A/N: I do not own the works or world of Tolkien. Enjoy.
Once Adar had patiently explained what indeed a Balrog was and discovered Tassiâ had found a Westron book of the tales of the elves to ask such a question, he begins to ask her about herself and I drink in every answer from those sweet looking lips. He has just finished speaking with her of education and I have learned instead of a single tutor, her mother had been her tutor and then she had attended what she called a high school where many human youth's together learnt things such as history, language and writing and mathematics and the arts which was not unlike what I had learned from my tutor as an elfling youth. She also mentions biology which is the study of all living things and then chemistry and physics. The idea of biology is not foreign to me, I am an elf, we are all about all creatures and plants living, save for the orcs and spiders. Physics, once she explains it to Adar and I, I realize I use in nearly everything I do when I train and fight, right down to how my arrow behaves when it is loosed from my bow which was the example she used and I wonder, does she know how to use a bow? The toned quality I recall from her bare arms in her otherworldly dress would indicate perhaps she does. This chemistry business however she speaks off; I think Adar has more of an idea than I. It baffles me but I think I would like to know more. Adar seems satisfied he has questioned her enough over her tutoring and I can see he is impressed with the extent of education the human youth of her world receive.
"And what of your occupation after your tutorage?" He asks now and I see her face become wistful.
"I took a gap year after year twelve, which is a full year of basically having a break or travelling a little and then I attended one of the city Universities' to complete a Bachelor Degree in Paramedic Science which I had just completed at the end of last year and I was given a placement back in my hometown." She says and I barely understand any of this and neither does Adar.
"What is a Paramedic?" I ask curiously and she looks thoughtful a moment.
"A healer who specializes in emergency cases and who travels to the injured or sick person. Usually they attend life-threatening medical situations.
"Like nearly drowning in a river?" A strange half smile plays on her lips at my quip and she nods.
"Exactly like that."
"So from what I can understand from your words, you studied to be this type of healer for three years?" Adar asked intrigued and again she nods.
"Yes my Lord, it was quite extensive." She answers. "But it is something I am passionate about and every long hour studying was well worth it." She adds and she sounds proud by this.
"It takes a certain skill level to become a healer here, how do they determine if you are fit for such a task, three years does not seem very long?" Adar asks now with a raised eyebrow and I can see he is testing her slightly for we often try to have a field healer on our more dangerous patrols although it is rare to find a healer both interested in the art of healing and defending themselves which is a necessity to survival if you are part of the guard in any form. I am sure Adar is thinking the exact same as me, she could be an asset to the guard if she can fight and I would not be disappointed if she were a part of my own from time to time for I rarely have a true healer on my patrols.
"The three year training itself is very hard to get into, a person must have an education percentage score of above ninety-three percent to be accepted into the course and then of course a person's own individual drive and stomach and mindset weed out who completes the three years and who does not." She explains confidently and I am impressed as Adar is for it seems the caliber of both healers and training is high.
"What other interests do you have?" Adar watches her with his fingers laced around his chalice, his eyes almost as inquisitive as an elfling, the way they glimmer. They are probably a reflection of my own as I too watch her, eager to hear more.
"I have a few… mum indulged me in many hobbies as I grew up but my most preferred; horse-riding, jamming, archery and surfing whenever we get to the sea." The sea, the word sickens me, it angers me for the thoughts, the memories it dredges up and I glance to Adar worriedly but his composure remains intact and he seems to have ignored it with another question.
"What is jamming?" I too do not understand this word and I dearly hope it has nothing to do with the accursed sea, oh how I loathe it! She laughs a little at this before becoming thoughtful which I have come to realize is her way of deciding the best way to explain these things from her world to us.
"Jamming is when a group of friends meet and make music together and sing songs." She explains and my interest is quipped.
"Like a trio or quartet of minstrels?" I ask and she nods with a bemused smile at me.
"That would be the best comparison I think. The group I was in, there was four of us; two vocals, acoustics like lutes, drums and a keyboard or you might have piano's here." She explained.
"I do not know what a piano is." I tell her and she looks crestfallen.
"That is a pity."
"Legolas is quite musical." Adar states and her eyes look at me in mild shock as he continues. "He has a private chamber dedicated to it just across the hall from your quarters. You are welcome to use it since Legolas prefers to use the public music chambers for the company." Adar says mildly to Tassiâ, secretly having a dig at me.
"I never said I do not wish to use them anymore, I still use them plenty." I retort a little indignantly. I am not altogether sure I want my private space invaded by an elleth. It is where I go to be alone if not the trees. "I was playing my own cithara this afternoon." I add for good measure.
"That was you?" Tassiâ looks surprised and is that? Yes! That is surely a look of admiration!
"It was, I was just playing around with a tune." I answer with an indifferent shrug but still she looks impressed.
"Well it was very good." She states pleasantly and a plan is wildly formulating in my head; I shall win her over with music, no elleth can resist the charms of my fingers playing a cithara.
"Well you are welcome to use the music chamber if you wish." Adar adds again and this time I am eager for such a thing for I could possibly get her alone this way.
"Yes, you are more than welcome, I can show you my range of various instruments." I say and receive a warm smile.
"I would like that very much." She replies and I can tell this truly does please her. This is brilliant, I hold in the grin of triumph threatening to split my face, I will most certainly win her over and I am confident within the week I will get a taste of those smiling lips.
Adar continues to question Tassiâ for another hour or so concerning her interests and how she was raised and various traditions or customs she was brought up with and it seems her mother did not celebrate many of the human traditions such as the Christmas business which seemed absurd to me that a fat, red man broke into ones home, such a man would not make it past our finely guarded borders, flying deer or not! However, Tassiâ is well versed in these cultures from where she has come from due to spending much time with the families of friends who celebrated them. She did elaborate that most of the celebrations had been warped so they were now money making ploys by companies and she found it sad the family aspect of them was falling apart. This I did not quite understand either. These human celebrations sounded far to complicated and strange although it seems great feasts were a part of them so they could not be so bad and Tassiâ has been smiling as she describes them.
Adar now broaches the topic of what he had spoken in hushed tones to me about earlier; cars. Tassiâ laughs slightly amused which Adar does not seem to mind for he is so curious to learn more about these cars which sounded to be fleeter than a Meara! I listen intently as she carefully explains the basic workings of these cars and that some are swifter than others but are more expensive. I would very much like to see one for I am unsure of the strange image which I have formed in my mind of them. Eventually Adar realizes it has grown quite late into the evening and looks genuinely apologetic to Tassiâ.
"Forgive my curiosity Tassiâ, for I have questioned you eagerly at length and it has become late and I am sure you would like nothing more to retire for the evening for you still must be wary from your earlier trials concerning your health."
"I am happy to answer any questions you might have, it will help both you and I to understand why I am here. Thank you for inviting me to dinner my Lord." She replies kindly and not for the first time this eve I am intrigued by how she so easily can switch from speaking in what I think to be her casual and informal way from where she has come from to that of something akin to one of the ellith of the court except there is more confidence I think in her words and certainly more honesty. Adar rises from the table and I follow suit as does Tassiâ.
"You are most welcome and I do hope you will continue to dine with us, you could dine with the other nobles of the court if you wish but in the public eye their behaviors and mannerisms are tedious even for myself when I wish to simply relax at days end. Because our world and customs are new to you I took it upon myself that you should remain in a somewhat more relaxed and private environment rather than the eccentrics of the court or wildly cultured elves who live in the woods for however long you might be with us. Also you are a curious anomaly and I think it is wise to keep you slightly protected and no one will question the King's favor." Adar winks at her and she gives him a grateful smile for I could see slight worry upon her fine features as he explained his reasoning.
"I am grateful to your hospitality despite myself not being of noble blood." She replies humbly and Adar chuckles.
"Lady Tassiâ, despite the strange place you have appeared from; you so flawlessly speak and act with hint of noble traits I am in full belief, despite the differences to your world and mine and your human upbringing, you were raised by a noble elleth. Tomorrow morning, four hours past dawn, I shall collect you and show you to our extensive Library where we might piece together more of your intriguing puzzle." Adar inclines his head and much to both of our surprise, Tassiâ executes an elegant curtsy. "See young one, raised by a noble." He laughs lightly and I can tell he is pleased in fact I have come to the conclusion he finds her a likable elf for he treats her respectfully and naturally, there are no masks he hides behind.
"Or, raised by some crazy woman who decided to force me to endure ballet lessons." Tassiâ growls out to no one in particular, completely contradicting her lady-like curtsy. Her strange characteristics are so intriguing to me.
"No matter how you learnt your mannerisms, I still stand by my words." He gives her a bemused smile. And she clearly amuses him with her strange characteristics although I do still wonder just how much he suspects of her identity he briefly mentioned today but gave no clue to for she is certainly one of our kin.
"Legolas, will you escort Tassiâ back to her chambers?" he asks although I know it is an order, an order I certainly won't decline.
"Of course Adar, rest well." I say kindly to him and then smirk. "You'll need all your energy tomorrow afternoon!" I snicker and he glares at me but I see he is amused.
"Get out of my sight Ionneg." He says in mock disdain before turning to Tassiâ. "Rest well young one, remember, four hours past dawn." He smiles to her.
"Enjoy the rest of your evening my Lord." She replies with a cheery smile and she turns to me and I accommodatingly hold my arm out for her again and again there is a small zap as her hand rests upon it but not as powerful as the first time. Still it is strange. I nod to Adar and turn with her on my arm to leave but he addresses her again and I stop.
"Tassiâ, being as we are in private halls, it is not necessary, no matter what my son so charmingly perceives, to be lead around thus, if you do not wish it you can tell him so." The hand immediately leaves my arm and it is a wound to me. I pretend I am not bothered in the slightest but I am, I am very bothered. Her swift retreat is almost rude. Do I repulse her? This uncertainty is new to me. I can hear Adar's very quiet chuckle of amusement. Clearly his humor is at my expense, it annoys me. We walk now separately from the hall however still side by side and it is when we are a few strides out of the hall I stop, a devious plan of revenge for how she so easily cast my guiding arm away. She too stops and looks to me confused.
"Is it not this way my Lord?" She asks me with neutral politeness.
"I assume so but I thought perhaps to test your memory and see if you can find your own way back to your chambers?" I say nonchalantly and am pleased to see worry cross her face.
"I suppose I could try, see how far I get." She slowly smiles and without another word, I let her lead the way along the corridor, hoping she will take the closer turn which will lead up an entrance to the lake chamber above our quarters. She does; I think the simple glow of the elegant wall torches now it is darker has confused her and now we are heading up a winding corridor similar to that which would have led to our individual chambers.
I cannot help but laugh as we enter the huge cavern of the lake and she stops dead in her tracks and I stop just behind her aware of how close I am. She curses quietly under her breath and possibly insults me in words I do not understand but I am sure no lady should ever utter them.
"Hmm I do not know about you Lady Tassiâ but I do not wish to sleep in the lake this eve although if you wish to go for a leisurely swim with me?" I leave the words I have just said quietly near her ear hanging in the air and there is no reaction from her for a moment.
"Your offer sounds delightful my Lord." She replies serenely and I cannot believe what I am hearing for I have never actually gone swimming with an elleth, well certainly not alone and certainly not in the privacy of the lake! I'm not sure exactly what to say now. She walks a pace forward and turns to face me. "However I do not have the equivalent to Elven swimwear and I do not think it would be entirely appropriate for you to see me in simply the swimwear which I arrived here in." She says nonchalantly.
"That was a dress I thought?" I ask confused and then she smirks at me.
"Yes I was wearing a dress, my bikini I was wearing under it but it is not suitable for your world so I must decline your offer although this lake is quite delightful." She says in a sweet voice and I flounder for words. "Shall we retire to our separate quarters for the eve now we have had this pleasant after dinner stroll my Lord?" She's mocking me. I cannot believe this! In a roundabout way she has eloquently rejected me again after teasing me with this elusive word bikini! I must re-attribute myself, this elleth is single handily ruining my reputation for being, well being me!
"Perhaps we wear nothing at all?" I suggest nonchalantly and she gives me this look and it is not the 'Oh I wonder how attractive you are unclothed?' look I was aiming for it was one of thoroughly amused disbelief.
"Somehow I cannot see it being so." She replies and walks past me to leave the chamber. I am shocked and disgruntled and lost for a retort and so silently turn and follow her from the cavern another plan formulating in my mind.
"Since you are so independent I will allow you to continue going the long way while I take the shortcut." I call to her once she is ten paces ahead of the shortcut. I do not know if she turns or not for I duck down the narrow side corridor which comes out at the passage which leads to and from the the throne and the royal living quarters. I stride quietly down the narrow path and then to the intersection to turn and enter the hall and walk smugly towards my chamber. Just as I reach the door I see her entering the hall from the main entrance. How in Arda had she found her way back so swiftly?
"How did you do that?" I call down demandingly to her for there is about fifty feet between us and I see her smile serenely.
"I have my ways. Sleep well Prince Legolas." She says mysteriously and inclines her head politely before slipping into her chamber and I hear the door click shut softly behind her. She must have run to beat me I decide as I let myself, disgruntledly into my own chamber and start stripping garments off as I make my way to my sleep chamber and grumpily climb into bed. I've got a dawn to noon patrol in the morning and it is later than I realized. I shall sleep off this terrible evening, besides I need everything I've got to fight Adar tomorrow. He is near impossible to best at swordplay but I shall do my damn hardest to best him tomorrow, I have an elleth to win over and I am beginning to wonder if this will be harder than I expected but then I notice my cithara sitting propped upon the back of my chair by the window. No this will still be simple I just have to serenade her into realizing she is interested since invitations to swim with me clearly do not work. I'll surely have kissed her within the week. With a smirk I roll over and close my eyes.
A/N: Thanks for the encouraging reviews; Tibblets (I nearly typed Tidbits oops! I doubt you want to be a pony treat!) and WickedGreene13. I checked out AVPM, I was in stitches! I need to watch the rest of it! I swear the guy who plays Harry's character reminds me in characteristics of Taylor Lautner! :D