Matt's POV: Chapter 6
Disclaimer: Yeah, I still only own Matt and l'Ktonos, just like last time.
A/N: Argh! I must say I'm terribly sorry for taking so long to write this chapter. I Hope it meets and exceeds your expectations, but I know that only Ilana's chapters can do that.
Alexandra: Thanks for yet another review; and such an expressive one! ^_^ We're glad to have a dedicated reader like you!
Angelic Elf: Glad you like the story! Thanks for the review and don't forget to keep reading! And yeah, we're probably too much in love for our own good, so the romance makes sense, I guess.
levanna: Thanks for reviewing! Now that Matt and Ilana have met (in the story), there will be less of those similar chapters and more originality. Keep reading and reviewing!
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Ilana and Matt walked onto one of the many balconies situated around the House. They leaned against the rail and looking out at the valley of Rivendell where the setting sun cast long shadows across the valley, which contrasted starkly with the last golden light that still streamed over the hills and down into the glade. This was the first time they had had alone since she had arrived, due to Glorfindel showing them both around Rivendell and then the feast in the evening that seemed to go on for several hours. A cool night's breeze swept through the vale, whispering through the trees as it passed.
Matt turned his gaze from the valley to fix his eyes on Ilana. The moment he heard Legolas say her name a hundred thoughts had rushed through his mind, but one always came back again and again: 'I love her.'
Ilana broke the silence saying, "This is the last place I expected to meet you... how did you get here?"
Matt was silent for a moment as he remembered what happened then he said, "It was three or four days ago. I was thinking of you and couldn't sleep so I went for a walk. I slipped on some ice and the last thing I remember was my head hitting the concrete. I woke up here. What about you, how did you get here?"
"Painfully... a car hit me when I was heading for CAP." she replied grimly, then looked up at Matt, "We're finally together..."
"It seems like it, doesn't it? But I don't have any Belgian chocolate for you, like I promised."
Ilana moved closer and hugged him saying, "Being with you is better than that... do you think we'll ever get back? I'm not sure I want to; I wouldn't be with you."
The suddenness of Ilana's hug surprised Matt at first, but then he hugged back and said, "I don't know if we'll be sent back. I don't know how or why we're here. All I know right now is that-"
Matt was interrupted as a servant cleared his throat. The elf hadn't made a noise when he walked onto the balcony, and as soon as he presented himself Matt and Ilana pulled away from each other, embarrassed at being 'caught' in each other's arms.
The elf stepped forward and said, "Forgive me, but Lord Elrond bid me to tell you that morning will come quickly, and that he would like to speak with both of you in the morning. I am to show the lady to her chambers."
After Ilana followed the servant back into the house, Matt stood on the balcony, looking out across the now dark valley. A few minutes later he left as well and followed the hallways to his room, where he went to bed, thinking about Ilana.
Morning came quickly indeed, and the early morning sun woke Matt up from his sleep. Sounds of many people talking woke him fully. He stood up and stretched, then promptly got dressed and went out to see what all the commotion was about. Outside he saw a group of elves talking among themselves as Glorfindel and Elrond led a horse through the gate. What everyone else was interested in was the small figure that Glorfindel carried with him.
Matt knew what was happening, without needing to see the details; Frodo had arrived, and Aragorn and the other hobbits would probably be showing up soon. Within the day or two at least. He was watching so intently that he didn't notice Ilana until she was right next to him.
"Looks like Frodo made it." She peered down at the body being carried by Glorfindel, "At least we know he'll be okay."
Matt looked troubled as Frodo was brought into the lower level of the house, "That we do, but now that I think of it... do we know that this will follow the story? What if it deviates from the path?"
"I don't know, but I don't think it will." Ilana looked over at Matt, "Elrond is going to be busy for a while. Can we go for a walk?"
Matt turned and leaned against the railing, "I'd like that. There are some nice places I've seen where we can walk through the forest, but we'd best not go too far; I don't know this area well enough to not get lost."
Matt led Ilana down several flights of stairs and out into the courtyard where the crowd they saw earlier was dispersing. They left the enclosure through a large gate and the transition from the elven civilization to the forest was virtually unnoticeable. They walked through the woods for several hours talking about anything that came to mind, from their world to things happening in Tolkien's. Soon they came upon a brook leading deeper into the valley, which they followed to the point where it met with a larger stream.
Here they stopped to refresh their thirst, for the walk had taken a toll on them. The water was cool, having flowed straight from the Misty Mountains in the east. After they finished sustaining their thirst they decided to head back to Rivendell in the event that they had been missed.
The moment Matt and Ilana returned they nearly ran straight into Glorfindel who was rushing through the gate. He stopped when he saw them with a look of surprise on his face.
"Where have you two been? Don't answer that, Elrond wishes to speak with both of you. Follow me, quickly. You are already late."
Ilana and Matt exchanged puzzled glances, but they followed Glorfindel through the halls of Rivendell until they reached the same room where Elrond had questioned Matt two days before. This time however, there were two elves standing before the large desk, both with their backs facing the door. One Matt recognized as Elrond. The other he didn't know off hand, but as he turned to look at them, Matt recognized him as Legolas.
"Greetings, we met yesterday. I am Legolas, and you are Matt, correct?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "Elrond and I have been talking about you two. You know each other already, that much is apparent, but neither of you know how you came to Middle Earth... or how to return to your own world."
Elrond stepped forward and interrupted Legolas and looked at Matt and Ilana sympathetically, "Let us not dwell on that. We are doing all we can to discover what we may about this situation. The reason I wish to speak with the two of you is because of some information Legolas has brought me. Ilana, you spoke with Legolas and his father, King Thranduil of Mirkwood, on matters concerning our world, the Enemy and most importantly, the One Ring. Now Matt, why didn't you reveal any of this to me?"
Matt looked at him cautiously, "I simply didn't know what your reaction would be if I told you I knew you as a story character. Now I believe this is far more than a simple story. It's all too real to be made up."
Legolas looked at Matt keenly, "You have read these books as well? What can you say of what will come to pass? You two could prove to be an asset to our cause."
"That is difficult for me to answer," began Matt slowly; this topic made him uncomfortable, "I don't feel it would be moral for either of us to say what will come. Either for good or ill. It would risk changing everything that is supposed to happen, possibly for the worst."
Elrond spoke up at Matt's refusal to speak of the events that would happen in Middle Earth, "Now is not the time to speak of these things. I have word that Boromir of Gondor will be arriving tomorrow and our scouts have noted that a group of dwarves from Erebor will be arriving shortly after him. It seems right that these three races will be gathered here at this time. We will talk later."
Legolas and Elrond turned back to the desk without another word and Ilana and Matt took that to mean their discussion was over. The left the room quietly and found Glorfindel waiting outside. Matt was doubtful, but the elf had a look on his face that said he knew what had been spoken of.
"Come with me," said Glorfindel, "there are still many hours before night falls and I have the impression you both will need to become proficiently skilled with our weapons."
The way he spoke puzzled Matt, but he had been looking forward to improving his swordsmanship so he didn't think much of it. Glorfindel led Ilana and him to a training area for the elves. Most of the swords there were curved, as was usual for elves, but there were several long swords as well, which Matt preferred. Ilana chose two long daggers, ones which reminded Matt of Legolas's daggers in the films, though they had noticeable differences.
They practiced for several hours, until the sky began to turn red from the setting sun. There was a variety of different training features, including dummy orcs that hacked away with wooden swords. After a while however, both Matt and Ilana grew tired, and Glorfindel called the practice to a close. He complimented Matt on his improvement since the last time he had trained and commended Ilana on her skill with the dual daggers.
Glorfindel offered to show Ilana to her room, but Matt intervened saying he could show her the way. They walked to her room at a slow pace, enjoying each others company. The way to Ilana's room seemed much too short for Matt; he would have liked to have spent more time with her, but they came to her room quickly. Ilana opened the door and began to enter, but Matt reached out and touched her shoulder compelling her to turn around.
"Ilana... I've waited too long to tell you this in person. I don't have any great words or poem, but you have my utter sincerity when I say, I love you."
Without giving her a chance to reply, Matt bent down and kissed her softly, then pulled away and headed off to his room, letting her ponder what had just happened. He entered his room and fell back onto the bed, falling asleep to thoughts and dreams of Ilana.
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Okay, There's my attempt at Chapter 6. Again, I'm very sorry it took so long. I promise not to take so long next time (I can't afford to). Please review!
Disclaimer: Yeah, I still only own Matt and l'Ktonos, just like last time.
A/N: Argh! I must say I'm terribly sorry for taking so long to write this chapter. I Hope it meets and exceeds your expectations, but I know that only Ilana's chapters can do that.
Alexandra: Thanks for yet another review; and such an expressive one! ^_^ We're glad to have a dedicated reader like you!
Angelic Elf: Glad you like the story! Thanks for the review and don't forget to keep reading! And yeah, we're probably too much in love for our own good, so the romance makes sense, I guess.
levanna: Thanks for reviewing! Now that Matt and Ilana have met (in the story), there will be less of those similar chapters and more originality. Keep reading and reviewing!
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Ilana and Matt walked onto one of the many balconies situated around the House. They leaned against the rail and looking out at the valley of Rivendell where the setting sun cast long shadows across the valley, which contrasted starkly with the last golden light that still streamed over the hills and down into the glade. This was the first time they had had alone since she had arrived, due to Glorfindel showing them both around Rivendell and then the feast in the evening that seemed to go on for several hours. A cool night's breeze swept through the vale, whispering through the trees as it passed.
Matt turned his gaze from the valley to fix his eyes on Ilana. The moment he heard Legolas say her name a hundred thoughts had rushed through his mind, but one always came back again and again: 'I love her.'
Ilana broke the silence saying, "This is the last place I expected to meet you... how did you get here?"
Matt was silent for a moment as he remembered what happened then he said, "It was three or four days ago. I was thinking of you and couldn't sleep so I went for a walk. I slipped on some ice and the last thing I remember was my head hitting the concrete. I woke up here. What about you, how did you get here?"
"Painfully... a car hit me when I was heading for CAP." she replied grimly, then looked up at Matt, "We're finally together..."
"It seems like it, doesn't it? But I don't have any Belgian chocolate for you, like I promised."
Ilana moved closer and hugged him saying, "Being with you is better than that... do you think we'll ever get back? I'm not sure I want to; I wouldn't be with you."
The suddenness of Ilana's hug surprised Matt at first, but then he hugged back and said, "I don't know if we'll be sent back. I don't know how or why we're here. All I know right now is that-"
Matt was interrupted as a servant cleared his throat. The elf hadn't made a noise when he walked onto the balcony, and as soon as he presented himself Matt and Ilana pulled away from each other, embarrassed at being 'caught' in each other's arms.
The elf stepped forward and said, "Forgive me, but Lord Elrond bid me to tell you that morning will come quickly, and that he would like to speak with both of you in the morning. I am to show the lady to her chambers."
After Ilana followed the servant back into the house, Matt stood on the balcony, looking out across the now dark valley. A few minutes later he left as well and followed the hallways to his room, where he went to bed, thinking about Ilana.
Morning came quickly indeed, and the early morning sun woke Matt up from his sleep. Sounds of many people talking woke him fully. He stood up and stretched, then promptly got dressed and went out to see what all the commotion was about. Outside he saw a group of elves talking among themselves as Glorfindel and Elrond led a horse through the gate. What everyone else was interested in was the small figure that Glorfindel carried with him.
Matt knew what was happening, without needing to see the details; Frodo had arrived, and Aragorn and the other hobbits would probably be showing up soon. Within the day or two at least. He was watching so intently that he didn't notice Ilana until she was right next to him.
"Looks like Frodo made it." She peered down at the body being carried by Glorfindel, "At least we know he'll be okay."
Matt looked troubled as Frodo was brought into the lower level of the house, "That we do, but now that I think of it... do we know that this will follow the story? What if it deviates from the path?"
"I don't know, but I don't think it will." Ilana looked over at Matt, "Elrond is going to be busy for a while. Can we go for a walk?"
Matt turned and leaned against the railing, "I'd like that. There are some nice places I've seen where we can walk through the forest, but we'd best not go too far; I don't know this area well enough to not get lost."
Matt led Ilana down several flights of stairs and out into the courtyard where the crowd they saw earlier was dispersing. They left the enclosure through a large gate and the transition from the elven civilization to the forest was virtually unnoticeable. They walked through the woods for several hours talking about anything that came to mind, from their world to things happening in Tolkien's. Soon they came upon a brook leading deeper into the valley, which they followed to the point where it met with a larger stream.
Here they stopped to refresh their thirst, for the walk had taken a toll on them. The water was cool, having flowed straight from the Misty Mountains in the east. After they finished sustaining their thirst they decided to head back to Rivendell in the event that they had been missed.
The moment Matt and Ilana returned they nearly ran straight into Glorfindel who was rushing through the gate. He stopped when he saw them with a look of surprise on his face.
"Where have you two been? Don't answer that, Elrond wishes to speak with both of you. Follow me, quickly. You are already late."
Ilana and Matt exchanged puzzled glances, but they followed Glorfindel through the halls of Rivendell until they reached the same room where Elrond had questioned Matt two days before. This time however, there were two elves standing before the large desk, both with their backs facing the door. One Matt recognized as Elrond. The other he didn't know off hand, but as he turned to look at them, Matt recognized him as Legolas.
"Greetings, we met yesterday. I am Legolas, and you are Matt, correct?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "Elrond and I have been talking about you two. You know each other already, that much is apparent, but neither of you know how you came to Middle Earth... or how to return to your own world."
Elrond stepped forward and interrupted Legolas and looked at Matt and Ilana sympathetically, "Let us not dwell on that. We are doing all we can to discover what we may about this situation. The reason I wish to speak with the two of you is because of some information Legolas has brought me. Ilana, you spoke with Legolas and his father, King Thranduil of Mirkwood, on matters concerning our world, the Enemy and most importantly, the One Ring. Now Matt, why didn't you reveal any of this to me?"
Matt looked at him cautiously, "I simply didn't know what your reaction would be if I told you I knew you as a story character. Now I believe this is far more than a simple story. It's all too real to be made up."
Legolas looked at Matt keenly, "You have read these books as well? What can you say of what will come to pass? You two could prove to be an asset to our cause."
"That is difficult for me to answer," began Matt slowly; this topic made him uncomfortable, "I don't feel it would be moral for either of us to say what will come. Either for good or ill. It would risk changing everything that is supposed to happen, possibly for the worst."
Elrond spoke up at Matt's refusal to speak of the events that would happen in Middle Earth, "Now is not the time to speak of these things. I have word that Boromir of Gondor will be arriving tomorrow and our scouts have noted that a group of dwarves from Erebor will be arriving shortly after him. It seems right that these three races will be gathered here at this time. We will talk later."
Legolas and Elrond turned back to the desk without another word and Ilana and Matt took that to mean their discussion was over. The left the room quietly and found Glorfindel waiting outside. Matt was doubtful, but the elf had a look on his face that said he knew what had been spoken of.
"Come with me," said Glorfindel, "there are still many hours before night falls and I have the impression you both will need to become proficiently skilled with our weapons."
The way he spoke puzzled Matt, but he had been looking forward to improving his swordsmanship so he didn't think much of it. Glorfindel led Ilana and him to a training area for the elves. Most of the swords there were curved, as was usual for elves, but there were several long swords as well, which Matt preferred. Ilana chose two long daggers, ones which reminded Matt of Legolas's daggers in the films, though they had noticeable differences.
They practiced for several hours, until the sky began to turn red from the setting sun. There was a variety of different training features, including dummy orcs that hacked away with wooden swords. After a while however, both Matt and Ilana grew tired, and Glorfindel called the practice to a close. He complimented Matt on his improvement since the last time he had trained and commended Ilana on her skill with the dual daggers.
Glorfindel offered to show Ilana to her room, but Matt intervened saying he could show her the way. They walked to her room at a slow pace, enjoying each others company. The way to Ilana's room seemed much too short for Matt; he would have liked to have spent more time with her, but they came to her room quickly. Ilana opened the door and began to enter, but Matt reached out and touched her shoulder compelling her to turn around.
"Ilana... I've waited too long to tell you this in person. I don't have any great words or poem, but you have my utter sincerity when I say, I love you."
Without giving her a chance to reply, Matt bent down and kissed her softly, then pulled away and headed off to his room, letting her ponder what had just happened. He entered his room and fell back onto the bed, falling asleep to thoughts and dreams of Ilana.
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Okay, There's my attempt at Chapter 6. Again, I'm very sorry it took so long. I promise not to take so long next time (I can't afford to). Please review!
