Wander

VII. The Last Homely House East of the Sea

The tweet of a songbird woke her. Rowan had to squint because of the bright sunlight lighting up her room and everything outside. She looked for the bird and found the pretty red cardinal in the golden tree growing near the house. Seeing movement caused the bird to fly away.

When she went to sleep last night, she hadn't gotten under the covers, but now they were over her—someone had kindly tucked her in. Rowan wanted to stay in the bed, comfortable, but she forced herself to throw back the covers and get up. The floor wasn't freezing on her stocking-feet, so she explored the house. One room had a tub with a pitcher of already warm water, a dark green dress folded to the side, and a chamber pot—the bathroom.

Using the chamber pot was awkward, but nothing could top having a bath. It felt heavenly to soak in a nice, warm bath and to rinse off the dirt and grime on her body. There was even scented soap for her to clean with. She probably reeked from the days without a proper bath and the sweat from all the running, fighting, and stress.

Finished with the bath, she dressed in the long, forest green dress that had been laid out for her. It conformed perfectly to her body—like it had been fitted for her—and embroidered with delicate golden lines of leaves. She thought it was perfect, better than some dresses made for Alessandra to wear, and not as uncomfortable looking.

Coming out of the bathroom, she found a tray of food and a pitcher of fresh water on the small table. Rowan looked around for the elf that had brought her breakfast; not finding them, she gratefully dug in. She would've been fine with just the bread, but the berries and fruit balanced the breakfast and she became full.

Now rested, bathed, and fed, Rowan went to fulfill her curiosity by exploring Rivendell. She laced up her boots and left the little house. At first, she just stood on the balcony, taking in the sights of the Elven paradise nestled among foliage and waterfalls. The crisp, clean air mixed with the autumnal scent of the trees. Getting her fill, she descended the stairs to see the graceful architecture up close.

Nature inspired the design of this place. A lot of the arching gazebos had spaces between the interwoven branches for ceilings to allow sight of the sky. The structures had been built around the trees instead of clearing them out of the way. Was Rivendell permanently stuck in the fall? Every time it was visited in any of the movies, the trees were golden or red.

She came across many elves: male and female alike, fair-skinned with long blond or brown hair, and dressed in flowing robes of dull blues, dark greens, or autumn colors. They all nodded in greeting to her and continued on their way. On her trek around, she hoped she could run into old Bilbo sitting on a stone bench, swinging his feet like a child.

Rowan wondered about the others and if she would run into them, then thought about going to check in on Frodo. She followed the path back to the hobbit's house but stopped before entering, seeing both Gandalf and Sam dozing in a chair. Seeing the second hobbit meant the others had arrived safely. Frodo's color remained perfect, and he still slept. She would not disturb them.

She headed back down the steps to meet Lord Elrond waiting for her at the bottom—today he wore silver and blue robes. He nodded in greeting.

"I hope you slept well?" he asked.

She dipped her head back to him politely. "I did, thank you." Then she gestured up at the house. "I saw Sam. Are the others alright?"

Elrond nodded. "They are. The others arrived early this morning; they are resting now."

Rowan breathed a sigh of relief. Aragorn, Glorfindel, and the three hobbits were meant to reach Rivendell safely, but with the way things were going, she had still worried.