"Haru!" Rin shot up, her green eyes wide. "Wha-?" She blinked, confused, and looked around. "Where am I?" She yawned and looked around again sleepily. She put a hand on her heart. "Why is my heart pounding so? And when did I start speaking so politely? My English isn't this good." Rin scowled and sighed, running her hand through her hair. She froze, patting her hair. "Why is my hair straight?" She bolted out of her bed, flying to a mirror. Her mouth fell open in an ear-splitting scream.
"Rin-chan?" Lenwe bolted through the door, a sword in his hand.
"Where is she? WHERE IS SHE? I'll kill her!" Rin yelled, storming to the door. Lenwe looped an arm around her waist, holding her in the spot.
"Where is who?" He asked.
"Your sister! Look what she did to my hair!" Rin yelled, yanking a bunch of hair, nearly pulling it out of her head. Lenwe frowned.
"I don't think my sister did this. You look different. Skinnier and taller." He said, looking her over. "Familiar." He whispered.
"I don't care! Where is the ama?!" Rin started struggling to get away from Lenwe. He sighed and lifted her off her feet, carrying Rin from the room. Alassë shot around the corner, nearly losing her footing and slid across the floor, confused.
"What did I do?" She asked quickly.
"Not you! Adeline!" Rin shouted.
"She believes that it was Adeline who had changed her hair and removed her curls." Lenwe explained, amusement in his voice.
"Well, it does indeed make you look better. It suits you, Rin-chan. I wish that it was I who had thought to have done it." Adeline said, gliding over, a sweet smile on her face. Rin stopped struggling and glared at Adeline.
"You are evil." She hissed. Lenwe and Alassë looked shocked.
"Adeline?" Lenwe asked.
"Hai. IMI IMI SHI KUSO BAKA ROBA!" Rin shouted. (A/N: A Japanese curse I learned when I was younger)
"Our Adeline? There is no way that Adeline would act in such a cruel way." Lenwe said, laughing.
"You didn't hear her last night! Insulting me as if I was a common mule!" Rin paused, looking surprised, as did Alassë. Adeline sneered.
"Your speech seems to have improved since. Mayhap all you needed was a push in the right direction. Now, make haste. All of you. We mustn't make Father wait." Adeline turned and grabbed Alassë's arm and the two of them walked down the hall, arm in arm. Rin spun to Lenwe, her green eyes wide.
"What did she do to me? I can actually speak English now, and it is so refined, my hair is straight, and now I can look you in the eye! It was only yesterday that I naught even reached your chin!" Rin clapped a hand over her mouth. Lenwe put a hand on Rin's shoulder, looking her in the eye.
"You must calm down, Rin-chan. Go put on your boots and we'll go to breakfast. I am sure my father shall know what to do." Lenwe said. Rin nodded and went into her room. She pulled on her boots with difficulty and joined Lenwe in the hall again.
"I am ready." Rin said. She flinched at her words. Lenwe held up an arm. Rin automatically placed her fingers lightly on his arm. Lenwe looked at her, impressed. "What?" Rin snapped, blushing.
"I can imagine you as a lady of great importance." Lenwe said. Rin looked away, scowling.
"At last the two arrive." Thranduil exclaimed as they walked through the door. Legolas looked over his shoulder and jumped as he saw Rin. "Alassë is correct. You do look different. What an amazing difference by straightening your hair." Thranduil motioned for them to sit.
"Yes, and my dictation seems to have improved without my knowledge. This isn't some sort of spell, is it?" Rin joked as Lenwe led her to a seat. She sat down and Lenwe sat beside her.
"Dictation is an important part of a woman's development." Thranduil said. Rin glanced to her other side at Legolas, who had angled his body away from her to speak with Elrohir in their language. Rin gave a small sigh.
"Well, where I come from, English is a second language and is spoken with many flaws." Rin said as she grabbed a bowl of soup.
"Father, shall we tell Lady Kimurarin of our latest news?" Legolas asked.
"Aye, Rin-chan. There has been evil news from Rohan. Lord Elrohir here has come from Elrond's house with tidings of a meeting of many races. My own sons will be off in the marrow with Lord Elrohir to attend the meeting. I am thinking of sending you along with them. Tis strange to find a woman who can fight, even stranger for a human to be in my domain." Rin frowned.
"Why do I need to go to Elrond's house?" She asked.
"For one, you shall be more comfortable." Alassë's eyes flicked to her sister. "Also, Father wants them to question you." Rin could tell that she was bored, with her chin resting on her hand.
"Question me? Why am I so strange? The archery club is mostly female."
"Your language is odd, your garb is odd, and your mannerisms are odd. Lord Elrond will know what to do with you." Thranduil said frankly.
"Fine. I get it. I'm not wanted here. Just say so." Rin stood up and walked away, suddenly feeling ashamed. Her steps slowed without her knowing why. 'This is just weird.'
The next morning, Alassë woke Rin early, easily dodging Rin's wild fist, and helping her into a green dress. Rin went through the motions in a haze, sitting sleepily as Alassë put several braids in her hair, looping the ends underneath, weaving them around each other. She took a strand that had not been braided, looping it to hold the braids together. She took the top of Rin's head and French braided it over the top like a headband, ending up in a braid on Rin's right side, ending at Rin's navel.
"You're ready." Alassë said, handing Rin her bow and quiver. Rin nodded sleepily. Alassë led her to the horses where Legolas, Lenwe, and Elrohir waited.
"I have grown tired of waiting." Legolas said crossly.
"Excuse me for having to dress a doll." Alassë snapped, surprising everyone, snapping Rin out from her sleepy haze. Alassë stormed away, her face red.
"I didn't ask for her help." Rin said sheepishly, feeling guilty.
"She's stressed. A marriage is being arranged for her." Elrohir said. Rin looked back towards the door Alassë had disappeared to. "Now, let us leave."
"Which one am I riding?" Rin asked, motioning to the four horses. Lenwe led a brown spotted horse over to Rin. It was the only one with a saddle. Rin smiled and put her foot in the stirrup. Lenwe held her elbow gently and gave Rin a boost into her saddle. "Thanks."
"Alassë did well with you. You're looking like a real lady." Rin gave a shy smile as she blushed.
"I miss my ringlets." She muttered, rubbing her braid, then touching her cheek, before pulling on her braid. Lenwe chuckled and leapt nimbly onto a brown horse. Legolas rode over on a white horse as Elrohir rode over on a black horse with several white splotches.
"Ready?" Rin nodded to Elrohir's question. The dark haired elf turned his horse around and started through the gate.
"Is she of Meleth?" Legolas asked. Elrohir patted his horse's withers. Legolas's eyes narrowed and Elrohir laughed.
"Aye, she is of Meleth's brood. Poor Meleth died in childbirth. Do not hate my horse because of your hate of my cousin." Elrohir said, his words lit with laughter. "This Meleth has not earned anger towards her." Rin wondered why they spoke English.
"I remember Meleth well. She was a fine horse." Legolas said, holding his chin up. Rin rode close to Lenwe.
"Elrohir's cousin?" She whispered.
"Lady Kirlin." Rin, who had been looking around, snapped her head around to stare at Lenwe, "Her father, Hakim, is Lord Elrond's brother. You won't see him at Rivendell. He is in Lothlorien. He took residence there when Kirlin went missing." Lenwe whispered back. His brow furrowed. "Your ears are…different." He said. Rin's hands flew up to her ears.
"I don't feel anything." Rin muttered, running her hands over her ears.
"It must be my imagination." Lenwe shrugged. Rin sighed.
"I am strange, aren't I?" She asked. Lenwe gave another shrug and Rin tugged on her braid. 'Kirlin is Elrohir's cousin. That sounds like the name from my dream. I thought it was just my old nickname. What does this mean?' She let her horse nudge forward to walk beside Elrohir. "Are these horses related?" She asked as hers nudged Meleth.
"Fortel has been courting Meleth." Elrohir said. Rin smiled.
"How sweet. I'm riding a horny horse." Elrohir laughed.
"He will not try anything whilst we are on the journey." Elrohir said, a small smile on his face. Legolas trotted by, his face stoic. "I am sorry for Prince Legolas's behavior to you. Ever since my cousin ran away, his attitude towards women has changed."
"Why did she run away?" Rin asked. Elrohir's eyes flickered to Legolas, whose whole body had tensed up.
"I forbid you to tell a mere human of that woman." Legolas snapped. He looked at Rin, his blue eyes full of fire. Rin sniggered.
"Did she dump you? I wouldn't be surprised, with your attitude towards women." Rin laughed. Legolas practically growled as he spun around.
"She is a filthy slut and a black widow." Legolas hissed. Elrohir shook his head.
"The story is that she was taken by orcs." Elrohir said sadly. "I thought my cousin was better than that. She had lost her fiancé and came to Mirkwood." Elrohir sighed and grew silent. Rin realized that this Kirlin girl caused a lot of pain.
"Then maybe she wasn't looking for sex. It sounds like she was in pain herself." Rin said. "I bet she was a sweet woman." Legolas snorted.
"We've tried reasoning with him for ten years." Lenwe said, pulling up beside her.
"How sad. He feels slighted because a woman in pain said that she loved him, then realized that she didn't, because she was just trying to compensate for her fiancé's death." Rin whispered. Lenwe laughed.
"My brother is very prideful. He is a prince, after all. He's never been so insulted." Lenwe shrugged.
"Isn't pride a sin?" Rin asked. Lenwe and Elrohir looked confused. "Oh, right. Religion not so hot here." Lenwe laughed. Rin sighed and her hand came up to her head and tried to pull on her braid again, tugging and letting it go.
"I'm sure your hair will go back to normal." Lenwe said, seeing how her hair, normally flying loose and curly, upset Rin.
