Chapter 2

One week later…

White flowers drifted down from the buildings over us all. Women wearing their finest dresses and men wearing their best and clean armor are walking around smiling. It has been many years since I have last seen a real smile, a smile that brightened up the eyes.

It has been a week since the battle was won and the tower of Barad-dûr came crashing down. Now there is another mad rush for the coronation of a man named Aragorn. I have not yet seen him or anyone from the famous fellowship that I have heard so much of and I very much wish to. There has been much talk of hobbits. In all my years of traveling I have never set my eyes on a hobbit, and the savior of our world are two hobbits named Frodo and Sam.

All the preparations and celebrations going on now make it seem that everything in the past had never happened…

I have never seen so many horses in my life. They trampled down the orcs as if they were nothing but weeds in a field. Emil and I sat and watched through a wide window. Emil is the boys name and we had only just found out that his mother was killed. He will not leave my side at all and has declared that I am now his mother. I have never taken care of a child before. We both cheered as we watched the orcs retreating back to the river but all our happiness was drained out of us as we saw looming shadows in the distance.

"What is that?" asked Emil.

It was a Mûmakil, great animals with huge ears and long tusks. There was not just one Mûmakil but about twenty of them.

We watched with great sadness as we saw horses and men being picked up and flown through the air.

I didn't dare watch, so I turned away and ran from the window.

I was sitting next to a young boy, only nineteen, with a broken leg until Emil came running in. "Come quickly!"

"What is it?"

"I don't know. Suddenly ships arrived on the river and green shadows came pouring out." I have never seen Emil look so excited. He was hopping up and down in excitement at the new turn of events.

"Has anybody seen Emil?"

That boy has run off again for the fifth time. I do not blame him though. So many are here for the coronation; elves, men, women, and children from all over the land, and I have even seen a dwarf! There is so much to see.

Today is the day! The day has hardly begun and yet there are so many out and about. It is impossible to find a small child amongst this crowd.

"Emil! Where are you?" I shouted out as I ran around a corner, when suddenly I collided with another. The impact was strong and running did not make it any softer. Thankfully I was grabbed by the shoulders before I went tumbling down.

"Are you alright?" asked a soft voice.

I had to shake my head to get rid of the dizziness and I looked up into the bluest eyes I have ever seen. They reminded me of the color of the sea near my birth town.

"I…uhhhh... yes, I'm fine," I stuttered, regaining my balance as he let go of my shoulders.

"Who are you searching for, if I may ask, to have you running wildly?" He seemed rather curious and amused.

Standing in front of me was an elf and what a beautiful elf he was with long blonde hair, blue eyes, and a perfectly flawless face. I have never been so close to an elf before and I have always wanted to meet one. Now, that I am near one and I stutter like an idiot… "Good job Eve," I murmur angrily to myself.

"What did you say?" The elf asked, have heard because of his sharp ears.

"Nothing, nothing! I was…ummmm…" For some reason the words just would not come to me. It has been a while since I have been in close proximity with another, especially a male. "I was searching for Emil. I am taking care of him."

He looked down at me rather amused causing me to burn up in humiliation.

"I just saw a boy run up that way. He did not seem very happy."

Not happy? Just last night the little boy was glowing with excitement and anticipation for this day.

I decided now is the best time to make a run for it before I amused him further with my stuttering and foolishness. "Thank you so much," I bowed and ran off in the direction he pointed.