Chapter 14 - “The Complete Set”

Penny stood there for a few moments struggling to keep her emotions under control. Even if she did never see him again, there was still some time before he...

‘Oh, and what! And that makes it alright does it! Stupid bloody woman!’

She resolved then and there, in that very instant, that she was not going to get to know Boromir. She would not be able to cope with it. Not at all. Just this was bad enough.

She sighed. As she turned she realised Gandalf was still there, leaning on his staff and watching her with a knowing gaze and kind eyes. He held out a hand to her and she walked towards him. As she drew alongside him he turned to walk beside her.

“It must be hard for you, to have such knowledge.” He spoke quietly, his tone gentle.

She nodded.

“It must be very strange for you to walk among us.” Again she nodded.

She stopped, turning to look at him. “Mithrandir... Am I doing the right thing? Not saying anything? I.. There are people who will die, Mithrandir. I find it difficult knowing them, meeting them, or knowing about them.”

Gandalf regarded her seriously for a moment. “Pen-ii, it will not be easy. You must understand that I, Lady Galadriel, even Lord Elrond, can have insights into what might be. It is not dissimilar from the knowledge you now possess. You are young, and a mortal, and unused to such a burden. It will be hard for you. But yes, it was the right decision. As you said, were it made known the changes people may then make could have disastrous effects. This is war. This is serious. There will be loss. And everyone involved knows that. That sacrifice, though terrible, will be worth it if we succeed. The alternative will be darkness, terror beyond imagination.”

As he spoke and she heard his voice in her head, she could also sense what he was talking of. She could feel his earnestness, his seriousness, his immeasurable patience, wisdom and mercy.

Then, as he spoke of the darkness, she could feel a terror she had never known within her. The same sheer bloody fear you feel in the middle of a nightmare. When that black nameless thing is behind you and you can feel it, hear it, sense it and you daren’t turn round to look but just keep running, running, but it’s catching up with you, about to grab hold of you...

It faded as Gandalf smiled sadly and continued. “Besides. Even if those of whose fates you know were told what would occur it would not stop them. If they fall in battle and are warriors all, as I suspect may be the case, then do not think that fear of death would stop them nor even knowledge of certain death. They would still fight. For honour and glory. For King and country. For truth and right. To defeat evil and darkness. You know that.”

She nodded, her eyes wet with tears. Boromir would still defend the hobbits from the uruks. Halbarad would not be stopped from joining the Dúnedain in battle. Nor Háma from defending his people and his homeland at Helm’s Deep. Indeed, it would be shameful for them not to fight. Unthinkable and very wrong to try and stop them. The same for Theoden. For Theodred. For Faramir, though injured not killed. Even Merry and Pippin would prove their courage and nobility through the injuries they would suffer. As would Frodo. Poor nine-fingered Frodo.

She shook her head. Now she was here, within it and it was real, it seemed even more dreadful. What these people would go through, were prepared to go through, the cost that would be told upon them. It was extraordinary. In that moment Penny felt overwhelmed in pride and awe. They were capable of a strength of will, a sense of honour and bravery that she doubted she could even find in her little finger. So damn impressive.

They fell silent for a while.

Penny asked, “Was a decision made? About me?”

“Yes. You are to stay here for the meantime.”

Was that it? No detail, no explanation? She looked at him, a little peeved.

He sensed her irritation. “What more would you have us do, Pen-ii? We do not know you. You know far too much for us to allow you to leave us. And where would you go? Besides these are dangerous times for you to be able to travel. We are safe enough here in the valley of Imladris, for the time being at least, but out there...” He indicated vaguely around him. “Out there it is very dangerous indeed. Or did your book not tell you that?”

She glanced at him. He wasn’t angry. His tone was questioning, not berating. She nodded, “Yes, it did. And till you know the fate of the Nazgûl nothing can happen.”

He nodded, his eyes twinkling, “Though I am sure you could tell me in an instant where they are and what has happened.” She did not return his smile. Just nodded sadly. “Do not fear, Pen-ii. I would not ask. I would not put you in such a position.”

“Le hannon.”

“How was your lesson? With Erestor?”

She sighed. “It is hard. Very hard. I am not good with languages at all. And where I come from we write everything down and do not rely on our memories so much. I am not used to learning by rote. I asked for paper and Erestor thought I was bonkers.”

Gandalf laughed. “Paper is important, Pen-ii. He would not want to use it wastefully. Once you have some competence you may be allowed some. Indeed, I am sure he will want to learn your alphabet and language as much as he will want to teach you Sindarin and for that either you or he will write it all down no doubt. Erestor is very learned and bookish.”

Penny nodded. She was not getting everything Gandalf was saying, but enough. Enough that they could conduct a conversation and more or less understand each other.

She was grateful. Other than the questioning this was probably the most she had spoken to someone, actually had mutual communication with someone, for days. That hadn’t helped with her sense of isolation and losing the plot completely. She suspected that was one, small reason why she had felt so much better after the questioning: she had managed to communicate with someone at last! It was why she was so bloody determined to crack this Sindarin thing. Even if it killed her. Which, she suspected, was extremely possible given how crap she was at things like this. She’d studied Spanish for three years and could just about count to twenty and ask for a beer and that was it! She sighed.

Gandalf was talking again. “One very important thing, Pen-ii. I hope my instinct is right since I got the impression from some of the things you said this morning that I perhaps do not need to say this, but I will do so nevertheless. You are to say nothing to anyone. Both about your situation and the knowledge you possess. In particular your knowledge of the Ring. To anyone. Even if they are one of those who will travel with Maura. I must impress the importance of this upon you.”

Penny nodded. “You didn’t need to tell me that, Mithrandir.”

“I know. But Elrond was worried.”

They had reached a small tended garden by the side of the main hall. There was a bench beside a fountain around which the path wound and then continued on towards the steps up to the main door of the building. Gandalf sat and motioned her to sit beside him. He asked her about her age, if she had family, though he did not ask her too much about her life, her lifestyle, or what it was like where she came from. It was as if he really didn’t want to know too much about life in the future. He was surprised that she was not married.

“But by your age most human females would be married and with children.”

She laughed, “Not where I come from! Marriage? Kids!” She shuddered. “Not bloody likely!”

“You do not wish to marry?” His eyebrows had met his hairline in his astonishment.

“Well... maybe one day. But not yet. Too young to settle down!”

There was a stunned silence.

“Too young? You are twenty-three! How much longer would you wait?”

She shrugged, laughing.

Before she could reply Mireth appeared round the corner of the building and, spotting her, called her name and came running over, smiling. She bowed as she approached with a murmured “Mithrandir” before beaming at Penny.

“Pen-ii, you have to come and be measured. They are going to make some clothes for you since you are to be here with us a little while and you have absolutely nothing of your own, you poor dear. Come,” and she held her hand out to her.

Penny stood to take it, though she was utterly mystified as to what was happening. She looked to Gandalf who smiled.

“Elrond has ordered clothes for you. You need to be measured.”

Penny gasped. “Tell him I am most honoured and touched.” Gandalf nodded, smiling, as Mireth pulled Penny away to the halls.

It was actually a small room on the ground floor that Mireth took Penny to. As she entered she could see it was like a workroom, with a long large table in its centre and the walls were lined with bolts of material of every colour and sort. No patterned materials. All plain colours, but a large variety: pink, red, browns of various kinds, three kinds of blue, several greens, yellow, even orange. There was a large chest of drawers to one side which had countless tiny drawers within it which Penny was later to discover was full of buttons of every description, threads, buckles, ribbons and strings. There were several large pairs of scissors on the central table but to Penny they looked more like garden shears in a way. They comprised of two blades, joined at the handles by a hoop, which was squeezed together to get the blades to cut against each other.

There were three elleths in the room, all seated on stools or at tables, and sewing. One was embroidering the sleeve of a tunic, the other two were hand-sewing together pieces of possibly a dress given the size of the pieces but she couldn’t be sure. At the far end of the room Penny could see an open door through which many other female-elves were visible sitting, sewing and chattering away. Someone in the far room was singing quietly as they worked.

Penny smiled shyly and returned the murmured greeting of the three elleths in the room as Mireth introduced her. The one doing the embroidery, Eleniel, had already started rummaging in a small wicker basket on the little table in front of her as soon as she had seen them come in. She eventually found what she was looking for: a tape measure. It seemed to be made of a long piece of leather, light in colour and very thin, with markings on it. She stood and beckoned Penny over to her. As she took the measurements she called them out over her shoulder and another of the elves wrote them down on a slate with chalk.

Once they were done, Eleniel disappeared into the back room and returned a little while later with a dress and undershift slung over her shoulder. She proffered them to Penny who took them muttering her thanks. Then Penny realised they were all looking at her. Mireth made an encouraging movement at her.

They wanted her to put them on now! Undress in front of them: these tall, willowy, no doubt physically perfect beings. Yeah right! She felt herself blushing a little.

The elves laughed softly and Eleniel then gestured to another door, closed and in a side wall. Penny nodded and opened it to find it was a little store room, containing yet more material, piles of leather skins, and boxes full of she knew not what.

She quickly undressed and put on the new clothes. The undershift fitted very well, as did the light blue dress, but they were long since they had clearly been made to fit an elf, not a human. She came out, hitching her skirts so she did not tread on them, to find Eleniel was gesturing to a chair. She made to sit and there was more laughter, though gentle, and she realised they wanted her to stand on it. The bottom of the dress and shift were folded at the right length, to the ankle bone, and Eleniel quickly made a few stiches at the spot to keep the folded material in place and so mark the length. She nodded and smiled and gestured back to the store room.

“So I take this off?” Penny made ‘taking off’ gestures and hoped they understood her. They did. And she was right.

As Mireth grinned and chattered to her as they made their way back down the corridors, Penny couldn’t help but feel guilty. She felt highly embarrassed that those elleths would be slaving away hand-stitching a dress for her. Or possibly more than one, she didn’t know. They had clearly asked her if she could sew and she, feeling a little shameful, had had to admit she couldn’t. She had no bloody clue. Her granny could. A little. But even she mainly knitted and that was all.

There had been murmurs of astonishment from them all as she had shook her head. Mireth had said something to her, motioning between them, then pointing to Penny, her eye and making sewing motions. Penny presumed she’d been saying she would teach her. She had nodded but she suspected it would be an unmitigated disaster.

There was a lot she was going to have to learn. She remembered Halbarad and the rabbit. The offal at Bree. There were basic skills and aspects of life that would be completely alien to her even if just two or three generations back from her they would have been everyday.

She mulled over all this and then a sudden panic gripped her as a thought struck her. What about...? Oh SHIT! What was she going to do when...? She kicked herself for never having asked her grandmother what she had done every month. Did elves even get them? Given they could control their breeding, probably not. Assuming she was still on the same cycle she had been before she arrived here she had a week on her hands to work something out... Or at least she hoped she did. How the bloody hell was she going to ask about this one? Get Gandalf to translate for her? NO BLOODY WAY! She would have to try and talk to Mireth. How? She mentally groaned. No sooner did she find her feet, it seemed, something would come along and turn everything upside down.

Dusk had fallen. Elves walked past them, slowly lighting the torches already in their wall-brackets. Penny realised Mireth was heading towards the dining hall. She stopped her, showing her her book.

“I’ll take this to my room, first, I think. Don’t want it covered in wine or gravy. Erestor wouldn’t be impressed I don’t think.”

Mireth nodded, realising what she was saying, and they turned together to head towards the staircase to the upper floors. Mireth held out her hand for the book and, as they walked, Penny pointed out the first six lines of the alphabet, repeating the letters and words she had been taught. Already she had misremembered one because Mireth had to correct her. She sighed. Mireth smiled encouragingly at her and then pointed to her dress and then her shoes, getting Penny to repeat at least some of the words she had taught her that afternoon. She beamed as Penny got them right. Eventually they reached her room, now dark. Penny placed the book on a dresser by the door and then the two headed off to eat.

This was the first time that Penny had been to the dining hall without Halbarad or Aragorn around to keep an eye on her and she felt a little nervous. Mireth took her to sit right amongst the elves and one of them was Eleniel the seamstress who moved up a little so there was space for Penny between her and Mireth. It became clear she and Mireth were friends.

Everywhere Penny looked there were gorgeous features, high cheekbones, grey or grey-green eyes, and long flowing hair. The men were utterly stunning: broad shoulders, lithe and strong. The women were beautiful in a way that made your breath stop. Penny felt very small, desperately unattractive and rather useless sat amongst them all. She looked up to see Gandalf and the hobbits on the other side of the room. Pippin caught her eye and nodded and waved with a grin. She smiled back.

Whatever the hell they were eating tonight Penny was deeply suspicious of it. On one platter was clearly a pile of whole, stuffed hearts. Liver, kidneys and onions on another. Then there was something indefinable: it looked liverish but was a lot paler, the colour of chicken almost, and seemed squidgier somehow since she watched as an elf, with the utmost delicacy and poise, picked some up with a piece of bread and the bread had sliced through the meat as if it were soft butter.

Penny just helped herself to vegetables.

Mireth was trying to encourage some of the meat on her but she, as politely as she could, refused. She pointed to the pale pieces of meat.

“What is that?”

Quite why this was funny she had no idea but the elves round her who had seen what she had pointed to started giggling. She looked to Mireth who was both trying not to laugh and scowl at her friends at the same time.

Eleniel whispered something in Penny’s ear which, of course, Penny didn’t understand at all. Mireth, meanwhile, turned to the others and said something sharply which made them all look suitable shamefaced, murmur something that sounded like ‘goheno’ in Penny’s direction and get on with their meal quietly.

Meanwhile Penny was looking at the meat wondering what on earth this was all about. They were pale ovals, sliced in half...

'Wait a minute: ovals? Oh no. No. No way. You don’t eat THOSE... Do you? Oh my GOD!'

Penny could feel herself going red as a beetroot. She glanced at Mireth who, realising she’d guessed, grinned and nodded. She caught Eleniel’s eye who smirked and went a little pink.

“They’re very good. Try some,” Mireth said, scooping up some with a serving spoon to put on her plate but offering it to Penny first.

Penny waved her hands in horror. “No. No, bloody way. No thanks. I’ll stick to veggies, thanks.” Mireth shrugged and tucked in.

What had she been saying to herself earlier about getting used to things? All she needed now was to be served brain and tripe and it could well put her off meat for life. I mean, there’s ‘using all parts of the animal’ and then there’s ‘a step too far’, frankly. Testicles! Bloody TESTICLES! She shook her head. She couldn’t get used to this AT ALL.

After the meal Penny went with the elves she had shared her meal with to the hall of Fire. Bilbo was here once again, she noted, and soon a hobbit huddle was formed against one wall around him as they listened to the songs being sung and the poems recited. Mireth, meanwhile, was introducing Penny to various elves in the room. Penny promptly forgot every name she was told and she had the distinct feeling that several of the elves were less than impressed with her. Whether it was her in particular or humans in general she had no idea.

The dwarves were here and, as Mireth sat her on a bench and then went off to fetch two cups of wine for them, Penny studied them closely. Of the five it was obvious which one was Glóin with his long white beard, and there seemed to be one that he spoke most to. She had noticed it whenever she had seen them previously. She wondered, not for the first time, if that was Gimli.

Scanning the room she quickly found Boromir once more. He was in conversation with Elrond, sipping from a cup as he did so. She noticed he had shaved and was in clean clothes. No doubt had had a bath too. He was not as tall as Aragorn but still six foot or very nearly, about the same height as Halbarad. And strong. That was obvious. Well built and muscular. But then all the males, human and elf, seemed to be. No doubt all the physical labour of life here, let alone the training they all did with weapons.

Mireth was in conversation with a group of elves on the far side of the room. Eleniel was amongst them. Penny could see Mireth had two cups in her hand so she had clearly been waylaid on her way back to her. The elves were dark-haired except for three blonds who were dressed all in greens and browns. The Mirkwood elves.

Penny realised, since she could see all three clearly for the first time since they were facing her and not sideways on, that she was probably looking at Legolas. Very odd. As she watched, Mireth turned as if looking for her, caught her eye, and with a grin beckoned her over.

‘Oh bugger. Don’t really want to meet Legolas. Actually maybe I do. Well, sort of, anyway.’

She nodded, stood and crossed the room.

As she reached them, the conversation was in full flow, since there was a pause between songs at the moment. Mireth, handing her a cup, was gesturing to Penny and talking to the rest who were looking at Penny intently now so that she suddenly felt very self-conscious. Mireth said her name and then went round the circle introducing everyone to her. The last of the three Mirkwood elves was named as Legolas. Penny barely had time to register it before Mireth was moving on and naming the others.

As the conversation started up again, Mireth having explained that Penny spoke no Sindarin or Westron, Penny snuck a look at him. Nothing special... but that is ‘nothing special’ compared to elves. He WAS stunning but then all elves are stunning. He was not any more stunning than the rest of them.

He had barely given her a second glance when he had been introduced, merely nodded, smiled and then turned to speak to the elf next to him. She had to restrain a giggle as she thought of all the Mary-Sues swooning and passing out right about now; either that or leaping on him to snog him to death. No, she had to sit down or she really would laugh out loud. As it was she couldn’t look up from her drink in case she caught his eye because it would just set her off into hysterics. She had this vision in her head of a blond elf staggering backwards as some girl attached herself to him, limpet- like, her legs wrapped round his waist, and eating his face off.

She screwed her eyes shut and tried to bite her lips without drawing too much attention to herself. She coughed, desperately trying to smother the laughter rising in her throat. As a song started up Penny touched Mireth on the arm and indicated a bench to one side. Mireth nodded and turned back to the chatter.

As she sat she felt someone sit beside her. Gandalf. “Well, you have met Legolas now. I hope you were not too unnerved by it.”

She didn’t think it would be politic to explain what HAD gone through her brain just now so she just shook her head.

“Not at all. Well, perhaps a little. I will just have to get used to it. There is little or nothing anyone can do about it all.”

Gandalf nodded and they fell silent for a moment.

Then Penny said, “Mithrandir? I know which is Boromir, and I now know which is Legolas. But, would you mind pointing Gimli out to me? Is he the one that Gloin speaks to quite often?”

Gandalf smiled. “No. That is Gloin’s younger brother. Gimli is the one standing next to Gloin, to his right.”

“Ah. I see him. Le hannon, Mithrandir.”

So now she knew.

It felt very odd to know what they all looked like. To see them in the flesh. She wondered if she would get to know any of them any better. Somehow she suspected not.

She was unsure how she would cope with getting to know them as it was but added to which, though she little knew it, Elrond and Gandalf had decided to keep her away from those she had named as much as it was possible to do so. Or, at least, to keep supervision over any contact. Gandalf was convinced Penny would not let anything slip but even he had to concede that the stress and pressure of being in the situation of conversing with these people she knew so much about may prove too much.

Better that contact was kept to a minimum with most people but much more so with some than others. For the time being at least.