Chapter 2: Thinking About You
Eleniel could not be more embarrassed. It was enough to have to endure Lord Elladan's gaze through out all of dinner and not be able to even look back. But then to have him witness her singing to nothing but the air around her. And then she fell into the creek, didn't take his offered hand, (how rude she was!) and then ran away, soaking wet. It made her want to cry.
She finally reached her room, after avoiding about twenty different people. She walked inside, closing the door quietly. She sighed and suddenly feeling very tired, walked into the small bathroom that adjacent to her room.
She had a tiny room. In fact, she had requested to have a small room. When you first walked in you could see that there was a small sitting chair near a fire on one side of the room, and on the other there was a bed and small desk. You could go through a door and there was a small bathroom. It was really a very small room, but it suited her.
She took a short bath and climbed into bed, determined not to interact with Lord Elladan or anyone else for that matter at all the next day.
The next morning at breakfast Eleniel, as she had promised herself, did not speak or even look at anyone. She simply stared at her food, taking in small bite one at a time.
Elladan usually took breakfast in his room, as usually he went on an early morning run. But today he decided to eat with everyone else in the hall, hoping that he would see her. And he did. But she didn't see him. In fact, she wasn't even looking at anyone. It annoyed Elladan that he had seemed to cause her to withdraw into herself even more. He didn't like being annoyed. So he saw it as something he had to fix.
"Elladan." He turned his head to see that his mother was speaking to him.
"Yes?"
"Would you care to come with me for a walk on this fine morning?"
Elladan nodded. "Of course, Naneth."
She smiled and went back to eating.
Elladan glanced back down the table to look at Eleniel again, but he found that she had finished. Even though there was still a lot of food on her plate. He would have to see her later then.
"Does something ail you?" Celebrian asked.
"Yes." Elladan loved his mother dearly and was glad that she always knew when something was bothering him as then he knew that he could talk to her.
Celebrian stayed quiet, waiting for him to speak first.
"It is that young maiden that I was trying to speak to last night. Eleniel."
Celebrian nodded. "I thought as much."
"I do not know nana, there is something about her. Something that I cannot place. But I wish to speak to her so much, but she seems to be…scared around me."
"Well, that doesn't surprise me."
Elladan wanted to scream, really he did. It was fine and dandy to speak to his mother about such things, but it was not the same with Elrohir. He loved his brother tremendously, but there were times when Elrohir was not the person he needed or wanted to talk to. Like now.
"In all seriousness-" Elladan snorted. It was his opinion that Elrohir was not a very serious person. But then again, he was a very critical person. "-have you thought about this clearly at all?"
Or maybe he could be serious. And maybe he should talk to him. "What do you mean?"
"Well, no offense, but you are very…intimidating when you want to be, and-"
"I was not trying to be intimidating!" Elladan snapped, and as Elrohir paused, Celebrian looked at the both of them in turn. If Elrohir annoyed Elladan enough, which he had a habit of doing, (as any brother or sister would) this could turn into a ridiculous fight.
"-and even when you don't want to be." Elrohir finished, Elladan looked at the ground. "But we would not have you any other way." He continued, and Elladan looked back up. "All I'm saying is that did it ever occur to you that being who you are, how you act, and what position you hold, that it could just be the thought of you coming up to her that scares her?"
"No, I did not." Elladan said quietly. In reality, he knew that he could be intimidating when he wanted to be, but he really had no idea that he was when he wasn't meaning to be.
Elrohir suddenly grinned at his brother and clapped him on the back. "See? I told you I was good for something."
"I still think that fact is in the process of being proven." Elladan grumbled, but you could tell that he was biting back a smile.
"Ah, how I love you two so." Celebrian said, hugging them both. "And look, you are taller than I am! How short I feel!"
"Think of it this way," Elladan said, smiling for real. "The taller we get, the older we get, and in Elrohir's case, the more mature he gets."
"I take that as an insult." Elrohir said, sticking his nose in the air dramatically.
"Good, because that is how it was meant."
Celebrian laughed and held both of their arms on either side of her. "Come, now you can both join me on my walk."
Elladen smiled. "Gladly."
Eleniel had wanted to go for a walk, but upon hearing Lady Celebrian's comment about wanting to go for a walk also, decided to go to the library instead.
When Lady Galadriel had requested that she come with them to Rivendell, she had not been so sure, but when Lord Celeborn had then hinted at how large the Library was, it had convinced her. She would go.
She really did feel at peace with all of these books around her. She didn't really know why, but she felt calmed when around them. She had always loved to read. Ever since she was a small Elfling. Her mother and father had encouraged her to read every book that she could get her hand s on, and she did.
But here in Lord Elrond's library, one of the largest libraries in Middle Earth, there were hundreds upon thousands of books, so they was she figured it, she'd be busy for a while.
Eleniel walked along the shelves, looking for something interesting. She especially enjoyed reading about the histories of just about anything. Elves, Men, the little folk called Hobbits, even Dwarves!
She picked one out, and walked over to a comfy looking chair and sat down in it; tucking her legs underneath her and settling in for what she thought would be a good read.
It turned out that the book she had picked out was about the little folk she had been thinking of earlier. It talked about the place where they lived, which was called 'The Shire' and how they lived in these 'Hobbit Holes.' It all seemed quite strange to Eleniel, but she was interested all the same.
She had been reading for quite some time when she saw another Elf walking between the shelves. If her eyes were not betraying her, then it was Elladan, or was it Elrohir? She had not wanted to speak to anyone that day, especially Elladan, but if it was not Elladan, and was his brother, then it would be rude for her not to say anything to one of her hosts. (technically Lord Elrond was her host, but she thought that his family could be included) Then again, she had been rude when not accepting Lord Elladan's hand the night before. Before she could make a decision, Elladan or Elrohir, walked over to her. Now there was no way out.
"Mára aurë." He said, whoever 'he' may be.
"Mára aurë," she repeated softly. "Lord…"
"Elrohir." He provided.
She nearly cried in relief. Thank the Gods that he was not his brother.
"What are you reading?" he asked, sitting on another one of the chairs.
"A book."
He laughed and she blushed. "I can see that. Which book?"
"I'm not sure, but it's about these little people called Hobbits." She looked away and blushed again. "But I suppose you already knew that."
Elrohir nodded. "I did, but it is only because I have read that book a million times. It is one of my favorites."
She smiled at him, no longer feeling embarrassed.
They sat in comfortable silence and Eleniel nearly went back to reading the book, but he broke the silence by saying,
"I bet you're glad I'm not my brother."
She turned red. "Not to be disrespectful my Lord, but your brother is very...well," she smiled sheepishly. "He's very scary."
Elrohir laughed out loud. "He can be. You do not need to be afraid of him though," he said kindly. "My brother just puts on a mask for the rest of the world to look at while he hides his true self."
"Really?"
"Really. But," he whispered, as if in on a conspiracy, "you didn't hear it from me. Apparently it's a secret. He then shrugged. "Who knew?"
Eleniel giggled. "I won't tell anyone."
"It's good to know that I can trust you." Elrohir said seriously. He smiled at her. "Enjoy your book, Lady Eleniel."
"Hannon le, my Lord."
"Please, it's just Elrohir." He said and then disappeared into the many bookshelves.
Eleniel went back to her book, feeling the happiest she had been since arriving in Rivendell.
Sup- I don't know what's gotten into me. I've been updating so much it's scaring me.
About the last chapter: Thanks a bunch for all of the suggestions and corrections. Yes, they are around 999 or 1000, I typed it incorrectly. And I realize that I wrote Arwen too young for how she was acting last chapter. I intend to figure out her age and fix that. I did not write the song that I used, I found it on an awesome site, and I can give it to anyone who wants it. That's about it. Review!
