Bold = Elvish.
Chapter 1:
Today was the day before history was made. Maids rushed about cleaning and preparing for the arrival of some very important guests, running here and there, singing and dancing. Meanwhile, a lone elf, gorgeous even by elven standards lay all alone on her back in a hidden garden. Tomorrow this elf would be lone representative of the Lothlórien elves at a council that would change the world. Today however, she was simply Avanwa, an elf enjoying her last few minutes of peace.
This is how Lord Elrond found her. Lying on her back in the grass, hands clasped behind her head in a make-shift pillow, eyes closed against the sun. Elrond looked closer shaking his head slightly at her apparel and wondering how she had escaped her maid this morning wearing simple breeches and an obviously much-loved soft cotton shirt instead of a dress.
"Avanwa." He called softly moving her silver tunic off the nearby stone bench and sitting in it's stead.
Without moving, Avanwa released a slight sigh before saying,
"Yes, my lord?"
"I was wondering if you would do me the honor of greeting our shortly arriving guests with me?" Elrond answered.
Pulling a hand out from under her head to shield her eyes, Avanwa answered,
"Of course. When do they arrive?"
"The first group arrives in half an hour. See you then, at the main gate?"
Receiving a nod, Elrond nodded smiling slightly, few elves would dare to act the way Avanwa just did and he respected her all the more for it.
Hearing Elrond chuckle slightly as he walked out of the apparently not so hidden garden, Avanwa sat up with a groan and adjusted her now slightly rumpled, quickly ran a hand through her straight extremely platinum blonde hair before standing up. Making her way out of the garden, Avanwa decided to make her way over to the gate now and wait out the remaining time there. Hoping to maintain her inner peace else it get shattered as soon as she stepped indoors.
Approaching the gate, Avanwa grabbed the portion of hair hanging down on the left side of her head in front of her ear, and began to braid it; humming as she worked. Finishing as she reached the gate, Avanwa ignored the few other elves already there also seeming to await their guests and instead hopped up into the tree right inside the gate and resumed braiding, this time on the right side of her face. Finally, she pulled her hair back into a ponytail of sorts, gathering the two braids and the hair up off of her neck and shoulders and tying it all back with a leather thong.
Slowly swinging her legs back Avanwa looked out over the horizon as far she could, out over the river and into the beginning of the forest, seeing the first party approach the far side of the river. Straining her eyes, she realized that the first party was the representatives of men.
"Welcome." Lord Elrond said arms spread wide as the men walked through the gate. They bowed in return before quickly starting as Avanwa dropped down from the tree landing lightly on her feet next to Lord Elrond.
Despite the men all pointing their swords at her, Avanwa stood calmly in front of the group. Before bowing slightly and echoing Lord Elrond's greeting,
"Welcome men, to the land of the Elves. I am Avanwa from the northern Lothlórien elves, and this is Lord Elrond of these lands, Rivendell." Avanwa said cheerfully.
Beckoning an elf forward, Avanwa introduced him to the group,
"This is Glorfindel, he will show you to your rooms."
With a nod in her direction, Glorfindel led the still confused men away. Elrond once again found himself laughing as one of the men, their leader, Boromir, looked back only to not see the very elf that confused him so, as Avanwa had just hopped back into the tree.
"Avanwa, are you planning on scaring the next group as well?" Lord Elrond asked.
"If it is the dwarves the I most certainly will. You are the one who asked for my assistance, if you are no longer in need of it then I will leave." Avanwa answered testily.
"No, no you may stay my dear." Elrond said, chuckling once again at her most un-elf like behavior, hands clasped behind his back as he calmly stood awaiting the next group.
"Ahhh, the lovely odor of deep, stank, disease ridden caves, how I have missed you so." Avanwa said faux wishfully.
"Avanwa, try not to scare them to badly please. It would be nice to have a semblance of peace tomorrow at the council." Lord Elrond finished just as the dwarves arrived at the open gate.
"Lord Gimli and the dwarves of Moria!" The herald announced as once again Lord Elrond raised his arms in greeting. Unlike the men, the dwarves simply nodded in return.
This time Avanwa dropped much more quickly and silently, making it seem to the dwarves as if she had appeared out of thin air at Lord Elrond's side. Seeing their startled faces and hearing Gimli's curses, Avanwa chuckled slightly before saying somewhat rudely,
"Indeed, welcome to Rivendell. I am sure you will find your stay to be most pleasant." Before gesturing a new elf forward to lead the group away. As they walked off, each shot Avanwa a glare, and their dignified Lord left behind a few of his favorite curse words.
Avanwa once again turned to see the last party, representing the woodland elves of Mirkwood on the near bank of the river and quickly approaching the gate. Smiling, her and Elrond bowed to the group. Before Elrond offered his greeting,
"Welcome my northern brothers. Avanwa of the Lothlórien will show you to your rooms. I unfortunately must run off to a meeting, if you'll excuse me?" before quickly leaving.
"If you will come with me please. Mer will take your horses." Avanwa said before leading the group into the heart of Rivendell.
Avanwa soon found herself walking along side a handsome elf who if weren't for her own purple eyes and light blonde hair, could have been her brother. Looking back behind her, Avanwa saw that the other three woodland elves were quite a few paces behind them, out of earshot. Making the handsome elf beside her their leader.
"Do I have the pleasure of the company of one Prince Legolas Greenleaf?" Avanwa questioned.
"Maybe. Only if you find my company to be pleasurable." Legolas replied with a smirk.
"Increasingly so." Avanwa said a smile on her face as well. "Now that I know there is some intelligence behind that golden crown."
"Will you be attending the council tomorrow?"
"Yes. I will represent Lord Celeborn and Lady Galadriel at the council. Why do you ask?"
"You will stand alone?"
"An elf of Lothlórien is never alone. Her lady is always watching out for us." Avanwa said bowing her head respectfully.
They neared a talon and Avanwa slowed to a stop saying,
"Your men will be staying here if you find these accommodations suitable."
"I am sure they will do just fine." Legolas answered nodding his men towards the door of the talon.
"Very well then. Follow me sir prince." Avanwa said bowing Legolas down the path to the more exquisite talons at the center of Rivendell. Before continuing,
"Why did you ask me if I was attending the council tomorrow?
"Can't I wonder who the other members of the council are?"
"Yet, you only ask about one member of said council. Why do you not worry yourself with the others?"
"Maybe the other members do not hold much interests for me." Legolas responded effectively ending that train of conversation.
Upon entering the main hall, Avanwa took a right and led Legolas down a beautiful marble hall where the rooms for royalty were. Pointing to whose rooms was whoms as they passed each door.
Finally at the end of the hall, Avanwa stopped pointing at the last door on the right,
"Your rooms Sir Prince."
"Oh, but my lovely lady. How will I find you if I need to be shown to the secret council tomorrow?" Legolas said grin growing ever larger.
"I don't know." Avanwa started smile on her own lips, "You could start with a knock." before Avanwa turned and entered the room directly across the hall from Legolas' own. Closing the door beind her with a jaunty wave.
Legolas stood in the hall for a second longer, smile on his lips, before making his way into his own talon. For the first time in a while, Prince Legolas had found a female elf that just might be worth his time.