Happy Christmahanakwanzadon!

Bonne fete de quelquechoses!

Reveiwers:

Queen Islanzadi: It's funny how I don't have to look at your reveiw six times to spell your name. :)

Gina: I only told you I'd written it!

Meagan: you are very demanding.

Chapter 10

Mordor National Park

In which the first National Park of Gondor is created

Nickel's PoV

We wandered around all night until we finally found an abandoned house. Apparently this ring of the city was still popular and affordable – even with the severe decline in population that had been occurring for a while in Minas Tirith. This house was nowhere near as nice as the occupied one – for obvious reasons – but we made do and woke up cramped and tired the next morning just as the sun was rising. The blast of light would have been enough to do me in if it weren't for the fact that Kelsey and Mandy seemed to think it was important we get up to the Citadel soon.

"Good luck." I trudged after them, "You know, the gates are guarded."

"If you don't have anything positive to say, Nickel," Kelsey admonished, "Don't say anything at all."

"Okay."

I was, of course, right. The gates were barred against us – being as we were rather unknown.

"It's that crazy sorceress." whispered one guard loudly to his buddy.

"I'll have you know," I said loudly, "that I am not a sorceress, I am in fact much more powerful than that."

The guard glared at me.

"Well I can't help hearing what you're saying. Send a message to the king, or – if he can't be bothered – to one of the perian – Halflings, you know. Or Legolas the elf, or-"

"Fine." Grumbled the guard, and he stalked off to find someone more important to deal with us.

Finally – after a morning any debater would be proud of – we were admitted into Aragorn's presence.

"Ada, they wouldn't let me in!" Kelsey cried angrily.

"I know, Kelsey." Aragorn told her, 'I'm sorry."

"No, no, you don't understand." Kelsey shook her head empathetically, "You have excellent security."

"Oh." Aragorn seemed rather confused, but Faramir took over, and sent for servants to take care of us.

Mandy's PoV

I glanced around and, seeing Legolas, gestured for him to follow. When I had been given a room, he joined me, sitting on the bed and looking out the window.

"Are you okay, Legolas?" I asked him.

"I was worried about you – you did not join us in coming to the citadel."

"Nickel dragged Kelsey and I off to somewhere in the city. I'm not really sure where . . ."

Legolas's PoV

The bemused expression on Amanda's face was so adorable. I stood and gathered her into my arms.

"I love you, Amanda." I whispered, kissing the part in her hair, "Now go take a bath and relax. I will be with Aragorn."

And I left her to . . . whatever.

Kelsey's PoV

I settled in to the most luxurious bubble bath I'd had in . . . ages. I can't remember the last time I had a bath. Just as the bubbles came over my chin, a knock sounded on the door.

"Who is it?" I called, in a decidedly good mood.

"One who loves you."

"Haldir!" I shrieked, leaping about five feet into the air (Which is amazing being as I am just about five feet tall) and grabbing a towel. "Don't come in." I hurriedly pulled something on over the bubbles. "Now you can come in."

He opened the door, looking mildly amused and rather nervous. "I just wanted to say hello." He said, "You could have said you were busy."

"I'm never too busy, Haldir. Have a . . . seat. Never mind." I smile hopelessly up at him, feeling like a complete idiot.

"I'll see you when you finish them." He edged out the door.

My good mood dissipated instantaneously.

"Idiot!" I banged my head against the wall, "Ow."

Nickel's PoV

I dressed in what they gave me – which was decidedly NOT my style. The dress they gave me would have suited Mandy better. I would have preferred something more practical, but when in Rome . . . Anyways, I set out rather quickly after my bath to find Aragorn.

"Hi, Aragorn, or is it Elessar now? Can I just call you Aragorn?"

"Yes, Nicole."

"You look kind of tired so I'll make this quick. Could you please, pretty, pretty please, Take Mordor and make it into a national park for historical purposes?"

"A what?"

Kelsey came in, followed closely be Amanda. "What does she want, Ada?" Kelsey asked.

"I don't really know . . ."

"Mordor National Park."

"Mordor . . . wait." Mandy stared hard at a statue, "isn't that the desertish place? Why would anyone want to go there for vacation?"

"It's only a desert in the North, Mandy." Kelsey said primly, "The south is quite fertile – how else do you think Sauron fed his armies?"

Mandy muttered something about people.

"Anyways, what's your answer?" I asked Aragorn.

"Will this in anyway endanger my kingdom?"

"No."

"Kelsey?"

"No . . . not in the least bit likely."

"Will declaring Mordor a-"

"National Park."

"-yeah, increase prosperity?"

"Yes." Kelsey and I chimed.

"Will this keep you from being annoying, Nicole?"

I scowled at him, "I'll put it this way, it will greatly reduce what the annoyance will be if you don't."

Aragorn glanced at Kelsey, "er . . . okay then."

I beamed, 'Now all you have to do is write down in law that it is illegal for anyone to build, destroy of attempt to use that land without you permission. I've written it all down for you and you can just read it over." I handed him an elaborate scroll – a portion of my work on our way to Minas Tirith. "Bye now!" And I dragged Mandy off to see some butterflies or something useful like that.

Kelsey followed more sedately.

"That was brilliant, Nickel!" Mandy exclaimed, then stopped mid jump, "Though I can't think of why."

"Look, a birdy!" I yelled, and the chase was on, Kelsey actually abandoning her dignity in favor of crazyness for once.

Several days went by where we just kind of relaxed and enjoyed ourselves, driving everyone crazy at every chance we got. I'd stay up late with the hobbits and tell them stories, and they told me some of their own – mostly recorded or told to them by Bilbo. On the fifth night, however, something a bit more exciting happened. Kelsey burst in.

"Can you believe it!" She yelled at the ceiling.

The hobbits scrammed

"Kelsey. . ."

"Haldir is leaving tomorrow."

"And?"

"He didn't tell me until tonight!"

"Ouch."

Kelsey calmed down considerably, though she was nearly in tears, "And what's worse is that Legolas isn't going, so Mandy's going to be gloating about it even though she knows how miserable I'll be."

"Now, Kelsey, that's not fair to Mandy. You know she doesn't do it on purpose, and she's very good about that kind of thing."

"But she still does it."

"Kelsey, calm down." I dragged her over to a chair, "He'll come back."

"How do you know that – he could just forget about me." She collapsed in tears.

I patted her back hopelessly and sighed. "Kelsey." I said sternly.

She continued to bawl.

"KELSEY!"

Kelsey hiccupped.

"He's returning with Elladan and Eomer to join Arwen's escort."

"Oh." Kelsey's face was still tear-streaked, but she – unlike that rest of the world – still looked nice when she cried. And of course she was wearing a dress that sparkled in the same color as her eyes – which were threatening to overspill at the wrong words.

"He'll be coming back then, and after that everyone goes to Edoras for Theoden's funeral. He'll be with us all the way to Isenguard."

"When do you think he'll be back?" Kelsey looked hopefully up at me.

"By the end of June."

"What!"

"It takes awhile to get across Rohan and back."

"We got across in a few days."

"Kelsey, I don't think Haldir runs cross-country."

"Oh . . . okay." Kelsey stood up rather shakily, "I'm going to go wash my face and go to bed."

"You do that."

Kelsey's PoV

As it grew closer to the end of June, and I became happier, anticipating Haldir's return, Nicole grew increasingly withdrawn and stayed in her room alone for hours at a time. Mandy and I grew worried when she started acting like a normal person, but when she stopped coming to dinner and refused even to see Mandy – who she tells everything to – we felt something had to be done.

I turned to a source of authority, "Ada," I began, "Nicole's been acting strange."

"Stranger than usual?" Aragorn asked.

"Well, she went through normal and over the other end."

That piqued his curiosity. "I will speak with Gandalf." Aragorn promised, looking troubled.

Gandalf spoke with her, I suppose, because she, went with him and Aragorn one evening and when she came back, well . . .

"Aragorn is into horticulture too!" She exclaimed, interrupting Mandy and I in the midst of our admiration of Pippin's tunic – for the fiftieth time.

"Huh?" Mandy asked, "Oh, you're better now!"

"Aragorn and Gandalf and I went to the mountain, and we found this tree!" She exclaimed, "Aragorn started to freak out and got all excited." Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper, "It's a sign."

"The white tree!" I exclaimed.

Pippin looked at his shirt, "I rather think it's kind of silver.

We all ignored him and rushed to see that tree where it was being planted in the courtyard.

"Ooh."

"Ahh"

"SHINY!" Nickel yelled.

Mandy and I glanced at each other, grinning.

Visits to Mordor National Park are available.

Ironically enough, this chapter sounds alot like Mandy's writing (I couldn't resist the mush)

This chapter was hard to write, usually, I can just sit down and write something, but prepping for Pastrami's arrival and covering those two months took effort. Wrapping up stories is annoying. Though of course, we are only at a lull. The real plot begins in the sequel.

NEXT CHAPTER!

We meet the unknown elf named Pastrami. (Finally)

Shoot, that mean's I have to find out who guessed his name.

This is your last chance to guess his identity. (unless you already know, and I know who you are.)

The teaser can be found in chapter 19 of Two, Tall, Pointy, Black, Needle-Like Towers

-Nickel