An Irrevocable Condition

Chapter 4

Bilbo and Harry were soon shown to a pair of guest rooms in a different wing of the main building by a chatty elf named Raithon who spoke perfect Westron and spent their trek through the building pointing out where everything was and how everything worked. They would be served a late dinner in their rooms now but in the morning they were expected to come to the great hall at the sound of the bells for breakfast.

Harry couldn’t help but ask about their bathing facilities and Raithon eagerly explained that cold water was available in all buildings through a system of copper pipes that brought water from the waterfalls to several main points in various buildings. For hot water there were the kitchens, where they always had large copper kettles on the fire for boiling water. And once a week the public bathhouse fired up their huge copper kettles so hot water was available there as well for bathing. If you wanted to bathe on any other day you had to use cold water.

The toilets in Rivendell used no water at all and were basically composting toilets that were situated a bit away from any of the main buildings. Chamber pots were provided in each room for emergencies.

Harry shared a quick, knowing glance with Bilbo at hearing all of these details. So this was something Harry could help the elves with quite easily.

Their rooms were situated across from one another and moments after Harry stepped inside his suite an elf brought him a plate of warm food with a metal lid covering it. Harry thanked the elf with a short bow and then examined the food. There was an assortment of roasted vegetables, some raw leafy greens, and something that looked like lambchops. All in all a fine meal and Harry sat down at the small table in the corner of the room to eat.

The room was quite big, with a large, four poster bed against one wall, a set of floor to ceiling lattice windows with intricate floral and leafy patterns which were works of art in their own right, and on the other wall was a beautifully decorated wardrobe and a commode which held a large bowl for washing and a jug of cold water. Harry suspected that inside he’d find soap and towels and the likes. Not the most luxurious of facilities but they certainly sufficed to keep one clean if one washed themselves top to bottom every day, even if the water was cold.

That certainly explained why Glorfindel and the twins had all eagerly used Harry’s bathtub with its running hot water every single night during their journey.

Finally there was a small table with a few dining chairs, and a separate leather lounge chair. The lattice windows actually held a door, Harry noticed after looking at them more closely, that opened up to a small terrace that overlooked a beautiful garden with mature trees, various bushes and an assortment of flowers. A stone path crossed through it from left to right. That was all Harry could make out in the darkness but he was sure that in daylight the view would be stunning as he could hear several waterfalls nearby.

The floors and walls were all solid light stone, and a small, unlit fireplace sat against the wall that held the door. The bed was made with soft, white sheets, with a blanket folded on the wooden bench that stood as a footrest against the end of the bed.

Harry undressed slowly and didn’t even bother putting on some pyjamas. He blew out the candles that burned around the room lest he accidentally start a fire. He was exhausted as he crawled into the bed, the last few days of hard travel now catching up with him.

Actually, the whole time he’d now spent in Middle-Earth was catching up with him as he lay on his back and stared straight up into the darkness.