Usual disclaimer: pretty obviously not Tolkien.

Thanks go to my Betas!

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Restore me then my quiet days, and untroubled nights, that the joy of…a tranquil life may henceforth be my portion.

Eusebius, Life of Constantine

/\\/\\/\\

The [autumn] is coming to an end,

When can I go home?

From Quatrain by Du Fu (712-770)

/\\/\\/\\

After his return, Elladan just lay in the forest for a moment. He needed time to breathe and to process what had happened. No wonder Anna was having such a difficult time adjusting, he thought. Coming from such a… he grimaced, searching for the right words and finally settling on understatement…a strange place.

Well, he thought. That wasn't the wisest move that I have ever made, but what do to now? It was really rather a wasted trip. Alcarnarmo told me essentially nothing, he snorted. And now I have some things of a dubious nature to give to Anna.

He sat up and looked down at the book that had been given him. It was made in a way that he was not familiar with: the cover was soft and shiny with a drawing of high mountains covered in mist. The title evidently was written over this painting, but Elladan could not read it. It was not bound in thread, but in some way that he couldn't determine. He turned his attention to the bar of, what had Alcarnarmo called it? Chocolate? Again it was sealed in some light and shiny metal that was pounded very thin. Outside it was a covering, very like the paper that the book was made of. What a wasteful people. Were they so well-off that they could use paper and metal in such a fashion?

Elladan stood and looked toward the direction of home, mentally shrugging. It wasn't going to concern him any longer. As soon as he could he would enlist his father's aide and destroy the ring and be done with the whole mess.

With the exception of Anna. He sighed.

Elladan thought back to the conversation with Alcarnarmo. It was true that he hadn't treated her as well as he ought, especially as a stranger in a strange land...but nonetheless, how was he to have known at that time that she wasn't a danger to Imladris?

However, now that he knew most of the circumstances of her arrival, it was time to make peace with her; especially since she was staying under his care until the end of her days. He sighed again at the weight of that decision as he mounted his horse and headed back.

/\\/\\/\\

Anna woke the morning of the fifth day feeling alive for the first time since the shock of arriving. The heavy fog that had enshrouded her seemed to have lifted and with that new clarity of mind Anna came to a few very important decisions. Firstly, she was the master of her own fate and it was time for her to take a more proactive role in her life. Secondly, yes secondly. How was she to get home? Anna pondered on this for a moment.

At this moment, Lerina entered the door with a tray. The smell of food brought Anna's attention to the fact to how hungry and weak that she was. Why have I been refusing to eat, again? Anna couldn't remember.

As she came to herself, Anna realized that she hurt, not just in her ankle, which she remembered spraining, but everywhere. What had she done to be so sore? The memory was a bit hazy, but became a littler clearer as she was awake for a few more minutes.

Ah, yes. She hadn't really been moving these last few days. Except for that trip out into the forest to find the path back home. That inactivity would account for the pain.

But pain was secondary to hunger, right now. Anna tucked into her food with relish, not even being squeamish at the unfamiliar and rather bland dishes. Later, she would try to get Lerina to let her go out into the sunshine. She felt in need of some vitamin D synthesis.

/\\/\\/\\

The destruction of the ring was surprisingly lackluster. To any outsider, it would have been a disappointing feat. A couple of Elves gathered in the smithy with one wielding a small hammer and something that looked like a chisel breaking a ring into four parts and then melting it in its separate pieces before putting the cooled bits in a small pile of scrap metal. The whole process did not take more than a morning, and that included getting the fire hot enough in the first place and the clean-up afterward.

If Anna had watched, which she didn't, she would have seen her pathway home destroyed and never even known what had happened.

The reason for this, of course, was the fact that Elrond oversaw the whole process with the power of Vilya; both to destroy and to shield from any unfriendly eyes attuned to the dispersion of the power from Elladan's ring. Elladan himself did all of the manual work under his father's careful eye. Conversations were kept to a minimum, with only certain directions given by Elrond and instantly followed by Elladan.

At the end of the morning, the two walked slowly back to the house. Elrond fell asleep in his garden under a tree for several hours, worn out from his labors, where he was found by Celebrian. He woke as she settled rather awkwardly on the ground next to him, alerted by her presence rather than by any sound that she made as she leaned back against the trunk of the tree. They both then just sat in the kind of companionable silence that a happy couple that has been together for many years share; both gaining strength and rest just by being near to each other.

For his part, after he washed, Elladan just stretched across his bed and stared at the book and the bar of whatever it was that Rudy gave him. He really needed to get that to Anna, he knew, but he was just so tired right now. He needed time to prepare for a meeting with her. And he needed to talk to Glorfindel and Lerina and see how Glorfindel was progressing with the language.

He flipped the book carefully open and started perusing the pages. The paper was not very thick, for it was definitely paper and not anything like vellum. The words were printed in neat rows that didn't seem to be handwritten, either.

A few more pages went by and then suddenly, he found an illustration. A drawing of two trees, each wrapped around a pillar with a star in between. Above it, in the arch, were Feanorian characters, something that he could read. Below in the box were words that Elladan didn't recognize. At least he assumed that they were words. Very likely a translation of what was found above. The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Say friend and enter. I, Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs.

Now this was something quite disturbing and greatly puzzling. What would a book that was given to him for Anna contain elvish script? And if they did have elvish script, why would Anna not be familiar with elves at all? Of course, he reasoned, she might not have had the training to read them.

Who was Celebrimbor? Elladan knew that was a name that he should remember, but aside from sharing a root word with his grandfather, he couldn't place the name. Elrohir would know—he was good with names. He could also ask him about about the book that Alcarnarmo had given him for Anna.

Elladan groaned and pushed the book away before resting his head in his arms. Alcarnarmo had really done it to him this time. What in the world was this book?

/\\/\\/\\

Elladan went searching for Anna after a discussion with first his brother and then his father. For the time being, the book was left in the care of Elrond, he being the Master of the Valley. That suited Elladan just fine, for he had a feeling that his hands were going to be full just in trying to deal with Anna. Handle Anna? Befriend Anna? Take care of her? How exactly did one go about explaining to an individual that doesn't understand her situation what her situation actually is? The sad thing was that Elladan himself wasn't quite sure of it. It was a sticky conundrum. He found himself actually thinking that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing sticking her out on some human farm on the outskirts of Imladris where he could forget about her. The thought was dismissed almost as soon as it arrived. He knew that it be gravely dishonorable to treat her is such a way. Besides, he knew that his mother would skin him alive if he actually did.

It was in the midst of these musings that he found her outside in one of the gardens adjunct to the healing wing. Actually, he had passed Lerina as she was on her way out on an errand. She had directed him there with a stern warning not to upset Anna. For a brief moment, he had seen a little too much of her father, Glorfindel, in that look and it had him sufficiently cowed. So, he walked into the garden and called to her quietly. It would not do to have her startled because he ended up beside her because he was too quiet.

/\\/\\/\\

Anna turned slightly in her chair and watched him approach. This was certainly a different bearing than he had adopted at the other times they had met. She graciously gave him the benefit of the doubt. After all, they were in a pretty public place, and she had a gut feel that Lerina was close by.

"Anna," started Elladan as he gestured toward another chair. "May I sit?"

He seemed to be waiting for something from her. If it was a question that he asked, it had the wrong intonations. Cursed language barrier. Not to mention cultural barriers. He still waited with his arm pointing to the chair. So Anna guessed. "Sit," she said. "It would make the both of us more comfortable." He made no move, so she motioned. "Sit," she reiterated.

He sat down gingerly. Despite the fact that she couldn't understand him, he felt that he had to try to tell her what had just happened.

"I went and saw Alcarnarmo. Rudy, he calls himself in your world."

"Rudy?" asked Anna, stopping him. "You saw Rudy?"

Elladan nodded at her recognition. "Rudy." He held up one hand. "Alcarnarmo." He held up the other hand and put them together. "Same person."

Anna nodded slowly. He had either just told her that Rudy and whatever the other word was that he just said were the same person, or that Rudy had died, or gotten married, or any number of other things. She either needed to learn the language or go home. There was no middle ground in this.

"Rudy," Elladan continued, using the word that was more familiar to her, "has trapped you in this world with me. Us," he quickly corrected gesturing to Middle-earth as a whole. "But he sent you a gift before I shut the door completely." He held out the chocolate bar.

Anna stared almost uncomprehendingly at the candy bar. Where did that come from? She took it hesitantly, fearing that this connection to her past would disappear. She held it in her hands. It was kind of warm, but not mushy yet. And all of a sudden everything that she had lost was focused in that candy bar. Family and friends, electricity and flushing toilets, familiar foods, a culture that she understood. Everything. The sense of loss fell on her like a wave and she wept slowly at first, there in the garden and in the presence of the person who had threatened her when she had first arrived.

Elladan nearly panicked. Lerina was going to kill him. And it wasn't even his fault. Was it?

Lerina had been watching with Glorfindel from across the garden and had started to move, intent on reaching Anna until her father's hand restrained her. He wanted to see how Elladan dealt with this.

Elladan pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it over to her cautiously.

"It is difficult now," he started. "Things will improve. Since part of the reason that you are here is due to me, I will help you as best as I can."

Anna put the candy bar down and took the handkerchief, still weeping as if there was no tomorrow. It said something as to how distraught she was, but he seemed to be genuinely concerned about her, instead of antagonistic. Nothing made sense to her anymore. "I'm sorry for crying," she said, embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

He did not touch her, for which she was both grateful and sad at the same time. Instead he sang, his voice gentle and calm against the wildness of her emotions. It did help some, but she laughed a little at the silliness of it all. Never had a boy or a man ever sung to her before. Didn't stuff like that only happen in the movies?

/\\/\\/\\

Glorfindel and Lerina looked at each other from where they watched at the other side of the garden. Maybe things would work out after all.

/\\/\\/\\

Author's Note:

Here is the last chapter in the story of the ring. Obviously, the tale of Anna and Elladan is unfinished. I will probably finish it later through a series of one-shots or vignettes. They will be clearly labeled, though I haven't decided formatting yet. Due to RL, I just can't promise when.

Thanks for holding with me through the long wait. It was a remarkable learning experience since this is the longest story that I have ever written in one go. It also started out being one kind of story (a chronicle of a modern human's view of Rivendell) but I found that relationships intrigued me more.

Thanks go to all that reviewed, you helped me refine my writing even further.

Another note: The actual poem reads as follows:

The spring is coming to an end,

When can I go home?

From Quatrain by Du Fu (712-770)

I changed it to reflect more accurately the season that Anna was experiencing at the moment.