Chapter 10: Exilien, And a Fight (Part 2 of Flashback Sage No.2)

The 'meeting place' which Rilla spoke of was rather the headquarters for a company of rather mischievous young elves. Rilla and Glorfindel were tacitly the leader of them – for they were undoubtedly the most spirited and devious minded of the group.

This headquarters was in a very secluded and unfrequented section of Eastern Lothlorien. There were reasons why the Eastern side of the forest was unpopular among the more mature elves, but as the elders of Lothlorien did not promote scare-mongering amongst the younger elves, the latter worried about it less than it was probably wise.

The place itself was an extremely beautiful area, but it held a certain sense of mystery and suspense. It consisted of a medium clearing, large enough for a spirited game. This clearing was enclosed by a thick expanse of very tall, and comparatively thin trees, where a winding track led back into the more open part of the forest. On one side of the clearing there was a waterfall - whose existence was mostly unknown among the other Lothlorien elves - with the river continuing out eastward.

Towards the waterfall end of the clearing was a gigantic mallorn tree. Tens of thousands of years old, the buttresses were massive, and, with the trees' permission, the young mischief makers had formed a sort of shelter underneath, comprised of hardy cloth often used by the Border Guard.

With the skills of both the ellyn and elleth, they created a very respectable shelter there, with carved chairs, and couches, and embroidered pillows and cushions, protected from above and the sides by the buttresses and the cloth.

The elleth had planted beautiful climbing plants all around the vicinity, and every day they grew around the carved benches they had made. Due to the height and the density of the trees' foliage, it was only just before, during and after noon that the area received direct sunlight, the rest of the time the hideaway was encased in a charming, yet slightly eerie half-twilight atmosphere.

Glorfindel, having not been around during the creation of this headquarters had been immediately dubious about its position. Due to his knowledge that came with being the seneschal of Rivendell and a Lord of the elves of Arda, he knew exactly what lay to the east, and the sense of danger that lay over the whole land - including Lothlorien. His fears were based on the fact that, if Lothlorien were attacked by Sauron, the eastern side would seem to be the side that would be attacked first. However, it strove to reason that Sauron would not attack Lothlorien before attacking certain human cities first, and that if the orcs of Moria attacked, that they would not be attacking from the Eastern side.

Even with these more reassuring thoughts, Glorfindel felt an uneasiness about this young group of elves having their headquarters so close to the border - Eastern or not. However, unwilling to ruin their fun and enjoyment, he kept a wary silence.

When Rilla made her was down the track with its rises and falls, she found, when lifting the flap of cloth over the entrance to the pavilion under the buttresses that she was not the first to reach the hideaway. Rumil, her foster brother, and Varya, her closest friend, were there, engaged in a spirited pillow fight. Not thinking once about what their friends Yolande and Hwestawen would think about their using their pillows in such a way, Rilla snatched up a pillow and pitched it directly at Rumil's head.

This got her the pairs' attention and Rilla, have sprung upon the table, affected a heroic pose with a pillow in each hand and then crying out, leapt down dramatically.

'Rilla for Varya!'

Laughing uncontrollably, the elleth attacked Rumil on both sides - which ended in Rumil being pinned down by his arms and legs - Varya lying across his legs and Rilla kneeling on his arms which were placed over his chest. The trio was laughing fit to kill, and Rilla was tormenting Rumil when they heard an amused voice at the door.

'It seems I arrived too late to assist you, Rumil. But perhaps I could assist at your funeral?'

With shrieks from the elleth, and an exclamation from Rumil, the three young ones scrambled up to Glorfindel. During the hugs that followed, Rumil somehow tripped Glorfindel up, which ended in a wrestling match, during which the elleth erratically pounded them with pillows from both sides. The Ellyn finding this to be quite dishonourable of them, pulled them into the fray and tickled them until they could scarcely breathe.

'Glory, stop! ' Rilla gasped out - Varya finding it impossible to speak.

However, Rilla's words caused both the Ellyn to desist…

'Glory?' intoned both Glorfindel and Rumil.

Both Rilla and Varya were struggling to put themselves a safe distance away from both of them, and so failed to notice the faces and words of the two Ellyn.

'Hmm?' Rilla was attempting to straighten her mussed up braid…

'I hate to interrupt you from correcting your hair, Rilla, but I must beg you to inform me - what did you just call me???' Glorfindel was incredulous.

Rilla, finally noticing Glorfindel's consternation, stopped and thought.

She then grinned.

Widely.

'I called you 'Glory'!'

'Glory!' Glorfindel was horrified.

'Glory!' Rumil was delighted.

'Yes, indeed, Glory. It is about time that you have a nickname, Glory. Glorfindel is much too long for any of us to stand any longer! I am Rilla - Varya is Vari - Rumil is Rum - why can you not be Glory?'

'But…Glory!'

'Yes, Glory!'

Rumil was rolling around the floor by this stage.

'But….Rilla! Must it be Glory???'

'I do not see why not. It is the most appropriate nickname, would you not think? What else is there? Findel? Findy? Glorfy?'

Starting violently at the last, Glorfindel shuddered.

'No, no indeed! I will have to suffer with Glory, then…'

Glancing at the still-rolling Rumil, he gave him a hard push with his foot, suddenly slightly self-conscious.

'Get up, you prancing fool!'

Rumil sat up, sit guffawing, and smirked at Glorfindel.

'Oh, anything for you, Glory!'

Glaring at Rumil, Glorfindel addressed Rilla.

'I am afraid, Rilla, that you have done me an ill turn…Remind me to revenge my on you as soon as possible!'

A grinning Idril laughed, and shook her head with a glint in her eye.

'But dear Glory, I have already informed you once before that I am quite sure you need no reminding!'

Glory made a noise that sounded something like 'peh', when Orophin appeared through the doorway. A series of greetings and chattings of local news changed the intimate atmosphere. They did not have to wait very long before the last three Ellyn appeared - Querdin, Vincere and Lenodarin, followed swiftly by three close friends of Rilla and Vari who possessed the same sort of spirit and humour -Hwestawen, Yolande and Neminari.

Hwestawen was the eldest elleth of the group - Orophin being the eldest ellyn. She was strong and forceful for an elleth, and had clashed on several different occasions with Haldir. Sensing a chance of matchmaking, Idril was planning mischief in the future…

Yolande and Neminari were as close friends as Rilla and Vari - but were closer in age than the latter pair.

Yolande was a popular elleth, whose beauty and charm had enchanted most of the Ellyn around her age. However, though she seemed incredibly confident and self-assured, her close friends understood that she was more insecure than all of them. They helped her as much as possible to be herself and not worry to death about things she tended to exaggerated. She often tended to be easily prejudiced and judgmental about elves who she had taken in quick dislike - something her friends were attempting to change. However, in the group, she was a lively-tongued elleth, with quick wit and a ready smile.

Neminari was a quieter elleth who had only recently shown the rest of the group a different side to her personality. Indeed, she loved tricks and games as much as Rilla, but had the unfortunate habit of, after playing a successful trick, or speaking a quick jest, of apologising, blushingly, to the victim. Her friends were slowly ridding her of this terrible habit.

Querdin was a lifelong friend of Orophin's, as he also was on the Border Guard. Always ready for a laugh or jest, he gladly carried through with tricks and adventures that the others thought up with agility and vivacity. He was a reassuring friend with a ready ear - which made him popular among the elleths, of course!

Vincere was a handsome charmer, a close friend of Rumil. The pair were very similar - both being very sympathetic, understanding and helpful, while also being fun to be with, cheeky, mischievous and young.

Lenodarin was a quieter youngster who happened to be new to the Border Guard. It had been on the occasion of Orophin and Rumil's wide-eyed watching of Lenodarin calmly adding a baby bird to Haldir's unattended pack, and straight-facedly answering Haldir's enraged questions, five leagues of constant squawking later, as to 'where in Mordor did the confounded thing come from'. Exceedingly impressed, the brothers had invited Lenodarin to join their 'exclusive' company.

Glorfindel, having been almost immediately made a member of the company during his last stay at Lothlorien (after they all had heard the tale of his and Rilla's prank on Rumil), had been accepted wholeheartedly, even though his years exceeded the others by millenniums. He found, as Glorfindel had informed his dear friend Erestor, that

'He felt he could allow his 'inner elfling' free range while with that company of 'elflings'' (as he often called them) – which had caused Erestor to burst into laughter, disturbing Lord Elrond, who was passing the library at the time, considerably.

During the very best of times, the group had a few honorary members – such as the sons of Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir. Incredibly close friends to Orophin and Rumil, the four ellyn had made quite a name for themselves in both Lothlorien and Rivendell. Even Mirkwood was not safe, when the four visited their dear friend Legolas, who, though more reserved than the four pranksters, found that he was inevitably dragged into the mischief anyway. Legolas, also, was an honorary member, with his younger brother Jorluin, who, to the despair of his elder brother, seemed to have the same tendencies as his four close friends.

Rilla, grabbing Glorfindels arm, pulled him with her up to the higher table, and banged loudly with the only thing available - the hilt of Glorfindel's sword. This action not only resulting in eventual quiet, but it also merited Rilla a rather aggrieved look from Glorfindel (who, she had learnt before, was very protective of his sword...)

'Dear friends, I have some wonderfully exciting news to inform you of! After some very surreptitious yet necessary searching through Haldir's papers yesterday…' There were mixed reactions amongst the company, hearing this, but none were truly 'shocked'… 'I found out something quite incredible! In less than a week, Elladan, Elrohir, Legolas and Jorluin will be with us, here in Lothlorien!'

There was an uproar, as this was totally unexpected, yet wholly gratifying news. Glorfindel, already having heard about it from Elrond, smiled indulgently.

'Do you speak the truth, Rilla, are you quite sure of it?' asked Orophin, with shining eyes.

'Yes! I am sure of it! It seems that…Haldir kept it a secret from us for he knew what our reaction would be…'

There were groans and short laughs at this. None of them blamed Haldir for this - they understood the March warden's reasons completely. That, however, did not stop them from planning revenge…!

'We must have a celebration! Have it here - just our company! Throughout the whole night!' exclaimed Rumil.

Hwestawen lifted her head from speaking quietly with Yolande.

'Throughout the whole night, Rumil? Why is that?'

Vincere answered for him,

'Do you really think, Hwesta, that Haldir and the other elder Guards will allow all our crew outside the Eastern Gates unsupervised for hours on end? Whatever way we did it, they would have to discover our Exelien,' (the name for the 'headquarters') 'and of course, we do not wish that!'

'That is true…' murmured Hwestawen.

Yolande took up the thread, 'Does that mean that we will have to sneak out here one night and smuggle ourselves back inside somehow around dawn?'

Neminari looked up, startled, 'But how will we get over the wall?'

'Quite simple, really. Rumil and Orophin should be able to access some of the ladders of the Guard, being wardens and all.' piped up Lenodarin.

Orophin, commending this sense, agreed with Rumil's idea.

'I believe Rumil is right. If we hope to keep Exilien relatively secret, we will have to have our celebrations with the other four during the night. The elders would be too suspicious as to where we all were if we had it during the day.'

'But we are all here now, and though we may receive a few questions, nothing unmanageable,' questioned Varya.

'Yes, Vari, but all of Lothlorien has some knowledge of our group. I believe that if any of the elder elves thought about it much they would realise we had a headquarters out here. That is inevitable. But with the other four here, I believe Haldir might insist upon a chaperone, or someone of a more mature age, if we left Caras Galadhon – he is now much too used to our adventures.' replied Rumil.

'Chaperone forsooth!' cried out Rilla, 'Why should we have a chaperone when we have a Glory, who is practically more than all our ages put together!'

There was much laughter at this - the rest of the group finding Rilla's newly acquired nickname for Glorfindel to be rather entertaining. Glorfindel, after directing Rilla a mock-dangerous glare, ignored them all with a nose up in the air.

'What do you think about our plan, Glorfindel?' asked Hwestawen diplomatically.

The nose came down hearing his true name, and Glorfindel was quiet… He had been battling with his thoughts of prudence and safety - and this plan of quite blatantly disobeying the rules of Lothlorien, and having a (sure to be) loud and boisterous celebration so close to the Eastern border went against his principles.

Seeing this look on Glorfindel's face, the group had become quite subdued, waiting, it seemed, in expectation.

'Glorfindel? What is it? What do you worry about?' Rilla was anxious. She had not thought that the plan would not meet Glorfindel's approval. In the air there was a sense that if they did not receive Glorfindel's approbation many things had to be rethought…

Glorfindel, coming to his senses, realised that every eye was upon him. He felt guilty…he felt suddenly old.

'Elflings…I am afraid I cannot approve of this idea.' There was a sense of resentment from the ellyn - perhaps being called elflings (though they had been called it many times before by the reborn, but never in such a serious situation), and uneasiness from the elleth.

'But, Glorfindel, why?' pleaded Rilla.

'There are many reasons, Rilla, why this is definitely not a good idea. By sneaking out in the middle of the night, outside the city gates, you would be blatantly disobeying Lothlorien's laws.'

Here the Ellyn who were members of the Border Guard shifted guiltily.

'There are also other reasons, but I do not wish to inform you of them if I do not have too.'

'You do not wish to inform us of them!' Rilla was incensed. 'You say there are many reasons but you do not wish to inform us of them! You, you are just as bad as the rest of those old elves in their - you are positively ancient! And boring!'

With a stamp of her little foot, Rilla rushed out of the room, and from Exilien. The room was incredibly quiet after she left. In ones and twos, the other followed - leaving Glorfindel by himself.

Many apologies for the long wait...Uni has been...Occupying! I was wondering whether a pillow fight would be acceptable among the elves. Probably not, but I don't think it affects the story for better or worse. Thanks to all who have reviewed - you have 'made' many a day for me!

Varne

(i am craving vegemite. Mmm vegemite)