Chapter 10: Goodbye, Crazy Elf Lady
Author's Note: First of all, I feel appropriately guilty for not updating in months. I broke my ankle, fell behind on schoolwork, exercised like crazy once it healed to prepare for track, and didn't have much free time. I'm back though, and Ellie and Co. will be neglected no more! I'm not doing shout-outs anymore, not because I don't appreciate the reviews, but because they slow down my updates. Thank you so much for your continued support and please, please continue to read and review. I appreciate any feedback you have.
Warning: Chapter does contain a little bit of minor sexual material. Nothing crazy, Ellie just lets her curiosity get the better of her and quizzes poor Legolas about elf sex.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.
Saruman had long been consumed by his yearning for the Ring, and stood now, tantalizingly close to his goal. His mighty Uruk-Hai, were, in a word, gorgeous. While they didn't possess the beauty of those silly, prissy elves, they were mighty and awe-inspiring nonetheless.
"Hunt them down!" he commanded his army "Do not sleep until they are found. You do not know pain, you do not know fear. You will taste man-flesh!"
The Uruks roared, raising sloppy weapons in the air with relish. Saruman turned to the leader of his fearsome army.
"One of the Halflings carries something of great value. There is a woman travelling with them as well who could be of great use to me. Bring them to me alive. Kill the others!"
"Need the woman be unspoiled?" the Uruk asked with a nasty leer.
"She must be mentally sound, as well as the Halflings. Now go!" The troops left Isengard in a uniform line, clanging loudly. The white wizard smiled in sinister satisfaction.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.
Ellie opened a bleary eye when she heard a vaguely familiar voice ring in her ears. Her head was pounding uncontrollably, the voice sounding far too loud. There were several blurred shapes above her.
"When did you find her, Frodo?" a deeper voice asked. She became aware that it was Aragorn speaking.
"I found her lying here five minutes ago," Frodo responded. The figures came into focus, and she saw the ringbearer, future king, Merry, and Pippin standing above her, their expressions worried.
"Ellie! You're okay!" Merry exclaimed. Ellie sat up, rubbing her eyes.
"Whasgoinon?" she mumbled, trying to remember the previous night. Something disturbing had happened that she couldn't quite recall… Oh yeah, there was a party. And then Galadriel's mirror, which kindly informed her that she was going to die. Suddenly, Ellie wished her memory would disappear again. Ack, ignorance truly was bliss.
"The hobbits noticed you were not with us in the pavilion when they awoke," Aragorn was explaining. "They went looking for you, and found you here. You wouldn't wake up, and they were worried something had happened to you."
"Why are you out here?" asked Pippin. "What happened?"
Ellie quickly debated her options. She could tell them about waking up and following Frodo and what she saw in the mirror. But she might be in trouble for spying on him and Galadriel. Even worse, if she told them what she had discovered, they would most likely make her stay in Loth Lorién. And no matter how hopeless or dangerous it was, Ellie couldn't stand being away from Legolas and the Fellowship. Plus, it would reveal her feelings towards Legolas, and who knew how that would go. Heck, they would probably silently mock her if they found out. After all, she was a mere clumsy human girl and he was a stately Elvish prince. She was so unworthy of him it was practically hilarious.
"I think I was sleepwalking and somehow ended up here," she lied on the spot. "Probably the alcohol. I feel hungover."
"Can you walk?" Aragorn asked. "We may be able to acquire some medicine to soothe your head."
Ellie stood shakily, feeling an odd burning sensation in her legs.
"Nah, I'll be fine," she mumbled, not sounding as cheerful as she hoped. "I'm a big girl."
"Lady Ellie, if you are feeling unwell, do not hesitate to ask for help. You will find no judgment here. We have all had our experiences with the consequences of alcohol."
Despite the fact that her head felt close to splitting open, Ellie managed to raise an eyebrow. It was difficult to imagine mature, kingly Aragorn getting drunk.
"I'm seriously fine. I just need to sleep it off. Ya know, in a bed rather than on the ground. Not that the ground here isn't lovely and all," Ellie added nervously, eyes darting in search of any possibly offended elves. One could never be too careful.
"We best be returning you to your quarters," Aragorn said wearily, looking as if he had much more important things to deal with. Ellie took a shaky step and immediately swooned. God, she really was a lightweight if she felt this shitty after a couple cups of wine.
"Come Ellie, I'll assist you," Merry said, attempting to look chivalrous. Pippin let out a rather rude snicker, and his cousin immediately wacked him.
"That would be very helpful Merry, thank you," responded Ellie graciously. She was slowly getting better at this whole acting like a proper lady thing. Merry offered her his arm, despite the fact that it only reached her mid-thigh. Ellie took his hand instead, and the hobbit flushed happily. Pippin rolled his eyes. They headed back to the pavilion, and as soon as the Fellowship saw her they sprung to their feet, relief evident in their faces.
"Ellie! Thank Arda your alright!" exclaimed Legolas, wrapping his arms around her in a soft hug. Ellie stiffened, tears filling her eyes. Under normal circumstances, a hug from Legolas would do happy, fluttery things to her. Now though, she kept replaying what she had seen in the mirror in her mind. Legolas standing over her dead body, grey and withered…
"Ellie? Are you crying?" Ellie sniffled meekly, wiping her nose messily and giving Legolas a watery smile that turned out more like a grimace.
"I'm fine, Legolas. Just have a little headache," she muttered thickly. Legolas looked her over critically, concern evident in his eyes.
"Never wander off like that again, understand?" he said sternly. "You could have been seriously injured."
"Legolas, it's Loth Lorién," Ellie said faux-dismissively. "What could possibly happen to me?"
"There are many dangers just outside the boarders of this land," Legolas insisted. "Anything could happen, and none of us wish to lose you, Ellie."
You already have, Ellie though grimly. She knew what she had to do. It was silly to attempt to win his affections, and even if he did return her feelings their relationship would still end in her suffering. But he never would feel that way about her, so she would take one for the team and distance herself from him. After all, that was what's best for the Quest and protecting Frodo was her primary goal.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.
Ellie was dimly aware that their stay in Lorien was drawing to a close, but it was hard to keep track of time in Lorien when one was surrounded by pretty elves and prettier scenery. Ellie found her days growing quieter, a nice peaceful feeling soothing her troubled thoughts. She continued her archery lessons with Legolas, remaining cold and detached. If he noticed the change in her behavior he did not remark on it, and she could help but feel slightly hurt that he didn't miss their interactions.
She continued her poor attempts at learning Sindarin, secretly enjoying Legolas' blustering frustration with her repeated failures. It was difficult to remain subdued and quiet when all she really wanted to do was laugh and dance and provoke and confess all of her fears and feelings to him. She pushed on though, determined to quell the pangs of longing she felt each day. Perhaps Legolas preferred her new silence and subdued demeanor. Perhaps he was grateful that her constant boisterous energy was no longer present. Somehow, the thought made her even more melancholy.
In her free time, Ellie found herself quietly wandering throughout Lorien, appreciating the stars and trees. She had never really been a "let's sit around and appreciate the beauty of nature" kind of girl, and frankly believed that this new hobby was due to some tree-hugging inducing drug that the elves slipped into all of the Fellowship's food.
One day not long before the Fellowship's imminent departure, Ellie found herself sitting in a grove of trees, stargazing, when she was suddenly joined by Boromir. She immediately sat up warily, not able to help but feel suspicious despite his more recently amiable behavior.
"Do you mind if I join you?" he asked politely, and Ellie nodded mutely, knowing it would be more than a little rude to refuse such an innocent request. He plopped down somewhat awkwardly next to her, gazing at the sky in contemplation for a moment before speaking.
"You have been quieter of late, Lady Ellie," he announced quietly. Ellie raised her eyebrows. Well, at least somebody noticed.
"The hobbits have been talking about you. They miss your old exuberance, and they see something troubles you. We are all worried for you," continued Boromir hesitantly, fearing that her wrath would soon be unleashed upon him. Ellie gave him an unconvincing grin.
"I'm fine dude, nothing's worrying me," she lied, attempting a smile that turned out like a grimace. "I guess I have been quieter lately, but I think that's more due to these stupid elves. I swear, they've manipulated me into wanting to stare at shrubs all day. Bunch of tree-shaggers if you ask me."
Boromir granted her an appreciative chuckle before sobering. "Ellie," he began, and she was pretty sure it was the first time he had used her first name. "You are not fooling anyone. Something has frightened you. I can see it. Aragorn can see it. Legolas can see it."
She stiffened involuntarily at his name, and Boromir gave her an uncomfortably penetrating stare.
"Are you apprehensive about are impending journey?" he asked. "Lady Ellie, I will not deny that I do not think it is a good idea for you to continue onwards with us. The road will be long and perilous, and no one will fault you if you are frightened of what is to come. I myself hold doubts about the path that the company is obviously prepared to take."
Ellie furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?" Boromir ran a hand through his hair.
"It is clear that Frodo favors heading immediately east and taking the quickest route to Mordor." The name hung in the air like a poisonous gas. "I cannot help but think that he is making a grave error. If we headed west to Minas Tirith, we could acquire much needed reinforcement."
Ellie was aware that they were discussing some pretty serious shit, but had no clue on how to form an opinion. She didn't even know what Minas Tirith was. Somehow, she felt that asking would be silly.
"Oh. Well, I guess you can't really make up his mind for him" she responded, wishing she could think of something a bit more helpful to say. Boromir sighed.
"No, I suppose not," he agreed, but something glinted in his eyes that made Ellie uncomfortable. The look was gone in a flash though, and he smiled wearily.
"It is beside the point," he said quietly. "We should be discussing your worries, not mine. Please, tell me what troubles you. I can provide some guidance."
For a brief second Ellie considered telling him everything. Then she realized that if she did, he would probably scoff at her silly, womanly feelings and force her to stay with the pretty elves till the end of her days.
"I'm completely fine," she insisted firmly. "Seriously. I'm a part of this story now, whether I like it or not, and I'm continuing on this quest. You'd have to tie me to one of these thoroughly-shagged trees to stop me."
To her immense surprise, Boromir threw back his head and let out a loud, booming laugh. "Lady Ellie, you truly are as stubborn as an ox. I find your determination and loyalty admirable." He gave her a broad, easy smile. "Well, I suppose you are coming, whether I like it or not. It will be good to have someone like you along to provide some well-needed cheer."
Ellie grinned goofily. "It's nice to know someone is finally appreciating my service. Who would have known a woman could actually be of any help on a dangerous journey?"
Boromir looked sheepish. "I do apologize for how I initially behaved, you know. But you were rather immature. The whole bird droppings incident was positively ridiculous."
"To be fair, I had just been dropped into another world and been forced to join nine strange men on an extremely dangerous quest," protested Ellie. "I think it's understandable that I made a few mistakes."
"Keep reassuring yourself," said Boromir, eliciting a chuckle from Ellie. Who would have known the guy had a sense of humor? "You have matured since Moria, Lady Ellie. Legolas practically raves about how your archery has been progressing, and Aragorn is pleased that you seem to be finally taking things seriously."
"Aw shucks," said Ellie, flushing. "Don't get too used to it though. I'm just as silly and immature as I ever was. I've just gotten better hiding it."
Boromir smiled sadly. "That is all growing up is though, is it not? We all are young inside Lady Ellie, but we only grow better at masking it." He rose and departed, leaving Ellie feeling confused, conflicted, and slightly depressed.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.
The mists of morning hung heavily on the river the day of the Fellowship's departure. Ellie stood with the rest of the Fellowship, a new cloak of a soft grayish green with a leaf brook hiding her shoulders. She had been dressed for the journey onward in a twilight blue tunic, leather vest, flowing skirt, and her black leather boots. She also had the bow Legolas had acquired for her as well as a pack of arrows slung on her back. Though she was certainly more competent at using them, she seriously doubted she could successfully slay anything in a conflict. More than likely she would piss her pants and pass out.
"Never before have we clad strangers in the garb of our own people. May these cloaks help shield you from unfriendly eyes," Celeborn said in his characteristic monotone. Ellie examined her cloak.
"Kind of like Harry Potter's invisibility cloak?" she asked. Celeborn wrinkled his nose in disdain.
"I do not know this invisibility cloak you speak of, but these cloaks are certainly not the same. They will not mask completely, merely disguise," he said.
Soon elves were setting parcels wrapped in leaves in the boats. Ellie was sitting in a boat with Merry and Pippin, feeling slightly more cheerful now that she was sitting with the two happy hobbits. Suddenly stuck with an idea, she turned to Merry.
"Psst, Merry!" she whispered hurriedly. Merry turned to her, his cheeks reddening ever so slightly when he saw how close she was to him. "We should totally open one of these packages and see what's inside!" she said.
"Good idea, Ellie," Pippin said excitedly. "Maybe there's food!" He quickly unwrapped a parcel, revealing that yes, indeed there was food. Some sort of strange wafer. Ellie picked one up and took a tentative bite, chewing slowly. It was delicious, sort of like a Trés Leches cake except in cracker form.
"You guys have to try this," she said through a mouth full of wafer. Merry and Pippin immediately took their own, moaning in delight upon taking a bite. One wafer turned into several more, and soon all four of them had devoured four each. Legolas, seeing the unwrapped parcel in their boat, crossed over to them. Ellie attempted to ignore the sudden combination of shame, sadness, guilt, and butterflies that surged through her stomach. She had been hoping to avoid him. The elf picked up a wafer.
"Lembas!" he exclaimed, looking at it with wonder. "Elvish way-bread. One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man." Ellie just couldn't quell the sarcastic mark that popped into her head.
"Good commercial there, buddy," she said with a devious smile. "You're almost more annoying than that Progressive lady." Legolas' brow wrinkled in confusion.
"Who is Progressive lady?" he asked.
"I think her name is Flo," replied Ellie, furrowing her brow. "Those commercials try to be funny, but all they really do is piss people off."
"Kind of like you?" Pippin asked. Ellie promptly elbowed him in the gut.
Legolas decided that the conversation wasn't really worth his time and wandered off, leaving Ellie to be quietly disgruntled.
"Fine then, be like that and ignore my worldly wisdom and witty dialogue," she muttered mutinously.
"What witty dialogue?" asked Pippin, a little unnecessarily snippily if you asked Ellie. "Normally you just ramble on until someone nicely tells you to be quiet."
Ellie elbowed him in the ribs again. "What, is it Let's Pick on Ellie Day or something?" she asked as he gasped in pain. Suddenly, her stomach twisted in pain too, and she recalled what Legolas about one bite of lembas being enough to fill the stomach of a full-grown man. In retrospect, eating four was probably not a good idea. Pippin, as if unconsciously agreeing with her, burped.
Ellie lazily reclined, observing the rest of the Fellowship. Aragorn and Celeborn were discussing something on the shore, looking very morose. Frodo looked burdened and brooding as always, and Sam was climbing unsteadily into a boat, rather green in the face. Just then, Legolas approached them again, and Ellie stifled a groan. God, why did he have to make this so difficult?
"Ellie, the company has agreed that you will be sharing a boat with Gimli and I." He pursed his lips in distaste at the dwarf's name. Ellie was not happy.
"Why the fuck did you decide that?" she practically shrieked. Legolas winced, whether at the volume or the language, Ellie didn't know.
"Because," he began exasperatedly, "I am experienced in handling boats, and we wish for you to be as safe as possible."
Merry wasn't pleased about the recent development either. "Lady Ellie will be perfectly fine travelling with us!" he insisted. "I grew up sailing on the Brandywine River, and I can assure you that I am perfectly capable of managing a boat."
Ellie smiled gratefully at the hobbit. "Yeah, see, I'll be just fine with Merry and Pippin." Legolas gave her a confused glance, but shook his head.
"I am sorry, but I must insist. Lady Ellie, you are to share a boat with Gimli and I. Boromir will be Merry and Pippin's travelling companion."
Ellie muttered a number of extremely offensive things, which thankfully went unheard, and reluctantly followed him. Gimli was already situated comfortably in the boat. He offered Ellie a small smile.
"Ah, good to see you lass. Nice to have someone a little more exciting than our lovely elven princeling on board." Ellie smiled back, and Legolas scowled (which for him pretty much meant twitching the corners of his mouth and furrowing his eyebrows a fraction of a centimeter).
The Fellowship soon set off down the river, and Ellie immediately swallowed a wave of nausea that swept through her stomach. Avoiding him or not, she most certainly wouldn't throw up anywhere near Legolas. She had a (rather poor) reputation to uphold, after all. Soon she was provided a welcome distraction when Gimli decided to inform them of his sorrow at their departure from Lorien.
"I have taken my worst wound at this parting, having looked my last upon that which is fairest. Haugh, henceforth I will call nothing fair unless it be her gift to me," he said reverently.
"What was it?" asked Legolas.
"I asked her for one hair from her golden head," said Gimli. "She gave me three." Legolas smiled warmly at the dwarf for the first time, but Ellie scoffed.
"Looks like someone's got a crush. Just too bad she's married," she said waspishly, feeling the urge to make everyone within a ten-mile radius just as moody and depressed as she was. Gimli spared her a single look of disdain, and Legolas immediately attempted to smooth over the minor conflict.
"What did the Lady give you, Lady Ellie?" he asked, before hastily adding, "Of course, I do not mean to pry and if you do not wish to share…" He looked so adorably worried that he offended her, Ellie wanted to slap him. He was just making it so damn hard for her to not fling herself into his arms and kiss him like there was no tomorrow.
Biting her lip, Ellie remembered when Galadriel reached her right after providing Merry and Pippin with their nice, shiny daggers.
"I give this to you, Ellie, as a reminder of what you have lost, and what you have yet to lose," Galadriel said in her annoyingly mystic voice.
She held out her hands, and in them, Ellie saw a delicate silver necklace. It had a simple, circular pendant and a delicately engraved flower. Ellie took it gingerly, and on closer inspection realized it was a locket. Never able to resist the charms of pretty jewelry, Ellie let out a small 'oooooh'.
"Is this made of that super fancy silver?" she asked as she held the locket up to the light streaming through the treetops. Galadriel smiled.
"Yes, it is made of mithril," she said quietly. "Perhaps you should open it."
Ellie did so slowly, and her eyes filled with tears at what was inside. The right side of the pendent held a small, perfect photograph of Ellie and Amber at Disneyland. Ellie was ten, Amber was five, and the two girls were hugging in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle. The other side of the locket held her favorite picture, her mother and father on their wedding day. Her mother had the same dimple in her cheek that showed when she smiled, and the corners of her father's eyes crinkled exactly how she remembered. A wave of homesickness washed over her.
"How did you get this?" she asked. Galadriel smiled mysteriously.
"I have my ways," she said cryptically. "Remember what you saw in the mirror Ellie. I cannot control what decisions you make on this journey, but keep in mind the Prophecy as well as what you saw. Sometimes sacrificing your own happiness for the greater good is the right choice."
Ellie opened her mouth, not entirely sure of what exactly she intended to say, but before she could speak, Galadriel moved onto Sam, leaving her confused, downcast, and strangely grateful.
Ellie bit her lip and touched the locket at her throat. She saw Legolas gazing her expectantly and suddenly wanted to share the pictures of her family with him. She knew she should continue to distance herself from him, but really, what good would come of that? She may never live to see another day on a journey as perilous as this, but she could live today to the fullest, and that included talking to Legolas.
"She gave me this," she said, and quickly took off the locket and handed it to him. Legolas opened it gingerly and gazed at the two pictures, his expression unreadable.
"Who are they?" he asked.
"My family," answered Ellie, and she leaned over his shoulder to point at the younger Amber in the photo. "This is my sister, Amber. I mentioned her before, I'm pretty sure. That was taken about six years ago. Our parents used to take us to Disneyland during the summer." She felt a pang of sadness when she realized she may never be able to ride Space Mountain and buy over-priced stuffed animals again.
"What is Disneyland?" asked Legolas.
"It's an amusement park," answered Ellie. "It has all sorts of fun rides and shops and attractions. It's based on stories from movies. Lots of them are fairytales, featuring princesses and such." Legolas nodded in understanding, and Ellie got a reminiscent smile on her face. "Amber and I used to play Disney Princess all the time. I was always Princess Aurora from Sleeping Beauty and made Amber be Prince Phillip. She was always whining about playing a boy."
Ellie smiled at the memory, not noticing Legolas watching her closely. "Are these your parents?" he asked, pointing to the picture on the right.
"Yeah," Ellie said, hoping she wasn't boring him to death with her little anecdotes. "This was their wedding picture. When I was little I used to spend hours staring at that picture and wondering if I'd ever find love like that." She smiled ruefully. "My guess now is probably not."
Legolas smiled a little sadly. "Never underestimate love, Ellie. It can appear in the most unexpected times and places." Her cheeks flushed, and she hastily turned back to the photo.
"Sometimes, if I'd promised to be extra careful, mom would let me try on her wedding dress. I thought it was the most beautiful thing in the world, and I'd twirl around in front of the mirror until I got dizzy."
She risked a quick glance at Legolas, and was surprised by the tenderness in his eyes.
"You miss them terribly." It was not a question but a statement, and Ellie didn't bother to deny. She missed her family more than anything, more than the parties, friends, malls, and boyfriends. She suddenly turned away for fear that she would start sobbing.
"Well, there's nothing I can do to see them again, so I'm dealing." She gave him a watery smile, and then laughed, but it was an empty one, no trace of actual happiness to be found.
"May I see the pictures lass?" Gimli alerted them once again to his presence, and Ellie quickly scooted over to show him the pictures. He expressed his sentiments and they fell back into silence, listening to the rushing of the water. Ellie searched for something to say, and eventually settled on nettling Legolas with questions about elves.
"Soooo…how do elves get married? Is there like, a dating process or something?" she asked. To her surprise, it wasn't Legolas that answered, but Aragorn.
"There is a courting process, much longer than what humans usually go through. Elves have infinite time, and choose their spouses very carefully."
"Exactly how long are we talking here?" Ellie asked worriedly. Even if she were to have a chance with Legolas, she didn't exactly have endless time, being mortal and all.
"Decades. Even longer sometimes," answered Aragorn, and Ellie's heart sunk. Decades. She would be old and shriveled by the time her and Legolas ever got married (not that that would happen in a million years).
"There are exceptions though," Aragorn added, a slightly dreamy expression appearing his face. Oh yeah, he's dating that elf chick, and he's mortal, though Ellie, and her spirits rose again.
"Is there actual marriage though?" Ellie asked, hoping she wasn't annoying them. "You know, like a ceremony?"
This time it was Legolas who answered. "Yes, there is a ceremony, but marriage is more of a extra convenience than anything else."
"What do you mean?" pressed Ellie, and Legolas looked slightly uncomfortable.
"Well, marriage is not a necessity for elves so much as a title. Elves bond with their soulmates, and no official ceremony is needed once that occurs."
"Bond?" Ellie asked, increasingly interested. "How does that happen?"
"Well," Legolas began, and to Ellie's surprise, a faint blush appeared high on his cheekbones. "To bond, elves mate for the first time."
If Ellie had any liquid in her mouth she would have done a classic spit-take. "What you mean like sex?" she asked. More of the company was blushing as well now, clearly uncomfortable with the subject matter of the conversation, but Ellie's curiosity prevailed.
"Well, yes," Legolas said reluctantly, looking like he'd rather be talking about anything else in the world.
"So, what if an elf had slept with someone else, then wanted to bond with their loved one. What would happen?" Ellie pressed on.
"That does not happen with elves. We save ourselves for whoever we were destined for," answered Legolas.
"So you're all virgins until you find The One?" Ellie asked, incredulous.
"Yes, Lady Ellie," Legolas said, embarrassment quickly turning into exasperation. Ellie looked positively flabbergasted.
"Woah, you guys are such prudes," she said, causing Legolas to glare. "What about if you cheat? And does that whole no sex until marriage thing apply to intercourse itself or the whole sexual menu?" All nine males groaned, knowing that Ellie was far from done with her incessant questions.
"Lady Ellie, can you not find anything else to be curious about?" asked Legolas desperately. Ellie crossed her arms stubbornly.
"Nope, not until you answer all my questions." Upon seeing the elf's expression, she scowled in indignation. "Hey, it ain't my fault I don't know any of this stuff, buster. No one gave me Sex Ed for elves in high school. Hell, all I learned was names of a bunch of STDs and how to put a condom on a banana…"
"We usually avoid all sexual activity until we are ready to bond," said Legolas in defeat and hoping to get this done as soon as possible. Ellie sighed.
"God, I am such a slut by elf standards," she said. The company looked mildly shocked.
"Surely you don't mean you've—" spluttered Merry.
"Woah, woah, hold your horses, I never said anything like that," Ellie said, taking a certain pleasure in making her nine companions so ridiculously uncomfortable. Hell, they'd been taking pleasure in her sufferings for the past weeks and it was time to return the favor.
"I'm a virgin," she said, "but I've fooled around a bit. Standards are a lot looser in my world." She was, after all, a sixteen-year-old girl, and sixteen-year-old girls are bound to do certain things.
"Indeed, Lady Ellie, they must be, for I seem to recall you mentioning kissing someone of the same gender," Boromir said somewhat mischievously. Ellie let out a groan.
"Oh god, not this again," she moaned, as Boromir and the hobbits smirked. "I'm telling you, it's completely normal where I come from! Yeah, some people frown upon it, but most people are really accepting."
"Same gender relationships are heard of here," Frodo mused, "But such things are frowned upon heavily, social standards and all."
"Yeah, well, I'll make sure not to make out with any girls then," Ellie said, rolling her eyes. Her curiosity now quelled, the company settled back into a comfortable silence.
The sky grew dim, and Ellie soon became aware of two things: She was very, very sleepy and desperately needed to pee. The sound of rushing water really wasn't helping, but she valiantly attempted to control her bladder and hoped desperately that they would soon stop for the night. Unless, of course, they were planning to row the whole night to make more progress or some crazy shit like that. Ellie decided to speak up.
"Uh…Guys? I hate to be a bother, but I'm exhausted. And I have to pee really bad. Like, I think I'm going to wet myself if I have to listen to all this water for one more minute."
Legolas looked mildly alarmed at the thought of Ellie peeing in his precious boat. "Lady Ellie is right, Aragorn. The hour is late, and would all do well with some much needed sleep."
Aragorn sighed wearily at the thought of stopping but had to agree when Sam let out a long yawn. "I suppose we have made enough progress for today. Rest will be well deserved."
Soon the Fellowship was setting up a pitiful camp on the rocky shore, and after she had traipsed a little ways off to do her business Ellie curled herself into a blanketed ball and shivered. The night was cold and the damp air from the river certainly didn't help. Sniffing pitifully and thoroughly missing her own nice, warm Pottery Barn bed at home, she attempted to sleep. Sleep was not to come though, and instead she became aware of Frodo and Sam conversing nearby.
"You haven't eaten anything all day," Sam was saying worriedly, "You're not sleeping either. Don't think I haven't noticed Mister Frodo…"
"I'm all right," insisted Frodo wearily, but Sam was having none of it.
"But you're not!" the larger hobbit exclaimed. "I'm here to help you. I promised Gandalf that I would."
Ellie could hear the weariness in Frodo's voice. "You can't help me Sam…not this time. Get some sleep."
Sam reluctantly obliged, and soon his gentle snores filled the makeshift camp. Ellie, feeling some companionship would be nice, crawled over to where Frodo was sitting broodingly.
"Hey," she sniffled, and the ringbearer granted her a weary smile.
"Hello Lady Ellie," he said gently.
"Thought I might cheer you up with my clever wit and stunning beauty," she joked weakly, and Frodo let out a short laugh.
"I think Merry would appreciate that more than me right now," he said teasingly. "He seems quite taken with you. All we've been hearing about since that silly feast the elves gave us was how pretty you looked in that dress. You did look lovely, of course," he added, giving her an exceedingly kind smile, and Ellie felt cheered. He was suffering through so much and yet still remained a complete sweetheart.
"Aw shucks, I'm pretty sure Legolas is prettier than me most of the time, and he's a guy," she said. "Taken with me, huh? Can't imagine why. All I've done since I've got here is made a complete fool of myself."
"That's not true," Frodo protested, but Ellie smiled ruefully.
"Let's see. I threw a huge fuss when a bird pooped on me and nearly made Gandalf explode, sang Christmas carols for two hours while hiking up Caradhras, thought the password to Moria was a fruit, attempt to save you with mouth-to-mouth and sort of ended up kissing you, had an eating contest with Pippin, nearly killed Pippin several times during archery lessons, and drunkenly threw myself at Legolas."
Frodo laughed. "Well, I suppose you have done some rather silly things," he said. "But you've also done plenty of productive things as well. You did try to save me, even if you went about it the wrong way, I remember you maiming quite a few orcs, and Legolas is quite impressed with your budding talent in archery. Besides, your antics, silly as they are, are cheering to all of us. It's a nice relief to have something to laugh about in such dark times."
Ellie gazed at him, touched. She was still surprised she had managed to find a friend in the sad, serious ringbearer, but appreciative all the same. Suddenly, she continued telling him her worries; how she had followed him and looked in the mirror, what she had seen, how hopeless she felt. A second later she internally shook herself though. Poor Frodo had more than enough problems for a lifetime carrying the Ring and further burdening him with her problems was the last thing she should be doing.
"Thank you Frodo," she said instead. "No really, thanks. I can't tell you how much I appreciate knowing that I've actually done something right on this journey." For a moment, the hobbit and the human girl smiled at each other, both just a little more content with their messed situation. The moment was ruined a second later when Ellie sneezed, shivering violently.
"You're cold," said Frodo worriedly, studying her critically.
"Nah, I'm just not acclimated to this damp air," Ellie said. "I'll be fine." Frodo gave her a stern look that immediately made her feel like a foolish child.
"You will not be fine if you're shivering like that. We can't have you becoming ill. Come here," he beckoned, and Ellie obeyed quickly, lying down next to the hobbit. He was small and the extra blankets didn't do too much to warm Ellie, but there was something comforting about his presence. Sighing contentedly, Ellie shut her eyes and let sleep take her.
O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.
Author's Note: Like I said, Frodo is being featured heavily since we won't be seeing that much of him after the breaking of the Fellowship until the end of ROTK. Simply put, he's my favorite hobbit, and I love the friendship he has with Ellie, so I'm taking full advantage of that until he goes off to Mordor with Sam. Please read and review and maybe Legolas will give out free kisses.