ATE: I know I'm one week late in mentioning this, but I recently saw the teaser trailer for Battle of Five Armies, and I'll admit that a small part of me died inside from seeing it. I now know that it won't be easy for me to watch but at the same time I'm still excited to see it just to have closure.
Let me tell you right now that this chapter is a total of 6,447 words long, meaning that (by the time this is posted) it would've been the longest chapter so far in this story. I find it strange how I tend to have a word or phrase I use a lot in each chapter, which is funny to say the least.
Thanks go out to Lelleg, VG fan1, Boston Rider, and myharlequinromance321 for their reviews on chapter 8. Seeing as I'm following the extended version of An Unexpected Journey we'll be treated to two special parts from the Dinner Scene that we'll all enjoy.
Also, we'll have an appearance from a new OC and another character that I'm sure we're all familiar with at this point.
Declaimer: Do you think I'd be writing this story if I owned the rights to The Hobbit and LOTR? No I wouldn't, which is why I'm writing this fanfic in the first place. I only own my OCs.
~*~Chapter 9~*~
If Silvia had thought Rivendell was pretty from a distance, then it was gorgeous up close in person. She couldn't help how she looked left and right at her new surroundings, taking in the beauty as they crossed a narrow bridge. Once across the Company stood on an almost circular platform as they placed some of their luggage on the ground; at first she thought Kili would let her down (she was even ready to do so willingly, too) but the dark haired Dwarf would have none of it. Looking ahead there were stairs leading further into Rivendell and saw a tall being with long dark hair descending down the steps with such grace as he approached them.
"Mithrandir." He said, his voice melodious sounding, causing Gandalf to turn and face him.
"Ah. Lindir." The Grey Wizard greeted.
Silvia watched as Gandalf interacted with the person in a beautiful language that seemed to flow like water. She glanced around at the Dwarves, noticing how they seemed to glare at the beautiful man before them. He couldn't be human, seeing as there was no way a human would be so beautiful and have…pointed ears…?
"What is he?" Silvia asked quietly.
"An Elf." Kili whispered, not bothering to hide the disgust he felt.
So this Lindir person was an Elf. Did they all look so beautiful and ethereal?
"I must speak with Lord Elrond." Gandalf said, no longer speaking in whatever language he and the Elf were talking in.
"My Lord Elrond is not here." Lindir told him.
"Not here? Where is he?"
Everyone suddenly turned around when the sound of horns pierced the air, and that was when they spotted the group of Elves atop horses that were approaching them. Thorin started yelling at everyone in a harsh language (she assumed it was Dwarvish from what she'd learned from Ori) and the Dwarves pulled out their weapons.
"Close ranks!" Thorin shouted.
Kili was still carrying her as they were shoved in the middle of all the Dwarves with Bilbo. No sooner had they done that the Elf riders began surrounding them, their mounts tall and imposing enough to intimidate Silvia from her current height level. If she'd been capable of standing on her own two feet she probably wouldn't be feeling like this. It was apparent that the Dwarves had some sort of animosity towards the Elves (from what Silvia had observed so far) as they all seemed to glare at the fair and graceful beings. And it didn't help that they were being overly protective of her and Bilbo at that moment. Despite her lack of knowledge when it came to this world Silvia got the feeling these Elves didn't mean them any harm. Eventually the horses stopped circling them.
"Gandalf." A regal Elf (that appeared to be the leader) greeted.
"Lord Elrond." Gandalf replied. He then said something to the Elf in that language.
It was at this point that the Elf known as Lord Elrond start speaking in that language, dismounting the horse he rode before hugging Gandalf.
"Strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders. Something or someone has drawn them near." Lord Elrond said.
"Ah. That may have been us." Gandalf told him.
That was when Thorin took a step forward, catching Elrond's attention.
"Welcome, Thorin, son of Thrain." He greeted the Dwarf.
"I do not believe we have met." Thorin said.
"You have your grandfather's bearing. I knew Thror when he ruled Under the Mountain."
"Indeed? He made no mention of you."
Silvia's mouth fell open at this. Even if the Dwarves didn't like the Elves it didn't give them the excuse to be rude! And that comment was uncalled for! Elrond stared at Thorin (whether he was offended or not she couldn't tell) for a bit before speaking in that language.
"What is he saying?" Gloin demanded. "Does he offer us insult?"
"No, Master Gloin, he's offering you food." Gandalf stated, looking as exasperated as he sounded.
The Dwarves looked at one another hesitantly before quietly talking amongst each other, discussing what to do. Silvia let out a sigh, thinking that they were being a little ridiculous for having to discuss something as simple as food (and likely lounging). They didn't have a lot of supplies left after the ponies bolted when the Wargs attacked them (she did her best to suppress a shudder at the memory), so if the Elves were offering them food and rest she thought that the logical decision would be to accept, no questions asked. Eventually the Dwarves finished their discussion and turned to Elrond.
"Well…in that case, lead on." Gloin answered for everyone.
"Hey, come on." Bofur said.
Everyone started picking up their luggage and began ascending the stairs. Just as Kili was about to follow them Elrond had stopped them.
"What do you want?" Kili asked, sounding as if he were attempting to be courteous.
The others must've overhead since Silvia saw them turn around to see what was going on. She became anxious as she got the sneaking suspicion that there was going to be an incident.
"The woman you are carrying is in need of healing. Please allow me to tend to her injury." Elrond requested.
Kili took a step back when Elrond tried to approach and Silvia guessed that the Dwarf was probably glaring at the Elf.
"No. You can't have her." He growled, already given up on being polite.
The Dwarves that were still with them (and on the stairs) started protesting. Silvia was flattered that they wanted to protect her and all, but their stubbornness was already causing enough trouble as it was. She had to do something before things got out of hand.
"Kili." She said in an attempt to get the dark haired Dwarf's attention. It worked since he turned to face her, the expression on his face softening when he gazed at her. "Let him take me."
"But Silvia-!" He started to protest, his face showing concern.
"He won't hurt me. He doesn't seem like the type to do so."
Kili's face dropped and a frown replaced it.
"Looks can be deceiving."
Silvia sighed at this.
"If you don't trust him, trust me. Trust that I'm capable of making this one decision for myself. And if I run into any trouble I'll call for one of you."
Silvia stared at Kili whose eyebrows were furrowed as he regarded her. She was determined not to back down this time around. She was determine to prove to everyone that she wasn't the child they believed her to be. That she was capable of making decisions when the need occurred. She was surprised by her sudden determination and wondered where it came from, but it seemed to do the trick since Kili was the first to look away. She heard him let out a sigh.
"Just remember to call if you're in trouble." He muttered.
With that being said Silvia was transferred from Kili to Elrond, the Elf effortlessly carrying her in his arms as he made his way through pristine halls. She was surprised at how quiet his footsteps were and the fact how she could hardly feel his movements that she believed he was gliding rather than walking. It fascinated her yet at the same time unnerved her slightly with how….otherworldly they seemed.
"For one so young you have a gift when it comes to pacifying Dwarves." Elrond spoke.
"I've been around them long enough to know how they are, although they can be so stubborn at times." She replied.
"What I saw back there was not just stubbornness, Lady Silvia. They are extremely protective of you if the way they reacted was not proof enough."
"They've always been like that with me, and I know it's because Dwarves are protective of their women due to how scarce they are."
"That may be true, but to have such a bond so easily formed in the short amount of time you have spent in their company is no small feat. What you have accomplished is nothing short of extraordinary."
"I don't understand. What do you mean?"
"There is something about you that sets you apart from the rest of your race, something that draws others to yourself. What that is, I do not know. But do know that your bond at this point makes them consider you kin."
Silvia had a lot to think about thanks to what Elrond told her. The fact that she befriended the Dwarves in such a short time wasn't something that could normally be done by others. If that was the case how was she able to do so? What was it that made her capable of creating such bonds? Wasn't she just a normal human girl that the Company found? If she wasn't, what did that make her?
Silvia was so absorbed in her thoughts that she hadn't realized they had arrived at their destination until she found herself being placed on a bed by Elrond. She watched as the Elf went about the room retrieving some items before coming back to her. With such gentle hands (that surprised even her) he started feeling her ankle as he located the sprain. When he found it he opened a jar and lightly smeared a brownish green paste over it before placing his hands over it and started chanting in that language from earlier. That was when Silvia noticed a pleasant smell in the air and breathed in the scent. It smelled like…apples…and lavender. Was it from the past Elrond used? As he continued to chant a white light seemed to come from the Elf and she couldn't help but stare in awe at the sight. Was this magic? The light began to fade as Elrond finished chanting and that was when she noticed that her ankle felt completely fine when he removed his hands.
"How does your ankle feel?" Elrond asked.
Silvia tested out her ankle, moving it around just to make sure before a smile broke out on her face.
"It's like it was never injured." She answered. "Thank you."
"You are welcome, Lady Silvia." He smiled.
"What was that language you were speaking?"
"It is known as Elvish, the language of my people. Or to be more specific it is actually Sindarin, a variation of Elvish that is most commonly used in this day and age."
"It's a beautiful language. But what was the scent I smelled just a few seconds ago?"
"That would be from the paste I used made from Athelas, or Kingsfoil as it is commonly known as in Westron. It has a unique scent to each person who smells it. For one person it could smell like roses while to another it could be the scent of a spring morning. The healing properties of Athelas has been lost to many in this day and age, but has not been forgotten by the Elves and Rangers of the North. It is capable of being used to calm people or to heal one of evil or corruption that might poison the body and help to heal fatal injuries. Its affects are even more potent when used by Elves to aid in their healing magic."
"Is there a reason why you would tell me all this?" Silvia asked.
At this Elrond gave her a knowing look.
"What you do with this knowledge is up to you. But if ever a time comes when you would have need of it, you will know what to do."
At this time an Elvish woman came into the room with long brown hair and brown eyes, wearing a lilac colored dress. Silvia stared in awe at the beautiful woman as Elrond spoke to her in Elvish before she turned to face her. She gave her a warm smile before approaching the bed she sat on and held out a hand to her.
"Come with me." She requested, waiting patiently for her.
Silvia took the Elf woman's hand and was pulled up to her feet. She followed after her amazed at how graceful she was as she walked.
"What is your name, if you don't mind my asking?" Silvia asked.
"My name is Ithilwen, Lady Silvia." She replied.
"That's a beautiful name." Silvia then noticed that they were going a different direction than the one she and Elrond had come from when she left the Dwarves and became confused. "Where are we going?"
"I am taking you to the room you will be staying in to get cleaned and clothed." Ithilwen looked at her and watched as her gaze went over her. "It is a shame your dress is in such a state. I would have wanted to know who made it."
Silvia froze, an image coming to mind. She was kneeling down with a sewing needle in hand as she worked on an incomplete version of the light blue overdress she wore she wore. There was a sense of discretion as she worked quietly, yet at the same time she felt pleased with herself. All too quickly the image disappeared and she found Ithilwen standing before her waiting patiently.
"I think…I made this dress." She told the Elf.
"Then you certainly have an eye for detail." Ithilwen smiled.
Eventually they reached the room Ithilwen was talking about and Silvia was surprised by the sheer size of it. When she thought of the word bedroom she thought of a normal size room, not this huge room that could've fit the entire Company along with the ponies they'd lost and still have room for much more. The bed itself was quite large and looked so inviting with the amount of pillows (that were probably as soft as they appeared) piled at the head. There was a balcony that led outside and from where she stood Silvia could see a beautiful view of Rivendell, a nice breeze gently blowing into the room. Against the wall to her left was a wardrobe along with a door next to it.
Ithilwen took her hand before leading Silvia through the door next to the wardrobe where there was what resembled a large tub built into the ground, half submerged as the bottom half was designed to be built below the floor (almost like how a pool was made). The edges of the upper half were low enough to make it easy to get in and out of the tub, but high enough to prevent water from spilling out. She wondered just how deep I was as she stared at the water, steam rising from it to show it was warm.
Silvia was surprised when she felt Ithilwen's soft hands work to remove her dress (but was afraid she might offend the Elf if she were to protest) and she realized just what state her dress was in when she saw it. There were some minor tears here and there, but what was most noticeable was the black blood that stained the front along with the faded red of her own blood (from when the Dwarves had washed her dress after finding her) and mud. It made her sad to see it in such a state knowing there wasn't anything she could do about it at this point. Ithilwen placed a hand on her bare shoulder as she tried to comfort her.
"I know how you feel, Lady Silvia." She told her.
"What will I wear if my dress is in such a state?" Silvia asked.
"I already have one in mind for you. Now let us get you cleaned before dinner."
Ithilwen guided Silvia into the tub and she practically shivered when she felt the warm water on her skin. It turned out that the tub was built deep enough to allow the water to come up to her waist when she stood, and there was a ledge built around the inside of the bowl-like tub to allow one to sit down comfortably while they bathed. The Elf had her sit down on the ledge before kneeling down behind her. She could hear her humming a tune behind her and Silvia turned to see what Ithilwen was doing and saw that she was pouring some sort of thick liquid into her hand (that she noted smelled pleasantly sweet) before bringing her hands close to her. She blushed as the Elf started rubbing the substance into her skin, bubbles and suds forming from it mixing with the water she used to rinse her body off. When Ithilwen finished washing her body she poured water over Silvia's head a few times to get it soaked before gently taking her long black hair in her hands and scrubbing something into it. She slowly worked with getting rid of whatever tangles she encounter as she cleaned her hair.
"You don't have to call me 'Lady.'" Silvia spoke. "I mean, I'm not anyone of importance and you don't seem like you're that much older than I am."
At this Ithilwen stopped humming to laugh, the sound melodious to Silvia's ears.
"I can tell you have never seen any Elves before, let alone know much about them." Ithilwen told her. "I am far older than I appear, just like the rest of my kin."
"How old?"
"Thousands of years."
Silvia's eyes widened in shock as she did her best to look at Ithilwen.
"You don't look like it!"
"It is because Elves are immortal. We age differently than other races and when we have reached maturity we stop aging. We do not die unless it is from falling in battle or…other circumstances." Silvia picked up on the sad tone in Ithilwen's voice when she said the last part. "You remind me of my daughter. She was just as curious as you were at your age."
"Did something happen to her?" Silvia asked, picking up on Ithilwen's wording.
"She went to Mirkwood to learn more about healing a few hundred years back. She would always send her father and I letters telling us of her time there and what she would learned. But around 20 years ago the letters stopped coming and we feared something had happened. A letter then came telling us that she had gone missing and even to this day they still cannot find her. My husband was so distraught that I almost lost him to grief, but in the end he sailed to the West to Valinor."
"I'm sorry for your loss, Ithilwen. It must be painful being reminded of something so sad. If I'm correct to assuming, then this must've been quite recent in your long lifespan."
"You need not pity me. I do not deny that my heart is still heavy from losing my daughter, but I know she would not want me to continue grieving. And you are right to assume so since compared to Elves, the lifespan of Men is but a moment in our lives."
When Silvia was cleaned and dried, Ithilwen guided her back into the bedroom and she shivered when the cold air came in contact with her skin. The Elf woman helped her into a lavender colored dress with long flowing sleeves and a skirt that pooled at her feet despite fitting her frame. Silvia couldn't help but marvel at the beautiful dress and spun around in a circle to watch the skirt flow.
"You are so child-like!" Ithilwen laughed, having watched Silvia.
Silvia looked up at Ithilwen and was unable to hold back the huge smile that broke out on her face.
"It's such a beautiful dress!" She exclaimed excitedly. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before."
"And that is only one of many you will be wearing during your stay. Come, let me do your hair."
Silvia listened and sat down before a mirror. She was surprised to see her own reflection as Ithilwen ran a brush through her hair and occasionally working out any knots with gentle fingers. She knew she'd seen the sketches Ori drew of her, but it did nothing to prepare her for the face staring back at her. Her face was cleaned of the dirt and grim that had accumulated on her pale skin from the days she'd spent traveling with the Company along with their encounters with the Trolls, Wargs, and Orcs. When was the last time she'd had a proper bath? It must've been before she got amnesia since she couldn't remember.
Ithilwen soon finished with Silvia's hair and before she knew it she found herself following the Elf woman down a hallway. As they got closer to their destination she could hear the sound of soothing music being played.
"I hear music." Silvia said.
"That is where we are headed to eat. The companions you have traveled with are waiting for you." Ithilwen told her.
"Will I see you again?" She turned to the Elf.
"You will see me tonight when I will be helping you prepare for tonight's events." Ithilwen then gave Silvia a gentle nudge forward. "Now go on and join your companions."
Silvia suddenly felt nervous as she followed the music to a large open balcony where she found the majority of the Dwarves sitting at two separate tables. At the table on the left (and in order going around the table) sat Balin, Bilbo, Fili, Bombur (who had a seat at the end due to his size), Dori, Ori, and then Gloin. At the other table on the right Nori, Dwalin, and Oin sat on one side while Bofur, Kili, and Bifur sat on the other side. Between the two tables was a lone pedestal situated, placed there as if to provide a place for a lamp or candle in the case a source of light was needed at night. She also noticed that there was a round table with three chairs that was unoccupied.
From what she could see of everyone so far her companions appeared that they've had the chance to clean up of all the grim that had been on their skin, as well as having shed some layers of clothing (such as coats, cloaks, and armor) in order to be comfortable.
At the moment all of the Dwarves were examining the food with looks of disappointment and disgust. Bilbo on the other hand didn't seem to mind the food selection and happily enjoyed the food that was offered to them. She spotted some Elves playing music off to the side which put her mind at ease as she listened to it.
"Try it. Just a mouthful." She heard Dori urge his younger brother, who held a piece of green lettuce.
"I don't like green food." Ori said, shaking his head and sounding as if his mother was forcing him to eat his greens—
Oh.
Well, the scene before her really did look like that as far as the Dwarves were concerned.
"Where's the meat?" Dwalin demanded, searching the bowl of salad in front of him.
To Dwalin's left Oin picked up what appeared to be a mushroom which he seemed to glower at with disdain.
"Have they got any chips?" Ori ask, turning to Gloin who sat on his left.
It was as she approached the table that Ori suddenly spotted her and stared, followed by the Dwarves and one Hobbit facing her direction noticing her as well. Soon she had 13 pairs of eyes staring straight at her, causing her to shift uncomfortably from the attention as she suddenly feeling self-conscious. Normally she would've laughed when she saw one of the Dwarves drop a fork, but given the current situation that didn't happen. Was it really strange to see her wearing something else besides her usual dress?
'Okay, somebody start talking.' She thought awkwardly. 'I don't care who, just say something.'
As if her prayers were answered Bofur was the first to speak.
"Well if it isn't Lady Silvia!" He exclaimed, a huge grin on his face. "We were wondering if you'd somehow got lost, but I see we had no need to worry. And might I saw you clean up very nicely, am I right lads?"
Silvia was surprised by the Dwarves quietly agreeing with each other and blushed at hearing their compliments.
"Thanks." She said quietly.
"Oh, don't be shy, lass! Come join us!"
Before Silvia could protest she found herself being escorted (more like dragged) over to the table on the right where she found herself seated at the end between Bifur (who was on her right) and Nori (who was to her left); with the place she was seated currently at, the two separate tables mirrored each other. She looked at the food on the table and noticed how it was all green (which would explain why Dwalin was complaining about there not being any meat), fruits and salad and what appeared to be wraps were laid out on the table with goblets filled with some sort of dark reddish beverage.
Silvia's stomach growled in hunger, knowing that the last time she (and everyone else) ate was the meal they had before the incident with the Trolls. She blushed when the Dwarves started laughing since they had heard the sound. Without thinking she picked up a fork before jabbing it into the salad in front of her before taking a bite. The Dwarves suddenly stopped laughing at her and she looked around to see them staring at her with wide eyes.
"What?" She asked after swallowing.
"You're eating rabbit food." Dwalin told her.
At first Silvia was confused by what Dwalin meant by 'rabbit food' but soon realized he meant the salad she was eating or greens.
"…So?"
Apparently she didn't understand what the issue was since he groaned.
"We don't eat rabbit food."
"If you don't like eating green food try some fruit. There's plenty of it here and I know for a fact you all do eat fruit."
Silvia grabbed the goblet in front of her and took a sip, only to pull it away when she started choking at the burning sensation from the liquid going down the wrong way. She felt a hand pounding on her back to help her recover and eventually she was left taking a few deep breaths after getting over her coughing fit. She gave a weak smile to Nori who had been the one patting her back.
"Thanks, Nori." She said. She had the aftertaste of the sweet and bitter beverage on her tongue. "What was that stuff?"
"That would be wine." Nori answered.
"Elvish wine to be specific." Fili added from where he sat at the other table, leaning over to give` her a charming smile. "It would seem the lass has never had drink before, let alone wine."
The Dwarves chuckled at Silvia's expense. She attempted to drink the wine again, this time going slower since she knew what to expect this time. It wasn't so bad once she got passed the bitter taste (which took a bit of time on her part) and the burning sensation as it slid down her throat.
"Careful! That stuff's a bit more potent than regular wine or beer." He warned her.
At his warning Silvia stopped drinking and placed the goblet back on the table. It was best to listen to the Dwarves seeing as they knew what they were talking about. For all she knew she'd probably never drank anything alcoholic until now.
"Kind of you to invite us." Silvia turned around when she heard the familiar voice to find Gandalf and Thorin (who had shed his own coat) following Elrond into the area, along with the Elf Lindir. "Not really dressed for dinner."
"Well, you never are." Elrond commented, causing the Grey Wizard to chuckle.
The four climbed up the steps and made their way to the unoccupied round table that Silvia had spotted earlier. Elrond sat at what appeared to be the head of the table (along with Lindir who stood next to him dutifully) while to his right sat Gandalf and to his left sat Thorin.
As she continued to eat Silvia noticed Kili staring intently at something—to his right Bofur was frowning as he glanced from Kili's face to whatever he was looking at-and looked over her shoulder to her left to see what he'd been staring at. She spotted a she-Elf playing a large harp with such concentration on the music she played as she plucked the strings. Silvia turned around in time to see the dark haired Dwarf grin before winking. She saw the look of disapproval on Dwalin's face and Kili noticed it too when he turned to face forward, his grin suddenly dropping from being caught.
"I can't say I fancy Elf maids myself, too thin. They're all high cheekbones and creamy skin." Kili started, turning to look at Bofur who smiled and nodded in agreement. "Not enough facial hair for me." He then faced forward, lowering his voice as he subtly motioned to the Elf behind him. "Although…that one there is not bad."
Kili then turned to face the Elf he was talking about and Silvia glanced over as well. Wait a second… Was that a-?
"That's not an Elf maid." Dwalin stated.
She found herself struggling to hold back her laughter when the Elf turned around, revealing it to be a male Elf playing a miniature harp. She saw the shocked look on Kili's face when he turned back to face Dwalin who gave him a wink. And that was when Silvia started laughing with the others as they soon joined in. She watched him helplessly look at everyone, his face red in embarrassment before nodding his head humorlessly.
"That's funny." He grumbled sarcastically, not sounding at all amused. His brown eyes swept over to hers and she tried to hide her laughter behind a hand she'd placed over her mouth in an attempt to stifle it. "Not you too, Silvia!"
"Sorry, sorry!" She said, trying to calm her laughter.
Kili gave an exasperate sigh before looked down at his food, moving it around with his fork. Silvia stopped laughing at this and started thinking she might've done something to offend the dark haired Dwarf. She suddenly became worried. Maybe she had offended him or hurt his feelings by laughing at him. She hadn't meant to!
"Change the tune, why don't you? I feel like I'm at a funeral." Nori suddenly said.
"Did somebody die?" Oin asked, looking around for a dead person that wasn't there.
Did they mean the music?
"All right lads. There's only one thing for it." Bofur said.
Suddenly Bofur stood up from the table and climbed on top of the pedestal located between the two tables the majority of the Company occupied. This served to get everyone's attention and the Elves stopped playing their instruments. It was then that Silvia noticed Thorin standing off to the side near the other table as he watched.
There's an inn, there's an inn, there's a merry old inn
Beneath an old grey hill,
And there they brew a beer so brown
The Man in the Moon himself came down
One night to drink his fill.
Bofur was singing while dancing on top of the pedestal, looking as if he were really enjoying himself in the moment. At this point the rest of the Dwarves started joining in, banging their fists and silverware on the table and clapping to add a beat as they sang. Even Thorin joined in as he danced in place. Out of nowhere the Dwarves started throwing food around as they obviously got excited.
Oh, the ostler has a tipsy cat
Who played a five-stringed fiddle;
And up and down he saws his bow
Now squeaking high, now purring low,
Now sawing in the middle.
As this was going on the Elves gave each other looks as they watched the Dwarves' strange antics. Then again, they were throwing food around and it was getting all over the place in the process. They didn't look amused at all.
So the cat on the fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle,
A drink that would wake the dead:
He squeaked and sawed and quickened the tune,
And the landlord shook the Man in the Moon:
'It's after three!' he said.
By the time Bofur finished singing the food throwing had gotten out of hand as the Dwarves tossed food this way and that, all the while laughing and cheering as they did so. Glancing around the area she saw how some of the Elves looked mortified at the mess and in a way she couldn't blame them for feeling that way. Silvia's attention was drawn to the piece of food Kili threw in Lindir's direction, which hit the statue to the Elf's right. He turned reluctantly to look at the damage with a look that was a cross between fear and disgust, only to look as if he were about to have a heart attack at that very moment.
'Poor guy.' She thought.
Suddenly something slammed into Silvia's face and splattered all over her front and the Dwarves became quiet when this happened (and everything was so deathly quiet too). She used her hands to wipe the food out of her eyes and realized that it was cake when she opened her eyes to glance down at it. Looking up and glancing around she found them staring at her apprehensively, as if bracing themselves for whatever reaction they were expecting from her. She noticed the horrified look on Kili's face and seeing how guilty he looked she assumed he'd been the one to do it.
"…Are you okay, Lady Silvia?" Fili asked quietly, sounding very reluctantly to break the silence.
However the blonde haired Dwarf's brother was a different matter since he bolted out of his seat and made a mad dash over to her.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to!" Kili started apologizing profusely, looking very frantic as he did so. "I swear it was an accident!"
Silvia stared at him, watching as he continued fumbling over words. He didn't even notice her scooping up some of the cake and icing from her dress and it wasn't until she smeared it on his face that he stopped talking. Kili stared at her in shock by her actions and she suddenly started laughing, not because of what she did but at the fact that he was making such a big deal about accidentally throwing food at her. Soon enough he started laughing with her along with the others, some of them relieved by her reaction (or the lack of the one they assumed she'd have).
After having eaten Silvia had decided she wanted to explore Rivendell, much to the Dwarves' dismay. Regardless of their protests she found herself wandering through halls with no destination in mind. She soon came across a garden of sorts with beautiful flowers and a small fountain. As she was looking at the flowers she suddenly spotted an Elf sitting on a stone bench, her attention on the book she held in her hands. Long black hair fell over her shoulders as she read while a pretty silver pendant hung from her neck. Silvia stared at the beautiful Elf and thought it was best not to disturb her before deciding to walk away.
"There is no need to leave on my account."
Silvia stopped in place before turning around to find blue eyes gazing at her. She felt nervous as the she-Elf seemed to look her over, only to give her a warm smile as if sensing her emotions.
"I was just finishing up a paragraph when you came along." The Elf told her before closing her book. She then patted the empty spot beside her. "Come sit with me. You have nothing to fear."
Slowly Silvia approached the bench all the while being mindful of the long skirt of her dress as she tried not to trip over it. As she got closer she noticed how inviting the Elf's presence was before sitting beside her. The older woman gave her a friendly smile as she gazed down at Silvia, making her feel better in the Elf's company.
"You arrived with the others that are visiting here?" It was more of a statement than a question.
"I'm under the impression that everyone knows about that." Silvia commented.
"News travels fast around Rivendell, Lady Silvia. Especially what you did after one of the Dwarves accidentally threw some cake at you."
Silvia blushed, embarrassed that the rest of the Elves in Rivendell knew about that even though it occurred not that long ago.
"You know my name, but I don't know yours."
"Forgive me. I am Arwen, daughter of Elrond."
Her eyes widened at this. This was Elrond's daughter! Silvia quickly got up and did a bit of a curtsy.
"I'm so sorry, Lady Arwen. I didn't know." Silvia apologized, feeling flustered.
At this Arwen laughed, the sound melodious (as it seemed to be the case with all Elves) to her ears.
"You need not be so formal with me, young one. I merely wish to converse with you."
Silvia sat back down on the bench. Like with Ithilwen, she found that she liked Arwen as well. They were both so inviting and warm that she thought it would be a crime not to like them.
"So Lord Elrond is your father. Are you his only child?"
"I am not. I have two older brothers by the names of Elladan and Elrohir. You may run across them tonight during the festivities."
"Ithilwen told me about tonight, but I didn't know it was going to be some festival. Will you be going?"
"Yes. It would be a wonderful thing for you to experience."
"The Dwarves wouldn't be so keen about attending." Silvia sighed.
"How did you meet them?"
"Technically they found me while they were traveling. I haven't even known them for that long."
"And what about before then?"
"I don't remember." Silvia looked down at her lap. "It turns out I have amnesia. I was injured when they found me and I've been with them ever since trying to help them in whatever way I can."
Arwen was quiet and Silvia wondered what she was probably thinking.
"No wonder the Dwarves are so protective of you. They are so willing to keep you safe."
"I wish I could do more for them after what happened today."
"I am sure you will be given the chance in due time." Arwen then got up before turning to Silvia. "It would be wise for us to get ourselves ready for tonight. I have no doubt Ithilwen is searching for you."
ATE: Time to explain myself.
(1) Elvish: Since this is the first time Silvia has been exposed to a new language (or two if you count the Dwarvish or Khuzdul as it's actually called) I won't bother putting up any translations since I want her to feel the effect that she's in an unfamiliar world and that there will be language barriers involved as she grows accustom to Middle Earth. So for the sake of the story (and my talent of butchering a language by using improper grammar; I will not ruin the Elvish langauge Tolkien worked hard to create and I don't exactly have the time and patience to learn a new language since learning such things were never my forte) I won't write any dialogue in Elvish or will I provide translations.
(2) Elrond: Okay, I know that many (and by 'many' I mean a good countless number) of fanfic writers will use Elrond the heal the OC if she's injured, and I'm just as guilty of using this troupe as well. But I have a good reason for this: I wanted him to be the one to introduce Silvia to the Elves without the Dwarves interfering with their opinions and giving her the wrong impression of a new race she's just encountering for the first time. The other reason leads directly into my next point.
(3) Athelas (AKA Kingsfoil): By this point in time I believe we all know what Athelas is and it's properties. I did my best to research this plant on both the LOTR wiki as well as tolkiengateway for information, especially the scent it gives off to certain individuals when dried and crushed in hot water (refer to the Athelas page at tolkiengateway for more details and then you'll understand where I'm coming from with this), though in this story Silvia encounters the scent unique to her own person even though it wasn't dried or crushed in hot water. However, I decided to add an additional take on the plant by writing the bit where Elrond tells Silvia that Athelas can "heal one of evil or corruption that might poison the body and help to heal fatal injuries" since we all know what happens in Desolation of Smaug. I wanted Elrond to be the one to teach Silvia about Athelas because of this.
(4) Ithilwen: My new OC Ithilwen. Originally she wasn't planned, but when I was first writing this part on paper last month she ended up creating herself. In fact when she first came into being she wasn't going to play a big part as she'll end up playing in the next few chapters. Plus I thought that Silvia could use someone a female character to talk to seeing as up until this point she's been surrounded by a bunch of guys.
(5) "We don't eat rabbit food.": This was a part that ended up writing itself out without any intention on my part. And the best part was that my roommate thought that this part was actually in the movie (she'd only watched it once when I got her and her fiance to watch a month ago in our room). Her reaction was hilarious when I told her that the dialogue from this part wasn't in the movie, but I told her that when I write the characters I go by the logic of "If you can imagine them saying or doing it, then they probably can and will." This thought has helped me out in the past when it comes to writing characters realistically and I'm sure you all can share this sentiment. Still, I can imagine Dwalin saying this. ALSO, unlike 13 certain vertically challenged people, eat your veggies! They ARE good for you after all and there was a perfectly good reason for our parents making us eat them.
(6) Arwen: I think all of us were hoping to see Arwen in The Hobbit and I can remember how disappointed I was that she wasn't in the first movie. So I chose to add her into the story to add to Silvia's experience of Elves. I think I did a decent job of writing her, but in the end the readers are the ultimate judge when it comes to such things, so I'll let you all tell me how I did.
Seeing as in the book the Company stayed for more than a day or two (if you go by the extended version of the movie), I wanted them to stay in Rivendell for longer so I made it to them staying there for about three days. So expect the next few chapters to be considered fillers for the most part (it won't be until chapter 12 that we'll cover bits from the movie).
Now I gotta add this: since I've introduced a new OC and Silvia's new dress, I've already gone ahead and posted the images on my DeviantArt account. Just look under Aerith-The-Evenstar and you'll find them (and a few other things I've been working on as well).
That's it for this week. Next week we'll have more filler and Silvia will meet a certain pair of twins. Don't be afraid to ask any questions concerning this chapter (or the story in general) and please remember to review. ;D