet all of a sudden.

Can't blame them really, I mean they're obviously only just realising how their refusal to come to Valinor for so long has really pissed off the Valar and Ulmö doesn't have the most light hearted of reputations.

At some point during the conversation, I voice a question which has been bugging me ever since this morning,

"Ellie said you communicated to her via a dream, but she never dreams, so how did you work that one out."

Ulmö raises his eyebrows – OK, maybe the question was slightly stupid given the fact that I'm face-to-face with an all-powerful deity, but what would you say?

After a slight pause, Ulmö answers in a very off-hand manner (with a gesticulation to match),

"Oh, Irmo gave me a hand."

Short as it is, this answer does make sense: I do remember something about Irmo being the god of dreams or something along those lines.

It's about this time that I notice that we're missing a member of our group: having got bored whilst we were talking about time scales and stuff (yes, I wasn't that enthralled either), Valya had drifted off on her own and began examining the sand.

Watching out of the corner of my eye, I notice her bend over. She has her back to us so I can't really see what she's doing.

I don't have to wait for long to find out.

Straightening up and turning round, hands behind her back, Valya calls,

"Ulmö!"

Ulmö turns only to get a face full of gooey and glutinous sand.

Eleanor's POV

Very early the next morning I got up, unable to sleep.

I wrapped myself in a satin dressing gown and wandered down the corridor to the sitting room.

As I curl up on a sofa I seem to hear the sound of waves then, to my total amazement, I see Ulmö standing there, in image if not in body.

"Have you found them all yet?" he asks, not bothering with formalities.

"Yes, now it is a matter of convincing them to come back."

We talk a little over what has been going on and Ulmö shows that Manwë' sense of humour is not unique among the Valar; he just keeps his hidden better.

If you were wondering, he took great pleasure in the descriptions of the whole set of expressions on missing elves' faces when we turned up. He also thought greeting the Sindars in Quenya was highly amusing too.

The only thing I found really peculiar about the conversation, bar the fact I was talking to the image of a god, was the fact that Ulmö seemed to take a certain interest in my daughter's well being.

Is this the anti-social Vala we all know and love?

He also gives us instructions that when we get to the Mont Saint Michel we are to go out on the sands and he would meet with us all there.

"With tides like that and the quicksand?" Is my contribution.

"The quicksand has no effect on Elves, it is like snow, a human will sink through it, but an Elf can walk over the top with no trouble. You will know when it is safe to come; I will make sure of that."

Okay, do what the ultra powerful deity says.

The fair lasts for a few more days and, on accounts of some of us having been paid to be there, we go.

Almost as soon as we can, we take helicopters to the northern part of the Brittany/Normandy border to the place known as the Mont Saint Michel.

That is another thing: the Tayconters own one of the many little hotels on the island.

No prizes for guessing where we stay when we are there.

On the first day we go and be tourists, exploring the attractions available before eating in a nice restaurant with a balcony from which we watch the tide.

You might think this sound like watching paint dry, but if you think that you have never come across the tides of the Mont Saint Michel.

The tide there goes in at 30mph and forms a wall of water when coming in.

It is highly impressive.

When we go back to the hotel, we are invited into a private sitting room where we finally get to meet the ultimate descendants of Aragorn and Arwen.

Like with Michael, the elfin blood seemed to have bred true.

Fabrice, the head of the family, was a guy in his mid-thirties with the same look that prevailed both in Breton colouring and in the Peredhil family – pale skin and dark hair.

His wife, a lady named Suzanne, also followed that colouring and they had this lovely little daughter called Isabelle. She was about nine and spoke with the cutest French accent.

We all fell in love with her immediately.

During the night, the meeting times were delivered in the dreams I rarely remembered.

As far as I can work out, the Valar made it so I don't dream unless that dream contains important information. That is kind of useful to know.

Either way, we go out, making sure to leave all humans behind, and through what I suspect is mystical power, we find the spot Ulmö wants to meet us at.

It happens to be very near the water, cannot think why that might be.

Shortly after we get there, Ulmö arrives.

In a way that suggests he also suffers from a flare for the dramatics.

Males are the same, no matter what the species or power level.

The upstanding elf-lords we have collected while here look at the first of their gods that they have ever seen in a certain amount of wonder.

That sense of awe wares off after a while.

We talk boring stuff, like practicalities and time scales with him while noticing that Ulmö seems more interested in what my daughter is doing.

Now you come to mention it, I am wondering what she is doing.

She has this bored expression on that reminds me of children the world over listening to their parents talk adult stuff.

She wanders round, occasionally crouching down and poking the sand.

It is a bit more like sandy mud really and there is grass growing on it.

I get a bit of a sense of foreboding when I see the flicker of a mischievous grin on her face before she turns her back on me.

Shortly after that, she calls to Ulmö and, as he turns round, he gets a face full of muddy sand.

I will give my daughter this – it takes guts to lob wet mud at a deity, even if that deity happens to be one of the slightly insane Valar.

To all of our total amazement, Ulmö crouches down and picks up his own handful of mud.

He then stalks over to my hastily retreating daughter, who trips over a suspiciously placed piece of grass (now would Ulmö cheat?), and smothers the mud all down her front before wiping the mud off his face and spreading that over her face as well.

While the rest of us are biting our lips, trying not to laugh at the sheer juvenileness of this, she takes her suddenly prone position as an opportunity to lob more mud at Ulmö and running off while he is trying to clear his eyes.

The moment he can, he chases after her and soon the pair are rolling in the sand.

It is a good job we have magic to clean her up with, it would be hard to explain why there was a mud covered female walking around.

Eventually, we remind the wrestling pair that, though they are having fun, some of us have to worry about the tide coming in.

They both quickly engage in the use of magic to return to the looks of normal people rather than mud monsters and we start the walk back to the city.

Ulmö remains standing on the muddy sand as we go and as we think that he is gone we hear a call.

"Valyaceulë!"

She turns round and gets a face full of mud.

Trust a god to get the last word.


Chapter 16 - Rome

Eleanor's POV

After that interesting time, we did go back for a short time to Concarneau for the festivals then we decided to jet set off to somewhere else.

Rome to be precise.

By now, we had ceased to be surprised that the Sindars owned a house there, which was still huge enough to house all of us comfortably.

The first time I stayed there, it was possible to go to the loo and shower at the same time in the bathroom.

Slight change in accommodation size.

We still used the bus and tube networks, Rome not being one of those places designed for quick access by cars.

A few days after our arrival, we visited one of my personal all time favourite places in Italy: The Villa D'Este.

The Villa D'Este is a Renaissance villa built by the Cardinal D'Este who was a serious connoisseur of classical art.

The place is out in the Italian countryside and has hundreds of fountains and absolutely gorgeous.

Don't ask me how, but Adindel had booked the place so we had it to ourselves for the day.

We all went in beautiful summer dresses and enjoyed posing for photographs round the place, the previous time I had been here was fun, but I have to admit there was an extra magic about having the place to ourselves.

The really nice restaurant was there for us as well and decided to keep the tables separate as various groups of us went to eat at different times.

I had lunch with just my husband and introduced him to Lacrima Christi, a rare wine grown on the slopes on Mount Vesuvius that just happens to be one of my favourites.

It is nice having a quiet romantic meal in the Italian countryside in the middle of summer.

I also notice the Ginny keeps disappearing off and I have my suspicions as to which ellyn are responsible for that.

A few days later we move down to Sorrento and another nice house.

Since we were so near, we went on a guided tour of Pompeii.

Ginny and I, being the lovely people we were, took the guide aside and told him not to tell the others when we went into one of the Roman brothels, and let them work it out for themselves.

Thankfully the guy had a good sense of humour, and understood exactly why we wanted him to do that.

While we were walking round the Forum, I saw the last person I expected to be on the historical site of Pompeii.

She also saw me and came rushing over.

"Lottie!"

Charlotte would be my best friend from school and, at a year younger who took a gap year before uni, still with a year left at Bath Spa University.

She also happened to be totally socialist in her outlook on life (despite me trying to cure her of her political views which were the result of upbringing) and the type of person who would shock the brains off an elf.

Fun to have around my family in other words.

Ginny, who had already met her, greeted her warmly (not that the temperature needed increasing). Then we introduced the elves.

She was not what they expected one of my friends to be like.

They expected my friends to be like Ginny, not 'brought up in Brixton' as Charlotte was.

She had 'brought up in Brixton' down to a fine art.

(AN: for those of you who don't know, Brixton is one of the ... less posh ... parts of London, to put it politely).

She then joined the group as she was on her own for some reason.

The elves then got an introduction to what conversation between her and I happens to be like.

That is I try and turn as much of what Charlotte says into something dirty as possible, not to mention making her blush.

For a girl who has far too many boyfriends (I lost count within the first year I knew her), she can be shocked by what I say far too easily.

When we get into that brothel, life gets funny.

The elves soon work out what the paintings show and their eyes widen noticeably.

What really shocks them is the way that Charlotte wanders along pointing to the pictures saying things like 'done that' or 'not physically possible, I've tried' and 'that looks interesting'.

If you are wondering, this is the girl who got disappointed when she opened the Karma Sutra because she had already tried a large proportion of the 'suggestions' in it.

Yes, I do make some very interesting friends.

I decided to relapse to one of my favourite habits I had when I originally knew Charlotte, making horrendously dirty comments to see if I could shock her.

I also managed to shock all of those around me, bar Ginny who had come across Charlotte-me conversations before.

That night, once we had dropped off Charlotte where she was staying –at an aunt's house I think, every elf was very quiet until we got to our own accommodation.

They were still silent until we had all sat down and then they stared at me for a bit before, finally, Ada spoke,

"Are the conversations between you and her always like that?"

I look up in the air the way kids do when asked a hard question, like the answer is written on the ceiling or something.

"Unless we're talking politics."

They all gape at me.

Then comes a barrage of questions, including (to my amusement) some for explanations of what some of the comments meant.

You have no idea how embarrassing those explanations were.

After a little while, I got very bored of the questions and stood up.

"I'm going to bed now."

I turn and go to leave the room.

When I was at the door, I turned back.

"Legolas?"

He looked at me suspiciously.

"You know those things you didn't get?"

He nods at me cautiously.

"If you want, I'll give you a demonstration."

I grin cheekily at him, notice the absolutely gobsmacked expressions of everyone in the room, turn and leave.

Score one for me.

Ginny's POV

After Mont Saint Michel, we travel back to Concarneau, where we are all educated thoroughly in the different traditional costumes of Brittany.

As much as I love to Ellie to bits, I can't help but drift off during these times. I think everyone does, although Turgon takes to wearing very paternal, very jealous looks whenever she mentions her human parents.

He obviously regrets the fact that he had to send her away, albeit for her own safety.

After this we all decamped to Rome, where Ellie and I have great fun in showing the Elves the places we had stated were at least as good as Rivendell, if not better.

We also visit the Villa D'Este, which Adindel had somehow managed to book up entirely.

I seem to remember that it is an incredibly romantic place and I can't for the life of me think why Adindel would go to such lengths and expense.

Really.

To indulge our weakness for pretty dresses, we girls all don floaty haute couture summer dresses.

Around lunchtime, Adindel offers to escort me to the restaurant. The little group I'm with happens to include Gil-galad and I can feel his eyes on us as we walk away; this feeling is probably enhanced by the fact that Adindel has lightly placed his hand upon the small of my back.

He sits me down on one of the balconies which has the most breath taking views of the Italian countryside. Adindel then proceeds to sit down directly opposite me and hands me the menu.

My eyes nearly pop out when I see the prices of the food – and that's just the starters.

Adindel then orders us an aperitif, Kir Royale.

It's served up at the table.

Crystal champagne flutes are placed on the table, they're already one-third full of blackcurrant syrup, and the waiter then dramatically pours the Dom Perignon champagne into the glass. It comes out as this gorgeous rich pinky-red colour.

The waiter leaves and, just as we're toasting each other, all four younger twins come bouncing into the restaurant and take a table right next to ours.

I was having a really nice romantic moment – I'm going to kill them.

Our companions chatter all the way through the meal; naturally, all romance is lost.

After the meal, I stalk off to find Lanthi. I eventually locate her next to one of the spectacular semi-circular fountains. We sit on the edge, running our fingers through the cool water as I explain my recent grievance to my little sister.

She stands and looks as though she's about to storm off to wring her husband's neck, when the aforementioned twins run into the area laughing and joking. Spotting us, they rush over, but, completely misjudging the stopping distance, Aini hurtles into me, sending me flying backwards into the water, shrieking.

I'm pulled out by Gil-galad.

It only occurs to me later that he was nowhere near the fountain and, despite there being several people far nearer, he managed to reach me first. Hmmm...

As Gil-galad clutches me to his chest, I notice a flicker of self-satisfaction flit across his face. I turn, just in time to see a flash of blonde disappear into the foliage.

I then sit back on the edge of the fountain and brush my hair out in the quick drying sun.

All through the afternoon, both Adindel and Gil-galad keep trying to get me on my own into secluded locations for a romantic moment or two. It becomes so frequent that I eventually take Ada's arm, refusing to let go.

A few days later, we decamp southwards to explore more of the ancient Roman sites, including Pompeii.

We carefully do not mention to the Elves that the nearby mountain is, in fact, an active volcano. It may just have made them ever so slightly jumpy, considering the last volcano they came across.

Ellie drags me over to our guide and we persuade him to not mention the tiny detail that we're soon to enter one of the infamous Roman brothels – I can't wait to see their faces.

We have to go through the Forum and I take this opportunity to point out many of the casts of the dead bodies, including the famous one of the tied-up dog. Poor doggy – not that Murrlin would agree.

My macabre monologue is interrupted by a girlish cry of 'Lottie!'

We all turn to see Ellie rushing towards a slightly overweight, olive skinned human. It doesn't take me long to recognise Lottie and I too squeal her name and rush to hug her.

Oooo...

I remember the first time I met Lottie.

I think the Elves are in for a bit of a shock.

I remain silent whilst Ellie shows just how not innocent she can really be and discreetly take a photo of Turgon's face.

We then reach the brothel.

I thought their expressions before were funny...

As we looked around the wall, which look like they belong in the Kama Sutra, the Elves' eyes widen to the size of dinner plates.

We see a depiction of a couple in a very complicated position, I'm unsurprised to hear Lottie comment about the impossibility of such a position, especially given her previous experience.

I'm also not surprised to find that she's actually tried...

The Elves are.

From that point, the afternoon degenerates significantly.

It is very amusing to watch the quite baffled and, to be honest, increasingly scandalised looks upon all those not used to Eleanor-Charlotte conversations.

All the way home, including the detour to drop Charlotte off, they are notably silent.

When we get home, it takes a little while for anyone to find their voice and then the right words.

Turgon eventually obliges and Ellie, doing a very bad impression of a child trying find the answer, states that they are like that, unless they're 'talking politics'.

Typical.

Many questions and queries follow and I'm rather amused to listen and watch Ellie trying to answer them.

'Poetic justice', I think, is the phrase.

Ellie does eventually get the upper hand when she makes a suitably risqué proposition at her husband.

He takes her up on it.

Once they're gone, I clap slowly, trying desperately not to laugh.

I look at the gaping-fish expressions on each ancient face.

"Congratulations; meet Ellie."


Chapter 17 - boys will be boys

Eleanor's POV

I have to admit that I suffer any number of weird looks after that fun little exit and am eternally glad when Charlotte decides to attach herself to us and helps provide a suitable distraction from all the overly shockable elves.

What surprises me most is that she doesn't mention anything to do with my disappearance at all. I know we weren't in contact as much as we would have liked after we had both gone to university, but I am sure that she would have noticed that it was me missing on the news; the girl, I knew, paid avid attention to the news.

The more I listened to what she said, or more often what she didn't say, I got this impression that something was majorly wrong. Apart from anything else, minor things would have resulted in me having her cry on my shoulder. I made a mental note to ask her about that.

Meanwhile, we went back to England to that pretty mansion. Taking Lottie with us of course.

When we go back there is what I am sure is the largest re-enactment I have ever been to with everything from the classical period onwards. It is seriously cool.

We go in medieval dress, coz that's what we got, but we have to get a dressmaker in to make Lottie her own stuff as she is a wee bit on the larger-than-us side.

Rather unsurprisingly, considering personalities and relative insanity levels of the pair in question, Lottie and Gil-galad get on really rather well.

At least they do after he has got over the major culture differences, mostly the S-E-X related ones.

I have to admit that the irrational jealousy Ginny gets and tries to hide at this is really quite amusing. She was getting too much attention anyway and this does stop there being an incipient Kinslaying from happening.

When we spot the Sealed Knot area, we decide we have to go to the demonstration. Well, Ginny does and, since I've been meaning to go to one of these re-enactment because I promised Ginny's parent several years ago that I would eventually get round to it, I agree.

It is funny, Ginny really wants to go to it and claims fascination, but I remember when she was not nearly so enthusiastic to and not half as interested.

I don't point this out though because it would mean mentioning her parents and I don't think that is such a good idea.

While we are waiting to pass the time for the Civil War stuff, I go watch the Ermine Street Guard, which are the most major Roman re-enactors in Britain and are kind of fun to watch.

Once I have finished watching the Romans with the per-doingy thingies, sorry ballista and trebuchet, I go meet up with Ginny and friends to watch the cannons and other Civil War type things.

I find it quite interesting and start to grin slightly manically when the cannon is brought on.

Hey, I'm mad, get used to it.

Part way through the cannon firing, Ginny suddenly rushes off. I call after her and Gil-galad follows her so I don't, she doesn't need crowding. Instead I look back to see what distressed her so much.

Shee-yite!

Quite a few other swear words run through my head as well as I notice exactly what it was that got her so distressed. Oh the poor girl...

I get Lanthi to go after Ginny as well, thinking she probably needs some sort of family around her, all things considered.

Shortly after that we are called off to see Adindel do a sword display. Well, nothing like staring at her beau to cheer a girl up, I'm sure.

Ginny stands at one end with Erestor and Lanthi and Gil-galad comes and stands over with me and Charlotte. I think the protective family expressions on Ginny's relatives' face might have something to do with that.

Adindel then comes into the arena and starts being a little showy before getting serious. Goodness, that elf is a poser.

He starts by explaining how the medieval weaponry comes in different forms, but is mostly designed for heavy cavalry, aka Knights.

The main swords are (as I already know) a broadsword, a bastard sword, and the two handed sword. There are others but these are the main ones that matter in this occasion.

Once he has finished explaining the, mostly pretty obvious, differences and the different usages of these weapons he goes on to show some basic swordsmanship.

Attack, Parry, a bit of foot work, that sort of thing. He doesn't bother with such complications as feints because those swords are so serious that only someone with a fair amount of skill would be able to try them without hurting themselves.

He then asks the crowd for some volunteers to be suckers and get attacked by him. Our lovely High King pre-empts the other people by jumping the fence and chucking the leather glove from his non-sword hand at Adindel.

Despite it traditionally being the floor he is supposed to aim at, Gil-galad hits Adindel's stomach.

"Damn, too high!" I heard Gil-galad mutter.

So much for the cooling of rivalry.

As the pair size each other up, in the formal way of a duel, I realise that all hell will soon breakout if the looks on their faces is anything to go by. Charlotte leans over to me and whispers in my ear.

"My name is High King Gil-galad, you flirted with my love interest, prepare to die!"

I slam my hand over my mouth, hold my nose, and try not to laugh and failing that, not collapse from laughing at the mangled 'Princess Bride' quote. The two of them trying to kill each other is not funny.

Must not laugh.

Oh bugger that...

Anyway.

They soon start to move into a complicated dance of attack, parry, counter-attack, feint, and compound-attack. Any person with real experience of sword fighting can recognise the difference between a duel or play fighting and the dance of death these two are weaving together.

As the fight escalates and both get further and further from nice duelling, Charlotte and I begin to get worried. She might not know half as much about fighting as I do, but it does not take Brain of Britain to work it out that this was most definitely not what it had been called at the beginning.

Even the crowd, which were previously clapping and cheering and stuff, have gone silent. I look at Charlotte. She looks at me.

"We have got to do something" I hiss to her, hoping that no-one over heard that.

As we move round the edge to the gate into the arena, I grab my father and pull him with us, and am soon joined by my husband.

I am also joined by a plan, of sorts. I whisper it to the component people and they quickly get ready to prevent the next round of Kinslaying.

Ada puts on his best High King face and storms into the area, drawing his sword, and forcibly separates the combatants. He makes some big commands about how dare they disturb the King's peace and stuff, making both look a little bit ashamed as they realise how close they came to actually killing each other.

Then, to stop them trying to start up again (I am a strong believer in covering all angles), I get Charlotte to run over to them.

When she gets there, she flings her arms round Gil-galad and kisses him senseless then pulls away and gushes something about them fighting over her honour and stuff.

Thankfully, all parties get the hint and turn the whole thing into an act, as if that was meant to happen. Ada then declares that the Lady Charlotte is honourable and that they should stop fighting over her honour, yada, yada, yada.

I have to try and not laugh; my estimation of my father's capability to act and adlib has gone up rather in the last few minutes. Not to mention his capability to both invent and deliver lies as well.

You can tell he is a politician.

Ginny's POV

After that rather interesting, not to mention eye widening (for some in our party) experience, we head back to the UK.

The main reason for this is Celeborn, Thanduil, and Adindel want to attend this huge multi-period re-enactment fair at Detling, Kent. Apparently nearly every period in history is represented, from ancient Greeks to soldiers from the first Gulf War.

For reasons only beknownst to herself, Lottie accompanies us.

Not that I'm complaining, it's nice to have another insane person in our group. Lottie always manages to lighten a situation – or degenerate it, depending on your point of view.

This is probably why she immediately gets on so well with Gil-galad – they're both as nutty as each other.

I'm with Ellie the first time I see them alone together. They're talking and laughing as though they've known each other all their lives. I don't like it for some reason – Ellie notices and comments, but I'm not really paying attention.

Anyway, we stay at Celeborn's Elizabethan mansion near Bodiam and commute every day.

Naturally, we all go in medieval clothing; all that is except Lottie. We would have lent her one of our dresses, but she's a little larger than all us willowy Elves.

We girls rectify this situation fairly quickly, however, and Lottie soon has a whole medieval wardrobe.

Wandering around the fair, I suddenly find myself in the Sealed Knot Living History area. I know it is by the 17th century clothes as well as a huge poster advertising a cannon demonstration at midday.

Whenever I watched my parents handle the cannon when we went camping with the SK, I was always fascinated by it. Everyone was – big bangs and all that.

Some have been VERY big by the sounds of it – apparently, they once managed to set off a whole load of car alarms as well as set fire to the field where they were fighting.

At the appointed hour, I meet up with Ellie, Miriel, and Lottie and we wander over to designated area. Firstly, a demonstration of the pike block is given, followed by cavalry, and then muskets.

Eventually, the cannon is wheeled on. I watch absent-mindedly while it's being set up and then the fun begins.

I suddenly notice the man who's doing the dry mopping. He's wearing a very familiar black hat and his body language is something I'd know anywhere.

Without meaning to, I had virtually come face-to-face with my own father. I begin scanning the other faces; I recognise others from our regiment, but it's the person guarding the powder box who really catches my eye.

My mother looks like she did the last time we saw each other – a little older and thinner perhaps, but that is only to be expected, given what she must have been through over the past few months.

When Ellie met her parents and after I had made that call home, I vowed not to have any more contact with my human family. Yet, here I am, barely 50 feet from them, watching them fire a replica English Civil War cannon.

All of a sudden, my courage fails me and, picking up my skirts, I push my way through the not too small crowd and run off as fast as I can.

I think I hear Ellie's surprised call, but I don't pay attention and run blindly through the stalls, slowing down only when they begin to thin out. I eventually stop and lean against a large oak. I don't cry, but simply stare up into the large canopy above my head.

A little while later, how long I don't know, I sense that I'm no longer alone. Gil-galad steps in front of me, his face grave with concern.

"Ellie said you just ran off; she mentioned something about your parents."

"Yes... on the cannon... I... I suppose this was an obvious place where they'd be... they always liked re-enacting. I just didn't think..."

Gil-galad folds his arms around me and I return the gesture. We stand there, not speaking; Gil-galad gently begins stroking my hair.

A few minutes later, we break apart; well, I drop my arms, but Gil-galad keeps his about my shoulders and looks into my eyes.

Bit by bit, Gil-galad lowers his hands until they're resting on my waist. I don't really know what I should be thinking – am I glad it is Gil-galad, or sad that it isn't?

I'm saved from finding out by a quiet cough behind us.

"Are you OK, Ginny?" My sister's voice is full of concern, but there is also a tone of caution. Gil-galad takes the hint and removes his hands.

Lanthi takes my hand and leads me over to where everyone else is standing.

"Adindel is about to give a demonstration of medieval swordsmanship – do you all want to watch?" says Celeborn as we reach the group.

The general reply is one of agreement so we all trail back to the field set up for all the demonstrations and line up against one of the barriers. I'm on one end with Ada and Lanthi, Gil-galad sensibly chooses to go to the other end next to Ellie.

Adindel prances out into the centre of the field – it's blindingly obvious that he's revelling in all the attention. His ego always was slightly over-inflated.

He begins with a quick run through of sword history and all the different sword positions, etc – for those of us in the know, it's actually rather boring, but everyone around us is lapping it up.

The excitement really starts when Adindel asks if anyone from the audience wants to come for a mock duel.

This is met with a chorus of calls from the crowd, but then Gil-galad vaults the barrier and tosses his leather gauntlet at Adindel.

It looks like a planned gimmick, so everyone is laughing and cheering. Everyone that is, except our group for we had all worked out by now that both Gil-galad and Adindel, to put it bluntly, fancy me.

So they're already in 'competition' with each other. One being a Noldor and the other a Sindar doesn't help either.

Doesn't life get interesting when a female is involved?

Both proceed to draw rather serious looking and strangely familiar broadswords and move into the 'en guard' position. To an outsider, the fight looks heavily choreographed, but anyone with the slightest hint of experience can see that it's most definitely not a 'friendly'.

Ellyn!


Chapter 18 - The grand tour

Ginny's POV

After Detling, we move back to the house near Bodiam for a little while. The main reason for this is Ellie wants to visit her parents; why she wants to do this I don't know – since Detling, she hasn't mentioned either of our parents to me at all; except in passing.

While we are at Bodiam, strange and embarrassing things start to happen to both Adindel and Gil-galad...

First of all Adindel falls foul to the basic dye in the soap bar trick and comes out Mirkwood-green. A few nasty comments on the subject tells us all anyone needs to know about which High King would be the culprit.

Not particularly long after that we are all woken by Gil-galad screaming about hair loss.

We all run to his room and, lo and behold, there are many strips of what appear to be brown hair lying all over his pillow, some falling onto the floor and some across his body.

As he pats down his hair and strokes it, more strips just fall out.

Being the suspicious little madam I am, I inspect the hair that appears to have fallen out. Much to Gil-galad's relief, it turns out to be hair extensions. We don't stop teasing him about it for ages.

Unsurprisingly, he retaliates against Adindel and we then discover that just how much a bit of make-up can make Adindel look like a girl - especially when his hair suddenly contains ringlets. I guess I shouldn't have introduced Gil-galad to this world beauty products.

Anyway, you get the idea. Several more pranks follow and the frequency distinctly lowers the humour level.

Why do all males have the mental age of a five year old?

Adindel and Gil-galad aren't the only ones to be thoroughly embarrassed during our stay in East Sussex.

One evening, when Miriel, Ellie, and I are chatting together before going to bed, Miriel comments that she saw Adindel doing something very odd before dinner. Obviously, we ask for elaboration.

"He seemed to be looking at some kind of notebook; his door was ajar and I could see him slowly turn the pages, pausing every now and then and occasionally stroking one. I also noticed that his special collector's edition of Lord of the Rings was out beside him. When I knocked, there was a violent scuffling and he answered, looking very flustered. Before he shut the door, I managed to peek around his arm – both books were gone."

In case you're wondering what on the earth Adindel is doing with a collector's copy of LOTR then let me enlighten you.

It seems that Thanduil, Celeborn, and Adindel (in previous incarnations) had met with Tolkien and gave him a slightly changed history of Middle Earth as well as the War of the Ring – I think they wanted their stories told.

From what they said, I don't think Adindel was very pleased at not appearing in LOTR at all; neither was Celeborn when he saw the first film, only to discover that his part had shrivelled down to that one line.

I don't think he was very amused when Ellie and I found that 'They're taking the Hobbits to Isenguard' video on YouTube and showed it to him.

Anyway...

"Ooooo, the case of the missing books." I say in a slightly sarcastic tone.

"I'm just interested, that's all."

"Well, Adindel obviously doesn't want anyone else to see that notebook; it probably contains something very private and very secret."

"What would Adindel write in his secret diary, do you think?" says Ellie, in a thoughtful voice.

"Maybe he spills his heart into it every night, wishing that Ginny would return his love, and bemoaning the days when she does not even look him in the eye." This is said in a mock romantic voice, with Miriel's hands clasped to her heart.

Both turn in my direction, their eyes twinkling.

"No, no, we are not sneaking into Adindel's room to rifle through his things just so we can satisfy your curiosity as to whether he has written anything about me in his diary."

Both Ellie and Miriel put on their puppy-dog eyes.

"Please, Ginny – I promise we'll only take one teensy weensy little look and then we won't mention this to anyone ever again – hands on heart... besides, you know you want to..."

Bugger – Miriel has me there.

The next afternoon sees Miriel, Ellie, and I creeping into Adindel's bedroom.

It is a long room with many windows; any space on the walls that's not taken up by glass is filled with bookshelves. The books, ranging from the most ancient and threadbare to the most recent and glossy, are arranged in alphabetical order. Ellie starts picking her way through these whilst Miriel searches his cupboards and I, his desk.

"If Adindel doesn't appear in LOTR in any shape or form, why does he own a rare, leather-bound, collector's triple volume edition?" says Ellie as she stares up at the Ls, "It's a bit like seeing an Atheist with a monogrammed copy of the Bible."

"Value?" I query.

"No, my uncle's too proud for that."

"Besides, feel how heavy it is."

Ellie passes me the book – I have to concede that it is extraordinarily heavy. I hand it to Miriel who takes over to the bed and opens it.

Just like in films, the inside has been cut away and houses a smaller book. As Miriel removes the notebook, I notice that it's very well thumbed – oh dear, I'm not sure if I'm going to like this.

Miriel's eyes widen as she flips through the book.

"Well, well, well, I can safely say that I never expected that," she says as she reaches the end and passes the book to Ellie.

I look over Ellie's shoulder as she too begins to turn the pages.

Almost every single page is filled with a sketch... of me.

Some show me face on, others are in profile, and some show me full length and wearing very revealing gowns. As we reach the middle of the book, other sketches appear – I can certainly see why Miriel's eyes widened.

These later sketches show two elves and they're... active. They start off innocently enough – close ups of the faces kissing mainly, but then full length pictures appear and I'm most definitely not clothed... in any of them.

Some of the positions depicted are without doubt modelled after those we saw at Pompeii.

Silence follows as Ellie closes the book, then Miriel hands us some photos which had been stored underneath. They're a selection of those taken at the Villa D'Este; these aren't all of me, many are group and double shots, but I'm the overriding theme. The last one shows me by the fountain that Aini pushed me into, my dress is still wet and shows everything – none of us girls wore bras that day; I'm sitting, staring out over the gardens, brushing my hair.

We none of us has a chance to say anything for our ears suddenly pick up the sounds of someone coming up the corridor; the person is whistling and we can identify them as Adindel.

We hastily stuff everything back into the book, and that back on to the shelf. There's no time to get out of the room so we three make a dash for the King-size and crouch beneath it, hoping that Adindel doesn't notice anything amiss.

Luckily, he's not in the room for very long; I think he just came in to dump some things or something.

We crawl out from under the bed and breathe a sigh of relief.

"That was way too close for comfort; we've now seen what Adindel keeps hidden away so can we please just let the matter rest?"

Ellie and Miriel nod in agreement and we creep away.

I suppose I should have known better.

A couple of days later, after dinner, we're all sitting in the drawing room. I'm sipping a cup of tea while idly flipping through a magazine when, all of a sudden, I turn the page and am confronted by a copy of one of Adindel's more risqué sketches.

I splutter, the mouthful of tea I've just taken going down the wrong way; I begin to cough and only just manage to cover up the picture before Celeborn reaches over to pat me on the back.

"Are you OK?"

"Fine, fine; tea went down the wrong way. I'll just go and get myself some water."

Getting to my feet, I look around to where Ellie, Miriel, and Charlotte are – they're all wearing completely innocent expressions, but I've known each for far too long. I dearly wanted to run my finger across my throat the way people do when threatening someone, but I was all too aware that I was still being eyeballed by various elves.

When I reach my room, I tear out the offending page and hide it under a loose floorboard by my dressing table.

I would have put it straight in the recycling bin, but it's too much to hope that certain nefarious characters wouldn't try to steal it back. I'll put it on the fire when they're being lit again.

Fortunately, nothing else untoward happens – apart from the odd prank from two certain ellyn – and, at the end of September, we travel northwards.

I'd been bugging everyone constantly to agree to us all having a day at Alton Towers, my all time favourite theme park.

Most of the Valinorians were a little uncertain after I'd described the kind of rides there are at Alton Towers, but they eventually capitulated.

I think everyone, even elves like Turgon and Thanduil, enjoyed themselves immensely.

We got a hell of a lot of mementos, particularly those official pictures they take when the rides are in progress.

After Alton Towers, we all (cats included) travel over to Wales, then Ireland (Republic and Northern), and finally, Scotland.

While we're in Ireland, something quite unexpected happens: we meet with the Valar again.

Not that the actual meeting was unexpected – Ellie had her dreams again – I was just more surprised at the reason.

It seems we're to stay in this world for a little while longer...

Why this sudden off-the-cuff UK-wide tour? Well, I have been to all the aforementioned places, as have Thanduil, Adindel, and Celeborn, but no one else, even Ellie and Lottie, has.

Besides, we wanted to spend Christmas in the Scottish castle our victims own and we had a few weeks in between to kill.

We're not in Scotland all that long before the snow starts to fall.

Eleanor POV

After we get back from the re-enactment we stay at that pretty house for a little while longer, partly because I want to visit my parents.

While I am doing that I pick up a lot of things I left behind that I wanted back, much of which I just shipped back to our house in Bristol because I couldn't really take it with me. This included my original weapons collection and my doll collection and also some of my books.

One of the things I decided to keep with me was some of my teddies, particularly the ones Charlotte gave me.

Actually, when I brought the teddies back I had an interesting conversation with Gil-galad.

He picks up a teddy bear that Lottie got me from a charity shop once and inspects the toy.

"Its fur is the same colour as my hair," he comments.

"I know." He gives me a strange look at the statement. "He was named for the colour of his fur." Cue another frown; Charlotte buts in at this point.

"The bear is called Gil-galad." He gapes at me and my father, who is nearby, collapses laughing.

"You named the bear after me?" he asks incredulously. My father chooses this point to recover and comment himself.

"Aw, you cousin loves you so much she named a cuddly toy after you!" I don't think my father has been on the receiving end of such a glare in very long time. Once I have got over my own amusement, something my father just said registers.

"Cousin?" Why the hell did he refer to me as Gil-galad's cousin.

"Didn't you know? Gil-galad's father, Fingon, is my brother and was High King of the Noldor before me." My lovely father looks at me in some surprise.

"No, as a matter of fact I had no idea I was related to him. It explains the sense of humour at least, it must be hereditary."

They all agree about that.

Shortly after that, a prank war starts out.

I have to admit that it is really rather juvenile and though it is amusing at first that amusement wears down real quick.

All I can say for it is that at least only Gil-galad and Adindel were victims.

Thankfully, Miriel finds something else to amuse ourselves with.

She discovers that her uncle keeps a secret diary and convinces Ginny to join us in finding it. While the other two go to raid the places like under the bed and stuff, I do the obvious thing.

Miriel had mentioned that he also had a copy of Lord of the Rings out when she saw him looking in the book so I go look at the book shelf and find that he is nice and organised about his books (unlike me). What a surprise, there is a copy of Lord of the Rings. It is a large copy that is beautifully bound in Cordoba leather with pretty designs in the leather.

"If Adindel doesn't appear in LOTR in any shape or form, why does he own a rare, leather-bound, collector's triple volume edition?" I ask looking up at the book, "It's a bit like seeing an Atheist with a monogrammed copy of the Bible."

The book is taken down and opened. Inside is a big hole cut out of the pages and a well used looking notebook. I love his imaginative way of hiding the notebook.

Miriel somehow gets first dibs on looking inside and her expression is a picture.

I then claim the book.

Oooooooooo...

I think it should have an X-rating symbol on the front.

Wow, who knew a virgin could have such an imagination?

Some of the pictures of fairly innocent, but many definitely are not.

I wonder if Adindel has ever read the Karma Sutra?

Hell, it looks like he drew it.

With Ginny as the main female and him as the bloke.

Goodness, this guy has one hell of a fixation with my best friend.

Ginny has decided to look over my shoulder and seems to be suffering a coronary.

Suddenly we hear someone coming along the corridor and shove the book back in the bookshelf where it belongs before hiding under the bed.

Adindel then waltzes into the room, does something before leaving again.

Once he is gone, we crawl out and Ginny suggests that we forget all about that notebook.

And I thought that Miriel could be naive.

We, of course, do not let this rest and when there are no other people around, we take Charlotte with us and go get the book, then scan all the images into my computer before putting the original back.

I have to admit that Adindel is a good artist; I just think Ginny would have preferred him to have used a different model.

It is Charlotte who thinks of putting one of the pictures in Gin-gin's magazine.

Her reaction is quite amusing.

It is a good job neither she nor Adindel knows that we have all of the pictures somewhere safe and secure for future use.

The next bit of fun we have is taking the elves to Alton Towers.

Ginny, Charlotte and I are born Adrenaline Junkies and immediately rush to the roller coasters, dragging everyone with us. Actually, their reactions to everything are rather amusing and one of the bits of fun is getting all those ridiculous pictures from rides.

The best bit is that the elves don't realise that they have had their pictures taken and some of their expressions are really quite amusing.

They did enjoy themselves though, even if they were in for a shell shock when I introduced them to 'eat as much as you like' pizza hut.

It was a little below their normal description of cuisine.

After that we carried on our tour of interesting places by going to Wales, via all sorts of interesting places like Caerleon, lots of English castles (build to suppress the Welsh whatever they say about the castles now) and the Bay of Cardigan where there was supposed to be a sunken land called Cantre'r Gwaelod. Cantre'r Gwaelod interested me because I had used it in a couple of essays at university.

We then moved on to Ireland. The best bit of that was easily the Giants' Causeway.

We walked out quite far onto the Causeway even though there were some really spectacular waves flying around.

Why do something so dangerous you ask?

Because Ulmö had asked us to, that's why.

For some unbeknownst reason, we brought Charlotte along.

I think people had stopped noticing that she was a human who shouldn't really have been part of our group.

This time, Ulmö brought Manwë along with him and we introduced the insane king of the Valar to Charlotte.

They hit it off immediately.

Because I am who I am, I made sure he knew exactly what my friend is like.

I gave him detailed descriptions of her reactions to the paintings in Pompeii.

The elves all get extremely embarrassed and, much to our amusement, we hear one of them mutter that they still don't know what some of the things we talked about were.

Manwë seems to find this highly amusing, as does Ulmö.

Which, admitted, was the general idea.

Manwë then tells us why he is here as well.

Apparently the elves we have collected are not the only stragglers who haven't made it home yet and he now wants us to go fetch them too.

We then tell him that winter is coming on and a search in the winter could be problematic.

He agrees to this and only gives us basic detail of what he wants us to do, saying he will come back again in the spring time to give us more information about what he wants us to do.

While he is telling us this, Ulmö takes Valya aside to talk to her.

Well, I think he does, I only notice they are gone when the two return, pink cheeked and smiling.

I really wonder what those two are up to; my daughter seems to have a talent for turning the uptight Vala into a little boy.

It is kind of cute actually.

About a week after that conversation we move off to Scotland, going via some of my favourite places that I have always wanted to visit.

The main one being Edinburgh Castle, which is really spectacular.

As we go north though, we all sense snow on the air and know that proper winter is not far off.

Eventually we reach a forbidding looking castle that overlooks the surrounding highlands which we have to travel by horse through for that last part.

Actually, that is not as hard as it sounds as, don't ask me how, the elf-lords have managed to maintain a small herd of elfish wonder horses which are brought to us by the staff.

The castle might look imposing, but I think that is just a combination of weather and the fact that the local stone is a dark grey colour.

Inside it is much nicer, the walls are covered with gorgeous tapestries and there is comfortable furniture.

The thing I love most is the fact that it has huge open fires (though there is still central heating as well). I have always loved open fires and I take great pleasure sitting beside them, especially with my cat, who I have lifted the illusions on, as we are in private and have no need to hide them.

Shortly after we arrive the first snows fly, as predicted.

One look at the weather makes us all settle in for the winter and we all become very glad for the giant cats, I think only Celeborn, Adindel and Thanduil had any idea of just how bad the weather would be up in northern Scotland.

Not that we don't enjoy it, we just settle in for what will probably be near isolation and the only contact with the outside world being via modern technology.

There is something very charming about wintering in a castle, in the snow...
------------------------------------------------------------------

Printed from Open Scrolls Archive (https://www.openscrolls.net) on Sat Nov 14, 2026 8:12 pm