Wherever We Are
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Lord of the Rings or anything else that I reference! Natalie and Francesca own themselves respectively! I only own myself and my OCs!
Chapter Eleven *Note: Elvish conversations are in italics*
Olympia's POV
The few days were spent getting ready for Kate's departure from Mirkwood. We found packs for her to put all her clothes and stuff in, loads of lembas were made for her to take with her, and a few other elves were chosen as guides to go along. I helped her pack and plan as much as I could, trying not to be sad about the fact that she was leaving.
The day that had been set for their journey to start came all too soon, in my opinion. Kate and the three other elves going with her stood near their horses on the far side of the bridge. King Thranduil, Tawarthion, Veryan, Legolas and I had come to see them off.
"Na lû e-govaned vîn. Namarië." (Until next we meet. Farewell.) King Thranduil stated. Kate nodded and smiled, replying with something along those lines.
"Good-bye Kate." I whispered, pulling Kate into a hug.
"It's okay Olympia. It's not good-bye forever. I'll come visit whenever I can." My sister whispered back to me.
"Gwestog?" (Do you promise?)I asked. Kate pulled away from the hug and raised an eyebrow at me.
"Yes. I promise." She said, smiling slightly. I nodded.
"I love you, Kate." I told her.
"I love you too." She replied.
Kate then turned and got on her horse. She and those guiding her there then turned and headed down the path into the forest. Kate looked back once and gave me a bright smile. I half-heartedly returned the smile and waved to her. Legolas came to stand next to me and put an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into a side-hug. I smiled a little more. We watched the group until I couldn't see my sister anymore.
"Do not despair, my love. We will see Kate again." Legolas told me.
"I know. But I've always had Kate with me. She's always been there and it's weird to imagine things without her." I stated.
"You will miss her. I understand." Legolas replied, hugging me a little closer.
"How do you always know what to say?" I muttered. Legolas chuckled.
"I love you, Olympia." He whispered to me. I smiled and wrapped my arms around his torso and leaned my head on his shoulder.
"I love you too." I told him. Legolas kissed the top of my head.
*Francesca's POV*
Rosie and I sat together on a picnic blanket on one of the many hills of the Shire. Rosie didn't have to work at the Green Dragon until later and we'd decided to hang out. So, Frodo had helped me pack a lunch and Rosie and I headed out. Sam was busy gardening and Merry and Pippin were doing god-only-knows what, so it was just Rosie and I.
"Are you enjoying the Shire Miss Francesca?" Rosie asked suddenly.
"Yeah. It's peaceful and there's a laid-back sense around the place that I don't think I've felt before. It feels weird. I'm not used to waking up and having the sun be up already. I used to have to wake up ridiculously early for school. Or work, depending on the day. It's weird, not having to run around like a chicken without a head; not really having anything to do and actually having time to draw, eat and sleep." I mused; leaning back against the tree trunk we were sitting against and staring up at the sky.
"You did not even have time to eat and sleep properly? It sounds as though you were dreadfully busy in your…world." Rosie commented. I laughed.
"I might have been exaggerating a little. But I was really busy. With school, work and artwork I didn't have a hell of a lot of time for friends….or sleep. Sometimes, I think I functioned on adrenaline and willpower." I elaborated. And copious amounts of caffeine. I added mentally, remembering my high school days; when Mountain Dew was my main source of energy on certain days.
"That sounds awful." Rosie said decidedly. I shrugged.
"Sometimes it was. But I had a blast in high school. Kate, Olympia and Natalie are great friends. We've been through a lot of crap together. You should meet them someday. They'd love you." I stated.
"I'd be honored to meet friends you speak so highly of. What are they like, if you don't mind my asking?" Rosie responded. I smiled.
"They're great. They're all really cool and funny and we talk about things like this all the time. We're very close." I stated, not entirely sure how to describe my relationship with my friends.
"It sounds like they are good friends of yours." Rosie nodded.
"Also, Kate and Olympia are elves." I stated, smirking and trying not to laugh when Rosie's eyes went wide.
"Elves?" she echoed in disbelief.
"Yes. Elves!" I exclaimed, losing control and laughing. Rosie smacked my arm lightly.
"I've never met an elf before. Are the tales true?" Rosie asked curiously.
"I wouldn't know. My friends aren't normal elves." I joked. Rosie chuckled. "What are the stories?" I asked.
"Bilbo used to tell tales of the Fair Folk to the young hobbit lads and lasses quite often. He told us of the beautiful elf city of Rivendell and how kind and fair the elves are." Rosie explained. I nodded.
"Rivendell's an amazing place. And most elves are like that. Some of them are cheerful and prone to joking…" I stated. Read: Glorfindel. I thought. "Others are more…regal, I'll say, for lack of a better word. They're all really nice. Even Erestor, who's kind of grumpy sometimes." I told Rosie, remembering the trip from Gondor to Rivendell with Glorfindel ,Erestor, Lord Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir.
Rosie soon asked me to recount the events of that trip. I laughed and told her about the random wrestling match between Pippin and Elrohir, and how Merry had gotten dragged into it. She laughed and rolled her eyes slightly when I told her I'd jumped on Merry just for the hell of it.
"What is a high five?" she asked when I finished. I smirked.
"It's a gesture between friends where I'm from. We use it to celebrate when we win something or when we pass each other in the hallway." I explained, taking Rosie's wrist and touching our hands together. Rosie nodded.
"So…now it's your turn. Tell me about what your childhood in the Shire was like." I stated, leaning against the tree trunk once more.
Rosie and I spent the rest of the afternoon trading stories and laughing. Yeah, I can see us as good friends. I can't wait until Kate and Olympia come visit. Lobelia Sackville-Baggins might just have a coronary, what with elves popping up randomly to see Frodo and his friends. I thought.
I grinned at the mental image. I'd had the misfortune to meet Lobelia Sackville-Baggins soon after we came back to the Shire. She was a grumpy old hobbit woman, somehow related to Frodo, who was entirely displeased with his sudden reappearance after a little over a year. Frodo had explained to me that the Sackville-Bagginses resented Bilbo for living so long, seeing as they'd wanted to inherit Bag End when he died. Evidently, when Frodo left, they thought he was gone for good and were going to start moving into Bag End.
I shook my head to shoo those thoughts away, and Rosie and I packed up our picnic and headed back into town. Rosie's shift at the Green Dragon was supposed to start soon, and I had a date with my new sketchbook. I really did not want to be there when Merry and Pippin were kicked out for being overly drunk…Again.
*Kate's POV*
A few days passed before my guides and I were through the forest. After that I saw a stretch of barren land before the mountains, which already seemed to loom over us. We talked a lot, though mostly the three of them, Arbellason, Rincavornon, and Suiadan, tried to teach me more elvish. For the most part it worked; I could hold a conversation, in any case.
"What path are we to take through the mountains?" Suiadan asked, looking at the mountains.
"Summer lasts yet. There is not much snow on the mountains. We shall take the High Pass. It is quicker than travelling south to the Gap of Rohan." Rincavornon replied.
I nodded to myself. I wonder what Rivendell's going to be like. Reading about it and seeing it in person are completely different so I'm not quite sure what to expect. Will it look like it did in the movies, only more amazing? I wondered excitedly.
A few days later found the three of us setting up camp in the mountains. It was cold, that much I could tell, but it didn't affect me. Right…Elves aren't as affect by extreme temperatures as humans are. I remembered. How did I forget about that? I asked myself.
I sat on top of my blankets and looked around. The scenery was incredible, and I couldn't help but remember being here with the Fellowship. I laughed out loud as I remembered the snowball fight that had somehow become one of the first stories we told about our 'adventure'. Arbellason, Suiadan, and Rincavornon all looked at me like they were worried for my mental health.
"May I ask what is so amusing, my lady?" Suiadan asked.
"It's nothing…Just something I remembered from when the Fellowship passed through here. It wasn't all doom and gloom; we managed to have some fun." I replied. Arbellason raised an eyebrow.
"May I ask what happened that would prompt such a reaction from the mere memory?" he asked, stumbling over the English a little.
"We had an all-out snowball fight." I stated simply. At this, Suiadan raised his eyebrows and Rincavornon tried not to laugh.
"Would you mind telling this tale in its entirety? It sounds quite interesting." Rincavornon asked.
"Not at all. Would you believe me if I told you it was my sister Olympia and Francesca who started it?" I asked.
"Was it now?" Arbellason asked, surprised.
"Yes, it was. Believe me when I say she has a mischievous side. It doesn't come out often, but it is present. But, we're getting off topic…" I replied.
My three elven companions got quite a kick out of the snowball fight story. We spent the rest of the night swapping all sorts of tales from past adventures. I learned that all three of them were first cousins and as a result there were lots of stories to be told. It almost made me forget about how much I missed my sister. Almost. I fell asleep soon after we ate dinner.
Author's Note: Gah! Sorry I took so long, everyone! I've got a ton of crap to do for school and while I'd honestly rather be writing for this, AP essays and English reading take priority. So please enjoy this (short) chapter while I get my shit together. Okay? READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!