News of a Journey

I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. Yesterday had been one of the best days ever, and it had been one of the best Birthday Parties that I could remember. The entire day, from morning until well after nightfall, people of all kinds had been dancing, chatting, eating, playing, and having an altogether wonderful time.

I had met many new friends-- including some Elves. This was the first time that the Elves seemed to pay attention to me, but maybe that is because I finally looked older than a preteen girl. I was not sure of my descent-- Auntie said she guessed I was related to the bloodline of the King Elessar!-- but whatever my ansestry was, it made me age very, very slowly.

One Elf in particular, called Ella, kept giving me strange looks... as if she knew something but did not want to say it. Another Elf was following her around. Both of them had made friends with Estelwen, the Hobbit who was Un-Hobbitlike (as Ruby called her).

Ruby shook my shoulder, and I fell off the trundle bed. "What?"

"Daddy has got some kind of message, and he is leaving!"

"What?!" I was fully awake now.

"I said, Daddy got some kind of message. He is going to see the Elves' home!"

"What?" I repeated again, sounding incredibly intelligent.

"I asked him what was wrong, and he said that I could go with him! I think he is going to meet the King Elssar! There must be some kind of important business going on at Rivendell; anyways he is invited and he can bring people with him! It must be some kind of party!"

I vaguely recalled one of the Dwarves mentioning something along those lines. I sat up and crossed my legs. "Ruby, tell me all about it."

"I told you, Laelwen, Daddy is going to Rivendell. He says that many many people, even other Hobbits, are coming. But whatever is going on at Rivendell, it won't happen for a few months. He said that Mama is going to leave in a month, riding on a house-wagon. Most of my siblings and some other Hobbits will come with Mama. But Daddy has to get to Rivendell earlier, probably because of his adventures. He is going to walk the exact same way that he and Frodo walked all those years ago! And he said that I can come with him! Oh! Isn't it spectacular? He is packing right this minute. I won't be able to say goodbye to everyone I want to, but the Party can count for that, can't it? Anyway, some of the Elves who belong in Rivendell are going to travel with him. Imagine! Months of traveling cross country with Elves! And the same way that Daddy and Uncle Mr. Frodo went with Uncle Merry and Pip!"

"WHAT?" If I heard right, Mr. Sam was going to go to Rivendell, following the same path that he and Frodo did countless years ago-- on foot. They were going to take some Elves, and maybe some others... and Ruby was going!

"Laelwen, do you think you Auntie would let you come? We're only going to be gone... oh, it could take a year. But you don't grow old very fast, I don't think it should matter too much. We are leaving today. What do you say?"

I could only laugh at the mental image of Auntie's incredulous face... and then furrow my brows as I tried to peice it all together.

Edhelaelwen has traveled 14 miles since 1/4/10 and is almost at Stock Road.