[maikafanawen]

The library of Rivendell was immense. There were books, maps, manuscripts, letters, and drawings from as far back as the first age before the first war with Sauron. Ani Dao stood atop a ladder, flipping through them haphazardly, trying to find anything that would be of some interest to her. She came across a rather new, red leather bound book. There and Back Again: A Hobbit’s Holiday. As she removed it from its little niche, an envelope fluttered to the ground. She reached down to catch it as it fell, and ended up sliding the ladder out from under her. The elf fell on her back atop the envelope. Reaching under her, she withdrew the crumpled piece of paper. Opening it, to her great dissatisfaction, she found it empty. Annanoldowen came over to her then, and helped her up.

“What was in this envelope?” asked Ani Dao, showing it to her friend. Annanoldowen took it and turned it around rapidly once or twice before shrugging. She then glanced at the book Ani Dao had dropped on falling.

“Ah! There and Back Again. Bilbo Baggin’s tale.” Ani Dao scrunched up her brow trying to remember where she heard that name before. Failing, she followed Annanoldowen as she righted the ladder. “Was there anything specific you were looking for?” Ani Dao shook her head.

“Just anything of interest.” Annanoldown nodded.

“Want to read about Beren and Luthien.” Ani Dao guffawed,

“That’s a child’s bedtime tale.” Annanoldowen shrugged,

"It might enlighten you ..." Ani Dao rounded on her,

“Here! What do you mean by that?”

“Ani Dao, Hathalas is awake.” An elven healer appeared at the library entrance, looking solemnly towards the disheveled elf. Ani Dao gave him a perplexed look. The elf spoke again, “Did you not wish to be summoned when he recovered?”

“Annanoldowen, did you—” Ani Dao turned her head to find the elf missing from her previous position. “I’m sorry, I believe you have been mistaken. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

“Not at all.” The elf turned then, and walked slowly, in the fashion of nobility towards his next destination. Ani Dao shook her head and sat down heavily on a small chair next to the bookshelf, her eyes straying randomly over the large array of books. They finally settled on one that stood out amongst the others. Getting up to fetch it, she pulled it from its confined place between two larger, geneaology books. It fell open at once in her hands. Bright calligraphic words danced across the page in hues of golds and silvers. Written in an ancient form of Sindarin. Suddenly the air about Ani Dao grew dark and dreary and a deep thrumming settled inside her ears. Voices of old screamed to her from their prisons among the pages. Shutting it quickly and firmly, she placed it back on the shelf and stepped back.

“Bad ending?” She turned apace to find Burzdol standing just behind her, clad in new garb of the Rivendell order.

[ March 17, 2003: Message edited by: maikafanawen ]

[ March 21, 2003: Message edited by: maikafanawen ]