You all no doubt hate me, and I won't ask for forgiveness, because I probably haven't earned it. But here is the long overdue chapter 3. Things get a bit more in depth this chapter, with some new view points. :)
All errors are my own fault. I don't have anyone check it over, and maybe I should, but oh well.
I don't own Lord of the Rings or any of its characters. I own Rata, Divan, Suva, Kixi, Kijo, and Tezo. That's it.
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Did you read it? If not, please do. I will leave another note in caps at the bottom. I really want you guys to see that. I know some people don't do well with descriptions and like to have pictures, so this is my solution to that for my stories. :)
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Legolas
"Are you sure you're going to be alright?"
"Yes, Su. Jeez, I'll be fine."
I wondered if perhaps the question had a double meaning, but did not dare to ask. I was still confused myself, so it was not at all surprising that this young woman did not understand either. I was not sure what sort of sorcery it was that had brought us here. The likelihood that either of these woman, or the one that had left with Haldir, knew the answer was very low. Especially with the conversation the three woman had had in the other room.
Then, of course, there was the matter of Haldir and the other young woman, the one with the dark hair whose name was Divan. I knew that Haldir wasn't the most likeable person. It was no secret, among the Wardens of Lorien, or the Mirkwood Guard, or even the Rivendell fleet, that Haldir was a very difficult person. It truly did not surprise me that Haldir had already angered the woman. Their interactions were intriguing though. Though Haldir seemed to obviously dislike her, and she him, there was something about the way they interacted that belied a hidden meaning that I could not seem to decipher. There was something more behind their gazes than simple displeasure.
There was also, of course, Rúmil, who I knew could not speak the common tongue. Unless this purple haired woman (another mystery I had yet to solve) knew elvish, which was even more unlikely than I and the two Lorien Wardens ending up in this place, Rúmil would have no one with him once I left with the blonde woman whose name I had learned to be Suva. I was unsure of how he would communicate, and not only that, but I was not sure I trusted these woman. The one with the purple hair, Kijo if I heard correctly, had hit Rúmil with what she had called a remote. I had no idea what weapon this was, as I had never heard of it before, but it must have been deadly. It was not only her use of a deadly weapon, but the fact that she had attacked Rúmil that had me distrusting her.
The only one that I could claim with any certainty that I would possibly trust would be the blonde, Suva. I did not trust the other two, though I trusted Lady Divan even less than I did Lady Kijo. Lady Divan had proven to be a menace. She was brash, and violent; she had already acted out against Haldir, though I could not be sure that he did not deserve a little of it. Haldir was difficult; he was downright impossible when he was surprised, and that didn't happen very often. Haldir lashed out when he was put into a situation he had never been in before.
It still did not warrant the complete hostility of Lady Divan. Haldir had left with her, which meant something, though I was not sure what. I knew that had Haldir truly not wanted to go, he would not have, no matter what anyone said. That he went with her said something, I just had not figured it out.
"How am I to communicate with this woman? I know not the common tongue of men, and she does not know elvish." I spared a glance to my friend. The thought had crossed my mind, and was one major reason I was reluctant to leave him. Haldir may not have seemed worried, but I was. I did not know what to tell Rúmil, however. There was no way he could communicate with her, at least not with words, and that would make living difficult. Of course, by the conversation we had heard, the three women did not live that far from each other. Within the same building at least, but it seemed that they lived on different floors of the building. It would make helping Rúmil easier, since we would all be in the same building, but it still wasn't optimal. And I did not wish the argument that would follow if I refused to leave Rúmil.
Something wet and cold touched my hand, and I looked down to find the black and white canine at my feet. He whined, nudging my hand again before stepping around me to Rúmil. The animal whined again, grabbing lightly to the sleeve of Rúmil's tunic and tugging. Rúmil looked down at him, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
I had noticed the animal not long after I had first entered the apartment, as Lady Suva had called it. I had thought it strange to see him sitting in the center of the room and not beside his mistress like the feline that Lady Suva had. It became even more of a curiosity when the white bird did not leave Lady Divan's shoulder. Why would the other two animals not leave their mistresses, but the canine was nowhere near his?
The canine turned away from Rúmil, taking a few steps before turning to look at Rúmil once again. Rúmil turned to me, silently asking what he should do. I lifted my shoulders in a shrug. His brows furrowing once again, Rúmil turned and hesitantly started to follow the black and white canine. I followed behind them, curious and wary of what the animal was going to do.
We left the two women still arguing in the common room as we made our way down a hallway. There were a few doors, but the canine continued to lead us until we reached the next to the last door in the hallway. It was a light colored door with a little plaque that said "Guest" on it. The canine jumped up on his hind legs, using his from paws to push down on the long door handle and shove the door open.
The only word for the room, as we stepped inside for the first time, was colorful. The ceiling, or at least the center section of it, and part of the right wall was an array of colors that seemed to include any and every known color. Another portion of the left wall and ceiling included an array of color drawings of different things, ranging from animals to buildings to landscapes. There was a white table in the right-hand corner and beside it a floor to ceiling window half covered by blue cloth. The bed, if one could call such a curved structure as the one in the room that, was in the center of the room, facing a strange looking box sitting on a white stand. There was a door on the left wall, as colorful as the room we stood in. The canine nudged Rúmil once again and moved out of the way, giving Rúmil plenty of room to move around and look at the room.
Rúmil stepped in, craning his neck as he looked around the room. He walked around, running his fingers over the wall as he examined the room. He opened the other door in the room, revealing it as an armoire. He shut the door, wandering around to the table and bed. He picked a few things up and ran his fingers over the bed before moving on to the strange box.
"What is this strange contraption?" Rúmil asked me. I could only shrugged as I approached him.
"It appears to be a box." I could only state the obvious, which earned me a scowl from Rúmil.
"It does not appear to open like one." Rúmil grumbled. He ran his fingers over the top, looking for a lid. He did not find one. He ran his fingers down the sides and along the front, finding nothing. "Perhaps it is simply for decoration."
"A strange decoration." I replied, angling my head to the side.
"There you two are. I see you found the guest bedroom." Lady Kijo's voice announced. Both Rúmil and I turned, finding the two women standing in the doorway. Lady Kijo was smiling and even Lady Suva appeared to be refraining from smiling. I nodded before gesturing towards the canine.
"He brought us here." I stated. That earned me a pair of surprised looks, but it quickly subsided.
"He did? Well, he's always been a smart boy." Lady Kijo said. It was silent for a few minutes, until Lady Suva gestured to me.
"We should probably get going. I need to show you around a little bit, and I have a phone call that I need to make." She said. I nodded, but was hesitant to leave. I looked over at Rúmil.
"Will you be alright?" I asked. Rúmil was slow to answer.
"I… believe so, yes. Go. You will not be far, should I need you." He answered. I nodded slightly, turning and walking over to Lady Suva. Both women were watching, one with a tinge of annoyance and the other with curiosity. My mind drifted back to Lady Kijo's irritation when we spoke in elvish.
The two women said their goodbyes, and Lady Suva said that if Lady Kijo needed anything, to call and she would be down to help. Lady Kijo just rolled her eyes and ushered us out, telling Lady Suva that she and Rúmil would be fine and she need not worry. Lady Suva went to reply, but Lady Kijo just repeated that they would be fine, said that they would talk later, and shut the door. Lady Suva's lips pursed and she sighed.
"Alright, come on. Let's go get you settled in." Lady Suva said as she turned and started walking for the stairs. With one last look at the door to Lady Kijo's living space, I turned and followed. We descended three flights of stairs and walked down the hallway to Lady Suva's space. She unlocked the door and pushed it open, stepping in and moving to let me follow. I shut the door behind me, watching as she dropped the keys on a nearby table. She set the feline down on the back of her couch and turned to me.
"Come on, your bedroom's this way." Lady Suva said as she started down the hallway. I followed behind her, noticing the still open study door and the mess inside. I cringed, a bit of regret flowing through my system. I had not meant to make a mess. Of course, I had not meant to appear in her apartment either. I was still unsure as to how that happened, actually.
Lady Suva stopped at a white door with a small cat shaped sign hanging from it that stated "All Guests Must Be Approved By The Cat". I wondered what that meant for me, as Lady Suva's feline companion did not seem to approve of me. "This will be your room." She moved to the side, gesturing to the door. I stepped forward, grabbing the doorknob, turning it, and pushing open the door.
At first glance, the room appeared cluttered. The bed laid opposite and diagonal of the entrance on right side of the room. The walls, a color that was a few shades darker than tan, but far too light to be brown, were covered with pictures of historic looking places and people. There was a window to the left side of the door, covered by cloth just as the one in Lady Kijo's guest room had been. There were two mirrors, one on the left wall opposite the bed and another on the wall beside the entrance door. There were two chairs beside the door, one below the window and the other beside the mirror. There was another of those strange boxes sitting on a black stand, a few books sitting on the shelf underneath it. Another door, leading to the armoire no doubt, stood in the bottom right corner, its surface a shade of lighter brown. There was a small table beside the bed, a lamp slightly behind it, and another table behind the bed's headboard that housed sever rows of books.
Despite its cluttered appearance, the room had a warm feel to it. I examined a few of the pictures, though I knew no one in any of them. I did not know this world's history or its culture. I wondered if perhaps one of the many books scattered around the room would contain any of that information, and vowed to look later.
"What do you think?"
I didn't turn, just continued to examine the pictures around the room. "It is… cozy." I murmured.
"I'm a bit of a history fan. I can take the pictures down if you don't like them." Lady Suva suggested. I shook my head.
"You need not. They are lovely." I said, a small smile on my face.
"Good." I turned slightly to find her smiling. "Well, my room's across the hall, and the bathroom is two doors down. The room in between is my library. It's not that big. Most of my books are in my room. It used to be a library too, but I changed it into a bedroom. The living room and kitchen are down the hall. You might have saw them." I nodded, remembering the glance of the red-brown room. "Well, I'll leave you to get settled in. Feel free to explore."
I nodded once again and heard her turn and walk down the hallway. I went back to looking at the pictures before turning to the books. They were as good a place as any to start for information about this new world.
Rúmil
Once the Prince and Lady Suva had left, Lady Kijo became quiet. She seemed far away, lost in thought, and there was not much I could do to bring her back as I did not speak the common tongue of man. I glanced around the colorful room again, picking out all the things that were a mystery to me. This was a strange world, and I doubted that it would ever be anything but strange to me. I longed for the comfort of home, the borders of Lothlorien where I spent much of my time. I felt small here, insignificant, and I longed for the comfort of my brother, something I had not wanted in years. I was on my own for now, even though my brother and the Mirkwood Prince were easily within reach.
Turning back to the room and away from my thoughts, I examined the strange box once again. It did not open, which ruled out the possibility of a chest. It wasn't perfectly flat, having an indention in it that I could not figure out. There did not appear to be any switches, no locks, or handles. I ran my fingers along the bottom, trying to work out what this strange object was, when my fingers ran across bumps in the material. Having finally found something to work with, I ran my fingers over them again.
Buttons.
They were buttons. Curious, I pressed down on one.
Nothing.
My eyebrows furrowed. What were the point of buttons if they did nothing? I tried the next one. Still, nothing happened. Now slightly frustrated, I pressed the next button. The strange contraption roared to life, voices blaring loudly. Startled, I jumped. The backs of my legs hit the bed and I tumbled backward. I bounced as my back hit the bed, startling Lady Kijo from her thoughts. I heard her coming forward, heard her asking if I was alright, but all I could do was curse harshly in elvish and shove pillows away from my head.
"Rúmil, are you alright?!" Lady Kijo was still asking. Managing to shove the last pillow away from my face, I nodded the best I could, still cursing in elvish.
"What happened?" Unable to speak to her, I simply pointed at the speaking box. Her gaze followed my finger, looking over to the strange contraption. "The TV?" She asked. I raised an eyebrow. TV? Was that what it was called? I nodded anyway. "What's wrong with the TV?" I shrugged, lifting my hands up in a helpless gesture. "Don't you guys have TV's in Middle what's-it?" Middle what's-it? What was she talking about? Middle Earth?
I shook my head, glancing warily at the TV as a spike of volume was emitted. "You guys don't have TVs?" Lady Kijo asked incredulously. I shook my head again. "Oh. Wow, okay. How do I explain this? Uhm… It's called a Television, TV for short. You watch movies and shows on it." I raised another eyebrow. Shows? Movies?
"Right, no TV, no movies or shows either. Okay, movies and shows, they're a bunch of moving pictures created by people called actors. These actors, they act out a story and these people film it using cameras. Cameras capture the actors as they act their parts out, and once they have the whole thing, they edit it and eventually put it on the TV for people like us to watch." She was so very obviously proud of her explanation, but I was still terribly lost. Cameras? Contraptions used to capture movement and put it into a little box for other people to watch. What was the point?
"Right, you're still lost, aren't you?" I nodded. She sighed. "Alright, maybe we need to talk about TVs later." She walked over and clicked the button. The TV went dark and the voices stopped. "How about food? Are you hungry?"
Up until this point I had not paid attention. Now that I focused on it though, I realized that yes, I was hungry. I nodded, earning me a brilliant smile from the purple haired woman.
"Great! Come on, let's go get you something to eat." She walked for the door, leaving me to untangle myself from the bed. Once I was back on my feet and free of the bedclothes, I followed after her.
On our way into the kitchen, she pointed out her bedroom (the next door down), the bathroom (centered between the two rooms and across the hall), and her study (at the end of the hallway, just before you reached the living room). We stepped into the living room, a predominately reddish-brown room with several tall lights and a tall clock in one corner. There were three medium sized chairs, all facing towards the center of the room. There was another television directly across from the chair in the middle, and a small table right in from of the middle chair. There were two windows, both covered with cloth. There was another taller table standing against the wall behind the middle chair and it was adorned with a few tall unlit candles.
Directly beside the living room was the kitchen, a cream colored area with a small table/cabinet setting on the left. The cupboards, table, and cabinets were all light wood, and yet another television sat within the confines of the cabinet setting. There was one thin window, clear of any cloth to hide it. Another strange box, this one very tall with handles, sat to the right side of the room. It was a drastic contrast to the two rooms we had just left, and part of me wondered how the woman could live with it.
Lady Kijo gestured to one of the chairs as she made her way over to the tall contraption with handles. I sat down tentatively, watching as Lady Kijo opened the doors to the tall structure. A light came on inside, illuminating shelves and drawers. She pulled out a few things, a jug and a carton, and moved to the countertop. She set them down and then stooped to reach into a cupboard. She pulled out a pan and set it on the counter as well. She removed a few more things from their places and set to work.
She mixed together several things in a bowl, setting the pan on top of a heated round wire. She poured her mixture into the pan, and roughly ten minutes went by as she stirred the ingredients around. When she seemed satisfied, she added a few more things to it, and let it cook a little while longer. While she waited, she walked around and grabbed a silver dish from beside the table and filled it dog food. She set it down for her canine, who got up from his place at my feet to pad over to the bowl. She went back over to the pan, checked it, and then went to a cabinet to pull down a plate. She scooped out her finished meal, setting it on the plate and grabbing a utensil before turning and sliding it across the table to me. I could only stare at it, dumbfounded by what she had set in front of me.
"It's an omelet. It's good." She defended. I sighed. This was going to be different.
Haldir
She was interesting.
I loathed to even think the words, but I could not deny it. From the very moment she had appeared in front of me, knife in hand, shirt rode up, and trousers so short that they were not trousers at all. She had challenged me, fought me, and even won. She had yelled at me and ordered me around. She had done everything that no woman, save the Lady Galadriel and my mother, would have ever thought of doing.
And it intrigued me.
She was bold, fiery, fierce, defiant, strong, and brave. She was different than any woman I had ever met. Even her two friends were ordinary. The blonde was intelligent, but she was nervous, and scared. The other was confused and unsure. Neither showed the confidence they needed to. Divan, though, she was proud, and confident, and fearless.
She also seemed to hate me.
The feeling was mutual. Even though she was interesting, she was also frustrating. I did not like her, and the thought of having to live with her had very nearly driven me over the edge. Spending all of my time in a confined space with this hellion of a woman would surely be my demise.
"Muchos gracias Carlito." I could not understand her, but she was smiling as she talked through the device pressed against her ear. I could hear a voice, a male's voice, coming through but I could not hear what the voice was saying. She laughed, the sound filling the room. "Sabes que te gusta." A reply, and then another laugh. "Hasta lunes." Still smiling, she moved the device and pressed a button, setting it down on the table beside her.
She turned to look at me, her eyebrows drawing down and her lips pursing. She crossed her arms over her chest as she took in my frame leaning against the wall beside the door. I had already taken in the room, with all its wood framing, flooring, and tan walls. Two sitting areas, brownish or perhaps green in color, sat directly in front of the back wall and the stairs leading to upper section. A black table sat in front of the two sitting areas, a strange, thin, box on another table in front of that. There was one window in the room, off to the left side of the box and covered by dark green cloth. On the opposite side of the box, pressed back into the corner, was the large grey cage I had approached earlier. The white bird had already returned to the cage, though it now sat on top rather than inside. The wall which made up the steps was carved out with shelves and one see-through cabinet, another set of non-see-through cabinets underneath. Books, pictures and other small objects adorned the shelves and the one see-through cabinet in the wall. I noticed a picture of Divan and her two friends standing together, though Kijo's hair was not purple in this picture. I made a mental note to ask about that later.
She was still staring at me. My eyes narrowed and my head tilted to the side. "Do you see something you like?" I asked, hoping to catch her off guard. Her eyes snapped up to mine, crinkling as she smirked.
"Not at all. M'just tryin to figure out if ya look that bad naturally, or if ya put a lot of effort into it. Wanna give me a hint?" She asked. I scowled, earning me a brighter grin.
"You are an insufferable woman." I growled.
"Good. Keeps idiots like you away." She retorted. I pushed away from the wall, stalking towards her.
I heard the flap of wings before I could see the bird. It had launched itself away from its cage, landing on Divan's shoulder and puffing out its feathers. I stopped short of Divan, because it was obvious that if I went much farther the bird would attack me. I glared at the creature, but respected its boundaries.
"Let's get one thing straight now, pretty boy." Divan stated, a glare on her face as well. "I don't take orders from you, and I sure as hell ain't here to please ya. Yer stuck with me, much ta my displeasure. I don't know 'ow the hell ya got 'ere, don't know 'ow the hell we're gettin' ya back if we even can at all, but for the time bein' yer stuck 'ere. So ya better get it through that thick skull-a yers 'at ya ain't gonna intimidate me, or scare me, or anythin' else ya got in mind. I've been around things and people far scarier 'an you. So ya best not try anythin', and ya better leave Rata alone. She'll get after ya jus' as quick, if not quicker, 'an I will."
"Then we are on the same page. You are not here to please me, and I am not here to please you. I do hope you do not expect anything out of me." I threw back, watching as she stiffened.
"Listen." She snarled. "I can live with ya, I can even be nice, but ya better understand that I don't gotta be. Ya piss me off, we're gonna have problems. I ain't like yer prissy little elf women. I fight, and I don't lose."
"I will not sit back and let you win. If a fight is what you wish, a fight you will get, and I will not fight fair." I retorted. She smiled coldly.
"Good. 'Cause I don't either." She brushed past me, turning and starting up the stairs. "C'mon. Yer room's up here."
I did not want to follow her. Had I not just made a point about not taking orders from her? I did need to know where I would be sleeping, however, and since she had already started up the stairs, I grudgingly started after her, huffing to myself in elvish about women, and this one in particular.
The guest room that would be mine was the third door down, the first appearing to be a study of some sort, as I could see books lining the walls. The second door was open to reveal a small washroom. Divan was already leaning against the wall beside the now open guest room door, her arms crossed over her chest and the white bird, Rata she had called her, still perched on her shoulder.
"G'on in." she said, jerking her head slightly towards the room. Furrowing my brows, I looked between her and the door, silently wondering if she was going to lock me in once I had crossed the threshold. As it were, I sucked in a breath and crossed the threshold anyway.
Like the rest of the area, the walls were covered in wood, though this room in particular had different shades of wood, some dark and some light and some in between. There was a small round window on the left wall, blue cloth hanging beside it. The bed itself sad back in an arched indention made in the wall. Two wicker baskets sat in front of the end of the bed, and a small round table sat to the right side of the top of the bed. A grey rug lay beside the bed, and a lamp hung off the wall above the table. Another door sat in the back wall across from the bed. The armoire, most likely. All in all, it seemed sparse, but if it was just a guest room than it was unlikely that anyone actually lived in it. It was a good room, for as much as I would need.
"It is nice." I told her, feeling a sudden need to fill the silence. "It is a little empty, but I assume that is because it is largely unused."
"Yeah. Wanted this apartment so my family could visit. 'Ey don't, 'least not very often. Most-a the rooms up here go unused." She murmured. I turned to look back at her, finding her sudden change of tone a curiosity. Her head was down, as if she was living through a memory. "Even still, it'll work. We'll have to get ya some new clothes, fill the closet, but other than that it should be fine." She stated, bringing her head up. My eyes narrowed.
"What is wrong with my outfit?" I asked her defensively. She smiled. Not a smirk, but an actual smile, and the thought occurred to me that she looked better with a smile on her face.
"S'nothin' against yer outfit, but if ya wanna fit in 'ere, and since ya don't really got a choice as you'll be 'ere a while, we gotta get ya somethin' different. Yer ears and hair s'gonna be hard enough to get around." I scowled.
"There is nothing wrong with my ears, and my hair is plaited in warrior braids. They are a symbol of honor and rank." I grumbled. She laughed.
"Yeah, pretty boy, I know. But 'at don't mean 'at anyone else does." She grinned a little wider, turning away towards the stairs. "I'll be downstairs. Gonna make somethin' to eat. Come down if ya get hungry." She disappeared from my range of vision.
"I do not care what anyone else does or does not know!" I called after her indignantly. Her laughter echoed through the apartment, and I could not help the small smile that graced my face at the sound.
IF YOU DIDN'T GET THE MESSAGE AT THE TOP, HERE IT IS AGAIN. I HAVE A PINTEREST ACCOUNT FOR MY STORIES. ANY AND ALL PICTURES ASSOCIATED WITH ANY OF MY STORIES WILL BE THERE. HERE IS THE LINK: www pinterest com / aldelak / JUST REMOVE ALL THE SPACES IN BETWEEN AND ADD SOME PERIODS. THAT IS ALL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
~ The Author,
Aldela
