Hi everyone! Here is my second story! I hope you like it. This story is dedicated to a good friend who has been supporting my through my first story! Epicflyingcheese! You are awesome! This was a character she came up with and asked me to write a story for her. Needless to say I was more than excited to have someone ask me something like that :)
I want to make a note that I really hate writing anything in elvish, so the first part of this will be in Rivendell where obviously they will be speaking in elvish, so use your imagination yea?
Also! The OC's nickname Ei is pronounced "I" if you didn't already get it.
Please leave me reviews! I live by them ^.^ nom nom nom! Hope you enjoy!
Fire. She dreamed of fire and a darkness that would never cease. It engulfed everything in its path. Screams were everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It was the most terrible sound she had ever heard. There would never be a sound as terrifying as those screams. They begged for help. Help from those who would not come. All those in the fire and darkness were left to die. Left to burn. Glimpses of faces passed by. Faces that would forever be sketched into her vision. They were so afraid. Men, women,...children. She could do nothing. She could never help. It would do no good to reach out and try to save one. Heat plastered her body and she screamed in pain. It was so intense. No one could survive such fire.
"Ei wake up!" The voice cut through her dreams and she sat up with a start. Her vision gazed upon the woman in front of her. The brunette woman with the face of elegance and beauty. Arwen.
Arwen looked upon her friend with great concern. She had heard the screams from her chambers and ran as quick as she could only to find that the screams came from the chamber room of Eilella. The moment she opened the door she could see the distress on her pale face. Her normally beautiful curly blonde hair was sticking to her face from the sweat and tears that caked her face. The moment she touched her shoulders and bid her to awaken she had sprung up from her bed. Her piercing aquamarine eyes darted around the room before settling on Arwen. She visibly relaxed and let out a sigh of relief.
"Are you ill Eilella? Shall I retrieve my father?" Arwen sat on the edge of Ei's bed, a hand firmly placed on her friends arm.
"No. I am fine Arwen...just a dream is all." Ei ran her slender fingers through her hair and smoothed out her nightgown.
"Your dreams have been troubled as of late. You should reconsider telling my father. He worries for you sometimes my friend." Arwen looked at her with concern and empathy. She was right after all, the dreams Ei was having lately were truly something to worry about. It was always about fire. She had no idea why, but she never told anyone about them.
"Arwen, I can not change what I see...Now please leave it be." She was too exhausted to argue with her tonight, but going to her Lord Elrond for something like this would only make things worse. Ei just wanted sleep.
Arwen held her gaze for a few still moments before nodding and getting up from the bed. She bid Ei goodnight and gracefully slide through the doorway. Her long dark hair trailing behind her. Once the door was quietly closed Eilella let out a breath. The same horror had plagued her dreams for a fortnight now. What they meant she had no idea. Her gift of vision meant nothing when she didn't know what they were about. It was a sad realization; having a gift and not being able to use it properly. A waste.
Ei flung the sheets off her petite body and slipped off her bed. Her bare feet hit the cold stone floors and sent a chill up her spine. She walked to the open balcony. Her fingers lightly touching the soft fabric of the curtains as she moved to the open air. A breeze hit her, making her hair dance around her shoulder. Her eyes gazed out into the night.
The Valley of Imladris was beautiful in the moonlight. Ei had been here for just over six decades and the sight still took her breath away. It was more open here. The light of the moon and sun would shine freely onto the valley, giving her the illusion of freedom she so desperately needed. She had spent most of her life in Lothlorien. She had loved it there when she was a wee child, but once she was considered an adult the trees that stood high above her always seemed to cover the world out there. It sheltered her. Unlike most elves, she sought adventure. She had wished to see the world...but even when she left for Imladris, it still kept her a prisoner.
Eilella scoffed at the idea of freedom. Most elves could do as they please, but knew kin and customs were important. That reason in itself drove her away from Lothlorien. If she had been normal, she could have graced the idea of formality with some content, but since she was far from normal...she really saw no point to the countless days that laid ahead of her. The last thing she wanted to do was sit in her cozy home and wait out the days until she decided she would sail away. She still wasn't even sure she wanted to do that. The idea had come to her, many times, but Middle Earth was still so new to her. Still so untouched by her eyes. Very little of the land had she seen and it seemed like her time here was running out. The feelings was wedged into her very bones.
With her eyes closed she took in a deep breath. Adventure was what she needed. What she wanted. She craved it. A small smile graced her full lips. Soon, she knew she would be leaving. Very soon. Though her dreams had been full of terror as of late, it had also been filled with a vision. One that she would not soon forget. It was several days behind her, but still as fresh as the air around her.
The grass was green. The air crisp with the fresh scent of flowers blooming. It was peaceful. Too peaceful. Like a dream. Humble and shy seemed to be the whispers that waved off the rolling hills of a the place unfamiliar to her. Hidden away and untouched by many. She saw homes within these large hills. Dug into the earth. It was strange, she had thought, to live in the ground. Of course she had known dwarves to do it...but they were dwarves. It was probably for the better that they stayed there.
Her vision flashed to a small human like creature sitting on a bench smoking a pipe. A hobbit. Why was there a hobbit?Then she saw a tall grey figure standing high above the hobbit. The man's hat gave him away right away. Mithrandir. She would have to be blind and deaf to not know who he was.
"Can I help you?" The hobbit asked looking terribly confused.
The grey wizard was holding his staff looking down at the small hobbit with much thought. "That remains to be seen. I am looking for someone to share in an adventure."
The hobbit was even more confused. It would seem this hobbit, or any hobbit in general, would not like to share any adventure. How sad.
"An adeventure? No, I don't imagine anyone west of Bree, who'd have much interest in adventures." The hobbit got up from his seat on the bench and took a few steps away to get his mail. "Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner!" It was obvious the hobbit wanted nothing to do with that. He riffled through his mail trying to look busy, took a few puffs from his pipe and gave a very quick, "Good morning," before turning and heading up his homes steps.
"To think that I should have lived to be good-morninged by Belladonna Took's son, as if I was selling buttons at the door!" Mithrandir said sounding a tad bit annoyed.
"Beg you pardon?" That seemed to get the hobbits attention.
"You've changed, and not entirely for the better, Bilbo Baggins." So that was the little hobbits name!
The conversation continued on with introductions and fireworks. She almost wished she had woke up at this point. She cared very little for small talk.
"So that's decided! It will be very good for you and most amusing for me. I shall inform the others." Others? What others? Now this was something she wanted to know about.
"Inform the who-what-no, no. No, wait." Bilbo practically skipped up his stairs to get away. "We do not want any adventures here, thank you-not today, not...I Suggest you try over the hill or...across the water. Good morning." The hobbit jumped into his house and locked it firmly.
Outside she saw Mithrandir carving something into the door of the hobbit hole and then stroll off with a fairly amused smirk on his face. The dwarven letter G was engraved into her mind now. The vision pushed forward to Mithrandir sitting at a table with someone, she could not see who it was because it was very dark. He was speaking quietly with the person. Though a date and time was something she did hear. Now she knew when they were meeting.
The last thing she saw in her vision was the grey wizard smiling down at her with warmth.
It was strange to see that from the wizard, but she had seen him look upon her like that before. She had assumed that it was because of her predicament, but now she was not so certain. She was used to people looking down at her with some form of pity or wonder. She was an anomaly within the elf community.
She opened her eyes to the light of the moon shining down upon her. Eilella was not normal. Not one bit. Her mother, Arasinya, was the beautiful daughter of one of the high elves in Lothlorien. Her mother had been exceptionally close to the Lady of Lorien. She had married the Marchwarden Orophin. Brother to Rumil and Haldir. The three of them are the Marchwardens of Lothlorien. Once she had married Orophin, they quickly decided a child would be a great gift to their long lives. However, in a wicked turn of events, Arasinya was kidnapped while she was with child and imprisoned by orcs.
She underwent torture that could only be imagined in the darkest of minds. She was rescued weeks later by her husband and his brothers, along with a small battalion of elves. Arasinya was brought back, still pregnant, but she was strangely sick with some form of illness. Elves never became sick. Never. She recovered quickly and was thankfully still with child, but when they gave birth to their daughter, Lady Galadriel knew there was something different about the elf-child the moment she laid eyes on her.
The Lady of Lorien was right. Eilella grew up to be short. As short as a dwarf, some had said behind her back, though she could hear them quite clearly. She looked just like an elf, slender and elegant, but almost half their size. Many had thought she was tainted by some evil magic, but the Lady of Lorien always smiled at her with a watchful eye. If she had seen her as a threat she would have made sure to deal with it. The approval of the Lady and Lord had given her enough time to grow within the forests of Lothlorien, but as time went on she felt more and more apart from the elves around her. Pity was always in their eyes. It made her ill just thinking about it. She had a large distaste for pity.
She lived three centuries in in Lothlorien before traveling over the Misty Mountains to find refuge in Rivendell. There she had met Lord Elrond. He was more kind than any elf she had met. He did not look upon her with great sadness. He treated her like his own daughter, which led to Arwen and herself becoming friends. Ei even got along with Elronds two sons, Elrohir and Elladan, when they weren't trying to set her up with tricks and schemes. Playful is most certainly not the word she would use for the two brothers. They were downright cruel with their jokes sometimes, but knew when to take things seriously. It was a welcome change from the highlights of court life in Lothlorien.
And now, with the knowledge she learned from her visions, she would be making another change. Her heart wanted something more than just standing on her balcony staring at the stars and moon. She was a soul meant to take on the world...and that's exactly what she meant to do.
With a heavy sigh she walked back into her room and back to her warm bed. For now, she would rest. There would be a great deal of traveling if she was to do this and the sleep would be well needed. She found herself once again engulfed by her warm blankets and nuzzled into her fluffed pillows. It would be her last night in this bed and she wanted to make it a good one.
When she finally fell asleep there were no dreams that plagued her mind. There were no screams or faces that appeared in the dark. It was only a blank slate filled with unconsciousness.
"Tell us what you're hiding Ei. We know you're keeping something from us." Elrohir was trailing behind Eilella, being far too annoying for her liking. Elladan was strolling, all too quietly, behind his brother and Ei.
"I'm not hiding anything. Go pester someone else before you get hurt." She could practically feel the veins on her head pumping. She had been coming back from the kitchens with some bread and cheese packaged up when the twins had all but pounced on her with questions. They were always very inquisitive.
"Such venom should not come from a lady so beautiful." Elladan finally spoke up with a wry smirk on his lips.
"I'll do more than spit venom if you don't leave me be. You two are always trouble! Can you go bother your sister for once?" She put a hand on her hip with her free hand and turned to the twins. Both had long dark hair like their father and sister. Both tall and beautiful...If she had not thought of them like brother she might have-...well that would never happen regardless. Her heart would belong to no one, but herself. For too long she had left her heart out on her sleeve and heard the whispers of those she thought loved her unconditionally. She would never be hurt like that again.
"Are you well Eilella?" The voice of Elladan snapped her from her thoughts to the twins. Both had the same look of concern on their faces. How long had she been in thought? She shook her head and looked away.
"Your sister asked me that same question recently.."
"Ah yes. I had almost forgot to ask about your dreams" Elrohir leaned back on his heels.
"Or should we say nightmares?" Elladan put his hands behind his back and took a step forward.
She gave the both a look that clearly said 'Don't even think about bringing it up' which made them smirk at her. It was more than clear that she was not in the mood to speak about it. The warning Ei sent their way effectively made them put their hands up in defense and take a step back. Eilella glanced at them wearily and started to walk away from them...only to trip on her dress and fall flat on her face.
Nobody moved. Nobody said anything. The air was quiet around the three for a few still minutes before Ei felt a pair of hands on both arms lift her up to a standing position.
"You are indeed the most ungraceful elf I have ever met." Elladan said with a small snicker.
Ei snatched her arms away from the brother who backed away, but Elrohir suddenly had his eyes trained on the small bundle that Ei had been carried. The contents of it were now spilled onto the floor. Ei looked down to where he was looking and saw the bread, cheese, apples, and lembas in their leaf wrappings. She immediately dropped to her knees and began picking up the food and placing it bag into the small sack.
"Ah so you're planning on some long trip then?" Elladan crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"That's not fair, leaving us to the pains of court life without our pretty little Eilella to keep us entertained." Elrohir faked a pout and stared down at the petite elf picking up the rest of the food.
Once Ei stuffed the rest of the food into the sack she looked to the twins who were, of course, smirking at her.
"Please don't tell anyone...You wouldn't understand..I just.." Ei had started, but Elladan put a hand up to stop her.
"We understand completely Ei. This place can be stifling at times...We just wish you would have told us instead of trying to run off in the night and worry us to death." Elladan stepped over to her with a small smile.
The two were much like herself in the sense that they wanted adventure, which they did, but at some point in their life they had been in her shoes. Not being able to leave because of who they were. They were the sons of a lord who didn't want them to be killed in any battle, she was an abnormal elf with the gift of sight and was the daughter of a Lothlorien daughter under the care of their father. The twins had been able to convince their way into doing much, much more. Ei, however, was not given the same choice.
"Thank you Elladan...Elrohir. I do not want to worry any of you. I just want to be able to go out and see more than just this place. It has been very difficult for me as of late." She smiled at them, something she did not do often.
Elrohir glanced to the horizon quickly before back to her. The brothers smiled and walked over to her. In the blink of an eye they were both holding her in a warm embrace. A final goodbye.
"It will be dark soon...best not keep your journey waiting much longer." Elladan said with sadness.
"We will tell Father and Arwen why you left when they realize you're gone." Elrohir spoke as he released Eilella from his grip. The brothers backed away from her carefully.
"The sun should be setting soon Ei." She wasn't sure which one had spoke, but when she turned to see the sun falling behind the mountains and looked back, they were both gone.
"I hate when they do that..." She rolled her eyes and continued her way back to her chamber.
Once inside she closed her door and locked it. On her bed was everything she would need for her little adventure. She made quick work of the light blue elven dress she had worn throughout the day. She visibly relaxed once she got it off. She hated those damn dresses. They were so formal and reminded her too much of her life in Lothlorien.
Laying on the bed was her traveling clothes, which she found to be more to her liking. She put it on with a grin of excitement. It was a black cropped bodice and a grey asymmetrical skirt that fanned out lightly. Beneath her skirt was a pair of tight black leggins that stuffed into her traveling boots. The outfit made moving far more easier than a normal dress she would sometimes be forced to wear.
The packing process took her longer than she had expected and when she stepped out onto her balcony to stretch her legs it was dark. The moon was full above the mountains and the night air was alive with crickets. It was so peaceful. She would miss Rivendell.
Ei pulled herself away from the balcony before she changed her mind and grabbed her pack. She swung it onto her back and opened her door. The minutes that passed by as she tip toed her way around the corridors was the most terrifying moments she had ever experienced. Every turn she took she expected Lord Elrond to be standing there with his arms crossed over his chest with a look that clearly said 'Get back to your room.' It was more than enough to make her shiver with a small amount of fear.
It seemed like hours when she finally managed to make it to her small pony that was laying in wait. She suspected that the twins must have got her horse ready for her. It was a sweet gesture. If she saw them again she would be sure to thank them properly.
Once she was on her pony she looked to the place that had been her home for six decades. It held memories that she would never forget. Happy ones that made her rethink the idea of leaving, but in the end she knew this was what she needed.
Without a second thought she was heading off into the night. Her vision would lead her far to the west. To rolling hills with hobbit holes and hopefully better food than she had packed. She now regretted skipping supper to pack. Her stomach grumbled within the first few hours of traveling. Perhaps this was a bad idea on an empty stomach...
The trip had taken her almost a fortnight. At first she had traveled slowly, stopping several times in the first day to look at all the new places she came to, but when she realized how much time she was wasting she had to keep going without much time to stop. The day the meeting was to take place was coming close and she had to hurry. She traveled passed an old forest and a town called Bree. She had little time to do anything besides ride her pony to her destination as to not be late.
It was strange. She had been traveling for so long and not once had she come across anyone or anything that wished her harm. She was well trained with a bow and arrow, even knew how to use the elven short sword that she carried, but there had been no need to use it. The feeling of being safe out in the world was very encouraging to say the least. She didn't even draw her sword out of fear or shoot an arrow in the direction of a sound. Perhaps this part of the Middle Earth had little to fear.
As night fell onto the last day of her journey she found herself in a lovely place called The Shire. She came about the name when she ran into a little hobbit with a very soft smile. He was very kind and pointed her in the direction she needed to go.
Once off her pony she pulled her the hood of her grey cloak up over the top of her head. There was a small chill on this night. Ei tied her horse firmly to a tree and gave her pony a calm reassurance in elvish. The sky was almost clear with only a few small clouds painted against its dark blue palette. The starts twinkled above and winked down at her as though mocking her. She let out a sigh and began to walk up a cobbled path to a hobbit hole that was very familiar to her.
She smiled when she saw how quaint the home was. Simplicity at its best. Everything was homey. Eilella almost wished she could stay here. Hobbits seemed to know the right way to live. She hated staying in lovely homes hidden against mountains or within the trees. All of the free air around her brought a smile to her lips.
The smile quickly faded, however, when she heard a loud and obnoxious voices of men within the hobbit hole. They were rowdy and brash. Well that might put a damper on things. Loud drunk men were always a bad combination when a lady elf was present. She had met a few humans in her time and when drunk they were overly nice and too forward. She couldn't imagine what a drunk hobbit might be like.
She shook her head of her thoughts about drunk men and stepped up to the door. She raised her hand to knock on it, but stopped.
"How am I going to convince Mithrandir to let me join..." The question popped into her head like a sudden realization. She had not thought about what she would say to him. Oh Valar, that was not good. She would just have to wing it...until she knew more at least. Mithrandir would never know she had no idea. He knew all about her gift of sight.
Fixing herself up a bit by straightening out her clothing and moving her hair out of her face she knocked lightly. After waiting a few minutes and no one answered she knocked again. Once again she was met with no one at the door. The rowdy bunch inside must be making it hard to hear. She sighed and took in a deep breath. Ei was impatient at times. After she had traveled so far and was hungry enough to eat a bore or two she was starting to lose her calm demeanor when she had to wait even longer for someone to open a simple door.
Looking up she saw a doorbell and decided to give that a shot. She rang it and knocked on the door a bit harder for good measure. That had seemed to do the trick...though she was very unprepared for the angry hobbit that answered her call.
"If another dwarf comes into this house it will explode!" She heard a voice on the other side of the door along with a few other rather rude and distasteful comments. The door flung open and the face of the hobbit she had saw in the vision was looking at her with irritation.
"I suppose you're here for the party as well? Hm?" He seemed to be very upset about the people in his home.
She blinked a few times. Ei was unprepared for such a hostile welcome, but after a few moments she narrowed her eyes. No one spoke to her like that.
"Is this how you treat all the people who knock on your door Master Baggins?" The voice that came from her seemed to click in his brain. Her face must have been hidden in the dark, but as soon as Bilbo realized it was a woman at his door he visibly softened his features and looked ashamed.
"I-I am sorry Miss. I had no idea...I am so very embarrassed that I..." Well now she felt bad...Sometimes being upset can make people lash out at pretty much any.
" All is forgiven Master Baggins." She took a step closer and smiled warmly, knowing the simple smile would put him at ease.
Bilbo stared at the face within the hood for a few moments with a what she thought was bewilderment, but he shook his head and stepped aside. "Please come in Miss...?"
Eilella nodded and went to take a step into the door. It could have been a graceful event. She could have glided her way in and took everyone's breath away with her elvish beauty...but instead she caught her boot on the lip of the door frame and crashed to the floor with a "Oompf!"
Immediately she was helped to her feet by Bilbo. "Oh dear are you alright? That was a nasty fall. Are you injured?"
"No Master Baggins...I am fine." She sighed and was smoothing out her clothes. "I am Eilella by the way." She turned to the hobbit who still looked worried.
"What? Oh! Eilella..." He tried the name on his lips and smiled. "Lovely name."
"You may call me Ei, if you wish. It is what my companions call me." She tried not to make eye contact and hid beneath her hood. The blush of embarrassment was evident on her porcelain skin.
"Ei?" He seemed to like that name much better. The smile on his face made her hid further into her hood.
"Bilbo who is our guest?" That was a familiar voice. Mithrandir.
"Oh this is-" Bilbo started, but gasped when Eilella turned to face the wizard and removed her hood quickly.
There was a silence between the wizard and Ei. The hobbit watched as they eyed each other wearily. It was Gandalf who finally broke the silence and cleared his throat.
"Lady Eilella, what is the occasion for this visit? Did Lord Elrond send for me?" Gandalf was testing the waters. She could just tell. He knew something else was up, but was playing around it.
Smirking she motioned for him to follow her into a small sitting room just off to the side. The place would be more private and since most of the party, that she could hear, was in a different room. They walked quietly to a nice room with a small fire. She motioned for him to have a seat and made herself comfortable. Bilbo seemed to take the hint and was long gone by then.
"Eilella what is this about?" Gandalf questioned with a inquisitive look.
"Forgive me Mithrandir, for coming to you like this." Ei cleared her throat. If she wanted him to take her seriously she would have to be very clever with what she told him...perhaps lie a bit. She had no idea what this meeting was about, but a little white lie could help him believe she did.
"There is nothing to forgive, I am just concerned as to why you have come to, of all places, the shire. What made you come here to find me?"
"I think we both know why I am here." She said matter of fact. Gandalf watched her carefully before shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
"You had a vision.." He was not thrilled about the idea, she could tell, but he did not make any further notion.
"Of course. It was about a fortnight ago."
"What do you know?" This was it. She would have to lie in order to get what she wanted.
"I think the better question is; what don't I know." She said it with a wry smirk.
Gandalf mulled that over in his head for a few quiet minutes before leaning forward to Ei. "What were you planning to gain from this Eilella? Did you think to stop me from this quest?...or did you have something else in mind.."
She had him. "Not at all Mithrandir. I merely wanted to offer my services to you and your company."
"I can not allow you to be put in danger, you know that!" He didn't exactly yell, but the tone in his voice was almost like he was her father. She narrowed her eyes instantly at being told 'no' and stood slowly.
"Mithrandir, while I appreciate the sentiment we both know I will be fine. I was trained well by my father, uncles, and the twins."
"Eilella...I can not in good conscience.." Gandalf looked at her. She had the determination in her eyes. Ei really wanted to go on this quest. He had no idea why, but if she knew as much as she was letting on it would be unwise to leave her behind...if he let her go back to Rivendell she could very well run into trouble...and if she was squeezed out informaiton...
"Let me go with you Olorin, please.." She used his real name. The name he had not been called in centuries. Ei placed a firm hand on his arm as she leaned forward. Gandalf could not deny her what she wanted more than anything; adventure. He should have seem it sooner. That's all she had ever talked about when he visited Imladris.
Gandalf sighed heavily and nodded. "I only ask that you take great care during this quest. It will be one that I can not guarantee you would come back from.."
Eilella blinked at that. She had not known this would be a journey of great difficulty...but she came all this way. She nodded once as he continued.
"I will need to convince the leader of our company to have you come along. Your gift of sight might give you greater advantage to sway his approval."
"Leader? I thought you were the leader." It came out quietly, but Gandalf eyed her for a moment.
"Did you not see who was to accompany me?"
"Well I certainly saw the hobbit...but the rest of the company was shrouded in darkness." At least she didn't lie about seeing the hobbit. So it was half true.
"I see...I fear you may be in for quite a surprise. Come you must be hungry!" He stood up suddenly and walked out of the room.
Gandalf left her there feeling very happy that she was being allowed to come on this journey...but slightly confused as to why she would be in for a surprise. Was it a bad thing? Shrugging off her coat she laid it out neatly on the armchair. It was very warm in the home. It felt nice.
She gazed into the hearth for a moment. The fire danced and flickered. It reminded her of the nightmares she had. The ones that left her screaming in her sleep. Before she could fall into a vision of fire once more she shook her head and made for the direction of all the noise.
Prepared for hobbits, humans, or even perhaps elves; yes. Prepared for a table full of dwarves stuffing their faces; most definitely not. She was frozen in place. Dwarves. Dwarves? Why dwarves...
Gandalf smirked at her reaction and cleared his throat. He called for her over the noise. "Eilella, please come eat! There is plenty to go around!"
The moment he said her name the dwarves must have known it was not a name they were familiar with. They all turned to see where Gandalf had been looking and saw the small woman standing in the entrance way.
All eyes were on her. It was the most uncomfortable moment she had ever encountered. Ei narrowed her eyes at Gandalf who was sitting there like this was the funniest thing he had ever seen.
"You never said anything about dwarves, Mithrandir..."
"You seemed to know so much, I didn't think I would need to tell you." He was grinning like a fool.
"Why would dwarves upset you lass? Are you not one yourself?" One of the dwarves spoke up. Her eyes immediately piercing through him. He had a white beard and a kind smile.
"I beg your pardon!" She looked as though she had just been insulted.
"She is just exceptionally short, that is all Balin." Gandalf was far too amused by this.
"Well then what is she? Human? Hobbit?" Said a dwarf with a balk head full of tattoos.
"She is too small to be a human. Are you sure she is not a dwarf?" Another spoke up.
"Perhaps a large hobbit then? Oh, but look at her feet! They are just as small as the rest of her!"
"Maybe she isn't eating enough!" The fat dwarf called out, which made a few others chuckle.
Eilella put a hand on her head and massaged her temple. She kept her eyes closed as she heard the numerous remarks on her small stature. If she had wanted to be insulted like this than she would have stayed in Lothlorien...though they would not be so bold as to spew the comments in her face.
"Master dwarves! You are insulting our guest!" Gandalf had noticed the look on Ei's face and immediately stood up with a loud rumble in his voice.
The room quieted instantly. They all looked to him and then to the girl that stood there.
"I'm sorry lass. We meant nothing by it." The dwarf named Balin had said with a sorrowful smile.
Ei looked up from her hands and sighed. The white haired dwarf seemed very kind and she was going to have to get along with these...beasts if she wanted to go along on this adventure. Though now she was slightly regretting setting out in the first place, but it might be her only chance to do something like this.
She gave him a smile, one that seemed to make him feel better about the situation. " 'Tis already Master dwarf...I am used to being questioned about my height. It might be wise to tell explain to you now that I am not a dwarf nor a hobbit. I am not human either."
"Well you certainly can't be an elf, they are much talle-oof!" A younger blonde dwarf in the corner was elbowed in the side by an even younger dwarf with barely a beard to his name.
Ei took a moment to think about what she was going to say. If she said she was an elf...they might turn her out, but if she said she was an elf who was already turned out by her own kind, maybe they would take pity on her. And it's not like it would be a lie. Most elves thought little of her because of her short stature and the rumors surrounding her birth. Being thought of as an anomaly within a race who were normally perfect was a very depressing thing to think about.
Ei made eye contact with Gandalf before clearing her throat. "I am sorry to say that I am an elf.."
"What!?" One of the dwarves stood suddenly. He had red hair that was almost everywhere. The others around him almost as outraged by the idea of an elf being in their midst. "You dare let an elf into our company wizard!? She will betray us just like they had long ago!"
Now she was confused. What were they talking about? She really needed to find out more about the quest. For now she would have to wing it. Gandalf looked uncomfortably at Ei.
"She is much more different than other elves my dear Gloin. She is-"
"An outcast." Ei interrupted. She would need to lie threw her teeth to get this lot on her side. "I was born to a world of elves who looked at me with distaste. I was short and not as graceful as them. They cast me out and I have been on my own since then. I have no ill will toward dwarves, Master Gloin. I am not considered to be one of them..." She tried her best to look as sad as possible. Even going as far as to pretend like she might cry.
The ploy worked however. Gloin and the others looked upon her with pity...something she never wanted to see again, but it had made them less hostile. Ei made another smart move by bowing down to them, her hair falling around her shoulders as she looked at the floor.
"I humbly apologize if I have upset any of you this eve..." She didn't move. She stayed as she was, her heart pounding in her eyes as she waited for something, anything, to happen.
A hand touched her shoulder and she almost jumped out of her skin from the contact. When her blue eyes looked up to see the white haired dwarf named Balin, he smiled and looked to the table.
"Come on lass, have a seat and join us for supper." She blinked at him, stunned by how kind he had been to her.
She glanced around the table and saw how the other dwarves had softened their expressions. They were all smiling, some with a small amount of pity, others with a sense of respect for an elf bowing so low to a dwarf.
"Thank you.." Ei let out in almost a whisper.
Balin led her to a seat next to him and she crammed into the company of dwarves. Almost instantly the merriment began again. Eilella smiled to herself. This had gone far easier than she had imagined. They bought her story and were inviting her in with open arms. All she had to do was create a little white lie. She then frowned. Lying felt terrible when the ones you lie to treat you so kindly.
A plate was suddenly pushed in front of her with food piled on. She turned to the dwarf next to her who had a tall three point head of hair. She would find out later that his name was Nori. He was smiling at her. He rose up his ale slightly to gesture to the food he set in front of her and waggled a brow. They were being so nice to her now. It was so strange for them to suddenly be so accepting of her so quickly.
Well she was most certainly not going to pass up food. She grabbed a fork and dug in. She had nothing, but cheese and lembas the last three days. This was a welcome change to her growling stomach.
The dwarf who had put the food in front of her let out a small chuckle and leaned over to her. "Are you sure you're not a dwarf lass? You eat like one!"
Ei stopped suddenly and looked at him. A piece of bread was half out of her mouth. When he laughed harder she blushed and pulled out the piece of bread hanging out of her mouth.
"Sorry, it's been some time since I've had a good meal."
"Don't be embarrassed lass. Just look at Bombur over there! He has no manners at all!" Nori said with grin.
She took one look at the giant dwarf who was stuffing his face and almost choked on her food with laughter. Once her throat was clear she let out a laugh that even she had not heard in years. She almost cried at how funny he looked. The melodious laughter that came from her mouth was one that had the dwarves looking at her with amusement.
This was going to be a very interesting night.