Chapter 37: Last days at Rivendell Pt: 3 (Dream)

[General POV]

After leaving the observation platform, Aldril chatted a bit with Bilbo and Gandalf, specifically about what they had been doing in Rivendell. When they arrived at the garden, they found the dwarves still dining.

"It seems the dwarves have been drinking a lot," Aldril said, noticing the number of fruit wine bottles scattered around. He wouldn't lie; the elves' wine was extremely delicious. 'How do they make it?' he wondered. He added a future goal to his list: to try all the different beverages Middle-earth had to offer and learn how they were made.

"I've had enough of these dwarves for today. I'll go rest. Have a good night," Gandalf said, exasperated by the dwarves' behavior. He bid farewell to Aldril and Bilbo.

As Gandalf departed, Aldril turned to Bilbo and asked, "And you, Bilbo, are you going to rest too?"

"Yes, entering Rivendell made the physical fatigue disappear, but the mental exhaustion is still there. I'll go to sleep. Remember, you need to tell me why the elf says he's your uncle," Bilbo said with a yawn. The orc chase had mentally exhausted him. Upon arriving in Rivendell, he thought about sleeping, but his adventurous spirit prevented it. So, after eating, he decided to explore Rivendell, marveling at the architecture and especially the elves' cutlery.

"And you, Aldril, are you going to sleep too?" Bilbo asked.

"I'll stay and dine with the dwarves. I slept a lot earlier," Aldril replied, stretching and cracking his back. The growl of his stomach indicated that he was hungry, having only had breakfast.

"In that case, good night," Bilbo said, quickly walking out of the garden, only to stop and return quickly. "I remembered I haven't been given a room to sleep in," he added with an embarrassed look. "I guess I'll stay with the dwarves."

"Ha-ha, you can rest in the room they gave me. Come, I'll guide you." With a friendly smile, Aldril guided the little hobbit through the beautiful halls of Rivendell.

After walking for a few minutes, they arrived at an extremely beautiful white door. Upon entering, the first thing that captured the eye was the large arched window that occupied an entire wall, offering an impressive view of the valleys and waterfalls surrounding Rivendell. Moonlight filtered through thin gauze curtains, bathing the room in a soft glow.

"Well, here we are. Rest well, Bilbo. If you need anything, you know where I'll be," Aldril said with a slight laugh. Bilbo smiled gratefully and nodded, feeling a great relief at the sight of a soft, fluffy bed waiting for him.

Aldril closed the door and headed back to the garden, where the dwarves were still laughing and eating merrily.

"Where's Bilbo?" asked Dwalin, raising an eyebrow as he took a bite of a lamb leg.

"Yes, where is he?" added Fili, raising a mug of wine to his mouth.

Shaking his head, Aldril found the situation amusing. Initially, they had despised Bilbo, but after showing his courage in the fight with the orcs, he earned the respect of all the dwarves. "Our dear hobbit was tired and decided to go to sleep," Aldril replied as he sat next to Kili. "Now, Bombur, pass me a leg of lamb."

"Catch," Bombur said, tossing one of the many lamb legs he had on his plate. This simple gesture showed that he already considered Aldril a friend, as he was usually very protective of his food.

Looking around the group, Aldril didn't see Balin and Thorin. Curious about their absence, he turned to Kili. "Hey, where are Balin and Thorin?" he asked, casually biting into the lamb leg.

Hearing Aldril speak, Kili looked at him and shrugged. "No idea. I imagine Thorin is taking a walk. As for Balin, he was with us a moment ago. Maybe he went to find Thorin."

"Is that so," Aldril murmured, remembering the plot of the movie. Originally, Thorin and Bilbo overheard Gandalf and his uncle Elrond talking about the expedition being a risk and that his uncle Elrond did not support Gandalf's decision to help the dwarves. This led to Thorin escaping Rivendell, fearing they would be detained by the elves. But now, unlike the movie, his uncle agreed with Gandalf helping the dwarves on their journey and even aided them with provisions. And instead of Bilbo, it was Balin who accompanied Thorin at this time. Shaking his head slightly, Aldril wasn't worried about that for now.

[Aldril POV]

After finishing dinner, I stayed chatting with the dwarves. They mostly told stories about their people and occasionally talked about some dwarf women. Even a drunk Fili said he would introduce me to a beautiful dwarf woman.

A few hours later, everyone started falling asleep in the garden. I shook my head at their carefree behavior. Settling down to rest, I took one last look at the beautiful night. The starry sky looked even brighter. Slowly closing my eyes, I let Morpheus' arms embrace me and take me to the world of dreams.

-In Aldril Dream-

I found myself in a strange place. It was a forest again, but unlike the previous time, this forest was extremely beautiful. Huge trees stood proudly, many flowers adorned the surroundings, creating a calming atmosphere.

I began to walk through the forest, admiring its beauty. At that moment, I glimpsed a slender figure with a powerful presence, long silver hair hidden by a hood, and bright red eyes. Despite their color, they conveyed a sense of tranquility, as if a great burden had been lifted from them.

She wore armor, the material of which I couldn't describe, but its colors were very dark, contrasting with her gray skin. She carried a bow on her back. 'Oh friend, I know where this is going,' I thought. I didn't recognize the woman, so I calmly approached and spoke.

"Excuse me, can you tell me who you are?" I went straight to the point, tired of all the intrigue surrounding me.

The woman looked at me intently and lowered her hood, revealing pointed ears. This surprised me a bit, as she wasn't just any woman; she was an elf.

With a melodious voice, the elf spoke slowly, "Your mental space is extremely calming, besides keeping me at peace. As for my name, I am Sylvanas Windrunner. I was once a ranger-general, but that doesn't matter. I've been brought to this place to guide you in archery, boy."

'Damn, I knew it. Will it be like this every time I level up a skill?' I thought to myself. Besides, I was intrigued. I didn't know who this elf was. Was she the one who appeared when I leveled up my archery? I didn't know, but if she would help me improve with the bow, she was welcome.

"Follow me," she said with an elegant gesture, turning and beginning to walk. Following her, I arrived at a clearing with several wooden targets scattered around. Throwing me a bow that I didn't know where it appeared from, Sylvanas stood beside me.

"First, feel the bow," she said. "Let it be an extension of yourself. Your breathing, your movements, everything must be in harmony."

Following her instructions, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, starting to feel in sync with the bow. Previously, I wasn't able to feel in sync with the bow, yet I was very lethal. Now that I began to feel in sync, how dangerous would I become?

"Now, shoot," she said softly, interrupting my thoughts. Relaxing, I tensed the bow and shot at a random spot where I felt a target would be.

"Shiss" "Plack"

Opening my eyes, I was dumbfounded. The arrow had pierced the target completely, creating a hole in its center.

"Not bad," Sylvanas said. "But this is just the beginning. You must learn to shoot under any condition, in any circumstance. Even if death's claws are on your neck, you must remain calm."

With that, she began teaching me many concepts I didn't know, as well as different techniques. Finally, after a few hours, Sylvanas took me to a cliff where the sun began to rise over the horizon.

"Remember, boy," Sylvanas said as her body began to fade, "the true mastery of the bow is not only in the technique but in the connection with the world around you. Be one with your environment, and you will be unbeatable." Turning to see the horizon, she murmured something quietly that I couldn't hear. "Je, who would have thought I'd be teaching a human archery. If they find out, I'd be the laughingstock."

Standing next to her to admire the horizon, I bowed and thanked her. "I appreciate your guidance. I won't disappoint you," I said, only to hear a bit of mockery in her usually cold voice.

"Je, you'd better not die, boy. Otherwise, I'll revive you and kill you myself." With that last comment, I saw a smile on her face before she disappeared.

Releasing a breath I didn't know I was holding, I relaxed. This elf had a strong presence, almost like that of a king, but she said something that caught my attention. "This is my mental space," I murmured. "I guess feeling connected to the forest is due to my elf blood." With that said, my entire surroundings began to disappear. "Well, it's time to wake up."

***

Opening my eyes, I found the face of an elf with golden blonde hair, smiling at me. The morning light made his hair seem to shine.

"Such a carefree attitude like your mother and great-grandfather, young Aldril," the elf said, laughing softly. His voice had a warm and friendly tone, as if he was reminiscing about old times.

Blinking, confused, I stood up and looked at him. "Do I know you?" I asked, trying to organize my thoughts after the vivid dream.

"Oh, where are my manners? I am Glorfindel," he said.

****

I don't understand the eagerness to post negative comments about just two chapters where Aldril shows vulnerability, with his feelings intensified due to his human and elven blood—nothing more than that, and it was only for that one occasion.

To top it off, they make it seem like the fic is bad and lose potential readers just because they get carried away by those comments and reviews.

I've realized that there's a lot of toxicity here on Webnovel. There are many people who want a robot MC who is OP from chapter one and kills everything in his path; they aren't interested in character development.

I'm a nice person, but my patience has its limits. Anyway, remember to support me on Patreon, where I gladly accept your criticisms and insults.

"P@treon/Mrnevercry"